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Home » High numbers of Demolitions: the ongoing threats of demolition for Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem
The Monthly Humanitarian Bulletin | December 2017
Many Palestinians in East Jerusalem are subject to a coercive environment with the risk of forcible transfer due to Israeli policies such as home demolitions, forced evictions and revocation of residency status. As is the case in Area C, a restrictive and discriminatory planning regime makes it virtually impossible for Palestinians to obtain the requisite Israeli building permits: only 13 per cent of East Jerusalem is zoned for Palestinian construction and much of this is already built-up. Palestinians who build without permits face the risk of home demolition and other penalties, including costly fines, the payment of which does not exempt the owner from the requirement to obtain a building permit.[1] At least a third of all Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem lack an Israeli-issued building permit, potentially placing over 100,000 residents at risk of displacement.
In 2017, the Israeli authorities demolished 142 structures in East Jerusalem for lack of a building permit. This is the second largest number of demolitions since 2000, although lower than 2016 when 190 demolitions were recorded. This year’s demolitions resulted in the displacement of 233 people, including 133 children, and otherwise affected another 631 people. The communities most heavily affected were Jabal Mukabbir, Beit Hanina, al Isawiya and Silwan which, combined, accounted for 72 per cent of demolition incidents and almost two-thirds of all structures demolished this year. Overall, East Jerusalem accounted for a third of all demolitions (142 out of 423) and more than a third of all people displaced (233 out of 664) in the West Bank in 2017. Around 23 per cent of the structures demolished in East Jerusalem were inhabited homes, while agricultural or livelihood-related structures accounted for some 35 per cent of all demolitions.
Structures targeted and people displaced in East Jerusalem by year
In contrast, in Area C of the West Bank, the number of Palestinian-owned structures demolished and people displaced was the lowest since 2010. The 270 structures targeted represented almost half the number documented annually over the last seven years, while the 398 people displaced represented a decline of 40 per cent versus the yearly average in the seven-year period.
The threat remains of further demolitions of homes and other structures in East Jerusalem. Two instances of multiple demolition orders were reported recently in two East Jerusalem localities affected by the Barrier.
The Barrier’s deviation from the Israeli-defined municipal boundary has physically separated some Palestinian localities in East Jerusalem from the urban centre.[2] Although residents retain their ‘permanent resident’ status and pay municipal taxes, these areas have been effectively abandoned by the municipality; basic facilities and services are either degraded or lacking entirely. There are multiple high-rise buildings, with structures springing up within metres of each other and no municipal oversight to ensure basic engineering and safety standards, including for earthquakes and other hazards. Such construction is primarily driven by the lack of municipal enforcement of regulations and penalties, alongside high demolition rates enforced on Palestinians in areas of Jerusalem ‘within’ the Barrier.
Demolished structures in east Jerusalem in 2017 including Kafr ‘Aqab and Sur Bahir
Demolition orders threaten high-rise buildings in Kafr ‘Aqab
In Kafr ‘Aqab, one of the East Jerusalem localities isolated from the city by the Barrier, no building permit has been issued since 2001.[3] According to the Israeli organization Ir Amim, it appears that no employees of the Building Inspection Division have entered the locality since 2005 and that, “as of 2012, the number of building starts in Kafr ‘Aqab accounted for 83 per cent of the total number of building starts in the entire city of Jerusalem.” [4]
The Jerusalem municipality is now planning to demolish four high-rise buildings in Kafr ‘Aqab following the rejection by a Jerusalem District Court in mid-October 2017 of the residents’ appeal against the demolition orders. The buildings targeted are located adjacent to the Barrier. The municipality plans to demolish them to build an eight-metre-wide public road proposed to alter traffic flows to and from Qalandiya checkpoint. Three of the buildings targeted contain over 60 apartments, which are still uninhabited. The fourth contains over twenty apartments, of which six are occupied. The demolitions would result in the displacement of 25 people, including 13 children. Dozens of families who have purchased apartments in these buildings would be affected, all of whom are Jerusalem ID holders. Most have reportedly invested their life savings to acquire the apartments and are still paying the owner in monthly instalments.
On 5 September, municipality staff, accompanied by Israeli forces, entered the neighbourhood and served residents with judicial demolition orders. Since the Jerusalem District Court ruling on 15 October 2017, the Israeli army and other forces have entered the buildings on multiple occasions, including in the early hours, to photograph the contents and residents, including sleeping children. Neighbours are concerned that demolition of the buildings with explosives will cause collateral damage to adjacent buildings and filed an appeal. In late November, the Jerusalem District Court issued an order halting the demolition and ordering the municipality to respond by the end of January. A discussion on the matter is scheduled for 28 February.
Demolition orders in the ‘buffer zone’ in Sur Bahir
Sur Bahir (population 25,000) is a Palestinian neighbourhood in the southern part of East Jerusalem. The majority of its land falls within the Israeli-defined municipal boundary but Sur Bahir also has land in Area A (187 dunums), Area B (21 dunums) and Area C (691 dunums). Unlike Kafr ‘Aqab, the entirety of the neighbourhood, including areas falling outside the Jerusalem municipal boundary, has been left on the ‘Jerusalem side’ of the Barrier.
Although all the residents hold Jerusalem IDs, the services and infrastructure available vary according to which jurisdiction they reside in. Historically, construction was concentrated in areas located within the Israeli-defined municipal boundary, but population growth and the inability to obtain building permits forced residents to expand into Areas A, B and C, where it is reportedly three times cheaper to buy an apartment than inside the municipal area.
Residents who build in Area A must obtain construction permits from the PA, as stipulated in the Oslo Accords, through Dar Salah village council, located in Bethlehem governorate on the West Bank side of the Barrier. However, according to local community sources, about 70 per cent of structures in Area A have been constructed without PA building permits.
Palestinian families were recently served demolition orders related to 12 buildings or house foundations in the Wadi al Humos area of Sur Bahir. Eleven people, including seven children, reside in two apartments in one building. According to the Israeli authorities, all the buildings are located in an area which has been designated as a Barrier ‘buffer zone’ since 2010 (see map). The area of the buffer zone covers some 160 dunums in areas A and B, and around 200 dunums in Area C, according to local community sources, and includes 200 to 250 buildings.
[1] Between 2000 and 2009, the Jerusalem Municipality collected an average of NIS 20.8 million per year (US$5.8 million) in these fines. Source: For 2004 - 2008, see ICAHD data sheet on East Jerusalem demolitions. Data for 2000 - 2003 and 2009 provided by Meir Margalit. For more details on fines and other penalties, see Margalit, No Place Like Home, pp. 10-12.
[2] The localities primarily affected are Kafr ‘Aqab; the Shufat ridge comprising Shufat camp, and part of Anata; Ras Khamis; Ras Shihadeh; Dahiyat as Salaam; Qalandiya village; part of Hizma; Ash Shayah of As Sawahira Ash Sharqiya; Bir Ona; and part of al Walaja in the Bethlehem area. Estimates of the population in these areas range from 55,000 to 120,000 -160,000 residents, although the ratio of East Jerusalem residents to West Bank ID holders is not known. See East Jerusalem Palestinian localities behind the Barrier, OCHA Humanitarian Bulletin, July 2016.
[3] Munir Zagheir, chairman of the Kafr ‘Aqab Residents Committee quoted in Nir Hasson, ‘In Rare Move, Israel to Demolish Five Palestinian Residential Buildings Behind Separation Barrier’ Ha’aretz, 28 October 2017.
[4] Ir Amim, “Displaced in their own city”, pp. 46, 44. As of the beginning of 2013, some 1,282 new apartments were nearing completion, all in high-rise buildings.
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Western Wildfires Continue As Eagle Creek Fire Prompts Finger-Pointing Wildfires are still raging in multiple states across America's western region. Fire historian Steve Pyne of Northern Arizona University says it's time to rethink land use, development and forest management in light of the increasing numbers of fires we are seeing each year.
Western Wildfires Continue As Eagle Creek Fire Prompts Finger-Pointing
Western Wildfires Continue As Eagle Creek Fire Prompts Finger-Pointing 3:54
September 9, 20175:36 PM ET
Wildfires are still raging in multiple states across America's western region. Fire historian Steve Pyne of Northern Arizona University says it's time to rethink land use, development and forest management in light of the increasing numbers of fires we are seeing each year.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
But back to the U.S. now, where the Western states are dealing with a disaster of its own - catastrophic forest fires. Scores of fires are burning in California, Oregon, Washington, Montana and other states. We wanted to get a sense of how this year's fire season compares to previous ones. And we also wanted to find out how climate change might be contributing to fire activity, so we called Stephen Pyne in Phoenix. He's written books about the history and management of fire. He teaches at Arizona State. And I started by asking his thoughts on the relationship between climate change and forest fire.
STEPHEN PYNE: It's somewhat like hurricanes. We know in a general way that climate change is contributing to the intensity and perhaps frequency, but it's hard to identify any particular storm. And that would be the same here. The Northwest has always had fire. You know, you need - a wet-dry cycle is what underwrites fire. It's got to be wet enough to grow stuff and then dry at some point to burn. And the Northwest goes through that cycle mostly wet, but the dry period is enough.
I think this season is a bit unusual from my perspective for two reasons. One is that the Northwest had sort of disappeared off the national scene for decades. And in the last five years or so, it has really bounced back with a vengeance. And secondly is the smoke. Smoke for so long, smoke hanging in valleys, hanging around towns, going beyond the category of nuisance to being perhaps a public health threat. That is of major interest as well.
MARTIN: I wanted to talk a bit more about causes. And I wanted to talk specifically about the Eagle Creek Fire, which erupted earlier this week in the Columbia River Gorge area outside of Portland, Ore. Now, law enforcement there have said that they believe the fire was started by a teenager tossing fireworks around this popular hiking trail. And there's been, you know, a very lively debate on social media about this because a lot of people have been arguing about, you know, the hefty punishments that they'd like to see imposed on this 15-year-old person.
But on the other hand, other people have kind of chimed in on the debate to say that, you know, forest management policies are equally to blame, that a fire likely would have started in that area anyway for other reasons, even lightning. So they point the finger at forest management policies. I just wanted to get your take on that.
PYNE: Yeah. Well, fire is interactive. You need spark and you need an appropriate setting. And, you know, you can have an area that's highly prone to fire. Everything's at maximum intensity. But if there's no spark, it doesn't happen. On the other hand, you can have lots of sparks, lots of ignitions. And if the setting isn't right, nothing happens. So the power of fire is really in its power to propagate. It spreads. And even if you think of it as a kind of malicious act or accident, it's got to have conditions to spread. In this case, I think both sides are right, and they're both wrong if you push them too far.
MARTIN: What kinds of conversations do you think we should be having that perhaps have not been as widely discussed as you'd like?
PYNE: Well, I think land use is the key. Climate change is certainly a factor. All the projections are that it's going to get worse. But how we live on the land, how we build cities, there's no reason to have towns burning from fires. We've solved the problem of burning cities a long time ago. We just haven't mustered the social and political will to enforce the same kinds of things we imposed in cities to prevent our cities from burning down. That's a discussion that needs to take place. And it's a legitimately political discussion. We're talking about public assets, and in many cases, public safety.
MARTIN: That is Stephen Pyne. He's written many books about the history and management of fire. He teaches at Arizona State. And we reached him at his home near Phoenix, Ariz. Professor Pyne, thanks so much for speaking with us.
PYNE: Thank you.
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States Ponder Costs, Benefits Of Film Incentives Targeted fiscal policies lure high-profile Hollywood productions — and the jobs and cash that come with them — to certain states. But in many cases, film companies get far more money from the state's coffers than they actually pay in sales and payroll taxes.
States Ponder Costs, Benefits Of Film Incentives
States Ponder Costs, Benefits Of Film Incentives 4:59
< States Ponder Costs, Benefits Of Film Incentives
September 24, 20135:17 PM ET
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
And I'm Melissa Block. Next week, spies and terrorists return to TV screens across the country in the Showtime series "Homeland." They'll roam the halls of CIA headquarters and the streets of D.C. - or at least, it will appear that way. "Homeland" is really filmed in Charlotte, N.C., and that's because of money.
North Carolina is one of about 40 states that offer financial incentives to Hollywood productions. Well, some folks in Charlotte wonder if they're getting their money's worth. Julie Rose reports from member station WFAE.
JULIE ROSE, BYLINE: "Homeland's" version of the CIA operates out of a boring, unmarked warehouse in an industrial section of Charlotte.
MICHAEL KLICK: I'm gonna go out and say hello to (unintelligible).
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Yeah, that'd be great.
ROSE: Michael Klick heads the production in Charlotte. We pass a darkened set fans would recognize as Sgt. Brody's patio.
KLICK: This is affectionately known as Stage A, which is where we have the Brody set, and we have Carrie's house. And then all this area over here, to the west side, is all the CIA.
MANDY PATINKIN: He doesn't mean any of that. He doesn't mean any of that.
ROSE: That's one of "Homeland's" stars, Mandy Patinkin. Another, Claire Danes, sits in a folding chair doing needlework to pass the time between takes. "Homeland" has been filming in Charlotte off and on for some two and a half years. It seems the city's parks and stately neighborhoods double well for D.C. and its suburbs. But let's be frank. Would "Homeland" be here if not for the incentives?
KLICK: No. "Homeland" would be somewhere else.
ROSE: Every dollar "Homeland" spends filming in North Carolina - paying crew, renting equipment, buying props; all of it - qualifies for a 25 percent credit from the state. That's standard among the dozens of states with film incentives. North Carolina's used to be just 15 percent, but so many productions went to other states that lawmakers upped the offer. And it paid off.
(SOUNDBITE FROM FILM "IRON MAN 3")
ROBERT DOWNEY JR: (As Iron Man) Just good, old-fashioned revenge.
ROSE: "Iron Man 3" became the first film to qualify for North Carolina's maximum film incentive, $20 million. Last year, productions including "Iron Man 3," "The Hunger Games" and "Homeland," claimed a total of $69 million in state credits. That's seven and a half times more than North Carolina paid in 2010 before it sweetened the incentives package.
MARK VITNER: It really puts us on a sort of like the hamster on the little spinning wheel. It doesn't get us anywhere.
ROSE: This is Wells Fargo senior economist Mark Vitner. He says there's no argument that big productions dump loads of cash into communities where they film. But, and this is key, the incentives checks are written by state governments, often from their general funds. In a number of states, including North Carolina, film companies get far more money from the state's coffers than they actually pay in sales and payroll taxes.
VITNER: It doesn't improve our labor force. It doesn't provide us with any new fixed assets that are going to improve our competitiveness for other firms. The only thing that keeps bringing folks here is our willingness to continue to give them money.
ROSE: Studies by think tanks across the political spectrum say states could get more bang for their buck with a general tax cut. And lawmakers in many states are taking note. Arizona ended its film incentives. Iowa, Connecticut and Idaho have suspended funding for theirs. North Carolina's package expires at the end of next year, which already has Hollywood studios threatening to move out. "Homeland's" Michael Klick acknowledges the mobility of the industry.
KLICK: Yes. We're very much gypsies. It's very much the circus comes to town. And we put up tents and we do what we do and when the season is over or the show is over, we go away.
ROSE: Earlier this year, film advocates carted skeptical North Carolina lawmakers to the "Homeland" set to meet a few of the 4,000 people statewide who work full-time in film, as prop makers, carpenters, camera operators. They put in 15-hour days, earning at least $20 an hour for months on end. Local companies get a boost from filming, too.
RICK PARRIS: Once you get them, you know, you don't want to ever lose them.
ROSE: Rick Parris says Hollywood productions account for 25 percent of sales at H&S Lumber in Charlotte.
PARRIS: "The Hunger Games," this whole back corner was full. It was like the Hollywood hotel. It was funny. They used 50 miles of 1-by-4s on that movie.
ROSE: If North Carolina's film incentives dry up, that business will go to a lumberyard in some other state. Lawmakers are loath to face the prospect of losing thousands of film jobs while North Carolina's unemployment rate remains well above the nation's. On the other hand, cutting big checks to wealthy movie studios in a time of tight budgets is tough to swallow, leaving states to struggle with finding their own Hollywood happy ending.
For NPR News, I'm Julie Rose in Charlotte.
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You are here:Behind the headlines archive
Stem cells could reverse eye damage
A stem cell treatment “restores sight to partially blind man”, according to The Guardian. The newspaper says that stem cells grown on a special membrane were used to treat the patient and seven others with sight loss.
This story comes from a study on patients with limbal stem cell deficiency, a painful eye disease that prevents the cornea renewing itself and subsequently damages sight. In the experimental trial, eight patients underwent treatment using a new technique to transplant corneal cells in an attempt to restore the limbal stem cells that were affected by injury.
This technique has shown a good preliminary outcome in this group of people with corneal injury. However, a larger trial with a longer-term follow-up is necessary, particularly one that compares this transplanting of stem cells with other approaches to treating the condition to determine whether the treatment is reliable, safe and effective in the long term.
Where did the story come from?
This research was carried out by Dr Sai Kolli and colleagues at the University of Newcastle. The study was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal, Stem Cells Translational and Clinical Research.
The press focused on the experiences and outcomes of one of the eight patients in the trial. The science was represented fairly, but the extent to which vision improved varied between patients.
What kind of research was this?
This was a trial that explored whether transplanted cells could be used to restore vision to people with damage to the cornea of the eye.
The research consisted of two parts. The first phase focusing on how to optimise the way tissue was prepared for a new type of eye surgery. The second phase was a trial of the new technique and the researchers’ optimisations. The recipients were followed up prospectively to assess the outcomes and potential side effects of the technique. Their experiences were reported through a case series.
The cornea is the clear, rigid layer covering the front of the eye. Its clarity and regular surface are vital for focusing light onto the retina. Cells on the cornea surface are continually lost in the teary fluids surrounding the eye, and they are replaced using a reservoir of limbal stem cells (LSCs). The LSCs are thought to lie in a layer of the cornea called the limbal epithelium.
An injury to the source of the LSCs can stop the cornea from renewing itself, leading to inflammation, scarring and loss of vision. This lack of LSCs is known as limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). Existing treatments for the deficiency include cornea transplants or grafts of the limbal epithelium. Recently, it has been made possible to grow layers of the limbal epithelium in tissue cultures, meaning that enough tissue can be produced to attempt a therapeutic graft.
As this is a very new technique, there is no specific guidance for doctors. The researchers wanted to refine the technique, remove any animal products that may be part of the cell culture process, and test the technique on a range of people with similar degrees of eye injury.
What did the research involve?
The researchers recruited eight patients (seven men and one woman) who had complete LSCD in one eye.
The researchers performed a biopsy to take a small sample of the limbal epithelium of the patient’s healthy eye. These cells were then grown in cell culture. The patients also gave a blood sample from which the researchers were able to purify a serum which contained the nutrients that the cells needed to grow. This meant that the researchers did not need to use serum that had been isolated from animals.
Sometimes, developing cells in cell culture requires other cells to be present in order to give them further nutrients that help them grow. The biopsy cells were grown on top of cells from the amniotic sac (womb lining), which had been donated by women who had given birth by caesarian. In this environment, the limbal epithelium cells were able to multiply. The researchers then optimised the conditions for growing the cells.
After 12 days the limbal epithelium cells were transplanted onto the patients’ unhealthy eyes. The patients were treated with antibiotics and steroid eyedrops, plus the serum that had been isolated from their blood. After the operation, patients were followed up for an average of 19 months, and assessing their pain and performing eye tests.
The researchers also assessed the health of the patients’ corneas by looking at whether they had abnormal blood vessels and how clear the cornea was.
What were the basic results?
The researchers found that replacing animal products with human-derived products in culture did not affect the growth of cells, therefore it was a viable option in their cell culture protocol.
Overall, all patients had a decrease in pain and an increase in visual acuity. Measures of the structure of the cornea also showed an improvement after surgery. There were less abnormal blood vessels in the cornea, and the corneas were less opaque after surgery.
How did the researchers interpret the results?
The researchers concluded that they have succeeded in introducing an animal-free serum into their cell culture technique to multiply limbal stem cells. These cells were used to successfully reverse LSCD within a controlled population, and showed improvement in pre-defined subjective and objective outcome measures for all of the patients that they treated.
This study describes both a protocol for growing limbal stem cells and a method of transplantation that seems to be an effective treatment for people who have had their limbal stem cells depleted through injury.
However, the researchers highlight that this is a preliminary study. As they only followed a small number of patients for two years, it is not known what the long-term outcome of this treatment would be.
The technique requires eye cells from a patient’s healthy eye. This means that people with damage to both corneas might not be helped by this experimental technique if it eventually becomes medical practice. The new method of culturing stem cells also requires cells to be grown on a piece of amniotic sac, but donations of this tissue are likely to be relatively rare. The researchers suggest finding a different material on which to grow the cells.
This technique has shown a good preliminary outcome for people with corneal injury. However, a larger trial with a longer-term follow-up is necessary. More research is needed through comparative studies to determine whether this new approach leads to improved outcomes for patients with this type of corneal injury. Also, visual impairment can occur for numerous medical reasons. It is not clear if this technique could have any impact on the treatment of these problems.
Links to the headlines
British doctors’ stem cell therapy gives man back his sight. The Times, December 23 2009
Stem cell treatment restores sight to partially blind man. The Guardian, December 23 2009
Stem cell cure for attack victim. BBC News, December 23 2009
Eye can see again after. The Sun, December 23 2009
Pioneering stem cell treatment restores sight. The Daily Telegraph, December 23 2009
Stem cell eye treatment gives victim of fight his sight back. The Times, December 23 2009
Links to the science
Kolli S, Ahmad S, Lako M, Figueiredo F. Successful Clinical Implementation of Corneal Epithelial Stem Cell Therapy for Treatment of Unilateral Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency. Stem cells 2009; Published Online: 10 Dec 2009
This article was originally published by NHS Choices
Retinal implant surgery hope for UK patients
3 November, 2010The Press Association
Three patients with retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited disease that causes blindness, can now see shapes and objects after undergoing groundbreaking retinal implant surgery.
Nurses take over therapeutic Botox clinic from Bradford doctors
29 March 2019Jo Stephenson
Nurses in Bradford are now at the forefront of delivering Botox treatments to patients with debilitating eye conditions through a new nurse-led clinic.
Exercise ‘helps prevent’ cartilage damage caused by arthritis
28 March 2019Nursing Times News Desk
Exercise helps to prevent the degradation of cartilage caused by osteoarthritis, according to UK researchers, who have identified the mechanism behind it for the first time.
Newspaper criticised for 'outdated' portrayal of nurses
10 June 2019Gemma Mitchell
A national newspaper has today admitted its description of nurses as doctors’ assistants was out of step with the realities of the role after coming under fire from the profession.
Clinical news digest: Don't miss last month's top stories
30 April 2019Steve Ford
Miss any of the clinical and practice news affecting the profession during April 2019? Catch up with our summary of the main study headlines and clinical breakthroughs.
Staff Nurse - Haematology Day Case
Oncology & Haematology Staff Nurse
Staff Nurse Haematology
£31630 - £35822 per annum, Benefits: London allowance
Senior Staff Nurse - Haematology Day Case
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Archives|Look at the Place! Sudan Says, 'Say Sorry,' but U.S. Won't
Look at the Place! Sudan Says, 'Say Sorry,' but U.S. Won't
By MARC LACEY OCT. 20, 2005
KHARTOUM, Sudan, Oct.15 - The man guarding the wreckage of the Shifa pharmaceutical factory does not chase visitors away.
On the contrary, he opens the gate for them, graciously invites them in and provides a tour through the twisted metal and cascading concrete of the plant, which was destroyed by American cruise missiles in 1998 in the days after the terrorist attacks on the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
It is looters whom the guard deals with sternly. The people living around the damaged El Shifa plant are desperately poor and the rubble to them would mean a small fortune if sold as scrap. But dare cart away a piece of metal sheeting, or try to pilfer some melted bottles or twisted pipe from the wreckage, and Jedi Muhammad will give chase.
Sudan's government wants the Shifa factory preserved just as it was shortly after 13 Tomahawk cruise missiles took it out in the early evening of August 20. The destroyed factory has become a monument of sorts, a place that Sudanese authorities say symbolizes the mistreatment they have suffered at the hands of the world's superpower.
"The government wants it as a showcase," said Eltayeb Hag Ateya, director of the Peace Studies Institute at the University of Khartoum. "It's still a thorn in Sudan-American relations. It will always be a point for the Sudanese government to bring up."
American officials have acknowledged over the years that the evidence that prompted President Clinton to order the missile strike on the Shifa plant was not as solid as first portrayed. Indeed, officials later said that there was no proof that the plant had been manufacturing or storing nerve gas, as initially suspected by the Americans, or had been linked to Osama bin Laden, who was a resident of Khartoum in the 1980's. But Washington still has not ruled out the possibility that El Shifa did, in fact, have some link to chemical weapons production.
So no apology has been made and no restitution offered, which has Sudan's government steaming, even seven years after the ground shook and the dark sky over Khartoum turned light as the plant was hit.
On the most recent anniversary of the bombing, Sudanese authorities did what they always do and repeated their call for a United Nations investigation of the American attack on the factory, which, if nothing else, was a major provider of medicines for humans and animals at the time it was destroyed.
Mustafa Osman Ismail, who was foreign minister until recently, also raised the issue at the United Nations summit meeting in New York last month, saying the bombing "damaged the development efforts of my country and deprived my people of basic medicines."
He added, "Today, from this rostrum, we reiterate our call to the United Nations to take the necessary and just measures within the framework of international law and appeal to the international community as a whole to support this just and legitimate demand."
But as in past years, the issue went nowhere under opposition from the United States, which has had many other serious grievances with Khartoum, whether or not El Shifa was being put to nefarious use. The State Department still lists Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism, despite vigorous efforts by the Sudanese to get the designation lifted, and Washington has accused Khartoum of stoking the civil war in the western Darfur region and making targets of civilians.
Saleh Idris, the owner of El Shifa at the time of the bombing, was driving his Land Cruiser through the chaotic streets of Khartoum the other day, singing along to a love song blaring on his CD player. He knew all the words, which was not surprising given that he had produced it in his home recording studio.
The evening before, he had been sitting in a luxury box at the Hilal Stadium watching a professional soccer match between two crosstown rivals. He is president of the Hilal team, which won that night.
Mr. Idris, a wealthy businessman involved in everything from real estate to textiles, appears to have gotten on with his life since 1998, when the Americans destroyed his factory and froze $24 million he had deposited in Bank of America because of suspected ties between him and Mr. Bin Laden.
After Mr. Idris filed a lawsuit, the Treasury Department released the funds within months of the bombing. Another suit seeking compensation for the damage to his property is still pending.
Unlike his government, Mr. Idris said he is not out to score political points against America. His Sudanese legal adviser, Ghazi Suliman, goes so far as to say that such a missile strike against Sudan would have been justified if the evidence against the factory had been solid.
"My government labeled this as anti-Islamist aggression, but I reject that," said Mr. Suliman, a critic of Sudan's government who has been jailed numerous times for speaking out. "If Shifa was involved in such an evil program, it deserved to be attacked."
But Mr. Suliman said the Americans relied on faulty intelligence that led them to bomb an innocent target.
Mr. Idris, who was born in Sudan but later became a citizen of Saudi Arabia, said he would relish meeting former President Bill Clinton one day over tea -- the Sudanese prepare it piping hot, with loads of sugar, in tiny glasses -- to discuss El Shifa.
"I would love to sit with him," Mr. Idris said. "We all make right decisions and wrong decisions based on the advice we get. But whenever you are wrong, you have to put it right. This was a very bad decision."
Outside the front gate of the damaged plant is another man who would like to talk to Mr. Clinton. Identifying himself only by his first name, Ahmed is a former employee at El Shifa who now runs a kiosk in front of the shuttered plant.
"When a person attacks you in your home, what do you call him?" Ahmed said angrily. "Is he a friend or an enemy?"
But one of Ahmed's customers, Muhammad Adam, cut him off. "We don't want to hate you," he told a visitor. Mr. Adam then offered his services: he is a construction worker, he said, and would like to be hired should the Americans ever pay for El Shifa to go back up.
A version of this article appears in print on October 20, 2005, on Page A00004 of the National edition with the headline: Khartoum Journal; Look at the Place! Sudan Says, 'Say Sorry,' but U.S. Won't. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
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Book Review|How the Tumultuous ’90s Paved the Way for Putin’s Russia
How the Tumultuous ’90s Paved the Way for Putin’s Russia
A protester watches the riot police in Kiev, December 2013.CreditCreditSergey Ponomarev for The New York Times
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By Rajan Menon
WHO LOST RUSSIA?
How the World Entered a New Cold War
By Peter Conradi
370 pp. Oneworld. $27.99
The hopes for a partnership between Russia and the West have been dashed, and in “Who Lost Russia?” Peter Conradi, the foreign editor of The Sunday Times of London, who spent seven years covering Russia for Reuters, seeks to explain what went wrong.
Conradi wisely examines the forest’s contours, avoiding the trees. He writes engagingly and enlivens his smart, balanced analysis with colorful anecdotes, though his book’s title does him a disservice. “Who Lost Russia?” suggests that he, like many Westerners, will treat this gargantuan, complicated country as if it were a misplaced personal item, or solipsistically attribute its post-Soviet path to Western policy. Conradi does discuss the West’s missteps, but he also focuses on the internal developments that shaped Russia’s course. And he is attentive to Russians’ views, even if his footnotes — which are sparse — contain only two Russian-language sources, one dating back to 1924.
Conradi starts with Gorbachev’s reforms, the fall of the Soviet-backed Communist states in Eastern Europe (in 1989), the Soviet Union’s implosion (1991) and the Yeltsin years (the 1990s). He describes the Russian economy’s crash and the penury millions of Russians endured. He recounts the privatization of state-owned industries and the accompanying corruption and Ponzi schemes of unscrupulous men who hijacked the process, enriched themselves and eventually became oligarchs. He tells of Russians’ dejection as their country’s power and prestige plummeted and of their sense of betrayal when NATO advanced eastward, even as Western leaders celebrated the Cold War’s end and welcomed Russia as a partner. He highlights the gap between the West’s verbal support for Russian reform and its paltry financial aid — $2.50 per Russian, by his reckoning.
And he recalls the 1996 Russian election, which President Clinton praised as a victory for democracy, even though oligarchs bankrolled Boris Yeltsin’s campaign in exchange for shares in state-owned industries at bargain-basement prices. He portrays the tumultuous presidency of the oft-inebriated Yeltsin, who, during a visit to the United States, was encountered by Secret Service agents in front of the White House, drunk and in his underwear, trying to get a cab to a pizza joint.
Yet the Clinton administration praised Yeltsin for promoting democratic and market reforms. Clinton had a soft spot for “Ol’ Boris,” whom he considered a bulwark against Russia’s Communist Party, which was growing in popularity as Russians’ misery increased.
Though Conradi’s coverage of the 1990s doesn’t turn up anything new, it does something valuable. It shows that the authoritarianism, corruption and crony capitalism of Putin’s Russia took root during that decade. More important, given Conradi’s objective, it demonstrates that the disputes currently dividing Russia and the West preceded Vladimir Putin’s presidency.
Consider Putin’s broadsides against NATO’s eastward expansion. Conradi reminds us that Yeltsin, not to mention Russia’s military brass, also vociferously opposed NATO’s enlargement. Even Russian liberals, like Boris Nemtsov (later a fierce opponent of Putin who was shot dead on a Moscow bridge in February 2015), predicted a backlash. Clinton airily dismissed such prognoses as “silly.”
In the 1990s, Russia, weak and reliant on Western aid, acquiesced unhappily to NATO’s advance toward its borders. As Yeltsin once said wearily, having again failed to change Clinton’s mind on that policy, “Well, I tried.”
Likewise, while Western leaders have condemned Putin’s quest for spheres of influence, Conradi shows that in Yeltsin’s time too Russians believed that they were entitled to preponderance in the countries of the former Soviet Union, particularly Ukraine. For Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Ukraine and Russia were organically connected. Vladimir Lukin, Yeltsin’s ambassador to Washington, advised Strobe Talbott — Clinton’s top Russia expert and later deputy secretary of state — to consider Russia and Ukraine as akin to New York and New Jersey. Yeltsin’s first foreign minister, the liberal reformer Andrei Kozyrev, asked why Russia should retreat from territories that took centuries to conquer.
Putin’s Russia and the West are now at loggerheads — even, according to a popular but misguided analogy Conradi uses, enmeshed in a new Cold War. But things didn’t start out that way. Putin’s early meetings with President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and NATO Secretary General George Robertson were convivial. He presented Russia as part of the West and even startled his interlocutors by proposing that Russia join NATO. He called the White House immediately after the 9/11 attacks, offering assistance, and actually provided it during Washington’s war against Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Though he didn’t like George W. Bush’s renunciation of the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty, his invasion of Iraq and NATO’s incorporation of the three Baltic States — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — he took these matters in stride.
When did things go awry and why? Conradi suggests that the democratic revolutions in Georgia in 2003-4 and Ukraine in 2004-5 may have been a turning point. Western governments applauded the protesters, and American and European NGOs had long financed and trained Georgian and Ukrainian pro-democracy groups. For Putin, the democratic movements represented a Western effort to undercut Russia in its own neighborhood; democracy and human rights were ruses, demanded of some countries but not others.
In 2007, at the annual Munich Security Conference, Putin lambasted the United States for foisting its values on others, sowing instability and behaving arrogantly. He has stuck to this script. And it has had enormous appeal within Russia. For lots of Russians, Putin personifies a break with the 1990s, when their country, led by a boozy, erratic president, was politically chaotic, economically near collapse and dissed by the West.
Only 47 when he was elected president in 2000, Putin exuded vitality — a stark contrast, as Conradi shows, to Yeltsin’s decrepitude. Taking advantage of soaring oil prices, which quintupled between 2000 and 2008, Putin bulked up Russia’s army, acquiring the muscle to push back: in Georgia in 2008 (Conradi provides an illuminating account of the events that culminated in the Georgian army’s humiliating defeat) and in Ukraine in 2014 (here Conradi doesn’t add anything original).
If any one event explains the rupture between Russia and the West, it was, as Conradi vividly shows, the mass rebellion that erupted in Ukraine in late 2013 when President Viktor Yanukovych, popularly elected albeit venal, cut off negotiations with the European Union on an association agreement and tacked instead toward Russia. Western governments immediately embraced the uprising against him. Senator John McCain and Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland visited Kiev and communed with the protesters.
On Feb. 21, the E.U. brokered a deal between Yanukovych and opposition leaders that included an early presidential election. But when the protesting masses cried betrayal, Yanukovych was finished. He fled the next day. To Putin, his ouster was another Western conspiracy. Russian officials seized on a telephone conversation in Kiev between Nuland and Geoffrey Pyatt, the American ambassador, about the post-Yanukovych government’s composition, an amateurish exchange that was intercepted by Russian intelligence and inevitably reached YouTube. Putin upped the ante in March, annexing Crimea, with its Russian majority, and backing separatists in eastern Ukraine with weapons and troops. The West slapped Russia with economic sanctions and banished it from the G-8. President Obama’s ailing “reset” policy lay dead.
So who lost Russia? Russia’s leaders, primarily Putin, who neither built democracy nor made Russia a partner of the West? Or the West, which was never serious about respecting Russia’s interests, let alone a partnership? Conradi doesn’t provide a clear-cut answer to his question. Given the complexities he grapples with, who can blame him?
Rajan Menon, a City College political science professor, is the author, most recently, of “The Conceit of Humanitarian Intervention.”
A version of this article appears in print on , Page 18 of the Sunday Book Review with the headline: He Didn’t Start the Fire. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
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5 Of ONE Championship’s Best Love Stories
Once again, it’s that time of year where we dedicate a little extra time to telling those closest to our hearts just how much they mean to us.
That is no different here in ONE Championship, where the world’s best martial arts superstars have experienced the life-changing moment of finding the man or woman of their dreams.
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, we share five beautiful stories of how love changed the lives of some of our greatest athletes.
The Story Of Bibiano & Amanda
Bibiano Fernandes may be known as “The Flash,” but there was nothing flashy about how he met his wife, Amanda.
While out eating with his teammates in Langley, British Columbia, Canada, he spotted Amanda working as a waitress and was smitten.
The former ONE Bantamweight World Champion found the courage to give her his phone number and ask her out on a date. She never called, however. He even texted her, but she turned him down, saying she was too busy.
Then, one day out of the blue, his phone rang.
“One day, she called me, so we went for coffee, and had a good conversation,” the Brazilian recalled. “We talked about life, what I do for a living, and what she did. After that, I said I wanted to marry that girl.”
That’s exactly what happened, as Bibiano and Amanda are now happily married with three sons.
The Story Of Brandon & Jessica
Who would win in this face-off? Even though it has been six weeks since the wedding here is a throwback. : @patrick.camacho #Live #Love #Learn #Guam #HappilyVeraAfter2018 #Thankful
A post shared by Jessica Vera (@n_e_n_j_a) on May 30, 2018 at 8:27pm PDT
ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera has never been happier, thanks to his relationship with his wife, Jessica.
Jessica was working at Alliance Training Center in San Diego, California, USA, and experienced problems with her boyfriend, so Brandon and his then-wife gave her a place to stay.
While Vera was away on a promotional trip for ONE, however, he was rocked by the news that his wife wanted a divorce. He confided in Jessica, who helped him through the difficult time in his life, and slowly, the pair started to get closer.
Eventually, their love for food and Jawaiian music drew them together, and they became a couple. But when Vera decided to relocate to Manila, Philippines to further his career, he was unsure what would happen with his relationship with Jessica.
Jessica quickly removed any doubts “The Truth” might have had, however.
“She said, in a different tone, ‘You lead, I follow, no matter what, and no matter where,'” Vera remembered. “How often do you find that, or even hear that from someone? That could have been when she got me.”
Now the pair are happily married after a beautiful ceremony last year, and they are continuing their journey in life together.
The Story Of Agilan & Amy
Welterweight contender Agilan “Alligator” Thani met his girlfriend, Amy, while working at Monarchy MMA in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during his formative days as a mixed martial artist.
At the time, he was cleaning the gym, and when he looked up, he saw the love of his life, who went on to become the biggest driving force in his career.
As well as being his girlfriend away from the cage, Amy is now an integral part of his team. She not only coaches at his gym, but she also keeps tabs on Thani’s nutrition and diet heading into his bouts.
Her presence has given him not only love, but discipline, and he would not have it any other way.
“She is always in my corner. She is right there backstage, and in the corner, every time,” Thani said. “As long as she believes in me, I will do anything to make my dreams become possible.”
The Story Of Richard & Gina
Thank u sa treat hn #happymonthsary
A post shared by Gina Iniong (@inionggina) on Aug 22, 2018 at 11:01pm PDT
Gina “Conviction” Iniong is enjoying the best success of her martial arts career, and she credits a large amount of that to her fiance, Richard.
The pair met at a Muay Thai tournament in the Philippines very early in Iniong’s martial arts journey. She was competing, and he was watching in the crowd.
“After my fight, he came up to me and asked for a picture,” she explained. “We soon became friends and from there, we opened up communication.”
Soon, the pair grew closer and developed a relationship that continues to this day.
The pair have traveled together, played sports together, and now have an unbreakable bond that has helped inspire Iniong to the best performances of her career inside the ONE cage.
“I think love is a very important part of being a martial artist because it gives you something to fight for,” Iniong continued.
“When you fight for more than just yourself, that is when you begin to unlock your true potential. I am lucky to have Richard behind me and supporting me through the good and bad times.”
The Story Of Aung La N Sang & Katie
Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang now lives and trains in Florida at Hard Knocks 365 in Fort Lauderdale, but it was at his previous gym of Crazy 88 MMA in Baltimore, Maryland where he met the love of his life.
The two-division ONE World Champion was teaching at the gym when Katie walked through the doors to start training, and she soon became attracted to the Myanmar athlete and asked him out.
“I said no at first, because I was also her instructor and the kickboxing instructor, and we were not supposed to date [the students],” he explains.
However, the mutual attraction between the pair only grew stronger as they spent more time together at the gym. She continued to ask him out, and eventually, he accepted, and the pair had their first official date.
They quickly discovered they were the perfect match for each other, and in 2013, they got married. They had a son two years later, and now Aung La N Sang competes for them every time he steps into the cage.
“They really motivate me to be better, and really motivate me to make the most out of my opportunities and to not waste any time getting to my goals,” he said. “A lot of my decisions in my martial arts career are made so I can take care of them.”
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How ONE's most endearing power couples found each other
Home > Lifestyle > 5 Of ONE Championship’s Best Love Stories
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You can now make free group video calls on Skype
Ron Email @ronwinbeta Apr 28th, 2014 in Latest news
Skype has finally made the group video calling feature available on its service for free. Starting today, you can fire up the Skype app on your Windows PC or tablet, Android smartphone, iOS device, or Windows Phone and make group video calls for free.
The much longed-for feature has been available on other services such as Hangouts for a long time now. For the record, Skype too had this feature, though, it wasn’t available for free. A user was previously required to have a subscription to the Skype Premium service, which offered many other features as well. The subscription would cost $8.99 per month, or $4.99 for a day-long pass.
Using Skype group video chat, you can have up to 10 people participate in a session. It is clear that Microsoft wants to make its video calling and instant messaging service more popular and expand the user base.
Further reading: Skype
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The Campaign to Remove a Shocking Painting from the French National Assembly
By Lauren Collins
A petition to remove “L’histoire en Peinture de l’Assemblée Nationale,” by the French artist Hervé Di Rosa, calls the depiction of slaves in one panel “a humiliating and dehumanizing insult.”
Art work by Hervé Di Rosa / Œuvres de l’Assemblée Nationale. © ADAGP, Paris, 2019.
The first time the French filmmaker and scholar Mame-Fatou Niang encountered “L’histoire en Peinture de l’Assemblée Nationale,” a large painting hanging in the National Assembly in Paris, she was “prise aux tripes”—grabbed by the guts. It was March of last year, and she was in the midst of what was supposed to have been a big day for her at the Palais Bourbon, which houses the lower chamber of the French legislature. She had been invited there to screen “Mariannes Noires,” her documentary about Afro-French women—“women who are perceived as having come from elsewhere, but whose hearts beat first for France,” as one reviewer wrote.
The painting, by the French artist Hervé Di Rosa, comprises nine panels, each depicting a key moment in the annals of French lawmaking: the institution of paid holidays, the recuperation of Alsace-Lorraine. Since 1991, it has hung in a hallway outside of the Assembly’s auditorium. Each year, thousands of tourists and schoolchildren pass by the work, as do their elected representatives. One panel is meant to commemorate the abolition of slavery in France, in 1794, but it perpetuates grotesque racist stereotypes. It features “two huge black faces, with bulging eyes, oversized bright red lips, carnivorous teeth, in an imagery borrowing to [sic] Sambo, the Banania commercials and Tintin in the Congo,” Niang and Julien Suaudeau, a white French novelist, wrote last week, when they launched a petition to have the work removed. “I was just shocked,” Niang recalled. “I’m a French black person. The piece tells me that this is how my country sees me.”
“1794: 1ère Abolition de l’Esclavage.”
Art work by Hervé Di Rosa / Œuvres de l’Assemblée Nationale. Photograph by Pierre Schwartz.
The petition, which calls the painting “a humiliating and dehumanizing insult to the millions of victims of slavery and to all their descendants,” has so far garnered about twenty-five hundred signatures on Change.org. With the hashtag #unautrefresquepour1794 (#anotherfrescofor1794), Niang and Suaudeau are asking people to make suggestions for a more appropriate piece of art to replace it. One young woman wrote to Niang on Twitter about a school field trip she went on to the National Assembly, during which she’d encountered Di Rosa’s painting. “I was embarrassed to ask about it in front of my classmates,” she recalled. “My teacher said that she’d asked the guides about it, but that they didn’t know how to respond. It didn’t seem to bother anyone. Some people were even laughing.”
Di Rosa made the work nearly three decades ago, for a contest sponsored by the R.A.T.P., the public-transport authority of Paris. It was originally set to be housed in a metro station that serves the National Assembly. But the authorities feared that it would attract graffiti, so it went to the Palais Bourbon instead. Di Rosa, who is white, was a leading figure of Figuration Libre, a French art movement of the nineteen-eighties that aimed to shake up cultural hierarchies. The movement was a mixture “of history and of the street, of the noble and of the trivial,” the curator Suzanne Pagé wrote, in a catalogue for a 1984 exposition in which Di Rosa’s works were shown alongside those of American counterparts such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. When I exchanged e-mails with Di Rosa this week, he told me that he intended for his painting to convey a sense of exuberance. “I was thirty years old, it was the end of the eighties, I remember having wanted to change the direction of the iconography, to look toward the future rather than the past,” he wrote. “I was part of an antiracist generation that truly believed that we had gotten rid of the old French racists. It was a moment in the history of France where we were optimistic, where we thought . . . that the resentments were past and we could build a world together.”
Di Rosa seemed somewhat baffled by the criticisms of his work, even as he refuted them. He pointed out that the Museum of Modest Art, which he founded, in 2000, in his home town of Sète, is currently holding an exhibition of seventy artists from Kinshasa. “In my career I’ve also worked for years with artists and craftspeople from Ghana, Benin, South Africa, Ethiopia, Tunisia, and Cameroon, and also from Mexico, Vietnam, etc., but that doesn’t interest the defamers,” he wrote. When I asked him if he was familiar with the history of colonial iconography—and, if so, if he thought about it when he was choosing how to illustrate the abolition of slavery—he replied, “I know of course all the colonial iconography but I don’t find that my paintings resemble it. I therefore didn’t take it into consideration.” Di Rosa says that his style is influenced by pop culture: comic books, science fiction, and punk. He often paints white people with similarly exaggerated features and considers “big red lips” a signature of his mythological world. “I have the impression that all of my characters are equally mistreated,” he said.
“1848: Le Suffrage Universel Masculin.”
“We’re completely uninterested in his intentions,” Suaudeau told me. “The only thing that matters to us is, was this a sensible and sensitive thing to do, to use that piece, regardless of the artist’s motivations, to celebrate the abolition of slavery?” In raising the question, Niang and Suaudeau have knowingly trespassed upon France’s conception of itself as a bastion of color-blind universalism. There is a common belief that there cannot be racism in France because in France there is, officially, no such thing as race. The state, operating under a policy of “absolute equality,” does not collect any statistics on race or ethnicity; last year, the word “race,” which is associated with Nazi Germany, was removed from the French constitution. The updated document promises equality regardless of “gender, origin or religion.” Niang said, “We have this amazing republican narrative, but it was made by chopping out huge chunks of our history.”
France’s race-blind policy excises a long tradition of colonial law, including the Code Noir, which governed slavery in France from 1685 until the Revolution, and the Police des Noirs regulations of the seventeen-seventies, which included a special identity card that black people in eighteenth-century Paris were required to carry. In 1794, the French Empire included Saint-Domingue, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana, in the Caribbean; the slave-trading ports of Gorée Island and Saint-Louis, in West Africa; and islands in the Indian Ocean. During the course of the eighteenth century, French slave traders imported more than a million people to Haiti. It was an uprising of enslaved people—the “true sans-culottes of the colonies,” according to one French Republican leader—in Saint-Domingue that forced the 1794 abolition of slavery. (In 1802, Napoleon reinstated it.) Laurent Dubois, a professor of history at Duke University who specializes in the Atlantic world, told me, “The French Revolution happened as much in the Caribbean as it did in Europe.” Colonies remained central to French history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with the conquest and administration of vast territories in the Maghreb, Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. “For much of France’s modern colonial history, more people lived under French rule in colonial territories than in metropolitan France,” Dubois said.
Niang and Suaudeau’s ultimate goal, they say, “is to raise French people’s awareness of the colonial wound.” Both of them live in the United States. She is an associate professor of French studies at Carnegie Mellon; he is an instructor in the French and Francophone studies program at Bryn Mawr. Their insistence that a black woman’s experience of a work of art is as important as a white man’s aims in making it—their insistence on acknowledging context, subjectivity, and identity—has been taken by some French commentators as an attempt to inflict American notions of political correctness upon French culture. On social media, the two have been inundated with vitriolic comments (more often targeting her than him, as is the custom). In the French press, they’ve been depicted as, at best, “fervent promoters of the black identity,” and, at worst, “fanatics in need of publicity.”
It is true that the history of slavery and racism in America is not the same as that of slavery and racism in France, and that the symbolic taboos that America enforces in place of substantive redress are not always meaningful. But it is disingenuous to treat the censure of a work like Di Rosa’s as bewildering, or to claim that its hurtfulness isn’t easily comprehensible. Last year, the French soccer player Antoine Griezmann posted a picture of himself wearing black makeup, dressed as a Harlem Globetrotter. “I recognize it is clumsy on my part,” he wrote, after first defending the costume as a tribute. “If I have hurt anyone, I apologize.”
A spokesperson said last week that the National Assembly has no current plans to take down the painting. When I asked Di Rosa if he accepted that the work had caused people pain, and, if so, what he thought would be the appropriate recourse, he replied by citing a law that was passed in 2016, in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Its first article reads, in its entirety, “Artistic creation is free.”
In Di Rosa’s view, an art work is indivisible from the intentions of the person who created it. But a public piece such as “L’histoire en Peinture de l’Assemblée Nationale” eventually leaves the environment in which it was conceived and goes out into the world, for all kinds of people to encounter, voluntarily or not. It starts to speak for itself, saying things that its creator might not have imagined and perhaps does not countenance. It takes a strange kind of innocence to insist that the artist’s heart should count for more than the viewer’s gut.
Lauren Collins has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2008. She is the author of “When in French: Love in a Second Language.”
French Paintings
French Culture
The View of the Yellow Vests, from the Ground
The gilet jaunes, also known as the yellow vests, have been battling riot police in Paris for several weeks. The reporter Luke Mogelson explains why it matters.
The Gilets Jaunes and a Surprise Crisis in France
A new gas tax has inflamed social resentment, a sense that the ruling classes and their wealthy urban supporters take the rest of the country for fools.
Picture Perfect Dept.
Looking at Frames at the Louvre
The museum is inventorying its vast collection of frames.
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The Clearest Voice: Remembering Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
By Leo Carey
“We singers die two deaths: the death of the voice, then the death of the body.” I’m quoting from memory, but these words, from the documentary “Autumn Journey,” about the German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, came back to me this morning with the news that this epochal musician is gone. It’s one of those deaths that resonate through one for days after, and seem to require some act of personal commemoration. As soon as I heard, I reached down his recordings with Gerald Moore of nearly every song Schubert wrote. I was given this monumental boxed set, twenty-five CDs in all, for my twenty-first birthday, and, with the single-mindedness of someone who doesn’t yet have a job, listened my way through the whole thing. So, like countless people, I got to know German lieder through Fischer-Dieskau, and for me he simply is the voice of Schubert (and Schumann and Wolf and so on).
What made Fischer-Dieskau so special? There are any number of reasons, but none really seem sufficient. It didn’t hurt that his career, running from the last days of the Second World War until the early nineteen-nineties, spanned a golden age for recorded music. Then there was the technique. Singing buffs will tell you that the extraordinary thing about him was that his voice was neither particularly beautiful in itself nor nearly as big as he managed to make it sound. The genius lay not in the basic vocal instrument but in the way he used it. Some of them even find his approach too cerebral and calculating: pay them no mind, and listen instead to the passion, unforced power, and climactic high A in this 1956 performance of Schumann’s “Ich Grolle Nicht”:
(For the full effect, see the translation of the brutal, bitter words.)
One gets some sense of the technical side of things in “Autumn Journey,” in scenes where Fischer-Dieskau teaches apprentice signers in master classes. In one sequence (sadly not online, though the DVD is available secondhand), he keeps pressing a burly baritone to push the sound forward in his head into the sinuses. After much trying, the young singer briefly achieves the desired effect and one hears the sound come into focus. To my ears, the singer seemed pretty decent before, but the transformation is a revelation: suddenly the music becomes truly communicative and we hear an intelligence behind the notes.
This intelligence seems key to Fischer-Dieskau’s art. He was renowned for the clarity of his diction and you always feel he knows exactly what text of a song is about. Indeed, he’s so attuned to the fervent emotions of German lyric poetry—all those mountains, brooks, millers, maidens, and deaths—that you almost feel he might have written the poem in a previous life. He seems to be inside each song, speaking with the voice of both the composer and poet. So powerful is this aspect of his singing that you can see the mind working even when he isn’t singing. Take a look at the first fifteen seconds of this performance, where he’s simply listening to the piano accompaniment before his first entrance. You can read the events in the music all over his face:
Similarly, the almost frightening level of focus in his face as he finishes singing here (at the 3:35 mark):
But maybe “intelligence” is too small a word to capture this aspect of Fischer-Dieskau, because it’s a trait that also comprises emotion, personality, humor, and a kind of nobility. Last fall, a young German soprano I know said something that perhaps gets closer to the specialness involved. I had put on the “Autumn Journey” documentary, and there was some footage from a Bach cantata very early in Fischer-Dieskau’s career. Before he even opened his mouth, she gasped and said, “Just the way he stands. It’s so honest.”
Above: Fischer-Dieskau in 1965. Photograph by Erich Auerbach/Getty
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An Explosive Opera of “The Exterminating Angel”
In Salzburg, Thomas Adès gives Luis Buñuel’s cool, eerie film from 1962 a new, tragic volatility.
By Alex Ross
The opera, based on Luis Buñuel’s film, tilts toward the apocalyptic.
Illustration by Pieter Van Eenoge
The British composer Thomas Adès is as compelling as any contemporary practitioner of his art because he is, first and foremost, a virtuoso of extremes. He is a refined technician, with a skilled performer’s reverence for tradition, yet he has no fear of unleashing brutal sounds on the edge of chaos. Although he makes liberal use of tonal harmony—including opulent, late-Romantic gestures, for which mainstream audiences profess to be starved—he subjects that material to shattering pressure. He conjures both the vanished past and the ephemeral present: waltzes in a crumbling ballroom, pounding beats in a pop arena. Like Alban Berg, the twentieth-century master whom he most resembles, he pushes ambiguity to the point of explosive crisis.
Adès, who is now forty-five, has, not surprisingly, proved to be a potent composer of music theatre. His first opera, “Powder Her Face,” appeared in 1995 and has had more than forty productions around the world, including, most recently, a staging by West Edge Opera, the innovative Oakland company. What begins as a brittle, noirish satire—the central figure is the Duchess of Argyll, whose love life created a scandal in nineteen-sixties Britain—acquires weight and pathos as the heroine maintains hauteur in the face of degradation. Adès’s second opera, “The Tempest,” had its première at the Royal Opera House, in 2004, and later went to the Met. It follows an opposing trajectory, from an airy, luminous sphere to visceral evocations of Prospero’s “rough magic.”
Never have Adès’s extremes collided more spectacularly than in “The Exterminating Angel,” his new opera, which had its first performance on July 28th, at the Salzburg Festival. The libretto—by the director Tom Cairns, working with the composer—is based on the great 1962 film, by Luis Buñuel, about a group of high-bourgeois characters who find themselves mysteriously unable to leave a party at a mansion. Adès had been eying the subject for many years, not least because the Dadaist and Surrealist tradition with which Buñuel is associated is a family inheritance: Adès’s mother, Dawn, is a scholar of Dali and Duchamp.
This composer is, however, more of an Expressionist than a Surrealist, and in his hands Buñuel’s cool, eerie scenario takes on a tragic volatility. To some extent, he follows the filmmaker in dissecting the pretensions of the aristocratic hosts and their guests: the opera singer and her conductor, the rational doctor and his delirious patient, the young couple lost in self-indulgent love, and the rest. The servants, by contrast, sense that trouble is near and flee the scene. Yet the curse that falls on the house transcends class. A crucial moment comes in Act II, when Julio, the butler, who failed to leave with the others, enters the zone of confinement. A quadruple-forte C-sharp-minor upheaval in the orchestra ensues, with the brass crying doom in falling intervals. The music points to a more universal anguish: the feeling of watching oneself make an irreversible mistake.
“The Exterminating Angel” is a huge, hyper-complex creation, one that will not travel as easily as Adès’s previous operas. There are twenty-two singing roles, including eight that could be classified as principals. Some of the vocal writing borders on the outlandish; the part for Leticia, the opera singer, often goes up to high E and F. The orchestra calls for an array of bells, a vast battery of percussion, an ondes martenot (the early electronic instrument beloved of Messiaen), a solo guitar, and eight miniature violins (at one-thirty-second size). The layering of harmony, timbre, and rhythm is intimidatingly dense.
At the same time, the score has a purposeful, systematic energy. From the outset of his career, Adès has favored cycles of intervals that expand and contract with organic logic. For example, the motif for Julio’s crossing of the threshold contains a fifth, a tritone, a fourth, and a tritone—intervals that narrow and then widen again. (A similar pattern appears in the first minutes of the opera, as a servant sings, “I wish I didn’t have to leave.”) As in Berg’s twelve-tone music, such operations yield a phantom tonality that never stays fixed. The Adès orchestra, meanwhile, rivals the Buñuel camera in imagistic power. The ondes martenot plays a pivotal role, serving to signal the nameless force that ensnares the guests. When Julio takes his fatal step, the instrument swoops to the bottom of its range—“as if swallowing the orchestra,” the score says.
The past arises in kaleidoscopic flashes, as it does in so many Adès works. Early in the guests’ captivity, when their inability to leave seems more absurd than abject, waltz rhythms proliferate, variously recalling classic Johann Strauss, the boozy dances of “Der Rosenkavalier,” and the deconstructed waltzes of Ravel and Stravinsky. Eduardo and Beatriz—the young lovers, who commit suicide rather than stay at the party for eternity—are given courtly, limpid music of quasi-Baroque character. Drumming and dance-band music evoke the cityscape outside. In the heaviest, most doom-laden passages, the harmony gravitates toward Wagner, or, perhaps, toward some forgotten but inspired Wagner follower. Throughout, Adès pulls off the Stravinskyan feat of making prior styles sound like premonitions of his own.
Any sense of playfulness dissipates long before the end of the opera, which, even more than the film, tilts toward the apocalyptic. In Buñuel, the guests liberate themselves by repeating dialogue from the onset of the crisis, only for a new confinement to begin, this time in church. In Adès, liberation from the mansion is achieved not only by a ritual of repetition but also through a visionary aria for Leticia—a harshly radiant setting of a twelfth-century text by the Spanish Jewish philosopher and poet Yehuda Halevi, expressing a longing for a lost homeland. When the spell of immobility resumes, seraphic harmonies give way to a colossal, demonic setting of fragments of the Libera Me from the Requiem Mass, with bells ringing anarchic changes. On this note of mystical dread the opera closes, no exit in sight.
Cairns directed the début production, at the Haus für Mozart; Hildegard Bechtler designed the sets and costumes. The mansion and its denizens were vividly rendered, but even on one of Salzburg’s smaller stages the action was at times obscure. Not until halfway through the first act could one differentiate among the characters. The dénouement, involving a mobile proscenium arch, was uncertain in effect. Refinements will be welcome as the opera travels onward—to the Royal Opera House next season, and to the Met in the fall of 2017.
On opening night, the singers came as close to mastering their parts as could be expected of any group of mortals. Particularly notable were the ageless bass John Tomlinson, formidable as the doctor; Anne Sofie von Otter, hypnotically unstable as his stricken patient; and Charles Workman, silken and a touch sinister as the male host. The most heroic performance was delivered by the coloratura soprano Audrey Luna, as Leticia. Her gleaming, yearning tone in the climactic aria provided a short-lived epiphany before darkness closed in again. Cynthia Millar’s playing of the ondes was so acutely expressive that she might have taken a bow with the singers. The Vienna Radio Symphony, under the direction of the composer, achieved furious precision.
Buñuel resisted efforts to articulate the meaning of “The Exterminating Angel.” The demand for explanations, he once complained, was itself a symptom of a bourgeois mentality. Adès has been more forthcoming in his comments on the opera. He defines the destroying angel as “an absence of will, of purpose,” and says, “The feeling that the door is open but we don’t go through it is with us all the time.” An instant of inaction brings about the “complete breakdown of society . . . and ultimately the end of the world.” It’s a lesson worth pondering at an ominous historical moment. ♦
This article appears in the print edition of the August 22, 2016, issue, with the headline “No Exit.”
Alex Ross, The New Yorker’s music critic since 1996, is the author of “The Rest Is Noise” and “Listen to This.”
Thomas Ades
Elizabeth Streb’s Action-Hero Choreography
Elizabeth Streb’s action heroes rehearse “Ascension.”
George Benjamin’s long-awaited masterpiece.
Nico Muhly’s first two operas.
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Crowed at the top
Connecticut Sun’s Thomas, UConn great Charles named to WNBA
https://www.nhregister.com/nationworld/article/Family-blames-Ebola-related-travel-ban-for-death-11384532.php
Family blames Ebola-related travel ban for death of noninfected Maryland man
Published 11:23 am EDT, Saturday, August 2, 2014
Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, left, and Guinean President Alpha Conde, right, after meetings on the Ebola virus in the city of Conakry, Guinea, Friday, Aug. 1, 2014. An Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 700 people in West Africa is moving faster than the efforts to control the disease, the head of the World Health Organization warned as presidents from the affected countries met Friday in Guinea's capital. Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, said the meeting in Conakry "must be a turning point" in the battle against Ebola, which is now sickening people in three African capitals for the first time in history. (AP Photo/ Youssouf Bah) less
Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, left, and Guinean President Alpha Conde, right, after meetings on the Ebola virus in the city of Conakry, Guinea, Friday, Aug. 1, 2014. An Ebola outbreak that has ... more
WASHINGTON >> Maryland native Nathaniel Dennis, 24, did not have Ebola. But when he died Wednesday morning in Liberia after a weeklong coma, unable to leave the country for treatment, his family said they counted him a victim of the deadly virus.
“Ebola shouldn’t have the power to kill people without the disease,” said Hyattsville resident Norwood Dennis IV, 25, his older brother by just 364 days.
Nathaniel Dennis, of Columbia, Maryland, died in Sinkor, Liberia, after testing negative over three days for Ebola. Since he was found comatose last week, his family had been fighting to fly him to Ghana or to the United States to receive attention from a neurologist at a better-equipped facility. But travel restrictions, in place to stop the spread of Ebola, prevented the trip.
Dennis was employed at a radio station in Monrovia, the capital of the West African nation, pursuing his dream of working with music. He was living with his mother, who had moved back to Liberia a few years ago. Early one morning last week, his mother found him unconscious but breathing.
Dennis’s sister, Natasha Dennis, 27, of Los Angeles, said her family had always called the youngest brother the “miracle child,” because he was born three months premature and underwent brain surgery as an infant. She said they did not yet know the specific cause of his death, but suspected he had multiple seizures before falling into a coma.
Family members said they had been in constant contact with the U.S. Embassy in Liberia after Dennis became ill.
The State Department was unable to comment on the case before publication.
bc-ebola-maryland
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June of 44
PLAYLIST 04: AUTUMN
October 08, 2010 in Music, Playlists
Marcel Duchamp was a French artist whose work is most often associated with the Dadaist and Surrealist movements. Duchamp's output influenced the development of post-World War I Western art. He advised modern art collectors, such as Peggy Guggenheim and other prominent figures, thereby helping to shape the tastes of Western art during this period.Duchamp’s first musical work, Erratum Musical, is a score for three voices derived from the chance procedure. During a New Year’s visit in Rouen in 1913, he composed this vocal piece with his two sisters, Yvonne and Magdeleine, both musicians. They randomly picked up twenty-five notes from a hat ranging from F below middle C up to high F. The notes then were recorded in the score according to the sequence of the drawing. The three vocal parts of Erratum Musical are marked in sequence as "Yvonne," "Magdeleine" and "Marcel." (Duchamp replaced the highest notes with the lower ones in order to make the piece singable for a male voice.) The words that accompanied the music were from a dictionary’s definition of "imprimer" - Faire une empreinte; marquer des traits; une figure sur une surface; imprimer un scau sur cire (To make an imprint; mark with lines; a figure on a surface; impress a seal in wax). Duchamp’s first musical work, Erratum Musical, is a score for three voices derived from the chance procedure. During a New Year’s visit in Rouen in 1913, he composed this vocal piece with his two sisters, Yvonne and Magdeleine, both musicians. They randomly picked up twenty-five notes from a hat ranging from F below middle C up to high F. The notes then were recorded in the score according to the sequence of the drawing. The three vocal parts of Erratum Musical are marked in sequence as "Yvonne," "Magdeleine" and "Marcel." (Duchamp replaced the highest notes with the lower ones in order to make the piece singable for a male voice.) The words that accompanied the music were from a dictionary’s definition of "imprimer" - Faire une empreinte; marquer des traits; une figure sur une surface; imprimer un scau sur cire (To make an imprint; mark with lines; a figure on a surface; impress a seal in wax).
Thea Musgrave is a Scottish composer of opera and classical music. Rich and powerful musical language and a strong sense of drama have made Scottish-American composer Thea Musgrave one of the most respected and exciting contemporary composers in the Western world. Her compositions were first performed under the auspices of the British Broadcasting Corporation and at the Edinburgh International Festival. As a result her works have been widely performed in Britain, Europe and the USA, and at the major music festivals, such as Edinburgh, Warsaw Autumn, Florence Maggio Musicale, Venice Biennale, Aldeburgh, Cheltenham and Zagreb; on most of the European and American broadcasting stations; and on many regular symphony concert series. "Black Tambourine", on six poems of Hart Crane, is performed as a continuous 18 minute span. The cycle captures the wide range of moods of the poetry, from the madrigal-like trio of ‘Pastoral' to the tinkling salon piano of "My Grandmother's Love Letters".
Camberwell Now were formed in London in 1982 after the demise of This Heat featuring one of the founders of that group, drummer and vocalist Charles Hayward, bassist and vocalist Trefor Goronwy, who had joined This Heat to replace Gareth Williams after the latter had quit the band, and This Heat's former sound technician Stephen Rickard, who brought the studio to the stage with the revolutionary and possibly unique "tape switchboard". In all, the band released one album, The Ghost Trade, two 12" EPs, MeridianGreenfingers, two tracks for the Sub Rosa Myths/Instructions album and a track for the Touch audio cassette/magazine. Most of this material was later reissued in CD form as All's Well by RecRec Music in 1992, and this compilation was remastered and reissued in November 2006 by ReR Megacorp.
June of 44 is s an American rock band which was formed in 1994 from ex-members of Rodan, Lungfish, Rex, and Hoover. The band's music is often described as 'math rock'. The band's name refers to June Miller, wife of author Henry Miller. The band toured extensively and reached as far as Australia. Often referred to as the punk rock pirates of the math rock world, June of 44 were a collective from 1994–2000. All the members were living in different cities at the time. Often cited for their artistic hand crafted record packaging, June of 44 had six releases in as many years before members went on to form HiM, The Sonora Pine, Shipping News and Rachel's. This seminal band created music that ranged from experimental jazz to ambient dub to angular post punk.
A Minor Forest was a San Francisco-based math rock band in the 1990s. They were musically related to the Louisville scene of post rock groups like Slint and had personal connections to the San Diego scene of Three Mile Pilot and related bands. Their songs had pop music, progressive rock, and punk rock influences and featured changing time signatures, sudden dynamic changes, silent pauses, unintelligible screaming, catchy, repeating melodic passages and absurd, in-joke titles. Their slogan was "A Minor Forest Supports the Destruction of Mankind." They formed in San Francisco in 1992 and, in addition to other smaller releases, put out three albums: Flemish Altruism (1996) and Inindependence (1998) on Chicago label Thrill Jockey, and So, Were They in Some Sort of Fight? (1999), a career-spanning compilation on My Pal God records. They played their last show on November 1, 1998 at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.
The Swords Project was formed in late 1999 in Portland, Oregon. Under this moniker, they released an ep, 2001’s The Swords Project, which was followed two years later by their only full-length album, Entertainment Is Over If You Want It. In 2003, the band shortened their name to Swords. In 2006, the band announced they would be breaking up.
Tags: A Minor Forest, Camberwell Now, June of 44, Marcel Duchamp, The Swords Project, Thea Musgrave
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High Exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation Associated With Cancer in Male Rats
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
November 1 November 1
Archive - New Contact Information
For more information about this archival news release, please contact Christine Flowers, Director, Office of Communications & Public Liaison at (919) 541-3665.
Thursday, November 1, 2018, 10:00 a.m. EDT
Contact: Virginia Guidry, NIEHS
National Toxicology Program releases final reports on rat and mouse studies of radio frequency radiation like that used in 2G and 3G cell phone technologies
Audio Recording of Telephone Press Conference
Transcript (151KB)
NTP Cell Phone Study Page
Fact Sheet (1MB)
Final Rat Study Report
Final Mouse Study Report
The National Toxicology Program (NTP) concluded there is clear evidence that male rats exposed to high levels of radio frequency radiation (RFR) like that used in 2G and 3G cell phones developed cancerous heart tumors, according to final reports released today. There was also some evidence of tumors in the brain and adrenal gland of exposed male rats. For female rats, and male and female mice, the evidence was equivocal as to whether cancers observed were associated with exposure to RFR. The final reports represent the consensus of NTP and a panel of external scientific experts who reviewed the studies in March after draft reports were issued in February.
“The exposures used in the studies cannot be compared directly to the exposure that humans experience when using a cell phone,” said John Bucher, Ph.D., NTP senior scientist. “In our studies, rats and mice received radio frequency radiation across their whole bodies. By contrast, people are mostly exposed in specific local tissues close to where they hold the phone. In addition, the exposure levels and durations in our studies were greater than what people experience.”
The lowest exposure level used in the studies was equal to the maximum local tissue exposure currently allowed for cell phone users. This power level rarely occurs with typical cell phone use. The highest exposure level in the studies was four times higher than the maximum power level permitted.
“We believe that the link between radio frequency radiation and tumors in male rats is real, and the external experts agreed,” said Bucher.
The $30 million NTP studies took more than 10 years to complete and are the most comprehensive assessment, to date, of health effects in animals exposed to RFR with modulations used in 2G and 3G cell phones. 2G and 3G networks were standard when the studies were designed and are still used for phone calls and texting.
“A major strength of our studies is that we were able to control exactly how much radio frequency radiation the animals received — something that’s not possible when studying human cell phone use, which has often relied on questionnaires,” said Michael Wyde, Ph.D., lead toxicologist on the studies.
He also noted the unexpected finding of longer lifespans among the exposed male rats. “This may be explained by an observed decrease in chronic kidney problems that are often the cause of death in older rats,” Wyde said.
The animals were housed in chambers specifically designed and built for these studies. Exposure to RFR began in the womb for rats and at 5 to 6 weeks old for mice, and continued for up to two years, or most of their natural lifetime. The RFR exposure was intermittent, 10 minutes on and 10 minutes off, totaling about nine hours each day. RFR levels ranged from 1.5-6 watts per kilogram in rats, and 2.5-10 watts per kilogram in mice.
These studies did not investigate the types of RFR used for Wi-Fi or 5G networks.
“5G is an emerging technology that hasn’t really been defined yet. From what we currently understand, it likely differs dramatically from what we studied,” said Wyde.
For future studies, NTP is building smaller RFR exposure chambers that will make it easier to evaluate newer telecommunications technologies in weeks or months, rather than years. These studies will focus on developing measurable physical indicators, or biomarkers, of potential effects from RFR. These may include changes in metrics like DNA damage in exposed tissues, which can be detected much sooner than cancer.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration nominated cell phone RFR for study by NTP because of widespread public use of cell phones and limited knowledge about potential health effects from long-term exposure. NTP will provide the results of these studies to FDA and the Federal Communications Commission, who will review the information as they continue to monitor new research on the potential effects of RFR.
NTP uses four categories to summarize the evidence that a substance may cause cancer:
Clear evidence (highest)
Some evidence
Equivocal evidence
No evidence (lowest)
About the National Toxicology Program (NTP): NTP is a federal, interagency program headquartered at NIEHS, whose goal is to safeguard the public by identifying substances in the environment that may affect human health. For more information about NTP and its programs, visit ntp.niehs.nih.gov.
About the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS): NIEHS supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health and is part of NIH. For more information on environmental health topics, visit www.niehs.nih.gov. Subscribe to one or more of the NIEHS news lists (www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsroom/newslist/index.cfm) to stay current on NIEHS news, press releases, grant opportunities, training, events, and publications.
NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®
Next Release
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Genetics and Pollution Drive Severity of Asthma Symptoms
Last Reviewed: December 17, 2018
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Terms and Conditions ("Agreement")
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The new flag of The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate, which debuts Monday. The Advocate's owners bought The Times-Picayune and the NOLA.com website from Advance Local.
The Times-Picayune resumes daily delivery Monday
The Times-Picayune will return to daily home delivery this week, as the newspaper combines forces with The New Orleans Advocate.
“The Times-Picayune is a great publication, and we’re going to make it even greater by delivering it to your doorstep seven days a week, which is what readers wanted all along,” said Dan Shea, who takes over as publisher of both newspapers Monday.
The Times-Picayune was purchased in May by Dathel and John Georges, who bought The Advocate in 2013 and launched The New Orleans Advocate that year, after The Times-Picayune cut back home delivery to three days a week. The purchase also includes nola.com, the state’s largest website.
Owners of the New Orleans Advocate buy NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
Both newsrooms were staffed by veteran journalists who worked for The Times-Picayune and oversaw its prize-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the city’s difficult recovery, and for the past seven years they jockeyed for scoops as New Orleans became one of the few U.S. cities with two competing print newspapers.
Beginning tomorrow, many of those journalists will be reunited at 840 St. Charles Avenue, which will be home for The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate. The new publication will be produced and printed in Louisiana.
The editor and managing editors of the new publication – Peter Kovacs, Martha Carr and Gordon Russell – are veterans of The Times-Picayune who came over to The New Orleans Advocate in 2013. They were joined by Times-Picayune veterans like Stephanie Grace, Nell Nolan and Keith Spera, plus Jeff Adelson and John Simerman, who worked with Russell to win a Pulitzer Prize in April for their coverage of Louisiana’s unique laws allowing criminal convictions by divided juries.
Roughly two dozen journalists, ad sales representatives and circulation managers from The Times-Picayune will be joining the new publication. The writers include familiar bylines like Michelle Hunter, Doug MacCash, Ann Maloney, Bob Marshall and Dan Gill. Also moving over to St. Charles Avenue will be Pulitzer Prize-winning environmental journalist Mark Schleifstein, who heads a team of three writers specializing in coastal issues.
In all, The Advocate and The Times-Picayune will have about 120 journalists covering Louisiana, including a correspondent in Washington and the largest news bureau in the state Capitol, plus two columnists familiar to local sports fans, Scott Rabalais and Rod Walker.
The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate is also expanding its roster of comics and puzzles to include every feature that appeared in both publications. Subscribers will also receive Inside Out, the popular home and garden magazine, and Lagniappe, which covers entertainment. And the combined newspaper will have a separate, dedicated local news section.
Shea said Times-Picayune subscribers, who were paying for home delivery on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, will receive a daily printed newspaper for a week.
If they want to enjoy the benefits of daily home-delivery beyond July 7, they can upgrade their subscriptions to seven days a week by calling 504-529-0522 or going online to theadvocateoffers.com and use promo code TATP.
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Oak Hollow lay waste to The Workman’s Club for EP launch!
Looking out into the horizon of the Irish Music scene and one can only be flabbergasted by the sheer volume of quality bands and solo artists that lurk under every rock in our small Island. One band in particular is Oak Hollow, who display a talent of outstanding ability when placed in a live setting. Overdrive scribe Shaun Martin, took a trip down to the epicenter of the hipster “The Workmans Club” on Dublin’s Quays to witness the very front line of this exciting band as they launched their E.P.
Oak Hollow E.P. Launch, September 17th, 2014
Workmans Club, Dublin
Support acts: Phazam Haze, Radio Room, Punch Face Champions
Relative newbies to the professional arena and cutting their teeth with their superb EP “Life Masks”, Oak Hollow, are an up-and-coming bunch of dedicated musicians who just let rip on the mic, drums, guitars, and basically anything else that’s within arm’s reach. There’s nothing hollow about their sound: full of force and depth, chunky when it needs to be and sombre when it has to be. Frontman Dav Campbell (vocals and guitar), looks fresh faced and undaunted with the crowd that has turned up to see the band’s maiden voyage. His opposite number, guitarist Sam Killeen looks every part the rock start – that grin on his face from one end of the show to the other is hard to ignore – the dude is loving it. Bill Healy (drums) is holding the beats together like a pro, although he is buried behind speakers, obstructing the view that Adam “Gib” Gibson (bass), Campbell and Killeen seem to be revelling in. Such is the sacrifice of a drummer.
Support acts tonight came from Phazam Haze, a somewhat Primus-infused trio of (understatement alert!) OUTSTANDING ability, Radio Room, an indie 4-piece just after recording their debut album in Chicago ( I look forward to hearing it when its out), and local grungers, Punch Face Champions, with a definite Kyuss/QOTSA instrumentality about them, but much dirtier. I loved it. All 3 bands have upcoming shows and I highly recommend seeing them at the first given opportunity. Check their Facebook pages for further details.
I get a certain “Kings of Leon” vibe from Oak Hollow. There’s enough force behind the band that would put Yoda to shame. They open with “My House”….within a minute or two, the dancing starts. Bearing in mind that the Workman’s isn’t a very large venue, it’s very full. These kids have an underground following that has showed up in droves. Their second tune “Waste Away” was a little quieter, but still carried enough prowess to show that the band meant business. Crowd favourite “Unwound” finally gave the nod I had been waiting for – the ability to work a crowd into enough of a stir that when you start to play a song, you get that reaction from your fans after a few seconds that every band loves…that loud and prolonged “Yaaaaayyyy” in the middle of the music. I think this may have been the moment O.H. knew that they were going to be ok tonight.
Enlisting the help of 2 friends for backing lyrics on “Blue” dropped the tone for a while. Queue the lighters in the air and the to-ing and fro-ing of melodic balladry. Hey – it was an EP launch….not a rock festival. Tonight was about showing what they could do as a band, and not pandering to masses of people only wanting to hear one type of music. Not that O.H. would have any problem doing that. Young couples embraced and held each other watching the stage, and will fondly remember this night in years to come when O.H. are playing much larger venues, with well-known acts.
“Freedom” got the ball rolling again to get some more movement out of the attending fans. Killeen has impressive effects skills, and I dare say a little Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave) trickery about his playing. Not one member of O.H. stands still for long, bar Campbell, but he has to – he’s in front of the microphone. When he’s not, he’s jumping around the stage with his comrades. Gib doesn’t stop bouncing for the whole show. Like I said earlier – they know what they’re at. Why not dance whilst they do it? Everyone else here is! “Orca” is the final song of the night… and as the music ends, Campbell makes no mistake about showing his appreciation for everyone who showed up tonight.
Re-iterating again and again the thanks from the band for the participation, the show ends. As the lights go up and the PA kicks in, the loud demands for an encore rattle the club. It doesn’t stop. The night isn’t done yet. The band returns, but they’re at a loss: they can’t play anything else, so they play “Unwound” again. The reaction is identical to the first time they play it. The people love it, so give it to them. They’re not the first band to do this, and they won’t be the last. They put a lot of work into their job tonight, and have earned a well-deserved break.
I hope that break isn’t very long, because once people get a taste in their mouth that they like, they want more. I’m no different. Overall, a fantastic night’s entertainment, and all for less than the price of a pint. Four bands, 3 and a half hours, and right on the bus routes which were still operating when the bands ended by 11.15pm. No real excuse to have missed them really. To be blunt, “Oak Hollow” are ones to watch in the future. I certainly will be.
Check out Oak Hollow’s debut EP – Life Masks here.
Words -Shaun Martin
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Stem cells and nanoparticles could be the future treatment for lung disease
Malaysian scientists are joining forces with Harvard University experts to help in seeking a safe, more effective way of tackling lung problems including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the progressive, irreversible obstruction of airways causing almost 1 in 10 deaths today and to revolutionize the treatment of lung diseases through the delivery of ‘nanomedicine.’
Treatment of COPD and lung cancer commonly involves chemotherapeutics and corticosteroids which are misted into a fine spray and inhaled, enabling direct delivery to the lungs and a quick and effective medicinal effect. However, because the particles produced by today’s inhalers are large, most of the medicine is deposited in the upper respiratory tract and does not reach down to lower parts of the airways and lungs.
The Harvard team is working on “smart” nanoparticles, which are tiny particles that deliver the appropriate levels of a medication to the deepest, tiniest sacs of the lung and ensures an even distribution, through the use of magnetic fields.
Malaysia’s role is to help ensure the safety and improve the effectiveness of nanomedicine and in assessing how nanomedicine particles behave in the body, what attaches to them to form a coating, where the drug accumulates and how it interacts with different cells.
Inhaled nanomedicine holds the promise of helping doctors prevent and treat such problems in future, reaching the target area more swiftly than if administered orally or even intravenously. This is particularly true for COPD and lung cancer, says Dr. Brain. “Experiments have demonstrated that a drug dose administered directly to the respiratory tract achieves much higher local drug concentrations at the target site.”
“Nanotechnology is making a significant impact on health care by delivering improvements in disease diagnosis and monitoring, as well as enabling new approaches to regenerative medicine and drug delivery,” says Prof. Zakri Abdul Hamid, Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
Lung regeneration is another key focal point as scientists have found that regardless of their stage in life, lung cells are able to regenerate themselves in order to repair missing or damaged tissue. The team behind the discovery hopes that they will one day be able to replicate this natural behavior in order to help repair tissue damage in patients with conditions such as COPD.
There are two main types of lung cells: type 1 cells, where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged during breathing and type 2, which secrete surfactants, a type of lubricant essential to the breathing process. Type 2 cells have been previously observed to regenerate into type 1 cells in the presence of cell damage, but a team of scientists from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Duke University have shown that the opposite also occurs.
“We saw new cells growing back into these new areas of the lung. It’s as if the lung knows it has to grow back and can call into action some type 1 cells to help in that process,” explained cardiologist Rajan Jain and the observation suggests that there is much more flexibility in the pulmonary system than previously thought.
Understanding how and why these mature cells are regenerating into different types of lung tissue may be the key to treating certain types of lung damage caused by conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Although patients may somewhat control the condition, there is currently no cure. The ability to regrow damaged lung tissue on demand, then, could completely change treatment options and possibly offer a cure for COPD patients.
References: http://www.news-medical.net and http://www.medicaldaily
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Flexpack »
Freedonia Group Issues Study of Bioplastics
CLEVELAND, OH | The Freedonia Group has released a new study entitled World Bioplastics, in which the group predicts global demand for biobased and biodegradable plastics will rise 19%/yr to 960,000 metric tons in 2017.
The bioplastics industry, while still in the emerging growth phase, has established itself as a fixture in a number of commercial markets and applications. According to Freedonia industry Kent Furst, “Robust growth in demand is expected in virtually all geographic markets,” driven by consumer preferences for sustainable materials, the increased adoption of bioplastics by plastic processors and compounders, and new product developments which expand the range of applications for bioplastics. However, despite the rapid rise in demand, bioplastics are still expected to account for less than 1% of the overall plastic resin market in 2022. Furst says, “The success of the bioplastics industry will ultimately depend on price and performance considerations, and large scale conversion to bioplastics will not occur until price parity with conventional plastic resins is achieved.”
Starch-based resins and polylactic acid (PLA) will remain the leading bioplastic products through 2017, the study says, combining to account for more than 60% of demand. For starch-based resins, advances will be bolstered by increased regulation of conventional plastic products, particularly plastic bags. PLA demand will benefit from the development of resins and compounds with enhanced performance attributes, suitable for more durable applications such as fibers, automotive parts, and electronic components. The most rapid gains in demand, however, are expected for biobased commodity resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, which are just beginning to enter the commercial market.
Western Europe was the largest regional consumer of bioplastics in 2012, accounting for more than half of global demand. The region will see strong gains through 2017 as well, bolstered by added regulations and incentives that favor bioplastics over conventional resins. North America will also register strong advances, with demand in the region expected to more than double, driven by rising consumption of PLA and biobased commodity resins. Advances in the Asia/Pacific region will be fueled by robust growth in China, which has become a major consumer of bioplastic resins used to produce manufactured goods for export.
Corona Treating For Coating & Laminating Film
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Minnesota notches 3.5% return in third quarter
Rick Baert
Minnesota State Board of Investment, St. Paul, returned 3.5% on its investments in the third quarter and 9.8% for the 12 months ended Sept. 30, according to an investment report presented to the board's investment advisory committee Monday.
The quarterly return was the same as MSBI's custom benchmark return, while the 12-month return was 0.5 percentage points above the benchmark.
Assets managed by the board rose to $97.05 billion as of the end of the latest quarter, Mansco Perry III, the board's executive director and chief investment officer, told committee members. That's up 0.8% from June 30.
As of Sept. 30, annualized returns were 9.1% for five years vs. the custom benchmark's 9%; 9.1% vs. 8.6% for 10 years; 7.4% vs. 7.2% for 20 years and 9.2% vs. 8.9% for 30 years.
The asset increase for the quarter came from investment returns, Mr. Perry said. According to the report, $2.39 billion in investment returns were offset by $654 million in payouts.
Minnesota governor signs pension bill to lower assumed rates of return, COLAs
Minnesota pledges nearly $1.5 billion to 9 funds
Minnesota targets $1 billion for BlackRock long-term private capital fund
Correction: Minnesota State Board
Minnesota State Board of Investment slates $1 billion for private markets
Minnesota system searching for DC record keeper
Minnesota earmarks more than $1 billion to 9 funds
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J.P. Morgan taps former Goldman Sachs exec for EMEA role
Paulina Pielichata
Jemma Clee was named executive director and head of investment specialists for global liquidity in Europe, the Middle East and Africa at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, a spokeswoman said.
Ms. Clee is responsible for existing clients as well as winning new business. She focuses on short-term fixed-income global liquidity offerings, reporting to Ted Ufferfilge, managing director and global head of investment specialists for the global liquidity business.
Ms. Clee replaced Jason Straker in the role. Mr. Straker left the company to pursue other opportunities, the spokeswoman said.
"(Ms. Clee) comes with a great deal of experience and is very familiar with our client base as well as the short-term investment landscape," Mr. Ufferfilge said in a news release.
Ms. Clee joins from Goldman Sachs Asset Management, where she was executive director for global liquidity management. A spokesman could not be reached to comment about a replacement.
J.P. Morgan has $926 billion in institutional assets under management.
J.P. Morgan Asset Management appoints CEO of EMEA business
J.P. Morgan Asset Management chooses central U.S., Canada institutional sales l…
JPMAM's Nicholas Gartside to step down
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Home NewsGreece Athens Heatwave Forces Acropolis Closure
Athens Heatwave Forces Acropolis Closure
by Gregory Pappas July 4, 2019
written by Gregory Pappas July 4, 2019
As a heatwave hits Greece, officials were forced to close the Acropolis Hill because of extreme heat, in order to protect visitors.
The highest point in the city of Athens is also home to numerous temples, including the Parthenon and the Erechtheion. The temple complex which is thousands of years old is one of the top tourist sights in the world and the most visited sight in Greece.
The monument was closed for four hours between 10:00am and 2:00pm local time, during which temperatures of 44 degrees celsius (111.2 Fahrenheit) were recorded.
The temperature is always higher on the Acropolis due to its altitude and its lack of shade.
“The meteorological service had forecast that the temperature felt on the hill would be forbidding, more than 44 degrees Celsius,” said a spokeswoman for the Acropolis complex.
Meanwhile, scientists discussed how climate change was threatening ancient monuments– including the Acropolis– at a conference in Greece.
Air pollution and acid rain are eroding marbles, while extreme weather phenomena such as droughts, extreme heat or torrential rains have brought on structural problems in dozens of monuments throughout Greece.
Even though the Acropolis hill, where the Parthenon stands, is probably Greece’s best preserved archaeological site, there are signs that climate change has been increasingly affecting the monuments that stand on the hill.
“The walls of the (ancient) city have more erosion than in the past,” Maria Vlazaki, General Secretary in the Greek Culture Ministry, told Reuters in a video interview.
For decades there have been efforts to preserve and protect the Acropolis and its monuments, an operation that has been sped up since the mid 1970s. But the country has hundreds if not thousands of exposed archaeological sites.
“Every year, we have more cases… We give more money, unexpected money to protect the walls of the (ancient) cities that had no problems before, to protect the coastal area,” Vlazaki said.
The wider Athens area has been hit hard by deadly floods and forest fires over the last decade. A 2007 forest fire in the Peloponnese peninsula threatened to destroy the temples and stadiums of ancient Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games.
Christos Zerefos, a professor in the Academy of Athens said extreme weather events had become more frequent and the sudden swings from periods of flooding to drought were destabilizing the monuments.
Speaking on the sidelines of a conference on climate change and cultural heritage, Zerefos told Reuters Greece needed better shelter for its monuments, and a monitoring system that would help provide extra protection in case of extreme weather.
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Eve Tushnet
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Dichotomies to Watch Out For: I read an Anglican intervention on gay relationships
October 20, 2018 by Eve Tushnet
Dichotomies to Watch Out For: I read an Anglican intervention on gay relationships October 20, 2018 Eve Tushnet
In 2008, University of Edinburgh theology professor Oliver O’Donovan published a series of essays online, which were intended to clarify the issues at stake in the controversy over gay marriage and gay people within the Anglican Communion. Several people whose opinions I greatly respect urged me to read this book, Church in Crisis (and boy, the bitter laugh with which I have to greet that title should caution me against any triumphalism in what I’m about to say…), and I finally did. I found it somewhat similar to Fr. Hopko’s book on Orthodoxy and same-sex attraction, or even Fr. Groeschel’s book The Courage to Be Chaste: Its underlying theology is often true, useful, and well-put, but it’s at its weakest whenever it intersects with specifically gay life and questions. Some notes follow.
# I should say up front that I am on the outside of a lot of O’Donovan’s theological vocabulary. The chapter on nature was nigh unintelligible to me; it might be a lot more incisive for someone versed in this dispute within Anglicanism.
# O’Donovan relies heavily on dichotomies. Like, I know he didn’t write the back-cover copy, but it starts out, “What if the challenge gay men and women present the Church with is not emancipatory but hermeneutic?” and I think that’s a fair representation of what you’ll find in the book. And it’s–this is obvious, no?–a false dichotomy.
Dichotomies done well are a kind of argument I really like. At their best they can be the satirical reductio ad absurdum, provoking rueful recognition that you need to back up and check your map. Or they can be a compressed form of dialogue, a way of transforming abstractions into characters. Philosophical dialogue is badly neglected in our era of the treatise, and a good dichotomy can bring back some of that Dostoyevskyan extremism, the shock of seeing ideas or systems present themselves as choices. Good dichotomies can remind us that the way we rank-order goods, which virtue we privilege over which, can dramatically change our lives.
But confronting a false dichotomy feels like negotiating with a hard-sell salesman. It’s frustrating, and it makes people feel like the real way in which they’re living their real lives is simply unimaginable to the dichotomist. A bad dichotomy uses loaded dice but thinks it’s playing fair. Often bad dichotomies are the result of asking the wrong question–thinking you’re coming up with answers to the question your interlocutor is asking, but getting their question wrong so that both answers are sort of irrelevant.
# And this is really the thing I felt throughout the book: that O’Donovan imagined a gay person and sort of speculated on what such an odd, foreign being might be like. There’s very little evidence in this book, for example, that O’Donovan could think of examples of Christian homophobia, or has wondered how growing up in a church with no models for gay futures might affect gay children. Gay Christians appear in this book solely as hypothetical adults.
# Many of the best passages in the book only sharpened my awareness of this lacuna. I really liked the phrase, “obedient practical reason,” as one aspect or definition of discipleship. I completely agreed with O’Donovan’s point that, far from being an imposition, a Biblical truth-claim is “a welcome handhold that we may grasp in our struggle for deliverance,” because we as trapped people need to know who our Savior is and what we must do to be rescued. And you know me, so you know that I loved the line, “Commands are events that occur within a relationship.” O’Donovan cashes this out later: “[B]ecause any act has a certain intelligibility in its context, and the context of God’s acts is his constant will to bless and redeem the world, God’s commands will always have implications for other times and circumstances.”
But in a culture which has forgotten every form of adult love other than marriage and parenting, gay people often grow up feeling that there is no way for them to be obedient. All the commands seem impossible and so the relationship seems broken from the start, as if relationship with God means isolation and fruitlessness, an unimaginable blank silence. As if love is on one side of the dichotomy and God is on the other–but only for gay people, everybody else gets both. So many gay people grow up in the churches learning that the handholds lead nowhere for them. That the only way they can be blessed and redeemed, and climb up into their future, is to become straight. Without real, vivid experience of forms of love other than marriage (especially same-sex love), and celibacy as an arena for love rather than a deprivation of love; without an honest reckoning with Christian homophobia and silence, and the ways these evils have distorted gay people’s understanding of both God and love–without these things, everything you say about Christian sexual ethics will be interpreted to conform with the deadly untruths gay people learned in church.
None of this stuff is easy to see. I did a lot of writing on Gay Catholic Whatnot before I’d realized how central these questions are to gay people’s life in the churches. All I’m saying is that O’Donovan, in this book, hasn’t realized it either.
ETA: In fact, the stuff I was writing in 2008 doesn’t sound all THAT dissimilar from what O’Donovan was saying at that time, even though I knew stuff about real lesbians and not imaginary ones. But yeah, I definitely should call out my own earlier writing here as well as his.
# There are a lot of good passages, e.g. the paragraphs about the role of narrative in teaching us the meaning of God’s commands and showing us how they flow from our ongoing relationship with Him; or the reminders that our own experience is mysterious to ourselves, anything but self-interpreting. (Although the danger with that line of argument, which I’ve relied on heavily at times and do think is accurate, is that you can easily come across as the abuser in that Bikini Kill song, whose victim could see but [was] taught/What you saw wasn’t f—-g real.)
But this is a book whose argument stops short right at the moment it might be able to suggest a future for us, and says, “It’s not as if I can help you with your survival.” I’m deeply grateful that other gay people have been formed by this book enough to take this as a challenge, a provocation to what O’Donovan acutely calls “a very varied style of conformity” to the Word of God. But I have to say I’d recommend their works before this one.
back when I was in obedience school
bitter little lady
twisty little passages
"I'LL SELF-CARE WHEN I SELF-DIE" And Other Small Brilliances of "BoJack Horseman"
October 20, 2018 Three Fictional Retellings of Violent Christian History
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Francois Legault, right, chats with Biologico organic tomato greenhouse owner Stephane Roy during an election campaign stop in Saint-Sophie, Que., Thursday, August 16, 2012. Search and rescue teams will continue their search today for Quebec businessman Roy and his teenage son who’ve been missing since mid-week after failing to return from a fishing trip in northern Quebec. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Stephane Roy is founder and president of Sagami Inc.
A prominent Quebec businessman known for his exploits in the greenhouse tomato industry and his teenage son remained missing Friday after the helicopter they were travelling in failed to return from a fishing trip.
Stephane Roy is founder and president of Sagami Inc., which sells greenhouse tomatoes and strawberries under the Sagami and Savoura brands.
His company said in a statement its officials are doing everything they can to ensure Roy and his son are found safe and sound.
Quebec provincial police said relatives reported them missing on Thursday morning and that the pair were last seen preparing to leave the cabin at about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Parent district of La Tuque, Que., more than 400 kilometres north of Montreal.
On Friday, Canadian Forces planes and helicopters continued to search a vast area, examining possible routes the missing helicopter may have taken between Lac De La Bidiere and Ste-Sophie, the Laurentians community about 90 minutes away where Roy lives.
A Hercules plane and three Griffon helicopters were being used in the search alongside civilian search and rescue organizations, Capt. Trevor Reid said from Trenton, Ont.
Seach teams had been scrambled Thursday, but were hampered by heavy thunderstorms.
“We’re searching an area that’s approximately 20,000 square kilometres,” Reid said. “The terrain is challenging — it’s heavily forested, rocky, with several lakes in the area as well.”
Roy was described as an experienced pilot with numerous flight hours aboard the craft in question, a Robinson R44 helicopter.
“It was his own helicopter, an aircraft in excellent condition, Mr. Roy is someone who is very structured, who takes care of his equipment,” said Andre Michaud, a friend of Roy’s and president of Agro Quebec.
Four people — Roy and son in the helicopter and two others in a seaplane — travelled to the chalet for a few days. The plane returned as scheduled but the helicopter did not.
A Facebook page was created Friday specifically geared towards gathering information about Roy and his son, as many would be heading to the region this weekend.
Michaud said it has been difficult time for the company, but hailed the mobilization of local teams that were leaving no stone unturned to find the pair.
“All we have is a trajectory,” Michaud said. “But it’s Point A to Point B, so with about 20 aircraft in the air, we think we’ll be able to at least find some clues.”
Quebec provincial police spokeswoman Helene Nepton said police have set up a command post and are ready to move once the craft is found. The Canadian Forces say there’s no time frame for how long such an operation can last.
“We take these searches hour by hour, we don’t look too far to the future or speculate on what might happen,” Reid said. “Our focus is the operation at hand.”
Michaud described Roy as a North American model in the industry. The privately held company operates eight production facilities in Quebec and is committed sustainable agriculture.
The entrepreneur was described as the “undisputed king of greenhouse tomato production in Quebec” in a 2015 feature in the Montreal Gazette newspaper.
“He is an entrepreneur in its purest form,” Michaud said of Roy. “An entrepreneur who is focused on sustainable development, the environment, and organic growing.”
Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press
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Report: Russia Yanks Jobs Memorial After Cook Comes Out
There is some confusion of whether the statue's removal was due to homophobia, NSA spying, or repairs.
By Stephanie Mlot
November 4, 2014 11:00AM EST
Russia is not taking Tim Cook's coming out announcement very well. In the country's latest protest of the Apple CEO's now-public sexual orientation, a giant iPhone statue erected in memory of Steve Jobs has been removed.
The Western European Financial Union (ZEFS), which installed the memorial early last year, has dismantled the interactive monumentbecause Cook is "promoting homosexuality."
As reported by the Ekho Moskvy news site, ZEFS disconnected the statue "pursuant to Russian federal law on the protection of children from information that promotes the denial of traditional family values."
The 6-foot-6-inch installation, which stood in the courtyard of the National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO) in St. Petersburg, was built to teach students about the life and work of Jobs, who passed away in 2011.
Tim Cook took over as Apple CEO several months before Jobs's death, and has thus far kept his personal life private despite running one of the most scrutinized companies in the world. Cook broke his silence last week, though, to announce that he is gay.
"I've come to realize that my desire for personal privacy has been holding me back from doing something more important," Cook wrote in an op-ed for Bloomberg.
"I don't consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I've benefited from the sacrifice of others," he continued. "So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it's worth the trade-off with my own privacy."
The news was not well-received by Vitaly Milonov, Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg and notable homophobe, who quickly proclaimed that he wants a lifetime prohibition on Cook's entrance into Russia.
ZEFS has taken a similarly unsupportive approach, claiming that Cook "has publicly called for sodomy."
But the company's press release, as published by the Ekho Moskvy blog, also cites former NSA employee Edward Snowden's revelations about U.S. tech companies spying on worldwide users.
"In the end, it was decided [ZEFS] could no longer use the image [of an] iPhone as a monument," the firm said.
Monument owner and businessman Maxim Dolgopolov is even urging all Russian Apple users to ditch their devices in favor of other gadgets that don't conduct surveillance.
There is some confusion, however, over the real reason for the memorial's removal. The National Research University told state news agency TASS that ZEFS submitted a request for repair of the statue prior to Cook's statements.
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Stephanie Mlot
Stephanie joined PCMag in May 2012, moving to New York City from Frederick, Md., where she worked for four years as a multimedia reporter at the second-largest daily newspaper in Maryland. She interned at Baltimore magazine and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (in the town of Indiana, in the state of Pennsylvania) with a degree in ... See Full Bio
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VIDEO: Iron Ladies of Liberia
Why Democracy?
Sunday, April 20, 2008 - 20:00
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes:
Initiative Type:
After fourteen years of civil war, Liberia is a nation ready for change. On January 16, 2006, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was inaugurated President, following a hotly contested election which she won with the overwhelming support of women across Liberia. She is the first elected female head of state in Africa. Since taking office she has appointed other extraordinary women to leadership positions in all areas of government, including the Police Chief and the ministers of Justice, Commerce and Finance.
Can the first female Liberian president, backed by other powerful women, bring sustainable democracy and peace to such a devastated country?
Iron Ladies of Liberia gives behind-the-scenes access to President Sirleaf's first year in government, providing a unique insight into the workings of a newly elected African cabinet.
To see the trailer for the video, please click on the link: http://www.whydemocracy.net/film/8
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HomenewsSample essay papersTRUMAN DOCTRINE ESSAY
TRUMAN DOCTRINE ESSAY
Category: Sample essay papers
Dear President Bush
You are not alone to have the lowest ratings among XX century American President. President Harry S Truman is often compared with you by his ratings and by his folksy demeanor.
However, there are a number of differences between both of you. You both have different backgrounds. Soon at the outbreak of the war Truman did not sneak volunteered the armed
forces and displayed a great deal of courage during the warfare in France. His battery had no causalities. Harry S Truman was rather controversial figure. He assumed responsibility for the first and thank God, still the only use of nuclear weapon. Nevertheless, it was he either to
restrain the hawks-generals from aggressive movements in Germany during blockade of Berlin having saved the world from unleashing new world war. In addition, it was he also who provided Americans with worthwhile jobs and dwelling places many inhabitants of urban areas.
So let us consider his career as the frames of the task allows. Truman Doctrine was a speech delivered by the President Harry S Truman to the joint session
of the Congress on March 12, 1947. The president proposed to offer Greece and Turkey military and economical aid in order to prevent these countries’ falling under the Soviet influence. He claimed USA should have supported �free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures��. Some two weeks before the British embassy had informed the American state department that United Kingdom found itself no more able to support Greek and Turkish governments in their efforts to resist communist pressure they underwent.
Having been exhausted id World War II Great Britain found itself no more able to maintain its role of the Great Power so she transferred that role to one of the new Great Power �� to the United States of America. Nonetheless, Truman did not mention the Soviet Union in that speech it was obvious that the Doctrine aimed against that country which having not recovered from the War was doing its best broaden its influence outside Eastern Europe. So delivering Truman Doctrine speech signified embarking the new policy of Containment.
Truman’s presidency was marked by the first use of nuclear weapons his administration did not initiated direct conflict between USA and the Soviets nonetheless the latter’s resources and national economy was seriously damaged during four years warfare. Moreover, USA reduced the number of its armed forces to less than 2 million from that of 6 million in 1945.
It took the soviets four years to obtain nuclear weapon of their own and Truman’s administration managed to take advantage of it solving interior problems. Soon World War was over the government had to face renewal of labor unions’ movement. National railway strike in spring 1946 virtually paralyzed US railway transport. After the workers rejected proposals of settlement, Truman threatened to conscript the strikers into the military service. Exactly at the moment when the president was delivering the speech on the strike, he received the message that the labor-management conflict had been settled on his terms.
Another achievement of Truman’s presidency was a set of measures known as Fair Deal. President Lyndon Johnson later referred to Fair Deal implementing his Great Society reforms such as Medicare. Housing Act of 1949 provided many people with worthwhile dwelling spaces.
Fair Deal comprised also integration of armed forces and appointed the first federal committee for investigation race and religion discrimination.
President Truman is reported to have recognized Israeli independence eleven minutes after its proclamation. It its worth of mentioning that he had suffered a serious pressure both from Zionists as well as from opposes of creation of Jewish state. Anyway, president overcame it. In the lightning of the Soviets’ concern in Palestinian affairs (Soviet Union was also among the first advocates of creation of Jewish state in Palestine), Truman’s haste should be esteemed as a great success. After Soviet Union and Israel broke off diplomatic relationships between them, USA obtained an important ally in the oil-bearing Near East.
Another foreign policy success made by Truman’s administration was Berlin Airlift 1948. On June 24, the Soviet Union initiated blockade of Western-held sectors of Berlin. General Lucius D. Clay who commanded American troops in Germany proposed to send armored columned along autobahn instructed to resist if being attacked. As the Commander in Chief President Truman rejected that plan believing it to b able to bring to the war with Soviets. In stead, he approved the plan of supply the blocked city by air. Nonetheless, the Soviets granted ground access the Airlift went on working several months after and significantly helped Truman during his election campaign in 1948.
USA was the first country to recognize Pakistan, which became an American ally afterwards. President Truman had to deal with accusations that dozens of federal officials were on the Soviet intelligence’s payroll. Soon after the Soviets successfully exploited the atomic bomb of their own, which signified the loss of nuclear secrets by the US and proclamation People’s Republic in mainland China made such suspicions to be taken seriously. On February 9, 1950, republican senator Joseph McCarthy accused the state department of being penetrated by communist spies.
It must be noted that many of McCarthy’s accusations have not been still disproved.
Nevertheless, the word McCarthyism is still like some indecency like a witch-hunt yet President Truman himself managed to retain the image of a wise and just leader. Moreover, he is still ranked as the one of top ten American presidents.
As it was mentioned at the beginning of our lecture, you both have a lot of common but there are many considerable differences between both of you as politicians and personalities. Everything is�� personal as it goes in a famous fiction novel. Since his early days, he earned himself his daily bread. Having graduated High school young Harry worked as a timekeeper for the railroad and had to sleep in hobo camps. Poor sight did not allow him to fulfill his dream to enter West Point yet neither that fault nor alleged parents’ care restrained him from volunteering National Guard and going to France.
We could admit that a politician could not be an honest man in the proper sense of the word yet. President Truman was likely more honest than many of his colleagues. After all before entering politics he had struggled for his country but not consumed it as other had done. This probably was the reason why all his activities were aimed and often successfully to care of his country fellowmen. During World War I the battery he commanded had NO CASUALITIES. In 1945 he assumed responsibility for use of nuclear weapons �� the crime could be compared but to Auschwitz butchery. Nevertheless, that crime allowed saving hundreds of thousands of American military men awaited by their mothers and sweethearts at home. The nations evaluated his deeds and now he is ranked among top ten of American presidents although during his cadences his ratings were probably as low as currently are yours.
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Jacquot (1993)
Written and Directed by
Rated NR
| Roger Ebert
September 3, 1993 |
Agnes Varda and Jacques Demy, who together and separately had been making films for 30 years, began a new one in April, 1990. It was about his childhood memories. If you have seen Demy's "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg," a musical set in a garage and featuring singing mechanics, you may have guessed that Demy grew up as the son of an auto mechanic. "Umbrellas" won all the awards - the prize at Cannes, the foreign language Oscar - and Demy made such others as "Lola" and "Donkey Skin," often centering around the songs he remembered from his youth.
Meanwhile, Varda made films, too, often films based on her own life, such as "Daguerreotypes," about the people who lived on their street in Paris, the rue Daguerre. She starred their son Matthew in "Kung Fu Master" (1989), about a young boy's coming of age. This new film would be her film about Demy's memories. As they began it, they both knew that he was dying of a brain tumor.
"The film was shot exactly where Jacques Demy spent his childhood," Varda says, "in the garage of his father and in other places where, later, he was to film sequences." He wrote the story line by telling his memories to Agnes. But he refused to write the screenplay or dialogue because he wanted it to be her film. His health was failing through 1990, but he was able to visit the location, to appear in a few scenes, to see most of the rushes before he died in October, 1990.
And now here is "Jacquot," a love film, a film a woman has made about the memories of the man she lived with for 33 years, as she imagines them. The film uses three young actors to recreate the life of Jacques Demy from 1939, when he was 8, through the wartime years and his adolescence, to the years when he learns that he loves film and must be a director. It begins with a Punch and Judy show, which Demy saw and immediately imitated, making his own theater and figures out of cardboard. It continues as he goes to the movies and is struck by their magic when he sees Walt Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
From the beginning, he knew he had to make his own films. He is given a cheap little toy projector and a worn-out 8mm Chaplin film, which he views again and again, until he muses, "I wish I could erase the film and make my own." And he does so, soaking the film in hot water and scraping off the images with a knife, so that he can draw his own crude animated images directly on the film. This is the single-mindedness of all great directors, the willingness to erase even Chaplin to make room for their own visions.
In a junk shop he finds a handwound camera, and uses it to film his own stop-action animated stories, taking hours to move his cardboard puppets ever so slightly between every frame of film. He mails the exposed film off to the Pathe labs and waits breathlessly. . . and waits. . . and waits six full months until the developed film is returned, and he is crushed to discover that every frame is blank. "I have to learn about the f-stop," he says.
At last he gets a better camera. He films the screenplay in the instruction book that comes with the camera, casting his playmates, costuming them, ordering them around with the confidence of a born director. He goes to the cinema all the time. He tells his friends which directors are good and which cannot be depended on.
His father wants him to go to a trade school. He wants to go to the high school, and become a film director. His father insists that he learn a trade. He spends hated months learning about a machine shop, while every free moment is spent in an attic room with his camera and his experiments. In a moment of betrayal that Jacques Demy still remembered months before he died, his art teacher comes to visit his parents and agrees that the boy has talent, but advises against a career in film because "many are called but few are chosen."
But Jacques Demy was chosen. The film begins and ends with Demy on the beach, looking out at the sea, and then with closeups of the grains of sand that run out through his fingers. It is not a sad film, however. It is a film about a boy lucky enough to discover how he wanted to spend his life, and to spend it that way.
Sony Pictures Classics Celebrates 25 Years of Female-Directed Films
Roger's Favorites: Agnès Varda
The Beaches of Agnes
by Roger Ebert
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Matthew Golding to join The Royal Ballet as a Principal
Canadian dancer’s first performance will be in The Sleeping Beauty later this Season.
By Ellen West (Head of Creative Studios and Digital Products)
24 September 2013 at 9.46am | 9 Comments
Matthew Golding in Paquita, with the Dutch National Ballet © Angela Sterling
Canadian dancer Matthew Golding is to join The Royal Ballet as a Principal in February 2014. His first performance will be on 27 March, dancing alongside Natalia Osipova in The Sleeping Beauty.
Matthew is currently a principal dancer with Dutch National Ballet. He trained at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and in Washington D.C. at the Universal Ballet Academy. In 2002 he was awarded the Grand Prix from the Youth American Ballet Competition and received a prize scholarship at The Prix de Lausanne to attend The Royal Ballet School. Graduating in 2003, he joined American Ballet Theatre before moving to his current company in 2009. Matthew first danced as a Guest Artist with The Royal Ballet, partnering Zenaida Yanowsky in La Bayadère, earlier this year.
Speaking about the appointment, Kevin O'Hare said:
I have very much enjoyed watching Matthew dance over last few years, and in particular, when he made his UK debut with us last Season. I am very pleased he is joining the Company and we look forward to welcoming him next year as the latest addition to our world class roster of Principals.”
The Sleeping Beauty is on stage 22 February - 9 April 2014. General booking opens 14 January.
24 September 2013 at 9.46am
This article has been categorised Ballet and tagged
Bill Woolhouse responded on 25 September 2013 at 3:35pm Reply
Matther Golding will be a wonderful addition to the Company.With his brilliant technique,and elevation,he will be a star attraction.I saw him In Don Q,he was sensational,but so modest,and a nice bloke.
Rocio responded on 27 September 2013 at 6:28am Reply
I want to come. Let me know about the ticket.
Hi Rocio,
General booking opens on 14 Janaury 2014, with Friends able to book slightly sooner from 10 December 2013.
Terry responded on 27 September 2013 at 11:02pm Reply
Another person that isn't known. It would be much more interesting if Eric Underwood or Kenta Kura were to be given principal roles.
On a technical note it is insulting to see the ROH uses "bozo" moderation. Comments are not visible to the world until moderated - but the user is fooled into thinking they have been instantly posted. If comments have to be moderated first. Please say so.
oh! Just seen that it does say "Your comment is awaiting moderation,"
Sorry. :-(
Anyway, can we have more promotion from the ranks?
Christina responded on 27 December 2013 at 4:43pm Reply
I totally agree with Terry. More Kenta Kura please!!
Nick Ireland responded on 10 January 2014 at 9:03pm Reply
Any one who has seen any of Matthew Golding performances with the Netherlands Ballet, particularly in Don Quixote, will know that he is a World class dancer and is well worthy of his appointment as a Principal If the internal candidates were that good they would have been appointed - why not?
Meaghan responded on 23 January 2014 at 5:12pm Reply
Golding is a great dancer.
I've seen him in Don Quixot and admire his technique.
Meaghan responded on 12 March 2014 at 9:34pm Reply
I can't understand why some person said that "did not know Golding". He's very well known
specifically in Don Quixote where he danced
marvelously. Do not say that I'm "fascinated" because I'm 87 years old! but had been a critic for more than 50 yeas.
Leave a reply to Nick Ireland · Cancel
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Home / Abrams Books / Abrams Books
Bygone Badass Broads
Based on Mackenzi Lee’s popular weekly Twitter series of the same name, Bygone Badass Broads features 52 remarkable and forgotten trailblazing women from all over the world.
With tales of heroism and cunning, in-depth bios and witty storytelling, Bygone Badass Broads gives new life to these historic female pioneers. Starting in the fifth century BC and continuing to the present, the book takes a closer look at bold and inspiring women who dared to step outside the traditional gender roles of their time. Coupled with riveting illustrations and Lee’s humorous and conversational storytelling style, this book is an outright celebration of the badass women who paved the way for the rest of us.
6 x 8 in. hardcover book
52 4-color illustrations
52 FORGOTTEN WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD, By Mackenzi Lee
Illustrator Petra Eriksson
Mackenzi Lee holds a BA in history and an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Simmons College. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the historical fantasy novels This Monstrous Thing and The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, as well as the forthcoming The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (2018) and Semper Augustus (2019). She currently calls Boston home, where she works as an independent bookstore manager.
Rosie Revere, Engineer
Rosie Revere's Big Project Book for Bold Engineers
With My Daddy
Iggy Peck, Architect
How to be an American
All My Treasures
Ada Twist, Scientist
Dress Like A Woman
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NYSE threatens delisting of Titan International
Brad Dawson
Tire and wheel manufacturer Titan International Inc. has six months to get its share price back above $1 before potentially losing its listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
The NYSE notified Quincy-based Titan that its common stock fell below the exchange's ``continued listing criteria'' relating to minimum share price, the company announced April 25. The exchange requires a company's common stock trade at a minimum average share price of $1 over a 30-day trading period.
Titan shares had closed below $1 for 61 consecutive trading days from Feb. 3 through April 30, when the stock price closed at 80 cents per share. In the past 12 months, the most recent high-water mark for Titan stock was $5.50 on May 15, 2002, while the price bottomed out at 60 cents per share on Feb. 21. The stock price hasn't been above $10 since October 1999.
Under NYSE guidelines, Titan must return to compliance with the continued listing criteria within six months following receipt of the notification. Maurice Taylor Jr., Titan president and CEO, said he was contacted by the exchange about the situation and he's talked to officials about what the company can do to raise the stock price.
``There's no sense in getting excited,'' Taylor said. ``We have to work to get things right and have six months to do it. Nothing is ironclad at this point.''
Taylor wouldn't detail what Titan's plans are to get a consistent share price greater than $1. But he did say if the company was delisted from the Big Board there are other avenues to take, including other exchanges or potentially going private. Being a listed company on the NYSE gets more expensive every year, with the total cost now approaching $1 million annually, he said.
``Sometimes you have to ask if it's worth it,'' Taylor said. ``No matter how you operate or where you're listed, there's no substitute for making money.''
Titan posted a net loss of $5.9 million on sales of $129 million in the first quarter of 2003, compared to a loss of $2.9 million on sales of $123.7 million in 2002.
The firm also had an operating loss for the quarter of $1.7 million, down from the $1.1 million in operating profits last year.
Higher raw material prices and increased employee benefit and insurance costs hurt the company's first-quarter numbers, Taylor said. Titan plans to help its bottom line in 2003 by cutting manufacturing costs, keeping research and development and capital expenditures down, and increasing product prices, he said.
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27th March 2019, 10:10 | therfl
Our League nominated for national Fan Engagement award
Our League, the Rugby Football League's membership scheme for fans, players, coaches, volunteers and viewers, has earned the game further national recognition with a nomination in a second major sports awards ceremony this spring.
The scheme is in the running for a Sports Business Award on May 31 in the Best Fan Engagement Programme category.
This is our second award nomination of the awards season, having already been included on the shortlist for Best Fan/Community Engagement for the BT Sports Industry Awards on April 25.
This second nomination comes after Our League recently celebrated breaking through the 100,000 members milestone - showing how much Rugby League means to so many people.
Mark Foster, the RFL's Chief Commercial Officer, said: "It's great to have this recognition for the sport, and also for the people who have worked so hard to establish and develop Our League since it was launched in Autumn 2017, in partnership with fan driven technology specialists, InCrowd.
"It was the first Rugby League OTT platform, allowing more matches and features to be broadcast and watched than ever before - and a pivotal part of our strategy for ensuring that Rugby League is well-placed to capitalise on the opportunities provided by the digital revolution."
InCrowd Marketing Account Manager Darren Parsons added: "Recently smashing the 100k-member mark, Our League continues to be a great project to work on in close collaboration with the Rugby Football League.
"It's been amazing to see fans from all corners of the Rugby League community come together and find something to engage with on the platform; it's fast becoming an absolutely must-have, for every fan."
"There is still plenty more work to be done but we are excited about what we will achieve with Our League over the next couple of years."#OURLEAGUE reaches 100,000 Members!
More: https://t.co/kuhF5gnxr8 pic.twitter.com/1oN8ibYPEH
— Rugby Football League (@TheRFL) March 20, 2019
The membership scheme has improved fan experience and engagement for lovers of Rugby League at all levels of the game, offering exclusive content, predictor games, ticket offers, money can't buy benefits and prizes via the digital platforms - app (iOS & Android) and website that members can access.
This season Rugby League personalities such as Andrew Henderson and Jamie Jones-Buchanan have led extensive coverage of the Betfred Championship and League One competitions, focusing on the best tries and matches through the week - as well as providing live and exclusive coverage every weekend.
This weekend the focus turns to the Coral Challenge Cup, with the Our League cameras focusing on the famous St Helens amateur club Thatto Heath, and their attempt to spring an upset against North Wales Crusaders.
And that will be followed by a blockbuster opening fixture from the fast-growing Women’s Super League on April 7, as Wigan Warriors launch their defence of the title against fierce local rivals St Helens.
Search 'Our League' on the app store or Google Play, or visit rugby-league.com to sign up today!
Manchester Metropolitan seeking Head Coach
Disciplinary | Match Review Panel
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Free Legal Clinic
Interns' Circle
Join the Circle
Volunteer Certificate Program
Innovation. Learning. Community.
The Law Research Centre at Ryerson University is a forum for innovation, learning and partnership with the legal community.
The Law Centre organizes conferences and events on a wide range of legal issues, supports legal research and runs a free legal clinic in partnership with Miller Thomson LLP. Infused with the energy and resources of the legal community in downtown Toronto, the Centre also provides networking opportunities for students and is designed to propel learning about law through student-focused workshops, volunteer opportunities and events.
The Law Centre was launched in the fall of 2009 and has proven to be an evolving success story, with remarkable results in its short history and an extremely promising future.
SELECT SUCCESSES
Development of a Tamil-English Legal Glossary
Law Centre Researcher Dr. Marco Fiola, Chair of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and the Ryerson Law Research Centre received funding from the Law Foundation of Ontario to develop an online Tamil-English legal glossary. The bilingual glossary will include a standardized collection of legal terms, and will assist court interpreters and front-line workers in community organizations and legal clinics in their work.
The project could also pave the way for the establishment of standards and practices in language interpretation and can ultimately help reduce language barriers for many newcomer communities.
Press Freedom in Canada
In partnership with the Ryerson Journalism Research Centre, the Law Centre hosted a conference on the state of press freedom on the 30th anniversary of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The conference attracted 300 people and buzzed with energy and new ideas, that are reason to ongoing collaboration. For example, in partnership with Lisa Taylor from the School of Journalism, the Law Centre is editing a collection of papers on the state of Press Freedom in Canada that have attracted the interest of U of T Press.
Legal Research Workshops
The Law Centre and the Ryerson University Library & Archives have partnered to offer introductory, hands-on workshops designed to provide participants with a basic understanding of the strategy and tools to conduct effective legal research. This workshop helps students become a more valuable research assistant.
As part of our legal services to the Ryerson community, Miller Thomson law firm and the Law Centre host a free legal clinic for students. Click here to watch Law Times' coverage of the Law Clinic.
Mooting Competition – Stay tuned for more information
Lawyer-Student Speed Networking Event
This event is part of our ongoing series of events to introduce students to various aspects of legal practice. Through one-on-one meetings with lawyers working in areas ranging from criminal defence to international business law, students are able to ask the questions they always wanted to ask.
+ INNOVATION
The Law Centre supports and provides ongoing research and events for a different and bold take on law.
As a catalyst for debate, learning and teaching, the Law Centre prepares students for a future in law and looks at law in the future.
+ COMMUNITY
Law is an integral part of the professional programs that make Ryerson an innovative university. The Law Centre builds on this strength and is the bridge between Ryerson University and the legal community.
Tweets by @LawCentreRye
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Ural Thomas & The Pain
Joshy Soul, Sarah DeGraw (solo)
Mon, November 19, 2018
If life was at all fair Ural Thomas would be a household name, his music slotted into countless sweet, seductive mixtapes between James Brown, Otis Redding, and Stevie Wonder (all of whom Thomas has performed with.) Straddling the line between hot soul shouter and velvety-smooth crooner, Thomas released a few singles in the late 60’s and early 70’s; most notably “Can You Dig It”, which featured backing vocals from soul luminaries Merry Clayton, Mary Wells and Brenda Holloway. Thomas played over forty shows at the legendary Apollo Theater before turning his back on an unkind business and heading home to Portland, OR.
It goes without saying that a man practically built out of rhythm would never stop playing music. Thomas began hosting a regular Sunday night jam session at his home that ran for nearly twenty years. A de facto mentor to many of the younger players, Thomas reminds us all that “If you care about what you’re doing, you need to build those muscles and do the work. Don’t get discouraged, do it for love. Even if you’re digging ditches, do it with passion.”
In 2014, local soul DJ Scott Magee sat in on drums. The two became fast friends and at Magee’s urging Thomas decided to give his musical career another shot. Magee became the musical director, they put together a band, and in 2016 released a self-titled album on Mississippi Records.
In 2017 Thomas signed with Tender Loving Empire and began work on what, in many respects, will be his debut full length. Diving deep into lifetime of melodic creativity, Thomas and his band got to work. Recorded in Magee’s studio Arthur’s Attic, The Right Time features the air-tight work of Magee on drums, percussion, and backing vocals, Bruce Withycombe (The Decemberists) on baritone sax, Portland jazz scene fixture Brent Martens on guitars and vibraphone, Arcellus Sykes on bass, Steve Aman (Lady Rizo) on piano and organ, Dave Monnie on trumpet, Willie Matheis (Cherry Poppin’ Daddies) on tenor sax, and Jasine Rimmel, Joy Pearson, Sarah King, Rebecca Marie Miller on backing vocals. The Arco Quartet performed the strings, and the record was engineered and mixed by Jeff Stuart Saltzman (Blitzen Trapper) and mastered by JJ Golden (Sharon Jones, Ty Segall).
One might think after a sizeable taste of early success Thomas would be more than a touch bitter – yet the opposite is true. “We have to be positive if we want the world to get better” Thomas advises. “We’ve come a long way, but if you carry a grudge with the whole world you’ll stop your growth. We’re a family, all just brothers and sisters, descendants of Adam. You can’t get anywhere without an open heart.”
A developing artist at nearly eighty years old, for Thomas music has always been about bringing people together. “If we play for twenty people we cook it like it’s twenty thousand” says Thomas. “If we make someone smile we’re satisfied. They’re ain’t no difference between us. It’s all love and brotherhood. If folks listen to my record and feel that I’ll feel very blessed.”
Standing in bold defiance of the idea that aging is a reason to slow down and stop living, for Thomas the right time to get down is the next time someone plugs in a guitar or puts on a record. Ural is ready – are you?
Joshy Soul
Sarah DeGraw (solo)
http://www.theurbanloungeslc.com/
Ural Thomas & the Pain - You Got Me Hummin' (opbmusic) Joshy Soul - Make My Day
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Bophuthatswana is granted independence by the South African government
Home > Dated Event > Bophuthatswana is granted independence by the South African government
Bophuthatswana FlagBophuthatswana Flag. Source:https://flagspot.net/flags/za-bw.html
Thirty-four years ago, on 6 December 1977, Bophuthatswana was granted ‘independence' by the South African government. The region became the second Bantustan to gain ‘independence’ following the Transkei, a year earlier. The region’s President, Lucas Mangope, launched a campaign to construct top-class facilities, including hospitals, schools and sports grounds.
After the 1994 elections, Bophuthatswana, together with other homelands, was incorporated to form part of South Africa’s nine provinces. It is now part of the North West Province. Other parts of the homeland have been incorporated into the Northern Cape Province.
Before 1994 a pro ANC faction in the homeland, led by Malebane Metsing, unsuccessfully attempted to oust Mangope. But it had become apparent that the end for the homeland government and their apartheid overlords was imminent. A group of Afrikaner right-wingers, in a bid to keep Mangope at the helm, entered the homeland. They hoped to prevent the homeland falling under the influence of the ANC or any of the political formations opposed to apartheid. The army and police dealt with the intruders, leaving scores of people dead.
South African History Online (2011). ‘Bophuthatswana’from South African History Online [online]. Available at www.sahistory.org.za [Accessed 04 November 2011]
Body-Evans, A. (2011). ‘This Day in African History: 6 December’, from About.com: African History, [online]. Available at www.africanhistory.about.com [Accessed 04 November 2011]
This article was produced by South African History Online on 23-Nov-2011
This Day In History dates for TODAY
more dates like these...
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Focus and Scope of Journal
The Journal serves as a medium for the publication of high quality scientific papers. This requires that the papers that are submitted for publication are properly and fairly refereed and edited. This process will maintain the high quality of the presentation of the paper and ensure that the technical content is in line with the accepted norms of scientific integrity.
Publications Report and Statistics for the Financial Year 2017/2018
The breakdown of papers published during the year and previous years as follows:
Of the 141 papers published in 2017/18, 58 were from outside South Africa. The rejection rate of papers received was 31%. There were seven themed editions of the Journal during the year.
The Institute continued to deliver on one of its key objectives, that of disseminating scientific and technical knowledge to the benefit of the minerals industries. Technical and scientific knowledge was shared through the Journal, which is published monthly and distributed to all members either electronically or through the post.
There continues to be a significant drop in the demand for the hard copy, and it is hoped that this trend will continue. Significant highlights from the Publications Department include the following.
There were eight themed issues of the Journal with papers for these publications being drawn from various conferences. This is a testament that our conferences not only attract high-quality speakers, but also high-quality papers and presentations that can be converted to Journal papers.
The introduction of the Open Journal System (OJS) for managing and reviewing the papers submitted for publication to the SAIMM Journal. This is part of benchmarking the Institute against international standards and makes the submission and reviewing process much more efficient and easier for both the authors and the reviewers.
Indexing of our Journal in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). This is expected to benefit the Institute and its members through increased dissemination, and hence a wider audience for published papers and better visibility for the authors.
Completion of a peer review of the Journal by the Committee on Scholarly Publishing in South Africa under the direction of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), which concluded that our Journal should continue to be listed on the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) list of accredited journals.
A year-on-year improvement of 10% in our Journal Impact Factor and a source normalized impact per paper (SNIP) factor of 0.8. This is a clear indication that our Journal is finding a wider readership with each passing year.
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VC firms rain down cash on tech startups, is…
VC firms rain down cash on tech startups, is bubble brewing?
By Brandon Bailey and Associated Press |
PUBLISHED: January 16, 2015 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: September 14, 2018 at 12:00 am
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Cash rained down on startups in 2014, as venture capitalists poured a whopping $48.3 billion into new U.S. companies levels not seen since before the dot-com bubble burst in 2001. Strong technology IPOs are luring investors chasing the next big return, but with valuations this high, critics suggest some investors may be setting themselves up for a major fall.
“It”s not that many businesses aren”t viable, but the question is, what are you paying for them?” said Mark Cannice, a professor of entrepreneurship at the University of San Francisco.
Venture funding surged more than 60 percent in 2014 from the prior year, most often fueling software and biotechnology companies, according to a new “MoneyTree Report” issued by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association, based on data from Thomson Reuters. But the money wasn”t spread around to buoy many more companies. A few just got huge piles of cash.
Last year saw a record 47 “mega-deals,” defined as investments of more than $100 million. That”s nearly twice as many as reported in 2013, said Mark McCaffrey of PricewaterhouseCoopers, who leads the accounting and consulting firm”s global software practice.
Uber Technologies, the ride-hailing service disrupting the transportation industry and generating plenty of press, received the top two biggest rounds of investment last year. Each raised $1.2 billion for Uber, and the company”s value is now pegged at $41 billion. Other major deals included $542 million (mostly from Google Inc.) invested in Magic Leap Inc., a secretive startup working on virtual reality technology; $500 million in Vice Media, which operates online news and video channels; and $485 million in SnapChat, the popular messaging service.
What”s driving those deals?
U.S. tech startups are proving they can reach vast global markets and reap sizable revenue, said McCaffrey. And there are more investors eager to get a piece of that return private equity and hedge funds and corporate investment divisions are vying with traditional venture capitalists to back promising startups. But critics say some companies may never make enough money to justify the sky-high valuations.
The worries harken back to the go-go year of 2000, when the dot-com boom drove venture funding to a peak of $105 billion. But then a wave of new Internet companies crested and collapsed, many of them failing to ever make money. Venture funding bottomed at $19.7 billion by 2003 and spent the last decade bobbing in a $20 billion to $30 billion range before making the big leap last year.
Several experts expect funding this year to continue at a similar rate. Commercial software companies, especially those that offer cybersecurity services and tools for analyzing large amounts of data, are expected to be big draws in 2015, along with biotech and health technology.
So are we approaching another bubble?
Most experts won”t go that far, but are raising concerns about so-called “froth” in the market. Robert Ackerman, managing director and founder of Silicon Valley venture firm Allegis Capital, is convinced new software and communications startups are revolutionizing the world”s economy. However, beyond the risk of investors losing money, Ackerman said some companies may see these cash windfalls as permission to burn through money at an excessive rate, rather than spending at a level justified by their own realistic earnings potential.
“There really is an unprecedented level of innovation that is taking place,” he said. “What I worry about is how the excess of capital is affecting valuations and expectations.”
Brandon Bailey
NASA memories: He jumped out of a plane the day Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon
Segway Santa Cruz closes, plans to start nonprofit
Poly celebrates its role in Apollo 11’s launch to the moon
800K gallons of oil has poured into a Southern California canyon from a Chevron operation
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Gen. Wesley Clark to speak at Pacific Thursday
STOCKTON — Former NATO head and retired Gen. Wesley Clark will share his views on world events and national security Thursday at University of the Pacific.
Clark will be the guest speaker for the 2019 Gerber Lecture Series, which regularly examines world issues. Clark will share his perspective on current world events and national security. At 3:30 p.m., he will engage students in a classroom discussion in room 100 of George Wilson Hall, then meet with media from 4:30-5 p.m. before he conducts a lecture from 6-7 p.m. at Faye Spanos Concert Hall.
The top graduate in his class at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, Clark continued his education as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, where he completed degrees in philosophy, politics and economics. He was severely wounded while commanding an infantry company in combat during the Vietnam War. He later commanded at the battalion, brigade and division levels, and served in a number of significant staff positions, including as the director of Strategic Plans and Policy. He was the principal author of the U.S. National Military Strategy and Joint Vision 2010, setting U.S. military strategy for all facets of warfare using an overwhelming diversity of military resources. He also helped write and negotiate significant portions of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement.
Clark served as supreme allied commander in Europe and head of all NATO forces during President Bill Clinton’s administration and led NATO forces to victory with Operation Allied Force, a 78-day air campaign that saved 1.5 million Albanians from ethnic cleansing. Although he retired from the U.S. military in 2000, he remains active as a speaker and author. He is the recipient of many distinguished awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award given in the United States.
Clark joined the 2004 race for the Democratic Party presidential nomination as a candidate in 2003, but withdrew from the primary race in 2004, after winning the Oklahoma state primary, endorsing and campaigning for the eventual Democratic nominee, John Kerry.
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From A Girl’s Point Of View We Give To You… Love Unlimited
Love Unlimited
Release Date 29 March 2019
UMC / Mercury
From A Girl's Point Of View We Give To You... Love Unlimited is the debut studio album of American soul vocal trio Love Unlimited, released in 1972 on UNI Records. Produced by Barry White, for whom the trio served as a backing group at the time, the album was arranged by White and conductor Gene Page. The album produced the hit single “Walkin' In The Rain With The One I Love,” which reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and No. 6 on Billboard’s Soul Singles chart.
I Should Have Known (4.52)
Another Chance (2.49)
Are You Sure (3.13)
Fragile – Handle With Care (3.59)
Is It Really True Boy – Is It Really Me (4.04)
I’ll Be Yours Forever More (3.33)
If This World Was Mine (5.28)
Together (3.10)
Walkin’ In The Rain With The One I Love (4.47)
More products from Love Unlimited
In Heat
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2019 13-Inch MacBook Pro Benchmark Results Show 83% Faster Multi-Core Performance
By Oliver Haslam | July 12th, 2019
Apple updated its 13-inch MacBook Pro earlier this week, adding a Touch Bar and new Intel 8th generation quad-core CPUs in the process. Now early benchmarks of those new computers are starting to appear online and it looks promising indeed.
According to new Geekbench 4 scores for the base model, we can expect an increase of 6.8% in single-core performance and 83.4% in multi-core. The new machine uses a 1.4GHz quad-core Core i5 CPU compared to the previous 7th-generation 2.3GHz dual-core Core i5 CPU.
Perhaps most interestingly, the CPU used in these machines appears to be a modified version of an existing one, likely specifically designed for Apple. It’s a 15W Coffee Lake chip with a max Turbo Boost of 3.9GHz and carries the designation Core i5-8257U. That’s a chip based on the Core i5-8250U, according to MacRumors.
While Apple claims that the new machine is “two times more powerful,” we’ll have to see how these new benchmarks translate into real world usage. There has long been a debate as to whether scores like those generated by Geekbench actually translate into what people will see when they start using new machines. But given it’s all we have at the moment, it’s still plenty to go on, especially when comparing with other machines running the same benchmarking app.
Whether or not you’re excited to see the arrival of the Touch Bar to the lowest end MacBook Pro, more performance is always something that can be agreed upon as a very good thing indeed.
(Source: MacRumors)
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October 30, 2009 / 1:22 PM / 10 years ago
UPDATE 2-Magellan Q3 profit beats Street, raises FY EPS view
* Q3 EPS $0.88 vs est $0.64
* Q3 rev $667.6 mln vs yr-ago $656.5 mln
* Says expands contract with WellCare
* Shares rise 8 pct (Recasts; adds details, analyst comment, updates share movement)
Oct 30 (Reuters) - Magellan Health Services Inc (MGLN.O) posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit, partly helped by effective cost-of-care management, and raised its full-year earnings outlook, sending its shares up 8 percent.
Magellan, which provides a network of doctors and hospitals to its members, said it signed a deal with WellCare Health Plans Inc (WCG.N) to manage behavioral health services for all WellCare markets, and expects the deal to add an incremental annual revenue of $60 million.
“This is the first time in at least a half a decade that Magellan has added a sizeable behavioral health contract,” Oppenheimer analyst Carl McDonald said in a note.
The three-year contract expands upon the company’s current agreement with WellCare in the state of Georgia.
The company reported third-quarter net income of $31.0 million, or 88 cents a share, compared with $23.5 million, or 58 cents a share, a year ago.
Revenue rose to $667.6 million from $656.5 million last year.
Analysts on average expected earnings of 64 cents a share, excluding special items, on revenue of $672.8 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
For the full year, the company now expects earnings in the range of $2.41 a share to $2.70 a share. It had earlier forecast full-year earnings of $2.04 a share to $2.59 a share.
Shares of the company were up 8 percent at $32.67 in morning trade on Nasdaq. They touched a high of $32.89 earlier in the session.
For the alerts, double-click [ID:nWNAB7407] (Reporting by Shailesh Kuber in Bangalore; Editing by Maju Samuel, Anne Pallivathuckal)
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October 27, 2017 / 9:57 AM / 2 years ago
As Mattis peers into North Korea, he gets warning on artillery
Phil Stewart
DEMILITARIZED ZONE, South Korea (Reuters) - As U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis peered into North Korea from a lookout post on Friday, he was given a blunt reminder by his South Korean counterpart of the vast amount of North Korean artillery within range of Seoul.
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo visit the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korea October 27, 2017. Yonhap/via REUTERS
Above the faint sound of North Korean propaganda music being blasted from across the border, South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo suggested that U.S. and South Korean missile defenses simply could not stop all of them.
“Defending against this many LRAs (long-range artillery) is infeasible in my opinion,” Song told Mattis, citing a need for strategies to “offensively neutralize” the artillery in the event of a conflict.
Mattis replied: “Understood.”
The brief exchange at the inter-Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) - where U.S .President Donald Trump may visit in coming days - spoke volumes about the risks of any miscalculation as tension soars over Pyongyang’s rapidly advancing nuclear weapon and missile programs.
Last week, CIA chief Mike Pompeo said North Korea could be only months away from developing the ability to hit the United States with nuclear weapons, a scenario Trump has vowed to prevent.
U.S. intelligence experts say Pyongyang believes it needs the weapons to ensure its survival and have been skeptical about diplomatic efforts, focusing on sanctions, to get Pyongyang to willingly denuclearise.
But, as the DMZ trip highlighted, North Korea’s conventional weaponry poses such a risk to South Korea that any attempt to denuclearize the North by force could easily escalate into a devastating conflict.
Mattis was keen to emphasize efforts to peacefully resolve the crisis, including at the DMZ, as he addressed reporters with his back to the dividing line between North and South.
“Our goal is not war, but rather the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula,” Mattis said, as North Korean soldiers kept watch.
Mattis said he and Song also made clear their mutual commitment “to a diplomatic solution to address North Korea’s reckless, outlaw behavior,” when they met this week at a gathering of Asian defense chiefs in the Philippines.
He carried that same message after his helicopter flight back to Seoul, where he addressed a small group of U.S. and South Korean soldiers.
"It comes down to you to make it work, my fine young troops ... and we'll buy time for our diplomats to solve this problem," he said.
North Korea Revealed
Reuters dedicated interactive section on life in North Korea, the country's relations with the rest of the world, its missile program and more.
The emphasis on diplomacy came before Trump departs next week on a trip to Asia. He has declined to say whether he will visit the DMZ when he stops in South Korea, telling reporters on Wednesday: “You’ll be surprised.”
Trump, in a speech last month at the United Nations, threatened to destroy North Korea if necessary to defend the United States and its allies. Kim has blasted Trump as “mentally deranged.”
The bellicose verbal exchanges have stoked fears of a military confrontation, but White House officials say Trump is looking for a peaceful resolution.
At the same time, the U.S. and South Korean militaries are looking for ways to deter Pyongyang, and bolster its defenses.
As Mattis at one point met some of the roughly 28,000 American forces stationed in South Korea, he said the role of U.S. and South Korean troops was essential.
“We’re doing everything we can to solve this diplomatically, everything we can. But ultimately our diplomats have to be backed up by strong soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, so they speak from a position of strength,” he said.
“So thanks for standing watch, for holding the line.”
Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Lincoln Feast
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June 26, 2019 / 1:19 AM / 24 days ago
LeMahieu gives Yankees record homer streak
Jun 25, 2019; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu (26) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees made history in a hurry Tuesday.
Leadoff man DJ LeMahieu went deep leading off the bottom of the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays, allowing the Yankees to break the major league record for most consecutive games with a home run, 28.
The Yankees broke a tie with the 2002 Texas Rangers for longest home run streak, with LeMahieu getting the record out of the way early on the sixth pitch from Blue Jays starter Clayton Richard. Aaron Judge then followed with another homer as New York’s second batter of the game at Yankee Stadium.
New York has not failed to hit a home run during a June game. A total of 14 different Yankees players have gone deep during the streak. Judge, who returned Friday from an oblique injury, became the 14th.
The last time the Yankees went without a home run was May 25 in the second game of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals. They still hit a home run that day, though, as Luke Voit had one in the first game of the twin bill.
LeMahieu’s home run was his 11th of the season and seventh since the team’s homer streak began.
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Organizations issue joint guidelines for breast cancer survivors
Lisa Rapaport
(Reuters Health) - Most breast cancer survivors require routine mammograms and physical exams to check for new tumors, but they don’t need additional imaging or lab tests unless symptoms suggest malignancies may have returned, according to new joint guidelines from two leading U.S. cancer groups.
The guidelines issued today by the American Cancer Society and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) provide an updated road map to help women and their primary care doctors navigate not just surveillance for new tumors but also a range of mental and physical health problems that can accompany survivorship.
“Women with a history of breast cancer are at higher risk than women without a history of breast cancer for many issues, including obesity, heart disease and sexual health issues,” two authors of the guidelines, Dr. Carolyn Runowicz of Florida International University in Miami and Corinne Leach of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, said in a joint email.
After skin cancer, breast tumors are the most common malignancy among women, representing 4 in 10 female cancer survivors in the U.S., the researchers note in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Long-term survival is common, with 90 percent of breast cancer patients living at least five years after their diagnosis.
To update treatment guidelines for these women, researchers analyzed evidence from 237 previously published studies on breast cancer survivors and consulted with experts in primary care, gynecology, surgical and medical oncology, radiology and nursing.
Data from these studies don’t offer enough evidence to suggest women need regular imaging scans or lab tests for screening purposes because there isn’t a survival benefit and there is a potential for false-positive results to lead to even more invasive testing.
Many women who still have at least one remaining breast after cancer treatment is complete – meaning they didn’t get a double mastectomy – can still benefit from mammograms but they don’t all need magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests.
To prevent cancer recurrence and improve survival odds, women should remain on endocrine therapy for five to 10 years, data suggest. Many women stop sooner due to cost, side effects or other reasons, the researchers note.
Depending on the type of breast cancer and treatment women had, they may have an increased risk of blood clots, strokes, bone weakness, fractures, breathing difficulties and sexual health problems, the guidelines point out.
Distress, depression and anxiety may also be ongoing problems for breast cancer survivors, particularly if they were younger when they were diagnosed or had a history of mental illness prior to the cancer diagnosis, according to the guidelines.
“These new guidelines represent a comprehensive set of recommendations covering the spectrum of issues that face breast cancer survivors after their primary treatment,” said co-author Dr. Gary Lyman, co-director of the Hutchinson Institute for Cancer Outcomes Research in Seattle and an advisor to ASCO on survivorship issues.
The guidelines may be particularly helpful to primary care providers, who may not be as consistent as specialists with follow-up and surveillance or as aware of common complications faced by breast cancer survivors, said Dr. Richard Bleicher, a breast surgeon at Fox Chase Cancer Center who wasn’t involved in the guidelines.
“I suspect that the biggest improvement will be for things outside of X-rays, laboratory studies, and physical examinations,” Bleicher said by email. “Issues such as sexual health, cognitive impairment, fatigue and other personal issues and symptoms are probably addressed in a widely varied and inconsistent fashion, if at all, in many practices.”
SOURCE: bit.ly/1ekfGZD Journal of Clinical Oncology, online December 7, 2015.
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Newsline - December 15, 2005
PUTIN WANTS TO BAN FOREIGN BANKS...
President Vladimir Putin said in Novosibirsk on 14 December that foreign banks should not be allowed to open branches in Russia, RFE/RL reported. He told a meeting of Russian bankers that his government believes the activities of foreign bank branches should be limited and, "in fact, they should be banned." Putin argued that the measure is necessary not only to preserve Russian banks from foreign competition, but also to make it easier for law-enforcement agencies to trace dirty money and terror-related funds. Foreign banks in Russia are currently allowed to operate only through subsidiaries that must be registered in the country. The United States, which has yet to agree to Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), insists that foreign banks be allowed to open branches in Russia. It has made the issue a precondition for Moscow's membership. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, the Russian delegation to the WTO conference began four days of membership talks on 15 December, RIA-Novosti reported. One unnamed member of the delegation said that Russia's prospects will be heavily influenced by the position of the United States. PM
...AND 'MODERNIZE' STATE BANKS
President Putin told Russian bankers in Novosibirsk on 14 December that a "modernization of the system of state banks" is needed, Interfax reported. "There should be clear criteria of appropriateness and efficiency on which to assess the state's holding stakes in lending institutions," he stressed. Putin added that "where it is recognized as necessary, the role of government representatives in overseeing [the banks'] activity should certainly be enhanced." He believes that "purely market stimuli for promoting the banking industry have yet to be developed adequately.... I believe the state should hold an interest in certain lending institutions, but only on condition that these banks seek to achieve truly strategic goals." PM
FORMER MENATEP HEAD WARNS OF ECONOMIC COLLAPSE
Platon Lebedev, former head of the Meantep Group holding company that included the oil giant Yukos, told the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" of 14 December in a written interview that Russia's much-publicized economic development is an illusion that could disappear at any time (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 December 2005). He argued that Russia has nothing more than a "surplus of petrodollars...that are being kept [in the country] where they were printed." Lebedev, who is also top business adviser to imprisoned oligarch and former Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovskii, said that by sending their wealth out of the country, those in power show that they "do not believe in themselves or in others. They suspect everyone." Referring to the demise of Yukos, Lebedev warned that without the proper rule of law, all the wealth that has been accumulated in Russia could disappear quickly. "All of us, including the government, could find ourselves permanently back in poverty." Lebedev is serving an eight-year prison sentence in Kharp at the northern end of the Ural Mountains above the Arctic Circle without special medical care for his heart condition and chronic hepatitis, according to the German daily. PM
DUMA SOFTENS PROPOSED CITIZENSHIP LAW
The State Duma approved in its first reading on 14 December an amendment to proposed citizenship legislation that will extend the deadline for former Soviet citizens to obtain Russian passports under a simplified procedure, Russian news agencies reported. President Putin supports the measure, which extends the deadline by two years until 1 January 2008. The proposed legal changes would also make it possible for former Soviet citizens who obtained a residence permit in Russia after 1 July 2002 to apply for citizenship. Under the current legislation, only people who obtained a residence permit prior to that date can apply for citizenship. PM
DEFENSE MINISTER DENIES REPORTS OF MILITARY OVERHAUL
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said in Moscow on 14 December that there are no plans to radically reform the command of the armed forces, Russian news agencies reported. The previous day, "Nezavisimaya gazeta" daily quoted unidentified Defense Ministry officials as saying the top military leadership is planning a radical reorganization of the army command. The newspaper report claimed that the reform envisioned replacing the current four fleets and six military districts with three large regional command centers -- Far Eastern, Central Asian, and West European. It said the changes are planned to start in 2006 and are expected to take several years to implement. Ivanov, while denying plans to scrap military districts, said he is not against setting up regional command centers, but only after careful evaluation. In other remarks, Ivanov denied reports that Ukraine has demanded an increase in rent payments for the presence of Russia's Black Sea Fleet on Ukrainian territory. PM
UPPER HOUSE APPROVES GAZPROM LIBERALIZATION
The Federation Council on 14 December passed a bill ending restrictions on foreign ownership of Gazprom stocks, RIA-Novosti reported the same day. "The approved amendments will lift restrictions on the purchase of the company's shares by foreigners," said Valentin Zavadnikov, head of the Federation Council's committee on industrial policy. Prior to the legislation, foreign shareholders were allowed to own no more than 20 percent of Gazprom shares. The law stipulated, however, that at least 50 percent-plus-one share of Gazprom stock must always remain in state hands. The bill passed the State Duma on 10 December (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 December 2005). It still must be signed by President Putin to become law. BW
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS GAS DEAL WITH UKRAINE COULD COME SOON...
Sergei Lavrov said on 14 December that negotiations with Ukraine over gas prices are "at an advanced stage" and an agreement could come soon, ITAR-TASS reported. "The negotiations on how to bring this about are at an advanced stage. Negotiators believe there are certain chances of achieving an agreement," Lavrov said. Gazprom is seeking to raise the price to $220-230 per 1,000 cubic meters, which is roughly the market price in Europe (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 7, 8, 13, and 14 December 2005). BW
...AS RUSSIAN FINANCE MINISTER DEFENDS PRICE HIKE
Aleksei Kudrin said on 14 December that raising the price Ukraine pays for Russian natural gas is a long overdue step, RIA-Novosti reported the same day. "I believe this is the right measure. It would have had to be taken sooner or later," Kudrin said. "The time when Russia pursued a policy of semi-subsidizing neighboring economies is gradually coming to an end. We must focus on our own interests," he said, adding that Ukraine could implement energy-saving measures to offset the increase. Kudrin said the higher gas price would increase federal budget revenues because Gazprom would subsequently be making larger tax contribution. BW
DUMA SPEAKER SAYS NGO BILL DELAYED AGAIN
Boris Gryzlov said on 13 December that the second reading of a controversial bill on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) has been postponed, Russian news agencies reported. The crucial second reading, in which the Duma will vote on amendments to the bill, was originally scheduled for 16 December, but has been pushed back to 21 December. "The bill has been postponed again because there are many amendments," Gryzlov said. President Vladimir Putin ordered amendments to the bill, which restricts the activities and financing of NGOs, after it became the subject of strong criticism from Western governments (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 and 23 November, 2, 5, 6, and 7 December 2005). BW
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CALLS ON RUSSIA TO HALT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Amnesty International's Russia coordinator Friederike Behr said in Moscow on 14 December that steps should be taken to combat domestic violence, RFE/RL reported. She appealed to lawmakers to pass appropriate legislation on countering domestic abuses that kill thousands of Russian women every year. Behr said that one woman dies at the hand of her husband every hour. She also cited unofficial figures indicating that in 2003 alone 9,000 women were killed through domestic violence. Amnesty also issued a report saying that as many as 70 percent of Russian women are subjected to domestic abuse, either physical, sexual, or psychological. Women's Alliance (Zhenskii Alyans), a Barnaul-based nongovernmental organization that deals with domestic violence, says there are fewer than 200 centers in Russia to help abused women. PM
COURT SENDS SIX YOUNG TOUGHS TO JAIL
The St. Petersburg city court convicted six members of a radical youth group on 14 December of inciting racial and interethnic hatred and sentenced them to prison terms of up to three years, lenta.ru and RFE/RL reported. The members of the Mad Crowd (Bezumnaya Tolpa) group were accused of beating up foreigners, including people from the Caucasus, in a series of attacks in 2002 and 2003. The court sentenced five of the defendants to between two and three years in a penal colony. One defendant was given a suspended sentence. The ruling comes less than a week after the court gave a six-year sentence to the leader of another skinhead group known for beating up people from the Caucasus. PM
CENTRAL REGION HOPING THAT TRANSPLANTED GOVERNOR WILL BRING NEW INVESTMENT MONEY
Ivanovo Governor and Moscow's former Vice Mayor Mikhail Men will be able to use his Moscow connections to open up political and economic opportunities for this insular Russian region, "Ekspert" reported on 28 November. According to the weekly, Men, as a political outsider, is not associated with local interest groups and thus will be able to work outside of the region's exclusionary patronage system. Nevertheless, the weekly cautioned, Ivanovo lacks Moscow's vibrant local economy and is plagued by problems that an influx of investment monies from the capital may not easily overcome. Among the challenges Men will face, "Ekspert" explained, is a shortage of qualified workers in the region and the threat of increasing Chinese competition to Ivanovo's textile industry. In Ivanovo Oblast, "there are no useful resources, no manufacturing giants, and no oligarchs," according to one of Men's aides. Under these conditions, "Ekspert" concluded, the main basis for optimism in Ivanovo Oblast is that systemic economic reform will reveal the central region's hidden potential. MCS
CHECHEN STRONGMAN ARGUES AGAINST RENAMING GROZNY
Dukvakha Abdurakhmanov, who is speaker of the lower chamber of the new Chechen parliament, proposed on 14 December renaming Grozny Akhmed-Kala in memory of pro-Moscow Chechen administration head Akhmed-Hadji Kadyrov, who was killed in a terrorist bombing last year, Interfax reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 10 May 2004). Abdurakhmanov said the current toponym (which means "dread" or "terror-inducing" in Russian) reflects "the darkest pages of Chechen history." But Kadyrov's son Ramzan, who is Chechen first deputy prime minister, told lenta.ru on 14 December he sees no reason to rename the capital, and that the most appropriate way to honor his father's memory would be to rebuild the ruined city. Russian human rights activists, too, rejected Abdurakhmanov's suggestion as inappropriate, Interfax reported. Abdul-Khakim Sultygov, a Chechen who coordinates ethnic policy for the pro-Kremlin Unified Russia party, suggested to Interfax on 14 December that once Grozny has been rebuilt a referendum could be held among the population of Chechnya on whether it should be renamed. LF
ARMENIAN OPPOSITION LEADER ENDS PARTICIPATION IN MASS RALLIES
A leading member of the Armenian opposition Artarutiun (Justice) bloc, Stepan Demirchian, announced on 14 December that he will no longer participate in mass rallies and demonstrations organized by the opposition in Yerevan, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported. Demirchian, who heads the major opposition People's Party of Armenia, explained that his decision "does not mean we are abandoning" the tactical use of mass demonstrations but added that "at this point it is not expedient to organize rallies." The opposition Artarutiun bloc and about a dozen smaller opposition groups have staged a series of mass protest rallies in Yerevan since the 27 November constitutional referendum in an attempt to galvanize popular discontent with the Armenian government, but failed to sustain any mass participation (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 30 November 2005). The decision to break with the strategy of his opposition partners followed a widening division within the country's opposition over the past few months. RG
KARABAKH LEADER QUESTIONS PROSPECTS FOR CONFLICT SETTLEMENT...
Arkadii Ghukasian, president of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, questioned on 14 December suggestions that recent progress in Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks offered a new opportunity for a resolution of the Karabakh conflict, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported. The Karabakh leader added that "we are pretty far from a settlement today" and dismissed the contention that next year will be "an optimal time for settling" the conflict as "a mere desire." He also indicated that representatives from Karabakh should be included in the negotiations, warning that "we do not believe any success is possible without our participation," Yerkir reported. The statement followed a meeting with the French, Russian and U.S. OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmen in Yerevan. The visiting OSCE mediators also met on 14 December with Armenian President Robert Kocharian and are expected to arrive in Baku on 15 December. RG
...BUT ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER EXPRESSES OPTIMISM
Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian expressed "optimism" on 14 December for the Karabakh peace process in a Yerevan press conference, according to RFE/RL's Armenian Service. The foreign minister added that "2005 was a productive year" and noted the recent statement by EU Foreign and Security Policy Commissioner Javier Solana defining the coming year as a new opportunity for a solution to the Karabakh conflict (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 December 2005). Oskanian added that further progress in the peace process now rests on the outcome of next month's planned meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani presidents. Peace talks are reportedly now centering on a phased settlement that would address the status of Karabakh through a referendum that would follow the return of liberation of six of the seven Armenian-held districts of Azerbaijani districts beyond the borders of Nagorno Karabakh. RG
AZERBAIJANI OPPOSITION CALLS FOR IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT
In a joint letter released on 14 December, several leading Azerbaijani opposition parties appealed to the country's Constitutional Court to launch impeachment proceedings against President Ilham Aliyev, Turan and RFE/RL reported. The appeal, signed by the leaders of the Azadlyk (Freedom) bloc, the Milli Birlik (National Unity) opposition alliance, and the Azerbaijani National Independence Party, charged the Azerbaijani president with complicity in the "massive fraud" during last month's disputed parliamentary elections. Under the terms of the Azerbaijani constitution, the president can be subjected to impeachment proceedings if he is convicted of serious crimes. RG
AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH EU OFFICIALS
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met on 14 December with senior EU officials in Brussels, Turan reported. The foreign minister held talks with EU Foreign and Security Policy Commissioner Solana, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Heikki Talvitie, and Brian Fall, the United Kingdom's special representative for the South Caucasus. The talks focused on the draft action plan for Azerbaijan within the framework of the New Neighborhood Policy, the status of the mediation effort of the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and also reviewed the recent Azerbaijani parliamentary elections, which were widely criticized for voting irregularities. RG
ABKHAZ OFFICIAL DENIES REPORTS OF FORCED INDUCTION INTO ARMED FORCES...
Abkhaz Deputy Defense Minister Lieutenant General Anatolii Zaitsev has rejected as untrue Georgian media reports that young Georgian men have been taken by force from their homes in Abkhazia's southernmost Gali district and inducted into the armed forces of the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia, apsny.ru reported on 14 December. Caucasus Press reported on 14 December that Abkhaz police took 15 young Georgians by force from their homes in Gali's Okumi village; on 14 December, Caucasus Press gave the number of young men involved first as 17, and then as 19, but said later three of them have been released. The young men's parents staged a protest on 14 December outside the Gali district police headquarters but failed to secure their sons' release, Caucasus Press reported. LF
ABKHAZ FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS REPATRIATION SHOULD BE RESTRICTED TO ONE DISTRICT
Sergei Shamba told the newspaper "Respublika Abkhaziya" on 13 December that Georgians who fled Abkhazia during the 1992-1993 war should for the moment be permitted to return and settle only in Gali district, apsny.ru reported. Shamba said allowing Georgians to settle elsewhere at this juncture would only create conditions conducive to "new conflicts, new bloodshed, and a new war." Shamba said it is imperative to implement policies that will make the Georgian residents of Gali "exemplary citizens" of Abkhazia. At the same time, he said it is important that the international community should acknowledge that Georgians have been permitted to return to Gali so that their alleged inability to do so can no longer be adduced as an excuse for not addressing other issues. Shamba said the Abkhaz authorities are not against permitting Georgian-language schools in Gali, only against the use of Georgian-language textbooks printed in Tbilisi that "deliberately distort" the history of the region and thereby perpetuate the conflict. LF
KAZAKH ONLINE OPPOSITION NEWSPAPER LEAVES 'CIS ZONE'
The editors of the Kazakh online opposition website Navigator announced in a 14 December article that the website (www.mizinov.net) has moved out of the "CIS zone," giving up Moscow-based hosting for a location outside the CIS. The editors noted that three days before Kazakhstan's 4 December presidential election, representatives of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) visited the website's Internet service provider in Moscow and asked it to stop hosting the site. The FSB officers said they were acting on a request from their Kazakh colleagues. After this incident, the editors decided to move the website outside the CIS. They noted that in October the website had been forced to move out of Kazakhstan's .kz domain (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 17 October 2005). DK
JAILED KAZAKH OPPOSITION LEADER ONE STEP CLOSER TO PAROLE
A court in Ekibastuz ruled on 14 December to release jailed opposition leader Ghalymzhan Zhaqiyanov on parole, Interfax-Kazakhstan and Navigator reported. For now, Zhaqiyanov remains in custody for 10 days while prosecutors decide whether or not they will appeal the ruling, Navigator reported. Zhaqiyanov is serving a seven-year sentence for corruption that his supporters believe was politically motivated. DK
OUSTED KYRGYZ GOVERNOR CRITICIZES PRESIDENT
Anvar Artykov, the recently dismissed governor of Kyrgyzstan's Osh Province (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 December 2005), criticized President Kurmanbek Bakiev in a 14 December interview with Kyrgyzstan's NTS television station, akipress.org reported. Ferghana.ru quoted Artykov as saying, "Kurmanbek Bakiev is afraid of strong personalities on his team. This is the main reason for my dismissal as Osh governor. The same reason lies behind the dismissals, for various reasons, of Prosecutor-General Azimbek Beknazarov and Foreign Minister Roza Otunbaeva." Noting that he is no longer "on Bakiev's team," Artykov said Bakiev needs to stop "putting his own people in place of working managers and governors." Artykov also linked his dismissal to upcoming local elections in which the "role of the governor carries special weight." DK
TAJIK MINE CENTER CANNOT CONFIRM UZBEK STATEMENTS ON MINE-CLEARING
Jonmuhammad Rajabov, the head of Tajikistan's mine-clearing center, has said that he cannot confirm the recent statement by Uzbek Ambassador Shoqosim Shoislomov that Uzbekistan has begun clearing mines along the Tajik-Uzbek border (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 13 December 2005), RFE/RL's Tajik Service reported on 14 December. While Uzbekistan may have begun mine-clearing operations in locations deep within Uzbekistan, Rajabov said that his center has received no notification of mine-clearing operations on the border itself. Specialists from the center noted that most of the mines are located in remote, mountainous regions where mine-clearing operations would be especially difficult now that ice and snow have covered the ground. Nevertheless, Rajabov described Shoislomov's statement as encouraging. Uzbekistan mined the border several years ago to prevent incursions by Islamist militants. In Tajikistan, seven people have been killed by mines and 12 wounded since the beginning of 2005. DK
NEW ANDIJON TRIALS PUT UZBEK OFFICIALS IN THE DOCK
Uzbekistan's Supreme Court announced on 14 December that a number of officials are now on trial for negligence and other alleged crimes in connection with violence in Andijon on 12-13 May, RFE/RL reported. One trial involves 10 policemen, including former Andijon Province Interior Ministry head Dilmurod Oqmirzaev, and two prison medics. The medics testified at an earlier trial that they supplied a mobile phone and relayed messages to Akram Yoldoshev, the jailed leader of the so-called Akramiya movement who Uzbek authorities say was behind the violence in Andijon. Another trial involves five prison guards and 19 soldiers. The primary charge against the former officials is dereliction of duty, allegedly allowing armed militants to attack a prison and military post and seize the provincial administration building in central Andijon on 12-13 May. Elsewhere, 78 individuals are on trial charged with direct involvement in the violence. All of the trials are being conducted behind closed doors. DK
BELARUSIAN LOWER HOUSE ENDORSES ANTICORRUPTION BILL...
The Chamber of Representatives on 14 December approved on first reading an anticorruption bill, Belapan reported. The bill would enlarge the list of those who can be prosecuted for corruption by adding foreign citizens, presidential candidates, and people who are not civil servants but serve public needs. Government officials would be banned from opening and keeping accounts with foreign banks and fulfilling orders coming from parties and nongovernmental organizations. The bill would also require officials and their family members to file annual income and property statements and notify the tax authorities about the sale or purchase of property worth more than $27,000. JM
...AS PROSECUTOR-GENERAL SAYS CORRUPTION ENGULFS COUNTRY
Prosecutor-General Pyotr Miklashevich said in the Chamber of Representatives on 14 December that some 4,000 corruption cases were recorded in Belarus in the first 11 months of this year. He noted that corruption is not rare even among those whose duty is to combat it. Miklashevich told the deputies that the Supreme Court is soon to try a group of 46 individuals, including six law-enforcement officers and a KGB officer, which has been involved in illegal sales of alcohol. He also disclosed that prosecutors are soon expected to complete an investigation into the crimes committed by the so-called Marozau gang in Homel from 1990 to 2004. The gang, named after its leader Syarhey Marozau, reportedly included a police colonel and several other police officers. JM
POLISH JOURNALIST EXPELLED FROM BELARUS
Polish Television journalist Agnieszka Romaszewska was deported from Minsk on 14 December, Belapan and RFE/RL's Belarusian Service reported. She was detained at the Minsk international airport the previous day and spent a night there (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 December 2005). The Belarusian authorities reportedly annulled Romaszewska's visa and handed her a deportation decision without giving any specific explanations. Romaszewska covered the Minsk-Warsaw conflict over an organization of ethnic Poles in Belarus for Polish Television earlier this year. JM
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT SAYS INDUSTRY SHOULD TAKE THE BRUNT OF GAS PRICE HIKE
President Viktor Yushchenko said on Ukrainian Television on 14 December that the Russian gas that is to be supplied at a new price outside a barter scheme next year should be sold primarily in the country's industrial sector, while gas prices for Ukrainian private and municipal consumers should be increased gradually. "This is a concept envisioning that liberalized prices will be met by the industrial sector, while private and municipal consumers will be given the possibility to conclude the heating season with traditional prices, as they are today, or with a small increase in them during the second quarter [of 2006]," Yushchenko said. Yushchenko explained that with new gas prices and transit tariffs in 2006, Ukraine will be able to receive a somewhat lesser volume of Russian gas under the barter scheme than it does now. Yushchenko did not say what new Russian gas price could be acceptable to Ukraine or what gas transit tariff Ukraine would levy on Gazprom in 2006. Gazprom deputy chief Aleksandr Medvedev said on 14 December that Russia is going to sell gas to Ukraine for $220-$230 per 1,000 cubic meter (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 December 2006). Ukraine now pays $50 per 1,000 cubic meters of Russian gas received as payment for transit of Russian gas to Europe, and $80 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas supplied by Gazprom outside this barter scheme. JM
UKRAINE PARLIAMENT REJECTS TWO WTO-RELATED BILLS
The Verkhovna Rada on 14 December rejected two bills required for Ukraine's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Interfax-Ukraine reported. The bills proposed lowering export tariffs on ferrous scrap metal, live cattle, and leather materials. Meanwhile, U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman told journalists in Hong Kong on 14 December, on the sidelines of an ongoing WTO ministerial conference, that Russia and Ukraine should join the World Trade Organization together, Interfax reported. "I hope Ukraine and Russia come into the WTO and they come in together," Portman said, adding that the accession negotiations for the two countries will be completed "soon." JM
GERMAN OFFICIAL SCHWARTZ-SCHILLING NAMED BOSNIAN HIGH REPRESENTATIVE...
Former German Postal Minister Christian Schwarz-Schilling was named the new High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina on 14 December, international agencies reported the same day. A meeting of the Peace Implementation Council for Bosnia-Herzegovina approved Schwarz-Schilling, 75, at a meeting in Paris to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the1992-95 Bosnian war, Reuters reported. Schwarz-Schilling, who served as a member of German Chancellor Helmut Kohl's cabinet, will assume his duties on 31 January. "Probably no one in Europe knows Bosnia-Herzegovina better," dpa quoted outgoing High Representative Paddy Ashdown as saying. Schwarz-Schilling, who will be the country's fifth international overseer, worked as an international mediator after the war to supervise the return of refugees to the country. Bosnian Prime Minister Adnan Terzic said he hoped "Schwarz-Schilling will be the last High Representative" and that the country would soon become a fully sovereign nation, dpa reported. BW
...AS OUTGOING HIGH REPRESENTATIVE SAYS BOSNIA ON THE WAY TO EUROPE...
Ashdown also said on 14 December that Bosnia-Herzegovina is on the path to European integration and eventual membership in the European Union, dpa reported the same day. "Bosnia-Herzegovina has turned to the future [and] is well on the way to...meeting the challenges of European integration," Ashdown said. "The question is when does it reach that destination." Prime Minister Terzic agreed with Ashdown, saying: "It is certain that the future of Bosnia-Herzegovina is in the European Union." Terzic, however, warned against the reluctance of some EU members to admit countries from the Balkan region. "If EU countries are afraid of Balkan countries, then it is possible that what happened 10 years ago can break out again," he said. BW
...WHILE AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SAYS BOSNIA'S WOUNDS HAVE STILL NOT HEALED
The international human rights group Amnesty International said on 14 December that 10 years after the fighting in Bosnia-Herzegovina stopped, the "wounds of war" have yet to heal, dpa reported the same day. "The wounds of the war may have closed but they have not yet healed," the organization said in a statement in London marking a decade since the conflict ended. The group called on Bosnian authorities "to bring to justice those responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed during the war." BW
REPUBLIKA SRPSKA POLICE ARREST SIX WAR CRIMES SUSPECTS
Police in Republika Srpska on 14 December detained six people suspected of committing war crimes against Croats and Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina's 1992-95 war, dpa and Hina reported the same day. Bosnian Serbs Dragan Bajraktarevic, Radenko Vucenovic, Zeljko Bulatovic, Zoran Gajic, Sinisa Teodorovic, and Milorad Topic were detained on the orders of the district prosecutor in Banja Luka, dpa reported citing police. According to unidentified officials cited by Hina, the six men worked in 1992 at the Manjaca prison camp near Banja Luka, where Muslim and Croat prisoners were held. BW
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS 13 RELIGIOUS SITES IN KOSOVA FOR RESTORATION
The Experts Committee on the Rehabilitation and Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage in Kosova has recommended that seven Orthodox Christian and six Islamic monuments in the province should be the first to be restored over the next two years, B92 reported on 14 December. The committee made the recommendations in Paris on 9 December at a meeting with UNESCO, the United Nations Mission in Kosova (UNMIK), and the Council of Europe. "This meeting certainly represents an essential step in the protection of an invaluable cultural heritage that is not only a strong symbolic reference but also a factor of reconciliation," UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura said. BW
TRIAL OF MILAN MARTIC BEGINS IN HAGUE
The trial of Milan Martic, who tried to install a Serbian state in Croatia's Krajina region, began at the Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on 13 December, international news agencies reported the same day. Martic is accused of crimes against humanity and of violations of the laws and customs of war, including ordering rocket attacks on civilians in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, in 1995 in which at least seven people were killed and many more were wounded, Reuters reported. Prosecutors at the start of the trial said Martic tried to install a Serbian state in Croatia by forcibly removing and killing Croats, Muslims, and other non-Serbs. "The case is simple and straight forward," prosecutor Alex Whiting said in court. The goal, he added, was to "rid the planned Serb state of Croats and others non-Serbs that resided there. This was achieved by ethnic cleansing." Martic, who surrendered to the ICTY in 2002, pleaded not guilty. "Everything in the indictment except for my name is erroneous. All I did was protect the citizens of Serb Krajina regardless of where they were from," Martic said. BW
POLICE THWART PRISON BREAK IN KOSOVA
International police thwarted an escape attempt at Kosova's Dubrava prison on 12 December, dpa reported the next day. According to a police statement, approximately 14 prisoners tried to break out of the prison near the town of Istok late on 12 December. One inmate assaulted a guard, took his keys, and let the other prisoners out, according to police officials cited by dpa. Police suspect the prisoners had outside help because shots were fired from outside the prison, hitting two police vehicles. BW
MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT DOES NOT RULE OUT DIRECT TALKS WITH RUSSIA ON TRANSDNIESTER
Vladimir Voronin said on 14 December that Chisinau does not rule out direct talks with Russia to settle the Transdniester conflict, ITAR-TASS reported the same day. "We do not rule out that we will initiate direct talks with Russia, taking into account that the separatist leaders are puppets of Moscow," Voronin said. "The problems we have, including the prices of gas, energy, and traditional goods exported to Russian markets will not force Moldova to give up the fight for the peaceful unification of the country. We cannot make concessions. Otherwise we will betray our history, prospects, and future," he added. Voronin added, however, that the main breakthrough in resolving the conflict is establishing an expanded negotiations format with U.S. and European Union participation. BW
HAS RAMZAN KADYROV LAUNCHED HIS PRESIDENTIAL BID?
Numerous commentators both in Russia and abroad have observed that, whether or not the results of the 27 November parliamentary election in which the pro-Kremlin Unified Russia won 33 of the 58 mandates are an accurate reflection of voters' preferences, they serve to strengthen even further the power of Chechnya's de facto ruler, First Deputy Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov.
Those observers point out that the new parliament would almost certainly support unequivocally Kadyrov's candidacy for republic head as soon as he reaches the minimum age of 30 in October 2006. Kadyrov's moves and statements over the past two weeks may be intended to garner popular support for an eventual bid to formalize his position as the most powerful man in Chechnya.
True, Kadyrov told journalists on 4 December that he does not aspire to succeed present Prime Minister Sergei Abramov should the latter be appointed to a more senior position. But at the same time, Kadyrov's press service announced -- erroneously, as it turned out -- that Kadyrov has been elected to succeed Frants Klintsevich as head of the Chechen regional branch of Unified Russia. Klintsevich denied that report in an interview with "Kommersant" summarized on 8 December by apn.ru.
Kadyrov then called on 5 December for revising and formally demarcating Chechnya's borders to include lands that were Chechen in the 1930s, prior to the abolition of the Checheno-Ingush ASSR in the wake of the 1944 deportation and its subsequent restoration, with slightly different borders, in 1957. He argued that "it is well-known both in neighboring republics and in Chechnya where the border ran" before the then Chechen and Ingush autonomous oblasts were merged in 1936, adding that "we should be masters of our own lands," "Nezavisimaya gazeta" reported on 6 December.
It is not clear whether Kadyrov's postelection statements were intended as a covert challenge to his nominal superior, Alu Alkhanov, or as a response to Alkhanov's 29 November announcement that he plans to met "soon" in Brussels with unnamed representatives of the Chechen regime formerly headed by President Aslan Maskhadov in an apparent bid to end armed resistance in Chechnya.
A formal end to the Chechen conflict -- however utopian it may now seem -- would strengthen the case for disbanding Kadyrov's private security force, which is estimated to number between 5,000-7,000 men, and thus undercut his influence. As one Russian analyst observed, writing in "Ekspert" No. 45, Kadyrov therefore has a vested interest in maintaining instability on Chechnya as long as possible.
Western journalists who visited Grozny for the elections remarked on the palpable tension between Kadyrov and Alkhanov, tensions that Alkhanov's characterization of his younger rival as a kindred spirit and close and reliable colleague did little to dispel.
Swiss parliamentarian Andreas Gross, who is the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe's rapporteur for Chechnya, similarly commented in an interview published in "Nezavisimaya gazeta" on 30 November on the uneasy and potentially destabilizing relationship between the two men.
Gross observed that "real power" in Chechnya lies with "private semiofficial security forces" that derive their legitimacy from their role in the fight against terrorism, and he identified Kadyrov as exemplifying that "real power," in contrast to Alkhanov, whom he characterized as "far more serious" and more inclined to listen to, and accept, criticism.
Gross implied that Kadyrov is seeking to undermine Alkhanov's position, and he warned that "the Kremlin should not delegate too many of its powers to Ramzan Kadyrov, insofar as that would not only discredit the basic interests of Russian society, but would undermine such fundamental values as human rights and democracy."
If Kadyrov is indeed ultimately confirmed as head of Unified Russia's Chechen branch, which according to Duma Deputy Ruslan Yamadaev numbers 27,000 members, it would be difficult to construe that appointment as anything other than a further affirmation by the Russian leadership of their collective faith in Kadyrov. And that position could be more effective in promoting a bid for supreme leadership than could that of the prime minister, who could be held responsible by a hypothetical rival candidate for continuing socioeconomic problems.
PRO-GOVERNMENT CLERIC KILLED IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN
Mullah Ahmad Shah, a member of the Council of Ulema of Kandahar Province, was killed in Kandahar city on 15 December, AFP reported. Security commander of Kandahar Colonel Abdul Malik Wadedi identified Ahmad Shah as the deputy chief of the province's Council of Ulema in "charge of a public awareness campaign," Peshawar-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported on 14 December. According to AIP, Ahmad Shah was stabbed on his way back home from a mosque. AFP reported that he was shot by gunmen on a motorcycle. No one has claimed responsibility for the killing. In May, the neo-Taliban claimed responsibility for killing Mawlawi Abdullah Fayyaz, the head of the Council of Ulema of Kandahar who was also pro-government (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 31 May 2005). AT
SUICIDE BOMBER KILLS HIMSELF IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN
A suspected suicide bomber blew himself up in Mazar-e Sharif, the provincial capital of Balkh on 14 December, AFP reported. Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Yusof Stanizai told AFP that the man who was killed in the explosion "was either carrying explosives or had them strapped to his body." The blast, which took place in the courtyard of Afghanistan's most venerated shrine attributed to Ali, the fourth caliph of Islam, did not cause any additional casualties. Balkh police spokesman Sher Jan Durrani said that the blast occurred ahead of a planned visit to the shrine by Amena Afzali, the Afghan minister of youth affairs, Pajhwak News Agency reported on 14 December. Afzali's visit was canceled as a result, Durrani added. A senior police official speculated that since usually a large number of visitors attend the shrine on Wednesdays, the bomber was aiming for large casualties, but detonated his explosives prematurely. AT
DONKEY USED IN EXPLOSION IN NORTHEASTERN AFGHANISTAN
A remote-controlled explosive device strapped to a donkey detonated in Fayzabad, the provincial capital of Badakhshan, on 14 December, Hindukosh News Agency reported. An eyewitness said the explosion occurred as a vehicle belonging to the German Society for Technical Cooperation passed by. Badakhshan Governor Monshi Abdul Majid said that one person is under investigation in relation to the explosion. Mohammad Hanif, purporting to speak on behalf of the neo-Taliban, claimed responsibility for the Fayzabad blast, AIP reported on 14 December. In a telephone interview with AIP, Hanif claimed that the "Taliban blew up a vehicle belonging to the Provincial Reconstruction Team," killing at least two people. There were no reports of any human casualties in the blast. This marks the first reported case of the neo-Taliban using an animal to carry an explosive device. AT
PAKISTANI GENERAL IN KABUL
Pakistan's deputy chief of army staff, General Ahsan Salim Hayat, is leading the Pakistan delegation to the 14th meeting of the Afghanistan-Pakistan-United States Tripartite Commission on Border Security, the Islamabad daily "The News" reported on 14 December. Hayat will stay in Kabul until 15 December. General Besmellah Khan, the chief of general staff of the Afghan National Army, will lead Afghanistan's delegation and Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry will represent the United States in ongoing talks to coordinate security efforts and prevent any misunderstanding over the conduct of military operations along the restive Afghan-Pakistani border area. AT
IRANIAN PRESIDENT DENIES HOLOCAUST, WANTS ISRAEL RELOCATED
President Mahmud Ahmadinejad reiterated, in a 14 December speech in Zahedan in the southeastern Sistan va Baluchistan Province, his belief that the Holocaust did not really take place, state television reported. He said, "They have created a myth today and they call it the massacre of the Jews [the Holocaust]." If Westerners feel so guilty about this event, Ahmadinejad said, they should allocate some of their land for the creation of a Jewish state. "I propose that if you have committed a crime, it's good if you allocate a part of your country or Europe, America, Canada, or Alaska to them so that they can establish a country for themselves. You can be sure that if you do such a thing, the Iranian nation will never protest to you. We won't even hold a demonstration on Qods Day and we will not shout any slogans against you or this usurper Zionist regime." Ahmadinejad made similar statements on 8 December on the sidelines of the Organization of the Islamic Conference meeting in Saudi Arabia. BS
IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS PAKISTAN
Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki arrived in Islamabad on 14 December for a two-day visit, IRNA and PTV World reported. IRNA reported that Mottaki would meet with his counterpart, Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri, as well as President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. They are scheduled to discuss regional issues, including Afghanistan and the proposed construction of a natural gas pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan. In his meeting with Aziz, PTV reported that Mottaki also expressed condolences for those affected by the earthquake in Pakistan and pledged continued assistance. Mottaki and Kasuri discussed the same issues as well as bilateral trade and Iranian interaction with the International Atomic Energy Agency. BS
NAVAL EXERCISES IN SOUTHEAST IRAN CONCLUDE
The six-day Devotees of Velayat naval exercises in the Sea of Oman concluded on 14 December, ISNA reported. President Ahmadinejad attended the final phase aboard the flagship "Kharg." Afterwards, Ahmadinejad said: "The armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are the guarantor of security and peace in the region and their power poses no threat to any country." The exercises involved surface warfare units, submarines, and fixed and rotary wing aircraft from the conventional naval forces. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, the Basij, and the police also took part. BS
IRANIAN GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN DENIES PRESIDENTIAL COMMENTS ON AURA
Government spokesman Gholam-Hussein Elham said on 13 December that a CD that purports to show President Ahmadinejad saying he was surrounded by an aura when addressing the United Nations in September is a fake, ISNA reported (see "President Says Light Surrounded Him During UN Speech," rferl.org, 29 November 2005). On the CD, furthermore, Ahmadinejad reportedly tells Ayatollah Mohammad-Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi that nobody blinked during his 25-30 minute speech to the General Assembly. Elham said he was at the private meeting between Ahmadinejad and Mesbah-Yazdi, and no filming took place. "I believe it was a montage of the meeting and this matter must be investigated," Elham added. The spokesman went on to say that Ahmadinejad has a doctoral degree in a technological field, and he works 16 to 20 hours a day on government business. Ahmadinejad does not use "heavenly affairs" to make decisions, Elham said and, furthermore, Mesbah-Yazdi is a religious expert and one cannot raise such issues with him. BS
IRAQIS VOTING IN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
Voting centers across Iraq opened on 15 December, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI) reported. Voters expressed optimism at the polls; one voter in Baghdad told RFI: "At 7 a.m. I was the first to go into the polling center, together with my wife. During the [October] referendum on the constitution I was also the first at the polling center. This is indescribable. I simply don't believe this is happening in Iraq. Even in my dreams I would not have imagined this would occur in Iraq." A female voter outside Ba'qubah told RFI: "Today is an Iraqi feast. We are defying terror for stability and security to be achieved, God willing. We are looking to a better future in a democratic, united Iraq." KR
SOME VIOLENCE REPORTED IN CITIES ACROSS IRAQ
There were reports of sporadic violence in several cities across Iraq as the polls opened on 15 December, RFI reported. Voter turnout was reportedly moderate in the early morning hours, but was picked up later in the day. At least one mortar round was reportedly fired near a polling center in Al-Ramadi in the early morning hours. Three mortar rounds were launched in Baghdad, one of which landed near the U.S. Embassy in the fortified green zone, wounding a few people. In Mosul, several blasts were heard throughout the city, and one mortar landed outside a voting center, killing a guard and wounding a policeman, Reuters reported. Mortars were also reportedly launched in Samarra and Tikrit, according to the news agency. KR
IRAQI LEADERS CAST BALLOTS
Iraqi leaders cast their ballots for the elections in Baghdad and other cities, and stressed the importance of the vote, RFI reported. Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Ja'fari cast his ballot in Baghdad, telling reporters: "Today Iraq is sending a message to the entire world, that people's will for democracy is stronger than tyranny. Democracy does not mean election only. It means that the people doing the electing will keep a watchful eye scrutinizing the conduct of parliament and the conduct of government." Al-Ja'fari's transitional government has been widely criticized for inefficiencies and corruption. President Jalal Talabani cast his vote in Al-Sulaymaniyah, telling reporters: "This is a national day for all the Iraqis. For the first time our Iraqi people have the freedom to choose their representatives for a permanent parliament. The people had previously elected the National Assembly, but this time the people will elect a permanent parliament or Council of Representatives, which will have a four-year term," Al-Jazeera television reported. KR
IRAQI ELECTORAL COMMISSION REPORTS ON OUT-OF-COUNTRY VOTING
The Iraqi Independent Electoral Commission (IECI) released figures for the first of three days of out-of-country voting in Iraq's parliamentary election on 14 December (http://www.ieci-ocv.org). A total of 81,033 ballots were cast in 15 countries on 13 December, with the highest turnouts reported in Iran, followed by Jordan, Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, Syria, and Germany. More than 11,000 Iraqis cast ballots in Iran, while some 7,000 votes were cast in Germany. The IECI reported that "all voting operations" on 13 and 14 December were proceeding smoothly. Meanwhile, firebombs were thrown at a polling station in Stockholm overnight on 14-15 December, dpa reported. The bombs did not ignite the building. KR
STATEMENT ATTRIBUTED TO AL-QAEDA IN IRAQ ANNOUNCES NEW CONQUEST
A 14 December Internet statement (http://www.almeer.net) attributed to Tanzim Qa'idat Al-Jihad fi Bilad Al-Rafidayn (Al-Qaeda Organization of Jihad in the Land of the Two Rivers) claimed the group has launched a new conquest in Iraq aimed at shaking "the bastions of the infidels and the apostates and to ruin for them the 'democratic' wedding of heresy and immorality." The statement claimed the "brigades of the mujahedin" had begun launching attacks against U.S. and Iraqi forces in "the caliphate of" Baghdad and in the Al-Anbar, Diyala, Mosul, and Salah Al-Din governorates. The statement listed several sites that the group claims to have targeted. Those purported attacks have not been confirmed, however. KR
IRAQI POLLSTERS IN TIKRIT TEMPORARILY RESIGN AFTER ALTERCATION WITH ARMY
IECI staffers working in Tikrit temporarily resigned from their positions on 14 December after an altercation with Iraqi security forces, Al-Arabiyah television reported on the same day. IECI local director Salah Khalil told Al-Arabiyah that he and his staff resigned in protest of assaults committed by the National Guard forces, who had arrested four IECI employees three days earlier. On 13 December, Khalil claimed, Iraqi security forces assaulted IECI employees in Samarra, and raided IECI offices in Tikrit. The situation escalated in an armed confrontation outside the IECI's Tikrit office on 14 December but was later resolved after Salah Al-Din Governor Hamad Humud al-Shakti, Army Commander Staff Lieutenant General Abd al-Aziz al-Mufti, and representatives from the police force intervened. Al-Mufti played down the events, telling Al-Arabiyah: "I don't believe there was a disagreement. It was a mere difference of opinion regarding duties. The matter has been resolved." Meanwhile, Governor Hamud told the news channel that Khalil closed the office "in a moment of anger," adding that the election workers are back at work. KR
IRAQI OFFICIALS DENY TRUCK CARRYING FAKE BALLOTS ENTERED IRAQ
Officials in Iraq denied 14 December reports (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 December 2005) that a tanker truck carrying partially completed forged election ballots entered Iraq from Iran, RFI reported on the same day. Adil al-Lami, director-general for the Iraqi Independent Electoral Commission, told RFI: "It is impossible to forge the bulletins because they are protected by special security features, they have certain serial numbers. The numbers are specific to certain polling centers...[and] all the polling centers work under tight security arrangements. Moreover, more than 320,000 monitors -- local, international, and from political formations -- are present at the stations. This will help to ensure the proper elections process as well as exclude undermining actions." Meanwhile, Interior Ministry Undersecretary Adnan al-Asadi also denied the reports of the forged ballots making their way into Iraq, as did Iraqi Border Guard commander Major General Ahmad al-Khafaji, Al-Jazeera reported on 14 December. KR
IRAQI INTERIOR MINISTRY OFFICIAL SAYS AL-ZARQAWI ARRESTED, RELEASED ONE YEAR AGO
Major General Husayn Ali Kamal, deputy undersecretary for intelligence affairs at the Interior Ministry, told Beirut-based LBC satellite channel in an interview aired on 15 December that fugitive Jordanian terrorist Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi was arrested one year ago and "mistakenly released because Iraqi police interrogators did not identify him." Kamal claimed that the arrest was made in Al-Fallujah, adding that al-Zarqawi was not armed at the time of his arrest. A Saudi terrorist in custody apparently later told police of al-Zarqawi's identity during an interrogation. Kamal claimed that Iraqi security forces are better prepared now and "are lying in wait" for al-Zarqawi's fighters, adding: "We are aware of their mindset. We are waiting for them and we will deal with them in a tough way." KR
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Proposed Afghan Law On Weddings Stirs Memories Of Taliban's Morality Patrols
April 14, 2011 16:48 GMT
By Mustafa Sarwar
Charles Recknagel
The lavish City Star Hall in Kabul's Wazir Abad neighborhood was built at a cost of $5 million and features four wedding halls and hosts about 70 weddings a month.
A proposed law requiring that Afghans observe Shari'a standards of modest dress at weddings is causing outrage in Kabul.
Some say it sounds like the Taliban is returning.
"How you dress up is a personal matter. I think that interfering in such personal issues is like interference into people's family life," said Abdul Samie Safi, a young law graduate of Kabul University. "I am against monitoring weddings. It is inadmissible to interfere into either the personal or family affairs of people.”
He and several other young people spoke out against the proposed law when a talk show aired by RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan addressed the subject recently. "Fekre Naw" (New Thinking) invites young Afghans to air their opinions on government policies and is one of few such programs in the country.
At first glance, the new law might not appear particularly contentious. The Justice Ministry says it wants to put restrictions on weddings because the amounts of money being spent on lavish celebrations and competitive gowns and dresses is so great that many Afghans cannot afford to marry or, if they do, are driven into debt.
But the law also proposes setting up committees to monitor weddings to ensure that ladies are modestly attired and that male and female guests do not mix in the same room. And that takes direct aim at how much freedom young Afghans have and, more broadly, at the growing influence of Western values upon modern Afghan society.
Lighting Up The Night
That the wedding halls are Western-style symbols -- and big ones -- no one can dispute. The four- and five-story cement-and-glass structures rise up like monuments to post-Taliban Afghanistan in almost every large city, lighting up the night with neon facades. Just one of the many in Kabul, the towering Sham-e Paris, or Evening in Paris, is crowned with miniature Eiffel Towers and neon fruit trees and offers bridal parties a pick-up service with stretch limousines.
Young Afghan men dance during a wedding in Kabul. Such halls can seat as many as 1,200 people and cost thousands of dollars to rent.
Inside, the largest wedding palaces have halls that can seat as many as 1,200 people and cost thousands of dollars to rent for an evening, in a country where the average annual income is less than $400. What the groom's family gets for that money is a public place that, over time, has come to be regarded as a private space where guests can have a degree of freedom traditionally only enjoyed in homes.
That includes Western dress codes that, sometimes, see brides appearing in Hollywood-style wedding gowns with bare shoulders or low necklines. And it can include abandoned dancing on both the men's and ladies' sides of the partitioned hall, plus some visiting between the two sides.
Given the size and costs of the weddings, some hosts might welcome the ministry's proposal to limit their scale. The proposal, which is now being considered by President Hamid Karzai's cabinet, calls for restricting the number of guests to 300 and spending no more than about $5 per person.
But the Justice Ministry's proposal for policing committees, whose members would include representatives of the Religious Affairs Ministry and enforce Shari'a-compliant dress, raises questions of whether the law's real purpose is more far-reaching.
Memories Of The Taliban
Habiba Danish, a young Afghan member of parliament who took part in the talk show, spoke out forcefully against the proposed legislation. "I personally won't vote for this, because the [mullahs] will take advantage of it," he said.
For many, the committees recall the way the Taliban used to police weddings to ensure they observed the hard-line militia's ban on music and dancing, both of which it considered against Shari'a.
During the Taliban era, members of the vice-and-virtue department patrolled the streets, beating and arresting men if their beards were too short and women if they were out without a male relative.
The four- and five- story cement-and-glass wedding halls rise up like neon monuments to post-Taliban Afghanistan.
Some critics of the Justice Ministry's proposed new law believe it could be an effort by the government to reach out to the Taliban as it tries to bring the militia into peace and reconciliation talks.
"I think that the government is bringing up this issue for a political purpose, to make the Taliban happy, as well as to show that it is taking the initiative in trying to safeguard family budgets," said Siar Anwari, a young activist. "In my opinion, the proposed law is not practicable. The government only wants to attain its purpose and the result will be to leave behind a social problem for us. Frankly, it is insulting that the government wants to interfere in people's weddings.”
The proposed law not only would limit wedding spending and set up committees for policing weddings, it also would bar fashion shops from selling wedding clothes considered too revealing. Shopkeepers who continued to sell clothes that did not comply with Shari'a dress codes would be fined and, if they persisted, closed down.
The proposal does not spell out exactly what Shari'a standards would be applied but bans selling of "outfits that are semi-naked, naked, transparent, or tight in a way that reveals part of the woman's body."
It is not yet clear when the cabinet will take up consideration of the proposed law or, if it does, whether it would be approved. If approved by the cabinet, it would have to also be approved by the parliament to become law. It would then be up to the Justice Ministry to define how it would interpret and define the law in practice.
The halls are regarded as a private space where guests can enjoy a degree of freedom traditionally only found at home.
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Boxing Champ Klitschko Pulls No Punches In Ukraine's Political Ring
October 23, 2012 12:32 GMT
By Tom Balmforth
WBC heavyweight boxing champion-turned-politician Vitali Klitschko puts in some face time with prospective voters in mid-October.
VYSHNEVE, Ukraine -- Loud cheers pierce the nighttime quiet in the small town of Vyshneve as the hulking figure of Vitali Klitschko climbs up onto a lit stage before a few thousand fans and supporters.
It's the home stretch of Ukraine's parliamentary elections and Klitschko, the reigning world heavyweight boxing champion, has come to this Kyiv suburb of 35,000 to campaign for his upstart opposition party, Udar, which means "punch" in Ukrainian.
Klitschko talks about fighting corruption, increasing living standards, and transforming Ukraine from a "Third World country" that "70 percent of young Ukrainians dream of leaving” into a true European power.
"I stand before you today not as a sportsman but as the leader of a political force," he tells the crowd. "We are declaring a battle for Ukraine and we will do everything to win it -- and we will win it because we are fighting for the truth!"
The October 28 elections aren't Klitschko's first foray into politics -- he twice ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Kyiv -- but analysts say this time his campaign increasingly has the feel of a winner.
Recent polls show Udar (which is also an acronym for the Ukrainian Alliance for Democratic Reforms) moving into second place, passing the United Opposition coalition backed by jailed former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. And, with 16 percent support, Udar also appears to be closing in on President Viktor Yanukovych's ruling Party of Regions, whose support, currently at 23 percent, seems to be receding in recent months.
A Fresh Face
Part of Klitschko's appeal, of course, comes from the glow of being a world famous athlete. But part of it also stems from a hunger for fresh faces among the Ukrainian electorate.
Bohdan Tershovskyi, a 61-year-old pensioner from Vyshneve, says Klitschko stands out as a trusted figure in a field of largely discredited politicians.
"He is speaking the truth, but Lord please allow him to actually make what he is saying a reality and for everyone to get behind him," Tershovskyi says. "The level of corruption has got to such a level that it is terrible even to talk about it. The state is corrupt. It’s awful. In Poland they are laughing at us."
Other than his unsuccessful mayoral bids, Klitschko's only political experience is a couple of stints on Kyiv's city council.
Supporters say this is an asset because he is untainted by associations with either the ruling Party of Regions or the pro-Western camp that came to power in the 2004 Orange Revolution -- both of which failed to deliver on their promises in the eyes of many voters.
Klitschko has ruled out any alliance with the Party of Regions, and said he is deferring any decision on teaming up with the United Opposition until after the ballot.
In Borodyanka, a rundown town of 13,000, Serhii Sviridiyenko, a 55-year-old unemployed man grins through gold teeth and explains how he hopes Klitschko can finally unite the country's famously fractured opposition.
"Lord, help us agree with one another and unite," he says. "We will be stronger together. Then we can deliver the knock-out blow [to the Party of Regions]!"
Short On Specifics
Klitschko's dearth of political experience, however, could also be a liability, analysts say. Many wonder whether he will prove savvy enough to hold his party together after the elections amid the horse trading, jockeying, and party switching that often takes place in the Ukrainian parliament.
His campaign is short on specifics beyond pledging to enforce the rule of law, send corrupt politicians to jail, and bring Ukraine into Europe
He also says he will bring in a younger cadre of political leaders. But critics note that Udar's party list contains many former members of the Party of Regions who could be inclined to switch parties after the elections.
"He has good chances, but also people are saying that it is one thing to be a good sportsman and very famous, and another thing to be in politics," says Olga Shumylo-Tapiola, a Ukraine specialist at the Carnegie Center for International Peace.
"I’m not a hundred-percent convinced sure he will be very successful.”
Born in Soviet-era Kyrgyzstan, Klitschko moved with his parents and younger brother, Volodymyr, to Ukraine, where both began their sporting careers in kickboxing before moving on to traditional boxing.
Now 41 years old and at the twilight of his career, Klitschko has won 44 of his 46 professional fights -- 40 of them by knockout. He is currently the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion.
Klitschko was named a "Hero of Ukraine" in 2004. The following year he formed a party called "European Capital" to support his unsuccessful bid to become Kyiv's mayor. The party was later renamed Udar.
As Klitschko's convoy of Volkswagen minibuses rolls through the colorful foliage of the autumn countryside in Kyiv Oblast, he is greeted by throngs of enthusiastic supporters at every stop.
But what remains unclear is whether the crowds are there to bask in his star power, or to hear his political message.
Bohdan Nikolayev, a 17-year-old student from the town of Irpin, points to a block of dilapidated apartment buildings and says politicians "promise loads and don't do anything."
But he lights up when he thinks he might meet Klitschko.
"It’d be great to shake his hand and have my picture taken with him!," he says. "I’m hoping I can – maybe it’s possible, maybe not. We’ll have to see, but really it would be great to have a photo taken with him.”
Tom Balmforth
Tom Balmforth covers Russia and other former Soviet republics from his base in Moscow.
BalmforthT@rferl.org
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The Iron Balancing Act: Vegetarians May Have the Edge
Can vegetarians possibly get enough iron? The most recent information from the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB)--which establishes nutrient recommendations for Americans--says that vegetarians need nearly twice as much iron as omnivores. If this is true, iron deficiency should be rampant among vegetarians, since many vegetarians, particularly women, don't consume these suggested amounts. But is it?
Iron is necessary for the production of hemoglobin, the source of the red pigment in blood--which carries oxygen to the tissues. Iron deficiency anemia is characterized by small, pale red blood cells. Because less oxygen is delivered to cells, people with iron deficiency anemia are easily fatigued and more susceptible to infection.
Although most iron is found in hemoglobin, about 25 percent of the iron in the body is stored as ferritin, which is found in cells and circulates in the blood. When iron intake is chronically low, stores can eventually become depleted, decreasing hemoglobin levels. Ferritin levels below 12 micrograms per liter of serum are a sign of depleted stores.
Iron deficiency anemia is the world's most common nutritional deficiency, affecting 500 million people worldwide. Although it is much more common in developing countries, as many as 10 to 20 percent of American women between the ages of 15 and 50 are believed to be deficient in iron.
Small amounts of iron are lost through the normal sloughing off of intestinal cells, and some via sweat and blood loss, but iron in the body is regulated mainly by absorption. However, premenopausal women lose about 50 percent more iron than men because of menstrual flow. On average, men lose about 1.0 mg of iron per day and women lose about 1.5 mg (although, because of great variation in menstrual blood loss among women, some lose much more than this). Iron is poorly absorbed. To absorb enough to replace losses, men and post-menopausal women need to consume 8 mg of iron per day, and premenopausal women need 18 mg per day. American omnivore men consume considerably more iron than the RDA, but women fall short with an average intake of about 12 mg per day.
Many studies show that vegetarians have higher iron intakes than nonvegetarians. However, because iron is absorbed less well from plant foods, vegetarians have smaller iron stores than meat eaters, despite their higher intakes. The average male omnivore has about 1,000 mg of stored iron, enough to supply iron needs for about three years. Women omnivores have about 300 mg, enough to meet iron needs for six months. Iron stores in vegetarians are about 480 mg for men and 160 mg for premenopausal women.
Iron in foods
Food contains two types of iron. Heme iron is found only in meats. Non-heme iron is found in both meats and plants and is absorbed less efficiently than heme iron. However, non-heme iron is also much more sensitive to a variety of factors that affect the absorption of iron. For example, iron status has a significant effect on absorption. People with iron deficiency anemia absorb iron very efficiently, but the effect on the two different types of iron is quite different. When people become iron deficient, their absorption of heme iron may increase twofold, but absorption of non-heme iron can increase 10-fold.
The amount of iron in a meal also affects the rate of absorption, but again this effect is different between the two types of iron. For example, in one study, 20 percent of available heme iron was absorbed whether a meal contained 1.5 mg or 6.0 mg of iron. But non-heme iron absorption was three times higher from the meal that contained less iron. The net effect was that, despite the difference in iron content of the two meals, about the same amount of total iron was absorbed.
Iron absorption
A number of dietary compounds inhibit the absorption of iron. Coffee and tea are powerful inhibitors of iron absorption because they contain compounds called polyphenols. Polyphenols are also found in some herbs--and therefore in some herbal teas--and in red wine. Some spices commonly used in Indian cooking are also inhibitors of iron absorption. Soy and egg protein, as well as a large dose of calcium at a meal, can also reduce iron absorption.
Because dairy foods are rich in calcium and do not contain iron, over-reliance on dairy foods by very young children may raise risk for iron deficiency when these foods replace iron-rich foods. Meeting the RDA for calcium and spreading calcium intake over the course of the day probably does not affect iron status, however. Because cow's milk inhibits iron absorption somewhat more than goat's milk, it is possible that other factors in dairy foods, such as protein, have inhibiting effects on iron--just as soy and egg protein inhibit it.
By far the most powerful inhibitor of iron absorption in plant-based diets is phytate, a compound that contains the mineral phosphorus. In experiments, phytate can reduce iron absorption by 90 percent. The phytate content of vegan diets is believed to be as much as three times that of omnivore diets. Lacto-ovo vegetarian intake is somewhere between the two. Whole grains and legumes are particularly high in phytate. However, foods high in phytate also tend to be high in iron so eating a high-phytate diet is likely to have a lesser effect on the total amount of iron absorbed than might be expected. In one study, those subjects who ate a diet low in phytate (and therefore, lower in whole grains) had an iron intake of 8.3 mg, while those consuming a high-phytate diet consumed 12.2 mg of iron. The total amount of iron absorbed was about the same between the two groups; even though the group eating whole grains had lower absorption rates, their higher iron intake compensated for this. For this reason, it isn't necessary to try to reduce phytate intake on a vegetarian diet. In fact, phytate may have its own health-promoting effects since it has been shown to be a potent antioxidant.
Many dietary factors counteract the effects of phytate. Vitamin C is probably the most important of these. Adding just one-half cup of cauliflower to a high-phytate meal increases iron absorption by two and one-half times. In order to have this effect, however, vitamin C must be consumed at the same time as the iron-rich food. Vitamin C is an acidic compound that makes iron more soluble and, therefore, increases its absorption. Fruits and vegetables also contain small amounts of other organic acids that promote iron absorption. In addition to their vitamin C content, citrus fruits contain citric acid, and these two compounds work together to make iron more absorbable. Some research also suggests that beta-carotene--the vitamin A precursor found in fruits and vegetables--boosts iron absorption.
Finally, food processing breaks phytates down to some degree. When bread dough is leavened, the phytate content is reduced. Therefore, whole grain bread is a better source of absorbable iron than unleavened breads and crackers. Fermentation also increases the availability of iron so that fermented soyfoods like tempeh are a better source of iron than many other soyfoods. (See the March 2001 issue of VNHL for information about fermented foods.) Soaking grains and legumes can also enhance absorption of iron.
Vegetarian iron needs
Even taking into consideration factors like vitamin C intake and use of leavened bread, vegetarians absorb less iron from their diets than meat-eaters. Some research has suggested that some vegetarians may absorb only about 10 percent of the iron in their diet while omnivores absorb about 18 percent. Therefore, for each age group, the vegetarian RDA for iron is 1.8 times the RDA for omnivores. Premenopausal omnivore women need 18 mg of iron per day; multiplying this by 1.8, we see that vegetarian women need about 33 mg of iron per day. (Vegetarian women using oral contraceptives need only 20 mg of iron per day since they lose less iron through menstruation.) Since omnivore men need 8 mg of iron, vegetarian men should strive to consume 14.
Vegetarian iron status
Studies of iron intakes of vegetarians show that vegetarian men are likely to meet their iron recommendations. But like their meat-eating counterparts, many vegetarian women fall short of meeting dietary iron recommendations. However, it is not clear that this translates to poorer iron status. Most studies show that although vegetarians do have smaller stores of iron than omnivores, their stores are just as likely to be adequate. Dr. Ella Haddad from Loma Linda University compared vegan premenopausal women to omnivore women and found that the percentage of women with low iron stores was similar in both groups.
Other research shows that many vegetarian women have adequate iron status even with iron intakes well below the vegetarian RDA. For example, in Australia, vegetarian women who consumed on average just 10.7 mg of iron per day had average serum ferritin levels that were within the normal range, although they were significantly lower than levels of female meat eaters. In New Zealand, vegetarian women with an average iron intake of a little less than 15 mg per day had serum ferritin levels well within the normal range.
If vegetarian women are not meeting the FNB recommendations, how is it that more of them are not iron deficient? There are several possible explanations. First, iron recommendations for vegetarians may be based on assumptions that don't reflect how vegetarians really eat. Recommendations are based largely on one study that compared two diets. The first included meat and a number of enhancers of iron absorption. The second was high in inhibitors of iron and low in enhancers. It restricted fruits and vegetables, and vitamin C in particular. And it included coffee or tea at every meal. Initially, there was a fourfold difference in iron absorption between the two groups, but after two weeks, this difference decreased so that those consuming the iron-enhancing diet were absorbing iron at about twice the rate of those consuming the diet with iron inhibitors. However, this diet, which was exceptionally high in inhibitors and lacking in factors that boost iron absorption, is not typical of the way most western vegetarians eat.
It is also likely that some adaptation to lower iron intakes takes place. One study found that vegetarians lost far less iron from their intestines, compared to omnivores. And in men consuming a diet with low iron bioavailability, iron absorption increased over time. Therefore, it is possible that consumption of a diet with low iron bioavailability can lead to increased absorption and decreased excretion of iron.
Does this mean that the FNB recommendations for vegetarians are too high? The answer depends on a number of factors. In developing countries, diets do contain many inhibitors of iron absorption and, often, few enhancers. High intakes of iron should certainly be recommended for these groups, even assuming that some adaptation takes place. This is especially true since iron deficiency is a worldwide problem. A vegetarian diet that is low in fruits and vegetables and that emphasizes cereals over breads is more likely to compromise iron status. For example, among children following a macrobiotic diet--which is often low in fruits and emphasizes cereal grains--15 percent had poor iron status. In some developing countries, such as India, iron deficiency anemia is much more likely because of widespread parasitic infections, which affect iron status, and because of the use of unleavened breads like chapatti, and the frequent consumption of tea.
However, western vegetarians who choose a diet that is rich in iron enhancers and lower in inhibitors (like tea, coffee, and Indian spices) may have a healthy iron status despite an intake lower than that recommended by the FNB.
Around the world, recommendations for iron intakes of vegetarians vary considerably. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommends that women consuming plant-based diets very high in inhibitors of iron absorption need 29 mg of iron per day. The Dutch Nutrition Council recommends 22 mg per day for vegetarians, and in India the recommendation is 17 mg per day.
Questions about the iron needs of vegetarians will most likely continue. But this doesn't mean that vegetarians should be complacent about iron. Despite the fact that adaptation may take place, it is important to eat a diet that enhances iron absorption and emphasizes iron-rich foods. Iron deficiency anemia is relatively common among omnivore women. So the fact that vegetarian women are no more likely to be deficient in iron is not a reason to relax about this mineral. Iron deserves attention in the diets of everyone.
Iron and the vegetarian edge
Red meat is a super-concentrated source of well-absorbed iron. So, since iron deficiency is common, does it make sense to include this food in the diet when it makes it so much easier to meet needs?
For several reasons, the answer is no. The fact that iron from plant foods is more influenced by inhibitors and enhancers of absorption may be advantageous. High body stores of iron don't have any particular advantage, but they may have a disadvantage. Iron is a pro-oxidant--it promotes the oxidative damage that is linked to many chronic diseases. Excess iron stores are linked to increased risk for heart disease and cancer, particularly colorectal cancer. In the Framingham Heart Study, only 3 percent of 1,016 older people studied had low iron stores, but 13 percent had iron stores that were too high. Since the main way the human body protects against excess iron is by controlling absorption, and non-heme iron is more sensitive to the factors that control absorption, diets that contain only non-heme iron--i.e., vegetarian diets--are more likely to protect against excess iron storage.
Also, the very factor in vegetarian diets that inhibits iron absorption, phytate, is an antioxidant and so may contribute to lower chronic disease risk. In addition, the plant foods that are rich in iron are also rich in other disease-fighting compounds, while consumption of red meat raises risk for chronic disease.
It doesn't make sense to look toward meat to provide adequate iron since plant foods can provide plenty of this mineral. It does make sense to include plenty of iron-rich foods in the diet every day and to choose a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables to enhance iron absorption.
Source Vegetarian Nutrition and Health Letter (VNHL) from Loma Linda University.
Originally found here
Picture originally found here
Heavenly Wisdom
"The Angle of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them."
"And it will come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart,' The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil."
"To do evil is like sport to a fool but a man of understanding has wisdom."
"It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools."
"He who sows iniquity will reap sorrow, and the rod of his anger will fail."
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Al & Al’s Stein Haus changes ownership after 58 years | Streetwise
The new owners recognize that Al & Al's has lots of longtime customers so they don't plan to make any big changes.
Al & Al’s Stein Haus changes ownership after 58 years | Streetwise The new owners recognize that Al & Al's has lots of longtime customers so they don't plan to make any big changes. Check out this story on sheboyganpress.com: https://www.sheboyganpress.com/story/money/2019/05/14/al-als-stein-haus-under-new-ownership-after-58-years/1189574001/
Marina Affo, Sheboygan Press Published 6:04 a.m. CT May 14, 2019
Sheboygan's Al & Al's holds Weiner Dog competitions Gary Klein, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
SHEBOYGAN – After 58 years in business, Al & Al's Stein Haus has new owners.
The German restaurant now belongs to couple, Steve and Faye Bruyette. The pair have officially been running the business since May 1, though diners shouldn't expect to see major changes any time soon.
"We have met so many of the regular customers and it's so important to them that things stay the same," Faye said. "That's obviously why they keep coming, so we don't want to change it and and scare anybody off."
Steve has always wanted to own a restaurant and after searching for a long time, he heard Al & Al's was looking for new leadership. When he and his wife checked it out, they knew it was the right place.
Former owner Susie Patterson said she will be providing the new owners with mentorship in the early stages. Patterson was named Restaurateur of the Year for 2019 by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
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Susan Patterson (center), Steve (right) and Faye Bruyette (left) at Al & Al's on Monday, May 13 in Sheboygan, Wis. The Bruyettes have purchased the German restaurant from Patterson's family. The restaurant was started by Patterson's father and uncle in the early 60s. (Photo: Marina Affo/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)
Al & Al's was started by Patterson's father and uncle (Alfonse and Alois) in 1961. The brothers immigrated to the US from Germany in the 1950s. They worked in a sausage factory when an opportunity to open a restaurant on Sheboygan's south side came up and they took it.
"Just as life changes, so has ours and Steven and Faye are going to hopefully continue to just keep things as they are and make them better and grow and develop all kinds of new ideas," Patterson said.
Since Patterson and her family have spent so much time creating the restaurant, she said they plan to come back every now and then to help with larger events like Oktoberfest.
But after 58 years it was time to let someone else take the reins and continue on the legacy, Patterson said. Both the former and current owners said they were excited that they were able to find each other.
"We're happy to see that someone thinks that everything we've done for 58 years is worth continuing," Patterson said.
The restaurant will celebrate the transition with a party from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 18, where customers will get a chance to meet the new owners. Complimentary food will be served from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., there will be live music and drink specials.
Al & Al's is located at 1502 South 12th St. in Sheboygan and is open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Fridays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Contact Marina Affo at (920) 242-3032 or maffo@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @marina_affo.
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Glenbeulah couple prepares to launch keto-friendly cocktail
Biz briefs: Aurora Pharmacy adds Falls pick-up option
Three Guys and a Grill receives community support after fire
Business Briefs: Rockline named Manufacturer of the Year
Whisk bakery will open in downtown Sheboygan this summer
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Dave Bakke: State workers should be ashamed of sad state of Bloom memorial
Dave Bakke
When the Prescott Bloom state office building opened in Springfield in 1988, a small tree was planted and a plaque was placed near the entrance. They were put there in memory of 3-year-old Jennifer Bloom. Jennifer and her father, who was a state senator from Peoria, both died in a fire at their Peoria home in January 1986. But someone has cut down Jennifer’s tree. All that is left is the plaque and a stump. But this gets worse.
When the Prescott Bloom state office building opened in Springfield in 1988, a small tree was planted and a plaque was placed near the entrance. They were put there in memory of 3-year-old Jennifer Bloom. Jennifer and her father, who was a state senator from Peoria, both died in a fire at their Peoria home in January 1986.
But someone has cut down Jennifer’s tree. All that is left is the plaque and a stump. But this gets worse.
Jennifer’s memorial is used as a smoking area by workers in the Bloom Building, home of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. There are numerous cigarette butts all around, and even on top of, Jennifer’s plaque. But even that is not all.
A large clump of crabgrass has been allowed to grow until it almost completely covers the plaque.
There is so much wrong with this that it is hard to know where to start.
We will start by attempting to find out who cut down Jennifer’s tree and why. The building, which is leased to the state, is owned by a company called Government Property Fund I. That company, however, does not maintain the grounds.
From there, it was on to the state. It appears the Department of Central Management Services is the agency responsible for upkeep of the building’s exterior.
I called Alka Nayyar in Chicago, public information officer for CMS, on Thursday morning to see if she could confirm that. In an e-mailed statement by CMS sent late Thursday afternoon, CMS says it directed HFS to remove an ashtray that was “inadvertently placed too close to the Bloom memorial plaque.”
If there was an ashtray nearby, not many people used it.
“HFS has indicated it will also request further discretion from its employees,” said the statement. “Although CMS has not received complaints on this matter, it is unfortunate to hear that the memorial in front of the building may not be fully maintained.
“We are contacting the lessor and the property management company to determine what has been done in the past with the memorial and dedicated tree, and what can be done in the future to ensure this solemn reminder of the tragic loss of a child is maintained with due respect.”
The CMS statement hints that the grounds maintenance work is contracted to an outside company. It’s still not clear who is responsible for cutting down the tree or why it was done.
Then there are the Bloom Building smokers. They should be ashamed of themselves. Annie Thompson, spokeswoman for HFS, said as long as employees are far enough away from the front door, they can smoke anywhere.
Yes, but didn’t they see the plaque in honor of Jennifer? Don’t they realize what they are doing? Granted, this isn’t her gravesite, but, still, how callous does someone have to be to use a memorial to a little girl for an ashtray?
Prescott’s wife, Dianne, was out of town the night of the fire. But there was another person at home; the Blooms’ son, Jeffrey,
Jeff, who was 7 at the time, was hospitalized immediately after the fire, in critical condition from smoke inhalation. He is about 30 now and attends grad school in St. Louis. He and his mother still live in Peoria.
I telephoned Jeff Wednesday night to let the family know this column was coming and to tell him what it was about. Jeff and his mother were both stunned to hear about this. They did not know Jennifer’s tree had been cut down.
Even though he was only 9, Jeff recalls attending the dedication of the building named for his father. As we talked, Jeff walked a line between being angry and not wanting to rock the boat. I told him it was OK, I’d take care of rocking the boat on this one.
“It’s bush league,” Jeff finally said of the way his sister’s memorial is being treated, “You can say I said that. It’s bush. … I don’t want to be overly sensitive. And it’s not so much the tree …”
No, it is not so much the tree, though someone needs to explain why it was cut down. It’s his sister’s memory and the fact that it has become an ashtray for some Bloom workers.
Just so you people know, they found Jennifer’s body wrapped in her father’s arms. He died trying to shield that little girl. So take your cigarettes somewhere else.
The workers, whether from CMS or elsewhere, who are supposed to be maintaining Jennifer’s memorial are just as bad. First, they need to clean the area up. That’s what they are paid to do. Pull up the crabgrass that covers the plaque. Remove the cigarette butts.
CMS should order the building’s grounds crew to either plant a new tree in Jennifer’s honor or move her memorial to a more appropriate location outside or inside the building.
Get it done.
Dave Bakke can be reached at (217) 788-1541 or dave.bakke@sj-r.com.
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How to begin to stop the decline of Detroit’s schools
by: Tonya Allen | Nov. 2nd, 2015
This commentary was published in the Detroit Free Press on 11/04/15.
It’s that time of year again. I’m frustrated. I’m worn out and worn down. The onset of winter and dwindling daylight always mess with my emotional equilibrium. But Mother Nature isn’t to blame for my chilly mood.
Tonya Allen, president & CEO of The Skillman Foundation
Announced last week, the bleak news about student performance in Detroit Public Schools has become an all-too-familiar and numbing element of the season, and something that Detroiters dread. For the fourth time in a row, Michigan’s biggest city ranked dead last among urban school districts that took part in the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam.
As if that weren’t discouraging enough, Detroiters were also warned last week by the state treasurer that DPS – which has been managed from Lansing for the past several years – could be insolvent by spring.
Charter schools in Detroit, for the most part, have also failed to provide viable choices for parents seeking quality opportunities for their children. The news last week that the U.S. Department of Education turned down the state’s request for a $45-million grant to expand charter schools should surprise nobody.
DPS apologists and charter demagogues alike ignore how poorly each sector has served Detroit schoolchildren, and, predictably, have taken to the airwaves and Twittersphere to spout self-serving and oft-repeated bromides that only feed the dysfunction. Tis the season.
The perpetual malaise in the Detroit education ecosystem is why a diverse group of unlikely allies came together nearly a year ago to form the Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren. Seven months ago, after working intensely for 100 days, the Coalition published its Choice Is Ours report, which laid out a comprehensive plan to make quality schools the new norm for Detroit families.
Key findings focused rightly on solving the most-pressing issues holding Detroit schoolchildren back. Some of them include:
Principals and teachers make or break a school, and we’ve got to support them and build successful schools around them.
A DPS financial solution is only part of the answer. We need a different kind of DPS to emerge that is lean and focused on academics, that has fewer administrators, that does a better job of training teachers, and that ramps up early literacy efforts to ensure all students are reading proficiently by the end of 3rd grade;
All schools should be held to the same high standard of excellence, but given the freedom to decide how to get there;
School choice, and local control, should be protected;
And, finally, the establishment of a new nonpartisan entity, the Detroit Education Commission, to be an organizer of citywide services for all students, and to bring much-needed coordination for the opening and closing of schools across the city.
These initial pragmatic steps would put Detroit on the long road back to excellence. For Detroit schoolchildren to reach their destination there needs to be continued leadership well beyond the triage phase of the work. Getting on that difficult road is the only way to bring about the badly needed education transformation for Detroit kids – when high-performing schools once again are the norm.
To accomplish this transformation, we have to be focus on making real change:
Give schools the authority to make real decisions about their budgets and staff, and then hold them accountable to high expectations;
Hold parents and students accountable too for doing their part. That means kids show up every day, do their homework, and enthusiastically participate in their school communities;
Ensure that all schools are held to high standards, and close the low-performing schools that shortchange schoolchildren and families;
We need all hands on deck to help create the conditions that make Detroit a place where teachers want to work, and we need to develop and retain the most-capable teachers.
Sustaining Detroit’s historic turnaround requires all of us to pull together to bring the city’s schools back to national prominence. We can do this. We can once again make November gloominess all about November weather.
Tonya Allen, one of five co-chairs of the Coalition for the Future of Detroit Schoolchildren, is president & CEO of the Skillman Foundation. The Choice Is Ours report is available here.
Click here to view this commentary on Freep.com.
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Bournemouth sign Lloyd Kelly from Bristol City for £13m
By Joe Shread
Lloyd Kelly is Bournemouth's first signing of the summer
Bournemouth have signed defender Lloyd Kelly from Bristol City on a long-term contract.
The 20-year-old left-back, who is also comfortable in the centre of defence, has cost the Cherries £13m, Sky Sports News understands.
Kelly made 34 appearances for the Robins this season, helping them to eighth place in the Championship.
He told Bournemouth's website: "It's a fantastic club. The move has come around quite quickly, but I'm happy to be here and can't wait to start playing.
"Premier League football is what I've always wanted to achieve. I want to play as many games as possible and I feel like this is the right place for me to try and do that."
Kelly will be well placed to usurp Charlie Daniels and Diego Rico in the pecking order for the left-back position in Eddie Howe's side.
Bournemouth's regular left-back Charlie Daniels suffered a serious knee injury in April and is likely to miss most of 2019
Daniels suffered a serious knee injury in April which is likely to keep him out for the majority of 2019, while Rico made just 12 Premier League appearances after signing from Leganes last year.
Kelly came through the ranks at Bristol City and made his debut in a League Cup game against Plymouth in August 2017.
He has gone on to play 48 times for the club and has picked up three caps for England U21s.
Insight: Who should Bournemouth sign?
Transfer Centre: Sessegnon, Mitovic latest
After completing his first signing of the summer, Eddie Howe said: "Lloyd is an exciting talent and a player of real potential, while at the same time already possessing good experience for someone so young.
"He is athletic, versatile, physically excellent and has a very bright future ahead of him. I'm delighted that we have been able to strike so early in the summer and look forward to working with Lloyd during the coming seasons."
'Barca's Neymar proposal is car boot'
Ampadu poised for Leipzig loan move
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Home News trending! Technology Xiaomi’s first smartwatch packs GPS and a heart rate monitor for $120
Xiaomi’s first smartwatch packs GPS and a heart rate monitor for $120
Mouli tharan at 08:52:00 News trending!, Technology,
Xiaomi finally unveiled its first smartwatch on Tuesday, and it may just live up to the hype. The Amazfit Sports Smartwatch packs some impressive fitness tracking hardware, along with a round display, a sleek design and a killer price. The new smartwatch actually comes from Xiaomi subsidiary Huami, which also makes the popular Mi Band fitness trackers. It sports a 1.34-inch circular display with a 320 x 300-pixel resolution and a bit of dead space at the bottom. The screen is surrounded by a bulky ceramic bezel that should keep it protected, and it comes with a sporty red wristband. Under the hood, Huami packed in a GPS sensor, a dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, a pedometer, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It’s IP67 rated so it can survive a dunk in the pool. The Amazfit Sports Smartwatch also comes with a 280mAh battery, which the company claims will last for five days with regular use. If you’re using the GPS and heart rate monitor that drops to just 35 hours, and if you turn off all the smart features it can run for 11 days per charge. The new watch doesn’t run Google’s Android Wear operating system, instead relying on some custom Chinese software. You can view your fitness stats, check the weather, receive notifications and make mobile payments with Alipay. However, it’s unclear if the device will offer an open ecosystem for third-party apps. The Amazfit Sports Smartwatch is set to launch in China tomorrow for 799 yuan (about $120). Xiaomi already sells its Mi Band series in the U.S., so it’s definitely possible this new wearable could arrive in America eventually as well.
Xiaomi finally unveiled its first smartwatch on Tuesday, and it may just live up to the hype. The Amazfit Sports Smartwatch packs some impressive fitness tracking hardware, along with a round display, a sleek design and a killer price.
The new smartwatch actually comes from Xiaomi subsidiary Huami, which also makes the popular Mi Band fitness trackers. It sports a 1.34-inch circular display with a 320 x 300-pixel resolution and a bit of dead space at the bottom. The screen is surrounded by a bulky ceramic bezel that should keep it protected, and it comes with a sporty red wristband.
Under the hood, Huami packed in a GPS sensor, a dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage, a pedometer, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It’s IP67 rated so it can survive a dunk in the pool. The Amazfit Sports Smartwatch also comes with a 280mAh battery, which the company claims will last for five days with regular use. If you’re using the GPS and heart rate monitor that drops to just 35 hours, and if you turn off all the smart features it can run for 11 days per charge.
The new watch doesn’t run Google’s Android Wear operating system, instead relying on some custom Chinese software. You can view your fitness stats, check the weather, receive notifications and make mobile payments with Alipay. However, it’s unclear if the device will offer an open ecosystem for third-party apps.
The Amazfit Sports Smartwatch is set to launch in China tomorrow for 799 yuan (about $120). Xiaomi already sells its Mi Band series in the U.S., so it’s definitely possible this new wearable could arrive in America eventually as well.
News trending!, Technology
News trending! Technology
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Fullerton Police Prepare to Release Body Cam Footage In Fatal Shooting Of 17-Year-Old
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Is Sued Over Blocking Twitter Followers
Labor Secretary Alex Acosta Defends His Handling Of Jeffrey Epstein Plea Deal
Raising a chimp as a human: the wild story & monkey business of Project Nim
Frank Cali, Reputed Gambino Crime Family Boss, Is Killed In N.Y. Attack
Reputed Mafia boss Frank Cali was shot to death near his SUV outside his home on Staten Island Wednesday night.
/Google Maps/Screenshot by NPR
Bill Chappell | NPR | March 14, 2019
Francesco "Frank" Cali, the reputed leader of the Gambino crime family, was shot to death outside his house in Staten Island on Wednesday night, in a killing that echoes Mafia murders of the 1980s.
The New York Police Department says that at 9:17 p.m. ET, officers received a 911 call reporting an assault in progress in front of Cali's house.
"Upon arrival, officers found a 53-year-old male with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso," the police said in a statement sent to NPR. Cali was taken to Staten Island University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
No arrests have been made in the shooting, police said.
Photos from the scene showed officers working around Cali's SUV on Wednesday night, with shell casings marked by overturned plastic cups. Witnesses told New York media outlets that they heard a number of shots before a blue pickup truck fled the area.
Cali was commonly known as either Frank or "Franky Boy." He was believed to have had deep ties to the Mafia in Italy: As Staten Island Live reports, Cali "was born in Brooklyn and married into the Inzerillo family of Palermo and cultivated close ties with members of the Siderno cartel in Italy."
Cali was first reported to be in charge of the Gambino family in 2015.
The Gambino family had previously gained a high profile under the leadership of John Gotti — who orchestrated the last public killing of a Gambino crime boss in 1985, when Paul Castellano was gunned down outside of Sparks Steak House in Manhattan.
Cali lived in the Todt Hill section of Staten Island, on a leafy street near the private Richmond County Country Club golf course — and not far from where Castellano lived in a mansion when he ran the Gambino family. Two miles away, at 110 Longfellow Ave., sits the house that portrayed the Corleone estate in The Godfather.
In 2008, Cali and dozens of Mafia figures were arrested on federal racketeering charges. He pleaded guilty to extortion, serving 16 months in prison for his part in a scheme related to a proposal to build a NASCAR track in Staten Island.
The Gambino family is one of five Mafia families that have long been seen as running Italian-American organized crime syndicates in New York. The others are the Bonanno, Colombo, Genovese and Lucchese families.
"The assassination of Mr. Cali came on the same day that Joseph Cammarano Jr., the reputed acting boss of the Bonanno crime family, was acquitted at trial," The New York Times reports, "and about a week after Carmine J. Persico, a longtime boss of the Colombo crime family, died in prison at age 85."
View this story at NPR
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Your contributions power KPCC. Give today.
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Optimism high as football season opens
Roger Brown
The starting quarterback graduated, the star tailback is now playing at the University of New Hampshire and most of last year's starting offensive and defensive lines must be replaced as well.
So where does the Portsmouth High School football team fit in the Division III mix this season?
"I'd like to think that we're going to be in the playoff hunt," Portsmouth coach Bill Murphy said. "Last year we had Roddy (tailback Rod Walker) and Sunshine (quarterback Ben Smith). This year we still have a lot of unknowns, but a lot of these kids could blossom too.
"This will be a test for a lot of these guys. It's a chance for some others to step up and make a name for themselves offensively and defensively."
Portsmouth beat Milford in the Division III semifinals last season, but dropped a 35-20 decision to Plymouth in the Division III championship game. It was Portsmouth's first playoff appearance since 1998, when it competed in Division II.
Portsmouth will open the regular season tonight, when it faces Kennett at home.
"A year ago a lot of seniors delivered for us," Murphy said. "Pretty soon we're going to find out if the guys we have now are going to deliver."
Marshwood's Jon Hussey, a senior fullback, may be the premier offensive player in the area this season. Hussey averaged 5.6 yards per carry last fall, when he rushed for 1,223 yards and 10 touchdowns in 10 games.
In addition, Hussey made his only field goal attempt and 18 of 23 point-after-touchdown kicks. He finished the season with a team-high 87 points.
Hussey, who also plays defensive back, has been a starter in Marshwood's offensive backfield since his sophomore season.
"He's right up there with all the best backs in Western Maine," Marshwood coach Bill Manchester said. "He's not the biggest kid (5-foot-8, 160 pounds), but when he's in the open field he'll make people miss. He's just going to make plays."
In an attempt to keep Hussey fresh on offense, Manchester used him sparingly on defense last season. Hussey made the most of his opportunity on that side of the ball, however. He intercepted three passes — including two in Marshwood's victory over Portland in the Western Maine Class A quarterfinals — in six quarters.
"He'll probably get some time on defense this year," Manchester said.
St. Thomas coach Rod Wotton said he thought about retiring after he guided the Saints to the Division IV championship last season, but was persuaded to return for his 12th season with the St. Thomas program.
"I did consider it, but people talked me into hanging around," Wotton said. "My wife, Robie (St. Thomas assistant coach Alan Robertshaw) and people in the school. They said if I needed a day off I could have a day off.
"I have good assistant coaches. I'll probably do it as long as my health allows."
Wotton enters the season with a 317-65-3 career coaching record. St. Thomas has an 86-28 record and has won four state championships since Wotton took over the program in 1996.
Before coming to St. Thomas, Wotton coached at Marshwood from 1966 to 1992. In 1987 the Hawks had the nation's longest winning streak (45 games).
The five NHIAA championship games could be played at neutral sites this season. In past years, the title games have been held at the home field of the higher-seeded team. This year's championship games will be held at the following venues, all of which have turf fields:
Division I: Nashua's Stellos Stadium Division II: Exeter's William Ball Stadium Division III: Exeter's William Ball Stadium Division IV: Hanover High School Division V: Nashua's Stellos Stadium
If both teams involved in a championship game have turf fields, the championship site can be changed. In that scenario, the game would be played at the higher-seeded team's home field.
Maine's championship games — Class A, Class B and Class C — will again be played at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland. Fitzpatrick Stadium also has a turf field.
The NHIAA also instituted a mercy rule this season. If a team leads by 35 points or more in the second half, a running clock will be used. The game will revert to normal timing if the point differential drops below 35 points
Here's something that's made Traip Academy coach Ron Ross a happy man during the preseason: no more questions about the program's losing streak.
Traip had lost 51 consecutive games — the longest streak in the country at the time — before it beat Madison, 15-8, last season. The Rangers picked up their second victory, a 14-0 triumph over Dexter, the following week.
"The kids don't want to be on that side of things anymore," Ross said. "It's totally different. The attitude is better and the kids are working harder."
Ross said the team goals are much higher this season.
"Why not the playoffs?" he said.
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Home Stories The last scream of the Creeper
The last scream of the Creeper
Memories of the Virginia-Carolina Railroad
by Anna Oakes
Courtesy of the O. Winston Link Museum, Roanoke, VA. Copyright Conway Link
“Old Maude bows to the Virginia Creeper”
Without a doubt, “Old Maude bows to the Virginia Creeper” is Winston Link’s most popular photo made during daylight hours. Although many of Link’s photos were carefully set up, old Maude, with her sledge load of oak stove-wood, just happened along as the train was approaching, and Link took advantage of the situation. He asked brothers Gene and Roy Hampton, who were hauling the wood to the family’s farm nearby, to wait a few minutes for the train. Maude is remembered for her gentleness and patience, but she was growing restless and began to bob her head as the train arrived.
Waiting on the Creeper
Inside the Green Cove store, passengers await the arrival of the Creeper. W.M. Buchanan puts up a grocery order while others converse across the room.
Photo courtesy of Jim Lewis
Bringing in prosperity
Sawmills and lumber yards sprang up all along the route of the Virginia-Carolina/Abingdon Branch railroad, including the Blue Ridge Lumber Company, pictured here in Elkland, N.C. The Todd Mercantile store is visible in the background.
Anna Oakes photo
Today in Todd
Todd’s General Store (formerly Cook Brothers Store) and Todd Mercantile were bustling centers of trade and social life during the days of the railroad.
Sarah E. Kucharski photo
One lone survivor
The Riverside Restaurant in the Brownwood area stands alone as a relic from the once-thriving community that grew around the train depot. Built in 1918 by the R.T. Greer Company, this building was a handling and warehouse facility for roots and herbs gathered from the mountains. After being baled, they were shipped on the Virginia Creeper to destinations around the world eager for the healing qualities of the native plants of the Appalachians. The community never rebuilt after being destroyed by the flood of 1940.
Last call for the Creeper
Norfolk and Western left a caboose in Todd when it pulled out in 1933, said John Ashburn: “All the kids played in that caboose when we were growing up.” In Todd, drivers pass by this engine and caboose from the old “Virginia Creeper” on Railroad Grade Road.
Railroads did not barrel into the Appalachians until the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. But when they did, communities lying in the path of the locomotives were dramatically transformed, and mountain people suddenly found themselves living in a new age of economic opportunity. Nearly overnight, mountain hamlets and enclaves became bustling little towns.
Twisting from Abingdon, Va., to Elkland, N.C., was the Virginia-Carolina Railway, nicknamed the “Virginia Creeper” for its slow crawl up steep mountain grades. Though its trains long ago came screeching to a halt, signs of the railroad’s arrival—and its absence—are enduring, lingering in old bridges, artifacts, and, for a little while longer, living memory.
“This train was unusual because very few trains were freight and passenger trains,” said John Ashburn, whose family roots in Todd date back to 1870.
{module Share this!|none}The Creeper departed Abingdon, Va., with freight to be delivered at stops along the line including hardware, shoes, clothing for department stores, dry goods, farm supplies, and other commodities. A baggage car would carry suitcases, bags of mail from the postmaster, and some freight as well.
“The conductor helped the passengers into the wooden coaches, the varnished interiors illuminated by the soft glow of the oil lamps that hung form the ceilings of the clerestory roofs,” writes author Doug McGuinn, who has penned several books about railroads in the region. “Rambunctious children, farm wives in cotton print dresses, and scruffy men in dirty bib overalls filed down the narrow aisles, along with the confident gentlemen in top hats, long-tailed coats, and stiff-collared shirts; and urbane ladies, who wore hoop skirts, lace blouses that covered slim arms and slender necks, high-laced shoes, and big hats decorated with ostrich feathers.”
The seats in the coach car were upholstered—with red plush, said one source—but often dirty, stained by the cinders of the steam engine’s coal furnace, remembered Eleanor Greer, 87, of the Green Cove community in Washington County, Va. That didn’t bother most folks. “We didn’t dress up back then; we just wore our regular old clothes. We didn’t have anything, and we weren’t going anywhere that we really had to dress up,” Greer recalled. She rode the train to see family members in Whitetop and Abingdon, and once to West Jefferson with her sister to have her tonsils taken out at the hospital. The train carried her husband home safely from World War II. “One day I looked out as the train came up, and I saw him standing up on the back of the last car,” she said.
Throwing Down the Tracks
Abingdon, a town in Washington County in southwestern Virginia, was already a stop along a railroad line from Lynchburg to Bristol in the 1880s, when developer John Imboden, a former Confederate general, set his sights on the small community of Mock’s Mill. He and others bought up land in anticipation of a new railroad coming from Abingdon to this soon-to-be-great-city in the Iron Mountains, where Imboden believed stores of iron ore lay waiting to be unearthed. The railroad would change hands and names a couple of times before becoming the Virginia-Carolina Railway Company under the control of W.E. Mingea.
At the turn of the century, the first leg of the new railroad was complete. Abingdon became a thriving city, “a railroad center and junction point,” writes McGuinn. In 1911, according to McGuinn’s research, the Norfolk & Western Railway Company bought up 50 percent interest in the Virginia-Carolina, and the line extended to Creek Junction—near the Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina borders.
The difficult and dangerous labor of extending the railroad line through wild terrain continued, mostly at the hands of black men and immigrants, with white foremen, and dirt and rock transported by mules, remembered Charles King and Albert Cooper, two Ashe County, N.C., men whom Dr. Robert S. Jones interviewed in the 1970s. Shacks built along the New River housed the laborers as construction trudged onward toward Todd, located near the southern border of North Carolina’s most northwestern county. News of the coming railroad regularly occupied the Todd community column in the Watauga County newspaper, The Watauga Democrat.
“The Callahan Construction Co. which has just completed the grading of a section of the V.C.R.R. through the Beaver Creek country is erecting camps at J.C. Kirders, 1 1/4 miles below Todd…preparatory to beginning work on the section from McGuire to Todd,” stated the column in the July 2, 1914, edition. “Todd Mercantile Co. has built an addition to their already commodious store and have painted it, which gives it the appearance of a city store. McGuire Bros. & Co. our other merchants have also been repairing and painting their store and dwelling which adds much to its appearance.”
Dr. Jones’ chronicle of the railroad, a five-page typewritten account published in 1975 and titled “The Abingdon Branch: Recollections of the Early Days of a Railroad Era,” contains a number of remembrances from the old-timers of the day, including Mr. Clyde Ray, a resident of the Brownwood community who helped build the railroad. “He and his son who lives nearby, standing in the backyard of the Ray farm, pointed to the hillside where a few stumps remained,” wrote Jones. Giant white pines were cut from the hill and hauled away, recounted Mr. Ray’s son, and in their absence, “stumps stood like warts on the hillside”—stumps almost as big as a house, he said.
Cutting Trees, Growing Towns
With the 76.5 miles of standard gauge rail and 108 bridges, the train’s arrival in Todd brought change.
“Since the scream of the locomotive broke the silence of those peaceful surroundings a little more than three week ago, the modest little hamlet has taken on new life,” reads the June 24, 1915, edition of the “Locals from Todd” column in the Democrat.
“It brought a lot of prosperity to Todd. People had money in their pockets; it made some people quite well off. They could read books; they had time to get educated.
“We were bigger than Boone at that time.”
And with the change in conditions came a change in name. Todd was no more.
“The railroad gave it the name Elkland,” Ashburn said.
It seems it was common practice for the railroad or other developers to rename villages, towns, and communities as they pleased. Near Whitetop, Va., the Hassinger Lumber Company selected the locale of Azen for its new bandmill, renaming it Konnarock, historian T.H. Blevins wrote in “A Brief History of the ‘Virginia Creeper.’” A two-mile extension connected Konnarock to the main Virginia-Carolina line at the Creek Junction depot. Mock’s Mill would become Damascus, christened by Gen. Imboden after Damascus, Syria, which was “world famous centuries earlier for the superiority of its iron sword manufacturing,” noted Blevins.
As it would turn out, the “Iron Mountains” of Damascus, Va., would not yield any significant iron deposits after all, but that was no matter, because the mountains’ new riches would be found above ground.
“Although the mineral wealth Gen. Imboden dreamed of was never realized, the wealth of timber on the mountainsides was. The timber brought northern capital rushing in. Lumber companies, extract companies, and leather companies followed,” wrote McGuinn.
The Hassinger Lumber Company factored significantly in the operations of the Virginia-Carolina, which by 1919 had become part of the Norfolk & Western Railroad and was designated as the Abingdon Branch. The passenger and freight trains of the Abingdon Branch shared the track with the Hassinger log trains.
“During [Hassinger’s] operation from 1906 to the day before Christmas 1928, the average daily capacity was 75,000 board feet with a one day maximum of 92,000 board feet of hemlock. Between 15 and 18 million board feet of lumber were created annually from roughly 30,000 acres of timber. This represents a total of 325 million board feet of lumber from a single mill, not counting the thousands of cords of pulp wood, tanning bark, mine props, crossties, and chestnut poles,” Blevins said.
The company and its associated logging activities employed hundreds of workers, provided free electricity in Konnarock from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., hired the first doctors, and opened the first schools. Commerce flourished around every train stop, creating new towns.
The railroad’s decision to bypass Jefferson, the county seat of Ashe County, N.C., led to the establishment of West Jefferson. When the engine steamed into the fledgling town in 1914, “land offices, lumber companies, banks and other businesses that would be catering to the rail traffic had already started elbowing each other for space beside the tracks,” McGuinn noted.
In the community of Riverside (also known as Brownwood), an auction company advertised business and residential lots for sale on the front page of the June 24, 1915, Watauga Democrat, proclaiming in large type, “This is the most beautiful site for a city or town on V.C. Railroad. Riverside will be the shipping point for half the people in Watauga County. Get in on the ground floor and be the first one to make money out of real estate at Riverside.” A brass band was to perform at the auction.
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Train depots were community centers. The Green Cove station received passengers and freight from the train and operated a grocery store and post office. “The lady that lived in the community at the Green Cove depot—the men that worked on the train would usually call and let them know if they wanted her to pack them a lunch,” Greer said. Community members brought items to the train stations to trade, such as chickens, cattle, sheep, cheeses, animal pelts, ginseng, and minerals. Ashburn’s grandfather, John Cox, operated the Todd Mercantile. “He traded things like chestnuts, had a big bin for chestnuts, shipped the chestnuts out up north,” Ashburn said. “People in New England had a love affair with chestnuts. Around here we just fed them to the hogs.”
Riding the train was relatively affordable, and gave community members a chance to experience new things. Danford Phillips, 97, a native of Whitetop, which had no hair salon at the time, would board the train to get a permanent in a neighboring town. “It made two trips a day,” Phillips said. “That was our transportation back then.”
Boarding houses opened near each stop to host traveling passengers and businessmen. “For a quarter a night, you got a bed and a meal,” Ashburn says. “The old hotel didn’t have a lot of room. The thing about the hotel—and I always laughed at this—you sometimes had to sleep in bed with somebody you didn’t know. Some people didn’t take a bath that often.” Ashburn’s uncle, John Cox Jr., ran away on the train after being expelled from school, hoboing for years all across the country. “He left Todd on that train and went all over the United States,” Ashburn said. He was robbed in New York City; he worked on ranches out west. When a railroad detective was on patrol, he hid by riding under the bottom of the train. In the heat of Arizona and Texas, he sometimes rode atop the boxcars.
“He had a lot of adventures. He was a real character of a fellow,” Ashburn said.
Tracks, Trestles, Towns—Washed Away
Flooding of the New River remained a constant threat to the railroad line, and as the driving lumber industry continued to denude slopes of timber and other vegetation, the dangers only intensified. “By definition, ‘virgin timber’ does not last forever, and logging practices of the day seldom considered any future management of the once cut forest,” remarked Blevins.
In 1916—only a year or so after the line was completed to Elkland—a major flood caused extensive damage along the line, wiping out nearly all its tracks and bridges. But the railroad rebuilt. The next major deluge came in 1930, halting service for six months. By this time, the Hassinger Lumber Company had closed up shop at its Konnarock mill, lumber shipments were on the decline, and the Great Depression had a callous grip on the nation’s economy. The Interstate Commerce Commission authorized the abandonment of the section of track between Elkland and West Jefferson in 1933, and the train made its final trip to Elkland in April of that year. The railroad removed the tracks, and the railroad bed became a road. “When the train left in 1933, Todd left with it,” said Ashburn. “We never were the same.”
Then came the devastation of the 1940 flood. Heavy, unrelenting rains from a hurricane swept through the naked hillsides of the southern Appalachians. “They say for every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction,” Ashburn said. “When that flood came, there was nothing to hold the soil in place, because all the lumber was gone. There was nothing to hold the rain back. It washed away two-thirds of the buildings here in Todd. The same thing that the railroad brought in here—it all washed away in the flood.”
It was news of the flood, in fact, that finally called John Cox Jr. home to North Carolina. “He picked up a paper in Idaho and saw a headline that said Todd was under water,” Ashburn said. “He was afraid that his daddy and mother were in trouble.” The former hobo went back to high school, graduated, joined the Marines and eventually became a successful schoolteacher and principal.
In the 1970s, when Jones published his historical account of the Virginia Creeper, service continued from West Jefferson to Abingdon, but only once a week, on Thursdays. “At nearby Jefferson, the county seat of Ashe, hearings are being held during the fall of 1975 before the Interstate Commerce Commission to request discontinuance of service by the Abingdon Branch altogether. The Norfolk and Western Railway can no longer profit from operation of the line, but many will be saddened at this passing of a railroad era,” he wrote.
The Creeper’s whistle, known for its chilling, eerie quality, sounded for the last time in 1977, and the tracks were removed that year. “I can’t describe it,” Greer remembered. “It was a whistle that we got so used to, when it all quit, we really missed it. In recent years, at a Green Cove community festival, a man brought a whistle that replicated the sound of the Creeper train, she said: “It made you want to cry. It sounded just like it.”
The George L. Carter Railroad Museum
The George L. Carter Railroad Museum is devoted to the region’s railroad history and features several large layouts of towns and landscapes with running model trains as well as railroad-related items of historical and cultural interest. The museum focuses on three railroads that crisscrossed the area: the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina (“Tweetsie”) the Southern (now Norfolk Southern), and Clinchfield (now CSX).
George L. Carter built the Clinchfield Railroad through 275 miles of mountain terrain to carry coal from Eastern Kentucky. In 1909, when a state committee visited the area while searching for a site for a proposed teachers college, Carter offered his 120-acre farm and $100,000 toward the establishment of the school, which became ETSU.
Fred Alsop, a biology professor and president of the local Mountain Empire Model Railroaders, serves as the director of the railroad museum. He joined the club about 15 years ago.
“I’ve always had an interest in trains,” he said. “I enjoy building the layouts and the scenery—that’s the thing I enjoy.”
The Carter Railroad Museum’s three permanent model railway layouts include a G (large) scale layout, a 44-feet-by-24-feet HO scale (medium size) layout created by members of the railroad club, and a 23-feet-by-12-feet N (small) scale layout donated by Ms. Marian Bankus of Knoxville. The railroad club has worked at its HO layout for years, and it remains a perpetual work in progress.
“Some folks say model railroads are never finished,” said Alsop. “Every member had a part of it.” The club is currently at work on a fourth layout—a 1,300-square-foot replica of the Tweetsie Railroad line. Using archival photos and oral histories as a reference, the club strives to make the layouts as historically accurate as possible. “The Tweetsie layout has nine sections under development that are each approximately 20 feet long. In order to have sufficient funds for the completion of the layout, the Carter RR Museum is seeking sponsors for each of these nine sections,” Alsop wrote in the January 2013 newsletter of the Railroaders club.
Also featured at the museum are artifacts and memorabilia from the railroad, including lanterns and hardware, photographs, and a library with about 900 volumes on railroads. Some displays are changed on a regular basis, and a regional railroad is highlighted once a month. A Little Engineer’s Room is provided for children, with wooden train toys and other activities. Some families come every Saturday, Alsop noted.
Some visitors to the museum share their own memories of the area’s railroads. Students in ETSU’s graduate storytelling program conduct interviews to capture oral histories for the museum’s collection. “We try to get contact information for a lot of them that have good stories—we follow up on those,” Alsop said.
Rail excursions
With 53 miles of track, two tunnels and 25 bridges, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad explores the river gorges and valleys of Western North Carolina’s mountains. The Railroad offers a variety of scenic, round-trip excursions departing from Bryson City. Trips range from 3 ½ hours to a full day.
The Nantahala Gorge Excursion travels 44 miles to the Nantahala Gorge and back again, across the Little Tennessee and Nantahala Rivers and Fontana Lake into the Nantahala Gorge.
The Tuckasegee River Excursion travels 32-mile roundtrip along the Tuckasegee River through old railroad towns and scenic meadows. Specialty excursions are available throughout the year.
gsmr.com or 800.872.4681.
The Secret City Scenic Excursion
Return to the heyday of passenger railroading with the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum’s Secret City Scenic Excursion Train in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Trains depart from the Heritage Center, an historic Department of Energy facility where research and development plunged the United States into the Atomic Age. The train winds along Poplar Creek and Highway 327 in the beautiful hills and valleys of East Tennessee.
Each round trip travels approximately 14 miles and lasts about one hour. Vintage 1950s Alco diesel locomotives pull the trains. Seating is in an air-conditioned coach and a dining car, both restored from the 1940’s era of passenger railroading.
The train usually runs on the first and third Saturday of each month from April-September. In February, March, November, and December, the train will run on Saturdays and Sundays of selected weekends, usually around holidays.
Ticket prices are $19 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under. Note that due to federal Department of Energy regulations, non-U.S. citizens are required to provide passport and visa information prior to boarding the train, and citizens of certain nations are not permitted to ride per federal embargo.
southernappalachia.railway.museum or 865.241.2140.
Three Rivers Rambler
The Three Rivers Rambler remains a working line, hauling freight during the week and offering passenger excursions on special weekends.
Beginning the journey in Downtown Knoxville, the Rambler travels past historical sites to the “Three Rivers Trestle” where the French Broad and Holston Rivers join to form the Tennessee River. The 11-mile route includes beautiful farmland, Knoxville’s first settlement area, and several quarries that were mined to build our nation’s Capital.
threeriversrambler.com or 865.524.9411.
Virginia trade journey Virginia Creeper railroad travel Feature
There are now model train museums in Marion, VA on Main St. and in Kingsport, TN also downtown.
Scott W. Trent Jr. 127 days ago
Konnarock Luthern School firefighters
The boys from KLS was recruited at $.50 per hour to fight fires started by the coal cinders from the Creeper train on Whitetop mountain. A pump car was keep at creek Junction for us to travel up the mountain to the fires. I was one of those student boys 1955 to 57.
James Rosenbaum 151 days ago
Green Cove Whistle
The whistle at Green Cove that you stated replicated the whistle, was the same whistle. The man who brought the FhostnTrain Whistle Machine was my dad Lee Alley. The engineer of the Virginia Creeper, F T Nickels gave the whistle to
My Dad. My Dad passed away in March of 2012 and we donated the whistle to the Roanoke Transportation Museum.
Melinda Bowlin more than 4 years ago
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Chat Room Interviews
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Duplass Brothers
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FX Networks
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You are at:Home»Featured»‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Season 6 Episode 6 Preview: “Inescapable” Photos and Plot
‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Season 6 Episode 6 Preview: “Inescapable” Photos and Plot
By Rebecca Murray on June 18, 2019 Featured, TV, TV Photos, TV Show Clips
The trailer for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season six episode six teases “their long-awaited reunion will take you someplace twisted” as we see Jemma and Fitz finally together again. Season six episode six titled “Inescapable” was directed by Jesse Bocho from a script by DJ Doyle. “Inescapable” will air on June 21, 2019, with new season six episodes airing on Fridays at 8pm ET/PT.
Episode six guest stars include Joel Stoffer, Sherri Saum, and Christopher James Baker.
Season six stars Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, Henry Simmons, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, and Jeff Ward.
The “Inescapable” Plot: They’ve fought through space, time and alternate realities to find each other, and now, closer than ever, only their own demons can stop FitzSimmons’ reunion.
“Last season, the team leaped forward in time to a dystopian future they soon realized must be prevented. While facing multiple timelines and new enemies from faraway planets, they found family, friends, teammates and the courage to pull off their biggest challenge yet.
Their next challenge? Coming to grips with the knowledge that bending the laws of space and time may have saved the planet, but it couldn’t save Fitz or Coulson.”
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 6 Cast Interviews:
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 6 Elizabeth Henstridge and Jeff Bell Interview
Interview with Clark Gregg and Henry Simmons
Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen Interview
Elizabeth Henstridge as Jemma Simmons and Iain De Caestecker as Leo Fitz in ‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ season 6 episode 6 (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)
Ava Mireille and Iain De Caestecker in season 6 episode 6 (ABC/Mitch Haaseth)
agents of shield chloe bennet clark gregg elizabeth henstridge episode iain de caestecker photos preview
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Bringing Healthcare to the Patient
Erika Claessens | 27-02-2018
Ludo F. M. Beenen, MD, (left) and Jan S. K. Luitse, MD, (right) behind the sliding gantry CT that can move between two rooms.
The Academic Medical Center (AMC) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is one of the highest performing and most prominent polytrauma emergency centers in the world. The emergency department is designed entirely from the patient’s perspective. It is a novel approach where care is brought to the patient, not the other way around.
Photos: Michel De Groot
Download your print version here 0.2 MB .
The Academic Medical Center (AMC) in the South-East quarter of Amsterdam feels like an indoor mini city. There are all kind of shops, several restaurants offering healthy food and beverages, a conference space, and comfortable lounges within reach. In the Emergency Department (ED), the colors, texture and art pieces covering entire walls are unusual as well. “This design and architecture confirms our growing belief that patient care is entirely determined by the patient’s perspective,” states Jan S. K. Luitse, MD, recently retired trauma surgeon and Head of the ED. “This part of the hospital building has been completely restructured and we only re-opened it half a year ago. It’s the final phase in a long and breathtaking process of changes to bring healthcare to the patient.”
The AMC was the first hospital in the world to possess a two-room emergency setup with sliding gantry CT.
From trauma bay to imaging
“It all started back in 2000, when the hospital was officially designated a Level One Trauma Center,” Luitse continues. “Up until then, the AMC had been functioning the same way for over twenty years: Our radiology department and CT scanner were housed on the first floor while the hospital’s ED was situated in the basement of the hospital. A regular discussion point was that continually moving emergency patients from one department to another is very bad for their health. It was also time-consuming and inefficient in terms of workflow. Moving a patient from the trauma bay to the radiology department and back took about 30 minutes and involved eight employees passing from one floor to another – often struggling with the gurney, pushing it into the elevator, and meeting all kinds of obstacles on the way.” Ludo F. M. Beenen, MD, emergency radiologist, confirms the situation: “You can see that the circumstances were not ideal. Intensive care patients were scanned with the same imaging machine as used for emergency patients. Inpatients and outpatients all went through one of the two CT scanners on the first floor. Unfortunately, we were always waiting for one of them to be free. We needed to change our process efficiency, but it was not easy to determine the needs or find the right equipment.”
The Academic Medical Center
The Academic Medical Center (AMC) is one of the most prominent research institutions in the Netherlands and is one of its largest hospitals. It employs over 7,000 people, providing integrated patient care, fundamental and clinical scientific research, as well as teaching. The AMC complex houses the university hospital and the UvA faculty of medicine along with the Emma Children’s Hospital, the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, the Spinoza Center for Neuroimaging, the medical department of the Royal Tropical Institute and the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development. Numerous biotech companies and AMC spin-offs are also located on the site. As such, the AMC is a breeding ground for fruitful scientific collaboration. But with its 45 clinical and non-clinical departments, it is equally a medical center for all the existing medical specializations, providing outstanding patient services of all kinds, including a high percentage of high-quality referral care. About 26,000 patients are admitted to AMC wards each year, whilst the outpatient clinics see around 350,000 people annually. Day care – an intermediate form of care – is becoming increasingly popular: About 30,000 patients a year receive such care. In addition, the AMC is one of the Netherlands’ eleven trauma centers.
Life-saving efficiency
For Luitse, the main focus was to configure an imaging situation where patients could remain on the trauma table. This would minimize transportation and maximize process efficiency, helping save as many lives as possible. But having a dedicated CT scanner in the trauma bay would also be inefficient. It would also need to be available for use on other acute and regular patients as well. “In 2001, we heard about a Siemens CT imaging system in the operating room of a Japanese hospital that could move three meters forward. We agreed this cutting-edge invention could offer us a solution.” They started brainstorming over how they could scan trauma patients better, while also integrating other emergency and intensive care unit patients. A group of dedicated people from the radiology department, trauma surgery, emergency department, and anesthesiology unit all met up and discussed their specific needs. “To perform fully, we needed a CT that could move at least five meters backwards and forwards,” explains Luitse. “Our preference was for it to be set up in the middle of two rooms, sliding on rails from one to the other. The patients would remain on the table in their room, and as such we would bring healthcare to the patient. It was key that the functional design met the specific requirements of the polytrauma patient, not the standards of the medical staff or the hospital. The two-room emergency setup ensures that there is always one room free when an ambulance arrives. Much to our surprise, Siemens confirmed that they were ready to develop a CT-on-rails prototype for the AMC. The CT Sliding Gantry was born. From that moment on, the AMC was the first hospital in the world to possess a two-room emergency setup with sliding gantry CT.”
The view into the twin emergency room and its sliding gantry CT from the control room.
A pit stop for all patients
Beenen compares the evaluation and treatment of an emergency patient to a pit stop in Formula 1 racing, “One of the benefits of the sliding gantry is that speed is in the patient’s favor. Because when evaluating a trauma patient, time is critical, Time = Life,” Beenen states. “As in motor racing, evaluating a trauma patient is a team activity. Precise timing and perfect choreography of all the medical disciplinary teams involved is vital to saving lives. The more we work together, the faster we get, the better our chances of a good outcome. The CT-on-rails helped us develop this speed.
In the dual room, Beenen is eager to illustrate the setup from a patient’s perspective. “In a dual-room solution you can adapt at any time to the changing circumstances. Whenever a trauma CT is required, the gantry is slid across to the respective room. And when the trauma team is finished, the gantry is simply returned to the other room without further delay for the next patient. The patient is placed feet first towards the CT scanner, which makes it easier for the anesthesiologist to control airway, tubes, and other vital patient functions. The patient remains on the table during the scan, with the gantry moving over him or her – the flat rail system enables movement of the scanner at 120 mm/s with the same accuracy as regular CT scanners. All supporting devices, including conventional radiography, are ceiling-mounted. The first practical setup of the dual room back in 2003 had one routine CT room and one trauma room, with the CT scanner located primarily in the routine CT room. This first CT scanner was a SOMATOM Sensation 4 model, which was progressively upgraded to a 64-slice configuration in 2008. Following last year’s redesign of the ED, a brand new mirrored configuration with a 128-slice SOMATOM Definition AS+ system was installed. This provides complete flexibility, as both rooms can now receive all kinds of emergency and regular patients in a completely symmetrical two-room solution. Next to the trauma rooms, we also installed a Dual Source CT, a SOMATOM Force.”
Luitse points to a life support trolley and explains that it stays with the patient from his or her arrival until the end of treatment, eliminating several disconnection and reconnection times. “As the volume of patients increased, the more there was the need for speed,” the surgeon continues. “So we decided to connect the different tubes to the life support trolley. This reduces the overall trauma team by three people but gains us eight minutes. Our workflow is now very well developed, enabling us to provide therapy in less than 30 minutes.” Beenen continues: “For example, in acute ischemic stroke cases, every minute counts. Because of the direct availability of the sliding gantry CT the patient can be scanned within six minutes of arrival, resulting in a door-to-needle time of less than 30 minutes for most patients. This leads to significantly better patient outcomes. Now, being even more ambitious, we generally achieve times of less than 20 minutes. Once you realize that during a stroke, two million neurons are lost every minute, it becomes obvious how valuable it is to save time with the CT on rails.”
A twin emergency room
As Luitse explains, “Although of course it doesn’t happen all the time, in the most urgent cases we can scan two critical patients almost simultaneously, just one minute apart from each other. Whatever side the patient enters, the equipment is duplicated in each room with every single tool located in exactly the same place. Secondly, we made an investment in terms of electricity. It is equally important that both rooms have independent electricity networks.” This has meant that the entire trauma bay had to be restructured to meet the requirements of the new CT setup. Luitse concludes: “From a patient’s perspective, the tworoom solution is one of the best things we’ve ever had.”
This CT pit stop on rails, first imagined by Jan S. K. Luitse, MD, and his team back in 2000, was built and elaborated upon over several years. It has become the ultimate example of a new patient philosophy. It has made the Academic Medical Center (AMC) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, one of the highest performing and most prominent polytrauma emergency centers in the world. Every day, medical staff and researchers from all over the world visit the hospital to see for themselves and learn more about its novel patient concept. More importantly, the two-room sliding gantry concept provides an interdisciplinary, multifunctional, and costeffective patient approach, allowing the simultaneous treatment of different patients at the same time. There is a bright future ahead.
Erika Claessens has contributed as a journalist and editor to numerous print and online publications in Belgium and the Netherlands. Her principal topics are entrepreneurial innovation and technology. She works from Antwerp, Belgium.
SOMATOM CT Sliding Gantry Solution
Dual Source CT Scanner
The statements by Siemens Healthineers’ customers described herein are based on results that were achieved in the customer’s unique setting. Since there is no “typical” hospital and many variables exist (e.g., hospital size, case mix, level of IT adoption) there can be no guarantee that other customers will achieve the same results.
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Staten Island's Snug Harbor to host 'Sprinkler Fest'
Updated Aug 3, 2012 ; Posted Aug 3, 2012
By Staten Island Advance
View full sizeTerrence Smith of Livingston gets a lift from dad Eric Smith during last year's 'Sprinkler Fest' at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden. This year's event is scheduled for Aug. 10 at the Livingston cultural center. (Staten Island Advance)
By MARISA VINCIGUERRA
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Come and join in the free, fun-in-the sun event “ Sprinkler Fest” for children of all ages, hosted by the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden next Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
“Sprinkler Fest” will feature dozens of open sprinklers for children to run, skip or jump through — providing, of course, that the weather cooperates — and there will also be a dunk tank for downing members of the Snug Harbor staff on the one-acre of South Meadow.
The entertainment will include a PuppetMobile that will feature “ Bessie’s Big Shot”. The puppeteers will also conduct a workshop on how to make your own puppet creation and the art of puppetry.
There will also be musical entertainment to be provided by Patrick and the Rock-a- Silly Band.
Children should wear swimsuits or washable clothing. Accompanying adults are encouraged to bring beach chairs, umbrellas and towels.
A cooling center will be set up adjacent to the South Meadow in Building P for sporadic relief from the sun. Light refreshments will be available for purchase.
In case of rain, the event will be held the following Friday, Aug. 17.
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St. Lawrence College Music Theatre – Performance season kicks off with provocative and timely production
(Brockville, September 14, 2009) As the world braces for the coming flu season, St. Lawrence College Music Theatre – Performance students will present an historic play that will feel all too relevant to today’s audience.
Unity 1918, written by Kevin Kerr and winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award, opens at the Brockville Arts Centre on October 23, 2009. The play explores the events of 1918, when a world ravaged by four years of war was suddenly hit by a mysterious and deadly plague -- The Spanish Flu. More people died of this epidemic than had been killed in battle during the First World War.
As fear of the flu begins to fill the town of Unity with paranoia, drastic measures are taken. The town is quarantined in an attempt to keep the illness out. Trains are forbidden to stop, no one can enter and the borders are sealed. Mail from overseas is burned. But when all the precautions fail the citizens of Unity begin to turn on each other as they attempt to find a scapegoat for the crisis.
Serious, yet "painfully funny," according to the Globe and Mail, Unity 1918 features the graduates of 2009-10. The students had the unique experience of working on a theatrical piece that reflects both the past and the present.
"By exploring the past and our country’s reaction to a disturbing and catastrophic event, the students begin to understand their own mortality and the nature of their existence," said Michael Bianchin, director and program coordinator. "They have also begun to realize the importance of theatre and how it mirrors our lives in profound ways."
"There will always be events, like the swine flu, happening all over the world. I am very excited to work on Unity, as it brings these crisis situations out in the open makes think about what is going on around you, and not just in your own backyard," said third year student, Shannon Kearns.
Unity 1918 is playing October 23 and 24 at 8 pm.
The complete 2009-10 line-up includes:
December 3, 4, and 5 at 8 pm
December 6 at 2 pm
New Faces 2010
April 15, 16, 17 at 8 pm
April 17, 2 pm
Season sponsor is 1000 Islands Community Development Corporation, Media Sponsors, 104.9 JR FM and The Recorder and Times.
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Home > Northern Lights > The Inspiration of the Northern Lights
The Northern Lights have enchanted and intrigued people for millennia.
The Inspiration of the Northern Lights
admin, 3 weeks ago 4 min read 94
Hanging mysteriously in the sky, dancing with exotic colors and spectacular sweeps of light, it is hardly surprising that the Northern Lights have enchanted and mesmerized humankind for millennia. The aurora borealis have inspired endless myths and folklore in days gone by, and they still provide rich pickings for modern storytellers. So, let’s take a closer look at how the Northern Lights have influenced popular culture over the centuries.
Northern Lights Myths
The aurora has been around for a lot longer than our scientific understanding of the phenomena, and where there is no rational explanation for something, myths and stories will inevitably step in to fill the gap. With the aurora viewable from many different places in the Northern Hemisphere, many different explanations have existed.
The Greeks believed that Aurora was the sister of Helios and Selene, the gods of the sun and the moon, respectively, and that the lights resulted from her chariot racing across the sky to alert her siblings of the coming dawn. In China, the lights were the result of fire-breathing dragons, fighting high up in the atmosphere while the Estonians believed they were a magnificent carriage carrying celestial guests to a heavenly wedding.
In other cultures, the Northern Lights strongly associate with childbirth, with some Icelandic tribes believing that they relieve the pain of childbirth while the Japanese believed that a child conceived beneath the aurora would have good fortune. In Native American tribes, they represent everything from the fire of creation to the spirits of the dead while in Finland, they are allegedly caused by the firefox running across the ice so fast that he causes sparks to fly up into the sky.
The Northern Lights inspired Phillip Pullman’s trilogy, “His Dark Materials.”
Northern Lights Novels
British author Philip Pullman took up the idea of the Northern Lights having an association with the spirits of the dead in his trilogy of novels, “His Dark Materials.” For Pullman, the Northern Lights formed by a mysterious substance called “dust,” and they form a bridge between multiple realities. The first novel in the series originally called “The Northern Lights” (1995), released in America as “The Golden Compass.” “The Subtle Knife” (1997) and “The Amber Spyglass” (2000) followed. The first book became a major Hollywood movie, starring Nicole Kidman in 2007 and is currently a TV series by the BBC in Britain.
There have also been several other novels with the title Northern Lights by writers such as Tim O’Brien, Howard Norman, Jennifer Donnelly and the New York Times best-selling author, Nora Roberts.
Northern Lights Songs
Naturally, there are endless examples of native songs that reference to the aurora, but there are fewer songs from modern times. Many in the U.K. will be familiar with the 1978 single by Renaissance called “Northern Lights,” which spent 11 weeks in the charts, peaking at No. 10. However, while the track may conjure up images of the spectacular swirling aurora in the sky, it is thought that the “northern lights” in the lyrics indeed refer to the lights of Northern England, as seen from a plane departing for America.
Other Northern Lights References
The aurora has inspired a wide range of products, from the Canadian Northern Lights whiskey to a Northern Lights projector to recreate the aurora at home. You’ll find everything from a girls’ dress-up game called Northern Lights to a Northern Sky slots game full of stunning graphics. The U.K. named a train that travels to Aberdeen in the far north The Northern Lights while a Canadian crowdfunding gave the name to their proposed space mission to Mars.
These days, we may know the science behind the Northern Lights, as the Earth’s magnetic field deflects the solar wind, but that doesn’t make them any less magical or wonderful. They have provided inspiration for storytellers and songwriters since the dawn of time, and they will continue to do so for as long as they go on dancing across our skies. And you have to hope that they will be here for a long time to come because, without them, we wouldn’t be here!
This is a sponsored article.
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Senate Will Probe Saudi Distribution Of Hate Materials
Daily News Article — Posted on October 5, 2005
(by Meghan Clyne, Oct. 5, 2005, NYSun.com) WASHINGTON – The American government is demanding that Saudi Arabia account for its distribution of hate material to American mosques, as the State Department pressed Saudi officials for answers last week and as the Senate later this month plans to investigate the propagation of radical Wahhabism on American shores.
The flurry of activity comes months after a report from the Center for Religious Freedom discovered that dozens of mosques in major cities across the country, including New York, Washington, and Los Angeles, were distributing documents, bearing the seal of the government of Saudi Arabia, that incite Muslims to acts of violence and promote hatred of Jews and Christians.
A Washington-based group that is part of the human rights organization Freedom House, the Center for Religious Freedom also found during its yearlong study that the Saudi-produced materials describe democracy and America as un-Islamic. They instruct recent Muslim immigrants to consider Americans as enemies and the materials urge new arrivals to use their time here as preparation for jihad. The documents also promote the version of Islam officially embraced by Saudi government and several of the September 11, 2001, hijackers, Wahhabism, as the only authentic Islam.
In response to the Freedom House report and as part of the Saudi Arabia Accountability Act of 2005 sponsored by Senator Specter, a Republican of Pennsylvania, the Judiciary Committee – of which Senator Specter is chairman – will be holding hearings into the hate materials on October 25, a spokesman for the senator, William Reynolds, said yesterday.
The Accountability Act, introduced in June, says its purpose is “to halt Saudi support for institutions that fund, train, incite, encourage, or in any other way aid and abet terrorism, and to secure fully Saudi cooperation in the investigation of terrorist incidents.” The legislation is highly critical of the House of Saud for its support of terrorist activity and cites the January Freedom House report as evidence of the kingdom’s complicity in the spread of radical Islamist ideology. As part of the Accountability Act, Senator Specter has in the past held Judiciary Committee hearings into Saudi financing of terrorism and Saudi Arabia’s role in injecting ideology into textbooks for Palestinian Arab schoolchildren.
Many of the details of the Judiciary Committee hearing later this month, Mr. Reynolds said, are still being arranged, including a final witness list. In the meantime, the committee expects testimony from the State Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Freedom House, and terrorism experts. The committee will press to determine whether the Saudi government has taken steps to stop the distribution of the materials, and will cull from witnesses recommendations to prevent their future dissemination, Mr. Reynolds said.
Also demanding answers about the hate materials is the State Department’s undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs, Karen Hughes. During a high-profile trip to the Middle East last week, Ms. Hughes said American representatives had addressed the propagation of Saudi hate material in America during private meetings with government officials.
In a State Department briefing held en route to Ankara, Turkey, from Saudi Arabia last Tuesday, Ms. Hughes was asked why she had raised the issue that day during a public meeting with Saudi journalists, becoming the first American official to do so publicly. “We had been raising the issue privately,” Ms. Hughes said, “and as part of raising difficult issues that we need to discuss, I felt it was appropriate.” The undersecretary did not elaborate on the results of the private meetings, but the degree to which Saudi Arabia is making efforts to stop the propaganda will be a subject of the Senate hearings, Mr. Reynolds said.
Requests for comment from the Embassy of Saudi Arabia yesterday were not returned.
Reprinted here with permission from the New York Sun. Visit the website at www.nysun.com.
1. Define the following words as used in the article:
propogation, (para. 1)
incite, (para. 2)
abet, complicity (para. 5)
cull, dissemination (para. 6)
2. What will the U.S. Senate investigate later this week? Why will they do so?
3. How does Freedom House know that Saudi Arabia is responsible for the materials inciting Muslims in America to violence and hatred toward Jews, Christians and democracy?
4. List the four examples of hate ideology found in the Saudi sponsored materials. (para 2-3)
5. The Saudi-produced materials describe democracy and America as un-Islamic. If an American described Islam as un-democratic and un-American, what would probably happen to him? (For an example, click here and read paragraphs 2 and 9.) Is the Wahhabi form of Islam un-democratic and un-American? Explain your answer.
6. What is the purpose of the Saudi Arabia Accountability Act of 2005? (para. 5) (To read the entire document, click here.)
7. List 4 individuals/groups that will testify in the hearings regarding Saudi promotion of hate materials.
8. What are your thoughts on the Saudi government? Why is the U.S. government responsible to take decisive action in this matter?
For interesting insights into Wahhabism, do a search on:
www.jihadwatch.org or
www.memri.org
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Home Essays psychoanalysis
Topics: Bhagavad Gita, Krishna, Greek mythology Pages: 2 (463 words) Published: February 24, 2014
Trackside , Booze and Gyaan
I always had maintained a reputation of being a drunken philosopher, rum is my elixir for knowledge or to be specific OLD MONK is my “SOMRAS”. But today’s session was something else. It started with me and anoop starting to lecture tyagi. (that’s what we call our beloved Abhinav Tyagi whose mom had been our biggest support and best resource manager for our PSA……. Ohhh!!! How much Anoop envies Tyagi.) So just like any other day we started lecturing Tyagi about the cons about being a social outcast, to be a person who doesn’t speak or interact with the group of people he’s sitting with. And our tyagi takes it to the next level…..tyagi would prefer playing subway surfer with the latest update with a grin on his face like he’s gonna get laid tonight. Nevertheless, we ordered our somras (for future reference, I mean OLD MONK). Started drinking and how the conversation went from perks of being an extrovert …… to have a conviction…….. to our parents ka scolding…..to Mahabharata, is still a mystery to me. But that was the moment when I came to know or say had an epiphany about the true meaning of the proverb “EVERY COIN HAS TWO SIDES TO IT”. Which means, a thing which seems good also has its cons and a thing which seems bad also has its pros. So, if every atheist believes that god and religion can only spread and create riots and chaos, then there is an upside to it too. For instance, take mythological characters as superheroes of India. And practically every single child knows the line of spiderman-1 which goes like “WITH GREAT POWERS COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILTIES”, and everyone knows its meaning too. But, how many kids can quote bhagvad gita or a saying which Krishna or any other character from mythological stories had said. Hardly a few…. So the point I am trying to make is, mythological stories like Mahabharata, Ramayana can teach us a lot of things if we treat them as stories and ideology to live upto. Not do the exact same thing but...
Psychoanalysis Essay
...Psychoanalysis I- Introduction Psychoanalysis' definition. II- Body 1-Freud's theory on psychoanalysis. a- The conscious vs the unconscious. b- The id, ego, and superego. c- Oedipus complex. 2- Psychological Analysis of Young Goodman Brown. III- Conclusion. Prepared by: Manal Abdul Lateef. What is psychoanalysis?? Psychoanalysis is a name applied to a specific method of investigating unconscious mental processes and to a form of psychotherapy. The term refers, as well, to the systematic structure of psychoanalysis theory, which is based on the relation of conscious and unconscious psychological processes. Freud's theory on psychoanalysis. a- The conscious vs the unconscious. According to Freud, the mind can be divided into two main parts: 1. The conscious mind includes everything that we are aware of. This is the aspect of our mental processing that we can think and talk about rationally. A part of this includes our memory, which is not always part of consciousness but can be retrieved easily at any time and brought into our awareness. Freud called this ordinary memory the preconscious 2. The unconscious mind is a reservoir of feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that outside of our conscious awareness. Most of the contents of the unconscious are unacceptable or...
...were divided about what they should study and how they should study it. Four major schools developed. These schools were: structuralism, behaviorism, Gestalt psychology, and psychoanalysis. The last of which, the content of this paper refers to. Psychoanalysis is a method of analyzing psychic phenomena and treating emotional disorders that involves treatment sessions during which the patient is encouraged to talk freely about personal experiences and especially about early childhood and dreams (Feldman, 1999). Psychoanalysis is both a theory of mental functioning and a specific type of psychological treatment philosophy (Grünbaum, 1984). Freudian psychoanalysis refers to a specific type of treatment in which the analytic patient verbalizes thoughts, including free associations, fantasies, and dreams, from which the analyst formulates the unconscious conflicts causing the patient's symptoms and character problems, and interprets them for the patient to create insight for resolution of the problems (Hendrick, 1999). When psychoanalysis was started it was not in the shape of psychoanalysis. When it began, it was in the shape of hypnosis. When we look at the history of psychoanalysis, we find a few major influential figures- before Sigmund Feud-who contributed significantly to the development of psychoanalysis: viz Franz Anton Mesmer, The Nancy School- Liebault...
Metamorphosis Psychoanalysis Essay
...Bryan Leung Professor Feindert ENGWR 301 9 April 2014 A Psychoanalytical Criticism of The Metamorphosis The deeper meaning of “The Metamorphosis”, by Frank Kafka, can be interpreted in many ways depending on critical theory is used to examine it. From a feminist criticism, one can observe how Gregor’s dominance as a male diminishes after he becomes a bug as his sister’s strength and role in the family grows stronger. From a biographical criticism, one can compare and contrast the traits of Gregor and the people around him with that of Kafka’s own life and his relationships. However, the focus of this essay will be applying a psychoanalytical criticism to the characters in “The Metamorphosis”, using the studies of Sigmund Freud to approach the understanding of the story. If we look at the characters in “The Metamorphosis” as whole from a psychoanalytical point of view, the Samsa family as a whole can be seen as the mind and each member representing different components of it. The Mother represents the impulsive part of the mind that operates only along the lines of self pleasure and does not take into account of any consequences; the id. Gregor’s sister, Grete, represents the portion of the mind that aims for perfection by acting on morals and punishing misbehavior with feelings of guilt; the superego. The Father represents the logical portion of the mind that acts accordingly to reality in order to meet the needs of both the id and the superego in realistic ways;...
Psychoanalysis and Theories Essay
...mentally healthy people, it reiterates this point of humanist beliefs (Cherry). 2. Psychoanalysis is based on theories that people are controlled by instinct and other psychological factors. By stating the aggression is human instinct, the psychologist can already be ruled out as a behaviorist because behaviorist theories propose that inner thoughts or processes do not control actions. Humanism can also be ruled out as humanism promotes that people are controlled by their own destiny, so they do not agree that aggression is of general human nature. So, by assuming that this statement was made by a psychoanalyst due to the reference to “human nature,” would be most correct (Baird, 2010). 3. As previously stated, humanist theory suggests that human’s are in control of their own future, destiny, fate, etc. Humans maintain free will so actions such as cheating are by their own fault and they are responsible for actions committed; therefore this is most likely a humanist view (“Humanist Psychology”). 4. Behaviorism focuses on analyzing and observing objective forces, rather than the subjective ones. By doing so, they assume actions are only performed according to the physical environment in which the act is performed. So, “looking to the environment for clues…” would be a good basis on which the psychologist is promoting behaviorism (Baird, 2010). 5. By analyzing unconscious forces, psychoanalysis has theories suggesting a general human nature...
Psychoanalysis Response Essay
...psychoanalytic psychotherapists may be encouraging them to talk more freely about themselves and their pasts than they have before. The hope then is that they arrive at a place where they become more aware of their thoughts and feelings and that this awareness will lead to insight and change. For instance, an individual frightened by intimacy may avoid relationships because they have an unconscious fear of abandonment. A psychoanalytic therapist may be able to assist this person in learning the cause of their fear of closeness. The idea then is that if this client’s anxiety can be fully understood, it can also be resolved, and the client will then become more open to entering into a loving relationship. As a whole, or on its own, psychoanalysis, may not be the theory that I would use when working with someone who is struggling with chemical dependency issues. Everyone has a past that most likely has played a role in who they are, what they do, and how they feel today, but sometimes it is best left there. There is a difference between examining and working through past issues in order to bring about significant changes in maladaptive perceptions and endless sessions digging up the past and childhood wounds. Still, I do not believe that there is necessarily any one-size-fits-all approach. Treatment planning should vary depending on each individual’s unique characteristics, needs, goals and desires so that their counseling is appropriate and addresses...
Essay on Beatrice Hinkle/Psychoanalysis
...Hinkle, whose own interest in psychological processes led her to a medical degree and a psychoanalytic career. Beatrice overcome her grief for her husband through working hard, graduated from the medical school and became a talented and dedicated physician. She was appointed as San Francisco's city physician. This particular fact was very important in her career because this was the very first time a female doctor was given such a responsibility. Hinkle was the first woman physician in the country to hold a public health position. While working as a physician, Hinkle became very intrigued in the time's latest method of mental treatment: psychotherapy and the controversy created by Sigmund Freud and his psychoanalysis. Her curiosity and her search for more information about psychoanalysis resulted in a move to New York City (1905), where she soon became associated with Dr. Charles R. Dana who helped her to get familiar with the psychoanalytic theory. Hinkle's fascination with the human unconscious was so enormous that in 1908, both Hinkle and Dana, founded the country's first psychotherapeutic clinic at Cornell Medical School (McHenry, 1980). Hinkle's main goal was to personally meet the creator of the psychoanalytic theory, Sigmund Freud, so she went to Vienna in 1909 to study under Freud's guidance. However, Freud's lack of recognition to women's psychological autonomy led her to change her mind about Freud's understanding of the human...
Darwin's influence on psychoanalysis Essay
... Darwin’s Primal Influence on Psychoanalysis Charles Darwin’s substantially influential writing examines a vast rang of topics that were brought to the attention of many leading scholars throughout history. Darwin preceded Sigmund Freud and the invention of psychoanalysis by approximately 50 years. Through the exploration of Darwinian theory and the later development of psychoanalysis, it is clear that Charles Darwin’s theories had a profound influence of the development of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory. This becomes clear after analyzing such themes as sexual motivation through evolution, the Freudian ego, the connection between human and animal emotion, adaptive responses and the unconscious mind. Sexual Evolution and Motivation Darwin and Freud both evaluated the connection between biological traits and inheritance as expressed through social constructs, such as sexual impulses and desire. This theory manifests itself by examining human biology, neurology, evolution and applying it to expressed behavioural traits. A fundamental and intrinsic element of human behaviour stems from evolutionary adaptations in which basic desires are adapted through the recognition of success from earlier generations. Through this evolution, both Darwin and Freud placed an enormous emphasis on an individual’s desire for survival, the ultimate goal being self-preservation. Darwin and Freud’s...
Metaphysics: Psychoanalysis and Plato Essay
... Plato vs. Freud on Metaphysics Plato and Freud have made great strides in their respective fields of study. Both men have made a lasting impact on the way we now as humans view the world that we live in. Plato and Freud have similarities in views that they share but they also have some differences metaphysically. Plato believes that what is ultimately real are ideas, he believes that images are imperfect representations of the perfect concepts. While Freud believes what is physically real is by the evolution of man. Freud ultimately puts his faith in what he can see and analyze in front of him instead of what he cannot. Freud developed a “talking cure” which he would let the hysterical patient talk freely about the earliest occurrences which would then entirely eliminate the patient’s symptoms.”…developed the idea that many neuroses (phobias, hysterical paralysis and pains, some forms of paranoia, and so forth) had their origins in deeply traumatic experiences, which had occurred in the patient’s past but which were now forgotten–hidden from consciousness. The treatment was to enable the patient to recall the experience to consciousness, to confront it in a deep way both intellectually and emotionally, and in thus discharging it, to remove the underlying psychological causes of the neurotic symptoms.” Plato answers the question of metaphysics by saying of ideas and ideal forms and Freud answers the metaphysical question through his belief in human nature. For...
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Fantastic Fest: Allison Williams is using her celebrity image to create screwed up characters
@cuneform
Tag: The Perfection
Tag: Fantastic Fest
Tag: Fantastic Fest 2018
Tag: Allison Williams
"What's really fun about being an actor in 2018 is that it's [suddenly] a meta-profession," Allison Williams remarked over the weekend at Fantastic Fest. And Williams is no stranger to the self-referential in her work, having begun her acting career by playing a character on Girls that many people assumed contained more than traces of Williams' real personality.
Williams made the observation while sitting next to director Richard Shepard as the pair sat with a few reporters in Austin to break down their new grindhouse thriller The Perfection, which celebrated its world premiere over the weekend. The film is an intricately plotted, non-linear, gore-filled thrill ride that challenges audiences to rethink its characters several times over its 90-minute runtime.
"It used to be that actors would disappear between projects, and then when the studio was ready for the world to see them again, they'd take Elizabeth Taylor, put some batteries in her, and send her out," jokes Williams. "If she were a celebrity today, she'd be on the cover of Page Six Every. Single. Day. because of her antics," explained Williams, who is using the current state of celebrity to help inform her roles.
"Now I get to sort of bring all of the Connecticut/Yale graduate sheen into the roles that I play and either deploy it to my advantage, which was the case for Get Out, or against type for something like this. I can't wash it off. It's just sort of in me innately, so I might as well use it and have fun with it."
Having worked together previously on Girls, director Richard Shepard knew firsthand what Williams was capable of as an actor, and had written the part of Charlotte with her in mind. "I crafted it for her because I'm not [always] sure what she's thinking as an actor, and if you use that correctly it can be hugely helpful," says Shepard. "Sometimes you can just see everything and [she] can show you that, but also pull it back so you're not seeing all the cards."
Once Williams got the script, she describes it as being as "crazy on the page as you can imagine." In the film, she plays a former cello prodigy on the hunt for her former mentor and his new star pupil. "I finished it and I was, like, 'First of all, [Richard], are you okay? Am I okay because I want to do this?' I mean, the weirder the script, the more dangerous and third rail or whatever, that's the way to get me onto a movie."
Beyond the challenges of working on such a winding narrative that changes audiences' perceptions the longer it goes on, Williams was drawn to the character of Charlotte, who she describes as having "such flawed logic but such a good heart."
"[She's] trying to fight her way back to a sense of right and decency in the world that has never been offered to her by. I just saw her as someone who's on a mission and has been stuck in a moment in a stairwell for her entire adult life and has been able to think of little else."
Williams adds that her prior role as Rose in Jordan Peele's Get Out would inevitably help to shape the audience's opinion of her character.
"We sort of needed the baggage, so to speak, of Rose from the minute you see me on screen," she said. "You can't trust me. You have to be like, 'What is she up to? She's not all there. I don't trust her.' I hope that even for people that have never seen me before, but especially for people who saw Get Out. It's like, 'Great, throw all of that baggage in there. Don't trust me at all.'"
"One of the things [Richard] does incredibly well is he takes people who have that sheen on them and just pierces right through it," Williams continues. "Which I love, because I grew up around those people. So, just for me, cathartically, all these people who present so perfectly, and then they go home and you just know there's like bodies or orgies or whatever, that's the version of them I want to see."
Part of Shepard's sheen-piercing approach comes from his directorial style, which features intense, extended close-ups of his characters dominating the frame.
"If you're bullshitting in any way, it comes through. Especially if you're not doing it on purpose," says Williams. "But if you're bullshitting as a character when they're up close in a way that isn't visible to the naked eye, that's where Richard lives. He wants the audience to have that viewpoint into a very flawed but perfectly presenting person before the other characters in the movie get it."
The Perfection hasn't secured distribution as of this writing, and Shepard readily acknowledges the film could be a tough sell. However, both he and Williams knew that Fantastic Fest was the perfect place to unleash the movie on the world.
"One of the reasons why I come to this festival was to start a conversation about the film in a very specific way so that people could hear, 'Oh wow, people seem to dig it,'" says Shepard, who's kept all details about the plot under wraps, with only a single image from the film in circulation. "We really didn't want anything [else] because we're in a way hoping that the people who tweet about it and start talking about it are, like, 'What is this movie?'"
But it's the kind of restrained enthusiasm that Fantastic Fest crowds are known for that let both Shepard and Williams know that it was the perfect place to premiere The Perfection.
"The best thing about this crowd at this festival: It's such a spoiler-sensitive group," says Williams. "I feel like everyone in the audience last night knows all the rules about what you can and can't spoil, whereas if we screened it for like a bunch of people in New York City being like, 'Hey, it's 3:00 p.m. on a Tuesday, you want to come see a movie?' They'd walk out and be like, 'Here's the plot to the movie I just saw.' So it felt like a really good fit, because we didn't have that concern of walking into the movie and knowing that the cat's out of the bag."
Williams also gives a shout-out to fans who kept the plot of Get Out during its theatrical run last year. "People were really respectful of that. So I have personally benefited from that before. If people know the whole plot going into the movie, it's a different experience. Watching it a second time is fascinating and awesome in a whole different way, but that first experience of just not knowing is such a great theatrical experience to have with a group of people in a theater. So I want to preserve that."
Be sure to check out all of SYFY WIRE’s Fantastic Fest coverage all through the week.
Video of Dating Tips Learned From Horror Movies | SYFY WIRE
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Richard Sherman Is Better at Life Than You
I sat down and watched two football games yesterday for the first time in a couple of years. It was sort of like seeing your ex-wife for coffee. For 30 years of my life, Sunday afternoons in the Fall were the best time of the year. But given the NFL's tangled, and frankly indefensible, sense of morality, I left. Tom Brady and Peyton are like old friends, the last stars of my generation entering the twilight years of their career. I watched the Broncos win, and then I turned to see the real treat—Richard Sherman and the Seattle Seahawks.
Sherman is the best cornerback in football and loves to explain this, as he did to Erin Andrews last night after the game. There's some amount of consternation, and broad sense that Sherman is crazy. But Sherman isn't crazy, as Tommy Tomilson explains over at Forbes:
8. If you stick a microphone in a football player’s face seconds after he made a huge play to send his team to the Super Bowl, you shouldn’t be surprised if he’s a little amped up.
9. Ninety-nine percent of on-field interviews are boring and useless. The TV networks do them anyway for the 1 percent of the time they get a moment like Richard Sherman.
10. As a reporter and writer, that raw emotion — whatever form it takes — is exactly what I hope for. That’s why media people fight for access to locker rooms. After players and coaches cool off, most of them turn into Crash Davis, reading from the book of cliches.
11. But we — the media, and fans in general — don’t know what we want. We rip athletes for giving us boring quotes. But if they say what they actually feel, we rip them for spouting off or showing a lack of class.
12. It’s like we want them to be thinking, Well, that was a fine contest, and jolly good that we won. Which NO athlete is EVER thinking.
Much of what makes pro football so attractive is embodied in Sherman. There's the pure athletics of the play he made at the game. But behind there's the intelligence which Sherman employs on the field and off. It's worth checking out this video, where Sherman gives you some sense of how he prepares for game day (H/T Deadspin.) And then there's the raw emotion which you saw on display last night. You watch an NFL game and there's a sense that the total individual is competing in the ultimate team game. It remains a beautiful—and endangered—thing.
As a side-note, it's worth checking out Sherman's dismantling of Skip Bayless in the video above, "Skip, whenever you ever you address me, address me as 'All-Pro, Stanford Graduate.'"
There's something very English and debonair about it:
I'm intelligent enough and capable enough to understand that you are an ignorant, pompous, egotistical cretin ... I am going to crush you on here in front of everybody because I am tired of hearing about it.
Anyway, it was good to see the ex-wife again. It was also good to remember why I left.
Ta-Nehisi Coates is a national correspondent for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues. He is the author of The Beautiful Struggle, Between the World and Me, and We Were Eight Years in Power.
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Suicide and the Economy
"We never spoke of them. Why would we?" Learning the the truth about my great-grandfather, and 40,000 Americans during the Great Depression
Elizabeth MacBride
Job seekers, to the tune of 7,000 waited at the Charlestown, Massachusetts, Navy Yard, for 25 jobs and a place on a work list; April 3, 1939 (AP)
On April 12, 1937, the express train to New York roared across the New Jersey countryside. The train, a Pennsy Railroad electric locomotive the color of bull’s blood, usually passed through the station at Elizabeth at about 50 miles per hour. On this particular morning, it came to an unanticipated stop. As the express rounded the curve, my great-grandfather jumped down from the platform, where witnesses reported he had been pacing for 10 minutes, and lay down across the tracks.
When the engineer was finally able to halt the train 100 feet past the platform, Roy Humphrey had disappeared beneath its wheels. His last act: raising his head to look at the oncoming train.
Roy was one of at least 40,000 Americans who took their own lives that year and the next, the two-year span that suicide rate spiked to its highest recorded level ever: more than 150 per 1 million annually. They are forgotten people, mostly men, and mostly brushed out of existence by a generation preoccupied by World War II and the post-war boom. Three-quarters of a century after Roy’s death, I sat across from an old family friend, a woman in her 90s, who was eager to share stories of that monumental past – except when it came to my great-grandfather. When I finally asked her point blank if she had known him, her blue eyes focused.
“He killed himself, didn't he?” she asked, but it was more of a statement than a question. “Every family had a story like that. We never spoke of them. Why would we?”
My family had not only refused to speak of Roy, they rewrote the story of his death. Within hours, they closed ranks. A second cousin, a local policeman, told the newspaper Roy was subject to fainting spells. His mother said he died of a heart attack in a parking garage; according to another family story, he’d fallen in front of a train. Eventually, the lie became the truth. I flipped through the journals his mother wrote in 1950s. She mentioned Roy once, when a passerby reminded her of him. Then she went back later and whited out his name.
I didn't grow up knowing that Roy had killed himself, but I knew a shroud of mystery surrounded him. In 2008, just as the nation slipped into the Great Recession, the inconsistencies in the family story sent me in search of my great-grandfather.
I was working part-time at home and taking care of my two girls, 2 and 6. That part-time work turned out to be vulnerable in the economic collapse: My job was cut back. I had time on my hands. On a rainy Sunday in late September, I ignored the headlines about Lehman Bros. and looked up Roy’s name in the New York Times archives, instead.
ENDS LIFE UNDER TRAIN
Former Lawyer and Customs Inspector Lies Down on Track
Elizabeth, N.J., April 12.
Roy L. Humphrey, 41 years old, a former Washington, D.C., lawyer and for the last five years an inspector in the United States Customs Service, stationed at the Barge Office in Manhattan, was killed instantly when struck by a Philadelphia-New York express train at the Pennsylvania Railroad station here today. The accident delayed service on the east-bound tracks for about ten minutes.
Witnesses, according to police, said Mr. Humphrey stepped from the station platform and lay down on the tracks as the express approached the depot.
The victim was born in Washington and attended Georgetown University. He was a graduate of the National Law School in Washington and practiced in that city for some time. Surviving are his mother, Mrs. Katherine K. Humphrey, his widow, Mrs. Frances Humphrey, and a daughter, Nancy T. Humphrey.
I attached the clipping to an email I sent to Roy’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren, 13 people in all. What kind of anger could lead to an act by which he had forced someone else – the train engineer – to be complicit in his death?
As I began to look deeper into the story, I carried a couple of assumptions with me. First, I assumed there were likely to have been previous suicide attempts. Second, that Roy’s suicide was linked to the economy. Neither assumption is correct enough, as I learned by talking to Alan Berman, the executive director of the American Association of Suicidology. People see being suicidal as a long-term state of mind, but most people who survive a suicide attempt do not later die by suicide. Being suicidal is better understood not as a permanent state but as an acute mental crisis. In the cases of public suicides the people committing the act are probably in the grip of magical thinking.
“They think, ‘I will get attention in a world where I am feeling not attended'. What becomes magical is that they are dead; they will never feel attended,” Berman said.
An article I read brought this point home. The handful of people who survived the leap from the Golden Gate Bridge told interviewers that as soon as their feet left the bridge, they regretted the act.
My second assumption, that “the economy,” had somehow triggered Roy’s act, was not specific or concrete enough. When it comes to understanding suicide (or maybe anything), specificity is important. “If we can figure out that which five or six pathways lead to suicide, we can interrupt the pathway,” explained Berman.
Detailed studies of individual cases, or “psychological autopsies,” might help researchers draw conclusions about causes, but autopsies have not been done in large enough volume. So correlations are the best we can do, but they need to be as specific as possible. Suicide is not strongly correlated to the economy, but to unemployment. In the modern era, for every 1 percent increase in the unemployment rate, there has typically been an increase of about 1 percent in the number of suicides, according to Steve Stack, a professor at Wayne State University.
Men still, more than women, define their self-worth by how much money they make and their occupations. That partly goes to explain why the suicide rate is three times higher among men than women.
“Failure in the primary adult male role (economic success) is more visible and obvious than failure in the primary adult female role, which is diffuse (success in relationships). Males are more likely to feel like failures in their primary role and therefore are more likely to suicide,” Stack noted in a paper he wrote in 2000.
Before the Great Depression, my great-grandfather was on an upward trajectory. After Georgetown, he served in World War I on the Black Hawk, which laid mines in the North Sea. He married, earned a law degree, and went to work as an attorney in the D.C. courts. He and his wife, one of the first credentialed nutritionists, had one daughter, my grandmother.
In 1929 that upwardly mobile life came crashing down. He first lost his legal practice, and then his marriage. My great-grandmother went to live in a series of boarding houses, Roy moved back in with his mother, and my grandmother was sent to live with an aunt and uncle in Elizabeth.
By this point, I’d gone way too far not to keep going. I tacked a trip to Elizabeth on to my business travel to New York, and Aunt Laurie, the youngest of Roy’s three grandchildren, agreed to come.
I figured the local newspaper would have covered the suicide in more detail than the Times, so one of our first stops was the library built in Andrew Carnegie in the early 1900s to serve those who were “industrious and ambitious; not those who need everything done for them, but those who, being most anxious and able to help themselves, deserve and will be benefited by help from others.”
We opened the cracked glass doors of his grand structure to an unkempt lobby. Instead of the heavy wooden card catalogs that must have ruled the rooms 100 years ago, two- or three generations-old computers sat on folding tables. In Periodicals and Local History, the woman behind the desk looked up reluctantly from the National Enquirer’s cover story on Farrah Fawcett’s death: “Angel Gone.”
“We’re looking for the archives of the Journal,” I said, naming the local newspaper.
“You can look,” she said. “But you won’t find much, unless you have the date.”
“It’s not indexed?”
“No, not much,” she said, smiling widely.
“Luckily, we have the date,” I said.
She shuffled across the room in big green Crocs to unlock the room where the microfilm boxes were kept. We had to feed the loops five or 10 inches at a time, until I neared April 12, 1937.
“Oh my God, there it is,” Aunt Laurie said.
Dies Under Train In View of Crowd
Before a horrified group of passengers standing on the platform, a man about 60 years old, identified from papers found in his clothing as Roy L. Humphrey, of 238 Stiles Street, courted and met instant death when he laid down in front of a Philadelphia-New York express train.
The body was identified at the morgue, where police found a letter in his pockets, dated April 4, resigning from the customs service, and another dated April 8, asking to be reinstated.
Men out of work at the New York City docks, 1934. (Wikimedia)
The letters made me wonder about his job – which was a particularly terrible one, I discovered when I called a customs historian. When the historian heard that he had committed suicide – I was conscious even as I spoke that “committed” implies a crime – she said, “I’m so sorry.” The sympathy was for the stigma the act still carried, even 75 years later.
She told me how much of a comedown the job of customs inspector must have been for a lawyer. Inspectors in the New York harbor climbed swinging rope ladders up European ships, at all times and in all weather. Below decks were packed with animals. The fumes of dead or dying beasts killed some inspectors; others died in falls into polluted water.
Roy had only reluctantly taken the position: He had first been turned down for his hostility, “on account of his drinking, temperament, officiousness, antagonism and tactlessness,” paperwork I requested from the federal employees warehouse revealed.
After six months of sobriety Roy applied again, and was accepted. He did the job for five years before he lay down in front of the train.
I imagined the slow descent of his pride, as I sat in an old coffee shop in Greenwich Village, on the street where he lived before he moved to New Jersey. He had ordered coffee here, I felt sure. He looked at the paintings, looked at the statues, looked through these window panes. They were now so old the slow-motion liquidity showed.
I had gone to the train station in Elizabeth. I imagined Roy’s feet in formal black shoes and wondered if the sky that day had been the heartbreaking, beautiful cerulean that it sometimes is in early April.
Stigmas, of course, only have the power we give them. The stigma of unemployment helped send Roy and thousands of other forgotten men to their deaths – and still has an effect today. The suicide rates have spiked again following the onset of the Great Recession, rising to 124 per million in 2010 from 115 per million in 2007. The stigma of suicide is in effect, too: Some of those people will be forgotten.The salad came with two perfect black olives placed at the corner. I ate them at carefully regulated times, one when the plate was half empty and one when it was clean except for a slight sheen of oil. I thought, if only he had been able to see beyond that particular day; if only he could have seen that tomorrow would be a different day, perhaps his feet might have stayed on the platform instead of leaving it for the rail bed. Then my grandmother would have finished growing up with a father.
“For some people, that’s the best they can do: Live in denial,” said Judy Tunkle, a Baltimore-based therapist known for her work with survivors of suicide. “They just kind of leave the death of their loved one behind. It’s heartbreaking.”
The stigma of suicide changed the way my family communicated about and remembered Roy. Three women accompanied his body to Arlington for burial: his mother, his ex-wife and his daughter. As far as I knew, none of the three ever spoke of that trip or the circumstances of his death.
Tunkle said she finds people who deal with survivors’ guilt are those who learn to speak about the loss, gradually refining their narratives to include actions they took to help the person before he or she died. “I tell people the guilt is something they’re responsible for. The shame is something they’re living with.”
A family that communicates none of the loss damages probably itself, Tunkle said – which made me wonder, of course, what would have been different in my family had Roy not been brushed away. Gram, his mother, became a caregiver for the next generation of children, though the whiteout in her journal hints across the years at her guilt. Frances, his wife, continued her career, working as a nutritionist for a boy’s school in Baltimore. She fell in love with a married dean at American University and had an affair that lasted for 20 years. My grandmother married a soldier, raised three children and worked for the federal government. She always hated graveyards and never visited graves, which may explain why, when I found Roy’s grave at Arlington, I found the tombstone misspelled.
I called the cemetery to ask them to change it, expecting it would take months. After Aunt Laurie sent evidence of the correct spelling, the stone was corrected within a few weeks.
Not long ago, I asked my cousin if he wanted to see the new stone. He is a geologist at the University of Maryland. We are two of Roy’s descendants, a scientist and a writer, each in our own way devoted to the idea that the more we understand, the less we fear. The record stood corrected in a reassuringly solid and concrete way, with a recollection not of Roy’s death but of his life. Etched in marble, the words read: In Memory of Roy Lanier Humphrey, World War I.
Elizabeth MacBride is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, Newsweek, and Crain’s New York.
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College drops to 12th in U.S. News and World Report rankings
by The Dartmouth Senior Staff | 9/8/15 6:09pm
Jessica Avitabile/The Dartmouth Senior Staff
by Jessica Avitabile / The Dartmouth
Dartmouth is the 12th best university in the nation, according to the 2016 U.S. News and World Report rankings released Sept. 9.
The College edged up to second in U.S. News’ ranking of the institutions with best undergraduate teaching, an improvement of two positions from last year.
The College ranked 11th last year and 10th in 2013 in the best universities ranking.
U.S. News, which publishes among the most highly-watched university rankings in the nation, employed data from 2014 to generate this year’s rankings. Institutions from the Ivy League took the highest three positions and four out of the top seven, with Princeton University edging out Harvard University for the top slot in the ranking of best universities.
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News Policy & business Rail & marine
Eurostar releases breakdown report
By The Engineer 12th February 2010 4:52 pm 16th December 2015 12:08 pm
An independent report on the breakdown and subsequent chaos caused by five Eurostar trains breaking down in the Channel Tunnel before Christmas was released today.
The report, commissioned by Eurostar and complied by Christopher Garnett and French transport expert Claude Gressier, recommended engineering improvements on trains to make them better prepared for snow and – if the worse-case scenario were to occur – comprehensive plans for evacuating passengers out of the tunnel.
The review found that the trains were unprepared for the severe snow fall and weather conditions in the area between London and Paris. On December 18, when the first breakdown occurred, 40cm of snow had fallen around the Calais terminal in a short period of time.
While the first train to fail recovered quickly, four trains that followed throughout the night and into the next day broke down in rapid succession and passengers from two of them had to be evacuated onto Eurotunnel passenger shuttles inside the tunnel. This was the first time an event like this has happened in 15 years of operation.
The evacuation of the trains was carried out safely and efficiently, the report pointed out; however, it mentioned that it was likely a frightening experience for passengers still on the Eurostar trains when they lost power, and subsequently air conditioning and lighting.
Before any trains run again during similar weather conditions, the report suggests a thorough design review of the Eurostar’s power cars. According to the report, one of the major causes for power failure was likely to be condensation.
The difference in temperatures between the outside and inside of the tunnel, and the atmospheric humidity within it, creates condensation that builds up on equipment in the power cars and cuts out electricity.
The report also pointed out that snow likely got drawn into the vehicle by the ventilation fans and this probably reached the power equipment. It is believed that these problems were likely not fully recognised at the time when the Eurostar power cars were being designed.
The review has proposed winterisation measures, which include checking the adjustment of the snow filters that are installed behind the bodyside window and door ventilation slats. It also recommended additional snow prevention measures at other sensitive points, and adjustments on cabinet doors and covers of electronic equipment racks.
Other suggestions included reducing speed to 170km/h to avoid creating snow clouds that could creep into power cars and safety measures, such as checking the state of the power cars before entering the tunnel. It also stressed the need for temporary technical support onboard the trains during snow conditions.
One of the more stinging critiques in the report was the handling of the knock-on effects following the breakdowns on 18-19 December. Eurostar passengers faced major disruption as services were suspended for three days in the run up to Christmas.
With 30,000 passengers due to travel each day, the report recognised that Eurostar could not have arranged alternative transport for all passengers. However, it labelled contingency plans for assisting passengers as ‘insufficient’ and claimed those passengers were provided with ‘unsatisfactory’ information in the station, at call centres and on the company’s website.
In a joint statement following the release of the report, co-chairmen Christopher Garnett and Claude Gressier said: ‘In an emergency, passengers need to have prompt information and regular updates. Eurostar must improve the way it communicates with passengers and put in place new systems and practices to achieve that.’
Responding to the review, Eurostar said that it will be investing more than £30m over the next 18 months to further improve passenger care during disruption, customer communication both inside and outside the tunnel, and the resilience of trains during severe weather conditions.
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Barrie Hughes 15th February 2010 at 11:53 am
Eurostar sold off its Class 92 locos….these could have been used to haul the trains out of the tunnel. The EWS Class 92 freight locos at Dollands Moor could be contracted for rescue. Tests have been run with these locos hauling dead Eurostars.
Phil Mortimer 15th February 2010 at 3:09 pm
This scenario should have been foreseen. A similar fine snow problem caused problems on the US East Coast some years ago as the snow penetrated traction motors and caused failures. This resuklted in some technical changes and the problems did not recur. What is worrying is that Eurostar seem to have been supremely smug about the problems with passengers directly involved plus those whose journeys were so badly disrupted. I think someone at the top should consider their position. The failure lay in a lack of preparedness for eventualities that showed up. Not exactly rocket science.
Peter Langridge 15th February 2010 at 4:11 pm
In the commercial electronics world, where the assemblies are likely to encounter condensation, they are conformally coated with a waterproof ‘varnish’. Has this been done on Eurostar electronics, and if not why not?
Peter Field 15th February 2010 at 5:24 pm
Surely the electrics could have been designed that if condensation/faults occured in one of the two power cars (situated a quarter of a mile apart) then interlocks would allow the other one to have powered the train and propelled it safely to its destination. Presumably the front power car would stay clear of fine snow powder on each trip.
The shocking part is the inflexibility of modern train systems and lack of diesel traction instantaneous standby.
Neil Philip 16th February 2010 at 1:10 pm
Modern “high-tech” control technology has brought us many advantages including energy conservation. However, the cycle of weather conditions in Europe has not changed for centuries. Therefore, our engineers should have no problem in designing new equipment to cope with these known potential weather conditions. However, all too often modern electronics are simply not robust enough to deal with real world conditions. Therefore failures occur. Railway equipment in particular, needs to be constructed robustly enough to withstand the environment in which it is destined to operate.
Peter Brown 16th March 2010 at 6:14 pm
Firstly, perhaps railway electronics should be built to “defence standard”, ie, water proof.
Secondly, I gather that Eurotunnel, the tunnel operator was not entirely without problems, what have they learnt?
Finally, can the ventilation in the tunnel be boosted to reduce the humidity levels?
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The Sweetness and Light of Gabby Douglas
Helena Andrews
Joe Scarnici/Getty Images
(The Root) — There's something about Gabby.
Of course, the 16-year-old gold medalist is inspiring millions of little black girls for whom Dominique Dawes is relegated to YouTube clips. It's no big secret she's broken barriers of perception that persist despite evidence to the contrary. But there's more to this young woman who can fly than just her strength — it's her lightness that gets me.
The girl is sweet. There is joy in her eyes. Her smile is a given. Her positivity is downright Pollyanna-esque. She is, in short, a black female athlete not just with heart but with a heart as seemingly gold as the medal adorning it. She is allowed an innocence that so many black girls her age don't get to show, especially as one with an entire nation's expectations on her shoulders. But instead of hardening to the task, Gabby Douglas seems to be lifted by it.
In an interview with the New York Times, she sounds like a teenager with declarations like "Holy cow!" and "Oh, snap." When explaining her initial lack of focus, Gabby could be any 16-year-old: "It's very tough for me to focus," she said. "I'm like, 'Look, something shiny! No, focus. Oh, there goes a butterfly!' "
Just reading that interview made me smile, made me wonder how this young woman has managed to hold on to a piece of her childhood innocence like a talisman. Her Facebook and Twitter pages are all exclamation points, smiley faces and OMGs. Even the way she handled the overblown coverage of criticism surrounding her hair was more schoolgirl than schooled.
"Are you kidding me? I just made history. And you're focusing on my hair? I just want to say, we're all beautiful inside out. I don't think people should be worried about that. Nothing is going to change," she said in an interview with USA Today.
What's so smile-inducing about Gabby is that so often, black women aren't allowed access to the innocence that other young women get to experience by right of their youth.
In my essay on "Reserve" in Black Cool, I write: "There's something curious that happens to Black girls on their way to puberty: We disappear into an imaginary telephone booth and emerge as miniature superheroes. Hit by a speeding bullet of outside forces — race-based sexism and society's impossible expectations — former civilians begin to take cover behind an ancient mask of impenetrability. Our secret identity — sweet, innocent, approachable — becomes just that, a secret."
Scholar Michael Eric Dyson describes something similar in his introduction to Touré's Who's Afraid of Post Blackness? Dyson writes of the world's most visible black woman, Oprah: "Like most Black folk, Oprah found the batteries of Blackness included at birth, and ripped open the packaging and slid them in and started using the instrument of race before reading the manual."
My phone booth and Dyson's battery pack are comparable memes. Both are involuntary responses to racial identity that are passed down without comment or critique. We just do it.
Black men and women alike are changed by the "battery pack," but black women go into the telephone booth alone, like a butterfly in a cocoon. But instead of coming out lighter, we more often than not emerge weighted down. And it's that moment of transformation that fascinates me. When do black girls go from being blank slates to the bathroom walls, graffitied with everyone else's slander?
Take my goddaughters. At 10 and 7, they are little girls in the most literal sense. They like playing pretend, playing in my hair and playing with my iPad. Last summer on an especially hot day, they noticed a box of hot cocoa on my kitchen counter and begged for some. When I suggested that it wasn't the right time of year for a steaming mug of anything, they protested in perfect unison, "It's always time for hot chocolate!" And I carried the hope in that sentence with me for weeks.
I don't want them to change, but I see it happening. At 7 years old, Anna, the youngest, still loves a good secret. She still wants to cut into every conversation I have with her mom, vying for my attention and begging me to look at her "doing stuff." We had tea after the ballet a few weeks ago, and Anna declared it "a girl's night out!" It was three in the afternoon.
Nancy, 10, is already sort of over it. She sits up straight without being asked and is content to eavesdrop on an adult conversation, nodding in agreement to punch lines she can't have understood. Her schooled nonchalance is almost unnerving. More than just maturing like any other little girl, Nancy is dumping her naiveté as if it's nuclear. I look at her and think, when did this happen?
That's the question, among others, I plan to ask every woman I interview for a new book I'm working on. When did it happen? When did you disappear into the phone booth? When did you go from just being a girl to being a black girl? Was the transition painless? And do you miss it — the levity other girls-cum-women get to slip into that we seem to be barred from?
When did you stop being like Gabby Douglas?
"I have an advantage because I'm the underdog and I'm black and no one thinks I'd ever win," she told the New York Times last week. "Well, I'm going to inspire so many people. Everybody will be talking about, how did she come up so fast? But I'm ready to shine."
The shine part Gabby has down, and that's what I'm hoping rubs off on the rest of us.
Helena Andrews is a contributing editor at The Root and author of Bitch Is the New Black, a memoir in essays. Follow her on Twitter.
'Brown Skin Girl' Was Bound to Be Our New Anti-Colorism Anthem...But It's Also Blue Ivy's 1st Writing Credit!
Maiysha Kai
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Burlington man lit up Christmas season
By Alina BykovaStaff Reporter
Wed., Dec. 20, 2017timer3 min. read
Burlington community mourns man famous for Christmas light displays
A Burlington community is mourning after the death of a longtime resident known for his impressive holiday displays.
Doug Musson and his family moved to 3360 Spruce Ave. in Burlington in 1976, an address that became famous over the years for its elaborate Christmas light decorations.
He died Monday evening at the age of 82 after falling from a ladder while inspecting a part of the house.
The Mussons had already started a holiday decorating tradition when they lived in Calgary, and they brought it with them when they relocated.
“It started with a few strings outlining the house. Next a few wired form reindeers were added,” his son Scott wrote in an online post. “When we noticed that people would stop and look at the lights we realized that we weren’t the only ones who enjoyed Christmas lights. That gave us the spark to get things really going.”
The intricate displays grew from there. First the family decided to outline the house, and then filled in the space in between. Next, Musson began custom-building decorations and welding them together, and attached lights to them to bring them to life.
“Every year we added more figures. In 1997 I decided to animate some of the figures with a light controller used by DJs. We got a dragon to wag its tail, soldiers salute, wheels to spin and fire to leave the dragon’s mouth and even a melting snowman,” wrote his son.
After his father’s death, Scott wrote a post on the family website and said this could be the final year they put up the lights.
“Our family is devastated. I debated even turning off the lights but decided he would want them on and he worked hard on making all of the displays,” he said. “Dad was the breadwinner of the family with a small business providing the only income to this family and we will be financially devastated. Any contributions would be appreciated.”
Musson’s son Scott is a former doctor. He was stripped of his medical license in 2001 by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. The college found he had sexually abused four teenage boys.
When reached by the Star about the ruling, Scott said he wanted to “keep this whole thing on a positive happy level for people. It’s my dad and my mom that are being affected, I just happen to be their son.”
Since Monday, though, a GoFundMe page for the Mussons was started, and got $7,730 in donations, surpassing its $5,000 goal.
The page description asked locals to donate to help the family in a time of tragedy and need, and also for “the hope to keep the lights aglow in memory of the man who made everyone’s Christmas around him merry and bright.”
177 people helped surpass the goal in 16 hours, according to the page.
“Visiting this home has been a tradition since I was a little girl and it breaks my heart to hear of this tragedy in the community, and especially so close to Christmas,” wrote one donor. “I know the entire Burlington community is here to support you in your time of need.”
Many other contributors also commented and said they’d visited the house for years, some since childhood, and that it brought joy into their lives during the holidays.
Scott said he didn’t know who made the page but he is surprised and grateful.
“People have been so loving since this. Someone we don’t even know set up a GoFundMe page to help us. I’m shocked at the love expressed by our community,” he said in an email.
Even Rick Goldring, the mayor of Burlington, tweeted his condolences.
“This is devastating news. Doug and the Musson family have provided #BurlON with a wonderful display of Christmas Lights on their home for many,many years. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Musson family,” he said.
A Facebook page has also been created to set dates for when community members can come to pay their respects. About 1,000 people are interested so far.
“Why do we go to all the work of putting up these lights? Well, if no one came to see them we would stop doing them,” Scott said at the end of his post. “We do it as a celebration of Christmas. We do it to give something back to our community. We do it to bring smiles on people’s faces.”
The lights will be up until New Year’s Day.
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Fan favorites face death on Sunday's 'Game of Thrones'
David Gaffen
Published: Apr 26 at 5:06 a.m.
By David Gaffen
(Reuters) - This Sunday's episode of HBO's juggernaut "Game of Thrones" is expected to bring death - a lot of it.
The fantasy series, an adaptation of George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series of novels, is rapidly approaching its conclusion in its eighth season, with only four episodes remaining before it ends its run as one of the cable network's most successful shows in its history.
With that comes the wind-down of the show's key conflict - between those living in its medieval-fantasy society and an army led by the Night King, a blue-eyed humanoid creature from icy wastes in the far north who has the ability to raise and control the dead.
Shocking, unexpected deaths were the calling card for Game of Thrones for several seasons, beginning with the demise of its primary character, Eddard Stark, lord of the castle of the fictional locale of Winterfell. He was played by "Lord of the Rings" star Sean Bean, who featured heavily in the show's marketing when it premiered in 2011.
Several other characters met unexpected ends in the seasons that followed, often in gruesome ways, such as season three's "Red Wedding," which featured the massacre of Eddard Stark's wife and son and numerous allies at what was supposed to be a celebratory marriage. Major character Jon Snow was stabbed to death at the end of season five but was brought back to life in season six in one of the show's most talked-about moments.
But the frequency of deaths that kept viewers off-balance has diminished in more recent seasons, and most key characters have survived.
That is likely to change with this Sunday's episode, the third of six in this season. On gaming websites and Game of Thrones-themed message boards, pools have cropped up speculating which characters will die this week.
"It's going to be a bloodbath, but we're going to love it. That's one of the reasons why we love Game of Thrones," said Susan Miller, editor-in-chief of Watchers on the Wall, one of the best-known blogs about the show.
Most of the previous episode focused on the remaining characters gathered at the Starks' home in Winterfell contemplating their existence prior to an impending assault by the Night King's army.
Keeping track of the characters who could see their stories end is difficult at times: the show has featured more than 100 major speaking roles during its run, and even now more than 20 notable characters are all in the same locale. This Sunday's episode will run more than 80 minutes, making it one of the longest of the series.
Among the characters most in danger:
THEON GREYJOY: Played by Alfie Allen, he was raised by Eddard Stark in Winterfell as a ward, but later betrayed his adoptive family and seized the castle. Now he is set to defend it. Bets on Sportsbetting.ag, an online sports betting site, put 4-to-1 odds on him dying first, highest of any character mentioned (a $100 bet pays out $400).
JAIME LANNISTER: This character, played by Danish actor Nikolaj Coster Waldau, is a knight who fathered several illegitimate children with his sister, Cersei, now the queen (played by Lena Headey). Odds on him dying first are 5-to-1.
BRIENNE OF TARTH: Played by Gwendoline Christie - who also appeared in the recent "Star Wars" films - she was the first woman knighted in the show's Seven Kingdoms. She fetches 12-to-1 odds on dying first, according to Sportsbetting.ag.
(Reporting by David Gaffen, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
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New Zealand Attack
MI5 investigates New Zealand shooter
The security service reviews links between the New Zealand gunman and right-wing extremists in Britain
Bernard Lagan, Sydney | David Brown | Fariha Karim | John Simpson
March 16 2019, 6:30am, The Times
A man relaying news of the victims outside Al Noor Mosque in ChristchurchMARK BAKER/AP
A white supremacist who led a gun attack on mosques in New Zealand in which at least 49 people were killed is being investigated over possible links to right-wing extremists in Britain.
Shortly before the killings Brenton Tarrant published a “manifesto” in which he said that he had been inspired by Islamophobic violence in Britain, including the attack on a mosque in Finsbury Park, London.
MI5 is leading the inquiry into the terrorist’s links in Britain after he called for his followers to kill Sadiq Khan, the Muslim mayor of London.
Tarrant, a 28-year-old Australian, broadcast his attack live on social media and began it by shouting: “This is for Europe.” He later appeared in court charged with murder and was remanded in custody until…
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Home World Americas A Georgia girl has died after her 4-year-old brother accidentally shot her,...
A Georgia girl has died after her 4-year-old brother accidentally shot her, authorities say
A 6-year-old Georgia girl died this week after her 4-year-old brother accidentally shot her in the head in a car outside their home, authorities said.
The girl, identified as Millie Drew Kelly on a GoFundMe site set up for the family, was shot Monday evening at their subdivision about a 40-minute drive northwest of downtown Atlanta, the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office said.
The siblings were in a car in their driveway, preparing to go to the boy’s baseball game, when the vehicle failed to start. The mother exited to try to find out what was wrong with the car, authorities said.
The boy took a gun from the car’s console and accidentally fired it while his mother was outside, striking his sister in the head, the sheriff’s office said.
Emergency responders were called and took her to an Atlanta-area hospital. Two days later, detectives learned the girl had died, the sheriff’s office said.
Detectives determined that no charges will be filed.
“It’s just a really sad situation,” sheriff’s Sgt. Ashley Henson said Saturday morning. “Just based on all the evidence and the entire situation, we felt like charges were not warranted in this particular case.”
Sheriff Gary Gulledge said that his officers’ “hearts break for this family, and we hope God puts his healing hands around them during this difficult time.”
“We want to remind everyone to keep their firearms unloaded and secured in an area away from children to ensure that this never happens again,” Gulledge said in a news release.
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Home World Africa Google Doodle honors jazz legend and anti-apartheid hero Hugh Masekela
Google Doodle honors jazz legend and anti-apartheid hero Hugh Masekela
Google has created a doodle in honor of jazz legend and anti-apartheid hero Hugh Masekela on what would have been his 80th birthday.
Known as the father of South African jazz, the trumpet master channeled the struggle against apartheid into soulful compositions that championed the experiences of ordinary South Africans.
Masekela died one year ago in January, a few months shy of his 79th birthday.
Also known affectionately in South Africa as Bra Hugh, Masekela was born in the town of Witbank on April 4 1939.
His image was featured prominently Thursday on Google homepages in the UK, US, South Africa and a few other countries worldwide.
“Today’s Doodle celebrates the world-renowned South African trumpeter, singer, bandleader, composer, and human rights advocate Hugh Masekela,” a Google said in a blog post. “Born 80 years ago today in the coal-mining town of Witbank, South Africa, Masakela got his first horn at age 14.”
Masekela performs at the FIFA World Cup Kick-off Celebration Concert in June 2010 in Johannesburg.
In 1960, at the age of 21, Masekela left South Africa to begin what would be 30 years in exile from the land of his birth. On arrival in New York he enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music.
He immersed himself in the New York jazz scene, watching jazz greats such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
The Grammy-nominated artist toured with Paul Simon and was a major player on the jazz and world music scene for decades.
Masekela’s 1986 “Bring Him Back Home” song, written for Nelson Mandela, became an anthem of the 1980s anti-apartheid movement.
Masekela performs in a concert in New York in April 2014.
His career spanned five decades, during which time he released over 40 albums and worked with a range of artists including Nigeria’s Fela Kuti, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and his former wife, the late Miriam Makeba.
In 1990 Masekela returned home to South Africa, following the release of Mandela from prison.
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Opinion Genocide: America says ‘Never Again,’ but keeps turning a blind eye
Genocide: America says ‘Never Again,’ but keeps turning a blind eye
Gerald Caplan , Samuel Totten and Amanda Grzyb
Published April 25, 2013 Updated April 7, 2018
If it's April, it must be "Never Again" time once more. You hear this solemn pledge a lot every April, since the month commemorates not only Holocaust Remembrance Day but the official anniversaries of both the Armenian and Rwandan genocides. Leaders at every level seem to love hearing themselves declare "Never Again." But those who mean it have no power and those with power never mean it. The record speaks for itself.
Last April, in a speech at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, President Barack Obama proudly announced his establishment of the Atrocities Prevention Board. "Last year, in the first-ever presidential directive on this challenge, I made it clear that 'preventing mass atrocities and genocide is a core national security interest and a core moral responsibility of the United States of America….' Now we're doing something more. We're making sure that the United States government has the structures, the mechanisms to better prevent and respond to mass atrocities."
Alas, we've heard these noble promises before from his predecessors. In 1979, having spent the previous three years doing nothing to stop the Cambodian genocide, Jimmy Carter swore that "never again will the world stand silent... fail to act in time to prevent this terrible act of genocide." And then Ronald Reagan: "I say in a forthright voice, Never Again!" Yet he was an enthusiastic backer of Guatemalan president Rios Montt, now on trial for genocide against his own people, while renewing the U.S. alliance with Iraq's Saddam Hussein even while Saddam was gassing the people of Halabja – the precise genocidal crime for which he was to be tried, had he lived.
George H. W. Bush told the world that his visit to Auschwitz left him "with the determination not just to remember but also to act." Yet his silence as Serbia attempted to ethnically cleanse Bosnia was so thunderous that his rival in the 1992 campaign declared, "If the horrors of the Holocaust taught us anything, it is the high cost of remaining silent and paralyzed in the face of genocide."
That same Bill Clinton went even further. Opening the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, Mr. Clinton proclaimed that the U.S. had done too little to stop the Holocaust. "We must not permit that to happen again." That was April, 1993. Precisely one year later, for the crassest of partisan political reasons, his administration chose to allow perhaps a million Rwandan Tutsi to be slaughtered in one of the purest genocides on record.
As for George W. Bush, he declared the Sudanese government guilty of committing genocide against the people of Darfur while working closely with that same government on his "War on Terror." And so to Barack Obama, for whom so many held out so much hope.
Following these precedents, Mr. Obama's Atrocities Prevention Board seems to have accomplished little to nothing over the past twelve months. A completely secretive organism, it has not even issued any pronouncements in regard to the world's ongoing humanitarian crises, not least the Government of Sudan's daily bombings for the past year and a half against its own people in the Nuba mountains and in Blue Nile State.
This silence is doubly confounding given that the chair of the APB was Samantha Power, whose bestselling book A Problem from Hell: America in the Age of Genocide was instrumental in documenting America's repeated failures to pay more than lip service to "Never Again."
Members of the APB have even refused to respond to the pleas of more than 50 scholars of genocide studies and human rights activists (including us) in regard to the ongoing crisis in the Nuba Mountains. In a letter to Ms. Power in December 2012, they conveyed their deep concern that the people of the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile were not only being targeted daily by the Sudan government's Antonov bombers but were also starving, having been forced off their farms and into the hinterland and caves of nearby mountains. The letter called on the APB to urge President Obama and the United Nations to support the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to allow aid workers to deliver food to those Nuban civilians suffering from hunger and, in some cases, outright starvation. We received no reply; the Nubans received no assistance.
The story of the American record of failure is also the world's failure, as demonstrated most flagrantly over the years by the Permanent Five members of the United Nations Security Council. What was learned through the tragedies of Rwanda and Srebrenica and Darfur was that the national interests of China, Russia, France, the United States and the United Kingdom trumped any humanitarian obligations set down in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide. So genocide prevention activists pushed for more declarations, more structures, more early-warning systems. The General Assembly's Responsibility To Protect was one result, the American APB another, the UN Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of genocide yet a third. Non-governmental organizations dedicated to genocide prevention and academics refining the tools of early warning have proliferated.
Yet in the end, all the formalities in the world are moot unless those with the power to stop atrocities also have the will to do so. As the sad case of the Nubans attest, the will remains as elusive now as it did 19 years ago in Rwanda. That's the reality this April, as it has been for so many Aprils past.
Gerald Caplan is author of The 1994 Genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda, Rwanda: The Preventable Genocide and The Betrayal of Africa. Samuel Totten is Professor Emeritus at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. He is the author of Genocide by Attrition: Nuba Mountains, Sudan (Transaction Publishers, 2012). He was last in the war-torn Nuba Mountains this past December and January. Amanda Grzyb is Assistant Professor of Information and Media Studies at the University of Western Ontario, where her teaching and research focuses on media and genocide. She is editor of The World and Darfur: International Response to Crimes Against Humanity in Western Sudan.
For Rwanda’s survivors, there is no such thing as tragedy fatigue
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Britons named world's biggest emitters of CO2 from air travel
Thair Shaikh
Wed 10 Oct 2007 14.13 EDT First published on Wed 10 Oct 2007 14.13 EDT
Britons produce more carbon emissions from air travel a head than any other country, a study reveals today, citing the country's predilection for low-cost airlines as a major factor.
The average carbon emission for each British flyer was 603kg (1329lb) a year, more than a third higher than Ireland in second place with 434kg and more than double that of the US at 275kg, in third place.
Wetter summers and easier access to air travel were also blamed for the increasing greenhouse gas emissions by British air travellers, according to the report by Global TGI, a market research company, which studied 20 countries with high rates of air travel.
Geoff Wicken, a spokesman for Global TGI, said: "There are clearly a number of reasons for it, some of which include the British weather and people wanting to get away from that, some of which are to do with our being an island. But the rapid growth in low-cost flying has undoubtedly been a factor."
The figures will put the government under renewed pressure to clamp down on air travel to meet its targets to reduce emissions. Although the government has pledged to cut carbon emissions as part of its fight against global warming, it has supported airport expansion.
Delivering his budget report yesterday, Alistair Darling announced measures to tackle climate change, including switching air taxes from individual passengers to airline flights to encourage more efficient use of planes. He also said that air travel, which contributes 6.3% of the UK's carbon emissions, should be part of the EU's emissions trading scheme.
Several studies have shown that the aviation industry is rapidly becoming a major contributor to global warming. Over the past 30 years air passengers in Britain have increased fivefold.
The government's own figures support the notion that air travel is more harmful to the environment. Defra calculated that rail journeys produce 0.04kg of carbon dioxide for each passenger kilometre.
For longhaul flights it is 0.11kg, while short-haul flights produce 0.15kg. That would make a flight from London to Paris about four times as polluting as a train journey. Cheap shorthaul flights offered by airlines are now in direct competition with trains to European destinations such as Paris and also big cities in the Britain such as Manchester and Edinburgh.
Scientists say carbon emissions in the atmosphere are at least twice as harmful to the environment as those at sea level.
But overall, US adults have the biggest annual travel carbon footprint in the world at 7.8 tonnes, more than double France's 3.7 tonnes, which comes in at number two. Third on the list, at 3.1 tonnes, is Britain.
The study calculated air emissions by adding up the number of long and short haul flights taken. It arrived at road emissions figures by determining the amount of fuel consumed.
· This article was amended on Thursday October 11 2007. We said that the average carbon emission for each British flyer is 603kg and converted this to 95lb. In fact 603kg is 1329lb. This has been corrected.
Airline industry
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Which are better: open carry or concealed carry laws?
Posted November 4, 2015 12:25 am by R.P. Mcmurphy Comments
By Patriot Outdoor News
Which do you like better, concealed or open carry?
Michigan is debating a law that would permit concealed carry in schools but ban open carry.
Many concealed-carry supporters support the legislation as a compromise that would clarify a conflicting web of laws and court precedents on firearms while ensuring that guns could still be taken into schools.
“This is a very unusual bill in that it’s being attacked by the usual suspects — all the Bloomberg groups — and it’s also being attacked by some of the open-carry groups,” said Steve Dulan, a board member for the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners, which supports the bills. “We expect all the folks in the matching T-shirts to be against it. We didn’t necessarily expect some of the guys wearing guns to be against it.”
The Legislature passed a similar bill three years ago, but it was vetoed by Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, who has said individual school districts should have the option of banning guns altogether.
Many other gun owners prefer concealed carry, because it is more subtle and allows law-abiding gun owners to maintain an element …Read the Rest
Source:: Patriot Outdoor News
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The Arms Race
Bodybuilding and the Muscular Dead-End
by Stephanie Hayes
Illustration by Casey Friedman
“This is unacceptable,” said Arnold Schwarzenegger, placing emphasis on all the wrong syllables. “We don’t want to see the biggest guy out there, we want to see the most beautiful man, the most athletic man out there on stage.”
At this year’s Arnold Classic—an annual ‘sporting’ festival that includes a bodybuilding portion—the competition’s namesake took to the stage to express his disgust at the immense physiques winning bodybuilding contests today. The seven-time Mr. Olympia, action film star, and politician claimed that these bodies were so big, they were no longer beautiful, no longer something to aspire to. “Look at the old days when Steeve Reeves won,” he urged the audience.” When Steeve Reeves won and you saw him on the beach, you’d say to yourself: ‘I would love to have this guy’s body.’ But that’s not what you can say about the guys today who win those competitions.”
Schwarzenegger criticized the builders’ thick necks, their distended guts—a telltale sign of human growth hormone use—and their generally poor proportions. But most of all he criticized the judges. “Let’s say I’m a judge... the question [would be]: ‘whose body do I want to have?’” He continued: “We have to make sure that we’re rewarding the right guys. Because if you reward the right guys, then everyone will start training to have a beautiful body again, rather than…” he paused and with a face of disgust added, “a power lifter’s body…” The audience erupted in applause and laughter.
This remarkable speech went thoroughly unremarked in the media—an unsurprising outcome given bodybuilding’s steady decline from public view since Ahnuld’s time, due to its failure to produce another figure of his stature. Yet, if we ignore the fact that it was Schwarzenegger and his peers who began this literal arms race in the first place, and his use of the word “athletic” to describe these bodies—what’s the athletic component of bodybuilding, exactly? The carefully choreographed posing? The preening? The fake-tanning?—he has a point. Bodybuilders often invoke the language of sculpture to describe their physiques, but the professionals today have bodies Michelangelo could only dream up on hard drugs, locked away for months with a vacuum pump and a few copies of Flex magazine. Since the introduction of steroids in the 70s, bodybuilding has become a battle for the biggest biceps, and it’s reached the point where the bodies hitting the stage are completely undesirable to the vast majority of people—and even, apparently, to Schwarzenegger. This is significant not just for the subculture and its ardent followers, but, I would argue, for regular men. Though extreme and disgusting to some, bodybuilders aren’t separate from regular men; they’re simply the extreme end of the same muscular spectrum, the eerie conclusion of the widespread push in recent decades towards an increasingly muscular body, a sign that perhaps this muscle madness has gone too far.
But first, let’s backtrack a little. If you’re unfamiliar with bodybuilding, this whole spiel probably seems ridiculous. I imagine you were tripped up by Schwarzenegger’s assertion that the physiques winning bodybuilding competitions were or could ever be aspirational or “beautiful.” If this is the case, I’d encourage you to Google Charles Atlas, who was dubbed “The World’s Most Perfectly Developed Man” by Physical Culture magazine in the 20s, and whose physique managed to sell thousands of copies of his mail-order fitness regime. In the 50s, there was Steve Reeves, the bodybuilder-turned-film star who, at the peak of his career, was the highest paid actor in Europe.
Then along came deca and Dianabol—the most popular anabolic steroids of the 60s and 70s—and, with them, a bigger, buffer, and previously unfathomable physique. At his peak, Schwarzenegger had pecs roughly the size of his own head and a chest that appeared to have been inflated with a bike pump. He was so lean that his skin, thin as Bible paper, looked like it’d been shrink-wrapped to his frame. In 1977, Schwarzenegger admitted to anabolic steroid use, claiming that he only used the drugs for the 8–10 weeks before a competition. Schwarzenegger started the arms race, but it’s gone far further than he could ever have imagined. Thanks to a smorgasbord of more recent drugs (like insulin and human growth hormone), the so-called ‘mass monsters’ winning competitions today are so muscular and have such little body fat that they’re practically a different species. At 6’2” Schwarzenegger hit the stage weighing around 220 pounds, from 1970–1975. From 1999–2005, eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman had a listed height of 5’10” but often entered competitions weighing 295 pounds. Jay Cutler, Coleman’s successor, was equally massive; at only 5’7”, he consistently weighed upwards of 270 pounds. These numbers translate into very different physiques. As Schwarzenegger less-than-flatteringly put it: “It used to be that you used to have a V-shaped body, now, I dunno, it’s kind of like a bottle-shaped body, or something.” Former bodybuilder Sam Fussell put it more delicately, in an email to me: “Now, [the top bodybuilders] look like Humvees and Transformers. In my day, they looked like Ferraris and Lamborghinis. A question of taste.”
Taste is central here, as despite the existence of clear criteria (bodybuilders are awarded points for their symmetry, proportionality, and level of muscularity), the judging process is ultimately subjective. In Schwarzenegger’s day, judges consistently rewarded men with so-called Apollonian proportions—that is, neck, calves, and biceps of the same circumference, and a chest twice the size of one thigh. Today, they seem to reward pure size. Why they do this is unclear, but the result is that while the most muscular bodies of the 50s were also (to many) the most desirable bodies, the most muscular bodies today are completely undesirable to most people and, more importantly, unattainable without serious chemical assistance. Yet—and here’s the catch—these bodies have an impact on the average guy’s understanding of muscularity.
“Not everyone wants to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but they don’t want to look 70 percent less muscular than Arnold Schwarzenegger,” said psychiatrist and body image researcher Roberto Olivardia, when I asked him whether or not bodybuilding had an impact on the rest of the world. “If the bar keeps raising in terms of how muscular somebody can get, it eventually starts to trickle down. It really does.”
By “it,” he means not just the desire for muscles, but steroid use. “Early on, anabolic steroids were confined to bodybuilding circles, then they started to trickle down to other sports, like baseball and football. Now, many athletes are doing it for performance enhancing purposes, but we also know that the main variable in anabolic steroid use is body image dissatisfaction.” (It’s been estimated that over one million Americans have used anabolic steroids for image enhancing purposes.) “Fitness models, film stars...everyone’s taking them.”
Models, actors, and others simply take far fewer steroids than bodybuilders, and often different compounds (e.g. they might cycle testosterone, but not insulin or HGH). The result is a physique that is less extreme than a bodybuilder’s, but more appealing to the average guy. These men are what Olivardia calls “politely ‘roided”—that is “they’re taking enough steroids to lose fat and gain muscle but not enough to look like they’re taking them.” And this is precisely the problem.
For the economic benefit of supplement companies and fitness models, and for the social kudos afforded to buff film stars and regular guys, performanceor appearance-enhancing drugs are never even mentioned. Instead, steroid-fed fitness models smile for cameras, nursing tubs of creatine that were in no way responsible for their growth. Fitness magazines devote double-page spreads to the grueling workouts and draconian diets of actors in the lead-up to major roles, conveniently failing to mention the steroid cycles that were also a part of the preparation. Even more laughable is the coverage of the Mr. Olympia contest, in which inhumanly large men compete to be named the best bodybuilder in the world. Much is said about the competitors’ twice-daily training sessions, 7000-calorie diets, and posing routines; little mention is made of the truckloads of chemicals that make this amount of training and muscle-building possible. Men are led to believe that they’re a few kettlebell swings and skinless chicken breasts away from their ideal physique.
The question then follows: is Schwarzenegger right? If those on the extreme end of the muscular spectrum (bodybuilders) are undesirable, and if the bodies men are exposed to in magazines and films exceed natural limits, have we reached an aspirational dead-end? As it stands, many men are either striving for the impossible or attaining it with the help of chemicals. The meaning of muscles—as a symbol of hard work, discipline, a high pain threshold—has altered immensely. This leaves me wondering: what’s even the point anymore?
Bodybuilding once purported to offer the world the ideal version of man. Today bodybuilders offer a sort of hyper-reality, existing at the extreme end of the spectrum. The gains in terms of muscularity and vascularity have been immense, but, I would argue, with more than a million American men diagnosed with muscle dysmorphia and many more with morphed perceptions of their own musculatiry, there have been some large losses for many men.
STEPHANIE HAYES B’15 doesn’t even lift, bro.
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Landstar System, Inc. (NASDAQ:LSTR) Expected to Post Quarterly Sales of $1.08 Billion
Posted by Paula Ricardo | Jul 12th, 2019
Equities research analysts expect Landstar System, Inc. (NASDAQ:LSTR) to announce $1.08 billion in sales for the current fiscal quarter, according to Zacks. Six analysts have issued estimates for Landstar System’s earnings, with the highest sales estimate coming in at $1.12 billion and the lowest estimate coming in at $1.05 billion. Landstar System posted sales of $1.18 billion during the same quarter last year, which would indicate a negative year-over-year growth rate of 8.5%. The company is scheduled to report its next earnings report after the market closes on Wednesday, July 24th.
According to Zacks, analysts expect that Landstar System will report full year sales of $4.36 billion for the current financial year, with estimates ranging from $4.24 billion to $4.58 billion. For the next fiscal year, analysts expect that the company will report sales of $4.47 billion, with estimates ranging from $4.29 billion to $4.73 billion. Zacks’ sales averages are an average based on a survey of sell-side analysts that follow Landstar System.
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Landstar System (NASDAQ:LSTR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 24th. The transportation company reported $1.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $1.03 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.04 billion. Landstar System had a return on equity of 37.24% and a net margin of 5.68%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.37 earnings per share.
LSTR has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. BidaskClub upgraded Westport Fuel Systems from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Buckingham Research cut At Home Group from a “buy” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note on Friday, June 7th. Morgan Stanley set a $36.00 target price on ArcBest and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday. Cowen restated a “market perform” rating and set a $113.00 target price (down from $115.00) on shares of Landstar System in a research note on Thursday, June 6th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded Covenant Transportation Group from an “underperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research note on Friday, June 28th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. The stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $109.44.
NASDAQ LSTR traded up $4.16 on Friday, hitting $109.05. 277,682 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 373,300. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $103.29. The company has a current ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. Landstar System has a 52 week low of $90.23 and a 52 week high of $128.70. The company has a market cap of $4.21 billion, a PE ratio of 17.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.26.
In other news, COO Joseph J. Beacom sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $114.12, for a total transaction of $570,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 45,924 shares in the company, valued at $5,240,846.88. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CMO Patrick J. O’malley sold 23,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.82, for a total transaction of $2,548,860.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 20,929 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,319,351.78. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.
Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Landstar System by 43.8% in the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 18,400 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,987,000 after purchasing an additional 5,600 shares during the period. Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its holdings in Landstar System by 6.4% in the second quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,866 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $202,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Retirement Systems of Alabama increased its holdings in Landstar System by 3.1% in the second quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama now owns 104,530 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $11,288,000 after purchasing an additional 3,150 shares during the period. WINTON GROUP Ltd increased its holdings in Landstar System by 64.9% in the second quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 8,051 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $869,000 after purchasing an additional 3,168 shares during the period. Finally, Advisory Services Network LLC increased its holdings in Landstar System by 130.3% in the first quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 281 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 159 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.66% of the company’s stock.
About Landstar System
Landstar System, Inc provides integrated transportation management solutions in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Transportation Logistics and Insurance. The Transportation Logistics segment offers a range of transportation services, including truckload and less-than-truckload transportation, rail intermodal, air cargo, ocean cargo, expedited ground and air delivery of time-critical freight, heavy-haul/specialized, U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico cross-border, intra-Mexico, intra-Canada, project cargo, and customs brokerage, as well as offers transportation services to other transportation companies, such as third party logistics and less-than-truckload service providers.
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Graduate student rights group holds third annual rally
The Missouri Coalition of Graduate Workers emphasized the importance of having a recognized union for graduate students.
Grad students in red rally at Traditions Plaza. "We need to stay engaged and active to make this a better university," said participant Drew Amidei.
By Stephi Smith and Mawa Iqbal
Traditions Plaza
Grad Rights
The Missouri Coalition of Graduate Workers held its third annual rally in Traditions Plaza Wednesday to speak out and protest for graduate student rights. The group marched around the Francis Quadrangle before meeting back at the plaza.
There were several speakers at the rally, including former Missouri CGW chair and MU graduate student Sarah Senff.
“Grads make Mizzou work,” Senff said to the sea of graduate students sporting red Missouri CGW shirts.
The rally has been held each year in since fall 2015 as “a reaffirmation of our principles and a rededication to organizing the MU community,” according to the group’s official Facebook page. The coalition hopes this rally will act as a “fall kickoff” to the bring awareness issues that still need to be addressed in the coming school year.
The coalition’s primary goal is to “secure a collectively bargained contract that prevents future crises and guarantees competitive wages and benefits for graduate employees,” according to its website.
“We want to energize graduate students who are just returning [for the school year],” Missouri CGW outreach officer Joseph Moore said. “It’s a symbolic way of saying, ‘Hey, we’re still here. This is what we’ve done, and this is what we still need to do.’”
The organization began in 2015, after MU sent out an email to graduate workers 13 hours before the beginning of the school year reporting that its health insurance coverage period would not be renewed for the following year. After various rallies and protests, health insurance subsidies were reinstated, Missouri CGW co-chair Simona Simkins said.
The coalition then began to work with the Missouri National Education Association and the National Education Association.
In April 2016, the Coalition of Graduate Workers filed a lawsuit with help from the MNEA against the UM System for official recognition of the graduate employee union and the ability to negotiate a legally-binding contract. Moore believes the lawsuit will lead to a ruling in the coalition’s favor.
“The university’s primary argument is that we’re not employees of the institution,” Moore said. “We’re all employees. We get W-2s, paychecks [and] have to go through all these HR requirements. That’s the argument lawyers are pressing.”
Coalition member and MU graduate student Zach Rubins said the cut in health insurance was “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” He had been wanting a union for a while and said that in years before there had been a “degradation of pay and benefits.”
In 2014, MU closed the Student Parent Center, a child care center for students with young children. Rubins expressed his concern with this, explaining how many of his colleagues no longer have access to affordable child care.
In addition, MU has discussed ending tuition waivers for its graduate students. Graduate students do not have the same job protections as faculty and, therefore, are more prone to layoffs, Moore said.
Though the CGW has encountered a few setbacks, it has accomplished some of its original goals, such as an increased understanding of the group’s mission by the university.
“The first thing I think, the most salient thing, is that the university has recognized the power of [the coalition] acting together in solidarity,” Rubins said.
Many members have noticed that undergraduates at MU have also begun to support Missouri CGW. Architectural studies graduate student Dawn Van Scoik believes that forming an allegiance with undergraduate students is crucial for the advancement of the group’s goals.
“I told them, ‘Most of your teachers are grad students. Wouldn’t you like to see them protected under insurance?’” Van Scoik said. “I think it’s great that we’re finding allies within the undergraduate community because we know they’re listening. We hope the administration is listening as well.”
In addition, graduate workers have seen an increase in pay.
“One of our successes worked to have an increase in our salaries from being incredibly marginal to something that’s a bit more manageable,” Simkins said.
As for its goals for the future, the Missouri CGW wants to create a contract where their benefits are codified, according to Simkins. In addition, the group would like to train new members for leadership positions, ensuring that the group will continue fighting for graduate students’ rights in the years to come.
“We’re still not recognized as a union and while the university stalls and tries to drag things out at court, we’re trying to make sure that the organization has a solid infrastructure that lasts over the years,” Moore said.
Edited by Olivia Garrett | ogarrett@themaneater.com
Dear Chancellor Loftin, you’re not doing your job
Musicians, poets and dancers take a stance against rape culture at Rock Against Rape
Alumni Association to construct amphitheater for MU’s 175th year
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Donna Brazile’s Revelations About the Clinton Campaign Are Not As Explosive as They Seem
Her report doesn’t necessarily reveal a primary-election playing field that was intentionally tilted against Bernie Sanders.
By Joshua HollandTwitter
Donna Brazile holds a sign for Hillary Clinton on the final night of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. (CQ Roll Call via AP Photo / Tom Williams)
Last Thursday, Donna Brazile dropped a bombshell on a Democratic coalition that’s still nursing open wounds from a bruising 2016 primary fight. But, as more details have emerged about what Brazile described as Hillary Clinton’s “secret takeover” of the party infrastructure, it looks a lot less explosive than it first appeared to be.
Brazile, who is set to release an insider’s view of the 2016 race this week titled Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House, wrote for Politico that shortly after becoming interim chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) last summer she unearthed evidence that Hillary Clinton’s campaign had taken control of the ostensibly neutral institution a year earlier, months before the first primary votes had been cast.
It had been widely reported that both the Clinton and Sanders campaigns had signed identical joint fundraising deals with the DNC, with the eventual nominee being able to use funds that were raised for the general election. But the Clinton campaign had also signed a separate “memorandum of understanding” in July of 2015, according to NBC’s Alex Seitz-Wald, who reported on this memo shortly after Brazile’s Politico piece went live. In exchange for an initial payment of $1.2 million to defray some of the debt the DNC had accrued under the leadership of Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and with additional payments to follow, the Clinton campaign would enjoy, as Brazile described it,
the right of refusal of who would be the party communications director, and it would make final decisions on all the other staff. The DNC also was required to consult with the campaign about…budgeting, data, analytics, and mailings.
In Brazile’s telling, this scheme came to light only as a result of her sleuthing. She writes that, shortly after she took over the helm of the DNC from Wasserman Schultz last July, she promised Senator Sanders that she “would get to the bottom of whether Hillary Clinton’s team had rigged the nomination process.” She had already had suspicions based on the leaked DNC e-mails, she wrote, “but who knew if some of them might have been forged? I needed to have solid proof.”
That proof was in the side agreement. According to Brazile, Gary Gensler, Clinton’s chief financial officer, later told her that “the party [was] fully under the control of Hillary’s campaign.”
Coming from a figure like Brazile, who embodies the party establishment, the story was catnip for political reporters. When Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) later told reporters that Brazile’s revelations proved that the primaries were “rigged” against Sanders, many of his supporters saw it as vindication of their claims, despite the fact that Warren didn’t articulate a mechanism by which even a Clinton-controlled DNC could have swung around 3 million primary votes to the eventual nominee.
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Of course, those who have an interest in maintaining a divided Democratic coalition also promoted Brazile’s narrative with enthusiasm.
Donna Brazile just stated the DNC RIGGED the system to illegally steal the Primary from Bernie Sanders. Bought and paid for by Crooked H….
—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2017
But in the days following the publication of Brazile’s story, additional details have emerged that cast the story in a different light. Her account certainly exposes the grubby kind of behind-the-scenes transactions that are inherent in a system of costly, drawn-out elections financed primarily through the private sector. It was widely reported during the primary that Clinton’s joint fundraising deal provided a means of effectively laundering money from maxed-out donors who were legally barred from contributing more to her campaign directly but could still cut large checks to the party, a problem the Sanders campaign didn’t run into with its small-donor base. But it doesn’t necessarily reveal a playing field that was tilted against the Sanders campaign, at least not intentionally so.
Very importantly, while Clinton’s side deal may have been unknown to Brazile, at least the broad contours of the agreement weren’t kept secret from the Sanders campaign. Brazile writes that Sanders was only “familiar” with “the fundraising agreement that each of the candidates had signed.” But in the wake of Brazile’s article, The Washington Post’s Michael Scherer, David Weigel, and Karen Tumulty obtained a September, 2015 e-mail from attorney Graham Wilson—whose firm represented both the DNC and the Clinton campaign—to the Sanders campaign with a copy of the standard joint fundraising agreement. According to the report, at the end of email, “Wilson suggested that should the Sanders campaign raise ‘significantly more’ money than was required to pay for the party voter file, then Sanders could have a say in how those funds would be used ‘to prepare for the general election.’” Wilson wrote that “the DNC has had discussions like this with the Clinton campaign and is of course willing to do so with all committees raising funds for the Committee.”
Wilson wasn’t being entirely forthcoming—he said the DNC had “had discussions” with the Clinton campaign, when Clinton’s agreement had already been signed. But his e-mail shows that the Sanders campaign was informed that such a deal was in the works, and was given the opportunity to enter into a similar arrangement if it raised a bunch of money for the DNC. Of course, it had no interest in doing so—Brazile writes that Sanders and his staff “ignored” their joint fundraising deal because “they had their own way of raising money through small donations.”
Brazile’s ostensible surprise upon learning of the agreement is also curious, given that it was public knowledge that Clinton’s staff had been looking for just such an arrangement. Seven weeks before the Clinton campaign signed that memorandum of understanding with the DNC,Edward-Isaac Dovere wrote a piece for Politico titled, “Clinton puts tight grip on DNC wallet.”
Dovere reported that “the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee are struggling to finalize a joint fundraising agreement—because the campaign doesn’t trust the national party structure with the money.”
He added that “years of neglect from the White House—and what’s perceived by the campaign as mismanagement by DNC leadership—has left the Clinton camp convinced the organization is nowhere near ready for 2016.” He detailed how the campaign was seeking to put strings on how the money that was raised jointly with the DNC was spent, despite the fact that “the DNC wanted access to all the funds immediately.”
The chronology here is important. The agreement that the Clinton campaign signed specified that it only covered “general election related communications, data, technology, analytics, and research,” and “does not include any communications related to primary debates—which will be exclusively controlled by the DNC,” a detail that was absent in Brazile’s piece. It’s hard to imagine that those staffing decisions wouldn’t have some impact on the primary, at least at the margins. But Dovere’s report was published in late July 2015, when Clinton was leading Sanders in The Huffington Post’s average of national polls by a 56-18 margin.
It’s routine for a front-runner to exert control over his or her party’s committee when they become the presumptive nominee, and there was good reason at that time to see Clinton as such. Not only was she well ahead in the polls, she had raised far more cash and garnered the support of many more party actors than her rivals. Dovere wrote that, “while DNC staffers are officially neutral, most see her as the eventual nominee, and several staffers describe a ‘first among equals’ approach to her when dealing with the primary field.” This was no secret. And it’s quite possible that Sanders’s disinterest in his campaign’s joint fundraising agreement for the general election reflected his own estimation at that time of his chances of becoming the eventual nominee.
Brazile also shouldn’t have been surprised by the existence of this kind of arrangement, given that she managed Al Gore’s 2000 campaign. In her Politico piece, she says that she only “started inserting our people into the DNC in June of that year,” but Boris Heersink, a political scientist at Fordham University, wrote in The Washington Post that, while “this is technically true, it misrepresents the level of control Gore already had over the DNC before the 2000 primaries began: By 1999, the DNC’s senior staff was dominated by Democratic politicos with long-standing relations to Gore—including both co-chairmen, the finance chair and one of the senior advisers. Thus, while the DNC did not endorse Gore, it clearly preferred him in the 2000 primaries.”
There is indeed a tawdry element to ostensibly neutral party committees getting ahead of their voters, even if it’s not as unusual or clandestine as Brazile implies. But it’s the kind of insider-baseball that usually passes without notice, and is only a big, public scandal because the DNC became such a lightning rod in the last election.
The context around this deal was available when Brazile’s piece hit the Internet, but most of it was absent from the early reporting. It seems that salacious Clinton scandal stories tend to gain traction faster than they can be fact-checked or put into perspective. So Brazile will sell some books, and perhaps be rehabilitated among Sanders supporters, and the bitter dissension over the 2016 primaries within the Democratic coalition will continue unabated.
Update: Shortly after this piece was published, Sam Stein reported for The Daily Beast that a central claim in Brazile’s piece—that the Clinton campaign enjoyed “veto power” over DNC staff—wasn’t true in practice. Although the agreement between the Clinton campaign and the DNC gave Brooklyn the right to approve a new Communications Director, the DNC hired a candidate not favored by Clinton’s campaign.
Joshua HollandTwitterJoshua Holland is a contributor to The Nation. He’s also the host of Politics and Reality Radio.
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Hyd-based StaTwig only Indian startup in UNICEF's first blockchain fund
The UNICEF Innovation Fund will invest up to $100,000 in six companies that it picked from across 50 developing and emerging economies.
The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF)’s innovation fund, which aims to solve global challenges using blockchain technology has picked Six companies from developing and emerging economies to invest in. out of the six companies, Hyderabad-based StaTwig is the only startup from India to get selected.
Founded by Sid Chakravarthy in early 2017, StaTwig’s solution leverages IoT, Artificial Intelligence, and Blockchain to track all products in the supply chain and gather data about each product. Access to such data helps in preventing failures of distribution, predicting the demand and capacity levels, and reducing the cost and wastage of all limited resources. StaTwig is currently based out of Hyderabad and is a part of startup engine T-Hub.
The UNICEF Innovation Fund will invest up to $100,000 in the six companies: Atix Labs, Onesmart, Prescrypto, StaTwig, Utopixar and W3 Engineers to deliver open-source prototypes of blockchain applications within 12-months.
Over 100 companies applied for the fund across 50 countries. As per a statement from UNICEF, these six companies will build prototypes and systems for global problems like transparency in health-care delivery, affordable access to mobile phone connectivity, and the ability to direct finances and resources to social-impact projects.
The six companies will join 20 more technology startups that are being managed by the fund in areas ranging from data science and machine learning, to virtual reality, to drones.
“Blockchain technology is still at an early stage -- and there is a great deal of experimentation, failure, and learning ahead of us as we see how, and where, we can use this technology to create a better world. That's exactly the stage when UNICEF Innovation Fund invests: when our financing, technical support, and focus on vulnerable populations can help a technology grow and mature in the most fair and equitable way possible,” said Chris Fabian, Principal Adviser, UNICEF Innovation said in a statement.
These investments are part of UNICEF's larger blockchain explorations of using smart-contracts for organizational efficiencies, creating distributed decision-making processes, and working to build knowledge and understanding of distributed ledger technology both in the United Nations and in the countries where UNICEF works.
Here are the six companies:
StaTwig from India will use blockchain solutions to ensure the efficient delivery of vaccines through an enhanced supply-chain management system.
From Argentine, Atix Labs will develop a platform for small to medium-sized enterprises to gain access to funding while creating traceability into where the funds are used and measuring the impact.
Onesmart from Mexico will address the misappropriation of funds in emerging markets with the scale of its prototype application, which ensures the delivery of state-provided social services to children and young people.
Also from Mexico, Prescrypto will provide a digital solution to the lack of electronic prescriptions in developing countries with a platform that allows medical services providers to view one common history of a patient, and improve the level of care.
Utopixar, a Tunisian company will deliver a social collaboration tool for communities and organisations to facilitate participative decision-making and value transfer.
From Bangladesh, W3 Engineers, will improve connectivity within the refugee and migrant communities through an offline mobile networking platform without the use of sim cards and internet connection.
In addition to funding these statups, UNICEF’s Innovation Fund will also provide product and technology assistance, support with business growth, and access to a network of experts and partners.
The Fund also actively seeks second-round investment and support for companies it has invested in, as well as the opportunity to scale-up these technologies, when they are successful, in the more than 190 countries and territories where UNICEF operates.
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Scottish Government can learn lessons from failed energy company, MSPs told
Electricity pylons
The Scottish Government will learn from the failure of Our Power as it continues to develop plans for a publicly-owned energy company, cabinet secretary Aileen Campbell has said.
Our Power, the Edinburgh-based energy supplier, announced last week that it had ceased trading, having been set up four years ago.
The not-for-profit company had been given loans totalling £9.5 million by the Scottish Government in a move to try and address fuel poverty.
At the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday, Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton asked whether the Scottish Government could learn lessons from the volatility seen in the market following the collapse of 11 small energy firms over the last year.
Communities and Local Government Secretary Ms Campbell said: “We’ll give that commitment to take any learning that we can from the experience that we’ve gone through with Our Power.
“Of course, we continue to develop proposals that will deliver the ambition of a public energy company and we’re on track to deliver that ambition by the end of this Parliament.
“This is something that was a new attempt to try and find a way to help people who are predominantly social tenants to have access to low-cost power, and it had done so for three-and-a-half years.
“I suppose it reiterates and underlines how disappointing it is that, ultimately, it hasn’t quite succeeded in this case.”
#OurPower has ceased trading. If you’re a customer, we’ll switch you to a new supplier so you’ll always have energy: https://t.co/oKjycyzcRX pic.twitter.com/CyYDix9aRl
— ofgem (@ofgem) January 25, 2019
Ms Campbell stated that the Scottish Government were informed of the company’s collection difficulties last month with a formal request submitted on December 21.
Around 70 employees are at risk of redundancy as a result of the closure of Our Power, with the Scottish Government’s Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) programme made available.
Customers were given reassurances by Ms Campbell, who said that they are protected and would not be cut off as a result of a change of supplier.
She said: “Our immediate response is focused on looking after the interests of the customers and the staff of Our Power.
“The independent regulator Ofgem is now in the process of appointing a new supplier to take over Our Power’s customers.
“Customers are protected and no-one will be cut off as a result of the change in supplier.
“Ofgem advice is for customers to take a current meter reading and wait to be transferred automatically to a new supplier. “
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The Fake News of World Record Egg
Nick Spencer asks how we should respond to the prevalence of fake news. 08/02/2019
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World Record Egg has cracked it. Instagram’s most–liked post, laid last month with the express intention of knocking Kylie Jenner (18 million likes – pah!) off the nest, has won by a country mile: 52 million and counting. I know this because I have children. And I heard it on Radio 4.
And then it hatched, revealing a message.
“Phew! I feel so much better now. If you’re feeling the pressure, visit talkingegg.info to find out more. Let’s build this list together.”
talkingegg.info takes you to various useful mental health links. The whole thing, it appears, was a clever and rather successful mental health awareness campaign.
I am delighted by this turn of events. As I said, I learnt about World Record Egg because my kids talked to me about it. And then talked to their friends about it. As a way of tricking young people into talking about mental health problems and services, it is genius.
But I’m also struck by the subtle subterfuge going on here. What seems to have been as plain as an egg, wasn’t.
This isn’t the first time eggs have captured headlines for odd reasons. Just over thirty years ago, Edwina Curry infuriated farmers and stained her political career for ever by wrongly claiming that most of Britain’s egg production was infected with salmonella. Seventy years before that, an incipient boycott of eggs by American housewives, on account of their unprecedentedly high prices, was averted when newspapers ran headlines like “Eggs Drop Ten Cents” and “Cost of Living Smashed”, announcing the price of eggs had fallen. The boycott was avoided, despite the fact that eggs remained the same price. The newspapers, it was alleged, were cosying up to food retailers.
What is real, what is true, what is new, and what is news has never been straightforward. There are records of printers being prosecuted over three hundred years ago for stories that they knew were false. As Pope Francis said in message for the World Communications Day last year, “the ‘crafty serpent’ in the Book of Genesis…at the dawn of humanity, created the first fake news” Lies are as old as we are.
So is there anything different about fake news today? Why are we getting so excited? It can’t be that the fakery is reaching unprecedented political heights. The 20th century was, for a long time, the age of propaganda, when the powers that be peddled palpable porkies to their people. We’re amateurs by contrast today.
Nor can it be that the fakery has only ever been ‘over there’, lurking amid the moral wastelands of totalitarian dictatorships. Did you know that German soldiers committed atrocities during the First World War, crucifying soldiers and making soap from their corpses? Or that Ronald Reagan’s administration never traded weapons with Iran in order to secure the release of hostages? We can lie too over here in the Anglophone West.
No. The reason for our quite proper concern is not that it hasn’t happened here, but that it shouldn’t happen here. The West is liberal and as liberal patriarchs have oft told us, liberty cleanses lies like a detergent grease. As John Milton famously and rhetorically asked in Aeropagitica, “who ever knew Truth put to the worse in a free and open encounter?” Or as John Mill in wrote in On Liberty, there is a “peculiar evil” in “silencing the expression of an opinion” even if the opinion is wrong, because we lose “the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error.” Either way, Milton or Mill, truth wins.
It is precisely the West’s freedom of intellect, information, speech, and association that should allow us to identify and weed out the fake news that all flesh is heir to. As the Economist said when covering the whole story in 2016, “strong democracies can draw on inbuilt defences against post–truth. Authoritarian countries are more vulnerable.” Intelligent, free, educated, modern, information–rich, liberal, capitalist: it couldn’t happen here.
The painful fact, therefore, is not that it is happening here but that it is happening here because we are who we are instead of in spite of it. According to a study conducted by the Policy Studies Association on What Drives Fake News, the phenomenon is powered by “ordinary people” who made money from behaviourally–targeted adverts, the revenue calculated on the basis of the number of visits. Thus, for example, during the last US presidential election, journalists traced part of the upsurge in fake news stories “to enterprising computer science students in Veles, Macedonia”, who plagiarised, repackaged and successfully shared sensationalist and made–up pro–Trump stories that had originated on right–wing American websites. In other words, fake news was made possible by precisely the free, decentralised, market–driven communications network that Millton thought would eradicate it. It’s profoundly disturbing to learn that the disinfecting sunshine of liberty turns out not only to fallible – not even Millton thought cleaning up the lies would be easy – but actually to be spreading falsehoods itself.
There is no obvious solution to this. Those that think otherwise fail to grasp how deep rooted in the human soul the problem is. The censorship against which Milton railed is hardly realistic or appealing. Regulation will help, though has its own perils. Calls for self–restraint are essential but sound limp. The maintenance of public service broadcasters like the BBC, for all its faults, will keep a break on the worst excesses of fakery. Those old media outlets who find a sustainable funding model will act as a counterweight to the decentralised, unregulated news factory that is citizen journalism. Somehow, we will stumble on.
I doubt whether the whole news system will crack, like World Record Egg, no matter how much pressure fakery puts on it. But it could simply go irretrievably rotten on in the inside, and that may be worse.
Image by Monster Ztudio under a shutterstock licence.
Nick is Senior Fellow at Theos. He is the author of a number of books and reports, most recently The Political Samaritan: how power hijacked a parable (Bloomsbury, 2017), The Evolution of the West (SPCK, 2016) and Atheists: The Origin of the Species (Bloomsbury, 2014). Outside of Theos, Nick is Visiting Research Fellow at the Faiths and Civil Society Unit, Goldsmiths, University of London and a Fellow of the International Society for Science and Religion
Posted 8 February 2019
Ethics, Media, Philosophy, Young Adults
This report examines personal, corporate, and public debt in the UK within a moral framework. (2019)
Nathan Mladin on The Holy Political Podcast
Students should unite to tackle debts, report says
Pride: Under–rated community asset, and underappreciated threat
Glory days: the power of nostalgia
This event will launch the report ‘Forgive Us Our Debts’ which examines personal, corporate and government debt in the UK within an ethical framework.
Ben Ryan asks how should we conceptualise the idea of ‘Pride’ in discussions of British public life. 04/02/2019
Nathan Mladin discusses his latest report ‘Forgive us our Debts’ on The Holy Political Podcast. 04/02/2019
Britain, Debt, Economy, Ethics, Government
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By Toronto Mike October 9, 2005 @ 7:54 AM Guest Blog Entries 0 comments
No DEFENSE when the going gets tough. It's time to step up & play beyond your ability. The Leafs can't do this when holding a lead as is evident the last 2 games. Eric & Eddie cannot keep the team close all year without the supporting cast. Proabably 1 of the best signings (Eric Lindros) the Leafs made, even though I'm not a fan of Eric's, but my mind is changing with his play the last 2 games as he was the best player during both of these games. Defense wins games in any sport & the Leafs have none. At least I saw them win the cup in 1967-this is Not their year. What happened with the Owen Nolan situation? Are the Leafs stuck with his contract this year or not?
Nolan's contract won't count against the salary cap, which is really all I care about. I agree with you regarding The Big E. He's been our best offensive player and he's getting little help. Things looked rough before Sundin's injury, now things look particularly bleak.
Having said all that, we've only played 2 of 82 games and we've secured 1 of a possible 4 points. We had leads late in both games, so we haven't been getting our butts handed to us. Eventually we're going to win 1 or 2 of these suckers. I hope...
mIKE, If you've forgotten Liisa LaDouceur used your quote of the week in describing the Hip, "It's not the band I hate, it's their fans."
She has ruined a perfectly good verse from a Sloan song.
For Shame...
Oh yes, laughable Liisa LaDouceur. If my memory serves me correctly, before trashing "Courage" she first called The Hip "hoser rock" and claimed they were no better than other Canadian bands like Spirit of the West. Then, after being attacked by others on the 50 Tracks panel, she tried to bail out with that great "Coax Me" line. I was willing to let the whole thing slide until that awful Pearl Jam article that showed just how out of touch and unaware she actually is.
For the record, I wrote Liisa at her personal Sympatico account to give her a fair chance to respond but I never heard back. It's not the differing opinion I hate, it's the ignorance.
By Toronto Mike October 5, 2005 @ 1:13 PM Guest Blog Entries 0 comments
Over the last couple of days I've become more convinced than ever that Dubya has gone right round the twist. First there's this:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/03/scotus.miers/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/10/05/bush.reax/index.html
Nominating your own lawyer, who has no experience being a judge, to the highest bench in the land? Even putting aside her legal qualifications, it's a lousy political move right after the whole Mike Brown-FEMA thing.
Being aware of the possibility of an outbreak of bird-flu or any other disease is a good thing. Witness the relatively minor problem we had with SARS the other day. Suggesting that the military come in to be used for law enforcement? That's the start of a VERY slippery slope.
Still three more years to go...hoo-boy.
None of this surprises me. Lets review the Dubya record:
As Governor of Texas, he presided over more executions than took place in the other 49 states combined during the same time period.
Bush is allied with the bigoted extreme right who want to deny equal rights to homosexuals.
He refuses to sign the Kyoto Protocol agreement on global warming even though Canada and 177 other countries did.
When Bill Clinton left office, there was a surplus of $235 billion. Since Bush took over, the surplus has been depleted and his administration's 2003 reflected a $400 billion federal deficit.
Bush has no respect for the United Nations. When Bush couldn't secure the necessary votes on the Security Council, he subverted the process and invaded Iraq regardless.
George W. Bush, President of the United States of America, gets his news from Andrew Card and Condoleezza Rice. He doesn't watch the news on television, read newspapers or read the news online.
The man has taken far more vacation time than any previous President, which is probably a good thing.
His actions and inactions are directly to blame for the horribly inadequate response to Katrina.
Osama is still at large. Many believe it's because Dubya took his eye off the prize and prematurely invaded Iraq which had nothing to do with 9/11.
I'm sure I'm missing a bunch of stuff, but I have work to do and can't spend all day recounting Dubya's failures. This Harriet Miers instance is yet another example of Bush putting his pals and cronies in spots that should be reserved for the more qualified. She's another Brownie. The man is grossly incompetent but the greatest over achiever in the history of the world.
Q. What is the difference between the Toronto Maple Leafs and a cigarette machine?
A. You can get Players out of a cigarette machine
Q. What do the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Argonauts and the Toronto Blue Jays all have in common besides being based in Toronto?
A. None of them can play hockey
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! You're frickin' hilarious.
As I sit here listening to all the different versions of Halleluja (for the 100th+ time) you put up, I realize that no one could do it as well as Leonard Cohen. The others are good but my mind can be distracted when listening to the others but when Leonard sings it, I am drawn in to hear every word. I get chills listening. You can feel the passion in his voice. I just can't get enough of it! I find myself hitting repeat because you really don't want that feeling to go away after just 6 minutes and 55 seconds. I just wanted to share that with you and thank you for giving all the versions to me especially Leonard Cohen's!
Cheryl of Texas
It's nearly impossible to argue against Leonard Cohen. I'm glad you're enjoying that Canadian gem, in all its glorious forms.
Your choices for best Leafs are VERY surprising. You have a page dedicated to MR. BARILKO & he's not even in your top 5. How can that be? Frank Mahovlich - you're kidding. A good player but not in my top 15!
Admittedly, I found it very difficult ranking players I've only read about or seen in historical footage. I fell in love with the Leafs in the very early 80s when Rick Vaive and John Anderson were providing most of the offense. My Mahovlich ranking was based on what I've read and the opinions of others I trust.
As for Bill Barilko not making my top five, it's "best" Leafs and not "favourite" Leafs. Barilko is a legend for a single goal and one goal does not an all-time best make. This is why Paul Henderson is not in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
By Toronto Mike September 29, 2005 @ 12:22 PM Guest Blog Entries 0 comments
Keep up that dream Mike. You just never know. I have been a long suffering Pittsburgh Penguin fan for some twenty years. Being from Ottawa it would be easy to jump on the Seanator's band wagon (I think not). I never gave up on my Penguins and all of a sudden with the roll of a lottery ball, I await this season like none before.
You never know how a season is going to unfold. Do not EVER give up hope. That parade will come someday and will feel mighty fine. Just as Red Sox fans found out.
At least your Penguins enjoyed the ultimate success twice in the past 15 years. I'm a die hard Blue Jays fan and I've felt that high you feel when your team, the team you've invested blood, sweat and tears in, finally wins it all. It's unbelievable.
I will never forget those two nights in '92 and '93 when my Jays clinched the World Series. I'll jot down the details later. As for the Leafs, I'll keep hopin' and wishin' and prayin'.
This is a comment on your selection of songs that best represent the spirit of Canadian music. There are some songs & artists in that list that I have not heard. The ones below I like & love.
Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot
Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf
Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
Sleepy Maggie - Ashley MacIsaac
Signs - Five Man Electrical Band
Cinnamon Girl - Neil Young
Tom Sawyer - Rush
New Orleans is Sinking - The Tragically Hip
Rockin' in the Free World - Neil Young
American Woman - The Guess Who
Big Yellow Taxi - Joni Mitchell
However I would like to suggest:
Bryan Adams - Summer of 69
Our Lady Peace - Thief
Nickelback - Leader of Men
and many more. But if you ask me which is the one song that makes me think "Canada", it's "32 Down on the Robert McKensie" by Paul Gross.
I considered Bryan Adams, Nickelback and Our Lady Peace, but at the end of the day they fell short of this prestigious acknowledgment. The top ten and those that just missed are the cream of the crop.
I don't have that Paul Gross song but I have been thinking a great deal lately about songs that are clearly Canadian. "Canadian Railroad Trilogy", for example, is a song that rekes of this nation. Perhaps I'll jot down my list later today...
I attended the Leaf/Canadiens game in Montreal last night. It was an entertaining game and it was obvious both teams are not used to the new rules.
Sundin and Tucker did not play, however it was evident that the Leafs need to become a great deal quicker if they want to compete in their divison. Lindros logged quite a bit of ice time however he is definitely out of shape.
Your dreams of a parade in Toronto this spring might be a bit premature Mike.
It is when we stop dreaming, that we die.
Hockey...
Soon. A wintery Saturday night. A bowl of chips and a cold one. Anticipating the tune on T.V. more well known to Canadians than O' Canada ... Nah nah nah nah nah! Optomism supreme for your favourite team (Go Leafs Go!) could this be our year? I miss the sounds of the home team scoring, the "ping" of a shot off the post, and the crash of a body check into the boards. I can't wait for it to begin again!
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Bill Wade
A native of Southern California, Bill Wade began his career in the visual arts at the age of seven when he bought his first Kodak camera. As a teenager he won recognition from Kodak Intl. that spurred him on to professional work.
After production internships at ABC and NBC affiliates he began producing and directing a consumer legal affairs program AT THE BAR in San Diego followed by THE WEEKEND MAGAZINE, a music video and information program in Nashville. He was the producer for NO GUTS NO GLORY, behind the scenes football information and inspiration featuring Superbowl quarterback Jim McMahon. He also developed the concept for EXTREME EXPOSURES, a long running photography series on National Geographic TV. In recent years he's worked for broadcast station groups in Washington D.C, Florida, and San Francisco. Then having reached his goal of national network level television in Los Angeles, the next challenge he chose was creating his own content for global distribution.
In the process of producing and directing SECRETS OF LOVE, Bill says "The synchronous events that have happened on this long journey makes it clear that there are forces larger than me that are at work behind the scenes." He says there's been repeated indications of the 'hand of God' working...like through those providing the equity funding for the production budget even during our country's downturn in 2009-2010.
The 'heart child' of independent filmmaker and video journalist Bill Wade, Secrets of love is the fascinating, sometimes funny, and always instructive dialogues that are are the remarkable result of his inquiries over more than four years, working with more than 70 people on both coasts, a writer in Paris, production crews, software engineers, and editors in Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco.
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AboutEmily Perrier2019-01-04T23:22:40-04:00
TransformEd partners with school systems to support educators in fostering the development of the whole child so that all students, particularly those from underserved populations, can thrive.
At Transforming Education, we envision a future in which all students become thriving adults, able and empowered to lead personally meaningful lives and to contribute to their communities.
Our learning agenda
As we work with educators, we draw from research, best practice, and the input of diverse stakeholders then apply and share what we’re learning around three key questions, which comprise our learning agenda:
How can the practices, systems, structures, and environment of a school foster students’ social-emotional development?
How can researchers and practitioners learn from one another in order to accelerate improvements in student outcomes?
What are the most effective ways to prompt a paradigm shift towards schools developing the whole child?
A whole child focus matters for success in school, college, career, and life.
Research has shown that social-emotional competencies predict high school and college completion, and that students with strong skills in social-emotional areas have greater academic achievement within K-12 and college.[1]
Employer surveys show that modern organizations are seeking job applicants with stronger social-emotional and relational competencies, such as communication skills and the ability to work productively in groups.[2]
Further, studies have demonstrated that stronger social-emotional skills are correlated with such long-term life outcomes as higher employment rates and wages, and lower rates of substance abuse, obesity, and criminal activity.[3]
Ultimately, social-emotional competencies matter not only for individual success in school and work, but also for our ability to be good citizens and neighbors, to contribute to our communities, and to sustain a flourishing democracy.
Educators value social-emotional competencies, and school systems dedicate significant resources to advancing these skills.
A national survey of teachers in 2013 confirmed that the vast majority (93%) of teachers believe that these skills are important. 95% believe they are teachable, and 88% of teachers reported that their school already has some form of social-emotional learning programming underway.
TransformEd recently conducted a follow-up study to understand what that means in terms of the time and money that are already being expended to help students develop these skills. We learned that approximately $640M are spent each year in US K-12 public schools on specific programming and practices to build students’ social-emotional competencies.
In addition to those direct costs, teachers report they spend about 10% of their time on this, which on an allocated basis translates to an estimated $30B per year in teacher time.
We need to systematically collect data on whole child development to understand which approaches are working, where to allocate resources, and how best to target supports for students.
Despite both compelling research and broad support from educators, whole child development has not become a central driver in education policy. We believe that must change.
Consistent, formative assessment of students’ social-emotional competencies can empower educators to identify students who need more support, gauge the impact of practices that aim to help students develop these competencies, and address issues of equity by asking whether those practices are working equally well for all students.
We believe that bringing a data-informed approach to this work can accelerate our progress as a field, ultimately helping young people develop the skills they need to thrive as individuals and to contribute to a flourishing society.
What Educators Are Saying[4]
Estimated Annual Spending on SEL
We know that social-emotional competencies matter for students’ success in college, career, and life. We believe that it is possible to change education systems so that all students have opportunities to develop social-emotional competencies and academic skills in school.
We recognize that every student has social-emotional competencies that can be developed further. We believe that all students deserve access to the tools, strategies, and resources that can help them to develop as whole people.
We step up when high-leverage opportunities arise and take strategic risks in service of our mission. We work with urgency to help students succeed now while also recognizing that meaningful change may take time.
Rigor
We develop evidence-based hypotheses about the most effective ways to measure and develop social-emotional competencies. We use data to test these hypotheses, and we course-correct as needed based on our findings.
We amplify our impact by partnering with diverse organizations and individuals who have demonstrated expertise in research, policy, and practice. We model social-emotional competencies in our collaborative work with others.
[1] See Chris Gabrieli, Dana Ansel, and Sara Bartolino Krachman, “Ready To Be Counted: The Research Case for Education Policy Action on Non-Cognitive Skills,” December 2015
[2] The Mass INC. Polling Group (2016). Mass. business leaders focus on real world skills, good teachers. Boston. MA. http://www.mbae.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/FINAL-Report-2016-MBAE-Employer-Poll-for-web.pdf (accessed March 13, 2017); see also: Casner-Lotto, J. & Barrington, L. (2006) Are they really ready to work? Employers’ perspectives on the basic knowledge and applied skills of new entrants to the 21st century us workforce. Partnership for 21st Century Skills; Northeastern University (2014). Topline report, telephone survey conducted February 3-9: Business elite national poll, 3rd installment of the innovation imperative polling series.
[3] Heckman, Stixrud, Urzua (2006) The Effects of Cognitive and Noncognitive Abilities on Labor Market Outcomes and Social Behavior; Moffit, et al. (2011) A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety; Jones, Greenberg, & Crowley (2015). Early social-emotional functioning and public health: The relationship between kindergarten social competence and future wellness. American Journal of Public Health 105(11), 2283–2290. Farrington et al. (2012) Teaching adolescents to become learners — The role of noncognitive factors in shaping school performance: A critical literature review. Consortium on Chicago School Research; Dweck, Walton & Cohen (2011) Academic Tenacity: Mindsets and Skills that Promote Long-Term Learning
[4] Bridgeland, Bruce & Hariharan (2013) The Missing Piece: A National Teacher Survey on How Social and Emotional Learning Can Empower Children and Transform Schools
What is MESH?
MESH – Mindsets, Essential Skills, and Habits – refers to the subset of intrapersonal and interpersonal mindsets and competencies that have shown to be: meaningful, measurable and malleable.
Examples of MESH include self-management, growth mindset, and social competence.
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#16 Tiger Women's Soccer Blanks Schreiner in SCAC Semifinals
Schreiner (5-10-3) 0 0 0
1st - 12:33 - Chelsea Cole (Trinity University)
1st - 35:24 - Halleanne Dure (Trinity University)
2nd - 84:42 - Abby Blackwood (Trinity University)
Sh: 3 Players (#12, #13, #28) - 1
Sv: Jordin Toso - 7
G: 2 Players (#5, #10) - 2
A: Madison Horner - 2
Sh: Abby Blackwood - 4
San Antonio - Trinity's 16th-ranked women's soccer team earned a 5-0 shutout victory over Schreiner (TX) University in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Semifinals on Saturday afternoon.
Trinity opened up the scoring in the 13th minute with what would prove to be the sixth game-winner of the season for Chelsea Cole. Cole was able to clean up a loose ball in the box to put the Tigers up 1-0 early in the first period.
That score remained until late in the first period, as Trinity had two goals disallowed for offsides in the first half. The Tigers finally got the second goal in the 36th minute, with Halleanne Dure heading in a cross from Lilah Bevins that made it a 2-0 lead.
Cole picked up her second goal of the half less than two minutes later, as Madison Horner provided her first of two assists in the game giving Trinity a 3-0 at halftime.
Trinity had nine second-half shots in the game, but it wasn't until the final minutes that the Tigers got back on the scoreboard with a pair of goals by Abby Blackwood.
Blackwood fired her first into the top-right corner of the goal on a pass back from Kaity Ward in the 85th minute, then Horner provided an assist on the second with less than three minutes to play.
Schreiner was held to just three total shots in the game, including one on-target attempt. Trinity led 23-3 in total shots and 15-1 in corner kicks taken.
Trinity improved to 15-1-1 this year with its fifth consecutive shutout win, while Schreiner fell to 5-10-3 with the loss.
The Tigers have now advanced to the SCAC title game in all 10 tournaments in SCAC history. Trinity holds a 17-1-1 record in tournament play, having won 17 consecutive games in the postseason event.
Chelsea Cole has now produced five multi-goal games this season, including seven goals in her last four games. Cole now has 21 goals this season, tying for the fifth-most in school history for a single season, and became just the seventh Tiger player ever to score 20 or more goals in one year.
Cole has now moved into fourth place in Trinity history with 53 career goals and 135 total points.
Halleanne Dure notched her 17th goal of the season in today's game, which also makes her the 10th player in school history to score 40 or more goals in a career.
Abby Blackwood scored her first career multi-goal game and has three total goals this season.
After contributing a pair of assists in today's win, Madison Horner now has three assists on the year.
Lilah Bevins recorded her second assist of the season in the win, while Kaity Ward moved into a tie for the team lead with her ninth helper of the year.
The Tigers will face either #2 seed Southwestern (TX) University or #6 seed University of Dallas (TX) in Sunday's SCAC Championship game at 1:00 p.m.
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Pruitt's EPA Faltered on Pesticide So Legislators Take Up a Ban
Words by Leon Kaye
Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico introduced a bill that would ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide some research says can be linked to learning disabilities as well as severe health problems. Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied a petition urging a ban all forms of chlorpyrifos. The decision by EPA head Scott Pruitt was harshly criticized by several environmental groups, which said the agency's own research found considerable risk to public health. Shortly after Pruitt's ruling, Udall sent a letter to the EPA administrator demanding answers for the reversal.
Some scientists, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), say that fears over chlorpyrifos are overstated and are safe at low levels of exposure. And Dow Agrosciences, a leading manufacturer of chlorpyrifos-based products, insists that the science has rigorously proven that the chemical is not dangerous when farmers apply and manage the chemical safely. The chemical has been banned from residential use since 2001, but is still widely used in agriculture. In California chlorpyrifos is reportedly widely used for four crops: alfalfa, almonds, citrus and cotton.
"This is the right decision for farmers who, in about 100 countries, rely on the effectiveness of chlorpyrifos to protect more than 50 crops," said Dow in a public statement shortly after Pruitt announced the chemical would not be banned.
But NGOs including the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) insist that with over 3,000 studies concluding that chlorpyrifos exposure at any level is unsafe, evidence that the chemical has appeared in some sources of drinking water behooves the EPA to ban the product. NRDC has quickly lined itself up in support of Udall's bill.
“This bill tells the chemical industry that our children’s health and safety are not for sale. Families shouldn’t have to worry the fruits and veggies they feed their kids could do them harm," said NRDC's president, Rhea Suh, in an emailed statement to TriplePundit. "Farmworkers shouldn’t have to fear that they might be exposed to toxic pesticides in the fields or that their children or will be poisoned if it drifts into in their communities. Our leaders in Washington must stop playing politics with children’s health.”
Image credit: Roger Smith/Flickr
Leon Kaye
Leon Kaye, Executive Editor, has written for Triple Pundit since 2010. He is also the Director of Social Media and Engagement for 3BL Media, and the Editor in Chief of CR Magazine. His previous work can be found at The Guardian, Sustainable Brands and CleanTechnica. Kaye is based in Fresno, CA, from where he happily explores California’s stellar Central Coast and the national parks in the Sierra Nevadas.
Read more stories by Leon Kaye
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Introducing Karachi
It was built in the 17thcentury as a fishing village, and later, under British control, gained importance with the construction of a port in the 19thcentury. In 1914, Karachi was the largest grain exporting port of the British Empire. An airport was built in 1924 which turned the city into an important trade center. When Karachi gained independence in 1947, it was already an important city in Pakistan. Today, Karachi is a major tourist destination and this mystical city is an exclusive vacation destination with its modern streets and charming architecture.
Karachi is known for:
Spiagge Immersioni Storia e arte
Haydarabad (160 km)
Gharo (67 km)
Uthal (131 km)
Karachi airport information
The city center is 18 km from Karachi Airport and cannot be reached by public transport.
Tempo medio dall'aeroporto: N/A
Distanza dall'aeroporto: N/A
You can get to the city center using the 24 hour Metro Cap/Europe Car taxi services that operate from the airport. The average cost of a taxi from the airport to the city center is 1,000 Pakistani rupees.
Prezzo medio del taxi: 1,000 Pakistani rupees
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For Obama, politics is no laughing matter
By Darlene SupervilleThe Associated Press
President Barack Obama apparently thinks politics is no laughing matter, even when he's staring down a comedian.
WASHINGTON | President Barack Obama apparently thinks politics is no laughing matter, even when he's staring down a comedian.
Obama barely cracked any jokes during an appearance Wednesday on “The Daily Show” despite host Jon Stewart's attempts to draw out the president's humorous side with a few of his own snarky wisecracks.
Less than a week before the critical Nov. 2 congressional elections, Obama said he hopes Democratic lawmakers who made tough votes will be rewarded with another term in office. He promised more accomplishments in the two years left on his own term in the Oval Office and urged people to vote — early if they can.
Stewart asked how the political environment got to the point that Democrats “seem to be running on ‘Please, baby, one more chance' ” just two years after Obama ran a successful presidential campaign built around “very high rhetoric, hope and change.”
“Are you disappointed in how it's gone?” asked the Comedy Central satirist.
Obama seemed to suggest that he wasn't disappointed. He said his advisers had told him during the euphoria of his 2008 election to “enjoy this now because two years from now folks are going to be frustrated. That is, in fact, what's happening.”
He listed as reasons a 9.6 percent unemployment rate, sinking housing values and an economy that is growing but not fast enough. But Obama said his administration has also stabilized the economy, noting it has grown for nine months in a row. He also signed major health care and financial legislation. Obama suggested that his administration did so much that “we have done things that some folks don't even know about.”
The comment seemed to catch Stewart by surprise.
“What have you done that we don't know about?” he asked. “Are you planning a surprise party for us, filled with jobs and health care?”
Obama cited legislation extending health care to more children and broadening a national service program as examples.
“Over and over again, we have moved forward an agenda that is making a difference in people's lives each and every day,” Obama replied. “Is it enough? No. And so I expect, and I think most Democrats out there expect, that people want to see more progress.”
The interview, which allowed Obama to take his campaign message to the type of audience that gets political news from programs like Stewart's, seemed more wonkish than slapstick.
Stewart pressed Obama on the changed political climate in the country and questioned him about the new health care law. The president defended his record as well as Democrats, who are expected to suffer a drubbing at the polls Tuesday. Obama was the guest for the entire show. Stewart is taping the show in Washington this week ahead of a rally he's holding Saturday on the National Mall.
At one point, though, when Obama asked to say something about members of Congress, Stewart prompted laughter by asking, “Are you going to curse?”
Stewart poked at Obama for saying during the presidential campaign that “we are the ones we've been waiting for.”
“So here you are, you're two years into your administration and the question that arises in my mind: Are we the people we were waiting for or does it turn out those people are still out there and we don't have their number?” the comedian intoned, suggesting that someone in the White House needs to call them up.
There was even more laughter when Obama used a now-notorious Washington phrase to defend Lawrence Summers, a top economic adviser who is leaving the administration at the end of the year. Stewart reminded Obama that he'd once said that different results won't come from the same people. Then Obama hired Summers, who had served in the Clinton administration.
Obama said Summers “did a heck of a job,” to which Stewart said, “You don't want to use that phrase, dude.”
That's because in 2005, then-President George W. Bush used the phrase to describe the job his emergency management director, Michael Brown, was doing after Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters had devastated New Orleans.
On the “Daily Show,” Obama said he hopes voters will reward some Democrats from largely conservative districts who took votes they knew would be bad politically but did so anyway because they thought it was the right thing to do. He named freshman Rep. Tom Perriello of Virginia, who voted for Obama's health care overhaul and is in a tight race re-election race. Obama plans to campaign with Perriello on Friday.
“My hope is that those people are rewarded for taking those tough votes,” Obama said. “If they are, then I think Democrats will do fine on Election Day.”
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2013 running back Kamara high on Crimson Tide
By Aaron Suttles TideSports.com Senior Recruiting Analyst
The University of Alabama now has two running backs committed for its 2013 class in Altee Tenpenny and Tyren Jones, but Norcross, Ga., back Alvin Kamara isn't scared off in the least. He's just as interested in Alabama as he was before Tenpenny and Jones came to their decisions.
"That doesn't change anything, honestly," Kamara said. "You can't get better without having some competition."
Kamara said he grew up playing with Jones, and the two are close. He doesn't know Tenpenny well, but he welcomes the idea of playing alongside the pair of running backs.
"It'd be a plus for Alabama having us all pushing each other, making each other better," Kamara said. "When it comes to splitting time, I'm not worried about that."
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound running back out of Norcross High School said there are no leaders in his recruitment, and he is taking his time with his choice. He has received offers from Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Mississippi State, Southern California and Vanderbilt, among others. The offer from USC came this week.
"I'm open to everybody," Kamara said. "It doesn't matter the label, whether it's Big Ten, SEC, Pac-12 or whatever."
Kamara visited UA during Junior Day on Jan. 28 and plans to visit again once spring practice starts. He said Tuscaloosa feels like big-time football, and the atmosphere is hard to beat.
He said the coaches were really laid back, and he liked how they treated him. He was most impressed with running backs coach Burton Burns. Kamara said he liked Burns' character and personality.
"He's laid-back but really serious about his job," Kamara said. "He's helped out guys like Trent Richardson, Mark Ingram and Eddie Lacy, and that's impressive."
Kamara also liked the Crimson Tide's pro-style offense and the fact it was a traditional, NFL-type offense that uses a traditional running back as opposed to a triple-option. He said he could come in and be effective in Alabama's offense.
Kamara said his strengths as a player are his combination of speed and power, as well as his elusiveness. He said he needs to work more on his lateral movement.
"Sometimes I just trust my speed too much," Kamara said. "I try to outrun somebody and use my speed to beat them when I could just make a move that works just as well."
Unlike many other recruits visiting Alabama during the Crimson Tide's two Junior Days, Mobile athlete Jason Smith already had a good feel for the campus. Instead, the 6-1 160-pound athlete was more focused on his meeting with UA coach Nick Saban.
"I've been to the campus plenty of times, so I didn't tour the campus like some of the other recruits," Smith said. "Since I've been there a couple of times, I just really went up to the office to talk to Coach Saban."
During the meeting, Smith got the good news he had been anticipating, as Saban gave him an offer to play at Alabama.
"My heart was beating so fast, I almost broke a sweat in there," Smith said. "When somebody of that profile gives you an offer, it is just so exciting."
The two talked about what position Smith would play at Alabama if he chose to attend. Smith said Saban was open the idea of Smith starting out at any position, including quarterback, which he plays in high school.
"We talked a lot about what position I would like to play," Smith said. "I told him I would like to play quarterback, and he said he doesn't have a problem with that at all."
Saban and Smith also talked about other positions the four-star recruit could fit at if he didn't play quarterback.
"(Saban) said that if I don't start at (quarterback), not to waste all my time at that position when I could be trying a different one," Smith said. "We also talked about wide receiver and (defensive back)."
The two even talked about the possibility of certain packages in which Smith could come in as more of an option threat at quarterback.
"He said I was a versatile quarterback," Smith said. "It depends on where they could use me. They could use me at the Wildcat, as well as maybe the slot receiver position."
Smith said he enjoyed Junior Day and is more comfortable with Alabama every time he visits.
"The more I go up there, the more I get that feeling of being relaxed," Smith said. "I just like the people down there. Everybody is down to earth and cool."
Smith he will take his time in the recruiting process. He is currently considering Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss and UAB and plans to return to UA during the spring for spring practice and A-Day.
John Davidson and Tony Tsoukalas contributed to this report.
Reach Aaron Suttles at Aaron@TideSports.com or at 205-722-0229.
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Beignon
British Motor merchant
We don't have a picture of this vessel at this time.
Name Beignon
Type: Motor merchant
Completed 1939 - William Doxford & Sons Ltd, Sunderland
Owner R.E. Morel & Co Ltd, Cardiff
Homeport London
Date of attack 1 Jul 1940 Nationality: British
Fate Sunk by U-30 (Fritz-Julius Lemp)
Position 47° 20'N, 10° 30'W - Grid BF 4421
Complement 117 (6 dead and 111 survivors).
Convoy SL-36
Route Freemantle - Freetown (15 Jun) - Newcastle
Cargo 8816 tons of wheat
At 00.23 hours on 1 July 1940, U-30 attacked convoy SL-36 about 300 miles west of Ushant and claimed the sinking of one ship with 7900 tons. This claim is not confirmed by Allied reports. At 04.00 hours, the U-boat attacked again and sank the Beignon.
The Beignon (Master William John Croome) had picked up 84 survivors of the Avelona Star, which had been torpedoed by U-43 (Ambrosius) in the same convoy at 22.27 hours on 30 June. Three crew members and three survivors were lost. The master, 29 crew members and 81 survivors were picked up by the HMS Vesper (D 55) (LtCdr W.F.E. Husssey DFC) and HMS Windsor (D 42) (LtCdr P.P.H.R. Pelly) and landed at Plymouth.
On board We have details of 4 people who were on board.
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FACILITIES VIDEO
William M. Anderson Center
The new William M. Anderson Center is the home to Eagle basketball and volleyball. The 2,000-seat arena is complete with every imaginable detail, from top-notch locker rooms for teams, concessions and comfortable seating for fans, and video message boards. Also included is a luxurious President's box for game viewing. The site served as host for four rounds of the 2012 NCAA women's basketball tournament, the sectionals of the 2014 NCAA men's basketball tournament, and has also hosted events such as concerts and an appearance by First Lady Michelle Obama.
Goolrick Hall/Fitness Center
The home of UMW Athletics, Goolrick Hall houses all administrative offices as well as coaches' offices, as well as the athletic training room. Goolrick Hall (75,000 square feet of activity space) is also home to Eagle swimming. UMW hosted the CAC Swimming Championships from 1991 through 2005. The newly-refurbished varsity weight room contains more than 50 working stations in an 8,000 square-foot area, and athletes also have a multi-faceted training room at their disposal.
A 15,000 square foot fitness center is connected to Goolrick, and houses approximately 8,000 square feet of activity space for the student body's usage. That facility includes treadmills, free weights, and other state-of-the-art fitness equipment.
Other new additions to the Goolrick facility include a varsity student-athlete lounge and a completely refurbished office suite.
DIRECTIONS TO ANDERSON CENTER/GOOLRICK GYM:
From Interstate 95, take Exit 130A (Route 3 East), and follow through five stoplights. At the sixth light, turn LEFT onto Business Route 3 (William Street), remaining in the LEFT lane. At the first light, turn LEFT onto College Avenue, and the campus will be on your right. Once on College Avenue, go straight through the first stoplight, and turn RIGHT at the second light (Route 1), Drive under the UMW Walkway and make an immediate RIGHT onto Alvey Drive. Visitor parking is located in the parking deck adjacent to the gyms.
BATTLEGROUND ATHLETIC COMPLEX
The University of Mary Washington prides itself in providing an optimal environment for athletes to practice their craft. Battleground Outdoor Complex plays host to lacrosse, soccer, tennis, field hockey, track and field, baseball and softball, and is regarded as one of the finest facilities of its kind in Virginia.
"The Battleground" has hosted NCAA Division III Men's (1989, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2001) and Women's (1990, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001) Soccer and Baseball (1992) Tournaments, and the 1992 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer, 1993 Field Hockey, 1997 Men's Soccer, 2006 Men's Tennis and 2007 and 2010 Women's Tennis National Championships.
DIRECTIONS TO THE BATTLEGROUND:
From Interstate 95, take Exit 130A (Route 3 East), and follow through five stoplights. At the sixth light, turn LEFT onto Business Route 3 (William Street). At the top of the hill, the road splits. Stay RIGHT, onto Hanover Street. The Battleground Athletic Complex is on the RIGHT.
V. Earl Dickinson Stadium (Baseball)
The University of Mary Washington baseball team competes at one of the finest facilities in all of NCAA baseball, V. Earl Dickinson Stadium. One of the crown jewels of the Battleground Athletic Complex, located adjacent to campus along Hanover Street, Dickinson Stadium has seating for more than 1,000 fans, houses a concession stand, restrooms for spectators, and a state of the art public adress system that entertains fans with music and information. The players enjoy spacious dugouts, one indoor and four outdoor batting cages, and the newest aerobic and strength training equipment available at the field each day.
Grass Stadium (Soccer, Lacrosse)
The grass stadium at the Battleground has been host to two NCAA soccer championships, and is home to the Eagle men's and women's soccer teams, as well as UMW lacrosse. Adjacent to the 1,000-seat stadium is a full practice Bermuda grass field, which perfectly replicates the competition field.
Turf Stadium (Field Hockey, Lacrosse)
The turf stadium at UMW hosts the Eagle field hockey and lacrosse teams. The two-year old artificial turf surface has already served as host to the 2012 NCAA field hockey tournament. The facility was also the host site for the 1993 NCAA field hockey national championship.
Softball Stadium
The University of Mary Washington softball team competes at one of the finest facilities in all of NCAA Division III softball. Located adjacent to campus along Hanover Street, the UMW Softball Stadium has seating for hundreds of fans and possesses a state of the art public adress system that entertains fans with music and information. The players enjoy spacious dugouts, four outdoor batting cages, and the newest aerobic and strength training equipment available at the field each day.
Track Facility
The University of Mary Washington track and field teams compete on campus at an eight-lane facility complete with track shack, throwing pits, and shower/restroom facility. The Eagles have hosted numerous Capital Athletic Conference Championships at the Battleground, and annually hosts the Battleground Relays each spring.
Lighted Turf Practice Field
Located next to the grass stadium is a lighted artificial turf field, which is used for practices for nearly every outdoor sport. The field's versatility allows usage by a number of varsity teams.
Lighted Multipurpose Turf Field
Directly to the north of Goolrick Gymnasium and adjacent to the visitor's parking deck on Alvey Drive, a lighted multipurpose turf field further allows options when scheduling varsity contests. Men's and women's lacrosse and field hockey have used the field for night contests, with expanded use expected in the future.
Tennis Center | Indoor Center Website
The six-court, state-of-the-art University Indoor Tennis Center is located next to the award-winning 12-court outdoor tennis facility at the Battleground Athletic Complex. The University Tennis Center hosted the 2006 NCAA Division III National Men's Championships, the 2007 and 2010 NCAA Division III National Women's Championships, and has recieved the 2006 USTA Mid-Atlantic Section "Facility of the Year" Award and the 2007 USTA Outstanding Facility Award.
Hazelwild Farm
The University of Mary Washington's riding program is conducted at Hazelwild Farm, located on Miss A. Elizabeth Morrison's 500-acre ancestral homestead. The farm is located five miles from campus, in Spotsylvania County. The facilities include seventy stalls with all the modern amenities and ample turnout. The Stables also provide two outdoor rings, a cross country course, and a full-scale indoor arena, the A. Elizabeth Morrison Equestrian Center. Students may take part in all activities at Hazelwild Farm, including boarding, lessons, and showing, both local and rated.
DIRECTIONS TO HAZELWILD FARM:
From Interstate 95, take Exit 130A (Route 3 East), and follow through five stoplights. Turn RIGHT onto Route 1 South. Proceed several miles, and turn RIGHT onto Harrison Road. Follow Harrison over Interstate 95, and turn RIGHT into the Elizabeth A. Morrison equestrian center.
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Alternative Crops Vital to Fighting World’s Drug Problem, Promoting Progress, Secretary-General Tells Economic and Social Council
ECOSOC/6644
Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York
2014 Substantive Session
43rd & 44th Meetings (AM & PM)
Alternative Crops Vital to Fighting World’s Drug Problem, Promoting Progress,
Secretary-General Tells Economic and Social Council
Organized crime and illicit criminal activity undermined essential institutions like the rule of law and delivery of education and health, the United Nations leading expert on drugs and crime told the Economic and Social Council today.
Opening a high-level panel discussion entitled “Sustainable development and the world drug problem: challenges and opportunities”, Yury Fedotov, Executive Director, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said that drug cultivation hindered growth of legitimate economies and businesses. Alternative development strategies promoted by UNODC had reduced cultivation, but farmers also needed infrastructure in order that the new crops they produced could be marketed and income generated.
Joining Mr. Fedotov in making opening statements were United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and Economic and Social Council President Martin Sajdik.
On the panel were Khaled Abdel-Rahman Shamaa, Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations in Vienna and Chair of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs; Norachit Sinhaseni, Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations; Mary Chinery-Hesse, Commissioner, West Africa Commission on Drugs; Lochan Naidoo, President, International Narcotics Control Board, Aldo Lale-Demoz, Deputy Executive-Director, UNODC; and Alberto Otárola Peñaranda, Executive Director of DEVIDA.
Mr. Ban agreed on the negative impact drugs and organized crime could have on people’s lives and on societies. Drugs and crime were corrosive and harmed justice systems, State institutions and communities.
“That is why it is so important to help farmers choose alternative crops,” he said, stressing the need to stabilize markets and create decent jobs. “When we take these measures, we do more than fight drugs and crime — we promote progress and peace.”
Panellists shared their experiences in addressing the drug problem from the State and regional level, as well as from within international institutions.
Mr. Shamaa said alternative development featured heavily in the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation, which promoted an integrated and balanced strategy to counter the world drug problem. In preparations for the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem, he had seen the link between sustainable development and the drug problem repeatedly raised. There was also broad international agreement on the need to tackle the problem, even if differing views remained on how the issue should be integrated into the post-2015 development agenda.
Mr. Sinhanesi described Thailand’s efforts to apply supply side alternative development. Crop substitution, allied with efforts to improve health care and education in rural communities were central to the strategy. An enormous decline in opium cultivation had been recorded, from 17,920 hectares in the 1960s to an insignificant level in 2001. Decreased opium cultivation was matched by increased income, showing the importance of efforts to address root causes, such as poverty.
Ms. Chinery-Hesse said Africa’s voice had been muted in the past, but its full participation had to be ensured during the 2016 General Assembly Special Session on Drugs. In the past, West Africa was known as a transit point, but consumption and production were now increasing. She called on Governments to deal with that as a health issue, rather than putting extra pressure on their criminal justice systems.
The Economic and Social Council also took up several reports relating to social and human rights questions, with Mr. Naidoo presenting the International Narcotics Control Board’s Annual Report for 2013 and Mr. Shamaa introducing the report of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs on its fifty-seventh session (document E/2014/28). Vladimir Galuska, Chair of the twenty-third session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, introduced the report of the Commission on its twenty-third session (document E/2014/30) and Jay Karia presented the report of the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute on behalf of the President of the Board of Trustees of the Institute.
During a discussion of social and human rights questions, Mexico’s delegate noted that it was crucial to properly prepare for the General Assembly Special Session on Drugs slated for 2016. It must be inclusive and based on scientific evidence. The involvement of the General Assembly President in preparatory work was vital as resolving the drug problem required concerted international action.
Her counterpart from the Russian Federation emphasized the threat posed by illicit production of narcotic drugs to international peace and security. He was concerned particularly about the situation in Afghanistan, where international troops were withdrawing.
Following that discussion, Simona Petrova, Director of the Secretariat of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, introduced the “Annual overview report of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination for 2013” (document E/2014/69).
In an ensuing discussion, the representative of Cuba praised the Chief Executive Board’s work to promote coordination and coherence and to simplify institutional practices, saying that would increase administrative efficiency. Action and initiatives that the Board undertook had to be aligned with the priorities of Member States.
The Council postponed action on 10 draft resolutions and six draft decisions contained within the recommendations of several reports because it did not have a quorum present.
The Council will meet again at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 16 July, to take action on drafts and continue its coordination and management segment.
Oh Joon ( Republic of Korea), Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council, introduced the panel, “Sustainable development and the world drug problem: challenges and opportunities”.
Opening statements were made by Martin Sajdik ( Austria), President of the Economic and Social Council, Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, via video message, and also via video message by Yury Fedotov, Executive Director, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
On the panel were Khaled Abdel-Rahman Shamaa, Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations in Vienna and Chair of the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs; Norachit Sinhaseni, Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations; Mary Chinery-Hesse, Commissioner, West Africa Commission on Drugs; Lochan Naidoo, President, International Narcotics Control Board; Aldo Lale-Demoz, Deputy Executive-Director, UNODC; and Alberto Otárola Peñaranda, Executive Director of DEVIDA.
Mr. SAJDIK, opening the panel, recalled that, in 2009, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs adopted the Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem. The Declaration called on the Council to devote a session and to contribute to the preparations for the 2016 General Assembly Special Session on Drugs. He highlighted several key points to consider in the run-up to the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda and the 2016 special session.
First, he said, drug addiction was a health problem and many States had achieved significant success in reducing demand by adopting national drug strategies, including primary prevention, early intervention, treatment, care, rehabilitation, recovery and social reintegration measures, as well as steps aimed at minimizing the public health and social consequences of drug abuse. Effective national drug control strategies must be further strengthened based on scientific evidence. Second, alternative development was vital to counter the world drug problem as it drew together sustainable development and the challenge of illicit drugs and organized crime. In that regard, the work of UNODC in Afghanistan, Colombia, Myanmar and many other places was commendable.
Third, he said, all relevant efforts must respect human dignity, liberty, democracy, equality, solidarity, the rule of law and human rights. Lastly, tackling the world drug problem required international cooperation. Civil society, including the scientific community, non-governmental organizations and young people had an important role to play. Cooperation between relevant United Nations bodies and entities were also essential. “Throughout the world, illicit drugs and organized crime weaken democratic institutions, undermine peace and hinder sustainable development, particularly ongoing efforts to rid the world of poverty, conflict and inequality.” That highlighted the need to deal with development and illicit drugs as a single holistic issue.
Mr. BAN said that delegates met today as the international community worked to reach the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015 — and shape a new long-term vision for sustainable development. Illicit drugs and organized crime undermined people’s lives and devastated societies. Drugs and crime corroded fragile countries. They weakened criminal justice systems and other State institutions. And they destroyed communities. Development activities could address those concerns.
“That is why it is so important to help farmers choose alternative crops,” he said, stressing the need to stabilize markets and to create decent jobs. “When we take these measures, we do more than fight drugs and crime — we promote progress and peace.” Today’s discussion would help pave the way for success at the General Assembly’s Special Session on the World Drug Problem in 2016. That would be a valuable opportunity for Member States to openly exchange ideas and lessons on what works in addressing the drug problem.
Mr. FEDOTOV said that organized crime and illicit criminal activity undermined essential institutions like the rule of law and delivery of education and health, including efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. Drug cultivation hindered growth of legitimate economies and businesses and interfered with efforts to improve education and protect the environment. The importance of alternative development had been stressed at the High-level Review of the Fifty-seventh Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in March.
Alternative development strategies promoted by UNODC had reduced cultivation, and in Myanmar and Afghanistan it had loosened the grip of drug lords. Equally important as providing farmers with alternative crops was the provision of infrastructure, so that the crops they produced could be sold and income generated. He said that $32 million worth of alternative development had been delivered in Colombia, helping 136,000 families, and similar work was under way in Peru.
Mr. SHAMAA said replacing illicit crops with legal ones would help tackle hunger and promote sustainable development. Alternative development had featured strongly in the 2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation, which promoted an integrated and balanced strategy to counter the world drug problem. The midterm review of progress in March had resulted in a ministerial statement reflecting a global commitment to tackling the problem. In preparations for the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem, the link between sustainable development and the world drug problem was repeatedly raised. States had differing views on integrating efforts to tackle the problem in the post-2015 development agenda, but broad support existed for a focus on practical, operational, field level work that supported Member States in fulfilling the goals of the Political Declaration. The youth dimension had been stressed, as was the need to engage a broad range of stakeholders in efforts to address the problem and promote sustainable development.
Mr. SINHASENI shared Thailand’s experiences in tackling the drug problem through supply side alternative development strategies. Lack of development and opportunities had promoted illicit drug cultivation and Thailand’s efforts had sought to address that. In the 1960s, 17,920 hectares of opium was cultivated, but by 2001, UNODC considered Thai opium production to be insignificant. Crop substitution was central, as were efforts to improve health care and education in rural communities. As opium cultivation had decreased, incomes in the highlands had increased tenfold, showing the importance of sustainable development and addressing root causes, like poverty, to tackling the drug problem. Thailand’s strategies had been applied in Myanmar, Aceh and Afghanistan. His country advocated for alternative development internationally, having helped establish the United Nations Guiding Principles on Alternative Development, and called for including alternative development strategies in the post-2015 development agenda.
Ms. CHINERY-HESSE said that Africa’s voice had been muted in the past and the 2016 General Assembly Special Session on Drugs must ensure full participation of African stakeholders in all fora. West Africa achieved fast economic growth. In 2013, the West African Commission on Drugs had been established so that the drug problem did not disrupt that positive trend. In the past, West Africa was known as a transit point. But, consumption and production were now increasing. The Committee’s June 2014 report, titled “Not Just in Transit”, reflected the changing landscape. The Commission had worked with non-governmental organizations, regional entities and other partners. Its work had been adequately plugged into international efforts. There was a need to move from anecdotes to concrete evidence, as well to target those running the drug network rather than the “foot soldiers”. Drug money could undermine development and derail democratic processes. She said tackling the drug problem required a shift in thinking. Rather than putting pressure on the criminal justice system, Governments must consider the problem as a health issue. The United Republic of Tanzania initiated efforts to send drug users to hospitals rather than prison.
Mr. NAIDOO said that the International Narcotics Control Board was mandated to monitor and promote the three international drug control conventions. The objective of the global drug control system was twofold — to ensure availability of internationally controlled substances for medical and scientific use while preventing their diversion to illicit channels, trafficking and abuse. As for alternative development, efforts had evolved from straightforward crop substitution to promoting rural development and provision of sustainable livelihoods for those growing illicit drugs. The concept must expand to include urban societies. Those efforts would only be viable they were implemented as part of a comprehensive national development programme that raised the economic and social well-being of the entire population.
Mr. LALE-DEMOZ described lessons he had learned supervising large-scale alternative development programmes with UNODC. The viability and sustainability of programmes aimed at preventing, reducing or eliminating illicit crops had increased in proportion to the presence of sound drug control policies, a strong commitment to multisectoral social and economic rural development and the full participation of local farm communities in designing and implementing schemes. Despite diverse realities seen in different countries, international standards like the 2009 Political Declaration and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Alternative Development could apply. Outlining successes in Afghanistan, Colombia, Peru and elsewhere, he described how reductions in illicit crop cultivation were possible if farm communities were empowered to meet broader development goals. The strategies used to combat the world drug problem were valid for counteracting other forms of organized crime.
Mr. PEÑARANDA outlined results yielded by Peru’s alternative development efforts, including coca eradication efforts that had been heralded as a “historic breakthrough” by UNODC. State policies to tackle drug production had been backed by a 300 per cent increase in the budget for implementing the national strategy. Eradication had to be accompanied by alternative development if the strategy was to work. Under the Government’s strategy, illegal crop producers were presented with alternative, sustainable development opportunities; the Government had extended the rule of law, with interdiction, prevention and treatment of drug use; and there was a cross-cutting commitment to linking international and national efforts. In Monzon, a rapid change had occurred in the last three years. The area had been considered impregnable because of the presence of subversive groups that impeded Government efforts to extend its authority and institutions, but the Government policy had seen a reduction in coca leaf cultivation from 7,000 hectares in 2011 to 227 hectares in 2014.
In the ensuing discussion, the representative of the Russian Federation noted the key role alternative development could play in addressing the world drug problem. In Afghanistan, the largest producer of heroin, farmers needed alternative livelihoods following the withdrawal of the international forces. He hoped that the General Assembly Special Session on Drugs would provide an opportunity to give a clear definition of alternative development. Further, the drug issue should be included in the sustainable development goals.
The representative of Iran stressed that his country wished to strengthen cooperation with European countries. About 4,000 Iranian soldiers had been killed in the fight against illicit drugs.
The representative of Cuba said tackling illicit drugs required a multidisciplinary approach based on shared but differentiated responsibility, taking into account different realities of States and respecting full sovereignty of each country. She asked panellists what challenges lie in international cooperation and technical assistance.
The representative of Colombia noted that, with the support of UNODC, her country had implemented a programme on alternative development aimed at reducing coca crops. The General Assembly Special Session would provide an opportunity for transparent evaluation of existing strategies and help find new ways to deal with the drug issue. Her delegation, however, felt it was counterproductive to include drug control in the sustainable development goals.
The representative of China described how his country had stepped up its international cooperation efforts through bilateral and multilateral frameworks, most notably by providing funding and technical assistance to help poppy producers find alternative cultivation in the Golden Triangle area consisting of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.
The representative of Guatemala asked panellists if a strategy to find alternative livelihood in drug producing countries could be applied in transit countries, where trafficking was a primary source of income for a large portion of the population.
Mr. PEÑARANDA said that Peru had seen cocoa production replacing coca cultivation due to such schemes as supporting smallholder farmers, improving the soil and providing technical training. The process of switching to alternative crops would be a success if products became competitive in markets.
Mr. LALE-DEMOZ highlighted challenges, including implementation of the international conventions, coordination of work between many stakeholders and engagement of civil society. Alternative development could apply to transit countries, as well.
Mr. NAIDOO said profiling drug users could be an effective way to counter trafficking. In high security risk areas, it was also vital to find crops that could grow quickly. It all came down to consistent implementation of the global treaties.
Ms. CHINERY-HESSE stressed shared but differentiated responsibility because imperatives differed from place to place. West Africa would carefully examine the question about alternative livelihood in transit countries posed by the delegate of Guatemala as the subregion was a transit point.
Mr. SHAMAA emphasized the need for a hybrid approach that took into account each country’s specificity while using existing regional and global regimes. On the question of alternative livelihood to traffickers, careful consideration was necessary as it entailed implications on the criminal justice system.
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For information media • not an official record
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Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Name of One Individual to Its Sanctions List
SC/12066
On 30 September 2015, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) approved the addition of the entry specified below to its Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2161 (2014) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations:
A. Individuals
QDi.357 Name: 1: ASEEL 2: MUTHANA 3: na 4: na
Title: na Designation: na DOB: 22 Nov. 1996 POB: Cardiff, United Kingdom Good quality a.k.a.: na Low quality a.k.a.: na Nationality: British Passport no.: British passport number 516088643, issued 7 Jan. 2014 (expires on 7 Jan. 2024) National identification: na Address: a) Syrian Arab Republic (as at Feb. 2014) b) United Kingdom (previous address) Listed on: 30 Sept. 2015 Other information: Foreign terrorist fighter with Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, listed as Al-Qaida in Iraq (QDe.115), in the Syrian Arab Republic. Wanted by the authorities of the United Kingdom. Physical description: hair colour: brown/black.
In accordance with paragraph 36 of resolution 2161 (2014), the Committee has made accessible on its website the narrative summary of reasons for listing of the above name, at the following URL: http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/narrative.shtml.
The Committee’s Al-Qaida Sanctions List is updated regularly on the basis of relevant information provided by Member States and international and regional organizations. An updated List is accessible on the Committee’s website at the following URL: http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/aq_sanctions_list.shtml.
The Consolidated United Nations Security Council Sanctions List is also updated following all changes made to the Al-Qaida Sanctions List. An updated version of the Consolidated List is accessible via the following URL: http://www.un.org/sc/committees/consolidated_list.shtml.
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U.S. Global ETFs
Our ETFs
JETS – U.S. Global Jets ETF
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Investor Materials
1099-DIV
U.S. Global Jets ETF
U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF
GOAU
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Please consider carefully a fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. For this and other important information, obtain a statutory and summary prospectus for JETS here and for GOAU here. Read it carefully before investing.
Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Shares of any ETF are bought and sold at market price (not NAV), may trade at a discount or premium to NAV and are not individually redeemed from the funds. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns. Because the funds concentrate their investments in specific industries, the funds may be subject to greater risks and fluctuations than a portfolio representing a broader range of industries. The funds are non-diversified, meaning they may concentrate more of their assets in a smaller number of issuers than diversified funds. The funds invest in foreign securities which involve greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods. These risks are greater for investments in emerging markets. The funds may invest in the securities of smaller-capitalization companies, which may be more volatile than funds that invest in larger, more established companies. The performance of the funds may diverge from that of the index. Because the funds may employ a representative sampling strategy and may also invest in securities that are not included in the index, the funds may experience tracking error to a greater extent than funds that seek to replicate an index. The funds are not actively managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments related to the index. Airline Companies may be adversely affected by a downturn in economic conditions that can result in decreased demand for air travel and may also be significantly affected by changes in fuel prices, labor relations and insurance costs. Gold, precious metals, and precious minerals funds may be susceptible to adverse economic, political or regulatory developments due to concentrating in a single theme. The prices of gold, precious metals, and precious minerals are subject to substantial price fluctuations over short periods of time and may be affected by unpredicted international monetary and political policies. We suggest investing no more than 5% to 10% of your portfolio in these sectors.
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Distributed by Quasar Distributors, LLC. U.S. Global Investors is the investment adviser to JETS and GOAU.
The U.S. Global Jets Index seeks to provide access to the global airline industry. The index uses various fundamental screens to determine the most efficient airline companies in the world, and also provides diversification through exposure to global aircraft manufacturers and airport companies. The index consists of common stocks listed on well-developed exchanges across the globe. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.
The U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners Index uses a robust, dynamic, rules-based smart-factor model to select precious minerals companies that earn over 50% of their aggregate revenue from precious minerals through active (mining or production) or passive (royalties or streams) means. The index uses fundamental screens to identify companies with favorable valuation, profitability, quality and operating efficiency. The index consists of 28 common stocks or related ADRs.
It is not possible to invest in an index.
Please consider carefully a fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. For this and other important information, to obtain a hardcopy statutory and summary prospectus call 844.ETF.JETS (844.383.5387). Read it carefully before investing.
Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Shares of any ETF are bought and sold at market price (not NAV), may trade at a discount or premium to NAV and are not individually redeemed from the fund. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns. Because the fund concentrates its...
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Kendall J. Miller
December 17, 1960 - June 14, 2019
East Manchester Township
LCDR Kendall J. Miller (United States Navy, Ret.), 58 of King George, Virginia passed away unexpectedly on Friday, June 14, 2019.
Born in Greenville, Mississippi, he was a 1982 graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis and had retired after a career in the Navy.
After retirement, Kendall worked in private industry, finally coming to NSWC Dahlgren where he was a Supervisory General Engineer at MDA.
He was a member of Shiloh Baptist Church, where he sang in the choir. He loved sailing and was the Commodore of the Dahlgren Yacht Club.
Kendall is survived by his loving and devoted wife and constant companion of 22 years, Jean Miller; his mother, Lillian Miller; his children, Andrew Miller, Thomas Miller, Elizabeth Edmondson, Rachel Miller-Moudgil and Elliott Agostine; his siblings, Nadalyn Riggins, Melissa Schindler, Philip Miller and Lyon Miller and a granddaughter, Eisley Jeanne Miller.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, June 21st at 7:00pm at Shiloh Baptist Church, 13457 Kings Highway, King George. The family will receive friends at the church, one hour prior to the service.
Burial, with Full Navy Honors, will take place in Arlington National Cemetery at a future date and time to be announced on www.storkefuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Shiloh Baptist Church.
Courtesy of the Culpepper Free Lance-Star.
LTJG Kendall J. Miller, submarine warfare qualified, served on the USS William H. Bates (SSN 680) in the mid-eighties as COMMO and MPA
Kendall J. Miller - Shipmate Profile
Jean Miller - Spouse Profile
Brian Rees 25 days 8 hours
Kendall's Memorial Service
I attended Kendal's service yesterday. The church was full (150-200 folks), and it was a nice service. It was clear from the many comments I heard that he was deeply loved and respected and will be sorely missed by many people. I spoke with Jean briefly, she said that the Bates held a special place in his heart.
The search has ended for a sailor who is believed to have gone overboard from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) on Wednesday morning, U.S. 5th Fleet announced. Guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG-55), Patrol Squadron (VP) 10, Patrol Squadron (VP) 40 and Spanish Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate ESPS Méndez Núñez ended their search in the Arabian […]
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