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Source: The Guest List for the Duchess of Richmond's ball
By permission of the Trustees of the Goodwood Collection
© The Trustees of the Goodwood Collection
Claire de Duras and the Duchess of Richmond's Ball
Contributed by: Stacie Allan
On 16th June 1815, Claire de Duras wrote to Germaine de Staël from the royal camp in Ghent. The letter – translated in 'Further Information' – continually oscillates between the personal and the political, and offers a unique perspective on current events and the figure of Napoleon.
From its content, we must assume that the letter was composed in two stages. The pessimistic first part appears to be written before news of the events which had taken place at the Duchess of Richmond's ball the previous night had reached Ghent: it was at this ball in Brussels that the Duke of Wellington received the news that Napoleon had crossed into the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (now Belgium).
The second part, added later, completes the letter by offering a lively description and response to those events.
Today's object is the Duchess of Richmond's list of invitees to the ball; the original letter from de Duras is now lost. The Comte d’Haussonville, in his work on 'La Baronne de Staël et la Duchesse de Duras' (Paris: Figaro, 1910) published a transcript of it, mentioning in the paratextual material the famous fictional depictions of the Duchess of Richmond’s ball: Byron’s portrayal in Childe Harold, Thackeray’s in Vanity Fair.
However, this almost eye-witness account captures not only the frenzied events of that night, but also the fear that the war had produced, the return to previous uncertainties that it evoked, and the personal suffering that it caused. The swift change of tone in Duras’s letter between the two parts portrays the ball as a great turning point in the narrative of the 100 Days.
Ghent, 16 June
Oh, you are right to reproach me! It is inexcusable to not have responded to your original letter. My first thought when I arrived in Brussels was actually to write to you. I felt the need to be close to you again, and to talk to you about what was on my mind, but, then, I became so miserable! I lost the best mother: she loved only me and I was her sole concern in life.
She had wanted to follow me to Belgium without thinking about her age or her health. A fatal stroke took her from me in an instant! At five o'clock, she was cheerful and happy; at eight o’clock, she was no longer with us. I cannot describe to you the depths of sadness, of despondency, that her loss has plunged me in. I cannot tell you how a void has opened up around me, and how I have blamed myself for having brought her here, as it has transformed all other sorrows. I could no longer say the same things to you, and I would not have dared reveal myself as so sad and so incapable of talking about what would have interested you: the current events.
I came here, and for two months, I have done nothing. I barely write to Mme de La Tour du Pin; I write to no one. There is so much to say, and now the scene is changing, as hostilities began yesterday between Mauberge and Mons. Napoleon fired the first shots of the canons. We don’t know any of the details as the courier, who arrived at two o'clock that night, left when the action began. I think that the outposts will be retaken, like always happens. It will be seen as a victory for France, and will be worth thousands of conscripts for the Empire.
I don't think that we will stay here with the war. There is already talk of going to Antwerp. M. de Talleyrand has not yet arrived and we’re waiting for him to say the word. Unfortunately, now the question rests upon the shots of a canon. Certainly for me, the war and our poor country’s misfortunes are tearing at my heart. It pains me to think of what I shall gain through such means, and that, only through war, I am condemned to have my life back. At this price, I could be tempted to not want it, but, at least like Pilate, I declare myself innocent from the blood of the righteous – and yet what other choice do we have? Without fighting, France will remain in the hands of a man who has not changed, because people don’t change. He will be a tyrant, the conqueror of an occupied land! This is the product of our madness, of our light touch, and of our unforgivable lack of foresight.
Your daughter’s marriage has been put on hold then; Mathieu even said to me that it had broken down. In your place, I would not worry about someone, who could not sacrifice the advantages of a large fortune for your lovely Albertine. To be worthy of her, he must love her more. Pascal once said that after knowing everything, one returns to ignorance. And I find that after having seen the world and its people, one returns to the novels read during youth. Books still hold the best possibilities; illusions for illusions, they provide more happiness.
Here's the latest. Bonaparte crossed the Sambre at Thuin and seized Charleroi. There, he found a Prussian regiment who fought back well; there was fighting in the streets. The news arrived in Brussels during a ball given by the Duchess of Richmond. Although everything should have been prepared, no one waited around, not even the Duke. In an instant, the room was deserted: the young people lined up and, from there, left for the war. By midnight, they had all gone. People surrounded the Duke; the aides-de-camps carried his orders. Up and down the stairs, people were whispering and rumours spread. The Duke himself left at three o'clock in the morning.
Bonaparte has one hundred thousand men. He wanted to separate the English army from the Prussian army. They say that was his play. He has one hundred thousand Prussians in front of him and one hundred thousand Englishmen on his left flank. Plus, there’s fifty thousand Bavarians led by Wrede at Mézières. On 25 March, he knew that he would have to face all the allies at once. He wanted to warn them, so as to give himself the advantage of the attack. Perhaps, he was going to act like Gribouille, who threw himself in the water from fear of the rain, but he doesn't possess that kind of subtlety. He has led very competently since his return, and, in my opinion, he has not put a foot wrong.
Adieu madame! Please write to me and send your letters to Mme de Jaucourt at the office of Foreign Affairs. Don't tell anyone that I'm here.
I'm thinking about going to Switzerland very soon. And yourself, what are you doing?
P.S. The last time that I saw the Duke of Wellington, he asked for news of you and charged me with sending a thousand wishes to you. I am very serious about my plan to go to Switzerland that I just mentioned. There, I will see you and it will make me happy. I am very much inclined to enjoy your company; I have admired you for years and wanted to tell you. But I do fear you, and it is not for any reason that you could guess. Some day, we will discuss it, but, in the meantime, think about me and be kind to me. René talks a lot about you. I hope that one day it will be useful for his cause. The little good that has been done here is down to him.
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Preserving WWII History
Honoring Service
Bomber Groups
Fighter Groups
Eugene Edwards
Eugene G Edwards served his country in World War II with the 13rd AF .
Information on Eugene Edwards is gathered and extracted from military records. We have many documents and copies of documents, including military award documents. It is from these documents that we have found this information on SGT Edwards. These serviceman's records are not complete and should not be construed as a complete record. We are always looking for more documented material on this and other servicemen. If you can help add to Eugene Edwards's military record please contact us.
GO: 55
The information on this page about Eugene Edwards has been obtained through a possible variety of sources incluging the serviceman themselves, family, copies of military records that are in possession of the Army Air Corps Library and Museum along with data obtained from other researchers and sources including AF Archives at Air Force Historical Research Agency and the U.S. National Archives.
This information is by no means complete, we are adding information based upon documentation in our possession.
If you have more information concerning the service of Eugene Edwards, including pictures, documents and other artifacts that we can add to this record, please Contact Us.
13af.org, Copyright 2019, Army Air Corps Library and Museum, Inc., All Rights Reserved
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’24’ the most pirated TV show in Britain
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain has emerged as the world’s biggest market for downloading pirated TV, driven by tech-savvy fans who are unwilling to wait for popular U.S. shows such as “Desperate Housewives.”
Britain’s status as a TV downloading hotspot, revealed in a study by UK technology consultancy Envisional on Thursday, could pose problems for UK broadcaster BSkyB, which is counting on high-profile U.S. shows such as “24” to draw new subscribers to its satellite TV service.
According to Envisional, Britain accounts for about one-fifth of TV downloads through file-sharing networks such as BitTorrent and eDonkey, more than any other country, followed by Australia and the United States.
“Because there’s such a demand for U.S. TV, the UK is going to be the main downloader,” said Envisional research consultant David Price.
Popular U.S. television shows such as “The West Wing,” “The Sopranos” and “Friends” usually air in Britain months after they are broadcast stateside. For impatient fans, the Internet offers bootleg, advertisement-free programs that can be downloaded in a few hours over a high-speed connection.
Episodes of the espionage drama “24” show up on the popular file-trading network BitTorrent within minutes after they air in the U.S., according to Envisional, and a typical episode is downloaded by about 100,000 users.
The company said that “24” is the most pirated show online, with “The Simpsons,” “The OC” and a host of sci-fi programs including “Stargate SG-1” and “Enterprise” also popular.
Related Topics · News, 24 Series, Ratings
TV’s Biggest Moneymakers – 24 in third
By 24 Spoilers , May 6th, 2010
Forbes has published their third annual TV’s top money makers list and 24 comes in at third. It’s the only other FOX show besides American Idol to make the Top 10. Fox’s 24 rounds out the top three on our list of prime time’s top moneymakers. The long-running drama may be losing buzz–the current season… View Article
’24’ the 7th Most Pirated TV Show of 2010
By 24 Spoilers , December 30th, 2010 · 1 comment
24 came in seventh place on TorrentFreak’s Top 10 Most Pirated TV-Shows of 2010 with an estimated 2,240,000 downloads from BitTorrent. Other TV series making the top ten list include Lost, Dexter, House, True Blood, Glee, The Big Bang Theory, Heroes, How I Met Your Mother, and Family Guy. TorrentFreak notes that the percentage of… View Article
24 in the top 10 Tivo’ed shows
By 24 Spoilers , September 2nd, 2011
Tivo has released data on the top 10 most DVR’ed shows since they started compiling data in October 2007. 24 has made the list at number seven. And when you take into account that the show was off the air for a whole year due to the writers strike which delayed Season 7, that’s pretty… View Article
24 Spoilers » News » ’24’ the most pirated TV show in Britain
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T.I. Net Worth, Real Name, Heights, Wife, Kids, House, Cars
Asirpa Niisan 07/03/2019 Rapper No Comments
T.I. Net Worth, Forbes Highest Earning Hip-hop Artist
T.I. Bio: Early Years, Real Name, Education
T.I. Careers in the Music Industry
Careers in Film and Television
T.I. Life: Age, Height, Wife, Kids
T.I. Wealth, Source of Income
T.I. is an award-winning rapper from America. He has released five hip hop albums which certified platinum by RIAA.
He received several prestigious awards in the Music industry including Grammy Awards.
His sixth album entitled “Paper Trail” is one of the most successful albums till now.
The album debuted at the top of the music chart. It has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.
Besides rapper, T.I is also has a great career as an actor.
He starred in several box-office movies including American Gangster in 2007, Ant-Man in 2015, and Sleepless in 2007.
Most of the movies, T.I. acted as a supporting actor alongside many popular actors.
T.I . also starred on the reality show about his life and family “T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle” on cable television.
There are still many other ventures he has to build his net worth. So, what’s is T.I. net worth?
source: people.com
T.I.’s real name is Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 25, 1980.
Joseph is the son of Clifford “Buddy Harris Sr. And Violeta Morgan. His father died from Alzheimer’s disease.
Joseph was raised by his grandparents in the neighborhood of Center Hill in Atlanta.
He began rapping for 8 years old. Joseph attended Douglass High School but he later dropped out of the school.
Before the stage name T.I., he had a stage name that comes from the childhood nickname that his great-grandfather gave him “Tip”.
He officially changed his stage name to T.I. when signed to his first Major label, LaFace Records.
source: nydailynews.com
T.I started his professional career when he signed a contract deal with Ghet-O-Vision.
Later, he moved to Arista Records and released his debut album in 2001 entitled “I’m Serious”.
His debut album got a lot of positive reviews but the commercial success is not that big.
It managed to get into the top 30 charts of Billboard R&B and Hip Hop.
However, T.I. blamed the moderate success to the record label because he thought the album sales could be higher.
Then, he decided to make his very own label named “Grand Hustle Records”.
Under his new label, T.I. released an underground CD album titled “In Da Streets”.
The CD sold about 10,00 copies on its first week.
He got great publicity because of his appearance in the super hit single “Never Scared” by Bone Crusher.
That single opened up new avenues for him to be in a competitive industry of American rap music at that time.
In 2003, T.I. released his second studio album “Trap Muzik” which became his breakout album.
The album debuted at number 4 in the Billboard 200 chart.
It also received a monstrous response and gave him a platinum certificate from RIAA.
He seemed to get more confidence because of the successful second album.
It led him to collaborate with prolific rappers like Lil Wayne, B.G, and Neelie.
In 2004, he released his next album “Urban Legend” which also became a hit and sold over a million copies in America.
It was the fastest selling rap album by a southern artist.
The album made him getting some nominations from major Awards.
Since then, T.I. has released a total of 7 studio albums in his music career to date.
Most of them are both critically and commercially successful.
More information about his musical works can be read in T.I. Discography.
Recently, T.I. posted a new video on his social media account.
source: blackamericaweb.com
In 2006, T.I. had his acting debut in a film titled “ATL” which was loosely based on his life growing up in Atlanta.
His second feature-film was a box-office “American Gangster” in which he acted with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.
He starred in more films as supporting actor including Takers, Entourage, Get Hard, Ant-Man franchise, and more.
In 2009, T.I. made a reality show called “T.I.’s Road to Redemption” on MTV.
The series was about the time before his March Sentencing.
In 2011, he started another reality show “T.I. & Tiny: The Family Hustle”.
The show was quite a hit on MTV network and it concluded in 2017.
He also became the main role of an American reality competition show titled “The Grand Hustle” premiered on BET in 2018.
source: lifeandstylemag.com
He began a relationship with Tameka “Tiny” Cottle in 2001. They both married in 2010 in Florida.
The couple had two sons and one daughter. He had a total of 6 children which added from his previous relationship.
Two of his sons Major Philant Harris and Domani Harris became very popular because of their appearances in the reality show.
As of this year, T.I.’s age is 38 years old. T.I.’s height is 1.73m.
source: stylebistro.com
As of this year, T.I. net worth is approximately $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Mostly, T.I. gained his multi-million net worth from his music works, films, TVs, and more other ventures.
One of his side ventures is an endorsement. T.I. had an endorsement deal with Chevrolet in 2007.
In 2012, he had endorsement deals with some brands like Camps Sports, Club Crucial, and more.
As a businessman, T.I. also invested his money in several businesses.
All of those businesses and endorsements earned him millions of dollar.
T.I. bought a house in the Champions Park, Atlanta, that worth $830,000.
As a wealthy man, he owns a collection of lavish cars including Rolls-Royce Ghost and a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT.
For his wife’s 43rd birthday, he gave a luxurious car to her as a birthday gift.
Clifford Joseph Harris or T.I. started his professional career as a rapper in 1999.
He gained a lot of recognition for his Trap Music style.
He has sold millions of copies album throughout his music career which led him to received platinum certification for some of his albums.
For his works, T.I. won several awards including Grammy Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.
All of his ventures in music and business really gave a big impact on his net worth.
As of this year, T.I. net worth has reached $50 million.
Harry Styles Net Worth, Life, Career, One Direction, …
Blake Shelton Net Worth, Bio, Career, The Voice, …
Selena Gomez Net Worth, How She Achieved Her …
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10,000 employees join suit alleging Chipotle wage theft
Posted: 2:55 PM, Sep 01, 2016
By: Blair Miller
DENVER -- Close to 10,000 current and former Chipotle workers have joined a Colorado woman’s class-action lawsuit alleging employees were forced to work off the clock without pay.
Leah Turner, a former manager at a Parker, Colorado Chipotle restaurant, initially filed an individual federal lawsuit in March 2013, but it was dismissed. Her attorneys filed the class-action suit in September 2014.
Turner, who was an hourly, non-exempt employee at the store from March 2010 to May 2011, claims she was forced to clock out after working 40 hours in a week, but was required to continue working and attending after-hours meetings without pay.
The suit claimed workers’ overtime also was moved to subsequent weeks but paid out as straight wages so general managers could maintain a healthy balance between payroll and overhead.
It says that the pressure on managers to keep employee payroll costs down weighed into promotions within individual stores and possibly the company.
Denver-based attorney Andrew Quisenberry, who is among the lawyers representing clients in the case, t old Colorado Public Radio that the number of people who have joined the suit means the accusations levied were happening nationwide.
Chipotle, which operates out of Denver, has maintained throughout the years there is no merit to the suit. But it is the latest black eye for the company, which has been plagued with negative press in the past year.
An E. coli outbreak last year sickened dozens of people in several states , and a former employee won a lawsuit earlier this year after a judge determined she was discriminated against for being pregnant.
The case is now entering its discovery phase.
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Discrimination in "To Kill a Mockingbird"
Discrimination in "To Kill a Mockingbird" Book Review by Master Researcher
An analysis of the theme of discrimination in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird".
# 44604 | 751 words | 5 sources | MLA | 2002 |
Published on Nov 13, 2003 in Literature (American)
The paper argues that "To Kill a Mockingbird" not only reveals racial prejudice, it pivots a discussion concerning discrimination. The paper goes on to show how Harper Lee tenaciously explores the moral nature of human beings, especially the struggle in every human soul between discrimination and tolerance. The paper asserts that the novel is very effective in not only revealing prejudice, but in examining the nature of prejudice, how it works and its consequences.
"The most important theme of the 1960 Pulitzer Prize winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird is author Harper Lee's tenacious exploration of the moral nature of human
beings, especially the struggle in every human soul between discrimination and tolerance. The novel is very effective in not only revealing prejudice, but in examining the nature
of prejudice. One of the ways it accomplishes this is by dramatizing Scout's and Jem's maturing transition from a perspective of childhood innocence. Initially, because they have never seen or experienced evil themselves, they assume that all people are good by nature and tolerant of others. It is not until they see things from a more realistic adult perspective that they have to confront evil and prejudice and incorporate it into their understanding of the world. (Castleman)
"As a result of this skillful literary portrayal by Harper Lee of the psychological transition from innocence to experience to realization, To Kill a Mockingbird suceeds admirably in portraying the very real threat that hatred, prejudice, and ignorance have always posed to the innocent. Simple, trusting, good-hearted people such as Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are tragically unprepared. They are ill-equipped emotionally and psychologically to deal with the unexpected depths of the prejudice they encounter. As a result, they are destroyed. Even Jem is victimized to a certain extent by his discovery of the evil of prejudice and its hidden power over so many people during and after the controversial trial. (Bergman and Asimow)"
Cite this Book Review:
Discrimination in "To Kill a Mockingbird" (2003, November 13) Retrieved July 19, 2019, from https://www.academon.com/book-review/discrimination-in-to-kill-a-mockingbird-44604/
"Discrimination in "To Kill a Mockingbird"" 13 November 2003. Web. 19 July. 2019. <https://www.academon.com/book-review/discrimination-in-to-kill-a-mockingbird-44604/>
"To Kill a Mockingbird"
This paper discusses the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.
1 source | 2005
Age Discrimination in the Workplace
This paper explores the issue of age discrimination in business today.
Asian Americans and Discrimination
This paper discusses the killing of an Asian-American woman and its implications.
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Breastmilk Sugar Helps Prevent Group B Strep Infection in Babies
Baby Formulas Keep Improving
Don't Eat Your Baby's Placenta, Please And Thank You
Human Breast Milk Lacking a Specific Sugar Is Linked to Cow Milk Allergies
Human milk is best for babies but not if it s bought online, study finds.
C-Section Babies Get Mom's Germs to Improve Immunity
By Ruth Kava — August 30, 2016
Although the term “sugar” has bad connotations, having been linked to everything from dental cavities to obesity, not all sugars are alike. Actually, the term sugar is really a broad term for an entire class of chemical compounds. And some of these, according to new research, published in the journal Clinical and Translational Immunology, can actually help babies fight off serious illnesses caused by Group B Streptococcus bacteria (GBS).
Dr. Nicholas J. Andreas from Imperial College, London and colleagues investigated the effects of a type of sugar — oligosaccharides — found in the breast milk of many women, on the likelihood that their babies avoided diseases caused by GBS. GBS is the leading cause of infection in the first 3 months of life in both the UK and US; it is also prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a leading cause of meningitis in neonates.
GBS is a natural presence in the gastrointestinal tract and vagina of one third of women and can be passed to a baby during childbirth. Even if a baby does pick up the bug, if it is fed its mother’s milk, and she produces particular oligosaccharides in her milk, friendly bacteria in the baby’s GI tract can use these sugars for fuel and prevent the growth of GBS.
Whether or not a woman produces certain types of oligosaccharides is controlled or influenced by a genetic system called the Lewis antigen system. Dr. Nicholas and colleagues tested the Lewis and GBS status of 183 women, their breast milk and babies in The Gambia. They found that women who produced the Lewis genes-associated sugars were less likely to have GBS in their GI tracts, as were their babies at birth.
Babies who did pick up GBS at birth were more likely to clear it from their systems by the time they were 2-3 months old, if their mothers produced a certain oligosaccharide (lacro-n-difucohexaose) in their milk. And in laboratory studies, breast milk containing that sugar was better at killing GBS than was breast milk without it.
Dr. Andreas was quoted as saying, "Although this is early-stage research it demonstrates the complexity of breast milk, and the benefits it may have for the baby. Increasingly, research is suggesting these breast milk sugars (human milk oligosaccharides) may protect against infections in the newborn, such as rotavirus and Group B streptococcus, as well as boosting a child's "friendly" gut bacteria."
Although this is a small study in a group of African women, its potential for benefit is obvious: If this particular sugar is confirmed to be a strong anti-GBS factor, there’s the possibility that it might be added to formula for babies whose mothers don’t provide breast milk, or who do not carry the Lewis antigen system.
Despite their negative associations, not all sugars are “bad”. In fact, one class of sugars, oligosaccharides found in some mothers’ breast milk, might help their babies avoid diseases caused by Group B Streptococcus bacteria.
oligosaccharides
By Ruth Kava
Senior Nutrition Fellow
Dr. Ruth Kava has been associated with the American Council on Science and Health for over a decade first as Director of Nutrition, and more recently as Senior Fellow in Nutrition. In connection with ACSH, she has supervised numerous publications on nutrition-related issues, participated in a variety of television and radio programs (e.g. on CNN and NPR) and published letters and opinion pieces in the San Diego Times-Union, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and a variety of other media outlets. Dr. Kava received an MS and PhD from Columbia University in New York City. She is also a Registered Dietitian, having completed an internship at the New York Hospital (now the Weil-Cornell Hospital). Her research interests include obesity, type 2 diabetes and pregnancy, and she has published on these topics in several journals, including Diabetes, the Journal of Nutrition, and Obesity Facts.
Latest from Ruth Kava:
'Population Bomb' Turns 50: Unlike a Fine Wine, It Aged Poorly
New Technology For Food Borne Illness Has Pros And Cons
Latest Obesity Stats Provide Mixed Message
How Sweet It Isn't: The War On Sugar
Extra Protein Doesn't Build Muscle In Older Men
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As a celebrity, your life is pretty much always on display.. whether you want it to be or not. Where you buy your avocados? TMZ is covering it. Who you went to lunch with last week? TMZ is covering it. Who you’re sleeping with, or have ever slept with? The public is racing around trying to figure out the latest bit of celebrity gossip. When it comes to sexual history, that’s a hot issue. As far as celebrity lesbian sex stories go, it’s something the people want to know about! So keep reading to find out which of your favorite female celebrities have hooked up with another lady, and the details from the celebrities themselves, via The Frisky.
Celebrity lesbian sex stories.
“X-Files” Gillian Anderson, according to The Frisky, had a relationship with a girl while in high school. She identifies as bisexual, or prefers no labels whatsoever.
“If I thought I was 100 percent gay, would it have been a different experience for me,” she said. "Would it have been a bigger deal if shame had been attached to it and all those things that become huge life-altering issues for youngsters in that situation? It’s possible that my attitude around it came, one some level, from knowing that I still liked boys."
Apparently, Jane Pratt (current editor of xoJane, and founding editor of Jane Magazine and Sassy) and Drew Barrymore hooked up. Not many details were revealed, according to The Frisky, but Barrymore is bisexual, so it isn’t too surprising.
Lotto Winner Offering Up Money To Any Man That Will Date Her2
Humans have a problem: we really like to lie. And most of the lies that we tell aren’t even malicious. We frequently tell lies that will make others or ourselves...
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US 'offers help' to bin Ladens
Son of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden says US ready to help relatives held in Iran.
Members of Osama bin Laden's family were detained in Iran after fleeing Afghanistan [AFP]
The family members were detained after fleeing from Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Stuck in Iran
Omar, 28, said his family members cannot leave their compound or make phone calls without permission, and Iran has refused to release them to their native Saudi Arabia.
"Othman called me by phone four days ago and asked me to find a country to mediate their release and accept to receive them," Omar said.
He said his sister Iman was released three months ago, after she took refuge at the Saudi embassy in Tehran, and is now in Syria.
The government of Qatar, where Omar currently lives, has also been working to help relocate the family, he said in a separate interview with the Reuters news agency.
"Iran has a problem with Saudi Arabia. They don't want [the family] to go back home. That's why I am asking for Qatar's help, for Syria's help," he said. "They want to come here, or to Syria, or to any country in the world that would accept them."
Relations between the United States and Iran are frosty at the moment. Iran has railed against a new round of sanctions which were championed by the US and recently passed by the United Nations Security Council.
Iranian scientist Shahram Amiri, who US officials say defected to the United States only to return to Iran this month, has claimedthat he was abducted and tortured by US intelligence agents.
Relations between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and non-Arab, Shia Iran have also been marked by rivalry and mutual mistrust, in part due to Iranian nuclear plans.
Qatari diplomacy
Qatar is a close US ally, which hosts a large US military base.
The tiny country, which is the world's top natural gas exporter, has sought to carve out a role as a regional powerbroker, particularly in its efforts to engage Iran.
Doha hosted Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's president, last year in a crisis meeting over Israel's invasion of Gaza, which was boycotted by Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
Omar said he has also been working with other organisations, including the United Nations, to obtain his family's release.
He broke with his father in 2001 after living in Afghanistan for much of 1996 through 2001. His father is believed to have about 20 children from several wives.
Omar left Afghanistan several months before the September 11 attacks on the United States. He has been denied an entry visa to the United Kingdom, and both Egypt and Spain have rejected his asylum requests.
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Polls close in Kuwait election
Low turnout for vote aimed at ending deadlock between ruling family and parliament.
A total of 210 candidates, including 16 women, stood for parliament for a four-year term [AFP]
A total of 210 candidates, including 16 women, stood for a four-year parliamentary term, but analysts see little hope that the political deadlock will end, whatever the outcome.
"The deadlock will continue because the champions who caused the deadlock last time will come back," Abu Khalid, a voter in his 60s, said.
Etab Khalaf, another voter, said: "People don't want to vote, everyone is rejecting the deadlock and want change."
Around 385,000 people were eligible to vote, with female voters making up 54.3 per cent.
Struggling economy
While some analysts have suggested women may have a better chance of winning this time, Islamists and tribal figures who have opposed government economic plans are expected to dominate again, which could continue to delay reforms and stall efforts to salvage Kuwait's struggling economy.
Q&A: Political crisis in Kuwait
Video: Political infighting disrupts Kuwait's markets
Campaigning focused on ways to steer Kuwait through the global economic crisis.
Declining oil prices, which account for 90 per cent of the government's income, have hit the country's finances badly.
The new assembly will have to vote on a $5 bn economic stimulus package seen as crucial to overcoming the financial crisis.
It was approved in March by the cabinet but abandoned after the emir dissolved the parliament.
Many candidates vowed to oppose it.
The government has also proposed several reforms, of investment laws among other things, and the upgrading of the petrochemical infrastructure.
Bickering stunts reform
Bickering between the cabinet, controlled by the ruling family which is pushing for economic reforms, and politicians elected to the parliament, has brought development to a halt.
"The stock market value just last August was at 64bn Kuwait dinars [about $200bn]. Now the value of the market is half of that," Adnan Al-Delaimi, a Kuwaiti financial expert, told Al Jazeera.
"Many factors made the economic situation worse - the decline in oil prices, the global financial turmoil - but it is the ongoing political bickering between the ruling family and the country's parliament that is making things worse."
Other Gulf states, such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain, have transformed themselves into commercial, financial and tourist centres by attracting foreign investors.
But Kuwait's parliament has vetoed many of the projects, accusing the government of incompetence, corruption and mismanagement of public funds.
Local businessmen, frustrated with both the political and economic climate, have demanded an immediate recovery plan.
Al-Delaimi said: "Foreign direct investment inflows have decreased substantially since the crisis began and since this conflict really started.
"The major reason of course is there is political instability, and since foreign investors see instability even in the best of democracies, they will get worried and they will pull out their investments."
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International criminal law: first indictment filed in the context of the Liberian civil war
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Bern, 26.03.2019 - After nearly five years of criminal investigation, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) is presenting for the first time an international criminal law related indictment to the Federal Criminal Court (FCC). The suspect is being accused of violations of the laws of war as a member of a military faction in the context of the internal armed conflict that took place in Liberia between 1989 and 1996.
At the end of 1989, the first Liberian civil war burst out against the regime of President Samuel Doe. The conflict deteriorated in the early 1990s on the basis of ethnic and economic related issues and ended only in 1996/1997 with the election of Charles Taylor as President. It is in this context that the accused joined the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) which since the end of the 1990s gathered supporters of Samuel Doe’s former regime (mainly of the Krahn ethnic group) as well as Mandingo refugees. Starting from Sierra Leone the ULIMO carried out attacks against the opponent and future President Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPLF). From the beginning, ULIMO was afflicted by internal divisions and split into two militias in 1994: ULIMO-J, from the Krahn ethnic group, and ULIMO-K, a Mandingo-majority faction.
As of July and August 2014, several Liberian nationals filed criminal complaints with the OAG against a former ULIMO respectively ULIMO-K commander. Their testimonies report that he himself or the troops under his command committed, among others crimes, assassinations, a rape and acts aimed at enslaving and terrorizing the population in the Lofa County between 1993 and 1995.
Once the presence of the Liberian citizen on the Swiss territory was established – he had already lived several years in the French-speaking part of Switzerland – the OAG opened a criminal proceeding in August 2014 for war crimes (art. 108 and 109 of the former Swiss Military Criminal Law Code in connection with common art. 3 of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 as well art. 4 of the Additional Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions), based on its federal jurisdiction and the lack of a statute of limitations for war crimes. The suspect was soon after arrested and put into pre-trial detention.
After nearly five years of investigation, particularly complex due to the lack of cooperation by Liberia and despite the facts of the case being distant in time, the OAG could however carry out the hearing of more than twenty five witnesses and benefit from international legal assistance from seven States or international organizations. Now, the OAG is able to submit the indictment to the FCC. The defendant is accused of having ordered the murder respectively murdering or participating in the murder of civilians and soldiers hors de combat, desecrated a corpse of a civilian, raped a civilian, ordered the cruel treatment of civilians, recruited and employed a child soldier, ordered several pillages and ordered and/or participated in forced transports of goods and ammunition by civilians. The defendant has allegedly committed these crimes between March 1993 and the end of 1995 as a member of a military faction.
This indictment which was filed before the FCC on 22 March 2019 must be placed in the context of the fight against impunity for the most serious crimes. The issues and challenges in the field of international criminal law make criminal prosecutions in this domain particularly complex. Since 2011 more than sixty cases were submitted to the OAG. Most of them failed to meet the legal requirements (e.g. the existence of an armed conflict or the presence of the alleged perpetrator on Swiss territory) and resulted in no-proceedings orders or ruling abandoning proceedings. A dozen of criminal investigations are presently ongoing concerning war crimes, genocide and/or crimes against humanity for facts having taken place before and after 2011.
The OAG will share its conclusions at the hearing before the FCC. The presumption of innocence of the accused is guaranteed until the final judgment has been pronounced. A soon as the indictment is filed, the FCC alone will be competent to provide any further information.
The prosecution of war crimes in Switzerland before 2011:
The international criminal law related rules (war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity) introduced in the Swiss Criminal Code in 2011 have no retroactive effect. Hence, it is necessary to recall the rules applicable to war crimes before January 1st 2011, as in the present case:
War crimes are punishable in Switzerland under the former Swiss Military Criminal Code (aMStG) since 1968, regardless of where they were committed and of the perpetrator’s or the victim’s nationality. Art. 109 aMStG refers to the “requirements of international conventions on the conduct of warfare and for the protection of persons and property” as well as to “other recognized laws and customs of war”.
Address for enquiries
André Marty, Head of External Relations at the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland; T +41 58 464 32 40; info@ba.admin.ch
Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland
http://www.ba.admin.ch/
https://www.admin.ch/content/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-74457.html
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Meet the Speaker: Rodrigo Medellín
Photo: Francisco Cañedo, SinEmbargo
We’re thrilled to welcome Rodrigo Medellín — the Bat Man of Mexico known for his work in the field of bat conservation, jaguars, bighorn sheep, and ocelot, among others — to the 2019 Agave Heritage Festival!
Learn more about Medellín in these articles:
The Batman of Central Park, The Atlantic
Can the Bat Man of Mexico also be Tequila’s Super Hero?, National Geographic
Via National Geographic —
Rodrigo A. Medellín is Senior Professor of Ecology at the Institute of Ecology, University of Mexico. He has worked on the ecology and conservation in Mexico and elsewhere for over 40 years, and has authored over 190 publications. Medellin was the President of the Society for Conservation Biology, is the founder of the Program for the Conservation of Bats of Mexico, and is the founding Director of the Latin American Network for Bat Conservation. His work led to delisting Leptonycteris yerbabuenae. Medellin is also Co-Chair of the Bat Specialist Group of IUCN.
Medellin uses a multidisciplinary approach, from behavioral ecology and conservation biology to applied genetics, with an eye towards policy applications. He formerly headed the Wildlife Department of the Mexican Federal Government and continues to advise on wildlife issues. He is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, Andalusia International University, the University of Arizona, and a Research Associate at the American Museum of Natural History and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. He was vice-Chair of the CITES Animals Committee, and is a COP-appointed Scientific Councilor for the Convention of Migratory Species. He has received the 2004 Gerrit S. Miller Award of NASBR, the Whitley Fund for Nature Gold Award, The Rolex Award for Enterprise 2008, among others. He was recently featured in a BBC documentary, The Bat Man of Mexico, narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
NewsJeaninne Kaufer March 14, 2019
President Signs Bill Promoting Southern Arizona’s Culture & Heritage
CNN Travel: If not for women, there'd be no tequila
History, News, SpiritJeaninne Kaufer March 11, 2019
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Over the years, the village has been blessed with many places of refreshment. Sadly, most of these have disappeared to become family homes, offices and a (very good) Indian restaurant - those few still active are highlighted in the list below. On this page - very much a work in progress - we recall and record as many of these establishments as possible.
In this endeavour, we are indebted to the late Philip Watkins, who between 1989 and 1994 produced painted views of Wollaston which included many of the buildings described on this page. Mr Watkins' collection of paintings may be seen in the Museum.
The following public houses and drinking establishments are featured on this page:
The Band Club
The Boot
The Crispin
The Fox & Hounds
The Marquess of Granby
The Wollaston Inn (Nag's Head)
The Working Men's Club
The Heritage Society would welcome any additional information to add to this page.
The Excelsior Band Club was situated towards the north end of the High Street (number 86), close to Beacon Hill. It has been closed for several years and is being converted into living accommodation.
The Bell is now a family home (called The Old Bell) at the junction of Cobbs Lane and Bell End.
This building has a varied history, including some time as a Hair Stylists, judging by the old postcard reproduced below.
User comment (TC): Joan Stock owned the property that was originally The Bell. She lived in the attached house at least through the period when it was the hairdressers. I recall visiting with my mum after the hairdresser had closed when Joan was stripping the room that would have been the bar of the pub back to its original fireplace and tiled floor. She was organist at Strixton church for many years too.
The Boot was situated at the south end of the High Street, at the junction with Rotten Row. It was severely damaged by fire in April, 2011 and has since been converted to a family home.
The Crispin Arms
The Crispin Arms was situated at number 14, Hinwick Road, opposite the entrance to Council Street (and very close to the Nag's Head). It closed in 2015 and has since been converted to offices for landscape garden company Timotei.
The pub signs from the Crispin Arms were donated to the Museum.
The coat of arms has a Latin motto which apparently belongs to the surname Penne - Dum clarum rectum teneam - May I keep the line of right as well as of glory. See article on genealogy.com here.
The Cuckoo was next door to The Hill, at the top of Cobbs Lane (although its address is 120 High Street). It closed in August, 2013 and was converted to a very good Indian restaurant (Shahjahan) which has since been taken over by another Indian restaurant, the excellent Khandan.
The Fox & Hounds was in Church Lane and was long ago converted to a family home. The building is identifiable because of the shape of the roof.
The Hill occupies the right hand side of the building which also includes Keep House, next door to The Cuckoo at the top of Cobbs Lane (although its address is 122 High Street). It started life as Scott Bader's Social Club and continues to be operated by a sub-Committee of that organisation.
You can access The Hill's Facebook page here.
The Marquis of Granby
The Marquis of Granby was at number 2, London Road and was built in the 16th Century. It was converted to a family home many years ago.
It is a Grade II Listed Building. The Historic England reference can be found here.
The Wollaston Inn is situated at the junction of London Road and Hinwick Road.
First referred to in 1787 as Mr Lucy’s Hostelry, this pub was known as The Nags Head until 2003, under which name it had a formidable history as a music venue under landlord Big Bob Knight - see here. And here.
You can access the Wollaston Inn's Facebook page here.
The Working Men's Club (or 'The Works') is at 72 London Road and one of the few remaining drinking establishments in the village.
You can access the Working Men's Club Facebook page here.
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New Research: Bat Malaria Parasites Linked with Rodents main content.
New Research: Bat Malaria Parasites Linked with Rodents
by AMNH on Oct 7, 2013 4:27 pm
Research by an international research team co-led by the American Museum of Natural History shows a surprising diversity of malaria parasites in West African bats as well as new evidence of evolutionary jumps to rodent hosts.
This Peter's dwarf epauletted fruit bat (Micropteropus pusillus) is shown with the Hepatocystis malaria parasite (inset).
© Juliane Schaer
Led by Susan Perkins, an associate curator in the Museum’s Division of Invertebrate Zoology, and Juliane Schaer, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology and the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, the new study also offers a new look at the evolution of rodent malaria, which is commonly used to model human malaria in laboratory studies. The results will be published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“Bats, which are important reservoir hosts for many pathogens, particularly viruses, have been hosts to malaria parasites for more than a century,” said Perkins. “Understanding the evolution of malaria parasites in bats and other animals, and how they fit into the tree of life, is key to understanding this important human disease.”
Malaria is caused by a handful of species of parasites in the genus Plasmodium through the bite of mosquitos and remains a widespread vector-borne infectious disease, sickening almost half a billion people every year around the planet. Experimental research on drugs, immunology, and the development of malaria is typically done on related Plasmodium species that infect rodents, including laboratory-reared mice. The parasites’ natural hosts are African thicket rats that use shrubs and trees as habitat.
To further investigate how bats fit into this picture, the researchers surveyed more than 250 bats in remote forest ecosystems in Liberia, Guinea, and Cote d’Ivoire in Western Africa. They found a vast diversity of malaria parasites that included not just the Plasmodium species, but also members of three other genera. The DNA from several genes of the bat parasites was sequenced at the Museum’s Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, resulting in the most comprehensive evolutionary tree of life for malaria parasites of bats to date.
The cyclops roundleaf bat (Hipposideros cyclops), a species found in the forests of equatorial Africa, is shown here with its malaria parasite Plasmodium cyclopsi (inset).
© Natalie Weber
The authors report that two parasites, Plasmodium voltaicum and Plasmodium cyclopsi, show patterns of evolutionary jumps from the rodent lineage into bats and then likely a reverse jump, with a bat parasite re-infecting rodent hosts. The authors suggest that the bat hosts, which roost in trees, may have been exposed to the same mosquito vectors that transfer the parasites between the tree-dwelling rodent hosts.
For more information, see the Museum’s press release.
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Egil Asprem is Associate Professor of the History of Religions at the Department of Ethnology, History of Religions, and Gender Studies, Stockholm University.
Christine Ferguson is Professor in English Literature at the University of Stirling, where her research focuses on the entwined histories of the literary gothic and modern occultism.
Peter J. Forshaw is Associate Professor in History of Western Esotericism in the Early Modern Period at the University of Amsterdam.
Wouter J. Hanegraaff is Professor of History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, a member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, and past President of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism.
Julian Strube is a visiting scholar in History and Religious Studies at the University of Heidelberg.
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Taiwan and the Taming of Trash
Taiwan is a small country on a large-ish island, much blessed by nature, but struggling with the impact of a dense human population and rapid economic growth. Returning, for the first time in more than twenty years, to a country that I had lived in, off and on, for about a year, was most interesting. When I was last in Taiwan it was in the throes of its “Asian tiger” phase, and now has become, at least according to the taxi driver that picked my daughter and I up at the airport, much less dynamic. In the best tradition of the Taiwan citizenry, our driver was not at all shy about criticizing his government vigorously and with considerable sophistication.
Taiwan, also called the Republic of China (ROC) as opposed to mainland China, which is the People’s Republic of China (PRC), is always under more or less explicit threat of invasion or bombing by the PRC. Taiwan’s leaders must walk a thin line between asserting Taiwan’s right to exist as a country, which assertion is backed, more or less discretely, by the US, and provoking Beijing with too unequivocal and evident an existence. Alongside the global geo-politics are the more local politics that derive from waves of migration into Taiwan, with the indigenous Austronesian people of Taiwan having been displaced by successive sub-cultures of Han Chinese, as well as brief colonial occupations by the Dutch in the 17th century and Japan in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Taiwan is fascinating agriculturally as it has admirably fertile, well-watered alluvial plains on its western coast, which are intensively farmed in small plots (by American standards) usually of only an acre or two – much rice, some taro, vegetables, and fruit orchards. The excellence of Taiwanese plant breeding is a long-acknowledged fact in tropical agriculture circles.
Taiwan is a place that I found simultaneously delightful, disturbing and dystopian twenty years ago, and still find so, but for mostly different reasons this time around. One thing that is not so different and, unfortunately, much worse is the air quality in Taiwan. There are many explanations for Taiwan’s terrible air quality, such as major petrochemical processing facilities with footprints in the thousands of acres, large coal-burning electrical plants, trash incineration plants, the high tail-pipe emissions from the vast herds of scooters, second-hand pollution from the factories in mainland China, and the fine dust blown up out of the river-beds in dry, windy weather.
On the plus side, I was astounded by their success in addressing solid waste – trash, basically – and in the cleanliness of the rivers and streams. I have one unforgettably dystopian memory of Taiwan in the 1990’s, a scene glimpsed from the window of a bus – a man wandering through a vast, burning wasteland of trash in the outskirts of Taipei as the sun struggled to rise through the smoke . I also remember black, sulfurous waterways fouled with plastic trash, and the lovely white sand beaches of southern Taiwan littered by giant, surreal blocks of white styrofoam. None of that now, at least that I could see on this quick week-long trip. Quite an amazing feat, to change the everyday practices of everyday people so drastically, to effect social change so broadly, from big businesses to ordinary folks out in the country. This has been done through sustained policy efforts and clever design solutions over the last few decades that continue to evolve, energized by the demands of a politically active populace that demanded government action. Not only that but Taiwan has developed an outstanding network of buses, metros, trains, and bullet trains. Which is not to say that Taiwan has become an un-mitigated paradise – far from it – but there is much to learn from their successes.
Last but not least, for all our taxi drivers critical comments about the stagnant economy, the incompetent government, and the worsening air pollution, there was in him and generally in the people of Taiwan a gentle pride in their country, a sense of collective responsibility for being kind to each other and of representing their country well that my daughter and I felt wistfully envious of and wished, of all things, that we could bring back to the US.
communicating with the whales
found both the photo and the link along the way, of course while looking for something else…
they may provide insight into what is possible
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science/talking-to-whales-180968698/
Food for a small planet
What do people eat across the world? An excellent photographic answer to this question was provided by Californian photographer Peter Menzel who visited 24 countries for the book “Hungry Planet” . The thing I found most interesting from his photographs was the difference in the percentage of whole food vs. processed food that make up diets across the world. Americans eat mostly processed food and very little whole food. Continue reading “Food for a small planet”
When the water runs out
“We were the ‘Land of the Free’ for the longest time,” state Rep. Regina Cobb (R) said recently at an Arizona Republican forum. “We wanted to be able to put wells where we wanted to. We didn’t want monitoring. We didn’t want metering. We didn’t want government coming in and telling us what to do. Until,” she told an audience where some wore “Make America Great Again” hats, “we saw the number of wells that were being put into the ground.” Continue reading “When the water runs out”
A bumble bee
I should have known it was coming, but like always in the heady rush of things you forget.
Two Fridays ago that beautiful morning, sunshine glinting off Cardiff Bay, a crowd of schoolchildren buoyant with homemade banners and placards outside the Senedd, smiling and laughing, singing and chanting. They were calling on the politicians inside – not one of whom showed their face – to listen up. They were calling on all adults everywhere to act their age and confront climate change. It was impossible not to be moved. Not to feel almost giddy with the sense of possibility. If you were there in Brighton, Sheffield, Berlin, Sydney or any of hundreds of other towns and cities where the same was happening that morning and in the days since, you’ll know what I mean.
You’ll also know what I mean if you’ve seen YouTubes of Greta Thunberg talking. A small, slight figure, softly spoken, reticent, not a hint of arrogance, holding an audience of big shots spellbound with her simple, honest, indignant message. For a moment the bluff and bluster that mark success in our crazy upside-down society melts away. The small, softly spoken person inside all of us holds sway. There’s hope. A new vanguard emerges, uncomplicated and instinctively true, seeking like a dog’s nose for some hint of a way forward. ‘We are nature defending itself’ said one of the schoolchildren’s slogans. I believe it.
But then you know how it is with feelings. You open your heart a crack, cognitive defences are down, and something else slips in to hijack your spirit.
Just over a week later we experienced the hottest February day ever in the British Isles, towards the end of what was the hottest February ever. 20°C across much of the land, quite a spike in a month where the average temperature in past years has been 7-9°C. The weather news was all about people sunbathing in city-centre parks and queuing for ice lollies at the beach. I briefly voiced my unease, in quiet conversation with a colleague in our over-warm office and was batted back with “the climate has always changed” and “we exaggerate our own influence”. There was no talk of climate in any of the sunny conversations around me that morning, only great weather.
At lunchtime I wandered out to the patch of bare ground across the supply road from the building where I work, and followed a muddy path into the strip of scrubby woods which lines the expressway. No question, the weather was gorgeous up there on the edge of the Brecon Beacons under an alpine sky. There was a bumble bee, fat and furry, zig-zagging among the slim tree trunks just above the leaf-fall. What’s going on, I thought. I’ve never seen a bumble bee at the turn of winter. What’s it looking for? Nectar, surely. Flowers. But there aren’t any flowers. None whatsoever. The trees are bare and nothing has poked through the mulch. Has it been warmed from its winter resting hole by the premature heat? I once read that bumble bees can manage only about 20 minutes of flight without a slurp of sugary energy. How much longer did this one have left? I placed a bite of apple on the ground close to the bee when it settled at the foot of a tree, but that spooked it and it promptly zig-zagged out of sight. The traffic roared. I pushed on, but the thought of the bee wouldn’t leave me. Imagine emerging on cue, primed by the eternal waltz of life for a summer of buzzing, to find yourself in a wasteland of dead leaves with 20 minutes to go. The image fused in my mind with a recurring scene from Tarkovsky’s Stalker: a man stepping slowly, expressionless, through a forest of blasted birch. Post-apocalypse? You never find out. But something bad.
And that’s how it happens. When you realise you’re feeling shit again.
The nadir, certainly, was this. One evening in the kitchen, after washing up and all that, the kids readying themselves for bed, I’m scrolling through Twitter and stop to watch a 10-minute video of Greta addressing an auditorium of European Union political elite. My daughter steals in behind me to watch over my shoulder and I’m pleased that she’s interested. Greta stresses the “less than 12 years to act” message, says there will be uncontrollable chain reactions if we don’t, and at that the daughter retreats upset, later to be found in a far corner of the flat, eyes red-rimmed and wide as she says to me: “…but it can be fixed, right? It can be stopped, yes?”
I can write this now because it’s passed, that stumble. I guess it comes in waves. I guess it’s like two sides of a coin. Some days what the kids are doing is hugely heartening. Other days it may just break your heart.
(Image from a postcard by Peter Reason)
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Hanabee to Release AKB0048 and Say, "I Love You"
posted on 2013-11-21 06:35 EST by Jon Hayward
Australian Anime distributor reveals two new title acquisitions through weekly YouTube video;
The announcements were revealed on Hanabee's weekly youTube video Hanabee HQ and on their Facebook Page in two seperate announcements. Both titles will be released on the 8th of February 2014.
At the start of the 21st century an world war over interplanetary travel technology erupts causing ecological destruction on a planetary scale and forces humanity to make a mass exodus from Earth. This starts a new era of humanity and soon the "Super Galactic Alliance" is formed. This Alliance decides that in order to prevent future calamity they must control the hearts and minds of humanity and as such outlaw all forms of entertainment, especially idols. 48 years later the legendary idol group "AKB0048" is reformed, organising guerrilla concerts and taking up arms to defend their careers, fans and perhaps even save the galaxy.
AKB0048 is a series inspired by the 48-member all-female idol group ABK48. The series stars the following ABK0048 members in the nine main roles;
Sayaka Nakaya (AKB48 Team A) voices 13-year-old Orine Aida
Amina Satō (AKB48 Team B) voices 14-year-old Yuuka Ichijō
Sawako Hata (SKE48 Team KII) voices 14-year-old Suzuko Kanzaki
Sumire Satō (AKB48 Team B) voices 17-year-old Mimori Kishida
Haruka Ishida (AKB48 Team B) voices 15-year-old Kanata Shinonome
Kumi Yagami (SKE48 Team S) voices 10-year-old Sonata Shinonome
Mayu Watanabe (AKB48 Team B) plays 13-year-old Chieri Sono
Karen Iwata (AKB48 Trainee) voices 13-year-old Nagisa Motomiya
Mao Mita (NMB48 Team M) voices by 16-year-old Makoto Yokomizo
Mari Okada (anohana, HanaIro, Toradora!) supervised and wrote the scripts and Mikan Ehime (Macross Frontier, Gravion Zwei) designed the characters. Yoshimasa Hiraike (Working!!/Wagnaria!!, Amagami SS, Sketchbook ~full color'S~) directed the anime at Satelight (Macross Frontier, Aquarion, Shugo Chara!).
Shoji Kawamori, the co-creator of the Macross franchise and the co-director of Macross: Do You Remember Love?, was the project planner and the chief director and Toshimichi Ootsuki (Evangelion: 1.0 You Are [Not] Alone) was the executive producer. AKB48 producer Yasushi Akimoto himself is planned and supervised the project.
The 13-episode first season premiered in Japan in April 2012 and the 13-episode sequel series AKB0048 next stage premiered in Japan on January 5th 2013. Crunchyroll streamed both series as they were broadcast and Sentai Filmworks licensed AKB0048 earlier in the year and have since released the complete first season.
Hanabee will release AKB0048 Part 1 on the 8th of February 2014 on DVD with both the original Japanese audio and English dub. The first part will have 13 episodes and the remaining 13 episodes will be released as Part 2 at some point in the future. You can view Hanabee's press release here.
Say, "I Love You"
16 year old Tachibana Mei can't make friends and has no boyfriend. However after accidentally injuring Kurosawa Yamato, the most popular boy in school, Mei suddenly finds Yamato taking a interest in her. Then things in this one-sided relationship get serious when Yamato protects Mei from a stalker by kissing her.
Based on Kanae Hazuki's "Suki-tte Ii na yo" original manga which started in 2004 and has 10 volumes published by Kodansha Comics. This adaptation was directed and scripted by Takuya Sat? (Steins;Gate, Strawberry Marshmallow) with Toshimasa Kuroyanagi (episode director for Kimi ni Todoke, Minami-ke) serving as series director and Yoshiko Okuda (animation director for Casshern Sins) on character designs. Junko Watanabe (NANA, Blood-C) served as chief animation director and Yuuji Nomi (Whisper of the Heart, Royal Space Force - The Wings of Honnêamise) handled the music. ZEXCS animated the series.
The main cast includes Ai Kayano (Guilty Crown's Inori, Hyou-ka's Mayaka) as Mei Tachibana and Takahiro Sakurai (.hack//Roots's Haseo, Black Butler II's Claude) The series ran for 13 episodes from October 2012 and has been streamed by Crunchyroll and released in North America by Sentai Filmworks
Hanabee will release Say, "You Love Me" as a complete collection on the 8th of February 2014 on DVD with Japanese audio and English subtitles. You can view Hanabee's press release here.
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Accelerate the "data center priority" strategy! Xilinx Announces Acquisition of Communications Company Solarflare
On April 25, Xilinx, a global leader in programmable logic solutions, announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Solarflare Communications, a private company based in Irvine, California.
It is understood that Solarflare is a leading global provider of high performance, low latency network solutions spanning financial technology to cloud computing. Through this acquisition, Xilinx is able to combine its industry-leading FPGA, MPSoC and ACAP solutions with Solarflare's ultra-low latency network interface card (NIC, NIC) technology and Onload application acceleration software to achieve a new Integrate SmartNIC solutions to accelerate Xilinx's “data center priority” strategy and the path to transformation for platform companies.
Xilinx became a strategic investor in Solarflare in 2017, and the two companies have been working together to develop advanced networking technologies for the past two years. Recently, the two companies demonstrated their first joint solution, a single-chip FPGA-based 100G SmartNIC that can process 100 million packets per second with less than 75 watts of power.
According to Xilinx, the US stock market announced on April 24th the fourth quarter of the 2019 fiscal year (as of March 30, 2019): revenue increased 30% (4% quarter-on-quarter) to a record 828 million Dollar.
In terms of the end market, Xilinx's fourth-quarter communications-related product revenue increased 74% (23% quarter-on-quarter), revenue share rose from 41% a year ago to 41%; industrial, aviation and defense-related Product revenue increased by 1% (2% increase in the quarter), revenue share decreased from 27% from 1 year ago to 27%; data center and TME (test, measurement and simulation) revenue decreased by 7% (quarterly decrease) 12%), revenue share decreased from 25% from 1 year ago to 18%; vehicle, broadcast and consumer revenue increased 20% (quarterly minus 6%), revenue accounted for 15 years ago % dropped to 14%.
Xilinx pointed out that in the 2019 fiscal year, communication-related product revenues will be deployed in South Korea with 5G and China's plans to deploy 5G will increase by 34% next year. Xilinx and Samsung Electronics jointly completed the world's first 5G new radio (NR) commercial deployment in fiscal year 2019.
For the acquisition, Solarflare CEO Russell Stern said, “Since Xilinx has become a strategic investor, the Solarflare team and Xilinx have been working closely together on next-generation networking technologies and business collaboration. Future data centers and cloud computing share a common vision. The integration of their respective technologies through acquisitions will make the acquisition ideal for our customers, employees, investors and even the broader data center industry. And a solid step."
Salil Raje, executive vice president and general manager of the data center at Xilinx, said, "Solarflare is a leader in many key areas such as high-speed Ethernet, application acceleration and NVMe-over-fabrics, all of which are building a new generation of enterprises and An important part of Cloud's SmartNIC technology. The acquisition of Solarflare not only brings Xilinx's market-leading technology, but also captures the engineering expertise of network hardware, software, firmware and drivers. We are at Solarflare Joining Xilinx to work with us to create all the possibilities that the world of flexibility and intelligence will bring is very exciting."
The acquisition will follow customary closing conditions and regulatory review and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of Xilinx 2020 (the third quarter of 2019).
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Confirmed: American Folk Art Museum to Be Demolished
00:00 - 9 January, 2014
by Vanessa Quirk
Rendering of the "art bay" of the new MoMA, by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Image Courtesy of MoMA
In a statement released last night, Glenn Lowry, the director of the MoMA, confirmed that the American Folk Art Museum, designed by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien Architects, will be demolished in order to make way for a re-design and expansion spearheaded by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R).
More information - and the critics' reactions - after the break.
Plan of the new MoMA, by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Image Courtesy of MoMA
In his message Glenn Lowry states:
"The plans approved today are the result of a recommendation from the architects [Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the renowned interdisciplinary studio based in New York City,] after a diligent and thoughtful six-month study and design process that explored all options for the site. The analysis that we undertook was lengthy and rigorous, and ultimately led us to the determination that creating a new building on the site of the former American Folk Art Museum is the only way to achieve a fully integrated campus."
The new design, which should add about 40,000 square feet of new galleries and public areas and address MoMA's considerable congestion problem, will integrate the current building with two sites to the west of the Museum: three floors of a residential tower, designed by Jean Nouvel, at 53 West 53rd Street, as well as the site of the former American Folk Art Museum.
The new design by DS+R features an expanded first floor and Sculpture Garden, which will both be open to the public for free; an upper floor that will contain more galleries and space for performance art; as well as many new access points and passageways to improve traffic flow.
Rendering of the garden entrance of the new MoMA, by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Image Courtesy of MoMA
Critics, however, although generally understanding of the MoMA's need for space, as well as Diller Scofidio + Renfro's analysis of the site, remain decidedly critical of the MoMA's decision for two major reasons: (1) the expansion still remains insufficient in terms of space (meaning much of the collection will still remain in storage); and (2) the demolition of the 13-year-old Folk Art Museum, an architectural gem for New York City, would be deplorable under any circumstances - at the hands of a reputed cultural institution such as the MoMA, it is almost unfathomable.
Jerry Saltz, writing for Vulture, writes a heart-felt condemnation of MoMA - not so much for the demolition of the Folk Art Museum - but for the shortsighted and commercial nature of the expansion:
"It’s a lot like the last expansion plan. Only this one is even more snazzy, with a lot more glass — sorry, "transparency to the street "— and spaces designed primarily so people can look at other people looking at other people looking at people. [...] All this avoids MoMA’s basic problem, which I’ve written about before: that the museum needs to triple the amount of space for showing its permanent collection of art made before 1980. It didn't in 2004, and it isn’t now. [...]
It kills me to write this, because I’ll be visiting MoMA for the rest of my life, but I [...] will never get to see its incredible collection shown properly. Good-bye, MoMA. I loved you."
Rendering of the west lobby of the new MoMA, by Diller Scofidio + Renfro. Image Courtesy of MoMA
Justin Davidson, also writing forVulture, empathizes with DS+R's ethical and architectural conundrum (what's worse: to demolish Folk Art or scar it forever?); however, he contends that the resulting design remains "halfhearted":
"By the time the architects were done tinkering with their old friends’ creation, it would have been so bastardized that there was little point in keeping the remains. In an architectural version of the battlefield paradox, DS+R would have had to destroy the building in order to save it. But that hesitancy shows in the provisional design for the next phase. The client is bent on art-world domination; the architects seem halfhearted. Instead of healing the scar left by the Folk Art Museum, they have left a gleaming gap. [...] It’s possible that as the architects refine their work, MoMA will receive a similarly rejuvenating spa treatment. Maybe seeing the Picassos will get more pleasant, and the whole complex will shed its cold, corporate air. But for now the design feels less like an optimistic hosanna than a mournful chorus of compromises."
Paul Goldberger of Vanity Fair, in a characteristically eloquent article, focuses on the tragedy of losing the Folk Art Museum - not just for MoMA, but for New York City as a whole:
"Lowry envisions the expansion as a way of creating much needed breathing space. 'We are a victim of our own success,' he told me. Fair enough. But this argument, however much it responds to a real problem, reminds me a bit of the highway engineer’s practice of solving traffic problems by building more freeways. As we have learned the hard way, more roads generally bring more traffic, perpetuating, rather than fixing, the problem. Yes, MoMA lacks the space to show enough of its great collections, and yes, it long ago lost the domestic scale that made it, once, the most beloved of all of New York’s major museums. Is there a way to fix the first problem without making the second one even worse? [...]
The brooding, somber façade of the folk-art museum, made of folded planes of hammered bronze, combines monumental dignity with the image of delicate handcrafting, and it is a majestic, if physically small, architectural achievement. A city that allows such a work to disappear after barely a dozen years is a city with a flawed architectural heart. A large cultural institution that cannot find a suitable use for such a building is an institution with a flawed architectural imagination.
The Williams and Tsien building is also the last remnant of something approaching reasonable scale on West 53rd Street, a block that seems ever bigger, ever more corporate, ever less diverse. Tearing down the folk-art museum may make sense by MoMA’s measure of things, but it is hard to see how it makes New York a better place."
Michael Kimmelman of The New York Times took to Twitter to express his disappointment.
If MoMA had treated Folk as architecturally worthy, like objects in its collection, the question of demolition couldn't have arisen.
— Michael Kimmelman (@kimmelman) January 9, 2014
Inevitability of MoMA's shameful decision stems from two bad premises: bigger is better, and the Folk bldg is just a parcel of land.
Read our previous coverage of the American Folk Art Museum's struggle for preservation here.
For more from the critics, check out the tumblr #FolkMoma.
Vanessa Quirk
News Architecture News American Folk Art MuseumTod Williams Billie Tsien ArchitectsDiller Scofidio + Renfro
Cite: Vanessa Quirk. "Confirmed: American Folk Art Museum to Be Demolished" 09 Jan 2014. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/465308/confirmed-american-folk-art-museum-to-be-demolished/> ISSN 0719-8884
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We value the future of mobility
UK government announces £23 million to accelerate hydrogen cars and infrastructure
The UK government has announced a new £23 million (€26.5 million) fund to increase the rate of uptake of hydrogen vehicles and boost hydrogen infrastructure. It forms part of the UK’s goal to achieve zero emissions on ‘almost all new cars and vans’ by 2040.
The competition for funding will be launched this summer. The government will invite proposals from public and private organisations and hydrogen operators and will provide match funding for successful bidders. Fuel providers will be able to bid for funding in partnership with vehicle manufacturers to create hydrogen infrastructure, including refuelling stations.
UK Transport Minister John Hayes said: ‘The transition to zero emission road transport is both inevitable and desirable as it will improve air quality in many of our towns and cities. Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles can play a vital role alongside battery electric vehicles to help us cut harmful emissions.
‘We know availability of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure can be a potential obstacle to the take up of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. That’s why we’re providing support to give interested parties the confidence to continue to invest in this new emerging technology.’
Hydrogen cars have a range of around 300 miles per tank, in line with conventional vehicles. They can be refuelled at pumps like conventional petrol or diesel cars, which alleviates the range and recharging time anxieties associated with electric vehicles (EVs).
With Toyota being a leading hydrogen proponent, its UK president and managing director Paul Van der Burgh said: ‘We chose the UK as one of the first international markets for our Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car and are pleased that the government is investing in this programme to encourage the further development of refuelling infrastructure and the wider uptake of fuel cell vehicles.’
The UK is currently undergoing several low emission transport policy initiatives. As part of its plan to be a major base for the development of new energy technologies, the government has doubled support for energy innovation, including investing £600 million to support accelerating the transition to low emission vehicles. This includes £390 million (€449 million) announced in 2016’s Autumn Statement for ultra low vehicles (£270 million (€311 million)) and driverless cars.
The Office for Low Emission Vehicles is already delivering EV grants and research and development funding competitions, as well as investigating the impacts and opportunities of the shift to EVs. It is also responsible for schemes to continue the further roll-out of public EV charging points. In addition to these, it is also exploring the potential opportunities of hydrogen fuel technologies across a wide range of applications including heating, energy storage and transportation.
Government report highlights damage of ‘no-deal’ Brexit
BMW due to announce CEO appointment
Survey: What is the cause of falling diesel sales in the UK?
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R.I.P. Bernie Casey, actor, NFL player, and poet
(Photo: Jean Baptiste Lacroix/Getty Images)
Bernie Casey, a modern-day renaissance man whose résumé included acting, professional sports, and poetry, has died. According to Variety, Casey—who appeared in films like Revenge Of The Nerds, Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and I’m Gonna Git You Sucka—was 78.
Born in West Virginia, Casey was a decorated track and field star and football player in his youth, earning a scholarship to Bowling Green University and competing in the 1960 U.S. Olympic trials. After college, he entered the NFL, where he played for eight seasons: six with the San Francisco 49ers and two with the Los Angeles Rams.
After retiring from football in 1968, Casey moved into the world of acting and the arts; he published a book of paintings and poetry, Look At The People, and began his acting career with a performance in the sequel Western Guns Of The Magnificent Seven. Many of Casey’s early roles—including a few opposite fellow football player-turned-actor Jim Brown—were as part of the blaxploitation wave of the 1970s; he appeared in films ranging from Brown’s ...tick, tick, tick… and Black Gunn to serving as the male lead in Tamara Dobson’s Cleopatra Jones and starring as an anti-heroic dealer of death in George Armitage’s Hit Man. He also appeared in more mainstream fare, playing recurring Bond ally Felix Leiter in Sean Connery’s Never Say Never Again, and appearing opposite David Bowie in The Man Who Fell To Earth.
In the ’80s, Casey’s stern features and stentorian manner lent himself well to authority figures, giving memorable turns in Revenge Of The Nerds and as the teacher who hands out the fateful history assignment in Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure. He also tried his hand at TV and science fiction, appearing on both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine—as a charismatic, idealistic renegade in one of the show’s early two-parters—and its rival series Babylon Five. He continued to work as an actor through the ’90s and into the mid-2000s, before ultimately retiring. He died on Tuesday, after a brief illness.
Was the Revenge Of The Nerds series a prophetic vision of our present?
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: “Blood Oath”/“The Maquis, Part I”
A love once new has now grown old: 24 memorable cinematic time transitions
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Posts featuring oland Barthes
Translating Finnegans Wake: An Interview with Hervé Michel
March 6, 2017 | in Interviews | by Derek Pyle
I would advise that a reader approach Finnegans Wake like a work of art—a composition of sounds and colors, music and painting...
Can Finnegans Wake be translated into another language? As the joke well-known amongst Joyceans goes, “Which language are you translating it from?”
If it is possible to translate Finnegans Wake, the next question might be: who on earth is willing and able to undertake such a task? Who even has the time to translate this work Joyce spent 17 years writing?
The Wake has been translated into French twice. Philippe Lavergne translated the book in the early 1980s, but unsatisfied with this edition, Hervé Michel has spent the last two decades working on a translation of his own.
Michel was born to French parents, in 1950s Morocco. He spent his youth “wandering across Europe, America, Africa and the Near East.” From 1979 until 1984 he lived in Casablanca, studying Arabic. Michel joined the French civil service in 1986 and eventually attended the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA). With an annual acceptance rate of only 6%, ENA is an extremely elite graduate school for French government administrators and officials. After a decade of varied work ranging from finance to international relations, in 1996 Michel accepted a high-ranking position within the French Ministry of Defense.
In his spare time, Michel reads the Wake. He first encountered the book in 1980 and began translating the text in 1997. He has tried at various times to find a publisher for his translation, but the audience for Finnegans Wake translations is limited. In 2004 Michel decided to publish his translation as Veillée Pinouilles online, a format that allows him to make ongoing updates and revisions à la Leaves of Grass.
As Michel prepared to retire from his career in the civil service, he graciously took the time to speak with me about this longstanding fascination with the Wake. The interview was conducted over email, a format allowing for conversation as well as textual elucidation and analysis.
Derek Pyle (DP): How did you first get interested in Joyce?
Hervé Michel (HM): My interest first went to Finnegans Wake, not to James Joyce. By 1985, I had returned to Paris from a five-year sojourn in Morocco—a country where I happened to be born and raised from 1950 to 1962 and where I had returned with my newly-met wife Constance Hélène in 1980—where I had spent a jolly good time studying Arabic and reading the Qur’an. Back in Paris I felt compelled to go to the Galignani English bookshop on Rue de Rivoli to buy Finnegans Wake, on the back cover of which I discovered the man-in-the-street allure of James Joyce which was a sort of a shock. For me, Finnegans Wake was the Sacred Scripture of the Modern Era. I was not to be deceived by a text displaying all the phatic function I expected and smearing a thick semiotic matter, so I immediately felt the need to have it rendered in French.
DP: So you began with Finnegans Wake. Did you go the bookshop specifically seeking out the Wake? Or did it just one day catch your eye, while you were in the bookshop? Can you also explain a bit more what you mean that this was a text ”displaying all the phatic function… and smearing a thick semiotic matter”?
HM: Reference to James Joyce was paramount in the French literary critique between 1960 and 1980, people like Roland Barthes, Jacques Lacan, Philippe Sollers, Julia Kristeva, Hélène Cixous, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, all drove me to consider Finnegans Wake as the nexus of the modern literary fabric, which I, with my gross ignorance of the finesse of the English language and of the encyclopedic richness of Joyce’s culture, took at first as the thick material somebody like Jackson Pollock smeared on his canvasses, but eventually I craved to emulate this latter Indian creation dance myself with the French language.
finnegans wake
Galignani bookshop
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The Spectacular Filming locations of The Fate of the Furious
The eighth installment of the Fast & Furious saga continues the tradition of traveling to exotic locations. F8 also comes packed with a collection of celebrities, including Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron, Jason Statham or Kurt Russell.
The Fate of the Furious was filmed in Cuba, Iceland and in the United States. This is one of the first big Hollywood productions to shot in the revolutionary Caribbean island, since the embargo was lifted (last year, the Netflix series The OA were also filming in Cuba):
In Cuba, The Fast and the Furious 8 was filming right in the heart of Havana. The race started in Simón Bolívar St, in a corner of El Curita Park. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures
The chase passed by El Capitolio and continued through several iconic avenues, like the Malecón by the sea. The Hotel Nacional De Cuba served also as the background for a scene. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures
In Iceland, the frozen waters of Lake Mývatn were the setting for a spectacular car (and submarine) chase scene in the Russian Arctic. A very large section of the lake was swept clean of snow for filming.
Image courtesy of Universal Pictures
In winter, the area of Mývatn is considered one of the best places to watch the Northern Lights in Iceland.
Image by Ester Laxdal
Some prison outdoor scenes were filmed in the harbor of Akranes, a town about 30 miles north of Reykjavík.
The next locations are located in the USA. The Berlin set was actually located at the Guardian Centers in Perry, Georgia. This is a unique training facility for disaster preparedness, a complex to simulate almost any disaster on almost any scale. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures and Guardian Centers
In New York, the scene where many vehicles are coming out of a warehouse was filmed at Pier 40 by the Hudson River. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures
The cars were also driving along Broadway, the 5th Avenue and the Manhattan Bridge.
But most of the action was filmed in Cleveland, Ohio, doubling as NYC. This stunt pictured, was set at the junction of Superior Avenue and E. 6th street. More filming took place at Perk Plaza and some other streets in downtown. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures and Google Maps
The building from where cars are falling is the Halle Bros Parking Garage at 1118 Prospect Ave E (also in Cleveland). The rest of the street was made by CGI. Image courtesy of Universal Pictures and Google Maps
Can you help to improve this post about the shooting locations of The Fate of the Furious? To complete and correct this report, any feedback, info or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!
NOTICE: If you’re using this information on your website, please credit and link to this page as a source.
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Travel: Marietta harkens back to early days of steamboats
Steve Stephens More Content Now
MARIETTA, Ohio - Mark Twain might never have plied the waters of the mighty Muskingum, but the river where Ohio began has plenty of its own stories harking back to the early days of steamboats. The river also is one of a very few places where travelers still can get a real taste of 19th-century-style paddleboat travel.
Marietta, Ohio’s oldest permanent settlement, was founded in 1788 at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers. The first steamboatmade the run up the Muskingum from Marietta to Zanesville in about 1820.
Shortly after that first steamboat trip, the young state constructed a series of locks and dams to make the Muskingum navigable on a regular basis. From the mid-19th to the early 20th centuries, more than 200 different steamboats chugged up and down the Muskingum, taking goods and passengers through the heart of the Buckeye State and beyond.
Today the river is home to the only remaining hand-operated lock system in the United States. The nine still-operational locks stretching upstream to Zanesville have been declared a National Historic Engineering Landmark. There is nothing else like them, at least not on a river-long scale.
Although the days of heavy travel on the Muskingum River are over, the locks still operate on weekends from mid-May through mid-October, as well as on Fridays and Mondays during the summer and on certain holidays.
These days, almost all of the traffic through the locks is recreational. But the Valley Gem sternwheeler, leaving from its dock on the Muskingum near downtown Marietta, still offers paying customers an old-fashioned river excursion.
The Valley Gem gives short sight-seeing trips most days between May and October. But a few times each year, the boat makes an all-day voyage through the three locks upstream of Marietta and back down again, giving passengers a chance to immerse themselves (figuratively, to be sure) in the kind of river travel that was familiar to their great-great-grandparents.
Earlier this month I took the all-day excursion, enjoying the tranquil, rhythmic slapping of the paddle-wheel astern as it pushed the boat forward past verdant walls of trees punctuated by the occasional farm, riverfront home or small town. (I also enjoyed the day’s three buffet-style meals, including a hot breakfast and dinner with prime rib.)
The pace changed as we approached the historic locks, where most passengers would gather at the rails to watch the very slow ballet of turning wheels, closing gates and rising water that moved the Valley Gem to the river's next level.
As the Valley Gem pulled into each lock from downstream, the lock walls towered above us like a narrow canyon made of very old sandstone blocks. The boat just barely fits into the locks, which are about 180 feet long and 36 feet wide.
One operator was stationed at each lock. After the boat pulled in, the operator would close the two massive wooden gates behind us, one at a time, by walking in a circle while pushing a large lever attached to the 19th-century rack-and-pinion gear system.
Once the downstream doors were closed, the operator would crank open the valves that let water into the chamber from upstream. And then the Valley Gem, ever so slowly, would begin to rise, standing higher and higher against its surroundings until floating on the same level as the river above the dam.
The operator would then open the gates in front to allow us to continue upstream.
Each lock along the Muskingum has its own unique design and personality. At Devola, the first lock upstream of Marietta, the lock chamber sits directly perpendicular to the dam, the roar of the water spilling over the low dam structure adding to the atmosphere.
The next lock, at Lowell, is well downstream of the Lowell Dam. Exiting the lock, boats enter a long canal that bypasses the dam and forms Buell’s Island, today the site of several houses, farm fields and a town park.
The canal isn’t much wider than the lock chamber, and at a few very narrow points, passengers sitting along the upper-deck rail had to duck or move to avoid tree branches from massive, overhanging sycamores. Seeing the town swimming pool go by just a few yards from the boat, or watching cars zoom by along Ohio Route 60 at eye level on the other side, was a singular experience.
At various points during the day, one of the Valley Gem’s crew would offer narration about the history of the river and the lock system.
We learned about the Enterprise, a steamboat based in Zanesville designed to transport seven Conestoga wagons at a time - and the oxen or horses used to pull the wagons and the families who were going west. The Enterprise floated this cargo all the way to St. Joseph, Missouri, where the real westward adventure would start.
And at our final lock, at Beverly, we heard the tragic story of the Buckeye Belle. More than 20 people died in 1852 when the Belle’s boiler exploded near the lock, one of the worst river tragedies in Ohio history.
As the shadows lengthened, the light offered a different perspective of the river and locks than that of earlier in the day. Just above Beverly, the Valley Gem turned, slowly, at a wide space in the river to start the descent that would return us to our point of departure, about 25 miles downstream.
Although the trip was leisurely, time flew. After all, in our 10 hours on the river, we had packed in 150 years of history.
Steve Stephens can be reached at sstephens@dispatch.com.
The Valley Gem sternwheeler, based in Marietta, offers a variety of river cruises.
The Muskingum River Day Cruise, a 10-hour trip up the Muskingum River, includes passage through three of the river’s historic, hand-operated locks. The cruise will be offered Aug. 18, Oct. 12 and Oct. 14. Tickets cost $85 per person and include three buffet-style meals and soft drinks throughout the day.
The Valley Gem also offers 90-minute narrated sightseeing tours on the Ohio and Muskingum rivers on many days through September, as well as specialty history, festival, dinner and murder-mystery cruises.
For more information or to make a reservation, call 740-373-7862 or visit valleygemsternwheeler.com.
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KUZMINKI
Area Russia | Residential and hotels
Moscow, Russia | 2017 | Public area
Renovation of a "Khrushchyovka" residential district
Client: City of Moscow
Team: AREP in joint venture with Spectrum Group
Competition: 2017
Urban development Public space Environment Sustainable mobility Residential district
AREP in joint venture with Spectrum Group put forward a multi-faceted project that aims to preserve nature, reinvent the urban areas developed during the Khrushchevera and connect the district of Kuzminki to the transport network.
Providing the city with a green sanctuary
The project aims to preserve nature and most of the fifty-year-old trees by placing part of the urban scheme where the former Khrushchyovka buildings once stood.
We have created a large east-west green corridor that forms a green lung at the very heart of the project and brings to mind a densely planted linear "central park". It connects to the new urban blocks and is designed to accommodate child facilities.
Video Kuzminki projet by Etienne Tricaud (Crédit AREP 2018)
Creating new urban spaces
The north-south axis is dedicated to economic and cultural activities while also featuring recreational facilities in a landscaped setting that integrates seamlessly with the existing buildings. The southern exit of the metro station is highlighted by a landmark. The area is designed as a pedestrian esplanade providing smooth transitions to the Kuzminki forest through a pedestrian and bicycle bridge that connects to the new developments around the metro station. The development project takes its starting point at the Culture Centre forecourt and expands towards Volgodrasky Boulevard, thus allowing local residents to easily access the forest on foot or by bike.
Connecting the district to the transport network
The Kuzminki metro station is the evident focal point of the district. It acts as a veritable "city booster" within the greater Moscow area, stimulating the district's attractiveness by connecting to the Moscow transport network. Taller buildings featuring a more expressive design convey the idea of a hyper dense city centre.
A 100-ha site to the south-east of Moscow
1 500 000 m² including 1 000 000 m² for housing and 500 000 m² for office and retail facilities.
17 000 people to be resettled
Public consultation on the renovation of Moscow’s residential quarters
On 30 November 2017, AREP took part in the public consultation on the projects regarding the Kuzminki district in Moscow. The company has been shortlisted among 300 candidates in the competition for the renovation of Khrushchev-era residential quarters.
AREP in association with Spectrum Group put forward a multi-faceted project that aims to preserve nature and reinvent the urban areas developed during the Khrushchev era in the Kuzminki district (south-east of Moscow).
Other competing teams for the same site include Speech, Zaha Hadid Architects, and PIK. A total of 20 practices have been shortlisted for the renovation of five residential quarters throughout the Greater Moscow area. The winning projects will be announced in mid-January 2018 by the Mayor of Moscow.
VIDEO The public consultation on the projects
Residential and hotels
The Fontana
Dubaï, United Arab Emirates
Place Making
Jinqiao, a housing area
Song Da - Ha Long Resort
Ha Long City, Vietnam
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Ferrous sulphate (Green vitriol), FeSO4.7H2O
Ferric oxide, Fe2O3
Ferric Chloride, FeCl3
Copper(II) Sulphate Pentahydrate or Blue Vitriol, CuSO4.5H2O
Silver Nitrate, AgNO3
Halides of Silver
Mercury (I) Chloride / Mercurous Chloride /Calomel, (Hg2Cl2)
Mercury (II) Chloride HgCl2
Mercury-II Iodide
Potassium Dichromate, K2Cr2O7
Potassium Permanganate, KMnO4
It occurs in nature as copperas and commonly known as hara Kasis.
Preparation of Ferrous Sulphate
By dissolving scrap Fe in dil. H2SO4
From Kipp’s waste which contains ferrous sulphate with some free H2SO4; the latter is neutralised with scrap iron forming FeSO4 and hydrogen.
By the action of air and water on iron pyrites. The solution is treated with scrap iron to remove H2SO4 and to reduce Fe2(SO4)3 to FeSO4.
Properties of Ferrous Sulphate
Hydrated and anhydrous FeSO4 are green and white in colour respectively. It is isomorphous with epsom salt, MgSO4.7H2O and ZnSO4.7H2O. It effervesces on exposure to air.
Light green crystals of FeSO4 lose water and turn brown on exposure to air, due to oxidation.
On heating at 300°C it gives anhydrous FeSO4 which on further heating gives Fe2O3 and SO2.
Like other ferrous salts, it takes up HNO3 forming brown coloured double compound, Fe(NO)SO4, nitroso ferrous sulphate (Ring test for nitrates).
It decolourises acidified potassium permanganate and turns acidified dichromate green (reducing character).
It forms double salts with sulphates of alkali metals with general formula R2SO4.FeSO4.6H2O. With ammonium sulphate, it forms a double salt known as ferrous ammonium sulphate or Mohr’s salt, FeSO4.(NH4)2SO4.6H2O. It does not effervesce. It ionises in solution to gives Fe2+, NH4+ and SO42– ions.
It occurs in nature as haematite.
Fe2O3 is a red powder, insoluble in H2O and not acted upon by air or H2O
It is amphoteric in nature and reacts with acids and alkalies.
It is reduced to iron by H2,C and CO.
It is used as a catalyst in the oxidation of CO to CO2 in the Bosch process.
Preparation of Ferric Chloride
Hydrated ferric chloride (FeCl3.6H2O) can be prepared by dissolving iron, Fe(OH)3 or ferric oxide in dil. HCl.
Reaction of Fe with dry Cl2 gives anhydrous FeCl3,
Properties of Ferric Chloride
Anhydrous salt is yellow, deliquescent compound and highly soluble in H2O.
Its aqueous solution is acidic due to hydrolysis.
On heating it gives FeCl2 and Cl2.
It oxidizes H2S to S, SO2 to H2SO4, SnCl2 to SnCl4 and Na2S2O3 to Na2S4O6
Preparation of Cupper (II) Sulphate:
In the laboratory, it is prepared by dissolving cupric oxide, cupric hydroxide or carbonate in dilute H2SO4.
CuO + H2SO4 → CuSO4 + H2O
Cu(OH)2 + H2SO4 → CuSO4 + 2H2O
CuCO3 + H2SO4 → CuSO4 + H2O + CO2
The solution of CuSO4 thus obtained is concentrated and cooled when crystals of blue vitriol, CuSO4.5H2O separates out.
Commercially it is prepared by the action of hot dilute sulphuric acid on scrap copper in the presence of air.
2Cu + 2H2SO4 + O2 → 2CuSO4 + 2H2O
Properties of Cupper (II) Sulphate?
(1) Action of Heat
It has 5 molecules of water of crystallisation; all of which can be removed on heating, to form colourless CuSO4 (again coloured with H2O).
CuSO4.5H2O CuSO4.H2O CuSO4 (white ppt) CuO + SO3
At high temperature it forms cupric oxide.
It forms double salts with alkali sulphates, e.g. K2SO4.CuSO4.6H2O
When treated with NH4OH, it first forms precipitate of cupric hydroxide copper (II) sulphate (Schweitzer’s reagent), used for dissolving cellulose in the manufacture of artificial silk.
It reacts with KCN forming a complex compound K3[Cu(CN)4].
It liberates iodine from soluble iodides.
(2) Action of Alkalis
CuSO4 + 2NaOH → Cu(OH)2 + Na2SO4
With NH4OH it forms tetraamminecopper (II) sulphate
CuSO4 + 4NH4OH → [Cu(NH3)4]SO4 + 4H2O
(3) Reaction with KI
CuSO4 + 2KI → CuI2 + K2SO4
2Cul2 → 2Cul + l2
The liberation of iodine in this reaction is quantitative. Therefore, this reaction is used to estimate copper volumetrically.
Uses of Cupper (II) Sulphate
It is used as an electrolyte in electroplating, electrotyping and refining of copper.
It is used in reservoirs and swimming pools to prevent the growth of weeds.
It is used as a fungicide under the name Bordeaux mixture, which is a mixture of CuSO4 and slaked lime Ca(OH)2.
Anhydrous CuSO4 is used for detection of moisture in organic liquids such as alcohol, ether etc.
Silver Nitrate, AgNO3
Preparation of Silver Nitrate
Silver nitrate is prepared by the action of dilute nitric acid on silver and then evaporating the solution to crystallization.
3Ag + 4HNO3 → 3AgNO3 + NO ↑ + 2H2O
Properties Silver Nitrate
It decomposes on heating.
2AgNO3 2AgNO2 2Ag + 2NO2
On coming into contact with organic matter like skin or clothes, it is reduced to finely – divided silver, giving a black stain.
(2) Precipitation Reactions
Silver nitrat forms precipitates with some salt solutions which help in the detection of acid radicals.
Some of the precipitation reactions are:
NaCl + AgNO3 → AgCl ↓ + NaNO3
NaPO4 + 3AgNO3 → Ag3PO4 ↓ + 3NaNO3
K2CrO4 + 3AgNO3 → AgCrO ↓ + 2KNO3
Na2S + 2AgNO3 → Ag2S ↓ + 2NaNO3
Na2S2O3 + 2AgNO3 → Ag2S2O3 ↓ + 2NaNO3
Na2C2O4 + 2AgNO3 → Ag2C2O4 ↓ + 2NaNO3
Na3BO3 + 3AgNO3 → Ag3BO3 ↓ + 3NaNO3
Uses of Silver Nitrate
It is used for
Preparing silver halides which are used in photography.
For making inks and hair dyes.
In qualitative and quantitative analysis.
For silvering of glass, i.e. preparation of mirrors.
Preparation of Silver Halides
Silver halides are prepared by the action of sodium or potassium halide on silver nitrate solution (except for AgF)
AgNO3 + NaX → AgX(s) + NaNO3
Silver fluoride is prepared by the action of HF on silver (I) oxide.
2HF + 2Ag2O → 2AgF + H2O
Properties of Silver Halides
AgCl is white solid, AgBr is a pale yellow solid and AgI is a yellow solid.
AgF is soluble in water whereas other halides are insoluble in water. AgCl dissolves in ammonia to form a complex.
AgCl + 2NH4OH → [Ag(NH3)2]Cl + 2H2O
AgBr is partially soluble and AgI is insoluble in NH4OH.
All the silver halides dissolve in potassium cyanide and Na2S2O3 solution to form complexes.
AgCl + 2KCN → K [Ag(CN)2] + KCl
AgCl + 2Na2S2O3 → Na2[Ag(S2O3)2] + NaCl
Uses of Silver Halides
All silver halides (particularly AgBr) are photosensitive and hence are widely used in photography.
Preparation of Mercurous Chloride
It can be prepared by mixing a chloride solution with a mercury (I) salt solution.
Hg2(NO3)2 + 2NaCl → Hg2Cl2 ↓ + 2NaNO3
It can also prepared by heating a mixture of mercuric chloride and mercury in an iron vessel.
HgCl2 + Hg Hg2Cl2
Properties of Mercurous Chloride
It is a white power insoluble in water but soluble in chlorine water.
Hg2Cl2 + Cl2 → 2HgCl2
It decomposes on heating to HgCl2
Hg2Cl2 → HgCl2 + Hg
On treatment with ammonia, if turns black due to the formation of finely divided mercury.
Hg2Cl2 + 2NH3→ Hg + Hg(NH2)Cl + NH4Cl
Uses of Mercurous Chloride
In making standard calomel electrode and
As a purgative in medicine.
Preparation of Mercury (II) Chloride
It is prepared by passing dry chlorine over heated mercury.
HgCl2 + Hg → Hg2Cl2
It is also obtained by treating HgO with HCl
HgO + 2HCl → HgCl2 + H2O
Commercially, it is prepared by heating a mixture of HgSO4 and NaCl in the presence of MnO2
HgSO4 + 2NaCl HgCl2 + Na2SO4
Properties of Mercury (II) Chloride
It is a white crystalline solid sparingly soluble in cold water but soluble in hot water. Its solubility can be increased by adding Cl-.
HgCl2 + 2Cl– → [HgCl4]2–
It is readily soluble in organic solvents suggesting its covalent nature.
When treated with SnCl2 it is reduced to mercury.
2HgCl2 + SnCl2 → SnCl4 + Hg2Cl2
Hg2Cl2 + SnCl2 → 2Hg + SnCl4
When Cu turnings are placed in its contact a shining grey film of mercury deposits over them.
HgCl2 + Cu → Hg + CuCl2
Uses of Mercury (II) Chloride
It is used for preserving wood and hides and for making fungicides.
Preparation of Mercury (II) Iodide
It is prepared by treating HgCl2 with KI.
HgCl2 + 2Kl → Hgl2 + 2KCl
Properties of Mercury (II) Iodide
Mercuric iodide exists in two forms, i.e. red and yellow. The yellow form is stable above 400 K white the red form is stable below this temperature.
It readily dissolves in KI forming a complex
HgI2 + 2KI → K2[HgI4]
An alkaline solution of K2HgI4 is called Nessler’s reagent and is used to detect the presence of NH4+ with which it gives a brown precipitate due to the formation of iodide of Million’s base.
Uses of Mercury (II) Iodide
It is used to prepare Nessler’s reagent and for making ointments for treating skin infections.
Preparation of Potassium Dichromate
It is prepared from the ore called chromate or ferrochrome or chrome iron, FeO.Cr2O3. The various steps involved are
(a) Preparation of sodium chromate
4FeO.Cr2O3 + O2 → Fe2O3 + 4Cr2O3
4Na2CO3 + 2Cr2O3 + 3O2 → 4Na2CrO4 + 4CO2
(b) Conversion of sodium chromate into sodium dichromate.
2Na2CrO4 + H2SO4 → Na2Cr2O7 + Na2SO4 + H2O
(c) Conversion of sodium dichromate into potassium dichromate.
Na2Cr2O7 + 2KCl → K2Cr2O7 + 2NaCl
Properties of Potassium Dichromate
It forms orange red crystals. It is moderately soluble in cold water but freely soluble in hot water.
1. Action of heat
When heated, it decomposed to its chromate
4K2Cr2O7 4K2CrO4 + 2Cr2O3 + 3O2
2. Action of alkalis
With alkalis it is converted into chromate which on acidifying gives back dichromate.
K2Cr2O7 + 2KOH → 2K2CrO4 + H2O
2K2Cr2O7 + H2SO4 → K2Cr2O7 + K2SO4 + H2O
In dichromate solution the Cr2O72– ions are in equilibrium with Cr2O72– ions at pH = 4.
Cr2O72– + H2O 2CrO42– + 2Hl
orange red yellow
3. Action of conc. H2SO4 solution
In cold conditions
K2Cr2O7 + 2H2SO4 ———→ 2CrO3 + 2KHSO4 + H2O
In hot conditions
2K2Cr2O7 + 8H2SO4 ———→ 2K2SO4 + 2Cr2(SO4)3 + 8H2O + 3O2
4. Oxidising properties
It is a powerful oxidising agent. In the presence of dil. H2SO4 it furnishes 3 atoms of available oxygen.
K2Cr2O7 + 4H2SO4 → K2SO4 + Cr2(SO4)3 + 4H2O + 3O
Some of the oxidizing properties of K2Cr2O7 are
It liberates I2 from KI
K2Cr2O7 + 7H2SO4 + 6Kl → 4K2SO4 + Cr2(SO4)3 + 3l2 + 7H2O
It oxidises ferrous salts to ferric salts
K2Cr2O7 + 7H2SO4 + 6FeSO4 → K2SO4 + Cr2(SO4)3 + 3Fe2(SO4)3 + 2H2O
It oxidises S-2 to S
K2Cr2O7 + 4H2SO4 + 3H2S → K2SO4 + Cr2(SO4)3 + 7H2O + 3S
It oxidises nitrites to nitrates
K2Cr2O7 + 4H2SO4 + 3NaNO2 → K2SO4 + Cr2(SO4)3 + 3NaNO3 + 4H2O
It oxidises SO2 to SO42–
K2Cr2O7 + H2SO4 + 3SO2 → K2SO4 + Cr2(SO4)3 + 3H2O
It oxidises ethyl alcohol to acetaldehyde and acetic acid.
5. Chromyl Chloride Test
When heated with conc. HCl or with a chloride in the presence of sulphuric acid, reddish brown vapours of chromyl chloride are obtained.
K2Cr2O7 + 4KCl + 6H2SO4 → 2CrO2Cl2 + 6KHSO4 + 3H2O
Thus reaction is used in the detection of chloride ions in qualitative analysis.
Uses of Potassium Dicromate
In volumetric analysis for the estimation of Fe2+ and I-.
In chrome tanning in leather industry.
In photography and in hardening gelatin film.
Preparation of Potassium Permanganate on a Large Scale
It is prepared from the mineral pyrolusite, MnO2. The preparation involves the following steps
Conversion of MnO2 into potassium manganate.
When finely powdered MnO2 is fused with KOH. K2MnO4 is obtained.
2MnO2 + 4KOH + O2 → 2K2MnO4 + 2H2O
Oxidation of potassium manganate into permanganate
(a) Chemical oxidation
K2MnO4 is oxidised to KMnO4 by bubbling CO2 or Cl2 or ozone into the former.
3K2MnO4 + 2CO2 → 2KMnO4 + MnO2 + 2K2CO3
(b) Electrolytic oxidation
The manganate solution is electrolysed between iron electrodes. The oxygen evolved at anode converts manganate into permanganate.
2K2MnO2 + H2O + O → 2K2MnO4 + 2KOH
Properties of Potassium Permanganate
KMnO4 exists as deep purple prisms. It is moderately soluble in water at room temperature and its solubility in water increases with temperature.
(i) Action of heat
When heated it decomposes to K2MnO4.
2KMnO4 → K2MnO4 + MnO2 + O2
(ii) Action of conc. H2SO4
With cold conc. H2SO4 it gives Mn2O7 which on warming decomposes to MnO2.
2MnO2 + 2H2SO4 → Mn2O7 + 2KHSO4 + 2H2O
2Mn2O7 4MnO2 + 3O2
With hot Conc. H2SO4 O2 is evolved
4KMnO4 + 6H2SO4 → 2K2SO4 + 4MnSO4 + 6H2O + 5O2
(iii) Oxidising properties
KMnO4 is a powerful oxidizing agent. The actual oxidizing action depends upon the medium i.e. acidic, basic or neutral.
In neutral solution, it acts as moderate oxidizing agent.
2KMnO4 + H2O → 2KOH + 2MnO2 + 3O
Some oxidizing properties of KMnO4 in neutral medium are
2KMnO4 + 3Na2S2O3 + H2O → 3K2SO4 + 8MnO2 + 3Na2SO4 + 2KOH
2KMnO4 + 4H2S → 2MnS + S + K2SO4 + 4H2O
In strong alkaline solution, it is converted into
2KMnO4 + 2KOH → 2K2MnO4 + H2O + O
2KMnO4 + H2O + Kl → 2MnO2 + 2KOH + KlO3
In acidic medium, Mn+7 is converted into Mn+2
2KMnO4 + 3H2SO4 → K2SO4 + 2MnSO4 + 3H2O + 5O
Some other reactions are
2KMnO4 + 3H2SO4 + 5H2S → K2SO4 + 2MnSO4 + 3H2O + 5S
2KMnO4 + 5SO2 + 2H2O → K2SO4 + 2MnSO4 + 2H2SO4
2KMnO4 + 3H2SO4 + 5KNO2 → K2SO4 + 2MnSO4 + 3H2O + 5KNO3
2KMnO4 + 3H2SO4 + 5C2H2O4 → K2SO4 + 2MnSO4 + 8H2O + 10CO2
2KMnO4 + 8H2SO4 + 10FeSO4 → K2SO4 + 2MnSO4 + 5Fe2(SO4)3 + 8H2O
2KMnO4 + 3H2SO4 + 10Kl → K2SO4 + 2MnSO4 + 8H2O + 5l2
Uses of Potassium Permanganate
It is used in volumetric analysis for the estimation of ferrous salts, oxalates, iodides and H2O2.
It is used as oxidizing agent in the laboratory as well as in industry.
It is also used as disinfectant and germicide.
Question 1: CuSO4.5H2O
a. CuSO4.H2O
b. CuSO4
c. CuO +SO2
d. Cu +SO3
Question 2: When heated with conc. HCl or with a chloride in the presence of sulphuric acid, reddish brown vapours of
a. potassium dichromate
b. chromyl chloride
c. chromic acid
d. chlorine
Question 3: Potassium dicromate oxidises nitrites to
a. nitrates
b. dinitrogen
c. nitrogen dioxide
d. nitrogen trioxide
Question 4: Hydrated ferric chloride (FeCl3.6H2O) can be prepared by dissolving iron, Fe(OH)3 or ferric oxide in
a. dil. HCl.
b. dil NaOH
c. H2O
d. NH3
Its always helpful to have a look at past year papers of IIT JEE
Click here to refer the syllabus of chemistry for IIT JEE
You can also refer to general characteristics of transition elements
Our IITian faculty will contact you in 1 working day
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Some Applications of d- and f- Block Elements...
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Random Boston Sports Takes
Bill Travers May 08, 2018 Red Sox Edit this post
In the first of what I hope to be a weekly column, I offer a few semi-hot takes, general observation, and other random thoughts on what’s going on in Boston Sports and the sports world in general.
Photo Courtesy of Odyssey
The Draft: One thing has been consistent in the Bill Belichick era with respect to his approach to the NFL Draft – he usually does the exact opposite of what the so-called “experts” thinks he should do. This year was no different. Despite what appeared to be a glaring need to improve the defensive front seven, Belichick instead chose to keep both first round picks (also a surprise) and drafted an offensive lineman and a running back.
With Tom Brady’s future in doubt, Belichick passed on former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Lamar Jackson with the 31st pick and waited until the last round to select unheralded quarterback Danny Etling. He may not have been enamored with Jackson, or any of the quarterbacks the Patriots passed on over the next five rounds. But the drafting of Etling in the last round looks to this author like Belichick’s way of sending the message to owner Bob Kraft that he had already drafted and groomed Brady’s heir apparent (you know who) and was forced to trade him.
Brady: Has there ever been a more overblown story than Tom Brady choosing not to attend Optional Team Activities. That’s right, the “O” in “OTA” stands for Optional. More than any other player, Brady has earned the right to miss OTAs and go to events in Qatar or attend the Met Gala dressed like an extra from a Michael Jackson video or whatever he wants to do. He will undoubtedly follow his workout program and be ready for the start of training camp, where he will have plenty of time to develop a rhythm with his new cadre of receivers. Let it go.
Jackie Bradley Jr.: As I am writing this story while watching the first game of the Red Sox – Yankees series, Jackie Bradley struck out for the third time in his three at bats. Bradley is an elite level defensive outfielder. Truly one of the best in the game. But there is more than enough of a sample size to come to the conclusion that the man in not a major league hitter. He has had one true hot streak in the early part of 2016 that carried him to his first and only All-Star appearance. Prior to the 2016 All-Star game, Bradley’s was hitting a very respectable 0.293, though his average was briefly in the 0.350 in early June. Bradley also logged in with 14 home runs and 51 RBIs in the first half of 2016.
In the 206 games he’s played since that All-Star appearance, Bradley has hit a weak 0.232, albeit with some pop (31 homers). However, this season he has bottomed out with a paltry 0.177 average coming into the Yankee series and is striking in almost a quarter of his plate appearance. Bradley looks both confused and overmatched at the plate.
Bradley is killing too many potential rallies with unproductive outs at the bottom of the order. With the catcher spot generally hitting behind him in the lineup, that creates two easy outs for opposing pitchers. While the Red Sox don’t have other options behind the plate (Blake Swihart is not a long term solution there), they do have other options in the outfield. J.D. Martinez can play a serviceable left field with Andrew Benintendi shifting to center. This will also allow more playing time for Mitch Moreland, who has been extremely productive in a limited roll.
Bradley needs time to retool his swing to utilize the entire field. He could still be useful to the Red Sox as a late inning defensive replacement and occasional fourth outfielder facing a right handed starter. If he can’t figure it out at the major league level, he still has options, and may benefit from a stint in Pawtucket.
David Price: Just when you thought Price had figured it out and could work his way into the hearts of Boston fans, he comes down with a condition that causes numbness in his hands. It may be legit, but the optics aren’t good when he’s begging out of pitching against the powerful Yankee lineup. If there ever was a true Price bandwagon, it can now be traded in for a bicycle.
Other Random Thoughts:
Launch Angle: The new buzz word in baseball this season is “launch angle”. It’s a fancy way of saying to swing with a slight uppercut to drive the ball in the area. Is this a brilliant new approach? Hardly. It’s the same principal Ted Williams preached in his iconic book The Science of Hitting. His theory, swing slightly up at the ball to match the downward plane of the pitch and increase the time the bat in in the hitting zone. It made sense in the 1930's. Who knew it would be all the rage in 2018?
Ted’s book is famous for William’s classic chart of his batting average for pitches within the strike zone. Williams also mixes in great anecdotes about his playing days, with some colorful metaphors mixed in. A good read and interesting look into the mind of one of the greatest hitters of all time.
NHL Playoffs/Doc Emrick: While I have never been a hockey fan, I must admit that there is a certain electricity and tradition that comes with the NHL Playoffs that is unlike anything in professional sports. Hockey fans are relatively small in comparison to the other major sports, but what they lack in numbers, they more than make up for with enthusiasm and passion for the game.
These playoff games are further accentuated by the lively play-by-play calls of NBC’s Doc Emrick. Emrick’s descriptive style is unique and unmatched on network television. There is an old saying that people don’t watch games to listen to the announcers. Emrick is the exception to that rule.
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Numbers Tell The Tale For Chris Sale
Bill Travers June 08, 2018 Red Sox Edit this post
Photo Courtesy of SI.com
There is something about Red Sox ace Chris Sale which has not been quite right during the first half of 2018. Sale is still one of the top pitchers in all of baseball, but he has not pitched with the dominance he demonstrated upon his arrival in Boston in 2017.
In the first few games of the season, Sale’s fastball velocity was topping off in the low 90’s, compared to the 97-98 he displayed in the first half of 2018. In addition, he has struggled to command his slider and utilize it as a put-away pitch.
A comparison of general pitching stats from the first 13 games of this season to the first 13 games of 2017 indicate Sale is performing at virtually the same level as he was last season.
BB/9
While most of Sale’s number in 2018 are nearly the same as 2017, there is a glaring difference in the number of innings pitched. Sale is averaging nearly one less inning pitched per start in 2018 compared to 2017 (7.0 vs 6.23). Sale has pitched into the seventh inning in only five of his 13 starts this season. In 2017, Sale pitched into the seventh inning in ten of his first 13 starts, and into the eighth inning in four.
The reason for the disparity? Sale’s numbers in the first inning and first time through the order tell the story.
First inning
First time through the order
For whatever reason, Sale is having difficulties early in the game, which is driving up his pitch count and forcing him out of games earlier. Walks and hits allowed are up dramatically, and strikeouts are equally down. Batters are taking a more aggressive approach against Sale early in the count, particularly sitting on his fastball. All of these indicators endorse the impression that Sale is simply not the same pitcher this year.
Next Start
Sale’s next start comes tonight against his former team, the Chicago White Sox. In his lone start against the ChiSox in 2017, Sale was tagged for five runs in just five innings, allowing nine hits and giving up a home run. Sale was admittedly emotional in last season’s start in Chicago, and it definitely affected his performance. It will be interesting to see how he handles the 20-40 White Sox.
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Robert Cross
Counsel, Trial & Appellate Litigation
After graduating from Harvard College in 2011 with a degree in evolutionary biology and receiving his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2014, Robert worked in commercial litigation and patent litigation in private law firms in New York City before returning to his true passion: helping make our nation a safer and more just place through impact litigation attacking the gun violence epidemic. A former Brady legal intern during the summer of 2012, Robert has been dedicated to the gun violence prevention movement and other social causes throughout his legal career and is excited to help the Brady team win crucial legal battles at this important historical moment. Robert has also done substantial pro bono immigration work, and is happy to communicate with potential clients or partners in Spanish.
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Morning business round-up: Germany and France in Greek talks
What made the business news in Asia and Europe this morning? Here's our daily business round-up:
The leaders of Germany and France are set to hold talks in Berlin on whether to give Greece more time to make the cuts required by its debt bailout.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande will also meet Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras later this week.
Meeting Mr Samaras yesterday, eurozone chief Jean-Claude Juncker kept the door open for a change to the bailout terms.
Meanwhile, a closely-watched survey has suggested the eurozone's economy is set to contract by between 0.5%-0.6% in the July to September quarter, tipping it into its second recession in three years.
The Markit Flash Eurozone PMI Composite Output Index, which measures new orders in manufacturing and services, was 46.6 in August, compared with 46.5 in July.
A score below 50 indicates contraction.
Output declined in both the manufacturing and services sectors
In Asia, China's manufacturing activity fell to a nine-month low in August, a preliminary HSBC survey has shown.
The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) posted a reading of 47.8, compared with a final reading of 49.3 in July, HSBC said.
Some analysts said that the data indicated that government efforts to spur the world's second-largest economy had not boosted firms' confidence.
Media captionBusiness headlines
Australia's resources minister has said that the country's resources boom, one of the biggest drivers of its economic growth, is "over".
His comments come after BHP Billiton posted a 35% dip in profits and delayed plans to expand its Olympic Dam mine.
There are concerns that a slowing global economy may hurt demand for coal, metal ores and other commodities.
A slowdown in its mining sector, one of the biggest employers, is likely to dent Australia's economic growth.
In company news, Australian airline Qantas has reported its first annual loss since it was privatised in 1995, amid high fuel costs and growing losses at its international operations.
The firm made a net loss of 244m Australian dollars ($256m; £161m) for the year to 30 June.
This compares with a net profit of A$250m in the previous year.
Qantas also cancelled orders for 35 Boeing Dreamliner jets worth $8.5bn due to "lower growth requirements".
Diageo, the world's biggest producer of spirits, has reported a big jump in annual profits, thanks in part to strong sales and acquisitions in emerging markets.
Pre-tax profit for the year to the end of June was £3.1bn, up 32% on the £2.4bn the company made in the previous year. Sales rose 10% to £14.6bn.
The maker of brands such as Guinness, Smirnoff, Baileys and Johnnie Walker did particularly well in Latin America.
The latest Business Daily programme from the BBC World Service looks at sponsorship opportunities during the Paralympics.
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Why don't French books sell abroad?
By Hugh Schofield BBC News, Paris
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25198154
French authors routinely appear in the English-speaking world's lists of the best novels ever - Voltaire, Flaubert, and Proust… sometimes Dumas and Hugo too. But when it comes to post-war literature, it's a different story. Even voracious readers often struggle to name a single French author they have enjoyed.
France once had a great literary culture, and most French people would say it still does. But if so, how come their books don't sell in the English-speaking world?
Is that our fault or theirs?
And how come the French themselves read so many books that are translated from English and other languages?
These are provocative questions.
The French take huge pride in their literary tradition - it's been calculated that the country has a staggering 2,000 book prizes. And to accuse their modern-day writers of being elitist, insular or overly intellectual is to invite a torrent of outrage.
But the fact remains. With the possible exception of Michel Houellebecq, what French novelist has made it into the Anglophone market?
Even the 2008 Nobel literature prize-winner Jean-Marie Le Clezio is virtually unknown in the English-speaking world.
The Top Ten website invites well-known writers in English to pick their favourite books. By giving a first choice 10 points, a second choice nine points, and so on, it is able to compile lists of favourites.
All-time Top Ten: Flaubert's Madame Bovary 2nd
20th C Top Ten: Proust's In Search of Lost Time 3rd
19th C Top Ten: Madame Bovary 2nd
18th C Top Ten: Voltaire's Candide 5th and Laclos's Liaisons Dangereuses 10th
Living authors Top Ten: No French entries
Calculations were based on lists provided by 152 authors in March 2013
And as for French habits, just look at the popular reads on the Paris metro. My admittedly unscientific survey on Line 1 from La Defense showed a clear four-to-one majority in favour of US and British novels.
For French novelists, the frustration is palpable.
"I am suffering, really suffering, because Anglo-Saxon agents are just ignoring the French book market," Christophe Ono-dit-Biot tells me.
Ono-dit-Biot has just won one of the country's top literary prizes - the Grand Prix du Roman de l'Académie Française - for his novel Plonger (Diving). He now has five books to his name, but without a sniff from the UK or the US.
"Our problem is image. In the US we are famous for French deconstructionism and so on. They think we are too intellectual. They think we are fixated with theory, and that we can't tell stories - but we can!"
It is the same refrain from every author I speak to. All are well-known names in France - Marie Darrieussecq, Nelly Alard, Philippe Labro - but none has been published with any success in the UK or the US.
Image caption The French read many more books in translation than the English
Even Marc Levy, whose romantic adventures have sold more than 40 million copies around the world and whose first book If Only It Were True inspired the 2005 Hollywood movie Just Like Heaven, finds the attitude of UK and US publishers deeply irksome.
"The caricature of a British publisher is someone totally convinced that if a book is French then it cannot possibly work in the UK market," he says.
French novels which found an audience in the UK recently:
Atomised, Michel Houellebecq: Controversial writer's tale of two brothers
HHhH, Lauren Binet: Innovative hybrid of novel and history, recounting story of leading Nazi Reinhard Heydrich
Suite Francaise, Irene Nemirovsky: Posthumously published WW2 novel, portraying 1940 German invasion of France
"I often joke that the only way to get published in Britain if you're French is to pretend you're Spanish. If you've been a best-seller in France, it's a sure-fire recipe for not getting a deal in the UK.
"As for US publishers, they're so convinced that with 350 million potential readers and a big stable of American writers, they've got everything covered - every genre, every style. So why bother?"
The costs and difficulty of literary translation are clearly part of the problem. So too is the fact that the Anglophone book market is thriving - so the demand for foreign works is limited.
Some French authors are critical of Anglo-Saxon "complacency".
"Here in France around 45 out of every 100 novels sold is a translation from a foreign language. With you it's something like three out of every hundred," says Darrieussecq, winner of this year's Medicis prize with Il Faut Beaucoup Aimer Les Hommes (You Need to Love Men a Lot)
"But what that shows is that we French are very curious about other people and cultures. You too - you should be curious. You should be more open," she says.
But might there not be another problem - that French books themselves are just not that appealing?
David Rey, who manages the Atout Livre bookshop in eastern Paris, provides an interesting insight.
Unlike most of his peers he knows both the British and French book markets, having lived some years in London. His comparisons are not favourable to the French.
"The books on offer here are very different from in the UK. French books are precious, intellectual - elitist. And too often bookshops are intimidating. Ordinary people are scared of the whole book culture," he says.
Amazon - nul points
Some will question whether it's legal to regulate the price of books under European competition law; not to mention the fixing of a market to the detriment of one of its major players. But, others will see it is a welcome extension of France's exception culturelle - those subsidies, quotas and tax breaks that support French films, television and music.
BBC's Christian Fraser
Amazon lashes out at new French bill
The French have preserved a nationwide network of small bookshops, mainly as a result of a system of protection. Books cannot be sold at a discount, which means that "libraires" have kept a near monopoly.
A law passed earlier in the year that prevented online retailers from discounting books led to complaints from Amazon that it was being discriminated against. Meanwhile, the sale of e-books is a fraction of what it is in the US and UK.
But what Rey says about French bookshops is true - many are cramped and colourless. Many (like my local one in the 14th arrondissement) are also very obviously political - which is off-putting.
The books themselves are not made to look appealing. New novels have the same cream cover, with a standardised photo of the author. Design does not seem to be at a premium.
Image caption French books are not always made to look appealing
And compared to the UK, there is a glaring lack of offer in certain genres - popular history, popular science, biography, humour, sport.
More from the Magazine
It's 100 years since the birth of Albert Camus. His 1942 novel The Outsider (L'Etranger), about a French Algerian who kills without motive, is one of a select set of works that generations of disaffected teenagers have turned to as a rite of passage.
Is there an 'angst canon' of books that teenagers read? (7 November)
"Non-fiction books in France are very academic. They are just like university theses. We do not have your knack of popularisation," says Rey.
For the US author of romantic sagas Douglas Kennedy, who lives on-and-off in Paris and is enormously popular in France, French novel-writing has never recovered from the experimentation of the post-war era.
"The reason my books are popular in France is that I combine an accessible style with serious observations about what you might call 'the way we live now'. And there is clearly a huge demand here for what I do," he says.
"It's ironic because it was the French who invented the social novel in the 19th Century. But after World War Two, that tradition disappeared. Instead they developed the nouveau roman - the novel of ideas - which was quite deliberately difficult.
"And now while in the UK or the US it's quite normal to write about the 'state of America' or the 'state of Britain' - no-one is doing that here."
But French writers insist that the sins they are accused of - abstraction, lack of plot and character, a preference for text over story, contempt for the non-literary reader - are a cliche perpetuated by Anglo-Saxons with little knowledge of how things have changed in recent years.
"Personally I am fed up with all the stereotypes," says Darrieussecq. "We're not intellectual. We're not obsessed with words. We write detective stories. We write suspense. We write romance.
"And it's about time you started noticing."
Follow @BBCNewsMagazine on Twitter and on Facebook
In today's Magazine
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Christchurch shootings: Mosque attacker charged with terrorism
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48346786?intlink_from_url=&link_location=live-reporting-story
Christchurch mosque shootings
Image caption The suspect is due in court in June (file photo)
The man accused of killing 51 people in the Christchurch mosques attack has been charged with terrorism, New Zealand police have said.
Brenton Tarrant was charged with "engaging in a terrorist act", police said in a statement on Tuesday.
He is already facing charges of murder and 40 of attempted murder following the attack on two mosques in the South Island city on 15 March.
The Australian is next due in court in June.
It is the first time a person has been charged in New Zealand with an act of terror under this law.
Police - who met with victims' families and other survivors to inform them of the charge before it was announced - said they consulted with legal experts and prosecutors before deciding to lay the additional charge.
Could charge create platform for extremism?
Analysis by Hywel Griffith, Sydney correspondent
Since the events of 15 March, there has been debate over what the benefit would be of adding the charge to the multiple counts of murder and attempted murder that have already been laid.
Proving in court that the accused was engaged in an act of terror will require examining motivation, not just intention.
And that creates the possibility of any trial becoming a platform to air extremist views, something many in Christchurch want to avoid.
This may be why the police spent weeks considering the option, and consulted the families of the victims before announcing the charge.
Victims of the Christchurch shootings
Fifty people lost their lives in the shootings at two mosques in the city. One died in hospital later.
The child, the father, the aspiring footballer
Video: 'The attacker killed my whole family'
UK survivor 'cradled young woman' killed at mosque
What's happening in the court case?
The suspect, who is being held in isolation at the Auckland Prison in Paremoremo, last appeared via video link in court in April. At that time, a judge ordered him to undergo mental health tests.
The self-proclaimed white supremacist - who allegedly outlined his intentions in a rambling and expletive-filled document online before carrying out the attack - has not yet been asked to enter a plea to the charges.
He is accused of shooting men, women and children as they prayed at two of Christchurch's mosques: the Al Noor mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre.
A judge had earlier ordered that the 28-year-old's face not be shown.
How has New Zealand responded to the attacks?
The attack was New Zealand's deadliest mass shooting and brought an outpouring grief and support for the victims and their families.
Two weeks after the attack, more than 20,000 people gathered for a memorial service to honour those who lost their lives.
Media captionNew Zealand PM, Jacinda Ardern: "These weapons were designed to kill"
Then, in April, New Zealand's MPs voted to ban military-style semi-automatic weapons to prevent any such thing happening again.
Internationally, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is spearheading an effort to get governments and tech companies to improve their efforts to tackle extremist content online.
The "Christchurch Call" was launched in response to the suspect live-streaming the attack, which was then watched many thousands of times.
The call has already been backed by Australia, Germany, India and Sweden, as well as tech giants Facebook, Amazon, Google, Twitter and Microsoft. However, the US declined to take part.
Media captionThe people of Christchurch came together following the attacks
Christchurch shootings: How the attacks unfolded
Christchurch shootings: The people killed as they prayed
Christchurch shootings: New Zealand MPs vote to change gun laws
Christchurch shootings: How mass killings have changed gun laws
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Migrant crisis: Austria asylum cap begins despite EU anger
Europe migrant crisis
Media captionThe BBC's Bethany Bell reports from Austria's Spielfeld border control centre
Austria's daily cap on the number of migrants and refugees allowed into the country has come into force.
Just 80 asylum applications will be accepted each day at Austria's southern border, after which it will shut.
The European migration commissioner has described the measure as "plainly incompatible" with European Union law.
EU leaders have announced they will hold a summit in early March with Turkey to attempt to seek fresh solutions to the crisis.
"The EU-Turkey action plan is our priority," European Council President Donald Tusk said at an EU gathering in Brussels.
EU migration: Crisis in seven charts
The EU has pledged €3bn (£2.3bn; $3.3bn) to Turkey in return for housing refugees on its territory.
More than a million people arrived in the EU in 2015, creating Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War Two.
The majority of migrants and refugees have headed for Germany via Austria, which saw 90,000 asylum claims last year, equivalent to 1% of its population.
At the border: Bethany Bell, BBC News, Spielfeld
There are concerns that the new daily limits on asylum seekers here at Austria's southern border will lead to backlogs of migrants in Slovenia.
But police here have told me they will close the border if more than 80 people claim asylum here in a day, or if more than 3,200 want to transit through to neighbouring countries.
However, they also say that since the establishment of the new border control centre at Spielfeld, those numbers have not yet been reached.
Austria's leaders fear that is just a matter of time, unless an EU-wide solution can be agreed. Many locals, concerned about the increasing number of new arrivals, agree.
Others say wealthy Austria is more than able to deal with the refugees. And they are concerned that the hard-won freedom of movement between Austria and Slovenia is being eroded.
Teaching migrants how to behave
Migrants feel chill of tighter borders
Europe's migrant crisis
Vienna says the daily limit is needed because the EU plan for Turkey to restrict the number of migrants leaving for Europe is not yet working.
Last year, 476,000 people applied for asylum in Germany, although the final figure is likely to be far higher. The highest number in the EU according to population size was in Sweden, where some 163,000 people sought asylum.
Sweden has now imposed border controls to reduce the influx and said on Thursday it was planning to house some asylum seekers on a cruise ship because of a lack of facilities.
The EU's migration commissioner, Dimitris Avramopoulos, has written to Austria's interior minister, saying the cap is plainly incompatible with Austria's obligations under EU and international law.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker criticised the Austrian move, remarking that "solo national approaches were not recommended".
'Dysfunctional'
On Thursday, about 900 migrants were rescued near the Greek island of Lesbos, the EU border agency Frontex said. More than 83,000 people have reached the Greek islands since the start of 2016, according to the UN.
The spokesman for the United Nations Refugee agency in Geneva, William Spindler, said he understood why countries were acting independently but that it would not solve the problem.
"We are very sympathetic to the situation of Austria but the fact is that the system in Europe at the moment is dysfunctional and as a result some countries have started to take unilateral decisions," he told Newsday on the BBC World Service.
"And this is not going to address the problems faced but only shift them to other countries because the responsibility for protecting refugees cannot be borne only by a few countries."
Turkey is home to nearly three million refugees, most of them from Syria.
Many of them pay smugglers thousands of dollars to make the crossing to Greece. They then head north, trying to reach Germany and Scandinavia.
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.
Migrant crisis: EU patrol ship saves 900 migrants off Greece
Video The German town living under border controls
Schengen explained
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Accounting, Tax, Finance
CPA Disruptors
CPABC Home
Leading the way in her profession and community – An interview with Kate Furber
BY Vince Kanasoot | April 04, 2019
A champion of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, Kate Furber, a chartered professional accountant and partner at PwC Canada, is widely acknowledged as a leader within BC’s business community. In recognition of her business acumen, leadership, and work with various not-for-profits, Kate was honoured with an Influential Women in Business award by Business in Vancouver and was named one of BC’s Most Influential Women in Finance by BCBusiness in 2019.
At PwC Canada, Kate leads the organization’s private company services practice in BC where she specializes in the consumer products, retail, and technology sectors. Throughout her career, she’s established herself as a trailblazer. When Kate was admitted to partnership at PwC in 2007, there was only one other female assurance partner in the Vancouver office. She later co-founded the Vancouver chapter of PwC’s Women in Leadership program, as part of her commitment to cultivating the company’s training, retention, and recruitment initiatives.
Originally from England, she was first introduced to the accounting profession when she interned at PwC’s Frankfurt office during her gap year after secondary school graduation. Upon completing her studies at Warwick University, Kate continued with PwC, working out of its offices in London, Harare, Washington D.C., and eventually, Vancouver, where she decided to put down roots and call home.
Active within the community, Kate is on the board of governors for York House School and served on the board of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice for six years, including terms as vice chair and treasurer. She also previously served on the boards for Zing Children’s Choir and BC Emerging Leaders Council.
IndustryUpdate.ca spoke to Kate about her challenges, leadership pursuits, and what she hopes to further achieve.
Throughout your career, what was the biggest challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?
“One of the biggest challenge I’ve faced over the past 20-plus years has been balancing the demands of raising a young family with pursuing a demanding career. At one point I considered taking an extended period off to raise the children, but my husband (he’s also a CPA) and I decided that we both wanted to pursue our careers as well as raise the kids - so that’s what we did, and we did it together.
Both of us faced similar challenges, and as a CPA working in a professional services firm, I felt fortunate that I was able to work a flexible schedule. Having a strong support network, open communication, and not stressing about trivial things, have been all been extremely important.”
Please share with us some memorable moments of being a co-founder of PwC Canada’s Women in Leadership (WiL) program in PwC’s Vancouver office.
“I’m working with a senior manager who has been through the WiL program. It’s remarkable to see the change in her ownership of her career, as well as her willingness to take on more business development and relationship-building activities. Under the WiL program, she was paired with one of our client service directors, and the cross learning has been exceptional.
As a mentor with WiL, I really enjoy sharing personal learnings, connecting participants with others who have relevant experience, discussing with participants why they think they lack certain skills, and building overall confidence.”
What would you like your legacy to be? In order words, when someone mentions the name Kate Furber 50 years from now, what would you like to be remembered for?
“As much as I love the accounting profession, I don’t really want to be remembered as ‘that great auditor.’ I would like to be remembered as someone that focused on building genuine, valuable relationships with people, contributing to the profession and the broader community, and ultimately using my influence to create opportunities for others to progress.”
As a mentor, Kate’s influence in creating opportunities for future female leaders at PwC has been impactful. Currently two out of every five partners with PwC Canada are female and the organization is on track to meet its gender equality goal for partnership admissions by 2020 - something that Kate has contributed to directly. She also continues her involvement with the organization’s HeForShe and Open Minds programs, raising awareness of unconscious biases, diversity, and inclusiveness in the workplace.
When asked about what she hopes to achieve in the future, Kate notes, “I’m keen to pursue my passion for strategy and governance and undertake more board work. I’d also like to continue to give back to the CPA profession. In my personal life, the list is long – but most importantly, I want to help raise happy and healthy children, live life to the fullest, and get my golf handicap under 10.”
Vince Kanasoot is a communications specialist with CPABC
To learn more about Kate and the other 2019 Influential Women in Business award recipients, visit the Business in Vancouver (BIV) website.
Kate will be participating in the panel discussion, “The Future of the Office” at CPABC’s Spring Pacific Summit on May 17. Along with two other C-suite CPAS, Kate will discuss how to build a work culture that transcends multiple generations, prepare for the future of work, and the changes that the next generation of CPAs can expect. Early bird pricing ends April 15 – register today to save $100.
< Prev Article
Leading progressive change in financial services: An interview with Mary Falconer
Mining: Revival of Northeast B.C.
Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating
Resource projects continue to propel Northwest B.C.’s economy
Workforce of the future: Investing in skills training is essential
Cariboo’s economy remained stable in 2018
Regional Check-Up 2019 from CPABC
Industry Update e-Magazine Archive
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Fowler's Concise Dictionary of Modern English Usage
3. Auflage 2016. eBook , eBook. 688 S. ePub
Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-106230-8
Das Werk ist Teil der Reihe: Oxford Quick Reference
Fowler's Concise Dictionary of Modern English Usage is an invaluable reference work that offers the best advice on English usage. Known in previous editions as the 'Pocket Fowler', this third edition is a descendant of the original 1926 edition of A Dictionary of Modern English Usage by Henry Fowler. Based on the unrivalled evidence and research of the Oxford Dictionaries Programme, the new edition answers your most frequently asked questions about language use. Should you use a split infinitive, or a preposition at the end of a sentence? Is it infer or imply? Who or whom? What are the main differences between British and American English? Over 4,000 entries offer clear recommendations on issues of grammar, pronunciation, spelling, confusable words, and written style. Real examples are drawn from OUP's vast database of classic and contemporary literary sources, newspapers and magazines, and the Internet. Jeremy Butterfield has judiciously revised the text to reflect the English usage practices and concerns of the 21st century. More than 200 new entries have been added, including increased coverage of recently emerged sensitive terms (e.g. disabled/handicapped). The existing entries have been thoroughly revised to update any out-of-date language and to ensure that the entries reflect current usage. This dictionary is an indispensable companion for anyone who wants to use the English language effectively.
eBook (ePub mit Adobe DRM)
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WINNER IN BALTIMORE CITY ELECTION CHAOS: DEMOCRATIC PARTY
No matter the outcome of the current electoral stalemate between State Senator Catherine Pugh and former Baltimore City Mayor Sheila Dixon, the Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee will be the winner.
Maryland Election Law provides an explicit bias against parties other than Republican or Democrat. Maryland Election Law invests electoral power in a Board of Elections populated exclusively by two parties. According to Section 2-201, that law establishes a Baltimore City Board of Elections comprising “Three regular members shall be of the majority party, and two regular members shall be of the principal minority party.”
It further indicates that the Governor shall appoint members to the Baltimore City Board of Elections based on a list provided by each of the Baltimore City Democratic Central Committee and Republican Central Committee. There is no provision allowing for voters identifying with minor parties or who chose to be unaffiliated.
Because of the registration dynamics currently existing in the City, this puts power in the hands of the Democratic Party establishment. Voters who are unaffiliated, or who chose to register with minor parties based on their conscience, are left to wonder who will represent their interests in November.
“This situation with the Democratic Primary doesn’t inspire confidence for how our candidates will be treated in November,” said Andy Ellis, Director of the Baltimore Green Party. “With all this power invested in a major party that can’t even manage the conduct of its own primary, what should we expect going forward?”
The Green Party of Baltimore conducted its primary election via mail-in ballot and with in-person balloting on May 1, 2016. In that canvass, Joshua Harris won the Green Party nomination for Baltimore City Mayor with 85% of the votes cast. No controversy ensued.
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Voters face no choice in 70% of Oxfordshire wards in local elections
Local elections: 70% of Oxfordshire wards uncontested
By Harrison Jones @OxMailHarrisonJ Reporter
OXFORDSHIRE is facing a ‘democratic deficit’ as 70 per cent of parish and town council wards are set to be uncontested in next month’s local elections.
Across the county, 160 wards will be uncontested, compared to 70 where there will be a battle.
Wards in four districts are up for election on Thursday, May 2.
Cherwell District is the only area in which more areas face a contest than not. There, 19 wards will be uncontested, compared with 32 facing a battle.
But in South Oxfordshire, there are 71 wards that are uncontested, with just 14 would-be councillors battling for their seats. It is a similar picture in the Vale of White Horse, where it is 54 to 13.
Christine Lalley, the County Officer for the Oxfordshire Association of Local Councils labelled it ‘disappointing’ that there are ‘so many uncontested parish council elections in Oxfordshire.’
She said: “Disenchantment with Westminster politics needs to be countered at grass roots, your community needs (people) on it’s parish council.”
But, encouraging people from different backgrounds to put themselves forward, she said the lack of contests could be a sign that people are happy with the way their communities are run.
Meanwhile, one district council seat, that of Eric Batts, is going uncontested too.
Suggesting that the local Liberal Democrats had a candidate ready, he said: “I understand that the opposition failed to put in a nomination paper. It is their loss and our gain.
“I don’t think it is such a big issue as the parish councils.”
Mr Batts, the incumbent Conservative for Kingston Bagpuize, and also Cabinet member for legal and democratic services in the Vale of White Horse, also suggested that the lack of parish contests represented a ‘democratic deficit’.
He added: “People don’t seem to want to put their names forward. A lot don’t know the importance of parish councils.”
Elsewhere, Oxford City Council is not holding local elections; West Oxfordshire has 16 wards uncontested and 11 contested.
West Oxfordshire spokesman Andrew Smith said: “We are responsible for conducting the election on behalf of the parish councils. (Recruitment) is not our role... (that) is down to councils and residents.”
Cherwell, South Oxfordshire and Vale Councils did not comment.
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Reading Comprehension Practice Set From The Hindu: Part 3
Published on Friday, April 07, 2017
Marcus Bartley hails from a family of renowned doctors in Yercaud. It was expected that Bartley too would enter that profession. But even in school, he knew what he wanted to do. His parents left him to make his own choices, and in 1940, Bartley headed to Bombay and got a job as a rookie photographer/reporter with a leading newspaper.
Starting young
In the small, closely-knit coterie of press photographers, he met Ellis R Dungan, Shantilal Shah (whom I married much later), BK Dilwali of Simla Studios, Carlo Marconi, and Homai Vyarawalla. Bartley did not have any formal training in photography, but he was willing to work hard and do the smallest of jobs. He observed, read, watched and absorbed. My husband would say that as a press photographer, you clicked on the run, and considered yourself lucky if you got four to five clear photographs from a roll of 36. With Bartley, it was almost always 36 out of 36.
In 1945, with the War over, Bartley returned to Madras and cranked his first film. When we caught up with him in 1956, this tall, welcoming man with bright blue eyes was head of the photography department of Vauhini Studios owned by B Nagi Reddy.
Much has been said of Bartley being a difficult person to get along with, because of his bad temper. The truth is that he was a perfectionist, and could not deal with an unprofessional attitude. He didn’t believe in hierarchies and treated everyone the same; it is possible he didn’t even know the names of the stars in his films. All that mattered to him was that they were punctual.
The lensman
He did not understand Hindi, spoke fractured Tamil and Telugu, but he made it a point to sit with the script writer and director, understanding the screenplay, so he could work on his lighting style. His specialty was special effects, particularly for mythological films. Bartley had hand-picked a team of light boys and assistants, who carried out his instructions, working in efficient silence. He rarely allowed anyone to handle his lenses. I have seen him holding on to them as though they were the Holy Grail. He was focussed and would work for nights before the actual shooting, lighting the set to make it perfect. He worked with glamorous film stars, but rarely socialised with them. He was teased for being one of the rare Anglo Indians who never danced.
Chemmeen and beyond
He was excited when Ramu Kariat signed him on for Chemmeen (Malayalam). There were endless problems with this film. After the famed Hrishikesh Mukherjee stepped in to re-edit the confused footage, the film was released in 1965, to unanimous acclaim by critics and audiences. Every aspect of the film was highly praised, in particular the photography by Bartley.
But there were also rumours that Bartley had walked out midway over money matters. No one who knew him would believe he would jeopardise a production over money. Creative differences or unprofessionalism perhaps, but money was the least important aspect of his profession. Sadly, some portions of the film had to be completed by another cameraman and that was enough to cost Bartley the National Award that year. Many years later, senior cameraman U Rajagopal told me that he was only called in to complete patchwork. Bartley finally received the Award in 1969/1970 for Shanti Nilayam.
Bartley was not in good health. He had long suffered with diabetes, refused to go to a doctor, treating himself instead. By 1988, he seemed to lose his driving interest. He was restless and lonely. He decided to give up cinematography, but had more work than he could cope with, repairing lenses.
Arriflex made him their authorised service person and Bartley would sit for hours, doing precision work alone, in silence. He had never had a large circle of friends as his scholarship and iconoclastic brilliance did not allow casual chat. His son Alan admitted him to a hospital but Nagi Reddy shifted Bartley to Vijaya Hospital where he was given personal attention. From the Studios to the Vijaya Hospital, it was as though the wheel had come full circle.
A few days later, as I was about to drive to the hospital, I received his son’s call that Bartley had passed away. The roads to his home were jammed for hours. Cars were abandoned and we walked. There were hundreds of weeping people, friends choked with grief, mounds of garlands. His peers, members of every association of the film industry were present. There are not many who remember him today. But his achievements as pioneer, visionary, genius, and guru live on. Rajiv Menon and Madhu Ambat call me on occasion and we speak of Marcus Bartley. He will never be forgotten.
(Source: The Hindu 5 April, 2017)
(1). According to passage, it was difficult to get along with Marcus Bartley because of his
(a) bad temper.
(b) rude behaviour.
(c) tough style of working in film industry.
(d) drug addiction.
(2). Consider the following statements regarding the film 'Chemmeen '
I. Bartley was very excited when Ramu Kariat signed him for Chemmeen.
II. Chemmeen was a Tamil film.
III. It was released in 1965.
Select the correct statements using the code given below.
(a) II and III only
(b) I and II only
(c) All are Correct
(d) I and III only
(3). Where did Marcus Bartley get his first job?
(a) Bollywood
(b) Acting School
(c) Newspaper
(d) Writer
(4). For which film Marcus Bartley got his first National Award 1969-1970?
(a) Chemmeen
(b) Shanti Nilayam
(c) Mayabazaar
(d) Vyarawalla
(5). Which of the following statements is incorrect about Marcus Bartley?
(a) He was fluent in Tamil and Telugu.
(b) He got his first film in Madras.
(c) He was an Anglo-Indian.
(d) He was a cinematographer.
(6). Choose the word/words which is Most Similar to the word printed in bold in the passage.
(a) Cup
(b) Beaker
(c) Sacred Vessel
(d) draught
(7). Choose the word which is Most Similar to the word printed in bold in the passage.
Unanimous
(a) Divided
(b) Universal
(c) Popular
(d) Cut
(8). Choose the word which is Most Opposite to the word printed in bold in the passage.
(a) Expert
(b) Colt
(c) Trainee
(d) Apprentice
Jeopardise
(a) Stake
(b) Risk
(c) Imperil
(d) Protect
(10). Choose the word which is Most Similar to the word printed in bold in the passage.
Iconoclastic
(a) Individualistic
(b) Agnostic
(c) Atheistic
(d) Unbelieving
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Yemen war: Air strikes on rebel prison in Sanaa ‘kill 30’
December 14, 2017 Editorial IV World Stage 0
At least 30 people are reported to have been killed in Saudi-led coalition air strikes on a rebel military police camp in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
Most of the dead were said to be detainees at a prison inside the camp.
A guard said an initial attack damaged one wing of the jail, prompting some inmates to try to escape. Then another strike almost demolished the building.
The coalition backs Yemen’s government in its war against the Houthi rebel movement.
More than 8,670 people have been killed and 49,960 injured since the coalition intervened in the conflict in 2015, according to the UN.
The fighting and a blockade by the coalition has also left 20.7 million people in need of humanitarian aid, created the world’s largest food security emergency, and led to a cholera outbreak that is thought to have killed 2,219 people since April.
The raid on the camp in eastern Sanaa began in the early hours of Tuesday.
One of the guards at the camp’s prison, Mohammed al-Aqel, told AFP news agency that it was hit at least five times, and that several buildings and a perimeter wall were heavily damaged.
An official told Reuters news agency that about 180 people were being detained at the jail, and that 35 bodies had so far been pulled from the rubble.
The Houthis’ Al-Masirah TV put the death toll at 30 and said all of those who died were prisoners.
There was no immediate comment from the coalition.
However, it has carried out a series of air strikes on Houthi positions in Sanaa since clashes erupted two weeks ago between Houthi fighters and supporters of their former ally, ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Saleh was killed in an attack outside Sanaa on 4 December, two days after he declared that he was breaking with the Houthis and that he was ready to “turn a new page” with the Saudi-led coalition if it stopped attacking Yemen.
The street fighting in Sanaa trapped civilians in their homes for days and left at least 234 people dead, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
On Sunday, security sources told AFP that coalition air strikes on a Houthi training camp in Hajja province, north-west of the capital, had killed 26 rebels.
security emergence
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NPL: Tornadoes on rampage to Yola
July 14, 2014 - Sports 0
Niger Tornadoes FC of Minna will resume their Nigeria Premier League promotion pursuit on Wednesday as they travel to Yola to confront Adamawa United FC of Yola in week 19 of Nigeria National League, (NNL). […]
Sarauniya pageant to promote Northern culture – Organisers
September 11, 2017 By AbdulRaheem Aodu Kaduna News 0
The Sarauniya Beauty Pageant 2017 is aimed at promoting Northern culture, fashion, beauty and brains and motherly etiquettes, while training the contestants to become good entrepreneurship, the organiser, Danhausawa Media Limited, has said. Chief Executive […]
Nigeria ‘ll be in trouble should Presidential Election end in stalemate – Kwara Speaker
April 30, 2018 Umar Bayo Abdulwahab. Ilorin Politics 0
In this interview, Speaker of the Kwara state House of Assembly, Dr Ali Ahmad, speaks on some issues of state and national interests. UMAR BAYO ABDULWAHAB brings excerpts: Election sequence reordering has generated mixed feelings […]
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New releases 5/21/19
The Upside (comedy/drama based on French film The Intouchables, Bryan Cranston. Rotten Tomatoes: 40%. Metacritic: 46. From Jeannette Catsoulis’ New York Times review: “What a difference a cast makes. If the director Neil Burger’s decision to have Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart play the leads in the odd-couple comedy ‘The Upside’ — a remake of the 2012 French film ‘The Intouchables’ — doesn’t erase the original’s sins, it blurs them just enough. As a result, this impolitic [some might say offensive] tale of Phillip [Cranston], a wealthy, white quadriplegic, and Dell [Hart], the black parolee who restores his will to live, is surprisingly winning. Some squinting will be required to block out the race and class stereotyping, as well as the puddles of sentiment scattered throughout the highly predictable plot. Yet Jon Hartmere’s script has genuinely funny moments and is blessedly short on crassness” Read more…)
Isn’t It Romantic (rom-com, Rebel Wilson. Rotten Tomatoes: 69%. Metacritic: 60. From Ben Kenigsberg’s New York Times review: “[Actress Rebel] Wilson, leaning on her comic persona to compensate for the script’s lack of wit or inventiveness, is a reliable deadpanner. Her one-liners — calling the alternate universe she’s trapped in ‘“The Matrix” for lonely women,’ for example — are funny enough to carry this featherweight movie as far as it can go, which isn’t far. The film’s reliance on conventions even as it snickers at them gives it the faint air of a con.” Read more…)
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (animated feature, Jay Baruchel [voice], Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh. Rotten Tomatoes: 91%. Metacritic: 71. From Ben Kenigsberg’s New York Times review: “‘How to Train Your Dragon’ may not be the most beloved of computer-animated franchises, but it is one of the most reliable. The latest installment, ‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,’ gives the now-trilogy a pleasing arc.” Read more…)
Let the Sunshine In (France, romance/drama dir. by Claire Denis, Juliette Binoche. Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh. Rotten Tomatoes: 87%. Metacritic: 79. From A.O. Scott’s New York Times review: “[Director Claire] Denis, consistently the most interesting French filmmaker of the 21st century [see ‘Beau Travail,’ ‘White Material’ and ’35 Shots of Rum,’ among others], focuses her attention on a subject that could easily have been rendered sad, sensational or sentimental. The sexuality of middle-aged women, when it comes up at all in Hollywood, tends to be treated with either pity or condescending encouragement. As played by Juliette Binoche, Isabelle is defiantly immune to both of those, and even, at times, to the audience’s sympathy.” Read more…)
Sorry Angel (France, drama/romance/gay, Pierre Deladonchamps Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh. Rotten Tomatoes: 80%. Metacritic: 73. A New York Times Critic’s Pick. From Glenn Kenny’s Times review: “It took a while for this digressive movie to get its hooks in me, but once it did, ‘Sorry Angel’ didn’t let go. A big part of it is Jacques, who in [actor Pierre] Deladonchamps’s hands is one of the most layered film characters I’ve experienced in some time. Egotistic, mercurial, erudite, recklessly affectionate, careless, vindictive, impulsive, he can turn from exasperating to heartbreaking in seconds flat.” Read more…)
The Image Book (France, film essay by Jean-Luc Godard, Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh. Rotten Tomatoes: 88%. Metacritic: 76. A New York Times Critic’s Pick. From A.O. Scott’s Times review: “This moment feels right for ‘The Image Book,’ composed [like much other late Godard] of video clips counterpointed with literary texts and classical music, all of it partitioned into numbered, cryptically titled chapters. I found it haunting, thrilling and confounding in equal measure. It is a work of ecstatic despair, an argument for the futility of human effort that almost refutes itself through the application of a grumpy and tenacious artistic will.” Read more…)
Trouble Every Day (France, 2001, drama/horror dir. by Claire Denis, Vincent Gallo. Rotten Tomatoes: 50%. Metacritic: 40. From Stephen Holden’s 2002 New York Times review [requires log-in]: “To describe the sex scenes in Claire Denis’s erotic horror film ‘Trouble Every Day’ as indelible isn’t to say they are the least bit inviting or easy to watch. This daring, intermittently beautiful failure of a movie, by the director who emerged with ‘Beau Travail’ as one of France’s greatest filmmakers, explores with gruesome explicitness the metaphor of sex as cannibalism. The squeamish are strongly advised to avoid the film, which created a minor scandal when it was shown last spring at the Cannes Film Festival.” Read more…)
The Weissensee Saga: Season 3 (Germany, historical drama in 1980s East Germany, Uwe Kockisch)
Above and Beyond (1952, Enola Gay pilot war drama, Robert Taylor. From Bosley Crowther’s 1953 New York Times review [requires log-in]: “Having already dramatized the story of the development of the atomic bomb and its fateful delivery on Hiroshima in ‘The Beginning or the End,’ Metro is now concentrating on a personal aspect of that history in ‘Above and Beyond,’ a fervent romance that arrived at the Mayfair yesterday. This is the documented story of Col. Paul W. Tibbets Jr., then man the Air Forces carefully selected to organize the first atomic bomb crew and lead that first strike against Hiroshima, which he courageously did. For the purpose of strong dramatic interest, Metro has taken the tale of Colonel Tibbets’ historic adventure and built it up as a poignant account of the physical and mental burdens imposed upon the man. Above and beyond the pressures of the military responsibilities involved, including those of maintaining the strictest secrecy, the studio has put particular emphasis upon the grave domestic tensions that occurred—or are said to have occurred—when the colonel had to conceal his assignment from his wife.” Read more…)
American Anthem (1986, sports drama, Mitch Gaylord. Rotten Tomatoes: 0%. From Walter Goodman’s 1986 New York Times review [requires log-in]: “‘American Anthem,’ which opens today at the Ziegfeld and other theaters, is a disco sound-and-light show about gymnastics. The nonstop sound goes from heavenly choruses to demonic rock but never manages to drown out the dialogue; the hyped-up lighting invests people with halos, and the colors must have been compounded by a punk hairdresser.” Read more…)
No Holds Barred (1989, sports/action, Hulk Hogan. Rotten Tomatoes: 11%. From Stephen Holden’s 1989 New York Times review [requires log-in]: ”The fact that nothing about Mr. Hogan really adds up no doubt helps account for his popularity. His sober speaking voice outside of the ring does not match his wild roars when doing battle. The amused gleam in his eye hints at a canny intelligence behind the sinew and sweat. And his exaggeratedly stagy bouts make only a token attempt to look real. More than Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mr. Hogan behaves like a self-invented comic-book character sprung to life. ‘No Holds Barred,’ which opened yesterday at the Criterion 1 and other local theaters, is as cartoonish as its star.” Read more…)
Robbery (1967, gangster/crime, Stanley Baker. From Roger Ebert’s 1968 review: “’Robbery,’ an unheralded British film about the Great Train Robbery of 1963, has crept into neighborhood theaters under cover of night. It works, it’s good. It doesn’t get sidetracked by a lot of cute dialog and psychoanalysis, like ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ [1968]. We don’t need to be told why a man would rob a bank; we just want to know how he gets away with it, right? John Dillinger was not a folk hero in vain.” Read more…)
Les Misérables (Victor Hugo mini-series, Dominic West. Rotten Tomatoes: 96%. Metacritic: 79. From Roslyn Sulcas’ New York Times preview: “There is not much that’s looking up for any character in Victor Hugo’s epic 1862 novel ‘Les Misérables,’ which has provided the subject matter for dozens of theater, television and film adaptations, most famously the blockbuster musical that zillions of fans affectionately call ‘Les Miz.’ But this six-part television adaptation, which first aired in Britain from December to February and arrives on Masterpiece on Sunday, might come as a surprise to those who only know the musical. This version hews much more closely to Hugo’s book, a five-volume, 365-chapter novel that over the course of its complex plot explores history, law, politics, religion and ideas about justice, guilt and redemption.” Read more…)
Chef Flynn (coming-of-age, food, culinary culture. Rotten Tomatoes: 73%. Metacritic: 63. From Glenn Kenny’s New York Times review: “Before his teenage years, Flynn McGarry contrived a fully functional kitchen in his bedroom. Nurtured by parents who were professionals in creative fields, he enlisted his school pals to “staff” his increasingly elaborate meals, made in a style heavily influenced by the elegant minimalism of restaurants like New York’s Eleven Madison Park… ‘Chef Flynn’ is an engaging documentary about McGarry’s boy-to-man journey, which concludes as he prepares to open his own restaurant in Manhattan. [Our restaurant critic, Pete Wells, awarded his place, Gem, two stars over the summer, citing some reservations about the service.]” Read more…)
Filed Under: New Releases Tagged With: 5/21/19, Above and Beyond, American Anthem, Chef Flynn, How To Train Your Dragon: The World, Isn't It Romantic, Les Miserables, Let the Sunshine In, New Releases, No Holds Barred, Robbery, Sorry Angel, The Image Book, The Upside, The Weissensee Saga: Season 3, Trouble Every Day
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The secret to a long life? Race the Tour de France
New study finds pro racers live 17 percent longer than average
By John Whitney
While it’s long been accepted that moderate exercise is the key to living a long, healthy life, there’s still debate over the long-terms effects of more strenuous activities and the strains of competing at a professional level.
So, a new study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine makes interesting reading. Researchers looked at a group of athletes who are put through the physiological wringer for three weeks every July – Tour de France riders – and found that the average age they lived too was significantly higher (17 percent) than that of the general population.
The study’s authors examined the longevity of 834 cyclists from France, Italy and Belgium who rode the Tour between 1930 and 1964, and found that the average age at which they died was 81.5, compared to 73.5 for the general population. So, does that mean you can exercise without the fear that pushing your body to its limits may have a negative effect on your immediate or long-term health? Not necessarily.
The study doesn’t reveal why the pro cyclists lived so long. A longer lifespan might be because of the training itself or the result of the lifestyle choices (good diet, no alcohol) these athletes made in getting them to the top of their sport. And what of the effect of intense exercise on those not used to it? It’s a complex issue, but it’s comforting to know that while it may hurt at the time, pushing yourself to your limits may not be as harmful as it’s sometimes been suggested.
John Whitney
Flecha: The driver didn’t even stop (video)
Pro bike: David Zabriskie’s Cervélo S3
Health: The truth about ice baths
What to eat to boost your immune system
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Queen Honors Led Zeppelin's Page
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page has been honored by Queen Elizabeth II -- but the award was for his work with poor Brazilian children rather than his music.
The 61-year-old rocker went to Buckingham Palace today (Dec. 14) to receive an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, from the queen.
Page said he was overwhelmed to be given the accolade, recalling how he first became involved with Brazilian children in 1994 when fighting broke out among street gangs while he was in Rio de Janeiro promoting an album.
"At that time in Rio the sun wasn't shining. The army was going into the favelas (shantytowns) and I heard about the plight of the street children," he told reporters.
Page joined forces with British charity Task Brazil and set up a safe house, which has supported more than 300 children. Task Brazil offers medical and psychological support, food, clothing and job training.
"I think when you're faced with a plight that's inescapable, and there's something you can do about it, you hope you can make a difference," Page said.
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Work Alone: Ernest Hemingway’s 1954 Nobel Acceptance Speech
Elie Wiesel’s Timely Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech on Human Rights and Our Shared Duty in Ending Injustice
Saul Bellow’s Spectacular Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech on How Art and Literature Ennoble the Human Spirit
The Artist as a Booster of the Human Heart: William Faulkner’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech
“The poet’s, the writer’s, duty is … to help man endure by lifting his heart.”
Despite its dark history, the Nobel Prize endures as one of our civilizations’ highest seals of merit — so much so that the Nobel Prize acceptance speech has become an art unto itself. Among history’s finest are Ernest Hemingway’s brilliantly laconic meditation on the value of working alone, Seamus Heaney’s reflection on the essence and politics of poetry, and Alice Munro’s insightful recent interview-in-lieu-of-speech on writing, gender, and the rewards of storytelling. But one of the best comes from William Faulkner (September 25, 1897–July 6, 1962), who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1949, exactly twenty years after he wrote The Sound and the Fury, and delivered his acceptance speech at Stockholm’s City Hall on December 10, 1950.
Despite the poor sound quality of this archival recording, it is a pinnacle of articulate thought and literary conviction at once timeless and remarkably timely in the context of our day. The transcript, found in the ceaselessly inspiring Nobel Lectures: Literature 1901–1967 (public library), follows.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I feel that this award was not made to me as a man, but to my work – a life’s work in the agony and sweat of the human spirit, not for glory and least of all for profit, but to create out of the materials of the human spirit something which did not exist before. So this award is only mine in trust. It will not be difficult to find a dedication for the money part of it commensurate with the purpose and significance of its origin. But I would like to do the same with the acclaim too, by using this moment as a pinnacle from which I might be listened to by the young men and women already dedicated to the same anguish and travail, among whom is already that one who will some day stand here where I am standing.
Writing at the height of the Atomic Age — the threats and dystopian projections of which precipitated The Age of Anxiety, a cultural phenomenon alive and well today — Faulkner reflects on how creatively toxic it is to write from a place of fear rather than a place of hope for the human heart:
Our tragedy today is a general and universal physical fear so long sustained by now that we can even bear it. There are no longer problems of the spirit. There is only the question: When will I be blown up? Because of this, the young man or woman writing today has forgotten the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself which alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and the sweat.
He must learn them again. He must teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid; and, teaching himself that, forget it forever, leaving no room in his workshop for anything but the old verities and truths of the heart, the old universal truths lacking which any story is ephemeral and doomed – love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice. Until he does so, he labors under a curse. He writes not of love but of lust, of defeats in which nobody loses anything of value, of victories without hope and, worst of all, without pity or compassion. His griefs grieve on no universal bones, leaving no scars. He writes not of the heart but of the glands.
Until he relearns these things, he will write as though he stood among and watched the end of man. I decline to accept the end of man. It is easy enough to say that man is immortal simply because he will endure: that when the last dingdong of doom has clanged and faded from the last worthless rock hanging tideless in the last red and dying evening, that even then there will still be one more sound: that of his puny inexhaustible voice, still talking.
In a sentiment that E.B. White would come to echo two decades later in his famous meditation on the role and responsibility of the writer, Faulkner
I refuse to accept this. I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. The poet’s, the writer’s, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poet’s voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail.
Complement with Faulkner on writing, the purpose of art, and the meaning of life, his little-known Jazz Age drawings, and the strange story of his only children’s book.
For more notable insight on the written word, see this perpetually growing catalog of famous writers’ wisdom on writing.
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/10/william-faulkner-nobel-prize-acceptance-speech/
culturehistorypsychologyWilliam Faulknerwriting
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The Association between Performance Monitoring, Anterior Cingulate Volume and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Early Development
July 24, 2018 by Kasey Hemington
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been associated with heightened performance monitoring. Although monitoring one's performance on tasks can be beneficial, too much performance monitoring may affect daily function. The anterior cingulate cortex is a brain region known to be involved in performance monitoring. It is unknown whether elevated performance monitoring in early childhood predicts later development of OCD, and whether this is associated with structural changes in anterior cingulate cortex. Identifying early markers of OCD has important implications for public health. This week in JAMA Psychiatry Gilbert and colleagues investigate the association between performance monitoring, OCD risk and anterior cingulate volume in a longitudinal cohort of preschool-aged children.
292 preschool-aged children who were part of a longitudinal depression study completed an observational task where they received negative evaluation (i.e. performance based). The child’s performance monitoring behavior was rated by blinded observers. Performance monitoring was scored as the average of a number of measures representative of performance monitoring, including frustration, deliberateness and care while drawing circles and observed self-criticism and intensity. The participants were then followed up annually for 12 years with clinical assessments and received 1-3 MRI scans throughout the follow-up. 133 completed the final behavioral follow-up and 152 completed MRI scans. The development of OCD was recorded over the 12-year period (using the DSM-V criteria). The authors used logistic regression to test whether performance monitoring was associated with increased risk of OCD. They also measured anterior cingulate cortex volume using MRI and used multi-level modeling (this method can model changes over time) to test whether performance monitoring was associated with anterior cingulate volume over time.
35 children in total developed OCD over the course of the follow-up. High performance monitoring of pre-school aged children (at initial assessment) was associated with a greater risk (2 times higher) of developing OCD later on after controlling for medication, clinical and demographic variables. This association was specific to OCD, meaning there was no association with performance monitoring and the development of other psychiatric disorders. High performance monitoring at baseline was also associated with reduced right dorsal anterior cingulate volume over time. Baseline anxiety was also associated with reduced right anterior cingulate volume. A follow-up exploratory analysis showed that high performance monitoring was also associated with larger left thalamus volume.
This is the first study to demonstrate that performance monitoring in preschool-aged children is associated with later development of OCD. Further, heightened performance monitoring is also associated with reductions in anterior cingulate volume as children age. This study could help in the identification of children at high risk of developing OCD and furthers our understanding of the brain mechanisms involved.
Gilbert et al. Associations of Observed Performance Monitoring During Preschool With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Anterior Cingulate Cortex Volume Over 12 Years. JAMA Psychiatry 2018. Access the original scientific publication here.
July 24, 2018 /Kasey Hemington
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Dirty Money: How to Break the Link Between Organized Crime and Politics
Kevin Casas-Zamora Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Politics has long been a magnet for drug money in Latin America. In the 1970s, Costa Rican politicians were accused of accepting contributions from the late Robert Vesco, a U.S. financier who settled in Costa Rica after fleeing prosecution at home. Vesco, some of whose money purportedly came from heroin smuggling, was a major backer of the winning party’s 1974 election campaign, according to former Costa Rican President José Figueres.
At the time, campaign finance activities were not regulated by Costa Rican law. Even in Vesco’s wake, they would remain unregulated for a long time—which, unsurprisingly, led to a new scandal a decade later, when the main parties in Costa Rica were found to have accepted contributions from a number of donors linked to the drug trade. One important donor was General Manuel A. Noriega, then neighboring Panama’s leader, whose involvement in drug trafficking would lead to his ouster from power by a U.S. military intervention in 1989.
By then the Costa Rican experience was hardly exceptional. The campaigns of Bolivian President Jaime Paz Zamora in the 1980s were tainted by accusations of links to drug traffickers, as was the 1994 campaign of Panama’s President Ernesto Pérez Balladares.
Read the full article at americasquarterly.org »
Financing the 2016 Election
Edited by David B. Magleby
Primary Politics
By Elaine C. Kamarck
Inside Congress
By Trevor Corning, Reema Dodin, and Kyle Nevins
Kevin Casas-Zamora
Director, Programa Estado de Derecho, Diálogo Interamericano
Crime & Criminal Justice
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Nebraska's only private, preschool through grade 12, independent, coeducational day school.
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Brownell Talbot is a safe, caring community dedicated to academic excellence and to preparing students for success in college and in life. Through experiences in academics, activities, and the arts, students learn passionately, think critically, act responsibly, and lead with integrity.
We value integrity, self-discipline, and each person's inherent dignity. Our community challenges each student to endlessly strive to reach his or her potential through exploration, understanding, and development of the creative, intellectual, physical, spiritual, and social self. Through an appreciation of the United States and its role in the global community, students will become responsible leaders and stewards of their community, country, and world.
By offering a comprehensive, challenging education backed by a thoughtful approach, we will:
Foster self-awareness and achievement consistent with each student's abilities, interests, and talents.
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Brownell Talbot is accredited through ISACS (Independent Schools Association of the Central States) and AdvancED.
AdvancED was created through a 2006 merger of the Pre-K-12 divisions of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI)—and expanded through the addition of the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) in 2012.
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Home / football news / latest news / I’ve told Chelsea of my decision – Hazard Finally Opens Up On Future At Stamford Bridge
I’ve told Chelsea of my decision – Hazard Finally Opens Up On Future At Stamford Bridge
by Damzkid David on May 13, 2019 in football news, latest news
Chelsea ace, Eden Hazard, has disclosed that he has made his decision concerning his future at Stamford Bridge.
The 28-year-old also said that he has told Chelsea of his decision about his future at the club, adding that he would not make it public until after the Blues’ UEFA Europa League final against Arsenal on May 29 in Baku.
Hazard has drawn interest from Real Madrid for a number of years and returning manager, Zinedine Zidane, is a huge admirer.
GLTrends had reported that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, is ready to lose Hazard to Real Madrid this summer.
Speaking to reporters after Chelsea’s 0-0 draw with Leicester City on Sunday in the Premier League, Hazard was quoted by Reuters as saying: “I have made my decision but it is not just about me. I told the club a couple of weeks ago.
“But it is not just about me. We have a final to play and then I will see.
“I wanted that but that’s not happened. I’m still waiting like you are waiting and like the fans are waiting.
“When you’re on the pitch, you try to be focused on the pitch with the ball. I just try to do the best. I’m not thinking about… my situation or the club’s situation, I just try to win games.”
Hazard has developed into one of the finest players in Europe since he joined the Blues from Lille in 2012.
The Belgium captain has gone on to win two Premier League titles: the Europa League and the FA Cup with the West London club.
Tags # football news # latest news
By Damzkid David on May 13, 2019
Labels: football news, latest news
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Charlene Hope Bell, 33, was previously charged with eight counts of stealing as well as, beaching bail, burglary, trespassing, driving without authority, and stealing (breaching a suspended sentence imposed on July 1, 2017). The Bunbury Magistrates Court had heard, between October 22 and November 6, 2017, Bell and her partner went to a house in Bunbury and used a key left in the meter box to enter the residence. The pair looked through the home but left without taking anything. She was given bail on September 28, before failing to attend court on October 19 last year. Bell was later given an 18 month and one day term of imprisonment – ordered to commence on November 15, 2017 – and a $4000 fine. She then appealed the sentences for the burglary, trespass and breach of bail offences. The time within which to bring forward the appeal was extended, before the sentence imposed on the burglary offence was set aside. The appeal focused on whether the sentencing magistrate had failed to take Bell’s pleas of guilty into account, whether there was a substantial miscarriage of justice, and whether the sentence of imprisonment imposed for burglary resided in the least serious category of cases. In the Supreme Court of Western Australia on June 7, it was found the stealing charge had fallen into the least serious category for this type of offence, and that Bell’s sentence was one half of the maximum penalty (two years). It was also found that the sentence handed down for the stealing charge could not be backdated. It was agreed that Bell had pleaded guilty to burglary at the earliest opportunity and that the head sentence should be reduced by 25 per cent. The incident was deemed a significant miscarriage of justice, and the appeal was granted. Due to the changes, the sentence for the burglary charge was further reduced by one month. The sentences for the breach of bail and trespass charges were also amended. Read more:
https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/JFPUUEGFiYPyEmH4vMPP9u/00442ab7-6843-43e1-b55c-52e2fb1e4c03.jpg/r1_0_1196_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
August 9 2018 - 8:36AM
Charlene Hope Bell's sentence changed following appeal in Supreme Court of Western Australia
Charlene Hope Bell, 33, was previously charged with eight counts of stealing as well as, beaching bail, burglary, trespassing, driving without authority, and stealing (breaching a suspended sentence imposed on July 1, 2017).
The Bunbury Magistrates Court had heard, between October 22 and November 6, 2017, Bell and her partner went to a house in Bunbury and used a key left in the meter box to enter the residence.
The pair looked through the home but left without taking anything.
She was given bail on September 28, before failing to attend court on October 19 last year.
Bell was later given an 18 month and one day term of imprisonment – ordered to commence on November 15, 2017 – and a $4000 fine.
She then appealed the sentences for the burglary, trespass and breach of bail offences.
The time within which to bring forward the appeal was extended, before the sentence imposed on the burglary offence was set aside.
The appeal focused on whether the sentencing magistrate had failed to take Bell’s pleas of guilty into account, whether there was a substantial miscarriage of justice, and whether the sentence of imprisonment imposed for burglary resided in the least serious category of cases.
In the Supreme Court of Western Australia on June 7, it was found the stealing charge had fallen into the least serious category for this type of offence, and that Bell’s sentence was one half of the maximum penalty (two years).
It was also found that the sentence handed down for the stealing charge could not be backdated.
It was agreed that Bell had pleaded guilty to burglary at the earliest opportunity and that the head sentence should be reduced by 25 per cent.
The incident was deemed a significant miscarriage of justice, and the appeal was granted.
Due to the changes, the sentence for the burglary charge was further reduced by one month.
The sentences for the breach of bail and trespass charges were also amended.
Janet Mary Harwig, 63, has permanent licence disqualification, handed down in Bunbury Magistrates Court last year, overturned
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Sutton Coldfield firm Cubewano forced to sell patents to foreign firms
Cubewano, based in Sutton Coldfield, which has 11 patents for its engine and military generators, has been forced to sell valuable designs to foreign firms because it can’t access enough support in the UK.
A lack of support from the Ministry of Defence has seen a manufacturer forced to cut its workforce from 36 to just six because it can’t get its products to market.
It has seen its workforce depleted in just nine months as a result.
Founder Craig Fletcher said there was a danger of intellectual property (IP) developed in the UK being sold to foreign-owned defence conglomerates.
While there are grants available from the MoD to carry out research and development and secure further patents, there is no support to take the designs to production stage.
He has now met Sutton Coldfield MP and Cabinet Minister Andrew Mitchell to ask him to lobby the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology – Peter Luff, MP for Mid-Worcestershire – to provide more backing to firms looking to supply the MoD.
Mr Fletcher said he was seeking an order from the MoD or a foreign military to get the firm’s Hornet generator range from prototype to production and warned the difficulty for defence suppliers to get products to market meant the UK has to buy back finished products at an inflated price.
Mr Fletcher said: “Our company is at a crossroads. Tooling to bring Hornet into production will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, so we now need to decide how we fund this.
“We must now look to one of the larger players in the defence industry to either partner with or sell our IP completely so they can invest in productionisation and provide a procurement pipeline into the military.
“We have already had interest from major defence players in the USA and India who want to acquire our patents wholesale. However. this would come at an unfortunate production and intellectual cost to both the region and the UK.
"Perversely, once the product is in production we know it will be demanded by our own armed forces.
“However they will in all likelihood be purchasing a product manufactured abroad with profit on British-developed IP passing to a foreign defence behemoth rather than an innovative hi-tech innovator right here in the Midlands.
“The Government must do more to support companies like us so we are not put in the position of having to sell IP abroad in order to secure a route to market for our innovations – especially in regulated markets such as products designed for the military.”
Last year, Cubewano completed a multi-million dollar contract supplying its engines to the US Army, and has since then adapted its core technology to create a new portable generator which can be carried into theatre by a soldier.
Its engines are also used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, which has seen an increase in demand.
Mr Mitchell, who is Minister for International Development and sits on the National Security Council, pledged to take Cubewano’s message to Mr Luff.
Mr Mitchell said: “I’m very proud to have Cubewano on my patch. This is British inventing at its best. The company needs a venture capitalist, but they will want to take equity. There is a market solution for this in Britain.
“This business is pregnant with opportunity for the right venture capitalist to work together to take it forward. We would expect the markets now to come in and make it happen.”
Mr Fletcher added: “A lot of the venture capitalist interest in my technology is not in England – it is outside the UK.
“Our engines are too expensive for mid-level UAV players. In order to get to others they need to see our orders.
“There are about 10 very active companies that we are working with, only about one from the US.
“The Government needs a bit more awareness. There are competitions run by the Technology Strategy Board for grants and grants from the regional development authorities.
“At the moment we are on our own and we are out on a limb.”
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Flo Rida Breaks Own Record For Most Single-Week Digital Sales
The artist behind the most downloaded song of 2008 (“Low”), Warner Music’s Flo Rida has broken his own record for the most digital sales in a single week.
Flo previously sold 467,000 copies of “Low” in the week after Christmas in 2007.
This week, he moved 636,000 copies of his new single “Right Round,” also breaking 50 Cent, Eminem and Dr. Dre’s record for the biggest first-week digital sales, which they just set last week. Sorry, guys.
Someday anthropologists will analyse the world in which this song holds the record for most single-week digital sales, when they examine the whole Paul Blart phenomenon.
50 cent charts digital music music online thewire-us universal music group
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Science›
Bill Gates says there are 5 'grand challenges' to stopping an apocalyptic future of floods, hurricanes, and drought
Aria BendixOct 18, 2018, 19:24 IST
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, speaks at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum in New York City, U.S., September 20, 2017.REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Renewable energy sources aren't enough to eliminate the harmful effects of climate change, Bill Gates wrotein a recent blog post.
To prevent climate-related disasters such as floods, drought, and extreme temperatures, the world must focus on five "grand challenges," Gates said.
While electricity is the largest single source of global emissions, sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and buildings also pose a threat to environmental safety.
Bill Gates has a message for those worried about climate-related disasters like hurricanes, droughts, flooding, and extreme temperatures: No solution works on its own.
In a recent blog post, Gates refuted the idea that renewable energy sources like solar panels and wind turbines hold the key to saving our planet.
"To stop the planet from getting substantially warmer," he wrote, "we need breakthroughs in how we make things, grow food, and move people and goods - not just how we power our homes and cars."
That's a lofty goal - especially in light of a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which found that the effects of climate change could reach catastrophic levels in just two decades.
To get ahead of the problem, Gates said, the world must focus on five "grand challenges" to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which linked to rising global temperatures. These challenges have also been identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as the main sources of global emissions.
View As: One Page Slides
Electricity is the largest single source of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, producing about a quarter of the global total. But 75% of greenhouse gas emissions hail from other sources.
With global carbon emissions having increased by around 90% since 1970, the world cannot place its confidence in renewable sources alone.
Between farming and deforestation, agriculture is responsible for around 24% of greenhouse gas emissions.
The main offender from this category is cattle, which produce more carbon dioxide emissions than most single countries, save for China and the United States.
But other elements of farming that can be dangerous as well. The use of nitrogen fertilizer, for instance, releases nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that's 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. In October, Gates and a cohort of billionaires invested millions in a genetically modified bacteria that could mitigate this problem.
The manufacturing industry is close behind in terms of emissions, producing around 21% of the global total.
When fossil fuels are burned to create things like steel or cement, they release harmful levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In recent years, scientists have also discovered that plastics release greenhouse gases as they break down in the ocean.
"Look at the plastic, steel, and cement around you," Gates wrote. "All of it contributed to climate change."
The fourth challenge, transportation, contributes another 14% to global emissions.
While plenty of attention has been given to low-emission cars, burning fossil fuels for other forms of transportation such as airplanes, trucks, and cargo ships has even more damaging effects.
The shipping industry alone produces about as much greenhouse gas as Germany and Britain, and is expected to account for 17% of all emissions by 2050.
While buildings represent just 6% of global emissions, this number is likely to skyrocket as more people move to cities and demand additional building stock.
Within buildings, everyday fixtures such as heaters and lights soak up significant amounts of energy, while appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners release a potent form of greenhouse gas known as HFCs. To tackle these challenges, Gates recommends installing more energy-efficient windows and insulation systems.
Though small on their own, these elements represent a powerful collective threat to environmental safety.
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1Bill Gates says there are 5 'grand challenges' to stopping an apocalyptic future of floods, hurricanes, and drought
2A scientist who's flown into 18 big storms says Hurricane Michael had the craziest turbulence - but those bumpy rides could help forecasters unravel a mystery
3SodaStream built a 1000-foot-long contraption called the 'Holy Turtle' to collect plastic from the ocean
4What happens to fish and other sea creatures underwater during a hurricane
5The world has its first fully organic state - and it’s in India
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3 Dumb Gay Marriage Jokes That You'll Never Have To Hear Again Now (Hopefully)
By Gabrielle Moss
Friday's news that the Supreme Court has ruled gay marriage a constitutional right in all 50 states, making all marriages legal in all 50 states and declaring that all Americans have a constitutional right to get married, is truly wonderful news. It also probably has your uncle/neighbor/family friend/coworker who thinks of themselves as "the funny one" started making gay marriage jokes. "Hey, why not let them do it?" your decidely non-hilarious acquaintance said, chuckling to themselves with pleasure. "Then gay people can be as unhappy as the rest of us!" You nodded with a tight-lipped smile, and went back to working/planning your same-sex marriage/whatever else you have to do that is better than listening to corny gay marriage jokes (which is basically anything).
In the intervening decade and a half, the marriage equality movement has grown by leaps and bounds — but the "harmless" jokes about same-sex marriage have stayed pretty much the same. An animal apart from purposely hurtful homophobic jokes and comments, these bad jokes about same-sex marriage generally front as progressive, and are often told by people who support same-sex marriage. But they still tend to hinge on the idea that same-sex marriage is somehow ridiculous, bizarre, or "different" than opposite-sex marriage. They also rely on the notion that gay people are "others," that there's something just a little bit hilarious about not engaging in standard heterosexual gender norms, and, oh yeah, that marriage is terrible.
This isn't to say that there's no room in the world for jokes about gay marriage — there's room in this world for funny jokes about everything. But these jokes are hack-ish cliches, and with today's Supreme Court verdict in favor of same-sex marriage, we hope the three same-sex marriage jokes below will finally be sent to Crappy Gay Joke Hell, or at least Crappy Gay Joke Purgatory.
'Joke' #1: Marriage Sucks, And Gay People Are Fools For Wanting It
Example: “It is a great day, of course, for supporters of gay marriage. Congratulations to same-sex couples. You can now be as miserable as everybody else.” — Craig Ferguson
"God doesn't hate gay people; he's just upset because they found a loophole in the system." — Daniel Tosh
The Subtext: Hey, we straight people have to get married! It's part of our deal with the Straight People Union, even though we all totally loathe each other. But you gay people had a loophole! Presumably, you used to spend all your time at cool art galleries or raves or smearing sun tan lotion on Cara Delevingne's back while spending the weekend at Rachel Maddow's country house. Now, instead of doing all that cool stuff, you have to live in a traditional domestic arrangement, which you definitely weren't doing before. Good luck with that one, chumps!The Problem: This genre of joke, which fits into the long line of "marriage is hell" gags, runs on the idea that unmarried gay people don't already live in committed domestic situations, don't have close personal partnerships that basically look the same as any straight person's.
This joke genre also overlooks the tremendous amount of cultural and legal privilege that comes along with legal marriage because, hey, sometimes your spouse gets mad at you! Why would you want to deal with that, just for the right to health insurance and inheritance and access to your partner if they're in the hospital?
It also makes every kind of non-marriage partnership invisible in the process. Good riddance to this one (especially since Tosh's joke is, predictably, part of a longer one about how much women suck).
Joke #2: Good Thing Gay Marriage Is Legal, Because I Think [Someone] Is Secretly Gay
Example: “Same-sex married couples are now entitled to the same benefits as other married couples. That’s great news for the Lone Ranger and Tonto. Batman and Robin. Abercrombie and Fitch. Ben and Jerry. Me and Paul.” — David Letterman"Today President Obama came out in favor of same-sex marriage. He said he hoped his support would make it easier for gay people to get married and for John Travolta to get a massage." –Conan O'BrienThe Subtext: Huh-huh-huh, you are/I am totally gay, huh-huh-huh.The Problem: In this joke, someone is gay, and that's hilarious, because ... being gay is inherently snicker-wrothy. You know, because it's, like, different than being straight and stuff? Like, imagine if I were gay (even though I'm not). I'd have to, like, have sex with a person of my same gender (I totally would hate that, dude)! Like, get it? I'll be glad to see this one buried in the same pit of toxic masculinity where we've exiled "Big Johnson" t-shirts and all the members of Limp Bizkit. I would like to then drive over the pit in Charlize Theron's truck from Mad Max: Fury Road.
'Joke' #3: Gay Marriage Is Annoying And An Inconvenience For Me
Example: "Gay marriage — I am so against it because all my gay friends are out. And if they get married, it will cost me a fortune in gifts." — Joan RiversThe Subtext: Gay people are high maintenance!The Problem: There is a thread in gay marriage jokes that implies that gay marriages will probably be more ostentatious than straight marriages — that a wedding between gay men will be ultra-flamboyant, or that a wedding between two women will contain double bridezillas — and thus, be a hassle to deal with.
If you've genuinely laughed at any jokes in this vein, make no mistake: almost all weddings are a hassle to deal with for the guests, OK? Especially if you register for a bunch of weird melon-peeling devices from Crate & Barrel (we know you are never going to use them, and are merely asking for them in a display of power). Don't fool yourself.
This family of jokes — which paints gay people as more prone to opulent behavior than straight people — is part of the same universe of microaggressions that includes telling gay men you barely know that they are "fierce" or referring to any person or people as "my gay(s)." It involves treating gay people as some kind of exotic and mysterious other, whose customs puzzle your straight brain. Though seriously, the only puzzle here is why any gay people would be friends with the kind of dumbass who tells this joke.
Hopefully, as a new generation grows up with same-sex marriages and the normalization of all different types of families, we won't have to deal with any more corny gags like these. Guess your "funny coworker" will just have to go back to making jokes about mass transit. I mean, what is the deal with airplanes, am I right?
Images: Universal Studios/ Happy Madison Productions/ Relativity Media; Giphy (3)
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Where Did Lady Gaga Go At The End Of Her Super Bowl Halftime Show? She Left Fans Wanting More
By Kadeen Griffiths
Mind. Still. Blown. I wasn't ready to let Mother Monster go after such an epic performance, but go she apparently did. As for where Lady Gaga went after her Super Bowl halftime show, that's a little less clear to me. I know she can't spend all night on that stage — I wish she could, but she can't — but it was over so quickly and she was gone so fast. Where did she go, guys? After she dropped the mic, I was clapping too hard to focus on anything else. And, you know, the camera cut elsewhere, because apparently they don't think we need to know where our icons have disappeared to after blowing our minds.
Update: TMZ confirmed that Lady Gaga didn't really jump all the way down to the stadium on Monday, Feb. 6, by showing that Lady Gaga was suspended in the air following her jump. Mother Monster is fine, y'all. Everything's fine.
Earlier: From what I could see, while the fireworks were going off, and Gaga was throwing her mic away to grab a football, she jumped off a platform to... the area below the stage. No doubt she landed on a lower platform — or an air bag — and strolled out of view to collect her high-fives, a towel, and some water after the performance of a lifetime. After all, as she showed us in her many, many social media pictures leading up to the performances, that stage has a lot of moving parts and the cameras aren't on every single one of them.
With that mystery more or less solved, the only real thing we have left to wonder is whether or not Lady Gaga will indeed announce a tour in 2017 as so many people have speculated leading up to this point. There's no way that she can't ride the momentum from this amazing show to its natural conclusion, right?
You can see the whole performance here:
Or maybe this was, for her, the conclusion. By her own admission, she's been dreaming of this since she was a little girl. Maybe we should let the magic of an epic job well done wear off before we start pressing for more Gaga.
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H.CON.RES. 378
Expressing support for designation of September 6, 2008, as Louisa Swain Day.
Read full text at Congress.gov
Barbara Cubin
R-WY
Oct 2, 2008: Passed Senate
October 3, 2008 Message on Senate action sent to the House.
3:18 PM EDT Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S10422-10423)
Show Debate Speakers
September 29, 2008 Received in the Senate.
3:46 PM EDT Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
3:46 PM EDT Mr. Clay asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
3:46 PM EDT On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to without objection. (text: CR H10214-10215)
3:46 PM EDT Considered by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR H10214-10215)
September 27, 2008 Committee on Oversight and Government discharged.
June 24, 2008 Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
June 24, 2008 Introduced in House
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2 suicides since eviction
Colton Davies - Aug 10, 2018 / 5:00 am | Story: 233553
Colton Davies
Two senior residents in Penticton's Delta Mobile Home Park, which is slated for redevelopment, have reportedly committed suicide in the past two weeks.
Stew English says one of those residents who committed suicide was his next-door neighbour in the park, which is located on Airport Road.
"His son told me, in the suicide note he left, he couldn't take the move anymore because he couldn't afford to move," English said.
Residents were given eviction notices on April 30. English says at this point, he and most others will be faced with homelessness come Oct. 1 when they have to leave.
"There's people taking their lives in here, that's a lot to do with it. And it really hurts. Good friends too, you know?" he told Castanet, fighting back tears.
English has lived in the park for 26 years, and he currently pays $450 a month in pad rent for his trailer and a storage unit. He's a retired metal fabricator with an old age pension of $1,120 per month.
He says of the roughly 42 residents in the park, only four have found new places to live ahead of their eviction.
"We can't afford to go live anywhere else, because the rent and everything is so damn high today... So us low-income people, we're almost left hanging out in the cold."
The eviction notice was given in the same month Premier John Horgan was in the city, announcing legislation to better protect mobile home park tenants facing eviction.
However, provincial rules on residential tenancy don’t apply to the Delta Mobile Home Park, since it’s located on Penticton Indian Band locatee lands.
English says residents are desperate and hoping for financial support to help them move somewhere they can afford.
"We're just asking for some kind of compensation ... We know we can't stay, just help us relocate, that's all we're asking."
Park owner Fred Kruger says he wasn’t aware of the reported suicides in the park, and declined to comment on the situation.
Castanet has reached out to the federal government for input on the situation.
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Jessica Beebe
Lauded as having “honey-colored tone” and “the most radiant solo singing” from Opera News, soprano Jessica Beebe is steadily gaining international attention as an affecting interpreter of repertoire from the Renaissance and Baroque to contemporary American opera.
Ms. Beebe has performed as a guest soloist with several major orchestras and ensembles across the country including The New York Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, The Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Hall, The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra with Raymond Leppard, The Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, The Folger Consort, The Philharmonia Orchestra of New York, Piffaro The Renaissance Wind Band, The Princeton Festival Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra and more. Ms. Beebe has debuted several new operas with Opera Philadelphia, including David Hertzberg’s The Wake World, Jennifer Higdon's Cold Mountain and Lembit Beecher’s Sky on Swings. Ms. Beebe has also performed internationally, covering the role of 'Angel' in Bergen National Opera's staged production of Messiah and covering the title role in Handel’s Semele with Harry Bicket and the English Concert. Most recently, Ms. Beebe made her Los Angeles Philharmonic solo debut in Meredith Monk's opera Atlas. Ms. Beebe is a member of GRAMMY-winning ensemble The Crossing, GRAMMY-nominated ensemble Clarion Society, Variant Six, and Trio Eos. For more information on Ms. Beebe please visit www.jessicabeebesoprano.com
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Celebrities caught off guard
Singer Katy Perry arrives at the premiere of "Katy Perry: Part of Me" held at Grauman's Chinese Theater on June 26, 2012, in Hollywood, Calif.
Credit: Michael Buckner/Getty Images
Rihanna performs onstage during Fox's "American Idol 2012" results show at the Nokia Theater on May 23, 2012, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Mark Davis/Getty Images
Singer Chris Brown attends Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic on June 11, 2009, at Amway Arena in Orlando, Fla.
Credit: Elsa/Getty Images
Host Hayley McQueen attends the European premiere of "Katy Perry: Part of Me" at Empire Leicester Square on July 3, 2012, in London.
Credit: Ian Gavan/Getty Images
Robert Pattinson arrives at the "Water for Elephants" premiere at the State Theatre on May 6, 2011, in Sydney, Australia.
Credit: Marianna Massey/Getty Images
Rapper Lil Wayne watches as Floyd Mayweather Jr. takes on Miguel Cotto in their WBA super welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 5, 2012, in Las Vegas.
Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images
Kim Kardashian serves gravy for mashed potatoes as the homeless and those less fortunate enjoy a meal at the Los Angeles Mission on Nov. 23, 2011, in downtown Los Angeles in celebration of Thanksgiving.
Credit: Frederick M. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
Miley Cyrus yawns during an earlier morning appearance at the 16th annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women on May 9, 2009, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Selena Gomez visits radio host Elvis Duran on April 26, 2012, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images
Actress Blake Lively appears onstage during MTV's "Total Request Live" at the MTV Times Square Studios on Oct. 1, 2007, in New York.
Credit: Scott Gries/Getty Images
Actor Taylor Lautner arrives at the "Abduction" Sydney premiere at Hoyts Cinemas on Aug. 23, 2011, in Sydney, Australia.
Credit: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
Natalie Portman reacts as she arrives on the red carpet for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre on Feb. 27, 2011, in Hollywood, Calif.
Credit: Robyn Beck/Getty Images
Britney Spears holds her Best Pop Video Award and her Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in the press room at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Aug. 28, 2011, at the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
Singer Carly Rae Jepsen arrives at the Los Angeles premiere "Katy Perry: Part Of Me" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on June 26, 2012, in Hollywood, Calif.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Singer Reece Mastin arrives at the "Katy Perry: Part Of Me" Australian premiere on June 30, 2012, in Sydney, Australia.
Credit: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
Comedian Russell Brand speaks during the FX portion of the 2012 Winter TCA Press Tour at The Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa on Jan. 15, 2012, in Pasadena, Calif.
Actor Ryan Gosling attends the "Drive" premiere during the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 20, 2011, in Cannes, France.
Credit: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
Sharon Stone and Robert Pattinson attend the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS 2009 show during the 62nd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2009, in Antibes, France.
Credit: Francois Durand/Getty Images
Justin Bieber attends the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival at the NYU Paulson Auditorium on April 27, 2012, in New York.
Credit: John Lamparski/Getty Images
Miley Cyrus attends the premiere of Disney's ''Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert'' at the El Capitan Theatre on Jan. 17, 2008, in Hollywood, Calif.
Robert Pattinson poses during the "Cosmopolis" premiere at Le Grand Rex on May 30, 2012, in Paris, France.
Lady Gaga waves to fans as she leaves the airport following her arrival in Bangkok on May 23, 2012.
Credit: Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images
Katie Holmes arrives at the opening night of "Beauty Culture" at the Annenberg Space for Photography on May 19, 2011, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Lindsay Lohan listens during her arraignment after being charged with one count of felony grand theft for allegedly stealing a $2,500 necklace from a Venice Beach jewelry store, at the Airport Superior Court on Feb. 9, 2011.
Credit: AFP/Getty Images
Taylor Swift accepts the Entertainer of the Year Award onstage at the 47th Annual Academy Of Country Music Awards on April 1, 2012, in Las Vegas.
Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Talk show host Rikki Lake arrives at the opening of "Mamma Mia!" on April 25, 2004, at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, Calif.
Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez is seen during a press conference at the Hospital del Nino (Children's Hospital) in Panama City on June 12, 2012.
Credit: STR/Getty Images
Actress Blake Lively accepts the Breakthrough Performer of the Year award at the CinemaCon awards ceremony at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, March 31, 2011, in Las Vegas.
Kanye West puts his arm around Kim Kardashian from their courtside seats as the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Denver Nuggets in game seven of the Western Conference Quarterfinals in the 2012 NBA Playoffs on May 12, 2012, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
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Fri Dec. 23
UCONN -3.5, O/U 140.5
Auburn beats UConn 70-67 in overtime for 10th win
STATS TSX
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Auburn coach Bruce Pearl says point guard Jared Harper proves there is still room for the little guy in the game of basketball.
Harper scored 22 points, including a key layup in overtime and Auburn won its fourth consecutive game, 70-67 over UConn on Friday afternoon.
Connecticut native Mustapha Heron added 15 points and Danjel Purifoy had a career-high 15 rebounds for the Tigers, who are 10-2 for the first time since the 2002-03 season.
Harper, who is generously listed at 5 feet 10, also grabbed five rebounds, had five assists and four steals.
''He's special, he had no SEC offers when we committed him, because obviously of his size,'' said Pearl. ''But, you can't measure his heart. He's got a future in the game.''
Rodney Purvis scored 20 points to lead UConn (5-6) and Kentan Facey had 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Auburn seemed to have the game under control until T.J. Dunans was called for an intentional foul for dragging down a driving Purvis with 80 seconds left and the Tiger's up 60-54. Purvis hit the free throws and a jumper by Facey cut the lead to 60-58.
Amida Brimah tied the game with a short baseline jumper on the Huskies next possession and Harper missed a long 3-pointer, sending the game into extra time.
''We knew there was going to be adversity in the game,'' Harper said. ''We're on the road against a great team. We knew we'd have to come together at the end to win it.''
Purifoy hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 67 in the extra frame and Harper's layup high off the glass with 22 seconds left in overtime gave Auburn a 69-67 lead.
UConn's Vance Jackson missed a 3-pointer on the other end and Heron hit a free throw for the game's final point.
Purvis missed two 3-pointers on UConn's final possession including a shot from the right baseline at the buzzer that would have tied the game.
Auburn hit just two of its first 14 shots and trailed for almost the entire first half.
But UConn failed to take advantage and never led by more than seven points. The Huskies were up by a point, 31-30, at the break.
Auburn shot just 32.9 percent from the floor, but held the Huskies to 35.4 percent.
''The majority of the game we were good defensively,'' said Facey, who also had four of the Huskies 10 blocked shots. ''It came down to a few key stops that we needed to get that we never got.''
UConn, playing with just eight scholarship players because of injury, lost starting guard Jalen Adams in the second half to a concussion. He collided with Purifoy and went hard to the floor, opening a cut above his left eye and was taken to the locker room.
His backup, Christian Vital, fouled out in overtime.
UConn: The Huskies have being playing with just eight scholarship players, thanks to several injuries, including those that knocked point guard Alterique Gilbert and forward Terrier Larrier out for the season. They lost guard Jalen Adams to a concussion in the second half. Coach Kevin Ollie said it's not clear how long Adams will be out, but he did return to the bench. There could be some help on the horizon. Highly touted prospect Hamidou Diallo has been cleared by the NCAA to enroll in college for the second semester. He was at UConn's practice on Thursday and in the stands on Friday for an official visit.
Auburn: Heron, who grew up in Connecticut, has scored in double figures in his first 12 games as a Tiger, the most since Wesley Person scored at least 10 points in 14 straight during the 1990-91 season. More than 200 friends and family made the 30 mile trip from his hometown of Waterbury to see him play.
''I came here a lot as a kid to watch UConn games and concerts and things like that, so it was exciting to be able to play here and definitely better to leave here with a W,'' he said.
AUBURN'S RUN
The Tigers have not lost a game since suspending starters Bryce Brown and Horace Spencer after they were arrested on Dec. 14 on charges of misdemeanor marijuana possession.
''We've had about five games in 11 days,'' Pearl said. ''It's been a pretty good little period for us. I think our resume is in the top three or four in the league.''
Pearl needs two more wins to reach 500 in his 22-year coaching career. His record is currently 498-187, but just 36-42 in three seasons at Auburn.
UConn: The Huskies are off until Dec. 28 when they open their American Athletic Conference season in Hartford with an afternoon game against Houston.
Auburn: The Tigers are off until Dec. 29 when they open the SEC season at home against Georgia.
Copyright 2016 by STATS LLC. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC is strictly prohibited.
D. Purifoy
37.2 Min. Per Game 37.2
17.4 Pts. Per Game 17.4
5.8 Ast. Per Game 5.8
4.9 Reb. Per Game 4.9
42.4 Field Goal % 48.7
38.4 Three Point % 43.3
87.3 Free Throw % 68.6
Offensive rebound by Connecticut 0.0
Rodney Purvis missed 3-pt. jump shot 1.0
30-second timeout called 7.0
+ 1 Mustapha Heron made 2nd of 2 free throws 7.0
Mustapha Heron missed 1st of 2 free throws 7.0
Personal foul on Juwan Durham 7.0
Full timeout called 9.0
Defensive rebound by Auburn 7.0
Vance Jackson missed 3-pt. jump shot 9.0
Team 11 4
Assists 7 11
Blocks 4 10
J. Harper G
R. Purvis G
1 2 OT T
Auburn 10-2 30 30 10 70
Connecticut 5-6 31 29 7 67
XL Center Hartford, CT
Auburn 10-2 79.7 PPG 37.1 RPG 14.3 APG
Connecticut 5-6 73.8 PPG 39.5 RPG 12.8 APG
J. Harper G 15.3 PPG 2.5 RPG 5.8 APG 39.9 FG%
R. Purvis G PPG RPG APG FG%
J. Harper G 22 PTS 5 REB 5 AST
R. Purvis G 20 PTS 7 REB 3 AST
J. Harper
M. Heron
A. Wiley
T. Lang
J. Harper 22 5 5 8/17 1/5 5/6 1 33 4 0 3 0 5
M. Heron 15 8 0 5/22 1/5 4/5 2 36 0 0 1 3 5
A. Wiley 7 3 1 3/5 0/0 1/4 1 20 0 0 0 3 0
D. Purifoy 5 15 1 1/10 1/6 2/2 2 44 0 0 1 2 13
T. Lang 3 2 0 1/4 1/3 0/1 1 24 0 0 0 2 0
A. McLemore
T. Dunans
R. Johnson
L. Smith
D. Waddell
H. Spencer
P. Keim
B. Brown
N. Williams
C. Blackstock
T. Tate
M. Cohen
H. Huff
W. Macoy
A. McLemore 9 5 0 3/4 0/0 3/3 4 18 0 2 1 2 3
T. Dunans 7 2 0 3/10 1/2 0/0 4 30 0 1 3 0 2
R. Johnson 2 0 0 1/3 0/1 0/0 0 11 0 0 0 0 0
L. Smith 0 1 0 0/1 0/0 0/0 2 4 0 0 0 1 0
D. Waddell 0 0 0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
H. Spencer 0 0 0 0/0 0/0 0/0 1 3 0 1 1 0 0
P. Keim - - - - - - - - - - - - -
B. Brown - - - - - - - - - - - - -
N. Williams - - - - - - - - - - - - -
C. Blackstock - - - - - - - - - - - - -
T. Tate - - - - - - - - - - - - -
M. Cohen - - - - - - - - - - - - -
H. Huff - - - - - - - - - - - - -
W. Macoy - - - - - - - - - - - - -
R. Purvis
K. Facey
A. Brimah
V. Jackson
R. Purvis 20 7 3 5/22 1/13 9/10 2 43 1 0 5 2 5
K. Facey 15 14 1 6/10 0/0 3/4 3 42 0 4 0 4 10
J. Adams 9 0 2 4/8 1/2 0/0 3 19 1 0 1 0 0
A. Brimah 6 2 0 2/2 0/0 2/4 4 27 1 3 2 0 2
V. Jackson 6 9 1 1/9 1/8 3/4 3 33 1 0 0 2 7
S. Enoch
C. Vital
J. Durham
T. Larrier
C. Foxen
M. Noyes
M. Diarra
A. Gilbert
O. Aiyegbusi
R. Lomotey
S. Enoch 8 6 0 4/7 0/0 0/1 3 18 0 1 1 2 4
C. Vital 3 4 4 1/6 1/5 0/0 5 35 0 2 2 0 4
J. Durham 0 1 0 0/1 0/0 0/2 1 8 0 0 0 1 0
T. Larrier - - - - - - - - - - - - -
C. Foxen - - - - - - - - - - - - -
M. Noyes - - - - - - - - - - - - -
M. Diarra - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A. Gilbert - - - - - - - - - - - - -
O. Aiyegbusi - - - - - - - - - - - - -
R. Lomotey - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Total 67 43 11 23/65 4/28 17/25 24 225 4 10 11 11 32
MASLOW
STPETE
GRACEC
23USC
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Privacy Scandals Don't Harm Profit: The Case for Regulation
By Brian Krupp | Feb 7, 2019
CHANNEL: Digital Experience
The past two years have been quite tumultuous for Facebook. While it has been under a consent decree from the FTC since 2011 which required the company to receive permission from users to share data with third-party applications, public opinion and political pressure increased following the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal.
As recently as last week, it was discovered that Facebook was enrolling teens in a "research study" to harvest their data through "Project Atlas." Facebook used a VPN solution to capture data being sent from the participant's mobile device to gain insights into their behavior and usage. While this recent finding should be alarming — where teenagers were targeted without a parent's consent — consider the data that is gathered each day through use of the platform without consent.
Related Article: 2018 in Review: A Year of Technology Reckonings
Data Privacy Scandal With No Real Consequence
While recent scandals and continued misuse of user's data is gaining nationwide attention, Facebook's revenue, profits and subscribers continue to rise. If these scandals, which appear to be so damaging to the company's reputation, don't affect the bottom line, what incentive does Facebook have to change its behavior? Facebook's ad campaign after the Cambridge Analytica Scandal seemed to suggest that it was focusing more on privacy and making Facebook the tool it set out to be: a platform to connect people. However, it is evident these efforts are either hollow or have not yet had an impact within the company.
How do we ensure that Facebook and other companies that track users do not continue to misuse data? While some speculate that Facebook could face a record fine from the FTC, consider that the highest fine the FTC has issued was $22.5 million to Google. This may seem like a large sum, but compared to Facebook's recent quarterly profit of $6.9 billion, a fine like this only accounts for 0.32 percent of its profit.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, Facebook could be fined up to 4 percent of global revenue (not profit). Based on Facebook's recent quarterly earnings, this could amount to approximately $676 million dollars or approximately 10 percent of the profit. This is a substantial increase and potentially one that could prioritize privacy and data protection for users of the Facebook platform.
To be fair, Facebook is not alone. Popular mobile applications such as "The Weather Channel," "LinkedIn" and others have been found to misuse personal data. To see how this data can be used, think about the last time you searched for a restaurant, library or other location on Google. It often provides hours that the place is most busy and on average how much time people spend at that location. Where does Google get this information from? Whom does it share this data with? While applications are required to provide a message why they need access to your location or contacts, they do not have to be truthful. They often do not describe the entirety of how they use your data and with whom they share the data.
Users don't pay or pay very little for services provided by Google, Facebook or other offenders of personal data. However, while we don't pay for these services with our wallets, we are more likely paying them with our personal data.
Related Article: Facebook: A Case Study in Ethics
How Users Can Protect Their Personal Data
While a substantial regulation comparable to the GDPR doesn't appear to be in the near future for the United States, users can do three simple things to help protect themselves and keep their information private. One is to use a different search engine such as DuckDuckGo. I have been using this search engine for the past two years and find that it is just as good as Google. It claims to not track users and only uses the search that a user enters to serve advertisements. The company also advocates for privacy and provide guides to help users protect their devices.
Given how often we use our mobile devices, it is also important to continually review app permissions. In iOS, you can do this under Settings —> Privacy where you can then review access to permissions such as Location, Photos and Contacts. Similarly, in Android you can do this by accessing Settings —> Apps —> App Permissions. As you review these permissions, you should ask yourself if an application truly needs access to a particular permission. If you can't justify the need, disable access.
Finally, you can install an ad blocker such as Ghostery or use Firefox which has a built-in ad blocker. While ads serve as a revenue stream for websites, they can also be used to track individual users. These simple steps are a good start towards protecting personal data, and there is more that you can do. As consumers become more aware of how applications and platforms use their data, hopefully increased public pressure will bring more accountability to organizations like Facebook.
Brian Krupp is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Baldwin Wallace University. His research interests are primarily in mobile security and privacy where he currently leads the Mobile Privacy and Security (MOPS) research group.
As the Web Matures, Search Behavior Changes
The Google Ate My Homework: What’s New in EdTech
Let's Retire These Common Product Sound Bites
The History and Future of Wi-Fi
5 Principles for Smarter Customer Data Management
Tags brian krupp, customer experience, cxm, data privacy, digital experience, dxm, facebook, ftc, regulations
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Tony Perkins: Science Is Deafening on Gender
By Tony Perkins | December 10, 2018 | 4:25 PM EST
"And it's actually ironic that the transgender movement [is] so anti-science." (Screenshot)
Reading the headlines this week is like taking a trip to an alternate universe. Ten years ago, if you'd have said that in 2018 teachers would get fired for calling a girl a girl, most people wouldn't have believed you. Unfortunately, that's the ridiculous world Americans are waking up to every morning. But to most people's relief, not everyone is playing along with this charade. And that includes President Trump.
Almost two years in, this administration is still trying to mop up the mess made by Barack Obama. And considering the huge disaster they inherited, it's amazing how much progress the White House has already made rolling back the absurdity of Obama's LGBT legacy. After squashing the government's gender-free bathroom mandate, President Trump moved on to the military. Now, he's directed his agencies to make one of the most important changes of all: protecting the 54-year-old Civil Rights Act.
Barack Obama chose to read the law the way he wanted – not how it was written by Congress. For the last few years of his administration, he started using his own interpretation of the Civil Rights Act to give special protections to people who identify as transgender. There's just one problem: that's not what the 1964 Congress meant – and it's not what the statute says. So, President Trump issued his own memo. For the purposes of his administration, the Justice Department explained, "sex discrimination" would not include "gender identity."
That was music to the ears of a lot more than conservatives. In the medical community, experts were relieved to see that the president's policy matched what was wise and prudent for patients. In a letter to the Departments of Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services, a coalition of doctors, bioethicists, therapists, academics, and policy groups all praised the president for taking a scientifically-sound approach.
Dr. Michelle Cretella, head of the American College of Pediatricians, explained why that's so important in an interview on Thursday's "Washington Watch." The letter, she points out, represents the views of more than 30,000 physicians who all understand that gender identity is a very real threat to modern health care. "Transgenders are saying, 'I think and feel this way, therefore, I am.' And it's one thing for us to, as physicians, treat the person with respect and honor their name change, but it would be a complete malpractice to treat them as the opposite sex."
As she explains, there is nothing any of us can do to change our binary, biologically-determined-at-conception sex. "A man on estrogen is not a woman. He is a man with a male physiology on estrogen, and that's how a physician must approach him." The very serious problem, she points out, is that people are so ideologically-driven that they want to ignore the medical research. More than ever, Dr. Cretella says, "Medicine is at the point now where we understand that men and women have – at a minimum – 6,500 genetic differences between us. And this impacts every cell of our bodies – our organ systems, how diseases manifest, how we diagnose, and even treat in some cases."
Treating a person differently based on their feelings isn't just harmful, she argues, but deadly. In cases like heart disease, certain drugs can endanger women and not men. Even diagnoses present differently in men and women. The symptoms for certain diseases, she explains, can manifest themselves in completely opposite ways. "And these are nuances that medicine is finally studying and bringing to light. And it's actually ironic that the transgender movement [is] so anti-science."
"There is absolutely no rigorous science that has found a trait called 'gender identity' in the brain, body, or DNA. Now sex – I can show you that. It's in our chromosomes. It's in the body. It's in the reproductive organs. Over 99.98 percent of the times, our sexual development is clearly and unambiguously either male or female." The sex differences, she explains are real and consequential.
If she had one message for America, Dr. Cretella said, it would be this: "Stick with science." Thank goodness for us, the president has.
Tony Perkins' Washington Update is written with the aid of FRC senior writers.
Editor's Note: This piece was originally published by the Family Research Council.
Tony Perkins
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A Q&A With the Digital Artist Behind the Coca-Cola Polar Bears
By: Jay Moye | Dec 30, 2013
The Coca-Cola polar bears first appeared in a 1993 commercial titled 'Northern Lights.'
An early computer rendering of the polar bears watching the aurora borealis.
Creator Ken Stewart enlisted the help of Rhythm & Hues to animate the ads using what was considered at the time to be state-of-the-art computer graphics.
Using storyboards created by illustrator Eugene Yelchin, Stewart and Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Rhythm & Hues created pencil sketches of the bears. A sculptor then created a 3D clay model of the bear's head, which was digitized and stored in advanced computer graphics software.
Believe it or not, the first-ever TV ad featuring the beloved Coca-Cola polar bears — who were inducted into the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame in 2011 and recently landed starring roles in a Ridley Scott-directed mini movie — turned 20 in 2013.
Coca-Cola’s first polar bear print ad appeared in France in 1922, and the cuddly creatures were used sporadically over the next 70 years. In 1993, the icons made their TV debut as part of the global “Always Coca-Cola” campaign. Creator Ken Stewart initially got the idea for the groundbreaking commercial called “Northern Lights” from his Labrador Retriever, which reminded him of a polar bear as a cute, fluffy puppy. In the ad, the polar bears watch the aurora borealis (the Northern Lights) and drink Coca-Cola.
Stewart enlisted the help of Los Angeles-based Rhythm & Hues to animate the ad using what was considered at the time to be state-of-the-art computer graphics. Using storyboards by illustrator Eugene Yelchin, Stewart and the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Rhythm & Hues created pencil sketches of the bears. Next, the team studied films and photos of polar bears to understand how they move their heads, bodies and limbs.
A sculptor then created a 3D clay model of the bear's head, which was digitized and stored in advanced computer graphics software. An animator plotted points along the body of the model until a schematic of the bear appeared on screen. Once the image was refined and loaded to memory, the bear could move. Other elements — such as Coca-Cola bottles — were scanned and introduced to the storyline. Once the bears' basic movements were completed, the rest of the picture was refined. Fur was added, eyes were completed, background was "painted in" and lighting details were fine-tuned.
The polar bears were an immediate hit with viewers and made encore appearances in two spots during the 1994 Olympic Games, in which the bears slid down a luge and soared off a ski jump. Bear cubs were later introduced in a holiday ad.
We recently caught up with Todd Shifflett, a visual effects supervisor at Rhythm & Hues who has worked on several hit animated movies, including Snow White and the Huntsman, Happy Feet and Babe. He was assigned to “Northern Lights” as a digital artist shortly after joining the Rhythm & Hues team.
The world of computer graphics was much different back in 1993. Help us understand the technical challenges you faced in bringing the polar bears to life on screen.
It’s funny to look back now and wonder why that commercial was so groundbreaking, when you consider how far technology has come since then. The processing power of the computers we were using was nowhere near what it is today. Our most powerful computers could barely render all of the polygons, so we used lots of little technical tricks to pull it off and make the bears look furry without being able to actually render fur. If you look at the evolution of the bears over the years, you get an idea of how much technology has improved.
Any special memories stand out from the project?
Oh, yes. This was, of course, well before the days of being able to back up work on the cloud. We had to back up on reel-to-reel tapes in a machine room, which was a labor-intensive process that required very long hours. None of us got much sleep during that project. As the new guy, I was working the night shift one night — we had more people than computers — when I accidentally typed a command to remove the entire project from the disc! Panic quickly set in, because I thought I’d wiped out everything. I went room to room and finally fessed up. Luckily, I found someone who helped me restore from backup, and the project lived on.
What was the overall reaction to the first polar bear ad?
The commercial definitely put us on the map. Once the first one was released, it became so popular that Coke decided to produce more of them. The polar bears became a larger part of the overall campaign... I remember seeing them on billboards, for example. I was involved in at least three more commercials, including one of the polar bear family pushing a Christmas tree down the hill and another for the 1994 Olympics. Technology was changing quickly and we needed to adjust for that, but we also wanted to maintain the stylistic look of the original incarnation of the bears. They eventually became fluffier, and newer tools enabled us to animate more than one bear at a time.
How did the animation techniques used in ‘Northern Lights’ influence future projects at Rhythm & Hues?
Some of the techniques we used in commercials and movies that followed definitely came from that first polar bear ad. For example, the tricks we used to create the bears' fuzzy look helped us when we made the (1995) movie, Babe. We faced similar challenges with that project because we had to take live-action animals and put new snouts on them without being able to actually render fur.
The polar bear ad was an important part of my development because I got to work with and learn from some of the most brilliant people in the industry. I was lucky to be part of the process in the very beginning when we didn’t know how it would get done or what we were capable of from a computer processing standpoint. It was an exciting time, and it’s nice to know people still look back on it as a document in computer graphics history.
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Millions Of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Set To Be Released: This Is Why It’s A Problem
Image by skeeze from Pixabay
Millions of genetically modified mosquitoes might soon be released in Florida. The biotech company Oxitec and the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) are moving ahead with their plan to introduce these insects into the area to, according to them, help stop the spread of multiple tropical diseases.
One of the diseases is called Chikungunya, another is dengue, and both are spread by Aedes mosquitoes. An infection with Chikungunya can lead to fever and joint pain which is sometimes severe, but rarely causes death. In 2014, only 11 individuals actually contracted this disease in Florida, so it makes one wonder if this type of “tinkering with nature” is really necessary? (source)
When it comes to the dengue virus, severe cases may progress into dengue hemorrhagic fever, complications from which may eventually result in death. Over 100 million cases of dengue occur every year, but according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is rare to find a case of it in the United States.
The mosquitoes released would all be male, and are genetically modified to carry a “genetic kill switch.” This means that when they mate with wild female mosquitoes, the “kill switch” gene is passed on to the offspring and therefore cannot survive.
Millions Of Genetically Modified Insects Have Already Been Released
Oxitec has already released a large number of GM olive flies that were used to kill off wild pests that damage crops. In the Cayman Islands, 3 million GM mosquitoes were released, and in this case over 90 percent of the original natural native mosquito population was suppressed. The same results were also seen in Brazil. (source)
Supporters of the GM insects, like Oxitec, claim that those who oppose the idea are simply fear mongering. This is currently the same response from the big biotech giants to opposers of genetically modified foods.
Concerns With This Approach
There are various concerns, such as, what happens if someone receives a bite from one of these mosquitoes?
“Will their GM DNA be injected into your arm or leg? Oxitec has counteracted this objection by stating they only plan to release male mosquitoes, which don’t bite. This again sounds good in theory… but in reality, sorting millions of insects according to sex is no small feat. And even FKMCD notes that although ‘every effort is made to release only males,’ Oxitec trials show that .03 percent of the mosquitoes released are female.” -Dr. Joseph Mercola (source)
If you think about it, with millions of mosquitoes released, we are still talking about thousands of mosquitoes that can bite. Estimates of genetically modified insects that have been released into the environment are between 50-100 million. What about the environmental health impacts report? Again, what about the synthetic DNA from the bites? Who is tracking all of this stuff, and how exactly do you track it? Why are we just assuming everything is okay, without any evidence to back it up?
The potential exists for these genes, which hop from one place to another, to infect human blood by finding entry through skin lesions or inhaled dust. Such transmission could potentially wreak havoc with the human genome by creating “insertion mutations” and other unpredictable types of DNA damage. (source)
According to Alfred Handler, a geneticist at the Agriculture Department in Hawaii, mosquitoes can develop resistance to the lethal gene and might then be released inadvertently. (source)
Todd Shelly, an entomologist for the Agriculture Department in Hawaii, said 3.5 percent of the insects in a laboratory test survived to adulthood, despite presumably carrying the lethal gene. (source)
Another factor to consider is this:
Tetracycline and other antibiotics are now showing up in the environment, in soil and surface water samples. These GM mosquitoes were designed to die in the absence of tetracycline (which is introduced in the lab in order to keep them alive long enough to breed). They were designed this way assuming they would NOT have access to that drug in the wild. With tetracycline exposure (for example, in a lake) these mutant insects could actually thrive in the wild, potentially creating a nightmarish scenario. (source)
Dr Helen Wallace, director of GeneWatch UK, warned about the GM fruit flies that were released a couple of years ago:
Releasing Oxite’s GM fruit flies is a deeply flawed approach to reducing numbers of these pests, because large numbers of their offspring will die as maggots in the fruit. Not only does this fail to protect the crop, millions of GM fruit fly maggots (most dead, but some alive) will enter the food chain where they could pose risks to human health and the environment. Oxitec’s experiments should not go ahead until rules for safety testing and plans for labelling and segregation of contaminated fruits have been thoroughly debated and assessed. If these issues are ignored, growers could suffer serious impacts on the market for their crops. (source)
It’s also important to note that there is there is no specific regulatory process for GM insects anywhere in the world.
Wallace went on to state that:
Regulatory decisions on GM insects in Europe and around the world are being biased by corporate interests as the UK biotech company Oxitec has infiltrated decision-making processes around the world. The company has close links to the multinational pesticide and seed company, Syngenta. Oxitec has already made large-scale open releases of GM mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands, Malaysia and Brazil and is developing GM agricultural pests, jointly with Syngenta. (source)(source)
“The public will be shocked to learn that GM insects can be released into the environment without any proper oversight. Conflicts of interest should be removed from all decision making processes to ensure the public have a proper say about these plans.” – Dr Helen Wallace, Director of GeneWatch UK (source)
Environmental NGOs like Greenpeace suggest that GM insects could have unintended and wide ranging impacts on the environment and human health due to the complexity of ecosystems and the high number of unknown factors which make risk assessment difficult. These companies have raised a number of concerns which include: (source)
New insects or diseases may fill ecological niche left by the insects suppressed or replaced, possibly resulting in new public health or agricultural problems
The new genes engineered into the insects may jump into other species, a process called horizontal transfer, causing unintended consequences to the ecosystem
Releases would be impossible to monitor and irreversible, as would any damage done to the environment
A briefing done by these organizations also shows that Oxitec is trying to influence regulatory processes for GM insects, that they: (source)
Don’t want to be liable for any complications
Try to avoid any regulation of GM agricultural pests on crops appearing in the food chain
Exclude important issues from risk assessments, like the impact on human health
Release of large amounts of GM insects prior to regulations
Undermining the requirement to obtain informed consent for experiments involving insect species which transmit disease
What are your thoughts on these developments? You would think this would be big news, but it has gone largely unreported thus far. There are so many concerns and questions that have been left unanswered. Feel free to share your opinion in the comments section below.
(All sources are embedded throughout the article)
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Kali Uchis' vibe stands on its own in a world where pop stars double as a '#mood'
By Jessi Roti
Four minutes before she was scheduled to take the stage, fans began chanting for singer-songwriter Kali Uchis. When the lights went down, her silhouette appearing behind a white curtain, the cellphones went up, and stayed there. The rumbling echo of feet stomping the main floor of the Riviera Theatre Wednesday night emphasized just how packed this show was, and when she finally stepped in front of her band, Uchis knew just what her audience wanted.
For the past few years, she’s been one of pop’s most compelling, rising artists, garnering attention for her genre-defying sound and collaborations with the likes of Tyler, the Creator, Gorillaz, Snoop Dogg, Diplo and fellow Colombian Juanes, in addition to buzzworthy up-and-comers Jorja Smith and Daniel Caesar. After her “Drunken Babble” mixtape in 2012 and “Por Vida” EP released three years later, Uchis’ debut album “Isolation” was released in April.
Her 75-minute set recognized all three of her recordings, a body of work dominated by self-reliant anthems studded with quips (in English and Spanish) and music simultaneously retro and futuristic. Opening with the deliciously wicked “Dead to Me,” the 24 year-old salsa danced and twirled across the stage, eliciting screams every time she put her hands in the air or dipped low, beneath the smoke and lights. Not a bad reception for someone that was living in her Subaru by the time she was 17, going back and forth between jazz band practice and writing songs in her car.
In a world where pop artists double as a “#mood” (see any GIF of Rihanna) or state of being rather than just purveyors of big hooks and catchy melodies, the vibe Kali Uchis is selling stands on its own. She’s the musical lovechild of Shakira and Amy Winehouse, with a nod to the west coast’s hip-hop sensibilities and unapologetically “extra,” glam look — but even that’s not quite right. Her “It” factor was apparent on her last Chicago visit — a Lollapalooza set that ultimately suffered from sound lost to the outdoor elements. But this time around, the venue’s walls allowed the reverberating layers of funk-tinged keys and bass, the slight swing of the drum and warm, blues guitar to bounce off of and swallow you — and Uchis wasn’t competing for anyone’s attention.
She’s blessed with the gift of being the kind of singer who can just stand at the mic and have the crowd hang on her every word. A mash-up of the smoky, doo-wop flavored “Flight 22” and “Feel like a Fool,” and sticky cover of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” proved as much. Only when she seemed to question that herself did her effortlessly cool exterior pull back a bit. Uchis dragged an acrylic vanity chair behind her for a handful of songs, turning the dial toward burlesque-lite as she tried to balance herself and her vocal, before abandoning the clunky prop and trusting that she was more than enough.
But Uchis’ effect was never as apparent as when she sang in Spanish. Songs like the club-ready “Nuestro Planeta” and ‘60s pop song “Sabor A Mi,” made popular by singer Eydie Gorme & Trio Los Panchos, were received to rapturous applause and deafening call and response between her and her audience. The slight rasp of her vocal took on different textures and, while many tracks on “Isolation” keep her mid-range ability in its husky sweet-spot, it glided from her lower register to a smooth, almost ethereal falsetto on stripped-down renditions of “Miami” and “In My Dreams.”
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The so-called “Despacito Effect” (named for Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s record-breaking 2017 single) continues to pick-up steam in 2018, and Latin pop’s appeal is only growing. This is not only because of streaming services providing a platform for wider reach and collaborations between Latin and mainstream (white) acts, but because this next generation of performers (and consumers) are embracing their ancestral heritage in a way that now demands to be recognized and taken seriously in popular music and culture.
It’s resonating, and winning. A big part of pop’s future is clearly bilingual and non-white, with artists like Kali Uchis leading the way — especially if having a bouquet of red roses thrown at your feet still means anything.
jroti@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @jessitaylorro
MORE COVERAGE: Garbage review: Shirley Manson's feminist fire set the Riv ablaze »
Fall Out Boy at Wrigley brought a bit of nostalgia for millennials — and a lot of fire »
Berlin's 9th annual Lollapalooza Sideshow carves out a space for LGBTQ+ representation major festivals often overlook »
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Subscribe To The NFL's Rob Gronkowski Just Joined A Mel Gibson Action Movie Updates
The NFL's Rob Gronkowski Just Joined A Mel Gibson Action Movie
Although his team didn't deliver at the Super Bowl this year, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski's star is still shining as bright as ever. The Patriot, who has begun to build a post-football acting career for himself in recent years, has just landed a role in his most high-profile project yet. Rob Gronkowski will be joining Mel Gibson and Frank Grillo in The Grey director Joe Carnahan's upcoming action movie, Boss Level.
The Borey Brothers wrote the script for Boss Level, which will also star Naomi Watts, Will Sasso and Annabelle Wallis. The film will follow Frank Grillo in the lead role as a retired Special Forces veteran who finds himself trapped in a never-ending time loop on the day of his death. According to The Tracking Board, Gronk will be joining the film in an unspecified role. We don't know the extent of the role yet ,but given the premise, it's probably safe to say that it will be action-oriented.
This is just another step for the football player who has begun to open up less concussive opportunities for himself. Initially acting in projects like Entourage, Family Guy and The Clapper as himself, Rob Gronkowski has started to take on roles where he is playing a character. Just last year he appeared in American Violence and You Can't Have It. He has also appeared on WWE programming, giving himself another avenue he can pursue should he retire from the NFL. The football star clearly has the charisma and physicality for something like professional wrestling, but acting is entirely different. I imagine with this latest project he is looking to prove that he can act well enough to become just the latest in a long line of athletes who made the transition to action star.
The premise of Boss Level in and of itself isn't particularly exciting, but it is a tried and true format. The Groundhog Day time loop has been used to varying effect in movies and TV shows. Just last year, Blumhouse's Happy Death Day took the time loop structure to the horror genre, and back in 2014, Doug Liman's criminally underseen Edge of Tomorrow proved the format's effectiveness in an action genre. With Crossbones himself, Frank Grillo, leading Boss Level alongside the always entertaining Mel Gibson, and with Joe Carnahan behind the camera, this could be a new action classic. Joe Carnahan has actually been pursuing this passion project for some time that once went by the title Continue. The director and Frank Grillo are also both attached to the perpetually delayed remake of The Raid, so hopefully they bring that same level of lofty action ambitions to Boss Level.
Boss Level is now filming, though no release date has yet been set. For all the movies this year that have reserved a spot on the calendar, check out our release schedule.
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Sub Navigation (Main navigation)
CEE at Berkeley is a place of intellectual vitality. This vitality is evident in its creative and forward-looking curricula and classroom teaching, its attentive academic mentoring, and the innovative research conducted by students and faculty.
CEE focuses on developing future leaders for the engineering profession, for academia, and for applying engineering methods in the broader societal context. CEE conducts cutting-edge research, defining what constitutes the evolving domain of Civil and Environmental Engineering. This research develops theory and understanding as well as tools and techniques for professional practice and for solving societal problems. CEE exhibits great service, both through the actions of its members and collectively, contributing expertise where needed.
CEE is widely acknowledged to be a national and international leader. US News and World Report has ranked CEE’s civil engineering graduate program and its environmental engineering graduate program No. 1 for 2020.
Our graduate program in environmental engineering has held the #1 spot for the past 11 years; civil engineering has been #1 for the past 20 years.
At CEE, you are admitted to one of the 7 Programs:
Engineering & Project Management
GeoSystems (Geoengineering)
Systems (Civil Systems)
Application deadlines and must-do's
PLEASE NOTE: this section is updated with specific dates once the deadlines for the particular admissions cycle have been established.
CEE only accepts online applications. CEE does not accept applications for the spring semester.
The application becomes available in September, and the deadline is in December. (Note: transcripts and letters of recommendation for the MS and PhD programs will be accepted for 2 weeks after the application deadline; however, we cannot promise that late documents will be included in the review of the application.)
The joint CEE and Public Policy (MPP) concurrent degree program has an application deadline in December.
All applicants must meet UC Berkeley Graduate Division Admission Requirements as well as CEE Minimum Admission Requirements (listed below).
Each of the 7 CEE Programs has unique prerequisites; go to each Program's Graduate Requirements for full information.
Read the CEE application instructions completely.
See Frequently Asked Questions.
CEE minimum admission requirements
A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or recognized equivalent.
Sufficient undergraduate education for graduate work in your chosen field.
A satisfactory scholastic average, with a minimum grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) for application consideration.
Score of the general Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken during the past five years. CEE does not require a GRE subject test but the General GRE Test is required. Both the "Old" GRE and the "Revised" GRE are accepted.
International applicants: A minimum score of 90/120 iBT (230 CBT, 570 PBT) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), taken during the past 2 years, is required by the University to meet the English Language Proficiency requirement.
The Environmental Engineering Program and the Transportation Engineering program require prerequisite courses and/or additional admission requirements. See Graduate Requirements under Environmental Engineering and Transportation Engineering for full information.
Admissions for non-engineering majors
If you are a graduate in a non-engineering field, you are welcome to apply to CEE for admission into a program of study emphasizing one of many opportunities for combining a field of science which you have studied with a specific discipline in CEE. See Graduate Requirements for your selected Program to make sure that you have fulfilled the prerequisites required for admission into that Program.
International Applicants in Admission Requirements. For those who have received, or are a candidate to receive, their undergraduate degree from an institution outside the US.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language is required of all applicants (including US citizens) who received their undergraduate degree at a university or college in a country where English is not the official language. Cases in which the applicant is EXEMPT from taking the exam:
Have a basic degree from a recognized institution in a country where the official language is English.
Have completed a basic or advanced degree at an institution, in the United States or abroad, where the language of instruction is English and the institution is accredited by one of the United States’ regional accrediting* agencies.
Have completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with a grade B or better at a regionally accredited* institution within the United States.
For graduate admission, UC Berkeley requires a minimum TOEFL score of 570 on the paper-based test, 230 on the computer-based test (CBT), or 90/120 on the internet-based test (iBT). Your MOST RECENT score must meet this minimum. Applicants whose most recent score fails to meet the minimum will not be admitted because there are no exceptions to this minimum requirement.
See Evidence of English Language Proficiency (Graduate Division) for more information on TOEFL.
IELTS scores can be input into the online application, but an official paper score report must be sent to the department as well. Send to: Graduate Admissions, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 750 Davis Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-1710.
Admission to PhD by continuing students
If you are a continuing student, your application for admission into the doctoral program must be filed in the Academic Affairs Office by the end of the second week of classes in the semester you plan to complete your master's degree.
Transfer to the doctoral program from the master's program is not automatic. If you are a master's level student planning to continue for the doctorate, it is essential that you have a superior grade point average (exceeding 3.5) in the basic courses. However, a grade point average exceeding 3.5 does not automatically ensure admission. Decisions are based on an overall evaluation of the academic record.
Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition
Starting with the 2017-18 academic year, the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department is instituting Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition as part of the MS degree. On a per semester basis, this will add $3000 for California residents and $4500 for non-residents to the cost of attending.
The revenues from this program will be used for targeted financial aid, to expand our MS curricular offerings, to increase the level of instructional service in MS courses through investment in teaching assistants (Graduate Student Instructors, or GSIs), to provide career planning, networking and other professional services, and to invest in space and facilities improvements.
See Application Instructions and FAQ
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From Tree Hugger to Flu Fighter
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2018 edition of Centrepiece.
One Saturday morning in the spring of 2009, after only a year working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), John Barnes ’95 was called in to examine (sequence) the first three detected H1N1 viruses. The viruses would go on to trigger the 2009 flu pandemic.
A research microbiologist, he now heads the CDC’s Influenza Genomics team, working on the front lines to monitor seasonal flu viruses and to study animal flu viruses that potentially could lead to the next pandemic.Flu viruses have a unique ability to change quickly. To fully grasp the changes in influenza viruses and their impact on public health, it is important to look at the changes on a molecular level.
That is where Barnes’ lab comes in. Using advanced molecular technology, the lab provides a deeper, and at the same time broader, understanding of the viruses. His team sequences the genomes of thousands of influenza viruses a year looking for any early warning signs that, among other things, might indicate issues with how well the seasonal flu vaccine will work at protecting against the viruses.
“Historically speaking, flu is one of the deadliest diseases in the world,” he says. “Additionally, we are always monitoring and keeping a close eye on a few nonhuman flu viruses that have the potential to evolve and spread at pandemic levels.”
Barnes’ path to flu fighting was not an obvious one. At the University of Georgia, where he studied biochemistry and molecular biology, his doctoral dissertation focused on ethylene biosynthesis in conifer trees. While at Georgia, he set up a new lab and developed standard protocols using functional genomics.
The CDC recognized the transferability of skills in his genomic work with trees and in 2007 hired Barnes to build an influenza genomic-sequencing group from the ground up. Despite having no previous infectious disease experience, he was the group’s first hire. It is now one of the largest influenza gene-sequencing labs in the world in terms of the number of viruses sequenced.
A self-described “tech geek,” Barnes keeps up with the latest technology in applied molecular biology and next-generation sequencing to try to solve basic virology problems. His work contributes to understanding both seasonal and animal flu viruses with pandemic potential.
One current project is deployable next-generation sequencing for outbreak response. Recently, he and his team traveled to the Midwest to test a handheld device for sequencing influenza viruses detected in pigs. The new portable technology means sequencing can take place without a full lab. The team can thus identify viruses with pandemic potential while in the field and share the sequence data with the CDC so that it can be used to create candidate vaccine viruses even without the actual viruses themselves.
Barnes credits his nontraditional background and Centre with helping him learn to tackle complex questions.
“Centre’s curriculum helped hone skills not only on the scientific side [but] I really think subjects like poetry help with problem solving,” he says. “For example, when you’re breaking down a poem as a problem—looking at how a word might have alternate meanings—you’re looking at different ways of interpreting that data.”
Barnes’ creative solutions are receiving attention. In 2017 he earned the CDC’s prestigious Shepard Award for best manuscript on original research. With additional groundbreaking publications in the pipeline and novel ideas yet to be tested, John Barnes has established himself as a leader in fighting flu.
By Eli Painter ’94
By Centre News|2019-01-10T16:05:27+00:00January 10th, 2019|News|
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Carnival Cruise Line Names Becher VP Partnership and Loyalty
Scott Becher has been named as vice president of partnership and loyalty at Carnival Cruise Line, according to a prepared statement.
Becher will identify and activate partnerships and alliances across all Carnival Cruise Line touch points, the company said.
These partnerships play an important role in driving cruise bookings as well as enhancing the guest experience. He will also lead Carnival's loyalty marketing efforts, designed to incentivize and reward Carnival Cruise Line guests.
"Scott is a true industry innovator and leader," said Kathy Tan Mayor, chief marketing officer at Carnival Cruise Line. "One of Scott's great skills is creating integrated partnership programs, often with a hint of magic. We're excited to spread his creativity across our entire business as we continue to identify the best offerings for our guests."
Becher began his 30-year industry career as a producer/director at NFL Films and later became a founder and chief marketing officer of SportsTalk 790 radio "The Ticket." For 15 years, Becher led his own agency, Sports & Sponsorships of Boca Raton, where he guided sponsorship marketing for clients such as Gillette, Sprint and Hershey's, as well as properties such as the NFL and the U.S. Olympic Committee. Before joining Carnival, he spent the last five years as chief integration officer and executive vice president at Zimmerman Advertising in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he led partnerships and promotions across all agency clients.
"Carnival is one of the travel industry's most iconic brands and I'm proud to join its world-class marketing team," said Becher. "It's special to work in an industry where powerful partnerships and promotions are vital to the customer experience."
Becher attended Northwestern University, where he earned a Master of Science in Advertising/Integrated Marketing (MSA) and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism (BSJ).
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Valletta Cruise Port Signs UNWTO Global Code in Ethics for Tourism
Valletta Cruise Port in Malta announced it has signed the UNWTO Private Sector Commitment to the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism. This Code is a frame of reference for responsible and sustainable tourism development as endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2001, the port said, in a prepared statement.
Together with another five Maltese companies, Valletta Cruise Port was welcomed as signatory to this Code.
By adhering to the Code, signatories commit to implementing and promoting its principles in their business strategies and operations. The Code’s 10 principles cover the economic, social, cultural and environmental components of tourism. To date, 514 companies and associations from 68 countries have joined this commitment.
“This represents a strong and effective pledge by Valletta Cruise Port to follow a comprehensive set of principles designed to guide key players in tourism development. The code aims to help maximise the sector’s benefits while mitigating any potentially negative impacts on the environment, cultural heritage and communities. At Valletta Cruise Port, we understand that the cruise industry and port activity impacts the local communities in various ways. Valletta Cruise Port, also through the Valletta Waterfront destination, is committed to carrying out its activities responsibly, with the aim of leaving a positive impact on the local community. Furthermore, Valletta Cruise Port is actively involved in the community, and supports a number of honourable causes particularly those with a humanitarian and social impact, in the areas of art and culture, and the environment,” commented Stephen Xuereb, CEO of Valletta Cruise Port and COO of Global Ports Holding.
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Delivering the Experience
At Holland America Line, there is a true passion to delivering the wow behind the food experience aboard, according to Frits van der Werff, vice president, food and beverage.
Case in point, world famous sushi chef Andy Matsuda was set to board the Koningsdam to train chefs working at Tamarind, the line’s Asian-fusion restaurant.
“I have expanded that partnership,” said van der Werff, who joined the company in April. “Rather than just training, he is now going to host cooking classes and two intimate dinners. These are four-course meals paired with wines, and he will explain the dinner in person. It’s all about the wow moment for 20 or 30 guests, they are going to have dinner with Andy Matsuda, their personal chef (for the evening).”
The new hire reports to Michael Smith, senior vice president, guest experience and product development, as well as to Paul Goodwin, executive vice president, onboard revenue and port/shore operations.
Van der Werff has been extremely hands on since coming to Holland America. He was previously at MSC, and also spent time with Norwegian.
“I visit the ships quite a bit,” he said. “Being in Seattle we have three ships homeporting here, and I am onboard every weekend. It is key to have a strong connection with shipboard leadership, staying in touch with what’s really happening.”
In early June, he visited all the fleet’s vessels in Europe.
“It’s hard to tweak from a distance, you have to be in the operation to see it,” he told Cruise Industry News.
Onboard, he visits with all key managers, from food and beverage up to the hotel director, executive chef and more. Other key areas include reviewing provisions against what was ordered.
“I make it a point to meet with everyone, and will even be part of the food tastings,” van der Werff said.
“We are definitely focused on optimizing our revenue outlets and making sure we are delivering the experience,” he said. “At the same time, we need to capitalize on the available space.”
Pinnacle Grille, the company’s iconic steak house, has been turned into a pop venue on select nights, Rudi’s Sel de Mer French Brasserie. Sel de Mer is an alternative restaurant found only on the Konginsdam.
“You can dine twice in the same venue, but have a completely different experience.”
That means an entirely new experience from tableware, to uniforms and ambiance,
Van der Werff described a top-level premium product that appeals to globe-trotting learners.
One movement is making the dinner experience slightly more casual, less table clothes and candles, while still offering a premium product in a 90-minute dining experience.
Excerpt from Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine: Summer 2017
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'I'll stand by him' says ex-Cabinet minister Patricia Hewitt after son is charged with possessing cocaine
By Tamara Cohen for the Daily Mail
Updated: 21:06 EDT, 21 September 2009
Patricia Hewitt spoke up for her son yesterday after he was charged with possessing cocaine.
Police arrested Nicholas Hewitt Birtles a few yards from the £1million family home he shares with the ex-Cabinet minister and his father, a senior judge.
Speaking from the three-storey Victorian townhouse, Miss Hewitt denied she was furious with the 21-year-old over the drugs charges.
Former health secretary Patricia Hewitt and her husband Judge William Birtles: Their son Nicholas Hewitt Birtles was allegedly caught with cocaine
'Absolutely not,' said the former health secretary, 'And I have no further comment to make.'
There was no sign of her son or his father, Judge William Birtles, who has in the past spoken out against drug dealing in their area of Camden, North London.
His son is well known in the area and attended state schools there.
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One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: 'They are a very normal family and I don't think they have had any problems with him [Hewitt Birtles] in the past.
'It is probably something he was experimenting with. He does not have a drug habit, although obviously it is very embarrassing for his parents.'
The youngster, who is a retail sales representative, is understood to have worked as an events organiser for a number of fashionable nightclubs in North London under the banner Bangers and Mashed.
Hewitt Birtles was allegedly caught with the Class A drug near his home on Saturday night with two other men.
Nicholas Hewitt Birtles was arrested in Camden, just yards away from the family's £1m home
After being questioned and DNA-swabbed at Kentish Town police station he was kept in a cell overnight before being charged.
He will appear in court on September 30. If found guilty, he faces up to seven years in prison and an unlimited fine.
Miss Hewitt, Labour MP for Leicester West, has announced she will stand down at the next election to focus on her family and charity work.
Her spokesman said: 'This is a private matter that the family are dealing with.'
Two years ago Hewitt Birtles's father objected to plans for a local late-night pharmacy.
In a letter to council officials the 64-year-old judge said: 'We have a serious drug problem throughout Camden which is well known by the local police.
'We have got dealing at the end of my road. I don't feel it's appropriate for a local pharmacy to do that [provide a needle exchange].'
As health secretary, Miss Hewitt, 60, pledged help for families affected by drug abuse.
In one speech, she said: 'We will continue to reduce the effects of damage caused by the most dangerous drugs by ensuring effective treatment is available.
A source told the Sun newspaper about the arrest of the politician's son.
'A police patrol saw them sitting in the car,' said the source. 'They were not actually taking drugs but their behaviour was not quite right.
They were asked to get out and officers became suspicious that they had been taking drugs.
'They found a small amount of white powder. The paddy wagon was called and the boys were taken to the local station.
'Nicholas was very upset about the embarrassment to his parents.
Police decided to charge Nicholas, but his 22-year-old friend was released on bail.
'Nicholas also had a DNA saliva sample, mug shot and fingerprints taken.
'He may well be the son of a former cabinet minister and judge but he was treated like any criminal suspect.'
In 1997, Justice Secretary Jack Straw's son William was cautioned for selling cannabis to an undercover reporter.
Patricia Hewitt's son charged with cocaine possession
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Passaic woman struck and killed by vehicle while crossing Route 46 in Elmwood Park
A 27-year-old Passaic woman was struck and killed while crossing Route 46 in Elmwood Park Thursday night.
Passaic woman struck and killed by vehicle while crossing Route 46 in Elmwood Park A 27-year-old Passaic woman was struck and killed while crossing Route 46 in Elmwood Park Thursday night. Check out this story on dailyrecord.com: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/elmwood-park/2019/03/07/route-46-closed-elmwood-park-nj-after-pedestrian-hit-car/3099555002/
Joshua Jongsma, North Jersey Record Published 8:58 p.m. ET March 7, 2019 | Updated 1:28 p.m. ET March 8, 2019
Pedestrian killed on Route 46 in Elmwood Park
Route 46 east was closed in Elmwood Park near River Drive and Mill Street after a pedestrian was killed by a truck on Thursday, March 7, 2019. Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com
Police at the scene where a pedestrian was fatally struck by a vehicle that remained on the scene on eastbound Route 46 near Mill Street in Elmwood Park, NJ around 8:15 p.m. on March 7, 2019. Christopher Sadowski/Special to NorthJersey.com
UPDATE: Police ID woman fatally struck by car in Elmwood Park
A 27-year-old woman from Passaic was struck by a truck and killed while crossing Route 46 in Elmwood Park Thursday night, according to Police Chief Michael Foligno.
The woman was hit on the highway near the 7-Eleven by a Ford pick-up truck, Foligno said. There were no other injuries.
Foligno said that no charges are expected to be issued to the driver of the truck, which remained on the scene.
The incident occurred around 8:15 p.m.
Story continues below map.
Route 46 east was closed near Mill Street at about 8:40 p.m., according to 511nj.org, a service of the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Also, exit 157 on the Garden State Parkway north heading toward Route 46 was also closed for the investigation. A detour was set up for exit 154.
Multiple pedestrians were hit by cars and killed in Elmwood Park toward the end of 2018, including some on highways. In December, a man was killed trying to cross River Drive near Route 46. Two people were killed on Broadway near the 7-Eleven and Walgreens, one in September and another in October.
Email: jongsma@northjersey.com
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Investigations into local topics take time and resources. Readers help support these efforts with their subscriptions. Support our journalism and become a subscriber today. Click here for our special offers.
Read or Share this story: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/elmwood-park/2019/03/07/route-46-closed-elmwood-park-nj-after-pedestrian-hit-car/3099555002/
Donations wanted for children of cop charged with killing wife
Judge rules Rockaway Twp. Council overstepped authority
Tests show progress, but no-swim advisory remains at Lake Hopatcong
Rockaway Twp. Council misses deadline to select new member
UPDATE: Newark cop charged with shooting, killing estranged wife
Seven teens in stolen car rammed cop car during chase, police say
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Home/The Scoop/Southampton Town Will Buy Neptune Beach Club, Make It a Museum
Southampton Town Will Buy Neptune Beach Club, Make It a Museum
Brendan J. O'Reilly December 11, 2013
Neptune, the Roman God — not to be confused with Neptune, the beach club.
The Southampton Town Board voted unanimously Tuesday to use the town’s Community Preservation Fund to buy Neptune Beach Club in East Quogue and turn it into a museum and boardwalk.
Neptune Beach Club, where the popular DJ Theo spins each Sunday during the summer, is also known as The Drift on summer Saturday nights. The club has sometimes drawn the ire of its Dune Road neighbors because of noise, traffic and drug arrests.
The owner has agreed to sell the 2.78-acre parcel for $3.2 million. The town further budgeted $1.2 million from the CPF for renovating the building and parking area and for constructing a boardwalk connecting the beach club property to the town’s Tiana Activity Center next door, which was formerly Summers Beach Club.
Councilman Jim Malone pointed out Tuesday that Neptune Beach Club is a historic site. “What’s really important with regard to this property is the record shows that the Neptune Beach Club—that will now be town-owned—is one of the earliest known African-American Coast Guard stations in the nation,” Malone said.
The town board unanimously resolved to include a museum aspect in the renovated building recognizing this history.
The Neptune property is within the town’s Shinnecock Bay Target Preservation Area, a stretch of barrier beach and marshland that the town calls “a key component of the South Shore Reserve Estuary system, one of the largest and most valuable estuaries along the Atlantic seaboard.”
Photos: East Hampton Historical Society House Tour
Southampton's Edith Windsor Finalist for Time Person of the Year
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Lighting the Way with Lighthouse Tour Guide Bob Allen
Dan’s Rosé Soirée Attendee Wins Luxury Trip to Malta
Orient Point Lighthouse Turns 120 Years Old on July 4, 2019
Fine Arts Camp 2: Sculpture
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https://www.darientimes.com/news/community/article/Odyssey-of-the-Mind-team-heading-for-World-Finals-14021717.php
Odyssey of the Mind team heading for World Finals
Dan Arestia
Published 2:33 pm EDT, Thursday, March 30, 2017
Get across the river without getting wet. This was the basis of one of the first ever Odyssey of the Mind challenges given to university students by OM founder Dr. C. Samuel Nicklus (or simply, Dr. Sam to competitors). The problems always urged students to find a creative solution and to take an outside the box approach to problem solving. Build a vehicle without wheels. Design and create a mechanical pie thrower. Since the seventies, Odyssey of the Mind pushes students to be more creative, and has grown in size to include teams and competitors from countries around the world.
Here in Darien, a group of students have distinguished themselves in competition in a very short time. Hindley School fourth graders Caitlin Davidson,John Lazzara, Nicky Lucas, Rajiv Pujara, CJ Schorr, Lauren Zhang, and third grader Maya Pujara represent the town in division one. The team is coached by Elizabeth Lazzara, although she says that the coaching is actually very hands off.
“The kids do everything themselves. It’s all their own original thought,” said Lazzara. There is a rule against assistance from outside the team when solving problems, and the team takes it so seriously that Lazzara said that the team even told her they did not want help setting up their schedule.
The team was born only in the last two years. Lazzara and her son had been in Florida for family reasons for a large part of the year, and the school John attended in Florida had a team. “When we came back, we wanted to continue with Odyssey of the Mind,” Lazzara said, and the team was born.
The team initially had trouble finding a sponsor, with even the school system and boy scouts unable to help. “Someone at the boy scouts suggested we ask the VFW, and within 48 hours they said they would sponsor us,” Lazzara said, and VFW Post 6933 became the team sponsor.
This is only the second year for the team, who frankly did not expect to make it all the way to World Finals.
Teams are given a choice of five long term problems for which they must find a solution. The problem selected by the local team was titled “A Superhero Cliffhanger,” and was described to teams as follows: “Creativity is being taken away from the world, and it is up to Odyssey teams to rescue it! Teams will create and present a humorous performance about an unexpected superhero that encounters three different situations where it must save creativity in some way. The superhero will change appearance when it displays its superpowers and go back to blending in with society when not. The performance will also include a clumsy sidekick, a nemesis character, a choreographed battle, and a cliffhanger ending.” In addition, the team is given a problem the day of the tournament, which had to do with distracting a dragon so the treasure behind the dragon could be reached.
The team performed their solution on March 18th at a CTOM tournament. Lazzara explained that the team did not even actually stay for the medal ceremony at the end, after an exhausting day, thinking that there was no way they could have won. It was not until the next day that the team learned they actually finished in 2nd place. “The team scored a nearly perfect 14.5 out of a possible 15.0 points for humor in their performance. They really had the judges laughing,” Lazzara added. Their finish has won them a place in the World Finals in East Lansing, MI at the end of May. 825 teams from around the world will be travelling to these World Finals to compete.
The students themselves have grown to love the style of problem solving that Odyssey of the Mind is all about. “Some kids are smart because they pay attention in class or maybe they were just born being smart,” said fourth grader John Lazzara, “In Odyssey of the Mind, you don't need brains to do anything. Nothing has to be technical or complicated. You practice being creative.” Teammate Lauren Zhang said, “This program has been a huge help to understanding others' points of view, thinking from different angles, and building up enough teamwork.” The emphasis on creativity and teamwork is a welcome approach to learning for the team members. "None of us could have gotten to World Finals by ourselves. It was clearly a huge team effort,” added John Lazzara.
Coach Lazzara hopes the success of the team will attract more to the program. Not only participants, but coaches well. Lazzara said the level of interest among students is quite high, but teams are limited to between five and seven members. More coaches are needed so that more teams can be formed for all levels of competition. Odyssey of the Mind has programs and problems for students in kindergarten all the way through college bound seniors. Any interested parent, teacher, or volunteer should reach out to Elizabeth Lazzara at elizabeth9875@optonline.net for more information about getting involved.
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County hires new emergency services director
Allie Dean Follow @@dawsonnews
adean@dawsonnews.com
After a restructuring of the department earlier this year, Dawson County Manager David Headley has announced that a new emergency services director has been hired.
Franklin “Danny” Thompson, a 28-year public service veteran, was recently hired to replace Lanier Swafford, who formerly held the joint role of fire chief and emergency services director.
The restructuring divided the role and Swafford retained the title of fire chief.
Thompson, 46, retired from the Sandy Springs Fire Department in 2016 as fire captain and departmental training officer.
According to his resume, he was instrumental in developing a training program for the newly-formed city after joining the department in 2006. As captain he worked to develop a local Traffic Incident Management Team in Sandy Springs and recruited members, facilitated meetings and gained support for the program.
He currently works for Parsons Corporation as a Traffic Incident Management Specialist and is project manager for the South Carolina Department of Transportation Traffic Incident Management and State Highway Emergency Program. There he is responsible for assisting and educating responders statewide in effective safe, quick clearance on all of South Carolina’s interstate and highway systems, overseeing day-to-day operations and managing a $1.7 million budget.
Thompson has also served as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic with the Dawson County emergency services department since 2013 and as captain paramedic with the city of Roswell Fire Department since 2007.
He previously worked as fire captain with the Henry County Fire Department, as well as with the Butts County Fire and Rescue, Butts County Sheriff’s Department and City of McDonough Police.
He has lived in the county for around seven years with his wife Marji and their children.
Thompson said he saw an advertisement for the position and decided that as a Dawson County resident and instructor for police and fire departments across the country, he wanted to make a difference in the place where he lives and where his family calls home.
He also knows most of the employees that he will now supervise, having worked with the county for the past five years.
With extensive experience in public safety and law enforcement, Thompson said it's that background he’ll be pulling from to “mold a rapidly growing county and a rapidly growing fire and EMS department.”
Along with overseeing the day-to-day operations of the department, Thompson summed up the most important tasks he will oversee.
“My job is ensuring we can provide adequate fire suppression for citizens and businesses and provide emergency medical services to residents and visitors to the county, as well as to be sure we’re prepared for any weather related emergencies that come up,” Thompson said.
Thompson will assume the new role May 7.
“We look forward to Director Thompson beginning in his new role in early May,” Headley said. “He is a consummate professional who, I’m confident, will take our emergency services department to new heights alongside the men and women who work so hard every day to provide excellent fire and emergency medical services to our community.”
The restructuring of the department was announced via an email from Headley on Jan. 12.
In the email, Headley stated he had “made several observations regarding the effectiveness” of the current emergency services organizational structure and that he had “seen changes in the administrative functions necessary to support the higher standard of service and responsiveness we have come to expect.
“I am developing an organizational structure designed to increase accountability, more evenly distribute workload and foster collaboration,” the email continues. “The combination of these enhancements will improve emergency services administration and ultimately provide improved service to our residents.”
The email detailed that in Swafford’s new position, he would be in charge of administration and oversee a deputy chief and battalion chiefs.
The deputy chief position has been accepted by Danny Speaks, formerly an assistant chief, who will be in charge of operations and training. Ricky Rexroat, formerly deputy chief of administration, voluntarily resigned Jan. 12.
Headley said April 12 that after former Deputy Chief Tim Satterfield (who is now running for District 3 county commissioner) retired in December, he decided to make some changes to the structure of the department to "have more clarity and diversify the positions."
“This reorganization is not meant to diminish the work currently being performed by our work force, nor devalue those efforts,” Headley’s email reads. “Neither is it intended that any employee lose any future opportunities.”
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A recent decision of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Georgia offers an example of how the Internal Revenue Service may collect income tax from a citizen of another country residing in the United States pursuant to the terms of an income tax treaty. In Dileng v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Service[1] a Federal District Court refused to block the IRS from collecting Danish income tax as requested by the Skatteminsteriet (the “SKAT”) Denmark’s Ministry of Taxation. The SKAT requested the IRS to collect the tax pursuant to the terms of Article 27 (Administrative Assistance), of the 1999 Denmark-USA Income Tax Convention (the “Danish Treaty”).
U.S. income tax treaties typically include an article providing that one Contracting State may assist the other Contracting State in collecting income taxes due the latter. Article 27 of the Danish Treaty provides that the Contracting States “undertake to lend assistance to each other in the collection of taxes referred to in Article 2 (Taxes covered), together with interest, costs, additions to such taxes, and civil penalties [the ‘revenue claim’].” However, assistance is only provided when the competent authority of the requesting Contracting State has certified that the revenue claim has been “finally determined” under its laws. A revenue claim is considered finally determined when the requesting Contracting State “has the right under its internal law to collect the revenue claim and all administrative and judicial rights of the taxpayer to restrain collection in the [requesting] State have lapsed or been exhausted.” Once this is certified, the other Contracting State agrees to collect the revenue claim as though it were its own “in accordance with the laws applicable to the collection of [that] Contracting State's own taxes.” Article 27 also states that it does not create or provide “any rights of administrative or judicial review of the applicant Contracting State's finally determined revenue claim by the [Other] Contracting State, based on any such rights that may be available under the laws of either Contracting State.” Thus, a taxpayer may not seek to raise defenses to the enforcement of the revenue claim in the courts of the Other Contracting State.
Pursuant to the terms of Article 27 of the Danish Treaty, the SKAT requested the IRS to assist it in collecting tax from Torben Dileng, a Danish citizen living in the United States (“Dileng”). The SKAT provided a certification that the Danish tax had been “finally determined” under Danish law. The IRS then filed a notice of levy informing Dileng that the IRS would levy on his assets to collect the Danish tax due. Dileng responded with a Collection Appeal Request stating that he was challenging the tax liability under Danish law. Dileng had filed in Denmark a request for “henstand” -- a request with the Danish parliament to postpone collection of a tax that is otherwise due.
The IRS denied Dileng’s request on the grounds that it was required by the Danish Treaty to collect the tax once it had received a certification from the SKAT. Dileng then filed an action in federal District Court seeking a declaratory judgment that the IRS could not collect the tax until the Danish courts fully and finally adjudicated his tax liability. Dileng also sought to enjoin the IRS from collecting the tax until his case in Denmark is concluded.
The IRS argued that Dileng’s Danish tax liability had been finally determined and that the IRS was required to collect the tax due under the Danish Treaty. The IRS also argued that the district court lacked jurisdiction over Dileng’s claim because the United States generally is immune from suit unless it consents to be sued (sovereign immunity) and the Declaratory Judgment Act, 28 USC § 2201 (the “DJA”) and the Anti-Injunction Act, 26 USC §7421 (the AIA”) bar the court from granting Dileng relief. Dileng argued in response that certain judicial exceptions to the DJA and the AIA applied to allow the district court to hear the case.
The Court’s Analysis
The court first addresses the government’s sovereign immunity argument: that the United States may be sued only if a statute so provides. 28 USC § 1346(a) permits “a civil action against United States for the recovery of any internal revenue tax alleged to have been erroneously or illegally assessed or collected . . . .” Under the Danish Treaty, the Danish tax due is required to be treated as a U.S. income tax. The court reasoned that as the Danish tax has not been erroneously or illegally assessed or collected, section 1346(a) does not create jurisdiction over Dileng’s claim.
The court next turns to Dileng’s argument that certain judicially created exceptions to the DJA or the AIJ apply to permit the court to hear his claim. The court begins by noting that there is “a long-standing Congressional policy excluding various types of federal tax disputes from judicial review.” Thus, federal tax matters may not be the subject of a declaratory judgment under the DJA. Also, under the AIA, “no suit for the purpose of restraining assessment or collection of any tax shall be maintained in any court by any person, whether or not such person is a person against whom such tax was assessed.”[2] A taxpayer generally must pay any tax due and then bring a suit for refund. The principal exception to this general rule is that a taxpayer may bring an action in the Tax Court contesting a tax liability based on a notice of deficiency, which is issued before a tax is assessed and therefore is subject to collection.
The court considers two narrow judicial exceptions to the statutes created by Enochs v. Williams Packing & Nav. Co.[3] and S. Carolina v. Regan.[4] Under Williams Packing, the AIA does not apply if (i) it is clear that under no circumstances could the government ultimately prevail and (ii) equity jurisdiction otherwise exists.
Dileng focused on the first part of the test arguing that the revenue claim was not finally determined under Danish law. The district court notes that Dileng did not challenge the underlying validity of the tax and did not show that under no circumstances could he be found not liable for the taxes in Denmark. The court also notes that to require a U.S. court to determine the status of Denmark’s tax claim against Dileng would violate Article 27 of the Danish Treaty which provides that Article 27 may not be construed as “creating or providing any rights of administrative or judicial review of the applicant State’s finally determined revenue claim . . .”
Although the District Court stated that it would be a violation of Article 27 to evaluate the status of Denmark’s tax claim, the court does address Dileng’s argument based on “henstand.” It finds that it the claim of henstand does not affect Dileng’s obligation to pay the Danish tax due.
Dileng also makes a Due Process argument: the Danish tax may not be collected until Dileng exhausts his administrative remedies. Dileng argues that the Danish court considering his case is the equivalent of the United States Tax Court. He therefore should have the same rights as a U.S. taxpayer to challenge a tax assessment in the Tax Court. The court finds that Dileng “does not provide any authority for his argument that his challenge in the Danish courts is an equivalent procedural posture to that of a challenge by a United States taxpayer to a notice of deficiency in the Tax Court.”
The court next turns to Regan exception to the AIA. This exception is limited to cases where Congress has not provided a plaintiff with an alternative legal means to challenge the validity of a tax. In Regan, South Carolina challenged an amendment to the section of the Internal Revenue Code exempting interest on bonds issued by the states from U.S. federal income tax. The amendment would have limited the exemption to bonds that were issued in registered form. Thus, interest paid on bearer bonds issued by a state would no longer be tax-exempt. The Supreme Court allowed the suit because a state would have no other way of challenging the validity of the statute. A state is not taxable on the interest on the bonds that it issues.
Dileng argued that the Regan exception applied because a challenge of his liability and Danish court was not an “alternative avenue” to challenging his tax liability. The court rejects this argument, inter alia, because to allow a challenge would be a violation of the Danish Treaty, which precludes an action the U.S. courts for relief of Danish tax that is been finally determined.
This case illustrates the mechanical nature of the collection process that is initiated once a Contracting State requests the Other Contracting State to assist it in the collection of a tax liability that has been “finally determined.” A taxpayer with assets in the United States should take action to see that his tax liability has not been finally determined under foreign law if he wishes to avoid a collection action in the United States. One the tax is finally determined, the taxpayer has no defenses under U.S. law to collection of tax by the IRS.
[1] No. 1:15-cv-0177 (N.D. Ga. Jan 15, 2016)
[2] 26 USC §7421(a).
[3] 370 U.S. 1 (1962).
[4] 465 U.S. 367 (1984).
KEYWORD: Income Tax Treaties
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Cuomo’s week of progressive politicking
Former Vice-President Al Gore and Gov. Andrew Cuomo
The governor highlighted his left-wing credentials after news broke of Cynthia Nixon's possible candidacy.
By GRACE SEGERS
Gov. Andrew Cuomo responded to actress Cynthia Nixon’s potential primary challenge with a cackle and a dismissive remark about her prospective campaign being orchestrated by his rival, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. However, his subsequent actions suggest that the governor is worried enough to court progressive factions that have been skeptical of him in the past. Coincidentally or not, Cuomo’s public appearances this week highlighted his progressive accomplishments and goals, from the women’s agenda to voting reform to LGBT issues to the environment.
Nixon has burnished her liberal credentials in New York with activism, primarily on education issues, and she has been critical of Cuomo in the past. Nixon would presumably challenge Cuomo from the left, representing the frustration of voters who believe the governor persistently mistreats New York City out of rivalry de Blasio, is tainted by the corruption trial of his close associate Joe Percoco, and is an impediment to Democratic efforts to retake the state Senate and reduce economic inequality.
On Tuesday, NY1 broke the news that Nixon was consulting with former de Blasio staffers Bill Hyers and Rebecca Katz. The New York Times later reported that Nixon had traveled around the state and was studying up on important issues to New Yorkers, such as New York City’s beleaguered transportation system.
On Wednesday morning, the New York State Democratic Committee sent a press release announcing the launch of a campaign “in support of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2018 women’s agenda.” Cuomo had made his “women’s agenda” a key part of his State of the State and budget addresses. The press release from the Democratic Committee included a laudatory quote from WIN CEO Christine Quinn, the former New York City Council speaker and candidate in the 2013 mayoral primary in which Nixon campaigned for de Blasio. Quinn also released a statement in support of Cuomo later on Wednesday, saying “the idea of anyone questioning his progressive credentials is ludicrous.”
Cuomo also personally addressed the issue during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. He joked that the mayor was putting Nixon up to considering a gubernatorial race, saying “it was probably either the mayor of New York City or Vladimir Putin.” He later dismissed Nixon’s celebrity as a factor, saying that “if it’s just about name recognition, I’m hoping that Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Billy Joel don’t get into the race.”
De Blasio said in a press conference on Wednesday that he had not pushed Nixon to run, but said that he was not surprised that Cuomo might face a primary. “I obviously have real political differences with the governor and I'm very uncomfortable with how he's handled the Republican state Senate and the IDC, for example,” he said, referring to the Independence Democratic Conference, which caucuses with Republicans. Many liberal activists and Albany insiders believe that the IDC would not have defected if Cuomo had put any muscle at all into discouraging or punishing them. The mayor added that “it’s time for Democrats to be Democrats.”
Later that day, Cuomo directly hit back at de Blasio, saying that the two view progressive politics differently. “I don't think progressive politics is a function of rhetoric and words. I think it is a function of results,” Cuomo said.
The governor also emphasized his commitment to gun control on Wednesday, writing an open letter to president Trump urging him to support gun control measures. He also touted the SAFE Act, which passed in 2013 and enacted tougher gun regulations.
Cuomo continued to deploy progressive rhetoric and words on Thursday, holding a conference call with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar to discuss voting reform legislation on the state and federal level which would make political advertising more transparent.
Cuomo allies also came out in full force in support of the governor on Thursday. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the first openly gay congressman from New York, released a statement in support of the governor and recommending that Nixon, who is married to de Blasio aide and LGBT activist Christine Marinoni, “reconsider” any decision to run. “I can say unequivocally that the LGBTQ community has not had a greater champion than Governor Cuomo,” Maloney said. “Simply put, I owe my marriage to leaders like Andrew Cuomo,” he added, referring to Cuomo advocating for and signing the Marriage Equality Law in 2011.
Cuomo’s week of progressive politicking concluded with an event with former Vice President Al Gore, a prominent environmental activist, where attendees were provided with posters that said “Thank you, Governor Cuomo.” The gathering was ostensibly to announce a formal request to exclude New York-area waters from federal leasing for offshore oil and gas drilling, but Cuomo criticized the Trump administration’s policies more broadly, discussing health care and the proposed border wall with Mexico. When Gore spoke, his opening joke was about an Italian-American president, and he praised Cuomo’s “extraordinary environmental leadership.”
Both Cuomo and de Blasio are both angling for the national spotlight, and are considered potential 2020 presidential candidates. This week, it seemed as if Cuomo was attempting to earn the crown of most progressive politician in the state, perhaps signalling to Nixon and de Blasio to back down.
Updated: 5 things to know about Cynthia Nixon
Grace Segers
is City & State’s digital reporter. She writes daily content on New York City and New York state politics.
@grace_segers
The Queens DA recount by the numbers
By JEFF COLTIN
The 2019 Manhattan Power 100
By CITY & STATE
The 2019 Manhattan Power 100; 6 - 35
Scott Stringer, millennial for mayor
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A redlining map of Oakland. University of Richmond
Childhood Asthma: A Lingering Effect of Redlining
New research shows that disparities in housing contribute to disparities in one of the most common chronic diseases afflicting children.
In the 1930s, a New Deal agency produced notorious maps to signal the credit worthiness of neighborhoods for mortgage lenders looking to refinance homes. These redlining maps color-coded predominantly African American neighborhoods as “hazardous,” indicating a high credit risk. Decades later, the “hazardous” warnings appear to be literally true.
A new study finds that people who live in historically redlined neighborhoods are more than twice as likely as others to go to the emergency room for asthma. The new research from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, San Francisco, links decades of residential segregation to new findings of environmental racism. Disparities in housing contribute to disparities in the morbidity of asthma—one of the most common chronic diseases afflicting children.
The study examined historic redlining maps produced by the government-sponsored Home Owners’ Loan Corporation for eight cities in California (San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland, Sacramento, Stockton, Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Diego). Researchers led by Anthony Nardone, a medical student from the universities’ Joint Medical Program, compared the risk ratings with the number of emergency room visits for asthma for corresponding census tracts. Residents of redlined “high-risk” neighborhoods were 2.4 times more likely to go to the ER for asthma than residents of green “low-risk” areas.
Left: HOLC redlining maps for San Francisco and Oakland. Right: Emergency room visits for asthma complaints per 10,000 residents per census tract. (Anthony Nardone/University of California, Berkeley)
Historically redlined neighborhoods also exhibited much higher amounts of diesel particulate matter in the air, according to the study. The researchers compared air quality ratings for each census tract in these eight California cities using a state data mapping tool.
Asthma is an especially pernicious symptom of racial segregation.
Last year, the researchers at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Center for Environmental Assessment concluded that people of color are far more likely to breathe polluted air than their white counterparts. Majority-black neighborhoods are more likely to be located near sources of pollution, according to a study that examined living patterns at “national, state, and county scales.”
Racial segregation is linked to disparities in education, safety, and wealth. The persistence of these effects over many decades—the Fair Housing Act banning discrimination in lending was passed more than 50 years ago—leads to generational gaps in outcomes.
Confronting the Myths of Segregation
Tanvi Misra
But this new research shows that segregation means more than opportunities deferred or denied. Environmental racism is a present danger for communities of color. As a chronic disease that affects more children than adults, asthma is an especially pernicious symptom of racial segregation—a threat to health and wellbeing, but also an impediment to growth, education, and development.
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In your Area ›
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EUROPEAN WILDLIFE ESTATES LABEL
The CLA is considering its involvement in the European Wildlife Estates Label - a European Landowners Organization) initiative intended to promote the good environmental management carried out by(mainly) sporting estates across the EU by means of an evaluation system.
The CLA is discussing the merits of participating in Wildlife Estates at English and Welsh level and more particularly whether a working group should be established to explore the matter in more detail.
The aim of the Wildlife Estates Label is to establish a “network of exemplary estates” that demonstrate the good management and conservation practices associated with hunting practices (in the European sense of the word). The link to the website is http://www.wildlife-estates.eu/
The Wildlife Estates Label is gaining traction in other EU Member States and a number of English estates, including Buccleuch and Holkham, are keen to explore the advantages and disadvantages of implementing it here.
Therefore, a working group is being created of interested members, with Viscount Coke as chairman, supported by a staff secretariat, to consider the issues in more detail.
The basic principle of the Wildlife Estates Label is fairly straightforward. It operates on the basis of a two level structure. The first level involves the estate self-certifying that it meets certain basic standards set out in the Wildlife Estates Charter, including the drafting of a management plan. .
The second level involves the establishment of a national evaluation committee. This committee defines the conservation value of the biodiversity and management practices found in its territory by means of a number of indicators. Estates complete a questionnaire based on the committee’s indicators, and if they meet enough of them they qualify for the Wildlife Estates Label.
The Wildlife Estates Label is not aimed at all landowners. As the name suggests it is primarily intended for estates, particularly those with significant sporting interests.
There are two levels to be completed by any applicant before they can qualify for theWildlife Estates Label:
Level 1 is signing the WE Label-Charter, gaining access to the WE Label Network; and,
Level 2, which consists of completing the WE Label Questionnaire.
National Delegations will provide applicants with the WE Label-Application form which contains both the WE Label-Charter and the WE Label-Questionnaire, and will be available for any assistance that might be required throughout the application process.
Level 1 – Commitment to the Wildlife Estates Charter
Level 1 involves the owner making a commitment to observe the principles set out in the Wildlife Estates Charter. This comes in the form of a ten-point pledge that commits landowners/managers to sustainable practices on their estate:
(1) Identifying a manager and supervisor of the estate concerned;
(2) Undertaking active wildlife management following a long-term integrated wildlife management plan;
(3) Maintaining records and monitoring the implementation of the wildlife management plan;
(4) Undertaking sustainable shooting, stalking and/or fishing;
(5) Managing for a sustainable balance of game and wildlife and their shared habitats;
(6) Improving, whenever possible, biodiversity and species protection, notably those favourable to pollinators;
(7) Compliance with all legal requirements, relevant National codes of practice and European Environmental legislation (for example, Natura 2000);
(8) Adhering to the requirements of the Agreement between Birdlife International and FACE on Directive 79/409/EEC the European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity and the EU Commission’s Guide on Hunting under the Birds Directive;
(9) Maintaining active engagement with local communities and undertaking education/awareness raising activities; and,
(10) To make the required effort to apply for Level 2 Accreditation process within 2 years.
These are the founding principles of the Wildlife Estates Label philosophy and apply to all National Delegations. They all look relatively straightforward apart from the need to have a management plan covering landscape, habitat and species, which could be seen as being quite onerous.
Level 2- Wildlife Estates Label
Level 2 involves the owner obtaining the Wildlife Estates Label itself.
Applicants are assessed on the information they provide by completing the WE Label Questionnaire, which has been developed on a set of general and specific criteria according to different countries and climatic regions. These “biogeographic” regions each possess a unique blend of vegetation, climate and geology. Based on these criteria, different aspects of the economic activities, land management practices and their impact on nature and biodiversity are assessed and awarded a score.
The WE Label Questionnaire covers all aspects of the property based on the parameters for each biogeographical region. It aims to collect all the relevant information about the property, the economic activities carried out, the plans for improving the property and measures taken to enhance biodiversity.
Applicants are required to submit the management plans of the activities carried out on the estate (i.e. agriculture, forestry and hunting) together with the WE Label Questionnaire. The questionnaire is structured in a way that the applicant can easily fill out. It is separated into 2 main parts: GENERIC and SPECIFIC indicators. This requires the creation, at Member State level, of an “evaluation committee” composed of at least three experts chosen because of their expertise in the field of biodiversity, wildlife and land management. There is a presumption that these experts will represent the spectrum of stakeholder views, including pro hunting interests, green NGOs and public bodies, thus ensuring its credibility.
The committee is appointed through the “national liaison office”. This is generally the ELO member in the Member State concerned, so in England and Wales it would be the CLA. However, in France and Belgium the equivalents of Natural England have agreed to take the lead in establishing the committee. In Portugal the equivalent body has also agreed to pay for it.
The evaluation committee’s initial role is to adapt the generic questionnaire and evaluation methodology to national conditions.
Wildlife Estates has prepared a generic evaluation grid for each bio-geographical region in the EU. In the UK the “Atlantic grid” will apply. Each of these grids consists of a number of general indicators against which management standards can be assessed on the basis of a points system.
The maximum number of points is 300, with 210 points constituting a pass.
The national evaluation committee takes each of the general indicators and defines them at national level. For example it will define what constitute valuable fauna and efficient keepering.
If the evaluation committee and the national liaison office think that the applicant has obtained sufficient points, the application has is forwarded on to the European Jury appointed by the ELO which makes the final decision. If it is satisfied it awards the label.
The ELO has advised that wide scale participation in the Wildlife Estates Label will put the CLA in good stead with the Commission and will increase compliance with greening measures under the CAP. It already has the support of DG Environment, the IUCN and RISE.
In any event it will be a positive for landowning organisations to be able to set out how much biodiversity Europe's estates provide. This is likely to become more significant as EU policy continues to shift from concentrating on N2K sites and looks to protecting the biodiversity outside them.
Scottish Land and Estates have established the Wildlife Estates Label in Scotland in tandem with the Cairngorms National Park and the SRSPB.
The main concern is that in the absence of any direct incentive or threat, most estates will not sign up as there is no reason for doing so. If this was the case there is a danger that Wildlife Estates Label will be discredited with landowners perceived as indifferent to biodiversity.
The CLA has asked Natural England for its views. NE will not support something that just accepts the status quo. To gain support there would need to be some additionality, the objective being to bring about an overall improvement in biodiversity.
The Director General of the European Landowners Organization recently told CLA Policy Committee the principles of the European Wildlife Estates label. He noted that the concept of the label was to make the link between biodiversity and estates and that it is a public-private partnership. Through the greater opportunities for landowners to influence land management and sustainability through the WE label it was possible to reduce the regulatory impact of wildlife and environmental legislation.
CLA MEMBER SERVICES
The following services have been set up especially to meet the needs of our members.
CLA FOREIGN EXCHANGE SERVICES
CLA's exclusive insurance provider delivers a wide range of products for your home, motor vehicles, estate, farm, land or business.
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Biography of
17 dec 1770(Bonn) - 26 mar 1827(Vienna)
Buy sheetmusic from Beethoven at SheetMusicPlus
A portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler, 1820
Ludwig van Beethoven (pronounced /ˈlʊdvɪɡ væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən/ (US) or /ˈbeɪt.hoʊvən/ (UK); German: [ˈluːtvɪç fan ˈbeːt.hoːfn̩] ( listen); baptised 17 December 1770[1] – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is considered to have been the most crucial figure in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music, and remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.
Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation in present-day Germany, he moved to Vienna in his early twenties and settled there, studying with Joseph Haydn and quickly gaining a reputation as a virtuoso pianist. His hearing began to deteriorate in the late 1790s, yet he continued to compose, conduct, and perform, even after becoming completely deaf.
1.1 Background and early life
1.2 Establishing his career in Vienna
1.3 Musical maturity
1.4 Loss of hearing
1.5 Patronage
1.6 The Middle period
1.7 Personal and family difficulties
1.8 Custody struggle and illness
1.9 Late works
1.10 Illness and death
2.1 Religious views
3.2 The three periods
4 Beethoven on screen
9.1 Digitized, scanned material (books, sheetmusic)
9.1.1 Sheetmusic (scores)
9.2 Historical recordings
9.3 General reference
9.4 Specific topics
Background and early life
Prince-Elector's Palace (Kurfürstliches Schloss) in Bonn, where the Beethoven family had been active since the 1730s
House of birth, Bonn, Bonngasse 20, now the Beethoven-Haus museum
Beethoven was the grandson of a musician of Flemish origin named Lodewijk van Beethoven (1712–1773).[2] Beethoven was named after his grandfather, as Lodewijk is the Dutch cognate of Ludwig. Beethoven's grandfather was employed as a bass singer at the court of the Elector of Cologne, rising to become Kapellmeister (music director). He had one son, Johann van Beethoven (1740–1792), who worked as a tenor in the same musical establishment, also giving lessons on piano and violin to supplement his income.[2] Johann married Maria Magdalena Keverich in 1767; she was the daughter of Johann Heinrich Keverich, who had been the head chef at the court of the Archbishopric of Trier.[3]
Beethoven was born of this marriage in Bonn; he was baptized in a Roman Catholic service on 17 December 1770, and was probably born the previous day, 16 December.[4] Children of that era were usually baptized the day after birth, and it is known that Beethoven's family and his teacher Johann Albrechtsberger celebrated his birthday on 16 December. While this evidence supports the case for 16 December 1770 as Beethoven's date of birth, it cannot be stated with certainty, as there is no documentary evidence of it (only his baptismal record survives).[5][6] Of the seven children born to Johann van Beethoven, only the second-born, Ludwig, and two younger brothers survived infancy. Caspar Anton Carl was born on 8 April 1774, and Nikolaus Johann, the youngest, was born on 2 October 1776.[7]
Beethoven's first music teacher was his father. A traditional belief concerning Johann van Beethoven is that he was a harsh instructor, and that the child Beethoven, "made to stand at the keyboard, was often in tears".[2] However, the New Grove indicates that there is no solid documentation to support it, and asserts that "speculation and myth-making have both been productive."[2] Beethoven had other local teachers as well: the court organist Gilles van den Eeden (d. 1782), Tobias Friedrich Pfeiffer (a family friend, who taught Beethoven piano), and a relative, Franz Rovantini (violin and viola).[2] His musical talent manifested itself early. Johann, aware of Leopold Mozart's successes in this area (with son Wolfgang and daughter Nannerl), attempted to exploit his son as a child prodigy, claiming that Beethoven was six (he was seven) on the posters for Beethoven's first public performance in March 1778.[8]
Some time after 1779, Beethoven began his studies with his most important teacher in Bonn, Christian Gottlob Neefe, who was appointed the Court's Organist in that year.[9] Neefe taught Beethoven composition, and by March 1783 had helped him write his first published composition: a set of keyboard variations (WoO 63).[7] Beethoven soon began working with Neefe as assistant organist, first on an unpaid basis (1781), and then as paid employee (1784) of the court chapel conducted by the Kapellmeister Andrea Luchesi. His first three piano sonatas, named "Kurfürst" ("Elector") for their dedication to the Elector Maximilian Frederick, were published in 1783. Maximilian Frederick, who died in 1784, not long after Beethoven's appointment as assistant organist, had noticed Beethoven's talent early, and had subsidized and encouraged the young Beethoven's musical studies.[10]
A portrait of the 13-year-old Beethoven by an unknown Bonn master (c. 1783)
Maximilian Frederick's successor as the Elector of Bonn was Maximilian Franz, the youngest son of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, and he brought notable changes to Bonn. Echoing changes made in Vienna by his brother Joseph, he introduced reforms based on Enlightenment philosophy, with increased support for education and the arts. The teenage Beethoven was almost certainly influenced by these changes. He may also have been strongly influenced at this time by ideas prominent in freemasonry, as Neefe and others around Beethoven were members of the local chapter of the Order of the Illuminati.[11]
In March 1787 Beethoven traveled to Vienna (it is unknown at whose expense) for the first time, apparently in the hope of studying with Wolfgang Mozart. The details of their relationship are uncertain, including whether or not they actually met.[12] After just two weeks there Beethoven learned that his mother was severely ill, and he was forced to return home. His mother died shortly thereafter, and the father lapsed deeper into alcoholism. As a result, Beethoven became responsible for the care of his two younger brothers, and he spent the next five years in Bonn.[13]
Beethoven was introduced to a number of people who became important in his life in these years. Franz Wegeler, a young medical student, introduced him to the von Breuning family (one of whose daughters Wegeler eventually married). Beethoven was often at the von Breuning household, where he was exposed to German and classical literature, and where he also gave piano instruction to some of the children. The von Breuning family environment was also less stressful than his own, which was increasingly dominated by his father's strict control and descent into alcoholism.[14] It is also in these years that Beethoven came to the attention of Count Ferdinand von Waldstein, who became a lifelong friend and financial supporter.[15]
In 1789 he obtained a legal order by which half of his father's salary was paid directly to him for support of the family.[16] He also contributed further to the family's income by playing viola in the court orchestra. This familiarized Beethoven with a variety of operas, including three of Mozart's operas performed at court in this period. He also befriended Anton Reicha, a flautist and violinist of about his own age who was the conductor's nephew.[17]
Establishing his career in Vienna
With the Elector's help, Beethoven moved to Vienna in 1792.[18] He was probably first introduced to Joseph Haydn in late 1790, when the latter was traveling to London and stopped in Bonn around Christmas time.[19] They met in Bonn on Haydn's return trip from London to Vienna in July 1792, and it is likely that arrangements were made at that time for Beethoven to study with the old master.[20] In the intervening years, Beethoven composed a significant number of works (none were published at the time, and most are now listed as works without opus) that demonstrated a growing range and maturity of style. Musicologists have identified a theme similar to those of his third symphony in a set of variations written in 1791.[21] Beethoven left Bonn for Vienna in November 1792, amid rumors of war spilling out of France, and learned shortly after his arrival that his father had died.[22][23] Count Waldstein in his farewell note to Beethoven wrote: "Through uninterrupted diligence you will receive Mozart's spirit through Haydn's hands."[23] Beethoven responded to the widespread feeling that he was a successor to the recently deceased Mozart over the next few years by studying that master's work and writing works with a distinctly Mozartean flavor.[24]
Portrait of Beethoven as a young man by Carl Traugott Riedel (1769–1832)
Beethoven did not immediately set out to establish himself as a composer, but rather devoted himself to study and to playing the piano. Working under Haydn's direction,[25] he sought to master counterpoint. He also took violin lessons from Ignaz Schuppanzigh.[26] Early in this period, he also began receiving occasional instruction from Antonio Salieri, primarily in Italian vocal composition style; this relationship persisted until at least 1802, and possibly 1809.[27] With Haydn's departure for England in 1794, Beethoven was expected by the Elector to return home. He chose instead to remain in Vienna, continuing his instruction in counterpoint with Johann Albrechtsberger and other teachers. Although his stipend from the Elector expired, a number of Viennese noblemen had already recognized his ability and offered him financial support, among them Prince Joseph Franz Lobkowitz, Prince Karl Lichnowsky, and Baron Gottfried van Swieten.[28]
By 1793, Beethoven established a reputation as an improviser in the salons of the nobility, often playing the preludes and fugues of J. S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier.[29] His friend Nikolaus Simrock had also begun publishing his compositions; the first are believed to be a set of variations (WoO 66).[30] Beethoven spent much of 1794 composing. By 1793, he had established a reputation in Vienna as a piano virtuoso, but he apparently withheld works from publication so that their publication in 1795 would have greater impact.[28] Beethoven's first public performance in Vienna was in March 1795, a concert in which he debuted a piano concerto. It is uncertain whether this was the First or Second, as documentary evidence is unclear, and both concertos were in a similar state of near-completion (neither was completed or published for several years).[31][32] Shortly after this performance, he arranged for the publication of the first of his compositions to which he assigned an opus number, the piano trios of Opus 1. These works were dedicated to his patron Prince Lichnowsky,[31] and were a financial success; Beethoven's profits were nearly sufficient to cover his living expenses for a year.[33]
Musical maturity
Between 1798 and 1802 Beethoven tackled what he considered the pinnacles of composition: the string quartet and the symphony. With the composition of his first six string quartets (Op. 18) between 1798 and 1800 (written on commission for, and dedicated to, Prince Lobkowitz), and their publication in 1801, along with premieres of the First and Second Symphonies in 1800 and 1802, Beethoven was justifiably considered one of the most important of a generation of young composers following after Haydn and Mozart. He continued to write in other forms, turning out widely known piano sonatas like the "Pathétique" sonata (Op. 13), which Cooper describes as "surpass[ing] any of his previous compositions, in strength of character, depth of emotion, level of originality, and ingenuity of motivic and tonal manipulation".[34] He also completed his Septet (Op. 20) in 1799, which was one of his most popular works during his lifetime.
Beethoven in 1803, painted by Christian Horneman
For the premiere of his First Symphony, Beethoven hired the Burgtheater on 2 April 1800, and staged an extensive program of music, including works by Haydn and Mozart, as well as the Septet, the First Symphony, and one of his piano concertos (the latter three works all then unpublished). The concert, which the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung described as "the most interesting concert in a long time", was not without difficulties; among other criticisms was that "the players did not bother to pay any attention to the soloist".[35]
While Mozart and Haydn were undeniable influences (for example, Beethoven's quintet for piano and winds is said to bear a strong resemblance to Mozart's work for the same configuration, albeit with his own distinctive touches),[36] other composers like Muzio Clementi were also stylistic influences[citation needed]. Beethoven's melodies, musical development, use of modulation and texture, and characterization of emotion all set him apart from his influences, and heightened the impact some of his early works made when they were first published.[37] By the end of 1800 Beethoven and his music were already much in demand from patrons and publishers.[38]
Ludwig van Beethoven: detail of an 1804 portrait by W. J. Mähler. The complete painting depicts Beethoven with a lyre-guitar
In May of 1799, Beethoven gave piano lessons to the daughters of Hungarian Countess Anna Brunsvik. While this round of lessons lasted less than one month, Beethoven formed a relationship with the older daughter Josephine that has been the subject of speculation ever since. Shortly after these lessons she married Count Josef Deym, and Beethoven was a regular visitor at their house, giving lessons and playing at parties. While her marriage was by all accounts unhappy, the couple had four children, and her relationship with Beethoven did not intensify until after Deym died in 1804.[39]
Beethoven had few other students. From 1801 to 1805, he tutored Ferdinand Ries, who went on to become a composer and later wrote Beethoven remembered, a book about their encounters. The young Carl Czerny studied with Beethoven from 1801 to 1803. Czerny went on to become a renowned music teacher himself, taking on Franz Liszt as one of his students, and also gave the Vienna premiere of Beethoven's fifth piano concerto (the "Emperor") in 1812.
Beethoven's compositions between 1800 and 1802 were dominated by two works, although he continued to produce smaller works, including the Moonlight Sonata. In the spring of 1801 he completed The Creatures of Prometheus, a ballet. The work was such a success that it received numerous performances in 1801 and 1802, and Beethoven rushed to publish a piano arrangement to capitalize on its early popularity.[40] In the spring of 1802 he completed the Second Symphony, intended for performance at a concert that was eventually cancelled. The symphony received its premiere at a subscription concert in April 1803 at the Theater an der Wien, where Beethoven had been appointed as composer in residence. In addition to the Second Symphony, the concert also featured the First Symphony, the Third Piano Concerto, and the oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives. While reviews were mixed, the concert was a financial success; Beethoven was able to charge three times the cost of a typical concert ticket.[41]
Beethoven's business dealings with publishers also began to improve in 1802 when his brother Carl, who had previously assisted him more casually, began to assume a larger role in the management of his affairs. In addition to negotiating higher prices for recently composed works, Carl also began selling some of Beethoven's earlier unpublished works, and encouraged Beethoven (against the latter's preference) to also make arrangements and transcriptions of his more popular works for other instrument combinations. Beethoven acceded to these requests, as he could not prevent publishers from hiring others to do similar arrangements of his works.[42]
Around 1796, Beethoven began to lose his hearing.[43] He suffered a severe form of tinnitus, a "ringing" in his ears that made it hard for him to perceive and appreciate music; he also avoided conversation. The cause of Beethoven's deafness is unknown, but it has variously been attributed to syphilis, lead poisoning, typhus, auto-immune disorder (such as systemic lupus erythematosus), and even his habit of immersing his head in cold water to stay awake. The explanation, from the autopsy of the time, is that he had a "distended inner ear" which developed lesions over time. Because of the high levels of lead found in samples of Beethoven's hair, that hypothesis has been extensively analyzed. While the likelihood of lead poisoning is very high, the deafness associated with it seldom takes the form that Beethoven exhibited.
Beethoven in 1815
As early as 1801, Beethoven wrote to friends describing his symptoms and the difficulties they caused in both professional and social settings (although it is likely some of his close friends were already aware of the problems).[44] Beethoven, on the advice of his doctor, lived in the small Austrian town of Heiligenstadt, just outside Vienna, from April to October 1802 in an attempt to come to terms with his condition. There he wrote his Heiligenstadt Testament, which records his resolution to continue living for and through his art.[45] Over time, his hearing loss became profound: there is a well-attested story that, at the end of the premiere of his Ninth Symphony, he had to be turned around to see the tumultuous applause of the audience; hearing nothing, he wept.[46] Beethoven's hearing loss did not prevent his composing music, but it made playing at concerts—a lucrative source of income—increasingly difficult. After a failed attempt in 1811 to perform his own Piano Concerto No. 5 (the "Emperor"), which was premiered by his student Carl Czerny, he never performed in public again.
A large collection of Beethoven's hearing aids such as a special ear horn can be viewed at the Beethoven House Museum in Bonn, Germany. Despite his obvious distress, Carl Czerny remarked that Beethoven could still hear speech and music normally until 1812.[47] By 1814 however, Beethoven was almost totally deaf, and when a group of visitors saw him play a loud arpeggio of thundering bass notes at his piano remarking, "Ist es nicht schön?" (Is it not beautiful?), they felt deep sympathy considering his courage and sense of humor (he lost the ability to hear higher frequencies first). [48]
As a result of Beethoven's hearing loss, a unique historical record has been preserved: his conversation books. Used primarily in the last ten or so years of his life, his friends wrote in these books so that he could know what they were saying, and he then responded either orally or in the book. The books contain discussions about music and other issues, and give insights into his thinking; they are a source for investigation into how he felt his music should be performed, and also his perception of his relationship to art. Unfortunately, 264 out of a total of 400 conversation books were destroyed (and others were altered) after Beethoven's death by Anton Schindler, in his attempt to paint an idealized picture of the composer.[49]
Beethoven's patron, Archduke Rudolph
While Beethoven earned income from publication of his works and from public performances, he also depended on the generosity of patrons for income, for whom he gave private performances and copies of works they commissioned for an exclusive period prior to their publication. Some of his early patrons, including Prince Lobkowitz and Prince Lichnowsky, gave him annual stipends in addition to commissioning works and purchasing published works.
Perhaps Beethoven's most important aristocratic patron was Archduke Rudolph, the youngest son of Emperor Leopold II, who in 1803 or 1804 began to study piano and composition with Beethoven. The cleric (Cardinal-Priest) and the composer became friends, and their meetings continued until 1824. Beethoven dedicated 14 compositions to Rudolph, including the Archduke Trio (1811) and his great Missa Solemnis (1823). Rudolph, in turn, dedicated one of his own compositions to Beethoven. The letters Beethoven wrote to Rudolph are today kept at the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna.
In the Autumn of 1808, after having been rejected for a position at the royal theatre, Beethoven received an offer from Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte, then king of Westphalia, for a well-paid position as Kapellmeister at the court in Cassel. To persuade him to stay in Vienna, the Archduke Rudolph, Prince Kinsky and Prince Lobkowitz, after receiving representations from the composer's friends, pledged to pay Beethoven a pension of 4000 florins a year. Only Archduke Rudolph paid his share of the pension on the agreed date. Kinsky, immediately called to duty as an officer, did not contribute and soon died after falling from his horse. Lobkowitz stopped paying in September 1811. No successors came forward to continue the patronage, and Beethoven relied mostly on selling composition rights and a small pension after 1815. The effects of these financial arrangements were undermined to some extent by war with France, which caused significant inflation when the government printed money to fund its war efforts.
The Middle period
Beethoven Monument in Bonn, Muensterplatz
Beethoven's return to Vienna from Heiligenstadt was marked by a change in musical style, now recognized as the start of his "Middle" or "Heroic" period. According to Carl Czerny, Beethoven said, "I am not satisfied with the work I have done so far. From now on I intend to take a new way".[50] The first major work of this new way was the Third Symphony in E flat, known as the "Eroica". While other composers had written symphonies with implied programs, or stories, this work was longer and larger in scope than any previously written symphony. When it premiered in early 1805 it received a mixed reception, with some listeners objecting to its length or failing to understand its structure, while others viewed it as another masterpiece.[51]
Beethoven composed highly ambitious works throughout the Middle period, often heroic in tone, that extended the scope of the classical musical language Beethoven had inherited from Haydn and Mozart. The Middle period work includes the Third through Eighth Symphonies, the string quartets 7–11, the "Waldstein" and "Appassionata" piano sonatas, Christ on the Mount of Olives, the opera Fidelio, the Violin Concerto and many other compositions. During this time Beethoven earned his living from the sale and performance of his work, and from the continuing support of wealthy patrons. His position at the Theater an der Wien was terminated when the theater changed management in early 1804, and he was forced to move temporarily to the suburbs of Vienna with his friend Stephan von Breuning. This slowed work on Fidelio, his largest work to date, for a time. It was delayed again by the Austrian censor, and finally premiered in November 1805 to houses that were nearly empty because of the French occupation of the city. In addition to being a financial failure, this version of Fidelio was also a critical failure, and Beethoven began revising it.[52]
The string quartets composed during the Middle period are Op. 59 no 1, Op 59 no 2, Op 59 no 3 (The Razumowski quartets), Op. 74 (the Harp) and Op 95. Beethoven's publisher said that the world was not ready for the middle quartets. The slow movement of Op. 59 no 2 has been described as the closest Beethoven got to heaven. Even Beethoven said that the Op. 95 quartet was not suitable for public performance.
The work of the Middle period established Beethoven's reputation as a great composer. In a review from 1810, he was enshrined by E. T. A. Hoffmann as one of the three great "Romantic" composers; Hoffman called Beethoven's Fifth Symphony "one of the most important works of the age". A particular trauma for Beethoven occurred during this period in May 1809, when the attacking forces of Napoleon bombarded Vienna. According to Ferdinand Ries, Beethoven, very worried that the noise would destroy what remained of his hearing, hid in the basement of his brother's house, covering his ears with pillows.[53] He was composing the "Emperor" Concerto at the time.
Personal and family difficulties
Beethoven was introduced to Giulietta Guicciardi in about 1800 through the Brunsvik family. His mutual love-relationship with Guicciardi is mentioned in a November 1801 letter to his boyhood friend, Franz Wegeler. Beethoven dedicated to Giulietta his Sonata No. 14, popularly known as the "Moonlight" Sonata. Marriage plans were thwarted by Giulietta's father and perhaps Beethoven's common lineage. In 1803 she married Count Wenzel Robert von Gallenberg (1783–1839), himself an amateur composer.
Beethoven's relationship with Josephine Deym notably deepened after the death of her first husband in 1804. There is some evidence that Beethoven may have proposed to her, at least informally. While the relationship was apparently reciprocated, she, with some regret, turned him down, and their relationship effectively ended in 1807. She cited her "duty", an apparent reference to the fact that she was born of nobility and he was a commoner.[54] It is also likely that he considered proposing (whether he actually did or not is unknown) to Therese Malfatti, the dedicatee of "Für Elise" in 1810; his common status may also have interfered with those plans.
Life mask made in 1812
In the spring of 1811 Beethoven became seriously ill, suffering headaches and bad fevers. On the advice of his doctor, he spent six weeks in the Bohemian spa town of Teplitz. The following winter, which was dominated by work on the Seventh symphony, he was again ill, and decided to spend the summer of 1812 at Teplitz. It is likely that he was at Teplitz when he wrote three love letters to an "Immortal Beloved".[55] While the identity of the intended recipient is an ongoing subject of debate, the most likely candidate, according to what is known about people's movements and the contents of the letters, is Antonie Brentano, a married woman with whom he had begun a friendship in 1810.[56][57] Beethoven traveled to Karlsbad in late July, where he stayed in the same guesthouse as the Brentanos. After traveling with them for a time, he returned to Teplitz, where after another bout of gastric illness, he left for Linz to visit his brother Johann.[58]
Beethoven's visit to his brother was made in an attempt to end the latter's immoral cohabitation with Therese Obermayer, a woman who already had an illegitimate child. He was unable to convince Johann to end the relationship, so he appealed to the local civic and religious authorities. The end result of Beethoven's meddling was that Johann and Therese married on 9 November.[58]
Beethoven in 1814. Portrait by Louis-René Létronne.
In early 1813 Beethoven apparently went through a difficult emotional period, and his compositional output dropped for a time. Historians have suggested a variety of causes, including his lack of success at romance. His personal appearance, which had generally been neat, degraded, as did his manners in public, especially when dining. Some of his (married) desired romantic partners had children (leading to assertions among historians of Beethoven's possible paternity), and his brother Carl was seriously ill. Beethoven took care of his brother and his family, an expense that he claimed left him penniless. He was unable to obtain a date for a concert in the spring of 1813, which, if successful, would have provided him with significant funds.
Beethoven was finally motivated to begin significant composition again in June 1813, when news arrived of the defeat of one of Napoleon's armies at Vitoria, Spain, by a coalition of forces under the Duke of Wellington. This news stimulated him to write the battle symphony known as Wellington's Victory. It was premiered on 8 December at a charity concert for victims of the war along with his Seventh Symphony. The work was a popular hit, likely because of its programmatic style which was entertaining and easy to understand. It received repeat performances at concerts Beethoven staged in January and February 1814. Beethoven's renewed popularity led to demands for a revival of Fidelio, which, in its third revised version, was also well-received when it opened in July. That summer he also composed a piano sonata for the first time in five years (No. 27, Opus 90). This work was in a markedly more Romantic style than his earlier sonatas. He was also one of many composers who produced music in a patriotic vein to entertain the many heads of state and diplomats that came to the Congress of Vienna that began in November 1814. His output of songs included his only song cycle, "An die ferne Geliebte", and the extraordinarily expressive, but almost incoherent, "An die Hoffnung" (Opus 94).
Custody struggle and illness
Between 1815 and 1817 Beethoven's output dropped again. Part of this Beethoven attributed to a lengthy illness (he called it an "inflammatory fever") that afflicted him for more than a year, starting in October 1816.[59] Biographers have speculated on a variety of other reasons that also contributed to the decline in creative output, including the difficulties in the personal lives of his would-be paramours and the harsh censorship policies of the Austrian government. The illness and death of his brother Carl from consumption likely also played a role.
Beethoven in 1818 by August Klöber
Carl had been ill for some time, and Beethoven spent a small fortune in 1815 on his care. When he finally died on 15 November 1815, Beethoven immediately became embroiled in a protracted legal dispute with Carl's wife Johanna over custody of their son Karl, then nine years old. Beethoven, who considered Johanna an unfit parent because of her morals (she had an illegitimate child by a different father before marrying Carl, and had been convicted of theft) and financial management, had successfully applied to Carl to have himself named sole guardian of the boy; but a late codicil to Carl's will gave him and Johanna joint guardianship. While Beethoven was successful at having his nephew removed from her custody in February 1816, the case was not fully resolved until 1820, and he was frequently preoccupied by the demands of the litigation and seeing to the welfare of the boy, whom he first placed in a private school. The custody fight brought out the very worst aspects of Beethoven's character; in the lengthy court cases Beethoven stopped at nothing to ensure that he achieved this goal, and even stopped composing for long periods.
The Austrian court system had one court for the nobility, The R&I Landrechte, and another for commoners, The Civil Court of the Magistrate. Beethoven disguised the fact that the Dutch "van" in his name did not denote nobility as does the German "von",[60] and his case was tried in the Landrechte. Owing to his influence with the court, Beethoven felt assured of a favorable outcome. Beethoven was awarded sole guardianship. While giving evidence to the Landrechte, however, Beethoven inadvertently[60] admitted that he was not nobly born. The case was transferred to the Magistracy on 18 December 1818, where he lost sole guardianship.
Beethoven appealed, and regained custody of Karl. Johanna's appeal for justice to the Emperor was not successful: the Emperor "washed his hands of the matter". Beethoven stopped at nothing to blacken her name, as can be read in surviving court papers. During the years of custody that followed, Beethoven attempted to ensure that Karl lived to the highest of moral standards. His overbearing manner and frequent interference in his nephew's life, especially as he grew into a young man, apparently drove Karl to attempt suicide on 31 July 1826 by shooting himself in the head. He survived, and was brought to his mother's house, where he recuperated. He and Beethoven reconciled, but Karl was insistent on joining the army, and last saw Beethoven in early 1827.
The only major works Beethoven produced during this time were two cello sonatas, a piano sonata, and collections of folk song settings. He began sketches for the Ninth Symphony in 1817.
Late works
Beethoven began a renewed study of older music, including works by J. S. Bach and Handel, that were then being published in the first attempts at complete editions. He composed the Consecration of the House Overture, which was the first work to attempt to incorporate his new influences. But it is when he returned to the keyboard to compose his first new piano sonatas in almost a decade, that a new style, now called his "late period", emerged. The works of the late period are commonly held to include the last five piano sonatas and the Diabelli Variations, the last two sonatas for cello and piano, the late quartets (see below), and two works for very large forces: the Missa Solemnis and the Ninth Symphony.
Beethoven in 1823; copy of a destroyed portrait by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller
By early 1818 Beethoven's health had improved, and his nephew had moved in with him in January. On the downside, his hearing had deteriorated to the point that conversation became difficult, necessitating the use of conversation books. His household management had also improved somewhat; Nanette Streicher, who had assisted in his care during his illness, continued to provide some support, and he finally found a decent cook.[61] His musical output in 1818 was still somewhat reduced, with song collections and the Hammerklavier Sonata his only notable compositions, although he continued to work on sketches for two symphonies (that eventually coalesced into the enormous Ninth Symphony). In 1819 he was again preoccupied by the legal processes around Karl, and began work on the Diabelli Variations and the Missa Solemnis.
For the next few years he continued to work on the Missa, composing piano sonatas and bagatelles to satisfy the demands of publishers and the need for income, and completing the Diabelli Variations. He was ill again for an extended time in 1821, and completed the Missa in 1823, three years after its original due date. He also opened discussions with his publishers over the possibility of producing a complete edition of his works, an idea that was arguably not fully realized until 1971. Beethoven's brother Johann began to take a hand in his business affairs around this time, much in the way Carl had earlier, locating older unpublished works to offer for publication and offering the Missa to multiple publishers with the goal of getting a higher price for it.
Two commissions in 1822 improved Beethoven's financial prospects. The Philharmonic Society of London offered a commission for a symphony, and Prince Nikolay Golitsin of St. Petersburg offered to pay Beethoven's price for three string quartets. The first of these spurred Beethoven to finish the Ninth Symphony, which was premiered, along with the Missa Solemnis, on 7 May 1824, to great acclaim at the Kärntnertortheater. The Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung gushed "inexhaustible genius had shown us a new world", and Carl Czerny wrote that his symphony "breathes such a fresh, lively, indeed youthful spirit [...] so much power, innovation, and beauty as ever [came] from the head of this original man, although he certainly sometimes led the old wigs to shake their heads."[62] Unlike his earlier concerts, Beethoven made little money on this one, as the expenses of mounting it were significantly higher.[62] A second concert on 24 May, in which the producer guaranteed Beethoven a minimum fee, was poorly attended; nephew Karl noted that "many people have already gone into the country".[63] It was Beethoven's last public concert.[63]
Beethoven then turned to writing the string quartets for Golitsin. This series of quartets, known as the "Late Quartets", went far beyond what either musicians or audiences were ready for at that time. One musician commented that "we know there is something there, but we do not know what it is." Composer Louis Spohr called them "indecipherable, uncorrected horrors", though that opinion has changed considerably from the time of their first bewildered reception. They continued (and continue) to inspire musicians and composers, from Richard Wagner to Béla Bartók, for their unique forms and ideas. Of the late quartets, Beethoven's favorite was the Fourteenth Quartet, op. 131 in C# minor[citation needed], upon hearing which Schubert is said to have remarked, "After this, what is left for us to write?"[citation needed]
Beethoven wrote the last quartets amidst failing health. In April 1825 he was bedridden, and remained ill for about a month. The illness—or more precisely, his recovery from it—is remembered for having given rise to the deeply felt slow movement of the Fifteenth Quartet, which Beethoven called "Holy song of thanks ('Heiliger dankgesang') to the divinity, from one made well". He went on to complete the (misnumbered) Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Sixteenth Quartets. The last work completed by Beethoven was the substitute final movement of the Thirteenth Quartet, deemed necessary to replace the difficult Große Fuge. Shortly thereafter, in December 1826, illness struck again, with episodes of vomiting and diarrhea that nearly ended his life.
Illness and death
Main article: Death of Beethoven
Beethoven's death mask by Joseph Dannhauser
Beethoven's grave site, Vienna Zentralfriedhof
Beethoven was bedridden for most of his remaining months, and many friends came to visit. He died on Monday, 26 March 1827, during a thunderstorm. His friend Anselm Hüttenbrenner, who was present at the time, claimed that there was a peal of thunder at the moment of death. An autopsy revealed significant liver damage, which may have been due to heavy alcohol consumption.[64]
Unlike Mozart, who was buried anonymously in a communal grave (such being the custom at the time), 20,000 Viennese citizens lined the streets for Beethoven's funeral on Thursday, 29 March 1827. Franz Schubert, who died the following year and was buried next to Beethoven, was one of the torchbearers. After a Requiem Mass at the church of the Holy Trinity (Dreifaltigkeitskirche), Beethoven was buried in the Währing cemetery, north-west of Vienna. His remains were exhumed for study in 1862, and moved in 1888 to Vienna's Zentralfriedhof.[64]
There is dispute about the cause of Beethoven's death; alcoholic cirrhosis, syphilis, infectious hepatitis, lead poisoning, sarcoidosis and Whipple's disease have all been proposed.[65] Friends and visitors before and after his death clipped locks of his hair, some of which have been preserved and subjected to additional analysis, as have skull fragments removed during the 1862 exhumation.[66] Some of these analyses have led to controversial assertions that Beethoven was accidentally poisoned to death by excessive doses of lead-based treatments administered under instruction from his doctor.[67][68][69]
Beethoven's personal life was troubled by his encroaching deafness, which led him to contemplate suicide (documented in his Heiligenstadt Testament). Beethoven was often irascible and may have suffered from bipolar disorder[70] and irritability brought on by chronic abdominal pain (beginning in his twenties) that has been attributed to possible lead poisoning.[71] Nevertheless, he had a close and devoted circle of friends all his life, thought to have been attracted by his strength of personality. Toward the end of his life, Beethoven's friends competed in their efforts to help him cope with his incapacities.[72]
Sources show Beethoven's disdain for authority, and for social rank. He stopped performing at the piano if the audience chatted amongst themselves, or afforded him less than their full attention. At soirées, he refused to perform if suddenly called upon to do so. Eventually, after many confrontations, the Archduke Rudolph decreed that the usual rules of court etiquette did not apply to Beethoven.[72]
Main article: Ludwig van Beethoven's religious views
Beethoven was attracted to the ideals of the Enlightenment. In 1804, when Napoleon's imperial ambitions became clear, Beethoven took hold of the title-page of his Third Symphony and scratched the name Bonaparte out so violently that he made a hole in the paper. He later changed the work's title to "Sinfonia Eroica, composta per festeggiare il sovvenire d'un grand'uom" ("Heroic Symphony, composed to celebrate the memory of a great man"), and he rededicated it to his patron, Prince Joseph Franz von Lobkowitz, at whose palace it was first performed.
The fourth movement of his Ninth Symphony features an elaborate choral setting of Schiller's Ode An die Freude ("Ode to Joy"), an optimistic hymn championing the brotherhood of humanity.
Scholars disagree about Beethoven's religious beliefs, and about the role they played in his work. It has been asserted, but not proven, that Beethoven was a Freemason.[73]
A bust based upon Beethoven's life mask
Further information: Beethoven's musical style, Beethoven and C minor, and List of compositions by Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven is acknowledged as one of the giants of classical music; occasionally he is referred to as one of the "three Bs" (along with Bach and Brahms) who epitomize that tradition. He was also a pivotal figure in the transition from 18th century musical classicism to 19th century romanticism, and his influence on subsequent generations of composers was profound.[72]
Beethoven composed in several musical genres, and for a variety of instrument combinations. His works for symphony orchestra include nine symphonies (the Ninth Symphony includes a chorus), and about a dozen pieces of "occasional" music. He wrote seven concerti for one or more soloists and orchestra, as well as four shorter works that include soloists accompanied by orchestra. His only opera is Fidelio; other vocal works with orchestral accompaniment include two masses and a number of shorter works.
His large body of compositions for piano includes 32 piano sonatas and numerous shorter pieces, including arrangements of some of his other works. Works with piano accompaniment include 10 violin sonatas, 5 cello sonatas, and a sonata for French horn, as well as numerous lieder.
Beethoven also wrote a significant quantity of chamber music. In addition to 16 string quartets, he wrote five works for string quintet, seven for piano trio, five for string trio, and more than a dozen works for a variety of combinations of wind instruments.
The three periods
Beethoven's compositional career is usually divided into Early, Middle, and Late periods.[72] In this scheme, his early period is taken to last until about 1802, the middle period from about 1803 to about 1814, and the late period from about 1815.
In his Early period, Beethoven's work was strongly influenced by his predecessors Haydn and Mozart. He also explored new directions and gradually expanded the scope and ambition of his work. Some important pieces from the Early period are the first and second symphonies, the set of six string quartets Opus 18, the first two piano concertos, and the first dozen or so piano sonatas, including the famous Pathétique sonata, Op. 13.
His Middle (Heroic) period began shortly after Beethoven's personal crisis brought on by his recognition of encroaching deafness. It includes large-scale works that express heroism and struggle. Middle-period works include six symphonies (Nos. 3–8), the last three piano concertos, the Triple Concerto and violin concerto, five string quartets (Nos. 7–11), several piano sonatas (including the Moonlight, Waldstein and Appassionata sonatas), the Kreutzer violin sonata and Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio.
Beethoven's Late period began around 1815. Works from this period are characterized by their intellectual depth, their formal innovations, and their intense, highly personal expression. The String Quartet, Op. 131 has seven linked movements, and the Ninth Symphony adds choral forces to the orchestra in the last movement.[72] Other compositions from this period include the Missa Solemnis, the last five string quartets (including the massive Große Fuge) and the last five piano sonatas.
Beethoven on screen
Main articles: Eroica (1949 film), Eroica (2003 film), Immortal Beloved (film), and Copying Beethoven
Eroica is a 1949 Austrian film depicting life and works of Beethoven (Ewald Balser), which also entered into the 1949 Cannes Film Festival.[74] The film is directed by Walter Kolm-Veltée, produced by Guido Bagier with Walter Kolm-Veltée and written by Walter Kolm-Veltée with Franz Tassié.[75]
In 1962, Walt Disney produced a made-for-television and extremely fictionalized life of Beethoven entitled The Magnificent Rebel. The film was given a two-part premiere on the Walt Disney anthology television series and released to theatres in Europe. It starred Karlheinz Böhm as Beethoven.
In 1994 a film about Beethoven (Gary Oldman) titled Immortal Beloved was written and directed by Bernard Rose. The story follows Beethoven's secretary and first biographer, Anton Schindler (portrayed by Jeroen Krabbé), as he attempts to ascertain the true identity of the Unsterbliche Geliebte (Immortal Beloved) addressed in three letters found in the late composer's private papers. Schindler journeys throughout the Austrian Empire, interviewing women who might be potential candidates, as well as through Beethoven's own tumultuous life. Filming took place in the Czech cities of Prague and Kromeriz and the Zentralfriedhof in Vienna, Austria, between 23 May and 29 July 1994.
In 2003 a BBC/Opus Arte film Eroica was released, with Ian Hart as Beethoven and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique conducted by Sir John Eliot Gardiner performing the Eroica Symphony in its entirety. The subject of the film is the first performance of the Eroica Symphony in 1804 at the palace of Prince Lobkowitz (played by Jack Davenport).[76] In a 2005 three-part BBC miniseries, Beethoven was played by Paul Rhys.[77]
A movie titled Copying Beethoven was released in 2006, starring Ed Harris as Beethoven. This film was a fictionalized account of Beethoven's last days, and his struggle to produce his Ninth Symphony before he died.
^ Beethoven was baptised on 17 December. His date of birth was often, in the past, given as 16 December, however this is not known with certainty; his family celebrated his birthday on that date, but there is no documentary evidence that his birth was actually on 16 December.
^ a b c d e Grove Online, section 1
^ Thayer, Vol 1, p. 49
^ Thorne, J. O. & Collocott, T.C., ed (1986). Chambers Biographical Dictionary. Edinburgh: W & R Chambers Ltd. p. 114. ISBN 0550180222.
^ This is discussed in depth in Solomon, chapter 1.
^ a b Stanley, p. 7
^ Thayer, Vol 1, pp. 71–74
^ Cooper (2008), p. 15
^ Thayer, Vol 1, p. 102
^ Thayer, Vol 1, pp. 105–109
^ Cooper (2008), pp. 35–41
^ a b Cooper (2008), p. 42
^ Grove Online, section 3
^ Cooper (2008), pp. 47,54
^ Cross (1953), p. 59
^ Lockwood (2005), p. 144
^ Cooper (2008), pp. 98–103
^ Cooper (2008), pp. 112–127
^ Cooper (2008), p. 108
^ White, Felix (1 April 1927). "Some Tributes to Beethoven in English Verse". The Musical Times 68 (1010).
^ Ealy, George Thomas (Spring 1994). "Of Ear Trumpets and a Resonance Plate: Early Hearing Aids and Beethoven's Hearing Perception". 19th-Century Music 17 (3): 262–273. doi:10.1525/ncm.1994.17.3.02a00050. http://www.jstor.org/pss/746569.
^ Solomon (2001)[page needed]
^ Clive, p. 239
^ Cooper (2008), pp. 146,168
^ Beethoven's Immortal Beloved Letters
^ Oakley Beahrs, Virginia: The Immortal Beloved Riddle Reconsidered, Musical Times, Vol. 129, No. 1740 (Feb., 1988), pp. 64-70
^ Cooper (2008), pp. 194, 208–210. Cooper cites Solomon among other sources, and provides compelling evidence that it was neither Josephine Deym nor Marie Erdödy.
^ a b Cooper (2008), p. 212
^ a b On 18 December 1818, The Landrechte, the Austrian court for the nobility, handed over the whole matter of guardianship to the Stadtmagistrat, the court for commoners " It .... appears from the statement of Ludwig van Beethoven, as the accompanying copy of the court minutes of 11 December of this year shows, that he is unable to prove nobility: hence the matter of guardianship is transferred to an honorable magistrate" Landrechte of the Magisterial tribunal.
^ Cooper (2008), p 260
^ Mai, F.M. (1 October 2006). "Beethoven's terminal illness and death". J R Coll Physicians Edinb. 36(3): 258–263. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&cmd=DetailsSearch&term=Beethoven%27s+terminal+illness+and+death&log$=activity.
^ Meredith, William (Spring & Summer 2005). "The History of Beethoven's Skull Fragments". The Beethoven Journal 20 (1 & 2): 2–3. http://www2.sjsu.edu/beethoven/skull/skullstory.pdf. Retrieved 27 March 2009. [dead link]
^ Jahn, George (28 August 2007). "Pathologist: Doctor Killed Beethoven". The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/28/AR2007082800980_pf.html. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
^ Eisinger, Josef (1 January 2008). "The lead in Beethoven's hair". Toxicological & Environmental Chemistry 90: 1–5.
^ Lorenz, Michael: 'Commentary on Wawruch’s Report: Biographies of Andreas Wawruch and Johann Seibert, Schindler’s Responses to Wawruch’s Report, and Beethoven’s Medical Condition and Alcohol Consumption', The Beethoven Journal, Winter 2007, Vol. 22, No 2, (San Jose: The Ira Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies, 2007), 92-100.
^ Beethoven bipolar? http://www.gazette.uottawa.ca/article_e_1529.html
^ Cold Case in Vienna: Who Killed Beethoven? — CBS News
^ a b c d e Grove Online
^ Ludwig van Beethoven — Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon
^ "Festival de Cannes: Eroica". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/4138/year/1949.html. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
^ Eroica at the Internet Movie Database
^ Beethoven at the Internet Movie Database
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Sachs, Harvey, The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824, London, Faber, 2010. ISBN 9780571221455
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Stanley, Glenn (ed) (2000). The Cambridge Companion to Beethoven. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-58074-9.
Thayer, A. W.; Krehbiel, Henry Edward (ed, trans); Deiters, Hermann; Riemann, Hugo (1921). The Life of Ludwig Van Beethoven, Vol 1. The Beethoven Association. OCLC 422583. http://books.google.com/?id=VQw5AAAAIAAJ.
Kerman, Joseph; Tyson, Alan; Burnham, Scott G. "Ludvig van Beethoven", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed 29 November 2006), grovemusic.com (subscription access).
Albrecht, Theodore, and Elaine Schwensen, "More Than Just Peanuts: Evidence for December 16 as Beethoven's birthday." The Beethoven Newsletter 3 (1988): 49, 60–63.
Bohle, Bruce, and Robert Sabin. The International Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians. London: J.M.Dent & Sons LTD, 1975. ISBN 0-460-04235-1.
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Davies, Peter J. Beethoven in Person: His Deafness, Illnesses, and Death. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2001. ISBN 0-313-31587-6.
DeNora, Tia. "Beethoven and the Construction of Genius: Musical Politics in Vienna, 1792–1803." Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1995. ISBN 0-520-21158-8.
Geck, Martin. Beethoven. Translated by Anthea Bell. London: Haus, 2003. ISBN 1-904341-03-9 (h), ISBN 1-904341-00-4 (p).
Hatten, Robert S (1994). Musical Meaning in Beethoven. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-32742-3.
Kornyei, Alexius. Beethoven in Martonvasar. Verlag, 1960. OCLC Number: 27056305
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Martin, Russell. Beethoven's Hair. New York: Broadway Books, 2000. ISBN 978-0767903509
Meredith, William. "The History of Beethoven's Skull Fragments." The Beethoven Journal 20 (2005): 3-46.
Morris, Edmund. Beethoven: The Universal Composer. New York: Atlas Books / HarperCollins, 2005. ISBN 0-06-075974-7.
Rosen, Charles. The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven. (Expanded ed.) New York: W. W. Norton, 1998. ISBN 0-393-04020-8 (hc); ISBN 0-393-31712-9 (pb).
Solomon, Maynard. Late Beethoven: Music, Thought, Imagination. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003. ISBN 0-520-23746-3.
Thayer, A. W., rev and ed. Elliot Forbes. Thayer's Life of Beethoven. (2 vols.) Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-09103-X
Sullivan, J. W. N., Beethoven: His Spiritual Development New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1927
Beethoven-Haus Bonn. Official website of Beethoven-Haus in Bonn, Germany. Links to extensive studio and digital archive, library holdings, the Beethoven-Haus Museum (including "internet exhibitions" and "virtual visits"), the Beethoven-Archiv research center, and information on Beethoven publications of interest to the specialist and general reader. Extensive collection of Beethoven's compositions and written documents, with sound samples and a digital reconstruction of his last house in Vienna.
The Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies, The Beethoven Gateway (San José State University)
Digitized, scanned material (books, sheetmusic)
"Beethoven" Titles; Beethoven as author from archive.org
"Beethoven" Titles; Beethoven as author from books.google.com
Digital Archives from Beethoven-Haus Bonn
"Beethoven" titles from Gallica
Sheetmusic (scores)
Works by Beethoven Beethoven-Haus Bonn
"Beethoven" Titles from the Munich Digitisation Centre (MDZ)
"Beethoven" Titles from the University of Rochester
Free scores by Ludwig van Beethoven in the International Music Score Library Project
Free sheet music from Kreusch-sheet-music.net
Free scores by Ludwig van Beethoven in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
Works by Ludwig van Beethoven at Project Gutenberg
Free scores by Ludwig van Beethoven in the Werner Icking Music Archive (WIMA)
Beethoven scores from Mutopia Project
Historical recordings
Beethoven - recordings with audio available; Beethoven - recordings (incl. without avail. audio); Information on sound files (CHARM)
Beethoven cylinder recordings, from the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara Library
Recordings at archive.org
Mad About Beethoven by British television and radio announcer John Suchet
Beethoven: The Immortal. Introduction and detailed account of the composer's life. Articles include his deafness, demeanor, daily routine, medical history, final days, and letters.
Raptus Association for Music Appreciation site on Beethoven
All About Ludwig van Beethoven
Listings of live performances at Bachtrack
Works by or about Ludwig van Beethoven in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
Beethoven's last apartment in Vienna, digitally reconstructed 2004, on Multimedia CD-ROM edited by Beethoven-Haus Bonn
Birthplace · Biography · Death · Heiligenstadt Testament · Contemporaries · Mozart and Beethoven · Historical sites · Religious views
Father · brother Kaspar · sister-in-law Johanna
List of compositions · Musical style · Works catalogs · Gesamtausgabe · Beethoven category
Eroica (1949) · Immortal Beloved (1994) · Eroica (2003) · Copying Beethoven (2006)
Authority control: PND: 118508288 | LCCN: n79107741 | VIAF: 32182557
NAME Beethoven, Ludwig van
SHORT DESCRIPTION German composer
DATE OF BIRTH 1770-12-16
PLACE OF BIRTH Bonn
DATE OF DEATH 1827-03-26
PLACE OF DEATH Vienna
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Ludwig van Beethoven. Allthough most Wikipedia articles provide accurate information accuracy can not be guaranteed.
Buy Beethoven downloadable sheetmusic at VirtualSheetMusic
Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor"
Cor de Groot
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1
Columbia Chamber Orchestra
Symphony No. 7 in A major
Piano Sonata No. 8 "Pathétique"
Paavali Jumppanen
15 Variations with Fugue "Eroica-Variationen"
Katherine Chi
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Rutgers team invents “4D printing” method for shape-shifting hydrogels
The engineers used a lithography-based technique that involves printing layers of a special resin to build a 3D object.
0 February 12, 2018
Rutgers engineers have designed a new 4D printing approach that involves printing a 3D object with a hydrogel (water-containing gel) that changes shape over time when temperatures change.
A tiny chess king, 3D-printed with a temperature-responsive hydrogel, in cold water. It contains 73 percent water but remains solid. Photo: Daehoon Han/Rutgers University–New Brunswick
The team was able to demonstrate fast, scalable, high-resolution 3D printing of hydrogels, which remain solid and retain their shape despite containing water.
The smart gel could provide structural rigidity in organs such as the lungs, and can contain small molecules like water or drugs to be transported in the body and released. It could also create a new area of soft robotics, and enable new applications in flexible sensors and actuators, biomedical devices and platforms or scaffolds for cells to grow, explains said Howon Lee, senior author of a new study and assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Rutgers University–New Brunswick.
“We added another dimension to it, and this is the first time anybody has done it on this scale,” Lee adds. “They’re flexible, shape-morphing materials. I like to call them smart materials.”
Engineers at Rutgers–New Brunswick and the New Jersey Institute of Technology worked with a hydrogel that has been used for decades in devices that generate motion and biomedical applications such as scaffolds for cells to grow on. But hydrogel manufacturing has relied heavily on conventional, two-dimensional methods such as molding and lithography.
The engineers used a lithography-based technique that involves printing layers of a special resin to build a 3D object. The resin consists of the hydrogel, a chemical that acts as a binder, another chemical that facilitates bonding when light hits it and a dye that controls light penetration.
In temperatures below 32 degrees Celsius, the hydrogel absorbs more water and swells in size. When temperatures exceed 32 degrees Celsius, the hydrogel begins to expel water and shrinks. The objects they can create with the hydrogel range from the width of a human hair to several millimeters long. The engineers also found that they can grow one area of a 3D-printed object – creating and programming motion – by changing temperatures.
“If you have full control of the shape, then you can program its function,” Lee said.
The study was published in Scientific Reports, with lead author Daehoon Han, a doctoral student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Rutgers–New Brunswick. Co-authors include Zhaocheng Lu, another doctoral student, and Shawn A. Chester, an assistant professor at New Jersey Institute of Technology.
www.rutgers.edu
Researchers develop high-resolution process for graphene 3D printing
MIT team creates NanoMap drone modelling system that accounts for uncertainty
GM expands car-sharing startup Maven into Toronto
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Countering violent extremism
Why more groups are calling on comedy to counter violent extremism
By Kelli Rogers // 03 October 2017
Priyank Mathur, former counterterrorism officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and CEO at Mythos Labs. Photo by: Mythos Labs
BANGKOK — One of East India Comedy’s most watched sketches features a young man who wants out of the terrorism business.
The “I Want to Quit ISIS” sketch reimagines the terrorist group as a corporation, and stars a particularly disheartened ISIS employee as he hands in his notice to “inhuman” resources: “All I’m doing is issuing press releases for attacks that are also done by other groups,” the young man laments to his boss in an office decorated with posters of bombings and strewn with “jihadi Potter” books.
Unsurprisingly for fans of India’s popular collective of stand-up comedians, the video is both shocking and clever. But perhaps more surprising is that it was funded by the U.S. government.
Comedy has long been the medium of choice for people to broach otherwise taboo or polarizing topics. Saudi Arabia’s Hatoon Kadi has become known for her satirical videos about women's and family issues in the country, and Indonesia’s Sakdiyah Ma'ruf, one of the world's first female Muslim stand-ups, regularly takes on domestic violence and arranged marriage on stage. Both have amassed major social media followings as a result.
East India Comedy, too, has emerged as a social media influencer with the kind of young audience that an increasing number of groups, including governments, want to reach with alternative narratives as a means to counter violent extremism.
But it wasn’t until Priyank Mathur, a former counterterrorism officer for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, founded Mythos Labs that the idea to “fight terror with comedy” took off.
“What if terror groups had an HR department?” Mythos Labs partnered with East India Comedy to create a counterterrorism sketch.
“One of the things that frustrated me, and a lot of people who work in national security, is that we’ve been trying a lot of the same things when it comes to countering violent extremism or countering terrorism … and some of them work, some don’t, but that doesn’t seem to affect what we try. We just keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Mathur said during a UN Women-organized reception on the topic in Bangkok.
Read more related stories:
▶ Bloomberg says cities will lead in youth development, fighting extremism
▶ 3 ways the development sector can prevent violent extremism in Africa
▶ Mercy Corps on using research to counter violent extremism
After leaving the government, Mathur spent time in advertising at the marketing company Ogilvy & Mather, quickly learning the power of influencing marketing. All the while, he was moonlighting as a comedy writer for the popular satirical news site The Onion.
In the meantime, ISIS began producing increasingly sophisticated recruitment videos, featuring special effects and high-definition explosions: “They’re very different from the boring sermons that Al Qaeda used to give,” Mathur said. “They look less like those and more like a Jerry Bruckheimer action movie.”
The vast amount of violent extremist materials online has for the past few years spawned donor investment in counter-narratives as an alternative to blocking or removing extremist content. But countering ISIS’ glamorous, slick messaging, Mathur realized, would require creating equally entertaining content that told a different story.
Mathur founded Mythos Labs in hopes of partnering with the world's leading social influencers to “tell stories that matter,” he said. He began with the U.S. government-funded East India Comedy project and will continue to work with U.S. funding on future projects with comedians throughout Asia, hinting at a potential web series also focused on counterterrorism — with a female twist.
ISIS is heavily dependent on its network of female supporters to exist, and it’s time to shift focus accordingly, Mathur said, from looking not just at stopping young men from going to fight for ISIS, but also stopping young women who support their actions.
Partnering with social influences has the potential to create positive messaging in many sectors beyond counterterrorism, and it’s a trend UN Women is “trying to take note of as well,” Miwa Kato, UN Women Asia Pacific regional director, told Devex.
“We’re crying out loud to bring women’s issues to the forefront,” she said. “We need to win the hearts and minds of the people, and it’s very unlikely to happen by us just putting out our annual report.”
And comedy isn’t the only medium. In Pakistan, “Burka Avenger” has quickly become the most popular children’s television show. The animated cartoon features superheroine Jiya, a teacher by day who dons a burka for disguise in order to fight corrupt politicians and mercenaries attempting to shut down girls’ schools. Episodes of Burka Avenger depict situations where a villain has recruited young men in the village to come and fight for him. When they arrive, it’s nothing like they’ve been promised.
“‘This is dangerous water you’re treading,’ people told me,” said Burka Avenger’s creator Aaron Haroon of getting his idea off the ground. “‘You could get shot … nobody is going to run this TV show.’ But I persevered, I believed in it. And now children are having Burka Avenger-themed birthday parties.”
The safety of counter-narrative creators is a legitimate concern, and it’s something Mathur worried about when he engaged the East India Comedy group to create the ISIS comedy sketch.
“We debriefed everyone before, and said we can’t guarantee that you won’t be harassed online or worse,” Mathur said “I was encouraged by how brave they were. They said, ‘Normally we get approached by brands to help sell sneakers and potato chips — you're asking us to help fight terrorism.’”
In the end, Mathur received far more positive than negative feedback and none of the hate tweets and Facebook posts he was expecting, which he credits to the power of comedy and the way the group messaged the content.
“We didn’t want to make fun of terrorists. We wanted to show the absurdity of their ideology in a funny way,” Mathur said. “I don’t think you can be offended and be laughing at the same time. I think you have to choose one.”
Our mission is to do more good for more people. If you think the right information can make a difference, we invite you to join us by making a small investment in Professional Membership.
Kelli Rogers@kellierin
Kelli Rogers is an Associate Editor for Devex. Based on the U.S. West Coast, she works with Devex's team of correspondents and editors around the world, with a particular focus on gender. She previously worked as Devex’s Southeast Asia correspondent based in Bangkok, covering disaster and crisis response, resilience, women’s rights, and climate change throughout the region. Prior to that, she reported on social and environmental issues from Nairobi, Kenya. Kelli holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and has since reported from more than 20 countries.
Executive Assistant to the President/CEO
Washington, DC, District of Columbia, United States
Deputy Program Manager for Latin America
Checchi and Company Consulting, Inc.
Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, United States
Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP)
Suva, Fiji
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Researchers Find Genetic Factor Controls Arrhythmias
University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (CWRU) researchers have uncovered a genetic factor that controls arrhythmias, the primary cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the United States. The study will be published in the upcoming March edition of Nature entitled, “Circadian rhythms govern cardiac repolarization and arrhythmogenesis.”
Mukesh Jain, director of the Case Cardiovascular Research Institute, collaborated with the MetroHealth Heart and Vascular Center in Cleveland and reported a protein called Klf15 that links the body’s biological clock to heart arrhythmias and SCD.
“We have identified a factor that controls the duration of the ECG complex, and specifically something called the QT interval,” said Jain. “This duration is very precisely regulated by the body and has to be, if you will, just right. If this interval becomes too long or too short, this can predispose a person to arrhythmias.”
Darwin Jeyaraj, lead author of this study, discovered that increasing the levels of Klf15 could shorten this critical QT interval, while depletion of Klf15 can increase the duration of this interval.
“If we can now develop drugs that target Klf15, we can, depending on the situation, increase or decrease the duration of the ECG complex and, in principle, reduce the risk of SCD,” said Jeyaraj. “For example, heart failure can lead to lengthening of this interval and Klf15 levels are reduced in patients with heart failure. Thus, a drug that boosts Klf15 levels may help reduce the occurrence of SCD in this condition.”
Arrhythmias are an abrupt onset of “electrical storms” in the heart resulting in complete and immediate cessation of blood flow to all organs in the body. If electrical activity is not restored to the heart immediately, death ensues within minutes. Predisposition to arrhythmias arises from dysfunction of electrical properties that are inherent to heart cells. The dysfunction occurs most commonly in patients with heart disease (heart failure, coronary artery disease) or in individuals with certain genetic abnormalities.
The gene also has been identified as the main catalyst in changing how the electrical functions of the heart cells work in conjunction with an individual’s biological clock. A well-documented characteristic of arrhythmias is their preponderance to occur at certain times of day: early in the morning or during the night. The cause for time dependent occurrence of death in heart failure and individuals with certain hereditary disorders remains unknown, but more and more research points to the importance of the body’s “biological clock” as a timekeeper that is present in most cells of our body, and can precisely keep us synchronized with the day/night rhythms on earth. The clock controls numerous bodily functions such as feeding, sleeping and alertness during the day and there is growing evidence that dysfunction of this timekeeper could be important in the development of various metabolic disorders such as diabetes, obesity, cancer and heart disease.
“This discovery has opened a new chapter in our understanding of SCD and provides insights into the ancient mystery that associates time of day with death,” Jain said. “It is anticipated that continued research regarding the link between the biological clock and electrical properties of the heart will open new diagnostic tools and potential therapies that may prevent or treat the occurrence of this fatal event.”
Jain said the discovery should lead to the development of testing mechanisms for the gene to help predict potential patients who could be susceptible to SCD. Immediate drug intervention or development, however, would be in the future following the creation of affective testing protocols.
For more information: www.UHhospitals.org.
WEBINAR: Steps to Rejuvenate Cath Lab Inventory Management
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Explaining Cardiac Conditions to the Layman Using the Old House Analogy
Lars Thording, Ph.D.
4 Key Takeaways From the 2019 Heart Rhythm Society Meeting
6 Key Health Information Technology Trends at HIMSS 2019
Cardiovascular Clinical Studies,Cardiac Diagnostics,EP Lab
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Reviews November 2, 2016 March 10, 2017
George Lucas’ First Feature Film, THX 1138 (1971) | Andrew Jones
“You are a true believer, blessings of the State, blessings of the masses. Thou art a subject of the divine, created in the image of man, by the masses, for the masses.”
These are the salutations of OMM, a state-sanctioned deity whose visual representation is Hans Memling’s Christ Giving His Blessing. OMM’s full name is OMM 0910, and it/he/they reside on the wall of a space vaguely similar in appearance to a telephone booth, complete with the accordion-style glass doors. Visitors can enter to confess and vent about their daily lives. OMM 0910 listens to every word you say, interjecting with phrases like “my time is yours,” “I understand,” and “could you be more specific?” When the visitor is finished sharing whatever is on his or her mind, OMM delivers eerie words that are intended to sound optimistic. “Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents and be happy.” “Let us be thankful we have commerce. Buy more. Buy more now. Buy. And be happy.”
No, these aren’t the results of a fever dream, and no, this isn’t the basis for a new religion in the same vein as The Flying Spaghetti Monster. This is just one of the many concepts introduced in George Lucas’ first feature film, THX 1138 (1971). The inspiration for THX came from a short film that Lucas created while he was a student at USC in 1967, which garnered enough praise for a full-length film produced by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Robert Duvall.
In this society, sex is forbidden, efficiency is highly desired, compliance is essential, and everyone sports shaved heads and white outerwear to stress equality and remove any sense of individualism.
The plot is a simple one: in a tightly-controlled futuristic society, a man and a woman attempt to break free from the grip of their overseers and seek an uninhibited life. THX 1138 (Robert Duvall) is a worker in a factory that produces what can only be described as literal “robocops,” while LUH 3417 (Maggie McOmie) and SEN 5241 (Donald Pleasence) work as surveillance operators who study footage taken from the countless security cameras that are scattered throughout the city. In this society, sex is forbidden, efficiency is highly desired, compliance is essential, and everyone sports shaved heads and white outerwear to stress equality and remove any sense of individualism. All workers take state-mandated drugs and sedatives to suppress carnal desires, and any motivation to challenge the status quo. Those in power are rarely seen in the film, and rules are enforced by the very same robocops these workers are producing.
THX and SEN are roommates, and SEN begins to secretly change both her medication schedule and that of THX. What follows is a series of repercussions resulting from their “sober” behavior; SEN and THX have sexual intercourse, and THX makes a mistake during a critical moment in the robocop manufacturing process that leads to his arrest.
I won’t spoil too much, but I couldn’t help but compare the film’s overall look to that of the famous Apple Computers “1984” advertisement featuring the sledgehammer-wielding woman. Both the ad and Lucas’ film have countless bald workers wearing identical outfits, both have organized walks and marches from point to point, both have hologram/video displays that serve as the faces for hose in charge of society, and both have comical security officers with outfits that look like they were ripped out of CHiPs. If only that theme song carried over to Lucas’ film.
You can clearly see the influence that THX 1138 had on George Lucas’ later movies. Certain special effects look similar to those found in the first Star Wars film, and you can even hear a voice on a car radio say “I think I ran over a wookiee back there on the expressway” (Lucas would later use this word to name the race of woodland creatures that Chewbacca belongs to). Most of his films have subtle references to the film’s titular character, including cell blocks, Star Wars droids, automotive license plates, and Jedi training programs with names that are variations of THX 1138.
The acting in the film works in the context of the character’s predicaments. Robert Duvall does an excellent job portraying an individual experiencing drastic shifts in his environment and personality. From being heavily sedated, to going into withdrawal, to finally experiencing what it’s like to think and act as an individual rather than a cog in a machine, he takes the viewer on an emotional ride as he attempts to find LUH 3417 and escape to, well…anywhere but there. Just be aware that you’ll be viewing quite a few extreme close-ups, a lot of consternated faces, and a few scenes with nudity.
There are frequent moments of comic relief (despite the heavily anti-authoritarian plotline), and I feel like they deserve their own section for this review. George Lucas hired San Francisco improve troupe “The Committee’ to serve as the voices behind many of the faceless people that talk over the PA system, including the aforementioned state-sanctioned deity that is as relatable as Apple’s Siri. Every bedroom has a medicine cabinet behind the bathroom mirror that speaks to the worker, and the voice is just as enlightening as OMM 0910:
“If you feel you are not properly sedated, call 348-844 immediately. Failure to do so may result in prosecution for criminal drug evasion.”
“Take four red capsules. In 10 minutes, take two more. Help is on the way.”
“What’s wrong? – What’s wrong? – What’s wrong? – What’s wrong? What’s wrong? – What’s wrong? – What’s wrong? – What’s wrong?”
There are also some awesome one-liners from the PA system that broadcasts throughout the city:
“That accident over in Red Sector L destroyed another 63 personnel, giving them a total of 242 lost to our 195. Keep up the good work and prevent accidents. This shift is concluded.”
“Changeable. Alterable. Mutable. Variable. Versatile. Moldable. Movable. Fluctuate. Undulate. Flicker. Flutter. Pulsate. Vibrate. Alternate. Plastic.”
“Keep causeways clean. Save time, save lives.”
“Economics make it necessary to terminate any operation which exceeds five percent of its primary budget. Remember, thrifty thinkers are always under budget.”
“A libido leveler has been mislaid near the pulse-leveling gate. If you have accidentally…”
I could go on and on. While the film itself looks dated, the combination of the eerie music score and the frequent interruptions of the ridiculous PA system made this society feel particularly surreal. For a significant portion of the film, the audience is treated to a completely white atmosphere lacking any walls, corners, or recognizable sources of an “end” to the endless space. Within it, there are characters who have been imprisoned for various transgressions against the state, and their situation is very similar to that of the patients who are in the ward in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
It’s hard to give this film a specific “score,” if I were to try and be a “proper” reviewer. There are better sci-fi plots out there, and the action is limited by the era in which this was filmed. With that being said, I think that any fan of the genre should watch THX 1138 if only to see the foundation on which countless blockbuster films were built upon. If you have 90 minutes to kill and want to watch a dystopian vision of the future from the lens of 1971 America, definitely check this out (and then watch George Lucas’ second film, American Graffiti, which is awesome).
dystopian, Film, George Lucas, Issue 7, Movies, Reviews, Robots, THX 1138
Navigating the Confluence: A Response to REGAL | Damian Hondares
Brooklyn School of Magic | Elizabeth Montague
Netflix Killed the Movie Star
Collecting Male Tears: Misandry and Weaponized Femininity on the Internet | Jillian Horowitz
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Tim Occleshaw
Deputy Government Chief Digital Officer
Tim Occleshaw is Deputy Government Chief Digital Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, Service and System Transformation at New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA).
Tim is responsible for leading development and delivery of the Government’s centrally led, collaboratively delivered digital transformation. His portfolio includes digital service innovation and digital identity strategy, system-wide assurance leadership, Government Information Services, the Government Chief Privacy Officer and the development and management of ICT procurement across government. These are integral to managing investments and driving resilience and value across government agencies. He reports to DIA Chief Executive and Government Chief Digital Officer, Colin MacDonald.
Before joining DIA in 2012, Tim spent four years with Inland Revenue as Deputy Commissioner, Information, Design and Systems. As Chief Information Officer at the Ministry of Social Development, Tim was recognised as New Zealand CIO of the Year in 2008.
Tim’s career spans more than 25 years working in business, management and executive roles in the financial services sector in Australia and New Zealand.
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More News, Rumors and Opinions Thursday Afternoon 4-11-19
Emailed to Recaps:
Sam Oliver: Have you noticed all the articles coming out about the Central Banks getting involved with all the countries of the world yesterday and today?
Oil is up. Gold is up. Dollar is down. Oh and Yes, the Central Banks are working with the European Union as well.
The major indexes that measure the world economy is steady this morning, but gold is going up for a reason.
We will have answers on this one by the end of the week. Remember what was said this morning about events such as these.
Take a deep breath and don't let your emotions control you at this time. You are almost where you want to be. Sam Oliver
www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-gold/exclusive-venezuela-removes-eight-tonnes-of-gold-from-central-bank-sources-idUSKCN1RL247
Sam Oliver: What does "revaluation" stand for in an international set of currencies as it pertains to the gold standard?
You see, a gold standard changes laws and regulations that govern the world's monetary system during a debt crisis. We began this gold standard at the end of March. It is another way of saying we are in the midst of economic reforms.
Notice the press releases coming out today about Steven Mnuchin from the US Treasury speaking to the IMF and the World Bank. Alot is going on behind the scenes right now.
We are presently looking for an international agreement that adjusts countries official exchange rate based on a fixed rate of gold or a baseline rate of exchange.
In a fixed exchange rate system, a country's Central Bank alters the official rate or value of a currency.
Don't blink. You just may miss something. ;) Sam Oliver
KTFA:
Samson: International Monetary Fund warns of these risks and the deterioration of the financial system
The risks to the global financial system have increased over the past six months and could increase further as Britain leaves the EU without agreement or if trade tensions between the United States and China escalate, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday.
The IMF, which began spring meetings with the World Bank in Washington this week, indicated that the growth of the world economy was slowing; a sudden deterioration could have a far-reaching impact.
The IMF warned against reversing precautionary regulations that could help protect the financial system in case of deterioration.
"There is a risk that the positive sentiment of investors will deteriorate abruptly, leading to a severe financial crisis," the IMF said in the Global Financial Stability Report.
"This will have a greater impact on economies with weak fundamentals, greater financial vulnerability, and a narrower policy space to cope with shocks." LINK
Samson: The US Department of Justice accuses Wikileaks founder of conspiring against the US government
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been accused of conspiring with former CIA analyst Chelsea Manning in 2010 to try to access a secret US government computer, US prosecutors said on Thursday.
The US Justice Department said in a statement that Assange faces up to a maximum of five years' imprisonment. British police arrested Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, on Thursday and was taken out of the Ecuadorian embassy where he had been holed up for nearly seven years to avoid being deported to Sweden as part of an investigation into allegations of sexual assault.
Assange was taken to Ecuador's embassy in London in 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, which his authorities wanted to interrogate as part of an investigation into sexual assault.
Sweden later dropped the investigation, but Assange was arrested on Thursday for breaching his bail conditions in London in the past. Assange fears he will be deported to face charges in the United States, where federal prosecutors are investigating WikiLeaks. LINK
Cashgo: Is this the calm before the RV - mighty quiet
Lifetalker: I just got a call from a friend who knows I'm invested. He said a friend of his Dad who works for the Pentagon called and said, "Tell your son to go and buy a million Dong TODAY, it's about to revalue any moment."
Lifetalker: This friend had sold back all of his currency two years ago but now after receiving this call is on his way back to the bank to pick up some dong. 8-)
Jambie67: REMINDER: Q. - What are the key things that make you feel we will be receiving the RV soon? Tony: Rates have changed in Iraq. On their cards, and in surrounding countries. Banks are aware of this. Preparing for it. My banking sources are reliable. Committee giving us info what’s going on. Contact in Iraq said we should have seen it. Laws passed, etc. Just waiting for something to go into the Gazette to make it official….. was taken from yesterday's call.
Jambie67: Most importantly: "Rates have changed in Iraq. On their cards, and in surrounding countries. Banks are aware of this."
Soulglow: I don't know if this mean much but I had a friend in ATL this past weekend and he went up to a Wells Fargo to ask about the Zim. He asked the teller could he exchange my Zim just to see what she would say and he said the teller looked at him and said "not yet" with a smile. This gave me hope about the Zim
Dinarshalom: I'm believing and trusting this weekend is our exchange time - new rate in gazette, ministers seated! Yes!!! This is happening!
RV/INTELLIGENCE ALERT - April 11, 2019
(Disclaimer: The following is an overview of the current situation based on intelligence leaks received from several sources which may or may not be accurate. Other confirmed sources may also be included in this overview.)
The reformation of the IMF and the WB is now in process.
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm649
Meanwhile, the return of the gold-standard is slowly but surely becoming a reality.
https://www.stalkerzone.org/basel-3-a-revolution-that-once-again-no-one-noticed/
The global economy is being setup for the new quantum financial system (QFS).
Sources claim the corruption within financial organizations and institutions (IMF, WB, etc.) has been removed.
All personnel within these organizations and institutions have either switched sides and/or are being kept in-check by covert undercover intelligence operatives working for the Alliance..
The process to reform these financial organizations and institutions is all that remains for the RV to begin.
The remaining Cabal/Deep State corruption within the US and the EU does not affect the timing of the RV.
Rather, it affects the timing of the transition to GESARA compliance.
The Deep State corruption within the US Government will be removed via DECLAS.
The remaining Cabal in the EU will face total collapse after the Brexit issue has been solved.
Brexit and DECLAS are one in the same, both events related to the removal of the remaining Cabal corruption.
Source: Operation Disclosure
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prototyping Waukee IA
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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from HartSmart Products, Des Moines, IA.
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Waukee is a city in Dallas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,126 at the 2000 census, while the United States Census Bureau has estimated that the city’s population has grown to 12,367 in 2008. It is part of the des moines-west des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.
prototyping Altoona IA prototyping Harlan IA Welcome to the premier industrial source for Injection molded plastic component parts in Iowa. These companies offer a comprehensive range of Injection Molded Plastic Component Parts, as well as a variety of related products and services. ThomasNet.com provides numerous search tools, including location, certification and keyword filters, to help you refine your results.The Outlaw is a wooden roller coaster located at Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa, near Des Moines. The Outlaw made its debut in 1993. It was the second roller coaster built by Custom Coasters International, which soon became known as one of the world’s premier builders of wooden roller coasters.
rapid machining Anamosa IA | Wisconsincnc – The Registered Agent on file for this company is James Carter Heath and is located at 420 Waukee Ave, Waukee, IA 50263.prototyping Winterset IA View Ryan Gruhn’s profile on LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional community.. L.L.C. owns several granite monument businesses in Iowa including des moines-winterset memorials, Winterset.
Ivanka Trump, adviser to the president, and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds are given a tour of the Waukee Innovation and Learning Center in Waukee, Iowa, Monday, March 19, 2018.
The Waukee Technology Student Association is an excellent platform for differentiating your student in a STEM-based education and career field. The Des Moines Register recognized Waukee TSA as a great new start-up organization for students who are interested in STEM-based careers and objectives.
Waukee Innovation & Learning Center. Brief: The Waukee community was inspired by a professional studies model, where students are paired with local business mentors to deepen their learning and gain valuable work experience as part of their high school curriculum.As the school district advanced their offerings in the local economic drivers: Bioscience, Business Tech, Engineering, Finance, and.
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The Iowa Senior Games Hall of Fame was established in 2006 (the 20th anniversary of the Iowa Senior Games) to recognize and honor outstanding athletic performances by our senior athletes, as well as outstanding contributions made to the success of the Iowa Senior Games by athletes, board members and volunteers.
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Home People Literature and the Arts Theater: Biographies Dame Edith Evans
Evans, Dame Edith
Dame Edith Evans, 1888–1976, English actress. After her stage debut in 1912, Evans toured with Ellen Terry. Known for her resonant voice, she worked with the Old Vic (1925–26) and had a distinguished career on the stage and in films. She was celebrated for her performances in Elizabethan, Restoration, and 18th-century drama, as well as in modern works. Evans was made Dame of the British Empire in 1946. Her notable films include The Importance of Being Earnest (1953), Tom Jones (1963), The Whisperers (1967), and A Doll's House (1973).
See study by J. C. Trewin (1954).
"Evans, Dame Edith." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. . Encyclopedia.com. 19 Jul. 2019 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"Evans, Dame Edith." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. . Encyclopedia.com. (July 19, 2019). https://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/evans-dame-edith
"Evans, Dame Edith." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. . Retrieved July 19, 2019 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/reference/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/evans-dame-edith
World Encyclopedia
© World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005.
Evans, Dame Edith (1888–1976) English stage and screen actress. While with the Old Vic (1925–26, 1936), Evans played many roles, including the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. She is perhaps best remembered as Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest.
"Evans, Dame Edith." World Encyclopedia. . Encyclopedia.com. 19 Jul. 2019 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>.
"Evans, Dame Edith." World Encyclopedia. . Encyclopedia.com. (July 19, 2019). https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/evans-dame-edith
"Evans, Dame Edith." World Encyclopedia. . Retrieved July 19, 2019 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/evans-dame-edith
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Oil & Gas / North Sea
NHV Group taking flight and winning the contracts
by Allister Thomas
An NHV operated H175 helicopter.
By its own admission, helicopter operator NHV Group is not a big name in north-east Scotland compared with the likes of Babcock, Bristow or CHC.
But the Belgian firm, which started out in Aberdeen just two years ago, has been making headlines recently with several high-profile contract wins.
Since May, NHV has agreed to work with Dana Petroleum, Cairn Energy and Siemens Gamesa.
Aberdeen base manager Jamie John said the company had “evolved” in the last two years.
He has ambitions for the company to be as well known as some of the legacy firms in the North Sea.
He said: “Aberdeen is our newest base. It is the oil and gas capital of Europe so it is very high-profile here.
“A lot of the customers we fly for in other parts of the world, like Europe and West Africa, already have a lot of head offices here in Aberdeen.”
With North Sea assets constantly changing hands, Mr John sees plenty of opportunity coming up for the operator.
“We do see a steady flow of growth for us in the next couple of years,” he said. “There are more short-term contracts and some projects coming up, not only with our existing customers but with some of the new players who are coming into the market.
“The landscape offshore is changing all the time regarding the owner/operatorship of different fields and platforms.
“So we see opportunities there with new players coming into the market but also leveraging the service we’ve provided for our existing customers to support them in any future projects they may have as well.”
Since starting out in 2016 in a temporary base, the firm has tripled its headcount to 60 and doubled its fleet size.
The Aberdeen base has been key for NHV as it acts as the maintenance base for its fleet of H175 helicopters. A great deal of suppliers are based here.
So what is NHV doing differently that has led to the slew of contract wins? Mr John believes it is to do with their flexibility.
“What we may be offering is something different with regards to the product,” he said. “There are not as many people flying offshore at the minute. We operate 16-seater aircraft which are a little faster, a little more efficient. So the numbers of people going offshore, tied with the product we’re offering, is maybe setting us apart, although other operators are operating super-medium aircraft as well.
“Also, availability – we’re quite lucky that we’ve already pre-ordered up to 16 H175s. At group level, we’ve just taken delivery of number 11 and added it to our Aberdeen fleet, so that is our fourth H175 here in Dyce.
“We have quite a lot of availability within our company to be able to offer the aircraft and services at the times required.
“We’re not as well established in Aberdeen as the other operators, which allows us to probably offer more flexible solutions.”
NHV is a global operator, working in all of the North Sea oil and gas countries as well as having a presence in West Africa.
It has a 70-helicopter fleet operating in all of those areas and employs more than 650 people.
Despite the company’s resilience, it is not immune to market conditions.
Mr John said there had been a gradual increase in offshore work, but NHV, like others, is still feeling the pinch.
He said: “We are seeing a gradual increase in offshore activity. What I will say is that the pressure is still on us as suppliers for costs and pricing so we still have to be extremely competitive. We have to manage that and the offers that we put out to our customers.
“We’re not out of the woods yet and we still have to cost-control our business as well as we can, to allow us to offer these solutions to our customers. To take another aircraft in, there’s a huge cost implication to that so when you have the smaller contracts that maybe don’t fill up an aircraft then it’s very difficult for us to get approval for a new aircraft to come in. It’s just about trying to work out some cost-effective solutions to our customers on that.
“We certainly see the market improving but the pressure is still on.”
VIDEO: Online hit for 'Rig Life' on Deepsea Aberdeen
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Home News centre Hume tomb conserved for future generations
Hume tomb conserved for future generations
Published Friday, 7th October 2011
The last resting place of Scotland’s greatest philosopher has been conserved, thanks to a joint project led by the City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh World Heritage.
The David Hume mausoleum in Old Calton burial ground was designed by his friend the famous architect Robert Adam, matching the philosopher's wish that on his death a "Monument be built over my body ... with an Inscription containing only my Name and the Year of my Birth and Death, leaving it to Posterity to add the Rest."
The conservation works focused on removing vegetation, and replacing loose or defective pointing with appropriate lime mortar.
The intricate decorative features inspired by ancient Roman styles have received particular attention, the cornice, architrave, and frieze around the top of the building.
Councillor Deidre Brock, Culture and Leisure Convener, said: "I'm delighted the Council and EWH have been able to carry out this vital conservation work on the mausoleum of Edinburgh's own David Hume. Hume is a towering figure in Scotland's history, enormously respected across the world for his outstanding contributions to philosophy, economics, history and the written word. It's particularly pleasing we have secured the necessary funds to conserve his memorial in 2011, the 300th anniversary of his birth."
A spokesman for Edinburgh World Heritage said: "The Hume mausoleum is of great importance to the city and Scotland. Designed by the famous architect Robert Adam to commemorate the nation's foremost philosopher, it neatly encapsulates Edinburgh's history as a city at the heart of the Enlightenment. This sort of conservation work is essential to keep the building in good order for the future, and to encourage more people to appeciate the value of the city's historic graveyards."
The total cost of the project was £5,000, funded by the City of Edinburgh Council and Edinburgh World Heritage, with kind donations from the Regent, Royal and Carlton Terraces Association and others.
The history of David Hume's death
There was considerable public interest in Hume's death, both in terms of the tranquil and philosophical way he approached his end and because of his sceptical views on religion. Hume had been accused of being an atheist, and to keep the more superstitious or curious citizens away from his grave, his friends kept watch at the mausoleum for eight days after his burial.
James Boswell was an eye-witness to Hume's burial: "Thursday 29 August. Was vexed at my rashness last night, but was somehow in a very composed steady frame. It was a very wet day. After breakfast Grange and I went and saw David Hume's burial. We first looked at his grave in the burying ground on the Calton Hill, and then stood concealed behind a wall till we saw the procession of carriages come down from the New Town, and thereafter the procession of the corpse carried to the grave. We then went to the Advocates' Library and read some part of his Essays: of his "Epicurean, his "Stoic" , his "Sceptic"; and "On Natural Religion".
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Kindergarten-Readiness Tests Gain Ground
Amy Knight, a kindergarten teacher at Parr's Ridge Elementary School in Mount Airy, Md., instructs 5-year-old Zavier Abu-Shaaban on a math assessment task during morning arrival.
—Swikar Patel/Education Week
Aim Is to Support Instruction, But Concerns Persist
By Catherine Gewertz
Mount Airy, Md.
For 20 kindergartners at Parr's Ridge Elementary School, the morning is packed with singing and dancing, playing an alphabet game with sticks, and cutting big oval shapes out of paper. And while these are typical classroom activities, many also double as something else: parts of an assessment.
These bouncy, sneakered children are part of a leading-edge project in the testing world to figure out how to assess the youngest students in ways that welcome their playful energy and their varied paths of development, and then use the results to shape instruction. All 3,500 kindergarten teachers in Maryland are using a new readiness assessment this year that rests on teachers' observations of children's work and play to build a detailed picture of what they need as they begin the school year.
What's happening here reflects a national surge of interest in better sizing up and serving children as they enter the K-12 school system. Parr's Ridge teacher Amy Knight is one of tens of thousands of teachers who are learning new ways of merging assessment with observation and instruction.
On a mid-September morning, she leads her class in singing alphabet and rhyming songs. Then the children split up into small groups; some curl up on big blue cushions with books, while others sit at tables, working on a cut-and-paste word-rhyming activity. Ms. Knight gathers five children around her at a table.
She gives each one a paper that shows two big horizontal ovals. In one oval, she asks them to write their names. In the other, Ms. Knight asks the children to write the word "toy," which is displayed on the board nearby. Then they have to cut out both ovals. The teacher watches carefully as the students grasp pencils and draw letters, some sure and others halting. She notices the jagged cutouts on some papers, the smooth ones on others. On a clipboard, she has a detailed rubric, and she marks her observations of the children's fine-motor and early-writing skills: "not yet evident," "in progress," or "proficient."
Then it's time for the next activity: a game called "Zap!" From a cup full of wide popsicle sticks with letters written on the tips, each child chooses a stick and says the name and sound of the letter out loud. They laugh, clap, and wiggle in their seats as the cup comes around again and again. Some say the letters and sounds like proud proclamations; others hesitate, or mix up a "b" with a "d."
Again, Ms. Knight makes notes on her rubric. She's watching the students' preliminary grasp of letters and sounds, but also noticing how they manage taking turns.
Nearly one-third of the skills she's been trained to look for are in the domain of "social foundations," which includes skills such as expressing concern for others, following multi-step directions, and working cooperatively. Ms. Knight is keeping an eye out for skills and behaviors in five other domains, too: language and literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, and physical well-being and motor development.
She draws her information from many moments of the day, including whole-group activities, small-group work, and time she spends one-on-one with the children. Some observations are spontaneous; most flow from carefully planned and scripted activities. Working with children one at a time, for instance, the teacher might ask a child to look at several pictures of flower pots and point to the one with the most flowers in it.
Ms. Knight assesses a small group of students on some of their social foundations skills while the rest of the class works on an independent assignment.
Tailoring Instruction
As the weeks go by, the grid on Ms. Knight's clipboard fills up, with every skill strand in all six domains observed and recorded for all 20 children. The information will be aggregated in a database that teachers and administrators can use to tailor instruction.
By mid-September, for instance, Ms. Knight already knows that some of her charges need help learning to work scissors and hold pencils. She's formulating plans to blend cutting and writing activities into morning arrival time. She will also use what she's learned to give parents a fuller picture of their children's needs and growing skills.
"You have to pick and be strategic, but you can accumulate a lot of tidbits day to day," Ms. Knight says while the children play at recess. "I like the process. It does feel like a lot to do, but it's very clear and it gives me a lot of valuable information."
Much of the activity on kindergarten-readiness tests has flowed from the priority that the U.S. Department of Education under President Barack Obama has placed on improving early-childhood education. Two programs have fueled work in this area: $1 billion awarded to 20 states in the Early Learning Challenge Grants program, which supports improving preschool access and programming, and designing better assessments for young children; and $15 million awarded to 17 states in the Enhanced Assessment Grants program, which focuses more tightly on assessment.
Using funds they won in both programs, Maryland and Ohio teamed up to build a new kindergarten-readiness assessment for both states to use this school year. They hired San Francisco-based WestEd to design the test; the Johns Hopkins University School of Education's Center for Technology in Education created the teacher-training component.
Like 24 other states, Ohio and Maryland already required readiness tests at the beginning of kindergarten, but they sought the federal money to improve their tools. Maryland's previous test helped inform the state department of education's outlook on its preschool programs. It was also meant to inform kindergarten teaching, but many teachers felt its classroom value was limited.
"It was a waste of time," said Ms. Knight, who has taught for seven years at Parr's Ridge, a K-2 school of 450 students in central Maryland. She would spend hours gathering data for that test, but it yielded only broad-brush information, nothing granular enough to be useful to her or to parents, she said.
Integrated and Interactive
Kindergartner Zavier Abu-Shaaban works through problems on the KRA math assessment in teacher Amy Knight's classroom at Parr's Ridge Elementary School in Mount Airy, Md.
Experts say that Maryland's new kindergarten assessment showcases key features of age-appropriateness for young children. "It's right in the middle of the plate when it comes to good practice" in early-childhood assessment, said Kyle L. Snow, who has studied the issue as a senior scholar at the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
One important element of the test is that it assesses students as they engage in normal classroom activities, he said. Another is that it is given by their teacher, once pupils have had enough time to establish a relationship with her, he said. It's also interactive, rather than simply requiring children to write answers on a sheet of questions. The fact that the data are intended to inform instruction—rather than support high-stakes decisions about students or teachers—is crucial as well, Mr. Snow said.
The use of kindergarten-readiness tests has sparked concern in some quarters, especially since objections to the types and amounts of standardized testing in schools have accelerated across the country. Some parents and early-childhood educators fear that policymakers will disregard the longstanding advice of experts, and use information from the tests to inform teachers' evaluations, and even to steer the least-ready children into kindergarten alternatives.
'Reason to Be Cautious'
Libby Doggett, who oversees the Early Learning Challenge Grant program as the deputy assistant secretary for policy and early learning at the U.S. Department of Education, said the department's guidance incorporates the early-childhood field's cautionary notes about age-appropriate testing.
The guidance says such tests should be used to "provide information to help close the school readiness gap at kindergarten entry, to inform instruction in the early elementary school grades, and to notify parents about their children's status and involve them in decisions about their children's education. [They] should not be used to prevent children's entry into kindergarten or as a single measure for high-stakes decisions."
Ms. Doggett said department officials are "aware that people are fed up with testing," and acknowledged that there is "reason to be cautious" when setting out to design kindergarten-readiness assessments.
"We want to make sure people don't get scared because you use the word 'assessment.' What we're talking about is measuring progress by being a keen observer, and helping teachers know where their kids are," she said. "We always want to make sure [kindergarten entrance tests] are properly used. We never want children or programs punished."
Even as federal funding speeds development of new tools, however, some experts are reserving judgment about their quality. For Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek, a Temple University psychology professor who focuses on early-childhood learning, even the better tests for young children focus too much on yielding information about the results—rather than the process—of learning.
"People in my field are nervous as heck," she said. "My fear is that we aren't testing the right stuff."
Ms. Hirsh-Pasek and colleagues are currently piloting kindergarten-readiness tests designed to provide that deeper kind of information. Instead of simply asking children to identify shapes, she said, the tests display shapes in various colors and sizes, in two and three dimensions, rotated to varying positions. The teacher then asks questions that plumb students' grasp of what they saw. "That's really unpacking what we mean by spatial ability," said Ms. Hirsh-Pasek. "A teacher can really get a sense of where this kid is coming from in skills that are precursors to math ability all the way up the grades."
Skepticism about tests for young children surfaced almost immediately at an August training session designed to acquaint Amy Knight and her colleagues with Maryland's new assessment. Teachers told stories of day-care centers that administered spelling tests to 4-year-olds or expected children to recognize words by sight. Scanning the lists of skills they'd be looking for in their students, some teachers sounded worried.
"A lot of this is what we teach in kindergarten. How can we expect them to know this stuff when they're coming in?" asked one teacher, pointing to a place on the skills sheet that said, "Count the number sequence to 20."
Janet Bubnash, one of the session trainers, reassured the teachers that the students are not expected to demonstrate all the skills listed. The test was deliberately designed to reflect a wide range of skills, since young children master things at very different points in their development, she said. The point of the test is to get a snapshot of readiness "from a whole-child perspective, to see where they are," said co-trainer Amber Chenoweth.
By the end of the training session, Ms. Knight felt excited. "Documenting all of this will be a challenge," she said. "But it seems really good. I think my students and their parents will benefit from this."
Coverage of "deeper learning" that will prepare students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world is supported in part by a grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, at www.hewlett.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.
Vol. 34, Issue 07, Pages 1, 12-13
Published in Print: October 8, 2014, as Kindergarten-Readiness Tests Gain Ground
“Latest Race to Top Early-Learning Grants Unveiled,” January 8, 2014.
“Federal Grant Prospect Reignites Kindergarten-Assessment Debate,” February 20, 2013.
“Assessing Preschoolers,” August 13, 2008.
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A Primer on Dividends
Tip: Dividend Dates. There are four important dates for dividends:
Declaration Date: The company announces when it will pay a dividend and how much the dividend will be worth.
Ex-Dividend Date: Shareholders of record before this date are entitled to receive the next dividend payment.
Record Date: On this date, the list of stockholders is finalized.
Payable Date: On this date, the taxable dividend is paid to shareholders.
When interest rates reach historic lows, some investors in search of income-generating investments turn to dividend-yielding stocks.
Dividends are taxable payments made by a company to its shareholders. When a company makes a profit, that money can be put to two uses—it can be reinvested in the business or it can be paid out to the company’s shareholders in the form of a dividend. Some dividends are paid quarterly and others are paid monthly.
Dividend Ratios
Investors track dividend-yielding stocks by examining a pair of ratios.
Dividend per share measures how much cash an investor is scheduled to receive for each share of dividend-yielding stock. It is calculated by adding up the total dividends paid out over a year (not including special dividends) and dividing by the number of shares of stock that are outstanding.
Dividend yield measures how much cash an investor is scheduled to receive for each dollar invested in a dividend-yielding stock. It is calculated by dividing the dividends per share by the share price.
Other Dividend Considerations
Investing in dividend-paying stocks can create a stream of taxable income. But the fact that a company is paying dividends is only one factor to consider when choosing a stock investment.
Dividends can be stopped, increased, or decreased at any time. Unlike interest from a corporate bond, which is normally a set amount determined and approved by a company’s board of directors. If a company is experiencing financial difficulties, its board may reduce or eliminate its dividend for a period of time. If a company is outperforming expectations, it may boost its dividend or pay shareholders a special one-time payout.
When considering a dividend-yielding stock, focus first on the company’s cash position. Companies with a strong cash position may be able to pay their scheduled dividend without interruption. Many mature, profitable companies are in a position to offer regular dividends to shareholders as a way to attract investors to the stock.
Dividend income is currently taxed at a maximum rate of 20%.
Be cautious when considering investments that pay a high dividend. While past history cannot predict future performance, companies with established histories of consistent dividend payment may be more likely to continue that performance in the future.
In a period of low interest rates, investors who want income may want to consider all their options. Dividend-yielding stocks can generate taxable income but, like most investments, they should be carefully reviewed before you commit any dollars.
Keep in mind that the return and principal value of stock prices will fluctuate as market conditions change. And shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost.
The information in this article is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation.
Dividends Can Make a Difference
This chart shows the role dividends have played in stock market performance during the past 35 years ended December 31, 2017. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Thomson Reuters, 2018. The S&P 500 Composite Index and S&P 500 Composite Index (Total Return) are unmanaged indices that are generally considered representative of the U.S. stock market. Index performance is not indicative of the past performance of a particular investment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Individuals cannot invest directly in an index.
What Smart Investors Know
Smart investors take the time to separate emotion from fact.
TIPS for Inflation
If you are concerned about inflation and expect short-term interest rates may increase, TIPS could be worth considering.
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From glacier melting to rise in glacial lakes, eastern Himalaya most hit by climate change
Among the 25,614 glacial lakes identified in five major river basins of Hindu Kush Himalayas, Brahmaputra Basin has the highest number of glacial lakes
NEXT NEWS ❯
By Subhojit Goswami
Last Updated: Tuesday 27 March 2018
This is the first comprehensive assessment of the distribution of glacial lakes in HKH. Credit: Pixnio
One of the impacts of melting of glaciers is the formation of new glacial lakes by accumulation of meltwater resulting from the glacier retreat. These new lakes formed due to shrinking glaciers in the Alps, Himalaya, Andes and other mountainous regions have increased the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) also has widespread presence of such glacial lakes and many of them are potential sources of flood. It is in this context that the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, ICIMOD has done the first comprehensive mapping of glacial lakes of five major river basins of HKH— Amu Darya, Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Irrawaddy, including Mansarovar Interior Basin.
“This is the first comprehensive knowledge on the distribution of glacial lakes for the HKH providing baseline data for further investigation of glacial lakes,” says the report.
Survey carried out based on remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) reveals that there are a total of 25,614 glacial lakes covering an area of 1,444 sq km within the five major river basins. This includes all the glacial lakes greater than or equal to 0.003 sq km. According to the report, almost 79 per cent of lakes mapped are less than 0.05 sq km in size.
The largest lake, with an area of 15.1 sq km, lies in Amu Darya River Basin.
Among the 25,614 glacial lakes identified in five major river basins, Brahmaputra Basin has the highest number of glacial lakes (61.1 per cent) followed by Indus (18 per cent), Ganga (14.5 per cent), Amu Darya (4.6 per cent), and Irrawaddy Basins (1.1 per cent).
Area of concern
While differences in glacier status exist from region to region in the HKH, there is unanimity among studies that the greatest decrease in the length and area has occurred in the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau. Hence, it is no surprise that both lake density and area coverage of lakes are much higher in the eastern part of the HKH with much more concentration towards the east of central Nepal.
According to the report, there has been a substantial increase in glacial lake area in the eastern Himalaya (Bhutan and Nepal) between 1990 and 2009 and climate change has played a major role in it. More than 50 glacial lake outburst events have been recorded in the HKH but records are available only for parts of China, Nepal, Pakistan and Bhutan. These events cause flooding of pastures, damaging people’s lives and property in the mountains and also in downstream areas, the report points out.
The HKH is home to the world’s greatest areal extent and volume of permanent ice and permafrost outside polar regions. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007), climate change is an accelerating process as evident from the rise of global temperature, especially since the late 1970s. Consequently, glaciers, snow and permafrost have undergone significant changes during recent decades.
The report calls for assessing downstream vulnerability and understanding dynamics of glacial lakes and the risks associated with outburst floods.
Glacier melting Glacial lake … Glacial Melt Eastern Himalaya Climate Change World Asia Nepal Bhutan China Pakistan
Melting glaciers will cause water crisis for 700 million people in Asia by 2100: study
Human role in fuelling glacier loss has risen drastically
Sikkim at risk of devastating floods from glacial lake outbursts
India Environment Portal Resources :
The status of glacial lakes in the Hindu Kush Himalaya
Global-scale hydrological response to future glacier mass loss
Numerical modelling of past retreat and future evolution of Chhota Shigri glacier in Western Indian Himalaya
Recent glacier changes in the Kashmir Alpine Himalayas, India
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Home News City News New Coney Island Roller Coaster
New Coney Island Roller Coaster
This Monday, construction began on a new roller coaster on Coney Island, the Thunderbolt.
The Thunderbolt is being built on the site of its late namesake, near Surf Avenue and West 15th Street. The old wooden Thunderbolt, in operation from 1925 until 1982, was immortalized in Woody Allen’s film, Annie Hall. The director’s character, Alvy Singer, grew up in a shabby (and shaky) house directly beneath the ride.
The original Thunderbolt was torn down in 2000 during Giuliani’s administration
The new Thunderbolt comes at a cost of $10 million and is one of the largest private investments on the strip in Coney Island’s history. Designed by Zamperla of Italy, the ride will be made of steel and thrill visitors with a 90-degree vertical drop, a 100-foot loop and zero-gravity roll, as well as dives, hills and a corkscrew. All of this will happen at 55 mph in under two minutes.
A rendering of the new Thunderbolt. Luna NYC/Zamperla
Alberto Zamperla, President of Central Amusement International and Luna Park, commented, “We come to Coney Island to respect the memories that are already here.” The hope is to resurrect, rather than reinvent, the once bustling area. The Thunderbolt will rise next to the world famous Cyclone, a wooden roller coaster that has been entertaining joy-riders for eighty-seven years.
The Thunderbolt is due to be ready by this coming Memorial Day, when New Yorkers and tourists alike will line up for some fun in the sun after an especially harsh winter.
–Charlotte Bryant
zamperla
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What Happens in the South China Sea, Matters in the East China Sea: Japan’s Reaction to the South China Sea Arbitration Ruling | East-West Center | www.eastwestcenter.org
What Happens in the South China Sea, Matters in the East China Sea: Japan’s Reaction to the South China Sea Arbitration Ruling
by Matthew Short
Asia Pacific Bulletin, No. 359
Publisher: Washington, DC: East-West Center
Matthew Short, researcher at the East-West Center in Washington, explains that “Pushing Japan to be a more proactive member of the international system, Abe has advocated for and employed Japan as a guardian of global commons, especially the maritime commons, to ensure they remain open and beneficial to everyone.”
Rebalancing the US Army Towards Asia
Implications for Southeast Asia of the New U.S.-Japan Defense Guidelines
Japanese Investments Are Instrumental to India's Act East Policy
China's Transparency Deficit Complicates Beijing's Regional Outreach
US Should Help Vietnam Counter China’s Coercion
The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) as a Foreign Policy Instrument in Southeast Asia
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Public Release: 6-Oct-2017
New York City PrEP prescriptions increase nearly 1,000 percent, but disparities remain
Infectious Diseases Society of America
SAN DIEGO - Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) prescriptions in New York City increased by nearly 1,000 percent in two years, but men of color, women and patients outside the city center were less likely to be prescribed the HIV prevention medication. Taken daily, PrEP is more than 90 percent effective in reducing the risk of HIV infection and is recommended for everyone at very high risk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A number of recent education campaigns and trials have demonstrated PrEP is effective, but many medical students and healthcare providers nationwide remain unaware of PrEP or are unsure of its benefits. These are among the findings on the status of PrEP use and awareness being presented at IDWeek 2017.
"Fewer than 10 percent of people who would benefit from PrEP are taking it," said Brandon Imp, MD, an internal medicine/preventive medicine resident at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco and lead author of a study on PrEP awareness among medical students. "We believe education works, but we need to do a better job throughout the country to inform future doctors as well as health providers who are on the front lines of care about the benefits of PrEP."
CDC guidelines published in 2014 recommend PrEP (emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) for HIV-negative people at high risk of HIV, including: those who are in a relationship with an HIV-infected partner; gay or bisexual men who have sex without a condom or have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection within the past six months; heterosexual men or women who do not always use condoms when having sex with partners at high risk for HIV; and those who inject illicit drugs. CDC recommends PrEP be used in combination with other preventative measures, including condoms.
Huge Increase in NYC PrEP Prescriptions
The prescription of PrEP rose 976 percent between 2014 and 2016, according to an analysis of electronic health records from 602 New York City medical practices, undertaken by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
The increase was noted after the CDC released PrEP guidelines in 2014 and as clinical trials and demonstration projects confirmed it is effective. Additionally, a variety of campaigns to educate healthcare providers about PrEP and its benefits were launched in New York City during that time. For example, the department launched a campaign in 2014 to reach out to primary care and infectious disease practices to provide them resources about PrEP, visiting more than 2,500 providers at more than 1,000 clinics throughout the city. PrEP messages were included in another campaign to encourage city residents to know their HIV status and community partner organizations have launched their own outreach efforts, say the researchers.
When analyzing the records, researchers found PrEP prescriptions were more likely to be written for younger, white, male patients and at Manhattan-based practices, community health centers and practices with onsite infectious diseases specialists. In other words, men of color, women, people getting healthcare at smaller private practices or those outside the city center were less likely to be prescribed PrEP.
"These results show that educating healthcare providers can really help improve the rate of PrEP prescribing, but it's apparent we need additional programs to ensure equitable access," said Paul Salcuni, MPH, lead author of the study and lead data analyst for prevention, Bureau of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Long Island City. To address the disparities, the department is planning new campaigns, including one focusing on women's health providers.
Many Medical Students Unaware of PrEP
Many medical schools aren't educating their students about PrEP and its benefits, suggests a survey of 1,588 medical students at 18 U.S. medical schools. According to the extensive survey about knowledge, beliefs and experiences, more than one in four (28 percent) medical students are unaware of PrEP and 18 percent of students in their last year of medical school were never taught about the HIV prevention regimen. Further, 57 percent believed behavioral intervention should be tried before prescribing PrEP, 45 percent believed patients would not adhere to it and 22 percent didn't think it was effective.
Studies have shown PrEP is far more effective at preventing HIV than behavioral intervention, and that while adherence is a concern for all medications, that should not deter physicians from prescribing the regimen.
"Medical students are not being taught about PrEP as they should and therefore are unaware of it, or have inaccurate beliefs about its value," said Dr. Imp, lead author of the study. "That is concerning because they are the next generation of physicians who will provide care to patients and help stem the spread of the disease. These results demonstrate the need to incorporate PrEP education into the medical school curriculum."
Doctors Often Uncomfortable Prescribing PrEP
Medical students are not the only ones who are unaware of the benefits of PrEP suggests a study of healthcare providers at one Boston hospital. According to a survey of 80 providers, including doctors (55 percent), physician assistants (20 percent), registered nurses (9 percent), medical students (8 percent) and medical assistants, research coordinators and physician assistant students (8 percent), about one-third overall had never heard of PrEP. Additionally, 32 percent of doctors said they were uncomfortable prescribing it, according to the Tufts University School of Medicine survey.
"PrEP has been widely publicized in the medical literature and media, so we were surprised at the low level of awareness of its benefits," said Rapeephan Maude, MD, MSc, lead author of the study, now an infectious disease physician at Mahachai Hospital, Thailand. "Doctors often said they were uncomfortable asking their patients about risk behaviors. We think this is a major reason why some people at high risk of HIV infection are not identified."
Some doctors said they preferred to refer patients to HIV and infectious diseases specialists, she said. While specialists have deeper knowledge about PrEP and are trained to ask about risk factors, referring patients may lead to a missed opportunity to start PrEP as early as possible. Additionally, some patients may not follow-up with a specialist, or have greater trust in their primary care doctor.
"We are confident these numbers will improve as more providers receive information on PrEP," said Dr. Maude. "Encouraging providers to work collaboratively with infectious diseases specialists would increase their comfort in identifying high-risk patients and prescribing PrEP."
Emergency Medicine Physicians Overlooked in PrEP Education Efforts
Emergency medicine physicians are generally aware of PrEP, but most aren't familiar with the CDC guidelines and many are uncomfortable discussing PrEP due to lack of awareness about its recommendations, according to a study at Washington University in St. Louis.
The study included survey results of 67 emergency room physicians who were asked about their knowledge of PrEP, including the CDC prescribing guidelines and concerns about use. Overall, 79 percent were aware of PrEP, but only 24 percent were knowledgeable about the guidelines. Additionally, 57 percent were not comfortable discussing PrEP with patients, 54 percent had concerns about whether it was effective, 90 percent worried about side effects and 70 percent feared it would promote HIV resistance. Large studies have addressed these concerns, noting that it is effective and does not promote HIV resistance. Additionally, PrEP's side effects should be discussed with patients, but benefits outweigh those issues in most cases, researchers note.
"The low levels of awareness of PrEP's benefits among this group are likely due to the fact that education and outreach efforts focus on HIV and infectious diseases specialists and primary care physicians," said Brett Tortelli, BA, lead author of the study and an MD/PhD student at Washington University. "While emergency physicians are unlikely to prescribe PrEP because it requires continued care, they can play an important role in identifying at-risk patients - many of whom have little interaction with the healthcare system otherwise - and connect them to care."
Researchers asked the physicians for their preferred method of PrEP education, and determined a variety of methods would be necessary, including educating them on the guidelines, providing existing research that would allay their concerns about PrEP and offering community resources they can use to refer patients for care.
In addition to Salcuni, co-authors of the NYC PrEP prescribing study are Jenny Smoken, MPH, Sachin Jain, MD, Julie Myers, MD, MPH and Zoe Edelstein, PhD, MS.
In addition to Dr. Imp, co-authors of the medical student awareness study are Elaine Allen, PhD, Rory Aufderheide, BA, Marc Berenson, BA, Tanaya Bhowmick, MD. Binbin Chen, BS, Jaclyn Chesner, BA, Renzo Corzano, PhD, Zachary Friske, MBA, Justin Genziano, MD, Joseph Grogg, BS, Michael Hernandez, BS, Kelly Holz, BA, Brynne Latterell, MD, MPH, Ajay Major, MD, MBA, Henal Motiwala, BS, Cody Mullens, BS, Steven Omansky, BS, Ezra Shapiro, BS, Alexandria Tran, BS and Jonathan Volk, MD, MPH.
In addition to Dr. Maude, co-authors of the Tufts study are Gretchen Volpe, MD, MPH and David Stone, MD.
In addition to Tortelli, co-authors of the Washington University study are Douglas Char, MD, William Powderly, MD and Rupa Patel, MD.
About IDWeek
IDWeek 2017TM is the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS). With the theme "Advancing Science, Improving Care," IDWeek features the latest science and bench-to-bedside approaches in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiology of infectious diseases, including HIV, across the lifespan. IDWeek 2017 takes place October 4-8 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego. For more information, visit http://www.idweek.org.
rtaylor@pcipr.com
@IDSAInfo
http://www.idsociety.org
IDWeek 2017
INFECTIOUS/EMERGING DISEASES
PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE
SEX-LINKED CONDITIONS
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Member investments demonstrate confidence and create career opportunities in Europe
Euro Chlor member's positive developments demonstrate that there is a great future and interesting career opportunities in our sector.
In recent months, there has been a raft of significant announcements including:
Kemira will make a multi-million euro investment to expand production at its Joutseno chlor-alkali site in Finland.
A 200M€ investment by Covestro in its production facilities in Tarragona, Spain
INOVYN announcements regarding a major expansion project at the Rafnes Site, Norway and a substantial investment in a new state-of-the-art technology for the production of chlorine and caustic soda at Cologne (Germany)
Further expansion at the Ercros chlor-alkali plant in Vila-seca, Tarragona, Spain
An AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals and Evonik Industries joint venture successfully starting chlorine and potassium hydroxide production at their joint venture facility in Ibbenbüren, Germany
Vinnolit expanding its chlorine and VCM capacities at the Chemical Park Gendorf
AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals expanding chloromethane production capacity at Frankfurt, Germany
CUF finalizing an agreement for the construction of a chlorine, caustic soda, sodium hypochlorite and hydrochloric acid production plant in Torrelavega, Spain.
During the recent Euro Chlor Management Committee. Hanno Brümmer, Head of Production & Technology at Covestro Polyurethanes spoke to me about his company’s ambitious investment plans. He was keen to emphasize the new opportunities being created.
He said, “Even as chlorine production has been in decline in the recent years, we strongly believe in an ongoing need for modern chlor-alkali production. Planning for our development at Tarragona, using state-of-the-art energy efficient technologies, is well underway and we are due to start production in the new plant in 2020.”
“There are many factors behind this development, such as a growing need to optimize energy usage to meet sustainability goals, and continued growth in demand for polymer materials. There are also promising developments in producing chemicals with renewable electricity. This in turn will also lead to job opportunities for professionals in this industry, managing and operating modern plants.”
Hanno’s comments echo those of many other senior executives in the industry who continue to invest in Europe.
The chlor-alkali industry still has many headwinds to meet, not least the challenge of finding new energy solutions that will allow European manufacturing compete globally in the years ahead, but it is heartening to see our members making this commitment to the future and to creating career opportunities for the next generation of chemical engineers.
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Peter Gülke was born in Weimar in 1934, where he now lives again. He studied the cello, musicology, German and Romance languages and literature, and philosophy at the Liszt School of Music in Weimar at the universities of Jena and Leipzig. He completed his doctorate in philosophy in Leipzig in 1958, followed in 1985 by his professorial thesis at the Technical University of Berlin. He started to give concerts of mediaeval and renaissance music while he was a student.
Peter Gülke has written musicological works about the music of these periods as well as about the theory of musical interpretation and performance, about Bach, the aesthetics of the Enlightenment in France, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Bruckner, Debussy, Janácek, Schönberg, Berg, Lutoslavsky, Petterson and numerous other topics and composers. His more recent publications include books about Mozart’s late symphonies (1998), Beethoven (2000), a collection of essays (Die Sprache der Musik. Von Bach bis Holliger (The Language of Music. From Bach to Holliger), 2001) a book about 15th century music (2003), Auftakte – Nachspiele. Studien zur musikalischen Interpretation (Preludes – Closing Sections. Studies concerning Musical Interpretation), 2006) and Robert Schumann. Glanz und Elend der Romantik (Robert Schumann. The Splendour and Misery of Romanticism), 2010); the third edition of his book on Schubert has just been published.
From 1959 onwards, Gülke also worked as a conductor at various theatres. He was principal conductor in Stendal, Potsdam and Stralsund, among other cities; in 1976 he became conductor at the Dresden State Opera, at the same time teaching conducting and running the symphony orchestra at the College of Music there. In 1981 he was appointed Principal Conductor in Weimar. In 1983 Gülke left the German Democratic Republic, as it then was. From 1986 to 1996 he was Principal Conductor in the City of Wuppertal and subsequently ran the course for conducting at the Freiburg Conservatory of Music. Since 1992 he has been active in the Conducting Forum of the German Music Council, from 1996 to 2007 he was the Chairman of the Principal Commission and gave courses in conducting in Germany, Austria, Finland, France, England and the USA.
Gülke has been guest conductor for opera performances in Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna, Paris, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Munich, Rome, Genoa, Kassel (“The Ring”), Graz (“The Ring”), and Frankfurt among other cities and has conducted concerts in practically all parts of Europe as well as in Japan and the USA – amongst others with the German Symphony Orchestra Berlin, the Sächsische Staatskapelle (Saxon State Orchestra) Dresden, the Philharmonic State Orchestra Hamburg, with almost all Radio Symphony Orchestras in Germany, the Residence Orchestra in The Hague, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, the NHK Orchestra Tokyo, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (regularly as part of the series Musik zum Kennenlernen (Music to Discover)) and the ensemble recherche Freiburg.
His recordings on LP and CD include Schubert’s Symphonic Fragments, which Gülke has also made available as the editor of a critical edition, works by Schönberg, Berg and Webern (with the Chamber Orchestra of the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie (Young German Philharmonia)), as well as works by Beethoven, Britten, Baird, Benda, Carl Eberwein, Glasunow, Haydn, Kirchner, Leyendecker, Ravel, Schumann, Tcherepnin, Schreker, Zemlinsky and composers from Goethe’s circle in Weimar. He has conducted numerous world premières and has brought several forgotten works to the attention of the public, including Zemlinsky’s symphonic poem Die Seejungfrau (The Little Mermaid).
Gülke has been a member of the Saxon Academy of Arts since 1995 and its President since 2011. In addition he has been a member of the German Academy for Language and Literature since 1997 and of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts since 2005. In 1995 he received the Edison Gramophone Prize for his complete recording of Schreker’s Irrelohe and the Sigmund Freud Prize of the German Academy for Language and Literature; in 1996 he was awarded the Van der Heydt Prize of the City of Wuppertal, and in 1998 the Karl Vosseler Prize of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts. In 2003 the Liszt School of Music in Dresden appointed him an honorary senator, and in 2003 they conferred an honorary doctorate on him. In addition, he has also been granted honorary doctorates by the University of Berne in 2004 and by the Carl Maria von Weber School of Music in Dresden in 2007.
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by Homer, Robert S. Fitzgerald (Translator)
Robert Fitzgerald's is the best and best-loved modern translation of The Odyssey, and the only one admired in its own right as a great poem in English. Fitzgerald's supple verse is ideally suited to the story of Odysseus' long journey back to his wife and home after the Trojan War. Homer's tale of love, adventure, food and drink, sensual pleasure, and mortal danger reaches the English-language reader in all its glory.
The classicist D. S. Carne-Ross explains the many aspects of the poem in his introduction, written especially for this edition, which also features a map, a glossary of names and places, and a guide to the best critical writing on Homeric poetry, as well as Fitzgerald's own postscript.
Since 1961, more than two million copies of this Odyssey have been sold, and it has been the standard translation for three generations of students and poets. This edition deepens our understanding and enjoyment of the greatest of all epic poems.
Ancient Literature (Location: MLIT-ANC)
Epic & Saga
Greek Literature
Odyssey of Homer
The Great Discussion
Online Study Guides
CliffsNotes Guide
Sparknotes Guide
Invitation to the Classics
Well-Educated Mind
Greenleaf Guide to Ancient Literature
Iliad of Homer
Odyssey & Guide - 2 book set
Aeneid
Iliad - Memoria Press Package
Iliad - MP Student Book
Iliad - MP Teacher Book
Odyssey - MP Student Book
Odyssey - MP Teacher Book
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Scientists Suggest Turning Methane Into Carbon Dioxide Could Reduce Global Warming
Scott Snowden Contributor
A group of climate researchers from Stanford University have proposed that an effort to turn one of the worst greenhouse gases, methane, into carbon dioxide – not the worst greenhouse, but much more abundant – could still work out positive for the planet.
It's a lessor of two evils approach to repairing the planet.
Methane is approximately 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide over the first two decades after it’s released into the atmosphere. In a paper published in the journal Nature Sustainability they reason that turning all that methane into CO2 would still put humanity ahead and estimate that the transformation would eliminate about one-sixth of the cumulative drivers of global warming.
Methane molecules
Only last week, we reported on an initiative to extract carbon dioxide from water and turn that into methanol fuel using giant, floating solar farms to power the chemical reaction.
However, nations the world over are well behind on their pledges to invest in clean-energy innovation. The International Energy Agency said that only seven of some 45 energy technologies and sectors it assesses are on track to reach the goals of the Paris climate agreement.
Perhaps then it's time to start thinking about damage limitation, rather than trying to prevent it altogether, since that seems to be a more realistic outcome.
Some greenhouse gasses are significantly worse than others, in terms of how much heat they trap in the atmosphere. If it was possible to turn the worst greenhouse gasses into less-damaging ones then, theoretically we end up with a net positive.
"To make a dent in the global CO2 budget, we need to remove billions of tons of CO2 every year, likely between 5-10 billion tons per year [out of ~40 emitted currently]. This effort is like running the coal industry in reverse," Dr Rob Jackson, lead author of the new paper and Professor of Earth System Science at Stanford University, told Forbes.
A concept depicting how an array, coupled with the right catalyst, could potentially remove methane from the air
Nature Sustainability
"Efforts like the giant solar farm have advantages over what we're proposing because they produce a potentially valuable product. I don’t know how feasible any of this is, though, including using solar arrays to produce h2 and transporting it to land to produce products."
"Methane removal would be difficult too, but, it has some advantages compared to CO2. You could reset the atmosphere for 3 billion tons total of CH4 converted – while generating only a few months of CO2 emissions."
Doing so would remove between one sixth and one fourth of cumulative forcing. Moreover, I can’t see us ever getting to zero methane emissions without negative emissions. We'll never eliminate all emissions from agriculture and industry, even if we stopped eating meat, for instance. Will we stop eating rice, too? We need something else to counter-balance the most intractable emissions. Finally, in my proposal, we’re dealing with a thermodynamically favorable reaction, and converting CH4 to CO2 can be done in gas phase, eliminate liquids and most waste, and obviating the need for 'capture,' which is expensive."
"I'm not saying this would be easy. Methane is 2 parts per million in the atmosphere, hundreds of times less abundant than CO2. And it would be expensive to do. Still, aspects of it are easier than for CO2 and no ones talking about it."
"All of these approaches are a distraction compared to actual emission reductions. As chair of the Global Carbon Project, I’m well versed in rising emissions and the need for drastic cuts. We say that repeatedly in the paper."
The current issue of the Nature Sustainability journal
Dr Paul Balcombe of Imperial College London's Department of Chemical Engineering, who was not involved in writing the paper, told Forbes, "Methane is a relatively short-lived climate pollutant. So unlike CO2, methane will come out of the atmosphere fairly quickly – it has a lifespan of roughly 12 years – whereas CO2 effectively persists in the atmosphere."
"This means that if we reduce our methane emissions, then the concentration in the atmosphere will reduce quite quickly. Unlike CO2 where if we reduce our emissions the atmospheric concentration persists. So, whilst there is great value in CO2 removal, perhaps our efforts are better spent reducing methane emissions first and then we wouldn’t have to worry about scrubbing the atmosphere
"The fact that average methane concentrations are very low [1.7 ppm] makes me suspicious that this would be extremely costly. It is much harder to ‘catch’ the higher concentrations of gases and CO2 is at less than 400 ppm. Even this is very costly, so I’d guess methane capture would be much more. So, interesting idea but I imagine it would be more cost effective to target methane emission reductions first which would have the same effect probably at lower cost."
Scott Snowden
Scott has written about science and technology for 20 years for various publications around the world, including the BBC, NBC, the FT and Space.com. He covers environmen...
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B1C Daniel Phillip Marciano
Daniel served as a Boilermaker First Class, U.S.S. Lansdale (DD-426), U.S. Navy during World War II.
His family resided at 1119 N. Goodman Street, Rochester, Monroe County, New York and his wife resided at 1730 Clifford Avenue also in Rochester.
Daniel enlisted in the Navy prior to the war on March 5, 1940 and was assigned to the Lansdale on September 17, 1940.
Daniel was declared "Missing In Action" in this sinking.
His remains were not recovered.
Husband of Laura Marciano.
Lansdale received four battle stars for World War II service.
See more Marciano memorials in:
Maintained by: Russ Pickett
Originally Created by: CWGC/ABMC
Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed ), memorial page for B1C Daniel Phillip Marciano (unknown–20 Apr 1944), Find A Grave Memorial no. 56248725, citing North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial, Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia ; Maintained by Russ Pickett (contributor 46575736) .
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