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Golfer Jim Furyk makes PGA history with score of 58 – SportsUntapped.com
You are here: Home Golfer Jim Furyk makes PGA history with score of 58
American golfer Jim Furyk made PGA history on August 7th by shooting a round of 58 at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut. The 46-year-old had an eagle and 10 birdies on the 70-par round to finish it at 12 under. However, even though he managed a record-setting round in the tournament, Furyk didn’t win it as he finished in fifth place, three strokes behind Scotland’s Russell Knox. Furyk also went into the event as one of just six male golfers to previously score under-60 on an 18-hole round. All previous players had scored a 59 once in their careers. Furyk managed to shoot a round of 59 at the BMW Championship back in 2013.
After his one-of-a-kind performance at the TPC River Highlands course, Furyk told the assembled media, “A million and a half rounds played in the history of the PGA Tour and you look at the great names ahead of me. It’s humbling to stand alone at 58 is really a cool accomplishment.” Furyk hit for par on the first, fifth, 13th, 14th, 17th and 18th holes while he had an eagle on the third. He managed to birdie the other 10 holes. Furyk isn’t the only male golfer or the first to shoot a 58 though as Stephan Jaeger of Germany managed the feat 11 days earlier on the Web.com Tour at the Ellie Mae Classic tournament at TPC Stoneware.
The Web.com Tour is the second tier of the PGA and Jaeger was the first male to achieve it in a PGA, Web.com, Champions or European Tour. Other golfers have shot a 58 before in other competitions. These include Ryo Ishikawa on the 2010 Japan Tour as well as Shigeki Maruyama at a 2000 US Open sectional qualifier as well as Jason Bohn on the 2001 Canadian Tour. The five other players who shot a 59 previously on the PGA tour were Chip Beck, Al Geiberger, Paul Goydos, Stuart Appleby and David Duval.
Furyk, of West Chester Pennsylvania, went into the final round of the recent Travelers Championship at one-over par and his 12-under on Sunday saw him finish the event at 11-under. He managed seven straight birdies from the sixth to 12th holes. Furyk, who won the U.S. Open in 2003, was sidelined from last September to this May because of wrist surgery and has now returned to the links in a big and historic way. He is also scheduled to be a vice-captain this September for the American Ryder Cup team. Furyk is currently the 23rd-ranked male golfer in the world by the PGA.
Donald Wins Race To Dubai, Makes History Sort Of
American golfer Dustin Johnson captures U.S. Open
Furyk Oversleeps, Disqualified From The Barclays
U.S. golfer Zach Johnson wins British Open
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Vote now for who you think should be the Most Fascinating Female Actress of the month for March 2013! If you feel that you or someone you know deserves to be a featured as one of the Most Fascinating Female Actresses of the month then let our talent coordinator know by emailing eileen@starcentralmag.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can! Please keep it in mind that any person who leaves unpleasant and unnecessarily rude or derogative comments will be removed and banned from this site permanently. Let’s just keep this voting poll fair and fun!
1. Tracey Lee Maxwell (Australia)
With over 6 years in acting, entertaining, dance, singing and modelling experience, Tracey has been cast in several feature films, short films, modelling shoots, music videos, commercials, and independent projects for screen, stage and web productions. After graduating from the Participate Film Academy in 2008, she then played the role of ‘Trixie’ – one of the supporting leads of ‘Green Fire Envy’ where she starred alongside Ashleigh Cummings from the movie “Tomorrow When the War Began.” The film premiered at the Hoyts Entertainment Quarter. In 2011 she graduated from TAFTA (The Australian Film and Television Academy) where she was mentored by John Orcsik & Tony Bonner. She then travelled to Los Angeles to complete full time, intense acting and writing studies with Andy McPhee and several other American teachers whilst strengthening her networking opportunities. Her most recent accomplishments include being cast as the lead in a feature length action/thriller ‘Blood Debt’ as the heroine ‘Charlotte’, she was also cast in a pre-production for a 10 episode web-series ‘Atomic Kingdom’ as the recurring ethereal Goddess “Ereshkigal”. She will be commencing work on several professional photography sessions between February and April for her completed work on feature film ‘Torn Devotion’ which is due to premiere Australia wide in April 2013. She also recently released an online feature film called ‘Dead Moon Circus – Part 1′ where she played the character ‘Cere Cere’. So far it has generated over 40,000 worldwide views from passionate fans who are now eagerly awaiting the release of ‘Dead Moon Circus – Part 2′ in March of 2013. When not performing or studying she produces TVC’s and content for film and web, writes music and scripts, spends her time in prayer or meditation, visits family, attends networking events and mentors people to build healthy finances, bodies and dreams via her business with Neways International.
2. Alicia Ruberto (Australia)
Even at just 5 years old, Alicia has already appeared in over a dozen TVC’s and TV series. Her strong passion for the industry has lead her to study screen acting in Hollywood, LA USA, Australia as well as in Orlando, FL USA. For over 12 years she has been pursuing acting with passion, commitment and a persevering attitude with a goal to make it her career. She was featured in Stan Walkers’ video clip ‘Unbroken’, starred in an episode of ABC3′s Prank Patrol and is currently filming a new TV series and feature film.
3. Stephanie May (Australia)
Stephanie Louise May is a 22 year old actress who is currently on her 8th year of being in film and TV. She has been selected for a full time acting course this year; however, she is still remaining active on the field and already has a few features lined up. Her greatest achievement so far is being in a feature called “The Navigator” which is a thriller drama and is due to be released in the cinemas later this year. She’s also had some speaking roles on TV shows such as Deadly Women, Eerie Encounters as well as the tele-movie called Panic At Rock Island. She is currently rostered in a big budget feature film called “The Second Coming”.
4. Fiona Rene (Australia)
Fiona Rene has been acting since she was 7 years old. As a child, Fiona already told her parents that she was going to graduate high school early, go to college for theatre and become a full time actress – there was no other route for her! Although her passion began in the theatre, over the years, she has actually gained delight in a variety of professional experiences by acting in TV, Commercials, Theatre Productions, Music Videos as well as Short Films and Feature Films. She has appeared in Grease, Bob the Builder LIVE, Tartuffe, The Breakdance Kid and Snatch n’ Grab. Fiona also has spent the past 5 years working and training other actors in scaring people at Haunted Houses all over the world. She has worked as a presenter, interviewer and voice over artist for T.V, corporate videos, and Web based companies such as Durex, Lynx, Pitney Bowes and BugFinders. She has a solid commitment to entertain and educate through her professional, fun, emotional and adventurous performances and she also enjoys Live Children’s Entertainment, traveling and singing.
Vote for who you think should be the “Most Promising Female Actress ” in the poll below! The winner will appear in our website and will be in line to be featured in our magazine. The poll closes on the 28th of February, 2013 at 12:40am AEST and you are eligible to vote only once per day (after you’ve voted, 24 hours must pass after the time you voted, for you to be able to see the voting form and vote again the next day). Please note that voting is also restricted to just ONE vote per IP address. Vote NOW and make your voice heard!
THE VOTING POLL HAS CLOSED
Who will be crowned the Mardi Gras Queen 2013?
stephen kupenga says:
go tracey lee,your awesome!
Tracey is the one
Aparira says:
kia kaha cuz
atefooterz says:
Tracey !!!
Tracey Lee Maxwell (4,061)
vinny says:
YOU ROCK KIDDO!!
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Frank Welch’s Story
Drowned in the Tigris on the way to Baghdad
Frank Welch was the Hon. Secretary to the Working Men’s Institute in 1916. On 1st September 1916, a meeting was held at the Institute to appoint a temporary replacement for Frank, in the person of Mr Bell. Two months later, Frank tendered his resignation “as a result of his living away from Stoke, and he was heartily thanked for his valuable work during the last two years”. [Western Gazette]
Frank lived with his widowed mother, Mary, in the High Street. Mary and her husband, Alfred, had had twelve children but only eight had survived. Frank’s elder brother, Frederick – six years older – died in 1890 aged 17.
Mary née Thorne, was born in Stoke but Alfred came from Norton sub Hamdon. He started out his married life was a groom, but by 1901 was a domestic coachman. He died in 1909 aged 67.
Frank was born in 1878. In 1891 he was living in the High Street with his parents. He was 12 years old and working as an errand boy. The house must have been pretty full as there were four children older than himself and four younger. Ernest E Welch, a year younger than Frank, may well have been the E Welch who was punished with S Palmer for climbing on the school on 14th June 1892.
Frank is mentioned on the Southcombe War Memorial and was described as a “glove cutter leather” in the 1911 census. He was living with his mother, Mary, aged 42, and Mary’s nephew and niece aged 16 and 15.
By the end of 1916, he had severed his connection to the Working Men’s Institute and was serving with the 7th Battalion of the Gloucester Regiment in Mesopotamia, after initially enlisting with the Somerset Light Infantry.
Turkey’s entry into the war on 29 October 1914 had prompted Britain to open a new military front in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq). British and Indian troops, in less than a month, had occupied Basra and Kurna. They continued to march up the Tigris river towards Baghdad. However, they suffered a defeat by the Turks at Ctesiphon in November 1915 and had to retreat to Kut-al-Amara, where they were besieged.
Troops were sent to relieve the British at Kut-al-Amara (among them Frank’s fellow villager, William Hann RFA, and possibly Bert Clarke with the 7th Bn Gloucesters) but the British surrendered before the relieving force could get to them. This surrender, in 1916, was a big shock to the people back home in Britain, coming after the disaster of Gallipoli in 1915.
However, with reinforced troop divisions and a new leader in General F S Maude, Indian forces again advanced rapidly up the Tigris in early 1917.
It was around this time that Frank Welch joined the 7th Gloucesters as part of the 13th (Western) Division, the only solely British formation in the force fighting in Mesopotamia. Kut-al-Amara was recaptured on 24 February, and Ctesiphon, where the previous British advance had been checked in November 1915, was taken soon afterwards. On 11 March, British troops finally entered Baghdad. The path was cleared for an advance into northern Mesopotamia, towards the heart of the Ottoman empire in Anatolia.
British Troops entering Baghdad – 11th March 1917
Frank’s role in the fighting, however, ended on 20th February, when he was drowned crossing the Tigris during the successful attempt to recapture Kut-al-Amara. He is remembered on the Basra Memorial in Iraq.
The following list contains information about Frank Welch. Click on the document name to open a pdf of the document.
WELCH Frank War Diary 1
WELCH Frank Commonwealth War Graves
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Feline Lymph Nodes
When Lymph Nodes Are Enlarged
We’ve all heard of lymph nodes, but exactly what are they and what do they do? Here’s why we should become concerned when they become enlarged.
As a feline veterinarian, I perform dozens of physical examinations every week. Every veterinarian performs the physical exam in his or her own style, making sure to evaluate all body systems thoroughly. Assessment of the lymph nodes is unquestionably a part of every veterinarian’s physical exam.
The lymphatic system is an arm of the immune system that plays a role in the development of the body’s immune response. Lymph is the fluid that flows through the lymphatic system, and it is rich in protein and white blood cells. Cells of the immune system circulate throughout the lymphatic vessels in the body. Lymph nodes are small, oval-shaped organs that make up part of the lymphatic system.
Sometimes an owner will bring a cat to the vet because they've detected a lump during petting, which turns out to be an enlarged lymph node.
As lymph flows through the lymphatic vessels, it passes through at least one set of lymph nodes — and often several sets — before ultimately emptying into the general circulation where it mixes with blood. The lymph nodes are the major sites in the lymphatic system where the immune cells gather.
Lymph nodes have a distinct anatomical structure, consisting of an outer portion called the cortex, and an inner portion called the medulla. The cortex contains large numbers of lymphocytes, often arranged in clusters (follicles). There are two distinct types of lymphocytes found in lymph nodes: T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes.
The B lymphocytes are responsible for producing antibodies, a process called “humoral immunity.” Once stimulated, T lymphocytes are involved in a process called “cellular immunity” (the details of which are beyond the scope of this discussion). The medulla contains lymphocytes as well as many other cells of the immune system. The entire lymph node is surrounded by a capsule comprised of connective tissue.
When lymphocytes proliferate
The immune system’s job is to protect and defend the body against harm by mounting an attack against invading substances (antigens). When an antigen invades the body and makes its way to the lymphatic system and eventually to the lymph node, it stimulates a discrete population of lymphocytes in the node. This causes those lymphocytes to proliferate and transform (or become activated). As noted above, activated lymphocytes may produce antibodies that neutralize the antigen, or the lymphocytes may become involved in more complex “cellular” immune responses.
When these lymphocytes proliferate, lymphadenopathy develops. Lymphadenopathy is the medical term for an increase in lymph node size. Stimulation of the immune system is a common cause of lymph node enlargement, and cancer is an equally common cause.
Lymphadenopathy is sometimes discovered during a routine examination of the cat. Occasionally, a cat owner will bring a cat to the veterinarian because of clinical signs related to the lymph node enlargement — for example, difficulty swallowing due to enlarged retropharyngeal lymph nodes, which are located at the back of the throat. (See sidebar on page 8.)
Sometimes an owner will bring a cat to the veterinarian because they’ve detected a lump — which turns out to be an enlarged lymph node — while patting or stroking the cat.
Why age is important
The age of the cat is important when considering the significance of lymph node enlargement. Kittens and young cats are exposed to a variety of antigens early in their lives, and an increase in lymph node size is an expected response by the immune system. As cats mature, lymph node size usually decreases and the nodes often become more difficult to palpate in older animals. However, in geriatric cats or cats that have lost weight due to illness, the loss of body fat around the lymph nodes may make the lymph nodes appear more prominent than expected.
Unfortunately, cancer is a common reason for lymph node enlargement. The size and texture of the lymph node may give clues in this regard. Enlarged, firm, painless lymph nodes that are freely moveable are usually associated with primary lymph node cancer, i.e. lymphoma. Very hard lymph nodes are more suggestive of metastatic cancer, i.e. a cancer arising in another site in the body that has spread to that lymph node.
Size and location
The degree of enlargement may offer some clues as to the cause. Marked lymphadenopathy (when the lymph node is five to 10 times the normal size) most often occurs with a lymph node abscess (a severe bacterial infection) or with lymphoma; metastatic cancer rarely causes lymph node enlargement of this magnitude.
The location of the lymph node enlargement should also be considered in the patient’s evaluation. If one lymph node is enlarged — or one regional group of lymph nodes is enlarged — the vet will carefully evaluate that area of the body for evidence of inflammation, infection or cancer. For example, if the right submandibular lymph node (the node just below the jaw) is enlarged, the right side of the mouth will be examined carefully. A tooth root abscess involving a tooth on the right side, for example, could cause this nearby lymph node to be enlarged. However, if all of the lymph nodes involving the head region are enlarged, a more diffuse illness involving the head — such as an upper respiratory infection — would be something to consider.
How a diagnosis is made
Obtaining a diagnosis in cases of lymph node enlargement may require a variety of tests, including blood and urine analysis, X-rays and ultrasound. Ultimately, a definitive diagnosis often requires obtaining a sample of cells from the node itself. This is usually achieved either by aspiration cytology, or by surgical biopsy.
Aspiration cytology is a procedure in which a needle — attached to a syringe — is inserted into the lymph node. Suction is applied to the syringe so that cells from the lymph node are aspirated or sucked into the hub of the needle. The contents are then sprayed onto a microscope slide and are sent to the laboratory for interpretation. The advantage of this procedure is that it is fairly non-invasive and inexpensive. A disadvantage is that the aspirate may not yield enough cells to make a diagnosis. Only positive findings are diagnostically useful. Unfortunately, the absence of abnormal findings in an enlarged lymph node means that the diagnosis is still unresolved.
Biopsy of the lymph node is the definitive diagnostic test in evaluating lymph node enlargement. Depending on the size and location of the node, either the entire node is removed (this is called “excisional biopsy”), or a small piece of the lymph node is removed (this is “incisional biopsy”). The biopsy specimen is then evaluated by a pathologist. Treatment is based on the biopsy results: infections are usually treated with antimicrobials; cancer is treated by chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, or a combination of these. Lymph node cancers can often be treated effectively, and infections typically respond well to antibiotics. In either case, the most important thing for you as the owner to do is to check your cat thoroughly for abnormal swellings every couple of months or so, particularly as she gets older, and see your veterinary if you find anything suspicious. —Arnold Plotnick, DVM, DACVIN
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March 2009 /
Some of Tulsa’s native critters have adapted to city life, but others have fled as their survival is threatened.
By Morgan Phillips
Older Tulsans grew up chasing horny toads on hot summer days, but a younger generation may have only seen the strange reptile in a glass case at the zoo or on the pages of wildlife magazines.
While some ponder the species’ virtual disappearing act, Jay Pruett, director of conservation for the Oklahoma chapter of The Nature Conservancy, knows why the horny toad, or Texas horned lizard, is difficult to find in the Tulsa area today.
He explains that during the past few decades, an increased use of insecticides greatly decreased the city’s population of ants, the horny toad’s main food source. Expanding infrastructure also took away much of its dry, grassy habitat.
“People don’t realize there are a lot of things they do that can affect animals,” Pruett says.
And Tulsa’s urban sprawl hasn’t only affected odd-looking lizards that shoot blood from their eyes. Another of Tulsa’s former inhabitants, the greater prairie chicken, once lived in the grasslands along the city’s north edge. But because of its innate sensitivity to vertical structures, including buildings and trees, the bird has fled the developing area.
“These animals have evolved to know those are places where a hawk could be sitting, waiting to eat them for dinner,” Pruett says.
Pollution from trash and lawn chemicals also has disturbed Tulsa’s fragile ecosystem, altering the pH levels of waterways and hurting animals that live in and around the water, Oklahoma Aquarium curator John Money says.
“Rainwater doesn’t make it into the ground to have a natural filtering effect,” he says. “As a result, harmful substances run on top of impenetrable surfaces like steel and pavement and find their way into our lakes, streams and ponds.”
Reasons for animals’ relocation can be many, but nearly all center on their threatened survival. However, despite the loss of some Tulsa-area species, many native animals remain and have adapted to city life.
Pruett points out that some animals are very opportunistic feeders and don’t discriminate when it comes to habitat. Raccoons, skunks and opossums may have adapted best to Tulsa’s urban development, says Amy Morris, interpretive naturalist at the Oxley Nature Center.
“These animals are omnivores, so they can eat vegetation or meat,” she says. “They’re also nocturnal, so they’re typically out and about when we humans are sleeping.”
Other animals still common to the Tulsa area include white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, coyotes and foxes. Tulsa’s ponds are home to various birds from Canada geese to great blue heron, while many sport fish and other wildlife — including beavers — can be found in the rich and diverse habitat of area rivers and streams.
“It’s really interesting that in Tulsa, we have a lot of life going on around us,” Money says. “There are a lot (of species) that have a good, strong foothold.”
Even the squirrels, birds and other wildlife whose tree canopy habitats were destroyed in the 2007 ice storm remain strong post-disaster. Although the storm’s heavy tree fall increased the incidence of forest fires, Morris says it also created “virtual condominiums” for species that live in dead or fallen trees.
While humans can’t change weather patterns or bring the horny toad back to Tulsa, we can take measures to help ensure existing species remain here for years to come. By decreasing pollution, eliminating chemical usage and treating local wildlife with caution and care, we can protect native species and continue to coexist with them.
“As humans, we have to be as good as we can and try to take care of the environment,” Money says. “We don’t want to create a no-touch zone. The goal is just to enjoy it, not destroy it.”
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Aug 3 Death Cab For Cutie
Two Decades of Death Cab For Cutie
We as humans sometimes have an inexorable need to define artists through genre and stereotypes. Some are categorically easy to assign description and others are too multifaceted for basic genre-distinction. Then there are those artists who invent their own genre and subsequent subculture. Death Cab for Cutie came along in the late nineties and has since been titans of emotionally direct and intellectually challenging indie-rock “Emo” music. A new genre had been born. Frontman Ben Gibbard became the seminal face of Emo, with a voice that not only carried confessional love-lorn worlds, but was also housed within an indie-darlin package that seemed to encapsulate the aesthetic of a genre. Death Cab became one of the biggest alterna bands of the noughties and firmly established a stylistic nexus from which many bands derived themselves.
Death Cab For Cutie have now been a band for nearly two decades, and for those of us who came of age alongside the band’s music, revisiting their music is akin to reading old sentimental journal entries.
In Summer 2015, Death Cab returns with their eighth studio album Kintsugi, and the elements of emotional connection are more apparent than ever. Taking the title from the Japanese art of restoring pottery with gold to celebrate flaws as part of an object’s history, Kinsugi marks a new turning point for the band. Choosing to embrace the changes, blemishes and separations rather than attempting to cover or hide them. Working with the scars has been a fundamental element of Death Cab’s career.
IT FEELS LIKE MAGIC. YOU’RE CREATING SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING, YOU’RE DEFYING THE LAWS OF PHYSICS.
— Ben Gibbard
“I feel like Kintsugi is the metaphor for my life and what I've been trying to accomplish as a songwriter all these years,” Gibbard reveals. “I think that art of making something beautiful out of broken pieces of the subject that you’re writing about is kind of what I’ve always unknowingly been trying to do. So that’s why it resonated with me. I have always been the songwriter in the band, but there are many moments in our catalog when either Jason, Nick or Chris brought an idea to the table that has really changed the way a song was originally constructed, and in ways, made it light years better than it was before.”
While it’d be tempting to point towards literal events in the lives of the band's member—from Chris Walla’s departure to Gibbard’s divorce from Zooey Deschanel and ongoing sobriety—the music itself is more or less abstract and mood-driven, rather than a strictly personal confessional. One of the reasons Death Cab fans can identify to certain albums as an intimate document of a definite period in their lives is because they fundamentally remain personal accounts of whatever Gibbard was going through in specific periods of his own life.
“These are songs that span early 2012 to early 2014 for me, so a lot happened to me in that time period and some of it is public knowledge and some of it isn’t,” Gibbard explains. “I feel like every album is kind of a document of how I view my own life and the lives of the people around me in that time period. I figure it’s best just to write the way I’ve always written, and then the themes and connections will make themselves apparent.”
There isn’t one literal event or topic that defines Kintsugi, but that’s sort of the point—it’s an acknowledgment of what this band is all about and what they’ve carried with them. Creating a new motif out of the same soul-baring technique that ineluctably affects you with the spaces in between. With the band's evolution over the years, they decided to make this album a celebration of all the work they’ve done together, being a sonic and lyrical outlier amongst the band’s previous work.
“I feel that the three of us are still very much in awe of being a band. When we're songwriting, and it’s working, it feels like magic. You’re creating something out of nothing, you’re defying the laws of physics,” says Gibbard. “It’s something that none of us take for granted, we are fortunate that people find emotional attachments to some of our songs. You know, after as long as we’ve been a band, I don’t know what makes a band not work. I feel like it’s only worth doing it if you’re doing it well. There are times that we've been successful and times that we have not been successful at following that advice, but I feel like for better or for worse, we’re a very self-aware band. We’re especially aware of our own history, and I don’t think we would continue to do it if we felt we were doing it for any reason other than making music we were proud of. That’s what’s still the core of it, and we would never make a record that was because we had to, as a contractual obligation. We would just stop being a band.”
Story by Heather Seidler
Photos by We Are The Rhoads
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Death Cab For Cutie, Music, Heather Seidler
Aug 11 Lollapalooza Photo Diary
Jul 30 Passin' Through
Jun 1 Azealia Banks
Jan 24 Imagine Dragons
Sep 29 Atlas Genius
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Tibet Post International A Voice For Tibet
Make Buddhist temples as centres of learning: Leader of Tibet to China
Jane Cook, Tibet Post International
His Holiness the Dalai Lama greeting members of the audience as he arrives at the Kalachakra Maidan for the Solitary Hero Vajrabhairava Empowerment in Bodhgaya, Bihar, India on January 21, 2018. Photo: Lobsang Tsering
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks about "Generating the Awakening Mind"
Bodhgaya, Bihar, India — "The crucial point is that we have to study. Paying homage to Amitabha and simply reciting sutras is not sufficient. I have heard that there are many temples and monasteries in China. They would do well to become centres of learning," His Holiness the Dalai Lama Monday told Chinese Buddhist in Bodhgaya, India, adding: "As a result of our efforts to extend opportunities to study amongst Tibetans, we now have nuns qualified as Geshemas after almost 20 years of rigorous study."
When His Holiness the Dalai Lama arrived at the kalachakra ground in Bodhgaya, Bihar State of India, on Monday morning, January 22, 2018, he was greeted as usual by thousands of people, including devotees from China, with folded hands. He returned the smiles and saluted some old friends. From the edge of the stage he waved to more distant members of the audience and they waved back, some even jumping up and down for joy. The 'Heart Sutra' was recited in Chinese.
"Today, I'm going to explain the 'Diamond Cutter Sutra' primarily for Chinese students as I have done once before," His Holiness announced. "I'm also thinking of explaining the 'Heart Sutra'. I have generally been giving teachings annually to Chinese in Dharamsala, but on this occasion we've been able to gather here in this sacred place. At the beginning of this series of teachings I taught a group of Indian Buddhists, recalling that Buddhism originated in India before spreading across Asia.
"The Pali tradition, with its exemplary Vinaya traditions, spread to countries like Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. The Sanskrit tradition in the way it was followed at Nalanda spread to China and from there to Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Later it was carried to Tibet and on to Mongolia. China was therefore among the earlier countries to which Buddhism spread. Nowadays, wherever in the world there are Chinese, they set up a Buddhist temple, which shows how close Buddhism is to the Chinese heart—it is China's traditional religion.
"In 1954 I visited Beijing and other parts of China where I was shown many Buddhist temples. In particular I remember a stupa in Beijing that reflected the links between Tibetan Buddhist Masters and the Chinese Emperors, which contained a statue of Vajrabhairava. Later, during the Cultural Revolution all religions were considered aspects of blind faith and efforts were made destroy them. However, it seems that it takes more than that to uproot long ingrained faith and after Deng Xiao Ping relaxed restrictions, Buddhism has revived. A university survey some years ago found evidence of 300 million Buddhists in China, which friends tell me has grown to 400 million. President Xi Jinping observed in Paris and Delhi that Buddhism has an important role in Chinese culture."
His Holiness expressed his admiration of the fact that all the world's major religions flourish in India. What's more, these different religious traditions, indigenous and from abroad, theistic and non-theistic, live together in respectful harmony.
"I'm a Buddhist monk," he said, "but I respect all religious traditions. The key thing is to be sincere and to put what you believe into practice. All these different traditions teach love, compassion and tolerance even if they hold different philosophical views. While I have immense respect for Buddhist philosophical positions, I never say that Buddhism is the best tradition. To do so would be as mistaken as saying that one particular medicine was the best for everyone in all circumstances.
"The Buddha encouraged his followers to be sceptical and to examine what they heard in the light of reason." He said, O monks and scholars, As gold is tested by burning, cutting and rubbing, Examine my words thoroughly And accept them only then—not just out of respect for me.
His Holiness discussed his childhood interest in mechanical toys and how, when he visited China in 1954, he visited factories and power plants and burned with curiosity to know how they worked. Mao Zedong observed that he had a scientific mind. In exile he thought of holding discussions with scientists. When warned that science is a killer of religion he considered the role of reason and logic in the Nalanda Tradition and decided there was no danger. In fact, the interaction led to mutual benefit and one result is that science is now part of the standard curriculum in many Tibetan monastic institutions. Scientific knowledge has extended Buddhist understanding.
"The crucial point is that we have to study. Paying homage to Amitabha and simply reciting sutras is not sufficient. I have heard that there are many temples and monasteries in China. They would do well to become centres of learning. As a result of our efforts to extend opportunities to study amongst Tibetans, we now have nuns qualified as Geshemas after almost 20 years of rigorous study. It requires a change of focus. I remember visiting Singapore in 1965 or 66 and being very moved to hear the 'Heart Sutra' chanted in Chinese. However, the monks who were alert when I gave empowerments and permissions dozed off when I explained more general teachings. Westerners, people who are not traditionally Buddhist, take notes when they come to teachings."
As he took up the text of the 'Diamond Cutter Sutra', His Holiness explained how after attaining enlightenment the Buddha declared 'Profound and peaceful, free from complexity, uncompounded luminosity—I have found a nectar-like Dharma. Yet if I were to teach it, no-one would understand, so I shall remain silent here in the forest.' However, when they met again, Kaundinya and his former companions requested him to teach. He explained the Four Noble Truths in terms of the four characteristics of each truth, as well as the 37 Factors of Enlightenment. These are clearly recorded in the Three Baskets of the Pali Tradition. Pali was the language of the first council at Rajgir during which the Vinaya was compiled.
Later, the Buddha gave the Perfection of Wisdom teachings on Vulture's Peak that came to be recorded in Sanskrit. His Holiness clarified that the teachings found in the Pali tradition were those that had been given openly in public, whereas those of the Sanskrit tradition were given before a more select gathering. Where the teachings of the Pali Tradition form the very foundation of Buddhism, the Perfection of Wisdom teachings are the Buddha's supreme instructions.
With regard to the 'Diamond Cutter Sutra', His Holiness mentioned that the former Ganden Throne-holder, Rizong Rinpoche, had given it to him, although there is no 'explanatory transmission'. Like other works in the Kangyur and Tengyur collections its Sanskrit title 'The Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra' is given to show that it was not composed in Tibetan. The sutra deals with wisdom and what it cuts through is ignorance. It begins with the Venerable Subhuti asking the Buddha the following question, "World-Honoured One, if sons and daughters of good families want to give rise to the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind, what should they rely on and what should they do to master their thinking?"
In explaining that the highest Madhyamaka view is that things can only be said to exist by way of designation, His Holiness quoted Nagarjuna's observation that bodhisattvas aspiring to omniscience cannot be fully qualified if they continue to cling to an idea of independent objective existence. He was further prompted to remark that Nagarjuna's key work 'Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way' is very precious and is available in Chinese. "I read it," he said, "and I repeat and think about verses from it every day."
He explained that of the 'Fundamental Wisdom's' 27 chapters, if you were to read chapters 26,18, 24 and 22 you would come to understand how we fall into cyclic existence, how there is no independently existent self, and how things have no objective existence, but are interdependent. He also commended his Chinese listeners to make themselves aware of the Chinese translations of Aryadeva's '400 Verses', 'Buddhapalita' and Chandrakirti's 'Entering into the Middle Way' and 'Clear Words'.
His Holiness noted that during the first turning of the wheel of dharma, the Buddha explained that there is no permanent, single, autonomous self. During the second turning, he elaborated on this and made clear that form, shape and colour, for example, have no independent existence at all—therefore the 'Heart Sutra' famously says, "Form is empty, emptiness is form". Among the Two Truths, conventional truth is what is designated by worldly convention. Not only is the person a mere designation, empty of independent existence, but the psycho-physical aggregates that are the basis of designation are also empty of any independent existence.
Recalling what he had been saying earlier about his experience of the way Vinaya is observed in Thailand, His Holiness noted that a monk is to eat before midday. He brought the session to an end in expectation of continuing tomorrow. Members of the audience expressed their enthusiasm by smiling, clapping and waving as His Holiness left the stage.
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Brees' 400th TD pass comes in OT win over Cowboys
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — As Drew Brees watched Saints teammate Zach Hocker clank a potential winning field goal off the upright before a stunned Superdome crowd, the veteran quarterback began trying to convince himself that he was simply meant to throw his 400th career touchdown pass in overtime.
Chalk one up for the power of positive thinking.
Brees hit C.J. Spiller with a short pass that the running back turned into an 80-yard touchdown on the second play of overtime and New Orleans won for the first time this season, 26-20 over the injury-decimated Cowboys on Sunday night.
"Right when the play call came out of (coach) Sean Payton's mouth for C.J., I thought, 'This is it. This is going the distance," Brees recalled. "I thought it was great for our team to have to recharge and immediately snap back into what we were going to need to do to win the game.
"That's how a team grows," the quarterback continued, adding, "Man, it makes for an exciting locker room afterward."
Brees, who missed New Orleans' previous game because of a bruised rotator cuff in his right (throwing) shoulder, completed 33 of 41 throws for 359 yards and two TDs in his return.
Brees said his shoulder "felt fine. Felt good enough, got the job done, so we're all good."
He is now the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw 400 touchdown passes; he did it in 205 games, faster than the other four.
Mark Ingram gained 128 yards from scrimmage on a combination of runs and short passes. Josh Hill caught a 3-yard touchdown pass for New Orleans (1-3) and Khiry Robinson had a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Dallas quarterback Brandon Weeden, filling in while Tony Romo recovers from a broken clavicle, came through with 91-yard touchdown drive to tie the game in the final minutes of regulation, only to lose his 10th straight start overall, tying him with Blaine Gabbert for the longest such streak among active QBs.
The tying touchdown was as clutch as it gets — a 17-yard pass to Terrance Williams on fourth down with less than 2 minutes left.
Brees then quickly marched New Orleans into what should have been easy field goal range, only to have the celebration delayed when Hocker, a first-year kicker who had hit from 51 yards earlier, hit the left upright from 30 yards out, crouching in agony afterward.
"It's unacceptable, but (I'm) thankful those guys have my back out there," Hocker said. "Next time I'm going to get it."
New Orleans won the toss and took the ball first. Two plays later, the game was over on the first TD of the season by Spiller, who was signed as a free agent last offseason.
"I knew nobody was going to catch him," Brees said.
Dallas safety Barry Church had the best chance to make a game-saving tackle, but was no match for Spiller's speed.
"We were in man-to-man coverage, and Brees saw that from the jump and saw we had a linebacker on Spiller," Church said. "He laid the ball up there perfectly for him. I tried to get over the top to help him out, but he was down the sideline."
Joseph Randle had a 1-yard TD run for Dallas (2-2), which failed to win what would have been an 11th-straight regular season road game. But even with New Orleans struggling, winning in the Superdome was going to be a tall order for a Cowboys squad riddled with injuries.
Earlier in the week, Dallas had ruled out star receiver Dez Bryant (foot) and defensive end Randy Gregory (ankle), who was a second-round draft pick last spring.
Meanwhile, defensive end Greg Hardy was serving the final game of his domestic violence suspension.
On top of that, linebacker Sean Lee left in the first half with a concussion. Then, Lance Dunbar, who rushed for 54 yards in the first half, had to be helped off the field with a knee injury after returning the kickoff to open the second half.
"When you lose your two franchise players like Tony and Dez, it's tough, but that's what happens in this league," said tight end Jason Witten, who had four catches for 57 yards. "You have to regroup. This team doesn't make excuses, and we'll get back at it."
contrast, the Saints benefited not only from having Brees back, but also cornerback Keenan Lewis (hip), safety Jairus Byrd (knee) and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (toe) in the lineup for the first time this season.
NOTES: Before his missed field goal, Hocker not only made a pair of field-goal attempts, but also hit a clutch 43-yard punt to the Dallas 9 in the fourth quarter while filling in for regular punter Thomas Morstead, who was icing an apparent quad injury. ... Dallas coach Jason Garrett said Dunbar's knee injury appeared serious.
AP NFL websites: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Posted on Mon, October 5, 2015 by BRETT MARTEL, AP Sports Writer
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Two Tenth Ward boat launches to see improvements
Measures passed at Tuesday’s Lafourche Parish Council public meeting will improve two boat launches in Ward 10 of the parish, and provide for the purchase of another.
The council voted on two resolutions to enter into agreements to do repair work and eliminate some congestion at the Golden Meadow Boat Launch, approving a contract between Picciola and Associates for engineering services for the project and accepting the low bid of $16,077 to do the repairs.
According to the engineer, Joe Picciola, the repairs include improving washouts at the end of the launch ramps and constructing additional dock space away from the immediate launch area.
The work will be performed by SBL Construction, LLC, of Golden Meadow.
The Leeville Boat Launch will finally see the construction of the long-awaited pavilion and fishing pier, beginning on May 1 at which time Thomassie Construction of Thibodaux will begin preliminary excavation and driving pilings.
The pier and pavilion systems will show up during that time and full-blown construction will take place within two weeks of the May beginning, said Councilman Daniel Lorraine.
“It’s been a long, hard-fought battle to get this,” he said.
Finally, an ordinance authorizing the purchase of the Mercer Boat Launch and properties located on the Delta Farms Road for $310,000 was set to be voted on by the Council but deferred again pending further discussion with the South Lafourche Levee District (SLLD).
SLLD owns a right-of-way within the launch area along the floodwall that extends from the Intracoastal Waterway to the Delta Farms Road.
SLLD General Manager Windell Curole said that his board and the parish must agree on certain conditions which protect the levee district, such as SLLD’s ability to access the launch during certain emergencies, but sees no major problems which might block an agreement.
“Because it is a public boat launch with public benefits, the SLLD board will gladly turn over surface rights. We want to work with the parish to help make it a first-class launch,” said Curole.
Discussion will take place at the next SLLD public meeting in May.
The ordinance was deferred until the council’s May 23 meeting.
Posted on Fri, April 28, 2017 by Buster Avera, Contributing Writer
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The Tolkien Trust
Founded 1 April 1977
Location Oxford
Type Charitable incorporated organisation
Key people Christopher Tolkien
Priscilla Tolkien
Baillie Tolkien
Michael George Tolkien
Website www.tolkientrust.org
The Tolkien Trust is a British charity founded in 1977 by J.R.R. Tolkien's children. As a charitable trust, it makes grants to a wide variety of organisations at the discretion of the current trustees.[1] It does not manage Tolkien's literary estate,[2] even though its source of income is via the copyright it owns to some of Tolkien's works that were formerly owned by The Tolkien Estate.
1.1 Litigation
2 Copyrights
3 Finances
[edit] Activities
Created on 1 April 1977, and registered with the Charity Commission from 2 June 1977, the Trust was founded by J.R.R. Tolkien's four children: John, Michael, Christopher and Priscilla. Today, the trustees of the charity are Christopher, Priscilla, Michael George Tolkien (son of Michael, succeeding his sister Joan as a trustee in 2008),[3] and Christopher's wife Baillie Tolkien.[4]
The Trust makes grants to other charitable causes at the discretion of the trustees. It currently does not accept unsolicited applications for funding,[5] but does list a number of specific areas it supports:
1. emergency and disaster relief
2. overseas aid and development
3. the homeless and refugees
4. healthcare charities, especially those focusing on illnesses of childhood and old age, the needs of disadvantaged communities and medical research
5. religious causes promoting peace and reconciliation and work with impoverished communities
6. environmental causes
7. education and the arts
—About The Tolkien Trust
In the period 2008-13, sizeable grants (£100,000 and over) have been made to: Enfants du Monde, The Grail Centre Trust, Oxfam, Rebuilding Sri Lanka,[3] Action Against Hunger (Haiti Earthquake Appeal), Médecins Sans Frontières (Haiti Earthquake Appeal), UNICEF (Haiti Earthquake Appeal), University of Manitoba (Alan Klass Memorial Fund),[6] Action Against Hunger (Pakistan Flooding), Find Your Feet, King Edward's School Birmingham Trust, Médecins Sans Frontières (Pakistan Flooding), Oxfam (Pakistan Flooding), UNICEF,[7] and The Bodleian Library.[8] On top of that, The Tolkien Trust has also been listed as a supporter of Birdlife International,[9] the Koestler Trust,[10] the Orchestra of St. John's,[11] the Oxford Botanic Garden,[12] the Prisoners' Educational Trust,[13] and the WWF.[14]
[edit] Litigation
From 2003 and 2006 the Trust and The Tolkien Estate demanded royalties from The Lord of the Rings films.[15] Following claims from New Line Cinema that the films failed to make a profit, on 11 February 2008 The Tolkien Trust, The Tolkien Estate and HarperCollins filed a lawsuit seeking at least $150 million (7.5% of gross revenue) in damages. They accused New Line Cinema of "unabashed and insatiable greed" and the "infamous practice of creative 'Hollywood accounting'."[16] The claim, which also attempted to stop production of the forthcoming Hobbit films, was concluded on 8 September 2009 with an out-of-court settlement.[17] Christopher Tolkien said that they "regret that legal action was necessary, but are glad that this dispute has been settled on satisfactory terms"[18] and that "New Line may now proceed with its proposed films of 'The Hobbit'", whilst their lawyer said that they "feel vindicated and are entirely satisfied with the terms of the settlement." Alan Horn, president of Warner Bros. (owners of New Line Cinema) said "we all look forward to a mutually productive and beneficial relationship in the future".[19] Although both sides refused to reveal the size of settlement - simply saying that the Tolkien Trust would receive a "significant portion" - the Trust's accounts reveal that in 2009 and 2010 it received £24 million and £1.6 million respectively in film rights,[3][6] and in 2011 it received £603,515 in merchandising rights.[7]
On the 19 November 2012, Priscilla Tolkien as a trustee of The Tolkien Trust, The Tolkien Estate and HarperCollins ("the plaintiffs") filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and the Saul Zaentz Company ("the defendants") seeking damages of $80 million.[20] They claimed that Tolkien's copyright had been breached and that the defendants had no right to sell themed slot machines and downloadable video games; in the claim the plaintiffs state: "Not only does the production of gambling games patently exceed the scope of defendants' rights, but this infringing conduct has outraged Tolkien's devoted fan base, causing irreparable harm to Tolkien's legacy and reputation and the valuable goodwill generated by his works."[21] They assert that the merchandising rights only extend to physical, and not electronic, products.[22] On 11 March 2013, Saul Zaentz and Warner Bros. filed counter-claims against the plaintiffs (including The Tolkien Trust) arguing that as a result of the Estate's actions the defendants had lost out on merchandising income, and that there has been a breach of good-faith by the Estate and the Trust.[23]
[edit] Copyrights
The primary assets of The Tolkien Trust are the copyrights to certain works by J.R.R. Tolkien which continue to provide income to the Trust. The assets held by The Tolkien Trust are a number of (many posthumous) publications by J.R.R. Tolkien:[3]
Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary[24]
The Fall of Arthur[24]
The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún
Renewal copyrights in The Lord of the Rings in the USA
Roverandom
Smith of Wootton Major
Author royalties from The Tolkien Family Album
40% of the renewal copyrights in The Tolkien Reader in the USA
Tree and Leaf
"published editions of various philological writings and fragments"[24]
The Trust also holds a number of sundry assets:
Letters from Tolkien to A.B.M. Ronald and C. Martin (see "Letter to Amy Ronald (15 March 1969)" and "Letter to Amy Ronald (20 March 1969)")
Posters drawn by Pauline Baynes
"Certain unpublished papers, letters, artistic works, pictures, photographs and other documents originally forming part of the Estate of J R R Tolkien, and the copyright in such materials formerly owned by the Estate."[24]
[edit] Finances
The Trust does not partake in any fund-raising activity: all income received constitute royalties from copyrights and subsequent investments. Although the Trust holds literary assets no value is provided for them on the grounds that it would not be "practical and cost-effective"; as such, the primary assets of the Trust are cash and investments (bonds and shares). The Trust has an ethical investment policy so has no investment in tobacco, or the manufacture of armaments.[3] In 2012, gambling services was added to the list of investments the Trust would not hold.[8]
The Trust was founded on 1 April 1977 and its financial year was the same as the United Kingdom's fiscal year for individuals (6 April - 5 April). In 2013 the existed unincorporated charity was closed and its assets transferred to a new charitable incorporated organisation; the new charity's financial year is the same as the calendar year.[24]
2008-9[3]
2009-10[6]
Income £24,536,138 £2,017,443 £1,752,286 £1,717,200 £1,942,814
Expenditure £2,324,124 £4,397,323 £1,395,694 £1,091,223 £1,169,680
(on charitable activities) £1,098,289 £3,712,300 £1,141,114 £811,526 £681,906
Assets £27,511,980 £26,290,897 £26,876,848 £27,523,341 £27,521,895 £28,489,210
The Tolkien Estate, the company which holds the majority of J.R.R. Tolkien's literary estate
The Tolkien Society, an independent charity which aims to promote J.R.R. Tolkien, whose vice-president is Priscilla Tolkien
Middle-earth Enterprises, formerly Tolkien Enterprises, an American company which holds the adaptation and merchandising rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
[edit] External links
Charity overview of The Tolkien Trust (no. 1150801), the current charity (2013-present)
Charity overview of The Tolkien Trust (no. 273615), the preceding charity (1977-2013)
↑ "Charity overview - The Tolkien Trust", Charity Commission (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ "FAQ", The Tolkien Trust (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "The Tolkien Trust - Accounts for the Year Ended 5 April 2009", Charity Commission (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ "Contact and trustees - The Tolkien Trust", Charity Commission (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ "Applications", The Tolkien Trust (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "The Tolkien Trust - Accounts for the Year Ended 5 April 2010", Charity Commission (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ "Major Donors and Supporters", Birdlife International (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ "How we are funded", Koestler Trust (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ "About our Supporters", Orchestra of St. John's (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ "Get Involved", Oxford Botanic Garden (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ "Our Supporters", Prisoners' Educational Trust (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ "Our supporters", WWF UK (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ Raphaëlle Rérolle, "My Father's "Eviscerated" Work - Son Of Hobbit Scribe J.R.R. Tolkien Finally Speaks Out" dated 5 December 2012, World Crunch (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ "Tolkien heirs sue Lord of the Rings studio for $150m" dated 12 February 2008, The Guardian (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ Alex Dobuzinskis, "Legal settlement clears way for 'Hobbit' movie" dated 8 September 2009, Reuters (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ Claudia Eller, "New Line resolves lawsuit with Tolkien Trust and HarperCollins over 'Lord of the Rings'" dated 8 September 2009, Los Angeles Times (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ "Warner Bros. settles lawsuit over 'Lord of the Rings' licensing payments" dated 9 September 2009, Los Angeles Times (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ Raf Sanchez, "JRR Tolkien's daughter sues producers of The Hobbit" dated 20 November 2012, The Telegraph (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ "Trouble in the shire: Tolkien family sues movie makers for $80MILLION over 'Hobbit' trilogy merchandizing" dated 21 November 2012, The Daily Mail (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ Daniel Miller, "Gambling's a really bad hobbit: Tolkien family and Warner Bros at war over Lord of the Rings fruit machines" dated 15 March 2013, The Daily Mail (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ Kelvarhin, "Making Sense of the latest Tolkien Lawsuit" dated 16 July 2013, TheOnering.net (accessed 7 July 2015)
↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 "The Tolkien Trust - Accounts for the Year Ended 31 December 2013", Charity Commission (accessed 7 July 2015)
Retrieved from "http://www.tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Tolkien_Trust"
Categories: British organizations | Organizations (real-world)
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« Maria Sharapova Glams Up for Porsche in California
WTA Gastein Mountain Top Draw Ceremony with Andrea Petkovic »
ATP Stuttgart: Kohlschreiber to Take on Fognini in Final; Mercedes Cup to Switch to Grass
Published July 13, 2013 | By Florian Heer
(July 13, 2013) Another sunny and hot day in Stuttgart began with a fully-packed program off the courts.
In the morning, the organizers of the Mercedes Cup presented their “Vision 2015”, the year when the tournament’s surface will switch from clay to grass. Themed by “Mercedes Cup serves green”, a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony took place with tournament director Edwin Weindorfer along local politicians, sponsors, guests like Boris Becker and Toni Nadal as well as officials from the ATP and the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, which supports the replacement at the venue with their know-how during the coming years.
“We were delighted when Stuttgart came very fast out of blocks in terms of expressing their interest in converting the tournament here from clay to grass,” said the club’s Chairman, Philip Brook. “We are very excited as Stuttgart will be a very important tournament ahead of the All England Championships.”
The Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart has been the only candidate so far, where the ATP accepted the tender for the new calendar structure featuring a three weeks grass court season before Wimbledon. Other applicants like the tournaments in Gstaad and Umag have to readjust their candidature.
Laurent Delanney of the ATP congratulated the tournament on their decision: “I think it is a great success for Stuttgart and the fans!” Right after the end of this year’s edition of the Mercedes Cup the alteration work on the first three courts will start.
Another off-court highlight was a tennis practice session for kids on Centre Court under the special direction of Toni Nadal and Andrea Petkovic.
The Spanish coach has attended the entire week here in Stuttgart to take part in a project called “Making of a Wimbledon Champion.” Moreover, a junior tournament took place with a couple of German youngsters in which the 18-year-old Maximilian Marterer took the title. Properly more important for him is the fact that he will be granted a wild card for the 2015 grass court premiere of the tournament.
In match play, the first contest of the day took place between Fabio Fognini and Roberto Bautista-Agut. The Italian, who knocked out top-seed Tommy Haas in the round before, played his 11th career ATP World Tour semi-final of which he only reached three previous finals.
Bautista-Agut played his second career semi-final after reaching the stage of the last four in Chennai earlier this year. Today, both players made a nervous start and the match began with three breaks in a row. Fognini, however, managed to find his rhythm quickly. The Italian had better length in his shots, put more variety in his groundstrokes and became the more dominant player throughout the match.
Fognini gained two more breaks in the fifth and seventh game to close the first set out after 22 minutes. Bautista on the other hand remained to be an unforced error machine in the second frame as well. Consequently the 25-year-old Spaniard lost his first service game and was only able to hold one after 35 minutes in the fourth game of the second set. It was the time when you might have thought that this could work as a wake-up-call for Bautista, as he could gain the break back in the seventh game but still couldn’t stabilise his play in general. Most of the time Fognini just needed to keep the ball in play to win the rallies.
The 26-year-old Italian broke serve in the eighth game to close the match out winning 6-1, 6-3 after 55 minutes. Fognini has joined his countryman Andrea Gaudenzi as only the second Italian to reach the final in Stuttgart since 1994.
After the encounter, Fognini was understandably happy. “During the first days it was difficult with the transition from grass to clay court but I improved day by day,” said the Italian. “Today, I think I played very solid and I hope to play like this in tomorrow’s final.”
He also told his thoughts about playing on grass here in two years time. “It’s strange and I can’t really imagine it by now. When you have a look around everything is red but when I come back in two years it will be on grass and that’s ok, as I like the courts and the hospitality.”
He also enjoyed playing in front of the German crowd, which seems to like his style of play and supports him, but he was quick to note his next opponent’s advantage. “If I play Kohlschreiber in tomorrow’s final, I think it will change but nonetheless I hope that I can finally win my first title on the Tour”.
In tomorrow’s final Fognini will have to face the German. Philipp Kohlschreiber broke a five-match losing streak against Gael Monfils yesterday and continued his success today defeating Victor Hanescu in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
In front of a fully packed centre court with 4,200 spectators, the 29-year-old from Augsburg showed a consistent baseline game, broke his opponent’s service in the fifth and ninth game of the opening set. In the following game, Kohlschreiber had to fight harder and it became an even encounter when Hanescu played up his game.
In the end it was the second seed, who gained the decisive break in the eighth game to eventually close the match out after 80 minutes of play. Kohlschreiber becomes the first German to reach the final in Stuttgart after Tommy Haas did so in 1999.
Kohlschreiber was glad that he was able to stick to his game tactic. “I played aggressively with a lot of spin in my shots,” said the German after his win. “That’s what (Hanescu) obviously didn’t like. I’m really satisfied with my performance today and that I could win the decisive points.”
About his opponent in the final he added, “Fognini has played a strong season so far this year, in particular on clay where he reached the semis in Monte Carlo amongst others. I think there will be no favourite in tomorrow’s final.”
Kohlschreiber also mentioned the Mercedes for the champion with a smile, “Maybe the possibility of winning the car might be the right incentive for me.”
In the second doubles semi-final Facundo Bagnis & Tomaz Bellucci defeated Dustin Brown & Paul Hanley winning 6-7, 6-4, 10-6 after one hour and thirty minutes of play.
Posted in Florian Travels the Tennis Tour, Lead Story | Tagged Andrea Petkovic, ATP Stuttgart, ATP Tennis, Boris Becker, Fabio Fognini, Mercedes Cup, Philipp Kohlschreiber, stuttgart final, Toni Nadal
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THE FRIDAY FIVE: IVANOVIC THE NEW FRAULEIN FOREHAND?
Published February 26, 2010 | By Tennis Grandstand
By Maud Watson
The New Fraulein Forehand? – A couple of weeks ago I criticized Serb Ana Ivanovic for appearing to disrupt the balance by focusing on too many off court activities while her tennis career was in a fast downward spiral. Today I must applaud her for once again seeking a full time coach, and a good one at that. Ivanovic has hired Steffi Graf’s former coach Heinz Gunthardt. Granted, each individual player has his or her own strengths and weaknesses, but given the champion player that Steffi Graf evolved into under the tutelage of Gunthardt, there’s reason to believe that Ivanovic may soon find her game back on track.
Career Resurrected – Nearly 7 years ago, Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero was on top of the world. He’d won Roland Garros, reached the finals of the US Open, and achieved the No. 1 ranking. Then, a bad bout of chicken pox and other miscellaneous injuries saw his ranking fall off the map. Nearly the forgotten man, it would be 6 years before he’d break his title drought with a tournament win at Casablanca in 2009. After a shaky start to 2010, El Mosquito has won Brasil and Buenos Aires back-to-back and has put in a good showing in Acapulco. His ranking is now in the top 20, with a realistic chance of being inside the top 10 for Roland Garros. It’s nice to see his hard work pay off, and maybe, just maybe, he’ll add another Slam to his resume before he hangs up the racquet.
Shakin’ with Shakira – While allowing his knee to recuperate, Rafael Nadal had a bit of fun making it on the small screen. The famous Spaniard teamed up with Colombian pop sensation Shakira to shoot a steamy music video for her new single Gypsy, which will be out this coming April. Don’t let too many tongues start wagging, however. Both are in long-term relationships and deny that there is anything going on between the two of them.
Cautious Federer – It’s rare to see the Swiss maestro pull out of an event due to injury or illness, but that’s exactly what Roger Federer was forced to do at Dubai this week. The 16-time Grand Slam winner is suffering from a lung infection. He hopes to be back at Indian Wells, but he’s making no promises. You can’t argue with Federer’s cautious approach. After all, part of what has allowed him to build such a stellar legacy is his relative good health and lack of injuries over the course of his career. That doesn’t happen by accident. He’s nearly always been excellent in setting his schedule and recognizing when his body needs to rest. This time is no exception.
Tomic Makes the Team – Due to a combination of his improving results and Hewitt’s unavailability for Davis Cup duty, Aussie Bernard Tomic has now become the youngest player to be named to an Australian Davis Cup squad. There’s no doubt that Tomic has the talent to make it to the top, but his attitude and meddlesome father have caused him more than his share of troubles in his young career. Perhaps a dose of maturity and a good showing for his adopted homeland will do much to improve his image and serve as a springboard to greater success.
Posted in Lead Story, The Friday Five | Tagged Ana Ivanovic, bit of fun, Buenos Aires, chicken pox, downward spiral, former coach, fraulein, Heinz Günthardt, Juan Carlos Ferrero, long term relationships, many tongues, Rafael Nadal, realistic chance, Roland Garros, spaniard juan, Steffi Graf, tennis career, time coach, title drought
Federer commemorative stamp launched in Austria: This Week in Tennis Business
Published September 30, 2009 | By Justin Cohen
From the Austrian Postal Service launching a commemorative Roger Federer stamp to the Andre Agassi Foundation raising $8 million during the Grand Slam for Children event in Las Vegas to former top-ranked doubles player Ai Sugiyama retiring from professional tennis to Li Na signing with IMG to tennis icon Jack Kramer being remembered at a memorial service at Starus Stadium at UCLA to John Isner and Melanie Oudin agreeing to team up in January to represent the United States in Hopman Cup, these stories caught the attention of tennis fans and insiders this week.
According to a report by AFP, the Austrian Postal Service will launch a commemorative stamp honoring Roger Federer and his record 15 Grand Slam singles titles. About 400,000 Federer stamps will be issued.
The Andre Agassi Foundation’s Grand Slam for Children event raised $8 million over the weekend in Las Vegas. The Engelstad Family Foundation also pledged another $7.5 million to Agassi’s Foundation over a five year period.
Ai Sugiyama of Japan has retired from the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour following a first round defeat to Nadia Petrova at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Sugiyama was honored on court during a special ceremony put on by WTA Tour officials and players to honor her remarkable career, which included speeches by her regular doubles partners Daniela Hantuchova and Katarina Srebotnik. Throughout her career, Sugiyama won six singles titles, 38 doubles titles and earned more than $8 million in tournament prize money.
Li Na, the highest ranked Chinese player ever on the WTA Tour, has signed a representation deal with IMG. “We are very pleased to have Li Na as an IMG client,” said Max Eisenbud, the Senior Vice President of IMG.
Tennis legend and the first executive of the ATP Tour Jack Kramer was remembered on Saturday during a memorial service at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on the campus on UCLA. Hundreds of people were in attendance during the service, as former WTA Tour star Pam Shriver and Los Angeles Times reporter Bill Dwyre acted as hosts of the ceremony. Barry MacKay, Tracy Austin, Donald Dell, US Open tournament director Jim Curley and former player Charlie Pasarell were among the speakers during the service.
John Isner and Melanie Oudin will represent the United States at the Hopman Cup from January 2-9, 2010 in Perth, Australia.
The inaugural Maria Sharapova South American Tour will take place from November 29 to December 4 and will feature the former Grand Slam singles champion and Argentine Gisela Dulko. The tour will feature exhibition matches between the players in San Paulo, Brazil on November 29, Santiago, Chile on December 2 and Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 4. Fashion shows, charity appearances and tennis clinics for the local children will also be a part of the three-city exhibition series.
The USTA and Levy Restaurants, the official restaurateur of the US Open, combined to donate more than 21,000 pounds of unused food from the US Open to City Harvest. City Harvest, which is based in New York City, is a food rescue organization that feeds people in need of food. “We are very thankful to the USTA and Levy Restaurants and for this generous donation,” said Jilly Stephens, the Executive Director at City Harvest. “Our long-standing partnership with the US Open demonstrates their commitment to helping us feed hungry New Yorkers.”
AEGON signed a five-year deal until 2013 to become the title sponsor of the prestigious Masters Tennis at Royal Albert Hall in London and will now be called the AEGON Masters Tennis. The tournament has featured former Wimbledon champions such as Pete Sampras, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg. “We are delighted to welcome AEGON as our new title sponsor,” said Peter Worth, the Senior Vice President of IMG.
Defending US Open champion Kim Clijsters has announced her 2010 tournament schedule. Clijsters will play at Brisbane, Australian Open, Fed Cup, Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, French Open, Eastbourne/Rosmalen, Wimbledon, Cincinnati, Montreal, US Open, Beijing and possibly the year-end championships in Doha.
The 2010 Davis Cup World Group opening round ties have been announced:
Spain vs. Switzerland
Russia vs. India
Sweden vs. Argentina
Croatia vs. Ecuador
Serbia vs. United States
Chile vs. Israel
Belgium vs. Czech Republic
Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu has signed a sponsorship deal with Lagardere.
Romanian Andrei Pavel officially retired from the ATP World Tour following a straight sets loss to Pablo Cuevas in his hometown tournament last week in Bucharest. Pavel, who lives in the United States, will continue to be the captain for the Romanian Davis Cup team and has plans to open a tennis academy in Arizona.
Argentine tennis player Sergio Roitman has announced that he will retire from the ATP World Tour at the conclusion of the Copa Petrobas Challenger tournament in Buenos Aires. Roitman reached a career high ranking of No. 62 in October 2007 and has won more than $1.2 million in tournament prize money. “It is a strange moment for me, but the time has come for me to leave professional tennis,” said Roitman.
A lawsuit filed against Frenchman Richard Gasquet has been dismissed in Parisian courts stating no finding whether he took cocaine or if somebody else was responsible.
A Serbian court has confirmed that Jelena Dokic’s father has been sentenced to 15-months in prison for threatening to kill the Australian Ambassador to Serbia.
The Tennis Industry Association (TIA) is set to launch the website, www.playtennis.com. The website is designed to allow people to join the sport, learn more about tennis and get on a system to become a frequent player. “PlayTennis.com will be the first step,” said TIA President Jon Muir. “We’ll get key messaging out there through this site. It’s a wonderful opportunity for all stakeholders to get behind.”
Nine tennis professionals earned the distinction of Master Professional by the USPTA. The nine honorees were honored during the recent USPTA World Conference on Tennis at the Marriott Resort, Golf Club and Spa in Marco Island, Fla. Only about one percent of the 15,000 USPTA members have achieved the Master Professional merit.
Cory Ross of Littleton, Colo., won the men’s open division $30,000 USPTA International Championships on Thursday in Marco Island, while Marina McCollom of West Des Moines, Iowa won the women’s open division title.
Robert Greene Jr., of Rangeley, Maine, who is the Director of Tennis at the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in Dixville Notch, N.H., earned the USPTA’s Alex Gordon Award for the Professional of the Year.
Posted in Lead Story, TSF | Tagged AEGON, Ai Sugiyama, Andre Agassi, ATP World Tour, Australian Open, Barry MacKay, Bill Dwyre, Bjorn Borg, Buenos Aires, Charlie Pasarell, Daniela Hantuchova, Davis Cup, Donald Dell, Gisela Dulko, Grand Slam, Indian Wells, Jack Kramer, Jelena Dokic, John McEnroe, Katarina Srebotnik, Lagardere, Los Angeles Times, Maria Sharapova, Max Eisenbud, Melanie Oudin, Nadia Petrova, Pablo Cuevas, Pam Shriver, Paul-Henri Mathieu, Pete Sampras, Richard Gasquet, Roger Federer, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, Toray Pan Pacific, Toray Pan Pacific Open, Tracy Austin, US Open, Wimbledon, WTA
Week 7 Preview: Buenos Aires, Rotterdam, San Jose
Published February 24, 2008 | By Around the ATP Team
The 7th week of the ATP Tour is coming up and so here is another preview. The preview includes Buenos Aires (Argentina), ABN Amro in Rotterdam (Netherlands), San Jose (USA).
* Singles Draw
* Doubles Draw
The South American claycourt swing heads to Buenos Aires this week and all the usual suspects are there to try to win this title. Three of the top four seeds are hometown players looking to claim their first title of the year – #4 seed Juan Ignacio Chela especially will be looking to turn around an abysmal start to the year but faces a very tough opener in Santiago Ventura. We will have to wait and see if this is one of the weeks #1 seed David Nalbandian decides to care about tennis (though we’d like to think he’d care at his home tournament), and it is #2 seed Juan Monaco’s first tournament back after a pretty serious ankle injury that dashed his hopes for a title two weeks ago at Vina del Mar; he also faces a tough opener in Agustin Calleri. Also joining the party and poised to make deep runs are this week’s Brasil Open finalists Nicolas Almagro and Carlos Moya, depending on how they rebound physically. Filled with claycourters and possible upsets, it’s really impossible to know how this one might turn out.
Despite losing world #3 Novak Djokovic before the draw was made, this tournament is clearly still the strongest of the week, as it boasts half of the world’s top ten (in fact, all eight seeds are in the top 20) and 125 ranking points more than Buenos Aires or San Jose. This means there are no easy draws, evidenced by the fact that #1 seed Rafael Nadal must open against tough Dmitry Tursunov right away in the first round and a potential second round with Lleyton Hewitt. In the very same first quarter of the draw, Marcos Baghdatis faces no easy task in first round opponent and indoor monster Robin Soderling.
Headed by #4 seed and defending champion Mikhail Youzhny and #7 Juan Carlos Ferrero, this quarter is easily the weakest of the four, and Youzhny is the obvious favorite to make it through to the semis from this section, but Ferrero should not be counted out either. This quarter is not without dangerous floaters, though. Gilles Simon or Feliciano Lopez could make for a tricky second round match for Youzhny, and while not his favorite surface, the fact that Tommy Robredo is ranked 19 in the world and is unseeded just shows just how strong this draw is.
The third quarter of the draw is where things really get interesting. Fresh off his uh, challenger win this week, last year’s finalist Ivan Ljubicic sees himself unseeded and thus will have his hands full – very full – with #5 seed Tomas Berdych in the first round. Right next to them in the draw is perhaps the funniest-looking match on the ATP tour with pint-sized Olivier Rochus taking on the giant Ivo Karlovic. #3 Ferrer’s draw to the quarterfinals appears to be a fairly smooth one, but he cannot overlook Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber.
In the final quarter of the draw, #6 seed Andy Murray, fresh off his Marseille win, should make it through to the quarterfinals, where he’d also be favored against #2 seed Nikolay Davydenko. Also lurking in this quarter is Michael Llodra, who could be a formidable player indoors if he gets his serve-volley game working, and local players Robin Haase and Raemon Sluiter, who announced that he is making this Rotterdam event his last ATP appearance.
What can we really say except that this is Roddick’s tournament to lose (which means he probably will). Stopped by Andy Murray the past two years in the semifinals and champion the two years after that, Murray’s decision to play the European indoor swing, as well as Ivo Karlovic’s, conbined with the absence of Fernando Gonzalez, leaves this tournament Roddick’s for the taking. Whether he will take it, we will have to wait and see. He faces lucky loser Chris Guccione, a late replacement Vince Spadea, in the first round and could face Delray Beach champ Kei Nishikori in what would be a most intriguing second round. At the bottom of the draw, James Blake will have to rebound quickly from the disappointment of losing the Delray Beach final and could face Robby Ginepri again, if Ginepri makes it there (he opens in a rematch of last week’s match against Michael Russell).
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this event is something not even related to the tournament draw at all. Tomorrow night, Pete Sampras will play an exhibition against Tommy Haas and the following night, the entire US Davis Cup team will be present with the trophy itself, which is making a stop in San Jose, for a nice celebration.
Posted in Archives | Tagged Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Buenos Aires, David Nalbandian, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Rafael Nadal, Rotterdam, San Jose
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Shamir - Ratchet
By: Derek Jung
Imagine a scene from a typical 80's movie, with opening credits over a red convertible driving through the desert at night , faint lights of a city flickering in the distance. The driver, dressed in a leather jacket, puffs on a cigarette and smirks as the camera pans out and the location becomes clear. This is Las Vegas, and the driver knows that he's in for a hell of a night. This was the image that swirled around my mind during the seductive opener to the album, "Vegas". Shamir, moniker of singer-songwriter Shamir Bailey, softly sings "We're sinners alright, at least at night" in his distinctively high-pitched voice. He may be young, but since Las Vegas is his hometown, he's experienced much of what Sin City has to offer and projects this sensuality throughout Ratchet. "Vegas" is our silence before the storm.
Shamir's dance-pop roots, while not as apparent on "Vegas", come in full view on the next three tracks, "Make A Scene", "On The Regular", and "Call It Off". These songs are meant for the dance floor, and Shamir is in prime form on these songs. With deep, robotic and catchy beat, "Make a Scene" encourages us to do just that, before launching into an amazingly danceable synth beat break. "On The Regular" showcases his rapping, stating defiantly that "Haters get the bird, more like an eagle./This is my movie, stay tuned for the sequel". I love the clinking cowbell that surrounds this track and the house beat that drives this single. It helps the song through powerful movements and ups the intensity of the lyricism of the raps, which is fluid but never really varies in tone. This is easily one of the catchiest songs of the year so far, and it was an easy choice in my Best of 2015 So Far list. The next track, "Call It Off", is a break-up song, but one that is excited to be free to party again. Shamir exclaims that he "just can't make a THOT a wife/No more basic ratchet guys" before belting out a disco-esque refrain of "It's time...to call it off".
These three songs, each one clocking in at less than 3 minutes, are definitely the highlight of the album, and if you're looking for the remaining 6 songs to be dance anthems like these singles, you're in for a disappointing listen. Yes, they have similar dance beats and catchy refrains, but they come no where near where the above three songs reach. "Demon" is a swing and a miss of a pop song, sounding like something your standard radio pop star would try to do, in a bad way, despite being pretty deep and vulnerable lyrically. "Darker" is a beautiful ballad that really highlights Shamir's vocals and showcases the vulnerability that was missed on "Demon". If this is what he sounds like toned down and soulful, I want to hear more.
Overall, this is a pretty solid full length debut that pushes the dance-pop vibe into new territory, flashes brilliance, and never lacks the flamboyant confidence or in-your-face attitude that we've come to know from Shamir. I think it's safe to say that the phrase "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" does not apply for Shamir; he's destined for bigger things...on his own terms.
My Number: 7/10
Tame Impala - Currents
Joseph: Tame Impala are at the top of the psychedelic world. Since their debut in 2010, this band has been blowing away fans of psychedelic music with their experiments in vocals, drum lines, and guitar riffs. If you don't know Tame Impala, you probably aren't a fan of The Grateful Dead or Phish, however if you are a fan of those then you'd probably say Tame Impala is one of the best bands on the planet. Tame Impala is in a rare position. A position to introduce the purists of the psychedelic genre to the world of the synthesizer. While the genre has been experimenting with synthesizers for years, there are many fans of the genre who believe that these melodies pollute the experience, and have thus avoided it. Well, if Tame Impala's transition to synthesizers doesn't convince them of the validity of the instrument, nothing will.
Currents is, in my opinion, the best album to come out of the psychedelic genre in a long time. From its frantic opening in "Let It Happen" to the final fade out (one of the few times I will ever enjoy a fade out because it's actually used properly) in finale "New Person, Same Old Mistakes," I believe bandleader Kevin Parker is trying to bring the purists of the genre with him. I think it will work.
My favorite song on the album, "The Less I Know, the Better," features a fantastic bass line that I have the strongest urge to sit down and learn and play with as much personality as bassist Cam Avery does. I also really enjoyed the opener and single, "Let It Happen," because this song is a great introduction to the synthesizer, as the instrument dominates the song at baby bear levels: not too much or too little, but just right.
You know it's funny because, in my review of X Ambassadors VHS, I said I prefer singles over album listening. Well, this still reigns true. However, this is the album I will remember at the end of the year when I think of my favorite albums of 2015. Not VHS. Why? Because I still greatly appreciate and respect an artist willing to sacrifice good singles and good radio airplay to churn out a phenomenal album experience. This is the expectation in the psychedelic world, and Tame Impala is now 3 for 3 when it comes to delivering a memorable album experience. While I do think things get a little too crazy around "Cause I'm a Man" and "Reality in Motion," as both of these songs have the tendency to mesh together, that's hardly a worthy complaint. This album is phenomenal, and I strongly recommend a listen to anyone who has had some experience with psychedelic music at some point in their lives. Now, I have the strangest urge to find some "substances" and listen to this album again. And by "substances" I mean water of course.
Derek: From the very first note, bandleader Kevin Parker wastes little time before revealing the new direction of the band on Currents. Gone are the grooving psychedelic guitar riffs found on Lonerism, replaced instead by a myriad of synths and pinpoint production tweaks that sends you on journey after journey into Parker's mind.
The lead single "Let It Happen" is aptly named; we just have to take the plunge and let it happen. This is a slow burning album, far from songs like "Elephant" that helped propel the band to headlining status in the last three years, and "Let It Happen" is the perfect introduction. This multi-section, nearly 8 minute long song is full of surprises, from the foggy synths, the looping, and the electronic vocals, to the familiar albeit brief return of electric guitar, this is the most complex and ambitious Tame Impala song I've heard to date (confession: At first, I thought the looping was my music player crashing). Not surprisingly, the song made my list of Top Songs in 2015 So Far.
After a brief interlude to catch your breath, Parker and gang continue the slow, but purposeful vibe for the rest of the album. There are no heavy guitar riffs, but there is a distinct focus on what they wanted this album to achieve. I really thought Nina Corcoran from Consequence of Sound captured it best on her review when she said that Currents is "dance music for closed eyes, opium over ecstasy, slow moves rather than sweaty motions".
One of the few misses for me appears right in the middle of the album with the song "Past Life". On it, a low, groveling voice, reminiscent of what people sound like when they want their identity protected during interviews, provides a clichéd narrative of an unexpected sighting of a lost love that rekindles old feelings. This, combined with dreamy synths and an awful chorus of "I'm a past life" with added quips by the voice, come together to form a horrendous song that should have been scrapped. Spoiler, the song ends when the narrator calls his lost love. Besides this hiccup, the upbeat "Disciples" and catchy chorus on "'Cause I'm a Man" thoroughly make up for any pain endured on "Past Life".
All in all, this is a great evolution for the band. While many will miss the heavy psychedelic guitar riffs from Lonerism, I think Currents brings something just as beautiful to their catalog, and something that people will be listening to for a while.
Final Verdict: 8.5/10
X Ambassadors - VHS
So I'm gonna essentially spoil my review right off the bat. VHS is not an album. It is a compilation of singles, thrown together with a horrible attempt at cohesion using what's meant to be a VHS player playing different memories from a person's life. However, the singles are fantastic, and some of my favorites of the year thus far. "Renegades" has already hit number 1 on the Alternative charts, and I expect several more songs from this album to hit that spot in the upcoming weeks as well.
If this first paragraph is any indication, it should tell you that I, on a general, surface level, enjoy an album made up entirely of decent singles. VHS certainly delivers on this front. We'll get to why I'm so high on this album but first? Lyrics. Lyrically, this album sucks. Let's just get that out of the way. Most of the songs try to be "edgy" and are made for today's mainstream hipster, with lyrics like "Won't you follow me into the jungle/ain't no God on the streets in the heart of the jungle." This is from the song "The Jungle," which was a major hit a few months ago. Wow guys, you're so edgy with a refrain like that! But it doesn't matter.....I freaking love this song. It's not my favorite from the album, but I can't help but jam out whenever I hear it. It's catchy, what can I say?
Ok, I can't help but laugh at that thumbnail. They're trying to hard to be edgy! Just stop! Do what you do best: make catchy music. So why am I so high on this album? Well, besides for the fact that most of the songs are catchy as hell, there's just something about the frontman, Sam Harris, and his brother, Casey Harris. So, personal anecdote: I saw this band live in Virginia back in March and discovered Casey, the band's piano player, is blind. I can't help but respect this band for just this reason alone. However, there's also something about the voice of Sam Harris. It really comes out in songs like "Nervous" and "Unsteady" on this album. He's not afraid to stretch the limits of his voice, which is more than can be said for most singers today. While the lyrics of "Unsteady" are very typical, opening with the line "Hold/hold on/hold on to me/cause I'm a little unsteady," Sam Harris makes the song extremely interesting and fun to listen to just with what he does with his voice. And yes, he makes the song, and many others on this album, good. In my highly subjective opinion.
There were a few other bold tracks on here as well. It was obvious these guys were simply throwing as many ideas against the wall as possible and seeing what stuck. Not all did. The biggest of these misfires was "Fear," a rather bold and (unusually) unique collaboration with Imagine Dragons. I tried to like the song. They really went all out trying to create something that doesn't sound like every other mainstream Alternative song out there. But, there's just too much production on top of the track tying it down. There's so much crap going on. The production makes this song a convoluted mess, because more is always better, right? Well....not so much here. Honestly I would love to hear a stripped-down version of this track, with just the band and the basic parts. I think that could be a great song. Such a wasted opportunity....
There isn't much else to say about this album. At the end of the day, I still had fun listening to it, and I've found myself playing it quite a bit in the car. I just wish they owned up to the fact that it is a compilation of singles thrown together and not bothered to include the VHS interludes. Honestly, I'm still not sure if that was supposed to be a VHS player. It certainly didn't sound like one, (since I'm old enough to remember what those sounded like) but why would you call the album VHS and then not make the interludes VHS-related? I don't know, and I don't care. It was just silly, and a horrible attempt at creating cohesion between songs. Despite the negatives, I'm still very high on this album because the singles are catchy, fun, and some of the songs are even good. This album is destined for my guilty pleasure list, and I'm certainly not ashamed to admit that.
Derek: Hans, you took the words right out of my mouth. This is, at its core, a collection of singles thrown together and sprinkled with some pointless interludes to call it an album. This could very well have been a X Ambassadors greatest hits album, spanning two decades of band development and a rotating cast of bandmates, that's about how much cohesion can be found here. Whereas a band like alt-J can add interludes to an album that actually make sense, this feels like X Ambassadors were trying to make a concept album for the sake of having a concept album.
For me this album had too much layering, too much production, and was too schizophrenic to be taken seriously. Yes, some of the songs are catchy; yes, these singles will get airplay. That being said, whatever meaning and emotions many of these songs were trying to communicate get lost in the sheer number of things going on. There are just too many bells and whistles. It's fitting that they collaborated with Imagine Dragons on a track because I have the same complaint about them too. Everything is overproduced to the point where I don't know what to listen to. So I won't.
Neil Young + Promise of the Real - The Monsanto Years
Neil Young has never been afraid to pick a fight with anyone. A little over a week after he made headlines for picking a bone with Donald Trump for using his song "Rockin' in the Free World" at a campaign rally, he releases an album taking aim at the controversial agricultural giant Monsanto, most famous for their genetically engineered seeds. Teaming up with Promise of the Real, which includes two of Willie Nelson's sons, Lukas and Micah, Young carves through 9 songs of scathing political commentary against all things Corporate America.
There's no mincing words on this album. Guns blazing, Young hits heavy and often. While there's a definite aging in his voice, he even sounds out of breath at times, you can never question his convictions or his distinctive tone. Churning, driving electric guitars feature on a number of songs that could easily translate into heavy improvised grooves on stage; others highlight Young, his acoustic guitar, and his signature harmonica.
On the opener, "A New Day For Love", Young declares emphatically that "it's a new day for the planet/It's a new day for love" with an optimism that isn't seen elsewhere on the album. From there on out the album delves into the struggles of American farmers, mother nature "enduring thoughtless plundering" on "Wolf Moon", and the evils of corporations, politicians, and, of course, Monsanto.
There's nothing necessarily new to this formula for the rock icon of over a half century, and that's not a bad thing. In fact, I think a number of these songs, especially jams like "Big Box" and fun whistler "A Rock Star Bucks A Coffee Shop" would fit right in with "Rockin' In The Free World" just as "Wolf Moon" would complement his other moon hit, "Harvest Moon".
All of that being said, there's something missing that Young had years ago. Whether age or inspiration, there are times where this album completely misses its target. There's only so many times he can say "Monsanto" before we get the point. But at nearly 70 years old, Neil Young is still the Godfather of Grunge, and he can still produce an album to bob your head to. Monsanto better watch their backs.
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SOILWORK post new track
The Godfathers of Swedish modern metal, SOILWORK, have uploaded the track "Two Lives Worth Of Reckoning" to their newly designed Myspace page. The song comes off their new album The Panic Broadcast, which is set to be released on July 2 (EUROPE) and July 13 (N. America) via Nuclear Blast!
The Panic Broadcast is the first album to feature original guitarist, songwriter & producer Peter Wichers since his return to the band in 2008! Produced by Wichers and mixed by Jen Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH, KATATONIA, SYMPHONY X), this is the record long time SOILWORK fans have been waiting for!
01. Late For The Kill, Early For The Slaughter
02. Two Lives Worth Of Reckoning
03. The Thrill
04. Deliverance Is Mine
05. Night Comes Clean
06. King Of The Threshold
07. Let This River Flow
08. Epitome
09. The Akuma Afterglow
10. Enter Dog Of Pavlov
Catch SOILWORK on their North American headlining tour this Summer with San Francisco Bay Area thrash legends DEATH ANGEL! Joining them will be Quebec's tech-death masters AUGURY, Roadrunner Records recording artists MUTINY WITHIN, and pirate themed thrashers SWASHBUCKLE.
SOILWORK, DEATH ANGEL, AUGURY, MUTINY WITHIN, SWASHBUCKLE
07/14/10 Jaxx - W. Springfield, VA
07/15/10 The Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
07/16/10 The Gramercy Theatre - New York, NY
07/17/10 The Palladium - Worcester, MA
07/18/10 FouFounes Electriques - Montreal, QC - CANADA
07/19/10 The Opera House - Toronto, ON - CANADA
07/20/10 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
07/21/10 Blondie's - Detroit, MI
07/22/10 Reggies Rock Club - Chicago, IL
07/23/10 The Rave - Milwaukee, WI ç + THE CRINN
07/24/10 The Rock - Maplewood, MN ç + THE CRINN
07/27/10 El Corazon - Seattle, WA
07/28/10 Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC - CANADA
07/29/10 Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
07/30/10 Slim's - San Francisco, CA
07/31/10 The Galaxy Theatre - Santa Ana, CA
08/01/10 Ramona Mainstage - Ramona, CA
08/02/10 The Clubhouse - Tempe, AZ
08/03/10 The Rock - Tucson, AZ
08/05/10 Emo's - Austin, TX
08/06/10 Ridglea Theater - Ft. Worth, TX
08/07/10 The Warsaw - Houston, TX
08/09/10 The Club at Firestone - Orlando, FL
08/10/10 Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
08/11/10 Headliner's Music Hall - Louisville, KY
08/12/10 Gil's Bar and Grill - Virginia Beach, VA
08/13/10 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
08/14/10 Diesel Nightclub - Pittsburgh, PA
08/15/10 Webster Theater - Hartford, CT
08/16/10 The Dagobert - Quebec City, QC - CANADA - SOILWORK ONLY
08/17/10 Music Hall - London, ON - CANADA - SOILWORK ONLY
08/18/10 Emerson Theater - Indianapolis, IN - SOILWORK ONLY
Tags: Soilwork, nuclear blast records, The Panic Broadcast
Jason Fisher May 17, 2010
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USA.com / Michigan / Wayne County / Belleville, MI / 48111
Basic InfoPopulation/RacesIncome/CareersHousingEducationOthers
48111 zip code is located in southeast Michigan. 48111 zip code is part of Wayne County. 48111 zip code has 67.46 square miles of land area and 2.31 square miles of water area. As of 2010-2014, the total 48111 zip code population is 42,026, which has grown 7.55% since 2000. The population growth rate is much higher than the state average rate of -0.50% and is lower than the national average rate of 11.61%. 48111 zip code median household income is $53,647 in 2010-2014 and has grown by 7.01% since 2000. The income growth rate is lower than the state average rate of 9.90% and is much lower than the national average rate of 27.36%. 48111 zip code median house value is $119,600 in 2010-2014 and has grown by -17.23% since 2000. The house value growth rate is much lower than the state average rate of 3.98% and is much lower than the national average rate of 46.91%. As a reference, the national Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate for the same period is 26.63%. On average, the public school district that covers 48111 zip code is worse than the state average in quality. The 48111 zip code area code is 734.
Population 42,026 (2010-2014), rank #26
Population Growth 7.55% since 2000, rank #250
Population Density: 602.34/sq mi, rank #245
Median Household Income: $53,647 at 2010-2014—7.01% increase since 2000, see rank
Median House Price: $119,600 at 2010-2014—-17.23% increase since 2000, see rank
Land Area: 67.46 sq mi, rank #287
Water Area: 2.31 sq mi (3.32%), rank #250
Area: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI
County: Wayne County
City: Belleville
School District: , rank #1076
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48111 Zip Code Map, Border, and Nearby Locations
Population and Races
Income and Careers
Detroit, Warren, Livonia Area
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USCCB > Issues and Action > Human Life and Dignity > Global Issues
The Good Life from a Catholic Perspective: The Challenge of Consumption
by Monsignor Charles Murphy
"Christianity is not about feeding yourself. Christianity begins with what people do with the leftovers." So spoke Professor Megan McKenna, whose field is social ethics, alluding to the biblical miracle of the sharing of the loaves and the admonition that the leftover fragments be gathered (Mt 14:20)
Faces fell. A certain religious complacency was pierced, giving way to a degree of consciousness-raising. It is startling to be told, in a culture as wasteful as ours that Christianity begins with what we do with our leftovers. Just visit a typical school lunch program and see the mounds of garbage. "Waste not, want not" means little to children brought up to believe that if something does not meet your taste or adhere to the current fashion, toss it.
A familiar statistic in this context begins to ring true: The industrialized countries, with only one-fifth of the world's population, consume two-thirds of the world's resources and generate 75 percent of all the pollution and waste products. The disparities between human beings who live in squalor and those who have everything money can buy are glaring in a world brought closer together through amazing advances in communication. This great disparity denies social justice, leads to ecological tragedy, and most of all creates a misperception of what the good life really is, which ultimately makes excessive consumption a religious question.
What and how much we consume manifest our conception of who we are and why we exist. The spiritual and cultural impoverishment that are the natural by-products of consumerism are evident everywhere. Money talks, but, as they say, "it has such a squeaky voice and has so little to say." How can our Catholic faith help us to find a more satisfying life for ourselves and at the same time make us more socially responsible in achieving it? I suggest three ways: the cultivation of the natural virtue of temperance; the gospel admonitions about the dangers of over-consumption and the fundamental requirement of love of neighbor; and, finally, the recent social teachings of the Church based upon the order of nature and the higher demands of gospel living. I will also provide some indications of what the good life might be like for us all.
Temperance as a Virtue of Living
More and more ethical theorists give credence to the role virtues play in building character. Virtues are being seen and appreciated anew because their cultivation can provide the inner strength needed to live happily and successfully. Without these well-established habits we are the mercy of external stimuli, and we become victims of our own disordered needs and passions. To be creative and contributing members of society we need a structure that allows us to use our gifts in a sustained way; the virtues provide such a structure. They are a wisdom for living that was recognized as far back as the ancient Greeks and beyond. The virtues are honored in the Scriptures as part of a household code of living on earth and were incorporated by the church fathers in their syntheses of Christian life.
Among our four "cardinal," or "hinge," virtues that humans find essential is the virtue of temperance; with prudence, justice, and fortitude, temperance is regarded as one of the hinges on which hangs the gate to a happy life.
In his classic study of the cardinal virtues, Josef Pieper is quick to point out that the rich meaning of temperance is not captured by the concept of moderation. Moderation is only a small part of temperance, the negative part. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, temperance gives order and balance to our life. It arises from a serenity of spirit within oneself. The reasonable norm allows us to walk gently upon the earth. Temperance teaches us to cherish and enjoy the good things of life while respecting natural limits. Temperance in fact does not diminish but actually heightens the pleasure we take in living by freeing us from a joyless compulsiveness and dependence. Temperance therefore means a lot more than the so-called "temperance movement" regarding the consumption of alcohol!
E.F. Schumacher, in his most influential book, Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered, contrasts the consumerist way of life which multiplies human wants with the simple life whose aim is to achieve maximum well-being with the minimum use of the earth's resources. The "logic of production" that demands more and more grown in consumption is a formula for disaster, he argues. "Out of the whole Christian tradition," Schumacher concludes, "there is perhaps no body of teaching which is more relevant and appropriate to the modern predicament than the marvelously subtle and realistic doctrines of the Four Cardinal Virtues" and in particular temperance that means knowing when "enough is enough."
The Gospel and Wealth
When Pope John Paul II paid his first visit to the United States in 1979, he delivered one of his most memorable homilies on the subject of consumption. Speaking to a congregation gathered in New York City at Yankee Stadium, the Holy Father said:
Christians will want to be in the vanguard in favoring ways of life that decisively break with the frenzy of consumerism, exhausting the joyless. It is not a question of slowing down progress, for there is no human progress when everything conspires to give full reign to the instincts of self-interest, sex and power. We must find a simple way of living.
For it is not right that the standard of living of the rich countries would seek to maintain itself by draining off a great part of the reserves of energy and raw materials that are meant to serve the whole of humanity. For readiness to create a greater and more equitable solidarity between people is the first condition of peace. Catholics of the United States, and all you citizens of the United States, you have such a tradition of spiritual generosity, industry, simplicity and sacrifice that you cannot fail to heed this call today for a new enthusiasm and a fresh determination. It is in the joyful simplicity of a life inspired by the Gospel and the Gospel's spirit of fraternal sharing that you will find the best remedy for sour criticism, paralyzing doubt and the temptation to make money the principle means and indeed the very measure of human advancement.
As the basis of his teaching, the Holy Father drew upon the parable in St. Luke's Gospel regarding Lazarus and the rich man. The Lukan Gospel is particularly harsh regarding the hazards of wealth. The parable may be read as another illustration of the biblical saying that it is easier for a camel to pass through the needle's eye than for a rich person to enter God's kingdom (Lk 18:25). What is noticeable in the parable is that the rich man is condemned because he is rich. Enclosed in his world of wealth and self-sufficiency that wealth brings, he simply failed to notice Lazarus begging at his gate, much less help him. Even the natural world, symbolized by the dogs licking Lazarus' sores, displayed more sympathy. The rich man's incurable spiritual condition continues into eternity and becomes permanent. The parable takes on a contemporary meaning when Abraham rejects the suggestion that Lazarus return from the dead to warn the rich man's brothers of the fate that awaits them should they not repent. The rich man (and ourselves) are told: "They have Moses and the prophets, let them listen to them. If they do not heed Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe if someone be raised from the dead". (Lk 16:29, 31). This is precisely our situation: we attend church and hear the scriptures proclaimed and we believe in the teachings of the Risen One. This should be enough for us to repent from our acquisitive way of life.
St. Matthew tempers the first of Jesus' beatitudes with the qualifying "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Mt 5:3); in Luke Jesus boldly declares, "Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours" (Lk 6:20). Why are the poor in such an advantageous position? It is because in the Bible the poor ones have only Yahweh to look to for their help; thus they are able to recognize the radical human dependency that is the condition of every creature before God. Wealth, on the other hand, creates the illusion of independence and self-sufficiency, a dangerous posture.
Going beyond human virtues like temperance, the Gospel demands a "higher righteousness." Jesus tells the rich young man who says he has observed all the commandments since childhood, "There is still one thing left for you: sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have a treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me" (Lk 18:22). Jesus demands detachment from wealth and prescribes the just use of monetary resources. As later church teaching highlights, he asks that our preferential love go particularly to the poor. Included today with the poor and the exploited must be the whole natural world.
When the Church fathers take up the same theme of personal consumption, they not only have the spiritual dangers of wealth in mind but also the idyllic common life that Luke describes in the Acts of the Apostles. There all things were held in common and distributed according to everyone's needs (Acts 2:44-45). In his 1967 encyclical letter on the development of peoples, Populorum Progressio, Pope Paul VI drew upon St. Ambrose to emphasize the universal purpose of all created things, a purpose not abrogated when certain things become someone's private property. St. Ambrose wrote: You are not making a gift of your possessions to the poor person. You are handing over to him what is his. For what has been given in common for the use of all, you have abrogated to yourself. The world is given to all, and not only the rich.
St. Basil, in a much-quoted homily, once declared that the bread we clutch in our hands belongs to the starving, the cloak we keep locked in our closet belongs to the naked, the shoes we are not using belong to the barefooted. In these ways in the post-biblical age Christians strove to keep a religious perspective on their use of material things.
Consumption in Light of Church Teaching
Part of the background of Pope Paul IV's encyclical Populorum Progressio was a journey he made to India where he saw firsthand its wretched poverty. In that encyclical he proposed a fundamental human right to development, a right he saw as impeded by the phenomenon of "overdevelopment" in some parts of the world. But even as he advocated the cause of development, Pope Paul was careful to give a distinctively Christian interpretation to what desirable development might be: it is, he said, the right not to "have" more but to "be" more.
Pope John II built upon these insights when in 1991 he wrote Centesimus Annus. Although the occasion for this encyclical was the 100th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum that started the whole modern phase of the Church's social teaching, John Paul focused on the new opportunities and dangers accompanying the collapse of the communist ideology. With market forces now unleashed across the world, he cautioned about consumer attitudes and lifestyles that could be improper and also damaging physically and spiritually. "It is not wrong to want to live better,'' he writes; "what is wrong is a style of life which is presumed to be better when it is directed towards 'having' rather than 'being', and which wants to have more, not in order to be more but in order to spend life in enjoyment as an end in itself' (No. 36). "Equally worrying," he goes on, "is the ECOLOGICAL QUESTION which accompanies the problem of consumerism and which is closely connected to it. In his desire to have and to enjoy rather than to be and to grow, man consumes the resources of the earth and his own life in an excessive and disordered way" (No. 37).
Consumer choices and consumer demands are moral and cultural expression of how we conceive of life. Is life all about working and spending and working more to have more to spend? Could not it rather all be about contemplation, what the pope calls a "disinterested, unselfish and aesthetic attitude that is born of wonder in the presence of being and of the beauty which enable one to see in visible things the message of the invisible God who created them" (No. 37)?
The question of defining more accurately what the good life is has become especially acute. In her helpful book, The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline in Leisure, Juliet Schor documents how American households find themselves locked into an insidious cycle of work and spend. Households go into debt to buy products they do not need and then work longer than they want in order to keep up with the payments. She makes the telling observation that "shopping is the chief cultural activity in the United States."
In 2005 the University of California, Los Angeles, published the results of a four-year study on how the modern American family lives. It disclosed four disturbing trends: loss of frequent, significant contact among family members, less and less unstructured time, mounting clutter in the home and constant flux in daily activity. Regarding the ever-increasing amounts of clutter, the study observed that the typical American family owns more than most Egyptian pharaohs in their heyday. The world has never seen consumption like this on such a scale.
The good life should allow people to work at things that are personally satisfying and expressive of themselves. In his encyclical on the subject, Laborum Exercens, Pope John Paul calls this the "subjective" value of work. The good life should include also a certain leisure for, as Josef Pieper wrote, leisure is the basis of human culture. There should be opportunities to contribute to the common good as well as to pursue personal happiness. There should be time for family and friends, for worship and prayer. There also should be a certain asceticism to include a rediscovery of the benefits of fasting.
Fasting is part of the Gospel. It helps us to focus on the nourishment that can only come from God. It encourages good health and enhances our enjoyment of the good things of life, freeing us from a certain deadness in spirit. A reemphasis on fasting may not only put us in touch again with a gospel ideal but also increase our ecological awareness as we sparingly use scarce earthly resources. Fasting in the modern world can have a strong social justice meaning.
It is becoming increasingly clear that our obsession with the automobile and our over-dependence upon limited world oil resources is fostering great political and economic instabilities throughout the globe. Increased energy efficiency and less energy gluttony must become part of our public policy for global survival.
Thomas Merton in his Thoughts in Solitude raises the specter of the desertification of life on this planet. The desert, he writes, once was a privileged place for the encounter with God because there humanity could find nothing to exploit. "Yet look at deserts today. What are they?" He says they have become testing grounds for bombs as well as the locations for glittering towns "through whose veins money runs like artificial blood." "The desert moves everywhere. Everywhere is desert," Merton concludes.
Pope Benedict XVI in the homily given at his Mass on inauguration as pope also raised the spectre of the deserts that are growing on the planet, deserts that are both spiritual and material. The pope said that is cannot be a matter of unconcern that so many of our contemporaries are living in the desert. "There is the desert of poverty, the desert of hunger and thirst, the desert of abandonment...These external deserts are growing", he asserted, "because the internal deserts have become so vast. Therefore the earth's treasures no longer serve to build God's garden for all to live in, but they have been made to serve the powers of exploitation and destruction".
Monsignor Charles Murphy P.A., S.T.D., serves as director of the permanent diaconate in the Diocese of Portland, Maine, Former rector of the North American College, Vatican City. He is the author of several books including At Home on Earth: Foundations for a Catholic Ethic of the Environment (New York: Crossroad, 1989).
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Best television of 2017
Man, I watch too much television. Netflix must love me, though.
As a kid, after-school television was the highlight of my weekdays. Much to my mum’s behest, that was reruns of Saved by the Bell; on the rare occasion, Gilmore Girls would be airing in its place. I wasn’t obsessed with the show at the time, although I was into it enough that when I heard the news of the revival, it spurred me on to watch the original series in its entirety – all thanks to Netflix.
Once I had relieved the cozy, small-town goings on of Stars Hollow, I eventually reached the 2016 sequel to the original series – Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. The four-episode revival relies heavily on nostalgia, whilst exploring where these characters have been and what they have done in the past nine years. The show immediately delves straight back into the warmth that the original series emitted, especially from seeing the familiar characters again.
For me, Luke and Lorelai were the highlights of both the original series and the revival, along with the unique relationship between mother and daughter – Lorelai and Rory – which is extremely familiar to me from the best-friend relationship I have with my mum. A Year in the Life may have missed the mark on Rory’s character development, but it still knows that the most important aspect of this show has always been Lorelai and Rory’s relationship, and that doesn’t change at all.
I have also come to the realization through watching this series that I am slowly but surely turning into Luke.
The fandom surrounding the Marvel universe still irks me greatly, but I do appreciate some of the work that has been created; especially Netflix’s arm of the Marvel machine. Jessica Jones made me appreciate the ‘lesser’ characters within the universe (i.e. not the Avengers) and gave me a solid reason to continue to watch the shows included in the television universe.
You’d think that Daredevil would have been my first foray into the Netflix Marvel-verse, but I really don’t feel that connected to the series. I don’t know why but hold my attention as much as Jessica Jones did. I only watched it since all the shows are connected … and through my brother forcing me to watch it. And then came along the announcement of The Defenders, which would feature Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage.
Iron Fist became my third Marvel show, tied with Luke Cage (I watched both at the same time) in prep for The Defenders. What was intriguing with Iron Fist were the damning reviews; especially regarding Finn Jones portrayal of Danny Rand / Iron Fist. I didn’t see the issue really, he portrayed a man brought up for fifteen years in unconventional circumstances, brought back to Western civilization with a combination of innate powers and a juvenile outlook on life in New York.
Danny Rand wasn’t the conventional superhero that audiences were used to, and therefore stirred up a weird controversy which marred Jones in the press junkets and reviews of the show as a whole. I implored the difference in narrative and characters, even if the plot could fall flat in some instances. I really enjoyed Iron Fist; much more than I thought I would.
The Defenders had already come out by the point I had gotten thoroughly into Luke Cage (and the end of Iron Fist) and was so surprised by this series. It completely distances itself away from the rest of the Marvel television canon, painting its own socially conscious canvas, portraying an intimate setting of Harlem and the community struggles within.
It’s able to balance the superhero aspect from the reality, almost running two separate narratives of Luke Cage ‘finding’ his place in everything, and the criminal underworld of the fictional nightclub Harlem’s Paradise; run by Cornell ‘Cottonmouth’ Stokes with input from Stokes cousin and Harlem councilwoman, Marion Dillard.
Due to my inability to binge-watch, I eventually caught up with the rest of the world with The Defenders after watching the aforementioned shows probably in the wrong order. Along with my tendency to spoil certain plot points to make myself feel less anxious and don’t want my expectations ruined/crushed; The Defenders totally rules.
A limited series (sadly), The Defenders combines well-known characters of the Marvel television universe, finally working together as a team to kick some serious ass. The greatest aspect of the series – for me anyway – is the inventive use of the color palette.
Each series independently had its own color scheme: Luke Cage (yellow), Iron Fist (green), Daredevil (red) and Jessica Jones (blue). Once the team got together by episode four of The Defenders, the colors merged to create a dark, grungey atmosphere – fit for my favorite renegade Jessica Jones.
I can agree that Daredevil is fantastic television, but the characters just do not grab me. It wasn’t until the second season and Frank Castle was introduced that I actually cared for any of the characters of the show. I ended up being more engaged with a character that was first introduced in the series, rather than the characters I had already been on a journey with for the first thirteen episodes of season one.
He made the entire show for me; he had the most prominent character development in the span of thirteen episodes, and Jon Bernthal’s portrayal was prominent, powerful and emotionally charged.
The Punisher literally became the sole reason why I binged watched the hell out of season two and was hoping so hard that he’d get his own series. And what happened?
He got his own damn series. Certainly, the best Marvel has to offer at the moment, The Punisher isn’t scared to delve into the dark depths of PTSD, anxiety and the aftermath of loss and war. It’s also Marvel’s most violent series, wasting no qualm at showing the brutalities associated with this kind of vigilante justice.
Maybe its just because I like the confidence in showing realistic brutality in what these ‘heroes’ do and the consequences, but The Punisher’s best aspect is how it humanizes and deepens the character of Castle than what was first portrayed in the second series of Daredevil.
It weirdly made me care more for Karen Page also; the chemistry between Castle and Page is electric and amazingly synchronized.
True Crime documentaries seem to be gaining popularity on streaming sites like Netflix, which is good for me since I’ve always been fixated on the intricacies and investigations surrounding these crimes. If I were better at science in secondary school, I would totally have a different career path in mind – forensic science.
As that ended up not to be my ‘destiny’ if you will, I do so vicariously through shows like Making a Murderer or The Confession Tapes; a show that came up in my recommended feed.
Focusing on six cases of possible false confessions, The Confession Tapes presents alternate views of the crimes committed, including interviews from those held responsible for crimes that they seemingly did not commit. Highlights for me in this series are ‘True East Part 1 and 2’ (EP01 + 02), ‘Trial by Fire’ (EP04) and ‘Down River’ (EP07).
Similar to how I began watching The Confession Tapes, Mindhunter came under my radar after Netflix figured out my viewing habits. Mindhunter is slightly different in the sense that it’s fictional but based on non-fictional accounts by FBI agents John E. Douglas and Robert K. Kessler; both portrayed as Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany).
I was originally aiming to binge on Ozark had I not seen the trailer for Mindhunter first and learned about its context, i.e. grotesquely true crime that is hard to imagine happening in real life.
Some of its dramatized, sure. But how the serial killers are modelled on actual convicted criminals with their prison scene dialogues were taken from real interviews is truly chilling.
I can’t remember how I came to find out about American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, but I’ve always been intrigued by this case. Once I became interested in true crime cases, I can remember this case coming up in a number of conversations with my Dad, as he drove past the crime scene in Brentwood a few weeks after the murders occurred.
When the series began to air in February of 2016, I had just finished reading Vincent Bugliosi’s book Helter Skelter: The Ture Story of the Manson Murders, and had begun Jeff Toobin’s book The Run of His Life: The People V. O. J. Simpson which I wanted to finish before I began the television show … meaning that I eventually got around to watching it in early 2017. I’m going to carry that process on before I watch the Gianni Versace and Hurricane Katrina chapters of the anthology series.
The People v. O. J. at times felt like an actual documentary, once you got past the actors portraying the real individuals involved in the case. It gives you a weird, eerie feeling when they get scenes such as the Bronco chase so perfectly right, along with the court proceedings. It immediately transports you to the time of the crime and trial.
I can remember when Stranger Things first appeared on Netflix and completely obscure. I sound like such a hipster, but I watched it before it was cool, man! It was interesting to see how the show exploded, though, providing Netflix with a starting point of original programming to become popular within the regular television sphere.
Season Two rolls along and I think I enjoyed it more than season one. I loved where they went with the narrative, plunging the kids into even more darkness than they were in in the first season, whilst splattering nostalgic references left, right and center. Along with that, the Duffer Brothers were able to carry the aesthetic over smoothly from the first season and made me fall head over heels in love with Steve (my GOD).
Ominous, murky, hilarious and laden with synth, Stranger Things is quickly becoming one of the phenomena of the 21st century.
Tumblr can be used for good … sometimes. The site introduced me to one of my now favorite television series ever: It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I first became aware of it after someone posting the famed ‘Pepe Silvia’ clip, to which I literally could not breathe from laughing at it so much.
Twelve seasons in and I have no regrets and have developed a huge crush on Glenn Howerton.
Season twelve has got to be my favorite season by far after each season got progressively funnier with twelve just topping it. ‘The Gang Turns Black’, ‘The Gang Goes to the Water Park’ and ‘Making Dennis Reynolds a Murderer’ are highlights of the entire series for me now.
When American Horror Story first came out in 2011, I wasn’t too sure about it. Similar to my stance on Marvel, I’m not a fan of the fandom surrounding it; especially in the way that they promote and make fan content towards the show like those insensitive ‘normal people scare me’ shirts.
Aside from that, I decided to watch the series once it appeared on Netflix. Towards the end of the first season, I began to have those familiar feelings of wanting to binge-watch – and that’s when you know you’ve got yourself into a good show (and a bad habit). Excluding the fandom, the show itself is fantastic and completely one-of-a-kind.
As Brian Falchuk has said of the series, the horror genre always lends itself to an aura of intrigue and that he and Ryan Murphy wanted to create a series that scares viewers. ‘You want people to be a little off balance afterward’, Falchuk states. And my G O D, it is.
I’m just about to begin Freak Show, and I don’t think I can even pick a favorite season yet. That’s the problem with an anthology series; each season is so unique and can become a favorite in its own right.
Labels: 2017, 2018, confession tapes, daredevil, feature, gilmore girls, iron fist, its always sunny in philadelphia, luke cage, mindhunter, stranger things, television, the defenders, the punisher, tv feature
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Washington Bangla Radio (India), September 5, 2009
Keanu Reeves to play Rama
Keanu Reeves (The Matrix) will play Rama in an upcoming movie titled “Hanuman”, according to reports.
Hindus are concerned. Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that if makers of proposed movie “Hanuman” intended to base the storyline on epic Ramayana, make references to it, or portray Hindu gods/goddesses in the movie, they would urge the makers to stay true to the story and the spirit of the timeless epic and other Hindu scriptures.
Gary Oldman (Nil by Mouth) will reportedly play Ravana, while Aamir Khan (Lagaan) has reportedly been approached to play lead Hanuman. Search is still on to find an international face to play Sita in this movie reportedly being directed by Chuck Russell (The Mask) and produced by Uru Patel (Cyborg 2). Shooting is reportedly expected to start towards the end of this year in Rajasthan (India), while the rest will be made in Hollywood studios.
Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that Ramayana was a highly revered scripture of Hinduism. Hollywood was welcome to make a movie about Ramayana but the final product should be the true depiction of it and not a fantasized or a re-imagined version to fit the Hollywood machine, which was likely to hurt the Hindu sentiments. Moreover, as Hinduism was largely misunderstood outside India, the distortion would add to the confusion. Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken lightly.
Rajan Zed further said that Ramayana was an integral part of Hinduism and was held in such reverence that Hindus believed that simply reading/hearing of it showered blessings upon the reader/listener. Rama, the hero of Ramayana, was incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and was worshipped by Hindus.
Ramayana, an ancient Sanskrit scripture that consists of 24,000 stanzas, explores various themes, including human existence, concept of dharma, etc.
Hanuman , Matrix, The
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Home » Defense
Listee Features — Defense
MAJ. BARBARA S. KING
Although Maj. Barbara S. King initially became involved in her profession to help pay for college, by the end of her basic military training, she was hooked. Immediately after graduation from advanced individual training, she began looking for full-time work in the National Guard, and nine months later, she was hired for the first in a long line of U.S. Department of Defense positions. Ms. King proceeded to garner experience overseeing the financial management and administration of various programs under the construction and facilities management office for the Missouri Army National Guard, and knew she was committed for life. Now a performance assessment officer for the Business Transformation Office of the National Guard Bureau, she parlays more than two decades
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Interesting Television Articles
Below are some interesting articles I've come across about various television shows...
- "The Wire": In the February 2008 issue of Esquire Magazine, David Simon, creator of the critically acclaimed HBO show "The Wire" gives a fascinating look into the newspaper industry through his story "A Newspaper Can't Love You Back". Really good writing about an interesting topic...
- HBO: In a March 2008 issue, BusinessWeek did an interesting profile "From Hitmen to Hitless" of the management issues at cable channel HBO as they attempt to replicate the success of "The Sopranos".
- "Heroes", "Lost", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" & other sci-fi shows: From it's May 2008 issue, Fast Company Magazine published the story "Rebel Alliance" about the successful young creators of hit sci-fi television shows... and how many of them were influenced by Joss Whedon, creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".
- "This American Life": In May 2008, Time Magazine published "10 Questions for Ira Glass" with the creator of the popular NPR radio show... that has since been adapted into a Showtime series by the same name.
- "Mad Men": I don't actually have a specific article linked, but have come across enough mentions of the AMC show that I'm interested in watching it from the series beginning.
Labels: "Mad Men", "The Wire", "This American Life", BusinessWeek, David Simon, Esquire, HBO, Ira Glass, Joss Whedon, Time
Time Magazine - Dec 8 Issue
"Zero Days" by Barbara Egbert
Esquire Magazine - December '08 Issue
"The Hard Way" by Mark Jenkins
Time Magazine - Nov 10 & Oct 6 Issues
Fast Company Magazine - Nov 2008 issue
"Boys Will Be Boys" Writing from Time Magazine
"The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch
"Saved" by Jack Falla
Barack Obama Victory Speech
November 4, 2008: Election Day
Excellent Writing: From Esquire
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Upcoming Series vs Rockies - Fireworks, LGBT Night, Sleeved Blanet, Fan Appreciation Day
What's going on at Dodger Stadium for the three game series against the Colorado Rockies?
Clayton Kershaw vs Colin McHugh
Fans are invited down to the field for Friday Night Fireworks presented by Denny’s immediately following the game.
It is also LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Night out at Dodger Stadium.
As part of LGBT Night, Amber Riley, along with members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of LA, will sing the national anthem. Riley, best known for her role on FOX’s Golden Globe, Peabody and SAG Award winning musical comedy “Glee,” can currently be seen on season 17 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.” Former Dodger Billy Bean, the second MLB player who revealed his homosexuality, and NBA player Jason Collins, the first active male professional athlete on a major North American team sport to come out publicly as a homosexual, will throw the ceremonial first pitch. Lance Bass of NSYNC, who came out in a cover story for “People Magazine” in 2006 will officially start the game with “It’s Time For Dodger Baseball!” Friday Night Fireworks will be set to music by DJ Manny Lehman.
Tonight’s Veteran of the Game is U.S. Army Sergeant Daniel Holmes of Brownwood, Texas. Holmes enlisted in 2003 and become a Military Policeman stationed at Ft. Hood, TX. Sergeant Holmes supported Operation Iraqi Freedom Two where he helped guard detainees and cleared people for customs. He has also served with the 6-30th Military Police Company in Bamberg, Germany. Sergeant Holmes is currently stationed at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA and serves as the primary broadcast journalist, responsible for producing news and feature stories for video and radio relating to soldiers of the Operation Group at Fort Irwin. His accolades include two Army Achievement, two Army Commendation Medals and a Combat Action Badge.
Zack Greinke vs Juan Nicasio
The first 40,000 fans in attendance will receive a Dodgers sleeved blanket presented by Farmer John. The game is sold out.
Yesterday, Clayton Kershaw was named the winner of the eighth annual Roy Campanella Award, which is given to the Dodger player who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame catcher. The award, which was voted upon by Dodger uniform personnel, will be presented to Kershaw by Campanella’s daughter, Joni Campanella Roan, during pregame ceremonies Saturday. Cary Roan, Roy Campanella’s grandson, will throw the ceremonial first pitch.
Adam DeVine, star of Comedy Central’s “Workaholics” and the movie “Pitch Perfect” will sing the national anthem.
Adrian Gonzalez will also be recognized during pregame ceremonies on Saturday as the Dodgers’ 2013 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award presented by Chevrolet. Gonzalez is one of the 30 Club finalists for the annual award, which recognizes a Major League Baseball player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement.
Hyun Jin-Ryu vs Tyler Chatwood
As a part of Fan Appreciation Day, fans in attendance will have the chance to win various prizes including: 2014 season tickets, roundtrip tickets to London on United Airlines, an HD TV from LG, game worn autographed Dodger jerseys, player meet-and-greet experiences, a visit from the Dodgers’ grounds crew, voicemail recorded by Hall of Famer Vin Scully, just to name a few prizes. Details on Fan Appreciation Day including a partial list of prizes can be found by visiting www.dodgers.com/fanappreciation.
Sunday’s ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by Austin Passy, a Grand Prize winner of the Dodgers Rewards program which rewards fans for engaging across multiple social media platforms. Dodgers Rewards which launched earlier this year has more than 13,000 registered users. Past prizes have also included batting practice viewing at Dodger Stadium, a Sandy Koufax signed baseball and a meet-and-greet with Yasiel Puig. More information on this program can be found by visiting www.dodgersrewards.com.
The Dodgers will hold a Postseason Rally following Sunday’s game and it’s free with a game ticket. Due to the Postseason Rally, Kids Run the Bases will not take place after the game Sunday. Dodger players including Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Hanley Ramirez and Yasiel Puig, manager Don Mattingly and Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda will partake in the Postseason Rally, which will be hosted by television talk show host Arsenio Hall. The Postseason Rally will include musical entertainment and a 2013 season highlights video that will be played on Dodger Vision.
In addition, immediately following Sunday’s game, two of the final prizes on Fan Appreciation Day will be awarded—two Dodger season tickets for 2014 as well as an all-expenses paid trip to Australia for two to join the Dodgers for their season opening games with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Sunday’s Veteran of the Game is U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Mark Andrews of Long Beach. Andrew has a special Dodger connection as his grandfather, Gordon Hahn, a member of the Los Angeles City Council in the 1950’s, was the tenth and deciding council vote needed to bring the Dodgers to Los Angeles. He enlisted in 2009 and following his basic training at Camp Pendleton, Andrews went to Pensacola, Florida to train on a Mobile Electronic Warfare Support System to become a Signals Intelligence Operator. During his 2011 deployment to Afghanistan, Andrews and his fellow Marines were involved in a raid in the Helmand Province in which he sustained an injury to his leg from a gunshot. He now helps to train Marines in his job specialty and manages the barracks for the 1st Radio Battalion. Andrew’s accolades include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Medal.
The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation have expanded the partnership with Vision to Learn to provide free eye exams and free glasses to elementary school students in low-income communities. As part of this Sunday’s pregame ceremonies, Dodgers A.J. Ellis and Brandon League as well as Dodger coaches and Dodger staff will sport customized Dodger blue eye glasses, which will be an option amongst the free eyeglass offered to students in need. Vision to Learn’s Founder and Chairman Austin Beutner will also be on hand for the launch of the Dodger blue eye glasses.
Labels: dodgers, homestand highlights, rockies, upcoming series
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Teachers' Centre Home Page > Find Content > Sky Stories:... > Indigenous...
Sky Stories: Indigenous Astronomy
Indigenous Astronomy: The Anishinabe of Central North America
Indigenous Astronomy: The Australians
Indigenous Astronomy: The Blackfoot of The North American Plains
The Anishinabe of Central North America
""Anishinabe" means "the people" in the Algonquin language. The Ojibway people of Canada who live in northwestern Ontario, Manitoba (east of Lake Winnipeg, the interlake area, and parts of the northern prairie region), and Saskatchewan use the word to refer to themselves.
Sky stories of the Anishinabe are part of a complex system of spiritual beliefs. Knowledge of the stars is found in many aspects of culture including storytelling, symbolism and religious traditions.
Some spiritual leaders have special knowledge of the stars and the planets. In ancient times, these indigenous astronomers used this knowledge to help guide the day-to-day affairs of their communities.
The Anishinabe have been given ways of communicating with the powerful heavenly forces. The oral teachings and stories which flow out of this communication between mortals and the spiritual world have been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning of time. For example, one of the most powerful symbols for the life force is the Sun. The need for its presence for survival is stressed in the ancient story called "Snaring the Sun." Read More
The Anishinabe have been given ways of communicating with the powerful heavenly forces. The oral teachings and stories which flow out of this communication between mortals and the spiritual world have been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning of time. For example, one of the most powerful symbols for the life force is the Sun. The need for its presence for survival is stressed in the ancient story called "Snaring the Sun."
To this day, the stories of the Anishinabe of Central North America featured in this project are remembered and told by respected storytellers. With the coming of the first snow, families gather around their elders during the long winter evenings, and the time for storytelling begins. In the summertime, when the plants are awakened and the animals are roaming about, these stories are not told, as the plant and animal "beings" might hear and be offended. The storytellers speak of these things only in the winter when the spirits are resting.
In our Anishinabe culture, only our "stargazers", some of whom are known as the Wabeno-innin, the "Morning star Men" or "The Men of the Dawn", are privileged to have a full knowledge of the Sky world. Much of their knowledge is sacred in nature and is used only under special circumstances associated with religious matters.
© Canadian Heritage Information Network, 2003
Story telling around a campfire
The Manitoba Museum
© The Manitoba Museum
Grandfather Sun, Grandmother Moon, and Mother Earth
According to the teachings of the Anishinabe culture of central North America, the first of all the mothers, Nokomis or Grandmother Moon, dwells in the heavens near her daughter, Mother Earth. From there, Nokomis keeps watch over her children, gently leading them through the night. Mother Earth nourishes and cares for all her children in the plant, animal, and human worlds. Just as life comes from Mother Earth, it returns to her, completing the circle of life. Each day, Grandfather Sun, the "one who brings morning", gives light and warmth to his children. Together, Mother Earth and Grandfather Sun provide the gift of life to all. The heartbeat of Mother Earth is echoed in the drumbeat of the Anishinabe. Even Wolf, who sings to the Moon, bids us not to forget our beginnings with Nokomis, our Grandmother.
Kiwetinanang, the Guardian North
Kiwetinanang, the Guardian North, brings winter and old age.
Wapananag, the Guardian of the East
Wapananag, the Guardian of the East brings new life, rebirth and healing with the sunrise and the beginning of a new day.
Zhawananang, the Guardian of the South
Zhawananang, the Guardian of the South, brings regeneration, nourishment, and warmth.
Ninkape-anang, the Guardian of the West
Ninkape-anang, the Guardian of the West brings wisdom and aging.
Gravity holds the Moon in orbit around the Earth.
NASA / U.S. Geological Survey
© NASA / U.S. Geological Survey
© NASA
The Seven Daughters of the Moon and Sun - The Pleiades
Seven sisters ignore their father’s instructions and descent to Earth in a basket.
The Anishinabe of Central North America believe that seven sisters ignored their father’s (the Moon’s) instructions and descended to Earth in a basket to dance and sing when their father was "low in the sky." On one of their visits, one of the young women was captured by a human being and fell in love with him. The couple was taken to the Sky world in a basket lowered to Earth by the bride’s sisters. While Grandfather Sun disapproved of the marriage, out of his love for his daughter he permitted the couple to visit on Earth from time to time. As for the remaining sisters, Grandfather Sun sent them to live further from the Earth, and to this day, they can hardly be seen.
One storyteller from the Fort Alexander Reserve in Manitoba, Canada, has explained the seasonal appearance and disappearance of the Pleiades with the story of seven children who loved to dance and play.
According to the Anishinabe of Central North America, seven children loved to dance and play, rather than help their parents in camp. The children’s mother we Read More
According to the Anishinabe of Central North America, seven children loved to dance and play, rather than help their parents in camp. The children’s mother went to seek advice on this problem and was told to place stones on their food. It was hoped that the children would appreciate the value of hard work if they were forced to remove the stones from their food before they could eat it. Unfortunately, this plan did not work. One day, the children danced so hard, they danced up into the sky where they can be seen to this day. Although you can clearly see them in the winter, they cannot be seen in the summer. It is believed that during the summer months, when ceremonies and dances are being celebrated by humans, the children join them, returning to the heavens with the onset of winter.
To the Anishinabe, the Pleiades is also known as the "Hole in the Sky" and is closely connected with religious beliefs.
The Seven Daughters of the Moon and the Sun
The seven daughters of the Moon and the Sun.
One of the seven children that loved to dance and play
One of the seven children that loved to dance and play.
The Pleiades
Sometimes, especially in the later stages of a star's infancy, a few remaining wisps of nebula reflect the light of their stellar offspring: These are known as reflection nebulae.
Robert Gendler
Robert Gendler © 2002
The Fisher - Part of the Big Dipper
The story of Fisher is unusual because most Anishinabe stories about the Big Dipper describe it as a Great Bear. The Fisher is a small fox-sized animal related to the weasel.
Fisher was a great hunter. He lived in the winter world with humans, birds, and other animals. Many times the winter was so severe that they would run out of food.
The Anishinabe of Central North America say that many animals perished from the cold and the lack of food during winter. One day he decided that their only hope was to go to the summer world and bring back the warm weather. But the villagers and animals of the summer world were not willing to share summer, so Fisher called all the winter animals and birds together to discuss what should be done. Muskrat, who lived between the two seasons, was the only one that knew summer was hidden on a faraway island. In the centre of this island, there stood a lodge and on the wall of this lodge, hung the bag of summer. No one could get near it, for it was closely guarded by Sandhill Crane and Frog. Even when all the summer creatures went out to hunt, these two guardians always stayed behind. If anything was seen approaching the island Read More
The Anishinabe of Central North America say that many animals perished from the cold and the lack of food during winter. One day he decided that their only hope was to go to the summer world and bring back the warm weather. But the villagers and animals of the summer world were not willing to share summer, so Fisher called all the winter animals and birds together to discuss what should be done. Muskrat, who lived between the two seasons, was the only one that knew summer was hidden on a faraway island. In the centre of this island, there stood a lodge and on the wall of this lodge, hung the bag of summer. No one could get near it, for it was closely guarded by Sandhill Crane and Frog. Even when all the summer creatures went out to hunt, these two guardians always stayed behind. If anything was seen approaching the island, all the hunters jumped into their canoes to go and see what it was. It would be extremely difficult for the winter animals to obtain the bag of summer.
A plan was created, and the time came for Fisher and his friends to make their move. Owl flew towards the lodge where Crane and Frog sat guarding their precious treasure. Owl landed and peeked inside to see where the bag was hanging. Next, Muskrat was sent to gnaw the hunter's paddles to the breaking point. The strongest swimmer of all the long-legged animals, Caribou, started to swim towards the island. As soon as the hunters spotted him, they jumped into their canoes and began paddling towards him. Caribou swam as fast as possible away from the island until the paddles broke and the hunters were stranded on the lake. Caribou then doubled back in to the lodge, catching Frog and Crane by surprise. He quickly grabbed the bag and ran until he met the winter animals. They took turns carrying the secret bag of summer into their world. When the summer animals finally drifted to shore, they began to track the winter animals to recover their secret bag of summer, finally catching sight of Fisher, who was now carrying the bag. Fisher took to the trees to flee from the summer animals, but he could not climb high enough to escape the hunter's arrow, which struck him.
The arrow took him clear into the dark northern sky, along with the secret bag of summer. Ever since that time, the summer and winter animals have agreed to share the seasons. Each would have six months of winter, and six months of summer.
The Creator knew that Fisher wanted to protect his friends from starvation and death, so he prevented Fisher from falling to Earth and placed him among the stars. Every year, Fisher crosses the sky. When the arrow strikes him, he rolls over onto his back in the winter sky, and when winter is almost ended, he turns over onto his feet and starts out once more to bring warm weather back to Earth.
Such teachings remind us that the harmonious survival and well-being of all creation is dependent upon the sharing and respect for the Great Laws of Nature.
The Story of the Fisher Constellation
Animation of the Fisher story
Flash Video
The story of the Fisher constellation is a favorite among the Anishinabe and is often told by grandfathers who live their lives as hunters and trappers.
The story explains the origin of the seasons and stresses the importance of cooperation, determination, self-sacrifice, and sharing for survival.
It also teaches us that each part of creation has its own special gifts for the well-being of all.
The story of Fisher is perhaps unusual in that most stories related to the Big Dipper describe it as a Great Bear.
In reality, the Fisher is a small fox-sized animal related to the weasel.
Many perished from the cold and the lack of food. One day he decided that their only hope was to go to the summer world and bring back the warm weather.
But the villagers and animals of the summer world were not willing to share summer.
So, Fisher called all the winter animals and birds together to discuss what should be done.
Muskrat, who lived between the two seasons, was the only one that knew summer was hidden on a far away island.
In the centre of this island, there stood a lodge and on the wall of this lodge, hung the bag of summer.
No one could get near it, for it was closely guarded by Sandhill Crane and Frog.
Even when all the summer creatures went out to hunt, these two guardians always stayed behind.
If anything was seen to approach the island, all the hunters jumped into their canoes to go and see what it was.
It would be extremely difficult for the winter animals to obtain the bag of summer.
A plan was created, and the time had come for Fisher and his friends to make their move.
That night, Owl flew towards the lodge where Crane and Frog sat guarding their precious treasure. He landed and peeked inside to see where the bag was hanging.
Next, Muskrat was sent to gnaw the hunter’s paddles to the breaking point. The strongest swimmer of all the long-legged animals was Caribou.
He started to swim toward the island and as soon as the hunters spotted him, they jumped into their canoes and began paddling towards him.
Caribou swam as fast as possible away from the island until the paddles broke and the hunters were stranded on the lake.
Caribou then doubled back into the lodge catching Frog and Crane by surprise.
He quickly grabbed the bag and ran until he met the winter animals. They took turns carrying the secret bag of summer into their world.
When the summer animals finally drifted to shore, they began to track the winter animals to recover their secret bag of summer.
They finally caught sight of Fisher who was now carrying the bag.
Fisher took to the trees to flee from them but he could not climb high enough to escape the hunter’s arrow which struck him.
The arrow took him clear into the dark northern sky, taking with him the secret bag of summer.
Ever since that time, the summer and winter animals have agreed to share the seasons.
Each would have six months of winter, and six months of summer.
The creator knew that Fisher wanted to protect his friends from starvation and death, so he prevented him from falling to earth and placed him among the stars.
Every year, Fisher crosses the sky; when the arrow strikes him, he rolls over onto his back in the winter sky.
When winter is almost ended, he turns over onto his feet and starts out once more to bring warm weather back to earth.
Canadian Heritage Information Network
View the transcript
Snaring the Sun
For the Anishinabe people of central North America, one of the most powerful symbols for the life-force is the Sun. The need for its presence for survival is stressed in the ancient story of The Snaring of the Sun.
This story was related to early European explorers and is still told to this day in Manitoba, Canada.
According to the Anishinabe culture of Central North America, a long time ago, when animals reigned on the Earth, an orphaned sister lived on the edge of the forest with her tiny brother whose name was Pikojigiiwizens. The sister looked after her brother carefully, as he was so little that a bird could have flown away with him. One day, she made him a bow and some arrows and told him to shoot some Wabanagozi or snowbirds, so that she might make him a fine coat. Some time later, while she was out walking through the forest, the little boy followed a path that his sister had warned him to stay away from. He soon became tired and lay down on a knoll where the Sun had melted the snow. He fell fast asleep and, while sleeping, the hot Sun shrunk his bird skin coat. When the boy awoke and saw the damage to his coat, he became angry with the Sun.
"Do not think you are too high", he warned, "I shall revenge myself". The sun shone brightly into his eyes and burned him. For 20 days, the little brother, mourned the loss of his coat and would not move or eat. Finally he asked his sister to make him a snare for he meant to catch the Sun. A mass of bright threads were braided into a cord. The little boy set his snare on the exact spot where the sun would strike the land as it rose. The Sun was trapped in the snare, and although it tugged and tugged it could not get loose.
When the Sun did not come up, the animals became frightened. They called a council meeting to decide who might go and cut the cord. This was dangerous task, since the Sun was sure to burn whoever came near. Even the little brother, Pikojigiiwizens tried, but the Sun was too hot. Then a tiny mouse offered to help. The animals were amused with this little mouse, but they finally agreed that it should try. The mouse climbed up the snare wire as close as possible to the Sun and to chew the cord. The mouse’s coat, eyes, feet, and hands were burnt by the heat, but finally, the snare broke. The sun rose up in the sky; light and warmth once more covered the Earth. When the mouse descended to Earth, the animals saw that it had turned into a mole - its eyes were nearly closed from the blinding rays of the Sun.
To this day, the mole prefers to live in darkness.
A mass of bright threads were braided into a chord to make a snare to catch the sun.
When the mouse climbed up the snare wire as close as possible to the sun, it began to chew the chord.
Bear story
Animation of the bear story.
Nimishomis, my grandfather, where do the moon and stars come from? Who puts them there? Grandfather, please tell me about them.
Noshins, my grandson, I don’t know everything there is to know; but I know the things that were taught to me by my Elders. I can tell you some of the stories now, as it is winter.
In the summertime when the plants are all alive and the animals are roaming about, we cannot talk about these things, of the spirits of all living things might hear me and I might say something that could offend them.
We can speak of these things only in the winter when the spirits are resting.
Tell me about the stars Nimishomis, how did they get up there?
A long time ago, Noshins, there were no stars. There were only two moons and the sun.
There was a young boy, named Little Bear, who lived with his grandfather. His father was Big Bear, who lived in the Sky world.
One night as they sat around the fire, as you and I are doing right now. Little Bear asked his grandfather about the two moons.
I wonder if anyone lives on those moons? Why do we have two moons when one is enough?
As grandfather placed an offering of tobacco, into the fire in honour and respect for the spirits, given to him by his grandson, he began to tell Little Bear about the two worlds, each with one moon.
Long ago, we shared the sun with the other world, as everything was equal and people lived in harmony with each other.
In time, things began to change and the evil soon took over the world.
The good people fled and came to our world, but the evil followed.
Evil tried to control our lives and our world, so our people prayed to the Creator for help. The Creator took pity on us and sent the evil people back to their world, far away from the sun. He took away their moon and left them in darkness.
The Creator then told our people that one day a child would come who would have the power to make a place in the sky for all of us.
After his task on Earth was finished, the child would be given a special place in the heavens beside his father, Big Bear.
Little Bear was fascinated and he could not forget this story. One night he had a dream about his bow and arrow. The dream disturbed him very much.
The next morning, Little Bear asked his grandfather the meaning of the dream. Grandfather did not reply for a long time – finally he said:
Noshins, you must prepare yourself for what is to come. Neither you nor anyone else can change what is destined for you.
One day, Little Bear felt compelled to go to the big hill which stood outside his village.
Picking up his bow and arrow, he kissed his grandfather good-bye, and began to climb to the highest point on the hill.
Little Bear stood up tall and with his arrow, took careful aim, at the brightest of the two moons.
With all his strength, he pulled back on the bowstring as far as he could.[24]When he released it, the arrow sailed into the sky and hit the moon. There was an enormous explosion and the moon shattered, like broken glass, into millions of pieces.
Little Bear was stunned with amazement when he saw the sky filled with new stars. It was at this moment that he realized the meaning of his dream.
For the last time, looked down at his grandfather’s lodge and whispered…
Good-bye, grandfather.
The excitement he felt made his heart beat faster and faster as his spirit rose up into the sky towards the stars and his father.
The learner will:
Be able to relate stories from Anishinabe culture about objects in space
Appreciate the importance of astronomy to the Anishinabe
Comprehend and interpret stories communicated through text, images, and audio media
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See The Playlist
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Tuesday, 07 February 2017 11:31
Geek of the Week: Politics-free Facebook!
If you're sick and tired of political arguments taking up your Facebook feed, there's a way to clean house without unfriending or unfollowing a single friend. It's an extension for the Chrome web browser called “Remove All Politics From Facebook”. It is a simple on/off switch that allows you choose whether or not to see all of the political talk. *it doesn't NOT work on memes, however.
Its free, but only works when you check Facebook from the Chrome web browser.
Published in Geek of the Week
Geek of the Week: Plowz and Mowz
If you spent the last two days shoveling your driveway because you don't have a plow-guy...here's some welcome news. Its an app for on-demand snow removal...think of it as Uber for snow plows.
The app is called Plowz and Mowz. Open the app, enter your address and before long, someone comes to plow your driveway. Fee is based on the amount of snow and the size of your driveway and you pay with a credit card through the app. As the name suggests, they also do on-demand mowing in the summer and yard clean-up in the fall.
The app is free for iPhone and Android, or you can use their website: www.plowzandmowz.com
Geek of the Week: Food Trainer
They say this app will help you eat less and lose weight...after playing the game only four times! Its actually part of a study by the University of Exeter in England. At the start screen, click the food items you want to eat less of...for instance: breads, alcohol & sweets...then play the game. Every time a “good” food, in a green circle appears on your screen, tap your screen; when a “bad” food, in a red circle appears, don't.
Researchers claim that playing the game will train you to resist those types of foods.
**Some information is collected and sent to the researchers, along with the results of your game-play, they also want to know things like age, gender and weight...no names or identifying information is collected.
Food Trainer is free for Android devices.
Give it a shot! You have nothing to lose but the weight, right?
Geek of the Week: DuoBook
This is a new reading app for iPhone and iPad that let you seamlessly switch between reading a book and listening to the audio book. Read a chapter before you go to bed, pick right up where you left off, on your way to work in the morning. (the audio books are narrated by professionals, this isn't text-to-speech quality)
Its brand new, so the titles are limited, but their website says they're adding new books all the time.
OR – You can do the same thing on the Kindle app --they call it Whispersync for Voice-- it switches between your Kindle book and the Audible audio book. (Audible requires a subscription)
DuoBook is free for iOS devices. Kindle is free for all devices.
This is a new reading app for iPhone and iPad that let you seamlessly switch between reading a book and listening to the audio book.
Read a chapter before you go to bed, pick right up where you left off, on your way to work in the morning.
(the audio books are narrated by professionals, this isn't text-to-speech quality)
OR – You can do the same thing on the Kindle app (they call it Whispersync for Voice)...it will switch between your Kindle book and the Audible audio book.
Geek of the Week: YouMail
When telemarketers completely ignore the fact that your number is on the National Do Not Call Registry, this app steps in to help put an end to RoboCalls. They call it an intelligent call management app with loads of features, but the one I like the most is: when you get a call from an unrecognized or blocked number, it sends the tell-tale tones and announcement that “this number is no longer in service”. The outgoing message even has the static and crackle that you can hear when you actually reach a disconnected number.
I got the app just for this feature...but it has more. Essentially, YouMail is a replacement for your voicemail and acts as your virtual, personal assistant. It offers customized out-going messages for friends on your contact list (“hi, Dan, Jason can't take your call, but I'll make sure he gets the message”), it will convert your voice mails to texts and send them to you that way, call forwarding for important calls and more.
Free for iOS and Android devices
Geek of the Week: Pact
If you have trouble sticking to your New Year's resolutions, this app may help. PACT keeps track of the exercise or diet goals you set...and pays you for sticking to them (it also takes money from you if you don't).
Let's say your goal is “go to the gym 3 days a week”. If you do it, you earn $10...if you only go to the gym twice you are docked $10. GPS and the motion sensors in your phone keep you honest and report back to the app.
This is a community based app so the money you earn comes from other members having to pay out for not living up to their resolutions.
Similarly, if your goal is “to eat veggies with at least 4 meals a week”, you have to take a picture of your plate and have it verified by another member in order to get credit.
The app works with fitbits and other exercise trackers and they say it has helped their members hit 95% of their goals.
The app is free for Android and iOS.
Geek of the Week: New Year's Eve Streams!
If staying up until midnight to watch the ball drop and usher in the new year, doesn't have the appeal that it used to, don't worry...there's an app for that! (a web site too)
Earthcam offers free live streams that will show New Years celebrations from cities all over the world.
So if you don't want to wait around until midnight to watch the events in Times Square...you can catch the celebration in London at 7pm, or in Paris at 6pm, or Moscow at 4pm...or in Beijing at 11am!
The app is free for iPhone and Android devices, or go to the web site, Earthcam.com/newyears
Geek of the Week: NORAD's Santa Tracker
Back again this year, the official Santa tracking app and web site from the North American Aerospace Defense Command. Every year, since 19___ the Air Force base in Colorado has kept a close eye on any sleighs and reindeer that make their way across the radar screen...now you can too!
The new and improved web site isn't just for Christmas Eve...it has plenty of games and videos and songs to keep the kids entertained all year long. But the big draw is the tracking of the big man's trip around the globe on Christmas Eve.
NoradSanta.org is the web site and you can download free apps from GooglePlay and iTunes.
(you can also follow them on Twitter, @NoradSanta)
Geek of the Week: Christmas Games
Blocky Xmas: This is a puzzle game that sort of reminds you of Tetris and those “one empty space” puzzles from your childhood. Your goal is simple: Build a Christmas Tree shape from the blocks provided. The game tells you where to build it...and sometimes other blocks are in the way, sometimes you have to maneuver the blocks around objects on the game board. Its a fun time waster.
Blocky Xmas is free for iOS and Android
Mister Bounce: This game is reminiscent of FlappyBird. Santa is a bouncing ball, advancing across the screen. To make him bounce, tap the screen. Aim him at presents to collect, but don't accidentally make him impale himself on a pointy Christmas tree!
Mister Bounce is free for iOS and Android
Geek of the Week: 1600
Now that the world has experienced the summer of augmented reality, thanks to Pokemon Go, Washington figures we're ready for more...and we are! Last week, the White House Historical Association launched a new app that shows a year at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Open the app and aim the camera at a one-dollar bill. The app then transforms that bill into a 3D White House. It plays through various scenes that happen at the capital, from the President's Marine 1 helicopter landing in the back yard, to the annual Easter egg roll, to visiting dignitaries. Its all there in an animation that, if you move the camera around the dollar, will follow and change along too.
Take a look at this video!
Its a free download in the AppStore and on GooglePlay.
Geek of the Week: Google PhotoScan
This app came out a couple weeks ago. Simply put, it's a way to back-up your old photographs. Not your old digital selfies...the old pictures of Grandma as a baby, or your family's 1975 Christmas card. The app is way faster than putting the photographs on a flat-bed scanner, and more permanent than storing them in a shoebox.
When you open the app, it provides a frame. Center the photograph in the frame. Then four dots appear on the screen. Aim the camera at each dot until the progress bar is complete. Once you've connected the dots, the phone is done scanning, and you have a digital, glare-free version of your old photograph.
This video helps to explain a little better
The pictures don't come out as crystal clear as they might if you made a reproduction from a negative, but they're still pretty good.
Download Google's PhotoScan for free from GooglePlay and the AppStore...and if you have Google Photos, store them, upload them to the cloud, and they'll automatically be organized.
Geek of the Week: Apple Watch Activity Challenge
Earlier this week, Apple Watch wearers were issued a challenge by Apple to complete a walking, running, or rolling 5k on Thanksgiving Day. If you complete the challenge, you get a medal in the Activity app.
Keep in mind, you don't HAVE to be an Apple Watch wearer to complete a 5k tomorrow...you just won't get a picture showing up on the screen on your wrist...you will, however, feel better about all the food you'll be packing away later in the evening.
Geek of the Week: Amazon App
Amazon has updated their app to add some pretty awesome new features!
1) Snap n' Search Camera: Take a picture of something and search for it on the Amazon website. For instance, if you're at a friend's house and see a great pair of boots, snap a pic, find it on Amazon and order it right from your phone.
2) Barcode Scanner: If you're an avid Amazon shopper, you no doubt have numerous boxes piling up on your front porch. Which one is the box you really need to hide from the kids? Just use the barcode scanner to tell what's inside each box, without having to open it.
Amazon's Black Friday sale is going on all month, though the best deals will be on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
If the Amazon app didn't come, pre-loaded on your phone, you can download it for free on iTunes or GooglePlay
Geek of the Week: Relax
With the election behind us and, depending on how you voted, the stress of the results ahead of you, here's an app that was voted the Top Mind and Body App of 2014 by doctors. Relax Stress and Anxiety Relief.
It leads you through deep breathing exercises and guided meditation. It has soothing music, pictures and animations to help you shed the stresses of the world and spend a few moments relaxing.
The Lite versions are free on both iTunes and GooglePlay
Smooth Circle Login
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A Shredded Safety Net
Elizabeth Lower-Basch
“I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there.” —Mitt Romney,
In 1996, the year that Congress passed and Bill Clinton signed welfare reform, fulfilling his campaign pledge to “end welfare as we know it,” there were 14.5 million poor children in the United States; 8.5 million children were in families that received cash assistance from Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), or welfare. Even then, nearly half of poor children were not in families that received welfare.
Following welfare reform, the number of families receiving assistance declined dramatically. Buoyed by the strong economy and the expansion of other key work supports, including child-care subsidies, public health insurance under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Earned Income Tax Credit, the number of single mothers in the workforce increased and child poverty declined. However, starting in the early 2000s, progress stalled and poverty rates began to climb again.
Ten years after welfare reform, in 2006, just before the recession, there were still 12.8 million poor children in the U.S., and just 3.4 million children were in families that received cash assistance in an average month from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the program that replaced AFDC. Stringent income limits continued to disqualify many families, but millions more, with incomes low enough to qualify, did not receive cash assistance. The Government Accountability Office estimates that 87 percent of the decline in caseloads from 1995 to 2005 was caused by eligible families failing to receive help, not by decreased need.
Five years later, in 2011, as a result of the worst recession in generations, the number of poor children in the U.S. had climbed to 16.1 million, but still just 3.4 million children were in families receiving cash assistance under TANF. The number of families receiving help grew in some states, but never as much as need rose. Other states shortened time limits on benefit receipt despite continued high unemployment and need. If caseloads were low because families had no need for help, we would have reason to celebrate. But this is not the case. In too many states, TANF is simply failing in its mission of protecting children from hardships caused by deep poverty.
Fortunately, poor families were not left completely without support. Many continue to receive food stamps, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In fact, in 2011, 1.2 million households with children that received SNAP reported having no income at all. However, SNAP was never designed to be a family’s only source of income, and SNAP benefits cannot be used to pay rent or buy such necessities as toothpaste, diapers, clothing, or gas.
One of the key reasons TANF was not a more robust safety net during the recession is its fiscal structure. States receive a fixed amount of funding—in the form of a block grant—that does not increase when times are tough, and the value of those funds has decreased over time due to Congress’s failure to adjust it for inflation. Moreover, states have the flexibility to use these funds for a wide range of programs and services. Given the dependence of state revenues on the economic cycle, and their obligation to achieve a balanced budget each year, states have strong incentives not to serve additional families, regardless of the need. This provides a cautionary reason to oppose block granting other programs, such as SNAP and Medicaid, as proposed by Representative Paul Ryan.
While Mitt Romney’s opinions are not as important as they would have been if things had gone differently in November, Ryan still has significant influence as chair of the House Budget Committee. Congress should find ways to strengthen the tattered safety net so it can catch those children and families who need it—not shrink the net while claiming to be helping.
Steve Ricchetti, Top Biden Campaign Aide, Was a Health-Care Lobbyist
The vice president’s former chief of staff once represented hospitals and drug companies. Now he is part of a campaign that is attacking Medicare for All.
Elizabeth Lower-Basch is the policy coordinator at the Center for Law and Social Policy
Articles By Elizabeth Lower-Basch
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Want to speak to an expert on young people’s reproductive and sexual health and rights? Contact emily@advocatesforyouth.org
Advocates for Youth partners with youth leaders, adult allies, and youth-serving organizations to advocate for policies and champion programs that recognize young people’s rights to honest sexual health information; accessible, confidential, and affordable sexual health services; and the resources and opportunities necessary to create sexual health equity for all youth.
Advocates is excited to work with members of the media to increase coverage of young people’s first-person experiences with reproductive and sexual health and rights; to share expertise on policies which impact young people, especially the most marginalized young people; and to provide resources around sex education, reproductive health and rights, youth activism, and other topics. Please reach out to emily@advocatesforyouth.org with questions!
Guidelines for Student Journalists
Guide for Reporting On Young People Living with HIV
Guide for Reporting On Young People And Abortion
Guide for Reporting On Young LGBTQ Muslims
Guide for Reporting on Gender-Based Violence
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Baruch Kimmerling has written what purports to be a review of a biography of Ehud Barak, but what is really an outstanding summary of the truth behind Barak's 'generous offer' and Sharon's manipulation of the 'roadmap'. It is an outstanding essay, and so I quote more than I normally would:
On Barak's 'generous offer':
"It should be recalled that the Palestinians, from their perspective, had already made the ultimate concession, and thus were without bargaining chips. In the Oslo agreements, they had recognized Israel’s right to exist in 78 per cent of historical Palestine in the hope that, following the peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan - and on the basis of the Arab interpretation of UNSC Resolutions 242 and 338, which call for withdrawal from territories occupied in 1967 - they might recover the remainder, with minor border adjustments. Yet - although later there was a certain slackening of Israeli demands - talk continued concerning annexation of another 12 per cent or so of the West Bank in order to create three settlement blocs, thus dividing the Palestinian state into separate cantons, with the connexions between them very problematic. The Palestinians called the portions allotted to them bantustans; but the original enclaves created by the Afrikaners for South African blacks were far better endowed than those of Barak's 'generous' proposal."
"During the course of the talks Barak did indeed agree to be 'flexible' about the Israeli proposals on the various issues, and was close to a territorial concession of over 92 per cent. But each proposal, and each issue, was discussed individually; and it was stressed that, until everything had been agreed upon, nothing was agreed. Thus the Palestinians were made discrete offers in many different areas, mainly out of the certainty that all would be rejected outright regardless, while the Palestinians - or so it was reported at the time - did not make any counter-proposals. Afterward, Barak could group together all the separate instances and claim that he had made an incomparably generous offer to the Palestinians."
"There were further so-called 'non-talks' and 'non-papers' in Taba where, according to some sources, the parties came closer to agreement than ever before. As far as Barak and Arafat were concerned, however, the game at Camp David was over. From that episode to armed conflict was just a question of time."
On the Palestinian response:
"After seven years of futile talks that had failed to make any significant advance in the Palestinian cause - accompanied by the intensification of the Jewish colonization process in the Occupied Palestinian Territories - the question was not whether but when the anger and violence would erupt, and in what form. The Palestinians were not entirely unaware of the asymmetry in the power relations with Israel, but they changed the paradigm. From an attempt to end the occupation and achieve independence that relied upon diplomatic efforts and depended on the kindness of the Jews and Americans, they moved on to a 'war for independence', fuelled in part by religious emotions; the type of struggle in which the people are prepared to pay a high personal and collective price in order to achieve what they see as a paramount objective."
On Sharon's real goal, politicide:
"Under Sharon, Israel has become a state oriented towards one major goal: the politicide of the Palestinian people. Politicide is a process whose ultimate aim is to destroy a certain people’s prospects - indeed, their very will - for legitimate self-determination and sovereignty over land they consider their homeland. It is, in fact, a reversal of the process suggested by Woodrow Wilson at the end of the First World War and since then accepted as a standard international principle. Politicide includes a mixture of martial, political, social and psychological measures. The most commonly used techniques in this process are expropriation of lands and their colonization; restrictions on spatial mobility (curfews, closures, roadblocks); murder; localized massacres; mass detentions; division, or elimination, of leaders and elite groups; hindrance of regular education and schooling; physical destruction of public institutions and infrastructure, private homes and property; starvation; social and political isolation; re-education; and partial or, if feasible, complete ethnic cleansing, although this may not occur as a single dramatic action. The aim of most of these practices is to make life so unbearable that the greatest possible majority of the rival population, especially its elite and middle classes, will leave the area 'voluntarily'. Typically, all such actions are taken in the name of law and order; a key aim is to achieve the power to define one's own side as the law enforcers, and the other as criminals and terrorists. An alternative goal may be the establishment of a puppet regime - like those of the bantustans - that is completely obedient but provides an illusion of self-determination to the oppressed ethnic or racial community."
"The hard facts are, however, that a Palestinian people exists, and the possibility of its politicide - or its being ethnically cleansed from the country - without fatal consequences for Israel, is nil. On the other hand, Israel is not only an established presence in the region but also, in local terms, a military, economic and technological superpower. Like many other immigrant-settler societies it was born in sin, on the ruins of another culture that had suffered politicide and partial ethnic cleansing - although the Zionist state did not succeed in annihilating the rival indigenous culture, as many other immigrant-settler societies have done. In 1948 it lacked the power to do so, and the strength of post-colonial sentiment at the time made such actions less internationally acceptable. Unlike the outcome in Algeria, Zambia or South Africa, however, the Palestinians were unable to overthrow their colonizers."
On Sharon's use of the 'roadmap':
"Similarly, it was in the run-up to its invasion of Iraq that the Bush Administration issued its new 'Road Map'. Its goal is to close down all armed resistance to Israel in exchange for the establishment, within temporary borders, of an entity described as a 'Palestinian state' by the end of 2003. This is to be followed by the withdrawal of Israeli forces from pa territories and elections for a new Palestinian Council, leading to negotiations with Israel on a permanent agreement, to be reached by 2005. The so-called 'Quartet' of the US, EU, UN and Russia is supposed to supervise implementation of the plan, which leaves all the matters in dispute - borders, refugees, status of Jerusalem, among others - open. This strategy fits well with Sharon's tactic of buying time to continue his politicide policy - a tactic that rests on the assumption that Palestinian terrorist attacks will continue, drawing forth a correspondingly savage Israeli military response."
and, most importantly:
"Being an able map-reader, Sharon has found the new Bush plan very convenient. Speaking in November 2002, he outlined a clear vision of how the conflict should be managed: with the implementation of the Road Map, Israel would be able to create a contiguous area of territory in the West Bank which, through a combination of tunnels and bridges, would allow Palestinians to travel from Jenin to Hebron without passing through any Israeli roadblocks or checkpoints. Israel would undertake measures such as 'creating territorial continuity between Palestinian population centres' - that is, withdrawing from cities such as Jenin, Nablus and Hebron - as long as the Palestinians remain engaged in making a 'sincere and real effort to stop terror'. Then, after the required reforms in the Palestinian Authority had been completed, the next phase of the Bush plan would come into effect: the establishment of a Palestinian state, within 'provisional' borders.
The intention is obvious. The 'Palestinian state' will be formed by three enclaves around the cities of Jenin, Nablus, and Hebron, lacking territorial contiguity. The plan to connect the enclaves with tunnels and bridges means that a strong Israeli presence will exist in most other areas of the West Bank. To drive the point home, Sharon added:
This Palestinian state will be completely demilitarized. It will be allowed to maintain lightly armed police and internal forces to ensure civil order. Israel will continue to control all movement in and out of the Palestinian state, will command its airspace, and not allow it to form alliances with Israel's enemies.
Sharon knows very well that it would be virtually impossible for a Palestinian leader to end the conflict in exchange for such limited sovereignty and territory. However, the very mention of the code words 'Palestinian state' - taboo in the right-wing lexicon - endows him with an image of moderation abroad and positions him at the centre of the domestic political spectrum. Such gestures also win him an almost unlimited amount of time to continue his programme of politicide . . . ."
On the backasswards Israeli position based on a faulty presumption, namely:
". . . the presumption that the root of the violence lies in 'Palestinian terrorism', rather than in Israel's generation-long occupation and illegal colonization of Palestinian lands and its exploitation and harassment of the entire people. Thus the initial Israeli 'condition' states that: 'In the first phase of the plan and as a condition for progress to the second phase, the Palestinians will complete the dismantling of terrorist organizations . . . and their infrastructure, collect all illegal weapons and transfer them to a third party'. Were the document's framers to adopt a more accurate perspective on the historical and political causalities, they would propose the prompt termination of occupation, and withdrawal of Israeli military forces to the pre-1967 borders as the first - and not the last - phase of the process. Under such conditions, it would then make sense to demand that the sovereign Palestinian state cease its resistance against a non-existent occupation and act, gradually but forcefully, against terrorist organizations that might endanger its own authority or stability."
On a way to start the solution:
"A minimal requirement of a realistic peace plan is to give the Palestinians some possibility of achieving one of their major aims: a sovereign state over 22 per cent of historic Palestine. An explicit statement of this goal could create a greater symmetry among the parties and provide incentives for settling all the additional issues such as Jerusalem, refugees, the division of water resources and so on."
I don't think I've ever read anything as sensible on the whole problem and the way it continues due to the crazy logic of the Israeli position. One of the great mysteries of the problem is how the Israelis have managed to convince the Americans that it makes sense to set up the negotiations as a series of insurmountable hurdles for the Palestinians. Only after they get over the hurdles are the Palestinians promised some fraction of a state. The Palestinians see the absurdity of this, react violently, and this violence is used to errect further hurdles. Somehow doing more and more of the same idiocy, which constantly leads to disaster, is supposed to lead closer to peace. The real root-cause problem is that the Israelis are violently occupying the homeland of the Palestinians, and this problem creates the symptom of Palestinian violence. Therefore, the only possible start to a peaceful solution is for the Israeli occupation to stop (i. e., evacuate all the settlements, and get the IDF out of the Occupied Territories). The reason this obvious solution hasn't been tried seems to rest in a combination of the continued American funding for Israel, which allows Israel the luxury of delaying the decision, and a certain bad faith in Israeli society, where the idea still exists that the Palestinians can be conquered, and their land stolen. Until the Americans stop enabling the evil and the Israelis make up their minds to give up 'wishful thinking' and do the only right and possible thing, there will be no peace (failure to do the right thing may lead to some rather unexpected consequences). We now see Bush, immediately after the Americans veto a UN resolution criticizing Israel for threatening to 'remove' Arafat, blaming (or here) the whole Mid-East problem on Arafat without once mentioning the threat by Israel to Arafat or the fact that the hudna was intentionally ended by Sharon with his constant series of useless targeted assassinations. The relentless focusing on Arafat, a tired old man caged in a falling-down compound with no real power to either cause terrorism or stop terrorism, is symptomatic of the utter failure by the Americans and the Israelis to acknowledge where the real problem lies. The Palestinians can do nothing to lead to peace; only the Israelis can.
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The 5th Forest Science Symposium
The 240 delegates who attended the 5th Forest Science Symposium
The recent 5th Forest Science Symposium co-hosted by the Institute for Commercial Forestry Research (ICFR) and the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (DAFF) provided the southern African forest research community with a unique opportunity to interact and share knowledge around the diverse research being carried out across this important sector of our economy. Held at Hilton College outside Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal, the Symposium was attended by around 240 delegates from forestry companies, research organisations, academic institutions, government and private entities.
The theme for this year’s Symposium was “Risks to sustainable plantation forestry in southern Africa: The role of Research“. This theme was echoed in many of the presentations over the course of the two days with a number of reoccurring sub-themes developing. The first of these was around the complexity of ensuring sustainable forestry into the future. Opening plenary speaker, Ms Viv McMenamin, Mondi’s Director for Land and Forestry Division, gave an inspiring talk addressing many of the challenges facing the sector. Sustainable forestry is of course, about growing trees in a sustainable and responsible way, but it also needs to take into account safety and security aspects, economic and environmental issues as well as social challenges. Forestry in 2020 will need to be competitive, modernised, include community grower schemes, address risk around climate, pests/diseases and water use, and provide sustainable job creation. To achieve these will require a focus on partnerships – between universities, research organisations, government, the private sector and communities. This was second sub-theme of the Symposium; the need for strong collaboration and partnerships, and was highlighted in the plenary papers by both Dr Andrew Morris (Sappi) and ICFR Director, Professor Colin Dyer.
This year sees the ICFR turn 65. As the Industry’s research institute, a big part of its success over this time has been from the efforts of its staff, past and present, as well as through the partnerships and collaborative initiatives its has developed. In striving to support developing the competitive advantage of the South African Forestry sector, the ICFR is focussed on developing and transferring research-based knowledge to the forestry stakeholders, and on synthesising and transferring knowledge into products to support forest management. Into the future, the ICFR will focus on knowledge generation and knowledge deployment in adapting to a changing forestry landscape, strengthening partnerships within and between the public and private sectors, and between research entities, and on expanding a culture of collaboration.
In his plenary paper, Sappi’s Dr Andrew Morris highlighted the value of forest research to the Industry in the past and how this needs to continue. The future growth and success of industrial plantations is based on developing tree growing technology and on delivering value adding forest products. Responses to risks around climate change as well as pest and diseases need to be developed, together with new technologies such as remote sensing and the search for superior genotypes, as well as responses to a changing socio-economic landscape. Again this will require strong partnerships and collaborative efforts in order to succeed.
Over the course of the two days, various papers reinforced these aspects. These included the importance of understanding impacts on the environment, the need to adapt to climate changes, responses to the increases in pests and pathogens (a global trend as presented by FABI’s Professor Mike Wingfield) and the exciting development of a number of tree breeding and biomolecular technologies. The Symposium concluded with the presentation of awards for Best Paper to Dr Ilaria Germishuizen (ICFR), Best Young Scientist Paper to Mondi’s Tracy Newmarch, Best Poster and Best Young Scientist Poster to Phillip Fischer (Sappi) and runner up for Best Poster to Steven Dovey (ICFR).
Generous sponsorship from DAFF and from EcoGuard, Komatiland Forests, Merensky, Mondi, NCT Co-operative Forestry, SA Forestry, Sappi, TWK Agriculture and Wood SA and Timber Times ensured all of the delegates enjoyed a quality experience. Post-event evaluation and feedback received will be used in planning for 6th Forest Science Symposium in 2014.
Source: Forestry South Africa – Press release – 16 August 2012
DAFF
ICFR
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Home America India latest party to take on China in Southeast Asia, Sea
India latest party to take on China in Southeast Asia, Sea
Announcement of US new strategy beside the already-existing border and historical disputes are more and more exhibiting the rivalries between the global powers in the East Asia region.
The new US war strategy has replaced Pakistan with India, motivating Islamabad to move closer to China day by day. Such a closeness has intensified competition between China and India. Now the expansion of the sea domination is being added to the list of the neighbor’s spheres of the contest. Where can these disputes between the world’s most populated nations go? What future prospects can be foreseen for them?
As of now, the dominant territorial dispute is between China and a set of East and Southeast Asia states. China is claiming an array of the regional islands to be its own, while other sides including Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, all the US allies, are clinging to the same claim of ownership. A demarcation line called Nine-Dash Line, initially drawn by the president of the former Republic of China Chiang Kai-shek and subsequently upheld by the People’s Republic of China government, claims the major part of the South China Sea.
This is enough for India, an ally of the US, to be motivated to step in a regional territorial struggle. According to some analysts, India is setting in motion a policy, dubbed “Act Asia”, in a bid to boost its economic and diplomatic relations with Southeast Asian countries. On January 26, the same day in which the nation celebrated its independence anniversary, New Delhi hosted a conference of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) organization. The main goal of China is to work with regional states for maritime security which the US allies argue is endangered by Beijing
As time goes by, some Southeast Asians countries will engage with India as a big trade partner, a catalyzing force, and a balance-making party in the region. The situation is still in favor of the Chinese, however. Because China and the regional countries’ trade volume at the present time goes beyond $470 billion, six times larger than the Indian trade with the ASEAN states. According to figures published, the India-ASEAN trade volume for 2016-2017 witnessed some increase in comparison to the year before and touched $70 billion.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is increasingly displaying a resolution to bolster its business and investment ties with Southeast Asia. India is also interested in being engaged and influential in the negotiations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a free trade agreement under discussion by the ASEAN states.
Beside work for joining the collective economic partnerships, the Indian PM also tries to arrange for strong mutual relations with the regional countries. This includes work with such countries as the Philippines whose leaders are firmly pursuing anti-Beijing policy lines. During the mutual meetings in New Delhi, the sea security was a top discussion point, with the sides focusing on the expansion of the naval presence in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
Modi met with ASEAN leaders, including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar, President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, and President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines and highlighted the commonalities in culture and interests between India and the ASEAN states. Accentuation of the common interests is one of the approaches adopted by the Indian leaders as they struggle for the realization of their objectives in East Asia.
After all, the developments are moving faster than before in Asia-Pacific region. Now some are talking about the shift of the US strategy from Asia-Pacific to Indo-Pacific. On the other side, the new strategies, amid a new emerging square alliance gathering together the US, India, Japan, and Australia, all show that the equations are changing and the powers’ competition is hitting new levels.
Nearly all Chinese experts approach the new national security strategy of the President Donald Trump administration with pessimism. They argue that such a doctrine will destroy the understanding and dialogue-based atmosphere needed to solve the regional crises, especially those of East Asia.
It appears that the US, along with its ally India, wants to check the Chinese transformation from a land power to a sea power. That is why the White House is concentrating its Asia-related policymaking on this area of action. But it should be taken into account that China puts a premium on sea influence. Its defense doctrine of 2015 highlighted the sea as one of the most significant areas where Beijing should step in and strengthen its capabilities and exhibit its potentials. Therefore, the South China Sea is of significance to China’s national security. Although Beijing has taken important steps over the past eight years towards maritime weight gain, it is yet to make a crucial difference in the regional balance of power.
global powers in the East Asia region
US new strategy
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Home Article Nelson Mandela: A nation’s father
Nelson Mandela: A nation’s father
Tuesday, December 5, marks four years since Mandela’s passing. He died at the age of 95 after battling a recurring lung infection.
One of the world’s most recognisable fighters against inequality and oppression, he spent 27 years in prison for his active opposition to South Africa’s racist apartheid regime. He then rose to become the country’s first democratically elected president – a position that he voluntarily retired from after just one term.
The seeming ease with which he made personal sacrifices, coupled with his determined struggle for racial equality, made Mandela one of the world’s most revered statesmen.
Throughout the anti-apartheid struggle and during his years as a national leader, he maintained a commitment to socialist values and always defended those who were oppressed. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.
Having lived a tumultuous life, his end came rather quietly in his Johannesburg home aged 95, surrounded by his family, Jacob Zuma announced on Thursday night.
Age-related illnesses finally overwhelmed the man whose second nature was to overcome mounting odds.
Life of struggle
Mandela famously spent almost three decades in prison for attempting to overthrow the apartheid government in South Africa.
Released in 1990, he went on to play a pivotal role in heralding multiracial democracy in South Africa, becoming the country’s first black president in 1994.
He stepped down five years later but did not immediately withdraw to the shadows.
He remained in the limelight as South Africa’s highest-profile ambassador, campaigning against the spread of HIV/AIDS and helping his country to secure the right to host the 2010 football World Cup.
His reputation for unmatched integrity also saw him emerge as a towering moral arbitrator, brokering peace negotiations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and elsewhere.
But his advancing age gradually chipped away his physical abilities and, in 2004, at the age of 85, he retired from public life to spend more time with his family and friends.
His public appearances became rare – his appearance at the closing ceremony of the 2010 World Cup was one of the most recent, and most memorable.
Mandela was born in 1918 in a small village in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
Born Rolihlahla Dalibhunga, a school teacher gave him his English name, Nelson. He, however, was often called by his clan name, Madiba.
He joined the African National Congress in 1943 to resist the apartheid system devised by the all-white National Party. He thereafter helped to found the ANC Youth League.
The ANC was outlawed in 1960 and Mandela went underground. He was eventually arrested and charged with seeking to overthrow the government. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1964.
He stepped out as a free man only in 1990, after the South African government finally succumbed to sustained global pressure – through a campaign of boycotts, divestment and sanctions – to release him and repeal apartheid.
He was elected the president four years later, as all races voted in democratic elections for the first time in the country’s history.
He was married three times, first to Evelyn Mase, a partnership which ended in divorce in 1957.
He married Winnie Madikizeia in 1958 but divorced her in 1992 after she was convicted on charges of kidnapping and assault.
He then married Graca Machel, the widow of the former president of Mozambique, on his 80th birthday.
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Register Log In AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Nature 280 Crocodiles Escape in Mexico After Karl
280 Crocodiles Escape in Mexico After Karl #388300
(Reuters) - At least 280 crocodiles have escaped from a Mexican refuge near the Gulf of Mexico after heavy flooding caused by Hurricane Karl, Mexican media said Tuesday.
The endangered Morelet crocodiles were on the roam in six coastal areas in the Mexican state of Veracruz and residents were told not to try to capture or kill them, El Economista reported.
The governor of Veracruz told reporters about 280 crocodiles were missing from the reserve in La Antigua, although some media put the number of reptiles at closer to 400.
Morelet crocodiles can grow to nearly 10 feet and are found in freshwater swamps, lakes and rivers, and the brackish coastal waters of eastern Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.
Federal authorities from the agency charged with environmental protection said crocodile experts would be sent to the region to try to recapture the animals.
At least 15 people were killed and thousands displaced by the hurricane, which ripped through the Yucatan peninsula and slammed into Mexico's Gulf coast this past weekend.
When the hundreds of crocodiles were discovered to have escaped, Mexican authorities put out alerts all over the country. The governor of Veracruz warned residents and inhabitants to avoid contact with the crocodiles as they may pose a threat. Furthermore, strict warnings were given not to kill or attempt to capture them.
How to capture a crocodile?
The Morelet crocodiles that escaped from their refuge, when mature, can reach a length of over 10 feet. They are carnivores and feast on prey as small as lake trout and as large as a Cape buffalo. Because they are on the loose, the means to control them is difficult. They pose an even greater threat to humans when they are congregated in large numbers.
Federal authorities have devised a plan to contain the 280 crocodiles that escaped. Their strategy is to send a cadre of crocodile experts to areas in and around Belize and Guatemala. There, the experts can locate and capture the roaming crocodiles without any danger to humans and the animals themselves.
Re: 280 Crocodiles Escape in Mexico After Karl [Re: Marty] #388302
UPDATE! According to the BBC on Tuesday evening, officials were mistaken and although they swam away the crocs remained in the nature reserve and are no threat to the public.
The Morelet’s crocodile is native to certain fresh waters of the Atlantic regions of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.
Discovered in 1850, it was named after the French botanist who first reported encountering it, P.M.A. Morelet. Loss of habitat and hunters have rendered the crocodiles an endangered species and the program at El Colibri was just one of several worldwide efforts to save the species.
collyk
I'd love to know where a Morelet Crocodile could find a Cape Buffalo(!?). This is such a bad piece of reportage that I had to check the date to see if it was April First.
www.conchcreative.com
Belize Wedding Photography
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US-produced Syrian rebels in Syria: whatever happened to them?
"Earlier in the conflict, Abu Zayed was a member of another US-backed rebel group known as Hazm, which was crushed late last year by the Nusra Front in a battle in Idlib province, in northern Syria.
The US-trained rebels face significant challenges – from minuscule numbers in a war that has a myriad of competing armies, to social media postings that have described them as “dogs of America” and a media campaign that has tainted the group’s name even before they returned to Syria. Other rebels have derided them for agreeing to focus their fight on Isis, away from the Syrian president, Bashar Assad, whom they consider the main target of their rebellion.
The head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdurrahman, said the US-trained rebels are so few and so ill-equipped that they have not shown to be relevant.
“So far, they have made no impact on the ground,” he said. “If they [Americans] want to train some, they must first train them on human rights issues and democracy before military training.”"
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St. Thomas High School students are soaring with excitement for science
By Pooja Lodhia
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It's not often you see kids actually excited about their classrooms, but students at St. Thomas High School have been looking forward to a new science wing for more than a year.
"I walked in here at least five times without them knowing," said sophomore Jadon Yeboah.
Yeboah and his classmates now have a 9,000-square-foot science wing that's designed for hands-on learning.
Even the chairs roll around so students can easily move from classrooms to labs.
"Science is a verb," said Daniel Bryant, the dean of the school's science department. "You've got to be active when you're doing this."
Bryant was a student at St. Thomas more than 20 years ago.
Since then, technology has changed the way students learn.
Bryant's goal now is to integrate technical advances in the classroom instead of fighting against them.
"So much of the world around us is technology based, and people tend to take that for granted these days," Bryant said.
"We want them to actually appreciate what's around them and what they're working with so that way they can move forward and be the next innovators."
sportshoustoneducationgame of the weekhigh school footballfriday night footballscience
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86-pound bucket of gold flakes worth $1.6M stolen in NYC
MIDTOWN, Manhattan -- Police in New York City are looking for a quick-thinking thief who stole an 86-pound bucket of gold flakes worth nearly $1.6 million off an armored truck in Manhattan.
The unidentified thief swiped the 5-gallon metal bucket off the back of an armored truck around 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 29 when a guard briefly went to the truck's cab to reportedly retrieve his cellphone.
The incident occurred in broad daylight on West 48th Street near Fifth Avenue in New York City's Midtown section. Police said the suspect likely didn't know what the bucket contained.
Police said the thief lugged the gold flakes up the street, taking an hour to complete what would normally be considered a 10-minute walk. He then hopped into a white van and fled.
The suspect is believed to be hiding out in Florida. He is described as a Hispanic man, 5 feet 6 inches, 150 pounds, 50-60 years old, wearing a black vest, green shirt, blue jeans and carrying a black messenger bag.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call 800-577-TIPS or for Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
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What's it like to be on the 'Bachelorette'? Former Bay Area contestant gives advice to this year's local contestant
By Dustin Dorsey
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Another season of "The Bachelorette" is set to premiere tonight on ABC7.
30 men will compete for the heart of returning star, Hannah Brown, including one from the Bay Area.
RELATED: Meet the 30 men competing for Hannah B.'s heart on 'The Bachelorette'
Matt Donald is a medical device salesman from Los Gatos, Calif.
In his "Bachelor Biography", Donald is considered to be an old-fashioned guy who loves to bring flowers to a girl on the first date.
Hopefully, that mentality and character will help him win her heart on the show.
Nailed it! Cheers to a new season of #TheBachelorette, TONIGHT! 🥂 pic.twitter.com/Dr2Op9QUgu
— The Bachelorette (@BacheloretteABC) May 13, 2019
But that may not be enough, so we reached out to a "Bachelorette" alum to give some advice to Donald on his search for love.
"My best advice for Matt, or words of encouragement, would be to be yourself," Former "Bachelorette" contestant, Ben Zorn, said. "While, yes, there are millions of people watching this show, they can usually tell if you're not being authentic. It's a small microcosm of who you actually are. The good, the bad and the ugly."
Ben Zorn, or "Ben Z" as he was known on his season, competed for the heart of Kaitlyn Bristowe in 2016.
He, like Donald, is a resident of the South Bay Area and has been through the excitement of "The Bachelorette" and even "Bachelor in Paradise".
Zorn played college football at San Jose State, but he said not even his sporting career could prepare him for life on "The Bachelorette".
"Just know that everything you do on the show will be recorded," Zorn said. "No matter what, they can use that however they see fit."
Many remember him for his friendship with his dog, Zeus.
He said the show may have blown his love for his dog out of proportion, which he says is common while on the show.
Anything and everything you do or say could be used on air.
Despite the almost "fish tank" like experience, he says the show is very exciting to be on.
RELATED: New 'Bachelorette' revealed: Hannah B. gets another chance at finding love
"It's an exciting first night for sure," Zorn said. "It's a lot like summer camp. You go and you meet up with a bunch of the other guys. You end up spending a lot of time, even more time, with the guys. You get to see the girl once or twice a week when you go on these dates, which is a blast. Before that, you're starting to spend most of the time with the guys. You start to build relationships and connections with the guys more than anything."
The relationships he built on the show have turned to friendships with fan favorites and season 11 fellow contestants Jared Haibon and Tanner Tolbert, to name a few.
It's just another thing that can come out of being on the show Zorn says.
"We all keep in touch, some more than others obviously. It's cool because we are all over the country. I visit my buddies in Chicago and go see some people in New York and we'll catch up. I'll crash at their place or whatever and so it's almost more like a fraternity."
Zorn was sent home by Kaitlyn in the sixth week of the show.
But, he was not sent home a loser.
He said that being on the show allowed him to think about his feelings, something he says most guys don't like to do.
Zorn also was able to travel and do things he never dreamed of, like rapping on stage and singing mariachi.
But being on the show led to meeting new people and even finding love.
"The show itself didn't 'work for me', if you will," Zorn said. "I didn't find love on the show. But it led to so many great opportunities and I got to meet so many amazing people. One of the amazing people is my current girlfriend. I am able to share the experiences that I have been able to do by myself and with her and experience life with somebody else and it makes it a little bit more special. He's going to have a lot of fun."
"The Bachelorette" has already filmed and completed, but the journey for Matt Donald and the other 29 men will play out on television beginning tonight.
Zorn will be watching to see how Donald does and who gets the final rose.
I don't know how long he's going to last, so you have to tune in to find out," Zorn said. "He should have a blast. I'm sure they're going to go to some crazy locations and it's going to be awesome. It's going to be good."
"The Bachelorette" premieres tonight on ABC7 at 8 p.m. and airs Monday nights until a winner is crowned.
Which one of these men will make it to the end? #TheBachelorette pic.twitter.com/13uxC8SApc
— The Bachelorette (@BacheloretteABC) May 8, 2019
arts & entertainmentsan joselos gatoscommunity journalistabc primetimethe bachelorettethe bachelorabc7 originalsabc premieresreality television
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What Donald Trump Can Learn from Spike Lee
“I pledge that I will be the president for all Americans… Working together, we will begin the urgent task of rebuilding our nation.”
—President-elect Donald Trump, November 9, 2016
This fall semester I am teaching a new course called HIST 289: Spike Lee’s America. The course uses Spike Lee’s filmography to engage students in discussion of historical and contemporary issues of race, class, gender, and social politics in America. As fate would have it, we viewed Spike’s 1999 film Summer of Sam in class two days after Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the presidential election. For those of you not familiar with this particular Spike Lee joint, the film deals with the Son of Sam serial murders in New York City during the summer of 1977. David Berkowitz, aka the son of Sam, was a 24-year-old mentally disturbed white male who terrorized the city with a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver. His reign of terror resulted in six murders and seven additional wounded individuals. Berkowitz blamed his killing spree on his neighbor Sam’s demonic possessed dog, Harvey, who instructed him to kill young white women. Spike chose to tell this story by focusing on a group of fictional Italian-American friends trying to survive the summer. My students were required to read a 2008 article by Dan Flory titled “The Epistemology of Race and Black American Film Noir: Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam as Lynching Parable.” Our class discussion prompted me to write this article and to include a message for the newly elected leader of the free world.
Summer of Sam (SOS)
In the article Dan Flory argues that Spike used this film to tackle the uncomfortable subject of lynchings in American history. Unlike the majority of Spike Lee’s films, Summer of Sam consists of a predominantly Italian-American cast. The film’s main protagonists are Vinny (John Leguizamo) and Richie (Adrien Brody). Richie, an aspiring punk rock star, becomes an outcast amongst his friends once he starts wearing spiked hairstyles, blonde mohawks, and skinny jeans – before they were acceptable for men. His friends cannot understand his new look, music, or the strange English accent that he has begun using. Later in the film Richie’s friends learn that he is performing erotic shows and prostituting himself at a gay club. Vinnie remains a loyal friend to Richie for as long as possible while the others immediately turn against him. “Freak, fag, queer, pervert, and pimp” are derogatory epithets used by the other guys to define Richie. Making matters worse is the fact his friends, devout Catholics, take it upon themselves to become neighborhood watchmen in search of the Son of Sam killer. They roam the city streets applying vigilante justice and accosting anyone that looks suspicious. Richie, in the role of the figurative exotic other, becomes a prime suspect.
In the film’s climactic scene, the police arrest the real killer and bring him into the station just as the guys track down Richie and nearly beat him to death. The juxtaposition between these two events is symbolic of the lynch mob mentality. As the killer, David Berkowitz, is brought before a crowd of people standing near the police station you hear screams of “kill him” and “lynch him”. The film then flashes back to scenes of Richie being assaulted by the neighborhood watchmen. According to my interpretation of the film and Flores’s article, Richie and Berkowitz become victims of the lynch mob mentality. Berkowitz is singled out for his wrongdoings. Richie is singled out simply because he is different; he is the exotic other. Both men are viewed as threats to homeland security and public safety. In the eyes of the neighborhood watchmen, Vinny’s sexual preference is enough to equate him with a murderer. Earlier in the film a black television news reporter, John Jeffries (Spike Lee), goes to black neighborhoods in Bedford-Stuyvesant to get the “darker perspective” on the murders. A woman said, “I thank God that it is a white man who kills all those white people, because if it were a black man, there would be the biggest race riot right here in New York City.” Although her remark was meant to be funny, it spoke to a harsh reality for African-Americans in the days when some might think America was great.
Blood on the Leaves
The lynch mobs in Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam pale in comparison to the mobs that terrorized African-Americans during the Nadir. Historian Rayford Logan coined the term Nadir in his 1954 book The Negro in American Life and Thought to refer to the post-Reconstruction period from 1877-1901. Logan described this period as the darkest moment in history, after the Civil War, if you were black. At that time newly freed slaves lost many of the gains made during the Reconstruction. Jim Crow and segregation, white supremacy, and racial terror were on the rise. Ironically, it was also at this time that President Chester A. Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act into law, prohibiting the immigration of Chinese laborers from 1882-1943. Lynch mobs were among the worst memories of the Nadir. According to historian Paula Giddings, a lynching is defined as three or more people (constituting a mob) illegally putting someone to death as a form of vigilante justice. Giddings says that lynchings date back to the American Revolution. The term originated from a relative of John Lynch, the founder of Lynchburg, Virginia. Before 1886 the majority of victims were white men. However, in the late 19th century a new social science called Social Darwinism perpetuated the myth that blacks were innately inferior to whites. Black men and women became stereotyped as the exotic other.
Social Darwinism was used to justify the oppression of black people dating back to slavery. Furthermore, this myth perpetuated the notion that blacks were incapable of handling their new liberties gained from the Union’s victory in the Civil War. D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film The Birth of a Nation, captured the anxiety white supremacists had about black freedom and power. The film, which was Hollywood’s first full length motion picture, portrayed black men as lazy, violent thugs and rapists lusting after virtuous white women. The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) were heroes in the film. The film’s box office success ignited a renaissance in the Klan throughout the 1920s. President Woodrow Wilson selected The Birth of a Nation as the first film to be screened in the White House. Wilson praised the film as one of the best historical accounts of the Civil War era.“It’s like writing history with lightning, and my only regret is that it is all so terribly true.” Wilson’s opinion of the film was a reflection of the attitudes underlying (and perhaps precipitating) the lynching phenomenon.
Lynchings were used by white supremacists who wanted to make America great again. In their eyes, America had been great until a former lawyer from Illinois got elected to the White House by promoting policies that made life better for minorities. White supremacists viewed such promises as a threat to their way of life, employment opportunities, and stake in society. Lincoln’s presidency incited this silent majority to secede from the Union leading to the Civil War. The Reconstruction, with its efforts to grant blacks citizenship, voting rights, education, and land, was a clear indication for supremacists that the country had gone to hell. In an attempt to make America great again, the Ku Klux Klan was formed. Under the banner of the cross and Christian rhetoric, the Klan vowed to defend good Christian white people against these black heathens. By the 1920s, the Klan had turned its attention to European immigrants “invading” their land. The Klan was not alone in its “Make America Great Again” campaign. During the Reconstruction groups of southern Democrats known as “redeemers” arose, dedicated to removing blacks and their northern white Republican allies from political office in the South. As we entered the Nadir, lynch mobs continued this campaign of purifying the nation from the stain of emancipation.
According to the Tuskegee Institute, 4,730 people, mostly black, were lynched from 1882 to 1951. Victims were tortured, burned alive, dragged behind vehicles, and in several cases their bodies were dismembered. Ida B. Wells, a black investigative reporter and co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), published Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases (1892) and The Red Record (1895), pamphlets which described many of the lynchings in the country since the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Wells’ close friend Tom Moss had been lynched in Memphis, Tennessee in 1892. His death inspired her to begin investigating these lynchings throughout the South. Through her research Wells discovered that many of these victims were black men falsely accused of raping white women. The most gruesome lynching in the state of Maryland occurred just five minutes away from the university where I teach. On October 16, 1933, in Princess Anne, Maryland, Mary Denston, a 71-year-old white woman was robbed by 23-year-old black man named George Armwood and a white man named John Richardson. Ms. Denston told authorities Armwood raped her.
The police found Armwood hiding at his mother Etta’s home and immediately jailed him. For the sake of his safety he was moved nearly three hours away to a jail in Baltimore. Judge Robert Duer and the state’s attorney, John B. Robins, assured Governor Albert Ritchie that Armwood’s life would not be in danger if he was brought back to Princess Anne. They were wrong! A crowd of 2,000 whites used two 15-foot timbers as battering rams to break into the Princess Anne jail and kidnap Armwood. The local sheriff and his 23 police officers were unable to fight the mob off. The mob placed a noose around Armwood’s neck, dragged him out of the jail, stabbed him, and tied him to the back of a truck. Then they cut an ear off and removed his gold tooth. His body was taken to the town courthouse, hung from a telephone line, and set on fire. As the corpse burned mob members danced around singing “John Brown’s body” (Sherilyn Ifill, On the Courthouse Lawn: Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in the Twenty-first Century, 2007).
As horrific as the George Armwood execution may sound, such brutality was not uncommon in southern cities. A lynching had a festive atmosphere for the onlookers who treated it like a mass picnic. Pictures from famous lynchings show children in the audience and smiling young couples. People would take photographs of the body and cut off body parts (ears, fingers, genitalia, etc.) to keep as souvenirs. Theologian James Cone, in his book The Cross and the Lynching Tree, notes that it was “good Christian folk” that often participated in these mobs and condoned the lewd behavior. The NAACP unsuccessfully pushed for a national anti-lynching bill from 1909 to 1939. President Franklin Roosevelt rejected an anti-lynching bill in 1933 out of fear of alienating southern congressmen. Roosevelt’s complicit behavior demonstrated the fact that political support trumped, no pun intended, equality and human rights for all citizens. The mob violence took on a new form in the 1950s and 1960s. African-Americans began protesting and marching for jobs, equality, protection under the law, and an end to voter suppression during the Civil Rights Movement. White supremacists, not just in the South but in Boston and Chicago, responded by unifying to make America great again. They wanted to return to the good ole days prior to World War II. Examples of this new form of white terror included the beatings of the Freedom Riders, attacks on the Fisk University students conducting sit-ins in Tennessee, the murder of the three civil rights volunteers during Freedom Summer, and the beating of the Selma marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Civil disobedience in the face of terror eventually gave way to civil unrest and rioting in black communities outside of the South.
The New Nadir
A day after Donald Trump won the presidential election Lawrence Ross posted an article on The Root titled “Welcome to the New Nadir”. Trump’s victory, according to Ross, signified the beginning of possibly the worst period in race relations since the Civil War. His feelings were expressed the night preceding the election, with watch parties on black cable networks BET and TV One. The election night watching parties on both networks hosted by Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and Roland Martin, respectively, felt like funerals. Gospel legend Richard Smallwood was the morning preacher at my church the first Sunday after the election. Smallwood referred to the day after the election as the darkest day in his life since his mother died. Such sentiment is the result of Trump’s endorsement from the KKK and white nationalist groups. It also results from months of racist and xenophobic rhetoric at Trump campaign rallies across the nation. “Make America Great Again” became the rallying cry at these campaign events, which drew upwards of 30,000 people. President Bill Clinton called the slogan a racist dog whistle. “I’m actually old enough to remember the good old days, and they weren’t all that good in many ways…What it means is I’ll move you back up on the social totem pole and other people down.”
While it is unfair to cast all Trump supporters as racists, a disturbing number of people who attended those rallies conducted themselves in a manner that eerily resembled the lynch mobs of the past and the angry crowd depicted in Summer of Sam. A black University of Louisville student, Shiya Nwanguma, was pushed and shoved by Trump supporters because she attempted to protest as he spoke. The word “nigger” and other racial slurs were hurled at her as she exited the venue. A video has footage of Trump telling the crowd that in the good ole days when “they protested” they would get carried out on stretchers. Who is “they”? The rhetoric and rough treatment was not limited to people who look like me. A group of Hispanic protesters at a rally in Miami were not only kicked out, but attacked. One of the protestors was thrown to the ground. At a different rally some participants shouted “build a wall, kill them all” in reference to immigrants. Trump contributed to vitriol by labeling illegal immigrants criminals and rapists. When a man wore a t-shirt reading “F_ _k Islam” to a rally, he was asked to leave. But he was treated like a sympathetic figure by some of the other folks at the rally as he was escorted out of the venue. Hate crimes have been on the rise since Trump won the election. Three mosques in California and one in Georgia have received hate mail stating that Trump will “do to the Muslims what Adolf Hitler did to the Jews.”
Journalists across the globe have compared Trump’s victory to Brexit. The similarities between Trump’s victory and the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union (or Brexit) are pretty scary. The campaign slogan used by politicians to win support for the Brexit referendum was “Take back control”. Paul Bagguley, a sociologist at the University of Leeds, cites immigration as the second biggest factor in the Brexit vote. Since 1997, the United Kingdom has welcomed double the number of immigrants as in the previous 50 years. Many of these immigrants came from South Asia and the Caribbean. Fourteen percent of the population in England and Wales consists of immigrants. Eric Kaufmann, a scholar of nationalism, said the white British population was uncomfortable with the rapid growth of immigration in their country. It was believed that by severing ties with the European Union, the United Kingdom would have more control over its borders and who is given visas. This would give British officials more control over the groups of people being allowed into their country. Bagguley says that Brexit unleashed a celebratory tone of racism that had been hidden prior to the vote. According to the British online newspaper, The Independent, 1,546 racially or religiously aggravated crimes were recorded over the two week period leading up to the vote on the referendum. UK organizations such as Stop Hate UK and Tell Mama reveal reported cases of Islamophobia increasing from 40-45 a month to 33 within 48-72 hours after the wake of the vote.
Wake Up, Mr. Trump
If I could send a message to President-elect Donald Trump, I would urge him to watch two Spike Lee films, Summer of Sam and Do the Right Thing. He should watch the former to see what happens when fear and hysteria become the norm. We end up with a society that resembles our bleakest memories of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mr. Trump can learn a valuable lesson from the latter film as well. Do the Right Thing was dedicated to Michael Griffith, a 23-year-old black man accidentally hit by a car on the Belt Parkway after having been beaten by a mob of Italian-American teens. The film focused on a Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn that was divided by race and ethnic differences. On the hottest day of the summer in 1989, tension reached its boiling point after the death of a young black man named Radio Raheem, whose crime was being a big black man with a loud boombox that kept Public Enemy’s protest anthem “Fight the Power” on a continuous loop.
Radio Raheem, standing 6’4” and weighing over 200 pounds, was placed in a chokehold by two white police officers. The camera pans in on Raheem’s feet dangling in the air and his eyes rolling back in his head as the officers suffocate the life out of him. The film’s protagonist Mookie (Spike Lee) could have used his platform in the community as beloved pizza delivery man to calm down the feuding groups of Italian-Americans, blacks, Puerto Ricans, and Asian-Americans. Instead, Mookie threw a trash can into the window of the Italian-American owned Sal’s Famous Pizzeria, where Raheem was killed, inciting a night long riot. Mr. Trump must choose between playing the role of unifier or agitator. As he gave his victory speech, a gracious Trump pledged to be the president of all American citizens. I certainly hope that our President-elect is not afraid to stand up to the bigots who elected him hoping that he would make America great by turning back the clock. America needs a leader who will protect the rights of all citizens. We need a leader who will not condone divisive rhetoric that will lead to lynch mob-like behavior or a riot. History and Hollywood have given us far too many examples of what happens when Americans turn against each other out of fear, misunderstanding, ignorance, or prejudice.
Photo by Erick Lee Hodge via Unsplash
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Gilby Clarke Says Guns N’ Roses Asked Him to Take Part in Reunion
Michael Christopher
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
When Guns N' Roses partially reunited its classic lineup in 2016, it wasn't completely unexpected that the notoriously reclusive Izzy Stradlin didn't take part. But when he didn't sign on, fans were wondering why his 1991 replacement in the group, Gilby Clarke, wasn't enlisted. According to a new interview with the guitarist, he actually was asked to join, but had to turn the band down.
"Oh yeah, no - they did, yeah, they did, when it first started, they did reach out to me to come and play." Clarke says when asked if the group reached out to him in an interview with Eddie Trunk which can be heard below. "I have said that they did ask me before, I've never said why I didn't do it. The real reason is, they asked me, but you know my daughter Frankie has a band [Frankie + The Studs], they asked me the same day my daughter's band was playing Lollapalooza [in July 2016], which was like the biggest break for her band and stuff. It was the same day they were playing Lollapalooza and I had to be there, and I couldn't really give that up to go be the third guitar player in the band."
Clarke first linked up with Guns N' Roses in late-1991 for the Use Your Illusion tour, and remained with the band until 1995. Though he wasn't inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the rest of the group in 2012, he did jam on a few songs with them at the ceremony, though both frontman Axl Rose and Stradlin were absent.
"I have nothing against it," Clarke says of possibly performing with GNR at some point in the future. "It's just that didn't work out for me."
The Guns N' Roses "Not In This Lifetime..." tour, which sees bassist Duff McKagan and guitarist Slash back in the fold, has been a massive success. It was listed as the fourth-biggest tour of all time in January of this year. Next month, a staggering 10th leg of the tour will begin in Mexico and run through the beginning of December, closing out in Honolulu, Hawaii. The full list of show can be found here.
Hear Gilby Clarke on Trunk Nation
Every Guns N' Roses Song Ranked
Guns N' Roses 'Appetite for Destruction': The Story of Rock's Most Dangerous Album
Source: Gilby Clarke Says Guns N’ Roses Asked Him to Take Part in Reunion
Filed Under: Gilby Clarke, Guns N Roses
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Book > Textbooks > Sociological Research Methods
Narrative Networks
Storied Approaches in a Digital Age
Brian Alleyne - Goldsmiths, University of London, UK, University of London, UK
Communication Research Methods | Research Methods (General) | Sociological Research Methods
December 2014 | 224 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
"We are invited to think about the now ubiquitous everyday practices of interpreting and producing narratives across a range of modalities. The result is a text that inspires readers to think in new ways about narratives, invites them to analyse narrative texts available on the Web and, for those who wish, suggests how best to employ specialist software."
- Ann Phoenix, Institute of Education, University of London
"It’s high time we have a book like this. Brian Alleyne has managed to produce the best, clearest, and most comprehensive overview of narrative theory for social scientists I have yet to see. I wish I’d had access to a book like this when I was a student. It would have made my life so much easier. It will surely become the universally recognised go-to book on the subject."
- David Graeber, London School of Economics & Political Science
Narrative is a fundamental means whereby we make sense of our own lives and of the world around us. The stories we tell, and are being told, shape our identities, relationships and world-views. In a rapidly changing digital society where blogging and social networking have become fundamental communication channels, the platforms for the creation and exchange of all kinds of narratives have greatly expanded.
This book responds to the dynamic production and consumption of stories of all kinds in popular and academic cultures. It offers a comprehensive discussion of the underlying philosophical and methodological issues of narrative and personal narrative research as well as applying these to the current digital landscape. The book provides practical guidance on data management and use of software for the narrative researcher.
Illustrated with examples from a range of fields and disciplines as well as the author’s own work on hacking cultures and cultural activism, this title is a must for anyone wanting to learn about narrative approaches in social research and how to conduct successful narrative research in a digital age.
In the Beginning There Was the Social Explorer
Narrative Ways of Knowing
Analyzing Narrative
Narrative at Work in the World
Constructing Narrative
Techniques and Tools for the Narrative Researcher
In a context where both narrative research and analysis of social media are burgeoning, Narrative Networks achieves something new by examining the multiple ways in which narratives and information technology interweave. Drawing on his extensive experience of digital technology, Alleyne crafts a scholarly text that presents ontology, epistemology, literature and history in engaging and insightful ways. We are invited to think about the now ubiquitous everyday practices of interpreting and producing narratives across a range of modalities. The result is a text that inspires readers to think in new ways about narratives, invites them to analyse narrative texts available on the Web and, for those who wish, suggests how best to employ specialist software.
Ann Phoenix
Institute of Education, University of London
It’s high time we have a book like this. Brian Alleyne has managed to produce the best, clearest, and most comprehensive overview of narrative theory for social scientists I have yet to see. I wish I’d had access to a book like this when I was a student. It would have made my life so much easier. It will surely become the universally recognised go-to book on the subject.
Professor of Anthropology, London School of Economics & Political Science
The templates and examples are very concrete and up-to-date; a researcher new to this field would really be able to kickstart his work with them. Alleyne uses an inviting style of writing; in fact, just as he advocates in one of the chapters. I found many positive aspects to this book, and do not hesitate to recommend it.
Ton van Oosterhout
KWALON
We are a group of staff who are looking to maintain the currency of our learning and teaching practices and this text has helped us and our students gain insight into new approaches.
Dr Abbe Brady
School of Sport & Leisure, Gloucestershire University
We are a group of staff who are aiming to maintain the currency of our teaching and learning practices and this text has been a valuable resource for providing insights to new practices.
although this is an interesting book, it is too specific for using it in a general course on qualitative methods.
Professor Reitske Meganck
Dept of Psycho-Analysis, University of Ghent
This book is very accessible, yet sophisticated. It is excellent for all narrative research students, whether they intend to use e-sources or not.
Mrs Tania Wiseman
School of Health Professions, University of Brighton
It supports research in this area
Dr Juliet Thondhlana
School of Education, Nottingham University
An excellent book for Masters level students, and beyond.
School of Health Professions, Brighton University
Storied Approaches in a Digital Age: Chapter 1
PaperbackHardcoverElectronic Version
For Ethnography
Understanding Digital Culture
SAGE Research Methods is a research methods tool created to help researchers, faculty and students with their research projects. SAGE Research Methods links over 175,000 pages of SAGE’s renowned book, journal and reference content with truly advanced search and discovery tools. Researchers can explore methods concepts to help them design research projects, understand particular methods or identify a new method, conduct their research, and write up their findings. Since SAGE Research Methods focuses on methodology rather than disciplines, it can be used across the social sciences, health sciences, and more.
With SAGE Research Methods, researchers can explore their chosen method across the depth and breadth of content, expanding or refining their search as needed; read online, print, or email full-text content; utilize suggested related methods and links to related authors from SAGE Research Methods' robust library and unique features; and even share their own collections of content through Methods Lists. SAGE Research Methods contains content from over 720 books, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and handbooks, the entire “Little Green Book,” and "Little Blue Book” series, two Major Works collating a selection of journal articles, and specially commissioned videos.
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So the good run was never going to last forever. Such was the run Arsenal had been on though, it was still a surprise to see it end against a team that were beaten finalists in the Champions League last season.
Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday merely confirmed that Arsenal are in the group of death in the Champions League. Having had the potential to almost kill the group off, now the Gunners are right in the thick of the battle, with 10 points possibly not being enough to make it through given how Marseille are yet to pick up a point, with Arsenal, Dortmund and Napoli all level on six points.
Trying to put a positive spin on the result, there’s a strong argument to say that this could be what this Arsenal team needs, so long as it doesn’t have a lasting and damaging effect on the team’s confidence. Arsene Wenger’s side recovered brilliantly from their first home defeat this season, now they must do the same again. After not playing well for the whole 90 minutes against Norwich at the weekend, the Dortmund defeat was a reminder that Arsenal have be switched on for the whole game against top teams. With the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United to come soon in the league, and the return match with Dortmund, this result will hopefully sharpen the minds of the players in those matches.
Even though Mikel Arteta was one of Arsenal’s best players on the night, I couldn’t help but feel that Arsenal missed Mathieu Flamini. With the enthusiasm with which Flamini would have charged round the pitch, had he been there I doubt Arsenal would have started so slowly and allowed the German visitors to settle into the game. In the hostile atmosphere in the return leg, Flamini could be invaluable if he’s available to play.
Even more than Flamini though, I think the man Arsenal missed most on Tuesday night was Theo Walcott. With the game becoming stretched, there were times where Ozil and Rosicky were looking into the space on the right, but no one was making the incisive run to expose the full-back. Playing the fluid attacking three behind Giroud is fine against lesser Premier League teams, and can produce quality goals like we saw on Saturday, but against tougher opposition it’s frustrating to not have the players available to open up the game with a burst of pace. Better teams are able to contain the attacking midfield three, meaning Arsenal have less options out wide and end up going through the middle more. Ultimately, with Sagna trying to provide some width near the end, it cost the Gunners as he was upfield when Lewandowski scored the winning goal at the back post.
Given how Arsenal had defended pretty well, it was so frustrating to concede two hugely avoidable goals. The first was a sign of some over confidence from Aaron Ramsey. You don’t want to discourage him from trying things at the moment because most are coming off, but he needs to use his confidence to read the game well, and know when it’s better just to play the ball forward rather than dribble round players near your own goal. Again, it could be good ahead of the bigger games as Ramsey could have got away with it on Saturday against Norwich, but he didn’t get away with it on Tuesday. Hopefully he’ll learn from it and not take such chances again.
The whole team were taking a chance near the end as well, which led to Dortmund’s winning goal. As much as it’s great to see the team desperate to win at home and beat a top European team, given how tight the group is, there’s an argument to say Arsenal shouldn’t have been so gung-ho and get caught on the counter attack. Whilst it’s annoying right now, hopefully the team will take the lessons from Tuesday and not get caught out again.
The result throws the group open, but having seen the way Arsenal did perform in the second half, there can be plenty of optimism that Arsene Wenger’s team can go and win in Dortmund. First, the team have to get back to winning ways against Crystal Palace to get the defeat out the system. On another night, Santi Cazorla would have scored rather than hitting the bar and Robert Lewandowski would have been sent off for his elbow on Koscielny. However these are the fine margins that make the difference at the top level of the game.
It was a frustrating defeat, but it shouldn’t be a disheartening one. So long as the Gunners take the lessons from the match and get a couple of key players back, they can still survive the group of death.
Tagged Champions League, Mathieu Flamini, Sam Limbert, Theo Walcott
Post-Norwich: Style Points podcast out now…
Why We Still Need Theo In Our Arsenal…For Now
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What Is The Role of Government In Fostering Increased Economic Inclusion In The Baltimore Region?
It is essential to acknowledge the central and indispensable role that government plays in promoting and supporting economic inclusion activities, often serving as an instrumental partner in the initiatives. In this chapter (below is chapter 5 of Collectively We Rise: The Business Case for Economic Inclusion in Baltimore), we examine that subject. We begin by providing an overview of how local and state government acts as a catalyst for economic inclusion efforts and offer an example of a recent Baltimore development project to illustrate government’s role. We then profile some of the ways local and state government officials have promoted and facilitated economic inclusion efforts.
Public officials in Baltimore City and Maryland have a deep appreciation of the positive contributions economic inclusion makes to the social and economic health of the city and state. As we have previously noted, addressing barriers of opportunity is both an issue of equity and fundamental fairness, and an issue of economic self-interest.
Full Report and Appendices
There has been a wide range of efforts by local and state government, spanning a variety of administrations, to promote greater economic inclusion in the city and region. In many cases, those governmental efforts were a response to advocacy by community leaders and residents. Sometimes representatives of the business sector or anchor institutions also were active in calling for the economic inclusion efforts. In other instances, public officials themselves were the prime movers of the initiatives.
Government has many ways, both direct and indirect, to foster economic inclusion. Public officials can fund specific programs or services, such as workforce training and business development programs, that increase the ability of disadvantaged residents to secure good jobs or help individuals start the own businesses. Government can also use incentives and other approaches to encourage economic inclusion efforts by the private sector. Government can, for instance, make access to public resources for a development project contingent on the private entities conducting local hiring and/or procuring a portion of required goods and services from local firms or MBE/WBEs. Relative to those hiring and procurement requirements, government can also assist the business or developer in identifying local residents who would be qualified job candidates12 and MBEs/WBEs and other local firms that could provide goods and services. Government officials can also help a business or private institution reach out to and build relationships with community partners and neighborhood residents when the business or institution is considering actions that will have an impact on surrounding neighborhoods.
Port Covington Development Project
One prominent recent example of a publicly assisted Baltimore project that incorporated economic inclusion activities is Under Armour’s Port Covington project, which is being led by Sagamore Development. The Port Covington project is a multi-billion-dollar mixed-use waterfront development being built on 250 acres in south Baltimore. The project will involve 12 million square feet of building development, including both commercial space and housing. To help make this development project possible, in September 2016 the City of Baltimore signed legislation that committed $600 million in municipal bonds toward the Port Covington effort. The bonds are being used for tax-increment financing (TIF) to fund infrastructure for the project, with the bonds repaid through new property taxes. In response to advocacy by a coalition of community leaders, Sagamore Development signed a memorandum of understanding which guaranteed local hiring, supplier diversity, and other economic inclusion features. The Community Benefits Agreement includes a 30% local hiring mandate and a commitment that 20% of the housing produced will be affordable housing units. The community benefits deal also includes: $39 million in direct benefits to the six neighborhoods surrounding Port Covington; $55 million in other direct citywide benefits, including workforce development initiatives, education programs, college scholarships, recreation facilities, and youth summer jobs; and $6 million in incremental costs to pay prevailing wages on the project. In addition to those community benefits, the project is expected to generate thousands of jobs, secure Under Armour’s growing presence in Baltimore, and revitalize part of the city’s waterfront.
The Port Covington Community Benefits Agreement negotiations were informed by the experience of the local faith-based and community leaders in their previous efforts to secure commitments from developers for community benefits on the State Center, Harbor Point, and Superblock development projects.
In discussing these earlier efforts, Dr. S. Todd Yeary, Senior Pastor at Douglas Memorial Community Church, described the process that several faith-based leaders had followed in developing their initial strategies for engaging developers around the topic of economic inclusion and community benefits. According to Dr. Yeary:
“The first thing we tried to do is see if there was an identifiable need [which a development project could address] … We asked people in the community, ‘what was the first level of need,’ and it was clear it was the severe un- and under-employment, [especially] among people with low-skills but a high upside … People said what they needed was jobs. They saw economic projects and development happening [across Baltimore], but there was not a correlation between these employment issues and the focus [of the development projects]. …We also wanted to try to test the demand for jobs—we wanted to quantify how many wanted a job … [At a 2010 community meeting on jobs] we expected 250 people to come to Union Baptist [church] to demonstrate a measurable level of interest. Instead, 1500 people showed up … We saw high demand [for jobs] but low opportunity … We found that people were ready and eager to go to work, and just needed to have someone to help them transition from social dependence—or worse—to gainful employment. We felt that the development projects occurring might be a gateway [to jobs], perhaps not directly with the developer, but through the residual pieces [i.e., the subcontracts and other work occurring relative to the development].”
While access to jobs was viewed as the top priority, Dr. Yeary indicated that through the work of the community advocates emerged the idea of community benefits agreements that are multi-faceted. That is, in addition to creating job opportunities for local residents, the advocates are looking to the agreements to provide roles that make the community a true partner in the development process and leverage resources to assist in building the capacity of a variety of community entities, including nonprofits, community banks, and local colleges. The underlying premise is to ensure the success and sustainability of not only the development project itself, but also the broader community adjoining the development.
Obviously, the scope and specific features of community benefits agreements will vary according to the nature and size of development projects. Nonetheless, some city officials have noted that Port Covington and other recent develop projects have been useful in beginning to establish clearer standards for the community benefits and economic inclusion impacts that developers should expect to provide in return for receiving public financing or other forms of public assistance to make their development projects possible. City officials hope that such standards can become the “norm” for all development efforts happening in the city, and not just for the projects receiving public financing. Below, we profile a variety of other approaches—besides a TIF—used by local and state government to foster economic inclusion efforts by the private sector.
City of Baltimore Economic Inclusion Programs and Tools
One Baltimore For Jobs (1B4J)
In response to the unrest of April 2015, the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED), in partnership with Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, applied to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for demonstration funds to explore innovative workforce development strategies. MOED was awarded a two-year, $5 million grant from DOL. With input from community residents, MOED designed One Baltimore for Jobs (1B4J), which targeted young African-American men from distressed city neighborhoods, fusing occupational skills training and support services. Nineteen organizations were funded directly through 1B4J, and more than 50 community-based organizations received assistance through sub-grants. Grantees included 13 organizations that provided skills training in key industry sectors (manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and transportation/logistics) that are growing and offer career pathways.
Two 1B4J grantees provided remedial adult education on reading and math skills and four conducted intensive outreach to disconnected residents. These activities helped the local workforce system function like an integrated network. The 1B4J effort met all its performance goals and generated policy changes and new relationships among partners.
Made in Baltimore
Made In Baltimore is an initiative of the Baltimore Office of Sustainability. It aims to spur reinvestment in Baltimore City by growing the market for locally produced goods. Made In Baltimore supports Baltimore makers and manufacturers through a local-brand certification program, promotion and marketing events, and business development services. By helping grow local companies that make high-quality products, Made In Baltimore supports living-wage jobs that are accessible to all. As of February 2018, over 130 businesses had been certified. In addition, the initiative has partnered with MICA’s bookstore to feature local products to the community and is working with other institutions to do the same.
Employ Baltimore Executive Order and Local Hiring Law
The Employ Baltimore Executive Order, which Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake signed in June 2011 and that was subsequently revised in 2013, encourages businesses awarded between $50,000 and $300,000 in municipal contracts to
utilize the Baltimore City’s workforce delivery system to recruit qualified city residents to fill the businesses’ open positions. The Local Hiring Law, which was passed by the Baltimore City Council and took effect in December 2013, requires companies that receive municipal contracts greater than $300,000 and entities that receive $5 million in assistance for City-subsidized to projects, to take steps to ensure that 51 percent of new jobs created are filled by city residents. This framework has been used to link local hiring to the public school construction efforts and the development of the Horseshoe Baltimore Casino.
City of Baltimore MBE/WBE Participation Requirements
The City Code directs the City of Baltimore’s Minority and Women’s Business Opportunity Office to establish appropriate MBE and WBE participation requirements in all contracts awarded by the City. The participation requirements vary by contract. In setting the goals for a particular contract the office will consider, among other factors, the contract specifications, the availability of qualified MBEs and WBEs, the level of utilization of such firms in past City contracts of a similar nature, and the adverse impact on non-MBEs and non-WBEs.
Baltimore City Anchor Plan
In June 2014, Mayor Rawlings-Blake released the Baltimore City Anchor Plan, which announced a partnership between the City of Baltimore and eight anchor institutions to promote community and economic development in three targeted geographic sectors within Baltimore. Each sector had its own action plan that outlined the mutual commitments of the City and the anchor institutions focused on the designated geographic area. Proposed action items for each sector focused on four priority areas: public safety, local hiring, local purchasing, and quality of life.
Pugh Administration Economic Inclusion Priorities
Under Mayor Catherine E. Pugh, the City of Baltimore is advancing a comprehensive economic development vision, emphasizing strategies that support Baltimore’s residents and neighborhoods, particularly in the areas of small business development, workforce development, and youth empowerment. The newly formed Mayor’s Office of Small, Minority, and Women-Owned Business features new staff to elevate the voice of the small business community, restructured City resources and programming to prioritize small business development, entrepreneurship, commercial and “Main Streets” districts, and efforts to grow opportunities for minority and women-owned firms. The City is implementing new practices to recognize and grow the number of City-certified Minority and Women-Owned businesses, examining procurement practices to create more competition in City contracts, and using the hiring and purchasing power of City agencies to train and hire residents and conduct business with local firms. Other unfolding projects include a new partnership with Kaiser Permanente to launch business development programming provided through the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) and the launch of the new Baltimore Business Lending Program administered by local CDFI Baltimore Community Lending.
Workforce strategies are also a priority. During 2017, for example, Mayor Pugh hosted the inaugural Work Baltimore job and resource fair, which included a series of job-readiness workshops and seminars, and linkages to job opportunities with City agencies and other employers. In addition, the City of Baltimore and Baltimore City Community College, in collaboration with the Baltimore City Public School System, are launching the Mayor’s Scholars Program that will give all 2018 Baltimore City public high school graduates the opportunity to attend community college tuition-free beginning in fall of 2018. The Mayor has also directed City agencies to take workforce resources to communities, including the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development’s deployment of the City’s first mobile jobs unit in spring 2018, as well as street-level canvassing of homes and businesses with on-the-spot information for job-seekers, and job fairs for high school seniors and employers.
State of Maryland Economic Inclusion Programs and Tools
EARN Maryland
Employment Advancement Right Now (EARN) Maryland is a state-funded competitive workforce development grant program that began in 2013 and is designed to help businesses cultivate the skilled workforce they need to compete. EARN Maryland invests in strategic industry partnerships from key economic sectors in every region of the state. The industry-led partnerships develop plans for training and educating the workers and for placing them in meaningful employment. Through those efforts, EARN Maryland not only responds to the demands of businesses for skilled workers but also addresses the needs of workers by creating formal career paths to good jobs, reducing barriers to employment, and sustaining and growing middle-class jobs. EARN also encourages economic mobility for hard to-serve job seekers through supporting job-readiness training, which may include GED preparation, occupational skills development, literacy advancement, and transportation and child care components.
Since EARN’s launch in 2014, $32 million has been invested in workforce development activities. As of October 2017, 2,767 unemployed and underemployed participants had completed entry-level training programs, and 84% of those individuals obtained employment. A recent study on the economic impact of EARN Maryland found that for every state dollar invested in the program, $18.97 in additional economic activity is created in Maryland.
Maryland Executive Order on Use of Apprenticeship Programs and Local Hiring Plans in State Contracting
In September 2013, Governor Martin O’Malley issued an executive order that directed certain state entities that procure contracts for construction services to follow new procurement guidelines. The executive order required the agencies to consider using contractors who participate in registered apprenticeship programs. In addition, for public projects or public-private partnerships with estimated costs exceeding $5 million taking place in high-unemployment areas, the executive order directed state agencies to consider a bidder’s voluntary commitment to a community hiring agreement as a selection factor in the procurement.
Diverse Supplier Regulations of the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC)
In 2015, the PSC adopted new regulations encouraging utilities and other companies it regulates to increase their use of diverse suppliers, defined as minority-owned, women-owned, and service-disabled veteran-owned business enterprises.
Small Business Reserve Program
Created in 2004, Maryland’s Small Business Reserve Program supports the growth and success of the small business community by providing small businesses with the opportunity to participate as prime contractors on state contracts. It establishes a unique marketplace where small businesses compete against other small businesses, instead of against larger, more established companies. Under Maryland’s procurement law, the SBR Program directs 70 participating state agencies and departments to spend at least 15% of their fiscal year procurement expenditures with qualified small businesses.
Minority Business Enterprise Program (MBE)
Maryland MBE regulations direct 70 participating state agencies to make every effort to award an overall minimum goal of 29% of the total dollar value of their procurement contracts directly (to prime contractors) or indirectly (through subcontractors) to certified MBE firms. The participating agencies and departments examine their procurements and set specific minority participation goals on a contract-by contract basis.
Community Development Programs
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development administers several programs that provide capital and operating funding to support community reinvestment and economic opportunities. The Community Legacy Program provides funding to local governments and community development organizations to strengthen communities through business retention and attraction, encouraging homeownership and commercial revitalization. The Baltimore Regional Neighborhood Initiative provides capital and operating grants to community development organizations focusing on areas and opportunities where a modest investment and coordinated strategy will have appreciable neighborhood revitalization impact. A new fund, the SEED Community Development Anchor Institution Fund, was created in 2016 to provide grants and loans for community development projects in blighted areas. The state has allocated $4 million to support an anchor institution community engagement facility.
The section above is from “Chapter 5: What Is The Role of Government in Fostering Increased Economic Inclusion in the Baltimore Region?” of Collectively We Rise: The Business Case for Economic Inclusion in Baltimore. The full report incorporates any necessary sources and footnotes.
bipabagWhat Is The Role of Government In Fostering Increased Economic Inclusion In The Baltimore Region? 12.17.2018
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Louisiana AG Jeff Landry declares Obama transgender mandate unlawful Federal overreach
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry announced he would vigorously defend the state and its citizens from unlawful action threatened by the Obama Administration’s recent mandate that public schools allow students to use bathrooms and locker rooms of the opposite sex. In a letter to the leaders of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Board of Regents, Louisiana High School Athletic Association, Louisiana School Boards Association, Louisiana Community and Technical College System Board, and Office of Juvenile Justice – Landry asserted the administration’s threat to remove the state’s Title IX monies jeopardizes the safety of the student body and creates a public education funding crisis. “Let me be perfectly clear, President Obama and his appointees do not have legal authority to require our children to share locker rooms and bathrooms with children of the opposite sex,” wrote Landry. “The administration’s interpretation of Title IX constitutes an improper attempt to commandeer state-owned property in pursuit of a federal policy that has uniformly been rejected by the federal courts.” “The policy position adopted by the Obama Administration irresponsibly creates an environment in which children may be … [Read more...]
Franklinton layman given Natchitoches Rotary’s “Service above Self” award
NATCHITOCHES – Danny R. Von Kanel, a member of Trinity Baptist Church in Franklinton, received the Natchitoches Rotary’s “Service Above Self” award at their monthly meeting May 3rd. Over a five-year period, Von Kanel has raised $28,0000. Money raised was used to award a $192 scholarship to students who took one of 12 fine classes offered after school at the L.P. Vaughn School of Fine Arts in Natchitoches, which he directs. This year, he led the school to raise $15,582 through sponsorships and a brick memorial fundraiser. During the award presentation, Von Kanel said he was “totally overwhelmed. What a wonderful way to be honored.” Von Kanel has lived in Franklinton since 2002 and was minister of music at First Baptist Church there from 2002-2005. He also served as minister of music at Memorial Baptist Church in Bogalusa from 2005-2008. He and his wife, Beverly, has two grown sons and six grandchildren. … [Read more...]
Supreme Court ruling good news for GuideStone, ministries
By Roy Hayhurst, GuideStone Financial Resources communications DALLAS — The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion today, May 16, ordering the government to work out a solution in the contraceptive mandate cases that would actually protect the religious beliefs of objecting religious organizations, including GuideStone and the ministries it serves. The Court vacated the lower court decision that had gone against the religious organizations, and ruled that the government cannot fine the ministries as the cases proceed. No ministries served by GuideStone have been fined; a temporary injunction has been in place since December 2013, preventing the government from enforcing the mandate or applying penalties against ministries served by GuideStone’s health plans. Churches and closely related auxiliaries of churches were exempt from the mandate from the outset and were not at risk of penalties. “We are thankful, first and foremost, to the Lord for this decision,” GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said. “We appreciate the diligence of our legal teams in working through the legal and constitutional issues that were raised as well as for the men and women of the Supreme Court who took seriously their oaths of office. This is a … [Read more...]
Louisiana Baptist pastors speak out, take stand following transgender directive
By Brian Blackwell, Message Staff Writer An order by the Obama administration that public schools and universities permit transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms that correspond to the gender identity of their choosing has drawn opposition from many Louisiana Baptists. Issued on Friday, the order signed by Department of Education and Justice officials threaten to pull federal funding for schools that do not comply. A letter on the matter was sent to all school districts in the U.S. “Schools have a responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all students, including transgender students,” the letter said. “Harassment that targets a student based on gender identity, transgender status, or gender transition is harassment based on sex, and the Departments enforce Title IX accordingly. If sex-based harassment creates a hostile environment, the school must take prompt and effective steps to end the harassment, prevent its recurrence, and, as appropriate, remedy its effects. A school’s failure to treat students consistent with their gender identity may create or contribute to a hostile environment in violation of Title IX.” The letter said a school can provide separate facilities based on the … [Read more...]
Little Sisters of the Poor, other non profits win at Supreme Court
By Joni B. Hannigan, Christian Examiner ***This article was previously posted at the Christian Examiner and is used by permission. CLEVELAND, Ga. (Christian Examiner) – Following a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court today to unanimously overturn the lower court rulings against the Little Sisters of the Poor, the president of Truett-McConnell University said he was "thrilled" a six year "battle of ups and downs" has finally come to an end. "That's as strong as it gets," Emir Caner told Christian Examiner, about the high court's decision that ordered the government to leverage no fines and work with the Little Sisters' and others who do not want to participate in directly supplying contraception, to offering other ways to provide services that do not require them to forfeit their religious liberties. "You can tell [the Supreme Court justices] have had enough of the government dictating to our conscience what we can or cannot do," Caner said. The Court, according to a Beckett Fund Fund attorney, vacated the lower courts' decision. To Read the Full Article click here. … [Read more...]
‘Remembering the Goal’ movie is running with purpose
By Dave Christiano “Everybody needs a purpose in life” says Dave Christiano, the movie’s director “and one simple verse in the Bible provides the direction we all need.” Remember The Goal is an inspirational dramatic movie about a girls cross country team coming to theaters on August 26th. It follows the story of a new coach, fresh out of college, who takes over the girls cross country program at a private Christian school and attempts to lead them to a state title. “The coach has great wisdom for her young age and imparts this to the girls by covering many situations and issues in the story” says Christiano. “Allee-Sutton Hethcoat plays the lead role of Coach Courtney Smith-Donnelly” says the director. “She is terrific in this role and a strong role model and leader with high character. We need more people like her in real life and my hope is that she will be a positive influence to many.” The theme of the movie is based on 1 Corinthians 10:31: “whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” That phrase 'whatsoever ye do' includes running. Remember The Goal will speak to many important issues. For example, the movie is a visual example of the humility and the character of Christ. It … [Read more...]
A call for compassion in Louisiana Criminal Justice
By Gene Mills, President of Louisiana Family Forum There is a movement in the Louisiana Legislature this session to bring principled, faith-based reform to this state’s criminal justice system. With gridlock and partisanship dominating the headlines at the state and federal level, criminal justice reform offers a unique moment to illustrate that bi-partisanship still exists. With justice reform, we focus on a common goal of restoring families and communities and bringing reliability to the rehabilitation process for those seeking restoration to society. Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the nation, a statistic that we should resolve to repair. Today, approximately 2.2 million Louisiana residents have a criminal record. To make matters worse, for too long we have had a penal system in place whose object is to punish rather than rehabilitate (low-level offenders) offenders with the object of successful re-entry into society. We should be working to promote a criminal justice system that anticipates and pursues the incredible transformation that occurs when an individual accepts responsibility for his or her actions before man and, by God’s grace, becomes a “new creation.” Providentially, a bipartisan group of … [Read more...]
Memorial services set for Pastor Joe Senn
By Staff, Baptist Message WINNSBORO - Memorial services for Pastor Joel Senn, 63, of Rayville will be held at 10 a.m., May 16 at Crockett Point Baptist Church in Winnsboro, with Eddie Wren and Robert Warren officiating under the direction of Brown-Holley Funeral Home in Rayville Senn was born Feb. 25, 1953 in Rayville and passed away Friday, May 13, 2016 in Rayville. A member of the Louisiana Baptist Convention Executive Board and the Pledge Leadership team,. Mr. Joe was a member of the Louisiana Baptist Convention Properties, Executive Board, and the Pledge Leadership Program. Casey Johnson, pastor of Bonita Road Baptist Church in Bastrop and a former staff member at Crockett Point, wrote this on his Facebook page, “Words cannot express my heart. There are feelings of sadness, yet feelings of joy. The Apostle Paul said it best, "To live is Christ and to die is gain." His heart was to be with his people but he understood the glory that awaited him … glory that is indescribable. A glory that I heard Joe Senn speak of during the years of I spent in ministry with him. “Yesterday, that indescribable glory became His own,” Johnson continued. “His faith has now been made sight. His presence will be missed but his legacy lives … [Read more...]
Starnes: We must defy Obama’s transgender decree — no matter the cost
By Todd Starnes, FoxNews Dietrich Bonhoeffer warned us about a time such as this. "Not to speak is to speak, he once said. Not to act is to act." The Obama administration declared on May 9th that forcing people to use bathroom facilities based on their God-given plumbing was state-sponsored discrimination. Four days later they dropped an even bigger cultural bombshell. The president issued a directive requiring every public school in the nation to accommodate transgender students – under Title IX guidelines. Boys who identify as girls and vice versa must be allowed to use the bathrooms and locker rooms and shower stalls of their choosing. They must also be allowed to play on the sports teams of their choosing. School districts that dare defy the administration’s directives could face lawsuits and lose millions of dollars in federal funding. Resistance, in other words, is futile. “There is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said. I warned you in my book, “God Less America” that the fight over transgenderism would be the next battleground. And here we are – a nation where boys who identify as … [Read more...]
Crockett Point Pastor Joe Senn suddenly passes away
By Staff, Baptist Message CROWVILLE -- Joe Senn, the pastor of Crockett Point Baptist Church in Crowville, passed away today according to the church’s Facebook page. “Please pray for our church. Bro. Joe Senn went to his heavenly reward this afternoon,” read the Facebook post. “Pray for his wife, Brenda and his children and grandchildren.” Pastor Craig Beeman, pastor of First Baptist Winnsboro, and Bodie Spicer, pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Bastrop, confirmed Senn’s passing asking for prayers for him, his family and his church. Both men are trustees for the Louisiana Baptist Message. “It appears Brother Joe passed away today,” said Beeman. “Pray for the Joe Senn Family. Also, please be in prayer for Crockett Point.” Spicer added, “Praying for Crockett Point Baptist Church and for Brother Joe’s family.” Crockett Point’s pastor for the past 16 years, Senn, a former evangelist, was preparing to lead revival services beginning Sunday at Mineral Springs Baptist Church in Dubach. He spent more than 30 years in ministry. When Senn took over in 1990, the church had fewer than 100 people. But in 15 years, he has helped the congregation to more than 250 participating at Sunday morning worship. In 2015, Crockett Point … [Read more...]
More Editorials
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Posts Tagged ‘Roger Fenton Greek Hero
Exhibition: ‘The Shape of Things: Photographs from Robert B. Menschel’ at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York
Categories: American, american photographers, beauty, black and white photography, colour photography, digital photography, documentary photography, exhibition, existence, gallery website, landscape, light, Man Ray, memory, photographic series, photography, pictorialism, portrait, psychological, quotation, reality, sculpture, space, street photography, time and works on paper
Tags: 29 Palms: Infantry Platoon (Machine Gunners), 29 Palms: Mortar Impact, Aaron Siskind, Aaron Siskind Chicago 30, Aaron Siskind Jalapa 30 (Homage to Franz Kline), Aaron Siskind Jalapa 38 (Homage to Franz Kline), Aaron Siskind Lima 89 (Homage to Franz Klein), Aaron Siskind North Carolina 30, abstract expressionist, Alfred Stieglitz, Alfred Stieglitz The Terminal, An-My Lê, An-My Lê 29 Palms: Infantry Platoon (Machine Gunners), An-My Lê 29 Palms: Mortar Impact, André Kertész New York, Andre Kertesz, Berenice Abbot Gunsmith, Berenice Abbott, Berenice Abbott George Washington Bridge, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Bernd and Hilla Becher Cooling Towers, Bernd and Hilla Becher Duisburg-Bruckhausen, Bernd and Hilla Becher Hannover Mine 1/2/5, Carrie Mae Weems, Carrie Mae Weems The Shape of Things, Cathedral of Notre Dame, Charles Harry Jones, Charles Harry Jones Onions, Charles Harry Jones Peapods, Charles Marville, Charles Marville Pont Neuf, Charles Marville Rue des Prêtres-Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, Charles Marville Rue du Cygne, Chicago 1951, Chicago 30, Clarence John Laughlin, Clarence John Laughlin Spectre of Coca-Cola, Contemplating the Bust of Man Ray from the portfolio Man Ray, Cooling Towers, David Levinthal, David Levinthal Hitler Moves East, Design Angles, directorial modes, directorial modes in photography, directorial modes of production, double exposures, Dr. Hortensio Verdeprado, Duisburg-Bruckhausen, Eleanor and Barbara Chicago, Exhibition of the Witch, figures, fine art photography, forms, frame of reference, Frederick Sommer, Frederick Sommer I Adore You, George Washington Bridge, Germaine Krull, Germaine Krull Le Metal Inspirateur d'Art, Germaine Krull Metal Inspiration of Art, Germaine Krull Rails, Giliandria Escoliforcia, Greek Hero, Hannover Mine 1/2/5, Harry Callahan, Harry Callahan Chicago, Harry Callahan Chicago 1951, Harry Callahan Chicago c. 1949, Harry Callahan Chicago c. 1952, Harry Callahan Eleanor and Barbara Chicago, Harry Callahan Providence, Harry Callahan Siena, Hôtel de Douvres, Hitler Moves East, Hugh W. Diamond, Hugh W. Diamond Untitled c. 1852-55, I Adore You, images, Jalapa 30 (Homage to Franz Kline), Jalapa 38 (Homage to Franz Kline), Jan Groover, Jan Groover Untitled 1983, Joan Fontcuberta, Joan Fontcuberta Giliandria Escoliforcia, Joan Fontcuberta Mullerpolis Plunfis, John Coplans, John Coplans Self-Portrait (Back with Arms Above), John Gossage, John Gossage Monumentenbricke, L'Atlas de photographies solaires, Le Metal Inspirateur d'Art, Lee Friedlander, Lee Friedlander Glenwood Springs Colorado, Lima 89 (Homage to Franz Klein), Louis-Auguste Bisson, Louis-Auguste Bisson Cathedral of Notre Dame, Margaret Watkins, Margaret Watkins Design Angles, masks, Metal Inspiration of Art, Michael Spano, Michael Spano Photogram-Michael Spano, MOMA, Monumentenbricke, Mullerpolis Plunfis, Museum of Modern Art, North Carolina 30, Peapods, Personal experiences, Photogram-Michael Spano, photographic image as evidence of truth, photosphere, Robert B. Menschel, Roger Fenton, Roger Fenton Greek Hero, Rue Basse des Remparts, Rue des Prêtres-Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, Rue du Cygne, Self-Portrait (Back with Arms Above), shapes, space environment, Spectre of Coca-Cola, The Directorial Mode, The Gay Deceiver, The Museum of Modern Art, The Shape of Things, The Shape of Things: Photographs from Robert B. Menschel, The Terminal, totems, Truthful representations, Val Telberg, Val Telberg Exhibition of the Witch, Weegee, Weegee The Gay Deceiver, William Henry Fox Talbot, William Henry Fox Talbot Rue Basse des Remparts, William Wegman, William Wegman Contemplating the Bust of Man Ray from the portfolio Man Ray
Exhibition dates: 29th October 2016 – 7th May 2017
Photography is … a language for asking questions about the world. The Shape of Things imbues this aphorism with a linear taxonomy in its written material (while the installation “occasionally diverges from a strict chronological progression”), no matter that each “moment” in the history of photography – historical, modern, contemporary – is never self contained or self sufficient, that each overlaps and informs one another, in a nexus of interweaving threads.
Charles Harry Jones’ Peapods (c. 1900) are as modern as Bernd and Hilla Becher’s Cooling Towers (1973); Margaret Watkins’ Design Angles (1919) are as directorial as Jan Groover’s Untitled (1983) or Charles Harry Jones’ Onions (c. 1900). And so it goes…
The ideation “the shape of things” is rather a bald fundamental statement in relation to how we imagine and encounter the marvellous. No matter the era, the country or the person who makes them; no matter the meanings readable in photographs or their specific use value in a particular context – the photograph is still the footprint of an idea and, as John Berger asks, a trace naturally left by something that has past? That flicker of imagination in the mind’s eye which has no time.
As Sartre says in Being and Nothingness, “Temporality is only a tool of vision.”
Many thankx to MoMA for allowing me to publish the photographs in posting. Please click on the photographs for a larger version of the image.
The Shape of Things presents a compact and non-comprehensive history of photography, from its inception to the early twenty-first century, in one hundred images. The exhibition is drawn entirely from the 504 photographs that have entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection with the support of Robert B. Menschel over the past forty years, including a notable selection of works from his personal collection that were given in 2016 and are being shown here for the first time.
“Photography is less and less a cognitive process, in the traditional sense of the term, or an affirmative one, offering answers, but rather a language for asking questions about the world,” wrote the Italian photographer and critic Luigi Ghirri in 1989. Echoing these words, the exhibition presents the history of the medium in three parts, emphasising the strengths of Menschel’s collection and mirroring his equal interest in historical, modern, and contemporary photography. Each section focuses on a moment in photography’s history and the conceptions of the medium that were dominant then: informational and documentary in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, more formal and subjective in the immediate postwar era, and questioning and self-referential from the 1970s onward. The installation occasionally diverges from a strict chronological progression, fuelled by the conviction that works from different periods, rather than being antagonistic, correspond with and enrich each other.
Installation views of The Shape of Things: Photographs from Robert B. Menschel at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, October 29, 2016 – May 7, 2017
Photo: John Wronn
The exhibition The Shape of Things: Photographs from Robert B. Menschel presents a compact history of photography, from its inception to the early 21st century, in 100 images. On view from October 29, 2016, through May 7, 2017, the exhibition is drawn entirely from the 504 photographs that have entered The Museum of Modern Art’s collection over the past 40 years with the support of longtime Museum trustee Robert B. Menschel. It includes a notable selection of works from his personal collection that were given in 2016 and are being shown here for the first time. The Shape of Things is organised by Quentin Bajac, the Joel and Anne Ehrenkranz Chief Curator of Photography, with Katerina Stathopoulou, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Photography, MoMA.
Borrowing its title from the eponymous work by Carrie Mae Weems (American, b. 1953), the exhibition presents the history of the medium in three parts, emphasising the strengths of Menschel’s collection and mirroring his equal interest in historical, modern, and contemporary photography. Each section focuses on a moment in photography’s history and the conceptions of the medium that were dominant then: informational and documentary in the 19th and early 20th centuries, more formal and subjective in the immediate postwar era, and questioning and self-referential from the 1970s onward. The installation occasionally diverges from a strict chronological progression, fuelled by the conviction that works from different periods, rather than being antagonistic, correspond with and enrich each other.
From 1840 to 1900, in photography’s infancy as a medium, artists principally sought to depict truthful representations of their surrounding environments. This primal stage is distinguished by a debate on the artistic-versus-scientific nature of the invention. Photographers engaged with the aesthetic and technical qualities of the medium, experimenting with tone, texture, and printing processes. The exhibition begins with seminal photographs such as William Henry Talbot Fox’s (British, 1800-1877) 1843 picture Rue Basse des Remparts, Paris, taken from the windows of the Hôtel de Douvres. Also on view is the astronomer Jules Janssen’s (French, 1824-1907) masterpiece L’Atlas de photographies solaires (Atlas of solar photographs), published in 1903. Summing up a quarter-century of daily photography at Janssen’s observatory in Meudon, France, the volume on view contains 30 images of the photosphere, demonstrating photography’s instrumental role in advancing the study of science. Other artists included in this section are Louis-August and Auguste-Rosalie Bisson (Bisson brothers), Eugène Cuvelier, Roger Fenton, Hugh W. Diamond, Charles Marville, and Henri Le Secq.
As photographers grappled with war and its aftermath, they began to turn their focus away from documenting the world around them and toward capturing their own personal experiences in a more formal, subjective way. A selection of works from 1940 to 1960 explores this theme, including works by two artists whose images Menschel collected extensively: Harry Callahan (American, 1912-1999) and Aaron Siskind (American, 1903-1991). A selection from Callahan’s quintessential photographs of urban environments – from Chicago and New York to Aix-en Provence and Cuzco, Peru – double exposures of city views, and portraits of his wife Eleanor and daughter Barbara, underscore the breadth of his oeuvre. In the summer of 1951, while teaching alongside Callahan at Black Mountain College in North Carolina, Siskind began the series of pictures of the surfaces of walls for which he is best known. One of the early works in the series on view, North Carolina 30 (1951), shows the bare legs of a woman framed by the words “IN” and”AND” amid layers of peeling layers of posters. In their planarity and graphic quality, these pictures also have a kinship with paintings by the Abstract Expressionists, alongside whom Siskind began exhibiting in the late 1940s. Other artists in this section include Berenice Abbott, Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, John Gossage, André Kertész, Clarence John Laughlin, and Dora Maar.
From the 1970s onward, photographers began working in what A. D. Coleman defined as “The Directorial Mode,” wherein the photographer consciously creates events for the sole purpose of making images. John Coplans (British, 1920-2003) took his own body, naked and with the head invisible, as the subject of his work – both carrying on and contradicting the tradition of the self-portrait centered on the face – as seen in Self-Portrait (Back with Arms Above) (1984). Joan Fontcuberta’s (Spanish, b. 1955) series Herbarium appears at first glance to be a collection of botanical studies, depicting plants with new and distinctive contours and rigorously scientific names. However, as revealed by his fictional character Dr. Hortensio Verdeprado (“green pasture” in Spanish), the “plants” are actually carefully composed by the photographer using scrap picked up in industrial areas around Barcelona. Made of bits of paper and plastic, small animal bones, and other detritus, these forms are not only non-vegetal – there is almost nothing natural about them at all. Fontcuberta is interested in the way data assumes meaning through its presentation and in the acceptance of the photographic image as evidence of truth. Other artists in this section include Jan Groover, David Levinthal, An-My Lê, Michael Spano, JoAnn Verburg, and William Wegman.
Press release from the Museum of Modern Art
Roger Fenton (British, 1819-1869)
Greek Hero
Salted-paper print from a wet-collodion glass negative
13 7/16 × 10 3/16″ (34.2 × 25.8 cm)
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Robert and Joyce Menschel Fund
Hugh W. Diamond (British, 1809-1886)
Albumen silver print from a glass negative
6 1/2 x 5 5/16″ (16.6 x 13.5 cm)
Horace W. Goldsmith Fund through Robert B. Menschel
William Henry Fox Talbot (British, 1800-1877)
Rue Basse des Remparts, Paris
Salted paper print
6 11/16 × 6 3/4″ (17 × 17.2 cm)
Promised gift of Robert B. Menschel
Charles Marville (French, 1816-1879)
Albumen silver print
14 1/8 x 8 1/4″ (36 x 23.5 cm)
Rue des Prêtres-Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois
11 13/16 × 10 1/2″ (30 × 26.6 cm)
Rue du Cygne
11 3/4 x 10 9/16″ (29.9 x 26.9 cm)
Alfred Stieglitz (American, 1864-1946)
Photogravure mounted to board
10 × 13 3/16″ (25.4 × 33.5 cm)
Truthful representations, 1840-1930
“One advantage of the discovery of the Photographic Art will be, that it will enable us to introduce into our pictures a multitude of minute details which add to the truth and reality of the representation, but which no artist would take the trouble to copy faithfully from nature.
Contenting himself with a general effect, he would probably deem it beneath his genius to copy every accident of light and shade; nor could he do so indeed, without a disproportionate expenditure of time and trouble, which might be otherwise much better employed.
Nevertheless, it is well to have the means at our disposal of introducing these minutiae without any additional trouble, for they will sometimes be found to give an air of variety beyond expectation to the scene represented.”
William Henry Fox Talbot, The Pencil of Nature, 1844-46
“I was interested in a straightforward 19th-century way of photographing an object. To photograph things frontally creates the strongest presence and you can eliminate the possibilities of being too obviously subjective. If you photograph an octopus, you have to work out which approach will show the most typical character of the animal. But first you have to learn about the octopus. Does it have six legs or eight? You have to be able to understand the subject visually, through its visual appearance. You need clarity and not sentimentality.”
Hilla Becher, in “The Music of the Blast Furnaces: Bernhard and Hilla Becher in Conversation with James Lingwood,” Art Press, no. 209 (1996)
Charles Harry Jones (British, 1866-1959)
Peapods
Gelatin silver printing-out-paper print
6 5/16 x 8 1/4″ (16 x 20.9 cm)
Bernd Becher (German, 1931-2007), Hilla Becher (German, 1934-2015)
Each 15 3/4 × 11 13/16″ (40 × 30 cm)
© 2016 Estate Bernd and Hilla Becher
Berenice Abbott (American, 1898-1991)
George Washington Bridge, Riverside Drive and West 179th Street, Manhattan
9 9/16 x 7 5/8″ (24.3 x 19.3 cm)
© 2016 Berenice Abbott/Commerce Graphics
Gunsmith, 6 Centre Market Place, Manhattan
Gelatin silver print 9 5/8 x 7 9/16″ (24.4 x 19.1 cm)
Gift of the Robert and Joyce Menschel Foundation
Hannover Mine 1/2/5, Bochum-Hordel, Ruhr Region, Germany
18 7/16 x 22 11/16″ (46.9 x 57.6 cm)
Duisburg-Bruckhausen, Ruhr Region, Germany
19 5/16 x 24″ (49.1 x 60.9 cm)
Louis-Auguste Bisson (French, 1814-1876)
Cathedral of Notre Dame, Paris (detail of facade)
Acquired through the generosity of Robert B. Menschel
Germaine Krull (Dutch, born Germany. 1897-1985)
15 7/16 x 10 3/8″ (39.2 x 26.3 cm)
Le Metal Inspirateur d’Art (Metal Inspiration of Art)
Personal experiences, 1940-1960
“As photographers, we must learn to relax our beliefs. Move on objects with your eye straight on, to the left, around on the right. Watch them grow large as you approach, group and regroup themselves as you shift your position. Relationships gradually emerge, and sometimes assert themselves with finality. And that’s your picture.
What I have just described is an emotional experience. It is utterly personal: no one else can ever see quite what you have seen, and the picture that emerges is unique, never made and never to be repeated. The picture – and this is fundamental – has the unity of an organism. Its elements were not put together, with whatever skill or taste or ingenuity. It came into being as an instant act of sight.”
Aaron Siskind, “The Drama of Objects,” Minicam Photography 8, no. 9 (1945)
“The business of making a photograph may be said in simple terms to consist of three elements: the objective world (whose permanent condition is change and disorder), the sheet of paper on which the picture will be realized, and the experience which brings them together. First, and emphatically, I accept the flat plane of the picture surface as the primary frame of reference of the picture. The experience itself may be described as one of total absorption in the object. But the object serves only a personal need and the requirements of the picture. Thus rocks are sculptured forms; a section of common decorated ironwork, springing rhythmic shapes; fragments of paper sticking to a wall, a conversation piece. And these forms, totems, masks, figures, shapes, images must finally take their place in the tonal field of the picture and strictly conform to their space environment. The object has entered the picture in a sense; it has been photographed directly. But it is often unrecognizable; for it has been removed from its usual context, disassociated from its customary neighbours and forced into new relationships.”
Aaron Siskind, “Credo,” Spectrum 6, no. 2 (1956)
Weegee (Arthur Fellig) (American, born Austria. 1899-1968)
The Gay Deceiver
13 x 10 1/4″ (33 x 26 cm)
Harry Callahan (American, 1912-1999)
Dye transfer print
Clarence John Laughlin (American, 1905-1985)
Spectre of Coca-Cola
13 1/4 x 10 3/8″ (33.6 x 26.4 cm)
Robert B. Menschel Fund
9 × 8 7/8″ (22.9 × 22.5 cm)
8 3/4 × 13 7/16″ (22.3 × 34.1 cm)
7 11/16 x 9 9/16″ (19.5 x 24.3 cm)
Gift of Robert and Joyce Menschel
Eleanor and Barbara, Chicago
7 11/16 x 9 11/16″ (19.5 x 24.6 cm)
6 9/16 × 6 7/16″ (16.6 × 16.3 cm)
André Kertész (American, born Hungary. 1894-1985)
13 11/16 x 9 3/4″ (34.7 x 24.7 cm)
Directorial modes, 1970s and beyond
“Here the photographer consciously and intentionally creates events for the express purpose of making images thereof. This may be achieved by intervening in ongoing ‘real’ events or by staging tableaux – in either case, by causing something to take place which would not have occurred had the photographer not made it happen.
Here the authenticity of the original event is not an issue, nor the photographer’s fidelity to it, and the viewer would be expected to raise those questions only ironically. Such images use photography’s overt veracity by evoking it for events and relationships generated by the photographer’s deliberate structuring of what takes place in front of the lens as well as of the resulting image. There is an inherent ambiguity at work in such images, for even though what they purport to describe as ‘slices of life’ would not have occurred except for the photographer’s instigation, nonetheless those events (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) did actually take place, as the photographs demonstrate.
… This mode I would define as the directorial.”
A. D. Coleman, “The Directorial Mode: Notes Towards a Definition,” Artforum 15, no. 1 (1976)
Aaron Siskind (American, 1903-1991)
14 x 17 13/16″ (35.6 x 45.3 cm)
13 1/16 × 9 11/16″ (33.2 × 24.6 cm)
Lee Friedlander (American, born 1934)
Glenwood Springs, Colorado
8 5/8 x 12 15/16″ (21.9 x 32.8 cm)
Jan Groover (American, 1943-2012)
Margaret Watkins (Canadian, 1884-1969)
Design Angles
5 7/8 x 8 1/4″ (15 x 21cm)
Jalapa 30 (Homage to Franz Kline)
9 1/2 x 9 15/16″ (24.1 x 23.6 cm)
Lima 89 (Homage to Franz Klein)
10 3/16 × 9 5/8″ (25.9 × 24.4 cm)
John Gossage (American, born 1946)
Monumentenbricke
12 3/16 x 9 11/16″ (30.9 x 24.6 cm)
Val Telberg (American, born Russia. 1910-1995)
Exhibition of the Witch
10 15/16 × 13 3/4″ (27.8 × 35 cm)
© 2016 Estate of Val Telberg
Frederick Sommer (American, born Italy. 1905-1999)
7 9/16 × 9 1/2″ (19.2 × 24.1 cm)
John Coplans (British, 1920-2003)
Self-Portrait (Back with Arms Above)
19 13/16 × 15″ (50.4 × 38.1 cm)
Joan Fontcuberta (Spanish, born 1955)
Giliandria Escoliforcia
10 9/16 x 8 1/2″ (26.8 x 21.5 cm)
Mullerpolis Plunfis
An-My Lê (American, born Vietnam 1960)
29 Palms: Mortar Impact
26 1/2 × 38 1/16″ (67.3 × 96.7 cm)
© 2016 An-My Lê
29 Palms: Infantry Platoon (Machine Gunners)
David Levinthal (American, born 1949)
Untitled from the series Hitler Moves East
10 9/16 x 13 7/16″ (26.8 x 34.1 cm)
The Fellows of Photography Fund and Horace W. Goldsmith Fund through Robert B. Menschel
William Wegman (American, born 1943)
Contemplating the Bust of Man Ray from the portfolio Man Ray
Michael Spano (American, born 1949)
Photogram-Michael Spano
57 7/8 x 23 15/16″ (145.2 x 60.8 cm) (irregular)
Carrie Mae Weems (American, born 1953)
a) 26 7/8 x 26 15/16″ (68.2 x 68.4 cm) b) 26 15/16 x 26 7/8″ (68.5 x 68.3 cm)
Gift of Robert B. Menschel
11 West 53 Street
Monday – Thursday, Saturday – Sunday 10.30 am – 5.30 pm
Friday, 10.30 am – 8.00 pm
MOMA website
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Japan to order 100 more F-35 fighters from US
Move comes in response to China's military rise and Trump's pressure
Nikkei staff writers November 27, 2018 11:26 JST
Japan is set to spend over 1 trillion yen to procure more F-35s like this one.
TOKYO -- Japan is preparing to order another 100 F-35 stealth fighter jets from the U.S. to replace some of its aging F-15s, according to sources.
The plan can be considered a response to China's military buildup, as well as a nod to U.S. President Donald Trump's call for Tokyo to buy more American defense equipment. Japan already intended to procure 42 of the new fighters.
A single F-35 costs more than 10 billion yen ($88.1 million), meaning the additional order would exceed 1 trillion yen.
Japan's government plans to approve the purchase when it adopts new National Defense Program Guidelines at a cabinet meeting in mid-December. It will also include the F-35 order in its medium-term defense program, which covers fiscal 2019 to fiscal 2023. The government wants to obtain 42 F-35s as successors to its F-4s by fiscal 2024.
The 42 fighters Japan originally planned to buy are all F-35As, a conventional takeoff and landing variant. The additional 100 planes would include both the F-35A and F-35B, which is capable of short takeoffs and vertical landings.
At present, Japan deploys about 200 F-15s, roughly half of which cannot be upgraded. The Defense Ministry wants to replace the planes that cannot be upgraded with the 100 F-35s, while enhancing and retaining the remaining F-15s.
To accommodate the F-35Bs, the government intends to revamp the Maritime Self-Defense Force's JS Izumo helicopter carrier to host the fighters.
Japan's neighbors are busy introducing their own advanced military aircraft. China deployed its homegrown J-20 stealth fighter in February, and by 2030 some experts expect the country to build a fleet of more than 250 fifth-generation jets -- as the latest generation of fighters like the F-35 is known.
Russia, too, is expected to introduce its fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 in 2019, at the earliest.
To keep up, Tokyo believes it is imperative to significantly increase its procurement of the most sophisticated stealth jets.
At the same time, Trump has repeatedly urged Japan to purchase more American hardware and reduce the trade imbalance between the countries. Buying more of the high-priced fighters is a quick way to do that.
In September, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Trump, "Introducing high-performance equipment, including American [materiel], is important for our country to strengthen its defense capabilities."
Man dies by self-immolation at Japanese Embassy in Seoul
Lockheed offers F-22 and F-35 hybrid for Japan's next fighter
F-22 technology offered to Japan for next-generation fighter
China plows ahead with aircraft carrier buildup
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Think pieces & stories
My take on funerals in Africa
April 03, 2018 / Mwanja Nganjo
Funerals in Africa can be quite a crowd puller. In countries south of the Sahara, they tend to go something like this. When a person dies, relatives and friends from far and wide gather at the deceased’s home or a home of a relative designated as the ‘funeral’ or ‘mourning’ house, where mourners stay until the deceased is buried, often within a week or two. In some West African countries like Ghana and Nigeria, however, certain tribes often delay the burial of their loved one for weeks or even months, in order to ensure that they are given a proper send-off when the time is right.
“Death rituals in Africa are deeply rooted in the cultural beliefs, traditions, and indigenous religions of the continent. They are guided by Africans' view of existence after death and the power and role of the deceased ancestor. Rituals evolved through the infusion of Christianity, Islam and modern changes, but traditional themes survive in Africa and among people of African descent in the Caribbean and the Americas.”1
In many cultures, family and friends bring donations in the form of supplies, food and money to the home where the vigil is held. In most cases funerals and vigils are accompanied by distinctive loud wailing that announces bereavement to the rest of the community. The Bameleki in Cameroon for example, are even known to hire professional mourners for their funerals. It must be noted here, however, that the practice of hiring professional mourners is not only limited to some African countries, but is also prevalent in Asia in countries like India and Taiwan.
In southern Africa, after the burial has taken place, mourners gather at the home where the vigil is held to eat a meal together, but before they do so, they all wash off the graveyard dust from the hands and / or feet at the gate or doorway of the home. This is not a practice for sanitary reasons alone. The ritual of washing hands at entrance to the home is also believed to ward off any bad ‘air’ or spirits that might have been unknowingly carried along from the burial site.
Customs observed during the period of mourning include dressing in black, red or even white as the traditional colour of mourning. Western clothes are worn as well as traditional clothes in the typical mourning colours or colour coordinated prints specifically bought for the funeral. Norms also put a limit on socialising and restrain loud talking or laughter. Following the funeral, family members may cut their hair or beards as another sign of respect for the deceased.
When it comes to widows, the mourning rites are stepped up a notch. Depending on the tribe or culture, a widow is expected to be in mourning for a period of between six to twelve months. Although most of the overt rituals are dying away in modern society, during her period of mourning, a widow may be expected to dress in a certain way, for instance in long black outfits or to cover her head with a scarf constantly.
After the prescribed time, the family and relatives gather for another ceremony, at times called a ‘memorial’ as a final public farewell to the deceased. It is often about this time that families conclude on the handling of the deceased’s estate, or as is this case at times, court disputes erupt because of disgruntled parties. It is also usually after this ceremony when widows or widowers may be ‘released’ and permitted to remarry if they so choose. Hmmm… that’s my continent for you.
©Mwanja Ng'anjo
1 Ruddock, Vilma. Death Rituals in Africa. http://dying.lovetoknow.com/Death_Rituals_in_Africa
April 03, 2018 / Mwanja Nganjo/
Mwanja Nganjo
My take on weddings in Africa!
My first visit to Livingstone
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Tag Archives: TV Guide
CBS Corp.
Posted on April 8, 2013 by Marcia Gillespie
Marcia Gillespie
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/CBS_Television_Studios
CBS Headquarters
51 W. 52nd Street
http://www.cbscorporation.com/
Key Executives: [1]
Sumner M. Redstone: Executive Chairman
Picture courtesy of CBS Corporation Website
Redstone currently serves as the chairman of both CBS Corporation and Viacom. He became the chairman of Viacom in June of 1987 and became the executive chairman of Viacom in January of 1996. In January of 2006 Viacom separated into tow publicly traded companies. After this split Redstone became the executive chairman in both companies and currently is the controlling shareholder of both companies.
Leslie Moonves: President, Cheif Executive Officer
After serving as the president of Warner Bros. Television, Moonves made the transition to CBS in 1995. After starting shows like “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” Moonves and his team brought CBS out of the bottom of the ratings and was promoted to president and CEO of CBS Television in 1998. Currently Moonves oversees all of the aspects of the company including all of the television networks in affiliation with CBS.
Anthony G. Ambrosio: Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Administraion
Picture Courtesy of CBS Corporation Webstie
Ambrosio joined the CBS team in March of 1985 and got promoted to his current position in May of 2000. He is in charge of all Human Resources functions for the company.
Joseph Ianniello: Executive Vice President and Chief financial Officer
Getting promoted from Deputy Chief Financial Officer in 2008 Ianniello oversees all of the financial operations that happen with the CBS Corporation.
The CBS Company
CBS Television Network: [2]
Established in 1928, CBS television network has over 200 tv stations and affiliates. Their programming includes CBS entertainment, CBS news and CBS sports. They started when founder william Paley bought 16 independent radio stations. Paley called this new company the Columbia Broadcast System. The CBS Television Netwok ranges from entertainment to news to sports. Today the CBS Television Network has the #1 scripted drama (NCIS), the #1 sitcom (Two and a Half Men), the #1 newsmagazine (60 Minutes), and the #1 daytime drama (The Young and the Restless).
CBS Television Stations: [3]
With 29 owned-and-operated stations, CBS Television Stations reach all over the United States. 16 of these stations are part of the CBS Television Network, eight of the stations are affiliates of The CW Network, three are independent stations, and the remaining two stations are MyNetwork TV affiliates.
CBS Television Studios: [4]
As one of the leading suppliers of primetime network programming in the television industry, CBS Television Studios produces the #1 and #2 scripted series, as well as six of the top ten most watched scripted series. The shows have earned them many Emmys over the years.
CBS Entertainment: [5]
CBS Entertainment acquires and develops entertainment programming. This includes primetime comedy and dramas, television movies and miniseries, reality shows, theatrical films, children’s programs, games shows, daytime dramas, and late-night programs.
CBS News: [6]
This devision if focused on news and information. CBS News is a 24 hours a day, seven days a week programming. They have interviews, reporting, investigations, analysis and breaking news to keep their viewer up to date on things happening in their communities and in the world.
CBS Sports: [7]
Covering sports year round, CBS sports attracts all sports fans. They broadcast the NFL, college basketball (including the highly watched NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship , golf (including The Masters and PGA Championship), college football, tennis, track and field, auto racing and gymnastics. On the CBS Sports Network has 24 hour sports programing.
Finances [8]
2012 Full year Results: Revenue: $14.09 Billion Adjusted OIBDA: $3.49 Billion Operating Income: $2.98 Billion Adjusted diluted earnings per share from continuing operations: $2.55 Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations: $2.48
CBS revenues increased 3% from $13.64 billion in 2011 to $14.09 billion 2012.
Courtesy of the CBS 2012 Earnings Release
CBS Stock Information:
Courtesy of CBS Corporation Website
What is Happening Now?
TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com: [9]
It was announced on March 26, 2013 that CBS purchased 50% stake in TV Guide Network and TVGuide.com. The other 50% is owned by Lionsgate. The TV Guide Network is a netwok focused on entertainment that reaches over 80 million homes. Leslie Moonves, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the CBS Corporation is excited for the deal, “Lionsgate, led by my friend Jon Feltheimer, is a forward-thinking content company and a great partner for us here. We’re excited to bring CBS’s programming and production assets to the venture, and work with Lionsgate to rebrand and grow a channel that will be increasingly valuable to our carriage partners.” CBS plans to capitalize on this purchase by using its content brands and to gain access to the highly distributed basic cable network of the TV Guide Network.
Amazon Prime and CBS Expansion: [10]
It was announced on February 13, 2013 that Amazon.com and CBS Corporation were to expand their content licensing agreement. This new agreement allows Amazon Prime members to watch more CBS and SHOWTIME programming online at no extra charge. This agreement allows series to be streamed on Amazon Prime for the first time. Some shows that are now available to stream through this agreement are America’s Next Top Model, Jericho, Everybody Loves Raymond, Undercover Boss, Medium, Star Trek, and I Love Lucy.
CBS and Grey Television [11]
On March 19, 2013 CBS announced that they had signed an affiliation agreement with Gray Television. Their hope for this new affiliation agreement is to increase CBS’s servies to their viewers in central Nebraska. They will be adding an over-the-air, on cable and satellite television station, KNPL. They hope to launch the station on Sunday, September 1, 2013.
[1]: http://www.cbscorporation.com/ourcompany-executives.php?id=67&exec=156
[2]: http://www.cbscorporation.com/portfolio.php?division=93
[6]: http://www.cbscorporation.com/portfolio.php?division=256
[8]: http://investors.cbscorporation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99462&p=quarterlyearnings
[9]: http://www.cbscorporation.com/news-article.php?id=947
[10]: http://www.cbscorporation.com/news-article.php?id=935
Posted in Television Companies, TRF235.1, TV Programming (Broadcast), TV Programming (Cable) | Tagged Amazon Prime, CBS Television, CBS Television Network, CBS Television Stations, Grey Television, TV Guide
Posted on April 8, 2013 by Taylor Kowalski
Taylor Kowalski
Courtesy of Lionsgate Entertainment [1]
Los Angeles Address:
Lionsgate Corporate
2700 Colorado Ave.
Jon Feltheimer, CEO since March 2000.
Michael Burns, Vice Chairman since March 2000.
Steve Beeks, President since February 2004
Joe Drake, Preisdent of the Motion Picture Group since August 2007
Jim Keegan, Chief Financial Officer since April 2002
Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation is a leading multimedia entertainment company that maintains a presence in film and television production and distribution, home and family entertainment, digital distribution, as well as international distribution and new channel platforms. Committed to low overhead, entrepreneurial business models, cost discipline, and niche focus, Lionsgate has recently seen the success of their 12-year growth strategy, which led to Lionsgate becoming a major name in the world marketplace. [6]
Lionsgate Film’s list of successful films includes The Hunger Games, The Saw Saga, and a long list of Tyler Perry’s films. In addition, Lionsgate Television’s current programming includes successes such as FX’s Anger Management, AMC’s Mad Men, ABC’s Nashville, and Showtime’s Nurse Jackie.
Other Lionsgate holdings and subsidiaries include Lionsgate Music and Publishing, Tigergate, Mandate Pictures, Maple Pictures, Kix, Epix, Thrill, TVGuide.com, FEARnet.com, Debmar-Mercury, Elevation Sales, and Break.com.
Lionsgate Entertainment Corporation was founded by Frank Giustra in 1997 in Vancouver, British Columbia. A majority of the funding for its founding was put forth by Yorktown Securities, a bank with stake in Frank Giustra’s mining assets. [2]
To further itself in the industry, Lionsgate acquired other small production houses, purchasing Cinepix Film Properties, which was then dubbed Lionsgate Films, as well as North Shore Studios, then renamed to be Lionsgate Studios. After more purchases, the Lionsgate Media subsidiary was founded to produce content for television. [2]
After Feltheimer became CEO, Lionsgate Entertainment acquired Trimark Pictures for approximately $50 million in June of 2000. Lionsgate also purchased Artisan Entertainment in 2003. They went on to purchase Rebus Film Distribution of the United Kingdom in October 2005, which became Lionsgate UK on February 23rd, 2006. Also in 2006, Lionsgate sold Lionsgate Studios to Bosa Development Corporation. In June of 2007, Lionsgate Music and Publishing was founded. [2]
In 2009, Lionsgate acquired the TV Guide Network. [3]
In January of 2012, Lionsgate acquired Summit Entertainment, the producers of The Twilight Saga, which helped Lionsgate cross the $1 billion dollar threshold for the first time. This success is also attributed to the release of The Hunger Games. [1]
Courtesy of The Hunger Games [16]
DreamWorks Studios
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Incorporated
As the fiscal year ended March 31st, 2013, the annual financial reports for Lionsgate have not been released yet.
Their first-quarter financial report for 2013 reported revenue of $471.8 million, with a price of $.33 per share with the first quarter of fiscal 2013 ending June 30, 2012. [4]
The second-quarter earnings release reports revenue of $707.0 million with a price of $.56 per share with the second quarter of fiscal 2013 ending September 30, 2012. [4]
The third-quarter earnings release reports revenue of $743.6 million with a price of $.28 per share with the third quarter of fiscal 2013 ending December 31, 2012. [4]
View Available Financial Reports
Courtesy of Yahoo Finance [5]
At the closing of April 5th, Lionsgate’s stock had gone up .74 of a point, a 3.29% increase.
With blockbuster films such as The Hunger Games: Catching Fire being released in 2013, Lionsgate is likely to have a comparable year to that of 2012, during which the release of franchised movies, including The Twilight Saga and The Hunger Games, led to more than $2.5 billion being made at the worldwide box office in 2012. [6]
Courtesy of IMDB [14]
January 22, 2013– Lionsgate’s comic-based film DREDD achieved a DVD and Blu-Ray release that made it the best-selling new release title of the year. DREDD also became the top film download of the week, beating out all other films in digital sales as well. This feat adds to Lionsgate’s list of films that have made up for a lacking box office performance through DVD and Blu-Ray sales, helping Lionsgate be the industry leader in DVD-to-box office conversion. [7]
Official DREDD Trailer
February 12 and 13, 2013– Media Investor Gordon Crawford joined Lionsgate’s board of directors, increasing the size of the board to 13 members. In addition, Wayne Levin signed a long-term agreement to act as Lionsgate’s General Counsel and Chief Strategic Officer. [8] [9]
March 5, 2013– Andrew Kramer was named Chief Operating Officer of International Distribution. [10]
Courtesy of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 [15]
March 5, 2013– Lionsgate reported that Summit Entertainment’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 sold 3.85 million DVD’s and Blu-Rays in its first weekend of release. This news is more significant due to the fact that 27% of the sales were Blu-Ray copies, up from the 22% seen for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, which further indicates the growing acceptance of the Blu-Ray format. Similarly, 20% more transactions were electronic, such as Video On Demand, for this film. [11]
Official Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 Trailer
March 21, 2013– Lionsgate and the new digital entertainment service M-GO announced that they are partnering to bring Lionsgate’s library of films and television programs, such as The Hunger Games, Twilight, Madea, and Mad Men, to the digital service for customers to purchase or rent. [12]
Courtesy of TV Guide [15]
March 26, 2013– CBS Corporation and Lionsgate officially partner in a 50/50 ownership of the TV Guide Network as well as TVGuide.com, a cable channel that reaches 80 million households. [3]
Though Lionsgate may not have as profitable of a fiscal year in 2013 and 2014 due to The Twilight Saga wrapping up and no longer overlapping The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire as well as the rest of the trilogy are sure to be box office successes for Lionsgate.
Other upcoming films for Lionsgate include The Big Wedding, We the Peeples, You’re Next, I, Frankenstein, and Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas. Lionsgate is also planning to add to the Texas Chainsaw 3D franchise. [13]
Official We The Peeples Trailer
Official You’re Next Trailer
Official Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas Trailer
In addition, Summit Entertainment’s upcoming 2013 slate includes Now You See Me, Red 2, The Tomb, and Ender’s Game.
1. Lionsgate Official Website http://www.lionsgate.com
2. Lionsgate History http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/lions-gate-entertainment-corporation-history/
3. Lionsgate and CBS for TV Guide Network http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lionsgate-eyes-sale-tv-guide-282649
4. Lionsgate Quarterly Earnings http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=quarterlyEarnings
5. Yahoo Finance Report http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=LGF
6. Lionsgate Company Overview http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-homeprofile
7. DREDD Press Release http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1776610&highlight=
8. Gordon Crawford Press Release http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1784145&highlight=
9. Wayne Levin Press Release http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1784588&highlight=
10. Andrew Kramer Press Release http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1792410&highlight=
11. Twilight Press Release http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1792214&highlight=
12. M-GO Press Release http://investors.lionsgate.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=62796&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1798829&highlight=
13. Lionsgate Films http://www.lionsgate.com/?section=film
14. DREDD on IMDb http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343727/
15. Breaking Dawn – Part 2 Photo Page http://www.breakingdawn-themovie.com
16. The Hunger Games Official Website http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/index.html
17. TV Guide Network http://www.tvguide.com
18. Yahoo Finance, Lionsgate Competitors http://finance.yahoo.com/q/co?s=LGF+Competitors
Posted in Film Companies, Film Distribution Industry, Film Production Industry, TRF235.2, TV Programming (Broadcast), TV Programming (Cable) | Tagged ABC, AMC Networks, Andrew Kramer, Anger Management, Catching Fire, CBS Corporation, DreamWorks, Dredd, Epix, Frank Giustra, FX, Imagine Entertainment, Jim Keegan, Joe Drake, Jon Feltheimer, Lionsgate, Mad Men, Madea, MGM, Michael Burns, Nashville, Nurse Jackie, Showtime, Steve Beeks, Summit Entertainment, Texas Chainsaw 3D, The Hunger Games, The Twilight Saga, TV Guide, Tyler Perry
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Mission: To empower children from low-income communities to succeed in school, college, and career by providing academic, social, and emotional support from elementary school through college, along with a post-secondary tuition assistance scholarship.
Vision: Our dream is a world where all children have equal access to the educational and career opportunities that will ignite their innate potential.
History: “I Have A Dream” Foundation of Boulder County’s (IHDF) unique, long-term achievement program follows the national “I Have A Dream” model. Philanthropist Eugene Lang began the first “I Have A Dream” program in New York City in 1981. He mentored students from elementary to high school and provided scholarships for higher education when they graduated from high school.
Concerned by the dismal 35% graduation rate among low-income youth in the area, local philanthropists launched “I Have A Dream” in Boulder County in 1990. Learn more about the organization through our annual report and financial health.
Since 1990, IHDF Boulder County has served more than 1000 local youth, and currently has 12 active Dreamer Scholar Classes. The model, with its one-on-one attention and daily programming, has proven to narrow the opportunity gap. Dreamer Scholars graduate from high school, enroll in post-secondary programming, and complete their post-secondary education at much higher rates than their low-income peers. Learn about our program model.
In 2014, IHDF helped launch the Dream Big Initiative, a collaborative with our closest partners — school districts, housing authorities, government agencies, businesses, and other community organizations. Dream Big’s goal is to ensure all low-income students in Boulder County have the same chance to succeed as their better-off peers.
2016 – Business and Professional Women of Boulder – Organization of the Year
2011 – Longmont Housing Authority – Recognition of Outstanding Contributions
2006 – The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County – NOVA Civic Partnership Award for co-founding Crayons to Calculators
2003 – YWCA of Boulder County – Organization of the Year
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New Leader Reshapes Business at Shapes Unlimited Inc.
By Blank | June 21, 2017
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — When the owner of a company dies, the transition to new ownership is never easy. Shapes Unlimited Inc., a distributor of custom aluminum extrusions for the vinyl window and ornamental fence industries, not only faced the challenge, but positioned itself for future growth, its new president says.
John Sullivan founded Shapes Unlimited in 1996 and owned it until his death in March 2015. The Sullivan family retained ownership and gradually assembled a new leadership team to manage the business at 590 E. Western Reserve Road.
“The family is taking a long-term outlook, so the leadership is trying to make the best possible decisions to increase market share and expand our product offerings,” says the company’s vice president and long-time chief financial officer, Jack Colonna.
To that end, the family established an advisory board and, working with Colonna, began a search for a new president. They hired Steve Gruver, who recently sold his ownership in a Wisconsin-based Orchid International after 25 years as its CEO and co-founder.
Steve Gruver is the new president of Shapes Unlimited Inc.
The management transition coincided with substantial capital investments. In the fabrication area, new specialized tooling was purchased and automated punch press equipment was installed, allowing finished parts to be produced in a single operation rather than multiple labor-intensive setups as previously required.
“We streamlined our workflow and eliminated excessive handling, which was causing product damage,” Gruver says. “The department now runs more efficiently and has the capacity to handle larger volumes of work with faster lead times and improved quality. The improvements have already translated into greater quality assurance and rapid order fulfillment for our customers, with more than 70% reduction in product returns over the last two years.”
Other capital investments included implementation of NetSuite, a cloud-based software system that monitors inventory in real-time and automates the customer workflow process. The software includes a CRM (customer relationship management) module to manage customer information and communication.
Shapes Unlimited also invested in new staff to handle sales increases, Gruver continues. In addition to hiring an inside sales manager, Shapes brought on customer service managers for its fencing and window extrusion programs. That means better service and faster response, he adds, which puts the company in a position to reach into new markets.
“We have a growing customer base in the southeast, but the freight cost from Ohio to those states is very expensive,” he says. “So, it makes sense to have a southeast location to service those customers.”
Gruver emphasizes that a southeast location would be an expansion, not a move. Shapes Unlimited has a strong customer base in the northern part of the country. “Youngstown is very central to that customer base, making it an ideal location to service those customers. A southeast location would only serve the growing market,” he says.
Shapes Unlimited employs 50 full-time. Gruver says the company’s greatest strength is its team but also attributes growth to the Sullivan family recapitalizing the business and the re-launch of customized guaranteed stocking programs.
“We expected things to start happening over the next few years, but we are pleasantly surprised to see an immediate positive market response to our upgrades,” he says. “Two years on, Shapes has a new vision, strategy and financial strength to make it a reality that John Sullivan would have been proud of.”
SOURCE: Shapes Unlimited Inc.
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Departments People on the Move
By BusinessWest Staff November 15, 2016 383 No comment
Melyssa Brown
Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. (MBK) announced that Melyssa Brown, CPA, MBA, has been accepted into the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) Leadership Academy. She was previously honored with a Women to Watch Emerging Leader Award from the Massachusetts Society of CPAs. Brown’s induction into the Leadership Academy took place over the course of a four-day program held earlier this month in Durham, N.C. The prestigious invitation-only program featured interactive dialogue with the profession’s top leaders designed to build on the foundational knowledge perspective of each individual. Attendees were immersed in experiential exercises and self-examination of leadership and how a new strategic vision will positively impact their personal life, career path, and the CPA profession. “We’re very proud of Melyssa’s achievement,” said MBK partner James Barrett. “It’s not her first honor, and it certainly won’t be her last. She started here as an entry-level staff member and quickly went on to become the youngest senior manager in the firm’s history. We look forward to more amazing things from her.” Brown received her bachelor in accountancy degree from Elms College and her MBA in accounting from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst. She is vice president of the Girls Inc. board of directors and is active in the UMass Family Business Center and the Young Professional Society of Greater Springfield. She was also a BusinessWest 40 Under Forty honoree in 2013.
Baystate Health has appointed Ben Craft to the new position of Senior Director of Government and Public Affairs. Craft, who has served as the organization’s director of Public Affairs since 2012, is assuming the additional responsibility of government affairs to support Baystate’s needs for strong connections with local, state, and federal government amid continuing rapid change in the healthcare environment. Craft returned home to Western Mass. to join Baystate in 2008, having worked previously at the United Nations and the Wall Street Journal in New York City. His work at the UN included communications and policy advocacy with government, nonprofit, and civil-society partners. He will report to Jennifer Endicott, Baystate’s chief strategy officer and senior vice president of Strategy and External Relations. “With his deep understanding of the challenges facing healthcare providers today and a strong network of relationships in the community and across Baystate Health, Ben is well-positioned to serve as point person for our local, state, and federal government partners,” said Endicott. “He is committed to finding ways to improve the dialogue between our dedicated elected officials and Baystate Health, the largest provider of safety-net services and largest private employer in Western Massachusetts. Ben’s previous experience, particularly at the UN, will be invaluable in achieving this goal.” Craft grew up in East Longmeadow and is a 1996 graduate of UMass Amherst.
Three new board members have been elected to the Bay Path University board of trustees. Mary Bushnell, Martin Caine, and Andrew Davis will each serve a three-year term which began in June.
• Bushnell is a 1974 graduate of Bay Path. She and her husband, David, have been generous donors to the university for 30 years, with their philanthropy having a particular focus on student scholarship. In 2005, she served as co-chair to kick off the Carol A. Leary Endowed Scholarship Fund for First Generation Students. Their support of Bay Path’s “Charting New Paths” campaign was instrumental in launching the American Women’s College, Bay Path’s online degree-completion program. Currently, their support involves providing funds to underwrite a data-based campus study being done to determine which in-school factors contribute to Bay Path graduates’ personal, professional, and/or family success upon graduation. She has served on many boards for the past 30 years, recently completing her tenure of eight years on the board of the Overlook Foundation, which raises funds for the Overlook Medical Center in Summit, N.J.;
• Caine is a principal at Wolf & Company, P.C. in Springfield. He has more than 25 years of experience as a certified public accountant, providing audit and advisory services to business owners, executives, and boards of directors. His advisory services include consulting on internal control compliance, acquisitions and divestitures, due diligence, and compensation matters. His industry experience encompasses financial institutions, manufacturing and distribution, and not-for-profit entities. Caine is a frequent speaker on financial topics, particularly in his areas of expertise, accounting and auditing. He is a 1986 graduate of Western New England College and is a CPA in both Massachusetts and Connecticut. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants, and serves on the board of advisors at Valley Venture Mentors Inc.; and
• Davis is president and managing partner of Chestnut Realty Management, LLC in Springfield. He is responsible for the underwriting and financing of new transactions for the firm’s investment strategies. Prior to forming Chestnut Realty Partners, Davis spent three years with Wallace Capital, managing underwriting in its Florida office and originating bridge real-estate loans; six years at PVI Capital, LLC, a private commercial lender specializing in short-term bridge financing; and five years managing residential acquisitions for GFI Partners, a production builder and real-estate development company. A 2001 graduate of St. Michael’s College, he is a former board member of HAPHousing and serves as chapter forum officer for the Young Presidents’ Organization.
Berkshire Bank announced the following:
• Gregory Lindenmuth has joined Berkshire as executive vice president, chief risk officer, reporting to the bank’s president, Richard Marotta. Lindenmuth joins Berkshire Bank from the FDIC, where he worked for 24 years, most recently as a senior risk examiner for the Division of Risk Management Supervision. Through this position, he has gained expert understanding of capital markets, including investments, derivatives, securitizations, market risk, liquidity/funds management, and mortgage banking. He also excels in modeling profit plans, establishing budgets, and setting strategic objectives. In his new role, he will lead the loan workout, credit, and enterprise risk management teams. Lindenmuth holds a bachelor’s degree in operations management from the Plattsburgh State University of New York and an MBA in corporate finance from Clarkson University. With the FDIC, he was a capital markets, mortgage banking, and fraud specialist and a member of the National Examination Procedures Committee. He also co-developed and co-presented the FDIC’s technical-assistance videos on interest-rate risk and has been an active speaker at New England Directors’ Colleges;
• Mike Ferry has been promoted to the position of Senior Vice President, Commercial Regional President, for Berkshire County and Vermont. Ferry brings more than 37 years of industry experience, 30 of which have been spent with Berkshire Bank. Leading the Berkshire and Vermont regions for the bank since 2012, his primary focus is commercial lending and ancillary products and services. He also serves as president of the Berkshire Bank Foundation. Ferry holds a bachelor’s degre from Saint Michaels College in Colchester, Vt. Dedicated to his community, he is currently a board member and Treasurer for Berkshire County ARC, board president of the Berkshire Housing Development Corporation & Berkshire Housing Services Inc., board member and chair of the finance committee for Berkshire United Way, committee member for the Dalton Development and Industrial Commission and a volunteer coach with the Special Olympics Massachusetts; and
• Jim Hickson has rejoined the bank as SVP Commercial Regional President for the Pioneer Valley and Connecticut markets. In his new role, he will focus on growing the commercial-lending business, as well as expanding relationships with products and services offered through the bank’s other business lines, including wealth management, private banking, insurance, and retail banking. Hickson brings to the bank more than 26 years of financial experience. His previous roles include commercial banking team leader for People’s United Bank and SVP ABL relationship manager at Berkshire Bank, and he also held positions within TD Bank, KPMG Consulting, and Fleet Capital. Hickson holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and an MBA from Boston University. He is board chair and president of the board of directors for Common Capital, a board member for New England Certified Development Corp., and serves on Wilbraham Friends of Recreation.
Bacon Wilson announced that five attorneys have been named to the 2016 Massachusetts Super Lawyers list of top attorneys in the Commonwealth, and three have been named to the 2016 Massachusetts Rising Stars list. Both rosters appear in New England Super Lawyers magazine. Only 5% of New England’s lawyers are Super Lawyers, with attorneys selected for background, professional experience, achievement, and peer recognition. The following Bacon Wilson attorneys were honored for 2016:
• Gary Fialky – Business/Corporate, Banking, Real Estate;
• Michael Katz – Business/Corporate, Business Bankruptcy, Consumer Bankruptcy;
• Paul Rothschild – General Litigation, Employment and Labor, Personal Injury;
• Hyman Darling – Estate Planning & Probate, Elder Law, Tax; and
• Gina Barry – Estate Planning and Probate, Elder Law, Residential Real Estate.
Rising Stars are under 40 years of age, or have been practicing law for less than 10 years. Fewer than 2.5% of New England lawyers are named as Rising Stars, including the following Bacon Wilson attorneys for 2016:
• Adam Basch – Construction Litigation, Business Litigation, Personal Injury;
• Benjamin Coyle – Business/Corporate; State, Local, and Municipal; Estate and Trust Litigation; and
• Thomas Reidy – Land Use/Zoning.
Jennifer Halloran
Bolstering its commitment to reach consumers on their terms, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. has appointed longtime financial-services branding and marketing executive Jennifer Halloran as head of Brand and Advertising. Halloran, who is based in Boston and reports to MassMutual Chief Customer Experience Officer Gareth Ross, will oversee the collaborative development and implementation of the company’s initiatives in brand marketing, community responsibility, digital content, and social engagement. She will also be responsible for managing the deployment of the MassMutual brand strategy throughout all channels, as well as in the company’s community-engagement efforts. “We are excited to have someone with Jennifer’s track record of experience in the financial-services industry and business acumen on board to further enable us to drive the MassMutual brand in a way that is consistent with our strategy, and create a consistent experience within the marketplace and with our customers,” said Ross. “Her experience, creativity, and passion for collaboration — underscored by her successes throughout her two-decade career — will be invaluable as we move forward as a company.” Halloran was most recently with Fidelity Investments, where she spent a total of eight years in a variety of leadership roles in marketing, communications, and branding. These responsibilities included managing and executing the redesign of web, digital, and content programs for Fidelity’s Innovation Lab, as well as many other cross-channel digital customer-experience programs. She also held various marketing, communications, and brand-strategy positions with both Mobiquity Inc. and Putnam Investments. She began her career in 1996 with integrated advertising agency Digitas (now DigitasLBi). A graduate of Boston College with a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science, Halloran earned her MBA in marketing/marketing management from Babson College’s Franklin W. Olin Graduate School of Business.
Amy Royal
Royal, P.C., a woman-owned, boutique, management-side labor and employment law firm, announced that Amy Royal, principal and founding partner of the firm, has been honored with selection as one of New England’s Super Lawyers and has been included in the 2016 issue of New England Super Lawyers magazine. Super Lawyers consists of attorneys throughout New England who are nominated by their peers as outstanding lawyers; the nomination then goes through an extensive selection process. With more than 16 years of experience, Royal has successfully defended employers in both federal and state courts as well as before administrative agencies in a variety of areas of employment law, including employment discrimination and sexual harassment, unfair competition, breach of contract and wrongful discharge claims, workers’ compensation, and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) violations, with a special emphasis in wage-and-hour class actions. Royal regularly advises non-union clients on maintaining a union-free workplace and performs other preventive work such as wage-and-hour law compliance, record-keeping audits, drafting of employee manuals and affirmative-action plans, and management training. In addition, she assists unionized clients during contract negotiations, at arbitrations, and with respect to employee grievances and unfair-labor-practices charges. Royal’s accolades also include Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s 2012 Top Women of Law award recognizing her as a top female lawyer in Massachusetts, as well as BusinessWest’s prestigious 40 Under Forty award, recognizing her for outstanding leadership in the Pioneer Valley business community.
Tags: Construction Employment Estate Planning Insurance Law
Berkshire Bank Foundation Supports Community Development Corp.
Health Connector Launches Open Enrollment Education Campaign
By BusinessWest Staff December 15, 2015
By BusinessWest Staff April 18, 2017
By BusinessWest Staff August 17, 2009
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Home Tags Washington D.C. Business
Tag: Washington D.C. Business News
Kapor Center Awards $1 Million to Fund Diversity in Tech – Byte Back Awarded $100,000 in National Tech Done Right Challenge
Valerie Gotten - Jul 12, 2019
OAKLAND, Calif. and WASHINGTON, D.C., July 12, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- The Kapor Center announced the winners of its inaugural $1 million Tech Done Right Challenge grant competition, including the Washington D.C. non-profit, Byte Back. The challenge identified 10 social impact organizations who are building a more diverse and inclusive tech economy locally and nationally. Each winning organization will receive a $100,000 grant.
Former Treasury Official Craig Phillips to Deliver Keynote at #NEXTDC19
Valerie Gotten - Jul 2, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 2, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- NEXT Mortgage Events, creator of NEXT women's executive mortgage summit, and Housing Finance Strategies, a Washington, D.C. advisory firm founded by Faith Schwartz, today announced that former Treasury Department official, Craig Phillips, will deliver the keynote #NEXTDC19 on November 19, 2019 at Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Washington, D.C.
FiberGuide migrates GeoQuote interface to a new domain for better procurement of business Internet, Ethernet services and other network solutions
Valerie Gotten - Jun 13, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 13, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- FiberGuide, a Northern Virginia based consulting and fiber optic training company today announced the migration of the GeoQuote interface to a new domain - geoquote.co.
Documentary Debut Recounts Stories of Religious Persecution, Courage and Hope
Valerie Gotten - May 21, 2019
WASHINGTON D.C., May 21, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- "Christians in the Mirror: Stories of Courage and Faith in the Face of Persecution From Syria, Iraq, India, Sudan and Egypt" will premiere Monday, June 10 at the Miracle Theatre in Washington D.C. from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Joshuacord, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is honored to share with the community this one-of-a-kind film that reveals the intense suffering of persecuted Christians in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
ACEC Business Insurance Trust and Greyling/EPIC Announce New Trustee Appointment
WASHINGTON, D.C. and SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 15, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Business Insurance Trust (BIT) and Greyling/EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants announced today that Paul Boyce, P.E., PG, has been appointed a Trustee for the ACEC Business Insurance Trust.
New Book ‘Total Sh*t Donald Trump’ Skewers the President
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 10, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Author Paul Orwell's new book "Total Sh*t Donald Trump" (ISBN: 978-1733807302; ppb; Oceania Press) released today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple and many other platforms, makes the case that the president is, in a sense, "the physical embodiment of our nation's collective excrement" and that "we citizens have a duty to flush it, not just shovel it."
NEXT and Housing Finance Strategies Form Strategic Alliance
Valerie Gotten - Apr 4, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 4, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- NEXT Mortgage Events, creator of NEXT women's mortgage technology summit, today announced it has engaged in a strategic alliance with Housing Finance Strategies, a Washington, DC-based advisory firm led by renowned industry veteran and award winner Faith Schwartz, former executive director of HOPE NOW.
DC Startup Sorcero Brings New Tech to Adult Learners at Byte Back
Valerie Gotten - Mar 20, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 20, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Learning technology skills requires technology. That's why Byte Back and Sorcero recently started teaming up to integrate AI software that makes learning and retaining information easier in the tech classroom.
Byte Back to Bring Free Tech Career Training to Baltimore
Valerie Gotten - Mar 1, 2019
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 1, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Byte Back, a growing tech education nonprofit, today announced that Chrissie Powell was named as the organization's Baltimore Site Director, leading the launch of its first expansion outside the Washington, D.C. metro region. This past October, Byte Back won a $1 million CAD ($775,000 USD) TD Ready Challenge grant to expand to Baltimore.
American Society of Appraisers (ASA) partners with Anow to give real property appraisers a competitive edge
Valerie Gotten - Feb 7, 2019
RED DEER, Alberta and WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 7, 2019 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Anow, creator of the leading software for real estate appraisal offices, today announced a partnership with the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) that gives members a significant discount off Anow's core appraisal office management platform and early access to the tech firm's cutting-edge products currently in development.
Brainy Camps Association Launches ‘Be Gluten Free Family Camp’ for Youth with Celiac Disease
Valerie Gotten - Dec 13, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 13, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Brainy Camps Association, which provides camps for children with chronic health conditions, announced that it will be launching a family camp for youth with celiac disease in summer 2019. Adding to its consortium of 12 condition-specific camps, Be Gluten Free Family Camp, or BG Free for short, was founded in conjunction with the Gastroenterology Department of Children's National Health System.
Byte Back Wins CDN $1 Million TD Grant for Expansion in Inaugural TD Ready Challenge
Valerie Gotten - Oct 24, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 24, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Today, TD announced Byte Back as one of 10 recipients of the inaugural TD Ready Challenge grants. Each recipient organization will receive CDN $1 million (USD $775,000) to help them scale innovative solutions aimed at preparing North Americans for the economy of the future.
Secure Insight Creates National eClosing Training Program Using DocMagic’s Total eClose Solution
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 15, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Secure Insight, a New Jersey-based data intelligence and vendor management firm, announced today at the MBA's Annual Convention and Expo that it teamed with DocMagic, Inc., the premier provider of fully-compliant loan document preparation, regulatory compliance and comprehensive eMortgage services, to develop and host an online training program.
In Washington D.C., Brainy Camps’ Race for Every Child Team to Support Programs for Children with Chronic Conditions
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 15, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Brainy Camps Association, which provides camps for children with chronic health conditions, has announced its participation in the Race for Every Child fundraiser in Washington, D.C. The annual event, scheduled for Oct. 20, 2018, is sponsored by Children's National Health System and helps to raise funds for the pediatric hospital's many departments and causes.
ACEC Business Insurance Trust Announces New Trustee Appointments and Leadership Changes
Valerie Gotten - Aug 21, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C. and SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Aug. 21, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- The American Council of Engineering Companies Business Insurance Trust (BIT) and Greyling/EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants announced today leadership changes within the Trust as well as new Trustee appointments. Current Trustees Robin S. Greenleaf, P.E., LEED AP, Robert A. Overfield, P.E., and Michael D. Klingner, P.E. have assumed new leadership roles for the ACEC BIT.
Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor shares how to engage your adult kids about preparations for their own retirement
WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 20, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- In his compact new book, "Parent's Guide to Your Child's Retirement: 21 Thought-Provoking Conversations to Have with Your Adult Children" (ISBN: 978-0999641415) Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor(SM) Rodger Alan Friedman, delivers an easy to follow structure that may serve to enable you and your adult children to have positive, engaging and thoughtful conversations regarding their future retirement.
Pop Culture Icon Donnie Simpson Celebrates 50-year Career with his Highly Anticipated Memoir
Valerie Gotten - Aug 2, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C., Aug. 2, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- The Oracle Group International announces the publication of "THROUGH THESE EYES: An Iconic Memoir of Life, Love and The Man Behind The Music" (13th and Joan; Hardcover; Jan. 30, 2019; $25.99; ISBN: 978-1732646469) by award-winning, influencer, humanitarian, and legend Donnie Simpson.
New NTP Study Strengthens Evidence that Fluoride Safely Prevents Tooth Decay, Yet Critics Ignore Study They Once Welcomed
Valerie Gotten - May 2, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 2, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- A study led by researchers at the federal government's National Toxicology Program (NTP) has found no link between elevated levels of fluoride and cognitive/learning deficits. The American Fluoridation Society (AFS) reports that the recently released NTP study examined rats that consumed food and water with varying exposures of fluoride.
New book, ‘The Mindset of Retirement Success: 7 Winning Strategies to Change Your Life’
Valerie Gotten - Jan 18, 2018
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 18, 2018 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- In his new book, "The Mindset of Retirement Success: 7 Winning Strategies to Change Your Life" (ISBN: 978-0999641408), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor Rodger Alan Friedman, delivers blunt advice to anyone who has been putting off retirement planning.
Mike Klaschka of EPIC to Present on Financial Risk at Nov. 7 DC Alternative Investment Consortium Event
Valerie Gotten - Nov 6, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C. and SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Nov. 6, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Managing Principal Mike Klaschka will present at the DC Alternative Investment Consortium (DC-AIC) on Tues., Nov. 7 at 4:30 p.m. at The Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C.
US Housing News: NAMB Releases Housing Outlook, says Congress Needs to Make Key Changes
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 17, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- NAMB, an association that represents the interests of individual mortgage loan originators and small to mid-size mortgage businesses, has announced its housing outlook and its plans to advocate for change.
NAMB – The Association of Mortgage Professionals Appoints John Stevens as New President
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 16, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- NAMB, an association that represents the interests of individual mortgage loan originators and small to mid-size mortgage businesses, today announced that former president elect John Stevens has been appointed to the role of president.
Ochulo, Howard University Alumnus’ International Fashion and Lifestyle Brand Makes U.S. Debut at Black Hollywood
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 12, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Ochulo, an international Fashion and Lifestyle brand based in Nigeria, will make their U.S. debut during Howard University's homecoming at the legendary Social Architects' Black Hollywood extravaganza. This engaging fashion experience entitled, "The People's Paradise," presents Ochulo's revolutionary men's and women's fashions. The magic will unfold on October 20, 2017 from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Renaissance Hotel in NW Washington, D.C.
MORTGAGE NEWS: NAMB Appoints Valerie Saunders as Its New Executive Director
Valerie Gotten - Oct 5, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 5, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- NAMB, the organization that represents the interests of individual mortgage loan originators and small to mid-size mortgage businesses, today announced that it has appointed Valerie Saunders as the organization's new executive director.
NAMB Rebrands to Better Reflect the Professional Diversity of Its Member Base in Mortgage Industry
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 2, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- NAMB, an association that represents the interests of individual mortgage loan originators and small to mid-size mortgage businesses, today announced a rebranding that includes a new logo and marketing campaign. NAMB's new brand identity emphasizes the diversity of its member base, which includes individual loan originators and small and midsize mortgage origination businesses of all kinds-brokers, bankers and correspondent lenders.
In New Thriller ‘Abduction’ Walter Blair Has Crafted a Novel for Readers Who Love a Mystery Pursuit
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 11, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Walter Blair's third novel obviously demonstrates that the success of his first two novels were not flukes. The literary skills presented by Blair in "Abduction" (2017, WBlair Publishing) place him in a class reserved for John Grisham, Danielle Steel, David Baldacci, Lee Child and Michael Connelly, to name a few.
Greyling’s Bundschuh and Collier to present at April 2017 Risk Management Conferences
Valerie Gotten - Apr 18, 2017
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 18, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that managing principal Gregg Bundschuh and client executive and professional services risk consultant Kent Collier of Greyling Insurance Brokerage - a Division of EPIC, are among the featured risk management and insurance professionals presenting at two high profile events targeting the needs of large Construction and Design firms.
STEM-CAN offers Real Help for a Milwaukee Public School
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 28, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- On March 28, 2017, the Treasurer of STEM-CAN Supporters (SCS) sent a $2,500 check to Fritz Blandon, Principal of Milwaukee Allen-Field Elementary School as a donation for the immediate purchase of Student Leadership Blazers and seven compound microscopes along with some minor supplies.
ChildVoice: Courageous Stories from Former Girl Soldiers to be Shared at D.C. Event
WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 25, 2017 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- ChildVoice today announced that on Saturday, January 28, from 2-4 p.m., "Enduring the Night" co-author Natalie Committee-Fath will present an Author Talk at The Potter's House, a nonprofit cafe and bookstore in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Committee-Fath will shine light on the issue of human trafficking and the plight of an estimated 250,000 child soldiers involved in conflicts globally.
Former Military Officers from Jordan Guydon LLP Seek Greater Due Process for CA Bonus Troops
Valerie Gotten - Dec 6, 2016
WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 6, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Two former military officers of the Washington D.C. law firm of Jordan Guydon sent letters today to U.S. Senator Boxer, other Congressional leaders, the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Army, urging the strengthening of due process for the California National Guard bonus recipients. The two are Darlye Jordan, managing partner of the firm and a former Army major who advised commanders during the Gulf War; and, Howard G. Cooley, of-counsel, and a retired Army colonel.
Oracle Group Hosts Actress and Author of ‘Around The Way Girl’ Taraji P. Henson at 10th Anniversary Event in D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 13, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Literary PR & Marketing Firm, The Oracle Group International announced that in celebration of their 10th year in operation, they will host the Washington D.C. "Homecoming" book tour stop for Award Winning Actress and now Author Taraji P. Henson on Oct. 22.
An Exquisite Evening of Music and Dance Honoring The Culture and Contributions of Africans Across The Diaspora
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 27, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Brought to you by The Adinkra Group, "Birthright 2016" is a captivating evening of live intergenerational performances by Washington D.C.'s most talented African dance and drumming ensemble and special invited guests. A night of elegance, August 20, 2016, with guests sheathed in African chic couture sets the back drop for the electric and inviting atmosphere attendees have come to know and love when attending this event.
Brand New Novel Challenges Stereotypes by Featuring a Muslim Heroine
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 8, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- At the peak of a highly controversial election year, a new thriller for young-adults has recently been published featuring a teenaged Muslim girl as the protagonist. "The Storyteller and the Terrorist in Our Newsfeeds," by Amina Derbi, is about the rise and fall of seventeen-year-old Najmah Qamar, a passionate storyteller who ends up living through her worst fears as her tales come to life.
Systems Evolution, Inc. (SEI) Announces New Washington, D.C. Office – Opens July 1
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 29, 2016 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Systems Evolution, Inc. (SEI), an employee-owned business and technology management consulting firm consistently named one of Consulting Magazine's Top Places to Work, has opened a new location to serve clients in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
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Shortlink: archbne.org/mmkw
Home » How you can help » Donor Profiles » Colin Apelt: inspired by Pope Francis
Colin Apelt: inspired by Pope Francis
Monthly donor to:
Annual Catholic Campaign parish ambassador at:
Holy Family Parish, Indooroopilly
Colin Apelt is a man of action with a charitable heart. We are fortunate to count him among the 114 wonderful people in the Archdiocese of Brisbane who volunteer their time to promote the Annual Catholic Campaign in their local parish. The help of parish ambassadors, like Colin, is indispensable. Without their participation the Catholic Campaign would not be able to raise enough funds for the critical areas of the Church in one in-pew parish appeal each September.
All his life Colin has had an interest in helping others. Fifty years ago, he and a team of friends volunteered to beat world poverty and hunger, a lofty goal he now realises he tackled rather naively. However Colin’s initial enthusiasm didn’t wear thin and along with several others Colin set up Innocents Relief, a non-profit organisation that sponsors more than 500 children in developing countries worldwide, and was later awarded the Medal of the order of Australia for his work.
Colin has always led a busy life raising eight children with his late wife, Margaret, building a distinguished career and becoming Head of the Civil Engineering Department at UQ. It would see that his retirement is no less busy; among his many commitments Colin lends a hand as a parish ambassador for the Annual Catholic Campaign. When asked about his firm belief in working for the mission of the Church he points to Pope Francis:
“Our Pope keeps saying that the Church must become more outward looking, I would like to see more of this. We need to take care of the day to day operations, but I see so much need out there for what the Church has to offer.”
Colin and all parish ambassadors sacrifice much of their time to ensure a smooth administrative process for parish donations.
The Catholic Foundation is grateful for the assistance, and couldn’t hope to run the Campaign without these talented and dedicated individuals.
In 2015, the faithful at Holy Family Catholic Parish contributed a total of $7,070 to support the Annual Catholic Campaign. Due to an increase in monthly donors this figure was significantly higher than 2014, when the parish raised $2,600. Throughout the Archdiocese of Brisbane regular monthly donors have a long-lasting impact; in 2015 they collectively contributed just over 26% of donations to the Catholic Campaign.
Find out more about becoming an Annual Catholic Campaign parish ambassador.
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Former ambassador to South Africa visits Cristo Rey
Posted by The Catholic Key on 12:58 pm in Catholic Key, News
Ambassador Delano Lewis chats with a group of Cristo Rey students after his talk Oct. 17. (Marty Denzer/Key photo)
By Marty Denzer
KANSAS CITY — Delano Lewis, in 1999 appointed U.S. Ambassador to South Africa by President Bill Clinton, visited Cristo Rey High School Oct. 17 and spoke to the students about the value of an education and how education can help them realize their dreams.
Delano Lewis, named for then-President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was born in 1938 in Arkansas City, Kan., the only child of Raymond E. and Enna L. Lewis — “ardent Democrats,” as he described them. His father a porter for the Santa Fe Railroad, moved the family to Kansas City, Kan., when Delano was a small boy.
He told the students that the 1940s through the 1960s and even later, was a time of segregation for African Americans, fraught, and fought, with demonstrations, marches and some pitched battles. Their “all-black” community was surrounded by stores, restaurants and theaters where blacks were not allowed, but Delano’s mother refused to let that defeat her and her family. She impressed upon her son the value of an education, as education could be life-changing.
Lewis shared with the students a viewpoint of his mother that influenced his later life: “You can do anything in life, except sing.” He couldn’t sing, he agreed, but he could be the drum major in his high school and college marching bands. He attended Sumner High School, and Kansas Boys State leadership camps during his junior and senior years. He proudly recalled his high school year book profile: National Honor Society, etc.
By the time he enrolled as a freshman at the University of Kansas, he knew he wanted to be a lawyer and, due to the influence of and regard he held for several of his Sumner High School teachers, he wanted to be a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He also knew that to be a lawyer required graduating from college, graduating from law school and passing the state bar exam.
He disliked dorm life, but as soon as the Alpha Phi Alpha pledge was able to move into the fraternity house, he enjoyed living there with his two roommates.
And he cracked the books.
Lewis met Gayle Carolyn Jones at KU in 1956, when he was “a 17-year-old freshman and she was a 16-year-old junior. Yes, she’s smart!” They began dating in 1958 and married two years later. Raised in the Baptist tradition, he converted to Catholicism when they married.
He graduated from KU in 1960 and began law school at Washburn University in Topeka. Married, with an infant son, his home life was busy. The bills still needed paying so he worked 44 hours weekly at the Menninger Psychiatric Hospital, which then was in Topeka, and he was in law school full-time. He still graduated “on time.” His second son was born the day before Lewis took the bar exam.
“Self-confidence is key to success,” he said. “Know your strengths and your weaknesses, capitalize on the strengths. Know where you want to be and work in that direction.”
After passing the bar exam, the new lawyer went to work in the U.S. Justice Dept. as a President John F. Kennedy appointee and later in the Office of Compliance in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 1966, he served first as an associate director and later as Country Director for the Peace Corps in Nigeria and Uganda before he and his family returned to the U.S. in 1969, settling in Washington, D.C. He recalled for the students touring Ethiopia during the time of Hailee Selassie, “a descendant of Judah.”
He spent the next decade in government work, both senatorial and mayoral, in Washington.
With four growing sons, Lewis decided to work in the business sector for a change. He had joined the Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co., in 1973 as public affairs manager, becoming CEO in 1990. In 1993, Lewis became president and CEO of National Public Radio. A year later he was named to the board of directors of Apple Computer, stepping down in 1997, citing “pressing time demands” and resigned from NPR the following year.
He was named the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa by Pres. Bill Clinton and served from 1999 – 2001. He recounted for the students how his job then was representing the president in that country and the importance of knowing U.S. foreign policy as well as learning the country’s customs, mores and history. He met with Nelson Mandela on several occasions, he said. “Africa opened my eyes to many things.” He encouraged the students to investigate other parts of the world, cultures, people, languages and mores.
“We don’t have all the answers.”
He and Gayle later moved to New Mexico, where he started Lewis and Associates, a consultancy. In 2006, Lewis was named a senior fellow at New Mexico State University, and the following year, the founding director of the university’s International Relations Institute.
Among his civic awards, he received the Catholic University’s President’s Medal in 1978, and was named Kansan of the Year in 2009. He has also written several books, among them, “It All Begins with Self.”
Lewis has seen a lot, done a lot, learned a lot, and met a lot of people but, he said the most influential person he’s met, who has had the great influence in his life, is his wife of 58 years, Gayle. A collective “Awwwwww!” resounded through the room.
After his presentation, he chatted with the students for a time, then toured the school. The students could be heard exclaiming about his presentation as they hurried to class.
Tags: Cristo Rey Cristo Rey Kansas City Delano Lewis Featured
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Image, place, source: unknown
Image from Reflections: Sixties Counterculture in Cambridge. Filmmaker: Kameron Stroud, Alexandros Papathanasiou
The Counterculture Research Group is an interdisciplinary series of seminars, lectures and associated events that focuses the multiple artistic, historical and social manifestations of the countercultural impetus.
Yvonne Salmon FRSA yps1000@cam.ac.uk
5 pm – 17TH FEBRUARY, GATSBY ROOM, WOLFSON COLLEGE
Josie Gill (University of Cambridge)
Francis Crick, Race, and The Poetry of Richard Nixon
Francis Crick 1954
Amongst the hundreds of files which make up the Francis Crick archive is a file dedicated to Crick’s correspondence with Arthur Jensen, an American educational psychologist whose work focuses on proving a link between race and intelligence. The letters, which date from the early 1970s, provide an insight into Crick’s views on this controversial topic, and his role in galvanising support for a statement on academic freedom in the face of calls for the study of racial differences to be halted. However the file also contains two literary documents; a photocopy of The Poetry of Richard Nixon, a satirical collection of found poetry based on the Watergate tapes, and an essay on feminism by the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. What do these documents tell us about Crick’s thinking about race and why are they included in a file of his professional correspondence on the matter? In this paper I will suggest that the poems and essay reflect Crick’s ambivalent relationship to the political culture of the early 1970s which his participation in the debate over race exposes. Crick felt threatened by the questioning of traditional sources of authority such as science, yet embraced the more liberal movements of the time through an interest in beat poetry and drugs. Examining the authorship, production and content of the texts reveals a complex web of connections between Crick and the politically conservative, as well as countercultural, figures of the period, providing an alternative view of the relationship between literature and science in the second half of the twentieth century.
Josie Gill is a PhD student in the Faculty of English. Her thesis is on race, genetics and contemporary British fiction.
5 pm – 15TH MARCH, SEMINAR ROOM, WOLFSON COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE.
James Purdon (University of Cambridge)
‘A Nation-Wide Intelligence Service’: Mass-Observation, Hermeneutic Paranoia and the Invasion of Cambridge
Mass -observation (1943)
In the summer of 1940, a loose-knit coterie of Cambridge fellows submitted a file to Mass-Observation, the well-known social research organisation which since the spring of that year had been preparing reports for the Ministry of Information. The file consisted of a spectacularly paranoid collection of readings of graffiti, chalk-marks and ‘litter trails’ in the Cambridge countryside, pointing, it was suggested, to German invasion targets. Taking the Cambridge invasion file as a starting point, this paper explores English paranoia at the beginning of the Second World War, beginning with a survey of public reactions to Mass-Observation before and after its annexation by the wartime government, and moving on to consider literary responses both to the information-gathering methods of Mass-Observation itself, and to the wider wartime matters of surveillance and information restriction.
James Purdon is currently completing a doctoral dissertation on British writing from Joseph Conrad to Elizabeth Bowen and the rise of the information society.
Posted in ACADEMIC STUDIES, COUNTERCULTURE RESEARCH GROUP
Tagged with Arthur Jensen, Cambridge University, countercultural impetus, COUNTERCULTURE RESEARCH GROUP, Francis Crick, interdisciplinary series of seminars, Isaac Asimov, James Purdon, Josie Gill, lectures & events, Mass-observation 1940, Richard Nixon, Yvonne Salmon FRSA
« JOURNAL OF THE WESTERN MYSTERY TRADITION: 2012 Conference
‘Gods are real’: call for submissions to anthology of polytheistic experience »
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> Ann Mahoney
Ann Mahoney posters
5' 7½" (1.71 m)
Shortly after Ann Mahoney was born in Rochester, NY her family moved to New Orleans. After dedicating herself to the craft of acting at the tender age of 9, she went on to get her BA in Acting from Greensboro College, and her MFA in Acting from UCONN, studying Japanese theatre master Tadashi Suzuki's Suzuki Method of Actor Training. She appeared onstage at Long Wharf Theatre alongside Tony winners Jefferson Mays, and Frank Woods in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, and starred in Dream Play at The Berkshire Theatre Festival.After receiving her MFA, Ann moved to New York City, one month before 9/11. During her brief stay in NYC, she appeared in the Obie-winning The Romance of Magno Rubio Off-Broadway, originating the role of Clarabelle. At this point, New Orleans was calling her back home.In the southeast, Ann quickly gained a reputation as a chameleon actress in film and television. Able to take on roles that required razor-sharp comic timing (Big Momma's House 2), depth of emotion (Frankenstein - with Parker Posey, Michael Madsen, and Adam Goldberg), and vulnerability (Hart of Dixie [Pilot]), Ann became the go-to actress that could "do anything". read more
Ramin Bahrani, who directed Ann in 99 Homes, called her scenes "the heart of the film", and film critic Sheila O'Malley from RogerEbert.com concurred saying, "The door-to-door sequences are masterful. These people don't seem to be professional actors (although they may be), their reactions are so raw and real". This "raw and real" work caught the eye of Scott Gimple and AMC when they cast her as Olivia in the hit series The Walking Dead. In fact, Gimple uttered the exact phrase that Southeast casting directors had used to describe Ann for years; he said, "I watched your demo reel, and I know you can do anything we would ever ask of you."When not on set, Ann spends her time working with the next generation of actors, and with her family. She is active in her church, and has a deep love for her native New Orleans.
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You are here: Home / Blog / Aging 101 / Good, Humane News From Medicare
Good, Humane News From Medicare
by, Ronni Bennett, ChangingAging Contributor
Yeah, yeah, I know you feel like you’ve had more than enough from me about Medicare over the past ten days.
But this is big-deal, good news you need to know.
On Tuesday, the Obama administration announced a proposed settlement agreement that would make it easier for people with disabilities and chronic conditions to qualify for home care.
Until now, Medicare beneficiaries have been required to show they were likely to improve (the “improvement standard”) for Medicare to cover skilled nursing care and therapy services at home.
Weirdly, this has never been a medicare regulation. Reporter Robert Pear in The New York Times explained:
”Neither the Medicare law nor regulations require beneficiaries to show a likelihood of improvement. But some provisions of the Medicare manual and guidelines used by Medicare contractors establish more restrictive standards, which suggest coverage should be denied or terminated if a patient reaches a plateau or is not improving or is stable.
“In most cases, the contractors’ decisions denying coverage become the final decisions of the federal government.
Now, however, as an editorial in The New York Times noted:
”Medicare will pay for the services if they are needed to maintain the patient’s current condition or to prevent or slow further deterioration — regardless of whether the patient is expected to improve medically or in ability to function.”
This agreement came about due to a class action lawsuit brought by the Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA) and Vermont Legal Aid against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Here is a good video explanation from Judith Stein, the founder of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, about why the lawsuit is important:
The proposed settlement, which you can read here [pdf], will affect both traditional Medicare and Advantage plans and will bring relief to tens of thousands of beneficiaries with such conditions as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), cerebral palsy, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, heart disease and stroke.
It will also be a help for families and caregivers – including some Time Goes By readers I know – who are often stretched to the financial and emotional limit due to full-time caregiving.
Experts are saying this will add a huge burden of new costs to Medicare. But it will also save a lot of money in nursing home care so there is no way to know yet how all that will balance out.
At The Elder Storytelliing Place today, Judith Cooper Eton: Properly or Improperly in Love
Tags: ChangingAging health medicare Questions: Aging ronni Bennett TimeGoesBy
Published to: Aging 101, Blogstream, Health and Wellness, Retirement on October 25, 2012
About Ronni Bennett
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A Good News-Bad News Story
Home / Sermons / Courage / A Good News-Bad…
Courage, Discernment, Perseverence, Redemption
Fail Forward
Joseph had to wait 13 years to understand God’s plan for his life. During those years, he endured challenging experiences that could have shaken his faith and caused him to lose sight of any hope that God really cared about him, much less had something good in mind for his life.
But neither God nor Joseph wavered.
Every failure is a test of character. There always comes a time when giving up is easier than standing up, when giving in looks more attractive than digging in. In those moments, character may be the only thing you have to draw on to keep you going.
This Sunday we learn from Joseph that your heart is revealed and your character gets forged when life does not turn out the way you planned.
Have you heard any good news-bad news stories recently?
Good News – Bad News
Is your life a good news-bad news story?
You know how these stories go —
Something happens and you think, “Oh, that’s good news.”
And then it twists, “That’s bad news.”
And it just keeps going like that, twisting back and forth.
Here’s an example to remind you of the category.
Two friends loved baseball. Their burning curiosity was — “When we die and go to heaven, will there be baseball in heaven?”
So they made a pact that whichever one of them died first and went to heaven would try to get permission, if that sort of thing is allowed, and let the other one know whether or not baseball is there.
Eventually, one of them died and made contact with the other one, who said, “Well, what’s the story?”
The guy in heaven said, “Well, I have some good news, and some bad news.”
The guy on earth said, “What is it?”
He said, “The good news is there is baseball in heaven. The bad news is you’re pitching on Friday.”
The reason I bring this up, and there is a reason, Joseph — who’s life we’re looking at today — is essentially a good news-bad news story.
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He’s his daddy’s favorite. That’s good.
But his brothers hate his guts. That’s bad.
His daddy gives him a beautiful coat. That’s good.
But his brothers rip it off, pretend he’s dead, and sell him into slavery in a distant land. That’s bad.
But he goes to work for Potiphar, who’s a high-ranking, wealthy Egyptian official, and Potiphar likes him. He ends up in charge of everything.
He’s a tremendous success, plus we’re told he’s well built and handsome, sort of like Brad Pitt, who my wife thinks is good-looking — though in person he’s kind of small and not all that impressive… and a little dumpy, actually.
Joseph apparently is taller than Brad Pitt and better looking. That’s good.
But his boss’s wife is attracted to him and tries to seduce him. That’s bad.
But Joseph resists her. That’s good.
But the wife is furious and she lies to her husband and gets Joseph arrested. Since there are no sexual harassment laws on the books in Egypt at that time, Joseph is hosed. And he goes to prison. That’s bad.
But in prison he meets Pharaoh’s cup bearer and interprets his dream, which predicts that the cup bearer’s going to get out, and he has an arrangement for the cup bearer to get Joseph released from prison. That’s good.
But the cup bearer forgets about him, and Joseph languishes in prison for two years. That’s bad.
We wonder as this story goes on and on, back and forth, all these twists, how is it going to end, because with any good news-bad news story what matters is the very last turn.
How does the story end?
Well, like all of us, Joseph started with a dream.
He had a dream that the sun and the moon and the stars were all going to be under his reign.
He was going to do great things.
He was going to make his father proud.
He was going to be a leader.
And like all of us, he woke up one day to bad news.
He’s attacked by his brothers, sold to a traveling caravan, carried off to a distant land, purchased to be a slave for a family he didn’t know.
Friendless
He was about to learn what every one of us sooner or later comes to know — That
Your heart is revealed and your character gets forged when life does not turn out the way you planned.
Your heart is revealed and your character is forged, for better or for worse, when your life does not turn out the way you planned — in what looks like failure… in bad news.
Everyone here knows about bad news, about disappointment.
I’ll bet everyone here, if it was just you and me one-on-one talking, I’ll bet everyone here has some area in your life that did not turn out the way you dreamed.
Maybe it’s your schooling.
Maybe it’s your work.
Maybe it’s your marriage.
Maybe it’s your children.
Maybe it’s your parents.
Maybe it’s your friends.
Maybe it’s your financial life.
Maybe it’s your health.
You all know about bad news.
We’re all good news-bad news stories.
Well, I want to talk in this message about 3 crossroads Joseph comes to where his fate is determined by the choice he makes.
These are crossroads we all come to when life does not turn out the way we planned.
I’d like to ask you today to consider how you respond when you come to these crossroads.
Let’s look at this story in Genesis 39.
Joseph is far away from home, separated from his father, betrayed by his brothers, surrounded by strangers who bought and sold him.
His dream appears dead. He’s just a slave.
This is the first crossroads.
As he goes into the household of Potiphar, Joseph makes a decision that’s quite apparent from this text.
Even though he is very disappointed in how things are turning out, even though his dream seems to be far away, Joseph refuses to quit.
When life doesn’t turn out the way you want, you have to decide whether you’re going to refuse to quit or give up in despair.
Refuse to Quit — Give up in Despair
If I was in Joseph’s place, I would have been tempted to give up — “This isn’t what I signed up for. I may have to work for this man, but I don’t have to like it. I’ll work with a negative spirit. I’ll punch the clock. I’ll go through the motions. I’ll live on auto pilot. I’ll just drift through it.”
One of the key phrases in the story of Joseph is at the very beginning of verse 2 where the writer says,
The Lord was with Joseph.
You see, it was when life didn’t turn out the way he planned that Joseph discovered he wasn’t alone.
It was in a distant land, far from home, far from his father, far from his family that he realized someone was with him from whom he could not be separated — and that someone was God.
So Joseph, who is a man of remarkable leadership, applies himself diligently to the task at hand — not what he hoped for, not his dream job, but there’s this progression involved.
In verse 2 we’re told he was in the house of Potiphar, and the idea that’s being expressed in the text here seems to be that he’s not simply a worker in the field, which would be the normal course for a slave.
He’s been promoted to work in the house — a management position.
Then in verse 4 the writer says:
Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.
He became in a sense his executive assistant, personally attached to him.
Then we read in verses 5 and 6:
From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph.
In other words, Potiphar makes Joseph his overseer — the chief of staff, to use our language for it.
He delegates the entire operation over to Joseph’s leadership.
And his level of trust in Joseph’s competence and character are so high he never even asks to look over his books, no micro-managing.
The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
His only concern is, “What’s for dinner? What do I feel like eating? Mexican? Indian? Chinese? In n Our Burger?
Because Joseph didn’t quit…
He set into motion the development of his potential
And the deepening of his faith
And the endurance that would one day enable him to become the most effective leader in all of Egypt
And the humility to play the role God had him play
And the opportunity to rescue his family
And the vision to redeem the world
What if Joseph would have quit?
There’s a real good chance he would have missed his destiny.
He would have missed the unique role God had chosen Joseph to play in the redemptive history of God’s work in the world.
Of course, the truth is, however visible or small it may appear in this world, God has chosen every one of us to play a unique role in the redemption of the world.
So let me ask you now — do you ever quit something when you’re disappointed?
A show of hands on this one, how many of you ever took piano lessons when you were growing up?
Raise your hand real high, would you.
How many of you ever quit before you could play like Katherine Adams, who’s playing up here this morning?
Here’s the truth, quitting is always easier than enduring.
It’s always easier to stop and have a donut than run another lap.
It’s always easier to stomp out of a room in anger than stay and do the hard work of seeking to resolve conflict.
When life doesn’t turn out the way you planned, the option of quitting will begin to look like sweet relief.
Maybe like this:
“This marriage is difficult. I didn’t sign up for this. I just want out.
I’ll just give up pursuing oneness in this marriage — which God calls to be the most intimate relationship.
I’ll just quit, outwardly or inwardly. That’s the easy way.”
It could look like this:
“Trying to live on a budget, honor God with my giving, move to the point of tithing, be financially disciplined, it’s just too hard.
I’m just tired of the effort. I’m just going to spend. That’s the easy way.”
Or… “This job or this ministry is not what I dreamed of. I planned on doing great things. I planned on playing on a much bigger field, not having to be faithful in this situation, not having to lead this small group. This is hard work. I think I’ll bail.”
Or… “College is not what I expected.”
Or… “This friendship takes effort. I don’t want to have to take effort in friendship. I think I’ll just walk away from it.”
Quitting may bring temporary relief, but it tends to produce people who live in a pattern of just giving up.
Every time you quit…
It shapes your character a little bit.
It forges your character a little bit.
It makes quitting a little easier the next time.
Strong character gets forged when you endure even though you feel like quitting.
People in whom the faith grows real strong are people who say, “I will seek to grow and persist and be wholly faithful even in difficult circumstances that I don’t understand.”
That’s the kind of thing that builds
great churches
great marriages
great families
great ministries
When people just buckle down and say:
“Even though life has not turned out the way I planned, even though I’m disappointed in this situation, I want to be like Joseph. I refuse to quit. I will devote myself wholeheartedly, as the writer of Scripture says, to whatever my hand finds for me to do.”
When you do that, you will discover something.
You will discover the Lord is with you where you are, even in a distant land, even in slavery. You are not alone.
Whatever you’re going through… however tempted you are to quit today, hear this —
God is with you, and you are not alone.
So don’t quit when God is calling you to endure.
Joseph finds himself a stranger and a slave. That’s very bad.
But he endures, and God blesses him and he rises to the top. That’s very good.
It seems like the bad news ought to be over for Joseph.
Look at verse 7.
And after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”
But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?”
It’s the second crossroads Joseph faces.
And it’s a crossroads you and I will face as well.
When life does not turn out the way you planned, you will struggle with temptation. Mark it down, friends.
Obedience — Temptation
When life does not turn out the way you planned — when you don’t get the kind of joy you hoped for — and you’re disappointed… sin will start to look good to you. It just will.
Joseph could have thought, “What good is obedience going to do me? Where is God Anyway?
I’m far away from home.
I was betrayed by my brothers.
Isolated from my father.
I’m a slave, and most likely a slave is all I’m ever going to be.
I will never have what my father has, what I dreamed of having, what I deserve to have — my own life, my own wife, my own family, my own property, my own name.
So why shouldn’t I reach for what little happiness I can get?”
Joseph could have said that. He could have said, “I’ve amassed a lot of power. I’ve done a lot for this guy — all he has to do is think about what he’s going to eat, and I do everything else. Why shouldn’t I?”
But Joseph says no.
He says to this woman, “My life and my world have been given meaning by living God’s way — by trust and loyalty and honoring relational commitment — and to follow your way would be to enter a world of darkness that would destroy my life as I know it.”
So he says no.
But she persists.
Look at verse 10. This is a remarkable story.
And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
The implication of this verse, to “even be with her,” suggests the possibility that she moderated her demands when he said no outright to going to bed with her.
“Let’s just be together for a little while,” in the hopes of getting Joseph to take that first step — that small step over the line.
Just be with her, revel in her attentiveness and flattery.
Temptation works this way.
Make fun of her husband together with her.
Exchange glances and notes and touches that are full of promise… till eventually you cross the final line.
Still Joseph refuses.
So finally she decides to force the issue, verse 11.
One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
In the house alone, she grabs his garment with such a force that, although he is a well-built man he can’t pull it away easily, so he just runs, leaves it there, leaves her there.
He runs.
Sometimes, in times of temptation when you’re up against the wall and nothing else will get you out, there’s only one option — run!
I want to say this real plainly to some of you today who are at a point of temptation where you’re about to give in. You’re ready to give into sin, and you know it right now.
It’s time for you to run!
Paul says to Timothy, 1 Timothy 6:11:
Flee from immorality.
Don’t play games with it.
Stop rationalizing it.
Don’t pretend you’re sophisticated and complex enough that you can handle juggling temptations that other people just wouldn’t understand.
Just run!
Because if you don’t — I’ll give you kind of a parable.
I grew up in Chicago and whenever we would eat outside in the summer we would hear this electric sound — “zzz, zzz, zzz” – the sound of bugs flying to their death.
And bugs will go to it voluntarily. They will choose to enter into – to participate in – the very thing that will lead to their death.
Why would a bug do that?
Well, their enemy is smart enough to know that you can’t just say to a bug, “Choose death,” and have it choose death.
The bug zapper involves deception. It involves the promise of life. A bug looks at the light and it is desirable to their eyes.
They look at the light and they think, “That’s a very cool looking light. I’d like to get closer to that light.” Then they fly in and get zapped.
I want you to try to get inside the head of a bug for a moment. I want you to try to think like a bug for just a moment because you’d think that after a while bugs would wise up.
You would think they would observe that the tray underneath that light is filled with the bodies of impulsive bugs who have gone before them.
You would think some thoughtful bug would say, “Whoa! Wait a minute. I’m not going to just blindly follow my desires. I notice all my friends get drawn into this, but they never come back. I’m going to consider just how high a price I’m willing to pay for the experience of a close look at this beautiful light.”
But no bug ever does this.
Apparently, they say to themselves, “I know what I’m doing. I’m strong enough and I’m smart enough and I’m clever enough to handle this attraction without getting burnt. I’m not going to pause for reflection. I’m a buzzzy guy.”
There is a way that seems right to a bug, but in the end it leads to death.
And only a bug would be that stupid, right?
Some of you are headed toward the same light right now.
Some of you experience the temptation that comes when life does not turn out the way you had planned, and the joy you hoped for looks like it’s going to go forever untouched, unclaimed by you.
Sin that at one point in your life you would have resisted quite easily begins to look quite good.
And little rationalizations begin to play themselves out in your mind because your disappointment has set you up for it.
Right now, you may be moving on a course that will lead you to destruction.
It may happen like this — you’ve crossed lines with a person to whom you are not married. Maybe they’re sexual lines.
Maybe it’s not a sexual relationship yet, but you’re building an emotional connection that is not healthy and you know it, by the kind of secrets that you share or the texts that you write or the looks you give — you communicate your attraction and availability in a way that is clearly leading towards disaster. It just is.
And the writer of Scripture says, and I want to urge you today as strongly as I know how to do it — just run.
If you need to sever that relationship, sever it. Make the phone call. Be done with it. Run.
Some of you are involved in sexually explicit material on the Internet.
You may be afraid of being found out, but you haven’t stopped.
Some of you are involved in sexually inappropriate behavior of one sort or another when you travel, when you’re on the road.
For God’s sake and for the sake of your own soul and for the sake of the people that are going to be damaged by sin, as people are always damaged by sin — run.
I can’t choose that for you. No one can choose that but you. God himself will not make that choice. That’s your call.
For some it may be dishonesty.
Some of you have gotten very loose with your words. You aren’t even aware of it anymore.
You deceive people in order to get out of trouble without even batting an eye.
Or you’re a student and you’ve discovered that cheating will get you the grades you want… and your integrity is being eroded year by year. You hardly notice it.
Or you’re dishonest financially. You’re engaged in practices that are a fraud. Maybe it doesn’t even bother you anymore.
But the writer of Scripture says — run!
Maybe you’re involved in addictive patterns that are destroying your life.
Maybe you’re allowing resentment to poison what used to be a generous heart.
Or allowing anger to fly in a way that is withering the spirits of people around you.
The writer of Scripture says run.
Do whatever you need to.
Talk to a trusted friend.
Get help from a well-trained Christian counselor.
Get support from a trusted small group.
Develop some accountability so you don’t face this on your own. Face it in community.
Refuse to rationalize it any more.
Say those days are done.
Make it a matter of daily prayer. Cry out to God.
If there’s a place where you know you’re likely to give in to sin, don’t go there. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you’re asking to fail.
Determine that you will do whatever it takes to resist what you need to resist, but run.
Sin leads to destruction.
With God’s help and God’s grace we’re going to be the kind of church that takes that real seriously.
I’m asking you, if the spirit is tugging at any area of your life right now and there’s an authentic conviction of sin going on, as there will be for a lot of hearts in here right now, will you make the decision to say, “I’m going to run. Whatever it takes, God, I’ll do it. I can’t do it on my own. I need your help. I need the help of this community, but I’m going to run.”
See, if Joseph had given in here, if he would have fallen at this point, he would have betrayed the one who trusted him.
He would have betrayed himself.
He would have betrayed the tradition of his family.
He would have betrayed his values.
He would have betrayed God.
Very probably he would never have known his destiny. He probably would have headed down a whole other path for the rest of his life.
But Joseph runs. Joseph resists. Joseph says, “I want to honor God.”
I read that, and my first thought was, “Well, now surely God’s going to reward him after he puts up a heroic struggle like that.”
Take a look at 39:13
When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house, she called her household servants. “Look,” she said to them, “this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
She identifies with the slaves in the household — “He has been brought to us, you and me — we’re kind of together in this — this Hebrew, this foreigner, this outsider” — one of the first indications of anti-Semitism in scripture — “someone who’s not like us.” She gets them all stirred up.
Then when her husband comes home, verse 17
She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. Then she told him this story: “That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.”
She totally twists the truth. Like Joseph was the one who was trying to force himself on her and that her cry prevented Joseph from doing that.
We read this and think, this can’t be. This is a classic case of utter injustice.
If God’s any kind of a God, he’s not going to let this woman get away with this. If he’s any kind of God, the truth must come out. Justice must roll like a river. Joseph must be rewarded.
When his master heard the story his wife told him, saying, “This is how your slave treated me,” he burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.
When it doesn’t seem possible, when it seems like you couldn’t take any more, there’s more bad news. Joseph ends up in prison.
Look at verse 21, though. You find a familiar phrase repeated a few times in the next couple verses.
But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.
The Lord did not spare him from prison, but the Lord was there with him.
As the Lord is with you — wherever you are, whatever you’re going through, whatever your disappointment.
As he was with Joseph, God is with you.
Joseph made a decision that is pretty sobering to me.
Joseph decided he would rather face life with the Lord and have nothing than face life without the Lord and have everything.
So in prison he comes to a third crossroads.
One crossroads is — are you going to refuse to quit or give in to despair?
The second crossroad is — are you going to be obedient or give in to temptation?
And here’s a third one. Joseph is in prison with two officials from the Pharaoh, the baker and the cup bearer, who’s like the butler.
Look at chapter 40, verse 4.
After they had been in custody for some time, each of the two men — the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were being held in prison — had a dream the same night, and each dream had a meaning of its own.
When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected. So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”
This is remarkable behavior.
Joseph with all his troubles sees someone else’s troubles.
Joseph with all his burden cares about someone else’s burden.
There’s a third kind of crossroads when life doesn’t turn out the way you planned —
Compassion — Self-focused
It would be very easy for Joseph to become isolated at this point and focus only on his own disappointment… because when life doesn’t turn out the way you planned, you forget that other people face disappointment, too.
You can start to think only about your own hurts.
Your world becomes so small that your pain is the only pain you notice.
You don’t see anyone else’s pain.
This really is the death of a human heart.
It happens sometimes when people get disappointed. Their spirit just withers up, and their heart dies and compassion fades away from within.
But not Joseph.
Instead he realizes that he is not the only one for whom life has not turned out according to plan.
He realizes he’s just one among many in the fellowship of the disappointed, and so he lives in prison the way Jesus would live if Jesus was in prison.
He treats disgraced prisoners, forgotten men, like human beings when nobody else does. He notices them.
This is real simple stuff. He communicates genuine interest even with all his problems.
At a time when we would expect him to be self-preoccupied, he is sincerely concerned for their well-being.
Let me just ask you a few questions at this point.
How compassionate are your eyes?
Do you read faces of people around you the way that Joseph did… because most people wear what’s going on in their heart on their face.
If you look at people’s faces as you go throughout your day — you’ll see sadness, anxiety, fear, anger.
Do you look at your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors, your spouse, your children and even notice if their face is dejected or sad?
How compassionate are your words?
For Joseph it just took a single question, “Why do you look so sad?”
Those words told them somebody noticed them. Somebody cared about their lives.
That’s a remarkable thing to people, especially disappointed people.
Do you ever think about the impact your words have on the heart of the person you’re speaking to, because every word you say either brings a little hope or kills a little hope.
Let me ask you, when’s the last time you expressed genuine concern or compassion to another human being when you had nothing to gain?
Joseph has a compassionate heart, compassionate eyes, compassionate words, and he offers to help.
“We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”
Joseph interprets, verse 12:
“This is what it means,” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.
But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon.”
When the baker hears about this, he tells Joseph his dream. Joseph gives the interpretation, verse 18:
“This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days. Within three days Pharaoh will lift off your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat away your flesh.”
The baker said that’s the last time I ask you to interpret one of my dreams.
It’s all Joseph can do is just give the truth. And it comes to pass.
God has allowed him to have insight and to speak truth.
The butler is released. It’s good news.
Can you imagine Joseph’s joy at this point? He’s going to be set free, no more prison, no more slavery. He can go back to his father. He can go home.
In that first day of the release, he waits for the guards to come and open the gates and allow him out. Nothing.
He thinks to himself, I guess tomorrow. Maybe they’re planning a celebration for me, so it’ll happen tomorrow.
But tomorrow comes and nothing happens then.
He tells himself maybe it’s red tape. Maybe it just takes a little while to do the paperwork.
Nothing happens the next day.
He says maybe the cup bearer’s just waiting for the right time. It’s just a timing thing.
But nothing happens the next day or the next week or the next month. Eventually it becomes clear, the butler just forgot.
Joseph’s whole life hanging in the balance of another human heart, and the man just forgets.
But the writer here just shows us the way human nature works.
It’s a man that has his own life, and people tend to be obsessed with their own well-being.
Two long years Joseph sits in that prison… and I hate to do this to you, but we’re going to leave him there today.
When you get home you might want to read Genesis 37 to the end of the book to get the rest fo the story.
This is not the end of Joseph’s story.
And the reason I’m stopping here is —
This is not the end of your story.
This is not the end of my story.
This is also not the end of God’s story. God is not finished yet.
You see, God created the heavens and the earth. God spun this planet and the moon and the stars and made the lights and things to creep on the earth and swim in the ocean.
Then at the climax of it, God made human beings male and female in his own image, and God said, “That’s good.”
But we rejected God, defied his will, destroyed his community, chose sin and guilt and death, and it was very bad.
So God began again. God knelt down and begins again with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph — a pretty motley crew, to tell you the truth.
God says, “I will make a covenant, and I will give you my word and my laws and, more than that, my presence, and I will bless all peoples on the earth through you.” And God says it’s very good.
But they were just like us, those people.
They forgot his word.
They oppressed the poor.
They damaged the weak.
They chased after idols.
They were timid and jealous and stubborn just like us.
It’s very bad.
So God sent his Son. God sent Jesus Christ, who was the best thing that ever happened to this sorry, old world.
We beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and the angels of heaven looked at God come to this earth, and they marveled and cried out, “Glory to God in the highest.” And God said, “It’s very good.”
He came to his own, but his own did not receive him.
People rejected him.
Crowds mocked him.
Peter denied him.
Judas betrayed him.
His friends abandoned him.
The government crucified him.
They laid his body in the tomb.
And that was very bad. That was the worst day in the history of this world.
But on the third day he was raised to life — and that was really good.
And ever since that third day, whatever bad news may enter your life has no power to separate you from the love of God.
For the story of this world, the story of your life and my life is a good news-bad news story.
The bad news, you know all about that — disappointment, failures, sin, sickness, pain, disease, guilt, death.
The good news — here’s the good news.
What will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will hardship or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? No. In all those things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
This is the good news —
For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all of creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Alright, let’s pray as the band comes to lead us in a closing song.
Redeeming Our Failures
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The Band CAMINO – North American Tour 2019
Oct 2 Wed
The Band CAMINO – North American Tour 20198:00 PM | Doors: 7:00 PM
The Band Camino Experience
-General Admission Ticket
-Meet & Greet with The Band Camino
-Photo Opportunity
-Early Entry into the venue
-First Access Merch
-One Commemorative Laminate
-Custom Patch Set
-8x10 Signed Tour Poster
The Band CAMINO
Nashville-based band, The Band CAMINO, write lovelorn songs about perseverance and personal growth. Comprised of members Jeffery Jordan, Graham Rowell, Spencer Stewart, and Garrison Burgess, The Band CAMINO have released two EP’s (2017’s Heaven and 2016’s My Thoughts On You), and an array of anthemic and gleaming singles that have collectively amassed over 70 Million streams in the U.S. alone. With their Elektra Records debut on the horizon, The Band CAMINO’s mutual trust and eclectic songwriting attests to the worth of putting an honest effort in.
VALLEY is a band comprised of the four kids you used to know back in grade school. They were the ones talking excitedly about that classic band and some new artist in the same breath. They were the ones feverishly writing songs and rushing home to record them so you could finally understand what they were trying to say.
Rob (vocals), Mike (guitar), Alex (bass), and Karah (drums) met when a recording studio double-booked their sessions and encouraged them to try playing together. The born-and-raised Canadians seized the opportunity in disguise and began developing what would ultimately become one of the most refreshing and engaging new bands of the decade. VALLEY wrote and self-produced the acclaimed 2016 EP This Room Is White, amassing over 10 million streams, as well as garnering radio and TV placements for indie pop hit “Swim”. VALLEY returns in 2019 with their major label debut album Maybe. The LP’s first single, “Closer To The Picture,” was written and produced by Valley in collaboration with Andy Seltzer (Maggie Rogers, Tor Miller, Penguin Prison), and it deals with the cycle of anxiety and self-reflection inherent in the deafening digital noise of 21st century living.
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« Honoring the memory of a hero for horses, Congress must take action on PAST | Main | Pete Sessions—not for animals, not for Texas »
Election Day is almost here—we hope you vote humane!
Election Day is right around the corner and for those of you in states with early voting, it may actually be already here! That’s why I want to remind you to check out our election site before you cast your ballot to see who we’ve endorsed in your state.
Photo by Mark Bacon/Alamy Stock Photo
It’s so important that we use the power of the ballot box to advance the cause of animal welfare. It’s sad, but true, that all too often some elected officials continually ignore the pleas of constituents who make the case for animals. Instead, they side with special interests like puppy millers, horse sorers, trophy hunters, factory farmers, and animal fighters. They launch attacks on existing animal protection laws, and they stand in the way of new reforms. It’s an unfortunate reality of our work.
That’s why it’s essential to remember that you have the power to replace officials who are indifferent to our humane agenda with candidates committed to common sense animal protection measures, and, in the case of those who stand with animals, to reelect them and make it possible for them continue their good efforts.
It is a priority for HSLF to work with you to elect leaders committed to our shared values. We need officials ready to move our agenda to defend pets from cruelty and abuse, replace the use of animals in cosmetics and other chemical testing, improve welfare standards for farm animals, expand protections for wildlife, end the slaughter of American horses, and more.
That’s why I’m reminding you about our election site, to help you determine which candidates are committed to fighting for animals. The site features our endorsements in hundreds of congressional races as well as several at the state level. As a nonpartisan organization, we’ve selected these candidates solely and strictly on the basis of their positions on animal protection.
The election site landing page features candidates in some of this year’s most consequential races for our work. Colin Allred (D-Tx) is working to oust Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tx) who has served in Congress for more than 20 years and voted against animal protection more than 40 times. We’re also supporting Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fl) who co-chairs the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus and leads the way on a raft of animal protection legislation.
In addition to the candidates we’re highlighting in key races, users of the website can easily view our full endorsement lists by state or office.
Finally, I’d like to remind you that we’re backing two statewide ballot measures: Prop 12 in California, which will upgrade farm animal protections, and Amendment 13 in Florida, which will end cruel greyhound racing in that state. If you live in either state or can support those efforts in other ways, we’d love to see you get involved.
If you have been paying attention to our issues in recent months, you know that this is a particularly critical time to get political for animals. So, please take a look at our site, work out which humane candidates will be on your ballot, and then share the information with your friends and family members. If you haven’t registered to vote, and the deadline has not passed in your state, you can easily do so here. We at HSLF are counting on you to get political for animals by voting on November 6th!
Posted at 4:04 PM on Friday, October 26, 2018 in Ballot Measures , Elections , In the News
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CIMA Wraps Up Another Successful Mission to Folk Alliance International
canadian blast, Canadian Blast events, FAI, folk alliance international, showcase
CIMA returned to Kansas City, Missouri from February 15-19, for the 2017 edition of Folk Alliance International, the world’s largest gathering of the folk music industry. The event draws over 2500 artists and industry professionals each year and spans a wide variety of genres like blues, traditional, bluegrass, roots and world, to name a few.
Working in partnership with the pan-Canadian initiative, CIMA held a networking brunch on Friday morning at Benton’s where 40 artist representatives and 43 industry delegates met for a speed dating style event.
The Canadian Blast showcase took place at Benton’s at the Westin Crown Center on the evening of Saturday, February 18 where music industry professionals and artists gathered on the top floor of the hotel to enjoy an evening of great Canadian music.
The showcase kicked off with Ontario based artist AHI who immediately set the tone for the rest of the evening with his indie soul sound. Next up was Alberta based singer-songwriter Maria Dunn who captivated the audience with her unique storytelling through her music. Ontario’s own Digging Roots had the crowd on their feet almost instantly with their blend of folk-rock, pop and hip-hop influences while Manitoba’s JP Hoe, who wears his soul on his sleeve with his lyrics, had the room silenced by his commanding vocals. Up next was Ontario artist Alysha Brilla who introduced her unique style and sound to a jam-packed room. The evening wrapped up with Toronto based gypsy-party-punk band Lemon Bucket Orkestra, whose performance is one that’s so original, you’ll never experience anything like it again.
CIMA also supported MusicOntario through three nights of showcases at the Westin Crown Center in Room 640, which featured 25 artists from Ontario performing from 10:45PM-2:30AM in front of a standing room only crowd.
CIMA gratefully acknowledges and thanks our generous sponsors and partners: Canadian Music Week (CMW), Corus Entertainment, the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings (FACTOR), the Government of Canada (through the Canada Music Fund), Harvard Broadcasting, Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), the Radio Starmaker Fund) and Stingray Music.
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Crime 19.3.2019 01:47 pm
Four Gauteng cops arrested for murder, assault
Crime scene ribbon. File picture: SAPS Twitter
The incident occurred when the police officers arrested a driver who was allegedly driving under the influence.
Four South African Police Service (SAPS) officers have been arrested in connection with the murder of 48-year-old Phikolomzi Tatsi and the assault of two other men, said the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) on Tuesday.
Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini said the four, who were arrested on Monday, are two sergeants and two constables.
“Ipid investigators attended a crime scene of a death as a result of police action on 10 March in Katlehong North. The matter was reported to Ipid as death in police custody at Thelle Mogoerane Hospital,” said Dlamini.
“It was alleged that two constables from Katlehong North SAPS stopped a Toyota Verso in which there were six family members. The police officers suspected that the driver was under the influence of alcohol. It was alleged that when the police officers tried to arrest the driver, he resisted arrest.”
Backup was called and other police vehicles arrived on the scene. The driver was then arrested and taken to Katlehong North SAPS.
“It was alleged that three men were assaulted at the back of the police station by at least five police officers. After the assault, the three victims were put at the back of the police van and taken to hospital to draw blood from the driver. The driver was taken to a doctor while the two other males were left behind in the van,” said Dlamini.
“One male person died in the back of the police van and was certified dead by a doctor. The post mortem and medical examination showed that the victims were severely assaulted.”
Ipid on Tuesday vowed that “police officers who violate the law will be held accountable”.
The four are expected to appear at the Palmridge Magistrate Court on Wednesday, on a charge of murder and two of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Two arrested in Gauteng for Free State murder 19.7.2019
Grandsons wanted for murder in Free State arrested in Gauteng 18.7.2019
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(Los Angeles, California)
For Immediate Release January 21, 2000
Today, the United States joined a consensus in Geneva on the text of a Protocol that addresses the problem of child soldiers. I am very pleased with the final result, and I look forward to the early adoption of the Protocol by the United Nations.
The forcible recruitment of very young children - some no more than 9 or 10 years old - into an increasing number of civil wars and other conflicts shocks the conscience and shames humanity. By addressing forced recruitment and the conduct of armed rebel groups, this agreement strikes at the heart of the problem of child soldiers. Countries that become parties to the Protocol would prohibit the use of soldiers under 18 by non-state forces, and would cooperate in rehabilitating and reintegrating child soldiers into society.
The Protocol also deals in a realistic and reasonable way with the issue of minimum ages for conscription, voluntary recruitment, and participation in hostilities by national armed forces. The Protocol would establish an 18-year minimum age for compulsory recruitment; require parties to raise their minimum age for voluntary recruitment to an age above the current 15-year international standard; and require parties to take all feasible measures to ensure that armed forces personnel who are not yet 18 do not take a direct part in hostilities.
This Protocol is an important advance for human rights. At the same time, it fully protects the military recruitment and readiness requirements of the United States. I am committed to a speedy process of review and signature and to working with the Senate on this historic achievement to protect the world's children.
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Archive for ‘air force’
Xi meets with delegates to PLA Air Force Party Congress
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, shakes hands with delegates attending the 13th Party Congress of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force in Beijing, capital of China, June 18, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Gang)
BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with delegates attending the 13th Party Congress of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force in Beijing.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended congratulations on the convening of the congress and sincere greetings to all the delegates and service personnel of the Air Force.
Posted in air force, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Chinese President Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, party congress, People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
Taiwan lands warplanes on highway as part of military exercise
President Tsai Ing-wen says Taipei should ‘maintain a high degree of vigilance’
Exercise simulates response to attack from mainland on military bases
President Tsai Ing-wen and senior Taiwanese military staff during an exercise in southern county Changhua, not far from one of the island’s main airbases at Taichung. Photo: Facebook
Taiwanese warplanes landed on a highway on Tuesday as part of annual exercises designed to test the island’s military capabilities and resolve to repel an attack from the mainland across the Taiwan Strait.
President Tsai Ing-wen watched the exercise in the southern county of Changhua, not far from one of Taiwan’s main airbases at Taichung.
“Our national security has faced multiple challenges,” Tsai said. “Whether it is the Chinese Communist Party’s [People’s Liberation Army] long-distance training or its fighter jets circling Taiwan, it has posed a certain degree of threat to regional peace and stability.
“We should maintain a high degree of vigilance,” she said.
Taiwanese warplanes are parked on a highway during an exercise to simulate a response to a mainland attack on its airfields in Changhua. Photo: AP
Aircraft involved in the exercise included US-made F-16 Fighting Falcons, French Mirage 2000s, Taiwan-made IDF fighter jets and US-built Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye surveillance aircraft.
Ground crews practised refuelling and ammunition replenishment before the aircraft returned to the air. About 1,600 service personnel were mobilised in Tuesday’s exercise.
The event marked the exercise debut of the first F-16 upgraded to the V variant, featuring advanced radar and combat capabilities. Taiwan is spending about US$4.21 billion to upgrade 144 F-16As and Bs to the F-16V version.
Rare meeting between Taiwanese, US security officials angers Beijing
Taiwan buys military hardware mainly from the US and has asked to purchase new F-16V fighters and M1 Abrams tanks.
American arms sales to Taiwan have long been a thorn in the side of US relations with China, routinely drawing protests from Beijing that Washington had reneged on commitments.
Beijing has also been angered by warming relations between Taipei and Washington since Tsai came to power in 2016.
On Monday, Beijing reacted frostily to photos showing a rare meeting between uniformed Taiwanese officers and their US counterparts this month.
A Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet takes off from a highway during an emergency take-off and landing drill in Changhua, Taiwan. Photo: EPA
Last week, Beijing lodged a protest with Washington after two US warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan expected to be outgunned in terms of troop numbers and firepower in any war with mainland China but it claimed to have had developed sophisticated asymmetric warfare tactics to make any invasion costly for Beijing.
“There are only a few military airbases which would become the prime targets in the event of an attack. The highway drill is necessary as highway strips would be our priority choice if the runways were damaged during a war,” air force Colonel Shu Kuo-mao.
Taiwan changes name of de facto embassy in United States to ‘reflect stronger ties’
Taiwan’s Central News Agency said highway take-off and landing drills last took place in 2014. A military source told CNA that Tuesday’s drill was not much different from those conducted by the military during the Han Kuang exercises, but it was still challenging.
Among the challenges were that the drill could not be rehearsed and it required clear communications between the military, police and the National Freeway Bureau, said the source.
Posted in air force, Beijing, Central News Agency, Changhua, chinese communist party, Colonel Shu Kuo-mao, Han Kuang exercises, Highway, lands, mainland, military airbases, military bases, Military exercise, National Freeway Bureau, People’s Liberation Army, President Tsai Ing-wen, Taichung, Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan Strait, Uncategorized, US warships, vigilance, warplanes, Washington | Leave a Comment »
Pakistan to release IAF pilot Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman tomorrow
In a major peace gesture, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter pilot, Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistani Army on Wednesday, will be released on Friday.
SNS Web | New Delhi | February 28, 2019 4:58 pm
A handout photograph released by Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations on February 27, 2019, shows captured Indian pilot Wg Cdr Abhinandan in the custody of Pakistani forces in an undisclosed location. (Photo: AFP)
“In our desire for peace, I announce that tomorrow, and as a first step to open negotiations, Pakistan will be releasing the Indian Air Force officer in our custody,” Pak PM Imran Khan said in the country’s parliament.
The Pak PM’s decision came just minutes ahead of a scheduled joint press conference by the three services of the Indian armed forces. The press conference now stands postponed at the time of writing.
The decision came after India said that it will not agree on any deal with Pakistan and demanded his unconditional and immediate release. The press conference now stands postponed at the time of writing.
Speaking about the IAF fighter pilot captured by Pakistan, the Ministry of Defence officials said that he was ill-treated by the Pakistan Army in violation of the Geneva Convention.
“The IAF pilot has to be repatriated unconditionally and immediately. There is no question of any deal,” a source was quoted as saying by PTI.
Read More | No deal on IAF pilot captured by Pak, must be released immediately: Govt
Government sources said that India has not asked for consular access but the immediate release of the IAF pilot.
Dismissing chances of any talks, the government sources stressed on “immediate, credible and verifiable action against terror is required before any conversation”.
“Imran Khan should now walk the talk on dealing with terrorism,” they added.
The announcement of Wg Cdr Abhinandan’s release came on the day when Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told a Pakistani news channel that Imran Khan is ready for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over phone and offer peace.
In an interview to Geo News, Qureshi said that Pakistan is willing to consider returning the Indian pilot if it helps in de-escalation of the current situation between the two nations.
“If there is de-escalation with the return of this [Indian] pilot, Pakistan is willing to consider this. We are ready for all positive engagement,” he said.
Read More | Imran Khan ready to talk to Narendra Modi over telephone: Pak FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi
India had on Wednesday summoned the Pakistani envoy and handed over a demarche demanding the “immediate and safe return” of the pilot. It also strongly objected to Pakistan’s “vulgar display” of the pilot and said Pakistan “would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to him”.
The IAF pilot was captured on Wednesday after an aerial combat between Indian and Pakistani fighter planes.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had on Wednesday evening said that the IAF lost a MiG 21 Bison aircraft in an engagement with Pakistani Air Force who had violated Indian airspace on Wednesday. The government had confirmed that a pilot was missing in action.
Pakistani Air Force jets violated Indian airspace in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri sector on Wednesday morning and attempted to target Indian military installations, but missed their targets. They were immediately pushed back by Indian jets on air patrol, who also shot down a Pakistani F-16 whose wreckage fell on the other side of the LoC.
Following the incident, top Indian security and intelligence officials met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the security situation.
NSA Ajit Doval, senior officials of the Indian Navy, Army and the Air Force and other security officials, besides Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, were present in the meeting.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to chair the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting at his residence later today to take stock of the situation. A Union Cabinet meeting is also slated for 6.30 pm at the Prime Minister’s residence.
Source: The Statesman
Posted in air force, army, Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), captured, consular access, de-escalation, defence minister, Geneva Convention, Geo News, Home Minister, IAF pilot, Imran Khan, India alert, indian navy, Jammu and Kashmir, MiG 21 Bison aircraft, Ministry of Defence, Nirmala Sitharaman, NSA Ajit Doval, Pakistan, Pakistan Foreign Minister, Pakistan Prime Minister, Pakistani Air Force, Pakistani Army, peace gesture, PM Narendra Modi, Prime Minister’s residence, PTI, Rajnath Singh, Rajouri, repatriated, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Uncategorized, Union Cabinet, vulgar display, Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman | Leave a Comment »
China’s air force in recruitment drive for J-20 stealth fighter pilots
Promotional video encourages young Chinese aged 17 to 20, and those graduating from high school in 2019, to apply
With hundreds of new warplanes being commissioned each year, the country’s demand for pilots is huge
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 05 January, 2019, 10:00pm
UPDATED : Saturday, 05 January, 2019, 11:14pm
At present, there appear to be at least 18 pilots flying the home-grown stealth fighter jets, according to a promotional video released by the air force this week.
The video is part of a campaign to find new recruits for the People’s Liberation Army Air Force and encourages young Chinese aged 17 to 20, and those graduating from high school in 2019, to apply.
The recruitment drive is under way in 31 of the country’s 33 provinces, and successful candidates will be given the opportunity to study at some of China’s top universities while they are being trained.
As the United States seeks to expand its military presence in the region as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, China is trying to build up its forces, with a focus on modernising the air force and navy.
And with hundreds of new warplanes – including more than 100 fighter jets – being commissioned each year, China’s demand for pilots is huge.
Last year, the air force recruited its biggest pool of trainees ever, taking on some 1,480 high school graduates.
China’s military priorities for 2019: boost training and prepare for war
All pilots must be able to fly different types of planes, but those who receive advanced training to operate China’s newest heavyweight stealth fighter are given the title J-20 pilot.
Among those featured in the air force promotional video is J-20 pilot Bai Long. The 29-year-old has become a popular public face of the PLA Air Force since he flew a J-16 multirole strike fighter during the high-profile military parade marking the PLA’s 90th anniversary in 2017. It was the public debut of China’s fourth-generation fighter jet, which is based on the Russian Sukhoi Su-30.
In an interview last year, Bai said his dream was to be able to “fly China’s most advanced fighter jet” – an ambition he has now officially achieved.
https://widgets.scmp.com/video/video_iframe.php?id=5g6y3r&poster=https%3A//cdn1.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/video/images/2018/12/06/pla_explainer_web_text.jpg
Developed by Chengdu Aerospace Corporation, the J-20 made its maiden flight in 2011 and entered service in 2017. It is the world’s third fifth-generation fighter jet after America’s F-22 and F-35 and is expected to be key to China’s ambition of gaining superiority in the air.
The South China Morning Post reported in September that China had about 20 of the J-20 fighter jets, which analysts said was “far from enough”.
China’s air force quietly adds new J-16 fighter jets to ‘push the envelope’
Beijing-based military expert Zhou Chenming said China expected the US to deploy between 200 and 300 F-35s – in addition to the 187 F-22s in operation – in the Asia-Pacific region by 2025.
He said that meant “China needs a similar number of J-20s – or at least 200”.
Meanwhile, the PLA Navy is also searching for trainee pilots, especially for its aircraft carrier-based J-15 fighter jets. By the end of 2016, 25 pilots had qualified to fly the J-15s. That number grew to 40 the following year, and in addition more than two dozen J-15 pilots were being trained.
Posted in air force, China alert, fighter pilots, J-20 stealth fighter, Recruitment, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
India and US to participate in 12-day joint air force exercise
The aim of the exercise is to provide operational exposure and undertake a mutual exchange of best practices towards enhancing operational capability.
Manjeet Singh Negi
Cope India is bilateral joint exercise held between the Indian Air Force and the US Air Force held in India. (Photo: IAF)
Exercise to be held from December 3-14
Will be held at 2 air force bases in West Bengal
Approximately 200 US airmen will be arriving in India for exercise
The air forces of the United States and India are participating in a 12-day joint exercise called ‘Cope India 2018’ at two air force stations in West Bengal. Cope India 2018 is the fourth edition in the series of bilateral joint exercises held between the Indian Air Force and the US Air Force, which is conducted in India.
For the first time, the exercise is being planned at two air force bases, Kalaikunda and Panagarh from December 3-14. The Cope India exercise is being held after a gap of eight years, with the last one having taken place in 2010.
The USAF is participating with 12 XF15C/D fighter plane and 3 XC-130 planes. The IAF is participating with the Su-30 MKI, Jaguar, Mirage 2000, C-130J & AWACS aircraft.
The exercise showcases efforts and commitment of the two nations to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, a communique from the US Consulate said. “Exercise CI18 is a long-standing bilateral US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)-sponsored Field Training Exercise (FTX), conducted with the Indian Air Force (IAF), focused on enhancing US-Indian mutual cooperation and building on existing capabilities, aircrew tactics and force employment,” the communique said.
Approximately 200 US airmen with 15 aircraft from the 18th Wing, Kadena Air Base, Japan and 182nd Airlift Wing, will be taking part in the exercise alongside their IAF counterparts.
The aim of the exercise is to provide operational exposure and undertake a mutual exchange of best practices towards enhancing operational capability. First held in 2004, the exercise has evolved to incorporate subject matter expert exchanges, air mobility training, airdrop training and large-force exercises, in addition to fighter-training exercises.
READ | IAF will have largest ever induction of indigenous aircraft: Air Chief Marshal
WATCH | President Ram Nath Kovind presents awards to 118 Helicopter Unit
https://www.indiatoday.in/video/India/embed/MTM5ODgwNw==
Posted in air force, India alert, Uncategorized, US | Leave a Comment »
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Archive for ‘experience life overseas’
China’s wealthy families are turning to long holidays abroad as their efforts emigrate overseas are halted
Foreign lifestyle experiences are becoming more popular as citizens seek to escape pollution, food and medicine safety worries and authoritarian government controls
Citizens encountering more barriers to their dreams of travelling abroad, with severe limits on moving money overseas and restrictions on visiting foreign countries
Thailand, including the likes of Chiang Mai, the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand are popular destinations for Chinese families. Photo: Shutteratock
Xu Zhangle and her husband and their two children are a typical middle-class couple from Shenzhen, and along with 60 other Chinese families, they are going on an extended holiday to Thailand in July, where they hope to enjoy an immigrant-like life experience.
The family have paid a travel agent around 50,000 yuan (US$7,473) for the stay in Chiang Mai in the mountainous north of the country, including transport, a three-week summer camp for their daughters at a local international school, rent for a serviced apartment and daily expenses.
Zhangle loves Chiang Mai’s relaxed lifestyle and easy atmosphere and wants to live as a local for a month or even longer, instead of having to rush through a short-term holiday.
“It would not be just [tourist] travelling but rather a life away from the mainland.” she said.
Recently, upper middle-class citizens have increased their efforts to safeguard their wealth and achieve more freedom by spending more time abroad.
They have invested considerable amounts of money in overseas properties and applied for long-stay visas, although many of their attempts have ended in failure.
Chinese citizens are encountering more barriers to their dreams of travelling abroad, with severe limits on moving money overseas and restrictions on visiting foreign countries.
Still, growing anxieties about air pollution, food and medicine safety and an increasingly authoritarian political climate are pushing middle class families to look for new ways to circumvent the obstacles so they can live outside China.
Among the options, there is growing demand for sojourns abroad of a month or more, to enjoy a foreign lifestyle for a brief period to make up for the fact that their emigration dreams may have stalled.
“I think this is becoming a trend. Chinese middle-class families are facing increasing difficulties to emigrate and own homes overseas. On the other hand, they still yearn for more freedom, for a better quality of life than what is found in first-tier cities in China.
They are eager to seek alternatives to give themselves and their children a global lifestyle,” said Cai Mingdong, founder of Zhejiang Newway, an online tour and education operator in Ningbo, south of Shanghai.
“First, the availability of multiple-entry tourist visas and the sharp drop in air ticket prices have made it convenient and practical to stay abroad for from a few weeks to up to three months each year.”
Blacklist labels millions of Chinese citizens and businesses untrustworthy
Now, many well-to-do Chinese middle class families can get a tourist visa for five or even 10 years that allows them to stay in a number of countries — including the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other Asian countries — for up to six months at a time.
“In 2011, a round-trip air ticket from Shanghai to New Zealand cost 14,000 yuan (US$2,000), but now is about 4,000 (US$598),” added Cai.
This opens up the possibility for many middle-class families who are not eligible to emigrate, to live abroad for short periods of time.
Many wealthy Chinese middle class families can get a tourist visa for five or even 10 years that allows them to stay in several countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other Asian countries, for up to six months at a time. Photo: AP
Chinese tourists made more than 140 million trips outside the country in 2018, a 13.5 per cent increase from the previous year, spending an estimated US$120 billion, according to the China Tourism Academy, an official research institute under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
“In [the Thai cities of] Bangkok and Chiang Mai, there are more and more Chinese who stay there to experience the local lifestyle, which is different from theirs in China. The life there is very different from that in China,” said Owen Zhu, who now lives in the Bangkok condo he bought last year.
“The freedom, culture and community are diversified. The quality of air, food and services are much higher than in first-tier cities in China, but the prices are more affordable.
“In Bangkok, in many international apartment complexes where foreigners live, the monthly rent for a one-bedroom [apartment] is about 2,000 (US$298) to 3,000 yuan.”
China’s richest regions are also home to the most blacklisted firms
A one-bedroom apartment in Shenzhen in southern China is twice as expensive, with rents continuing to rise rapidly.
There are global goods, and it is easy to socialise with different people from around the world,” Zhu added
“Many Chinese people around me, really, come to Thailand to live for a while and go back to China, but then come back again after a few months.”
Both Cai and Zhu said they discovered the new phenomenon among China’s middle class and decided it was a business opportunity.
Growing anxieties about air pollution, food and medicine safety and an increasingly authoritarian political climate are pushing middle class families to look for new ways to circumvent the obstacles so they can live outside China. Photo: AP
Zhu is in the process of registering a company in Bangkok and plans to build an online platform to service the needs of Chinese citizens living abroad who do not own property or have immigration status, especially members of the LGBT community.
Cai said dozens of Chinese families in the Yangtze River Delta had paid him to send their children to schools in New Zealand or Europe for around three or four weeks in the middle of the school year, while the parents rent villas in the area, with New Zealand and Toronto in Canada among the most popular destinations.
Last year, Zheng Feng, a single mother and freelance writer from Beijing, rented a small villa in Australia for a month for them, a friend and their children to escape Beijing’s pollution and experience life overseas.
“To be honest, I don’t have enough money to invest in a property or a green card in Australia. But it’s very affordable for me and my son to pay about 30,000 yuan (US$4,484) to live abroad for one or two months.” Zheng said.
China says 2018 growth was worth more than Australia’s whole GDP
Zheng will join the Xu family in Chiang Mai later this year and she is also planning a similar trip to England next year.
Zheng’s friend, Alice Yu, invested in an American EB-5 investor visa a few years ago, and plans to make one or two month-long trips abroad each year until her family is finally able to move to the United States.
Demand for the EB-5 investor visa in China seems to be waning given heightened uncertainty about the future of the programme and US immigration law in general under US President Donald Trump.
Approval for the visa can now take up to 10 years, resulting in a huge backlog that has further dampened interest and led to a significant dip in investment inflows into the US from foreign individuals.
A one-bedroom apartment in Bangkok can cost around bout 2,000 (US$298) to 3,000 yuan a month. Photo: AFP
“Maybe it will soon become standard for a real Chinese middle-class family to have the time and money to enjoy a long stay at a countryside villa overseas,” said Yu.
“Regardless of whether we can get a long-term visa for the United States, I want my children grow up in a global lifestyle and with more freedom than just growing up on the mainland. So do all wealthy and middle class Chinese families, I think.”
Karen Gao’s son started studying at an international school in Chiang Mai in June, at the cost of about 70,000 yuan (US$10,462) a year, after she quit her job as a public relations manager in Shenzhen and moved to Thailand on a tourist visa.
For better or worse? China’s complicated employment explained
“A few months each year for good air, good food and no censorship and internet control, but cheaper living costs compared to Beijing, it sounds like a really good deal to go,” said Gao, who has now been offered a guardian visa to accompany her son, who has already been given a student visa.
“In Shenzhen, I wasn’t able to get him into school because I had no [local] residence permit.
“It would be the best choice for us because we feel so uncertain and worried about investing and living in the mainland.”
Last year, Gao, like thousands of other private investors mostly middle class people living in first-tier cities, suffered significant losses when their investments in hotels and inns in Dali, Yunnan province, were demolished amid the local government’s campaign to curb pollution and improve the environment around Lake Erhai.
“We were robbed by the officials without proper compensation,” Gao said.
Posted in air pollution, air ticket prices, Alice Yu, Asian countries, Australia, authoritarian government, authoritarian political climate, Bangkok, barriers, Beijing, Blacklist labels, Cai Mingdong, canada, cheaper living costs, Chiang Mai, China alert, China Tourism Academy, chinese families, circumvent the obstacles, Citizens, compensation, condo, countryside villa overseas, daily expenses, Dali, daughters, destinations, easy atmosphere, emigrate overseas, experience life overseas, food and medicine safety, Foreign lifestyle experiences, founder, GDP, good air, good food, hotels and inns, husbands, immigrant-like life experience., international school, Karen Gao, LGBT community, local international school, long holidays abroad, long-stay visas, mainland, middle class familie, middle-class couple, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, mountainous north, moving money overseas, multiple-entry tourist visas, New Zealand, Ningbo, no censorship and internet control, official research institute, online tour and education operator, overseas properties, Owen Zhu, Pollution, relaxed lifestyle, residence permit, restrictions, serviced apartment, Shanghai, Shenzhen, short-term holiday, single mother and freelance writer, student visa, Thailand, Transport, travelling abroad, Uncategorized, United States, US immigration law, US President Donald Trump, wealthy families, Xu family, Xu Zhangle, yuan, Yunnan Province, Zhejiang Newway, Zheng Feng | Leave a Comment »
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Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce Member News
For Viewing Only
From Otsego 2000: The Challenges of Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing in New York State – comments by James Northrup
Horizontal Hydrofracking of Shale Gas in New York
by James Northrup, Cooperstown, NY
James Northrup was in the energy business for 30 years. Having sold a company to Atlantic Richfield (ARCO) in the late 1970’s, he was a Planning Manager at ARCO. He has been an independent oil and gas producer in Texas and New Mexico and has owned onshore and offshore drilling rigs, in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, west Africa, Brazil and the South China Sea. He is a board member of Otsego 2000. This article expands on Northrup’s comments made at the July 21st Public Forum on Natural Gas Drilling, organized by the Otsego County Board of Representatives, and has been shared with them as well.
The regulations on hydrofracking proposed by the DEC were written for existing small vertical New York wells – known in the industry as "stripper wells" – oil wells that produce less than 10 barrels a day. A horizontal hydrofrack in a tight shale formation is from 10 to 100 times larger than the fracks put on these small vertical wells; yet the proposed regulations on horizontal hydrofracking of shale gas differ only slightly from those imposed on small vertical wells.The existing DEC well regulations are grossly inadequate to regulate a horizontal hydrofracked well in shale gas. They are a prescription for disaster for New York’s drinking water.
Horizontal hydrofracking of shale gas formations is essentially a hydrobaric underground explosion, i.e., a bomb. A very powerful, very dirty, pipe bomb. A bomb’s explosive power is a function of the pressure wave it generates and the mass of air or water it displaces. An "air bomb" used in Afghanistan as an anti-personnel device has a pressure wave of about 500 lbs per square inch (psi). It can be heard up to 100 miles away. A horizontal hydrofrack in shale can have pressures approaching 15,000 psi, or 30 times that of an air bomb. That is equivalent to the water pressure 6 miles deep in the ocean. The volume of fluid in a hydrofrack can exceed 3 million gallons, or almost 24 million pounds of fluid, about the same weight as 7,500 automobiles. The fracking fluid contains chemicals that would be illegal to use in warfare under the rules of the Geneva Convention. This all adds up to a massive explosion of a "dirty bomb" underground.
Since the chemicals in most fracking fluids are hydrocarbons (i.e., oil based), they separate from the frack water, meaning they rise to the top of the fractures within a matter of days. So while they represent a small fraction of the total fracking fluid, they are disproportionate at the top of the formation – which is why they are found in relative abundance in adjacent water wells – when such wells are polluted by shale gas drilling.
When a shale gas well is hydrofracked, the explosive power of the frack breaks up the rock indiscriminately for a considerable distance – far enough to break into nearby aquifers – particularly if the frack hits a vertical fault that may cause the gas bearing formation to "communicate" with other strata. This can release natural gas – which consists of methane, butane, propane, and benzene, etc. – into drinking water, along with the toxic chemicals in the fracking fluid. Once introduced, there is no way to remove the gas or the chemicals from the drinking water.
As originally proposed by the DEC, a horizontal hydrofracked shale gas well could be 50 feet from a municipal drinking water source such as Lake Otsego. That has been the setback for "stripper wells" in New York – it’s about the width of a small residential lot. The well itself can be drilled under the lake, since it would go out horizontally from the shore. The frack on the well could penetrate the aquifers under the lake, which in turn would pollute the lake with gas and toxic chemicals. After Otego 2000 protested the proposed regulations, the DEC increased the setback to 150 feet from the lake – three house lots away from the shoreline. A spill at the well site would easily get into the lake. The horizontal section of the well could extend far under the lake – since the lake is not controlled by the municipality that uses it for drinking water. The proposed DEC regulations offer no protection for the lake or its watershed. They pose a threat to all water wells, creeks, rivers and lakes in the Southern Tier.
As proposed, New York State’s regulations on this activity are the worst in the country. Unlike other states, there is no direct tax on the gas produced, so the state reaps no direct benefit from the production. Unlike other states, New York tasks its regulatory agency, the DEC, with the issuance of drilling permits – thus compromising the DEC’s mission as environmental watch-dog. Unlike other states, New York can compel a landowner to participate in drilling a well – even if the landowner has not signed a lease; this practice is known as "compulsory integration" – which is illegal in other states.
New York State represents a dramatically different drilling regime than other states where the horizontal hydrofracking of shale formations have been developed. For example – Texas is about the size of France but has only one natural lake (Caddo). All other surface water sources are impoundments – man-made reservoirs – and all of them are either owned or controlled by a municipality for drinking water, or by the Corp of Engineers. If Cooperstown were in Texas, Lake Otsego would be a reservoir owned by the townships and County. The issue of drilling next to the lake or fracking under the lake would be a municipal decision, not a private one.
New York’s proposed regulations treat New York City and Syracuse differently than other municipal drinking water sources. The DEC puts a gloss on its reasoning for such disparate treatment, but it is not likely to survive a court challenge. The Board of Representatives should not tolerate such disparate treatment for Otsego County residents. Otesgo County residents should have the same protections that New York City residents have over their drinking water. And that every Texan has for their municipal water supply.
The proposed DEC regulations should be scrapped. The state should wait for the EPA to issue its new guidelines on horizontal hydrofracking of shale gas wells. And the state should wait for Congress to close the "Halliburton loophole" in the Clean Water Act – as recently proposed by Congressman Acuri, so that such wells are once again brought under federal jurisdiction, like they were before the 2005 Energy Act exempted them from regulation.
James L. Northrup
Cooperstown, NY
http://www.otsego2000.org
Otsego 2000 is a not-for-profit organization founded
in 1981 to protect the environmental, scenic, cultural
and historic resources of the Otsego Lake region
and northern Otsego County
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Ireland’s 4th International Children’s
Palliative Care Conference:
Contemporary Challanges in the Care of Children with Complex and Palliative Care Needs
An Interdisciplinary Conference
Thursday 21st - Friday 22nd November 2019
National University of Ireland Galway
info@cpcconf.ie
#CPCCONF2019
Dr Joanne Wolfe
Dr Joanne Wolfe is the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Palliative Care in the Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and the Director of Palliative Care at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH), and is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
She holds an MD degree (1990) from Harvard Medical School and an MPH (1998) from the Harvard School of Public Health. The Pediatric Advanced Care Team (PACT), the palliative care service which she directs, received a 2001 Citation of Honor from the American Hospital Association’s Circle of Life Awards program for its innovative approach to caring for children with life-threatening illness.
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Meet Me Tonight At Your Window
by David Chislett | Oct 18, 2016 | Blog | 0 comments
I really was still just a kid when I first heard ZX Dan on the Radio, but I remember the moment quite clearly. It felt like I was pulled into one of the science fiction books that I so loved to read and went for a trip with a friendly alien.
It wasn’t until several years later than I finally heard the song again and suddenly realised that it was by a South African band called The Radio Rats and that they were from Springs, a dusty little mining town just outside Johannesburg. By then I was 14 and way too busy with school and sports to think much else of it.
Fast forward 10 years later and, as a fledgling music journalist I start receiving tapes and letters from Jonathan Handley, the musical genius behind the Radio Rats. I played demos on Barney Simon’s show on 5FM and wrote a monthly demo tape review page for Top 40 music magazine and he kept sending these kind of musical projects through. At the time I don’t really think I got what he was doing.
About another ten years later and I finally get to meet Jonathan when I was doing research for the Punk In Africa documentary. The Radio Rats didn’t ever get featured as no-one could ever accuse them of being Punk rock, but they had their genesis at a similar time, so it made sense to speak to Jonathan then.
And now, I am very proud to be hosting the Amsterdam screening of the documentary that has been made about the band. Called Jiving and Dying: The Radio Rats Story the film examines this extremely under-recorded and little known time in South African rock n roll. It also covers a time in South African history that everyone knows well: the state of emergency, but, because it was so effectively censored, very little is known about what it was like to be there and this film gives glimpses into that shadowy world that may be surprising to outsiders.
The screening takes place at Zuid Afrika Huis at Keizersgracht 141C at 19:30 on Wednesday 26 October. I will be conducting a Q&A with the film’s director, editor and producer, Michael Cross after the screening as well as taking questions from the audience.
The Radio Rats as a concept are nearly 40 years old, it’s about time they got paid the attention they always deserved. Sometime being ahead of your time is worse than just being bad. We all forget so fast. This film is a wonderful way to set some of that straight and provide a look into what life was like as a far from average English speaking white south African in the 80’s. Those were weird times
Amsterdam Screening:
19:00 Wednesday 26 October
Zuid Afrika Huis
141C Keizersgracht
Tickets: €10.00 (cash only, no pin)
You MUST please email to reserve your place as seating is limited: evenementen@zuidafrikahuis.nl
More info on the film: https://www.facebook.com/jivinganddyingthemovie
Ideate, Innovate, Solve
Copyright 2018 | David Chislett
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Dance Review Print
ADF: Paul Taylor and the Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet
By Kate Dobbs Ariail
July 3, 2008 - Durham, NC:
The American Dance Festival celebrates this holiday weekend with a concert combining annual favorite, the Paul Taylor Dance Company, with a first appearance by the Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet Company for an evening of splendid dancing.
It is an unusually well-thought-out program. The modernist Taylor is so balletic, and the Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet so modern, that the alternating structure of the program works well, and the set of dances manages to cover the bases of politics and passion, faith and death, love and assertive individuality very adroitly.
The evening opens with a recent Taylor work, CHANGES, set to music by John Hartford, John Lennon/Paul McCartney, and John Phillips. (Phillips was one of the four Mamas and Papas. The Mamas and the Papas, good lord! You have to wonder what's next — the Trogs? The Carpenters?) CHANGES is not exactly a celebration of the 1960s but an urging to remember and revive and restore the powerful aspects of that era's youth culture. It was a dreaming time, as the strange scene with a dancing bear recalls, but it was also a time when it did not seem impossible that individual freedom could coexist with an almost tribal group identity, a time when peace still had a chance. Even its excesses seem almost innocent now, as we see from Annamaria Mazzini's channeling of Janis Joplin in "California Earthquake." Mazzini is a great dancer any time, but on the 3rd she seemed to be running on rocket fuel — irresistible, dangerous, fast, and explosive. The piece itself, while it may not go down as one of Taylor's greatest, is charming in its mixture of '60s social dances, circle dances, and crowds that bunched and dispersed — with everyone vividly and appropriately costumed. It closes with the anthematic "California Dreamin'" a song so full of longing that we can hear it very clearly during this long, if metaphorical, rainy season.
From the harmonies of the Mamas and the Papas we segue neatly to the spiritual longing and sacred harmonies of Shaker singing that support Twyla Tharp's Sweet Fields (1996). Dressed all in white, with underclothes snug and robes floating open, the eleven dancers of the Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet move with elegance and precision through Tharp's demanding choreography. On the 3rd, they were in complete control of the roll and flow and sudden reversals of Tharp's design. One of its most striking scenes has four men, as pallbearers, carrying a fifth man — stiff, arms crossed — overhead. They roll him over, they turn beneath him, they change direction — but somehow all this just emphasizes the truth that there is no return from death, no reversal in life's flow. Although it is filled with complexities and difficulties at any given moment, the overall work radiates purity and simplicity, even when almost-too-cleverly integrating the famous shaking motions of the Shaker sect. The smooth order of Sweet Fields makes a lovely contrast with rougher pattern of CHANGES.
The program's second half opens with Taylor's mordantly humorous 3 Epitaphs from 1956, last seen here during the Paul Taylor Dance Company's 50th anniversary celebration in 2004. Four small figures and one large one, all dematerialized in mud-gray bodysuits studded with coruscating mirrors (costumes by the late Robert Rauschenberg), flit and ooze about to the strains of early New Orleans jazz performed by the Laneville-Johnson Union Brass Band. Death be not proud, indeed.
From gray we switch to black and white for Sinatra Suite, the two-dancer abbreviated version of Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs. Danced by Katie Dehler and Seth DelGrasso of the Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet with unusual precision and considerable panache, the piece comes as a welcome return to love in an interlude between death and destruction.
The evening ends with Paul Taylor's great work from 2002, Promethean Fire. Like 3 Epitaphs, it was last seen here in 2004, and the performance on the 3rd was even more powerful than the one four years ago. On the stage, 16 avatars of strength and grace are suited in second skins like soot striped with fire. They flash and flee, catch and fall, mound and tumble and rise with the wrath of the righteous. Through the beautiful rationality of J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Prelude in E-flat minor, and Chorale Prelude, S.680, the splintering angles of the dance stab at you like shards of falling glass. Nearly seven years after 9/11, which inspired the work, we are deep in the sucking quicksand and the oil fields of "the war on terror." Promethean Fire, while having detached somewhat from its original topicality, seems all the clearer and more potent in its larger purpose. Led and urged by the magnificent Lisa Viola and Michael Trusnovec, the dancers, and more particularly, we the viewers, are propelled toward an honest heroism, one that builds from ash, rather than raining down fire. It is a potent message for the Fourth of July.
Note: This program continues on July 4th and 5th. See our calendar for details.
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Home / Guest Diggers / Does Zambia need nuclear power?
Does Zambia need nuclear power?
By Ompie Nkumbula Liebenthal on 18 Mar 2019
The Secretary General of the PF Davies Mwila recently asked the media to “help to demystify nuclear science because “there is a wrong, yet deeply entrenched perception, that all things nuclear are bad and dangerous.” This is a challenge to all of us Zambians to get informed about nuclear energy.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – an organisation that promotes the peaceful use of nuclear technology – in a publication “Is Africa Ready for Nuclear Energy?” notes a third of almost 30 countries currently considering nuclear power are in Africa. Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan have engaged with IAEA to assess their readiness to embark on a nuclear programme. South Africa is currently the only country in Africa with an operational nuclear power plant.
According to the Zambia Development Agency Energy profile (2013), Zambia has about 6000 MW unutilised hydropower potential. While gas and renewable energy is getting cheaper, the price of nuclear power only rises. The decision to move to nuclear power at a time when most nations are moving away from it needs to be seriously questioned.
Zambia last year signed a memorandum of understanding with Russia’s nuclear agency ROSATOM that includes building a nuclear plant. At what cost?
University of Johannesburg Professor of Chemist Hartmut Winkler in an article ‘Why nuclear power for African countries does not make sense’ warned the country receiving the nuclear plant “initially pays very little”, but when the repayments kick in “consumers are suddenly faced with a massive burden that most African economies will never be able to meet.” Figures on cost are not readily available, but he points out that “Zambia is eyeing a nuclear plant on the scale of Bangladesh’s Rooppur 2.4GW. The plant is expected to cost US$ 30 billion. Given Zambia’s total annual budget is US$ 7.2 billion this is clearly unaffordable.”
Furthermore, nuclear energy creates radioactive waste which can remain radioactive and a danger to human health and the environment for many years.
Look at what is happening in South Africa where proposals to boost supply from nuclear plants have been dropped. According to a Business Tech article, Energy Minister Jeff Radebe last year announced there would be a study to determine if more nuclear is needed after 2030. “But until then, there is no increase in nuclear generation envisaged.” The plant produces 1,860MW of power – 4 % of South Africa’s power capacity – but is being challenged on its implications for national debt.
According to the head of the IAEA Nuclear Infrastructure Development Section, Miko Kovachev, a successful nuclear power programme requires political and popular support and national commitment of at least 100 years. This includes committing to the entire life cycle of a power plant, from construction through electricity generation and finally decommissioning. On financing nuclear energy Kovachev noted few countries in Africa have sufficient installed grid capacity to accommodate the recommended capacity for planned conventional, large nuclear power plant. “For example, a country should have a capacity of 10,000 megawatts already in place to generate 1,000 megawatts from nuclear power.” The Energy Regulation Board Energy Sector Report 2017 puts Zambia’s installed electricity generation at 2897 MW showing that Zambia’s power capacity falls short of the recommended level.
Three companies which account for more than half of all nuclear power generation worldwide are facing financial challenges. In 2017 Pittsburgh based Westinghouse – for many decades the world’s largest provider of nuclear technology- filed for bankruptcy. The Japanese nuclear engineering giant, Toshiba, is also in financial problems and there are doubts about it continuing as a going concern. Europe’s biggest builder and operator of nuclear power plants, France’s state-owned Electricité de France (EDF) is deep in debt.
The increasing costs in part are due to addressing safety concerns linked to past reactor disasters like Chernobyl in Ukraine and Fukushima in Japan; and to companies factoring in the costs of decommissioning their aging reactors. Here are some examples of nuclear power plant accidents and their impact.
1. In the 1979 Three Mile Island accident, in Pennsylvania U.S.A., there was a partial meltdown of the nuclear reactor due to a series of mechanical and human errors at the site of the nuclear power plant causing the worst commercial nuclear accident in US history. Nobody died or was injured in the initial incident, but the meltdown released dangerous gases into the atmosphere which scientific studies have linked to an increase in cancer cases.
2. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine happened after an experiment was being conducted causing one of four reactors to explode and catch fire. Approximately 116,000 people had to be evacuated, and a large area surrounding the plant received fallout so great that it could not be farmed or pastured as a result of this accident. Significant levels of radiation were detected as far north as Scandinavia and as far west as Switzerland. In September 2005 the Chernobyl Forum, comprising seven United Nations organizations and programs, the World Bank, and the governments of Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, published a three-volume, 600-page report assessing the impact of the accident on public health. Approximately 50 emergency workers had died of acute radiation sickness shortly after the accident, and 9 children had died from thyroid cancer because of radiation exposure. From among the 200,000 emergency workers who were present at the site in the first year following the accident, the people who were evacuated, and the 270,000 residents of the most heavily contaminated areas, an additional 3,940 people were likely to die from cancer during a prolonged period after the accident.
3. In the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan the plant was not designed to handle the tsunami that struck the area after an earthquake. The large-scale release of radioactivity resulted in people being evacuated from a 20 km exclusion zone set up around the power plant, similar to the 30 km radius Chernobyl Exclusion Zone which is still in effect more than 30 years after the accident. The plant’s operator had no way of paying the cleanup bill, estimated at $180 million and is being propped up by the Japanese government. After the accident, Japan, which relied on nuclear power for 30% of its electricity, shut all its 48 operational reactors for safety checks and seven years later only five are back online.
After Fukushima, the previously pro-nuclear Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany set a deadline of 2022 for shutting down the country’s reactors which at the time generated 22% of German electricity. The French president committed to cutting nuclear’s share of energy generation from 75% to 50% by 2025 with the gap to be filled by renewables.
In conclusion, we should not rush into nuclear power without a full public discussion. Developed countries are getting out of it or scaling down. Decommissioning a nuclear plant is very expensive, and how to dispose of radioactive material is a nightmare. This will leave a huge debt for future generations. Some say radioactive waste will be a problem for 30 years, others say a hundred, but the point is you have to factor this in before you do anything. Zambia should be looking at selling uranium and using the proceeds to invest in more environment friendly power plants like hydro, solar, wind technology. Listen to Louis Armstrong’s song about the “wonderful world” which we must not destroy, let alone Zambia!
(Ompie Nkumbula Liebenthal, Former Namwala Member of Parliament and the Pan African Parliament)
https://www.iaea.org/
https://www.world-nuclear.org/
https://www.un.org/africarenewal/ The United Nations quarterly magazine on Africa
https://theconversation.com/why-nuclear-power-for-African-countries-doesn’t-make-sense
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« The Next Generation Container Port (NGCP) Challenge
Commentary on Competitions and the Al Jamea Competition in Particular »
In Ramallah, the Focus is on Architecture: The Qattan Foundation Cultural Centre Competition
By Stanley Collyer
Winning entry by Donaire Arquitectos
On 2 July 2012, the A.M. Qattan Foundation (AMQF) launched an invited competition for the design of a new cultural and education center in Ramallah, Palestine. As a U.K.-based non-profit, which has focused on educational issues with emphasis on the Middle East, the Foundation’s Ramallah center has been located in an existing 80-year-old building for the past thirteen years, but feels that future demand for its services will require substantial expansion. By staging a competition for the new structure, AMQF is also seeking to “raise awareness about the role of built fabric design in improving the quality of urban life in social, cultural and economic terms.”
The A.M. Qattan Foundation serves a diverse community through its programs with a focus on teachers, children (mostly in Gaza through the Qattan Centre for the Child) and artists. Teachers are served through a wide range of training and research activities offered by the Qattan Centre for Educational Research and Development. They also benefit from resource development activities and library services.
Artists from all the creative fields benefit not only from the grants, awards and scholarships offered by the Culture and Arts Program, but also from the facilities and equipment available to experiment, develop and share their artistic productions.
The Centre also sponsors public activities in culture, the arts and education on a regular basis. These include lectures, book launches and discussions, exhibitions, concerts, workshops, theatrical production (on a small scale) and film screenings. Although the library targets teachers in particular, its services are extended to researchers, artists and other interested members of the public.
The Site in Ramallah
Architecture in Palestine has undergone several changes during the 20th century.
With the advent of modern technology, cement replaced lime as a binding material, and steel beams were used for the first time. Buildings in the West Bank and Gaza Strip adopted modern construction techniques, which left an impact on their form and details, though stone was still used in new applications such as external cladding. Until the Oslo accords in 1990 and the arrival of the Palestinian Authority, Ramallah could be characterized as a small town with a population of about 6,000. After the building boom of the past two decades, financed in large part from Palestinians living in the Diaspora, the city’s population now exceeds 30,000, and it has become the main administrative and economic center in the West Bank. Urban sprawl has been one result of this population explosion, much of it similar in appearance to the Jewish settlements.
The building site for the competition is a 5,864m2 plot of land owned by the AMQF in the Tireh neighborhood of Ramallah. The site offers unimpeded views to the east, south and west, with the coastal plains to the west visible on a clear day. The lot is on the southern slope of a hill, one of its neighbors being a Women’s Community College.
Besides accommodating the main office for the Qattan Centre, public facilities to be included are a multi-purpose hall, art gallery, library and book café. The building is intended “both as a landmark and a flagship for cultural production and development in which people can freely interact, share, access information and project their ideas. It must embody the values of the Foundation with its forward-looking commitment to innovation, originality and artistic flair while acknowledging the past in all its rich complexities.” Besides allowing for additional construction in the future, there should be strong emphasis on sustainability with the lowest possible environmental impact. To maximize space efficiency, common areas and their components must be flexible so that they can serve both general management needs and individual programs. The anticipated budget for the structure (without architectural fees) is projected at $4.5M.
The jury, which met at Birzeit University on the West Bank, was composed of:
• Shadia Touqan (architect);
• Caecilia Pieri (editor at Editions du Patrimoine, Paris);
• Khaldun Bshara (architect);
• Omar Yousef (architect);
• Ziad Khalaf and Omar Al-Qattan (the latter two being respectively the Foundation’s executive director and Board of Trustees secretary).
The four finalists were shortlisted as a result of an RfQ. They were:
• Francisco Mangado Arquitectos, Pamplona, Spain
• MRJ Rundell and Associates, London, U.K.
• Pesquera Ulargui Arquitectos, Madrid, Spain
• Donaire Arquitectos, Seville, Spain
After the four firms made 90-minute presentations to the jury, the jury convened to discuss the ranking of the projects. The adjudication process resulted in a 5 to 1 vote in favor of Donaire Arquitectos, with Pesquera Ulargui Arquitectos a close second due to the originality of the scheme. The other two finalists were commended for the “depth of their research and the sophistication of their proposals.”
Winning entry by Donaire Arquitectos (click to enlarge)
The jury felt that the Donaire Arquitectos proposal was the most functional and flexible of the four designs, while also enjoying a degree of elegance and beauty in a number of its aesthetic choices. The architects had undoubtedly found the best solution for the challenging spatial requirements of the brief, opting for a solution that was neither bulky and overbearing nor over-subtle and unmanageable. Their future expansion scheme was commendable.
Connections between different spaces, particularly the private and public areas and various levels/floors were properly thought through with the user and visitor very much at the centre of the architects’ solutions, rather than any theoretical preoccupations. The Jury also felt this to be a worthy advocate of the Foundation: inviting, elegant, spacious, unpretentious and on a thoroughly human scale.
Among the reservations about their entry were the proposed use of stone louvers on the main block, with a secondary glass façade, which worried the Jury in terms of future heating and cooling costs and carbon emissions. Secondly, the terrace, while visually stunning, also posed its own set of problems, both in winter and summer. There was also concern about the seemingly impractical shape of the gallery.
-Jury Comments
Presentation boards and model by Donaire Arquitectos (click images to enlarge)
Pesquera Ulargui Arquitectos
The Jury was divided on the qualities of this design, with one group commending its originality, uniqueness, ambition and courage in daring to propose totally unexpected and unconventional ideas and a very special quality to the interior space. Its respect for the landscape and the exquisite subtlety of its design were particularly appreciated.
Some jurors, however, felt that the design’s principle idea was too removed from the local context, or too subtle to make sense in Palestine. However, several factors also spoke against the proposal’s argument. First, while the proposal argued for an “anti-landmark landmark,” which would be characterized by its subtlety in comparison to the aggressive, anti-aesthetic salience of most contemporary buildings in Ramallah, some jurors felt that it was antithetical to the brief’s requirement for the building to have an unmistakably visible (rather than an over-subtle) identity.
Secondly, there was strong concern about local ability to build such a building, with its very precise specifications for prefabricated components. Other major concerns were about insulation, airflow and convection in a building that would be so open yet simultaneously populated by both office workers and visitors. The building seemed also to have no “spine” and the proposed highly visible elevator would only have been a continual distraction for its users. Finally, the distribution of spaces struck the Jury as highly impractical.
While the Jury felt confident that the architect would be more than capable of finding some solutions to these problems, given their previous record, there were too many other serious concerns with their proposal. Therefore, with the exception of one vote, the Jury decided to exclude it.
Presentation boards by Pesquera Ulargui Arquitectos (click images to enlarge)
The proposal of Francisco Mangado Arquitectos was inspired by the idea of surprise and discovery, which informed the architectural journey as visitors entered the space. This journey also led to an exquisite story-telling space and pool, starting from an impressive entrance, but marred somewhat by the placement of a parking ramp nearby. The use of the water feature, and a careful and delicate use of light and shade were particularly appreciated, as was the contrasting visual metaphor of enclosure and expansiveness that marked the visitor’s journey. The architects also proposed an impressive and flexible public gallery as well as a future expansion scheme.
However, the “surprise” idea, though intriguing, did not seem to have been fully articulated in the actual circulation, which struck the Jury as confusing. The divisions between programs and between the public and private office spaces were not always clear. The café and garden seemed isolated, while the guest residences were positioned strangely adjacent to the front entrance. Other major concerns included the lack of a foyer outside the multi-purpose hall; and huge spans which appeared to the Jury as both technically and financially onerous. Finally, on a purely aesthetic level, the fortress-like structures appeared forbidding rather than inviting, and the inclusion of a long footbridge to connect the structures seemed unappealing and wasteful.
–Jury Comments
Presentation boards by Francisco Mangado Arquitectos (click images to enlarge)
MRJ Rundell and Associates of London were complimented by the Jury for the quality of their research into the local and regional idioms, particularly traditional building techniques and materials, although it was occasionally confused by alternate references to Egyptian and Turkish-Ottoman architecture. This proposal struck the Jury as highly pragmatic and detailed, with relatively simple and functional ideas. Of the four designs, the Jury also felt that this had made the best use of the site. The team also proposed careful and sensible solutions for shading and an interesting use of mass.
However, the Jury felt that the design lacked in vision and panache what it offered in pragmatism. The central courtyard idea, for example, seemed academic and dry. It also failed to use the views to the valley by placing a building in front of the visitor’s line of vision, without achieving the elegant coziness of a traditional courtyard.
Once again, the fortress-like aesthetic seemed forbidding rather than welcoming and the wall-like entrance, with its adjacent parking ramp, made the building uninviting.
Presentation boards and model by MRJ Rundell & Associates (click images to enlarge)
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Breaking News / Israel
Jordanian Arab injures Israeli woman in attempted carjacking
by BtNews · July 8, 2016
A Jordanian Arab on Friday attempted to hijack a car in northern Israel before fleeing and being shot and wounded by a security officer.
The Arab was arrested and security forces were investigating the suspicion that he is a Jordanian citizen. A Jordanian identity card was reportedly found on his person.
The attack began on Route 90 in the Jordan Valley, when the Arab threw a stone at a vehicle, causing the driver to veer off course and hit the road’s safety railing. The attacker who was apparently hiding nearby emerged and, police said, tried to forcibly remove the driver.
A passerby who arrived on the scene made the Arab flee. The driver was evacuated to a hospital with light wounds.
The attacker attempted to hijack another car but failed, after which police shot and arrested him.
The circumstances of the attack were not immediately clear. Police were investigating whether the Jordanian Arab snuck into Israel or was living illegally.
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Interrogation and Torture
The CIA records that were recently released, which show that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times in one month underscore the ineffectiveness of torture as an interrogation method.
If it takes 183 tries, it ain’t working. And it’s laziness bordering on sadism.
Buffalo Geek is a veteran and comes at this issue from that perspective. Money quote:
In times [of] war, we as Americans hold the moral high ground, such as it is in war. Lowering ourselves to the level of our enemy breeds contempt, inflames opposition, and reduces our ability to rally the world around a flag of righteousness. Torturing those whom we have detained lowers us to the level of the enemy. Once we cede the moral high ground in battle, we begin down a slippery slope of moral ambiguity that clouds our purpose and allows our enemy to define our standards for us.
We no longer hold that moral high ground and our unwillingness to confront the actions of the previous administration is an affront to those who have honorably served this great nation. It is a betrayal of this country’s citizens who entrusted us to fight in their name and serve with integrity.
Think of how we would react if it was discovered that an American soldier was waterboarded 183 times in one month. Would we snicker and make snarky comments about that treatment?
The first commenter who says something like, “oh, al Qaeda would have served people crumpets and tea” wins the “I’m am ignorant moron” prize.
We are a civilized nation, and a strong, stable democracy. If you wish for our military or intelligence services to behave similarly to the terrorists, then you have no respect for law or civilized behavior.
Tags: interrogation, News, terrorism, torture
← When We Stop Being Honest, We Stop Being American
Who Am I? →
59 Responses to “Interrogation and Torture”
Jim Ostrowski April 21, 2009 at 6:36 am #
Torture is a war crime.
Ben McD April 21, 2009 at 6:43 am #
The discussion of torture is an interesting philosophical exercise. It seems that the whole topic centers around the issue of morality. We as a society hold that killing another human being is an immoral act, yet we allow it in certain circumstances, i.e. self-defense, and war. Do we allow the same for all immoral acts, or are some at a level of immorality that they cannot be allowed under any circumstances? Is it worse to cause someone extreme pain and discomfort to achieve a goal than it is to outright end their life? Is it the morality of the person that commits the act that is the defining factor? Is a moral person just for committing an immoral act when no other course is available? I don’t know that any of these questions have been answered, all though I think some of them should.
Russell April 21, 2009 at 6:56 am #
Ben, BP hates dogmatic idealogues. He has said numerous times that was his big, or at least one of his biggest, problems with the Bush administration. They painted most things in terms of black and white, for us or against. However, when it comes to certain issues, especially this topic, BP acts as if there are no grey areas and ends up sounding just like a dogmatic idealogue. (See his last paragraph above.)
hank April 21, 2009 at 7:46 am #
Apparently “Geek the Veteran” never attended SERE training and wasn’t a member of the Navy SEALS.
Any service member attending SERE training is waterboarded at least a half dozen times in one day. ‘
SEALS are waterboarded many more times throughout their training, especially on their final exam where they are “Captured” and tortured by our own forces. If you’ve never seen what they do, waterboarding is the EASY part.
I attended SERE Training in the Phillipines in 1984. I was waterboarded. I wouldn’t say it was fun, but for a terrorist—FUCK HIM.
If we can do it to our own forces for training purposes, Johnny Fucking Jihad shouldn’t mind it a bit.
There aren’t enough cathartics made in this country to get the shit out of so many of you fucking bleeding heart liberals. Excuse me while I go puke.
Larry Castellani April 21, 2009 at 7:48 am #
Haven’t we signed Geneva convention agreements not to torture in conventional war? But this is not conventional war. Personally, I’m against torture. Ben raises a good question however. Nevertheless, if we are going to be any kind of world leader we need to take the moral high road. Moreover, if we can achieve our goals of protection of the nation without torture and torture doesn’t really work anyhow in acquiring information, why do it? I think there is just war. I don’t think our last two, Vietnam and Iraq were just however. It doesn’t seem to follow to me to argue that given the validity of ‘just war’ that there is therefore necessarily ‘just torture.’ But I’m open to being convinced that there is such a thing as ‘just torture.’
Larry–Do you think every German citizen was a rabid member of the National Socialists? Do you really believe that the entire nation was behind Germany’s “unjust” war of agression? Willingly sending their sons do freeze to death on the Eastern Front?
Or perhaps the innocent citizens we immolated in places like Dresden. Do you think they thought WW2 “Just”?
Why not complete the catalog and get a fucking “Free Mumia” thread on here?
psych April 21, 2009 at 7:56 am #
After WWII, the US prosecuted Japanese for war crimes for waterboarding American POW. Too bad some republifucks don’t think it’s a crime anymore.
I guess it’s ok when the detainee is an ay-rab. And the sudden appreciation by the right for getting off on legal technicalities is hi-larious.
BP and Geek, this isn’t about snickers and snarky comments. It’s about national security. Does Geek’s service qualify him in any specific way to speak more informatively about this issue? Was he a member of an intelligence unit? Did he serve as a spy or in counter-intelligence? If not, then his status as a veteran is irrelevant on this issue.
We mourn every soldier and every American that dies in service to this country. That does not mean that we should never fight another war again or call any Americans into service. The “how would you like if it were done to one of ours?” is a lame and juvenile line of discussion.
Although so many of you continually throw out the line that torture never results in good information, no one has ever presented anything to back that up other than a few anecdotes. It exists and is used because it is effective. That does not mean that it is effective in all circumstances all of the time. No technique of any kind is. But it is a tool and so many people actually experienced in this area have argued we need to preserve it as an option. I’ll side with the people that actually know firsthand what they’re talking about.
The moral highground argument sounds nice and perhaps we should allhum the Battle Hymn of the Republican while we read those lines, but it is far too idealist. From the comfort of your couch, it sounds nice, along with the fun of making snarky comments and snickers, but this is not about what goes on in the comfort of your living room. We ceded the moral highground in our war for independence and those in the know understand it’s a luxury we cannot use to dictate our every move in this time of unconventional war and conflict. Lives matter too much, but you can make snarky comments from the comfort of your living room because rough man stand ready to blurr the greys of morality when necessary.
STEEL April 21, 2009 at 9:42 am #
Russel,
According to the criminal Bush administration the president had the right to lift YOU off a street or your couch, detain you indefinitely, torture you, and label you a terrorist with no proof and no trial.
You are in favor of giving this power to the government?
By the way it has been proven over and over and over that police torture and intimidation results in false confessions.
Russell April 21, 2009 at 10:26 am #
1. We’re not talking about police.
2. You are wrong. None of it applied to citizens and that is a different issue.
3. Apparently you don’t care about the rule of law, either. Not only have key members of the Bush adminstration not been tried and found guilty of anything, they haven’t even been charged. Therefore, they are not criminals.
hank April 21, 2009 at 10:31 am #
Steel—please offer us a cite of even one of these “OVER AND OVER” Scenarios that you offer
mike April 21, 2009 at 10:50 am #
Hanks right, why even care about a confession just hang or shoot them on the spot. Stalin would be proud of you hank.
STEEL April 21, 2009 at 11:48 am #
1. So police torture is different than military torture?
2. Actually citizens have been held
3 Not being convicted or accused of a crime does not mean you are not a criminal. Being caught is not what makes you a criminal. Doing the criminal act is what makes you a criminal.
http://www.innocenceproject.org/understand/False-Confessions.php
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20030430-000002.html
http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/not_guilty/coerced_confessions/3.html
http://acadserv.usfca.edu/preview/law/faculty/fulltime/RichardLeopub.html
http://www.law.northwestern.edu/wrongfulconvictions/issues/causesandremedies/falseconfessions/FalseConfessionsStudy.html
http://aaidd.allenpress.com/aamronline/?request=get-document&doi=10.1352%2F2008.46:468-479
Well I posted a bunch of links but Buffy’s filters are blocking them. Perhaps he will fix it.
The Humanist April 21, 2009 at 11:56 am #
Ah, the breathtaking audacity of torture apologia…
No doubt they’ll point to Master Limbaugh (noted conservative and pedophilic sex tourist and pill abuser) and his sterling defense of torture last week in which he proved its effectiveness by pointing to John McCain’s admission to war crimes while in the custody of the North Vietnamese
Makes me proud to be a ‘Murrican….
STEEL April 21, 2009 at 12:00 pm #
So does that mean that McCain did commit war crimes? It means he must have if he said so
Russell April 21, 2009 at 12:37 pm #
1. We’re not talking about military torture either. This is intelligence gathering, not evidence or confession gathering. Yes, there is a HUGE difference between intelligence gathering and trying to coerce a confession. The CIA are not police and they are not the military either–again, HUGE difference.
2. Once again, this is not the issue.
3. No, we generally say innocent until proven guilty in this country. The fact that no one has been able to find any criminal act to charge them with even though so many are searching relentlessly for something, anything weakens your claim.
Try to stick to pertinent information and the issue at hand. It sure appears difficult for you guys to have any kind of informed discussion without throwing in distractions and Rush Limbaugh.
Haterade April 21, 2009 at 12:44 pm #
Oh … the outrage.
Boo fukking hoo.
Al Qaeda would have served tea and crumpets.
Send me my prize Alan, you have my e-mail …
3. Being found innocent and actually being innocent are two different things. Being found guilt likewise does not mean that you actually committed a crime. But it is very interesting that you argue for the rights of bush cronies while so easily condemning others to torture just because…well, just because
2, Actually it is the issue
1. So there are various kinds of torture because of who does it and if the right person does the torture it is a good kind of torture which is ok even if you are an innocent person (and I understand from your other statements that you believe that innocent people should not be accused) So we should all be in favor of good CIA torture and we should all be against evil bad torture. I think I understand.
Christopher Smith April 21, 2009 at 12:58 pm #
Hank, I did attend USAF SERE training. I am not a Navy SEAL, nor do I claim to be. The contents of the resistance sections of the training are classified, but I can talk around the process and materials.
The point you are missing, and perhaps you were sleeping during the classroom instructional part of SERE training is that the treatment you are subjected to during SERE training is to replicate that which is administered by evil, despotic regimes. We are taught that escape is the only way to end the torture. We are taught that if we are in a position of authority over a POW, that we do not utilize these techniques. If you went through the training, you know it is torture.
Your argument is that “Hey, we should do it because they’re bad people” tells me that you’re a person of relative honor and you fundamentally don’t understand what this country stood/stands for. Plain and simple.
Russell April 21, 2009 at 1:18 pm #
1. I didn’t say anything about the type of torture.
2. No, it’s not. None of what was released the other day, or Obama’s speech had anything at all to do with removing citizens off the streets in the US without any charges or trial.
3. I didn’t condemn anyone, unlike you. Yes, those are differences in innocence, just like being a criminal and being accused of being a criminal are two different things. But I’m glad you are still unable to mention any specific crimes they should be charged with.
Terry April 21, 2009 at 1:57 pm #
Nothing like a car bomb detonated up yer arse to to separate the “humanists” from the “survivors”……
Christopher Smith April 21, 2009 at 2:07 pm #
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07294/826876-35.stm
This is a great article written by Col. Stuart Herrington (USA, RET)
Or this one, penned by another professional interrogator:
http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/2007/10/waterboarding-is-torture-perio/
hank April 21, 2009 at 2:23 pm #
@Geek—Air Force—Says a LOT. Most pussfied branch of the service.
I guess in your military experience you were never taught you go with what WORKS.
You don’t sleep in the Phillipine jungle unless you have an eye open. I’m sure you air force types got a truck ride back to your air conditioned barracks where you sleep one to a room after the days training, right?
DESPOTIC REGIMES? Give me a break, are you that much of a cunt?
Guess you saw LOTS of action on the battlefield. Oh, that’s right, the Air Farce never gets within MILES of where the bullets fly. Those people that shoot at Marines and Soldiers—they’re not trying to miss–they want you DEAD.
Did you get the needles under your fingernails? You’d tell them any damn thing they wanted.
Take your “Moral High Ground” And shove it up your ass— As Col. Saito told Col. Nicholson in Bridge on the River Kwai—And listen the fuck up, AIRMAN
DO NOT SPEAK TO ME OF RULES—THIS IS WAR!!!!!
I guess the Air Force doesn’t teach Victory.
Byron April 21, 2009 at 2:34 pm #
If you had trouble following that last post, a somewhat clearer translation can be found here.
wcp April 21, 2009 at 2:36 pm #
^^^sheeesh- what a d*ck
The Humanist April 21, 2009 at 2:37 pm #
“now…who can argue with that?”
Thanks for a couple more anecdotes, Chris, just like I said. What’s Col. Herrington’s point? That you use the techniques that work best? I’m pretty sure everyone in the intelligence community knows that and most people outside of it do as well. Yes, he was able to extract plenty of information without resorting to torture. Once again, just backing up my point that not every technique works in every situation and you go with what works. Some generals have stated that you should not take any of the tools off the table. Former Directors of the CIA have also stated that. Sure, there are some that say torture is not necessary, but there are also those that say it is, even if just as a threat. It’s a horrible thing. No one ever said it’s not and it should never be used lightly. However, we are in an unfortunate situation, not of our own making, where nothing should be off the table. Like Ben said, there are cases when good people may have no other option. It’s not black and white. We don’t always have the luxury to be idealists.
And please, enough with the anecdotes. Present something reliable, tested, methodical and unbiased, in short, a scientific study, or give up this line. The he saids, he saids could be endless and are pointless.
Since torture is illegal, I don’t see why the burden should be on torture opoonents to prove anything. If the U.S. didn’t want to “take any cards off the table” I guess it shouldn’t have ratified treaties and passed laws that prohibit torture.
But in any case I find the expert opinions Chris posted – to the effect that torture is unreliable at best – to be very compelling as an additional argument against its use.
Finally, the fact that Geek is a veteran is relevant in at least one sense: another very compelling argument against our use of torture – one that armchair proponents tend to ignore – is that it makes it more likely that our own soldiers will be tortured, and more problematic (to say the least) to punish those who do that.
My $0.02.
Chris Smith April 21, 2009 at 3:52 pm #
Russell, there are many volumes written about the effectiveness of torture, primarily as “lessons learned” publications at the Air War College and Army War College. Can I link to them? Not really. Beyond the abstracts, they aren’t all online, but you can perhaps find bibliographic references to answer your question, I don’t specifically have the time to do that kind of legwork. There are lots of documents discussing torture that are online at those sites, but I don’t know which of them will fulfill your request.
The troubles with “scientific studies” on the efficacy of torture are many. First of all, any academic study of the practices would be unethical and it would not be approved by an Institutional Review Board. You’d also have a bitch of a time getting an untainted pool of subjects who would be willing to undergo the treatment.
Historical studies of information gleaned through our interrogation of the enemy and studies of what the enemy learned from torturing our prisoners is however, an effective tool to determine efficacy. Generally speaking, aside from those who most recently worked for the Bush Administration, there is no support in military theory that torture achieves a goal of acquiring reliable, actionable intelligence. Take it as you will.
Is your position that torture is morally relative? That it’s an acceptable tactic as long as the ends presumably justify the means? That hundreds of years of international law prohibit the use of these tactics, that people have historically been put to death by international authorities (supported by the US) for use of these tactics doesn’t apply in this scenario? Why is it morally acceptable and legal for the US to inflict torture? You should be providing me with the justification for changing long standing US policy on the treatment of prisoners.
As for Hank’s comments, I’ll let them stand and let people determine the kind of person he is after reading them.
STEEL April 21, 2009 at 3:59 pm #
1. What are you talking about. You absolutely have been differentiating one torture done by one organization versus another. You have suggested that CIA torture is good and is legal. Are you changing your previous statements or are you just getting confused by your own words?
2. US citizens have been jailed by the Bush regime without due process and even if they had not been the criminal processes set up in the Bush White House set up rules where by anyone declared to be an unlawful combatant by the Bush regime could be imprisoned and tortured.
3. You say you have never condemned anyone yet you stand up for the use of torture on a person who has never been convicted of any crime. As for Bushes criminality see comment 2.
STEEL, as you probably know Jose Padilla (a U.S. citizen) claimed that he was tortured while in U.S. custody and that the interrogation video would have proved this. The video mysteriously disappeared, so the proof, if it existed, is gone.
“I’ll let . . . people determine the kind of person [hank] is.”
I think that ship sailed a long time ago, certainly by the time he called Michelle Obama an ignorant monkey.
Ward April 21, 2009 at 4:18 pm #
Interesting, Pundit–the fact link you use in your opening sentence about waterboarding of KSM is in fact the blog of Buffalo Geek. Passionate though he may be, Geek is not exactly a primary source. I’m too busy to source the claim of 183 waterboard sessions during the 30 days KSM was in CIA custody (if Geek is relying on the NYTimes, just recall Jason Blair and Walter Duranty).
But I do know that your conclusion that “it ain’t working” is not supported by the memos recently released.
Quoting from a memo dated May 30, 2005, from Deputy Attorney General Steven G. Bradbury writes John A. Rizzo, the senior deputy general counsel for the CIA:
“You have informed us that the interrogation of KSM—once enhanced techniques were employed—led to the discovery of a KSM plot, the ‘Second Wave,’ ‘to use East Asian operatives to crash a hijacked airliner into’ a building in Los Angeles,” says the memo.
“You have informed us that information obtained from KSM also led to the capture of Riduan bin Isomuddin, better known as Hambali, and the discover of the Guraba Cell, a 17-member Jemaah Islamiyah cell tasked with executing the ‘Second Wave,’” reads the memo. “More specifically, we understand that KSM admitted that he had [redaction] large sum of money to an al Qaeda associate [redaction] … Khan subsequently identified the associate (Zubair), who was then captured. Zubair, in turn, provided information that led to the arrest of Hambali. The information acquired from these captures allowed CIA interrogators to pose more specific questions to KSM, which led the CIA to Hambali’s brother, al Hadi. Using information obtained from multiple sources, al-Hadi was captured, and he subsequently identified the Garuba cell. With the aid of this additional information, interrogations of Hambali confirmed much of what was learned from KSM.”
To employ the beloved double negative, it don’t sound like it ain’t working to me.
rastamick April 21, 2009 at 5:51 pm #
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2302-2005Jan11.html
excerpt :
Or listen to Army Col. Stuart Herrington, a military intelligence specialist who conducted interrogations in Vietnam, Panama and Iraq during Desert Storm, and who was sent by the Pentagon in 2003 — long before Abu Ghraib — to assess interrogations in Iraq. Aside from its immorality and its illegality, says Herrington, torture is simply “not a good way to get information.” In his experience, nine out of 10 people can be persuaded to talk with no “stress methods” at all, let alone cruel and unusual ones. Asked whether that would be true of religiously motivated fanatics, he says that the “batting average” might be lower: “perhaps six out of ten.” And if you beat up the remaining four? “They’ll just tell you anything to get you to stop.” Funny that’s nearly identical to Christopher Hitchens’ viewpoint after he was waterboarded. WOuld anyone call him a bleeding heart liberal ?
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/video/2008/hitchens_video200808
Frankie April 21, 2009 at 6:34 pm #
First we’re told Abu Ghraib was just a couple out of control low-lifes. Well, not so much. Then we’re told Bush had nothing to do with it. Well, not so much. Then we’re told we don’t torture at all. Well, not so much. Then we’re told waterboarding was done very sparingly, 2 or 3 times at most. Well, not so much. Now we’re told it worked. Any takers?
I bet it worked for Pol Pot too.
And i’m relieved to find out that OJ didn’t kill anybody, since he wasn’t convicted of it in criminal court.
Mike Walsh April 21, 2009 at 11:15 pm #
You ignore history just as much as you ignore economics…
Short list:
Sherman burning cities to the ground in the Civil War
Slaughter of native americans
Slaughter of Filipino’s in the Spanish/American War
Bogus WW1
Various hit squads and Murder Inc. in south and central American countries
Vietnam atrocities
Cold War assassinations
Dresden and Tokyo fire bombings
Nuking two cities in Japan
Ray April 21, 2009 at 11:22 pm #
Mike…one more historical thing.
American forces waterboarded Filipino’s in the Spanish/American War.
Another great legacy of the horrible Progressive Era.
For the record, USAF SERE training is some of the toughest training the military has to offer.
Apparently we do, Pundit. I guess I’m just more of a realist who understands the real world and you’re an idealist who’d rather imagine a pretty picture. Like it or not, the US has and still is debating the efficacy and legality of torture. Not only that, but it’s also debating what constitutes torture. I’m sure if you had a list of all the interrogation techniques at the disposal of the CIA, approved by our government, you’d have to modify your opinion of our country and what it stands for if it’s nothing like mine. There are plenty of approved techniques that the average man on the street would call torture.
We compromise our democratic ideals for the greater good all the time. It’s not pretty, but it’s what reasonable people in a reasonable society do. We understand and accept that. The military is not democratic. It’s rigidly hierarchical and even aristocratic in some ways. It’s own legal system is allowed to function outside our Constitution, thus denying some rights to US citizens while they’re serving our country and protecting and preserving that very Constitution. We know that and we accept that. No one has pushed to dismantle the military because it is not in line with our democratic ideals or does not adhere to what our country stands for.
STEEL:
1. It was not about the type of torture, as you claimed. It was about the goals and purpose of the institutions using the techniques. Once again, police attempting to coerce a confession is completely different from intelligence gathering. The articles you posted are quite specific about what situations they are studying. There’s a reason for that. A study of one does not inform us at all about the other. You are comparing apples and oranges.
2. And again, nothing in the memos or in Obama’s speech had anything to do with that. That is not the issue here.
3. Yep, that’s not condemning anyone. If you support the death penalty, you’ve condemned people to death? If you support our legal system, you’ve condemned everyone that’s ever been found guilty through it? You’re line of logic does not make any sense.
As for your claim of Bush’s criminality, Abraham Lincoln jailed many more US citizens without charges and without trial, yet we set up monuments to him, honor his birthday each year, and most politicians invoke his name as often as possible. If that’s what you have against Bush, although never charged, tried or convicted, then we’d have to re-examine our view of all our presidents, especially our most admired.
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Bush-era interrogation techniques that many view as torture may have yielded important information about terrorists, President Obama’s national intelligence director said in an internal memo.
“High-value information came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper understanding of the al Qaeda organization that was attacking this country,” Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair said in a memo to personnel.
from CNN.com
Imagine that, Obama’s own Intelligence Director says it worked. Well, there goes that argument Geek and STEEL and everyone else clinging to the “it doesn’t work or yield good intelligence” line.
First of all, I didn’t say it, BP. Our country’s Director of National Intelligence did, a member of the new administration, not the old.
Secondly, that article boosts the claim of its efficacy. It clearly shows that the techniques do indeed work. The techniques were used in an attempt to establish a link that did not exist and despite some effort they never resulted in providing that link. It sure sounds to me like the subjects did not just provide information the interrogators wanted to hear just to end the ordeal, like you and so many others on here have stated they would. The techniques resulted in good intelligence, even when it was counter to what the administration wanted to hear. Sure sounds successful to me. Thanks for debunking another one of you claims.
Chris—If the left gets their way, we can stand around your grave, and those of those who didn’t agree with your whole pussified agenda, and say
He was such a nice, caring man who was SO concerned about what other people thought about him….But, now he’s fucking DEAD.
I’m sure the dozens of English Traitors who signed the Declaration cared not one whit what George III, the Parliament, their fellow citizens in England, and even their fellow colonists who disagreed with them “THOUGH ABOUT THEM, OR THE KIND OF PEOPLE THEY WERE”.
That’s why we HAVE a country now.
As for your disdain towards me personally, I pissed myself dry. As usual—can’t retort—-Oh, he’s a bad person.
GODDAMN right I’m a bad person. And there’s hundreds of thousands of “Dicks” just like me who spent the best years of their lives serving their country so you ass-munches could sit here and speak in high platitiudes while forces from without and within plot the downfall of our nation.
Buffalo—approximately 280,000 people with the deer in the headlights look on their face.
dave-in-rocha April 22, 2009 at 1:02 pm #
“And there’s hundreds of thousands of “Dicks” just like me who spent the best years of their lives serving their country *IN THE CORRECT BRANCH* so you ass-munches could sit here and speak in high platitiudes while forces from without and within plot the downfall of our nation.”
Geez, if the USAF is a bunch of pussies I’d hate to see Hank’s opinion of the Coast Guard…
To be fair, Hank has been watching a lot of 24 lately.
mike April 22, 2009 at 1:17 pm #
A lot of trash talkin from a guy who admits he’s afraid to walk down the street on the west side. A real bad ass.
@Russell:
Dennis Blair released a statement late yesterday in which he clearly stated that there is no way of knowing whether means other than torture would have obtained the same info. More important, he said the damage done to us by torture “far outweighed whatever benefit they gave us and they are not essential to our national security.” Blair has outlined these views elsewhere.
Blair said that he “also strongly supported the president when he declared that we would no longer use enhanced interrogation techniques. We do not need these techniques to keep America safe.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/04/dni-blair-sugge.html
#34 It’s not so cut and dry as you’d like to think on the whole LA Tower instance.
http://www.slate.com/id/2216601/
In a White House press briefing, Bush’s counterterrorism chief, Frances Fragos Townsend, told reporters that the cell leader was arrested in February 2002, and “at that point, the other members of the cell” (later arrested) “believed that the West Coast plot has been canceled, was not going forward” [italics mine].
A subsequent fact sheet released by the Bush White House states, “In 2002, we broke up [italics mine] a plot by KSM to hijack an airplane and fly it into the tallest building on the West Coast.” These two statements make clear that however far the plot to attack the Library Tower ever got—an unnamed senior FBI official would later tell the Los Angeles Times that Bush’s characterization of it as a “disrupted plot” was “ludicrous”—that plot was foiled in 2002. But Sheikh Mohammed wasn’t captured until March 2003.
Actually using the direct quotes from that article actually changes the story a little:
“High value information came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper understanding of the al Qa’ida organization that was attacking this country,” Blair wrote.
Added Blair: “I like to think I would not have approved those methods in the past, but I do not fault those who made the decisions at that time, and I will absolutely defend those who carried out the interrogations within the orders they were given.”
“The information gained from these techniques was valuable in some instances, but there is no way of knowing whether the same information could have been obtained through other means. The bottom line is these techniques have hurt our image around the world, the damage they have done to our interests far outweighed whatever benefit they gave us and they are not essential to our national security,” Blair concluded.
So he is saying that the techniques used did result in good, valued information. We don’t know and can never know if other techniques would have yielded the same, so there’s no point in your anecdotes from the Col. or anyone else. These techniques worked and we don’t know if others could have.
And although he can say that the techniques hurt our image, the real problem is that the classified information about these techniques was leaked damages not only our image, but our ability to collect intelligence and defend this country. As much as you folks are worried about what others may think of us, most in the intelligence community are worried about maintaining cover and secrecy. If full disclosure were shed on all the CIA’s interrogation techniques we would definitely look bad to others and bleeding hearts like you guys would be beyond disgusted. Do you think we ended all U2 flights and activities over the skies of the Soviet Union when Powers was shot down? We were horribly embarrassed by that and it greatly damaged our image internationally. However, the value of the intelligence far outweighed concerns for our image abroad, as they always should.
There is a reason why the debate on these issue is not normally public. As has been stated before, the military and intelligence community has, does and will continue to employ methods folks in polite society cannot easily stomach.
What constitutes torture is regularly scrutinized and debated among those in the intelligence community and those with oversight powers, whether BP likes to think about that or not. The efficacy and legality of these techniques is of constant concern in those circles, whether BP realizes it or not. Yes, even in the US in 2009.
Contrary to what BP and others on here may think, there is no black and white line clearly defining what is torture and what is not. In determining that question, rarely are “democratic ideals and values” used as the criteria to determine what is acceptable and what is not for the intelligence community. And never should that debate be aired publically. Unfortunately, as Walsh pointed out, history has shown us that the military and intelligence community has not and cannot always act democratically. That’s reality. Some of us understand that and accept it, as harsh and brutal as it may be. Others, like BP, woud rather close their eyes to it and just keep repeating some mantra about values and ideals as they rock in the corner not wanting to believe that monster in the shadows is actally what keeps them safe.
Just to recap where we stand, we have seen today that the techniques did work, yielded valuable intelligence and (thanks to BP’s post) did not yield incorrect intelligence even under great efforts to do so. Not only that, but we also saw that the military and CIA do not and cannot always operate under democratic ideals and values. Mike Walsh’s brief and tragic history review helped paint that picture, among some other points raised. I just hope BP is not entirely shattered to learn that his beloved country is not the flawless, perfectly righteous herald of all things good and beautiful. It does, in fact, have a bit of a necessary and vital dark side as well.
psych April 22, 2009 at 2:42 pm #
The general rule is that torture is illegal and immoral, and usually leads to faulty or false information.
Just because it yields good information on occasion doesn’t justify it.
Just because it sometimes does not yield faulty or false information doesn’t justify it.
Russell seems to think that any situation under any circumstance justifies torture both legally and morally because it can sometimes work.
Well, robbing & killing a masseuse in a hotel room can be an effective way pay off a debt to Foxwoods, but it doesn’t mean we ought to be debating whether people should pay off debts through violence.
Nope, never said that, but I know you guys need to put words in my mouth and make absurd analogies that don’t hold any water in order to bolster your claims.
As I’ve said before, if you guys think this is the first and only time in history that our government has resorted to questionable interrogation techniques and will never again, you’re only lying to yourselves.
And psych, your claim that it’s a general rule is not true. There’s no hard evidence to back that up. Plenty in the intelligence community have defended these techniques and fought for them. If you have more information than Gen. Hayden was ever privvy to, please share. He seems to have never heard this genral rule.
Ahem….we now know that the Bush administration tortured detainees to find evidence of a link between Al Queda and Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq.
They tortured people, not for intelligence purposes, but for political purposes. Pinochet smiles from his perch in Hell. Meanwhile, Americans like me that have respect for jejune concepts like international laws established by treaties and basic human rights throw up some more in their mouths.
Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Perle…the whole lot of ’em should be tried as war criminals
Russell said:
Contrary to what BP and others on here may think, there is no black and white line clearly defining what is torture and what is not. In determining that question,
The black and white line is, if we previously prosecuted someone for war crimes for having done it, then it’s torture. Period.
Just to recap where we stand, we have seen today that the techniques did work, yielded valuable intelligence
Yeah, valuable intelligence. I’m guessing, after about waterboarding #134, KSM ratted out the 8 yahoos in Lackawanna. Or maybe the name of Bin Laden’s driver. You know, high value targets like that.
Well I am convinced, We should use torture and expand the program dramatically. I think all Americans should voluntarily undergo torture. This way we could find every terrorist that could possibly be out there. Don’t forget if we had been using torture on all people we could have stopped Timothy McVeigh before he struck.
We could also detain all foreign tourists and torture them prior to them starting their vacation. We could pay everyone a small fee like jury duty. Of course citizens will need to go through this every few years., maybe twice a decade. This patriotic duty would start in high school. Joining the republican party will prove that you know nothing and you will be relieved of any duty to your country.
Frankie, you have that little confidence in Obama’s appointee to understand what is valuable intelligence?
STEEL, just like I said, you folks need to resort to absurdity and ridiculous analogies when the facts get in your way.
Pretty weak, Russell, but nevertheless, i’ll respond. I would think any government official would consider the arrests and convictions of an 8 member “terror cell” as a valuable get, whether they actually posed a danger or not.
I know Obama doesn’t want Winston Churchill’s bust in the White House, even though he spent many weeks there with FDR, but perhaps his comments on not going after Chamberlain for what went on before could educate, and bring some of you libbies down off your high moral horse.
I am not reciting these facts for the purpose of recrimination. That I judge to be utterly futile and even harmful. We cannot afford it. I recite them in order to explain why it was we did not have, as we could have had, between twelve and fourteen British divisions fighting in the line in this great battle instead of only three. Now I put all this aside. I put it on the shelf, from which the historians, when they have time, will select their documents to tell their stories. WE HAVE TO THINK OF THE FUTURE, NOT OF THE PAST. This also applies in a small way to our own affairs at home. There are many who would hold an inquest in the House of Commons on the conduct of the Governments–and of Parliaments, for they are in it, too–during the years which led up to this catastrophe. They seek to indict those who were responsible for the guidance of our affairs. THIS ALSO WOULD BE A FOOLISH AND PERNICIOUS PROCESS. There are too many in it. Let each man search his conscience and search his speeches. I frequently search mine.
Of this I am quite sure, that if we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that WE HAVE LOST THE FUTURE. Therefore, I cannot accept the drawing of any distinctions between members of the present Government. It was formed at a moment of crisis in order to unite all the Parties and all sections of opinion. It has received the almost unanimous support of both Houses of Parliament. Its members are going to stand together, and, subject to the authority of the House of Commons, we are going to govern the country and fight the war. It is absolutely necessary at a time like this that every Minister who tries each day to do his duty shall be respected; and their subordinates must know that their chiefs are not threatened men, men who are here today and gone tomorrow, but that their directions must be punctually and faithfully obeyed. Without this concentrated power we cannot face what lies before us. I should not think it would be very advantageous for the House to prolong this debate this afternoon under conditions of public stress. Many facts are not clear that will be clear in a short time. We are to have a secret session on Thursday, and I should think that would be a better opportunity for the many earnest expressions of opinion which members will desire to make and for the House to discuss vital matters WITHOUT EVERYTHING BEING READ THE NEXT MORNING BY OUR DANGEROUS FOES.
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Knee Jerk? Not Real.
Having proudly derided “Buffalo: For Real” here, I was interested to read this defense of the now-infamous slogan, penned by one of its pro bono creators, Joe Sweeney from local ad agency Travers Collins.
First, it speaks to Buffalo’s authenticity. After conducting some significant research, VBN realized that “cultural tourists” are the folks they should target with this new brand—people who visit a place to learn something, to feel the weight of history, to be inspired by human expression. People who would be intrigued by the prospect of seeing work by Wright, Sullivan, Richardson, Picasso, Kahlo and Burchfield, in a Rust Belt city known mainly for chicken wings and snow. “For Real” speaks to them directly, positioning Buffalo as a place where all of the sights are genuine, and none of the parks are themed.
Second, the line implicitly references the rampant skepticism that’s out there about our city. For far too long, when we’ve told out-of-towners that we love it here, they’ve responded incredulously — “For real?”
Now we have a comeback. For real, we love this place. For real, it’s beautiful. For real, it will move you.
I’m still having trouble deciphering what an “authentic” sight, is as compared with an inauthentic one. But apart from the silly existential argument – if I can see it, isn’t it “real” and “authentic”? – the reason why this branding was so ripe for mockery has to do with something Buffalo is great at:
Even when we think we’re promoting and puffing the region, we do it in an apologetic way.
Excuses, excuses. We’re not as great as we once were, but we’re too poor and depressed to have torn it all down to make way for new stuff! We might have a dead downtown, but hey – no chains!
But these lines, earlier in the piece, stuck out:
I get the criticism, to an extent. Lord knows we should be critical of anything purporting to help our city. If we didn’t make our voices heard, we might have a fishing superstore dwarfing our historic waterfront. Plus, it’s tempting to make fun of a new “slogan,” especially when it’s for a place that’s a go-to punch line for bad comedians.
I think “purporting” is the key word in that passage. That video and this slogan merely purport to help the city. But they don’t. For the very select few who love old, dead buildings and architecture, they’ll love this campaign. I’d be willing to bet that lots of people would come to Buffalo for a day trip or weekend from within a 200 mile radius if they knew there was something to do. (Wing Fest, Allentown Art Festival, etc.). I’d be willing to bet that efforts to attract people already in Niagara Falls or Niagara-on-the-Lake would also be lucrative and easy.
We have crappy signage, poor tourism information at or near the border crossings, (Ontario has staffed welcome centers off the QEW and 420), and some sort of ridiculous conceit about being “real”. We’re critical of this campaign because the campaign sucks, not because it “purports to help the city”.
And because we “made our voices heard”, there’s absolutely nothing – no fishing store, no nothing – on the Inner Harbor Canal Side parcels right now. Just some benches, some grass, some ruins.
I hope this kind of knee-jerk pessimism isn’t the lasting legacy of this marketing effort, because I really like “For Real.”
And another thing. It wasn’t “knee-jerk”; it wasn’t reflexive pessimism. It was a carefully thought-out, considered negative reaction to something silly.
Tags: Buffalo, Buffalo New York, Buffalo: For Real, Canada, local, marketing, negative nellies, tourism
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25 Responses to “Knee Jerk? Not Real.”
Susan Dayton June 1, 2011 at 7:36 am #
How about marketing Buffalo as a place to view the ruins? We could be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I always liked Natchez, MS, because it was left in disarray, since there was no impetus to tear the old structures down.
I think that your observation about having a welcome station is apt. By the time the Canadians reach the mall and discover that it has facilities that would be considered horrid by festival goers where beer is the primary beverage, they are ready to turn back home.
John June 1, 2011 at 7:37 am #
Buffalo is just not a destination city. It’s next door to Niagara Falls (and not the good side). It’s too far from any big cities for a day trip. It’s in the vague “upstate New York” area that no one outside of New York knows what that means.
People visit or move to Buffalo because they have family from the region. That’s certainly the only reason I moved to Buffalo 3.5 years ago – my wife grew up here and has family here, and we found a great house that we could buy for pocket change having come from Chicago.
When I consider what cities I want to visit, I think of big cities: Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, NYC; and I think of quirky medium-sized cities: Portland, Charlotte; but Buffalo would never hit my radar if I didn’t have family/friends here. Having a slogan doesn’t change that. But then, I wouldn’t fantasize about visiting Battle Creek, Huntsville, or Boise either if I didn’t have family or friends there.
If Buffalo wants to change things, they need to make it a welcome place to work, and they need to give graduating students a reason to stay. The high taxes, the do-nothing government, the NIMBY and NIABY mindset, and the complete and utter failure to take advantage of the beautiful waterfront make this an uninviting place to live – regardless of the unemployment rate and the cheap housing. Those things plus the high cost of insurance in this state make this an uninviting place to start a business.
Jesse June 1, 2011 at 7:52 am #
Why do we need to find a single slogan to represent the place, anyway?
If we want Buffalo to grow and compete in the world (not just NYS, NE, or the US), we have to be better than other places. We’re stuck with the long winters (though with a little help from global warming, who knows?) so what else can we do?
It seems to me like if you want to grow, you have to attract businesses (jobs), which then attract people. So to do that it seems like we ought to be trying to make our business climate WAY THE HELL BETTER THAN OTHER PLACES. I don’t really care about the specifics, but it seems to me clearing out red tape and lowering taxes can’t hurt. It should be dead f***ing simple to start a business in WNY, and we should do whatever it takes to help keep them running.
“For real” is another attempt at some design-by-committee approach that has brought us the last 60 years. Yay for that.
Mike in Florida June 1, 2011 at 8:32 am #
What was the budget available for this project – it seems like there’s a lot of talk of “pro bono or at least “pro-bono-with-some-potential-publicity” – and ought there be any type of relationship between that budget size and the vigor/direction of the criticism?
It just seems a bit odd that a good intentioned effort that actually resulted in output ends up requiring a defense in the paper. The subtext felt like: Sorry folks, we won’t do something like that again. Promise.
The media has zero obligation, obviously, to automatically cheerlead anything intended as pro-Buffalo. At the same time, it didn’t seem particularly useful to goose the tired, old wise guy parade – which never seems at a loss for active voluntary participation.
Overall though, it seems like the video itself is less of an issue than the resources/commitment behind this project (balanced against other priorities**), and how we ultimately encourage (or not) private action for the region’s interests.
** All the wrangling about the video’s content aside, is anyone even watching it besides “us”? The YouTube numbers aren’t exactly Rebecca Black-ish.
Alan Bedenko June 1, 2011 at 8:54 am #
The fact that “we” are the only ones watching that video underscores the fact that it was really designed to be a Buffalo boosting thing for the upcoming Lets Look At and Talk About Old Buildings Conference taking place here later this year. It was never meant to be something to “rebrand” Buffalo, but became that because they figured why not.
Ethan June 1, 2011 at 8:40 am #
I believe the vast majority of our problems stem from Albany’s dysfunction more so than ours. See also: Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady, Binghamton, &c.
pjf-usrt June 1, 2011 at 8:41 am #
“If we didn’t make our voices heard, we might have a fishing superstore dwarfing our historic waterfront. ”
Nice job Joe. Way to be a part of a team attempting to attract tourists while in the same article trashes something that would have done that at least as well as the silly “For Real” tourism slogan does. A fishing store on a waterfront – dumb. Tourism slogan: “For Real” – awesome? Ugh!
Eric P June 1, 2011 at 9:29 am #
Mike in FL ( # 4) may be onto something. Perhaps we could have Rebecca Black record theme song for us.
I’m pretty certain that the only reason NYC is popular is because of a Frank Sinatra song. For real.
BTW, who responds to anything anymore with the phrase “for real? I believe the more appropriate / popular variety of incredulous response is more often something like “no shit?”.
It could work.
“Buffalo – No Shit?”.
Aaron June 1, 2011 at 9:42 am #
This slogan is awful! Did Mr. Sweeney get his degree out of a Cracker Jack box? Sorry, its not knee-jerk pessimism when its just a stupid idea.
Fat Tony June 1, 2011 at 9:44 am #
Slogans are generally stupid anyway. This just gave the tourism folks something to present to their board to show their doing something and because it was done pro bono, they could say we’ve got something exciting and it didn’t cost us anything. Won’t do much one way or the other. But it does distract from the things they should be focusing on as Alan points out….better signage, a more user-friendly experience, etc. Those things aren’t sexy but they matter more than slogans.
King Kong June 1, 2011 at 9:49 am #
Slightly off topic, but can we start by just tearing down the fucking grain elevators please? Thanks.
Other than that, I agree with everything that John said, except that I would place more of the blame on horrendous state government than on local government.
Greg June 1, 2011 at 10:51 am #
@ Eric — it would be: Buffalo — No Shit!
Eisenbart June 1, 2011 at 12:15 pm #
This is what Grand Rapids did, really awesome and got more attention than For Real ever will.
Apparently in response to being named a top dying city. Doesn’t it just evaporate that perception?
Grand Rapids video: 1,374,445 views
Buffalo video : 43,077
Brian Castner June 1, 2011 at 12:35 pm #
Eisenbart FTW. But really, how can that video work? Its not full of people wearing bifocals.
I have been planning an article about the genuinely successful things Grand Rapids has been doing to market their city. I need to move it from percolating to complete.
Alan Bedenko June 1, 2011 at 1:08 pm #
I had heard of the Grand Rapids video, but hadn’t seen it until just now.
I had heard of Grand Rapids before, but never considered it to be worth a second thought until just now.
Because we can hear all about civic pride and sense of place and all of that other bullshit psychobabble garbage, but that video embodies it. Look at the community and business support. Look at the participation. Look at how inventive, cool, and all-American it is. It doesn’t condescend to us. It doesn’t talk about its past glories or present woes. It doesn’t lecture us about authenticity – it shows us its authenticity over 9 1/2 minutes.
It doesn’t mean people are going to suddenly eschew a Disney vacation for Grand Rapids any more than people are going to pick Buffalo over San Francisco. But it makes Grand Rapids look like a pretty nice place filled with pretty nice people who have a fun time enjoying their city, and went out of their way to show their love for it.
What a stark indictment of Buffalo’s tourism promotion “efforts”.
Brian June 1, 2011 at 4:15 pm #
Buffalo–We Used to Be Something
Jackson Smiles June 1, 2011 at 11:14 pm #
Yeah… no matter what the ad agency tries to say, it still sucks.
Hank June 2, 2011 at 9:39 am #
Finally agree with Ethan on something—Alan has also opined for years that until Albany gets its shit together, Buffalo is fucked flat. But then again, Buffalo was fucked the day the St. Lawrence Seaway opened up. What you see today is a result of a 55 year long domination of the Mayor’s office and the Common Council by the Democratic Party—So if you Dems are feeling down about Buffalo’s condition—slap yourselves on the back—you got what you voted for!
BrianS June 2, 2011 at 10:54 am #
Most people realize EVRYPLACE has it’s cool little things…. HOWEVER, that Grand Rapids video makes it clear that this is a young, hip place to be. They didn’t say it, they demonstarted it. That vid sincerely changed my impression of that city in under 9 min. That was a crreative masterpiece, IMHO. The Buffalo video made me yawn. It’s amazing what creativity can do. For real.
Black Rock Lifer June 2, 2011 at 11:56 am #
@Hank- Buffalo’s problems have little to do with the Democratic Party and everything to do with loss of industry, sprawl, concentrated poverty, and racism. 55+ years of enabling suburban developement with housing subsidies, highway construction, and the use of government to disenfranchise the poor are the root causes. BTW, almost all these destructive policies are the result of Republican and Conservative ideology.
King Kong June 2, 2011 at 2:58 pm #
Hank – The Democratic party in Buffalo and in Erie County is in anything but lockstep. I cannot remember a mayoral election where there hasn’t been a Democratic primary. The Conservative party also often plays a key role in Buffalo politics, even electing Jimmy Griffin on its line.
Joe Genco June 3, 2011 at 7:18 am #
This is the sort of over-manipulated, over-analyzed message that rings inauthentic to anyone but the beautiful people who embrace multi-level marketing schemes and McMansions. At least there are passionate people left around to bitch about it.
Pauldub June 3, 2011 at 9:53 pm #
You find so many old people in Buffalo because they can’t afford Florida. Because they have their kids still living with them. Because their kids can’t find a job here. If they built Bass Pro, the kids could have worked there, and the parents could afford to move south. We suck because we have no Bass Pro.
Brain Gain: A How-To Guide « WNYMedia.net - June 8, 2011
[…] words, one naturally seeks out a good example of the same phenomenon for comparison. Thank you to regular reader and commenter Eisenbart for pointing us in the direction of Grand Rapids’ lipdub phenomenon, 2.8 million views on […]
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Everybody’s Dancing in a Ring Around the Sun
1,000 jobs for Buffalo. Maybe more.
Not 19th century dirty jobs, but 1,000 jobs that are part of the new green economy. This could be the best news that Buffalo has received in decades, because this is a real thing involving real jobs. SolarCity is buying Silevo.
Goal is for unsubsidized solar power to cost less than grid electricity from coal or fracked gas
Last November, Governor Cuomo announced that the state would build a “hub facility” for high tech and green energy businesses at RiverBend, as part of his “Buffalo Billion” plan. One of the two California companies to locate at RiverBend is “Silevo”, which would join with another company to invest $1.5 billion and locate operations in Buffalo.
SolarCity to build the world’s largest advanced solar panel factory in upstate New York http://t.co/dI6N9QomaQ
RiverBend is in South Buffalo, located on the site of the former Republic Steel and and Donner Hanna Coke facilities. The city is literally replacing its defunct, dirty industries with clean, green, state-of-the-art ones. At the November presser, Silevo was introduced thusly,
Silevo is a California-based company that develops and manufactures silicon solar cells and modules, with an already established manufacturing plant in China. Phase 1 of Silevo’s project, with a $750 million investment which will create at least 475 jobs, involves a 200 megawatt production facility sole establishing its sole North American manufacturing operations at RiverBend.
The state investment of $225 million through Empire State Development would set up the necessary water, sewer, utility, and road infrastructure, as well as 275,000 square feet of building. The state will also set up the equipment, which would be owned by the SUNY Research Foundation. No money was being paid directly to the companies.
Zheng Xu, CEO and Founder of Silevo said, “Inspired by the bold leadership and demonstrated commitment of Governor Cuomo, and buoyed by the strong regional infrastructure and highly skilled workforce present in Western New York, Silevo is excited to bring its next phase of high-volume manufacturing operations to the United States with our new location in Buffalo. Working closely with the SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, we look forward to accelerating innovative and cost-effective solar module technology that will position both Silevo and New York as leaders in driving the next wave of solar adoption in homes and business nationwide.”
Yesterday, Tesla Motors and SpaceX wunderkind Elon Musk announced that his SolarCity venture was buying Silevo for $350 million.
Peter Rive, SolarCity chief technology officer and co-founder, said the $350 million acquisition will lead to a factory in Buffalo, N.Y., and create more than 1,000 jobs within the next two years.
The plant will be “one of the single largest solar panel production plants in the world,” according to the post, and it will be followed by one or more even bigger facilities in subsequent years. Rive said he hopes SolarCity will eventually create several thousand panel-making jobs.
On Twitter, Musk’s personal feed posted “SolarCity to build the world’s largest advanced solar panel factory in upstate New York” with a link to the blog post…
…Until now, SolarCity has purchased its solar panels from other manufacturers. Rive said the acquisition will finally allow the company to make its own photovoltaic panels.
Synergy! The Buffalo News notes,
That initial plant at RiverBend was envisioned to have the annual capacity to produce enough solar panels to generate 200 megawatts of electricity. But SolarCity executives said they were interested in expanding the capacity of that plant to be five times bigger than the original plan.
“At a targeted capacity greater than 1 gigawatt within the next two years, it will be one of the single largest solar panel production plants in the world. This will be followed in subsequent years by one or more significantly larger plants at an order of magnitude greater annual production capacity,” SolarCity said.
SolarCity executives said they view the Silevo acquisition as a key step in their efforts to reduce the price of solar energy systems to the point where they can compete with electricity generated from fossil fuels without the lucrative subsidies that now are needed to offset the higher costs of solar panels.
By combining Silevo’s technology, which is more efficient at generating electricity than most other solar panels on the market today, with lower production costs from the economies of scale that come from high-volume production, SolarCity executives said they believe they can make solar systems more affordable.
“What we are trying to address is not the lay of the land today, where there are indeed too many suppliers, most of whom are producing relatively low photonic efficiency solar cells at uncompelling costs, but how we see the future developing,” the blog post said.
“Without decisive action to lay the groundwork today, the massive volume of affordable, high efficiency panels needed for unsubsidized solar power to outcompete fossil fuel grid power simply will not be there when it is needed,” said the post.
Chinese companies and manufacturers dominate the global market for solar modules. Silevo and SolarCity intend to challenge that dominance by building the largest module manufacturer in the United States in South Buffalo.
On the SolarCity company blog,
[Silevo] modules have demonstrated a unique combination of high energy output and low cost. Our intent is to combine what we believe is fundamentally the best photovoltaic technology with massive economies of scale to achieve a breakthrough in the cost of solar power.
Given that there is excess supplier capacity today, this may seem counter-intuitive to some who follow the solar industry. What we are trying to address is not the lay of the land today, where there are indeed too many suppliers, most of whom are producing relatively low photonic efficiency solar cells at uncompelling costs, but how we see the future developing. Without decisive action to lay the groundwork today, the massive volume of affordable, high efficiency panels needed for unsubsidized solar power to outcompete fossil fuel grid power simply will not be there when it is needed.
The Buffalo plant’s planned capacity would be large enough to challenge the Chinese market with a superior product.
SolarCity’s chairman who is also chief executive of Tesla Motors, said the goal is to produce solar panels capable of generating power “cheaper than coal or fracked gas power.”
Imagine a factory in Buffalo producing something that could render hydrofracking and Tonawanda Coke the NRG Huntley plant obsolete, and 1,000+ jobs, to boot. SolarCity does not yet operate in western New York, but it leases solar systems to homeowners and businesses.
As solar systems improve in terms of energy production and storage, adoption will grow. SolarCity is setting itself up to dominate the market with a superior system that will save people money and provide sustainable, renewable energy. This is a huge deal for Buffalo and the country.
Tags: Buffalo, Buffalo Billion, ESD, jobs, RiverBend, Silevo, SolarCity
Categories Development
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25 Responses to “Everybody’s Dancing in a Ring Around the Sun”
UncleBluck June 18, 2014 at 8:03 am #
I’ll believe it when I see it……..
Michael Rebmann June 18, 2014 at 9:55 am #
Ah, there’s the rub.
wnyresident June 18, 2014 at 10:46 am #
“Zheng Xu, CEO and Founder of Silevo said, “Inspired by the bold leadership and demonstrated commitment of Governor Cuomo”
Must be bold to give away other people’s money. Paying for the equipment and building is giving away other people’s money. I can understand building a road/sewer to buildings but then the business should do the rest.
Alan Bedenko June 18, 2014 at 11:03 am #
“The facilities and equipment will be owned by the State University of New York (SUNY) Research Foundation. SUNY Buffalo will also benefit from the partnership and contribute to the project’s future growth.”
Also, it is a net benefit to attract a major player in green technology and over 1,000 proper jobs. There will be more people to buy vinyl wraps for their cars and whatnot.
Michael Rebmann June 18, 2014 at 11:26 am #
1 potential “success” story vs. a bunch of losers. SolarCity and Silevo sound a lot like Solyndra.
JordanThen June 18, 2014 at 12:51 pm #
Why, because they all start with “S”?
Alan Bedenko June 18, 2014 at 1:55 pm #
also “solar”
Jaquandor (Kelly Sedinger) June 19, 2014 at 7:50 am #
Something seems stinky with all these sibilant-sounding businesses. Ssssss.
Kevin Hickey June 18, 2014 at 4:17 pm #
Yeah, they all start with “S”. Very “s”uspicious.
I don’t care if SUNY owns the equipment or not. The money was taken away from other net taxpayers/businesses and then used to subsidize another business. Far as you know the tax burden on other businesses to subsidize this could have caused a loss of 1,000 jobs while Cuomo boasts how 1000 new jobs were created.
I do understand we need to invest in “basic” infrastructure to support job growth. Paying for a building and equipment is not basic infrastructure.
I love it when you whip out “net taxpayers” as if it meant something.
The state is paying money to set up infrastructure and to buy buildings and equipment for SUNY.
It just so happens that this private entity will get to use these buildings and equipment, and in so doing create possibly over 1,000 new, high-paying manufacturing and R&D jobs.
These people will, in turn, inject money and build wealth in the local economy, to everyone’s benefit.
wnyresident June 18, 2014 at 2:03 pm #
Well it does meant something specially to the actual “net tax payer”
And while these 1000 new possible employees add to the economy the tax burden in general can cause 1000 other employees to leave the area. Those people will, in turn, take their money and build wealth in another local economy.
No, it doesn’t really mean anything. Everyone pays taxes.
If you can point out the state taxes that will go up to finance the purchase of equipment and build-out, then I’m all ears.
I’ve never heard of 1,000+ tech jobs being a net drain on an economy. Which 1,000 “other employees” are going somewhere, and where are they going? Where did you get your economics degree?
We can not say if taxes would increase but we know money doesn’t grow on trees. Can we agree on that part? What is spent that isn’t collected through taxes is usually turned into debt. Correct?
I did not say 1000 jobs would be a drain on the economy. It is possible those 1000 jobs don’t make up for the cost invested per job though. If you look at the performance of other past “solar” companies we have seen the tax payer on the hook for the debt when they folded up. I’m not saying that is going to happen either but it has in the past.
What other employees are going somewhere? Why not just read the paper. Quite a few companies have left NYS state. Just look at the job lost due to the safe-act. That has been in the news.
1. I have no idea where the money is coming from. Suffice it to say, it’s been budgeted-for and allocated as part of the Billion for Buffalo.
2. Let’s put it this way: Elon Musk doesn’t bet hundreds of millions of dollars on loser companies into which he hasn’t done due diligence and that is likely to “fold up”. I don’t know what you mean by the jobs not being made up by the cost invested per job, but what I do know is that government does – and must – play a role not only shepherding the economy along, but also in helping to fund research & development, and in attracting companies that would otherwise go elsewhere.
3. If other companies are leaving the state, then it would seem to me that a gain of 1,000 good-paying, non-gun-manufacturing jobs would be just the ticket.
jimd54 June 18, 2014 at 4:13 pm #
Does anyone know how the 225 mil is divvied up, infrastructure as opposed to building and equipment?
$$$ June 18, 2014 at 11:47 pm #
The ROI for the panels that were installed at UB about two years ago is approximately 80 yrs. That number doesn’t include interest, repairs and maint..
Dave Bradley June 18, 2014 at 8:30 am #
Tonawanda Coke makes carbon that is used to make steel and creamics and to add carbon to steel alloys. It does cogenerate and no longer buys electricity off the grid. You apparently are conflating the NRG huntley plant that burns Wyoming lignite to make electricity.
In general, these PV panels will be installed elsewhere, so we aren’t going to get ailed with expensive PV electricity. Instead, we import money from elsewhe by exporting a MANUFACTURED product from Buffalo, which is awesome. Hopefully the jobs pay more than minimum wage. And don’t forget, NY State is forking over a lot of money for this (better than most stuff, like the UB misadventure). And they are taking Niagara Falls electricity with a delivered price of 2.5 c/kw-hr and converting that to systems that will make electricity at a cost of 25 to 50 c/kw-hr before massive tax avoidance subsidies pay for 70% of the installed cost of these. But that could be changed if we just priced electricity sensibly, such as via Feed-In Tariffs. But a sensible renewable electricity pricing system and NY State seem to be incompatible with each othr, which is unfortunate.
Anyway, manufacturing jobs – the keay to real actual economic growth, and ones making renewable energy systems, too. Hopefuully some of the supply chain components can grow here, too, to replace the now defunct HSBC money laundering economy. For example, Globe metals in Niagara Falls makes silicon, PV grade and ferrosilicon, again using Niagara Falls electricity. If that won’t work, we have hydrogen, chlorine and HCl to purify the silicon. Then there is Oxy and POCl3 that will be used as a dopant. And maybe someone will make the boron based dopant. And then the is the copper compounds to be used to make the copper wiring…..
Alan Bedenko June 18, 2014 at 8:45 am #
Thank you. You are correct. I got my smokestacks mixed up.
Brian Buckley June 18, 2014 at 9:16 am #
Sounds to me that you should be applying for a job with Silevo. Thanks for the great info. I doubt these jobs will be minimum wage. They are going to require highly skilled workers to run the manufacturing of the panels. This could be a huge game changer for the area. I’ve been wishing for someone like GE to come in to the old Bethlehem Steel site to turn it into a windmill production facility, but this could be even better. Let’s not forget too that Silevo is also going to be doing R&D here. As they increase their efficiency, it will go directly into the manufacturing processes. By having Musk throw his considerable weight behind the facility, it makes it less likely dissolve. He doesn’t seem like he gives up easily on projects. Just look at what he’s done with SpaceX. They are the only private company approved to dock with the ISS. They have developed a crew module (Dragon v2.) And they are in development of a reusable rocket (Grasshopper.) This should be great for us here in Buffalo.
Lanie June 18, 2014 at 9:12 am #
Oh, yet another reason I continue to my tech geek swoon over Elon Musk. Smart, early adopting, dude.
ckg1 June 18, 2014 at 7:28 pm #
This on top of Musk openly putting the patents for Tesla cars out in the open for anyone to use.
JoeGenco June 19, 2014 at 6:19 am #
The most significant thing in all of this is hearing Musk say he believes it is possible to generate solar electricity at less cost than other methods without subsidies. That sounds world-changing.
Sean Danvers June 19, 2014 at 10:46 am #
Truly outstanding news. I can only hope it comes to fruition!
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Thread: Fethullah Gulen
Looks like they are expanding from Wandering Bishops to Wandering Imams.
Turkish Intel Chief Exposes CIA Operations via Islamic Group in Central Asia
Thursday, 6. January 2011
“In the 1990s Gulen’s Madrasas sheltered 130 CIA agents” in Kyrgyzstan & Uzbekistan” Yesterday Washington Post’s Jeff Stein published a very interesting but incomplete story regarding a recently published memoir by former Turkish Intelligence Chief Osman Nuri Gundes. Here is the title of his post: Islamic group is CIA front, ex-Turkish Intel chief says. For those of you familiar with my case and what I’ve been covering here at Boiling Frogs Post this exposé is ‘old news’ but nonetheless a vindication. As for those who are first-timers here or not that familiar with my case, this is an opportunity for a bit of background and to learn a few important points and facts that you won’t be getting from this ‘half-picture’ presented by the Washington Post.
In his memoir Gundes claims that Fethullah Gulen’s worldwide Islamic movement based in Pennsylvania has been providing cover for the CIA since the mid-1990s, and that in the 90s, the movement “sheltered 130 CIA agents” at its schools in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan alone.
Now, as I’ve done before, I am going to praise Jeff Stain, whom I know and like, for his solid journalistic talent and background and give him a few credits for actually covering this story (it is one of those ‘thou shall not cover’ areas in an agreement between the US mainstream media and the US government), before I bash the piece, its half-a.. coverage, incomplete background, and it’s incredibly lenient treatment of a shady-dubious-charlatan, a major player in this operation yet a major denier when confronted by Stein; Graham Fuller. Again, as before, I am going to blame it on the unfortunate situation of ‘having to sell your journalistic soul to earn your living.’
Let’s start with Gulen. The only background provided on Gulen is the following with only one link which takes you to Gulen’s marketing site:
…an influential former Turkish imam by the name of Fethullah Gulen, has 600 schools and 4 million followers around the world.
The imam left Turkey in 1998 and settled in Saylorsburg, Pa., where the movement is headquartered. According to Intelligence Online, he obtained a residence permit only in 2008 with the help of Fuller and George Fidas, whom it described as head of the agency’s outreach to universities.
There is no mention of Gulen’s decade-long ‘wanted’ status in Turkey (until recently), no mention of the ban on Gulen and his Madrasas in several Central Asian countries, no mention of various investigations of Gulen by other western countries, no mention of the unknown sources of his billions of dollars…As we all know except for a very few, and by that I mean a number in 100s if that, no one in this country has ever heard of this guy with his billions, with his castle in Pennsylvania, his hundreds of Madrasas, now hundreds of US charter schools, his dubious businesses….Yet, for an article as serious as this (Madrasas and mosques as CIA operation centers in Central Asia), the central figure in the story has been given one sentence; no history, no relevant facts…
Those of you who have not read our previous commentaries and updates on this topic can check them out here, here, here, and here, and below is a list of a few Gulen related facts totally (mysteriously?) absent from Washington Post piece:
-In 1999 Gulen defected to the US shortly before his scandalous speech, where he is heard calling on his supporters to “work patiently and to creep silently into the institutions in order to seize power in the state”, became public. Turkish prosecutors demanded a ten-year sentence for Gülen for having “founded an organization that sought to destroy the secular apparatus of state and establish a theocratic state”. Mr. Gulen has not left the United States since.
-The Netherlands has taken major steps to cut funding to all Gülen associated organizations and is investigating his operations. The Turkish Fethullah Gülen movement is really an Islamic fundamentalist group, claims Rotterdam council member Anita Fähmel (Leefbaar Rotterdam) on the basis of her own study of the Turkish movement.
-The Russian government has banned all Gülen schools and the activities of the Nur sect in Russia. Over 20 Turkish followers of Gulen were deported from Russia in 2002-2004.
-In 1999 Uzbekistan closed all Gulen’s Madrasas and shortly afterward arrested eight journalists who were graduates of Gulen schools, and found them guilty of setting up an illegal religious group and of involvement in an extremist organization.
-In Turkmenistan, government authorities have placed Gulen’s schools under close scrutiny and have ordered them to scrap the history of religion from curriculums.
Now, back to the story and its other major short coming:
Apparently Mr. Stein was not able to reach Gulen for comment, so he moved on to his CIA sources with ‘long ties to Central Asia.’ First he quotes his first source, Former CIA operative Robert Baer, chief of the agency’s Central Asia and Caucasus operations from 1995 through 1997, who called the allegations bogus. However, Mr. Baer added: “It’s possible that the CIA turned around this ship after I left.”
I don’t have a problem with Baer’s response. Based on what I personally know, US Islamization Operations in Central Asia via Gulen started in late 1997, early 1998. That brings me to what truly set me off, Stein’s second source and actually a character who is pointed to by the new memoir’s author – Graham Fuller:
Graham Fuller, a former CIA station chief in Kabul and author of “The Future of Political Islam,” threw cold water on Gundes’s allegations about Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
“I think the story of 130 CIA agents in Gulen schools in Central Asia is pretty wild,” Fuller said by e-mail.
“I should hasten to add that I left CIA in 1987 — nearly 25 years ago — and I have absolutely no concrete personal knowledge whatsoever about this. But my instincts tell me the claim is highly improbable.”
Next, Jeff Stein very gently confronts Fuller with the fact that according to the memoir and related media coverage Gulen obtained his US residence permit with his (Fuller’s) help, and Fuller denies it and says that’s ‘wrong,’:
“What I did do,” Fuller explained, “was write a letter to the FBI in early 2006 …at a time when Gulen’s enemies were pressing for his extradition to Turkey from the U.S. In the post 9/11 environment, they began spreading the word that he was a dangerous radical. In my statement to the FBI I offered my views…that I did not believe he posed a security threat of any kind to the U.S. I still believe that today, as do a large body of scholars on contemporary Islam.”
First of all, there have been tens if not hundreds of articles establishing Graham Fuller as one of Gulen’s official references to the court for his residency, you can view some of these here, here, here. This quote comes from Foreign Policy Journal:
Fethullah Gulen became a green card holder despite serious opposition from FBI and from Homeland Security Department. Former CIA officers (formally and informally) such as Graham Fuller and Morton Abromovitz were some of the prominent references in Gulen’s green card application.
Next is the question of why. Why and in what capacity has Fuller been this active, this supportive, of Gulen? I am talking about this voluntary ‘I wrote a letter to the FBI on Gulen’ line:
…was write a letter to the FBI in early 2006 …at a time when Gulen’s enemies were pressing for his extradition to Turkey from the U.S. In the post 9/11 environment, they began spreading the word that he was a dangerous radical. In my statement to the FBI I offered my views…that I did not believe he posed a security threat of any kind to the U.S. I still believe that today, as do a large body of scholars on contemporary Islam.
And Stein let that slide?! I’d quickly ask: ‘how often do you write to the FBI on people you think have been unfairly targeted or treated by them?!’
Last but not least on Graham Fuller is my own on-the-record, more accurately, on-the-album, naming of individuals implicated (criminally) in my case, thus protected via invocation of the State Secrets Privilege:
Coinciding with the publication of the first article in a series in Britain’s Sunday Times covering some of her allegations, former FBI translator Sibel Edmonds posts a gallery of 18 photos of people and three images of question marks on her website, justacitizen.com The 21 images are divided into three groups, and the page is titled “State Secrets Privilege Gallery.”… “The third group includes people who all appear to work at think tanks—primarily WINEP, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy”: Graham E. Fuller—RAND Corporation, David Makovsky—WINEP, Alan Makovsky—WINEP, ? (box with question mark), ? (box with question mark), Yusuf Turani (president-in-exile, Turkestan), Professor Sabri Sayari (Georgetown, WINEP), and Mehmet Eymur (former head of the Turkish intelligence agency MIT).
I am going to leave you with the following excerpts from my interview with Phil Giraldi for the Am Con Magazine in 2009, on Gulen, CIA Central Asia operations & the use of Islam and Mujahideen there-1997-2001, [All emphasis mine]:
GIRALDI: You also have information on al-Qaeda, specifically al-Qaeda in Central Asia and Bosnia. You were privy to conversations that suggested the CIA was supporting al-Qaeda in central Asia and the Balkans, training people to get money, get weapons, and this contact continued until 9/11…
EDMONDS: I don’t know if it was CIA. There were certain forces in the U.S. government who worked with the Turkish paramilitary groups, including Abdullah Çatli’s group, Fethullah Gülen.
GIRALDI: Well, that could be either Joint Special Operations Command or CIA.
EDMONDS: Maybe in a lot of cases when they said State Department, they meant CIA?
GIRALDI: When they said State Department, they probably meant CIA.
EDMONDS: Okay. So these conversations, between 1997 and 2001, had to do with a Central Asia operation that involved bin Laden. Not once did anybody use the word “al-Qaeda.” It was always “mujahideen,” always “bin Laden” and, in fact, not “bin Laden” but “bin Ladens” plural. There were several bin Ladens who were going on private jets to Azerbaijan and Tajikistan. The Turkish ambassador in Azerbaijan worked with them.
There were bin Ladens, with the help of Pakistanis or Saudis, under our management. Marc Grossman was leading it, 100 percent, bringing people from East Turkestan into Kyrgyzstan, from Kyrgyzstan to Azerbaijan, from Azerbaijan some of them were being channeled to Chechnya, some of them were being channeled to Bosnia. From Turkey, they were putting all these bin Ladens on NATO planes. People and weapons went one way, drugs came back.
GIRALDI: Was the U.S. government aware of this circular deal?
EDMONDS: 100 percent. A lot of the drugs were going to Belgium on NATO planes. After that, they went to the UK, and a lot came to the U.S. via military planes to distribution centers in Chicago and Paterson, New Jersey. Turkish diplomats who would never be searched were coming with suitcases of heroin.
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"I think it would be a good idea." Mahatma Gandhi, when asked what he thought of Western civilization.
The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point is to change it. Karl Marx.
"Well, he would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies, 1963, replied Ms Rice Davies when the prosecuting counsel pointed out that Lord Astor denied an affair or having even met her.
The Sanitized Gulen Coverage Continues…
Wednesday, 23. June 2010
…and the Real Dots Remain Unconnected In my last update I covered the recent multi-agenda driven, censored and sanitized media coverage of the Gulen movement. He seems to be back in the news (mainly Turkish media) again with the Flotilla Incident, and again, with unconnected dots, and unmentioned points and facts. Interestingly, the Turkish mainstream media coverage appears to be less sanitized.
Let’s start with a recent piece published by the Wall Street Journal, written by someone we happen to know and like, Joe Lauria. Joe is one of the few, if not only, journalists who was granted access to Gulen for a direct interview (of course via translator(s) since Gulen doesn’t speak a single word of English, and let’s not forget his literacy level does not exceed the 5th grade!). As you‘ll see below, the fluff article reads like one of Gulen’s bios available on thousands of websites. Knowing Lauria, and his style, it’s not difficult to guess why: WSJ didn’t have enough space? WSJ wanted to limit the piece to a few fluff points related to the current headlines on Flotilla? WSJ doesn’t consider Gulen’s ties to CIA’s Graham Fuller, or Israel’s Abramowitz note or news worthy?…Well, okay, you get my point, right?! I don’t have any ‘real’ inside information on what went on with the WSJ and it’s editors, but I think my guess is as good as any of my informed savvy readers Here is the article and a few excerpts:
SAYLORSBURG, Pa.—Imam Fethullah Gülen, a controversial and reclusive U.S. resident who is considered Turkey’s most influential religious leader, criticized a Turkish-led flotilla for trying to deliver aid without Israel’s consent.
Mr. Gülen said organizers’ failure to seek accord with Israel before attempting to deliver aid “is a sign of defying authority, and will not lead to fruitful matters.”
Mr. Gülen’s views and influence within Turkey are under growing scrutiny now, as factions within the country battle to remold a democracy that is a key U.S. ally in the Middle East. The struggle, as many observers characterize it, pits the country’s old-guard secularist and military establishment against Islamist-leaning government workers and ruling politicians who say they seek a more democratic and religiously tolerant Turkey. Mr. Gülen inspires a swath of the latter camp, though the extent of his reach remains hotly disputed.
Mr. Gülen has long cut a baffling figure, as critics and adherents have sparred over the nature of his influence in Turkey and the extent of his reach. Leading a visitor on Wednesday past his front corridor—adorned with a map of Turkey, a verse from the Quran and a photograph of a Turkish F-16 jet over the Bosphorus—he portrayed himself an apolitical teacher. “I do not consider myself someone who has followers,” he said.
Okay, the rest is history; literally his bio. As you can see, not a word on the real stuff.
On the other hand, the Turkish press was not as audacious, and they couldn’t resist mentioning a few noteworthy points such as:
How Gulen has had the backing of the US-Israel Lobby
Lauria’s interview included the ‘Ergenekon’ topic & Sibel Edmonds’ infamous case
Then, there is this incredibly confused article at Asia Times on Gulen and AKP based on the Flotilla. I read the piece three times, trying to understand what it was trying to convey: simply a focus-less, aimless, pointless, jumble of facts, semi-facts and confused lines. You know I’m a big fan of Asia Times, do imagine my surprise…
Here is a rather bad opening, intended to be attention-grabbing and dramatic, but ending up as a cheesy attempt with worse to follow:
We’ve been had, boys and girls: the international community, the world press, Israeli intelligence, the United Nations, the lot of us. The existential drama off the Gaza coast turns out to be a Turkish farce, the kind of low comedy that in 1782 Wolfgang Mozart set to music in the opera The Abduction from the Seraglio, with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan playing the buffo-villain Osmin and Turkish self-exiled preacher and author Fethullah Gulen as the wise Pasha Selim.
Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania
in the United States, was silent as a jinn in a bottle about politics until last Friday, when he told the Wall Street Journal that the Free Gaza flotilla’s attempt to run the Israeli blockage of Gaza “is a sign of defying authority, and will not lead to fruitful matters”.
For the secretive Gulen to criticize the Turkish government in the midst of its public rage against Israel is an imam-bites-dog story. Gulen appears to have positioned himself as a mediator with Israel. Turkey does not want to end its longstanding relationship with Israel; it wants Israel to become a Turkish vassal-state in emulation of the old Ottoman model.
The star of the comedy, at least for the Turkish media, is Gulen. The 78-year-old imam has lived in self-imposed exile for two decades, due to charges by Turkish prosecutors that he led a conspiracy to subvert the secular state. He presides over Turkey’s largest religious movement, commanding the loyalty of two-thirds of the Turkish police, according to some reports. His movement – a transnational civic society movement inspired by Gulen’s teachings – also controls a network of elite schools that educate a tenth of the high school students in the Turkic world from Baku to Kyrgyzstan. And it reportedly controls businesses with tens of billions of dollars in assets.
His movement has been expelled from the Russian Federation and his followers arrested in Uzbekistan by local authorities who believe his goal is a pan-Turkic union from the Bosporus to China’s western Xinjiang province (“East Turkestan” to Gulen’s movement).
I am not going to waste more space for this piece, but please take a look at it and tell me what this hodgepodge is trying to convey; a convoluted, self-interpreted, and highly confused snap shot of Turkish Ottoman History, AKP, Gulen Movement, Flotilla, US Foreign Policy, all in one garbled article…and since I included the awfully cheesy intro, I must finish with this equally corny finale:
Gulen, in short, is a shaman, a relic of pre-history preserved in the cultural amber of eastern Anatolia. Kemalism was sterile, brutal, secular and rational; the “moderate Islam” of Gulen is magical, a mystic’s vision of Ottoman restoration and a pan-Turkic caliphate.
The Erdogan government crafted the Mavi Marmara affair as a piece of theater, preparing the deus ex machina (god from the machine) entrance of Gulen himself, more Pagliaccio than Apollo, to be sure. The trouble is that the Turkish Islamists live in a world of magical realism in which theater and reality, human and jinn, desire and achievement blend into a mystical blur. Gulen explains in his The Essentials of the Islamic Faith that Allah created the jinn out of fire. And that is what the apologists for Turkish Islamism are playing with.
No one is mentioning why Gulen has been strongly backed by Israel, or, why he is such a loyal defender and supporter of Israel, especially the US-Israel lobby. No one is daring to mention one of his top backers in the US, another butler of Israel, Mort Abramowitz, or and how Abramowitz vouched for Gulen during his deportation hearing. No one is talking about Gulen’s other CIA bodyguard, Graham Fuller. No ‘real’ questions on Gulen’s ‘real’ sources of multibillion dollar funding…No emphasis on Gulen’s real role for the real US decision-makers’ use, and their strategy for Central Asia since 1997…
Some of these reporters have their hands tied by their MSM editors. Some of the semi- independent journalists have fallen for the creators of the smoke and mirrors. And others are simply guided by ignorance and utter dumbness emboldened by their arrogance. Well, they are just the latest being sold and fed garbage when it comes to Gulen.
Teaching as CIA Cover–Gülen Charter Schools, Dan Burton, and State Secrets
By: Doug Martin Saturday May 5, 2012 5:07 pm
The following continues Doug Martin’s look into the Gülen charter school movement, which began with Islam and the Free Market of Privatized Education: “Friending” the Gülen Charter Schools. It first appeared at Common Errant.
Besides noting U.S. charter school connections to the Fethullah Gülen Movement during her testimony in the Schmidt v. Krikorian case in Ohio on August 8, 2009,* former FBI language specialist-turned whistleblower Sibel Edmonds—an Iranian raised in Turkey before becoming a U.S. citizen—alleges a 1990s U.S./ Gülen al-Qaeda operation in Central Asian and a bribery scheme involving Indiana’s own U.S. House member Dan Burton.
Edmonds testified in candidate David Krikorian’s defense case before the Ohio Election Commission when Rep. Jean Schmidt, an Ohio Republican, filed charges against him for claiming, during a 2008 campaign bid, that she accepted money illegally from people with Turkey interests.
Edmonds’ deposition held many bombshells, since she had been translating wiretap conversations between those associated with the Turkish lobby.
It seems Gülen and the U.S. State Department, from 1997 to 2001, had been training al-Qaeda in Central Asian, with the help of the Turkish military, Pakistani ISI, and Azerbaijan officials (96), Edmonds says in response to questions from Krikorian’s attorney, Dan Marino. In a subsequent interview with retired CIA-counter-terrorism specialist Phil Giraldi (who believes her story), Edmonds details Gülen /U.S training missions and Turkish drug-smuggling into Chicago and Paterson, New Jersey, two hot-beds of the Gülen Movement, each containing Fethullah’s followers’ charter schools:
There were bin Ladens, with the help of Pakistanis or Saudis, under our management. Marc Grossman [Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs at the time and former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey] was leading it, 100 percent, bringing people from East Turkestan into Kyrgyzstan, from Kyrgyzstan to Azerbaijan, from Azerbaijan some of them were being channeled to Chechnya, some of them were being channeled to Bosnia. From Turkey, they were putting all these bin Ladens on NATO planes. People and weapons went one way, drugs came back.
Edmonds, before this interview took place, had been fired from the FBI in 2002 for revealing to higher ups security breaches and Turkish espionage at the bureau’s language division. This Turkish-American conspiracy included, as well, paying off U.S. officials to leak secrets and allow nuclear weapons technology to be sold on the Pakistani, Iranian, and North Korean black markets. Besides Dan Burton, others she implements include Illinois Republican Dennis Hastert, Douglas Feith, Paul Wolfowitz, and Marc Grossman, Bush’s Deputy Undersecretary of State.
Edmonds has been gagged under a “state secrets privilege” order by the Bush Administration’s attorney general, John Ashcroft, from disclosing detailed information to the public, but her finger-pointing has been backed up or deemed credible by many, including the government’s own Department of Justice’s Inspector General and Senators Patrick Leahy and Chuck Grassley. In fact, former Turkish Intelligence Chief Osman Nuri Gundes, in a recent memoir, writes that Gülen, in his Central Asia charter schools in the mid-1990s, gave cover to over 130 CIA agents posing as teachers, an irony given that today Turkish men on H-1B visas pose as educators in the US charter schools run by Gülen followers.
Why was the CIA interested in Central Asia? Oil and gas, according to Edmonds.
It turns out, one of the Turkish groups being wiretapped was the American Turkish Council (ATC). When Edmonds told higher-ups that an ATC spy was working as a translator in the FBI and attempting to conceal ATC’s illegal activity, Edmonds was fired. The spy, Jan Dickerson, Edmonds told officials, had tried to buy her out. Dickerson’s husband was an Air Force official.
As part of the Turkish lobby, the ATC is a big-player in D.C. Its board is made up of and funded by U.S. weapons contractors and energy companies (including Imagine Schools’ Dennis Bakke’s former company AES Energy, Eli Lilly, and Lockheed Martin). It is believed that Valerie Plame Wilson’s outing, among other things, was a result of her investigation into the ATC. At the time of the conspiracy, Brent Scowcroft, a former national security adviser, was ATC’s chair. Lincoln McCurdy, who we will soon meet, was ATC’s CEO.
In an interview with Electric Politics, Edmonds also discusses the Association of Turkish Americans and its nationwide interfaith and business chapters, which have ties to the Gülen charter schools. Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools (C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S) has traced Gülen-affiliated Magnolia Science Academy’s Dean Sumer, in California, to the Association of Turkish Americans.
BURTON AND THE TURKISH LOBBY
Dan Burton (R, IN): “If I lived in Turkey and if I were a Turk, I would want to get those terrorists who cross the border to blow up my family, kill my kids.”
Due to the Ashcroft “gag-order,” Edmonds has not been able to say exactly what illegal activity Burton was enmeshed in with the Turkish lobby. Supposedly, the crimes occurred from 1997 to 2002 (page 159 PDF), the same time-span in which the CIA was allegedly helping Gülen train al-Qaeda. Referring to a picture gallery she set up online exposing those entangled in the scandal, Edmonds, in her Ohio deposition, says this concerning Burton:
A. I can’t discuss the details of those individuals not legal activities in the United States, but those pictures, his and others, are there because State Secrets Privilege was mainly involved to cover up those individuals illegal, extremely illegal activities against the United States citizens who were involved in operations that were, again, against order foreign government and foreign entities against the United States’interests.
Q. And Dan Burton is a representative, member of Congress from Indiana; is that correct? Is that the right place?
A. I believe he is. (46-47)
Gülen’s name does not surface alongside Burton’s during the testimony, but as I noted in a previous article, Burton has accepted campaign donations from many individuals tied to Gülen charter schools in Indiana. Lyndsey Eksili, wife of main Indiana Gülen leader Bilal, has given Burton $1000, and Hasan Yerdelen, treasurer for the American Turkish Association of Indiana, donated $1,000 in 2010, as well. A former Holy Dove official, Yerdelen’s new group belongs to the Assembly of Turkish-American Associations (ATAA), also mentioned by Edmonds.
Burton has been getting money from the Turkish PAC, too, which has ties to the American Turkish Council implemented in the Edmonds case. In an article about a recent D.C. gala party, the Gülen-influenced Today’s Zaman details the plans of the TC-USA PAC. The TC-USA PAC goes by many names. Incorporated out of Houston, Texas, it sometimes is called the Turkish Coalition PAC, the Turkish American Political Action Committee, and the Turkish Coalition USA PAC. Until May 2008, its name was the Turkish PAC – Turkish American Heritage Political Action Committee. Federal Election Commission records show Burton has recently gotten $11,000 from this group.
The Turkish Coalition USA PAC is managed by the Turkish Coalition of America’s Lincoln McCurdy, a Hanover College, Indiana, graduate and former U.S. diplomat in Istanbul, who was ATC’s CEO from 1998 to 2004, during the alleged Burton bribery scandal. McCurdy’s name appears as the treasurer of the PAC in FEC documents. The Turkish Coalition of America was founded with money from Hittite Microwave head Yalcin Ayasli, which since 2004, according to the Sunlight Foundation, has received $30 million in contracts from the U.S. government. McCurdy is no stranger to Dan Burton. Burton visited Turkey with McCurdy and the Turkish Coalition of America. Plus, in a 2009 talk at the Gülen Institute Congressional Dinner, Burton praised how Dick Lugar was to be a future keynote speaker at the Holy Dove Foundation, and how he himself is treated like a “king” when he visits Turkey.
In the summer of 2010, Burton even hired Baran Canseverto go on fact-finding missions at congressional hearings. Cansever was a former American Turkish Council intern in 2009, where he helped plan ATC-funded trips for congressional staffers and worked with the ATC “Chairman during Energy and Defense sessions at the Annual Conference on U.S./Turkish Relations.” As I and many others have noted, those associated with the Gülen-led charter schools use trips to Turkey to dupe legislators across the country into buying into the Gülen story of peace and love.
In November of last year, Burton and Dick Lugar were hosts at a Turkish American Federation of the Midwest-sponsored event which also included the American Turkish Council’s James Holmes as speaker, British Petroleum’s Greg Saunders, and Fatih Baltaci, CEO of Enerco Energy, along with many government officials. The Turkish American Federation of the Midwest is a local branch of the Gülen-led Assembly of Turkic American Federations (ATAF); the Niagara Foundation, with ties to leaders of the Indiana Gülen charter school movement, is an arm of the Turkish American Federation of the Midwest.
Although Edmonds does not mention Lugar in the bribery scandal, his appearance at the ATAF’s gala party held at the Willard InterContinental Washington in May 2010 did not go unnoticed to Today’s Zaman, which noted: “It was no coincidence that Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) talked about the Holy Dove Foundation’s impressive interfaith and ethnic outreach efforts in Indianapolis.” Holy Dove, to refresh your memory, is one of the main Gülen groups behind the Indiana charter schools. Last month, Lugar, in fact, received over $9,200 in campaign donations from Indiana Gülenists Mehmet Dundar, Oznur Dundar, Ali Kemal Durhan, and Zehra Durhan at the Indiana Math and Science Academy.
Last year, the FBI began investigating the Gülen charter schools for visa fraud, so it will be interesting to see what, if anything, is done about Gülen’s U.S. campaign to profit his movement with U.S. taxpayers’ dollars. In Indiana, D.C. and across America, don’t expect legislators to have the interest/and or safety of the public or public schools in mind anytime soon, though. Despite Barton retiring (becoming a Turkish lobbyist?) and Lugar fighting re-election with another tea-party Republican, the Gülen empire in Indiana and around the world will continue. According to a 2010 piece in the Hurriyet Daily News, Gülen himself has called on all 180 of his organizations to be put under the Assembly of Turkic American Federations (ATAF) umbrella. Gülen is everywhere. When asked if Fethullah Gülen was a threat to United States interests, Edmonds, in her Ohio testimony said, “One hundred percent, absolutely.” Discussing the Gülen charter schools, Sibel had this back-and-forth with Krikorian’s attorney, Dan Marino:
Q. Did you say that Gulan had set up schools in the United States as well?
Q. Are some of those in Cincinnati, if you know?
A. I’m not sure. I know of some in Texas. I know one in Virginia, but I don’t know. They are multiplying, and they’re spreading rapidly. (97-99)
They are multiplying, indeed, and more of them are being proposed in Burton’s own backyard.
* Edmonds’ Gülen testimony segment has been posted on YouTube. Video tapes of Edmonds’ whole deposition are available on Brad’s Blog. Edmonds’ own Boiling Frogs blog is well-worth a close read.
** Edmonds’ story has been mentioned on 60 Minutes and made into a documentary entitled Kill the Messenger. In January, a 60 Minutes episode on the U.S. Gülen charter schools was also filmed. No word yet on when or if it will air.
For Further Reading on the banal corruption of Dan Burton, see:
“The Hypocrisy of Dan Burton.”
“Two Year Sentence for Man Accused in Pakistan Spy Plot”
For more on Gülen charter schools, see Charter School Scandals, Charter School Watchdog, and Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools (C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S).
"Erdogan’s AKP, Fethullah Gülen’s opium, and the Kurdish Question"
KurdishMedia.com - 15 March 2005 / by Aland Mizell
Recently in a Wall Street Journal article, senior journalist Robert L. Pollock emphasized an important point regarding Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Erdogan’s religious Muslim party and its basic view of the West. Erdogan cultivated a view of the West that polarized Turkey and non-Islamic nations as well as those that supported Kurdish autonomy.
According to Pollock, during the 2002 elections, the relationship with America changed, “The mainstream parties that had championed Turkish-American ties self-destructed, leaving a vacuum,” that was filled by “the subtle yet insidious Islamism of the Justice and Development (AK) Party” (2005). In his view, under Erdogan’s current policies Turkey is again becoming “the sick man of Europe” rather than a model of a democratic, secular government. Its most telling symptom is its abandonment of a friendship with the United States in favor of decidedly “an extreme combination of America and Jew-hatred” (Pollack 2005).
Erdogan deeply desires Turkey to maintain its territorial integrity and the Kurds to assimilate and thereby to avoid independence. To accomplish this end, Erdogan has befriended the once distanced Syria and Iran, adopted an anti-Israeli stance, and shunned the once friendly America. By collaborating with potential allies of the Kurds, Erdogan can prevent Kurds from gaining financial dominance through the oil and water resources. Influenced by the ideology and strategies of Fethullah Gülen, an Islamic scholar with a global network of excellent schools who uses religion as the opium for the masses, Erdogan continues the policies of subjugating the Kurds. Gülen addicts them to his Turkish [fundamentalist] Islam to keep them silent and then uses this opiate of ideology to keep them following him as the mehdi or century’s holy man. Similarly, Erdogan drugs the citizenry with his opium of symbolic democratic initiatives while radically advancing Islamism in Turkey through his domestic and foreign policy.
In 2000, Claude Lorieux described the battle for Turkey in the French newspaper Le Figaro, under the subtitle “The Army of Ankara against Islamists,” indicating that secularists fought against fundamentalists who interfered with justice, as in the case of Fethullah Gülen (Lorieux 2002). Charged with conspiring to overthrow the secular state, Gülen had for years trained his students, at least those of Turkish, not Kurdish lineage, to gain control of the key positions in the government and in other institutions.
?ric Biegala noted in the same newspaper in 2002, that the AKP (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi) is moving closer to fundamentalism, the government has acquiesced to the demands of Islamists who are abolishing Ataturk’s principles of secularism, and the schools of Fethullah Gülen are windows into modern Turkey with their Islamization of the youth and preparation for leaders (Biegala 2002). While petitioning for accession into the European Union (EU), a "re-Islamized Turkey," Biegala claims, will bring about an "unforgettable gullibility" for the EU in a continent with a reputation for Fascism and Nazism. Advocating a secular Turkey with, for example, freedom of clothing as in the European universities, and a respect for human rights, the newspaper denounced an Islam that would come to power under the mask of democracy while violating human rights, as readers would surely think of in the case of the Kurds. A probing of Erdogan‘s influential cadre, most of them affiliated with Fethullah Gülen’s movement, would reveal the mastermind behind the Prime Minister’s thinking and his mentor’s masterwork.
Fethullah, a shrewd leader, does not directly affiliate himself with politics but instead shapes policies behind the scenes and counsels his followers behind closed doors about ways to implement his directives. This is not the first time Fethullah Gülen has influenced politicians. For example, the former president of Turkey Turgut Ozal was also one of his followers, but not until Ozal’s death did any one know that he had studied under Gülen’s ideology. During his administration, the military discharged many of Fethullah’s students. Gülen wanted Ozal to prevent these dismissals, but Ozal could not do more at that time because of the military’s power.
In 1993, Fethullah Gülen sent Ozal to Central Asia to legitimize his movement there, particularly when, for example, Islam Karimov was becoming apprehensive of fundamentalists. On his trip to Central Asia, he spent most of his time in Gülen’s schools, and after his return to Turkey the president passed away, when it was revealed that he was a sakird or student of the Qur’an. Gülen ordered his supporters to participate in a mass ceremony for Ozal to demonstrate that a Muslim leader was beloved by his fellow countrymen. Thus, his custom of secretly infiltrating high levels of the government and the military with his students is long-standing.
During the soft coup in 1980, Fethullah distanced himself from the National Salvation Party’s leader Necmedin Erbakan. After its disintegration, Erbakan, however, followed with the Welfare Party and as its leader was elected Turkey’s first Islamist prime minister in 1995. Fearing that the party was engaging in fundamentalist activity and thereby violating the Constitutions secular principles, the Constitutional Court banned the Welfare Party. In 1999 the reincarnated Virtue Party gained twenty percent of the seats in Parliament. At that time Erdogan was Erbakan’s right hand, but Fethullah ordered his followers to vote for leftists and rightist to balance both groups. In so doing he wanted the leftist party to protect him from being accused of being a fundamentalist and of having a secret agenda to overthrow the secular government. In 1999, as a member of the pro-religious Virtue Party (FP), however, Erdogan was charged with "openly inciting public enmity and hatred by pointing out racial and social differences" and sentenced to a ten-month prison term for quoting a poem, "The mosques are our barracks, the minarets our bayonets, the domes our helmets and the believers our soldiers."
So, the question that scholars should ask Fethullah is that if Erdogan did not have even a party when he -- the former mayor of Istanbul -- was released from prison, how did he so quickly become Prime Minister? The answer lies in Fethullah’s power to direct his followers to vote for Erdogan and thereby make him the majority party and in such a manner as to become a noteworthy comparison to Ozal’s party — the Fethullahci.
At a briefing in 1999, a high level official in the Turkish government told Prime Minister Ecevit that “Gülen’s followers will try to get control of the state,” explaining, “Fethullah Gulen tries to be recognized officially with his ‘goodwill’ contacts to high rank politicians. Gülen’s aim is to bring an alternative to the secular system.” (Briefing 1999). Ecevit refused to accept the warning. Today Erdogan’s clandestine strategies mimic his mentor’s goal to establish a neo-Ottoman Turkey with the aid of Islamic neighbors.
[Said Nursi]
When Gülen’s name is mentioned, the first thing that comes to the mind of his students is Said Nursi, known by the Kurds known as Saidi Keri. But Said Nursi is a vehicle used to recruit Muslim people to his community, his cemaat. His leaders use Said Nursi as a mask. First his students read and study the Risale-i-Nur, Said Nursi’s books, but then little by little they introduce the students to Fethullah Gülen, an idol replacing Said Nursi in reverence and in commitment to his writings. It is true that Mr. Gülen does have a depth of knowledge about Islam but also that he uses it to his advantage. When the question of the Kurds comes on the table, Fethullah Gülen sends a mixed message. He uses religion as opium for the masses to oppress the Kurdish people. His rhetoric claims Islam does not sanction an inferior or a superior status. An individual is deemed superior only if he is close to God. It is true that the Qur’an says that God created all nations and tribes, and therefore no individuals or nations are to be favored because of their wealth, power, or race, but only because of their faith and piety (Qur’an 49:13).
By this criterion, only infidels are inferior. Muhammad said, “An Arab is not better than a non-Arab and a non-Arab is not better than an Arab, and a red (i.e. white tinged with red) person is not better than a black person and a black person is not better than a red person, except in piety.” Writing in an article entitled “A Comparative Approach Islam and Democracy, Gülen pronounces, “The Prophet says that all people are as equal as the teeth of a comb. Islam does not discriminate based on race, color, age, nationality, or physical traits. The Prophet declared: ‘You are all from Adam, and Adam is from earth. O servants of God, be brothers [and sisters].’ Those who are born earlier, have more wealth and power than others, or belong to certain families or ethnic groups have no inherent right to rule others” (Gülen 2001). However, Fethullah goes further to claim that Islam can be best represented only by the Turks, thus claiming the superiority of the Turks. When a Kurd says, “I am a Kurd and a Muslim,” then it seems he is insulting his hearer. The Kurd will be chastised for establishing his identity in terms of his ethnicity and be challenged to think of himself as a Muslim only, united with his Islamic brotherhood as the Qur’an requires. If he claims a shared allegiance to his ethnic heritage, he will be asked, “Why are you prejudiced?” and be told, “We are all brothers,” a tranquilizer numbing his followers into submission. Yet, this same examiner will never stand for the rights of this “brother.” Instead, as always, Kurds will be oppressed while the religious demagogies keep silent with the same tactics. When it comes to the Kurdish question, when it comes to many questions about the Kurds, the examiner will note that they are caught in the fire and continue to burn — illiteracy is high, the mortality rate is high, and unemployment is high. Many Kurds are living with their cattle in the winter because they cannot afford to buy enough coal or wood to provide heat for their children during the freezing winter. When the military served as the major police force in that impoverished region, they raped many Kurdish women and killed children and older people as well. These advocates of homogeneity and opponents of racism tried to turn attention to their Muslim brotherhood, pointing to the injustice in Chechnya, Bosnia, Palestine, Afghanistan, and Algeria.
When in early 1990 the Soviet tanks stormed Azerbaijanis in Baku, Fethullah cried and was hospitalized because of his heartache. But when Turkish gendarmes burned more than 5000 thousands villages and imprisoned many Kurds who happened to be at the wrong place under the terrorist campaign, he shed no tears. How many people are still missing? How many mothers have not heard from their sons? Nobody knows their fate. Why did Gülen never become hospitalized for his Kurdish Muslim brothers? The sad thing is that many young Kurds, students, and businessmen accept this opium and become addicted to it. His followers claim that they do God’s will and that God requires them to give to their Muslim brother, and indeed the Qur’an advocates these principles. Does God, however, forbid speaking the Kurdish language and enjoying the culture? Is God on Turkey’s side? God’s requirement can be a sin if it is based on this wrong assumption. Fethullah cried when Bosnia’s Muslims were slaughtered by Serbian butchers, yet when a twelve-year old Kurdish boy was slaughtered by a Turkish death squad, was Fethullah hospitalized? Did he get heartaches for those cruel bullets that killed Ugur? No, he did not because this twelve-year old Ugur Kaymaz was deemed a terrorist, according to their Turkish nationalistic definition. How can the Greek Orthodox devotees open Gülen’s schools in Cyprus, but Kurds cannot have their own education? Why did Gülen open thousands of schools abroad to teach the native language and Turkish, while the Kurds could not learn their language in his and their own country? More than thirty million Kurds demand their minority rights because even though they may live in Turkey, they are not of Turkish origin.
Gülen tries to assimilate Kurds by emphasizing the Ottoman ideology in his school, causing many Kurds to see themselves as Osmanli rather than as Selahattin Kurdi. Many Muslims know Saladin as an Islamic hero for having recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders. Saladin was Kurdish by heritage, and during most of his career he used primarily Kurdish officials as his closest partners, but he is renowned for being Islamic.
Today Christians have begun to translate the Bible into the Kurdish language to ensure that those who want to explore its message can understand the principles. To teach them, these followers of Jesus continue to respect the Kurd’s culture and identity without humiliating them or denying their language. By contrast, Mr. Gülen privileges Turkish identity over Islamic religion. Gülen Turkifies Islam in a nationalistic homogeneity.
His support of the Grey Wolves, a fascist-leaning utlra-nationalist organization in Turkey dating back to the 1960s, demonstrates the degree of his nationalism. As an unofficial branch of The Milliyetci Hareket Partisi (MHP) that argued for a military solution to the Kurdish problem, The Grey Wolves, mostly drawn from Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization’s (MIT) secret service, killed hundreds of Kurds. Despite their militant approach to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) insurgency and to their opposition to Turkey’s granting any concessions to the Kurds, Fethullah attended the funeral of the leader Alparslan Turkes demonstrating support for the Kurdish opposition. Very telling, however, is Gülen’s slogan—and his goal—derived from the MHP banner: "One Turkish world, from the Adriatic Sea until the Chinese Wall," a motto constantly used by the government’s parties and other parties in conformity with the system to establish a greater Turkish Muslim world and to oppress the Kurdish people. With a Turkish nationalism called Turanism, the Grey Wolves’ ideology does not allow any national or personal rights to the Kurds, Armenians, Laz, Arabs, or Syrians in Turkey.
While neither Erdogan nor Gülen claims membership, they share the goal of expansionism of Turkish ideology at the expense of all others, and in the case of the later two, it is that of fundamentalist Islam. This approach of ignoring the rights of ethnic minorities is wrong. Now, thanks to the United States and to President Bush’s administration, Saddam Hussein, arguably one of the world’s most evil people, is imprisoned, and the Kurds are freed from his wrath. Mr. Gülen is sad that Saddam has been removed, but the Kurds are free and will no longer be assimilated because they are studying and trying to rediscover their identity.
Since the collapse of the Baathist regime, Mr. Gülen and his media conglomerate are advocating the rights of 300 or 400 thousand Turkmen in Northern Iraq. In what forum was he voicing protest against the treatment of the Turkmen before Saddam was removed? Did the Turkmen not live there for a long time under the Saddam’s regime? Now he publishes articles on his web page accusing the United States of doing wrong in removing Saddam from his dictatorship? He fears that the Kurds will have access to oil and water resources and consequently will have power in the region, the great fear of the AKP and of Fethullah; as a result, the Kurds will refuse the systematic ideology, the opium.
It is critical to compare the strategies of Gülen with that of his protégée Erdogan in tracking Turkey’s shift in foreign policy and in recognizing the opium effect of using religion to advance his agenda. In reading about Erdogan’s reforms, a casual observer would note a reinforcement of secularism and an effort to modernize Turkey as it allies itself, at least on the surface, with the European Union, but a careful scholar would discover a concerted effort to return Turkey to what a few journalists have astutely recognized as a neo-Ottomanism (Rubin, “Is Turkey” 2004).
From a carefully forged relationship with Israel under Ozal to a reinvented foreign policy of calling Israel a terrorist state, Erdogan has dramatically altered the Turkish-Sinai alliance. He has crafted Syrian and Iranian collaboration with Turkey in agendas to disempower the Kurds, while stiff-arming the U.S. Coming into power with the victory of the AKP in 2002, Erdogan spoke of a secular agenda, yet three years later his policies signal a move toward Gülen’s brand of Islamic fundamentalism.
Writing in the Middle East Quarterly, Michael Rubin explains the AKP’s rise to power in Turkey and its consequential initiation of Islamic referendums, “Erdogan has taken a slower, steadier path, careful not to rock the establishment too quickly while at the same time floating an occasional trial balloon for social reforms to advance the Islamist agenda” (Rubin “Green Money” 2005). He tirelessly works for Turkey’s accession into the European Union (EU), in part to reduce the role of the military in governmental affairs as the EU commission has required and further to dissolve its co-dependency on America as it rebuilds an Islamic world. Violating a ban, his wife and daughter wear scarves at public events, a seemingly insignificant gesture but one signaling his intentions. To gain widespread support for his ideological policies, many of his cosmetic policies address issues that his constituents favor. Incurring popularity ensures an advancement of his goals; winning the favor of the public through decidedly visible reforms masks initiatives invisibly Islamic.
Rubin attributes the rise of the AKP to the reforms such as free textbooks and consumer goods tax relieves but finds the economic Islamic boom alarming, “More troubling yet is the pattern of tying Turkish domestic and foreign policy to an influx of what is called Yesil Sermaye, ‘green money,’ from wealthy Islamist businessmen and Middle Eastern states” (Rubin, “Green Money” 2005). In his view, Abdullah Gül’s background in fiscal affairs in Saudi Arabia prepares Gül for the unannounced goal of constructing an Islamic financial system. “The Islamic banks—and especially those sponsored by Saudi Arabia—regularly channel money to Islamist enterprises. On November 9, 2004, Deniz Baykal, leader of the parliamentary opposition Republican People’s Party, accused the AKP of trying to create a religious-based economy” (Rubin, “Green Money” 2005).
Erdogan’s rapidly accumulated billion dollar wealth goes to subsidize the Islamization of Turkey first and other nations second, through such conglomerates as Ulker and holding companies as Koc Holding. Rubin explains the source of income in spite of the secrecy, “Circumstantial evidence may mean that the AKP has a significant source of green money, but economic interests have resulted in an official wall of silence.” In his view, money from such Islamic countries as Malaysia and Saudi Arabia has fueled the $5 billion dollar growth in the economy since the AKP gained power. What is obvious is that Erdo?an’s power is gaining as that of the Turkish General Staff is waning.
Rubin concludes that the AKP’s increase in power through popular reforms, media control such as that of the Dogan group, and the reduction of alternate authority such as that of the military will change the secular Turkish government that renders hope for minority groups, [such as the rights of the Kurds.], "The AKP is like a cancer. You feel fine, but then one day you start coughing blood. By the time you realize there’s a problem, it’s too far-gone." In advancing the fundamentalist agenda of a neo-Turkish Islam, Erdogan systematically and secretly undermines the Kurdish gains through globalization and EU requirements.
Having been unified as democracies against the threat of militants-sheltering Iran and Syria, Turkey and Israel no longer enjoy a strong diplomatic relationship but have taken on an almost adversarial one (Bar’el 2005). Erdogan attacked Israel for its “state terrorism” after the assassination of the founding Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin in a helicopter strike. Subsequently Turkey’s Prime Minister condemned vigorously Israel’s tactics, comparing them to those used in the Spanish Inquisition in a meeting with Israeli Minister of Infrastructure. He repeated the charge against Sharon’s government calling it a “terrorist state” after Israel raided the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip and closed the Palestinian tunnels used to smuggle weapons. As further evidence of this unraveling of Turkish-Israeli diplomacy, Erdogan failed to meet with the visiting Israeli deputy Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, when he came to Istanbul in 2004 (Stahl 2004).
Alon Liel, former Israeli Charges d’Affairs to Turkey in 1992, said that for the first time that Turkey is linking its bilateral relations with Israel to Israeli-Palestinian relations (CNS 2004). Erdogan’s trilateral relations with Syria and Iran hinge on ties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but more immediately, to Turkey’s domestic “question”— its rapport with the Kurds.
In terms of Erdogan’s political policies, the Kurdish card figures significantly, as a consequence of his affiliation with and influence under Fethullah Gülen. In strengthening trilateral relations with Iran and Syria against Israel in order to build a pan-Islamic coalition against the Kurds, Erdogan has forged new agreements with his neighboring dictatorial regimes and taken an anti-Israeli stance. For example, using the commonality of a fear of Kurdish rebels, Prime Minister Erdogan recently visited Iran to convince the government to list Turkish Kurdish fighters as terrorists and to cooperate in fighting the former Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), insurgents reinvigorated as the Kongra-Gel (“Erdogan” 2004).
Setting aside formerly strained relations, Erdogan shared with Iran the concern that the Iraqi Kurds’ move toward autonomy might ignite neighboring Kurds in Turkey and Iran, a worry that caused the Iranian security forces to crackdown on dissidents hiding along the Turkish-Iranian border. Erdogan, thus, has shifted from accusing Iran of sheltering Kurdish dissidents to signing one security initiative and three financial agreements with his neighbor. Yet while Iran may have decreased its support for and pledged retributions against the PKK, the Iranian security machinery continues to sponsor terrorism directed toward Turkey.
After the visit of President Bashar al-Assad, the first Syrian head of state to tap into their shared Muslim brotherhood, Erdogan exchanged visits in a "new era" of Turkish-Syrian bilateral accord. Ankara and Damascus are both apprehensive about the Iraqi Kurds’ aspirations for self-rule. If an Iraqi federation leads to Kurdish autonomy, Syria and Turkey fear the destabilization of their minority populations. Formerly antagonistic because Turkey accused Syria of sheltering Kurdish separatists, Syria in 2003 signed a security agreement with Turkey to stop supporting the PKK, with other security measures that included extraditing terrorists charged in Turkey, as well as economic agreements. Erdogan set aside the issues of water from the Euphrates and the dual claim of the Hatay province to achieve his ends of using the Kurdish card to strengthen Turkish Islam.
Erdogan wants to continue Turkey’s bent toward nationalism and its inclination toward seeing minorities as Turks as a means of ushering in a new strain of Turkish Islam. To achieve his goal, he has negotiated with Iran and Syria, to ensure that the Kurds do not accrue financial and educational power and thereby jockey into a position of creating an autonomous state (Gulerce 2005). Further he has denounced Israel and America in favor of a symbiotic relationship with Europe. Like his mentor Fethullah Gulen, Erdogan has tantalized the Turkish public with the opiate of democratic initiatives until they have become addicted to his popular reforms and are too drugged to notice his return of Turkey to a government ruled by fundamentalist ideology and its misuse to suppress the "mountain Turks.”
http://seeking-truths.blogspot.com.a...opium-and.html
The Gulen Movement's relations with His Excellency Saparmurat Niyazov, Leader of all Turkmens
- one of the world's most repressive regimes
The Gulen Institute website declares that “The main goal of the Institute is to promote academic research as well as grass roots activity towards bringing about positive social change, namely the establishment of stable peace, social justice, and social harmony…”
In light of this purported interest in “social justice”, it is of interest to examine the close relations between the Gulen Movement, including specifically one of its high-level members in the United States, and Saparmurat Niyazov, a.k.a. “His Excellency Saparmurat Niyazov, Great Leader of all Turkmens,” who ruled Turkmenistan as President-for-Life until his death in 2006.
Background on Niyazov
The BBC had this to say of Niyazov’s tenure in office:
It was, say analysts, one of the most authoritarian regimes in the world.
60 Minutes on Saparmurat Niyazov Jan 4, 2004:
“He's not only a brutal dictator, but a dictator who runs his country like it's his own private Disney World.
If you think Saddam Hussein was fond of himself, just visit Turkmenbashi's country. There's a poster or a statue of him in nearly every public space.
Laura Kennedy, who was U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan when 60 Minutes visited, says dealing with Turkmenbashi is not unlike dealing with North Korea's Kim Jong-il, or the former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.”
New York Times Feb 1, 2003
In trials that human rights organizations have said are reminiscent of Stalin's 1930's show trials, the accused, many of them political opponents of Mr. Niyazov, have been given sentences of between five years and life in prison.
Another 2003 New York Times article on Niyazov is entitled “When a Kleptocratic, Megalomaniacal Dictator Goes Bad.”
And a New York Times article of January 1, 2008 noted that while in power, Niyazov had completely banned ballet and opera throughout Turkmenistan.
“Dialog and tolerance activities”?
On Fethullah Gulen’s website, filed under the tabs “About Fethullah Gulen: Dialog and tolerance activities,” the following report is given:
Turkmenistan 18-22 February 1999: Our group, which included academicians, businessmen and journalists, was received in the Turkmenistan capital of Ashkabad by Turkmenistan President Saparmurat Turkmenbashi. In the ceremony that took place, the Honorable Turkmenbashi thanked our Foundation for its efforts to re-establish the traditional ties of friendship and brotherhood between our peoples.
Strange credentials: award for translating brutal and repressive dictator's rambling treatise
As former President of the Institute for Interfaith Dialogue, co-founder and editor of Fountain Magazine, and author of a book on Fethullah Gulen, Muhammed Cetin operates in the upper echelons of the Gulen Movement.
The website of the Sierra Foundation (a Gulenist non-profit in Nevada), gives a brief biography of Muhammed Cetin that includes the following lines:
"He has worked as lecturer, Vice-Rector and Ministerial Adviser in Turkmenistan.
"Cetin's translation of Saparmurat Niyazov's Ruhnama (2001) earned him an award for cultural service to Turkmenistan."
Cetin may have reckoned that most readers in the United States would be unaware that this award, as well as the experience of working with Niyazov’s regime, are dubious distinctions.
More on “Ruhnama”
Here is what the New York Times had to say about the book “Ruhnama” that Gulenist Muhammed Cetin translated:
“Niyazov has effectively destroyed primary education in Turkmenistan. Schoolchildren study almost exclusively from a single text, a disorganized, quasi-religious memoir-cum-national history written, of course, by the president. The book, ''Ruhnama'' (the word means ''soul of the people''), is a hodgepodge of bland exhortations on how to live a moral life (''Do whatever lawful thing your parents tell you to do'') and Niyazov's own treacly poetry and putative rules for governing (''The main target in agriculture until 2010 is to increase the production of grain and cotton''). The book lashes out at the Soviet Union for mistreating Turkmen, but Niyazov is careful to omit mention of his long career as a Soviet apparatchik. `Ruhnama’ also contains examples of the handwriting of the `Beloved Leader Saparmurat Turkmenbashi the Great.’ “
60 Minutes also weighed in on Ruhmana:
"In this secular Muslim nation of five million people, the new "Koran" of this new culture is a giant book which ceremonially opens every night at dusk. It's called the Ruhnama, the president's spiritual guide for the people of Turkmenistan, and it lists suggestions for better living through Turkmenbashi.
"Every kid in school here, young and old, must spend one day a week studying the Ruhnama."
The movie "Shadow of the Holy Book" covers in detail how the Ruhnama has been used as an instrument of political repression.
Gulenists served as advisors to Saparmurat Niyazov
Researchers studying the Gulen Movement noted that Gulen’s followers were intimately involved with Niyazov’s regime.
Bayram Balci, "Fethullah Gülen’s Missionary Schools in Central Asia and their Role in the Spreading of Turkism and Islam," Religion, State & Society, Vol. 31, No. 2, 2003
“The cemaat is very active in Turkmenistan because two of its members are advisors of President Niyazov (the minister of Textiles and minister of Education).”
Joshua Hendrick, 2009 Thesis, University of California, Santa Cruz:
“The GM is also intimately linked with Turkey's recently famous multi-billion dollar family holding company, The Calik Group. ...
"Since the late-1990s, CEO Ahmet Calik has been a government minister Turkmenistan, and he was a personal advisor to the former Turkmen president and dictator Saparmurat Niyasov "Turkmenbashi" (d.2006).
"At the writing of this dissertation, Shadow of the Holy Book, a documentary film dealing with the corrupt relationships formed between Turkmenistan's dictator and varying global corporations hoping to establish inroads in the resource rich nation, is being premiered at film festivals around the world. The company that earns the most favors from the Turkmen state, and the company that the film lambastes as the most secretive and the most complacent in terms of human rights violations in Turkmenistan, however, is Calik Holding.”
Saparmurat Niyazov and Haydar Aliyev were honored at the Gulen Movement’s Turkish Language Olympics
An article on Fethullah Gulen’s website entitled “Winners at Turkish Olympics are Champions of Peace” states:
“Two countries receive the Ataturk prize: The Special Ataturk Award was given to honor Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, the late President of Turkmenistan and Haydar Aliyev, the former President of Azerbaijan who died several years ago.”
The New York Times obituary of Haydar Aliyev, Dec 13, 2003, noted the following:
“Heydar Aliyev, a former Soviet secret police general who for 30 years ruled his native Azerbaijan with an iron fist, first as its Communist leader, then as elected president after independence, died yesterday...”
“Outside the oil sector, a climate of widespread corruption, cronyism and administrative incompetence damaged economic prospects. Transparency International, an anticorruption watchdog, lists Azerbaijan as the seventh most corrupt nation of the 102 surveyed.
“An extravagant personality cult was another feature of Mr. Aliyev's rule. His portrait decorated towns and villages. Workers were bused to rallies in his honor. A star and a mountain were named after him. Three museums were built to record his accomplishments.”
A Human Rights Watch report on Azerbaijan from 2000 noted that
“While the government in 2000 adopted several laws that aimed to strengthen civic freedoms, its human rights record remained poor…”
An award for “unifying” Bosnia Herzegovina with the “Turkish World”?
Another report on Fethullah Gulen’s website, again under the tabs “About Fethullah Gulen: Dialog and Tolerance Activities,” states that:
“Bosnia Herzegovina 26-30 September 1999: Our group was met by Bosnia Herzegovina President, the Honorable Aliya Izzetbegovich, to whom our group chairman, Harun Tokak, presented the Turkish World and Related Communities Unification Award."
This award is particularly striking as it seems to imply that Alija Izetbegovic, by declaring independence of Bosnia in the hopes of creating a Muslim republic, was somehow “unifying” that nation with the “Turkish World.” The report goes on to note that Bosnia was once part of the Ottoman Empire. One consequence of Izetbegovic’s decision to pursue Bosnian independence was that it precipitated the brutal Bosnian war.
A New York Times article of August 17, 1999 noted the extreme corruption under Izetbegovic’s regime:
“Leaders in Bosnia are said to steal up to $1 Billion: Officials of the Office of the High Representative and Western diplomats say one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in Bosnia is Bakir Izetbegovic, the son of President Izetbegovic. He controls The City Development Institute, in charge of determining the occupancy rights of 80,000 publicly owned apartments in Sarajevo. The apartments, many of which belonged to Serbs or Croats before the war, have been given to members of the governing Muslim-led Social Democratic Party. Others who want occupancy rights must pay Mr. Izetbegovic $2,000, said several Bosnians who have paid the fee. // Mr. Izetbegovic owns 15 percent of Bosnia Air, the state airline, and takes a cut of the extortion money paid out by local shopkeepers to Sarajevo gangsters, the diplomats said.”
In summary, a consideration of some of the awards that followers of Gulen have both accepted and distributed may justifiably lead some to question the claim that the Gulen Movement works for social justice and human rights.
Fethullah Gulen & His Multi-Billion Worth Islamic Entourage
For those of you first-timers, who have never seen or heard this name before, please don’t start with Wikipedia ! I recommend checking out articles and analyses by Mizgin Yilmaz, and Luke Ryland; like this one here. Mizgin has been covering Gulen and significant Gulen related developments for years, and now, recently, all of a sudden, there appears to be these tainted-tilted-falsified-glorified articles in English popping up in the mainstream media and the not-so-mainstream but nonetheless the same outlets. Don’t get me wrong- this guy and the entire operation is very SIGNIFICANT. In fact, significant enough to be censored and blocked by the US mainstream media until recently. So, what’s the deal? What’s the real aim? Who wants what? And why?
As I’ve said, first read Mizgin’s coverage, and some background coverage by Luke Ryland here. Then, let’s take a look at one of the recent mainstream media articles – like this one:
October, 1992. the Soviet Union has disbanded and chaos reigns in its former territories. Three times a week, a rattly Russian charter plane filled with young Muslim devotees flies east from Istanbul across barren, low-lying steppes to the capitals of Central Asia. The men are clean-cut, sharply dressed in dark suits and ties, trim of mustache and purposeful. It is the first foray out of their hometown for most, let alone on a plane, but such is their faith in Fethullah Gulen, the Turkish Muslim imam they revere. “Fly like swallows,” Gulen exhorted, “to these countries that are newly free, as an expression of our brotherhood.”
Fly they did. Hundreds of volunteer teachers fanned out across five Central Asian republics. It was the start of a global movement that is now one of the largest and most powerful competing for the future of Islam around the world. There are an estimated 1,000 Gulen-affiliated schools in 100 countries — from Malawi to the U.S. — offering a blend of religious faith and largely Western curriculum. All are inspired by Gulen, an enigmatic retired preacher who oversees the schools — and a multibillion-dollar business empire — from the unlikeliest of locales: rural Pennsylvania.
It’s a fairly lengthy piece, so it continues:
Gulen, the 68-year-old retired imam behind this colossal enterprise has never visited Central Asia. He leads an ascetic life on an estate in Pennsylvania, where he has lived since 1999 for medical reasons, and to avoid facing (recently dropped) charges of seeking to overthrow the secular regime in Turkey. Gulen declined TIME’s request for an interview, citing poor health.
Secularist hostility makes the movement secretive. There is no reliable data on the size of Gulen’s following because one doesn’t sign up to join and it has no official legal status. But it is growing in power. Gulen supporters are estimated to number at least 6 million, according to academics researching the phenomenon. (More surprising is a former Interior Minister’s estimate that 70% of Turkey’s national police forces are Gulen devotees.) “If they were a political party, they could post 20 to 25 MPs,” says Nedim Sener, an investigative journalist. “Any movement that wields that much power needs to be transparent, like an NGO. Who belongs to it? How is it funded? What goes on in the schools they run? What are its political goals? These are all issues shrouded in secrecy.”
And after more along the same lines here is the ending:
Add a quest for power to that fervor, though, and it gets complicated. In Turkey the movement is insular, growing and seems to harbor a mysterious political agenda. “On one level you have activities like the schools, which are hard not to be impressed by,” says King’s College lecturer Park. “Then there’s the political element, which appears suspicious because it’s rich, secretive and nobody really knows what it’s up to.” Gulen says he is opposed to theocracy, yet his supporters suggest that they would like more space for Islam in public life. But how will that come to pass? The future shape of secularism in Turkey — and around the Islamic world — might rest on that answer.
Of course, while it brings a bit of attention to this operation’s significance and reach targeting Central Asia since the mid 1990s, you’ll find no mention of the joint cooperation between Gulen and the State Department, or not the well-hidden secret of his CIA protectors, including his well-known ex-CIA body guards and backers such as Graham Fuller. Absolutely nothing.
And here is another piece written by a Turkish agent (news? Turkish government? US-Turkish agenda-setters?) published by the Turkish mainstream paper Hurriyet interestingly titled ‘The Gulen Movement Plays Big in Washington’:
It was one of the lavish lounges of the Willard Hotel in Washington where hundreds of Turkic people from all across America with plain name tags gathered to mark the creation of a new umbrella Turkic Assembly last Wednesday. Six Turkish-American federations, which have close proximity to Mr. Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish cleric and the exiled leader of the Turkey-based religious Gülen Movement joined to form the Assembly of Turkic American Federations, or ATAF, a non-profit organization.
Half a dozen U.S. Senators and a few dozens of U.S. Representatives made a strong showing at the reception and the Gülen Movement hinted that its new assembly has some muscles to flex in Washington already.
The Gülen Movement accelerated its activities in U.S., especially since the leader of the Movement, Fethullah Gülen settled in Pennsylvania about a decade ago. During the mid ’90s, after almost three decades in the making, it was still operating very much under the radar in Turkey.
The unexpected and sudden decision to combine all of their 180 organizations under one umbrella assembly was a surprising move, at any rate, for those who follow the Gülen movement closely and are aware about its cautious strategies and steps.
Mr. Gülen first decided to go public with a wide ranging interview in early 1995, and in the following years the movement attracted ever-increasing attention. The postmodern-military coup of Feb. 28, 1997 pushed Gülen out of Turkey to find refuge in the U.S. Only more than a decade later, the Gülen Movement gathered enough manpower, recognition and credit to bring dozens of members of Congress to its half-official Washington debut night. The Turkish ambassador to the U.S., Mr. Namık Tan, came to the reception and stayed there almost the entire night, having conversations with the members of the U.S. Congress – alhough not everyone was as joyful about the new kid in town. The Assembly of Turkish-American Associations, or ATAA’s, president, Günay Evinç, was pretty upset about the name of this new assembly because of its similar word selection with their own assembly. Evinç argued that this name similarity has created a big administrative disaster for their organization to explain the difference.
Again, no mentioning of why Gulen happened to pick the US to defect to, or why this multi-billion dollar organization’s operation center (headquarters) happens to be in the States, or how the State Department has been backing, protecting, and promoting Gulen in the US and abroad (mainly his activities in Central Asia)…Nothing. Nada. Zip zip zilch. The same Turkish reporter/writer/agent who happens to be based in the US (Washington DC;-) has written other pieces (along the same lines) on his site here.
Let’s go ahead and simplify this a bit, shall we? The Russians hate Gulen. The US agenda-setters, the real policy-setters (Neocons and realists alike) love Gulen and have been supporting/backing/funding/protecting him since the mid 90s; especially (mainly, that is) those operations conducted in Central Asia. This man who doesn’t even have a high-school diploma has been promoted as a major ‘scholar’ by the CIA and the State Department, against multiple operations and investigations conducted by the FBI, and later by the Department of Homeland Security. So now: what’s really up with Gulen? Is he “a man for all seasons” or “a man for all agendas” set by our real agenda-setters? And, why this sudden coverage (long-due but completely distorted, sanitized, and re-formulated) by the mainstream media and the ‘agents’? Please be my guest and chip in with your own analyses and input!
http://www.boilingfrogspost.com/2010...up-for-may-31/
Hidden Agenda?
Parents raise concerns that a Tucson charter school has ties to a Turkish nationalist movement
by Tim Vanderpool
Sonoran Science Academy
No one can knock the numbers. In recent years, students at Tucson's Sonoran Science Academy have secured stellar scores in math, science and other categories. The academy has earned glowing mentions in national magazines such as U.S. News and World Report, and in 2009, was deemed Charter School of the Year by the Arizona Charter School Association.
But some parents of children who attend the academy on West Sunset Road believe it harbors goals reaching far beyond academia. They suspect the Sonoran Academy of being part of a confederation of learning institutions secretly linked to, and advancing, the cause of Turkish scholar and Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen.
While most of those parents have resisted coming forward, fearing reprisal from an organization they say is known to target critics, one parent did agree to speak to the Weekly if we pledged to keep her identity hidden. The parent says she represents others at the academy who've become suspicious about the striking similarities of its educational programs to those of other schools around the United States which are operated by Turkish-born staff members.
She says teachers and administers freely circulate among these schools. At the same time, says the parent, the Sonoran Academy seems constantly to be bringing Turkish educators into the United States, and subjecting students to substitute teachers while the teachers await work visas.
According to this parent, all of these ties may lead covertly back to the Gülen movement, named for the scholar, who founded a network of schools around the world and now lives in exile in Pennsylvania. She says several Sonoran Academy parents believe the school has a hidden agenda to promote Gülen's brand of Turkish nationalism, advance sympathy for that country's political goals such as winning acceptance into the European Union, and discourage official acknowledgement of Turkey's genocide against the Armenians during World War I.
"We found one document, in Turkish, that talks about the purpose of these charter schools," says the parent. "They refer to them very explicitly as schools (belonging) to their movement. They're calculating, and they say if they can have something like 600 schools, then every year, they can produce 120,000 sympathizers for Turkey.
"I sent my kids to this school because I wanted them to meet regular Muslims and to see them as ordinary people," she says. "But when I find that my kids are to be turned into genocide-deniers, that's very disturbing to me."
Fatih Karatas is principal of the academy's middle school. He calls such claims ridiculous.
"We don't have any kind of connections or any kind of relations with that movement or group. A public school can not be affiliated in any way with other institutions or groups because of the regulations, because of the charters."
He also says his school has a diverse staff, native to countries ranging from Turkey to Mexico, which he considers a benefit. "But we're not promoting a certain ideology. ... These are defamatory allegations that are not based on any proof or evidence."
Still, the Sonoran Academy isn't the first Turkish-American-run charter school in United States to be accused of links to Gülen. Parents at the Beehive Science and Technology Academy in Holladay, Utah, have also raised concerns that their school is linked to this movement. And according The Salt Lake Tribune, one Beehive teacher was fired when his lesson plan about World War II and the Holocaust prompted a discussion in which the school's principal purportedly questioned that genocide.
Although Utah's State Charter School Board cleared Beehive of deliberately promoting Gülen beliefs, lawmakers there have continued to probe its finances. The school-board investigation revealed that Beehive received loans from administrators at other Turkish-American schools, and from executives of the Accord Institute, a California-based organization with a Turkish-American staff. Accord provides educational consulting services and develops education models for programs for schools including Tucson's Sonoran Academy. But Karatas, calls the institute a "private organization," and says he's unaware of any ties between Accord and Gülen.
Other connections raise more questions. They include the Pacifica Institute, which operates the "Turkish Olympiads," in which Sonoran Academy students are encouraged to participate. The Olympiad contests range from essay writing and singing to poetry composition. According to its Web site, the institute was formed by Turkish-Americans in California with a mission of promoting cross-cultural awareness.
In December, the Pacifica Institute co-hosted a Gülen conference with the University of Southern California, and actively promotes Gülen beliefs on its Web site.
Indeed, the Gülen movement's own Web site seems to lay the groundwork for claims made by the Tucson parent. It discusses the group's rapidly expanding, worldwide educational facilities which have "made Gülen's network the most influential Turkish-Islamic movement both in Turkey and abroad. ... In the field of education, this part of the identity is however not stressed and teachers from outside the (movement) work at these schools as well. They may be non-Muslims and in many cases the pupils have never heard of Fethullah Gülen."
The Weekly was provided with a list of Turkish staff members that have rotated through various schools and the Accord Institute—another strategy promoted by the Gülen Web site.
Of course, all of this could be purely coincidental. But the Tucson mother says many parents feel increasingly betrayed by what they consider the Sonoran Academy's ongoing secrecy.
"Other parents say, 'I could almost be OK with this if they were out in the open about it.' But the (school) has done such a phenomenal job of keeping this a secret."
However, Karatas suggests those who make such claims are flirting with trouble.
"I'm hoping that they know that these are defamatory allegations which may put them in trouble later on. These are excelling schools. ... I hope they are aware of what they're doing."http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/hidden-agenda/Content?oid=1694764
Wandering Imams indeed!
More than interesting Magda. I remain a big fan of Sybil Edmonds. What she demonstrates time and time again, is how our trusty western media cannot be trusted at all, and how they are willingly used to create tasty illusions for the public at large to swallow.
If forums such as the DPF do nothing more than make as many people as possible aware of our media subterfuge, its inherent dishonesty and critical propaganda role, then we have done a job well worth doing.
Last edited by David Guyatt; 04-07-2013 at 10:02 AM.
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.
Carl Jung - Aion (1951). CW 9, Part II: P.14
Jan Klimkowski
Originally Posted by Magda Hassan
:crutch: :crutch: :crutch: :crutch:
Many of the original wandering bishops were from East European Orthodox churches, with strong pro-Nazi, anti-communist, sentiments and links. Some of the more important wandering bishops were allowed to use the orthodox priesthood as cover and plausible deniability.
With the wandering imams, it looks like part of the plan was to use these "holy men" to foment disorder and strife in the Russian stans. However, they clearly also provided bases and cover for off the books special ops teams.
Fundamentally, this is the Gladio MO.
"It means this War was never political at all, the politics was all theatre, all just to keep the people distracted...."
"Proverbs for Paranoids 4: You hide, They seek."
"They are in Love. Fuck the War."
Gravity's Rainbow, Thomas Pynchon
"Ccollanan Pachacamac ricuy auccacunac yahuarniy hichascancuta."
The last words of the last Inka, Tupac Amaru, led to the gallows by men of god & dogs of war
The Looming Power Struggle Between Erdogan and Gulenists
When Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, traveled to Washington for crucial talks with US President Barack Obama on May 16, many wondered whether he would succeed in persuading the US leader to take a tougher line on Syria. Yet, there was another big question hanging in the air. Would Erdogan make time to meet with Fethullah Gulen, Turkey’s most influential Sunni cleric, who lives in self-imposed exile in rural Pennsylvania?
Tensions between Erdogan (a fellow imam) and Gulen have been simmering for some time. Yet, as the rift deepens so, too, has speculation about a protracted power struggle in the run-up to nationwide municipal elections that are meant to be held in March 2014. The elections are viewed as a litmus test of Erdogan’s unassailable popularity and their outcome will shine a light on his chances of becoming Turkey’s first popularly elected president when Abdullah Gul steps down in August 2014. Gulen, who commands a global empire of media outlets, charities, businesses and schools, can sway his followers either way.
In the event Erdogan did not meet with Gulen, he sent his Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc as an emissary instead. Speaking to reporters in Washington on May 18, Erdogan said, “We have an old relationship based on friendship and brotherhood. The aim of Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc’s visit [to Gulen] was to dispel negative rumors and gossip.”
The meeting came just days after Gulen rebutted accusations that he had targeted Erdogan in a recent sermon in which he railed against the evils of arrogance.
Indeed, both sides seem eager to paper over the cracks. Yet, it is unlikely that their differences will disappear anytime soon. “Gulen is not the Dalai Lama, he is extremely tough,” commented one of his followers. Maybe so, but the Gulen’s strictly pacifist brand of moderate Islam is upheld as a countervailing force to Sunni extremism across much of the globe. Since 2006, Russian authorities have shut down a string of Gulen-affiliated schools on the grounds that they were acting as CIA fronts.
Gulen’s followers regard themselves as a civil society movement, not an Islam-based network. They recently rebranded themselves as the “Hizmet” service that is extended across the globe.
In the United States, the Hizmet runs more than a hundred charter schools. It is now branching out into the media. From shiny new studios in suburban New Jersey, Your Family Network, Ebru TV, a Gulen-affiliated channel, airs Turkish miniseries lauding the virtues of faith and family life, all dubbed in English. In far-flung corners of Africa, selfless Hizmet disciples teach Turkish and the latest computer science, while others heal the sick and feed the poor.
The Gulenists believe in good relations with the West. Their piety and nationalism are on a par. Determinedly pragmatic they have sought to remain on the right side of the Turkish state. And even their harshest detractors concede that their schools have embellished Turkey’s image abroad. But a lack of transparency continues to feed suspicions about the Hizmet’s intentions and most of all within Turkey’s fiercely pro-secular army. Soon after they unseated the country’s first Islamist-led government in 1997, the generals embarked on a massive purge of the Gulenists. Gulen took refuge in the United States and was tried in absentia by a special state security court on thinly documented charges of seeking to overthrow Turkey’s secular order.
He was cleared in 2006, some two years after Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) swept to power. A fellow imam, Erdogan sprang from Turkey’s more conservative Islamist Milli Gorus (National View) movement. Ideologically speaking, the pair makes unlikely bedfellows. But in the early days of AKP rule they teamed up against their common foe, the army. Reams of incriminating documents — which purportedly proved that the army was planning to overthrow Erdogan — were published by Taraf, an independent liberal daily newspaper, but also by the pro-Gulen media. These were used to jail hundreds of generals, currently on trial in the controversial Ergenekon case.
As the Hizmet put down roots, it began behaving — in the words of an analyst who follows the movement very closely — “like a state within a state,” wielding its newfound clout to “pursue perceived enemies across the board.” Its targets included several journalists and a former police chief who wrote books that sought to document claims of Hizmet infiltration of the government.
All were jailed in connection with the Ergenekon case sparking accusations that the Hizmet was pursuing revenge, not justice. The tipping point came when an Istanbul prosecutor summoned Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s spy chief, for questioning over links to rebels of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). An incensed Erdogan hit back with a law that renders the prosecution of any intelligence official subject to government approval. There followed vows to shut down thousands of prep schools, many of them run by the Hizmet. Assorted bureaucrats and police officials said to have Hizmet connections are on the block. When Erdogan alluded to “a lack of communication” between the police force and the intelligence services after the twin car bomb attack that ripped through Reyhanli on May 11, some commentators suggested that this was another swipe at the Gulenists.
Rehyanli’s police chief has since been sacked. Fidan’s men have not been touched.
Gulen’s followers discard claims of Hizmet infiltration as outright lies: “The sole purpose” of which, in the words of a Hizmet spokesman, “is to discredit a movement that loyally serves Turkey’s interests.”
Either way, the effects of Erdogan’s peace overture should become apparent in the coming days. Will the Hizmet linked media stop criticizing Erdogan’s latest Kurdish initiative or his interventionist Syrian policy? Will they support AKP candidates in the municipal polls and most critically in Istanbul? And what about Erdogan’s presidential dreams? Might the Hizmet rally behind a rival candidate who would also enjoy the support of the main opposition parties? If so, Erdogan could be in trouble. But only if that rival candidate is the highly popular President Gul. And sources close to the president tell Al-Monitor that he has absolutely no interest in being drawn into a fight.
Meanwhile, Anatolian entrepreneurs who are a vital financing source for Hizmet schools are said to be upset by the feud. With the stakes so high, and with no obvious winner, most analysts predict that a deal will be struck.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/orig...#ixzz2TsITzWSl
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Country: South Korea Month: October Clear All Filters
Allied Burdensharing in Transition: Status and Implications for the United States
Description: This report describes recent changes in U.S. burdensharing relationships with NATO, Japan and South Korea and, in the process, identifies some implications for U.S. foreign policy.
Creator: Pagliano, Gary J
Accelerated Vehicle Retirement Programs in Japan and South Korea: Background for Congress
Description: This report discusses the accelerated vehicle retirement (AVR) programs initiated in 2009 by the United States, Japan, South Korea, and other industrial nations (commonly known in the U.S. as the "cash for clunkers" program). The U.S. program began in June 2009, when President Obama signed the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) Act. The report discusses how these various AVR programs affected the automobile industries in the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, specifically. Neither Japan nor South Korea imports large numbers of foreign vehicles, a circumstance not much altered by AVR program implementation.
Creator: Canis, Bill; Grimmett, Jeanne J.; Platzer, Michaela D. & Yacobucci, Brent D.
Agriculture in Pending U.S. Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama
Description: This report discusses pending U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs) with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama. The bills to implement these agreements will now be debated under trade promotion authority, or fast-track rules, designed to expedite congressional consideration. The report includes an overview of agricultural issues regarding FTAs and pending FTA partners, as well as a closer breakdown of the specific issues for each of the countries.
Creator: Jurenas, Remy
The G-20 and International Economic Cooperation: Background and Implications for Congress
Description: This report discusses the background of the G-20 (an international forum for discussing and coordinating economic policies) and some of the issues that it has addressed. It includes historic background on the work of the G-20, information about how the group operates, overviews of G-20 summits, major issues that the group is likely to address and the likely effectiveness of the G-20 in the near future. The members of the G-20 include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.
Creator: Nelson, Rebecca M.
Oral History Interview with Earl E. Ambrose, October 6, 2007
Description: Interview with Earl E. Ambrose, Korean War veteran, as part of the Tarrant County War Veterans Oral History Project. The interview includes Ambrose's personal experiences of childhood, basic training, volunteering for service in Korea, and attending Arlington State College using GI Bill benefits. Additionally, Ambrose discusses family experiences in military service, the decision to join the Marines, assignments to Quantico and Yorktown, Virginia, his brief combat experience and assignment to the Main Line of Resistance near the Imjin River, his discharge from the Marines, and his career with Bell Helicopter.
Access: This item is restricted to UNT Community Members. Login required if off-campus.
Creator: Ball, Gregory & Ambrose, Earl E.
Partner: UNT Oral History Program
Oral History Interview with Ealy Boyd, October 17, 2007
Description: Interview with Ealy Boyd, Korean War veteran, as part of the Tarrant County War Veterans Oral History Project. The interview includes Boyd's personal experiences about childhood and education, enlisting in the U.S. Air Force, basic training in San Antonio and his assignment to Laredo Air Base, Texas, and encounters with North Korean POWs. Additionally, Boyd discusses his deployment to Korea as a vehicle operator with the Fifth Motor Transport Squadron, assignments at various bases, his shift into vehicle maintenance MOS, then into maintenance and storage of nuclear warheads, and finally into aircraft maintenance, his civilian career with Lockheed Martin, political work for Reps. Martin Frost, Preston Geren, and Jim Wright, as well as with State Senator Mike Moncrief. The interview includes an appendix with a photograph.
Creator: De Santiago Ramos, Simone C. & Ealy, Boyd
Oral History Interview with Marvin Dunn, October 11, 2007
Description: Interview with Korean War veteran Marvin Dunn as part of the Tarrant County War Veterans Oral History Project. The interview includes Dunn's personal experiences about boot camp and training, combat in Korea, combat at Hill 749 and Hill 884, and of being a teacher, principal, and administrator in Dallas ISD. Additionally, Dunn discusses his decision to drop out of college to join the U.S. Marine Corps, his assignment to combat unit, the battlefield injury at "the Punchbowl," that resulted in his leg amputation, the following recuperation, his opinions regarding enemy soldiers and what the U.S. accomplished in the war, civilian opinions of the war, struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, returning to college and graduate school, and his involvement with Korean War Veterans Organization. The interview also includes an appendix with photographs.
Creator: Montandon, Josh & Dunn, Marvin
The Proposed U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA): Provisions and Implications
Description: This report is designed to assist Members of Congress as they consider the costs and benefits of the U.S.-South Korean Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA.) It examines the provisions of the KORUS FTA in the context of the overall U.S.-South Korean economic relationship, U.S. objectives, and South Korean objectives.
Creator: Cooper, William H.; Manyin, Mark E.; Jones, Vivian C.; Cooney, Stephen; Jurenas, Remy & Siskin, Alison
U.S.-South Korea Relations
Description: South Korea (known officially as the Republic of Korea, or ROK) is one of the United States' most important strategic and economic partners in Asia, and since 2009 relations between the two countries arguably have been at their most robust state in decades. This report discusses the development of this relationship and examines current issues.
Creator: Manyin, Mark E.; Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Nikitin, Mary Beth D.; Rinehart, Ian E. & Williams, Brock R.
Storming the City: U.S. Military Performance in Urban Warfare from World War II to Vietnam
Description: Book describing military philosophy before and after WWII, with full chapters analyzing how the U.S. Army and Marine Corps engaged in urban warfare during four specific battles: Aachen (October 1944), Manila (February 1945), Seoul (September 1959), and Hue (February 1968). Index starts on page 363.
Creator: Wahlman, Alec
Partner: UNT Press
Description: This report contains two main parts: a section describing recent events and a longer background section on key elements of the U.S.-South Korea relationship. It also provides a list of CRS products on South Korea and North Korea. The report identifies South Korean individuals by using their last name first.
Creator: Manyin, Mark E.; Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Nikitin, Mary Beth D.; Corrado, Jonathan R. & Williams, Brock R.
The 45th ROK-U.S. Security Consultative Meeting October 2, 2013, Seoul
Description: A document about the commemoration of the Mutual Defense Treaty, the ROK-U.S. Alliance that was established in 1953. It successfully deterred North Korean aggression and provocation while playing an important role in the development of free democracy in the Republic of Korea.
[News Script: Korea]
Description: Script from the WBAP-TV/NBC station in Fort Worth, Texas, relating a news story.
Date: October 18, 1969, 10:00 p.m.
Creator: WBAP-TV (Television station : Fort Worth, Tex.)
Item Type: Refine your search to only Script
[News Script: International News]
Date: October 14, 1969, 6:30 a.m.
[News Script: Korean ship sunk]
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The Future of Canada's Oil and Gas Sector: Innovation, Sustainable Solutions and Economic Opportunities
The report summarizes the comments from 33 witnesses who appeared before the Standing Committee of the House in 7 meetings, and makes recommendations, including: “1. The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada continue to promote the benefits of investing in Canada’s Natural Resources sectors, including oil and gas, which shall include the continued encouragement of innovation, research and development.” And “2.The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada work in collaboration with industry and the indigenous, provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to develop the supporting infrastructure needed to create a favourable environment for natural resource development and transportation, and to deliver oil and gas products to strategic domestic and international markets.” The Dissenting Report from the Conservative members goes even further to support the fossil fuel industry, making 5 recommendations which include: “We strongly encourage the government not to impose any additional tax or regulation on the oil and gas sector or the Canadian consumer that our continental trading partners and competitors do not have. This includes measuring the upstream greenhouse gas emissions from pipelines…” The Opinion statement by the New Democratic Party members of the Committee calls for speedy, permanent changes to the National Energy Board assessment process, and for the Government to honour its obligation for a Nation to Nation relationship with Indigenous peoples, including proper consultation and accommodation on all energy projects and the protection of Indigenous rights. The NDP also states its support for the testimony of Gil McGowan, President of the Alberta Federation of Labour, calling for support for value-added development of the oil and gas industry, “because these kinds of investments not only create jobs directly in upgrading, refining, and petrochemicals but also create other jobs”.
Race to the Front: Tracking pan-Canadian climate progress and where we go from here
This report examines existing climate policies at the federal, provincial and territorial level, and outlines recommendations to Canada’s first ministers as they work to establish a national climate plan. For example, British Columbia’s low-carbon fuel standard, Alberta’s accelerated phase-out of coal-fired power, Ontario’s approach to buildings, and Quebec’s zero emissions vehicle target merits broader consideration across the country.
Can Canada Expand Oil and Gas Production, Build Pipelines and Keep Its Climate Change Commitments?
This study assesses the consequences of several scenarios of expansion in the oil and gas sector in terms of the amount that the non–oil and gas sectors of the economy would need to reduce emissions to meet Canada’s Paris commitments. It finds Canada cannot meet its global climate commitments while at the same time ramping up oil and gas extraction and building new export pipelines. The study also reviews existing pipeline and rail capacity for oil exports under the cap on oil sands emissions announced last year by the Alberta government (set at 100 million tonnes (Mt) per year) and finds Canada has enough capacity to handle the 45% increase in oil sand production this would entail. It also takes a close look at oil price trends, and finds that new pipelines with tidewater access are unlikely to confer a significant price premium, as is widely believed.
Climate Change and Human Rights
From the introduction by John Knox: " The question is no longer whether human rights law has anything to say about climate change, but rather what it says and how it can best be brought to bear... This report is the most detailed and comprehensive study yet undertaken of those questions". The study makes recommendations for actions by government, on the eve of the Paris COP 21 meetings.
Costing Climate Impacts and Adaptation: A Canadian Study on Human Health
This study is an attempt to generate a “bottom-up” estimate of the economic impacts of climate change in the human health context. The analysis first considers physical impacts, which are defined as the climate induced changes in a number of health endpoints (heat-related mortality; ozone-related morbidity and mortality). Based on these physical impacts, the analysis derives estimates of economic impact. Additionally, this study aims to identify indicative cost-effective adaptation measures that may reduce future potential health impacts. This study presents climate change impact estimates for three 30-year periods centering on 2025, 2055, and 2085. The four cities included in the analysis are Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver.
Economic Instruments for Long-term Reductions in Energy-based Carbon Emissions
This State of the Debate report marks the conclusion of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE)’s Ecological Fiscal Reform (EFR) and Energy Program. It describes the Program’s research findings and details the final recommendations stemming from the stakeholder consultations. The EFR and Energy Program represents the second phase of the NRTEE’s EFR Program. Whereas Phase 1 explored the general potential of economic instruments to advance sustainable development—looking at EFR measures in Europe, the United States and Canada, as well as the use of EFR in specific sectors of the economy—Phase 2 has focused on the use of economic instruments in achieving long-term reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, specifically carbon emissions. Case studies of industrial energy efficiency, renewable energy, and hydrogen technologies.
Canada's Opportunity: Adopting Life Cycle Approaches for Sustainable Development
This report provides an overview of current life cycle analysis practices, in Canada and internationally. It shows how companies and governments are embedding Life Cycle Approaches in their operations and decisions for various purposes, and identifies clear risks to Canada’s competitiveness and environmental reputation if we don’t take steps to use Life Cycle Approaches . The report makes recommendations for how business and government can collaborate to enhance economic competitiveness and foster greater environmental stewardship using LCA.
Capital Markets and Sustainability: Investing in a Sustainable Future
This is the final report of the NRTEE Capital Markets and Sustainability Task Force. The report is built around 3 themes: a) the need for regulatory efficiency of financial services —in particular, the need to remove barriers to capital flows ; (b) the need to foster corporate investment in technology and efficiency ; and (c) the importance of enhanced disclosure and transparency on what is becoming recognized by legal, accounting, and regulatory authorities, as well as by the capital markets, as sources of novel risk, including social and environmental issues, to corporations and investors. Recommendations are made around all themes: for increased social and environmental transparency, they include changes to university level education (e.g. MBA) to accelerate the acceptance of the need for transparency and corporate disclosure.
Achieving 2050: A Carbon Pricing Policy for Canada
This report recommends a unified carbon pricing policy for Canada—a policy aimed at meeting one clear objective: the greatest amount of carbon emission reductions, at the least economic cost. Following more than a year of research and consultation, our report sets out what we believe is the most effective, realistic, and achievable carbon pricing policy for current and anticipated Canadian circumstances.
Energy [R]evolution: A Sustainable Energy Outlook for Canada
The Greenpeace Advanced Energy [R]evolution scenario shows how, by 2050, renewable energy sources could provide 96% of the electricity produced in Canada and 92% of our total heating demand, accounting for 74% of our overall primary energy demand. The blueprint would create about 72,000 jobs in the renewables sector alone, by 2030.
Canadian environmental sector trends: Supplemental report: Future growth expectations for worker demand
Provides statistics of employment trends and some near-term forecasts for employment growth by environment-related industry e.g. wind industry, and some occupations.
Canada's Second Biennial Report on Climate Change
This report presents projections of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada to the years 2020 and 2030, by sector. It also provides information on actions undertaken to address climate change,both federal and provincial, with live links to documents cited in the summary. Also includes information about climate-related support provided to developing countries. This report is submitted every 2 years to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Canada's Emission Trends 2014
"Under under a scenario that includes current measures and the contribution from LULUCF, absolute emissions are projected to be 727 Mt in 2020, 1.2% below 2005 levels. Emissions from the oil and gas and buildings sectors are expected to increase, while emissions in the electricity sector are projected to decrease between 2005 and 2020. Emissions in the transportation, emissions -intensive and trade-exposed, agriculture, and waste and other sectors remain close to 2005 levels." (LULUCF = Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry).
Greenhouse gas emissions from urban transportation: Backgrounder
Climate Change and Labour: Impacts of Heat in the Workplace
The report identifies heavy labour and low-skill agricultural and manufacturing jobs as the most susceptible to heat changes caused by climate change. India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Cambodia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and part of West Africa are the countries most at risk. Quoting the IPCC’s 5th Assessment Report, it states that “labour productivity impacts could result in output reductions in affected sectors exceeding 20% during the second half of the century–the global economic cost of reduced productivity may be more than 2 trillion USD by 2030.” Even if countries meet their Paris emissions reductions targets, rising temperatures may cut up to 10 percent of the daytime working hours in developing countries. On the human scale, the authors surveyed more than 100 studies in the last decade which document the health risks and labour productivity loss experienced by workers in hot locations. Several important indirect effects of heat stress are raised: alteration of work hours to avoid the heat of the day; the need to work longer hours to earn the same pay for those whose productivity falls due to heat stress, or suffer income loss; increased exposure to hazardous chemicals when workplace chemicals evaporate more quickly in higher temperatures; and possible exposure to new vector-borne diseases. The report calls for protection for workers , including low cost measures such as assured access to drinking water in workplaces, frequent rest breaks, and management of output targets, incorporating protection of income and other conditions of Decent Work.
Rethinking Canada’s Auto Industry: A Policy Vision to Escape the Race to the Bottom
Climate change and our jobs: finding the right balance. Discussion paper for the CAW Canada - Quebec Joint Council. St. John's N
This report provides an overview of the issues of climate change, and a history of the CAW's positions and actions on environmental issues. It concludes with a statement of future intentions for bargaining and advocacy.
Managing Canada's Resource Wealth in the interests of Canadians and the Environment
The policy document sets out fundamental issues for workers in the resource industries that Unifor represents, including mining, forestry, fisheries, oil and gas. This document acknowledges the dangers of climate change, respect for First Nations rights, need for stability and economic sustainability, regulating foreign ownership, need for Canadian jobs, etc. It outlines its opposition to any pipeline development for export (including Line 9), under the principle that refining jobs should be kept in Canada. Also includes as an Appendix, a useful compendium of the past policy statements and reports of Unifor's predecessor unions: CAW and CEP, going back to 2008.
A New Union for a Challenging World: Unifor’s Vision and Plan
At the founding convention of the new union (a merger of the CAW and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union), Unifor promises to oppose the export of raw bitumen and the construction of massive pipelines, advocating for more “made in Canada” inputs and processing. It pledges to work with environmental allies to advocate for a Canadian energy policy which reduces GHG emissions, ensures a sustainable development of the oil sands and promotes value-added jobs in upgrading and refining petroleum products.
Climate Leadership - Report to Minister
The report of the Advisory Panel, led by Andrew Leach, proposed a number of policy changes, almost all of which were immediately implemented by the new NDP government of Alberta. The policies are being hailed as a turning point in Alberta, including a plan to replace two-thirds of coal-generated electricity with renewables by 2030 , and to phase in carbon pricing, starting at $20 a tonne in January 2017 and reaching $30 a tonne by January 2018 . Emissions from the be oil sands will be capped at 100-megatons – representing a drastic reduction from the 267 megatons produced in 2013, although no date is attached to the proposal.
Ontario's Five Year Climate Action Plan 2016 - 2020
100,000+ Jobs: Getting Albertans back to Work by Building a Low-Carbon Future
The report states that “Alberta has the potential to create over one hundred and forty-five thousand new jobs — 46,780 jobs in renewable energy, 68,400 jobs in energy efficiency, and 30,000-40,000 jobs in mass transit.” It provides case studies and makes policy recommendations.
Climate Change and the Australian Workplace: Final Report for the Australian Department of Industry
This report, inspired by the Canadian Work in a Warming World project at York University, covers a similar broad range of interest, acknowledging the importance of the world of work in producing, and thus, mitigating, carbon emissions. It seeks to describe the policies and attitudes and innovative reactions of Australian management and unions regarding climate change and greenhouse gas emission reduction. It also reports on labour market impacts of climate change. Section 4 is an analysis of the environmental clauses in Enterprise Agreements in Australia for 2009-2010, and for 2011-2012.
Costs to Canada’s Health Care System of Climate Change Impacts on Health ( Annex A )
The objective of this work is to provide additional information on the public sector health care costs of morbidity estimates in “Costing Climate Impacts and Adaptation: A Canadian Study on Human Health”, so as to express the estimated ozone related, climate change-induced morbidity cases as a cost to the Canadian public health care system.
Parallel Paths: Canada-U.S. Policy Choices
Uncertainty about American climate policy colours and shapes Canada’s own policy choices and direction. By necessity, our integrated economies require serious consideration of harmonizing Canadian climate policy with that of the United States. But different energy economies and greenhouse gas emission profiles in the two countries create different economic and environmental implications for Canada as we pursue a harmonized policy approach.
Planning for Prosperity: Building Canada's Low-Carbon Growth Plan
A "Stakeholder consultation session", with particular emphasis on the impacts of a low carbon economy in the Western provinces.
Community Energy Planning: the Value Proposition. Environmental, Health and Economic Benefits
The paper reports on Community Energy Planning activities and programs in Canada, with comprehensive economic analyses and case studies of six. The report states that more than 180 communities across Canada, representing over 50% of the population, live in communities with some community energy plan. The cities of Barrie and Hamilton, Ontario are given as examples: the study evaluated the long-term effects (over a period from 2008-2031) of maximizing cost-effective building energy efficiency retrofits and technologies and found that for every $1 million invested in building energy efficiency retrofits, over 9 person-years of permanent employment would be created within the province of Ontario. The Project Partners for this report were Community Energy Association, QUEST, and Sustainable Prosperity.
Investment and Lock-In Analysis for Canada: Low Carbon Scenarios to 2050 - Final Report
The Government of Canada has set a greenhouse gas emission reduction target of 17% percent below 2005 levels by the year 2020, as well as a long-term target of 65% below 2005 levels by 2050.The objective of this project is to estimate the impact of greenhouse gas emission abatement timing on required capital investment in Canada in order to meet these targets.
Manitoba's Climate Change and Green Economy Action Plan
A comprehensive policy framework which includes a promise of 6000 new green jobs by 2020. Also states: "Manitoba will enshrine environmental rights in legislation and be the first province to formally endorse the Blue Dot Campaign. This new legislation will be a foundation for everything we do and will set Manitoba on a new, greener path."
Tomorrow Now: Manitoba's Green Plan
This document is a comprehensive strategic plan, including green economy goals such as: A key activity for transitioning to a green economy is instilling green skills, knowledge and values within our existing and future workforce.This task will require a multitude of stakeholders to engage in educational and training efforts to enable change towards sustainable work practices. We will foster collaborative dialogue between industry, formal education, and training in order to support the identification, forecasting and provision of skills to support green sectors in Manitoba and a low-carbon future. This will include working with institutions and advancing our technical and vocational education and training in support of the transition to a green economy and launching a Guide to Green Jobs and Sustainable Careers. Also included: coal-free Manitoba; energy efficiency goals, development of an eco-tourism industry, and co-operation with aboriginal groups.
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Home#DupuytrenCitizen-Scientists for Dupuytren Research
Citizen-Scientists for Dupuytren Research
In:#Dupuytren, Big Data, Dupuytren disease, Dupuytren Research Group
I had a recent correspondence with someone who wanted to discuss the off-label use of Anakinra, an IL1RAP blocker, for her early Dupuytren disease because it had worked so well (off-label) for a problem she had similar to frozen shoulder. It turns out, there are a few small reports of favorable responses to this drug used off-label for unusual joint scarring and for frozen shoulder – both associated with Dupuytren. I was unaware of this until she connected the dots and reached out. It may be a valuable lead, one that’s off the Dupuytren literature radar: there are zero matches for a National Library of Medicine search:
Search Anakinra and Dupuytren
even though the drug has been in use for almost 20 years and the same search without “Dupuytren” yields over 5000 citations:
Search Anakinra
How could this be? One reason is that Dupuytren biology is complicated and hard to categorize. Dupuytren is affected by genetics, age, gender, and hand activities, and the biology involves immune, inflammation, and injury-repair pathways. Even with the latest tools for text-mining and internet searching, some dots need to be connected by hand. Sometimes it takes the perspective of a non-expert to see new relationships, to escape scientific tunnel vision. Sometimes even the experts could use a hand. Dupuytren has stumped very smart physicians and researchers for almost 200 years.
I’m not suggesting that everyone with Dupuytren badger their doctors into prescribing Anakinra for their Dupuytren. It has potentially serious side effects. It might be exactly the wrong thing to do. There’s no evidence that it prevents Dupuytren progression or recurrence: we need a Dupuytren blood test to be able to tell whether it works, who might benefit, and who might not. What I am suggesting is that Dupuytren is complicated and baffling enough that all thoughts and observations are worthy of discussion, regardless of the source. Your ideas and observations count.
There’s a long history of scientific and mathematical progress made by amateur scientists outside of traditional academia: Sir Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Darwin, and others. You know these names because they communicated well. However, without communication, even the best ideas can be lost, as reviewed in these opening remarks at the 2010 International Dupuytren Symposium:
There’s been a decline in citizen scientist visibility over the last 50 years, in part due to the commercialization of research and in part due to funders focusing on large academic centers. As a result, some difficult research areas such as Dupuytren disease have been left behind. The nonprofit independent Dupuytren Research Group exists to fill the gaps in Dupuytren research, the gap between researchers and physicians, the gap between medical doctors and surgeons, the gap between academia and pharma. This challenge is an opportunity for citizen-scientists everywhere. It’s our opportunity, and for those of us with Dupuytren and related conditions, our obligation.
Charles Eaton MD
Interested in supporting or volunteering for the Dupuytren Research Group?
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We Get It
Domain Name Wire | Domain Name News & Website Stuff
Domain Name Industry News and Website Stuff
Featured Domains
CentralNic CEO Ben Crawford – DNW Podcast #79
by Andrew Allemann — April 11, 2016 Podcasts 2 Comments
From third level domains to new TLDs to domain registration, CentralNic does it all.
Ben Crawford, CEO of publicly traded CentralNic (London AIM: CNIC), discusses his company’s twenty year history and its plans for the future. CentralNic is a company on the move; it has acquired two domain name registrars in the past year and powers more new top level domain name registrations that any registry services provider.
Also: Minds + Machines outsources, sanctions and .Sport, BrandBucket’s sales, what Sedo does with non-paying bidders, China, Ted Cruz and an interesting new TLD promotion.
Subscribe via iTunes to listen to the Domain Name Wire podcast on your iPhone or iPad, or click play below or download to begin listening. (Listen to previous podcasts here.)
http://traffic.libsyn.com/domainnamewire/DNW079.mp3
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2 Comments Tags: ben crawford, CNIC, podcast
CentralNic buys domain name registrar Internet.bs (IBS)
by Andrew Allemann — June 16, 2014 Domain Registrars 15 Comments
CentralNic gobbles of up large domain name registrar in $7.5 million deal.
Publicly traded CentralNic (LSE: CNIC) has purchased Bahamian domain name registrar Internet.bs (IBS).
The move gives CentralNic, currently positioned as a registry, a strong entry in the retail registrar market.
CentralNic is traditionally known for offering third level domain names, but it is the technical registry services provider powering dozens of new top level domain name applicants. Owning a large registrar gives its registry customers guaranteed market distribution.
IBS was founded by Marco Rinaudo in 2003 after he sold his hosting business. Gregg McNair later came on board as Chairman and helped position the company for the acquisition.
All IBS staff will continue with the company post-acquisition, Rinaudo said.
“I am very excited to see the Company that I founded and nurtured for more than 10 years enter this new phase of development,” said Rinaudo. “The great working relationship that I have forged with [CentralNic CEO] Ben Crawford and the CentralNic team provides me with the assurance that my IBS customers will be well supported in the future and will appreciate the proposed broadening of services to be introduced by the combined team. I will be working alongside Ben to make sure that happens in the best interest of our established and new customers.”
IBS is probably in the top 20 registrars in terms of domains under management. It is in the top 50 for .com domain registrations and has customers in 199 countries.
CentralNic will pay up to $7.5 million for the registrar, which had profits after tax of $0.73 million last year. The company will pay $5.2M up front, $2.7M in cash and $2.5M in equity that will be locked up for 12 months. The equity represents 3.42% of the company. CentralNic will pay up to $2.3M cash in the future depending on performance.
Pictured (left to right): IBS founder Marco Rinuado, IBS Chairman Gregg McNair, CentralNic CEO Ben Crawford.
[This story was updated to included the deal terms, which were made public in a regulatory filing.]
15 Comments Tags: ben crawford, centralnic, CNIC, gregg mcnair, ibs, internet.bs, marco, rinuado
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PIR (.org) releases annual report, shows impact from new Afilias deal
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War Tales
Tagged Nose art
He flew as tail gunner in a B-24 ‘Liberator’ in the Pacific dubbed ‘Passionate Witch’
Carl Driver of Alligator Mobile Home Park on Taylor Road south of Punta Gorda, Fla. was the tail gunner in a B-24 “Liberator” four-engine, heavy bomber dubbed “Passionate Witch.” They were part of the 13 Air Force, 50th Bomb Group, 23 Bomb Squadron that flew from captured island air bases built by the Japanese in…
‘Leggy Lady’ was a bomber like no other
Ret. Staff Sgt. Linwood Brown of Punta Gorda, Fla. was tail gunner in “Leggy Lady,” a B-25 Mitchell medium attack bomber, part of the 10th Air Force flying bombing raids in the China, Burma, India Theater in Burma, China and Thailand in late 1944 and almost until the end of World War II in ’45.
Herb May of Port Charlotte, Fla. flew as tail gunner in B-24 called ‘Wild Pussy’
A tail gunner in a B-24 bomber dubbed “Wild Pussy,” Staff Sgt. Herb May was on one of the first daylight mission flown by the U.S. Air Force over Berlin in May 1944. He had plenty of company — there were 800 heavy bombers in the armada that day attacking the German capital.
‘Billy’s Filly’ was the most beautiful and best fighter in WWII’ – Bill Fowkes of Punta Gorda flew 37 combat missions in this P-38 Lightning
“Billy’s Filly” is what he called her. She was the sleekest, most beautiful, best fighter plane there was in World War II, according to Col. William Fowkes of Punta Gorda, Fla., U.S. Air Force retired.
1st Lt. Ken Stetson received DFC for fire bombing Japanese cities in WW II
1st Lt. Ken Stetson, was at the controls of a B-29 “Superfortress” the crew named “Tanaka Termite” when it was attacked by Japanese fighter planes while flying in formation over Mount Fuji on their first of 30 combat missions to Japan.
Otto Glass in Air Force months before Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor
Otto Glass was the first young man in his hometown of St. Mary’s, Ohio drafted in World War II. He went in the Army Air Force almost a year before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
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The Reception Halls
Drottningholm Palace Park
The Royal Chapel
Evert Lundquist's Studio
The Royal Gift Shop, Visitors Centre
Drottningholm Palace Theatre
Museum de Vries
Restaurant and café
Drottningholm Palace Open today 10.00-17.00
Drottningholm Palace is on UNESCO's World Heritage list. It is the most well-preserved royal castle built in the 1600s in Sweden and at the same time is representative of all European architecture for the period.
Make a day trip to Drottningholm and experience a historic milieu of the highest international standards. The combination of the exotic Chinese Pavilion pleasure palace, the palace theatre and the magnificent palace gardens make a visit to Drottningholm a unique experience.
Influenced by French prototype, the palace was built by architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder by commission of Queen Hedvig Eleonora. A number of royal personages have since then left their mark on the palace.
The Palace is Their Majesties the King and Queen's permanent home residence. The rooms in the southern wing of the palace are reserved for this purpose. The rest of the palace and grounds are open to the public year round.
History and highlights of Drottningholm Palace
Childrens Drottningholm
Discover more at Drottningholm Palace
You can explore Drottningholm Palace by yourself, but a guided tour will ensure that your visit is particularly memorable.
Childrens Drottningholm Open today 10.00-17.00
Take your children and grandchildren on a trip to Drottningholm. Here, you can go on a lion safari, hunt for gold and discover plants.
Calling out for young hunters 1 May – 15 Dec
Hunt for lions, find flowers and discover the Palace's gold. Challenging image hunts in the rooms of Drottningholm Palace is hosted for c...
Summer music at Drottningholm 21 Jul
During June and July, there will be summer music and musical services at Drottningholm Palace Chapel. The chapel was built in 1730, and i...
Sculpture Day 8 Sep
Take the chance to see the world’s largest collection of Adriaen de Vries sculptures. The museum at Drottningholm has on display a unique...
The Reception Halls Open today 10.00-17.00
Throughout the years Drottningholm Palace has changed and the royal personages who lived here have left their mark on the Palace's interi...
Drottningholm Palace Park is open all year round. Here, you can wander through historic stylistic ideals from the 17th century Baroque to...
The Chinese Pavilion Open today 11.00-17.00
“He took me to the side of the pleasure gardens, and I was surprised to find myself suddenly standing in front of a real fairy tale palac...
The Royal Chapel Open today 10.00-17.00
Drottningholm Palace Chapel was opened in 1730, and has been in continuous use ever since. The architect was Tessin, and the interior was...
The artist Evert Lundquist had his studio in the old machine house at the Chinese Pavilion. The studio is now a highly atmospheric museum...
The Royal Gift Shop and Visitor's Centre Open today 10.00-17.00
Royal Walks: Drottningholm
Three walks at Drottningholm in the Royal Walks app will guide you through the World Heritage Site of Drottningholm Palace Park, from the...
Video part 1: 200 years of Swedish History with the Bernadotte Dynasty
A Royal family keeping up with the time. '200 years of Swedish History with the Bernadotte Dynasty' is a story told by Dick Harrison, Pro...
Contact: +46 (0)8 402 61 00 weekdays 9:00–12:00
Is it possible to take wedding photos inside the royal palaces?
Wedding photography is not permitted in the rooms of the royal palaces.
In the case of wedding ceremonies in Drottningholm Royal Chapel, Rosersberg Palace Chapel, Strömsholm Palace Chapel and Ulriksdal Palace Chapel, it is fine to take photographs in the chapel, but not in the rooms of the palaces.
Lovisa Ulrika of Prussia 1720-1782
Sofia Magdalena of Denmark 1746-1830
Fredrika of Baden 1781-1826
Hedvig Elisabet Charlotta of Holstein-Gottorp 1759-1818
Desideria 1777-1860
Josefina of Leuchtenberg 1807-1876
Lovisa of the Netherlands 1828-1871
Sofia of Nassau 1836-1913
Victoria of Baden 1862-1930
Louise Mountbatten 1889-1965
Queen Silvia 1943-
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Archive for January 22nd, 2015
Social Capital, the Welfare State, and the Threat to American Exceptionalism
Posted in Dependency, Economics, Poverty, Redistribution, Welfare, Welfare State, tagged Dependency, Economics, Poverty, Redistribution, Welfare, Welfare State on January 22, 2015| 38 Comments »
There’s a famous quote, commonly attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville, about the American character.
America is great because America is good. If America ever stops being good, it will stop being great.
What makes this quote so popular (even though Wikipedia says it’s not actually from de Tocqueville) is the instinctive understanding that a society’s success is at least in part driven by the moral character of its people.
And even if the quote is incorrectly attributed, it clearly is something that could have come from de Tocqueville. In his writings, he openly acknowledged that good laws were only part of what’s needed for a successful society.
The best laws cannot make a constitution work in spite of morals; morals can turn the worst laws to advantage.
This is spot on. A nation is far more likely to be successful if people have the right attitudes, what’s variously referred to as social capital, national character, cultural capital, civics, or tradition.
Here’s what I wrote about the topic last year.
…social capital…refers to the attitudes of a country’s people….Do the people of a nation believe in the work ethic? Or would they be comfortable as wards of the state, living off others? Are they motivated by the spirit of self-reliance? Would they be ashamed to go on welfare? Do they think the government is obligated to give them things? The answers to these questions matter a lot because a nation can’t prosper once you reach a tipping point of too many people riding in the wagon and too few people producing.
I fear that many nations, such as France and Greece, have already reached the point of no return. And I’m worried America is on the same path.
That’s the main reason I created the Moocher Hall of Fame. Yes, taxpayers should get outraged how their money is being wasted, but the far bigger problem is the mentality, present is an ever-growing number of people, that there’s nothing wrong with living off the government.
Sort of as depicted by this Lisa Benson cartoon.
Though it would be more accurate to say that too many people are opting to live off the work of others. After all, the government doesn’t have money to redistribute unless it is taxed or borrowed from those who earned it.
But enough of my amateur commentary, which only scratches the surface of this issue. For those who want deep expertise and knowledge on the topic, I’m delighted (in a very pessimistic and dour sense of the word) to share some excerpts from a superb article in National Affairs by Nicholas Eberstadt, who is a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.
He starts by explaining that an ever-growing share of the population is receiving handouts and that this pattern is a threat to American exceptionalism.
Asking for, and accepting, purportedly need-based government welfare benefits has become a fact of life for a significant and still growing minority of our population: Every decade, a higher proportion of Americans appear to be habituated to the practice. If the trajectory continues, the coming generation could see the emergence in the United States of means-tested beneficiaries becoming the majority of the population. …nearly half of all children under 18 years of age received means-tested benefits (or lived in homes that did). For this rising cohort of young Americans, reliance on public, need-based entitlement programs is already the norm — here and now. It risks belaboring the obvious to observe that today’s real existing American entitlement state, and the habits — including habits of mind — that it engenders, do not coexist easily with the values and principles, or with the traditions, culture, and styles of life, subsumed under the shorthand of “American exceptionalism.” Especially subversive of that ethos, we might argue, are essentially unconditional and indefinite guarantees of means-tested public largesse.
For those who prefer hard numbers, here is a chart from his article.
There’s so much interested data and analysis in the article, that it’s difficult to choose only a few things to highlight. But these passages are particularly depressing.
The corrosive nature of mass dependence on entitlements is evident from the nature of the pathologies so closely associated with its spread. Two of the most pernicious of them are so tightly intertwined as to be inseparable: the breakdown of the pre-existing American family structure and the dramatic decrease in participation in work among working-age men. When the “War on Poverty” was launched in 1964, 7% of children were born outside of marriage; by 2012, that number had grown to an astounding 41%, and nearly a quarter of all American children under the age of 18 were living with a single mother. …As for men of parenting age, a steadily rising share has been opting out of the labor force altogether. Between 1964 and early 2014, the fraction of civilian men between the ages of 25 and 34 who were neither working nor looking for work roughly quadrupled, from less than 3% to more than 11%. In 1965, fewer than 5% of American men between 45 and 54 years of age were totally out of the work force; by early 2014, the fraction was almost 15%. …mass gaming of the welfare system appears to be a fact of modern American life. The country’s ballooning “disability” claims attest to this. Disability awards are a key source of financial support for non-working men now, and disability judgments also serve as a gateway to qualifying for a whole assortment of subsidiary welfare benefits. Successful claims by working-age adults against the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program rose almost six-fold between 1970 and 2012 — and that number does not include claims against other major government disability programs, such as SSI.
Ugh. It’s almost as if this Chip Bok cartoon is becoming a depiction of American reality.
To close, here are some excerpts that put the issue of dependency in broader context.
The burning personal ambition and hunger for success that both domestic and foreign observers have long taken to be distinctively American traits are being undermined and supplanted by the character challenges posed by the entitlement state. The incentive structure of our means-based welfare state invites citizens to accept benefits by showing need, making the criterion for receiving grants demonstrated personal or familial financial failure, which used to be a source of shame. …The entitlement state appears to be degrading standards of citizenship in other ways as well. For example, …The late senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan once wrote, “It cannot too often be stated that the issue of welfare is not what it costs those who provide it, but what it costs those who receive it.” The full tally of those costs must now include the loss of public honesty occasioned by chronic deception to extract unwarranted entitlement benefits from our government…collusive bipartisan support for an ever-larger welfare state is the central fact of politics in our nation’s capital today, as it has been for decades. Until and unless America undergoes some sort of awakening that turns the public against its blandishments, or some sort of forcing financial crisis that suddenly restricts the resources available to it, continued growth of the entitlement state looks very likely in the years immediately ahead.
So what’s the answer to this mess?
Without question, the first step is to get Washington out of the business of imposing a one-size-fits-all system on the country.
Simply stated, take the money in Washington that is spent on all redistribution programs, lump those funds into a block grant, and then turn the money over to the states and give them free rein to decide how best to alleviate poverty without creating discomfort.
Republicans, to their credit, already have proposed that solution for Medicaid. But they need to expand that legislation to other means-tested programs.
The real key to success, though, is slowly but surely phasing out the block grant. It’s good to give states flexibility in spending money, but you won’t get responsible decisions unless states – at some point – are also responsible for raising the money.
In other words, the answer is federalism. And because this means jurisdictional competition, we’re quite likely to get better policy. After all, if crazy states such as California, New York, and Illinois want to impose high tax rates to fund overly generous handout, they’ll quickly learn why that’s a bad idea since productive people will emigrate and welfare recipients will immigrate.
Ideally, state lawmakers will decide that welfare programs should focus on people with genuine material deprivation and not ….
Writing about Eberstadt’s article, George Will highlights the fact that you no longer have to be poor to get freebies from federal anti-poverty programs.
Between 1983 and 2012, the population increased by almost 83 million — and people accepting means-tested benefits increased by 67 million. So, for every 100-person increase in the population there was an 80-person increase in the recipients of means-tested payments. Food stamp recipients increased from 19 million to 51 million — more than the combined populations of 24 states. What has changed? Not the portion of the estimated population below the poverty line (15.2 percent in 1983; 15 percent in 2012). Rather, poverty programs have become untethered from the official designation of poverty: In 2012, more than half the recipients were not classified as poor but accepted being treated as needy.
And as you read that passage, keep in mind that the poverty line in America is well above the average level of income in most parts of the world.
But the left wants to redefine poverty in ways that enable redistribution to people who aren’t poor.
P.S. Here’s a great video on differences between the United State and Europe. And here’s a video that is best described as the result of an affair between Dr. Seuss and a think tanker.
P.P.S. Here’s a superb Chuck Asay cartoon on how government undermines social capital. And here’s a Michael Ramirez cartoon making the same point.
P.P.P.S. If you enjoy satire, here’s a book of left-wing nursery rhymes.
P.P.P.P.S. And if you want to know one of my fantasies (which deals with the entitlement mindset), click here.
P.P.P.P.P.S. Last but not least, here’s the famous set of cartoons showing the rise and (inevitable) fall of the welfare state.
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Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group to Depart for Deployment
From Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Norfolk, Virginia — (NNS) — April 10, 2018.
Nearly 6,500 Sailors of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) will depart Norfolk the morning of April 11, for a regularly-scheduled deployment.
Deploying ships and aircraft of the strike group, commanded by Rear Adm. Gene Black, include flagship USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), commanded by Capt. Nick Dienna; the nine squadrons of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1; guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60); and guided-missile destroyers of Destroyer Squadron Two Eight (DESRON 28), including USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), USS Bulkeley (DDG 84), USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98), and USS Farragut (DDG 99). The Sachsen-class German frigate FGS Hessen (F 221) is also operating as part of the strike group during the first half of the deployment. Guided-missile destroyers USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) and USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) are slated to deploy from their homeports and rejoin the strike group at a future date.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Scott Swoffor
Squadrons of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1, commanded by Capt. John Perrone, embarked on Truman include Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 "Red Rippers;" VFA-211 "Checkmates;" VFA-81 "Sunliners;" VFA-136 "Knighthawks;" Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 137 "Rooks;" Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 126 "Seahawks;" Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 72 "Proud Warriors;" Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 11.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Scott Swofford.
"Dragon Slayers;" and a detachment from Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 "Rawhides."While deployed, the strike group will operate in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility conducting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts alongside allies and partners. The deployment is part of a regular rotation of forces to provide crisis response capability and increase theater security cooperation and forward naval presence in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation.
Sélectionner le voteGive Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group to Depart for Deployment 1/5Give Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group to Depart for Deployment 2/5Give Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group to Depart for Deployment 3/5Give Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group to Depart for Deployment 4/5Give Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group to Depart for Deployment 5/5
Combattre et sauver : Histoire des hélicoptères de l'armée de l'Air
Air, Livres de référence, Pages d'Histoire - last view [timestamp]
Un nouveau sauvetage en mer réussi par l’EH 1/67 « Pyrénées »
Air, Mer - last view [timestamp]
Livraison du 14e A400M Atlas au ministère des Armées
America on the Brink of the First World War
Pages d'Histoire - last view [timestamp]
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Aida. Giuseppe Verdi
Musica, Teatro, Performance, Music
Aida ⎮ Roberta Mantegna (18, 23, 26, 30/5, 1/6)
Radames ⎮ Francesco Meli (18, 23, 26, 30/5, 1/6) ⎮ Valter Fraccaro (22, 28, 31/5)
Amneris ⎮ Veronica Simeoni
Amonasro ⎮ Roberto Frontali
other roles to be announced soon
Conductor ⎮ Riccardo Frizza
Director ⎮ Mauro Bolognini replicated by Bepi Morassi
La Fenice production
Aida is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in Egypt, it was commissioned by and first performed at Cairo’s Khedivial Opera House on 24 December 1871; Giovanni Bottesini conducted after Verdi himself withdrew. Today the work holds a central place in the operatic canon, receiving performances every year around the world; at New York’s Metropolitan Opera alone, Aida has been sung more than 1,100 times since 1886. Ghislanzoni’s scheme follows a scenario often attributed to the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette, but Verdi biographer Mary Jane Phillips-Matz argues that the source is actually Temistocle Solera.
Isma’il Pasha, Khedive of Egypt, commissioned Verdi to write an opera for performance to celebrate the opening of the Khedivial Opera House, paying him 150,000 francs, but the premiere was delayed because of the Siege of Paris (1870–71), during the Franco-Prussian War, when the scenery and costumes were stuck in the French capital, and Verdi’s Rigoletto was performed instead. Aida eventually premiered in Cairo in late 1871. Contrary to popular belief, the opera was not written to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, for which Verdi had been invited to write an inaugural hymn, but had declined. The plot bears striking, though unintentional, similarities to Metastasio’s libretto La Nitteti (1756).
Saturday, May 18, 2019 to Saturday, June 1, 2019
Saturday 18/05/2019 7:00 pm
Wednesday 22/05/2019 7:00 pm
Thursday 23/05/2019 7:00 pm
Sunday 26/05/2019 3:30 pm
Tuesday 28/05/2019 7:00 pm
Friday 31/05/2019 7:00 pm
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Geology & Geophysics AGU News
AGU Awarded Grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
The 3-year grant will help launch the new AGU Ethics and Equity antiharassment initiative.
Credit: iStock.com/PeopleImages
By AGU 12 July 2019
AGU has been awarded a 3-year grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to launch the AGU Ethics and Equity Initiative: Catalyzing Cultural Change in the Sciences with New Resources and Tracking Tools. This initiative is designed to directly address sexual harassment and other related matters that affect gender discrimination through new educational resources and validated measurement tools. The initiative is being developed through an AGU partnership with the National Center for Professional & Research Ethics (NCPRE) at the University of Illinois. The new resources in this project are designed to allow for broad adaptation by the science community.
Addressing an Urgent Issue in STEM
The initiative uses “a data-driven, ready to use approach that the science community needs.”
“Multiple national studies have identified persistent sexual harassment and harassment-related issues in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) that have driven talent from these fields. These issues have been ignored for decades; institutions, societies, and individuals are looking for solutions,” said AGU CEO/executive director Chris McEntee. “This grant from the Sloan Foundation helps AGU build on recommendations from the 2018 National Academies of Sciences report on Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and will help address an urgent problem using a data-driven, ready to use approach that the science community needs.”
Focusing on development, implementation, and broad adoption, the initiative will do the following:
It will create a series of annual, unique, and in-person workshops and leadership development offerings related to advancing antiharassment and related ethics and equity in science to reach more than 500 scientists.
It will also develop a validated, integrated, and easy to use work climate assessment tool that allows for direct benchmarking and analysis, targeting broad promotion and adoption by academic and scientific institutions. The work to be performed under this initiative will include a comparative dimension and lead to new understandings and interventions to address the identified problems.
The project will be guided by a 12-person, multidisciplinary advisory board that includes representatives from across scientific organizations and institutions.
AGU Positioned to Lead
“AGU is positioned to lead the effort across the sciences to help ensure that these issues are proactively addressed and that the scientific community is open and welcoming to all.”
“Harassment in science has been a particular concern for scientific disciplines requiring field research. AGU is positioned to lead the effort across the sciences to help ensure that these issues are proactively addressed and that the scientific community is open and welcoming to all,” said AGU president Robin Bell. “The grant from the Sloan Foundation will help us ensure Earth and space sciences continues to lead the sciences by helping our community with data, tools, and innovative approaches to attract and retain everyone keen to engage in science.”
In September 2017, AGU was the first scientific society to adopt a revised Ethics Policy that included harassment as a form of research misconduct. This policy was expanded to include AGU members, staff, volunteers, and nonmembers participating in AGU-sponsored programs and activities, including AGU honors and awards and governance. This new initiative also builds on AGU’s recent work to help establish the Societies Consortium on Sexual Harassment in STEMM. Now with more than 110 member societies, the consortium is charged with further developing and sharing leading practices that drive cultural change and advance workplace excellence in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medical fields.
“An environment that supports research integrity must support the fullest creativity and productivity of all participants in the research enterprise.”
A Joint Effort with NCPRE
“AGU and NCPRE have strong records of actions, results, innovation, and partnerships in leading change on these issues across the scientific community. NCPRE is excited to partner with AGU to extend our existing tools and our belief that an environment that supports research integrity must support the fullest creativity and productivity of all participants in the research enterprise,” said C. K. Gunsalus, NCPRE director.
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation selects grantees that “have a high expected return to society, exhibit a high degree of methodological rigor, and for which funding from the private sector, government, or other foundations is not yet widely available.”
Founded in 1919, AGU is a not-for-profit scientific society dedicated to advancing Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. We support 60,000 members, who reside in 135 countries, as well as our broader community, through high-quality scholarly publications, dynamic meetings, our dedication to science policy and science communications, and our commitment to building a diverse and inclusive workforce, as well as many other innovative programs. AGU is home to the award-winning news publication Eos, the Thriving Earth Exchange, where scientists and community leaders work together to tackle local issues, and a headquarters building that represents Washington, D.C.’s first net zero energy commercial renovation. We are celebrating our Centennial in 2019. #AGU100
The National Center for Professional & Research Ethics (NCPRE) creates and shares resources to support the development of better ethics and leadership practices. It focuses on leadership in a variety of institutional settings, from academia to business. NCPRE is part of the Coordinated Science Laboratory in the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a philanthropic, not-for-profit grant-making institution based in New York City. Established in 1934 by Alfred Pritchard Sloan Jr., then president and chief executive officer of the General Motors Corporation, the foundation makes grants in three broad areas: direct support of research in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economics; initiatives to increase the quality and diversity of scientific institutions; and efforts to enhance and deepen public engagement with science and scientists.
Citation: AGU (2019), AGU awarded grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Eos, 100, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019EO128733. Published on 12 July 2019.
Text © 2019. AGU. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
News 13 hours ago
Apollo 11 at 50 and Other Things We’re Reading This Week
Zombie Worms, Ploonets, and Other Things We’re Reading This Week
AGU’s Thriving Earth Exchange Wins 2019 Power of A Summit Award
Changes to the Eos Scientist-Authored Submission Process
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Luteinizing hormone
Luteinizing hormone (LH, also known as lutropin and sometimes lutrophin[1]) is a hormone produced by gonadotropic cells in the anterior pituitary gland. In females, an acute rise of LH ("LH surge") triggers ovulation[2] and development of the corpus luteum. In males, where LH had also been called interstitial cell–stimulating hormone (ICSH),[3] it stimulates Leydig cell production of testosterone.[2] It acts synergistically with FSH.
Chorionic gonadotropin alpha
Alt. symbols
HCG, GPHa, GPHA1
Chr. 6 q14-q21
Luteinizing hormone beta polypeptide
LHB
Chr. 19 q13.3
StructureEdit
LH is a heterodimeric glycoprotein. Each monomeric unit is a glycoprotein molecule; one alpha and one beta subunit make the full, functional protein.
Its structure is similar to that of the other glycoprotein hormones, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The protein dimer contains 2 glycopeptidic subunits, labeled alpha and beta subunits, that are non-covalently associated (i.e., without any disulfide bridge linking them):[4]
The alpha subunits of LH, FSH, TSH, and hCG are identical, and contain 92 amino acids in human but 96 amino acids in almost all other vertebrate species (glycoprotein hormones do not exist in invertebrates).
The beta subunits vary. LH has a beta subunit of 120 amino acids (LHB) that confers its specific biologic action and is responsible for the specificity of the interaction with the LH receptor. This beta subunit contains an amino acid sequence that exhibits large homologies with that of the beta subunit of hCG and both stimulate the same receptor. However, the hCG beta subunit contains an additional 24 amino acids, and the two hormones differ in the composition of their sugar moieties.
The different composition of these oligosaccharides affects bioactivity and speed of degradation. The biologic half-life of LH is 20 minutes, shorter than that of FSH (3–4 hours) and hCG (24 hours).[citation needed] The biological half-life of LH is 23 hours subcutaneous[5] or terminal half life of 10-12 hours.[6]
GenesEdit
The gene for the alpha subunit is located on chromosome 6q12.21.
The luteinizing hormone beta subunit gene is localized in the LHB/CGB gene cluster on chromosome 19q13.32. In contrast to the alpha gene activity, beta LH subunit gene activity is restricted to the pituitary gonadotropic cells. It is regulated by the gonadotropin-releasing hormone from the hypothalamus. Inhibin, activin, and sex hormones do not affect genetic activity for the beta subunit production of LH.
FunctionEdit
Effects of LH on the body
In females: ovulation, maintaining of corpus luteum and secretion of progesterone.
In males: testosterone secretion.
Effects in femalesEdit
LH supports theca cells in the ovaries that provide androgens and hormonal precursors for estradiol production. At the time of menstruation, FSH initiates follicular growth, specifically affecting granulosa cells.[7] With the rise in estrogens, LH receptors are also expressed on the maturing follicle, which causes it to produce more estradiol. Eventually, when the follicle has fully matured, a spike in 17α-hydroxyprogesterone production by the follicle inhibits the production of estrogens, leading to a decrease in estrogen-mediated negative feedback of GnRH in the hypothalamus, which then stimulates the release of LH from the anterior pituitary.[8] However another theory of the LH peak is a positive feedback mechanism from estradiol. The levels keep rising through the follicular phase and when they reach an unknown threshold, this results in the peak of the LH.[9] This effect is opposite from the usual negative feedback mechanism presented at lower levels. In other words, the mechanism(s) are not yet clear. The increase in LH production only lasts for 24 to 48 hours. This "LH surge" triggers ovulation, thereby not only releasing the egg from the follicle, but also initiating the conversion of the residual follicle into a corpus luteum that, in turn, produces progesterone to prepare the endometrium for a possible implantation. LH is necessary to maintain luteal function for the second two weeks of the menstrual cycle. If pregnancy occurs, LH levels will decrease, and luteal function will instead be maintained by the action of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a hormone very similar to LH but secreted from the new placenta.
Gonadal steroids (estrogens and androgens) generally have negative feedback effects on GnRH-1 release at the level of the hypothalamus and at the gonadotropes, reducing their sensitivity to GnRH. Positive feedback by estrogens also occurs in the gonadal axis of female mammals and is responsible for the midcycle surge of LH that stimulates ovulation. Although estrogens inhibit kisspeptin (Kp) release from kiss1 neurons in the ARC, estrogens stimulate Kp release from the Kp neurons in the AVPV. As estrogens' levels gradually increase the positive effect predominates, leading to the LH surge. GABA-secreting neurons that innervate GnRH-1 neurons also can stimulate GnRH-1 release. These GABA neurons also possess ERs and may be responsible for the GnRH-1 surge. Part of the inhibitory action of endorphins on GnRH-1 release is through inhibition of these GABA neurons. Rupture of the ovarian follicle at ovulation causes a drastic reduction in estrogen synthesis and a marked increase in secretion of progesterone by the corpus luteum in the ovary, reinstating a predominantly negative feedback on hypothalamic secretion of GnRH-1.[10]
Effects in malesEdit
LH acts upon the Leydig cells of the testis and is regulated by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH).[11] The Leydig cells produce testosterone (T) under the control of LH, which regulates the expression of the enzyme 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase that is used to convert androstenedione, the hormone produced by the testes, to testosterone. The onset of puberty is controlled by two major hormones: FSH initiates spermatogenesis and LH signals the release of testosterone.[citation needed] an androgen that exerts both endocrine activity and intratesticular activity on spermatogenesis.
LH is released from the pituitary gland, and is controlled by pulses of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. When T levels are low, GnRH is released by the hypothalamus, stimulating the pituitary gland to release LH.[11] As the levels of T increase, it will act on the hypothalamus and pituitary through a negative feedback loop and inhibit the release of GnRH and LH consequently.[citation needed] Androgens (T, DHT) inhibit monoamine oxidase (MAO) in pineal, leading to increased melatonin and reduced LH and FSH by melatonin-induced increase of Gonadotropin-Inhibitory Hormone (GnIH)[12] synthesis and secretion. T can also be aromatized into estradiol (E2) to inhibit LH. E2 decreases pulse amplitude and responsiveness to GnRH from the hypothalamus onto the pituitary.[13]
Changes in LH and testosterone (T) blood levels and pulse secretions are induced by changes in sexual arousal in human males.[14]
Normal levelsEdit
Reference ranges for the blood content of luteinizing hormone (LH) during the menstrual cycle.[15]
The ranges denoted By biological stage may be used in closely monitored menstrual cycles in regard to other markers of its biological progression, with the time scale being compressed or stretched to how much faster or slower, respectively, the cycle progresses compared to an average cycle.
The ranges denoted Inter-cycle variability are more appropriate to use in non-monitored cycles with only the beginning of menstruation known, but where the woman accurately knows her average cycle lengths and time of ovulation, and that they are somewhat averagely regular, with the time scale being compressed or stretched to how much a woman's average cycle length is shorter or longer, respectively, than the average of the population.
The ranges denoted Inter-woman variability are more appropriate to use when the average cycle lengths and time of ovulation are unknown, but only the beginning of menstruation is given.
LH levels are normally low during childhood and, in women, high after menopause. As LH is secreted as pulses, it is necessary to follow its concentration over a sufficient period of time to get proper information about its blood level.
During the reproductive years, typical levels are between 1–20 IU/L. Physiologic high LH levels are seen during the LH surge (v.s.); typically they last 48 hours.
In males over 18 years of age, reference ranges have been estimated to be 1.8–8.6 IU/L.[16]
LH is measured in international units (IU). When quantifying the amount of LH in a sample in IUs, it is important to know which international standard your lot of LH was calibrated against, as they can vary broadly from year to year. For human urinary LH, one IU is most recently defined as 1/189th of an ampule denoted 96/602 and distributed by the NIBSC, corresponding to approximately 0.04656µg of LH protein for a single IU, but older standard versions are still widely in use.[17][18]
Predicting ovulationEdit
Chance of fertilization by menstrual cycle day relative to ovulation.[19]
The detection of a surge in release of luteinizing hormone indicates impending ovulation. LH can be detected by urinary ovulation predictor kits (OPK, also LH-kit) that are performed, typically daily, around the time ovulation may be expected.[20] A conversion from a negative to a positive reading would suggest that ovulation is about to occur within 24–48 hours, giving women two days to engage in sexual intercourse or artificial insemination with the intention of conceiving.[21]
The recommended testing frequency differs between manufacturers. For example, the Clearblue test is taken daily, and an increased frequency does not decrease the risk of missing an LH surge.[22] On the other hand, the Chinese company Nantong Egens Biotechnology recommends using their test twice per day.[23] If testing once per day, no significant difference has been found between testing LH in the morning versus in the evening, in relation to conception rates,[24] and recommendations of what time in the day to take the test varies between manufacturers and healthcare workers.[25] Tests may be read manually using a color-change paper strip, or digitally with the assistance of reading electronics.
Tests for luteinizing hormone may be combined with testing for estradiol in tests such as the Clearblue fertility monitor.[medical citation needed]
The sensitivity of LH tests are measured in milli international unit, with tests commonly available in the range 10–40 m.i.u. (the lower the number, the higher the sensitivity).[citation needed]
As sperm can stay viable in the woman for several days, LH tests are not recommended for contraceptive practices, as the LH surge typically occurs after the beginning of the fertile window.
Disease statesEdit
ExcessEdit
In children with precocious puberty of pituitary or central origin, LH and FSH levels may be in the reproductive range instead of the low levels typical for their age.
During the reproductive years, relatively elevated LH is frequently seen in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome; however, it would be unusual for them to have LH levels outside of the normal reproductive range.
Persistently high LH levels are indicative of situations where the normal restricting feedback from the gonad is absent, leading to a pituitary production of both LH and FSH. While this is typical in menopause, it is abnormal in the reproductive years. There it may be a sign of:
Premature menopause
Gonadal dysgenesis, Turner syndrome
Swyer syndrome
Certain forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Testicular failure
Pregnancy - BetaHCG can mimic LH so tests may show elevated LH
Note: A medical drug for inhibiting luteinizing hormone secretion is Butinazocine.[26]
DeficiencyEdit
Diminished secretion of LH can result in failure of gonadal function (hypogonadism). This condition is typically manifest in males as failure in production of normal numbers of sperm. In females, amenorrhea is commonly observed. Conditions with very low LH secretions include:
Pasqualini syndrome[27][28][29]
Kallmann syndrome
Hypothalamic suppression
Hyperprolactinemia
Gonadal suppression therapy
GnRH antagonist
GnRH agonist (inducing an initial stimulation (flare up) followed by permanent blockage of the GnRH pituitary receptor)
As a medicationEdit
LH is available mixed with FSH in the form of menotropin, and other forms of urinary gonadotropins. More purified forms of urinary gonadotropins may reduce the LH portion in relation to FSH. Recombinant LH is available as lutropin alfa (Luveris).[30] All these medications have to be given parenterally. They are commonly used in infertility therapy to stimulate follicular development, the notable one being in IVF therapy.
Often, HCG medication is used as an LH substitute because it activates the same receptor. Medically used hCG is derived from urine of pregnant women, is less costly, and has a longer half-life than LH.
^ Ujihara M, Yamamoto K, Nomura K, Toyoshima S, Demura H, Nakamura Y, Ohmura K, Osawa T (June 1992). "Subunit-specific sulphation of oligosaccharides relating to charge-heterogeneity in porcine lutrophin isoforms". Glycobiology. 2 (3): 225–31. doi:10.1093/glycob/2.3.225. PMID 1498420.
^ a b Essentials of Human Physiology by Thomas M. Nosek. Section 5/5ch9/s5ch9_5.
^ Louvet JP, Harman SM, Ross GT (May 1975). "Effects of human chorionic gonadotropin, human interstitial cell stimulating hormone and human follicle-stimulating hormone on ovarian weights in estrogen-primed hypophysectomized immature female rats". Endocrinology. 96 (5): 1179–86. doi:10.1210/endo-96-5-1179. PMID 1122882.
^ Jiang X, Dias JA, He X (January 2014). "Structural biology of glycoprotein hormones and their receptors: insights to signaling". Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. 382 (1): 424–51. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2013.08.021. PMID 24001578.
^ Ezcurra D, Humaidan P (October 2014). "A review of luteinising hormone and human chorionic gonadotropin when used in assisted reproductive technology". Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. 12 (1): 95. doi:10.1186/1477-7827-12-95. PMID 25280580.
^ le Cotonnec JY, Porchet HC, Beltrami V, Munafo A (February 1998). "Clinical pharmacology of recombinant human luteinizing hormone: Part I. Pharmacokinetics after intravenous administration to healthy female volunteers and comparison with urinary human luteinizing hormone". Fertility and Sterility. 69 (2): 189–94. doi:10.1016/S0015-0282(97)00501-3. PMID 9496327.
^ Bowen R (13 May 2004). "Gonadotropins: Luteinizing and Follicle Stimulating Hormones". Colorado State University. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
^ Mahesh VB (January 2012). "Hirsutism, virilism, polycystic ovarian disease, and the steroid-gonadotropin-feedback system: a career retrospective". American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism. 302 (1): E4–E18. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00488.2011. PMC 3328092. PMID 22028409.
^ Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology 2006 page 1021
^ Norris DO, Carr JA (2013). Vertebrate Endocrinology. Academic Press. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-12-396465-6.
^ a b "Male Medical Fertility Treatment: HCG + LH + Recombinant FSH To Increase Sperm Count Through Spermatogenisis". Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2015. [unreliable medical source?]
^ Ubuka T, Son YL, Tobari Y, Narihiro M, Bentley GE, Kriegsfeld LJ, Tsutsui K (2014). "Central and Direct Regulation of Testicular Activity by Gonadotropin-Inhibitory Hormone and Its Receptor". Frontiers in Endocrinology. 5: 8. doi:10.3389/fendo.2014.00008. PMC 3902780. PMID 24478760.
^ Pitteloud N, Dwyer AA, DeCruz S, Lee H, Boepple PA, Crowley WF, Hayes FJ (March 2008). "Inhibition of luteinizing hormone secretion by testosterone in men requires aromatization for its pituitary but not its hypothalamic effects: evidence from the tandem study of normal and gonadotropin-releasing hormone-deficient men". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 93 (3): 784–91. doi:10.1210/jc.2007-2156. PMC 2266963. PMID 18073301.
^ Stoléru SG, Ennaji A, Cournot A, Spira A (1993). "LH pulsatile secretion and testosterone blood levels are influenced by sexual arousal in human males". Psychoneuroendocrinology. 18 (3): 205–18. doi:10.1016/0306-4530(93)90005-6. PMID 8516424.
^ Häggström M (2014). "Reference ranges for estradiol, progesterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone during the menstrual cycle". WikiJournal of Medicine. 1 (1). doi:10.15347/wjm/2014.001. ISSN 2002-4436.
^ Mayo Medical Laboratories - Test ID: LH, Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Serum, retrieved December 2012
^ World Health Organization Proposed International Standard for Luteinizing Hormone. WHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardization. World Health Organization. Geneva. 2003.
^ WHO International Standard, Luteinizing Hormone, Human, Recombinant. National Institute for Biological Standards and Control.
^ Dunson DB, Baird DD, Wilcox AJ, Weinberg CR (July 1999). "Day-specific probabilities of clinical pregnancy based on two studies with imperfect measures of ovulation". Human Reproduction. 14 (7): 1835–9. doi:10.1093/humrep/14.7.1835. PMID 10402400.
^ Nielsen MS, Barton SD, Hatasaka HH, Stanford JB (August 2001). "Comparison of several one-step home urinary luteinizing hormone detection test kits to OvuQuick". Fertility and Sterility. 76 (2): 384–7. doi:10.1016/S0015-0282(01)01881-7. PMID 11476792.
^ "Ovulation Predictor Kit Frequently Asked Questions". Fertility Plus. Archived from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2012. [unreliable medical source?]
^ "Clear Blue Ovulation Test Instructions". Ovulation Guide. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
^ "Advanced Ovulation Test" (PDF). Homehealth-UK. Retrieved 2018-01-19. Version 1.1 02/11/15
^ Martinez AR, Bernardus RE, Vermeiden JP, Schoemaker J (1994). "Time schedules of intrauterine insemination after urinary luteinizing hormone surge detection and pregnancy results". Gynecol Endocrinol. 8 (1): 1–5. doi:10.3109/09513599409028450. PMID 8059611.
^ Page 67 in: Godwin I. Meniru (2001). Cambridge Guide to Infertility Management and Assisted Reproduction. Cambridge University Press.
^ U.S. Patent 4,406,904
^ Weiss J, Axelrod L, Whitcomb RW, Harris PE, Crowley WF, Jameson JL (January 1992). "Hypogonadism caused by a single amino acid substitution in the beta subunit of luteinizing hormone". The New England Journal of Medicine. 326 (3): 179–83. doi:10.1056/NEJM199201163260306. PMID 1727547.
^ Valdes-Socin H, Salvi R, Daly AF, Gaillard RC, Quatresooz P, Tebeu PM, Pralong FP, Beckers A (December 2004). "Hypogonadism in a patient with a mutation in the luteinizing hormone beta-subunit gene". The New England Journal of Medicine. 351 (25): 2619–25. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa040326. PMID 15602022.
^ Valdes-Socin H, Daly AF, Beckers A (2017). "Luteinizing Hormone Deficiency: Historical Views and Future Perspectives" (PDF). Austin Andrology. 2 (1): 1015.
^ Luveris information[unreliable medical source?] Archived June 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
Luteinizing+Hormone at the US National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
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For other uses, see Nineveh (disambiguation).
"Ninevites" redirects here. For the South African resistance movement, see Umkosi Wezintaba.
Nineveh (/ˈnɪnɪvə/; Akkadian: 𒌷𒉌𒉡𒀀 URUNI.NU.A Ninua; Syriac: ܢܝܼܢܘܹܐ) was an ancient Assyrian city of Upper Mesopotamia, located on the outskirts of Mosul in modern-day northern Iraq. It is located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and was the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Today it is a common name for the half of Mosul which lies on the eastern bank of the Tigris.
ܢܝ݂ܢܘܹܐ
The reconstructed Mashki Gate of Nineveh
Shown within Iraq
Mosul, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq
Battle of Nineveh (612 BC)
It was the largest city in the world for some fifty years[1] until the year 612 BC when, after a bitter period of civil war in Assyria, it was sacked by a coalition of its former subject peoples, the Babylonians, Medes, Chaldeans, Persians, Scythians and Cimmerians. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in Iraq's Nineveh Governorate. The two main tells, or mound-ruins, within the walls are Kouyunjik (Kuyuncuk), the Northern Palace, and Tell Nabī Yūnus.
Large amounts of Assyrian sculpture and other artifacts have been excavated and are now located in museums around the world. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) occupied the site during the mid-2010s, during which time they bulldozed several of the monuments there and caused considerable damage to the others. Iraqi forces recaptured the area in January 2017.
Nineveh – Mashki Gate
NameEdit
The English placename Nineveh comes from Latin Ninive and Septuagint Greek Nineuḗ (Νινευή) under influence of the Biblical Hebrew Nīnewēh (נִינְוֶה),[2] from the Akkadian Ninua (var. Ninâ)[3] or Old Babylonian Ninuwā.[2] The original meaning of the name is unclear but may have referred to a patron goddess. The cuneiform for Ninâ (𒀏) is a fish within a house (cf. Aramaic nuna, "fish"). This may have simply intended "Place of Fish" or may have indicated a goddess associated with fish or the Tigris, possibly originally of Hurrian origin.[3] The city was later said to be devoted to "the goddess Ishtar of Nineveh" and Nina was one of the Sumerian and Assyrian names of that goddess.[3]
The city was also known as Ninuwa in Mari;[3] Ninawa in Aramaic;[3] ܢܸܢܘܵܐ[clarification needed] in Syriac;[citation needed] and Nainavā (نینوا) in Persian.
Nabī Yūnus is the Arabic for "Prophet Jonah". Kouyunjik was, according to Layard, a Turkish name, and it was known as Armousheeah by the Arabs,[4] and is thought to have some connection with the Kara Koyunlu dynasty.[5]
The remains of ancient Nineveh, the mound-ruins of Kouyunjik and Nabī Yūnus, are located on a level part of the plain near the junction of the Tigris and the Khosr Rivers within an area of 750 hectares (1,900 acres)[6] circumscribed by a 12-kilometre (7.5 mi) brick rampart. This whole extensive space is now one immense area of ruins overlaid in parts by new suburbs of the city of Mosul.[7]
Nineveh was an important junction for commercial routes crossing the Tigris on the great highway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, thus uniting the East and the West, it received wealth from many sources, so that it became one of the greatest of all the region's ancient cities,[8] and the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
Early historyEdit
Nineveh was one of the oldest and greatest cities in antiquity. The area it occupied was originally settled as early as 6000 BC during the late Neolithic period. Deep sounding at Nineveh uncovered soil layers that have been dated to early in the era of the Hassuna archaeological culture.[9]
By 3000 BC, the area had become an important religious center for the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar. The early city (and subsequent buildings) was constructed on a fault line and, consequently, suffered damage from a number of earthquakes. One such event destroyed the first temple of Ishtar, which was rebuilt in 2260 BC by the Akkadian king Manishtushu.
Texts from the Hellenistic period later offered an eponymous Ninus as the founder of Nineveh, although there is no historical basis for this.
Ninevite 5 periodEdit
The regional influence of Nineveh became particularly pronounced during the archaeological period known as Ninevite 5, or Ninevite V (2900–2600 BC). This period is defined primarily by the characteristic pottery that is found widely throughout northern Mesopotamia.[10] Also, for the northern Mesopotamian region, the Early Jezirah chronology has been developed by archaeologists. According to this regional chronology, 'Ninevite 5' is equivalent to the Early Jezirah I–II period.[11]
Ninevite 5 was preceded by the Late Uruk period. Ninevite 5 pottery is roughly contemporary to the Early Transcaucasian culture ware, and the Jemdet Nasr ware.[10] Iraqi Scarlet Ware culture also belongs to this period; this colourful painted pottery is somewhat similar to Jemdet Nasr ware. Scarlet Ware was first documented in the Diyala River basin in Iraq. Later, it was also found in the nearby Hamrin Basin, and in Luristan.
Old Assyrian periodEdit
The historic Nineveh is mentioned in the Old Assyrian Empire during reign of Shamshi-Adad I in about 1800 BC as a centre of worship of Ishtar, whose cult was responsible for the city's early importance. The goddess's statue was sent to Pharaoh Amenhotep III of Egypt in the 14th century BC, by orders of the king of Mitanni. The Assyrian city of Nineveh became one of Mitanni's vassals for half a century until the early 14th century BC, when the Assyrian king Ashur-uballit I reclaimed it in 1365 BC while overthrowing the Mitanni Empire and creating the Middle Assyrian Empire (1365–1050 BC).[12]
There is a large body of evidence to show that Assyrian monarchs built extensively in Nineveh during the late 3rd and 2nd millenniums BC; it appears to have been originally an "Assyrian provincial town". Later monarchs whose inscriptions have appeared on the high city include the Middle Assyrian Empire kings Shalmaneser I (1274–1245 BC) and Tiglath-Pileser I (1114–1076 BC), both of whom were active builders in Assur (Ashur).
Neo-AssyriansEdit
During the Neo-Assyrian Empire, particularly from the time of Ashurnasirpal II (ruled 883–859 BC) onward, there was considerable architectural expansion. Successive monarchs such as Tiglath-pileser III, Sargon II, Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal maintained and founded new palaces, as well as temples to Sîn, Ashur, Nergal, Shamash, Ninurta, Ishtar, Tammuz, Nisroch and Nabiu.
Refined low-relief section of a bull-hunt frieze from Nineveh, alabaster, c. 695 BC (Pergamon Museum), Berlin.
Relief of the king hunting a Mesopotamian lion,[13] from the Northern Palace in Nineveh, as seen at the British Museum.
Sennacherib's development of NinevehEdit
It was Sennacherib who made Nineveh a truly magnificent city (c. 700 BC). He laid out new streets and squares and built within it the South West Palace, or "palace without a rival", the plan of which has been mostly recovered and has overall dimensions of about 503 by 242 metres (1,650 ft × 794 ft). It comprised at least 80 rooms, many of which were lined with sculpture. A large number of cuneiform tablets were found in the palace. The solid foundation was made out of limestone blocks and mud bricks; it was 22 metres (72 ft) tall. In total, the foundation is made of roughly 2,680,000 cubic metres (3,505,308 cu yd) of brick (approximately 160 million bricks). The walls on top, made out of mud brick, were an additional 20 metres (66 ft) tall.
Some of the principal doorways were flanked by colossal stone lamassu door figures weighing up to 30,000 kilograms (30 t); these were winged Mesopotamian lions[13] or bulls, with human heads. These were transported 50 kilometres (31 mi) from quarries at Balatai, and they had to be lifted up 20 metres (66 ft) once they arrived at the site, presumably by a ramp. There are also 3,000 metres (9,843 ft) of stone Assyrian palace reliefs, that include pictorial records documenting every construction step including carving the statues and transporting them on a barge. One picture shows 44 men towing a colossal statue. The carving shows three men directing the operation while standing on the Colossus. Once the statues arrived at their destination, the final carving was done. Most of the statues weigh between 9,000 and 27,000 kilograms (19,842 and 59,525 lb).[14]
The stone carvings in the walls include many battle scenes, impalings and scenes showing Sennacherib's men parading the spoils of war before him. The inscriptions boasted of his conquests: he wrote of Babylon: "Its inhabitants, young and old, I did not spare, and with their corpses I filled the streets of the city." A full and characteristic set shows the campaign leading up to the siege of Lachish in 701; it is the "finest" from the reign of Sennacherib, and now in the British Museum.[15] He later wrote about a battle in Lachish: "And Hezekiah of Judah who had not submitted to my yoke...him I shut up in Jerusalem his royal city like a caged bird. Earthworks I threw up against him, and anyone coming out of his city gate I made pay for his crime. His cities which I had plundered I had cut off from his land."[16]
At this time, the total area of Nineveh comprised about 7 square kilometres (1,730 acres), and fifteen great gates penetrated its walls. An elaborate system of eighteen canals brought water from the hills to Nineveh, and several sections of a magnificently constructed aqueduct erected by Sennacherib were discovered at Jerwan, about 65 kilometres (40 mi) distant.[17] The enclosed area had more than 100,000 inhabitants (maybe closer to 150,000), about twice as many as Babylon at the time, placing it among the largest settlements worldwide.
Some scholars believe that the garden which Sennacherib built next to his palace, with its associated irrigation works, comprised the original Hanging Gardens of Babylon.[18]
After AshurbanipalEdit
The greatness of Nineveh was short-lived. In around 627 BC, after the death of its last great king Ashurbanipal, the Neo-Assyrian empire began to unravel through a series of bitter civil wars between rival claimants for the throne, and in 616 BC Assyria was attacked by its own former vassals, the Babylonians, Chaldeans, Medes, Persians, Scythians and Cimmerians. In about 616 BC Kalhu was sacked, the allied forces eventually reached Nineveh, besieging and sacking the city in 612 BC, following bitter house-to-house fighting, after which it was razed. Most of the people in the city who could not escape to the last Assyrian strongholds in the north and west were either massacred or deported out of the city and into the countryside where they founded new settlements. Many unburied skeletons were found by the archaeologists at the site. The Assyrian empire then came to an end by 605 BC, the Medes and Babylonians dividing its colonies between themselves.
Assyria, including the Nineveh region, continued to exist as a geo-political entity (Achaemenid Assyria, Athura, Assuristan etc.) under the rule of various empires until its dissolution in the mid-7th century AD.
Following the defeat in 612 BC, the site remained largely unoccupied for centuries and the ruins remained largely intact during Achaemenid rule, though the library of Ashurbanipal may still have been in use until around the time of Alexander the Great. The city is mentioned again in the Battle of Nineveh in 627 AD, which was fought between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sassanian Empire of Persia near the ancient city. From the Arab Islamic Conquest in 637 AD until the modern period, the city of Mosul on the opposite bank of the Tigris became the successor of ancient Nineveh.
Biblical NinevehEdit
In the Hebrew Bible, Nineveh is first mentioned in Genesis 10:11: "Ashur left that land, and built Nineveh". Some modern English translations interpret "Ashur" in the Hebrew of this verse as the country "Assyria" rather than a person, thus making Nimrod, rather than Ashur, the founder of Nineveh. Sir Walter Raleigh's notion that Nimrod built Nineveh, and the cities in Genesis 10:11–12, has also been refuted by scholars.[19] The discovery of the fifteen Jubilees texts found amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls, has since shown that, according to the Jewish sects of Qumran, Genesis 10:11 affirms the apportionment of Nineveh to Ashur.[20][21] The attribution of Nineveh to Ashur is also supported by the Greek Septuagint, King James Bible, Geneva Bible, and by Historian Flavius Josephus in his Antiquites of the Jews (Antiquities, i, vi, 4).[22][23][24][25][non-primary source needed]
The Prophet Jonah before the Walls of Nineveh, drawing by Rembrandt, c. 1655
Nineveh was the flourishing capital of the Assyrian Empire[26] and was the home of King Sennacherib, King of Assyria, during the Biblical reign of King Hezekiah (יְחִזְקִיָּהוּ) and the lifetime of Judean prophet Isaiah (ישעיה). As recorded in Hebrew scripture, Nineveh was also the place where Sennacherib died at the hands of his two sons, who then fled to the vassal land of `rrt Urartu.[27] The book of the prophet Nahum is almost exclusively taken up with prophetic denunciations against Nineveh. Its ruin and utter desolation are foretold.[28][29] Its end was strange, sudden, and tragic.[30] According to the Bible, it was God's doing, His judgment on Assyria's pride (Isaiah 10:5–19). In fulfillment of prophecy, God made "an utter end of the place". It became a "desolation". The prophet Zephaniah also[31] predicts its destruction along with the fall of the empire of which it was the capital. Nineveh is also the setting of the Book of Tobit.
The Book of Jonah, set in the days of the Assyrian empire, describes it[32][33] as an "exceedingly great city of three days' journey in breadth", whose population at that time is given as "more than 120,000". The ruins of Kouyunjik, Nimrud, Karamles and Khorsabad form the four corners of an irregular quadrangle. The ruins of Nineveh, with the whole area included within the parallelogram they form by lines drawn from the one to the other, are generally regarded as consisting of these four sites. The Book of Jonah depicts Nineveh as a wicked city worthy of destruction. God sent Jonah to preach to the Ninevites of their coming destruction, and they fasted and repented because of this. As a result, God spared the city; when Jonah protests against this, God states He is showing mercy for the population who are ignorant of the difference between right and wrong ("who cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand"[34]) and mercy for the animals in the city.
Nineveh's repentance and salvation from evil can be found in the Jewish Tanakh (also read by Christians) and the Muslim Koran.[35] To this day, Syriac and Oriental Orthodox churches commemorate the three days Jonah spent inside the fish during the Fast of Nineveh. The Christians observing this holiday fast by refraining from food and drink. Churches encourage followers to refrain from meat, fish and dairy products.[36]
Classical historyEdit
Before the great archaeological excavations in the 19th century, there was almost no historical knowledge of the great Assyrian empire and of its magnificent capital. Other cities that had perished, such as Palmyra, Persepolis, and Thebes, had left ruins to mark their sites and tell of their former greatness; but of this city, imperial Nineveh, no vestige seemed to remain, and the very place on which it had stood became only a matter of conjecture.
In the days of the Greek historians Ctesias and Herodotus, 400 BC, Nineveh had become a thing of the past; and when Xenophon (c. 430 – 354 BC) the historian passed the place in the Retreat of the Ten Thousand the very memory of its name had been lost. It was buried out of sight.[37]
In his History of the World (written c. 1616) Sir Walter Raleigh erroneously asserted (attributing the information to Johannes Nauclerus c. 1425–1510) that Nineveh had originally had the name Campsor before Ninus supposedly rebuilt it. This was still regarded as correct information when news of Layard's discoveries (see below) reached the west.[38]
ArchaeologyEdit
The location of Ninevah was known, to some, continuously through the Middle Ages. Benjamin of Tudela visited it in 1170; Petachiah of Regensburg soon after.[39]
Carsten Niebuhr recorded its location during the 1761–67 Danish expedition. Niebuhr wrote afterwards that "I did not learn that I was at so remarkable a spot, till near the river. Then they showed me a village on a great hill, which they call Nunia, and a mosque, in which the prophet Jonah was buried. Another hill in this district is called Kalla Nunia, or the Castle of Nineveh. On that lies a village Koindsjug."[40]
Excavation historyEdit
In 1842, the French Consul General at Mosul, Paul-Émile Botta, began to search the vast mounds that lay along the opposite bank of the river. The locals whom he employed in these excavations, to their great surprise, came upon the ruins of a building at the mound of Khorsabad, which, on further exploration, turned out to be the royal palace of Sargon II, in which large numbers of reliefs were found and recorded, though they had been damaged by fire and were mostly too fragile to remove.
Bronze lion from Nineveh.
In 1847 the young British diplomat Austen Henry Layard explored the ruins.[41][42][43][44] Layard did not use modern archaeological methods; his stated goal was "to obtain the largest possible number of well preserved objects of art at the least possible outlay of time and money."[45] In the Kuyunjik mound, Layard rediscovered in 1849 the lost palace of Sennacherib with its 71 rooms and colossal bas-reliefs. He also unearthed the palace and famous library of Ashurbanipal with 22,000 cuneiform clay tablets. Most of Layard's material was sent to the British Museum, but two large pieces were given to Lady Charlotte Guest and eventually found their way to the Metropolitan Museum.[46] The study of the archaeology of Nineveh reveals the wealth and glory of ancient Assyria under kings such as Esarhaddon (681–669 BC) and Ashurbanipal (669–626 BC).
The work of exploration was carried on by George Smith, Hormuzd Rassam (a modern Assyrian), and others, and a vast treasury of specimens of Assyria was incrementally exhumed for European museums. Palace after palace was discovered, with their decorations and their sculptured slabs, revealing the life and manners of this ancient people, their arts of war and peace, the forms of their religion, the style of their architecture, and the magnificence of their monarchs.[47][48]
The mound of Kouyunjik was excavated again by the archaeologists of the British Museum, led by Leonard William King, at the beginning of the 20th century. Their efforts concentrated on the site of the Temple of Nabu, the god of writing, where another cuneiform library was supposed to exist. However, no such library was ever found: most likely, it had been destroyed by the activities of later residents.
The excavations started again in 1927, under the direction of Campbell Thompson, who had taken part in King's expeditions.[49][50][51][52] Some works were carried out outside Kouyunjik, for instance on the mound of Nebi Yunus, which was the ancient arsenal of Nineveh, or along the outside walls. Here, near the northwestern corner of the walls, beyond the pavement of a later building, the archaeologists found almost 300 fragments of prisms recording the royal annals of Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Ashurbanipal, beside a prism of Esarhaddon which was almost perfect.
After the Second World War, several excavations were carried out by Iraqi archaeologists. From 1951 to 1958 Mohammed Ali Mustafa worked the site.[53][54] The work was continued from 1967 through 1971 by Tariq Madhloom.[55][56][57] Some additional excavation occurred by Manhal Jabur in 1980, and Manhal Jabur in 1987. For the most part, these digs focused on Nebi Yunus.
Most recently, British archaeologist and Assyriologist Professor David Stronach of the University of California, Berkeley conducted a series of surveys and digs at the site from 1987 to 1990, focusing his attentions on the several gates and the existent mudbrick walls, as well as the system that supplied water to the city in times of siege. The excavation reports are in progress.[58]
Archaeological remainsEdit
Humvee down after ISIS attack
Today, Nineveh's location is marked by two large mounds, Kouyunjik and Nabī Yūnus "Prophet Jonah", and the remains of the city walls (about 12 kilometres (7 mi) in circumference). The Neo-Assyrian levels of Kouyunjik have been extensively explored. The other mound, Nabī Yūnus, has not been as extensively explored because there was an Arab Muslim shrine dedicated to that prophet on the site. On July 24, 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant destroyed the shrine as part of a campaign to destroy religious sanctuaries it deems "un-Islamic."[59]
The ruin mound of Kuyunjik rises about 20 metres (66 ft) above the surrounding plain of the ancient city. It is quite broad, measuring about 800 by 500 metres (2,625 ft × 1,640 ft). Its upper layers have been extensively excavated, and several Neo-Assyrian palaces and temples have been found there. A deep sounding by Max Mallowan revealed evidence of habitation as early as the 6th millennium BC. Today, there is little evidence of these old excavations other than weathered pits and earth piles. In 1990, the only Assyrian remains visible were those of the entry court and the first few chambers of the Palace of Sennacherib. Since that time, the palace chambers have received significant damage by looters. Portions of relief sculptures that were in the palace chambers in 1990 were seen on the antiquities market by 1996. Photographs of the chambers made in 2003 show that many of the fine relief sculptures there have been reduced to piles of rubble.
Winged Bull excavated at Nebi Yunus by Iraqi archaeologists
Nebi Yunus is located about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) south of Kuyunjik and is the secondary ruin mound at Nineveh. On the basis of texts of Sennacherib, the site has traditionally been identified as the "armory" of Nineveh, and a gate and pavements excavated by Iraqis in 1954 have been considered to be part of the "armory" complex. Excavations in 1990 revealed a monumental entryway consisting of a number of large inscribed orthostats and "bull-man" sculptures, some apparently unfinished.
City wall and gatesEdit
Simplified plan of ancient Nineveh showing city wall and location of gateways.
The ruins of Nineveh are surrounded by the remains of a massive stone and mudbrick wall dating from about 700 BC. About 12 km in length, the wall system consisted of an ashlar stone retaining wall about 6 metres (20 ft) high surmounted by a mudbrick wall about 10 metres (33 ft) high and 15 metres (49 ft) thick. The stone retaining wall had projecting stone towers spaced about every 18 metres (59 ft). The stone wall and towers were topped by three-step merlons.
Five of the gateways have been explored to some extent by archaeologists:
Mashki Gate (ماشکی دروازه)
Translated "Gate of the Water Carriers", (Mashki from Persian root word Mashk, meaning waterskin), also Masqi Gate (Arabic: بوابة مسقى) [60], it was perhaps used to take livestock to water from the Tigris which currently flows about 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) to the west. It has been reconstructed in fortified mudbrick to the height of the top of the vaulted passageway. The Assyrian original may have been plastered and ornamented.
Nergal Gate
Named for the god Nergal, it may have been used for some ceremonial purpose, as it is the only known gate flanked by stone sculptures of winged bull-men (lamassu). The reconstruction is conjectural, as the gate was excavated by Layard in the mid-19th century and reconstructed in the mid-20th century.
Adad Gate
Photograph of the restored Adad Gate, taken prior to the gate's destruction by ISIL in April 2016[61]
Adad Gate was named for the god Adad. A reconstruction was begun in the 1960s by Iraqis but was not completed. The result was a mixture of concrete and eroding mudbrick, which nonetheless does give some idea of the original structure. The excavator left some features unexcavated, allowing a view of the original Assyrian construction. The original brickwork of the outer vaulted passageway was well exposed, as was the entrance of the vaulted stairway to the upper levels. The actions of Nineveh's last defenders could be seen in the hastily built mudbrick construction which narrowed the passageway from 4 to 2 metres (13 to 7 ft). Around April 13, 2016, ISIL demolished both the gate and the adjacent wall by flattening them with a bulldozer.[62][61]
Shamash Gate
Eastern city wall and Shamash Gate.
Named for the Sun god Shamash, it opens to the road to Erbil. It was excavated by Layard in the 19th century. The stone retaining wall and part of the mudbrick structure were reconstructed in the 1960s. The mudbrick reconstruction has deteriorated significantly. The stone wall projects outward about 20 metres (66 ft) from the line of main wall for a width of about 70 metres (230 ft). It is the only gate with such a significant projection. The mound of its remains towers above the surrounding terrain. Its size and design suggest it was the most important gate in Neo-Assyrian times.
Halzi Gate
Near the south end of the eastern city wall. Exploratory excavations were undertaken here by the University of California expedition of 1989–1990. There is an outward projection of the city wall, though not as pronounced as at the Shamash Gate. The entry passage had been narrowed with mudbrick to about 2 metres (7 ft) as at the Adad Gate. Human remains from the final battle of Nineveh were found in the passageway. [63] Located in the eastern wall, it is the southern most and largest of all the remaining gates of ancient Nineveh[60].
Threats to the siteEdit
Already in 2003, the site of Nineveh was exposed to decay of its reliefs by a lack of proper protective roofing, vandalism and looting holes dug into chamber floors.[64] Future preservation is further compromised by the site's proximity to expanding suburbs.
The ailing Mosul Dam is a persistent threat to Nineveh as well as the city of Mosul. This is in no small part due to years of disrepair (in 2006, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cited it as the most dangerous dam in the world), the cancellation of a second dam project in the 1980s to act as flood relief in case of failure, and occupation by ISIL in 2014 resulting in fleeing workers and stolen equipment. If the dam fails, the entire site could be under as much as 45 feet (14 m) of water.[65]
In an October 2010 report titled Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, Global Heritage Fund named Nineveh one of 12 sites most "on the verge" of irreparable destruction and loss, citing insufficient management, development pressures and looting as primary causes.[66]
By far, however, the greatest threat to Nineveh has been purposeful human actions by ISIL, which occupied that area in mid-2010s. In early 2015 they announced their intention to destroy the walls of Nineveh if the Iraqis try to liberate the city. They also threatened to destroy artifacts. On February 26 they destroyed several items and statues in the Mosul Museum and are believed to have plundered others to sell overseas. The items were mostly from the Assyrian exhibit, which ISIL declared blasphemous and idolatrous. There were 300 items in the museum out of a total of 1,900, with the other 1,600 being taken to the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad for security reasons prior to the 2014 Fall of Mosul.[according to whom?] Some of the artifacts sold and/or destroyed were from Nineveh.[67][68] Just a few days after the destruction of the museum pieces, they demolished remains at major UNESCO world heritage sites Khorsabad, Nimrud, and Hatra.
Rogation of the Ninevites (Nineveh's Wish)Edit
Assyrians of the Ancient Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Assyrian Church of the East and Saint Thomas Christians of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church observe a fast called Ba'uta d-Ninwe (ܒܥܘܬܐ ܕܢܝܢܘܐ) which means Nineveh's Prayer. Copts and Ethiopian Orthodox also maintain this fast.[69]
Popular cultureEdit
The English Romantic poet Edwin Atherstone wrote an epic The Fall of Nineveh.[70] The work tells of an uprising against its king Sardanapalus of all the nations that were dominated by the Assyrian empire. He is a great criminal. He has had one hundred prisoners of war executed. After a long struggle the town is conquered by Median and Babylonian troops led by prince Arbaces and priest Belesis. The king sets his own palace on fire and dies inside together with all his concubines.
John Martin, The Fall of Nineveh
Atherstone's friend, the artist John Martin, created a painting of the same name inspired by the poem. The English poet John Masefield's well-known, fanciful 1903 poem Cargoes mentions Nineveh in its first line. Nineveh is also mentioned in Rudyard Kipling's 1897 poem Recessional and in Arthur O'Shaughnessy's 1873 poem Ode.
The 1962 Italian peplum movie, War Gods of Babylon, is based on the sacking and fall of Nineveh by the combined rebel armies led by the Babylonians.
Cities of the ancient Near East
Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL
Historical urban community sizes
Isaac of Nineveh
List of megalithic sites
Short chronology timeline
Tel Keppe
^ Matt T. Rosenberg. "Largest Cities Through History". geography.about.com. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
^ a b Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed. "Ninevite, n. and adj." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013.
^ a b c d e "Nineveh", Encyclopaedia Judaica, Gale Group, 2008 .
^ Layard, 1849, p.xxi, "...called Kouyunjik by the Turks, and Armousheeah by the Arabs"
^ "Koyundjik", E. J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, p. 1083 .
^ Mieroop, Marc van de (1997). The Ancient Mesopotamian City. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 95. ISBN 9780191588457.
^ Geoffrey Turner, "Tell Nebi Yūnus: The ekal māšarti of Nineveh," Iraq, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 68–85, 1970
^ "Proud Nineveh" is an emblem of earthly pride in the Old Testament prophecies: "And He will stretch out His hand against the north And destroy Assyria, And He will make Nineveh a desolation, Parched like the wilderness." (Zephaniah 2:13).
^ Kouyounjik / Nebi Yunis (ancient: Nineveh) colostate.edu
^ a b Ian Shaw, A Dictionary of Archaeology. John Wiley & Sons, 2002 ISBN 0631235833 p427
^ Polish-Syrian Expedition to Tell Arbid 2015
^ Genesis 10:11 attributes the founding of Nineveh to an Asshur: "Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh".
^ a b Ashrafian, H. (2011). "An extinct Mesopotamian lion subspecies". Veterinary Heritage. 34 (2): 47–49.
^ "The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World" edited by Chris Scarre 1999 (Thames and Hudson)
^ Reade, Julian, Assyrian Sculpture, pp. 56 (quoted), 65–71, 1998 (2nd edn.), The British Museum Press, ISBN 9780714121413
^ Time Life Lost Civilizations series: Mesopotamia: The Mighty Kings. (1995)
^ Thorkild Jacobsen and Seton Lloyd, Sennacherib's Aqueduct at Jerwan, Oriental Institute Publication 24, University of Chicago Press, 1935
^ Dalley, Stephanie, (2013) The Mystery of the Hanging Garden of Babylon: an elusive World Wonder traced, Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-966226-5
^ Samuel Shuckford; James Talboys Wheeler (1858), The sacred and profane history of the world connected, Vol.1, pp. 106–107
^ "Jubilees 9". www.pseudepigrapha.com. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
^ VanderKam, "Jubilees, Book of" in L. H. Schiffman and J. C. VanderKam (eds.), Encyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Oxford University Press (2000), Vol. I, p. 435.
^ Greek Septuagint.
^ Geneva Bible.
^ 1611 King James Bible.
^ New King James Version.
^ 2 Kings 19:36
^ Isa. 37:37–38
^ Nahum 1:14
^ 3:19
^ Nahum 2:6–11
^ 2:13–15
^ Jonah 3:3
^ "Jonah 4 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre". www.mechon-mamre.org.
^ Also see these scriptural references: Gospel of Matthew (12:41) and the Gospel of Luke (11:32)
^ "Three Day Fast of Nineveh". Syrian Orthodox Church. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
^ Menko Vlaardingerbroek, The Founding of Nineveh and Babylon in Greek Historiography, Iraq, vol. 66, Nineveh. Papers of the 49th Rencontre Assriologique Internationale, Part One, pp. 233–241, 2004
^ "Dr. Layard and Nineveh", Bentley's Miscellany Vol 29 (1851), p. 102
^ Liverani 2016, p. 23. "Toward 1170 the rabbi Benjamin of Tudela, who was traveling throughout the Near East passing from one Hebrew community to another, having arrived at Mosul (which he called 'Assur the Great') had a clear idea (thanks to information given to him by his local colleagues) that across the Tigris was the famous Ninevah, in ruins but covered with villages and farms [...] Ten years later another rabbi, Petachia of Ratisbon, also arriving at Mosul (which he called the 'New Ninevah') and crossing the river, visited 'Old Ninevah', which he described as desolate and 'overthrown like Sodom' with the land black like pitch, without a blade of grass. [...] Myths apart, the localization of Ninevah remained a matter of common knowledge and beyond argument; various western travelers (such as Jean Baptiste Tavernier in 1644, and then Bourguignon d'Anville in 1779) confirmed it, and some soundings followed."
^ Pusey, Edward Bouverie (1888), The Minor Prophets, with a Commentary, Explanatory and Practical, and Introductions to the Several Books, Volume II, p.123
^ A. H. Layard, Nineveh and Its Remains, John Murray, 1849
^ A. H. Layard, Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon, John Murray, 1853
^ A. H. Layard, The Monuments of Nineveh; From Drawings Made on the Spot, John Murray, 1849
^ A. H. Layard, A second series of the monuments of Nineveh, John Murray, 1853
^ Liverani 2016, pp. 32–33.
^ John Malcolm Russell, From Nineveh to New York: The Strange Story of the Assyrian Reliefs in the Metropolitan Museum & the Hidden Masterpiece at Canford School, Yale University Press, 1997, ISBN 0-300-06459-4
^ George Smith, Assyrian Discoveries: An Account of Explorations and Discoveries on the Site of Nineveh, During 1873 and 1874, S. Low-Marston-Searle and Rivington, 1876
^ Hormuzd Rassam and Robert William Rogers, Asshur and the Land of Nimrod, Curts & Jennings, 1897
^ R. Campbell Thompson and R. W. Hutchinson, "The excavations on the temple of Nabu at Nineveh," Archaeologia, vol. 79, pp. 103–148, 1929
^ R. Campbell Thompson and R. W. Hutchinson, "The site of the palace of Ashurnasirpal II at Nineveh excavated in 1929–30," Liverpool Annals of Archaeology and Anthropology, vol. 18, pp. 79–112, 1931
^ R. Campbell Thompson and R. W. Hamilton, "The British Museum excavations on the temple of Ishtar at Nineveh 1930–31," Liverpool Annals of Archaeology and Anthropology, vol. 19, pp. 55–116, 1932
^ R. Campbell Thompson and M E L Mallowan, "The British Museum excavations at Nineveh 1931–32," Liverpool Annals of Archaeology and Anthropology, vol. 20, pp. 71–186, 1933
^ Mohammed Ali Mustafa, Sumer, vol. 10, pp. 110–11, 1954
^ Mohammed Ali Mustafa, Sumer, vol. 11, pp. 4, 1955
^ Tariq Madhloom, Excavations at Nineveh: A preliminary report, Sumer, vol. 23, pp. 76–79, 1967
^ Tariq Madhloom, Excavations at Nineveh: The 1967–68 Campaign, Sumer, vol 24, pp. 45–51, 1968
^ Tariq Madhloom, Excavations at Nineveh: The 1968–69 Campaign, Sumer, vol. 25, pp. 43–49, 1969
^ "Shelby White – Leon Levy Program for Archaeological Publications – Nineveh Publication Grant". Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-05-16.
^ "Officials: ISIS blows up Jonah's tomb in Iraq". CNN.com. 2014-07-24. Retrieved 2014-07-24.
^ a b "Gates of Nineveh". Madain Project. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
^ a b Romey, Kristin (19 April 2016), "Exclusive Photos Show Destruction of Nineveh Gates by ISIS", National Geographic, The National Geographical Society
^ "Iraqi Digital Investigation Team Confirms ISIS Destruction of Gate in Nineveh". Bellingcat. August 29, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
^ Diana Pickworth, Excavations at Nineveh: The Halzi Gate, Iraq, vol. 67, no. 1, Nineveh. Papers of the 49th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Part Two, pp. 295–316, 2005
^ "Cultural Assessment of Iraq: The State of Sites and Museums in Northern Iraq – Nineveh". National Geographic News. May 2003.
^ Borger, Julian. "Mosul dam engineers warn it could fail at any time, killing 1m people". The Guardian. guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
^ "Globalheritagefund.org". Archived from the original on August 20, 2012.
^ "Iraq: Isis militants pledge to destroy remaining archaeological". The Independent. February 27, 2015.
^ "ISIL video shows destruction of 7th century artifacts". america.aljazeera.com.
^ Warda, W, Christians of Iraq: Ba-oota d' Ninevayee or the Fast of the Ninevites, re-accessed 11 September 2016
^ Herbert F. Tucker, Epic. Britain's Heroic Muse 1790–1910, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2008, p. 256-261.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Easton, Matthew George (1897). "Nineveh" . Easton's Bible Dictionary (New and revised ed.). T. Nelson and Sons.
Russell, John Malcolm (1992), Sennacherib's "Palace without Rival" at Nineveh, University Of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-73175-8
Barnett, Richard David (1976), Sculptures from the north palace of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh (668-627 B.C.), British Museum Publications Ltd, ISBN 0-7141-1046-9
Campbell Thompson, R.; Hutchinson, R. W. (1929), A century of exploration at Nineveh, Luzac
Bezold, Carl, Catalogue of the Cuneiform Tablets in the Kouyunjik Collection of the British Museum
Volume I, 1889
Volume II, 1891
Volume III, 1893
Volume IV, 1896
Volume V, 1899
Catalogue of the Cuneiform Tablets in the Kouyunjik Collection of the British Museum, British Museum
King, W. L. (1914), Supplement I
Lambert, W. G. (1968), Supplement II
Lambert, W. G. (1992), Supplement III, ISBN 0-7141-1131-7
Liverani, Mario (2016) [2013], Immaginare Babele [Imagining Babylon: The Modern Story of an Ancient City], translated by Campbell, Alisa, De Gruyter, ISBN 978-1-61451-602-6
Scott, M. Louise; MacGinnis, John (1990), Notes on Nineveh, Iraq, 52, pp. 63–73
Trümpler, C., ed. (2001), Agatha Christie and Archaeology, The British Museum Press, ISBN 978-0714111483 - Nineveh 5, Vessel Pottery 2900 BC
Leick, Gwendolyn (2010), The A to Z of Mesopotamia, Scarecrow Press - Early worship of Ishtar, Early / Prehistoric Nineveh
Durant, Will (1954), Our oriental heritage, Simon & Schuster – Early / Prehistoric Nineveh
Look up Nineveh in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nineveh.
Joanne Farchakh-Bajjaly photos of Nineveh taken in May 2003 showing damage from looters
John Malcolm Russell, "Stolen stones: the modern sack of Nineveh" in Archaeology; looting of sculptures in the 1990s
Nineveh page at the British Museum's website. Includes photographs of items from their collection.
University of California Digital Nineveh Archives A teaching and research tool presenting a comprehensive picture of Nineveh within the history of archaeology in the Near East, including a searchable data repository for meaningful analysis of currently unlinked sets of data from different areas of the site and different episodes in the 160-year history of excavations
CyArk Digital Nineveh Archives, publicly accessible, free depository of the data from the previously linked UC Berkeley Nineveh Archives project, fully linked and georeferenced in a UC Berkeley/CyArk research partnership to develop the archive for open web use. Includes creative commons-licensed media items.
Photos of Nineveh, 1989–1990
ABC 3: Babylonian Chronicle Concerning the Fall of Nineveh
Layard's Nineveh and its Remains- full text
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Find sources: "Potsdam Conference" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The Potsdam Conference (German: Potsdamer Konferenz) was held at Cecilienhof, the home of Crown Prince Wilhelm in Potsdam, occupied Germany, from 17 July to 2 August 1945. (In some older documents, it is also referred to as the Berlin Conference of the Three Heads of Government of the USSR, USA, and UK.[2][3]) The participants were the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States, represented respectively by Communist Party General Secretary Joseph Stalin, Prime Ministers Winston Churchill[4] and Clement Attlee,[5] and President Harry S. Truman.
The "Big Three" at the Potsdam Conference, Winston Churchill, Harry S. Truman and Joseph Stalin.
Host country
17 July – 2 August 1945
Potsdam, Germany
A conference session including Clement Attlee, Ernest Bevin, Vyacheslav Molotov, Joseph Stalin, William D. Leahy, Joseph E. Davies, James F. Byrnes, and Harry S. Truman
Joseph Stalin and Harry Truman meeting at the Potsdam Conference on 18 July 1945. From left to right, first row: Premier Joseph Stalin; President Harry S. Truman, Soviet Ambassador to the United States Andrei Gromyko, Secretary of State James F. Byrnes, and Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov. Second row: Brigadier General Harry H. Vaughan, Truman's confidant and military aide, Russian interpreter Charles Bohlen, Truman naval aide James K. Vardaman, Jr., and (partially obscured) Charles Griffith Ross.[1]
Sitting (from left): Clement Attlee, Harry S. Truman, Joseph Stalin, and behind: Fleet Admiral William Daniel Leahy, Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin, Secretary of State James F. Byrnes, and Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov
Cecilienhof, site of the Potsdam Conference, pictured in 2014
Stalin, Churchill, and Truman gathered to decide how to administer Germany, which had agreed to unconditional surrender nine weeks earlier on 8 May (Victory in Europe Day).[6] The goals of the conference also included the establishment of postwar order, peace treaty issues, and countering the effects of the war.
Relationships among the leadersEdit
A number of changes had taken place in the five months since the Yalta Conference which greatly affected the relationships among the leaders. The Soviet Union was occupying Central and Eastern Europe; the Red Army effectively controlled the Baltic states, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania, and refugees were fleeing from these countries. Stalin had set up a puppet Communist government in Poland, and he insisted that his control of Eastern Europe was a defensive measure against possible future attacks, claiming that it was a legitimate sphere of Soviet influence.[7]
Second, Britain had a new Prime Minister. Conservative Party leader Winston Churchill had served as Prime Minister in a coalition government; his Soviet policy since the early 1940s had differed considerably from President Roosevelt's, as Churchill believed Stalin to be a "devil"-like tyrant leading a vile system.[8] A general election had been held in the UK on 5 July; but with results delayed to allow the votes of armed forces personnel to be counted in their home constituencies. The outcome became known during the conference when Labour leader Clement Attlee became the new Prime Minister.
Third, President Roosevelt had died on 12 April 1945, and Vice President Harry Truman assumed the presidency; his succession saw VE Day (Victory in Europe) within a month and VJ Day (Victory in Japan) on the horizon. During the war and in the name of Allied unity, Roosevelt had brushed off warnings of a potential domination by Stalin in part of Europe. He explained, "I just have a hunch that Stalin is not that kind of a man." "I think that if I give him everything I possibly can and ask for nothing from him in return, 'noblesse oblige', he won't try to annex anything and will work with me for a world of democracy and peace."[9]
Truman had closely followed the Allied progress of the war. George Lenczowski notes that, "despite the contrast between his relatively modest background and the international glamour of his aristocratic predecessor, [Truman] had the courage and resolution to reverse the policy that appeared to him naive and dangerous", which was "in contrast to the immediate, often ad hoc moves and solutions dictated by the demands of the war".[10] With the end of the war, the priority of allied unity was replaced with the challenge of the relationship between the two emerging superpowers.[10] The two leading powers continued to sustain a cordial relationship to the public, but suspicions and distrust lingered between them.[11]
Truman was much more suspicious of the Communists than Roosevelt had been, and he became increasingly suspicious of Soviet intentions under Stalin.[10] He and his advisers saw Soviet actions in Eastern Europe as aggressive expansionism which was incompatible with the agreements that Stalin had committed to at Yalta the previous February. In addition, Truman became aware of possible complications elsewhere when Stalin objected to Churchill's proposal for an early Allied withdrawal from Iran, ahead of the schedule agreed at the Tehran Conference. The Potsdam Conference was the only time that Truman met Stalin in person.[12][13]
At the Yalta Conference France had been granted an occupation zone within Germany, France had been a participant in the Berlin Declaration, and France was to be an equal member of the Allied Control Council. Nevertheless, at the insistence of the Americans, General de Gaulle was not invited to Potsdam, as he had too been denied representation at Yalta; a diplomatic slight which was a cause of deep and lasting resentment.[14] Reasons for the omissions included the longstanding personal mutual antagonism between Roosevelt and De Gaulle, ongoing disputes over the French and American occupation zones and anticipated conflicts of interest over French Indochina; [15] but also reflected the judgement of both the British and Americans that French aims in respect of many items on the Conference agenda were likely to be at variance with Anglo/American agreed objectives.[16]
Agreements made between the leaders at PotsdamEdit
Potsdam AgreementsEdit
Main article: Potsdam Agreement
Demographics map used for the border discussions at the conference
The Oder–Neisse line (click to enlarge)
At the end of the conference, the three Heads of Government agreed on the following actions. All other issues were to be answered by the final peace conference to be called as soon as possible.
GermanyEdit
See also: Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–50), Allied plans for German industry after World War II, Oder–Neisse line, Former eastern territories of Germany, and German reparations for World War II
The Allies issued a statement of aims of their occupation of Germany: demilitarization, denazification, democratization, decentralization, dismantling and decartelization.
Germany and Austria were each to be divided into four occupation zones (earlier agreed in principle at Yalta), and similarly each capital, Berlin and Vienna, was to be divided into four zones.
It was agreed that Nazi war criminals would be put on trial.
All German annexations in Europe were to be reversed, including Sudetenland, Alsace-Lorraine, Austria, and the westernmost parts of Poland.
Germany's eastern border was to be shifted westwards to the Oder–Neisse line, effectively reducing Germany in size by approximately 25% compared to its 1937 borders. The territories east of the new border comprised East Prussia, Silesia, West Prussia, and two thirds of Pomerania. These areas were mainly agricultural, with the exception of Upper Silesia which was the second largest centre of German heavy industry.
"Orderly and humane" expulsions of the German populations remaining beyond the new eastern borders of Germany were to be carried out; from Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary, but not Yugoslavia.[17]
War reparations to the Soviet Union from their zone of occupation in Germany were agreed. It was also agreed that 10% of the industrial capacity of the western zones unnecessary for the German peace economy should be transferred to the Soviet Union within 2 years. Stalin proposed and it was accepted that Poland was to be excluded from division of German compensation, to be later granted 15% of compensation given to Soviet Union.[18]
It was to be ensured that German standards of living did not exceed the European average. The types and amounts of industry to dismantle to achieve this was to be determined later (see Allied plans for German industry after World War II).
German industrial war-potential was to be destroyed, through the destruction or control of all industry with military potential. To this end, all civilian shipyards and aircraft factories were to be dismantled or otherwise destroyed. All production capacity associated with war potential, such as metals, chemical, machinery etc., were to be reduced to a minimum level which was later determined by the Allied Control Commission. Manufacturing capacity thus made "surplus" was to be dismantled as reparations or otherwise destroyed. All research and international trade was to be controlled. The economy was to be decentralized (decartelization). The economy was also to be reorganized with primary emphasis on agriculture and peaceful domestic industries. In early 1946 agreement was reached on the details of the latter: Germany was to be converted into an agricultural and light industry economy. German exports were to be coal, beer, toys, textiles, etc. – to take the place of the heavy industrial products which formed most of Germany's pre-war exports.[19]
France, having been excluded from the Conference, resisted implementing the Potsdam agreements within its occupation zone. In particular, the French refused to resettle any expelled Germans from the east. Moreover the French did not accept any obligation to abide by Potsdam agreements in the proceedings of the Allied Control Council; in particular resisting all proposals to establish common policies and institutions across Germany as a whole, and anything that they feared might lead to the emergence of an eventual unified German government.[20]
PolandEdit
Poland's old and new borders, 1945. Territory previously part of Germany is identified in pink
See also: Western betrayal and Territorial changes of Poland immediately after World War II
A Provisional Government of National Unity recognized by all three powers should be created (known as the Lublin Poles). When the Big Three recognized the Soviet controlled government, it meant, in effect, the end of recognition for the existing Polish government-in-exile (known as the London Poles).
Poles who were serving in the British Army should be free to return to Poland, with no security upon their return to the communist country guaranteed.
The provisional western border should be the Oder–Neisse line, defined by the Oder and Neisse rivers. Silesia, Pomerania, the southern part of East Prussia and the former Free City of Danzig should be under Polish administration. However the final delimitation of the western frontier of Poland should await the peace settlement (which would take place 45 years later at the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany in 1990)
The Soviet Union declared it would settle the reparation claims of Poland from its own share of the overall reparation payments.[citation needed]
Potsdam DeclarationEdit
Main article: Potsdam Declaration
William D. Leahy's roleEdit
One person who was at the Potsdam Conference, but is not mentioned often is William D. Leahy. Leahy was Fleet Admiral in the U.S. Navy and stood as advisor to President Roosevelt during the Yalta Conference and to President Truman during the Potsdam Conference. Leahy had lengthy military background as he served as the senior-most United States military officer on active duty during WWII. He said in his book, I Was There: The Personal Story of the Chief of Staff to Presidents Roosevelt and Truman Based on His Notes and Diaries Made at the Time, that the Potsdam Conference was one of the most frustrating out of all the conferences, due to hostile relations between the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom and the United States. Throughout his work, he refers to the conference as its code name, Terminal. Later in his book he discusses a tour of Berlin that he takes with President Truman, and describes this experience as "I never saw such destruction. I don't know whether they learned anything from it or not."
The Foreign Ministers: Vyacheslav Molotov, James F. Byrnes, and Anthony Eden, July 1945
In addition to the Potsdam Agreement, on 26 July, Churchill, Truman, and Chiang Kai-shek, Chairman of the Nationalist Government of China (the Soviet Union was not at war with Japan) issued the Potsdam Declaration which outlined the terms of surrender for Japan during World War II in Asia.
AftermathEdit
Further information: Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Eastern Bloc, and Cold War
Truman had mentioned an unspecified "powerful new weapon" to Stalin during the conference. Towards the end of the conference, the United States gave Japan an ultimatum to surrender or meet "prompt and utter destruction", which did not mention the new bomb[21] but promised that "it was not intended to enslave Japan". The Soviet Union was not involved in this declaration, as it was still neutral in the war against Japan. Prime minister Kantarō Suzuki did not respond,[22] which was interpreted as a declaration that the Empire of Japan should ignore the ultimatum. Then the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima on 6 August and Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. The justification was that both cities were legitimate military targets, to end the war swiftly, and to preserve American lives.
When Truman informed Stalin of the atomic bomb, he said that the United States "had a new weapon of unusual destructive force",[23] but Stalin had full knowledge of the atomic bomb's development due to Soviet spy networks inside the Manhattan Project,[24] and he told Truman at the conference to "make good use of this new addition to the Allied arsenal".[25]
The Soviet Union converted the other countries of eastern Europe into satellite states within the Eastern Bloc, such as the People's Republic of Poland, the People's Republic of Bulgaria, the People's Republic of Hungary,[26] the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic,[27] the People's Republic of Romania,[28] and the People's Republic of Albania.[29]
Previous major conferencesEdit
Yalta Conference, 4 to 11 February 1945
Second Quebec Conference, 12 to 16 September 1944
Tehran Conference, 28 November to 1 December 1943
Cairo Conference, 22 to 26 November 1943
Casablanca Conference, 14 to 24 January 1943
Diplomatic history of World War II
List of Soviet Union–United States summits
^ Description of photograph, Truman Library.
^ "Avalon Project – A Decade of American Foreign Policy 1941–1949 – Potsdam Conference". Avalon.law.yale.edu. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
^ Russia (USSR) / Poland Treaty (with annexed maps) concerning the Demarcation of the Existing Soviet-Polish State Frontier in the Sector Adjoining the Baltic Sea 5 March 1957 (retrieved from the UN Delimitation Treaties Infobase, accessed on 18 March 2002)
^ "Potsdam Conference". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
^ "BBC Fact File: Potsdam Conference". Bbc.co.uk. 2 August 1945. Archived from the original on 29 June 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
^ Attlee participated alongside Churchill while awaiting the outcome of the 1945 general election, and then replaced him as Prime Minister after the Labour Party's defeat of the Conservatives.
^ Leffler, Melvyn P., "For the South of Mankind: The United States, the Soviet Union and the Cold War, First Edition, (New York, 2007) pg 31
^ Miscamble 2007, p. 51
^ a b c George Lenczowski, American Presidents and the Middle East, (1990), pp. 7–13
^ Hunt, Michael (2013). The World Transformed. Oxford University Press. p. 35. ISBN 9780199371020.
^ Harry S. Truman, Memoirs, Vol. 1: Year of Decisions (1955), p.380, cited in Lenczowski, American Presidents, p.10
^ Nash, Gary B. "The Troublesome Polish Question." The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society. New York: Pearson Longman, 2008. Print.
^ Reinisch, Jessica (2013). The Perils of Peace. Oxford University Press. p. 53.
^ Thomas, Martin (1998). The French Empire at War 1940-45. Manchester University Press. p. 215.
^ Feis, Hebert (1960). Between War and Peace; the Potsdam Conference. Princeton University Press. p. 138.
^ Alfred de Zayas Nemesis at Potsdam, Routledge, London 1977. See also conference on "Potsdamer Konferenz 60 Jahre danach" hosted by the Institut für Zeitgeschichte in Berlin on 19. August 2005 PDF Archived 20 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine Seite 37 et seq.
^ "Potsdam Conference | World War II". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
^ James Stewart Martin. All Honorable Men (1950) p. 191.
^ Ziemke, Earl Frederick (1990). The US Army and the Occupation of Germany 1944–1946. Center of Military History, United States Army. p. 345.
^ "How The Potsdam Conference Shaped The Future Of Post-War Europe". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
^ "Mokusatsu: One Word, Two Lessons" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
^ Putz, Catherine (18 May 2016). "What If the United States Had Told the Soviet Union About the Bomb?". The Diplomat. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
^ Groves, Leslie (1962). Now it Can be Told: The Story of the Manhattan Project. New York: Harper & Row. pp. 142–145. ISBN 0-306-70738-1. OCLC 537684.
^ Nichols, Tom (12 April 2016). "Simply No Other Choice: Why America Dropped the Atomic Bomb on Japan". National Interest.org. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
^ Granville, Johanna, The First Domino: International Decision Making during the Hungarian Crisis of 1956, Texas A&M University Press, 2004. ISBN 1-58544-298-4
^ Grenville 2005, pp. 370–71
^ The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005.
^ Cook 2001, p. 17
Cook, Bernard A. (2001), Europe Since 1945: An Encyclopedia, Taylor & Francis, ISBN 0-8153-4057-5
Crampton, R. J. (1997), Eastern Europe in the twentieth century and after, Routledge, ISBN 0-415-16422-2
Miscamble, Wilson D. (2007), From Roosevelt to Truman: Potsdam, Hiroshima, and the Cold War, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-86244-2
Roberts, Geoffrey (Fall 2002). "Stalin, the Pact with Nazi Germany, and the Origins of Postwar Soviet Diplomatic Historiography". Journal of Cold War Studies. 4 (4): 93–103.
Wettig, Gerhard (2008), Stalin and the Cold War in Europe, Rowman & Littlefield, ISBN 0-7425-5542-9
D., Leahy, William (1979). I was there : the personal story of the Chief of Staff to Presidents Roosevelt and Truman based on his notes and diaries made at the time. Arno. OCLC 314294296.
Michael Beschloss. The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman, and the destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941–1945 (Simon & Schuster, 2002) ISBN 0684810271
Ehrman, John (1956). Grand Strategy Volume VI, October 1944-August 1945. London: HMSO (British official history). pp. 299–309.
Farquharson, J. E. "Anglo-American Policy on German Reparations from Yalta to Potsdam." English Historical Review 1997 112(448): 904–926. in JSTOR
Feis, Herbert. Between War and Peace: The Potsdam Conference (Princeton University Press, 1960) OCLC 259319 Pulitzer Prize; online
Gimbel, John. "On the Implementation of the Potsdam Agreement: an Essay on U.S. Postwar German Policy." Political Science Quarterly 1972 87(2): 242–269. in JSTOR
Gormly, James L. From Potsdam to the Cold War: Big Three Diplomacy, 1945–1947. (Scholarly Resources, 1990)
Mee, Charles L., Jr. Meeting at Potsdam. M. Evans & Company, 1975. ISBN 0871311674
Naimark, Norman. Fires of Hatred. Ethnic Cleansing in Twentieth-Century Europe (Harvard University Press, 2001) ISBN 0674003136
Neiberg, Michael. Potsdam: the End of World War II and the Remaking of Europe (Basic Books, 2015) ISBN 9780465075256
Thackrah, J. R. "Aspects of American and British Policy Towards Poland from the Yalta to the Potsdam Conferences, 1945." Polish Review 1976 21(4): 3–34. in JSTOR
Zayas, Alfred M. de. Nemesis at Potsdam: The Anglo-Americans and the Expulsion of the Germans, Background, Execution, Consequences. Routledge, 1977. ISBN 0710004583
Primary sourcesEdit
Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers. The Conference of Berlin (Potsdam Conference, 1945) 2 vols. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1960
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Potsdam Conference.
Agreements of the Berlin (Potsdam) Conference
Truman and the Potsdam Conference
Annotated bibliography for the Potsdam Conference from the Alsos Digital Library
The Potsdam Conference, July – August 1945 on navy.mil
United States Department of State Foreign relations of the United States : diplomatic papers : the Conference of Berlin (the Potsdam Conference) 1945 Volume I Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1945
United States Department of State Foreign relations of the United States : diplomatic papers : the Conference of Berlin (the Potsdam Conference) 1945 Volume II Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1945
European Advisory Commission, Austria, Germany Foreign relations of the United States : diplomatic papers, 1945.
Harry Truman Revisionist Analysis of Potsdam Conference Shapell Manuscript Foundation
Cornerstone of Steel, Time magazine, 21 January 1946
Cost of Defeat, Time magazine, 8 April 1946
Pas de Pagaille! Time magazine, 28 July 1947
Interview with James W. Riddleberger Chief, Division of Central European Affairs, U.S. Dept. of State, 1944–47
"The Myth of Potsdam," in B. Heuser et al., eds., Myths in History (Providence, Rhode Island and Oxford: Berghahn, 1998)
"The United States, France, and the Question of German Power, 1945–1960," in Stephen Schuker, ed., Deutschland und Frankreich vom Konflikt zur Aussöhnung: Die Gestaltung der westeuropäischen Sicherheit 1914–1963, Schriften des Historischen Kollegs, Kolloquien 46 (Munich: Oldenbourg, 2000).
U.S. Economic Policy Towards defeated countries April 1946.
EDSITEment's lesson Sources of Discord, 1945–1946
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Potsdam_Conference&oldid=906896236"
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Revision as of 03:21, 15 July 2012 by Geo Swan (Talk | contribs) (first draft)
The United Kingdom is European country. During its long history it has incorporated several other formerly independent countries and feudal principalities. The United Kingdom is a monarchy, where the monarch retains largely ceremonial powers, and most political power is wielded by elected Prime Ministers.
The principal states that are incorporated into the United Kingdom are England, Wales, Scotland, and portions of Ireland, which all elect Members of Parliament to the United Kingdom's Parliament at Westminister. The sovereign of the United Kingdom is also the sovereign of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and the Isle of Man, and other former feudal states, each of which elect representatives to their own national legislatures. However the United Kingdom exercises authority over their foreign relations. Similarly, some former colonies, like Bermuda, are not fully independent, and while local elected officials exercise local authority the United Kingdom continues to exercise authority over their foreign relations as well.
In 2009 the Prime Minister of Bermuda covertly forged an agreement with the United States to accept the custody of four former Uyghur captives in Guantanamo -- even though accepting refugees was one of the remaining areas where the United Kingdom retained authority.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikialpha.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=United_Kingdom&oldid=12808"
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Japanese probe snatches first asteroid sample
25143 Itokawa
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has achieved the primary goal of the Hayabusa probe's mission by touching down on the surface of an asteroid in an attempt to collect a sample of what is thought to be the oldest material in the solar system.
Despite an earlier aborted attempt, and the apparent loss of an exploratory "micro rover", Hayabusa's achievement is significant. No other mission has attempted to bring back material from an asteroid which is believed to be a remnant from the formation of the solar system.
The actual success of the mission to the Itokawa asteroid cannot actually be known until 2007 when the probe returns to Earth. Only at that time can it be established if firing a metal pellet into the surface of the asteroid disturbed it enough to allow a sample to be obtained.
"Probe 'gathers asteroid material'" — BBC News Online, November 26, 2005
"Japan hopeful probe has asteroid dust" — CBC, November 26, 2005
Retrieved from "https://en.wikinews.org/w/index.php?title=Japanese_probe_snatches_first_asteroid_sample&oldid=1109113"
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Angelica Page in 2015
Angelica Sue Torn
New York City, U.S.
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Actress, director, producer, screenwriter
Keith William Burkhardt
Dmitry Lipkin (m. 2017)
Parent(s)
Geraldine Page
Angelica Sue Page (née Torn; February 17, 1964) is an American actress, director, producer and screenwriter. She is the only daughter of actors Rip Torn and Geraldine Page. Credited as Angelica Torn in her early career, she legally and professionally changed her name to Angelica Page in September 2011.[1]
Page began her career as an understudy in the 1993 Broadway revival of Anna Christie, and made her feature film debut in Nobody's Fool (1994). In 1998, she starred in a Broadway production of Side Man, which earned her a Helen Hayes Award for Best Actress. She subsequently appeared in the films The Sixth Sense (1999), and the political drama The Contender (2000).
She continued to appear Off-Broadway throughout the 2000s, returning to Broadway with a supporting part in a 2012 revival of The Best Man. In 2015, she starred as her mother, Geraldine Page, in the touring stage production Turning Page, a biographical play which she also wrote. Additional film credits include Michael Imperioli's The Hungry Ghosts (2009), and the thriller Never Here (2017).
3 Other ventures
6 Stage credits
Page was born Angelica Torn in New York City on February 17, 1964 to actors Rip Torn and Geraldine Page.[2] She was raised in New York City, and has noted that her parents' marriage was turbulent and marked by frequent fighting.[3] Though she was encouraged by her mother to act, Page described herself as a "shy child"[4] and was resistant to pursuing it.[3] For a time, she had considered a career as a chef.[5] Page attended the Bank Street School for Children in Manhattan.[6]
After her mother's death in 1987, Page began exploring acting as a career option, as it had been her mother's "dying wish."[3] She commented: "My mother died before she ever had a chance to see me realize this dream that she apparently had for me, but never spoke of. She wanted me to make my own decisions, but then at the end when she realized she didn’t have any time left, she made me promise."[4] Page studied acting at the William Esper Studio and HB Studios.[7]
Page's first professional role was on Broadway as an understudy in the 1993 revival of Gore Vidal's Anna Christie.[8] She subsequently made her feature film debut in Nobody's Fool (1994), and appeared in several independent films before having a supporting role in M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense (1999).[9] Also in 2000, she had a supporting role in Amos Kollek's Fast Food Fast Women (2000), and in the Academy Award-nominated political drama The Contender (2000).[9] The following year, she had a supporting role as Patty opposite John Travolta in the thriller Domestic Disturbance (2001).[9]
On stage, Page received the Helen Hayes Award (Best Actress 2000) for her work in the Tony Award-winning Side Man at the Kennedy Center.[10] This followed closely after being honored with the New York People's Choice Award in the Best Supporting Actress category (1999) for her portrayal of Patsy, a role she originated for the same production.
Nominated for her second Helen Hayes Award (Best Actress 2010) for her portrayal of Ivy Weston in the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning August: Osage County (Broadway and National Tour), her performance was heralded as "revelatory" by the Chicago Tribune. On television, she appeared as Julia Brinn in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2005); other television credits include Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Sopranos, 100 Centre Street, and As the World Turns. In 2009, she had a supporting role in the Michael Imperioli-directed drama The Hungry Ghosts.
In 2015, Page developed the one-woman show Turning Page, a biographical play in which she portrayed her mother.[3] The production opened in Los Angeles before touring nationally, and Charles McNulty of the Los Angeles Times praised it, writing: "For those who have been touched by Page's sorcery — and I personally don't know any great actor who hasn't been — Angelica's virtuosic conjuring of her mother's spirit is something to behold."[3] The production continued to tour into 2017.[11]
Other ventures[edit]
Page is a lifetime member of the Actors Studio[12] and serves on its board of directors. Actively involved with the charities PAVE and Opening Act, she is developing a foundation for the arts to foster emerging artists in her mother's name.
Page married Keith William Burkhardt in 1984, and with him gave birth to a son,[5] Elijah (born 1985),[13] and a daughter. The couple divorced in 1992. She subsequently married to actor Tim Williams in 1998 after the two had met while performing in a 1996 stage production titled Strangers in the Land of Canaan, directed by her father.[7] She married Dmitry Lipkin in 2017.[14]
She had commented that she has a combative relationship with her father, stating: "He’s a worthy adversary. He’s a very strong personality. He’s an amazing person, an amazing father, but sometimes there are certain things we don’t see eye to eye on. I call him on it and we fight, just like anybody else."[4]
As of 2018, Page resided in Los Angeles, California.[10]
1994 Nobody's Fool Ruby Credited as Angelica Torn
1996 The Mouse Mary Lou Strauss Credited as Angelica Torn
1998 Wrestling with Alligators Ruby Credited as Angelica Torn
1999 Side Man Patsy Credited as Angelica Torn
1999 The Sixth Sense Mrs. Collins Credited as Angelica Torn
2000 Fast Food Fast Women Vitka Credited as Angelica Torn
2000 The Contender Deirdre Credited as Angelica Torn
2000 Songs in Ordinary Time Astrid Haddad Television film
Credited as Angelica Torn
2000 Brooklyn Sonnet Gina Credited as Angelica Torn
2001 Domestic Disturbance Patty Credited as Angelica Torn
2001 Ruby's Bucket of Blood Betsy Dupree Television film
2002 Fairie Morgana Credited as Angelica Torn
2003 Music Babe Short film
Credited as Angelika Torn
2007 Light and the Sufferer Marilla Credited as Angelica Torn
2007 The Grand Inquisitor Lady Di Jesus Short film
2008 Lucky Days Virginia Credited as Angelica Torn
2008 Nothing but the Truth Molly Meyers Credited as Angelica Torn
2008 The Golden Boys Melissa Busteed Credited as Angelica Torn
2009 The Hungry Ghosts Roberta Credited as Angelica Torn
2010 Mint Julep Deirdre Credited as Angelica Torn
2016 '79 Parts Frick
2017 Never Here Cleo Flitcraft
2018 Bonds Doc
2018 The Turner Exhibit Jeanette Turner Short film
1995 Law & Order Sarah Tabor Episode: "Savages"
1997 As the World Turns Kit 1 episode
1999 The Sopranos Woman at Party Episode: "Denial, Anger, Acceptance"
2000 Deadline Nurse Episode: "Shock"
2001 100 Centre Street Episode: "Love Stories"
2002 The Education of Max Bickford Lindsay Episode: "Money Changes Everything"
2002 Law & Order Georgina Woods Episode: "Equal Rights"
2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Paula Connors Episode: "Happy Family"
2004 Line of Fire Angela Episode: "Eminence Front: Part 2"
2005 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Julia Brinn Episode: "Quarry"
2015 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Mrs. Evans Episode: "Melancholy Pursuit"
Stage credits[edit]
1993 Anna Christie
Marthy Owen (understudy)
Anna Christopherson (understudy)
Criterion Center Stage Right [8]
1996 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Honey Regional production [15]
1996 Strangers in the Land of Canaan Off-Broadway [7]
1998 Side Man
Terry (replacement)
John Golden Theatre
Helen Hayes Award for Best Actress [8]
2000 The Vagina Monologues Ensemble Off-Broadway [16]
2003–2007 Edge Sylvia Plath Off-Broadway; touring production [17]
2009 August: Osage County Ivy Weston Regional production
Nominated—Helen Hayes Award for Best Actress [18]
2011 The Radiant Marie Curie Regional production [19]
2012 Psycho Therapy Lily Off-Broadway [20]
2012 The Best Man
Mabel Cantwell (understudy)
Alice Russell (understudy / replacement)
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre [8]
2014 My Old Lady Chloe Palm Beach Drama Works [21]
2015 Turning Page Geraldine Page Touring production [3]
2018 Because I Could Not Stop Emily Dickinson Off-Broadway [22]
^ "Angelica's Torn No More". New York Post. September 8, 2011. Archived from the original on March 30, 2013.
^ Houseman, Victoria (1991). Made in Heaven: The Marriages and Children of Hollywood Stars. Los Angeles, California: Bonus Books. p. 268. ISBN 978-0-929-38724-6.
^ a b c d e f McNulty, Charles (March 8, 2015). "Angelica Page's 'Turning Page' a beguiling, uncanny tribute". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 9, 2018.
^ a b c Erstein, Hap (December 27, 2014). "Actress Angelica Page finds her own identity". The Palm Beach Post. West Palm Beach, Florida. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
^ a b Scheck, Frank (October 22, 2012). "A Page from her mother's life". New York Post. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018.
^ Brown, Dennis (February 24, 2010). "Angelica Torn, the daughter of Rip Torn and Geraldine Page, forges her own stage path". The Riverfront Times. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
^ a b c "WEDDINGS; Angelica Torn, Timothy Williams". The New York Times. September 27, 1998.
^ a b c d "Angelica Page". Playbill. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
^ a b c "Angela Torn Credits". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
^ a b BroadwayWorld Newsdesk (August 29, 2018). "Angelica Page to Lead Cast of Emily Dickinson Tale BECAUSE I COULD NOT STOP". BroadwayWorld. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
^ Weinreich, Regina (February 28, 2017). "Angelica Page's Anxiety of Influence: Turning Page". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018.
^ Callahan, Dan (October 24, 2012). "A Torn Page: Angelica Page, NYC Theater Royalty". L Magazine. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved March 9, 2016.
^ Beaufort, John (March 21, 1985). "Quest for English hearts -- and throne. N.Y.'s Mirror Rep tackles history; also, a slick comedy of relationships". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018.
^ Hoffman, Barbara (October 12, 2018). "Stage star Angelica Page gets smacked with leaves at Turkish baths". New York Post.
^ Playbill Staff (December 30, 1996). "Liz Ashley To 'Get the Guests' in FL Virginia Woolf Dec. 31". Playbill. Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
^ Playbill Staff (November 7, 2000). "Jong, Torn and Velez Join Vagina Monologues OB, Nov. 7-26". Playbill. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018.
^ Gans, Andrew (July 8, 2003). "Angelica Torn Is Sylvia Plath in Edge, July 8-Sept. 20". Playbill. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018.
^ Marks, Peter (December 1, 2009). "Estelle Parsons is a force of nature in 'August: Osage County'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
^ Goyanes, Ily (March 23, 2011). "Angelica Torn Blinds Us With Science as Marie Curie in The Radiant at New Theatre". Miami New Times. Miami, Florida. Archived from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
^ Haun, Harry (February 5, 2012). "Once Known as Angelica Torn, the Daughter of American Acting Royalty Takes a "Page" Out of Her Mother's Book". Playbill. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018.
^ Gans, Andrew (December 24, 2014). "THEIR FAVORITE THINGS: My Old Lady Star Angelica Page Shares Her Theatregoing Experiences". Playbill. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018.
^ Brantley, Ben (October 3, 2018). "Review: A Captive Emily Dickinson in 'Because I Could Not Stop'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Angelica Page.
Angelica Page on IMDb
Angelica Page at AllMovie
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Angelica_Page&oldid=906128968"
Actresses from New York City
American film actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
Bank Street College of Education alumni
People from Manhattan
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(Redirected from Musée du Louvre)
This article is about the Louvre Museum. For the building, see Louvre Palace. For other uses, see Louvre (disambiguation).
Art museum and Historic site in Paris, France
Location within Paris
Musée du Louvre, 75001 Paris, France
48°51′40″N 2°20′11″E / 48.86111°N 2.33639°E / 48.86111; 2.33639Coordinates: 48°51′40″N 2°20′11″E / 48.86111°N 2.33639°E / 48.86111; 2.33639
Art museum and Historic site
10.2 million (2018)[1]
Ranked 1st nationally
Ranked 1st globally
Jean-Luc Martinez
Marie-Laure de Rochebrune
Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre
Louvre-Rivoli
www.louvre.fr
The Louvre (US: /ˈluːv(rə)/),[2] or the Louvre Museum (French: Musée du Louvre [myze dy luvʁ] ( listen)), is the world's largest art museum and a historic monument in Paris, France. A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement (district or ward). Approximately 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited over an area of 72,735 square metres (782,910 square feet).[3] In 2018, the Louvre was the world's most visited art museum, receiving 10.2 million visitors.[1]
The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built as the Louvre castle in the late 12th to 13th century under Philip II. Remnants of the fortress are visible in the basement of the museum. Due to urban expansion, the fortress eventually lost its defensive function, and in 1546 Francis I converted it into the main residence of the French Kings.[4] The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace. In 1682, Louis XIV chose the Palace of Versailles for his household, leaving the Louvre primarily as a place to display the royal collection, including, from 1692, a collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture.[5] In 1692, the building was occupied by the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres and the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, which in 1699 held the first of a series of salons. The Académie remained at the Louvre for 100 years.[6] During the French Revolution, the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum to display the nation's masterpieces.
The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings, the majority of the works being royal and confiscated church property. Because of structural problems with the building, the museum was closed in 1796 until 1801. The collection was increased under Napoleon and the museum was renamed Musée Napoléon, but after Napoleon's abdication many works seized by his armies were returned to their original owners. The collection was further increased during the reigns of Louis XVIII and Charles X, and during the Second French Empire the museum gained 20,000 pieces. Holdings have grown steadily through donations and bequests since the Third Republic. The collection is divided among eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; Prints and Drawings.
1.1 11th–20th centuries
1.1.1 Medieval, Renaissance, and Bourbon palace
1.1.2 French Revolution
1.1.2.1 Opening
1.1.3 Napoleon
1.1.4 Restoration and Second Empire
1.1.5 Damage during the 1871 Paris Commune
1.1.6 Third Republic and World Wars
1.1.7 Grand Louvre Pyramids
1.2.1 Satellite museums
1.2.1.1 Lens
1.2.1.2 Abu Dhabi
1.2.1.3 Iran
1.2.2 Conservation
1.3 Controversial acquisitions
2.1 Egyptian antiquities
2.2 Near Eastern antiquities
2.3 Greek, Etruscan, and Roman
2.4 Islamic art
2.5 Sculpture
2.6 Decorative arts
2.7 Painting
2.8 Prints and drawings
3 Location, access, and facilities
7.1 Citations
7.2 Works cited
11th–20th centuries[edit]
Medieval, Renaissance, and Bourbon palace[edit]
Below-ground portions of the medieval Louvre are still visible.[7]
Main article: Louvre Palace
The Louvre Palace, which houses the museum, was begun as a fortress by Philip II in the 12th century to protect the city from English soldiers which were in Normandy. Remnants of this castle are still visible in the crypt.[7] Whether this was the first building on that spot is not known; it is possible that Philip modified an existing tower.[8] According to the authoritative Grand Larousse encyclopédique, the name derives from an association with wolf hunting den (via Latin: lupus, lower Empire: lupara).[8][9] In the 7th century, St. Fare, an abbess in Meaux, left part of her "Villa called Luvra situated in the region of Paris" to a monastery,[10] this territory probably did not correspond exactly to the modern site, however.
The Louvre Palace was altered frequently throughout the Middle Ages. In the 14th century, Charles V converted the building into a residence and in 1546, Francis I renovated the site in French Renaissance style.[11] Francis acquired what would become the nucleus of the Louvre's holdings, his acquisitions including Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.[12] After Louis XIV chose Versailles as his residence in 1682, constructions slowed; however, the move permitted the Louvre to be used as a residence for artists, under Royal patronage.[11][13][14] Four generations of Boulle were granted Royal patronage and resided in the Louvre in the following order: Pierre Boulle, Jean Boulle, Andre-Charles Boulle and his four sons (Jean-Philippe,[15] Pierre-Benoît (c. 1683–1741), Charles-André (1685–1749) and Charles-Joseph (1688–1754)), after him. André-Charles Boulle (1642–1732[16]) is the most famous French cabinetmaker and the preeminent artist in the field of marquetry,[17][18] also known as "Inlay".[19] Boulle was "the most remarkable of all French cabinetmakers".[20] He was commended to Louis XIV of France, the "Sun King", by Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619–1683) as being "the most skilled craftsman in his profession". Before the fire of 1720 destroyed them, André-Charles Boulle held priceless works of art in the Louvre, including forty-eight drawings by Raphael'.[21]
By the mid-18th century there were an increasing number of proposals to create a public gallery, with the art critic La Font de Saint-Yenne publishing, in 1747, a call for a display of the royal collection. On 14 October 1750, Louis XV agreed and sanctioned a display of 96 pieces from the royal collection, mounted in the Galerie royale de peinture of the Luxembourg Palace. A hall was opened by Le Normant de Tournehem and the Marquis de Marigny for public viewing of the Tableaux du Roy on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and contained Andrea del Sarto's Charity and works by Raphael; Titian; Veronese; Rembrandt; Poussin or Van Dyck, until its closing in 1780 as a result of the gift of the palace to the Count of Provence (the future king, Louis XVIII) by the king in 1778.[22] Under Louis XVI, the royal museum idea became policy.[23] The comte d'Angiviller broadened the collection and in 1776 proposed conversion of the Grande Galerie of the Louvre – which contained maps – into the "French Museum". Many proposals were offered for the Louvre's renovation into a museum; however, none was agreed on. Hence the museum remained incomplete until the French Revolution.[22]
French Revolution[edit]
During the French Revolution the Louvre was transformed into a public museum. In May 1791, the Assembly declared that the Louvre would be "a place for bringing together monuments of all the sciences and arts".[22] On 10 August 1792, Louis XVI was imprisoned and the royal collection in the Louvre became national property. Because of fear of vandalism or theft, on 19 August, the National Assembly pronounced the museum's preparation as urgent. In October, a committee to "preserve the national memory" began assembling the collection for display.[24]
Opening[edit]
Antonio Canova's Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss was commissioned in 1787, donated in 1824.[25]
The museum opened on 10 August 1793, the first anniversary of the monarchy's demise. The public was given free accessibility on three days per week, which was "perceived as a major accomplishment and was generally appreciated".[26] The collection showcased 537 paintings and 184 objects of art. Three quarters were derived from the royal collections, the remainder from confiscated émigrés and Church property (biens nationaux).[27][28] To expand and organize the collection, the Republic dedicated 100,000 livres per year.[22] In 1794, France's revolutionary armies began bringing pieces from Northern Europe, augmented after the Treaty of Tolentino (1797) by works from the Vatican, such as Laocoön and His Sons and the Apollo Belvedere, to establish the Louvre as a museum and as a "sign of popular sovereignty".[27][29]
The early days were hectic; privileged artists continued to live in residence, and the unlabelled paintings hung "frame to frame from floor to ceiling".[27] The structure itself closed in May 1796 due to structural deficiencies. It reopened on 14 July 1801, arranged chronologically and with new lighting and columns.[27]
Napoleon[edit]
Under Napoleon I, a northern wing paralleling the Grande Galerie was begun, and the collection grew through successful military campaigns.[30] Following the Egyptian campaign of 1798–1801, Napoléon appointed the museum's first director, Dominique Vivant Denon. In tribute, the museum was renamed the "Musée Napoléon" in 1803, and acquisitions were made of Spanish, Austrian, Dutch, and Italian works, either as spoils or through treaties such as the Treaty of Tolentino.[31] At the end of Napoleon's First Italian Campaign in 1797, the Treaty of Campo Formio was signed with Count Philipp von Cobenzl of the Austrian Monarchy. This treaty not only marked the completion of Napoleon's conquest of Italy, but also the end of the first phases of the French Revolutionary Wars. Under this treaty, Italian cities were required to contribute pieces of art and patrimony to take part in Napoleon's "parades of booty" through Paris before being put into the Louvre Museum.[32] One of the most famous pieces taken under this program was the Horses of Saint Mark. The four antique bronze horses, which had adorned the basilica of San Marco in Venice after the sack of Constantinople in 1204, were brought to Paris to reside atop Napoleon's Arc du Carrousel in Paris in 1797.[32]
Several churches and palaces, including Saint Mark's Basilica, were looted by the French, which outraged the Italians and their artistic and cultural sensibilities.[33] In 1797, the Treaty of Tolentino was signed by Napoleon, and two statues, the Nile and Tiber, were taken to Paris. These statues had previously been in the Vatican, and both were housed in the Louvre until 1815. After the defeat of Napoleon, the Nile was returned to Italy.[34] However, the Tiber remained in the Louvre Museum and can be seen in the collections today.
The Italian Peninsula was not the only region from which Napoleon took art. Under the Directory government of the 1790s, Napoleon (then a General) led an expedition to Egypt. The campaign was an expansionist effort on the part of the government, but the Directory had another goal to make Paris the center of art, science, and culture.[35] The Directory wanted France to assume responsibility for liberating the works of art they deemed in danger in order to protect and nationalize the heritage and culture of their subjects.[36] As a result, there were teams of artists and scientists who accompanied the armies into battle equipped with lists of paintings, sculptures, and other pieces of patrimony that would be collected, crated, and shipped back to France.[37]
Dominique Vivant Denon was Napoleon's art advisor, and accompanied him on the expedition to Egypt. Through his initiative, the Valley of the Kings in Egypt was discovered and studied extensively.[38] As a result, he was later installed by Napoleon as the director of Musée Napoléon, formerly the Louvre, cementing the status of the museum as a center for global patrimony and storehouse for cultural heritage.[39]
One of the most important discoveries made during Napoleon's campaign in Egypt was the Rosetta Stone. It was discovered in 1799, and eventually led to the ability to decipher ancient hieroglyphs. Although the Rosetta Stone was discovered by the French, it actually never made it to the Louvre Museum. It was seized by British Forces following the defeat of Napoleon in Egypt and the subsequent signing of the Treaty of Alexandria in 1801.[40] It is now on display at the British Museum.[41]
After the French defeat at Waterloo, the works' former owners sought their return. The Louvre's administrators were loath to comply and hid many works in their private collections. In response, foreign states sent emissaries to London to seek help, and many pieces were returned, even some that had been restored by the Louvre.[31][42] In 1815 Louis XVIII finally concluded agreements with the Austrian government[43][44] for the keeping of pieces such as Veronese's Wedding at Cana which was exchanged for a large Le Brun or the repurchase of the Albani collection.
Restoration and Second Empire[edit]
The Venus de Milo was added to the Louvre's collection during the reign of Louis XVIII.
During the Restoration (1814–1830), Louis XVIII and Charles X between them added 135 pieces at a cost of 720,000 francs and created the department of Egyptian antiquities curated by Champollion, increased by more than 7,000 works with the acquisition of antiquities in the Edme-Antoine Durand, the Egyptian collection of Henry Salt or the second collection former by Bernardino Drovetti. This was less than the amount given for rehabilitation of Versailles, and the Louvre suffered relative to the rest of Paris. After the creation of the French Second Republic in 1848, the new government allocated two million francs for repair work and ordered the completion of the Galerie d'Apollon, the Salon Carré, and the Grande Galérie.[45] In 1861, Napoleon III bought 11,835 artworks including 641 paintings, Greek gold and other antiquities of the Campana collection. Between 1852 and 1870, under Napoleon III, the museum added 20,000 new pieces to its collections, and the Pavillon de Flore and the Grande Galérie were remodelled under architects Louis Visconti and Hector Lefuel.[45]
Damage during the 1871 Paris Commune[edit]
The Louvre was damaged during the suppression of the Paris Commune. On 23 May 1871, as the French Army advanced into Paris, a force of Communards led by Jules Bergeret set fire to the adjoining Tuileries Palace. The fire burned for forty-eight hours, entirely destroying the interior of the palace and spreading to the museum next to it. The library of the museum and some of the adjoining halls were destroyed, but the museum was saved by the efforts of Paris firemen and museum employees.[46]
Third Republic and World Wars[edit]
Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt seen with a plaster model of the Venus de Milo,[47] while visiting the Louvre with the curator Alfred Merlin on 7 October 1940
During the Third Republic (1870–1940) the Louvre acquired new pieces mainly via donations and gifts. The Société des Amis du Louvre (established in 1897) donated the Pietà of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, and in 1863 an expedition uncovered the sculpture Winged Victory of Samothrace in the Aegean Sea. This piece, though heavily damaged, has been prominently displayed since 1884.[48] The 583-item Collection La Caze donated in 1869, included works by Chardin; Fragonard; Rembrandt – such as Bathsheba at Her Bath – and Gilles by Watteau.[48]
Museum expansion slowed after World War I, and the collection did not acquire many significant new works; exceptions were Georges de La Tour's Saint Thomas and Baron Edmond de Rothschild's (1845–1934) 1935 donation of 4,000 prints, 3,000 drawings, and 500 illustrated books.[28] At the beginning of World War II the museum removed most of the art and hid valuable pieces. When Germany occupied the Sudetenland, many important artworks such as the Mona Lisa were temporarily moved to the Château de Chambord. When war was formally declared a year later, most of the museum's paintings were sent there as well. Select sculptures such as Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo were sent to the Château de Valençay.[49] On 27 August 1939, after two days of packing, truck convoys began to leave Paris. By 28 December, the museum was cleared of most works, except those that were too heavy and "unimportant paintings [that] were left in the basement".[50] In early 1945, after the liberation of France, art began returning to the Louvre.[51]
Grand Louvre Pyramids[edit]
Main article: Louvre Pyramid
By 1874, the Louvre Palace had achieved its present form of an almost rectangular structure with the Sully Wing to the east containing the Cour Carrée (Square Court) and the oldest parts of the Louvre; and two wings which wrap the Cour Napoléon, the Richelieu Wing to the north and the Denon Wing, which borders the Seine to the south.[52] In 1983, French President François Mitterrand proposed, as one of his Grands Projets, the Grand Louvre plan to renovate the building and relocate the Finance Ministry, allowing displays throughout the building. Architect I. M. Pei was awarded the project and proposed a glass pyramid to stand over a new entrance in the main court, the Cour Napoléon.[53] The pyramid and its underground lobby were inaugurated on 15 October 1988 and the Louvre Pyramid was completed in 1989. The second phase of the Grand Louvre plan, the Pyramide Inversée (Inverted Pyramid), was completed in 1993. As of 2002, attendance had doubled since completion.[54]
The Louvre Palace and the pyramid (by night)
The Louvre Palace and the pyramid (by day)
The Louvre Pyramid
The Musée du Louvre contains more than 380,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art in eight curatorial departments with more than 60,600 square metres (652,000 sq ft) dedicated to the permanent collection.[55] The Louvre exhibits sculptures, objets d'art, paintings, drawings, and archaeological finds.[28] It is the world's most visited museum, averaging 15,000 visitors per day, 65 percent of whom are foreign tourists.[54][56]
After architects Mario Bellini and Rudy Ricciotti had won an international competition to create its new galleries for Islamic art, the new 3,000 sq m[57] pavilion eventually opened in 2012, consisting of ground- and lower-ground-level interior spaces topped by a golden, undulating roof (fashioned from almost 9,000 steel tubes that form an interior web) that seems to float within the neo-Classical Visconti Courtyard in the middle of the Louvre's south wing.[58] The galleries, which the museum had initially hoped to open by 2009, represent the first major architectural intervention at the Louvre since the addition of I.M. Pei's glass pyramid in 1989.[59]
On 5 February 2015, about one hundred archaeologists, protesting against commercial private involvement to protect France's heritage, blocked Louvre's ticket desks to facilitate free access to the museum.[60] At least one announcement reading "Free entrance offered by the archeologists" has been attached to the ticket desk and a number of people visited the museum free of charge.[60]
Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is the Louvre's most popular attraction.
Restoration workshops in the Louvre
The Louvre is owned by the French government; however, since the 1990s it has become more independent.[56][61][62][63] Since 2003, the museum has been required to generate funds for projects.[62] By 2006, government funds had dipped from 75 percent of the total budget to 62 percent. Every year, the Louvre now raises as much as it gets from the state, about €122 million. The government pays for operating costs (salaries, safety and maintenance), while the rest – new wings, refurbishments, acquisitions – is up to the museum to finance.[64] A further €3 million to €5 million a year is raised by the Louvre from exhibitions that it curates for other museums, while the host museum keeps the ticket money.[64] As the Louvre became a point of interest in the book The Da Vinci Code and the 2006 film based on the book, the museum earned $2.5 million by allowing filming in its galleries.[65][66] In 2008, the French government provided $180 million of the Louvre's yearly $350 million budget; the remainder came from private contributions and ticket sales.[61]
The Louvre employs a staff of 2,000 led by Director Jean-Luc Martinez,[67] who reports to the French Ministry of Culture and Communications. Martinez replaced Henri Loyrette in April 2013. Under Loyrette, who replaced Pierre Rosenberg in 2001, the Louvre has undergone policy changes that allow it to lend and borrow more works than before.[56][62] In 2006, it loaned 1,300 works, which enabled it to borrow more foreign works. From 2006 to 2009, the Louvre lent artwork to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia, and received a $6.9 million payment to be used for renovations.[62]
In 2012, the Louvre and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco announced a five-year collaboration on exhibitions, publications, art conservation and educational programming.[68] The €98.5 million expansion of the Islamic Art galleries in 2012 received state funding of €31 million, as well as €17 million from the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation founded by the eponymous Saudi prince. The republic of Azerbaijan, the Emir of Kuwait, the Sultan of Oman and King Mohammed VI of Morocco donated in total €26 million. In addition, the opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi is supposed to provide €400 million over the course of 30 years for its use of the museum's brand.[57] Loyrette has tried to improve weak parts of the collection through income generated from loans of art and by guaranteeing that "20% of admissions receipts will be taken annually for acquisitions".[62] He has more administrative independence for the museum and achieved 90 percent of galleries to be open daily, as opposed to 80 percent previously. He oversaw the creation of extended hours and free admission on Friday nights and an increase in the acquisition budget to $36 million from $4.5 million.[61][62]
Satellite museums[edit]
Lens[edit]
Main article: Louvre-Lens
In 2004, French officials decided to build a satellite museum on the site of an abandoned coal pit in the former mining town of Lens to relieve the crowded Paris Louvre, increase total museum visits, and improve the industrial north's economy.[69] Six cities were considered for the project: Amiens, Arras, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Calais, Lens, and Valenciennes. In 2004, French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin chose Lens to be the site of the new building, the Louvre-Lens. Japanese architects SANAA were selected to design the Lens project in 2005. Museum officials predicted that the new building, capable of receiving about 600 works of art, would attract up to 500,000 visitors a year when it opened in 2012.[69]
Abu Dhabi[edit]
Main article: Louvre Abu Dhabi
On 8 November 2017, a direct extension of the Louvre, Louvre Abu Dhabi, opened its doors to the public in the city of Abu Dhabi. A 30-year agreement, signed by French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres and Sheik Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, established the museum on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi in exchange for €832,000,000 (US$1.3 billion). The Louvre Abu Dhabi, designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel and the engineering firm of Buro Happold, occupy 24,000 square metres (260,000 sq ft) and is covered by an iconic metallic roof designed to cast rays of light mimicking sunlight passing through date palm fronds in an oasis. France agreed to rotate between 200 and 300 artworks during a 10-year period; to provide management expertise; and to provide four temporary exhibitions a year for 15 years. The art will come from multiple museums, including the Louvre, the Georges Pompidou Centre, the Musée d'Orsay, Versailles, the Musée Guimet, the Musée Rodin, and the Musée du quai Branly.[70]
Iran[edit]
In March 2018 an exhibition of dozens of artworks and relics belonging to France’s Louvre Museum was opened to visitors in Tehran, as a result of an agreement between Iranian and French presidents in 2016. In the Louvre, two departments were allocated to the antiquities of the Iranian civilization, and the managers of the two departments visited Tehran. Relics belonging to Ancient Egypt, Rome and Mesopotamia as well as French royal items were showcased at the Tehran exhibition.
Iran’s National Museum building was designed and constructed by French architect André Godard.[71] Following its time in Tehran, the exhibition is set to be held in the Khorasan Grand Museum in Mashhad, northeastern Iran in June 2018.[72]
Conservation[edit]
In 2009, Minister of Culture Frédéric Mitterrand approved a plan that would have created a storage facility 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Paris to hold objects from the Louvre and two other national museums in Paris's flood zone, the Musée du Quai Branly and the Musée d'Orsay; the plan was later scrapped. In 2013, his successor Aurélie Filippetti announced that the Louvre would move more than 250,000 works of art[73] held in a 20,000 square metres (220,000 sq ft) basement storage area in Liévin; the cost of the project, estimated at €60 million, will be split between the region (49%) and the Louvre (51%).[74] The Louvre will be the sole owner and manager of the store.[73] In July 2015, a team led by British firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners was selected to design the complex, which will have light-filled work spaces under one vast, green roof.[73]
Controversial acquisitions[edit]
The Louvre is involved in controversies that surround cultural property seized under Napoleon I, as well as during World War II by the Nazis. During Nazi occupation, thousands of artworks were stolen. But after the war, 61,233 articles of more than 150,000 seized artworks returned to France and were assigned to the Louvre's Office des Biens Privés. In 1949, it entrusted 2,130 unclaimed pieces (including 1,001 paintings) to the Direction des Musées de France in order to keep them under appropriate conditions of conservation until their restitution and meanwhile classified them as MNRs (Musées Nationaux Recuperation or, in English, the National Museums of Recovered Artwork). Some 10% to 35% of the pieces are believed to come from Jewish spoliations[75] and until the identification of their rightful owners, which declined at the end of the 1960s, they are registered indefinitely on separate inventories from the museum's collections.
They were exhibited in 1946 and shown all together to the public during four years (1950–1954) in order to allow rightful claimants to identify their properties, then stored or displayed, according to their interest, in several French museums including the Louvre. From 1951 to 1965, about 37 pieces were restituted. Since November 1996, the partly illustrated catalogue of 1947–1949 has been accessible online and completed. In 1997, Prime Minister Alain Juppé initiated the Mattéoli Commission, headed by Jean Mattéoli, to investigate the matter and according to the government, the Louvre is in charge of 678 pieces of artwork still unclaimed by their rightful owners.[76] During the late 1990s, the comparison of the American war archives, which had not been done before, with the French and German ones as well as two court cases which finally settled some of the heirs' rights (Gentili di Giuseppe and Rosenberg families) allowed more accurate investigations. Since 1996, the restitutions, according sometimes to less formal criteria, concerned 47 more pieces (26 paintings, with 6 from the Louvre including a then displayed Tiepolo), until the last claims of French owners and their heirs ended again in 2006.
According to Serge Klarsfeld, since the now complete and constant publicity which the artworks got in 1996, the majority of the French Jewish community is nevertheless in favour of the return to the normal French civil rule of prescription acquisitive of any unclaimed good after another long period of time and consequently to their ultimate integration into the common French heritage instead of their transfer to foreign institutions like during World War II.
Napoleon's campaigns acquired Italian pieces by treaties, as war reparations, and Northern European pieces as spoils as well as some antiquities excavated in Egypt, though the vast majority of the latter were seized as war reparations by the British army and are now part of collections of the British Museum. On the other hand, the Dendera zodiac is, like the Rosetta Stone, claimed by Egypt even though it was acquired in 1821, before the Egyptian Anti-export legislation of 1835. The Louvre administration has thus argued in favor of retaining this item despite requests by Egypt for its return. The museum participates too in arbitration sessions held via UNESCO's Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to Its Countries of Origin.[77] The museum consequently returned in 2009 five Egyptian fragments of frescoes (30 cm x 15 cm each) whose existence of the tomb of origin had only been brought to the authorities attention in 2008, eight to five years after their good-faith acquisition by the museum from two private collections and after the necessary respect of the procedure of déclassement from French public collections before the Commission scientifique nationale des collections des musées de France.[78]
Collections[edit]
The Musée du Louvre contains about 460,000 objects and displays 35,000 works of art in eight curatorial departments.[79]
Egyptian antiquities[edit]
Main article: Department of Egyptian Antiquities of the Louvre
The department, comprising over 50,000 pieces,[80] includes artifacts from the Nile civilizations which date from 4,000 BC to the 4th century AD.[81] The collection, among the world's largest, overviews Egyptian life spanning Ancient Egypt, the Middle Kingdom, the New Kingdom, Coptic art, and the Roman, Ptolemaic, and Byzantine periods.[81]
The Seated Scribe from Saqqara, Egypt, limestone and alabaster, circa 2600 and 2350 BC[82]
The department's origins lie in the royal collection, but it was augmented by Napoleon's 1798 expeditionary trip with Dominique Vivant, the future director of the Louvre.[80] After Jean-François Champollion translated the Rosetta Stone, Charles X decreed that an Egyptian Antiquities department be created. Champollion advised the purchase of three collections, formed by Edmé-Antoine Durand, Henry Salt and Bernardino Drovet; these additions added 7,000 works. Growth continued via acquisitions by Auguste Mariette, founder of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Mariette, after excavations at Memphis, sent back crates of archaeological finds including The Seated Scribe.[80][83]
Guarded by the Large Sphinx (c. 2000 BC), the collection is housed in more than 20 rooms. Holdings include art, papyrus scrolls, mummies, tools, clothing, jewelry, games, musical instruments, and weapons.[80][81] Pieces from the ancient period include the Gebel el-Arak Knife from 3400 BC, The Seated Scribe, and the Head of King Djedefre. Middle Kingdom art, "known for its gold work and statues", moved from realism to idealization; this is exemplified by the schist statue of Amenemhatankh and the wooden Offering Bearer. The New Kingdom and Coptic Egyptian sections are deep, but the statue of the goddess Nephthys and the limestone depiction of the goddess Hathor demonstrate New Kingdom sentiment and wealth.[81][83]
Near Eastern antiquities[edit]
Human-headed winged bull (shedu), Assyria, limestone, 8th century BC
Near Eastern antiquities, the second newest department, dates from 1881 and presents an overview of early Near Eastern civilization and "first settlements", before the arrival of Islam. The department is divided into three geographic areas: the Levant, Mesopotamia (Iraq), and Persia (Iran). The collection's development corresponds to archaeological work such as Paul-Émile Botta's 1843 expedition to Khorsabad and the discovery of Sargon II's palace.[81][84] These finds formed the basis of the Assyrian museum, the precursor to today's department.[81]
The museum contains exhibits from Sumer and the city of Akkad, with monuments such as the Prince of Lagash's Stele of the Vultures from 2450 BC and the stele erected by Naram-Sin, King of Akkad, to celebrate a victory over barbarians in the Zagros Mountains. The 2.25-metre (7.38 ft) Code of Hammurabi, discovered in 1901, displays Babylonian Laws prominently, so that no man could plead their ignorance. The 18th-century BC mural of the Investiture of Zimrilim and the 25th-century BC Statue of Ebih-Il found in the ancient city-state of Mari are also on display at the museum.
The Persian portion of Louvre contains work from the archaic period, like the Funerary Head and the Persian Archers of Darius I.[81][85] This section also contains rare objects from Persepolis which were also lent to the British Museum for its Ancient Persia exhibition in 2005.[86]
Greek, Etruscan, and Roman[edit]
The Nike of Samothrace (Winged Victory), marble, c. 190 BC
The Greek, Etruscan, and Roman department displays pieces from the Mediterranean Basin dating from the Neolithic to the 6th century.[87] The collection spans from the Cycladic period to the decline of the Roman Empire. This department is one of the museum's oldest; it began with appropriated royal art, some of which was acquired under Francis I.[81][88] Initially, the collection focused on marble sculptures, such as the Venus de Milo. Works such as the Apollo Belvedere arrived during the Napoleonic Wars, but these pieces were returned after Napoleon I's fall in 1815. In the 19th century, the Louvre acquired works including vases from the Durand collection, bronzes such as the Borghese Vase from the Bibliothèque nationale.[82][87]
The archaic is demonstrated by jewellery and pieces such as the limestone Lady of Auxerre, from 640 BC; and the cylindrical Hera of Samos, c. 570–560 BC.[81][89] After the 4th century BC, focus on the human form increased, exemplified by the Borghese Gladiator. The Louvre holds masterpieces from the Hellenistic era, including The Winged Victory of Samothrace (190 BC) and the Venus de Milo, symbolic of classical art.[88] The long Galerie Campana displays an outstanding collection of more than one thousand Greek potteries. In the galleries paralleling the Seine, much of the museum's Roman sculpture is displayed.[87] The Roman portraiture is representative of that genre; examples include the portraits of Agrippa and Annius Verus; among the bronzes is the Greek Apollo of Piombino.
Islamic art[edit]
Casket, ivory and silver, Muslim Spain, 966
The Islamic art collection, the museum's newest, spans "thirteen centuries and three continents".[90] These exhibits, comprising ceramics, glass, metalware, wood, ivory, carpet, textiles, and miniatures, include more than 5,000 works and 1,000 shards.[91] Originally part of the decorative arts department, the holdings became separate in 2003. Among the works are the Pyxide d'al-Mughira, a 10th century ivory box from Andalusia; the Baptistery of Saint-Louis, an engraved brass basin from the 13th or 14th century Mamluk period; and the 10th century Shroud of Saint-Josse from Iran.[84][90] The collection contains three pages of the Shahnameh, an epic book of poems by Ferdowsi in Persian, and a Syrian metalwork named the Barberini Vase.[91]
See also: List of works in the Louvre
Tomb of Philippe Pot, governor of Burgundy under Louis XI, by Antoine Le Moiturier
Yombe sculpture, 19th century
The sculpture department comprises work created before 1850 that does not belong in the Etruscan, Greek, and Roman department.[92] The Louvre has been a repository of sculpted material since its time as a palace; however, only ancient architecture was displayed until 1824, except for Michelangelo's Dying Slave and Rebellious Slave.[93] Initially the collection included only 100 pieces, the rest of the royal sculpture collection being at Versailles. It remained small until 1847, when Léon Laborde was given control of the department. Laborde developed the medieval section and purchased the first such statues and sculptures in the collection, King Childebert and stanga door, respectively.[93] The collection was part of the Department of Antiquities but was given autonomy in 1871 under Louis Courajod, a director who organized a wider representation of French works.[92][93] In 1986, all post-1850 works were relocated to the new Musée d'Orsay. The Grand Louvre project separated the department into two exhibition spaces; the French collection is displayed in the Richelieu wing, and foreign works in the Denon wing.[92]
The collection's overview of French sculpture contains Romanesque works such as the 11th-century Daniel in the Lions' Den and the 12th-century Virgin of Auvergne. In the 16th century, Renaissance influence caused French sculpture to become more restrained, as seen in Jean Goujon's bas-reliefs, and Germain Pilon's Descent from the Cross and Resurrection of Christ. The 17th and 18th centuries are represented by Gian Lorenzo Bernini's 1640–1 Bust of Cardinal Richelieu, Étienne Maurice Falconet's Woman Bathing and Amour menaçant, and François Anguier's obelisks. Neoclassical works includes Antonio Canova's Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss (1787).[93] The 18th and 19th centuries are represented by the French sculptor Alfred Barye.
Decorative arts[edit]
French stained glass panel, 13th century, depicting Saint Blaise
The Objets d'art collection spans the time from the Middle Ages to the mid-19th century. The department began as a subset of the sculpture department, based on royal property and the transfer of work from the Basilique Saint-Denis, the burial ground of French monarchs that held the Coronation Sword of the Kings of France.[94][95] Among the budding collection's most prized works were pietre dure vases and bronzes. The Durand collection's 1825 acquisition added "ceramics, enamels, and stained glass", and 800 pieces were given by Pierre Révoil. The onset of Romanticism rekindled interest in Renaissance and Medieval artwork, and the Sauvageot donation expanded the department with 1,500 middle-age and faïence works. In 1862, the Campana collection added gold jewelry and maiolicas, mainly from the 15th and 16th centuries.[95][96]
The works are displayed on the Richelieu Wing's first floor and in the Apollo Gallery, named by the painter Charles Le Brun, who was commissioned by Louis XIV (the Sun King) to decorate the space in a solar theme. The medieval collection contains the coronation crown of Louis XIV, Charles V's sceptre, and the 12th century porphyry vase.[97] The Renaissance art holdings include Giambologna's bronze Nessus and Deianira and the tapestry Maximillian's Hunt.[94] From later periods, highlights include Madame de Pompadour's Sèvres vase collection and Napoleon III's apartments.[94]
In September 2000, the Louvre Museum dedicated the Gilbert Chagoury and Rose-Marie Chagoury Gallery to display tapestries donated by the Chagourys, including a 16th-century six-part tapestry suite, sewn with gold and silver threads representing sea divinities, which was commissioned in Paris for Colbert de Seignelay, Secretary of State for the Navy.
Painting[edit]
Further information: Catalog of paintings in the Louvre Museum
The Mona Lisa (Leonardo da Vinci), oil on panel, 1503–1519, probably completed while the artist was at the court of Francis I.
The painting collection has more than 7,500 works[98] from the 13th century to 1848 and is managed by 12 curators who oversee the collection's display. Nearly two-thirds are by French artists, and more than 1,200 are Northern European. The Italian paintings compose most of the remnants of Francis I and Louis XIV's collections, others are unreturned artwork from the Napoleon era, and some were bought.[99][100] The collection began with Francis, who acquired works from Italian masters such as Raphael and Michelangelo[101] and brought Leonardo da Vinci to his court.[12][102] After the French Revolution, the Royal Collection formed the nucleus of the Louvre. When the d'Orsay train station was converted into the Musée d'Orsay in 1986, the collection was split, and pieces completed after the 1848 Revolution were moved to the new museum. French and Northern European works are in the Richelieu wing and Cour Carrée; Spanish and Italian paintings are on the first floor of the Denon wing.[100]
Exemplifying the French School are the early Avignon Pietà of Enguerrand Quarton; the anonymous painting of King Jean le Bon (c. 1360), possibly the oldest independent portrait in Western painting to survive from the postclassical era;[103] Hyacinthe Rigaud's Louis XIV; Jacques-Louis David's The Coronation of Napoleon; Théodore Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa; and Eugène Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People. Nicolas Poussin, the Le Nain brothers, Philippe de Champaigne, Le Brun, La Tour, Watteau, Fragonard, Ingres, Corot, and Delacroix are well represented.[104]
Northern European works include Johannes Vermeer's The Lacemaker and The Astronomer; Caspar David Friedrich's The Tree of Crows; Rembrandt's The Supper at Emmaus, Bathsheba at Her Bath, and The Slaughtered Ox.
The Italian holdings are notable, particularly the Renaissance collection. The works include Andrea Mantegna and Giovanni Bellini's Calvarys, which reflect realism and detail "meant to depict the significant events of a greater spiritual world".[105] The High Renaissance collection includes Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Virgin and Child with St. Anne, St. John the Baptist, and Madonna of the Rocks. Caravaggio is represented by The Fortune Teller and Death of the Virgin. From 16th century Venice, the Louvre displays Titian's Le Concert Champetre, The Entombment and The Crowning with Thorns.[106][107]
Three lion-like heads, Charles le Brun, France, pen and wash on squared paper, 1671
The La Caze Collection, a bequest to the Musée du Louvre in 1869 by Louis La Caze, was the largest contribution of a person in the history of the Louvre. La Caze gave 584 paintings of his personal collection to the museum. The bequest included Antoine Watteau's Commedia dell'arte player of Pierrot ("Gilles"). In 2007, this bequest was the topic of the exhibition "1869: Watteau, Chardin... entrent au Louvre. La collection La Caze".[108]
Some of the best known paintings of the museum have been digitized by the French Center for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France.[109]
Prints and drawings[edit]
The prints and drawings department encompasses works on paper.[110] The origins of the collection were the 8,600 works in the Royal Collection (Cabinet du Roi), which were increased via state appropriation, purchases such as the 1,200 works from Fillipo Baldinucci's collection in 1806, and donations.[82][111] The department opened on 5 August 1797, with 415 pieces displayed in the Galerie d'Apollon. The collection is organized into three sections: the core Cabinet du Roi, 14,000 royal copper printing-plates, and the donations of Edmond de Rothschild, which include 40,000 prints, 3,000 drawings, and 5,000 illustrated books. The holdings are displayed in the Pavillon de Flore; due to the fragility of the paper medium, only a portion are displayed at one time.[110]
Location, access, and facilities[edit]
Map of Louvre museum and around, showing bus stops and metro lines serving the area as well as parking
The museum lies in the center of Paris on the Right Bank, in the 1st arrondissement. It was home to the former Tuileries Palace, which closed off the western end of the Louvre entrance courtyard, but was heavily damaged by fire during the Paris Commune of 1871 and later demolished. The adjacent Tuileries Gardens, created in 1564 by Catherine de' Medici, was designed in 1664 by André Le Nôtre. The gardens house the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume, a contemporary art exhibition space which was used to store confiscated Jewish cultural property during the 1940 to 1944 German occupation of France.[112] Parallel to the Jeu de Paume is the Orangerie, home to the famous Water Lilies paintings by Claude Monet.
The Louvre is slightly askew of the Historic Axis (Axe historique), a roughly eight-kilometre (five-mile) architectural line bisecting the city. It begins on the east in the Louvre courtyard and runs west along the Champs-Élysées. In 1871, the burning of the Tuileries Palace by the Paris Commune revealed that the Louvre was slightly askew of the Axe despite past appearances to the contrary.[113] The Louvre can be reached by the Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre Métro or the Louvre-Rivoli stations.[114]
The Louvre has three entrances: the main entrance at the pyramid, an entrance from the Carrousel du Louvre underground shopping mall, and an entrance at the Porte des Lions (near the western end of the Denon wing).
Under the main entrance to the museum is the Carrousel du Louvre, a shopping mall operated by Unibail-Rodamco. Among other stores, it has the first Apple Store in France, and a McDonald's restaurant, the presence of which has created controversy.[115]
The use of cameras and video recorders is permitted inside, but flash photography is forbidden.
Statue, plaster and reed, Ain Ghazal, Jordan, 6050–7050 BC
Cycladic, a votive head, 2700–2300 BC
Egyptian, stele, Priest burning incense before Ra-Horakhty-Atum, c. 900 BC
Ancient Persia, the Ibex Rhyton, 600–300 BC
Ancient Greek, Athens, The Rampin Rider,
Etruscan amphora, Diomedes and Polyxena, c. 540–530 BC
Hellenic Near East, The Eros Medallion, c. 250–200 BC
Fayum Egyptian, Fayum mummy portrait
Roman, portrait of Marcus Agrippa, 25 BC
Frankish, ivory, Christ between two apostles, 5th century
Islamic art from Iraq, terracotta cup, 9th century
Romanesque art from Maastricht, Reliquary, 11th century
Romanesque architecture from France, St Michael and the Devil, 12th century
Italian Renaissance painting, St Francis receiving the stigmata, Giotto, c. 1300
Early Netherlandish painting, The Annunciation, Rogier van der Weyden, 1435
Gothic art from France, The Pieta of Villeneuve les Avignon, Enguerrand Quarton, 1460
Italian Renaissance painting, Portrait of an old man and his grandson, Ghirlandaio, 1488
Flemish painting, The Money Changer and His Wife, Quentin Massys, 1514
Italian Renaissance painting, Baltasar de Castiglione, Raphael, c. 1515
Italian Renaissance sculpture, Dying Slave, Michelangelo, 1513–1516
Venetian Mannerist painting, The Crucifixion, Paolo Veronese, c. 1550
Italian Baroque painting, The Fortune Teller, Caravaggio, c. 1600
English painting, Charles I at the Hunt, van Dyck, 1635
Dutch Baroque, The Lacemaker, Vermeer, 1664
Spanish painting, Infanta María Margarita, Velázquez, 1655
French Classicism, The Shepherds of Arcadia, Poussin, c. 1640
French Rococo, Diana bathing, Boucher, 1742
French Classical painting, The Bather, Ingres, 1808
French Romantic art, Liberty Leading the People, Delacroix, 1830
André-Charles Boulle Cabinet sur piètement, 1690–1710
André-Charles Boulle Cabinet sur piètement
André-Charles Boulle
André-Charles Boulle, 1700–1720
André-Charles Boulle 1714–1719
Exhibitions[edit]
Leonardo da Vinci, Exhibition, Louvre Museum, Paris: 24 October 2019-24 February 2020 [116]
Visual arts portal
Archaeology portal
Paris portal
List of most visited art museums
List of museums in Paris
Center for Research and Restoration of Museums of France
Musée de la mode et du textile
Citations[edit]
^ a b "10,2 millions de visiteurs au Louvre en 2018". Louvre.fr (in French). 3 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
^ The New Oxford American Dictionary gives the respelling "/'loov(rə)/", which has been converted to its IPA equivalent. The portion within parentheses indicates a variant pronunciation.
^ "The “Pyramid” Project (2014–2016)", press release of the Musée du Louvre, 18 September 2014, p. 29. Archive copy.
^ "Louvre Museum". Inexhibit. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
^ "Louvre Website – Chateau to Museum, 1672 and 1692". Louvre.fr. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
^ "Louvre Website – Chateau to Museum 1692". Louvre.fr. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
^ a b Mignot, p. 32
^ a b Edwards, pp. 193–94
^ In Larousse Nouveau Dictionnaire étymologique et historique, Librairie Larousse, Paris, 1971, p. 430: ***loup 1080, Roland (leu, forme conservée dans à la queue leu leu, Saint Leu, etc.); du lat. lupus; loup est refait sur le fém. louve, où le *v* a empêché le passage du *ou* à *eu* (cf. Louvre, du lat. pop. lupara)*** the etymology of the word louvre is from lupara, feminine (pop. Latin) form of lupus.
^ In Lebeuf (Abbé), Fernand Bournon, Histoire de la ville et de tout le diocèse de Paris par l'abbé Lebeuf, Vol. 2, Paris: Féchoz et Letouzey, 1883, p. 296: "Louvre".
^ a b Edwards, p. 198
^ a b Chaundy, Bob (29 September 2006). "Faces of the Week". BBC. Retrieved 5 October 2007.
^ Mignot, p. 42
^ Nore, p. 274
^ "Jean Philippe Boulle, Son of André-Charles Boulle". V&A.
^ "Death of André-Charles Boulle". Mercure de France.
^ "The French cabinetmaker who is generally considered to be the preeminent artist in the field of marquetry, even "the most remarkable of all French cabinetmakers."". Google Arts and Culture.
^ "Masters of marquetry in the 17th century: Boulle". Khanacademy.
^ "André-Charles Boulle – Inlay". Pinterest.
^ Theodore Dell, The Frick Collection, V: Furniture in the Frick Collection (1992:187).
^ C.R. Williams, "The Mentor:Furniture and its Makers Vol. 1, No. 30, Serial Number 30, 7 September 2015, [EBook #49904]
^ a b c d Nora, p. 278
^ Carbonell, p. 56
^ Oliver, pp. 21–22
^ Monaghan, Sean M.; Rodgers, Michael (2000). "French Sculpture 1800–1825, Canova". 19th Century Paris Project. School of Art and Design, San Jose State University. Archived from the original on 20 April 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2008.
^ Oliver, p. 35
^ a b c d Alderson, pp. 24, 25
^ a b c Mignot, pp. 68, 69
^ McClellan, p. 7
^ a b Alderson, p. 25
^ a b Plant, p. 36
^ Popkin, p. 88
^ Swetnam-Burland, Molly (2009). "Egypt Embodied: The Vatican Nile". American Journal of Archaeology: 440. JSTOR 20627596.
^ Bierman, p. 41
^ Strathern, p. 305
^ Quynn, Dorothy (1945) "The Art Confiscations of the Napoleonic Wars". The American Historical Review. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1843116 p. 442
^ Parkinson, p. 28
^ Bierman, p. 161
^ Mignot, p. 69. According to Mignot, Mantegna's Calvary, Veronese's The Wedding at Cana|The Marriage of Cana, and Rogier van der Weyden's Annunciation were not returned.
^ "Paolo Veronese". The Gentleman's Magazine. No. December 1867. A. Dodd and A. Smith. p. 741.
^ Johns, Christopher M. S. (1998). Antonio Canova and the Politics of Patronage in Revolutionary and Napoleonic Europe. University of California Press. p. 190. ISBN 978-0520212015.
^ a b Mignot, pp. 52–54
^ Rene Heron de Villefosse, Histoire de Paris, Bernard Grasset (1959). The father of the author of this book was an assistant curator at the Louvre, and helped put out the fires
^ Life (4 November 1940), p. 39.
^ Alan Riding, And the Show Went On: Cultural Life in Nazi-Occupied Paris. Alfred A Knopf, New York: 2010. p. 34.
^ Matila Simon, "The battle of the Louvre;: The struggle to save French art in World War II". Hawthorn Books, 1971. p. 23.
^ Simon, p. 177
^ a b "Online Extra: Q&A with the Louvre's Henri Loyrette". Business Week Online. 17 June 2002. Archived from the original on 10 December 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
^ "Œuvres". Musée du Louvre. Archived from the original on 15 April 2008. Retrieved 27 April 2008.
^ a b c "New Boss at Louvre's helm". BBC News. 17 June 2002. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
^ a b Gareth Harris (13 September 2012), Islamic art, covered Financial Times.
^ Carol Vogel (19 September 2012), The Louvre's New Islamic Galleries Bring Riches to Light The New York Times.
^ Denis Bocquet. "Structural Innovation and the Stakes of Heritage: The Bellini-Ricciotti Louvre Dpt of Islamic Arts". academia.edu.
^ a b "Free entry at Louvre due to angry archaeologists". The Local. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
^ a b c Gumbel, Peter (31 July 2008). "Sacre Bleu! It's the Louvre Inc". Time Magazine. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
^ a b c d e f Baum, Geraldine (14 May 2006). "Cracking the Louvre's code". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
^ "Louvre, Organization Chart". Louvre.fr Official Site. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
^ a b Farah Nayeri (20 January 2009), Banks compete to manage Louvre's endowment International Herald Tribune.
^ Matlack, Carol (28 July 2008). "The Business of Art: Welcome to The Louvre Inc". Der Spiegel Online. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
^ Lunn, p. 137
^ ‹See Tfd›(in French)Un archéologue prend la direction du Louvre, Le Monde du 3 April 2013.
^ Scarlet Cheng (15 November 2012), Louvre and Sll Francisco museums sign five-year deal Archived 16 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine The Art Newspaper.
^ a b Gentleman, Amelia (1 December 2004). "Lens puts new angle on the Louvre". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 27 February 2008.
^ Riding, Alan (6 March 2007). "The Louvre's Art: Priceless. The Louvre's Name: Expensive". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 April 2008.
^ "Exhibition of Louvre Museum's Items Opens in Tehran". IFP News (Iran Front Page). Retrieved 5 March 2018.
^ http://ifpnews.com/exclusive/mashhad-to-host-louvre-exhibit-after-end-of-tehran-show/
^ a b c Vincent Noce (13 July 2015), Louvre's superstore to go ahead despite protests Archived 15 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine The Art Newspaper.
^ Victoria Stapley-Brown (10 November 2014), Designers chosen for Louvre's €60m storage outpost Archived 11 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine The Art Newspaper.
^ "Rapport Matteoli, Le pillage de l'art en France pendant l'occupation et la situation des 2000 oeuvres confiées aux Musées nationaux, pp. 50, 60, 69" (PDF). Retrieved 21 August 2011.
^ Rickman, p. 294
^ Merryman, abstract
^ "Le Louvre se dit "satisfait" de la restitution des fresques égyptiennes Culture". Tempsreel.nouvelobs.com. Retrieved 21 August 2011.
^ "The fabulous collections of the Louvre Museum".
^ a b c d Mignot, pp. 76, 77
^ a b c d e f g h i Nave, pp. 42–43
^ a b c Mignot, p. 92
^ a b "Egyptian Antiquities". Musée du Louvre. Archived from the original on 11 March 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
^ a b Mignot, pp. 119–21
^ "Decorative Arts". Musée du Louvre. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2008.
^ "Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia". University of California Press. 2006. Retrieved 12 November 2007.
^ a b c "Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities". Musée du Louvre. Archived from the original on 4 November 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
^ Hannan, p. 252
^ a b "Islamic Art". Musée du Louvre. Archived from the original on 9 November 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
^ a b Ahlund, p. 24
^ a b c "Sculptures". Musée du Louvre. Archived from the original on 7 November 2007. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
^ a b c d Mignot, 397–401
^ a b c Nave, p. 130
^ "Decorative Arts". Musée du Louvre. Archived from the original on 3 December 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
^ Lasko, p. 242
^ ‹See Tfd›(in French) Pierre Rosenberg, Dictionnaire amoureux du Louvre, Plon, Paris, 2007, p. 229.
^ a b Mignot, pp. 199–201, 272–73, 333–35
^ According to Giorgio Vasari, Michelangelo's Leda and the Swan, (now lost) was acquired by Francis I.
^ "Paintings". Musée du Louvre. Archived from the original on 23 March 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
^ Mignot, p. 201
^ "French artists in Louvre Museum". Paris Digest. 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
^ Hannan, pp. 270–78
^ www.louvre.fr – Musée du Louvre – Exhibitions – Past Exhibitions – The La Caze Collection. Retrieved 23 May 2009. Archived 17 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Galerie de tableaux en très haute définition". c2rmf.fr.
^ a b Mignot, 496
^ "Prints and Drawings". Musée du Louvre. Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
^ Mroue, p. 176
^ Rogers, p. 159
^ "How to get here". Louvre Museum. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
^ "'Bad taste' cries as McDonald's moves into 'Mona Lisa' museum". CNN. 7 October 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
^ [1][2]
Works cited[edit]
Alderson, William T.; Alexander, Edward (1996). Museums in motion: an introduction to the history and functions of museums. Walnut Creek, CA: Published in cooperation with the American Association for State and Local History [by] AltaMira Press. ISBN 0-7619-9155-7. OCLC 33983419.
Ahlund, Mikael (2000). Islamic art collections: an international survey. Richmond, Surrey, England: Curzon. ISBN 0-7007-1153-8. OCLC 237132457.
Bierman, Irene A (2003). Napoleon in Egypt. Ithaca Press. ISBN 0-86372-299-7.
Bowkett, Stephen; Porter, Tom (2004). Archispeak: an illustrated guide to architectural terms. London: Spon Press. ISBN 0-415-30011-8. OCLC 123339639.
Carbonell, Bettina (2004). Museum Studies: An Anthology of Contexts. Blackwell Pub. ISBN 978-0-631-22825-7. OCLC 52358814.
Edwards, Henry Sutherland (1893). Old and New Paris: Its History, Its People, and Its Places. Paris: Cassell and Co. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
Hannan, Bill and Lorna (2004). Art for Travellers: France. Northampton, MA: Interlink Books. ISBN 1-56656-509-X. OCLC 51336501.
Lasko, Peter (1995). Ars Sacra, 800–1200. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-06048-5. OCLC 231858991.
McClellan, Andrew (1999). Inventing the Louvre: Art, Politics, and the Origins of the Modern Museum... Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-22176-1. OCLC 40830142.
Merryman, John Henry (2006). Imperialism, art and restitution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-85929-8. OCLC 183928459.
Mignot, Claude (1999). The Pocket Louvre: A Visitor's Guide to 500 Works. New York: Abbeville Press. ISBN 0-7892-0578-5. OCLC 40762767.
Mroue, Haas (2003). Frommer's Paris from $90 a Day. Frommer's. ISBN 0-7645-5806-4. OCLC 229256386.
Miltoun, Francis (1910). Royal Palaces and Parks of France. L.C. Page & Co.
Lunn, Martin (2004). Da Vinci code Decoded. New York: Disinformation. ISBN 0-9729529-7-7. OCLC 224340425.
Nave, Alain (1998). Treasures of the Louvre. Barnes & Noble Publishing. ISBN 0-7607-1067-8. OCLC 40334510.
Nora, Pierre; Lawrence D. Kritzman (1996). Realms of Memory. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-10926-0. OCLC 234041248.
Oliver, Bette Wyn (2007). From Royal to National: The Louvre Museum and the Bibliothèque Nationale. Lexington Books. ISBN 978-0-7391-1861-0. OCLC 70883061.
Plant, Margaret (2002). Venice Fragile City. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-08386-6.
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Rogers, Elizabeth A. (2001). Landscape design: a cultural and architectural history. New York: Harry N. Abrams. ISBN 0-8109-4253-4. OCLC 186087857.
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The Crowning with Thorns (Titian, Paris)
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You are here: Home Documents Allowances and credits in the tax system
Allowances and credits in the tax system
An overview of tax allowances and tax credits and their contribution to the operation of the tax system
The 48 tax allowances and credits provided for in 17 laws intended to simplify the tax system are not periodically evaluated and, if necessary, revised by the State Secretary for Finance as agreed. The government is failing in its duty of evaluation. Neither the government nor parliament knows whether the tax instrument is a true reflection of reality, one of the aims of allowances and credits.
Allowances and credits not periodically evaluated as agreed
The Court of Audit provides an insight and an overview of tax allowances and credits in its report, Allowances and Credits in the Tax System. The report fulfils part of the Court’s strategy for 2016-2020 of auditing the revenue side of the central government budget. Allowances and credits are fixed sums added to or deducted from certain groups of taxpayers’ income if they enjoy an advantage or suffer a disadvantage, such as unearned income (box 3), home ownership, public transport credit or the benefit in kind of a company car.
Half of the 48 allowances and credits have not been revised since 2010, whereas the regulations require them to be evaluated at least once every seven years. But circumstances have certainly changed since then; interest rates have been falling for many years and life expectancies have been gradually increasing, at different rates, for men and women. Allowances and credits are not systematically (periodically) evaluated and parliament is therefore not systematically informed of their development and whether or not they are still appropriate.
Allowances as an efficient instrument to collect taxes?
Our audit found that the State Secretary for Finance did not monitor whether tax allowances and credits contributed to the efficiency of tax collection by the Tax and Customs Administration. The Administration’s efficiency is one of the main reasons to use this tax instrument. The alternative is to take individual measures for each taxpayer.
No visible evaluations had been made of the efficiency gains (and other benefits) and the costs of any of the allowances and credits we audited.
What are our recommendations?
The Court of Audit recommends that the allowances and credits be periodically assessed, separately from the duty of evaluation. An evaluation can look at the current (economic) reality and the allowances and credits can be revised in response to the assessment. If necessary, it could be decided to withdraw an allowance or credit and base a tax assessment on the actual costs or benefit. A policy review could lead to all allowances and credits being evaluated together by means of, for example, a quick scan every three or five years. The evaluation would ask whether the allowances and credits reflected the average economic value, whether circumstances had permanently changed, whether tax laws and regulations had been amended and whether using allowances and credits was more efficient than using the actual sums involved.
Why did we audit tax allowances and credits?
An insight into and overview of the allowances and credits in the tax system can inform the further debate of the reform of the tax system. The overview can enable parliament to determine whether the current allowances and credits are applied appropriately and achieve the intended policy and efficiency goals. The desirability of allowances and credits is closely related to whether they are justified by the efficiency gains.
The audit was published and presented to the House of Representatives on Wednesday 26 June 2019.
Tax allowances and credits not periodically evaluated as agreed. Tax break can differ significantly from actual amount
The State Secretary for Finance does not periodically evaluate and, if necessary, revise the 48 tax allowances and credits ...
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Season Recaps
1916 Baseball Season Headlines
Cleveland made a good acquisition with Tris Speaker in 1916, while Pete Alexander posted a record 16 shutouts. Check out all the major headlines from the 1916 baseball season below.
Edd Roush Makes Good in National League
Although many players who first came to maturity in the Federal League later left their marks in either the National or American League, Edd Roush was the Feds' top graduate by a wide margin. He became the property of the Giants after the Federal League folded (hitting .188 in 69 at-bats), only to be dealt to the Reds before the end of the 1916 season, a year in which he hit .287 in 272 at-bats. It was the trade John McGraw lived to regret more than any other, and he strove for the next 11 years to reacquire Roush before he finally succeeded.
Wally Schang Homers from Both Sides
Wally Schang just might have been the best catcher not in the Hall of Fame. Schang played on six pennant-winners, hit .287 in World Series action and .284 career-wise, and on August 8, 1916, was the first switch-hitter to homer from both sides of the plate in the same game. The only thing his career seemed to lack was the recognition clearly due to him. Schang caught for 19 major league seasons.
Dutch Leonard Wins 1916 World Series Finale
An exceptional pitcher early in his career, Dutch Leonard turned into only an average hurler when the lively ball era began. Leonard posted a 0.96 ERA in 1914 (some sources say 1.01) -- still a modern season record -- and had several other seasons in which he was nearly as effective. In 1915, he went 15-7 and won a World Series game. In 1916, he notched 18 victories and bested the Dodgers 6-2 in game four of the 1916 World Series.
Tris Speaker Deal Pays Off
Cleveland's acquisition of Tris Speaker in 1916 was the most sensational trade in history up to that point. It served to make the otherwise lackluster Indians instantly respectable. After the 1915 season, when the Red Sox let him go, Speaker played like a man whose cage had been opened. He came out roaring in 1916, posting a .386 average to beat Ty Cobb by .015 in the race for the batting title. Speaker also led the American League in hits (211), doubles (41), and slugging (.502).
Pete Alexander Posts 16 Shutouts
Pete Alexander blanked every National League opponent he faced at least once in 1916 -- a major league record 16 shutouts. Amazingly, the majority of his shutouts were pitched in his home park, the Baker Bowl -- an Eden for the circuit's hitters even during the dead-ball era.
Zach Wheat Whacks National League Pitching
Like the collars the Tigers sported until 1915, the sartorial flair exemplified by the Brooklyn club's checked home uniform of the 1910s was soon to become extinct in the majors. Zach Wheat, however, would remain with the Dodgers until 1926, setting many team career and season records along the way. In 1916, he posted a .312 batting average (fifth in the league), a circuit-best .461 slugging average, 177 hits (third in the loop), and nine home runs (tied for third). Zach's brother, Mack Wheat, batted just .207 in seven major league seasons.
Find highlights of some of the major events of the 1916 season in the next section.
To learn more about baseball, see:
How Baseball Works
How the Baseball Hall of Fame Works
How Minor League Baseball Teams Work
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Two-thirds of US millennial women say they’re in ‘poor or fair’ financial shape
Sibile Marcellus
Yahoo Finance March 5, 2019
By 2020, women may control as much as $72 trillion of the world’s investable wealth – a number that’s forcing markets to care about how women deal with their finances and what issues concern them, according to a new report from S&P Global.
S&P Global recently polled men and women in the 11 countries with the biggest stock markets to gauge their sentiments about the financial markets, their own sense of preparedness and investment habits.
The biggest takeaway: women’s control of the world’s investable wealth could reach $72 trillion, yet women often feel less financially secure and less optimistic about their economic futures than men. This social and economic reality will affect their investment decisions and could impact global financial markets.
Women are more worried than men about finances
Both men and women are worried about their financial future. More than 70% of men and women in the U.K., Switzerland, Germany and France say they are at least somewhat worried about their financial future. But in every one of those countries, a higher percentage of women feel that way. Women in 10 out of the 11 nations said that men are better prepared for a financial setback than they are. (Only in Japan women and men were even on this question.) In Japan and Korea, more than eight in 10 women are concerned about their personal finances.
Source: S&P Global
Even though women own an estimated 42% of the wealth in the U.S., the majority is still pessimistic about their finances, judging their situation to be “fair” at best. Only 26% of American women invest in the financial markets, even though 41% say now is the time to do so. That’s because women don’t feel they are in a secure enough position financially and don’t want to take on the risk associated with investing, according to the S&P Global report.
Nearly 40% of women in the U.S. say they’d be unable to afford their current lifestyle for more than a month if they lost their job. For 22% of women, the impact would be immediate, while only 13% of men say the same.
Millennial women’s personal finances are bleak. More than two-thirds of millennial women in North America say they are in “poor or fair” shape financially. (Overall, 60% of U.S. women say they’re in poor or fair financial shape.)
While three-quarters of women in the U.S. and Canada say they’re “somewhat worried” about their financial future, more than two-thirds feel that they’re in control of their financial well-being. They say that their own actions such as saving, smart investing, and working hard are more important than events out of their control, like market volatility.
Women make buying and investment decisions based on companies’ environmental and social impact in greater numbers than men
A majority of women in all 11 countries included in S&P Global’s poll say a company’s stance on environmental and social issues is important in their investment decisions. In the U.S., 79% of women – vs. 67% of men – view a company’s impact on those issues as critical in their investments. A company’s stance on those issues also impacted whether or not women chose to purchase their products and services.
It’s estimated that women own as much as 40% of the world’s total wealth, S&P Global says, so fund and asset managers’ increasing focus on social, governance, and environmental issues is likely to continue.
Follow Sibile Marcellus on @SibileTV
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Puerto Rico: thousands protest governor's sexist and homophobic texts
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Blog > Microfinance CEO Working Group Annual Report
Microfinance CEO Working Group Annual Report
By: Rupert Scofield
President and CEO, FINCA International
It was a proud day for me on the 26th June as the Microfinance CEO Working Group released its first annual report. The MCWG, which was formed in early 2011, represents a collaborative effort by the leaders of ten international organizations to promote microfinance around the world and the institutions that make up the wider industry. From the very beginning we have committed to supporting our members and bringing financial services to those who have traditionally been excluded from accessing them.
So far, the work of the group has affected the lives of 89 million people in 87 different countries.
I was a founding member of the MCWG and an early champion of its activities and objectives. I helped to establish female empowerment as a core principle of the group and, having seen the exploitation of the poor in many parts of the world, the idea of “client protection” and responsible microfinance. It’s my firm belief that by bringing microfinance organizations together in this way, we can ensure we provide financial help to those who need it the most.
Today, the MCWG is a marketplace for ideas, and a forum for the exchange and study of information between pioneering international organizations. As a group, we communicate with key influencers and the media to generate support for, and interest in, the microfinance industry, and we champion the solutions that microfinance can provide. At the same time, we encourage the development of industry standards for performance in order to ensure the delivery of high-quality financial services to the poor. Because of this, and our ongoing dedication to best practices and the constant search for improvement, we look to become the standard-bearers for responsible and innovative microfinance.
I’m deeply proud to be the Chairman of the MCWG and I look forward to many successful, collaborative years to come.
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← Trust, Providence, Pilgrim, Indians, The American Dream and The Transformation of Consciousness
PILGRIMS AND INDIANS: Ten Common Misbeliefs →
Seeds of Freedom: A Vision for America – Film and Call to Action
Seeds of Freedom: A Vision for America – 30 minute film.
Liberty! Justice! Equality! A new perspective presents a revolutionary look at the syntheses between European colonists and the American Indian in the evolution of the American democracy, mind and spirit.
The James Phinney Baxter Vision Expanded
[A Documentary Film and Call to Action by The Baxter Project Team]
Film Premiere and Forum: Boston Public Library November 10, 2016 6-8 pm. Meet the elders and filmmakers 5-6. Mohawk elder Tom Porter and Pilgrim Scholar Gary Marks will present insights into the Iroquois Great Law and the Pilgrim vision for humanity as they apply to life today and the future.
FILM SYNOPSIS:
Eminent philanthropist/historian James Phinney Baxter (1831-1921) believed that America must embody the high ideals of New England’s original settlers if it is to become a global exemplar of liberty, equality and justice. In 1921 he left a bequest instructing Boston to build a Pantheon to perpetuate the founding ideals and principles. Baxter’s great-great-granddaughter Connie Baxter Marlow adds a missing piece – the role of the American Indian in the evolution of American democracy, mind and spirit.
Watch the 4 minute teaser: SEEDS OF FREEDOM: A Vision for America
See related post: UNITY 2020! The Third Great Synthesis
The James Phinney Baxter Vision
James Phinney Baxter (1831-1921), pre-eminent New England historian and philanthropist, had a grand vision for humanity. He saw that the core ideas expressed in The Mayflower Compact, written in the cabin of the Mayflower before landing in 1620, of a “civil body politic [formed] to enact, constitute, and frame just and equal laws for the general Good” and other principles and ideals of the early settlers of New England were foundational “to develop a form of government in which the best aspirations of men could find free play.*“ He proposed that America could be an “inspiration to the world if we are able to live up to the ideals of our forefathers*“ which he believed are the “self-evident truths of the human mind. *”
These ideals included“the creation of a commonwealth in which all men loyal to God and the brotherhood of man should enjoy, under His providence, civil liberty and the exercise of the rights of private conscience. *“
The vision of James Phinney Baxter has yet to be realized: that the United States of America “lead as the exemplar of Liberty, Justice and Brotherhood among the nations of the world.*”
*Quotes taken from James Phinney Baxter’s 1920 address to the New England Historical Genealogical Society on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower.
The Baxter Project Team
James Phinney Baxter’s great great grand daughter Connie Baxter Marlow, her daughter Alison Baxter Marlow and her partner Andrew Cameron Bailey, believe that this is because America’s Origin Story has never been told accurately. First it glorified the Pilgrim and left out the Indian, now it demonizes the Pilgrim in an effort to honor the Indians.
The Baxter Project Team is producing a film that will set the record straight, bring balance to the story, and honor both the Pilgrim and the Indian for their role in the evolution of American democracy and the American mind and spirit. The film will premiere in the fall of 2016 to inaugurate The James Phinney Baxter Lecture Series at the Boston Public Library.
In order to inspire America and the world to actualize these ideals, James Phinney Baxter felt there must be a New England Pantheon or Temple of Honor to house a pictorial record of the deeds and ideals of the founders of New England. He was well aware of “the persistent attempt to defame and belittle the Pilgrim and the Puritan” before and during 1920, the 300th Anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower.
In 1921 Mr. Baxter bequeathed money to the City of Boston with the specification that in the future it would be used to build the Pantheon. His son, ex-Governor of Maine Percival P. Baxter, augmented the fund in 1969. However, the Pantheon was never built. In 1997 the trust was broken. Some money was allocated to the City of Portland, Maine. The remainder sat in the coffers of the City of Boston until June 2013 when it was allocated to the Boston Public Library. A portion of the fund had been used to create The Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians. The Boston Public Library intends to honor the original vision of James Phinney Baxter with programs leading up to and including 2020, the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower.
The Baxter Project Team has produced books, films, photography exhibitions and talks over the past 15 years to bring the Native American voice, heart and spirit forward. We believe there is a core wound in the heart of America. The inspiring story of The First Fifty Years is shrouded in misinformation and misbelief, leading to anger, blame, shame and guilt. Consequently, this nation is morally paralyzed. America was founded by visionaries who articulated a vision for humanity in its freedom documents: The Mayflower Compact, The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. What is not known or understood is that it was a synthesis between the European settlers and the Native Americans that evolved into democracy and the American mind and spirit.
There is a high road to realizing the true American Dream of freedom, justice and abundance for all. James Phinney Baxter recognized the universal importance of this dream. To get there, we must first understand the significance of the Pilgrim, the Indian and the principles that guided them.
The Baxter Project Team believes a new perspective on the important intercultural synthesis that occurred in Plymouth Colony during the life-times of Governor William Bradford and Pokanoket Wampanoag Sachem Massasoit, coupled with the next synthesis 100 years later during the Constitutional Convention when aspects of the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy were incorporated into The Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution will bring to light the need for a new Anglo American/American Indian dialogue in the present time.
To that end, the Baxter Project team is proposing the formation of a “Healing Council” series of talks to express thoughts and feelings and to develop strategies that will encourage a 3rd great synthesis between Anglo Americans and American Indians to unfold.
“When we come together with the indigenous peoples as equals, as family, and we each open our hearts and our minds to the other, the melding of our gifts will bring a new perspective that is invisible at this time. This new perspective will allow us to see the path to true unity, peace and freedom.” Connie Baxter Marlow
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Tag Archives: old buildings
The Five Takeaways of Deconstruction: Buffalo ReUse
Buffalo, like many other cities in America, was a once booming city of industry in the late 19th and early 20th century. It was a manufacturing powerhouse, located squarely at the western end of the Erie Canal. Cars, consumer goods, railroad cars, steel, grain storage, were some of the major industries here.
Grand theatres, office buildings, and homes sprung up to accommodate the growing middle class. At one point, it even rivaled New York City as one of the wealthiest cities in the United States. Beautiful buildings and parks proliferated all over the city, from such names as Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, and Frederick Law Olmsted. However, after the Depression, industries went out of business and never regenerated. People fled to the suburbs, or to other cities. Currently, Buffalo is a city estimated to have 268,900 residents, of which this number is declining. Approximately 10,000 houses lay empty.
With empty houses comes a number of issues, including blight, crime, vandalism, and a reduction in community. The city has plans to demolish 5,000 houses in the next couple of years.
Simply demolishing these houses and putting the rubble into a landfill seems to be the easy and quick short term solution. However, what about the most efficient long term solution? This is where deconstruction comes in.
“Deconstruction, or ‘green demolition’, is the process of taking down a building in the opposite way it was assembled, so that as much of the building material can be salvaged and reused. We use a 10,000 pound all-terrain forklift, to complement human labour, and it has proven to be a more efficient, cost-effective, and economically practical approach than hand deconstruction,” describes Rachel Matthews, Volunteer Coordinator at Buffalo ReUse, a not-for-profit social enterprise in Buffalo, New York.
From a materials perspective, the process of demolition by Buffalo ReUse is incredibly efficient compared to a conventional demolition.
“We can effectively reclaim up to 50% of the tonnage of a house that would have otherwise been discarded – including architectural detail, antique items, and good quality building material that you can’t find in houses today,” she explains.
Caesandra Seawell and Rachel Mathews of Buffalo ReUse provides the five takeaways of deconstruction below.
1. Cities all over the US are beginning to realize the benefits of deconstruction.
With the ability to recover so many valuable resources from a large stock of old houses, former boomtowns in the Rust Belt have seen the growth of green demolition/salvage social enterprises.
“For example, in Pittsburgh there’s Construction Junction, in New York there’s Sustainable South Bronx, in Washington State there’s New Heights Construction, and in Baltimore there’s The Loading Dock. Similar programs have also popped up in Portland and Detroit,” explains Mathews.
2. Construction waste makes up about 20% of landfill waste in the US.
Without so much of a thought, many old buildings are demolished, reduced to a pile of rubble, and a new building is plopped into its place. Debris is cleared away and dumped in a landfill. Plenty of this building material is valuable and recyclable, such as wood, metal, concrete, paper and plastic.
3. The economics of demolition differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
Seawell explains the costs of deconstruction versus demolition.
“The average two-story house costs between twelve to sixteen thousand dollars to demolish, whether it’s regular demolition or deconstruction. This yields about 45 tons of rubble. However, with deconstruction, the difference is that the owner gets a tax deduction for donating the materials that are salvaged and recycled – this is usually around $8,000 or so,” she explains.
“The cost of the deconstruction is based on a couple things – equipment rental, cost of throwing material in the landfill, whether or not there is asbestos in the building, sewing cuts and labour,” says Seawell.
Prices also vary between counties.
“The one challenge we have is the cost of landfill. In Buffalo, a ton of debris costs about $25 to dispose, which is very cheap compared to other cities on the East Coast such as New York. In NYC for example, it costs about $110 a ton, so contractors make sure to separate and divert materials. So, conventional demolition is so popular in Buffalo because it’s so inexpensive and quick. It costs $1,125.00 to use the landfill and bury a house, while if you were looking at NYC, it would cost $4,950 just to use the landfill.”
4. Deconstruction is a great way to salvage a piece, or pieces, of history.
Beyond the economic benefits of deconstruction, the simple fact exists that deconstruction yields some really cool stuff. Visiting ReSOURCE, I came across early 20th century door handles, 1950s light fixtures, stained glass windows, vases, paintings, chandeliers, sinks, and beautiful cabinets, copper ceiling tiles, and a bevy of other bric-a-brac. Most of these things were constructed during a time where quality was important, and planned obsolescence was not a standard.
5. Deconstruction is also a way to engage the community.
Buffalo ReUse has found that deconstruction has had a number of knock-on effects. First, is that deconstruction has helped to remove abandoned houses, which are seen as liabilities in the city. The organization has also hired and trained local people, many of them youth from low income neighbourhoods. The store, ReSOURCE, has been able to sell low cost items for people in the neighbourhood.
The organization has also engaged its neighbours in urban planning, envisioning how vacant spaces would take shape in their community.
“Ideally, we want to transform all of the vacant lots in our target area into gardens, parks, safe pass-thrus, greenhouses, and other spaces that benefit and beautify the neighbourhood,” explains Seawell.
“On top of that, we also want to continue to plant trees, hold workshops, empower the community, and promote environmental stewardship,” she adds.
It is clear that Buffalo ReUse has some lofty goals and big ideas. Like their deconstructions, with a little elbow grease they can make these things happen.
Thanks to Rachel Mathews and Caesandra Seawell in writing this article. More information about Buffalo ReUse can be found at http://www.buffaloreuse.org.
Filed under Architecture, Curiosities, Environment
Tagged as Architecture, Buffalo, Buffalo ReSource, Buffalo Reuse, Caesandra Seawell, deconstruction, demolition, Environment, old buildings, Rachel Mathews
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Sydney Tower Eye & 4D Experience
The Sydney Tower has been an integral feature of the Sydney skyline for over 30 years. Measuring 309 meters at its highest point, it is one of the tallest structures in the southern hemisphere and by far the tallest building in Sydney.
Your Sydney Tower Eye experience begins on the ground floor, with fascinating facts about Sydney adorning the walls - and it's just a taste of things to come with our 4D cinema just around the corner.
About the 4D Cinema... Uncover a new dimension to Sydney with the brand new 4D Cinema Experience. See what makes Sydney the city it is through a whole new perspective with spectacular footage transporting you across Sydney Harbour, its famous coastline, iconic landmarks and events that are integral to the city. The engaging film experience is taken to the fourth dimension with evocative in-theatre effects including wind, bubbles and fire - a perfect way to get to know the inspiring city of Sydney.
After you've been to the 4D cinema, there is no better place than sitting inside the comfort of the Observation Deck to check out the spectacular uninterrupted 360-degree panoramic views. Being on location at the highest point in Sydney means you will have the best view of our beautiful harbor city.
Entry to the Observation Deck for one visit; Entry to the 4D Cinema Experience; Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Transportation to and from the attraction.
Available: Daily, 9:30am - 10:30pm; Last entry at 9:30pm. Closed: December 25.
Sydney Tower Eye is located at 100 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia.
The attraction is wheelchair and stroller accessible.
Valid for the date purchased and entrance time selected only.
The time slot selected is the period within which you should arrive at the attraction.
Once the client has entered, they can stay inside for as long as they like!
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World’s First Hyperloop Will Connect Central Europe
While talk continues of building a hyperloop system in California, Europe is ahead of the game, slated to construct the first working system of its kind. Hyperloops, proposed by entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, use pressurized passenger pods capable of attaining speeds of over 700 miles per hour, far faster than even the fastest bullet train.
Now, HTT CEO Dirk Ahlborn announced that his company has reached an agreement with the Slovakian government. Their plan is to establish the Hyperloop transportation route from Vienna to Bratislava, Slovakia, and from Bratislava to Budapest, Hungary.
“Hyperloop in Europe would cut distances substantially and network cities in unprecedented ways. A transportation system of this kind would redefine the concept of commuting and boost cross-border cooperation in Europe,” said Vazil Hudak, Slovakia’s economic minister, said in a statement. “The expansion of Hyperloop will lead to an increased demand for the creation of new innovation hubs, in Slovakia and all over Europe.” Budgets still need to be made and feasibility studies conducted, but the creators hope to have an initial set of tracks deployed as soon as 2020.
See more in Mass Transit or under Transportation. April, 2016.
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HomeHow Helen Gurley Brown Turned Herself Into a Cultural Icon
How Helen Gurley Brown Turned Herself Into a Cultural Icon
Julia M. KleinAugust 5, 2016Getty Images
Not Pretty Enough: The Unlikely Triumph of Helen Gurley Brown
By Gerri Hirshey
Sarah Crichton Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 528 pages, $27
She told one girlfriend that she had slept with 178 men before her marriage. Even afterward, she never stopped having discreet affairs, using another friend’s apartment for assignations.
Raised in poverty and insecure about her looks, she was anorexic, a workaholic, neurotically frugal, and addicted to psychotherapy and plastic surgery.
At least this is what we learn in Gerri Hirshey’s dishy biography of Helen Gurley Brown, who died in 2012, at 90. One can imagine the author of the best-seller “Sex and the Single Girl” and the longtime Cosmopolitan editor loving this book.
But “Not Pretty Enough” is more than just entertaining gossip. It is also revealing and sympathetic, noting Brown’s missteps while praising her support for career-minded women and reproductive rights.
“[S]ex built her wealth and shaped her public persona,” Hirshey writes. And Brown’s championing of sexual pleasure and freedom for women was no sham: “Behind closed doors, sex thrilled and sustained Helen well into her eighth decade.”
Hirshey, a magazine journalist and the author of books on soul music and female rockers, delves deeply into Brown’s difficult childhood. Left fatherless at 10 (Ira Marvin Gurley, a onetime state representative, died in a bizarre elevator accident), she grew up in Arkansas with acne and a mother hobbled by depression. Later, Brown would refer to herself as a “mouseburger” — an average “girl” who made the most of what she had.
In fact, many men found her alluring. Hirshey writes that Brown became both a “master of sex” and a “prisoner of love” who sometimes bestowed her heart unwisely. As a secretary and, later, copywriter in Los Angeles, she had many light-hearted flings, including liaisons with a besotted Hollywood agent, adoring military men and the prizefighter Jack Dempsey. She became a “kept woman” to a married boss who was overtly anti-Semitic and, worse still, was in thrall for years to a sadistic art director who flaunted evidence of his other affairs. Hirshey identifies this lout as only “DJ,” for Don Juan, because he is still alive.
By contrast, Brown developed a filial relationship with Don Belding, an advertising man who promoted her from executive assistant to copywriter, helped polish her manners and, with his wife, saw her through various heartbreaks.
Another friend helped her target David Brown, a publishing and film magnate who would later co-produce “Jaws,” as a future husband. Twice divorced, he was understandably skittish. But in the end, she was patient and right and happily married at 37.
Though apparently not monogamous (on either side), their marriage endured. David Brown suggested the idea for his wife’s first book, and for many years wrote Cosmo’s notorious cover lines. (His great tragedy was the fate of his son by an earlier marriage, who died of AIDS contracted through intravenous drug use.)
Hirshey says she interviewed Helen Gurley Brown once, for a story on marriage proposals. “She was a reporter’s dream,” the biographer recalled, “dispensing chewy quotes like chocolate truffles.”
In describing Brown, “nice” is the word Hirshey uses repeatedly. Man-crazy as she was, she was deeply loyal to the women in her life, the consummate daughter and girlfriend. Barbara Walters, Gloria Vanderbilt, the gossip maven Liz Smith and many less famous intimates attest to how much fun she could be.
With near-daily letters and lifelong financial subsidies, Brown supported both her sister, Mary Gurley Alford, who suffered from polio and other ailments, and her mother, Cleo Gurley who could be wretchedly critical. When she first read “Sex and the Single Girl,” Cleo Gurley begged that it not be published. She was appalled to learn that her daughter, prior to marrying, had not remained a virgin.
“Sex and the Single Girl” made Brown a star. However modest her literary talents, she excelled at self-promotion. And when she was tagged to reinvent the floundering Cosmopolitan, she had timing on her side. The magazine’s desired demographic of employed single women was growing, and the culture, thanks to the birth-control pill and rising feminist tides, was liberalizing.
Brown’s own relationship with feminism was fraught: Her championing of sex with married men wasn’t exactly at the heart of the feminist message. Hirshey calls her out for largely ignoring the civil rights revolution and the anti-war movement, and especially for downplaying the threat of AIDS to women. (Brown went too far in her denial, but arguably she was on to something: In retrospect, the heterosexual AIDS panic was, as she believed, a weapon wielded by cultural conservatives to derail the sexual revolution.)
Hirshey has other misgivings about Brown’s editorial rein — including the lack of attention to fact in Cosmo articles. But mostly she sees her as a positive cultural force. At 74, Brown (whose behavior had grown erratic) was forced to step down as editor. But she was named editor-in-chief of the magazine’s international editions and stayed on at Hearst until her death.
Though she had access to the Helen Gurley Brown Papers at Smith College, Hirshey was denied permission to quote from them “verbatim and at length” by a co-executor who is a Hearst executive. The company also enjoined its employees from talking to her about Brown.
These constraints have not impeded Hirshey from producing an intimate portrait of a remarkably approachable cultural icon — “a Zelig in Pucci frocks” whose feminism was both “sincere and underrated,” and whose story was “just too good… to be circumscribed by gender politics.”
Julia M. Klein, a cultural reporter and critic in Philadelphia, is a contributing editor at Columbia Journalism Review and a contributing book critic for the Forward. Follow her on Twitter, @JuliaMKlein
This story "How Helen Gurley Brown Turned Herself Into a Cultural Icon" was written by Julia M. Klein.
Helen Gurley Brown
Julia M. Klein
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Facebook Co-Founder Says Libra Project Will Have A ‘Frightening’ Impact
Manisha Priyadarshini
Images: Shutterstock
Chris Hughes, the co-founder of Facebook, thinks that the newly unveiled cryptocurrency Libra will have a “frightening” impact on the economy — by shifting power from central banks to corporations.
Earlier this week, Facebook unveiled its global digital coin, which will be managed by the Libra Association and circulated through a wallet named Calibra.
Hughes says even a modestly successful Libra can transfer control of monetary policy from central banks to private companies like Visa, Uber, and Vodafone.
“Inevitably, these companies will put their private interests — profits and influence — ahead of public ones,” writes the co-founder.
Even though “move fast and break things” was their mantra in the initial days of Facebook, Hughes says that this approach is inappropriate when it comes to the global financial system.
1. #Libra has a long way to go before being successful, but in theory, it's brilliant and frightening. At the start of the week, I thought the problem would be that it would reinforce Facebook's corporate power.
— Chris Hughes (@chrishughes) June 21, 2019
4. If #Libra is successful, the problem will be bigger than more power for Facebook. We'll have to answer whether we want a global currency managed by (mostly) for-profit, private companies or public ones.
He believes Libra has the “potential to disrupt and weaken nation states by enabling people to move out of unstable local currencies.”
Eventually, it could turn into a “currency denominated in dollars and euros and managed by corporations” and there would be no turning back from there.
Lesser the amount of local currency a country’s citizens hold, it decreases the power of the national central bank to set monetary policy. This, in turn, will make it harder to regulate the local economy in times of economic stress.
Therefore, Libra will eventually “disrupt and weaken nation states” by forcing people to discard unstable local currencies and adopt a currency that is denominated in dollars and euros and managed by corporations.
Hughes cited Greece’s economic problems as an example. The government’s lack of control over the local currency is proof of how local economies can be damaged in such cases.
He said that “if global regulators don’t act now, it could very soon be too late.”
The Libra project is slated to launch in the first half of 2020 and can be used to purchase products, transfer money internationally and make donations.
Also Read: Confirmed: Facebook’s ‘Calibra’ Crypto Wallet Won’t Launch In India
Facebook’s Libra Could Be Used For Terrorism: US Treasury Secretary
Donald Trump Hates Bitcoin And Wants It To Be Regulated
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