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Archives pour la catégorie Épreuves orales
Épreuves orales, Literature, Myths and heroes
THE COMPLEX HERO WHO BECAME A LEGEND
décembre 15, 2016 bibimotheau
Malcolm X, the activist and outspoken public voice of the Black Muslim faith, challenged the mainstream civil rights movement and the nonviolent pursuit of integration championed by Martin Luther King Jr.He urged followers to defend themselves against white aggression “by any means necessary.” Born Malcolm Little, he changed his last name to X to signify his rejection of his “slave” name. Charismatic and eloquent, Malcolm became an influential leader of the Nation of Islam, which combined Islam with black nationalism and sought to encourageand enfranchise disadvantaged young blacks searching for confidence in segregated America. After Malcolm X’s death in 1965, his bestselling book The Autobiography of Malcolm X popularized his ideas, particularly among black youth, and laid the foundation for the Black Power movement of the late 1960s and 1970s.
Une émission de France Culture sur Malcolm X
7 Things You May Not Know About Malcolm X
Get the facts on the outspoken black nationalist.
His father may have been killed by white supremacists.
As vocal supporters of pan-African leader Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X’s parents faced constant threats from white supremacists. Just before Malcolm’s birth, for example, armed Ku Klux Klansmen rode out to their house in Omaha, Nebraska, and shattered all their windows. Another of their homes burned down a few years later, apparently at the hands of the Black Legion, a Klan splinter group. Even worse, when Malcolm was 6 years old, his father went out one evening to collect a debt, only to be hit by a streetcar and mortally wounded. Though the authorities ruled his death an accident, African-Americans in town believed the Black Legion had beat him and placed him on the tracks to be run over. To this day, no one knows for sure. Malcolm also lost other relatives to violence, including an uncle he said was lynched by whites.
He moved around constantly as a youth.
Despite being born in Omaha, Malcolm Little (as he was known then) spent very little time there before his family uprooted, first to Milwaukee, then to East Chicago, Indiana, and finally to Lansing, Michigan, where his father would be killed. Not long afterwards, Malcolm’s mother suffered a nervous breakdown and was shipped off to a mental institution, prompting welfare officials to split Malcolm and his now-parentless siblings apart. At first, Malcolm stayed with neighbors. He was then sent to a juvenile detention home in Mason, Michigan, about 10 miles south of Lansing, where he attended a nearly all-white junior high. Though academically near the top of his class, an English teacher purportedly told him that being a lawyer was “no realistic goal for a nigger.” Fed up, he went at age 15 to live with his half-sister in Boston, never to attend school again. A railroad job instilled in him a fondness for travel, and by age 17 he was residing in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem.
He spent six-and-a-half years in jail.
As early as age 9, with his family in dire economic straits, Malcolm began robbing food from stores in Lansing. Later on, in Boston and New York, he got involved in drug dealing, gambling and prostitution rackets, spending much of his time in seedy nightclubs. At age 19, he was arrested for the first time for allegedly stealing and pawning his half-sister’s fur coat. A second arrest followed for allegedly mugging an acquaintance at gunpoint, and a third arrest came after he burglarized a series of Boston-area homes. Sentenced to state prison in 1946, his cellblock mates called him “Satan” for his habit of pacing around and muttering curses at God and the Bible. Soon after, however, he settled down and began voraciously devouring works of history—the horrors of slavery made a particular impression on him—as well as virtually all other nonfiction he could get his hands on. He even tried memorizing the dictionary. “In every free moment I had, if I was not reading in the library, I was reading on my bunk,” Malcolm wrote in his autobiography. “You couldn’t have gotten me out of books with a wedge.” Meanwhile, following the example of his siblings, he joined the Nation of Islam and struck up a correspondence with its leader, Elijah Muhammad. Like Garvey, the Nation of Islam preached black self-reliance and empowerment. In a far cry from traditional Islam, it also taught that whites were a race of “blue-eyed devils” created millenniums ago by an evil scientist.
With his help, the Nation of Islam took off in popularity.
Upon leaving prison in 1952, Malcolm moved to his brother’s house near Detroit, where he attended the local Nation of Islam mosque and actively sought out new converts. Dropping his surname Little, which he considered a “slave” name, in favor of the letter X, he quickly became a favorite of Elijah Muhammad, who promoted him to minister prior to dispatching him to Boston and Philadelphia to establish new mosques there. Malcolm then spent a decade as head of the Harlem mosque, in addition to launching a Nation of Islam newspaper, giving speeches at dozens of universities around the country, participating in debates with mainstream civil-rights leaders and occasionally meeting with foreign heads of state. Everywhere, he railed against white racism, saying such things as, “We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock, my brothers and sisters—Plymouth Rock landed on us!” Largely as a result of his efforts, membership in the Nation of Islam grew from only a few hundred at the time of his conversion to about 6,000 in 1955 and then to an estimated 75,000 in the early 1960s. Non-Muslims also took note of his fiery oratory, including author Alex Haley, with whom he would collaborate on his autobiography.
He opposed integration.
While in the Nation of Islam, Malcolm routinely referred to mainstream civil-rights leaders as “Uncle Toms,” considering them fools for thinking white America would ever willingly give them equality. When Martin Luther King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech during the 1963 March on Washington, Malcolm called it the “Farce on Washington.” “Who ever heard of angry revolutionists all harmonizing ‘We Shall Overcome’ … while tripping and swaying along arm-in-arm with the very people they were supposed to be angrily revolting against?” he wrote in his autobiography. A believer in strict separation of the races, he once even entered into secret negotiations with the KKK. Yet after making a religious pilgrimage to Mecca in April 1964, he began, in his own words, to “reappraise the ‘white man.’” From that point forward, Malcolm moved away from black separatism and wholesale denunciations of whites, and instead embraced a more humanistic approach to fighting oppression.
He bitterly broke with Elijah Muhammad.
Though he once revered Muhammad, Malcolm began having second thoughts after discovering that his mentor had fathered several illegitimate children in direct violation of the Nation of Islam’s teachings. Their relationship then further soured in late 1963, when Muhammad suspended him for asserting that President John F. Kennedy’s assassination was a case of the “chickens coming home to roost.” At loose ends, Malcolm announced his split from the Nation of Islam early the next year, converted to traditional Islam and took on the name El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. In speeches, he now criticized Muhammad for his infidelities and for “religious fakery,” prompting the Nation of Islam to take retaliatory measures. On February 14, 1965, someone threw Molotov cocktails at his New York City home, forcing him, his pregnant wife and his four daughters to take refuge in the backyard. Exactly a week later, Nation of Islam members shot him dead at the Audubon Ballroom.
The FBI followed his every move.
As a prisoner in 1950, Malcolm wrote a letter to President Harry Truman in which he declared himself a Communist opposed to the Korean War. This brought him to the attention of the FBI, which began surveillance that would last until his death. In one document that has since come to light, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover told the agency’s New York office to “do something about Malcolm X.” Another time, the agency explored whether he had violated the little-known Logan Act, which bans citizens from unauthorized negotiation with foreign governments. It had a hard time discrediting him, however, because of the law-abiding way in which he lived his post-prison life. In 1958, an FBI informant called him a man “of high moral character” who “neither smokes nor drinks.” Apparently, he was seldom even late for an appointment. Some scholars speculate that the FBI, with so many informants inside the Nation of Islam, knew about the plot to assassinate Malcolm and intentionally turned a blind eye to it.
Sources: http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/malcolm-x
PROBLEMATIQUES:
How does a man/a woman become a legend ?
What makes a man/a woman a legend?
Malcom X was a complex hero but he remains one of America’s most influential civil rights leaders and his legacy of black empowerment continues to resonate half a century after his assassination.
People who get remembered for such long periods of times are the legends who have done things that inspired generations and generations after their death.
How have they inspired generations ?
You can illustrate this statement with other black leaders and artists who have indeed become legends : MLK, Rosa Parks, Louis Amstrong, Duke Ellington etc..
You may ask yourself why such leaders as Fidel Castro and Nelson Mandela who died more recently are already legendary heroes.
Make sure you know the difference between myths and legends although these two terms are often interchangeable.
A legend is presumed to have some basis in historical fact and tends to mention real people or events. In contrast, a myth is a type of symbolic storytelling that was never based on fact. Throughout time, myths have sought to explain difficult concepts (e.g., the origin of the universe) with the help of common story devices, such as personification and allegories.
These words are commonly used interchangeably to refer to the fictitious nature of something. Historically and academically, however, there is a difference.
Legend versus Myth comparison chart
Evidence that events occurred / people existed?
Yes, but evidence may be insubstantial. No
When and where did it happen?
Typically in more recent historical past. Usually from a specific culture. Usually the ancient past from a specific culture.
Is it fact or fiction?
Facts are distorted or exaggerated. Some fiction. No evidence to prove it as fact. Fictional stories explaining how « the world was created » or some type of natural situation that occurred on Earth.
Who are they about?
Notable people from history. Gods, supernatural realm.
What are they about?
Often about heroic deeds, overcoming obstacles, but may also be about evildoing. Traditional narrative that explains natural phenomena through symbolism and metaphor — often involves the gods of ancient cultures.
black powerherolegendmalcolm Xmyth
Épreuves orales, Seats and Forms of Power, Spaces and Exchanges, The idea of progress
What role did art play in the quest for equality and the affirmation of black identity in segregated America?
Panel # 1
The Migration Series
In 1941, Jacob Lawrence, then just twenty-three years old, completed a series of sixty paintings about the Great Migration, the mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North. Lawrence’s work is a landmark in the history of modern art and a key example of the way that history painting was radically reimagined in the modern era. Explore the social and cultural nuances of each of the sixty panels in Lawrence’s series here. panel #1 Lawrence opens his sixty-panel series with this image of a chaotic crowd in a train station pushing toward three ticket windows marked CHICAGO, NEW YORK, and ST. LOUIS. Images of train stations, railroad cars, waiting rooms, and passengers weighed down by bags recur throughout the Migration Series; . Each of this trio of cities is the subject of a chapter of Emmett J. Scott’s Negro Migration during the War (1920), one of the first scholarly efforts to come to grips with the huge demographic shifts spurred by the Great Migration. “They left as if they were fleeing some curse,” he writes. Negro Migration during the War was one of the pivotal books that Lawrence read in his extensive preparatory research for his series at the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library in Harlem.
Latest news : Le Musee du Quai Branly à Paris organise une exposition qui rend hommage aux artistes noirs americains. Expo The Color Line au Quai Branly
The expression “the color line” refers concretely to the discrimination that divided Blacks and Whites in the United States and which appeared at the end of the Civil War in 1865. The Civil War may have abolished slavery in America but this racial “line” continued to have a profound impact on society.
Three Constitutional amendments were passed to accord African Americans legal status: the Thirteenth Amendment (1865) abolished slavery, the Fourteenth (1868) provided citizenship, and the Fifteenth (1870) guaranteed the right to vote.
In spite of these amendments, between 1873 and 1883 the Supreme Court passed a series of decisions that virtually nullified these texts.
Regarded by many as second-class citizens, Blacks were separated from Whites by law and by private action in transportation, public accommodations, recreational facilities, prisons, armed forces, and schools in both Northern and Southern states.
Aaron Douglas, Into Bondage, 1936
Affirmation of Black Identity
The exhibition “The Color Line” looks back on this dark period in the United States through the cultural history of its black artists, the prime target of this discrimination.
The exhibition takes viewers through the civil rights movement, the Harlem Renaissance, and introduces the new millennium with contemporary art work.
About the exhibition :The exhibition pays tribute to the African-American artists and thinkers who contributed, during a century and a half-long struggle, to blurring this discriminatory « colour line ».
The Poetry of Langston Hughes
A central figure of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1930s and 40s, Missouri-born Langston Hughes used his poetry, novels, plays, and essays to voice his concerns about race and social justice.
I pick up my life, And take it with me,
And I put it down in Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo, Scranton,
Any place that is North and East, And not Dixie.
I pick up my life And take it on the train,
To Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Seattle, Oakland, Salt Lake
Any place that is North and West, And not South.
I am fed up With Jim Crow laws,
People who are cruel And afraid, Who lynch and run,
Who are scared of me And me of them
I pick up my life And take it away On a one-way ticket
Gone up North Gone out West Gone!
POWER AND SEATS OF POWER –
What role did art play in the quest for equality and the affirmation of black identity in segregated America? (see post on Harlem Renaissance)
The role of these artists was essentially to construct an image of the black person that was different from the one transmitted by racist images, by stereotypes.
These documents (paintings, photos, texts, films) present the struggle of African-Americans for the effective recognition of their rights: . During all these years, artists never stopped pinpointing inequalities, injustices and racism through their art.
Harlem Renaissance, a blossoming (c. 1918–37) of African American culture, particularly in the creative arts, and the most influential movement in African American literary history. Embracing literary, musical, theatrical, and visual arts, participants sought to reconceptualize “the Negro” apart from the white stereotypes that had influenced black peoples’ relationship to their heritage and to each other. They also sought to break free of Victorian moral values and bourgeois shame about aspects of their lives that might, as seen by whites, reinforce racist beliefs. Never dominated by a particular school of thought but rather characterized by intense debate, the movement laid the groundwork for all later African American literature and had an enormous impact on subsequent black literature and consciousness worldwide. While the renaissance was not confined to the Harlem district of New York City, Harlem attracted a remarkable concentration of intellect and talent and served as the symbolic capital of this cultural awakening.
The Harlem Renaissance was a phase of a larger New Negro movement that had emerged in the early 20th century and in some ways ushered in the civil rights movement of the late 1940s and early 1950s. The social foundations of this movement included the Great Migration of African Americans from rural to urban spaces and from South to North; dramatically rising levels of literacy; the creation of national organizations dedicated to pressing African American civil rights, “uplifting” the race, and opening socioeconomic opportunities; and developing race pride, including pan-African sensibilities and programs. Black exiles and expatriates from the Caribbean and Africa crossed paths in metropoles such as New York City and Paris after World War I and had an invigorating influence on each other that gave the broader “Negro renaissance” (as it was then known) a profoundly important international cast.
SPACES AND EXCHANGES -IDEA OF PROGRESS
How has the Great Migration changed the face of New York city ?
What impact has the Great Migration had on US main cities (NEW YORK – CHICAGO) ?
What pushed African Americans to go North? (push and pull factors) – (see post on Immigration)
HARLEM -Impact of the Great Migration –
As a result of housing tensions, many blacks ended up creating their own cities within big cities, fostering the growth of a new urban African-American culture. The most prominent example was Harlem in New York City, a formerly all-white neighborhood that by the 1920s housed some 200,000 African Americans. The black experience during the Great Migration became an important theme in the artistic movement known first as the New Negro Movement and later as the Harlem Renaissance, which would have an enormous impact on the culture of the era. The Great Migration also began a new era of increasing political activism among African Americans, who after being disenfranchised in the South found a new place for themselves in public life in the cities of the North and West.
Black migration slowed considerably in the 1930s, when the country sank into the Great Depression, but picked up again with the coming of World War II. By 1970, when the Great Migration ended, its demographic impact was unmistakable: Whereas in 1900, nine out of every 10 black Americans lived in the South, and three out of every four lived on farms, by 1970 the South was home to less than half of the country’s African-Americans, with only 25 percent living in the region’s rural areas.
The renaissance had many sources in black culture, primarily of the United States and the Caribbean, and manifested itself well beyond Harlem. As its symbolic capital, Harlem was a catalyst for artistic experimentation and a highly popular nightlife destination. Its location in the communications capital of North America helped give the “New Negroes” visibility and opportunities for publication not evident elsewhere. Located just north of Central Park, Harlem was a formerly white residential district that by the early 1920s was becoming virtually a black city within the borough of Manhattan. Other boroughs of New York City were also home to people now identified with the renaissance, but they often crossed paths in Harlem or went to special events at the 135th Street Branch of the New York Public Library. Black intellectuals from Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and other cities (where they had their own intellectual circles, theatres, and reading groups) also met in Harlem or settled there. New York City had an extraordinarily diverse and decentred black social world in which no one group could monopolize cultural authority. As a result, it was a particularly fertile place for cultural experimentation.
HarlemmigrationNew negroQuai Branlythe colour line
Épreuves orales, Seats and Forms of Power, The idea of progress
Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
Context of the movie : It was just 52 years ago that Stanley Kubrick’s legendary satire Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb hit theaters — but the world was a very different place. The Cold War was at its height, and America was still recovering from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy just two months earlier. It’s into this charged landscape that Stanley Kubrick launched Dr. Strangelove, a jet-black comedy that gave voice to the nerve-jangling paranoia of the era.
Why is Dr Strangelove still relevant today?
There are still a lot of nuclear weapons in the world
In the decades since Dr. Strangelove’s release, there have been significant reductions in warheads across the globe. But more than two decades after the end of the Cold War, the world’s combined nuclear arsenal remains disturbingly high. It’s estimated that some 17,000 warheads are currently stockpiled around the globe, of which around 1,800 remain on high alert, ready to be fired at a moment’s notice. In addition, the government continues to plow billions of dollars into projects such as the so-called « Star Wars » missile defense system (an idea first dreamt up by the Reagan administration in 1983).
These days, of course, Russia isn’t the most troubling atomic aggressor; there are emerging nuclear powers, like Iran and North Korea. But while the players have changed and public paranoia has diminished, the Doomsday Clock remains rooted at five to midnight — a reminder that mankind is arguably as close to mutually assured destruction as we were at the time of Dr. Strangelove’s release.
The technology of war
From doomsday machines to a Jumbotron-filled war room with a strict « No Fighting » policy, technology is at the heart of Dr. Strangelove’s dark narrative — particularly when it malfunctions. One of the film’s central themes is the deeply flawed technology of war, which puts real power in the hands of fallible machines, not to mention armchair generals holed up in windowless bunkers thousands of miles away from the front lines. Fast forward 50 years, to an age where drones have become commonplace, and you don’t have to look hard for a parallel.
Human fallibility
« I admit the human element seems to have failed us here, » says Dr. Strangelove’s General Turgidson, played by the brilliant George C. Scott. It’s a sentiment that echoes throughout Dr. Strangelove. The mental illnesses, testosterone-fuelled saber-rattling, and downright stupidity of a few high-level players can set humankind on a course to nuclear obliteration. Half a century later, the human race is no less fallible — and whatever your politics, you need only to turn on the news for to get a stark reminder of mankind’s continued propensity for self-destruction.
A culture of fear
No, the United States is no longer immersed in a Cold War with « Rooskies » or « Commies » who are intent on « impurifying our bodily fluids. » But the culture of fear that drives in Dr. Strangelove is still an ever-present part of our lives. From the ongoing « War on Terror » to chronic tensions with North Korea, unseen enemies continue to drive public paranoia in a way that makes Dr. Strangelove darkly relatable. In the years since its release, collective fears about ideological enemies have continued to fuel policy-making, from the invasion of Iraq to the expansion of the surveillance state.
Government distrust
Dr. Strangelove goes out of its way to undermine each and every authority figure that it puts on screen: Psychologically unstable generals, drunken world leaders, and armchair commanders whose opinions are directly informed by agenda-driven think tanks. Kubrick’s film shows us a world where there’s an entirely justified suspicion of the people whose fingers are on the triggers. If that sounds familiar, that’s probably because it hasn’t changed much: If recent reports of record levels of government mistrust are to be believed, things are worse than ever.
POWER in Dr Strangelove
First, we’ve got the deadly power of nuclear bombs and the Doomsday Machine. We’ve also got political power, which in this story isn’t very effective. There’s Strangelove’s demented scientific power. You’ll notice that women are totally absent from this discussion of power. That’s because they didn’t have any, except the power to drive men crazy with lust. The idea of a woman in the War Room or the White House would have been completely off the radar back then.
Do you think women would be less likely to let the nukes fly?
Questions about Power
Who would you say is the most powerful character in the film? The most powerless?
How is power shown as a force of destruction in the film? Is it ever shown as a positive force?
What does the film say about President Muffley’s power?
Chew on This
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?
Technology is the only « character » in the film with any real power.
Dr. Strangelove depicts powerful men as clowns to highlight the fact that they’re ultimately weak on multiple levels.
More questions about power:
Is Power Good Or Bad?
There are so many ways to use power that it is quite easy for it to take over and actually do more harm than good in society.
http://www.shmoop.com/dr-strangelove/themes.html
http://theweek.com/articles/452253/why-dr-strangelove-more-depressingly-relevant-than-ever
Ironically as I was writing this article I came across this:
“I don’t see a lot of difference between Kubrick’s totally insane General Jack D. Ripper and our totally insane Donald J. Trump. Do you?” actor says Sunday
Mikey Glazer | November 7, 2016 @ 1:40 AM
Kubricknuclear powerpowertechnologyTrump
Épreuves orales, épreuve ecrite, Literature
PLOT AND SETTING
How to analyse a text or a lengthy novel ? where do I start? The easiest way to do so is to break the whole text down into smaller elements. The parts of a literary text are known as its literary elements. Rather than looking at a whole novel, we can examine its plot, setting, characters, point of view and themes individually. Let’s break these elements down and view them piece by piece, using the following questions:
what, when, where, who and how.
THE PLOT :What and How
A mere synopsis of the course of events is a summary – we say that this first happens, then that, then that.. It is only when we say how this is related to that and that, and in what ways all these matters are rendered and organised so as to achieve their particular effects, that a synopsis becomes a plot.
Most plots fit into a story arc, which is a visual representation of a story’s shape.
Many short stories begin at the point of the climax itself, and the writer of a drama often captures our attention with a representative incident, close to an event which precipitates the central situation or conflict.
Hamlet opens with the apparition of the ghost. The rising action begins, after the opening scene and exposition, with the ghost´ s telling Hamlet that he has been murdered by his brother Claudius; it continues with the developing conflict between Hamlet and Claudius, in which Hamlet despite setbacks, succeeds in controlling the course of events. The rising action reaches the climax of the hero´s fortunes with his proof of the King´s guilt by the device of the play within the play (Act III, scene ii). Then comes the crisis, or turning point of the fortunes of the protagonist, in his failure to kill the king while he is at prayer. This inaugurates the falling action, from now on the antagonist, Claudius, largely controls the course of events, until the catastrophe, in which the outcome is decided by the death of the hero, as well as of Claudius, the Queen, and Laertes.
¨Catastrophe¨ is usually applied to tragedy only. A more general term is denouement- resolution in our drawing.
Setting is the when and where of a literary text. For example, the novel Gone With the Wind takes place in and around Atlanta, Georgia, and the plot – or action – occurs before, during and after the Civil War.
Although it’s a simple concept, setting is a vital literary element. Try thinking of all the Southern romanticism of Gone With the Wind in New York City during the same time period. It just wouldn’t work.
In some stories, the location itself almost becomes a character.Joyce´s Ulysees is Dublin on June 16, 1901, Paul Uster ´s novels , Brooklyn. The physical setting in writers like Poe, Hardy and Faulkner, is an important element in generating the atmosphere of the novel.Without mentionning the Gothic novel where the setting plays an essential part and defines the genre. Authors of such novels set their stories in a gloomy castle replete with dungeons, secret passages, sliding pannels, aiming to evoke chilling terror.
climaxdenouementexpositiongothic novelplotresolutionsetting
CHARACTERS IN FICTION
Characters are the fictional people – the who – in a story.They are endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are expressed in what they say – the dialogue- and what they do – the action. The grounds in a character´s temperament and moral nature for his speech and actions constitute his motivation. But how is it that we can at times feel so close to a character ? The ¨round¨character is complex in temperament and motivation, and is represented with subtle particularity , thus he is difficult to describe with any adequacy as a person in real life, and, like most people , he is capable of surprising us. My own favourite are Mrs Dalloway, Jay Gatsby, Elizabeth Bennet among others. A ¨flat¨character on the other hand, is built around a single idea or quality, and is presented in outline without much individualizing detail. The degree to which a character needs to be three-dimensional depends on his function in the plot, and many types of plot, such as in the detective novel or adventure novel, even the protagonist usually possesses only two dimensions. Sherlock Holmes, for example, does not require the roundness of a hamlet to solve his case.
Now, there are a few literary terms we have for certain types of characters. The main character, the one we follow most closely in the story, is the protagonist. They’re the Harry Potters, the Katniss Everdeens and the Luke Skywalkers of the literary world.
Then there are the antagonists, or the bad guys who work against the protagonists. Enter Voldemort, President Snow and Darth Vader.
We also have foil characters. A foil is a character that shows qualities that are in contrast with the qualities of another character with the objective to highlight the traits of the other character. What we observe in literature very often is that a foil is a secondary character who contrasts with the major character to enhance the importance of the major character.
Example of foil characters:
Dr Watson, the faithful companion of Sherlock Holmes is a foil character inasmuch as he is a minor but essential character; He never solves a crime and his true function is to contrast with Holmes and therefore emphasize the great detective´s traits.
Signifies the way a story is told – the perspective or perspectives established by an author through which the reader is presented with the characters, actions, setting, and events which constitute the narrative in a work of fiction. To understand point of view, it is important to pay attention to 2 things : grammatical person (is the narrator telling his own story using ¨I ¨ or ¨we¨ or someone else´s story using ¨he¨¨she¨ ¨they¨ ) and his level of insight, that is, how much does he know about his characters ?
In a first-person narrative, the narrator speaks as ¨I ¨and is himself a character in the story, the protagonist like Salinger´s Catcher in the Rye who begins : ¨If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you´ll really want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David copperfield kind of crap…¨ He can also be someone very close to the protagonis someone who is privy to his thoughts and actions (Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes stories), or an ancillary character who has little to do with the action of the story (such as Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby).
Third-person point of view:
The omniscient point of view: The narrator knows everything that needs to be known about the agents and the events ; he is entirely free to move as he will in time and place, and to shift from one character to another, reporting or conceiling what he chooses of their speech and actions. He has also ¨privileged¨ access to a character´s thoughts and feelings and motives. Within this mode, the intruisive narrator is one who not only reports but freely comments on his characters, evaluating their actions and motives and expressing his views about human life in general. Historically, the third-person omniscient perspective has been the most commonly used; it is seen in countless classic novels, including works by Charles Dickens.
The main advantage of this mode is that it is eminently suited to telling huge, sweeping, epic stories, and/or complicated stories involving numerous characters. The disadvantage of this mode is the increased distance between the audience and the story, and the fact that—when used in conjunction with a sweeping, epic « cast-of-thousands » story—characterization tends to be limited, thus reducing the reader’s ability to identify with or sympathize with the characters.
The limited point of view or subjective: the narrator tells the story in the third person, but confines himself to what is experienced, thought, and felt by a single character within the story (or a very limited number of characters). If there is just one character, it can be termed third-person limited, in which the reader is « limited » to the thoughts of some particular character (often the protagonist) as in the first-person mode, except still giving personal descriptions using « he », « she », « it », and « they », but not « I ». This is almost always the main character (e.g., Gabriel in Joyce’s The Dead, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown, or Santiago in Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea).
Which character is your favourite? Ask yourself why?
charactersflat characterpoints of viewprotagonistround character
Épreuves orales, Myths and heroes, Seats and Forms of Power, The idea of progress
The American Dream :Myth or reality?
Here is a link which explains the American Dream in simple terms. It will also give you key questions for the exam.
A myth or a reality?
What are the main values that the American Dream stands on? Are they still shared today?
Now watch a video of the recently elected Donald Trump and his intention to renew the American Dream. ¨Trump pledges to renew the American Dream¨ : For Trump, the dream is obviously a reality which is no longer true but can be brought back. The dream can become reality if you vote for him!
To what extent was the American dream of the settlers fulfilled in the XX century? What about today?
Another video on the American Dream : Requiem for the American Dream. An interview of one of the most prominent intellectual of the XX century : Noam Chomsky. For Chomsky the American Dream has always been a make belief. Chomsky explains how concentrated wealth creates concentrated power, which legislates further concentration of wealth, which then concentrates more power in a vicious cycle. He lists and elaborates on ten principles of the concentration of wealth and power — principles that the wealthy of the United States have acted intensely on for 40 years or more.
The video can be seen on youtube –
Great document to illustrate the notion of power.
The film concludes with a call to build mass movements for change. The United States still has a very free society, Chomsky advises. A lot can be done, he tells us, if people will only choose to do it.
Again this can illustrate the notion of power and the topic of counter power : See my post on Power and counter power –
To finish let´s remember John Lennon´s song :
JOHN LENNON LYRICS
« Power To The People »
Power to the people, right on
Say you want a revolution
We better get on right away
Well you get on your feet
And out on the street
Singing power to the people
A million workers working for nothing
You better give ’em what they really own
We got to put you down
When we come into town
I gotta ask you comrades and brothers
How do you treat you own woman back home
She got to be herself
So she can free herself
Now, now, now, now
Oh well, power to the people
Yeah, power to the people
American DreamChomskyLennonTrump
Completely excluded from the fine ideals of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, African Americans spent the next two centuries searching for political, intellectual and cultural empowerment in American society. Prior to the 1920´s African Americans were depicted as the goodhearted and obedient ¨negro¨ (Uncle Tom´s cabin) or the uneducated farmer. With the Harlem Renaissance a new image of sophisticated and intellectual Afro Americans began to emerge. The harlem Renaissance was more than an artistic movement ; it helped lay the foundation for the post-World War II phase of the Civil Rights movement.
The Harlem Renaissance – A new racial consciousness for African American artists who believed that, through art, they could fight stereotypes and racial prejudice.
See previous post : Art as a weapon which also deals with this topic.
How has slavery affected the African American culture ?
How to combat stereotypes of Black Americans ?
To what extent has the Harlem Renaissance helped to combat/to fight the stereotype ?
To what extent has the Harlen Renaissance helped African Americans achieve recognition?
To what extent has the Harlen Renaissance helped African Americans gain power?
On stereotypes :
Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom´s Cabin, 1852
Maya Angelou, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, 1969
On Discrimination and the Jim Crow Laws
Toni Morrison, Sula, 1973
On the Harlem Renaissance – Art as a weapon/as a counter power
Langston Hughes, I Too Sing America, 1925
William H. Johnson, The Chain Gang, 1939
Gordon Parks, American Gothic, 1942
ArtHarlem Renaissancestereotypes
Épreuves orales, Spaces and Exchanges, The idea of progress
The Great Migration -From the rural South to Northern cities –
A document from the US History website to help you understand the origin of the Harlem Renaissance, but also a document which could be added to the notion of Spaces and Exchanges – Topic: migration – why do people migrate? Another example of massive relocation in search of a better life.
The Great Migration, or the relocation of more than 6 million African Americans from the rural South to the cities of the North, Midwest and West from 1916 to 1970, had a huge impact on urban life in the United States. Driven from their homes by unsatisfactory economic opportunities and harsh segregationist laws, many blacks headed north, where they took advantage of the need for industrial workers that first arose during the First World War. As Chicago, New York and other cities saw their black populations expand exponentially, migrants were forced to deal with poor working conditions and competition for living space, as well as widespread racism and prejudice. During the Great Migration, African Americans began to build a new place for themselves in public life, actively confronting economic, political and social challenges and creating a new black urban culture that would exert enormous influence in the decades to come.
Context and Causes of the Great Migration
After the post-Civil War Reconstruction period ended in 1876, white supremacy was largely restored across the South, and the segregationist policies known as Jim Crow soon became the law of the land. Although the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) had been officially dissolved in 1869, it continued underground after that, and intimidation, violence and even lynching of black southerners were not uncommon practices in the Jim Crow South.
Around 1916, when the Great Migration began, a factory wage in the urban North was typically three times more than what blacks could expect to make working the land in the rural South.
After World War I broke out in Europe in 1914, industrialized urban areas in the North, Midwest and West faced a shortage of industrial laborers, as the war put an end to the steady tide of European immigration to the United States. With war production kicking into high gear, recruiters enticed African Americans to come north, to the dismay of white Southerners. Black newspapers–particularly the widely read Chicago Defender–published advertisements touting the opportunities available in the cities of the North and West, along with first-person accounts of success.
Great Migration: Life for Migrants in the City
By the end of 1919, some 1 million blacks had left the South, usually traveling by train, boat or bus; a smaller number had automobiles or even horse-drawn carts. In the decade between 1910 and 1920, the black population of major Northern cities grew by large percentages, including New York (66 percent) Chicago (148 percent), Philadelphia (500 percent) and Detroit (611 percent). Many new arrivals found jobs in factories, slaughterhouses and foundries, where working conditions were arduous and sometimes dangerous.
Aside from competition for employment, there was also competition for living space in the increasingly crowded cities. While segregation was not legalized in the North (as it was in the South), racism and prejudice were widespread. After the U.S. Supreme Court declared racially based housing ordinances unconstitutional in 1917, some residential neighborhoods enacted covenants requiring white property owners to agree not to sell to blacks; these would remain legal until the Court struck them down in 1948.
Rising rents in segregated areas, plus a resurgence of KKK activity after 1915, worsened black and white relations across the country. The summer of 1919 began the greatest period of interracial strife in U.S. history, including a disturbing wave of race riots. The most serious took place in Chicago in July 1919; it lasted 13 days and left 38 people dead, 537 injured and 1,000 black families without homes.
Impact of the Great Migration
HarlemHarlem Renaissancejim crow lawsmigration
Épreuves orales, Myths and heroes, Seats and Forms of Power
FIDEL CASTRO : A HERO OR A VILLAIN?
décembre 3, 2016 bibimotheau
SOME ARE GRIEVING….
WHILE OTHERS ARE CELEBRATING…..
He was a figure of both lights and shadows, beloved as well as hated by millions of Cubans and others around the world.
Here are 2 articles to help you forge your own opinion on this ambivalent leader.
Definition of heroes
A person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal
A person who has braved death, who has risked or sacrified his or her life
In the light of this definition, can Fidel Castro be called a hero?
CastroCIAcounter powercubaheromythpower
LONDON:AN EVOLVING CITY
novembre 25, 2016 bibimotheau
It’s official – London is the most powerful city on the planet. According to this year’s Global Power Index, there’s no better place to work or live when you weigh up our economy and culture.
London = a global city
London´s leading role as a global city
It´s time for London to leave the UK
What impact do global cities have on people´s everyday lives?
On Friday 5 December 1952, a thick yellow smog brought the capital to a standstill for four days and is estimated to have killed more than 4,000 people. London’s air may appear much cleaner today, but is still dangerously polluted. The coal pollution that caused the infamous ‘pea soupers’ has been replaced by invisible pollution – mainly from traffic fumes – resulting in 13,000 early deaths each year in the UK and 4,300 in London
60 years since the great smog of London
The pea-souper : It killed Londoners in droves, and inspired writers and artists from Melville to Monet: an atmospheric exploration of pollution in the capital
London. (….) Implacable November weather, (…) Smoke lowering down from chimney-pots, making a soft black drizzle with flakes of soot in it as big as full-grown snow-flakes – gone into mourning, one might imagine, for the death of the sun (…) Foot passengers, jostling one another´s umbrellas in a general infection of ill-temper, and loosing their foot.hold at streets corners, where tens of thousands of other foot passengers have been slipping and sliding since the day broke (if the day ever broke) …
Charles Dickens, Bleak House, Chapter 2, 1852
It was a foggy day in London, and the fog was heavy and dark. Animate London, with smarting eyes and irritated lungs, was blinking, whezzing, and choking; inanimate London was a sooty spectre, divided in purpose between being visible and invisible, and so being wholly neither (..) Even in the surrounding country it was a foggy day, but there the fog was grey, whereas in London it was, at about the boundary line, dark yellow, and a little within brown, and then browner, and then browner, until at the heart of the city – which call Saint Mary Axe – it was rusy-black.
Charles Dickens, Our Mutual Friends, 1865.
Charles Dickens (1812-1870), is considered to be one of the greatest writers of the 19th century: He lived in London. The rapidly growing industrial environment of the time served as a bachground to most of his novels : Little Dorrit, David Copperfield, The Adevntures of Oliver Twist. He is famous for his realistic depiction of the poverty and pollution that were generated by the industrial revolution.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE CITY
The growth of global cities have brought a wealth of culture, linguistic and ethnic diversity, helping to enrich everyday life and open new possibilities of exchange. However, the needs of such dense population have led to serious problems in terms of environment. From the slums and fog of Victorian London to the Great Smog of 1952 and the current issue of traffic pollution, global cities struggle to find solutions to reduce their carbon footprint and improve urban living conditions.
Will global cities find a way to create sustainable environment in the future?
BrexitDickensglobal citiesLondonpea souper
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Home/Archives/‘Tomorrowland’ asks, ‘What kind of world do we want?’
‘Tomorrowland’ asks, ‘What kind of world do we want?’
“Tomorrowland” (2015). Cast: George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key, Chris Bauer, Thomas Robinson, Pierce Gagnon, Shiloh Nelson. Director: Brad Bird. Screenplay: Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird. Story: Damon Lindelof, Brad Bird and Jeff Jensen. Web site. Trailer.
Is the world we live in something that we create, or is it something that’s capriciously thrust upon us? Consequently, should we look upon our circumstances with supreme optimism or eternal pessimism? Indeed, what are we to make of it all? In the end, there are no “right” or “wrong” answers to these questions, for it all ultimately depends on what we believe. And that’s where the story begins in the new summertime action-adventure, “Tomorrowland.”
In 1964, aspiring young inventor Frank Walker (Thomas Robinson) attends the New York World’s Fair in hopes of winning a prize in an inventors’ competition. He stakes his claim on his creation of a personal jetpack, a novel idea that, though fun and whimsical, doesn’t quite work. Even though he makes an impassioned case for the merits of his device, the head of the inventors’ contest, David Nix (Hugh Laurie), summarily dismisses the brainchild of the young Edison.
But, despite the flaws in Frank’s contraption, he and his device are not without fans, most notably a bright-eyed, articulate young girl named Athena (Raffey Cassidy), who seems to have some special sort of influence with Nix. Although she’s unable to secure an appeal for Frank’s case, she does possess the power to offer him something better – an introduction to a magical place where his sort of inspired thinking is celebrated (and where he just might be able to get his jetpack to work). Athena points the way to a special transporter that whisks away Frank to the miracle of Tomorrowland, a sparkling, awe-inspiring world where technologies beyond belief abound and where all of the hopes of a starry-eyed, dream-filled generation are fulfilled.
But is Tomorrowland too good to be true? And what of the world Frank left behind? That’s where the next phase of this story comes in.
Skip ahead to the present day, where a bright, high-spirited teen, Casey Newton (Britt Robertson), sees a world of potential in a world beset by despair. Despite a constant barrage of predictions involving everything from environmental degradation to global war to economic collapse, Casey views a future full of wonder, one where the promise of technology and enlightened thinking can turn around all of the world’s ills, provided its inhabitants make an effort to bring it into being.
In many ways, Casey is very much unlike those around her, especially since she’s one of the few who’s willing to take action to see her dreams come true. This sets her apart from most of her peers and captures the attention of someone who can help her realize her aspirations, a bright-eyed, articulate young girl named (you guessed it) Athena, the same mysterious facilitator who worked her magic 50 years earlier (and who apparently hasn’t aged a day since).
With the aid of a special Tomorrowland lapel pin, Athena provides her newest protégé with a glimpse of this magical place. Casey is initially bewildered but ultimately captivated and wants to see and experience more. Athena is pleased at Casey’s response, but this time there’s more at stake than just nurturing a prodigy’s scientific curiosity. The fate of two worlds hangs in the balance, and Casey holds the key to solving the problems of each. The question is, will she get an opportunity to prove herself?
To complicate matters, getting into Tomorrowland is considerably more difficult now than it was in 1964. Attaining this goal won’t be easy; in fact, it’s an undertaking that requires the technical expertise of someone who knows how to break through the seemingly impenetrable barrier between the worlds. That’s where the help of a now-grown up former visitor, Frank Walker (George Clooney), comes into play.
Convincing Frank to return to Tomorrowland may be easier said than done, however. His experience didn’t quite turn out as hoped for. With the promise of Tomorrowland falling short of expectations, he was forced to return to the world from which he came. And, with his view now sufficiently jaded, he has little desire to go back. But, when his own existence becomes threatened, he has no place to hide and no choice but to return. And so, before long, Frank, Athena and Casey are on their way to an appointment with destiny – and with an old nemesis, David Nix – an encounter with implications far beyond anything that any of them can believe. But, ironically enough, it’s their beliefs that may well prove to be their – and everyone else’s – salvation.
Most of us are no doubt familiar with the expression “Life is what you make of it.” That sentiment is, in essence, a simplified way of explaining the functioning of the practice of conscious creation, the philosophy that maintains we manifest our existence based on our thoughts, beliefs and intents. It’s a concept that works both individually, with regard to the materialization of our personal realities, and collectively, when it comes to the creation of our shared experiences. And, when the philosophy is understood in these terms, it’s easy to see where the central narrative of “Tomorrowland” is coming from.
In a nutshell, the film asks us, “What kind of a world do we want to create for ourselves?” We clearly have a choice in the matter. We can either choose to manifest one in which we saddle ourselves with seemingly unsolvable challenges, or we can create one in each we take action to address our problems and see our most cherished dreams realized. So which one will it be? The answer rests with us. But, whichever option we select, we will get the reality we concentrate on – and the one we deserve.
Some might take issue with this idea, insisting that there are elements outside of our control. But, as one of the film’s principals so astutely points out, our beliefs dictate the reality that arises, no matter what form it may take. This is even true for those who believe they have no say in the matter, and, though they may attempt to absolve themselves from the process of how their existence arises, they ultimately can’t. A reality characterized by seemingly unsolvable challenges inherently stems from beliefs that make such an existence possible, regardless of whether or not we choose to accept or deny the veracity of that notion.
One could legitimately ask why anyone would want to manifest an existence that operates along those lines. While a number of answers are possible, it most likely has to do with learning a valuable life lesson, one associated with the concept of responsibility. Indeed, when the deck seems irretrievably stacked against us, it’s easy to roll over and say, “There’s nothing I can do to fix this.” But a disavowal like this, no matter how strongly felt, fails to acknowledge who manifested this reality in the first place. And, when anyone who attempts to deny such involvement comes to realize otherwise, it’s quite an eye-opening experience. With responsibility suddenly staring us squarely in the face, we’re forced into changing our outlook (and, one would hope, our manifesting beliefs) to correct the problem before it’s too late.
That can be a very hard, but highly significant, lesson, one that can set us on a more beneficial path for the future. One would hope that such an enlightened awareness would not only help us fix the problems at hand, but also prompt us into not creating those issues in the first place.
“Tomorrowland” drives home that point loud and clear. When we look at our own world through the lens of its depiction in this film, it’s easy to see how we’ve allowed our beliefs to paint us into the corner in which we now find ourselves. It’s a perspective that’s continually reinforced, too, through our media reports, our government pronouncements and even our entertainment vehicles. If we realize that, then the question for us is, “Do we want to keep doing that?” If so, as stated before, we get a reality based on what we concentrate on. But, if not, then perhaps following another path would be preferable, one in which the concept of solution, not surrender, is celebrated. In either case, though, whatever we experience originates with us and our beliefs.
Surrender poses other problems, too. By engaging in this practice, we give away our power and thus run the risk of allowing others to take advantage of the situation. They’re free to further their own belief agendas, potentially placing us in even further jeopardy, perhaps under an accelerated timetable. Such a scenario reveals itself in “Tomorowland,” strongly cautioning us to take back our power while we still have the chance.
In the end, we need to ask ourselves, “Is the glass half-full or half-empty?” Whatever answer we come up with will determine the results we get when it comes to our manifestation efforts. And, for its part, “Tomorrowland” nudges us in the ribs to clue us in to the correct response.
If it sounds like “Tomorrowland” is all heavy-handed moralizing, don’t be misled; it’s not. In addition to its insightful message, the film provides a fun-filled romp from start to finish, with lots of subtle and laugh-out-loud humor. It also sports superb special effects, surprisingly good acting for an action-adventure movie and great period reproductions, especially in its faithful re-creation of the 1964 World’s Fair. The overall package is very much in the tradition of old live action Disney films, and it’s refreshing to see the studio getting back to doing something it once did so exceptionally well.
The film is currently in wide distribution, including in a number of IMAX® theaters. If you have an opportunity to see it in this format, do so. The mammoth screen and surround sound system make this picture pop, greatly enhancing the moviegoing experience. It engenders the kind of wide-eyed wonder that its subject matter so effectively embodies, making it possible for even the most mature among us to leave the theater feeling like giddy little kids again. What fun!
As someone who attended the World’s Fair depicted in the film, I clearly recall the sense of hope and optimism that pervaded the exhibition. It was a time when nearly everyone looked forward to the future with a sense of infinite possibilities. But, somewhere along the line since then, many of us seem to have lost our way, gradually descending into an ever-widening chasm of despair and cynicism. Our previous experience, though, aptly demonstrates that it need not be that way. No matter what we may decide, it all comes down to our beliefs and what we do with them. We can manifest a destiny that will assuredly dash all our dreams. Or we can create a future full of whatever promise we imbue it with. Take your pick. But, for my money, I know what I want to experience, and “Tomorrowland” does much to help light the way.
Randall Libero March 12, 2016 at 1:36 pm - Reply
Thanks for again mentioning "Tomorrowland" a film which painted a picture of a positive inclusive future for all and that it is up to all of us to CHOOSE that future and to see 'what else is possible" in the first place. Unfortunately, movies with dysotopian views of our collective future are rampant at the box office these days. I don't understand movie critics that needlessly nitpick a film that shows a positive future vision. And kudos to Disney for also making a film where the hero is a young woman in a sci-fi adventure. I wish there were a lot more films like Tomorrowland.
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Fred Herbst
herbst@corning-cc.edu
Classroom, (C201A)
Fred Herbst grew up near Green Bay, Wisconsin. He received a BFA in Art with an emphasis in Sculpture and a minor in Art History from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. Herbst then attended the University of North Texas and earned a MFA in Ceramics in 1998. He joined the faculty at CCC in the fall of 2000, where he currently teaches a variety of Ceramics and Art History courses. In 2007, Herbst was awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Herbst works primarily with wheel thrown and hand-built, wood-fired stoneware and porcelain. His functional and sculptural work has been shown widely across the country in a variety of juried and invitational exhibitions.
Herbst has given numerous presentations including the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, the Glass Art Society, and the First European Woodfired Ceramics Conference in Germany. In the summer of 2013, Herbst was part of the artist residency at the Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in Newcastle, Maine. He has also received a number of grants to support his work through CCC, and the ARTS of the Southern Finger Lakes.
Publications and Projects
Fred Herbst has several works published in Ceramics Monthly, Studio Potter, and The Log Book: The International Publication for Woodfired Ceramics. His work has appeared in Ceramics: Art and Perception, and will be published in 500 Teapots Vol. 2 and Wood-fired Ceramics: 100 Contemporary Artists in the fall of 2013. Herbst has developed a hybrid wood-fired ceramics and glassblowing kiln in collaboration with the Corning Museum of Glass. This design is used to fire ceramics and blow glass simultaneously. It was built at CCC and the Domaine de Boisbuchet in France.
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Curved House Kids to publish UK Space Agency-funded Space Diary
By The Curved House EditorOctober 4, 2015 6-8 years, Blog, Teaching Resources, Visual Literacy
15,000 schoolchildren invited to write and draw their way into space with British European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Tim Peake.
Lucy Hawking and Curved House Kids have launched a new UK Space Agency-funded STEM literacy project to get 500 primary schools involved in ESA astronaut Tim Peake’s mission to the ISS. Tim’s mission, called Principia, blasts off with a launch in December from the Russian spaceport at Baikonur, Kazakhstan. As Tim lifts off, school students will follow his mission by creating a personalised log book, the Principia Mission Space Diary.
Hawking says:
“Through imagination, scientific research and creative writing, we are all going into space with Tim Peake as he makes his journey to the International Space Station.”
With scientific and puzzle-creating support from Professor Peter McOwan and the Centre for Public Engagement at Queen Mary University of London, Lucy Hawking and the team have devised a fully illustrated activity book. The book is packed with activities that inspire children to read, write, draw, research, experiment and problem-solve while strengthening STEM, literacy and visual literacy learning.
In video clips included with the programme, science communicators and experts such as Stephen Hawking, Carol Vorderman, Dallas Campbell will offer their views and insights to help the students complete their monthly mission challenges. These videos are filmed among the world-leading collections at London’s Science Museum.
Curved House Kids publisher Kristen Harrison says:
“The Space Diary is full of visual activities and we hope this creative, interactive approach will encourage more children to get involved in Tim’s mission. Students will be learning about space and science while forging a love of books at the same time.”
The Principia Mission Space Diary is one of nine projects to be awarded funding by the UK Space Agency, as part of a scheme to support educational outreach associated with Tim Peake’s mission.
Jeremy Curtis, Head of Education at the UK Space Agency, says:
“We’re delighted to support another project that brings space and Tim’s mission to creative young people around the UK. We hope that schools and students will get involved and take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn new skills as they follow an astronaut’s adventure.”
Hawking and illustrator Ben Hawkes launch the project today with a school event at Islington Central Library as part of World Space Week. About 60 students from two local primary schools will test the content of the Space Diary during a 90-minute Astronaut Bootcamp.
For other schools wanting to get involved, the website is now open for sign-ups and all primary schools in the UK are invited to register at principiaspacediary.org to receive free copies for up to two classes (60 students). Books will be delivered in the first week of December. Schools will then have access to an online portal releasing new video content, teacher guides and resources for six months worth of activities. This programme is free but places are limited to the first 500 schools to sign up, so be quick!
About Lucy Hawking (www.lucyhawking.com)
Lucy Hawking is a British author who works with scientists to write adventure stories about their research for primary school aged audiences. Lucy’s books, the George series, combine story telling with science and give young readers an exciting and entertaining introduction to the world of science and maths. An Oxford graduate, Lucy started her writing career in journalism and worked for British newspapers, radio and magazines before becoming a published author. The George series of books is published in over 40 languages and is now in production as an animated television series with DHX Media. Lucy has been recognised for her work in science and education with several awards – she won the Sappio Prize for Popularizing Science in Rome 2008 and the UNSW Medal 2015 for Science Communication and was awarded a Doctorate in Science by Queen Mary University of London in July 2015. Lucy has travelled the world giving talks about science to young audiences. She has frequently featured on television and radio, both as a subject and as a interviewer. Lucy is a trustee of the Autism Research Foundation, supporting scientific research into the condition of autism.
About Curved House Kids (www.curvedhousekids.com)
Curved House Kids has a simple mission: improve literacy levels among digital-native children by creating books that reflect the world these children are entering– a world that is visual, interactive and full of tools that allow individuals to create. All of the Curved House Kids books and workshops empower children to make their own books – in print, digitally or both, and in doing so they nurture the instinctive visual literacy skills that digital native children possess. Making children part of the creative process ensures that they form a strong bond with books and an understanding for how reading, writing and drawing can positively impact their lives. Curved House Kids founder Kristen Harrison is a former Penguin editor who now runs publishing and design agency The Curved House, alongside Curved House Kids. She sits on the board of the International Visual Literacy Association and holds a Masters in Communications.
About Peter McOwan (QMUL)
Peter McOwan is a Professor of Computer Science at Queen Mary University of London and Vice Principal (VP) for Public Engagement. His research interests are in human perception, artificial intelligence and robotics. He is a space enthusiast and amateur magician and has used these talents successfully in a number of outreach projects, from our-space.org which charts computer games developer Richard Garriott’s adventures in space, to The Manual of Mathematical Magic, where he teaches fundamental mathematical and computing principles through simple magic trick. He is also the co-founder of the innovative cs4fn project (cs4fn.org) and holds a HEA National Teaching Fellowship award. Peter was also awarded the IET Mountbatten Medal in 2011 for his work in public engagement. In his role as VP he also oversees and champions all the College’s outreach activities created the College’s Centre for Public Engagement.
About Principia (principia.org.uk)
Astronaut Tim Peake will begin his five-month mission on the International Space Station in December 2015, becoming the first British ESA astronaut to visit the station. His mission is called ‘Principia’ and together with the UKSA and ESA, Tim has a number of educational outreach activities associated with the mission, designed to get children and young people engaged in STEM learning.
Tim will be involved in many experiments aboard the ISS during his mission. Research in space crosses many different subjects – the unique environment of the ISS offers a great opportunity to investigate novel materials, life in space, the human body, fluid physics, new technologies and many other things. Through the Principia educational activities, students have the opportunity to engage in a rage of related activities.
About UK Space Agency (http://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency)
The UK Space Agency is at the heart of UK efforts to explore and benefit from space. It is responsible for all strategic decisions on the UK civil space programme and provides a clear, single voice for UK space ambitions.
The Agency is responsible for ensuring that the UK retains and grows a strategic capability in the space-based systems, technologies, science and applications. It leads the UK’s civil space programme in order to win sustainable economic growth, secure new scientific knowledge and provide benefits to all citizens.
The UK Space Agency
Co-ordinates UK civil space activity
Encourages academic research
Supports the UK space industry
Raises the profile of UK space activities at home and abroad
Increases understanding of space science and its practical benefits
Inspires our next generation of UK scientists and engineers
Licences the launch and operation of UK spacecraft
Promotes co-operation and participation in the European Space programme
About the European Space Agency (www.esa.int)
The European Space Agency (ESA) provides Europe’s gateway to space.
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
ESA has 21 Member States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, of whom 19 are Member States of the EU.
One other Member State of the EU, Hungary, has signed the Accession Agreement to the ESA Convention and, upon ratification, will soon become the 22nd ESA Member State.
ESA has established formal cooperation with seven other Member States of the EU.
Canada takes part in some ESA programmes under a Cooperation Agreement. ESA is also working with the EU on implementing the Galileo and Copernicus programmes.
By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.
ESA develops the launchers, spacecraft and ground facilities needed to keep Europe at the forefront of global space activities. Today, it develops and launches satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunications and astronomy, sends probes to the far reaches of the Solar System and cooperates in the human exploration of space.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND ENQUIRIES
Curved House Kids
Kristen Harrison (Publisher)
Mob +44 7594 262 688 or +49 176 876 02770
Email: kristen@thecurvedhouse.com
@curvedhousekids
Sian Halkyard
Head of Public Relations
Email: s.halkyard@qmul.ac.uk
UK Space Agency
Julia Short
Tel 01793 41 8069
Mob 07770 276 721
Email: Julia.short@ukspaceagency.bis.gsi.gov.uk
Calling Awesome Teachers: Be Part of a Unique Space Mission
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Sanders: Planned Parenthood Part of “Establishment”
January 21, 2016 January 21, 2016 DarkSideWeeklyDebate, Democratic primary, democrats, obama, Opinion, Planned Parenthood, president, Sanders1 Comment
Political contests, especially in this country where everything focuses on the candidate instead of the party, are high-tension situations. I get that. I get that verbal slips are made in these situations. It’s how one reacts to these verbal slips that matters.
One of those slips happened on Tuesday night, when Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders made a comment on television implying that Planned Parenthood and several other progressive interest groups including NARAL and the Human Rights Campaign were part of the political establishment that his candidacy is fighting against. The one thing all of these organizations have in common, other than nor normally being described as establishment and fighting for progressive causes? They’ve all endorsed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary. Interest groups endorse presidential candidates all the time, nothing special or newsworthy about that.
Except in the case of Planned Parenthood. Just two weeks ago news broke that Planned Parenthood was making its first endorsement in a presidential primary ever, and it was endorsing Hillary Clinton over her rival. The head of the organization had the following to say about this endorsement, quoted from above link:
“Let’s be clear — reproductive rights and health are on the ballot in 2016,” said Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards. “We’re proud to endorse Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.
“No other candidate in our nation’s history has demonstrated such a strong commitment to women or such a clear record on behalf of women’s health and rights,” she added. “This is about so much more than Planned Parenthood. Health care for an entire generation is at stake.”
Before this endorsement, Democrats were united in defending Planned Parenthood from an unprecedented attack from Capitol Hill Republicans who were attempting to starve the organization of funds and shut it down entirely in the same way ACORN was shut down just a few years ago. This is nothing new for an organization that’s been breaking barriers since its founding in 1916 when its founding members were arrested for opening a birth control clinic. To this day it vehemently defends reproductive rights and its leading members regularly face harassment and even death threats for doing so. Nothing about that should sound to anyone like an “establishment” organization. And yet, in the middle of a primary that the country is watching closely and considering a referendum on progressive values, many in the Sanders camp are defending rather than even attempting to explain this opinion. If the Sanders campaign wants to be the organization known for defining what it means to be a progressive, it should start by explaining to the American people what a Senator who’s been in Washington so long his hair had color to it when he first got there is doing calling a group of dedicated progressive women under daily attack from other politicians in that same city part of the “establishment.” I have great respect for the man, but I believe if he’s going to fight against the establishment he first has to be honest and acknowledge that he has been an active part of that establishment for decades, as has Hillary, as have most politicians in Washington. Both candidates, in fact, are far more of the establishment than Barack Obama, a Hawaiian born to a mixed race family, raised in Indonesia, the product of public schooling, former community organizer. If you want someone with a legitimate anti-establishment background, Barack’s your man.
Maybe asking who’s pro “establishment” is the wrong question. Maybe Senator Sanders and Mrs. Clinton both should be asking themselves a far more important question: if they actually have what it takes to succeed the most successful American president since at least FDR.
Newsflash to Democrats: Winning is Important
December 23, 2015 DarkSideWeeklybickering, Debate, Democratic primary, democrats, Opinion, politics, progressivism1 Comment
By a lot of accounts, the Democratic Party has become increasingly divided over the last year or two. This has been highlighted, underscored and circled in red pen by the way the presidential primary is going for Democrats so far, but there’s at least some evidence to suggest this has been going on for a while. The Atlantic pointed two years ago to economic inequality and what to do about it as the central point at which the Democratic party is divided. They backed this up with the now familiar bullet points of millenials moving the electorate to the left and the electoral victories of Democrats like Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts and Bill de Blasio in New York as signalling a return to liberalism. In doing so, they identify millenials as really, really young New Deal liberals and older more “establishment” Democrats as centrists who are centrists specifically because they want to win elections.
More then just in the general sense, the Democrats have allowed themselves to become divided on specific issues as well. They’re divided on the Syrian refugee issue. They’re divided on the historic nuclear deal the president made with Iran (for the record it astounds me how anyone could oppose that deal, but that’s a matter for a different post). They were divided over whether Joe Biden should run for president (as if a candidate needed the electorate’s permission to enter a race). They’re deeply divided over whether to take an interventionist or isolationist approach to fighting terror in the Middle East.
There’s an argument out there that division among a political party is a good thing, that it allows for open and honest discussion about the direction a political party should take, the ideology it should embrace and the degree to which it should embrace that ideology, etc. And there’s an argument out there that this is a good time (relatively speaking) for the Democrats to be divided because the Republicans are divided, too. I mean come on. Just look at all the Republicans running for president, right?
But the huge and telling difference that can’t be repeated enough is that Republicans aren’t actually divided on being Republicans. They might disagree on who they want to lead the party, but they don’t disagree that they’re a part of the party and that it’s a good thing for them if the party wins elections. That is why no matter how much Republicans may denounce Donald Trump, they have publicly gone on record stating they will support the nominee whoever it happens to be. That might be a level of cognitive dissonance that’s hard for most people to understand, but the logic behind it is incredibly simple. Political parties exist to win elections. Standing behind your party’s candidate during an election is the best way to ensure that candidate wins. If enough candidates win, the political party has a major seat at the table when it comes to running the actual country. The GOP has drifted way to the right recently, and it will likely eventually drift back towards the center, but regardless its major figures will continue to fully support the candidates the party nominates for office.
It is simply not that way for Democrats, or for the left in general, especially in recent history. The infamous PUMAs of 2008 were ready to bring down the Democratic Party because Barack Obama became the eventual nominee for president and the Hillary camp for whatever reason simply would not concede. Many of them accused party leadership of rigging the nomination process in favor of Obama. At the time of this writing there’s an active Bernie or Bust pledge where Sanders supports swear they won’t vote for anyone but the Vermont Senator under any circumstances, even if that means employing a write-in vote. Many of them have accused party leadership of rigging the nomination process in favor of Mrs. Clinton.
You may notice a pattern there, but it doesn’t just exist in the US. In the UK, the Labour party went through a similar, albeit at the time much more pronounced, divide over ideology between left, center-left and centrist factions. It became so bad some of them splintered off and formed their own political party (which has since vanished) and Labour was crushed in 1983 when it remained divided right through the election itself. The same thing happened in 2015; Labour’s focus on ideology and ambivalence about actually winning cost it an election it should have won.
Returning to the US, what’s surprising is that there isn’t much structurally speaking within the political parties themselves to explain the different ways Republicans and Democrats view the roles of their parties. Republicans see the Republican Party as an organization dedicated to winning elections so they can control the political agenda and the levers of power needed to execute that agenda. Democrats view their party as a standing representative of the collective principles of those members, and elections as constant tests of those principles. Going by that definition, no wonder Democrats don’t care as much about their party; it’s because they don’t care as much about winning elections. They care about abstract stances on political issues instead.
Well my opinion is, and there’s no nice way to say this, that’s a really fucking stupid way of looking at politics, and it’s going to lead to nothing except the prolonged suffering and oppression of the disenfranchised and marginalized groups most Democrats claim to represent. This isn’t just a flippant accusation; there are progressive Democrats actually saying letting Republicans win and Americans suffer is some necessary cathartic moment that will “wake up” the country. These are progressives, claiming to fight for the oppressed of this country, wanting those oppressed people to suffer at the hands of a right-wing administration because they apparently need to learn some kind of lesson.
Let me be crystal clear: that’s straight-up deluded, and proof positive that calling yourself a progressive and adopting radical positions simply for the sake of being radical doesn’t make you any smarter, any more prescient, any more “awake” then anyone else in this country. And if you’re willing to throw an election because you think doing so will lead to mass suffering, and that mass suffering is required in order for the country to adopt your positions, it’s your positions that are wrong, not the country’s.
It’s fine to be divided, but you should be divided on tactics and strategy, not on whether or not winning is necessary. Newsflash to Democrats: Winning is important. Your collective belief it isn’t is one of the primary reasons you are where you are right now and why the US is being mismanaged by the league of drunken uncles that calls itself the Republican party. The people you claim to represent are counting on you not just to speak for them but to actually win. Maybe try focusing more energy there, and less on whether your constituents need to suffer to understand your increasingly deluded mentality.
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Online Courses > Design
Learn to Draw: Still Life with Amy Wynne
Get a Professional Art Training From a Professional Artist
Join instructor and professional painter, Amy Wynne, as she teaches this introduction to still life. She’ll share how to create symbolism and meaning in a still life. Amy will also share the different genres in still life, such as fertility/decay, vanitas, self portrait with objects, and nature.
Access 6 lectures & 1 hour of content 24/7
Work w/ the Rule of 3rds & strengthen negative space
Understand depth & varying scale
Transition color to monochrome & create tonal gradient
Map lights & darks and create tonal rhythm
Amy Wynne received her MFA in Painting and Drawing from the New York Academy of Art in Manhattan and her BA from Smith College in Art History and Cultural Anthropology. She has been teaching painting and drawing for over 25 years. For 10 years, she taught full time at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Amy currently teaches in the Fine Art departments of several New England colleges including Rhode Island School of Design's Certificate Program. She works as a Creative Coach for many private clients both in her studio and online. She is RISD CE's 2014 Teacher of Excellence.
Amy has exhibited in galleries nationally, including shows at the Chazan Gallery in Providence, RI, Castle Hill Art Center, Truro, MA and The Woods-Gerry Gallery at the Rhode Island School of Design. She has works in private and corporate collections nationally including Fidelity Investments and Meditech Corporation.
Amy was awarded grants from The Rhode Island Cultural Council and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and a fellowship from the Vermont Studio Center. She has lived and traveled extensively in Thailand, India, Tanzania, Mexico and throughout Europe. She has had reviews of her work in Art New England, The Providence Journal and the Boston Globe.
Graphic Design + Adobe CC Certification School
Pay What You Want: Drawing Fundamentals Bundle
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2:00 PMLet's Make a Deal
UFO Sightings: Senators Receive Classified Briefing
(CNN) — A group of US senators, including the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence committee, received a classified briefing Wednesday about a series of reported encounters by the US Navy with unidentified aircraft, according to a congressional aide.
(credit: US Dept of Defense/To The Stars Academy)
“If pilots at Oceana or elsewhere are reporting flight hazards that interfere with training or put them at risk, then Senator Warner wants answers. It doesn’t matter if it’s weather balloons, little green men, or something else entirely — we can’t ask our pilots to put their lives at risk unnecessarily,” Rachel Cohen, the spokeswoman for Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, told CNN.
Joseph Gradisher, spokesman for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare, also confirmed the briefing took place in a statement to CNN on Thursday.
“Navy officials did indeed meet with interested congressional members and staffers on Wednesday to provide a classified brief on efforts to understand and identify these threats to the safety and security of our aviators,” he said.
“Follow-up discussions with other interested staffers are scheduled for later today (Thursday, 20 June). Navy officials will continue to keep interested congressional members and staff informed. Given the classified nature of these discussions, we will not comment on the specific information provided in these Hill briefings,” Gradisher added.
The briefing was first reported by Politico.
President Donald Trump recently confirmed that he was also briefed on reports of Navy pilots spotting unidentified flying objects.
“I did have one very brief meeting on it,” Trump told ABC News in an interview that aired Sunday. “But people are saying they’re seeing UFO’s, do I believe it? Not particularly.”
Several pilots told the New York Times in an article published in May about multiple encounters with UFOs with no visible engine or infrared exhaust plumes.
In April, the Navy introduced guidelines for its pilots to report unexplainable events so the military can keep track of what may, or may not, be happening. Politico first reported on this matter.
A Navy official told CNN at the time that the Navy does not believe aliens have been flying around US airspace.
But there have been “a number of reports of unauthorized and/or unidentified aircraft entering various military-controlled ranges and designated air space in recent years,” the Navy said in a statement.
The Navy said these kinds of “incursions” pose both a security risk and safety hazard.
“For safety and security concerns, the Navy and the USAF takes these reports very seriously and investigates each and every report,” the statement said.
(The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)
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Home > News > Town of Bath Submits Voluntary Remediation Program Application
Town of Bath Submits Voluntary Remediation Program Application
VRP protects environment, promotes economic development
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) at the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) has accepted a Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) application submitted by the Town of Bath to address environmental conditions at Rails to Trails Lot 1 and Lot 3 in Morgan County.
The site is located at 100 Williams Street in Berkeley Springs and includes approximately 2.582 acres. The site was developed as a railroad alignment before 1899, and was used for railroad ties storage until at least 1913. A portion of the parcel was historically part of a railroad track system and a former wood yard. Site investigations and remediation activities were conducted between 2006 and 2010 to address soils with elevated levels of Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and arsenic. A Land Use Covenant (LUC) was established in September of 2012 with the purpose of limiting the use of the property to non-residential use. The site is currently used as a lay-down/equipment storage yard for the Town of Bath. A rail trail and bike path is proposed for the site.
OER is currently negotiating a Voluntary Remediation Agreement (VRA) with the applicant. Under the VRA, the applicant will work with the WVDEP to identify human health and ecological risks associated with current and potential future uses of the site, establish applicable remediation standards, and ensure that standards are maintained at the site. Upon completion of the remediation, a final report will be submitted to OER for review and approval.
West Virginia’s Voluntary Remediation and Redevelopment Act encourages voluntary cleanups of contaminated sites as well as redevelopment of abandoned and under-utilized properties, with an objective of counteracting the lack of development on sites with contamination or perceived contamination.
By providing financial incentives to invest in brownfields, this approach protects communities and the environment while still promoting economic development in West Virginia.
Jake Glance
Jacob.P.Glance@wv.gov
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Look out the BPB is coming after you
Published: Monday, 28 May 2018 15:46
And this time they’re using “intelligence”. Is there any word more likely to strike fear into your heart? Is it the Russians? The Chinese, or just a euphemism for gossip?
The BPB must have run out of complaints about private certifiers and discovered that there was little to investigate in local government, so has decided to take a broader approach to the investigation of Council employees who are accredited certifiers.
When the Government decided it made sense to accredit local government employees, the industry (and not just us) was concerned about how the BPB would handle the accreditation of Council employees and, in particular, how they would manage the dual accountability of an accredited certifier to their employer with a parallel line of accountability to the Board.
Would this set up the possibility of parallel, or sequential investigations, if a complaint is made simultaneously to the Council and the BPB, or to the Council first and then to the BPB, or whatever. And what about penalties? What if the Council deals with that first in a way that the BPB thinks is insufficient, or the Council nails the employee but the BPB doesn’t think it’s such a big deal?
We were assured at the time by BPB President Sue Holliday and the Board that the BPB would rely upon any investigation conducted by the Council. They would review the adequacy of the investigation, its thoroughness, any penalty that might have been imposed, and then make their own judgement about whether anything else needed to be done. It was an acknowledgement of the primacy of the employment relationship.
But leaving Griffith aside, complaints against accredited certifiers and councils have been few and far between.
(Griffith was a fiasco, a Council with a very long history of understaffing and under resourcing, failures to provide market rates to attract staff and even now, after their humiliation at the hands of the BPB (depaNews October 2017) the Council has now appointed a Director Sustainable Development who is neither a planner, nor a health and building surveyor. He is a Certified Practicing Accountant who was previously the Council's Manager Economic Development and Tourism. What could possibly go wrong?)
But now we discover that the BPB in February commenced an investigation into a council employee who is accredited with the Board. There had been no complaint to the Council, the findings themselves focus on minor administrative matters (as if something needed to be found) but more worrying was how the BPB came to be investigating in the first place.
When our member received a letter from the BPB early this month advising that findings had been made and that he, and the Council, had an opportunity to respond, it was signed off by the Manager Complaints Investigation - a job title with no uncertainty, it’s complaints investigation and that’s it.
The accredited certifier and the Council had no idea how this unexceptional domestic construction site had come to the Board’s attention. There had been no complaint made to the Council and while lots of advice flowed back from the BPB about those sections of the Act that allow them to conduct investigations, there was no answer to the question. What was there to hide?
And similarly for us, when we started to chase the BPB, understanding that if this can happen to one of our members, it could happen to all of them, they tried to fob us off as well.
When we claimed it was logical that if the Manager Complaints Investigation was managing the investigation then there had to be have been a complaint, we then received a response from the same person but miraculously, they were signed off as Manager Investigations. Hard not to smell a rat.
But worse was to come, with email advice from the Manager Investigations to the accredited certifier that the Board was relying upon “intelligence or concerns that had come to the Board’s attention.” That’s a real WTF moment if ever there was one. Not I.N.T.E.L.L.I.G.E.N.C.E, mind you, because who doesn’t love a supercomputer invented by Matt and Trey, but because that word could mean anything. “Intelligence” from someone who sits next to you at work but doesn’t like you, a grumpy neighbour who thinks you play music too loud, or resents your success in the local garden competition, a councillor who thinks you’re too vigilant, an ex in a messy relationship separation, who knows?
But we’re going to find out. If the BPB was going to do this they should have individually advised every accredited certifier in local government and the organisations that represent them. That’s probably only depa at this stage (although we assume AAC and AIBS are scratching their heads) but no-one received any advice or tipoff that it didn’t just require a complaint, that the Council didn’t need to be involved, but the BPB, however they got their information, can decide to investigate you. That’s disappointing.
Here is a link to our letter of 23 May to the Director of the BPB complaining about the circumstances and attaching a couple of email trail is where we have protected the identity of the accredited certifier. We will be meeting with the Director and the Manager Complaints investigation/Investigations on 13 June, and we’ll let you know how random and dangerous this process can be after that.
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Challenging the whiteness of American architecture, in the 1960s and today
Image Credit: George Hodan: PublicDomainPictures.net : CC0 Public Domain
“This book tells the story of how I got a free Ivy League education.”
That’s the arresting opening sentence of Sharon Egretta Sutton‘s “When Ivory Towers Were Black,” an unusual hybrid of memoir, institutional history and broadside against the entrenched whiteness of the architecture profession in this country.
The institution in question is Columbia University and, in particular, its department of architecture and planning. The time frame is between 1965 and 1976, “mirroring the emergence and denouement of the black power movement,” as Sutton notes. And the narrative is really a two-part story, exploring how an era of intense student protest at Columbia, which peaked in the spring of 1968, gave way to a remarkably successful if short-lived effort to recruit students of color to study architecture and urban planning on the university’s campus in Morningside Heights, on the southwestern edge of Harlem.
That’s the beginning of the story of how Sutton, who is now professor emerita at the University of Washington and a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, became one of those students.
Read more on the Los Angeles Times
Originally posted on the Los Angeles Times by Christopher Hawthorne
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CSQ / Innovation / Technology / Visionaries
Patrick Soon-Shiong: Moonshot Man on a Mission
As the wealthiest person in Los Angeles (and the smartest person in the room), Patrick Soon-Shiong is fully invested in the local community via private, public, and philanthropic verticals. And his ideas for advancing health care and conquering cancer have pivotal implications for humanity.
By Jason Dean
Hearing Patrick Soon-Shiong describe his vision for the future of health care is nothing short of mesmerizing. In a measured tone as soothing as it is authoritative, he explains how he intends to centralize the various tentacles of the healthcare octopus – from physicians and research institutions to insurance and pharmaceutical companies – into one highly coordinated system operating in the cloud, providing individualized patient treatment based on real-time information. And while he’s orchestrating all that, he plans on obliterating cancer.
Understated charisma and easy smile notwithstanding, Soon-Shiong wins you over with sheer brainpower. He doesn’t ramble; he’s used to speaking extemporaneously with encyclopedic purpose, navigating double-helix roadmaps of complex jargon with surgical precision. Keeping up with his steady flow of concepts, you come away vastly impressed, and your belief in his ability to execute is bolstered by his impressive track record. “Cancer, if you think about it, is like a virus,” he says, making the concept seem elementary and graspable. “And if we can actually overcome that using your body’s own immune system, we can change the course of cancer.”
A native South African whose parents emigrated from China during WWII, Soon-Shiong met his future wife, Michele Chan, an actress in South Africa. They got married before moving to the U.S. and have made Los Angeles their home since 1980. Soon-Shiong studied at UCLA and joined the UCLA Medical School in 1983 as a transplant surgeon, performing the West Coast’s first successful pancreas transplant in 1987. “I came up through the world of immunology,” he recalls. “The unusual course was I also was doing pancreatic cancer surgery.” He eventually combined his expertise in transplantation, immunology, and cancer, training under Don Morton, who developed the first melanoma vaccine.
Soon-Shiong left UCLA in 1993 (he would return in 2009 to lead UCLA’s Wireless Health Institute) to form a diabetes and cancer biotech firm, and a few years later founded American Pharmaceutical Partners, which was acquired by Fresenius in 2008. Soon-Shiong also founded Abraxis BioScience, maker of his cancer drug, Abraxane, and sold that company to Celgene in 2010. Together, the deals netted Soon-Shiong more than $7.6B.
“So rather than explain it, there was an opportunity to just do it.”
CSQ visited with the 64-year-old doc-trepreneur at the Culver City headquarters of Nantworks, a cloistered campus filled with natural light, common spaces, high-tech equipment and some security precautions. Tucked into 30 acres, the nondescript exterior belies the concerted effort being expended in the name of Soon-Shiong’s celebrated Cancer Moonshot 2020, “to subdue cancer by the start of the next decade.”
Having just flown in from London the day before, Soon-Shiong was crisp and lucidly engaged. His dapper appearance, svelte frame, and salt-and-pepper hair that sweeps to the side as if parted by a light breeze all convey a vitality of someone decades younger. While the conversation touched on various aspects of his career and interests, the benevolent doctor, who calls himself “the CEO of the patient,” seems most comfortable when thoroughly diagnosing a problem and prescribing his remedy.
A Deeper Level of Understanding
There is not a person reading this who has not been touched in some way – either personally or through a friend or loved one – by cancer. There are more than 100 types that can affect humans. Excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers, the organs most susceptible to attack are the breast, lung, and prostate. Evidence of this vexing and enigmatic disease dates back thousands of years; the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 1.6 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2016 and well over half a million people will die from cancer-related illnesses.
In spite of the sobering statistics, today there is a deeper understanding than ever of how the disease functions. Soon-Shiong believes we are poised to enter an age when cancer is identified as a manageable, chronic condition rather than a death sentence – a monumental shift in human history.
“The cancer cell is an amazing thing,” says Soon-Shiong. “I call it the greatest hijacker of all time. It can hijack every element inside your body and [use] the human biological system…to its own advantage to either cause itself to grow, cause itself not to die, or cause the immune system to be tricked and go to sleep,” he explains.
Harnessing genomics merely scratches the surface. Soon-Shiong recalls the knee-jerk euphoria when the human genome was sequenced in 2003. “Everybody celebrated and said, ‘We’re going to cure cancer.’ Actually, we realized you need to go down to the proteomics and the peptidomics and the immunomics and the metabolomics….” Soon-Shiong has shifted back into full scientific mode.
When posed with the question of whether it was even feasible to aggregate and analyze such a vast array of information down to the molecular level, a wide grin flashes across Soon-Shiong’s face. “We could, if we put our attention to it.” Not missing a beat, he adds, “Not only we could, we did.”
“The cancer cell is an amazing thing. I call it the greatest hijacker of all time. It can hijack every element inside your body and [use] the human biological system … to its own advantage.”
In 2005, Soon-Shiong forged ahead with the first phase of his plan to disrupt health care. He traveled to Bern, Switzerland, site of the Large Hadron Collider, to connect supercomputers around the world. Setting up operations on the National LambdaRail, where Higgs boson (the God particle) was identified, Soon-Shiong had an epiphany: What if he could harness this energy to create fiber a hundred times, even a thousand times, faster and identify God’s particle in every human being, every day, in real time? “If I said those words,” admits Soon-Shiong, “people would think I’m unrealistic. So rather than explain it, there was an opportunity to just do it. So I set about to build a fiber infrastructure linked to a supercomputing platform at a speed and scale that did not exist in the nation.”
Having built the fiber infrastructure, the next priority was artificial intelligence and developing a supercomputer capable of “almost unfathomable numbers of calculations in real time.” A machine vision team developed pattern recognition technology. In September 2011 Soon-Shiong launched NantWorks, the culmination of his sweeping vision to merge health care, commerce, technology, and digital entertainment, while developing new cancer therapies using semiconductors and supercomputing.
Today, NantWorks operates as the parent organization to a family of companies. NantHealth, which went public in June 2016 and is creating a software and medical records system for doctors, and hospitals), is the largest and most sweeping. Others include NantOmics (precision medicine), NantCell (immunology), and NantCloud (knowledge storage and transmission), as well as NantTronics, NantShield, NantMobile, NantBioScience, and NantStudio. In July 2015 the largest biotech IPO ever was made for NantKwest, a cancer drugmaker focused on the natural killer cell, found in the immune system.
“What you have at Nantworks,” Soon-Shiong exclaims, “is all the elements – mathematicians, molecular modelers, software engineers, cell biologists, immunologists, chemists, computer scientists, nurses, clinicians, clinical scientists, regulatory scientists – working together” in the name of QUantum, Integrative, Lifelong, Trial, or QUILT. The program aims to complete randomized clinical trials with cancer at all stages of the disease in up to 20 tumor types in as many as 20,000 patients by the year 2020.
In reaching this goal, Soon-Shiong feels strongly that access to real-time information will position local community oncologists as best-suited to administer treatment. “I think the idea that all wisdom lies within certain ivory towers and ask[ing] a patient dying of cancer to travel to different spots [around the world] is now obsolete.”
Origin of a Moonshot
In late 2014, Vice President Joe Biden’s son Beau Biden was battling brain cancer. Like any concerned parent, Biden was desperate to do whatever he could to help his son. So he sought out an expert. Soon-Shiong was not able to change the course of events and Biden’s son succumbed to the disease in May the following year. In that time, however, the Vice President and the groundbreaking billionaire surgeon bonded.
After Beau Biden’s funeral, the Vice President invited Soon-Shiong to the White House. At the time, Biden was mulling a run for the presidency. “He was deeply saddened by the loss of his son,” recalls Soon-Shiong. “I was happy to visit and be given the opportunity to console him during this difficult time.”
With a net worth of $11.9B as of August, 2016, Patrick Soon-Shiong is the richest resident of Los Angeles Photo: Albert Evangelista
“I [had written] a white paper called the Cancer Moonshot and I handed it to him. He had his advisers in the room and he said, ‘Oh my gosh, Patrick, if I do run, I’d run on the goal of finding a cure for this disease.’” The following week, Biden announced he would not be seeking the presidential nomination but if he were, his platform would center on curing cancer. In November 2015, Vice President Biden paid a quiet visit to the Culver City campus and was captivated by the infrastructure built to address the war on cancer.
In mid-January 2016, Soon-Shiong announced Cancer Moonshot 2020, starting the clock on a five-year mission to effectively reclassify cancer as a chronic disease rather than a potentially terminal illness. Two weeks later, during his final State of the Union address, President Obama announced that Biden would be leading the National Cancer Moonshot, a $1B initiative aimed at vaccine development, genomic analysis, and enhanced data sharing. (While the mission of the National Cancer Moonshot closely resembles that of Soon-Shiong’s endeavor, there is no formal connection between the two.)
An Enigmatic Figure?
There are two interests at play when considering matters that affect humanity on a grand scale: the capitalist brain, which seeks to capitalize on a specific opportunity, and the charitable brain, a selfless entity whose sole purpose is to direct resources into improving conditions or solving a specific problem. Soon-Shiong is Mensa-worthy on both sides. His brilliance as a researcher, surgeon, professor, and inventor is further amplified by his business savvy. Not only does he have the ability to see things in a way no one has before, he has reaped exponential profits from his endeavors.
According to Forbes’ Richest People in America list, Patrick Soon-Shiong’s net worth stood at $11.9B at the end of August 2016, making him the richest Angeleno and the 81st-richest person in the U.S. (Elon Musk, LA’s second-wealthiest person, came in at $10.7B.) Yet Soon-Shiong is highly attuned to the social responsibility that accompanies such profound success.
In 2010, he and his wife signed onto The Giving Pledge with fellow billionaires Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett, offering a moral commitment to give the majority of their fortune to philanthropy, either during their lifetime or upon their death.
Soon-Shiong clearly appreciates his wealth for the power it gives him – the power to affect positive change. “I find giving $100,000 to a researcher really makes very little impact,” he points out. “It may be very important science, but giving $100 million to a concerted effort where you can bring the best minds together and actually show outcomes in quasi-real time – that’s the model that we want to pursue.”
The Chan Soon-Shiong Foundation, which the couple founded in 2008, has embraced a mission of supporting funding research and improved access to health care and health education in the Los Angeles area.
“We really wanted to contribute not only our money, but also our intellect,” he says. “Unfortunately, tax law says you can’t do that from a private family foundation.” To satisfy this desire to actively participate in philanthropic policy, the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine was established as a charitable support organization for healthcare systems.
Soon-Shiong squarely addresses critics who suggest that a doctor who stands to profit from a specific course of treatment may have a conflict of interest. After he developed Abraxane, which essentially uses the protein albumin to trick the cancer cell into feeding and is now approved for treatment of breast, lung, and pancreatic cancer, Soon-Shiong realized he might have a perception problem. “I was going to have a hard time [as] CEO of a company trying to sell this drug…when in fact I’m trying to get people to use less of the drug in a lower dose so that you could protect the immune system.” He sold Abraxis shortly thereafter but still holds the related patents. “My goal is to convince oncologists that pursuing maximum tolerated dose of chemotherapy is a misguided strategy. In fact, we should be using these drugs at a dose that would protect our immune system while perturbing the cancer cell and then finding ways to activate our body’s own immune protective system,” he explains. “This is the change in cancer care we will be pursuing for the next four years.”
LA Life (and Times)
An avid Lakers fan, Soon-Shiong has been a fixture at The Staples Center for decades. He could be spotted chatting with Kobe Bryant (a close friend) during warmups or rubbing shoulders with Denzel Washington or will.i.am at courtside. In 2010, Soon-Shiong purchased Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s stake in the Lakers, giving him a 4.5% ownership in his favorite team. Otherwise, Soon-Shiong is 95.5% pure fan, as evidenced by his animated demeanor when describing the Lakers’ chances for the 2016-17 season.
He is hoping the Lakers’ generation-spanning history of producing iconic game changers (i.e., Wilt, Kareem, Magic, Shaquille, Kobe) will yield fresh results. “I’m saddened by the fact that the Warriors have become the super team,” he acknowledges. But there is hope. “I think this new kid that we have [No. 2 draft pick Brandon Ingram] could be the next Kevin Durant,” he predicts. The Lakers represent an opportunity to promote positive engagement in the community. From the affluent to the downtrodden, courtside to nosebleed, purple and gold is the great equalizer. “When I worked with Kobe,” Soon-Shiong says, “one of his greatest strengths was to inspire young children.”
Basketball is a personal passion to the extent that Soon-Shiong has a full-size underground gymnasium at his Brentwood compound, which he illuminates with natural light via a delivery system that he co-invented. While he could easily summon an assortment of NBAers or Hollywood types to his private, state-of-the-art facility just by making a few calls, he favors UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion, where he drops in a couple times a week with Nantworks staff for pickup games.
“When I worked with Kobe, one of his greatest strengths was to inspire young children.”
Growing up in South Africa during apartheid, Soon-Shiong became sensitized to inequality and injustice at an early age. Los Angeles circa 2016 is a far cry from Soweto circa 1976, when race riots gripped the predominantly black section of Johannesburg. But Soon-Shiong sees the parallels and it can’t help but factor into his philanthropic activism.
“It was a travesty that a patient would actually be in the emergency room calling 9-1-1 and dying on the floor,” he says of King Drew Medical Center, which earned the nickname “Killer King” due to a number of similar occurrences. Equally appalling to Soon-Shiong is the fact that Los Angeles, the world’s melting pot, remains a chasm of demographic disparity that stretches from Beverly Hills to South Central LA.
A year after King / Drew was closed permanently due to repeated health and safety infractions, the Chan Soon-Shiong Foundation gave a $100M guaranty underwriting LA County’s proposal to reopen the facility as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital.
“A newspaper, I think, is an opportunity to create glue amongst the community.”
“That’s why a lot of work my wife and I do [is] in South Central LA and everything I do with [Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’] Mark Ridley-Thomas is reminiscent of the work that I grew up with. Nelson Mandela was still in prison when I was an intern in 1977. I was involved in treating the kids in the Soweto riots. So I understand very much the [concept] of oppressed people [and] trying to help the underdog.”
Speaking of helping the underdog, in May 2016 Soon-Shiong swooped in to administer life support to the Los Angeles Times. In an effort to ward off a buyout offer from Virginia-based media monolith Gannett Co., Inc., he invested $70.5M, making him No. 2 majority owner of the newspaper. The deal with Times parent company Tribune Publishing, which shortly thereafter rebranded itself tronc (short for Tribune online content), includes an agreement with NantWorks to license more than 100 technology patents and to produce video content at NantStudio.
“The LA Times is a national treasure,” he begins eulogistically. “The newspaper industry is clearly dying, and we need to move on. But the opportunity is to take this national treasure and use things like artificial intelligence, like what Pokémon Go is utilizing for example, and still allow the community to have something to which they can rally around. A newspaper, I think, is an opportunity to create glue amongst the community.”
Asked about mentors, Soon-Shiong says he admires those with a particularly solid body of work. “I’m a Burt Bacharach groupie, I truly am,” he reveals in earnest, before recalibrating his answer to reflect his professional influences. He mentions Dr. Donald Morton and Dr. Haile Debas, as well as an unnamed NASA physicist, since passed away, who spurred his curiosity in the area of artificial intelligence. Athletes inspire Soon-Shiong as well; he cites Kobe Bryant’s dedication to his craft and Pau Gasol’s compassion as examples.
In a downstairs conference room at Nantworks, there is a whiteboard with a drawing of a rocket ship surrounded by scrawlings and various calculations. Soon-Shiong created the diagram in 2009 when asked to further explain his proposed method for modernizing health care. “The top of that rocket ship is a thing called predictive modeling, whereby we are able to go through quantitative information of a patient’s proteome in real-time, identifying what we think is going to be best for the patient.”
Seven years later, having accomplished that goal, the whiteboard is a visual reminder that before great things can be executed, they must be envisioned. Now that the clock is ticking on Cancer Moonshot 2020, it’s crunch time and Soon-Shiong is in full fast-break mode. “Just watch us for the next four years,” he promises. “2020 is going to be a real deadline.”
PATRICK SOON-SHIONG
CEO, NantWorks
UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND (MBBCH.); UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (MSC); RESEARCH AWARDS FROM THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS, THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS OF CANADA, AND THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ACADEMIC SURGERY. SURGICAL TRAINING INITIATED AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES (UCLA). FELLOW OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS (CANADA) AND A FELLOW OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.
WIFE MICHELE CHAN; ONE SON, ONE DAUGHTER
DONALD LEE MORTON, M.D.; HAILE T. DEBAS, M.D.
Last Book Read
DAVID AND GOLIATH BY MALCOLM GLADWELL
Nantworks
~2,000
NANTHEALTH (NASDAQ: NH), NANTOMICS, NANTCELL, NANTCLOUD, NANTPHARMA, NANTTRONICS, NANTMOBILE, NANTBIOSCIENCE, NANTSTUDIO, NANTKWEST (NASDAQ: NK)
Richard Meier: A White Knight of Modern Architecture
Doing Good, and Doing It Right
Stan Kasten: The Dodgers President on Clayton Kershaw, Tommy Lasorda, and Magic Johnson
David Bohnett: The Avatar of Don Quixote
Gary White: Teaching a Parched World to “Fish”
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Aaron burr and thomas jefferson relationship with sally hemings
The Jefferson - Hemings Controversy - Episodes -
It is the morning after Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings are intimate, and Jefferson though he sees the true animosity of Sally's relationship with Thomas Jefferson. Jupiter introduces Sally to Aaron Burr as "Sally Hemings of Monticello. HIS Introduction to Historical Methods: The World of Thomas Jefferson and Jefferson's relationship with his slave Sally Hemings—we will explore historical in class a photocopy of Reed and Williams, eds., The Case of Aaron Burr. The Jefferson–Hemings controversy is a historical debate over whether a sexual relationship between U.S. President Thomas Jefferson and his slave, Sally Vice President, Aaron Burr · George Clinton. Preceded by, John Adams. Succeeded.
He and other critics essentially discounted Hemings' memoir, while attributing to him a range of negative motives for telling his story. In his work, Parton repeated the Jefferson family's oral history about a Carr paternity and the claim that Jefferson was absent during the conception period of one of Hemings' children.
In the s, as part of his six-volume biography of Jefferson, Malone was the first to publish a letter by Ellen Randolph Coolidge, Randolph's sister that added to the Carr paternity story. But she claimed that the late Samuel Carr, brother to Peter and also a nephew of Jefferson's through his sister, had fathered Hemings' children. Like Peter, Samuel was married when Hemings' children were born.
Neither of the Randolphs named Jefferson's nephews as putative fathers of Hemings' children until after the men had died. They noted he had expressed antipathy to blacks and miscegenation in his writings, and he was thought to have a "high" moral character. They provided extensive data about slaves and slave births, including all of Sally Hemings' children, and have been used extensively by researchers. Black oral history preserved the account of the Jefferson-Hemings relationship, and the place of African Americans at the center of United States history.
Black historians began to publish material related to the mixed-race Hemings descendants. Lerone Bennettin his article, "Thomas Jefferson's Negro Grandchildren," published in Ebony in Novemberexamined the current lives of individuals claiming descent from this union. It was based on material from the Farm Books, as well as a detailed timeline of Jefferson's activities developed by historian Dumas Malone in his extensive biography. This was published in several volumes beginning in the s.
Graham noted that Hemings conceived her children only when Jefferson was in residence at Monticello, during a time when he traveled frequently and was away for lengthy periods.
Graham also provided biographical information on Sally's children; she supported accounts that Hemings and Jefferson had several children together. She addressed the rumors of Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemings, his quadroon slave, conducted extensive research, and concluded that they had a long relationship. Its records of slave births, deaths, purchases and sales, and other information, has provided researchers with considerable data about the lives of slaves at Monticello, including the births of all Sally Hemings' known children.
His documentation in his multi-volume biography published — provided the details that Pearl Graham analyzed to show Jefferson was at Monticello for the conception of each of Hemings' children.
She never conceived when he was not there. Martha Randolph, Jefferson's daughter with Martha Wayles Jefferson, had made a deathbed claim that Jefferson was away for a month period during which one of the Hemings children was conceived. Gordon-Reed shows this claim is not supported by Malone's documentation; Jefferson was at Monticello at the time of conception of each child. He acknowledged that the relationship was possible. This analysis, commonly referred to as a Monte Carlo simulationwas done by the head of archaeology at Monticello.
Holowchak argues that "Statistical arguments are only as good as the data that go into them. When you contaminate the data, even slightly, by selectively culling data that will secure the sought-out conclusion and by ignoring relevant evidence that creates difficulties for the thesis, then the results can become massively skewed—hence, the 0.
When mixed-race children were sired by the master, they were frequently named after people from his family. At working age, they were each apprenticed to the master carpenter of the estate, the most skilled artisan, who was also their uncle.
This would provide them with skills to make a good living as free adults. Harriet Hemings did not begin working as a weaver until she was fourteen years old. Another example is that unlike other slaves, Madison Hemings stated that until they were put to work, they would run errands with Sally. This was very uncommon. Most importantly, Gordon-Reed notes that Jefferson freed all the Hemings children. Theirs was the only slave family to all go free from Monticello; they were the only slaves freed in their youth and as they came of age, and Harriet Hemings was the only female slave he ever freed.
Jefferson avoided publicity this way, but the gentry at the time noted the Hemingses' absences; Monticello overseer Edmund Bacon noted in his memoir published after Jefferson's death that people were talking about Harriet's departure, saying that she was Jefferson's daughter.
To enable them to stay in Virginia, Jefferson's will petitioned the legislature for permission for them to stay in the state with their families. Such legislative approval was required by laws related to manumission and free blacks. Jefferson also freed three older males from the extended Elizabeth Hemings family; they had each served him for decades.
His will also requested that they be allowed to stay in the state. David Page, one of the committee's scientific case reviewers, recommended that additional research needed to be done into "the local population structure around Monticello two hundred years ago, as respects the Y chromosome," before entirely ruling out the possibility of the paternity of any of the other 7 potential paternity candidates.
Historical consensus[ edit ] With the Carr nephews disproved and a match for the Eston Hemings descendant found with the Jefferson male line, formerly skeptical biographers, such as Joseph Ellis and Andrew Burstein, publicly said they had changed their opinions and concluded that Jefferson had fathered Hemings' children.
So, as far as can be reconstructed, there are no Jeffersons other than the president who had the degree of physical access to Sally Hemings that he did. Jordanpresident of Monticello, committed at the time to incorporate "the conclusions of the report into Monticello's training, interpretation, and publications. New exhibits at Monticello show Jefferson as the father of the Sally Hemings children. Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings Redux, a total of seven articles noting the changed consensus and the developing new views on Jefferson.
Neiman, who studied the statistical significance of the relationship between Jefferson's documented residencies at Monticello and Hemings' conceptions. It stated in its overview: More than 20 years after CBS executives were pressured by Jefferson historians to drop plans for a mini-series on Jefferson and Hemings, the network airs Sally Hemings: Though many quarreled with the portrayal of Hemings as unrealistically modern and heroic, no major historian challenged the series' premise that Hemings and Jefferson had a year relationship that produced children.
In several articles, its specialists concluded that, as the genealogist Helen M. Leary wrote, the "chain of evidence": Foster later said that Barger was "fantastic" and "of immense help to me". Turner and Paul Rahe, among others. In the group published its report, in which the majority concluded there was insufficient evidence to determine that Jefferson was the father of Hemings' children. Their report suggested that his younger brother Randolph Jefferson was the father, and that Hemings may have had multiple partners.
They emphasized that more than 20 Jefferson males lived in Virginia, eight within 20 miles of Monticello. Paul Rahe published a minority view, saying he thought Jefferson's paternity of Eston Hemings was more likely than not. Similarly, no documentation of a Randolph visit appears at the probable conception time for Madison Hemings. The team had concluded that Jefferson's paternity was the simplest explanation and consistent with historic evidence, but the DNA study could not identify Thomas Jefferson exclusively of other Jefferson males because no sample of his DNA was available.
He noted "previous testimony had agreed" that Hemings had only one father for her children, and criticized the idea that she had multiple partners for her children. Andrew Holowchak is a stentorian critic of advocates of pro-paternity.
In numerous publications, he asserts that we are in no position to assert anything other than this: We do not know. The situation at Monticello is toxic. Holowchak maintains that the Foundation is phasing out Jefferson and focusing on race and Sally Hemings at the expense of Jefferson's life and legacy.
While it is laudable that members of the TJF wish to be viewed historically as paladins of human rights, they are doing so by constructing an image of Jefferson that is warped by political ideals. Their Jefferson is an opportunist, hypocrite, racist, and perhaps even rapist, and they do not give voice to scholars who disagree.
It's my impression that it seems anomalous that Jefferson Davis and Calhoun, the southerners, worshipped Jefferson, as did Abraham Lincoln, the Unionist president. I can only say to those who find this puzzling: And each was equally sincere or insincere, as the case may be in quoting scripture, so Jefferson is American scripture.
You must have him on your side if you're going to have a government based upon the people. If you're going to have a government based upon property, you can get rid of Jefferson, you can turn to Washington, to Hamilton, to John Adams. But it is Jefferson who really expresses the sense Well, they began, "We the people of the United States in Congress assembled And if indeed a Constitutional Convention were ever held again, that's why everybody's terrified of it.
Once we the people are assembled, they overwhelm the courts, the legislature, and the executive. So we need Thomas Jefferson. Was he afraid of emancipation? I mean, Winston Churchill said that no great country could handle more than one great problem at the same time.
And so slavery was sacrificed on the altar of the Union at the Constitutional Convention. I think Jefferson was nervous about emancipation on rather logical grounds that the newly freed blacks might be very angry about what had been done to them during their time on the cross, as it were.
So we made good business out of it, but he was scared, and the word from Philadelphia was that the blacks were going to kill their former masters. They were going to kill all the whites. Yes, I think he was a racist, in any proper use of the word. He thought the blacks were inferior to the whites. He thought the Indians, as they were known then, were somewhat different, off to one side.
He admired the Indians' independence and their warrior spirit. He rather admired that. The blacks, he didn't grasp at all.
He didn't realize that, after all, if you were a fifth-generation slave you were not going to invent electricity, you know, you would not be in a position to know enough to do these things. He thought the blacks He was comparing blacks to whites to Indians, and he said that "what they may lack in brain power, they make up for in the affection and sweetness of their character," and so on.
Which is racism, you know, laid on with rather a heavy hand. But he was then. He was not now. What about the sense of him as a poly-man, this great inventor of things? Do you buy into the Renaissance man? I buy into it to a degree. I think the fact that he was such an inveterate and, may I say, optimistic inventor. He did invent a very good dumbwaiter, which was absolutely Here was this wonderful dumbwaiter that he had not thought of. So Washington then invented an iron plow that was so heavy no ox or horse could pull it.
So there was this huge iron plow at Mount Vernon, a kind of monument to his rivalry with Thomas Jefferson. You see, in the 18th century there weren't so many books, and any learned man could feel he knew everything. He would know Roman history, he would know Greek history, he would have read all the classics, you could do it in 10 or 15 years.
You lived on your own place; you had slaves or cheap labor. You built your own house; you were your own architect. It was no wonder that some of them were very good at it, and he was one. Well, I've portrayed Jefferson variously.
Jefferson–Hemings controversy
Particularly in a book called Burr, as a manipulator, a first-rate political manipulator, as somewhat hypocritical, which goes with the territory of being a politician.
He makes a deal with Aaron Burr of New York in order to get New York's electoral votes, with the understanding that Burr is vice president and he will succeed Jefferson after two terms. He then betrays that. Duplicitous, he can be called.
Is he more duplicitous than Franklin Roosevelt or any of the other useful presidents? Well, that's part of the territory. A certain windiness gets on my nerves.
Hamilton historical facts that didn't make the musical
Lack of concrete nouns. There's an awful lot of liberty, justice, freedom, you know, all these vague words which, you know, bad politicians use, and he ought not to because he's too clever. On the other hand, he sometimes has to make a blur for the listeners. When he gave his first inaugural address, Aaron Burr was sitting next to him, this was the new vice president. It was addressed entirely to me. And he always, after that, he sent all his messages written, to Congress, to be read by somebody else.
Do we not ponder over the problem of "all men are created equal" and the mystery of "the pursuit of happiness"? Well, certainly vagueness can get you a great distance in politics, and precision can end your career rather quickly. The greatest politicians are terribly vague and rather pious.
My grandfather, who was a southerner, always hated the Gettysburg Address, and he didn't much care for Jefferson, either. Because he didn't like the sort of rhetoric. He said, "Of what people? And what does he mean about "inalienable rights"? Well, rights can be alienated rather quickly.
Certainly by writs of attainder, one of which he launched against Josiah Phillips 20 or 30 years before, which is you can kill this man on sight.
He is contradictory, but it isn't his contradictions that we need to bother with. We don't know anybody that we know today who is alive, who we can say You know certain aspects of so-and-so. With a dead man, you have only his words that have survived and his works, to the extent that you know what they are.
And you make your assessment from that. In that sense, Jefferson is extremely useful, whether he was hypocritical about 'pursuit of happiness,' whether he was duplicitous about inalienable rights when he once rather liked writs of attainder. It's what you have said, what you have done. It is the resonance of what you have projected that will light us down the dusty corridors of time. Describe the deaths of Jefferson and Adams.
I think one of the most touching episodes in American history, the two great rivals: In fact, Adams left town. He didn't wait to greet Jefferson when he became president in He fled in the night, having made a whole lot of new justices and judges, went back to Quincy, Mass. And they really, really hated each other. And then, in their last days, they were the last survivors of the founding fathers, and suddenly, they struck up a correspondence, which is one of the most moving in American literature.
And they're talking about their invention, the United States, and some things disturb them, some things they're rather proud of. They both express their dislike of organized religion, their love of philosophy, interest in classical literature, and then, on July 4th,the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States of America, the two old men are dying. Adams, as he is dying, says, "Well, at least Jefferson still lives.
So, in the end, do we hold Thomas Jefferson close to our hearts? I don't know if Thomas Jefferson is a figure that's easy to hold to one's heart, as it were, in the way some people have managed to hold Franklin Roosevelt or Abraham Lincoln. Is he the author of that spirit? He authors something that comes down to us, flawed as it is. What is that American spirit?
And he was able, somehow, to pick up on all the waves of thought that were going through from Paris to London, from the coffeehouses to Boston, even down to Virginia, and all these ideas were coming in and coming in What is a good country?
What is a good way to live? Should we have a republic? What is a monarchy?
Thomas Jefferson on Sally Hemmings
What is a colonist? What are the relations between master and slave, the relations between owner and the owned? And he took all of this, and in two or three sentences hurled it at the world. And it still goes 'round; it still inspires, and it is still the essence of whatever spirit we still have and that we once had, indeed. Thomas Jefferson was, I would say, a loner. He came at things on his own.
Like most great men, he did not have many friends. People have remarked that of Lincoln, too. Lincoln had no close friends, other than Josuah Speed.
Jefferson had no real friends; he had colleagues. He had people he worked with. He had people, particularly in his time in Paris, where he could really be himself. I'd say that was his first thing as a man: I want to know it. How do you make a building? What kind of grapes do I use if I want to make wine at Monticello?
He knew how to extract information from people, and I think that's what he loved most of all, was learning, relating one thing to another. Sexually, I don't think People have tried to psychoanalyze him. I'm not much of one for psychoanalyzing the dead, since we really don't have enough data.
It was certain that he was fond of the young wife that died. He certainly was fond of Sally Hemings. He had his one wild oat that we know about in Paris with the But I would say that he was somebody who strikes me as sensuous in that he loved food and wine and beauty and architecture, furniture.
But he was not sensual, because there would be more stories of Jefferson and ladies, and there just aren't any, aside from the one wild oat. So he was a sensuous but not a sensual man. Who won the argument, the head or the heart? Did the heart win, or did the head win? I think the head absorbed the heart.
And perhaps it's his great resonance today that alone, with a first-rate cortex, the heart is beating within his mind. And you feel that you can feel the heart in his work? You do certainly when he starts to talk about what the country could be, what the human race could be, and get past all the contradictions and so on. And you really see a fantastic idealism of a sort perfectly unknown to the practical Hamilton, equally practical George Washington, and rather legal-minded James Madison.
He did many terrible things, trying to defend his ideals. He thought if he gave way on anything, the whole house would collapse around him. And that's why he took so many absurd positions, to defend a position which he felt, even though it might not be defensible, he had to defend it. You know, let one room go and this house shall fall. Well, that's will, and that is ideology. If you could ask Jefferson one question, what would it be? By your betrayal of your agreements with Aaron Burr?
Do you really think that this helped your cause, or hurt it? I think I would get the longest, windiest answer you have ever heard. There is an opacity to him.
He seems so very difficult to penetrate. I think a lot of it is the lack of humor, in the modern sense of the word, and the lack of wit, in the ancient sense of the word and the contemporary. Lincoln could be very funny, and Lincoln could get you off the serious subject very, very quickly, although stories he told were means of getting people off his back, not questioning him. Jefferson was a monument to himself in life. He had no way of getting off the subject. So he just got in deeper.
He would then defend himself more; Lincoln would make a joke. That helps quite a lot in politics. Be hard on him. What angers you about Thomas Jefferson? I suppose the most disappointing thing about Jefferson and his career is that he could not take criticism of any sort.
Now, he did know a lot more than most people, but he didn't know everything, and there were many things people could have told him.
And he was not tuned in; he was not listening. He was far too busy with his wonderful rhetoric, some of which still resonates in the world today and some of which just falls dead, it's so obviously specious. And I think that this inability to listen, to take criticism hurt him, limited him, isolated him. You know, his presidency was a disaster.
You see, the Jefferson that we remember and revere is the Declaration of Independence, long before the republic was started. He comes into the presidency and doesn't set a foot right. Everything is going wrong for him. He puts an embargo on which wrecks American trade. Then he rather takes the wrong side of the French Revolution, but then has to zig-zag all over the place. The Louisiana Purchase turned out to be a wonderful deal for the US, but a very dicey one if you wanted to create a true republic based upon "We the people," with our inalienable rights and so on.
And had he listened more and spoken less, I think he would have been more successful. And here's the man who said, "If I had to choose between newspapers and government, I would choose newspapers.
I think he would have had contracts out on half the journalists in the United States, he was so furious because they were writing about him and his black girlfriend and so forth. He could not take anything No, the great politicians are very cool.
Of course, they don't like being criticized, and they all become paranoid. I have known one or two important politicians in our time, and every last one of them: I know what they're up to. I see it every day in the press.
What did the people feel about Thomas Jefferson at the time? It's my impression that we the people of the United States of America had no interest at all, outside of a few rather wealthy lawyers, in the government of the United States.
This was imposed on them.
There were a lot of loyalists to England, which is sort of a lot of trouble. They did not like being taxed without representation. Hence, that was the reason for the separation of colonies from the British Empire. But basically, this was a lawyer's affair, as far as Massachusetts and New York went and an aristocratic planter's affair, as far as Virginia and the South went. It was a curious alliance.
Hamilton historical facts that didn't make the musical | dayline.info
It was misalliance; they were never going to get on. And they don't get on. I don't think anybody gave a thought to Mr. Jefferson outside of Monticello and a few townships nearby. So what accounts for his immense staying power?
Where did the magic come in? Well, he said the right words at the right time, and they were never forgotten. One day the United States will be forgotten. We will have fallen apart or drifted away, found our true place somewhere between Argentina and Brazil, and then Jefferson will have been lost too.
It was only our power that made our politicians interesting to the world. This was the voice, and I would say that Jefferson and Washington were far more popular in Europe than ever they were among their own people.
Why are we compelled to try to understand Thomas Jefferson? We're compelled to understand Thomas Jefferson because I think we're compelled to understand ourselves. We live with so many contradictions that make no sense; he did too. I'm curious to see how he managed to live with them, a slave-owner who at the same time thought all men were created equal.
How can we deal with it? Well, it's useful to think of how he did. And he may be a bit windy, and a little unclear, and a little contradictory, but he prevailed. Something we might not do. What does Monticello say about Thomas Jefferson? Well, he was a bit of a snob in artistic matters, architecture. He took a good model, Palladio, to imitate for his building, which must have caused consternation at the time.
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Dave Attell
Louis Katz
with Louis Katz
It's our annual visit from one of stand-up comedy's best. An all-time-great joke writer, Dave is at home in comedy clubs. He built a loyal following by barnstorming the country with his brand of "very adult" humor, and his audiences got even bigger after his cult-favorite travel show, "Insomniac." Dave continues to be a presence on TV, while constantly writing new material and taking it on the road.
Born in Queens and raised on Long Island, Dave Attell got into stand-up comedy in the late eighties after graduating from New York University with a degree in Film and Television. Attell used this prestigious degree to land amazing jobs in the food service industry - as a waiter. At night he would hit the "open mic" circuit in Manhattan. After many years, Attell worked his way up through the club scene onto the road, touring across America as a national headliner and developing a huge following among fans and the industry alike.
Dave Attell was the creator and host of “Dave’s Old Porn” on Showtime. “Dave’s Old Porn” has featured such talent as Whitney Cummings, Chelsea Handler, Adam Carolla and Daniel Tosh. Dave’s new Stand Up Series, DAVE ATTELL’S COMEDY UNDERGROUND and his new one hour special, ROAD WORK are both currently airing on Comedy Central.
He was named one of the “25 Funniest People in America” by Entertainment Weekly Magazine. His caustic wit, rapid-fire delivery and his choice of material that can best be described as "very adult" has earned him the reputation as a "comic's comic." But if you ask Attell, he’d say, "I’m just trying to get some laughs and sell some drinks."
In 2001, Attell used this love of booze and laughter to create and host the hit series, "Insomniac with Dave Attell" for Comedy Central. A travelogue show in which Attell goes from city to city looking for late-night fun, The New York Times called the show, "a doubly rare beast, a comedy without rancor and a travel show about the virtues of the American underdog." To Attell, the Insomniac show is more of a cross between "Girls Gone Wild” and “Cops”.
Dave has made numerous appearances on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Night with Conan O'Brien,” “The Howard Stern Show,” “Last Call with Carson Daly” and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”. He also appeared in Chris Rock’s cult film "Pootie Tang”. Other television credits include FOX's "Arrested Development," NBC's "Ed," HBO, Comedy Central’s "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn" and his own half-hour stand-up special "Comedy Central Presents Dave Attell”.
When not on the road, Attell makes regular appearances at the Comedy Cellar in New York City.
Louis Katz's comedy deftly combines the highbrow and the lowbrow, creating a style that is truly unique. An internationally headlining comedian, Louis' numerous television appearances include NBC's "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," HBO's "Down & Dirty with Jim Norton," and most recently, Comedy Central's "This Is Not Happening." His own half-hour stand-up special also aired on Comedy Central, and coincided with the release of his debut comedy album, "If These Balls Could Talk," on Comedy Central Records. His latest album, "KATZKILLS," was released in 2018 on 800 Pound Gorilla Records.
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NFL Hall Of Famer Terrell Owens Signs With ICM
EXCLUSIVE: Former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens has inked with ICM Partners across the board.
Owens played in the NFL for 15 seasons and was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time first-team All-Pro.
After playing college football and basketball at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he was selected in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He stayed with the team for seven seasons until he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004. Two years later, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys and stayed with them for three seasons. He also played with the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals.
Owens is the only player in NFL history to score a touchdown against all 32 NFL teams, and ranks third all-time in receiving touchdowns and receiving yards.
Owens retired in 2012 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Tag Archives: Rush Limbaugh
The Beleagured Michael Steele
Posted on March 16, 2009 by Elwood Watson | 3 comments
Several weeks ago, the Republican National Committee elected Michael Steele as its first Black party chairman. What was seen at the time as an excellent move on the part of the GOP by some (even some Black columnists such as Earl Ofari Hutchinson and USA Today columnist DeWayne Wickham) has devolved into feelings of disillusionment, panic and, in some cases, outright anger as Steele has made several comments that have outraged some members of his party’s more conservative base. Many Republicans are beginning to have second thoughts and doubts about the former lieutenant governor of Maryland.
From inadvertently picking a fight with mega radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh on the soon-to-be-cancelled CNN program “D.L. Hughley Breaks the News” and later apologizing, to slashing more than 100 positions at the RNC, to voicing statements on abortion and homosexuality in a recent issue of GQ magazine that are clearly at odds with the GOP’s conservative base, he has caused many of his red state constituents to unleash a fury of anger toward him. Comments ranging from “he is a loose cannon” to “he is not a true Republican” have become common responses among many Republicans.
Outraged by Steele’s remarks that Limbaugh was not the leader of the Republican Party but rather an entertainer, and at times an incendiary one, Limbaugh admonished Steele for spending too much time doing a poor job meandering on the talk show circuit and urged him to get to work doing the job that he was hired to do – rebuilding and raising money for the party. It was not only Limbaugh and White Republicans who were voicing their disgust with Steele. Fellow Black Republicans – North Carolina national committeewoman Dr. Ada Fisher and former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, a runner up for the GOP chairman position – have made their displeasure with their current party boss known. Fisher called for his resignation.
While Steele has made a number of mea culpas and promises to revive the current beleaguered state of the GOP, his goal to reach out to make the party more inclusive to Blacks, especially younger Black Americans, has been noteworthy, yet questionable. In a party that has more than its share of bigots (there are a number in the Democratic Party as well, however in the GOP they are more at center stage) and has voted against the interests of Blacks since the mid 1960s, when the far right snatched power from the more moderate Rockefeller wing, promising to make the party more racially inclusive is going to be difficult for chairman Steele. Too many people of age can remember the infamous 1992 Republican convention where Republicans like Pat Buchanan and Pat Robertson voiced vehemently bigoted, sexist, homophobic and anti-semitic rhetoric.
Other examples are the 2000 and 2004 presidential election voting shenanigans in Florida and Ohio some GOP officials were associated with. Many people watched in disgust and horror at the Bush administration’s callous and indifferent attitude toward the largely disenfranchised and oppressed Black population of New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina fiasco in 2005. Then there was the absence of many 2008 Republican presidential candidates from several forums that were sponsored by Tavis Smiley on issues facing the Black community. Such behavior cannot be easily forgotten. Indeed, more than a few of the party’s critics have memories like “elephants” – the party symbol.
Interestingly, there are a number of issues that the Republican Party espouses that would appeal to Black upscale voters. Today’s Black professional class, largely religious, devotedly committed to education, yet progressive on many social issues, would seem to have a lot in common with moderate Republicans. However, in order to accomplish this, Steele will have to clean house or marginalize the bigoted, regressive-minded individuals that have dominated the party since 1964 and restore the party to the more racially inclusive entity that it was during the Eisenhower era. No doubt the current chairman is well aware of this fact. Perhaps Michael Steele (if he survives as chairman) will be able to rectify a party that is currently in shambles politically, racially, socially and in almost every other way imaginable and bring such diverse elements together. It is doubtful but one should never say never.
Posted in Culture, Diversity, General, Politics/national affairs, Race
Tagged Ada Fisher, Ken Blackwell, Michael Steele, Republican Party, Rush Limbaugh
Of Watermelons, Chimps and Cowards
Posted on March 4, 2009 by Dr. Christopher Metzler | 3 comments
Dr. Christopher J. Metzler
It was not that long ago that we were ushering in the “post-racial” era in American racial discourse. According to scholar John McWhorter, “So, in answer to the question, ‘Is America past racism against black people,’ I say the answer is yes.” In intellectual and ideological lockstep, Dinesh D’Souza proclaimed, “If Obama’s election means anything, it means that we are now living in post-racist America. That’s why even those of us who didn’t vote for Obama have good reason to celebrate.” If we are to believe the inane gab fest, a single event has changed the racial calculus of America, and we should simply move on. I own several bridges in all of the major cities in the United States and will be happy to sell them to all who want to buy at a cheap price.
Of Watermelons
Dean Grose, the former mayor of Los Alamitos, Calif. demonstrates that America is not at all “post-racial.” Realizing that this will be the first Easter egg hunt at the White House under the Obama administration, Grose decided to send a photo by e-mail to “ a small group of friends” (yes America, he does have black friends) depicting the White House lawn festooned with watermelons and the caption, “No Easter egg hunt this year.” Asked to explain himself, Grose said that he did not mean to offend anyone and that he was unaware of the racial stereotype that black people like watermelons. The statement begs the question as to why he chose watermelons knowing that a black family resides in the White House and not “knowing about the racial stereotype.”
My guess is that the post-racial apologists will dismiss this as an isolated incident in a “post-racial” America. I suppose that neither Grose nor the post racialists will acknowledge that the issue is not simply the stereotype that “black people like watermelon.” It is, instead that cartoonists used the images of blacks on so-called “coon cards” often stealing watermelons, fighting over them and turning into watermelons. In some cases, the “coon cards” depicted violence against black children. These “coon cards” were very popular with white Americans and indelibly etched the image of blacks as lazy, violent thieves into the minds of many. But, I digress. According to “post-racial” logic, the single event of Obama’s election has changed all of this by ushering in a “post-racial” America in which these images no longer have the currency that they once did and reviving racists’ imagery is acceptable so long as we don’t mean to offend anyone, send it to a “small group of friends,” “apologize” if anyone was offended (not for doing something offensive) and resign. As Grose wrote when he resigned, “This was clearly my mistake, which I accept was in poor taste and I regret that it has created this cloud.” I guess that in a “post-racial America” one does not have to take responsibility for racial vitriol; just the cloud (probably “dark cloud”, it causes).
Of Chimps
The New York Post had been covering the story of a chimp that was kept as a pet, attacked the owner’s friend and had to be shot to death. The Post subsequently published a cartoon (ostensibly referencing the chimp story) in which two police officers shot and killed the chimp. Talking amongst themselves, the officers quipped, “They will have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.” Perhaps I simply did not get the connection between the chimp story and the stimulus bill. Perhaps I did not understand why there was no reference to Congress or to Wall Street in the cartoon. Perhaps I did not understand the reference to the cognitive association between blacks and non-human apes and the scientific theory of racism. Or perhaps, I simply don’t have an appreciation for trite racial humor.
In true post-racial parlance, The Post wrote that it did not mean to offend anyone and that this cartoon had nothing to do with race. It was meant to castigate Wall Street executives and Congress, not to intimate that the President is a chimp. The problem with this, of course, is that the symbol of Wall Street is either the bull or the bear, not the chimp.
In true “post-racial” protocol, Post publisher Rupert Murdoch “apologized” if one was “insulted or offended.”
In addition to the Post, racial apologist-in-chief Ron Christie said that “as a proud black man,” he did not see himself as a chimp and that the cartoon was the proverbial tempest in the teapot. He urged us to take the cartoonist at his word that he had no racial intent. Realizing the hollowness of those arguments, Christie reminded us that Obama did not write the stimulus bill but that it was Pelosi and Reed who did. Ron Christie lives in the fictitious “post-racial America” where the single event of Obama’s election means that the images of black men as apes with violent tendencies have been completely erased. Thus, the Post was not calling Obama the chimp who wrote the stimulus bill that will “destroy America as we know it”, and thus worthy of assassination. According to Christie, in a “post-racial America,” people should be taken to task for racial vitriol only where they intend to be racists.
The history and durability of racial stereotypes and subtexts should be disregarded, and we should all simply get over race. If these concepts sound familiar, they were advanced by Harriett Beecher Stowe in Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Of Cowards
Speaking at a Black History Month event at the Justice Department, Attorney General Eric Holder said, “Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial, we have always been, and we, I believe, continue to be, in too many ways, a nation of cowards.” The same post-racial apologists who tried to change the topic by making the Post story about Al Sharpton pounced. Declared Abigail Thernstrom, “I don’t know what nation the attorney general is living in, but it’s not the one I know. Eric Holder’s speech to Justice Department staff on February 18 was scandalously uninformed, as well as arrogant and incoherent. It should be an embarrassment to the president.” Bringing up the “post racial” rear was Ron Christie who said of the comment that it was wrong and insulting to the American people (since he speaks for all of the American people).
I now understand the rules of a “post-racial America.” First, racism is only racism when it is intentional. Second, the single event of President Obama’s election means that Americans are brave for having elected a black man. Third, we should be race-blind, not race-conscious. Finally, Michael Steele’s election as chairman of the Republican Party means that race does not matter to Republicans.
Mr. Steele, of course, ran into problems with these rules when, on D.L. Hughley Breaks the News, he declared himself the leader of the Republican Party and described Rush Limbaugh as an “entertainer” who can be “ugly” and “incendiary.” Of course, Steele forgot to check with Limbaugh (the real leader of the party) to validate Steel’s legitimacy. After Steele’s appearance on the show, he was excoriated by Limbaugh, who said, “It’s time, Mr. Steele, for you to go behind the scenes and start doing the work that you were elected to do instead of trying to be some talking head media star, which you’re having a tough time pulling off.” Conceding that he is not the leader of the Republican Party (even though he was elected to that post), a chastened and chagrined Steele apologized to Rush, “I went back at that tape and I realized words that I said weren’t what I was thinking,” Steele said. “It was one of those things where I thinking I was saying one thing, and it came out differently. What I was trying to say was a lot of people … want to make Rush the scapegoat, the bogeyman, and he’s not.” Ah, the beauty of a “post-racial America” where cowards are free to change the face of the party but only to the extent that the Massa allows them to do so.
Dr. Christopher J. Metzler is the author of “The Construction and Rearticulation of Race in a ‘post-racial America” and Associate Dean at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies.
Posted in General, Politics/national affairs, Race
Tagged Abigail Thernstrom, Barack Obama, chimps, Christopher Metzler, Congress, coon cards, Dean Grose, Dinesh D'Souza, Eric Holder, John McWhorter, Micheal Steele, post-racial America, Race, Republican Party, Ron Christie, Rush Limbaugh, stereotypes, The New York Post, Wall Street, watermelon
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Home > Internet > Telus Trifles with Telephone History to Service its Constrained View of Universal, Affordable Broadband Internet Access Today
April 18, 2016 Dwayne Winseck's Media Blog Leave a comment Go to comments
Today, the CRTC enters week two of its major review of affordable basic telecoms service in Canada. The key issue? Whether universal, affordable basic telecoms services should be expanded to include broadband internet access and, if so, at what standards of speed, quality and affordability, and who should pay for it all.
Some of us argue that the goal of affordable, universal broadband service needs to be defined broadly. Others, such as Telus, argue that it should be drawn very narrowly to include only services based on needs not wants. In Telus’ restrictive view of the world, basic broadband internet access should support email, web browsing and maybe a couple of e-commerce activities but not over-the-top video services or H-D two-way interactive gaming. If the CRTC is to adopt a broadband speed target at all, Telus says, it should be no more the 5 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up (see its second intervention, paras 90-91).
To support its view, Telus hired two experts to critique the work submitted by those who argue for the more expansive view, including that of your’s truly. The gist of my submission is that affordable universal service is a concept that is not static but changes with developments in technology and society. I also argue that the politics of universal service involved in working this out are coterminous with the history of general purpose communications networks from the post office to the telephone and now the internet.
In the US, for example, this began with the post office starting with the Postal Act of 1792, and whose mandate was “to bring general intelligence to every man’s [sic] doorstep”, while also serving as a heavily subsidized vehicle for delivering newspapers across the country with the aim of helping the nation’s journalism flourish (John, 2010, p. 20; Starr, 2004). In short, universal postal policy was also about press, information, social and economic policy, all rolled into one.
I then argue that people agitated for such goals in relation to POTs (plain old telephone service), libraries and broadcasting. That they are doing so now in relation to broadband internet access is no surprise.
Indeed, in Canada and the US people pushed hard to transform the telephone from the late-19th and early 20th centuries from a luxury good and tool of business and government into a social necessity (Pike & Mosco, 1986), and a popular means of interpersonal communication. In an all-IP world, people are building upon this history by not only bringing intelligence to every citizens’ doorstep but by helping to make that doorstep the perch from which we can see and speak to the world.
Hired Guns, Weird Timeframes and Looking for Keys Under Lampposts
In line with Telus constrained view of basic service, its hired expert, McGill Political Scientist Richard Schultz writes that we need to clear away the many misconceptions and myths that exist about how “universal service became part of Canadian regulatory and policy debates” (para 2). Taking aim at my intervention specifically, Schultz asserts that
. . . perhaps no single statement in the various submissions epitomizes the problems . . . than the following from the Canadian Media Concentration Research Project first intervention: “Policy makers have struggled for over 100 years how best to achieve universal telecommunications service” (para 4).
Purporting to set the historical record right, Schultz argues that we need to do two things: first, to look at the period “from 1906, or more precisely 1912” up to around 1976, followed by another thereafter” and, second, search for explicit statutory statements where universal basic service is set out as a formal legal requirement for basic service, with the assumption being that the absence of such statements means that there’s never been such an idea in Canada and that claims to the contrary are just hollow rhetoric.
After doing what is akin to a text search of the relevant laws and coming up empty handed, Schultz concludes that there never were such politics over, or legal basis for, universal service in the late-19th or early-20th centuries and, in fact, that such issues were largely ignored. To the extent that such issues were given attention at all, he argues, the impetus came from enlightened corporate leaders at Bell and other telephone companies rather than politicians, policy makers or the public at large – in other words to the extent that universal service existed at all, it was an act of noblesse oblige (paras 5-9). Moreover, according to Schultz’s telling, to the extent the regulators and policy makers have played a role in bringing it about, universal service is of recent vintage.
Shultz’s arguments are curious for two reasons. First, the date that he begins with ignores vitally important points that predate 1906, while ignoring or giving short shrift to events within his selective timeframe. Second, the idea that a text search for “universal service” in the relevant legislation that comes up empty handed supports the conclusion that the idea was non-existent is like the proverbial drunk looking for their keys under the lamp post.
History Cut Short: Looking Just Outside the Weird Timeframe . . .
Let’s deal with the start date that Schultz selects first, i.e. 1906. This date is plausible because this is when telephone companies were brought under the remit of the Railway Act of 1903 and the purview of the first regulatory board in Canada, the Board of Railway Commissioners. Yet, starting in 1906 is fundamentally wrong for many reasons. For one, if we start just a few years earlier, we see that the adoption of the Railway Act was predicated on the idea that there are certain industries so fundamental to the economic and social life of the nation that they are imbued with a public interest and an “obligation to serve”. Railways came first, telegraphs and telephones next.
Statements aplenty to this effect underpin the legislative history of the Railway Act, and when telegraph and telephone companies were brought under its purview three years after its adoption the same principles automatically applied. Thus, when the Railway Act was expanded to include telephones in 1906, there was no need to be explicit about the “obligation to service” because that was baked into the statutory basis upon which railway, telegraph and telephone regulation was based. In short, there was no need to state the obvious.
The classic text on such matters, Alfred Kahn’s The Economics of Regulation: Principles and Institutions, provides an excellent introduction to businesses cloaked with a public interest, their obligation to serve, and the role regulators play in using the best available knowledge and experience to decide how such matters will be dealt within in any particular instance (see pp. 3-5, for example). These are the guiding rules and principles of regulation, not legislation, although regulators’ authority to do what they do is and must be grounded in laws that give them the authority, mandate and legitimacy to take the steps they do.
Schultz’s start date of 1906 is especially odd given the monumental inquiry into the telephone industry convened just one year earlier – 1905 — by the Liberal Government of Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier, otherwise known as the Mulock Committee, after its chairperson and Postmaster General at the time William Mulock. The Mulock Committee helps to put the CRTC’s review of the basic service obligation in perspective given that while the Commission will hear from 90+ intervenors over three weeks, the Mulock Committee heard from many more during its forty-three days of hearings and thousands of pages of testimony.
As part of the public record, it received interventions from members of the public, co-operatively run telephone companies, municipal governments, foreign telephone systems and experts, and Bell management, among many others. It was an enormous undertaking, and one that underscored the fact that achieving some measure of public control – i.e. regulation in the public interest — over the telephone network was of the utmost importance.
Contra Schultz and Telus’ claim that issues of universal service were missing in action during this early period of telecommunications history, voices aplenty called for accessible and affordable telephone service at this time, not just for the business classes who were its main users but for all classes of the public. One among many, the Manitoba Government’s submission, for example, highlighted these points as follows:
. . . the telephone is . . . one of the natural monopolies, and yet is one of the most . . . necessary facilities for the despatch of business and for the convenience of the people . . . .[T]he price . . . should be so low that labouring men and artisans can have convenience and advantage of the telephone, as well as the merchant, the professional man and the gentleman of wealth and leisure” (Manitoba Government to Mulock Committee in 1905, quoted in Winseck, 1998, p. 137).
If this is not a call for affordable service, I am not sure what is. The only reason they are missing for Schultz and Telus is because such activities fall outside of their self-selected – and odd — time frame that begins a year after the biggest inquiry into the telephone and public service in the 20th Century occurred (except maybe the proceedings dealing with the introduction of competition in the last twenty-five years of that century).
We can also go well beyond 1906 and the Railway Act, or 1905 and the Mulock Telephone Inquiry, to the first days of the Bell Telephone Company of Canada’s operations to add further insight into the history of universal telecoms service. Thus, in 1882, Bell’s founding charter was revised to include the touchstone phrase that its operations were to be conducted and overseen by the federal government for “the general advantage of Canada”.
A few years later, and a decade before the United States pursued the same course of action, the federal Patent Commissioner voided Bell patents because Bell was not making enough use of its equipment in Canada and blocking access to those who might (see MacDougall, 2013, p. 43). Municipalities also chafed — and told the Mulock Committee as much – at how their weak powers under the federal government’s authority and the “general advantage of Canada” idea in Bell’s charter constrained their capacity to grant competing franchises, regulate rates and adopt other methods that might help extend the telephone beyond a small number of business users to make it more accessible and affordable.
And when competition did break out, as in Montreal in 1888, for instance, Bell launched a ruthless price war with its rival, the Federal Telephone Company, until the latter capitulated and sold out to Bell three years later. In Winnipeg it created a “dummy company”, the People’s Telephone Company, to give the illusion of competition; while in Peterborough and Dundas, to kill new independent telephone companies, Bell gave away service for free. Yet, all this, too, is ruled out by the self-selected time frame that Schultz imposes on the subject.
When Kingston joined the Ontario Municipal Association in 1903 to adopt a resolution calling for municipal authority to regulate telephone rates, Bell threatened not to renew its franchise and to withhold further capital investment. In the same year, the Mayors of the Montreal suburb of Westmount and Toronto, William Lighthall and Oliver Howland, respectively, spearheaded a drive to gain greater regulatory authority over telephone rates for municipalities while calling on the federal government to take control of the long distance network. By 1905, 195 municipalities had joined the call, with support from the Montreal and Toronto business associations and the farmers’ association, Dominion Grange (also see MacDougall, 2013, pp. 44-46, 125-127; Winseck, 1998).
In an immediate sense, the cities’ calls largely fell on deaf ears at the federal government. As a result of this drift of events, in 1902, 1-in-50 Ottawa citizens had regular telephone service. The upshot, as Bell Canada President Charles Fleetford Side never missed a chance to stress, was that the telephone was treated as a luxury not necessity.
It was against this backdrop, however, that Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier’s Liberal Government convened the Select Committee on Telephones in 1905. However, none of this even merits a mention in the hired expert report that Professor Schultz has prepared for Telus and submitted to the public record of the CRTC’s current review of basic telecoms service. In short, those parts of the historical record that don’t fit Telus’ restrictive view of universal telecoms service are simply omitted from Schultz’s account.
Inside the Timeframe Things Disappear
Missing, also, is the fact that all three prairie governments effectively nationalized their telephone systems between 1906 and 1909 largely because, as Manitoba had told the Mulock Committee, Bell refused to extend its network in the province or to make the service more affordable for more people. During this time, Bell vacated the field as prairie governments took over telephone service between 1906-1909 in Manitoba and Alberta, although with Saskatchewan following the ‘Scandinavian’ model whereby the government initially owned the long distance networks while cities and cooperatives built up the local networks (MacDougall, 2014, p. 190).
In addition, far from the folding of telegraph and telephone companies into the purview of the Railway Act being an inconsequential gesture, as Telus and Schultz suggest, Canada’s first regulator – the Board of Railway Commissioners — cut its teeth on a wide variety of issues that all had to do with carving out what it means to set public policy and regulate businesses affected with a public interest, to use Alfred Kahn’s terminology. Thus, and for instance, even though some people suspected that the Government had simply shelved the recommendations of the Mulock Committee, the report helped to set the zeitgeist and in the next few years the BRC found its footing on ground made solid by the extensive proceedings that had just transpired.
Thus, between 1908 and 1915, the BRC displayed the will and room for independent action needed to increase the availability of affordable telephone service to business and all classes of people alike. For instance, the BRC nullified the then widespread exclusive contracts that Bell had hitherto sewn up with railway stations – the main centers of commerce and the flow of people – across the country. The provisions in the Railway Act requiring telephone rates that were “just and reasonable” were also given new life; as were those that required that rates and services be offered in a manner that was “not unjustly discriminatory or unduly preferential” (Railway Act, c. R-2).
Standard technical interfaces allowing interconnection between Bell and independent telephone companies were adopted, and telephone companies were required to file their tariffs with the BRC. In 1910, the BRC made a landmark ruling that brought common carriage into the purview of telecommunications in Canada as well, and which remains a defining pillar of the Telecommunications Act (sec 36) to this date.
The BRC also began systematically collecting data on Bell and other telephone companies with respect to rates, miles of telephone line and the number of exchanges in operation, people served, workers employed, and so on and so forth. The first monitoring reports, Telephone Statistics, were published. The number of independent telephone companies soared from 530 in 1912 to 1700 by 1917, accounting for half of all subscribers at the time. To be sure, the exact phrase “universal service” may not appear in these efforts, and the aims of such an objective were not achieved, but its spirit – in bits and pieces and the totality of the record – is undeniable.
To be sure, while Bell struck a tone then that was as parsimonious as the one Telus is striking now, it was not completely tone deaf to the drift of events taking place. Thus, while the Bell Telephone Company of Canada’s long-standing chair, Charles Fleetford Sise was renowned for his penny-pinching ways and emphasis on serving only high-end business users who appreciated the high quality of the company’s networks and didn’t mind paying the price to do so, by 1912 even he seemed to be changing his tune.
Thus, in Bell Canada’s Annual Report of that year, Sise is quoted as follows:
. . . In 1906 the operation of the Company was placed under the supervision of the Railway Commission, which has considered several matters brought before it for adjudication, and has, in its conclusions, acted in an impartial and judicial manner.
Our relations with the Public continue to be very satisfactory, and the general feeling now seems to be that the telephone service to be perfect must be universal, intercommunicating, interdependent, under one control…and that rates must be so adjusted as to make it possible for everyone to be connected who will add to the value of the system to others (emphasis added, Fetherstonhaugh, 1944, pp. 224-225).
This is hugely important because, in Schultz’ words, to the extent that we had universal service at all, it was because the companies gave it to us out of the goodness of their hearts. Yet, here is Sise saying something very different, and in his account, the regulator looms large.
Schultz also draws on Milton Mueller’s (1998) history of universal service in the US to argue that the concept of universal service didn’t really mean what we think it means, but rather was more of a technical concept that referred to a single system (i.e. a monopoly) available everywhere rather than to everyone at affordable rates (see paras 30-31 in Schultz). Again, Sise’s words suggest something different.
The Politics of Telecoms Policy and Universal Service Restored
While Sise was likely singing from the same hymn sheet as the American Bell, the reading that Schultz tries to impose is at odd with a broader reading of Bell and its management’s stance within the context of the politics of the progressive era in the US (circa 1890-1920) when people like AT&T boss Theodore N. Vail worked harder than ever to reconcile a nascent kind of big business capitalism that his company represented, large technical systems of which the telephone system was an example par excellence, and the public interest (see Sklar, 1988, for example). All of these ideas were at play and expressed from a wide variety of positions, from the narrow and technocratic (Walter Lippmann, for example), to the broad and expansive (John Dewey). Even on the face of it, Sise’s invocation of a telephone service that is universally available at rates that “make it possible for everyone to be connected” chime with such views while also resonating strongly with our modern conceptions of universal service.
Suffice it to say that Schultz’s fundamentally flawed account of the history of universal service carries on throughout the period he covers. To be sure, there are times, for example in the post WWII era in which the politics of telecommunications and universal service did fade into the woodwork, but that, I would argue, is due to the “corporatist politics” and social settlements of the era. This meant that such matters were attended by those directly involved: the telephone companies, the regulators, and to an extent the telephone company labour unions. Indeed, when telephone regulation rested with the Board of Transport Commissioners (1938-1967) and then the Canadian Transport Commission (1967-1976), respectively, they did take a particularly technocratic and narrow view of things whereby, rather than hearing from people directly, they believed that the company engineers and economists appearing before them were best placed to deliver insights and results that were in the public interest.
The Public Returns and the Public Interest is Revived
That kind of thinking was also prevalent in the US at the time, as well. Crucially, however, it was also rejected in the landmark United Church of Christ case in 1966 when the Courts scolded the FCC into a new way of thinking by arguing that the only way to know what the public interest is, was to have the public in front of the FCC to tell them what it is. The doors to the FCC swung open and the preceding phase of corporatist politics was jettisoned in favour of public participation as a result.
The CRTC followed course a decade later, in 1976, but on its own accord after its remit was expanded to take over telecommunications from the Canada Transport Commission. Immediately upon taking over telecoms, the CRTC candidly announced the following:
… In a country where essential telecommunications services are provided largely by private enterprise with some degree of protection from competition, the public interest requires that those services should be responsive to public demand over as wide a range of possible, and equally responsive to social and technological change.
The principle of “just and reasonable” rates is neither narrow nor a static concept. As our society has evolved, the idea of what is just and reasonable has also changed . . . . Indeed, the Commission views this principle in the widest possible terms, and considers itself obliged to continually review the level and structure of carrier rates to ensure that telecommunications services are fully responsive to the public interest.[1]
Indeed, these ideas and values stand as a consistent thread between then and now: the Commission sets what constitutes basic service in light of constantly evolving technological, economic, social and political realities. That such ideas were in the air at the CRTC in the mid-1970s was also not anomalous but part and parcel of the times as well. Schultz offers a glimpse of this when he mentions the Department of Communication in passing (see para 46). However, the DOC is more important than he leads on. It articulated a broad vision of the “wired society” that it saw as being on the immediate horizon as broadband networks converged with computing and a cornucopia of information and media services to become the infrastructure of society in the near future. We’re here now, even if Telus hopes that the DOC’s broad vision is not.
Such ideas play little role in Schultz’s account and thus in helping us understand universal service and its evolution over time. They are part of what he thinks is a moment when the politics of universal service does emerge for the first time, but they are not given the gravitas that they probably deserve nor are they stitched into the flow of time – backwards or forwards – in ways that they need to be. As a result, the argument that was the closing decades of the 20th Century there were a watershed moment when the values, ideas and politics of universal telecoms services emerge for the first time is incorrect, for all of the reasons indicated above.
Look Where Things Are Not Where the Light Shines Brightest
Finally, and as I told the Commission last week and in my response to Telus’ questions to me earlier, most countries do not legislate specific affordable broadband service targets. Instead, the normal practice is to pursue broadband targets as a matter of public policy, developed and back-stopped by regulators and policy-makers that have the legal and political mandate to do what they need to do to achieve outcomes that are in the public interest. And this is as it is in Canada as well.
Ultimately, Schultz’s history is fundamentally flawed. Its main function appears to be to marshal scholarly credibility and legitimacy in the service of those who seek a specific, strategic outcome. It is a poor piece of research and hopefully will be given very little attention by the Commission, or anyone else for that matter.
Universal service for an all-IP world is something that we have to arrive at. It will not be easy. But an already difficult task won’t be made easier by those who use and abuse history for their own strategic ends.
[1] emphasis added, CRTC (1976). Telecommunications Regulation – Procedures and Practices (prepared statement). Ottawa: Minister of Supply and Services.
Categories: Internet Tags: basic telecommunications service, Broadband Internet Policy, CRTC, telecommunications history, Telus
I can’t help but wonder what state we would be in if, in the (late) 19th and 20th centuries, government left the construction of the electrical grid to the 19th century equivalent of Big Telecom.
Dwayne Winseck's Media Blog
Not a very good one, that’s for sure.
brett mcateer
Perhaps there is another important consideration that separates the contemporary situation from history. While the telephone has never been the only way to communicate (except where geography and urgency were factors) a meaningful and growing number of services including government services are today Internet-only, as a matter of policy. I imagine that would sound like the bell on the cash register to certain parties but it makes it hard to imagine a coincident yet contradicting policy that would stop access anywhere short of universal (which is the same as affordable, of course).
Alas, some are trained from birth to bridle at the mention of regulation when it is only regulation that stands between us and our demise.
And sadly, expertise is a commodity to some.
Nice piece, DW. I’m way smarter this afternoon.
Thanks Brett. I hope all is well.
I can’t remember which of many reports out of Cisco to refer to, but they do produce some good numbers about how much internet the average household is using and is predicted to use in the future. The providers must be aware of such numbers and yet can’t seem to plan ahead to predicted speed and usage patterns.
Yes, they do. I cite those in my submissions to CRTC’s BSO review. I think they’re called Visual Network Index.
Yes, we referred to Cisco’s data and forecast in our earlier written submission. TELUS said it was self-serving by companies that just wanted to sell more routers or words to that effect. I responded to that in my testimony for FMCC.
Tanner Mirrlees
Thank you Dwayne, for this historically grounded and acute corrective to Schultz’s partial and selective use of history to serve Telus’s strategic interest in taking the steam out of universally accessible and affordable broadband.
And thank you, Tanner, for the supportive, kind words.
Trickle Down Datanomics | Ramblings of a dire strait man
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A Radical Broadband Internet & Cultural Policy for Canada Guilty Pleasures and Proper Needs: Who Gets What Kind of Internet, and Who Decides?
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Act Two: A Craft Essay by Ross Klavan
I’m thinking right now of F. Scott Fitzgerald, killing himself with booze and the movies and trapped in his own roiling psyche as he nods over his typewriter to conjure Gatsby buying it by gunshot in the swimming pool. He died young (Gatsby, too) about three months after he hit 44. In the novel he never finished because his life ended first (“The Last Tycoon” or, revised, “The Love of the Last Tycoon”) there’s a line in the notes that’s often quoted: “There are no second acts in American lives.” Most often, this is taken to mean that here in crazy America, you don’t get second dibs, you’d best grab the golden ring and (as Dylan cautioned) you “keep your eyes wide, the chance won’t come again.” But of course, we know that’s not accurate. Most people quote the line usually just to shoot it down. But I think there’s another reading, I think there might be another idea that Fitzgerald was hovering around…
“Tycoon,” published posthumously in 1941, takes place in Hollywood, in the movie business, which was then holding Fitzgerald afloat and sinking him at the same time. Story is often spoken about in terms of acts in the movies and the “Second Act” is the doozie. In books, too. Lots of people can come up with a beginning and many can cobble together an end, but the middle! That’s the Second Act and that’s where the road is not only rocky it’s full of potholes. The Second Act is where the conflict is so ripe it’s about to bust open, it’s where most of “the story” actually takes place.
“Second Act Problems” is an accepted and often-used phrase and I’m betting that anyone who’s written any kind of narrative, at some point, has known that woozy, sick-making hydra, hitting that middle section of your tale, seeing/hearing/feeling nothing and then experiencing everything from the sudden need to take a nap to a stronger series of vacant, suicidal musings. I don’t want to be too literal with this. Fitzgerald was talking, I believe, in terms of film or theater structure and in a novel this would be seen as the center, the heart, the meat of the book. I think Fitzgerald saw this lack, this absence of meaning, of complexity, of ripeness as a problem in American life and linked it to a problem in literature. Fitzgerald’s “Gatsby” is a near-perfect little story involving a criminal, a manslaughter death and a murder. Jay Gatsby, the title character, gets gunned down in a swimming pool because he’s awash in his own fantasy and his narrator, who may be the central character, at one point says of him, “he fell just short of being news.”
It’s exactly that quality that I think Fitzgerald was underlining in American life with his “careless” people who sometimes get other people dead, and it’s that quality which often shows up in our own early drafts (if not the finished product)—they fall “just short of being news.” You can spot it in crime fiction—using that odd term in the broadest sense—you start with a bang and maybe end with more bangs and a chase, but in between, things sometimes go flat and flabby like a mid-write crisis and begin travelling south.
I’ve come across a number of “tricks” to get that second act—the center of the story—a little more ripe. In film, it’s sometimes suggested that the “first act” (or the first part of the book) end on an event that so turns the tale around that the “second act” is, in many ways, a completely new story…in other words, act two is really another form of act one. Something like: Two young folks are headed for trouble and then the boy kills his babe’s father. Act Two? They decide instead of turning themselves in or just going on the run, that they’re going on a wild, murderous ride across the country until they end up shot down by the police. Or…they meet, they date, they marry…and then she notices something very strange, very dark and dangerous about him. Act Two is now based in her suspicion.
This sometimes works. At its worst, it can lead to an endless series of beginnings. It’s also true, and very often said, that plenty of people will be able to tell you the middle of your story isn’t working but only you will be able to figure out that a scene isn’t working on, say, page 85, because something went wrong with the scene on, say, page four. Good structure requires a feel for a kind of internal architecture. Other suggestions have to do with making sure your main character doesn’t go too far off course for too long or that you get the conflict, drama and emotions all turned up loud in act two—or that the comedy gets even screwier, that you’ve dropped in as much change as the piece can stand without caving in.
Like I said, those are among the suggestions and any how-to book or a session of shop-talk can clue you in with more. That’s why I’m offering only one other possibility…
When stories mostly go wrong (or perhaps it’s “when my stories go wrong”) in the so-called “second act” and elsewhere—there’s most often an obvious culprit. It’s not technical although sometimes it shows up that way—it’s possible to write a near perfectly structured story and still have it fall flat. The problem, for me, has got very little to do with craft, most of which can be learned with varying degrees of rage and enjoyment. The reason most stories go wrong—for me—is where that indefinable, unteachable connection between writer and tale is missing. Laziness, fear, fakery, self-deception, lack of soul, of heart, of music, of The Absurd, a preciousness about secrets or exposure—whatever you want to call it…that’s what hasn’t clicked. And it’s that rich connection—in writing and in life—that I think Fitzgerald was commenting upon in his remark about “second acts” and in many of his books.
Not too long after Fitzgerald dropped dead of a heart attack in columnist Sheilah Graham’s apartment off Sunset Strip, another film name used the phrase, putting just a touch of spin on it. This is a quote attributed to various sources but my favorite is the film writer, director and producer King Vidor. He was Hungarian by descent and as Hitler’s war in Europe pressed on, Hungarian refugees—many of them writers, actors, filmmakers and intellectuals—flooded into Hollywood. Many were hired until studios and workers began to balk. At which point Vidor lamented, “It’s not enough just to be Hungarian anymore. You have to have a second act.”
On the day before I finished this essay, I skirted working on it by visiting my favorite small, indie bookstore in New York City—McNally Jackson—and probably was unconsciously guided to the Fitzgerald shelf. There, a Fitzgerald “fake book” let all browsers know that if you wanted to buy the great Jazz Age poet you’d have to ask up at the front desk. So, I did: “Do you do it that way because people steal Fitzgerald?”
“Yep,” the cashier said. “Fitzgerald is one of the most stolen.”
And while I can’t quite put it together, I’m not totally sure why that fits—Crime? Pettiness? Petty crime?—there seems to be some beautiful poetry in that fact. I’ll have to work on it in the second act…
Ross Klavan is one of three contributors — together with Tim O’Mara and Charles Salzberg — to the crime novella trilogy Triple Shot. Look for the next book in this series coming in 2018 from Down & Out Books!
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Surveys Show Major Gap Between Voters and Their Representatives on Global Warming
Nearly two thirds of Americans agree that global warming is happening, yet the same proportion of voters is currently represented by climate change deniers in Congress.
By Noa Banayan | March 29, 2016
Orhan Cam/Shutterstock
Never has Congress been more out of touch with the American people, from refusing to hold a hearing on a Supreme Court nominee in the Senate to the so-called "Freedom Caucus" already threatening to hold up budget negotiations in the House. Among the most alarming trends, however, is that Congress is not in line with the American people on the crucial issue of climate change. Not prioritizing climate change on the American political agenda does nothing to stop its rampant destruction. The topic isn’t being ignored, per say, but rather suppressed by the financial influence of the dirty energy industry.
This month, the Center for American Progress (CAP) Action Fund published “The 2016 Anti-Science Climate Denier Caucus,” a study on climate denial in Congress. The study shows that 182 members of the current 114th Congress deny the science behind climate change. That’s 144 representatives and 38 senators, all in the Republican Party, paid by oil and gas interests to deny what 97 percent of scientists agree is true. That means two thirds of the American population is represented by climate change deniers. Compare that to a poll commissioned by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal in 2014, which reported that 67 percent of Americans want action taken on climate change, or to the 2014 Yale Climate Opinion Survey, which showed that 63 percent of Americans think global warming is happening now. This clear rift between public opinion and political agendas shows that these deniers are not delivering for their constituents or for our planet.
To paint an even clearer picture of the problem, the Yale Climate Opinion Survey shows that, generally, Americans believe climate change is a threat, at least for future generations. A notable 77 percent of Americans support funding research into renewable energy sources, yet the majority party in Congress is too blinded by the polluter agenda to even bring renewable energy initiatives to the table. When asked about regulating CO2 in 2014, 74 percent of Americans supported stronger regulations. When such a large majority supports action on CO2 but the politicians who claim to represent the people refuse to pass any legislation on the subject, they are clearly out of touch with the will of voters.
According to the Yale survey, 57 percent of Oklahomans think global warming is real, but their senator, Jim Inhofe, who brought a snowball onto the Senate floor in an attempt to refute global warming in February 2015, believes global warming is “the greatest hoax perpetrated on the American people.” Senator Inhofe has received a whopping $2,020,677 from the oil and gas industry throughout his political career. The senator is no doubt listening to the money, not the people.
Other deniers in Congress often say that “the science is out” or “scientists are unclear,” or they claim “I am not a scientist.” But what are scientists really saying? The data produced and supported by NOAA, NASA, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and so many more national and international weather and science organizations indicates that global warming is real and is caused by humans. It’s clear that these climate deniers are factually incorrect.
Climate change is like Frankenstein’s monster—we’ve created it out of our dependence on dirty energy, not foreseeing the devastating path it would take. And like Dr. Frankenstein, we must now deal with the ramifications of our creation, not ignore its power and destructive capability. It’s time for our elected leaders to listen to and act on behalf of their constituents, rather than the polluters who line their pockets.
Tags: Climate Change, Congress
To Eat Healthy, We Need to Farm HealthyNext Blog Post
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Noa Banayan
Noa Banayan was an intern with the Policy & Legislation team in Washington, D.C. for the spring 2016 semester.
Learn more about Policy & Legislation.
Fireflies’ Glow Could Soon Be Extinguished by Human Actions
We’re Suing to Prevent the Next BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster
“We’re a country of opportunity. And we should be trying to think of ways to expand that opportunity to everyone.”
– Stephanie RiddickMaryland resident and community solar supporter.
Tell the 194 Countries Committed to the Paris Agreement that You're Still In
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Business News›Industry›Transportation›Airlines / Aviation
J P Alex takes over as Airports Authority of India executive director
By PTI | Updated: Jan 20, 2016, 08.40 PM IST
J P Alex has more than three decades of experience in diverse areas of aviation, including air traffic management and airport design & planning.
NEW DELHI: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) today said J P Alex has taken over as executive director of operations.
He has more than three decades of experience in diverse areas of aviation, including air traffic management and airport design & planning.
"Alex has taken over as Executive Director, Operations, AAI at the corporate headquarters, New Delhi," AAI said in a statement.
He holds an MBA in Airport & Aviation Management and has done International Executive Diploma from George Washington University in Project Management, among others.
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entertainment / Celebrities and Showbiz
Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show vocalist Ray Sawyer dies at 81
Associated Press / 05:11 PM January 03, 2019
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Guitarist and vocalist Ray Sawyer of the rock band Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show has died at the age of 81.
Wearing a black eyepatch, Sawyer was the face of the band as they produced several hits in the 1970s.
His agent, Mark Lyman, said Sawyer died in his sleep Monday in Daytona Beach, Florida, after a brief illness. Lyman declined to give a cause of death Wednesday out of respect for his family’s privacy.
Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show’s hits included “Sylvia’s Mother”, ”When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman” and “The Cover of ‘Rolling Stone'”.
Sawyer wore a patch over his right eye after suffering an injury from a car accident as a young man. Lyman says Sawyer toured up until two years ago. KM
I’m all alone, says devastated vocalist who lost wife, band members to tsunami
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The Platters vocalists encourage millennials to follow dreams
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Filipinos warned vs job offers as household workers, tutors in China
TAGS: Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, Florida, Hollywood, Ray Sawyer, rock band, United States
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PREPARE HEALTHY MEALS....EAT WELL, LIVE WELL!
GARLIC & LEMON CHICKEN W/GREEN BEANS & RED POTATOES!
(Gluten free, Low Carb, Diabetic Friendly and so simple to make)
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
3/4 pound trimmed green beans
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts (bones left in, with skin, about 3 1/4 pounds)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.
Roast for 50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender. Place a chicken breast on each of 4 serving plates; divide the green beans and potatoes equally. Serve warm.
For more healthy recipes, weight management advice, tips, motivation, fun and support join Tezza's Skinny Buddies
Also check our page PREPARE HEALTHY MEALS here in El NOTICOTO MAGAZINE
ACTOR PAUL WALKER DIES IN A CAR ACCIDENT
Tony Franco
Actor Paul Walker, who starred in the film Hours, (to be released this month) and gained fame as an undercover detective in the "TheFast and the Furious", was killed Saturday in a car accident in Valencia, his single vehicle crash occurred about 3:30 p.m. in the 28300 block of Rye Canyon Loop. Deputies from the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station and the Los Angeles County Fire Department declared that a vehicle engulfed in flames and two people in the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene, one of them actor Paul Walker.
The "Fast and Furious" actor was the passenger in a Porsche GT during a test spin at a charity car show for his organization Reach Out Worldwide.
Walker, who also starred in "Pleasantville" and "Varsity Blues," was working on the seventh film of the "Fast and Furious".
Representatives with Universal Pictures confirmed Walker's identity and released a statement:
"All of us at Universal are heartbroken. Paul was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our studio family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us, to everyone involved with the 'Fast and Furious' films, and to countless fans. We send our deepest and most sincere condolences to Paul's family."
Paul William Walker IV (September 12, 1973 – November 30, 2013) was an American actor. He became famous in 1999 after his role in the hit film Varsity Blues, but later garnered fame as Brian O'Conner in The Fast and the Furious film series. His other films include Eight Below, Into the Blue, She's All That, Takers, and Hours, scheduled to be released this month of December. He appeared on the National Geographic Channel series Expedition Great White.
Paul once said "If I ever died in a car accident where speed is a factor please don´t cry because I will be smiling" Rest in Peace...
We at El NOTICOTO and EL SHOW DE TONY FRANCO are shocked by the news and we send our sincere condolences also to the family, fans and friends of actor Paul Walker.
HOURS IN THEATERS DECEMBER 13, 2013
H O U R S
In theaters December 13, 2013
Before sunrise on August 29, 2005, Nolan Hayes (Paul Walker) arrives at a New Orleans hospital with his pregnant wife, Abigail (Genesis Rodriguez), who has gone into early labor. What should be one of the happiest days of Nolan's life quickly spirals out of control when the birth goes tragically wrong and Hurricane Katrina ravages the hospital, forcing an evacuation. Told to stay with his child, who is on a ventilator, and await transfer by ambulance, Nolan and his newborn are soon cut off from the world by power outages and rising flood waters. When no one returns to help, Nolan faces one life-and-death decision after another, fighting to keep his daughter alive, as minute-by-agonizing minute passes, becoming unimaginable hours.
HOURS Official Trailer
CAST: Paul Walker, Genesis Rodriguez, Nick Gomez, Lena Clark, Michelle Torres, Omar Castro
DIRECTOR: Eric Heisserer
PRODUCER: Peter Safran
WRITTEN BY: Eric Heisserer
GENRE: Suspense thriller
LAST MINUTE UPDATE:
Actor Paul Walker, who starred in this film Hours, and gained fame as an undercover detective in the "TheFast and the Furious", was killed Saturday in a car accident in Valencia, his single vehicle crash occurred about 3:30 p.m. in the 28300 block of Rye Canyon Loop.
Deputies from the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station and the Los Angeles County Fire Department declared that a vehicle engulfed in flames and two people in the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene, one of them actor Paul Walker.
Fans, family and friends cannot believe the sad news of Paul Walker´s death this weekend.
MISS VENEZUELA GABRIELA ISLER IS THE NEW MISS UNIVERSE 2013
Gabriela Isler Miss Universe 2013
Moscow, Russia – In front of a worldwide audience of approximately 1 billion viewers, Miss Universe Venezuela, Gabriela Isler was crowned Miss Universe 2013 from Crocus City Hall in Moscow, Russia. The 62nd Annual MISS UNIVERSE® Competition was broadcast on NBC with a Spanish simulcast on Telemundo.
Miss Universe Venezuela, Gabriela Isler is the 7th young venezuelan woman to take home the Miss Universe crown. The 25 year-old college graduate with a marketing degree enjoys flamenco dancing and baking when she is not modeling. She is from the town of Maracay, Venezuela, right outside of Caracas, the country’s capital.
Thomas Roberts, anchor of (“MSNBC Live”) and Melanie Brown, best known to audiences as Mel B
(“America’s Got Talent”), co-hosted the pageant. Jeannie Mai, recognized for her fashion segments on NBC’s “Today,” served as commentator.
Steven Tyler performing
The judges who sealed the fate of this year’s winner included: Steven Tyler, Aerosmith’s front man and lead singer; Chef Nobu, acclaimed chef proprietor of Nobu and Matsuhisa restaurants; Tara Lipinski, Gold medal figure skater and 2014 Winter Olympics figure skating analyst for NBC Olympics’ multi-platform coverage; Carol Alt, TV personality, star of Fox News Channel's 'A HEALTHY YOU AND CAROL ALT’, international supermodel, actress, author, entrepreneur and raw-food enthusiast; Anne V, supermodel, actress,philanthropist and mentor on Oxygen's upcoming season of “The Face” with nine consecutive appearances in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue; Farouk Shami, founder of Farouk Systems, Inc. makers of CHI and presenting hair care sponsor of the 2013 MISS UNIVERSE® Competition; Italo Fontana, pioneering designer of U-BOAT Watches; and Philip Kirkorov, iconic Russian pop-star .
In addition to his judging duties, Steven Tyler took the stage for a special performance. Tyler and the celebrity judges joined an exciting broadcast that included performances by Grammy nominated band Panic! At The Disco and international recording artist EMIN.
Throughout the MISS UNIVERSE Competition, contestants representing 86 countries competed in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and interview. The telecast concluded with Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo from the United States, crowning her successor.
FINAL RESULTS:
MISS UNIVERSE 2013: Miss Universe Venezuela Gabriela Isler.
FIRST RUNNER-UP: Miss Spain, Patricia Yurena Rodriguez will assume the duties
of Miss Universe 2013 if the titleholder for some reason cannot fulfill her responsibilities.
Miss Spain, Patricia Yurena Rodriguez
SECOND RUNNER-UP: Miss Universe Ecuador, Constanza Baez.
Miss Ecuador Constanza Baez
TOP FIVE:
Miss Venezuela, Miss Philippines, Miss Spain, Miss Brazil and Miss Ecuador
REST OF TOP FIVE Miss Universe Brazil, Jakelyne Oliveira; and Miss Universe Philippines, Ariella Arida.
REST OF TOP TEN: Miss Universe Great Britain, Amy Willerton; Miss Universe India, Manasi Moghe; Miss Universe USA, Erin Brady; Miss Universe Ukraine, Olga Storozhenko; and Miss Universe Dominican Republic, Yaritza Reyes.
REST OF TOP SIXTEEN: Miss Universe Costa Rica, Fabiana Granados; Miss Universe China, Jin Ye; Miss Universe Indonesia, Whulandary; Miss Universe Puerto Rico, Monic Perez; Miss Universe Nicaragua, Nastassja Bolivar; and Miss Universe Switzerland, Dominique Rinderknecht.
MISS PHOTOGENIC UNIVERSE™ : Miss Poland, Paulina Krupinska.
An expert panel chose the delegate they thought best exemplifies beauty through the lens of a camera. She was awarded a $1,000 cash prize and a gift from pageant sponsor Diamond Nexus.
MISS CONGENIALITY UNIVERSE™ AWARD: Miss Universe China, Jin Ye.
This award reflects the respect and admiration of the delegate’s peers who voted for her as the most congenial, charismatic and inspirational participant. She was awarded a $1,000 cash prize and a gift from Diamond Nexus.
The Miss Universe 2013 prize package includes: a year’s supply of hair care products and tools from Farouk Systems, Inc.; a custom diamond tiara and jewelry designed by Diamond Nexus; a shoe wardrobe from Chinese Laundry; eveningwear wardrobe by Sherri Hill; swimwear wardrobe by Yamamay; a one-year scholarship (including housing) from the New York Film Academy; skincare products from Image Skincare; luxury accommodations in a New York City apartment for the duration of her reign, including living expenses; a year-long salary as Miss Universe; personal services including membership to Gravity Fitness and hair services from John Barrett Salon; modeling portfolio by leading fashion photographer Fadil Berisha; representation by Rubenstein Public Relations; dermatology and skincare services provided by Dr. Cheryl Thellman-Karcher; professional health and nutrition consultation by Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD and dental services by Dr. Jan Linhart, D.D.S.; casting opportunities and professional representation by the Miss Universe Organization; extensive travel representing sponsors and charitable partners; access to various New York City events including movie premiers and screenings, Broadway shows and launch parties; yearlong consultation with a fashion stylist; and access to a personal appearance wardrobe.
Source: missuniverse.com
AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS WILL BE HELD NOVEMBER 24TH ON ABC
WHO: THE AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS - Miguel, Bruno Mars, Romeo Santos,
Prince Royce, Marc Anthony and More Nominated for AMAs
WHAT: AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS CELEBRATE LATIN MUSIC MAKERS IN
MULTIPLE CATEGORIES NOVEMBER 24TH ON ABC
This year’s broadcast of the American Music Awards will mark the 15 year anniversary
of the awarding of Favorite Artist Latin, and the 25th anniversary of the first performance
by a Latin artist, Gloria Estefan in 1988.
This year the entire American Music Awards show is impacted by artists of Latino
descent: Favorite Male Soul/R&B Nominee Miguel is half Mexican; 3x nominee Bruno Mars’
is one quarter Puerto Rican; and of course, artists within the Favorite Artist Latin
category, Romeo Santos, Prince Royce and Marc Anthony, reflect, the wide range of
music loved by fans in the U.S.
Produced by Dick Clark Productions, the AMAs reflect the legendary Dick Clark’s
personal philosophies. In his decades-long career, the legendary television personality
and producer also helped Latino stars rise from obscurity to international fame.
Radio personality (November 30, 1929 – April 18, 2012)
Dick Clark was an American radio and television personality, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting American television's longest-running variety show, American Bandstand, from 1957 to 1987. In 1973, he created and produced the annual American Music Awards Show.
at October 21, 2013 No comments: Links to this post
ALEJANDRA GUZMÁN THE QUEEN OF LATIN ROCK RELEASED HER NEW SINGLE "MY WORST MISTAKE"
A L E J A N D R A G U Z M Á N
THE ONE AND ONLY, UNDISPUTED QUEEN OF ROCK
RELEASED HER NEW SINGLE ON THE RADIO
"MI PEOR ERROR"
Miami, FL- As she returns to Sony Music, Alejandra Guzmán presents her classic hits along with new material on her forthcoming live album, "LA GUZMÁN - PRIMERA FILA" , which goes to retail this December.
Forceful, intimate and riveting, "MI PEOR ERROR" is on its way to becoming one of the biggest hits in LA GUZMÁN's career.
Few artists transcend decades, leave an indelible mark on their craft, and become acclaimed by the public and the press. Only a select group outlasts passing trends and walks through the storm without getting wet.
Among this elite group of greats is ALEJANDRA GUZMÁN, known to her fans as LA GUZMÁN. This week she released "MI PEOR ERROR" (My Worst Mistake), the first single from her forthcoming intimate live album titled LA GUZMÁN - PRIMERA FILA (La Guzmán - Front Row). This engrossing, moving song reasserts her status as a world-class artist. Give it a listen and you'll believe.
"LA GUZMÁN," as her fans and the press have dubbed her, is unmistakable for her heart-rending voice that's so gifted at expression. Brimming with energy, she's one of the most important Mexican female singers in the United States. Her actions are driven and defined by her antiestablishment outlook and defiant personality.
LA GUZMÁN - PRIMERA FILA goes on sale in early December. But now we can enjoy its first single "MI PEOR ERROR" on the radio as of this week. This brand-new song, written by Pablo Preciado, is forceful, intimate and riveting. It's already making a strong run at becoming one of the most iconic hits of 2013.
You can download the single here:
http://smarturl.it/laguzmanmpe
you can request Alejandra´s new song in our show THE GREAT YEARS OF ROCK
SABOR A MEXICO LINDO FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND IN HUNTINGTON PARK, CALIFORNIA HONORING EDWARD JAMES OLMOS
Cindy López El NotiCOTO
Location: Huntington Park, California
The 21st annual free family cultural celebration pays tribute to the culture and heritage of Mexico.
Located on huge Pacific Boulevard this event encompasses nine city blocks of more than 150 commercial, food, arts and crafts, corporate exhibitors, a free health fair, and a petting zoo. Along with three major concert stages with professional entertainment, two amusements and carnival areas, plus Menudo Contest and food samplings which brings huge crowds to celebrate the culture of Mexico.
Edward James Olmos will be the guest of honor and will receive the Key of the City of Huntington Park.
The popular mexican actress, comedian and producer Carmen Salinas will the queen of the festival.
Juan Soler, a popular argentine actor, former rugby player and model will also be present along with other celebrities, mariachis groups and bands who will perform at the 3 stages in downtown Huntington Park.
The popular Tony Franco who worked for several radio stations will be broadcasting live from the event. You can listen to his show at 7 pm monday through friday www.elshowdetonyfranco.com
Come and celebrate with us! Free entrance and a lot of fun for the whole family!
COLOMBIA: VICTIMS FACE REPRISALS FOR RECLAIMING LAND
Human Rights Watch (HRW) Reports on Colombia
Displaced People Trying to Return Home Suffer Threats, Attacks
Bogotá,Colombia - Internally displaced Colombians face killings and widespread death threats for attempting to reclaim their land, Human Rights Watch said in a report. Abuses targeting displaced families for trying to return home almost always go unpunished, as do the original crimes of forcing them off their land and stealing it.
For Multimedia, including a video feature and raw footage, click here.
The 184-page report, "The Risk of Returning Home: Violence and Threats against Displaced People Reclaiming Land in Colombia," documents killings, death threats, and new incidents of forced displacement committed against displaced Colombians in relation to their efforts to recover their land. Many of those targeted are reclaiming property through the Victims Law, which was enacted by President Juan Manuel Santos in 2011 to restore millions of hectares of stolen and abandoned land to displaced people.
at September 27, 2013 No comments: Links to this post
ALEJANDRO FERNANDEZ´ DAY GREAT SUCCESS IN LOS ANGELES AT GRAMMY MUSEUM
Pictured above are (L-R): Luis Estrada, General Manager, Universal Music Latino & Machete Music; Alejandro Fernandez; and Victor Gonzalez, President, Universal Music Latin Entertainment.
Photo Credit: Sergio Angon
LOS ANGELES – September 12, 2013 – Latin GRAMMY winner and multiplatinum selling Mexican superstar Alejandro Fernandez was at the GRAMMY Museum at LA LIVE today celebrating the worldwide success of CONFIDENCIAS, his latest album for Universal Music Latino. Victor Gonzalez, President, Universal Music Latin Entertainment, presented Fernandez with Gold and Platinum plaques for sales of the album in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Los Angeles City Councilman Curren D. Price Jr. , 9th District, read the Los Angeles City Council Proclamation declaring today “Alejandro Fernandez Day” in the City of Los Angeles. “El Potrillo” then presented the GRAMMY Museum with the sombrero from his “charro” suit worn on the cover of his acclaimed, pivotal 1995 release “Que Seas Muy Feliz,” which will be on display in the museum’s permanent collection.
In a Q&A dialogue with the audience, Fernandez also revealed details about his upcoming tour,Confidencias World Tour, and discussed the new production CONFIDENCIAS. "I am very happy and grateful for all that is happening around my album CONFIDENCIAS and my new tour. And the surprises do not stop. This recognition and affection of the public is what motivates me. I’m excited to start the tour and share the new production with my fans and audience.” expressed Alejandro.
The 11-city U.S. leg of the tour begins at the American Airlines Arena in Miami on November 16, and continues to Atlanta, GA (11/17); New York, NY (11/21); Chicago, IL (11/24); McAllen, TX (11/27); Dallas, TX (11/29); Houston, TX (11/30); Laredo, TX (12/1); El Paso, TX (12/4); San Jose, CA (12/6); and Los Angeles, CA (12/7). Tickets for Confidencias World Tour, produced by Cardenas Marketing Network (CMN), are now on sale and can be purchased viawww.Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.
The sombrero donated by Alejandro Fernandez to the Grammy Museum
The Confidencias World Tour tour promises an unprecedented production from one of the most iconic voices in Mexican musical history. The dazzling show pays homage to Mexico via Fernandez’s exceptional mariachi, orchestra and vocal prowess, featuring a collection of his greatest hits, including traditional “rancheras”, pop hits and songs from his new
albumCONFIDENCIAS.
Renewed musical arrangements and innovative technology featuring mobile structures in which more than 230 robotic lights dance along with a giant screen give life to breathtaking scenes from Mexico accompany “El Potrillo” throughout his country. The images portray some of Mexico’s most important and beautiful resources: Its people, its traditions, its architecture and its folklore. The costumes are also fascinating, including handmade looms from the Mexican state of Chiapas, shawls from Michoacan, and traditional “charro” suits from Jalisco. On September 15th, at MGM Grand Garden Arena, he will bring the new production to his 11th annual El Grito performance in Las Vegas.
CONFIDENCIAS has become this year’s most dominant Latin album on an international level. Debuting at #1, it is Alejandro Fernandez’s biggest-selling debut in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Within the first week of its release, it was certified Platinum in Mexico and Colombia; and Gold in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, United States, and Spain. The album also debuted at #1 on iTunes in 19 countries. CONFIDENCIAS continues to be the highest-selling Latin album in the United States and Puerto Rico. Recorded in Los Angeles last summer, the album is available in two formats, standard and deluxe, with 11 tracks and 15 tracks plus a DVD, respectively. Featuring duets with Christina Aguilera, Rod Stewart and Vicente Fernandez, CONFIDENCIAS was produced by the late legendary producer Phil Ramone. The first single and video from the album, “Hoy Tengo Ganas de Ti,” features Christina Aguilera and is the theme song to Univision’s new prime time soap, La Tempestad. The video has been a huge success, racking up more than 3M views the weekend of its release and hitting #1 in 17 countries.
Photos Credit: Sergio Angon
The GREAT YEARS OF ROCK & ROLL Tuesday 4 pm EL SHOW DE TONY FRANCO
MISS VENEZUELA GABRIELA ISLER IS THE NEW MISS UNIV...
AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS WILL BE HELD NOVEMBER 24TH O...
ALEJANDRA GUZMÁN THE QUEEN OF LATIN ROCK RELEASED ...
SABOR A MEXICO LINDO FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND IN HUNT...
COLOMBIA: VICTIMS FACE REPRISALS FOR RECLAIMING LA...
ALEJANDRO FERNANDEZ´ DAY GREAT SUCCESS IN LOS ANGE...
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Clean Water in a Time of Disaster
Lindsey Blomberg March 21, 2011
U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Daniel Bowles
Can We Provide Clean Water Without the Plastic Waste?
International World Water Day is held on March 22 each year. But does one day dedicated to such a massive global crisis—the lack of clean drinking water—really lead to change? Despite a recent U.N. poll suggesting that Americans want the U.S. government to support clean water and sanitation in developing countries, the leading cause of death among children in Africa is still diarrhea and diseases like typhoid, cholera, E. coli and salmonella, mostly caused by unsafe drinking water. Nearly one billion people, one-sixth of the world’s population, still lack access to clean water.
Now, more than a week since the catastrophic 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit Japan, the U.N is reporting survivors are becoming sick with diarrhea because of inadequate water and sanitation. According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 1.6 million households do not have drinking water as relief efforts are hampered by fuel and water supply shortages, the ongoing nuclear crisis, mangled roads and extraordinarily cold weather. Other government sources estimate that as many as 2.5 million households could be affected. The ministry is distributing bottled water and is sending hundreds of water supply vehicles to Miyagi, Fukushima, and Iwate, three areas that were heavily hit by the twin catastrophes.
Relief efforts across the globe are also sending Japan cases of bottled water. But the distribution of water bottles following disasters like the 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti in early 2010 also result in a great deal of waste. According to a recent article in The Economist, a big sewage channel runs through Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, and is heading for the sea. The channel is clogged deep with plastic bottles, garbage and human feces. But since no one has determined why the channel was blocked in the first place, it continues to re-clog.
Many nonprofit water organizations emphasize that the sustainable way to provide water to those in need is through low-cost and effective water filtration systems. Unlike water bottles, filters can provide clean water for a family of 10 for up to five years, and the systems generally cost less than $40. The Mobile MaxPure unit from WorldWater and Solar Technologies provides 30,000 gallons of safe drinking water to disaster victims every day for less than $0.01 per gallon, compared to an average cost of $1/gallon to supply bottled water. The LifeStraw water filter costs just a few dollars, removes disease-causing microorganisms, and provides approximately one year of clean water consumption for one person.
This year, let’s tackle our global water crisis beyond World Water Day. By supporting nonprofit organizations that provide water filters in times of relief over bottled water, we’re ensuring clean water is with those who need it most for years to come.
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Martin Hinoul: “Universities to Play a Key Role in the Economic Growth of Cities”
July 19, 2018 Science
NUST MISIS together with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) have conducted a panel discussion at the Moscow Urban Forum, “Megapolis and University: Investment Model of Partnership”. Martin Hinoul, an international expert in the field of science & investment and the Business Development Director of the Research and Development Center at K.U. Leuven, was invited by NUST MISIS to be a special guest at the event.
Martin Hinoul is an expert at one of Europe`s fastest growing startups—K.U. Leuven Technology Transfer Center. Professor Hinoul notes that for a university or startup to succeed they need to create a critical mass consisting of technology parks, incubators, and accelerators, at a minimum.
An infrastructure, founded in 1998, has built up a network that includes 7,000 businessmen and companies. As part of the implementation of the project, more than 120 independent businesses were created based on K.U. Leuven`s developments in the fields of nanotechnologies, medicine, natural science, etc. According to Hinoul, K.U. Leuven annually invests more than 1 billion euros into R&D, and the center`s annual turnover is 8 billion euros.
According to Martin Hinoul, “Interaction between cities and universities is extremely important as universities will play a key role not only in the fields of science and education but also in the economic growth of cities”.
In the knowledge economy, innovative research centers, which generate ideas and transfer technology, have the potential to become engines of urban and regional development.
“Today, world-class research universities are involved in the transformation of the economy, as they affect society and urban environments, forming a culture of openness for the development of effective interaction with the city. Leading scientific and educational centers attract the world`s best scientists, professors, and students from around the world, which has a significant impact on the development of existing and the formation of new industries. University activities contribute to [Moscow]`s attractiveness for Russian and international students, creating points of multiple interaction as a basis for the birth of innovations”, said Alevtina Chernikova, Rector of NUST MISIS.
In 2016, 23 leading European research universities provided 100 billion euros of added value to their regions. Based off these numbers, in large cities the total contribution of a leading university to the economy can equal 10-15% of the city’s total revenue.
“Universities will continue to provide education to the city`s residents but they will also increasingly create workplaces with higher value added. To do this, cities need to create business incubators, accelerators, research parks, and ensure the participation of venture capital. To attract talented people, cities themselves must be attractive”, — said Martin Hinoul.
As participants of the discussion noted, a city should become a customer, so to speak, of universities, because innovations often derive directly from universities. University zones of megacities provide a higher education level to the population, and help attract and retain talent. Thus, a key strategy for urban development should be the development of human capital, which attracts universities. As Yuri Pukha, PwC Partner, noted, the cities of the future will spring up around universities.
According to Alevtina Chernikova, “NUST MISIS aims to create an open, accessible, and convenient campus integrated into the urban space. This year, the development of an additional entrance to Gorky Park from the NUST MISIS campus will be completed. This will allow us to include the University`s territory in a single space with the Park. Together with Moscow, we hold pop science, educational, and professional navigation events available to the general public such as Maker Fair Moscow, #EdCrunch, an international educational conference, University Saturdays at FabLab, science festivals, and film screenings, among other things”.
K.U. Leuven and NUST MISIS have been cooperating since 2017, when the parties signed a cooperation agreement in the field of science and education. The creation of a joint educational English language program for digital manufacturing and the development of the program’s online courses are the first step in the agreement.
Hinoul
July 19 Martin Hinoul: “Universities to Play a Key Role in the Economic Growth of Cities”
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Battle of the Milvian Bridge
(Redirected from Battle of Milvian Bridge)
Battle of Milvian Bridge
Part of the Civil wars of the Tetrarchy
Battle at the Milvian Bridge, Audran after Le Brun
Ponte Milvio, Rome
Decisive Constantinian victory
Constantinian forces Maxentian forces
Constantine I Maxentius †
20,000-25,000[1] 25,000[2]
Battles of Constantine I
Milvian Bridge
Cibalae
Mardia
Hellespont
Chrysopolis
Fourth-century Roman civil wars
Tzirallum
Mursa Major
Mons Seleucus
Frigidus
Gildonic War
The Battle of the Milvian Bridge took place between the Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius on 28 October 312. It takes its name from the Milvian Bridge, an important route over the Tiber. Constantine won the battle and started on the path that led him to end the Tetrarchy and become the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. Maxentius drowned in the Tiber during the battle; his body was later taken from the river and decapitated, and his head was paraded through the streets of Rome on the day following the battle.[3]
According to chroniclers such as Eusebius of Caesarea and Lactantius, the battle marked the beginning of Constantine's conversion to Christianity. Eusebius of Caesarea recounts that Constantine and his soldiers had a vision sent by the Christian God. This was interpreted as a promise of victory if the sign of the Chi-Rho, the first two letters of Christ's name in Greek, was painted on the soldiers' shields. The Arch of Constantine, erected in celebration of the victory, certainly attributes Constantine's success to divine intervention; however, the monument does not display any overtly Christian symbolism.
1 Historical background
2 Vision of Constantine
3 Events of the battle
5 Significance
Historical background[edit]
The underlying causes of the battle were the rivalries inherent in Diocletian's Tetrarchy. After Diocletian stepped down on 1 May 305, his successors began to struggle for control of the Roman Empire almost immediately. Although Constantine was the son of the Western Emperor Constantius, the Tetrarchic ideology did not necessarily provide for hereditary succession. When Constantius died on 25 July 306, his father's troops proclaimed Constantine as Augustus in Eboracum (York). In Rome, the favorite was Maxentius, the son of Constantius' imperial colleague Maximian, who seized the title of emperor on 28 October 306. But whereas Constantine's claim was recognized by Galerius, ruler of the Eastern provinces and the senior emperor in the Empire, Maxentius was treated as a usurper. Galerius, however, recognized Constantine as holding only the lesser imperial rank of Caesar. Galerius ordered his co-Augustus, Severus, to put Maxentius down in early 307. Once Severus arrived in Italy, however, his army defected to Maxentius. Severus was captured, imprisoned, and executed. Galerius himself marched on Rome in the autumn, but failed to take the city.[4] Constantine avoided conflict with both Maxentius and the Eastern emperors for most of this period.[5]
By 312, however, Constantine and Maxentius were engaged in open hostility with one another, although they were brothers-in‑law through Constantine's marriage to Fausta, sister of Maxentius. In the spring of 312, Constantine gathered an army of 40,000 soldiers and decided to oust Maxentius himself.[6] He easily overran northern Italy, winning two major battles: the first near Turin, the second at Verona, where the praetorian prefect Ruricius Pompeianus, Maxentius' most senior general, was killed.[7]
Vision of Constantine[edit]
Missorium depicting Constantine's son Constantius II, accompanied by a guardsman with the Chi Rho monogram depicted on his shield
"Vision of Constantine" redirects here. For the Bernini sculpture, see The Vision of Constantine (Bernini).
It is commonly understood that on the evening of 27 October with the armies preparing for battle, Constantine had a vision which led him to fight under the protection of the Christian God. Some details of that vision, however, differ between the sources reporting it.
Lactantius states that, in the night before the battle, Constantine was commanded in a dream to "delineate the heavenly sign on the shields of his soldiers" (On the Deaths of the Persecutors 44.5). He followed the commands of his dream and marked the shields with a sign "denoting Christ". Lactantius describes that sign as a "staurogram", or a Latin cross with its upper end rounded in a P-like fashion. There is no certain evidence that Constantine ever used that sign, opposed to the better known Chi-Rho sign described by Eusebius.[8]
A coin struck in 313, depicting Constantine as the companion of a solar deity
From Eusebius, two accounts of the battle survive. The first, shorter one in the Ecclesiastical History promotes the belief that the Christian God helped Constantine but does not mention any vision. In his later Life of Constantine, Eusebius gives a detailed account of a vision and stresses that he had heard the story from the Emperor himself. According to this version, Constantine with his army was marching (Eusebius does not specify the actual location of the event, but it clearly is not in the camp at Rome), when he looked up to the sun and saw a cross of light above it, and with it the Greek words "Εν Τούτῳ Νίκα", En toutō níka, usually translated into Latin as "in hoc signo vinces". The literal meaning of the phrase in Greek is "in this (sign), conquer" while in Latin it's "in this sign, you shall conquer"; a more free translation would be "Through this sign [you shall] conquer". At first he was unsure of the meaning of the apparition, but in the following night he had a dream in which Christ explained to him that he should use the sign against his enemies. Eusebius then continues to describe the labarum, the military standard used by Constantine in his later wars against Licinius, showing the Chi-Rho sign.[9]
The accounts of the two contemporary authors, though not entirely consistent, have been merged into a popular notion of Constantine seeing the Chi-Rho sign on the evening before the battle. Both authors agree that the sign was not widely understandable to denote Christ (although among the Christians, it was already being used in the catacombs along with other special symbols to mark and/or decorate Christian tombs).[10] Its first imperial appearance is on a Constantinian silver coin from c. 317, which proves that Constantine did use the sign at that time, though not very prominently.[11] He made more extensive use of the Chi-Rho and the Labarum later, during the conflict with Licinius.
The description from 28 October 312, "A cross centered on the Sun" fits with modern-day photographs of Sun dogs.
Some[12] have considered the vision in a solar context (e.g. as a solar halo phenomenon called a sun dog), which may have preceded the Christian beliefs later expressed by Constantine. Coins of Constantine depicting him as the companion of a solar deity were minted as late as 313, the year following the battle. The solar deity Sol Invictus is often pictured with a nimbus or halo. Various emperors portrayed Sol Invictus on their official coinage, with a wide range of legends, only a few of which incorporated the epithet invictus, such as the legend SOLI INVICTO COMITI, claiming the Unconquered Sun as a companion to the emperor, used with particular frequency by Constantine.[13] Constantine's official coinage continues to bear images of Sol until 325/6. A solidus of Constantine as well as a gold medallion from his reign depict the Emperor's bust in profile jugate with Sol Invictus, with the legend INVICTUS CONSTANTINUS.[14] The official cults of Sol Invictus and Sol Invictus Mithras were popular amongst the soldiers of the Roman Army. Statuettes of Sol Invictus, carried by the standard-bearers, appear in three places in reliefs on the Arch of Constantine. Constantine's triumphal arch was carefully positioned to align with the colossal statue of Sol by the Colosseum, so that Sol formed the dominant backdrop when seen from the direction of the main approach towards the arch.[15]
Events of the battle[edit]
A contemporary image of the battle from the Arch of Constantine, Rome. In the frieze at the foot of the image Constantine's cavalry drive Maxentius' troops into the waters of the Tiber.
Constantine reached Rome at the end of October 312 approaching along the Via Flaminia. He camped at the location of Malborghetto near Prima Porta, where remains of a Constantinian monument, the Arch of Malborghetto, in honour of the occasion are still extant.
It was expected that Maxentius would remain within Rome and endure a siege; he had successfully employed this strategy twice before, during the invasions of Severus and Galerius. Indeed, Maxentius had organised the stockpiling of large amounts of food in the city in preparation for such an event. Surprisingly, he decided otherwise, choosing to meet Constantine in open battle. Ancient sources commenting on these events attribute this decision either to divine intervention (e.g. Lactantius, Eusebius) or superstition (e.g. Zosimus). They also note that the day of the battle was the same as the day of his accession (28 October), which was generally thought to be a good omen. Additionally, Maxentius is reported to have consulted the oracular Sibylline Books, which stated that "on October 28 an enemy of the Romans would perish". Maxentius interpreted this prophecy as being favourable to himself.[16] Lactantius also reports that the populace supported Constantine with acclamations during circus games.[17]
The Battle of the Milvian Bridge (1520–24) by Giulio Romano
Maxentius chose to make his stand in front of the Milvian Bridge, a stone bridge that carries the Via Flaminia road across the Tiber River into Rome (the bridge stands today at the same site, somewhat remodelled, named in Italian Ponte Milvio or sometimes Ponte Molle, "soft bridge"). Holding it was crucial if Maxentius was to keep his rival out of Rome, where the Senate would surely favour whoever held the city. As Maxentius had probably partially destroyed the bridge during his preparations for a siege, he had a wooden or pontoon bridge constructed to get his army across the river. The sources vary as to the nature of the bridge central to the events of the battle. Zosimus mentions it, vaguely, as being constructed in two parts connected by iron fastenings, while others indicate that it was a pontoon bridge; sources are also unclear as to whether the bridge was deliberately constructed as a collapsible trap for Constantine's forces or not.[18]
The Milvian Bridge as seen in 2005
The next day, the two armies clashed, and Constantine won a decisive victory. The dispositions of Maxentius may have been faulty as his troops seem to have been arrayed with the River Tiber too close to their rear, giving them little space to allow re-grouping in the event of their formations being forced to give ground.[19] Already known as a skilful general, Constantine first launched his cavalry at the cavalry of Maxentius and broke them. Constantine's infantry[20] then advanced; most of Maxentius's troops fought well but they began to be pushed back toward the Tiber. Maxentius then decided to order a retreat, intending to make another stand at Rome itself. However, there was only one escape route, via the bridge. Constantine's men inflicted heavy losses on the retreating army.[21] Finally, the temporary bridge set up alongside the Milvian Bridge, over which many of the Maxentian troops were escaping, collapsed, and those stranded on the north bank of the Tiber were either taken prisoner or killed. Maxentius' Praetorian Guard, who had originally acclaimed him emperor, seem to have made a stubborn stand on the northern bank of the river; "in despair of pardon they covered with their bodies the place which they had chosen for combat."[22]
Maxentius was among the dead, having drowned in the river while trying to swim across it in an attempt to escape or, alternatively, he is described as having been thrown by his horse into the river.[23] Lactantius describes the death of Maxentius in the following manner: "The bridge in his rear was broken down. At sight of that the battle grew hotter. The hand of the Lord prevailed, and the forces of Maxentius were routed. He fled towards the broken bridge; but the multitude pressing on him, he was driven headlong into the Tiber."[24]
Aftermath[edit]
Constantine entered Rome on 29 October.[25] He staged a grand arrival ceremony in the city (adventus), and was met with popular jubilation.[26] Maxentius' body was fished out of the Tiber and decapitated. His head was paraded through the streets for all to see.[25] After the ceremonies, Maxentius' head was sent to Carthage as proof of his downfall, Africa then offered no further resistance. The battle gave Constantine undisputed control of the western half of the Roman Empire. The descriptions of Constantine's entry into Rome omit mention of him ending his procession at the temple of Capitoline Jupiter, where sacrifice was usually offered. Though often employed to show Constantine's Christian sensibilities, this silence cannot be taken as proof that Constantine was a Christian at this point.[27] He chose to honour the Senatorial Curia with a visit,[28] where he promised to restore its ancestral privileges and give it a secure role in his reformed government: there would be no revenge against Maxentius' supporters.[28] Maxentius was condemned to damnatio memoriae, all his legislation was invalidated and Constantine usurped all of Maxentius' considerable building projects within Rome, including the Temple of Romulus and the Basilica of Maxentius. Maxentius' strongest supporters in the military were neutralized when the Praetorian Guard and Imperial Horse Guard (equites singulares) were disbanded.[28] Constantine is thought to have replaced the former imperial guards with a number of cavalry units termed the Scholae Palatinae.
Significance[edit]
Further information: Bishops of Rome under Constantine I
Paul K. Davis writes, "Constantine’s victory gave him total control of the Western Roman Empire paving the way for Christianity to become the dominant religion for the Roman Empire and ultimately for Europe."[29] The following year, 313, Constantine and Licinius issued the Edict of Milan, which made Christianity an officially recognised and tolerated religion in the Roman Empire.
^ Cowen, p. 77
^ "Maxentius' Head and the Rituals of Civil War". p. 326. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
^ Timothy D. Barnes, Constantine and Eusebius (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1981), 30–31.
^ Barnes, 30; Odahl, 86–87.
^ Odahl, 101–104.
^ "Battle of Milvian Bridge". www.fact-index.com. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
^ Gerberding and Moran Cruz, 55; cf. Eusebius, Life of Constantine.
^ http://www.catacombe.roma.it/it/simbologia.php; http://www.catacombe.org/simboli.html; The Oxford Handbook of Childhood and Education in the Classical World, p. 609; John Hardon, Catholic Dictionary,s.v. Chi-Rho
^ Smith, 104: "What little evidence exists suggests that in fact the labarum bearing the chi-rho symbol was not used before 317, when Crispus became Caesar..."
^ E.g. Peter Weiss, The vision of Constantine, Journal of Roman Archeology 16 (2003), 237–259.
^ A comprehensive discussion of all sol-coinage and -legends per emperor from Septimius Severus to Constantine can be found in Berrens 2004.
^ The medal is illustrated in Jocelyn M.C. Toynbee, Roman Medallions (1944, reprinted 1987) plate xvii, no. 11; the solidus is illustrated in J. Maurice, Numismatique Constantinienne vol. II, p. 236, plate vii, no. 14
^ E. Marlowe, "Framing the sun. The Arch of Constantine and the Roman cityscape", Art Bulletin 88 (2006) 223–242.
^ Pohlsander, p.19
^ Lactantius, 44.5–9.
^ Nixon and Rodgers, 319–320.
^ Nixon and Rodgers, 319.
^ Speidel, p. 47. A relief on the Arch of Constantine shows soldiers wearing horned helmets, probably depicting the Cornuti unit.
^ Zosimus, 2.16.2–4.
^ Lieu and Montserrat, 45.
^ Lactantius, 44.10–11.
^ a b Odahl, 108.
^ Odahl, 110.
^ Stephenson, 146.
^ a b c Odahl, 109.
^ Paul K. Davis, 100 Decisive Battles from Ancient Times to the Present: The World’s Major Battles and How They Shaped History (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 78.
Berrens, Stephan (2004), Sonnenkult und Kaisertum von den Severern bis zu Constantin I. (193–337 n. Chr.), Geschichte (Franz Steiner Verlag); Historia (Wiesbaden, Germany) (in German), F. Steiner, ISBN 978-3-515-08575-5
Cowen, Ross (2016). Milvian Bridge AD 312: Constantine's battle for Empire and Faith. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-1381-7.
Gerberding R. and J.H. Moran Cruz. Medieval Worlds. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. ISBN 0-395-56087-X
Lactantius. On the Deaths of the Persecutors. Translated at Intratext CT.
Lieu, Samuel N.C., and Dominic Montserrat, eds. From Constantine to Julian. London: Routledge, 1996. ISBN 0-415-09336-8
Nixon, C.E.V. and Barbara Saylor Rodgers. In Praise of Later Roman Emperors: The Panegyrici Latini, with the Latin Text of R.A.B. Mynors. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994. ISBN 0-520-08326-1
Odahl, Charles Matson. Constantine and the Christian Empire. London: Routledge, 2004. ISBN 0-415-17485-6
Pohlsander, H. A. (1996), The Emperor Constantine, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-13178-2
Smith, John Holland. Constantine the Great. London: Hamish Hamilton, 1971. ISBN 0-684-12391-6
Speidel, Michael. Ancient Germanic warriors: warrior styles from Trajan's column to Icelandic sagas, Routledge, 2004, ISBN 0-415-31199-3
Stephenson, Paul. Constantine Unconquered Emperor, Christian Victor. London: Quercus, 2009. ISBN 978-1-84916-002-5
Zosimus. Historia Nova. Translated by R.T. Ridley. Canberra: Byzantina Australiensia, 1982.
The most important ancient sources for the battle are Lactantius, De mortibus persecutorum 44; Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History ix, 9 and Life of Constantine i, 28–31 (the vision) and i, 38 (the actual battle); Zosimus ii, 15–16; and the Panegyrici Latini of 313 (anonymous) and 321 (by Nazarius).
G. Costa, 'La battaglia di Costantino a Ponte Milvio', Bilychnis 2 (1913), 197–208
R. Cowan, Milvian Bridge AD 312: Constantine's Battle for Empire and Faith (Oxford 2016) & online supplement
F. Grossi-Gondi, ‘La battaglia di Costantino Magno a "Saxa Rubra"’, Civiltà Cattolica 63.4 (1912), 385–403
W. Kuhoff, ‘Ein Mythos in der römischen Geschichte: Der Sieg Konstantins des Großen über Maxentius vor den Toren Roms am 28. Oktober 312 n. Chr.’, Chiron 21 (1991), 127–174
W. Kuhoff, ‘Die Schlacht an der Milvische Brücke – Ein Ereignis von weltgeschichtlicher Tragweite’ in K. Ehling & G. Weber (eds), Konstantin der Grosse: Zwischen Sol und Christus (Darmstadt 2011), 10–20
K. von Landmann, ‘Konstantin der Grosse als Feldherr’ in J. F. Dölger (ed.), Konstantin der Grosse und seine Zeit (Freiburg 1913), 143–154
J. Moreau, ‘Pont Milvius ou Saxa Rubra?’, Nouvelle Clio 4 (1952), 369–373 = J. Moreau, Scripta Minora (Heidelberg 1964), 72–75
M.P. Speidel, ‘Maxentius and his Equites Singulares at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge’, Classical Antiquity 5 (1986), 253–262 = Speidel, Roman Army Studies II (Stuttgart 1992), 272–289
M.P. Speidel, 'Les prétoriens de Maxence', Mélanges de l'École française de Rome, Antiquité 100 (1988), 183–188
M.P. Speidel, 'Maxentius' Praetorians' in Roman Army Studies II (Stuttgart 1992),385–389 – a revised English version of Speidel 1988
F. Toebelmann, Der Bogen von Malborghetto (Heidelberg 1915)
Ross Cowan, text only draft of Milvian Bridge AD 312: Constantine's Battle for Empire and Faith
Lactantius' account
Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History
Eusebius, Life of Constantine
Milvian Bridge 312 - Rise of Christianity video documentary on YouTube
Coordinates: 41°56′08″N 12°28′01″E / 41.93556°N 12.46694°E / 41.93556; 12.46694
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_the_Milvian_Bridge&oldid=903537377"
310s conflicts
Angelic apparitions
Battles involving the Roman Empire
Battles in Lazio
Constantine the Great and Christianity
Battles of Constantine the Great
310s in the Roman Empire
4th century in Italy
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Early issues of Radical America bore the subtitle "An SDS Journal of the History of American Radicalism."
Radical America was a left-wing political magazine in the United States established in 1967. The magazine was founded by Paul Buhle and Mari Jo Buhle, activists in Students for a Democratic Society and served during its first few years of existence as an unofficial theoretical journal of that organization. During the 1970s and 1980s, the magazine changed to take on more of an academic Marxist flavor. With contributions from academics dwindling during the decade of the 1990s, the magazine was terminated in 1999.
1 Publication history
1.1 Establishment
1.3 Circulation
1.4 Demise
Publication history[edit]
Establishment[edit]
Radical America was founded by members of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) in 1967. The initial editors were Paul Buhle and Mari Jo Buhle in their graduate school days, operating in Madison, Wisconsin. In the first few years, it served as the "unofficial journal of SDS."[1] Dan Georgakas wrote that its importance lay in that it "was on the scholarly cutting edge of a social movement that often has been accused of lacking intellectual substance.[2]
Initially, subscriptions were sold at a discount rate to national SDS members. The Buhles relocated to the Boston, Massachusetts area, and brought the journal with them. By the time of the Boston move the journal was independent from the SDS.[3]
Content[edit]
The journal, published in Somerville, Massachusetts, focused on topical issues of concern to the left and society at large, such as women's liberation, working class radicalism and busing. Beginning in 1970, each issue had a dedicated focus upon one issue. Mainly, during the 1970s, the journal evolved in a direction concerned with New Left issues, rather than traditional, Old Left concern with strengthening ties with trade unions. It was particularly active in the 1970s, as authors related the experiences of feminist activists and autonous work-place activists.[3]
Circulation[edit]
According to the publication's published annual "Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation" required by the Post Office Department, the average press run of Radical America for the twelve months ending in October 1982 was 4,100, with an average mail subscription of about 2,330.[4] Bulk sales and sales through vendors accounted for another 1,270 copies, according to the 1982 report by editor John P. Demeter.[4]
Demise[edit]
By the 1980s the journal branched to addressing gay issues and rock music. During the late 1980s, article contributions dwindled as academics left the journal.[3]
Footnotes[edit]
^ Derek Seidman, "Radical Continuity: An Interview with Paul Buhle," CounterPunch, March 8, 2004.
^ Dan Georgakas, Series editor's preface to "From the Knights of Labor to the New World Order." p. ix.
^ a b c "Radical America, 1967-1999." Brown University Library Center for Digital Archives.
^ a b John P. Demeter, "Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation," Radical America, vol. 16, no. 4/5 (July-Oct. 1982), pg. 41.
Paul Buhle (ed.), History and the New Left: Madison, Wisconsin, 1950-1970. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1990.
James Green (ed.), Workers' Struggles, Past and Present: A "Radical America" Reader. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1983.
"Radical America, 1967-1999." Brown University Library Center for Digital Archives.
"Radical America: Digital Edition," Brown University Library Center for Digital Archives. —Large run of issues in pdf format.
"The Search for a Useable Past: An Interview with Paul Buhle on Radical America", Viewpoint Magazine, March 2, 2015.
Derek Seidman, "Radical Continuity: An Interview with Paul Buhle," CounterPunch, March 8, 2004.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Radical_America&oldid=895574975"
Alternative magazines
Defunct American political magazines
Defunct magazines of the United States
Magazines established in 1967
Magazines disestablished in 1999
Marxist magazines
Magazines published in Massachusetts
1967 establishments in Wisconsin
1999 disestablishments in Massachusetts
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Tosca Musk
Tosca in 2008
Founder of Passionflix
2: Isabeau (daughter) Grayson (son)
Maye Musk (mother)
Errol Musk (father)
Elon Musk (brother)
Kimbal Musk (brother)
Lyndon Rive (cousin)
Tosca Musk (born 1974) is a South African-Canadian filmmaker. She is an executive producer, producer, and director of feature films, television programs, and web content. Her work includes K. Bromberg's Driven, Rachel van Dyken's Matchmaker's Playbook, and her web series, Tiki Bar TV. Her Hallmark television movie, Holiday Engagement[1][2] was the most-watched television movie on Hallmark.[3] Tosca is the sister of entrepreneurs Elon and Kimbal Musk and daughter of Maye Musk.[4] She co-founded the streaming service Passionflix.
Musk was born in South Africa and grew up in Canada raised by her mother, Maye Musk. Tosca attended the University of British Columbia in the 1990s.[5]
Musk produced and directed her first feature film, Puzzled, with Musk Entertainment.[6][7] Elon Musk was the film's executive producer. Soon thereafter, Musk produced the feature film, The Truth About Miranda, since followed by over a dozen features, television movies and series, including the teen horror film, Cruel World, the UK feature, The Heavy and the television drama, We Have Your Husband. In 2011, Musk produced three more television movies which aired on Lifetime and Hallmark in early 2012.
In 2005, Musk partnered with Jeff Macpherson to produce the web series, Tiki Bar TV. That same year, during the Macworld 2005 Keynote presentation (which introduced the iPod with Video) Steve Jobs showcased Tiki Bar TV to the audience as an example of a video podcast (a relatively new media format at the time) which could be loaded to the new video iPod using Apple's iTunes software.[8]
Tiki Bar TV has been featured in Wired magazine,[9] as well as in other media outlets.[10][11][12] In July 2006, the show was featured in a profile on Jeff Macpherson in Forbes Magazine Celebrity 100 Issue as "one of the first breakout stars in the world of Internet television".
Musk is the CEO and co-founder of the OTT streaming platform Passionflix. Developed in 2017 with writer Joany Kane and producer Jina Panebianco, Passionflix focus' on bringing best selling romance novels to the screen. Tosca has directed several feature films for the platform including Alessandra Torre's Hollywood Dirt, Sylvia Day's Afterburn/Aftershock, Rachel van Dyken's The Matchmaker's Playbook, K. Bromberg's Driven, and Jodi Ellen Malpas' The Protector.[13][14][15]
Awards and recognition[edit]
2007 Simple Things Appalachian Film Festival | Governor's Golden Appy Award [16] Won
2007 Simple Things California Independent Film Festival | Slate Award [17] Won
2007 Simple Things International Family Film Festival | IFFF 'Spirit' Award [18] Won
Musk is a mother of twins.[19]
^ "Meet Elon Musk's Rather Impressive Family". 2oceansvibe.com.
^ Kee, Tameka (19 May 2009). "paidContent.org - Tiki Bar TV Tests The Pay-To-Watch Webisode Model". The Washington Post. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
^ Robert Seidman (November 30, 2011). "Hallmark Channel Closes Out November on Top Continuing to Deliver The #1 & #2 Movies of the Week". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
^ "Model Maye Musk On Defying The Odds And Her Influence On Elon". forbes.com.
^ Murray, Billy (20 November 2015). "THE UNTOLD STORY OF TOSCA MUSK AND THE RISE OF INTERNET TELEVISION". resourcemagonline.com. Resource Magazine. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
^ "Puzzled (2001)". IMDb. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
^ "Tosca Musk: Producer/Founder". Musk Entertainment. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
^ "Macworld 2005 Keynote presentation". Apple Inc. Archived from the original on 25 March 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
^ Blum, Matt. "Top 9 Ways to Celebrate Middle-Earth Day (GeekDad Wayback Machine)". Wired. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
^ "Doctor! I need a triple". canada.com. January 30, 2006. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
^ Heather Green (January 23, 2006). "Is the Web the New Hollywood?". Bloomberg Business Week. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
^ Scott Woolley (3 July 2006). "Who Needs a Network?". Forbes. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
^ "Tosca Musk raises $4.75M for Passionflix, a streaming service that's all about romance – TechCrunch". techcrunch.com. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
^ "PassionFlix Is A Female-Led Streaming Service That Brings Romance Novels To The Small Screen". bustle.
^ "Tosca Musk Launches Streaming Service That Celebrates The Female Gaze - Tubefilter". Tubefilter. 2018-02-01. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
^ "Awards". international movie data base.
^ "California Independent Film Festival". caindiefest.
^ "Past Awards". iffilmfest.
^ Colleen Leahey (22 November 2013). "Elon Musk's mom on raising the Businessperson of the Year". fortune.com. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
Tosca Musk on IMDb
Zip2 (1995–1999)
PayPal (1999–2002)
SpaceX (2002–present)
Tesla, Inc. (2004–present)
SolarCity (2006–present)
OpenAI (2015–present)
Neuralink (2016–present)
The Boring Company (2016–present)
Other endeavors
Tesla Roadster in space
Boring Test Tunnel
Justine Musk (first wife)
Talulah Riley (second wife)
Tosca Musk (sister)
"The Musk Who Fell to Earth"
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tosca_Musk&oldid=903569479"
American film producers
American women film directors
South African emigrants to the United States
University of British Columbia alumni
Canadian women film producers
South African film producers
Canadian women film directors
South African people of Canadian descent
Canadian people of South African descent
Canadian people of British descent
South African people of British descent
American people of British descent
South African people of German descent
Canadian people of German descent
American people of Pennsylvania Dutch descent
American women film producers
Place of birth missing (living people)
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Tag: Dana Gas
ADES, Vantage JV to drill deepwater well for Dana Gas in Egypt
Posted: March 10, 2019 at 9:14 am / Oil & Gas
ADES International Holding has entered a short-term exploration contract with Dana Gas for deepwater drilling services in the Egyptian sector of the Mediterranean Sea. Vantage’s Tungsten Explorer drillship will drill one firm well under the contract, with an option to drill a further three wells. The initial program is set to take 77 days to […]
Energean Oil & Gas appoints Iman Hill as Chief Operating Officer
Posted: October 3, 2018 at 2:15 pm / Oil & Gas
Energean Oil & Gas PLC said on Tuesday it has appointed Iman Hill as chief operating officer with effect November 1. Hill is currently technical director and president Egypt for Dana Gas PJSC since 2015. Prior to this she, was part of Sasol Petroleum International for three years from 2012 to 2015, leaving as vice […]
Egypt repays $40 million in dues to UAE’s Dana Gas
Posted: May 29, 2018 at 2:02 pm / Oil & Gas
The UAE’s Dana Gas announced yesterday that it received USD 40 million in payments from the Egyptian government, bringing total dues received so far in 2018 up to USD 88.8 million. The funds will mostly be used to bolster Dana’s liquidity, allowing the company to pursue a number of projects in its pipeline, which include […]
Dana Gas to spend $47 million CAPEX in Egypt this year, CEO says
Posted: March 18, 2018 at 4:31 pm / Oil & Gas
United Arab Emirates-based energy firm Dana Gas will spend $47 million in Egypt this year but any new investments will be made only if the country pays some of the money it owes, Dana’s chief executive said on Thursday. Abu Dhabi-listed Dana has been struggling to recover payments from Egypt, with total “receivables” related to […]
Dana Gas received $10.4 million from sale of Egyptian gas condensate
Posted: March 5, 2018 at 5:56 pm / Oil & Gas
Dana Gas received USD 10.4 million last month from the sale of Egyptian natural gas condensate as part of a plan to recover outstanding receivables, the company disclosed to the ADX. Dana Gas sold 157,200 bbl of El Wastani condensate at an average price of USD 66.5 per bbl. “The sale marks the fourth cargo […]
Dana Gas receives $164m in arrears from Egypt in 2017
Posted: February 13, 2018 at 4:12 pm / Oil & Gas
Dana Gas said that its receivables from Egypt stood at $164m in Egypt in 2017, accounting for 129% of billings, according to a filing to the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX). Accordingly, Dana’s total receivable balance in Egypt fell 14% to $228m last year from $265m. Last week, Egypt’s Finance Minister Amr El-Garhy said the […]
Dana Gas and BP to drill exploration wells in the Nile Delta next month
Posted: September 25, 2017 at 11:24 am / Oil & Gas
Dana Gas and BP hope to begin drilling exploration wells in their Nile Delta concessions next month, an unnamed EGAS source tell Al Shorouk. The source added that Dana Gas has yet to release new funds to begin operations in the Nile Delta, and is awaiting approval from the board to release the funds before […]
Dana Gas PJSC: Egypt opening its gas market will fuel growth
Posted: August 19, 2017 at 9:03 pm / Oil & Gas
Foreign investment is expected to climb after the country opens its natural gas market. The decision by Egypt, north Africa’s largest economy, to open its natural gas market will help fuel growth and investment from exploration and production. Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi signed a new law this week that established a natural gas […]
Dana Gas Egypt production rose by 13% in H1 2017
Dana Gas Egypt’s production output was 13% higher on a half-yearly comparable basis, 39,300 versus 34,850 boepd. The Company recorded a 3% jump in quarterly production, 37,650 boepd in Q2 2017 versus 36,550 boepd in Q2 2016. The planned shutdown of the El Wastani Gas Plant was successfully completed in June 2017. There was a […]
Dana Gas to use AGR software for North El Arish deep water exploration in Egypt
Posted: July 21, 2017 at 1:54 pm / Oil & Gas
AGR Software team have signed a SaaS (Software as a Service) contract with Dana Gas PJSC to supply the latest version of our P1™ software. AGR’s P1™ software helps its users to improve the accuracy of well time and cost modeling and can be applied for all drilling and well related operations, including completions and […]
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Ryder, Brooke and a last word on Arnie
By Jim Deeks
In Feature, Jim Deeks
No point in my echoing anything to the thousands of words written about the Ryder Cup… except three things… I was glad that the US won, even though I was, as always, rooting for Europe. The Ryder Cup, as a competition, needed a US victory, for the good of the event, the parity of the competition, and the continued support of US viewers.
Secondly, I tip my hat to Sergio and Phil for their incredible match… to Rory and Patrick Reed for providing some excitement (albeit bordering on nastiness at times)… and above all, to Zach Johnson for being such a good sport and good sportsman. His post-match compliments about his singles opponent, Matthew Fitzpatrick, reassured me that at least someone on the US team understands the importance of acknowledging and praising your opponent.
And finally, I was very impressed with the Hazeltine Golf Club (pictured above), which I had always had the impression wasn’t much of a course. It looked awesome and played well. But I’m really excited that the next Ryder Cup is being played outside of Paris. At last, a European golf course!
While the Ryder Cup had everyone’s attention, I was keeping an eye on the LPGA this weekend. The ladies were playing in China, several time zones away, and in case you didn’t notice, Brooke Henderson was right up at the top for the first three days. A so-so final round had her finish T-4, albeit 21 under par, which is an amazing score. Brooke stays at number 3 on the LPGA Money List with $1.514 million… quite a season!
In all the thousands of tributes paid to Arnold Palmer since his passing last week (and there can never be enough tributes to that man), one statement came up a few times in the ones that I read. And that was the view that Arnold made golf universally popular, where it had only been a marginal, country club game before that.
There may be SOME truth in that position, but I think many people exaggerate Arnie’s influence in the area of popular participation. His arrival definitely coincided with the advent of golf on television, and started a phenomenal boost in audience ratings. But golf had been televised since the early 1950s. Some of you may remember the famous coverage of Lew Worsham holing a blind, 100-yard wedge shot to win the Tam O’Shanter World Championship by one stroke, in 1953. This was the first network broadcast of a golf event, and it was about as spectacular a debut as you could imagine.
To think that golf only attracted a fringe crowd, and minimal publicity, before Arnie arrived is just not accurate. You may have noticed some footage of Bobby Jones winning the 1930 U.S. Amateur at Interlaken, in Minnesota, on the Ryder Cup telecast on Saturday. It was clear that there were at least 20,000 people around the green back then, and it was in the middle of the course. And remember that Jones had, I believe, TWO ticker tape parades in New York City that year, with crowds six-deep along the sidewalk and hanging out of buildings.
When my mother died over twenty years ago, my brothers and I found a few canisters of film that we never knew existed, in her basement. It was super-8 footage that her father had shot in the 1920s, a real rarity for individuals back then. Included in all the family picnic-type shots was about five extraordinary minutes of footage of a golf exhibition that my grandparents and some friends attended in Pinehurst, North Carolina, in 1923 or 24. It featured four women players, and there had to have been at least 10,000 people watching them play.
Who these women were is, sadly, lost in the sands of time. I mentioned this footage and the mystery of who these ladies were to a well-connected American friend of mine a few years ago. He said that the only person alive who might be able to identify these women would be Peggy Kirk Bell, a giant of Women’s Golf, who lives in Pinehurst and, I believe, still owns Southern Pines, one of the fine courses in that historic resort. I promised to dig out the videotape (we had the film transferred years ago) and send it off to Miss Bell, who’s still teeing it up at age 94, but alas, the cassette seems to have disappeared, and the treasure that I owned may well be buried for the rest of time.
But the point is, golf was entrenched in American popularity by the time President Taft became a regular player well over 100 years ago. Arnie gave it a shot of heroin, to be sure, but millions were already addicted.
Jim Deeks is a semi-retired, Toronto-based communications consultant and television producer. A former Executive Director of the Canadian Open and Canadian Skins Game, he’s been writing personal columns and travel articles for Fairways for nearly a decade.
All hail Brooke Henderson, and Marlene Streit
A rout, a rising star and a pending snoozer
Brooke Henderson wins New Zealand Women’s Open by five shots
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Parts We Sell
PARTS PAGE 2
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Terry Fritsch started his racing career in Go-Karts in 1958 at the age of 11. After four years in Karts he turned his sights to drag racing and his first pass was at 104 MPH. Fritsch won two national events in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), the World Championship in 1966 and the 1969 U.S. Nationals in the Competition Eliminator. He was also the Division V champion in 1969 and multiple times national record holder. In 2008 Fritsch was inducted into the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame.
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Ampio Regulatory and Clinical Update
PR Newswire June 14, 2019
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., June 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE MKT: AMPE) announced today that it received FDA approval of the Company's special protocol assessment (SPA) of a clinical protocol titled "A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of an Intra-Articular Injection of Ampion in Adults with Pain Due to Severe Osteoarthritis of the Knee."
Ampio Pharmaceuticals Logo. (PRNewsFoto/Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) (PRNewsfoto/Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
The FDA response noted "We have completed our review, and based on the information submitted, agree that the design and planned analysis of your study adequately address the objectives necessary to support a regulatory submission."
The FDA continued, "However, final determinations for marketing application approval are made after a complete review of the marking application and are based on the entire data in the application."
According to Michael Macaluso, Ampio CEO, "The Company has identified and engaged 15 clinical sites for the trial (AP-013) and patient identification is underway. This pivotal trial seeks to enroll approximately 1,000 patients, with an interim look, to allow sample size adjustments, if required. This trial will assess co-primary endpoints of pain and function. More details of the study will be made available on clinicaltrials.gov."
About Special Protocol Assessment (SPA)
A SPA is a process in which sponsors may ask to meet with the FDA to reach agreement on the design and size of certain clinical trials to determine if they adequately address scientific and regulatory requirements for a study that could support marketing approval. A SPA agreement would indicate concurrence by the FDA with the adequacy and acceptability of specific critical elements of overall protocol design for a study intended to support a future Biologic License Application (BLA). The elements of the study agreed upon in the SPA agreement are critical to ensuring that the trial conducted under the protocol can be considered an adequate and well-controlled study that can support marketing licensure of Ampion. However, a SPA agreement will not indicate FDA concurrence on every protocol detail, and the FDA may still require us to conduct additional clinical trials in the future to support a BLA for Ampion.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is an incurable and progressive disorder of the joints involving degradation of the intra-articular cartilage, joint lining, ligaments, and bone. Certain risk factors in conjunction with natural wear and tear lead to the breakdown of cartilage. OA is caused by inflammation of the soft tissue and bony structures of the joint, which worsens over time and leads to progressive thinning of articular cartilage. Other symptoms include narrowing of the joint space, synovial membrane thickening, osteophyte formation, and increased density of subchondral bone.
About Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a development stage biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on the development of Ampion, our product candidate, to treat prevalent inflammatory conditions for which there are limited treatment options.
Ampio Pharmaceutical's statements in this press release that are not historical fact, and that relate to future plans or events, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "believe," "expect," "plan," "predict," "anticipate," "will," and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding Ampio's expectations with respect to Ampion™ and its classification, as well as those associated with regulatory approvals and other FDA responses and decisions including the timing thereof, the SPA, the BLA, the ability of Ampio to enter into partnering arrangements, to initiate, conduct and report the results of clinical trials, and decisions and changes in business conditions and similar events, all of which are inherently subject to various risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties involved include those detailed from time to time in Ampio's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation, under Ampio's Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports of Form 10-Q, periodic reports on Form 8-K, and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ampio undertakes no obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
info@ampiopharma.com
View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ampio-regulatory-and-clinical-update-300867696.html
Nausea no more? D.C. biotech gets motion sickness drug to next stage.
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New antibiotics desperately needed for rising tide of drug-resistant ‘superbugs’
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Free research essays on topics related to: entrance
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Counter Terrorism Teams Combat Terrorism Ecsi Gign
Terrorism: it strikes fear into many. There are a few brave souls that stand up to one of the most dangerous threats this world has ever known. Dozens of Counter-Terrorism teams use the latest technology to combat international terrorism. Many people do not know that counter terrorism teams exist. These are Counter Terrorism teams and what they are doing to combat terrorism (ECSI International)? Origins of Counter Terrorism Teams Some of the highest trained, best-equipped good-guys are counter t...
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Three characters referring to dance, music, and skill represent kabuki in the Japanese language. Kabuki is the traditional Japanese form of theatre. Tradition has it that kabuki was founded in 1603, in the Edo period, by a Shinto priestess named Okuni. Dressed like man, she and her troupe of mainly women performed dances and sketches on a stage set up in the riverbed of the Kamogawa River in Kyoto. Kabuki theatre, in contrast with older Japanese art forms such as Noh, was cultured for the townsp...
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Edgar Allan Seamless Crafting Of The Raven
Every writer wants to have a writing of his or hers be a best seller from the instant he submits it to the printer. Very few people ever accomplish this feat. Edgar Allan Poe, however, seemed to have a knack for making popular poems and tales. One of his works, The Raven, was an instant success with all kinds of people (Mabbott 350). Although a few writers would agree with T. S. Eliot when he said that Poe's writing has a pre adolescent mentality (Kennedy 111), this poem is thought by many more ...
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Hawaii's Pearl Harbor is one of the most well known military installations in the world. On December 7, 1941 Japanese fighter planes attacked the United States Naval base Pearl Harbor killing more than 2300 Americans. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto had conceived the surprise attack. Commander Mitsuo Fuchida led the striking force of 353 Japanese aircraft. There had been no formal declaration of war. There were approximately 100 ships of the United States navy present that morning, and it was known as ...
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... s be considered the original founder of rap music, because the DJ created the sound responsible for rap. Of the many influential DJs that have been given credit for founding raps unique sound, perhaps none were as significant as Clive Campbell (a. k. a. Kool Herc), who is credited with inventing the breakbeat (Rhodes). Herc immigrated to the West Bronx from Jamaica in 1967 (Unofficial Timeline). He was nicknamed Hercules or Herc for short because of his athletic talents (Rhodes). In 1973, He...
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Worship Room Church People
myself out of the car in awe of the great building and left my mother and younger brother sitting in the car. The old church had definitely out lived its glory days, yet it still had an airy charm to it. The roughness of the wood and gently flaking paint only added to it's timelessness; however, the one attribute that caught my eye was the sad old stained glass windows, which were slowly making their descent to the cold harsh ground. At one time they had once outlined the most beautiful scenery ...
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Summary Of The Science Shopping
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Stage Direction English Soldiers
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Revolution In Morals Perils Of Prosperity Book
Book Report The Perils of Prosperity by William Leuchtenburg presents readers a picture of American life during 1914 - 1932. This work is interesting because of its artistic multi pronged narration. Documental narration, which creates element of reliability in combination with unlimited fantasies, publicist ic and philosophical reflections, deep psychoanalysis, social conditionality of heroes, realistic retrospective narration, irony of different kinds, sarcasm and tragedy all this creates compo...
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Sat Scores November 21
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Lines Of Defense One Side Of The Castle Castles
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Cave Explorers Mysteries Underground Video
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Great Pyramid Meters High
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Peoples Feelings Altar Stone Holes
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Ilaria Zavoli
Position: Lecturer in Law
Areas of expertise: international criminal justice; international law; UK and international anti-money laundering legislation and policies
Email: I.Zavoli@leeds.ac.uk
Website: Twitter | LinkedIn
I became a Lecturer in Law at the School of Law in April 2018.
Previously, I have been a Research Fellow at the School of Law, Politics and Sociology of the University of Sussex, working on a British Academy funded project about money laundering in the UK real estate market. I also completed my PhD at the School of Law of the University of Leeds with a research project on in absentia proceedings in international criminal justice.
I hold a Law Degree cum laude and a Postgraduate Specialization Diploma in Law cum laude from the University of Bologna. I also hold an Advanced LL.M. in Public International Law (specialisation international criminal law) from Leiden University.
My research interests lie in international criminal law, international law, and criminal law. I am particularly interested in all aspects of international criminal justice, prosecution of international crimes before both international and national courts, transitional justice mechanisms, anti-money laundering legislation (especially with reference to the real estate market), the use of new technologies (e.g. cryptocurrencies) for money laundering purposes.
PhD International Criminal Law
Adv. LL.M. Public International Law, specialization International Criminal Law
Postgraduate Specialization Diploma in Law
Centre for Law and Social Justice
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Meet the United Greats of America at WTM London’s 40th Anniversary show
Travel and tourism representatives from all over America have committed in huge numbers to WTM London 2019 – the event where Ideas Arrive.
As the US gears up for one of its most important holidays – the fourth of July – new and repeat exhibitors from the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave have confirmed their attendance at this year’s WTM London, which itself celebrates a special occasion, turning 40.
North America Sales Manager, Lisa Hopgood, said: “As WTM celebrates its 40th anniversary event, it really is a case of welcoming the United Greats of America. The USA will be out in force, with plenty to entice visitors to this diverse and constantly evolving destination.
“We are hugely excited to be welcoming such a large contingency of US exhibitors once again to WTM London. With an unprecedented amount of new US attractions, destination developments and new routes, WTM continues to deliver ideas and fuel business opportunities for our buyers and exhibitors.”
In line with WTM’s commitment to showcasing New Possibilities, the Brand USA Pavilions will include new partners such as SHOP*DINE*PLAY*USA, Travel Oregon and The Cultural Traveler Magazine.
Major new airlift from the UK and Europe across the pond means there is a wealth of new opportunity for travellers and travel companies to discover destinations such as Pittsburgh and Charleston.
Better known regions, cities and states also have exciting new developments to share. Firstly, Visit California is promoting Road Trip Republic; NYC & Company celebrating a monumental year with new areas such as Hudson Yards, while Las Vegas is introducing more than $6 billion of new tourism offerings from hotel developments to new sporting facilities such as the Las Vegas Stadium.
Popular theme-park operator Universal Studios will be showcasing exciting new rides and attractions launching this year and next, including the new addition to its Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is the world’s first ‘story coaster’ – taking theme park experiences to a whole new level.
Just as impressive is Universal Studios Hollywood’s new mega attraction, Jurassic World – The Ride, which opens this summer. Back in Orlando, all 2,800 rooms and two-bedroom suites at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort – Dockside Inn and Suites, which opens in May 2020, can now be booked.
Not to be outshone, Miami’s WTM London 2019 presence will be bigger and better, showcasing impressive new cruise developments and additional airlift from American Airlines.
Greater Miami and the Beaches continues to evolve and enhance tourism infrastructure, investing millions in cruise lines, airlines, hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, family attractions and a new $620M reimagined Miami Beach Convention Center.
In line with WTM’s focus on Innovative Perspectives, which identifies how the industry will look in three-five years, Brightline, America’s first new major private intercity passenger railroad in over a century will be revealing future plans. It recently announced a new strategic partnership with Virgin Group, to establish a powerful new brand, Virgin Trains USA. Brightline launched its service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach in May, 2018 and plans to expand to Orlando and Tampa.
Visit Seattle and the Port of Seattle will have a larger presence this year, promoting all the city and surrounding area has to offer. In line with the fast-growing appetite among UK and European travellers to explore lesser-known states, aided by iconic and inspiring films such as National Parks Adventure and Americas Musical Journey, Cruise America the nation’s largest motorhome rental firm, has added five new international rental locations in Bozeman, Montana; Nashville; Baton Rouge; Charlotte and Long Island.
As part of WTM’s bid to open up Inspiring Fresh Thinking to its global audience – feeding in new content to its conference programme from motivational speakers, entrepreneurs, leadership, wellbeing, sports, travel, music travel and inspiring stories – musical tourism and increased airlift is fueling increased interest and visitation to the south. As a result, Travel South USA will be back at WTM London with new partners such as West Virginia.
About World Travel Market
World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises seven leading B2B events across four continents, generating more than $7 billion of industry deals. WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. About 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating about £3.4 billion in travel industry contracts. http://london.wtm.com/.
Next event: Monday 4 – Wednesday 6 November 2019 – London #IdeasArriveHere
Julia Newbound – WTM Portfolio PR Executive
E: julia.newbound@reedexpo.co.uk
T: +44 (0)20 8910 7056 / M: +44 (0)7775 036 858
Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: areas, BB, London, Miami, new tourism, USA, WTM
Travellanda Ltd. identified in London Stock Exchange Group’s “1000 Companies to Inspire Britain” 2019 report
Travellanda has been identified as one of London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain 2019. The report is a celebration of the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic small and medium sized businesses (SMEs), with companies representing over 40 sectors and spanning every country and region across the UK.
To be selected for the list, businesses had to demonstrate not only positive revenue growth over the last three years but also outperform their sector peers. The result is a unique and varied list of the UK’s most dynamic companies. More details on the Companies to Inspire reports and methodology can be found online at 1000companies.com.
As a leading B2B Accommodation Wholesaler, Travellanda is one of the travel industry’s fastest growing companies. Through cutting edge technology, it provides highly competitive wholesale rates on an inventory of over 300,000 hotels worldwide. Using the Travellanda XML Connectivity, Online Reservation System or White Label solution, travel agencies, tour operators, B2B online systems and OTA’s have access to a wide range of hotels and apartments from self-catering and one-star accommodation to deluxe five-star properties. Travellanda’s head office is in London and it has local offices in Bangkok and Istanbul.
Amir Gharizadeh, Director of Travellanda (pictured above) said: “Maintaining a high growth rate when one is a young company is a real mark of success but managing to maintain a high growth rate as one grows is truly exceptional. I am incredibly proud of our team and hugely grateful to every single member of staff for their tremendous efforts and dedication.”
David Schwimmer, CEO, London Stock Exchange Group: “Congratulations to all the companies selected for inclusion in the sixth edition of London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain report, which identifies the UK’s most dynamic SMEs. SMEs drive growth, innovation and job creation and are the lifeblood of the British economy. We believe that supporting the growth of these businesses is critical to the UK economy and the creation of a society that works for everyone.”
MEDIA CONTACT: +44 (0) 203 384 5410, marketing@travellanda.com
Filed Under: Travel & Tourism Tagged With: BB, exchange, groups, inspire, London, reports, UK
Boeing scraps 2019 financial forecast, halts share buybacks in wake of 737 MAX disaster
April 24, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease
World’s biggest aerospace corporation was forced to pull its full financial forecast for the current year due to unresolved issues surrounding Boeing’s once best-selling 737 MAX aircraft.
Boeing also announced plans to pause share buybacks, citing “a challenging time for our customers, stakeholders and the company.”
“Across the company, we are focused on safety, returning the 737 MAX to service, and earning and re-earning the trust and confidence of customers, regulators and the flying public,” Boeing Chairman and CEO Dennis Muilenburg said in a statement.
The manufacturer had previously posted a report on the first-quarter earnings that managed to fall in line with analysts’ expectations, while its revenue was slightly less than projected. Boeing’s earning per share totaled the expected $3.16 from January through March, while the revenue amounted to $22.92 billion against $22.98 billion forecasted by London-based provider of financial markets data Refinitiv.
Boeing stressed that the previous guidance didn’t reflect the impact of two crashes of the company’s flagship planes, leading to the grounding of all 737 MAX 8 jets by global regulators, lawsuits from some air carriers and a decline in market value.
According to the producer, more than 135 test and production flights of updated software for the 737 MAX have been carried out so far.
Boeing’s bestseller crashed on March 10 not far from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa six minutes after takeoff on the way to Nairobi, Kenya. The tragedy, which killed 157 people, marked the second crash involving the same jet model in less than six months. In October, the same type of aircraft, operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air, crashed in the Java Sea shortly after takeoff, claiming the lives of 189 people.
Travel News | eTurboNews
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Barbican beefs up sales team
The Barbican, a conference and international arts venue located in London, has appointed Jenny Waller as head of sales. The expanded role will see Jenny managing the growing sales team, which includes a renewed focus on international and association markets. Jenny will be supported in her role by the newly-appointed deputy head of sales, Charlie Smith.
Jenny has been promoted from the role of senior account manager within the Barbican team, where she has already achieved a number of significant wins for the world-leading arts and conference venue. These include major corporate and association events due to take place over the coming 24 months. Prior to working at the Barbican Jenny spent four years developing industry knowledge and expertise at Park Plaza Hotels.
Charlie returns to the Barbican, where he worked as an account manager for two years between 2016 and 2018. Other experience includes time developing sales skills at both Dreamland and HMS President.
“The Barbican is going from strength to strength,” commented Jackie Boughton, head of business events at the Barbican. “Last year we opened and showcased our new cinema offering, comprised of two cinemas and supporting food and beverage, as well as exhibition or networking space capable of seating up to 150 for conferences, meetings and private screenings. When added to our wider offering it makes the Barbican one of Europe’s most comprehensive venues. This in turn has led to an increase in both association and international bookings. Jenny has been instrumental in that success over the last year and was therefore the perfect choice to take on the demanding role leading our sales team. It is also a real pleasure to welcome Charlie back to the team – his in-depth knowledge of the venue is already having a significant impact on new business development.”
Jenny responded by saying: “This is a new and exciting challenge for me. Over the course of the next year I am particularly looking forward to working alongside our association specialists as we develop that market, whilst supporting our work with a strong presence at major international trade shows and events. The UK of course remains our core market and we are delighted by the ongoing support we receive from domestic clients booking direct or via our agency partners. However, there is still significant opportunity for us to develop internationally – particularly given our ability to partner with the Barbican International Enterprises team to deliver truly inspiring content and theming. The addition of Charlie to the team ensures we have the ongoing experience and depth of knowledge needed to deliver to the highest standards for our clients.”
Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With: added, addition, Agency, and, appointed, Arts, association, Barbican, beverage, Booking, bookings, Breaking Travel News, Business, Business Development, business events, challenge, Charlie, choice, cinema, clients, coming, conference, conferences, Content, corporate, course, deliver, deputy, Deputy Head, development, direct, domestic, due, Europe, Events, exhibition, expanded, experience, expertise, food, Forward, Growing, head, head of sales, highest, Hotels, impact, in, includes, increase, Industry, inspiring, International, international trade, internationally, IT, knowledge, last, leading, LED, located, London, looking, major, manager, Managing, Market, markets, meetings, MICE Industry News, months, most, needed, networking, New, newly, News articles, number, offering, ongoing, opened, opportunity, over, park, Park Plaza, particularly, partner, partners, Place, pleasure, presence, president, private, promoted, real, receive, remains, responded, returns, role, s, Sales, saying, seating, see, senior, shows, significant, skills, space, specialists, standards, strength, strong, success, support, supported, supporting, team, The World, time, to, Trade, trade shows, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, turn, UK, UK Travel News, up, US, venue, venues, We, welcome, work, worked, working, World, year, years
Russia to use Fan-IDs (again) as visas for 2020 UEFA Euro Cup visitors
Upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, have passed on Monday a bill allowing foreign tourists with Fan-IDs to travel to Russia without entry visas for matches of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup.
Last week, the bill was passed in the third and final reading by lawmakers from the State Duma, the parliament’s lower house, and following today’s approval by the senators, it must be signed into law by the Russian president.
“Within the period, which begins 14 days prior to the first match of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup in Saint Petersburg and ends on the day of the last match [in St. Petersburg], the entrance to Russia for foreign citizens and stateless persons, who come to Russia to watch 2020 UEFA Euro Cup matches, will not require issuance of visas based on identification documents,” according to the explanatory note.
Addressing a government’s session in mid-March, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that the country planned “to employ the same mechanism we used in the past regarding the issuance and operational rules of Fan-IDs.”
Russia came up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with an innovation, which was the so-called Fan-ID and was required for all ticketholders. This innovation was successfully tested during the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia and earned high marks from the world’s governing football body of FIFA.
The Fan-ID played an important security role during the major football tournament in Russia as it granted admittance to the stadiums and also served as visa for foreign visitors to enter the country.
A Fan-ID holder was allowed to enter the country without having a Russian visa and stay for the duration of the global football tournament. Fan-IDs were obligatory, in addition to purchased tickets, in order to attend matches of the 2018 World Cup tournament in Russia.
2020 UEFA Euro Cup
The matches of the 2020 Euro Cup will be held at stadiums in 12 different cities across Europe, namely in London (England), Munich (Germany), Rome (Italy), Baku (Azerbaijan), Saint Petersburg (Russia), Bucharest (Romania), Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Dublin (Ireland), Bilbao (Spain), Budapest (Hungary), Glasgow (Scotland) and Copenhagen (Denmark).
Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg was granted the right to host three group stage matches and one of the quarterfinals of the 2020 UEFA Euro Cup.
The decision to hold the 2020 Euro Cup, which will be celebrating its 60th anniversary that year, in various European countries instead of in one or two hosting countries was made at the UEFA Executive Committee’s meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, on December 6, 2012.
A total of 24 national football teams will be playing in the final tournament of the 2020 Euro Cup. All 55 UEFA national member teams, including 12 teams from the hosting countries, will have to play in the qualifying matches to vie for the berth in the final 24-team lineup of the quadrennial European football championship.
It is possible that some of the national teams from the hosting countries of the 2020 Euro Cup will not be playing on home soil in case they fail to clear the qualifying stage.
Filed Under: Press Releases Tagged With: according, addition, addressing, allowed, Amsterdam, and, anniversary, approval, attend, Azerbaijan, Baku, based, begins, Bilbao, bill, body, Breaking Travel News, Bucharest, Budapest, case, championship, cities, citizens, city, Clear, come, Committee, Copenhagen, council, countries, country, day, Days, December, decision, Denmark, different, documents, Dublin, ends, England, entrance, entry, Euro, Europe, European, European countries, executive, executive committee, fail, Feature, federation, FIFA, FIFA world cup, first, following, football, foreign, foreign tourists, foreign visitors, free, Germany, Glasgow, Global, government, Government Affairs, Group, held, high, home, Hospitality News, host, hosting, house, Hungary, ID, IDs, important, in, including, innovation, Instead, International Travel News, Ireland, IT, Italy, largest, last, Lausanne, law, lawmakers, lineup, London, lower, major, march, marks, match, Medvedev, meeting, member, minister, Munich, national, Netherlands, News articles, note, operational, order, parliament, passed, past, period, persons, Petersburg, planned, play, president, Prime, Prime Minister, purchased, reading, require, right, role, Romania, Rome, rules, Russia, Russia travel news, Russian, Russian President, s, said, Saint, Saint Petersburg, Scotland, second, Security, senators, signed, Spain, Sports news, St, St. Petersburg, State, State Duma, stay, successfully, Switzerland, team, teams, The National, The Netherlands, The World, tickets, to, today, total, tourism, tourists, tournament, Travel, Travel & Tourism Organizations News, Travel Destination News, Travelwire News, up, use, used, visa, visas, visitors, We, week, were, WHO, World, World Cup, World News, year
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Jim Rose Caregiving Ministry
Fortress Christian Counseling
Fortress Living
Five Hidden Dangers of “Christian Counseling” - Jim Rose
I love Christian Counseling! I've been a student of it for nearly 30 years and a practicing, licensed professional for the last two years. So, I think I'm in a good position to see its strengths, as well as its weaknesses. That's what this article is about. I've decided to call it the Five Hidden Dangers. The list may surprise you
1. Moralism – Behavioral Change is Life Change
There is nothing wrong with morality! Morality speaks of an adherence to an ethical code; doing what is right; avoiding what is wrong. But “moralism” is a corruption of morality. As I use the term it means we focus on external codes of behavior but give little thought to what’s going on in the heart.
In counseling this means the counselor utilizes a kind of Christian Behaviorism, using proven techniques to get the client to change his or her actions and habits. Some of these behavioral practices may be, in themselves, good. For example, many Christian counselors will encourage the client to begin praying or reading the Bible daily. No one Christian would argue this is a bad idea! However, moralism in the counseling process means that because the client begins a prayer routine he now thinks (or the counselor implies, intentionally or not) he has changed. But that is clearly not an accurate assessment of what has happened. Even monkeys can learn new habits!
There is a sweeping emphasis in the church today on character instruction. I suppose it’s been with us for a hundred years, but it’s very common today to hear entire sermons devoted to character qualities. Again, there is nothing wrong with character or virtue! However, too often this emphasis comes at the expense of two things: a.) heart change—the listeners are not taught or reminded that the only true morality begins in the heart. b.) self-deception –the more moralism is emphasized the greater the likelihood of a secret self. That’s because the “real” self (as found in the “heart”) is buried or hidden away under the guise of behavioral compliance.
Corrective: Pietism
What can Christian counselors do to guard against the error of moralism? There needs to be an active, thoughtful and Christ-centered “pietism.” Pietism, as the term suggests, is the expression of “piety.” I realize there was a historic movement of pietism that is often challenged for its orthodoxy. That’s not what I’m referring to. Though the term “pious” has become pejorative in our day, indicating some kind of false humility, the historic use of the word is not that at all. Historically, pietism was a movement of deep devotion for holiness and godliness during the Reformation period of church history. Pietism, as I use the word, means an emphasis on life change, not just behavioral change.
2. Dualism – Fragmentation of Biological, Psychological and Spiritual
Since Adam and Eve ate the Forbidden Fruit, plunging the world into chaos and confusion, fragmentation has characterized humanity and culture. In the original creation there was no fragmentation. All was integrated and unified. In terms of our anthropology (study of mankind) this means that in the original creation, matter and spirit—body and soul—functioned in a kind of seamless harmony. As to the ontological basis for that statement, I cannot take the time to develop it here. Let’s just say that if there were any counselors in the Garden of Eden they would never have worried about whether an issue was “biological” or “spiritual.” This all began to change after the Fall. And the fragmentation in theory and practice has continued ever since. In the history of theory, there was a massive shift during the time of the Greek philosophers to address the pendulum swings with a new approach called “dualism.” Philosophical dualism did not swing back and forth between an emphasis on matter or spirit but attempted to hold both in an uneasy tension. Again, how that played out in history would take us beyond our scope here. Let’s just say that one usually swallows up the other. This is where we find ourselves today.
Christian counselors are typically not philosophers and most I know do not even view themselves as theorists but practitioners and clinicians. So these kinds of debates often seem irrelevant to them. But they are not. And most Christian counselors have, by default, accepted the conventional dualistic wisdom of our age. Consequently, there is an uneasy and uncomfortable conflict between matters of the body and matters of the soul. This conflict has the practical effect of creating a bifurcated or compartmentalized approach to various kinds of problems. For example, “physical problems” are considered the domain of “medical doctors” and “psychological problems” the purview of “psychologists.” Some will allow that “spiritual problems” are best addressed by pastors or spiritual advisors. But the way these problems are defined makes a lot of difference!
Corrective: Holism
I believe the resulting compartmentalization and fragmentation of caregiving is one of the greatest challenges facing Christian counseling today. Ideally, all caregivers would be trained to view the individual holistically. This doesn’t mean there is no room for medical specialists or spiritual advisors. However, the person under care must beware of allowing the various specialists to aggravate the conflict between the different perspectives. The corrective for this error is a dynamic and theologically consistent “holism.” Those qualifiers are all important. There are many who champion “holism.” But not all holism is worthy of the term. It is not enough for holism to focus on the whole person. There must be an accurate frame of reference within which that focus occurs. This is where much of the holism goes badly astray. “Holism” in the eyes of a New Age Guru looks very different from holism in the eyes of a biblically grounded caregiver.
3. Synergism – Relying on Natural Resources more than the Power of God
It isn’t surprising that professional caregivers would be more inclined to trust their own advice and resources . That is typically what advanced education and training attempts to instill. But what is “expertise?” There are Christian counselors and teachers who have a great deal to offer. However, Christianity has suffered for generations from a refusal to acknowledge its own limitations. It has become a victim of its own expertise.
In theological terms, there is a common notion that Christian practice is a cooperative effort between God and man. The old adage, “God helps those who help themselves” is one statement of this perspective. In more technical terms, the theoretical justification for this view is called “synergism.” Synergism just means that two different forces combine to make something new take place. In Christian counseling, synergistic views usually result in a greater emphasis on taking charge of your life; of “intentional living” or, in the words of Nike Footwear: “just do it” theology.
There is much to be commended about “just do it” theology. At least it’s not passive or irresponsible! The problem is, it doesn’t work. It may accomplish a lot of things but it misses the most important. Synergistic theologies, when they have short term success, make us believe we can do anything we set our minds to. And what happens over time is they undermine our confidence and trust in God. We may give lip service to God’s power in our lives but we don’t really live like it. Why should we? We’ve managed things quite well on our own.
Corrective: Monergism
While we would never want to undermine a person’s determination to change or to do battle with stubborn sinful behaviors in his life, a synergistic foundation will ultimately lead us astray. That’s why we need a “monergistic” theology. Monergism, like the prefix suggests, does not emphasize cooperative effort between God and man but depends fully on God recognizing that without him we can do nothing. While synergism says, I can do all things—monergism qualifies that through the recognition that human effort will never succeed. That’s why the Bible says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. This is no mere afterthought or sugar coating. Monergism is very narrow and intensely counterintuitive. However, it is a needed corrective to the synergistic theology so common in Christian counseling today.
4. Syncretism – Confusing Christian and Non-Christian Assumptions
Like “synergism,” “syncretism” is another example of an uneasy alliance that ultimately resulted from Adam’s Fall. Syncretism is defined as the mixing and combining of various beliefs and viewpoints—typically conflicting beliefs and viewpoints. Christian counseling has become a minefield of syncretic ideas parading under the banner of “eclecticism” or “integrationism.” It would be impossible in this space to address even a fraction of the syncretic errors in Christian beliefs today so I will have to limit it to one that has a special impact on counseling: the assumption about self-image. How often have we heard that a person has a “poor self-image” or suffers from “low self-esteem?” How often have we heard that the solution is to have a “good self-image” and to increase one’s self-esteem? Such thought appear often in Christian counseling manuals, sermons and self-help books. But I would argue the entire concept of self-esteem is an example of syncretism—confusing Christian and non-Christian assumptions about human nature.
Corrective: Iconoclasm
The only way to deal with this error is to plumb the depths of all our viewpoints, peeling back the layers of our terminology and belief until we get down to the assumptions. Assumptions are where this battle can be fought and won. But only when we do the hard work of exposing them. This is what “iconoclasm” is all about.
You may know that, historically, iconoclasts were those who destroyed icons. They were especially active during the early days of the reformation—in church buildings and public buildings, ridding them of statues and other “graven images.” Debating the ultimate value of their iconoclastic pursuits will have to wait for another time. My point here is that iconoclasm is not just about shrines and figurines. It’s about anything that purports to be worthy of our devotion and worship.
Some well-meaning Christian counselors do get this problem. And as a result have rejected out of hand all psychological and counseling theory. Sadly, they forgot that you don’t have to throw out the baby with the bathwater. There are insights and values to be gained from even the most blatantly erroneous theorists and researchers. For example, one of my favorites relates to brain structure. Briefly, research scientist Paul MacLean was an evolutionary scientist who argued for a “triune brain.” He based his views on the assumption that human beings evolved over millions of years, developing added brain capacities and functions through the process of natural selection and survival of the fittest. Many Christians would reject MacLean’s research because of his evolutionary language and assumptions as “syncretic.” However, the syncretism is not found in talking about a triune brain. In fact, if MacLean was correct, it could actually point to a divine creator of the brain who made his creatures in his own (triune) image. The syncretism is not in every observation of MacLean’s but in his worldview. The syncretism is the evolutionary assumptions that underpin his triune brain theory. This is just one example of how careful we must be in our iconoclastic pursuits that we don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Christian counseling can learn much from the theorists and researchers. However, we must not adopt their views uncritically.
5. Legalism – Self-Righteous Judging of Others
A fifth error in Christian counseling is more related to practice. It is especially evident in churches and organizations with a great emphasis on caregiving and problem solving. I’ll subsume the entire error under one big label: legalism. Legalism, like moralism, ultimately focuses on the trees instead of the forest. It is so busy looking at what a person does it overlooks who he is. But legalism does something else: it attempts to use social dynamics to accomplish its objectives. It uses the power of “self-righteousness” to judge others. Like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day, it creates different classes of people based on compliance to external codes of morality and behavior.
But its worst infraction is the motive behind it. Unlike moralism, it isn’t just overlooking the heart-issues. In fact, many legalists spend quite a bit of energy focusing on the heart—of everyone else. The failure is to examine their own. Legalists are fond of straining at gnats and swallowing camels, to cite Jesus’ condemnation. They are quick to see the “splinter” in their brother’s eye (the sin problem or conflict) meanwhile they neglect the “log” in their own.
Corrective: Humility
The solution for legalism is always the same: humility and brokenness of the legalists. This is why Jesus said that we should pluck the log from our own eye before trying to deal with the dust in the other’s. In terms of counseling, this means caregivers and counselors dare not become self-righteous judges of others in their effort to control and direct them. It doesn’t mean we cannot confront error in others. But it does mean we better not unless and until we’ve dealt with the errors in our own lives.
Caregivers or Fixers?
When I became a pastor some 30 years ago, I was but 25 years old. Within months I was inundated with requests for pastoral counseling by people old enough to be my parents and grandparents. That was not something I anticipated. I had little training in it. But I took to it like a fish to water. It went pretty well in those early days, too.
I remember getting a call one afternoon from someone outside my congregation thanking me for the work I had done with his daughter and son-in-law who were having marital problems. “You have an amazing gift,” he told me. “God has given you wisdom beyond your years.”
I reveled in comments like that for years after. And I decided that God had uniquely equipped me to counsel others. I devoured books on counseling, attended training workshops and even considered opening a full time counseling practice. All the while I was working from the assumption that counselors are called to solve people's problems; they are fixers. My college president once described himself as a man with “dozens of solutions just waiting for problems to attach them to.” That's kind of how I saw my counseling practice: lots of solutions. All I needed was to hear someone's problem and I would sort through the list and find one that fit.
A lot has happened between then and now. For one thing, I am indeed a professional counselor now, with a full practice. I even went back to school a few years ago to get a counseling degree and began the arduous task of licensure with my State. I know more about counseling, both theoretically and practically, than ever before. And yet, the longer I do this, the more I become convinced that I've grossly misunderstood the counselor's task. I'm also convinced that for years I grossly misunderstood what was going on in the counseling “successes” I experienced. To put it simply, I'm seeing myself these days more as a caregiver and less as a fixer. I won't say God never allows me to solve someone's problem. But I will say that when I do, it's in spite of me, not because of me.
Lest you think this is merely false modesty—or worse, a perverse attempt at self-validation—let me bring some psychological theory to bear.
Thomas Szasz is regarded as the founder of the “antipsychiatry movement.” In case you've never heard of him, he devoted his career to exploding the myths of psychological and psychiatric approaches. Szasz has an entertaining, acerbic writing style (“when a man talks to God we say he's in prayer; when he says God talks to him, we call him schizophrenic”). Perusing the titles of some of his books will give you an idea where he's coming from:
1974 (1961). The Myth of Mental Illness: Foundations of a Theory of Personal Conduct. Harper & Row.
1991 (1970. Ideology and Insanity: Essays on the Psychiatric Dehumanization of Man. SUP.
1997 (1977). Psychiatric Slavery: When Confinement and Coercion Masquerade as Cure. SUP.
1998 Cruel Compassion: Psychiatric Control of Society's Unwanted. SUP.
Here is how one reviewer summarized Szasz's views in Cruel Compassion: :
Cruel Compassion is the capstone of Thomas Szasz's critique of psychiatric practices. Reexamining psychiatric interventions from a cultural-historical and political-economic perspective, Szasz demonstrates that the main problem that faces mental health policy makers today is adult dependency. Millions of Americans, diagnosed as mentally ill, are drugged and confined by doctors for noncriminal conduct, go legally unpunished for the crimes they commit, and are supported by the state - not because they are sick, but because they are unproductive and unwanted. Obsessed with the twin beliefs that misbehavior is a medical disorder and that the duty of the state is to protect adults from themselves, we have replaced criminal-punitive sentences with civil-therapeutic 'programs.' The result is the relentless loss of individual liberty, erosion of personal responsibility, and destruction of the security of persons and property - symptoms of the transformation of a Constitutional Republic into a Therapeutic State, unconstrained by the rule of law.
You may wonder if Szasz was some kind of religious fundamentalist fruitcake. He may be a fruitcake. But he's definitely not a religious fundamentalist. Szasz, an MD, was for years a professor in medicine at the New York State University--in addition to his prolific writing and speaking career.
I bring Szasz to your attention not because I agree with everything he says but simply to make a point that not all caregiving professionals like the direction our industry is headed. Szasz goes so far as to accuse the mental health industry of building a “pharmocracy”(rule of drugs) akin to ancient “monarchies” (rule of kings) or medieval churchmen's desire to build a theocracy (rule of God).
The foundation for Szasz's criticism of our therapeutic culture is his radical libertarianism and humanism. I don't follow him in that direction at all, of course (I'm an unashamed Calvinist on that issue). Thus, he believes that when one person tries to fix problems it quickly turns into a coercive, dehumanizing exploitation.
So does this mean there is no job for us professionals? I don't believe that either. But if there's anything I've learned over the last few years as a counselor it's the importance of being clear on my role in the life of my clients. What am I really supposed to be doing for them? Am I caring for them or fixing them? On the other hand, this doesn't mean I just sit there and watch as they self-destruct. There are things I must say and things I must do—even beyond a listening ear and a caring hug. It is still the truth that sets us free and God calls me to be a messenger of that truth. However, note that it is not I who sets people free! And in my role as a caregiver I must always be careful to make that distinction.
Jim Rose is a licensed professional counselor, ordained minister and director of Fortress Institute. He is also a licensed environmental consultant and has been helping clients solve their greatest environmental problems in life with high quality, low cost solutions.
Baumeister
Derek Flood
Disaster Fatigue
DSM-IV
Jeff Hawkins
Plagues Of Personality
Prefrontal Cortex
Reticular Formation
Photo used under Creative Commons from Calgary Reviews
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Ventureinterior design
Startup Lessons From a First-Time Entrepreneur Who Raised $25 Million
Leura Fine, founder of Laurel & Wolf.Photo credit: ean Robertson, Laurel & Wolf.
Entrepreneurs have a tendency to paint past failures as necessary steps toward their inevitable success. In many a Silicon Valley narrative, each misguided venture, bad decision or management mistake is rebranded a “lesson” on the path to that eventual multimillion–dollar valuation.
Leura Fine is hoping she can avoid the catastrophic and build a successful business on her first try. She already has the multimillion-dollar valuation down: her company Laurel & Wolf, an online platform that connects interior designers with consumers, has raised $25.5 million in VC funding and is reportedly valued at more than $100 million.
As Fine tells it, becoming a tech CEO happened almost by accident. Like so many entrepreneurial journeys, it started with a nagging frustration — namely, why interior design services remained exorbitantly expensive. Having worked at a big design studio in Los Angeles where “the average budget for a space was $3 million” and then at her own practice, Fine’s clients were safely in the so-called 1%. She liked the job, but wished the client pool was larger and more diverse (as did many of her designer friends, who were competing for jobs from this same, small pool). The Internet had leveled the barrier of entry to so many other fields — why not interior design?
And so, with zero tech capabilities — “I had terrible Googling skills,” she says — and no experience pitching investors, in January 2014 Fine decided to try and do it herself. Today, just over two years later, her experiment has become a full-fledged business that virtually connects consumers with more than 900 vetted designers who offer customized, online layouts and furniture suggestions for as low as $299. While Fine won’t disclose sales, the company is aggressively expanding — headcount is up to 66, from just over 50 in December.
A first-time entrepreneur, Fine is the first to admit she had very little figured out when she started Laurel & Wolf. That’s no longer true, of course.
Here are five lessons she learned along the way.
1. If you can’t answer the question “why isn’t there an easier way to do this?,” you may have stumbled upon a business idea.
When Fine started Laurel & Wolf, she already had a lot working in her favor. For one, thanks to the popularity of social media sites like Pinterest and Instagram, “all of the sudden, people were being flooded with beautiful images of what their spaces could look like,” she says. What’s more, relatively new sites such as Wayfair (W) and One Kings Lane meant designers no longer had to rely on pricey, local boutiques to source furniture, dramatically lowering the cost. Finally, advances in technology made it possible for designers to work on remote projects. Using online tools, “I had successfully designed projects on the other side of the world,” says Fine. But the process, which primarily relied on email exchanges, was clunky and time consuming. Plus, there wasn’t an efficient way to gain new, remote clients.
While all the pieces to make virtual, online interior design a reality were there, “the problem was no one had figured out how to put it all together.” It was a perfect storm — the space was ripe for disruption. Fine didn’t need experience with VCs to tell her that.
2. You don’t have to be a tech expert to start a tech-based business.
Confident in her idea to streamline the online design process and “create a marketplace where both designers and clients know what they are getting and putting in,” Fine was less than assured in her ability to execute on it. Thankfully, she was keenly aware of the next point:
3. Get comfortable asking for help and advice.
To fill in the gaps in her knowledge, Fine reached out to as many people as could every way that she could: through friends, distant connections and via Facebook (FB), LinkedIn (LNKD) and email. “There was a whole combination of hot, lukewarm, mildly cold and super cold intros,” she says. Acquaintances even mildly qualified to give advice received requests for informational interviews. In one month, Fine estimates she sat down with close to 100 people, including chief executives, marketers, developers, even a few angel investors.
During this time she covered as much ground as possible. Her questions ranged from the broad — “how did you get your business off the ground?”– to the specific, such as when to hire developers or whether investors needed to see a working product. No matter the answer, she filed it away. Only after a couple months, when she’d collected a wealth of opinions — some of them directly competing — did she lay them all out and begin to evaluate her options.
4. Understand you can’t listen to everyone.
“I got a lot of advice,” Fine says. “Some of it was good, but I also got a lot of bad advice along the way.” She learned to trust her gut to determine which was which. “I think you have to assess your options and go with what makes sense to you.”
Although she was told a few times that investors would want to see a full working product, it was a strategy that felt intuitively wrong. Instead, she went with another faction that advised her to connect with customers as soon as possible, before investing resources to build a prototype, to test proof of concept.
“So started the old-fashioned way,” she says. “With an email form.”
Fine rounded up 35 of her designer friends and advertised their services at a deeply discounted rate: $300 per room. The only catch: the entire process was conducted online, via email. “We did 50 projects in those first two or three months, although it felt like 5 million because every project had thousands of emails.”
Despite the ungainly process, Fine was able to collect valuable information about what consumers wanted and thus what the basic version of the product should look like. She then took that information and had a paid a development team to build her a rudimentary product with just the basics, including a style quiz, a page with information about the service and a waitlist.
Armed with metrics and a prototype, Fine was ready to start pitching investors by spring 2014. From there, everything moved quickly — she closed a $1.1 million seed round in April 2014, and launched a working site by June.
5. Tap your network to market your product.
Laurel & Wolf now incorporates paid advertising on Google (GOOG), Facebook and YouTube into its marketing strategy. But in the beginning, Fine relied on a marketing tactic she intuitively understood and excelled at: tapping her personal connections. A naturally bubbly, social person, her network has always been large. And so she set it to work.
One of the company’s early, successful marketing plays was a partnership with What’s Up Moms, a popular channel on YouTube. Fine had met Meg Resnikoff, one of the women who runs the channel, at a cocktail party. She was pregnant at the time, so Laurel & Wolf designed her nursery and filmed the reveal.
Laurel and Wolf has continued to generate press coverage by working with influencers, redesigning rooms for, among other, the actress Christina Applegate, fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff and beauty vlogger Desi Perkins.
While these partnerships have grown more strategic over time — “now, we work closely with different agencies and publicists who are interested in partnering with us because they can get their clients homes transformed,” she says — most of the names on the above list happened more organically as a result, again, of Fine using her network to promote her company.
Fine, for example, was introduced to Minkoff by a friend, who had met the fashion designer at a Los Angeles networking event for women in business and connected the two. “Rebecca pinged me about something, and then InStyle wanted to shoot her closet, and she was like, my closet is a disaster,’” Fine says. “I was like, ‘we will come and do it for us, you can use Laurel & Wolf, we can get it done in time for the shoot.”
With that, Laurel & Wolf scored some great, relatively inexpensive publicity (the company provides its services to celebrity clients for free, and sometimes pays for some of the furniture). The partnership with Applegate — which was featured in outlets from Business Insider to Elle Decor — also was largely thanks to Fine’s network. One of her employees was friends with Applegate, and when the actress’ home flooded, Laurel & Wolf offered to redo the space.
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Internationalchina censorship
China’s LGBT Community Staged a Massive Protest Against an Online Ban of Gay Content—And Won
Natasha Bach
In a country often characterized by censorship, Chinese citizens are openly protesting.
Following an announcement by China’s Twitter-like platform Sina Weibo on Friday that it would remove pornographic, violent, or gay content as part of a three-month “clean up” campaign, gay Chinese citizens came out in droves.
Tens of thousands of the site’s users posted photos of themselves, along with variations on the hashtag “I am gay” or “I am gay not a pervert” over the weekend, turning the ban on its head. The latter hashtag was viewed over 1.35 million times. The users particularly took issue with the implication that there was a correlation between homosexuality and pornography, seeing the ban as a clear discrimination against homosexuals.
Despite the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1997, much of the LGBT community in China remains closeted. Only 15% have told their parents and 5% have come out publicly, according to a 2016 UN survey referenced by The Guardian.
The protests of Sina Weibo’s users were apparently heard by the site. In a highly unusual move, Sina Weibo relented, backtracking on its decision to include gay content in its clean up. The social networking site posted an announcement on Monday noting that gay content would no longer be targeted and thanking users for their suggestions, but offered no further details.
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Eat A Bro And A Philosopher Debate The True Meaning Of A Sandwich
More from Complex Networks
A Bro And A Philosopher Debate The True Meaning Of A Sandwich
Food blogger and mash-up artist Culinary Brodown talks shop with a UCLA medieval philosophy professor to get to the bottom of an age old question: What constitutes a sandwich?
Josh Scherer
It seems petty to jeopardize your personal relationships over a hot dog. But I think it’s important to stick to your guns, no matter how many times your girlfriend threatens to leave you. I mean, she didn’t actually say that, but I saw it in her eyes.
She made the bold—and I’m talking Guy Fieri donkey sauce bold flavors bold—claim that a hot dog isn’t a sandwich.
Of course it’s a sandwich, I explained. It has bread; it has meat; it’s portable; people eat it with potato salad and at picnics and stuff. Whether or not it has two separate, parallel slices of bread is irrelevant—if it walks, talks, and tastes like a sandwich, it’s a sandwich.
She told me I was shouting, and that we were in a restaurant, and I was causing a scene. I semi-successfully groveled for forgiveness on the walk home.
Still, it wasn’t something I could let go of so easily. In light of the stress it was putting on my relationship, ‘what makes a sandwich a sandwich?’ seemed like a worthy question to pursue—and I was certainly not the first to go down that road.
The question was posed on Chowhound, which prompted almost 500 responses all from people who thought they knew the one true definition of a sandwich. The Guardian wrote a 2,000-word feature to try and answer the question in July of 2014, and a blog on ESPN even got in on the action shortly thereafter.
Most of these sources tended to agree that the hot dog is a sandwich, but they were all based off of overly simplistic dictionary definitions. To actually get at the nature of sandwiches, to ostensibly define the barriers of sandwich-hood, you need a source that can think, react, and respond to all the different potential problems and quandaries.
In my search to uncover these hidden truths and find answers, I figured it was time to turn to an expert—that’s where Dr. Calvin Normore comes in. Dr. Normore is a professor of medieval philosophy and Cartesian metaphysics at UCLA. He’s currently working on a book about Descartes and the transition from medieval to modern philosophy. I read the Spark Notes for Plato’s Republic four years ago—so I wouldn’t necessarily call us intellectual equals.
But when I asked him via email if he’d be willing to sit down with me over lunch and discuss the philosophy of sandwiches—how they’re defined, how they’re categorized, the ontological implications of sandwich-hood—he was stoked by the idea.
“That sounds like fun! Kit Fine has a paper on the metaphysics of ham sandwiches by the way!” he told me. Suddenly, I felt less stupid asking a professor and published author to eat hot dogs with me.
Since I promised him lunch, my job was to get in the kitchen and create five edible philosophical quandaries, all of varying degrees of sandwichness—a hot dog, lobster roll, falafel pita, goat cheese tartine, and a classic ham sammy—and see how they lived up to their definitions.
I met him outside his office in a courtyard that seemed designed specifically for lunching professors. We passed a group of his suit-and-tied colleagues, who all stared at my picnic basket filled with vague, tin-foil-wrapped objects.
‘We’re discussing sandwiches today!’ Dr. Normore told them. They nodded casually, as if philosophy professors are constantly fielding these kinds of requests.
I expected to discuss sandwiches, but I didn’t expect to talk about the rise of Taco Bell’s breakfast menu, and whether or not rollerskaters posed a serious threat to human safety. I like to imagine this is what the old Socratic dialogues were like: Just two guys hanging out, shootin’ the shit, and then gorging themselves on sandwiches. Or, not sandwiches—depending on what you gleaned from this ordeal.
How familiar are you with sandwiches? Would you call yourself a fan?
I am a fan indeed. I eat sandwiches quite often. I eat them on the run; I eat them on the walk; I eat them while sitting still. I am also quite the fan of hamburgers, especially the Australian iteration with a thick slice of beetroot. But I suppose that raises a very pertinent question: Are hamburgers sandwiches?
That caused a huge fight between my girlfriend and I the other day. Hamburgers are definitely sandwiches. Any other answer is wrong. Especially my girlfriend’s.
Well that may be the case: after all, it has two pieces of bread with meat quite literally sandwiched in between. But, part of the problem is what Paul Grice would have called issues of implicature. So here’s the thing: A convention of language is that you don’t say something less specific if a more specific thing to say is available and is appropriate. That’s an issue that comes up here because some things that people might call sandwiches have more specific names. So, even if it would turn out that a hamburger falls under the broader category of sandwich, we would never refer to it as such, because it has a more specific—and therefor more meaningful—name.
What about a Reuben? It has a specific name that implies specific components, but more people would be likely to call that a sandwich than, say, a hamburger or a hot dog. Is that just because it’s less ubiquitous?
No, it likely has to do with the stereotype of a sandwich. So, many concepts have associated with them a stereotype, which you might think of as the clearest model that something has to mimic to fall under a category. For instance, the things we’re sitting on are pretty close to the stereotype of chairs. Now, there are lots of things to sit on that are very far from looking like these. We still might count them as chairs, but they’re farther from the stereotype, therefor less recognizable. A corned beef Reuben meets the stereotype of a sandwich pretty much perfectly: It has two pieces of bread with sliced meat in between. You would have no hesitation to call it a sandwich, even if there were a more specific name. The hamburger is a little further from the stereotype, right? Now, I’d be inclined to think that if you pressed me for an answer, I would agree that it is a sandwich.
Sweet, so my girlfriend actually was wrong?
Ha! It’s very possible. Despite its specific name, it still satisfies any plausible definition of a sandwich, so I count it as such. But, if I asked you to bring me a sandwich, and you brought me a hamburger when you could have brought me a Reuben, you would have slightly misled me.
That would be a total dick move—Reuben’s are the best. So, in terms of stereotypes, it seems like lobster rolls and hot dogs are pretty similar to each other.
Indeed, I have had many lobster rolls served inside many hot dog buns.
Right? But then why would people be more inclined to call a lobster roll a sandwich than a hot dog? Is it just because the classical image of a hot dog is more broadly recognized as a separate, unique structure?
I think it might also be because the history of the hot dog is different than the history of sandwiches as a whole. They almost exist on different temporal planes. When history’s first Frankfurter was made in Central Europe and stuck in a roll of bread, it was done outside the modern concept of a sandwich. So, yes, they likely are sandwiches, but only in the same sense that benches are also chairs.
Then in those terms, can sandwich-ness, at least for our purposes, only be examined in an American context? Like, in Scandinavia they predominantly eat open-faced sandwiches, which many Americans might not consider a sandwich at all. Is there any universal definition, or will the concept always be skewed across different cultures?
One of the issues that gets tricky is the relationship between the application of a word, and a concept, right? It often happens that a word gets used in such different ways that people are not prepared to think of the exact concept its describing. In Mark Wilson’s book Wandering Significance, which is one of the most aptly named books of our time, he discusses the history of the hazelnut and the filbert.
Wait, are they the same thing?
Aha! It turns out that from many perspectives, including from that of biologists and botanists, they are the same thing. But, there were social and economic reasons for North American growers to distinguish themselves from Europeans by changing the name of the crop. And they partially succeeded, to the extent that you had to ask, ‘are they the same thing?’
I feel really stupid. I thought filberts were a cheap knockoff of hazelnuts—like ‘krab with a k’ is to crab.
Don’t, the farmers who renamed the product were deliberately trying to confuse you. So with open-faced sandwiches, the fact that we use the term ‘sandwich’ may not mean that much. Remember that we still call forged checks ‘checks,’ even though they have the opposite utility. The fact that we’ve created a unique species for open-faced sandwiches might indicate that we don’t view them as a sandwich at all. After all, they lack the concept of betweenness that seems essential to sandwiches.
(I fold the open-faced sandwiches on top of each other) Boom. So now it’s just a sandwich, yeah?
Ha! And we see how fickle the differences really are! So this is really a case of ontology. All you’ve done is rolled one half of it over on the other; so, in essence, it’s the same object as it always was. How can a sandwich cease to be a sandwich with the flick of a finger?
Well that’s the idea that caused a coworker and I to start yelling at each other the other day. He ended up saying, “If I had a roast beef sandwich, and a gust of wind blew the top piece of bread off into a pile of dog shit, it doesn’t make it any less of a sandwich.” So then does intent come into play?
I think intention can matter in many concepts. And this is an interesting case with the roast beef sandwich. Certain things are constituted the way that they are because of the process used to produce them. But other things aren’t like that at all. For example, are phone books doorstops?
What’s a phone book?
I didn’t even know they still made phone books, but I received one in the mail the other day! Even though it has no more informational purpose because of smart phones and the internet, I still never would have told you ‘I received a door stop in the mail.’ So if somebody set out to make a pile of food that just happened to contain bread, and wasn’t at all concerned with it being a sandwich, then it likely wouldn’t be up for them to decide.
And that’s the case with a lot of BBQ. The meat’s served on a pile of Wonderbread, but there’s no intention of it being a sandwich.
Exactly! Even if you were to construct your own sandwich and eat it as such, it would be inaccurate to say that the pitmaster had been cooking up sandwiches all evening. That being said, I don’t think the maker has the final say. It’s not necessarily crucial for the person in charge of the raw materials to be the decision maker here. And this might matter in legal context. If you set out to not make a sandwich, and somehow the wind had blown all the ingredients together to resemble, say, a corned beef Reuben, despite your best intentions, would you still have to abide by sandwich law?
With that in mind, it seems like people have different motivations for defining certain categories and species. I know in New York, since all sandwiches are subject to sales tax, they go so far as to define burritos as sandwiches so they can be taxed as such.
That’s a general feature of language. When we use certain words we are either extending or contracting the associated concepts, partly by analogy. In legal contexts, this is often important. So if you have a prohibition against wheeled vehicles in Central Park, can that be extended to roller skates? You would first have to consider the question of why someone would want to prohibit them in the first place. If you’re afraid of people being run down, and you think of roller skates as being things capable of that, then you would rather assimilate them to the category of a wheeled vehicle rather than creating a separate law just for roller skates.
I had a buddy get a DUI for driving a motorized beer cooler at like 4 miles per hour, so that analogy hits close to home.
Similarly, you would have to think: What’s the point of a sandwich? Why do they exist? Well, you want something that’s easily carried, doesn’t require a plate, and that’s got its own packaging so to speak. So, from that unique perspective, you would be forced to look at the most base level of foods that satisfy those requirements. And so that standard for that word can only be defined by the purpose it is intended to satisfy.
So how far can we go until something can no longer be considered a sandwich? What’s the difference between an open-faced sandwich on unleavened crisp bread, and just a pile of loaded-up crackers?
I would think that if the crisp bread is small enough, it isn’t a sandwich. But, if it’s a hefty piece of crisp bread that contains a full meal, and I could carry it around, I don’t know that I would object to it being a sandwich. There would certainly be a bit of fuzziness around the edges, and if someone were to insist that it weren’t a sandwich, I wouldn’t necessarily throw rocks at them. Now, if someone were to spread peanut butter on a Ritz cracker and try to pass it off as a sandwich, they would have deviated too far fro our initial meaning and intentions.
Is there any way to more clearly define those parameters, or is it all based on intuition?
It’s not only intuition, but it’s also not a matter of pure legislation either. What happens is that we proceed outwardly from a central case through analogy. We start with a fuzzy area, and that fuzzy area can only get sharpened when we need to really focus on sharpening it. Let me ask you a question: When does the afternoon end?
Yeah, I’ve never had a good answer to that. Screw it, I’ll say 4:30, once you get to 4:31, you’re officially into evening.
Well, see, now I might think that the evening doesn’t start until 6:00. With many cases, unless the term has been artificially introduced for a specific purpose—like we see with the New York tax codes—I think all of our concepts have this character. They’ll have a penumbra, where you wouldn’t know what to say until you have to say it.
Well that time might as well be know. In front of us we have a ham sandwich, a lobster roll, a hot dog, a falafel pita, and an open-faced tartine—which of them are sandwiches?
I’d say all of them. Even the falafel—though I’m the most hesitant on that. It might go along the same lines of the Mexican taco, in that it predates the modern concept of a sandwich so much that it’s inappropriate to define it in those narrow terms. But I, personally, am still fully prepared to call it a sandwich.
Damn, that was way too simple. I wish I would have gotten more abstract and like thrown a Big Mac in a blender and spread it on a cracker or something.
That would certainly be something, but I don’t think that something would be a sandwich. Also, I would be very hesitant to eat it.
Well, lastly, Taco Bell now has an item that they’re calling a biscuit taco, which is just a folded-in-half biscuit with a glorified chicken nugget shoved inside. Is there any conceivable world in which that could be considered a taco?
If it should turn out that somewhere in Central Mexico people have been making biscuit tacos for quite some time—which I can neither confirm nor deny in full confidence—then it would be acceptable as a taco. But I don’t know that we can take Taco Bell’s word for it.
To be fair, Taco Bell is super autentico. Well, that’s all I got, unless you have any closing sandwich remarks that we haven’t covered.
Yeah, can I eat one of these? I haven’t had lunch and I have a class that starts in 20 minutes.
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Children Bring Parable of the Five Talents to Life at ‘Market Day’ Event
We were delighted to learn that Wilson Memorial Union Church in Watchung, New Jersey organized a Market Day for 4th-6th graders who had used the Five Talents Sunday School Curriculum. Can you believe it? They raised over $350!
"As the Minister of our church, I have to say I've never seen a program create as much excitement with the kids themselves as this one," said Reverend Barbara Peters. "I only wish I had experienced something similar during my time in Sunday School when I was young. And, our congregation was so supportive of all the children's efforts. It was memorable for them too!"
Here, Kim Nunn, who organized the Market Day and used the Sunday School curriculum, shares how it helped the children to apply the Bible to their lives and inspired them to raise money for women and men in Five Talents' micro-enterprise development programs:
Q: We understand that the Market Day your church organized was inspired by the Five Talents Sunday School curriculum. Can you explain how the event came about?
A: We were looking for more from our Sunday School curriculum and really wanted to get the kids "hands-on" in a multi-week program that would take their Bible lessons to a new level and show how they can apply the Bible in their lives. The stories for the upcoming weeks all included the theme of "poverty," so we chose that theme. I began looking for help online to build a program and found Five Talents! It was perfectly linked with what we wanted – and so flexible. It was perfect! I particularly loved that Five Talents does not just go in and provide people in need with a temporary gift of food or money, but rather teaches them to develop a business that can sustain them and their family for years to come.
Q: Would you recommend the curriculum to other churches or Sunday School programs? If so, why?
A: I would absolutely recommend this program to all Sunday School programs! Many curriculum options out there cover the Bible stories and reinforce with games, crafts, and activities, but nothing makes the Bible story "real" to them like a program, such as Five Talents. That is what really sparks the kids' interest – to touch them personally and enable them to make a "real" impact in this world. Also, in many programs, younger children are able to take part in activities like food pantry collections, coat sorting, and making medical kits. These are wonderful but lack the direct feeling of impact that Five Talents makes possible through the videos and stories of the actual people you are helping!
Q: The photos of the children using their talents to help micro-entrepreneurs are simply wonderful. Why do you think they had so much fun putting this together? Did any of the children mention "lessons learned" or takeaways from the experience?
A: Oh yes! Our children have never been so excited about coming to Sunday School, and attendance is up! We often talk about using our talents that God has given us to "make the world a better place," and I don't think they have had such a direct feeling of being able to do that as they did with the Market Day project. The opening lesson placing them in a "role" of poverty was very successful in making it "real," and they even connected with the people they were portraying. Having them create their own business plan and come up with a "product or service" helped them understand what the folks you help go through, and they really got into it and "felt it". They all came up with their own great products and services. Some of them even worked on them at home! The Church purchased all of the materials they needed to keep track of the budget and make it less work for the families outside of Sunday School. We linked the "Market Day" sale with the holiday season and our Advent Workshop and Potluck Supper, which was perfect and really helped their sales. The kids really ran the sale, managed the money, and monitored the products on their own. The boys who did the Puppet Show even sold advanced tickets and put a donation box outside the Sanctuary during the show. So clever! We were so impressed with them all and saw the "reward" they felt on their faces. If you could see their faces when we would watch the videos – they would ask, "Are those the actual people we are helping"?
Abby created and sold these lovely gift boxes. "It was nice to know that something I made could help someone else make something with their hands for themselves," she told Kim, adding, "I can't believe so many people wanted to buy my boxes!"
This is the "Hot Cocoa" table run by Nick, Doyle, Thomas, Calvin, and Robert.
Meredith and Melanie selling many "rainbow loom" items they – along with Jenna (not pictured) – made themselves. "What I liked most about this project was the fact that we were able to make people happy and help them," said Melanie.
Ben and Aaron came up with the idea of a "Twas the Night Before Christmas" puppet show that filled the pews! They sold $1 tickets in advance and had a donation box outside the sanctuary. "It feels really good that we made such a big impact," said Ben.
Taylor selling her live Terrariums. She came up with the idea herself and made them during Sunday School classes with the help of friends.
Tagged: Sunday School, Parable of Talents
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EUR-Lex - 02006R1907-20181201 - EN
Document 02006R1907-20181201
Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC (Text with EEA relevance)Text with EEA relevance
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2006/1907/2018-12-01
02006R1907 — EN — 01.12.2018 — 039.001
This text is meant purely as a documentation tool and has no legal effect. The Union's institutions do not assume any liability for its contents. The authentic versions of the relevant acts, including their preambles, are those published in the Official Journal of the European Union and available in EUR-Lex. Those official texts are directly accessible through the links embedded in this document
▼C1
REGULATION (EC) No 1907/2006 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL
of 18 December 2006
concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC
(Text with EEA relevance)
▼B
(OJ L 396 30.12.2006, p. 1)
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1354/2007 of 15 November 2007
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 987/2008 of 8 October 2008
REGULATION (EC) No 1272/2008 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 16 December 2008
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 134/2009 of 16 February 2009
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 552/2009 of 22 June 2009
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 276/2010 of 31 March 2010
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 453/2010 of 20 May 2010
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 143/2011 of 17 February 2011
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 207/2011 of 2 March 2011
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 366/2011 of 14 April 2011
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 109/2012 of 9 February 2012
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 835/2012 of 18 September 2012
COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) No 517/2013 of 13 May 2013
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 1272/2013 of 6 December 2013
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 474/2014 of 8 May 2014
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 895/2014 of 14 August 2014
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2015/282 of 20 February 2015
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2015/326 of 2 March 2015
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2015/628 of 22 April 2015
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2015/830 of 28 May 2015
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2015/1494 of 4 September 2015
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2016/26 of 13 January 2016
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2016/1005 of 22 June 2016
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2016/1688 of 20 September 2016
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2016/2235 of 12 December 2016
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2017/227 of 9 February 2017
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2017/999 of 13 June 2017
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2017/1510 of 30 August 2017
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2018/675 of 2 May 2018
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2018/1513 of 10 October 2018
Corrected by:
Corrigendum, OJ L 136, 29.5.2007, p. 3 (1907/2006)
Corrigendum, OJ L 141, 31.5.2008, p. 22 (1907/2006)
Corrigendum, OJ L 036, 5.2.2009, p. 84 (1907/2006)
Corrigendum, OJ L 049, 24.2.2011, p. 52 (143/2011)
Corrigendum, OJ L 136, 24.5.2011, p. 105 (494/2011)
Corrigendum, OJ L 102, 23.4.2018, p. 99 (2018/589)
Corrigendum, OJ L 249, 4.10.2018, p. 18 (2017/227)
Aim, scope and application
Definitions and general provision
REGISTRATION OF SUBSTANCES
General obligation to register and information requirements
Substances regarded as being registered
Obligation to register and information requirements for certain types of isolated intermediates
Common provisions for all registrations
Transitional provisions applicable to phase-in substances and notified substances
DATA SHARING AND AVOIDANCE OF UNNECESSARY TESTING
Objectives and general rules
Rules for non-phase-in substances and registrants of phase-in substances who have not pre-registered
Rules for phase-in-substances
TITLE IV
INFORMATION IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN
DOWNSTREAM USERS
Dossier evaluation
Evaluation of intermediates
Common provisions
Authorisation requirement
Granting of authorisations
Authorisations in the supply chain
TITLE VIII
RESTRICTIONS ON THE MANUFACTURING, PLACING ON THE MARKET AND USE OF CERTAIN DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES AND ►M3 MIXTURES ◄
Restrictions process
TITLE XII
TITLE XIII
COMPETENT AUTHORITIES
TITLE XIV
TITLE XV
TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS
ANNEX I
GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR ASSESSING SUBSTANCES AND PREPARING CHEMICAL SAFETY REPORTS
ANNEX II
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COMPILATION OF SAFETY DATA SHEETS
ANNEX III
CRITERIA FOR SUBSTANCES REGISTERED IN QUANTITIES BETWEEN 1 AND 10 TONNES
ANNEX IV
EXEMPTIONS FROM THE OBLIGATION TO REGISTER IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 2(7)(a)
ANNEX V
EXEMPTIONS FROM THE OBLIGATION TO REGISTER IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 2(7)(b)
ANNEX VI
INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 10
ANNEX VII
STANDARD INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBSTANCES MANUFACTURED OR IMPORTED IN QUANTITIES OF ONE TONNE OR MORE
ANNEX VIII
STANDARD INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBSTANCES MANUFACTURED OR IMPORTED IN QUANTITIES OF 10 TONNES OR MORE
ANNEX IX
STANDARD INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBSTANCES MANUFACTURED OR IMPORTED IN QUANTITIES OF 100 TONNES OR MORE
ANNEX X
STANDARD INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBSTANCES MANUFACTURED OR IMPORTED IN QUANTITIES OF 1 000 TONNES OR MORE
ANNEX XI
GENERAL RULES FOR ADAPTATION OF THE STANDARD TESTING REGIME SET OUT IN ANNEXES VII TO X
ANNEX XII
GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR DOWNSTREAM USERS TO ASSESS SUBSTANCES AND PREPARE CHEMICAL SAFETY REPORTS
ANNEX XIII
CRITERIA FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF PERSISTENT, BIOACCUMULATIVE AND TOXIC SUBSTANCES, AND VERY PERSISTENT AND VERY BIOACCUMULATIVE SUBSTANCES
ANNEX XIV
LIST OF SUBSTANCES SUBJECT TO AUTHORISATION
ANNEX XV
ANNEX XVI
SOCIO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ANNEX XVII
RESTRICTIONS ON THE MANUFACTURE, PLACING ON THE MARKET AND USE OF CERTAIN DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES, MIXTURES AND ARTICLES
1. The purpose of this Regulation is to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment, including the promotion of alternative methods for assessment of hazards of substances, as well as the free circulation of substances on the internal market while enhancing competitiveness and innovation.
2. This Regulation lays down provisions on substances and ►M3 mixtures ◄ within the meaning of Article 3. These provisions shall apply to the manufacture, placing on the market or use of such substances on their own, in ►M3 mixtures ◄ or in articles and to the placing on the market of ►M3 mixtures ◄ .
3. This Regulation is based on the principle that it is for manufacturers, importers and downstream users to ensure that they manufacture, place on the market or use such substances that do not adversely affect human health or the environment. Its provisions are underpinned by the precautionary principle.
1. This Regulation shall not apply to:
(a) radioactive substances within the scope of Council Directive 96/29/Euratom of 13 May 1996 laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation ( 1 );
(b) substances, on their own, in a ►M3 mixture ◄ or in an article, which are subject to customs supervision, provided that they do not undergo any treatment or processing, and which are in temporary storage, or in a free zone or free warehouse with a view to re-exportation, or in transit;
(c) non-isolated intermediates;
(d) the carriage of dangerous substances and dangerous substances in dangerous ►M3 mixtures ◄ by rail, road, inland waterway, sea or air.
2. Waste as defined in Directive 2006/12/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 2 ) is not a substance, ►M3 mixture ◄ or article within the meaning of Article 3 of this Regulation.
3. Member States may allow for exemptions from this Regulation in specific cases for certain substances, on their own, in a ►M3 mixture ◄ or in an article, where necessary in the interests of defence.
4. This Regulation shall apply without prejudice to:
(a) Community workplace and environmental legislation, including Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work ( 3 ), Council Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control ( 4 ); Directive 98/24/EC, Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy ( 5 ) and Directive 2004/37/EC;
(b) Directive 76/768/EEC as regards testing involving vertebrate animals within the scope of that Directive.
5. The provisions of Titles II, V, VI and VII shall not apply to the extent that a substance is used:
(a) in medicinal products for human or veterinary use within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 726/2004, Directive 2001/82/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to veterinary medicinal products ( 6 ) and Directive 2001/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use ( 7 );
(b) in food or feedingstuffs in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 including use:
(i) as a food additive in foodstuffs within the scope of Council Directive 89/107/EEC of 21 December 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning food additives authorised for use in foodstuffs intended for human consumption ( 8 );
(ii) as a flavouring in foodstuffs within the scope of Council Directive 88/388/EEC of 22 June 1988 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to flavourings for use in foodstuffs and to source materials for their production ( 9 ) and Commission Decision 1999/217/EC of 23 February 1999 adopting a register of flavouring substances used in or on foodstuffs drawn up in application of Regulation (EC) No 2232/96 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 10 );
(iii) as an additive in feedingstuffs within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on additives for use in animal nutrition ( 11 );
(iv) in animal nutrition within the scope of Council Directive 82/471/EEC of 30 June 1982 concerning certain products used in animal nutrition ( 12 ).
6. The provisions of Title IV shall not apply to the following ►M3 mixtures ◄ in the finished state, intended for the final user:
(a) medicinal products for human or veterinary use, within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 and Directive 2001/82/EC and as defined in Directive 2001/83/EC;
(b) cosmetic products as defined in Directive 76/768/EEC;
(c) medical devices which are invasive or used in direct physical contact with the human body in so far as Community measures lay down provisions for the classification and labelling of dangerous substances and ►M3 mixtures ◄ which ensure the same level of information provision and protection as Directive 1999/45/EC;
(d) food or feedingstuffs in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 including use:
(i) as a food additive in foodstuffs within the scope of Directive 89/107/EEC;
(ii) as a flavouring in foodstuffs within the scope of Directive 88/388/EEC and Decision 1999/217/EC;
(iii) as an additive in feedingstuffs within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 1831/2003;
(iv) in animal nutrition within the scope of Directive 82/471/EEC.
7. The following shall be exempted from Titles II, V and VI:
(a) substances included in Annex IV, as sufficient information is known about these substances that they are considered to cause minimum risk because of their intrinsic properties;
(b) substances covered by Annex V, as registration is deemed inappropriate or unnecessary for these substances and their exemption from these Titles does not prejudice the objectives of this Regulation;
(c) substances on their own or in ►M3 mixtures ◄ , registered in accordance with Title II, exported from the Community by an actor in the supply chain and re-imported into the Community by the same or another actor in the same supply chain who shows that:
(i) the substance being re-imported is the same as the exported substance;
(ii) he has been provided with the information in accordance with Articles 31 or 32 relating to the exported substance;
(d) substances, on their own, in ►M3 mixtures ◄ or in articles, which have been registered in accordance with Title II and which are recovered in the Community if:
(i) the substance that results from the recovery process is the same as the substance that has been registered in accordance with Title II; and
(ii) the information required by Articles 31 or 32 relating to the substance that has been registered in accordance with Title II is available to the establishment undertaking the recovery.
8. On-site isolated intermediates and transported isolated intermediates shall be exempted from:
(a) Chapter 1 of Title II, with the exception of Articles 8 and 9; and
(b) Title VII.
9. The provisions of Titles II and VI shall not apply to polymers.
For the purposes of this Regulation:
1. substance: means a chemical element and its compounds in the natural state or obtained by any manufacturing process, including any additive necessary to preserve its stability and any impurity deriving from the process used, but excluding any solvent which may be separated without affecting the stability of the substance or changing its composition;
2. ►M3 mixture ◄ : means a mixture or solution composed of two or more substances;
3. article: means an object which during production is given a special shape, surface or design which determines its function to a greater degree than does its chemical composition;
4. producer of an article: means any natural or legal person who makes or assembles an article within the Community;
5. polymer: means a substance consisting of molecules characterised by the sequence of one or more types of monomer units. Such molecules must be distributed over a range of molecular weights wherein differences in the molecular weight are primarily attributable to differences in the number of monomer units. A polymer comprises the following:
(a) a simple weight majority of molecules containing at least three monomer units which are covalently bound to at least one other monomer unit or other reactant;
(b) less than a simple weight majority of molecules of the same molecular weight.
In the context of this definition a ‘monomer unit’ means the reacted form of a monomer substance in a polymer;
6. monomer: means a substance which is capable of forming covalent bonds with a sequence of additional like or unlike molecules under the conditions of the relevant polymer-forming reaction used for the particular process;
7. registrant: means the manufacturer or the importer of a substance or the producer or importer of an article submitting a registration for a substance;
8. manufacturing: means production or extraction of substances in the natural state;
9. manufacturer: means any natural or legal person established within the Community who manufactures a substance within the Community;
10. import: means the physical introduction into the customs territory of the Community;
11. importer: means any natural or legal person established within the Community who is responsible for import;
12. placing on the market: means supplying or making available, whether in return for payment or free of charge, to a third party. Import shall be deemed to be placing on the market;
13. downstream user: means any natural or legal person established within the Community, other than the manufacturer or the importer, who uses a substance, either on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ , in the course of his industrial or professional activities. A distributor or a consumer is not a downstream user. A re-importer exempted pursuant to Article 2(7)(c) shall be regarded as a downstream user;
14. distributor: means any natural or legal person established within the Community, including a retailer, who only stores and places on the market a substance, on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ , for third parties;
15. intermediate: means a substance that is manufactured for and consumed in or used for chemical processing in order to be transformed into another substance (hereinafter referred to as synthesis):
(a) non-isolated intermediate: means an intermediate that during synthesis is not intentionally removed (except for sampling) from the equipment in which the synthesis takes place. Such equipment includes the reaction vessel, its ancillary equipment, and any equipment through which the substance(s) pass(es) during a continuous flow or batch process as well as the pipework for transfer from one vessel to another for the purpose of the next reaction step, but it excludes tanks or other vessels in which the substance(s) are stored after the manufacture;
(b) on-site isolated intermediate: means an intermediate not meeting the criteria of a non-isolated intermediate and where the manufacture of the intermediate and the synthesis of (an)other substance(s) from that intermediate take place on the same site, operated by one or more legal entities;
(c) transported isolated intermediate: means an intermediate not meeting the criteria of a non-isolated intermediate and transported between or supplied to other sites;
16. site: means a single location, in which, if there is more than one manufacturer of (a) substance(s), certain infrastructure and facilities are shared;
17. actors in the supply chain: means all manufacturers and/or importers and/or downstream users in a supply chain;
18. Agency: means the European Chemicals Agency as established by this Regulation;
19. competent authority: means the authority or authorities or bodies established by the Member States to carry out the obligations arising from this Regulation;
20. phase-in substance: means a substance which meets at least one of the following criteria:
(a) it is listed in the European Inventory of Existing Commercial Chemical Substances (EINECS);
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(b) it was manufactured in the Community, or in the countries acceding to the European Union on 1 January 1995, on 1 May 2004, on 1 January 2007 or on 1 July 2013, but not placed on the market by the manufacturer or importer, at least once in the 15 years before the entry into force of this Regulation, provided the manufacturer or importer has documentary evidence of this;
(c) it was placed on the market in the Community, or in the countries acceding to the European Union on 1 January 1995, on 1 May 2004, on 1 January 2007 or on 1 July 2013, by the manufacturer or importer before the entry into force of this Regulation and it was considered as having been notified in accordance with the first indent of Article 8(1) of Directive 67/548/EEC in the version of Article 8(1) resulting from the amendment effected by Directive 79/831/EEC, but it does not meet the definition of a polymer as set out in this Regulation, provided the manufacturer or importer has documentary evidence of this, including proof that the substance was placed on the market by any manufacturer or importer between 18 September 1981 and 31 October 1993 inclusive;
21. notified substance: means a substance for which a notification has been submitted and which could be placed on the market in accordance with Directive 67/548/EEC;
22. product and process orientated research and development: means any scientific development related to product development or the further development of a substance, on its own, in ►M3 mixtures ◄ or in articles in the course of which pilot plant or production trials are used to develop the production process and/or to test the fields of application of the substance;
23. scientific research and development: means any scientific experimentation, analysis or chemical research carried out under controlled conditions in a volume less than one tonne per year;
24. use: means any processing, formulation, consumption, storage, keeping, treatment, filling into containers, transfer from one container to another, mixing, production of an article or any other utilisation;
25. registrant's own use: means an industrial or professional use by the registrant;
26. identified use: means a use of a substance on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ , or a use of a ►M3 mixture ◄ , that is intended by an actor in the supply chain, including his own use, or that is made known to him in writing by an immediate downstream user;
27. full study report: means a complete and comprehensive description of the activity performed to generate the information. This covers the complete scientific paper as published in the literature describing the study performed or the full report prepared by the test house describing the study performed;
28. robust study summary: means a detailed summary of the objectives, methods, results and conclusions of a full study report providing sufficient information to make an independent assessment of the study minimising the need to consult the full study report;
29. study summary: means a summary of the objectives, methods, results and conclusions of a full study report providing sufficient information to make an assessment of the relevance of the study;
30. per year: means per calendar year, unless stated otherwise, for phase-in substances that have been imported or manufactured for at least three consecutive years, quantities per year shall be calculated on the basis of the average production or import volumes for the three preceding calendar years;
31. restriction: means any condition for or prohibition of the manufacture, use or placing on the market;
32. supplier of a substance or a ►M3 mixture ◄ : means any manufacturer, importer, downstream user or distributor placing on the market a substance, on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ , or a ►M3 mixture ◄ ;
33. supplier of an article: means any producer or importer of an article, distributor or other actor in the supply chain placing an article on the market;
34. recipient of a substance or a ►M3 mixture ◄ : means a downstream user or a distributor being supplied with a substance or a ►M3 mixture ◄ ;
35. recipient of an article: means an industrial or professional user, or a distributor, being supplied with an article but does not include consumers;
36. SME: means small and medium-sized enterprises as defined in the Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003 concerning the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises ( 13 );
37. exposure scenario: means the set of conditions, including operational conditions and risk management measures, that describe how the substance is manufactured or used during its life-cycle and how the manufacturer or importer controls, or recommends downstream users to control, exposures of humans and the environment. These exposure scenarios may cover one specific process or use or several processes or uses as appropriate;
38. use and exposure category: means an exposure scenario covering a wide range of processes or uses, where the processes or uses are communicated, as a minimum, in terms of the brief general description of use;
39. substances which occur in nature: means a naturally occurring substance as such, unprocessed or processed only by manual, mechanical or gravitational means, by dissolution in water, by flotation, by extraction with water, by steam distillation or by heating solely to remove water, or which is extracted from air by any means;
40. not chemically modified substance: means a substance whose chemical structure remains unchanged, even if it has undergone a chemical process or treatment, or a physical mineralogical transformation, for instance to remove impurities;
41. alloy: means a metallic material, homogenous on a macroscopic scale, consisting of two or more elements so combined that they cannot be readily separated by mechanical means.
General provision
Any manufacturer, importer, or where relevant downstream user, may, whilst retaining full responsibility for complying with his obligations under this Regulation, appoint a third party representative for all proceedings under Article 11, Article 19, Title III and Article 53 involving discussions with other manufacturers, importers, or where relevant downstream users. In these cases, the identity of a manufacturer or importer or downstream user who has appointed a representative shall not normally be disclosed by the Agency to other manufacturers, importers, or, where relevant, downstream users.
No data, no market
Subject to Articles 6, 7, 21 and 23, substances on their own, in ►M3 mixtures ◄ or in articles shall not be manufactured in the Community or placed on the market unless they have been registered in accordance with the relevant provisions of this Title where this is required.
General obligation to register substances on their own or in ►M3 mixtures ◄
1. Save where this Regulation provides otherwise, any manufacturer or importer of a substance, either on its own or in one or more ►M3 mixture ◄ (s), in quantities of one tonne or more per year shall submit a registration to the Agency.
2. For monomers that are used as on-site isolated intermediates or transported isolated intermediates, Articles 17 and 18 shall not apply.
3. Any manufacturer or importer of a polymer shall submit a registration to the Agency for the monomer substance(s) or any other substance(s), that have not already been registered by an actor up the supply chain, if both the following conditions are met:
(a) the polymer consists of 2 % weight by weight (w/w) or more of such monomer substance(s) or other substance(s) in the form of monomeric units and chemically bound substance(s);
(b) the total quantity of such monomer substance(s) or other substance(s) makes up one tonne or more per year.
4. A submission for registration shall be accompanied by the fee required in accordance with Title IX.
Registration and notification of substances in articles
1. Any producer or importer of articles shall submit a registration to the Agency for any substance contained in those articles, if both the following conditions are met:
(a) the substance is present in those articles in quantities totalling over one tonne per producer or importer per year;
(b) the substance is intended to be released under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use.
A submission for registration shall be accompanied by the fee required in accordance with Title IX.
2. Any producer or importer of articles shall notify the Agency, in accordance with paragraph 4 of this Article, if a substance meets the criteria in Article 57 and is identified in accordance with Article 59(1), if both the following conditions are met:
(b) the substance is present in those articles above a concentration of 0,1 % weight by weight (w/w).
3. Paragraph 2 shall not apply where the producer or importer can exclude exposure to humans or the environment during normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use including disposal. In such cases, the producer or importer shall supply appropriate instructions to the recipient of the article.
4. The information to be notified shall include the following:
(a) the identity and contact details of the producer or importer as specified in section 1 of Annex VI, with the exception of their own use sites;
(b) the registration number(s) referred to in Article 20(1), if available;
(c) the identity of the substance as specified in sections 2.1 to 2.3.4 of Annex VI;
(d) the classification of the substance(s) as specified in sections 4.1 and 4.2 of Annex VI;
(e) a brief description of the use(s) of the substance(s) in the article as specified in section 3.5 of Annex VI and of the uses of the article(s);
(f) the tonnage range of the substance(s), such as 1 to 10 tonnes, 10 to 100 tonnes and so on.
5. The Agency may take decisions requiring producers or importers of articles to submit a registration, in accordance with this Title, for any substance in those articles, if all the following conditions are met:
(b) the Agency has grounds for suspecting that:
(i) the substance is released from the articles, and
(ii) the release of the substance from the articles presents a risk to human health or the environment;
(c) the substance is not subject to paragraph 1.
6. Paragraphs 1 to 5 shall not apply to substances that have already been registered for that use.
7. From 1 June 2011 paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of this Article shall apply six months after a substance is identified in accordance with Article 59(1).
8. Any measures for the implementation of paragraphs 1 to 7 shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(3).
Only representative of a non-Community manufacturer
1. A natural or legal person established outside the Community who manufactures a substance on its own, in ►M3 mixtures ◄ or in articles, formulates a ►M3 mixture ◄ or produces an article that is imported into the Community may by mutual agreement appoint a natural or legal person established in the Community to fulfil, as his only representative, the obligations on importers under this Title.
2. The representative shall also comply with all other obligations of importers under this Regulation. To this end, he shall have a sufficient background in the practical handling of substances and the information related to them and, without prejudice to Article 36, shall keep available and up-to-date information on quantities imported and customers sold to, as well as information on the supply of the latest update of the safety data sheet referred to in Article 31.
3. If a representative is appointed in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2, the non-Community manufacturer shall inform the importer(s) within the same supply chain of the appointment. These importers shall be regarded as downstream users for the purposes of this Regulation.
Exemption from the general obligation to register for product and process orientated research and development (PPORD)
1. Articles 5, 6, 7, 17, 18 and 21 shall not apply for a period of five years to a substance manufactured in the Community or imported for the purposes of product and process orientated research and development by a manufacturer or importer or producer of articles, by himself or in cooperation with listed customers and in a quantity which is limited to the purpose of product and process orientated research and development.
2. For the purpose of paragraph 1, the manufacturer or importer or producer of articles shall notify the Agency of the following information:
(a) the identity of the manufacturer or importer or producer of articles as specified in section 1 of Annex VI;
(b) the identity of the substance, as specified in section 2 of Annex VI;
(c) the classification of the substance as specified in section 4 of Annex VI, if any;
(d) the estimated quantity as specified in section 3.1 of Annex VI;
(e) the list of customers referred to in paragraph 1, including their names and addresses.
The notification shall be accompanied by the fee required in accordance with Title IX.
The period set out in paragraph 1 shall begin at receipt of the notification at the Agency.
3. The Agency shall check the completeness of the information supplied by the notifier and Article 20(2) shall apply adapted as necessary. The Agency shall assign a number to the notification and a notification date, which shall be the date of receipt of the notification at the Agency, and shall forthwith communicate that number and date to the manufacturer, or importer, or producer of articles concerned. The Agency shall also communicate this information to the competent authority of the Member State(s) concerned.
4. The Agency may decide to impose conditions with the aim of ensuring that the substance or the ►M3 mixture ◄ or article in which the substance is incorporated will be handled only by staff of listed customers as referred to in paragraph 2(e) in reasonably controlled conditions, in accordance with the requirements of legislation for the protection of workers and the environment, and will not be made available to the general public at any time either on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ or article and that remaining quantities will be re-collected for disposal after the exemption period.
In such cases, the Agency may ask the notifier to provide additional necessary information.
5. In the absence of any indication to the contrary, the manufacturer or importer of the substance or the producer or importer of articles may manufacture or import the substance or produce or import the articles not earlier than two weeks after the notification.
6. The manufacturer or importer or producer of articles shall comply with any conditions imposed by the Agency in accordance with paragraph 4.
7. The Agency may decide to extend the five-year exemption period by a further maximum of five years or, in the case of substances to be used exclusively in the development of medicinal products for human or veterinary use, or for substances that are not placed on the market, for a further maximum of ten years, upon request if the manufacturer or importer or producer of articles can demonstrate that such an extension is justified by the research and development programme.
8. The Agency shall forthwith communicate any draft decisions to the competent authorities of each Member State in which the manufacture, import, production or product and process orientated research takes place.
When taking decisions as provided for in paragraphs 4 and 7, the Agency shall take into account any comments made by such competent authorities.
9. The Agency and the competent authorities of the Member States concerned shall always keep confidential the information submitted in accordance with paragraphs 1 to 8.
10. An appeal may be brought, in accordance with Articles 91, 92 and 93, against Agency decisions under paragraphs 4 and 7 of this Article.
Information to be submitted for general registration purposes
A registration required by Article 6 or by Article 7(1) or (5) shall include all the following information:
(a) a technical dossier including:
(i) the identity of the manufacturer(s) or importer(s) as specified in section 1 of Annex VI;
(ii) the identity of the substance as specified in section 2 of Annex VI;
(iii) information on the manufacture and use(s) of the substance as specified in section 3 of Annex VI; this information shall represent all the registrant's identified use(s). This information may include, if the registrant deems appropriate, the relevant use and exposure categories;
(iv) the classification and labelling of the substance as specified in section 4 of Annex VI;
(v) guidance on safe use of the substance as specified in Section 5 of Annex VI;
(vi) study summaries of the information derived from the application of Annexes VII to XI;
(vii) robust study summaries of the information derived from the application of Annexes VII to XI, if required under Annex I;
(viii) an indication as to which of the information submitted under (iii), (iv), (vi), (vii) or subparagraph (b) has been reviewed by an assessor chosen by the manufacturer or importer and having appropriate experience;
(ix) proposals for testing where listed in Annexes IX and X;
(x) for substances in quantities of 1 to 10 tonnes, exposure information as specified in section 6 of Annex VI;
(xi) a request as to which of the information in Article 119(2) the manufacturer or importer considers should not be made available on the Internet in accordance with Article 77(2)(e), including a justification as to why publication could be harmful for his or any other concerned party's commercial interests.
Except in cases covered under Article 25(3), Article 27(6) or Article 30(3), the registrant shall be in legitimate possession of or have permission to refer to the full study report summarised under (vi) and (vii) for the purpose of registration;
(b) a chemical safety report when required under Article 14, in the format specified in Annex I. The relevant sections of this report may include, if the registrant considers appropriate, the relevant use and exposure categories.
Joint submission of data by multiple registrants
1. When a substance is intended to be manufactured in the Community by one or more manufacturers and/or imported by one or more importers, and/or is subject to registration under Article 7, the following shall apply.
Subject to paragraph 3, the information specified in Article 10(a)(iv), (vi), (vii) and (ix), and any relevant indication under Article 10(a)(viii) shall first be submitted by the one registrant acting with the agreement of the other assenting registrant(s) (hereinafter referred to as the lead registrant).
Each registrant shall subsequently submit separately the information specified in Article 10(a)(i), (ii), (iii) and (x), and any relevant indication under Article 10(a)(viii).
The registrants may decide themselves whether to submit the information specified in Article 10(a)(v) and (b) and any relevant indication under Article 10(a)(viii) separately or whether one registrant is to submit this information on behalf of the others.
2. Each registrant need only comply with paragraph 1 for items of information specified in Article 10(a)(iv), (vi), (vii) and (ix) that are required for the purposes of registration within his tonnage band in accordance with Article 12.
3. A registrant may submit the information referred to in Article 10(a)(iv), (vi), (vii) or (ix) separately if:
(a) it would be disproportionately costly for him to submit this information jointly; or
(b) submitting the information jointly would lead to disclosure of information which he considers to be commercially sensitive and is likely to cause him substantial commercial detriment; or
(c) he disagrees with the lead registrant on the selection of this information.
If points (a), (b) or (c) apply, the registrant shall submit, along with the dossier, an explanation as to why the costs would be disproportionate, why disclosure of information was likely to lead to substantial commercial detriment or the nature of the disagreement, as the case may be.
Information to be submitted depending on tonnage
1. The technical dossier referred to in Article 10(a) shall include under points (vi) and (vii) of that provision all physicochemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological information that is relevant and available to the registrant and as a minimum the following:
(a) the information specified in Annex VII for non-phase-in substances, and for phase-in substances meeting one or both of the criteria specified in Annex III, manufactured or imported in quantities of one tonne or more per year per manufacturer or importer;
(b) the information on physicochemical properties specified in Annex VII, section 7 for phase-in substances manufactured or imported in quantities of one tonne or more per year per manufacturer or importer which do not meet either of the criteria specified in Annex III;
(c) the information specified in Annexes VII and VIII for substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 10 tonnes or more per year per manufacturer or importer;
(d) the information specified in Annexes VII and VIII and testing proposals for the provision of the information specified in Annex IX for substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 100 tonnes or more per year per manufacturer or importer;
(e) the information specified in Annexes VII and VIII and testing proposals for the provision of the information specified in Annexes IX and X for substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 1 000 tonnes or more per year per manufacturer or importer.
2. As soon as the quantity of a substance per manufacturer or importer that has already been registered reaches the next tonnage threshold, the manufacturer or importer shall inform the Agency immediately of the additional information he would require under paragraph 1. Article 26(3) and (4) shall apply adapted as necessary.
3. This Article shall apply to producers of articles adapted as necessary.
General requirements for generation of information on intrinsic properties of substances
1. Information on intrinsic properties of substances may be generated by means other than tests, provided that the conditions set out in Annex XI are met. In particular for human toxicity, information shall be generated whenever possible by means other than vertebrate animal tests, through the use of alternative methods, for example, in vitro methods or qualitative or quantitative structure-activity relationship models or from information from structurally related substances (grouping or read-across). Testing in accordance with Annex VIII, Sections 8.6 and 8.7, Annex IX and Annex X may be omitted where justified by information on exposure and implemented risk management measures as specified in Annex XI, section 3.
2. These methods shall be regularly reviewed and improved with a view to reducing testing on vertebrate animals and the number of animals involved. The Commission, following consultation with relevant stakeholders, shall, as soon as possible, make a proposal, if appropriate, to amend the Commission Regulation on test methods adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(4), and the Annexes of this Regulation, if relevant, so as to replace, reduce or refine animal testing. Amendments to that Commission Regulation shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure specified in paragraph 3 and amendments to the Annexes of this Regulation shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 131.
3. Where tests on substances are required to generate information on intrinsic properties of substances, they shall be conducted in accordance with the test methods laid down in a Commission Regulation or in accordance with other international test methods recognised by the Commission or the Agency as being appropriate. The Commission shall adopt that Regulation, designed to amend the non-essential elements of this Regulation by supplementing it, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(4).
Information on intrinsic properties of substances may be generated in accordance with other test methods provided that the conditions set out in Annex XI are met.
4. Ecotoxicological and toxicological tests and analyses shall be carried out in compliance with the principles of good laboratory practice provided for in Directive 2004/10/EC or other international standards recognised as being equivalent by the Commission or the Agency and with the provisions of Directive 86/609/EEC, if applicable.
5. If a substance has already been registered, a new registrant shall be entitled to refer to the study summaries or robust study summaries, for the same substance submitted earlier, provided that he can show that the substance that he is now registering is the same as the one previously registered, including the degree of purity and the nature of impurities, and that the previous registrant(s) have given permission to refer to the full study reports for the purpose of registration.
A new registrant shall not refer to such studies in order to provide the information required in Section 2 of Annex VI.
Chemical safety report and duty to apply and recommend risk reduction measures
1. Without prejudice to Article 4 of Directive 98/24/EC, a chemical safety assessment shall be performed and a chemical safety report completed for all substances subject to registration in accordance with this Chapter in quantities of 10 tonnes or more per year per registrant.
The chemical safety report shall document the chemical safety assessment which shall be conducted in accordance with paragraphs 2 to 7 and with Annex I for either each substance on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ or in an article or a group of substances.
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2. A chemical safety assessment in accordance with paragraph 1 need not be performed for a substance which is present in a mixture if the concentration of the substance in the mixture is less than:
(a) the cut-off value referred to in Article 11, paragraph 3 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008;
(b) 0,1 % weight by weight (w/w), if the substance meets the criteria in Annex XIII to this Regulation.
3. A chemical safety assessment of a substance shall include the following steps:
(a) human health hazard assessment;
(b) physicochemical hazard assessment;
(c) environmental hazard assessment;
(d) persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) and very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) assessment.
4. If, as a result of carrying out steps (a) to (d) of paragraph 3, the registrant concludes that the substance fulfils the criteria for any of the following hazard classes or categories set out in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008:
(a) hazard classes 2.1 to 2.4, 2.6 and 2.7, 2.8 types A and B, 2.9, 2.10, 2.12, 2.13 categories 1 and 2, 2.14 categories 1 and 2, 2.15 types A to F;
(b) hazard classes 3.1 to 3.6, 3.7 adverse effects on sexual function and fertility or on development, 3.8 effects other than narcotic effects, 3.9 and 3.10;
(c) hazard class 4.1;
(d) hazard class 5.1,
or is assessed to be a PBT or vPvB, the chemical safety assessment shall include the following additional steps:
(a) exposure assessment including the generation of exposure scenario(s) (or the identification of relevant use and exposure categories if appropriate) and exposure estimation;
(b) risk characterisation.
The exposure scenarios (where appropriate the use and exposure categories), exposure assessment and risk characterisation shall address all identified uses of the registrant.
5. The chemical safety report need not include consideration of the risks to human health from the following end uses:
(a) in food contact materials within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 October 2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food ( 14 );
(b) in cosmetic products within the scope of Directive 76/768/EEC.
6. Any registrant shall identify and apply the appropriate measures to adequately control the risks identified in the chemical safety assessment, and where suitable, recommend them in the safety data sheets which he supplies in accordance with Article 31.
7. Any registrant required to conduct a chemical safety assessment shall keep his chemical safety report available and up to date.
Substances in plant protection and biocidal products
1. Active substances and co-formulants manufactured or imported for use in plant protection products only and included either in Annex I to Council Directive 91/414/EEC ( 15 ) or in Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92 ( 16 ), Commission Regulation (EC) No 703/2001 ( 17 ), Commission Regulation (EC) No 1490/2002 ( 18 ), or Commission Decision 2003/565/EC ( 19 ) and for any substance for which a Commission Decision on the completeness of the dossier has been taken pursuant to Article 6 of Directive 91/414/EEC shall be regarded as being registered and the registration as completed for manufacture or import for the use as a plant protection product and therefore as fulfilling the requirements of Chapters 1 and 5 of this Title.
2. Active substances manufactured or imported for use in biocidal products only and included either in Annexes I, IA or IB to Directive 98/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 1998 concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market ( 20 ) or in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2032/2003 ( 21 ) on the second phase of the 10-year work programme referred to in Article 16(2) of Directive 98/8/EC, until the date of the decision referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 16(2) of Directive 98/8/EC, shall be regarded as being registered and the registration as completed for manufacture or import for the use in a biocidal product and therefore as fulfilling the requirements of Chapters 1 and 5 of this Title.
Duties of the Commission, the Agency and registrants of substances regarded as being registered
1. The Commission or the relevant Community body shall make information equivalent to that required by Article 10 available to the Agency for substances regarded as registered according to Article 15. The Agency shall include this information or a reference thereto in its databases and notify the competent authorities thereof by 1 December 2008.
2. Articles 21, 22 and 25 to 28 shall not apply to uses of substances regarded as registered according to Article 15.
Registration of on-site isolated intermediates
1. Any manufacturer of an on-site isolated intermediate in quantities of one tonne or more per year shall submit a registration to the Agency for the on-site isolated intermediate.
2. A registration for an on-site isolated intermediate shall include all the following information, to the extent that the manufacturer is able to submit it without any additional testing:
(a) the identity of the manufacturer as specified in Section 1 of Annex VI;
(b) the identity of the intermediate as specified in Sections 2.1 to 2.3.4 of Annex VI;
(c) the classification of the intermediate as specified in Section 4 of Annex VI;
(d) any available existing information on physicochemical, human health or environmental properties of the intermediate. Where a full study report is available, a study summary shall be submitted;
(e) a brief general description of the use, as specified in Section 3.5 of Annex VI;
(f) details of the risk management measures applied.
Except in cases covered under Article 25(3), Article 27(6) or Article 30(3), the registrant shall be in legitimate possession of or have permission to refer to the full study report summarised under (d) for the purpose of registration.
The registration shall be accompanied by the fee required in accordance with Title IX.
3. Paragraph 2 shall apply only to on-site isolated intermediates if the manufacturer confirms that the substance is only manufactured and used under strictly controlled conditions in that it is rigorously contained by technical means during its whole lifecycle. Control and procedural technologies shall be used to minimise emission and any resulting exposure.
If these conditions are not fulfilled, the registration shall include the information specified in Article 10.
Registration of transported isolated intermediates
1. Any manufacturer or importer of a transported isolated intermediate in quantities of one tonne or more per year shall submit a registration to the Agency for the transported isolated intermediate.
2. A registration for a transported isolated intermediate shall include all the following information:
(a) the identity of the manufacturer or importer as specified in Section 1 of Annex VI;
(f) information on risk management measures applied and recommended to the user in accordance with paragraph 4.
3. A registration for a transported isolated intermediate in quantities of more than 1 000 tonnes per year per manufacturer or importer shall include the information specified in Annex VII in addition to the information required under paragraph 2.
For the generation of this information, Article 13 shall apply.
4. Paragraphs 2 and 3 shall apply only to transported isolated intermediates if the manufacturer or importer confirms himself or states that he has received confirmation from the user that the synthesis of (an)other substance(s) from that intermediate takes place on other sites under the following strictly controlled conditions:
(a) the substance is rigorously contained by technical means during its whole lifecycle including manufacture, purification, cleaning and maintenance of equipment, sampling, analysis, loading and unloading of equipment or vessels, waste disposal or purification and storage;
(b) procedural and control technologies shall be used that minimise emission and any resulting exposure;
(c) only properly trained and authorised personnel handle the substance;
(d) in the case of cleaning and maintenance works, special procedures such as purging and washing are applied before the system is opened and entered;
(e) in cases of accident and where waste is generated, procedural and/or control technologies are used to minimise emissions and the resulting exposure during purification or cleaning and maintenance procedures;
(f) substance-handling procedures are well documented and strictly supervised by the site operator.
If the conditions listed in the first subparagraph are not fulfilled, the registration shall include the information specified in Article 10.
Joint submission of data on isolated intermediates by multiple registrants
1. When an on-site isolated intermediate or transported isolated intermediate is intended to be manufactured in the Community by one or more manufacturers and/or imported by one or more importers, the following shall apply.
Subject to paragraph 2 of this Article, the information specified in Article 17(2)(c) and (d) and Article 18(2)(c) and (d) shall first be submitted by one manufacturer or importer acting with the agreement of the other assenting manufacturer(s) or importer(s) (hereinafter referred to as ‘the lead registrant’).
Each registrant shall subsequently submit separately the information specified in Article 17(2)(a), (b), (e) and (f) and Article 18(2)(a),(b), (e) and (f).
2. A manufacturer or importer may submit the information referred to in Article 17(2)(c) or (d) and Article 18(2)(c) or (d) separately if:
(a) it would be disproportionately costly for him to submit this jointly; or
If points (a), (b) or (c) apply, the manufacturer or importer shall submit, along with the dossier, an explanation as to why the costs would be disproportionate, why disclosure of information was likely to lead to substantial commercial detriment, or the nature of the disagreement, as the case may be.
Duties of the Agency
1. The Agency shall assign a submission number to each registration, which is to be used for all correspondence regarding the registration until the registration is deemed to be complete, and a submission date, which shall be the date of receipt of the registration at the Agency.
2. The Agency shall undertake a completeness check of each registration in order to ascertain that all the elements required under Articles 10 and 12 or under Articles 17 or 18, as well as the registration fee referred to in Article 6(4), Article 7(1) and (5), Article 17(2) or Article 18(2), have been provided. The completeness check shall not include an assessment of the quality or the adequacy of any data or justifications submitted.
The Agency shall undertake the completeness check within three weeks of the submission date, or within three months of the relevant deadline of Article 23, as regards registrations of phase-in substances submitted in the course of the two-month period immediately preceding that deadline.
If a registration is incomplete, the Agency shall inform the registrant, before expiry of the three-week or three-month period referred to in the second subparagraph, as to what further information is required in order for the registration to be complete, while setting a reasonable deadline for this. The registrant shall complete his registration and submit it to the Agency within the deadline set. The Agency shall confirm the submission date of the further information to the registrant. The Agency shall perform a further completeness check, considering the further information submitted.
The Agency shall reject the registration if the registrant fails to complete his registration within the deadline set. The registration fee shall not be reimbursed in such cases.
3. Once the registration is complete, the Agency shall assign a registration number to the substance concerned and a registration date, which shall be the same as the submission date. The Agency shall without delay communicate the registration number and registration date to the registrant concerned. The registration number shall be used for all subsequent correspondence regarding registration.
4. The Agency shall notify the competent authority of the relevant Member State within 30 days of the submission date, that the following information is available in the Agency database:
(a) the registration dossier together with the submission or registration number;
(b) the submission or registration date;
(c) the result of the completeness check; and
(d) any request for further information and deadline set in accordance with the third subparagraph of paragraph 2.
The relevant Member State shall be the Member State within which the manufacture takes place or the importer is established.
If the manufacturer has production sites in more than one Member State, the relevant Member State shall be the one in which the head office of the manufacturer is established. The other Member States where the production sites are established shall also be notified.
The Agency shall forthwith notify the competent authority of the relevant Member State(s) when any further information submitted by the registrant is available on the Agency database.
5. An appeal may be brought, in accordance with Articles 91, 92 and 93, against Agency decisions under paragraph 2 of this Article.
6. Where additional information for a particular substance is submitted to the Agency by a new registrant, the Agency shall notify the existing registrants that this information is available on the database for the purposes of Article 22.
Manufacturing and import of substances
1. A registrant may start or continue the manufacture or import of a substance or production or import of an article, if there is no indication to the contrary from the Agency in accordance with Article 20(2) within the three weeks after the submission date, without prejudice to Article 27(8).
In the case of registrations of phase-in substances, such a registrant may continue the manufacture or import of the substance or production or import of an article, if there is no indication to the contrary from the Agency in accordance with Article 20(2) within the three weeks after the submission date or, if submitted within the two-month period before the relevant deadline of Article 23, if there is no indication to the contrary from the Agency in accordance with Article 20(2) within the three months from that deadline, without prejudice to Article 27(8).
In the case of an update of a registration according to Article 22 a registrant may continue the manufacture or import of the substance, or the production or import of the article, if there is no indication to the contrary from the Agency in accordance with Article 20(2) within the three weeks after the update date, without prejudice to Article 27(8).
2. If the Agency has informed the registrant that he is to submit further information in accordance with the third subparagraph of Article 20(2), the registrant may start the manufacture or import of a substance or production or import of an article if there is no indication to the contrary from the Agency within the three weeks after receipt by the Agency of the further information necessary to complete his registration, without prejudice to Article 27(8).
3. If a lead registrant submits parts of the registration on behalf of one or more other registrants, as provided for in Articles 11 or 19, any of the other registrants may manufacture or import the substance or produce or import the articles only after the expiry of the time-limit laid down in paragraph 1 or 2 of this Article and provided that there is no indication to the contrary from the Agency in respect of the registration of the lead registrant acting on behalf of the others and his own registration.
Further duties of registrants
1. Following registration, a registrant shall be responsible on his own initiative for updating his registration without undue delay with relevant new information and submitting it to the Agency in the following cases:
(a) any change in his status, such as being a manufacturer, an importer or a producer of articles, or in his identity, such as his name or address;
(b) any change in the composition of the substance as given in Section 2 of Annex VI;
(c) changes in the annual or total quantities manufactured or imported by him or in the quantities of substances present in articles produced or imported by him if these result in a change of tonnage band, including cessation of manufacture or import;
(d) new identified uses and new uses advised against as in Section 3.7 of Annex VI for which the substance is manufactured or imported;
(e) new knowledge of the risks of the substance to human health and/or the environment of which he may reasonably be expected to have become aware which leads to changes in the safety data sheet or the chemical safety report;
(f) any change in the classification and labelling of the substance;
(g) any update or amendment of the chemical safety report or Section 5 of Annex VI;
(h) the registrant identifies the need to perform a test listed in Annex IX or Annex X, in which cases a testing proposal shall be developed;
(i) any change in the access granted to information in the registration.
The Agency shall communicate this information to the competent authority of the relevant Member State.
2. A registrant shall submit to the Agency an update of the registration containing the information required by the decision made in accordance with Articles 40, 41 or 46 or take into account a decision made in accordance with Articles 60 and 73, within the deadline specified in that decision. The Agency shall notify the competent authority of the relevant Member State that the information is available on its database.
3. The Agency shall undertake a completeness check according to Article 20(2) first and second subparagraphs of each updated registration. In cases where the update is in accordance with Article 12(2) and with paragraph 1(c) of this Article then the Agency shall check the completeness of the information supplied by the registrant and Article 20(2) shall apply adapted as necessary.
4. In cases covered by Articles 11 or 19, each registrant shall submit separately the information specified in paragraph 1(c) of this Article.
5. An update shall be accompanied by the relevant part of the fee required in accordance with Title IX.
Specific provisions for phase-in substances
1. Article 5, Article 6, Article 7(1), Article 17, Article 18 and Article 21 shall not apply until 1 December 2010 to the following substances:
(a) phase-in substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction, category 1 or 2, in accordance with Directive 67/548/EEC and manufactured in the Community or imported, in quantities reaching one tonne or more per year per manufacturer or per importer, at least once after 1 June 2007;
(b) phase-in substances classified as very toxic to aquatic organisms which may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment (R50/53) in accordance with Directive 67/548/EEC, and manufactured in the Community or imported in quantities reaching 100 tonnes or more per year per manufacturer or per importer, at least once after 1 June 2007;
(c) phase-in substances manufactured in the Community or imported, in quantities reaching 1 000 tonnes or more per year per manufacturer or per importer, at least once after 1 June 2007.
2. Article 5, Article 6, Article 7(1), Article 17, Article 18 and Article 21 shall not apply until 1 June 2013 to phase-in substances manufactured in the Community or imported, in quantities reaching 100 tonnes or more per year per manufacturer or per importer, at least once after 1 June 2007.
3. Article 5, Article 6, Article 7(1), Article 17, Article 18 and Article 21 shall not apply until 1 June 2018 to phase-in substances manufactured in the Community or imported, in quantities reaching one tonne or more per year per manufacturer or per importer, at least once after 1 June 2007.
4. Without prejudice to paragraphs 1 to 3, a registration can be submitted at any time before the relevant deadline.
5. This Article shall also apply to substances registered under Article 7 adapted as necessary.
Notified substances
1. A notification in accordance with Directive 67/548/EEC shall be regarded as a registration for the purposes of this Title and the Agency shall assign a registration number by 1 December 2008.
2. If the quantity of a notified substance manufactured or imported per manufacturer or importer reaches the next tonnage threshold under Article 12, the additional required information corresponding to that tonnage threshold, as well as to all the lower tonnage thresholds, shall be submitted in accordance with Articles 10 and 12, unless it has already been submitted in accordance with those Articles.
1. In order to avoid animal testing, testing on vertebrate animals for the purposes of this Regulation shall be undertaken only as a last resort. It is also necessary to take measures limiting duplication of other tests.
2. The sharing and joint submission of information in accordance with this Regulation shall concern technical data and in particular information related to the intrinsic properties of substances. Registrants shall refrain from exchanging information concerning their market behaviour, in particular as regards production capacities, production or sales volumes, import volumes or market shares.
3. Any study summaries or robust study summaries of studies submitted in the framework of a registration under this Regulation at least 12 years previously can be used for the purposes of registration by another manufacturer or importer.
Duty to inquire prior to registration
1. Every potential registrant of a non-phase-in substance, or potential registrant of a phase-in substance who has not pre-registered in accordance with Article 28, shall inquire from the Agency whether a registration has already been submitted for the same substance. He shall submit all the following information to the Agency with the inquiry:
(a) his identity as specified in Section 1 of Annex VI, with the exception of the use sites;
(c) which information requirements would require new studies involving vertebrate animals to be carried out by him;
(d) which information requirements would require other new studies to be carried out by him.
2. If the same substance has previously not been registered, the Agency shall inform the potential registrant accordingly.
3. If the same substance has previously been registered less than 12 years earlier, the Agency shall inform the potential registrant without delay of the names and addresses of the previous registrant(s) and of the relevant summaries or robust study summaries, as the case may be, already submitted by them.
Studies involving vertebrate animals shall not be repeated.
The Agency shall simultaneously inform the previous registrants of the name and address of the potential registrant. The available studies shall be shared with the potential registrant in accordance with Article 27.
4. If several potential registrants have made an inquiry in respect of the same substance, the Agency shall inform all potential registrants without delay of the name and address of the other potential registrants.
Sharing of existing data in the case of registered substances
1. Where a substance has previously been registered less than 12 years earlier as referred to in Article 26(3), the potential registrant:
(a) shall, in the case of information involving tests on vertebrate animals; and
(b) may, in the case of information not involving tests on vertebrate animals,
request from the previous registrant(s) the information he requires with respect to Article 10(a)(vi) and (vii) in order to register.
2. When a request for information has been made according to paragraph 1, the potential and the previous registrant(s) as referred to in paragraph 1 shall make every effort to reach an agreement on the sharing of the information requested by the potential registrant(s) with respect to Article 10(a)(vi) and (vii). Such an agreement may be replaced by submission of the matter to an arbitration board and acceptance of the arbitration order.
3. The previous registrant and potential registrant(s) shall make every effort to ensure that the costs of sharing the information are determined in a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory way. This may be facilitated by following cost sharing guidance based on those principles which is adopted by the Agency in accordance with Article 77(2)(g). Registrants are only required to share in the costs of information that they are required to submit to satisfy their registration requirements.
4. On agreement on the sharing of the information, the previous registrant shall make available to the new registrant the agreed information and shall give the new registrant the permission to refer to the previous registrant's full study report.
5. If there is failure to reach such an agreement, the potential registrant(s) shall inform the Agency and the previous registrant(s) thereof at the earliest one month after receipt, from the Agency, of the name and address of the previous registrant(s).
6. Within one month from the receipt of the information referred to in paragraph 5, the Agency shall give the potential registrant permission to refer to the information requested by him in his registration dossier, subject to the potential registrant providing, upon request by the Agency, proof that he has paid the previous registrant(s) for that information a share of cost incurred. The previous registrant(s) shall have a claim on the potential registrant for a proportionate share of the cost incurred by him. Calculation of the proportionate share may be facilitated by the guidance adopted by the Agency in accordance with Article 77(2)(g). Provided he makes the full study report available to the potential registrant, the previous registrant(s) shall have a claim on the potential registrant for an equal share of the cost incurred by him, which shall be enforceable in the national courts.
8. The registration waiting period in accordance with Article 21(1) for the new registrant shall be extended by a period of four months, if the previous registrant so requests.
Duty to pre-register for phase-in substances
1. In order to benefit from the transitional regime provided for in Article 23 each potential registrant of a phase-in substance in quantities of one tonne or more per year, including without limitation intermediates, shall submit all the following information to the Agency:
(a) the name of the substance as specified in Section 2 of Annex VI, including its EINECS and CAS number or, if not available, any other identity codes;
(b) his name and address and the name of the contact person and, where appropriate, the name and address of the person representing him in accordance with Article 4 as specified in Section 1 of Annex VI;
(c) the envisaged deadline for the registration and the tonnage band;
(d) the name(s) of substance(s) as specified in Section 2 of Annex VI, including their EINECS and CAS number or, if not available, any other identity codes, for which the available information is relevant for the application of Sections 1.3 and 1.5 of Annex XI.
2. The information referred to in paragraph 1 shall be submitted within a time period starting on 1 June 2008 and ending on 1 December 2008.
3. Registrants who do not submit the information required under paragraph 1 shall not be able to rely on Article 23.
4. The Agency shall by 1 January 2009 publish on its website a list of the substances referred to in paragraph 1(a) and (d). That list shall comprise only the names of the substances, including their EINECS and CAS number if available and other identity codes, and the first envisaged registration deadline.
5. After the publication of the list a downstream user of a substance not appearing on the list may notify the Agency of his interest in the substance, his contact details and the details of his current supplier. The Agency shall publish on its website the name of the substance and on request provide contact details of the downstream user to a potential registrant.
6. Potential registrants who manufacture or import for the first time a phase-in substance in quantities of one tonne or more per year or use for the first time a phase-in substance in the context of production of articles or import for the first time an article containing a phase-in substance that would require registration, after 1 December 2008, shall be entitled to rely on Article 23 provided that they submit the information referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article to the Agency within six months of first manufacturing, importing or using the substance in quantities of one tonne or more per year and no later than 12 months before the relevant deadline in Article 23.
7. Manufacturers or importers of phase-in substances in quantities of less than one tonne per year that appear on the list published by the Agency in accordance with paragraph 4 of this Article, as well as downstream users of those substances and third parties holding information on those substances, may submit the information referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article or any other relevant information to the Agency for those substances, with the intention of being part of the substance information exchange forum as referred to in Article 29.
Substance Information Exchange Forums
1. All potential registrants, downstream users and third parties who have submitted information to the Agency in accordance with Article 28, or whose information is held by the Agency in accordance with Article 15, for the same phase-in substance, or registrants who have submitted a registration for that phase-in substance before the deadline set out in Article 23(3), shall be participants in a substance information exchange forum (SIEF).
2. The aim of each SIEF shall be to:
(a) facilitate, for the purposes of registration, the exchange of the information specified in Article 10(a) (vi) and (vii) between potential registrants, thereby avoiding the duplication of studies; and
(b) agree classification and labelling where there is a difference in the classification and labelling of the substance between potential registrants.
3. SIEF participants shall provide other participants with existing studies, react to requests by other participants for information, collectively identify needs for further studies for the purposes of paragraph 2(a) and arrange for such studies to be carried out. Each SIEF shall be operational until 1 June 2018.
Sharing of data involving tests
1. Before testing is carried out in order to meet the information requirements for the purposes of registration, a SIEF participant shall inquire whether a relevant study is available by communicating within his SIEF. If a relevant study involving tests on vertebrate animals is available within the SIEF, a participant of that SIEF shall request that study. If a relevant study not involving tests on vertebrate animals is available within the SIEF, a SIEF participant may request that study.
Within one month of the request, the owner of the study shall provide proof of its cost to the participant(s) requesting it. The participant(s) and the owner shall make every effort to ensure that the costs of sharing the information are determined in a fair, transparent and non discriminatory way. This may be facilitated by following any cost sharing guidance which is based on those principles and is adopted by the Agency in accordance with Article 77(2)(g). If they cannot reach such an agreement, the cost shall be shared equally. The owner shall give permission to refer to the full study report for the purpose of registration within two weeks of receipt of payment. Registrants are only required to share in the costs of information that they are required to submit to satisfy their registration requirements.
2. If a relevant study involving tests is not available within the SIEF, only one study shall be conducted per information requirement within each SIEF by one of its participants acting on behalf of the others. They shall take all reasonable steps to reach an agreement within a deadline set by the Agency as to who is to carry out the test on behalf of the other participants and to submit a summary or robust study summary to the Agency. If no agreement is reached, the Agency shall specify which registrant or downstream user shall perform the test. All participants of the SIEF who require a study shall contribute to the costs for the elaboration of the study with a share corresponding to the number of participating potential registrants. Those participants that do not carry out the study themselves shall have the right to receive the full study report within two weeks following payment to the participant that carried out the study.
3. If the owner of a study as referred to in paragraph 1 which involves testing on vertebrate animals refuses to provide either proof of the cost of that study or the study itself to (an) other participant(s), he shall not be able to proceed with registration until he provides the information to the other participants(s). The other participant(s) shall proceed with registration without fulfilling the relevant information requirement, explaining the reason for this in the registration dossier. The study shall not be repeated unless within 12 months of the date of registration of the other participant(s), the owner of this information has not provided it to them and the Agency decides that the test should be repeated by them. However, if a registration containing this information has already been submitted by another registrant, the Agency shall give the other participant(s) permission to refer to the information in his registration dossier(s). The other registrant shall have a claim on the other participant(s) for an equal share of the cost, provided he makes the full study report available to the other participant(s), which shall be enforceable in the national courts.
4. If the owner of a study as referred to in paragraph 1 which does not involve testing on vertebrate animals refuses to provide either proof of the cost of that study or the study itself to (an)other participant(s), the other SIEF participants shall proceed with registration as if no relevant study was available in the SIEF.
5. An appeal may be brought, in accordance with Articles 91, 92 and 93, against Agency decisions under paragraphs 2 or 3 of this Article.
6. The owner of the study who has refused to provide either proof of the cost or the study itself, as referred to in paragraph 3 or 4 of this Article, shall be penalised in accordance with Article 126.
Requirements for safety data sheets
1. The supplier of a substance or a ►M3 mixture ◄ shall provide the recipient of the substance or ►M3 mixture ◄ with a safety data sheet compiled in accordance with Annex II:
(a) where a substance or mixture meets the criteria for classification as hazardous in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008; or
(b) where a substance is persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic or very persistent and very bioaccumulative in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex XIII; or
(c) where a substance is included in the list established in accordance with Article 59(1) for reasons other than those referred to in points (a) and (b).
2. Any actor in the supply chain who is required, under Articles 14 or 37, to carry out a chemical safety assessment for a substance shall ensure that the information in the safety data sheet is consistent with the information in this assessment. If the safety data sheet is developed for a ►M3 mixture ◄ and the actor in the supply chain has prepared a chemical safety assessment for that ►M3 mixture ◄ , it is sufficient if the information in the safety data sheet is consistent with the chemical safety report for the ►M3 mixture ◄ instead of with the chemical safety report for each substance in the ►M3 mixture ◄ .
3. The supplier shall provide the recipient at his request with a safety data sheet compiled in accordance with Annex II, where a mixture does not meet the criteria for classification as hazardous in accordance with Titles I and II of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, but contains:
(a) in an individual concentration of ≥ 1 % by weight for non-gaseous mixtures and ≥ 0,2 % by volume for gaseous mixtures at least one substance posing human health or environmental hazards; or
(b) in an individual concentration of ≥ 0,1 % by weight for non-gaseous mixtures at least one substance that is carcinogenic category 2 or toxic to reproduction category 1A, 1B and 2, skin sensitiser category 1, respiratory sensitiser category 1, or has effects on or via lactation or is persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex XIII or very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex XIII or has been included for reasons other than those referred to in point (a) in the list established in accordance with Article 59(1); or
(c) a substance for which there are Community workplace exposure limits.
4. The safety data sheet need not be supplied where hazardous substances or mixtures offered or sold to the general public are provided with sufficient information to enable users to take the necessary measures as regards the protection of human health, safety and the environment, unless requested by a downstream user or distributor.
5. The safety data sheet shall be supplied in an official language of the Member State(s) where the substance or ►M3 mixture ◄ is placed on the market, unless the Member State(s) concerned provide otherwise.
6. The safety data sheet shall be dated and shall contain the following headings:
1. identification of the substance/ ►M3 mixture ◄ and of the company/undertaking;
2. hazards identification;
3. composition/information on ingredients;
4. first-aid measures;
5. fire-fighting measures;
6. accidental release measures;
7. handling and storage;
8. exposure controls/personal protection;
9. physical and chemical properties;
10. stability and reactivity;
11. toxicological information;
12. ecological information;
13. disposal considerations;
14. transport information;
15. regulatory information;
16. other information.
7. Any actor in the supply chain who is required to prepare a chemical safety report according to Articles 14 or 37 shall place the relevant exposure scenarios (including use and exposure categories where appropriate) in an annex to the safety data sheet covering identified uses and including specific conditions resulting from the application of Section 3 of Annex XI.
Any downstream user shall include relevant exposure scenarios, and use other relevant information, from the safety data sheet supplied to him when compiling his own safety data sheet for identified uses.
Any distributor shall pass on relevant exposure scenarios, and use other relevant information, from the safety data sheet supplied to him when compiling his own safety data sheet for uses for which he has passed on information according to Article 37(2).
8. A safety data sheet shall be provided free of charge on paper or electronically no later than the date on which the substance or mixture is first supplied.
9. Suppliers shall update the safety data sheet without delay on the following occasions:
(a) as soon as new information which may affect the risk management measures, or new information on hazards becomes available;
(b) once an authorisation has been granted or refused;
(c) once a restriction has been imposed.
The new, dated version of the information, identified as ‘Revision: (date)’, shall be provided free of charge on paper or electronically to all former recipients to whom they have supplied the substance or ►M3 mixture ◄ within the preceding 12 months. Any updates following registration shall include the registration number.
10. Where substances are classified in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 during the period from its entry into force until 1 December 2010, that classification may be added in the safety data sheet together with the classification in accordance with Directive 67/548/EEC.
From 1 December 2010 until 1 June 2015, the safety data sheets for substances shall contain the classification according to both Directive 67/548/EEC and Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.
Where mixtures are classified in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 during the period from its entry into force until 1 June 2015, that classification may be added in the safety data sheet, together with the classification in accordance with Directive 1999/45/EC. However, until 1 June 2015, where substances or mixtures are both classified and labelled in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 that classification shall be provided in the safety data sheet, together with the classification in accordance with Directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC respectively, for the substance, the mixture and its constituents.
Duty to communicate information down the supply chain for substances on their own or in ►M3 mixtures ◄ for which a safety data sheet is not required
1. Any supplier of a substance on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ who does not have to supply a safety data sheet in accordance with Article 31 shall provide the recipient with the following information:
(a) the registration number(s) referred to in Article 20(3), if available, for any substances for which information is communicated under points (b), (c) or (d) of this paragraph;
(b) if the substance is subject to authorisation and details of any authorisation granted or denied under Title VII in this supply chain;
(c) details of any restriction imposed under Title VIII;
(d) any other available and relevant information about the substance that is necessary to enable appropriate risk management measures to be identified and applied including specific conditions resulting from the application of Section 3 of Annex XI.
2. The information referred to in paragraph 1 shall be communicated free of charge on paper or electronically at the latest at the time of the first delivery of a substance on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ after 1 June 2007.
3. Suppliers shall update this information without delay on the following occasions:
In addition, the updated information shall be provided free of charge on paper or electronically to all former recipients to whom they have supplied the substance or ►M3 mixture ◄ within the preceding 12 months. Any updates following registration shall include the registration number.
Duty to communicate information on substances in articles
1. Any supplier of an article containing a substance meeting the criteria in Article 57 and identified in accordance with Article 59(1) in a concentration above 0,1 % weight by weight (w/w) shall provide the recipient of the article with sufficient information, available to the supplier, to allow safe use of the article including, as a minimum, the name of that substance.
2. On request by a consumer any supplier of an article containing a substance meeting the criteria in Article 57 and identified in accordance with Article 59(1) in a concentration above 0,1 % weight by weight (w/w) shall provide the consumer with sufficient information, available to the supplier, to allow safe use of the article including, as a minimum, the name of that substance.
The relevant information shall be provided, free of charge, within 45 days of receipt of the request.
Duty to communicate information on substances and ►M3 mixtures ◄ up the supply chain
Any actor in the supply chain of a substance or a ►M3 mixture ◄ shall communicate the following information to the next actor or distributor up the supply chain:
(a) new information on hazardous properties, regardless of the uses concerned;
(b) any other information that might call into question the appropriateness of the risk management measures identified in a safety data sheet supplied to him, which shall be communicated only for identified uses.
Distributors shall pass on that information to the next actor or distributor up the supply chain.
Access to information for workers
Workers and their representatives shall be granted access by their employer to the information provided in accordance with Articles 31 and 32 in relation to substances or ►M3 mixtures ◄ that they use or may be exposed to in the course of their work.
Obligation to keep information
1. Each manufacturer, importer, downstream user and distributor shall assemble and keep available all the information he requires to carry out his duties under this Regulation for a period of at least 10 years after he last manufactured, imported, supplied or used the substance or ►M3 mixture ◄ . That manufacturer, importer, downstream user or distributor shall submit this information or make it available without delay upon request to any competent authority of the Member State in which he is established or to the Agency, without prejudice to Titles II and VI.
2. In the event of a registrant, downstream user or distributor ceasing activity, or transferring part or all of his operations to a third party, the party responsible for liquidating the registrant, downstream user or distributor's undertaking or assuming responsibility for the placing on the market of the substance or ►M3 mixture ◄ concerned shall be bound by the obligation in paragraph 1 in place of the registrant, downstream user or distributor.
Downstream user chemical safety assessments and duty to identify, apply and recommend risk reduction measures
1. A downstream user or distributor may provide information to assist in the preparation of a registration.
2. Any downstream user shall have the right to make a use, as a minimum the brief general description of use, known in writing (on paper or electronically) to the manufacturer, importer, downstream user or distributor who supplies him with a substance on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ with the aim of making this an identified use. In making a use known, he shall provide sufficient information to allow the manufacturer, importer or downstream user who has supplied the substance, to prepare an exposure scenario, or if appropriate a use and exposure category, for his use in the manufacturer, importer or downstream user's chemical safety assessment.
Distributors shall pass on such information to the next actor or distributor up the supply chain. Downstream users in receipt of such information may prepare an exposure scenario for the identified use(s), or pass the information to the next actor up the supply chain.
3. For registered substances, the manufacturer, importer or downstream user shall comply with the obligations laid down in Article 14 either before he next supplies the substance on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ to the downstream user making the request referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, provided that the request was made at least one month before the supply, or within one month after the request, whichever is the later.
For phase-in substances, the manufacturer, importer or downstream user shall comply with this request and with the obligations laid down in Article 14 before the relevant deadline in Article 23 has expired, provided that the downstream user makes his request at least 12 months before the deadline in question.
Where the manufacturer, importer or downstream user, having assessed the use in accordance with Article 14, is unable to include it as an identified use for reasons of protection of human health or the environment, he shall provide the Agency and the downstream user with the reason(s) for that decision in writing without delay and shall not supply downstream user(s) with the substance without including these reason(s) in the information referred to under Articles 31 or 32. The manufacturer or importer shall include this use in Section 3.7 of Annex VI in his update of the registration in accordance with Article 22(1)(d).
4. A downstream user of a substance on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ shall prepare a chemical safety report in accordance with Annex XII for any use outside the conditions described in an exposure scenario or if appropriate a use and exposure category communicated to him in a safety data sheet or for any use his supplier advises against.
A downstream user need not prepare such a chemical safety report in any of the following cases:
(a) a safety data sheet is not required to be communicated with the substance or ►M3 mixture ◄ in accordance with Article 31;
(b) a chemical safety report is not required to be completed by his supplier in accordance with Article 14;
(c) the downstream user uses the substance or ►M3 mixture ◄ in a total quantity of less than one tonne per year;
(d) the downstream user implements or recommends an exposure scenario which includes as a minimum the conditions described in the exposure scenario communicated to him in the safety data sheet;
(e) the substance is present in a ►M3 mixture ◄ in a concentration lower than any of the concentrations set out in Article 14(2);
(f) the downstream user is using the substance for the purposes of product and process oriented research and development, provided that the risks to human health and the environment are adequately controlled in accordance with the requirements of legislation for the protection of workers and the environment.
5. Any downstream user shall identify, apply and where suitable, recommend, appropriate measures to adequately control risks identified in any of the following:
(a) the safety data sheet(s) supplied to him;
(b) his own chemical safety assessment;
(c) any information on risk management measures supplied to him in accordance with Article 32.
6. Where a downstream user does not prepare a chemical safety report in accordance with paragraph 4(c), he shall consider the use(s) of the substance and identify and apply any appropriate risk management measures needed to ensure that the risks to human health and the environment are adequately controlled. Where necessary, this information shall be included in any safety data sheet prepared by him.
7. Downstream users shall keep their chemical safety report up to date and available.
8. A chemical safety report prepared in accordance with paragraph 4 of this Article need not include consideration of the risks to human health from the end uses set out in Article 14(5).
Obligation for downstream users to report information
1. Before commencing or continuing with a particular use of a substance that has been registered by an actor up the supply chain in accordance with Articles 6 or 18, the downstream user shall report to the Agency the information specified in paragraph 2 of this Article, in the following cases:
(a) the downstream user has to prepare a chemical safety report in accordance with Article 37(4); or
(b) the downstream user is relying on the exemptions in Article 37(4)(c) or (f).
2. The information reported by the downstream user shall include the following:
(a) his identity and contact details as specified in Section 1.1 of Annex VI;
(c) the identity of the substance(s) as specified in Section 2.1 to 2.3.4 of Annex VI;
(d) the identity of the manufacturer(s) or the importer(s) or other supplier as specified in Section 1.1 of Annex VI;
(e) a brief general description of the use(s), as specified in Section 3.5 of Annex VI, and of the conditions of use(s);
(f) except where the downstream user is relying on the exemption in Article 37(4)(c), a proposal for additional testing on vertebrate animals, where this is considered necessary by the downstream user to complete his chemical safety assessment.
3. The downstream user shall update this information without delay in the event of a change in the information reported in accordance with paragraph 1.
4. A downstream user shall report to the Agency if his classification of a substance is different to that of his supplier.
5. Except where a downstream user is relying on the exemption in Article 37(4)(c), reporting in accordance with paragraphs 1 to 4 of this Article shall not be required in respect of a substance, on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ , used by the downstream user in quantities of less than one tonne per year for that particular use.
Application of downstream user obligations
1. Downstream users shall be required to comply with the requirements of Article 37 at the latest 12 months after receiving a registration number communicated to them by their suppliers in a safety data sheet.
2. Downstream users shall be required to comply with the requirements of Article 38 at the latest six months after receiving a registration number communicated to them by their suppliers in a safety data sheet.
1. The Agency shall examine any testing proposal set out in a registration or a downstream user report for provision of the information specified in Annexes IX and X for a substance. Priority shall be given to registrations of substances which have or may have PBT, vPvB, sensitising and/or carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR) properties, or substances above 100 tonnes per year with uses resulting in widespread and diffuse exposure, provided they fulfil the criteria for any of the following hazard classes or categories set out in Annex I of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008:
(d) hazard class 5.1.
2. Information relating to testing proposals involving tests on vertebrate animals shall be published on the Agency website. The Agency shall publish on its website the name of the substance, the hazard end-point for which vertebrate testing is proposed, and the date by which any third party information is required. It shall invite third parties to submit, using the format provided by the Agency, scientifically valid information and studies that address the relevant substance and hazard end-point, addressed by the testing proposal, within 45 days of the date of publication. All such scientifically valid information and studies received shall be taken into account by the Agency in preparing its decision in accordance with paragraph 3.
3. On the basis of the examination under paragraph 1, the Agency shall draft one of the following decisions and that decision shall be taken in accordance with the procedure laid down in Articles 50 and 51:
(a) a decision requiring the registrant(s) or downstream user(s) concerned to carry out the proposed test and setting a deadline for submission of the study summary, or the robust study summary if required by Annex I;
(b) a decision in accordance with point (a), but modifying the conditions under which the test is to be carried out;
(c) a decision in accordance with points (a), (b) or (d) but requiring registrant(s) or downstream user(s) to carry out one or more additional tests in cases of non-compliance of the testing proposal with Annexes IX, X and XI;
(d) a decision rejecting the testing proposal;
(e) a decision in accordance with points (a), (b) or (c), if several registrants or downstream users of the same substance have submitted proposals for the same test, giving them the opportunity to reach an agreement on who will perform the test on behalf of all of them and to inform the Agency accordingly within 90 days. If the Agency is not informed of such agreement within such 90 days, it shall designate one of the registrants or downstream users, as appropriate, to perform the test on behalf of all of them.
4. The registrant or downstream user shall submit the information required to the Agency by the deadline set.
Compliance check of registrations
1. The Agency may examine any registration in order to verify any of the following:
(a) that the information in the technical dossier(s) submitted pursuant to Article 10 complies with the requirements of Articles 10, 12 and 13 and with Annexes III and VI to X;
(b) that the adaptations of the standard information requirements and the related justifications submitted in the technical dossier(s) comply with the rules governing such adaptations set out in Annexes VII to X and with the general rules set out in Annex XI;
(c) that any required chemical safety assessment and chemical safety report comply with the requirements of Annex I and that the proposed risk management measures are adequate;
(d) that any explanation(s) submitted in accordance with Article 11(3) or Article 19(2) have an objective basis.
2. The list of dossiers being checked for compliance by the Agency shall be made available to Member States competent authorities.
3. On the basis of an examination made pursuant to paragraph 1, the Agency may, within 12 months of the start of the compliance check, prepare a draft decision requiring the registrant(s) to submit any information needed to bring the registration(s) into compliance with the relevant information requirements and specifying adequate time limits for the submission of further information. Such a decision shall be taken in accordance with the procedure laid down in Articles 50 and 51.
4. The registrant shall submit the information required to the Agency by the deadline set.
5. To ensure that registration dossiers comply with this Regulation, the Agency shall select a percentage of those dossiers, no lower than 5 % of the total received by the Agency for each tonnage band, for compliance checking. The Agency shall give priority, but not exclusively, to dossiers meeting at least one of the following criteria:
(a) the dossier contains information in Article 10(a)(iv), (vi) and/or (vii) submitted separately as per Article 11(3); or
(b) the dossier is for a substance manufactured or imported in quantities of one tonne or more per year and does not meet the requirements of Annex VII applying under either Article 12(1)(a) or (b), as the case may be; or
(c) the dossier is for a substance listed in the Community rolling action plan referred to in Article 44(2).
6. Any third party may electronically submit information to the Agency relating to substances that appear on the list referred to in Article 28(4). The Agency shall consider this information together with the information submitted according to Article 124 when checking and selecting dossiers.
7. The Commission may, after consulting with the Agency, take a decision to vary the percentage of dossiers selected and amend or include further criteria in paragraph 5 in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(4).
Check of information submitted and follow-up to dossier evaluation
1. The Agency shall examine any information submitted in consequence of a decision taken under Articles 40 or 41, and draft any appropriate decisions in accordance with these Articles, if necessary.
2. Once the dossier evaluation is completed, the Agency shall notify the Commission and the competent authorities of the Member States of the information obtained and any conclusions made. The competent authorities shall use the information obtained from this evaluation for the purposes of Article 45(5), Article 59(3) and Article 69(4). The Agency shall use the information obtained from this evaluation for the purposes of Article 44.
Procedure and time periods for examination of testing proposals
1. In the case of non phase-in substances, the Agency shall prepare a draft decision in accordance with Article 40(3) within 180 days of receiving a registration or downstream user report containing a testing proposal.
2. In the case of phase-in substances, the Agency shall prepare the draft decisions in accordance with Article 40(3):
(a) by 1 December 2012 for all registrations received by 1 December 2010 containing proposals for testing in order to fulfil the information requirements in Annexes IX and X;
(b) by 1 June 2016 for all registrations received by 1 June 2013 containing proposals for testing in order to fulfil the information requirements in Annex IX only;
(c) by 1 June 2022 for any registrations containing testing proposals received by 1 June 2018.
3. The list of registration dossiers being evaluated under Article 40 shall be made available to Member States.
Criteria for substance evaluation
1. In order to ensure a harmonised approach, the Agency shall in cooperation with the Member States develop criteria for prioritising substances with a view to further evaluation. Prioritisation shall be on a risk-based approach. The criteria shall consider:
(a) hazard information, for instance structural similarity of the substance with known substances of concern or with substances which are persistent and liable to bio-accumulate, suggesting that the substance or one or more of its transformation products has properties of concern or is persistent and liable to bio-accumulate;
(b) exposure information;
(c) tonnage, including aggregated tonnage from the registrations submitted by several registrants.
2. The Agency shall use the criteria in paragraph 1 for the purpose of compiling a draft Community rolling action plan which shall cover a period of three years and shall specify substances to be evaluated each year. Substances shall be included if there are grounds for considering (either on the basis of a dossier evaluation carried out by the Agency or on the basis of any other appropriate source, including information in the registration dossier) that a given substance constitutes a risk to human health or the environment. The Agency shall submit the first draft rolling action plan to the Member States by 1 December 2011. The Agency shall submit draft annual updates to the rolling action plan to the Member States by 28 February each year.
The Agency shall adopt the final Community rolling action plan on the basis of an opinion from the Member State Committee set up under Article 76(1)(e) (hereinafter referred to as the Member State Committee) and shall publish the plan on its website, identifying the Member State who will carry out the evaluation of the substances listed therein as determined according to Article 45.
Competent authority
1. The Agency shall be responsible for coordinating the substance evaluation process and ensuring that substances on the Community rolling action plan are evaluated. In doing so, the Agency shall rely on the competent authorities of Member States. In carrying out an evaluation of a substance, the competent authorities may appoint another body to act on their behalf.
2. A Member State may choose (a) substance(s) from the draft Community rolling action plan, with the aim of becoming a competent authority for the purposes of Articles 46, 47 and 48. In the event of a substance from the draft Community rolling action plan not being chosen by any Member State, the Agency shall ensure that the substance is evaluated.
3. In cases where two or more Member States have expressed an interest in evaluating the same substance and they cannot agree who should be the competent authority, the competent authority for the purposes of Articles 46, 47 and 48 shall be determined in accordance with the following procedure.
The Agency shall refer the matter to the Member State Committee, in order to agree which authority shall be the competent authority, taking into account the Member State in which the manufacturer(s) or importer(s) is located, the respective proportions of total Community gross domestic product, the number of substances already being evaluated by a Member State and the expertise available.
If, within 60 days of the referral, the Member State Committee reaches unanimous agreement, the Member States concerned shall adopt substances for evaluation accordingly.
If the Member State Committee fails to reach a unanimous agreement, the Agency shall submit the conflicting opinions to the Commission, which shall decide which authority shall be the competent authority, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(3), and the Member States concerned shall adopt substances for evaluation accordingly.
4. The competent authority identified in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 shall evaluate the allocated substances in accordance with this Chapter.
5. A Member State may notify the Agency at any time of a substance not on the Community rolling action plan, whenever it is in possession of information which suggests that the substance is a priority for evaluation. The Agency shall decide whether to add this substance to the Community rolling action plan on the basis of an opinion from the Member State Committee. If the substance is added to the Community rolling action plan, the proposing Member State, or another Member State who agrees, shall evaluate that substance.
Requests for further information and check of information submitted
1. If the competent authority considers that further information is required, including, if appropriate, information not required in Annexes VII to X, it shall prepare a draft decision, stating reasons, requiring the registrant(s) to submit the further information and setting a deadline for its submission. A draft decision shall be prepared within 12 months of the publication of the Community rolling action plan on the Agency's website for substances to be evaluated that year. The decision shall be taken in accordance with the procedure laid down in Articles 50 and 52.
3. The competent authority shall examine any information submitted, and shall draft any appropriate decisions in accordance with this Article, if necessary, within 12 months of the information being submitted.
4. The competent authority shall finish its evaluation activities within 12 months of the start of the evaluation of the substance or within 12 months of the information being submitted under paragraph 2, and notify the Agency accordingly. If this deadline is exceeded, the evaluation shall be deemed to be finished.
Coherence with other activities
1. An evaluation of a substance shall be based on all relevant information submitted on that particular substance and on any previous evaluation under this Title. Where information on intrinsic properties of a substance has been generated by reference to structurally related substance(s), the evaluation may also cover these related substances. In cases where a decision on an evaluation has been previously taken in accordance with Article 51 or Article 52, any draft decision requiring further information under Article 46 may be justified only by a change of circumstances or acquired knowledge.
2. In order to ensure a harmonised approach to requests for further information, the Agency shall monitor draft decisions under Article 46 and shall develop criteria and priorities. Where appropriate, implementing measures shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(3).
Follow-up to substance evaluation
Once the substance evaluation has been completed, the competent authority shall consider how to use the information obtained from this evaluation for the purposes of Article 59(3), Article 69(4) and Article 115(1). The competent authority shall inform the Agency of its conclusions as to whether or how to use the information obtained. The Agency shall in turn inform the Commission, the registrant and the competent authorities of the other Member States.
Further information on on-site isolated intermediates
For on-site isolated intermediates that are used in strictly controlled conditions, neither dossier nor substance evaluation shall apply. However, where the competent authority of the Member State in whose territory the site is located considers that a risk to human health or the environment, equivalent to the level of concern arising from the use of substances meeting the criteria in Article 57, arises from the use of an on-site isolated intermediate and that risk is not properly controlled, it may:
(a) require the registrant to submit further information directly related to the risk identified. This request shall be accompanied by a written justification;
(b) examine any information submitted and, if necessary, recommend any appropriate risk reduction measures to address the risks identified in relation to the site in question.
The procedure provided for in the first paragraph may be undertaken only by the competent authority referred to therein. The competent authority shall inform the Agency of the results of such an evaluation, which shall then inform the competent authorities of the other Member States and make the results available to them.
Registrants' and downstream users' rights
1. The Agency shall notify any draft decision under Articles 40, 41 or 46 to the registrant(s) or downstream user(s) concerned, informing them of their right to comment within 30 days of receipt. If the concerned registrant(s) or downstream user(s) wish to comment, they shall provide their comments to the Agency. The Agency in turn shall inform the competent authority of the submission of the comments without delay. The competent authority (for decisions taken under Article 46) and the Agency (for decisions taken under Articles 40 and 41) shall take any comments received into account and may amend the draft decision accordingly.
2. If a registrant has ceased the manufacture or import of the substance, or the production or import of an article, or the downstream user the use, he shall inform the Agency of this fact with the consequence that the registered volume in his registration, if appropriate, shall be put to zero and no further information may be requested with respect to that substance, unless the registrant notifies the restart of the manufacture or import of the substance or the production or import of the article, or the downstream user notifies the restart of the use. The Agency shall inform the competent authority of the Member State in which the registrant or downstream user is located.
3. The registrant may cease the manufacture or import of the substance or the production or import of the article, or the downstream user the use, upon receipt of the draft decision. In such cases, the registrant, or downstream user, shall inform the Agency of this fact with the consequence that his registration, or report, shall no longer be valid, and no further information may be requested with respect to that substance, unless he submits a new registration or report. The Agency shall inform the competent authority of the Member State in which the registrant or downstream user is located.
4. Notwithstanding paragraphs 2 and 3, further information may be required in accordance with Article 46 in either or both of the following cases:
(a) where the competent authority prepares a dossier in accordance with Annex XV concluding that there is a potential long-term risk to human health or the environment justifying the need for further information;
(b) where the exposure to the substance manufactured or imported by the registrant(s), or to the substance in the article produced or imported by the registrant(s), or to the substance used by the downstream user(s) contributes significantly to that risk.
The procedure in Articles 69 to 73 shall apply mutatis mutandis.
Adoption of decisions under dossier evaluation
1. The Agency shall notify its draft decision in accordance with Articles 40 or 41, together with the comments of the registrant, to the competent authorities of the Member States.
2. Within 30 days of circulation, the Member States may propose amendments to the draft decision to the Agency.
3. If the Agency does not receive any proposals, it shall take the decision in the version notified under paragraph 1.
4. If the Agency receives a proposal for amendment, it may modify the draft decision. The Agency shall refer a draft decision, together with any amendments proposed, to the Member State Committee within 15 days of the end of the 30-day period referred to in paragraph 2.
5. The Agency shall forthwith communicate any proposal for amendment to any registrants or downstream users concerned and allow them to comment within 30 days. The Member State Committee shall take any comments received into account.
6. If, within 60 days of the referral, the Member State Committee reaches a unanimous agreement on the draft decision, the Agency shall take the decision accordingly.
7. If the Member State Committee fails to reach unanimous agreement, the Commission shall prepare a draft decision to be taken in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(3).
8. An appeal may be brought, in accordance with Articles 91, 92 and 93, against Agency decisions under paragraphs 3 and 6 of this Article.
Adoption of decisions under substance evaluation
1. The competent authority shall circulate its draft decision in accordance with Article 46, together with any comments by the registrant or downstream user, to the Agency and to the competent authorities of the other Member States.
2. The provisions of Article 51(2) to (8) shall apply mutatis mutandis.
Cost sharing for tests without an agreement between registrants and/or downstream users
1. Where registrants or downstream users are required to perform a test as a result of a decision taken under this Title, those registrants or downstream users shall make every effort to reach an agreement as to who is to carry it out on behalf of the other registrants or downstream users and to inform the Agency accordingly within 90 days. If the Agency is not informed of such agreement within such 90 days, it shall designate one of the registrants or downstream users to perform the test on behalf of all of them.
2. If a registrant or downstream user performs a test on behalf of others, they shall all share the cost of that study equally.
3. In the case referred to in paragraph 1, the registrant or downstream user who performs the test shall provide each of the others concerned with a copy of the full study report.
4. The person performing and submitting the study shall have a claim against the others accordingly. Any person concerned shall be able to make a claim in order to prohibit another person from manufacturing, importing or placing the substance on the market if that other person either fails to pay his share of the cost or to provide security for that amount or fails to hand over a copy of the full study report of the study performed. All claims shall be enforceable in the national courts. Any person may choose to submit their claims for remuneration to an arbitration board and accept the arbitration order.
Publication of information on evaluation
By 28 February of each year, the Agency shall publish on its website a report on the progress made over the previous calendar year towards discharging the obligations incumbent upon it in relation to evaluation. This report shall include, in particular, recommendations to potential registrants in order to improve the quality of future registrations.
Aim of authorisation and considerations for substitution
The aim of this Title is to ensure the good functioning of the internal market while assuring that the risks from substances of very high concern are properly controlled and that these substances are progressively replaced by suitable alternative substances or technologies where these are economically and technically viable. To this end all manufacturers, importers and downstream users applying for authorisations shall analyse the availability of alternatives and consider their risks, and the technical and economic feasibility of substitution.
1. A manufacturer, importer or downstream user shall not place a substance on the market for a use or use it himself if that substance is included in Annex XIV, unless:
(a) the use(s) of that substance on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ or the incorporation of the substance into an article for which the substance is placed on the market or for which he uses the substance himself has been authorised in accordance with Articles 60 to 64; or
(b) the use(s) of that substance on its own or in a ►M3 mixture ◄ or the incorporation of the substance into an article for which the substance is placed on the market or for which he uses the substance himself has been exempted from the authorisation requirement in Annex XIV itself in accordance with Article 58(2); or
(c) the date referred to in Article 58(1)(c)(i) has not been reached; or
(d) the date referred to in Article 58(1)(c)(i) has been reached and he made an application 18 months before that date but a decision on the application for authorisation has not yet been taken; or
(e) in cases where the substance is placed on the market, authorisation for that use has been granted to his immediate downstream user.
2. A downstream user may use a substance meeting the criteria set out in paragraph 1 provided that the use is in accordance with the conditions of an authorisation granted to an actor up his supply chain for that use.
3. Paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply to the use of substances in scientific research and development. Annex XIV shall specify if paragraphs 1 and 2 apply to product and process orientated research and development as well as the maximum quantity exempted.
4. Paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply to the following uses of substances:
(a) uses in plant protection products within the scope of Directive 91/414/EEC;
(b) uses in biocidal products within the scope of Directive 98/8/EC;
(c) use as motor fuels covered by Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels ( 22 );
(d) uses as fuel in mobile or fixed combustion plants of mineral oil products and use as fuels in closed systems.
5. In the case of substances that are subject to authorisation only because they meet the criteria in Article 57(a), (b) or (c) or because they are identified in accordance with Article 57(f) only because of hazards to human health, paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall not apply to the following uses:
(a) uses in cosmetic products within the scope of Directive 76/768/EEC;
(b) uses in food contact materials within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004.
6. Paragraphs 1 and 2 shall not apply to the use of substances when they are present in ►M3 mixtures ◄ :
(a) for substances referred to in Article 57(d), (e) and (f), below a concentration limit of 0,1 % weight by weight (w/w);
(b) for all other substances, below the values specified in Article 11(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 which result in the classification of the mixture as hazardous.
Substances to be included in Annex XIV
The following substances may be included in Annex XIV in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 58:
(a) substances meeting the criteria for classification in the hazard class carcinogenicity category 1A or 1B in accordance with section 3.6 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008;
(b) substances meeting the criteria for classification in the hazard class germ cell mutagenicity category 1A or 1B in accordance with section 3.5 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008;
(c) substances meeting the criteria for classification in the hazard class reproductive toxicity category 1A or 1B, adverse effects on sexual function and fertility or on development in accordance with section 3.7 of Annex I to Regulation(EC) No 1272/2008;
(d) substances which are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex XIII of this Regulation;
(e) substances which are very persistent and very bioaccumulative in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex XIII of this Regulation;
(f) substances — such as those having endocrine disrupting properties or those having persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic properties or very persistent and very bioaccumulative properties, which do not fulfil the criteria of points (d) or (e) — for which there is scientific evidence of probable serious effects to human health or the environment which give rise to an equivalent level of concern to those of other substances listed in points (a) to (e) and which are identified on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 59.
Inclusion of substances in Annex XIV
1. Whenever a decision is taken to include in Annex XIV substances referred to in Article 57, such a decision shall be taken in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(4). It shall specify for each substance:
(a) the identity of the substance as specified in Section 2 of Annex VI;
(b) the intrinsic property (properties) of the substance referred to in Article 57;
(c) transitional arrangements:
(i) the date(s) from which the placing on the market and the use of the substance shall be prohibited unless an authorisation is granted (hereinafter referred to as the sunset date) which should take into account, where appropriate, the production cycle specified for that use;
(ii) a date or dates at least 18 months before the sunset date(s) by which applications must be received if the applicant wishes to continue to use the substance or place it on the market for certain uses after the sunset date(s); these continued uses shall be allowed after the sunset date until a decision on the application for authorisation is taken;
(d) review periods for certain uses, if appropriate;
(e) uses or categories of uses exempted from the authorisation requirement, if any, and conditions for such exemptions, if any.
2. Uses or categories of uses may be exempted from the authorisation requirement provided that, on the basis of the existing specific Community legislation imposing minimum requirements relating to the protection of human health or the environment for the use of the substance, the risk is properly controlled. In the establishment of such exemptions, account shall be taken, in particular, of the proportionality of risk to human health and the environment related to the nature of the substance, such as where the risk is modified by the physical form.
3. Prior to a decision to include substances in Annex XIV, the Agency shall, taking into account the opinion of the Member State Committee, recommend priority substances to be included specifying for each substance the items set out in paragraph 1. Priority shall normally be given to substances with:
(a) PBT or vPvB properties; or
(b) wide dispersive use; or
(c) high volumes.
The number of substances included in Annex XIV and the dates specified under paragraph 1 shall also take account of the Agency's capacity to handle applications in the time provided for. The Agency shall make its first recommendation of priority substances to be included in Annex XIV by 1 June 2009. The Agency shall make further recommendations at least every second year with a view to including further substances in Annex XIV.
4. Before the Agency sends its recommendation to the Commission it shall make it publicly available on its website, clearly indicating the date of publication, taking into account Articles 118 and 119 on access to information. The Agency shall invite all interested parties to submit comments within three months of the date of publication, in particular on uses which should be exempt from the authorisation requirement.
The Agency shall update its recommendation, taking into account the comments received.
5. Subject to paragraph 6, after inclusion of a substance in Annex XIV, this substance shall not be subjected to new restrictions under the procedure outlined in Title VIII covering the risks to human health or the environment from the use of the substance on its own, in a ►M3 mixture ◄ or incorporation of a substance in an article arising from the intrinsic properties specified in Annex XIV.
6. A substance listed in Annex XIV may be subjected to new restrictions under the procedure outlined in Title VIII covering the risks to human health or the environment from the presence of the substance in (an) article(s).
7. Substances for which all uses have been prohibited under Title VIII or by other Community legislation shall not be included in Annex XIV or shall be removed from it.
8. Substances which as a result of new information no longer meet the criteria of Article 57 shall be removed from Annex XIV in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(4).
Identification of substances referred to in Article 57
1. The procedure set out in paragraphs 2 to 10 of this Article shall apply for the purpose of identifying substances meeting the criteria referred to in Article 57 and establishing a candidate list for eventual inclusion in Annex XIV. The Agency shall indicate, within this list, the substances that are on its work programme according to Article 83(3)(e).
2. The Commission may ask the Agency to prepare a dossier in accordance with relevant Sections of Annex XV for substances which in its opinion meet the criteria set out in Article 57. ►M3 The dossier may be limited, if appropriate, to a reference to an entry in Part 3 of Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008. ◄ The Agency shall make this dossier available to the Member States.
3. Any Member State may prepare a dossier in accordance with Annex XV for substances which in its opinion meet the criteria set out in Article 57 and forward it to the Agency. ►M3 The dossier may be limited, if appropriate, to a reference to an entry in Part 3 of Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008. ◄ The Agency shall make this dossier available within 30 days of receipt to the other Member States.
4. The Agency shall publish on its website a notice that an Annex XV dossier has been prepared for a substance. The Agency shall invite all interested parties to submit comments within a specified deadline to the Agency.
5. Within 60 days of circulation, the other Member States or the Agency may comment on the identification of the substance in relation to the criteria in Article 57 in the dossier to the Agency.
6. If the Agency does not receive or make any comments, it shall include this substance on the list referred to in paragraph 1. The Agency may include this substance in its recommendations under Article 58(3).
7. When comments are made or received, the Agency shall refer the dossier to the Member State Committee within 15 days of the end of the 60-day period referred to in paragraph 5.
8. If, within 30 days of the referral, the Member State Committee reaches a unanimous agreement on the identification, the Agency shall include the substance in the list referred to in paragraph 1. The Agency may include that substance in its recommendations under Article 58(3).
9. If the Member State Committee fails to reach a unanimous agreement, the Commission shall prepare a draft proposal on the identification of the substance within three months of receipt of the opinion of the Member State Committee. A final decision on the identification of the substance shall be taken in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(3).
10. The Agency shall publish and update the list referred to in paragraph 1 on its website without delay after a decision on inclusion of a substance has been taken.
1. The Commission shall be responsible for taking decisions on applications for authorisations in accordance with this Title.
2. Without prejudice to paragraph 3, an authorisation shall be granted if the risk to human health or the environment from the use of a substance arising from the intrinsic properties specified in Annex XIV is adequately controlled in accordance with Section 6.4 of Annex I and as documented in the applicant's chemical safety report, taking into account the opinion of the Committee for Risk Assessment referred to in Article 64(4)(a). When granting the authorisation, and in any conditions imposed therein, the Commission shall take into account all discharges, emissions and losses, including risks arising from diffuse or dispersive uses, known at the time of the decision.
The Commission shall not consider the risks to human health arising from the use of a substance in a medical device regulated by Council Directive 90/385/EEC of 20 June 1990 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to active implantable medical devices ( 23 ), Council Directive 93/42/EEC of 14 June 1993 concerning medical devices ( 24 ) or Directive 98/79/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 October 1998 on in vitro diagnostic medical devices ( 25 ).
3. Paragraph 2 shall not apply to:
(a) substances meeting the criteria in Article 57(a), (b), (c) or (f) for which it is not possible to determine a threshold in accordance with Section 6.4 of Annex I;
(b) substances meeting the criteria in Article 57(d) or (e);
(c) substances identified under Article 57(f) having persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic properties or very persistent and very bioaccumulative properties.
4. If an authorisation cannot be granted under paragraph 2 or for substances listed in paragraph 3, an authorisation may only be granted if it is shown that socio-economic benefits outweigh the risk to human health or the environment arising from the use of the substance and if there are no suitable alternative substances or technologies. This decision shall be taken after consideration of all of the following elements and taking into account the opinions of the Committee for Risk Assessment and the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis referred to in Article 64(4)(a) and (b):
(a) the risk posed by the uses of the substance, including the appropriateness and effectiveness of the risk management measures proposed;
(b) the socio-economic benefits arising from its use and the socio-economic implications of a refusal to authorise as demonstrated by the applicant or other interested parties;
(c) the analysis of the alternatives submitted by the applicant under Article 62(4)(e) or any substitution plan submitted by the applicant under Article 62(4)(f), and any third party contributions submitted under Article 64(2);
(d) available information on the risks to human health or the environment of any alternative substances or technologies.
5. When assessing whether suitable alternative substances or technologies are available, all relevant aspects shall be taken into account by the Commission, including:
(a) whether the transfer to alternatives would result in reduced overall risks to human health and the environment, taking into account the appropriateness and effectiveness of risk management measures;
(b) the technical and economic feasibility of alternatives for the applicant.
6. A use shall not be authorised if this would constitute a relaxation of a restriction set out in Annex XVII.
7. An authorisation shall be granted only if the application is made in conformity with the requirements of Article 62.
8. Authorisations shall be subject to a time-limited review without prejudice to any decision on a future review period and shall normally be subject to conditions, including monitoring. The duration of the time-limited review for any authorisation shall be determined on a case-by-case basis taking into account all relevant information including the elements listed in paragraph 4(a) to (d), as appropriate.
9. The authorisation shall specify:
(a) the person(s) to whom the authorisation is granted;
(b) the identity of the substance(s);
(c) the use(s) for which the authorisation is granted;
(d) any conditions under which the authorisation is granted;
(e) the time-limited review period;
(f) any monitoring arrangement.
10. Notwithstanding any conditions of an authorisation, the holder shall ensure that the exposure is reduced to as low a level as is technically and practically possible.
Review of authorisations
1. Authorisations granted in accordance with Article 60 shall be regarded as valid until the Commission decides to amend or withdraw the authorisation in the context of a review, provided that the holder of the authorisation submits a review report at least 18 months before the expiry of the time-limited review period. Rather than re-submitting all elements of the original application for the current authorisation, the holder of an authorisation may submit only the number of the current authorisation, subject to the second, third and fourth subparagraphs.
A holder of an authorisation granted in accordance with Article 60 shall submit an update of the analysis of alternatives referred to in Article 62(4)(e), including information about any relevant research and development activities by the applicant, if appropriate, and any substitution plan submitted under Article 62(4)(f). If the update of the analysis of alternatives shows that there is a suitable alternative available taking into account the elements in Article 60(5), he shall submit a substitution plan, including a timetable for proposed actions by the applicant. If the holder cannot demonstrate that the risk is adequately controlled, he shall also submit an update of the socio-economic analysis contained in the original application.
If he can now demonstrate that the risk is adequately controlled, he shall submit an update of the chemical safety report.
If any other elements of the original application have changed, he shall also submit updates of these element(s).
When any updated information is submitted in accordance with this paragraph, any decision to amend or withdraw the authorisation in the context of the review shall be taken in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 64 applied mutatis mutandis.
2. Authorisations may be reviewed at any time if:
(a) the circumstances of the original authorisation have changed so as to affect the risk to human health or the environment, or the socio-economic impact; or
(b) new information on possible substitutes becomes available.
The Commission shall set a reasonable deadline by which the holder(s) of the authorisation may submit further information necessary for the review and indicate by when it will take a decision in accordance with Article 64.
3. In its review decision the Commission may, if circumstances have changed and taking into account the principle of proportionality, amend or withdraw the authorisation, if under the changed circumstances it would not have been granted or if suitable alternatives in accordance with Article 60(5) become available. In the latter case the Commission shall require the holder of the authorisation to present a substitution plan if he has not already done so as part of his application or update.
In cases where there is a serious and immediate risk for human health or the environment, the Commission may suspend the authorisation pending the review, taking into account the principle of proportionality.
4. If an environmental quality standard referred to in Directive 96/61/EC is not met, the authorisations granted for the use of the substance concerned may be reviewed.
5. If the environmental objectives as referred to in Article 4(1) of Directive 2000/60/EC are not met, the authorisations granted for the use of the substance concerned in the relevant river basin may be reviewed.
6. If a use of a substance is subsequently prohibited or otherwise restricted in Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on persistent organic pollutants ( 26 ), the Commission shall withdraw the authorisation for that use.
Applications for authorisations
1. An application for an authorisation shall be made to the Agency.
2. Applications for authorisation may be made by the manufacturer(s), importer(s) and/or downstream user(s) of the substance. Applications may be made by one or several persons.
3. Applications may be made for one or several substances, that meet the definition of a group of substances in Section 1.5 of Annex XI, and for one or several uses. Applications may be made for the applicant's own use(s) and/or for uses for which he intends to place the substance on the market.
4. An application for authorisation shall include the following information:
(a) the identity of the substance(s), as referred to in Section 2 of Annex VI;
(b) the name and contact details of the person or persons making the application;
(c) a request for authorisation, specifying for which use(s) the authorisation is sought and covering the use of the substance in ►M3 mixtures ◄ and/or the incorporation of the substance in articles, where this is relevant;
(d) unless already submitted as part of the registration, a chemical safety report in accordance with Annex I covering the risks to human health and/or the environment from the use of the substance(s) arising from the intrinsic properties specified in Annex XIV;
(e) an analysis of the alternatives considering their risks and the technical and economic feasibility of substitution and including, if appropriate information about any relevant research and development activities by the applicant;
(f) where the analysis referred to in point (e) shows that suitable alternatives are available, taking into account the elements in Article 60(5), a substitution plan including a timetable for proposed actions by the applicant.
5. The application may include:
(a) a socio-economic analysis conducted in accordance with Annex XVI;
(b) a justification for not considering risks to human health and the environment arising either from:
(i) emissions of a substance from an installation for which a permit was granted in accordance with Directive 96/61/EC; or
(ii) discharges of a substance from a point source governed by the requirement for prior regulation referred to in Article 11(3)(g) of Directive 2000/60/EC and legislation adopted under Article 16 of that Directive.
6. The application shall not include the risks to human health arising from the use of a substance in a medical device regulated by Directives 90/385/EEC, 93/42/EEC or 98/79/EC.
7. An application for an authorisation shall be accompanied by the fee required in accordance with Title IX.
Subsequent applications for authorisation
1. If an application has been made for a use of a substance, a subsequent applicant may refer to the appropriate parts of the previous application submitted in accordance with Article 62(4)(d), (e) and (f) and (5)(a), provided that the subsequent applicant has permission from the previous applicant to refer to these parts of the application.
2. If an authorisation has been granted for a use of a substance, a subsequent applicant may refer to the appropriate parts of the previous application submitted in accordance with Article 62(4)(d), (e) and (f) and (5)(a), provided that the subsequent applicant has permission from the holder of the authorisation to refer to these parts of the application.
3. Before referring to any previous application in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2, the subsequent applicant shall update the information of the original application as necessary.
Procedure for authorisation decisions
1. The Agency shall acknowledge the date of receipt of the application. The Agency's Committees for Risk Assessment and Socio-economic Analysis shall give their draft opinions within ten months of the date of receipt of the application.
2. The Agency shall make available on its web-site broad information on uses, taking into account Articles 118 and 119 on access to information, for which applications have been received and for reviews of authorisations, with a deadline by which information on alternative substances or technologies may be submitted by interested third parties.
3. In preparing its opinion, each Committee referred to in paragraph 1 shall first check that the application includes all the information specified in Article 62 that is relevant to its remit. If necessary, the Committees shall, in consultation with each other, make a joint request to the applicant for additional information to bring the application into conformity with the requirements of Article 62. The Committee for Socio-economic Analysis may, if it deems it necessary, require the applicant or request third parties to submit, within a specified time period, additional information on possible alternative substances or technologies. Each Committee shall also take into account any information submitted by third parties.
4. The draft opinions shall include the following elements:
(a) Committee for Risk Assessment: an assessment of the risk to human health and/or the environment arising from the use(s) of the substance, including the appropriateness and effectiveness of the risk management measures as described in the application and, if relevant, an assessment of the risks arising from possible alternatives;
(b) Committee for Socio-economic Analysis: an assessment of the socio-economic factors and the availability, suitability and technical feasibility of alternatives associated with the use(s) of the substance as described in the application, when an application is made in accordance with Article 62 and of any third party contributions submitted under paragraph 2 of this Article.
5. The Agency shall send these draft opinions to the applicant by the end of the deadline set out in paragraph 1. Within one month of receipt of the draft opinion, the applicant may provide written notice that he wishes to comment. The draft opinion shall be deemed to have been received seven days after the Agency has sent it.
If the applicant does not wish to comment, the Agency shall send these opinions to the Commission, the Member States and the applicant, within 15 days of the end of the period within which the applicant may comment or within 15 days of receipt of notice from the applicant that he does not intend to comment.
If the applicant wishes to comment, he shall send his written argumentation to the Agency within two months of the receipt of the draft opinion. The Committees shall consider the comments and adopt their final opinions within two months of receipt of the written argumentation, taking this argumentation into account where appropriate. Within a further 15 days the Agency shall send the opinions, with the written argumentation attached, to the Commission, the Member States and the applicant.
6. The Agency shall determine in accordance with Articles 118 and 119 which parts of its opinions and parts of any attachments thereto should be made publicly available on its website.
7. In cases covered by Article 63(1), the Agency shall treat the applications together, provided the deadlines for the first application can be met.
8. The Commission shall prepare a draft authorisation decision within three months of receipt of the opinions from the Agency. A final decision granting or refusing the authorisation shall be taken in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(3).
9. Summaries of the Commission decisions, including the authorisation number and the reasons for the decision, in particular where suitable alternatives exist, shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and shall be made publicly available in a database established and kept up to date by the Agency.
10. In cases covered by Article 63(2), the deadline set out in paragraph 1 of this Article shall be shortened to five months.
Obligation of holders of authorisations
Holders of an authorisation, as well as downstream users referred to in Article 56(2) including the substances in a ►M3 mixture ◄ , shall include the authorisation number on the label before they place the substance or a ►M3 mixture ◄ containing the substance on the market for an authorised use without prejudice to ►M3 Directive 67/548/EEC and Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 ◄ ►M3 ————— ◄ . This shall be done without delay once the authorisation number has been made publicly available in accordance with Article 64(9).
1. Downstream users using a substance in accordance with Article 56(2) shall notify the Agency within three months of the first supply of the substance.
2. The Agency shall establish and keep up to date a register of downstream users who have made a notification in accordance with paragraph 1. The Agency shall grant access to this register to the competent authorities of the Member States.
RESTRICTIONS ON THE MANUFACTURING, PLACING ON THE MARKET AND USE OF CERTAIN DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES, ►M3 MIXTURES ◄ AND ARTICLES
1. A substance on its own, in a ►M3 mixture ◄ or in an article, for which Annex XVII contains a restriction shall not be manufactured, placed on the market or used unless it complies with the conditions of that restriction. This shall not apply to the manufacture, placing on the market or use of a substance in scientific research and development. Annex XVII shall specify if the restriction shall not apply to product and process orientated research and development, as well as the maximum quantity exempted.
2. Paragraph 1 shall not apply to the use of substances in cosmetic products, as defined by Directive 76/768/EEC, with regard to restrictions addressing the risks to human health within the scope of that Directive.
3. Until 1 June 2013, a Member State may maintain any existing and more stringent restrictions in relation to Annex XVII on the manufacture, placing on the market or use of a substance, provided that those restrictions have been notified according to the Treaty. The Commission shall compile and publish an inventory of these restrictions by 1 June 2009.
Introducing new and amending current restrictions
1. When there is an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment, arising from the manufacture, use or placing on the market of substances, which needs to be addressed on a Community-wide basis, Annex XVII shall be amended in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(4) by adopting new restrictions, or amending current restrictions in Annex XVII, for the manufacture, use or placing on the market of substances on their own, in ►M3 mixtures ◄ or in articles, pursuant to the procedure set out in Articles 69 to 73. Any such decision shall take into account the socio-economic impact of the restriction, including the availability of alternatives.
The first subparagraph shall not apply to the use of a substance as an on-site isolated intermediate.
2. For a substance on its own, in a mixture or in an article which meets the criteria for classification in the hazard classes carcinogenicity, germ cell mutagenicity or reproductive toxicity, category 1A or 1B, and could be used by consumers and for which restrictions to consumer use are proposed by the Commission, Annex XVII shall be amended in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(4). Articles 69 to 73 shall not apply.
Preparation of a proposal
1. If the Commission considers that the manufacture, placing on the market or use of a substance on its own, in a ►M3 mixture ◄ or in an article poses a risk to human health or the environment that is not adequately controlled and needs to be addressed, it shall ask the Agency to prepare a dossier which conforms to the requirements of Annex XV.
2. After the date referred to in Article 58(1)(c)(i) for a substance listed in Annex XIV, the Agency shall consider whether the use of that substance in articles poses a risk to human health or the environment that is not adequately controlled. If the Agency considers that the risk is not adequately controlled, it shall prepare a dossier which conforms to the requirements of Annex XV.
3. Within 12 months of the receipt of the request from the Commission in paragraph 1 and if this dossier demonstrates that action on a Community-wide basis is necessary, beyond any measures already in place, the Agency shall suggest restrictions, in order to initiate the restrictions process.
4. If a Member State considers that the manufacture, placing on the market or use of a substance on its own, in a ►M3 mixture ◄ or in an article poses a risk to human health or the environment that is not adequately controlled and needs to be addressed it shall notify the Agency that it proposes to prepare a dossier which conforms to the requirements of the relevant sections of Annex XV. If the substance is not on the list maintained by the Agency referred to in paragraph 5 of this Article, the Member State shall prepare a dossier which conforms to the requirements of Annex XV within 12 months of the notification to the Agency. If this dossier demonstrates that action on a Community-wide basis is necessary, beyond any measures already in place, the Member State shall submit it to the Agency in the format outlined in Annex XV, in order to initiate the restrictions process.
The Agency or Member States shall refer to any dossier, chemical safety report or risk assessment submitted to the Agency or Member State under this Regulation. The Agency or Member States shall also refer to any relevant risk assessment submitted for the purposes of other Community Regulations or Directives. To this end other bodies, such as agencies, established under Community law and carrying out a similar task shall provide information to the Agency or Member State concerned on request.
The Committee for Risk Assessment and the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis shall check whether the dossier submitted conforms to the requirements of Annex XV. Within 30 days of receipt, the respective Committee shall inform the Agency or the Member State suggesting restrictions, as to whether the dossier conforms. If the dossier does not conform, the reasons shall be given to the Agency or the Member State in writing within 45 days of receipt. The Agency or the Member State shall bring the dossier into conformity within 60 days of the date of receipt of the reasons from the Committees, otherwise the procedure under this Chapter shall be terminated. The Agency shall publish without delay the intention of the Commission or of a Member State to instigate a restriction procedure for a substance and shall inform those who submitted a registration for that substance.
5. The Agency shall maintain a list of substances for which a dossier conforming to the requirements of Annex XV is planned or underway by either the Agency or a Member State for the purposes of a proposed restriction. If a substance is on the list, no other such dossier shall be prepared. If it is proposed by either a Member State or the Agency that an existing restriction listed in Annex XVII should be re-examined a decision on whether to do so shall be taken in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(2) based on evidence presented by the Member State or the Agency.
6. Without prejudice to Articles 118 and 119, the Agency shall make publicly available on its website all dossiers conforming with Annex XV including the restrictions suggested pursuant to paragraphs 3 and 4 of this Article without delay, clearly indicating the date of publication. The Agency shall invite all interested parties to submit individually or jointly within six months of the date of publication:
(a) comments on dossiers and the suggested restrictions;
(b) a socio-economic analysis, or information which can contribute to one, of the suggested restrictions, examining the advantages and drawbacks of the proposed restrictions. It shall conform to the requirements in Annex XVI.
Agency opinion: Committee for Risk Assessment
Within nine months of the date of publication referred to in Article 69(6), the Committee for Risk Assessment shall formulate an opinion as to whether the suggested restrictions are appropriate in reducing the risk to human health and/or the environment, based on its consideration of the relevant parts of the dossier. This opinion shall take account of the Member State dossier or of the dossier prepared by the Agency at the request of the Commission, and the views of interested parties referred to in Article 69(6)(a).
Agency opinion: Committee for Socio-economic Analysis
1. Within 12 months of the date of publication referred to in Article 69(6), the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis shall formulate an opinion on the suggested restrictions, based on its consideration of the relevant parts of the dossier and the socio-economic impact. It shall prepare a draft opinion on the suggested restrictions and on the related socio-economic impact, taking account of the analyses or information according to Article 69(6)(b), if there are any. The Agency shall publish the draft opinion on its website without delay. The Agency shall invite interested parties to give their comments on the draft opinion no later than 60 days from the publication of that draft opinion.
2. The Committee for Socio-economic Analysis shall without delay adopt its opinion, taking into account where appropriate further comments received by the deadline set. This opinion shall take account of the comments and socio-economic analyses of interested parties submitted under Article 69(6)(b) and under paragraph 1 of this Article.
3. Where the opinion of the Committee for Risk Assessment diverges significantly from the restrictions suggested, the Agency may postpone the deadline for the opinion of the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis by a maximum of 90 days.
Submission of an opinion to the Commission
1. The Agency shall submit to the Commission without delay the opinions of the Committees for Risk Assessment and Socio-economic Analysis on restrictions suggested for substances on their own, in ►M3 mixtures ◄ or in articles. If one or both of the Committees do not formulate an opinion by the deadline set in Article 70 and Article 71(1) the Agency shall inform the Commission accordingly, stating the reasons.
2. Without prejudice to Articles 118 and 119 the Agency shall publish the opinions of the two Committees on its website without delay.
3. The Agency shall provide the Commission and/or Member State on request with all documents and evidence submitted to or considered by it.
Commission decision
1. If the conditions laid down in Article 68 are fulfilled, the Commission shall prepare a draft amendment to Annex XVII, within three months of receipt of the opinion of the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis or by the end of the deadline established under Article 71 if that Committee does not form an opinion, whichever is the earlier.
Where the draft amendment diverges from the original proposal or if it does not take the opinions from the Agency into account, the Commission shall annex a detailed explanation of the reasons for the differences.
2. A final decision shall be taken in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(4). The Commission shall send the draft amendment to the Member States at least 45 days before voting.
1. The fees that are required according to Article 6(4), Article 7(1) and (5), Article 9(2), Article 11(4), Article 17(2), Article 18(2), Article 19(3), Article 22(5), Article 62(7) and Article 92(3) shall be specified in a Commission Regulation adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(3) by 1 June 2008.
2. A fee need not be paid for a registration of a substance in a quantity of between 1 and 10 tonnes where the registration dossier contains the full information in Annex VII.
3. The structure and amount of the fees referred to in paragraph 1 shall take account of the work required by this Regulation to be carried out by the Agency and the competent authority and shall be fixed at such a level as to ensure that the revenue derived from them when combined with other sources of the Agency's revenue pursuant to Article 96(1) is sufficient to cover the cost of the services delivered. The fees set for registration shall take into account the work that may be done pursuant to Title VI.
In the case of Article 6(4), Article 7(1) and (5), Article 9(2), Article 11(4), Article 17(2) and Article 18(2), the structure and amount of fees shall take account of the tonnage range of the substance being registered.
In all cases, a reduced fee shall be set for SMEs.
In the case of Article 11(4), the structure and amount of fees shall take into account whether information has been submitted jointly or separately.
In the case of a request made under Article 10(a)(xi), the structure and amount of fees shall take into account the work required by the Agency in assessing the justification.
4. The Regulation referred to in paragraph 1 shall specify the circumstances under which a proportion of the fees will be transferred to the relevant Member State competent authority.
5. The Agency may collect charges for other services it provides.
Establishment and review
1. A European Chemicals Agency is established for the purposes of managing and in some cases carrying out the technical, scientific and administrative aspects of this Regulation and to ensure consistency at Community level in relation to these aspects.
2. The Agency shall be subject to a review by 1 June 2012.
1. The Agency shall comprise:
(a) a Management Board, which shall exercise the responsibilities set out in Article 78;
(b) an Executive Director, who shall exercise the responsibilities set out in Article 83;
(c) a Committee for Risk Assessment, which shall be responsible for preparing the opinion of the Agency on evaluations, applications for authorisation, proposals for restrictions and proposals for classification and labelling under ►M3 Title V of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 ◄ and any other questions that arise from the operation of this Regulation relating to risks to human health or the environment;
(d) a Committee for Socio-economic Analysis, which shall be responsible for preparing the opinion of the Agency on applications for authorisation, proposals for restrictions, and any other questions that arise from the operation of this Regulation relating to the socio-economic impact of possible legislative action on substances;
(e) a Member State Committee, which shall be responsible for resolving potential divergences of opinions on draft decisions proposed by the Agency or the Member States under Title VI and proposals for identification of substances of very high concern to be subjected to the authorisation procedure under Title VII;
(f) a Forum for Exchange of Information on Enforcement (hereinafter referred to as the Forum) which shall coordinate a network of Member States authorities responsible for enforcement of this Regulation;
(g) a Secretariat, which shall work under the leadership of the Executive Director and provide technical, scientific and administrative support for the Committees and the Forum and ensure appropriate coordination between them. It shall also undertake the work required of the Agency under the procedures for pre-registration, registration and evaluation as well as preparation of guidance, database maintenance and information provision;
(h) a Board of Appeal, which shall decide on appeals against decisions taken by the Agency.
2. The Committees referred to in points (c), (d) and (e) of paragraph 1 (hereinafter referred to as the Committees) and the Forum may each establish working groups. For this purpose they shall adopt, in accordance with their rules of procedure, precise arrangements for delegating certain tasks to these working groups.
3. The Committees and the Forum may, if they consider it appropriate, seek advice on important questions of a general scientific or ethical nature from appropriate sources of expertise.
1. The Agency shall provide the Member States and the institutions of the Community with the best possible scientific and technical advice on questions relating to chemicals which fall within its remit and which are referred to it in accordance with the provisions of this Regulation.
2. The Secretariat shall undertake the following tasks:
(a) performing the tasks allotted to it under Title II; including facilitating the efficient registration of imported substances, in a way consistent with the Community's international trading obligations towards third countries;
(b) performing the tasks allotted to it under Title III;
(c) performing the tasks allotted to it under Title VI;
(d) performing the tasks allotted to it under Title VIII;
►M3 (e) establishing and maintaining database(s) with information on all registered substances, the classification and labelling inventory and the harmonised classification and labelling list established in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008. ◄ It shall make the information identified in Article 119(1) and (2) in the database(s) publicly available, free of charge, over the Internet, except where a request made under Article 10(a)(xi) is considered justified. The Agency shall make other information in the databases available on request in accordance with Article 118;
(f) making publicly available information as to which substances are being, and have been evaluated within 90 days of receipt of the information at the Agency, in accordance with Article 119(1);
(g) providing technical and scientific guidance and tools where appropriate for the operation of this Regulation in particular to assist the development of chemical safety reports (in accordance with Article 14, Article 31(1) and Article 37(4)) and application of Article 10(a)(viii), Article 11(3) and Article 19(2) by industry and especially by SMEs; and technical and scientific guidance for the application of Article 7 by producers and importers of articles;
(h) providing technical and scientific guidance on the operation of this Regulation for Member State competent authorities and providing support to the helpdesks established by Member States under Title XIII;
(i) providing guidance to stakeholders including Member State competent authorities on communication to the public of information on the risks and safe use of substances, on their own, in ►M3 mixtures ◄ or in articles;
(j) providing advice and assistance to manufacturers and importers registering a substance in accordance with Article 12(1);
(k) preparing explanatory information on this Regulation for other stakeholders;
(l) at the Commission's request, providing technical and scientific support for steps to improve cooperation between the Community, its Member States, international organisations and third countries on scientific and technical issues relating to the safety of substances, as well as active participation in technical assistance and capacity building activities on sound management of chemicals in developing countries;
(m) keeping a Manual of Decisions and Opinions based on conclusions from the Member State Committee regarding interpretation and implementation of this Regulation;
(n) notification of decisions taken by the Agency;
(o) provision of formats for submission of information to the Agency.
3. The Committees shall undertake the following tasks:
(a) performing the tasks allotted to them under ►M3 Titles VI to X ◄ ;
(b) at the Executive Director's request, providing technical and scientific support for steps to improve cooperation between the Community, its Member States, international organisations and third countries on scientific and technical issues relating to the safety of substances, as well as active participation in technical assistance and capacity building activities on sound management of chemicals in developing countries;
(c) at the Executive Director's request, drawing up an opinion on any other aspects concerning the safety of substances on their own, in ►M3 mixtures ◄ or in articles.
4. The Forum shall undertake the following tasks:
(a) spreading good practice and highlighting problems at Community level;
(b) proposing, coordinating and evaluating harmonised enforcement projects and joint inspections;
(c) coordinating exchange of inspectors;
(d) identifying enforcement strategies, as well as best practice in enforcement;
(e) developing working methods and tools of use to local inspectors;
(f) developing an electronic information exchange procedure;
(g) liaising with industry, taking particular account of the specific needs of SMEs, and other stakeholders, including relevant international organisations, as necessary;
(h) examining proposals for restrictions with a view to advising on enforceability.
Powers of the Management Board
The Management Board shall appoint the Executive Director pursuant to Article 84 and an accounting officer in accordance with Article 43 of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2343/2002.
It shall adopt:
(a) by 30 April each year, the general report of the Agency for the previous year;
(b) by 31 October each year the work programme of the Agency for the coming year;
(c) the final budget of the Agency pursuant to Article 96 before the beginning of the financial year, adjusting it, where necessary, according to the Community contribution and any other revenue of the Agency;
(d) a multiannual work programme, which shall be regularly revised.
It shall adopt the internal rules and procedures of the Agency. These rules shall be made public.
It shall perform its duties in relation to the Agency's budget pursuant to Articles 96, 97 and 103.
It shall exercise disciplinary authority over the Executive Director.
It shall adopt its rules of procedure.
It shall appoint the Chairman, the members and alternates of the Board of Appeal in accordance with Article 89.
It shall appoint the members of the Agency committees as set out in Article 85.
It shall forward annually any information relevant to the outcome of the evaluation procedures in accordance with Article 96(6).
Composition of the Management Board
1. The Management Board shall be composed of one representative from each Member State and a maximum of six representatives appointed by the Commission, including three individuals from interested parties without voting rights and in addition two independent persons appointed by the European Parliament.
Each Member State shall nominate a member to the Management Board. The members thus nominated shall be appointed by the Council.
2. Members shall be appointed on the basis of their relevant experience and expertise in the field of chemical safety or the regulation of chemicals whilst ensuring there is relevant expertise amongst the board members in the fields of general, financial and legal matters.
3. The duration of the term of office shall be four years. The term of office may be renewed once. However, for the first mandate, the Commission shall identify half of its appointees, and the Council shall identify 12 of its appointees, for whom this period shall be six years.
Chairmanship of the Management Board
1. The Management Board shall elect a Chairman and a Deputy-Chairman from among the members with voting rights. The Deputy-Chairman shall automatically take the place of the Chairman if he is prevented from attending to his duties.
2. The terms of office of the Chairman and the Deputy-Chairman shall be two years and shall expire when they cease to be members of the Management Board. The term of office shall be renewable once.
Meetings of the Management Board
1. The meetings of the Management Board shall be convened by invitation of its Chairman or at the request of at least one third of the Board members.
2. The Executive Director shall take part in the meetings of the Management Board, without voting rights.
3. The Chairmen of the Committees and the Chairman of the Forum, as referred to in Article 76(1)(c) to (f), are entitled to attend the meetings of the Management Board without voting rights.
Voting of the Management Board
The Management Board shall adopt rules of procedure for voting, including the conditions for a member to vote on behalf of another member. The Management Board shall act by a two-thirds majority of all members with the right to vote.
Duties and powers of the Executive Director
1. The Agency shall be managed by its Executive Director, who shall perform his duties in the interests of the Community, and independently of any specific interests.
2. The Executive Director shall be the legal representative of the Agency. He shall be responsible for:
(a) the day-to-day administration of the Agency;
(b) managing all the Agency resources necessary for carrying out its tasks;
(c) ensuring that the time-limits laid down in Community legislation for the adoption of opinions by the Agency are complied with;
(d) ensuring appropriate and timely coordination between the Committees and the Forum;
(e) concluding and managing necessary contracts with service providers;
(f) the preparation of the statement of revenue and expenditure and the implementation of the budget of the Agency pursuant to Articles 96 and 97;
(g) all staff matters;
(h) providing the secretariat for the Management Board;
(i) preparing draft opinions of the Management Board concerning the proposed rules of procedure of the Committees and of the Forum;
(j) making arrangements, upon request from the Management Board, for the execution of any further function(s) (within the remit of Article 77) allotted to the Agency by delegation from the Commission;
(k) establishing and maintaining a regular dialogue with the European Parliament;
(l) determining the terms and conditions for use of software packages;
(m) rectifying a decision made by the Agency following an appeal and after consulting the Chairman of the Board of Appeal.
3. Each year, the Executive Director shall submit the following to the Management Board for approval:
(a) a draft report covering the activities of the Agency in the previous year, including information about the number of registration dossiers received, the number of substances evaluated, the number of applications for authorisation received, the number of proposals for restriction received by the Agency and opined upon, the time taken for completion of the associated procedures, and the substances authorised, dossiers rejected, substances restricted; complaints received and the action taken; an overview of the activities of the Forum;
(b) a draft work-programme for the coming year;
(c) the draft annual accounts;
(d) the draft forecast budget for the coming year;
(e) a draft multiannual work programme.
The Executive Director shall, following approval by the Management Board, forward the work programme for the coming year and the multiannual work programme to the Member States, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, and shall have them published.
The Executive Director shall, following approval by the Management Board, forward the Agency's general report to the Member States, the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Court of Auditors, and shall have it published.
Appointment of the Executive Director
1. The Executive Director of the Agency shall be appointed by the Management Board on the basis of a list of candidates proposed by the Commission following a call for expressions of interest published in the Official Journal of the European Union and in other periodicals or on Internet sites.
The Executive Director shall be appointed on the grounds of merit and documented administrative and management skills, as well as his relevant experience in the fields of chemical safety or regulation. The Management Board shall take its decision by a two-thirds majority of all members with a right to vote.
Power to dismiss the Executive Director shall lie with the Management Board, in accordance with the same procedure.
Before being appointed, the candidate selected by the Management Board shall be invited as soon as possible to make a statement before the European Parliament and to answer questions from Members of Parliament.
2. The term of the office of the Executive Director shall be five years. It may be prolonged by the Management Board once for another period of up to five years.
Establishment of the Committees
1. Each Member State may nominate candidates to membership of the Committee for Risk Assessment. The Executive Director shall establish a list of the nominees, which shall be published on the Agency's website, without prejudice to Article 88(1). The Management Board shall appoint the members of the Committee from this list, including at least one member but not more than two from the nominees of each Member State that has nominated candidates. Members shall be appointed for their role and experience in performing the tasks specified in Article 77(3).
2. Each Member State may nominate candidates to membership of the Committee for Socio-economic Analysis. The Executive Director shall establish a list of the nominees, which shall be published on the Agency's website, without prejudice to Article 88(1). The Management Board shall appoint the members of the Committee from this list, including at least one member but not more than two from the nominees of each Member State that has nominated candidates. Members shall be appointed for their role and experience in performing the tasks specified in Article 77(3).
3. Each Member State shall appoint one member to the Member State Committee.
4. The Committees shall aim to have a broad range of relevant expertise among their members. To this end each Committee may co-opt a maximum of five additional members chosen on the basis of their specific competence.
Members of the Committees shall be appointed for a term of three years which shall be renewable.
The members of the Management Board may not be members of the Committees.
The members of each Committee may be accompanied by advisers on scientific, technical or regulatory matters.
The Executive Director or his representative and representatives of the Commission shall be entitled to attend all the meetings of the Committees and working groups convened by the Agency or its committees as observers. Stakeholders may also be invited to attend meetings as observers, as appropriate, at the request of the Committee members, or the Management Board.
5. The members of each Committee appointed following nomination by a Member State shall ensure that there is appropriate coordination between the tasks of the Agency and the work of their Member State competent authority.
6. The members of the Committees shall be supported by the scientific and technical resources available to the Member States. To this end, Member States shall provide adequate scientific and technical resources to the members of the Committees that they have nominated. Each Member State competent authority shall facilitate the activities of the Committees and their working groups.
7. The Member States shall refrain from giving the members of the Committee for Risk Assessment or of the Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis, or their scientific and technical advisers and experts, any instruction which is incompatible with the individual tasks of those persons or with the tasks, responsibilities and independence of the Agency.
8. When preparing an opinion, each Committee shall use its best endeavours to reach a consensus. If such a consensus cannot be reached, the opinion shall consist of the position of the majority of members, including their grounds. The minority position(s), including their grounds, shall also be published.
9. Each Committee shall draft a proposal for its own rules of procedure, to be approved by the Management Board, within six months of the Committees first being appointed.
These rules shall in particular lay down the procedures for replacing members, the procedures for delegating certain tasks to working groups, the creation of working groups and the establishment of a procedure for the urgent adoption of opinions. The Chairman of each Committee shall be an employee of the Agency.
Establishment of the Forum
1. Each Member State shall appoint, for a three-year term, which shall be renewable, one member to the Forum. Members shall be chosen for their role and experience in enforcement of chemicals legislation and shall maintain relevant contacts with the Member State competent authorities.
The Forum shall aim to have a broad range of relevant expertise among its members. To this end the Forum may co-opt a maximum of five additional members chosen on the basis of their specific competence. These members shall be appointed for a term of three years, which shall be renewable. Members of the Management Board may not be members of the Forum.
The members of the Forum may be accompanied by scientific and technical advisers.
The Executive Director of the Agency or his representative and representatives of the Commission shall be entitled to attend all the meetings of the Forum and its working groups. Stakeholders may also be invited to attend meetings as observers, as appropriate, at the request of Forum members, or the Management Board.
2. The members of the Forum appointed by a Member State shall ensure that there is appropriate coordination between the tasks of the Forum and the work of their Member State competent authority.
3. The members of the Forum shall be supported by the scientific and technical resources available to the competent authorities of the Member States. Each Member State competent authority shall facilitate the activities of the Forum and its working groups. The Member States shall refrain from giving the Forum members, or their scientific and technical advisers and experts any instruction which is incompatible with the individual tasks of those persons or with the tasks and responsibilities of the Forum.
4. The Forum shall draft a proposal for its own rules of procedure, to be adopted by the Management Board, within six months of the Forum first being appointed.
These rules shall in particular lay down the procedures for appointing and replacing the Chairman, replacing members and the procedures for delegating certain tasks to working groups.
Rapporteurs of Committees and use of experts
1. Where, in accordance with Article 77, a Committee is required to provide an opinion or consider whether a Member State dossier conforms with the requirements of Annex XV, it shall appoint one of its members as a rapporteur. The Committee concerned may appoint a second member to act as co-rapporteur. For each case, rapporteurs and co-rapporteurs shall undertake to act in the interests of the Community and shall make a declaration of commitment to fulfil their duties and a declaration of interests in writing. A member of a Committee shall not be appointed rapporteur for a particular case if he indicates any interest that might be prejudicial to the independent consideration of that case. The Committee concerned may replace the rapporteur or co-rapporteur by another one of its members at any time, if, for example, they are unable to fulfil their duties within the prescribed time limits, or if a potentially prejudicial interest comes to light.
2. Member States shall transmit to the Agency the names of experts with proven experience in the tasks required by Article 77, who would be available to serve on working groups of the Committees, together with an indication of their qualifications and specific areas of expertise.
The Agency shall keep an up-to-date list of experts. The list shall include the experts referred to in the first subparagraph and other experts identified directly by the Secretariat.
3. The provision of services by Committee members or any expert serving on a working group of the Committees or Forum, or performing any other task for the Agency shall be governed by a written contract between the Agency and the person concerned, or where appropriate between the Agency and the employer of the person concerned.
The person concerned, or his employer, shall be remunerated by the Agency in accordance with a scale of fees to be included in the financial arrangements established by the Management Board. Where the person concerned fails to fulfil his duties, the Executive Director has the right to terminate or suspend the contract or withhold remuneration.
4. The provision of services for which there are several potential providers may require a call for an expression of interest:
(a) if the scientific and technical context allows; and
(b) if it is compatible with the duties of the Agency, in particular the need to provide a high level of protection of human health and the environment.
The Management Board shall adopt the appropriate procedures on a proposal from the Executive Director.
5. The Agency may use the services of experts for the discharge of other specific tasks for which it is responsible.
Qualification and interests
1. The membership of the Committees and of the Forum shall be made public. Individual members may request that their names not be made public if they believe that such publication could place them at risk. The Executive Director shall decide whether to agree to such requests. When each appointment is published, the professional qualifications of each member shall be specified.
2. Members of the Management Board, the Executive Director and members of the Committees and of the Forum shall make a declaration of commitment to fulfil their duties and a declaration of interests which could be considered to be prejudicial to their independence. These declarations shall be made annually in writing and, without prejudice to paragraph 1, be entered in a register held by the Agency which is accessible to the public, on request, at the Agency's offices.
3. At each of their meetings, members of the Management Board, the Executive Director, members of the Committees and of the Forum and any experts participating in the meeting shall declare any interests which could be considered to be prejudicial to their independence with respect to any points on the agenda. Anyone declaring such interests shall not participate in any voting on the relevant agenda point.
Establishment of the Board of Appeal
1. The Board of Appeal shall consist of a Chairman and two other members.
2. The Chairman and the two members shall have alternates who shall represent them in their absence.
3. The Chairman, the other members and the alternates shall be appointed by the Management Board on the basis of a list of candidates proposed by the Commission following a call for expressions of interest published in the Official Journal of the European Union and in other periodicals or on Internet sites. They shall be appointed on the basis of their relevant experience and expertise in the field of chemical safety, natural sciences or regulatory and judicial procedures from a list of qualified candidates adopted by the Commission.
The Management Board may appoint additional members and their alternates, on recommendation by the Executive Director, following the same procedure, if this is necessary to ensure that the appeals can be processed at a satisfactory rate.
4. The qualifications required for the members of the Board of Appeal shall be determined by the Commission in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(3).
5. The Chairman and the members shall have equal voting rights.
Members of the Board of Appeal
1. The term of office of the members of the Board of Appeal, including the Chairman and the alternates shall be five years. It may be prolonged once.
2. The members of the Board of Appeal shall be independent. In making their decisions they shall not be bound by any instructions.
3. The members of the Board of Appeal may not perform any other duties in the Agency.
4. The members of the Board of Appeal may not be removed either from office or from the list during their respective terms, unless there are serious grounds for such removal and the Commission, after obtaining the opinion of the Management Board, takes a decision to this effect.
5. Members of the Board of Appeal may not take part in any appeal proceedings if they have any personal interest therein, or if they have previously been involved as representatives of one of the parties to the proceedings, or if they participated in the decision under appeal.
6. If a member of the Board of Appeal considers for reasons mentioned in paragraph 5 that he must not take part in a specific appeal proceedings, he shall inform the Board of Appeal accordingly. Members of the Board may be objected to by any party to the appeal proceedings on any of the grounds mentioned in paragraph 5, or if suspected of partiality. No objection may be based on the nationality of members.
7. The Board of Appeal shall decide as to the action to be taken in the cases specified in paragraphs 5 and 6 without the participation of the member concerned. For the purposes of taking this decision, the member concerned shall be replaced on the Board of Appeal by an alternate.
Decisions subject to appeal
1. An appeal may be brought against decisions of the Agency taken pursuant to Article 9, Article 20, Article 27(6), Article 30(2) and (3) and Article 51.
2. An appeal lodged pursuant to paragraph 1 shall have suspensive effect.
Persons entitled to appeal, time-limits, fees and form
1. Any natural or legal person may appeal against a decision addressed to that person, or against a decision which, although addressed to another person, is of direct and individual concern to the former.
2. The appeal, together with the statements of the grounds thereof, shall be filed in writing to the Agency within three months of the notification of the decision to the person concerned, or in the absence thereof, of the day on which it became known to the latter, unless otherwise provided in this Regulation.
3. A fee may be payable by persons bringing an appeal against an Agency decision, in accordance with Title IX.
Examination and decisions on appeal
1. If, after consultation with the Chairman of the Board of Appeal, the Executive Director considers the appeal to be admissible and well founded he may rectify the decision within 30 days of the appeal being filed in accordance with Article 92(2).
2. In cases other than those referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the Chairman of the Board of Appeal shall examine whether the appeal is admissible within 30 days of the appeal being filed in accordance with Article 92(2). In the affirmative, the appeal shall be remitted to the Board of Appeal for examination of the grounds. Parties to the appeal proceedings shall be entitled to make an oral presentation during the procedure.
3. The Board of Appeal may exercise any power which lies within the competence of the Agency or remit the case to the competent body of the Agency for further action.
4. The procedures for the Board of Appeal shall be determined by the Commission in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(3).
Actions before the Court of First Instance and the Court of Justice
1. An action may be brought before the Court of First Instance or the Court of Justice, in accordance with Article 230 of the Treaty, contesting a decision taken by the Board of Appeal or, in cases where no right of appeal lies before the Board, by the Agency.
2. Should the Agency fail to take a decision, proceedings for failure to act may be brought before the Court of First Instance or the Court of Justice in accordance with Article 232 of the Treaty.
3. The Agency shall be required to take the necessary measures to comply with the judgment of the Court of First Instance or the Court of Justice.
Conflicts of opinion with other bodies
1. The Agency shall take care to ensure early identification of potential sources of conflict between its opinions and those of other bodies established under Community law, including Community Agencies, carrying out a similar task in relation to issues of common concern.
2. Where the Agency identifies a potential source of conflict, it shall contact the body concerned in order to ensure that any relevant scientific or technical information is shared and to identify the scientific or technical points which are potentially contentious.
3. Where there is a fundamental conflict over scientific or technical points and the body concerned is a Community Agency or a scientific committee, the Agency and the body concerned shall work together either to solve the conflict or to submit a joint document to the Commission clarifying the scientific and/or technical points of conflict.
The budget of the Agency
1. The revenues of the Agency shall consist of:
(a) a subsidy from the Community, entered in the general budget of the European Communities (Commission Section);
(b) the fees paid by undertakings;
(c) any voluntary contribution from the Member States.
2. The expenditure of the Agency shall include the staff, administrative, infrastructure and operational expenses.
3. By 15 February of each year at the latest, the Executive Director shall draw up a preliminary draft budget covering the operational expenditure and the programme of work anticipated for the following financial year, and shall forward this preliminary draft to the Management Board together with an establishment plan accompanied by a provisional list of posts.
4. Revenue and expenditure shall be in balance.
5. Each year the Management Board, on the basis of a draft drawn up by the Executive Director, shall produce an estimate of revenue and expenditure for the Agency for the following financial year. This estimate, which shall include a draft establishment plan, shall be forwarded by the Management Board to the Commission by 31 March at the latest.
6. The estimate shall be forwarded by the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council (hereinafter referred to as the budgetary authority) together with the preliminary draft budget of the European Communities.
7. On the basis of the estimate, the Commission shall enter in the preliminary draft budget of the European Communities the estimates it considers necessary for the establishment plan and the amount of the subsidy to be charged to the general budget, which it shall place before the budgetary authority in accordance with Article 272 of the Treaty.
8. The budgetary authority shall authorise the appropriations for the subsidy to the Agency.
The budgetary authority shall adopt the establishment plan for the Agency.
9. The budget of the Agency shall be adopted by the Management Board. It shall become final following final adoption of the general budget of the European Communities. Where appropriate, it shall be adjusted accordingly.
10. Any modification to the budget, including the establishment plan, shall follow the procedure referred to above.
11. The Management Board shall, without delay, notify the budgetary authority of its intention to implement any project which may have significant financial implications for the funding of its budget, in particular any projects relating to property such as the rental or purchase of buildings. It shall inform the Commission thereof.
Where a branch of the budgetary authority has notified its intention to deliver an opinion, it shall forward its opinion to the Management Board within a period of six weeks from the date of notification of the project.
Implementation of the budget of the Agency
1. The Executive Director shall perform the duties of authorising officer and shall implement the Agency's budget.
2. Monitoring of the commitment and payment of all the Agency's expenditure and of the establishment and recovery of all the Agency's revenue shall be carried out by the Accounting Officer of the Agency.
3. By 1 March at the latest following each financial year, the Agency's accounting officer shall communicate the provisional accounts to the Commission's accounting officer together with a report on the budgetary and financial management for that financial year. The Commission's accounting officer shall consolidate the provisional accounts of the institutions and decentralised bodies in accordance with Article 128 of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities ( 27 ).
4. By 31 March at the latest following each financial year, the Commission's accounting officer shall forward the Agency's provisional accounts to the Court of Auditors, together with a report on the budgetary and financial management for that financial year. The report on the budgetary and financial management for that financial year shall also be forwarded to the European Parliament and the Council.
5. On receipt of the Court of Auditors' observations on the Agency's provisional accounts, pursuant to Article 129 of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002, the Executive Director shall draw up the Agency's final accounts under his own responsibility and forward them to the Management Board for an opinion.
6. The Management Board shall deliver an opinion on the Agency's final accounts.
7. By 1 July of the following year at the latest, the Executive Director shall send the final accounts, together with the opinion of the Management Board, to the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors.
8. The final accounts shall be published.
9. The Executive Director shall send the Court of Auditors a reply to its observations by 30 September at the latest. He shall also send this reply to the Management Board.
10. The European Parliament, upon a recommendation from the Council, shall, before 30 April of year N + 2, give a discharge to the Executive Director in respect of the implementation of the budget for year N.
Combating fraud
1. In order to combat fraud, corruption and other unlawful activities, the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 1999 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) ( 28 ) shall apply without restrictions to the Agency.
2. The Agency shall be bound by the Interinstitutional Agreement of 25 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the Commission of the European Communities concerning internal investigations by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) ( 29 ) and shall issue, without delay, the appropriate provisions applicable to all of its staff.
3. The decisions concerning funding and the implementing agreements and instruments resulting from them shall explicitly stipulate that the Court of Auditors and OLAF may carry out, if necessary, on-the-spot checks of the recipients of the Agency's funding and the agents responsible for allocating it.
Financial rules
The financial rules applicable to the Agency shall be adopted by the Management Board after the Commission has been consulted. They may not depart from Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2343/2002 unless specifically necessary for the Agency's operation and with the Commission's prior consent.
Legal personality of the Agency
1. The Agency shall be a body of the Community and shall have legal personality. In each Member State it shall enjoy the most extensive legal capacity accorded to legal persons under their laws. In particular it may acquire and dispose of movable and immovable property and may be a party to legal proceedings.
2. The Agency shall be represented by its Executive Director.
Liability of the Agency
1. The contractual liability of the Agency shall be governed by the law applicable to the contract in question. The Court of Justice shall have jurisdiction pursuant to any arbitration clause contained in a contract concluded by the Agency.
2. In the case of non-contractual liability, the Agency shall, in accordance with the general principles common to the laws of the Member States, make good any damage caused by it or by its servants in the performance of their duties.
The Court of Justice shall have jurisdiction in any dispute relating to compensation for such damages.
3. The personal financial and disciplinary liability of its servants towards the Agency shall be governed by the relevant rules applying to the staff of the Agency.
Privileges and immunities of the Agency
The Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Communities shall apply to the Agency.
1. The staff of the Agency shall be subject to the Regulations and Rules applicable to officials and other servants of the European Communities. In respect of its staff, the Agency shall exercise the powers which have been devolved to the appointing authority.
2. The Management Board shall, in agreement with the Commission, adopt the necessary implementing provisions.
3. The Agency's staff shall consist of officials assigned or seconded by the Commission or Member States on a temporary basis and of other servants recruited by the Agency as necessary to carry out its tasks. The Agency shall recruit its personnel on the basis of a staffing plan to be included in the multiannual work programme referred to in Article 78(d).
1. Regulation No 1 of 15 April 1958 determining the languages to be used in the European Economic Community ( 30 ) shall apply to the Agency.
2. The translation services required for the functioning of the Agency shall be provided by the Translation Centre of the bodies of the European Union.
Duty of confidentiality
Members of the Management Board, members of the Committees and of the Forum, experts and officials and other servants of the Agency, shall be required, even after their duties have ceased, not to disclose information of the kind covered by the duty of professional secrecy.
Participation of third countries
The Management Board may, in agreement with the relevant Committee or the Forum, invite representatives of third countries to participate in the work of the Agency.
Participation of international organisations
The Management Board may, in agreement with the relevant Committee or the Forum, invite representatives of international organisations with interests in the field of chemicals regulation to participate as observers in the work of the Agency.
Contacts with stakeholder organisations
The Management Board shall, in agreement with the Commission, develop appropriate contacts between the Agency and relevant stakeholder organisations.
Rules on transparency
To ensure transparency, the Management Board shall, on the basis of a proposal by the Executive Director and in agreement with the Commission, adopt rules to ensure the availability to the public of regulatory, scientific or technical information concerning the safety of substances on their own, in ►M3 mixtures ◄ or in articles which is not of a confidential nature.
Relations with relevant Community bodies
1. The Agency shall cooperate with other Community bodies to ensure mutual support in the accomplishment of their respective tasks in particular to avoid duplication of work.
2. The Executive Director, having consulted the Committee on Risk Assessment and the European Food Safety Authority, shall establish rules of procedure concerning substances for which an opinion has been sought in a food safety context. These rules of procedure shall be adopted by the Management Board, in agreement with the Commission.
This Title shall not otherwise affect the competences vested in the European Food Safety Authority.
3. This Title shall not affect the competences vested in the European Medicines Agency.
4. The Executive Director, having consulted the Committee on Risk Assessment, the Committee on Socio-economic Analysis and the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work, shall establish rules of procedure concerning worker protection issues. These rules of procedure shall be adopted by the Management Board, in agreement with the Commission.
This Title shall not affect the competences vested in the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work and the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work.
Formats and software for submission of information to the Agency
The Agency shall specify formats and make them available free of charge, and software packages and make them available on its website for any submissions to the Agency. Member States, manufactures, importers, distributors or downstream users shall use these formats and packages in their submissions to the Agency pursuant to this Regulation. In particular, the Agency shall make available software tools to facilitate the submission of all information relating to substances registered in accordance with Article 12(1).
For the purposes of registration, the format of the technical dossier referred to in Article 10(a) shall be IUCLID. The Agency shall coordinate the further development of this format with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development to ensure maximum harmonisation.
▼M3 —————
1. Every five years, Member States shall submit to the Commission a report on the operation of this Regulation in their respective territories, including sections on evaluation and enforcement as described in Article 127.
The first report shall be submitted by 1 June 2010.
2. Every five years, the Agency shall submit to the Commission a report on the operation of this Regulation. The Agency shall include in its report information on the joint submission of information in accordance with Article 11 and an overview of the explanations given for submitting information separately.
3. Every three years the Agency, in accordance with the objective of promoting non-animal testing methods, shall submit to the Commission a report on the status of implementation and use of non-animal test methods and testing strategies used to generate information on intrinsic properties and for risk assessment to meet the requirements of this Regulation.
4. Every five years, the Commission shall publish a general report on:
(a) the experience acquired with the operation of this Regulation, including the information referred to in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 and;
(b) the amount and distribution of funding made available by the Commission for the development and evaluation of alternative test methods.
The first report shall be published by 1 June 2012.
1. Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 shall apply to documents held by the Agency.
2. Disclosure of the following information shall normally be deemed to undermine the protection of the commercial interests of the concerned person:
(a) details of the full composition of a ►M3 mixture ◄ ;
(b) without prejudice to Article 7(6) and Article 64(2), the precise use, function or application of a substance or ►M3 mixture ◄ , including information about its precise use as an intermediate;
(c) the precise tonnage of the substance or ►M3 mixture ◄ manufactured or placed on the market;
(d) links between a manufacturer or importer and his distributors or downstream users.
Where urgent action is essential to protect human health, safety or the environment, such as emergency situations, the Agency may disclose the information referred to in this paragraph.
3. The Management Board shall adopt the practical arrangements for implementing Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001, including appeals or remedies necessary for reviewing a partial or full rejection of a confidentiality request, by 1 June 2008.
4. Decisions taken by the Agency pursuant to Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 may form the subject of a complaint to the Ombudsman or of an action before the Court of Justice, under the conditions laid down in Articles 195 and 230 of the Treaty respectively.
Electronic public access
1. The following information held by the Agency on substances whether on their own, in ►M3 mixtures ◄ or in articles, shall be made publicly available, free of charge, over the Internet in accordance with Article 77(2)(e):
(a) without prejudice to paragraph 2(f) and (g) of this Article, the name in the IUPAC nomenclature for substances fulfilling the criteria for any of the following hazard classes or categories set out in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008:
— hazard classes 2.1 to 2.4, 2.6 and 2.7, 2.8 types A and B, 2.9, 2.10, 2.12, 2.13 categories 1 and 2, 2.14 categories 1 and 2, 2.15 types A to F;
— hazard classes 3.1 to 3.6, 3.7 adverse effects on sexual function and fertility or on development, 3.8 effects other than narcotic effects, 3.9 and 3.10;
— hazard class 4.1;
(b) if applicable, the name of the substance as given in EINECS;
(c) the classification and labelling of the substance;
(d) physicochemical data concerning the substance and on pathways and environmental fate;
(e) the result of each toxicological and ecotoxicological study;
(f) any derived no-effect level (DNEL) or predicted no-effect concentration (PNEC) established in accordance with Annex I;
(g) the guidance on safe use provided in accordance with Sections 4 and 5 of Annex VI;
(h) analytical methods if requested in accordance with Annexes IX or X which make it possible to detect a dangerous substance when discharged into the environment as well as to determine the direct exposure of humans.
2. The following information on substances whether on their own, in ►M3 mixtures ◄ or in articles, shall be made publicly available, free of charge, over the Internet in accordance with Article 77(2)(e) except where a party submitting the information submits a justification in accordance with Article 10(a)(xi), accepted as valid by the Agency, as to why such publication is potentially harmful for the commercial interests of the registrant or any other party concerned:
(a) if essential to classification and labelling, the degree of purity of the substance and the identity of impurities and/or additives which are known to be dangerous;
(b) the total tonnage band (i.e. 1 to 10 tonnes, 10 to 100 tonnes, 100 to 1 000 tonnes or over 1 000 tonnes) within which a particular substance has been registered;
(c) the study summaries or robust study summaries of the information referred to in paragraph 1(d) and (e);
(d) information, other than that listed in paragraph 1, contained in the safety data sheet;
(e) the trade name(s) of the substance;
(f) subject to Article 24 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, the name in the IUPAC nomenclature for non-phase-in substances referred to in paragraph 1(a) of this Article for a period of six years;
(g) subject to Article 24 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, the name in the IUPAC nomenclature for substances referred to in paragraph 1(a) of this Article that are only used as one or more of the following:
(i) as an intermediate;
(ii) in scientific research and development;
(iii) in product and process orientated research and development.
Cooperation with third countries and international organisations
Notwithstanding Articles 118 and 119, information received by the Agency under this Regulation may be disclosed to any government or national authority of a third country or an international organisation in accordance with an agreement concluded between the Community and the third party concerned under Regulation (EC) No 304/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2003 concerning the export and import of dangerous chemicals ( 31 ) or under Article 181a(3) of the Treaty, provided that both the following conditions are met:
(a) the purpose of the agreement is cooperation on the implementation or management of legislation concerning chemicals covered by this Regulation;
(b) the third party protects the confidential information as mutually agreed.
Member States shall appoint the competent authority or competent authorities responsible for performing the tasks allotted to competent authorities under this Regulation and for cooperating with the Commission and the Agency in the implementation of this Regulation. Member States shall place adequate resources at the disposal of the competent authorities to enable them, in conjunction with any other available resources, to fulfil their tasks under this Regulation in a timely and effective manner.
Cooperation between competent authorities
The competent authorities shall cooperate with each other in the performance of their tasks under this Regulation and shall give the competent authorities of other Member States all the necessary and useful support to this end.
Communication to the public of information on risks of substances
The competent authorities of the Member States shall inform the general public about the risks arising from substances where this is considered necessary for the protection of human health or the environment. The Agency, in consultation with competent authorities and stakeholders and drawing as appropriate on relevant best practice, shall provide guidance for the communication of information on the risks and safe use of chemical substances, on their own, in ►M3 mixtures ◄ or in articles, with a view to coordinating Member States in these activities.
Competent authorities shall submit electronically to the Agency any available information that they hold on substances registered in accordance with Article 12(1) whose dossiers do not contain the full information referred to in Annex VII, in particular whether enforcement or monitoring activities have identified suspicions of risk. The competent authority shall update this information as appropriate.
Member States shall establish national helpdesks to provide advice to manufacturers, importers, downstream users and any other interested parties on their respective responsibilities and obligations under this Regulation, in particular in relation to the registration of substances in accordance with Article 12(1), in addition to the operational guidance documents provided by the Agency under Article 77(2)(g).
Tasks of the Member States
Member States shall maintain a system of official controls and other activities as appropriate to the circumstances.
Penalties for non-compliance
Member States shall lay down the provisions on penalties applicable for infringement of the provisions of this Regulation and shall take all measures necessary to ensure that they are implemented. The penalties provided for must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. The Member States shall notify those provisions to the Commission no later than 1 December 2008 and shall notify it without delay of any subsequent amendment affecting them.
The report referred to in Article 117(1) shall, in relation to enforcement, include the results of the official inspections, the monitoring carried out, the penalties provided for and the other measures taken pursuant to Articles 125 and 126 during the previous reporting period. The common issues to be covered in the reports shall be agreed by the Forum. The Commission shall make these reports available to the Agency and the Forum.
1. Subject to paragraph 2, Member States shall not prohibit, restrict or impede the manufacturing, import, placing on the market or use of a substance, on its own, in a ►M3 mixture ◄ or in an article, falling within the scope of this Regulation, which complies with this Regulation and, where appropriate, with Community acts adopted in implementation of this Regulation.
2. Nothing in this Regulation shall prevent Member States from maintaining or laying down national rules to protect workers, human health and the environment applying in cases where this Regulation does not harmonise the requirements on manufacture, placing on the market or use.
Safeguard clause
1. Where a Member State has justifiable grounds for believing that urgent action is essential to protect human health or the environment in respect of a substance, on its own, in a ►M3 mixture ◄ or in an article, even if satisfying the requirements of this Regulation, it may take appropriate provisional measures. The Member State shall immediately inform the Commission, the Agency and the other Member States thereof, giving reasons for its decision and submitting the scientific or technical information on which the provisional measure is based.
2. The Commission shall take a decision in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(3) within 60 days of receipt of the information from the Member State. This decision shall either:
(a) authorise the provisional measure for a time period defined in the decision; or
(b) require the Member State to revoke the provisional measure.
3. If, in the case of a decision as referred to in paragraph 2(a), the provisional measure taken by the Member State consists in a restriction on the placing on the market or use of a substance, the Member State concerned shall initiate a Community restrictions procedure by submitting to the Agency a dossier, in accordance with Annex XV, within three months of the date of the Commission decision.
4. In the case of a decision as referred to in paragraph 2(a), the Commission shall consider whether this Regulation needs to be adapted.
Statement of reasons for decisions
The competent authorities, the Agency and the Commission shall state the reasons for all decisions they take under this Regulation.
Amendments to the Annexes
The Annexes may be amended in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(4).
Implementing legislation
The measures necessary to put the provisions of this Regulation efficiently into effect shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(3).
Committee procedure
1. The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee.
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 3 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months.
4. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5a(1) to (4), and Article 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
5. The Committee shall adopt its Rules of Procedure.
Preparation of establishment of the Agency
1. The Commission shall afford the necessary support towards the establishment of the Agency.
2. For that purpose, until such time as the Executive Director takes up his duties following his appointment by the Management Board of the Agency in accordance with Article 84, the Commission, on behalf of the Agency, and using the budget provided for the latter, may:
(a) appoint personnel, including a person who shall fulfil the administrative functions of the Executive Director on an interim basis; and
(b) conclude other contracts.
Transitional measures regarding notified substances
1. The requests to notifiers to provide further information to the competent authority in accordance with Article 16(2) of Directive 67/548/EEC, shall be considered as decisions adopted in accordance with Article 51 of this Regulation.
2. The requests to a notifier to provide further information for a substance in accordance with Article 16(1) of Directive 67/548/EEC, shall be considered as decisions adopted in accordance with Article 52 of this Regulation.
Such substance shall be regarded as being included in the Community rolling action plan in accordance with Article 44(2) of this Regulation and shall be regarded as being chosen in accordance with Article 45(2) of this Regulation by the Member State whose competent authority has requested further information in accordance with Article 7(2) and Article 16(1) of Directive 67/548/EEC.
Transitional measures regarding existing substances
1. The requests to manufacturers and importers to submit information to the Commission made by a Commission Regulation in application of Article 10(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 793/93, shall be considered as decisions adopted in accordance with Article 52 of this Regulation.
The competent authority for the substance shall be the competent authority from the Member State identified as rapporteur in accordance with Article 10(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and shall carry out the tasks of Article 46(3) and Article 48 of this Regulation.
2. The requests to manufacturers and importers to submit information to the Commission made by a Commission Regulation in application of Article 12(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 793/93, shall be considered as decisions adopted in accordance with Article 52 of this Regulation. The Agency shall identify the competent authority for the substance to carry out the tasks of Article 46(3) and Article 48 of this Regulation.
3. A Member State whose rapporteur has not forwarded by 1 June 2008 the risk evaluation and, where appropriate, the strategy for limiting the risks, in accordance with Article 10(3) of Regulation (EEC) No 793/93, shall:
(a) document information on hazard and risk in accordance with Annex XV, Part B of this Regulation;
(b) apply Article 69(4) of this Regulation on the basis of the information referred to in point (a); and
(c) prepare a documentation of how it considers that any other risks identified would need to be addressed by action other than an amendment of Annex XVII of this Regulation.
The information referred to above shall be submitted to the Agency by 1 December 2008.
Transitional measures regarding restrictions
1. By 1 June 2010, the Commission shall, if necessary, prepare a draft amendment to Annex XVII in accordance with either of the following:
(a) any risk evaluation and recommended strategy for limiting risks that has been adopted at Community level in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 as far as it includes proposals for restrictions in accordance with Title VIII of this Regulation but for which a decision under Directive 76/769/EEC has not yet been taken;
(b) any proposal, which has been submitted to the relevant institutions but has not yet been adopted, concerning the introduction or the amendment of restrictions under Directive 76/769/EEC.
2. Until 1 June 2010, any dossier referred to in Article 129(3) shall be submitted to the Commission. The Commission shall, if necessary, prepare a draft amendment to Annex XVII.
3. Any amendment to the restrictions adopted under Directive 76/769/EEC from 1 June 2007 shall be incorporated in Annex XVII with effect from 1 June 2009.
1. By 1 June 2019, the Commission shall carry out a review to assess whether or not to extend the application of the obligation to perform a chemical safety assessment and to document it in a chemical safety report to substances not covered by this obligation because they are not subject to registration or subject to registration but manufactured or imported in quantities of less than 10 tonnes per year. ►M3 However, for substances meeting the criteria for classification in the hazard classes carcinogenicity, germ cell mutagenicity or reproductive toxicity, category 1A or 1B, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, the review shall be carried out by 1 June 2014. ◄ When carrying out the review the Commission shall take into account all relevant factors, including:
(a) the costs for manufacturers and importers of drawing up the chemical safety reports;
(b) the distribution of costs between actors in the supply chain and the downstream user;
(c) the benefits for human health and the environment.
On the basis of these reviews, the Commission may, if appropriate, present legislative proposals to extend this obligation.
2. The Commission may present legislative proposals as soon as a practicable and cost-efficient way of selecting polymers for registration on the basis of sound technical and valid scientific criteria can be established, and after publishing a report on the following:
(a) the risks posed by polymers in comparison with other substances;
(b) the need, if any, to register certain types of polymer, taking account of competitiveness and innovation on the one hand and the protection of human health and the environment on the other.
3. The report, referred to in Article 117(4), on the experience acquired with the operation of this Regulation shall include a review of the requirements relating to registration of substances manufactured or imported only in quantities starting at one tonne but less than 10 tonnes per year per manufacturer or importer. On the basis of that review, the Commission may present legislative proposals to modify the information requirements for substances manufactured or imported in quantities of one tonne or more up to 10 tonnes per year per manufacturer or importer, taking into account the latest developments, for example in relation to alternative testing and (quantitative) structure-activity relationships ((Q)SARs).
4. The Commission shall carry out a review of Annexes I, IV and V by 1 June 2008, with a view to proposing amendments, if appropriate, to them in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 131.
5. The Commission shall carry out a review of Annex XIII by 1 December 2008, to assess the adequacy of the criteria for identifying substances which are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic or very persistent and very bioaccumulative, with a view to proposing an amendment to it, if appropriate, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(4).
6. By 1 June 2012 the Commission shall carry out a review to assess whether or not to amend the scope of this Regulation to avoid overlaps with other relevant Community provisions. On the basis of that review, the Commission may, if appropriate, present a legislative proposal.
7. By 1 June 2013 the Commission shall carry out a review to assess whether or not, taking into account latest developments in scientific knowledge, to extend the scope of Article 60(3) to substances identified under Article 57(f) as having endocrine disrupting properties. On the basis of that review the Commission may, if appropriate, present legislative proposals.
8. By 1 June 2019, the Commission shall carry out a review to assess whether or not to extend the scope of Article 33 to cover other dangerous substances, taking into account the practical experience in implementing that Article. On the basis of that review, the Commission may, if appropriate, present legislative proposals to extend that obligation.
9. In accordance with the objective of promoting non-animal testing and the replacement, reduction or refinement of animal testing required under this Regulation, the Commission shall review the testing requirements of Section 8.7 of Annex VIII by 1 June 2019. On the basis of this review, while ensuring a high level of protection of health and the environment, the Commission may propose an amendment in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(4).
Repeals
Directive 91/155/EEC shall be repealed.
Directives 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC and Regulations (EEC) No 793/93 and (EC) No 1488/94 shall be repealed with effect from 1 June 2008.
Directive 93/67/EEC shall be repealed with effect from 1 August 2008.
Directive 76/769/EEC shall be repealed with effect from 1 June 2009.
References to the repealed acts shall be construed as references to this Regulation.
Amendment of Directive 1999/45/EC
Article 14 of Directive 1999/45/EC shall be deleted.
Entry into force and application
1. This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 June 2007.
2. Titles II, III, V, VI, VII, XI and XII as well as Articles 128 and 136 shall apply from 1 June 2008.
3. Article 135 shall apply from 1 August 2008.
4. Title VIII and Annex XVII shall apply from 1 June 2009.
LIST OF ANNEXES
0.1. The purpose of this Annex is to set out how manufacturers and importers are to assess and document that the risks arising from the substance they manufacture or import are adequately controlled during manufacture and their own use(s) and that others further down the supply chain can adequately control the risks. This Annex shall also apply adapted as necessary to producers and importers of articles required to make a chemical safety assessment as part of a registration.
0.2. The chemical safety assessment shall be prepared by one or more competent person(s) who have appropriate experience and received appropriate training, including refresher training.
0.3. The chemical safety assessment of a manufacturer shall address the manufacture of a substance and all the identified uses. The chemical safety assessment of an importer shall address all identified uses. The chemical safety assessment shall consider the use of the substance on its own (including any major impurities and additives), in a ►M3 mixture ◄ and in an article, as defined by the identified uses. The assessment shall consider all stages of the life-cycle of the substance resulting from the manufacture and identified uses. The chemical safety assessment shall be based on a comparison of the potential adverse effects of a substance with the known or reasonably foreseeable exposure of man and/or the environment to that substance taking into account implemented and recommended risk management measures and operational conditions.
0.4. Substances whose physicochemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological properties are likely to be similar or follow a regular pattern as a result of structural similarity may be considered as a group, or ‘category’ of substances. If the manufacturer or importer considers that the chemical safety assessment carried out for one substance is sufficient to assess and document that the risks arising from another substance or from a group or ‘category’ of substances are adequately controlled then he can use that chemical safety assessment for the other substance or group or ‘category’ of substances. The manufacturer or importer shall provide a justification for this.
0.5. The chemical safety assessment shall be based on the information on the substance contained in the technical dossier and on other available and relevant information. Manufacturers or importers submitting a proposal for testing in accordance with Annexes IX and X shall record this under the relevant heading of the chemical safety report. Available information from assessments carried out under other international and national programmes shall be included. Where available and appropriate, an assessment carried out under Community legislation (e.g. risk assessments completed under Regulation (EEC) No 793/93) shall be taken into account in the development of, and reflected in, the chemical safety report. Deviations from such assessments shall be justified.
Thus the information to be considered includes information related to the hazards of the substance, the exposure arising from the manufacture or import, the identified uses of the substance, operational conditions and risk management measures applied or recommended to downstream users to be taken into account.
In accordance with section 3 of Annex XI in some cases, it may not be necessary to generate missing information, because risk management measures and operational conditions which are necessary to control a well-characterised risk may also be sufficient to control other potential risks, which will not therefore need to be characterised precisely.
If the manufacturer or importer considers that further information is necessary for producing his chemical safety report and that this information can only be obtained by performing tests in accordance with Annex IX or X, he shall submit a proposal for a testing strategy, explaining why he considers that additional information is necessary and record this in the chemical safety report under the appropriate heading. While waiting for results of further testing, he shall record in his chemical safety report, and include in the exposure scenario developed, the interim risk management measures that he has put in place and those he recommends to downstream users intended to manage the risks being explored.
0.6. Steps of a chemical safety assessment
0.6.1. A chemical safety assessment performed by a manufacturer or an importer for a substance shall include the following steps 1 to 4 in accordance with the respective sections of this Annex:
1. Human health hazard assessment.
2. Human health hazard assessment of physicochemical properties.
3. Environmental hazard assessment.
4. PBT and vPvB assessment.
0.6.2. In the cases referred to in point 0.6.3 the chemical safety assessment shall also include the following steps 5 and 6 in accordance with Sections 5 and 6 of this Annex:
5. Exposure assessment.
5.1. The generation of exposure scenario(s) (or the identification of relevant use and exposure categories, if appropriate).
5.2. Exposure estimation.
6. Risk characterisation.
0.6.3. Where as a result of steps 1 to 4 the manufacturer or importer concludes that the substance fulfils the criteria for any of the following hazard classes or categories set out in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 or is assessed to be a PBT or vPvB, the chemical safety assessment shall also include steps 5 and 6 in accordance with Sections 5 and 6 of this Annex:
(a) hazard classes 2.1 to 2.4, 2.6 and 2.7, 2.8 types A and B, 2.9, 2.10, 2.12, 2.13 categories 1 and 2, 2.14 categories 1 and 2, and 2.15 types A to F;
(b) hazard classes 3.1 to 3.6, 3.7 adverse effects on sexual function and fertility or on development, 3.8 effects other than narcotic effects, 3.9, and 3.10;
0.6.4. A summary of all the relevant information used in addressing the points above shall be presented under the relevant heading of the Chemical Safety Report (Section 7).
0.7. The main element of the exposure part of the chemical safety report is the description of the exposure scenario(s) implemented for the manufacturer's production, the manufacturer or importer's own use, and those recommended by the manufacturer or importer to be implemented for the identified use(s).
An exposure scenario is the set of conditions that describe how the substance is manufactured or used during its life-cycle and how the manufacturer or importer controls, or recommends downstream users to control, exposures of humans and the environment. These sets of conditions contain a description of both the risk management measures and operational conditions which the manufacturer or importer has implemented or recommends to be implemented by downstream users.
If the substance is placed on the market, the relevant exposure scenario(s), including the risk management measures and operational conditions shall be included in an annex to the safety data sheet in accordance with Annex II.
0.8. The level of detail required in describing an exposure scenario will vary substantially from case to case, depending on the use of a substance, its hazardous properties and the amount of information available to the manufacturer or importer. Exposure scenarios may describe the appropriate risk management measures for several individual processes or uses of a substance. An exposure scenario may thereby cover a large range of processes or uses. Exposure scenarios covering a wide range of processes or uses may be referred to as Exposure Categories. Further mention of Exposure Scenario in this Annex and Annex II includes Exposure Categories if they are developed.
0.9. Where information is not necessary in accordance with Annex XI, this fact shall be stated under the appropriate heading of the chemical safety report and a reference shall be made to the justification in the technical dossier. The fact that no information is required shall also be stated in the safety data sheet.
0.10. In relation to particular effects, such as ozone depletion, photochemical ozone creation potential, strong odour and tainting, for which the procedures set out in Sections 1 to 6 are impracticable, the risks associated with such effects shall be assessed on a case-by-case basis and the manufacturer or importer shall include a full description and justification of such assessments in the chemical safety report and summarised in the safety data sheet.
0.11. When assessing the risk of the use of one or more substances incorporated into a special ►M3 mixture ◄ (for instance alloys), the way the constituent substances are bonded in the chemical matrix shall be taken into account.
0.12. Where the methodology described in this Annex is not appropriate, details of alternative methodology used shall be explained and justified in the chemical safety report.
0.13. Part A of the chemical safety report shall include a declaration that the risk management measures outlined in the relevant exposure scenarios for the manufacturer's or importer's own use(s) are implemented by the manufacturer or importer and that those exposure scenarios for the identified uses are communicated to distributors and downstream users in the safety data sheet(s).
1. HUMAN HEALTH HAZARD ASSESSMENT
1.0.1. The objectives of the human health hazard assessment shall be to determine the classification of a substance in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008; and to derive levels of exposure to the substance above which humans should not be exposed. This level of exposure is known as the Derived No-Effect Level (DNEL).
1.0.2. The human health hazard assessment shall consider the toxicokinetic profile (i.e. absorption, metabolism, distribution and elimination) of the substance and the following groups of effects:
(1) acute effects such as acute toxicity, irritation and corrosivity;
(2) sensitisation;
(3) repeated dose toxicity; and
(4) CMR effects (carcinogenity, germ cell mutagenicity and toxicity for reproduction).
Based on all the available information, other effects shall be considered when necessary.
1.0.3. The hazard assessment shall comprise the following four steps:
Evaluation of non-human information.
Evaluation of human information.
Classification and Labelling.
Derivation of DNELs.
1.0.4. The first three steps shall be undertaken for every effect for which information is available and shall be recorded under the relevant section of the Chemical Safety Report and where required and in accordance with Article 31, summarised in the Safety Data Sheet under headings 2 and 11.
1.0.5. For any effect for which no relevant information is available, the relevant section shall contain the sentence: ‘This information is not available’. The justification, including reference to any literature search carried out, shall be included in the technical dossier.
1.0.6. Step 4 of the human health hazard assessment shall be undertaken by integrating the results from the first three steps and shall be included under the relevant heading of the Chemical Safety Report and summarised in the Safety Data Sheet under heading 8.1.
Evaluation of non-human information
1.1.1. The evaluation of non-human information shall comprise:
— the hazard identification for the effect based on all available non-human information,
— the establishment of the quantitative dose (concentration)-response (effect) relationship.
1.1.2. When it is not possible to establish the quantitative dose (concentration)-response (effect) relationship, then this should be justified and a semi-quantitative or qualitative analysis shall be included. For instance, for acute effects it is usually not possible to establish the quantitative dose (concentration)-response (effect) relationship on the basis of the results of a test conducted in accordance with test methods laid down in a Commission Regulation as specified in Article 13(3). In such cases it suffices to determine whether and to which degree the substance has an inherent capacity to cause the effect.
1.1.3. All non-human information used to assess a particular effect on humans and to establish the dose (concentration) – response (effect) relationship, shall be briefly presented, if possible in the form of a table or tables, distinguishing between in vitro, in vivo and other information. The relevant test results (e.g. ATE, LD50, NO(A)EL or LO(A)EL) and test conditions (e.g. test duration, route of administration) and other relevant information shall be presented, in internationally recognised units of measurement for that effect.
1.1.4. If one study is available then a robust study summary should be prepared for that study. If there are several studies addressing the same effect, then, having taken into account possible variables (e.g. conduct, adequacy, relevance of test species, quality of results, etc.), normally the study or studies giving rise to the highest concern shall be used to establish the DNELs and a robust study summary shall be prepared for that study or studies and included as part of the technical dossier. Robust summaries will be required of all key data used in the hazard assessment. If the study or studies giving rise to the highest concern are not used, then this shall be fully justified and included as part of the technical dossier, not only for the study being used but also for all studies demonstrating a higher concern than the study being used. It is important irrespective of whether hazards have been identified or not that the validity of the study be considered.
Evaluation of human information
If no human information is available, this part shall contain the statement: ‘No human information is available’. However, if human information is available, it shall be presented, if possible in the form of a table.
Classification and Labelling
1.3.1. The appropriate classification developed in accordance with the criteria in Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 shall be presented and justified. Where applicable, Specific Concentration limits resulting from the application of Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 and Articles 4 to 7 of Directive 1999/45/EC shall be presented and, if they are not included in Part 3 of Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, justified.
The assessment should always include a statement as to whether the substance fulfils or does not fulfil the criteria given in Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 for classification in the hazard class carcinogenicity category 1A or 1B, in the hazard class germ cell mutagenicity category 1A or 1B or in the hazard class reproductive toxicity category 1A or 1B.
1.3.2. If the information is inadequate to decide whether a substance should be classified for a particular hazard class or category, the registrant shall indicate and justify the action or decision he has taken as a result.
Identification of DNEL(s)
1.4.1. Based on the outcomes of steps 1 and 2, (a) DNEL(s) shall be established for the substance, reflecting the likely route(s), duration and frequency of exposure. ►M10 For some hazard classes, especially germ cell mutagenicity and carcinogenicity, the available information may not enable a toxicological threshold, and therefore a DNEL, to be established. ◄ If justified by the exposure scenario(s), a single DNEL may be sufficient. However, taking into account the available information and the exposure scenario(s) in Section 9 of the Chemical Safety Report it may be necessary to identify different DNELs for each relevant human population (e.g. workers, consumers and humans liable to exposure indirectly via the environment) and possibly for certain vulnerable sub-populations (e.g. children, pregnant women) and for different routes of exposure. A full justification shall be given specifying, inter alia, the choice of the information used, the route of exposure (oral, dermal, inhalation) and the duration and frequency of exposure to the substance for which the DNEL is valid. If more than one route of exposure is likely to occur, then a DNEL shall be established for each route of exposure and for the exposure from all routes combined. When establishing the DNEL, the following factors shall, inter alia, be taken into account:
(a) the uncertainty arising, among other factors, from the variability in the experimental information and from intra- and inter-species variation;
(b) the nature and severity of the effect;
(c) the sensitivity of the human (sub-)population to which the quantitative and/or qualitative information on exposure applies.
1.4.2. If it is not possible to identify a DNEL, then this shall be clearly stated and fully justified.
2. PHYSICOCHEMICAL HAZARD ASSESSMENT
2.1. The objective of the hazard assessment for physicochemical properties shall be to determine the classification of a substance in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.
2.2. As a minimum, the potential effects to human health shall be assessed for the following physicochemical properties:
— explosivity,
— flammability,
— oxidising potential.
If the information is inadequate to decide whether a substance should be classified for a particular hazard class or category, the registrant shall indicate and justify the action or decision he has taken as a result.
2.3. The assessment of each effect shall be presented under the relevant heading of the Chemical Safety Report (Section 7) and where required and in accordance with Article 31, summarised in the Safety Data Sheet under headings 2 and 9.
2.4. For every physicochemical property, the assessment shall entail an evaluation of the inherent capacity of the substance to cause the effect resulting from the manufacture and identified uses.
2.5. The appropriate classification developed in accordance with the criteria in Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 shall be presented and justified.
3. ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD ASSESSMENT
3.0.1. The objective of the environmental hazard assessment shall be to determine the classification of a substance in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 and to identify the concentration of the substance below which adverse effects in the environmental sphere of concern are not expected to occur. This concentration is known as the Predicted No-Effect Concentration (PNEC).
3.0.2. The environmental hazard assessment shall consider the potential effects on the environment, comprising the (1) aquatic (including sediment), (2) terrestrial and (3) atmospheric compartments, including the potential effects that may occur (4) via food-chain accumulation. In addition, the potential effects on the (5) microbiological activity of sewage treatment systems shall be considered. The assessment of the effects on each of these five environmental spheres shall be presented under the relevant heading of the Chemical Safety Report (Section 7) and where required and in accordance with Article 31, summarised in the Safety Data Sheet under headings 2 and 12.
3.0.3. For any environmental sphere, for which no effect information is available, the relevant section of the chemical safety report shall contain the sentence: ‘This information is not available’. The justification, including reference to any literature research carried out, shall be included in the technical dossier. For any environmental sphere for which information is available, but the manufacturer or importer believes that it is not necessary to conduct the hazard assessment, the manufacturer or importer shall present a justification, with reference to pertinent information, under the relevant heading of the Chemical Safety Report (Section 7) and where required and in accordance with Article 31, summarised in the Safety Data Sheet under heading 12.
3.0.4. The hazard assessment shall comprise the following three steps, which shall be clearly identified as such in the Chemical Safety Report:
Evaluation of information.
Derivation of the PNEC.
Evaluation of information
3.1.1. The evaluation of all available information shall comprise:
— the hazard identification based on all available information,
3.1.2. When it is not possible to establish the quantitative dose (concentration)-response (effect) relationship, then this should be justified and a semi-quantitative or qualitative analysis shall be included.
3.1.3. All information used to assess the effects on a specific environmental sphere shall be briefly presented, if possible in the form of a table or tables. The relevant test results (e.g. LC50 or NOEC) and test conditions (e.g. test duration, route of administration) and other relevant information shall be presented, in internationally recognised units of measurement for that effect.
3.1.4. All information used to assess the environmental fate of the substance shall be briefly presented, if possible in the form of a table or tables. The relevant test results and test conditions and other relevant information shall be presented, in internationally recognised units of measurement for that effect.
3.1.5. If one study is available then a robust study summary should be prepared for that study. Where there is more than one study addressing the same effect, then the study or studies giving rise to the highest concern shall be used to draw a conclusion and a robust study summary shall be prepared for that study or studies and included as part of the technical dossier. Robust summaries will be required of all key data used in the hazard assessment. If the study or studies giving rise to the highest concern are not used, then this shall be fully justified and included as part of the technical dossier, not only for the study being used but also for all studies reaching a higher concern than the study being used. For substances where all available studies indicate no hazards an overall assessment of the validity of all studies should be performed.
3.2.1. The appropriate classification developed in accordance with the criteria in Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 shall be presented and justified. Any M-factor resulting from the application of Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 shall be presented and, if it is not included in Part 3 of Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, justified.
Identification of the PNEC
3.3.1. Based on the available information, the PNEC for each environmental sphere shall be established. The PNEC may be calculated by applying an appropriate assessment factor to the effect values (e.g. LC50 or NOEC). An assessment factor expresses the difference between effects values derived for a limited number of species from laboratory tests and the PNEC for the environmental sphere ( 32 ).
3.3.2. If it is not possible to derive the PNEC, then this shall be clearly stated and fully justified.
4. PBT AND VPVB ASSESSMENT
4.0.1. The objective of the PBT and vPvB assessment shall be to determine if the substance fulfils the criteria given in Annex XIII and if so, to characterise the potential emissions of the substance. A hazard assessment in accordance with Sections 1 and 3 of this Annex addressing all the long-term effects and the estimation of the long-term exposure of humans and the environment as carried out in accordance with Section 5 (Exposure Assessment), step 2 (Exposure Estimation), cannot be carried out with sufficient reliability for substances satisfying the PBT and vPvB criteria in Annex XIII. Therefore, a separate PBT and vPvB assessment is required.
4.0.2. The PBT and vPvB assessment shall comprise the following two steps, which shall be clearly identified as such in Part B, Section 8 of the Chemical Safety Report:
Comparison with the Criteria.
Emission Characterisation.
The assessment shall also be summarised in the Safety Data Sheet under heading 12.
4.1. Step 1: Comparison with the criteria
This part of the PBT and vPvB assessment shall entail the comparison of the available information with the criteria given in Section 1 of Annex XIII and a statement of whether the substance fulfils or does not fulfil the criteria. The assessment shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions laid down in the introductory part of Annex XIII as well as Sections 2 and 3 of that Annex.
4.2. Step 2: Emission Characterisation
If the substance fulfils the criteria or it is considered as if it is a PBT or vPvB in the registration dossier an emission characterisation shall be conducted comprising the relevant parts of the exposure assessment as described in Section 5. In particular it shall contain an estimation of the amounts of the substance released to the different environmental compartments during all activities carried out by the manufacturer or importer and all identified uses, and an identification of the likely routes by which humans and the environment are exposed to the substance.
5. EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT
The objective of the exposure assessment shall be to make a quantitative or qualitative estimate of the dose/concentration of the substance to which humans and the environment are or may be exposed. The assessment shall consider all stages of the life-cycle of the substance resulting from the manufacture and identified uses and shall cover any exposures that may relate to the hazards identified in Sections 1 to 4. The exposure assessment shall entail the following two steps, which shall be clearly identified as such in the Chemical Safety Report:
Generation of exposure scenario(s) or the generation of relevant use and exposure categories.
Exposure Estimation.
Where required and in accordance with Article 31, the exposure scenario shall also be included in an annex to the Safety Data Sheet.
Development of exposure scenarios
5.1.1. Exposure scenarios as described in Sections 0.7 and 0.8 shall be generated. Exposure scenarios are the core of the process to carry out a chemical safety assessment. The chemical safety assessment process may be iterative. The first assessment will be based on the required minimum and all available hazard information and on the exposure estimation that corresponds to the initial assumptions about the operating conditions and risk management measures (an initial exposure scenario). If the initial assumptions lead to a risk characterisation indicating that risks to human health and the environment are not adequately controlled, then it is necessary to carry out an iterative process with amendment of one or a number of factors in hazard or exposure assessment with the aim to demonstrate adequate control. The refinement of hazard assessment may require generation of additional hazard information. The refinement of exposure assessment may involve appropriate alteration of the operational conditions or risk management measures in the exposure scenario or more precise exposure estimation. The exposure scenario, resulting from the final iteration (a final exposure scenario), shall be included in the chemical safety report and attached to the safety data sheet in accordance with Article 31.
The final exposure scenario shall be presented under the relevant heading of the chemical safety report, and included in an annex to the safety data sheet, using an appropriate short title giving a brief general description of the use, consistent with those given in Section 3.5 of Annex VI. Exposure scenarios shall cover any manufacture in the Community and all identified uses.
In particular, an exposure scenario includes, where relevant, a description of:
— the processes involved, including the physical form in which the substance is manufactured, processed and/or used,
— the activities of workers related to the processes and the duration and frequency of their exposure to the substance,
— the activities of consumers and the duration and frequency of their exposure to the substance,
— the duration and frequency of emissions of the substance to the different environmental compartments and sewage treatment systems and the dilution in the receiving environmental compartment.
Risk management measures
— the risk management measures to reduce or avoid direct and indirect exposure of humans (including workers and consumers) and the different environmental compartments to the substance,
— the waste management measures to reduce or avoid exposure of humans and the environment to the substance during waste disposal and/or recycling.
5.1.2. Where a manufacturer, importer or downstream user applies for an application for an authorisation for a specific use, exposure scenarios need only be developed for that use and the subsequent life-cycle steps.
Exposure Estimation
5.2.1. The exposure shall be estimated for each exposure scenario developed and shall be presented under the relevant heading of the Chemical Safety Report and where required and in accordance with Article 31, summarised in an annex to the safety data sheet. The exposure estimation entails three elements: (1) emission estimation; (2) assessment of chemical fate and pathways; and (3) estimation of exposure levels.
5.2.2. The emission estimation shall consider the emissions during all relevant parts of the life-cycle of the substance resulting from the manufacture and each of the identified uses. The life-cycle stages resulting from the manufacture of the substance cover, where relevant, the waste stage. The life-cycle stages resulting from identified uses cover, where relevant, the service-life of articles and the waste stage. The emission estimation shall be performed under the assumption that the risk management measures and operational conditions described in the exposure scenario have been implemented.
5.2.3. A characterisation of possible degradation, transformation, or reaction processes and an estimation of environmental distribution and fate shall be performed.
5.2.4. An estimation of the exposure levels shall be performed for all human populations (workers, consumers and humans liable to exposure indirectly via the environment) and environmental spheres for which exposure to the substance is known or reasonably foreseeable. Each relevant route of human exposure (inhalation, oral, dermal and combined through all relevant routes and sources of exposure) shall be addressed. Such estimations shall take account of spatial and temporal variations in the exposure pattern. In particular, the exposure estimation shall take account of:
— adequately measured, representative exposure data,
— any major impurities and additives in the substance,
— the quantity in which the substance is produced and/or imported,
— the quantity for each identified use,
— implemented or recommended risk management, including the degree of containment,
— duration and frequency of exposure according to the operational conditions,
— the duration and frequency of emissions of the substance to the different environmental compartments and the dilution in the receiving environmental compartment,
— the physicochemical properties of the substance,
— transformation and/or degradation products,
— the likely routes of exposure of and potential for absorption in humans,
— the likely pathways to the environment and environmental distribution and degradation and/or transformation (see also Section 3 Step 1),
— scale (geographical) of exposure,
— matrix dependent release/migration of the substance.
5.2.5. Where adequately measured representative exposure data are available, special consideration shall be given to them when conducting the exposure assessment. Appropriate models can be used for the estimation of exposure levels. Relevant monitoring data from substances with analogous use and exposure patterns or analogous properties can also be considered.
6. RISK CHARACTERISATION
6.1. The risk characterisation shall be carried out for each exposure scenario and shall be presented under the relevant heading of the Chemical Safety Report.
6.2. The risk characterisation shall consider the human populations (exposed as workers, consumers or indirectly via the environment and if relevant a combination thereof) and the environmental spheres for which exposure to the substance is known or reasonably foreseeable, under the assumption that the risk management measures described in the exposure scenarios in the Section 5 have been implemented. In addition, the overall environmental risk caused by the substance shall be reviewed by integrating the results for the overall releases, emissions and losses from all sources to all environmental compartments.
6.3. The risk characterisation consists of:
— a comparison of the exposure of each human population known to be or likely to be exposed with the appropriate DNEL,
— a comparison of the predicted environmental concentrations in each environmental sphere with the PNECs, and
— an assessment of the likelihood and severity of an event occurring due to the physicochemical properties of the substance.
6.4. For any exposure scenario, the risk to humans and the environment can be considered to be adequately controlled, throughout the lifecycle of the substance that results from manufacture or identified uses, if:
— the exposure levels estimated in Section 6.2 do not exceed the appropriate DNEL or the PNEC, as determined in Sections 1 and 3, respectively, and,
— the likelihood and severity of an event occurring due to the physicochemical properties of the substance as determined in Section 2 is negligible.
6.5. For those human effects and those environmental spheres for which it was not possible to determine a DNEL or a PNEC, a qualitative assessment of the likelihood that effects are avoided when implementing the exposure scenario shall be carried out.
For substances satisfying the PBT and vPvB criteria, the manufacturer or importer shall use the information as obtained in Section 5, Step 2 when implementing on its site, and recommending for downstream users, risk management measures which minimise exposures and emissions to humans and the environment, throughout the lifecycle of the substance that results from manufacture or identified uses.
7. CHEMICAL SAFETY REPORT FORMAT
The Chemical Safety Report shall include the following headings:
CHEMICAL SAFETY REPORT FORMAT
1. SUMMARY OF RISK MANAGEMENT MEASURES
2. DECLARATION THAT RISK MANAGEMENT MEASURES ARE IMPLEMENTED
3. DECLARATION THAT RISK MANAGEMENT MEASURES ARE COMMUNICATED
1. IDENTITY OF THE SUBSTANCE AND PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
2. MANUFACTURE AND USES
2.1. Manufacture
2.2. Identified uses
2.3. Uses advised against
3. CLASSIFICATION AND LABELLING
4. ENVIRONMENTAL FATE PROPERTIES
4.1. Degradation
4.2. Environmental distribution
4.3. Bioaccumulation
4.4. Secondary poisoning
5.1. Toxicokinetics (absorption, metabolism, distribution and elimination)
5.2. Acute toxicity
5.3. Irritation
▼M10 —————
5.4. Corrosivity
5.5. Sensitisation
5.6. Repeated dose toxicity
5.7. Germ cell mutagenicity
5.8. Carcinogenicity
5.9. Toxicity for reproduction
5.10. Other effects
5.11. Derivation of DNEL(s)
6. HUMAN HEALTH HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES
6.1. Explosivity
6.2. Flammability
6.3. Oxidising potential
7.1. Aquatic compartment (including sediment)
7.2. Terrestrial compartment
7.3. Atmospheric compartment
7.4. Microbiological activity in sewage treatment systems
9.1. (Title of exposure scenario 1)
9.1.1. Exposure scenario
9.1.2. Exposure estimation
(etc.)
10. RISK CHARACTERISATION
10.1. (Title of exposure scenario 1)
10.1.1. Human health
10.1.1.1. Workers
10.1.1.2. Consumers
10.1.1.3. Indirect exposure to humans via the environment
10.1.2. Environment
10.1.2.1. Aquatic compartment (including sediment)
10.1.2.2. Terrestrial compartment
10.1.2.3. Atmospheric compartment
10.1.2.4. Microbiological activity in sewage treatment systems
10.x. Overall exposure (combined for all relevant emission/release sources)
10.x.1. Human health (combined for all exposure routes)
10.x.1.1.
10.x.2. Environment (combined for all emission sources)
This Annex sets out the requirements that the supplier shall fulfil for the compilation of a safety data sheet that is provided for a substance or a mixture in accordance with Article 31.
The information provided in the safety data sheet shall be consistent with the information in the chemical safety report, where one is required. Where a chemical safety report has been completed, the relevant exposure scenario(s) shall be placed in an annex to the safety data sheet.
0.2. General requirements for compiling a safety data sheet
The safety data sheet shall enable users to take the necessary measures relating to protection of human health and safety at the workplace, and protection of the environment. The writer of the safety data sheet shall take into account that a safety data sheet must inform its audience of the hazards of a substance or a mixture and provide information on the safe storage, handling and disposal of the substance or the mixture.
The information provided by safety data sheets shall also meet the requirements set out in Directive 98/24/EC. In particular, the safety data sheet shall enable employers to determine whether any hazardous chemical agents are present in the workplace and to assess any risk to the health and safety of workers arising from their use.
The information in the safety data sheet shall be written in a clear and concise manner. The safety data sheet shall be prepared by a competent person who shall take into account the specific needs and knowledge of the user audience, as far as they are known. Suppliers of substances and mixtures shall ensure that such competent persons have received appropriate training, including refresher training.
The language used in the safety data sheet shall be simple, clear and precise, avoiding jargon, acronyms and abbreviations. Statements such as ‘may be dangerous’, ‘no health effects’, ‘safe under most conditions of use’ or ‘harmless’ or any other statements indicating that the substance or mixture is not hazardous or any other statements that are inconsistent with the classification of that substance or mixture shall not be used.
The date of compilation of the safety data sheet shall be given on the first page. When a safety data sheet has been revised and the new, revised version is provided to recipients, the changes shall be brought to the attention of the recipients in Section 16 of the safety data sheet, unless the changes have been indicated elsewhere. For the revised safety data sheets, the date of compilation, identified as ‘Revision: (date)’, as well as a version number, revision number, supersedes date or some other indication of what version is replaced shall appear on the first page.
0.3. Safety data sheet format
A safety data sheet is not a fixed length document. The length of the safety data sheet shall be commensurate with the hazard of the substance or mixture and the information available.
All pages of a safety data sheet, including any annexes, shall be numbered and shall bear either an indication of the length of the safety data sheet (such as ‘page 1 of 3’) or an indication whether there is a page following (such as ‘Continued on next page’ or ‘End of safety data sheet’).
0.4. Safety data sheet content
The information required by this Annex shall be included in the safety data sheet, where applicable and available, in the relevant subsections set out in Part B. The safety data sheet shall not contain blank subsections.
0.5. Other information requirements
The inclusion of additional relevant and available information in the relevant subsections may be necessary in some cases in view of the wide range of properties of substances and mixtures.
Additional safety and environmental information is required to address the needs of seafarers and other transport workers in the bulk transport of dangerous goods in seagoing or inland navigation bulk carriers or tank-vessels subject to International Maritime Organisation (IMO) or national regulations. Subsection 14.7 recommends the inclusion of basic classification information when such cargoes are transported in bulk according to Annex II of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto (Marpol) ( 33 ) and the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (International Bulk Chemical Code) (the IBC Code) ( 34 ). In addition, ships carrying oil or oil fuel, as defined in Annex I of Marpol, in bulk or bunkering oil fuel are required, before loading, to be provided with a ‘material safety data sheet’ in accordance with the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) resolution ‘Recommendations for Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for Marpol Annex I Oil Cargo and Oil Fuel’ (MSC.286(86)). Therefore, in order to have one harmonised safety data sheet for maritime and non-maritime use, the additional provisions of Resolution MSC.286(86) may be included in the safety data sheets, where appropriate, for marine transport of Marpol Annex I cargoes and marine fuel oils.
0.6. Units
The units of measurement as set out in Council Directive 80/181/EEC ( 35 ) shall be used.
0.7. Special cases
Safety data sheets shall also be required for the special cases listed in paragraph 1.3 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 for which there are labelling derogations.
1. SECTION 1: Identification of the substance/mixture and of the company/undertaking
This section of the safety data sheet shall prescribe how the substance or mixture shall be identified and how the identified relevant uses, the name of the supplier of the substance or mixture and the contact detail information of the supplier of the substance or mixture, including an emergency contact, shall be provided in the safety data sheet.
1.1. Product identifier
The product identifier shall be provided in accordance with Article 18(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 in the case of a substance and in accordance with Article 18(3)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 in the case of a mixture, and as provided on the label in the official language(s) of the Member State(s) where the substance or mixture is placed on the market, unless the Member State(s) concerned provide(s) otherwise.
For substances subject to registration, the product identifier shall be consistent with that provided in the registration and the registration number assigned under Article 20(3) of this Regulation shall also be indicated.
Without affecting the obligations of downstream users laid down in Article 39 of this Regulation, the part of the registration number referring to the individual registrant of a joint submission may be omitted by a supplier who is a distributor or a downstream user provided that:
(a) this supplier assumes the responsibility to provide the full registration number upon request for enforcement purposes or, if the full registration number is not available to him, to forward the request to his supplier, in line with point (b); and
(b) this supplier provides the full registration number to the Member State authority responsible for enforcement (the enforcement authority) within 7 days upon request, received either directly from the enforcement authority or forwarded by his recipient, or, if the full registration number is not available to him, this supplier shall forward the request to his supplier within 7 days upon request and at the same time inform the enforcement authority thereof.
A single safety data sheet may be provided to cover more than one substance or mixture where the information in that safety data sheet fulfils the requirements of this Annex for each of those substances or mixtures.
Other means of identification
Other names or synonyms by which the substance or mixture is labelled or commonly known, such as alternative names, numbers, company product codes, or other unique identifiers may be provided.
1.2. Relevant identified uses of the substance or mixture and uses advised against
At least the identified uses relevant for the recipient(s) of the substance or mixture shall be indicated. This shall be a brief description of what the substance or mixture is intended to do, such as ‘flame retardant’, ‘antioxidant’.
The uses which the supplier advises against and the reasons why shall, where applicable, be stated. This need not be an exhaustive list.
Where a chemical safety report is required, the information in this subsection of the safety data sheet shall be consistent with the identified uses in the chemical safety report and the exposure scenarios from the chemical safety report set out in the annex to the safety data sheet.
1.3. Details of the supplier of the safety data sheet
The supplier, whether it is the manufacturer, importer, only representative, downstream user or distributor, shall be identified. The full address and telephone number of the supplier shall be given as well as an e-mail address for a competent person responsible for the safety data sheet.
In addition, if the supplier is not located in the Member State where the substance or mixture is placed on the market and he has nominated a responsible person for that Member State, a full address and telephone number for that responsible person shall be given.
For registrants, the information shall be consistent with the information on the identity of the manufacturer or importer provided in the registration.
Where an only representative has been appointed, details of the non-Union manufacturer or formulator may also be provided.
1.4. Emergency telephone number
References to emergency information services shall be provided. If an official advisory body exists in the Member State where the substance or mixture is placed on the market (this may be the body responsible for receiving information relating to health referred to in Article 45 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008), its telephone number shall be given and can suffice. If availability of such services is limited for any reasons, such as hours of operation, or if there are limits on specific types of information provided, this shall be clearly stated.
2. SECTION 2: Hazards identification
This section of the safety data sheet shall describe the hazards of the substance or mixture and the appropriate warning information associated with those hazards.
2.1. Classification of the substance or mixture
The classification of the substance or the mixture which results from the application of the classification criteria in Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 shall be given. Where the supplier has notified information regarding the substance to the classification and labelling inventory in accordance with Article 40 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, the classification given in the safety data sheet shall be the same as the classification provided in that notification.
If the mixture does not meet the criteria for classification in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, this shall be clearly stated.
Information on the substances in the mixture is provided under subsection 3.2.
If the classification, including the hazard statements, is not written out in full, reference shall be made to Section 16 where the full text of each classification, including each hazard statement, shall be given.
The most important adverse physical, human health and environmental effects shall be listed in accordance with Sections 9 to 12 of the safety data sheet, in such a way as to allow non-experts to identify the hazards of the substance or mixture.
2.2. Label elements
Based on the classification, at least the following elements appearing on the label in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 shall be provided: hazard pictogram(s), signal word(s), hazard statement(s) and precautionary statement(s). A graphical reproduction of the full hazard pictogram in black and white or a graphical reproduction of the symbol only may be substituted for the colour pictogram provided in Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.
The applicable label elements in accordance with Article 25 and Article 32(6) of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 shall be provided.
2.3. Other hazards
Information on whether the substance or mixture meets the criteria for PBT or vPvB in accordance with Annex XIII shall be provided.
Information shall be provided on other hazards which do not result in classification but which may contribute to the overall hazards of the substance or mixture, such as formation of air contaminants during hardening or processing, dustiness, explosive properties which do not fulfil the classification criteria of part 2 Section 2.1 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, dust explosion hazards, cross-sensitisation, suffocation, freezing, high potency for odour or taste, or environmental effects like hazards to soil-dwelling organisms, or photochemical ozone creation potential. The statement ‘May form explosible dust-air mixture if dispersed’ is appropriate in the case of a dust explosion hazard.
3. SECTION 3: Composition/information on ingredients
This section of the safety data sheet shall describe the chemical identity of the ingredient(s) of the substance or mixture, including impurities and stabilising additives as set out below. Appropriate and available safety information on surface chemistry shall be indicated.
3.1. Substances
The chemical identity of the main constituent of the substance shall be provided by providing at least the product identifier or one of the other means of identification given in subsection 1.1.
The chemical identity of any impurity, stabilising additive, or individual constituent other than the main constituent, which is itself classified and which contributes to the classification of the substance shall be provided as follows:
(a) the product identifier in accordance with Article 18(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008;
(b) if the product identifier is not available, one of the other names (usual name, trade name, abbreviation) or identification numbers.
Suppliers of substances may choose to list in addition all constituents including non-classified ones.
This subsection may also be used to provide information on multi-constituent substances.
3.2. Mixtures
The product identifier, the concentration or concentration ranges and the classifications shall be provided for at least all substances referred to in points 3.2.1 or 3.2.2. Suppliers of mixtures may choose to list in addition all substances in the mixture, including substances not meeting the criteria for classification. This information shall enable the recipient to identify readily the hazards of the substances in the mixture. The hazards of the mixture itself shall be given in Section 2.
The concentrations of the substances in a mixture shall be described as either of the following:
(a) exact percentages in descending order by mass or volume, if technically possible;
(b) ranges of percentages in descending order by mass or volume, if technically possible.
When using a range of percentages, the health and environmental hazards shall describe the effects of the highest concentration of each ingredient.
If the effects of the mixture as a whole are available, this information shall be included under Section 2.
Where the use of an alternative chemical name is permitted in accordance with Article 24 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, that name can be used.
For a mixture meeting the criteria for classification in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, the following substances shall be indicated, together with their concentration or concentration range in the mixture:
(a) substances presenting a health or environmental hazard within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, if those substances are present in concentrations equal to or greater than the lowest of any of the following:
(ia) the generic cut-off values set out in Table 1.1 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008;
(ib) the generic concentration limits given in parts 3 to 5 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, taking into account the concentrations specified in the notes to certain tables in part 3 in relation to the obligation to make available a safety data sheet for the mixture upon request, and for aspiration hazard (Section 3.10 of Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008) ≥ 10 %;
List of hazard classes, hazard categories and concentration limits for which a substance shall be listed as a substance in a mixture in subsection 3.2
1.1. Hazard class and category
Concentration limit
Acute toxicity, category 1, 2 and 3
≥ 0,1
Acute toxicity, category 4
Skin corrosion/irritation, category 1, sub-categories 1A, 1B, 1C and category 2
Serious damage to eyes/eye irritation, category 1 and 2
Respiratory/skin sensitisation
Germ cell mutagenicity category 1A and 1B
Germ cell mutagenicity category 2
Carcinogenicity category 1A, 1B and 2
Reproductive toxicity, category 1A, 1B, 2 and effects on or via lactation
Specific target organ toxicity (STOT) — single exposure, category 1 and 2
Specific target organ toxicity (STOT) — repeated exposure, category 1 and 2
Aspiration hazard
Hazardous to the aquatic environment — Acute, category 1
Hazardous to the aquatic environment — Chronic, category 1
Hazardous to the aquatic environment — Chronic, category 2, 3 and 4
Hazardous for the ozone layer
(ii) the specific concentration limits given in Part 3 of Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008;
(iii) if an M-factor has been given in Part 3 of Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, the generic cut-off value in Table 1.1 of Annex I to that Regulation, adjusted using the calculation set out in Section 4.1 of Annex I to that Regulation;
(iv) the specific concentration limits provided to the classification and labelling inventory established under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008;
(v) the concentration limits set out in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008;
(vi) if an M-factor has been provided to the classification and labelling inventory established under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, the generic cut-off value in Table 1.1 of Annex I to that Regulation, adjusted using the calculation set out in Section 4.1 of Annex I to that Regulation.
(b) substances for which there are Union workplace exposure limits which are not already included under point (a);
(c) substances that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic or very persistent and very bioaccumulative in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex XIII, or substances included in the list established in accordance with Article 59(1) for reasons other than the hazards referred to in point (a), if the concentration of an individual substance is equal to or greater than 0,1 %.
For a mixture not meeting the criteria for classification in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, substances present in an individual concentration equal to or greater than the following concentrations shall be indicated, together with their concentration or concentration range:
(a) 1 % by weight in non-gaseous mixtures and 0,2 % by volume in gaseous mixtures for:
(i) substances which present a health or environmental hazard within the meaning of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008; or
(ii) substances for which Union workplace exposure limits have been assigned;
(b) 0,1 % by weight for substances which are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex XIII, very persistent and very bioaccumulative in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex XIII, or included in the list established in accordance with Article 59(1) for reasons other than the hazards referred to in point (a).
For the substances indicated in subsection 3.2, the classification of the substance according to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, including the hazard class(es) and category code(s) as provided in Table 1.1 of Annex VI to that Regulation as well as the hazard statements which are assigned in accordance with their physical, human health and environmental hazards, shall be provided. The hazard statements do not need to be written out in full in this section; their codes shall be sufficient. In cases where they are not written out in full, reference shall be made to Section 16, where the full text of each relevant hazard statement shall be listed. If the substance does not meet the classification criteria, the reason for indicating the substance in subsection 3.2 shall be described, such as ‘non-classified vPvB substance’ or ‘substance with a Union workplace exposure limit’.
For the substances indicated in subsection 3.2 the name and, if available, the registration number, as assigned under Article 20(3) of this Regulation, shall be given.
Without affecting the obligations of downstream users laid down in Article 39 of this Regulation, the part of the registration number referring to the individual registrant of a joint submission may be omitted by the supplier of the mixture provided that:
(b) this supplier provides the full registration number to the Member State authority responsible for enforcement (hereinafter referred to as the enforcement authority) within seven days upon request, received either directly from the enforcement authority or forwarded by his recipient, or, if the full registration number is not available to him, this supplier shall forward the request to his supplier within seven days upon request and at the same time inform the enforcement authority thereof.
The EC number, if available, shall be given in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008. The CAS number, if available, and the IUPAC name, if available, may also be given.
For substances indicated in this subsection by means of an alternative chemical name in accordance with Article 24 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, the registration number, EC number and other precise chemical identifiers are not necessary.
4. SECTION 4: First aid measures
This section of the safety data sheet shall describe the initial care in such a way that an untrained responder can understand and provide it without the use of sophisticated equipment and without the availability of a wide selection of medications. If medical attention is required, the instructions shall state this, including its urgency.
4.1. Description of first aid measures
First aid instructions shall be provided by relevant routes of exposure. Subdivisions shall be used to indicate the procedure for each route, such as inhalation, skin, eye and ingestion.
Advice shall be provided as to whether:
(a) immediate medical attention is required and if delayed effects can be expected after exposure;
(b) movement of the exposed individual from the area to fresh air is recommended;
(c) removal and handling of clothing and shoes from the individual is recommended; and
(d) personal protective equipment for first aid responders is recommended.
4.2. Most important symptoms and effects, both acute and delayed
Briefly summarised information shall be provided on the most important symptoms and effects, both acute and delayed, from exposure.
4.3. Indication of any immediate medical attention and special treatment needed
Where appropriate, information shall be provided on clinical testing and medical monitoring for delayed effects, specific details on antidotes (where they are known) and contraindications.
For some substances or mixtures, it may be important to emphasise that special means to provide specific and immediate treatment shall be available at the workplace.
5. SECTION 5: Firefighting measures
This section of the safety data sheet shall describe the requirements for fighting a fire caused by the substance or mixture, or arising in its vicinity.
5.1. Extinguishing media
Suitable extinguishing media:
Information shall be provided on the appropriate extinguishing media.
Unsuitable extinguishing media:
Indications shall be given whether any extinguishing media are inappropriate for a particular situation involving the substance or mixture (e.g. avoid high pressure media which could cause the formation of a potentially explosible dust-air mixture).
5.2. Special hazards arising from the substance or mixture
Information shall be provided on hazards that may arise from the substance or mixture, like hazardous combustion products that form when the substance or mixture burns, such as ‘may produce toxic fumes of carbon monoxide if burning’ or ‘produces oxides of sulphur and nitrogen on combustion’.
5.3. Advice for firefighters
Advice shall be provided on any protective actions to be taken during firefighting, such as ‘keep containers cool with water spray’, and on special protective equipment for firefighters, such as boots, overalls, gloves, eye and face protection and breathing apparatus.
6. SECTION 6: Accidental release measures
This section of the safety data sheet shall recommend the appropriate response to spills, leaks, or releases, to prevent or minimise the adverse effects on persons, property and the environment. It shall distinguish between responses to large and small spills, in cases where the spill volume has a significant impact on the hazard. If the procedures for containment and recovery indicate that different practices are required, these shall be indicated in the safety data sheet.
6.1. Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures
6.1.1. For non-emergency personnel
Advice shall be provided related to accidental spills and release of the substance or mixture such as:
(a) the wearing of suitable protective equipment (including personal protective equipment referred to under Section 8 of the safety data sheet) to prevent any contamination of skin, eyes and personal clothing;
(b) removal of ignition sources, provision of sufficient ventilation, control of dust; and
(c) emergency procedures such as the need to evacuate the danger area or to consult an expert.
6.1.2. For emergency responders
Advice shall be provided related to suitable fabric for personal protective clothing (such as ‘appropriate: Butylene’; ‘not appropriate: PVC’).
6.2. Environmental precautions
Advice shall be provided on any environmental precautions to be taken related to accidental spills and release of the substance or mixture, such as keeping away from drains, surface and ground water.
6.3. Methods and material for containment and cleaning up
Appropriate advice shall be provided on how to contain a spill. Appropriate containment techniques may include any of the following:
(a) bunding, covering of drains;
(b) capping procedures.
Appropriate advice shall be provided on how to clean-up a spill. Appropriate clean-up procedures may include any of the following:
(a) neutralisation techniques;
(b) decontamination techniques;
(c) adsorbent materials;
(d) cleaning techniques;
(e) vacuuming techniques;
(f) equipment required for containment/clean-up (include the use of non-sparking tools and equipment where applicable).
Any other information shall be provided relating to spills and releases, including advice on inappropriate containment or clean-up techniques, such as by indications like ‘never use …’.
6.4. Reference to other sections
If appropriate Sections 8 and 13 shall be referred to.
7. SECTION 7: Handling and storage
This section of the safety data sheet shall provide advice on safe handling practices. It shall emphasise precautions that are appropriate to the identified uses referred to under subsection 1.2 and to the unique properties of the substance or mixture.
Information in this section of the safety data sheet shall relate to the protection of human health, safety and the environment. It shall assist the employer in devising suitable working procedures and organisational measures according to Article 5 of Directive 98/24/EC and Article 5 of Directive 2004/37/EC.
Where a chemical safety report is required, the information in this section of the safety data sheet shall be consistent with the information given for the identified uses in the chemical safety report and the exposure scenarios showing control of risk from the chemical safety report set out in the annex to the safety data sheet.
In addition to information given in this section, relevant information may also be found in Section 8.
7.1. Precautions for safe handling
Recommendations shall be specified to:
(a) allow safe handling of the substance or mixture, such as containment and measures to prevent fire as well as aerosol and dust generation;
(b) prevent handling of incompatible substances or mixtures;
(c) draw attention to operations and conditions which create new risks by altering the properties of the substance or mixture, and to appropriate countermeasures; and
(d) reduce the release of the substance or mixture to the environment, such as avoiding spills or keeping away from drains.
Advice on general occupational hygiene shall be provided, such as:
(a) not to eat, drink and smoke in work areas;
(b) to wash hands after use; and
(c) to remove contaminated clothing and protective equipment before entering eating areas.
7.2. Conditions for safe storage, including any incompatibilities
The advice provided shall be consistent with the physical and chemical properties described in Section 9 of the safety data sheet. If relevant, advice shall be provided on specific storage requirements including:
(a) how to manage risks associated with:
(i) explosive atmospheres;
(ii) corrosive conditions;
(iii) flammability hazards;
(iv) incompatible substances or mixtures;
(v) evaporative conditions; and
(vi) potential ignition sources (including electrical equipment);
(b) how to control the effects of:
(i) weather conditions;
(ii) ambient pressure;
(iii) temperature;
(iv) sunlight;
(v) humidity; and
(vi) vibration;
(c) how to maintain the integrity of the substance or mixture by the use of:
(i) stabilisers; and
(ii) antioxidants;
(d) other advice including:
(i) ventilation requirements;
(ii) specific designs for storage rooms or vessels (including retention walls and ventilation);
(iii) quantity limits under storage conditions (if relevant); and
(iv) packaging compatibilities.
7.3. Specific end use(s)
For substances and mixtures designed for specific end use(s), recommendations shall relate to the identified use(s) referred to in subsection 1.2 and be detailed and operational. If an exposure scenario is attached, reference to it may be made or the information as required in subsections 7.1 and 7.2 shall be provided. If an actor in the supply chain has carried out a chemical safety assessment for the mixture, it is sufficient that the safety data sheet and the exposure scenarios are consistent with the chemical safety report for the mixture, rather than with the chemical safety reports for each substance in the mixture. If industry- or sector-specific guidance is available, detailed reference to it (including source and issuing date) may be made.
8. SECTION 8: Exposure controls/personal protection
This section of the safety data sheet shall describe the applicable occupational exposure limits and necessary risk management measures.
8.1. Control parameters
Where available, the following national limit values, including the legal basis of each of them, which are currently applicable in the Member State in which the safety data sheet is being provided shall be listed for the substance or for each of the substances in the mixture. When listing occupational exposure limit values, the chemical identity as specified in Section 3 shall be used:
8.1.1.1. the national occupational exposure limit values that correspond to Union occupational exposure limit values in accordance with Directive 98/24/EC, including any notations as referred to in Article 2(3) of Commission Decision 2014/113/EU ( 36 );
8.1.1.2. the national occupational exposure limit values that correspond to Union limit values in accordance with Directive 2004/37/EC, including any notations as referred to in Article 2(3) of Decision 2014/113/EU;
8.1.1.3. any other national occupational exposure limit values;
8.1.1.4. the national biological limit values that correspond to Union biological limit values in accordance with Directive 98/24/EC, including any notations as referred to in Article 2(3) of Decision 2014/113/EU;
8.1.1.5. any other national biological limit values.
Information on currently recommended monitoring procedures shall be provided at least for the most relevant substances.
If air contaminants are formed when using the substance or mixture as intended, applicable occupational exposure limit values and/or biological limit values for these shall also be listed.
Where a chemical safety report is required or where a DNEL as referred to in Section 1.4 of Annex I or a PNEC as referred to in Section 3.3 of Annex I is available, the relevant DNELs and PNECs for the substance shall be given for the exposure scenarios from the chemical safety report set out in the annex to the safety data sheet.
Where a control banding approach is used to decide on risk management measures in relation to specific uses, sufficient detail shall be given to enable effective management of the risk. The context and limitations of the specific control banding recommendation shall be made clear.
8.2. Exposure controls
The information required in the present subsection shall be provided, unless an exposure scenario containing that information is attached to the safety data sheet.
Where the supplier has waived a test under Section 3 of Annex XI, he shall indicate the specific conditions of use relied on to justify the waiving.
Where a substance has been registered as an isolated intermediate (on-site or transported), the supplier shall indicate that this safety data sheet is consistent with the specific conditions relied on to justify the registration in accordance with Article 17 or 18.
8.2.1. Appropriate engineering controls
The description of appropriate exposure control measures shall relate to the identified use(s) of the substance or mixture as referred to in subsection 1.2. This information shall be sufficient to enable the employer to carry out an assessment of risk to the safety and health of workers arising from the presence of the substance or mixture in accordance with Articles 4 to 6 of Directive 98/24/EC and Articles 3 to 5 of Directive 2004/37/EC, where appropriate.
This information shall complement that already given under Section 7.
8.2.2. Individual protection measures, such as personal protective equipment
8.2.2.1.
The information on use of personal protective equipment shall be consistent with good occupational hygiene practices and in conjunction with other control measures, including engineering controls, ventilation and isolation. Where appropriate, Section 5 shall be referred to for specific fire/chemical personal protective equipment advice.
Taking into account Council Directive 89/686/EEC ( 37 ) and referring to the appropriate CEN standards, detailed specifications shall be given on which equipment will provide adequate and suitable protection, including:
(a) Eye/face protection
The type of eye/face protection equipment required shall be specified based on the hazard of the substance or mixture and potential for contact, such as safety glasses, safety goggles, face-shield.
(b) Skin protection
(i) Hand protection
The type of gloves to be worn when handling the substance or mixture shall be clearly specified based on the hazard of the substance or mixture and potential for contact and with regard to the amount and duration of dermal exposure, including:
— the type of material and its thickness,
— the typical or minimum breakthrough times of the glove material,
If necessary, any additional hand protection measures shall be indicated.
(ii) Other
If it is necessary to protect a part of the body other than the hands, the type and quality of protection equipment required shall be specified, such as gauntlets, boots, bodysuit based on the hazards associated with the substance or mixture and the potential for contact.
If necessary, any additional skin protection measures and specific hygiene measures shall be indicated.
(c) Respiratory protection
For gases, vapours, mist or dust, the type of protective equipment to be used shall be specified based on the hazard and potential for exposure, including air-purifying respirators, specifying the proper purifying element (cartridge or canister), the adequate particulate filters and the adequate masks, or self-contained breathing apparatus.
(d) Thermal hazards
When specifying protective equipment to be worn for materials that represent a thermal hazard, special consideration shall be given to the construction of the personal protective equipment.
8.2.3. Environmental exposure controls
The information required by the employer to fulfil his commitments under Union environmental protection legislation shall be specified.
Where a chemical safety report is required, a summary of the risk management measures that adequately control exposure of the environment to the substance shall be given for the exposure scenarios set out in the annex to the safety data sheet.
9. SECTION 9: Physical and chemical properties
This section of the safety data sheet shall describe the empirical data relating to the substance or mixture, if relevant. Article 8(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 shall apply. The information in this section shall be consistent with the information provided in the registration and/or in the chemical safety report where required, and with the classification of the substance or mixture.
9.1. Information on basic physical and chemical properties
The following properties shall be clearly identified including, where appropriate, a reference to the test methods used and specification of appropriate units of measurement and/or reference conditions. If relevant for the interpretation of the numerical value, the method of determination shall also be provided (for example, the method for flash point, the open-cup/closed-cup method):
(a) Appearance:
The physical state (solid (including appropriate and available safety information on granulometry and specific surface area if not already specified elsewhere in this safety data sheet), liquid, gas) and the colour of the substance or mixture as supplied shall be indicated;
(b) Odour:
If odour is perceptible, a brief description of it shall be given;
(c) Odour threshold;
(d) pH:
The pH of the substance or mixture as supplied or of an aqueous solution shall be indicated; in the case of an aqueous solution, the concentration shall also be indicated;
(e) Melting point/freezing point;
(f) Initial boiling point and boiling range;
(g) Flash point;
(h) Evaporation rate;
(i) Flammability (solid, gas);
(j) Upper/lower flammability or explosive limits;
(k) Vapour pressure;
(l) Vapour density;
(m) Relative density;
(n) Solubility(ies);
(o) Partition coefficient: n-octanol/water;
(p) Auto-ignition temperature;
(q) Decomposition temperature;
(r) Viscosity;
(s) Explosive properties;
(t) Oxidising properties.
If it is stated that a particular property does not apply or if information on a particular property is not available, the reasons shall be given.
To enable proper control measures to be taken, all relevant information on the substance or mixture shall be provided. The information in this section shall be consistent with the information provided in a registration where one is required.
In the case of a mixture, the entries shall clearly indicate to which substance in the mixture the data apply, unless it is valid for the whole mixture.
9.2. Other information
Other physical and chemical parameters shall be indicated as necessary, such as miscibility, fat solubility (solvent — oil to be specified), conductivity, or gas group. Appropriate and available safety information on redox potential, radical formation potential and photocatalytic properties shall be indicated.
10. SECTION 10: Stability and reactivity
This section of the safety data sheet shall describe the stability of the substance or mixture and the possibility of hazardous reactions occurring under certain conditions of use and also if released into the environment, including, where appropriate, a reference to the test methods used. If it is stated that a particular property does not apply or if information on a particular property is not available, the reasons shall be given.
10.1. Reactivity
10.1.1.
The reactivity hazards of the substance or mixture shall be described. Specific test data shall be provided for the substance or mixture as a whole, where available. However, the information may also be based on general data for the class or family of substance or mixture if such data adequately represent the anticipated hazard of the substance or mixture.
If data for mixtures are not available, data on substances in the mixture shall be provided. In determining incompatibility, the substances, containers and contaminants that the substance or mixture might be exposed to during transportation, storage and use shall be considered.
10.2. Chemical stability
It shall be indicated if the substance or mixture is stable or unstable under normal ambient and anticipated storage and handling conditions of temperature and pressure. Any stabilisers which are, or may need to be, used to maintain the chemical stability of the substance or mixture shall be described. The safety significance of any change in the physical appearance of the substance or mixture shall be indicated.
10.3. Possibility of hazardous reactions
If relevant, it shall be stated if the substance or mixture will react or polymerise, releasing excess pressure or heat, or creating other hazardous conditions. The conditions under which the hazardous reactions may occur shall be described.
10.4. Conditions to avoid
Conditions such as temperature, pressure, light, shock, static discharge, vibrations or other physical stresses that might result in a hazardous situation shall be listed and if appropriate a brief description of measures to be taken to manage risks associated with such hazards shall be given.
10.5. Incompatible materials
Families of substances or mixtures or specific substances, such as water, air, acids, bases, oxidising agents, with which the substance or mixture could react to produce a hazardous situation (like an explosion, a release of toxic or flammable materials, or a liberation of excessive heat), shall be listed and if appropriate a brief description of measures to be taken to manage risks associated with such hazards shall be given.
10.6. Hazardous decomposition products
Known and reasonably anticipated hazardous decomposition products produced as a result of use, storage, spill and heating shall be listed. Hazardous combustion products shall be included in Section 5 of the safety data sheet.
11. SECTION 11: Toxicological information
This section of the safety data sheet is meant for use primarily by medical professionals, occupational health and safety professionals and toxicologists. A concise but complete and comprehensible description of the various toxicological (health) effects and the available data used to identify those effects shall be provided, including where appropriate information on toxicokinetics, metabolism and distribution. The information in this section shall be consistent with the information provided in the registration and/or in the chemical safety report where required, and with the classification of the substance or mixture.
11.1. Information on toxicological effects
The relevant hazard classes, for which information shall be provided, are:
(a) acute toxicity;
(b) skin corrosion/irritation;
(c) serious eye damage/irritation;
(d) respiratory or skin sensitisation;
(e) germ cell mutagenicity;
(f) carcinogenicity;
(g) reproductive toxicity;
(h) STOT-single exposure;
(i) STOT-repeated exposure;
(j) aspiration hazard.
These hazards shall always be listed on the safety data sheet.
For substances subject to registration, brief summaries of the information derived from the application of Annexes VII to XI shall be given, including, where appropriate, a reference to the test methods used. For substances subject to registration, the information shall also include the result of the comparison of the available data with the criteria given in Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 for CMR, categories 1A and 1B, following point 1.3.1 of Annex I to this Regulation.
Information shall be provided for each hazard class or differentiation. If it is stated that the substance or mixture is not classified for a particular hazard class or differentiation, the safety data sheet shall clearly state whether this is due to lack of data, technical impossibility to obtain the data, inconclusive data or data which are conclusive although insufficient for classification; in the latter case the safety data sheet shall specify ‘based on available data, the classification criteria are not met’.
The data included in this subsection shall apply to the substance or mixture as placed on the market. In the case of a mixture, the data should describe the toxicological properties of the mixture as a whole, except if Article 6(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 applies. If available, the relevant toxicological properties of the hazardous substances in a mixture shall also be provided, such as the LD50, acute toxicity estimates or LC50.
Where there is a substantial amount of test data on the substance or mixture, it may be necessary to summarise results of the critical studies used, for example, by route of exposure.
Where the classification criteria for a particular hazard class are not met, information supporting this conclusion shall be provided.
Information on likely routes of exposure
Information shall be provided on likely routes of exposure and the effects of the substance or mixture via each possible route of exposure, that is, through ingestion (swallowing), inhalation or skin/eye exposure. If health effects are not known, this shall be stated.
Symptoms related to the physical, chemical and toxicological characteristics
Potential adverse health effects and symptoms associated with exposure to the substance or mixture and its ingredients or known by-products shall be described. Available information shall be provided on the symptoms related to the physical, chemical, and toxicological characteristics of the substance or mixture following exposure. The first symptoms at low exposures through to the consequences of severe exposure shall be described, such as ‘headaches and dizziness may occur, proceeding to fainting or unconsciousness; large doses may result in coma and death’.
Delayed and immediate effects as well as chronic effects from short and long-term exposure
Information shall be provided on whether delayed or immediate effects can be expected after short- or long-term exposure. Information on acute and chronic health effects relating to human exposure to the substance or mixture shall also be provided. Where human data are not available, animal data shall be summarised and the species clearly identified. It shall be indicated whether toxicological data is based on human or animal data.
Interactive effects
Information on interactions shall be included if relevant and available.
Absence of specific data
It may not always be possible to obtain information on the hazards of a substance or mixture. In cases where data on the specific substance or mixture are not available, data on similar substances or mixtures, if appropriate, may be used, provided the relevant similar substance or mixture is identified. Where specific data are not used, or where data are not available, this shall be clearly stated.
11.1.10.
For a given health effect, if a mixture has not been tested for its health effects as a whole, relevant information on relevant substances listed under Section 3 shall be provided.
Mixture versus substance information
11.1.11.1.
The substances in a mixture may interact with each other in the body, resulting in different rates of absorption, metabolism and excretion. As a result, the toxic actions may be altered and the overall toxicity of the mixture may be different from that of the substances in it. This shall be taken into account when providing toxicological information in this section of the safety data sheet.
It is necessary to consider whether the concentration of each substance is sufficient to contribute to the overall health effects of the mixture. The information on toxic effects shall be presented for each substance, except for the following cases:
(a) if the information is duplicated, it shall be listed only once for the mixture overall, such as when two substances both cause vomiting and diarrhoea;
(b) if it is unlikely that these effects will occur at the concentrations present, such as when a mild irritant is diluted to below a certain concentration in a non-irritant solution;
(c) where information on interactions between substances in a mixture is not available, assumptions shall not be made and instead the health effects of each substance shall be listed separately.
Other relevant information on adverse health effects shall be included even when not required by the classification criteria.
12. SECTION 12: Ecological information
This section of the safety data sheet shall provide information to enable evaluation of the environmental impact of the substance or mixture where it is released to the environment. Subsections 12.1 to 12.6 of the safety data sheet shall provide a short summary of the data including, where available, relevant test data and clearly indicating species, media, units, test duration and test conditions. This information may assist in handling spills, and evaluating waste treatment practices, control of release, accidental release measures and transport. If it is stated that a particular property does not apply (because the available data shows that the substance or mixture does not meet the criteria for classification) or if information on a particular property is not available, the reasons shall be indicated. Additionally, if a substance or mixture is not classified for other reasons (for example, due to the technical impossibility of obtaining the data or to inconclusive data) this should be clearly stated on the safety data sheet.
Some properties are substance specific, i.e. bioaccumulation, persistence and degradability, and that information shall be given, where available and appropriate, for each relevant substance in the mixture (i.e. those which are required to be listed in Section 3 of the safety data sheet and are hazardous to the environment or PBT/vPvB substances). Information shall also be provided for hazardous transformation products arising from the degradation of substances and mixtures.
The information in this section shall be consistent with the information provided in the registration and/or in the chemical safety report where required, and with the classification of the substance or mixture.
12.1. Toxicity
Information on toxicity using data from tests performed on aquatic and/or terrestrial organisms shall be provided when available. This shall include relevant available data on aquatic toxicity, both acute and chronic for fish, crustaceans, algae and other aquatic plants. In addition, toxicity data on soil micro- and macroorganisms and other environmentally relevant organisms, such as birds, bees and plants, shall be included when available. Where the substance or mixture has inhibitory effects on the activity of microorganisms, the possible impact on sewage treatment plants shall be mentioned.
For substances subject to registration, summaries of the information derived from the application of Annexes VII to XI of this Regulation shall be included.
12.2. Persistence and degradability
Persistence and degradability is the potential for the substance or the appropriate substances in a mixture to degrade in the environment, either through biodegradation or other processes, such as oxidation or hydrolysis. Test results relevant to assess persistence and degradability shall be given where available. If degradation half-lives are quoted it must be indicated whether these half-lives refer to mineralisation or to primary degradation. The potential of the substance or certain substances in a mixture to degrade in sewage treatment plants shall also be mentioned.
This information shall be given where available and appropriate, for each individual substance in the mixture which is required to be listed in Section 3 of the safety data sheet.
12.3. Bioaccumulative potential
Bioaccumulative potential is the potential of the substance or certain substances in a mixture to accumulate in biota and, eventually, to pass through the food chain. Test results relevant to assess the bioaccumulative potential shall be given. This shall include reference to the octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) and bioconcentration factor (BCF), if available.
12.4. Mobility in soil
Mobility in soil is the potential of the substance or the components of a mixture, if released to the environment, to move under natural forces to the groundwater or to a distance from the site of release. The potential for mobility in soil shall be given where available. Information on mobility in soil can be determined from relevant mobility data such as adsorption studies or leaching studies, known or predicted distribution to environmental compartments, or surface tension. For example, Koc values can be predicted from octanol/water partition coefficients (Kow). Leaching and mobility can be predicted from models.
Where experimental data is available, that data shall, in general, take precedence over models and predictions.
12.5. Results of PBT and vPvB assessment
Where a chemical safety report is required, the results of the PBT and vPvB assessment as set out in the chemical safety report shall be given.
12.6. Other adverse effects
Information on any other adverse effects on the environment shall be included where available, such as environmental fate (exposure), photochemical ozone creation potential, ozone depletion potential, endocrine-disrupting potential and/or global warming potential.
13. SECTION 13: Disposal considerations
This section of the safety data sheet shall provide information for proper waste management of the substance or mixture and/or its container to assist in the determination of safe and environmentally preferred waste management options, consistent with the requirements of Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 38 ) by the Member State in which the safety data sheet is being supplied. Information relevant for the safety of persons conducting waste management activities shall complement the information given in Section 8.
Where a chemical safety report is required and where a waste stage analysis has been performed, the information on the waste management measures shall be consistent with the identified uses in the chemical safety report and the exposure scenarios from the chemical safety report set out in the annex to the safety data sheet.
13.1. Waste treatment methods
This subsection of the safety data sheet shall:
(a) specify waste treatment containers and methods including the appropriate methods of waste treatment of both the substance or mixture and any contaminated packaging (for example, incineration, recycling, landfilling);
(b) specify the physical/chemical properties that may affect waste treatment options;
(c) discourage sewage disposal;
(d) Iidentify, where appropriate, any special precautions for any recommended waste treatment option.
Any relevant Union provisions relating to waste or, in their absence, any relevant national or regional provisions in force shall be referred to.
14. SECTION 14: Transport information
This section of the safety data sheet shall provide basic classification information for the transport/shipment of substances or mixtures mentioned in Section 1 by road, rail, sea, inland waterways or air. Where such information is not available or relevant this shall be stated.
Where relevant, this section shall provide information on the transport classification for each of the UN Model Regulations: the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) ( 39 ), the Regulations concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID) ( 40 ) and the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland Waterways (ADN) ( 41 ), all three of which have been implemented by Directive 2008/68/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 42 ), as well as the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code ( 43 ) (sea) and the Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (ICAO) ( 44 ) (air).
14.1. UN number
The UN number (i.e. the four-figure identification number of the substance, mixture or article preceded by the letters ‘UN’) from the UN Model Regulations shall be provided.
14.2. UN proper shipping name
The UN proper shipping name from the UN Model Regulations shall be provided, unless it was used as the product identifier in subsection 1.1.
14.3. Transport hazard class(es)
The transport hazard class (and subsidiary risks) assigned to the substances or mixtures on the basis of the predominant hazard that they present according to the UN Model Regulations shall be provided.
14.4. Packing group
The packing group number from the UN Model Regulations shall be provided, if applicable. The packing group number is assigned to certain substances in accordance with their degree of hazard.
14.5. Environmental hazards
It shall be indicated whether the substance or mixture is environmentally hazardous according to the criteria of the UN Model Regulations (as reflected in the IMDG Code, ADR, RID and ADN) and/or a marine pollutant according to the IMDG Code. If the substance or mixture is authorised or intended for carriage by inland waterways in tank-vessels, it shall be indicated whether the substance or mixture is environmentally hazardous in tank-vessels only according to the ADN.
14.6. Special precautions for user
Information shall be provided on any special precautions which a user should or must take or be aware of in connection with transport or conveyance either within or outside his premises.
14.7. Transport in bulk according to Annex II of Marpol and the IBC Code
This subsection only applies when cargoes are intended to be carried in bulk according to the following IMO instruments: Annex II of Marpol and the IBC Code.
The product name shall be provided (if different from that given in subsection 1.1) as required by the shipment document and in accordance with the name used in the lists of product names given in chapters 17 or 18 of the IBC Code or the latest edition of the IMO's Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC).2/Circular ( 45 ). Ship type required and pollution category shall be indicated.
15. SECTION 15: Regulatory information
This section of the safety data sheet shall describe the other regulatory information on the substance or mixture that is not already provided in the safety data sheet (such as whether the substance or mixture is subject to Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 on substances that deplete the ozone layer ( 46 ), Regulation (EC) No 850/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on persistent organic pollutants and amending Directive 79/117/EEC ( 47 ) or Regulation (EC) No 649/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2012 concerning the export and import of dangerous chemicals ( 48 )).
15.1. Safety, health and environmental regulations/legislation specific for the substance or mixture
Information shall be provided regarding relevant Union safety, health and environmental provisions (for example, Seveso category/named substances in Annex I to Council Directive 96/82/EC ( 49 )) or regarding the national regulatory status of the substance or mixture (including the substances in the mixture), including advice on action that should be taken by the recipient as a result of these provisions. Where relevant the national laws of the relevant Member States which implement these provisions and any other national measures that may be relevant shall be mentioned.
If the substance or mixture covered by this safety data sheet is the subject of specific provisions in relation to the protection of human health or the environment at Union level (such as authorisations given under Title VII or restrictions under Title VIII) these provisions shall be mentioned.
15.2. Chemical safety assessment
This subsection of the safety data sheet shall indicate whether the supplier has carried out a chemical safety assessment for the substance or the mixture.
16. SECTION 16: Other information
This section of the safety data sheet shall contain other information that is not included in Sections 1 to 15, including information on the revision of the safety data sheet such as:
(a) in the case of a revised safety data sheet, a clear indication of where changes have been made to the previous version of the safety data sheet, unless such indication is given elsewhere in the safety data sheet, with an explanation of the changes, if appropriate. A supplier of a substance or mixture shall be able to provide an explanation of the changes upon request;
(b) a key or legend to abbreviations and acronyms used in the safety data sheet;
(c) key literature references and sources for data;
(d) in the case of mixtures, an indication of which of the methods of evaluating information referred to in Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 was used for the purpose of classification;
(e) a list of relevant hazard statements and/or precautionary statements. Write out the full text of any statements which are not written out in full under Sections 2 to 15;
(f) advice on any training appropriate for workers to ensure protection of human health and the environment.
The safety data sheet shall include the following 16 headings in accordance with Article 31(6) and in addition the subheadings also listed except Section 3, where only subsections 3.1 or 3.2 need to be included as appropriate:
Identification of the substance/mixture and of the company/undertaking
Relevant identified uses of the substance or mixture and uses advised against
Details of the supplier of the safety data sheet
Emergency telephone number
Hazards identification
Classification of the substance or mixture
Label elements
Composition/information on ingredients
First aid measures
Description of first aid measures
Most important symptoms and effects, both acute and delayed
Indication of any immediate medical attention and special treatment needed
Firefighting measures
Special hazards arising from the substance or mixture
Advice for firefighters
Accidental release measures
Personal precautions, protective equipment and emergency procedures
Environmental precautions
Methods and material for containment and cleaning up
Reference to other sections
Handling and storage
Precautions for safe handling
Conditions for safe storage, including any incompatibilities
Specific end use(s)
Exposure controls/personal protection
Control parameters
Information on basic physical and chemical properties
SECTION 10:
Stability and reactivity
Chemical stability
Possibility of hazardous reactions
Conditions to avoid
Incompatible materials
Hazardous decomposition products
Information on toxicological effects
Ecological information
Persistence and degradability
Bioaccumulative potential
Mobility in soil
Results of PBT and vPvB assessment
Other adverse effects
Disposal considerations
Waste treatment methods
UN number
UN proper shipping name
Transport hazard class(es)
Packing group
Special precautions for user
Transport in bulk according to Annex II of Marpol and the IBC Code
Safety, health and environmental regulations/legislation specific for the substance or mixture
Chemical safety assessment
Criteria for substances registered between 1 and 10 tonnes, with reference to Article 12(1)(a) and (b):
(a) substances for which it is predicted (i.e. by the application of (Q)SARs or other evidence) that they are likely to meet the criteria for category 1A or 1B classification in the hazard classes carcinogenicity, germ cell mutagenicity or reproductive toxicity or the criteria in Annex XIII;
(b) substances:
(i) with dispersive or diffuse use(s) particularly where such substances are used in consumer ►M3 mixtures ◄ or incorporated into consumer articles; and
(ii) for which it is predicted (i.e. by application of (Q)SARs or other evidence) that they are likely to meet the classification criteria for any health or environmental hazard classes or differentiations under Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.
Einecs No
Name/Group
D-glucitol C6H14O6
Ascorbic acid C6H8O6
Glucose C6H12O6
Fructose C6H12O6
L-lysine C6H14N2O2
Sucrose, pure C12H22O11
α-tocopheryl acetate C31H52O3
Galactose C6H12O6
DL-methionine C5H11NO2S
Lactose C12H22O11
D-mannitol C6H14O6
L-sorbose C6H12O6
Glycerol stearate, pure C21H42O4
Carbon dioxide CO2
Calcium pantothenate, D-form C9H17NO5.1/2Ca
DL-phenylalanine C9H11NO2
Sodium gluconate C6H12O7.Na
Sorbitan oleate C24H44O6
Krypton Kr
Neon Ne
Argon Ar
Helium He
Xenon Xe
Nitrogen N2
Water, distilled, conductivity or of similar purity H2O
Lecithins
The complex combination of diglycerides of fatty acids linked to the choline ester of phosphoric acid
Syrups, hydrolyzed starch
A complex combination obtained by the hydrolysis of cornstarch by the action of acids or enzymes. It consists primarily of d-glucose, maltose and maltodextrins
Tallow, hydrogenated
Dextrin
High-polymeric carbohydrate material usually derived from cereal grains such as corn, wheat and sorghum, and from roots and tubers such as potatoes and tapioca. Includes starch which has been pregelatinised by heating in the presence of water
Sodium D-gluconate C6H12O7.xNa
D-glucitol monostearate C24H48O7
Fatty acids, coco, Me esters
Cellulose pulp
Glycerides, C16-18 and C18-unsaturated.
This substance is identified by SDA Substance Name: C16-C18 and C18 unsaturated trialkyl glyceride and SDA Reporting Number: 11-001-00
Syrups, corn, dehydrated
Glycerides, tallow mono-, di- and tri-, hydrogenated
Glycerides, C16-18 and C18-unsaturated, mono- and di-
This substance is identified by SDA Substance Name: C16-C18 and C18 unsaturated alkyl and C16-C18 and C18 unsaturated dialkyl glyceride and SDA Reporting Number: 11-002-00
Glycerides, C10-18
1. Substances which result from a chemical reaction that occurs incidental to exposure of another substance or article to environmental factors such as air, moisture, microbial organisms or sunlight.
2. Substances which result from a chemical reaction that occurs incidental to storage of another substance, ►M3 mixture ◄ or article.
3. Substances which result from a chemical reaction occurring upon end use of other substances, ►M3 mixtures ◄ or articles and which are not themselves manufactured, imported or placed on the market.
4. Substances which are not themselves manufactured, imported or placed on the market and which result from a chemical reaction that occurs when:
(a) a stabiliser, colorant, flavouring agent, antioxidant, filler, solvent, carrier, surfactant, plasticiser, corrosion inhibitor, antifoamer or defoamer, dispersant, precipitation inhibitor, desiccant, binder, emulsifier, de-emulsifier, dewatering agent, agglomerating agent, adhesion promoter, flow modifier, pH neutraliser, sequesterant, coagulant, flocculant, fire retardant, lubricant, chelating agent, or quality control reagent functions as intended; or
(b) a substance solely intended to provide a specific physicochemical characteristic functions as intended.
5. By-products, unless they are imported or placed on the market themselves.
6. Hydrates of a substance or hydrated ions, formed by association of a substance with water, provided that the substance has been registered by the manufacturer or importer using this exemption.
7. The following substances which occur in nature, if they are not chemically modified:
Minerals, ores, ore concentrates, raw and processed natural gas, crude oil, coal.
8. Substances which occur in nature other than those listed under paragraph 7, if they are not chemically modified, unless they meet the criteria for classification as dangerous according to ►M3 Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 ◄ or unless they are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic or very persistent and very bioaccumulative in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex XIII or unless they were identified in accordance with Article 59(1) at least two years previously as substances giving rise to an equivalent level of concern as set out in Article 57(f).
9. The following substances obtained from natural sources, if they are not chemically modified, unless they meet the criteria for classification as dangerous according to Directive 67/548/EEC with the exception of those only classified as flammable [R10], as a skin irritant [R38] or as an eye irritant [R36] or unless they are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic or very persistent and very bioaccumulative in accordance with the criteria set out in Annex XIII or unless they were identified in accordance with Article 59(1) at least two years previously as substances giving rise to an equivalent level of concern as set out in Article 57(f):
Vegetable fats, vegetable oils, vegetable waxes; animal fats, animal oils, animal waxes; fatty acids from C6 to C24 and their potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium salts; glycerol.
10. The following substances if they are not chemically modified:
Liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas condensate, process gases and components thereof, coke, cement clinker, magnesia.
11. The following substances unless they meet the criteria for classification as dangerous according to Directive 67/548/EEC and provided that they do not contain constituents meeting the criteria as dangerous in accordance with Directive 67/548/EEC present in concentrations above the lowest of the applicable concentration limits set out in Directive 1999/45/EC or concentration limits set out in Annex I to Directive 67/548/EEC, unless conclusive scientific experimental data show that these constituents are not available throughout the lifecycle of the substance and those data have been ascertained to be adequate and reliable:
Glass, ceramic frits.
12. Compost and biogas.
13. Hydrogen and oxygen.
GUIDANCE NOTE ON FULFILLING THE REQUIREMENTS OF ANNEXES VI TO XI
Annexes VI to XI specify the information that shall be submitted for registration and evaluation purposes according to Articles 10, 12, 13, 40, 41 and 46. For the lowest tonnage level, the standard requirements are in Annex VII, and every time a new tonnage level is reached, the requirements of the corresponding Annex have to be added. For each registration the precise information requirements will differ, according to tonnage, use and exposure. The Annexes shall thus be considered as a whole, and in conjunction with the overall requirements of registration, evaluation and the duty of care.
STEP 1 — GATHER AND SHARE EXISTING INFORMATION
The registrant should gather all existing available test data on the substance to be registered, this would include a literature search for relevant information on the substance. Wherever practicable, registrations should be submitted jointly, in accordance with Articles 11 or 19. This will enable test data to be shared, thereby avoiding unnecessary testing and reducing costs. The registrant should also collect all other available and relevant information on the substance regardless whether testing for a given endpoint is required or not at the specific tonnage level. This should include information from alternative sources (e.g. from (Q)SARs, read-across from other substances, in vivo and in vitro testing, epidemiological data) which may assist in identifying the presence or absence of hazardous properties of the substance and which can in certain cases replace the results of animal tests.
In addition, information on exposure, use and risk management measures in accordance with Article 10 and this Annex should be collected. Considering all this information together, the registrant will be able to determine the need to generate further information.
STEP 2 — CONSIDER INFORMATION NEEDS
The registrant shall identify what information is required for the registration. First, the relevant Annex or Annexes to be followed shall be identified, according to tonnage. These Annexes set out the standard information requirements, but shall be considered in conjunction with Annex XI, which allows variation from the standard approach, where it can be justified. In particular, information on exposure, use and risk management measures shall be considered at this stage in order to determine the information needs for the substance.
STEP 3 — IDENTIFY INFORMATION GAPS
The registrant shall then compare the information needs for the substance with the information already available and identify where there are gaps. It is important at this stage to ensure that the available data is relevant and has sufficient quality to fulfil the requirements.
STEP 4 — GENERATE NEW DATA/PROPOSE TESTING STRATEGY
In some cases it will not be necessary to generate new data. However, where there is an information gap that needs to be filled, new data shall be generated (Annexes VII and VIII), or a testing strategy shall be proposed (Annexes IX and X), depending on the tonnage. New tests on vertebrates shall only be conducted or proposed as a last resort when all other data sources have been exhausted.
In some cases, the rules set out in Annexes VII to XI may require certain tests to be undertaken earlier than or in addition to the standard requirements.
Note 1: If it is not technically possible, or if it does not appear scientifically necessary to give information, the reasons shall be clearly stated, in accordance with the relevant provisions.
Note 2: The registrant may wish to declare that certain information submitted in the registration dossier is commercially sensitive and its disclosure might harm him commercially. If this is the case, he shall list the items and provide a justification.
INFORMATION REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 10(a) (i) TO (v)
1. GENERAL REGISTRANT INFORMATION
1.1. Registrant
1.1.1. Name, address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address
1.1.2. Contact person
1.1.3. Location of the registrant's production and own use site(s), as appropriate
1.2. Joint submission of data
Articles 11 or 19 foresee that parts of the registration may be submitted by a lead registrant on behalf of other registrants.
In this case, the lead registrant shall identify the other registrants specifying:
— their name, address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address,
— parts of the present registration which apply to other registrants.
Mention the number(s) given in this Annex or Annexes VII to X, as appropriate.
Any other registrant shall identify the lead registrant submitting on his behalf specifying:
— his name, address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address,
— parts of the registration which are submitted by the lead registrant.
1.3 Third party appointed under Article 4
2. IDENTIFICATION OF THE SUBSTANCE
For each substance, the information given in this section shall be sufficient to enable each substance to be identified. If it is not technically possible or if it does not appear scientifically necessary to give information on one or more of the items below, the reasons shall be clearly stated.
2.1. Name or other identifier of each substance
2.1.1. Name(s) in the IUPAC nomenclature or other international chemical name(s)
2.1.2. Other names (usual name, trade name, abbreviation)
2.1.3. EINECS or ELINCs number (if available and appropriate)
2.1.4. CAS name and CAS number (if available)
2.1.5. Other identity code (if available)
2.2. Information related to molecular and structural formula of each substance
2.2.1. Molecular and structural formula (including SMILES notation, if available)
2.2.2. Information on optical activity and typical ratio of (stereo) isomers (if applicable and appropriate)
2.2.3. Molecular weight or molecular weight range
2.3. Composition of each substance
2.3.1. Degree of purity ( %)
2.3.2. Nature of impurities, including isomers and by-products
2.3.3. Percentage of (significant) main impurities
2.3.4. Nature and order of magnitude (… ppm, … %) of any additives (e.g. stabilising agents or inhibitors)
2.3.5. Spectral data (ultra-violet, infra-red, nuclear magnetic resonance or mass spectrum)
2.3.6. High-pressure liquid chromatogram, gas chromatogram
2.3.7. Description of the analytical methods or the appropriate bibliographical references for the identification of the substance and, where appropriate, for the identification of impurities and additives. This information shall be sufficient to allow the methods to be reproduced.
3. INFORMATION ON MANUFACTURE AND USE(S) OF THE SUBSTANCE(S)
3.1. Overall manufacture, quantities used for production of an article that is subject to registration, and/or imports in tonnes per registrant per year in:
the calendar year of the registration (estimated quantity)
3.2. In the case of a manufacturer or producer of articles: brief description of the technological process used in manufacture or production of articles.
Precise details of the process, particularly those of a commercially sensitive nature, are not required.
3.3. An indication of the tonnage used for his own use(s)
3.4. Form (substance, ►M3 mixture ◄ or article) and/or physical state under which the substance is made available to downstream users. Concentration or concentration range of the substance in ►M3 mixtures ◄ made available to downstream users and quantities of the substance in articles made available to downstream users.
3.5. Brief general description of the identified use(s)
3.6. Information on waste quantities and composition of waste resulting from manufacture of the substance, the use in articles and identified uses
3.7. Uses advised against ►M7 (see Section 1 of the safety data sheet) ◄
Where applicable, an indication of the uses which the registrant advises against and why (i.e. non-statutory recommendations by supplier). This need not be an exhaustive list.
4.1 The hazard classification of the substance(s), resulting from the application of Title I and II of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 for all hazard classes and categories in that Regulation,
In addition, for each entry, the reasons why no classification is given for a hazard class or differentiation of a hazard class should be provided (i.e. if data are lacking, inconclusive, or conclusive but not sufficient for classification),
4.2 The resulting hazard label for the substance(s), resulting from the application of Title III of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008,
4.3 Specific concentration limits, where applicable, resulting from the application of Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008.
5. GUIDANCE ON SAFE USE CONCERNING:
This information shall be consistent with that in the Safety Data Sheet, where such a Safety Data Sheet is required according to Article 31.
5.1. First-aid measures (Safety Data Sheet heading 4)
5.2. Fire-fighting measures (Safety Data Sheet heading 5)
5.3. Accidental release measures (Safety Data Sheet heading 6)
5.4. Handling and storage (Safety Data Sheet heading 7)
5.5. Transport information (Safety Data Sheet heading 14)
Where a Chemical Safety Report is not required, the following additional information is required:
5.6. Exposure controls/personal protection (Safety Data Sheet heading 8)
5.7. Stability and reactivity (Safety Data Sheet heading 10)
5.8. Disposal considerations
5.8.1. Disposal considerations (Safety Data Sheet heading 13)
5.8.2. Information on recycling and methods of disposal for industry
5.8.3. Information on recycling and methods of disposal for the public.
6. INFORMATION ON EXPOSURE FOR SUBSTANCES REGISTERED IN QUANTITIES BETWEEN 1 AND 10 TONNES PER YEAR PER MANUFATCURER OR IMPORTER
6.1. Main use category:
(a) industrial use; and/or
(b) professional use; and/or
(c) consumer use.
6.1.2. Specification for industrial and professional use:
(a) used in closed system; and/or
(b) use resulting in inclusion into or onto matrix; and/or
(c) non-dispersive use; and/or
(d) dispersive use.
6.2. Significant route(s) of exposure:
6.2.1. Human exposure:
(a) oral; and/or
(b) dermal; and/or
(c) inhalatory.
6.2.2. Environmental exposure:
(a) water; and/or
(b) air; and/or
(c) solid waste; and/or
(d) soil.
6.3. Pattern of exposure:
(a) accidental/infrequent; and/or
(b) occasional; and/or
(c) continuous/frequent.
STANDARD INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBSTANCES MANUFACTURED OR IMPORTED IN QUANTITIES OF ONE TONNE OR MORE ( 50 )
Column 1 of this Annex establishes the standard information required for:
(a) non-phase-in substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 1 to 10 tonnes;
(b) phase-in substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 1 to 10 tonnes and meeting the criteria in Annex III in accordance with Article 12(1)(a) and (b); and
(c) substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 10 tonnes or more.
Any other relevant physicochemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological information that is available shall be provided. For substances not meeting the criteria in Annex III only the physicochemical requirements as set out in section 7 of this Annex are required.
Column 2 of this Annex lists specific rules according to which the required standard information may be omitted, replaced by other information, provided at a different stage or adapted in another way. If the conditions are met under which column 2 of this Annex allows adaptations, the registrant shall clearly state this fact and the reasons for each adaptation under the appropriate headings in the registration dossier.
In addition to these specific rules, a registrant may adapt the required standard information set out in column 1 of this Annex according to the general rules contained in Annex XI with the exception of Section 3 on substance-tailored exposure waiving. In this case as well, he shall clearly state the reasons for any decision to adapt the standard information under the appropriate headings in the registration dossier referring to the appropriate specific rule(s) in column 2 or in Annex XI ( 51 ).
Before new tests are carried out to determine the properties listed in this Annex, all available in vitro data, in vivo data, historical human data, data from valid (Q)SARs and data from structurally related substances (read-across approach) shall be assessed first. In vivo testing with corrosive substances at concentration/dose levels causing corrosivity shall be avoided. Prior to testing, further guidance on testing strategies should be consulted in addition to this Annex.
When, for certain endpoints, information is not provided for other reasons than those mentioned in column 2 of this Annex or in Annex XI, this fact and the reasons shall also be clearly stated.
7. INFORMATION ON THE PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF THE SUBSTANCE
STANDARD INFORMATION REQUIRED
SPECIFIC RULES FOR ADAPTATION FROM COLUMN 1
7.1. State of the substance at 20 °C and 101,3 kPa
7.2. Melting/freezing point
7.2. The study does not need to be conducted below a lower limit of - 20 °C.
7.3. Boiling point
7.3. The study does not need to be conducted:
— for gases, or
— for solids which either melt above 300 °C or decompose before boiling. In such cases the boiling point under reduced pressure may be estimated or measured, or
— for substances which decompose before boiling (e.g. auto-oxidation, rearrangement, degradation, decomposition, etc.).
7.4. Relative density
7.4. The study does not need to be conducted if:
— the substance is only stable in solution in a particular solvent and the solution density is similar to that of the solvent. In such cases, an indication of whether the solution density is higher or lower than the solvent density is sufficient, or
— the substance is a gas. In this case, an estimation based on calculation shall be made from its molecular weight and the Ideal Gas Laws.
7.5. Vapour pressure
7.5. The study does not need to be conducted if the melting point is above 300 °C.
If the melting point is between 200 °C and 300 °C, a limit value based on measurement or a recognised calculation method is sufficient.
7.6. Surface tension
7.6. The study need only be conducted if:
— based on structure, surface activity is expected or can be predicted, or
— surface activity is a desired property of the material.
If the water solubility is below 1 mg/l at 20 °C the test does not need to be conducted.
7.7. Water solubility
— the substance is hydrolytically unstable at pH 4, 7 and 9 (half-life less than 12 hours), or
— the substance is readily oxidisable in water.
If the substance appears ‘insoluble’ in water, a limit test up to the detection limit of the analytical method shall be performed.
7.8. Partition coefficient n-octanol/water
7.8. The study does not need to be conducted if the substance is inorganic. If the test cannot be performed (e.g. the substance decomposes, has a high surface activity, reacts violently during the performance of the test or does not dissolve in water or in octanol, or it is not possible to obtain a sufficiently pure substance), a calculated value for log P as well as details of the calculation method shall be provided.
7.9. Flash-point
— the substance is inorganic, or
— the substance only contains volatile organic components with flash-points above 100 °C for aqueous solutions, or
— the estimated flash-point is above 200 °C, or
— the flash-point can be accurately predicted by interpolation from existing characterised materials.
7.10. Flammability
7.10. The study does not need to be conducted:
— if the substance is a solid which possesses explosive or pyrophoric properties. These properties should always be considered before considering flammability, or
— for gases, if the concentration of the flammable gas in a mixture with inert gases is so low that, when mixed with air, the concentration is all time below the lower limit, or
— for substances which spontaneously ignite when in contact with air.
7.11. Explosive properties
7.11. The study does not need to be conducted if:
— there are no chemical groups associated with explosive properties present in the molecule, or
— the substance contains chemical groups associated with explosive properties which include oxygen and the calculated oxygen balance is less than -200, or
— the organic substance or a homogenous mixture of organic substances contains chemical groups associated with explosive properties, but the exothermic decomposition energy is less than 500 J/g and the onset of exothermic decomposition is below 500 °C, or
— for mixtures of inorganic oxidising substances (UN Division 5.1) with organic materials, the concentration of the inorganic oxidising substance is:
— less than 15 %, by mass, if assigned to UN Packaging Group I (high hazard) or II (medium hazard),
— less than 30 %, by mass, if assigned to UN Packaging Group III (low hazard).
Note: Neither a test for propagation of detonation nor a test for sensitivity to detonative shock is required if the exothermic decomposition energy of organic materials is less than 800 J/g.
7.12. Self-ignition temperature
— if the substance is explosive or ignites spontaneously with air at room temperature, or
— for liquids non flammable in air, e.g. no flash point up to 200 °C, or
— for gases having no flammable range, or
— for solids, if the substance has a melting point ≤ 160 °C, or if preliminary results exclude self-heating of the substance up to 400 °C.
7.13. Oxidising properties
— the substance is explosive, or
— the substance is highly flammable, or
— the substance is an organic peroxide, or
— the substance is incapable of reacting exothermically with combustible materials, for example on the basis of the chemical structure (e.g. organic substances not containing oxygen or halogen atoms and these elements are not chemically bonded to nitrogen or oxygen, or inorganic substances not containing oxygen or halogen atoms).
The full test does not need to be conducted for solids if the preliminary test clearly indicates that the test substance has oxidising properties.
Note that as there is no test method to determine the oxidising properties of gaseous mixtures, the evaluation of these properties must be realised by an estimation method based on the comparison of the oxidising potential of gases in a mixture with that of the oxidising potential of oxygen in air.
7.14. Granulometry
7.14. The study does not need to be conducted if the substance is marketed or used in a non solid or granular form.
8. TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
8.1. Skin corrosion/irritation
8.1. The study/ies do(es) not need to be conducted if:
— the substance is a strong acid (pH ≤ 2,0) or base (pH ≥ 11,5) and the available information indicates that it should be classified as skin corrosion (Category 1), or
— the substance is spontaneously flammable in air or in contact with water or moisture at room temperature, or
— the substance is classified as acute toxicity by the dermal route (Category 1), or
— an acute toxicity study by the dermal route does not indicate skin irritation up to the limit dose level (2 000 mg/kg body weight).
If results from one of the two studies under point 8.1.1 or 8.1.2 already allow a conclusive decision on the classification of a substance or on the absence of skin irritation potential, the second study need not be conducted.
8.1.1. Skin corrosion, in vitro
8.1.2. Skin irritation, in vitro
8.2. Serious eye damage/eye irritation
— the substance is classified as skin corrosion, leading to classification as serious eye damage (Category 1), or
— the substance is classified as skin irritation and the available information indicates that it should be classified as eye irritation (Category 2), or
— the substance is a strong acid (pH ≤ 2,0) or base (pH ≥ 11,5) and the available information indicates that it should be classified as serious eye damage (Category 1), or
— the substance is spontaneously flammable in air or in contact with water or moisture at room temperature.
8.2.1. Serious eye damage/eye irritation, in vitro
8.2.1. If results from a first in vitro study do not allow a conclusive decision on the classification of a substance or on the absence of eye irritation potential, (an)other in vitro study/ies) for this endpoint shall be considered.
8.3. Skin sensitisation
Information allowing:
— a conclusion whether the substance is a skin sensitiser and whether it can be presumed to have the potential to produce significant sensitisation in humans (Cat. 1A), and
— risk assessment, where required.
The study(ies) under point 8.3.1 and 8.3.2 do not need to be conducted if:
— the substance is classified as skin corrosion (Category 1), or
— the substance is a strong acid (pH ≤ 2,0) or base (pH ≥ 11,5), or
8.3.1. Skin sensitisation, in vitro/in chemico
Information from in vitro/in chemico test method(s) recognised according to Article 13(3), addressing each of the following key events of skin sensitisation:
(a) molecular interaction with skin proteins;
(b) inflammatory response in keratinocytes;
(c) activation of dendritic cells.
The(se) test(s) do not need to be conducted if:
— an in vivo study according to point 8.3.2 is available, or
— the available in vitro/in chemico test methods are not applicable for the substance or are not adequate for classification and risk assessment according to point 8.3.
If information from test method(s) addressing one or two of the key events in column 1 already allows classification and risk assessment according to point 8.3, studies addressing the other key event(s) need not be conducted.
8.3.2. Skin sensitisation, in vivo
An in vivo study shall be conducted only if in vitro/in chemico test methods described under point 8.3.1 are not applicable, or the results obtained from those studies are not adequate for classification and risk assessment according to point 8.3.
The murine local lymph node assay (LLNA) is the first-choice method for in vivo testing. Only in exceptional circumstances should another test be used. Justification for the use of another in vivo test shall be provided.
In vivo skin sensitisation studies that were carried out or initiated before 10 May 2017, and that meet the requirements set out in Article 13(3), first subparagraph, and Article 13(4) shall be considered appropriate to address this standard information requirement.
8.4. Mutagenicity
8.4. Further mutagenicity studies shall be considered in case of a positive result.
8.4.1. In vitro gene mutation study in bacteria
8.5. The study/ies do(es) not generally need to be conducted if:
— the substance is classified as corrosive to the skin.
8.5.1. By oral route
The study need not be conducted if a study on acute toxicity by the inhalation route (8.5.2) is available.
9. ECOTOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
9.1. Aquatic toxicity
9.1.1. Short-term toxicity testing on invertebrates (preferred species Daphnia)
The registrant may consider long-term toxicity testing instead of short-term.
9.1.1. The study does not need to be conducted if:
— there are mitigating factors indicating that aquatic toxicity is unlikely to occur, for instance if the substance is highly insoluble in water or the substance is unlikely to cross biological membranes, or
— a long-term aquatic toxicity study on invertebrates is available, or
— adequate information for environmental classification and labelling is available.
The long-term aquatic toxicity study on Daphnia (Annex IX, section 9.1.5) shall be considered if the substance is poorly water soluble.
9.1.2. Growth inhibition study aquatic plants (algae preferred)
9.1.2. The study does not need to be conducted if there are mitigating factors indicating that aquatic toxicity is unlikely to occur for instance if the substance is highly insoluble in water or the substance is unlikely to cross biological membranes.
9.2.1. Biotic
9.2.1.1. Ready biodegradability
9.2.1.1. The study does not need to be conducted if the substance is inorganic.
Any other relevant physicochemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological information that is available shall be provided.
STANDARD INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBSTANCES MANUFACTURED OR IMPORTED IN QUANTITIES OF 10 TONNES OR MORE ( 52 )
Column 1 of this Annex establishes the standard information required for all substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 10 tonnes or more in accordance with Article 12(1)(c). Accordingly, the information required in column 1 of this Annex is additional to that required in column 1 of Annex VII. Any other relevant physicochemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological information that is available shall be provided. Column 2 of this Annex lists specific rules according to which the required standard information may be omitted, replaced by other information, provided at a different stage or adapted in another way. If the conditions are met under which column 2 of this Annex allows adaptations, the registrant shall clearly state this fact and the reasons for each adaptation under the appropriate headings in the registration dossier.
In addition to these specific rules, a registrant may adapt the required standard information set out in column 1 of this Annex according to the general rules contained in Annex XI. In this case as well, he shall clearly state the reasons for any decision to adapt the standard information under the appropriate headings in the registration dossier referring to the appropriate specific rule(s) in column 2 or in Annex XI ( 53 ).
8.1. An in vivo study for skin corrosion/irritation shall be considered only if the in vitro studies under points 8.1.1 and 8.1.2 in Annex VII are not applicable, or the results of these studies are not adequate for classification and risk assessment.
The study does not need to be conducted if:
8.2. An in vivo study for eye corrosion/irritation shall be considered only if the in vitro study(ies) under point 8.2.1 in Annex VII are not applicable, or the results obtained from these study(ies) are not adequate for classification and risk assessment.
— the substance is classified as skin corrosion, or
8.4.2. In vitro cytogenicity study in mammalian cells or in vitro micronucleus study
8.4.2. The study does not usually need to be conducted
— if adequate data from an in vivo cytogenicity test are available, or
— the substance is known to be carcinogenic category 1A or 1B or germ cell mutagenic category 1A, 1B or 2.
8.4.3. In vitro gene mutation study in mammalian cells, if a negative result in Annex VII, Section 8.4.1. and Annex VIII, Section 8.4.2.
8.4.3. The study does not usually need to be conducted if adequate data from a reliable in vivo mammalian gene mutation test are available.
8.4. Appropriate in vivo mutagenicity studies shall be considered in case of a positive result in any of the genotoxicity studies in Annex VII or VIII.
— the substance is classified as skin corrosion.
In addition to the oral route (Annex VII, 8.5.1.), for substances other than gases, the information mentioned under 8.5.2 to 8.5.3 shall be provided for at least one other route. The choice for the second route will depend on the nature of the substance and the likely route of human exposure. If there is only one route of exposure, information for only that route needs to be provided.
8.5.2. By inhalation
8.5.2. Testing by the inhalation route is appropriate if exposure of humans via inhalation is likely taking into account the vapour pressure of the substance and/or the possibility of exposure to aerosols, particles or droplets of an inhalable size.
8.5.3. By dermal route
8.5.3. Testing by the dermal route is appropriate if:
(1) inhalation of the substance is unlikely; and
(2) skin contact in production and/or use is likely; and
(3) the physicochemical and toxicological properties suggest potential for a significant rate of absorption through the skin.
Testing by the dermal route does not need to be conducted if:
— the substance does not meet the criteria for classification as acute toxicity or STOT SE by the oral route and
— no systemic effects have been observed in in vivo studies with dermal exposure (e.g. skin irritation, skin sensitisation) or, in the absence of an in vivo study by the oral route, no systemic effects after dermal exposure are predicted on the basis of non-testing approaches (e.g. read across, QSAR studies).
8.6.1. Short-term repeated dose toxicity study (28 days), one species, male and female, most appropriate route of administration, having regard to the likely route of human exposure.
8.6.1. The short-term toxicity study (28 days) does not need to be conducted if:
— a reliable sub-chronic (90 days) or chronic toxicity study is available, provided that an appropriate species, dosage, solvent and route of administration were used, or
— where a substance undergoes immediate disintegration and there are sufficient data on the cleavage products, or
— relevant human exposure can be excluded in accordance with Annex XI Section 3.
The appropriate route shall be chosen on the following basis:
Testing by the dermal route is appropriate if:
Testing by the inhalation route is appropriate if exposure of humans via inhalation is likely taking into account the vapour pressure of the substance and/or the possibility of exposure to aerosols, particles or droplets of an inhalable size.
The sub-chronic toxicity study (90 days) (Annex IX, Section 8.6.2) shall be proposed by the registrant if: the frequency and duration of human exposure indicates that a longer term study is appropriate;
and one of the following conditions is met:
— other available data indicate that the substance may have a dangerous property that cannot be detected in a short-term toxicity study, or
— appropriately designed toxicokinetic studies reveal accumulation of the substance or its metabolites in certain tissues or organs which would possibly remain undetected in a short-term toxicity study but which are liable to result in adverse effects after prolonged exposure.
Further studies shall be proposed by the registrant or may be required by the Agency in accordance with Article 40 or 41 in case of:
— failure to identify a NOAEL in the 28 or the 90 days study, unless the reason for the failure to identify a NOAEL is absence of adverse toxic effects, or
— toxicity of particular concern (e.g. serious/severe effects), or
— indications of an effect for which the available evidence is inadequate for toxicological and/or risk characterisation. In such cases it may also be more appropriate to perform specific toxicological studies that are designed to investigate these effects (e.g. immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity), or
— the route of exposure used in the initial repeated dose study was inappropriate in relation to the expected route of human exposure and route-to-route extrapolation cannot be made, or
— particular concern regarding exposure (e.g. use in consumer products leading to exposure levels which are close to the dose levels at which toxicity to humans may be expected), or
— effects shown in substances with a clear relationship in molecular structure with the substance being studied, were not detected in the 28 or the 90 days study.
8.7. Reproductive toxicity
8.7.1. Screening for reproductive/developmental toxicity, one species (OECD 421 or 422), if there is no evidence from available information on structurally related substances, from (Q)SAR estimates or from in vitro methods that the substance may be a developmental toxicant
8.7.1. This study does not need to be conducted if:
— the substance is known to be a genotoxic carcinogen and appropriate risk management measures are implemented, or
— the substance is known to be a germ cell mutagen and appropriate risk management measures are implemented, or
— relevant human exposure can be excluded in accordance with Annex XI section 3, or
— a pre-natal developmental toxicity study (Annex IX, 8.7.2) or, either an Extended One-Generation Reproductive Toxicity Study (B.56, OECD TG 443) (Annex IX, section 8.7.3) or a two-generation study (B.35, OECD TG 416), is available.
If a substance is known to have an adverse effect on fertility, meeting the criteria for classification as toxic for reproduction category 1A or 1B: May damage fertility (H360F), and the available data are adequate to support a robust risk assessment, then no further testing for fertility will be necessary. However, testing for developmental toxicity must be considered.
If a substance is known to cause developmental toxicity, meeting the criteria for classification as toxic for reproduction category 1A or 1B: May damage the unborn child (H360D), and the available data are adequate to support a robust risk assessment, then no further testing for developmental toxicity will be necessary. However, testing for effects on fertility must be considered.
In cases where there are serious concerns about the potential for adverse effects on fertility or development, either an Extended One-Generation Reproductive Toxicity Study (Annex IX, section 8.7.3) or a pre-natal developmental toxicity study (Annex IX, section 8.7.2) may, as appropriate, be proposed by the registrant instead of the screening study. ◄
8.8. Toxicokinetics
8.8.1. Assessment of the toxicokinetic behaviour of the substance to the extent that can be derived from the relevant available information
9.1.3. Short-term toxicity testing on fish: the registrant may consider long-term toxicity testing instead of short-term.
— a long-term aquatic toxicity study on fish is available.
Long-term aquatic toxicity testing as described in Annex IX shall be considered if the chemical safety assessment according to Annex I indicates the need to investigate further effects on aquatic organisms. The choice of the appropriate test(s) will depend on the results of the chemical safety assessment.
The long-term aquatic toxicity study on fish (Annex IX, Section 9.1.6) shall be considered if the substance is poorly water soluble.
9.1.4. Activated sludge respiration inhibition testing
— there is no emission to a sewage treatment plant, or
— there are mitigating factors indicating that microbial toxicity is unlikely to occur, for instance the substance is highly insoluble in water, or
— the substance is found to be readily biodegradable and the applied test concentrations are in the range of concentrations that can be expected in the influent of a sewage treatment plant.
The study may be replaced by a nitrification inhibition test if available data show that the substance is likely to be an inhibitor of microbial growth or function, in particular nitrifying bacteria.
9.2. Further degradation testing shall be considered if the chemical safety assessment according to Annex I indicates the need to investigate further the degradation of the substance. The choice of the appropriate test(s) will depend on the results of the chemical safety assessment.
9.2.2. Abiotic
9.2.2.1. Hydrolysis as a function of pH.
9.2.2.1. The study does not need to be conducted if:
— the substance is readily biodegradable, or
— the substance is highly insoluble in water.
9.3. Fate and behaviour in the environment
9.3.1. Adsorption/desorption screening
— based on the physicochemical properties the substance can be expected to have a low potential for adsorption (e.g. the substance has a low octanol water partition coefficient), or
— the substance and its relevant degradation products decompose rapidly.
STANDARD INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBSTANCES MANUFACTURED OR IMPORTED IN QUANTITIES OF 100 TONNES OR MORE ( 54 )
At the level of this Annex, the registrant must submit a proposal and a time schedule for fulfilling the information requirements of this Annex in accordance with Article 12(1)(d).
Column 1 of this Annex establishes the standard information required for all substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 100 tonnes or more in accordance with Article 12(1)(d). Accordingly, the information required in column 1 of this Annex is additional to that required in column 1 of Annexes VII and VIII. Any other relevant physicochemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological information that is available shall be provided. Column 2 of this Annex lists specific rules according to which the registrant may propose to omit the required standard information, replace it by other information, provide it at a later stage or adapt it in another way. If the conditions are met under which column 2 of this Annex allows an adaptation to be proposed, the registrant shall clearly state this fact and the reasons for proposing each adaptation under the appropriate headings in the registration dossier.
In addition to these specific rules, a registrant may propose to adapt the required standard information set out in column 1 of this Annex according to the general rules contained in Annex XI. In this case as well, he shall clearly state the reasons for any decision to propose adaptations to the standard information under the appropriate headings in the registration dossier referring to the appropriate specific rule(s) in column 2 or in Annex XI ( 55 ).
When, for certain endpoints, it is proposed not to provide information for other reasons than those mentioned in column 2 of this Annex or in Annex XI, this fact and the reasons shall also be clearly stated.
7.15. Stability in organic solvents and identity of relevant degradation products
Only required if stability of the substance is considered to be critical.
7.15. The study does not need to be conducted if the substance is inorganic.
7.16. Dissociation constant
— the substance is hydrolytically unstable (half-life less than 12 hours) or is readily oxidisable in water, or
— it is scientifically not possible to perform the test for instance if the analytical method is not sensitive enough.
7.17. Viscosity
8.4. If there is a positive result in any of the in vitro genotoxicity studies in Annex VII or VIII and there are no results available from an in vivo study already, an appropriate in vivo somatic cell genotoxicity study shall be proposed by the registrant.
If there is a positive result from an in vivo somatic cell study available, the potential for germ cell mutagenicity should be considered on the basis of all available data, including toxicokinetic evidence. If no clear conclusions about germ cell mutagenicity can be made, additional investigations shall be considered.
8.6.1. Short-term repeated dose toxicity study (28 days), one species, male and female, most appropriate route of administration, having regard to the likely route of human exposure, unless already provided as part of Annex VIII requirements or if tests according to Section 8.6.2 of this Annex is proposed. In this case, Section 3 of Annex XI shall not apply.
8.6.2. Sub-chronic toxicity study (90-day), one species, rodent, male and female, most appropriate route of administration, having regard to the likely route of human exposure.
8.6.2. The sub-chronic toxicity study (90 days) does not need to be conducted if:
— a reliable short-term toxicity study (28 days) is available showing severe toxicity effects according to the criteria for classifying the substance as R48, for which the observed NOAEL-28 days, with the application of an appropriate uncertainty factor, allows the extrapolation towards the NOAEL-90 days for the same route of exposure, or
— a reliable chronic toxicity study is available, provided that an appropriate species and route of administration were used, or
— a substance undergoes immediate disintegration and there are sufficient data on the cleavage products (both for systemic effects and effects at the site of uptake), or
— the substance is unreactive, insoluble and not inhalable and there is no evidence of absorption and no evidence of toxicity in a 28-day ‘limit test’, particularly if such a pattern is coupled with limited human exposure.
(2) the physicochemical properties suggest a significant rate of absorption through the skin; and
(3) one of the following conditions is met:
— toxicity is observed in the acute dermal toxicity test at lower doses than in the oral toxicity test, or
— systemic effects or other evidence of absorption is observed in skin and/or eye irritation studies, or
— in vitro tests indicate significant dermal absorption, or
— significant dermal toxicity or dermal penetration is recognised for structurally-related substances.
Testing by the inhalation route is appropriate if:
— exposure of humans via inhalation is likely taking into account the vapour pressure of the substance and/or the possibility of exposure to aerosols, particles or droplets of an inhalable size.
Further studies shall be proposed by the registrant or may be required by the Agency in accordance with Articles 40 or 41 in case of:
— failure to identify a NOAEL in the 90 days study unless the reason for the failure to identify a NOAEL is absence of adverse toxic effects, or
— particular concern regarding exposure (e.g. use in consumer products leading to exposure levels which are close to the dose levels at which toxicity to humans may be expected).
8.7. The studies do not need to be conducted if:
— the substance is of low toxicological activity (no evidence of toxicity seen in any of the tests available), it can be proven from toxicokinetic data that no systemic absorption occurs via relevant routes of exposure (e.g. plasma/blood concentrations below detection limit using a sensitive method and absence of the substance and of metabolites of the substance in urine, bile or exhaled air) and there is no or no significant human exposure.
8.7.2. Pre-natal developmental toxicity study, one species, most appropriate route of administration, having regard to the likely route of human exposure (B.31 of the Commission Regulation on test methods as specified in Article 13(3) or OECD 414).
8.7.2. The study shall be initially performed on one species. A decision on the need to perform a study at this tonnage level or the next on a second species should be based on the outcome of the first test and all other relevant available data.
8.7.3. Extended One-Generation Reproductive Toxicity Study (B.56 of the Commission Regulation on test methods as specified in Article 13(3) or OECD 443), basic test design (cohorts 1A and 1B without extension to include a F2 generation), one species, most appropriate route of administration, having regard to the likely route of human exposure, if the available repeated dose toxicity studies (e.g. 28-day or 90-day studies, OECD 421 or 422 screening studies) indicate adverse effects on reproductive organs or tissues or reveal other concerns in relation with reproductive toxicity.
8.7.3. An Extended One-Generation Reproductive Toxicity Study with the extension of cohort 1B to include the F2 generation shall be proposed by the registrant or may be required by the Agency in accordance with Article 40 or 41, if:
(a) the substance has uses leading to significant exposure of consumers or professionals, taking into account, inter alia, consumer exposure from articles, and
(b) any of the following conditions are met:
— the substance displays genotoxic effects in somatic cell mutagenicity tests in vivo which could lead to classifying it as Mutagen Category 2, or
— there are indications that the internal dose for the substance and/or any of its metabolites will reach a steady state in the test animals only after an extended exposure, or
— there are indications of one or more relevant modes of action related to endocrine disruption from available in vivo studies or non-animal approaches.
An Extended One-Generation Reproductive Toxicity Study including cohorts 2A/2B (developmental neurotoxicity) and/or cohort 3 (developmental immunotoxicity) shall be proposed by the registrant or may be required by the Agency in accordance with Article 40 or 41, in case of particular concerns on (developmental) neurotoxicity or (developmental) immunotoxicity justified by any of the following:
— existing information on the substance itself derived from relevant available in vivo or non-animal approaches (e.g. abnormalities of the CNS, evidence of adverse effects on the nervous or immune system in studies on adult animals or animals exposed prenatally), or
— specific mechanisms/modes of action of the substance with an association to (developmental) neurotoxicity and/or (developmental) immunotoxicity (e.g. cholinesterase inhibition or relevant changes in thyroidal hormone levels associated to adverse effects), or
— existing information on effects caused by substances structurally analogous to the substance being studied, suggesting such effects or mechanisms/modes of action.
Other studies on developmental neurotoxicity and/or developmental immunotoxicity instead of cohorts 2A/2B (developmental neurotoxicity) and/or cohort 3 (developmental immunotoxicity) of the Extended One-Generation Reproductive Toxicity Study may be proposed by the registrant in order to clarify the concern on developmental toxicity.
Two-generation reproductive toxicity studies (B.35, OECD TG 416) that were initiated before 13 March 2015 shall be considered appropriate to address this standard information requirement.
The study shall be performed on one species. The need to perform a study at this tonnage level or the next on a second strain or a second species may be considered and a decision should be based on the outcome of the first test and all other relevant available data.
9.1. Long-term toxicity testing shall be proposed by the registrant if the chemical safety assessment according to Annex I indicates the need to investigate further the effects on aquatic organisms. The choice of the appropriate test(s) depends on the results of the chemical safety assessment.
9.1.5. Long-term toxicity testing on invertebrates (preferred species Daphnia), (unless already provided as part of Annex VII requirements)
9.1.6. Long-term toxicity testing on fish, (unless already provided as part of Annex VIII requirements)
The information shall be provided for one of the Sections 9.1.6.1, 9.1.6.2 or 9.1.6.3.
9.1.6.1. Fish early-life stage (FELS) toxicity test
9.1.6.2. Fish short-term toxicity test on embryo and sac-fry stages
9.1.6.3. Fish, juvenile growth test
9.2. Further biotic degradation testing shall be proposed by the registrant if the chemical safety assessment according to Annex I indicates the need to investigate further the degradation of the substance and its degradation products. The choice of the appropriate test(s) depends on the results of the chemical safety assessment and may include simulation testing in appropriate media (e.g. water, sediment or soil).
9.2.1.2. Simulation testing on ultimate degradation in surface water
9.2.1.2. The study need not be conducted if:
— the substances is highly insoluble in water, or
— the substance is readily biodegradable.
9.2.1.3. Soil simulation testing (for substances with a high potential for adsorption to soil)
9.2.1.3. The study need not be conducted:
— if the substance is readily biodegradable, or
— if direct and indirect exposure of soil is unlikely.
9.2.1.4. Sediment simulation testing (for substances with a high potential for adsorption to sediment)
— if direct and indirect exposure of sediment is unlikely.
9.2.3. Identification of degradation products
9.2.3. Unless the substance is readily biodegradable
9.3.2. Bioaccumulation in aquatic species, preferably fish
9.3.2. The study need not be conducted if:
— the substance has a low potential for bioaccumulation (for instance a log Kow ≤ 3) and/or a low potential to cross biological membranes, or
— direct and indirect exposure of the aquatic compartment is unlikely.
9.3.3. Further information on adsorption/desorption depending on the results of the study required in Annex VIII
— the substance and its degradation products decompose rapidly.
9.4. Effects on terrestrial organisms
9.4. These studies do not need to be conducted if direct and indirect exposure of the soil compartment is unlikely.
In the absence of toxicity data for soil organisms, the equilibrium partitioning method may be applied to assess the hazard to soil organisms. The choice of the appropriate tests depends on the outcome of the chemical safety assessment.
In particular for substances that have a high potential to adsorb to soil or that are very persistent, the registrant shall consider long-term toxicity testing instead of short-term.
9.4.1. Short-term toxicity to invertebrates
9.4.2. Effects on soil micro-organisms
9.4.3. Short-term toxicity to plants
10. METHODS OF DETECTION AND ANALYSIS
Description of the analytical methods shall be provided on request, for the relevant compartments for which studies were performed using the analytical method concerned. If the analytical methods are not available this shall be justified.
STANDARD INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBSTANCES MANUFACTURED OR IMPORTED IN QUANTITIES OF 1 000 TONNES OR MORE ( 56 )
At the level of this Annex, the registrant must submit a proposal and a time schedule for fulfilling the information requirements of this Annex in accordance with Article 12(1)(e).
Column 1 of this Annex establishes the standard information required for all substances manufactured or imported in quantities of 1 000 tonnes or more in accordance with Article 12(1)(e). Accordingly, the information required in column 1 of this Annex is additional to that required in column 1 of Annexes VII, VIII and IX. Any other relevant physicochemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological information that is available shall be provided. Column 2 of this Annex lists specific rules according to which the registrant may propose to omit the required standard information, replace it by other information, provide it at a later stage or adapt it in another way. If the conditions are met under which column 2 of this Annex allows an adaptation to be proposed, the registrant shall clearly state this fact and the reasons for proposing each adaptation under the appropriate headings in the registration dossier.
8.4. If there is a positive result in any of the in vitro genotoxicity studies in Annexes VII or VIII, a second in vivo somatic cell test may be necessary, depending on the quality and relevance of all the available data.
8.6.3. A long-term repeated toxicity study (≥ 12 months) may be proposed by the registrant or required by the Agency in accordance with Articles 40 or 41 if the frequency and duration of human exposure indicates that a longer term study is appropriate and one of the following conditions is met:
— serious or severe toxicity effects of particular concern were observed in the 28-day or 90-day study for which the available evidence is inadequate for toxicological evaluation or risk characterisation, or
— effects shown in substances with a clear relationship in molecular structure with the substance being studied were not detected in the 28-day or 90-day study, or
— the substance may have a dangerous property that cannot be detected in a 90-day study.
8.6.4. Further studies shall be proposed by the registrant or may be required by the Agency in accordance with Articles 40 or 41 in case of:
— indications of an effect for which the available evidence is inadequate for toxicological evaluation and/or risk characterisation. In such cases it may also be more appropriate to perform specific toxicological studies that are designed to investigate these effects (e.g. immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity), or
— particular concern regarding exposure (e.g. use in consumer products leading to exposure levels which are close to the dose levels at which toxicity is observed).
8.7. The studies need not be conducted if:
8.7.2. Developmental toxicity study, one species, most appropriate route of administration, having regard to the likely route of human exposure (OECD 414).
8.7.3. Extended One-Generation Reproductive Toxicity Study (B.56 of the Commission Regulation on test methods as specified in Article 13(3) or OECD 443), basic test design (cohorts 1A and 1B without extension to include a F2 generation), one species, most appropriate route of administration, having regard to the likely route of human exposure, unless already provided as part of Annex IX requirements.
8.9.1. Carcinogenicity study
8.9.1. A carcinogenicity study may be proposed by the registrant or may be required by the Agency in accordance with Articles 40 or 41 if:
— the substance has a widespread dispersive use or there is evidence of frequent or long-term human exposure, and
— the substance is classified as germ cell mutagen category 2 or there is evidence from the repeated dose study(ies) that the substance is able to induce hyperplasia and/or pre-neoplastic lesions.
If the substance is classified as germ cell mutagen category 1A or 1B, the default presumption would be that a genotoxic mechanism for carcinogenicity is likely. In these cases, a carcinogenicity test will normally not be required.
9.2. Further biotic degradation testing shall be proposed if the chemical safety assessment according to Annex I indicates the need to investigate further the degradation of the substance and its degradation products. The choice of the appropriate test(s) depends on the results of the chemical safety assessment and may include simulation testing in appropriate media (e.g. water, sediment or soil).
9.3.4. Further information on the environmental fate and behaviour of the substance and/or degradation products
9.3.4. Further testing shall be proposed by the registrant or may be required by the Agency in accordance with Articles 40 or 41 if the chemical safety assessment according to Annex I indicates the need to investigate further the fate and behaviour of the substance. The choice of the appropriate test(s) depends on the results of the chemical safety assessment.
9.4. Long-term toxicity testing shall be proposed by the registrant if the results of the chemical safety assessment according to Annex I indicates the need to investigate further the effects of the substance and/or degradation products on terrestrial organisms. The choice of the appropriate test(s) depends on the outcome of the chemical safety assessment.
These studies do not need to be conducted if direct and indirect exposure of the soil compartment is unlikely.
9.4.4. Long-term toxicity testing on invertebrates, unless already provided as part of Annex IX requirements.
9.4.6. Long-term toxicity testing on plants, unless already provided as part of Annex IX requirements.
9.5.1. Long-term toxicity to sediment organisms
9.5.1. Long-term toxicity testing shall be proposed by the registrant if the results of the chemical safety assessment indicates the need to investigate further the effects of the substance and/or relevant degradation products on sediment organisms. The choice of the appropriate test(s) depends on the results of the chemical safety assessment.
9.6.1. Long-term or reproductive toxicity to birds
9.6.1. Any need for testing should be carefully considered taking into account the large mammalian dataset that is usually available at this tonnage level.
Annexes VII to X set out the information requirements for all substances manufactured or imported in quantities of:
— one tonne or more in accordance with Article 12(1)(a),
— 10 tonnes or more in accordance with Article 12(1)(c),
— 100 tonnes or more in accordance with Article 12(1)(d), and
— 1 000 tonnes or more in accordance with Article 12(1)(e).
In addition to the specific rules set out in column 2 of Annexes VII to X, a registrant may adapt the standard testing regime in accordance with the general rules set out in Section 1 of this Annex. Under dossier evaluation the Agency may assess these adaptations to the standard testing regime.
1. TESTING DOES NOT APPEAR SCIENTIFICALLY NECESSARY
1.1. Use of existing data
1.1.1. Data on physical-chemical properties from experiments not carried out according to GLP or the test methods referred to in Article 13(3)
Data shall be considered to be equivalent to data generated by the corresponding test methods referred to in Article 13(3) if the following conditions are met:
(1) adequacy for the purpose of classification and labelling and/or risk assessment;
(2) sufficient documentation is provided to assess the adequacy of the study; and
(3) the data are valid for the endpoint being investigated and the study is performed using an acceptable level of quality assurance.
1.1.2. Data on human health and environmental properties from experiments not carried out according to GLP or the test methods referred to in Article 13(3)
(2) adequate and reliable coverage of the key parameters foreseen to be investigated in the corresponding test methods referred to in Article 13(3);
(3) exposure duration comparable to or longer than the corresponding test methods referred to in Article 13(3) if exposure duration is a relevant parameter; and
(4) adequate and reliable documentation of the study is provided.
1.1.3. Historical human data
Historical human data, such as epidemiological studies on exposed populations, accidental or occupational exposure data and clinical studies, shall be considered.
The strength of the data for a specific human health effect depends, among other things, on the type of analysis and on the parameters covered and on the magnitude and specificity of the response and consequently the predictability of the effect. Criteria for assessing the adequacy of the data include:
(1) the proper selection and characterisation of the exposed and control groups;
(2) adequate characterisation of exposure;
(3) sufficient length of follow-up for disease occurrence;
(4) valid method for observing an effect;
(5) proper consideration of bias and confounding factors; and
(6) a reasonable statistical reliability to justify the conclusion.
In all cases adequate and reliable documentation shall be provided.
1.2. Weight of evidence
There may be sufficient weight of evidence from several independent sources of information leading to the assumption/conclusion that a substance has or has not a particular dangerous property, while the information from each single source alone is regarded insufficient to support this notion.
There may be sufficient weight of evidence from the use of newly developed test methods, not yet included in the test methods referred to in Article 13(3) or from an international test method recognised by the Commission or the Agency as being equivalent, leading to the conclusion that a substance has or has not a particular dangerous property.
Where sufficient weight of evidence for the presence or absence of a particular dangerous property is available:
— further testing on vertebrate animals for that property shall be omitted,
— further testing not involving vertebrate animals may be omitted.
1.3. Qualitative or Quantitative structure-activity relationship ((Q)SAR)
Results obtained from valid qualitative or quantitative structure-activity relationship models ((Q)SARs) may indicate the presence or absence of a certain dangerous property. Results of (Q)SARs may be used instead of testing when the following conditions are met:
— results are derived from a (Q)SAR model whose scientific validity has been established,
— the substance falls within the applicability domain of the (Q)SAR model,
— results are adequate for the purpose of classification and labelling and/or risk assessment, and
— adequate and reliable documentation of the applied method is provided.
The Agency in collaboration with the Commission, Member States and interested parties shall develop and provide guidance in assessing which (Q)SARs will meet these conditions and provide examples.
1.4. In vitro methods
Results obtained from suitable in vitro methods may indicate the presence of a certain dangerous property or may be important in relation to a mechanistic understanding, which may be important for the assessment. In this context, ‘suitable’ means sufficiently well developed according to internationally agreed test development criteria (e.g. the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM)) criteria for the entry of a test into the prevalidation process). Depending on the potential risk, immediate confirmation requiring testing beyond the information foreseen in Annexes VII or VIII or proposed confirmation requiring testing beyond the information foreseen in Annexes IX or X for the respective tonnage level may be necessary.
If the results obtained from the use of such in vitro methods do not indicate a certain dangerous property, the relevant test shall nevertheless be carried out at the appropriate tonnage level to confirm the negative result, unless testing is not required in accordance with Annexes VII to X or the other rules in this Annex.
Such confirmation may be waived, if the following conditions are met:
(1) results are derived from an in vitro method whose scientific validity has been established by a validation study, according to internationally agreed validation principles;
(2) results are adequate for the purpose of classification and labelling and/or risk assessment; and
(3) adequate and reliable documentation of the applied method is provided.
1.5. Grouping of substances and read-across approach
Substances whose physicochemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological properties are likely to be similar or follow a regular pattern as a result of structural similarity may be considered as a group, or ‘category’ of substances. Application of the group concept requires that physicochemical properties, human health effects and environmental effects or environmental fate may be predicted from data for reference substance(s) within the group by interpolation to other substances in the group (read-across approach). This avoids the need to test every substance for every endpoint. The Agency, after consulting with relevant stakeholders and other interested parties, shall issue guidance on technically and scientifically justified methodology for the grouping of substances sufficiently in advance of the first registration deadline for phase-in substances.
The similarities may be based on:
(1) a common functional group;
(2) the common precursors and/or the likelihood of common breakdown products via physical and biological processes, which result in structurally similar chemicals; or
(3) a constant pattern in the changing of the potency of the properties across the category.
If the group concept is applied, substances shall be classified and labelled on this basis.
In all cases results should:
— be adequate for the purpose of classification and labelling and/or risk assessment,
— have adequate and reliable coverage of the key parameters addressed in the corresponding test method referred to in Article 13(3),
— cover an exposure duration comparable to or longer than the corresponding test method referred to in Article 13(3) if exposure duration is a relevant parameter, and
— adequate and reliable documentation of the applied method shall be provided.
2. TESTING IS TECHNICALLY NOT POSSIBLE
Testing for a specific endpoint may be omitted, if it is technically not possible to conduct the study as a consequence of the properties of the substance: e.g. very volatile, highly reactive or unstable substances cannot be used, mixing of the substance with water may cause danger of fire or explosion or the radio-labelling of the substance required in certain studies may not be possible. The guidance given in the test methods referred to in Article 13(3), more specifically on the technical limitations of a specific method, shall always be respected.
3. SUBSTANCE-TAILORED EXPOSURE-DRIVEN TESTING
Testing in accordance with Sections 8.6 and 8.7 of Annex VIII and in accordance with Annex IX and Annex X may be omitted, based on the exposure scenario(s) developed in the Chemical Safety Report.
In all cases, adequate justification and documentation shall be provided. The justification shall be based on a thorough and rigorous exposure assessment in accordance with section 5 of Annex I and shall meet any one of the following criteria:
(a) the manufacturer or importer demonstrates and documents that all of the following conditions are fulfilled:
(i) the results of the exposure assessment covering all relevant exposures throughout the life cycle of the substance demonstrate the absence of or no significant exposure in all scenarios of the manufacture and all identified uses as referred to in Annex VI section 3.5;
(ii) a DNEL or a PNEC can be derived from results of available test data for the substance concerned taking full account of the increased uncertainty resulting from the omission of the information requirement, and that DNEL or PNEC is relevant and appropriate both to the information requirement to be omitted and for risk assessment purposes ( 58 );
(iii) the comparison of the derived DNEL or PNEC with the results of the exposure assessment shows that exposures are always well below the derived DNEL or PNEC;
(b) where the substance is not incorporated in an article the manufacturer or importer demonstrates and documents for all relevant scenarios that throughout the life cycle strictly controlled conditions as set out in Article 18(4)(a) to (f) apply;
(c) where the substance is incorporated in an article in which it is permanently embedded in a matrix or otherwise rigorously contained by technical means, it is demonstrated and documented that all of the following conditions are fulfilled:
(i) the substance is not released during its life cycle;
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Evaluating host resistance to the White Pine weevil (Pissodes strobi) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) using feeding preference tests
Plank, G.H.; Gerhold, H.D.
Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer, 58: 4, 527-32
Results of experiments in which Pissodes strobi were caged on cut leading shoots of four Pines showed that: weevils could distinguish and express feeding preferences between Pinus strobus (preferred), P. banksiana and P. resinosa, the patterns resembling those observed in the field; there was no difference in amount of feeding on P. strobus and P. monticola, or between two classes based on degree of past weevil damage, in spite of a large difference in field susceptibility; and in none of the Pines was the amount of feeding correlated with any of the morphological features measured at 10 in. from the base of the terminal bud.
Evaluating host resistance to the white-pine weevil Pissodes strobi, using feeding preference tests. 1965
Pine oil, a feeding deterrent for the white pine weevil, Pissodes strobi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Canadian Entomologist, 1161: 41-44, 1984
Preliminary studies on resistance in Eastern White Pine to the White-Pine weevil, Pissodes strobi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in New York. Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer, 59: 5, 1011-2, 1966
Geographic variation in resistance to White Pine weevil (Pissodes strobi) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) by Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus). Canadian Entomologist 105(2): 347-350, 1973
Cortical resin monoterpenes in Sitka spruce and resistance to the white pine weevil, Pissodes strobi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Canadian Journal of Forest Research 13(2): 350-352, 1983
The chemical ecology and reproductive isolation of the white pine weevil, Pissodes strobi (Peck) and the northern pine weevil, P. approximatus Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Dissertation Abstracts International B Sciences and Engineering, 3910: 4724, 1979
Feeding responses of the white pine weevil, Pissodes strobi , in relation to host resistance in British Columbia. Canadian Entomologist 128(4): 539-549, 1996
Foliar and cortical monoterpenes in sitka spruce potential indicators of resistance to the white pine weevil pissodes strobi peck coleoptera curculionidae. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 17(7): 740-745, 1987
Pissodes strobi (Peck), white pine weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). 2001
Ovariole development in the White Pine weevil, Pissodes strobi (Coleoptera, Curculionidae). Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer, 60: 6, 1146-50, 1967
Ovariole Development in the White-Pine Weevil, Pissodes strobi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)1. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 60(6): 1146-1150, 1967
Genetic divergence among populations of the white pine weevil, Pissodes strobi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 786: 744-750, 1985
White pine weevil, Pissodes strobi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), attack on various conifers in New York. Canadian Entomologist, 11512: 1637-1641, 1983
White pine weevil pissodes strobi coleoptera curculionidae attack on various conifers in new york usa. Canadian Entomologist 115(12): 1637-1640, 1983
Evaluating host resistance to the White-Pine weevil using feeding preference tests. Res. Briefs Sch. For. Resour. Pa. St. Univ. 1967. 1966. 1: 4, 77-80, 1966
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Program Fellowship Director
University of Texas Health San Antonio
Craig Sisson, MD, RDMS, FACEP
EM Residency:
Years in Position:
Prior National Positions:
Dr. Sisson graduated from his 4-year Emergency Medicine residency in 2007, and completed his Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship in 2008. From 2008 to 2011 he was the Director of Ultrasound for the East Carolina University Department of Emergency Medicine. In 2011 he moved to Texas, and took his current position at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio where he is an Associate Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine and the Director of the Division of Ultrasound. Dr. Sisson is also the Co-Director of the Longitudinal Medical Student Ultrasound Curriculum for the UT School of Medicine in San Antonio. He helped design and build the UT School of Medicine Center for Clinical Ultrasound Education, a state-of-the-art ultrasound education center. Dr. Sisson is also an Adjunct Associate Professor within the Department of Cellular and Structural Biology (Anatomy). Dr. Sisson and his Associate Director, Dr. Christopher Gelabert, are actively involved in the ultrasound education of medical students, residents, nurses, advanced practice providers and faculty. The primary focus of Dr. Sisson's Ultrasound Division is innovative ultrasound educational program development. Dr. Sisson has been the PI on two grants, has six active IRB approved research projects, and is currently seeking further funding streams to support educational projects.
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How 5 players got to the NBA Draft
Written By Michelle Malia
AthletesSports
These workouts, mindsets, and habits were crucial to their success.
Nineteen years, hundreds of games, and innumerable hours. The top basketball players in the country dedicate their lives to the sport with the hopes of making it to the NBA Draft, which only marks the beginning of their professional careers.
Ahead of the 2019 results, Furthermore spoke with five draftees about their earliest basketball memories, their favorite workouts, and more. Here are their stories.
Brandon Clarke, 22, Gonzaga University
“When I’m playing basketball, I’m having the most fun in my life,” says Clarke, who is a forward. He got into the sport as a toddler, using a tiny hoop at home in Phoenix, Arizona. A year or two later, he joined his first team, coached by his dad. “Basketball has done so much for me, and I’m just really grateful that I can keep playing.”
3: the age at which he picked up the sport
His emotions: the biggest challenge he faces on the court. “Turning them off is a talent. If I’m too emotional, it can be bad for me and my teammates.”
The jump shot: the one thing he’s trying to master. “It takes a lot of reps. I’m not a bad shooter, but it’s been really fun getting better and better at it.”
The most important skill to have on the court: “Basketball IQ. It’s a hard thing to work on, but as you play, you learn more about the game.”
Bennie Boatwright, University of Southern California
“I’d spend countless hours shooting and playing basketball with my dad,” the 22-year-old forward says of his childhood. He’s racked up a lot of memories since then, but the one he favors the most happened more recently when he made the final basket against Arizona State University. “Hitting the game-winning shot was a good feeling.”
Dumbbell bicep curls: his favorite strength exercise
His pre-game ritual: jumping rope, currently to Future’s latest album, The WIZRD
Ty Jerome, 21, University of Virginia
“I’ve pretty much had a basketball in my hand since the day I was born,” says Jerome, a point guard from New York City. His parents both played in college and his dad went on to be a coach. “I want to be great, so basketball drives everything I do on and off the court,” he says. “It’s all I think about during the day and it gives me an escape from the world.”
Constant communication: his key to staying connected with his teammates. “You don’t want to overdo it and you want to be authentic, but it’s important to give positive encouragement. I build relationships with them off the court too because then when you hold them accountable, they know you have their best interests at heart.”
Resistance bands: his favorite strength-building tool. “I like to mix up the exercises I do so my mind and body don’t get too comfortable.”
5 minutes: the amount of time he spends meditating before every game. “I lie on my back, put my legs up, close my eyes, and relax.”
Wendell Carter Jr., 20, Duke University
“Both of my parents played basketball, so I was born into it,” says the center, who was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft. “I used to play in a church league when I was five or six, and I remember my mom and dad in the stands telling me, ‘Attack the rim, attack the rim!’ So every time I got the ball, I would just go full speed and try to score a bucket.”
How he maintains composure on the court: “During timeouts, I close my eyes to clear my mind. In the NBA, everybody’s talented. Everybody can jump high. Everybody’s strong. You have to find other ways to beat them out, and you can do a lot with your mental game.”
What’s on his mind while he plays: “My great grandma. She passed away, but she was there for me at every game when she could be.”
The post fadeaway: the one skill he’s still trying to master, which is when you backpedal (or “fade away” to the sidelines) immediately after a jump shot
300: number of pounds he can front squat, which is his favorite lift
What basketball means to him: “It’s an outlet for me. It allows me to get away from the real world and do something I love. The NBA gives me this platform where I’m able to reach other people who are trying to make it, to be a professional. That’s something I definitely cherish.”
Kyran Bowman, 21, Boston College
Bowman wasn’t into basketball from the get-go. “It took about a year,” he says. Even once he started to love it, the point guard didn’t always plan on playing the sport professionally; he was originally a football recruit for the University of North Carolina. “It’s been a journey,” he says. “The things I’ve been through in my life have made me a stronger person on the court and away from it.”
8: his age when he first started playing basketball
Juggling off the wall: the activity that helped him develop hand-eye coordination. It’s like regular juggling, but you bounce the balls off the wall instead of tossing them straight into the air.
The core: the muscle group he likes to train the most. Try one of his favorite exercises: Lie on a bench with your lower back unsupported and legs straight up, perpendicular to the floor. Find a partner to push your legs forward and use your core to resist their power. “It burns you out.”
How athletes train: Cody Bellinger
How athletes train: Nicolás Jarry
How athletes train: Moon Ursin
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Biden 2020: C’mon Man!
Nothing beats a good "C'mon, man" from Biden
David Rutz - July 10, 2019 1:05 PM
Joe Biden has plenty of go-to phrases on the campaign trail: "Folks!" "The fact of the matter is," and "Not a joke" are all favorites of the former vice president.
But nothing beats a good "C'mon, man" from Biden, the Scranton boy made good, who drops the classic, exasperated cry of the everyman whenever he gets a chance.
As the Washington Post reported, Biden drops the term when he's expressing disbelief:
"China is going to eat our lunch? C'mon, man," he told voters earlier this year in Iowa.
When he's serenely confident, like when he assumed all Bernie Sanders supporters would vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016:
"They're all going to end up voting for Hillary. C'mon man," he said.
When he's disdainful, like when he talked about raising taxes $1 trillion on the wealthiest Americans in 2012.
"My heart breaks. C'mon, man," he said.
When he's defending his debate performance, like when CNN's Chris Cuomo wondered why he didn't stand up for himself more vigorously against Sen. Kamala Harris's (D., Calif.) attacks:
"In 30 seconds? C'mon, man," Biden said.
Biden is still the frontrunner for the 2020 Democratic nomination, but he has Harris, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) nipping at his heels.
We know how he'd respond if asked whether he was worried about the polls.
This entry was posted in Politics and tagged 2020 Election, Joe Biden. Bookmark the permalink.
David Rutz is managing editor of the Washington Free Beacon. He was previously a sports reporter for two years in Atlanta and has done freelance sports reporting for the Washington Post. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2010 and lives in Roswell, Ga. His Twitter handle is @DavidRutz.
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Heat might really be getting to your brain
Posted 8:45 AM, July 13, 2018, by CNN Wire
Robert Gidney wipes away sweat while working in Palisades Interstate Park in Ft. Lee, N.J., Monday, July 2, 2018.
We might be able to blame the heat for our bad decisions: A small study published this week found that college students who lived in dorms without air conditioning during a heat wave did worse on cognitive assessments than students who had air conditioning.
“To us, this is a way of saying yes, some of the effects are common sense, but what do you do about them?” said Jose Guillermo Cedeño Laurent, associate director of the Healthy Buildings Program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and lead author of the study, which was published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Medicine. “And this is giving more precision to the opportunity of better controlling thermal environments in our buildings.”
The researchers followed 44 university students in Boston between the ages of 18 to 29 for 12 days in the summer of 2016. The first five days were a seasonable average of 68.7 degrees Fahrenheit. The next five days saw a heat wave, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration considers a period of abnormally higher air temperature and humidity, and had an average of 92.1 degrees. The last two days were a “cool-down” period with an average of 82.6 degrees.
The students took tests right after waking in the morning that required them to identify colors on displayed words to appraise selective attention and processing speed and to complete basic arithmetic to evaluate cognitive speed and working memory.
During the heat wave, students without air conditioning had 13.4% longer reaction times and scored 13.3% lower on the tests than students in air-conditioned rooms, the study found.
Twenty-four of the students lived in six-story buildings built in the 1990s and had air conditioning. The other 20 students lived in low-rises built between 1930 and 1950 that were naturally ventilated.
“What this study adds to that conversation is that we start to see these subclinical effects. We see these impacts on cognitive performance, so it’s not just the young and the elderly, the stuff that makes the front page of the news,” said Joe Allen, an assistant professor and director of the Healthy Buildings Program and one of the study’s authors. “It’s the millions of people during these heat waves who are impacted maybe in ways that aren’t so obvious to them. Or obvious to all of us, even.”
The largest difference in cognitive function occurred during the “cool down” period after outdoor temperatures decreased but indoor temperatures stayed high in dorms without air conditioning, according to the report.
Researchers have previously suggested that higher temperatures may result in more aggression in populations, though critics argue that attributing a form of behavior to one factor is overly simplistic.
The new findings make sense, but it may be difficult to generalize them to the population at large, said Dr. David Kaiser of Montreal’s Regional Public Health Department, who was involved in coordinating the response to last week’s heat wave that resulted in 70 deaths there. He was not associated with the new study.
“At a population level, we need to focus on modifying the environment so it’s less hot,” Kaiser said. “In a city, it means reducing pavement concrete and those materials that absorb heat, green or white roofs, changing the way buildings are constructed so they don’t retain heat as much. Those are really what we call environmental interventions. From a population perspective, they are what is going to allow us to protect everyone, regardless of income and vulnerability.”
Topics: cognitive, heat, study, studying
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Warming oceans are killing dolphins, causing fewer dolphin births, study finds
Up to 25 cups of coffee a day still safe for heart health, study says
PPL: The best ways to save money on electric during the heat wave
Turn up office thermostats to improve women’s productivity, study suggests
News Technology
Addicted to the internet? Behavioral therapy could work, researchers find
Cutting about 300 calories a day might benefit your heart, study finds
Hot, steamy and stormy week ahead!
Beat the heat with these cool tips
If you drink bottled water, you could double how many microplastic particles you ingest, study says
Increasing social media use tied to rise in teens’ depressive symptoms, study says
A couple storms possible tonight then mainly dry and hot the rest of the week!
Just 4,400 steps a day tied to women living longer, study says
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Dr. Jeffrey Fleisher
Jeffrey Fleisher is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Rice University, Houston, Texas. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Anthropology from the University of Virginia. He taught at Lehigh University before joining the faculty at Rice University in 2007. In 2014, Professor Fleisher was awarded the Charles Duncan Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement at Rice University. Professor Fleisher’s research focuses on the ancient Swahili of the eastern African coast; his field research, based primarily in Tanzania, has involved archaeological surveys and excavations in ancient Swahili cities and villages. He has published widely on this research, in journals and books, and his recent project was highlighted in a 2014 article in *Archaeology Magazine*. Professor Fleisher’s current research is focused on the site of Songo Mnara in southern Tanzania, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where he is examining the variable ways that the Swahili used public space.
America Through Foreign Eyes
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You are here: Home Page > Science & Mathematics > Physics > Quantum Physics > The Physics of Quantum Mechanics
416 Pages | 75 b/w illustrations
The Physics of Quantum Mechanics
James Binney and David Skinner
Solutions manual available on request from the OUP website
Clear, rigorous introduction to one of the central theories of physics
Emergence of classical world from quantum world
Modern topics such as entanglement, quantum computing
Demonstration that QM follows naturally from use of probability amplitudes
Request the Solutions Manual
The Physics of Quantum Mechanics aims to give students a good understanding of how quantum mechanics describes the material world. It shows that the theory follows naturally from the use of probability amplitudes to derive probabilities. It stresses that stationary states are unphysical mathematical abstractions that enable us to solve the theory's governing equation, the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. Every opportunity is taken to illustrate the emergence of the familiar classical, dynamical world through the quantum interference of stationary states. The text stresses the continuity between the quantum world and the classical world, which is merely an approximation to the quantum world.
The connections between observables, operators and transformations are clearly explained and the standard commutation rules derived from the properties of spacetime. A chapter is devoted to entanglement, quantum computation, density operators and their role in thermodynamics, and the measurement problem. Scattering phenomena, including the origin of radioactivity, are handled early on in the accessible context of one dimension, and at the end of the book with some rigour in three dimensions. Hydrogen and helium are discussed in some detail and it is shown that quantum mechanics enables us to understand the structure of the periodic table without engaging with the complexities of many-electron atoms.
Dirac notation is used from the outset and students are trained to move easily from one representation to another, choosing whichever representation is best suited to a particular problem. The mathematical prerequisites are no more than simple vector algebra, Taylor series expansion and the use of integrating factors to solve linear first order differential equations. Rigorous algebraic methods are preferred to the solution of partial differential equations.
To request a copy of the Solutions Manual, visit: http://global.oup.com/uk/academic/physics/admin/solutions
2. Operators, measurement and time evolution
3. Oscillators
4. Transformations & Observables
5. Motion in step potentials
6. Composite systems
7. Angular Momentum
8. Hydrogen
9. Motion in a magnetic field
10. Perturbation theory
11. Helium and the periodic table
12. Adiabatic principle
13. Scattering Theory
James Binney, Head of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford,David Skinner, Lecturer in Mathematics, University of Cambridge
James Binney has degrees from the universities of Cambridge and Oxford and has studied in the Albert Ludwigs
Universitaet, Freiburg i. Breisgau. After three postdoctoral years in Princeton he joined the Physics faculty at
Oxford and has there taught courses ranging from first-year mathematical methods, through statistical physics,
quantum mechanics, general relativity, group theory and differential geometry and physics. He researches the
structure, formation and dynamics of galaxies. For this work he has received the Maxwell Medal and the Dirac
Medal from the Institute of Physics, the Dirk Brouwer Award from the American Astronomical Society and the
Eddington Medal from the Royal Astronomical Society. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2000. He is
joint author of Galactic Dynamics (Princeton UP 1987, 2008), Galactic Astronomy (Princeton UP 1998) and The
Theory of Critical Phenomena (Oxford UP 1992).
David Skinner obtained his PhD from Oxford Physics and took postdoctoral positions in Oxford Maths, Perimeter
and IAS before joining DAMTP, Cambridge. He is interested in quantum field theory, string theory and twistor
theory.
"The extensive discussion of the physics behind the mathematical manipulations of the theory, coupled with the smooth, colloquial writing style and delightful historical footnotes makes this book somewhat unique in the field. It devotes large sections to the more modern topics of quantum computing and quantum measurement theory, which are active areas of current research. In addition, there is a copious selection of problems, at all levels of difficulty, which should prove extremely useful to anyone teaching the course." -- Harold S. Zapolsky, Rutgers University
"Binney and Skinner's introductory book on quantum mechanics approaches the subject in a unique way, starting from the matrix representation of quantum physics rather than using the more traditional representation using differential equations. They show many problems that can be tackled using both representations and put them in such a text side-by-side. The text is very well written for the target audience of second or third year University students in Physics, Chemistry, or certain Engineering specialties and I would highly recommend it for anyone who might be considering teaching or tutoring such a course." -- Brian Todd Huffman, University of Oxford
"This book is a deep, well-explained and beautiful text on the foundations and applications of quantum mechanics. It is eminently suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduates who wish to study the subject. Some precious jewels can be found within after building up the Direc representation of quantum mechanics: scattering theory and condensed matter applications, for example." -- Ben Allanach, Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge
The Periodic Table: A Very Short Introduction
Eric R. Scerri
Decoding Reality
Vlatko Vedral
Quantum Theory: A Very Short Introduction
John Polkinghorne
Molecular Quantum Mechanics
Peter W. Atkins and Ronald S. Friedman
The Quantum Story
Jim Baggott
The Beautiful Invisible
Giovanni Vignale
Michael G. Raymer
The Arguments of Time
Jeremy Butterfield
Conductor Insulator Quantum Phase Transitions
Vladimir Dobrosavljevic, Nandini Trivedi, and James M. Valles, Jr.
Gravity: A Very Short Introduction
Physics: A Very Short Introduction
Sidney Perkowitz
S. G. Rajeev
Models of Quantum Matter
Hans-Peter Eckle
Science & Mathematics > Physics > Quantum Physics
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Acting , Awards , grammy
Home › Entertainment
The 15 Dopest Musicians Turned Actors Of All Time
kiyonnathewriter , Associate Editor
It’s not uncommon to see music artists putting down the mic in exchange for scripts and acting credits. Out of all the musicians who followed that Hollywood blueprint, only a select few have managed to excel in both industries.
Check out our list of musicians who went from melody masters to elite actors.
1. Will Smith
Source:Getty
Will Smith set the blueprint for musicians trying their hand at acting. Billions of dollars in box office sales later, Big Willy is still the blockbuster king. He also has the bragging rights of being the first rapper to win a Grammy.
2. LL Cool J
Ladies weren’t the only ones that loved LL Cool J. James Todd Smith is still known as one of the forefathers of hip hop music. But in the early 2000’s, he gave up his microphone for TV and film scripts, reinventing his legacy for generations to come. Today’s kids may know him as “that guy that hosts Lip Sync Battle.
3. Ice Cube
Ice Cube took his film dreams to another level after he split with N.W.A back in 1989. The South Central icon started out with roles in films like “Boyz In The Hood,” but found himself wanting to be more behind the camera than in front. Cube made his directorial debut in 1998 with “The Players Club” and hasn’t looked back since producing iconic films like Friday, Ride Along and Straight Outta Compton to name a few.
4. Tupac Shakur
Tupac was one of music’s most profitable artists with number one albums like All Eyez On Me. Pac made his acting debut in Juice and went on to star in films like Poetic Justice, alongside Janet Jackson, and Above the Rim. Tupac’s was on the brink of Hollywood stardom before his untimely passing in 1996, but he will forever be remembered as a legend.
5. Diana Ross
Diana Ross earned her title as a queen in both the music and film industries. Her role as Billie Holiday in 1972’s “Lady Sings the Blues” took Ms. Ross’s career to another stratosphere. Playing the first Black Dorothy in “The Wiz” was also no small feat.
T.I. had already established himself as the King of the South by the time he caught the acting bug. After his 2006 debut in the film “ATL”, Tip has been making waves on the big screen ever since starring in films like Takers, Ant-Man and Sleepless, along with a hit Reality TV series called T.I and Tiny: The Family Hustle.
7. Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah can literally do it all. It didn’t take long for her to show off her acting skills after taking over the hip hop scene in 1988. She had a small role in Spike Lee’s 1991 classic, “Jungle Fever,” and has starred in (and produced) several classic films since then with her team Flava Unit. She was nominated for an Oscar in 2003 for her role in Chicago, and won two Emmys for playing Bessie Smith in the film.
8. Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake’s transition from Mouseketeer to NSYNC frontman to chart-topping solo artist who has worked with the likes of Timbaland and Jay Z to, finally, actor was an interesting one to watch. Not only did he manage to shine on the stage as a musical artist, he took that same charisma to his acting career and blew fans away in films like The Social Network and Friends With Benefits, JT is the real definition o
9. Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz takes his acting so serious that you never really notice it’s him in a film until you see the credits. Remember when Precious had everyone asking, “Is that Lenny Kravitz?” Other roles he has “disappeared” in to include The Hunger Games and Lee Daniels’ The Butler.
10. Ludacris
Luda knows just the right roles to take on to establish himself as a serious actor. From the 2005 Oscar nominated film Crash to his performance in Hustle & Flow and, of course, his longstanding role in the mega-blockbuster franchise The Fast & the Furious, Chris Bridges is known for winning over his critics and the box office.
11. 50 Cent
50 has been known for his charismatic persona since the moment he exploded onto the hip hop scene in 2003 with his debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin, and over the past 20 years has successfully translated those skills into an acting career. As his passion for acting developed, he even proved his dedication by having many of his tattoos removed and using his given name, Curtis Jackson, on the screen.
12. Ice-T
Ice was one of the first emcees to try his hand at acting. After over 30 years in the game, the West Coast legend is known more for his role as “Fin” on Law & Order: SVU than his gangsta rap life. Ice-T even won an NAACP Award in 1996 for his work on “New York Undercover”.
13. Method Man
Method Man went from hip hop legend to sought after Hollywood actor. After the success of Belly in 1998, the M.E.T.H.O.D. man hasn’t slowed down yet. We’re seen him on the acclaimed series like The Wire, The Breaks and Rebel, as well as in movies like Keanu. Word to Wu Tang.
14. Yasiin Bey
The artist formerly known as Mos Def most definitely has the talent to be successful at whatever he chooses to do in life. Luckily for us, he chose to share his wisdom through hip hop and his genius through acting. Who can forget his epic portrayal of Chuck Berry in “Cadillac Records”?
15. Common
A storyteller from the moment he picked up the mic as a pioneering rapper on Chicago’s hip hop scene, Common is now as well-known as an actor as he is a musical artist. His resume includes blockbusters like John Wick 2, American Gangster and Wanted, as well as independent films, live productions such as The Wiz Live! on NBC and television shows like Girlfriends and Hell on Wheels. Nothing common about this rap-tor.
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Microbusiness Britain
Lead Research Organisation: University of Warwick
Department Name: Warwick Business School
The "Micro-business Britain" project will be led by Professor Stephen Roper (ERC) and Professor Mark Hart (ERC) and managed by Katherine Hathaway. Katherine is an experience project manager and was until March 2016 a Deputy Director of ERC. Prior to working with ERC, Katherine was a Deputy Director in the Enterprise Directorate in BEIS.
Central to the project will be a large-scale survey of micro-firms (covering c. 8-10k firms) which will provide place-based data to identify specific challenges these micro-businesses face in terms of growth and raising productivity. This size of sample is necessary to ensure robust comparisons between the home nations and inform both place-based policy and national initiatives around ambition, skills, innovation, internationalisation and scale-up. It would create a baseline against which future policy actions could be measured and, through data-linking, allow place-based policy impacts to be monitored and compared. Small (c. 1.5-2k) companion surveys in the US and Ireland will provide benchmark information on ambition and growth intentions (US) and supply chains and internationalisation (Ireland). The databases created will be deposited in anonymised form in the ESRC Data Archive and will, therefore, be available for use by both the research and policy communities.
The focus of the project will be micro-employers (i.e. firms with 1-9 employees) which have been in business for more than three years. This will exclude the self-employed (with no employees) and also exclude start-ups with little trading history and which are liable to particularly high failure rates. Commercially available sampling frames will be used in each country permitting structured, random sampling. Telephone interviews will be conducted with a member of the leadership team of each firm. This approach has been used extensively by the team in previous studies and provides high quality information within a tight timeframe.
Questionnaire design is crucial to the value of this project and we will engage with BEIS colleagues and other interested parties to identify topics and metrics to include in the survey. In addition to detailed information on the enterprise and its leadership team, key areas of focus (reflecting the main concerns of the Industrial Strategy) will be:
Ambition - the strategic objectives of the firm in terms of growth, profitability, productivity etc.
Resilience - attitudes and strategies for dealing with future uncertainty
Market profile (buy side and sell side) - internationalisation, position in supply chains, public sector customers (procurement)
Performance - growth, profitability, productivity (value added per employee)
Innovation and diffusion - innovation activity (product/service, process), IP, links to science base, barriers
Training and skills - workforce, management and leadership skills
Finance - external finance - debt, equity, alternative finance; investment profile.
E-business and digital adoption - digital profile of business, ITC access and use
Eco-system factors - competition, infrastructure, business networks and policy supports (LEPs, Growth Hubs), other sources of advice
There will be two deliverables from the project by end-March 2018:
Survey databases (3) which are usable by other academics and policy analysts at local and national level;
A draft headline report (c. 20-30 pages) "Micro-business Britain" providing an overview of key insights from the UK and international benchmark survey datasets. Publication is likely to be April 2018 given standard ERC publication protocols.
Further statistical and econometric analysis will continue as part of the ERC Phase 3 research programme using the "Micro-business Britain" data and data-matching.
The key beneficiaries of this project will be policy makers with an interest in the development and success of smaller firms at both local and national level. At national level this relates primarily to teams in BEIS which at the moment have very limited information on micro-businesses and particularly in areas such as the take-up of digital technologies, the barriers to such diffusion, and any information on management practices in micro-firms. These are key determinants of the productivity gap and due to the coverage of previous surveys we have little idea how these work in micro-businesses. Other aspects of the survey address other gaps in our understanding. How for example do levels of ambition in UK micro-businesses compare to those in the US where firms are generally thought to be more growth oriented? The US comparison survey will provide a robust benchmark. How well are UK small firms integrated into international or local supply chains? The Irish survey will provide some useful benchmarks here. The survey will also cover entrepreneurial and business resilience, both key issues as the UK continues in a period of significant macro-economic uncertainty.
The survey will help to complete the picture of our understanding of innovation across the population of UK firms. Innovative activity is well understood for larger firms due to the UK Innovation Survey but this only covers firms with 10 or more employees with much more limited information available for smaller firms.
The project will therefore address significant knowledge gaps in the UK and provide a robust basis for policy making in relation to digital diffusion, management and leadership practices and innovation in micro-firms. Each of these is a key theme in the development of the Industrial Strategy and on-going attempts to address the productivity gap between the UK and its international competitors. This will be important at both national and local level.
Nov 17 - Mar 18
ES/R011842/1
Stephen Roper
Management & Business Studies
University of Warwick, United Kingdom (Lead Research Organisation)
Stephen Roper (Principal Investigator) http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9702-8696
Mark Hart (Co-Investigator)
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Alta Mesa Provides Sale of Eagle Ford Shale Asset
Source: www.gulfoilandgas.com 12/12/2014, Location: North America
Alta Mesa Holdings has entered into an agreement to sell certain oil and gas producing properties in the Eagle Ford Shale area to ReOil Eagle I, LLC for a total potential price of $210 million, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. Alta Mesa will initially be paid $175 million, with an additional $25 million to be paid contingent upon the drilling of ten upper Eagle Ford Shale wells, and $10 million if the Calendar Year 2016 NYMEX strip closes above $80 per barrel for two consecutive months in 2015. The transaction has an effective date of September 1, 2014. At year end 2013, the reserves associated with these properties (adjusted for the March 25, 2014 partial divestiture to Memorial Production Operating LLC) were 7.3 million barrels of oil equivalent, with 9% of the volumes classified as proved developed, with $218 million dollars of value on the SEC price deck. The properties are non-operated, are primarily located in Karnes County and consist of all of the remaining interests that Alta Mesa has in this area. The effect of this transaction on the company's borrowing base is yet to be determined. The closing is expected in mid-January and subject to normal and customary closing conditions including approval of the transaction by Alta Mesa's Board of Directors.
"We are pleased to be working with ReOil on this transaction and look forward to continuing our relationship with them," stated Hal Chappelle, Alta Mesa Holdings President and CEO. "This strategic divestiture sharpens our operational focus."
Oil Shale News in United States >>
Related Categories: Coalbed Methane General Heavy Oil Methane Clathrate Oil Sands Oil Shale Shale Gas Tight Gas Tight Oil
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SIMMONS EDECO Awarded a Drilling Services Contract in Mexico
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Oil & Gas Companies in United States >>
Alta Mesa Sales its Eagle Ford Shale Assets
Alta Mesa Announces Termination of Eagle Ford PSA
Alta Mesa Announces Sale of Alta Mesa Eagle, LLC
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The Great Conservative Sell-Out
By Ben Shapiro (Archive) · Thursday, January 5, 2012
http://patriotpost.us/opinion/ben-shapiro/2012/01/05/the-great-conservative-sell-out/
abridged version
Why do so many conservatives say that Romney represents true conservatism?
Because it’s convenient.
Whenever there is an open Republican race, many professional conservatives fear alienating the candidates. Instead of holding their feet to the fire, they find the person most likely to win and back him. If that person happens not to be particularly conservative, the pundits rewrite conservatism to fit the candidate. This preserves their access and their credibility with their audience. As professional prognosticators, it certainly looks better to have endorsed George W. Bush in 2000 than Steve Forbes. If pundits can convince us that not only did they support George W. Bush but also that George W. Bush’s “compassionate conservatism” was actually conservative rather than warmed over big government liberalism, they can eat their cake and have it, too.
This is deeply problematic, of course, since the professional pundit class is supposed to stand for something other than convenience. Yes, defeating horrible politicians like Barack Obama is the top goal — but that doesn’t justify redefining conservatism entirely. Support Mitt Romney if you must — but don’t urinate on our leg and tell us that it’s raining. Mitt Romney is not a conservative. If you want to support him, go right ahead. But don’t lie about your rationale. It undermines the conservative standard.
Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., long ago pointed out that folks who cannot live by certain standards tend to undermine those standards. When the standards are lowered, the behavior that such standards were originally intended to stop increases dramatically. In the case of unwed motherhood, for example, when society ceases to consider such behavior morally wrong, the behavior increases exponentially.
The same holds true in politics. When we deliberately broaden conservatism to encompass government-forced purchase of health insurance or raising taxes or appointing liberal judges or enforcing same-sex marriage or using taxpayer money to bail out business or pushing trade barriers, we destroy conservatism from within. If we do that, why would our politicians even bother to pay lip service to the standard?
They wouldn’t. And we’d end up with ever more liberal nominees. Which is precisely what has happened since the halcyon days of Reagan.
Standards matter. If you want to support Mitt Romney, that’s your prerogative. But don’t sell out conservative principles in the process.
COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The past history of Republican politics has indicated that there has been a century long osmotic absorption of Progressivism principles into the mind-set of elite Republicans who are anything but fiscal conservatives. They feel that if they are conservative in national security and social issues, then fiscal conservatism and constitutional fidelity can be discarded in favor of “compassion”. But they ignorantly ignore the fact that no one, and no nation can escaped the consequences of fiscal irresponsibility. In the last ten years, irresponsible has become our middle name and that is because of the sell-outs in the Republican party, from the very top and down. If the bums aren’t thrown out, we, our government and its debt, will, like a snowball rolling down hill, become totally out of control within one or two presidential cycles. Sound the sirens if you can but they aren’t allowed in polite company and must remain in the cellar. When the media is ignorant, it’s unlikely that the people (who to a large extent aren’t even paying attention) will be awakened to the danger they are in. AN
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Posts tagged ‘Don’t Stop( Color on the walls)’
I’ve been listening to The Dangerous Summer’s album War Paint for some time. But it’s been increasing. With the weather brightening, it’s perfect music for it. The first, and title, track, “War Paint” is a great way to immerse yourself into the cd. All the way through the last chorus of “Waves”, it’s passionate rock, and great driving music. Favorite songs are: War Paint, No One’s Gonna Need You More, and Miscommunication.
I just started listening to “Of Monsters and Men” debut album “My Head Is An Animal”, but I can already tell that this six piece indie folk/pop band from Iceland is going to be on my regular rotation.
With Easter being yesterday, I choose a song that reflect that a little. The Beautiful Things album by Gungor is one of my favorites, especially the song in which the album is named for.
Album on repeat, Torches by Foster the People. The whole album is amazing, but my favorite song is “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)“. I love listening to it while I work out, just keeps me going.
Music Monday, Uncategorized
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The ICJ’s ruling on Kosovo sets a precedent that is dangerous only for tyrants and ethnic cleansers
The bile of the new champions of colonialism was flowing freely last week after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Kosovo’s declaration of independence did not violate international law. The New York Times‘s Dan Bilefsky referred opaquely to ‘legal experts’ and ‘analysts’ who warned that the ruling could be ‘seized upon by secessionist movements as a pretext to declare independence in territories as diverse as Northern Cyprus, Somaliland, Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Transnistria and the Basque region.’ The ‘legal experts’ and ‘analysts’ in question remain conveniently unnamed, though they are clearly not very ‘expert’, since if they were, they would presumably have known that most of those territories have already declared independence. The Guardian‘s Simon Tisdall claimed that the ICJ’s ruling would be welcomed by ‘separatists, secessionists and splittists from Taiwan, Xinjiang and Somaliland to Sri Lanka, Georgia and the West Country’, leading one to wonder what the difference is between a ‘separatist’, a ‘secessionist’ and a ‘splittist’.
Let’s get this straight. No democratic state has anything to fear from ‘separatism’, and anyone who does fear ‘separatism’ is no democrat. I am English and British, and I do not particularly want the United Kingdom to break up. But I am not exactly shaking in fear at the prospect of the ICJ’s ruling encouraging the Scots, Welsh or Northern Irish to break away. And if any of these peoples were to secede, I’d wish them well, because I am a democrat, not a national chauvinist. The Cassandras bewailing the ICJ’s ruling are simply expressing a traditional colonialist mindset, which sees it as the natural order of things for powerful, predatory nations to keep enslaved smaller, weaker ones, and an enormous affront if the latter should be unwilling to bow down and kiss the jackboots of their unwanted masters. Can’t those uppity natives learn their place ?!
The Western democratic order, and indeed the international order as a whole, is founded upon national separatism. The world’s most powerful state and democracy, the United States of America, was of course born from a separatist (or possibly a secessionist or splittist) revolt and unilateral declaration of independence from the British empire. The American separatist revolt was sparked by resistance to British-imposed taxes without representation, which seem a less serious grievance than the sort of mass murder and ethnic cleansing to which the Kosovo Albanians were subjected by Serbia. Most European states at one time or another seceded from a larger entity: roughly in chronological order, these have been Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Portugal, Greece, Belgium, Luxemburg, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, Norway, Bulgaria, Albania, Poland, Finland, Czechoslovakia, Ireland, Iceland, Cyprus, Malta, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Belarus, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Montenegro (for the second time). No doubt Northern Cyprus, Somaliland, Transnistria etc. drew some inspiration from this long separatist success story.
Serbia itself has a proud separatist tradition, going back at least as far as the First Serbian Uprising of 1804, when the separatist leader Karadjordje Petrovic attempted to bring about the country’s unilateral secession from the Ottoman Empire. Some might argue that the eventual international acceptance of Serbia’s independence in 1878 was not unilateral, since it was brought about by the Treaty of Berlin to which the Ottoman Empire was a signatory. But this is disingenuous, since the Ottomans only accepted Serbia’s independence after they had – not for the first time – been brutally crushed in war by Russia. Undoubtedly, were Serbia to be subjected to the sort of external violent coercion to which the Ottoman Empire was repeatedly subjected by the European powers during the nineteenth century, it would rapidly accept Kosovo’s independence. Let us not pretend that bilateral or multilateral declarations of independence hold the moral high ground vis-a-vis unilateral ones – they simply reflect a difference balance in power politics.
As an independent state from 1878, Serbia left the ranks of the unfree nations and joined the predators, brutally conquering present-day Kosovo and Macedonia in the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913, thereby flagrantly violating the right of the Albanian and Macedonian peoples to determine their own future in the manner that the people of Serbia already had. In 1918, Serbia became hegemon of the mini-empire of Yugoslavia. So ‘separatist’ became a dirty word for Serbian nationalists who, in their craving to rule over foreign lands and peoples, conveniently forgot how their own national state had come into being. Nevertheless, it was Serbia under the leadership of Slobodan Milosevic whose policy of seceding from Yugoslavia from 1990 resulted in the break-up of that multinational state: Serbia’s new constitution of September 1990 declared the ‘sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia’ – nearly a year before Croatia and Slovenia declared independence from Yugoslavia. This would have been less problematic if Milosevic’s Serbia had not sought to take large slices of neighbouring republics with it as it set about asserting its own, Serbian national sovereignty from the former multinational Yugoslav federation.
So, plenty of precedents from which separatists, secessionists, splittists and the like could have drawn inspiration, long before the ICJ’s ruling on Kosovo. Why, then, the international disquiet at the verdict ? The simple answer is that the disquiet is felt by brutal or undemocratic states that oppress their own subject peoples, and wish to continue to do so without fear that their disgraceful behaviour might eventually result in territorial loss. Thus, among the states that oppose Kosovo’s independence are China, Iran, Sudan, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India, all of them brutally oppressing subject peoples or territories and/or attempting to hold on to ill-gotten conquests – Xinjiang, Tibet, the Ahwazi Arabs, Darfur, Western Sahara, the Tamils, West Papua, Kashmir, etc. At a more moderate level, Spain opposes Kosovo’s independence because it fears a precedent that Catalonia or the Basque Country could follow. Spain is a democracy, but a flawed one; its unwillingness to recognise the right to self-determination of the Catalans and Basques echoes the policy pursued by the dictator Francisco Franco, who brutally suppressed Catalan and Basque autonomy and culture following his victory in the Spanish Civil War. Likewise, Romania and Slovakia are crude and immature new democracies with ruling elites that mistreat their Hungarian minorities and identify with Serbia on an anti-minority basis.
Of course, states such as these will not be happy that an oppressed territory like Kosovo has succeeded in breaking away from its colonial master. But this is an additional reason for democrats to celebrate the ICJ’s decision: it should serve as a warning to states that oppress subject peoples or territories, that the international community’s tolerance of their bad behaviour and support for their territorial integrity may have its limits. Thus, a tyrannical state cannot necessarily brutally oppress a subject people, then bleat sanctimoniously about ‘international law’ and ‘territorial integrity’ when its oppression spawns a separatist movement that wins international acceptance: it may find that international law will not uphold its territorial integrity. Serbia’s loss of Kosovo should serve as an example to all such states.
Of course, there are states, such as Georgia and Cyprus, whose fear of territorial loss is legitimate. But in this case, the problem they are facing is not separatism so much as foreign aggression and territorial conquest. The ‘secession’ of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from Georgia was really the so-far-successful attempt by Georgia’s colonial master – Russia – to punish Georgia for its move toward independence, and exert continued control over it, by breaking off bits of its territory. Georgia was the state that was seeking national independence – from the Soviet Union and Russian domination – while the Abkhazian and South Ossetian separatists were the ones wanting to remain subject to the colonial master. In Abkhazia, it was the ethnic Georgians who formed a large plurality of the population, being two and a half times more numerous than the ethnic Abkhaz – any genuinely democratic plebiscite carried out before the massive Russian-backed ethnic cleansing of the 1990s would most likely have resulted in Abkhazia voting to remain in Georgia. South Ossetia might have a better demographic case for independence, thought not as strong as the larger and more populous republic of North Ossetia in Russia, whose independence, should it ever be declared, Moscow is unlikely to recognise. In the case of Northern Cyprus, the foreign aggression was more blatant still: there was no ‘Northern Cyprus’ until Turkey invaded the island of Cyprus in 1974, conquered over a third of it, expelled the Greek population and created an artificial ethnic-Turkish majority there. It is above all because of the reality of Russian and Turkish aggression against, and ethnic cleansing of, smaller and weaker peoples, that Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Northern Cyprus should not be treated as equivalent to Kosovo.
Milorad Dodik, the prime minister of Bosnia’s Serb Republic (Republika Srpska – RS), has suggested that the ICJ’s ruling on Kosovo opens the door to the potential secession of the RS. The RS is not a real country, but an entity created by genocide and massive ethnic cleansing; anyone who equates it with Kosovo is at best an ignoramus and at worst a moral idiot. Nevertheless, we sincerely hope that the RS’s leadership be inspired by the Kosovo precedent and attempt to secede – such an attempt would inevitably end in failure, and provide an opportunity for the Bosnians and the Western alliance to abolish the RS or at least massively reduce its autonomy vis-a-vis the the central Bosnian state, thereby rescuing Bosnia-Hercegovina from its current crisis and improving the prospects for long-term Balkan stability.
Finally, if the ICJ’s ruling on Kosovo really does inspire other unfree peoples to fight harder for their freedom, so much the better. As the US struggle for independence inspired fighters for national independence throughout the world during the nineteenth century, so may Kosovo’s example do so in the twenty first. May the tyrants and ethnic cleansers tremble, may the empires fall and may there be many more Kosovos to come.
Thursday, 29 July 2010 Posted by Marko Attila Hoare | Balkans, Bosnia, Former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Marko Attila Hoare, Serbia | Abkhazia, Cyprus, Dan Bilefsky, ICJ, Marko Attila Hoare, Milorad Dodik, Republika Srpska, Russia, Simon Tisdall, South Ossetia, Turkey | 3 Comments
How to apologise
Image: Croatia’s president and prime minister, Ivo Josipovic and Jadranka Kosor, paying tribute to the victims of Croatian World War II fascism at Jasenovac last month, alongside former Croatian president Stjepan Mesic.
Croatia’s new president Ivo Josipovic has in recent weeks made a series of apologies and expressions of regret for crimes carried out by Croats during the 1940s and 1990s. Last month, he apologised for Croatia’s role in the Bosnian war: ‘(The creators of) the 1990s policies…. based on the idea that division is the solution for Bosnia-Herzegovina, have sown an evil seed here, but also in their own countries’, Josipovic said in an address to the Bosnian parliament; referring to ‘the death and mutilation of hundreds of thousands and the expulsion of millions of people [and] destroyed economies and families’, he stated categorically, ‘I am deeply sorry that the Republic of Croatia has contributed to that with its policies in the 1990s. .. that the then Croatian policy has contributed to the suffering of people and divisions which still burden us today.’ He followed this up with a visit to the village of Ahmici, where Croat forces carried out a notorious massacre of Bosniak civilians in 1993. This apology was immediately condemned by the leadership of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ); HDZ politicians such as Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and party vice-president Andrija Hebrang disgraced themselves trying to justify the former Croatian policy.
Josipovic went on to attend an event commemorating the sixty-fifth anniversary of an uprising at the Ustasha (Croatian fascist) death camp of Jasenovac in World War II, when he expressed regret for the crimes carried out by the Croatian fascists. Noting that history cannot be changed, he stated that it was not just the victories and successes that had to be accepted: ‘In every event, we must accept it also when it points to the evil that we committed against others. That can be a painful process; a process in which all those who wish our nation well must participate.’ He expressed his ‘deepest regret’ for everything that took place in Jasenovac and other Ustasha execution sites during the Second World War.’ At the time of writing, Josipovic has been visiting the Republika Srpska in Bosnia-Hercegovina, paying tribute to Serbs killed by Croat forces at the north Bosnian village of Sijekovac at the start of the war in 1992.
Josipovic’s actions mark a courageous break with the usual practice of nationalist politicians, not only in the Balkans but also in Western Europe and the US, who seem to feel that it is incumbent upon them to defend ‘my country, right or wrong’. A readiness to acknowledge and apologise for the past crimes of one’s state or nation is something that places the principled patriot and democrat above the ‘patriotic’ hypocrite, who will complain endlessly about the crimes of other states or nations while defending those of their own. Such apologies form a necessary part of the reconciliation process between states that have previously been in conflict with one another, helping to cement a post-conflict democratic order. Nevertheless, the crimes which Josipovic has been acknowledging are not equivalent to one another; nor do they warrant the same kind of apology.
In the case of the Croatian attempt to partition Bosnia in the 1990s and the resulting crimes, the issue is one of a state having the moral duty to apologise to another state and its citizens. The Republic of Croatia carried out military aggression against the neighbouring state of Bosnia-Hercegovina, one that involved atrocities against its civilian population. Although Josipovic personally was not responsible for that policy, he is head of the state that was responsible, therefore, it was his outright duty to apologise on the Republic of Croatia’s behalf to the state of Bosnia-Hercegovina and to its citizens.
In the case of atrocities carried out by the Croatian Army, or by Croat militias supported by Croatia’s leadership, against Serb civilians during operations against the Serb rebels in Croatia and Bosnia in the 1990s, an apology from the Croatian president was also due. It is still the Croatian state that needs to apologise for its past actions, but in this instance, the apology is not owed to another state. The apology is due to the victims and to their relatives and friends, and to the Serb people in those areas, rather than to Serbia, whose citizens they were not. In the case of Croatian Serb civilians killed by Croatian forces, such as during the Medak Pocket operation in 1993 or Operation Storm in 1995, the apology is due to people who were Croatia’s own citizens – victims of the very state whose duty it was to protect them. Thus, the duty to apologise is similar to that acknowledged by Britain’s former prime minister Gordon Brown, when he apologised last year to the tens of thousands of British children forcibly sent to Commonwealth countries under child migrant programmes during the twentieth century, where they were widely exploited and abused.
In the case of the Ustasha genocide of Serbs, Jews, Gypsies and others during World War II, an apology of a different kind is in order. Unlike the aforementioned Croatian crimes of the 1990s, in this case it was not the current Croatian state that was responsible. The Republic of Croatia is not the de jure or de facto successor state of the Ustasha-ruled ‘Independent State of Croatia’ (NDH), which was a puppet state established by the Axis powers on Yugoslav territory. The NDH was never recognised by the Allied powers, which viewed it for what it was: the expression that German and Italian rule took in that part of occupied Yugoslavia, equivalent to the General Government in Poland or to the Reichskommissariat Ukraine. According to the Nuremberg Military Tribunal established by the Allied powers after the war, ‘Whatever the form or the name given, the Croatian Government during the German wartime occupation was a satellite under the control of the occupying power. It dissolved as quickly after the withdrawal of the Germans as it had arisen upon their occupation. Under such circumstances, the acts of the Croatian Government were the acts of the occupation power… We are of the view that Croatia was at all times here involved an occupied country and that all acts performed by it were those for which the occupying power was responsible.’ (quoted in Jozo Tomasevich, War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941-1945: Occupation and Collaboration, Stanford University Press, Stanford, 2001, pp. 271-272). The states with a duty to apologise for the crimes of the NDH are Germany and Italy.
This was reaffirmed this month, when the European Court of Human Rights threw out the case brought by the Association of Second World War Camp Inmates of Republika Srpska against Croatia, for damages to the tune of 500 million euros for crimes carried out by the NDH. Sources suggested that this was because the judges concluded that Croatia was not the legal successor to the NDH, therefore not liable to pay damages for its crimes. Indeed, Croatia was the legal successor of Yugoslavia, and was established as a republic in the 1940s by the Partisans who destroyed the NDH. The Republic of Croatia is not liable to apologise for the NDH’s crimes, any more than the Spanish Republic would have been liable to apologise for Franco’s crimes, had it won the Spanish Civil War. Any more than the current Rwandan government is liable to apologise for the Rwandan genocide. By contrast, although the Ottoman Empire which perpetrated the Armenian genocide was overthrown by Mustafa Kemal’s Turkish nationalist movement, nevertheless Turkey is the legal successor of the Ottoman Empire, and the latter was not simply an insurgent faction or a party to a civil war, but a legally constituted state. As the successor to this state, Turkey does have a moral duty to apologise for the genocide.
This does not mean that Josipovic was wrong to say what he did at the recent Jasenovac commemoration. He cannot – indeed did not – apologise on behalf of the Republic of Croatia, since that state was not responsible. He can however express regret in a different manner and capacity, as the democratically elected leader of the Croatian nation – the nation that produced the Ustashas. He cannot accept that the Croatian nation as a whole was guilty, but he can express regret for the fact that some members of his nation carried out those crimes; for the fact that the Croatian nation produced such monsters. Nations as a whole are not guilty for the crimes committed by some of their members, but nor can they pretend that these crimes have nothing to do with them. We could compare this with the case of an extended family, in which a wayward family member commits a crime. The head of the family might rightfully feel that the family’s honour requires an apology to the crime’s victims, even though neither the family as a whole nor its head can reasonably be blamed. Certainly, such chivalry goes down better than a callous refusal to apologise.
We can compare Josipovic’s expression of regret with the opposition of certain Polish politicians, such as Michal Kaminski, to a Polish apology for the Jedwabne massacre of July 1941 in Nazi-occupied Poland, when Poles under the leadership of Jedwabne’s mayor Marian Karolak massacred the town’s Jews. The Jedwabne massacre was, albeit on a much smaller scale, similar in character to the Ustasha massacres of Serbs and others. Kaminski was undoubtedly correct when he pointed out that the whole Polish nation was not guilty of a massacre carried out by a particular group of Poles in a particular town at a particular time. But this ignores the fact that you do not have to be guilty of something in order to say sorry; nor does an apology imply an admission of guilt. The readiness of Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski to apologise for the Jedwabne massacre suggests a much more mature sense of national responsibility than that of Kaminski.
Another point of comparison is the declaration issued in March by the Serbian parliament condemning the Srebrenica massacre, which involved also an apology. The apology, less than a sentence long, was inserted at the end of a paragraph; it was made only to the relatives of the victims rather than to the people of Srebrenica or of Bosnia as a whole. It was an apology only that ‘everything possible had not been done to prevent the tragedy’, rather than for Serbia’s role in organising, arming and financing the Bosnian Serb forces that carried out the massacre, or for the Yugoslav Army’s collusion with these forces during the massacre. It avoided using the word genocide, albeit recognising this genocide in a roundabout way, by condemning the massacre ‘in the manner established by the ruling of the International Court of Justice’. And although it avoided condemning any of the other crimes carried out by Serbs during the war, it nevertheless included an ‘expectation that the highest authorities of other states on the territory of the former Yugoslavia would also condemn the crimes committed against the members of the Serbian people in this manner, as well as extend condolences and apologies to the families of the Serbian victims’. In fairness, such a grudging and mealy-mouthed declaration was probably the most that its authors could have pushed through parliament; even in this form, it barely scraped together enough votes to pass. But it does not suggest much genuine contrition on the part of Serbia’s lawmakers.
Serbia can and has done better than this. On 15 June 2005, the Council of Ministers of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro stated: ‘Those who committed the killings in Srebrenica, as well as those who ordered and organised that massacre represented neither Serbia nor Montenegro, but an undemocratic regime of terror and death, against whom the majority of citizens of Serbia and Montenegro put up the strongest resistance. Our condemnation of crimes in Srebrenica does not end with the direct perpetrators. We demand the criminal responsibility of all who committed war crimes, organised them or ordered them, and not only in Srebrenica. Criminals must not be heroes. Any protection of the war criminals, for whatever reason, is also a crime.’ In that year, the president of Serbia and Montenegro and the president of Republika Srpska attended the tenth anniversary commemoration of the Srebrenica massacre at Potocari. More recently, however, the Republika Srpska’s leadership has been regressing; Prime Minister Milorad Dodik has been engaging in revisionism and denial in relation to Srebrenica and to other Serb war-crimes.
State apologies for past crimes will always be a sensitive manner; the politicians who make them will always be treading a fine line; the extent of an apology issued, and the reaction it receives at home, will reflect the degree of a nation’s democratic maturity. All the more reason to watch them closely; to interpret the degree of contrition that they actually represent, and to see who is for them, and who is opposed.
Monday, 31 May 2010 Posted by Marko Attila Hoare | Balkans, Bosnia, Croatia, Former Yugoslavia, Genocide, Serbia | Ahmici, Aleksander Kwasniewski, Andrija Hebrang, Armenian genocide, Gordon Brown, Independent State of Croatia, Ivo Josipovic, Jadranka Kosor, Jasenovac, Jedwabne massacre, Marian Karolak, Medak Pocket, Michal Kaminski, Nuremberg Military Tribunal, Operation Storm, Poland, Republika Srpska, Sijekovac, Srebrenica massacre, Stjepan Mesic, Turkey, Ustasha Genocide | Leave a comment
Macedonia and Greece: What is the basis for a reconciliation ?
A Greek blogger called Omadeon has written a critique of me, entitled ‘Dr Hoare’s Balkan excesses need… anti-nationalist critics’. Well, I don’t admit to any excesses, but I do welcome anti-nationalist critics. Omadeon deserves credit for writing against Srebrenica-genocide denial and for his statement that ‘I think Greece owes an apology to Bosnia, for the one-sided support of Serbia by most Greeks’. He deserves credit too for his rejection of some of the excesses of Greek nationalism.
Unfortunately, Omadeon nevertheless shares the Greek-nationalist blind-spot with regard to Macedonia. He refers to the Republic of Macedonia in a derogatory manner, as ‘Slavo-Albanian Macedonia’, and puts the words ‘Macedonia’ and ‘Macedonian’ in inverted commas when referring to the Republic of Macedonia and the Macedonian nation. He describes the Macedonian identity as a ‘fiction’. He wrote a letter to the New York Times in April 2008 in which he condemned the newspaper for its criticism of Greek policy with regard to Macedonia, asserted the alleged Greekness of Alexander the Great and the ancient Macedonians, and demanded that the contemporary Macedonians change their name to ‘Slav Macedonians’. Above all, he seems absolutely obsessed with telling the Macedonians that they should abandon the identity that they want to have and adopt the identity that he wants them to have, which is a ‘Slavic’ identity’ (‘A SANE attitude, on behalf of Slav-Macedonia, would be the simple RECOGNITION of their ESSENTIALLY SLAVIC national identity; something they have EVERY RIGHT to be PROUD of….’). But a given identity is something that people either feel for themselves, or they don’t. It is not up to Omadeon and the Greeks to decide what sort of identity Macedonians should have.
Consequently, I am afraid that Omadeon, although he appears to be an honest and decent individual in most respects, is very far from being an ‘anti-nationalist’. In fact, his writings on Macedonia highlight the erroneous way in which ethno-nationalists interpret modern national politics. This includes:
1) A belief that modern nations can be traced back, in unbroken continuity, to ancient or medieval peoples: the modern Greeks to ancient Greeks; the modern Macedonians to medieval Slavs; etc.
2) A consequent belief that one has, on the basis of one’s own ethno-nationalist interpretation of ancient and medieval history, the right to accuse other nations of being ‘invented’ or having ‘fictional’ identities.
3) An inability to understand the difference between language and nationality.
In this case, Greek nationalists – on the basis of their erroneous understanding of ancient and medieval history, and of the meaning of modern nationhood – believe that they have the right to decide what the ‘true’ identity of Greece’s northern neighbour should be. Since they erroneously believe that the majority population of the Republic of Macedonia is descended from Slavs who arrived in the area during the Middle Ages, and since they equally erroneously believe that modern Greeks are descended in unbroken continuity from ancient Greeks (among whom they include the ancient Macedonians), they believe they have the right to pronounce that the Macedonians are ‘not really’ Macedonians, that the Macedonian identity is a ‘fiction’, and that they – the Greek nationalists – on the basis of their ‘objective’ reading of ancient and medieval history have the right to pronounce what the Macedonians’ true name and identity should be.
From this, it follows – according to the Greek nationalist logic – that since their own interpretations of history and of the meaning of modern nationhood are the correct ones, then Macedonians who dispute this are ‘nationalists’, and those who support them in this rejection – such as myself – are supporting ‘ultra-nationalism’, which is what Omadeon accuses me of.
In this way, the Greek nationalists turn reality on its head. Macedonia is not threatening Greece or its national identity; the Macedonians are not saying that the Greek language and nation do not exist; or that Greece has to change its name. They are not trying to impose their own version of Greek identity on the Greeks. They are not even denying the right of the Greek inhabitants of Greek Macedonia to call themselves ‘Macedonian’. Yet for the crime of rejecting the Greek-nationalist interpretation of history, and of asserting their own identity, then it is they who become the bad guys in Greek-nationalist eyes. And before you know it, the whole of NATO and the EU have to shape their policies around the Greek-nationalist misinterpretation of history. Such is the world we live in.
Nationalists do not appreciate the fact that, in a democratic world, everyone has to be free to define their identity as they wish; no nation or individual has the right to decide what the identity of another nation or individual should be. Nationalists do not appreciate that there is no one, single, ‘objective’ interpretation of history; historians, archaeologists and others must be free to put forward different interpretations about Antiquity, the Midde Ages and so forth. No group or nation can impose its own version of history on the rest of the world.
Nationalists also do not appreciate the fact that all modern European nations – all of them – have very mixed ethnic origins. The modern Macedonians – the majority population of the Republic of Macedonia – are descended from a mixture of ancient Macedonians, Slavs and others. And modern Greeks are likewise descended from a mixture of ancient Macedonians, ancient Greeks, Slavs, Turkish-speaking Anatolians and others. Something similar applies for all European nations: English, Scots, French, Germans, Italians, Serbs, Croats, Albanians, Turks, etc.
There is no such modern ethnic group as the ‘Slavs’ – ‘Slavs’ do not exist as an ethnic group in the modern world, any more than do Angles, Saxons, Franks, Gauls, Visigoths or Vikings. ‘Slavic’ is a linguistic, not an ethnic category. The Macedonians speak a Slavic language, and in that sense they are ‘Slavic’, just as the English and Dutch are ‘Germanic’ and the Italians and French are ‘Latin’. Greek nationalists demanding that the Macedonians call themselves ‘Slavs’ is like someone demanding that the English and Dutch call themselves ‘Germanics’ or that the Italians and French call themselves ‘Latins’. It is up to the Macedonians alone whether they feel their identity to be ‘Slavic’ or not – nobody else has the right to impose such an identity on them.
Ironically, in terms of their genetic origins, non-Slavic-speaking Greece and Albania are more Slavic in their origins than the modern Macedonians and Bulgarians; spoken language is a very poor guide to ethnic origins. But does this mean that the Greeks and Albanians are not really Greeks and Albanians ? Of course not ! Modern nationhood does not derive from ancient or medieval ethnicity, but from a shared sense of identity in the present. Omadeon’s describing of the Republic of Macedonia as ‘Slavo-Albanian Macedonia’ is equivalent to describing Greece as ‘Slavo-Albanian-Turkish-Greek Greece’, or England as ‘Celtic-Anglo-Saxon-Viking-Norman England’. If the people of Greece feel themselves to be Greek; if the people of Macedonia feel themselves to be Macedonian – that is all that matters. Trying to deny the existence of a modern nation by pointing out its ethnically diverse roots, or by reducing it to a number of ethnic components, is the action of a chauvinist. We all have ethnically diverse roots. We should be proud of them.
In an age of globalisation and mass immigration, nations will become more, rather than less ethnically diverse. This, too, should be viewed positively. There are English people today whose grandparents were all born in Pakistan, or in Jamaica. They are no less ‘English’ than English people who claim ‘pure’ Anglo-Saxon descent. Black or brown Englishmen and women have as much right as white Anglo-Saxon Englishmen to lay claim to the heritage of English or British historical figures: the Celtic Boadicea; the Norman-French William the Conqueror; the Dutch William of Orange; the Irish Duke of Wellington; the half-American Winston Churchill. In the same way, Alexander the Great is part of the heritage of Greeks, Macedonians, Bulgarians and Albanians alike, and of all those nations which have arisen on the territory that he once ruled. Alexander the Great belongs to Iranians, Afghans and Pakistanis, too.
Omadeon accuses me of opposing reconciliation between Macedonia and Greece, and of not being even-handed in my treatment of Macedonian and Greek nationalism. I make no pretence at being even-handed: I am on the side of the victim (Macedonia) and against the aggressor (Greece), and will always encourage the national resistance of a victim against an aggressor. Siding with a victim against an aggressor is the only honourable position to take: it means siding with Cyprus against Turkey in 1974; with Croatia against Serbia in 1991; with Bosnia against both Serbia and Croatia in 1992-95; with Chechnya against Russia in 1994 and 1999; and with Georgia against Russia in 2008. There can be no ‘even-handedness’ in treating an aggressor and a victim, or in treating their respective nationalisms. Greek nationalism is threatening Macedonia. Macedonian nationalism is not threatening Greece. The two are not equivalent.
As for the question of ‘reconciliation’, this can only rightfully be based on justice, not on the capitulation of the weaker side to the stronger. The only just compromise between Greece and Macedonia would be along the following lines:
1) The Macedonian nation and language, and the Greek nation and language, exist. Anyone who says they do not is an anti-Macedonian or anti-Greek chauvinist.
2) Macedonia and Greece both have the right to call themselves what they want, and to define their national identities as they wish.
3) The people of the Republic of Macedonia, Greek Macedonia and Bulgarian Macedonia have an equal right to call themselves ‘Macedonian’ and to lay claim to the heritage of Ancient Macedonia and of Alexander the Great, if that is what they wish.
4) Greeks and Macedonians alike are descended from a mixture of ancient Macedonians, Slavs and others. The common ethnic heritage of the two nations should be stressed, not denied, by those seeking reconciliation.
5) The symbol at the start of this post – the Star of Vergina – is dear to both Greeks and Macedonians and belongs to them both. Two nations that love the same symbols and revere the same ancient historical figures should naturally be friends.
Anyone who calls themselves an ‘anti-nationalist’, irrespective of whether they are Greek or Macedonian, should have no difficulty subscribing to these principles.
Saturday, 29 August 2009 Posted by Marko Attila Hoare | Balkans, Greece, Macedonia | Albania, Alexander the Great, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Nationalism, Serbia, Skopje, Star of Vergina, Turkey | 3 Comments
Noam Chomsky and genocidal causality
It is with some hesitation that I comment on the exchange between Noam Chomsky and Ian Williams over the question of responsibility for the bloodshed in Kosova in the late 1990s. Chomsky has no expertise and nothing interesting to say on the topic of the former Yugoslavia, and it is only because of his status as the world’s no. 1 ‘anti-imperialist’ guru that his utterances on the topic attract as many responses as they do. Chomsky epitomises the ‘anti-imperialist’ ideologue who believes in two things: 1) that the US is to blame for everything; and 2) that everything the US does is bad. If you share this worldview, then nothing said by Chomsky’s critics, such as Williams or Oliver Kamm, is going to convince you that he may be wrong on Kosova. If, on the other hand, you do not share this worldview, and are not star-struck by the celebrity Chomsky, then his rambling comparisons between the Western response over Kosova and the Western response over East Timor can only appear extremely tortuous and boring. It is tiresome yet again to point out, for example, the absolute falsehood of Chomsky’s claim that ‘the crimes in East Timor at the same time’ as the Kosovo war ‘were far worse than anything reported in Kosovo prior to the NATO bombing’ – it simply isn’t true.
I am using Chomsky, therefore, only to open a discussion on the question of genocidal causality, and the insidious nature of the sophistry employed by Chomsky and his ‘anti-imperialist’ comrades: that Serbian ethnic-cleansing in Kosova occurred in response to the NATO bombing and was therefore NATO’s fault. As Chomsky put it: ‘The NATO bombing did not end the atrocities but rather precipitated by far the worst of them, as had been anticipated by the NATO command and the White House.’ The thrust of Chomsky’s argument is that since NATO commanders predicted that the NATO bombing would lead to a massive escalation of Serbian attacks on the Kosova Albanian civilian population, and since this prediction was borne out, then NATO is responsible for having cold-bloodedly caused the atrocities that occurred after the bombing started.
The falsehood of this logic can be demonstrated if we ask the following questions:
1) Chomsky claims that the bombing precipitated ‘by far the worst’ of the atrocities, but what precipitated the bombing ?
The answer is that the NATO bombing of Serbia in March 1999 was precipitated by Belgrade’s rejection of the Rambouillet Accords. Belgrade was aware that rejecting the Rambouillet Accords would precipitate Serbia being bombed by NATO, but rejected them nevertheless. By Chomsky’s own logic, therefore, Serbia’s own actions precipitated the NATO bombings, and were consequently responsible for those bombings. Since, according to Chomsky, the bombings led to the atrocities, that means that Serbia was responsible for the atrocities after all.
What Chomsky would like us to believe, is that if a US or NATO action produced a predictable Serbian response, then the response was the fault of the US/NATO. But if, on the other hand, a Serbian action produced a predictable US/NATO response, then the response was still the fault of the US/NATO. This is self-evidently a case of double standards.
2) Chomsky claims that the bombing precipitated ‘by far the worst’ of the atrocities, but what would have been precipitated by a failure to bomb ?
From reading Chomsky and his fellow ‘anti-imperialists’, one would almost believe that the bloodshed in Kosova had been – in Edward Said’s words – a ‘Sunday school picnic’ prior to the NATO bombing. Yet this is what Human Rights Watch reported in January 1999, more than two months before the bombing began:
The government forces intensified their offensive throughout July and August [1998], despite promises from Milosevic that it had stopped. By mid-August, the government had retaken much of the territory that had been held by the KLA, including their stronghold of Malisevo. Unable to protect the civilian population, the KLA retreated into Drenica and some pockets in the West.
Some of the worst atrocities to date occurred in late September, as the government’s offensive was coming to an end. On September 26, eighteen members of an extended family, mostly women, children, and elderly, were killed near the village of Donje Obrinje by men believed to be with the Serbian special police. Many of the victims had been shot in the head and showed signs of bodily mutilation. On the same day, thirteen ethnic Albanian men were executed in the nearby village of Golubovac by government forces. One man survived and was subsequently taken out of the country by the international agencies in Kosovo.
The government offensive was an apparent attempt to crush civilian support for the rebels. Government forces attacked civilians, systematically destroyed towns, and forced thousands of people to flee their homes. One attack in August near Senik killed seventeen civilians who were hiding in the woods. The police were seen looting homes, destroying already abandoned villages, burning crops, and killing farm animals.
The majority of those killed and injured were civilians. At least 300,000 people were displaced, many of them women and children now living without shelter in the mountains and woods. In October, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) identified an estimated 35,000 of the displaced as particularly at risk of exposure to the elements. Most were too afraid to return to their homes due to the continued police presence. [our emphasis]
(Contrary to what Chomsky says, the number killed in Kosova prior to the start of the NATO bombing was greater than the number of East Timorese civilians killed by the Indonesians and their proxies during the whole of 1999).
Chomsky is saying that if – instead of presenting an ultimatum to Belgrade at Rambouillet and then proceeding to bomb Serbia when Belgrade defied that ultimatum – the NATO powers had given Belgrade a free hand in Kosova, then Serbian repression in Kosova would simply have continued at what he considers to be an acceptable level. Of course, there is no way of proving one way or the other what would have happened in Kosova if NATO hadn’t gone to war in the spring of 1999, but given the catalogue of horrors in the former Yugoslavia that were demonstrably not ‘precipitated’ by Western military intervention – the destruction of Vukovar, the siege of Sarajevo, the Srebrenica massacre, the killing of at least 100,000 Bosnians, the ethnic-cleansing of 300,000 Kosovars, etc. – the evidence suggests that it would not have resembled Edward Said’s ‘Sunday school picnic’.
3) Chomsky claims that the bombing precipitated ‘by far the worst’ of the atrocities, but even if this were true, would this make those atrocities NATO’s fault ?
Genocides are invariably ‘precipitated’ by something or other. The Armenian Genocide was ‘precipitated’ by the outbreak of World War I and Tsarist Russia’s military advance into Anatolia. The Rwandan Genocide was ‘precipitated’ by the Rwandan Patriotic Front’s offensive against the Rwandan Army, the Arusha Accords and by the shooting down of the plane carrying Rwanda’s President Juvenal Habyarimana. Of course, it is entirely legitimate for historians to interpret instances of genocide as having been ‘precipitated’ by something or other, but anyone who uses such explanations to shift the responsibility away from the perpetrators – whether Ottoman, Hutu, German, Serbian or other – is simply an apologist or a denier.
On 30 January 1939, Adolf Hitler gave a speech to the Reichstag in which he stated: ‘If the world of international financial Jewry, both in and outside of Europe, should succeed in plunging the nations into another world war, the result will not be the Bolshevisation of the world and thus a victory for Judaism. The result will be the extermination of the Jewish race in Europe.’
Hitler therefore made it explicit that the outbreak of a world war would result in the extermination of the Jews in Europe. Indeed, the outbreak and course of World War II ‘precipitated’ the Holocaust. Britain and France, when they declared war on Germany in September 1939, were by Chomsky’s logic responsible for the Holocaust. Some ‘anti-imperialists’ have, in fact, attempted to make this very point.
In sum, Chomsky’s case is a disgrace at the level of plain reasoning, never mind at the level of ethics.
Let there be no mistake about this: atrocities, ethnic cleansing and genocide are the responsibility of those who commit them. Whatever ‘precipitates’ them, they are the fault of their perpetrators. And it would be a sorry world indeed if were were to allow perpetrators to deter us from taking action to stop atrocities, ethnic cleansing and genocide, by their threat to commit still worse crimes in the event that we do take action.
Image: Chomsky agreeing with Dobrica Cosic, the leading ideological architect of the Wars of Yugoslav Succession, on the need to partition Kosova – as reported by the Serbian magazine NIN.
Hat tip: Andras Riedlmayer, Daniel of Srebrenica Genocide Blog.
Tuesday, 25 August 2009 Posted by Marko Attila Hoare | Balkans, Former Yugoslavia, Genocide, Kosovo, Serbia | Adolf Hitler, Armenian genocide, Arusha Accords, Bosnia, East Timor, Holocaust, Juvenal Habyarimana, NATO, Noam Chomsky, Rambouillet, Rambouillet Accords, Rwanda, Sakhalin, Srebrenica, Srebrenica massacre, Turkey | 1 Comment
Why David Cameron is right to break ranks with Sarkozy and Merkel
David Cameron, the British Conservative leader and probable next British Prime Minister, has been coming under harsh criticism for his decision to take the British Conservatives out of the conservative Euro-federalist bloc in the European Parliament, the European People’s Party, and to form a new anti-federalist group: the European Conservatives and Reformists, whose most prominent other members are Poland’s Law and Justice Party and the Czech Republic’s Civic Democratic Party. Critics have pointed out that the new group includes racists, homophobes, climate-change-deniers and politicians with far-right backgrounds. The European Conservatives and Reformists is chaired by Michal Kaminski, an admirer of Augusto Pinochet and opponent of Polish moves to apologise for the Polish massacre of Jews at Jedwabne during World War II. They have argued that Cameron is marginalising Britain within the EU.
So far as Cameron’s critics from the ranks of the Euro-federalist wing of the Conservative Party and of Britain’s Labour Party are concerned, it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. The European People’s Party, supposedly the voice of moderate, centre-right conservatism, includes the ruling Italian party, Silvio Berlusconi’s ‘People of Freedom’. The latter, formally founded this spring, includes the heirs to Italy’s Fascist movement, including Gianfranco Fini’s National Alliance and Alessandra Mussolini’s Social Action. Poland’s homophobic Civic Platform is also a member of the European People’s Party. Stefan Niesiolowski, deupty speaker of the Polish Sejm and a member of Civic Platform, has described lesbians as ‘sickening‘ and as a ‘pathology‘. The European People’s Party includes also as observers or associates Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AKP), which denies the Armenian Genocide and flirts with anti-Semitism, and Serbia’s Democratic Party of Serbia, whose leader Vojislav Kostunica presided over the burning down of the US embassy in Belgrade last year.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party’s members in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe sit in the Socialist Group, which includes Russia’s fascist Liberal Democratic Party, headed by the overtly racist and anti-Semitic Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who called publicly for the ‘preservation of the white race’ and warned that ‘it’s all over for you once you’re Americanised and Zionised’. The Socialist Group also includes ‘Just Russia’, which incorporates the racist, far-right Rodina party – several of whose members in the Russian Duma have called for all Jewish organisations in Russia to be closed. Another member of the Socialist Group is Turkey’s anti-Kurdish Republican People’s Party, which not only denies the Armenian Genocide but opposed even the Turkish government’s own measures to lift restrictions on the Kurdish language.
This sort of point-scoring is very easy. Geopolitical alliances are not equivalent to domestic political alliances, in which there can be no excuse for allying with bigots or fascists. The reality of geopolitics is that the majority of the world’s states have not achieved Western-democratic standards of democracy, tolerance and human rights. Consequently, even democratic states are frequently forced to have unsavoury allies. We had to ally with Stalin to defeat Hitler; with Saudi Arabia and Hafez al-Assad’s Syria to drive Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait in 1991; with the Northern Alliance to defeat the Taliban in 2001. NATO has long included the highly chauvinistic states of Turkey and Greece, which discriminate against their national minorities in a manner that is wholly at odds with the standards of democratic Europe. The UK shares membership of the EU with states, such as Italy and Poland, that tolerate fascism or bigotry to an extent that would be unacceptable to the UK’s politically conscious public. We share membership of the Council of Europe with states whose democratic credentials are still more flawed, such as Turkey and Russia. A British party sitting in the European Parliament or the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, that does not wish wholly to isolate itself, has little choice but to join blocs that include some highly unsavoury members.
Of course, one could take the principled position that international isolation would be preferable to any alliance that includes bigots or extremists. Yet this is the opposite of what Cameron’s critics, such as Denis MacShane and Nick Cohen are saying, which is that he should have kept the British Conservatives in the European People’s Party in order to preserve British influence through membership of the dominant mainstream centre-right bloc, as represented by Angela Merkel’s German Christian Democrats and Nicolas Sarkozy’s Union for a Popular Movement.
I have great respect for both Denis MacShane and Nick Cohen, but I must beg to differ. The biggest internal threat to the EU is not the homophobia or anti-environmentalism of Polish and Czech rightists – disgusting though these are. A rather bigger threat comes from the Euro-federalist project that, with only slight oversimplification, can be defined as follows: forge a strategic partnership with Russia at the expense of Eastern Europe; undermine the Western alliance in the interests of ‘independence’ from the US; keep Turkey out of the EU, at whatever cost to Western strategic interests; keep Ukraine and Georgia out of NATO, consigning them to the status of buffer zone vis-a-vis an appeased Russia; and build a narrow, inward-looking ‘Fortress Europe’ that would certainly not pull its weight in the global struggle with the enemies of freedom and human rights. Such is the policy of the dominant Franco-German bloc in the EU, currently led by Merkel and Sarkozy.
Sarkozy hardly scores higher in terms of political correctness than does Kaminski. He is on record for opposing Turkey’s entry into the EU on the grounds that ‘Turkey is in Asia Minor’ and that ‘I won’t be able to explain to French school kids that Europe’s border neighbors are Iraq and Syria.’ (This from the head of a state that, via its overseas department of French Guiana, shares a land border with Brazil). Treating Turkey, which was part of the Ancient Greek world and the Roman Empire and whose largest city was for a time the Roman capital, as an Asian ‘other’ with no right to be part of Europe, scarcely marks Sarkozy out as a respectable centre-right statesman free of bigoted views. Nor does his vocal support for the Greek-nationalist campaign to force the Republic of Macedonia to change its name, motivated as this is by the racist belief that a Slavic-speaking people has no right to use the Macedonian name of the ‘Greek’ Alexander the Great, and that the Macedonian nation has no right even to exist.
Sarkozy and Merkel were responsible in April 2008 for the failure to grant a NATO Membership Action Plan to Georgia and Ukraine, effectively announcing to Moscow that the Western alliance was not standing by these countries – a message that Vladimir Putin took to heart when he attacked Georgia soon after. Sarkozy and Merkel were then in the forefront of the appeasers who pushed to ensure that Moscow’s aggression would not be allowed to stand in the way of EU-Russian collaboration. At the height of Russia’s aggression against Georgia, while France held the EU Presidency, Sarkozy travelled to Moscow to reassure the Russians that ‘It’s perfectly normal that Russia would want to defend the interests both of Russians in Russia and Russophones outside Russia.’ Sarkozy’s negotiations, in Toby Vogel’s words, ‘yielded a badly drafted ceasefire agreement and provided space for numerous Russian violations that the EU was in no position to counter’. Merkel, meanwhile, is in coalition with the German Social Democratic Party – the champion of collaboration with Russia, whose former leader Gerhard Schroeder described Putin as an ‘impeccable democrat’.
The Franco-German policy of excluding Turkey permanently from the EU – an integral element in the Euro-federalist strategy – has borne bitter fruit. The once reformist government of the AKP in Turkey, persistently disappointed in its ambition to join the EU, is turning away from the West and toward an increasing alignment with Russia, Iran and other tyrannical states of the Islamic world. For the current leaderships of France and Germany, cementing strategically crucial Turkey’s membership of the Western alliance is simply less important than their goal of an introverted federalist Fortress Europe that they would dominate. Meanwhile, Poland, the Czech Republic and other NATO members from the former Communist bloc are increasingly apprehensive at the possibility of a Western rapprochement with Russia that would see their security interests sacrificed – as the recent open letter to the Obama Administration from a stellar panel of Eastern and Central European statesmen makes clear. We can be certain that it will not be Sarkozy and Merkel who will be reassuring our Eastern and Central European allies.
In sum, Sarkozy and Merkel are taking the EU down the wrong path – a path, moreover, with which British public opinion is deeply uncomfortable. The policy of Gordon Brown’s government so far has been to keep rank with the French and Germans. This policy has not achieved results.
It would be wrong to read too much into Cameron’s move, which is apparently the result principally of internal Conservative Party politics rather than geostrategic considerations. Despite promises to the contrary made at the time of the Georgian war last summer, the Conservatives are continuing to sit with Putin’s United Russia party in the European Democrat Group in the Council of Europe. But in principle, Cameron’s formation of the European Conservatives and Reformists shows a welcome readiness to shake up EU politics and power structures and break ranks with elements that are taking Europe down the wrong path. The European Parliament is not where power lies in the EU, but in principle, the new group – small as it currently is, and containing as it does some undeniably unsavoury elements – could grow to provide a powerful voice for Europeans, particularly East and Central Europeans, who are uncomfortable with the federalist project and with the Franco-German preponderance in the EU, and who staunchly support the US alliance. It is to be hoped that this new group will serve as a building block for a new, alternative European project in keeping with Cameron’s professed vision of ‘progressive conservatism’, and not as a haven for European reactionaries.
Update: Stephen Pollard has written a convincing defence of Kaminski from the charge of anti-Semitism.
Hat tip: Dave Weeden, Aaronovitch Watch.
Hat tip:
Friday, 31 July 2009 Posted by Marko Attila Hoare | European Union | AKP, Alessandra Mussolini, Angela Merkel, Augusto Pinochet, Christian Democratic Union, Civic Democratic Party, Civic Platform, Council of Europe, Czech Republic, David Cameron, Democratic Party of Serbia, European Conservatives and Reformists, European Parliament, European People's Party, Fair Russia, Fortress Europe, Georgia, Gerhard Schroeder, Gianfranco Fini, Gordon Brown, Greece, Hafez al-Assad, Italy, Jedwabne, Just Russia, Justice and Development Party, Kurds, Law and Justice Party, Macedonia, Michal Kaminski, NATO, Nicolas Sarkozy, Northern Alliance, Poland, Rodina, Russia, Silvio Berlusconi, Social Democratic Party, Socialist Group, Stefan Niesiolowski, Taliban, Turkey, Ukraine, Union for a Popular Movement, Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Vojislav Kostunica | Leave a comment
Greenland moves toward independence – who’s afraid of ‘separatism’ ?
Yesterday, Kalaallit Nunaat – Greenland – moved a step closer toward independence from Denmark. The Arctic country has become a subject in its own right under international law; its language, Kalaallisut, has become the sole official language; and it is taking over control of its own police and judiciary, as well as greater control over its natural resources. This move was based on a referendum that took place in November, in which 75% of Greenlandic voters opted in favour.
The festivities in the Greenlandic capital of Nuuk marking yesterday’s event were attended by Denmark’s Queen Margrethe and its prime minister, Lars Loekke Rasmussen. For the Greenlanders are fortunate in having, in Denmark, one of the world’s most enlightened imperial overlords. This is the same Denmark that has proven a staunch member of the allied coalition in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the object of Islamist hatred over the Danish cartoon controversy. We may compared Denmark’s enlightened readiness to permit the peaceful secession of one of its territories and its sterling record as a member of the Western alliance, with the sorry record of Spain, Slovakia and Romania. These countries’ exaggerated fears of ‘separatism’ have led them, despite being members of NATO, to break ranks with most of the rest of the alliance to oppose Kosova’s independence from Serbia, and to align themselves instead with hostile Russia. Denmark, the more enlightened country on the issue of national self-determination, is the better member of the Western alliance.
Denmark’s ready acceptance of Greenland’s right to secede is in keeping with a proud Nordic tradition of enlightened resolution of national questions. Norway seceded peacefully from Sweden in 1905, as did Iceland from Denmark in 1944. Territorial disputes between Sweden and Finland over the Aland Islands in the 1920s and between Denmark and Norway over eastern Greenland in the 1930s were peacefully resolved by international arbitration. Finland granted autonomy to the Aland Islands in 1920; Denmark to Greenland in 1979, allowing the latter to secede from the EU in 1985.
The contrast between the enlightened Nordic acceptance of the right of nations to self-determination on the one hand, and the nationalist resistance to ‘separatism’ on the part of Spain, Slovakia and Romania on the other, is not unrelated to the fact that, whereas Denmark has a long history of liberal constitutional government, Spain was still a dictatorship less than thirty-five years ago; Slovakia and Romania twenty years ago. Spain’s continued refusal to recognise the right of the Basque Country and Catalonia to self-determination is a continuation, in softer form, of the repression of these countries by the fascist dictatorship of Francisco Franco. For their part, Slovakia and Romania have been among the most unreconstructed of the former Eastern bloc countries to join NATO and the EU.
Further still from the Danish ideal of tolerance of secession are repressive states with ruling ideologies hostile to liberal democratic Western values, such as Russia, Iran and China. These states rely on massive violence or forced assimilation to crush subject peoples. They are able to do this precisely because they reject Western values. Equally, as they are unconstrained by concern for human rights, they are ready to support other states that brutally suppress subject peoples. Thus, on 27 May of this year, Russia and China were among those members of the United Nations Human Rights Council that voted for a resolution in praise of Sri Lanka’s brutal campaign against the Tamil Tigers, who are fighting for a separate Tamil state, while Britain, France, Germany and other democratic states voted against. Other states that voted for the resolution included Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Egypt, Nigeria, the degree of whose concern for human rights is suggested by their alignment on this question.
The reality is that, by and large, the more enlightened and democratic a state is, the more ready it will be to accept the secession of a constituent territory or subject people. Conversely, the more repressive and undemocratic a state is, the less willing it will be to countenance such a move, and the more ready it will be to support the brutal suppression of such a move by another such state. It is very possible that Scotland will eventually secede from the United Kingdom; conceivable that Wales will do so, or that Puerto Rico will secede from the US. But while we Britons and Americans may or may not hope against such acts of secession, few of us are enraged by the prospect.
This being so, it is not in the interests of the Western alliance rigidly to uphold the principle that subject peoples should not be allowed to secede unilaterally from existing independent states. Western respect for human rights means that Western states will never be able to support acts of repression by other states against subject peoples as unequivocally as our undemocratic enemies, while even moderate Western expressions of concern at human rights abuses committed during such acts of repression will earn us the ire of the states in question. Western support for Russia against Chechen rebels during the 1990s did not earn us any Russian gratitude, but Western criticism of Russian human-rights abuses in Chechnya certainly earned us Russian ire. Meanwhile, Russia’s crushing of Chechnya strengthened its grip on the Caucasus region, making possible the assault on our Georgian ally last summer. Simply put, Western support for Russia against Chechnya was a blunder; the democratic world should have recognised Chechnya’s independence in 1991, alongside the Soviet republics that declared independence at the same time. Equally, in the event that democratic Taiwan should declare independence from Communist China, while we may regret the clash with the latter that this will inevitably occasion, support for Taiwan would be the only honourable policy. In supporting Kosova’s secession from Serbia, Western statesmen have erred in pretending that this instance of secession is unique. Erred both because it is factually untrue that Kosovo is a unique case, and because pretending that it is will only tie our hands in the future, when dealing with states ruled by hostile, repressive regimes carrying out acts of mass violence against subject peoples.
Genuine democracies have nothing to fear from ‘separatism’; dictatorships and other repressive states do. It is time to accept the principle that, in certain circumstances, subject peoples should be permitted to secede unilaterally from a parent state. Such circumstances might include those where the subject people in question has suffered particularly extreme persecution, or conversely where it has proved itself worthy through practising good, democratic governance. Should they ever choose to exercise this right, the people of Darfur would qualify under the first condition; the Taiwanese under the second. Other conditions or combinations thereof might also warrant qualification. Kosova, for example, qualified not only because of the extreme persecution its people had suffered under Serbian rule, but also because of the constitutional status the territory had enjoyed in the former Yugoslavia. The question of whether a subject people has earned the right to secede should ultimately be decided in the court of public opinion in the democratic world.
But this does not mean that every secessionist movement or act should be supported indiscriminately – far from it. For the right of nations to self-determination is open to abuse. There are cases where an expansionist, predatory state conquers part of a neighbour’s territory, using the pretext of support for a national minority; the predatory state then ethnically cleanses the unwanted population from the conquered territory, creates an artificial demographic majority in favour of ‘independence’, then declares that this artificial majority has the right to ‘self-determination’. This is what Serbia did in Bosnia, Turkey in Cyprus and Russia in Abkhazia. There are cases where the population of a territory is split relatively evenly between supporters and opponents of secession, or where the secessionists are in the minority.
Clearly, in such cases, support for the right to secede should not be the default position. Rather, each demand for secession has to be judged individually, on its own merits – like a case in court. The example most often cited by opponents of national self-determination is that of the southern US states’ attempted secession in the 1860s; as this secession was motivated by the desire to preserve the barbaric institution of slavery, it is not an example that can be used to deny the right to secede to secessionist peoples with more legitimate motives.
The very real possibility that the democratic world might intervene to support a secessionist movement on its territory would act as an incentive for repressive states, both to improve their treatment of their subject peoples and to lessen their hostility to the democratic world. The possibility of losing Darfur would be likely to act as a greater deterrent to Khartoum’s genocidal policies there than the toothless indictments of the International Criminal Court. Conversely, where it is a case of a repressive state allied to the West, pressure to reform would take a different form. Because Turkey is a member of NATO and an EU candidate country, there is no possibility that the Western alliance will intervene militarily to end Turkey’s rule over its Kurdish-inhabited regions; Turkey’s territorial integrity is therefore secure. But the ‘price’ that Turkey pays for this is that it is required to improve its treatment of its Kurds and its human-rights’ record generally – something that, over the past decade, it has actually done. So long as Turkey continues to democratise, Kurdish support for secession is likely to wane, or at least to be increasingly channelled away from support for violent insurgency to support for peaceful, constitutional nationalist parties.
As surely as night follows day, more peoples that today are unfree will join the ranks of the Eritreans, Croatians, Kosovars and others which have already seceded in recent decades after fighting bitter wars of independence. There is no point regretting this, or attempting to halt the process. The Western alliance should be on the right side of history.
Monday, 22 June 2009 Posted by Marko Attila Hoare | Denmark, Greenland | Abkhazia, Aland Islands, Chechnya, China, Cyprus, Darfur, Finland, Francisco Franco, Iceland, International Criminal Court, Iran, Kalaallit Nunaat, Khartoum, Kosovo, Kurds, Lars Loekke Rasmussen, national self-determination, NATO, Norway, Nuuk, Puerto Rico, Queen Margrethe, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Taiwan, Tamil Tigers, Tamils, Turkey, UNHCR, Wales | Leave a comment
We must defend our Britain and our immigrants from the fascist menace
Today is a day of national shame for Britain: the fascist ‘British National Party’ (BNP) has won two seats in the European parliament, and 6.6% of the national vote. Led by the Holocaust-denying Nazi sympathiser Nick Griffin, who won one of the two seats, the BNP is an all-white party that calls for an immediate halt to all immigration to the UK and the repatriation of existing legal immigrants through ‘a system of voluntary resettlement’. It claims to be defending the British nation and the culture and interests of the ‘indigenous population’.
Of couse, the BNP vision of Britain is inrecognisable to any civilised British person. It is a vision of troglodytes and swamp-dwellers who still live fifty years or more in the past and are incapable of coming to terms with the reality of the twenty-first century multiethnic Britain that most of us are at home in and comfortable with. I grew up in London, and went to school in an inner-city comprehensive, where the children spoke 51 different first languages. In my first year at school, as far as I can remember, roughly three-quarters of the children were from partially or wholly non-white or immigrant families. And the proportion only increased. For the most part, the difference between a native and an immigrant in London is blurred or non-existent, and for most of us Londoners, almost everyone we know and love is at least party immigrant in their origins. A foreigner arrives here and, within a year or less, becomes a Londoner. It is the great, constantly changing ethnic mix of London, with new ethnic groups and individuals arriving continuously from all over the world, that makes this such an exciting, dynamic city to live in. An all-white Britain would be an alien world for Londoners, or for the inhabitants of any town or city in the country.
So when the fascists or their fellow-travellers say that immigration is ‘destroying traditional British culture’, they are lying. As a Londoner born and bred, I think I would know if my traditional culture were being destroyed by immigrants. And guess what ? It isn’t. The British culture that I grew up with is a culture that is inseparable from multiethicity, constantly rejuvenated by new waves of immigrants. What a joy it is, to discover the Nigerian community in Peckham, or the South Asian community in Alperton; to hear regularly Russian and Polish in the streets; to eat Somali and Eritrean food ! The Notting Hill Carnival takes place every summer in Notting Hill, the traditional centre of West Indian life in London, where I grew up, and has been running for fifty years. Inspired by the annual carnival in Trinidad and launched in response to the Notting Hill race riots of 1958 – themselves incited by an earlier generation of fascists – it is an integral part of London’s cultural life. Without immigration, we would not have it. Ending immigration – were it possible – would prevent the emergence of other such cultural phenomena in the future.
This is not to agree with those ‘politically correct’ types who, in their cultural relativism, embrace a form of self-hating anti-white racism that is not much better than the racism of the BNP. There is not a ‘white culture’, ‘black culture’, ‘Asian culture’. etc.; there is our single, great British culture, in all its glorious, constantly evolving diversity. The cultural synthesis between ‘indigenous’ Britons and immigrants works both ways. It is not just a question of indigenous Britons benefiting culturally from immigration, but also of immigrants benefiting from contact with our great British culture. Every time a woman from Pakistan or Turkey, for example, takes advantage of British freedom to escape from an unwanted arranged marriage or oppressive and sexist parents and pursue her life as a free individual; every time Tamil, Tibetan or Chechen dissidents demonstrate here against regimes that persecutes their people back home, that is a triumph for Britain and something of which we should be proud. Immigrants are fuel for Britain’s economic and cultural growth; and Britain is a place of personal and political liberation for immigrants from less free societies.
The fascists would like to destroy our London and our Britain, and to substitute for them a London and a Britain based on uniformity; a uniformity based on the most retrograde and primitive elements of our ‘indigenous’ society. Such a Britain would be impossible to create, of couse, and the very attempt would necessarily involve pogroms and bloodshed on a scale never witnessed here before. To destroy London’s Arab Bayswater, Portuguese Golborne Road, Bengali Brick Lane, Soho Chinatown and so on, would be to destroy the whole city; an experiment in totalitarian violence of the kind practised by the Nazis and Communists. Nor would it stop there. Keeping ‘British culture’ uncontaminated by foreign influences would presumably mean keeping the British people hermetically sealed from the rest of the world: no pizzas or curries for us; no American music or films; no French or Italian clothes; no Japanese electronic goods. British culture cannot be separated from global culture, and only the most medieval of barbarians would try to do so.
There are appeasers who say that the mainstream parties should steal the fascists’ thunder by adopting the fascists’ own policies on immigration. If Labour or the Conservatives became more like the BNP, there would be no need for racists to vote BNP ! This is in fact a very good reason why the mainstream parties should never allow the fascists to dictate our immigration polices: it would involved the fascisisation of British mainstream politics. If racists want to vote for a fascist party, they should be allowed to do so. However disgusting it is to think of it, they too are part of our nation. The worst part of our nation should be able to vote for the party that represents their loathsome, primitive worldview. This party may grow or shrink, but it will always remain a minority party. Meanwhile, Labour and the Conservatives will remain uncontaminated by the fascist disease.
But that does not mean that anti-fascists should remain idle, and allow the BNP to grow to the point where it does serious damage to our multiethnic society. The Labour government deserves praise for having pursued a liberal immigration regime, and allowing unprecedented numbers of immigrants to arrive here and contribute to Britain’s economy and society; it deserves praise for putting our economic and cultural interests above any temptation to appeal to the racist vote. But it also deserves criticism for not being more forthright in countering the scaremongering propaganda propounded by the Daily Mail and other tabloid newspapers, which boost their sales by playing upon the fears of ordinary British people. Just as the popular press in recent years manufactured a hysteria about paedophiles, to the point where entirely innocent people were assaulted by thugs or even falsely imprisoned in the belief that they were child-abusers, so it has helped to generate hysteria about mass immigration.
British mainstream politicians and all anti-fascists need to counter the xenophobic lies. They need to stress the contribution that hard-working immigrants make to the British economy, and the economic damage that attempts to restrict immigration would cause. They need to stress the dangers that forcing immigrants underground involves; the slavery and sexual exploitation of vulnerable young people from abroad; the loss in tax revenues from the creation of an illegal economy; the attendant rise in organised crime. For a modern capitalist economy needs to be able to import labour that cannot be provided by domestic sources; there may be native unemployed, but these very often are unwilling to do the jobs that immigrants do. We must challenge the lie that ‘immigration causes racism’: the London region, which receives a massively disproportionate share of the nation’s immigration, gave only 4.94% of its votes to the BNP; considerably fewer than the national total of 6.6%, and fewer than most other regions of the country.
So stand up for the new, exciting, diverse, forward-looking Britain against the Britain of decay, decline, uniformity, bigotry and fear. The fascists’ version of ‘British culture’ is dying. Good. Ours just keeps getting better.
Monday, 8 June 2009 Posted by Marko Attila Hoare | BNP, London | Brick Lane, Chechens, Chinatown, Daily Mail, Fascism, Golborne Road, Immigration, Nick Griffin, Notting Hill, Notting Hill Carnival, Pakistan, Peckham, Racism, Tamils, Tibetans, Trinidad, Turkey | 3 Comments
It is a mistake to pretend that Kosova is unique
Most of us can probably remember, at least once in our lives, asking some apparatchik something along the lines of ‘Couldn’t you please, please make an exception, just this once ?’ and getting the reply: ‘I can’t do that ! If I made an exception for you, I’d have to make an exception for everybody. It’d be more than my job’s worth.’ You and the apparatchik both know that he could perfectly well make an exception for you if he wanted to. But you also both know that he is right in saying that there is nothing special about you, and that you are not uniquely worthy of being treated as an exception. The question is: does he like you or doesn’t he ?
Similarly, trying to pretend that recognising Kosova’s unilateral secession from Serbia is legitimate on the grounds that it is wholly unique and without precedent in international relations is unconvincing, firstly because it isn’t true, and secondly because it begs the question: if it can happen once, can it not happen twice or multiple times ? To which the only reasonable answer is: yes. There may very well be occasions in the future when the Western alliance will be forced to recognise an act of unilateral secession by a subject people and territory from the state that rules them. Everybody knows this is entirely possible, and pretending it isn’t simply destroys the credibility of those who do.
Of course, the reason our officials and statesmen are pretending that Kosova is a unique case is in order to avoid scaring away other countries from recognising Kosova’s independence; countries they fear might otherwise worry a precedent were being established that could be applied to a secessionist region or nationality of their own. But this calculation, too, is misguided, because a) it rests upon a fallacy, and b) it represents a bad geopolitical tactic. We shall briefly explain the fallacy, before focusing on the bigger question of why the tactic is a bad one.
a) It is fallacy to point to Kosova as a precedent, because if a precedent has been established, it was established long before Kosova’s independence was recognised. It was certainly established by the early 1990s, when all the members of the former multinational federations of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia who wanted independence were granted it – except Kosova. This was despite the fact that in the case of Yugoslavia, the federal members that declared independence had done so unilaterally, without the consent of either the federal centre, or of all other members of the federation. There is absolutely no reason why the recognition of Kosova’s independence should not be treated as essentially the same as that of Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Macedonia. In contrast to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, for example, which were not members of the Soviet Union but simply autonomous entities within Georgia, Kosova was a full member of the Yugoslav federation in its own right, independently of the fact that it was also an entity within Serbia. As a member of the defunct Yugoslav federation, Kosova was entitled to self-determination after the dissolution of that federation had been internationally recognised, and after other members of the federation had been accorded that right.
More generally, the former Yugoslav states are far from the first unilaterally seceding entities to be accorded international recognition – think of France’s recognition of the US in 1778 and Britain’s recognition of Bangladesh in 1972.
b) There is no need to pretend that Kosova is a unique case to avoid scaring other states away from recognising its independence, for the simple reason that, when all is said and done, other states’ policies on whether or not to recognise Kosova are really not determined by fear of Kosova becoming a precedent – even if these states are faced with separatist threats of their own. Turkey, faced with a very real Kurdish separatist insurgency and bitterly opposed to the secession of Nagorno Karabakh from its traditional ally, Azerbaijan, was nevertheless one of the first states to recognise Kosova’s independence. Turkey has also promoted the break-up of Cyprus, via the unilateral secession of the self-proclaimed ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’. Russia, which vocally opposes the independence of Kosova, which is faced with secessionist movements within its own borders and which brutally crushed Chechnya’s bid for independence, has nevertheless simultaneously promoted the unilateral secession of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from Georgia. India, which likewise opposes Kosova’s independence and likewise faces secessionist movements within its own borders, was instrumental in achieving Bangladesh’s unilateral secession from Pakistan. In other words, states which might be seen as having as much reason as most to fear a ‘Kosovo precedent’ being established are quite ready to support unilateral acts of secession when they feel it is in their interests to do so.
It might be objected that the states in question are all powerful enough to feel confident that they can crush any secessionist movement they face. Yet fragile Macedonia, which fought an armed conflict with Albanian separatists earlier this decade, and which might have more reason than almost any state to fear a ‘Kosovo precedent’, has recognised Kosova. Fear of the ‘Kosovo precedent’ is not, therefore, a decisive factor in a state’s decision on whether or not to recognise Kosova’s independence (we can make an exception here for states such as Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova that are currently in a state of territorial dismemberment, and that, were they to recognise Kosova, might conceivably suffer retaliation in kind from Belgrade or Moscow)
It may be that, all things being equal, a state faced with a secessionist movement of its own is more likely to sympathise with Belgrade than with Pristina. In one or two cases, such as Spain’s, this sympathy may be electorally significant enough to sway the course of its foreign policy. But so far as almost all non-recognisers are concerned, other factors count for more: a state is likely to oppose Kosova’s independence if it is hostile to the West (Russia, Iran, Venezuela); if it has traditionally enjoyed good relations with Belgrade (Greece, Egypt, Indonesia); or if it simply sees no particular interest in recognising it. All these factors are reasons why it is not only pointless, but actually counter-productive to pander to the opponents of recognition by reassuring them that Kosova is a unique case and will not become a precedent.
As things stand, rogue states have no reason to fear that the international community will ever grant independence to secessionist territories. They therefore enjoy a virtual carte blanche to suppress secessionist movements or other rebellions as brutally as they wish. None of the forms of deterrent threatened against or exerted on the Sudanese regime, from sanctions to international war-crimes indictments, appears to have cooled its bloodlust with regard to Darfur. But were Khartoum to fear that its genocidal actions might potentially result in the loss of territory, it might be less inclined to pursue them. The Western alliance would enjoy that much more leeway in exerting pressure over a rogue state such as Sudan.
Conversely, a close ally such as Turkey, which faces a genuine secessionist insurgency, knows very well that the Western states will never make it the victim of such a precedent: everyone knows that Turkish Kurdistan is not going to be liberated by NATO, as Kosova was; a ‘Kosovo precedent’ will not frighten states like Turkey. But this does not mean that such states can get away with indiscriminate brutality with impunity. Turkey’s treatment of its Kurdish population has dramatically improved over the last ten years, as Ankara’s goal of EU membership has required it to improve its human rights record. Just as NATO acted as the bad cop over Serbia and Kosova, so the EU has acted as the good cop over Turkey and the Kurds. Western allies can be guided toward ending repression and discrimination against national minorities, reducing the appeal of violent separatist movements. Rogue states, on the other hand, should have reason to fear that their brutality may potentially result in a loss of territory. For all states that abuse the human rights of their national minorities, this is a healthy choice to be faced with.
This does not, of course, mean that the Western alliance should indiscriminately threaten states that abuse human rights with territorial penalties. Rather, the ‘Kosovo precedent’ could function rather like the nuclear deterrent, i.e. deter more by its potential than by its actual application, and by its occasional application against only the worst offenders: as was Milosevic’s Serbia; as is Bashir’s Sudan. Nor would a ‘Kosovo precedent’ mean a free-for-all for all secessionist movements. There is a lot of space between the untenable pretense that Kosova is ‘unique’ and the rather comic nightmare-scenario threatened by Kosova’s enemies: of innumerable separatist territories all over the world responding to Kosova’s independence by trying to become Kosovas themselves. Kosova itself, after all, was scarcely given red-carpet treatment by the Western alliance in its move to independence: a decade elapsed between Milosevic’s brutal suppression of its autonomy and its liberation by NATO; almost another decade elapsed between liberation and the recognition of its independence, during which time it was forced to endure international administration and engage in exhaustive negotiations with its former oppressor. Even now, Kosova is still faced with a very real threat of permanent territorial partition, as the Serbs maintain their hold on the north of the country. The Kosova model may not prove as straightforwardly attractive for other potential secessionists as the Cassandras claim.
Kosova’s independence was recognised as the result of a confluence of multiple factors: its existence as an entity in its own right within the Yugoslav federation; its overwhelmingly non-Serb, ethnic-Albanian population; the brutality of Belgrade’s treatment of this population; the unwillingness of the Milosevic regime to reach an accommodation with the Western alliance over the issue, following on from its years of trouble-making in Croatia and Bosnia; the unwillingness or inability of post-Milosevic Serbia in the 2000s to reach agreement with the Kosovars; and the simple lack of any workable alternative to independence. These were an exceptional set of circumstances. The truth is, that it is possible to envisage a similar set of circumstances leading the Western alliance to recognise the independence of another secessionist territory in the future. Sometimes it is better to tell the truth.
Sunday, 31 May 2009 Posted by Marko Attila Hoare | Balkans, Former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Serbia | Bangladesh, Caucasus, Chechnya, Cyprus, Darfur, EU, Former Soviet Union, Genocide, Georgia, India, Kurds, Macedonia, NATO, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, Pakistan, Russia, Slobodan Milosevic, Spain, Turkey | Leave a comment
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Hurricane Irma damage in St Thomas. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Climate Desk
Hurricanes drove more than 1,000 medical evacuees from the Virgin Islands. Many can’t go home.
By Megan Jula on Jun 3, 2018
This story was originally published by Mother Jones and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
Aurio Correa entered the hospital on the island of St. Thomas last August to prepare for knee surgery. The 89-year-old Virgin Islander had Alzheimer’s disease and dementia but was otherwise in good health for his age, according to his daughter, Luz Correa Chesterfield.
Before he could have the surgery at Schneider Regional Medical Center, Hurricane Irma struck the U.S. Virgin Islands in the early hours of Sept. 6. The Category 5 hurricane ripped through the island territory, which includes St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, and several minor Caribbean islands, with winds reaching 185 miles per hour.
The islands’ emergency plan was for patients and vulnerable people like Correa to shelter in place when the hurricane made landfall. But the storm badly damaged the two hospitals on the islands. “We had no idea the type of devastation that was going to occur to our hospitals and other clinical facilities,” USVI Health Commissioner Michelle Davis says.
With its healthcare system crippled, the Virgin Islands government, along with federal relief agencies, decided to move patients. Correa was flown to nearby Puerto Rico. Less than two weeks later, with Hurricane Maria approaching, some of the medical evacuees were moved again, this time to the mainland.
In total, more than 1,000 medical evacuees have been sent off the Virgin Islands, including critically ill patients, dialysis patients, people in nursing homes, and their caregivers, Davis says. The National Disaster Medical System, a federally coordinated partnership between the Departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, helped cover the cost of care and housing for 803 of the evacuees. The costs for the other 200 individuals have been picked up by the government, private insurance, or other sources, Davis says, and medical evacuations are still ongoing.
The majority of medical evacuees were sent to Atlanta, with some elsewhere on the mainland or in Puerto Rico. Nine months after Hurricane Irma, the whereabouts of many medical evacuees are unknown. And the Virgin Islands, still struggling to rebuild in the aftermath of the hurricanes, can’t accommodate all of those who want to come back home.
Only 147 individuals taken off the islands remain under the government’s care, Davis says, while 51 have passed away. The rest have left the emergency healthcare system. “We are checking up on as many evacuees as we can find,” she says.
Iffat Walker, a Virgin Islander and founder of the civic action group Community Action NOW, has been volunteering to help the dozens of medical evacuees sent to Georgia. She calls their arrival a disaster. “Everything was disjointed,” she says. “We have been more involved in this process than the Virgin Islands government, and that is shameful.”
Some evacuees arrived without identification or medical records. Their paperwork was carried in plastic pouches around their necks. “They were being moved in rain, in windy conditions, and many of them lost their medical records,” Walker says. “A lot of them came here with no shoes, only the clothes on their backs, and no identification.”
Davis, whose department was involved in orchestrating the evacuations, says it’s true that some evacuees arrived without their records. “We were just trying to get people out of here,” she says. “Some had clothing, some had money, some had medical records, some didn’t.”
Eva Davis, a 61-year-old from St. Croix, was airlifted to Atlanta in November. Davis (no relation to the health commissioner) was showing signs of rejecting a kidney transplant she had received years earlier and couldn’t get the treatment she needed on the island. After spending a week at a hospital in Atlanta, she now lives in a hotel paid for by the U.S. government. Next month, she plans to leave the hotel and stay with family in North Carolina. “They wanted me to get out of here earlier,” she says. “It’s been stressful, but I am just thankful that I have someplace to stay.” As with other medical evacuees waiting to return home, her house is still damaged from the storms, and there are few affordable places available to rent on the island.
“They all want to go home,” Walker says. “But it is not safe medically for them to go home.”
The islands’ only hospitals are currently offering “less than 40 to 60 percent of their services,” MichelleDavis estimates. On the largest island, St. Croix, the roof of Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center was nearly destroyed during the hurricanes, and the building was badly damaged. The hospital can’t do any high-level surgeries or dialysis, and only a fraction of the beds in its emergency room are available, according to Davis. The only other hospital on the U.S. Virgin Islands, Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas, suffered major structural damage and can provide only limited inpatient care, emergency services, and dialysis.
A Kaiser Family Foundation report six months after the storms found that many healthcare providers were migrating off the islands, and more than 170 employees had left Schneider Regional Medical Center. Many private providers have closed, according to the report.
This year’s hurricane season started on Friday, though the strongest storms tend to hit the Caribbean in late summer and fall. “We are going into the new hurricane season with hospitals that are in worse shape than before Maria and Irma,” says USVI Senator Nereida Rivera-O’Reilly. “The situation before the hurricanes was pretty bad. Since the hurricanes, it has gotten worse. As of today, it’s abysmal.”
O’Reilly said some evacuees have also been forced to go back to the islands even though their homes are damaged. “Every day, our office fields calls from the medical evacuees or a relative,” she says. “Yesterday, we got a call from a dialysis patient who is going to be sent back home.”
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The territory’s governor, Kenneth Mapp, has said both hospitals will probably need to be torn down and rebuilt, though a Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesperson said in an email that the agency is still working with the USVI government to “determine the best course of action.” Portable hospital units and dialysis trailers were supposed to be ready before hurricane season. The temporary facilities, which could help avoid off-island evacuations and allow more patients to come home, are now more likely to be ready by late summer or fall, according to Davis. “Basically, our entire public health and health care system was devastated, and the length of time it has taken us to acquire our temporary facilities was much longer than anticipated,” she says.
After the hurricanes, more than 33,000 of the territory’s 103,000 residents applied for assistance from FEMA. As of March, U.S. agencies had spent $800 million on the Virgin Islands’ recovery.
For this upcoming hurricane season, FEMA and the USVI are drafting response procedures, including a medical evacuation plan that has yet to be released. Governor Mapp said at a meeting with territory officials last month that evacuating Virgin Islanders to Puerto Rico is no longer an option because the island “is still struggling, and we need to ensure our patients will get the best care.”
“If we ever have to have this type of mass evacuation again, we are thinking that it may run a little more smoothly working with the states than with the federal government,” Davis says. “The federal plan and playbook are not written for territories. They are written for those contiguous 48. When you are a territory surrounded by water, everything has to be shipped in and flown in.”
As for Aurio Correa, his daughter said at a USVI Senate hearing on medical evacuees in April that her father “was treated like an animal” when he was sent to Puerto Rico.
When she visited her dad, his body was covered in bed sores and his own feces. He was still wearing the same red shirt her family dressed him in days before. A few months later, he passed away. “Up to this day, they can’t tell us exactly when my dad died,” she said.
She begged lawmakers and health and hospital officials at the hearing to do better.
“When the next hurricane season comes around, please have a good plan,” Correa Chesterfield said. “Don’t let our loved ones suffer like they did.”
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Gabon has been controlled by the Gabonese Democratic Party since 1960, and has had only three presidents.
Current President Ali Bongo was sworn in for a second seven-year term in September 2016, after Gabon's constitutional court upheld his narrow victory in a bitterly disputed election. Bongo took over from his father, Omar Bongo, who ruled Gabon for 42 years until his death in 2009. The president is the head of state and has the power to appoint, as well as dismiss, the prime minister, members of their cabinet, and supreme court judges. Additionally, the president has the power to dissolve Gabon’s National Assembly, call a new election, govern by presidential decree, and delay any legislation.
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PARTY REPRESENTATION
Due to this executive power and the abolition of presidential term limits in 2003, Gabon has only had three presidents since its independence from France in 1961.
The ruling Bongo family has exerted almost complete control over Gabonese politics, the economy, and civil society since 1967, and is notorious for treating the national treasury like a private bank account, skimming off as much as 25% of the nation’s GDP for personal use.
SENATE PARTY REPRESENTATION
The judiciary in Gabon has often been accused of being strongly influenced by the executive branch. Gabon’s highest court, the Constitutional Court, consists of nine judges, three of whom are appointed by the president. The Court evaluates the validity of any laws and is expected to guarantee fundamental human rights and public freedoms - yet this is often not the case.
CAPITAL: LIBREVILLE
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: FRENCH
GOVERNMENT: PRESIDENTIAL REPUBLIC
RULING PARTY: GABONESE DEMOCRATIC PARTY (GDP)
PRESIDENT: ALI BONGO ONDIMBA
IN POWER SINCE: OCTOBER 16, 2009
LEGAL SYSTEM: MIX OF FRENCH CIVIL LAW AND CUSTOMARY LAW
Ritual crimes, and restrictions on the freedoms of association and expression constitute the greatest threats to human rights in Gabon.
RITUAL CRIMES
In 2005 Jean Elvis Ebang Ondo, the founder and head of the Association for Combating Ritual Crimes, lost his 12 year old son to a ritual murder in which his eyes, tongue, and genitals were removed.
The phenomenon of ritual crimes, in which children, women, and men are killed for the harvesting of their organs, remains common practice in Gabon. The practice consists of the removal of organs such as the eyes, tongue, ears, breasts, and genitals, as well as the complete draining of the victim's blood, all while the victim is still alive.
Ritual crimes are committed by people in search of power, wealth, or celebrity status and tend to increase substantially during election periods.
In 2016, only about sixty victims were registered by the ACRC; however, mutilated bodies are found every week throughout Gabon. The government does little to help combat the practice. Protests against ritual killings have been dispersed by tear gas, and several rights group leaders have been arrested by the security forces.
The assassin and the sponsor of the ritual crime are very rarely arrested. Furthermore, any judicial proceedings are constrained by threats and pressures against the victim’s family, corruption in the prosecutor’s office, the excessive cost of autopsies, disagreements over the burden of proof, and the lack of modern tools for investigators to do their work.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND BELIEF
Press freedom is a right protected under Gabon’s constitution. However, the government, under the National Communications Council (NCC), has the ability to censor news outlets that “disrupt public order.” Moreover, reporters accused of libel and defamation are subject to lengthy prison sentences. Although newspapers, privately owned or affiliated with the government, have criticized the government in the past, rigorous self censorship remains common practice.
Similarly, opposition members are routinely arrested arbitrarily without warrants for protesting the government’s conduct or disputed election results.
The right to associate with anyone and to gather peacefully in public is a human right. Freedom of assembly and association is legally protected in Gabon. Nevertheless, protests have to be approved by the government and the government’s security apparatus has violently suppressed protests on numerous occasions, often using tear gas to disperse crowds.
HRF and Gabon
In July 2015, HRF drew major global attention to human rights violations and corruption in Gabon, by exposing a PR trip by Argentine football star Lionel Messi, who was personally invited by the dictator Ali Bongo. HRF condemned the visit of the world famous athlete and UNICEF ambassador for children’s rights—who helped whitewash a tyrant. By drawing attention to Messi’s visit, HRF sparked a global conversation on the little known crimes of the Gabonese dictatorship, educating millions of people through popular culture and mainstream media in more than a dozen languages. Two weeks after the trip and under media pressure, , Messi donated $500,000 to UNICEF.
Marc Ona Essangui is the president and founder of Brainforest and Environment Gabon, two organizations focused on sustainable development in Gabon.
In 2007, Ona uncovered plans between the Gabonese government and a Chinese company for a 3.5 billion USD mining project, which had been completely hidden from the Gabonese public. The estimated environmental impacts of the project were severe, and the company would have received a 25-year tax break, with little money going to the Gabonese people. Thanks to Ona’s efforts, the project is currently on hold. He continues to expose corruption in Gabon, even after being sentenced to six months in prison in 2013 for defaming a senior advisor to President Ali Bongo Ondimba.
Brainforest is an NGO that works to address environmental issues in Gabon through field support and policy monitoring.
Its philosophy revolves around the interdependence of environmental and social problems, the inclusion of local populations—the Bantu and "Pygmy" Indigenous Communities—with recognition and advancement of their rights, and the promotion of community development.
Your Human Rights Guides is a project of the Human Rights Foundation. HRF is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes and protects human rights globally, with a focus on closed societies. HRF unites people in the common cause of defending human rights and promoting liberal democracy. Our mission is to ensure that freedom is both preserved and promoted around the world.
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The fight against white supremacy & for solidarity in the U.S. South
Posted in Racism & Oppression
By Loan Tran
The Sixth International Assembly of the International League of People’s Struggles took place in Hong Kong June 23-26. Founded in 2001, ILPS is a coalition of more than 200 anti-imperialist mass organizations from around the world that “promotes, supports and develops the struggles of the peoples of the world, including the workers, peasants, women, youth, professionals and other sectors of society against the ideological, political, military, economic, social and cultural domination and attacks of imperialism and reaction.” Loan Tran, who attended as a representative of the International Action Center, spoke at the assembly. Tran’s remarks, slightly edited, are presented below. For more information about ILPS, see ilps.info.
The U.S. South
I would like to focus specifically on the context of the U.S. South, with the understanding that the United States of AmeriKKKa is a prison house of nations. The whole of the U.S. is stolen and colonized Indigenous land. The South in particular was where the land was then toiled and developed for ruling-class profit by stolen, enslaved Africans at the start of the 17th century and Black sharecroppers by the mid-19th century.
Today, Black workers, along with more and more migrant workers from Latin America and the Caribbean, make up a significant portion of the labor force in the South as low-wage farm workers, fast food workers, domestic workers, city workers and incarcerated workers — whom we can also consider as part of what has developed as “surplus labor.”
It should come as no surprise that the South is the least unionized region of the country, where most states have made unionizing illegal. Still, many workers are able to organize through workers’ assemblies — such as the Southern Workers Assembly — and “social unions” in order to lift up demands for workers and oppressed people.
The South is also home to at least one-third of the population of LGBTQ people in the country, a majority of whom are also Black, Brown and Indigenous. LGBTQ people of color and LGBTQ workers face additional layers of challenges, not just in the workplace — if we are able to find work — but also within the movement, where marginalization of LGBTQ people often continues. That indicates the continued need to update whom we see as the “working class.”
In 2016, in North Carolina, a state law was passed criminalizing transgender people’s ability to access public facilities. The law also included preemptive measures preventing local city governments from setting minimum wage standards for contract workers; the law also made the process more difficult for workers to file lawsuits charging discrimination, without having to take it to the state level. The marrying of transphobia and homophobia to the attacks on labor and workers’ rights is a classic divide-and-conquer strategy. We saw this strategy duplicated in states across the South in the months that followed.
We often find the South characterized as inherently backwards, but on a very subjective basis. The material reality facing workers and oppressed people in the South includes public institutions that have been severely disinvested in, leaving working-class communities with little or no access to education, job programs, health care and more.
Racism and reactionary movements didn’t originate in the South because workers and oppressed people are less educated or inherently bigots; racism and reactionary movements get seeded in the South because it is an effective staging and containment ground for the ruling class in the U.S. and around the globe.
North Carolina, for example, is home to Fort Bragg, one of the largest military bases in the world. All along the southern coast, working people live with military bases right in their backyards and are surrounded by military propaganda and recruitment efforts that largely target poor, working-class Black and Brown people.
The military is presented as a viable option for economic security when the reality is that we have young people — new workers — who are left with very few options. The capitalist ruling class is then either building an army of surplus labor by holding oppressed people in cages or is building a literal army of surplus labor tasked with bombing and killing people in the Global South. It is often both.
It would be remiss of me not to speak briefly to the questions surrounding white workers and the growing debate within the revolutionary movement regarding whether or not any revolutionary potential exists in the U.S. The argument is often made that, no, this is not possible because all workers in the U.S. are settlers. At a very preliminary starting point, I want to argue that we must question this, considering Indigenous people are still fighting for their land, more and more people from the Global South are being forced north by U.S. imperialism, and Black people continue to be subject to slave-like conditions in the U.S.
This is just one of many contradictions that exist for the working-class movement in the U.S., and we must continue to seek out the best line that allows more class solidarity within the U.S. and with anti-imperialist struggles across the globe.
As materialists, we are tasked with organizing within the conditions as they exist. A key feature of the struggle in the U.S. is that we are contending with a multinational working class whose histories have developed side by side and often been a target of divide-and-conquer strategies — separating white workers from Black and migrant workers, and so on. There is much work to be done to clarify the common enemy and to build the organizing skills of the oppressed masses in order for there to be a movement capable of defeating racism and winning socialism.
The struggle against white supremacy
With this context in mind, the struggle against white supremacy is central to the class struggle being waged by workers and the oppressed in the U.S. It’s not just that one cannot happen without the other; it’s that, especially in the case of the U.S., these struggles are one and the same.
There are some concrete examples from recent years I would like to lift up. I would like to make a nod to the fervent efforts throughout the 1930s into the 1960s and 1970s, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement, where communists, and Black communists in particular, were waging revolutionary struggle to build unions, Black-white worker solidarity, and of course beating back racist segregation efforts, confronting the Ku Klux Klan and police alike — who were and are merely evolutions of slave patrols.
In 2016, following the shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, a 43-year-old Black father in Charlotte, N.C. — the masses poured into the streets under the banner of Black Lives Matter — which really took off with the killing of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014.
Charlotte is the third-largest banking city in the U.S., behind New York and San Francisco. It is home to headquarters for major banks like Bank of America and Wells Fargo, which in the 1980s and ‘90s made most of their money off predatory mortgages to Black homebuyers. Charlotte is often called the “Wall Street of the South.”
When the masses poured into the streets for Keith Lamont Scott, Charlotte became the first southern city where a major rebellion against police terror took place. This in and of itself is significant. What makes it even more significant is that these demonstrations took place for weeks in the heart of downtown, in front of the banks and corporations that fortify the inherent relationship between white supremacy and finance capital.
Demonstrators took to fighting the police directly, despite the cops’ expensive military-grade equipment, and destroyed bourgeois private property of the banks and hotels. It became clear — when the National Guard was called into North Carolina and directed to protect buildings by beating protesters and even killing another Black man, Justin Carr — just how effective a tool white supremacy is for capitalist interests.
One year later in 2017, following the election of the racist, misogynist, fascist pig Trump, hundreds of neo-Nazis and white supremacists descended on Charlottesville, Va., in an alleged effort to defend the statue of Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate States Army during the Civil War; a war not about states’ rights — as often told in bourgeois history — but a war of Southern Confederate states to defend their right to own slaves. Even deeper than that, it was a war between the competing interests of the slave-owning ruling class and the increasingly finance-backed and -industrialized ruling class.
Students from the university as well as organizers and activists from across the region showed up in Charlottesville to confront these racists. As some may know, the daylong clashes between anti-racist demonstrators and Klan members left one woman, Heather Heyer, dead from a car that ran into the crowd, along with many, many others who were brutally injured and hurt by Klan members and cops alike.
Two days later in Durham, N.C., in solidarity with Charlottesville, our comrades organized a demonstration in front of a Confederate monument which stood in front of the old courthouse. The monument was erected in 1924 — a period in which the Black community of Durham, much like in other cities across the country, such as Kansas City, had made significant economic and cultural advances.
The Confederate monument stood in front of the building that many Black people have to walk by each day. It stood as a message that they were not welcome there and that despite their successes in that town, white supremacy was still law and only white people would be allowed to benefit from capitalism.
In a tremendous show of people power, that Confederate monument was literally toppled in 2017 as hundreds chanted, “You can’t stop the revolution!”
The days and weeks that followed the monument toppling saw statues being torn down, removed, defaced and vandalized across the South — from Baltimore to New Orleans.
In response to this revolutionary wave across the region, the KKK openly called for a demonstration in Durham, N.C. Their numbers were small compared to the thousands of oppressed people who came out into the streets to confront them, while they were sheltered by the local police in the courthouse building.
We knew that this struggle was never just about statues: It was about using white supremacy as a tool for bourgeois-class rule. It was never about cheap pieces of metal or copper, it was about underscoring that there is a class which benefits from the exploitation, degradation and murder of another class. And to be clear, the class that benefits is very much the class founded by white, slave-owning men. The class that is exploited is very much made up of nationally oppressed workers.
We should consider the concentration camps at the U.S.-Mexico “border” a monument to white supremacy. We should consider the same of the prisons, of dilapidated public housing, of deadly manufacturing companies, of underfunded schools, of outdated and unkept public infrastructure from roads to the water pipes in Flint, Mich., for example. There Black communities are going on five years without clean drinking water. These are precisely the conditions needed to ensure that oppressed people do not rise up.
Those of us with alleged participation in the toppling of the monument in Durham waged a staunch campaign asserting that “fighting white supremacy is not a crime,” as we faced felony charges for this necessary action. We organized a People’s Tribunal Against White Supremacy where community members were able to testify about the real crimes taking place; attacks on workers, attacks on Black people, attacks on migrants, attacks on affordable housing, attacks on public education, and more.
So much of white supremacy is codified into the law. In this particular case, there was yet another preemption law that had been passed in 2015 preventing local government from removing Confederate monuments. It had to be approved by the state general assembly.
But just because something is law, clearly, as we know, doesn’t make it real. If anything, it reiterates to us whom the law is made for. Ultimately all the felony charges were dropped, but only because we organized a mass movement that was able to stand up and fight and draw on the decades and centuries of anti-racist organizing in the South against racism and white supremacy. If you break the so-called law, you must have the political cover and solidarity of a mass movement.
There are many challenges, of course, in building this kind of mass movement in the U.S. where more and more labor is atomized. And workers are largely alienated from each other as the result of the capitalist development of technology and an emerging “gig economy.” This muddies the role and responsibility of multinational corporations that are not seen as employers, but as simply service providers — like Uber or Lyft, for example.
There is not a coherent worker identity. Some of this incoherence is a result of a weak, mainstream, bureaucratic labor movement that continues to fall behind on updating its understanding of the working class and the need to integrate key struggles for national and social liberation. Some of this is a result of the deepening capitalist crisis which is quite literally killing people — whether the killers be politicians, police, landlords or bosses.
Building international solidarity
It would be naïve of us to believe that Trump’s administration alone has unleashed a new kind of white supremacy or has introduced this latest stage of capitalist decay. It is important to note, however, that he has encouraged a new level of uncensored white-supremacist violence that can only and will only benefit the capitalist ruling class, which is capable of creating its own laws and rules to serve its interests.
Trump’s blatantly white-supremacist remarks about im/migrants and Muslims and his blatant misogyny make him a convenient figurehead for the capitalists, who bank on violence against workers and oppressed people for their profit.
Any critique or analysis of Donald Trump as simply stupid or dumb is useless for building a revolutionary movement to resist him. It makes our task more difficult and is rather ahistorical. He is precisely the kind of president who the global conditions of finance capital have produced at this point in time. He is pushing fascist policies and practices, and in the U.S. we are still playing catchup to understand what this means. In large part, his fascist actions are taking root because we still have work to do to strengthen the revolutionary left pole embedded among the masses.
There is a lot more that could be said here but I’ll start wrapping up by asking: How might we resist capitalist and white-supremacist rule and laws? How might we wage a struggle that rejects white-supremacist capitalism ideologically and also in action?
We must continue to push revolutionary class consciousness that resisting white supremacy, fascism and capitalism are not crimes. And that democracy under capitalism is not democracy at all: It is authoritarianism. We must work to expose the role that this kind of authoritarianism plays in puppet governments and dictatorships in oppressed nations around the globe.
It goes without saying that we see models for this across the globe, right now. Inside the U.S., communities have blockaded ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] vehicles to prevent deportations and are preparing for Trump’s revving up of the deportation machine. Outside the U.S., we see the resistance in Palestine, the Philippines, Sudan, Haiti and beyond. I believe that in the U.S. we have much to learn from our comrades in the Global South and there are some key lessons we share from the center of the empire that would be of use, too.
In order for us to build effective solidarity between the North and the South, it is crucial that we move toward more shared understanding of the role of white supremacy in all of our struggles. There are oppressed nations within the false borders of the U.S. that can play an important and strategic role in resisting empire.
We must recognize the centrality of the Black struggle, of the Chicano/Chicana struggle, of the Indigenous struggle for sovereignty. Oppressed people within the borders of the empire are also fighting for self-determination, and we must uplift the idea that this self-determination cannot come at the cost of self-determination for oppressed people and nations outside the U.S.
I know that comrades in the U.S. are ready, and very much need, to centralize and internalize the mandates from our comrades in the Global South. One way to do this is to build more unity in the fight against racism — one of capital’s strongest and well-proven tools for advancing the interests of empire.
We cannot leave the task of building international solidarity, of connecting the struggles from inside the imperial core to those resisting imperial violence in the Global South and around the world, to the liberals, to the social democrats, and, in the U.S., to the Democratic party, which is just as much, if not more, of a warmongering party as the Republicans.
It goes without saying that the global capitalist crisis is indeed very local. The manifestations of contradictions among the ruling class and ruling parties themselves can be found in every struggle taking place around the world.
Our duty as revolutionaries, especially those of us who are inside the belly of the beast, is to take advantage of the disintegration among the ruling class and leverage that in solidarity with the struggles of oppressed people elsewhere.
As a revolutionary in the U.S., I must reiterate that I see my first and foremost priority as the defeat of the very empire through which my organizing still enjoys relative privileges — at least for the foreseeable future. But as we know, everything changes, and our best bet is to be prepared, build mass and international solidarity and connect the struggles of workers and oppressed people everywhere against the common enemy, the primary contradiction and the biggest threat to all of humanity: U.S. imperialism.
Yesterday we toppled statues, tomorrow we topple ICE, the Pentagon and the U.S. war machine, the prisons and the concentration camps of the poor around the world.
(Photo: Brenda Ryan)
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Ian Griffin Photography
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Portland – Day 2 – Exploring Portland
May 3, 2019 May 4, 2019 Posted in Architecture, Hiking, Outdoors, Photography, Portrait, TravelTagged Architecture, Book Store, Building, Chapman, Chapman Square, Cheese, Chinatown, City of Books, Darci Lynne, Donut, Doughnut, Flower, Foliage, food, Forest, Garden, Green, Grilled Cheese, Hiking, Historic, History, Humour, Japanese, Mansion, Mill End, Mural, Old, Oregon, Outdoors, Park, Photography, Pittock, Portland, Portrait, Powell, Read, Reading, Rose, Store, Travel, Trump, Voodoo
The next morning, I started off the day by smashing my left foot on Catherine’s bag and breaking one of my toes. We made a new rule that we are to leave our bags in the corner of the room to prevent that happening again. We started out the day with some Starbucks coffee and breakfast. Next, we walked around downtown Portland exploring all the sights. The first stop was Keller Fountain Park, which was closed for the remainder of the year for extensive repairs and renovations. While I didn’t take any pictures of Keller Fountain Park I did see some pretty interesting sights along the way.
The next stop was Chapman square. Chapman is center of three squares that comprise the Plaza Blocks which are bounded by Third and Fourth Avenues and Salmon and Jefferson Streets. The center square is named for former Iowa territorial legislator Virginian William Williams Chapman, who sold the land to the city in 1870. Chapman Square, originally designed for the exclusive use of women and children, and features all female gingko trees. Lownsdale Square, the square to the North, was to be the “gentlemen’s gathering place.” Fortunately today men and women can now safely coexist in either of them.
The next stop was Mill Ends Park. Mill Ends Park is a 452 square inch park located in the median trip of SW Naito Parkway. The Guinness Book of Records recognized the park as the smallest park in the world in 1971. The history of the park starting in 1948, when a hole that was intended for a light pole never received its light pole and weeds started growing in the opening. The park was named by Dick Fagan, a columnist for the Oregon Journal. He planted flower in the hole and named it after his column in the paper, “Mill Ends”. This park has had some interesting history occur over the decades and has been home to such items as a swimming pool for butterflies (complete with a diving board), a fragment of the old journal building, and a miniature Ferris Wheel (which was delivered by a full sized crane). In 2001, on St. Patrick’s Day, the park had a tiny leprechaun leaning against a pot of gold and a children’s drawing of glovers and leprechauns. The park was temporarily relocated in February 2006 during road construction. In December 2011, plastic army figures and small signs were placed inside the park as a mock of the Occupy Portland movement. In March 2013, the park’s tree was stolen. A new tree was planted, and the next day the stolen tree was found lying next to the new one. In April 2013, officials from Burntwood complained to Guinness, claiming that Mill Ends was not large enough to be a park and that Prince’s Park, smallest in the UK, should hold the world record because it had a fence around it. In response Portlandians built a fence that was a few inches tall around and placed an armed figurine in the park. In 2018, Portland Parks & Recreation installed a miniaturized park sign and planted miniature roses.
The next stop was Voodoo Doughnut. Portland is known for two doughnut shops; Blue Star Donuts and Voodoo Doughnut. We ended up trying both on this trip and preferred Blue Star over the two, but more on that in a later post. Voodoo Doughnut has seven locations throughout the states, with two right here in Portland. The original location, which we went to, was opened in 2003. There are over 100 varieties of donuts in total ranging from simple glazed doughnuts to extravagant donuts such as the “Captain my Captain” doughnut which has captain crunch cereal on it. Voodoo Doughnut has offered some strange varieties in the past such a the Nyquil Glazed and Vanilla Pepto Crushed Tums doughnuts, but these are no longer available due to order of health officials. In addition to doughnuts, they also offer legal wedding services, complete with doughnuts and coffee for the reception. I had The Loop, which is a raised yeast doughnut with vanilla frosting and Fruit Loops. Catherine opted for Chuckles, which is a raised yeast doughnut with chocolate frosting dripped in mocha powder and topped with peanuts, caramel, and chocolate drizzle.
After stopping at Voodoo doughnuts we explored Chinatown. We came across Lan Su Chinese Garden, which was absolutely beautiful. We only looking at it from the outside due to the fact we though the entrance fee of $11 USD was a bit steep for the small but beautiful garden. I messed around with my camera for quite a bit here because it was so pretty, playing around with different depths of field and lighting. The garden was envisioned back in 1988 when Portland and Suzhou, China became sister cities. The garden was built on leased land donated by NW Natural in China Town. The garden was designed by Kuang Zhen and built by 65 artisans from Suzhou. The park was officially opened on September 14, 2000. The name of the park is a blend of the names Suzhou and Portland; Su representing Suzhou and Lan representing Portland.
Next up was checking out Powell’s City of Books. Powell’s City of Books is the Powell’s Books headquarters and is the world’s largest bookstore. The family owned and operated book store occupies over 68000 square feet of retail floor space and has nine color-coded rooms and over 3500 sections to choose from. The book store has about four million new and used books; some of which are even out-of-print. Powell’s even buys used books; purchasing about 3000 used books a day!
The Powell company was founded by Walter Powell in 1971. Water’s son Michael had opened a bookstore in Chicago, Illinois in 1970, which specialized in used and hard to find books that were primarily academic books. Michael joined his father in Portland in 1979 when he’s fathers store in Portland was not offered a lease renewal; and thus abandoned Chicago. They both found a great location for the new headquarters, which is the same building that Powell’s City of Books stands today.
In 1982 Michael purchased the bookstore from his father. In 1984 a second Portland bookstore was opened in a shopping mall in the suburbs near Washington Square. Over the years a few other stores were opened, and a few closed, with 5 still in place today; including one location at PDX airport. The City of Books headquarters grew over the years with its first expansion in 1999, and a major expansion in 2008 with two new floors being added to the stores southeast corner. Michael handed over management of the bookstore to his daughter Emily in July 2010.
After visiting Powell Books we were both starving so we went to Grilled Cheese Grill, which was in the parking lot that has about 50 different foods trucks parked in it. I ordered The Moondog, which was a grilled cheese sandwich with Provolone, Hard Salami, Pepperoni, Sliced Tomato and Green Olive Tapenade on Sourdough Bread, served with sour cream and onion chips and a pickle. Catherine had The B.T.G.C., which was a grilled cheese sandwich with Tillamook Cheddar and Bacon with Tomato on Sourdough bread, also served with sour cream and onion chips and a pickle.
After eating our lunch we started the long walk up and out of the city to the west to the International Rose Test Gardens and Japanese Gardens. The journey took roughly 45 minutes. The rose gardens were absolutely beautiful and has a bunch of fully bloomed roses as well as some junior trees that had not bloomed yet. After finding out the price of the Japanese gardens was $19/pp we opted against them as we had both seen some amazing gardens in Japan in the past.
The next stop on the list was Pittock Mansion, a French Renaissance-style chateau in West Hills overlooking the entire city. As it was 600 feet of elevation gain and my broken toe was causing me some agony, we opted to take an Uber. We had a wonderful lady named Melissa. Melissa was originally from New York and had lived in Canada for 26 years before coming to Portland. The drive was about ten minutes and I’m very glad we opted for the Uber instead of walking.
Pittock Mansion was originally built in 1914 for Henry Pittock and his wife. The 46 room mansion was built of sandstone. Construction was started in 1909 and wasn’t officially completed until 1914. The mansion was designed by Edward Foulkes, from San Francisco. The mansion feature technology only the very wealthy could afford; such as a central vacuum system, intercoms, lighting, an elevator, and a refrigerator. Henry’s wife Georgiana died in 1918 at the age of 72, and Henry died the following year at the age of 84. The Pittock family remained in the mansion until 1958, when it was put up for sale by one of the Grandsons. The mansion went unsold an a very bad storm ended up causing extensive damage to the home. The local community raised funds to have the mansion restored. In 1964 the City of Portland purchased the estate for $225,000. A 15-month restoration project was initiated and the mansion was opened to the public in 1965 and has been a Portland landmark since. The view from the top of the hill that Pittock Mansion sat on was amazing. There were amazing views of the entire city, the port, and Mount Hood.
After visiting Pittock Mansion we walked roughly 40 minutes through the forest to Witches Castle in Macleay Park. It actually wasn’t as exciting as the internet made it out to be so I’d honestly give it a skip if anyone is visiting Portland and is thinking about visiting it. It’s just an abandoned house with some graffiti.
It was time to head back to the hotel so we could get ready for the Darci Lynne show. Again, because my foot was killing me and we had already walked nearly 20km I booked us an Uber. We had a lady named Marilyn who had nearly 20000 Uber clients over the 5 years she had been driving for Uber, which is quite impressive. She was into photography and graphics design so we had quite the chat during our rush hour commute back into the city.
After being dropped off at the hotel we got ready for the Darci Lynne show and enjoyed an IPA beer and cider in the hotel lounge area before walking over to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall at Portland’5 Centers For The Arts. Portland’5 Centers For The Arts was established in 1987, as Portland Center For The Performing Arts (PCPA). The campus consists of three buildings; Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Antoinette Hatfield Hall, and Keller Auditorium. PCPA changed its name to “Portland’5 Centers for the Arts” in 2013. The “5” in the brand name is intended to highlight that the organization has five separate venues, by counting separately the three theaters that occupy Antoinette Hatfield Hall.
Darci Lynne, a 14 year-old singing ventriloquist, performed her Darci Lynne & Friends “Fresh Out Of The Box” show and I must say she was even better in person than she was on YouTube and America’s Got Talent (AGT). Darci Lynne was the winner of season twelve of AGT and received 2nd place on AGT: The Champions. No photos or videos are allowed in the venue, but if you go on YouTube you can find videos of her performing her acts.
After the show we walked back to the hotel to change into some warmer clothes before walking back to Deschutes Brewery again. We loved the place so much the previous night that we decided to come back. I tried a few more beers and Catherine had another cider. I tried Blushing Brut Rose, Lil’ Squeezy Juice Ale, and The Kveik Freak. We shared some garlic cheese fries and something called Sweet Fire Cheese, which is a pistachio biscotti topped with fresh chevre and marionberry-habanero jam. After eating and drinking we walked back to the hotel and went to bed as we were both tired.
Check back tomorrow when we explore the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, and Wings and Waves Waterpark!
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Rosneft targets Iraq, squares up to Gazprom
Rosneft's Chief Executive Officer Igor Sechin reported that the company is considering teaming up with its long-standing partner, ExxonMobil, in tapping oil and gas in Iraq. It it may seek an alliance with ExxonMobil or other partners in Iraq and double its Russian gas market share by 2020, boosting its credentials as the world's largest listed crude producer.
In March 2013 Rosneft bought Anglo-Russian oil company TNK-BP from BP and the AAR consortium of Soviet-born tycoons for $55 billion, clinched deals with international majors to tap Russia's Arctic hydrocarbon reserves, and acquired domestic gas producer Itera.
Rosneft has also raised the stakes in a battle with rival Russian state-owned corporation Gazprom, aiming to more than double (from 9 percent to 19-22 percent) its share of the domestic gas market by 2020, Rosneft said in the presentation in London.
http://wkzo.com
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Solomon D. Butcher Collection
Nebraska photographer Solomon D. Butcher produced, over the course of nearly forty years, a record of the settlement of the Great Plains that is both unique and remarkable. Born in 1856 in what was to become the state of West Virginia after the Civil War, Butcher came with his family to the plains of Nebraska in 1880.
This restless young man soon found that he was not up to the rigors of a homesteader's life. He had tasted just enough of it, however, to develop a profound admiration for those with the grit to survive and prosper on the Nebraska prairies. In 1886 Butcher was struck with an idea that was inspired. Realizing that the period of settlement would soon be over, he set out to create a photographic history of pioneer life. Between 1886 and 1912 Butcher generated a collection of more than 3,000 photographs.
Though he died in 1927 believing himself a total failure, Solomon D. Butcher's work has survived to become the most important chronicle of the saga of homesteading in America.
The Solomon D. Butcher Collection comprises 3,300 glass plate negatives crafted between 1886 and 1912. Butcher photographed actively in central Nebraska, including Custer, Buffalo, Dawson, and Cherry counties. His photographs of sod houses have graced textbooks and histories of the American West for more than three-quarters of a century, and are familiar to most Americans.
For nearly forty years the photographs of Solomon D. Butcher (1856-1927) have been used to tell the story of settlement on the Great Plains, including Ken Burns' and Stephen Ives' epic television production, "The West." In 1998 the Nebraska State Historical Society received an award from the Library of Congress and Ameritech to digitize the entire glass plate portion of the Butcher collection. This collection is now available online at American Memory.
Now, these powerful photographs are available to all Nebraskans online. The Library of Congress selected these collections from the holdings of the Nebraska State Historical Society to add to their prestigious American Memory site. As part of the library's National Digital Library Program, American Memory, which has received substantial funding from the Ameritech Corporation, provides an electronic gateway to the nation's cultural treasures. American Memory allows the American citizen to directly interact with his or her own past.
To request a copy of Butcher's images, contact our Reference Staff.
A Few of Butcher's Most Popular Photographs of the Nebraska Homestead Experience
Sadie Austin, the daughter of Cherry County rancher Charles Austin, was a woman of many talents. She was well educated and noted for her refinement, including her accomplishments as a pianist. But, when needed, she was also able to put on a split skirt and help the cowhands. She could sit a horse well and was noted for her shooting ability. She was the best known cowgirl in Cherry County. [RG2608.PH2436]
Settlers moving into the North Loup River Valley in 1886. [RG2608.PH2938]
Ned Dunlap, foreman on the Watson Ranch near Kearney, Nebraska. Dunlap had a degree in agriculture from the University of Nebraska and was a man of many talents. In this photograph, he is tricked out to participate in the Old Settler's Day Parade in Kearney in 1902. For that parade, Dunlap bobbed the tail off his horse and crammed it under his hat. He then affixed a horn to his head, pulled hooves up into his shirt sleeves and marched as Kearney's only real Cow-Boy! [RG2608.PH2178a]
Cattle on the Mack Downey ranch near Georgetown, Custer County, Nebraska, 1903. The Downey ranch, which stretches to the horizon, was typical of cattle operations in the state. The grass-rich prairie produced superb beef, making Nebraska one of the most important beef producing regions in the world. [RG2608.PH1756b]
John Bridges at Devil's Gap, site where the notorious Olive Gang hanged homesteaders Mitchell and Ketchum. When the bodies were discovered, they had also been burned. For more information about this amazing story, read The Ladder of Rivers by Harry Chrisman, published in 1962, or The Olive Trial by Carl E. Smith, published in 1973 by the Custer County Historical Society. [RG2608.PH2956]
One of the more famous Butcher photographs: The Chrisman sisters, 1886. Lizzie Chrisman filed the first of the sisters' homestead claims in 1887. Lutie Chrisman filed the following year. The other two sisters, Jennie Ruth and Hattie, had to wait until they came of age to file. They both filed in 1892. [RG2608.PH1053]
Lookout Point, Cherry County, Nebraska, near the Snake River. This promontory in the near-mountainous sand hills of Cherry County used to be covered with cedar trees, and was allegedly a spot favored by horse thieves who could hide their booty in the blowout at the top and shinny up a tree to keep a lookout for the law. By the time photographer Solomon Butcher got around to photographing this site, the hill had been scalped bare by timber-hungry settlers. Thus the historic site was ruined. Not to be cheated from his story, Butcher repaired the damage by simply drawing the trees on the negative. [RG2608.PH755]
The David Hilton family near Sargent, Nebraska. Mrs. Hilton and her eldest daughter were adamant that they not be photographed in front of their sod house, because they wished to send copies of the picture to friends and relatives elsewhere and thought it embarrassing to be seen living in a house of dirt. But they did want to be seen with their new pump organ, so they made Mr. Hilton and the photographer drag the organ out of the house for the photographs, then drag it back in again. [RG2608.PH3535]
James Pierce home on Sand Creek, Custer County, Nebraska. Pierce had, as a youth, run away to sea. For twelve years he cruised the Pacific in pursuit of sperm whales. He abandoned his life on the high seas to take a Minnesota homestead, which failed. In 1880 he moved to Nebraska and established the Sommerford post office, named in honor of his English wife's hometown. The mast-cum-flagpole speaks both to his pride in his new life and as an obvious metaphor for his previous life now transplanted to a sea of grass. [RG2608.PH2670]
"Settlers Taking the Law in Their Own Hands." This well-known photograph was staged by photographer Solomon D. Butcher to illustrate the tensions between farmers and ranchers created by the appearance of homesteads on the range. It is unlikely, however, that these pantomime desperadoes were likely to do much damage with their wooden wire cutters, a detail lost on many historians over the years who published this photograph as the real McCoy. [RG2608.PH2430]
The John Curry house, near West Union, Custer County, Nebraska, 1886. This photograph is often called "Nebraska Gothic." [RG2608.PH-1048]
The Shores family, near Westerville, Custer County, Nebraska, 1887. Jerry Shores was one of a number of former slaves to settle in Custer County. He took a claim adjacent to that of his brothers, Moses Speese and Henry Webb (each had taken the name of his former owner). [RG2608.PH1231]
Revealing History: How digital technology helped shed new light on Solomon D. Butcher's photographs
Search the Solomon Butcher Collection
Search NSHS Photograph Collections
Order Photographs
NSHS Research and Reference Services
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Sainsbury’s predicting 700% boost in strawberry sales
Supermarket Sainsbury’s has revealed that during the four months of summer, strawberries are its most popular product, outselling even milk and bread.
The retailer predicts a peak increase in strawberry sales of 700% compared to average levels, accounting for a large part of the 126,000 tonnes of the fruit sold each year in the UK. The retailer also expects to see an increase in sales of sparkling wine and has said that the pairing of Taste the Difference Crémant de Loire with the Murano strawberry.
Sainsbury’s strawberry technician Peter Czarnobaj said, “There’s much more to strawberries than meets the eye and it can take years to develop each variety. What I love about Murano is that it perfectly balances sweetness with acidity as well as having a great shape and depth of colour. We sell more strawberries than any other product for up to 16 weeks so it’s important that our customers can enjoy British-grown strawberries for as long as possible.”
The supermarket claims to offer 18 different varieties of British strawberries throughout the season including Murano, Sonata and Majestic, as well as Elsanta. Murano was first developed for Sainsbury’s in 2014 and is noted for its winning combination of flavour and vibrant colour.
Photo Credit: Sainsbury’s
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« Relive #ICRE2017 through social media
Last chance to submit a pre-conference workshop! »
Introducing the ICRE 2018 Chief Residents
December 13, 2017 by Royal College
Earlier this year, the ICRE planning committee called on residents around the globe, looking to find passionate and dedicated individuals to bring a resident’s perspective to the ICRE 2018 planning committee.
After receiving an overwhelming number of submissions from residents all over the world and from many different disciplines, we are pleased to introduce the ICRE 2018 Chief Residents:
Dr. Elizabeth (Lizzy) Elsey is a general surgery trainee from the East Midlands, UK. She is presently in the third year of PhD studies conducting research into developing evidence-based standards for technical competency in general surgery training and holds a NIHR doctoral research fellowship.
Lizzy is Vice President of the Association of Surgeons in Training and involved in shaping the future of surgical training with representing at the Improving Surgical Training project, sitting on the UK surgical training management committee and leading a national survey on unprofessional behaviours in surgery. She is also passionate about promoting surgery careers at both a regional and national level, working with the Inspiring Futures campaign, Women in Surgery and the Royal College of Surgeons Emerging Leaders Programmes in the past and speaking at careers events. Lizzy was awarded the Health Education East Midlands “Excellence in Education: Future Educator” award in 2016.
She has two young children and in her spare time enjoys going to the gym, walking in the countryside and rewarding her exercise efforts with coffee and cake. Twitter: @lizzyelsey
Dr. Jena Hall is an obstetrics and gynecology resident at Queen’s University. She is currently completing an MEd at Queen’s through the Clinician Investigator Program. Her masters research focuses on learning from video playback in surgical training and reflecting on the operating room as a feedback and learning environment. Her interest in learning from video playback comes from a background in varsity figure skating, both as a competitor and coach. At Queen’s she has co-founded and co-chaired the CBME Resident Subcommittee, whose mandate is to represent the interests of the greater resident body at Queen’s School of Medicine through the transition and continued integration of CBME, encouraging coproduction at all levels of implementation. She is an advocate for the grassroots engagement of residents in MedEd discourse, in particular around the transition to CBME. Twitter: @JenaHall1
Dr. Vatsal Trivedi is an Anesthesiology resident at the University of Ottawa. He is currently the Chief Resident of the first Canadian CBME Anesthesiology program and has been involved in curriculum development in core competencies, as well as transition to independent practice. His interests in this role include multisource feedback and objective assessment of trainees as per professional standards. He continues to serve on the Professional Association of Residents of Ontario (PARO) advocating for appropriate training environments for medical learners and resident wellness in an ever-stressful career. His other commitments include being a member of regional CBME advisory subcommittees, and Postgraduate Medical Education Committee. His medical interests include critical care medicine, and cardiothoracic anesthesiology. Twitter: @VatsalTrivediMD
Along with our newly appointed resident leaders, we are also thrilled to welcome back Dr. Simon Fleming and Dr. Mitchell Goldenberg, who will join the ICRE planning team for a second term in the role of ICRE Chief Resident.
Dr. Simon Fleming Simon is a Trauma and Orthopaedic registrar on the Pott rotation in London. He is also Immediate Past President of the British Orthopaedic Trainees’ Association (BOTA), the Chief Resident for the International Conference in Residency Education (ICRE) for his second term, the Vice Chair of the Academy Trainee Doctors’ Group (ATDG) and a Ph.D candidate in Medical Education at Barts and The London Medical School. While passionate about Orthopaedics and improving surgical training, he has special interests in hand surgery, competency attainment and combating bullying, undermining and harassment in surgery, through the award winning #HammerItOut campaign, on which he has delivered a TEDx talk.
He is Project Lead for the Orthopaedic section of the Royal College of Surgeons, England PGCert in Surgery and faculty for the Intercollegiate Basic Surgical Skills and Surgical Skills for Students courses. He is heavily involved in mentoring and teaching both undergraduates and postgraduates, which has been recognised with a Surgeon Educator Award from the Royal College of Surgeons (Eng) and the Academic Support Award from Queen Mary University, and Barts and The London Medical School.
He undoes all the good work he does in the gym with a love of great food. Twitter: @Orthopodreg
Dr. Mitchell Goldenberg is a resident in urology at the University of Toronto. He is currently completing his PhD in Medical Education at the Institute of Medical Science, and is a part of the Surgeon Scientist Training Program (SSTP) and the Clinician Investigator Program (CIP). His love for medical education started during medical school, when he helped initiate a summer program for high-school students interested in medicine, introducing 14-17 year olds to basic surgical skills. His current research focuses on procedural skill assessment, novel methods of standard-setting, and improving patient safety through design and implementation of educational interventions. He was a finalist for the Royal College/JGME Top Research Paper at ICRE 2016.
This is his second term as an ICRE Chief Resident, and he is looking forward to contributing toward another exciting and innovative conference! Twitter: @mitchgoldenberg
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Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ucp/jlabec/doi10.1086-668675.html
Outsourcing Household Production: Foreign Domestic Workers and Native Labor Supply in Hong Kong
Patricia Cortés
Jessica Pan
We explore how the availability of affordable live-in help provided by foreign domestic workers (FDWs) in Hong Kong affected native women's labor supply and welfare. First, we exploit differences in the FDW program between Hong Kong and Taiwan. Second, we use cross-sectional variation in the cost of a FDW to estimate a model of labor force participation and FDW hire. FDWs increased the participation of mothers with a young child (relative to older children) by 10-14 percentage points and have generated a monthly consumer surplus of US$130-US$200. By reducing child care costs through immigration, this is a market-based alternative to child care subsidies.
Patricia Cortés & Jessica Pan, 2013. "Outsourcing Household Production: Foreign Domestic Workers and Native Labor Supply in Hong Kong," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 31(2), pages 327-371.
Handle: RePEc:ucp:jlabec:doi:10.1086/668675
File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/668675
Download Restriction: Access to the online full text or PDF requires a subscription.
Patricia Cortés & José Tessada, 2011. "Low-Skilled Immigration and the Labor Supply of Highly Skilled Women," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(3), pages 88-123, July.
Farré Lidia & González Libertad & Ortega Francesc, 2011. "Immigration, Family Responsibilities and the Labor Supply of Skilled Native Women," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 11(1), pages 1-48, June.
Lidia Farre & Libertad Gonzalez & Francesc Ortega, 2009. "Immigration, Family Responsibilities and the Labor Supply of Skilled Native Women," CReAM Discussion Paper Series 0916, Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM), Department of Economics, University College London.
Lídia Farré & Libertad González Luna & Francesc Ortega, 2009. "Immigration, family responsibilities and the labor supply of skilled native women," Economics Working Papers 1161, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
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Francesc Ortega & Libertad González & Lídia Farré Olalla, 2009. "Immigration, family responsibilities and the labor supply of skilled native women," Working Papers. Serie AD 2009-19, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas, S.A. (Ivie).
Michael Baker & Jonathan Gruber & Kevin Milligan, 2008. "Universal Child Care, Maternal Labor Supply, and Family Well-Being," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 116(4), pages 709-745, August.
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James P. Ziliak & Thomas J. Kniesner, 2005. "The Effect of Income Taxation on Consumption and Labor Supply," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 23(4), pages 769-796, October.
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Jonah B. Gelbach, 2002. "Public Schooling for Young Children and Maternal Labor Supply," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(1), pages 307-322, March.
Shaw, Kathryn L, 1989. "Life-Cycle Labor Supply with Human Capital Accumulation," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 30(2), pages 431-456, May.
Keane, Michael P, 1992. "A Note on Identification in the Multinomial Probit Model," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 10(2), pages 193-200, April.
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Mroz, Thomas A, 1987. "The Sensitivity of an Empirical Model of Married Women's Hours of Work to Economic and Statistical Assumptions," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 55(4), pages 765-799, July.
Thomas Mroz, "undated". "The Sensitivity of an Empirical Model of Married Women's Hours of Work to Economic and Statistical Assumptions," University of Chicago - Population Research Center 84-8, Chicago - Population Research Center.
Vere, James P, 2005. "Education, Development, and Wage Inequality: The Case of Taiwan," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 53(3), pages 711-735, April.
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“Bible Group” Mobs Airbnb, Steals Shampoo...
by DaddyLike Aug 8 via iPhone
An Airbnb host was left shocked after four people booked to stay at his three-bedroom property — but 25 people showed up. The owner’s girlfriend, Mary Numair live-tweeted the entire scenario which ended up with the party stealing from the bathroom, and the posts have since gone viral.
She explained that her boyfriend, Ben Newman, had a CCTV camera at his house that showed a large amount of people heading in, instead of the four people that had booked to stay. She continued: “When they showed up, his nest camera alerted they were there. He checked and holy sh*t just a sea of people. “So he calls the guy and is like ‘hey man, not to be rude but that looks like a lot more than four. My house can’t accommodate large events.’ The guy is like “oh gosh, I’m so sorry. We’re doing a quick bible study and then they’re leaving.”
Mary explained that her boyfriend “begrudgingly” allowed the group to continue their bible study class before they left, but then the CCTV camera showed that even more people were still turning up. Mary wrote: “Fucking more people show up. More and more and more.” “Finally he calls @ Airbnb and they’re like “are you sure you can’t accommodate them?” Literal dozens of people on a small rural septic system, nah.”
Once Mary and her boyfriend got in contact with Airbnb, the company told them that the guests were claiming there was an agreement in place to let 25 people stay. She wrote: “So! @ airbnb calls back the guy, calls my boyfriend back and says ‘the guy says you had a verbal agreement to let 25 or so people stay.’ What the fuck. It’s a 3 bedroom house. No. Fuck no.” Airbnb then agreed that the rogue customers would have to leave the house, and called the guests to tell them to leave.
However the guests objected to being asked to leave. Mary wrote: “Oh also, the guy said ‘we’re just a large Christian bible study group. What does it matter if it’s more than 4’ Like what the fuck does loving Jesus mean you get away with this shit.” Mary and her boyfriend eventually drove to the property to make sure that the guests would leave, and when she got there, nobody had left. Airbnb then messaged them, writing: “I know the guests really violated the rules for having additional guests on the listing but I’m sure it’s not that easy for the guest to leave the listing.
“I would like to ask what are the possible options we can give to guest as a courtesy … it’s late at night, 11.22pm.” When Mary and Ben got to the house, they discovered that the extra guests were still there. She tweeted: “Oh by the way, they had a few people sneak out the back but there’s a lot of people still here. He wasn’t aware that we were coming so that’s why he lied about that.” She was then made even more furious after the extra guests had finally left, to find out that they had stolen expensive shampoo and conditioner from the bathroom.
After everyone had left the property, Mary revealed that she felt she had at least been supported by Airbnb throughout the ordeal. Twitter user Anna Draa asked Mary: “I’m curious, did you feel AirBnb backed you up as a host?” Mary replied: “Yeah. Especially once we made it clear that we had video proof they were wilfully breaking a major house rule and repeatedly lying about it.” She later tweeted to reveal that Airbnb had sent her $US75 ($AU101) for the missing toiletries, as well as $AU842 for the reservation fee that they would have missed out on as the guests left early.
The company tweeted: “As we discussed on the phone, if there are any other damages as a result of this incident please document the damage with photos and let me know, so we can assist you as soon as possible.” Airbnb has been contacted for comment. •••••••••• Man banned from hotel due to fight with seagulls: https://imgur.com/gallery/tNRvR
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THE WORK OF EDWARD CURTIS
August 1, 2015 August 10, 2015 / Ken Finton / 2 Comments
What is a Photogravure?
Paul Unks, of Denver, nicknamed Mountain Hawk, explains the craft of printing photogravures: “Developed in the 1850’s, an intaglio photogravure is produced through a complex painstaking hand-made process whereby the original photographic image is etched into a metal plate allowing the plate to hold ink. Then, oil based ink is carefully applied by hand onto the etched plate so that the ink is pushed down into the etched grooves of the plate that range in depth from deep (dark) to shallow (light). Once the printing plate is properly inked, high quality moistened paper is placed on the inked plate and then hand cranked in a press at 10,000 lbs of pressure causing the paper to squeeze down into the grooves of the plate. After the paper fibers have absorbed the ink, the paper is carefully peeled off the plate leaving the image deeply embossed into the paper fibers creating a fine art print that has the subtle detail of a photograph, the velvety texture of an etching and richness of an oil painting.”
The technical difficulties of the photogravure process can seem infinite and insurmountable at times. Ansel Adams remarked, “Photogravure is a most beautiful technique, but I would not recommend anyone do it”.
NOTE: There are only a handful of master printers in the world today who make hand-made photogravure plates and prints. And Mountain Hawk is the only one producing Curtis’ original photographs as he did, as intaglio photogravures, each archival print individually hand-made, one at a time, restoring Curtis’ original fine photographic detail that had previously been lost, to new plates. Using this traditional classic method, Mountain Hawk is faithfully and authentically completing the edition Curtis started, but wasn’t able to finish in his life time.
While in recent decades printers have produced re-strikes from the original plates, many of those plates have been lost, destroyed or damaged, and the ones that are intact are worn from repeated printing.
Paul Unks at Denver, Colorado exhibit July 2015
Paul Unks, nicknamed Mountain Hawk, has gone a step further in craftsmanship and quality to produce his photogravures working from an early set of images and using high-resolution photography he has created new copper plates; then, in collaboration with a master print maker, and refining his ink and sourcing a very fine paper—a tissue that is translucent, imparting a wonderful dimensionality to the print—he has produced new photogravures of incomparable quality. Many people have remarked that the sharpness and detail are every bit as good as the best originals. As Curtis himself was able to produce less than half of his intended edition of 500, Paul’s great purpose is to complete the edition with the original artistic standards intended by Curtis—and so in a real sense to fulfill Curtis’s mission. A passionate historian and speaker on Curtis as well as craftsman, Paul is thoroughly devoted to honoring Curtis’s legacy with this truly extraordinary collection.
THE WORK OF EDWARD SHERIFF CURTIS (1868-1952)
Edward Curtis self portrait
Edward Sheriff Curtis (1868-1952) is the most famous photographer of the American Indian. In 1906, JP Morgan contracted with Curtis to photograph and document native American life throughout the west. The following year the artist began publishing his twenty volume The North American Indian.
The project was driven by passion and urgency; in the introduction to the first volume, Curtis wrote, “The information that is to be gathered … respecting the mode of life of one of the great races of mankind, must be collected at once or the opportunity will be lost.”
The work included folios of photogravures that have become highly treasured and sought after. When Curtis originally sold his images they cost the subscriber $3000 per 20 volume set. Now Curtis’s pictures of the poorest of Americans are sold to the richest of Americans, often bringing $30,000 to $75,000 per image.
A SHORT HISTORY OF EDWARD CURTIS’ LIFE
In 1906, J. P. Morgan provided Curtis with $75,000 to produce a series on Native Americans. This work was to be in 20 text volumes with 1,500 small photogravure illustrations, accompanied by twenty folios with 720 large photogravures. Morgan’s funds were to be disbursed over five years and were earmarked to support only fieldwork for the books not for writing, editing, or production of the volumes. Curtis himself would receive no salary for the project, which was to last more than 20 years. Under the terms of the arrangement, Morgan received the first 25 sets and 500 original prints as his method of repayment.
Geronimo by Edward Curtis
222 complete sets were eventually published. Curtis’ goal was not just to photograph, but to document, as much of Native American traditional life as possible before that way of life disappeared.
He wrote in the introduction to his first volume in 1907: “The information that is to be gathered … respecting the mode of life of one of the great races of mankind, must be collected at once or the opportunity will be lost.”
Curtis made over 10,000 wax cylinder recordings of Native American language and music. He took over 40,000 photographic images from over 80 tribes. He recorded tribal lore and history, and he described traditional foods, housing, garments, recreation, ceremonies, and funeral customs. He wrote biographical sketches of tribal leaders, and his material, in most cases, is the only written recorded history although there is still a rich oral tradition that documents history.
Around 1922, Curtis moved to Los Angeles with his daughter Beth, and opened a new photo studio. To earn money he worked as an assistant cameraman for Cecil B. DeMille and was an uncredited assistant cameraman in the 1923 filming of The Ten Commandments. On October 16, 1924 Curtis sold the rights to his ethnographic motion picture In the Land of the Head-Hunters to the American Museum of Natural History. He was paid $1,500 for the master print and the original camera negative. It had cost him over $20,000 to film.
During the years of work on The North American Indian, Curtis was often absent from home for most of the year, leaving his wife Clara to manage the children and the studio by herself. After several years of estrangement, Clara filed for divorce on October 16, 1916. In 1919 she was granted the divorce and received the Curtis’ photographic studio and all of his original camera negatives as her part of the settlement.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL GLASS NEGATIVES
In 1927, after returning from Alaska to Seattle with his daughter Beth, he was arrested for failure to pay alimony over the preceding 7 years. The total owed was $4,500, but the charges were dropped. For Christmas of 1927, the family was reunited at daughter Florence’s home in Medford, Oregon. This was the first time since the divorce that Curtis was with all of his children at the same time, and it had been thirteen years since he had seen Katherine.
Mosa of the Mohaves by Edward Curtis
According to some sources Edward went with his daughter, Beth, to the studio and destroyed all of his original glass negatives, rather than have them become the property of his ex-wife, Clara. It is still controversial as to who destroyed them. Clara went on to manage the Curtis studio with her sister, Nellie M. Phillips (1880–?), who was married to Martin Lucus (1880–?). Following the divorce, the two oldest daughters, Beth and Florence, remained in Seattle, living in a boarding house separate from their mother. The youngest daughter, Katherine Curtis lived with Clara in Charleston, Kitsap County, Washington.
In 1928, desperate for cash, Edward sold the rights to his project to J.P Morgan’s son. In 1930 he published the opus-concluding volume of The North American Indian. In total, about 280 sets were sold of his now completed magnum opus. In 1930, his ex-wife, Clara, was still living in Seattle operating the photo studio with their daughter Katherine. His other daughter, Florence Curtis, was still living in Medford, Oregon with her husband Henry Graybill. After Clara died of heart failure in 1932, his daughter Katherine moved to California to be closer to her father and her sister Beth.
LOSS OF RIGHTS TO The North American Indian
Taos Water Girls by Edward Curtis
In 1935, the Morgan estate sold the rights and remaining unpublished material to the Charles E. Lauriat Company in Boston for $1,000 plus a percentage of any future royalties. This included 19 complete bound sets of The North American Indian, thousands of individual paper prints, the copper printing plates, and the unbound printed pages. Lauriat bound the remaining loose printed pages and sold them with the completed sets. The remaining material remained untouched in the Lauriat basement in Boston until they were rediscovered in 1972.
On October 19, 1952, at the age of 84, Curtis died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California in the home of his daughter, Beth. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. His terse obituary appeared in The New York Times on October 20, 1952:
Edward S. Curtis, internationally known authority on the history of the North American Indian, died today at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Beth Magnuson. His age was 84. Mr. Curtis devoted his life to compiling Indian history. His research was done under the patronage of the late financier, J. Pierpont Morgan. The forward for the monumental set of Curtis books was written by President Theodore Roosevelt. Mr. Curtis was also widely known as a photographer.
http://www.curtisprints.net
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_S._Curtis
TO SEE AVAILABLE PRINTS OF CURTIS’ PHOTOGRAPHS ONLINE GO TO:
http://www.curtisprints.net/gallery.php?gallery=1
Canon de Chelly, Navajo Indians by Edward Curtis
Two Sioux Chiefs by Edward Curtis
Denver 9 News report on the making of Curtis prints by Paul Unks.
http://www.9news.com/story/news/features/2015/07/26/denver-artists-recreates-famous-photographs/30686917/
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Money News
In APEC host Papua New Guinea, China and the West grapple over strategic port
Colin Packham, Philip Wen
SYDNEY/BEIJING (Reuters) - When Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill flagged the possibility of China bankrolling a port development off his country’s northern coast in June, the consternation in neighbouring Australia set off a lightening-fast response.
A Chinese construction project is seen in Port Moresby, the capital city of the poorest nation in the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), in Papua New Guinea, November 14, 2018. Picture taken November 14, 2018. REUTERS/Philip Wen
Despite a change in leadership in Australia’s government in August, a rival offer was swiftly formulated, government and diplomatic sources told Reuters, amid concern the strategically-located Manus Island port could regularly host Chinese military vessels.
Canberra, a staunch Washington ally, said earlier this month it would fund the port development, part of what analysts see as a push to reassert its dominance in the South Pacific as Beijing seeks a more prominent role.
“The Manus Island port was a big concern for us,” a senior U.S. diplomatic source told Reuters, on condition of anonymity. “It was feasible Chinese military vessels could have used the port so we are very happy that Australia will fund the re-development.”
Australia is preparing to make the verbal agreement formal at this week’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, held in PNG’s capital, Port Moresby.
While conceived as a means to remove trade barriers in the Pacific, the hosting of this year’s APEC has also seen PNG become a staging ground for regional influence where the U.S. and China lock in competing alliances.
China has spent $1.3 billion on concessionary loans and gifts since 2011 to become the Pacific’s second-largest donor after Australia, stoking concern in the West that several tiny Pacific nations could end up overburdened and in debt to Beijing.
China says it has no ulterior motive beyond assisting the development goals of Pacific Island nations and that Australia should see it as a partner, rather than rival, in the region.
On Friday, President Xi Jinping will showcase China’s Belt and Road to Pacific leaders, several of whom are expected to sign up to the infrastructure initiative.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week characterised the Pacific as Australia’s “patch” while offering the region up to A$3 billion ($2.18 billion) in cheap infrastructure loans and grants to counter China’s rising influence in the region.
“There is an acceptance within Australia that it has taken its eye off the ball and that has prompted Australia’s Pacific reset,” said Nick Bisley, professor of international relations at Melbourne’s La Trobe University.
NAUGHTY STEP
This is the first time PNG, the poorest of the 21 countries in the economic bloc, is hosting the APEC summit. The country’s overriding focus is for the event in Port Moresby to be a success, Western officials say, overcoming perceptions of inadequate infrastructure, high crime rates and a crumbling healthcare system.
Aware of the importance PNG’s leadership has attached to the event, Australia and China have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to help stage the forum.
But Western efforts to leverage APEC have been a dealt a blow by lukewarm U.S. support, with President Donald Trump electing to skip the event.
Attending in Trump’s stead, Vice-President Mike Pence will not stay in Port Moresby, instead flying in and out daily from the northeastern Australian city of Cairns.
“The U.S. are well and truly on the naughty step,” a senior British diplomat told Reuters. “Papua New Guinea believes the quality of the event is not what comes from it but rather who attends and the decisions by Trump not to attend and Pence to fly in and out only for APEC has upset PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.”
In contrast, Chinese President Xi Jinping will spend several days in Port Moresby and conduct an official bilateral visit.
He will also host a closed forum with Pacific leaders, where he is expected to announce a big Chinese aid and investment package to the Pacific, tying it to his signature Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, Western diplomats said.
“The President asked the Vice President specifically to do this trip on his behalf because he believed that he would be the ideal messenger for the President on American policy for the region, the President’s objectives in trade and investments, and strategically,” a senior U.S. administration official told reporters in a briefing.
Asked whether Asian nations might view Trump’s absence as a snub, Pence told reporters travelling with him to Asia: “Not in the least,” adding that Trump attended the ASEAN and APEC summits last year.
Manus Island was a major U.S. naval base during the Second World War, playing a key role in Washington’s Pacific strategy. More recently, the island has hosted one of Australia’s two controversial offshore immigration detention centres.
Analysts say a Chinese presence there could impact the West’s ability to navigate the Pacific while offering Beijing close access to U.S. bases in Guam.
“Australia is concerned the Pacific could become the next South China Sea where Beijing militarises the region,” said La Trobe’s Bisley.
The question is whether China has gained such a firm foothold it will prove difficult to shake, diplomats and officials told Reuters.
PNG has the largest debt to China in the South Pacific, at almost $590 million, representing about one-quarter of its total external debt.
“Chinese presence is seen everywhere. It has been achieved in large part through its investment into the country,” said a senior French diplomat who declined to be named as he is not authorised to talk to the media.
“With PNG’s economy now in trouble, what China says, goes.”
($1 = 1.3837 Australian dollars)
Reporting by Colin Packham in SYDNEY and Philip Wen in BEIJING; Additional reporting by Charlotte Greenfield in NEW ZEALAND and Roberta Rampton in WASHINGTON
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Category Archives: Medicina Intensiva. Temas actuales!
2 February, 2015 By Dr. Santiago M Herrero, MD, PhD, FCCP in Intensive Care Topics, Medicina Intensiva. Temas actuales!, What is an ICU? Tags: cardiovascular responses, fluid changes, initial shock, mechanical ventilation, physiological stress, vascular control 44 Comments
Theory of the dependence in the critical care patient (1)
Theme 1. Fluids state
One of the most complex problems in the management of critically ill patients is to know the state electrolyte, vascular control and cardiovascular responses to physiological stress. Is vast amount of information that we need to manage patients est0s theoretically, but on the other hand with a simple understanding of the physiology of the cardiovascular circuit applied to these patients, can manage in an optimum way.
The critically ill patient is to be understood, as no ordinary patient. The physiological functions of many organs are affected after a state of chock, regardless of the shock to occur. In addition, such patients require mechanical or pharmacological media for sustaining life, such as mechanical ventilation, continuous renal clearance techniques (dialysis and ultrafiltration), complex systems of monitoring catheters and lines that give extensive details of information added.
Any patient admitted under shock (any type) and survives the same for at least seven days, keeping some type of life support, your vital status is independent of the cause which admitted to the ICU and a clearly “dependencies” are defined. This theory was called, “THE LAW OF DEPENDENCE IN THE CRITICAL ILL PATIENT.” It is an unwritten personal theory above is an observational law, based on fluid changes in the venous compartment most of them by an albumin oncotic changes related to the initial shock in hemodynamic changes (hyperdynamic moderate) reflecting a sustained vasodilation relatively little expression in neurohormonal changes (influenced after the collision prior corticosteroid), metabolic changes (changes in plasma and urinary Na) and a moderate dysfunction of renal function. Driving conditions in these patients often are similar in certain sections and include special needs.
1. – Why this dependency happened?
Normally under the following conditions:
STATE OF RANDOM FLUID (LOW CURRENT VOLUME, THIRD SPACE)
Hemodynamic STATE OR MAINTAINS turn to hyperdynamic state
GRAVITATIONAL EFFECT
ALTERED STATE NEURO-HORMONAL
ALTERED STATE METABOLIC
RENAL DYSFUNCTION
A. – STATE OF FLUIDS. This chapter is for talking about, how changes in circulating volume and vascular compartments, determines the state of cardiocirculatory Unit.
Vessels and lymphatic capillaries:
The circulatory system is composed of the heart as a pump and the source of a network of hundreds of thousands of tubes (arteries, veins and capillaries) of different sizes (from several centimeters to millimeters and microns).
This vast network, which originates from the heart to the body (blood system) and through the capillaries returns to the heart (venous system) to the lungs (lower circuit) and oxygenated blood is returned immediately to the organs .
The so-called contact area between the arterial and venous system is called arteriolar and venular system and is a huge mesh of fine arteries and veins in all organs of the body (called capillaries).
Types of capillaries
Capillary blood (red), to carry oxygenated blood to different tissues and organs (60,000 million cells in the body).
Capillary venous (blue), responsible for carrying oxygen-poor blood to the heart through venules where the veins to pump then this what the different parts of the body.
Really when you look through a microscope is a “tissue” composed of a layer of extremely flattened endothelial cells, a basal lamina and a small network of reticular fibers. What is important is that these capillaries are a series of pores through which a passage of substances produced by two mechanisms:
Intercellular clefts: passage of small substances.
Vesicles and ducts pinocíticos: transport of large molecules or solid particles.
Thus capillaries in some territories we can find certain features to encourage the passage of some molecules, nutrients, …
IE to prevent the passage of substances or foreign bodies into the cerebrospinal fluid.
In the liver if required to pass and therefore find substances larger pores. In hepatocytes can spend even plasma proteins. At the kidney there is also known as fenestrae specific grooves which will allow passage of a large n ° are substances. It has to allow the passage of some substances from the blood.
They will be very important because they are exchanged water and substances which may be dissolved or in the interstitial spaces. We speak of the territory or capillary bed, consisting of a series of small vessels, with a specific function that will lead to the role of various vessels.
Will always start at the end of an arteriole and the beginning of the bed, where the diameter decreases, it becomes metaarteriolas, which have a discontinuous muscle layer. From this form capillaries in the muscle layer that does not exist, only a muscle endothelium, thus neither shrink nor swell. Then go to the heart and lead to venules where again displayed a muscular layer.
Importantly, the presence of capillary sphincters are governing you have more or less blood to flow into these capillaries.
Made from very thin wall pipes and which are formed from the lymphatic capillaries, which are found in all animal tissues. They will join these capillaries forming a larger capillaries that flow into the jugular and subclavian veins.
Lets pick up liquid and bring to the bloodstream. Excess fluid collects and recovers proteins that can escape from the capillaries. These proteins have to be a through vessels, increasing the oncotic pressure and increases the filtration process which would have an excess of fluid in tissues.
The liquid flowing through them is the lymph (interstitial fluid is identical). The lymphatic vessels pass through lymph nodes will have the filtration function. Lymph flow through vessels is similar to the blood in the veins. The lymph moves through muscle contractions and by contractions of the walls themselves. These vessels will also help for a system like the venous valves that prevent the retreat of the lymph.
Another important factor is the progressive entry of fluid into the lymphatic capillaries, which depends on the hydrostatic pressure of interstitial fluid (PIF). Increasing the pressure favors the liquid flow.
THIS COMPLEX NETWORK SYSTEM PLUMBING, MOST HAS A HIGH POWER OF ADAPTATION FOR ANY CONDITION BUT IS VERY VULNERABLE TO CHANGES IN SEVERE PRESSURE PUMPING BLOOD FROM THE HEART.
Therefore the severe fall in blood pressure, can be started from the HEART (cardiogenic shock) from the circuit or circuit LUNG veins of lower (obstructive shock as pulmonary embolism) and from within the ductwork due to changes in endothelial cells in arteries, veins and capillaries (distributive shock as in sepsis, anaphylaxis or disorders of the spinal cord).
In the graph you can see how from the heart chambers, some back and forth the pulmonary circuit (left atrium and right ventricle) and from the left ventricle into the aorta, blood is ejected into other organs (heart, brain, intestine, liver, kidneys and organs of the pelvis and legs). This blood returns by the venous system from each body before the right atrium and the process begins with each heartbeat. The total mobilized blood is 4.5 to 5 liters per minute (this is called cardiac output).
Obviously this figure is only illustrative of a schematic manner, since the total area of ducts in the body is enormous.
If you read my article on SHOCK (Shock, that terrible word about the danger of dying!) You can learn in detail how HAPPENS (Spanish language).
But after any shock and after a period of about 7 days if the patient still survives and remains seriously ill, this is balanced ductwork and reaches a state of “UNIT” which is nothing but a state where processes converge to a situation of “bad circulation distribution” very similar to that produced by sepsis in a stable patient. The patient is serious, you need mechanical ventilation or other media of both mechanical and life-sustaining drugs.
The process leading to the stabilization does not mean that conditions improved, but it allows management more standardized, which at the beginning of shock.
Consider the cardiovascular system, such as a hydraulic closed circuit that includes the heart, arteries, arterioles, capillaries and veins (1).
The venous side of this system is conceptually divided into two compartments, each plays a different role for inherent differences in anatomic volume, flow resistance and compliance (WARNING NOT INCLUDE THE PULMONARY CIRCUIT):
The peripheral venous compartment
The vena cava and right atrium or central venous compartment
Now if we look at the components of the arteriovenous circuit, we have the following characteristics (2):
OBSERVE: the left ventricle in diastole (end-diastolic) has a high compliance (ml / mmHg), which makes it very sensitive to small changes in cardiac filling pressures (CVP).
The difference between the 3.5-liter volume of the complete circuit corresponding to the cardiac output (4.5 liters) is 1 liter and this in the system corresponds to a compliance of 7.1 ml / mmHg (1000/140). This pressure, is called mean pressure circulatory filling (is that the system is observed when flow is absent, for example after a cardiac arrest, SO IS A MEASURE THEORY). The variables affecting this medial pressure are:
Circulating blood volume
Vessel tone peripheral venous
Cardiocirculatory DEPENDENCE occurs when, after a shock process, which the patient has survived after 7 days in keeping all media, the adaptation of compartments to any process is the same. Usually feature is the presence of edema as the cause of the maldistribution of the liquid. These edemas occur by several mechanisms:
Resuscitation with fluids after a very intense shock. habituation, lly are needed in any kind of shock a large initial volume (between 1 liter and 6-7 liter septic shock), the patient finds it hardly handle even with normal renal function (usually renal dysfunction in shock is the standard).
Vasoplegia in septic shock, conditions a loss of fluid into the interstitial space, which is difficult to extraeer, since the morphological changes of renal function (the tendency to tubular necrosis, causes retention of Na and H2O). Even the need for vasoactive agents (noradrenaline) does not produce the reintroduction of the interstitial fluid, because there are more mechanisms involved (endothelial dysfunction, adrenal insufficiency, pituitary insufficiency, presence of inflammatory mediators, etc.).
Plasma albumin level (hypoalbuminemia after acute systemic inflammatory response syndrome)
Venous return (venous resistance) from the blood to the heart. The peripheral venous compartment, has a very altered tone and the effect of pressure inside the chest in patients with mechanical ventilatory support.
The fall of intravascular volume, conditions Na and H2O retention.
When we act on the shock of onset, recovery of bodies is not immediate. The intent is to prevent cell death (hyperlactataemia due to the poor presence of oxygen in tissues). Always in shock (regardless of type) is a relative hipovemia (1000 ml minimum pressure corresponding to half fill circulatory). Fluid management is a priority before initiating supportive measures (vasoactive pressor drugs), except imminent death due to very low blood pressure. When we got to stabilize the blood pressure usually exists organ dysfunction, maldistribution of liquid and acidosis, which is not corrected immediately, the norm is for a period of days. If the case continues and is in brackets, pass the dependency circulation, in this case in need of correction fluid and the rational use of diuretics and maintaining a support with albumin to maintain a tone of plasma oncotic circulation and promote the reabsorption of fluid from the interstitium.
The influence of central venous pressure (CVP) on venous return. One of the most important mechanisms are altered in critically ill patients to maintain cardiac output (liters / minute of blood leaving the heart). The peripheral venous compartment under normal conditions usually found close to the average pressure circulatory filling.
The flow of blood between the peripheral venous compartment and the central venous compartment is governed by the basic flow equation:
(Q = Flow or Delta P / R) Delta P is the pressure between the peripheral and central venous compartment and R is the resistance associated with the peripheral veins.
If we assume for example 7 mmHg Ppv (peripheral venous compartment pressure) and the PVC is also 7 mmHg, —–> no venous return (since then intrathoracic pressure will be “0”).
If we assume that the PPV is 10 mmHg and CVP is 7 mm Hg, venous return here will increase significantly given the pressure difference arises between the peripheral compartment and the thorax. The venous return is for only when the central venous pressure is raised to 10 mmHg.
In normal conditions the half intrathoracic pressure during the respiratory cycle is negative. This facilitates venous return to the heart, especially during inspiration, when the pressure becomes more negative. All situations that increase intrathoracic pressure impede venous return and decrease intrathoracic blood volume and ventricular volume and, thus, stroke volume and ejection fraction and ventricular work.
Pressures in the thorax can be raised in various causes:
Cough,
The Valsalva maneuver
Tension pneumothorax
Mechanical ventilation with positive pressure levels at the end of expiration than 2-3 mmHg
Other … as DVT (deep vein thrombosis), portal thrombosis, hyperdynamic states (cirrhosis with ascites), postoperative abdominal, etc.
The initial impact is the drop in circulating volume by decreasing the central venous pressure and therefore the preload (atrial filling).
The following result is leakage from that volume to the interstitium (third space) appearing edema or swelling.
The influence of peripheral venous pressure on venous return. As mentioned before, the difference between central venous compartment and the peripheral is what determines venous return.
Therefore, an increase in peripheral venous pressure can be as effective in increasing venous return as a decrease in central venous pressure (CVP).
Veins are elastic vessels, changes in blood volume contained within the peripheral veins, peripheral venous pressure alters. Moreover, because the veins are much more accommodating than any other segment vascular changes in the circulating blood volume, can produce large changes in the volume of blood in the veins. For example after a hemorrhage, or loss of large amounts of liquid and after a great sweating, vomiting or severe diarrhea, could decrease the volume of circulating blood and significantly reduces the volume of blood in the veins, descending subsequently in the compartment peripheral vein. Conversely, by increasing the circulating volume, is achieved by increasing the peripheral venous compartment shifting the curve to the right venous function.
By a similar logic, if the peripheral venous pressure is caused by loss of blood or sympathetic vasoconstriction in peripheral veins, moves the venous function curve to the left.
The influence of plasma albumin on peripheral venous pressure.
Albumin is a protein produced by the liver. Is a protein found in high proportions in the blood plasma, the main blood protein and one of the most abundant. The serum albumin test measures the amount of this protein in the clear liquid portion of blood.
Albumin is essential for the maintenance of osmotic pressure necessary for the correct distribution of body fluids between the intravascular compartment and extravascular located between tissues.
FUNCTIONS OF ALBUMIN (3)
Oncotic pressure maintenance.
Transport of thyroid hormones.
Transport of soluble hormones.
Transport of free fatty acids. (That is, non-esterified)
Transport of unconjugated bilirubin.
Transport of many drugs and drugs.
Competitive binding with calcium ions.
PH control.
Regulator of extracellular fluid, Donnan effect.
As shown, the albumin is participating in a large number of processes, virtually all related to the complimentary of the blood, but the most important role is to maintain a suitable oncotic pressure which is the osmotic pressure due to plasma protein that appears between vascular and interstitial compartment. Blood capillaries being less permeable to high molecular weight compounds, such as proteins, they tend to accumulate in the blood plasma, resulting less abundant in the interstitial fluid. This concentration gradient between the inside of the capillary and interstitial space arises a tendency of water to compensate for this difference capillary blood returning to a certain pressure, capillary oncotic pressure. Similarly, proteins that are part of the interstitial fluid, interstitial generate an oncotic pressure in normal oncotic pressure less than the capillary.
The blood vessels of this protein required to maintain the balance between vascular and interstitial spaces. Otherwise, the difference between a space more or less osmotic hypertonic conditions the water passage between them, generating the differences between both compartments.
Starling’s equation (4):
Formulated in 1896 by the British physiologist Ernest Starling, the Starling equation illustrates the role of hydrostatic and oncotic forces (also called Starling forces) in the movement of flow through the capillary membranes. Predicts the net filtration pressure for a given liquid in the capillaries.
According to the Starling equation, fluid motion depends on six variables:
Capillary hydrostatic pressure (Pc)
Interstitial hydrostatic pressure (Pi)
Reflection coefficient (R), an index value that is the effectiveness of the capillary wall to prevent passage of proteins and that, under normal conditions is admitted that is equal to 1, which means that it is totally impermeable to the thereof and in pathological situations less than 1, until the value 0 when it can be pierced by them without difficulty.
Capillary oncotic pressure (πc)
Interstitial oncotic pressure (πi)
Filter coefficient (Kf), expresses the capillary wall permeability to fluids
All pressures are measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), and the filter coefficient is measured in milliliters per minute per millimeter of mercury (mL · min-1 · mm Hg-1). Starling’s equation described in the following manner:
-Arteriolar hydrostatic pressure (Pc arteriolar) = 37 mmHg
-Venular hydrostatic pressure (Pc venular) = 17 mmHg
According to the equation, P (Q) arteriolar = (37-1) + (0-25) = 11 and P (Q) venular = (17-0) + (0-25) = -9. Filtration is therefore greater than resorption. The difference is recovered to the bloodstream through the lymphatic system.
The solution to equation is the flow of water from the capillaries into the gap (Q). If positive, the flow will tend to leave the capillary (filtration). SI is negative, the flow will tend to enter the capillary (absorption).
The Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium
Due to the nature of semi-permeable capillary endothelium, plasma proteins are retained in the vascular compartment and its influence on the osmotic activity is central to the movement of fluids between the capillary and interstitial compartments. The Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium across the epithelium established the existence of diffusible proteins adds a small but significant increase in the osmotic activity. Plasma proteins originate an osmotic pressure of about 20 mm Hg and caused by the charged particles produced in the Gibbs-Donnan equilibrium is about 6-7 mm Hg. The sum of both is the oncotic pressure that is the pull exerted by the water plasma proteins.
The appearance of oedema:
In general, the amount of interstitial fluid is defined by the balance of body fluids through the mechanism of homeostasis.
Fluids intravascular and extravascular compartments are easily exchanged to maintain the right balance. Intravascular fluid out of blood vessels (primarily through the capillaries) and enters the interstitial space (5). This is the process fluid filtration. It is estimated that in a typical body, about 1% plasma seeps into the interstitial space. Under normal conditions, so that the body is in equilibrium, the same fluid from blood vessels into the interstitial space must return to the vasculature. There are two ways in which the fluid returns to the blood:
most of the fluid is absorbed in the final segment of the capillary venules or below, however, the rate of fluid absorption is less than the filtration rate, so it takes a second mechanism that collects excess filtering fluid into the interstitial fluid;
The second mechanism involves the lymph vessels, which collect excess interstitial fluid and pour it into the venous system at the level of the subclavian veins.
The edema is formed when an excessive secretion of fluid into the interstitial space, or when he does not recover properly, due to problems of absorption or lymphatic problems.
The appearance of generalized edema in critically ill patients is the classic feature. Also called systemic edema, which causes severe when diffuse swelling of all tissues and organs, especially the subcutaneous tissue, then called anasarca.
In heart failure, there is an increase in hydrostatic pressure, whereas in nephrotic syndrome and hepatic failure occurs an oncotic pressure drop. It is considered that these conditions explain the occurrence of edema, although this may be more complex (6).
In these cases, it may cause edema in multiple organs and peripheral members. For example, a major heart failure can cause pulmonary edema, pleural effusion, ascites and peripheral edema (7).
Conclusion: The protein albumin is perhaps the central axis of the vascular compartments. The proper management of it, along with the infusion of fluids (liquids), it will be optimal recovery of the gap and altered intravascular volume, helped by diuretics in the management of renal dysfunction that accompanies.
Theme 2. – HEMODYNAMICS: MODERATE hyperdynamic.
In Spanish language
1.- Cardiovascular Physiology (Lange Physiology Series 2006). Central Venous Pressure. An indicator of Circulatory Hemodynamics, Chapter 8. Page: 146-153. ISBN: 0-07-146561-8
2.- Shock, esa terrible palabra acerca el peligro de morir!
3.- Funciones de la Albúmina. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alb%C3%BAmina
4.- Ecuación de Starling. http://enciclopedia.us.es/index.php/Ecuaci%C3%B3n_de_Starling
5.- Klabunde, R.E. (2005). «Ch.8 Exchange function of the microcirculation.». Cardiovascular physiology concepts. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
6.- Renkin EM. (1994) Cellular aspects of transvascular exchange: a 40-year perspective. Microcirculation 1(3):157–67.
7.- Cho S, Atwood J (2002). «Peripheral oedema». Am J Med 113 (7): pp. 580–6.
Santiago Herrero. “Theory of the dependence in the critical care patient (1)”. Pearls in Intensive Care Medicine. April 2012 Vol. 54
Infouci.org – Dr. Herrero-Varon’s Blog. ENG/SPAIN. WordPress. Copyright for Santiago Herrero © 2012 ·
Todos los derechos reservados. All rights reserved
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Let's organize world trade
Feb. 16 05:24 am JST Feb. 16 | 07:07 am JST
By Valbona Zeneli and Michael R Czinkota
There is broad historic agreement that the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been one the most successful international institutions; its membership accounts for more than 98 percent of world trade. However, today’s global economic landscape is changing rapidly, coupled with retrenchment and distancing from multilateral agreements. Combined, these factors impact the discernible value and role of the WTO going forward.
Changed patterns of trade and investment
The expansion and development of IT infrastructure, telecommunications and computing made the global revolution of the last few decades possible. New technologies, nonexistent when the WTO was established in 1995, have become crucial for growth and development in this decade. The outsourcing revolution has affected the developing world in a major way: global manufacturing and new services have dramatically changed supply chains; corporate espionage and intellectual property infringements supported many corporates changes in developing countries; and WTO negotiations and augmented enforcement procedures have not been able to slow that trend.
Moreover, one of the most critical issues in global trade is the aspect of unprecedented imbalances. Today, China is the new top global merchandise exporter with a total of $2,263 trillion, or 16.25 percent of world exports, according to WTO reports. It is the largest global exporter of goods, 17 percent of world exports, and the third largest importer, 12 percent of global imports.
The U.S. is the main goods importer with 13.4 percent of the global imports, totaling $2.4 trillion. In 1994, the U.S. was running an annual merchandise trade deficit of about $120 billion; by 2017, the U.S. annual trade deficit with China alone has ballooned to over $375 billion.
Stalemate at the WTO: Too big to be effective?
The last successful WTO negotiation—the Uruguay Round—was a result of a strengthened, single market in Europe, the creation of NAFTA and several plurilateral agreements, such as the Information Technology Agreement (ITA).
The Doha Round of negotiations, beginning in November 2001, aimed to achieve major reforms in the international trading system, with an explicit focus on developing nations. Nevertheless, this premise failed; disagreements concerning the agricultural sector, free trade of services and intellectual property rights have stalled negotiations.
Twenty years ago, the principal WTO concerns were pollution, global warming, disease and structural unemployment—none of these agenda items, arguably, have been addressed effectively, much less solved.
Size is also an issue. The WTO is comprised of 164 members, with widely diverse perspectives, levels of development, linkages and ambitions. The WTO system has become unwieldy because of the unanimity requirement of its voting process. The result: progress with new agreements is at a standstill. Case in point is the reduction of trade tariffs, which, at a global three percent of Most Favored Nations status, is at the same level as in 2000.
China: a 'rule shaker' or a 'rule maker?'
The West’s open invitation for China to join the WTO in 2001, paved the way for its rise to a global economic power. Since then, the balance of power at the WTO has changed dramatically. Chinese outward investment in the global economy has increased thirtyfold, from $7 billion (making up only one percent of the global FDI) to almost $200 billion (13 percent of the global FDI).
China entered the WTO as a “rule taker,” evolved into a “rule shaker,” and now aims to become a “rule maker."
In fact, economic relations between China, the U.S. and the EU define many of the agreements and disputes at the WTO. Xi Jinping’s “China Dream” of national rejuvenation could be seen as a way to reshape the international economic system, putting China at the center.
China has not been an easy partner for the West. Initial optimism that China would turn towards a free market economy has yet to come to fruition. Moreover, with its “capitalism with Chinese characteristics,” the country has taken the main benefits of the open trade system by creating major distortions and causing disputes that the WTO lacked the capacity to handle. Controversial issues include Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), free market revisions through government subsidies and State Owned Enterprises (SOE), unequal conditions for market access with major restrictions to market entry in China, and unfair technology transfer. Foreign firms operating in China struggle against restrictive regulation—the government requires them to hand over their intellectual property as a condition of market access. Asymmetrical market access and lack of reciprocity are magnified further at political levels.
With the existing WTO rule book, it is difficult to hold China accountable. Implications of Chinese “market distortion” and “unfair competitive conditions” consume global trade relations rhetoric; these opinions, voiced loudly by the current U.S. administration, are also shared broadly by other players, such as the EU and Japan. Due to high trade deficits, the U.S. is pushing for WTO reforms, increasing tariffs and blocking the nominations of seats on the WTO’s appellate body (where the U.S. is a major player in the dispute resolution process) as leverage. Desired reforms aim to regulate market distortions caused by government interventions, simplifying the process of gathering information on unfair trade and investment practices, broadening the scope of banned subsidies and setting boundaries to proportionate retaliation. But, at the end of the day, why would China agree on reforms that jeopardize its state-run economic model?
The WTO as a reflection of a “new world”
The WTO does not operate in isolation from changes and new developments impacting trade. In the last two decades, the world’s macroeconomic environment was shaken by at least two significant events: the spread of terrorism, and the financial crisis of 2008. Terrorism has enhanced the inward focus of the political and economic aspects of national security; the global recession has caused an inward retraction of production and services. International economic issues were largely ignored as attention shifted to domestic job creation, the security, and protection of domestic credit markets and enhancing liquidity. Further, financial and political conflicts seem to foster greater polarization among legislators in many countries around the world.
As a result of continued stalemates and disagreements at the WTO, external actors are adopting a new “do-it-yourself” approach defined by preferential plurilateral trade negotiations—handmade for and benefitting only a limited number of players.
In addition, there is the issue of China’s growth in influence. In September 2018, the U.S. together with the EU and Japan, signed a brief statement voicing shared concerns regarding the future of the WTO, questioning its validity as a primary platform for multilateral trade. As an immediate result of difficult trade relations between the U.S. and China, and tremendous pressure applied by the current U.S. administration, China afforded European companies access to some sectors, while pledging to cooperate with the EU on WTO reforms—a decision taken in July 2018 during the EU-China Summit.
Since the appearance of President Xi Jinping at the World Economic Forum two years ago, Beijing has been signaling that it is willing and prepared to assume the role of a new custodian of globalization. However, it seems obvious that China would not accept any reforms at the WTO, or any level, that would jeopardize its own economic model and welfare. At the same time, China wants to preserve the existing global trade order, as the outside world is more crucial than ever for its economic development.
Today’s global economic realities are not only introducing a new set of concerns and means of doing business, they are also challenging the very effectiveness of the WTO’s historical role as an arbiter of world trade.
Valbona Zeneli is the Chair of the Strategic Initiatives Department at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. The views presented are those of the author and do not necessarily represent views and opinions of the Department of Defense or the George C Marshall European Center for Security Studies.
Michael R Czinkota is a professor at the University of Kent in Canterbury and at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. He is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce in the United States Department of Commerce.
© Japan Today
New international moon race could define humanity's future
'Go back' captures core of Trump political agenda
Trump: A history of inflammatory and 'racist' statements
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Trump's remarks about immigrants changing European culture draw ire
July 15, 2018 06:12 am JST July 30, 2018 | 12:00 am JST
By JESSE J. HOLLAND and RUSSELL CONTRERAS
serendipitous1
July 15, 2018 07:39 am JST
Trump is unbelievably simple-minded. He just doesn't get it. Donald 'The Embarrassment' Trump continues to foment hatred and division, the only thing he knows how to do.
President Trump is right.
-4 ( +11 / -15 )
Immigrants change everywhere they settle, especially when large numbers arrive and don't integrate with the existing cultures.
They don't replace the existing cultures, but add to them. Humans have been merge cultures for thousands of years, when they choose to mix.
We are better together, especially when the immigrants are invited and legal. But the different cultures have amazing aspects, regardless. Most cultures have negative aspects as well.
For example, I can do without noise pollution from any religions.
jcapan
No doubt Trump considers himself the pinnacle of white Euro-American culture. Imagine wanting to preserve that from the taint of barbarians.
The debate about immigration is a very serious one.
Imagine a leader from Europe posting his or her opinion about immigration in the US by linking to dodgy KKK vidoes on Twitter. That leader would be rightly ridiculed and treated as garbage by all decent US citizens on both sides of the debate.
Opinions backed up with facts from serious and thoughtful people from all sides of the debate are welcome.
Trump is not a serious and thoughtful person, and facts are alien to him.
Best to shut up in this case.
seadog538
While immigration is usually very good for the migrants it isn't always good for the natives. Ask the Australian Aborigines, the North American First People or even the Ainu. There are countries that are overrun by refugees/migrants who are looked after while the local inhabitants are going hungry and sleeping on the streets.
For us as well.
But we would laugh because the KKK are as irrelevant as Tower Records.
No, he’s right and he’s thoughtful and I think he should be as vocal as possible, Europe can do what it wants I respect that and if they want to have open borders, more power to them, but I want legal immigration for the US and if you are illegal, then wait our turn and follow all the proper procedures.
You wouldn’t dismiss that person as trash as well as laughing?
Linking to dodgy KKK videos, or any racist group for that matter, would bring no sense of revulsion at all?
immigration is "changing the culture" of Europe
Possibly, but so does technology, scientific progress, the decline of religion, the EU and dozens of other trends/factors which are shaping today's & tmrw's Europe.
Let’s leave the debate open and let’s not forget the obvious;mass migration into Europe is changing the larger cities......
Even Trump's antedeluvian mind hints at a point of progress. It was in my parent's generation that there was no "Europe" - just a colliding collection of historical hatred and racial prejudice. One doesn't have to look too far back in American history to find panic about immigration regarding almost any non-English population (Irish, Italians, etc.)
Trump's 72. One can forgive, perhaps, such an old man his prejudices - but one certainly should not be led by them.
Yes, but I’m putting forward the old-fashioned idea that when giving opinions, it is a good idea to use facts to support your argument - not dodgy trash you find on the net from racists. It tends to weaken your argument, inflame decent people and make you look like rancid garbage.
It’s just the way I was brought up and educated. Maybe times have changed.
Texas A&M Aggie
The truth hurts, but President Trump is once again correct.
The President is correct. Look at all the problems there are in Europe that didn’t exist even 10 years ago.
Countries that are enforcing their borders or restricting legal immigration to a firm number per year seem to not have as many problems.
European culture is changing. People are more ready to come together and stand up against bigotry without fear of being labelled mentally ill or loony left.
The Left cannot practice what they preach because they don't understand their total hypocrisy because they are all emotionally redundant. A collection of delusional nitwits. Delusional:Delusional- adjective having false or unrealistic beliefs or opinions Psychiatry: maintaining fixed false beliefs even when confronted with facts, usually as a result of mental illness
A racist narcissistic pathological liar who cannot distinguish between the UK and the Republic of Ireland, who thinks Scoaland is not part of the UK is not someone I'd look to for facts.
@yakya maintaining fixed false beliefs even when confronted with facts, usually as a result of mental illness
I agree with you that many ideologues are fact averse. Look at how fake news is being used by authoritarian regimes around the world and how many people accept the stories. Think about ‘Pizzagate’, think about how many posters on this site try to spread fake news stories, like Obama is a Muslim among so many others.
I don’t know where you’re getting the definition used above, but if you include true believers, those who blindly follow a leader they think is a savior, be that person religious or political, for example people who join cults of personality (modern day think Trump, Putin, Erdogan, Duterte etal) then I partially agree that could be considered a mental illness. Or it could be they’re intellectually challenged. Or it could be they’re paid puppets flaming for their personal saviors.
@bas4 But we would laugh because the KKK are as irrelevant as Tower Records.
It’s NO laughing matter, except perhaps to those who support them, that groups like the KKK remain ‘relevant’ today. It’s no laughing matter that hate groups like the KKK are still ‘relevant’. It’s no laughing matter that more hate groups are emerging, that hate is spawning more hate.
It’s no laughing matter that more hate groups are emerging, that hate is spawning more hate.
In Europe, the rise of the far right was fueled by frankly idiotic immigration policies. Merkel was talking about the failure of multi-culturalism along with other European leaders before opening the floodgates and then extolling the ideas of multi-culturalism. Perhaps she was recoiling from charges of being labeled a fascist or looking to build a fourth Reich from idiots on the left - who knows?
I get the sense the tactic of labeling people racists and fascists is starting to lose its power. Certain elements of the left squeal it too much. It runs down the language.
As for true racist garbage like the people Trump likes to follow and retweet on the net, they need to be called out for what they are.
I’ve been asking what Trump supporters think about him retweeting dodgy videos from known racists for days on this site. Not one could criticize this behaviour. Morally bankrupt, spineless partisans
It’s very depressing to see the extremes of both sides acting in this way.
July 15, 2018 12:53 pm JST
@jimzo It’s very depressing to see the extremes of both sides acting in this way.
I agree, and also depressing to see paid flamers take either extreme side to further intensify the issues. Some governments are paying trolls to send divisive messages, and extremists - on both sides - are affected by them. Doesn't say much for the thinking skills of extremists, does it. Nor the flamers.
Look at all the problems there are in Europe that didn’t exist even 10 years ago.
Not to mention, say, 1938 - Ah, what a golden era of peace! Really, you could throw a dart randomly at a calendar predating 1945 and be unable to hit a year where some Europeans were not slaughtering others somewhere.
Problems are all in perspective.
I’d propose that Trump is not a racist-how can he be when he and his family marry different religious faiths (Jews) and he is married to a lady from Eastern Europe?
However, Trump will always be a “racist piece of garbage”
even when the facts show otherwise.
Haaa Nemui
Accepting one race is not the same as accepting all.
I think Haaa Nemui answered that one.
Also, I never called Trump a racist. I said he retweeted racists. Maybe he isn’t a racist but retweets racists to play to his base. Seems plausible to me.
I’m just flabbergasted that Trump supporters can’t bring themselves to criticize Trump for retweeting dodgy videos from racists.
I find it very disturbing.
Thankyou Trump for saying the truth.
And what race has Trump not shown to be accepting of?
Trump was in trouble in the past for not renting to black people.
I don't know. I'm not calling him racist. I'm debating your argument.
You can still be a racist and an anti-Semite. You can still work with and employ people of different races, cultures and be a bigot.
https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/jerusalem-s-anti-semitism-forum-comes-at-a-critical-time-for-jews-1.5911825
https://www.timesofisrael.com/stephen-bannon-5-things-jews-need-to-know/
Fascist sympathisers like the EDL often carry Israel flags on marches.
Things aren't as absolute as some would have us believe.
@ Jimizo
And what was the reason for not renting to that group?
Maybe, it was the ability to secure a guarantor?
More info please.
And Trump’s daughter married a Jew in a Jewish ceremony.
Surely, that shows more than average acceptance-no?
In addition, I am sure that President Trump has many many different colored staff working at his properties and in the White House.
Plenty of African Americans at his rallies too;the same goes for the EDLwith ethnic minorities included!
Someone show how Trump is a racist (rather than opines) and I’ll accept the proof.
Once again, proof of Trump's long standing bigotry.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/12/report-trump-said-haitians-all-have-aids.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/12/unkind-divisive-elitist-international-outcry-over-trumps-sh*thole-countries-remark
https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/28/politics/donald-trump-barack-obama-birth-certificate-nyt/index.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/12/racism-and-donald-trump-a-common-thread-throughout-his-career-and-life
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/28/us/politics/donald-trump-housing-race.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/18/opinion/why-trump-doubled-down-on-the-central-park-five.html
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trumps-long-history-of-racism-201446/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jul/08/donald-trump-latino-vote-mexico-immigration
Not in the least. I might be an African-American, married to a Japanese in a Christian ceremony and absolutely despise Indians. That would make me racist. It's not like there are only Jewish and non Jewish.
Jonorth
Cultures have continually changed, with and without the help from immigrants. A cultural change isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when people want to appear nationalist to camouflage their racism or xenophobia, this is what they turn to - protect the traditions! We are losing our way of life!
It's pure hysteria and it's ridiculous. There's a governmental party in my country, Denmark, who wants to force daycares to serve pork once or twice a week, because that's apparently an important tradition. It's beyond stupid and only serves to cause diversion, distrust and hatred.
Another illiterate article that thinks the UK and England are the same thing.
Everyone knows Trump is racist. Some support it, some don’t.
Halwick
No matter what Trump says, the leftists/liberals will say his remarks are racial and he is a racist.
Trump's comments about immigration "changing the culture of Europe" is not so much about racial ethnicity, but about integration of cultural, customs and traditions from countries (especially from Middle East, Latin American and Asia) that are fundamentally different from Western Europe and threatens to change the European culture to the point where it will lose its unique identity and culture.
There was a time a long time ago when one emigrates to a new country and becomes a "naturalized citizen", he/she accepted and assimilated to that country's customs, language and culture.
Nowadays, with the liberals' political correctness insistence on diversity, there is no incentive to accept and assimilate. Instead, today's immigrants are encouraged to retain and even impose their cultural ethnicity through legislation without respect or regards to their new country of residence.
This is especially happening in the U.S. What was once "American" culture is now being overrun by the multitude of diverse cultures to the point where the U.S. is becoming increasingly culturally fragmented and no longer recognizable as the "America" it once was when the country was at its peak in the mid-20th century.
Trump is trying to warn Europe not to go down the same path.
Ah yes, the mid-20th century. The wonderful times before Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Akin to a beacon of perfect racial harmony.
I could care less what crazy liberals think.
Yes, but I’m putting forward the old-fashioned idea that when giving opinions, it is a good idea to use facts to support your argument
Yes, that is true, but I wish liberals would stick to that sound advice.
- not dodgy trash you find on the net from racists. It tends to weaken your argument, inflame decent people and make you look like rancid garbage.
Again, the left do this on a day by day basis and yet, there is No outcry and they get away with it.
Same here and yes, times have indeed changed.
@Bass
So you’re okay with Trump retweeting dodgy racist material.
Ok. That’s all I asked.
He's an adult, it's irrelevant if I approve or not, can't stop him, he does whatever he wants to do.
Ah yes, the mid-20th century. The wonderful times before Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Akin to a beacon of perfect racial harmony
90% of the American society at that time thought the mid 1950s were a "wonderful times." Up until the mid 1960s, the U.S. was a more stable society with a higher degree of law and order than today. The country as a whole were confident of their identity, culture and future. The illegal alien/immigration problems then were nowhere near as wildly out of control as it is today. People then viewed themselves as AMERICANs, not "African-American", "Asian-Americans", "Arab-Americans", "Jewish-Americans", "Latino-Americans", etc.
Obviously liberals only focus on the narrow aspects and the malcontents, rather than the nation as a whole.
By the way, the truth, as difficult as it is to accept, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Stokley Carmichael, H. Rap Brown, etc., were not saints; they were racists themselves and encouraged civil disobedience and anarchy; they only differed in their approach. Even Roy Wilkins, then head of the NAACP, disagreed with their militancy.
The liberals and Democrats in the 2020 U.S. elections will make immigration a major issues and divide the country, only this time using the Latinos as their "cat's paws" instead of the Blacks.
Someone gets it.
zichi
Trump lied difficult to believe anything he says.
High volume unregulated immigration is distabilizing for the indigenous population. We are seeing that in both Europe and the US. Ordered and gradual immigration is revitalizing for a culture because it allows for the indigenous culture to take the best and most compatible portions of the outside culture in order to strengthen their own.
Healthy immigration is not what the political Left in the West are interested in. They truly believe that Western culture is more bad than good. They want to fundamentally transform it by deligitimization and displacement. This effort has led to support of unregulated immigration and an emphasis on differences over commonalities. The power of Western cultural thought is its emphasis on the rights of individuals. It has allowed the culture to continuously improve itself by appealing to the commonalities of all human beings. No other culture in human history has taken this route.
This attack on Western culture is best seen in identity politics. Identity politics makes support of unregulated immigration an imperative for the Left. It has led to horrible outcomes like the Rotherham sexual exploitation of young English girls. The local authorities were paralyzed in confronting a foreign cultural practice because they were unwilling to risk being attacked themselves by upholding their Western values.
Trump brought his lies over to Europe this week, denied his statements from an on-the-record interview and inflated his numbers about U.S. spending on NATO.
“The United States has been paying a tremendous amount, probably 90 percent of the cost of NATO,” he erroneously said.
He lied that other NATO countries agreed to increase their defense spending to 4% GDP.
The official NATO communique and didn't contain a single word issued by Trump.
Trump lied about being at his Scottish the night before the Brexit vote.
Trump’s pattern of spewing falsehoods is nothing new. The Washington Post reported that the president made 3,001 false or misleading claims as of May 1, and that number has only increased.
The greatest part was calling his own on-the-record interview fake news. Trump just keeps on giving.
Trump lies so much that journalists now measure "Dishonesty Density".
Pretty much spot on.
https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2017/02/16/military-spending-by-nato-members
the leftists/liberals will say his remarks are racial and he is a racist.
Proof: Muslim ban
And yet the segregation in society at the time is regarded as some of the worst of the twentieth century. I have no doubt that for white America what you say is true. I have no doubt that for the rest it isn't.
And? I didn't say they were saints. They ARE still regarded as heroes though. Try telling women that the people involved in the suffrage movement weren't heroes.
Yes, President Trump would make a fine racist if only Muslims were a race.......
90% of the American society at that time thought the mid 1950s were a "wonderful times."
Happy Days mythology. The '50s were a wonderful time b/c under Ike top marginal tax rates were 90%. Now we bow down to the master's carriage as it passes by and wonder why our lives are horrible--oh wait, blame the brown and disenfranchised.
Just more dishonesty that America spends its entire national defense budget on NATO.
Not dishonest at all and not its entire NDB, but more than anyone else, pay your fair share.
First you state America pays 90% of NATO, both dishonest and not correct. Then you say America pays more than anyone else. That too is dishonest and not correct. Trump and his supporters don't like the true figures.
American spends less than $20 billion on its NATO bases and provides just 45,000 troops while the other NATO countries spent $250 billion and provide more than 3 million troops.
Your president even lied about the final NATO communique contents.
Difficult to progress when the real truth is dismissed.
Trump is a serial liar.
Actually, I think the left are the serial liars
The United States has a point in noting that its commitment is disproportionately large. Last year it spent 3.6% of its GDP on defence, the highest ratio of any NATO member (and the highest total military budget in the world by a hefty margin). That is almost double the target of 2% of GDP that NATO members all agreed to in 2006. At the time six members reached the threshold; last year five did. Such gripes are hardly new. Since the 1970s numerous American presidents have complained about military “free-riding” by the country′s European allies. The differences between NATO members′ defence budgets grew larger following the end of the cold war, as some countries rushed to claim a peace dividend faster than others. Budget-tightening after the 2008 financial crisis has continued the trend.
Again, Europe pay your fair share.
The problem is Europe is not going to and they are just laughing at Trump in the face. Just like Mexico won't pay for the wall. Trump also failed in his zero tolerance immigration policy, and that gives the greenlight to cross those borders (with no Trump wall). This is on top of Trump's failed Muslim ban.
Trump, the grandson of a German immigrant and the son of a Scottish immigrant to the United States
At the turn of the 19th Century, Americans thought the same of European immigrants
If the US hadn't welcomed European immigrants back then, Trump wouldn't have been born in America
"If the US hadn't welcomed European immigrants back then, Trump wouldn't have been born in America"
True! So? Trump isn't against legal immigration, against ILLEGAL immigration.
"Proof: Muslim ban"
Question for nishikat: How come Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, isn't affected by the "Muslim" ban?
Steve Says: Elitists disapprove of Trump's disrupt-orama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E3OV2hxqps
@zichi,
You really need to stop fixating on the costs and troop numbers in Europe.
If a sustained war breaks out in Europe, do you really think that the US will fight using only the troops and equipment physically stationed there? Those troops are meant to hold out until the bulk of the forces can arrive from the US and other bases around the world.
Not physically spending money in Europe does not mean it is not being spent on the defense of Europe. You've really got to broaden your views on defense spending.
But from Trump's comment, seems he doesn't make a distinction because LEGAL immigration will STILL change European culture
Europe accepts a lot of legal immigrants including refugees. Trump appears to be warning Europe not to be so accepting of so many immigrants, legal or otherwise
So, in 1972-73, Trump's company didn't want to rent apartments to black people. It was a different time. Haven't you changed some of your attitudes since the early 1970s?
That's like blaming "The Greatest Generation", who had extremely racists ideas about anyone who wasn't white, for holding those attitudes before the 1960s.
Or how Japan is with their immigration laws.
Attitudes change. People change.
President Trump was in his 20s. His father was teaching him the business and likely told him not to rent to blacks to avoid problems. All of this was against the law at the time. The fact that prosecutors didn't make them admit any wrong-doing and just fined them says something about the prevailing attitudes from those years.
Was he a racist in the early 1970s? Probably. What we do know is that his company didn't want to rent apartments to black people. That is fact.
Is he a racist today or 10 yrs ago or 20 yrs ago? I don't know. I do know that he is a liar about important and trivial things. I do know that he has cheated on his wife multiple times.
Trump ran on a few ideas. He was elected even when people knew many of his huge faults and has tried to keep those promises. He has been unsuccessful primarily due to his failure to convince enough people in Congress that those ideas are good. He's always been the boss, being able to get his way on a command. That isn't how politics works and I don't think President Trump will learn it.
@theFu Trump's faults aren't as huge as Hillary's, thus he was elected. And he has been amazingly successful even with zero support from the Democrats. The people are sick and tired of the same old same old from our politicians.
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Arrests made after incident on Samuel Street
New festival celebrates performing artists, food
Found dog being treated for laundry-list of issues
Man records alleged over-the-phone child luring
'The Metz' picked as winner for name of former Schneiders plant development
CTV Kitchener
Published Saturday, June 15, 2019 6:02PM EDT
Last Updated Saturday, June 15, 2019 6:10PM EDT
The name of the new development project at the former Schneiders plant in Kitchener will have plenty of history behind it.
“The Metz” was picked as the winner on Saturday for the naming contest held by Auburn Development.
Madelyn Braun was the recipient of $10,000 after her submission was selected out of 4,600 entries.
The University of Waterloo student also shares a connection with the site of the meat processing plant that was closed down in 2015.
“My grandparents met at Schneiders,” Braun said. “My sister and a few other family members used to work at the factory as well.”
She says her day one entry to the “My Name Is…Contest” took a little research to come up with.
“I went to the old Schneiders website and looked around,” Braun said. “I was on the Auburn Development website looking at some of their past development names and getting an idea of the type of names that they like.”
“Metz” is the “M” in company founder J.M. Schneider’s name.
It’s also his mother’s maiden name, who is said to have provided the recipe for many of the Schneiders meat products.
“The Metz” is expected to be a mixed-use community of retail and office space, parks, and affordable housing.
“We’re really looking forward to having that vibrant, community feel,” said Auburn Developments President Jamie Crich.
The company is behind the Arrow Lofts and Barrel Yards developments, but “The Metz” will be their most expensive project to date at $500 million.
“We’ll see people living here, playing here, and going to work here,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “It’s really going to be one of the best neighbourhoods, I think. It’s in the central part of the city.”
Auburn Developments hopes the first building will be up within the year and the whole project completed within the next decade.
Amy Furtado and Michael Hogan were each awarded $1,000 for the runner up submission “The Metz District”.
Mike Emrich won $2,500 for coming up with the name “Olde Fashioned Way” for the main street in the development.
David Voogd and Nathan Hause each won $500 for naming the development’s public square “J.M. Schneider Platz.”
The winner of the "My Name Is...Contest" Madelyn Braun holds her cheque for $10,000. The new development at the former Kitchener Schneiders plant will be called "The Metz".
Qualifying rate lowered for mortgage stress tests, first time in 3 years
Waterloo think-tank lays off more than 20 employees in wake of provincial funding cuts
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photo credits: CC-PD-Mark
Gulliver's Travels, or Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships (which is the full title), is a prose satire by Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift, that is both a satire on human nature and the "travellers' tales" literary subgenre. It is Swift's best known full-length work, and a classic of English literature. He himself claimed that he wrote Gulliver's Travels "to vex the world rather than divert it". The book was an immediate success. John Gay remarked "It is universally read, from the cabinet council to the nursery".In 2015, Robert McCrum released his selection list of 100 best novels of all time in which Gulliver’s Travels is listed, as "a satirical masterpiece".
original title: Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, in Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of several Ships
genre: speculative fiction novel, satiric novel, science fiction novel, dystopian novel
characters: Lemuel Gulliver, Struldbrugg, Houyhnhnm, Yahoo
Ebooks: on Wikisource on Gutenberg.org
Work Gulliver's Travels
GuGu can lend it
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Islam’s Shame: Lifting the Veil of Tears
Posted on May 14, 2008 by islamoscope
By Ibn Warraq
Islam is deeply anti-woman. Islam is the fundamental cause of the repression of Muslim women and remains the major obstacle to the evolution of their position.[1] Islam has always considered women as creatures inferior in every way: physically, intellectually, and morally. This negative vision is divinely sanctioned in the Koran, corroborated by the hadiths, and perpetuated by the commentaries of the theologians, the custodians of Muslim dogma and ignorance.
Far better for these intellectuals to abandon the religious argument, to reject these sacred texts, and have recourse to reason alone. They should turn instead to human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (adopted on December 10, 1948, by the General Assembly of the United Nations in Paris and ratified by most Muslim countries) at no point has recourse to a religious argument. These rights are based on natural rights, which any adult human being capable of choice has. They are rights that human beings have simply because they are human beings. Human reason or rationality is the ultimate arbiter of rights – human rights, the rights of women.
Unfortunately, in practice, in Muslim countries one cannot simply leave the theologians with their narrow, bigoted world view to themselves. One cannot ignore the ulama, those learned doctors of Muslim law who by their fatwas or decisions in questions touching private or public matters of importance regulate the life of the Muslim community. They still exercise considerable powers of approving or forbidding certain actions. Why the continuing influence of the mullas?
The Koran remains for all Muslims, not just “fundamentalists,” the uncreated word of God Himself. It is valid for all times and places; its ideas are absolutely true and beyond all criticism. To question it is to question the very word of God, and hence blasphemous. A Muslim’s duty is to believe it and obey its divine commands.
Several other factors contribute to the continuing influence of the ulama. Any religion that requires total obedience without thought is not likely to produce people capable of critical thought, people capable of free and independent thought. Such a situation is favorable to the development of a powerful “clergy” and is clearly responsible for the intellectual, cultural, and economic stagnation of several centuries. Illiteracy remains high in Muslim countries. Historically, as there never was any separation of state and religion, any criticism of one was seen as a criticism of the other. Inevitably, when many Muslim countries won independence after the Second World War, Islam was unfortunately linked with nationalism, which meant that any criticism of Islam was seen as a betrayal of the newly independent country – an unpatriotic act, an encouragement to colonialism and imperialism. No Muslim country has developed a stable democracy; Muslims are being subjected to every kind of repression possible. Under these conditions healthy criticism of society is not possible, because critical thought and liberty go together.
The above factors explain why Islam in general and the position of women in particular are never criticized, discussed, or subjected to deep scientific or skeptical analysis. All innovations are discouraged in Islam – every problem is seen as a religious problem rather than a social or economic one.
Profoundly Anti-Woman
Islam took the legend of Adam and Eve [2] from the Old Testament and adapted it in its own fashion. The creation of mankind from one person is mentioned in the following suras:
4.1. 0 Mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multiple of men and women.
39.6. He created you from one being, then from that (being) He made its mate.
7.189. He it is who did create you from a single soul and therefrom did make his mate that he might take rest in her.
From these slender sources Muslim theologians have concluded that man was the original creation – womankind was created secondarily for the pleasure and repose of man. The legend was further developed to reinforce the supposed inferiority of women. Finally, the legend was given a sacred character so that to criticize it was to criticize the very words of God, which were immutable and absolute. Here is how Muhammad describes women in general: “Be friendly to women for womankind was created from a rib, but the bent part of the rib, high up, if you try to straighten it you will break it; if you do nothing, she will continue to be bent.”
God punishes Adam and Eve for disobeying his orders. But there is nothing in the verses to show that it was Eve (as in the Old Testament) who led Adam astray. And yet Muslim exegetists and jurists have created the myth of Eve the temptress that has since become an integral part of Muslim tradition. Muhammad himself is reputed to have said: “If it had not been for Eve, no woman would have been unfaithful to her husband.”
The Islamic tradition also attributes guile and deceit to women and draws its support from the Koran. Modern Muslim commentators interpret certain verses to show that guile, deceit, and treachery are intrinsic to a woman’s nature. Not only is she unwilling to change, she is by nature incapable of changing – she has no choice.[3] In attacking the female deities of the polytheists, the Koran takes the opportunity to malign the female sex further.
4.1 17. They invoke in His stead only females; they pray to none else than Satan, a rebel.
53.21-22. Are yours the males and His the females? That indeed were an unfair division!
53.27. Lo! it is those who disbelieve in the Hereafter who name the angels with the names of females.
Other verses from the Koran also seem of a misogynist tendency.
2.228. Women who are divorced shall wait, keeping themselves apart, three (monthly) courses. And it is not lawful for them that they should conceal that which Allah hath created in their wombs if they are believers in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands would do better to take them back in that case if they desire a reconciliation. And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them in kindness, and men are a degree above them. Allah is Mighty, Wise.
2.282. But if he who oweth the debt is of low understanding, or weak or unable himself to dictate, then let the guardian of his interests dictate in (terms of) equity. And call to witness, from among your men, two witnesses. And if two men be not (at hand) then a man and two women, of such as ye approve as witnesses, so that if the one erreth (through forgetfulness) the other will remember.
4.11. Allah chargeth you concerning (the provision for) your children: to the male the equivalent of the portion of two females.
4.34. Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart; and scourge (beat) them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them Lo! Allah is ever High Exalted, Great.
Equally, in numerous hadiths on which are based the Islamic laws, we learn of the woman’s role – to stay at home, to be at the beck and call of man to obey him (which is a religious duty), and to assure man a tranquil existence. Here are some examples of these traditions:
The woman who dies and with whom the husband is satisfied will go to paradise.
A wife should never refuse herself to her husband even if it is on the saddle of a camel.
Hellfire appeared to me in a dream and I noticed that it was above all peopled with women who had been ungrateful. “Was it toward God that they were ungrateful?” They had not shown any gratitude toward their husbands for all they had received from them. Even when all your life you have showered a woman with your largesse she will still find something petty to reproach you with one day, saying, “You have never done anything for me.”
If anything presages a bad omen it is: a house, a woman, a horse.
Never will a people know success if they confide their affairs to a woman.
It will be appropriate to include two quotes from the famous and much revered philosopher al-Ghazali (1058-1111), whom Professor Montgomery Watt describes as the greatest Muslim after Muhammad. In his “The Revival Of The Religious Sciences,” Ghazali defines the woman’s role: [4]
She should stay at home and get on with her spinning, she should not go out often, she must not be well-informed, nor must she be communicative with her neighbours and only visit them when absolutely necessary; she should take care of her husband and respect him in his presence and his absence and seek to satisfy him in everything; she must not cheat on him nor extort money from him; she must not leave her house without his permission and if given his permission she must leave surreptitiously. She should put on old clothes and take deserted streets and alleys, avoid markets, and make sure that a stranger does not hear her voice or recognize her; she must not speak to a friend of her husband even in need. … Her sole worry should be her virtue, her home as well as her prayers and her fast. If a friend of her husband calls when the latter is absent she must not open the door nor reply to him in order to safeguard her and her husband’s honour. She should accept what her husband gives her as sufficient sexual needs at any moment. … She should be clean and ready to satisfy her husband’s sexual needs at any moment.
Such are some of the sayings from the putative golden age of Islamic feminism. It was claimed that it was the abandonment of the original teachings of Islam that had led to the present decadence and backwardness of Muslim societies. But there never was an Islamic utopia. To talk of a golden age is only to conform and perpetuate the influence of the clergy, the mullas, and their hateful creed that denies humanity to half the inhabitants of this globe, and further retards all serious attempts to liberate Muslim women.
What Rights?
The inequality between men and women [5] in matters of giving testimony or evidence or being a witness is enshrined in the Koran: sura 2.282 (quoted above).
How do Muslim apologists justify the above text? Muslim men and women writers point to the putative psychological differences that exist between men and women. The Koran (and hence God) in its sublime wisdom knew that women are sensitive, emotional, sentimental, easily moved, and influenced by their biological rhythm, lacking judgment. But above all they have a shaky memory. In other words, women are psychologically inferior. Such are the dubious arguments used by Muslim intellectuals – male and, astonishingly enough, female intellectuals like Ahmad Jamal, Ms. Zahya Kaddoura, Ms. Ghada al-Kharsa, and Ms. Madiha Khamis. As Ghassan Ascha points out, the absurdity of their arguments are obvious.
By taking the testimony of two beings whose reasoning faculties are faulty we do not obtain the testimony of one complete person with a perfectly functioning rational faculty – such is Islamic arithmetic! By this logic, if the testimony of two women is worth that of one man, then the testimony of four women must be worth that of two men, in which case we can dispense with the testimony of the men. But no! In Islam the rule is not to accept the testimony of women alone in matters to which men theoretically have access. It is said that the Prophet did not accept the testimony of women in matters of marriage, divorce, and hudud. Hudud are the punishments set down by Muhammad in the Koran and the hadith for (1) adultery – stoning to death; (2) fornication – a hundred stripes; (3) false accusation of adultery against a married person – eighty stripes; (4) apostasy – death; (5) drinking wine – eighty stripes; (6) theft – the cutting off of the right hand; (7) simple robbery on the highway – the loss of hands and feet; robbery with murder – death, either by the sword or by crucifixion.
On adultery the Koran 24.4 says: “Those that defame honourable women and cannot produce four witnesses shall be given eighty lashes.” Of course, Muslim jurists will only accept four male witnesses. These witnesses must declare that they have “seen the parties in the very act of carnal conjunction.” Once an accusation of fornication and adultery has been made, the accuser himself or herself risks punishment if he or she does not furnish the necessary legal proofs. Witnesses are in the same situation. If a man were to break into a woman’s dormitory and rape half a dozen women, he would risk nothing since there would be no male witnesses. Indeed the victim of a rape would hesitate before going in front of the law, since she would risk being condemned herself and have little chance of obtaining justice. “If the woman’s words were sufficient in such cases,” explains Judge Zharoor ul Haq of Pakistan, “then no man would be safe.” This iniquitous situation is truly revolting and yet for Muslim law it is a way of avoiding social scandal concerning the all-important sexual taboo. Women found guilty of fornication were literally immured, at first; as the Koran 4.15 says: “Shut them up within their houses till death release them, or God make some way for them.” However this was later canceled and stoning substituted for adultery and one hundred lashes for fornication. When a man is to be stoned to death, he is taken to some barren place, where he is stoned first by the witnesses, then the judge, and then the public. When a woman is stoned, a hole to receive her is dug as deep as her waist – the Prophet himself seems to have ordered such procedure. It is lawful for a man to kill his wife and her lover if he catches them in the very act.
In the case where a man suspects his wife of adultery or denies the legitimacy of the offspring, his testimony is worth that of four men. Sura 24.6: “If a man accuses his wife but has no witnesses except himself, he shall swear four times by God that his charge is true, calling down upon himself the curse of God if he is lying. But if his wife swears four times by God that his charge is false and calls down His curse upon herself if it be true, she shall receive no punishment.” Appearances to the contrary, this is not an example of Koranic justice or equality between the sexes. The woman indeed escapes being stoned to death but she remains rejected and loses her right to the dowry and her right to maintenance, whatever the outcome of the trial. A woman does not have the right to charge her husband in a similar manner. Finally, for a Muslim marriage to be valid there must be a multiplicity of witnesses. For Muslim jurists, two men form a multiplicity but not two or three or a thousand women.
In questions of heritage, the Koran tells us that male children should inherit twice the portion of female children:
4.11-12. A male shall inherit twice as much as a female. If there be more than two girls, they shall have two-thirds of the inheritance, but if there be one only, she shall inherit the half. Parents shall inherit a sixth each, if the deceased have a child; but if he leave no child and his parents be his heirs, his mother shall have a third. If he have brothers, his mother shall have a sixth after payment of any legacy he may have bequeathed or any debt he may have owed.
To justify this inequality, Muslim authors lean heavily on the fact that a woman receives a dowry and has the right to maintenance from her husband. It is also true that according to Muslim law the mother is not at all obliged to provide for her children, and if she does spend money on her children, it is, to quote Bousquet, “recoverable by her from her husband if he is returned to a better fortune as in the case of any other charitable person. Therefore there is no point in the husband and wife sharing in the taking charge of the household; this weighs upon the husband alone. There is no longer any financial interest between them.” [6]
This latter point referred to by Bousquet simply emphasizes the negative aspects of a Muslim marriage – that is to say, the total absence of any idea of “association” between “couples” as in Christianity. As to dowry, it is, of course, simply a reconfirmation of the man’s claims over the woman in matters of sex and divorce. Furthermore, in reality the woman does not get to use the dowry for herself. The custom is either to use the dowry to furnish the house of the newly married couple or for the wife to offer it to her father. According to the Malekites, the woman can be obliged by law to use the dowry to furnish the house. Muslim law also gives the guardian the right to cancel a marriage – even that of a woman of legal age – if he thinks the dowry is not sufficient. Thus the dowry, instead of being a sign of her independence, turns out once more to be a symbol of her servitude.
The woman has the right to maintenance but this simply emphasizes her total dependence on her husband, with all its attendant sense of insecurity. According to Muslim jurists, the husband is not obliged under Islamic law to pay for her medical expenses in case of illness. Financial independence of the woman would of course be the first step in the liberation of Muslim women and thus it is not surprising that it is seen as a threat to male dominance. Muslim women are now obliged to take equal responsibility for looking after their parents. Article 158 of Syrian law states “The child – male or female – having the necessary means is obliged to take responsibility for his or her poor parents.” The birth of a girl is still seen as a catastrophe in Islamic societies. The system of inheritance just adds to her misery and her dependence on the man. If she is an only child she receives only half the legacy of her father; the other half goes to the male members of the father’s family. If there are two or more daughters, they inherit two-thirds. This pushes fathers and mothers to prefer male children to female so that they can leave the entirety of their effects or possessions to their own descendants. “Yet when a new-born girl is announced to one of them his countenance darkens and he is filled with gloom” (sura 43.15). The situation is even worse when a woman loses her husband – she only receives a quarter of the legacy. If the deceased leaves more than one wife, all the wives are still obliged to share among themselves a quarter or one-eighth of the legacy.
Muslim jurists [7] are unanimous in their view that men are superior to women in virtue of their reasoning abilities, their knowledge, and their supervisory powers. And since it is the man who assumes financial responsibility for the family, it is argued, it is natural that he should have total power over the woman. These same jurists, of course, totally neglect changing social conditions where a woman may contribute her salary to the upkeep of her family – power over women remains a divine command and “natural” or “in the nature of things.” Muslim thinkers continue to confine Muslim women to the house – to leave the house is against the will of God and against the principles of Islam. Confined to their houses, women are then reproached for not having any experience of the outside world!
According to theologians, [8] the husband has the right to administer corporal punishment to his wife if she
Refuses to make herself beautiful for him;
Refuses to meet his sexual demands;
Leaves the house without permission or without any legitimate reason recognized by law; or
Neglects her religious duties.
A hadith attributes the following saying to the Prophet: “Hang up your whip where your wife can see it.” There are a number of other hadiths that contradict this one. In those, Muhammad explicitly forbids men to beat their wives – in which case the Prophet himself is contradicting what the Koran, enshrining divine law, permits.
Case Histories: The Women of Pakistan
In Pakistan in 1977, General Zia al-Haq took over in a military coup declaring that the process of Islamization was not going fast enough. The mullas had finally got someone who was prepared to listen to them.
Zia imposed martial law, total press censorship, and began creating a theocratic state, believing that Pakistan ought to have “the spirit of Islam.” He banned women from athletic contests and even enforced the Muslim fast during the month of Ramadan at gunpoint. He openly admitted that there was a contradiction between Islam and democracy. Zia introduced Islamic laws that discriminated against women. The most notorious of these laws were the Zina and Hudud Ordinances that called for the Islamic punishments of the amputation of hands for stealing and stoning to death for married people found guilty of illicit sex. The term zina included adultery, fornication, and rape, and even prostitution. Fornication was punished with a maximum of a hundred lashes administered in public and ten years’ imprisonment.
In practice, these laws protect rapists, for a woman who has been raped often finds herself charged with adultery or fornication. To prove zina, four Muslim adult males of good repute must be present to testify that sexual penetration has taken place. Furthermore, in keeping with good Islamic practice, these laws value the testimony of men over women. The combined effect of these laws is that it is impossible for a woman to bring a successful charge of rape against a man; instead, she herself, the victim, finds herself charged with illicit sexual intercourse, while the rapist goes free. If the rape results in a pregnancy, this is automatically taken as an admission that adultery or fornication has taken place with the woman’s consent rather than that rape has occurred.
Here are some sample cases. [9]
In a town in the northern province of Punjab, a woman and her two daughters were stripped naked, beaten, and gangraped in public, but the police declined to pursue the case.
A thirteen-year-old girl was kidnapped and raped by a “family friend.” When her father brought a case against the rapist, it was the girl who was put in prison and charged with zina, illegal sexual intercourse. The father managed to secure the child’s release by bribing the police. The traumatized child was then severely beaten for disgracing the family honor.
A fifty-year-old widow, Ahmedi Begum, [10] decided to let some rooms in her house in the city of Lahore to two young veiled women. As she was about to show them the rooms, the police burst into the courtyard of the house and arrested the two girls and Ahmedi Begum’s nephew, who had simply been standing there. Later that afternoon, Ahmedi Begum went to the police station with her son-in-law to inquire about her nephew and the two girls. The police told Ahmedi they were arresting her too. They confiscated her jewelry and pushed her into another room. While she was waiting, the police officers shoved the two girls, naked and bleeding, into the room and then proceeded to rape them again in front of the widow. When Ahmedi covered her eyes, the police forced her to watch by pulling her arms to her sides. After suffering various sexual humiliations, Ahmedi herself was stripped and raped by one officer after another. They dragged her outside where she was again beaten. One of the officers forced a policeman’s truncheon, covered with chili paste, into her rectum, rupturing it. Ahmedi screamed in horrible agony and fainted, only to wake up in prison, charged with zina. Her case was taken up by a human rights lawyer. She was released on bail after three months in prison, but was not acquitted until three years later. In the meantime, her son-in-law divorced her daughter because of his shame.
Was this an isolated case? Unfortunately no. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said in its annual report that one woman is raped every three hours in Pakistan and one in two rape victims is a juvenile. According to Women’s Action Forum, a woman’s rights organization, 72% of all women in police custody in Pakistan are physically and sexually abused. Furthermore, 75% of all women in jail are there under charges of zina. Many of these women remain in jail awaiting trial for years.
In other words, the charge of zina is casually applied by any man who wants to get rid of his wife, who is immediately arrested, and kept waiting in prison, sometimes for years. Before the introduction of these laws the total number of women in prison was 70; the present number is more than 3,000. Most of these women have been charged under the Zina or Hudud Ordinances. [11]
The Western press naively believed that the election of Benazir Bhutto as Pakistan’s prime minister in November 1988 would revolutionize women’s role not just in Pakistan, but in the entire Islamic world. Under Islamic law of course, women cannot be head of an Islamic state, and Pakistan had become an Islamic republic under the new constitution of 1956. Thus, Benazir Bhutto had defied the mullas and won. But her government lasted a bare 20 months, during which period Nawaz Sharif, who was the prime minister briefly in the early 1990s, is said to have encouraged the mullas in their opposition to having a woman as the head of an Islamic state. Benazir Bhutto’s government was dismissed on charges of corruption, and her husband imprisoned in 1990.
The lot of the Muslim woman was harsh before Benazir’s election, and nothing has changed. She has pandered to the religious lobby, the mullas, the very people who insist that a woman cannot hold power in an Islamic state, and has repeatedly postponed any positive action on the position of women.
Pakistan shows the same grim picture. Pakistan is one of only four countries in the world where female life expectancy (51 years) is lower than the male (52 years); the average female life expectancy for all poor countries is 61 years. A large number of Pakistani women die in pregnancy or childbirth, six for every 1,000 live births. Despite the fact that contraception has never been banned by orthodox Islam, under Zia the Islamic Ideology Council of Pakistan declared family planning to be un-Islamic. Various mullas condemned family planning as a Western conspiracy to emasculate Islam. As a result, the average fertility rate per woman in Pakistan is 6.9. Pakistan is also among the world’s bottom ten countries for female attendance at primary schools. Some people put female literacy in the rural areas as low as 2% ( Economist , March 5, 1994). As the Economist put it, “Some of the blame for all this lies with the attempt of the late President Zia ul Haq to create an Islamic republic. … Zia turned the clock back. A 1984 law of his, for instance, gives a woman’s legal evidence half the weight of a man’s” ( Economist , January 13, 1990).
Indeed a large part of the blame lies with the attitudes inculcated by Islam, which has always seen woman as inferior to man. The birth of a baby girl is the occasion for mourning. Hundreds of baby girls are abandoned every year in the gutters and dust bins and on the pavements. An organization working in Karachi to save these children has calculated that more than five hundred children are abandoned a year in Karachi alone, and that 99% of them are girls. [12]
Little did Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, realize how literally true his words were when he said in a 1944 speech: [13] “No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you. We are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of the houses as prisoners.”
But we do not need to leave with a completely pessimistic picture. Pakistani women have shown themselves to be very courageous, and more and more are fighting for their rights with the help of equally brave organizations such as Women’s Action Forum (WAF) and War Against Rape. WAF was formed in 1981 as women came onto the streets to protest against the Hudud Ordinances, and to demonstrate their solidarity with a couple who had recently been sentenced to death by stoning for fornication. In 1983, women organized the first demonstrations against martial law.
Ghassan Ascha, Du Statut Inferieur de la Femme en Islam (Paris: 1989) p. 11.
Ibid., pp. 23f.
Ibid., p. 41.
Ascha, op. cit., pp. 63f.
G. H. Bousquet, L’Ethique sexuelle de L’Islam (Paris: 1966) vol. 1, p. 120.
Ascha, op. cit., p. 89.
Ibid., pp. 108.
Kurt Schork, “Pakistan’s Women in Despair,” Guardian Weekly , September 23, 1990.
Jan Goodwin, Price of Honor (Boston: 1994) p. 49-50.
Schork, op. cit.
Goodwin, op. cit., p. 64.
R. Ahmed, ed., Sayings of Quaid-i-Azam (Jinnah) (Karachi: 1986) p. 98.
Excerpted from Why I Am Not a Muslim by Ibn Warraq (Prometheus Books, 1995).
Ibn Warraq, who was raised as a Muslim, now devotes himself to the scholarly examination of the beliefs and practices of Islam. He is the author of Why I Am Not a Muslim (Prometheus Books, 1995).
Filed under: Discussion | Tagged: abuse, equality, feminism, fitna, general assembly, hadith, human rights, ibn warraq, islam, islamofascism, justice, koran, lifting the veil of tears, muhammad, muslim, quran, religion, religious freedom, subjugation, united nations, universal declaration of human rights, warraq, Why I am Not a Muslim, wife beating, women in islam, women's rights | 3 Comments »
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Archive for the ‘Moon’ Category
Lost Tapes Reveal Apollo Astronauts Heard Unexplained ‘Music’ On Far Side Of The Moon
Posted: February 21, 2016 in Apollo missions, Moon, NASA, Space and Time
Tags: Apollo, music, NASA, space
The crew of an Apollo mission to the moon were so startled when they encountered strange music-like radio transmissions coming through their headsets, they didn’t know whether or not to report it to NASA, it’s been revealed.
It was 1969, two months before Apollo 11’s historic first manned landing on the moon, when Apollo 10 entered lunar orbit, which included traversing the far side of the moon when all spacecraft are out of radio contact with Earth for about an hour and nobody on Earth can see or hear them.
As far as the public knew, everything about the mission went smoothly.
Almost four decades went by before lost recordings emerged that revealed something unsettling that the three Apollo astronauts had experienced while flying above the far side of the moon.
The taped recordings contained “strange, otherworldly music coming through the Apollo module’s radio,” according to the upcoming Science Channel series, “NASA’s Unexplained Files.”
The conversation between the three astronauts indicated they heard sounds like they had never heard before:
“It sounds like, you know, outer space-type music.”
“You hear that? That whistling sound? Whooooooooo!”
“Well, that sure is weird music!”
The unexplained “music” transmission lasted almost an hour, and just before the astronauts regained radio contact with Earth, they discussed whether or not to tell Mission Control what they had experienced:
“It’s unbelievable! You know?”
“Shall we tell them about it?”
“I don’t know. We ought to think about it.”
“The Apollo 10 crew was very used to the kind of noise that they should be hearing. Logic tells me that if there was something recorded on there, then there was something there,” Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden says on the Science Channel program. “NASA would withhold information from the public if they thought it was in the public’s best interest.”
The transcripts of the Apollo 10 mission were classified and untouched in NASA’s archives until 2008, producing an ongoing debate as to the nature and origin of the strange sounds heard by the astronauts.
“You don’t hear about anything like that until years after the incident occurs, and then you kind of wonder, because it’s such an old memory of those things that you get concerned about if they were making something up or was there something really there? Because you never really know,” Worden told The Huffington Post.
“If you’re behind the moon and hear some weird noise on your radio, and you know you’re blocked from the Earth, then what could you possibly think?” Worden said.
“We’d had a lot of incidents where guys who flew in space saw and heard things that they didn’t recognize, and you wonder about all of that. I have a very open mind about what could’ve happened. It’s somebody’s hearsay evidence — it’s only a visual or audio event, which is hard to pin down. Recollection is one thing, but actual proof is something entirely different.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/apollo-10-astronauts-reported-unexplained-music-at-moon_us_56c80662e4b0928f5a6c0679
Red Moon, Green Light
Posted: April 18, 2014 in Apache Point Observatory, Kebmodee, Moon, New Mexico, Space and Time, The Full Moon Curse
This is not a scene from a sci-fi special effects movie. The green beam of light and red lunar disk are real enough, captured in the early morning hours of April 15. Of course, the reddened lunar disk is easy to explain as the image was taken during this week’s total lunar eclipse. Immersed in shadow, the eclipsed Moon reflects the dimmed reddened light of all the sunsets and sunrises filtering around the edges of planet Earth, seen in silhouette from a lunar perspective. But the green beam of light really is a laser. Shot from the 3.5-meter telescope at Apache Point Observatory in southern New Mexico, the beam’s path is revealed as Earth’s atmosphere scatters some of the intense laser light. The laser’s target is the Apollo 15 retroreflector, left on the Moon by the astronauts in 1971. By determining the light travel time delay of the returning laser pulse, the experimental team from UC San Diego is able to measure the Earth-Moon distance to millimeter precision and provide a test of General Relativity, Einstein’s theory of gravity. Conducting the lunar laser ranging experiment during a total eclipse uses the Earth like a cosmic light switch. With direct sunlight blocked, the reflector’s performance is improved over performance when illuminated by sunlight during a normal Full Moon, an effect fondly known as The Full Moon Curse.
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140418.html
Thanks to Kebmodee for bringing this to the attention of the It’s Interesting community.
Lunar eclipse and Mars opposition April 15th, with ideal time to view Mars on April 8
Posted: April 7, 2014 in Da Brayn, eclipse, Mars, Moon, Space and Time
April 15th is usually known for one reason only: Tax Day. However, this year citizens of North and South America are in for something a little more special. On the cosmic schedule this April are a full lunar eclipse and a Mars opposition. So how does all that work exactly? And what does it mean?
To begin with, a full lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth is situated directly between the sun and the moon. Hence, the Earth casts its shadow straight on the surface of the usually bright full moon. On April 15th commencing at 1:58am the moon will be shifting into the Earth’s Umbra. Umbra is a word derived from Latin meaning “shade” or “shadow.” At this point the moon will only begin to be covered by the shadow as it assumes a reddish hue. From here on in the moon is in the process of a complete eclipse. The second phase of the eclipse will begin at around 3:07am when the moon will be exactly within the Earth’s Umbra and covered completed. This phase of the eclipse lasts over an hour until 4:25am. Then the third phase begins as the moon exists the Umbra.
The eclipse will be completely over by 5:33am. Lunar eclipses can be seen with the naked eye, binoculars, telescopes and require no special equipment as the solar eclipse does. The lunar eclipse and Mars opposition comprise a valuable and dear experience to star gazers in the Western hemisphere. However, astrologers will not be the only ones appreciate the beauty which these events offer.
What is a Mars opposition? Well, as the planets in the solar system revolve in elliptical patterns they are sometimes closer and further away from other planets. In this case, Mars is closer to Earth than it has been since 2007. Many still remember back in 2003 when Mars was extremely bright and visible to the naked eye for weeks. This event is similar except that the proximity of Mars is smaller at this time. Mars will be a mere 50 million miles away. On April 8th, as the sun is setting in the west, gazers should look directly to the east and there will discover a bright red dot on the celestial fabric. It is said that Mars will appear brighter even than the Sirius- that bright star within Canis Major which philosophers often look up to when deep in thought outside at night.
Mars will appear bright throughout the spring and summer though April 8th is the ideal night to catch a glimpse. Throughout the lunar eclipse it will also be brightly visible along with Saturn, Venus and Jupiter. It seems that the sky will be smiling down for tax day.
Many cultures both ancient and recent have looked up into the sky and deciphered these signs written in the stars. The Moon stands for the feminine, reflective side of people while the Sun is the masculine and active. Mars is the planet not only of war but of motivation and unstoppable force. Jupiter stands for justice, glory and honor, Venus for love and attraction and Saturn is the taskmaster who commands the attention of these aspects and puts them into action. For those who rely on the stars to plan certain events, this may be a very special night to commence.
With a lunar eclipse and Mars opposition, April is turning out to be a very powerful month. Be sure to make the most of it. With Mars in such a strong position, remember to wait for the right moment to make a move. With the lunar eclipse, remember to take time to reflect on thoughts and emotions. All in all, humanity is made of the stars and planets. Perhaps on April 15th the stars will be looking back down at Earth instead of the other way around.
http://guardianlv.com/2014/03/lunar-eclipse-and-mars-opposition/
Thanks to Da Brayn for bringing this to the attention of the It’s Interesting community.
Dennis Hope is selling property on the Moon and other planets.
Posted: May 21, 2013 in Dennis Hope, lunacy, Lunar Embassy Corp, Moon, Outer Space Treaty, Space and Time
Calling it the biggest loophole in the world doesn’t quite capture its reach: Dennis Hope claims that he owns the moon—and our solar system’s planets—due to what the Outer Space Treaty doesn’t say. The treaty has been the guiding document on space law since 1967, and while it bars any country on Earth from laying claim to a heavenly body, it makes no mention of private companies or individuals doing just that. So Hope formed Lunar Embassy Corp, snatched up the property rights to the moon and more, and has been selling off one-acre lots since.
Purchases can be made here: http://www.lunarembassy.com/
Though Yahoo shines a light on Hope’s offerings (your own piece of the moon will cost just $19.99 an acre; Mars will run you slightly more at $22.49), it’s far from the first time he’s been in the news. He was featured in the documentary Lunarcy!, out last month on Epix, notes the Hollywood Reporter, and he’s talked to media before. As National Geographic previously reported, Hope thinks he has solid ground to stand on: He registered his moon claim with the UN in 1980, and got no answer, which he thinks means it’s a go. And while there’s still plenty of real estate to be had, Hope has sold more than a nominal amount of each: 600 million moon acres (about 7.5% of it) and 325 million Mars acres. He says two former US presidents are landowners as well as 250 “very well known celebrities,” as are two US hotel chains. But Hope does draw the line somewhere: The Apollo landing sites are off-limits.
http://www.newser.com/story/167265/this-man-claims-he-owns-the-moon.html
Shark behaviour affected by full moon
Posted: April 27, 2013 in Australia, Gabriel Vianna, grey reef shark, Moon, Nature, Perth, Plos One, Sharks, Space and Time, University of Western Australia
Grey reef sharks behave differently depending on the point in the lunar cycle, new research suggests.
THE DIVING BEHAVIOUR OF sharks appears to be influenced by the moon, water temperature and time of day, researchers have revealed.
A study of about 40 grey reef sharks, commonly found on coral reefs in northern Australia and the Indo-Pacific, found they stayed in deep water during a full moon and moved to shallow water with the new moon.
“To our knowledge, this is the first time such patterns have been observed in detail for reef sharks,” says lead researcher Gabriel Vianna, from the University of Western Australia (UWA) in Perth.
The sharks were tagged near Palau, east of the Philippines, and followed for two years. During this time, scientists from UWA and the Australian Institute of Marine Science recorded their movement and diving patterns.
The findings, published this week in the journal PLOS ONE, reveal that sharks descended to greater depths, and used a wider range of depths, around the time of the full moon.
Diving was also affected by seasonal changes, as the group, which mostly consisted of adult females, was recorded diving to an average depth of 35m in winter and 60m in spring.
In winter, the sharks remained closer to the surface, where the water was warmer. During summer, however, the sharks moved to a range of depths.
The researchers suggest that because sharks are cold blooded, they may prefer warmer water to conserve their energy. Warm water may also provide optimal conditions for foraging for food, the study says.
The findings also suggest that the time of day could affect how deeply sharks dive.
“We were surprised to see sharks going progressively deeper during the morning and the exact inverse pattern in the afternoon, gradually rising towards the surface,” says Gabriel, adding that the behaviour may relate to how much light is reflected on the reef at different times during the day.
Better knowledge of shark behaviour could help reduce the risk of sharks coming into contact with locals and tourists fishing, particularly if their diving behaviour can be predicted at certain times of the day.
“In places such as Palau, which relies heavily on marine tourism and where sharks are a major tourist attraction, the fishing of a few dozen sharks from popular dive sites could have a very negative impact on the national economy,” Gabriel says.
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/sharks-affected-by-full-moon.htm
Evidence of water on the moon discovered in samples obtained from original Apollo missions
Posted: February 19, 2013 in Anne Peslier, Apollo 11, Apollo missions, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Genesis Rock, Hejiu Hui, LCROSS, Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing satellite, lunar formation theory, lunar highlands, Moon, NASA, Nature Geoscience, Space and Time, The Moon, University of Michigan, water, Youxue Zhang
Called the “Genesis Rock,” this lunar sample of unbrecciated anorthosite collected during the Apollo 15 mission was thought to be a piece of the moon’s primordial crust. In a paper published online Feb. 17 in Nature Geoscience, a University of Michigan researcher and his colleagues report that traces of water were found in the rock. (Credit: Photo courtesy of NASA/Johnson Space Center)
Traces of water have been detected within the crystalline structure of mineral samples from the lunar highland upper crust obtained during the Apollo missions, according to a University of Michigan researcher and his colleagues.
The lunar highlands are thought to represent the original crust, crystallized from a magma ocean on a mostly molten early moon. The new findings indicate that the early moon was wet and that water there was not substantially lost during the moon’s formation.
The results seem to contradict the predominant lunar formation theory — that the moon was formed from debris generated during a giant impact between Earth and another planetary body, approximately the size of Mars, according to U-M’s Youxue Zhang and his colleagues.
“Because these are some of the oldest rocks from the moon, the water is inferred to have been in the moon when it formed,” Zhang said. “That is somewhat difficult to explain with the current popular moon-formation model, in which the moon formed by collecting the hot ejecta as the result of a super-giant impact of a martian-size body with the proto-Earth.
“Under that model, the hot ejecta should have been degassed almost completely, eliminating all water.”
A paper titled “Water in lunar anorthosites and evidence for a wet early moon” was published online Feb. 17 in the journal Nature Geoscience. The first author is Hejiu Hui, postdoctoral research associate of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences at the University of Notre Dame. Hui received a doctorate at U-M under Zhang, a professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and one of three co-authors of the Nature Geoscience paper.
Over the last five years, spacecraft observations and new lab measurements of Apollo lunar samples have overturned the long-held belief that the moon is bone-dry.
In 2008, laboratory measurement of Apollo lunar samples by ion microprobe detected indigenous hydrogen, inferred to be the water-related chemical species hydroxyl, in lunar volcanic glasses. In 2009, NASA’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing satellite, known as LCROSS, slammed into a permanently shadowed lunar crater and ejected a plume of material that was surprisingly rich in water ice.
Hydroxyls have also been detected in other volcanic rocks and in the lunar regolith, the layer of fine powder and rock fragments that coats the lunar surface. Hydroxyls, which consist of one atom of hydrogen and one of oxygen, were also detected in the lunar anorthosite study reported in Nature Geoscience.
In the latest work, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used to analyze the water content in grains of plagioclase feldspar from lunar anorthosites, highland rocks composed of more than 90 percent plagioclase. The bright-colored highlands rocks are thought to have formed early in the moon’s history when plagioclase crystallized from a magma ocean and floated to the surface.
The infrared spectroscopy work, which was conducted at Zhang’s U-M lab and co-author Anne Peslier’s lab, detected about 6 parts per million of water in the lunar anorthosites.
“The surprise discovery of this work is that in lunar rocks, even in nominally water-free minerals such as plagioclase feldspar, the water content can be detected,” said Zhang, the James R. O’Neil Collegiate Professor of Geological Sciences.
“It’s not ‘liquid’ water that was measured during these studies but hydroxyl groups distributed within the mineral grain,” said Notre Dame’s Hui. “We are able to detect those hydroxyl groups in the crystalline structure of the Apollo samples.”
The hydroxyl groups the team detected are evidence that the lunar interior contained significant water during the moon’s early molten state, before the crust solidified, and may have played a key role in the development of lunar basalts.
“The presence of water,” said Hui, “could imply a more prolonged solidification of the lunar magma ocean than the once-popular anhydrous moon scenario suggests.”
The researchers analyzed grains from ferroan anorthosites 15415 and 60015, as well as troctolite 76535. Ferroan anorthosite 15415 is one the best known rocks of the Apollo collection and is popularly called the Genesis Rock because the astronauts thought they had a piece of the moon’s primordial crust. It was collected on the rim of Apur Crater during the Apollo 15 mission.
Rock 60015 is highly shocked ferroan anorthosite collected near the lunar module during the Apollo 16 mission. Troctolite 76535 is a coarse-grained plutonic rock collected during the Apollo 17 mission.
Co-author Peslier is at Jacobs Technology and NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The fourth author of the Nature Geoscience paper, Clive Neal, is a professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences at the University of Notre Dame. The work was supported by NASA.
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Posts Tagged ‘Alzheimer’s disease’
Could an eye doctor diagnose Alzheimer’s before you have symptoms?
Posted: March 15, 2019 in Uncategorized
Tags: Alzheimer's disease, brain, eye, Samiha Khanna
By Samiha Khanna
A quick eye exam might one day allow eye doctors to check up on both your eyeglasses prescription and your brain health.
A study of more than 200 people at the Duke Eye Center published March 11 in the journal Ophthalmology Retina suggests the loss of blood vessels in the retina could signal Alzheimer’s disease. Authors of the study include the Neurology Department’s James Burke, MD, PhD, and Cynthia Dunn, PA-C.
In people with healthy brains, microscopic blood vessels form a dense web at the back of the eye inside the retina, as seen in 133 participants in a control group.
In the eyes of 39 people with Alzheimer’s disease, that web was less dense and even sparse in places. The differences in density were statistically significant after researchers controlled for factors including age, sex, and level of education, said Duke ophthalmologist and retinal surgeon Sharon Fekrat, MD, the study’s senior author.
“We’re measuring blood vessels that can’t be seen during a regular eye exam and we’re doing that with relatively new noninvasive technology that takes high-resolution images of very small blood vessels within the retina in just a few minutes,” she said. “It’s possible that these changes in blood vessel density in the retina could mirror what’s going on in the tiny blood vessels in the brain, perhaps before we are able to detect any changes in cognition.”
The study found differences in the retinas of those with Alzheimer’s disease when compared to healthy people and to those with mild cognitive impairment, often a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.
With nearly 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease and no viable treatments or noninvasive tools for early diagnosis, its burden on families and the economy is heavy. Scientists at Duke Eye Center and beyond have studied other changes in the retina that could signal trouble upstream in the brain, such as thinning of some of the retinal nerve layers.
“We know that there are changes that occur in the brain in the small blood vessels in people with Alzheimer’s disease, and because the retina is an extension of the brain, we wanted to investigate whether these changes could be detected in the retina using a new technology that is less invasive and easy to obtain,” said Dilraj S. Grewal, M.D., a Duke ophthalmologist and retinal surgeon and a lead author on the study. The Duke study used a noninvasive technology called optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA). OCTA machines use light waves that reveal blood flow in every layer of the retina.
An OCTA scan could even reveal changes in tiny capillaries — most less than half the width of a human hair — before blood vessel changes show up on a brain scan such as an MRI or cerebral angiogram, which highlight only larger blood vessels. Such techniques to study the brain are invasive and costly.
“Ultimately, the goal would be to use this technology to detect Alzheimer’s early, before symptoms of memory loss are evident, and be able to monitor these changes over time in participants of clinical trials studying new Alzheimer’s treatments,” Fekrat said.
In addition to Fekrat and Grewal, study authors include Stephen P. Yoon, Atalie C. Thompson, Bryce W. Polascik, Cynthia Dunn and James R. Burke.
The research was supported by National Institutes of Health (P30EY005722), the 2018 Unrestricted Grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, and the Karen L. Wrenn Alzheimer’s Disease Award.
https://neurology.duke.edu/about/news/could-eye-doctor-diagnose-alzheimer%E2%80%99s-you-have-symptoms
Germs in Your Gut Are Talking to Your Brain. Scientists Want to Know What They’re Saying.
Posted: February 3, 2019 in Uncategorized
Tags: Alzheimer's disease, brain, Carl Zimmer, dementia, microbiome
By Carl Zimmer
In 2014 John Cryan, a professor at University College Cork in Ireland, attended a meeting in California about Alzheimer’s disease. He wasn’t an expert on dementia. Instead, he studied the microbiome, the trillions of microbes inside the healthy human body.
Dr. Cryan and other scientists were beginning to find hints that these microbes could influence the brain and behavior. Perhaps, he told the scientific gathering, the microbiome has a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
The idea was not well received. “I’ve never given a talk to so many people who didn’t believe what I was saying,” Dr. Cryan recalled.
A lot has changed since then: Research continues to turn up remarkable links between the microbiome and the brain. Scientists are finding evidence that microbiome may play a role not just in Alzheimer’s disease, but Parkinson’s disease, depression, schizophrenia, autism and other conditions.
For some neuroscientists, new studies have changed the way they think about the brain.
One of the skeptics at that Alzheimer’s meeting was Sangram Sisodia, a neurobiologist at the University of Chicago. He wasn’t swayed by Dr. Cryan’s talk, but later he decided to put the idea to a simple test.
“It was just on a lark,” said Dr. Sisodia. “We had no idea how it would turn out.”
He and his colleagues gave antibiotics to mice prone to develop a version of Alzheimer’s disease, in order to kill off much of the gut bacteria in the mice. Later, when the scientists inspected the animals’ brains, they found far fewer of the protein clumps linked to dementia.
Just a little disruption of the microbiome was enough to produce this effect. Young mice given antibiotics for a week had fewer clumps in their brains when they grew old, too.
“I never imagined it would be such a striking result,” Dr. Sisodia said. “For someone with a background in molecular biology and neuroscience, this is like going into outer space.”
Following a string of similar experiments, he now suspects that just a few species in the gut — perhaps even one — influence the course of Alzheimer’s disease, perhaps by releasing chemical that alters how immune cells work in the brain.
He hasn’t found those microbes, let alone that chemical. But “there’s something’s in there,” he said. “And we have to figure out what it is.”
‘It was considered crazy’
Scientists have long known that microbes live inside us. In 1683, the Dutch scientist Antonie van Leeuwenhoek put plaque from his teeth under a microscope and discovered tiny creatures swimming about.
But the microbiome has stubbornly resisted scientific discovery. For generations, microbiologists only studied the species that they could grow in the lab. Most of our interior occupants can’t survive in petri dishes.
In the early 2000s, however, the science of the microbiome took a sudden leap forward when researchers figured out how to sequence DNA from these microbes. Researchers initially used this new technology to examine how the microbiome influences parts of our bodies rife with bacteria, such as the gut and the skin.
Few of them gave much thought to the brain — there didn’t seem to be much point. The brain is shielded from microbial invasion by the so-called blood-brain barrier. Normally, only small molecules pass through.
“As recently as 2011, it was considered crazy to look for associations between the microbiome and behavior,” said Rob Knight, a microbiologist at the University of California, San Diego.
He and his colleagues discovered some of the earliest hints of these links. Investigators took stool from mice with a genetic mutation that caused them to eat a lot and put on weight. They transferred the stool to mice that had been raised germ-free — that is, entirely without gut microbiomes — since birth.
After receiving this so-called fecal transplant, the germ-free mice got hungry, too, and put on weight.
Altering appetite isn’t the only thing that the microbiome can do to the brain, it turns out. Dr. Cryan and his colleagues, for example, have found that mice without microbiomes become loners, preferring to stay away from fellow rodents.
The scientists eventually discovered changes in the brains of these antisocial mice. One region, called the amygdala, is important for processing social emotions. In germ-free mice, the neurons in the amygdala make unusual sets of proteins, changing the connections they make with other cells.
Studies of humans revealed some surprising patterns, too. Children with autism have unusual patterns of microbial species in their stool. Differences in the gut bacteria of people with a host of other brain-based conditions also have been reported.
But none of these associations proves cause and effect. Finding an unusual microbiome in people with Alzheimer’s doesn’t mean that the bacteria drive the disease. It could be the reverse: People with Alzheimer’s disease often change their eating habits, for example, and that switch might favor different species of gut microbes.
Fecal transplants can help pin down these links. In his research on Alzheimer’s, Dr. Sisodia and his colleagues transferred stool from ordinary mice into the mice they had treated with antibiotics. Once their microbiomes were restored, the antibiotic-treated mice started developing protein clumps again.
“We’re extremely confident that it’s the bacteria that’s driving this,” he said. Other researchers have taken these experiments a step further by using human fecal transplants.
If you hold a mouse by its tail, it normally wriggles in an effort to escape. If you give it a fecal transplant from humans with major depression, you get a completely different result: The mice give up sooner, simply hanging motionless.
As intriguing as this sort of research can be, it has a major limitation. Because researchers are transferring hundreds of bacterial species at once, the experiments can’t reveal which in particular are responsible for changing the brain.
Now researchers are pinpointing individual strains that seem to have an effect.
To study autism, Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli and his colleagues at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston investigated different kinds of mice, each of which display some symptoms of autism. A mutation in a gene called SHANK3 can cause mice to groom themselves repetitively and avoid contact with other mice, for example.
In another mouse strain, Dr. Costa-Mattioli found that feeding mothers a high-fat diet makes it more likely their pups will behave this way.
New evidence that p gingivalis may be a main culprit in Alzheimer’s disease
Tags: Alzheimer's disease, brain, Debora MacKenzie, gingivalis, gum health, infection, neurodegeneration, research, science
by Debora MacKenzie
We may finally have found a long-elusive cause of Alzheimer’s disease: Porphyromonas gingivalis, the key bacteria in chronic gum disease. That’s bad, as gum disease affects around a third of all people. But the good news is that a drug that blocks the main toxins of P. gingivalis is entering major clinical trials this year, and research published this week shows it might stop and even reverse Alzheimer’s. There could even be a vaccine.
Alzheimer’s is one of the biggest mysteries in medicine. As populations have aged, dementia has skyrocketed to become the fifth biggest cause of death worldwide. Alzheimer’s constitutes some 70 per cent of these cases and yet, we don’t know what causes it. The disease often involves the accumulation of proteins called amyloid and tau in the brain, and the leading hypothesis has been that the disease arises from defective control of these two proteins. But research in recent years has revealed that people can have amyloid plaques without having dementia. So many efforts to treat Alzheimer’s by moderating these proteins have failed, and the hypothesis has now been seriously questioned.
Indeed, evidence has been growing that the function of amyloid proteins may be as a defence against bacteria, leading to a spate of recent studies looking at bacteria in Alzheimer’s, particularly those that cause gum disease, which is known to be a major risk factor for the condition.
Bacteria involved in gum disease and other illnesses have been found after death in the brains of people who had Alzheimer’s, but until now, it hasn’t been clear whether these bacteria caused the disease or simply got in via brain damage caused by the condition.
Gum disease link
Multiple research teams have been investigating P. gingivalis, and have so far found that it invades and inflames brain regions affected by Alzheimer’s; that gum infections can worsen symptoms in mice genetically engineered to have Alzheimer’s; and that it can cause Alzheimer’s-like brain inflammation, neural damage, and amyloid plaques in healthy mice.
“When science converges from multiple independent laboratories like this, it is very compelling,” says Casey Lynch of Cortexyme, a pharmaceutical firm in San Francisco, California.
In the new study, Cortexyme have now reported finding the toxic enzymes – called gingipains – that P. gingivalis uses to feed on human tissue in 96 per cent of the 54 Alzheimer’s brain samples they looked at, and found the bacteria themselves in all three Alzheimer’s brains whose DNA they examined.
“This is the first report showing P. gingivalis DNA in human brains, and the associated gingipains, co-lococalising with plaques,” says Sim Singhrao, of the University of Central Lancashire, UK. Her team previously found that P. gingivalis actively invades the brains of mice with gum infections. She adds that the new study is also the first to show that gingipains slice up tau protein in ways that could allow it to kill neurons, causing dementia.
The bacteria and its enzymes were found at higher levels in those who had experienced worse cognitive decline, and had more amyloid and tau accumulations. The team also found the bacteria in the spinal fluid of living people with Alzheimer’s, suggesting that this technique may provide a long-sought after method of diagnosing the disease.
When the team gave P. gingivalis gum disease to mice, it led to brain infection, amyloid production, tangles of tau protein, and neural damage in the regions and nerves normally affected by Alzheimer’s.
Cortexyme had previously developed molecules that block gingipains. Giving some of these to mice reduced their infections, halted amyloid production, lowered brain inflammation and even rescued damaged neurons.
The team found that an antibiotic that killed P. gingivalis did this too, but less effectively, and the bacteria rapidly developed resistance. They did not resist the gingipain blockers. “This provides hope of treating or preventing Alzheimer’s disease one day,” says Singhrao.
New treatment hope
Some brain samples from people without Alzheimer’s also had P. gingivalis and protein accumulations, but at lower levels. We already know that amyloid and tau can accumulate in the brain for 10 to 20 years before Alzheimer’s symptoms begin. This, say the researchers, shows P. gingivalis could be a cause of Alzheimer’s, but it is not a result.
Gum disease is far more common than Alzheimer’s. But “Alzheimer’s strikes people who accumulate gingipains and damage in the brain fast enough to develop symptoms during their lifetimes,” says Lynch. “We believe this is a universal hypothesis of pathogenesis.”
Cortexyme reported in October that the best of their gingipain blockers had passed initial safety tests in people, and entered the brain. It also seemed to improve participants with Alzheimer’s. Later this year the firm will launch a larger trial of the drug, looking for P. gingivalis in spinal fluid, and cognitive improvements, before and after.
They also plan to test it against gum disease itself. Efforts to fight that have led a team in Melbourne to develop a vaccine for P. gingivalis that started tests in 2018. A vaccine for gum disease would be welcome – but if it also stops Alzheimer’s the impact could be enormous.
Journal reference: Science Advances
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2191814-we-may-finally-know-what-causes-alzheimers-and-how-to-stop-it/
Study Offers Hint of Hope for Staving Off Dementia in Some People by Controlling Blood Pressure
Tags: Alzheimer's disease, brain, dementia, neurodegeneration, Pam Belluck, research
Coloured positron emission tomography (PET, centre) and computed tomography (CT, left) scans of the brain of a 62-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease.
By Pam Belluck
In dementia research, so many paths have led nowhere that any glimmer of optimism is noteworthy.
So some experts are heralding the results of a large new study, which found that people with hypertension who received intensive treatment to lower their blood pressure were less likely than those receiving standard blood pressure treatment to develop minor memory and thinking problems that often progress to dementia.
The study, published Monday in JAMA, is the first large, randomized clinical trial to find something that can help many older people reduce their risk of mild cognitive impairment — an early stage of faltering function and memory that is a frequent precursor to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
The results apply only to those age 50 or older who have elevated blood pressure and who do not have diabetes or a history of stroke. But that’s a condition affecting a lot of people — more than 75 percent of people over 65 have hypertension, the study said. So millions might eventually benefit by reducing not only their risk of heart problems but of cognitive decline, too.
“It’s kind of remarkable that they found something,” said Dr. Kristine Yaffe, a professor of psychiatry and neurology at University of California San Francisco, who was not involved in the research. “I think it actually is very exciting because it tells us that by improving vascular health in a comprehensive way, we could actually have an effect on brain health.”
The research was part of a large cardiovascular study called Sprint, begun in 2010 and involving more than 9,000 racially and ethnically diverse people at 102 sites in the United States. The participants had hypertension, defined as a systolic blood pressure (the top number) from 130 to 180, without diabetes or a history of stroke.
These were people who could care for themselves, were able to walk and get themselves to doctors’ appointments, said the principal investigator, Dr. Jeff D. Williamson, chief of geriatric medicine and gerontology at Wake Forest School of Medicine.
The primary goal of the Sprint study was to see if people treated intensively enough that their blood pressure dropped below 120 would do better than people receiving standard treatment which brought their blood pressure just under 140. They did — so much so that in 2015, the trial was stopped because the intensively treated participants had significantly lower risk of cardiovascular events and death that it would have been unethical not to inform the standard group of the benefit of further lowering their blood pressure.
But the cognitive arm of the study, called Sprint Mind, continued to follow the participants for three more years even though they were no longer monitored for whether they continued with intensive blood pressure treatment. About 8,500 participants received at least one cognitive assessment.
The primary outcome researchers measured was whether patients developed “probable dementia.” Fewer patients did so in the group whose blood pressure was lowered to 120. But the difference — 149 people in the intensive-treatment group versus 176 people in the standard-treatment group — was not enough to be statistically significant.
But in the secondary outcome — developing mild cognitive impairment or MCI — results did show a statistically significant difference. In the intensive group, 287 people developed it, compared to 353 people in the standard group, giving the intensive treatment group a 19 percent lower risk of mild cognitive impairment, Dr. Williamson said.
Because dementia often develops over many years, Dr. Williamson said he believes that following the patients for longer would yield enough cases to definitively show whether intensive blood pressure treatment helps prevent dementia too. To find out, the Alzheimer’s Association said Monday it would fund two more years of the study.
“Sprint Mind 2.0 and the work leading up to it offers genuine, concrete hope,” Maria C. Carrillo, the association’s chief science officer, said in a statement. “MCI is a known risk factor for dementia, and everyone who experiences dementia passes through MCI. When you prevent new cases of MCI, you are preventing new cases of dementia.”
Dr. Yaffe said the study had several limitations and left many questions unanswered. It’s unclear how it applies to people with diabetes or other conditions that often accompany high blood pressure. And she said she would like to see data on the participants older than 80, since some studies have suggested that in people that age, hypertension might protect against dementia.
The researchers did not specify which type of medication people took, although Dr. Williamson said they plan to analyze by type to see if any of the drugs produced a stronger cognitive benefit. Side effects of the intensive treatment stopped being monitored after the main trial ended, but Dr. Williamson said the biggest negative effect was dehydration.
Dr. Williamson said the trial has changed how he treats patients, offering those with blood pressure over 130 the intensive treatment. “I’ll tell them it will give you a 19 percent lower chance of developing early memory loss,” he said.
Dr. Yaffe is more cautious about changing her approach. “I don’t think we’re ready to roll it out,” she said. “It’s not like I’m going to see a patient and say ‘Oh my gosh your blood pressure is 140; we need to go to 120.’ We really need to understand much more about how this might differ by your age, by the side effects, by maybe what else you have.”
Still, she said, “I do think the take-home message is that blood pressure and other measures of vascular health have a role in cognitive health,” she said. “And nothing else has worked.”
Protein Changes Detected in Blood Years Before Alzheimer’s Onset
Tags: Alzheimer's disease, medicine, neuroscience, research, science
Levels of a protein called neurofilament light chain increase in the blood and spinal fluid of some Alzheimer’s patients 16 years before they develop symptoms, according to a study published January 21 in Nature Medicine.
The results suggest that neurofilament light chain (NfL), which is part of the cytoskeleton of neurons and has previously been tied to brain damage in mice, could serve as a biomarker to noninvasively track the progression of the disease. “This is something that would be easy to incorporate into a screening test in a neurology clinic,” coauthor Brian Gordon, an assistant professor of radiology at Washington University, says in a press release.
Gordon and his colleagues measured NfL in nearly 250 people carrying an Alzheimer’s-risk allele and more than 160 of their relatives who did not carry the variant. They found that those at risk of developing the disease had higher levels of the protein early on, and that NfL levels in both the blood and spinal fluid were on the rise well before the patients began to show signs of neurodegeneration, more than 16 years before disease onset.
Examining a subset of the patients more closely, the team saw that the rate of increase in NfL correlated with the shrinkage of a brain region called the precuneus, and patients whose NfL levels were rising rapidly tested worse on cognitive tests. “It is not necessarily the absolute levels which tell you your neurodegeneration is ongoing, it is the rate of change,” coauthor Mathias Jucker, a professor of cellular neurology at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Tübingen, tells The Guardian.
The Alzheimer’s-linked mutation carried by patients examined in this study only affects about 1 percent of people who get the neurodegenerative disease, so the approach must be validated in a broader patient population, James Pickett, the head of research at the Alzheimer’s Society, tells The Guardian.
“We validated it in people with Alzheimer’s disease because we know their brains undergo lots of neurodegeneration, but this marker isn’t specific for Alzheimer’s,” Gordon says in the release. “I could see this being used in the clinic in a few years to identify signs of brain damage in individual patients.”
Meanwhile, a research team at Seoul National University in South Korea described another potential blood test for Alzheimer’s, focusing on the tau and amyloid proteins known to be associated with the disease. According to their study published today in Brain, blood levels of tau and amyloid correlate with how much tau has accumulated in the brain, as well as other markers of neurodegeneration such as hippocampal volume. “These results indicate that combination of plasma tau and amyloid-β1–42 levels might be potential biomarkers for predicting brain tau pathology and neurodegeneration,” the researchers write in their report.
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/protein-changes-detected-in-blood-years-before-alzheimers-onset-65347
‘Transmissible’ Alzheimer’s theory gains traction
Posted: December 19, 2018 in Uncategorized
Tags: Alzheimer's disease, brain, dementia, health, neurology, science
A normal brain of a 70-year-old (left slice), compared with the brain of a 70-year-old with Alzheimer’s disease.Credit: Jessica Wilson/Science Photo Library
Neuroscientists have amassed more evidence for the hypothesis that sticky proteins that are a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases can be transferred between people under particular conditions — and cause new damage in a recipient’s brain.
They stress that their research does not suggest that disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease are contagious, but it does raise concern that certain medical and surgical procedures pose a risk of transmitting such proteins between humans, which might lead to brain disease decades later.
“The risk may turn out to be minor — but it needs to be investigated urgently,” says John Collinge, a neurologist at University College London who led the research, which is published in Nature1 on 13 December.
The work follows up on a provocative study published by Collinge’s team in 20152. The researchers discovered extensive deposits of a protein called amyloid-beta during post-mortem studies of the brains of four people in the United Kingdom. They had been treated for short stature during childhood with growth-hormone preparations derived from the pituitary glands of thousands of donors after death.
The recipients had died in middle-age of a rare but deadly neurodegenerative condition called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), caused by the presence in some of the growth-hormone preparations of an infectious, misfolded protein — or prion — that causes CJD. But pathologists hadn’t expected to see the amyloid build up at such an early age. Collinge and his colleagues suggested that small amounts of amyloid-beta had also been transferred from the growth-hormone samples, and had caused, or ‘seeded’, the characteristic amyloid plaques.
Seeds of trouble
Amyloid plaques in blood vessels in the brain are a hallmark of a disease called cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and they cause local bleeding. In Alzheimer’s disease, however, amyloid plaques are usually accompanied by another protein called tau — and the researchers worry that this might also be transmitted in the same way. But this was not the case in the brains of the four affected CJD patients, which instead had the hallmarks of CAA.
The team has now more directly tested the hypothesis that these proteins could be transmitted between humans through contaminated biological preparations. Britain stopped the cadaver-derived growth hormone treatment in 1985 and replaced it with a treatment that uses synthetic growth hormone. But Collinge’s team was able to locate old batches of the growth-hormone preparation stored as powder for decades at room temperature in laboratories at Porton Down, a national public-health research complex in southern England.
When the researchers analysed the samples, their suspicions were confirmed: they found that some of the batches contained substantial levels of amyloid-beta and tau proteins.
Mouse tests
To test whether the amyloid-beta in these batches could cause the amyloid pathology, they injected samples directly into the brains of young mice genetically engineered to be susceptible to amyloid pathology. By mid-life, the mice had developed extensive amyloid plaques and CAA. Control mice that received either no treatment or treatment with synthetic growth hormone didn’t have amyloid build up.
The scientists are now checking in separate mouse experiments whether the same is true for the tau protein.
“It’s an important study, though the results are very expected,” says Mathias Jucker at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research in Tubingen, Germany. Jucker demonstrated in 2006 that amyloid-beta extracted from human brain could initiate CAA and plaques in the brains of mice3. Many other mouse studies have also since confirmed this.
Surgical implications
That the transmissibility of the amyloid-beta could be preserved after so many decades underlines the need for caution, says Jucker. The sticky amyloid clings tightly to materials used in surgical instruments, resisting standard decontamination methods4. But Jucker also notes that, because degenerative diseases take a long time to develop, the danger of any transfer may be most relevant in the case of childhood surgery where instruments have also been used on old people.
So far, epidemiologists have not been able to assess whether a history of surgery increases the risk of developing a neurodegenerative disease in later life — because medical databases tend not to include this type of data.
But epidemiologist Roy Anderson at Imperial College London says researchers are taking the possibility seriously. Major population cohort studies, such as the US Framingham Heart Study, are starting to collect information about participants’ past surgical procedures, along with other medical data.
The 2015 revelation prompted pathologists around the world to reexamine their own cases of people who had been treated with similar growth-hormone preparations — as well as people who had acquired CJD after brain surgery that had involved the use of contaminated donor brain membranes as repair patches. Many of the archived brain specimens, they discovered, were full of aberrant amyloid plaques5,6,7. One study showed that some batches of growth-hormone preparation used in France in the 1970s and 1980s were contaminated with amyloid-beta and tau — and that tau was also present in three of their 24 patients.8
Collinge says he applied unsuccessfully for a grant to develop decontamination techniques for surgical instruments after his 2015 paper came out. “We raised an important public-health question, and it is frustrating that it has not yet been addressed.” But he notes that an actual risk from neurosurgery has not yet been established.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07735-w?utm_source=fbk_nnc&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=naturenews&sf204283628=1
Thank to Kebmodee for bringing this to the It’s Interesting community.
In 1960, about a half-million teens took a test. Now it could predict the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Posted: September 25, 2018 in Uncategorized
Tags: Alzheimer's disease, brain, dementia, Project Talent, research, Tara Bahrampour
High school students in 1960 take the Project Talent test, the largest survey of American teenagers ever done; it is now being used for research into dementia. (American Institutes for Research)
By Tara Bahrampour
In 1960, Joan Levin, 15, took a test that turned out to be the largest survey of American teenagers ever conducted. It took two-and-a-half days to administer and included 440,000 students from 1,353 public, private and parochial high schools across the country — including Parkville Senior High School in Parkville, Md., where she was a student.
“We knew at the time that they were going to follow up for a long time,” Levin said — but she thought that meant about 20 years.
Fifty-eight years later, the answers she and her peers gave are still being used by researchers — most recently in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. A study released this month found that subjects who did well on test questions as teenagers had a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s and related dementias in their 60s and 70s than those who scored poorly.
Known as Project Talent, the test was funded by the U.S. government, which had been concerned, given the Soviet Union’s then-recent successful Sputnik launch, that Americans were falling behind in the space race.
Students answered questions about academics and general knowledge, as well as their home lives, health, aspirations and personality traits. The test was intended to identify students with aptitudes for science and engineering. Test-takers included future rock stars Janis Joplin, then a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur, Tex., and Jim Morrison, then a junior at George Washington High School in Alexandria, Va.
In recent years, researchers have used Project Talent data for follow-up studies, including one published Sept. 7 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Conducted by researchers at the Washington-based American Institutes for Research (AIR), the organization that originally administered the test, it compared results for more than 85,000 test-takers with their 2012-2013 Medicare claims and expenditures data, and found that warning signs for dementia may be discernible as early as adolescence.
The study looked at how students scored on 17 areas of cognitive ability such as language, abstract reasoning, math, clerical skills, and visual and spatial prowess, and found that people with lower scores as teenagers were more prone to getting Alzheimer’s and related dementias in their 60s and early 70s.
Specifically, those with lower mechanical reasoning and memory for words as teens had a higher likelihood of developing dementia in later life: Men in the lower-scoring half were 17 percent more likely, while women with lower scores were 16 percent more likely. Worse performance on other components of the test also increased the risk for later-life dementia.
An estimated 5.7 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, and in the absence of scientific breakthroughs to curb the disease, the Alzheimer’s Association projects that number could reach 14 million by 2050, with the cost of care topping $1 trillion per year.
The 1960 test could have the potential to be like the groundbreaking Framingham study, a decades-long study of men in Massachusetts that led to reductions in heart disease in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, said Susan Lapham, director of Project Talent and a co-author of the JAMA study.
“If Project Talent can be for dementia what the Framingham study was for heart disease, it will make a difference in public health,” she said. “It indicates that we should be designing interventions for kids in high school and maybe even earlier to maybe keep their brains active from a young age.”
This might include testing children, identifying those with lower scores and “getting them into a program to make sure they’re not missing out and maybe putting themselves at risk,” she said.
For years, little was done with the Project Talent data because the participants could not be found. A proposal in the 1980s to try to find them failed because, in that pre-Internet age, the task seemed too daunting.
In 2009, as the students’ 50th high school reunions were coming up, researchers decided to use the gatherings as an occasion to contact many of them. (About a quarter have died.) They were then able to use the test data to study things such as the effects of diabetes and personality type on later-life health.
But when contacted, the participants were most interested in dementia, Lapham said. “They wanted that to be studied more than any other topic,” she said. “They said, ‘The thing I fear most is dementia.’ ”
While students were supposed to have received their results soon after taking the test, some students said they did not remember getting them.
Receiving her results recently was interesting in hindsight, said Levin, a retired human-resources director who is now 73 and living in Cockeysville, Md. Most of her scores were over 75 percent, with very high marks in vocabulary, abstract reasoning and verbal memory, and lower marks in table reading and clerical tasks.
Low scores do not mean a person will get dementia; the correlation is merely associated with a higher risk. But even if her scores had been lower, Levin said she would want to know. “I’m kind of a planner, and I look ahead,” she said. “I’d want my daughter and her family to maybe have an idea of what to expect.”
Karen Altpeter, 75, of Prescott, Wis., said she would also probably want to know about her risk, because her mother and grandmother had Alzheimer’s. She liked the idea that the answers she had given as a teen could help science.
“If there’s any opportunity I can have to make a difference just by taking a test and answering some questions, I’ll do it,” she said. “I want the opportunity to make things better for people.”
Earlier studies had suggested a relationship between cognitive abilities in youth and dementia in later life, including one that followed 800 nuns earlier in the 20th century and found that the complexity of sentences they used in writing personal essays at 21 correlated with their dementia risk in old age.
But that study included only women and no minorities. Project Talent’s subjects reflected the nation’s demographic mix in 1960.
Today, however, the country is more diverse. The number of minorities 65 and older is projected to grow faster than the general population, and by 2060 there will be about 3.2 million Hispanics and 2.2 million African Americans with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published this week. African Americans and Hispanics have a higher prevalence of Alzheimer’s and related diseases than non-Hispanic whites.
A follow-up study underway of a smaller sample of the Project Talent pool — 22,500 people — will be weighted to reflect today’s population mix and will dig more deeply into age-related brain and cognitive changes over time.
It will examine the long-term impact of school quality and school segregation on brain health, and the impact of adolescent socioeconomic disadvantage on cognitive and psychosocial resilience, with a special focus on the experiences of participants of color.
That study includes an on-paper survey of demographics, family and marriage history, residential history, educational attainment and health status; an online survey of health, mental health and quality of life; and a detailed cognitive assessment by phone of things such as memory for words and counting backward.
Researchers will also evaluate school quality to determine whether there are racial or ethnic differences in the benefits of attending higher quality schools, and explore more deeply why some people develop dementia and some do not.
The follow-up, slated to be completed next year, is funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, and conducted by AIR in conjunction with researchers from Columbia University Medical Center and the University of Southern California.
Cliff Jacobs, 75, of Arlington, Va., who took the Project Talent test as a high school junior in Tenafly, N.J., doesn’t remember hearing about any results. Then, a few months ago, researchers conducting the follow-up study contacted him, tested his cognitive abilities and asked about his life history.
“They delved into my issues growing up — did my parents smoke, and was I exposed to any secondhand smoke? Yeah, my parents both smoked, and I didn’t even think it was something to consider,” he said.
A retired geoscientist for the National Science Foundation, Jacobs said he would be interested in learning if he is at risk for dementia.
“The statistical correlation is not one that will necessarily apply to you, but they can give you some probabilities,” he said. “I guess basic human nature would be, ‘Yeah, you’d probably want to know.’ ”
Try these 12 sample questions from the test.
Can’t see the Quiz? Click Here.
In the Bible story, Samson knew he would lose his strength if
his hair were cut.
he fell in love.
he left Jerusalem.
he spoke with a Philistine.
he went to war.
Chartreuse is a mixture of
green and blue.
yellow and orange.
yellow and green.
orange and brown.
red and orange.
The above is usually called a
spinner.
plug.
High pointed arches are used chiefly in
Roman architecture.
Greek architecture.
Gothic architecture.
Renaissance architecture.
modern architecture.
If a camper sees a garter snake, he should
leave it alone.
pin its head down with a forked stick.
hit it with a rock.
climb the nearest tree.
stand still until it leaves.
Tartar sauce is most often served with
tossed salad.
ice cream.
fish.
barbecued beef.
chow mein.
Suppose that after the post office is closed, someone finds he urgently needs stamps. He should probably try getting them
in a drug store.
from a stamp collector.
by phoning the postmaster’s home.
in a department store.
in a gas station.
In a suspension bridge, the road bed is supported by
pontoons.
pilings.
arches.
cables.
cantilevers.
Which of these guns has the largest bore?
.22 cal.
A boy takes a girl to a movie and they find a pair of seats on a side aisle. Usually the girl should take the seat
on the left.
nearest the aisle.
furthest from the aisle.
nearest the center of the theater.
About when did Leonardo de Vinci live?
1st century
5th century
Locks were built into the Panama Canal because
the Atlantic Ocean is higher than the Pacific.
the Pacific Ocean is higher than the Atlantic.
Panama is above sea level.
the canal is narrow.
the canal is wide.
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| 0.346413
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The Polar Express (2004)
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Posted December 14, 2016 by Marni Hill
“But sometimes seeing is believing. And sometimes, the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.”- The Conductor
Written by: Robert Zemeckis, William Broyles, Jr
Cinematography: Don Burgess, Robert Presley
Starring: Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, Eddie Deezen and Michael Jeter
All I wanted for Christmas was the bell from Santa’s Sleigh-
That’s all I wanted. To have that bell in my hand, to hold it next to my ear and to softly jingle it. I wanted to hear its beautiful chime and to believe once again, to know everything I had seemingly come to know about Christmas to be true.
The Plot: Multiple Personalities?
Okay, I’ll admit that everything I’m about to write comes purely from my own speculation. I hope you weren’t expecting a play-by-play review because this certainly ain’t it!
As The Polar Express makes its way from Hero Kid’s home to the North Pole, nearly everyone he encounters is a shadow or a prediction of himself. This was considered at first because they were all performed by Tom Hanks, so I automatically assumed there was some kind of connection. But after a while, I realised that simply seeing Santa Claus would never be enough for Hero Boy to grow as a character. The first personality he comes across is the Conductor. You’d think that someone who is so punctual, logical and level-headed wouldn’t be capable of believing in Santa after his childhood ends. Yet here he is helping children overcome their lapses of belief with his own brand of whimsy. Hero Boy has a very similar personality. That sense of self-wielded magic the Conductor possesses is something Hero Boy never thought he himself could have. So when he sees it in someone else, Hero Boy begins to open his eyes, even if it’s just a little bit. What else could have prompted Hero Boy to get on the roof of a fast-tracked train just to ensure a fellow passenger got her ticket?
Of course, on the roof we encounter the Hobo. I like to think of him as a Jacob Marley-type figure for Hero Boy, a type of warning for what would happen if Hero Boy continued to maul over and obsess about Santa Claus and the existence of magic. The Hobo isn’t poor because of a lack of money, he’s poor because he stripped himself of belief and filled his heart with cynicism. It’s no wonder the Hobo can never leave the train. A part of me believes that he was once a passenger on the train, but got so scared of what he didn’t know that he threw himself off board, only to be caught by the train’s magic and became trapped. He never learned his lesson, so he could never go home. The Hobo knew Hero Boy could have the same fate, so he quietly urged the kid in the right direction. Luckily, Hero Boy took the hint.
And finally we come to Santa Claus. Maybe Santa isn’t a ‘shadow’ of Hero Boy, but he certainly is the instigator of the next part of Hero Boy’s Journey. Upon seeing Santa, Hero Boy now believes, but that’s still not enough. He needs to continue to grow, and it certainly can’t hurt to have a reminder, so Santa lets him have a bell for the First Present of Christmas. I’ll talk more about the bell later.
I also find it interesting that we never learn the kid’s actual names, apart from Billy. The main kid is simply known as Hero Boy, there’s the Hero Girl, and the annoying kid is The Know-It-All Kid. From a both literary and film-making standpoint, I could guess that this is a case of the writers and director wanting the audience to be able to apply themselves to the characters. Names can sometimes get in the way when you want to relate yourself to a character you feel represents a certain part of you. I’m sure there’s a good reason why Billy got his named mentioned, other than to further along the plot when he finds and wants to follow his present towards the sleigh. If there is a reason, I certainly haven’t found it.
And just to quickly comment on the Know-It-All kid, as annoying as he was, I’m certainly glad he was there. He wasn’t exactly a parallel to Hero Boy, but he was still a good example for what can happen if you allow logic and knowledge to fuel your obnoxiousness. If any kid deserved to have the First Present of Christmas, it definitely wasn’t him!
The Music:
Alan Silvestri has composed the soundtrack for some of my favourite films, especially Who Framed Roger Rabbit, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that the music for this film is sensational. A mark of any good composer is the ability to work the music with the scene without undermining what is actually happening at the time. What I really enjoy about the score in this film is that the music only shows up for when it’s really needed. Transitional scenes and emotional moments are accompanied, but the film trusts itself enough to allow the dialogue to tell the story without assistance from non-diegetic noise.
I love ‘When Christmas Comes to Town’. The accompanying music score and visuals is absolutely beautiful! Definitely the best moment of the film for me. In primary school, I actually hung back after music class once so I could sing it to our music teacher because I loved it so much. Of course, this was back when I believed I could actually sing, so I may have to apologise if I ever see her again! The Hot Chocolate scene was also a bit of fun, even if it was just a way of experimenting with motion-capture. It’s one of many songs that get stuck in my head for days after watching the film.
Behind-The-Scenes:
Now, I really haven’t looked much into motion-capture, which is odd because I like to call myself a bit of a film nut. This was the first film I ever watched that used mo-cap and I’d be lying if I said I liked the final look of it. The quieter scenes look as realistic as early 2000’s technology would allow it, but others are quite off-putting. The entire scene of the roof of the train threw me out of the film’s illusion. I wish I could describe exactly why, but it’s a little hard to explain. Despite all of that, you can bet I would go and see it in IMAX if they were ever to re-release it into the cinemas! The train-roller coaster debacle would be super cool!
In Conclusion: Hearing the Bell
As I stated earlier, there’s nothing more I wanted for Christmas than that bell! Apparently my parents even went searching for one for a few years, never finding a bell that even came close. I’m grateful to them for trying to make my dream come true. Even now a part of me still wants the bell, but in more of a corny, symbolic, emotional kind of way. In my last post, I came off as very bitter, perhaps in the same way Hero Boy would’ve acted had he not decided to hop onto the Polar Express and taken a chance.
This film can act as a remainder to Bah-Humbug personalities like myself that maybe you shouldn’t take Christmas too literally. The Christmas Spirit isn’t something you have to earn, just sit back and allow it to find you. Go on the journey you need to take, no matter how long the trail may be. You’ll never know where it may come from.
And with that corny Christmas message, I wish all of you a Merry Christmas, or whatever you happen to celebrate this time of year! This is my last post until the first week of January, so Happy New Year as well! See you again in 2017!
Film Reviews christmas film review movie review the polar express
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Archive for the ‘gaffe-prone’ Category
Biden, Muzzle off, Says Of McCain: He Never Gives Up
The muzzle is off.
Joe Biden stopped by a local burger joint for late night take-out, but wound up taking 12 minutes of questions from national reporters who haven’t been able to talk to the Delaware Senator since a flight to Kalispell, MT on September 7th.
By Aaron Bruns, Fox News
So did the gaffe-prone VP nominee feel pressure from the campaign not to talk to the press?
Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., scratches his head while speaking during his Road to Change bus tour across Ohio at Lima High School in Lima, Ohio Friday, Oct. 31, 2008. (AP Photo/Madalyn Ruggiero)
“If I’m muzzled, I don’t know,” Biden said. “I’ve done 200 interviews. I’ve been doing, you know, half a dozen to a dozen satellite feeds everyday. I’m doing shows, I mean, so, no one said anything to me about it.”
Biden told the small media throng inside the classic Lima diner that while he feels good, he expects a tight race.
This election is going to be a lot closer than everybody thinks it is,” Biden said. “I think it’s going to be close in Florida, it’s going to be close here, it’s going to be close in Missouri, I think it’s going to close – I don’t think it will be that close in Pennsylvania, I feel very good about Pennsylvania.”
“I think it’s going to be close in North Carolina, um, you know, Virginia feels really good but, you know, it ain’t till it happens,” he laughed. “We’re going everywhere. Montana, Arizona, I mean we’re everywhere we can be.”
McCain, he said, isn’t going away quietly. “One of the things I’ve admired about John, and I’ve considered him — why I’ve considered him a friend. He does, he never gives up,” said Biden. “I just hope when it’s over, win or lose, you walk up and you shake hands and say John, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
The VP nominee said he’s glad to hear that McCain is closing out his TV campaign with a positive ad. “I hope John ends this campaign with his strength,” he said. ” I think it’s just not a good thing to, win or lose it’s not a good thing to end in sort of this tough environment. No matter what.”
As for his relationship with the man he calls a good friend? “I hope it’s intact,” he said.” John and I haven’t had a chance to speak. We have not had a chance to speak.”
http://embeds.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/10/31/
biden-tells-reporters-mccain-wont-give-up/
Posted in Biden, cooperation, defiance, endurance, gaffe, gaffe-prone, McCain, media, muzzle, news, politics, press, winner | 1 Comment »
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How I Will Be Covering Rick and Morty Season 3
April 3, 2017 April 3, 2017 joshuaadam45 TV, Web 123zc, 123zc1, Adult Swim, alberto, Analysis, Animation, april fool's day, beth, Cartoon, Cartoon Network, Dan Harmon, Jerry, josh, joshuaadam45, Justin Roiland, Morty, One Piece, podcast, podcasting, Reviews, Rick, Rick and Morty, rick and morty reviews, rick and morty season 3, RWBY, rwby volume 4, Summer, the fine-looking brothers talk rick and morty, the fine-looking brothers talk rwby, the two fine-looking brothers podcast, youtube, zack
If you are currently unaware, Adult Swim hosted an April Fool’s Day stream in which they looped the long-anticipated season 3 premiere of Rick and Morty. Although we will tragically have to wait until summer for the remaining nine episodes, I thought now would be an appropriate time to discuss how I will be covering the upcoming season.
If you remember back to late summer/early fall of 2015, when season 2 was in its prime, I was writing weekly episode reviews. Similar in style to my current One Piece chapter reviews, I would analyze the episode, and speculate its implications on the overall narrative.
For season 3, we are going to be doing something a tad bit different. I will still be covering each episode, conducting the same thorough analysis. It is the medium, however, that will change.
Over on my YouTube channel (the link to which you can find under the YouTube Channel section of this blog), my friend Zack (123zc1) and I have been podcasting for almost an entire year. Our main show is The Two Fine-Looking Brothers Podcast, in which we discuss whatever we wish to on our own schedule. When RWBY Volume 4 debuted, I was working in Washington, D.C. I would not have had the time to write weekly episode reviews. In order to still cover the show, I decided to create a spinoff podcast titled The Fine-Looking Brothers Talk RWBY. Along with our friend Alberto, Zack and I covered each episode with the same level of detail and care I would have used in my text reviews. This podcast blew up in a sense, quickly becoming my most popular creative product to date.
In order to fill the void on my YouTube channel that the RWBY hiatus has created, we have decided to start a spiritual successor podcast. That’s right, The Fine-Looking Brothers Talk Rick and Morty is on its way! In other words, I will still be sharing my opinions on a weekly basis, just not on this blog. If you’re sick of hearing just what I have to say, the opinions of my co-hosts Zack and Alberto should tide you over. Feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel in order to ensure you don’t miss an episode.
The premiere podcast on S3, E1 will be uploaded this week, while the rest of the series will coincide with the airing of the remaining episodes this summer. I hope you all enjoy this change of pace, and I look forward to hearing your feedback.
The Smash Pros: The Art of Long-Form Comedy
January 25, 2017 joshuaadam45 Web Analysis, Analytical Essay, comedic, Comedy, comedy formula, curb your enthusiasm, Essay, humor, jim jam flim flam, joke, long-form comedy, Mega64, melee, mockumentary, parody, rev it up, smash, spoof, super smash bros., super smash bros. melee, the smash brothers, the smash pros, youtube
In my opinion, long-form comedy is the most satisfying form of comedy out there. Although I do love stand-up and short videos, to me, the pinnacle of the genre comes in the form of the the long game. The core of the artform of comedy is jokes: setup and punchline in that order. However, I believe that, if executed properly, a long joke can serve as the best the genre has to offer.
As explaining this with simple vocabulary is a bit of a challenge, I will use a case study. Garrett’s Response to the Falsely Made Poorly Played Stream is one of my favorite pieces of comedy of all time. This excerpt from internet comedy group Mega64’s 2013 MLK Day stream is essentially a 41 minute joke. Despite its mammoth length, it still manages to follow the comedic formula we have all become accustomed to. The setup to the joke is purposely made to be excruciatingly lengthy. This makes the punchline, which encompaces the last 5-10 minutes of the video, even more rewarding. If you are a fan of Mega64, or of good comedy in general, I would highly recommend checking out this masterpiece.
For a few years, this video remained in my consciousness as the cream of the crop when it comes to long-form comedy. When explaining that style of humor to others, that was the video I would always recommend. However, I recently discovered a series that not only is the best piece of long-form comedy ever made, but is one of the best written pieces of media. This is the YouTube mockumentary The Smash Pros.
A spoof of The Smash Brothers (a popular documentary that examines the competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee community), The Smash Pros is far from a simple derivative parody. It’s very hard to explain The Smash Pros to someone who hasn’t seen it. Saying it’s a mockumentary of a sub-par documentary about the competitive Melee scene doesn’t do the series the justice it deserves. I guess the best way to describe it would be that it takes a simple comedic premise, and develops an entire world, with its own rules, unforgettable characters, and flawless execution of long-form humor.
The first two episodes of The Smash Pros are admittedly very difficult to get through upon first viewing. The constant barrage of information that the writers throw at you may seem overwhelming at first. When I tried to watch the series for the first time, I dropped it after episode 2. I thought I just didn’t get it; I wasn’t a hardcore smasher. However, I urge you to push through. The Smash Pros is a series that needs to be consumed from start to finish before any judgement is passed. Upon completion, you will realise that a majority of this barrage is actually the setup points for the massive, climactic punchline that is Episode 5: The Grand Finale.
One of the key aspects I must point out is that, no matter how absurd they may seem, The Smash Pros universe is bound by rules. In what is probably one of the greatest climaxes and conclusions in writing history, The Grand Finale sees the slow collapse of this rule system. In the epicenter of this collapse is the genius payoff to the massive joke that is The Smash Pros. Although the comedic formula is the same, the setup and punchline is extended over an entire show. It gives the viewer an illusion of feeling lost; maybe they just don’t get it. But, if the viewer is patient enough to stick with it to the end, they realize that that they were supposed to feel lost; they were still in the setup. Their minds will hopefully be just as blown during the payoff as mine was, leading to one of the most satisfying and rewarding punchlines in the history of comedy.
The only series I can say comes close to this radical extension of the humor formula is Curb Your Enthusiasm. Curb enters the long-form comedy fray via its seasonal arcs. However, even then, these arcs are not present in every season. Furthermore, not every episode within a season weaves into the setup and payoff based narrative of said arcs.
Please be patient with The Smash Pros. Don’t make the same mistake I did upon my first viewing. Just power through, and you will be rewarded for your loyalty with one of the greatest pieces of comedy in history. Stay tuned for some more in-depth Smash Pros analysis in the near future. I have so much more to talk about, and I hope you’ll stick with me as I do so.
Top Ten Jewish Podcasts: Reader Edition
October 14, 2016 October 17, 2016 joshuaadam45 Judaism, Published Work, Web Jewish Podcasts, Moment Magazine
Note: This article was initially published on the Moment Magazine official site on 9/13/16.
Link: http://www.momentmag.com/top-ten-jewish-podcasts-reader-edition/
This past July, we gave you a list of some of our favorite Jewish podcasts. We were soon inundated with recommendations for other podcasts readers felt we overlooked. We’ve done some listening ourselves, and came up with ten more Jewish podcasts for you to enjoy. If our last list didn’t turn you into a podcast lover, this one just may do the trick.
Unorthodox
Debuted by Tablet last summer,“Unorthodox” is a self-proclaimed “smart, fresh, fun take on Jewish news and culture.” This weekly podcast is hosted by Tablet editor-at-large Mark Oppenheimer and features writers Liel Leibovitz and Stephanie Butnick. Guests have included include best-selling author A.J. Jacobs, essayist Sloane Crosley and Jewish Voice for Peace executive director Rebecca Vilkomerson. If you want to hear about “everything from the presidential elections to Amy Schumer, Israel to Drake,” “Unorthodox” is for you.
Barr’s Banter
Rabbi Robert B. Barr has been putting a rabbi’s perspective on current events since 2007. As the founding rabbi of Congregation Beth Adam in Cincinnati, Barr is a champion of the Humanistic Judaism movement. Discussing everything from the Syrian refugee crisis to the high holidays, Barr has tackled hundreds of topics in his nine-year-old show. With each episode in the two-minute range, “Barr’s Banter” is an easy addition to your weekly routine.
“The Book of Life” is a podcast all about Jewish media. Whether it’s books, music or films, if it’s Jewish, it’s covered. The show is hosted by biblical fiction author and librarian of Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton, Florida, Heidi Rabinowitz. She has interviewed many renowned Jewish creatives, including author Angela Cerrito and filmmaker Roberta Grossman.
Judaism Unbound
“Judaism Unbound” is a “project that catalyzes and supports grassroots efforts by ‘disaffected but hopeful’ American Jews to re-imagine and re-design Jewish life in America for the 21st century.” In other words, the main goal of the podcast is to construct a Jewish lifestyle that fits into modern-day American society. The show is hosted by Daniel Libenson and Lex Rofes, the heads of the Institute for the Next Jewish Future, an organization with the same goal as its podcast. Join Libenson and Rofes as they interview guests such as author Richard Elliott Friedman and American Jewish historian Jonathan Sarna, all in the name of evolving Judaism.
Treyf
Are you a Jew living in North America? Do you have an interest in (left-wing) politics? If one or both of these apply, “Treyf” might be the podcast for you. As a self-described “debatably Jewish podcast,” “Treyf” addresses some of the thornier political discussions taking place in North American Jewish communities, from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement to social and racial justice. The episodes’ relatively short length (anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes) does not limit their guest repertoire. Writer Mark Tseng Putterman and journalist Josh Nathan are some of the many voices “Treyf” has recruited to facilitate discussion of the Jewish political sphere.
Really Interesting Jews
Hosted by Rabbi Evan Schultz of Congregation B’nai Israel in Bridgeport, Connecticut, RIJ seeks to introduce American Jewry to the people who are working to change their communities. Whether it be thinkers, project facilitators, or conversors, RIJ wants you to know all about them. Some of the revolutionists that have been featured on the podcast include spiritual community founder Lizzi Heydemann and Ruth Messinger, former president of the American Jewish World Service. Schultz states his goal for the podcast clearly: “…my hope is that their stories will spark conversations in your homes, communities and synagogues.”
New Books Network—Jewish Studies
The Jewish Studies subsection of the New Books Network of podcasts tackles a new Judaism-related book each week. Rather than simply discussing each book, NBN takes the time to interview their authors. Some of these writers include Jonathan Garb, author of Yearnings of the Soul, and Robert O’Kell, author of Disraeli.
Death is a difficult subject matter for anyone, regardless of religion. Student Rabbi Ariana Katz hopes to ease the struggle with her podcast, “Kaddish,” which focuses on mourning rituals and customs. With a variety of guests and first-person stories, Katz strives to provide listeners with a deep and contextualized look at death. “There is a dearth of death education, and there is a romanticising, exoticizing, and sexualizing of death,” the show’s description reads. “Kaddish aims to stay in the muck, the complicated, unsexy, terrifying places, because those too are a part of grief.”
Stuff Jews Should Know
The title says it all. Join Mottle and Batya Wolfe as they discuss different Jewish essentials and topics—holidays, landmarks, traditions, laws—in under a half an hour, from Purim to the Temple Mount. You’ll be an expert in no time.
OMGWTFBIBLE
Last but definitely not least, OMGWTFBIBLE describes itself as a “brand-new English translation of the Hebrew bible.” What OMGWTFBIBLE really is is a rebranding and retelling of the Torah as “the world’s oldest comedy serial” as opposed to a traditional (and serious) religious text. As host David Tuchman writes, “Doesn’t it just plain suck that the Old Testament isn’t cool anymore? The book’s got everything: genocide, incest, and even talking donkeys!”
Google Chrome is Trying to Eliminate the Need for Flash
Link: http://digitalcoco.com/blog/2016/8/10/google-chrome-is-trying-to-eliminate-the-need-for-flash
Flash: what once was one of the most popular plug-ins for video, gaming and animation on the internet, is on its last legs. According to a report by the Guardian, ever since YouTube, formerly the most prominent Flash-heavy website,ceased using the format in January 2015, Flash has been slowly fading into the depths of obscurity.
However, the true nail in the coffin may be closer than we think. A CNET report explained that Google has announced plans to expedite Flash’s inevitable demise by removing it from their own browser, Google Chrome. They cited battery drainage and security issues as the two most apparent reasons behind Google’s upcoming abandonment of the format.
The void that the removal of Flash will leave behind will not remain empty. Google plans to replace the format with HTML5.
WhatIs.com defines HTML5 as the newest version of HTML, the most common programing language used to construct websites. But unlike its predecessors HTML5 will be able to support audio and video content, a feature once dominated by Flash.
“Google said the change will lead to improved security, reduced power consumption and faster page load times,” said CNET’s report.
They explained that this process will not be immediate. Chrome 53’s September release will begin to remove emphasis from Flash by blocking all flash-based content. However, the full replacement will occur in December, with the release of Chrome 55.
A statement by Adobe, the company behind Flash, explained, “Google’s decision is part of this industry-wide evolution that Adobe is heavily invested in.”
These Restaurant Apps are Popular Amongst Eaters
August 19, 2016 October 17, 2016 joshuaadam45 Published Work, Web RSMI
Note: This article was initially published on the restaurant trade site Restaurant Social Media Index on 7/20/16.
Link: http://rsmindex.com/blog/2016/7/20/these-restaurant-apps-are-popular-amongst-eaters
Social media, particularly on the mobile app spectrum, is one of the largest growing industries of the past decade. Almost everyone uses some form of social media apps. However, not almost everyone, but literally everyone, needs to eat.
Naturally, a conglomeration of both social media apps and the restaurant industry is meant to be. Many restaurant chains have already taken advantage of this trend, constructing their own apps and social media accounts to reach out to customers. However, a new type of app is shaping the restaurant industry, one download at a time.
There is an emerging collection of popular apps that don’t just focus on one restaurant or chain, but on the industry as a whole. These allow you to compare and contrast, read reviews and sometimes even order in food from nearby eateries. Today, I want to take a look at some of the most popular of these apps and discuss what makes them stand out amongst the competition.
A list by Paste Magazine cites EAT24 as a unique restaurant app. Recently acquired byYelp, not only does EAT24 provide you with reviews and star-based ratings of places you may want to eat at, but also allows you to order food in from over 25 thousand restaurants. That’s right, the creators of the app also run a delivery service. Although delivery times and fees differ for each restaurant, the process works the same for any listed. Therefore, you can order whichever type of cuisine you are in the mood for without having to leave the comfort of your own home.
Paste Magazine also lists Zagat as a popular dining app. Zagat allows you to filter restaurant options by cuisine type, location and, most importantly, price. Therefore, you save time by eliminating restaurants out of your price range right off the bat. With a unique scoring system that takes food, decoration and service into account, you can quickly find the dining location that’s perfect for you.
The also listed Dining Grades works similarly to Zagat, but with one key difference. It mainly focuses on a factor that its competitor left out: cleanliness. Using a letter scoring system, Dining Grades shows you which restaurants are clean enough to meet your standards. Whether you want a spotless, fine-dining environment, or simply just want to avoid another case of food poisoning, Dining Grades has you covered.
Mashable makes note of discount apps such as Groupon and Livingsocial on its list. Both work very similarly, allowing you to purchase coupons, and sometimes even free meals, for your favorite dining locations. Although they don’t only focus on the restaurant industry, that facet of these apps is one of their most popular.
Mashable also takes healthiness into account when listing Unified Lifestyle. This app catalogs a massive amount of individual restaurants, as well as chains. After finding the perfect restaurant for you, and dining there, you can use the app to record your caloric intake from the meal. This will allow you to better balance your daily calories and not go overboard. The app will prove especially helpful if you are someone who eats out very often.
Clearly, there are many apps out there to improve your dining experience. From easy delivery to health management, today, there’s an app for almost anything restaurant related. For more app recommendations, read more.
Restaurants are Teaming Up With PR Firms for their Social Media Campaigns
Link: http://rsmindex.com/blog/2016/7/20/restaurants-are-teaming-up-with-pr-firms-for-their-social-media-campaigns
A restaur ant teaming up with a PR firm typically has a negative connotation. Consumers are accustomed to associate that pairing with a health issue or lawsuit. Wipe that connection out of your brain, because there’s a new reason why restaurants and PR firms are coming together.
Restaurants are partnering with PR firms to strengthen their social media campaigns. Areport by Cron explains why this may be.
Cron explains that PR firms use social media for their clients in many ways. They often make accounts, keep track of analytics and narrow down which platforms to use for their clients. They also help train their clients on how to effectively use social media for themselves. Occasionally, PR firms are even responsible for creating social media content for their clients.
A recent example of a restaurant chain taking advantage of what PR firms have to offer when it comes to social media is Panda Express. The popular Chinese food chain Panda Express recently announced its partnership with PR firm Havas Formula for its social media campaign.
A report by QSR Magazine quoted Panda Express’ Vice President of Guest Marketing Dave Wallinga to better explain why.
“Havas Formula was selected due to its proven track record in developing integrated marketing campaigns and implementing best-in-class public relations and social media programs,” he said.
He explained that the pitches Havas Formula gave him perfectly matched with the goals of his chain, rendering them a perfect fit.
Although Panda Express is not the first, nor will it be the last, to partner with a PR firm for social media, it might be one of the biggest. As one of the largest fast casual chains in the nation, it becomes a trend setter when it makes any major decision, let alone partnering with a PR firm.
A list by The Muse explained what you should make sure you know before hiring a PR firm. Although this list isn’t targeted specifically towards restaurants and social media campaigns, it applies to them as equally as it does any other type of company and campaign.
The Muse urges you to pick a firm that will not only help you reach a large audience, but one that will also specifically match up with the ideals and values of your target demographic. Therefore, you will attract new customers, as well as keep returning ones, with your social media.
You must also make sure to know the exact members of the firm you are working with, or the core team behind your project. Therefore, you can have easier communication with the firm, which in turn will lead to stronger social media content. Read more
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Kathryn Sanders
Writer and Editor
Local Groups Supporting Refugee Mental Health in North Carolina
December 3, 2018 December 4, 2018 ~ kathrynsanderswrites
Burmese farmers Zar Ree, Lion Wei and their family at the community farm. Photo by Chris Fowler, provided by Transplanting Traditions.
By Kathryn Sanders
The Carrboro Farmer’s Market was bustling on a recent Saturday in November. Among the farmers selling carrots and lettuce, there was a stand tucked in the corner of the market selling crops such as pennywort, roselle and bitter melon. These farmers were refugees from Burma, and were part of a community farm project called Transplanting Traditions.
The group provides Burmese refugees in Carrboro, North Carolina access to land, healthy food, agricultural education and small farm business development. It also provides participants a much-needed sense of community and safety.
“Social isolation is a major issue within this community,” according to Sara Snyder, the VISTA educational programs coordinator at Transplanting Traditions. Many people were separated from their families when they went to refugee camps and were again separated when they were resettled in America. Trauma-related depression is common because of this upheaval.
“One hundred percent of the refugees that we serve report being less stressed after joining the farm,” Snyder said.
There are several reasons cited for the improvement in their stress including the opportunity to see friends, working outside in the fresh air, and being able to grow traditional and medicinal crops that remind them of home, Snyder said. They’re also able to teach their children about their heritage.
One hundred percent of the refugees that we serve report being less stressed after joining the farm.
Refugees, by federal law, are granted different kinds of support when they come to the United States, such as help finding a job and getting health insurance.
But mental healthcare is not a federally-mandated requirement for refugees, so community groups such as Transplanting Traditions are stepping up to fill in the gaps where traditional medical care is lacking.
Refugees settling in North Carolina
North Carolina ranks as seventh among US states for accepting people granted refugee status, according to an investigative report done by ABC11. More than 500 refugees moved to North Carolina during the first half of 2018.
And because the state has so many refugees, it consequently has a large number of people who may need access to mental healthcare.
There are several reasons North Carolina ranks highly for refugees, according to Monique Lohmeyer, a refugee services coordinator at Church World Services, a refugee resettlement program in Durham. One reason is due to the current economic level in the state for jobs and affordable housing, and another is because there is already a large community of certain refugee populations here.
Once a refugee arrives in the United States, they go to a resettlement agency, which is a group such as Church World Services in Durham, NC or Interfaith Refugee Ministry in Wilmington, NC, that orients the new arrival to help them get a job and apply for healthcare benefits.
Refugee health care options
A community member at Church World Service in Durham interacts with a refugee client. Photo by Kate Roberts, provided by CWS Durham.
In North Carolina, most refugees immediately qualify for either Refugee Medical Assistance, or Refugee Medicaid, or a different North Carolina Medicaid program, according to Interfaith Refugee Ministry’s NC State Refugee Health Coordinator Jennifer Morillo.
Refugee Medicaid lasts only for eight months upon their arrival here in the United States, Lohmeyer said. It retroactively starts the day they arrive even though it make take up to a week for them to officially apply upon their entry to this country.
“We reconnect with them around the six month mark, where we direct them to find healthcare benefits through their job, which is part of what our employment team focuses on,” Lohmeyer said.
The employment team at a resettlement agency targets employers that offer benefits. If there aren’t enough jobs available, they look into the Affordable Care Act, or a program such as Duke Latch, which is an outreach program that helps provide healthcare access to immigrant populations. But despite the efforts of these groups, sometimes it’s not enough for the refugee.
“It’s a population that is severely underinsured after that first eight months,” Lohmeyer said.
It’s a population that is severely underinsured after that first eight months.
Mental health care is not a requirement
There are certain boxes the resettlement agency must check off, such as getting the person immunized, helping get a primary care provider set up, housing, and starting English classes, among other things. But mental health care is not a requirement for resettlement.
“There are many resettlement agencies in the nation that have a focus on mental health and even have mental health services incorporated so it’s really a whole-person, holistic wellness model,” according to Marlowe Crews Kovach Marlowe Crews Kovach, MSW, LCSW-A, a program coordinator with the UNC Refugee Mental Health and Wellness Initiative.
In the Chapel Hill area of North Carolina, however, mental health is not incorporated directly with any of the resettlement agencies, which is how Refugee Wellness came exist. The UNC Refugee Mental Health and Wellness Initiative is a group that provides mental health services and support to refugees in the North Carolina Raleigh-Durham area.
“We want to provide support directly because we see there is an unmet need and a gap. We train Masters of Social Work students in how to work with this population and how to collaborate with interpreters and navigate these barriers,” Crews Kovach said.
Refugee Wellness is a grant-funded program that not only links refugees to other providers, but provides some counseling services itself. For people who are struggling day to day to get their needs met, something like work might come up, and getting to their therapy appointment isn’t their top priority. Day to day survival is.
“That’s why it’s so important to have programs funded specifically for refugee mental health, because there are so many factors within this population that make it really hard for them to be able to access mental health services,” Crews Kovach said.
Barriers to mental health care
The North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research recently asked North Carolinians via their newsletter, “What do you think is the biggest barrier to seeking mental health care?” Some of the responses were lack of insurance, cost of care, not knowing where to get care, and stigma/embarrassment, among others.
For refugees, the barriers to seeking mental health care are more complex. They include lack of transportation, confusion about insurance networks, and cultural stigma, Crews Kovach said. But the biggest issue might be language barriers.
Barriers to seeking mental health are more complex for refugees. There are more logistical issues involved, such as lack of transportation and language barriers. Wordcloud created with wordclouds.com
Most mental health providers are required to provide services to people that need interpretation, or speak languages other than English and Spanish. But interpretation is very expensive, so that is not an option for many providers. Even though they are required by law to provide services, there is also a loophole law that says if it is a financial burden on the agency, then it is not required, according to Crews Kovach.
“Many people want to provide services, but interpretation is so expensive and in North Carolina, since Medicaid has not been expanded, interpretation is often not reimbursed at a rate that can cover interpretation,” Crews Kovach said.
The current state of North Carolina health care
As of November 2018, North Carolina is one of only 13 states that has not voted to expand Medicaid, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Map provided by Kaiser Family Foundation.
Yasmin Bendaas is science writer and community engagement specialist with EducationNC, a nonprofit associated with the NC Center for Public Policy Research. Bendaas said by email that there are members of the public health community that feel that expanding Medicaid in North Carolina would do more for people with mental health problems than simply increasing the Affordable Care Act, or remaking the current Medicaid model.
A Kaiser Family Foundation literature review on over 200 Medicaid studies reiterates Bendaas’s point, and shows that Medicaid-expansion states have shown greater improvements to access to both mental health medications and services than non-expansion states.
North Carolina is currently moving into a “Medicaid reform,” according to David Anderson, a research associate at the Health Policy Evidence Hub at the Margolis Center for Health Policy at Duke University. It will probably be in place by early 2020.
The system is transitioning from what is known as “fee for service” where the state directly pays doctors and hospitals for the care of Medicaid patients, to what is known as “Medicaid Managed Care” where the state pays a number of insurance companies a fixed fee per month, and then the insurance company pays the doctors and the hospitals to take care of the Medicaid patients, Anderson said.
Right now, North Carolina already bids out behavioral and mental health Medicaid services to Local Management Entities, or LMEs such as Cardinal Innovations Healthcare. Eventually, according to Anderson, the plan is to roll all health care into one contract, so nothing is carved out like it is now.
“Mental and behavioral health tends to be a very complex care management problem. In order to make the transition as smooth as possible, states tend to make that population one of the last to switch over,” Anderson said.
Refugee mental health care options, beyond insurance
Mental health support is important in all populations, but particularly for refugees, a group that is prone to stressful living and is cut off from their home community.
“If you’re focused on survival, if a person’s fight or flight response is highly activated and they’re just trying to make it through the day, it’s hard to focus on mental health, even though their emotional wellness is already impacting them,” Crews Kovach said.
Because of gaps in the federal program for refugee help, and because health insurance is so difficult to navigate anyway, community groups are looking to other ways of supporting refugees with mental health.
One of the newcomer “peer groups” at Art Therapy Institute. Photo provided by Art Therapy Institute.
Art therapy is a mental health care option that goes beyond traditional therapy. The practice is defined by the American Art Therapy Association as a “mental health profession that enriches the lives of people through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.” And it can be particularly effective for refugees.
Because refugees often have language or other verbal barriers, art therapy provides a safe space for them to express themselves, according to Courtney Powers, MA, LPCA, ATR, a clinician at the Art Therapy Institute in Chapel Hill, NC.
“Stories that people want, and need, to share will inevitably emerge,” Powers said.
The Institute provides art therapy services to clients, training to other professionals, and peer support groups. The support groups, in particular, provide a sense of connection and belonging for refugees while they are negotiating acculturation, according to Powers.
Stories that people want, and need, to share will inevitably emerge.
Video courtesy of Art Therapy Institute
Peer support and community leader training
One of the community adjustment support groups UNC Refugee Wellness conducts is a curriculum called Pathways to Wellness. It’s an eight-week program that talks about adjusting to new cultures and the mind-body connection.
It also works to destigmatize mental health, and to give information about mental health while facilitating conversations about traditional beliefs and practices from whatever culture the participants are from. It’s designed to be an introduction to talking about mental health without people saying, “Oh, mental health, you mean someone who’s crazy?”
“It’s a good way to bring people together and it’s designed to be a peer support group, while also providing information about mental health,” Crews Kovach said.
One main goal for Refugee Wellness is to support and develop leaders within communities of refugees. So Refugee Wellness ultimately wouldn’t be providing the services; they would be training culturally-competent people from the community to provide services specific to the needs of their group, according to Crews Kovach.
The community groups are crucial, Crews Kovach said, because if one person is hesitant to discuss their trauma, but sees a friend helped by talking about their experiences, they’re more willing to try it.
“We get a lot of referrals, people bringing their friends and neighbors,” Crews Kovach said. “That’s why I think it’s so important to move toward this model of training community leaders in basic mental health first aid and awareness so they can also work to destigmatize mental health and be that source of support and connection.”
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Classic Movie Reviews
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Movie ReviewsBaby Papa Drama (Bridget Jones’s Baby Review)
Keith NoakesSeptember 17, 2016
Breaking up with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) leaves Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) over 40 and single again. Feeling that she has everything under control, Jones decides to focus on her career as a top news producer. Suddenly, her love life comes back from the dead when she meets a dashing and handsome American named Jack (Patrick Dempsey). Things couldn’t be better, until Bridget discovers that she is pregnant. Now, the befuddled mom-to-be must figure out if the proud papa is Mark or Jack.
I will say that I haven’t seen any Bridget Jones films but I am familiar with the character. I am also a fan of Renée Zellweger. It’s a shame that she hasn’t done much within the last decade or so because she is a great actress. The recent controversy surrounding her appearance didn’t help either. It was still surprising seeing this one 15 years after the original, Bridget Jones’ Diary, and 12 years after the sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.
Here we find Bridget (Zellweger) hitting a rut in her life. Now into her thirties, she has her life under control and has a great job as a television news producer but underneath, she is still single and lonely. She believes that her time is running out. Everyone in her life, including her friends and family, want her to put herself out there. Bridget was very likable and her own struggle was real which made it easy to relate to her. She just wants to be happy. In order to try and better her life, she decides to live her life differently by taking more chances.
One day, she goes out with her friend Miranda (Sarah Solemani) and quickly meets a handsome stranger named Jack (Dempsey). One thing leads to another and they have relations. Not thinking much about it and him, she moves on with her life. Things get more complicated for her when and old boyfriends named Mark Darcy (Firth) comes back into the picture. Mark is now married to a woman named Camilla (Agni Scott). They seemingly have moved on with each other’s lives but they still have feelings for one another. One thing leads to another and they have relations as well. Not too long after those encounters, Bridget learns that she is pregnant (hence the title) but the problem for her is that she doesn’t know who the father is.
She is conflicted in that she doesn’t know how to handle her current predicament. To help her is the witty obstetrician named Dr. Rawlings (Emma Thompson). After spending time with Jack and due to her past feelings for Mark, she strings them both along as she’s not sure how to tell them and she doesn’t want to hurt either man. Of course this doesn’t last but once her secret is out, they surprisingly decide to all work together for the sake of the baby. The chemistry between Bridget and Mark has already been established through multiple films and the inclusion of Jack does not disrupt anything since all three showed great chemistry, especially Mark and Jack. Bridget was fun to watch and all three were fun as well.
This film was surprisingly funny in how it kept putting Bridget in awkward situations as she was an awkward person herself. Watching her go through these situations was tremendous. These situation were propped up not only by the fantastic dialogue but through Zellweger’s performance. The fact that she felt like a real person just made it all better. Just the fact that all the characters felt like real people made these situations feel more believable and thus more funny. This continued with the dramatic moments of the film as these real characters were dealing with real situations. This made these more compelling to watch.
The acting was excellent here with Zellweger being the obvious standout. She brought a considerable amount of energy and charm in her performance, exuding likability with relative ease. This likability propelled her through the film. Her comedic timing was exceptional, elevated the film’s more comedic moments. Firth and Dempsey were both good and likable. Seeing the contrast between Mark and Jack being played out on screen was very interesting to say the least. They both played well off of each other, elevated by their great chemistry. The film may have wrapped itself up a little too nicely and the open-ended ending may frustrate some. The film may also be a touch too long, clocking in at just over 2 hours.
Overall, this was a fun dramedy with a great script and great direction, elevated by an excellent performance by Renée Zellweger.
If you liked this, please read my other reviews here and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, follow me on Instagram, and also like me on Facebook.
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screenzealots
Okay, so Matt and I have been having this huge debate all weekend — I think the film’s ending 100% wrapped up the answer as to who the baby’s father is. Matt disagrees. In fact, we both think a different guy is the real dad. What say you? –Louisa
Keith Noakes
I’m not sure but I think Jack gave up based on the way he saw Bridget and Mark together.
Yeah, another person said the same thing. I had the impression that it was the other way around, but then again, I’m firmly on Team Darcy so I’m not sure if I was just projecting my wishes on the film. I think I might go see it again because I SWEAR the ending was 100% crystal clear! Am I THAT off base here? I think I might be! –Louisa
I kind of guessed that it’d end up that way. I didn’t think the ending was clear but I still kind of liked it.
I agree. Not clear at all. Jack either could have been the biological father or a godfather. – Matt
Oh, and I also agree that this movie is really enjoyable. It’s way better than it looks and actually better that it should be!
This was my first Bridget Jones experience so my expectations were low and I loved it.
Definitely see the first one, it’s a classic! I have the poster hanging in my office. Part 2 is pretty bad, though. –Louisa
That’s what I heard. I guess it’s because the director from the first one didn’t do the second one.
Fantasia 2019: Phantom of Winnipeg Review
The Farewell – A Welcoming Family Affair
Free Trip to Egypt – A Decent And Timely Documentary
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Li Huayi
"Landscape is the energy inside your chest being
released as a painting. In China we say:
Outside we learn from nature,
but inside we create from our hearts."
- LI HUAYI
Excerpt from ‘Some Thoughts on Painting’, originally published in
The Monumental Landscapes of Li Huayi, San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2004
Li Huayi was born in 1948 in Shanghai, China. When he was six years old, Li learned the art of traditional ink painting with Wang Jimei in private. By 1964, at the age of sixteen, Li began his studies in Western art with Zhang Chongren, who had studied at the Belgian Royal Academy in Brussels and who was known for his realistic watercolors. During the Cultural Revolution (1966 - 1976), Li was exempted from being sent to the countryside and allowed to remain in Shanghai to paint Soviet-style propaganda murals as a result of his dexterity with brush and ink and his excellent training in Western art.
When travel restrictions eased after the Cultural Revolution, Li Huayi visited a number of China's significant scenic, historic and cultural sites in the late 1970s. During this journey, Li visited the celebrated peaks of Huangshan in Anhui Province, which are often depicted in many of his paintings. In Gansu Province, Li taught himself the early history of Chinese painting and achieved an understanding of religious painting through informal study of the Buddhist cave temples at Dunhuang. Finally, in 1978, Li travelled to Beijing where he saw his first Northern Song landscape painting and first major exhibition of modern Western art; both of which left him with deep and lasting impressions.
At Longmen (left), and in Huangshan (right) in the early 1970s
In 1982, Li Huayi and his wife immigrated to San Francisco. There, he enrolled at San Francisco's Academy of Art to study Western art and he completed his master's degree in 1984. In the same year, Li held his first one-man exhibition in America at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, featuring a combination of his Dunhuang-style paintings and his 'Abstract Expressionist' works. His abstract paintings particularly received critical acclaim from the leading scholar of Chinese painting, Michael Sullivan.
Li Huayi at San Francisco's Academy of Art and his solo exhibition in 1984
In the decade to follow, Li Huayi explored the prospects and boundaries of abstract painting combined with elements from early Chinese art. He gradually created his signature style in the early 1990s, which features grand mountain compositions that recall the monumental landscapes of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Throughout Li Huayi's artistic career, China's extraordinary landscape has been a primary source of artistic inspiration. Particularly during the 2000s, he made a number of pilgrimages to famous mountains in China including Huangshan Mountain in Anhui, Lushan in Jiangxi, Wuyishan in Fujian, Zhangjiajie in Hunan, and Huashan in Shanxi, as well as an exploration of Li Cheng's home territory in Shandong.
Li Huayi in Xinjiang, China, 2009
in Spain, 2018
Li Huayi's studio in Beijing
Wikipedia Page - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Huayi
Copyright © 2019 Li Huayi
Site by Artlogic
CONTACT | lihuayi@kwaifunghin.com
Represented by Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery
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March 2003 , Volume 50, Issue 3, pp 279–301 | Cite as
Learning to Match the Schemas of Data Sources: A Multistrategy Approach
AnHai Doan
Alon Halevy
The problem of integrating data from multiple data sources—either on the Internet or within enterprises—has received much attention in the database and AI communities. The focus has been on building data integration systems that provide a uniform query interface to the sources. A key bottleneck in building such systems has been the laborious manual construction of semantic mappings between the query interface and the source schemas. Examples of mappings are “element location maps to address” and “price maps to listed-price”. We propose a multistrategy learning approach to automatically find such mappings. The approach applies multiple learner modules, where each module exploits a different type of information either in the schemas of the sources or in their data, then combines the predictions of the modules using a meta-learner. Learner modules employ a variety of techniques, ranging from Naive Bayes and nearest-neighbor classification to entity recognition and information retrieval. We describe the LSD system, which employs this approach to find semantic mappings. To further improve matching accuracy, LSD exploits domain integrity constraints, user feedback, and nested structures in XML data. We test LSD experimentally on several real-world domains. The experiments validate the utility of multistrategy learning for data integration and show that LSD proposes semantic mappings with a high degree of accuracy.
schema matching multistrategy learning data integration
Download to read the full article text
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© Kluwer Academic Publishers 2003
1.Department of Computer ScienceUniversity of IllinoisUrbana-ChampaignUSA
2.Department of Computer Science and EngineeringUniversity of WashingtonSeattleUSA
Doan, A., Domingos, P. & Halevy, A. Machine Learning (2003) 50: 279. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021765902788
DOI https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021765902788
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Tumor Genetics Research Brings Some Answers for Families at High Risk
Courtesy of the Mayo Clinic
Research on the genetics of pancreatic cancer is still somewhat in its infancy.
But ongoing work by genetic detectives like Gloria Petersen, Ph.D., Professor of Epidemiology at the Mayo Clinic, is paving the way for tests for earlier detection, risk assessment, personalized treatment, and preventive steps that people at high risk for the disease can take.
“There is still a lot we need to learn, but we are making progress,” says Petersen, who founded the PACGENE Consortium, a group of leading cancer institutions across the United States and Canada that are collaborating to identify susceptibility genes in high-risk familial pancreatic cancer, in those families with at least two affected first degree relatives with the disease.
What Has Been Learned about Tumor Genetics
Collaborative efforts in studying the genetics of pancreatic cancer have already yielded important information. Here are just a few findings:
Individualizing Risk: Inherited pancreatic cancer can be caused by mutations, known as “germline” mutations, in a number of different genes. These mutations occur in egg or sperm cells and are passed on to every cell in an offspring’s body during reproduction. Today, those at risk of pancreatic cancer due to certain inherited genes can now be better informed of their risk. The genes that can confer inherited risk include BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, and CDKN2A. Studies have also shown that certain hereditary colorectal cancer genes, specifically MLH1, MSH2, and MSH6, also increase the risk of pancreatic cancer.
Risk Varies by Mutation: Genetic variants that are common may only increase a person’s risk of pancreatic cancer one or two percent, while more rare mutations can carry a higher lifetime risk of five to 30 percent.
Other Factors Influence Risk: Studies have shown that about ten percent of people with pancreatic cancer carry the rarer mutations in genes like BRCA2, ATM, and PALB2. The remaining cases of pancreatic cancer may be linked to the lower-risk genes, lifestyle, or environmental causes, explains Petersen.
Familial Pancreatic Cancer Is Not a One-Gene-Fits-All Scenario: Research shows that family members with familial pancreatic cancer may have a mutation in one gene, such as BRCA2. Another family may have a PALB2 mutation.
New Information on Tumor Formation and Spread: Because the cells of pancreatic tumors can be vastly different in the same patient (meaning the tumor is heterogeneous) scientists have assumed there were many different acquired genetic mutations that caused tumor formation and spread. However, genetic research showed the same mutations are involved in driving the primary tumor and the metastases, potentially paving the way for targeted therapies to treat metastatic disease.
Moving Research from the Lab to the Clinic
“Getting a better understanding of the genes that could cause familial pancreatic cancer helps us not only quantify the risk of pancreatic cancer but also the risk of other cancers,” says Petersen, who is also the lead investigator of Mayo’s Pancreatic SPORE initiative, which is focused on the genetic and biological factors influencing pancreatic cancer. “The point of the research is to move the findings from the laboratory into the clinics so we can try to save lives by not only detecting cancer earlier, but also providing more individualized treatment.”
Indeed, individualized treatment does hold promise. Already, doctors know that some drugs seem to work better in patients whose tumors carry certain mutations. For example, one drug called erlotinib may work better in patients whose tumors have a particular change in a gene called EGFR.
To be clear, though, DNA is not always destiny. “Many people who carry mutations may not develop pancreatic cancer, but positive family history of pancreatic cancer is a consistent risk factor, with about a two-fold increased risk to first degree relatives” says Petersen, who along with co-investigator Ken Zaret, Ph.D., of the Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine, developed a new blood test that uses two protein markers to pick up pancreatic cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. The test is still being studied, but has shown 87 percent sensitivity, meaning that’s how often it can correctly identify someone with stage I or II pancreatic cancer. It also had 98 percent specificity, meaning the ability to accurately rule out cancer in a person who doesn’t have it.
Be Proactive
If you are concerned about your risk, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk. Among those risk-reducers are maintaining a healthy body weight, and quitting smoking, since tobacco users are about three times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than non-smokers, says Petersen.
But if there is a significant family history of breast cancer or pancreatic cancer, there are tests available for the BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2 genes. If there is a family history of melanoma and pancreatic cancer, testing is available for the p16 or CDKN2A gene. Some people may choose to participate in familial pancreatic cancer research registries.
The first step, though, is to speak to a cancer genetic counselor who can advise on the benefits as well as potential risks of genetic testing, explains Petersen, who is also researching the bioethical and behavioral implications of cancer genetic testing. A genetic counselor will go over the family history, see if there may be a hereditary component, and try to determine a person’s lifetime risk.
As to the future, Petersen is very hopeful. “Pancreatic cancer is a terrible disease, but I do absolutely believe that soon we will be better able to inform individuals about their risk,” she says. “Everything that we do adds to the body of knowledge about pancreatic cancer, and that’s why we do this.”
Could There Be a Cure in Vitamin C?
Why You Need This Simple Blood Test at Diagnosis
Putting the Immune System on the Offensive
biomarkerBRCA1BRCA2breast cancerCDKN2aDNAearly detection familial pancreatic cancergenetic testinggermline mutationmutationp16PALB2pancreas cancerPromising Science genetic familial mutationsPromising Science screening early detectionscreeningtumor geneticstumor registry
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Wonder if Voter ID is starting to “crash and burn,” people? We can only hope (here)…
In a clear-cut victory for Wisconsin voters, U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman came down on the side of foes of the state’s strict photo voter ID law Tuesday.
In the 90-page decision, Adelman takes note of difficulties low-income citizens have in getting an ID, the cost of obtaining background documents to get an ID—such as a birth certificate—the cost of transportation to the DMV and work time lost…
Of course, Gov. Hosni Mubarak Walker will probably appeal the ruling (and Repug Attorney General candidate Brad Schimel is trying to fundraise off the ruling as noted here).
Not that we have anything to brag about on this subject in our beloved commonwealth of PA, of course, where Governor Tom “Space Cadet” Corbett has spent in excess of $2 million in state funds to defend voter ID (here) even though the PA Commonwealth Court recently affirmed its decision overturning it (here).
But wait, there’s more…
A federal court ruled the same way about Texas’s voter ID law, one of the most restrictive in the nation (here), but the ruling was invalidated when The Supremes gutted the Voting Rights Act (yep, some nice “ROI” from The High Court of Hangin’ Judge JR to “the party of Lincoln” on that one).
As noted here, Judge Tim Fox of the Pulaski County Circuit Court recently struck down Arkansas’s voter ID law, quite rightly saying that it “illegally adds a requirement” voters must fulfill before going to the polls.
And in case anyone still had any doubt about this, conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly pointed out here that North Carolina’s law in particular was aimed at minorities (yeah I know, duuuh, though, as noted here – in a surprising development – that state’s voter ID law could actually help with voter registration in that state).
Here and here are links to the voter ID issue and how it is playing out across all 50 states. And as noted here, the Voting Rights Act Amendment (VRAA), introduced in the Senate by Dem Pat Leahy and in the House by Repug James Sensenbrenner, could address the voter ID issue in a bit of a favorable manner also (but good luck seeing that passed in the U.S. House as it is currently constituted; another reason to vote early and often this fall).
And lest we forget, Chuck and Dave are all too happy to see voter ID enshrined all over this country (here).
Next, this tells us the following…
RICHMOND — Former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell has landed a job as a part-time visiting professor of government at Liberty University’s Helms School of Government, the school announced Monday.
McDonnell (R) will serve as a guest lecturer in other professors’ government classes at the Helms School, named for former senator Jesse Helms, a Republican from North Carolina.
Any idea on McDonnell’s “course load”? These come to mind immediately for yours truly…
Influence Peddling 101 – How to Receive Money, Golf Fees, Other Equipment and Luxury Plane Flights to Resorts While Alleging That No Conflict of Interest Exists
Returning Obstetrics to the Middle Ages – Classroom Theory and Practical Working Exercises in Administering Fetal Ultrasounds, Plunging Virginia To The Same Depths As 23 Other States Advocating The Same Barbaric Procedure
Male-Only Human Sexuality – The Evils of (Pro) Contraception Legalization
And just as a reminder, the story also tells us the following…
McDonnell left office in January and soon after was indicted with his wife, Maureen, on federal corruption charges related to about $165,000 in luxury gifts and loans that a businessman lavished on Virginia’s first family.
The McDonnells, who have pleaded not guilty, were in financial distress when they accepted the largess of dietary supplement maker Jonnie R. Williams Sr., and their money woes have grown as they mount a legal defense in the case, scheduled to go to trial in July. Supporters have launched a fund to pay legal bills.
The part-time position at the Lynchburg University is not likely to bring McDonnell the big bucks he could have counted on absent the scandal. Moore declined to disclose what Liberty will pay McDonnell, once regarded as a credible contender for president in 2016.
Also, how apropos for “vaginal ultrasound” Bob to end up at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University, where approval was revoked for a Democratic Party organization on campus here (wonder if I’ll get an Email blast about a Bias Alert! from Drudge and his pals – not holding my breath on that one), and where Glenn Beck, of all people, once gave a commencement address (here).
And the cherry on the icing on the proverbial cake is the fact that McDonnell will now reside at the Helms School of Government, named after a noted racist, anti-immigrant homophobe and chauvinist (who, along with the rest of his party, ignored the al Qaeda threat in the ’90s, as noted here – Clinton stumbled a bit on that score also, but at least he did something).
How much do you want to bet that (assuming a Dem wins in 2016) McDonnell ends up taking a shot at the 2020 Repug presidential nomination (and no, I can’t believe I just wrote that sentence either)?
Continuing, I give you the latest in Repug Party hijinks over the environment (which has presented us with particularly extreme weather lately)…
Republican lawmakers pushed back at Environmental Protection Agency Chief Gina McCarthy after she assailed critics for charging the agency with using “secret science” to support its regulations.
Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) said McCarthy is “ignoring the big picture” in her defense of the agency.
Vitter and a majority of Republicans have continued to berate the EPA for its proposed carbon emissions limits on power plants, which they say are backed up by faulty science.
“It is inexcusable for EPA to justify billions of dollar of economically significant regulations on science that is kept hidden from independent reanalysis and congressional oversight,” Vitter said in a statement on Monday.
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) echoed Vitter’s sentiment.
“It’s disappointing that EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy continues to try to justify her agency’s use of secret science,” Smith said in a statement. “Relying on undisclosed data is not good science and not good policy.”
OK, so “secret science” is the latest wingnut catchphrase (poll tested and approved by Frank Luntz, no doubt). Which is particularly amusing to me because, as noted here, the “science” to support EPA regulation doesn’t look very “secret” to yours truly.
And of course Smith would protest, he who, though he routinely ignores sound climate science, once held a hearing on aliens (and no, I’m not talking about immigrants) here. And what can you say about “Diaper Dave,” who cheered the last government shutdown because it temporarily put the brakes on EPA’s ability to enforce regulations to protect our water and monitor coal and gas-fired power plants (here)?
Further, it looks like Joke Line is back to heap more ridicule (here)…
Time magazine columnist Joe Klein called CNN “an embarrassment to our profession,” surprising a New York City audience on Sunday by declaring Fox News “the only option” for straight news at 6 p.m.
“I come home, and I turn on CNN at 6 o’clock at night — because that’s something I kind of do in preparation for the 6:30 network news, to see what Wolf [Blitzer] is being really hyperbolic about — and he’s talking about the plane!” Klein lamented.
“It is such an embarrassment to our profession that CNN has gone in the toilet the way it has,” he continued. “You know, I miss being able to turn on a straight newscast. And it turns out, the only place you can go to get one, at 6 o’clock at night, is Fox.”
“The other option is to go to MSBNC and see the Reverend Al Sharpton, who I still consider to be a major criminal,” Klein quipped, prompting audience applause. “I mean, the guy can have a job on network TV, on an NBC cable network, and he still hasn’t apologized for Tawana Brawley? Gimme a break.”
I cannot fathom why Klein would defend a network that was once responsible for this.
That being said, he actually has a point about CNN and its endless coverage on Flight 370, which, horribly, I’m sure is at the ocean floor somewhere. At this point, I cannot imagine where else it could be; if it had been hijacked somehow, we surely would have heard at this point.
And not for a second am I going to defend Al Sharpton over the Tawana Brawley stuff; I don’t know if Sharpton ever apologized for it either. However, making the leap from shameless self-promoter at the expense of a young girl who apparently didn’t know better to a “major criminal” staggers the imagination. And there’s a reason why I include his videos at the site I link to from here, and that is because I find his commentary to be fundamentally sound and factually correct. When Klein or anyone else has a factual criticism to offer (and I’ll admit that MSNBC overall flubbed some of the Trayvon Martin stuff), then I’ll definitely give it a fair hearing.
Also, when it comes to whether or not our supposedly elite journalists are doing their jobs, how does Klein account for this (and who knew besides me that Megyn Kelly of Fix Noise, for example, was a corporate attorney as opposed to a journalist, and she’s on the network Joe loves in bleeping prime time).
Klein’s call for an “apology” is funny, though, when you consider that, to my knowledge, he never apologized for this.
Finally, Mikey the Beloved is back with another opinion column for the benefit of his PR factory (here)…
Increasing and securing our investment in infrastructure is an investment in our country’s future. I am pleased to have worked across the aisle with Congressman John Delaney in supporting the Partnership to Build America Act (HR 2084). The bill will restore solvency to the Highway Trust Fund by revenues from repatriated earnings as a funding mechanism while the debate continues around ensuring long term solvency of the Fund. These efforts have merit, particularly if combined with other fiscally prudent ways of increasing infrastructure investment.
The first question I have is why it took so damn long for Mikey or anyone else in his party (and the same goes for Delaney, to be fair) to say anything about HR 2084, seeing as how it was introduced about a year ago (here…and yes, I know the answer is that this is an election year).
However, the more you look into this particular piece of legislation, the more problems you discover as far as I’m concerned. The bill establishes a government corporation headed by a board of trustees, appointed by the president (yeah, as if that will be OK with this Congress – the Teahadists are probably writing hate-filled blog posts and working on their misspelled signs even as I write this, and the bill hasn’t even come up for a vote yet).
The bill also “establish(es) the American Infrastructure Fund, to provide bond guarantees and make loans to States, local governments, and non-profit infrastructure providers for investments in certain infrastructure projects, and to provide equity investments in such projects, and for other purposes.”
So it looks like the states will be responsible for funding infrastructure projects with minimal (at best) federal oversight (and yes, I realize that, since we’re talking about a Republican congress, they don’t want the federal government to be a “player” in this stuff at all, damn the consequences).
Here is my concern: suppose the infrastructure projects blow up and the financial obligations cannot be satisfied. Is this yet another “bubble to bust” boondoggle where taxpayers will be called upon again to bail out the Fund if the infrastructure projects are cancelled because of, say, cost overruns (and another well-done Matt Taibbi comment on this whole potential mess will be written someday)?
And did I mention that, according to Govtrack, the bill has about a 3 percent chance of being enacted anyway? More on the bill is here.
Meanwhile (from here)…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration sent a four-year, $302 billion transportation plan to Congress Tuesday, hoping to jump-start a national debate on how to repair and replace the nation’s aging infrastructure while accommodating the needs of a growing population.
Action is urgently needed because the federal Highway Trust Fund is expected to run dry by late August, said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. Unless Congress acts to shore up the fund, transportation aid to states will be held up and workers laid off at construction sites across the country.
President Barack Obama has emphasized infrastructure spending throughout his presidency as a means to spur job growth and increase economic competitiveness, but the bill is the first detailed, long-term transportation bill his administration has sent to Congress.
There isn’t much time for Congress to act before the trust fund can no longer meet its obligations, especially in the hyper-partisan atmosphere of an election year. Many transportation insiders predict Congress will wind up doing what it has done repeatedly over the past five years — dip into the general treasury for enough money for to keep programs going a few weeks or a few months, at which point the exercise will have to be repeated all over again.
But keeping highway and transit aid constantly teetering on the edge of insolvency discourages state and local officials from moving ahead with bigger and more important projects that take many years to build. In 2012, Congress finally pieced together a series of one-time tax changes and spending cuts to programs unrelated to transportation in order to keep the trust fund solvent for about two years. Now, the money is nearly gone.
So instead of passing the Obama bill, it looks like Mikey and his pals (including Delaney, who apparently isn’t much of a progressive, though he’s definitely an improvement over the odious Repug Roscoe Bartlett, who formerly held the seat) are cooking up this new scam that could come back and bite us one day. All just so they can say that they didn’t raise taxes or fees, or something (if doing this right means paying a few cents more a gallon for gas, for example, to me, that makes a hell of a lot more sense than this idiotic funding mechanism).
All of this and much more is a reason to support Kevin Strouse for Congress (to help, click here).
1 Comment | "Culture Wars", 8th District, ALEC, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Congress, Environment, FISA, Infrastructure, Koch Brothers, News Biz, PA State Politics, Politics (General), Pundit Ponderings (Bad), Race, Science, Stupid Voting Tricks, Supreme Court, Teahadists | Tagged: "secret science", Barack Obama, David Vitter, EPA, FISA, Fox "News", Gina McCarthy, Highway Trust Fund, HR 2084, James Sensenbrenner, Jerry Falwell, Jesse Helms, Joe Klein, John Delaney, Judge Tim Fox, Kevin Strouse, Koch Brothers, Lamar Smith, Liberty University, Lynn Adelman, Mike Fitzpatrick, PA-08, Partnership to Build America Act, Pat Leahy, Pete Hoekstra, Phyllis Schlafly, Rev. Al Sharpton, Robert McDonnell, Scott Walker, Tawana Brawley, Tom Corbett, U. S. House, U.S. Senate, vaginal ultrasound, voter ID, Voting Rights Act, VRAA, Wisconsin, Wolf Blitzer | Permalink
Jonah Goldberg, apparently vying for the title of Most Idiotic Pundit in the Universe, inflicts the following while bashing Number 44 overall for a variety of alleged reasons (here)…
The Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to treat carbon dioxide as a “pollutant” is an outrageous expansion of executive power. But Obama (didn’t) tout that as a bullet point (last week at a Democratic retreat); he let the EPA take the political heat for that decision a while ago.
So much stoo-pid, so little time – as noted here…
In March 2012 the Environmental Protection Agency released a draft rule limiting carbon pollution from new power plants. This standard was promulgated in response to the 2007 Supreme Court ruling requiring the agency to regulate carbon dioxide emissions under the Clean Air Act if it found that carbon dioxide emissions endangered public health and the environment. The agency published such a finding in 2009, noting that carbon-pollution-associated climate change will increase the frequency of unusually higher temperatures and heat waves.
Increased temperatures can increase the risk for formation of ground level ozone or smog. Breathing ozone may lead to shortness of breath and chest pain; increased risk of asthma attacks; increased susceptibility to respiratory infections; need for medical treatment and for hospitalization for people with lung diseases, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and premature death. Children and senior citizens are most vulnerable to harm from smog.
The Environmental Protection Agency held several listening sessions while drafting the proposal, held two public hearings on the proposed rule, and extended the comment period to 73 days. Almost 3 million comments were sent to the agency in favor of reducing carbon pollution from both new and existing power plants—a record for an Environmental Protection Agency rule proposal. The agency is now in the midst of finalizing its rule.
Actually, based on this, the EPA finalized the rule last December 19th; carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technology is “decades old,” though apparently it is still a relatively expensive technology (don’t know enough to say whether or not it should be subsidized by the federal government or if it is already, but if it isn’t, why not?).
Of course, if Goldberg had an inclination towards actual journalism instead of hack punditry, he might be disposed to try and find that out (yes I know – if I ruled the world, every day would be the first day of spring…).
Next, I give you the latest from Repug U.S. Senator John Barrasso via Fix Noise in the “Let’s Bash Number 44” slug fest (here, opining about the fifth anniversary of the stimulus last Monday)…
President Obama said that he was going to use the money to fund “shovel-ready” construction projects. Many of those projects stalled because of burdensome red tape, and Washington regulations. A couple of years later, the president even joked that “shovel-ready was not as shovel-ready as we expected.”
In response, to give you an idea of how many jobs were saved or created the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, I would ask that you read the following from here.
And what have Barrasso and his fellow U.S. Congressional Republican pals done in response (aside from saying that the stimulus “failed” even though they patted themselves on the back for bringing stimulus funds back to their states or congressional districts, as noted here)?
Obama’s jobs plan blocked in the Senate in October 2011 (here).
A $60 billion infrastructure spending bill was also blocked in the Senate in November 2011 (here – gee, ya’ think that would have helped with repairing our roads crumbling from this awful winter? And do you remember this stellar related moment?).
Obama’s 2011 American Jobs Act was also blocked in the U.S. House (here).
A veterans’ jobs bill was also blocked in the Senate in September 2012 (here).
Of course, an extension of unemployment benefits that would create 2 million jobs was also blocked (here).
Here’s a more comprehensive list of legislation backed by Obama that has been blocked by Republicans in Congress (and here is another typical Barrasso move).
Continuing, I give you the latest from the perpetually angry Brent Bozell (here)…
Media liberals are howling at the apparent injustice of the “anti-Clinton” Washington Free Beacon website, which has dared to paw through old Hillary Clinton history. The hypocrisy is stunning. Let us recall the avalanche of mean-spirited and sleazy “fair game” the networks assembled for us just a few years ago in the last election cycle.
Bozell then goes on to list a whole bunch of imagined media slights involving Republicans, which I won’t bother to address here lest this entire subject grow too tiresome than it already is. However, I’m going to say something about this because 1) Without giving away the game too much, I think it’s safe to say that we’re going to be dealing with an upcoming presidential election cycle involving Hillary Clinton, and 2) Our wingnut brethren, if Bozell is any indication, have already decided to start dumping on the former First Lady, Secretary of State and U.S. Senator from New York regardless (it’s ALWAYS good sport for conservatives to dump on the Clintons, which, if nothing else, tells you how pitiable these people truly are).
Bozell also mentioned something about the Washington Free Beacon (whatever that is). In response, this Media Matters post tells us that the “Free Beacon” relied on a report from a group called OPSEC to attack Hillary Clinton – this tells us more about the group:
…OPSEC, a right-wing group made up of retired intelligence and Special Forces operatives, has partisan ties and a history of disingenuously attacking the Obama administration. The group “first surfaced during the 2012 presidential campaign,” when they produced a 22-minute film and TV ads accusing President Obama of “seeking political gain from the May 2011 military operation that killed Osama bin Laden.” (PolitiFact rated the claims made in the ads as “false” and “mostly false.”) Key members of the group have current and former affiliations with the Republican Party, and Reuters uncovered that more than a quarter of OPSEC’s 2012 funding was raised by Campaign Solutions, a political consultancy which represents Republican candidates.
OPSEC’s president, Scott Taylor, has also previously been accused of “shady campaign tactics” in his multiple bids for Republican state office, and as Business Insider noted, the group’s maneuvers reveal they are more interested in attacking President Obama and the Obama administration than promoting any national security interests. According to OpenSecrets, OPSEC spent almost $500,000 in the 2012 election cycle on “electioneering communications” alone.
Official investigations have found Secretary Clinton, the Obama administration, and the military did everything within their power to rescue the Americans stationed in Benghazi at the time. The official inquiry into the State Department’s role conducted by the independent, nonpartisan Accountability Review Board found that security at Benghazi was inadequate and offered recommendations for State to prevent future attacks, all of which are being implemented, but found Clinton personally blameless.
Yes, having to counter the nonsense from Bozell and his ilk is time not spent trying to persuade anyone still on the fence at this point why they should vote for a Democrat in the upcoming and all future election cycles. But this is an exercise that must be done, since the “noise machine” will crank up ever louder, immune to facts and reason as always.
Further, I have to comment on the following here (staying with clownhall.com, and apparently still in need of an editor)…
More than half of Americans oppose Obamacare and 56% claim the law is more about bolstering government control than it is about helping individuals gethealth care (sic).
The millions kicked off their insurance certainly do not find the policy freeing, neither do millennials forced to pay for healthcare feel liberated.
Obamacare is precisely the type of overbearing government policy that the Founders would have fought against…
Oh? So the Founding Fathers would have opposed “Obamacare”?
This tells us about the U.S. Marine Hospital, founded in 1798, under President John Adams (it eventually became our Public Health Service, led by the Surgeon General). And as noted here, the hospital was also supported by Thomas Jefferson, hardly an acolyte of “big gumint.”
And did I tell you that Benjamin Franklin co-founded the nation’s first public hospital offering free health care, as noted here (which became Pennsylvania Hospital)? Gosh, I didn’t know our founding fathers were such a bunch of damn socialists (removing my tongue from my cheek).
As long as I’m on this subject, though, I should point out that this tells us that the number of health care repeal votes in the U.S. House under Republican Party “leadership” has now ballooned to 47. And that means that I’ve fallen behind a bit on my count, based on my pledge to highlight a different U.S. House Republican for each repeal vote:
Here is the tally so far:
#1 – #31 is here.
#32 – #40 is here.
So without any more ado, let’s pick up the count, shall we?
#43 – Mark Meadows (NC – 11)
As far as I’m concerned, Meadows is infamous for only one act, but it was a real doozy, and that would be last year’s government shut down; as noted here, he was more responsible for it than any other person in the U.S. Congress.
And just to refresh our memories, these in part were the results:
Disadvantaged women and infants relying on nutrition programs, as well as anyone relying on Head Start, individuals with disabilities and people needing heating assistance were all hurt (here).
Processing of veterans’ compensation, pension and education benefits was delayed; the shutdown was projected to drain about $10 billion out of our economy (here).
Passport applications were delayed as well, and shutting down sites in the U.S. Parks service hurt tourism as well as related businesses relying on tourist dollars, OSHA halted inspections, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission halted investigations of fraudulent trading practices – processing of Pell Grants and student loan assistance was also slowed (here).
FEMA ended up furloughing 86 percent of their employees during the height of the hurricane season (here).
So yeah, if Mark Meadows does absolutely nothing else of consequence one way or the other for the remainder of his public life, he will always be remembered for the utterly ruinous 2013 government shutdown, as well he should.
#44 – Renee Ellmers (NC – 02)
What a prize of an elected official…
Speaking of the shut down, Ellmers voted for it of course, but when asked why she wouldn’t donate her salary, said “I need my paycheck” here (as Laura Clawson says, as if Head Start teachers don’t?).
Oh, and an unsecured AR-15 rifle was stolen from her home here (smooth move).
Here, she introduced a “bill” to provide “rights” to disabled (injured and amputee) veterans that they already have.
As noted here, Ellmers introduced a resolution to honor Jesse Helms (ding ding ding! We have a winner in the “Wingnut of the Week” contest!).
Also, I’m not the biggest fan of Clay Aiken either, and I know politics ain’t beanbag as somebody once said, but I thought it definitely showed a lack of class on her part to mock his singing here.
#45 – Reid Ribble (WI – 08)
This tells us that a petition with 120,000 signatures was delivered to Ribble’s office telling him not to include Social Security cuts in fiscal discussions last year, which Ribble intended to do regardless of the fact Social Security does not contribute to the federal deficit…remember the whole “chained CPI” thing, which apparently has come around again as an issue as noted here?
And speaking of Social Security, he wants anyone relying on that popular federal program to get it in the proverbial neck, as it were, as noted here.
In a truly guttural move, Ribble actually scolded Sister Simone Campbell for asking government to help the poor (nice).
Here, Ribble ducked out early from a jobs fair to attend a campaign fundraiser (what a swell guy).
Ribble said here that government shouldn’t borrow, even though he personally carries a couple of hundred thousand in debt (the latter isn’t a crime, but don’t be so damn two-faced about it).
And OF COURSE he’s a member of the “Koch Caucus” (here).
#46 – Steve Stockman (TX – 36)
I don’t know if Stockman is the biggest goof ball on this list or not, but if he isn’t, he’s certainly in the top two…
There’s lots of stuff on Stockman from this great post – take your pick.
He also thinks Ted Nugent is a patriot (here).
Stockman invited the rodeo clown wearing an Obama mask noted here to perform in his district (nice).
He apparently went missing also (here), but he turned up later (here), thinking the whole “missing” thing was a joke apparently (of course, if you want to read something really funny, take a look at this…wonder if the Teahadists will do the U.S. Senate Democrats another favor?).
As noted here, Stockman is also apparently a fan of that show “Duck Dynasty,” along with a lot of others I know (in response, I give you this…anyone who buys into that show is a total rube).
Update 3/4/14: HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
#47 – Randy Neugebauer (TX – 19)
Yes, it’s true – as the picture shows, any discussion of Neugebauer has to begin with his truly infamous episode where he yelled at a U.S. Park Ranger for closing the WWII memorial during the shut down his party initiated (here).
He also yelled out “baby killer,” presumably at former Dem U.S. House Rep Bart Stupak, during Stupak’s speech on the House floor at about the same time as the vote for the Affordable Care Law in 2010, which is truly idiotic but particularly in the case of pro-lifer Stupak (here)…and yes, he apologized.
Oh, and when asked here, he wouldn’t provide a copy of his birth certificate, even though Neugebauer is a “birther” himself, as noted here (uh oh).
Neugebauer was also one of the House Repugs who voted for farm aid (receiving about $4 grand in subsidies) while also voting to cut food stamps (here…also, he’s very definitely a member of the “Koch Caucus” along with Reid Ribble, noted in the link above).
So I think that brings the official count up to date; I should also start thinking about a proper commemoration for the eventual 50th repeal vote. Because, knowing this bunch in the House, that vote will surely come.
Finally, as long as I’ve devoted so much space to Congressional miscreants, allow me to finish by bidding a fond farewell to a retiring Dem who set, I believe, a sterling example of how Democrats are supposed to advocate for their constituencies and what kind of legislation they are supposed to author and/or support. And that would be Rush Holt of New Jersey (here).
As noted below (citing what I know is an incomplete list of accomplishments)…
He spoke out against the ever-pervasive surveillance state here.
On a related note, he sponsored the RESTORE Act in 2007 here (earning the enmity of Joke Line, among others).
He was also a visionary on climate change (here).
He helped secure $3 million to keep the NJ Technology Center at Ft. Monmouth open (here).
He was a staunch defender of Social Security (here).
He won congressional approval of a measure to mandate video recording of interrogations (here).
Holt once introduced a bill to ensure a paper ballot in elections here (that issue more or less got swept under the rug, but last I checked, it still needed to be addressed).
We are truly losing some giants on our side in the House between Holt, Henry Waxman and George Miller. However, it is only right to cycle in new blood, as it were, and to also give thanks for the exemplary precedent set by those who have done their time and have now earned a well-deserved rest, providing the way forward for future heroes on our side, championing future causes for the good of our country. And may we see the day when their hard work comes to joyful fruition for us all.
Leave a Comment » | "Culture Wars", Barack Obama, Congress, Crackpot History, Energy, Environment, Fox "News", Guns, Health Care, Hillary Clinton, Koch Brothers, Military, Obstruction, Pundit Ponderings (Bad), Stimulus, Supreme Court, Surveillance, Teahadists | Tagged: "baby killer", "Chained C.P.I.", Affordable Care Law, American Jobs Act, AR-15, Barack Obama, Bart Stupak, Benghazi, Benjamin Franklin, Brent Bozell, Campaign Solutions, carbon, Carbon Capture, CFTC, Clay Aiken, Clean Air Act, Duck Dynasty, EPA, FEMA, Fox "News", Head Start, Hillary Clinton, Infrastructure, Jesse Helms, John Adams, John Barrasso, Jonah Goldberg, Mark Meadows, OPSEC, Pell Grants, Pennsylvania Hospital, pollutant, Randy Neugebauer, Reid Ribble, Renee Ellmers, RESTORE Act, Rush Holt, Shutdown, Simone Campbell, Steve Stockman, Stimulus, Supreme Court, Ted Nugent, Thomas Jefferson, U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Marine Hospital, unemployment extension, veterans, Washington Free Beacon, World War II Memorial | Permalink
Tuesday Mashup (1/28/14)
I have to admit that I was a bit – how shall I put it? – nonplussed by the following concerning the recent Davos gathering (the recent “big story” is the alleged hardship of the “one percent,” and Philadelphia’s conservative newspaper of record is ON IT, PEOPLE!)…
Some of the richest and most powerful people in the world were asked by Wharton researchers to assess a set of risks likely to disrupt life as we know it — risks that could bring the downfall of governments and destroy economies.
Of more than two dozen catastrophic scenarios, the group of global titans said these were their biggest concerns:
1) Income inequality, which threatens social and political stability as well as economic development.
2) Increasing numbers of extreme weather events which cause massive damage to property, infrastructure and the environment.
3) Chronic unemployment, which coincides with a rising skills gap and high underemployment, especially among the young.
4) Climate change, specifically the failure of government and industry to take action to protect threatened people and businesses.
5) The escalation of large-scale cyber-attacks.
In response to #1, I give you this (and this).
As far as #2 goes (which goes with #4 as far as I’m concerned), I give you this (lots of talk with no commitment to anything, of course).
And as far as Davos and its supposed laser-focus on unemployment (#3), I give you this (it will take smart, targeted government spending, people, which is what it has taken all along – we did this under FDR and we did this under Bill Clinton…yes, I know this is a broken record).
Oh, and as far as cyber security is concerned (#5), I’ll let the Davos geniuses figure that out on their own, since it apparently hits their pocketbooks more directly than the other items on the list (at least this post-Davos item was positive, though).
Next, it looks like the Repugs are having their retreat this week to figure out some new “branding” trick to try and confuse the American sheeple, to say nothing of our corporate media of course (here – made to order for “Tiger Beat on the Potomac,” of course)…
House Republicans will hear from legendary college football coach Lou Holtz, GOP message maven Frank Luntz, conservative journalists and pollsters and education experts at their annual retreat in Maryland this week.
The House Republican Conference will also hear Rachel Campos Duffy — wife of Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) — talk about “reaching every corner of America.”
Of course they’ll hear from Frank Luntz (let’s see, maybe, instead of the “Tea Party,” we can have a “grass roots” gathering called the “Patriot Party,” with Rick Santelli yelling out the alarm as he once did here.)
As far as Rachel Campos Duffy is concerned, she’s the wife of a guy who once said he “struggled” on his congressional salary of about $174 grand (and he spent more than $106 grand on personal use automobiles, both noted here). Her husband also got heat here (rightly so) for his vote to end Medicare (“voucherizing” it, despite what he said to a constituent) and continue tax cuts for the rich. And he also favored “immigration reform” without a path to citizenship here.
And Lou Holtz? He’s a climate change denier, of course (here). He also was such a good sport when Alabama blew out Notre Dame a little over a year ago here (umm, maybe the “Fighting Irish” couldn’t “run the ball” because Alabama was kicking their collective butt…hard to do that when you’re losing). Besides, I thought he didn’t want anything to do with politics any more, having been quite rightly burned for endorsing former Repug Senator and race-baiter Jesse Helms here.
I’m sure it doesn’t need to be pointed out yet again that this is nothing but more “kabuki” from the Beltway media-political-industrial complex. The party in power in the U.S. House has had over three years to come up with a plan to create actual jobs with a decent living wage and grow the economy for real. They haven’t. They can’t.
And they never will.
Further, get a load of this from “Pastor” Gerson on the Affordable Care Law…
But even judged on the terms of (David) Remnick’s praise (of The New Yorker, who recently wrote an article about Number 44), Obama is in deep, second-term trouble. The president who embraces complexity is now besieged by complexity on every front. The U.S. health-care system has not responded as planned to the joystick manipulations of the Affordable Care Act. On the evidence of the article, Obama and his closest advisers are in denial about the structural failures of the program — the stingy coverage, narrow provider networks, high deductibles and adverse-selection spirals already underway in several states.
How can the coverage be “stingy” when it includes an expansion of Medicaid to cover those who weren’t covered before (here, with the only obstacle being Republican governors who won’t allow Medicaid expansion, or, in the case of our own “Space Cadet” Tom Corbett, doing so with ridiculous strings attached such as proof of looking for employment)? And as noted here concerning “narrow provider networks”…
About a third of insurance companies opted out of participating in the exchanges in states where they were already doing business, according to a recent report by McKinsey & Co. About half of states — which include about a third of the non-elderly insured population — will see a “material decline” in competitors, says McKinsey, while the other half of states will have about the same or more insurance choices on the exchanges.
I read this as follows: as more enroll on the exchanges, more health care insurance providers will decide to offer plans on the exchanges. The carriers will go where the customers are, one of the things Gerson and his ilk are loathe to acknowledge, of course.
As far as “high deductibles” goes, I give you the story of lifelong Arkansas Republican Butch Matthews here, who, after doing some actual fact-checking and research, discovered that “his local Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) provider confirmed that he would be able to buy a far better plan than his current policy while saving at least $13,000 per year (by enrolling on an exchange).”
And I’ll be honest – I don’t know exactly what an “adverse selection spiral” is; if and when Gerson ever decides to explain it, I’ll update this post accordingly (and for what it’s worth, here is a link to Remnick’s article in The New Yorker).
As noted here, though, I think it’s safe to say that Gerson isn’t exactly an impartial observer on this issue anyway.
Continuing (and sticking with health care reform), I give you the latest fear mongering from (who else?) Fix Noise (here)…
Tom Gialanella, 56, was shocked to find out he qualified for Medicaid under ObamaCare. The Bothell, Wash., resident had been able to retire early years ago, owns his home outright in a pricey Seattle suburb and is living off his investments.
He wanted no part of the government’s so-called free health care. “It’s supposed to be a safety net program. It’s not supposed to be for someone who has assets who can pay the bill,” he said.
And after reading the fine print, Gialanella had another reason to flee Medicaid — the potential death debt.
Cue the scary-sounding music (and leave it to the Foxies to fund somebody whose exceptional life circumstances dovetails perfectly into their “big gumint is baaaad” narrative).
In response, I believe the following should be emphasized from here…
The Seattle Times published an article on Dec. 15, under the headline “Expanded Medicaid’s fine print holds surprise: ‘payback’ from estate after death,” that said: “If you’re 55 or over, Medicaid can come back after you’re dead and bill your estate for ordinary health-care expenses.” The Times is right that the state of Washington has this power, but it was not in the “fine print” of the Affordable Care Act (as the story itself makes clear).
All states have had the option since Medicaid began in 1965 to recover some Medicaid costs from recipients after they die, as the Department of Health and Human Services explains in a2005 policy brief. In 1965, it was optional and states could only recoup Medicaid costs spent on those 65 years or older. That changed in 1993, when Congress passed an omnibus budget bill that required states to recover the expense of long-term care and related costs for deceased Medicaid recipients 55 or older. The 1993 federal law also gave states the option to recover all other Medicaid expenses.
The Affordable Care Act did nothing to change existing federal law. It did, however, expand the number of people who are eligible for Medicaid, so there will be more people on Medicaid between the ages of 55 and 65, and, therefore, potentially more estates on the hook for Medicaid expenses after the beneficiary dies.
Is this a problem? I suppose, but let’s address it constructively through legislation (yeah, good luck with that with those jokers in charge of the House) instead of fear mongering for a change, OK?
And of course, this Dan Springer character, being a good little wingnut, tried to gin up more SOLYNDRA! nonsense here.
Finally, I just wanted to point out that we recently observed the 50th anniversary of the report from the U.S. Surgeon General linking cigarette smoking to cancer (and as noted here, cigarette smoking has also been linked to other ailments of varying degrees, including liver cancer, erectile dysfunction, and other bad stuff). The good news, though, is that (as noted here) about 8 million lives have been saved by prevention efforts.
Like many other people I’m sure, this issue hits home. My dad smoked until his last days; I’ll never forget the look of anxiety on his face when he wondered whether or not I’d purchased his carton of Tareyton’s while I was out running other errands so he could break open a pack and light one up on the front porch (during the days near the end when it was dangerous for him to drive anymore because of a variety of ailments and my mom said he couldn’t light up in the house any more, partly because it got ridiculous having to redo the paint and wallpaper every few years from the stains of cigarette smoke).
Yes, I probably should not have caved and tried to stand up to him on this, but I could tell that, though he was able to kick other bad habits, he would not have been able to do it with this one. And yes, nobody points a gun at anyone and tells them to smoke; there is an element of choice. But I don’t think that absolves us of trying to reach out to people if we think they can be reached on this subject (not as a would-be “reformer,” but as an interested and caring observer).
And last year, we went through something like this with another beloved family member. My mother-in-law had been suffering with adenocarcinoma for the last year or so, but it got progressively worse as the cancer metastasized (unlike my dad, she had given up smoking years ago, though she had smoked for many years prior to that). It went from her lung to her liver and spread all over the place. There were multiple rounds of chemo and radiation which definitely bought time, but made her physically sicker in the bargain.
The decline was gradual – first periodic hospital visits for procedures, then shorter stays, then longer stays and more procedures, then trying to do physical therapy to the point where she could endure more treatments, then finally to the point where she couldn’t even go through PT anymore, to the point where she finally couldn’t come home from the rehabilitation facility and slipped into a coma.
It was truly hard to find anything positive in this experience, but one thing I can say without reservation is that she received fine care from Vitas at Nazareth Hospital in Philadelphia. We remain ever grateful to the staff for their constant attention to Mom during her final days.
The day we said goodbye at Vitas (prior to the viewing and the funeral), we tried our best to console one another and go on with our lives in as normal a manner as we could. We drove off in separate cars, and as I left the parking lot, I saw a line of what appeared to be thin, twenty-something young women who (I assume) were done their shift at the hospital, standing in line in mid-afternoon waiting for what I guess was the 20 bus running up Roosevelt Boulevard.
And at least four of them were smoking.
If only you knew, I thought to myself, as I turned at the light and headed for home.
Leave a Comment » | "One Percent", Barack Obama, Congress, Entertainment, Environment, Financial, Fox "News", Health Care, Politics (General), Sports, Teahadists, World Stuff | Tagged: "death debt", Affordable Care Act, Barack Obama, Butch Matthews, climate change, Cyber-attacks, Dan Springer, David Remnick, Davos, Fox "News", Frank Luntz, Jesse Helms, Lou Holtz, McKinsey & Co., Medicaid, Medicare, Michael Gerson, New Yorker, PA, Rick Santelli, Sean Duffy, smoking, Surgeon General's Report, Tom Corbett, Unemployment, voucherize | Permalink
The Onerous Answer To Ileana’s “Umbrage”
This tells us that U.N. Secretary Ban Ki Moon referred to the U.S. as a “deadbeat” donor to that world body; here’s the reason why…
Ban said he had wanted to draw attention to the fact that the U.S. agrees to pay 22 percent of the U.N.’s $4.86 billion operating budget, but is perennially late with its dues — and now is about $1 billion behind on its payments.
That figure is “soon to be $1.6 billion,” Ban emphasized. Asked if he’d used the word “deadbeat” during the meeting, he replied, “Yes, I did — I did,” then laughed mischievously.
Mark Kornblau, spokesman for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, said: “The U.S. is the largest contributor to the United Nations and while we are behind in some of our payments, those are not the words we would have chosen to encourage Congress to address this problem.”
Apparently concerned about his choice of words, Ban an issued a statement Wednesday night saying the U.S. “generously supports the work of the U.N., both in assessed and voluntary contributions” and that he “enjoys an excellent working relationship with the United States and appreciates the many ways that it supports the United Nations.”
And of course, this led to the predictable right-wing outcry…
“He used the word ‘deadbeat’ when it came to characterizing the United States. I take great umbrage (over) that,” Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the panel’s senior Republican, said after an hour-long, closed-door meeting. “We certainly contribute a whole lot of U.S. taxpayer dollars to that organization. We do not deserve such a phrase.”
Oh no?
This tells us how in 1997, with Bill Clinton as president and the odious Jesse Helms as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, we used our late UN dues payments as a cudgel of sorts for reform to ultimately oust then-Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali in favor of Kofi Annan (the former was charged with “dragging his feet” on reform by our government).
(Oh, and by the way, the ’97 transcript of “The News Hour With Jim Lehrer” features moderator Charlayne Hunter-Gault interviewing a guy from the American Enterprise Institute who was still relatively unknown – would that he had stayed that way – named John Bolton who said that there was no financial crisis, but only a crisis of U.N. “legitimacy”…typical).
The following should also be noted also from here…
…the US did not pay its UN dues for decades. When it finally agreed to pay past dues in return for a reduction in its assessments, it refused to fulfill (sp) the promise. The resentment against the US at typical UN meetings is so intense that it can be felt in the air. It was this resentment that led the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to oust the US from the 53-member Human Rights Commission (HRC) in May 2001. […] It was the vote of a number of European and ‘friendly nations’ that eventually ousted America. The US suffered a similar defeat in 1998 when it was ejected from, but later reinstated to, the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), a key committee that deals with funding in the whole body.”
“In 1993 […] only eighteen countries (accounting for 16 percent of the budget of the UN) paid in full by the January 31 deadline. And by 31 October 1994, governments owed the UN a total of $2,100,000,000. […] The United States owed the most ($687,000,000), followed by Russia ($597,000,000)”
…The 1985 Palme initiative was presented to cap the maximum contribution by any member state, in particular this would have curbed the amount that the USA can contribute, especially in light on its failure to actually pay. “We believe that this was an eminently sound suggestion. The high US share, though justified by that country’s wealth, has been exploited by elements hostile to the U.N.”
But this proposal was opposed the USA itself! It was rejected by “the Reagan administration, anxious to maintain the leverage that its level of contribution seemed to buy”. In short, the USA wanted to keep its high formal contribution levels in order to buy maximum influence (bribe the UN), and yet didn’t want to actually pay any of the money it owed, either! This type of abuse leads…to contempt of the USA and the dropping of the USA from major bodies of the UN.
And as noted here (references are a bit dated now, I realize, but this shows where a lot of the money goes)…
Of course, the U.S. is not the only debtor. Only 50 percent of the U.N.’s membership had paid their 2003 assessments in full by the end of September, and $693 million remained unpaid. Of the fifteen biggest contributors, the U.S., Brazil and Japan had not paid their annual dues by the end of August.”
This unpredictability, combined with the large amount of money owed, is having serious repercussions for the U.N. Payments for the international tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda are so far in arrears –there is a $96 million shortfall for 2003 alone – that officials were forced to borrow $41 million from the U.N. peacekeeping accounts. This borrowing came despite the fact that the U.N.’s peacekeeping fund was already more than $1.1 billion in the red.
In late October, the “Group of 77” developing nations warned that the UN was taking too long to reimburse contributors to peacekeeping missions and complained about the practice of dipping into other funds. But Under-Secretary-General Bertini told them that if all countries paid their assessments in full, it wouldn’t happen.
It seems such a simple solution: all governments, particularly wealthy and powerful ones, should make sure that they pay their U.N. dues in full and on time. To do otherwise puts the U.N.’s future in jeopardy. U.S. payments have been out of sync for so long that they’re now a habit, and it has encouraged other countries like Japan to adopt the practice of late payment. The U.S. Congress has already voiced its concern; the Fiscal Year 2003 State Department Authorization Bill stated that “late payment of U.S. dues forces the United Nations and other international organizations to engage in budgetary practices that are neither sound nor responsible.” The House of Representatives recently called for a report on the ramifications of late payment, and directed the President to create a plan to resume paying U.N. dues at the beginning of each calendar year.”
Given all of this, I have to admit that I’m surprised also over the characterization of the U.S. as “deadbeats” when it comes to our U.N. payments.
What surprises me is that we didn’t hear such a characterization long before now.
Leave a Comment » | Politics (General), World Stuff | Tagged: Ban Ki-moon, Bill Clinton, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Jesse Helms, John Bolton, Kofi Annan, United Nations | Permalink
More On “Money Matters Tuesday”
Returning to the New York Times, this story in the business section tells us how Sweden managed to recover from their financial turmoil in the prior decade that bears a striking resemblance to what we currently face (that is, “after years of imprudent regulation, short-sighted economic policy and the end of its property boom… its banking system was, for all practical purposes, insolvent,” according to the story).
But in response…
Sweden did not just bail out its financial institutions by having the government take over the bad debts. It extracted pounds of flesh from bank shareholders before writing checks. Banks had to write down losses and issue warrants to the government.
That strategy held banks responsible and turned the government into an owner. When distressed assets were sold, the profits flowed to taxpayers, and the government was able to recoup more money later by selling its shares in the companies as well.
“If I go into a bank,” Bo Lundgren, who was Sweden’s finance minister at the time, told The Times, “I’d rather get equity so that there is some upside for the taxpayer.”
Sweden told its banks to write down their losses promptly before coming to the state for recapitalization. Facing its own problem later in the decade, Japan made the mistake of dragging this process out, delaying a solution for years.
Then came the imperative to bleed shareholders first. Mr. Lundgren recalls a conversation with Peter Wallenberg, at the time chairman of SEB, Sweden’s largest bank. Mr. Wallenberg, the scion of the country’s most famous family and steward of large chunks of its economy, heard that there would be no sacred cows.
The Wallenbergs turned around and arranged a recapitalization on their own, obviating the need for a bailout. SEB turned a profit the following year, 1993.
“For every krona we put into the bank, we wanted the same influence,” Mr. Lundgren told The Times. “That ensured that we did not have to go into certain banks at all.”
By the end of the crisis, the Swedish government had seized a vast portion of the banking sector, and the agency had mostly fulfilled its hard-nosed mandate to drain share capital before injecting cash. When markets stabilized, the Swedish state then reaped the benefits by taking the banks public again.
I hope at least some (or, dare I imagine – all?) of these ideas are being discussed within Congress, though, given the fact that moonbats such as this gentleman are given credence on this matter, I hope you’ll forgive me for my cynicism.
And in other indebtedness news, a full-page ad in the Times today reminded us that the U.S. currently owes the U.N. approximately $1.2 billion (actually, it’s closer to $1.3), though this Wikipedia article tells us that the so-called Helms-Biden legislation of 1999 (now there’s a combination!) was able to reduce our payments to the U.N. and related agencies based on negotiated reforms.
It should be noted that, of the $1.3 billion, according to the article, “$612 million is payable under Helms-Biden. The remaining $700 million result from various legislative and policy withholdings; at present, there are no plans to pay these amounts.”
Meanwhile, we canceled Iraq’s $4.1 billion debt here, even though, as noted here, that country now has a surplus of $79 billion.
O to be governed by adults again (118 days and counting, people).
(And by the way, what Bowers sez here – h/t Atrios.)
Update: In a related vein, here’s “some straight talk you can believe in, my friends”; ka-chiiing! (and please don’t try to argue that Obama’s $126K of contributions from the employees is somehow worse).
Leave a Comment » | Financial | Tagged: Jesse Helms, Joe Biden, Subprime Meltdown, Sweden | Permalink
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Greg Healey: Not In Front of the Children, Hidden Histories in Kids’ TV – Book Review
Written by Gus Ironside17 August, 2018
Greg Healey: Not in Front of the Children: Hidden Histories in Kids’ TV
New Haven Publishing
For those of us who grew up watching children’s TV in the 1960s and ‘70s, it’s hard to separate memories of certain programmes from our youthful attempts to understand the world around us. Many books have been written about classic children’s series from the era, mostly serving a nostalgic function, but Greg Healey’s book ‘Not In Front of the Children’ pursues s radically different purpose, seeking as it does to use four classic children’s programmes as the springboard for a breathless exploration of socio-cultural developments in the post-WW2 period.
There is something rather profound about Healey’s approach. The cultural revolutions of the ‘60s and 70s were so far-reaching that it often feels like we’re still trying to make sense of it all; certainly, the ramifications are ongoing. For those of us who grew up in this era, revisiting the past via our favourite childhood TV programmes is an opportunity to understand the societal upheavals which were going on in the background (from a child’s perspective), but which nevertheless were shaping our lives and those of our parents.
Healey focuses on four TV programmes: Scooby-Doo; Mary, Mungo & Midge; Mr Benn and Ivor the Engine, using these series as the entry point for ruminations on everything from the impact of ‘Butcher’ Beeching’s reshaping of the UK’s rail network,s to the 1957 Wolfenden report on sexual offences. The scope of Healey’s socio-cultural exploration is breathtaking. For example, while many previous pop culture commentators have mentioned the importance of 1960s art schools to British Invasion-era UK musicians, Healey provides fascinating background detail on the policy changes driving the post-WW2 explosion in arts education.
‘Not in Front of the Children’ traces numerous intertwined threads through the cultural changes of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Healey provides the missing interstitial tissue that contextualises many of our half-remembered childhood memories, not just from our favourite TV programmes.
For this reviewer, reading ‘Not in Front of the Children’ was a compulsive experience. I gorged on this surprising and remarkable book, finding it unexpectedly satisfying to have so many loose ends connected and embedded in their historical context. There is also much humour along the way, ensuring that ‘Not in Front of the Children’ is never a chore to read.
Healey should be congratulated not only on his detailed research, but also for his ability to present such complex material in an accessible and compelling manner. Buy this book, not for nostalgia value, but for an opportunity to make sense of how we got where we are now.
Buy ‘Not in Front of the Children‘
All words by Gus Ironside. More writing from Gus can be found here.
Blogs book reviews Books UK Featured News TV Video
Words by Gus Ironside
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Jono Zalay
Jono Zalay began his standup career in Boston, while simultaneously earning his Doctorate in Neuroscience (he gave cocaine to rats). Since dropping his science hobby to pursue comedy full time, Jono has been named one of Comedy Central’s ‘Comics to Watch,’ and earned international press for his pranks on the DMV. Jono now lives in Los Angeles where he has written comedy for Fox, Amazon, and Comedy Central. He has been featured in over 30 comedy festivals around the country including Bridgetown, Big Sky, Limestone, and New York Comedy Festival.
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N. Korea turns to Steve Jobs for inspiration: Regime's software looks like Apple's Mac OSX
By Douglas Ernst - The Washington Times
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Kim Jong-un’s regime really likes Apple technology.
Screenshots of North Korea’s official operation system have made their way online, and the resemblance to Apple’s Mac OSX platform is undeniable.
American computer scientist Will Scott, who visited the nation in August 2013, obtained a copy of the software, called Red Star OS, the BBC reported. The operating system is so immersed in the country’s propaganda that the calendar year is consider 103 instead of 2014; North Koreans measure time by the birth of former North Korean leader Kim Il-sung.
SEE ALSO: Report sheds light on ‘Bright’ — North Korea’s version of Internet
The latest version of Red Star OS is believed to have been released in 2013, according to BBC.
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Russia-Germany gas pipeline seeks new route in Baltic sea
By - Associated Press
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - The developers of a natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany applied Monday for a third route south of Denmark’s Baltic Sea island of Bornholm, as they try to overcome objections from the country.
The Danish Energy Agency says Nord Stream 2 has applied for an alternative route in the seas south-east of Bornholm in Denmark’s exclusive economic zone. It could not say when a permit might be granted but said only one can be granted.
The Switzerland-based Nord Stream 2 confirmed it had been asked to submit an application for another route.
It said in a statement that asking for a third route option “can only be seen as a deliberate attempt to delay the project’s completion,” adding European consumers could lose as much as “at least 20 million euros” a day.
The planned Baltic pipeline will transport natural gas via a 1,200-kilometer (746-mile) pipeline from Russia to Europe. It has come under fire from the United States and some European countries claiming it could increase Europe’s dependence on Russia as a supplier of energy.
Washington, which wants to sell its liquefied natural gas to Europe, has threatened sanctions against companies involved in the undersea pipeline. While it is wholly owned by Russian gas giant Gazprom, half of the project’s 8 billion euro ($9 billion) cost is covered by five European energy and chemicals companies including Shell, BASF and ENGIE.
Russia, Finland, Sweden and Germany have already issued permits.
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Women’s Fitness
Article 1 – Introduction
Women’s Fitness was officially recognized as a new sport discipline by the IFBB Executive Council and IFBB Congress on December 03, 1995 (Guam, USA).
1.1 General:
The IFBB Rules for Women’s Fitness consist of regulations, policies, directives and decisions intended to guide the IFBB and its Members in the administration of the sport of Women’s Fitness.
1.2 Rules:
Certain administrative and technical rules that appear in Section 1: General Rules are the same for Women’s Fitness and therefore, are not repeated in this section.
Article 2 – Responsibilities of Organizers to Athletes and Delegates 2.1 Responsibilities:
The Organizer of the World Championships will undertake to cover the cost of double - occupancy accommodations and meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) for competitors and delegates as follows:
1. World Fitness Championships (included Women’s and Men’s Fitness, Women’s Physique, Women’s Bodyfitness, Women’s Bikini Fitness, Women’s Wellness Fitness, Mixed Pairs):
For four days (three nights) according to the following scale: a. Three or more competitors - Two delegates
b. One or two competitors - One delegate
Note 1: The maximum allowable number of A-team competitors per National Federation may not exceed the number of categories open at these Championships, with a maximum of two competitors allowed to compete in any one category.
Note 2: A maximum allowable number of A-team competitors per National Federation in any one discipline may not exceed the number of categories in that discipline.
Note 3: A maximum of twenty two competitors are permitted in the A -team (two female physique, two female fitness, four female bodyfitness, eight female bikini fitness, four female wellness fitness, one male fitness, one male athlete for mixed pair) and will be accepted per National Federation with a maximum of two competitors allowed to compete in any one category.
Note 4: Each National Federation may enter a B-team. The maximum allowable number of competitors in the B-team shall not exceed those in the A-team. Detailed information regarding the A-Team and B-Team competitors available in Section 1: General Rules, Article 9.3.
Note 4: Delegates without athletes will have to pay for the Full Package Special Rate.
Note 5: Upon agreement between the IFBB and the Organizer, one additional category may be opened for competition.
2. In Senior Women’s Fitness, each National Federation may enter:
a. An A-team of up to a maximum of two competitors, with a maximum of two competitors allowed to compete in any one category.
b. A B-team of up to a maximum of two competitors, with a maximum of two competitors allowed to compete in any one category.
3. World Juniors and Masters Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships: For four days (three nights) according to the following scale:
a. Three or more competitors - Two delegates
Note 1: The maximum allowable number of A-team competitors per National
Federation may not exceed the number of categories open at these Championships, with a maximum of two competitors allowed to compete in any one category.
Note 3: A maximum of thirty six competitors in A-team (two female junior fitness, one male junior fitness, one female junior bodyfitness, three female junior bikini fitness, two male junior bodybuilders, one male junior classic bodybuilder, three male junior physique, twelve male master bodybuilders, three male master classic bodybuilders, three male master physique, two female master bodyfitness, two female master bikini fitness, one female master physique) will be accepted per National Federation with a maximum of two competitors allowed to compete in any one category.
Note 4: Each National Federation may enter a B-team. The maximum allowable number of competitors in the B-team shall not exceed those in the A-team, except for the masters categories, where the number of B-team competitors is unlimited. Detailed information regarding the A-Team and B-Team competitors available in Section 1: General Rules, Article 9.3.
Note 6: Upon agreement between the IFBB and the Organizer, additional categories may be opened for competition.
4. In Junior Women Fitness (age 16-23 years), each National Federation may enter:
5. The Children Fitness rules are available in Section 10.
Article 3 – Categories
3.1 Categories:
Women’s Fitness competition at the World Championships is open in the following categories:
1. There are two categories in Senior Women’s Fitness world-level competitions, currently as follows:
a. Class A: Up to and incl. 163 cm
b. Class B: Over 163 cm
2. There are two categories in Junior Women’s Fitness world-level competitions, currently as follows:
3. A category can only be run if there are not less than 6 athletes in this category. If less than 6 athletes, categories will be combined and run as one open class.
Article 4 – Rounds
4.1 Rounds:
Women’s Fitness will consist of the following five rounds:
1. Prejudging: Elimination Round (Quarter Turns)
2. Prejudging: Round 1 (Fitness Routines)
3. Prejudging: Round 2 (Quarter Turns)
4. Finals: Round 3 (Fitness Routines)
5. Finals: Round 4 (Quarter Turns)
Article 5 – Prejudging: Elimination Round
A time-table for prejudging in each category should be published after the Official Athlete Registration. In order to give themselves time to warm up and change into their posing attire, competitors should be in the backstage warm-up area at least 45 minutes prior to the start time of the judging of their category. All competitors will be solely responsible for ensuring that they are present and prepared to compete when their category is called onstage failing which they may be eliminated from the competition.
5.2 Elimination Round Procedures:
An Elimination Round will be held when there are more than 15 competitors in a category. IFBB Chief Judge decides if the Elimination Round will be necessary. This round will be carried out as follows:
1. The entire line-up is brought onstage, in numerical order and in a single line or two lines, if necessary.
2. The line-up is divided into two equal-size groups and is positioned onstage so that one group is to the left of the stage; the other group is to the right of the stage. The center portion of the stage is left open for comparison purposes.
3. In numerical order, and in groups of not more than eight competitors at a time, each group is directed to the center-stage area to perform the four quarter turns.
4. The IFBB Chief Judge or Stage Director will direct the competitors through the four quarter turns, which are:
a. Quarter Turn Right
b. Quarter Turn Back
c. Quarter Turn Right
d. Quarter Turn Front
Note 1: Detailed description of the Women’s Fitness quarter turns provided in Appendix 1 to this Section.
Note 2: Competitors will not chew gum or any other products while onstage.
Note 3: Competitors will not drink any liquids while onstage.
5. On completion of the quarter turns, the entire line-up is reformed into a single line, in numerical order, before exiting the stage.
Article 6 – Prejudging: Attire for Elimination Round, Round 2 and Round 4 6.1 Attire for Elimination Round, Round 2 and Round 4:
The attire for Elimination Round, Round 2 and Round 4 (Two-Piece Bikini) will conform to the following criteria:
1. The bikini will be opaque two-piece in style.
2. The colour, fabric, texture, ornamentation and style of the bikini as well as the colour and style of the high-heels will be left to the competitor’s discretion, except as indicated in the below.
3. Platform shoes are no longer allowed. Sole thickness of the high-heels may have maximum of 1 cm and stiletto height may have maximum of 12 cm.
4. The bikini bottom will cover a minimum of ½ of the gluteus maximus and all of the frontal area. The bikini must be in good taste. Strings are strictly prohibited.
5. The attire will be inspected during the Official Athlete Registration.
6.2 The hair may be styled.
6.3 Except for a wedding ring, bracelets and earrings, jewellery will not be worn. Competitors will not wear glasses, watches, pendants, necklaces, wigs or artificial aids to the figure, except breast implants. Implants or fluid injections causing the change of the natural shape of any other parts or muscles of the body are strictly prohibited and may result in disqualification of the competitor.
6.4 The use of tans and bronzers that can be wiped off is not allowed. If the tan comes off by simply wiping, the athlete will not be allowed to enter the stage. Artificial body colouring and self -tanning products may be used provided that it is applied at least twenty-four hours prior to the Prejudging. Professional competition tanning methods (airbrush tanning, cabin spray tanning) may be used if applied by the professional companies and qualified personnel. Sparkles, glitter, shiny metallic pearls or gold coloring are prohibited whether applied as part of a tanning lotion and/or cream or applied separately, regardless of who applied them on the competitor’s body.
6.5 The IFBB Chief Judge, or a delegated by him official, will have the right to make decision if a competitor’s attire meets the criteria established in the Rules and an acceptable standards of aesthetics. The athlete may be disqualified if the attire doesn’t meet them.
Article 7 – Prejudging: Scoring of the Elimination Round 7.1 Scoring of the Elimination Round
1. At this time, the judges will be assessing the overall physique for the degree of athleticism, proportions and skin tone. The scoring for the Elimination Round will proceed as follows:
2. If there are more than 15 competitors, the judges will select the top 15 by placing an “X” beside their numbers, using Form 1, entitled “Elimination Round (Judges)”. IFBB Chief Judge decides if the Elimination Round will be necessary.
3. Using Form 2, entitled “Elimination Round (Statisticians)”, the statisticians will transcribe the judge’s selections onto this sheet and will then tally the judge’s scores to select the top 15 competitors.
4. If there is a tie between two or more athletes fighting to enter the top 15,
the tied athletes will be brought back onstage, and the judges will perform a reassessment of the four quarter turns to break the tie.
5. Only the top 15 competitors will advance to Round 1.
Article 8 - Attire for Round 1 and Round 3 (Fitness Routine)
8.1 Attire for Round 1 and Round 3:
The attire for Round 1 and Round 3 will conform to the following criteria:
1. Competitors may dress as they deem appropriate in order to perform their routines, except as detailed below.
2. G-strings are strictly prohibited. G-strings cannot be worn on top of leotards, fishnet stockings, or tights. Also, G-strings cannot be worn underneath a skirt or other
type of outerwear so as to reveal the buttocks while the competitor is moving around onstage. The bikini bottom must cover a minimum of ½ of the buttocks during the whole routine.
3. Sport footwear may be worn, at the discretion of the competitor.
8.2 Provided Point 2 is respected, a competitor may remove an article of clothing
(e.g. coat, jacket, shirt, pants) if the removal of said article is performed in a tasteful manner.
8.3 The routine attire will be inspected during the Official Athlete Registration and backstage before the competitor is allowed onstage. If the routine attire does not meet IFBB standards, the competitor will be given five (5) minutes to comply, failing which the competitor will be disqualified.
8.4 National Federations and head delegates are responsible for making sure that their fitness athletes are fully aware of the IFBB Rules as detailed in this Section.
8.5 Any questions concerning posing attire must be brought to the attention of the IFBB Chief Official or IFBB Chief Judge during the Official Athlete Registration.
Article 9 – Prejudging: Presentation of Round 1
Round 1 may not be held if there are 6 or less competitors in a category. Decision will be made by the Chief Judge and will be announced after the Official Athlete Registration.
9.1 Round 1 procedure:
Round 1 will proceed as follows:
1. Each competitor will be called onstage in numerical order to perform a fitness routine to music of her own choice, the length of which will be up to a maximum of 90 seconds.
2. Each competitor will be introduced by number, name and country.
3. For safety reasons, the use of body oil in the routine round is strictly prohibited.
4. The use of props is limited*.
*Note 1: Except as otherwise noted herein, a competitor, and/or other person or persons, shall not carry or otherwise transport any object, device or item onstage or offstage, whether before, during or after a routine. A competitor shall be allowed a small item, either worn or handheld, that will be considered part of the competitor’s costume e.g. hat, ball, cane, ribbon, umbrella. Any item that is discarded during the routine must be removed by the competitor as she exits the stage without causing any delay in the competition. Competitors must declare all props at the Official Registration.
5. No competitor will use any device that would leave material on the stage platform that would 1) presented a safety hazard to other competitors, and/or 2) require that the stage platform be cleaned or repaired before further use.
6. A competitor must enter and exit the stage to perform the routine without the assistance of any other person or persons e.g. cannot be carried onstage.
Article 10 - Prejudging: Scoring of Round 1 10.1 Scoring of Round 1:
The scoring for Round 1 will proceed as follows:
1. Using Form 3, entitled “Judge’s Individual Placings (Prejudging)”, each judge will place the athletes from 1st to 15th, ensuring that no two or more competitors receive the same placing. The judges may use Form 4, entitled “Judge’s Personal Notes” to record their assessment about each competitor and to write notes about the athletes.
2. The statisticians will collect Form 3 from the judges and will then transcribe the judge’s placings onto Form 5, entitled “Score Sheet (Statisticians)”, under Round 1. They will then discard two highest and two lowest scores (if nine judges) or one highest and one lowest (if less than nine judges) for each competitor and will add up the remaining five scores to produce a “Round 1 Subscore.
4. Should a tie occur in the “Round 1 Subscore”, the tie need not be immediately broken since the “Round 1 Subscore” must be added to the “Round 2 Subscore” to produce a “PREJUDGING SCORE”.
Article 11 - Prejudging: Assessing Round 1 11.1 Assessing of Round 1:
Round 1 will be assessed using the following criteria:
1. Each judge will assess the routine with a view towards tempo, strength, flexibility, style, personality, athletic coordination and overall performance. Judges will also look for competitors who perform strength and flexibility moves, as well as gymnastic moves. The routine may include aerobics, dance, gymnastics or other demonstrations of athletic talent. There are no required moves.
2. The judges are reminded that, during this round, they are judging ONLY the fitness routine and NOT the physique. More details in Appendix 2 to this Section.
Article 12 – Prejudging: Presentation of Round 2 (Quarter Turns)
12.1 Presentation of Round 2:
The procedures for Round 2 will be as follows:
1. All 15 semifinalists will be called onstage as a group in a single line and in numerical order.
2. The line-up will be divided into two equal-size groups and will be positioned onstage so that one group is to the left of the stage; the other group is to the right of the stage. The center portion of the stage will be left open for comparison purposes.
3. In numerical order, and in groups of no more than eight competitors at a time, each group will be directed to center-stage area to perform the four quarter turns. Detailed description of the Women’s Fitness quarter turns provided in Appendix 1 to this Section.
4. This initial grouping of competitors and performance of the quarter turns is intended to assist the judges in determining which competitors will take part in the comparisons that follow.
5. All judges submit their individual propositions for the first comparison of the top five athletes to the IFBB Chief Judge. Based on them, the Chief Judge will form the first comparison. The number of athletes to be compared will be determined by the Chief Judge but no less than three and no more than eight competitors will be compared at any one time. Then the judges may be asked to submit individual propositions for the second comparison of the next five athletes, included competitors placing in the middle of the group. The IFBB Chief Judge will form the second and the next comparisons till all competitors will be compared at least once. The total number of comparisons will be decided by the IFBB Chief Judge.
6. All individual comparisons will be carried out center-stage.
7. Upon completion of the last comparison, all competitors will return to a single lineup, in numerical order, before exiting the stage.
Article 13 – Prejudging: Scoring of Round 2 13.1 Scoring of Round 2:
1. Using Form 3, entitled “Judge’s Individual Placings (Prejudging)”, each judge will award each competitor an individual placing from 1st to 15th, ensuring that no two or more competitors receive the same placing. The judges may use Form 4, entitled “Judge’s Personal Notes” to record their assessment about each competitor.
2. The statisticians will collect Form 3 from the judges and will then transcribe the judge’s placings onto Form 5, entitled “Score Sheet (Statisticians)”. They will then discard two highest and two lowest scores (if nine judges) or one highest and one lowest (if less than nine judges) for each competitor, will add up the remaining five scores to produce a “Round 2 Subscore” and a “Round 2 Place”. The competitor with the lowest subscore is awarded 1st place while the competitor with the highest subscore is awarded 15th place.
3. Ties in the “Round 2 Subscore” need not be immediately broken as the “Round 2 Subscore” will be added to the “Round 1 Subscore” to produce a “PREJUDGING SCORE” and “PREJUDGING PLACE”.
4. Should a tie occur in the “PREJUDGING SCORE”, the tie will be broken using the “Round 2 Subscore” first. If a tie still exists, it will be broken using the “Relative Placement Method” and the athlete’s Round 2 Subscores.
Note 1: The Relative Placement Method procedure:
Each individual judge’s scores for the tied athletes will be compared on a column- by column basis with a dot being placed on top of the number for the athlete with the lower placing. All nine regular panel judge’s scores (except alternative judges) will be included in the tie breaking calculations. The number of dots will be tallied for each of the tied athletes. The athlete with the greater number of dots will be declared the winner of the tie and will then receive the better placing.
5. The scores for the Prejudging will be used to place the top 15 competitors from 1st place to 15th place. The top 6 competitors from the Prejudging will advance to the Finals and will start the Finals with zero points.
6. The top 6 finalists will be announced just after the Prejudging.
Article 14 – Prejudging: Assessment of Round 2 14.1 Assessment of Round 2:
In general, the assessment of women’s physique in Women’s Fitness are based on the same criteria like in Women’s Bodyfitness:
1. The judge should first assess the overall athletic appearance of the physique. This assessment should begin at the head and extend downwards, take the whole physique into account. The assessment, beginning with a general impression of the physique, should take into consideration the hair and makeup, the overall athletic development of the musculature; the presentation of a balanced, proportionally and symmetrically developed physique; the condition of the skin and the skin tone; and the athlete’s ability to present herself with confidence, poise and grace.
2. The physique should be assessed as to its level of overall muscle tone, achieved through athletic endeavours and diet. The muscle groups should have a round and firm appearance with a small amount of body fat. The physique should neither be excessively muscular nor excessively lean and should be free from deep muscle separation and/or striations. Physiques that are considered either too muscular or too lean must be marked down.
3. The assessment should also take into consideration the tightness and tone of the skin. The skin tone should be smooth and healthy in appearance, and without cellulite. The hair and makeup should complement the “Total Package” presented by the athlete.
4. The judge’s assessment of the athlete’s physique should include the athlete’s entire presentation, from the moment she walks onstage until the moment she walks offstage. At all times, the female fitness competitor must be viewed with the emphasis on a “healthy, fit, athletic looking” physique, in an attractively presented “Total Package”.
5. Judges are reminded that this is not a Women’s Physique contest. The competitors should have shape to their muscle but not extreme in size, definition or vascularity. Any competitor who exhibits these features is to be marked down. More details in Appendix 1 to this Section.
Article 15 – Finals
15.1 Procedures:
The top six athletes from the Prejudging advance to the Finals, which consists of two rounds as follows:
1. Round 3: Fitness Routine.
2. Round 4: Quarter Turns.
Article 16 - Finals: Attire for Round 3 (Fitness Routine)
16.1 The attire for Round 3 must conform to the same criteria as described in Article 8. Note: Competitors may use a different costume that in Round 1; however, it must still conform to the standards of taste and decency as described in Article 8.
Article 17 - Finals: Presentation of Round 3
17.1 The procedures for conducting Round 3 are as follows:
1. The top 6 finalists, wearing their fitness routine attire, will be called onstage, individually and in numerical order, to perform their individual fitness routines to their own choice of music, the length of which shall be up to a maximum of 90 seconds.
2. Each competitor is to be introduced by number, name and country.
3. Assessing of Round 3 (Fitness Routines) according to Article 11; however, the judges must be mindful of the fact that a competitor may present a different condition in the finals compared to the Prejudging. Therefore, judges must ensure that this round is judged from a “fresh” perspective, ensuring that all competitors receive fair assessment based upon their presentation in this round.
More details in Appendix 2 to this Section.
Article 18 - Finals: Scoring of Round 3
18.1 The scoring of Round 3 is carried out as follows:
1. The judges, using Form 6, entitled “Judge’s Individual Placings (Finals)”, and using the same criteria for judging as used during the Prejudging Round 1, will place the competitors from 1st to 6th, giving no two athletes the same placing.
2. The statisticians will collect Form 6 from the judges and will then transcribe the judge’s placings onto Form 5, entitled “Score Sheet (Statisticians)”. They will then discard two highest and two lowest scores (if nine judges) or one highest and one lowest (if less than nine judges) for each competitor, and will add up the remaining five scores and will write the total under the column marked “Round 3 Subscore”. Points from the Prejudging (Round 1 and Round 2) are not taken into consideration in the Finals. Each competitor begins the Finals with “zero points”.
3. Should a tie occur in the “Round 3 Subscore”, the tie need not be immediately broken as the “Round 3 Subscore” must be added to the “Round 4 Subscore” to produce a “FINAL SCORE”.
Article 19 - Finals: Attire for Round 4 (Quarter Turns)
20.1 The procedure for conducting Round 4 is as follows:
1. The top six finalists are called onstage, in numerical order and in a single line formed in the center of the stage.
2. In numerical order, each competitor will be introduced by number, name and country.
3. The IFBB Chief Judge or Stage Director will direct the competitors, as a group, through the four quarter turns in numerical order and then in the reverse order.
4. On completion of the quarter turns, the competitors exit the stage.
1. The judges, using Form 6, entitled “Judge’s Individual Placings (Finals)”, and using the same criteria for judging as used during the Prejudging, will place the competitors from 1st to 6th, giving no two athletes the same placing.
2. The statisticians will collect Form 6 from the judges and will then transcribe the
judge’s placings onto Form 5, entitled “Score Sheet (Statisticians)”. They will then discard two highest and two lowest scores (if nine judges) or one highest and one lowest (if less than nine judges) for each competitor, and will add up the remaining five scores and will write the total under the column marked “Round 4 Subscore”. Points from the Prejudging (Round 1 and Round 2) are not taken into consideration in the Finals. Each competitor begins the Finals with “zero points”.
3. The statisticians will then add the “Round 3 Subscore” to “Round 4 Subscore” to produce a “FINAL SCORE” and “FINAL PLACE”. Points from the Prejudging (Round 1 and Round 2) are not taken into consideration in the Finals. Each competitor begins the Finals with “zero points”. The competitor with the lowest “FINAL SCORE” is awarded 1st place while the competitor with the highest “FINAL SCORE” is awarded 6th place.
5. Should a tie occur in the “FINAL SCORE”, the tie will be broken using the “Round 4 Subscore” first. If a tie still exists, the “Relative Placement” method and the athlete’s “Round 4 Subscore” will be used (see Article 13, point 4).
Article 22 – Finals: Assessing of Round 4
22. 1 Round 4 is assessed using the same criteria as detailed in Article 14 (Quarter Turns). More details in Appendix 1.
The judges must ensure that this round is judged from a “fresh” perspective, ensuring that all competitors receive fair assessment based upon their body condition in this round.
Article 23 – Finals: The Awarding Ceremony 23.1 Awarding Ceremony:
The top 6 finalists will be called onstage to take part in the award ceremony. The Master of Ceremonies will announce the number, name and country of the competitor in 6th place and will continue to the competitor in the 1st place.
The President of the IFBB, or the top IFBB official at the contests, accompanied by the other official(s) invited by him to take part in this Ceremony, will present the IFBB Medals and/or trophies to the winners.
The national anthem (short version) of the country of the 1st place winner will be played immediately following his receipt of the 1st place award(s).
After the national anthem, the finalists are obliged to remain onstage for a brief period of time for photographic purposes, and to follow the IFBB Chief Judge or Stage Director commands. During the Awarding Ceremony, competitors are not allowed to display their country’s flag.
Competitors are expected to accept their places, medals and/or awards and to take part in the Awarding Ceremony to its end (photo session). Competitor, who ostentatiously manifests his/her disapproval and/or leave the stage prior to the end of the Awarding Ceremony, may be disqualified.
Detailed description of the Awarding Ceremony is available in Section 1: General Rules, Article 16.
Article 24 – Overall Category and Award
24.1 In Women’s Fitness the Overall Category is conducted in:
a. Senior Women’s Fitness (for a maximum of two champions)
b. Junior Women’s Fitness (for a maximum of two champions)
24.1 The Overall Category will proceed as follows:
1. Immediately following the Award Ceremony for the last fitness category, the two category winners will be brought onstage in numerical order and in a single line, wearing their two-piece bikini and high heels.
2. The IFBB Chief Judge will direct the competitors through the quarter turns performed at the center of the stage, in numerical order and then in the reverse order.
4. The judges will use Form 6, entitled “Judge’s Individual Placings (Finals)”, to place each athlete either 1st or 2nd.
5. The statisticians, using Form 5, entitled “Score Sheet (Statisticians)”, will tally the scores to produce an “Overall Category Score” and an “OVERALL CATEGORY PLACE”.
6. Should a tie occur in the “Overall Category Score”, the tie will be broken using the “Relative Placement” to this category.
7. The “Overall Champion” will be announced and the IFBB Overall Trophy will be presented to her by the IFBB President or top IFBB official at the contest. The trophy will be supplied by the organizing National Federation.
Article 25 – Teams Classification Results and Award 25.1 Best National Teams:
The Best National Teams scoring includes:
- Top 2 Women’s Fitness athletes at the World Fitness Championships
- Top 2 Junior Women’s Fitness athletes at the World Junior Championships Detailed procedure of the Teams Classification calculations is available in Section 1: General Rules, Article 18.
The chief delegates or team managers of the top 3 countries will accept the awards on behalf of their countries.
Publication of the Final Results – according to Section 1: General Rules, Article 18.
HOW TO ASSESS A WOMEN’S FITNESS COMPETITION
Judges are strongly reminded that they are judging a WOMEN’S FITNESS competition. The extreme muscularity, vascularity, muscular definition, and/or dieted leanness will not be considered acceptable if displayed by a fitness competitor and therefore, must be marked down.
GENERAL PRESENTATION:
Judges are reminded that the competitor’s posture and bearing, at all times while onstage, is to be considered. The overall image displayed should demonstrate poise, femininity and self-confidence. This is especially true at all times when the competitor is standing in the line-up and during the comparisons of the quarter turns.
When standing in the line-up, the competitors shall be warned against adopting a tense pose, like during performing of the quarter turns, displaying the muscularity.
A relaxed stance in the line-up means that the competitor will:
- stand erect, front to the judges, with arms hanging at the side and feet together, or
- stand with the body slightly turned, left side to the judges, so the start number of a competitor will be clearly visible, right hand resting on the hip and left leg slightly moved forward and to the side.
Head and eyes towards the front, shoulders back, chest out, stomach in.
On the IFBB Chief Judge command, competitors standing in the line-up should perform the Front Position.
QURTER TURNS
Competitors who fail to adopt the proper stance will receive one warning after which points will be deducted from their score.
Front Position:
Erect stance, head and eyes facing the same direction as the body, heels together, feet inclined outward at a 30° angle, knees together and unbent, stomach in, chest out, shoulders back, both arms kept at the side along the centerline of the body, elbows slightly bent, thumbs and fingers together, palms facing the body and hold about 10 cm out of the body, hands slightly cupped.
Quarter Turn Right (left side to the judges):
Erect stance, head and eyes facing the same direction as the body, heels together, feet inclined outward at a 30° angle, knees together and unbent, stomach in, chest out, shoulders back, left arm kept slightly back from the center-line of the body with a slight bend at the elbow, thumb and fingers together, palm facing the direction of the body, hand slightly cupped, right arm kept slightly front of the center-line of the body with a slight bend at the elbow, thumb and fingers together, palm facing the body, hand slightly cupped. The positioning of the arms will cause the upper body to twist slightly to the left, with the left shoulder lowered and the right shoulder raised. This is normal and must not be exaggerated.
Quarter Turn Back:
Erect stance, head and eyes facing the same direction as the body, heels together, feet inclined outward at a 30° angle, knees together and unbent, stomach in, chest out, shoulders back, back muscles slightly contracted to show the shape of the upper body, both arms kept at the side along the centerline of the body, elbows slightly bent, thumbs and fingers together, palms facing the body and hold about 10 cm out of the body, hands slightly cupped.
Quarter Turn Right (right side to the judges):
Erect stance, head and eyes facing the same direction as the body, heels together, feet inclined outward at a 30° angle, knees together and unbent, stomach in, chest out, shoulders back, right arm kept slightly back from the centerline of the body with a slight bend at the elbow, thumb and fingers together, palm facing the direction of the body, hand slightly cupped, left arm kept slightly front of the center-line of the body with a slight bend at the elbow, thumb and fingers together, palm facing the body, hand slightly cupped. The positioning of the arms will cause the upper body to twist slightly to the right, with the right shoulder lowered and the left shoulder raised. This is normal and must not be exaggerated.
Assessment of women’s physique in the quarter turns
In general, the assessment of women’s physique in Women’s Fitness are based on the same criteria like in Women’s Bodyfitness. The assessment, beginning with a general impression of the physique, should take into consideration the hair and makeup; the overall athletic development of the musculature; the presentation of a balanced, symmetrically developed physique; the condition of the skin and the skin tone; and the athlete’s ability to present herself with confidence, poise and grace.
The physique should be assessed as to its level of overall muscle tone, achieved through athletic endeavours. The muscle groups should have a round and firm appearance with a small amount of body fat. The physique should neither be excessively muscular nor excessively lean and should be free from deep muscle separation and/or striations. Physiques that are considered either too muscular or too lean must be marked down. The assessment should also take into consideration the tightness and tone of the skin. The skin tone should be smooth and healthy in appearance, and without cellulite. The face, hair and makeup should complement the “Total Package” presented by the athlete. The judge’s assessment of the athlete’s physique should include the athlete’s entire presentation, from the moment she walks onstage until the moment she walks offstage. At all times, the fitness competitor must be viewed with the emphasis on a “healthy, fit, athletic” physique, in an attractively presented, impressive “Total Package”.
ASSESSMENT OF THE FITNESS ROUTINES
In this rounds, athletes perform a fitness routine to music selected by the competitor, the length of which shall not exceed 90 seconds.
Once again, the judge should consider the OVERALL IMPRESSION, that is, the entire routine from the moment the athlete presents herself onstage until the moment the athlete walks offstage. The judges are reminded that, during these Rounds, they are judging ONLY the fitness routine and NOT the physique. The judge should look for a well-choreographed and creative routine performed at a different tempo/speed. Although compulsory movements are not a requirement, the routine should include:
1. Elements of STRENGTH - for example, straddle hold, leg extension hold, hand stands, planche and/or one-arm pushups (gymnastic movements such as front and back flips, handsprings, and cartwheels are not considered strength elements). The number of strength moves, their degree of difficulty, and the overall creativity of the moves should be considered in the judging of the routine.
2. Elements of FLEXIBILITY – for example, high kicks, bridges, nuts, front and back walkovers, side splits, and/or front splits. The number of flexibility moves, their degree of difficulty, and the overall creativity of the moves should be considered in the judging of the routine.
3. Elements of POWER – dynamic elements like high jumps, front and back flips, handsprings, aerial cartwheels, aerial walkovers, round offs, split leaps. These moves require perfect technique and should be taking into account assessing the difficulty of the routine.
4. The SPEED or tempo of the routine demonstrates a degree of cardiovascular fitness, stamina, and endurance. For example, if two routines contain the same type and number of strength, flexibility and power movements, the routine that is performed at a faster tempo is the more difficult to achieve so long as the movements are correctly performed.
Routines based on the gymnastics moves only should be marked down. Once again, the judge must always consider the “Total Package” and not just the sum of the individual movements. There is a component - an element of “showmanship”, which competitors bring to a fitness routine that is unique to them and creates the overall impression. This is their personality, charisma, stage presence and charm, as well as a natural rhythm that should play a part in the final placing of each competitor.
Download PDF here.
The MAVS Charity Classic is a Bodybuilding Competition hosted by Make A Vet Sweat.The MAVS Charity Classic shows are unique because they give competitors the opportunity to fundraise and become a part of helping veterans across Texas beat PTSD.
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New software helps analyze writing disabilities
by Sarah Perrin, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
Credit: iStock
Nearly 10% of elementary school students have trouble learning to write, with potentially lasting consequences on their education. EPFL researchers have developed a software program that can analyze these children's writing disabilities and their causes with unparalleled precision.
Trouble learning how to write, called dysgraphia, affects some 10% of schoolchildren. This learning disability is often associated with dyslexia and can appear in children to varying degrees, with causes that can differ from one child to the next. A team of researchers at EPFL's Computer-Human Interaction in Learning and Instruction Laboratory (CHILI) has developed software that enables doctors to make highly detailed, personalized assessments of this disability and to accurately identify the letters and numbers that are most difficult and are thus the most discriminative. Their research has just been published in Nature Digital Medicine.
Writing is an essential skill for schoolchildren, but it requires an adroit combination of careful concentration, well-developed motor skills and good language comprehension – something that not all children possess. And although writing problems may appear trivial at first, if they are not treated early on, they could quickly snowball into more serious conditions like a lack of confidence, low self-esteem, trouble learning other skills, a high level of fatigue and even behavioral problems. Early detection is therefore key.
In French-speaking countries, dysgraphia is currently diagnosed using a standardized writing test called BHK. Ergotherapists or psychomotor therapists use the test to assess a child's handwriting according to 13 criteria. But according to Thibault Asselborn, a Ph.D. student at CHILI and lead author of the study, the BHK test is limited. "It relies entirely on a therapist's own observation and is therefore subjective. And it can be six months or more between when a teacher first becomes concerned about a child's writing skills and when the child is finally taken to a specialist."
Example of a disgraphic child's handwriting. Credit: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
Analyzing over 50 different characteristics
The test developed at EPFL, called Tegami, which is run using a tablet computer, represents a major step forward in terms of analytical precision and accuracy of input. It was developed from a database of writing samples from 300 children, around 25% of whom suffered from dysgraphia. The program was able to detect the learning disability 98% of the time.
The big advantage of Tegami is that it can help pinpoint the cause of a child's dysgraphia because it analyzes no fewer than 53 different characteristics of a child's writing, which are measured up to 200 times per second. These characteristics include the angle of the pen, the amount of pressure the child applies to the tablet, how fast the child writes and any changes in that speed, whether the child's hand trembles and if so, with what frequency, and which letters or characters are most discriminative.
A dynamic assessment
"Our software brings a dynamic aspect to the evaluation of a child's writing. The BHK test lets therapists evaluate a writing sample only after it's been written. But with Tegami, therapists can analyze the entire writing process and get a clear, comprehensive picture of all of a child's movements," says Thomas Gargot, a child psychiatrist, expert in cognitive science, Ph.D. student in computer science at Pitié Salpêtrière teaching hospital in Paris and one of the study's authors.
According to Gargot, the software also paves the way to classifying different kinds of dysgraphia. The new types of data it collects will enable pediatricians to determine whether there are writing disabilities associated with autism, hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder, and to better understand how teaching methods can be adapted accordingly.
Tegami should also help children with writing disabilities get more targeted treatment. The EPFL researchers are now working with psycho motor therapists and speech therapists to outline remedial measures; for example, if a child shows too much variation in the pressure he puts on his pen, his doctor can prescribe motor-skill exercises. The researchers are also looking into how they can combine Tegami with another program developed at CHILI called CoWriter, where children improve their skills and self-confidence by teaching a robot how to write.
Dyslexia—when spelling problems impair writing acquisition
More information: Thibault Asselborn et al. Automated human-level diagnosis of dysgraphia using a consumer tablet, npj Digital Medicine (2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41746-018-0049-x
Provided by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
Citation: New software helps analyze writing disabilities (2018, September 28) retrieved 19 July 2019 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-09-software-disabilities.html
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Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale ( born June 6 1755 in Coventry, Connecticut, † September 22, 1776 in New York) was an American officer, teacher and one of the historical heroes of the United States.
Hale made at Yale in 1773 his college degree and taught in the sequence in East Haddam, finally in New London, Connecticut. Nathan joined the Army at first on July 6, 1776 and was quickly promoted to the rank of captain. Five of his brothers took on the American side in the battles against England in Lexington and Concord in part. On September 22, 1776 Nathan Hale was hanged by the British, because he was accused of being a spy. On the way to the gallows, Hale spoke his famous last words: "I only regret that I have but one life, which I can give my country. "
He was a member of the company founded by George Washington Culper ring, a forerunner of American intelligence.
In addition to the Hale Statue outside the Tribune Tower in Chicago, there is another in front of the CIA headquarters in Langley. Moreover, a nuclear -powered submarine, the USS Nathan Hale, named after Hale.
Coventry (Connecticut) East Haddam, Connecticut Battles of Lexington and Concord Central Intelligence Agency Langley (Virginia) Integrated Authority File
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How a bike exchange in Honolulu supports community mental health
Every day at 3:30pm, young men in a neighborhood near downtown Honolulu participate in a culture circle at the Kalihi Valley Instructional Bike Exchange (KVIBE), where they learn how to repair bikes. For the young men in Kalihi Valley, KVIBE is a second home that offers play, mentorship, and skill-building. They begin each culture circle by sharing their names, homes, and ancestors. This opening practice reinforces their sense of identity and why they matter. Jeffrey Acido, an education and training specialist who works with KVIBE, says, “Anyone who can say these things with confidence has love for themselves – this is mental wellbeing.”
KVIBE is set within Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services (KKV), a comprehensive community health center that uses the community’s cultural traditions to help community members—many of whom are immigrants who feel dislocated from their homelands—heal and thrive. KKV recognizes that social connection and physical activity directly impact mental health, which is why 15 of their programs focus on improving the physical, mental, and spiritual health of more than 10,000 people each year.
The bike exchange is a creative example of how to improve community mental health and address larger community needs like social cohesion, a sense of belonging, and physical activity. This is especially important in Kalilhi Valley, where structural inequities that perpetuate poverty, loss of cultural identity, and low-educational attainment have put men and boys at risk of depression, stress, and chronic physical health conditions.
Recreation and social connections boost mental health and general wellness.
Positive self-image, environmental stewardship, and physical activity are at the core of what it means to be a young man in the bike exchange, where members support one another as mechanics and athletes. In addition to their daily culture circles, each year KVIBE youth leaders host the Kalihi Ahupua`a Ride, an educational bike ride open to the public where cyclists ride from mauka (mountain) to makai (ocean).
The eight-mile ride includes “story stops” where riders can learn about the cultural and historical significance of each place. KVIBE uses physical activity strategically, linking it back to cultural identity and social connection, which addresses many of the issues that community members in Kalihi face.
Mental health is impacted by community conditions
KVIBE is part of the Making Connections for Mental Health and Wellbeing Among Men and Boys initiative, funded by the Movember Foundation. Making Connections is made up of 13 community-based coalitions that are working to improve the community conditions that exacerbate mental health challenges and support wellbeing for men and boys of color and military servicemembers, veterans and their families. All the Making Connections sites—like the one in Honolulu—are taking innovative approaches to improving mental health and wellbeing by focusing on strategies like increasing social connection, creating opportunities for sports and recreation, and improving the availability of safe, affordable housing.
They also make sure the men and boys who are part of their programs—whose voices are often left out of the conversation about mental health, despite experiencing depression, anxiety, and social trauma first-hand—are part of the decision-making about what the programs will focus on. At KVIBE, the young men and boys are encouraged to lead the design of program activities, become mentors to younger boys, advocate for community improvements like increased and improved bike lanes with policymakers, and coordinate major efforts like the Kalihi Ahupua`a Ride.
The deliberate culture that KVIBE has created should not be the exception to the rule. The ability to build a community where young people can talk about their ancestors with pride while literally keeping their blood flowing, is a crucial support to their mental health. Our nation’s mental health stands a lot to gain from incorporating opportunities for recreation and physical activity into all neighborhoods and communities.
Christine Williams and Wil Crary work at Prevention Institute, a national nonprofit that coordinates the Making Connections for Mental Health Among Men and Boys initiative.
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Home Posts tagged “robert f. kennedy journalism award”
Tag Archives: robert f. kennedy journalism award
Capital News Service Project Wins Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award
COLLEGE PARK (5/4/18) — A team of University of Maryland Capital News Service student journalists spent more than a year analyzing millions of medical records and conducting dozens of interviews with Baltimore health officials, community leaders and residents to show how housing conditions contribute to illness in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods.
Their work was recognized Friday with the 2018 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, one of the most prestigious prizes in college journalism. It’s the third time the Philip Merrill College of Journalism has won the award. A WMUC project led by senior lecturer Sue Kopen Katcef (’76) won in 2009 and CNS won in 2004 for a project by Sarah Schaffer (M.A. ’03) — now an adjunct lecturer at the college — that was led by former bureau director Steve Crane.
The winning Merrill College students and faculty members will be recognized during an awards ceremony at the Newseum in Washington on May 22.
Student journalists in the CNS data lab, led by data editor Sean Mussenden (M.J. ‘00), reviewed some 10 million cases of inpatient and emergency room admissions in Maryland.
Their analysis revealed that residents in one Baltimore ZIP code — a short distance from world-renowned medical institutions — suffer from asthma at more than four times the rate of people in the city’s wealthier areas.
The illness can have a striking effect on low-income citizens — asthma can cause children to miss school, forcing adults to miss work or find care for their child. And there’s little government funding to help pay for asthma treatment.
“I think people look at asthma the way they look at seasonal allergies,” said Sandy Banisky, the college’s Abell Professor in Baltimore Journalism and the project’s editor. “‘Take a Claritin and you’ll be fine,’” they think, but asthma is a much more serious and chronic condition.
The investigation, published as a series of stories called “Home Sick,” was conducted in partnership with Kaiser Health News. Parts of the project were published by The Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun.
Competing against submissions from professional news organizations, the project was a finalist in the community journalism category of the Scripps Howard Awards this year. It won the Online In-Depth Reporting category of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Region 2 Mark of Excellence Awards.
The story was told through words, pictures, video and graphics. Students used traditional reporting methods and intense data analysis to gather information.
“The RFK awards are among the most prestigious in journalism, and this is the third time Merrill College has won,” Dean Lucy A. Dalglish said. “The impact of this story still resonates, and hopefully will lead to improvements in housing conditions around the country. We’re thrilled for our students.”
Interviews and other research were underpinned by CNS’ analysis of two massive datasets obtained from the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission. Working with Kaiser, CNS submitted a Maryland Public Information Act request and was granted access to a slice of a database the state uses to track medical procedures and their cost. To protect patient privacy, individuals’ identifying information was stripped from the data CNS received.
“Very few journalists get access to this type of information,” said Mussenden, who runs the CNS data lab in College Park. “All of the data querying work was done out of here.”
Daniel Trielli (M.J. ’16) was among the CNS data journalists writing those queries to help “investigate asthma hot spots in Baltimore.”
Naema Ahmed (B.A. ‘17) and Helen Lyons (M.J. ‘17) — identified the 21223 ZIP code as such a hot spot. The area includes the Southwest Baltimore neighborhood of Carrollton Ridge.
Ahmed, who graduated as a double major in journalism and computer science, said the estimated cost was staggering.
“It put into perspective how much money individuals and insurance are spending to treat asthma instead of preventing it,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed, Trielli and Lyons then worked with Kaiser and Banisky’s Baltimore Urban Affairs Reporting class to develop interactive graphics showing what they learned from the data. Ana Hurler designed the web page.
Abby Mergenmeier (M.J. ‘17) was part of a group that included Mark Boyle, Quanny Carr (M.J. ‘17), Michael Errigo, Jenna Milliner-Waddell, John Powers, Talia Richman (‘17) and Jacob Taylor who reported from Baltimore. She said many Carrollton Ridge residents recognized the environmental conditions that were making them ill — trash in the streets, old mattresses piled high, rats running about.
But those interviewed said they could not afford to move away.
“A good majority of the homes in that neighborhood are vacant, and a lot of the lots are just full of trash,” Mergenmeier said. “It’s become, unfortunately, a dumping site, which has caused air quality issues in the neighborhood.”
The reporting required persistence; it was often a challenge to find residents willing to speak on the record.
“These students were so game,” Banisky said. “They were knocking on doors and having doors slammed in their faces.”
Carr was among the reporters trying to persuade residents that their story was worth telling.
“These people want to live in healthier homes,” Carr said. “They want their kids to be healthier. … What are we going to do as reporters except tell their truth?”
Carr said reporters in Baltimore and data journalists in College Park working together seamlessly under Capital News Service, the college’s nonprofit news organization that’s led by professional journalists and fully staffed by undergraduate and master’s students.
For some, the project drove home the professional opportunities their skills provide. “For a long time, I wanted to be a reporter. And I also wanted to get a technical skill while I was paying for college,” said Ahmed, now an interactive news intern at USA TODAY.
“It wasn’t until I worked at CNS that I realized I could use my skill in the reporting field.”
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$9.2 Million of Colorado’s Cannabis Tax Revenue Will Fund School Nurses and Counselors
Sep 5, 2017 06:00 PM PST
by Zach Harris
Data still suggests that teens are using weed at the same rate as before legalization, but those same kids will now have access to increased medical and emotional support.
With Labor Day weekend squarely in the rear-view mirror, teens across the nation are donning their freshest gear and getting ready to confront yet another school year. In Colorado, thousands of those kids will be met by new school employees paid for by legal weed.
According to the Denver Post, $9.2 million of the state’s recreational cannabis sales tax will go towards funding a massive overhaul of the state’s public school health and addiction awareness programs. The grant program will help alleviate a statewide school nurse shortage.
“We and other school health professionals are in a unique position in our schools in that we see these kids every day and we can educate, assess and assist them with substance abuse or behavioral health issues,” Rhonda Valdez, a full-time nurse hired with cannabis tax funds to serve Wheat Ridge High School, said. “We can help keep kids from walking through that door that can lead to bad things.”
The millions in child-wellness funding is being distributed by the Colorado Department of Education to 42 school districts and charter schools, with an emphasis on middle and high schools near cannabis dispensaries.
And while there has still been no evidence to suggest that teenage cannabis use has gone up at all since Colorado legalized weed in 2014, that doesn’t make a need for comprehensive health staff any less necessary.
“There is a growing need for this type of service in our schools, and we are trying to get ahead of it,” Jon Widmier, director of student services for the Jefferson County School District, told the Post, adding that the grants can also be used to hire more counselors trained to deal with suicide prevention and provide kids more consistent and comprehensive personal attention.
“That’s one reason why we are so excited about this,” Widmier said. “We can offer more focused support on one place.”
For Valdez, who used to rotate between three schools in the Jefferson County District, the increased funding means she can now focus all of her time and energy helping the kids at Wheat Ridge.
Still, the stranger-than-fiction set of circumstances that lead to the new hires is not lost on Colorado’s educators.
“It’s an interesting life we are in right now,” said Ellen Kelty, Denver Public School’s interim director of student equity and opportunity. “But anything we can do to eliminate depression and other things that cause substance abuse is a step forward. We just want to make sure kids make smarter choices.”
newsLegalizationcoloradoeducationchildren
Zach Harris
Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia whose work has appeared on Noisey, First We Feast, and Jenkem Magazine. You can find him on Twitter @10000youtubes complaining about NBA referees. Contact.
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Thursday Night Football on Twitter Underwhelming Sponsors
Twitter received a lot of positive feedback when Thursday Night Football launched on the platform earlier this season. Early numbers showed upwards of 2 million viewers were tuning in via Twitter, which was deemed to be great. But Twitter shouldn’t celebrate just yet.
Some sponsors are reporting “underwhelming” figures from their #TNF on Twitter programs, citing “significant under-delivery.”
“The problem is people are not watching full games,” said an agency executive, speaking on a condition of anonymity.
The official numbers are yet to be shared publicly, but it’s been said viewers are tuning in for an average of 22 minutes. Those are strong viewing numbers for the internet, but still 1/3 that of TV. Brands had been expecting consumers to see their ad 3x in game when they are actually only seeing it 1x on average.
Twitter was asking for up to $8 million for season-long deals. Initial sponsors included Bank of America, Nestle, Anheuser-Busch and Campbell’s.
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Duke Energy continues to restore power across Carolinas; 830,000 back online already
Sep. 16, 2018, 10:42 AM
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy has restored power to more than 830,000 customers so far in North Carolina and South Carolina out of more than 1.25 million total outages caused by what is now Tropical Storm Florence.
Currently, 450,000 customers – 412,000 in North Carolina and 38,000 in South Carolina – remain without power as of 10 a.m. today. The company has 20,000 personnel working to restore power outages, including additional crews from about 25 states. Additional outages are expected today as the storm continues to affect the Carolinas.
Follow updated information
Latest outage numbers can be found here.
With the slow-moving storm and the massive damage in some areas, comprehensive assessments and restoration times have been difficult.
"Mobilizing our crews into the most affected areas has been one of our biggest challenges because of the rapidly changing road conditions due to flooding," said Howard Fowler, Duke Energy incident commander.
To give customers as much information as possible, Duke Energy has established 12 separate areas for restoration across the Carolinas to provide targeted updates. A map showing these areas will be continuously updated. Customers without power will be sent updated information via text messages. See the latest map.
"Duke Energy is providing our customers information as soon as it's available," said Barbara Higgins, the company's senior vice president and chief customer officer. "As the storm progresses, we'll be able to give more specific information about restoration efforts in cities and neighborhoods.
"Duke Energy greatly appreciates customers' patience as crews work as quickly and safely as possible," she added.
In hard-hit areas, estimated restoration times will be determined after field crews first complete damage assessments. That process could take several days due to road closures caused by severe flooding and storm debris, especially in the coastal areas of both states.
In those areas, total power restoration might take weeks, rather than days, due to widespread damage to power lines, utility poles and other key components of the electric grid.
How to report power outages
Visit www.dukeenergyupdates.com
Storm updates
Storm updates and videos from Duke Energy can be found at www.dukeenergyupdates.com
Stay away from fallen or sagging power lines
Stay away from fallen and sagging power lines. Keep children, pets and others away from power lines.
Consider all power lines – as well as trees, branches and anything else in contact with power lines – energized and dangerous.
Use extreme caution when traversing damaged and flooded areas. Energized power lines could be hidden by debris and flood waters.
High-water safety reminders
People who live along lakes and rivers, and in other low-lying or flood-prone areas, should pay close attention to local emergency management officials, the National Weather Service and local media for changing weather conditions and rising water levels.
Updated lake levels are available at duke-energy.com//lakes and by calling 800.829.5253 (Duke Energy Carolinas lakes) or 800.899.4435 (Duke Energy Progress lakes).
Safety information for extended power outages
In dealing with extended outages, the company recommends:
Never use a generator indoors. Always follow manufacturer instructions.
Keep at least one battery-powered flashlight where it can be located easily in the dark. Listen for storm information on a battery-powered radio. Keep an extra supply of fresh batteries. Never use outdoor grills in the house.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., with approximately 29,000 employees and a generating capacity of 49,500 megawatts.
The company's Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit serves approximately 7.6 million retail electric customers in six states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
Its Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in five states – North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Commercial Renewables unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the U.S.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/duke-energy-continues-to-restore-power-across-carolinas-830-000-back-online-already-300713397.html
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Getting the Lead Out: Data Science and Flint Pipes
Research Focus on Social Impact, Marketing, Sustainability featuring Eric Schwartz
Professor Eric Schwartz leads effort to predict which homes are more likely to have water service lines made of lead.
Copper or lead? It’s the burning question in Flint as the painstaking process to find, remove and replace lead pipes continues this summer.
University of Michigan students and professors, working with the city, helped answer that question with data science that predicts which homes have lead pipes. They estimated that three out of four houses in Flint have lead in their service lines, which are the pipes connecting each home to the city water system.
Eric Schwartz
“Knowing which homes to inspect can reduce the costs of replacing their pipes with safer ones and more efficiently get the lead out of Flint,” said Eric Schwartz, U-M assistant professor of marketing at the Ross School of Business. “The approach could serve as a model for other cities to follow.”
Speeding a solution can save money and deliver safe drinking water to residents. While the state has deemed the water safe to drink, doubts remain about whether a home has lead pipes buried underground.
“The risk still varies from house to house,” Schwartz said.
Lead leached from the pipes when the water was not properly treated for more than two years after a switch to the Flint River in April 2014.
The researchers estimate that their method of inspecting, identifying and targeting pipes for replacement could save as much as $10 million—a 10 percent savings and roughly equivalent to replacing the lead pipes in an additional 2,000 homes. Much of this savings is in avoiding unnecessary excavations, since each unneeded dig can still cost the city thousands of dollars.
The study was directed by Schwartz and Jacob Abernethy, now an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Other co-authors were U-M students at the time, Alex Chojnacki and Arya Farahi, and Jared Webb, a visiting student from Brigham Young University.
The city initially provided U-M researchers with a dataset describing each of more than 50,000 parcels in the city. And using hand-drawn maps stored by the water department, researchers created an extensive database that allowed Schwartz and his team to predict the probability that a house had lead or unsafe pipes.
Schwartz and colleagues coordinated with Captricity, a data technology company, to further the efforts to digitize Flint’s water department’s 100,000 historical public work records on mostly handwritten index cards, dating back to 1910. Captricity donated the use of its artificial intelligence software for handwriting recognition, transforming the scanned cards into usable data. That data was provided to the city’s team managing the pipe replacement project, called the Flint Action and Sustainability Team (FAST).
The city’s FAST Start Team, which has now received over $100 million from the federal and state governments, is making progress in removing lead service lines. But as many as 75 percent of the city’s homes are still exposed.
“Professor Schwartz and his team’s assistance made a huge difference,” said retired Brig. Gen. Michael McDaniel, who coordinated the FAST program in Flint in 2016-17. “We hope the city of Flint continues to receive the funding needed to replace all of its lead-tainted service lines, which I think could happen over the next three years.”
The FAST Start Team also began using hydrovac trucks to inspect underground pipes before sending the costlier digging several feet to the pipe location. The hydrovac can dig a precise hole very quickly and observe the pipe material for around $250 per inspection.
The U-M researchers’ methods then focused on targeting inspection efforts to most efficiently find and replace as many homes’ lead pipes. The team also built a data collection app for the city and its contractors to keep track of their work and those funds.
“The biggest public investment resulting from Flint’s water crisis is the large-scale removal of lead and other dangerous pipe materials from residents’ water service lines—the pipes connecting most pipes to their water system,” Schwartz said.
Across the country, more than 6 million homes connect to their municipal water systems with lead service pipes, putting the industry’s estimated cost to replace them near $275 billion. The replacement costs would be lower if cities knew which homes have the lead lines, but even determining the material composition of a single buried pipe is expensive and can cause unneeded digs.
“Many cities like Flint, facing huge uncertainty due to imprecise record-keeping and limited budgets, are already developing plans for large-scale pipe replacement,” Schwartz said.
The methods could apply to any municipal or private utility that faces the same budget constraints in attempting to remediate a similar public health issue.
Schwartz and Abernethy began their work in Flint in 2016, following a project initiated and funded by Google, to support the development of a mobile app allowing Flint residents to determine their homes’ risk levels and other useful information.
The study will be presented at the 24th SIGKDD Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining Aug. 19-23 in London, the premier machine learning and data science conference.
Eric Schwartz is an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
Story written by Greta Guest, Michigan News, gguest@umich.edu
Read the paper
Reconsidering the Idea of ‘Sustainability’
Giving Workers a ‘Voice’ Improves Retention
Fostering Social Change at Work Takes More Than Money
Ross Thought In Action By Eric Schwartz
Arnold M. and Linda T. Jacob Faculty Fellow
How Big Data and Algorithms Are Slashing the Cost of Fixing Flint’s Water Crisis
Eric Schwartz, What Are You Thinking About?
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Now Playing Review – Easy A
The idea that high school is something teenagers have to survive is not new to the screen. Buffy the Vampire Slayer literally set the school on top of a gateway to Hell just to make sure the audience didn’t miss this idea. In its own way Easy A keeps this same idea in mind, just going the route of Mean Girls. Comparisons have already been made linking these two films in many ways, but there is no need to worry because Easy A is hardly a rip off of this fan favorite, and if everything goes as it should, it will most likely become one itself.
Easy A follows an invisible high school girl who gets a taste for the spotlight when she agrees to fake sexy time with a friend to prevent him from further getting beat up for being gay. Once they “do the deed” he is cheered for becoming a man while she is quickly cast in a darker spotlight for being a promiscuous harlot; yet in Olive’s mind any light is better than no light. To further her newfound fame due to the schools overworking rumor mill she agrees to do the same thing for other boys, but as these things do everything quickly gets out of hand.
As mentioned before a lot of comparisons will be made to Mean Girls because of the story of an outcast girl changing herself for the sake of popularity, and in all honesty this is not the only thing that seems familiar about this film. With that said, this blatantly honest, yet satirical representation of the high school experience still manages to feel completely original even though it is structured on top of a firm base, making familiar ideas seem completely fresh. What helps is the sharpness of the dialog, which provides a lot of lines that will probably become as quoted as Tina Fey’s screenplay has. Not only that, but the script has provided yet another amazingly strong female character. Sure Olive gets called a whore left and right, which may seem like a demotion for the feminists out there, but she is as quick witted and strong willed as the best of them, putting her on par with such characters as Juno and Veronica Mars. Just think of all the awesomeness that would come out of a conversation between the three of them…
Not enough praise can be put towards the script, but in all honesty it could have gone down in flames had the film not had the cast that it does, which includes a phenomenal supporting cast. Because of the acting chops of the seasoned Thomas Haden Church, Lisa Kudrow, Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci, as well as a surprise showing from younger actors who should not be underestimated, such as Penn Badgley, Alyson Michalka, Dan Byrd, and Amanda Bynes, such ridiculous dialog and characterizations seem completely normal and fitting for this world. However, it would be impossible not to single out Emma Stone for her starring role as Olive, who puts all questions about her future as a leading talent to rest thanks to her perfected comedic timing and ability to pull off the dramatic scenes as well.
To be nitpicky I could complain about the large amount of voiceover from Olive’s character (which I have always been on the fence about when it comes to overuse), but I won’t because it is completely warranted in the end. And I could also complain about the over-the-top religious aspect (do they even allow that much Bible hugging at public schools?) but I won’t because of the connection to source material of The Scarlet Letter. Basically it is safe to say that though Easy A does have a few things that might sit awkwardly with me personally, the pros of the film pile up too quickly to truly care about the other side of the list.
Final Grade: It gets an A(-) easily. Oh ho ho I’m so witty…
Tags: Alyson Mochalka, Amanda Bynes, Dan Byrd, Easy A, Emma Stone, Lisa kudrow, Patricia Clarkson, Penn Badgeley, Stanley Tucci, Thomas Haden Church, Will GluckCategories: Film Review
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FI SV EN
The fact-finding mission to Afghanistan focused on gathering information from Kabul
Researchers from the Finnish Immigration Service’s Country Information Service visited Kabul, Afghanistan, on a fact-finding mission. During the mission, the general conditions in the city were investigated, especially regarding Afghan citizens returning or being returned from Europe.
The researchers met with national and international organisations, non-governmental organisations, authorities and other researchers, among others. The Finnish Embassy in Kabul assisted in the arrangements for the fact-finding mission.
The previous fact-finding mission to Afghanistan was conducted in 2018. The Country Information Service is tasked with generating country of origin information (COI), especially on countries that send asylum seekers, quota refugees and other immigrants to Finland. This information is utilised, for example, in the decision-making regarding asylum.
The next fact-finding mission is to be conducted to Syria
More fact-finding missions are planned this year at least to Syria, Somalia and Russia. In the beginning of the year, the researchers visited Iraq.
The fact-finding missions are part of the FAKTA project, which has received funding from the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). The Finnish Immigration Service has carried out fact-finding missions in connection with the project regularly during 2017 and 2018.
A report on the fact-finding mission to Afghanistan will be published on the Internet site of the Finnish Immigration Service in July. A press release will then also be issued on the content and publication of the report.
Research-based information on the situation in countries for decision-making
The Country Information Service collects country of origin information (COI), which is used to support decision-making in connection with applications for international protection in particular.
In addition to the fact-finding missions, many other methods are used to find information on the situation in the countries. Other sources include the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), research institutions, and the country information services of other countries.
Up-to-date country information is always used in the decision-making conducted by the Finnish Immigration Service. The researchers from the Country Information Service do not participate in decision-making.
Further information for the media
General information on the FAKTA project: Project Manager Satu Ruotsalainen, email: [email protected], tel. +358 (0)295 430 431
Details regarding country information on Afghanistan: Researcher Esa Ojala, email: [email protected], tel. +358 (0)295 430 431
applicants asylum seekers immigrants
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Ontario Bar Requires Lawyers to Pledge to "Promote Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion"
Story here. As Walter Olson notes,
The Ontario bar association has adopted a rule under which all lawyers “must prepare and submit a personal ‘Statement of Principles’ attesting that we value and promote equality, diversity and inclusion,” according to Bruce Pardy in the National Post, who says it’s a bad idea. . . .
But the U.S. is not so far behind. In 2016 the ABA adopted Model Rule 8.4 (g), which makes it “professional misconduct” for an attorney to engage in “conduct,” including verbal “conduct,” that “the lawyer knows or reasonably should know is harassment or discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or socioeconomic status in conduct related to the practice of law.” . . .
The “Test Acts” were a series of enactments in England that excluded from public office and penalized in other ways those who would not swear allegiance to the prevailing religious tenets of the day. There is no good reason to bring back their principles.
This is a troubling development, and lawyers (in both Canada and the United States) should resist it. I agree with Eugene Volokh regarding the First Amendment problems with the ABA's Model Rule. The concern, obviously, doesn't have to do with whether or not lawyers should be committed to "equality" in some sense but rather with the fact that, in contemporary discussions, both "equality, diversity, and inclusion" and "discrimination" are used in imprecise and ideologically and/or religiously loaded ways. Stay tuned . . .
January 29, 2018 in Garnett, Rick | Permalink
Cloned monkeys and moral anthropology
As I proposed in my very first MOJ post, nearly 14 years (!) ago, and as I've contended in a few articles over the years (e.g., here and here), answering pretty much all questions about legal institutions and doctrines requires, in the end, engaging with big questions of moral anthropology, e.g., what does it mean to be a person and why does it matter that one is a person? What is the nature, and what is the destiny, of the person? These questions were, of course, at the very heart of the work and pontificate of Pope St. John Paul II. I wrote once:
“Are human beings different from meat?” A recent book review opens with the complaint
that this is “[a]n example of the worst type of modern philosophical question”; a question that, “[f]or
those among us who have never been invited into Socratic dialogue by, say, a porterhouse, . . . is
dumb in ways rarely thought possible before.”2
The reviewer is right, of course—the question is
“dumb.” Then again, we might wonder if this “worst kind” question is really all that different from
the Psalmist’s own: “Lord, what is man . . . that thou makest account of him?” (Psalms 143:3) The
question, it turns out, is both perennial and profound: “What is man, and why and how does it
matter?”
Well, here comes news from China about the (alleged) cloning of a monkey in China, prompting the headline, "How can we be special if we're just a bundle of cells?" How, indeed?
A Review of "Before Church and State" by
Here, thanks to the University Bookman site, is William Borman's review of Andrew Willard Jones's book, Before Church and State: A Study of Social Order in the Sacramental Kingdom of St. Louis IX. Fascinating stuff. A bit:
The thesis of Jones’s book is simple: everything that we thought we knew about the Middle Ages is fundamentally mistaken, and the study of the Middle Ages in modern times has frequently, indeed almost always, amounted to the study of modern preconceptions and prejudices about the past. . . . The main obstacle to our understanding of the medieval world, indeed, appears to be our understanding of our own world, and our routine application of modern conceptions to a past in which they do not belong. We have ignored or discarded the concepts proper to our area of study. Instead of looking at the microbe through the microscope, we have effectively been studying the lens.
Many examples of Jones’s thesis are provided, with much detail. Here are a few: “secularism” did not exist; the distinction between “temporal” and “spiritual,” or between “church” and “state,” did not exist; peace in temporal matters was peace in spiritual matters, and vice versa; the “state” itself did not exist, nor did “sovereignty,” nor “law”; “violence” is not a necessary characteristic of society but a disrupter of it, for society is peace; and governance is not determined, as Weber thought, by a “monopoly on force.” . . .
Religious Liberty at a Crossroads: "If You're Litigating, You're Losing"
By Kevin C. Walsh
The Institute for Religious Liberty at Thomas More College hosted a three-speaker event earlier this week on the topic "Religious Liberty at a Crossroads: Legal Perspectives." The speakers were me, Fred Gedicks, and Ilya Shapiro.
Thomas More College is the liberal arts college of the Diocese of Covington (Kentucky). Prior to the evening talk, I had the opportunity to explore the campus. The architectural highlight is Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel, which occupies the geographical center of campus.
The opening claim in my talk was that it is important to keep legal perspectives on religious liberty in perspective. A legal perspective is neither the only nor the most important perspective for thinking about religious liberty. It is more important to think about what religious liberty is for, and to use our civic freedom to exercise our religion.
As for the legal perspective itself, my primary theme was: "If you're litigating, you're losing." This is true of normal people and institutions. You end up in court because something has broken down and you find yourself in court opposite somebody else. If you're in as a defendant, someone has brought legal action against you. And if you're in as a plaintiff, it's because you failed to get the protection you seek in some other way.
It's not great being in a lawsuit, even as a plaintiff. You have to deal with lawyers. And even if you win, you might still end up worse off than if you never had to file. That's a particular risk of religious liberty litigation because it is so easy to get framed by ideological adversaries as seeking special rules of "the normal law doesn't apply to us" sort. A better way to think about these cases is as the normal consequence of a general commitment to religious liberty as it interacts with other legal requirements. But the "special rules" framing has been more prevalent.
Another feature of recent religious liberty cases comes into view when thinking about the limits of "if you're litigating, you're losing." This is generally _not_ true of "movement litigation." In "movement litigation," you're litigating to move the law in a certain direction. If you win, you've moved the law. And if you lose, you haven't moved the law but hopefully the law is no worse than it was (though there is a risk of this happening).
Religious liberty can sometimes operate as movement litigation. But the contraceptives mandate cases were not of this sort. The cases were preservative rather than transformative.
Although some of the cases are still pending, the religious liberty claimants have largely prevailed. But while we've "won" for now, that doesn't mean we aren't losing more generally. The mandate was very aggressive, and the sources of that aggression remain.
January 26, 2018 in Walsh, Kevin | Permalink
Best #metoo response yet
Don't miss this moving Washington Post story describing the courtroom testimony of former gymnast Rachael Denhollander: "She helped bring down Larry Nassar. At his sentencing for sex crimes, she spoke about her faith."
She was the first, in 2016, to accuse Nassar of sexual abuse, back in 2000 when she was 14 and he was the sports physician at Michigan State University. On the stand, she spoke to Nassar of the biblical description of the final judgment “where all of God’s wrath and eternal terror is poured out on men like you.”
She continued: “Should you ever reach the point of truly facing what you have done, the guilt will be crushing. And that is what makes the gospel of Christ so sweet. Because it extends grace and hope and mercy where none should be found. And it will be there for you. I pray you experience the soul-crushing weight of guilt so you may someday experience true repentance and true forgiveness from God, which you need far more than forgiveness from me — though I extend that to you as well.”
There's more. Check out the whole story. How fitting that this testimony be reported on the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.
January 25, 2018 in Bachiochi, Erika | Permalink
Journal of Catholic Legal Studies Symposium on "Christian Legal Thought: Materials and Cases" by Brennan and Brewbaker
My excellent students, Liam Ray and Nick DeMarco, have put together a symposium as part of their work on the Journal of Catholic Legal Studies at St. John's on the new casebook on Christian Legal Thought by Patrick Brennan and William Brewbaker. The announcement for the event is below:
This Friday, January 26, the Journal of Catholic Legal Studies (a publication of St. John’s University School of Law) will host a symposium on the new casebook Christian Legal Thought: Materials and Cases (2017) by Patrick M. Brennan (Villanova) and William S. Brewbaker III (University of Alabama). The symposium will take place at the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan from 3 PM to 6 PM, with a reception at the Club following from 6 PM to 7 PM. It will feature as panelists both casebook authors, as well as Professors Randy Beck (University of Georgia), Angela C. Carmella (Seton Hall), Richard W. Garnett (Notre Dame), Michael P. Moreland (Villanova), and David A. Skeel, Jr. (University of Pennsylvania). The event is free and open to the public (please note the New York Athletic Club’s dress guidelines). More information, including whom to contact with questions, is available here. The January 19 deadline to RSVP has been extended to January 25.
January 22, 2018 in DeGirolami, Marc | Permalink
January 22 Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
From the USCCB:
The over 56 million abortions since the 1973 decisions of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Boltonreflect with heartbreaking magnitude what Pope Francis means by a “throwaway culture.” However, we have great trust in God’s providence. We are reminded time and again in Scripture to seek the Lord’s help, and as people of faith, we believe that our prayers are heard.
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), no. 373, designates January 22 as a particular day of prayer and penance, called the "Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children”: “In all the Dioceses of the United States of America, January 22 (or January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday) shall be observed as a particular day of prayer for the full restoration of the legal guarantee of the right to life and of penance for violations to the dignity of the human person committed through acts of abortion.”
As individuals, we are called to observe this day through the penitential practices of prayer, fasting and/or giving alms. Another way to take part is through participating in special events to observe the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Call your local diocese or parish to find out what events might be taking place in your area.
A misleading report on Catholic hospitals
The "Public Conscience / Private Rights Project" at Columbia Law School is, in my opinion, an activist/lobbying enterprise, funded largely by ideologically motivated sources, that should not be housed in an academic institution of Columbia's stature. But, put that aside. The Project is touting a new "report", "Bearing Faith: The Limits of Catholic Health Care for Women of Color." I heard about the "report" in an email with the Onion-esque headline, "New Report Reveals Pregnant Women of Color More Likely to Receive Religiously Restricted Reproductive Health Care in Many US States."
Good grief. For decades, orders of Catholic women religious sacrificed heroically and made it their vocations to build institutions and provide health care in low-income, immigrant, and underserved communities. And now there are "reports" suggesting that the animating, inspiring faith of these women -- which has implications, no surprise, for the institutions' willingness to perform abortions on those they serve -- is some kind of racist, oppressive miasma. What a world.
It's out! "Essays in Honor of Robert J. Araujo, Jr."
Congrats, and thank you, to Fr. Hendrianto! Fr. Araujo . . . a great priest, lawyer, scholar, and friend. R.I.P.
The Mortara Case, Pio Nono, Statism, Parents, etc.
In part because of the upcoming Steven Spielberg movie, and in part because of Fr. Romanus Cessario's review in First Things of Edgardo Mortara's memoir, and in part because of the renewed interest on the part of a number of accomplished scholars and thinkers (Deneen, Legutko, Vermeule, etc.) in the nature, foundations, and future of liberalism, there has been a boomlet of 21st century digital debate over the Edgardo Mortara case. The case was hugely important in 19th century America in shaping perceptions not only of the Church and the papacy but also of Catholic schools and, it's fair to say, by shaping American anti-Catholicism it also shaped American church-state law. Today, it also tees up questions about political theology and theory, the nature of the sacraments, the anti-Semitism of many Catholics, the natural rights of parents, Italian nationalism, etc.
On the one hand, it seems pretty strange -- and, perhaps, more than a little regrettable (Matthew Franck, in this piece, calls it a "needless quarrel")-- that this case (which, in my view, has to be judged, as Rusty Reno put it at First Things, as a "stain on the Catholic Church") is the topic of the moment. Yes, the evidence as I understand it is that Mortara came to love Pope Pius IX and his own vocation to the priesthood and, yes, as Fr. Cessario wrote, "baptism configures a person to Christ, leaving something permanent in the one baptized." Still - it was both immoral and illegitimate for the relevant authorities to take him away from his parents. It was, among other things, as Robert Miller explained, an abuse of state power. (I've seen some comments on Twitter criticizing Miller for framing his critique of the Mortara case in terms of "statism." The complaint seems to be that Miller is reducing or conflating the wrong of unjustly taking Mortara from his parents to/with a libertarian critique of government action generally. I don't think that's what Miller was doing at all. "Statism" is a thing, after all -- it's not "constitutional governments promoting the common good" -- and it's bad.)
I'm inclined to agree with Franck that "Pius was wrong in the Mortara case—grievously so, as Miller’s main argument demonstrated—for venerable Catholic reasons he should have understood even in his own day, reasons having no connection with the modern liberal project that the integralists (rightly or wrongly) attribute to the anti-Christian secular enlightenment." That is, I think it's important to note that the reasons Pope Pius was wrong are not simply that he didn't play by Rawls's (or any other left-liberal) rules; it's not (I hope!) the case, as Pat Smith charges, that the basis for criticisms of Mortara's removal is merely "comfortable, bourgeois liberalism" or a timid and naive attachment to Murray, Maritain, Dignitatis humanae, etc.
For some more reactions, here is Rod Dreher and here is Nathaniel Peters. And, of course, I invite other MOJ-ers to weigh in!
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Brittany Murphy to Be the Voice of ‘Tinker Bell’
Brittany Murphy to Be the Voice of Tinker Bell
— June 20th, 2006
Disney opened Licensing International 2006 in New York by revealing Brittany Murphy as the voice of the sassy and spunky fairy for the 2007 release of Tinker Bell. In the tradition of its many animated classics, Disney will bring to life an enchanting tale of Pixie Hollow and Tinker Bell's new fairy friends voiced by some of Hollywood's most talented actors.
"I've had the good fortune of playing many interesting characters, but none as magical as Tinker Bell," said Murphy. "To give Tinker Bell a voice for the first time in history is such an honor."
Tinker Bell will be the first time audiences hear Tinker Bell speak, as the movie brings to life the amazing world of Disney Fairies in all-new CG-animation. The movie, to release globally in Fall 2007 by DisneyToon Studios and Walt Disney Home Entertainment, will be supported with a strong marketing campaign and a broad consumer products line at major retailers around the world.
"Tinker Bell is such an indelible character to pop-culture even without a voice," said Dick Cook, chairman of Walt Disney Studios. "She is sassy, feisty and independent. Brittany's distinctive voice and superb talent will bring all these qualities to life, as well as show new sides to Tink's personality. Audiences will get to know Tinker Bell like never before, and I am sure will fall in love with her all over again."
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CW and ‘The O.C.’'s Creator Josh Schwartz to Develop ‘Gossip Girl’
CW and The O.C.'s Creator Josh Schwartz to Develop Gossip Girl
— August 21st, 2006
CW is teaming with The O.C. creator-executive producer Josh Schwartz for Gossip Girl, a drama based on Alloy Entertainment's popular book series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The network has given a put pilot commitment to the project, from Alloy and Warner Bros. TV, which Schwartz and The O.C. executive producer Stephanie Savage are in negotiations to write and executive produce.
Gossip Girl is set in the world of privileged teenagers attending elite private schools in New York City.
Since the first book in the series was published in 2002, the Gossip Girl novels have consistently ranked high on New York Times' best-seller list. The most recent book, No. 9 in the series, was released in May.
Two and a half years ago, Gossip Girl was set up as a feature at Warner Bros. Pictures with Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino on board to write the script and Lindsay Lohan attached to star. When the rights reverted to Alloy, the company's executives decided to develop the books for television.
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