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Posted on November 16, 2018 by Kate Ramunni
Motorcycle cowboys go after horse thieves in new video
BY BUD WILKINSON REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
Screen shot from YouTube video Ken Kaplan in his persona as “Kaplan America” in the “Beware Bike Thieves” video.
Ken Kaplan acknowledges that “…it’s a little edgy, a little out there to some people” before he explains how extremely upset he and others are.
He was talking late Wednesday afternoon about a vigilante video titled “Beware Bike Thieves” that was posted last week on the YouTube channel that he uses to promote himself and his New England Motorcycle Museum in Rockville.
In the video, Kaplan declares that he’s going after motorcycle thieves and announces that a $2,000 reward is being offered for their arrest and conviction.
The video is aggressive, over-the-top and, unintentionally, borderline comical. Kaplan adopts an on-camera, comic book superhero persona of “Kaplan America,” complete with a U.S. flag do-rag and a U.S. flag as a cape. He wields deadly weapons and declares, “Motorcycle thieves, your reign of terror is now over. There’s now a bounty on your head…”
While brandishing shotguns and aggressively swinging a broomstick, Kaplan turns to “scripture” and implores, “Fight with me against them that steal our motorcycles. Take hold of thy shield and sword and stand up and help” before concluding that part of the sermonizing with “Let the angels of the Lord chase them.”
He’s joined in the video by a posse, including “brother Carlos” who promises thieves “buckshot for you, baby.” The clip is immediately followed by Kaplan slashing the air with the broomstick. “If you’re lucky, the cops will get you first,” he warns.
The strident approach in the video was on purpose. “If you don’t do something unusual, you won’t get people’s attention,” he said. No doubt that’s why his posse members are equally threatening and why he declares in the video, “Let destruction come upon those who steal our motorcycles.”
Kaplan said that what prompted the video was a rash of bike thefts in Connecticut and Massachusetts; cases where thieves have followed off-road racers home after meets and then swiped their motorcycles.
The New England Motorcycle Museum was itself victimized in May 2017 by thieves, who broke into the museum’s showroom/office and got away with two dirt bikes. Close-circuit video captured the break-in and the thieves were soon arrested.
Kaplan reported that he and Haymond Law put up $1,000 each for the $2,000 reward and that the Connecticut Coalition of Motorcycle Clubs is backing the effort as well. Tipsters may call 860-454-7024.
Kaplan believes a bit of vigilante action is warranted. “Yes, if someone comes on my property armed and dangerous, we’re armed and dangerous, too. It’s definitely pro-Second Amendment. It’s definitely pro-vigilante,” he said of the video, noting that he has a shotgun on his desk at the museum and a handgun close by.
“We feel we’re going to deter motorcycle thefts in the Connecticut area,” he said of his effort. “We’re all cowboys and they’re horse thieves.”
The video isn’t the first time Kaplan has appeared as the muscular, motorcycle-riding “Kaplan America.” He has appeared in other videos in his YouTube channel, which has more than 12,600 subscribers and more than 5.5 million views.
Here’s a link to the video:
IMS IN NEW YORK
TWO WEEKS AWAY
It seems that every year over the past half-decade I’ve vowed that the annual trip to the Progressive International Motorcycle Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York will be my last because the show keeps shrinking in size.
Inevitably, a sense of guilt intrudes because writing about motorcycles requires keeping up on new models and touching base with company executives. Missing the press sessions in advance of the show’s opening would be heresy, so I’ve again signed up for credentials again.
For this go-round it looks like there will be a fuller complement of manufacturers. Listed among the exhibitors are Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Indian, Kawasaki, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha as well as electric builders Energica and Zero.
There will also be vintage displays and the annual J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show (which is a show within the show).
In an attempt to lure potential riders, the IMS will introduce a new feature tagged “Discover the Ride.” Zero Motorcycles will give non-riders the chance to ride a motorcycle for the first time and learn some riding basics. There will also be a “Dyno Experience” and a “Wheelie Experience.”
This year’s IMS runs Nov. 30 from 2 to 8 p.m., Dec. 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Dec. 2, 10-5.
GLORIA STRUCK VISITS
DANBURY HARLEY-DAVIDSON
Gloria Struck, the 93-year-old AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer and author from New Jersey, visits Danbury Harley-Davidson for a meet-and-greet from noon to 4 p.m. today. She’ll also be signing her book “Gloria – A Lifetime Motorcyclist: 75 Years On Two Wheels and Still Riding.”
RIDE-CT wrote about Struck in March following the publication of her autobiography. It recounts how she took up riding in 1941 at age 16 and how she’s ridden 700,000 miles on 14 different motorcycles.
“I never realized how much I lived life until I started writing about it,” she said at the time.
CategoriesColumns, Life & Arts, Outdoors, Ride CT TagsGun laws, Police, Social Media
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The rise of Middle Eastern crime in Australia
Former NSW detective Tim Priest was one of the front-line cops who lead the war against crime in the drug-ridden streets of Cabramatta. Yet he found himself waging his biggest battle not against the drug gangs but against the very organisation he worked for. Eventually, he could stand it no longer and spoke out about the politics and bureaucratic bungling, chronic lack of resources and crazy policy decisions that seem endemic to the New South Wales Police Service. For this, he was labelled a 'whistleblower' and ultimately railroaded out of the force.
Parliamentary enquiries subsequently proved that Tim Priest had spoken the truth and, perhaps more shockingly, that what the newspapers reveal is merely the tip of the iceberg.
The articel below was first published in the January 2004 issue of Quadrant magazine. It is re-published here with the permission of Tim Priest.
Tim Priest teamed up with academic Richard Basham to publish a book, To Protect and to Serve. It is available at all bookstores. It is required reading for every person who is concerned about crime in New South Wales and why the police are afraid of the ethnic gangs.
Tim Priest
I believe that the rise of Middle Eastern organised crime in Sydney will have an impact on society unlike anything we have ever seen.
In the early 1980s, as a young detective I was attached to the Drug Squad at the old CIB. I remember executing a search warrant at Croydon, where we found nearly a pound of heroin. I know that now sounds very familiar; however, what set this heroin apart was that it was Beaker Valley Heroin, markedly different from any heroin I had seen. Number Four heroin from the golden triangle of South East Asia is nearly always off white, almost pure diamorphine. This heroin was almost brown.
But more remarkable were the occupants of the house. They were very recent arrivals from Lebanon, and from the moment we entered the premises, we wrestled and fought with the male occupants, were abused and spat at by the women and children, and our search took five times longer because of the impediments placed before us by the occupants, including the women hiding heroin in baby nappies and on themselves and refusing to be searched by policewomen because of religious beliefs. We had never encountered these problems before.
As was the case in those days, we arrested every adult and teenager who had hampered our search. When it came to court, they were represented by Legal Aid, of course, who claimed that these people were innocent of the minor charges of public disorder and hindering police, because they were recent arrivals from a country where people have an historical hatred towards police, and that they also had poor communications skills and that the police had not executed the warrant in a manner that was acceptable to the Muslim occupants.
The magistrate, well known to police as one who convicted fewer than one in ten offenders brought before him during his term at Burwood local court, threw the matter out, siding with the occupants and condemning the police. I remember thinking; thank heavens we don't run into many Lebanese drug dealers.
Lebanese family terrorises neighbourhood
In 1994 I was stationed at Redfern. A well known Lebanese family who lived not far from the old Redfern Police Academy were terrorising the locals with random assaults, drug dealing, robberies and violent anti-social behaviour. When some young police from Redfern told me about them, curiosity got the better of me and I asked them to show me the street they lived in.
Despite the misgivings of the young police, I eventually saw this family and the presence they had in the immediate area. As we drove away in our marked police car, a half brick bounced on the roof of the vehicle. The driver kept going.
I said, 'What are you doing, they've just hit the car with a house brick!" The young constable said, "Oh, they always do that when we drive past."
The police were either too scared or too lazy to do anything about it. The damage bill on police cars became costly and these street terrorists grew stronger and the police became purely defensive. You see, the Police Royal Commission was about to start and the police retreated inside themselves knowing that the judicial system considered them easy targets. The police did not want to get hurt or attract Internal Affairs complaints.
Call me stupid, call me a dinosaur, but I made sure that day that at least one person in the group that threw the brick was arrested. I began by approaching the group just as that magistrate had lectured me and the other police involved in the Croydon search warrant. I simply asked who threw the brick. I was greeted with abuse and threats. I then reverted to the old ways of policing. I grabbed the nearest male and convinced him that it was he who had thrown the brick. His brave mates did nothing. By the time we arrived at the police station, this young fool had become compliant, apologetic and so afraid that he kept crying. You may not agree with what I did, but I paraded this goose around the police station for all the young police to see what they had become frightened of.
For some months after that, police routinely rounded up the family whenever it was warranted. However, some years later, with a change of Police Commander and the advent of duty officers under Peter Ryan, the family got back on top and within months had murdered a young Australian man who had wandered into their area drunk. They had set up a caravan where they sold drugs twenty four hours a day. They tied up half the police station with Internal Affairs complaints ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, but under Peter Ryan, these complaints were always treated seriously.
In effect, this family had taken control of Redfern. Senior police did their best to limit police action against them, fearing an avalanche of IA complaints that would count against the Commander at Peter Ryan's next Op Crime Review.
I hope the examples I have just used don't give the impression that I am a racist or a bully. The point I want to make from the start is that policing has never been rocket science. It is about human dynamics, street psychology, experience, a little bit of theatre and a substantial quantity of common sense. Sure, forensics and the advances of DNA, rapid fingerprint identification and electronic eavesdropping have taken policing to a new level of sophistication, but ultimately, when an offender is identified by whatever means, scientific or otherwise, it all comes down to the interaction between the investigator and the offender during the arrest and interview process. Violent and abusive offenders do not respect the law or those who enforce it. But they do respect the old style cop who doesn't take a backward step and can't be intimidated. When they encounter cops like that, they fold quickly there is rarely much behind the veneer of bravado.
In 1996 with the arrival of Peter Ryan, and the continued public humiliation of the New South Wales Police through the Wood Royal Commission, a chain of events began that have affected the police so deeply and so completely that, as far as ensuring community safety is concerned, I fear it will take at least a generation to regain the lost ground.
The rise of Middle Eastern crime groups in NSW
It was about 1995 to 1996 that the emergence of Middle Eastern crime groups was first observed in New South Wales. Before then they had been largely known for individual acts of anti social behaviour and loose family structures involved in heroin importation and supply as well as motor vehicle theft and conversion. The one crime that did appear organised before this period was insurance fraud, usually motor vehicle accidents and arson. Because these crimes were largely victimless, they were dealt with by insurance companies and police involvement was limited. But from these insurance scams, a generation of young criminals emerged to, become engaged in more sophisticated crimes, such as extortion, armed robbery, organised narcotics importation and supply, gun running, organised factory and warehouse break ins, car theft and conversion on a massive scale including the exporting of stolen luxury vehicles to Lebanon and other Middle Eastern countries.
As the police began to gather and act on intelligence on these emerging Middle Eastern gangs the first of the series of events took place. The New South Wales Police was restructured under Peter Ryan. Crime Intelligence, the eyes and ears of all police forces throughout the world, was dismantled overnight and a British style intelligence unit was created. The formation of this unit and its factions has been best described by Dr Richard Basham a library stocking outdated books. The new Crime Intelligence and Information Section became completely reactive. It received crime intelligence from the field and stored it. Almost no relevant intelligence was ever dispensed to operational police from 1997 until I left in 2002. It was a disgrace.
One of the fundamental problems that arose out of the new intelligence structure was that it no longer had a field capacity or a target development capacity. With the old BCI there were field teams that were assigned to look into emerging trends. Vietnamese, Romanian and Hong Kong Chinese groups were all targeted after intelligence grew on their activities. When the alarm bells went off over growing intelligence concerns about a new or current crime group, covert operations were mounted.
Lebanese gangs intimidate police
When the Middle Eastern crime groups emerged in the mid to late 1990s no alarms were set off. The Crime Intelligence unit was asleep. I know personally that operational police in south west Sydney compiled enormous amounts of good intelligence on the formation of Lebanese groups such as the Telopea Street Boys and others in the Campsie, Lakemba, Fairfield and Punchbowl areas. The inactivity could not have been because the intelligence reports weren't interesting, because I have read many of them and from a policing perspective they were damning. Many of the offenders that you now see in major criminal trials or serving lengthy sentences in prison were identified back then.
But even more frustrating for operational police were the activities of this ethnic crime group, activities that set it apart from almost all others bar the Cabramatta 5T. The Lebanese groups were ruthless, extremely violent, and they intimidated not only innocent witnesses, but even the police that attempted to arrest them.
As these crime groups encountered less resistance in terms of police operations and enforcement, their power grew not only within their own communities, but also all around Sydney except in Cabramatta, where their fear of the South East Asian crime groups limited their forays. But the rest of Sydney became easy pickings.
The second in the series of events began to take shape with Peter Ryan's executive leadership team. Under Ryan's nose they began to carve up the New South Wales Police and form little kingdoms where a senior police officer ruled almost untouched by outside influence. They then appointed their own commanders in the police stations. Almost all of them had little or no street experience; but they in turn brought along their friends as duty officers, similarly inexperienced. Some of the experience these police counted on their resumes included stints at Human Resources, the Academy, the Police Band in one case, the various cubby holes in Police Headquarters, almost no operational policing experience yet they were tasked to lead. Never has the expression "the blind leading the blind" been more appropriate.
The impact that this leadership team had on day today operational policing was disastrous. In many of the key areas that were experiencing rapid rises in Middle Eastern crime, these new leaders became more concerned with relations between the police and ethnic minorities than with emerging violent crime. The power and influence of the local religious and minority leaders cannot be overstated. Police began to use selective law enforcement. They selected targets that were unlikely to use their ethnic background and cultural beliefs to hinder police investigations or arrests. It was mostly Anglo Saxons and Asians that were the targets, because they were under represented by religious leaders and the media. They were soft targets.
An example of the confrontations police nearly always experienced in Muslim-dominated areas when confronting even the most minor of crimes is an incident that occurred in 2001 in Auburn. Two uniformed officers stopped a motor vehicle containing three well known male offenders of Middle Eastern origin, on credible information via the police radio that indicated that the occupants of the vehicle had been involved in a series of break-and-enters. What occurred during the next few hours can only he described as frightening.
When searching the vehicle and finding stolen property from the break-and-enter, the police were physically threatened by the three occupants of the car, including references to tracking down where the officers lived, killing them and "fucking your girlfriends". The two officers were intimidated to the point of retreating to their police car and calling for urgent assistance.
When police back up arrived, the three occupants called their associates via their mobile phones, which incidentally is the Middle Eastern radio network used to communicate amongst gangs. Within minutes as many as twenty associates arrived as well as another forty or so from the street where they had been stopped. As further police cars arrived, the Middle Eastern males became even more aggressive, throwing punches at police, pushing police over onto the ground, threatening them with violence and damaging police vehicles.
When the duty officer arrived, he immediately ordered all police back into their vehicles and they retreated from the scene. The stolen property was not recovered. No offender was arrested for assaulting police or damaging police vehicles.
But the humiliation did not end there. The group of Middle Eastern males then drove to the police station, where they intimidated the station staff, damaged property and virtually held a suburban police station hostage. The police were powerless. The duty officer ordered police not to confront the offenders but to call for back up from nearby stations. Eventually the offenders left of their own volition. No action was taken against them.
In the minds of the local population, the police were cowards and the message was, Lebs rule the streets. For a number of days, nothing was done to rectify this total breakdown of law and order. To the senior police in the area, it was more important to give the impression that local ethnic relations were never better. It was also important to Peter Ryan that no bad news stories appeared that may have given the impression that crime in any area was out of control. Had these hoodlums been arrested they would have filed IA complaints immediately via their Legal Aid lawyers and community leaders. To senior police, this was a cause for concern at the next Op Crime Review.
So the incident was covered up until a few local veteran detectives found out about it and decided to act. They went quietly to the addresses of the three main offenders early one morning and took them away with a minimum of fuss and charged them. Some order was restored, but not nearly enough.
By avoiding confrontations with these thugs, the police gave away the streets in many of these areas in south-western Sydney. By putting in place inexperienced senior police who had never copped the odd punch in the mouth or broken nose in the line of duty, the police force hung the community and the local police out to dry. Most of these duty officers had retreated to non-operational areas early in their careers because they couldn't stomach the risks of front line policing. Yet they put their hands up to take vital operational roles because the positions are highly paid duty officers receive about $30,000 to $40,000 a year more than a detective sergeant, which is ludicrous.
When I say that this type of policing was condoned and encouraged across wide areas of New South Wales, I am not exaggerating. The problems in south-western Sydney are a direct result of covering up criminality because it went against the script that Peter Ryan and his executive had continually pushed in the media, day after day after day - that crime was on the decrease and Peter Ryan was the world's best police commissioner.
In hundreds upon hundreds of incidents police have backed down to Middle Eastern thugs and taken no action and allowed incidents to go unpunished. Again I stress the unbelievable influence that local politicians and religious leaders played in covering up the real state of play in the south-west.
Spread of criminal gangs aided by incompetent police leadership
The third event was the reforming of Criminal Investigations into a centrally-controlled body called Crime Agencies. All the specialist crime squads were done away with: Arson, Armed Robbery, Drugs, Organised Crime, Special Breaking, Consorting, Vice, Gaming, Motor Vehicle Theft were wrapped up into one size fits all. Ryan once boasted that by the time he finished retraining the New South Wales Police, constables could investigate a traffic accident in the morning and a homicide in the afternoon, a statement that summed up his Alice-in-Wonderland policing theories. All the expertise and experience evaporated overnight.
It was as if the public hospitals had suddenly lost every surgeon and had GPs perform major surgery. No matter how bright and dedicated these GPs were, they would simply not have the expertise, the training and the experience to take over. It would be a disaster. Well, that is what happened to criminal investigation in this state. Crime Agencies was an unmitigated disaster. Yet those who designed and ran this farce have gone on to highly paid government jobs.
The final straw for the New South Wales Police was the OCR 0p Crime Review, which Peter Ryan and his executive team came up with. It was loosely based on the groundbreaking Compstat program of the New York Police Department, the brainchild of Commissioner William Bratton. The difference between Ryan's OCR and the NYPD Compstat was that the NYPD model covered everything on the criminal waterfront. The Ryan-inspired OCR had just six crimes. And those six included domestic violence, random breath testing, theft, robbery, assaults and motor vehicle theft - no drugs, organised crime, firearms, shootings, attempted murders or homicides. The crimes that instil fear into the average citizen were ignored, and with plenty of innovative answers as to why. The OCR focused police attention on a limited number of crimes and allowed far more serious and deadly crimes to get out of control.
So with a police force on the verge of bankruptcy, the Middle Eastern crime problem was an explosion waiting to go off. I had observed the beginnings of Asian organised crime whilst at the Drug Squad and later at the National Crime Authority where I worked on two task forces, one of which was on Chinese organised crime.
When I look back on the influence of Chinese organised crime in Australia, I see a gradual but sustained trend, not one of high peaks in terms of activity or incidents, but one of a well planned criminal enterprise that attracts little attention. It's there but you can't always see it.
It probably took twenty years for the Chinese to become a dominant force in crime in this city. But Middle Eastern crime has taken less than ten years. So pervasive is their influence on organised crime that rival ethnic groups, with the exception of the Asian gangs, have been squeezed out or made extinct. The only other crime group to have survived intact are the bikies, although the bikies these days have legitimised many of their operations and now make as much money from legal means as they do illegally. In many ways they have adopted US Mafia methods of legitimate businesses shrouding their illegal operations.
With no organised crime function, no gang unit except for the South-East Asian Strike Force, the New South Wales Police turned against every convention known to Western policing in dealing with organised crime groups. In effect the Lebanese crime gangs were handed the keys to Sydney.
Extortion and attacks on Australians
The most influential of the Middle Eastern crime groups are the Muslim males of Telopea Street, Bankstown, known as the Telopea Street Boys. They and their associates have been involved in numerous murders over the past five years, many of them unprovoked fatal attacks on young Australian men for no other reason than that they are "Skips", as they call Australians.
They have been involved in all manner of crime on a scale we have never seen before. Ram-raids on expensive stores in the city are epidemic. The theft of expensive motor vehicles known as car-jacking is increasing at an alarming rate. This crime involves gangs finding a luxury motor vehicle parked outside a restaurant or hotel and watching until the occupants return to drive home. The car is followed, the victims assaulted at gunpoint, and the vehicle stolen. The vehicles are always around or above the $ 100,000 mark and are believed to be taken to warehouses before being shipped interstate or to the Middle East.
Extortion on inner city nightclubs is largely unreported because of the dire consequences of owners reporting these incidents to police. When I worked at City Central Detectives just before I retired, I was involved in the initial investigation of one brave nightclub owner in the inner city who did report this crime. The Lebanese criminals were arrested after a sting operation. However, I believe that after many violent threats the owner sold up and now lives inter-state. He once had a thriving business that for a nightclub ran a reputable service, keeping out drugs, maintaining safety for patrons and co-operating with the police.
The tactics used by the gang were simple. A large number of Middle Eastern males would enter the club, upwards of twenty at a time. They would outnumber the security staff and begin assaulting Australian male patrons, sometimes stabbing them. The incident would be over in minutes and the gang members would be long gone before police arrived. A few days later, senior members of the gang, well dressed and business-like, would approach the club owners and offer to provide protection from similar incidents for around $2000 to $3000 a week. Many of the owners paid up and considered it a necessary expense in keeping their business viable. If they didn't pay up, or contacted the police, the gangs would wait some weeks, even months, before returning to the nightclub and extracting a terrible revenge on the owners, who would pay up or leave.
There is compelling intelligence that in one well-known entertainment precinct in the city, nearly all the bars, nightclubs and hotels pay protection money to Middle Eastern crime gangs.
What sets the Middle Eastern gangs apart from all other gangs is their propensity to use violence at any time and for any reason. I thought I would never see the level and type of violence that I saw with the South-East Asian gangs in Cabramatta, particularly the 5T, the Four Aces and Madonna's Mob, which were a breakaway from the old 5T. But the violence, although horrific, was almost always local, that is within the Cabramatta area and almost always against fellow Asians. As a result of that locally based violent crime it was relatively easy to identify the culprits and break them up once we were given the resources after the police revolt of 1999-2000.
Racial attacks against young Australians
The Middle Eastern cycle of violence is not local. It can occur on the central coast, around Cronulla, Bondi, Darling Harbour, Five Dock, Redfern, Paddington, anywhere in Sydney. Unlike their Vietnamese counterparts, they roam the city and are not confined to either Cabramatta or Chinatown. And even more alarming is that the violence is directed mainly against young Australian men and women. There is a clear and definite link between violent attacks on our young men and women being racial as well as criminal. Quite often when taking statements from young men attacked by groups of Lebanese males around Darling Harbour, a common theme has been the racially motivated violence against the victims simply because they are Australian.
I wonder whether the inventors of the racial hatred laws introduced during the golden years of multiculturalism ever took into account that we, the silent majority, would be the target of racial violence and hatred. I don't remember any charges being laid in conjunction with the gang rapes of south-western Sydney in 2001, where race was clearly an issue and race was used to humiliate the victims. But then, unbelievably, a publicly funded document produced by the Anti Discrimination Board called "The Race for Headlines" was circulated, and it sought not only to cover up race as a motive for the rapes, but to criticise any accurate media reporting on this matter as racially biased. It worries many operational police that organisations like the Anti-Discrimination Board, the Privacy Council and the Civil Liberties Council have become unaccountable and push agendas that don't represent the values that this great country was built on.
The extent to which Middle Eastern crime gangs have moved into the drug market is breathtaking. They are now the main suppliers of cocaine in this city and are now developing markets in south eastern Queensland and Victoria. They are major suppliers of heroin in and around the inner city, south-western Sydney and western Sydney.
Many of you would have heard of the horrific problems in France with the outbreak of unprecedented crimes amongst an estimated five million Muslim immigrants. Middle Eastern males now make up 45,000 of the 90,000 inmates in French prisons. There are no-go areas in Paris for police and citizens alike. The rule of law has broken down so badly that when police went to one of these areas recently to round up three Islamic terrorists, they went in armoured vehicles, with heavy weaponry and over 1000 armed officers, just to arrest a few suspects. Why did it need such numbers? Because the threat of terrorist reprisal was minimal compared to the anticipated revolt by thousands of Middle Eastern and North African residents who have no respect for the rule of law in France and consider intrusions by police and authority a declaration of war.
The problems in Paris in Muslim communities are being replicated here in Sydney at an alarming rate. Paris has seen an explosion of rapes committed by Middle Eastern males on French women in the past fifteen years. The rapes are almost identical to those in Sydney. They are not only committed for sexual gratification but also with deep racial undertones along with threats of violence and retribution. What is more alarming is the identical reaction by some sections of the media and criminologists in France of downplaying the significance of race as an issue and even ganging up on those people who try to draw attention to the widening gulf between Middle Eastern youth and the rest of French society.
That is what we are seeing here. The usual suspects come out of their institutions and libraries to downplay and even cover up the growing problem of Middle Eastern crime. Why? My opinion, for what it's worth is that these same social engineers have attempted to redefine our society. They have experimented with all manner of institutions, from prisons to mental institutions and recently to policing.
Some of the problems we now see with policing are the result of Peter Ryan's dream of restructuring and retraining police. The Police Academy was changed from a police training college into a university teaching social sciences and very little else. Constantly I would see young police emerge from the academy with a view that as police officers they were counsellors, psychologists, marriage guidance experts, social workers and advocates for social change. but with almost no skills in street policing. Their training had placed not only them in danger, but also their workmates and the community.
Policing is about enforcing the rule of law. It has never been about analysing every offender for the root causes of crime. That is not our job. The police enforce the law and protect the community regardless of race, colour or religion. What we have seen in south-west Sydney is ethnic communities being policed selectively. The implications for this are frightening when you look at Paris. They had selective policing of a particular community, which as a result is now out of control.
In February 2001 when I appeared before the Cabramatta inquiry, I gave evidence which at the time was controversial and attracted the usual claque of ratbags and lunatics from the ABC and their associates at the Sydney Morning Herald as well as that fruit loop Mike Carton from 2UE. I said that this city is going to be torn apart by gang warfare the likes of which we have never seen before. In 2003 I was finally proven right, but I take no comfort from that. However, the criticism I received was unprecedented. I was a nutter, a liar, a racist, a disgruntled detective - but I was right.
Ethnic gangs aided and protected by multicultural industry
The critics still refuse to concede that we have a problem. They are still clinging to the multicultural theme. To highlight the problems with Middle Eastern communities in this city is to threaten to tear down the multicultural facade.
The amount of money spent on the multicultural industry beggars belief. It is a lucrative and sustainable position for many. Governments pay huge money to anything that bears the word multicultural. Indeed the police department, like other government departments, spends vast amounts on multicultural issues, multicultural jobs, multicultural consultancies, education packages, legal advice, public relations and the rest. Having expended large amounts of money on multiculturalism, they are hardly likely to criticise it. Those that feed off multiculturalism are not likely to question it.
When I gave evidence to the Cabramatta inquiry, I risked my career and my safety in coming forward. I did it because I had sworn an oath to protect the community I served. That community was Cabramatta. Cabramatta is made up almost entirely of residents born outside this country, mostly South East Asians, and their children. But when I went forward and exposed the shame of Cabramatta, the residents were not Asians in my eyes, but Australians no matter where they came from. It was my duty to speak up for them and to protect them. Race was never an issue. I have received many awards in my police career but the ones I hold dearest are those I received from the Cabramatta community.
One old man who had spent seven years in refugee camps in South East Asia before coming to Australia said the day he landed in Australia was like dying and coming to heaven. Cabramatta was a community of ordinary people like that old man, who recognised the problems of drugs and organised crime in their community and spoke up and agitated for change. It was a slightly built Vietnamese man named Thung Ngo who led the charge on behalf of a community that had had enough of crime and forced a parliamentary inquiry into Cabramatta which ultimately saved their community from destruction. Not once during that inquiry did I hear any member of the Cabramatta community - apart from the Anglo Saxon local member - complain that they were being racially discriminated against because of the inquiry or its aftermath. They wanted change; they wanted a safe law-abiding community. It was my duty to do everything I could to honour my pledge to protect and to serve.
But I have not heard anything like that from the Middle Eastern community. Initially the gang rapes were the fault of Australian culture, according to one religious leader in the south west. I note that he has now softened his stance and is calling for change among Middle Eastern youth. But they are just words; there seem to be no Thung Ngos among them.
What is it that draws such defence for this community from certain sections of the media? Why didn't they join in to defend the Asian community during the fallout from the Cabramatta inquiry? And where are these apologists when it comes to the plight of our first Australians, our indigenous peoples? Their cause is not trendy enough, not global like the refugee or Islamic issues. Yet one of the most depressing sights that has confronted me as a policeman is the shame of Redfern. I first saw Everleigh Street some twenty two years ago, and nothing has changed since. The atmosphere of sheer hopelessness and desperation still hangs around the neck of every young Aborigine who lives in those ghettos, yet they hardly ever rate a mention.
National threat
The Middle Eastern crime groups and their associates number in the thousands, not the hundreds as the government and senior police would have you believe. It is the biggest crime problem we have ever faced, and it is growing.
Hardly a day goes past without some violent crime involving a "male of Middle Eastern appearance", though I see lately that description is watered down now to include "and/or Mediterranean appearance". To an operational policeman, there is a noticeable difference between an Italian and a Lebanese male.
That these groups of males can roam a city and assault, rob and intimidate at will can no longer be denied or excused. You need only to look at Paris and other European countries that have had mass immigration from Middle Eastern countries to see the sort of problems we can expect in years to come. My prediction is that within ten years, Middle Eastern crime groups will spread rapidly across Australia as they seek to expand their enterprises. There will be no go areas in south western Sydney, just like Paris.
Only recently I have seen quotes from senior police and retired police who claim that race is not the issue in organised crime. Those statements are stupid and dangerous. Organised crime groups with the exception of the bikies are almost always ethnically based - any experienced detective will tell you that. The days of Anglo Saxon gangs are almost gone, with the exception of one or two local beach gangs.
I also predict that there will be a dramatic rise in gang shootings as rival gangs compete for turf and business. This will be done with almost complete disregard for police attention, as they are well aware that the New South Wales Police has to be rebuilt from the ground up. We have seen in the past three years the phenomenon of drive-by shootings, Los Angeles style. Not only are the increasing incidents a major cause of concern, but also the use of automatic weapons that spray hundreds of rounds at their targets. This is virtually unprecedented in this country.
In many ways, what we are seeing is the copying of Los Angeles gangs: the Crips, the Bloods and others. The motor vehicles, the music, the dress codes, the haircuts, the weaponry and the attitudes towards authority are almost identical. These gangs in Los Angeles have been around for nearly thirty years and a culture has grown around them. The culture surrounding the Middle Eastern gangs is still in its infancy but the transition is not far away.
When William Bratton, the most innovative police commissioner of modern times, took over as Los Angeles Police Chief recently, he declared the gang problems there a national security problem, so serious that it was beyond the resources of the state of California. There is a lesson for us there, but we have to learn quickly, or this problem will overtake us.
The blame for the rise of the gangs in Los Angeles is being spread around - politicians who refused to acknowledge that it was more than just an ethnic brotherhood searching for their roots; police inaction because of political constraints as well as incompetence; the civil liberties movement particularly among the California superior courts that refused for decades to use lengthy sentences as a deterrent to ethnic based crime on the basis that it discriminated against minority groups. Whoever is to blame is now irrelevant, but they have left a terrible legacy for the young generations of citizens of Los Angeles who have to run the gauntlet of drug-crazed gangsters in the suburbs engaging in deadly shoot outs and drive-bys nearly every day.
The similarities between the situation here, with the denial by the government of the extent and the implications of Middle Eastern crime, and the early situation in Los Angeles is frightening. What we saw with Cabramatta was the covering up of a major problem by this government, who only acted when the game was up. It's all about denial. If they can get away with covering up it saves them the worry of making hard decisions and spending money on fixing problems that have been allowed to fester for years. The rail system that Michael Costa now has to fix is yet another example.
There is no investment in the future. It is about looking good day by day. The Peter Ryan-style policing of day to day media spin is still present. No one seems to have the courage to say that this is a problem that we need to fix before it gets worse. The time when the Middle Eastern problem really takes root in this city, the point from which there is no return, just like Los Angeles, is but a few years away. The leaders of our government probably hope this will be another government's fault and that they won't be around to see their legacy. Maybe we should all buy a property in southern New Zealand.
If the biggest threat to our society is not addressed honestly and effectively within the next two or three years it will take drastic action and enormous resources to bring it under control - if that is even possible. The action we can take now and the resources needed are a fraction of what it may cost in the future. The potential cost in human terms is unimaginable.
There is also the serious possibility that some of these Middle Eastern youth that are engaged in organised crime and have no regard for our values and way of life may go a step further and engage in terrorist acts against Australia. The ingredients are there already. It is but a small step from urban terrorism to religious and political terrorism, as we have seen with groups such as the IRA, where organised crime often became interwoven with terrorism.
I do not want to paint a picture of gloom, but as a policeman I have seen the destruction that gangs can wreak on innocent citizens who only want to live their lives in peace. I just hope we can trust the people in government and the police to ensure that we don't lose the values and the rights we have received from past generations.
It is fitting that one day after Remembrance Day, when we look to what was handed to us by the Second World War generation, probably the most extraordinary generation of Australians in our short history, we should ask ourselves: are we going to be remembered for handing a similar legacy to our children and grandchildren, or are we going to be remembered as the generation that did nothing about the scourge of gang violence and simply passed it on to them?
enoughisenough16 Jun 2014
This is unacceptable in all levels. The law is the law and should be upheld no matter who or what the perpetrators background is our police force needs to grow a set and be set free to do their job.
Veronique17 Dec 2013
Thank you Tim Priest for speaking the truth. People need to know what is really going on and action needs to be taken to stop muslim immigration to western countries and the Islamisation of the world.
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Tag: Middle East
McCain’s Real Record on the War in Iraq
[Here’s an older article that provides a bit of perspective about Arizona Senator John McCain and his callous disregard for the will of the American people’s desire to get out of the endless conflict and war-making in the Middle East region. Let’s not forget his stance during this 2016 election cycle.]
MoveOn.org, has forwarded an entry from a web site focused on spreading the facts that Vets Vote. Here’s a link to a fine article the VoteVets.org web site has posted that describes facts about John McCain’s Real Record on the War in Iraq. Very fascinating bit of journalism! I’ve posted the article (sent out by the MoveOn.org group) and posted on the VoteVets.org web site:
Senator John McCain presents himself as a maverick and a critic of the Iraq war. But a close read of his record indicates that his position on the Iraq war has consistently matched President George W. Bush’s.
Before The War:
McCain used many of the same arguments as Donald Rumsfeld, Vice President Cheney and President Bush when advocating going to war with Iraq.
McCain co-sponsored the Use of Force Authorization that gave President George W. Bush the green light–and a blank check–for going to war with Iraq. [SJ Res 46, 10/3/02]
McCain argued Saddam was “a threat of the first order.” Senator McCain said that a policy of containing Iraq to blunt its weapons of mass destruction program is “unsustainable, ineffective, unworkable and dangerous.”
McCain: “I believe Iraq is a threat of the first order, and only a change of regime will make Iraq a state that does not threaten us and others, and where liberated people assume the rights and responsibilities of freedom.” [Speech to the Center for Strategic & International Studies, 2/13/03]
McCain echoed Bush and Cheney’s rationale for going to war.
McCain: “It’s going to send the message throughout the Middle East that democracy can take hold in the Middle East.” [Fox, Hannity & Colmes, 2/21/03]
McCain echoed Bush and Cheney’s talking points that the U.S. would only be in Iraq for a short time.
McCain: “It’s clear that the end is very much in sight. … It won’t be long…it’ll be a fairly short period of time.” [ABC, 4/9/03]
McCain said winning the war would be “easy.” “I know that as successful as I believe we will be, and I believe that the success will be fairly easy, we will still lose some American young men or women.” [CNN, 9/24/02]
During The War:
Senator McCain praised Donald Rumsfeld as late as May 12, 2004, after the Abu Ghraib scandal.
Asked if Donald Rumsfeld can continue to be an effective secretary of defense,
McCain: “Yes, today I do and I believe he’s done a fine job. He’s an honorable man.” [Hannity and Colmes, 5/12/04]
Senator McCain repeatedly supported President Bush on the Iraq War–voting with him in the Senate, defending his actions and publicly praising his leadership.
McCain maintains the war was a good idea.
At the 2004 Republican National Convention, McCain, focusing on the war in Iraq, said that while weapons of mass destruction were not found, Saddam once had them and “he would have acquired them again.” McCain said the mission in Iraq “gave hope to people long oppressed” and it was “necessary, achievable and noble.”
McCain: “For his determination to undertake it, and for his unflagging resolve to see it through to a just end, President Bush deserves not only our support, but our admiration.” Plain Dealer, 8/31/04]
McCain: “The war, the invasion was not a mistake.” [Meet the Press, 1/6/08]
Asked if the war was a good idea worth the price in blood and treasure,
McCain: “It was worth getting rid of Saddam Hussein. He had used weapons of mass destruction, and it’s clear that he was hell-bent on acquiring them.” [Republican Debate, 1/24/08]
McCain defended Bush’s rationale for war. Asked if he thought the president exaggerated the case for war, McCain said, “I don’t think so.” [Fox News, 7/31/03]
McCain has been President Bush’s most ardent Senate supporter on Iraq. According to Michael Shank of the Foreign Policy in Focus think tank, McCain was at times Bush’s “most solid support in the Senate” on Iraq. [Foreign Policy in Focus, 1/15/08]
McCain voted against holding Bush accountable for his actions in the war. McCain opposed the creation of an independent commission to investigate the development and use of intelligence leading up to the war in Iraq. [S. Amdt. 1275 to H.R. 2658, Vote # 284, 7/16/03]
McCain praised Bush’s leadership on the war.
McCain: “I think the president has led with great clarity and I think he’s done a great job leading the country…” [MSNBC, Hardball, 4/23/03]
Senator McCain has constantly moved the goal posts of progress for the war–repeatedly saying it would be over soon.
January 2003: “But the point is that, one, we will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” [MSNBC, 1/22/03]
March 2003: “I believe that this conflict is still going to be relatively short.” [NBC, Meet the Press, 3/30/03]
June 2004: “The terrorists know that this is a very critical time.” [CNN, 6/23/04]
December 2005: “Overall, I think a year from now, we will have a fair amount of progress [in Iraq] if we stay the course.” [The Hill, 12/8/05]
November 2006: “We’re either going to lose this thing or win this thing within the next several months.” [NBC, Meet the Press, 11/12/06]
Senator McCain opposed efforts to end the overextension of the military that is having a devastating impact on our troops.
McCain voted against requiring mandatory minimum downtime between tours of duty for troops serving in Iraq. [S. Amdt.. 2909 to S Amdt. 2011 to HR 1585, Vote 341, 9/19/07; S Amdt. 2012 to S Amdt. 2011 to HR 1585, Vote #241, 7/11/07]
McCain was one of only 13 senators to vote against adding $430 million for inpatient and outpatient care for veterans. [S Amdt. 3642 to HR 4939, Vote 98, 4/26/06]
Senator McCain has consistently opposed any plan to withdraw troops from Iraq Senator McCain repeatedly voted against Senator McCain has consistently demonized Americans who want to find a responsible way to remove troops from Iraq so that we can take the fight to al Qaeda.
McCain: “I believe to set a date for withdrawal is to set a date for surrender.” [Charlotte Observer, 9/16/07]
McCain called proponents of a congressional resolution opposing the troop surge in Iraq intellectually dishonest. [Associated Press. 2/4/07]
Senator McCain now says he sees no end to the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq.
McCain: “[M]ake it a hundred” years in Iraq and “that would be fine with me.” [Derry, New Hampshire Town Hall meeting, 1/3/08]
McCain on how long troops may remain in Iraq: “A thousand years. A million years. Ten million years. It depends on the arrangement we have with the Iraqi government.” [Associated Press, 1/04/08]
http://pol.moveon.org/ Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
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Gubler announces retirement from Hollywood Chamber
Leron Gubler, who has been head of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for 25 years, has decided to retire from his duties as the leader of one of the most-recognized chambers of commerce in California. Gubler, 66, announced to the chamber board on Jan. 17 that he will be ending his career with the chamber by 2019.
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Leron Gubler has represented business interests in Hollywood, but once said that one of his favorite parts of the job is emceeing star ceremonies on the Walk of Fame.
“It has truly been an honor to work in one of the most famous communities in the world and to be a participant in the revitalization of Hollywood,” said Gubler. “I have had great opportunities working with our board, my staff and so many committed Chamber members, as well as the entertainment industry.”
Gubler has served as the president and CEO of the chamber since 1992, which makes him the longest-serving CEO in the history of the 97-year old organization. In September 2017, he was honored for his 25 years of leadership at the helm of the chamber.
“Over a quarter century ago, Leron was hired during Hollywood’s darkest hours, when hope for great leadership was only a dream for the chamber board,” said Jeff Zarrinnam, chair of the board of the Hollywood Chamber. “For 20 years, I’ve attended a countless number of meetings with Leron, where I witnessed his wisdom, small-town values, great character, positive will, enthusiasm and patience to push things constantly forward toward a successful action. We thank him for his service to Hollywood and we wish him the very best.”
At the time Gubler started, both Hollywood and the Chamber were struggling. Numerous businesses were leaving Hollywood and the Chamber had changed CEO’s three times in three years. Gubler is credited with stabilizing the organization and helping to build conditions so that the renaissance of Hollywood could flourish.
Issues remain with new waste-hauling program
Beverly Hills school board weighs reconfiguration
VINTAGE: Hollywood celebrates 107 years January 3, 2019
Hollywood Chamber hosts annual State of the Entertainment Industry Conference November 21, 2018
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to host annual State of the Entertainment Industry November 8, 2018
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announces new president and CEO October 4, 2018
Lights, camera, action-packed future for Hollywood June 27, 2018
Rich Little inducted into The Hollywood Museum June 21, 2018
Hollywood Chamber to honor ‘Love Boat’ with plaque May 3, 2018
Actress Gillian Anderson to be honored on Walk of Fame January 4, 2018
Suspect arrested for vandalizing Trump’s star on Walk of Fame October 27, 2016
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Intifadas
Shaking Hands with Other People’s Pain
Gaza, July 2014
“Nous n’avons pas toujours assez de force pour supporter les maux d’autrui.”
LA ROCHEFOUCAULD (1613 – 1680)
Here’s the trouble with solidarity, altruism, compassion, brotherhood and other values we often pay lip service to, while practising them so shabbily: it isn’t always easy or pleasant to join in a common struggle with some human being or community who is suffering a terrible fate. As the French moralist said: “We don’t always have enough strenght to bear other people’s sufferings.” (La Rochefoucauld) Let’s not idealize human beings: egotistical as we so often are, we would rather turn a blind eye to other people’s pains and keep paying attention only to our tiny little selves. Human as I am, when confronted by events that would disturb my peace-of-mind, like these who are flooding the news during the last weeks, my first impulse is to run for cover in the comfort of blissful ignorance. Why should I care if the Israeli army is bombing Gaza to a heap of ruins? Why should I look at the photographs of dead babies, injured women, dismembered elderly? Why shouldn’t I be allowed to choose the easiest path and retreat from these horrible occurrences, refusing to acknowledge their existence? Am I to blame if I’d rather act like an ostrich that hides its head in the sand?
Voltaire (1694 – 1778) once said that “every one is guilty of all the good he did not do”. That sounds to me a much more courageous and demanding statement than the one quoted in the epigraph. La Rochefoucauld’s phrase sounds like someone who uses a personal weakness to justify his choice of indifference. Voltaire wants us to take responsability on our hands and act on behalf of others; doing nothing may be sometimes considered a criminal cumplicity to the perpetrators of oppresion or genocide. La Rochefoucauld’s comment, on the other hand, seems to excuse a behaviour of inaction and voluntary ignorance and lassitude, when we’re confronted with “les maux d’autrui”. Myself, I can’t help but feel some contempt for the attitude of those who don’t give a damn about other people’s miseries and care only about their private little matters. My heart fills with admiration by people like Arundhati Roy or Joe Sacco, Simone Weil or Che Guevara (to mention just a few), highly sensitive and creative persons, who devote their life-works to shaking hands with other people’s pain. And acting in order to diminish human grief in our Samsarian planet (good planets are hard to find). Empathy, methinks, is a praiseworthy virtue, and one of the best definitions of it I know of is by Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara: “feeling anguish whenever someone was assassinated, no matter where it was in the world, and of feeling exultation whenever a new banner of liberty was raised somewhere else.”
Such thoughs have been fermenting in my mind during insomnias and daytime anxieties, as the numbers of injured and dead keep getting higher and higher in Palestine. But let’s not take numbers too seriously and forget the real heartfelt human suffering that numbers tell us nothing about. Let’s not allow our minds become numb with an overdose of tragic numbers. Each number is to be perceived as flesh-and-blood, as sentience and conscience, as beating heart and thinking brain, torn apart by war.
From a safe distance, I follow the news and they tell me a lot about other people’s miseries – “gunshot injuries, broken bones, amputees” (Sacco, pg 30). I feel powerless as I witness this horrors brought to me by Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and the Blogosphere. I feel impelled to do something, even though I know quite well how little difference I can make by sharing Al Jazeera videos, sending to my friends the photos of demonstrations, or writing a post in a tiny little corner of the World Wide Web. A bitter taste of powerlessness and despodency nails me down to the chair as I witness the Zionists’ latest massacres in Gaza. Then I remember Voltaire and he inspires me to decide: the fact that one person can’t do much isn’t a reason to do nothing. If only everyone did this tiny bit, perhaps it would add up to something powerful enough to bring down from their bloody pedestals all these Masters of War?…
Sitting at home, far from refugee camps, I take a journey aboard Joe Sacco’s compelling graphic novel Palestine. Sacco takes me to see a re-presentation of what he himself has witnessed in Cairo, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Gaza etc. In Sacco’s pages, I see kids throwing stones against tanks and getting shot at by soldiers armed with M-16s and other hi-tech rifles. My brain fills with some sort of psychic vomit when I picture such scenes. If I had been born in Gaza, if I was a Palestinian kid, wouldn’t I be the one throwing stones against the invading army? Wouldn’t I howl in rage against these grown men in uniform who only speak the language of violence? Which language would I learn to speak, in such an environment, if not the language of precocious rebellious stone-throwing? And if my best friend’s life had been taken away from this world by a bullet in the heart, wouldn’t I be angry enough to, a few years later, join a jihadist group and become a suicide-bomber on the road to glorious martyrdom?
Unfortunately, there’s no end in sight for Intifadas, I fear, because no community will accept without resistance the sort of life conditions imposed by Israel in the occupied territories. Too many wounds have stirred too much rage, too much hunger for revenge, for any peace to be something reasonable to expect in the short term. Fuel keeps getting added to the fire of mutual hate. “An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind”, said the barefoot bald-headed pacifist Mahatmas Gandhi. But neither Zionists nor Jihadists seem to give a damn about Gandhi, especially when the wounds are fresh and the heart screams for vendetta.
I can’t begin to understand how and when all this mess began. I look back into the past, trying to get a grip of the historical roots of the conflict, but History looks like a mad circus of chaotic antagonism. It seems to me that Israel was born as a consequence of one the hugest tragedies of the 20th century – the Holocaust. The Nazi’s III Reich almost wiped-out the Jews from the face of the Earth, and when Hitler’s regime fell in 1945 it was mandatory to find the survivors a Safe Home, in which they would be protected from ever having to be victims of such a mass-scale massacre. The “ideal” Israel would be a nation for the victims, for the survivors of that “Industry of Death”, to quote Steven Spielberg, which the Nazis set in motion in their collective psychosis of anti-semitism, racism, blind nationalism and totalitarianism.
But an old and un-answered question I’ve got is this: why should the Palestinians pay for the crimes of the Nazis? If Germany, infected by anti-semitic ideologies and imperialism, went on a killing frenzy against the Hebrews, why weren’t the Germans obliged, as the main perpetrators of the Holocaust, to offer some just compensation? Why shouldn’t Germany be made to concede, let’s say, one third of their territory for a Jewish State? Yeah: I see perfectly well that this solution wouldn’t work out. These neighbours, I suspect, wouldn’t live peacefully side-by-side with such monstruous memories of past bloody deeds haunting their coexistence. Despite the fact that Holy Jerusalem is considered a conditio sine que non by Jews: there’s no Israel without it.
Reading about these matters, I also discover, in the works of Joe Sacco and Arundhati Roy, that the plan to create a Jewish state in Palestine pre-dates the II World War. In 1917, the English minister of Foreign Relations, Lord Balfour, signs a Declaration in which the British Empire makes a commitment to create a nation for the Jews in Palestine – a place which, according to a deceitful Zionist slogan, was a “land with no people for a people with no land”. Which, of course, is bollocks. Big time bullshit. At least 700.000 Arabs were living then in this land which the Zionists’s cynicism claimed to be a desert – and promised to them by God himself. But, as Bob Dylan sang in the 60s, “you don’t count the dead when God’s on your side”.
What awes me is also how yesterday’s victims can metamorphose into today’s oppressors. How was it possible that the people who survived the Nazi Holocaust became perpetrators of a new “Palestinian Holocaust”? What Israel is doing in Gaza – bombing schools, hospitals, UN-shelters; killing hundreds of babies, children, women, elderly, civilians… – isn’t this reducing a whole community to a status of Subhumanity? People in Gaza know today how it felt for Jews in Auschwitz to be treated as less-than-human and devoid-of-basic-rights.
One could argue that Jewish experience in Europe was far from sweet and didn’t teach them much about gentleness between different cultures and nations. Pogroms, persecutions, concentration camps, gas chambers – these were some of the tragic cards the Jews were dealt throughout their wandering existence of chronic sufferers. In 1948, when they declared “Independence” and Israel was born, maybe they dreamt of Peace, finally? Anyway, if they did, the Dream has been shattered over and over again, for decades. There was never any peace. Israel is born into war and the nation’s first events, the first steps of this new-born child, have been tough as hell. Israel’s first breath was still sailing in the wind and the country was already dealing with the 1948 invasion from the Arab’s armies. After the defeat of the III Reich – who was supposed to last for a 1.000 years, according to the Nazi’s megalomania, but crumbled apart after 12 years – the Jews wouldn’t be allowed no peaceful retreat into well-deserved tranquility. They still felt endangered, they still feared annihilation, there were still enemies to fight. If they didn’t defend themselves, they feared that the Arabs would drown them all in the Sea.
I would argue that fear and violence often go hand-in-hand: a frightened animal is much more likely to attack than a tranquil, unafraid one. The human animal is also capable of bursting into terrible violence when he’s terribly afraid. When I look back at History’s madness, I see the Jews, after the II World War, trembling with fear and shocked with trauma. They had lost 6 or 7 million to the Nazi’s machinery of mass murder. And yet their survival instinct, their conatus (to speak in Spinozean language), was surely alive and kicking. To survive this tragedy they would need some radical means to establish themselves in some sort of safe spot. They would a massive Police State; one of Earth’s strongest armies; why not some atomic bombs? The U.S. would provide the means for Israel to become a military power whose self-confidence would be boosted by the possession of weapons of mass destruction. Israel, then, was born like a Bunker State, warmed to the teeth, with one of the world’s most rigid and paranoid Defense Mecanisms of any nation on Earth.
But did they really believe they would build a safe haven in Israel after kicking out almost a million people from their homes in 1948? I’m sorry for my language: I’m quite aware that kicking out is not quite the right word. They did much more than kick out – they burned entire villages, they massacred entire populations, they created a huge mass of refugees, pushed very ungently, at gun point, into Gaza and the West Bank. Israel’s masterminds certainly don’t like this comparison, but this is how it feels to me: just like the Nazis deported the Jews from their homes and pushed them into the trains headed for the concentration camps, the Jews kicked out the Palestinians from their homes and pushed them into Palestine’s open-air concentration camps. Now it’s July 2014 and the world is asking in horror: is Israel applying the Final Solution? Is there anywhere or anyone in Gaza that isn’t a target?
In the occupied territories, most of what we take for granted as civilization’s basic gifts to citizens simply don’t exist – right now, as you’re reading this, more than 1 million people in Gaza have no access to proper drinking water. Almost no one has access to electricity – especially after the only power plant in Gaza was bombed to ashes in July 29. In Joe Sacco’s book, I discover that, in the Palestinian schools, it’s forbidden by the Israelis to teach history or geography with any book that mentions Palestine – it’s not supposed to exist in the textbooks. Israel would like to erase it from the maps. Is Israel trying to accomplish in fact the lie that has been written in textbooks, that is, “Palestinians don’t exist”?
In a clinic, Joe Sacco meets two doctors who reveal that they see “a lot of respiratory illnesses from bad ventilation and overcrowding, problems related to political and social conditions” (p. 48). Life in Gaza and the West Bank can be quite cruel, unealthy, insecure, always threatned to end precociously. But the web of everyday violence is woven by acts of cruelty not only to people, but also to their means of existence. Joe Sacco draws, for example, a heartbreaking scene with decapitated olive trees, cut off by the Israelis, and then gives voice to the Palestinians’ suffering:
“The olive tree is our main source of living… We use the oild for our food and we buy our clothes with the oil we sell… Here we have nothing else but the trees… The Israelis don’t give people from our village permits to work in Israel… The Israelis know that an olive tree is the same as our sons… It needs many years to grow, six or seven years for a strong tree… Two years ago the israelis cut down 17 of my trees… my father planted those trees… Some of them were 100 years old… They obliged me to cut the trees myself. The soldiers brought me a chainsaw and watched… I was crying… I felt I was killing my son when I cut them down.” (Sacco, pg. 62)
This personal wound may seem tiny, but we need only to multiply it to get a picture of the collective wound inflicted by 120.000 trees up-rooted by the Israelis during the first four years of the Intifada. Besides the massive bulldozing of trees, Palestian homes were also demolished in great numbers: 1.250 of them were brought down to the ground during the same four first years of the Intifada; in the same period, no less than 90.000 Palestians were arrested and put behind Israeli barbed wire, watched by soldiers with their fingers on the trigger (Sacco, pgs. 69 and 81). All those who dared rise up against Israel were crowded into prisons, put into cages, treated not so differently than the Nazis did with the inmates of Dachau or Auschwitz. One man interviewed by Sacco remember the time he was arrested in an overcrowded tent, “a sort of hell”, “3×4 meters with 21 persons”, in which “the ventilation was very bad, just a coin-sized hole in the door for injecting gas in case of a riot.” (Sacco, pg. 84)
Eduardo Carli de Moraes @ Awestruck Wanderer
Toronto, July 2014
(TO BE CONTINUED IN ANOTHER POST…)
Recommended reading & viewing:
Collective Punishment in Gaza (The New Yorker Magazine)
‘The world stands disgraced’ – Israeli shelling of school kills at least 15 (Guardian)
Gaza’s only power plant destroyed in Israel’s most intense air strike yet – At least 100 Palestinians killed (Guardian)
I also recommend following Al Jazeera & Counterpunch
Posted in Activism and Protest, History, International Relations, Politics, Sociology | Tagged 20th Century History, Al Jazeera, altruism, An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind (Gandhi), Anti-semitism, Arundhati Roy, Bob Dylan, brotherhood, Collective Punishment (New Yorker article), compassion, Counterpunch, Empathy, Ernesto Che Guevara, Ethnich Cleansing, Gaza and West Bank, Holocaust, III Reich, Ilan Pappe, Intifadas, Israel, Joe Sacco, La Rochefoucauld, Palestine, Simone Weil, solidarity, United States aid to Israel, Voltaire, you don't count the dead when God's on your side, Zionism | 1 Comment
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NY’s national cemeteries planning Memorial Day observances
BATH, N.Y. (AP) — National cemeteries across upstate New York will join those around the nation in honoring veterans this Memorial Day.
The Department of Veterans Affairs says events are planned for Monday at Bath National Cemetery, Woodlawn National Cemetery in Elmira and the Gerald B. H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville.
Lt. Col. Dave Panzera of the 109th Airlift Wing will be keynote speaker at the Saratoga ceremony. In Bath, retired Lt. Col. Richard Salgueiro will speak. U.S. Navy Chaplain Lew Brown will lead the service at Woodlawn.
The VA is planning to open a fourth cemetery, in Pembroke, within the next two years.
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Memorial stone for former synagogue vandalized in France
PARIS (AP) — French police are investigating after a memorial stone marking the site of a former synagogue destroyed by the Nazis was vandalized in the eastern city of Strasbourg.
The prefecture of the Bas-Rhin region said in a statement the heavy memorial stone was discovered moved from its base Saturday morning.
Strasbourg mayor Roland Ries denounced “a new anti-Semitic act.”
“Anti-Semitism undermines the values of the Republic”, the prefecture said.
The monument commemorates a synagogue built in 1898 that was set on fire and razed to the ground by the Nazis in 1940.
The incident comes amid an uptick in anti-Semitic acts in France in recent months. Last month, about 80 gravestones were spray-painted with swastikas in a Jewish cemetery close to Strasbourg.
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While In Black Face, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Insulted The Intelligence of African-American Athletes
When will ABC cancel his show?
Luke Rohlfing
Jimmy Kimmel, who has been lauded as the “conscience of America,” has an interesting past. Prior to becoming a social justice warrior on his weeknight comedy show on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel was the co-host of The Man Show on Comedy Central.
The Man Show regularly contained what Kimmel would likely attack as misogynistic content if it were made today. It also hosted its fair share of racially charged content. A recently unveiled video clip from 2000 shows Kimmel impersonating black NBA player Karl Malone while wearing black face.
In the video, he stereotypes black people as unintelligent, mispronouncing a number of words throughout the video. He is also in black face, something that would make Kimmel’s own head explode these days.
The unearthing of this video is relevant in recent days following the cancellation of the reboot of Roseanne Barr’s show Roseanne on ABC, also home of Kimmel’s late night program.
Rosanne was cancelled due to a Tweet from Barr about former adviser to President Barack Obama Valerie Jarett stating:
“If muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.”
Despite the fact that Barr has no history of racism, it was immediately attacked as racist, without even welcoming a response. She eventually did respond, stating that it was a joke, which was not enough for ABC not to cancel her show.
https://twitter.com/therealroseanne/status/1001471669641216005
Put this in comparison with Kimmel, who has a history of racially charged humor, and has continued that history by making insensitive jokes about first lady Melania Trump’s accent.
The double standard in this situation is extremely clear. If you aren’t a leftist, the bar for acceptable jokes is much lower than those who call themselves “progressive.” Roseanne is just one of many countless cases of character assassination by vindictive leftists masking their hatred with “social justice.”
When will ABC cancel Kimmel’s show?
Lt. Col. Allen West Suggests Nancy Pelosi Should Be Heading To Prison For What She Did
Queen B’s
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Seattle Expands Light Rail Service
Published on April 9th, 2016 by Kyle Park Points
FreeImages.com/rb94teg
According to KUOW.org, Seattle, Washington recently extended light rail service 3.15 miles through two of the city’s most popular neighborhoods. The $1.9 billion project opened Sound Transit stations at Husky Stadium and Capitol Hill in mid-March. The city aspires to add 71,000 new riders to the system by 2030.
“No matter how bad the traffic is, no matter what time of day,” said Sound Transit spokesperson Bruce Gray. “It’s gonna be a huge game-changer for the region as far as getting around here.”
The project recently made headlines for being on-time and under budget. The March opening was achieved 6 months ahead of schedule and nearly $100 million under budget. This is a crowning achievement for a city haunted by public transit project woes – a tunnel boring machine named ‘Bertha’ had its fair share of troubles and press during its deployment.
KUOW reporter Joshua Nichols was among the many media representatives along for a test ride to and from the new stations and was able to snag an interview with Bonnie Todd, the executive director of operations for Sound Transit:
Todd: “I’m Bonnie Todd, I’m the executive director of operations for Sound Transit.”
KUOW: “What does this moment mean for you?”
Todd: “Well, it’s pretty amazing. It’s the culmination of just so much work. I’m very excited, very, very excited. And I’m very happy for the people of the region. It’s definitely gonna increase mobility.
FreeImages.com/maximize
KUOW: “Oh, we’re speeding up.”
Todd: “Isn’t that smooth?”
The trip from Capitol Hill station to Husky Stadium station – the northern most end of the light rail system thus far – took the reporter approximately 4 minutes.
However, this is not the end of the line – at least not permanently. The system will continue expanding to the University District, Roosevelt and Northgate.
King County Executive Dow Constantine said:
It is remarkable to see that and realize that even as we speak, there is an intrepid little tunnel boring machine working its way toward us.
Tagged: KUOW, light rail, public transit, public transportation, Seattle
Kyle Park Points is a working father in New York City by way of Sarasota, Florida. He is a public transportation enthusiast, clean air advocate, lifetime recycler and frequent panderer. He also reluctantly tended to his family's compost heap for many formative years. He hopes to one day leave his daughter with a safer, healthier environment than when she was born - which shouldn't be hard since she was born in Queens, New York.
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Levinas and the Cinema of Redemption
Time, Ethics, and the Feminine
Sam Girgus
In his philosophy of ethics and time, Emmanuel Levinas highlighted the tension that exists between the "ontological adventure" of immediate experience and the "ethical adventure" of redemptive relationships-associations in which absolute responsibility engenders a transcendence of being and self.
In an original commingling of philosophy and cinema study, Sam B. Girgus applies Levinas's ethics to a variety of international films. His efforts point to a transnational pattern he terms the "cinema of redemption" that portrays the struggle to connect to others in redeeming ways. Girgus not only reveals the power of these films to articulate the crisis between ontological identity and ethical subjectivity. He also locates time and ethics within the structure and content of film itself. Drawing on the work of Luce Irigaray, Tina Chanter, Kelly Oliver, and Ewa Ziarek, Girgus reconsiders Levinas and his relationship to film, engaging with a feminist focus on the sexualized female body. Girgus offers fresh readings of films from several decades and cultures, including Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Federico Fellini's La dolce vita (1959), Michelangelo Antonioni's L'avventura (1960), John Huston's The Misfits (1961), and Philip Kaufman's The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988).
Perseus Books, LLC
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Review: The Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd
July 31, 2015 February 21, 2016 | proxyfish
The Stormcaller
Book One of The Twilight Reign
by Tom Lloyd
Fantasy | 502 Pages | Published by Gollancz in 2007
Having bought The Stormcaller a number of years ago and after reading only the first few chapters, it somehow found its way to the dark and dusty recesses of my bookcase where it has remained until resurfacing this year – an event owing more to my forgetfulness than to the quality of the writing. Following the unearthing, reading, brief vacation abandonment and ultimate completion of the first of The Twilight Reign series, I am now on a mission to track down and read them all!
The Stormcaller is, in simplistic terms, a coming of age fantasy. Isak is a White-Eye, a boy who is gifted (though most in The Land would say cursed) with superhuman strength, innate prowess in battle and more than a handful of magic. From humble beginnings, Isak’s life is changed completely when he meets the legendary Lord Bahl. As he fights for the people who would have once shunned him; Elves, Dragons and the Gods themselves become embroiled in the battle to fulfil or destroy prophecy.
Tom Lloyd’s debut is a gripping read which (if you ignore the part where I put it down) I couldn’t put down. Though I would have enjoyed more development into the motivations of the characters in the opening chapters, the novel sets a good pace and every moment moves the story along. Similarly, I would have enjoyed pulling at the tangled web of intrigue which develops throughout the book, or being fully immersed in scenes which, though only mentioned in passing, remain crucial to the plot. But true to the pace set I was whisked along with Isak, and through blood, battles and the gathering of the storms found myself deposited at a satisfying conclusion which ultimately left me wanting more.
Now I better get my hands on The Twilight Herald…. before it slips my mind.
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Tag: Kane County Cougars 5/28 Box Score
Minor Matters – May 28, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Reports)
At The Plate – The Iowa Cubs are on to something as they continue to play some solid baseball, and more importantly get wins. Brett Jackson had a solid game going 1-for-3 with a walk, his fourth stolen base of the season, and a run scored. Donnie Murphy is putting together a solid season, he went 2-for-4 with his fourth double of the year, and a run scored. Edwin Maysonet was 1-for-3 with his fifth home run of the season, three RBI’s, and a run scored. Brent Lillibridge has found his power at triple A, I didn’t think he could ever hit a home run, but he was 2-for-4 with his fourth home run of the season, an RBI, and a run scored.
On The Mound – Chris Rusin was absolutely brilliant and has really found a groove as of late, he earned his fourth win and lowered his ERA to 3.55 on the season. Rusin worked eight strong innings giving up one run on six hits while striking out eight, and no walks, outstanding. Eduardo Sanchez worked the final inning giving up one run on three hits while striking out one.
At The Plate – Really good game between two solid teams, and it ended with the Smokies hanging on for a 3-2 victory. Arismendy Alcantara was 1-for-4 with his eighth home run of the season, an RBI, and a run scored. Christian Villanueva padded his slugging numbers in this one, he was 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, and a run scored. Anthony Giansanti was 1-for-4 with a run scored, and two huge outfield assists in the win.
On The Mound – Kyle Hendricks was solid yet again, and is turning into the ace of the Smokies staff. Hendricks went 6.2 innings giving up two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out six, he improved his record to 5-2 with the win, and lowered his ERA to 2.47 on the season. Kevin Rhoderick continued to struggle with his command, but was able to pitch around it, working one scoreless inning while walking two. Frank Batista was solid again in picking up his seventh save of the year; he worked 1.1 scoreless innings giving up one hit.
At The Plate –Outstanding comeback win for Daytona as they scored once in the bottom of the ninth to tie it, then walked off in the eleventh. John Andreoli continues to have a solid 2013, he was 2-for-6 with a run scored, he’s now hitting .312 on the season. Javier Baez was the hero last night, he went 2-for-6 with a game winning, walk-off homer in the eleventh, his seventh of the season, two RBI’s, and a run scored. Ben Carhart had a solid game going 1-for-3 with a walk, and two runs scored in the win.
On The Mound – Austin Kirk struggled a bit with his command but was still able to work around most of the trouble, he went five innings giving up three runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out three. Austin Reed was okay out of the pen working two innings giving up one run on two hits while walking one. Eduardo Figueroa, Larry Suarez, and Frank Del Valle were solid the rest of the way, shutting down the Yankees over the final four innings. Del Valle worked the final two innings to get the win, his third of the season.
At The Plate – Tough luck for the Cougars as their rally was cut short by Mother Nature, they scored three times in the fifth to make it 7-5 then the skies opened up and the game was called after five and a half innings. Pin-Chieh Chen was 1-for-3 with his second triple of the season, and two RBI’s in the loss. Gioskar Amaya had a solid game going 1-for-1 with two walks (Cubs Way!), a double, and a run scored. Dan Vogelbach had a productive day going 1-for-3 with his seventh home run of the season, three RBI’s, and a run scored.
On The Mound – Dillon Maples has been having a rough go of it since returning from injury, last night the walks got him into big trouble. Maples worked three innings giving up seven runs on four hits while walking five (see?), and striking out five. Lendy Castillo took over and was solid, going two scoreless innings giving up one hit while walking one and striking out two.
Author bornonthirdcubsPosted on May 29, 2013 Categories Daytona Cubs (High A) 2013, Iowa Cubs (AAA) 2013, Kane County Cougars (A) 2013, Tennessee Smokies (AA) 2013Tags Anthony Giansanti, Arismendy Alcantara, Austin Kirk, Austin Reed, Ben Carhart, Brent Lillibridge, Brett Jackson, Chris Rusin, Christian Villanueva, Dan Vogelbach, Daytona Cubs 5/28 Box Score, Daytona Cubs 5/28 Recap, Dillon Maples, Donnie Murphy, Eduardo Figueroa, Eduardo Sanchez, Edwin Maysonet, Frank Batista, Frank Del Valle, Gioskar Amaya, Iowa Cubs 5/28 Box Score, Iowa Cubs 5/28 Recap, Javier Baez, Javier Baez walk off home run, John Andreoli, Kane County Cougars 5/28 Box Score, Kane County Cougars 5/28 Recap, Kevin Rhoderick, Kyle Hendricks, Larry Suarez, Lendy Castillo, Pin-Chieh Chen, Tennessee Smokies 5/28 Box Score, Tennessee Smokies 5/28 RecapLeave a comment on Minor Matters – May 28, 2013 (Cubs Minor League Reports)
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Police Blotter, Jan. 17
Jan. 8, 9:52 a.m.
ByBoulder City Review
A man called the police and said he went to work at 7:30 a.m., and when he came out his 2006 Nissan Sentra was gone.
Jan. 8, 3:48 p.m.
Officers received a report of several syringes near a tree. They responded and found eight syringes and disposed of them.
A man called the police and said his wife was receiving texts containing pictures of kids and a gun from an unknown number.
A man called and said he thought he had a spinal aneurysm caused by cocaine use. He said he last used it at 2 a.m. and the classic signs are a headache and he had a headache.
Officers received a report of an elderly man lying on the ground who seemed like he couldn’t get up.
Officers received a report of a large group of kids who were throwing things at cars.
Jan. 11, 12:48 a.m.
A man called the police and said while he was in bed he heard a door shut and then his alarm went off. Officers responded and found the residence to be clear.
Jan. 11, 11 a.m.
Officers received a report of a woman going through someone’s trash and hiding in the bushes.
Officers received a report of baby that had been crying all night. The caller said normally a man and woman live at that location but this morning there had been a number of men coming in and out of the apartment. Officers responded and determined there was no emergency.
Jan. 12, 12:02 p.m.
A man called the police and said he had questions about how to secure a weapon so he could go to the dam.
Jan. 12, 4:02 p.m.
A woman came into the police station to speak to an officer about her 14-year-old and 12-year-old sons who were fighting in the car.
Officers responded to a smoke alarm and found something smoldering in a clothes hamper. They put the fire out and there were no more hazards at that time.
Officers received a report of a man urinating on the side of the road.
A man contacted the police and said he had drone footage of homeless camps in the area and he wanted an officer to look at it.
A man called and said another man grabbed him at the gym. He said the man was half naked and in the shower.
Jan. 14, 7:09 a.m.
Officers received a report from a Realtor who drove by an empty home but the lights were on and a strange vehicle was parked nearby. Officers checked the house and said it did not look like anyone was gaining access to it. They determined the vehicle was actually parked at another address.
A woman called the police and wanted to speak to an officer about her 14-year-old grandson who was getting vapes purchased for him by adults. An officer told her it was illegal for an adult to purchase that for her grandson. She said she would confront the person doing it.
A woman called and wanted to discuss a piece of construction material that had hit her vehicle.
Posted on: News, Public Safety
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Mowat, Farley
A Canadian icon gives us his final book, a memoir of the events that shaped this beloved writer and activist. Farley Mowat has been beguiling readers for fifty years now, creating a body of writing that has thrilled two generations, selling literally millions of copies in the process. In looking back over his accomplishments, we are reminded of his groundbreaking work: He single-handedly began the rehabilitation of the wolf with Never Cry Wolf. He was the first to bring advocacy activism on behalf of the Inuit and their northern lands with People of the Deer and The Desperate People. And his was the first populist voice raised in defense of the environment and of the creatures with whom we share our world, the ones he has always called The Others. Otherwise is a memoir of the years between 1937 and the autumn of 1948 that tells the story of the events that forged the writer and activist. His was an innocent childhood, spent free of normal strictures, and largely in the company of an assortment of dogs, owls, squirrels, snakes, rabbits, and other wildlife. From this, he was catapulted into wartime service, as anxious as any other young man of his generation to get to Europe and the fighting. The carnage of the Italian campaign shattered his faith in humanity forever, and he returned home unable and unwilling to fit into post-war Canadian life. Desperate, he accepted a stint on a scientific collecting expedition to the Barrengrounds. There in the bleak but beautiful landscape he finds his purpose -- first with the wolves and then with the indomitable but desperately starving Ihalmiut. Out of these experiences come his first pitched battles with an ignorant and uncaring federalbureaucracy as he tries to get aid for the famine-stricken Inuit. And out of these experiences, too, come his first books. Otherwise goes to the heart of who and what Farley Mowat is, a wondrous final achievement from a true titan.
Publisher: Toronto : M&S, 2008.
Characteristics: ix, 309 pages ;,24 cm.
Read more reviews of Otherwise at iDreamBooks.com
erinsnest Jan 17, 2017
Jan 2017....I found this a classic Mowat, and found it interesting how his life was transformed over the years. I had read his other book where he meets his second wife, so I was glad to be able to read about his relationship with his first wife. I was kind of disappointed with myself that I didn't twig about the real meaning of the title until I had finished the book! Sometimes I am amazed at how s l o w I can be. Oh well. I guess I should be thankful for what brains I do have! Farley's books always trigger an urge for me to start a journal, maybe I will this time?
mckeett Mar 05, 2016
Mowat didn't quite achieve the youthful enthusiasm of his earlier tales, but still an interesting autobiography of parts of his life. He planned to be a biologist but ended up a writer. Odd how life's many little events can change it all around.
Liber_vermis May 15, 2014
This memoir concludes on a rather depressing scene in Mowat's life (for two reasons) which provide the motivation for his subsequent career as an activist writer. Mowat writes about his youthful enthusiasm for photography with his "Graflex" camera but unfortunately none of his photographs of Mutt, his parents, "Scotch Bonnet" or his first wife Frances found their way into illustrating this memoir.
This book is a memoir of Farley Mowat's life between early 1937 and the autumn of 1948 (excluding his combat service in Italy). Some sections of "Otherwise" revisit parts of the author's life that have appeared in greater detail in earlier works, notably "And No Birds Sang", "Never Cry Wolf", "No Man's River", "The Dog Who Wouldn't Be", and "Born Naked". This book overlaps these in time as it recounts seminal incidents in the author's early life. {Based on the "Author's Note"]
"I spent most of that day watching [sea] birds ... The vast sweep of sky and water surrounding [the freighter in the North Atlantic] seemed relatively empty. I mentioned this to van Zwol [the ship's captain] at supper. 'Not long after the war started their number began falling. I didn't give it much heed until one day in 1942 ... after a U-boat pack had caught a convoy [just east of Newfoundland]. The water looked as smooth as cream though there was a good sea running. But it wasn't cream - it was bunker oil. All the way to the horizon. And it was lumpy with dead and dying birds coated with oil. ... tankers laden ... with crude and refined oil were doing down every day all over the world. Men were being lost by the hundreds, but until then I'd never given a thought to what else was being lost. Millions of birds. Tens of millions maybe, killed by oil.'" (p. 156-7)
Mowat, Farley, 1921-
Authors, Canadian (English) — 20th Century — Biography.
Library Hours Interlibrary Loan Ask A Question TAL Online BPL Home Shortgrass Home
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Question: True stories of the Hizmet volunteers are told in the movie Selam (or salam—an expression of greeting and goodwill). You made the comment that going to other lands with a “salam” marks a lasting presence, whereas an entrance by the sword does not make a lasting effect even after long-term presence in those lands. What do you mean by “going with salam” and “the spirit of salam?”
Answer: First, it should be known that peace is essential in Islam and war is an incidental and exceptional situation. The permission for war in Islam is for the sake of defending the (inalienable rights or) values that must be protected, such as religion, life, intellect, property, and offspring. When people fixed on malevolence threaten to give you harm or try to enter your home by force, it is impossible to meet them with flowers. When a nation faces such an attack, they should mobilize and do what is necessary to be done in battle. In addition, stopping oppression (no matter which part of the world and against whom it is done), helping those who are wronged, and thwarting those who try to prevent freedom of thought and expression are among lawful reasons for war.
The Aim Must Be Deterrence
The Qur’an emphasizes that the principle of deterrence in order to establish peace should be done first. In a verse related to our subject, it states: “…make ready against them whatever you can of force and horses assigned (for war), that thereby you may dismay the enemies of God and your enemies and others besides them, of whom (and the nature of whose enmity) you may be unaware” (al-Anfal 8:60).
As it can be seen, the Qur’an advises to prevent war before it ever begins by taking all kinds of precautionary measures against immediate dangers and thus becoming a deterrent force that discourages potential enemies. In the course of the history of Islam, however, when the lawful conditions of war were present, believers had to opt for using the sword in certain periods. Most of the time this right was used for the sake of thwarting transgressive powers, bringing tyrants who upset peace and harmony in the world into line, putting an end to chaos in certain regions, and making right and justice prevail. One may ask the following question at this point: Did they thoroughly observe these principles throughout the history of Islam? When we view the general picture, we can comfortably say that Muslims mostly kept a balanced course. It is true, however, that some people in certain periods took action based on mistaken judgments. In other words, even if they set forth with the intention of establishing justice, they may have failed to observe a fastidious sensitivity about justice by preferring relative justice over absolute justice. For example, they may have failed to adopt a peaceful course of action when problems could have been solved, not with the sword, but with the invincible and everlasting principles of the Qur’an and Sunnah. In my opinion, Muslims’ failure to stay permanently in certain regions in different periods stem from such mistaken judgments.
Salam: A Universal Human Value
The conditions of our time are different than in the past. There is a certain level of democratic culture established throughout the world, and knowledge and eloquence have gained more importance. Victory in a civilized world can only be achieved through persuasion, and thus the diamond-like flawless and precious principles of the Qur’an and Sunnah have a separate significance in such an environment in terms of speaking up for truth and letting hearts feel it. Therefore, it is very important for believers to let others know about the universal and humanly values they cultivate in the depths of their soul, such as self-sacrifice, devotedness, and living for the sake of others by voicing them through different channels of expression and conveying knowledge, including art. So the movie Selam came into existence with such a thought, for the sake of telling the story of devoted souls migrating to different corners of the world. Before releasing the movie, my friends showed some parts of it to me and wished to learn my opinion. Although I do not know much about movie making, I tried to make some comments. I appreciated the movie in certain respects on the whole, as what one finds in this movie is the beautiful thought, understanding, and selflessness of the people of Anatolia whom these values become so well. The movie tells the story of their opening to not one part of the world, but to so many different places, from Africa to central Asia, and from there to the Balkans. Our teachers’ caring for people living in these different localities and coming from different cultural backgrounds, suffering for them, their living for the sake of making those people live, and softening them with love and human values, and nurturing certain virtues in them is so important. This is what the movie Selam tries to show.
As it is known, human nature has an inclination to react against strangers. Particularly, it is much more difficult for people who had been assimilated, oppressed, and suffered exile in the hands of foreign powers to welcome foreigners. In spite of such negative factors, it calls for appreciation that the volunteers of education conquered the hearts of those people and established bridges of love, dialogue, and peace among different societies and cultures.
The Teachers Whose Feet Deserve to Be Kissed
People of Anatolia, who take the diamond principles of the Qur’an and Sunnah as their guide and who possess an immensity of heart so as to let everyone find a place to sit, became a message for the sake of a brand new world and love, which echoed everywhere. As those who watch the movie will remember, there is the true story of a teacher who sacrifices himself while trying to save two boys who fell into a river while fighting on a historical bridge. After seeing this attitude of the teacher who drowned in the river after saving them, the two boys who had been fighting hugged one another and started crying. While watching that scene, I could not hold my tears like most of you. The scenes from Africa and Afghanistan are not much different. Surely, the most important thing was that all of these scenes depict true stories. For this reason, the players who took part in the movie expressed their fascination when they witnessed the self-sacrifice of the teachers in those various places they went for the shooting of the film.
Sometimes, those selfless teachers remained in the middle of a war in the countries where they taught. They did not leave their post even when their city was under siege, and they stood by their students with an immense feeling of faithfulness. The teachers continued to educate, even by risking death which opened up the doors of others’ hearts to them.
Those chivalrous souls who migrated for their ideals, courageously journeyed to different corners of the world. Sometimes young men set forth leaving behind a newly wed bride, or with an engagement ring on their bride-to-be’s finger. Some of them made a sad farewell to their elderly parents and went away by entrusting them to God. In the face of such sacrifices, let alone their foreheads, I am ready to kiss the feet of those blessed souls.
Those people, who did not even know in depth the philosophy of the path they were walking, started walking without stepping back and followed the voice of their heart in submission to the Divine. It was God who guided them towards these places and they were going with a blessed motive. I did not witness any of them complain and return. Even if it happened, I do not know such a thing. In spite of different expectations of their parents and environment, thousands of brilliant young people who graduated from the most prestigious universities of the country gladly set forth with selfless concern for others and devotion to their cause of Divine love, as expressed beautifully in a poem (by the famous love poet Seyyid Nigari):
Can one seeking the Beloved fret over his own life?
And can another who seeks his own life be in quest of the Beloved?
We have entered the path of love; we are lovesick,
We are in no need of personal dignity.
O my heart, are you ready for this?
They Wrote Salam in Hearts
As it was reflected in books, magazines, and different television programs, those friends of ours went everywhere with salam, and they wrote a salam in others’ hearts as they wrote it on chalkboards. They taught that salam means goodwill and peace. Even to those who discredited them, they gave a salam, wished goodness, and moved on. So if you go to new lands with peaceful intentions, you may have a lasting presence. Then your message of salam will find a place in consciences and will echo in hearts. God Almighty does not let those steps go wasted. As it is stated in a hadith qudsi, if you move toward Him a hand span, He comes to you one step, if you go toward Him one step, He comes to you walking, if you approach Him walking, He comes to you running, and becomes your eye that sees, your ear that hears, and your mouth that speaks. With this immense blessing of God with you, why would you not succeed?
In conclusion, salam is the real capital we have in today’s world where the sword has been sheathed. The philosophy of salam requires being handless to those who beat, tongueless to those who curse, and feeling no bitterness toward heartbreakers. In this respect, we should not be influenced by discouragements, but stand our grounds uprightly all of the time, and follow the principle of constructive action by saying, “This world is the realm of perseverance, not of taking offense, and thus we must only concentrate on the tasks we need to carry out.
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Exclusive RjDj Interview: Interactive Music Listening, Everywhere You Go
It’s something we take for granted: listen to a track, and it starts at the beginning and goes to the end in a fixed length of time. Wonderful things can be done with music that way, and it’s the traditional model of composition and recording. But the equally old, if not older, tradition of improvisation suggests that music doesn’t always have to be linear. It can be specific to a place, a time, a mood.
Now that the technologies that power music creation can fit on a standard mobile device, listeners could have music that’s as pliable when they listen through headphones as it is in a studio when it’s created. Music could respond to the environment you’re in, and sound different each time you plug in your earbuds. That presents new challenges for the people making the music, but it could be an entirely new medium.
The team behind RjDj, a reactive and interactive music platform for mobile devices, don’t just want to wait around for this to happen. They’ve got it up and running right now, in a just-released application for iPhone. I spoke via Skype to the team in Vienna as a crowd of enthusiastic programmers and volunteers hacked away in a massive patching and music-making fest they call a “sprint.” More sprints are planned around the world, and the entire project is being built with the open-source visual patching environment for multimedia, Pd (Pure Data), cousin to Max/MSP.
Hackers work away in a “sprint” in Vienna. Photo by jennifereight; used with permission.
If you’re ready to geek out with Pd, in fact, you can have at the patches yourself. But even if you’re just an interested musician, there’s plenty to watch here. It’s about more than just the software (Pd) or device (iPhone) – indeed, this app alone is likely to extend to other devices. What it’s really about is a new approach to how to listen to music, how to develop musical tools, and how communities own and share that work.
And, oh, by the way, team members have been behind everything from the port of Pd to Linux to the launch of Last.fm – the latter sold to CBS as one of the hottest musical properties on the Web, and a personal fave among the CDM team. So don’t doubt for a second that this group can drive some serious change.
If you watch just one video, check out the one above – especially about halfway in, as it starts to get juicy. Even for someone who’s been doing this for a while, watching a tiny device respond to the environment is magical.
Gunter Geiger is a technologist and advocate of free software. He puts his code where his mouth is: he ported the multimedia tools Pd and GEM to Linux a decade ago, helping launch the free community around them. Now he’s harnessing Pd again – but it’s not just about the software, he says.
Gunter: It’s not about if it’s Pd or not. The idea is to be able to create music in a different way. Instead of doing a fixed track, you do something interactive. These kinds of programs have been around for ages, but it really didn’t catch up on the music market.
The important thing is to get momentum behind it — not just one guy doing this thing. [And] it’s not only having people to create things, but [expanding] the audience, which is very small. What we really want to create is some momentum, and a scene. We hope that we get artists who make new [work].
You start to create different forms of music. Some of them are more like classical interactive things. Others are using the sound input a lot. It’s really a very open world, and the good thing about using Pd in there is that basically you can do everything. It’s really so open that we don’t know what’s coming out of it. We’re just trying to improve the things, and all the people working here are constantly changing their scenes and making them better.
I asked specifically about whether they were working to standardize these interactive structures, but Gunter emphasized they’re mainly keeping it open. And that’s important to note here – the actual “scenes” are completely open-ended, limited only by what you can do with the target hardware and the objects in Pd approved for the project.
You have a sort of chicken and egg problem. It’s really hard to make a structure before you know what these things look like.
What he could promise was growth – and on more devices than just the iPhone.
Now it’s the iPhone. In a year, I hope … more. There are sprints happening everywhere.
Michael Breidenbruecker initiated the project, now joined by a team of musical and technological thinkers and coders, with a select group of backers with experience in new Web projects for music. As one of the original co-founders of Last.fm, Michael is familiar with what a platform can do for music listening. He’s committed not only to the free, open source model for the project, but to transforming the way people think about music making – even those who aren’t musicians themselves.
Michael: I think we are all just starting at this, in a way. The scenes that we have right now have a [deep] effect. If you’re producing music, maybe you remember the first time you played with an echo or with a delay. At least for me, I spent ages pushing the button and going "poo, poo." For many people on the street, or what I experienced at Burning Man [with the RjDj], people were really going crazy because it was the first time they had this interactive or reactive experience of music. Music was not just something fixed or something they could consume, but something they could influence.
Ever since Burning Man, I’ve known we have a reason to be on the planet, to do what we’re doing.
When you write about this or talk about this, it’s really hard for people to understand what it is. As soon as you put headphones on them, they actually get it.
Michael says that to make that connection with listeners, they first have to connect with artists – which means their challenge is not only evangelizing interactive and reactive music, but
on the tool side, making Pd’s power more accessible.
Michael: The big task now for us … the couple of sprints we’ve had, and the people we have involved already, is just blowing my mind. And that’s something that we really actively want to push. In the next couple of months, we’ll have to do a lot of work on the composing interface. Pd is a bit abstract for people who are used to other production software. So that’s our job in the end.
There are a lot of people standing behind Pd, but in the art scene it’s totally … inadequate. If RjDj can bring the whole idea of Pd and interactive music closer to the market, that would be really great.
We are trying to keep it as free as possible. It makes a lot of sense to use and reuse things. All the stuff that’s done should be provided to the community. We have it all on a public SVN [Subversion, a free, standard server tool for tracking changes to code and collaborating on projects]. All we can say to the artists is, if you don’t want to share it, don’t put it up there now.
Artists selling RjDj scenes could be very possible in the future – and wouldn’t necessarily conflict with providing open-source patches for those savvy enough to run Pd. But so far, Michael says the project is driven by imagining a new shift in music more than a new business model. And, interestingly, the ideas behind RjDj predate the now wildly-successful Last.fm, which was acquired last year by CBS.
I had this idea for a project ages ago. I started to work on this thing in 99. In 2000/2001, I started up Last.fm. When I saw what was happening on the iPhone, I said maybe it’s time to start [this concept] up again. I tried to get a bit of structure, all of our investors.
Michael: To be honest with you, including the investors we haven’t yet said, this is our business model, not at all. We just know we’re working on something new which we think has potential for the future. We’d [be happy to] manage to get the idea of reactive music booted, in two, three, four years even, to see a shift in the music market. So people who are now listening to MP3 songs could also be listening to reactive music, and something that’s customizable, highly dynamic, and personal. We would certainly try to be the driving force in that development, that market. Right now, all we can do is try to make the product as good as possible, that the person from the street would be able to listen to it and enjoy it, and artists would enjoy doing scenes.
I can tell you how the idea was born. It was actually one of these stupid things. In the 90s, people started to wear earplugs to raves because they were so loud. They had to protect their ears. Then I saw people who actually had microphones on their ears, and I thought, wow, that’s crazy. They have a microphone and a headphone, so what they hear is filtered. I found out that’s not what it was; it was a binaural microphone. I thought it was like sound glasses. I thought that was great. Eyeglasses for your ears.
Changing the medium, Michael notes, does transform what music can be – for musicians, as well. They have hooked up RjDj to a P.A. at parties, taking care to avoid feedback since RjDj scenes often make use of the microphone as an input. Even networking is potentially on the table, for collaborative scenes, though no development has taken place yet. (Pd supports networking, so that’s definitely something that could happen, with control data beamed between different devices running RjDj.) In the meantime, RjDj poses problems you might not even have imagined.
There is another interesting topic which we haven’t solved yet. You have the RjDj scene, and your sound experience is in the boundaries of that scene, but what you’re actually hearing is totally individual. That’s something that you can record on the rjdj. What do the artists — if a listener makes a recording of his scene which is very private, it’s his voice, his environment, what about that? Who’s the owner of that?
It’s scalable uniqueness — the RjDj scene, you can copy it a trillion times, it’s still the same, it’s a copy, but the individual experience listening to it. and tha’ts something traditional music is fighting. You have a digital copy of a recorded track. The musical industry wanted that scalable; that’s why they made that digital format, the digital CD. So they had this tremendous scalability, but then they started to realize that the uniqueness [is lost]. That was one reason why we did Last.fm at that time.
[Then] people started to realize they make music with objects. An instrument, it’s an object. But with digital music, music in a way became totally objectless. Look at the iPhone – in the end, it’s so miniaturized. RjDj is really bringing it back to the object. You know how this glass sounds [if you strike it], but with RjDj it sounds different. People begin to experience objects in a different way.
RjDj received its first official release today on the iTunes App Store. Software is available for free, or as an “album” for US$2.99.
RjDj Site / About / Blog
How to Create Scenes (And incidentally, you can work on scenes with a laptop even if you don’t own an iPhone. Testing on the device is, of course, very nice – fellow iPod touch users, I’m working on finding out how that mic solution is coming for us!)
Tags: Community, development, Features, free, generative, Hardware, interactive, interviews, iphone, mobile, open-source, Pd, physical-computing, pure-data, reactive, responsive, rjdj, Software, trends
RjDj, Responsive, Interactive Music on iPhone, Now Available: Free – $3
RjDj Updates: Compatibility, Reliability Info
pure-data
Vector dreams, in a new book on sound-modulated light
Hardwaremobile
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Australia's Mr Movies, Bill Collins, dies age 84
By Áine Ryan| 4 weeks ago
Bill Collins, the Australian film historian fondly known as Mr Movies, has died at the age of 84.
Collins died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday according to Joan Collins, his wife of 36 years.
Film critic and television presenter Bill Collins poses with the Hall of Fame award during the 51st TV Week Logie Awards on May 3, 2009 in Melbourne, Australia. (WireImage)
In a statement, Bill's wife Joan said: "Our hearts are broken by the loss of our dear Bill — he will never be forgotten. How fortunate we were to have him in our lives. On behalf of Bill's family and myself, I would like to thank the public for the great support given to Bill over the years.
"Bill's love of film was encouraged by you, his audience, and his love of sharing his passion, which increased over the five decades that he presented on every Australian television.
"Bill was always thrilled when he realised the joy and happiness he gave to his viewers. He never took them for granted, always wanting to please. Darling Bill you will be loved and missed always."
Collins started his career in television talking about films on the ABC's Roundabout in 1963, and went on to work as a movie presenter at Nine, Seven and Ten. In 1995 he joined Foxtel where he continued working for the rest of his career.
Collins was best known as the host of Golden Years of Hollywood.
In 2009, Collins was inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame. He received an ASTRA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
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Cynthia Nixon joins cancer drama The Big C
The Sex and the City star will play Laura Linney's best friend in the upcoming drama.
Sex and the City's Cynthia Nixon has joined the cast of the upcoming drama The Big C: she'll play the best friend of Laura Linney's character, a "repressed suburban wife and mother who reclaims her life after a terminal cancer diagnosis".
Nixon played Miranda Hobbes (aka Sex and the City's best character) in six TV seasons and two movies, so she's a pro at playing best friends.
Cynthia Nixon plus Laura Linney, on the same US network that's produced sterling dramas including United States of Tara and Dexter? Unless something goes terribly wrong, this will be awesome.
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Looking out for landslides
Home » Featured Projects » Looking out for landslides
No one needs to be reminded that natural hazards abound. As we well know, areas with unstable geology, for example, are prone to rock falls and landslides, with potentially severe human and economic consequences. Whereas the effects of landslides and subsidence upon communities in mountainous and coastal areas is well known, less well recognised is the danger of unstable terrain to the transport infrastructure across wide areas of Europe.
In view of this, what tools and technologies, both on location and from space, do we have at our disposal to understand and mitigate these kinds of risks? Are there ways of identifying and monitoring unstable areas which are both effective and economically viable? Can business models be developed for offering these monitoring services to transportation infrastructure operators and other stakeholders in a cost-effective and sustainable manner?
To answer these questions, two feasibility studies have recently been completed within the framework of ESA’s ARTES 20 programme. The goal of the Live Land study, led by CGI (United Kingdom), was to investigate whether the development of a suite of integrated data services could reduce the disruption and cost associated with landslide and subsidence hazards on transport networks in Scotland, managed by Transport Scotland (road) and Network Rail (rail).
Similarly, the MATIST project, led by Gamma Remote Sensing and Consulting (Switzerland), set out to examine the viability of a combination of individual technologies to provide ground motion information in the mountainous regions of Switzerland and Austria, notably the dense rail networks of the Swiss Federal Railways (SFR) and the Austrian Federal Railways (OeBB), as well as the main road network of Austria (Asfinag).
The two teams focused on whether satellite imagery, known as Earth Observation (EO) data, deployable Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) equipment, and satellite communications to relay in situ observations into a central management system for understanding ground motion of and around transport infrastructure is technically feasible and could provide economic benefits to end-users on a regional or national level.
Traditional tools, such as photogrammetry, and point-based local monitoring equipment, work well for specific locations, but are labour-intensive and costly to deploy. The challenge faced by the teams was to come up with techniques for monitoring potential hazards across wide areas with acceptable frequency and accuracy. One promising approach is to use maps produced by satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interferometry to identify potentially hazardous slopes, followed by repeat monitoring of these locations using an array of tools, with the comparatively expensive technique of near-real time in situ monitoring of unstable formations deployed only where considered critical.
“By taking regular observations, we can now measure very small displacements across large areas,” explains Rafael Caduff of Gamma Remote Sensing and Consulting. “When we detect sudden changes in motion velocity, this indicates to us a potentially high-risk situation and that the site needs to be monitored more closely.”
“There is no single technical solution for solving the problem of monitoring natural hazards, says Rob Postema, ESA ARTES 20 Technical Officer. “But these two projects demonstrate how combining techniques such as EO data, GNSS positioning, in situ monitoring, and satellite communications results in a powerful toolset for tackling a whole range of geological challenges, enabling us to monitor ground motion risks across much larger areas with acceptable frequency.
“Both project teams worked with real users facing genuine risks from unstable geology, and upon completion of the projects, these organisations began developing concrete plans to continue using these monitoring services,” he adds.
“In coming years, I expect to see a great many more innovative applications which make use of earth observation data and satellite services for keeping a watchful eye on phenomena of ground motion and the associated risks,” Postema says.
"Live Land has been a key opportunity for CGI," observes Geoff Busswell of CGI. "ESA's role in initially engaging with the users and funding the initial feasibility study based on their requirements has been critical in enabling CGI to robustly analyse the feasibility of possible solutions. The Agency' s expertise in overseeing feasibility studies through to demonstration and operational phases has been extremely important in helping the CGI consortium to put a sustainable future vision in place for Live Land".
23 May 2014 - Last updated at 21 July 2014 - 18:30
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Home news Review of Sandwich Franchises UK
Franchise UK Review of Sandwich Franchises
A selection of tasty ingredients bookended by slabs of bread, the sandwich is one of the most popular dishes in the UK. According to British Sandwich Week, between us we manage to consume an impressive 11.5 billion sandwiches a year. That’s enough to go around the world about 44 times – more if everyone opted for a baguette. From egg mayo to tuna, and cheese to ham, Brits love sandwiches in every way, shape and form. In fact, a poll in 2015 found that the humble cheese sanger is the most popular lunch among UK office workers. This was closely followed by the ham sandwich with the chicken sandwich coming in third.
Although many of the sandwiches we munch our way through are made at home, a large proportion are shop bought. In fact, well over 3.5 billion sandwiches are purchased from catering companies, cafes and shops every year in the UK alone. This adds up to a staggering £7.85 billion, a significant amount of lunch money in anyone’s book. In the UK, over 300,000 people are employed by the sandwich industry, making it a very important part of the country’s economy.
With sales of sandwiches still on the up and the popularity of the convenient lunch food showing no signs of waning, it’s not surprising that many entrepreneurs are considering investing in a sandwich franchise. Readily available in most parts of the UK, a sandwich franchise could allow ambitious business people to get their own slice of the sandwich pie.
Subway sandwich franchise
In the UK, Subway is the best-known sandwich franchise by a country mile. Founded by 17-year-old Fred DeLuca and family friend Peter Buck in Connecticut in 1965, the brand was soon a hit and by 1974, DeLuca and Buck had 16 restaurants across the state. Just four years later in 1978, franchising had helped the entrepreneurs increase their rate of expansion and the Subway chain had grown to incorporate 100 eateries. In 1987, Subway opened its 1,000th restaurant and by 1998, the chain had 10,000 locations. Throughout the noughties, Subway continued its rapid expansion and today the chain has a whopping 44,608 eateries worldwide.
One of the biggest appeals of Subway to potential franchisees is its affordability. Even when compared to other sandwich franchises, the chain stacks up well. This makes it a lot easier for entrepreneurs to open a location of their own and allows larger numbers of franchisees to invest in the business.
In the UK, Subway has a very strong presence with 2,500 locations across the country. Not content with their dominance of the sandwich market, the chain plans to open a further 500 eateries by 2020, bringing the total number of branches to 3,000 and creating a potential 5,000 jobs in the process. This means that there will be plenty of opportunities for UK entrepreneurs to invest in Subway franchises across the country.
Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches franchise
Although it can’t claim to compete with Subway when it comes to size or brand recognition, Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is beginning to carve its own niche in the franchise world. Like Subway, the founder of Jimmy John’s was still a teenager when he took his first steps into the business world. In 1983, 19-year-old James J. Liautaud opened the first Jimmy John’s in Charleston, Illinois. All he had to work with was a few pieces of used equipment including an oven, a meat slicer, a fridge and a freezer.
To garner custom, he handed out sandwiches to college students in his hometown and launched a delivery service. It didn’t take long for his eatery to get a great reputation and he soon opened several more locations in the local area. In 1993, Liautaud began franchising and today has 1,020 locations around the US.
Charley’s Grilled Subs franchise
With just 379 locations around the US and further afield, Charley’s Grilled Subs is a relatively small operation in the world of sandwiches. However, a loyal following and a good reputation makes this franchise an interesting option for those looking for a sandwich business with a bit of bite.
The business was founded by Charley Shin, who opened his first restaurant at the tender age of 22. His masterstroke was to introduce the Philly cheese steak to his eatery on the campus of Ohio State University. The students went wild for his meat- and cheese-laden creations and soon more branches were springing up around the country. Today, Charley’s Grilled Subs can be found in locations across the US and around the world in countries including the UK, Germany, Italy, Poland, Panama, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, giving people everywhere to chance to sample some traditional US cuisine.
Pita Pit Inc
These days, customers are more health conscious than ever. As a result, a lot of people, if given the choice, would shun a sandwich that’s packed full of salty meat and fatty cheese in favour of less calorie-laden alternatives. This is the food niche in which Pita Pit is fast making a name for itself. Offering Lebanese style pitta breads filled with lean meats, salad, cheese, vegetables and tasty sauces, they make a great alternative to the traditional sandwich.
The chain began franchising in 1997 and today has around 295 locations. A great opportunity for franchisees looking to take advantage of the current trend towards healthy eating, a Pita Pit Inc franchise could make a good investment.
Arby’s fast food franchise
The second-largest fast food sandwich restaurant in the US, Arby’s has almost 4,000 branches across America and around the world. Founded by brothers Forrest and Leroy Raffel in the 1950s (Arby comes from the abbreviation R.B., for Raffel Brothers), the brand began franchising in 1965. Dishing up a classic menu of sandwiches, fries and iced tea as well as a few lighter options, the eatery soon made a name for itself on the American food scene.
Franchisees who invest in this brand will be working under a very recognisable name. Even outside the US a lot of people have heard of the chain and brand recognition is pretty good. However, the start-up costs for opening an Arby’s can be high, with franchisees expected to pay up to $2.4 million to launch their eatery.
Firehouse Subs sandwich franchise
Founded in 1994 by former firefighters and brothers Chris and Robin Sorensen, Firehouse Subs still has a very strong connection to the fire service. The décor of each Firehouse Subs restaurant is reminiscent of a fire station and the company supports the Firehouse Subs Safety Foundation which works with local communities and provides fire departments and other emergency services with the training they need.
The company’s strong brand identity helps it to stand out from the crowd and is great for brand recognition. There are currently around 360 branches across the US with more opening in the coming months and years. To become a franchisee, entrepreneurs will need to invest between $197,500 and $412,700.
The nation’s appetite for sandwiches of all kinds remains as strong as ever, making sandwich franchises a fantastic option for entrepreneurs who want to cash in on the country’s hunger pangs.
To find out more about the different opportunities near you or to learn more about franchising, take a look around our site today.
Source: Franchise UK
Previous articleWhat are the advantages of a franchise?
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Tag Archives: Bulks
Lone Star defies downward trend in revised ABC results
The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has today brought out its revised figures for national newspaper circulation in the UK, reducing the headline circulations of titles including the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and Financial Times in the light of an investigation into ‘bulk copies’ distributed by Dawson Media Direct, for the London Evening Standard, Mail on Sunday and Sunday Telegraph.
The UK newspaper circulation body revised the figures because audit trails for ‘bulks’ did not comply with ABC rules.
Earlier this year, the Financial Times reduced its use of bulks, and this week Guardian News and Media announced that it was currently ditching its bulk distribution completely.
A brief summary of today’s ABC results:
The Sunday Times was the only ‘quality’ Sunday title to post a year-on-year rise in sales (2.74 per cent). On average the ‘quality’ Sunday titles posted a 2.77 per cent year-on-year fall. The Independent on Sunday posted the biggest year-on-year drop – 19.98 per cent.
All the daily titles audited posted a year-on-year drop in sales, apart from The Star which increased its circulation by 20.12 per cent compared with July 2008.
The Sun recorded a tiny drop of 0.4 per cent year-on-year and although the Daily Mirror was down 7.16 per cent compared with last year’s figures, month-on-month the title’s sales rose by 0.73 per cent.
A more in-depth analysis of these results is available on Guardian.co.uk.
This entry was posted in Newspapers and tagged ABC, Bulks, Circulation, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, gnm, Guardian.co.uk, Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Times, The Daily Mail, The Daily Mirror, The Financial Times, the Star, the Sunday Times, United Kingdom on August 14, 2009 by Helen Martin.
GNM abandons the distribution of bulks
Guardian News and Media announced today that it will abandon the distribution of ‘bulks’.
GNM sold ‘bulk’ bundles of its papers to hotels and airlines for a nominal fee per copy to the businesses, but free to the readers. This sampling method was a way of tempting new readers towards the publications.
But bulk sales only contributed to a fraction of the Guardian and Observer’s overall sales figures compared to other newspaper groups, said a release from GNM.
“To a greater or lesser degree bulk sales are used by newspaper groups to prop up their ABC [Audit Bureau of Circulations] figure. Yet their credibility in the ad community is low and for those affected by the recent investigation into airline bulks that credibility has been undermined further,” Joe Clark, GNM director and general manager, newspapers, said in the release.
“We are abandoning this practice in order to present a clearer, more honest picture of our sales performance to advertisers and to reinforce the quality of our product to readers. The success of our subscription scheme has proved the value of rewarding loyal readers and prompted us to question the merit of subsidising a free copy for an occasional reader.
“In short dropping this traditional, and in our view, outmoded practice is a win-win move. We hope that others will follow our lead.”
On Guardian.co.uk, Roy Greenslade celebrated the decision after a 10-year battle to convince the papers to drop the bulks.
“This so-called ‘sampling exercise’ was anything other than a way to ensure that, in a declining market, headline sales figures remained artificially high,” he wrote.
Over the past 10 years publishers have become increasingly aware that sampling had little effect on their sales.
As Greenslade reports: Trinity Mirror and Express Mirrors were the first to give up the practice, while News International never used bulks for its main titles, The Sun and News of the World, but did for The Times and The Sunday Times.
The Financial Times has also begun to lessen its use of bulks; whereas The Telegraph Media Group continues to use bulks to attract new readers, he adds. In addition The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday have increased their reliance on bulks.
This entry was posted in Newspapers and tagged ABC, airline, Bulks, director and general manager, Express Mirrors, gnm, guardian news and media, Guardian.co.uk, Joe Clark, News of the World, newspaper groups, Newspapers, Roy Greenslade, The Daily Mail, The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Sun, the Sunday Times, The Telegraph Media Group, The Times, Trinity Mirror on August 11, 2009 by Helen Martin.
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Major $20,000 public art commission awarded to Melbourne artist, Tai Snaith
by News Editor
in Announcements, Exhibitions, News
A large-scale public artwork by Melbourne artist Tai Snaith was today unveiled inside the first of the new spaces officially opened as part of State Library Victoria’s $88.1 million redevelopment project.
Spanning a 29×5 metre wall and titled Open book, it is the largest work the Melbourne artist has created to date and one of her most personal.
It features a series of photographs of intricate ‘assemblages’ using found or made objects including ceramic pieces handmade by the artist, dried flowers and seeds, and family heirlooms, placed atop 15 open books from the Library’s collection.
Tai says the work – featuring personal artefacts such as her grandmother’s Bakelite bingo counters and other items collected in her travels – explores both the hereditary nature of collecting, a practice that spans generations in her family, and her lifelong love of books.
“Since I was a young girl, books have underpinned my artistic practice and provided a constant and endless source of inspiration. Through this work, I wanted to convey the magic of the act of opening a book and I hope to communicate what it is to be inspired in a library. Everyone needs books at some point in their lives and anyone can go into a library. That egalitarianism, the fact that you can walk into a library and no one will question why you’re there, is so important,” Tai said.
Tai’s work was selected from 77 submissions from artists, illustrators and designers across the country in response to the Library’s call out for work inspired by its collection of books relating to Victoria’s flora, fauna and natural history.
State Library Victoria CEO Kate Torney said Tai Snaith’s work conveyed the way books and, in particular, the Library’s collections are a rich source of inspiration for many people in many different ways.
“This stunning work will capture the imaginations of the thousands of visitors who walk through the Library’s doors each day, sparking a sense of wonder and curiosity, just as our beautiful spaces and collections have done for the past 162 years,” Kate Torney said.
State Library Victoria CEO Kate Torney and artist Tai Snaith in front of the artwork Open book
The artwork was unveiled at today’s official opening of the Library’s new spaces, which include the Russell Street Welcome Zone – a vibrant collaborative space that is home to a new cafe, Guild, and an expanded Readings bookshop – heritage events space the Isabella Fraser Room, and two reading rooms.
The spaces are accessed by the reopened Russell Street entrance and a new accessible entrance on La Trobe Street.
The entrances on La Trobe and Russell Streets will be the Library’s main entry points while the Swanston Street entrance and ground floor close temporarily for construction, reopening in spring 2019.
Find out more about the Library’s Vision 2020 redevelopment.
Tags: art commission — large-scale artwork — public art — Russell Street Welcome Zone — Tai Snaith — Vision 2020
All posts by News Editor
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Blue Swan Daily > Europe/MEA > Analysis > UK underpins Poland’s connectivity gains, but Europe offers numerous routes to further growth
UK underpins Poland’s connectivity gains, but Europe offers numerous routes to further growth
Traffic data for the first six months of 2017 shows that the United Kingdom remains the largest market for passengers in and out of Poland and accounts for almost one in three European travellers departing or arriving at the Eastern European country’s airports. This has been mainly driven by the growth of Low Cost Carriers (LCC) point-to-point connections between the two countries that has developed both strong outbound and inbound traffic flows.
Poland is able to boast over 100 years of history and tradition in the aviation industry, and more than 80 years of experience of aircraft production and aviation personnel training, but only now is its connectivity befitting its aviation pedigree with improved accessibility, particularly in the regions providing Polish-based businesses with greater access to foreign markets, encouraging exports, and at the same time increases competition and choice in the home market from foreign-based producers.
Over a decade on from its accession to the European Union and the boost the Polish economy has enjoyed thanks to membership is clear to see thanks to its booming exports, which mostly head to other EU countries. A year before accession, Poland generated an annual GDP of £130 billion; by 2013, that figure had grown to £305 billion. Meanwhile, GDP per capita has risen from 44% of the EU average on accession to over 65% today and is forecast to reach 74% by 2020.
CHART – LCCs Ryanair and Wizz Air now dominate from Poland ahead of national carrier LOT Polish Airlines and together hold a 48.% share of international seats for the week commencing 04-Sep-2017 Source: CAPA – Centre for Aviation and OAG
Local economic studies show that if the country had not joined the European Union its GDP per capita in purchasing power standards would have been around four years behind where it is today. This would have been lower by 11% relative to the EU-27 average.
But, it is not just Poland’s economy that has changed; the country’s citizens have as well. A generation of Poles now have the opportunity to travel and study all over Europe, while the free movement of workers and international employment opportunities have seen economic migration across the continent. This has helped develop the new air services that have become a framework to a better connected Poland.
Poland actually opened its doors to better access into key European markets before European Union accession when it amended its existing bilateral air service agreements with Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom in 2003. Further liberalisation has brought a major transformation to the Polish air transport market since May 2004.
CHART – International air capacity from Poland has risen at an average rate of 7.4% since 2007, but will rise at more than double that rate with an expected 15.9% growth in 2017 Source: The Blue Swan Daily and OAG
The Blue Swan Daily analysis shows that over the past ten years available international seat capacity from Poland has grown by two-thirds, rising 66.7% between 2007 and 2016, based on data from schedules provider, OAG. This has seen a move from a historical Warsaw-centric strategy focused on the hub-and-spoke operations of national carrier LOT Polish Airlines, a legacy from Communist times, to a more point-to-point offering with direct air links now being offered to an increasing number of international markets from outside of the capital city. In fact this year international capacity is forecast to rise 15.9%, the largest year-on-year annual rise since 2008 and the early days of the LCC boom.
Poland’s accession to the European Union benefited both foreign tourists who are interested in visiting the country, but also Poles travelling abroad for holidays. To support this demand we have seen the construction of two brand new green-field airports: Lublin and Modlin. Meanwhile, new international connectivity is now also being offered from cities such as Radom-Sadków after a former military airport in central Poland was converted for commercial operations.
CHART – Eight of Poland’s airports will see at least double-digit rises in international capacity this year, based on published schedules Source: The Blue Swan Daily and OAG
The largest international growth this current decade has been at Solidarity” Szczecin Goleniów Airport in the northeast of Poland, where an average annual growth of 20.0% has been recorded, while John Paul II International Airport Kraków Balice in the south of the country has witnessed an average 8.5% capacity growth per annum.
While initially driving the mobility for Polish citizens, many of the new air services are now supporting the strong Polish communities that have now developed across other European countries. The 2015 edition of EuroStat’s ‘People in the EU: who are we and how do we live?’ study shows that more than 10% of those born in Poland now live abroad in another European Union member state, the fourth largest share among its membership after Cyprus, Ireland and Luxembourg.
In fact, according to the population and housing census, more than one fifth (22%) of all the residents born in a European Union member state but living in other member state originate from Poland. By far the largest community, in absolute terms, is the Polish-born community living in Germany (an estimated 2.7 million people), while there are an additional 654,000 Polish-born residents in the United Kingdom (the fourth largest such community). There are also sizeable contingents all over Western Europe and Scandinavia.
CHART – The UK is the largest European market from Poland thanks to the expanding networks of Ryanair and Wizz Air Source: The Blue Swan Daily and OAG
While Germany may have the largest emigrant Polish community, the United Kingdom dominates in terms of capacity and has a 24.2% share of international departure seats into Europe from Poland for 2017 with numbers up 11.0%. Its share is declining – down 0.6 percentage points on 2016 – as the market matures with the strongest growth in 2017 being seen into Portugal, Ukraine, Spain, Turkey and Italy.
With European international capacity from Poland already set to grow 18.7% in Q1 2018 based on already published schedules for 2018, it is clear that there is still significant room for the market to grow. The Poland – Germany market currently has the largest indirect passenger flows and the above chart shows that Ryanair and Wizz Air have limited exposure into this market. There is also room for additional links into the UK and Italy based on this passenger flow data.
In fact data from OAG for the first half of 2017 shows that there are a number of city pairs in and out of Poland that are already enjoying strong one-stop indirect passenger flows. These include Wroclaw – Paris; Warsaw – Bologna; Krakow – Gothenburg; Warsaw – Cologne Bonn; Warsaw – Manchester and Gdansk – Paris.
The accession of Poland into the European Union and the introduction of a more liberal aviation sector has changed the demographics of the country forever. But, with enhanced point-to-point services from expanding LCCs, Polish citizens are enjoying the best connectivity the country has ever seen.
Polish Airports company absorbs bankrupt airport to be LCC alternative for new Central AirportAugust 3, 2018
Poland will get a new central airport but neighbouring Belarus is going for decentralisationJune 15, 2018
Airline Insight: LOT Polish AirlinesMay 10, 2018
US Immigration pre-clearance proposed for New Central Polish AirportNovember 22, 2017
LEVEL’s landing in Amsterdam may not create a new Buzz, but in strange twist of timing Ryanair has revealed plans to bring back the LCC brand to European skiesMarch 19, 2019
Berlin Brandenburg claims a ‘time-competitive advantage’ over the New Central Polish Airport – but does it have one?January 11, 2019
New connectivity puts Groningen on the map, but can a regional partner succeed where LCCs have failed?December 19, 2017
Airport Insight: Warsaw Frederic Chopin AirportSeptember 14, 2018
Behind Brexit, is the UK market already failing to deliver profitable returns for LCCs?September 18, 2017
Wizz Air eyes UK licence as airlines continue to battle Brexit rights concernsJuly 20, 2017
Europe beware! Half of Brits are less likely to holiday in Europe after the UK leaves the EUOctober 10, 2018
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Home D: Arts & Entertainment On Stage: After 40 years, Feelies still feelin’ it
On Stage: After 40 years, Feelies still feelin’ it
May 12th, 2018 · 0 Comment
By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
The Feelies
Two years ago, the Feelies celebrated their 40th anniversary as a band.
But, their long career has not been a continuous one. When a band has existed more than four decades, there’s a good chance there was at least one hiatus along the way.
The Feelies, who are performing on May 12 at the World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com), went on hiatus in the summer of 1991. It only took them a little less than 17 years to get back together.
The legendary and influential rock band reunited at Battery Park in New York City on July 4, 2008 as the opening act for Sonic Youth. The classic Feelies lineup of Glenn Mercer, Bill Million, Dave Weckerman, Brenda Sauter, and Stanley Demeski, performed its first show since 1991.
Mercer and Million had been talking for some time about the possibility of a reunion, and eventually in the spring of 2008 when Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore asked them to open the Independence Day show at the River-to-River Festival, they just felt that the time was right to come back.
So, on June 30, 2008 at their “home” venue, Maxwell’s in Hoboken, New Jersey, the Feelies played their first show in almost 20 years with the now classic five-member line up.
This first concert was followed by two more in the same venue and the one in Manhattan on July 4. From then on, the band played live quite regularly — mainly in the NY/NJ area but also in Boston, Washington and Chicago.
“There wasn’t any one particular thing that was a catalyst for us coming back together,” said Mercer, during a recent phone interview from New York.
“One of the things making it more possible – there was more interest in the band with regard to licensing requests and re-issue requests. When the Sonic Youth invitation came up, we decided to go for it. The reunion went well so we decided to play more shows.
“Prior to the show with Sonic Youth, we did some warm-up shows at Maxwell’s, which was our home base in the 80s. And, we wanted to write new material. We had a lot of offers to do more shows – especially in Philadelphia and Boston.”
Formed in Haledon, New Jersey in 1976, The Feelies released four albums in their first incarnation — including their critically-acclaimed and influential debut “Crazy Rhythms,” which was voted Number 49 in the top 100 albums of the 1980s by Rolling Stone magazine and chosen by Spin Magazine as one of the best alternative records of all time.
The Feelies are definitely a Jersey band – but not purely a Jersey band.
“Except for Brenda, we’re all from North Jersey – from around the Haledon area,” said Mercer. “Brenda is from out-of-state – from Lititz, Pennsylvania.”
Since their return, the Felines have added two new albums to their discography – “Here Before” in 2011 and “In Between” in 2017, both of which were released on Bar/None Records.
“We started recording ‘In Between’ at the end of 2015 and it came out in early 20178,” said Mercer. “It took us a while to make it and then we had it done a year before it came out. We did most if it at my home studio.
“We’ve started to work on some new stuff. I don’t know what’s next. It will suggest itself when we have enough material. When we record new music, we put a lot of work into it. It’s got to be very organic. We tend to not over-think too much.
“In our live shows, we do a lot from every record. It’s pretty well-balanced. The first set is quieter stuff. The second set builds up more to maximum speed and sonic assault. It’s about a three-hour show.”
Video link for the Feelies – https://youtu.be/tz2CNdup5Zw.
The show at the World Café Live will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 and $27.
Ana Egge, who will headline a show at Burlap and Bean Coffeehouse (204 South Newtown Street Road, Newtown Square, 484-427-4547, www.burlapandbean.com) on May 12, has been making music for a long time
Egge recorded her first album, “River Under the Road” in 1997 with the legendary western swing band, Asleep At The Wheel. She has recorded 10 albums – the latest of which is “White Tiger,” which will be released on June 8 via StorySound Records.
Over the years, Ana Egge has lived in a lot of different locales – from her birthplace in Estevan, Saskatchewan to her current residence in Brooklyn, New York.
“I was born in Canada, but I grew up in the states – in the northern part of North Dakota,” said Egge, during a phone interview from her home in Brooklyn. “When I was 10, my family moved to Silver City, New Mexico.
“I always wanted to play guitar. My dad played guitar and my mom played piano. And, my sister and I sang a lot. I started taking guitar lessons seriously when I moved to New Mexico.
“I also picked up mandolin – all kinds of stylings from Bob Marley to Van Morrison but done with a touch of bluegrass. We had a guitar class in high school that turned into a band. After I graduated, I was in a mandolin-guitar duo with my teacher.”
The family’s unconventional lifestyle became Egge’s “normal.”
According to Egge, “We were always the outsiders. Raised by two back-to-the-land hippies, I was taught how to shoot a gun and how to enjoy alfalfa sprouts and tofu. My folks loved the outdoors and eccentric people. I ran around barefoot and learned to ride a motorcycle when I was five. I grew up with all the time and space in the world.”
When Egge got bit by the music bug as a teenager, she took matters into her own hands — building her own guitar and moving to Austin, Texas to observe, absorb and take musical risks. She has worked with producers Martin Terefe, Jason Mercer, Joel Plaskett, Steve Earle, and Stewart Lerman, and recorded full albums with The Stray Birds and The Sentimentals.
Now, in 2018, she has released her 10th album, “White Tiger,” which features nine originals and one John Hartford cover. The new album displays Egge’s singularly articulate and affecting honesty and sensitivity.
“My new album is most connected to ‘Out Past The Lights’ but it’s a whole other step beyond,” said Egge, referring to her fourth album which came out in 2004.
“I just finished the album in December and January and mixed it at the end of January. I had some of the songs for a little while but many of the songs were written in the recording studio in October.”
Egge collaborated with producer Alec Spiegelman (Cuddle Magic), whose contributions on reeds, keyboards, and vocals, together with his wind, string, and vocal arrangements, elegantly inform the whole. Other featured musicians include singer Anais Mitchell, guitarist Buck Meek (Big Thief), drummer Robin MacMillan (Aoife O’Donovan), bassist Jacob Silver (Amy Helm), and violist Adam Moss (The Brother Brothers).
“We recorded it in Brooklyn at Alex’s space in Ditmas (Park),” said Egge. “We did it all digital and then mixed it to tape.
“Some of the tracks are pretty sparse while others are more dense with string arrangements, horns and electric guitars, We fill out the sound well with a trio. I have Dave Cole on drums and vocals and Alec on bass clarinet and pump organ. I play guitar and sing.
“I love guitar, I find something I like and keep playing it over and over. All the songs on the album started with my guitar and lyric ideas. Once I finished them, we’d take them to the studio and determine what to do with them. Every sing is different.”
Deviating from the norm, Egge is touring the album before it is actually released.
“We delayed the release,” said Egge. “These dates had been booked for months so we didn’t want to cancel them. We’ll have a lot more dates to tour the album in the fall.”
Video link for Ana Egge – https://youtu.be/iqsbYktgV1s.
The show at Burlap and Bean Coffeehouse, which has Joshua Howard as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.
There will be a pair of interesting shows this weekend at Kung Fu Necktie (1248 North Front Street, Philadelphia, 215-291-4919, kungfunecktie.com) — Luke Winslow-King on May 12 and Swimming With Bears on May 13.
Luke Winslow-King
Luke Winslow-King is a well-travelled musician. He was born in Cadillac, Michigan and spent a long time as a resident or New Orleans. He also has spent enough time in Italy that he could be an honorary resident of Tuscany.
But, for now, he has returned to Michigan – returned home to Cadillac, a small city in the northwest part of the Lower Peninsula.
“I’m getting to go out on tour again,” said Winslow-King, during a recent phone interview from his home in Cadillac. “I moved back to Cadillac last year. It was the right time to come back home – to come back to where my family is.”
Winslow-King is a guitarist, singer, composer, and lyricist known for his slide guitar work, and interest in pre-war blues and traditional jazz. How own work consists of an eclectic mix that takes in delta-folk music, classical composition, ragtime, and rock and roll and juxtaposes original songs with those from a bygone era.
Winslow-King is now touring in support of his new album “Blue Mesa,” which features long-time collaborator and blues guitar dynamo Roberto Luti, Chris Davis of King James and the Special Men, and Mike Lynch on organ (Bob Seger, Larry McCray).
His latest album is an example of craftsmanship at the highest level, radiating a warmth and timeless elegance. Adept at mixing country, blues, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, and folk influences intuitively and masterfully, Winslow-King shapes a mood from many sources and moves it to a unifying place of acceptance and hope.
“I recorded ‘Blue Mesa’ last July in Italy – in Lari in the Tuscany region. It’s an old fort – a walled city. My guitar player Roberto Luti is from Tuscany. He brought me to a studio he had worked at before. Mirco, the engineer there, is completely blind – but he can ride his bicycle through the village by bouncing his voice off the walls.
“I tour Italy a lot – maybe 12 or 13 times over the last 10 years. We had a few days off between shows, so we went in to record. It was kind of spur-of-the-moment. We had two full days in the studio and did 10 tracks.”
“Blue Mesa” definitely has a fresh sound.
“There are different themes,” said Winslow-Smith. “It’s more mellowed out. It explores different genres – a lot of New Orleans and 70s folk rock. And, it’s more rock-and-roll and blues.”
It is no secret that Winslow-King is a student of the arts and an ambassador for New Orleans’s rich and colorful culture. As a teen, he attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts near his hometown of Cadillac, Michigan. Later, he studied music theory at New Orleans University and eventually received a scholarship to study music abroad in Prague, Czech Republic.
Following a chance to move to New Orleans after becoming stranded when his tour van was ransacked. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Winslow-King lived in New York City and was employed as a music therapist by the Institutes of Applied Human Dynamics in the Bronx.
He also held a music teacher’s position at the La Velle School for the Blind. While in New York, he studied composition privately and recorded with Grammy nominated avant-garde composer “Blue” Gene Tyranny and attended Jack Hardy’s legendary songwriter’s circle.
In 2007, Winslow-Smith headed back home to New Orleans after recording his first self-titled debut album and continued paying his dues — busking on Royal Street during the day and working in the clubs on Frenchman Street at night.
He learned gospel and jazz standards accompanying John Boutté, studied bottleneck guitar with blues maestro Roberto Luti (formerly of The Washboard Chaz Blues Trio), and immersed himself in the trad jazz songbook while playing with the Loose Marbles Jazz Band. During this time, he was also a member Meschiya Lake’s Little Big Horns and is featured on her album “Lucky Devil.”
In recent years, Winslow-Smith has been able to stake claim to three home areas – New Orleans, Cadillac and Tuscany.
“I love touring Italy,” said Winslow-King. “People in Europe are really knowledgeable about American roots music. They have a culture of supporting the arts.”
Video link for Luke Winslow-King — https://youtu.be/i9YvB9FmR3E.
The show at Kung Fu Necktie, which has the Bells and Timothy Tobordo as openers, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.
Visitors to the West Indies can engage in “swimming with sting rays” and there are places where people can go “swimming with dolphins.”
Scuba divers spend time “swimming with sharks.”
But, if you want to enjoy “swimming with bears,” you don’t have to go anywhere near dangerous waters.
Swimming with Bears
Swimming with Bears is a four-piece rock band based in Austin, Texas. The quartet — Joe Perry (vocals/bass), Alec Conte (guitar), Jon Kerr (guitar) and Ryan Hannasch (drums) – has been working tirelessly on new music as a calling card for its distinctive alternative-soul sound.
Swimming with Bears recently released its new groove-laden single “French Girls.”
In 2016, the band released its self-titled debut EP, featuring lead single “Shiver and Crawl,” which was produced by Matt Noveskey (Blue October. Then in 2017, the band went back in the studio to record more material with producer Gabe Simon (Dua Lipa, Kopecky).
Now with the release of “French Girls” fans can look forward to more new music throughout the year.
“Right now, we’re just releasing singles,” said Perry, during a phone interview last week. “That seems to be the smartest way to keep getting ourselves established. But, we want to have an album soon.”
On May 10, Swimming With Bears just released another new single called “Take It Easy.”
“We’re based in Austin but none of are from Austin,” said Perry. “But, we’re all from Texas. We met at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas – the home of the ‘World’s Largest Pecan.’”
In addition to Lutheran undergrads, Seguin is known for its pecans and is billed as “Pecan Capital of Texas.” It is home to the “World’s Largest Pecan,” a 5-foot-long, two-and-a-half-ft-wide concrete nut erected in 1962, and to Pape’s Pecan House and Nutcracker Museum, which features a display of the world’s largest collection of nutcrackers from Germany, India, and around the world.
“Most of us were in music programs at the university,” said Perry. “Back then, you would just bring a guitar to school, so you could pick up a girl.
“I met Alec first. He was playing acoustic guitar at Knudsen Dormitory and had three girls around him. I said to myself – this guy is pulling the ladies, So, I asked him if I could play with him.
“But, it was about more that just attracting girls. Alec is a really good guitarist. Before long, we added Jon and Ryan and we became a real band.
“Now, we’ve been playing as Swimming With Bears for seven years. When we first got a manager, we started playing residencies in Austin. We were also playing shows in Corpus Christi. We had residencies three times a week. It really helped us hone our craft and get the word out about us.
“Now that we’ve done the Texas thing, we want to break out nationally. Our first single ‘Shiver and Crawl’ did well on Spotify and ‘French Girls’ is starting to take off.”
Austin is a town with hundreds of good recording studios but Swimming With Bears opted to do its recent recording work in Nashville.
“We recorded ‘French Girls’ at Kamp Konrad in Nashville,” said Perry. “We wrote the song in a day and then tracked it that day and the next day with our producer Dave Simon. The single dropped on February 15.”
Swimming With Bears has fun in the studio but even more fun on the road.
According to Perry, “Ever since we got out of the studio we’ve been itching to tour. We can’t wait to get back on the road and share ‘French Girls’ with everyone. We even have a few more of our new songs we’ll be trying out on this tour. We have six songs yet to be released. ‘Take It Easy’ is just the first of them.”
Video link for Swimming with Bears — https://youtu.be/lOFn63mTx_E.
The show at Kung Fu Necktie on May 13, which has the Cuckoos and Saint Wilde as opening acts, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.
Tags:Ana Egge · Featured · Luke Winslow King · Swimming with Bears · The Feelies
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Ahmed Hill Justin Robinson Nickeil Alexander-Walker Tyrone Outlaw Sports NBA basketball Professional basketball Sports team management changes Sports transactions Sports business Coaching Men's sports School athletics Education Social affairs Basketball College basketball College sports Men's basketball NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship NBA Draft Men's college basketball
Virginia Tech ACC Wofford Southern Monmouth Virginia
Virginia Tech hires former Wofford basketball coach Young
FILE - In this Feb. 28, 2019, file photo, Wofford coach Mike Young yells to his players during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Chattanooga in Chattanooga, Tenn. Virginia Tech has hired Young to replace Buzz Williams. The school announced the decision Sunday night, April 7. Young is scheduled to be formally introduced during a news conference Monday morning. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Virginia Tech has hired former Wofford men's basketball coach Mike Young to replace Buzz Williams.
The school announced the decision Sunday night , just four days after Williams left to take the same job at Texas A&M. Young, a native of Radford, Virginia, about 10 miles from the Virginia Tech campus, is scheduled to be formally introduced Monday morning.
Young has spent the past 30 seasons at Wofford, the last 17 as head coach, and turned the Terriers into a Southern Conference power. He compiled a 299-244 record and was selected as the conference Coach of the Year honors four times, including this season. Young's Terriers went 30-5 and beat Seton Hall 84-68 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last month, the league's first tourney win in 11 years.
Wofford made five NCAA Tournament appearances during the past 10 seasons and won three conference titles in that span. This season, they finished 18-0 in league play and put together a 21-game winning streak and rose as high as No. 19 in the AP's Top 25.
The 55-year-old Young took over as Wofford's coach in 2002 after serving as an assistant for 13 seasons. He previously was an assistant at Radford for one season and for two at Emory and Henry, where he played four years of college ball.
In addition to the success of his teams on the court, 100 percent of his players who completed their eligibility graduated.
With the Hokies, he inherits a program that flourished in five years under Williams. Virginia Tech made a record third consecutive NCAA Tournament this season and finished 26-9, setting a program record for victories. They reached the Sweet 16 before losing to Duke.
But he also inherits a team losing three of the building blocks under Williams in departing seniors Justin Robinson, Ahmed Hill and Ty Outlaw, as well as star sophomore guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who announced Sunday on his Twitter account that he's forgoing his final two seasons of eligibility and entering the NBA draft. Alexander-Walker is projected as a first-round draft choice.
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Anfernee McLemore Steven Pearl Austin Wiley Samir Doughty Danjel Purifoy Sports Men's college basketball College basketball Basketball College sports Men's basketball Men's sports NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Criminal investigations Crime General news Law and order Sports governance
Auburn SEC Illinois Big Ten Tennessee
Auburn's Bruce Pearl has sheen of sweat, slime and success
By DAVE SKRETTA - Apr. 06, 2019 02:15 AM EDT
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl directs his team as Jared Harper (1) watches during a practice session for the semifinals of the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, April 5, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — There is a sheen that always seems to glisten on Auburn coach Bruce Pearl.
You see, he sweats. A lot.
He mostly keeps his suit jacket on during games, but Pearl peeled it off in the second half a regional final victory over Kentucky to reveal a drenched dress shirt. And since he doesn't pack extras, Pearl wore that same damp shirt all the way back to Alabama, then to the Tigers' home arena for a party to celebrate the first Final Four trip in school history.
"He didn't stink," Tigers forward Anfernee McLemore recalled. "I promise."
Yet there are plenty of people who think he does.
Pearl has earned a reputation for running afoul of the NCAA, starting with an incident during his days at an assistant at Iowa. It grew during his time at Tennessee, where a litany of violations earned him a three-year show-cause penalty, and has accompanied him to Auburn, where two of his assistants have been ensnared in the FBI's investigation into college basketball corruption.
That sheen? Detractors joke it's from the slime Pearl always seems to find.
But those closest to him have a much different take. They see a coach who gives up his first-class seat on the plane for his players, and a guy who took his team to an elementary school for an uplifting visit when its students were still reeling from the tornados that tore through Alabama.
They freely admit he has faults, but rightly point out that everybody has them. And while many of his mistakes have been misguided, they argue some have been blown out proportion.
"That's part of sports," said Pearl's son and assistant, Steven Pearl. "You have to understand some people have their agendas. They're trying to get likes and clicks and that's a way to do it.
"Anybody who has spent time with Bruce knows his heart and passion and character," the young Pearl added, "and those who haven't can write those kinds of stories."
There are plenty of them to write.
Thirty years ago, Pearl became embroiled in his first scandal when he lost out on top prospect Deon Thomas to Illinois. Pearl responded by calling the recruit and secretly recording a conversation in which Thomas seemed to indicate he'd been offered cash by then-Illini assistant Jimmy Collins.
Pearl turned the tapes over to the NCAA, triggering an investigation. No wrongdoing was found in Thomas's recruitment, but other violations were found and the Illini landed on probation. Years later, Pearl became coach of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Collins took over Horizon League-rival Illinois-Chicago, and the resentment lingered — they never did shake hands after a game.
Pearl's success at Milwaukee earned him the job at Tennessee, and he quickly turned around what had long been considered a football school. But in the summer of 2008, he invited prep prospect Aaron Craft to his home for a barbecue while on an unofficial visit. Pearl knew it was an NCAA violation, and he even encouraged those in attendance to keep it under wraps.
It was Pearl who wound up lying about the incident. That turned a relatively minor infraction into a major one. And when additional violations were found, Pearl was fired by Tennessee.
The NCAA also gave him a three-year show-cause penalty, forcing Pearl into basketball purgatory. But when that expired, Auburn came calling with an offer to return to the SEC.
Pearl quickly turned around the Tigers, just like he did the Vols. But then last season, associate head coach Chuck Person was ensnared in the FBI probe and subsequently fired, and eligibility questions were raised about for Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy, two members of this year's Final Four team.
Both sat out all of last season, though the Tigers still captured the regular-season SEC title.
"It was difficult," Pearl acknowledged, "but I knew all that I knew and I knew all that I didn't know. So therefore, I was comfortable that if we stayed the course, we were going to be fine."
The FBI investigation stopped short of reaching Pearl, and he brushed off any concerns it might.
"Just trust me on this one. I'm going to be OK in this," he said this week. "That doesn't make what happened right, and certainly there have been very severe penalties, both people in coaching as well as student-athletes. But our job is to protect our student-athletes from things like that. And when we don't do our job, there are consequences. But I didn't think it would disrupt our program."
Perhaps because all that sweat has given Pearl a Teflon-like coating.
Or maybe because of the belief his players have in him.
"He doesn't hide anything. What you see is everything we know," said the Tigers' Samir Doughty. "He is definitely big on what the players want, more so than what you probably think. You probably think all he does is yell at us, but he holds no grudges. He'll be your friend 5 seconds later."
Doughty points to Pearl's vast charity work, and the way his Jewish faith has helped to shape the way he lives his life. He is a genius on the sideline, Doughty said, but his real intelligence comes with knowing how to encourage and instill confidence in a group of underdogs.
"That's how we succeed in this tournament," Doughty said. "He gives us the perfect formula."
The perfect formula from an imperfect person.
"People try to use his past against him all the time," Steven Pearl said, "but the second a kid meets Bruce, they just light up. Kids have always gravitated toward coach. They probably always will."
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Tariq Owens Matt Mooney Brandone Francis-Ramirez Kyler Edwards Davide Moretti Jarrett Culver Norense Odiase Sports College basketball Basketball College sports Men's college basketball Men's basketball Men's sports Elderly welfare Human welfare Social issues Social affairs
Big 12 Texas Texas Tech
Tech has foundation for future after reaching national final
By DAVE CAMPBELL - Apr. 09, 2019 09:06 PM EDT
Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver (23) and Brandone Francis react after the team's 85-77 loss to Virginia in the overtime in the championship of the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, April 8, 2019, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Brandone Francis plopped down in front of the Texas Tech locker room stalls where Matt Mooney and Tariq Owens were seated, their eyes red and wet as they clasped hands in consolation and solidarity while Virginia was celebrating on the court.
Three of the team's four seniors were still trying to process the fresh agony of losing in overtime of the national championship game with the life-changing and program-lifting season the Red Raiders (31-7) had just finished. In this rawest of moments they experienced, the sadness was too strong to push aside .
"It's so hard to come up short, man," Mooney said in the softest of his voices, staring straight down at the floor after Texas Tech lost 85-77 in Minneapolis.
Mooney, the sharp-shooting guard with the close-shorn haircut who was the star of the win over Michigan State in the semifinals on Saturday, landed in Lubbock with coach Chris Beard for his final year of college.
The two-time transfer, who started at Air Force and then switched to South Dakota, found a place to belong, however briefly, with Beard and his like-minded collection of underdogs and afterthoughts.
Naturally, Mooney was taking the loss as hard as anyone as Monday night crept toward Tuesday morning deep inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
"At the end of the day, we're brothers," he said. "We're family. We're always going to be family."
Beard, the Associated Press Coach of the Year award winner , worked his way through junior colleges, a semipro league, Division III, Division II and a mid-major before finally arriving at a power conference program with the Red Raiders three years ago.
Last season, he took them further than ever, where predecessors Gerald Myers, James Dickey, Bobby Knight, Pat Knight and Tubby Smith never went, to the school's first Elite Eight appearance. Though they went 27-10 and ultimately fell to eventual champion Villanova, the Red Raiders lost five of their top six scorers.
Jarrett Culver, a projected top 10 NBA draft pick, made major strides in his sophomore year. Mooney and Owens made major impacts and immediately meshed with their teammates, never an easy task for graduate transfers. Francis, who started his career at Florida, was a steely spark off the bench. Davide Moretti, a sophomore from Italy, was the team's second-leading scorer. Norense Odiase, the other senior in the rotation, helped hold down the middle.
Whatever the Red Raiders might have been missing on offense, they made up for with the defensive tenacity around which Beard has built this hard-nosed team in the styles of the Knights he once coached under.
By one metric, data expert Ken Pomeroy's points-per-100-possessions ranking, Texas Tech was not only the most efficient defensive team in the nation, but the best since that statistic was invented 17 years ago.
The Red Raiders, along with co-Big 12 champion Kansas State, ended a 14-season run by Kansas atop the conference.
Francis frustratingly declared "nobody remembers second place," but in the case of this Texas Tech team, that's not true, and not just for Red Raiders fans. Any regular follower of the NCAA Tournament will have no trouble recalling this run.
"These guys will go on to be great pros and fathers and husbands," Beard said. "Just never been more proud of a group."
Though Culver said he had not decided yet whether to turn pro, he's a good bet to be lottery bound, so Beard and his staff will have a lot to replace. The foundation has been built, though, and reaching the national title game will never hurt recruiting.
"Having years like this is just great for the program," Odiase said. "We know that this is a team that will be back next year because of Chris Beard and everything that he's about."
With Culver and Mooney struggling to score for much of Monday night, freshman guard Kyler Edwards filled in capably with 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Moretti will be back, too.
Kansas lost 10 games for only the second time in 19 years, so the Big 12, which has only produced a national champion twice in the past 67 years with titles by the Jayhawks in 2008 and 1988, ought to be as wide open for the Red Raiders as ever.
"We've got new pieces coming in and we've got a little experience," Edwards said. "I feel like we're a good thing heading into next year."
More AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/MarchMadness and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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The No. 1 Source For Breaking Music and Film Headlines
M. Ward, Conor Oberst, and Jim James reunite as Monsters of Folk — watch
Ward also reconvened She & Him at his show in Los Angeles over the weekend
on July 11, 2016, 3:52pm
Videos by YouTube user prestoff2000
Monsters of Folk, the indie supergroup comprised of M. Ward, Conor Oberst, and Jim James of My Morning Jacket, reunited over the weekend for their first performance together in nearly six years. The collective, which was without fourth member Mike Mogis, joined Ward during his solo set opening for Brian Wilson at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Together, they rattled off three songs: “Vincent O’Brien”, off Ward’s 2003 full-length, Transfiguration of Vincent; “To Save Me”, off Ward’s 2009 LP, Hold Time; and “Whole Lotta Losin'”, taken from Monsters of Folk’s first and only album, 2009’s self-titled debut.
As if the supergroup reunion weren’t enough, Ward also called on She & Him bandmate Zooey Deschanel to help out on a pair of tracks, Hold Time cut “Never Had Nobody Like You” and “Magic Trick”, taken from Ward’s 2006 record, Post-War. She & Him haven’t been spotted onstage since October 2014.
Above, watch Monsters of Folk perform “Whole Lotta Losin'”. Below, find more videos from the show.
“Vincent O’Brien” with Monsters of Folk:
“To Save Me” with Monsters of Folk:
“Never Had Nobody Like You” with Zooey Deschanel:
“Magic Trick” with Zooey Deschanel:
Monsters of Folk
She & Him
Fan Footage
Guest Heavy
Live Collaboration
Supergroup
Surprise Guest
Surprise Guests
Lil Wayne hospitalized after suffering third seizure in 30 days
Live Review: Brian Wilson’s Pet Sounds at the Hollywood Bowl (7/10)
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About Us-Gwent Police- Our History
On 1st April 1967, Newport Borough Police and Monmouthshire Constabulary were amalgamated to form Gwent Police as a result of a government decision to reduce the number of Police Forces in England and Wales.
Initially, there were six operational divisions but, following national trends, the Force re-organised into a new structure in 1968, comprising of three territorial divisions and the Headquarters.
During 1996, as a result of local government re-organisation in Wales, changes to the Local Authority boundaries led to Gwent Police assuming responsibility for the Rhymney Valley, an area which was previously part of South Wales Police.
We now cover an area of 600 square miles, encompassing the five Local Authority areas of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen. The Gwent Policing area is a combination of rural and urban. The road network carries large volumes of traffic including the M4 link to the South, with Gwent Police now responsible for policing the Second Severn Crossing.
In April 2015, the force was divided into the East and West Local Policing Areas (LPAs). There are ten distinct neighbourhoods across the LPAs, headed up by Inspectors. Each neighbourhood area has a team of officers including; Ward Managers, Neighbourhood Support Officers, Schools Community Police Officers, Crime and Disorder Reduction Officers and Community Support Officers.
As of April 2017 the Force has:
Almost 1,200 Police Officers
Approximately 600 Police staff
Around 130 Police Community Support Officers
Nearly 100 Special Constables
A team of more than 415 dedicated volunteers, including Cadets
As well as our frontline Policing teams we have a number of officers with specialist roles, including Scenes of Crime, Firearms Licensing, Researchers, Analysts and many more. We also have many business departments such as HR, Finance, IT and Legal Services.
As part of our frontline Policing teams we now have a highly skilled Dog Section, which provides the Force with specialist canine support to detect and prevent crime and save lives. There are currently 16 dogs within the Dog Section many of whom are trained to track people and offenders and search open areas and buildings. We also have specialist search dogs trained to detect firearms, explosives, cash and drugs.
Our Area Support Unit has trained officers who work 24/7 to protect the community and deter crime on our roads. The team uses some of the latest technology to track and arrest travelling criminals across the Force.
We have a Joint Firearms Unit, with Gwent Officers working alongside our neighbouring forces, Dyfed Powys Police and South Wales Police. The joint approach allows these specialist Officers to share their expertise.
We also work in collaboration with our colleagues at South Wales Police to provide a Joint Scientific Investigation Unit. Our Crime Scene Investigators conduct detailed forensic examinations to gather evidence. The scientists work from laboratories to support investigating officers and to help catch and convict offenders.
We are supported by the National Police Air Service, deploying a helicopter, where necessary, to assist us in tackling crime and protecting the public. This service often assists us in searching for missing people, assisting with vehicle pursuits and tracking suspects. They also provide us with support whilst policing large scale events, such as The Ryder Cup and The NATO Summit. We believe sharing resources, increasing collaboration and working innovatively together is essential to enhancing our capabilities to tackle emerging crime.
One of our key principles is to work with the community, and as part of the community, to ensure that, together we all help to keep Gwent safe.
Our Chief Officers
Our Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC)
Our Senior Managers
Our Senior Officers
50 Years of Gwent Police
NATO Summit Wales
Our Governance & Processes
Our Policies & Procedures
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PAF Museum
You are here: Home / Portfolio Item / PAF Museum
PAF Museum, Karachi is an Air Force museum and park situated near Karsaz Flyover on Shahra-e-Faisal
All rights reserved. © Copyright www.countryinn.com.pk
Hosted & Developed By Tech IT Systems
PAF Museum, Karachi is an Air Force museum and park situated near Karsaz Flyover on Shahra-e-Faisal in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.A majority of the aircraft, weapons and radar are displayed outside in the park but the main museum features all major fighter aircraft that have been used by the Pakistan Air Force. The museum also houses the Vickers VC.1 Viking used by Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan and a Folland Gnat of Indian Air Force,[1] that landed in Pasrur in 1965 war.
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Tag Archives: Sean Durkin
44. Martha Marcy May Marlene – Sean Durkin (2012)
Films with Olsen family members in the cast are usually to be avoided like the plague, I think I can just about name one movie staring an Olsen, (it’s Mary-Kate, if you’re interested) that’s worth seeing. So, naturally I think, there was a certain amount of trepidation preceding my viewing of Martha Marcy May Marlene featuring Elizabeth Olsen as the lead. However, I am ashamed/pleased to say that she, Miss E Olsen, is rather talented. It may not have been the toughest stretch in cinematic history for her to play a character so lacking in emotional diversity and enthusiasm for life, but she pouts, shrugs and sighs her way through a fine performance. She captures Martha’s fragility of mind perfectly, never making us love or hate the character and thus detract us from Martha’s struggles. It a very nicely balanced performance.
The director, Sean Durkin, makes his feature debut with MMMM and it’s a stunningly well controlled piece of cinema, especially from a rookie director. It would be easy for this piece to turn into a turgid, unwatchable movie, yet it’s rather accessible. That’s not to say it’s an easy watch, it does contain rape and other disturbing scenes, but you never get the sense the film is looking for attention by incorporating such difficult situations into its story. If you’re unaware of the movie it concerns a group of people, mainly girls, living together in a compound that’s basically run as a cult by the ever so creepy Patrick, (played fantastically by John Hawkes.) It’s very dark and not much fun, but it has real depth and it draws you into the film scene by scene. The story intrigues and is well told, mainly via flashback, and the direction is spot on. It really should have received Oscar nominations ahead of some obviously weaker films.
Tagged as cult, Elizabeth Olsen, Film Review, John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Movie Review, Olsens, Oscars, Sean Durkin
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Space Weather Referencing Guide
Citationsy › Style Guides › Space Weather
This is the Citationsy guide to Space Weather citations, reference lists, in-text citations, and bibliographies.
The complete, comprehensive guide shows you how easy citing any source can be. Referencing books, youtube videos, websites, articles, journals, podcasts, images, videos, or music in Space Weather.
How do you cite a book in the Space Weather referencing style?
Here’s an example book citation in Space Weather using placeholders:
Last Name, F. N. (2000). Title. (E. F. N. Editor Last Name, Ed.) (Edition). City: Publisher.
Rowling, J. K. (1997). Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (1st ed.). London: Bloomsbury Publishing Inc.
And an in-text citation book citation in Space Weather looks like this: (Rowling, 1997)
How to reference a journal article in the Space Weather citation style?
Here’s a Space Weather journal citation example using placeholders:
Author1 LastnameA. F., & Author3 LastnameA. F. (2000). Title. Container, Volume(Issue), pages Used. https://doi.org/DOI
So if we want to reference this scientific article: “Testing consumer preferences for iced-coffee: Does the drinking environment have any influence?” by C. Petit and J.M. Sieffermann in Space Weather:
Petit, C., & Sieffermann, J. (2007). Testing consumer preferences for iced-coffee: Does the drinking environment have any influence?, 18(1), 161-172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2006.05.008
And an in-text citation would look like this: (Petit & Sieffermann, 2007)
Citing a website in Space Weather reference style
Here’s an Space Weather example website reference:
Author1 LastnameA. F., & Author2 LastnameA. F. (2000, January 1). Title. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from https://www.example.com
Tran, M. (2008, November 5). Barack Obama To Be America’s First Black President. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/nov/05/uselections20083
Citing websites and links in Space Weather is much easier with the Citationsy Chrome Extension →
How to cite a YouTube video Space Weather
Here’s a Space Weather citation YouTube video example:
ChannelName. (2000, January 1). Title. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXXXXX
So how to cite a video Space Weather?
Pixar. (2015, June 3). Pizza Clip — Inside Out. Retrieved July 15, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W6rntBADUQ
How to cite a podcast using Space Weather referencing style
Here’s how to reference a podcast it in Space Weather.
Lastname, F. (2000, January 1). Title. Publisher. Retrieved from http://www.example.com
Podcast referencing example in Space Weather using “This American Life” episode 640:
This American Life. (2018, March 2). 640: Five Women. WBEZ Radio. Retrieved from https://thisamericanlife.org/640/five-women
How to cite a piece of music or a song using Space Weather referencing style?
An example song citation in Space Weather.
Lastname, F. (2000). Song Title. Album. Retrieved from http://www.example.com
Let‘s say we want to reference “Here Comes the Sun” off The Beatles “Abbey Road” album in Space Weather:
The Beatles. (1969). Here Comes the Sun. Abbey Road. Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/here-comes-the-sun/401186200?i=401187150
You can automate citing and referencing any source in Space Weather using Citationsy.
Cite sources using the Space Weather Citation Machine
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Alison Moncrieff-Kelly
Rye Arts Festival – a preview with the classical music Director
By The Cross-Eyed Pianist | August 3, 2018
For this, its 47th year, Rye Arts Festival has a new director of Classical Music, cellist Alison Moncrieff-Kelly. With this year’s festival just over a month away, I asked Alison to give us a taster of some of the highlights on the programme and to tell us a little more about what goes into organising a festival….
What can we expect from the classical music element in this year’s Rye Arts Festival and what are the events we should be looking out for?
As the incoming classical music Director for the Rye Arts Festival (RAF), I felt that I had to do a bit of research into what had gone before. The Festival has a wonderful pedigree, and the spread of musical interest has been remarkable; but what I did notice was that singers in particular had been less represented than other performers. So I lifted the phone to my close friend Iain Burnside, to brainstorm ideas. I very much admire the work Iain does in curating dramatised performances; and as one of the themes of the Festival is commemoration of the end of the First World War. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to put on ‘A First War Poet of England Am I’, a celebration of the songs and poems of Ivor Gurney. This will bring to the Rye Arts Festival Roderick Williams, along with Iain Burnside, and the actor Philip Franks, who will perform the poems. It’s an incredible privilege to have this combination of talent in our first week.
We also have Dame Emma Kirkby leading a programme of music by Dowland, Campion, Danyel and Ford with her group, Dowland Works. This is a wonderful opportunity to fill St Mary’s Rye with that famous crystalline voice.
I have tried to vary the offer, so there is also a big choral event – The City of London Choir are performing a programme of Elgar, followed by the Duruflé Requiem, Chamber recitals include The Revolutionary Drawing Room, who are performing ‘Music in Time of War’ in Winchelsea Church, and violinist Ani Batikian will perform music ‘From Armenia to Armistice’.
We have two wonderful pianists in the Festival: Danny Driver joins us for a recital that will include Rachmaninov York Bowen and Henriette Bosmans. Then Kenny Broberg, the winner of last year’s Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition, makes a welcome return to the Festival, performing the Mozart G Major piano concerto with the Hastings Philharmonic. This performance marks the beginning of a new relationship between the Rye Arts Festival and the Hastings Philharmonic.
We are also delighted to be consolidating a longstanding relationship with the Worshipful Company of Musicians by promoting two of their young artists in our lunchtime series – guitarist Laura Snowden and Buck Brass Trio.
Alisdair Kitchen and Euphonia Studio are giving the only UK performances of Les Mamelles des Tiresias this year. We are very proud to have Alisdair on board as the Rye Arts Festival in-house opera director – he’s a veritable powerhouse of creative invention!
How did you select the performers/programmes for this year’s RAF?
The idea was to start with the WW1 theme, and work from there. It’s been fascinating to discover how many strands led out of that central theme – so for instance, the Armenian armistice idea was very much Ani’s own inspiration. I love the enthusiasm that all the performers show for the Festival and the WW1 theme – the excitement has been extraordinary.
Can you tell us more about your role as Director of Classical Music?
My role is to create the classical music element of the Festival and to make sure that as many elements of the musical spectrum as possible are represented. I already have plans in place for the next two years, and am looking forward to continuing to broaden the scope of what the Festival offers.
This is your first year as director of classical music for RAF. What have been the challenges and pleasures?
It’s been a steep learning curve in terms of the organisational aspects of the job – an awful lot to put into place for a September Festival when i was only appointed in October; but the committee has been wonderfully supportive, and I have found the energy and commitment around me incredibly stimulating. That, and the spontaneous enthusiasm from the performers has been really heartening.
What can people expect from the Festival? What kind of audience does it draw and what do you hope people will take away from the Festival?
People can expect a wide-ranging and varied programme, with some younger, emerging talent alongside stars of the classical firmament such as Roderick Williams and Emma Kirkby. The audience comes both from the local area and from London – there are a lot of second home owners in Rye, so the net is cast pretty wide. I hope people take away a sense in which the whole of the Rye area is expanding in cultural terms. It’s really accessible from London, and the town is magical – fabulous history, atmosphere, literary connections.
How do you see the music festival developing under your directorship?
I’d like to develop the mixed-media idiom that we initiate this season with Iain Burnside’s Gurney show. Iain is a fountain of creativity and I want to tap into that! I’m interested in several of his shows – Schwanengesang, which is a composite of the song cycle with dramatic interludes, was a brilliant piece of theatre that I saw him produce at the Guildhall. I also want to build on Emma Kirkby’s first appearance at the Festival: we’re discussing a residency for next year, to combine some workshops as well as performances. Other than that I’m really open to new ideas – definitely want to do move away from the traditional recital mold as the only form. There’s so much potential for other ways of performing.
You are a musician yourself – has this affected your approach to RAF?
Yes – I remember a friend of mine who works in management telling me that he thought he would make a really good manager, because he had been so badly managed so many times in the past, that he really knew what was needed to keep his staff happy. I have experienced some of the best and some of the worst of this challenging profession, and I think I know how to invite people to offer their best ideas, rather than telling them. Time will tell; but I’m a great believer in letting artist’s have their heads – they know far more about it from their vantage point on the stage, intuiting the audience response.
What are you most excited about in this year’s programme? What are your personal highlights?
I’m really challenged to answer this one, because I’m excited about the whole Festival, and not just the musical part: i anticipate getting no sleep for two weeks while I try to attend every single event! It’s a fantastic multi-arts Festival with a staggering range of talent and skill. Ask me again afterwards!
The 47th annual Rye Arts Festivals runs from 15-30 September 2018. For full details and tickets please visit the festival website
Posted in General and tagged as Alison Moncrieff-Kelly, classical music festivals, music festivals, organising a music festival, Rye Arts Festival.
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‘Ethan’s Law’ wins final passage in Senate
by Mark Pazniokas
mark pazniokas :: ctmirror.org
Michael Song clasps his hands and Kristin Song smiles at final passage of Ethan’s Law. At right is their daughter, Emily. With them are Reps. Steven Stafstrom and Sean Scanlon and Jeremy Stein of CAGV.
The state Senate voted 34-2 on Thursday for final passage of a bipartisan gun safety bill, a relatively modest change in Connecticut gun laws sought by two Guilford parents in memory of a 15-year-old son accidentally killed with a neighbor’s firearm.
Michael and Kristin Song sat in the front row of the gallery, watching senators briskly debate a bill dubbed in honor of their late son as “Ethan’s Law.” They were accompanied by their 21-year-old daughter, Emily, and surrounded by supporters decked in orange, the color of the gun-control group, Connecticut Against Gun Violence.
The bill, one of three guns measures passed Thursday, would require gun owners to safely store untended firearms, whether loaded or unloaded. Current law applies only to loaded weapons, even if ammunition is available, “a gigantic loophole’’ in the view of the sponsor, Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford.
Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee, presented the bill to the Senate, confident that passage was inevitable. He said bills take many paths to the Senate floor, some propelled by a family’s story.
“I think what we seek to do here today is exactly the right thing,” Winfield said.
Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, called himself a strong support of gun rights and a general skeptic about gun control, but he described the Songs’ public hearing testimony as convincing and deliberate. But he ultimately voted against final passage, as did Sen. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott.
Michael Song kisses his wife, Kristin, as roll call begins.
Sampson’s amendment, which would have gutted the bill and replaced it with an offer of a tax credit for the purchase of gun safes, failed on a vote of 34-2. Only Sen. Gennaro Bizzarro, R-New Britain, joined him.
Sampson offered his sympathies to the Songs, but not his vote. He said the bill deserves the same scrutiny as bills without the same compelling provenance as Ethan’s Law.
“It is more important to get things right,” Sampson said.
Ethan accidentally shot himself on Jan. 31, 2018, playing with one of three firearms he and a friend knew were kept in a bedroom closet. The .357 Magnum was one of three owned by the friend’s father, a private investigator.
The firearms were stored in a cardboard box inside a Tupperware container. The guns had trigger locks, but the keys were in the same box. So was the ammunition. A prosecutor found no evidence to show the gun was loaded, a necessary element to charge criminal negligence.
Under current law, gun owners have a legal duty to securely store a firearm when the weapon is loaded and there is a reasonable chance that a minor under age 16 is likely to gain access to it without his or her parent’s permission.
In addition to expanding the law to cover unloaded weapons, the bill raises the age of children covered by it to anyone under 18.
The Senate later voted for final passage of two other gun bills.
On a vote of 20-15, the Senate passed a bill prohibiting storage of a handgun in an unattended motor vehicle if the firearm is not in the trunk, a locked safe, or a locked glove box. A first offense is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison.
The third bill would regulate 3D-printed firearms and ban so-called “ghost guns” that can be assembled from untraceable parts, unless the owner obtains and engraves the weapon with a serial number obtained from the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. It passed on a 28-7 vote.
Michael and Kristin Song said they recently returned from Washington D.C., where they found attentive and often receptive audiences in the offices of conservative Republicans such as U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas, a former Navy SEAL officer.
“They were all very open to Ethan’s Law,” Kristin said, recalling some staffers saying that its requirements were consistent with NRA safety recommendations. Kristin said one told her the bill should not be “a heavy lift.”
She said she engages with gun owners on social media, some who are hostile, fearful of that any gun-control measure is step to the seizure of firearms.
“That’s not what this law is at all,” Kristin said.
She said most exchanges end civilly, sometimes ending with finding common ground on the issue of gun safety, not gun control.
“That is great,” she said. “That is what this country is about.”
Aside from clarifying how ammunition and unloaded weapons should be stored, it requires the creation of the gun-safety curriculum, though not a mandate for its use. Kristin Song said the law itself offers a lesson, one that she thought obvious enough: Keeping an unloaded gun with a trigger lock in the same box as the key and ammunition is, well, “stupid.”
“So now, people understand if you have a deadly weapon in your home that you have to be more aware of it, just like you’re aware of your pool, just like you’re aware of putting your child in a car seat or putting a seatbelt on. That’s what you do,” she said. “So hopefully, no one will have to walk the journey that my family has, because it absolutely shatters.”
Sens. Gary Winfield, Matt Lesser watch the vote tally on Ethan’s Law.
Mark Pazniokas Mark is a co-founder of CT Mirror, a frequent contributor to WNPR and a former state politics writer for The Hartford Courant and Journal Inquirer and contributor for The New York Times.
by Mark Pazniokas, The CT Mirror
<h1>‘Ethan’s Law’ wins final passage in Senate</h1> <p class="byline">by Mark Pazniokas, The CT Mirror <br />May 23, 2019</p> <p>The state Senate voted 34-2 on Thursday for final passage of a bipartisan <a href="https://www.cga.ct.gov/2019/FC/pdf/2019HB-07218-R000429-FC.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gun safety bill</a>, a relatively modest change in Connecticut gun laws sought by two Guilford parents in memory of a 15-year-old son accidentally killed with a neighbor’s firearm.</p> <p>Michael and Kristin Song sat in the front row of the gallery, watching senators briskly debate a bill dubbed in honor of their late son as “Ethan’s Law.” They were accompanied by their 21-year-old daughter, Emily, and surrounded by supporters decked in orange, the color of the gun-control group, Connecticut Against Gun Violence.</p> <p>The bill, one of three guns measures passed Thursday, would require gun owners to safely store untended firearms, whether loaded or unloaded. Current law applies only to loaded weapons, even if ammunition is available, “a gigantic loophole’’ in the view of the sponsor, Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford.</p> <p>Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee, presented the bill to the Senate, confident that passage was inevitable. He said bills take many paths to the Senate floor, some propelled by a family’s story.</p> <p>“I think what we seek to do here today is exactly the right thing,” Winfield said.</p> <p>Sen. John Kissel, R-Enfield, called himself a strong support of gun rights and a general skeptic about gun control, but he described the Songs’ public hearing testimony as convincing and deliberate. But he ultimately voted against final passage, as did Sen. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott.</p> <p>Sampson's amendment, which would have gutted the bill and replaced it with an offer of a tax credit for the purchase of gun safes, failed on a vote of 34-2. Only Sen. Gennaro Bizzarro, R-New Britain, joined him.</p> <p>Sampson offered his sympathies to the Songs, but not his vote. He said the bill deserves the same scrutiny as bills without the same compelling provenance as Ethan’s Law.</p> <p>“It is more important to get things right,” Sampson said.</p> <p>Ethan accidentally shot himself on Jan. 31, 2018, playing with one of three firearms he and a friend knew were kept in a bedroom closet. The .357 Magnum was one of three owned by the friend’s father, a private investigator.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>The firearms were stored in a cardboard box inside a Tupperware container. The guns had trigger locks, but the keys were in the same box. So was the ammunition. A prosecutor found no evidence to show the gun was loaded, a necessary element to charge criminal negligence.</p> <p>Under current law, gun owners have a legal duty to securely store a firearm when the weapon is loaded and there is a reasonable chance that a minor under age 16 is likely to gain access to it without his or her parent’s permission.</p> <p>In addition to expanding the law to cover unloaded weapons, the bill raises the age of children covered by it to anyone under 18.</p> <p>The Senate later voted for final passage of two other gun bills.</p> <p>On a vote of 20-15, the Senate passed <a href="https://www.cga.ct.gov/2019/BA/pdf/2019HB-07223-R01-BA.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a bill</a> prohibiting storage of a handgun in an unattended motor vehicle if the firearm is not in the trunk, a locked safe, or a locked glove box. A first offense is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.cga.ct.gov/2019/amd/H/pdf/2019HB-07219-R00HA-AMD.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">third bill</a> would regulate 3D-printed firearms and ban so-called “ghost guns” that can be assembled from untraceable parts, unless the owner obtains and engraves the weapon with a serial number obtained from the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. It passed on a 28-7 vote.</p> <p>Michael and Kristin Song said they recently returned from Washington D.C., where they found attentive and often receptive audiences in the offices of conservative Republicans such as U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw of Texas, a former Navy SEAL officer.</p> <p>"They were all very open to Ethan's Law," Kristin said, recalling some staffers saying that its requirements were consistent with NRA safety recommendations. Kristin said one told her the bill should not be "a heavy lift."</p> <p>She said she engages with gun owners on social media, some who are hostile, fearful of that any gun-control measure is step to the seizure of firearms.</p> <p>"That's not what this law is at all," Kristin said.</p> <p>She said most exchanges end civilly, sometimes ending with finding common ground on the issue of gun safety, not gun control.</p> <p>"That is great," she said. "That is what this country is about."</p> <p>Aside from clarifying how ammunition and unloaded weapons should be stored, it requires the creation of the gun-safety curriculum, though not a mandate for its use. Kristin Song said the law itself offers a lesson, one that she thought obvious enough: Keeping an unloaded gun with a trigger lock in the same box as the key and ammunition is, well, "stupid."</p> <p>"So now, people understand if you have a deadly weapon in your home that you have to be more aware of it, just like you’re aware of your pool, just like you’re aware of putting your child in a car seat or putting a seatbelt on. That’s what you do," she said. "So hopefully, no one will have to walk the journey that my family has, because it absolutely shatters.”</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
This <a target="_blank" href="https://ctmirror.org/2019/05/23/ethans-law-wins-final-passage-in-senate/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://ctmirror.org">The CT Mirror</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Acosta defends Epstein plea, DeLauro, Blumenthal say he must go
Despite growing calls from Democrats that he resign, Labor Secretary Alex Acosta doesn't seem ready to quit.
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What to watch on the small screen
By Preston Wilder November 7, 2018 November 5, 2018 017
Bad Genius
This really ought to be a review of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, the new Disney movie and the week’s biggest new release, opening with much pomp and circumstance all over the island. I’ve seen the film, but ended up having to watch the dubbed-into-Greek version – a drawback that’s not always fatal when it comes to cartoons but gets in the way when you’re watching, say, Keira Knightley seemingly possessed by the spirit of some screechy Greek woman. (To be fair, Keira’s quite screechy in English too.) I don’t think I could live in one of those countries – Germany, most notoriously – where all films are dubbed as a matter of course.
Admittedly, language is irrelevant to the two most interesting aspects of The Nutcracker: the fact that it’s often visually beautiful (the director of photography is Linus Sandgren, who won an Oscar for La La Land) and the fact that it’s so self-consciously ‘diverse’, Disney leading the way in political correctness. This is a film (indeed, an action film) where white males are conspicuous by their absence: the stock roles of hero, villain and wise older person are all played by women, while the quasi-romantic male lead – who does very little, just like female sidekicks in most action movies – is African-American. Hard to say if these reversals make any difference to the end product, then again even if they don’t make any difference that would still prove a point about equality. It’s win-win.
I can say no more, not having seen the film ‘properly’; that’s okay, though, since it means we can look beyond Disney. By all means take your sprogs to The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (in English, if possible) – but don’t forget there are excellent alternatives to watch at home as well, on DVD or Netflix or whatever. Here are five choices for your telly or laptop, all of them warmly recommended – the only criterion for selection being that none of them have screened at a local cinema or film society.
BAD GENIUS. Nattawut Poonpiriya: remember that name, you’ll surely be seeing it again – maybe even in a Hollywood context, the director of this Thai teen movie boasting quite an American style. One could call it a heist movie, the ‘heists’ involving smart students cheating at exams – and it’s gripping from beginning to end, with a steady propulsive rhythm, methodical build-up of tension, and a nail-biting pile-up of every possible thing going wrong. If you thought there can’t be much excitement in a film starring actors whose names you can’t even pronounce, think again.
FIRST REFORMED. Another unlikely hit: an honest-to-goodness religious drama – a film about a crisis of faith, with Ethan Hawke as a small-town pastor whose inner life spirals out of control – that morphs into a thriller in its final stages, our hero turning into a dog-collared cousin of Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (a film written, like this one, by Paul Schrader). “I have found a new form of prayer!” raves Ethan, positing activism as the new religion – and the long, earnest scene where our hero debates with an eco-warrior who doubts the usefulness of God in a world that’s heading for oblivion is like nothing else in recent American movies.
A GENTLE CREATURE. From America to Russia – and an equally bleak vision, though there may be some sly Kafkaesque humour in this tale (based on Dostoyevsky) of a young woman searching for her husband and getting into one unhelpful, soul-destroying encounter after another. The staging is magnificent, silent scenes of our heroine alone alternating with crowded panoramas seething with life, the film growing increasingly ambitious – maybe too ambitious – all the way to a haunting ending. Moral of the story: “Man is a wolf to his fellow man”.
THOROUGHBREDS. And speaking of morals… Amanda (Olivia Cooke) doesn’t have any. “A human life isn’t some sacred thing. There’s nothing holy about a dick and a vag getting together and spitting out a little dude,” says this scarily affectless teenager – and her friend Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) seems a bit more empathetic, but don’t be too sure. The plot ventures into neo-noir territory, but this hugely enjoyable oddity is more about veiled social comment and the brittle, funny banter between two very bad girls. “[You’re] like a YouTube video of a giant zit being popped, or a baby born without a face!” “Love those videos…”
WHO WE ARE NOW. Who we are now are jaded viewers looking for something that’ll brim with confidence and relatable detail – and this excellent drama fits the bill, even if it doesn’t really deal in ideas (just broken lives). Julianne Nicholson shines as our damaged heroine, fresh out of prison and trying to regain custody of her son – and the film is perhaps a bit contrived (it’s the kind of film where the reason why Julianne went to jail is saved for a big dramatic speech at the climax), but its feel for rhythm and nuance makes it riveting anyway. Bottom line? Disney was never like this.
What to watch on the small screenShare0
After Barcelona, Madrid’s Atocha train station evacuated on police order
Plant of the Week: Strange plant can kill or cure in one dose
Preston Wilder
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Kirstjen Nielsen Resigns As Homeland Security Chief
Chuck Ross Investigative Reporter
April 07, 2019 6:28 PM ET
President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Kirstjen Nielsen is resigning as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, bringing an end to an at-times rocky relationship between the two.
Trump said on Twitter that Kevin McAleenan, the current commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, will take over as acting homeland security secretary.
The announcement came shortly after Nielsen met with Trump privately at the White House to discuss her future.
Trump and Nielsen have battled behind the scenes over the administration’s immigration policy and efforts to build a wall on the southern border. That tension reached its breaking point in the days after Trump abruptly pulled the nomination of Ronald Vitiello to head U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (RELATED: Kirstjen Nielsen: Crisis At The Border Is Getting Worse By The Day)
Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen will be leaving her position, and I would like to thank her for her service….
….I am pleased to announce that Kevin McAleenan, the current U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, will become Acting Secretary for @DHSgov. I have confidence that Kevin will do a great job!
Trump said he wanted to go with someone “tougher” for the position. Vitiello reportedly opposed Trump’s threats to close off the southern border.
Trump has also reportedly blamed Nielsen for a spike in apprehensions at the border of migrant families trying to enter the U.S. illegally.
Nielsen has been in the administration since Trump’s inauguration, first serving as chief of staff to John Kelly, the first homeland security secretary. Nielsen served as Kelly’s deputy when he joined the White House as chief of staff.
She was confirmed as DHS secretary on Dec. 6, 2017.
Follow Chuck on Twitter
Tags : department of homeland security donald trump kirstjen nielsen
Chuck Ross
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Russia Unveils Drone Disguised As Snowy Owl For Undercover Missions
Ellie Gardey Contributor
June 26, 2019 5:21 PM ET
At an annual military exposition in Moscow June 25, Russia unveiled a combat surveillance drone resembling a snowy owl.
The unmanned drone, which is capable of tracking an enemy, is difficult to detect due to its bird-like design and low noise emissions. Weighing eleven pounds, the drone is equipped with a laser that can assist Russian artillery with firing at specific locations. The drone can fly for up to 40 minutes and cover distances of up to twelve miles, the Moscow Times reported.
The biomimetic design aims to replicate the snowy owl, which is native to the region. The drone’s wingspan is slightly larger than the wingspan of a snowy owl, which on average measures five feet. A large portion of the drone’s “face” is taken up by a variety of gadgets that can give away the drone’s identity.
Russian defense minister Sergey Shoygu said the drone should “cultivate a sense of national pride” for young people, the Daily Mail reported.
The drone will likely be part of the heightened Russian military presence in the Arctic.
A Russian officer and soldiers stand next to a special military truck at the Russian northern military base on Kotelny island, beyond the Arctic Circle on April 3, 2019. — The Russian military base dubbed the “Northern Clover” is to serve as a model for future military installations in the Arctic, a strategic region for Moscow, which continues to strengthen its presence in the Arctic. (Maxime Popov/AFP/Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the Arctic as “the most important region that will provide for the future of Russia.”
The Arctic is believed to hold up to a quarter of all undiscovered oil and gas. In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the mineral resources in the Arctic are worth $30 trillion, reports the Associated Press.
“This is a realistic, well-calculated, and concrete task,” Putin said, speaking on Russia’s elevated military operations in the Arctic, adding, “We need to make the Northern sea route safe and commercially feasible.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin sunbathes during his vacation in the remote Tuva region in Siberia, August 1 – 3, 2017. (Alexey Nikolsky/AFP/Getty Images)
Three new Russian military bases have recently been set up in the Arctic, which is increasingly seen as a geopolitical hotspot.
Russia currently possesses about 50 percent of the Arctic coastline. It also has a pending bid with the UN to claim 460,000 square miles of the Arctic shelf, according to CNN.
This is not the first drone built to resemble a bird, but it is the most advanced version of a bird drone that has been announced to the public.
In 2016, a drone appearing to resemble a bird and believed to be the property of the Somali government crashed in Mogadishu, Somalia, but it was less advanced than the Russian drone.
This Somali bird drone crashed May 1, 2016. The device appears to have been capable of flapping its wings. (Youtube)
A French company retails a “bionic bird” drone device for $69.99 that weighs 10 grams, but it does not possess a camera, let alone a military-grade laser device.
The research division of the United States intelligence community, Iarpa, awarded a $4.8 million contract to D-Star Engineering in 2012 to develop a drone inspired by owls, but a finished product has not yet been announced to the public.
Russia also reported the development of a falcon drone at the military forum, saying the device is capable of emitting falcon-like sounds with a speaker.
Tags : drone military vladimir putin
Ellie Gardey
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SA Late filing penalties – 04/04/2019
SA Late filing penalties
We warned you in our newsletter on 28 February 2019, that HMRC had delayed issuing the late filing penalties for the 2017/18 self-assessment tax returns this year, due to Brexit related pressures on staff time.
Well the Brexit issue is still not resolved, but HMRC has started to issue those late filing penalties. HMRC has said it will take until 12 April 2019 (the new Brexit day), to issue all the penalties, which will give taxpayers at least two weeks to submit their 2017/18 SA return before daily £10 penalties start to apply from 1 May 2019.
If you receive a late filing penalty, but its not due as the return was submitted on time, the best way to get it removed is to ring HMRC. Where you believe you had a reasonable excuse for not filing your SA return on time, the appeal should be submitted within 30 days of the date of the penalty notice.
A reasonable excuse needs to be in place for the majority of the period in which the taxpayer was trying to file the return, and the return must be filed as soon as possible after the source of the reasonable excuse was removed. A serious illness throughout January 2019 may be accepted as a reasonable excuse, but if HMRC does not accept it as such the taxpayer will have to explain to the tax tribunal why he did not file the return earlier.
However, where the taxpayer did not know he had to file a SA return as the notice to file was not sent to his correct address, that could amount to a reasonable excuse. Receiving incorrect advice from HMRC about whether a return is due can also be accepted as a reasonable excuse.
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Melanie Spiller and Coloratura Consulting
Escapades in Early Music, Writing, and Editing
Posts Tagged ‘Florence Cathedral’
The Squarcialupi Codex (15th Century)
The Squarcialupi Codex is one of the chief anthologies of the Italian trecento (c1325-c1425). It’s an illuminated manuscript that was compiled in Florence in the early 15th century and is the single largest source of secular music of the Italian ars nova (the beginning of modern music, with polyphony at the center of it). The manuscript is still in good condition all these centuries later and all of the pieces included are musically complete. About 150 pieces of the 354 included exist in this manuscript and nowhere else in contemporary collections.
This beautiful book is made up of 216 parchment folios. The pieces contained in it are arranged chronologically by composer (dated by the type of music notation used), with some pages left blank for later works. There’s an illuminated portrait of each composer at the beginning of his section, elegantly ornamented in reds, blues, and purples, with gold leaf making an occasional appearance. The remaining pages are also colorful, with the edges surrounding the music displaying flowers, instruments and animals, and people doing musical and pastoral things.
Sixteen of the folios are blank, intended for the music of Paolo da Firenze. They’re all labeled and his portrait is done, but the pages meant for music are empty. Common thinking is that Paolo’s music wasn’t ready when the manuscript was compiled because he was away from Florence until 1409. There’s another blank section for Giovanni Mazzuoli (c1360-1426), with no explanation forthcoming.
The biggest names of the Italian trecento are the composers included in this incredible collection. There are 354 pieces in all, including:
146 pieces by Francesco Landini (c1325-1397)
37 by Bartolino da Padova (fl. c1365-1405, blog post to come)
36 by Niccolo da Perugia (fl. late 1300s)
29 by Andrea da Firenze (d.1315)
28 by Jacopo da Bologna (fl.1340-c1386)
17 by Lorenzo da Firenze (d c1372)
16 by Gherardello da Firenza (c1320-c1362)
15 by Donato da Cascia (fl.c1350-1370)
12 by Giovanni da Cascia (1270-1350)
6 by Vincenzo da Rimini (mid-1300s)
12 pieces from two unidentified composers
The pieces included are all secular, and are mainly ballatas and madrigals, with a few caccias for good measure, all composed between 1340 and 1415. They were probably copied by a single scribe, as the handwriting is much the same throughout.
All of the pieces are vocal and have Italian texts. Conspicuous by their absence are pieces by Franco-Flemish composer Johannes Ciconia (c1370-1412), who spent the bulk of his productive lifetime in Padua and is probably the biggest name to come out of Italy during that period, and Italian Antonio Zacara da Teramo (c1350-c1415), whose compositions were rather innovative.
The anthology was compiled by Antonio Squarcialupi (1416-1480), who was an Italian organist and composer. He was a licensed butcher, but his talent on the organ earned him a post at the Florence Cathedral from 1432 until his death in 1480. You have to remember that the de Medici family was prominent during this period, and they could have had any organist they wanted. They chose Squarcialupi.
Antonio is known to have visited Naples and Siena. He was highly esteemed by his contemporaries, including Guillaume Dufay (c1400-1474), with whom he exchanged letters. None of his own compositions survive—he was obsessively self-critical about them and he may have destroyed them himself.
The eponymous codex was probably compiled in Florence at the monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli, between 1410-1415. A family seal that hasn’t been identified is on the first folio and on the portrait page of Paolo da Firenza (c1355-1436); original theories were that Paoli had a part in compiling the collection or that he was part of the family that commissioned it. Recent findings about Paolo’s poor finances make this unlikely.
The Italian trecento has three distinctive developmental periods. You’ll notice that most of the composers in the codex are listed in the first two generations of big names.
First Generation:
Giovanni da Cascia (also Giovanni da Firenze) (1270-1350)
Jacopo da Bologna (fl. 1340-1386)
Bartolino da Padova (Padua, c1365-1405)
Grazioso da Padova (fl. 1391-1407)
Vincenzo da Rimini (fl. 1360s)
Piero (from Assisi, Milan, or Verona, fl.1340-1350)
Second Generation:
Francesco Landini (1325-1397)
Paolo da Firenze (c1355-1436)
Niccolo da Perugia (1350-1400)
Gherardello da Firenza (c1320-c1362)
Donato da Firenza (also Cascia, fl. c1350-1370)
Lorenzo da Firenza (d1372)
Andrea da Firenza (d1415)
Egidio (fl. 1390)
Guglielmo di Santo Spirito (not dates available)
Third Generation:
Zacherie (papal singer from 1420-1432)
Matteo da Perugia (fl. 1400-1416)
Giovanni da Genova (Genoa, no dates available)
Johannes Ciconia (c1370-1412, Belgian)
Antonello da Caserta (1355-1402)
Filippo da Caserta (c1350-c1436)
Corrado da Pistoia (fl. 1410)
Bartolomeo da Bologna (fl. 1405-1427)
The manuscript was inherited by Antonio’s nephew, and then by the estate of Giuliano di Lorenzo de’ Medici (1479-1516), the third son of Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449-1492), who gave it to the Biblioteca Palatina in the early 16th century. At the end of the 18th century, it became part of the collection of the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, where it remains.
Antonio Squarcialupi is eulogized on one of the original flyleaves.
If you want a copy for yourself, there are 988 handmade reproductions available through purveyors of ancient manuscripts and Incunabula. I’d imagine that they’re pretty expensive. You can save the money and take a video tour of the codex here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voG2qahaFjs
“A Dictionary of Early Music; From the Troubadours to Monteverdi,” by Jerome & Elizabeth Roche. Oxford University Press, New York, 1981.
“Medieval Music,” by Richard H. Hippin. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1998.
“Companion to Medieval and Renaissance Music,” edited by Tess Knighton and David Fallows. University of California Press, Berkeley, 1997.
“The Concise Oxford History of Music,” by Gerald Abraham. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1979.
“The Norton/Grove Concise Encyclopedia of Music,” edited by Stanley Sadie. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1994.
“A History of Western Music,” by J. Peter Burkholder, Donald Jay Grout, and Claude V. Palisca. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 2010.
Written by Melanie Spiller
Posted in Music, Music: History
Tagged with Antonio Squarcialupi, Ars Nova, Ciconia, Codex, Firenza, Florence, Florence Cathedral, Florence composers, Illustrated manuscript, Italian Trecento, Landini, Music, music Western, Music: History, Music: Italian, Music: Italian Renaissance, Music: Medieval, Music: Renaissance, Secular Music, Trecento, western music development
Composer Biography (59)
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Music: History (92)
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My website: www.MelanieSpiller.com
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By: Jerrell Camper May 9, 2019 May 9, 2019
The Impact of Avatar: The Last Airbender
In 2005, a show called Avatar: The Last Airbender aired on Nickelodeon. It’s been 14 years since its release, and fans of the series still haven’t forgotten its iconic characters and moments. But how did the show create such a huge impact and long-lasting legacy?
Avatar: The Last Airbender has a simple yet understandable plot: young airbender Aang must master all four elements to defeat the evil Firelord and save the world. Creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dimartino took this seemingly typical plot and focused on making phenomenal characters such as the exiled Prince Zuko. At the start of the show, Zuko was focused on capturing Aang in a misguided attempt to restore his honor after his father banished him. Zuko’s father did so because he spoke out during a war meeting defending young fire nation soldiers who would have been sacrificed. But throughout the series, Zuko fights with the good and evil within him, going so far as hurting others because he believes it will lead to his eventual return to the Fire Nation.
Accompanying him on this journey of redemption is his uncle Iroh, who serves as his moral compass, standing with him through a period where the two are completely penniless. Even after Zuko betrays him, he still believes there is good in him and that he’s changed from who he originally was. In season 2, Iroh has his own mini episode where we see him set flowers at his son’s grave, and that little moment of humanity gives so much insight into how protective he is of his nephew, and is what makes the characters feel real.
When Aang awoke from his iceberg, he had no idea that everyone he had known and loved had died all because of one decision he made. A constant theme of the show are the echoes of war. Most of the main cast have been affected by the hundred year war, specifically Katara and Sokka, siblings from the Southern Water Tribe whose mother was killed when Fire Nation soldiers invaded because they thought she was a water bender. Katara spends an episode looking for the man that executed her mother but when she finally gets to him, with Zuko’s help, she lets him live. She doesn’t let the anger and sorrow consume her like it did with Aang because she realizes if she does kill this man, she is just like the fire nation solders who have taken countless lives.
Before, when Aang visited the Air Temple, he saw the grisly sight of his airbending teacher’s skeleton and the overwhelming emotion drove him into the uncontrollably powerful “avatar state”. The only thing that could calm him down was the love and comfort of Katara – a moment that hints at their future romance.
One of my favorite characters in the series is Sokka. Since all of the men of the water tribe have left to go to war, Sokka has to step up and be the “man” of the tribe, and he’s forced to grow up and raise his little sister. Throughout the series, Sokka feels left out because he’s a non-bender and can’t help as well as the others can. As a result, he feels inferior to them until he learns how to wield the sword and he no longer feels like a lesser part of the team.
The creators crafted a world full of wonder that had this 7-year-old in awe when he first saw it. I even broke a vase or two because I thought I could airbend. Avatar may have been a “kid’s show,” but it conveyed many adult themes such as genocide with the destruction of the Air Nomads, dictatorship with the Fire Nation invading and then colonizing the world, and even child abuse when Firelord Ozai scarred Prince Zuko, his own son, in a duel simply because he talked back to him. Even the sequel series The Legend of Korra featured two LGBT characters. Creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dimartino crafted a show that had a long-lasting impact on its viewers of all ages that will forever be a part of animation history.
Posted by:Jerrell Camper
A comic book and anime lover and a chef in training
News Roundup: May 6th-10th
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High Line Phase 2 Now Open
Eager anticipation has preceeded the opening of phase 2 of the High Line, which runs from West 20th street to 30th streets, bisecting 10th and 11th avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. In a major success for the Friends of the Highline, the park’s founders, the new second segment designed by landscape architect James Corner, ASLA, and his firm, Field Operations, architects Diller, Scofidio + Renfro, and horticulturalist Piet Oudolf makes the High Line’s open park area now more than one mile long.
Beyond providing a walkable and beautiful respite for the residents of this area, the High Line has generated more than $2 billion in private investment in the neighborhood, reports The New York Times. The return on investment for the city is impressive given NYC government has only invested around $115 million in the park so far. In addition, some 8,000 construction jobs and 12,00 additional jobs in the neighborhood have been created.
The new segment creates a rich array of experiences within its half-mile, 10 block length. Between 20th and 22nd streets, there’s a new “Chelsea Thicket” that appears after a prairie-like landscape that offers a “dense planting of flowering shrubs and small trees” and helps demarcate the edge of the new section (see image above). According to the Friends of High Line, the thicket includes species like “winterberry, redbud, and large American hollies” that provide endless variation all year. There’s also an “under-planting of low grasses, sedges, and shade-tolerant perennials [that] further emphasize the transition from grassland to thicket.”
At 23rd street, there’s a new lawn and steps. Working with the existing infrastructure, the designers used the wider segment, once comprised of an extra set of rail tracks for offloading cargo, to create a larger gathering space. The steps anchor a 4,900-square foot lawn. At its north end, the lawn lifts visitors a few feet into the air, offering them views of “Brooklyn to the east, and the Hudson River and New Jersey to the west.” Unlike the first section, which used Ipe, a rainforest hardwood, the new steps are made up of recycled teak.
Moving further north, there’s the “Philip A. and Lisa Maria Falcone Flyover” between West 25th and West 26th Streets. The Friends of the Highline say this “flyover creates a microclimate that once cultivated a dense grove of tall shrubs and trees. Now, a metal walkway rises eight feet above the High Line, allowing groundcover plants to blanket the undulating terrain below, and carrying visitors upward, into a canopy of sumac and magnolia trees.” At different spots, visitors can branch off the main path.
At 26th street, there’s a “Viewing Spur,” a frame meant to recall the billboards that were once attached to the rail structures. “Now the frame enhances, rather than blocks, views of the city. Tall shrubs and trees flank the Viewing Spur’s frame, while a platform with wood benches invites visitors to sit and enjoy views of 10th Avenue and Chelsea.”
In the next three blocks between West 26th and West 29th Streets, there’s a new “Wildflower Field” featuring “hardy, drought-resistance grasses and wildflowers, and features a mix of species that ensures variation in blooms throughout the growing season.” In this section, famed horticulturalist and garden designer Piet Oudolf has been given room to experiment.
As section two moves towards its endpoint at West 3oth, it begins to curve towards the Hudson River and the West Side Rail Yards, its ultimate destination. The pathway ends at the “30th Street Cut-Out,” a viewing platform so visitors can look down to the park infrastructure and street below.
Image credits: (1) Chelsea Thicket, (2) Lawn and Seating Steps, (3) Philip A. and Lisa Maria Falcone Flyover, (4) Viewing Spur, (5) Wildflower Field, (6) 30th Street Cut-Out / Iwan Baan, copyright 2011.
Cities, Landscape Architecture, Sustainable Design, Sustainable Materials, Urban Redevelopment
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8 thoughts on “High Line Phase 2 Now Open”
jwolfe06 06/08/2011 / 12:08 pm
I can’t wait to go [confession- I haven’t even been to see the first phase yet. eek!]. Have you ever seen the Viaduc des Arts in Paris? Same concept, just as beautiful.
matthew2262 06/08/2011 / 4:34 pm
Incredible, it looks great!
Marq Truscott, ASLA 06/08/2011 / 11:44 pm
A must see!
Lin Castanea Mollissima Ye 06/09/2011 / 2:34 pm
I can’t get over it. Such an awesome project! It’s sad that phase2 was not open yet when I visited the site in March. Phase I looks great and I expect to visit again later!
rick 06/13/2011 / 3:42 pm
Looks awesome. Can’t wait to see the second phase. Saw the first last month.
Mark Hieber 06/15/2011 / 10:09 am
…”Unlike the first section, which used Ibe, a rainforest hardwood, the new steps are made up of recycled teak….”
I assume the article means to say IPE, a rainforest harwood….?
Kent 06/16/2011 / 1:13 pm
Which NYC Mayor rejected doing this and which one was supportive?
Peter Monro 09/16/2011 / 8:24 pm
I love it that we now have a cutting edge, hyper-popular walking path–not highway– that was funded at $100 million a mile.
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Fri, March 18, 2016
New Disney Parks Themed Deck Now Available for Heads Up! App
Fans of the Heads Up! App and Disney Parks now have the best of both experiences, as a new Disney Parks-themed deck is now available. App creator and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres announced the addition to the game during her show.
The app is available for $.99 on iOS and free on Android. Once it’s downloaded, guests visiting Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort and Aulani can unlock the Disney Parks themed deck for free. It features iconic attractions, characters and experiences.
Fans also have a chance to win a vacation package to either Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort in Ellen’s “Win A Magical Theme Parks Family Vacation Package for 4” contest by clicking here*. Click here for contest rules.
*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN A PRIZE. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. THIS IS A CONTEST OF SKILL. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. The entry period for the “Ellen’s Win a Magical Theme Parks Family Vacation Package for 4” (“Contest”), sponsored by WAD Productions Inc. (“Sponsor”), begins on Thursday, March 17, 2016 at 6:00 AM Pacific Time (“PT”) and ends on Friday, April 22, 2016 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time (“PT”) (the “Contest Period”). All applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Proof of submitting a Contest entry will not be deemed by Sponsor as proof of receipt of valid entry into the Contest. Any attempted form of entry into the Contest other than as described herein is void.
Share New Disney Parks Themed Deck Now Available for Heads Up! App
Destinations: Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort
I have the amazon underground version of heads up on my phone. Any chance that this deck will be available in that version of the app at some point? I really want this deck, but it’s hard to give up all the decks in the underground version to get the disney deck.
Jessica on March 27, 2016 at 8:46 am
Just bought this (we have no trips in the immediate future) and it’s awesome! It’s definitely challenging, even for Disney nerds like my family. Thanks for this – love it!
Jodie on March 22, 2016 at 9:26 pm
How long will the deck be free when checking in from a Disney park?
Ben on March 20, 2016 at 4:00 pm
Hi Ben, as long as the Disney Parks themed deck is available, it will remain free for guests to access in the Resorts.
Victoria on March 21, 2016 at 1:32 pm
How long is the deck going to be free for guests at disney parks?
by Victoria Lim, Managing Editor, Public Relations & Editorial Content
Mon, January 2, 2017 Walt Disney World Resort
New Choza Tequila Coming to Epcot in 2017 at Walt Disney World Resort
Wed, December 28, 2016 Walt Disney World Resort
#DisneyKids: A Vacation Package Perfect for Your Kindermoon at Walt Disney World Resort
Tue, December 27, 2016 Walt Disney World Resort
Bookings Begin Today for Select Experiences During Epcot International Festival of the Arts
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Tag Archives: lighthouse
East Pier – A Walk On The Windy Side!
Generations of people have been taking a ‘walk on the pier’ and it is something that I have always enjoyed. Whether the day is warm with a gentle breeze blowing or you are wrapped up against a bracing wind, ‘taking the air’ is a real pleasure. The sharp, salty air never fails to clear a stuffy head, and the long walk is a favourite for thousands of people.
East Pier, with Howth beyond, in all its glory
The waters in Dublin Bay often silted up making it difficult for ships to land, and they would have to stay moored off-shore for days. A small pier was opened in 1767 (Coal Harbour Pier) but it soon became obsolete. After two disasters in November 1807 when the HMS Prince of Wales and The Rochdale sank just off shore, with the loss of 400 people, there was an outcry for ‘something to be done’. In 1815 an Act of Parliament was passed for the construction of ‘a harbour for ships to the eastward of Dunleary’, and the (East Pier) foundation stone was laid in May 1817 by Earl Whitworth, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. The granite used in building the pier was quarried in nearby Dalkey and transported by a funicular railway that later became the Atmospheric Railway. By 1820 the original plan was amended by engineer John Rennie to add a second pier – and the West Pier was completed in 1827, four years after the East Pier.
Samuel Beckett’s plaque
The East Pier Lighthouse (red for port) is 1.3 KM from the road, while a walk to the West Pier Lighthouse (green for starboard) is slightly longer at 1.5 KM. The area enclosed between the piers is a 250 acre harbour and the gap between the lighthouses is 232 metres. The East Pier is the more popular with walkers and has a bandstand (built 1890s) where, weather permitting, music concerts take place. There is also a memorial to Captain Boyd and his brave crew who drowned in 1861 during a rescue. And below it you can see a plaque in honour of Samuel Beckett who often cycled down from his home in Foxrock as he liked to ‘walk the pier’. He, no doubt, had many Happy Days doing just that.
Analemmatic Sundial
The council have carried out much work on the pier in recent times and the smooth surface is now certainly safer and more enjoyable to walk. The ice cream van is a popular attraction and, if the weather is nice, you’ll have to join a long queue. Close-by is the new Analemmatic Sundial that, sadly, without some sunshine wasn’t very useful. But I look forward to going back on a sunny day and finding out how it works!
King George IV obelisk
Royal footmarks
President Michael D O’Higgins attended the 200th anniversary of the opening of the East Pier (31st May), held in the shadow of the King George IV obelisk. This was erected opposite the point where the king embarked on 3rd September 1821 for his return to London. (Note: There is also a memorial to his arrival, at Howth on the 12th August. The royal footmarks were measured by local stonemason Robert Campbell who then captured them in a giant granite stone at the end of the West Pier.)
President O’Higgins – opening ceremony
After the speeches there was a noisy and well-received 21-gun salute from the roof of the East Pier lighthouse. And even the sun made brief appearance as it joined in the festivities!
Salute from East Pier lighthouse
Filed under Dublin, History
Tagged as Analemmetic Sundial, coal harbour pier, earl whitworth, east pier, hms prince of wales, howth, king george iv, lighthouse, marina, president michael d o'higgins, robert campbell, stonemason, the rochdale
Poolbeg – Dublin’s Twin Towers
Great South Wall and Dublin Bay
One thing leads to another, and the construction of the Great South Wall in the middle of the 18th century led to the erection of the Twin Towers at Poolbeg.
Ships arriving in Dublin Bay encountered a number of dangers; namely, a shallow estuary which was not only heavily tidal but also very exposed. It did not offer much safety, and many ships and crew were lost in sight of land. By the mid-1750s it was decided to construct a wall to stop the build-up of damaging sandbanks, and to dredge the south side of the river.
Construction began around 1760 with the large one-ton stones being quarried in Dalkey and then ferried to the site. The distinctive, red Poolbeg Lighthouse was added in 1820.
Poolbeg Lighthouse
During the wall’s construction a storehouse for materials was built, and caretaker’s dwelling beside it. John Pidgeon, the caretaker, began to provide food, drinks and a bed for travellers, and soon the place became known as the Pigeon House. (It has nothing to do with the feathered kind!)
Twin Towers from Sandymount Strand
A military barracks was built close by after the 1798 Rising, and it stayed in use until 1897 when Dublin Corporation bought it as the site of the city’s first power station. Over the years the site has been developed, and in 1971 the first of the towers was constructed, followed in 1973 by its almost identical twin, which at 681’ 9” (207.8m) is one foot taller.
Although not much appreciated at that time the chimneys have become, possibly, Dublin’s most iconic landmarks and can be seen from almost any part of the city. They appear on T-shirts, TV shows, movies, videos, are painted by artists, have been celebrated in verse, photographed from all angles and, of course, a friendly sign to travelers arriving and leaving. They were decommissioned by the ESB in 2010. Recently, there have been proposals to demolish them, something which many people vehemently oppose. They are our Twin Towers and I, like lots of Dubliners, hope that they survive. SOS – Save Our Stacks!
SOS – Save Our Stacks!
Tagged as 1798 rising, chimney stacks, dalkey, dredge, dublin bay, esb, great south wall, lighthouse, pigeom house, poolbeg, power station, twin towers
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The Flash: The CW’s fantastic TV-series made better from where it originated
February 11, 2015 February 12, 2015 / Daryn Kirscht / Leave a comment
The Flash is one of the most popular shows on TV today. It has the young, science-like feeling of Kyle XY and also the magic of DC Comics all put together with its combined, grounded universe with Arrow, another hit CW TV-show. Not only does it have a wonderful score, and some “flashy” special effects (no pun intended), it has a wonderful cast that includes Grant Gustin as Barry Allen/Flash, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Rick Cosnett, Jesse L. Martin, and Tom Cavanagh as Dr. Wells. They really excel in every scene of every episode they are in. I also can’t forget to mention the amazing guest stars they have: notable names are John Wesley Shipp (from the former same-titled show back in the 1990’s), Robbie Amell (The Tomorrow People), Wentworth Miller (Prison Break), Greg Finley (Secret Life of the American Teenager), Mark Hamill (Star Wars IV-VI), and Emily Kinney (The Walking Dead). This show might have the best overall cast on television (even better than NCIS). Not only do these specific people just bring credibility, but also build upon the wonderful, already-existing chemistry that this show has. Without a doubt though, Grant Gustin (Glee) and Tom Cavanagh (Ed) are the definite lead actors in the show, and it wouldn’t be able to sustain such high ratings and viewers without them both. They are perfect for the roles they play, and bring a presence and personality that makes viewers ecstatic.
The show was created by Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg, who have both written every episode so far, and probably will the rest of the first season. Geoff Johns – Chief Creative Writer at DC Comics – has also been involved with the writing process, having helped written 11 of them so far. That’s a huge plus when it comes to knowledge and familiarity with the characters in the comics, and helps a lot when it comes to bringing those characters onto the screen. The Flash has a long list of directors so far, but David Nutter and Glen Winter have both directed two episodes so far, and have a pretty good resume and reputation in the business when it comes to directing television. One of my favorite parts of the show is how they have universal themes tied into each episode and keep the story flowing very smoothly, keeping good continuity. With those themes come the dialogue that are also brought into the show that deal with speed in some sort of way. It’s another nice touch when it comes to adding depth to the show (and just makes it sound that much more awesome – in my opinion). In addition to that comes the sunny, brighter lighting that contrasts really nicely with Arrow – which we will discuss in further detail below – and also resonates with the WB/CW show Smallville, which ran ten seasons from 2001-2011.
Another area it excels is in its storyline. Each week adds a new villain for Barry and the team at S.T.A.R. Labs to face, and without doing the whole villain-of-the-week quota where they disappear after that episode – they re-introduce them in other episodes that tie-in together with what’s currently at hand. This allows Barry and the gang to keep learning more not only about Barry’s potential with his powers, but also something new about themselves. Another element included in the mix are the suspenseful plot twists that each show unfolds – particularly in the ending scenes of each episode – that really carry the story on to the next episode successfully and in a way that makes the viewer (especially me) want to watch the next one right away. Of course, these kind of scenes usually involve one specific person: Dr. Harrison Wells. The particle accelerator which he developed was supposed to be a big advancement in the field of science, but instead the core lost control and ended up sending that matter into the sky. That ultimately created havoc throughout the city and led to the loss of S.T.A.R. Labs employee Caitlin Snow’s fiance (portrayed by Robbie Amell – cousin of Stephen Amell from Arrow), and also gave Dr. Wells paralysis . . . or so everybody thought. With little hints dropped in and major plot twists in every episode, The Flash evolves more and more into a must-watch spectacle of action, science, drama, romance, mystery, and even a little comedy.
Many people are probably wondering how does this particular TV-show fit in with Arrow? It’s a really interesting question to answer, and will be my pleasure. On Season two of Arrow, they introduced Barry Allen as a CSI for the Central City police force. He was visiting Starling City and while there ended up becoming close friends with Felicity Smoak, who is Oliver Queen’s right-hand girl at the helm in the Arrow-cave. She came to Barry when Oliver’s life depended on Barry’s ability to save him. He then left for home intent on keeping Oliver’s secret identity of being the Arrow, when it’s shown that he is zapped by lightning in his room. Now ever since he woke up, he has been going to Oliver for advice and even to team up in the two-episode crossover between the two series in both of their eighth episodes in their current season. The first one was titled “Flash vs Arrow”, and the second “The Brave and the Bold.” Both were spectacular, earning a 9.5 rating (out of 10) on IMDB, and also a 9.1 rating. Another interesting fact they incorporate into both shows is how they add little “Easter eggs” into the background of scenes that involve the other show. For instance, I just re-watched the first episode of Season 2 of Arrow recently, and in one of the scenes you see a television showing the news and before it gets into the intent of what’s being shown (Oliver returning to Starling City), the broadcaster tells how the particle accelerator will be up and running soon. Another example is in the follow-up episode to the last crossover titled “The Climb,” when Felicity is seen sitting in the Arrow-cave at a computer and the very first thing on the screen is a picture of the Reverse Flash, which is a reference to The Flash‘s follow-up episode to their crossovers called “The Man in the Yellow Suit.” Plus, Felicity Smoak and a new character on Season 3 of Arrow named Ray Palmer (a.k.a. The Atom, portrayed by former Superman Returns star Brandon Routh) have been and will continue to cross over independently into episodes here and there as well.
One last cool thing before I turn you loose to go watch The Flash: the blended, incorporated small references to the DC Comics and also the DC Cinematic Universe. In one of the early episodes, Dr. Harrison Wells and the rest of the crew at S.T.A.R. Labs discover a meta-human whose skin is metal-like strong. Wells next words once Barry describes his encounter with this meta-human were “‘Interesting . . . a man of steel,” which is a reference to not only the full-length film Man of Steel, but that main character well-known in the comics known as Superman (the king of all superheroes, and my favorite superhero). Dr. Wells in a different episode also referred to Barry as “The light and hope to inspire people” in the city (referencing Superman again), and also when speaking about the Arrow arriving in Central City made it sound like he called the Arrow “Batman,” although he said “That man,” which is an indirect reference to the allusion of The Flash and Arrow being the TV-universe’s version of Batman and Superman, which is a cool image juxtaposed to the sequel to Man of Steel titled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Now with all this mentioned, I think it’s time to stop questioning the show based upon a first glimpse of seeing or hearing about it. It has one of the highest ratings of any TV-show and one of the most-watched shows on screen. Even if you have no clue who the Flash character is or what the show is about, I suggest to start from the beginning and follow along. It’s the kind of show that you can talk about for hours on end. Thank you for reading my article, and I have plenty more coming in the future. If this hasn’t helped make you want to watch The Flash, I’m not necessarily sure what will. Go watch it!
Draft Day review
April 12, 2014 April 12, 2014 / Daryn Kirscht / Leave a comment
Just a heads up, this is going to be my review of the movie Draft Day that I saw last night. Yes, that means there are going to be spoilers, so if you don’t want me to ruin it for you, you might not want to read this just yet. Thanks! Here we go!
Draft Day is the story of Cleveland Browns GM Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner) trying to make a splash in the draft by potentially picking the top draft prospect: QB Bo Callahan (Josh Pence). This upsets the veteran QB they currently have named Brian Drew (Tom Welling) who is coming off a season-ending injury the year before. Yes, there are other elements in the film, like the tense relationship between Sonny and their new head coach from Dallas (Dennis Leary), and also the “don’t mess this up or you’re gone” type of relationship with Browns owner Anthony Molina (Frank Langella). Another part the film touches on was the more personal side of life for an NFL GM. Weaver has an “odd” relationship with the financial (salary-cap) executive Ali (Jennifer Garner), and also his mother portrayed by Ellen Burstyn.
I’m now going to take a moment to talk about a few of those actors. I thought Kevin Costner did a fine job with this film. I don’t think it’s his best work, but he really did a good job in the lead role. I also loved the portrayals of Josh Pence and Tom Welling. I think everyone knows that Tom is my favorite actor, but I truly believe he showed a different side of him in the film, one that I believe should keep him in the business for a long time. It’s also not hard to enjoy watching the wife of Batman, Jennifer Garner, who really brought the movie together.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Dennis Leary as their head coach, though. Don’t get me wrong, he made a sweet Green Goblin, but I felt like there wasn’t enough of that leadership presence/aura that you see in NFL head coaches. It was also a pleasant surprise to see David Ramsey as an assistant coach. For those who don’t know him, he plays Diggle on the (awesome!!!) CW TV-series Arrow, where he is also a member of the Suicide Squad. Other big name actors that came on screen were Terry Crews (Expandables, Expandables 2), all-pro Houston Texans running back Arian Foster, and Chadwick Boseman (42).
The last part I wanted to touch on was the NFL and the producing companies involved. I thought it was fantastic that the NFL was involved and had Chris Berman, Deion Sanders, John Gruden, Rich Eisen, and Mel Kiper Jr. However, I wasn’t high on Summit Entertainment, Oddlot Entertainment, or The Montecito Picture Company. I understood where they were coming from, but watching the transitions, especially during phone conversations, made me feel like I was watching Hulk, or reading a comic book.
Overall, it is a good story and a movie I believe worth watching. Yeah there are a few cheesy parts here and there, but overall it’s a good movie. One definitely worth watching! Thanks for your time!
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The Last Chance to Save Madagascar
by Earth.Org, 03/05/2019
Experts suggest five policy measures to protect biodiversity and ensure the sustainable development of the country
Scientists from across the globe have urged Madagascar’s new President Andry Rajoelina to prioritise conservation of the nation’s forests and biodiversity. Because, they have said, this is the last chance for the Indian Ocean island nation to save its unique forests–home to rare plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.
A new collaborative study led by a team of 16 researchers, published in Nature Sustainability, proposed five policy measures for the government to implement.
The scientists from the United Kingdom, Madagascar, Australia, the United States, and Finland said that they are ready to help Rajoelina to save the country and its wildlife.
“The time has come for action,” said Professor Ratsimbazafy, one of the researchers. “It’s not too late to turn things around in Madagascar. But it soon will be.”
The research was funded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Madagascar, and World Resources Institute.
Experts say boosting the tourism sector may benefit local people and drive economic growth—provided the country’s biodiversity is effectively protected.
An earlier study on forest cover, published by the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD), showed that 44% of natural forests of the island nation had been lost since the 1950s. The remaining forests are highly fragmented with the rate of deforestation increasing rapidly since 2005.
Illegal mining, logging, and capturing endemic species for the pet trade are rampant in the country. Poaching, forest fires, and livestock grazing take a huge toll on remaining forests. The county’s high poverty levels and widespread corruption also put high pressures on biodiversity.
The authors pointed out that corruption and economic instability harmed the environment. “The destruction of Madagascar’s biodiversity benefits few; those who profit from rosewood trafficking, illegal mining in protected areas, or the prohibited trade in species like our Critically Endangered tortoises,” said Dr. Herizo Andrianandrasana, a leading Malagasy conservationist and the country’s first doctoral graduate in Oxford University’s 800-year history. “However, the costs are widespread and affect all Malagasy.”
The research team identified five policy measures for the new government to focus on: investing in protected areas, strengthening local people’s tenure over natural resources, ensuring new infrastructure development limits impacts on biodiversity, tackling environmental crime linked to corruption, and investing in major restoration efforts that will address the country’s growing fuelwood crisis.
Professor Julia Jones of Bangor University, who led the study said that Madagascar is one of the poorest countries on the planet and the conservation efforts must benefit, not harm, local communities. “More than 40% of children under five are stunted due to malnutrition in the country. There are more people living here in extreme poverty than almost anywhere else on Earth,” she said. “Conservation, therefore, needs to contribute to, and not detract from, national efforts targeting economic development. It must not make situations worse for the rural poor who are so often marginalised in decision making.”
Madagascar relies heavily on foreign aid to support its economy and fund conservation. In 2016, a group of donors and investors announced financial support of $6.4 billion for the country, about half of which is earmarked for infrastructure development.
However, the authors argued the constant flow of aid is not enough. “No amount of international aid can solve Madagascar’s biodiversity crisis. Sustained commitment from the national government is essential,” the paper said. Conservationists also fear that rapid infrastructure development could give rise to greater environmental damage and biodiversity loss. The authors say the government must do everything it can to limit the impact of these projects on biodiversity.
Boosting the tourism sector, as the President plans to do, may benefit local people and drive economic growth—provided the country’s biodiversity is effectively protected.
The scientists are hopeful the new government will change the fate of Madagascar implementing their policy recommendations. “Since his election, President Rajoelina has given positive indications that he recognises the importance of Madagascar’s biodiversity,” said Professor Jones, adding that they would submit a copy of their research paper to his cabinet.
Madagascar is the oldest island in the world. Separated from the South Asian landmass about 86 million years ago, it hosts a plethora of plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth, including at least 100 species of lemurs.
“The US has the Statue of Liberty, France has the Eiffel Tower,” said co-author of the paper Dr. Jonah Ratsimbazafy, University of Antananarivo. “For us in Madagascar, it is our biodiversity–the product of millions of years of evolution. It is the unique heritage we are known for around the world. We cannot let these natural wonders disappear.”
Written by Abdul Rahoof K K, Editor, Earth.Org
by Earth.Org,
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Almost all Renewable Energy comes from the Sun
99.9% of earth’s energy comes from the sun. A lot of energy is direct solar energy, but also wind and hydraulic energy come from the sun. Hydraulic energy exists because the heat of the sun and wind work together to move water from low lying to elevated areas. The biomass that may be used as bio-fuel exists due to the photosynthesis process. The energy that comes from the wind exists because the sun’s energy heats different regions in different ways.
Not all Renewable Energy can be used
While the total energy available is enormous, it is a challenge to transform the available energy into energy that can be of use to mankind. The efficiency of transforming energy from one type to another, for example the transformation of hydraulic to electric energy, or the use of energy without transformation, for example heating water with sunlight, depends on the available technology. New scientific and technological advances are decreasing the amount of energy lost during such transformations.
The following is a list of possible renewable energy sources: - hydraulic energy - solar energy - wind power - energy from biomass - geothermal energy
Solar energy. Solar radiation contains energy that can be transformed into heat (caloric energy) or into electric energy. Solar energy is a renewable resource.
Hydraulic energy is a mechanical energy that comes mainly from the water that travels from elevated to low lying areas due to gravity. The mechanical energy contained in the movement of water has been used by man since ancient times via watermills that directly use mechanical energy. Currently, this renewable energy can be harnessed through the building of dams and hydroelectric plants that transform it into electric energy. Hydraulic energy is considered to be renewable because after its use, the water returns to the elevated areas (water cycle).
Wind power can be transformed into electric energy with the use of wind turbines.
Biomass contains energy because photosynthesis accumulates solar energy. Through combustion, the energy contained in the biomass can be transformed into caloric energy, electric energy or processed to create bio-fuel which can be used in cars or other types of transportation. Biomass is a renewable resource if its rate of use is less than or equal to its rate of regeneration.
The recent growth of the bio-fuels sector has contributed to the swell of food prices all over the world, putting at risk the food security of many countries, in particular poor countries which are net importers of food.
Geothermal Energy is derived from the natural heat of the earth. In certain spots, hot water or streams are near the surface and can be piped for it’s direct use (heat generation) or the steam can be used to power turbines and generate electricity.
Similarity score: 138%
Perpetual Resources
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November 22, 2018 Africa, KT Corp., MENA, Press Releases, South Africa
KT Partners with Ghana Gov’t for Epidemic Preparedness
KT Signs Agreement with Ghana Health Service for Disease Prevention
Korean Telecom Leader Brings Technology to Help People Around World
SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — KT Corporation (KRX: 030200; NYSE: KT), South Korea’s largest telecommunications company, reached a milestone deal with Ghana to fight epidemics last week to help people in Africa and other parts of the world with the company’s innovative technology.
The Korean telecom leader signed an agreement on the use of Big Data in preventing infectious diseases with the Ghana Health Service on November 16. Attendees at the signing ceremony in Accra, Ghana, included Yoon Jong-Jin, KT’s senior executive vice president in charge of public relations and Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare, director-general of Ghana Health Service (GHS).
Other key figures are Kim Sung-Soo, Ambassador of Korean Embassy of Ghana, Michael Melchior, Country Director of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Ghana, Dr. Owen Laws Kaluwa, Ghana Country Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), Fiachra McAsey, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Ghana, and Mr. Yukyum Kim, Country Director of KOICA Ghana.
KT Corp.’s agreement on disease control, its first with a public health agency, has drawn attention from the international health community, especially because of Ghana’s location in West Africa. In 2014-16, the region suffered the most widespread Ebola virus epidemic in recorded history, while there is no confirmed Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) case in Ghana to date, according to the WHO.
“We will help Ghana take the initiative in healthcare in West Africa,” KT’s Yoon said. “We will go beyond Africa and push for disease prevention in other parts of the world where the infrastructure for healthcare and education is still developing.”
KT’s disease prevention system analyzes location-based information including roaming data that it collects, uses the data to guide its customers on preventing epidemics, and builds a monitoring system that helps health authorities assess infection risk at the initial stage of an outbreak.
KT started working on the system in 2016 with the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Information Society Agency to demonstrate how Big Data can be used in disease control. The project came a year after MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) hit Korea. Now it is regarded as a showcase of collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Based on the project’s success, KT is seeking collaboration with foreign governments and international organizations on the use of Big Data and information technology in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. To that end, the Korean company suggested a Global Epidemic Prevention Platform at the World Economic Forum’s annual conference in January this year.
As a global leader in ICT, KT is also calling on Asian countries to participate in its project. Among the target countries is the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). KT will seek to launch an epidemic prevention project with both the Lao Ministry of Health and the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH), a public affiliate of South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare.
KT dispatched volunteer IT workers to Laos together with the KOFIH and KT Group Hope Sharing Foundation, the company’s social contribution organization, from November 11-17. The KT employee volunteer group provided IT equipment for quarantine stations at Wattay International Airport and the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge.
The IT volunteers trained officials of the Lao Ministry of Health’s Department of Communicable Diseases Control on using computers, smartphones and software to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. KT volunteers visited an elementary school in Vientiane along with the Africa-Asia Development Relief Foundation, a Korean NGO, where students learned about IT, VR (virtual reality) and other subjects.
For inquiries, please contact our Foreign Media Relations Team at kt.fmrt@gmail.com
ABOUT KT CORP. (KRX: 030200; NYSE: KT)
KT Corporation, Korea’s largest telecommunications service provider reestablished in 1981 under the Telecommunications Business Act, is leading the era of innovations in the world’s most connected country. The company leads the 4th industrial revolution with high speed wire/wireless network and innovative ICT technology. After installing 20 million fixed lines in just 12 years, KT was the first telecom provider to introduce 5G broad-scale trial service in 2018. It is another step in KT’s continuous efforts to deliver essential products and services as it seeks to be the No.1 ICT Company and People’s Company.
For more information, please visit our English website at https://corp.kt.com/eng/
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/788518/KT_Corporation___Ghana_Health_Service.jpg
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Lord Protector
Lord Protector (plural: Lords Protectors) is a title that has been used in British constitutional law for the head of state. It is also a particular title for the British heads of state in respect to the established church. It is sometimes used to refer to holders of other temporary posts, for example, a regent acting for the absent monarch.
Feudal Royal RegentEdit
The title of "The Lord Protector" was originally used by royal princes or other nobles exercising an individual regency (i.e. not merely as a member of a collegial regency council) while the English monarch was still a minor or otherwise unable to rule.
Notable cases in England are:
John, Duke of Bedford, and Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, were (5 December 1422 – 6 November 1429) jointly Lords Protectors for Henry VI (1421–1471);
Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, was thrice (3 April 1454 – February 1455; 19 November 1455 – 25 February 1456; and 31 October – 30 December 1460) Lord Protector for Henry VI;
Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was "Lord Protector of the Realm" (10 May 1483 – 26 June 1483), during the nominal reign of Edward V (one of the Princes in the Tower) before claiming the throne for himself as Richard III;
Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, was Lord Protector (4 February 1547 – 11 October 1549), during the early years of the reign of the young Edward VI;
and in Scotland:
John Stewart, Duke of Albany, was "Governor and Protector of the Realm" (12 July 1515 – 16 November 1524) for James V of Scotland (1512–1542);
James Hamilton, Duke of Châtellerault, was "Governor and Protector of the Kingdom" (3 January 1543 – 12 April 1554) for Mary, Queen of Scots.
Cromwellian CommonwealthEdit
Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland
His Highness
Palace of Whitehall
First holder
Final holder
Standard of the Lord Protector
The Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland was the title of the head of state during the Commonwealth[1] (or, to monarchists, the Interregnum), following the first period when a Council of State held executive power. The title was held by Oliver Cromwell[1] (December 1653 – September 1658) and subsequently his son and designated successor Richard Cromwell (September 1658 – May 1659) during what is now known as The Protectorate.
The 1653 Instrument of Government (republican constitution) stated that—
Oliver Cromwell, Captain-General of the forces of England, Scotland and Ireland, shall be, and is hereby declared to be, Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, and the dominions thereto belonging, for his life.
The replacement constitution of 1657, the Humble Petition and Advice,[1] gave "His Highness the Lord Protector" the power to nominate his successor. Cromwell chose his eldest surviving son, the politically inexperienced Richard. This was a non-representative and de facto dynastic mode of succession, with royal connotations in both styles awarded, (even a double invocation 16 December 1653 – 3 September 1658 "By the Grace of God and Republic Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland") and many other monarchic prerogatives, such as that of awarding knighthoods.
The younger Cromwell, who succeeded on his father's death in September 1658, held the position for only eight months before resigning in May 1659, being followed by the second period of Commonwealth rule until the Restoration of the exiled heir to the Stuart throne Charles II in May 1660.
Lords Protectors (1653–59)Edit
Term began
Political affiliation(s)
Old Ironsides (1599-04-25)25 April 1599 –
3 September 1658(1658-09-03) (aged 59) 16 December 1653 3 September 1658 New Model Army
Tumbledown Dick (1626-10-04)4 October 1626 –
12 July 1712(1712-07-12) (aged 85) 3 September 1658 25 May 1659
(Resigned) New Model Army
Post-CromwellEdit
Since the Restoration the title has not been used in either of the above manners. George, Prince of Wales, appointed to the regency in 1811, was referred to as "His Royal Highness the Prince Regent". George exercised the powers of the monarchy, just as Lords Protectors had, but the title's republican associations had rendered it distasteful.
Protector of the churchEdit
Lord Protector has also been used as a rendering of the Latin Advocatus in the sense of a temporal Lord (such as a Monarch) who acted as the protector of the mainly secular interests of a part of the church; compare vidame.
^ a b c Holland, Arthur William (1911). "Instrument of Government" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. 14 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 655–656.
Sources and referencesEdit
Find sources: "Lord Protector" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Look up lord protector in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
United Kingdom at WorldStatesmen.org
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A Brief Enquiry into the Nature and Character of our Federal Government/Introductory notice
< A Brief Enquiry into the Nature and Character of our Federal Government
A Brief Enquiry into the Nature and Character of our Federal Government by Abel P. Upshur
Introductory Notice
Preface→
455910A Brief Enquiry into the Nature and Character of our Federal Government — Introductory NoticeAbel P. Upshur
Warning: template has been deprecated. There is a prevailing tendency in the popular mind, at the present time, to undervalue the importance of the States in the American system of Government. This fact has suggested the republication of this Essay on their true relations to the Federal Government. A word as to the personal history of the author.
It has been the fate of Abel Parker Upshur, to be more generally known by the accidental circumstance of his melancholy end, than by his own merits. He was killed by the explosion of a great gun (the Peacemaker, as it was called,) on board the Steamer Princeton; being at the time the Secretary of State of the United States, under President Tyler. This was on the 28th of February, 1844. He had studied law under William Wirt: he practised his profession from 1810 to 1824. After an interval of retirement, he held high judicial position as Judge of the General Court of Virginia, from 1826 to 1841; at which last period, he entered Mr. Tyler's Cabinet as Secretary of the Navy. On Mr. Webster's retirement, in the Spring of 1843, Judge Upshur succeeded him as Secretary of State.
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Page:EB1911 - Volume 14.djvu/803
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
[FROM ANGLO-NORMAN INVASION
as the head would be an aire. In consequence of this organization the homesteads of airig commonly included several families, those of his brothers, sons, &c. (see Brehon Laws).
The ancient Irish never got beyond very primitive notions of justice. Retaliation for murder and other injuries was a common method of redress, although the church had endeavoured to introduce various reforms. Hence we find in the Brehon Laws a highly complicated system of compensatory payment; but there was no authority except public opinion to enforce the payment of the fines determined by the brehon in cases submitted to him.
There were many kinds of popular assemblies in ancient Ireland. The sept had its special meeting summoned by its chief for purposes such as the assessment of blood-fines due from the sept, and the distribution of those due to it. At larger gatherings the question of peace and war would be deliberated. But the most important of all such assemblies was the fair (oenach), which was summoned by a king, those summoned by the kings of provinces having the character of national assemblies. The most famous places of meeting were Tara, Telltown and Carman. The oenach had many objects. The laws were publicly promulgated or rehearsed; there were councils to deal with disputes and matters of local interest; popular sports such as horse-racing, running and wrestling were held; poems and tales were recited, and prizes were awarded to the best performers of every dán or art; while at the same time foreign traders came with their wares, which they exchanged for native produce, chiefly skins, wool and frieze. At some of these assemblies match-making played a prominent part. Tradition connects the better known of these fairs with pagan rites performed round the tombs of the heroes of the race; thus the assembly of Telltown was stated to have been instituted by Lugaid Lámfada. Crimes committed at an oenach could not be commuted by payment of fines. Women and men assembled for deliberation in separate airechta or gatherings, and no man durst enter the women’s airecht under pain of death.
The noble professions almost invariably ran in families, so that members of the same household devoted themselves for generations to one particular science or art, such as poetry, history, medicine, law. The heads of the various professions in the tuath received the title of ollam. It was the rule for them to have paying apprentices living with them. The literary ollam or fili was a person of great distinction. He was provided with mensal land for the support of himself and his scholars, and he was further entitled to free quarters for himself and his retinue. The harper, the metal-worker (cerd), and the smith were also provided with mensal land, in return for which they gave to the chief their skill and the product of their labour as customary tribute (béstigi).
Authorities.—The Annals of the Four Masters, ed. J. O’Donovan
(7 vols., Dublin, 1856); Annals of Ulster (4 vols., London, 1887-1892); Keating’s Forus Feasa ar Éirinn (3 vols., ed. D. Comyn and P. Dinneen, London, 1902-1908); E. Windisch, Táin Bó Cúalnge (Leipzig, 1905), with a valuable introduction; P. W. Joyce, A Social History of Ancient Ireland (2 vols., London, 1903), also A Short History of Ireland from the Earliest Times to 1608 (London, 1895); A. G. Richey, A Short History of the Irish People (Dublin, 1887); W. F. Skene, Celtic Scotland (3 vols., Edinburgh, 1876-1880); J. Rhys, “Studies in Early Irish History,” in Proceedings of the British Academy, vol. i.; John MacNeill, papers in New Ireland Review (March 1906-February 1907); Leabhar na gCeart, ed. O’Donovan (Dublin, 1847); E. O’Curry, The Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish, ed. W. K. Sullivan (3 vols., London, 1873); G. T. Stokes, Ireland and the Celtic Church, revised by H. J. Lawlor (London6, 1907); J. Healy, Ireland’s Ancient Schools and Scholars (Dublin3, 1897); H. Zimmer, article “Keltische Kirche” in Hauck’s Realencyklopädie für protestantische Theologie und Kirche (trans. A. Meyer, London, 1902), cf. H. Williams, “H. Zimmer on the History of the Celtic Church,” Zeitschr. f. celt. Phil. iv. 527-574; H. Zimmer, “Die Bedeutung des irischen Elements in der mittelalterlichen Kultur,” Preussische Jahrbücher, vol. lix., trans. J. L. Edmands, The Irish Element in Medieval Culture (New York, 1891); J. H. Todd, St Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland (Dublin, 1864); J. B. Bury, Life of St Patrick (London, 1905); W. Reeves, Adamnan’s Life of Columba (Dublin, 1857; also ed. with introd. by J. T. Fowler, Oxford, 1894); M. Roger, L’Enseignement des lettres classiques d’Ausone à Alcuin (Paris, 1905); J. H. Todd, The War of the Gædhil with the Gall (London, 1867); L. J. Vogt, Dublin som Norsk By (Christiania, 1897); J. Steenstrup, Normannerne, vols. ii., iii. (Copenhagen, 1878-1882); W. G. Collingwood, Scandinavian
Britain (London, 1908).
(E. C. Q.)
History from the Anglo-Norman Invasion.
According to the Metalogus of John of Salisbury, who in 1155 went on a mission from King Henry II. to Pope Adrian IV., the only Englishman who has ever occupied the papal chair, the pope in response to the envoy’s “Bull” of Adrian IV. prayers granted to the king of the English the hereditary lordship of Ireland, sending a letter, with a ring as the symbol of investiture. Giraldus Cambrensis, in his Expugnatio Hibernica, gives what purports to be the text of this letter, known as “the Bull Laudabiliter,” and adds further a Privilegium of Pope Alexander III. confirming Adrian’s grant. The Privilegium is undoubtedly spurious, a fact which lends weight to the arguments of those who from the 19th century onwards have attacked the genuineness of the “Bull.” This latter, indeed, appears to have been concocted by Gerald, an ardent champion of the English cause in Ireland, from genuine letters of Pope Alexander III., still preserved in the Black Book of the Exchequer, which do no more than commend King Henry for reducing the Irish to order and extirpating tantae abominationis spurcitiam, and exhort the Irish bishops and chiefs to be faithful to the king to whom they had sworn allegiance.[1]
Henry was, indeed, at the outset in a position to dispense with the moral aid of a papal concession, of which even if it existed he certainly made no use. In 1156 Dermod MacMurrough (Diarmait MacMurchada), deposed for his tyranny from the kingdom of Leinster, repaired to Henry in Aquitaine (see Early History above). The king was busy with the French, but gladly seized the opportunity, and gave Dermod a letter authorizing him to raise forces in England. Thus armed, and provided with gold extorted from his former subjects in Leinster, Dermod went to Bristol and sought the acquaintance of Richard de Clare, earl of Pembroke, a Norman noble of great ability but broken fortunes. Earl Richard, whom later usage has named Strongbow, agreed to reconquer Dermod’s kingdom for him. The stipulated consideration was the hand of Eva his only child, and according to feudal law his sole heiress, to whose issue lands and kingdoms would naturally pass. But Irish customs admitted no estates of inheritance, and Eva had no more right to the reversion of Leinster than she had to that of Japan. It is likely that Strongbow had no conception of this, and that his first collision with the tribal system was an unpleasant surprise. Passing through Wales, Dermod agreed with Robert Fitzstephen and Maurice Fitzgerald to invade Ireland in the ensuing spring.
About the 1st of May 1169 Fitzstephen landed on the Wexford shore with a small force, and next day Maurice de Prendergast brought another band nearly to the same spot. Dermod joined them, and the Danes of Wexford soon The invasion of Strongbow. submitted. According to agreement Dermod granted the territory of Wexford, which had never belonged to him, to Robert and Maurice and their heirs for ever; and here begins the conflict between feudal and tribal law which was destined to deluge Ireland in blood. Maurice Fitzgerald soon followed with a fresh detachment. About a year after the first landing Raymond Le Gros was sent over by Earl Richard with his advanced guard, and Strongbow himself landed near Waterford on the 23rd of August 1170 with 200 knights and about 1000 other troops.
The natives did not understand that this invasion was quite different from those of the Danes. They made alliances with the strangers to aid them in their intestine wars, and the annalist writing in later years (Annals of Lough Cé) describes with pathetic brevity the change wrought in Ireland:—“Earl Strongbow came into Erin with Dermod MacMurrough to avenge his expulsion by Roderick, son of Turlough O’Connor; and Dermod gave
↑ The whole question is discussed by Mr J. H. Round in his article on “The Pope and the Conquest of Ireland” (Commune of London, 1899, pp. 171-200), where further references will be found.
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The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/Rennie, Edward Alexander
< The Dictionary of Australasian Biography
←Reid, Hon. Robert Dyce
The Dictionary of Australasian Biography by Philip Mennell
Rennie, Edward Alexander
Rentoul, Rev. J. Laurence→
1444309The Dictionary of Australasian Biography — Rennie, Edward AlexanderPhilip Mennell
Rennie, Edward Alexander, J.P., Auditor-General of New South Wales, is the only son of the late James Rennie, M.A., formerly Professor of Zoology at King's College, London, and author of "Insect Architecture" and many popular works on natural history. Mr. Rennie was born in London on Oct. 16th, 1820, and reached Sydney in Feb. 1840. In 1846 he joined the Audit Office, was appointed chief clerk in Jan. 1856, and Auditor-General of New South Wales in July 1883. He was married at Sydney on Sept. 25th, 1850; and his eldest son, who is Professor of Chemistry in the university of Adelaide, was the first Australian who took the degree of D.Sc. in London University.
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For other uses, see 2012 (disambiguation).
Jessica Hynes
Amelia Bullmore
Karl Theobald
Morven Christie
Theme music composer
"Let's Face the Music and Dance" sung by Nat King Cole
No. of series
No. of episodes
Jon Plowman
Paul Schlesinger
BBC Four (2011–2012)
BBC Two (2012)
(SDTV) 576i
(HDTV) 1080i
14 March 2011 (2011-03-14) –
24 July 2012 (2012-07-24)
Twenty Twelve is a BBC television comedy series written and directed by John Morton. Starring Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Hynes and Amelia Bullmore, the programme is a spoof on-location documentary (or mockumentary) following the organisation of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. It was first broadcast on UK television station BBC Four in March 2011 to coincide with the 500-day countdown to the opening ceremony.
Twenty Twelve gained mainly positive reviews from critics, and a four-part second series was announced on 15 April 2011,[1] which began airing on 30 March 2012 on BBC Two.[2] A further three episodes of series 2 began airing from 10 July 2012.[3] The series' last episode was broadcast on 24 July 2012, three days before the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games.
3.1 Series 1
4.1 Critical reviews
4.2 Real-life similarities
4.3 The Games plagiarism accusation
6 DVD release
The series follows the trials of the management of the fictional Olympic Deliverance Commission (ODC), the body tasked to organise the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Over the series, the ODC have to overcome logistical difficulties, production errors, infrastructure problems and troublesome contributors. The main character is Ian Fletcher, the Head of Deliverance, who is in overall charge of the ODC, and is generally efficient but often has to clean up a PR disaster after the other managers make a mistake. A running thread in series one are the hints that his marriage to a high-flying lawyer is breaking down, which comes to a head in episode six. It is evident that his PA Sally is in love with him, although this remains unspoken.
Meanwhile, Siobhan Sharpe is the excitable, but ultimately clueless Head of Brand through her PR company Perfect Curve. She answers almost every problem with phrases that have almost no substance whatsoever, and never turns her phone off during meetings with the other managers. Consequently, the rest of the managers find her ideas and enthusiastic attitude tiresome, particularly Nick Jowett, Head of Contracts, a blunt Yorkshireman who generally opposes ideas without making alternative suggestions, whilst emphasising that he is from Yorkshire. Jowett briefly becomes Acting Head of Deliverance in Series 2 when Ian Fletcher becomes incapacitated.
Kay Hope, Head of Sustainability, is in charge of sorting out what will happen to the buildings, stadia and other Olympic venues after the games. Hope is emphatic that Legacy is something separate from Sustainability although no one makes any attempt to differentiate these two apparently identical areas. She continually mentions that she is a single mother after a bitter divorce, and is paranoid about her public image. In series two Fi Healey joins the team as a new 'Head of Legacy', and instantly becomes Kay's nemesis due to being younger, ambitious and career savvy; the pair constantly clash. Finally, Head of Infrastructure Graham Hitchens gives the impression that he knows everything about the London transport and traffic systems, but is completely ignorant, has no clue about deadlines and frequently upsets various officials.
Ian Fletcher Hugh Bonneville Head of Deliverance of the Olympic Deliverance Commission Main
Kay Hope Amelia Bullmore Head of Sustainability Main
Sally Owen Olivia Colman Ian Fletcher's personal assistant Main
Nick Jowett Vincent Franklin Head of Contracts Main
Siobhan Sharpe Jessica Hynes Head of Brand Main
Graham Hitchins Karl Theobald Head of Infrastructure Main
Fi Healey Morven Christie Head of Legacy Main
Daniel Stroud Samuel Barnett Ian Fletcher's personal assistant Main
Karl Marx Joel Fry Brand consultant Recurrent
Barney Lumsden Alex Beckett Brand consultant Recurrent
Coco Lomax Sara Pascoe Brand consultant Recurrent
Episodes[edit]
Series 1[edit]
Overnight viewers
Original airdate
"Countdown" 417,000 14 March 2011 (2011-03-14)
PR consultant Siobhan Sharpe is preparing to unveil a countdown clock in front of Tate Modern. However, her boss Ian Fletcher is not impressed. Kay Hope struggles to find a post-games use for the Taekwondo Arena. Meanwhile, Graham Hitchins is planning a new traffic management system, which he decides to test on the day of the clock unveiling.
"Visitors From Rio" 474,000 21 March 2011 (2011-03-21)
The ODC take a group of delegates to meet Lord Coe at the London Olympic Park. However, the traffic and a bus driver who doesn't know London conspire against them. Olympic organiser Lord "Seb" Coe makes a cameo appearance as himself in this episode.[4]
"Roman Remains" 420,000 28 March 2011 (2011-03-28)
After the discovery of Roman remains near the aquatics centre, the building plans need to be modified at the last minute. Meanwhile, Siobhan Sharpe wants the 2012 Games to have their own audio logo.
"Raising The Bar" 419,000 4 April 2011 (2011-04-04)
Former Olympic athlete Dave Wellbeck tours schools as brand ambassador for Raising the Bar, a campaign to get young people interested in the Olympic Games. But his lack of charisma has the opposite effect and Ian Fletcher and Siobhan Sharpe are unsure on how to proceed.
"Cultural Curator" 389,000 11 April 2011 (2011-04-11)
For the post of Curator of the Cultural Olympiad three applicants are being interviewed. Meanwhile, Sebastian Coe suggests that the Olympic Deliverance Commission team consider entering the London Marathon.
"Equestrian Controversy" 432,000 18 April 2011 (2011-04-18)
The ODC's plans for the equestrian centre annoy famous film director Tony Ward (Tim McInnerny), who dumps a pile of horse manure in front of their offices. Ian Fletcher decides to challenge him face-to-face on a Radio 4 Today interview.
"Boycott" – Part 1 1,200,000 30 March 2012 (2012-03-30)
The Algerian Olympic team threatens to boycott the Games after discovering that the Shared Belief Centre does not face Mecca.[5]
"Boycott" – Part 2 972,000 (overnight) 6 April 2012 (2012-04-06)
It is the second half of a very long day. The Algerians issue a deadline of midnight for a solution to their demand for a Shared Belief Centre which faces Mecca, while the French threaten to pull out of the Games if a separate mosque is built. The team have to come up with an idea that will please everyone.[6]
"Clarence House" TBA 13 April 2012 (2012-04-13)
A decision must be made about the future of the Olympic Stadium, and Clarence House has asked the ODC to look at ways of linking the 2012 Olympics with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee – is 'Jubilympics' the perfect branding solution?[7]
"The Rapper" TBA 20 April 2012 (2012-04-20)
Siobhan's team design a major sexual health campaign, complete with a rap song "Get It On", which may upset the Catholic competitors.
"Catastrophisation" 1,450,000 10 July 2012 (2012-07-10)
Thirty two days to go, and with Head of Deliverance Ian Fletcher chairing the final ever meeting of the Twenty Twelve Security Committee's Special Catastrophisation Unit, it emerges that someone has been caught converting official Olympic starting pistols to fire live rounds; with the US Security Forward Team about to arrive.
"Inclusivity Day" 1,800,000 17 July 2012 (2012-07-17)
Having been shot in the foot with a doctored starting pistol, Ian Fletcher discovers that he is also shortly to be without a PA as current PA Daniel Stroud has been offered another job. Back over at the offices of the ODC, they try to work out how to launch Inclusivity Day in London on the same day that Seb Coe is launching Diversity Day in Oldham, when even though both Boris Johnson and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson have agreed to take part, no-one knows what Inclusivity Day is. Meanwhile, over at PR company Perfect Curve, Siobhan Sharpe and her team devise a viral campaign designed to change the face of women's football without mentioning women's football following catastrophic ticket sales.
"Loose Ends" 1,780,000 24 July 2012 (2012-07-24)
Ten days left to try to tie up loose ends before the Deliverance Team finally hands over to the Live Team, the main problem being that the opening ceremony fireworks display will launch the ground-to-air missiles installed to protect the Games, and newly divorced and soon-to-be redundant Ian must decide what to do about Sally. The programme ends just before he expresses his feelings...
Reviews[edit]
Critical reviews[edit]
Reviews for episode 1 were mixed, commenting that it was milder in its satire than they expected; Ed Cumming in The Telegraph stated "Perhaps it just needs some time to settle. Though it was very funny in parts, the first episode of Twenty Twelve suggests that the series, like the actual cost of the Olympics, might hit slightly wide of its ample target."[8] Likewise, Sam Wollaston in The Guardian suggested that due to the participation of Seb Coe it was "on song": "Biting satire this isn't. It's nibbling satire, delivered by Garra Rufa fish...The Thick of It is a lot more entertaining...I don't think that politicians were removing their shoes, rolling up their trousers and queuing up for cameos in The Thick of It".[9] Brian Viner, writing in The Independent was more impressed by Coe's cameo; "There is surely no other country in the world that would laugh at itself in this way, even persuading the vast project's principal mover-and-shaker, in our case the Rt Hon Lord Coe KBE, to participate in the joke". He went on to commend the series "...I was hooked anyway, by the mischief in John Morton's script and the beautifully nuanced performances of, in particular, Hugh Bonneville and Jessica Hynes".[10]
Brian Viner, reviewing the series as a whole stated the series was "always amusing and sporadically very funny... It's hard to think of a spoof documentary that has been more fortuitously timed than Twenty Twelve."[11]
Real-life similarities[edit]
It was widely commented upon in the press that the day after the broadcast of the first episode, which features problems with the 1,000-day countdown clock, the real-life clock in Trafalgar Square broke soon after it had been launched by Lord Coe and London mayor Boris Johnson.[12]
An additional coincidence occurred when some of the first athletes to arrive in London for the Olympics suffered delays; their bus drivers were unfamiliar with London and unable to find the Olympic Park in scenes that closely resembled the plot of episode 2.[13]
The Games plagiarism accusation[edit]
Twenty Twelve has been criticised as bearing a strong resemblance to the Australian mockumentary series The Games, a similar series set before the 2000 Sydney Olympics.[14] Writer of The Games John Clarke said, "We worked very hard on that project and we had long conversations with these people who've now done a show like that in Britain".[15][15][16]
The BBC denied claims of plagiarism. "It is a very different show, the only similarities between them are that they are both set around the Olympics," a corporation source said.[17] Clarke's own website later made a reference to the dispute by describing himself and writing partner as "run[ning] a charitable institute supplying formats to British television".[18]
The programme was the winner of the Best Sitcom category at the British Comedy Awards 2011,[19] while Jessica Hynes received the Best Comedy Performance award for her role from the Royal Television Society.[20] For his role in Twenty Twelve Osy Ikhile was nominated for "Best TV Comedy Performance" at the Black International Film Festival and Music Video & Screen Awards.[21]
In May 2013, the programme was awarded title of 'Best Sitcom' at the annual BAFTA awards, with star Olivia Colman also picking up the award for 'Best Female Comedy Performance', a category in which co-star Jessica Hynes was also nominated. Hugh Bonneville also received a nomination for his role of Head of Deliverance, Ian Fletcher.[22]
2011 British Comedy Awards John Morton Best TV Sitcom Won [23]
Hugh Bonneville Best TV Comedy Actor Nominated
John Morton Best New Comedy Programme
2012 BAFTA TV Award Olivia Colman Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme Nominated [23]
Hugh Bonneville Best Male Performance in a Comedy Programme
British Comedy Awards Twenty Twelve Best Sitcom Nominated [23]
Hugh Bonneville Best TV Comedy Actor
Jessica Hynes Best TV Comedy Actress
Broadcasting Press Guild Awards John Morton, Paul Schlesinger Best Comedy/Entertainment Nominated [23]
2013 BAFTA TV Award Olivia Colman Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme Won [23]
John Morton, Paul Schlesinger, Catherine Gosling Fuller, Jon Plowman Best Situation Comedy Won
John Morton Best Writer: Comedy Nominated
Jessica Hynes Best Female Performance in a Comedy Programme Nominated
Hugh Bonneville Best Male Performance in a Comedy Programme Nominated
Broadcasting Press Guild Awards John Morton Best Comedy/Entertainment Won [23]
Writer's Award Nominated
RTS Television Awards Jessica Hynes Best Comedy Performance Won [23]
John Morton Best Writer - Comedy Nominated
DVD release[edit]
On 23 October 2012 BBC Home Entertainment released the entire series in a two-disc DVD set.[24]
Main article: W1A (TV series)
After the final episode had aired, there was speculation in the media about a third series with the team liaising with the organisation team of the Rio de Janeiro games in 2016, or becoming management consultants.[25] When asked about whether the hit show could return, main star Bonneville said, "Absolutely. They could go and help with the organisation of the Rio Games in 2016...but ultimately, this is a crack team that could go anywhere and manage anything – the City, say, or the armed services. The NHS also needs rebranding. They could get Ian in to announce, 'If health is about anything, it's about managing expectations. We have got to get people to appreciate there are a lot of positive things about ill health. We need to make it sexy'."[26]
A sequel was announced by the BBC in late 2013 and broadcast March 19 to April 9, 2014. Named W1A, it follows Ian Fletcher (Bonneville) and Siobhan Sharpe (Jessica Hynes) as they pursue new careers as part of the BBC management team. A second series was commissioned in September 2014 and broadcast April 23 to May 14, 2015. A third series began airing on 18 September 2017.
Olympic Delivery Authority
London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games
^ "BBC Four recommissions hit comedy series Twenty Twelve". BBC Press Office. 15 April 2011.
^ "The British Comedy award-winning Twenty Twelve returns tonight for a four-part second series". BBC Press Office. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
^ Mickel, Andrew (17 December 2011). "'Twenty Twelve' gets third series". Digital Spy.
^ Frost, Vicky (11 March 2011). "Sebastian Coe proves he's game for a laugh in BBC Olympics spoof". The Guardian. GMG.
^ "Boycott—Part 1". Twenty Twelve. BBC. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
^ "Clarence House". Twenty Twelve. BBC. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
^ Cumming, Ed (15 March 2011). "Twenty Twelve, BBC Four, review". Daily Telegraph.
^ Wollaston, Sam (14 March 2011). "TV review: Twenty Twelve; The Secret War on Terror". The Guardian.
^ Viner, Brian (15 March 2011). "Last Night's TV – Twenty Twelve, BBC4; The Secret War on Terror, BBC2". The Independent.
^ Viner, Brian (19 April 2011). "Last Night's TV – The Reckoning, ITV1; Twenty Twelve, BBC4". The Independent.
^ Gibson, Owen (15 March 2011). "London 2012 Olympics countdown clock stops". The Guardian. GMG.
^ Magnay, Jacquelin (16 July 2012). "London 2012 Olympics: American and Australian team buses get lost from Heathrow to Olympic Park". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group.
^ Clarke, John; Stevenson, Ross (11 March 2011). "How television works: a heart-warming story for all the family". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
^ a b Quin, Karl (16 March 2011). "BBC imitation no flattery: Clarke". The Age. Fairfax Media.
^ Plunkett, John (16 March 2011). "BBC denies Olympics comedy stole from Australian TV show". The Guardian.
^ Hough, Andrew (15 March 2011). "BBC in plagiarism row over 'Australian Olympics show copy claims'". The Daily Telegraph. TMG.
^ Clarke, John. "The Games". MrJohnClarke. Retrieved 9 November 2012.
^ "British Comedy Awards 2011". 16 December 2011.
^ "Gold for Hynes!". Chortle. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
^ "EastEnders up for four MVSAs". EastEnders. BBC Online. 4 October 2012.
^ "Olivia Colman wins two Bafta awards". BBC News. 12 May 2013.
^ a b c d e f g "Twenty Twelve Awards". imdb.com. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
^ Lambert, David (19 September 2012). "Twenty Twelve - The BBC Comedy Series is Now Scheduled with a Street Date". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012.
^ Armstrong, Stephen (29 July 2012). "Games for a laugh". The Sunday Times Culture Magazine. Times Newspapers Ltd. (Subscription required)
^ Rampton, James (29 March 2012). "Twenty Twelve: Back on track with Hugh Bonneville, the lord of office jargon". The Independent.
Twenty Twelve at BBC Programmes
Twenty Twelve at British Comedy Guide
Twenty Twelve on IMDb
British Academy Television Award for Best Scripted Comedy
My Wife Next Door (1973)
Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1974)
Porridge (1975)
Fawlty Towers (1976)
Rising Damp (1978)
Going Straight (1979)
The Royle Family (2000)
Black Books (2001)
The Office Christmas Special (2004)
The Thick of It (2006)
The Royle Family - The Queen of Sheba (2007)
Peep Show (2008)
The IT Crowd (2009)
Rev (2011)
Mrs. Brown's Boys (2012)
Twenty Twelve (2013)
Him & Her: The Wedding (2014)
Detectorists (2015)
Peter Kay's Car Share (2016)
People Just Do Nothing (2017)
This Country (2018)
Sally4Ever (2019)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Twenty_Twelve&oldid=906267547"
2011 British television programme debuts
2012 British television programme endings
2010s British satirical television series
BBC television comedy
English-language television programs
British mockumentary television series
TV series involved in plagiarism controversies
Use dmy dates from December 2012
BBC programme template using Wikidata
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Home » Writers » Steve Andrisak introduction » Early History of the area
» Frog Lake Massacre 1885
The Frog Lake Massacre took place on April 2, 1885. It was part of the North West Rebellion uprising that threatened the northwest. Prior to the time of the massacre, the Canadian government was unsympathetic to the Indian and Metis problems. The buffalo, the Indian's main source of food, had disappeared, their land was rapidly being taken over by the white man, and the fur trade was no longer as profitable to them as it had been in the past. There was a lot of unrest at the time and the entire west was like a powder keg waiting to be blown up. Many of the Indian tribes had already signed Treaties and were placed on reserves but not all tribes signed and many hesitated to do so; especially the younger warriors, and a few agitators.
Big Bear, the Cree Indian chief, signed a treaty in 1882 because his people were starving, however he delayed choosing a reserve and-his followers were not too happy with the thought of giving up their freedom. During the 1884-85 season Big Bear and his band of Crees wintered on the Frog Lake Reserve. There was decided unrest at the time, however Big Bear himself did not want to make trouble with the white man. His war chief, Wandering Spirit, and Big Bear's son, Imasees, thought differently. The chief of the Frog Lake Reserve at the time was Ohneepahoa. He was a peaceful man but found it difficult to control Wandering Spirit and Imasees.
On April 2. 1885, Wandering Spirit and his young warriors collected all the guns from the white men stationed at Frog Lake. The six members of the North West Mounted Police who were stationed at Frog Lake left the reserve shortly before as a good will gesture. It was thought the Indians would not attack the Frog Lake Settlement if the NWMP left the scene. Later on April 2, most of the white people were herded into the Roman Catholic Church, and after a short service, Wandering Spirit decided to move all the white people to his camp. A disagreement arose and soon Thomas Quinn, the Indian agent, was shot and killed near his home by Wandering Spirit. At this time, shooting began in earnest and when the smoke cleared, nine white people had been massacred. John Gowanlock, John Delanev and Father Fafard were all killed in the same area. Father Marchand lay a little beyond and William Gilchrist's body was found still further in the direction of Big Bear's camp. George Dill had been shot near a clump of willows nearby. Others who died at the scene were Charles Gouin and John Williscroft. There were four white survivors: William Cameron, the Hudson’s Bay store clerk who was saved by some of the Indian women; Edward Dufresne, an interpreter who was married to an Indian woman and was spared; and two white women, Theresa Delaney and Theresa Gowanlock, who were both taken prisoner and were later released.
Soon after the massacre, the Canadian government became involved, and the Indians at Frog Lake and the Metis at Duck Lake, Saskatchewan soon found themselves fighting the Canadian Army, the North West Mounted Police and a hastily raised militia from western Canada. Big Bear's band of warriors fought several inconclusive engagements; notably at Frenchman’s Butte but the decisive battle was fought at Batoche, Saskatchewan. Louis Riel, the Metis leader, led his troops against the Canadian Army but was defeated in the end. Some of his warriors fled to the United States however most of his men were captured and tried for their part in the uprising.
Wandering Spirit, Miserable Man, Manichoos, Walking The Sky, Napaise and Apischiskoos were all hanged at Battleford, Saskatchewan on November 27. 1885. Big Bear, the Chief of the Crees, went to prison for his part in the uprising. He didn’t want war however he was helpless in trying to control his warriors, especially Wandering Spirit. Imasees, the son of Big Bear, was a shadowy figure who urged the killings at Frog Lake but didn't take part in them. He escaped retribution as did Gabriel Dumont who was Louis Riel's right hand man. The Metis leader, Louis Riel, was also tried and hanged at Battleford. Thus ended the Northwest Rebellion and the Frog. Lake Massacre, an uprising that threatened the entire Canadian northwest.
In later years, William Bleasdell Cameron, one of the lone white survivors of the Frog Lake Massacre wrote a book about this uprising. It was called “On The Trail Of Big Bear”. Later this book was revised and renamed "Blood Red The Sun”. He was also the author of a third book titled "When Fur Was King”. Mr Cameron spent many years inVermilion and surrounding areas. At one time he operated a small store in Heinsburg, selling patent medicine books and a variety of goods. Mr. Cameron visited Elk Point on numerous occasions and on one occasion I had the privilege of meeting him. Although he was an old man at the time, he was still able to recall many interesting events that took place during the Frog Lake Massacre.
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Home | Tag Archives: Chamizal National Memorial
Tag Archives: Chamizal National Memorial
Chamizal National Memorial hosts annual Music Under the Stars Concerts starting Sunday
Staff Report June 4, 2019 Lifestyle, Music & Concerts Comments Off on Chamizal National Memorial hosts annual Music Under the Stars Concerts starting Sunday
The long-running partnership between the National Park Service and City of El Paso’s Museums and Cultural Affairs Department (MCAD) continues this weekend, as the duo host the first of the annual Music Under the Stars concerts.
The four concerts hosted at the Memorial will start on on Sunday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m.
This summer’s concert series will feature a variety of musical styles as selected by MCAD.
June 9: Soul Parade will perform Indie Rock and Pop music
June 16: Tribes will perform Indie/Mariachi music
June 23: Our Friend, The Mountain will perform Folk Rock music
June 30: Mariachi Alegre will perform Noche Ranchera music
Superintendent Sanchez reminds concert-goers and other park visitors of the following rules for safe and fun family events at the Memorial:
No outside alcohol is permitted from June 1-August 31 each year; there will be park-authorized vendors selling alcohol, food, and other refreshments during concerts. All coolers and ice chests are subject to search. Please be sure to have a designated driver and remember to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated in the summer heat.
No pets are allowed on concert day afternoons through evenings for the safety of the animals as well as park visitors.
Glass containers are never permitted on the grounds.
No personal fireworks are allowed.
Grills are not permitted in the concert area surrounding the amphitheater but are allowed in other areas of the park. Please dispose of coals only in designated containers.
Running, kicking, and throwing games as well as bicycling and smoking are not permitted in the concert area but are allowed in other areas of the park.
Shade structures and umbrellas are permitted in the concert area but must be taken down before the concert begins.
Chairs and blankets are welcomed.
For the complete 2019 Music Under the Stars season schedule and to find information about parking and shuttle options, please refer to the MCAD website or call 915-212-0110.
To find out more about events and general visitor information for Chamizal National Memorial, please visit our website or call 915-532-7273.
City releases line up for 2019 Music Under the Stars
Staff Report May 20, 2019 Lifestyle, Music & Concerts 1
The Museums and Cultural Affairs Department is excited to announce the line-up for the annual Music Under the Stars, free summer concert series that features four performances at the Chamizal National Memorial.
“We are excited to roll out this year’s line-up for the 36th Season of Music Under the Stars with a focus on our talented local musicians,” said Museums and Cultural Affairs Production and Marketing Coordinator Ismael Acosta.
“This concert series has become a summertime staple which we are proud to continue as part of the City’s commitment to enhancing El Paso’s quality of life.”
For information on Music Under the Stars, including schedule changes due to weather, follow Music Under the Stars on Facebook.
Music Under the Stars – Free Admission
Chamizal National Memorial, 5800 San Marcial Street
June 9 Soul Parade Indie Rock/Synth Pop 7:30pm – 9:30pm
June 16 Tribes Indie/Mariachi 7:30pm – 9:30pm
June 23 Our Friend the Mountain Folk Rock 7:30pm – 9:30pm
June 30 Mariachi Alegre Noche Ranchera 7:30pm – 9:30pm
Reunion of Former Rio Linda Neighborhood Residents Scheduled for September
Staff Report August 7, 2018 News Comments Off on Reunion of Former Rio Linda Neighborhood Residents Scheduled for September
As part of a celebration set up the Chamizal National Memorial, after 50 years, former residents of the Rio Linda Neighborhood are invited to the first-ever reunion picnic, a virtual stone’s throw away from their former homes .
The former Rio Linda Neighborhood included Eleventh through Thirteenth Streets between Cotton Avenue/Park Street and Rosita Street.
All residents were relocated in the mid-1960s by the United States Federal Government in order to create the new, permanent concrete channel for this section of the Rio Grand that flows between El Paso and Juarez under the terms of the Chamizal Treaty.
The Treaty was signed by the U.S. and Mexico in August 1963 and ratified in April 1964; however, the new channel did not open until December 1968.
Chamizal National Memorial Superintendent F. Gus Sanchez states, “We are happy to support and foster direct connections and reconnections with those who are part of the history this living Memorial commemorates. We are honored to provide them the opportunity to share their stories with us and the countless visitors who come here.”
Businesses, residences, and community centers in Chihuahita, Segundo Barrio, and Cordova Gardens neighborhoods were also among those relocated in order to accomplish the diplomatic measures created by Chamizal Convention which finally settled this international boundary dispute that lasted more than a century.
“Come one, come all and be part of this historic event!” invites Felipe Peralta, former resident and Reunion Coordinator.
Of his former home, Peralta reflects:
“…residents included families, friends, neighbors, and acquaintances who had histories of long personal relationships. In most cases, residents did not have an opportunity to say goodbye to individuals and groups who had lived in the same area for a long time. There were no farewell community gatherings by the residents or organized by the government as families left the neighborhood in tears.
After 50 years, it is time for residents of the neighborhood to come together and share stories since their departure from this beautiful community. Rio Linda was a place full of life with the Rio Grande River on one side, the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks on the other, and the Peyton Packing Plant on the east side. Families were very close and protective of the children who played freely in the streets throughout the day and house parties were common on Saturday nights.
Almost 99% of the students attended Hart Elementary School and Bowie High School in later years. The neighborhood had a community grocery store owned by locals and the Nite Drifters Band members resided in the area as well. It is essential to reach as many people who have fond memories of the Rio Linda Neighborhood to reunite and share those memories and to say our goodbyes, like it should have been back 50 years ago.”
Partners from UTEP’s Institute of Oral History will also be available during the event to record and preserve the memories and stories of those directly affected by the Treaty.
The free event is scheduled for Saturday, September 22, 2018 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Chamizal National Memorial, 800 S. San Marcial Street. The reunion will take place in the South-Central portion of the park, closest to the Delta Drive Gate.
There is no cost to enter the park or for the event, but each family is asked to bring their own picnic food as well as chairs and/or blankets. There are limited covered picnic shelters with grills and tables available as well.
Park officials remind attendees that no glass containers are allowed on the Memorial grounds at any time and pets must be leashed at all times for everyone’s safety.
Chamizal National Memorial Presents First In-House Theater Production in 25+ Years: Ground
Staff Report July 15, 2018 Lifestyle Comments Off on Chamizal National Memorial Presents First In-House Theater Production in 25+ Years: Ground
For the first time in over a quarter of a century, Chamizal National Memorial will present a play that has been selected, cast, directed, and fully produced by the park’s theater staff.
According to Chamizal officials, “The Memorial has hosted many excellent and varied performances over the years and will continue to work with partners and community groups to offer our visitors performances that align as closely as possible with our mission. We are especially excited, however, to fulfill the original purpose for the theater: to use it for telling the story that Chamizal National Memorial was established to commemorate.”
Chamizal National Memorial is a historic site. Congress established it as one of the national parks to commemorate the Chamizal Convention and connected stories about the continuing relationship between the United States and Mexico.
In addition to relaying the history surrounding “the harmonious settlement of the long-standing boundary dispute between the United States and Mexico concerning the Chamizal,” it is our goal to present performances that relate modern stories of the varied perspectives and experiences of people along both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Chamizal National Memorial theater staff selected the play Ground by Lisa Dillman to inaugurate our new in-house production initiative. Ground tells the story of Zell Preston as she returns to her childhood home, a pecan farming border community that she finds completely changed.
Shifting social norms and immigration policies test the bonds of community and family, introducing conflict and leading Zell to proclaim, “This ground and me, we belong together…If we don’t all take care of each other, we won’t have any chance at all.” We hope the Chamizal National Memorial community will join us for a free performance of this powerfully relevant theatrical work.
On July 18, 2018 at 7 pm, Superintendent F. Gus Sánchez will introduce the theater production initiative at our monthly “Chamizal Asks: What Do You Think?” program series. The actors will recite selected scenes from the play and will join the audience in a discussion afterwards.
The play is in English, and the full performance schedule is as follows:
Friday, August 3, at 7 pm
Saturday, August 4, at 7 pm
Sunday, August 5, at 2 pm
Admission is free and first come first served for all performances. Due to some violence, we do not recommend this play for young children. The Cultural Center closes daily at 5 pm but will open at 6 pm before the August 3rd and 4th performances.
Attendees are asked to arrive with plenty of time to park and be seated on time. Late arrivals will not be able to enter the theater until intermission.
For more information about Chamizal Theater Productions, Ground, and other park events, visit their website, or call the visitor center at 915-532-7273 ext.126.
Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta Celebrates Natural Wonders of the Franklin Mountains Saturday
Staff Report September 27, 2017 Lifestyle Comments Off on Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta Celebrates Natural Wonders of the Franklin Mountains Saturday
The 13th Annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta at the Tom Mays section of Franklin Mountains State Park is planned for Saturday, September 30, from 9am to 3pm.
The free family event helps people connect with the great outdoors of the Franklin Mountains and is sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department with the help of volunteers from the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition. Organizes say the annual event attracts hundreds of people to the desert mountain park in Northwest El Paso.
The outdoor venue celebrates the natural wonders of the Chihuahuan Desert and Franklin Mountains State Park. Local environmental education groups will be on hand to offer free demonstrations, guided tours, guest speakers and informational booths designed to introduce the curious to the wonders of our fascinating desert.
Schedule of Events at the Entertainment Stage Area – End of the Loop Road next to the Exhibitor Tent Area
· 9:00am-9:15am- National Anthem
· 9:30am-10:00am- Cheerleading
· 10:00am-10:15am Zoo Animal Encounter
· 10:30am-11:00am- Story Telling(Marylyn Guida)
· 11:10am-11:35am- Martial Arts Demonstration
· 11:45am-12:15pm-Keyboarding/Piano
· 12:30pm-1:00pm- Rondalla Estudiantil
· 1:15pm-1:45pm- Ballet Folklorico (Champion Studio)
· 2:00pm-2:30pm- Belly Dancers
More on Geosciences Education Activities – Mini-field trips will run from 9am to 3pm, and will last only 30 minutes, with one exception. The short time means you will not be walking far. The geosciences do not only about understand the earth at your feet, but the vistas in the distance, and the sky above us.
Many of the following field trips may include a walk to a nearby place of higher elevation to get a better view. Hikers are encouraged to bring binoculars for the picturesque hike.
All mini-trips with the exception of trips 4 and 6 meet near the Restrooms at the End of the Loop Road to the right of the main stage and exhibit area.
Trip 1- 9:45 am to 10:45 am – Agave Loop for hikers interested in connecting to Mundy’s Gap. See Park Map for Location.
Trip 2-10:30 am to 12:00 pm- Aztec Cave Trail is a 1.2 mile out and back trail that features a cave and is good for all skill levels. See Park Map for Location.
Trip 3 – 11:00 am- 11:30pm- Short walk to elevation change. Meet at the Trail head at the end of the loop road.
Trip 4 -11:00 am – 12:30pm – Underground Copper Mine Tour, a maximum number of 15 participants with flashlights or headlamps. Meet at the Cottonwood Spring Parking Area. The hike is 1 mile round trip uphill over a rocky trail. Bring sturdy shoes, sunscreen, water, and a working flashlight. We will explore an underground tunnel which was part of an unsuccessful mineral entrepreneurial activity. Check out the blue grotto! See Park Map for Location.
Trip 5 -1:00 pm – 2:30pm – Underground Copper Mine Tour, a maximum number of 15 participants with flashlights or headlamps. Meet at the Cottonwood Spring Parking Area. The hike is 1 mile round trip uphill over a rocky trail. Bring sturdy shoes, sunscreen, water, and a working flashlight. We will explore an underground tunnel which was part of an unsuccessful mineral entrepreneurial activity. Check out the blue grotto! See Park Map for Location.
Trip 6 -1:30 pm to 2:30 pm Upper Sunset Trail; is one of the shorter ones (1.3 miles) and offered some great views of the valley below. Meet at the restrooms at the end of the loop road.
Trip 7- 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm Short Hike. No elevation change. Meet at the Trail head at the end of the loop road.
Exhibitors attending the festival this year include New Mexico Farm, Ranch and Heritage Museum, Chamizal National Memorial, Hueco Tanks State Park, Aerial Tramway, Franklin Mountains State Park, Mexican Gray Wolf, El Paso Parks and Recreation, Tech H2O, El Paso Zoo, International Boundary and Water Commission, Sierra Club, Women’s Voting, Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition, Greater Big Bend Coalition, Frontera Land Alliance, Texas Master Naturalist, UTEP, El Paso Fire Department, Sustainability and Resilience Office, Audubon Society, and Friends of the Rio Bosque.
Special thanks to our volunteers from the Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition, Franklin Mountains State Park, City of El Paso Parks and Rec, El Paso Zoo, University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).
For more information contact Franklin Mountains State Park at (915) 566-6441 or contact CDEC Committee Chair Carlos Rodriguez at 915-240-3311.
Music Under the Stars Shifts to Chamizal National Memorial for the 4th
Staff Report July 3, 2017 Lifestyle, Music & Concerts Comments Off on Music Under the Stars Shifts to Chamizal National Memorial for the 4th
The skies over the Chamizal National Memorial will light up on Tuesday, July 4, when GECU Presents Music Under the Stars returns to the park for its annual fireworks spectacular and concert.
Neon Circus will play tribute to the sounds of country super duo Brooks & Dunn, as they recreate Brooks & Dunn’s exciting live show down to the last detail. They will perform hit country anthems like My Maria, Neon Moon, and Boot Scootin’ Boogie. The concert will be followed by a fireworks spectacular.
Because this is one of the larger events, parking will be available at the El Paso Zoo with a shuttle service running to the Chamizal National Memorial. Shuttles will start at 6 p.m. and return visitors to the zoo parking lot after the concert.
The remaining four shows in this year’s season will be at the Chamizal National Memorial. July will also feature salsa night, a fusion of jazz, funk and reggae, and noche ranchera.
July 4 Neon Circus/Fireworks Country (Brooks & Dunn Tribute) 7:00pm – 9:00pm
July 9 Team Havana Salsa Night 7:30pm – 9:30pm
July 16 Chuco Soul Project Jazz, Funk, Reggae 7:30pm – 9:30pm
July 23 Mariachi Los Arrieros Noche Ranchera 7:30pm – 9:30pm
For updated information on GECU presents Music Under the Stars, including schedule changes due to weather, follow Music Under the Stars on Facebook.
Music Under the Stars Kicks Off Its 34th Season This Sunday
Staff Report June 2, 2017 Local News Comments Off on Music Under the Stars Kicks Off Its 34th Season This Sunday
The City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department (MCAD), in collaboration with El Paso Live, a division of Destination El Paso, invites the public to celebrate the start of the annual Music Under the Stars (MUTS) on Sunday, June 4, at Cohen Stadium.
Grammy-winning band’s Ozomatli, based in Los Angeles, will bring unique fusion of alternative, Latin, ska and rock to Music Under the Stars.
In addition to live entertainment, the City of El Paso Animal Services Department and MCAD have teamed up to create the Mutts for MUTS pet adoption campaign. The Animal Services adoption van will be on site with adoptable dogs, and concertgoers can adopt pets for $20.
For one night only, dog owners can bring their furry friends as they will be allowed in Cohen Stadium. Owners will be required to sign a waiver upon entry. Dogs must be leashed, and owners should bring doggie bags.
The 34th annual free summer concert series features eight performances; four at Cohen Stadium and four at the Chamizal National Memorial, including the traditional 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular and “Noche Ranchera.”
For information on Music Under the Stars, including schedule changes due to weather, follow Music Under the Stars on Facebook. This year’s concerts are sponsored by GECU.
Line-Ups Set for Music Under the Stars
Staff Report May 17, 2017 Lifestyle, Music & Concerts Comments Off on Line-Ups Set for Music Under the Stars
On Wednesday, the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department (MCAD), in collaboration with El Paso Live, announced the line-up for the annual Music Under the Stars (MUTS.)
The free summer concert series features eight performances; four at Cohen Stadium and four at the Chamizal National Memorial, including the traditional 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular and “Noche Ranchera.” Music Under the Stars will begin June 4 at Cohen Stadium.
“We are excited to roll out this year’s line-up for the 34th Season of GECU presents Music Under the Stars,” said Assistant Director of the Museums and Cultural Affairs Department Ben Fyffe. “This concert series has become a summertime staple which we are proud to continue as part of the city’s commitment to enhancing El Paso’s quality of life.”
This year, Music Under the Stars is presented by GECU.
GECU presents Music Under the Stars – Free Admission
Cohen Stadium, 9700 Gateway North Blvd.
June 4 Ozomatli Alternative, Funk 7:30pm – 9:30pm
June 11 Departure Journey Tribute 7:30pm – 9:30pm
June 18 Sayverse Latin Pop Rock 7:30pm – 9:30pm
June 25 Magic Reggae Pop 7:30pm – 9:30pm
July 4 Neon Circus (with Fireworks Finale) Brooks & Dunn Tribute 7:00pm – 9:00pm
July 23 Los Arrieros Noche Ranchera 7:30pm – 9:30pm
For information on GECU presents Music Under the Stars, including schedule changes due to weather, follow Music Under the Stars on Facebook.
Western National Parks Association Board Meeting Set for El Paso
Staff Report May 8, 2017 Local News Comments Off on Western National Parks Association Board Meeting Set for El Paso
Western National Parks Association (WNPA) will be holding its next board meeting at WNPA partner park Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso, May 12-13.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our board to experience Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso, as well WNPA’s two newest partner parks, Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park,” said James Cook, WNPA Executive Director. “I’m especially delighted at the outstanding sales generated at our two newest park stores. Their success helps WNPA support all of our 71 national park partners across the West.”
WNPA also announces the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors. The board is the governing body of the organization and serves as an ambassador for WNPA, articulating its message, mission, and accomplishments to the public.
Gerard Baker, a full-blood member of the Mandan-Hidatsa tribe, is the highest-ranking American Indian in National Park Service (NPS) history.
He was born and raised in North Dakota and grew up in a traditional Indian home on his father’s cattle ranch. Baker graduated with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and sociology from Southern Oregon State University in 1979, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in public service from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 2007.
Baker began working for the NPS in 1974 and served in several capacities until his retirement in 2010. He is a widely-recognized figure for American Indians, thanks in part to his work as a mediator between the NPS and tribal governments. He has appeared in two Ken Burns films, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea and Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery.
Dennis Hernandez
Los Angeles-based attorney Dennis Hernandez, whose legal career spans four decades, has experience ranging from intellectual property litigation and criminal prosecution to advising Senator Edward M. Kennedy on education, immigration, and youth labor issues. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, and sits on the Citizens Advisory Board of the California Highway Patrol.
“All of us at Western National Parks Association are thrilled with the addition of our two newest board members. Both gentlemen bring vast experience, skills, and knowledge to the organization,” said Cook. “WNPA is now affiliated with 71 national park units across 12 western states. With such a large scope of operations and a forward-thinking strategic vision, WNPA is fortunate to have a board of directors comprised of members from five western states, all with a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and areas of expertise. This helps ensure the organization is reflective of the communities we serve and hope to serve in the future.”
As a nonprofit education partner of the National Park Service, WNPA supports 71 park partners across the West, developing products, services, and programs that enrich the visitor experience.
Since 1938 WNPA has worked to connect new generations to parks in meaningful ways, all with one simple goal: create advocates who want to preserve and protect these special places for everyone, for all time.
Hundreds of Kids Helped by HACEP’s Back to School Fair
Staff Report July 23, 2016 News Comments Off on Hundreds of Kids Helped by HACEP’s Back to School Fair
The Housing Authority of the City of El Paso (HACEP) hosted its 7th annual “Back-to-School Fair” today benefitting over 500 children from the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program.
HACEP transformed their Central Office parking lot, on the corner of East Paisano Drive and Cortez Road, into a fair celebrating the quickly approaching 2016 school year.
The Fair featured the distribution of backpacks filled with the essential school supplies (valued at $30 each) and included over 15 exhibitors from various El Paso businesses and community organizations.
For the past six years, HACEP has positively impacted over 2,000 children and their families by providing the tools necessary to help them be successful in the classroom.
Children from ages 6 – 11 years old received backpacks that included notebooks, crayons, pencils, rulers, markers, scissors, and folders.
Two lucky families even went home with laptop computers, a new entry on the list of school supplies, which will help close the digital divide.
These supplies help offset the cost to families earning an average of $12K-$15K a year as the beginning of a school year can leave a dent in anyone’s wallet.
Hundreds of little faces lit up with delight as they picked out their favorite color backpack, and picked up other new “treasures” at the fair. The parents were excited too, as well as relieved, knowing that this opportunity will make the start out the school year less challenging.
According to the 2015 Building a Grad Nation Report, students who attend school equipped with the needed school supplies have a better chance of achieving excellence in the classroom. Their confidence soars, classroom behavior improves, and grades go up.
“Today, we were able to go beyond providing safe and sanitary homes to our families,” said Lorena Rivera, Director of the HCV Program. “This is due to the tremendous support we received from our community partners, whose participation is key to the success of this event.”
The HCV Back-to-School Fair was made possible by a generous grant from the Wilma D. Moleen Foundation and supported by various local community partners and volunteers: Chase Bank, Rio Bravo Title, El Paso’s National IBF Featherweight World Champion Jennifer Han, City of El Paso Public Health Department, Smile Magic, Star Medical Group, Chamizal National Memorial, 2-1-1 Texas, El Paso Zoo, El Paso Library, Big Boy Concessions, Craze, the Food Truck Association, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, UTEP, EP Fitness, Fresh on Mondays and the HACEP Community Services Smoke-Free Initiative Team.
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/U.S. Department of Justice/
U.S. Department of Justice False Claims Act Complaints
U.S. Department of Justice Announces it Will Intervene in False Claims Act Complaints Against Tetra Tech Ec. Inc.
The DOJ reported on October 26, 2018, that it will intervene in three federal California whistleblower cases. The Department of Justice claims that Tetra Tech EC Inc. (Tetra Tech) failed to submit correct claims to the United States Navy. The false claims were for “radiological remediation and support services.” The work was done at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, California.
The US Navy awarded Tetra Tech federal contracts to test some of Hunters Point’s land parcels for radiation. If excessive radiation was discovered, Tetra Tech was supposed to remediate the land parcels. The claims, which were based on whistleblower disclosures, asserted that Tetra Tech submitted false claims in the following ways:
“It misrepresented the source of the soil samples that were submitted for radiological testing.
It falsified “data collected from radiological surveys of existing buildings at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard.”
Previously, two supervisors at Tetra Tech pled guilty to falsifying records. As part of their plea, they admitted that “rather than take soil samples from the survey units undergoing analysis, they participated in the substitution of “clean” (non-radioactive) dirt fraudulently taken from other areas within the former naval base.”
The Department of Justice filed the action not just to recoup payments that were improperly made. They filed the action because it was and is essential for the US Navy and the public to understand and remedy any dangerous radiation at the Hunters Point location. Submitting false records meant that the true conditions of the site can’t be properly determined. The intervention seeks to hold entities that contract with the U.S. Navy accountable for non-compliance with essential contracts.
The qui tam provision of the False Claims Act
The three whistleblower actions were authorized by the False Claims Act qui tam provision. The qui tam section of the act encourages anyone who is aware of government fraud to step forward and disclose that fraud. The incentive for disclosing the fraud is that whistleblowers who file valid claims will be awarded a percentage of any recovery. Experienced whistleblower attorneys advise claimants about the disclosure process, what information the government needs to help decide if it will intervene, and will work to fight for the whistleblower’s percentage of the recovery.
The U.S. Department of Justice, once the whistleblower action is filed, has the right to decide whether to intervene (begin prosecution against the wrongdoers) or to decline intervention.
Stephen Danz & Associates has been a strong advocate for whistleblowers for nearly 40 years. His firm has conveniently accessible offices throughout California. If you are aware of any fraud being committed against the federal or state government, call us at 877-789-9707 to schedule an appointment.
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Home»Internet
Federal Web Traffic Data Goes Public in a Big Way
Federal websites have been visited 1.4 billion times over the past 90 days. Here’s why it matters.
Nicole Blake Johnson
Nicole is a social media journalist for the CDW family of technology magazines.
Until a few weeks ago, the general public was not privy to data showing how many people visit government websites, which websites they visit and whether they’re using a desktop or smartphone, or an Android or Windows operating system.
If you’re wondering, there were 1.4 billion visits to government websites within the past 90 days, and most people were looking for information on taxes, weather and federal jobs. More often than not, they used a desktop computer running Windows 7, but some visitors navigated federal websites from their smartphones and tablet computers.
“One of the reactions from people is they just didn’t know the amount of traffic that was coming to government websites,” says Gwynne Kostin, director of the digital government division within the General Services Administration. “People think there is a perception that government is far behind or not providing services.”
At any given moment, tens of thousands of people are perusing government websites, and that number is prominently displayed at the top of the analytics.usa.gov website. (At the time this story was written, there were 126,754 people on government websites.)
“Just that big number at that time really does show a level of impact about what is happening on government [websites],” says Kostin, one of the pioneers of the Digital Analytics Program within the GSA.
The program began in October 2012 as a pilot within the agency’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies and has since evolved into the analytics dashboard that citizens can view. The data “comes from a unified Google Analytics profile that is managed by the Digital Analytics Program,” according to one of the federal entities that had a hand in building the site.
Development of the new analytics website was a collaborative effort among several entities: the GSA’s internal digital services team, 18F; the Digital Analytics Program; the U.S. Digital Service; and the White House.
“It’s a tool for transparency, and it allows the public to get an inside view of how the government works and see what sites people are using,” Kostin says. She expects all agencies will join the program, after they work through the onboarding process and align it with their agencies’ internal timelines.
Analytics data for healthcare.gov, one of the government’s more high-profile websites, is not yet publicly available, but Kostin says that information will eventually be included on the new site.
A recent GovFresh article notes that "despite a digital strategy issued by the White House two years ago calling for more mobile-friendly citizen services, the top four most-visited federal government websites over the past 30 days fail this test.”
Those sites are irs.gov, weather.gov, usajobs.gov and nps.gov.
In response to questions about the lack of mobile optimization for the sites and how the analytics data would help to usher in changes, Kostin says many organizations are working to introduce mobile-friendly websites and some of those updates will be rolled out in the coming weeks. Making analytics data public empowers citizens to ask tough questions and encourages agencies to make changes, Kostin adds. “There is always a question about how to apply resources.”
What’s Next for Analytics.usa.gov?
Short term, the analytics program wants to introduce geographic data to the site to show where people are accessing government sites. The site will not collect personally identifiable information, and data will be anonymized, Kostin explains.
According to 18F, which was part of the development team, “individual visitors are not tracked across websites, and visitor IP addresses are anonymized before they are ever stored in Google Analytics. The Digital Analytics Program has a privacy FAQ.”
You can make suggestions and contribute to the project by visiting GitHub or emailing digitalgov@gsa.gov.
Songquan Deng/ThinkStock
Where's Santa? NORAD Santa Tracker Takes to the Skies with More Tech Integrations
VA Boosts Telemedicine's Reach with Video Calling, Mobile Apps
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> News > The good, the bad and the indecisive: EU leaders put tax centre stage at summit
The good, the bad and the indecisive: EU leaders put tax centre stage at summit
Jesse Griffiths
Added 23 May 2013
topics: tax justice, capital flight, domestic resource mobilisation
Yesterday’s European Council – the regular meeting of EU heads of state - was dominated by discussion of measures to combat tax evasion. Though there was emphasis on the importance of the EU’s upcoming Anti-Money Laundering Directive – a key opportunity to finally uncover the secret owners of companies - there was an awful lot of delay on automatic information exchange, and a glaring avoidance of anything constructive on tax havens.
The promising political rhetoric of last week’s EU finance ministers’ meeting was continued, indicating that public campaigns, supported by Eurodad and members, to raise tax dodging to the top of the political agenda are having effect. The EU leaders said that “it is important to take effective steps to fight tax evasion and tax fraud” and recognised that “increased efforts are required in this field, combining measures at the national, European and global levels”.
Ending ownership secrecy – at the centre of the agenda
Eurodad is part of a strong coalition pushing for using the upcoming revision of the EU’s Anti-Money Laundering Directive to put the real – or ‘beneficial’ – owners of companies, trusts and foundations on public record. Though finance ministers had failed to mention this key opportunity, the heads of state made an indirect link, showing campaigning is paying off and this issue is rising to the top of the agenda. The Council conclusions state that “…the identification of beneficial ownership, including as regards companies, trusts and foundations, is essential. The revision of the third anti-money laundering directive should be adopted by the end of the year.” It is positive to see the heads of state recognise that not just companies, but also trusts and foundations, are being used as tools for money laundering. However, it remains to be seen whether governments will ultimately agree to make the information on beneficial ownership public or follow the weak and ineffective current proposal from the European Commission, which simply asks that companies, trusts and foundations identify their own beneficial owners but only present this information upon request.
Automatic information exchange: promises and delays
As with May’s EU finance ministers’ meeting, the political rhetoric on automatic information exchange is good, with a promise that “…the EU will play a key role in promoting the automatic exchange of information as the new international standard.”
However, the touchstone issue was whether real progress could be made to unblock the delayed adoption of the revised EU’s Savings Tax Directive. Such a decision would allow far greater exchange of information, but has been held up for years, largely due to the opposition of Austria and Luxembourg. After the “offshore leaks” recently caused a number of tax haven scandals to unfold, hope grew that the Council would swiftly adopt the revised directive. Yesterday, however, the Council instead “called for its adoption before the end of the year”.
There are also steps promised in terms of the scope of information that would be subject to automatic exchange, with “amendments to the Directive on administrative cooperation” promised later this year, “in order for the automatic exchange of information to cover a full range of income.”
What about tax havens?
The Council’s silence on how to tackle tax havens was deafening. The European Commission’s December ‘action plan’ had proposed developing a blacklist of ‘non-cooperative jurisdictions’, but discussion on this was postponed by the finance ministers earlier in the month, and ignored entirely by the heads of state. Prior to the summit, Eurodad member Oxfam had issued a challenge to the UK, sponsor of many of the world’s most notorious tax havens, such as the Cayman Islands, to tackle this issue. Oxfam put it this way: “Britain’s credibility is on the line; talking tough on tax, whilst continuing to usher a third of the world’s wealth into UK tax havens, risks making a mockery of David Cameron’s leadership at the G8 summit in June.”
Thanks to advocacy by Eurodad and allies, the European Parliament has pushed strongly on the issue of country-by-country reporting, already forcing EU Banks to abide by this measure from 2014. This issue also made it in to the Council’s conclusions, which raises hope that heads of state are starting to realise the importance of getting full disclosure on companies’ profits, sales, staffing levels, assets and tax payments in individual countries.
Though the Council’s conclusions only mention country by country reporting in the context of "amending the Directives on disclosure of non-financial and diversity information", there are indications that more pressure could achieve a real breakthrough on this issue and ensure that all corporations are subject to the same regulations as banks. Speaking today, Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services noted that "the largest banks will also have to disclose their profits, taxes and subsidies in each Member State and non-EU country where they operate." Crucially, he added that "in line with yesterday's conclusion of the European Council we will expand these reporting obligations to large companies and groups"
The Council conclusions also open up new areas where progress could be made. For example “work will be carried forward as regards the Commission’s recommendations on aggressive tax planning and profit shifting” and a” strengthening of the Code of Conduct on business taxation” promised, albeit “on the basis of its existing mandate.”
The key question with all these promised initiatives and deadlines remains: will this translate into concrete decisions on new regulation, and will this regulation ultimately be implemented?
IMF conditionality private finanace FSB Post 2015 complaints mechanisms MDG Contract development policy Smallholder agriculture debt sustainability Middle East debt resolution Barbuda World Bank Group FSB Bahamas transparency Financing for Development climate finance test Economic growth
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home // News // Authority to vote June 14 on possibility of adding fluoride to Meadville’s water //
Authority to vote June 14 on possibility of adding fluoride to Meadville’s water
Source: The Meadville Tribune | May 18th, 2017 | By Mike Crowley
Location: United States, Pennsylvania
VERNON TOWNSHIP — Some of the passions evident at the community discussion of fluoridation earlier this month spilled over into deliberations at the Meadville Area Water Authority monthly meeting on Wednesday.
By the time the spirited discussion was over, three board members indicated how they intend to vote, two had wondered aloud whether the board could or should vote on fluoridation immediately, one had equated fluoridation to tyranny and, finally, board members decided on a time and location for their official vote.
The vote on whether to fluoridate the water provided by the authority will come in a special meeting at 10 a.m. June 14.
Board member Hal Tubbs will be unable to attend the usual monthly meeting on June 21. Although he could attend the meeting via teleconference, board President Tim Groves suggested that the significance of the issue warranted holding a special meeting so the vote could be made with all members present. The fluoridation vote will be the only topic addressed at the meeting.
Instead of the close quarters of the MAWA board room, where meetings are usually held, the fluoridation vote will be at the Lew Davies Community Center, 1034 Park Ave., to accommodate interested members of the public who might like to attend.
Attorney Ted Watts advised board members that they need not allow public comment at the meeting, citing MAWA’s public comment policy. The policy affords the board “the right to refuse permission to any individual to speak at an open meeting to address the same subject discussed at a previous meeting.”
The back and forth debate Wednesday began mundanely enough with Groves asking members when they would like to hold the meeting. Almost immediately, the discussion took a sharp turn with former police chief Tubbs proposing that all MAWA customers be sent a postcard asking their position on fluoridation that could be mailed back to MAWA to give board members a sense of popular sentiment on the issue.
Tubbs announced his opposition to fluoridation in an email to the Tribune less than 12 hours after the community discussion on May 4. Though some of his fellow board members described the crowd at the forum as split in a roughly even fashion on the issue, Tubbs largely dismissed the fluoridation supporters with connections to the Meadville Smiles advocacy group, Meadville Medical Center, Allegheny College and government agencies.
Tubbs’ proposal to send questionnaires to MAWA customers failed to come up for a vote when none of the other board members would second the motion.
“So nobody wants to see what customers think about this?” Tubbs asked.
Board member Mark Gildea pointed out that such a plan would leave out the voices of the many people who use MAWA water but who do not necessarily pay MAWA bills and that commercial customers representing many consumers of MAWA water would be underrepresented.
“It would be a huge expense to find out what we already know — it’s a very contentious issue,” board member John Fulmer said.
While the proposal failed, the discussion continued, with board member Dennis Finton, a dentist who has previously touted the benefits of fluoridation, citing his personal experience treating children with extensive dental problems that fluoridation might have helped to alleviate or avoid.
“It’s so disheartening to think that we could do something that could be so much better for these children — and it’s safe,” Finton said. “I just have to say it as a practicing dentist who’s been in the trenches that nobody in this room has done or seen, and I wear my heart on my sleeve when those kids come in my office.”
In response, Tubbs cited his own life experience and the health of his teeth despite growing up without fluoridated water. He also questioned the credibility of the evidence and sources used to support fluoridation.
“You can’t trust a government saying, ‘Oh, this is fine,’” he said. “I’m telling you, there is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him.”
In apparent frustration, Tubbs proposed that the board simply vote on the issue immediately. Gildea later asked whether an immediate vote was possible as well. Watts recommended against such a move given the fact that the board had already announced its intentions not to vote on fluoridation at Wednesday’s meeting.
Fulmer rejected Tubbs’ criticism of the evidence in favor of fluoridation, but then said he agreed with Tubbs’ position on the issue, though for very different reasons.
“I think we should look at the sole purpose of the water authority, and that’s to supply safe, clean drinking water,” he said. “And if there’s not a majority of the customer base that really wants the additional fluoride, then we shouldn’t have it.”
With half the user population likely to strenuously disagree with their decision, it would better to err on the side on not adding fluoride to the water, Fulmer said.
As the fiery discussion turned back to the minutiae of when and where to hold the meeting, it seemed apparent that Fulmer and Tubbs would be voting against fluoridation while Finton would be in favor. Groves and Gildea have not yet publicly indicated their positions.
In fact, Groves said, he was not likely to make up his mind about fluoridation until June 14.
• Original article online at http://www.meadvilletribune.com/news/authority-to-vote-june-on-possibility-of-adding-fluoride-to/article_40f7b1a8-3b6c-11e7-9f48-773715be3cd3.html
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New project aims to im...
New project aims to improve the quality of our food
Food scientists will ensure that industrial food processing does not affect our health by developing better methods for characterising changes in the structure of food proteins. The goal is to improve food quality. The idea behind the project is so innovative that Associate Professor Marianne Nissen Lund from the Department of Food Science and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen has received a Sapere Aude grant for it from the Independent Research Fund Denmark.
Associate Professor Marianne Nissen Lund in the laboratory at the Department of Food Science (FOOD) at the University of Copenhagen. Picture Lene Hundborg Koss
Researchers now know that food proteins undergo many changes during industrial processing, including, for example, drying and pasteurisation. However, they do not know enough about the underlying mechanisms for these changes, which may be important for both the quality of the food and human health. A new research project at the Department of Food Science (FOOD) at University of Copenhagen will now change this.
“The changes in the proteins affect the quality of food by altering, for example, taste, colour, odour and texture. They can be both positive and negative changes. Some of the changes can result in a loss of important amino acids and thus lead to a reduction in the nutritional value of the food, explains Associate Professor Marianne Nissen Lund, who is among this year’s recipients of a prestigious Sapere Aude grant from the Independent Research Fund Denmark.
The new methods will also make it easier to investigate what food processing means for our health.
“There is a lack of knowledge about how industrial food processing and storage affects human health and in order to figure this out, we need to determine how we can map the changes taking place with the proteins on the molecular level,” says Marianne Nissen Lund.
The background for the new research project is the discovery that changes in food proteins during industrial processing can be studied by online monitoring.
Fluorescence spectrum of milk. Picture: Associate Professor Åsmund Rinnan, Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen.
“We have discovered that, using advanced spectroscopic methods and multivariate analysis, we can follow the chemical reactions taking place with the proteins during processing and storage. We can measure directly in the food and get information about several types of chemical reactions at the same time and we can describe the reactions using multivariate data analysis, which we have great expertise in at the Department of Food Science,” says Marianne Nissen Lund.
Revolutionary potential
The methods have the potential to revolutionise the way the industry studies food quality, because they can be used directly on food and thus are much easier and faster to use than the methods currently being used.
Today, you have to process the sample first, i.e. you have to extract the proteins and break the sample down to the individual amino acids. The amino acid moieties must then be separated in order to select the part you want to accurately analyse. The various amino acid moieties can contain many different types of modifications and different analytical methods must be used to analyse all of the different types. All of these steps result in the loss of information.
“It is also a time-consuming process of processing the sample material, while advanced spectroscopy can be carried out directly in the food and without processing the sample,” says Marianne Nissen Lund.
The researchers will begin by examining proteins in milk as milk proteins are very well characterised and well described and are very important for, for example, the quality of infant formula, but the methods are broadly applicable and can be expanded to a wide range of foods.
Danish professor receives Japanese order for his research and communication
New lecture series at the Nordic Food Lab: Monday Aperitivo
By changing one detail you can improve the whole
Associate Professor Marianne Nissen Lund, Ins (FOOD), University of Coepnhagen, mnl@food.ku.dk
Communications Officer at the Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Lene Hundborg Koss, lene.h.koss@food.ku.dk
The new research project is called INSITUQUANT, which stands for ”In situ quantification of protein modifications in foods”.
INSITUQUANT will start on 1 January 2018 and will run for four years.
It is funded through a Sapere Aude research leader grant from the Independent Research Fund Denmark to Associate Professor Marianne Nissen Lund at the Department of Food Science (FOOD) and Biomedical Sciences (BMI) at the University of Copenhagen. The grant is for DKK 5.9 million.
Multivariate data analysis:
Multivariate data analysis (also called chemometrics) is a mathematical method for extracting accurate information from large amounts of data. The method makes it possible to find relationships in complex data.
Professor Joseph R. Lakowicz, University of Maryland, USA
Associate Professor Åsmund Rinnan, Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen
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Sections: Public Meetings Calendar
Sections: School Events
School Day Programs
Sections: About Forest Hill, School Information Files, Staff Directory
Sections: Shortened Days Calendar
Our school has a number of programs and staff dedicated to providing support to all students, including Special Day Classes (SDC) and Resource Specialist Programs (RSP).
We are committed to providing the resources and tools to make sure every student achieves at the highest levels. These specialized instruction programs ensure that all students are guaranteed an education that's truly beyond the expected.
Staff Spaces
Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, & Mathematics—is more than just the subjects in its name. It’s about blending those disciplines in ways that promote collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creative problem solving. Through STEAM students discover meaningful, creative and innovative ways to expand and connect interdisciplinary learning through experimentation and imagination. This will help them apply their learning to succeed in real world settings.
STEAM Spaces
Campbell Union School District is committed to providing our students an education that is beyond the expected. We have transformed a traditional classroom into a STEAM space that integrates science, technology, engineering, arts and math into cohesive instructional units that complement core curriculum. STEAM spaces can include anything from 3D printers to carts of computers and tablets, and all provide open spaces for student work and collaboration.
Technology continues to be a priority for CUSD. With the implementation of online assessments and the goal of creating 21st Century learners, students are getting more and more exposure to technology in their classrooms. Technology can come in the form of tablets, laptops, and access to presentation systems. In the last 2 years, CUSD has doubled the number of devices available to students and continues to add more. The district has purchased carts of Chromebooks and laptops for a 1:1 ratio in grades 2-8.
Sections: Technology Links
Technology Labs
Our school boasts an impressive number of technology labs and equipment. Teachers and students have access to over a dozen class-sized carts of technology, including iPads, Macbook Airs and Chromebooks. These carts move between classrooms during breaks and passing periods, saving valuable instructional minutes and providing students a comfortable atmosphere for collaborative work. If you're looking for more traditional technology labs, check out the Media Center with desktop workstations.
Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is the first of a two-year Kindergarten program designed especially for a unique group of students: those whose fifth birthday occurs between September 2 and December 2.
The curriculum bridges preschool and kindergarten, and includes specific strategies for supporting the unique social–emotional development and educational preparation for this group of young learners.
Download research about TK.
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DEVELOPMENT OF HIGHER FORESTRY EDUCATION IN BULGARIA
Milko Milev, Stefan Yurukov, Kiril Lyubenov, and Petar Zhelev
Faculty of Forestry, University of Forestry, 10, Kliment Ohridski blvd, 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mail: m_milev@abv.bg
(Forestry Ideas, 2010, Vol. 16, No. 2) [Download]
DIAMETER DISTRIBUTION MODEL FOR SCOTS PINE PLANTATIONS IN BULGARIA
Tatiana Stankova1,2 and Ulises Diéguez-Aranda1
1Department of Agroforestry Engineering, Higher Polytechnic School,University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain. E-mail: tatianastankova@yahoo.com
2Forest Research Institute – BAS, 132 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria.
The main objective of this study is to derive a diameter distribution model for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) plantations in Bulgaria, which predicts with high confidence the allocation pattern of the tree diameters from stand level variables. As the investigated stands showed predominantly unimodal distribution pattern, their diameter distributions were characterized by 2-parameter Weibull function. Six methods for its parameter estimation were examined: two methods for parameter recovery through moments (PRM_L and PRM_S), a method for parameter recovery through the stand basal area (PRM_B), two parameter prediction methods (PPM_NLS and PPM_MLE), and a modified parameter prediction method based on a mixed-effect model (PPM_Mixed). An empirical percentile model, not connected to a predefined functional form of the distribution, was fitted for comparison. The choice of the best performing model involved estimation of ranks based on Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Error Index values for goodness of fit evaluation, against a fit and a validation data sets. Two of the parameter recovery methods (PRM_L and PRM_S) and one of the parameter prediction methods (PPM_NLS) performed best, PRM_S being the overall outperformer and PRM_L being the simplest for application. The empirical percentile model ranked fourth and was not advantageous for representing diameter distributions of Scots pine plantations. The two best models derived (PRM_L and PRM_S) describe well the diameter allocation pattern of the Scots pine plantations in Bulgaria and can be applied to estimate the diameter distributions from stand level variables in a simple and reliable way.
COMPARATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT STUDIES OF HEAVY METAL POLLUTIONS IN BEECH FORESTS
Nadka Ignatova and Sonya Damyanova
Department of Plant Pathology and Chemistry, Faculty of Ecology and Landscape Architecture, University of Forestry, Sofia, 10 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mail: nadia_ignatova@abv.bg
Beech forests in the Western part of Bulgaria have been monitored in order to assess the risk of harmful effects of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) pollution by means of Critical Loads calculations and their exceedances by real deposition. Critical loads of Pb and Cd for two sites (Vitinya and Petrohan) have been determined using the ″Steady State Mass Balance″ method based on the heavy metal uptake by the biomass and the leaching of the metals in the root zone. Real deposition of Pb and Cd was measured every two weeks during a one-year period by collecting the throughfall in plastic collectors (6 for each site). All samples have been analysed for their Pb and Cd content using atomic emission spectroscopy. The same method has been applied for measuring the content of Pb and Cd in the wood of beech trees. Fluxes of leaching water were measured in grid cells of 10 x 10 km for the entire country. The results obtained show that the critical loads of both Pb and Cd are lower for the Vitinya site demonstrating the higher sensitivity of beech to the pollution of heavy metals in comparison with the Petrohan site. In addition the real deposition of Pb and Cd has been higher at the Vitinya site. Although there were no exceedances of critical loads of Pb for both sites, additional deposition in the future will lead to a sooner exceedance of the critical load at the Vitinya site as compared to the Petrohan site. We conclude that the beech forest at the Vitinya site is at risk of damages by Cd pollution whereas the beech forest at the Petrohan site is more tolerant to heavy metal pollution due to its higher critical loads.
THE USEFULNESS OF TIME SERIES ANGLE-COUNT FOREST INVENTORY DATA IN ASSESSING FOREST GROWTH MODEL ACCURACY
Chris Stuart Eastaugh and Hubert Hasenauer
Universität für Bodenkultur (BOKU) Institute of Silviculture. Peter Jordan Strasse 82, A-1190 Vienna, Austria. E-mail: cseastaugh@yahoo.com.au
Forest policy and forest carbon accounting systems must be underpinned by appropriately accurate information, yet such information is often difficult and expensive to collect. This has led to the promotion of more cost-efficient forest sampling methodologies, and to the rise of modeling as a means to predict or interpolate changes to forest conditions in response to various stimuli. The accuracy of such modeling is usually determined through comparison with field data, often collected at a relatively limited number of sites.
Large bodies of relevant forest data are collected in National Forest Inventories, but there are inherent methodological problems in using this NFI data for model validation, particularly if such data is collected using angle-count sampling. Angle-count sampling has the advantage of being a relatively fast and cheap method of collecting forest data, but it is generally considered that at least four samples should be taken at a site for the results to be usefully precise. Some NFIs however take only a single angle-count sample at each fixed sampling point. Although at a broad scale these results may give useful figures, their usefulness at the plot scale is severely limited, especially if the intent is to judge plot timber volume increments or prepare forest carbon budgets. The availability of a time series does however allow for some statistical correction to single angle-count estimations. This study demonstrates the statistical uncertainties in using angle-count time series, and develops a method of reducing such 0 to a level that angle-count NFI data may be usefully used for comparisons with forest models.
Analysis of energy WOOD chips
production in Slovakia
Valéria Messingerová1*, Miroslav Stanovský1**, Stanimir Stoilov2, and Michal Ferenćik1***
1Department of Forest Exploitation and Mechanization, Technical University in Zvolen, Faculty of Forestry, 24 T. G. Masaryka St., 960 53 Zvolen, Slovakia. *E-mail: messin@vsld.tuzvo.sk; **E-mail: stanov@vsld.tuzvo.sk; ***E-mail: ferencik@vsld.tuzvo.sk
2Department of Technologies and Mechanization of Forestry, University of Forestry, 10 St. Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria. E-mail: stoilovs@ltu.bg
The aim of this study is to evaluate the wood chips production as fuel for energy sector in the State Forests Enterprise of Slovak Republic logging conditions. Working operations of primary transport are analyzed – ground-based skidding systems that drag or carry logs from stump to landing, transportation of energy wood chips in containers. The main result of the research is the possibility to optimize the energy wood chips transportation methods from environmental and economical point of view. The paper deals with the knowledge and experience of increasing the value of less valuable wood from thinnings.
Forestry Ideas, 2018, Vol. 24, No 2 ( 10 )
Forestry Ideas, 2018, Vol. 24, No 1 ( 6 )
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Ring’s Co-Founder Rebuts Concerns About Security of Connected Home Devices
BriefingDonald Trump
Michael Cohen to Assert 5th Amendment Right Against Self-Incrimination in Stormy Daniels Lawsuit
Michael Cohen, U.S. President Donald Trump's personal attorney, walks to the Loews Regency hotel on Park Ave on April 13, 2018 in New York City. Yana Paskova—Getty Images
President Donald Trump’s long-term lawyer Michael Cohen said he will assert his constitutional right against self-incrimination in the lawsuit by adult-film star Stormy Daniels because of the ongoing criminal investigation against him.
Cohen filed a declaration in federal court in Los Angeles Wednesday after a judge said at a hearing last week that he won’t put the case on hold unless he hears from Cohen himself rather than his lawyers.
Federal investigators are looking, among other things, at the $130,000 Cohen paid Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, in 2016 to guarantee her silence about the alleged affair she had with Trump.
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Materials Sciences and Applications
Vol.4 No.11(2013), Article ID:39746,6 pages DOI:10.4236/msa.2013.411089
Electrodeposition and Characterization of Cu(In, Al)Se2 for Applications in Thin Film Tandem Solar Cells
Omar Meglali1, Nadhir Attaf2, Assia Bouraiou3*, Mohamed Salah Aida2
1Sciences Faculty, Mohamed Boudiaf University, M’sila, Algeria; 2Thin Films and Interfaces Laboratory, Department of Physics, Mentouri University, Constantine, Algeria; 3Sciences and Technologies Faculty, Ziane Achour University, Djelfa, Algeria.
Email: *a_bouraiou@yahoo.fr
Copyright © 2013 Omar Meglali et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Received September 20th, 2012; revised October 22nd, 2013; accepted November 9th, 2013
Keywords: Electrodeposition; Cu(In, Al)Se2; Thin Film
Cu(In, Al)Se2 thin films were prepared by electrodeposition from the aqueous solution consisting of CuCl2, InCl3, AlCl3 and SeO2 onto ITO coated glass substrates. The as-deposited films were annealed under vacuum for 30 min at temperature ranging between 200˚C and 400˚C. The structural, composition, morphology, optical band gap and electrical resistivity of elaborated thin films were studied, respectively using x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive analysis of x-ray, scanning electron microscopy, UV spectrophotometer and four-point probe method. The lattice constant and structural parameters viz. crystallite size, dislocation density and strain of the films were also calculated. After vacuum annealing, x-ray diffraction results revealed that all films were polycrystalline in nature and exhibit chalcopyrite structure with (112) as preferred orientation. The film annealed at 350˚C showed the coexistence of CIASe and InSe phases. The average crystallite size increases linearly with annealing temperature, reaching a maximum value for 350˚C. The films show a direct allowed band gap which increases from 1.59 to 1.78 eV with annealing temperature. We have also found that the electrical resistivity of films is controlled by the carrier concentration rather than by their mobility.
One of the main challenges in photovoltaic research is the development of lower cost and higher conversion efficiency devices. This primary objective can be achieved by using tandem solar cell structures. For the thin film tandem cell, the top cell requires a wide band gap absorber layer with optical band gap in the range 1.7 - 1.9 eV whereas the bottom cell requires an absorber layer with a band gap around 1.1 eV [1]. Fabrication of thin film tandem cell gets relatively simplified if the desired band gap semiconductor absorber layers for the top and bottom cells can be obtained from a single ternary or quaternary alloy system by varying the alloy composition suitably [1].
Cu(In, Al)Se2, abbreviated as CIASe, is considered as an quaternary interesting absorber material for the wide band gap cell in the thin film tandem structures, because it requires smaller relative alloy concentration than gallium (Cu(In, Ga)Se2) or sulphur (CuIn(S, Se)2) alloys to achieve comparable band gap. Furthermore, the aluminum is a much cheaper and abundant material [2]. The optical band gap of Cu(In1−xAlx)Se2 semiconductor can be controlled from 1 eV (for x = 0) to 2.7 eV (for x = 1) by the partial replacement of indium by aluminum [3,4]. The conversion efficiency has already exceeded 16.9% using CIASe material as absorber layer in solar cell [5]. These progresses open up new perspectives.
The CIASe thin films have been prepared by various methods such as chemical vapor transport [6], evaporation [1,7], selenization of evaporated precursors [8] chemical bath deposition [1], pulsed laser deposition [9], electrodeposition [10], etc. Amongst them, electrodeposition is an appealing technique that offers low-cost equipment, high deposition speed and possibility of large-area polycrystalline films deposition. In the present work, Cu(In, Al)Se2 films have been deposited on the indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate by one step electrodeposition process using two electrodes system. After vacuum annealing of the as-deposited samples, they have been characterized by using XRD, SEM, optical absorption and electrical resistivity. The relationship between the properties of the Cu(In, Al)Se2 films and the annealing temperature is also studied.
2. Experimental
In the present work, electrochemical experiments were carried out in a simple two-electrode cell configuration with a indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrate as a working electrode (area 5 mm × 15 mm), and a palatine sheet as the counter electrode. The electrode position bath containing 10 mM CuCl2, 20 mM InCl3, 20 mM AlCl3 and 20 mM SeO2 dissolved in de-ionized water. The pH of the solution was adjusted to 2.6. Deposition was carried out at a room temperature, without stirring the solution. The as-deposited films were annealed under vacuum for 30 min at temperature ranging between 200˚C and 400˚C.
The crystalline structure of the resulting films was analyzed by means of x-ray diffractometer using CuKα radiation of wavelength λ = 1.5418 Å. Since no standard files are available for CIASe material, standard file of CuInSe2 was used to identify Cu(In, Al)Se2 elaborated films. The crystallite size Cs, was estimated from the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the diffraction peak by using Scherr’s formula [11].
The surface morphology of the films was investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The optical transmittance of the films was recorded using UV-VisNIR spectrophotometer (Shimadzu UV-3101) at room temperature in the wavelength range of 350 - 1500 nm in steps of 2 nm. An identical ITO coated glass substrate was used as reference for recording the optical absorption spectra.
The thicknesses of the films were measured by means of a DEKTAK 3030 surface profile system. Electrical resistivity of the films was determined using four point probe method.
The x-ray diffraction pattern of the as-deposited film, before annealing, is shown in Figure 1. The XRD spectra appear the peaks correspond to the most intense peaks of ITO phase [12]. It is noted that before annealing we have observed only the XRD patterns related to the ITO phase. This indicates that the as deposited films are amorphous in nature or are composed with micro crystallite that cannot be detected.
The EDAX pattern for the as deposited films is given in Figure 2. The spectrum shows the typical emission lines of copper (CuL), indium (InL), aluminum (AlK) and selenium (SeL) elements in the investigated energy range. On the other hand, the appearance of silicon (SiK), oxygen (OK) and tin (SnL) peaks comes mainly from the
Figure 1. x-ray diffraction pattern of the as deposited thin film (before annealing).
Figure 2. EDAX pattern of the as deposited film.
ITO coated glass substrate.
The x-ray diffraction patterns of the elaborated thin films, after annealing at different temperature are shown in Figures 3(a)-(d). All specimens are composed of polycrystalline CIASe and ITO phases, and no distinct peaks particular to CuInSe2 and CuAlSe2 are detected. Thereafter, the annealing results in changing CIASe films from amorphous to polycrystalline structure.
The XRD spectra appear the peaks located at 2θ ≈ 26.78˚ and 45.19˚. The present XRD pattern is most satisfactorily indexed on the basis of the chalcopyrite structure of CuInSe2 phase. The last peaks are the three most intense peaks for CIASe phase in its chalcopyrite structure [13], they correspond respectively to the (112) and (204)/(220) planes. The presences of these most intense reflections confirm the chalcopyrite structure of CIASe material.
Figure 4 shows the XRD patterns of the CIASe films near (112) diffraction peak. As can be seen from this
Figure 3. x-ray diffraction patterns of Cu(In, Al)Se2 films annealed at different temperature, (a) 200˚C; (b) 250˚C; (c) 350˚C; and (d) 400˚C. Symbols Ä, ¨, O indicated ITO, CIASe and InSe phases.
Figure 4. XRD scans reflecting only a section of the scan 22˚ to 30˚ for CIASe films, the vertical solid lines indicated respectively the position of (112) peak for CuInSe2 and CuAlSe2 materials.
figure, the position of (112) peak lies between that of CuInSe2 and CuAlSe2. The shift of (112) peak towards higher angles is due to incorporation of aluminum into chalcopyrite lattice. On the other hand, in addition to the CIASe reflection peaks, the film annealed at 350˚C exhibited some additional peaks situated at 2θ ≈ 26.03˚, 29.11˚ and 67.24˚ (Figures 3(d) and 4(d)), these peaks are attributed to InSe binary phase [14]. The appearance of InSe as secondary phase with the main Cu(In, Al)Se2 phase indicating an In-rich film.
The intensity of (112) peak as a function of the annealing temperature is shown in Figure 5. The intensity of (112) peak firstly shows an increasing tendency, reaching a maximum value for the film annealed at 250˚C then it decreases with annealing temperature. As announced above, this phenomenon can be related to the formation of InSe secondary phase which may hinder the growth of CIASe2 phase.
The average crystallite size, Cs of the films was calculated from the broadening of the x-ray peak using the well known Scherrer’s equation [11]
In which, l is the wavelength of the x-radiation, β is the full width at half maximum (FWHM) in radians of the main peak of the XRD spectrum corrected for instrumental broadening, and 2θ is the diffraction angle. Here, the Cs values, calculated from the (112) reflection of the chalcopyrite CIASe phase. The obtained results versus the annealing temperature are reported in Figure 6. We noted that, the average crystallite size increase linearly with annealing temperature, reaching a maximum value for 350˚C and then shows a decreasing tendency with annealing temperature from 350˚C to 400˚C.
The degree of preferential orientation in the films RI, was estimated from the XRD pattern as the ratio between the peak intensity of the most intensive (112) peak and the sum of intensities of all peaks [15]. It is found that the intensity ratio, RI, is ranged between 0.6 and 0.7; this shows the high degree of preferred orientation towards (112) direction for all deposited films. The obtained values are in the same range than that for CuInSe2 reported elsewhere [16].
Figure 5. Variation of (112) peak intensity as a function of annealing temperature.
Figure 6. Variation of crystallite size versus annealing temperature.
The lattice constants (a and c), the dislocation density δ and the strain є in the films were calculated using the same scheme as described in ref. [17]; the obtained results are depicted in Table 1. The obtained values of the lattice constants are in good agreement with the results published in the literature. The lattice parameters of CuIn0.3Al0.7Se2 were reported by Bharath Kumar Reddy et al. [1] like a = 0.572 nm and c = 1.128 nm, and they were reported by Sugiyama et al. [18] a = 5.73 Å and c = 11.40 Å for CuIn0.74Al0.26Se2 films.
The morphology of the resulted films for different annealing temperature is shown in Figures 7(a)-(d). The SEM images point out that the annealing temperature has a marked influence on the morphology films. The image of the film annealed at 200˚C shows a smooth and good uniform morphology without visible pores. However, the films annealed at 250˚C and 350˚C (Figures 7(b) and (c)) are characterized by the presence respectively of a more irregular structure and relatively large spherical grain embedded on the surface of the compact structure. From Figure 7(d), it was observed that the film annealed at 400˚C is smooth, homogenous and densely packed.
It is well known that CIASe material is a direct band gap semiconductor [19,20]. For direct band gap semiconductor, the optical band gap was deduced from the linear plot of the square of the absorption coefficient (Figures 8(a)-(d)) versus the photon energy (hν) near the band edge using the following relationship.
Here, C, h, and υ represent a constant depending on the transition nature, Plank’s constant and frequency of the incident radiation.
The absorption coefficient α in the region of the fundamental absorption could be evaluated from the mea-
Table 1. The structural characteristics of CIASe films annealed at different temperature; a and c the lattice constants, δ the dislocation density and e the strain.
Figure 7. SEM images of Cu(In, Al)Se2 thin films annealed at (a) 200˚C; (b) 250˚C; (c) 350˚C; and (d) 400˚C.
Figure 8. Dependence of the parameter on radiation energy (hν) related to annealing temperature (a) 200˚C; (b) 250˚C; (c) 350˚C; and (d) 400˚C.
surements of transmittance T and film thickness d using the relation:
On the other hand, at low absorption levels, the absorption coefficient is described by the Urbach formula. The inverse of the slope from plot of ln(α) versus hυ gives the value of Urbach energy E00 [21]. The average thickness of the films was in the around of 1 µm.
The band gap energy Eg and the Urbach energy E00 versus the annealing temperature are shown in Figure 9. As can be seen, the variation of the band gap energy is opposite to the Urbach energy, similar observations have been reported by earlier workers [22].
The decrease of the Urbach energy is attributed to the decrease of the degree of structural disorder upon annealing of the films [23]. On the other hand, the band gap energy is an increasing function with annealing temperature and it ranging between 1.59 - 1.78 eV.
Two different slopes were observed in the Figure 8(c) indicating that two different optical transitions occur for this film. The optical band gaps value due to the additional transition in the case of this later film is found to 1.36 eV. As the optical band gap of InSe reported by De Blasi et al. was 1.32 eV [24] and according to the above XRD analysis which confirmed the mixed phases (CIASe and InSe) in the film annealed at 350˚C, this additional optical transition is attributed to InSe phase.
The obtained values are in good agreement with the results published in the literature. Dhananjay et al. [7], reported the band gaps of Ea = 1.51 and 1.73 eV respectively for CuIn0.5Al0.5Se2 and CuIn0.35Al0.65Se2.
Figure 10 shows the electrical resistivity measurements of the CIASe films as a function of annealing temperature. Films exhibited a range of resistivity varying from (4.12 ± 0.02) × 10−2 to (1.66 ± 0.18) Ωcm. The films annealed at 200˚C and 250˚C had low electrical resistivity, this can be traced back to the remaining of metallic layers that have note completely reacted during annealing and which cannot detected by XRD investigation [19]. On the author hand, we found that the pace of the electrical resistivity according to the annealing temperature is similar to that of the crystallite size, thus we inferred that the films resistivity is controlled by the carrier concentration rather than by their mobility. The obtained data are in good agreement with the values reported by earlier workers [25].
We have grown Cu(In, Al)Se2 thin films onto ITO coated glass substrate using a one-step electrodeposition process. We have found that the structural, morphological, optical and electrical resistivity of CIASe films is greatly in-
Figure 9. Variation of the band gap energy Eg and the Urbach energy E00 versus annealing temperature.
Figure 10. A plot of the electrical resistivity of CIASe films versus annealing temperature.
fluenced by the annealing temperature. The presence of Cu, In, Al and Se in the deposited film was confirmed by EDAX analysis. Polycrystalline CIASe thin films crystallizing in the chalcopyrite structure with the preferential orientation in the (112) plane were obtained. The film annealed at 350˚C showed with the main CIASe chalcopyrite phase and the InSe as secondary phase. The average crystallite size increases linearly with annealing temperature reaching a maximum value for 350˚C. The band gap energy of films is found to increase from 1.59 to 1.78 eV with annealing temperature.
The results derived from the present study suggest that the elaborated CIASe films can be useful as a top absorber layer in tandem solar cells.
Y. B. K. Reddy and V. S. Raja, “Preparation and Characterization of CuIn0.3Al0.7Se2 Thin Films for Tandem Solar Cells,” Solar Energy Material and Solar Cells, Vol. 90, No. 11, 2006, pp. 1656-1665. doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2005.09.002
B. Kavitha and M. Dhanam, “In and Al Composition in Na-no-Cu(InAl)Se2 Thin Films from XRD and Transmittance Spectra,” Materials Science and Engineering B, Vol. 140, No. 1-2, 2007, pp. 59-63. doi:10.1016/j.mseb.2007.03.011
T. Hayashi, T. Minemoto, G. Zoppi, I. Forbes, K. Tanaka, S. Yamada, T. Araki and H. Takakura, “Effect of Composition Gradient in Cu(In,Al)Se2 Solar Cells,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 93, No. 6-7, 2009, pp. 922-925. doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2008.11.007
D. C. Perng, J. W. Chen and C. J. Wu, “Formation of CuInAlSe2with Double Graded Band Gap Using Mo(Al) Back Contact,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 95, No. 1, 2011, pp. 257-260. doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2010.04.046
S. Marsillac, P. D. Paulson, M. W. Haimbodi, R. W. Birkmire and W. N. Shafarman, “High-Efficiency Solar Cells Based on Cu(InAl)Se2 Thin Films,” Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 81, No. 7, 2002, pp. 1350-1352. doi:10.1063/1.1499990
N. Kuroishi, K. Mochizuki and K. Kimoto, “Surface Oxidation of CVT-Grown CuAlSe2,” Materials Letters, Vol. 57, No. 13-14, 2003, pp. 1949-1954. doi:10.1016/S0167-577X(02)01110-2
Dhananjay, J. Nagaraju and S. B. Krupanidhi, “Structural and Optical Properties of CuIn1−xAlxSe2 Thin Films Prepared by Four-Source Elemental Evaporation,” Solid State Communications Vol. 127, No. 3, 2003, pp. 243- 246. doi:10.1016/S0038-1098(03)00389-2
S. Martin and C. Guillen, “Characterization of Chalcopyrite Cu(In,Al)Se2 Thin Films Grown by Selenization of Evaporated Precursors,” Energy Procedia, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2011, pp. 182-186. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2011.10.174
K. H. Kim and Fianti, “Growth of Single-Phase CuInAlSe2 Thin Films by Using Pulsed Laser Deposition and Selenization,” Journal of the Korean Physical Society, Vol. 60, No. 12, 2012, pp. 2001-2006. doi:10.3938/jkps.60.2001
D. Prasher, R. Sharma, A. Sharma and P. Rajaram, “CuIn1−XAlXSe2 Thin Films Grown By Electrodeposition,” Proceedings of the 55th dae Solid State Physics Symposium, Manipal, 26-30 December 2010, pp. 597-598. doi: 10.1063/1.3605999
L. I. Malssel and R. Glang, “Handbook of Thin Film Technology,” McGraw Hill Book Company, New York, 1970.
International Center for Diffraction Data, ICDD, PDF2 Database, File Number 76-0152 for In2O3.
International Center for Diffraction Data, ICDD, PDF2 Database, File Number 40-1487 for CuInSe2.
International Center for Diffraction Data, ICDD, PDF2 Database, File Number 73-0609 for InSe.
J. Muller, J. Nowoczin and H. Schmitt, “Composition, Structure and Optical Properties of Sputtered Thin Films of CuInSe2,” Thin Solid Films, Vol. 496, No. 2, 2006, pp. 364-370. doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2005.09.077
A. Bouraiou, M. S. Aida, E. Tomasella and N. Attaf, “ITO Substrat Resistivity Effect on the Properties of CuInSe2 Deposited Using Two-Electrode System,” Journal of Material Science, Vol. 44, No. 5, 2009, pp. 1241-1244. doi:10.1007/s10853-009-3252-y
M. Dhanam, P. K. Manoj and R. R. Prabhu, “High-Temperature Conductivity in Chemical Bath Deposited Copper Selenide Thin Films,” Journal of Cristal Growth, Vol. 280, No. 3-4, 2005, pp. 425-435. doi:10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2005.01.111
M. Sugiyama, A. Umezawa, T. Yasuniwa , A. Miyama, H. Nakanishi and S. F. Chichibu, “Growth of Single-Phase Cu(In,Al)Se2 Photoabsorbing Films by Selenization Using Diethylselenide,” Thin Solid Films, Vol. 517, No. 7, 2009, pp. 2175-2177. doi: 10.1016/j.tsf.2008.10.083
E. Halgand, J. C. Bernède, S. Marsillac and J. Kessler, “Physico-Chemical Characterisation of Cu(In,Al)Se2 Thin Film for Solar Cells Obtained by a Selenisation Process,” Proceedings of Symposium O on Thin Film Chalcogenide Photovoltaic Materials, EMRS 2004 Conference, Strasbourg, 24-28 May 2004, pp. 443-446. doi: 10.1016/j.tsf.2004.11.039
J. Lopez-Garcia, C. Maffiotte and C. Guillen, “WideBandgap CuInx-1AlxSe2 Thin Films Deposited on Transparente Conducting Oxides,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 94, No. 7, 2010, pp. 1263-1269. doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2010.03.022
F. Urbach, “The Long-Wavelength Edge of Photographic Sensitivity and of the Electronic Absorption of Solids,” Physical Review, Vol. 92, No. 5, 1953, p. 1324. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.92.1324
H. Moualkia, S. Hariech, M. S. Aida, N. Attaf and L. Laifa, “Growth and Physical Properties of CdS Thin Films Prepared by Chemical Bath Deposition,” Journal of physics D: Applied Physics, Vol. 42, No. 13, 2009, Article ID: 135404. doi:10.1088/0022-3727/42/13/135404
B. Pejova, “The Urbach—Martienssen Absorption Tails in the Optical Spectra of Semiconducting Variable-Sized Zinc Selenide and Cadmium Selenide Quantum Dots in Thin Film Form,” Materials Chemistry and Physics, Vol. 119, No. 3, 2010, pp. 367-376. doi: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2009.08.064
C. de Blasi, G. Micocci, S. Mongelli and A. Tepore, “Large InSe Single Crystals Grown From Stoichiometric and Non-Stoichiometric Melts,” Journal of Cristal Growth, Vol. 57, No. 3, 1982, pp. 482-486. doi:10.1016/0022-0248(82)90062-8
Y. B. K. Reddy and V. S. Raja, “Preparation and Characterization of CuIn0.75Al0.25Se2 Thin Films by Co-Evaporation,” Physica B, Vol. 381, No. 1-2, 2006, pp. 76-81. doi:10.1016/j.physb.2005.12.256
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“What’s Your Secret?”: Eight Sundance Directors on Short Filmmaking and the Festival Circuit
by Meredith Alloway
Anu Valia, Bernardo Britto, Calvin Reeder, Francisca Alegria, Garrett Bradley, Makoto Nagahisa, Renata Gasiorowska, Short Film, Sol Friedman, Sundance Film Festival 2017
“Do you have a film in the festival?”
The first thing people say to you when they meet you at a festival is usually this question. And for many of us, the answer is a negative. We’ve emptied our bank accounts, called out of our day jobs, skipped out on weekends upstate or by the beach to work on beckoning projects. And when we get rejected by a film festival, it can feel like those sacrifices and hard work were for naught.
For new filmmakers like us, festivals, along with a good online distribution plan, are a coveted way to get exposure. And with the number of epic buys at Sundance this year from Amazon, Netflix, etc, and the branded content and commercial work new directors can get after their premieres, festivals can also be a way to morph a passion for filmmaking into something resembling a profession — i.e., something with an income.
After attending the Sundance Film Festival last month, I found myself exhausted by my answer to this “Do you have a film in the festival” question. I did not. I had a short film, my first, in hand but not handed off. I’m pretty hard on myself and, regretfully, had high expectations. Ya’ll feel me? It’s hard not to when you have an amazing team, a story you’re deeply passionate about and over 100 people who supported you on a crowdfunding campaign. No matter where you are in your career as a filmmaker, you’re always going to want your film to do well, and it’s probably going to be stressful. If you don’t, well, we should talk because that’ll be a first.
Instead of looking inward and overanalyzing what I’m doing right or wrong in the process of getting my film out there (and how I made it in the first place), I decided to reach out to eight other shorts filmmakers who have had their work in Sundance and beyond. Many of them have also made features, but I wanted to focus solely on their shorts, asking questions my filmmaking pals, at all levels of experience, and I wrack our brains about. I wanted to debunk some of the myths around what it means to play your film in a prestigious film festival and how one gets to that point. To be cliche, it’s all about the journey, not the destination, however easy it is to invest in the latter.
I also preface this piece with the notion that not every film should focus so much on playing the festival circuit. There are a number of other ways to get exposure due to the frontier of new online media. But for those of you who do want to tackle the festival circuit, here goes digging into this whole crazy process with some stellar people. (And click on their links to view their work.)
What’s your secret?
Makoto Nagahisa: (And so we put goldfish in the pool, ’17 Sundance Short Film Grand Jury Prize): To be stressed. By doing things I don’t like, and talking to people I don’t like, I accumulate stress, and so build up the desire to release it, to produce something with it.
Bernardo Britto: Submit animated short films to film festivals that aren’t known for animation. I think ‘animated short’ is probably the least competitive section in most film festivals. I’m only half joking.
Anu Valia: (Lucia, Before and After, ’17 Sundance Short Film Jury Award): I have so many secrets! Who doesn’t? The most interesting things about a person are their secrets. I won’t share a personal secret, but I’ll share something in regards to filmmaking. It’s my opinion that one of the most difficult things about making a film is keeping the tone consistent. You’re trying to create a full experience for a viewer, and the first part of that is creating an environment, a tone. If you can constantly remind yourself that this is your sole goal, then I believe you’re taking care of the hardest part.
Francisca Alegria: (And the Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye, 17’ Sundance Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction): Telepathy… and very serious humor.
Gasiorowska: “I don’t think or analyze too much while making up a story and writing. I’m honest.”
Calvin Reeder: ( The Procedure, ’16 Sundance Short Film Jury Prize: Fiction): Just try to keep it brief and original. Longer shorts are hard to get programmed. My two most successful shorts (festival wise) were three mins and eight mins, respectively. And in both cases I didn’t think very hard, the ideas just kinda came to me and I trusted it.
What’s the best way to fund your films?
Sol Friedman: (Bacon & God’s Wrath, ’16 Sundance Short Film Jury Prize: Non-Fiction; Day 40, ’14 AFI Fest): As a Canadian, I’ve been fortunate to have access to funding from several arts organizations.
Reeder: For short films, I think Kickstarter is a miracle. As long as you are realistic about what you can raise, I think it’s the best possible avenue if you aren’t wealthy. When I first started, Kickstarter didn’t exist. Back then, first step to any film related endeavor was to empty your bank account then try to find a producer who is as crazy as you to do the same.
How do you build relationships with programmers at festivals you want to screen at without being obnoxious or creepy?
Garrett Bradley: (Alone, 17’ Sundance Short Film Jury Award: Non-fiction; Like, ’16 SXSW): If you’re offering something you care about and think a festival would appreciate it, I think that’s all you can really do. They’re looking for the best possible work, and you’re looking for the best possible venue. I think you want to come from a place of being gracious and genuinely enthusiastic about that partnership.
Britto: Don’t. Only build relationships with programmers if you think they’re cool and would like to be friends with them. don’t do it if you’re just trying to get them to accept you at a festival.
Alegria: The first thing for me is to start conceiving this relationship in different terms. If you approach a programmer only because you want to screen a specific film at their festival, it’s not appealing to them. I would certainly not be interested in someone that approaches me just to get something out of me. I feel like the fear of not being acknowledged, and this very palpable thirst for success, makes people act in inconsiderate ways. Programers are a fundamental piece of the film industry. They curate the selections of films that will set the trend for the years to come. They do this because they love film and they believe in the importance of this art form. They go through a thorough process to bring the best works to the surface, for the world to see. So I feel it’s very unconscious-like to approach them without acknowledging all of these aspects of their work and experience. Once you approach them with this in mind, you can arrive to a natural base for a relationship, like natural human beings. I hope this doesn’t sound too vague, but to me this is just life. The film industry is much alike any other industry, where people like connecting through a common philosophy and passion.
Did you submit your film completely finished? Is it a faux pas to submit an unfinished short to a festival?
Alegria: I did. I don’t think it is a strictly bad choice, but I would suggest to submit a film that has all of the elements working already. If it’s a matter of color correction and fine tuning the sound, I would do it. If you aren’t sure and feel the film needs more editing, I would hold back and keep working before I release it into the world. This is just my gut. I am sure some great films have been submitted and accepted without being completed.
Britto: Usually I submit a rough version but the story and the edit are locked. Just sound design and color correction and things like that are what still need doing. I think programmers are smart enough to be able to watch rough cuts and imagine what the finished film will be like.
Can shorts be monetized or should you go into the process not expecting a return?
Bradley: That question applies to art in general. I’ve learned to expect something in return only because it positively contributes to future work, but it shouldn’t incentivize what you’re making.
Gasiorowska: I never expect that, and I wouldn’t think about it during the process. I just focus on making a movie. And if I win a money award or the film earns money, it is always such a nice surprise.
What failures did you go through before the success?
Britto: Lots and lots and lots of rejections from film festivals. The people who can make it past all the initial rejections are the people who end up achieving some sort of success later on.
Alegria: Many! From directing specific scenes that were a disaster, to short films that had an interesting atmosphere, but just didn’t work as a story. I am of the philosophy that you learn the most through failure, so these attempts have been fundamental for my learning experience. I know exactly what I did wrong (as a writer, director, editor, but also through certain personal choices, and I know I won’t repeat them in the future.
Did you go through a phase where you thought your film was complete crap? If so, how’d you pull yourself out of it?
Renata Gasiorowska: (Pussy, ’17 Sundance Film Festival): Every time! I’m in this phase right now with my newest film! It’s a signal to take a break and come back with a fresh mind & view after some time.
What’s something you know now, after making a handful of shorts, that you would tell yourself on your first one?
Friedman: That editing is most important. These days I’m thinking about editing as early as first drafts.
Gasiorowska: Try to keep it simple. Don’t worry that everyone will see all the little defects in a film, because really, only you can see them. I don’t know, I feel like I’m repeating these mistakes again anyway! Still learning.
Reeder: Shot list!
How did your short serve as a launching pad for other projects, or how did it not? On to a feature?
Britto: It showed people what I was capable of, but then people think that particular thing is the only type of thing you’re capable of.
Alegria: My short film explores a language that is transversal to the features that I am working on right now, so it has been helpful for producers, financiers, etc. to see this language and understand the very specific world I am pursuing in my future work.
Nagahisa: It helped me stand in a position to start making a feature film — both as an environment, but also emotionally. I’m going to jump higher.
Friedman: I’ve gotten some really interesting meetings as a result of the exposure from Sundance. And since my background is not in documentary (more in animation/comedy), it opened a few doors that I probably wouldn’t have spent much time considering otherwise.
Reeder: Launching pad sounds a little dramatic but it has been helpful in getting work. My last two films to play Sundance were features The Oregonian in 2011 and The Rambler in 2013. After the festivals, industry folks really don’t wanna watch entire feature films so if you can show off your vision in 3mins that will open a lot of doors. In some ways “The Procedure” has been better for me than my features which is oddly painful to admit.
Valia: I made this short in part because I wanted to make something while I’ve been trying to get my feature, We Strangers, off the ground. We Strangers also deals with a woman trying to get an abortion, but it more focuses on the lives of four women in my hometown in Indiana.
Who was your biggest champion?
Valia: My dad is my biggest fan, and I think it’s safe to say that he knows more about movies than any other geologist in America. Additionally, there are a few professors at NYU who still lend a helpful voice when I am in need.
Alegria: Many people have supported me throughout this process. It started with my Columbia Professors and peers, to whom I owe a lot. If I had to name one person, this is Eric Mendelsohn, my thesis advisor at Columbia University. He is an outstanding filmmaker, a passionate professor and generous friend.
Reeder: Sundance by a mile. They’ve played three shorts of mine plus the aforementioned features. I also got into their episodic labs this year for a pilot I wrote. That said, I have been rejected a lot from there too. In fact, they rejected my other film The Bulb the same year The Procedure won that prize (2016). We played Slamdance with The Bulb. It was a blast.
Britto: Too many people to name. All my good friends that I went to film school with, all my Borscht fam in Miami. Landon Zakheim, Claudette Godfrey, Dilcia Barrera and lots of great other programmers who supported my work at the beginning. Also my parents and John Canemaker, my animation professor at NYU. I could list so many more people.
Nagahisa: Luis Buñuel. I’d like to work on blurring the line between the audience and film. And I’d like to outdo Bunuel. I will outdo him.
Friedman: My wife, Sarah Clifford-Rashotte, has been on the front lines on all my projects, often as producer, and always as a supporter.
Gasiorowska: My boyfriend, who was making me food when I was sitting in my animator’s cave, drawing and making my film!
Bradley: I’m lucky to have friends and family that I get support from in different ways and I, in turn, try to provide the same for them. Artists need support and love and encouragement. It’s a full circle.
Adapt or Die: 13 Steps to Adapting a Film from Something Else By Dan Mirvish on Oct 10, 2013
FCP X and the Future of Editing By David Leitner on Nov 19, 2012
A Look at the New Blackmagic Design Cameras By Jamie Stuart on Aug 9, 2013
Paul Mazursky Loves Talking To Women By Stacie Passon on Jan 14, 2013
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Financial Forensics & Investigations Group
Expert Financial Forensics Firm
320 S. Boston Ave. #1504
Lopp to Serve on National American Institute of CPAs Accredited in Business Valuation Credential Committee
CHRISTOPHER LOPP TO SERVE ON NATIONAL AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CPAS ACCREDITED IN BUSINESS VALUATION CREDENTIAL COMMITTEE
TULSA, OK (July 11, 2019) – Financial Forensics and Investigations Group is proud to announce its founder, Christopher Lopp, will serve on the American Institute of CPAs’ (AICPA) Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) Credential Committee for the 2019-2020 year.
The national ABV Credential Committee helps develop and maintain the qualification requirements and exam for credential applicants. In this role, Lopp will serve as a technical advisor for education offerings, assist in developing and maintaining efforts to recruit and retain credential holders; and work to raise awareness of the ABV credential and the credential holder’s role in valuation services.
Lopp is a financial forensics expert who provides litigation support and expert witness services, specializing in business valuations, commercial damages calculations, class action certification, personal injury and wrongful death damages, and fraud investigations. He has provided expert reports, litigation consulting, and expert testimony in depositions, trials, and administrative hearings, at the state and Federal court levels. He is currently Chairperson of the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants Business Valuation, Forensics, and Litigation Support Committee.
Lopp is a CPA / MBA with over 21 years of experience in financial management, strategic planning, business valuation, litigation support, and mergers and acquisitions transaction support and has previously served as the team leader for the litigation support practice of a large regional public accounting firm. He graduated from the University of Tulsa with a B.S.B.A. with a major in Accounting and a minor in economics and an MBA with an emphasis in Finance. He is currently a J.D. candidate at The University of Tulsa College of Law.
For more information about Chris Lopp and/or Financial Forensics and Investigations Group, please e-mail info@financialforensicsgroup.com.
Filed Under: Blog, Press Release Tagged With: ABV, AICPA ABV, Christopher Lopp, Expert Witness, Oklahoma Valuation, Valuation, Valuation Expert
Christopher Lopp is a financial forensics expert who provides Litigation Support and Expert Witness Services, specializing in Business Valuations, Oil and Gas Litigation, Class Action Certifications, Commercial Damages and Lost Profits Calculations, Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Damages, and Fraud Investigations.
© 2019 Financial Forensics & Investigations Group
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Paris and LA Could Resolve 24 / 28 Olympic Games Bid Rift On Field Of Play
Posted on Apr 1, 2017 1:00 AM by Robert Livingstone in 2024 Olympic Bid News
The bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024 could ultimately be decided on the field-of-play, according to a source within the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The list of five initial applicants to host the Games has been winnowed down to just two, Los Angeles and Paris, after bids from Hamburg and Budapest were overturned by public opposition and one from Rome was rejected by the city’s mayor. That has led the IOC to investigate the possibility of awarding both the 2024 and 2028 Games to LA and Paris this year in order to ensure that there will be reliable host cities for the next decade.
But both cities deny that they are interested in the 2028 Games, and are instead focused only on hosting in 2024. That leaves the IOC with the predicament of determining, if they move forward with the double-award, which city will host first. That’s typically conducted by member voting which has already been scheduled for September 13 in Lima, Peru.
While investigating bid reforms, however, the IOC has been considering the possibility of instead holding a sports meet between the United States and France with the victorious nation winning its choice of hosting either the 2024 or 2028 Games, while the defeated city hosts the other.
“That takes the decision, and the inherent politics, out of [the IOC’s] hands – and it brings sport to the centre of the bid,” the source explained.
“A meet could be held in September around the time of the intended IOC vote and it could include six or seven sports that make sense, between the two nations.
“It would be a fantastic event that could be broadcast on all platforms, and would be self-funded by revenue from rights-holders, ticket sales and corporate sponsorships.”
Points will be awarded for gold, silver and bronze medals and the nation with the most overall points wins. Some events being considered include swimming, cycling, wrestling, triathlon, fencing, volleyball as well as a pared-down athletics competition.
“We feel that by reducing the number of events for each sport and making good choices that align with venue availability,” the source said, “we could successfully implement the event quickly and at a low cost.”
She said that cycling could be limited to the road events eliminating the need for a velodrome; and athletic events could exclude those requiring the full track – so the field events, as well as short distance sprints and the marathon could be accommodated within smaller venues.
She added that accommodations would be a breeze with the limited number of athletes attending from the two nations with fewer sports.
“Hotels should suffice,” the source said.
The Opening and Closing Ceremonies could be held in a theatre or arena, whatever the city can provide.
Budapest 2024 Chair Balasz Furjes (right) signals start of ceremonial first race among Hungarian swimmers at new Danube Arena. Could it be used to help decide the race between LA and Paris? (GamesBids Photo)
The only obstacle remaining is the task of choosing a neutral host city for this 2024 bid event that is reportedly already being informally referred to as “Agenda 2024.”
Interest in hosting the event has been informally expressed from cities in Germany, Italy and Hungary who say they are prepared.
Budapest, having just opened its new aquatics facility for the World Championships in July believes the city can be ready for the 2024 event. The scaled-down plan that requires no new construction and is customized for facilities that already exist in the city, officials claim, will make organizing the event inexpensive, low risk and potentially profitable – but still entertaining and memorable. No referendum will be required.
“Unlike the Olympic Games,” the source added.
The IOC has yet to describe the site selection process for the 2024 bid event, but it is believed that officials will be looking for cities with Agenda 2024 compliant plans. Further plan details that are being considered are expected to be revealed as International Sport Federations meet at the SportAccord Convention in Aarhus, Denmark beginning Monday.
Meanwhile Milan, it was announced Thursday, is the only applicant interested in hosting the 2019 IOC Session, the meeting where the winner of the bid for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games will be elected. Sion in Switzerland along with other potential bids such as Calgary, Innsbruck, Nagano, Erzurum in Turkey and Almaty in Kazakhstan could be in the running.
The IOC will visit Milan for an inspection in May then the IOC is expected to elect the host city of the IOC’s 2019 Session to elect the host city of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the IOC Session to be held September 17 in Lima, Peru.
[Editor’s Note: Happy April Fools Day! This article is fictional in our April Fools Day style. But, it does make you think, right? Read our past April Fools Day articles below.]
Summer Olympic Bids
Trump Eyes Olympic Bid To Return Games To America In 2020
[Editor’s Note: The following article is our annual April Fools Day piece and Mr. Trump’s comments within it are fictional. …
Published: Apr 1, 2016 4:00 AM4:00 AM Updated: Apr 1, 2016 2:28 PM2:28 PM
Author Robert Livingstone
Bozeman, Montana Unlikely To Replace Boston 2024 Olympic Bid
A source close to Mayor Jeff Krauss admitted that the city of Bozeman, Montana is unlikely to replace embattled Boston as America’s bid…
Published: Apr 1, 2015 12:01 AM12:01 AM Updated: Apr 1, 2015 11:59 AM11:59 AM
2022 Olympic Winter Games Could Be Staged in 2023 Due to FIFA Conflict
Desperate for a plan ‘B’, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been considering its options should the 2022 FIFA World…
Published: Apr 1, 2014 3:05 AM3:05 AM Updated: Mar 31, 2015 9:18 PM9:18 PM
Author GB Editor
IOC Scheduling Second Visit to 2020 Bid Cities
A source close to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that the 2020 Olympic bid Evaluation Commission (EC) may return to the…
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Results Of 2018 Olympic Bid Vote May Remain Sealed For Up To A Month
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Winter Olympic Bids
IOC Mulls Incentives for Future Winter Olympic Applicant Cities
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Vancouver 2010 Olympics to Unveil Solar-Powered Cauldron
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Olympics to Consider Change to Five-Ring Logo
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Principality of Sealand to Bid for 2016 Olympic Games
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IOC Considers Permanent Winter Olympics Home
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About Robert Livingstone
Robert Livingstone is a senior editor, award-winning journalist and author, covering Olympic bid business as founder of GamesBids.com as well as providing freelance support for print and Web publications around the world. He is a member of the Olympic Journalists Association and the International Society of Olympic Historians. Follow him @enotsgnivil
View all posts by Robert Livingstone →
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Nov 25, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws in the second quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Andy Reid gave Tom Brady the ball to start Sunday evening’s AFC Championship game in Kansas City, and upon initial review, deferring to the all-world Patriots quarterback appeared idiotic. After all, it set up Brady for a clock-eating, tone-setting touchdown drive across the first eight minutes of a contest to decide who got to the Super Bowl.
In the end, Reid’s decision held up fine, as it likewise put his Chiefs in position to kick-start their second-half comeback with an opening third-quarter scoring drive, the combination serving as prelude to a rollicking game that was only starting to get interesting. It would hurtle from there through a crazy fourth quarter, landing in a 31-31 tie at the end of regulation.
But the poor playoff-cursed Reid had no such choice on the overtime flip of the coin, and when Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater correctly called heads, the game was effectively over. Was there ever any doubt what Brady would do with the ball in his hands and the game on the line?
For all the greatness this quarterbacking machine has thrust upon the football world, for all the records he has broken and titles he has won, the way in which he has built a legacy is what separates him from so many others. With a chance to drive for a win, he’s money in the bank. The ultimate clutch performer. In that realm, he has no peer.
“You saw me, I ran off as soon as I saw it was heads,” veteran cornerback Devin McCourty would say later. “I saw heads, and thought, ‘I saw this before, and I know what happens at the end of this one.’
“Any time we go to overtime and we get the ball, I’m not really worried about anything. I’m going to get comfy.”
On Sunday, it was a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown march to victory, a 4-minute-52-second symphony conducted by the greatest football maestro of all time. A 10-yard pass to Chris Hogan to start it off. A third-and-10 20-yard strike to Julian Edelman to move the chains into K.C. territory. A 15-yard third-down chunk to Edelman to touch the outer edges of field goal range. Another third-and-10 nerve-racker to Rob Gronkowski, also for 15 yards. Then three straight handoffs to Rex Burkhead and Brady had a third career overtime playoff win in three tries.
Is there any better way to define a consummate winner?
“Part of playing sports is just staying in the moment,” Brady said by way of explanation for his high-stakes heroics. “We always say one play at a time and you can’t make up for things that happen in the past. You just have to think about what you are going to do moving forward.”
Maybe the rest of the football world is getting bored of this act, and would rather have seen young Patrick Mahomes be headed to the Super Bowl for a first time rather than Brady for a third straight appearance and incomprehensible ninth overall.
But to dismiss Brady for winning too much is to insult the very thing we are supposed to value above all in sports. He does not do it alone, and he hasn’t always come out on top (Eagles last year, two Super Bowl losses to the Giants), but more often than not, if he has last licks, he makes them count the way he did on Sunday.
When he gave us this one, when he added a toppling of the top-seeded Chiefs to his 2002 dismantling of the Super Bowl-favored Rams and his 2017 overtime capper to the greatest Super Bowl comeback of all time against the Falcons, his postgame smile was big enough to validate his assertion that he was as excited as he could recall in years.
That’s when Brady finally let loose, his hands splayed against the sides of his helmet, his eyes bulging in shock, as if to say, “Can you believe this just happened?” To which we say, of course we do and of course it did, because at this point he’s made it abundantly clear: Any question about the imminent demise of his career isn’t answered until he has his say.
Playing the doubter card has worked so well this season. Why on earth would he stop now?
“I think we have overcome a lot this year,” he said. “Down but not out, and we found a way to play our best the last four games: Buffalo, Jets, had the bye, played great against the Chargers, and played really well today.
“The odds were stacked against us. It hasn’t been that way for us in a while, and it certainly was this year. We started off so slow. Like I said, the last four games have been our best games.”
They’ve included some of his signature moments.
Once upon a time, Brady was a young NFL quarterback heading to his first Super Bowl, as big an underdog as you can be in the big game, a last-ditch draft pick who’d been elevated to a starting job only when the Pro Bowl veteran in front of him was injured in the regular season.
But once upon that time, Brady was also a young NFL quarterback heading to his first Super Bowl, bound and determined to cash in on opportunity in the big game, an intense if underappreciated competitor who had to fight for every ounce of quarterbacking glory.
Tom Brady beat those heavily favored Rams back in Super Bowl XXXVI, beat back the reigning king of the position at the time in Kurt Warner, beat away the doubts threatening to swallow this California kid who couldn’t even win the starting job as a Michigan undergrad, defeated them all with a last-minute drive to set up an Adam Vinatieri game-winning kick.
And now, here he comes again, 17 years later, the greatest winner we’ve ever known, unwilling to waste opportunity, so capable at cashing it in.
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Fire Contributions
Fire Ecology Contributions by Garry Rogers and Colleagues
Tuner, R. M., R. H. Webb, T. C. Esque, and G. F. Rogers. 2010. Repeat photography and low elevation fire responses in the southwestern United States. Pages 223-244 in R. H. Webb, D. E. Boyer, and R. M. Turner, eds. Repeat photography methods and applications in the natural sciences. Island Press, Washington, DC. 530 p.
Rogers, G. 1993. “Then and Now: Great Basin Vegetation Change.” 500 Years at the Edge. Utah Museum of Natural History. Winter Lecture Series. Salt Lake City, UT.
Schmid, M., and G. Rogers. 1988. Trend in fire occurrence in the Arizona Upland subdivision of the Sonoran Desert. Southwestern Naturalist. 33 (4): 437-444.
Rogers, G., and M. Vint. 1987. Winter precipitation and fire in the Sonoran Desert. J. of Arid Environments 13: 47-52.
Rogers, G. 1987. “Perceiving Landscape Change: Techniques for the Ephemeral Steward.” Annual Meeting of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Salt Lake City, UT.
Rogers, G. 1987. “Ecology of Fire in Arid Lands.” The Desert Laboratory Seminar, Sponsored by the Department of Geosciences and the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona. Tucson, AZ.
Rogers, G. 1986. Comparison of fire occurrence in desert and nondesert vegetation in Tonto National Forest, Arizona. Madroño 33: 278-283.
Rogers, G. 1985. Mortality of burned Cereus giganteus. Ecology 66: 630 632.
Rogers, G. 1985. Wildfire in the desert portion of Tonto National Forest. U.S. Forest Service, Tonto National Forest, Phoenix, AZ. 42 p.
Rogers, G. and M. Vent. 1985. “Winter precipitation and fire in the Sonoran Desert.” Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers. Los Angeles, CA.
Rogers, G. and M. Vent. 1985. “Rarity of desert fires.” Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the Middle States Division, Association of American Geographers. Albany, NY.
Vent, M. and G. Rogers. 1985. “Temporal patterns of fire occurrence in the northern Sonoran Desert.” Abstracts of the AAAS/UNESCO Conference on Arid Lands: Today and Tomorrow. Tucson, AZ.
Hartig, E. and G. Rogers. 1984. “Phragmites australis fire ecology.” Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers, Washington, D.C.
Rogers, G., R. Turner, and H. Malde. 1984. Using matched photographs to monitor resource change. Proceedings of the International Conference on Renewable Resource Inventories for Monitoring Change. Pages 90 92.
Rogers, G. 1983. “Influences of Alien Plants on Arid Vegetation Dynamics.” Ecological Society of America Symposium: Causes and Consequences of Invasions of Alien Annual Plants in Western North America. Logan, UT.
Rogers, G. 1982. Then and Now: A Photographic History of Vegetation Change in the Central Great Basin Desert. University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, UT. 188 p.
Rogers, G. and J. Steele. 1980. Sonoran desert fire ecology: Adaptive strategies of perennial plant species. U.S. Forest Service, General Technical Report RM 81: 15 19.
Rogers, G. 1979. “Historical photographs and plant succession in the central Great Basin Desert.” Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management. Casper, WY.
Rogers, G. 1978. “Photographic documentation of Great Basin vegetation changes.” Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers. New Orleans, LA.
Steele, J. and G. Rogers. 1975. Effect of fire on watershed cover values in three Sonoran Desert vegetative communities. Report prepared for U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Office, Phoenix, AZ. 20 p.
Rogers, G. and J. Steele. 1975. Fire and entropic species diversity in the Sonoran Desert: management implications. Report for U.S. BLM, Arizona State Office, Phoenix. 12 p.
Steele, J. and G. Rogers. 1975. “Investigations of the effects of fire on species diversity in the Sonoran Desert.” Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the Arizona Academy of Science. Tempe, AZ.
Rogers, G. and J. Steele. 1975. “Species responses to wildfire in three Sonoran Desert vegetative communities.” Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the Arizona Academy of Science. Tempe, AZ.
Steele, J. and G. Rogers. 1975. “The effect of fire on principal cover species in northern Sonoran Desert Vegetation.” Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the Pacific Coast Geographers. Corvallis, OR.
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Quick read Oct. 20, 2014
A new company is born…
Companies House has recently published its annual report and accounts for 2013/14 which shows that a record 533,032 new companies were incorporated last year. What options are there for setting up a new company and what key matters should be considered?
The Companies Act 2006 confirms that there are three types of company to choose from:
company limited by shares (these are the most common form of company and may be incorporated as either public or private companies);
company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital (private companies only); or
unlimited company (private companies only).
What should the company be called? A name will be rejected by the Registrar of Companies if that name is offensive, sensitive, already in use by an existing company or too similar to that of an existing company. If the proposed name is similar to that of an existing company or group, but the new company is intended to form part of the same group of companies, then the application may be accepted if the written consent of that existing company or group is obtained and evidence of this is provided to Companies House. For sensitive names there are often additional consents required to be submitted as part of the application process. Certain companies are exempt from using the word ‘Limited’ in their name, for example if the company is a charity.
Directors of the new company? A public company must have at least two directors. A private company must have at least one director. Each company must have at least one ‘natural person’ director, that is a director who is a person and not a company and all directors must be at least 16 years of age. A new director must state his residential address for the purposes of incorporation but can state a service address which will appear on the public record so that his home address is not disclosed.
Will the company have a secretary? A public company must have a company secretary. There is no requirement for a private company to have a company secretary but it may do so if it wishes or if this is a requirement of its articles of association.
How do I incorporate a new company?
The documents which need to be filed with the Registrar of Companies to form a new company are:
a memorandum of association. This is a snapshot of the company’s constitution at the point of incorporation. It contains a statement that the subscribers to the memorandum wish to form a company and that they wish to become the members of that company. In the case of a company limited by shares, each subscriber must also take at least one share each. The memorandum must be signed by each subscriber.
articles of association. These set out the company’s rules. Standard form Model Articles are provided for each different type of company set out above which automatically apply to any new company. Those Model Articles can then be modified or excluded by the company’s bespoke articles.
an application for registration (Companies House form IN01). This includes information regarding the company’s proposed name, the type of company required, details of the company’s registered office, the articles of association, details of the directors and secretary (if any) and a statement of capital or guarantee. The application form must also be accompanied by the appropriate fee which can be between £13 and £100 depending on the speed and level of incorporation service required.
How do I know that my company has been incorporated?
If all of the filed documents are in order, Companies House will issue a certificate of incorporation containing the company number and date of incorporation. This certificate confirms that the company is properly constituted and that all of the requirements for registration have been complied with.
The subscribers will be deemed to be members of the company from the date set out in the certificate and the officers of the company are appointed from that date.
Other options?
A company structure offers limited liability for its members but this comes with all of the burdensome administrative company law requirements which accompany company status. If you would be keen to avoid this, there are plenty of other options available to consider when setting up a new business and incorporating a company may not always be the most attractive route. Alternatives to consider include a limited liability partnership, a limited partnership, a general partnership or simply operating as a sole trader. These should be considered at the outset to ensure you achieve the structure that is right for your business.
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No. 9 in E major
Vladimir Horowitz plays Scriabin (1953-1956)
Horowitz plays Scriabin (Remastered)
The Condon Collection, Vol. 1 (Original Piano...
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat...
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Classical SoundScapes For Film, Vol. 12
Vladimir Horowitz on Welte-Mignon
Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (from an...
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
Essential Chopin Piano
Relax with Rachmaninoff
Bavouzet Plays Schumann
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet
George Li
and 471 other albums
About Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Horowitz is a modern concert piano virtuoso, known for his legendary control, flawless technical prowess, and powerful interpretations of a broad range of classical works. In his prime, he was considered among the most distinguished and sought-after pianists in history, and though he was occasionally criticized for his flamboyant showmanship, his devoted fans and numerous recordings have secured his place on the shortlist of great 20th century pianists.
Horowitz was born in the Ukraine in 1903 (though his family lied, saying he was born a year later so he would avoid being conscripted into military service). He entered the Kiev Conservatory in 1912, and debuted in the US in 1928. He became a US citizen in 1944 and continued to perform until his death in 1989. Though the majority of his career was spent as an American citizen, he returned to the USSR near the end of his life to perform in 1986.
Nate Cavalieri
Andre Watts, Glenn Gould, Ignace Paderewski, Ingrid Fliter, Sergei Rachmaninov, Van Cliburn
Vladimir Horowitz live at Carnegie Hall -...
Peter Ilich Tchaicovsky: Concerto for Piano and...
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Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 14, No. 2...
Selections from the TV Serie Mozart in the...
The Stars And Stripes Forever (Arr. Vladimir...
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Tag: nes
Nintendo Switch First Look
This morning Nintendo revealed it’s next generation console: Nintendo Switch.
This morning Nintendo revealed it’s next generation console: ‘Nintendo Switch’ which was originally dubbed ‘NX’. After seeing the trailer I have mixed feelings regarding the machine. I grew up back when Nintendo was the leading innovator in video games but over the last ten years, Nintendo has struggled to keep up with the industry. For a while, the company seemed completely disinterested in adapting to how gaming had evolved. They even removed themselves from E3 and opted to host their own event — Nintendo Treehouse — in order to showcase their upcoming games.
I understand that Nintendo’s main audience has always been children. But we Nintendo fans have grown up and the company has refused to grow with us. As someone who considered himself once a fan, I basically feel abandoned by the company. Now they seem to take advantage of the nostalgic factor by releasing a new title game such as Mario, Zelda, Supersmash, or Mario Kart once every new console. The problem for me is that it’s all they have to offer. Can I continue to justify purchasing a new machine every few years just for a few titles?
As far as the new console goes, I am not buying into the hype. The new controller says to me that the company has low expectations for how the console is going to perform so they’ve developed a gimmick to get people interested — much like they did with the introduction of Wii Remotes, and also the Wii U GamePad. I’m already feeling buyer’s remorse as I’ve been sucked in by ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’. I do have to admit though the idea of being able to play console games on a portable device is appealing. The Nintendo 3DS was disappointing but if the portable experience on Switch is good enough, it could win me over. I carried my Sega Game Gear with me through the nineties and I don’t think we have had a portable gaming experience that has compared since.
Obviously, I am a bit salty. Considering I am the only person I know who bought a Wii U, I think it is probably best to remain trepidatious. Still going to buy it, though, begrudgingly.
The Nintendo Switch hits shelves in March 2017.
Author Michael MistroffPosted on October 20, 2016 October 20, 2016 Categories Games, NewsTags console, e3, Games, gaming, google, nes, News, nintendo, nintendo switch, portable, revealed, treehouse, video gamesLeave a comment on Nintendo Switch First Look
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Have parents ruined sports for kids?
Dave Fairbank | Monday, April 9, 2018
Photo courtesy Getty Images)
Growing up in Scottsdale, Arizona, Arin Finger played sports almost year-round. He considers it an important part of his upbringing, despite a father who loudly berated referees and sometimes behaved boorishly at his games.
Mark Hyman coached his baseball-playing son, a promising young pitcher, into premature arm injury that required Tommy John surgery before he completed high school.
Both men now work toward reversing a youth athletic model that they see as flawed, Finger as director of a Phoenix-area youth sports franchise that emphasizes participation and development over competition and results; Hyman as a college professor and author who advocates for kids and warns against the dangers of unchecked pursuit of athletic dreams.
“What we have now is pretty much what parents want, because it feeds their emotional needs and sometimes their financial needs,” said Hyman, a professor of sports management at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., who has written three books about youth athletic culture.
“The reason is that what parents want and what kids tell us they want are very different,” Hyman said. “Parents enjoy competition and winning and something that looks like what they see on TV when they watch professional and college sports. And kids, when we ask them what they want, they want to have fun, they want to be with their friends, they want to learn new skills. So it’s a very different wish list for kids.”
Studies show that youth sports participation rates are declining, and more kids are dropping out at an early age due to injury, burnout, cost and access. According to the Aspen Institute’s Sports and Society program, 36.9 percent of children ages 6-12 played a team sport on a regular basis in 2016, compared to 38.6 percent in 2015. As recently as 2008, that number was 44.5 percent.
At the program’s September 2017 summit, officials announced a measure called Project Play 2020, an action plan to increase youth participation rates and to provide more fulfilling sports experiences. More than a dozen organizations in sports, media, health and retail are partners in the effort, among them Major League Baseball, the NBA, Nike, Target, NBC Sports, the U.S. Olympic Committee, the PGA Tour and the Johns Hopkins Global Obesity Prevention Center.
“Parents enjoy competition and winning and something that looks like what they see on TV when they watch professional and college sports. And kids, when we ask them what they want, they want to have fun, they want to be with their friends, they want to learn new skills.” – Mark Hyman
“It’s the first time that industry leaders have come together with shared goals in this area,” said Jon Solomon, the Sports and Society program’s editorial director. “No one can change this on their own. You need a lot of buy-in from a lot of different organizations.”
The program’s annual report identifies eight areas of emphasis but will focus on two initially: training coaches and sport sampling among youth. Fewer than one-third of youth coaches have been trained in areas such as general safety and injury prevention, and proper motivational techniques and sport-specific tactics, according to data compiled by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). Young athletes now play fewer than two sports per year, on average, according to SFIA data, the result of increased specialization and emphasis on competition and excellence.
“We went from a model that was recreational and participatory, and that has increasingly become competitive,” said Arizona State professor Eric Legg. “You’ve got more and more private sports organizations, private trainers, travel teams, elite level competition at younger ages.”
Legg studies youth sports and focuses on positive outcomes as part of ASU’s School of Community Resources and Development. He said that declining participation rates, young athlete specialization and the rising costs of competition and travel remove a tool that can bond communities.
“You’re losing this place where communities develop,” he said. “Not that they can’t develop in other places; they certainly can, but I think sport is a particularly powerful place to do that. You’re losing something that’s community based, that’s getting along with each other. It might be overly simplistic, perhaps, but I do think you’re losing something with a structure where you’re creating elites, and the haves and have-nots.”
Indeed, the gap is widening for youth participation (ages 6 to 12) in team sports, based on economics. According to SFIA data in the Aspen Institute study, the gap between kids from households earning less than $25,000 per year (41.3 percent) and those earning more than $100,000 per year (64.2 percent) was 23 percentage points in 2013. Just three years later, that gap had grown to 32 points, with only 34.6 percent of kids in lower-income households participating.
A 2014 study by another George Washington professor indicated that parents aren’t listening to kids when it comes to athletic participation. Amanda Visek surveyed 150 youngsters who played sports and asked them to rate 81 contributing factors to kids having fun. Winning ranked No. 48. Being a good sport, trying hard and positive coaching rated among the highest contributors.
“If you just wiped the slate clean,” Hyman said, “if you were able to start from scratch and re-engineer youth sports, but this time you began where the central premise was the emotional and developmental interest of kids, that was your priority, you would have something entirely different. The old model would be unrecognizable.”
Organizations beginning to push back against the growing trend have sprung up all over the country. The Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) is a nationwide outfit whose motto is Better Athletes, Better People. Its Arizona chapter is headed by Rich Tomey, a former executive with both the NFL’s Cardinals and baseball’s Diamondbacks. The PCA provides online workshops and resources and has partnered with approximately 3,500 schools and youth sports organizations. Its coaches’ goals are to win, but more importantly to teach life lessons through sports. Its parents’ goal is to focus on a young athlete’s life lessons and to allow coaches and athletes the space to compete. Its athletes’ goals are personal, teammate and game improvement.
The National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) is a Florida-based organization that works with thousands of athletic groups around the country, from parks and recreation departments, to Boys and Girls Clubs and independent groups. Founder and former CEO Fred Engh’s 1999 book, Why Johnny Hates Sports, was among the first to examine the growing commercialization and competitive emphasis on youth athletics. NAYS updated its National Standards for Youth Sports in 2017, with guidelines for coaches, volunteers and parents, and has more than 4,000 administrators worldwide who have gained Certified Youth Sports Administrator status.
“I think most parents want to do what’s right,” said the Aspen Institute’s Solomon. “A lot want off the treadmill, when they start to see how much it costs and how much travel there is for some programs, but they don’t know how. I don’t think many of them even know what questions to ask. If you don’t know what other options look like, you end up kind of going along with the crowd. They think, ‘If I don’t keep up, little Johnny is going to fall behind.’ We’re trying to educate people and give them more information.”
(Photo courtesy i9 Sports)
When Finger relocated back to the Phoenix area from southern California almost five years ago, he researched jobs as well as athletic programs for his young boys. He settled on i9 Sports, a Florida-based organization that awards franchises around the country and has more than a million participants, ages 3 to 14. The program is geared toward participation and skill development. There are no tryouts, and everybody registered plays roughly equal time. Games are once a week, usually on weekends, and practices are staged before games, lightening the load on both parents and kids.
“It was all about competition and winning for me, so I thought this model had some good values,” said Finger, a program director who oversees a dozen i9 sites throughout the Phoenix area. “I thought what they were trying to do would speak louder to a lot of the kids, just based on my prior experiences growing up.”
Finger estimated that i9 serves 1,800-1,900 kids per season, with a dropoff in the summer due to the heat. Parents are required to sign a code of conduct and encouraged to provide positive feedback to all kids. He understands that some kids will want further instruction and will be more advanced athletically, so he plans to reach out to other programs and youth coaches.
“I’m hoping that it can be more of a collaboration,” he said, “and not an us versus them approach.”
Finger aims to head off what Hyman experienced first-hand. Before he became a college professor and researcher, he was a sports writer who had chronicled young athlete burnout and overuse injuries. But in the early 2000s, his son was an exceptional youth league pitcher. The more he threw, the more opportunities he had to throw.
“I didn’t do a very good job of protecting him,” Hyman said. “I had a lot of fun watching him pitch.”
Hyman’s son developed arm trouble in high school and eventually underwent Tommy John surgery. He recovered well enough that he went on to play club baseball at George Washington, and in rec leagues after college. Hyman wrote about him in one of his books, he said, both as therapy and a cautionary tale.
“I don’t think I’m a crazy parent,” Hyman said. “I think I’m a typical parent who got caught up in the excitement of seeing their kid succeed at sports. I think there’s a lesson there about supporting your children in sports, but also setting limits and understanding that it’s not about how many games your kid’s winning or how many strikeouts they get. Your job as a parent is to support them and to help them be the best they can be, to help them reach their potential, whatever that may be.”
Dave Fairbank is a freelance writer who spent almost 31 years at the Newport News (Va.) Daily Press, where he won numerous Virginia Press Association and APSE awards.
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4 December 2017 - Nutraingredients - Omega-3 may keep your gut bacteria in balance: Mouse data
Tim Cutcliffe
Mice deprived of omega-3 in their diet experience significant disruption to their gut bacteria make-up, new data suggests from the APC Microbiome Institute suggests.
Web URL: Read the story on Nutraingredients here
Read the underlying research here:
Deficiency of essential dietary n-3 PUFA disrupts the caecal microbiome and metabolome in mice
For more stories on omega-3 and gut bacteria, see here.
Male offspring of mice fed a diet deficient in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) during pregnancy, were found to have increased numbers of gut bacteria linked to metabolic disease, found researchers writing in the British Journal of Nutrition.
“We found that the mice who ate the diet with no omega-3 (deficient diet) had an altered gut microbiota composition. This included a greater relative abundance of certain species that have been associated with metabolic disorders,” commented first author Dr. Ruari Robertson, formerly of the APC Microbiome Institute, University College, Cork (UCC) and currently the Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Queen Mary University of London.
The three types of bacteria were Tenericutes, Anaeroplasma and Coriobacteriaceae.
“These changes were found in the gut microbiota from the caecum, an area of the large intestine that contains the most microbes. Interestingly, the gut microbiota composition differed in faecal samples suggesting that there may be microbial differences in different regions of the intestines,” continued Robertson. “The mice on the omega-3 deficient diet also produced less short chain fatty acids (SCFA) which are beneficial chemicals that are produced by the gut microbiota. These results suggest that dietary omega-3 PUFA play a crucial role in structuring gut microbiota composition and metabolic activity. Dietary omega-3 deficiency appears to induce gut microbial imbalance, which may contribute to impaired SCFA production.”
SCFA production has previously been shown to be important in the regulation of cholesterol, glucose and lipid metabolism.
“SCFA help to maintain intestinal homeostasis by maintaining the integrity of the intestinal wall. They also have other functions including controlling appetite by signalling to the brain. There were also some differences in other metabolites in the gut,” said Robertson.
The impaired SCFA production found in this study suggests that omega-3 deficiency disrupts the balance of the intestinal environment, which may have implications for metabolic disease, the researchers suggested.
“The western diet is insufficient in omega-3 fats (especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which come from oily fish). These fats are essential, meaning the body cannot produce them. Instead, the western diet is rich in omega-6 fats which are found in vegetable oils. The optimal dietary ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fats is
“This study aimed to examine the effect of different levels of dietary omega-3 fats on the gut microbiota in mice,” said Robertson.
Describing the study procedures, he continued:
“We fed mice three different diets:
(1) A normal diet which contains normal amounts of omega-3 fats (primarily alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fat found in certain plant-based foods)
(2) A diet with extra omega-3 fats (primarily EPA and DHA, omega-3 fats primarily found in oily fish)
(3) A diet with no omega-3 fats at all.
“These diets were fed to pregnant mothers and subsequently to their offspring until they reached adulthood. We then checked how these different diets affected their gut bacteria (gut microbiota). The gut microbiota play a huge role in various aspects of health and disease including weight gain, cardiovascular disease and even brain development.”
The researchers used 16S sequencing to determine composition of the caecal microbiome of mothers and offspring. The scientists also conducted caecal metabolomics and SCFA analysis.
Further work
The researchers are looking at a new study investigating the impact of omega-6/omega-3 balance during pregnancy and its effect on the gut microbiome of the offspring, weight management and metabolic markers.
“Further research is required to elucidate the long-term impact of such altered microbiota and metabolomic profiles on chronic disease progression. However, this novel information may inform future research into microbiota-targeted nutritional therapies for metabolic disorders,” concluded the researchers.
< 4 December 2017 - Nutraingredients - Early onset psychosis associated with key vitamin deficiencies: New research
4 December 2017 - The Conversation - Here's why the UK should fortify flour with folic acid >
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The Role of Vitamin D in Nervous System Health and Disease
Deluca GC, Kimball SM, Kolasinski J, Ramagopalan SV, Ebers GC. (2013) Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol. Jan 21. doi: 10.1111/nan.12020. [Epub ahead of print]
Vitamin D and its metabolites have pleomorphic roles in both nervous system health and disease. Animal models have been paramount in contributing to our knowledge and understanding of the consequences of vitamin D deficiency on brain development and its implications for adult psychiatric and neurological diseases.
The conflation of in vitro, ex vivo, and animal model data provide compelling evidence that vitamin D has a crucial role in proliferation, differentiation, neurotrophism, neuroprotection, neurotransmission, and neuroplasticity. Vitamin D exerts its biological function not only by influencing cellular processes directly, but also by influencing gene expression through vitamin D response elements.
This review highlights the epidemiological, neuropathological, experimental, and molecular genetic evidence implicating vitamin D as a candidate in influencing susceptibility to a number of psychiatric and neurological diseases. The strength of evidence varies for schizophrenia, autism, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and is especially strong for MS.
For a comprehensive summary of research articles concerning Vitamin D in relation to different aspects of brain development and function, see:
Vitamin D - research articles
< Delgadoa et al 2018 - Role of prebiotics in regulation of microbiota and prevention of obesity
DeMar et al 2006 - One generation of n-3 PUFA deprivation increases depression and aggression test scores in rats >
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← US-led bombing raids target Syrian civilians in an area which has “never been in the hands of ISIS”; on Oct. 11, coalition destroys Syrian power plant
NATO front crumbles: Slovakia welcomes Russian intervention in Syria →
Who is Andriy Parubiy? A call to protest October 23 UK visit by Ukrainian far right leader
As deputy speaker, Parubiy has been welcomed into Canada and the US, where he is begging these countries to send lethal weapons to Ukraine. Lethal arms that will be used in the continued military onslaught against the Donbass.
Parubiy is now due in the UK to speak with government officials and think tanks. Solidarity with Antifascist Resistance will organise a demonstration outside the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Holland Park where he is due to speak on 23rd October at 7pm.
We call on the British government to ban him from entering the UK.
NO PASARAN! NO TO UK LINKS WITH UKRAINIAN FAR-RIGHT!
From Fort Russ
Ukraine Antifascist Solidarity
by ukraineantifascistsolidarity
Andriy Parubiy, is the deputy speaker of the Ukrainian parliament and a politician with a far right record. He is due to visit the UK to meet with government officials to advocate military aid for Ukraine. Here’s why we will be protesting his visit:
“Parubiy was the founder of the Social National Party of Ukraine, a fascist party styled on Hitler’s Nazis, with membership restricted to ethnic Ukrainians. The Social National Party would go on to become Svoboda, the far-right nationalist party whose leader Oleh Tyahnybok was one of the three most high profile leaders of the Euromaidan protests – negotiating directly with the Yanukovych regime.” Channel 4 How the far right took top posts in Ukraine’s power vacuum
In 1991, Parubiy founded the Social National Party of Ukraine together with Oleh Tyahnybok (the current leader of the far-right Svoboda party). The SNPU symbol, a modified nazi Wolfsangel, later became the symbol of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion. The ideology of the SNPU was radical nationalism and neo-Nazism.
“… of these various Ukrainian nationalist parties the SNPU was the least inclined to conceal its neo fascist affiliations. Its official symbol was the somewhat modified Wolf’s Hook (Wolfsangel),used as a symbol by the German SS division Das Reich and the DutchSS division Landstorm Nederland during World War II and by a numberof European neofascist organizations after 1945. As seen by the SNPU leadership, the Wolf’s Hook became the “idea of the nation.” Moreover,the official name of the party’s ideology, “social nationalism,” clearly referred back to “national socialism”—the official name of the ideology of the National-Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) and of the Hitlerite regime. The SNPU’s political platform distinguished itself by its openly revolutionary ultranationalism, its demands for the violent takeover of power in the country, and its willingness to blame Russia for all of Ukraine’s ills. Moreover, the SNPU was the first relatively large party to recruit Nazi skinheads and football hooligans.” (Andreas Umland and Anton Shekhovstov, Ultra right Party Politics in Post-Soviet Ukraine and the Puzzle of the Electoral Marginalism of Ukrainian Ultranationalists in 1994–2009)
Patriot Ukraine parade, Lviv 1999
In 1998-2004 Parubiy was the head of paramilitary youth wing of Social-Nationalist Party ‘Patriot of Ukraine‘, which existed until December 2014 when it joined the Right Sector. The first Congress of the “Patriot of Ukraine” was held in Lviv on 12 December 1999 where it was officially adopted by the Social-National Party of Ukraine (SNPU) as its paramilitary youth wing. In the evening, around 1500 members of the SNPU and the “Patriot of Ukraine” staged a torchlight demonstration in the city. The first leader of the organization, Andriy Parubiy, established a long-lasting tradition of torchlight parades, which became an organizational trademark. It was described as having racist and neo-Nazi political beliefs.
“Indeed, anti-Semitism is part of the extremist party’s platform; until 2004, they called themselves the Social-National Party of Ukraine in an intentional reference to Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist party. Just last summer, a prominent leader of party youth was distributing texts from Nazi propaganda head Joseph Goebbels translated into Ukrainian.” (Der Spiegel ‘Prepared to Die’: The Right Wing’s Role in Ukrainian Protests)
A photo of Parubiy leading the “Patriot of Ukraine” march was placed on the cover of his book, ‘A view from the right‘, published in Lviv in 1999.
“Young men with loose long dirty hair and worn out jeans propagate dissoluteness and pacifism – that’s the result of expansion into Ukraine of American way of life and liberal ideology. Russian-speaking criminal world, devoid of spirituality, without national roots – is the legacy of communist rule in Ukraine.” Parubiy ‘The view from the right ‘ (p. 15)
Parubiy (second left on the table) at a Patriot Ukraine meeting
“Parubiy and several other activists of Patriot of Ukraine were tried for beating Communist-led demonstrators in Lviv on November 7, 1997. In his interview, Parubiy said that main TV channels in Ukraine then broadcast videos of him personally beating the demonstrators. But the trial was moved to another region because of pressure from the far right. The criminal case was closed due to the statute of limitations. Parubiy projected a more moderate public image since 2004. But during the recent events he also cooperated with Svoboda and Pravyi Sektor. In 2004, the SNPU changed its image and name, to become Svoboda. At that point Parubiy left the organisation.” Reuters interview with Ivan Katchanovski, University of Ottawa, School of Political Studies
The 2004 change of name and image provoked a split, with Patriot Ukraine, the paramilitary youth wing led by Parubiy, refusing to join the new organisation Svoboda. They then continued to exist autonomously and went on to set up the Social-National Assembly, led by Parubiy’s trainee Andriy Biletsky.
Despite this change of image, his core views, far right Ukrainian nationalism based on the heritage of Stephan Bandera, did not change fundamentally. In 2010 he vocally campaigned against the European Parliament for its negative reaction to the declaration of Stepan Bandera as a Hero of Ukraine (as reported in the Kyiv Post). Bandera was the head of the OUN-UPA, a fascist organisation which collaborated with the Nazis during WWII and was involved in carrying acts of genocide against Poles, Jews and others (see Ivan Katchanovski “Ethnic Cleansing, Genocide or Ukrainian-Polish Conflict? The Mass Murder of Poles bythe OUN and the UPA in Volhynia“)
The European Parliament resolution was clear on this question: “[it] deeply deplores the decision by the outgoing President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, posthumously to award Stepan Bandera, a leader of the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) which collaborated with Nazi Germany, the title of ‘National Hero of Ukraine’; hopes, in this regard, that the new Ukrainian leadership will reconsider such decisions and will maintain its commitment to European values;”
The Euro Asian Jewish Congress historian Vyacheslav Likhachev described the SNPU and Parubiy in an article published in 2012:
“In their propagandist materials SNPU [Social-National Party of Ukraine] ideologues were more outspoken, describing the confrontation with “the Moscow influence” as a racial confrontation. The Ukrainian nation in the publications of the SNPU was proudly called the “root of the white race”. Ukraine was understood as an “Outpost of European civilization”, while Russia – as “Asiatic hordes”. Ukraine, according to one of the SNPU leaders (who subsequently have gone to “Our Ukraine” party) Andriy Parubiy, must “confront the aggressiveness of the pernicious ideas of the Asian world, which today is Russia”. Simultaneously with the Russophobia, SNPU ideologues professed (and still profess) anti-Western sentiment: from their point of view, “Marxism is internationalist and cosmopolitan liberalism are in fact two sides of the same coin”. Right-Wing Extremism in Ukraine: The Phenomenon of ‘Svoboda’
Parubiy, commader of the Maidan “defence”
During the Euromaidan movement, Parubiy was the “commander” of EuroMaidan, and the various Maidan paramilitary units had to take an oath of allegiance to Parubiy. This meant that neo-nazi paramilitary groups which had joined together under the umbrella of Right Sector (Pravyi Sektor) were operating under his authority. Amongst those was the newly reformed “Patriot of Ukraine”, led now by Andriy Biletskiy, who had been a pupil of Parubiy and went on to become the commander of the infamous Azov Battalion (which has the Wolfsangel as its symbol).
The ‘EuroMaidan’ movement overthrow a legitimate government by force and in the overthrow, the armed groups of the Maidan Self-Defence, Right Sector and others, played a crucial role, under the command of Parubiy. His name has also been linked by several sources to the organisation of the Maidan sniper fire which escalated the conflict after an agreement had already been reached. While this cannot be confirmed, the story has been reproduced in the Western and Ukrainian media.
“When the shooting started early on the morning of the 20th, Sergei says, he was escorted to the Conservatory, and spent some 20 minutes before 07:00 firing on police, alongside a second gunman. His account is partially corroborated by other witnesses. That morning, Andriy Shevchenko, then an opposition MP and part of the Maidan movement, had received a phone call from the head of the riot police on the square. “He calls me and says, ‘Andriy, somebody is shooting at my guys.’ And he said that the shooting was from the Conservatory.” Shevchenko contacted the man in charge of security for the protesters, Andriy Parubiy, known as the Commandant of the Maidan.” (The untold story of the Maidan massacre BBC 12/02/15)
After the victory of the Maidan, Parubiy became a prominent figure in the new regime being appointed as Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council a position he occupied until his resignation in August 2014.
Some have implicated him in the Odessa massacre of May 2nd, 2014. In a video widely available on the internet, he is seen, on April 29, 2014, delivering military grade bullet proof vests to a unit of the Maidan Self-Defence in Odessa. Receiving the vests is Mykola Volkov, one of the key players in the clashes on May 2nd which left dozens of people dead.
Parubiy (left) handing over vests to Mykola (right)
Mykola, who was wearing one of the bullet proof vests on May 2nd, has been identified on the day of the Odessa massacre arguing on the phone with someone in a position of authority that his men should be allowed through police lines to “take care of the rest”, in reference to the clash with anti-Maidan protesters, as shown in this video from EuroMaidanPR. Mykola’s men were allowed through and then burnt down the House of Trade Unions where the anti-Maidan protesters had sought refuge, killing dozens. In another video, Mykola can be seen shooting at anti Maidan protestors trying to flee the burning building by jumping out of windows. While Parubiy’s direct participation in the massacre cannot be confirmed, he delivered bullet proof vests three days earlier is established beyond doubt.
Three days before the bloody massacre, Parubiy also met with various security and volunteer forces as described on the website of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine:
“The meeting of the Operational center lasted over two hours; we discussed all the current issues and we adopted appropriate decisions to prevent destabilization of the situation in Odessa region. I have talked with the major law enforcement officers, we know the situation in detail for each department – they are willing to perform tasks”, Andriy Parubiy said following the results of the meeting of the Operational center.” Andriy Parubiy was with working visit in Odessa region 30/4/14
The investigations of both the Maidan sniper massacre and the Odessa massacre have been criticised in Ukraine and abroad for their lack of speed and results. In his position as secretary of the NSDC, Parubiy is also responsible for having launched the socalled “Anti Terrorist Operation” in the Donbass as well as incorporating far right paramilitary battalions (the same he commanded in the Maidan movement) into the state apparatus.
Popular Front founding. Parubiy (left), Biletsky (right), Yatseniuk (second right)
In 2014, Parubiy became a founding member of the People’s Front party which has a ‘military council’, whose members include Biletskiy, leader of Azov Battalion and Ihor Lapin commander Aidar Battalion. In December 2014, Parubiy was elected first vice speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
The photo shows him being congratulated by the commander of the Aidar Battalion.
Parubiy is now due in the UK to speak with government officials and think tanks. Solidarity with Antifascist Resistance will organise a demonstration outside the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Holland Park where he is due to speak on 23rd October at 7pm. We call on the British government to ban him from entering the UK.
http://www.fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/10/who-is-andriy-parubiy-call-to-protest.html
Tagged Andriy Parubiy, Maidan, Odessa Massacre, Patriot of Ukraine, People's Front, SNPU, Social-National Party of Ukraine, Stepan Bandera
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No War on Venezuela — Global Day of Action, February 23, 2019 →
From the Gray Zone Project
Juan Guaidó is the product of a decade-long project overseen by Washington’s elite regime change trainers. While posing as a champion of democracy, he has spent years at the forefront of a violent campaign of destabilization.
By Dan Cohen and Max Blumenthal
Before the fateful day of January 22, fewer than one in five Venezuelans had heard of Juan Guaidó. Only a few months ago, the 35-year-old was an obscure character in a politically marginal far-right group closely associated with gruesome acts of street violence. Even in his own party, Guaidó had been a mid-level figure in the opposition-dominated National Assembly, which is now held under contempt according to Venezuela’s constitution.
But after a single phone call from from US Vice President Mike Pence, Guaidó proclaimed himself president of Venezuela. Anointed as the leader of his country by Washington, a previously unknown political bottom-dweller was vaulted onto the international stage as the US-selected leader of the nation with the world’s largest oil reserves.
Echoing the Washington consensus, the New York Times editorial board hailedGuaidó as a “credible rival” to Maduro with a “refreshing style and vision of taking the country forward.” The Bloomberg News editorial board applaudedhim for seeking “restoration of democracy” and the Wall Street Journal declared him “a new democratic leader.” Meanwhile, Canada, numerous European nations, Israel, and the bloc of right-wing Latin American governments known as the Lima Group recognized Guaidó as the legitimate leader of Venezuela.
While Guaidó seemed to have materialized out of nowhere, he was, in fact, the product of more than a decade of assiduous grooming by the US government’s elite regime change factories. Alongside a cadre of right-wing student activists, Guaidó was cultivated to undermine Venezuela’s socialist-oriented government, destabilize the country, and one day seize power. Though he has been a minor figure in Venezuelan politics, he had spent years quietly demonstrated his worthiness in Washington’s halls of power.
“Juan Guaidó is a character that has been created for this circumstance,” Marco Teruggi, an Argentinian sociologist and leading chronicler of Venezuelan politics, told The Grayzone. “It’s the logic of a laboratory – Guaidó is like a mixture of several elements that create a character who, in all honesty, oscillates between laughable and worrying.”
Diego Sequera, a Venezuelan journalist and writer for the investigative outlet Misión Verdad, agreed: “Guaidó is more popular outside Venezuela than inside, especially in the elite Ivy League and Washington circles,” Sequera remarked to The Grayzone, “He’s a known character there, is predictably right-wing, and is considered loyal to the program.”
While Guaidó is today sold as the face of democratic restoration, he spent his career in the most violent faction of Venezuela’s most radical opposition party, positioning himself at the forefront of one destabilization campaign after another. His party has been widely discredited inside Venezuela, and is held partly responsible for fragmenting a badly weakened opposition.
“‘These radical leaders have no more than 20 percent in opinion polls,” wrote Luis Vicente León, Venezuela’s leading pollster. According to León, Guaidó’s party remains isolated because the majority of the population “does not want war. ‘What they want is a solution.’”
But this is precisely why Guaidó was selected by Washington: He is not expected to lead Venezuela toward democracy, but to collapse a country that for the past two decades has been a bulwark of resistance to US hegemony. His unlikely rise signals the culmination of a two decades-long project to destroy a robust socialist experiment.
Targeting the “troika of tyranny”
Since the 1998 election of Hugo Chávez, the United States has fought to restore control over Venezuela and is vast oil reserves. Chávez’s socialist programs may have redistributed the country’s wealth and helped lift millions out of poverty, but they also earned him a target on his back.
In 2002, Venezuela’s right-wing opposition briefly ousted Chávez with US support and recognition, before the military restored his presidency following a mass popular mobilization. Throughout the administrations of US Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, Chávez survived numerous assassination plots, before succumbing to cancer in 2013. His successor, Nicolas Maduro, has survived three attempts on his life.
The Trump administration immediately elevated Venezuela to the top of Washington’s regime change target list, branding it the leader of a “troika of tyranny.” Last year, Trump’s national security team attempted to recruit members of the military brass to mount a military junta, but that effort failed.
According to the Venezuelan government, the US was also involved in a plot, codenamed Operation Constitution, to capture Maduro at the Miraflores presidential palace; and another, called Operation Armageddon, to assassinate him at a military parade in July 2017. Just over a year later, exiled opposition leaders tried and failed to kill Maduro with drone bombs during a military parade in Caracas.
More than a decade before these intrigues, a group of right-wing opposition students were hand-selected and groomed by an elite US-funded regime change training academy to topple Venezuela’s government and restore the neoliberal order.
Training from the “‘export-a-revolution’ group that sowed the seeds for a NUMBER of color revolutions”
On October 5, 2005, with Chávez’s popularity at its peak and his government planning sweeping socialist programs, five Venezuelan “student leaders” arrived in Belgrade, Serbia to begin training for an insurrection.
The students had arrived from Venezuela courtesy of the Center for Applied Non-Violent Action and Strategies, or CANVAS. This group is funded largely through the National Endowment for Democracy, a CIA cut-out that functions as the US government’s main arm of promoting regime change; and offshoots like the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. According to leaked internal emails from Stratfor, an intelligence firm known as the “shadow CIA,” CANVAS “may have also received CIA funding and training during the 1999/2000 anti-Milosevic struggle.”
CANVAS is a spinoff of Otpor, a Serbian protest group founded by Srdja Popovicin 1998 at the University of Belgrade. Otpor, which means “resistance” in Serbian, was the student group that gained international fame — and Hollywood-level promotion — by mobilizing the protests that eventually toppled Slobodan Milosevic.
This small cell of regime change specialists was operating according to the theories of the late Gene Sharp, the so-called “Clausewitz of non-violent struggle.” Sharp had worked with a former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst, Col. Robert Helvey, to conceive a strategic blueprint that weaponized protest as a form of hybrid warfare, aiming it at states that resisted Washington’s unipolar domination.
Otpor at the 1998 MTV Europe Music Awards
Otpor was supported by the National Endowment for Democracy, USAID, and Sharp’s Albert Einstein Institute. Sinisa Sikman, one of Otpor’s main trainers, once said the group even received direct CIA funding.
According to a leaked email from a Stratfor staffer, after running Milosevic out of power, “the kids who ran OTPOR grew up, got suits and designed CANVAS… or in other words a ‘export-a-revolution’ group that sowed the seeds for a NUMBER of color revolutions. They are still hooked into U.S. funding and basically go around the world trying to topple dictators and autocratic governments (ones that U.S. does not like ;).”
Stratfor revealed that CANVAS “turned its attention to Venezuela” in 2005, after training opposition movements that led pro-NATO regime change operations across Eastern Europe.
While monitoring the CANVAS training program, Stratfor outlined its insurrectionist agenda in strikingly blunt language: “Success is by no means guaranteed, and student movements are only at the beginning of what could be a years-long effort to trigger a revolution in Venezuela, but the trainers themselves are the people who cut their teeth on the ‘Butcher of the Balkans.’ They’ve got mad skills. When you see students at five Venezuelan universities hold simultaneous demonstrations, you will know that the training is over and the real work has begun.”
Birthing the “Generation 2007” regime change cadre
The “real work” began two years later, in 2007, when Guaidó graduated from Andrés Bello Catholic University of Caracas. He moved to Washington, DC to enroll in the Governance and Political Management Program at George Washington University, under the tutelage of Venezuelan economist Luis Enrique Berrizbeitia, one of the top Latin American neoliberal economists. Berrizbeitia is a former executive director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) who spent more than a decade working in the Venezuelan energy sector, under the old oligarchic regime that was ousted by Chávez.
That year, Guaidó helped lead anti-government rallies after the Venezuelan government declined to to renew the license of Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV). This privately owned station played a leading role in the 2002 coup against Hugo Chávez. RCTV helped mobilize anti-government demonstrators, falsified information blaming government supporters for acts of violence carried out by opposition members, and banned pro-government reporting amid the coup. The role of RCTV and other oligarch-owned stations in driving the failed coup attempt was chronicled in the acclaimed documentary The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.
That same year, the students claimed credit for stymying Chavez’s constitutional referendum for a “21st century socialism” that promised “to set the legal framework for the political and social reorganization of the country, giving direct power to organized communities as a prerequisite for the development of a new economic system.”
From the protests around RCTV and the referendum, a specialized cadre of US-backed class of regime change activists was born. They called themselves “Generation 2007.”
The Stratfor and CANVAS trainers of this cell identified Guaidó’s ally – a libertarian political organizer named Yon Goicoechea – as a “key factor” in defeating the constitutional referendum. The following year, Goicochea was rewarded for his efforts with the Cato Institute’s Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty, along with a $500,000 prize, which he promptly invested into his political network.
Friedman, of course, was the godfather of the notorious neoliberal Chicago Boys who were imported into Chile by dictatorial junta leader Augusto Pinochet to implement policies of radical “shock doctrine”-style fiscal austerity. And the Cato Institute is the libertarian Washington DC-based think tank founded by the Koch Brothers, two top Republican Party donors who have become aggressive supporters of the right-wing across Latin America.
Wikileaks published a 2007 email from American ambassador to Venezuela William Brownfield sent to the State Department, National Security Council and Department of Defense Southern Command praising “Generation of ’07” for having “forced the Venezuelan president, accustomed to setting the political agenda, to (over)react.” Among the “emerging leaders” Brownfield identified were Freddy Guevara and Yon Goicoechea. He applauded the latter figure as “one of the students’ most articulate defenders of civil liberties.”
Flush with cash from libertarian oligarchs and US government soft power outfits, the radical Venezuelan cadre took their Otpor tactics to the streets, along with a version of the group’s logo, as seen below:
“Galvanizing public unrest…to take advantage of the situation and spin it against Chavez”
In 2009, the Generation 2007 youth activists staged their most provocative demonstration yet, dropping their pants on public roads and aping the outrageous guerrilla theater tactics outlined by Gene Sharp in his regime change manuals. The protesters had mobilized against the arrest of an ally from another newfangled youth group called JAVU. This far-right group “gathered funds from a variety of US government sources, which allowed it to gain notoriety quickly as the hardline wing of opposition street movements,” according to academic George Ciccariello-Maher’s book, “Building the Commune.”
While video of the protest is not available, many Venezuelans have identifiedGuaidó as one of its key participants. While the allegation is unconfirmed, it is certainly plausible; the bare-buttocks protesters were members of the Generation 2007 inner core that Guaidó belonged to, and were clad in their trademark Resistencia! Venezuela t-shirts, as seen below:
Is this the ass that Trump wants to install in Venezuela’s seat of power?
That year, Guaidó exposed himself to the public in another way, founding a political party to capture the anti-Chavez energy his Generation 2007 had cultivated. Called Popular Will, it was led by Leopoldo López, a Princeton-educated right-wing firebrand heavily involved in National Endowment for Democracy programs and elected as the mayor of a district in Caracas that was one of the wealthiest in the country. Lopez was a portrait of Venezuelan aristocracy, directly descended from his country’s first president. He was also the first cousin of Thor Halvorssen, founder of the US-based Human Rights Foundation that functions as a de facto publicity shop for US-backed anti-government activists in countries targeted by Washington for regime change.
Though Lopez’s interests aligned neatly with Washington’s, US diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks highlighted the fanatical tendencies that would ultimately lead to Popular Will’s marginalization. One cable identified Lopez as “a divisive figure within the opposition… often described as arrogant, vindictive, and power-hungry.” Others highlighted his obsession with street confrontations and his “uncompromising approach” as a source of tension with other opposition leaders who prioritized unity and participation in the country’s democratic institutions.
Popular Will founder Leopoldo Lopez cruising with his wife, Lilian Tintori
By 2010, Popular Will and its foreign backers moved to exploit the worst drought to hit Venezuela in decades. Massive electricity shortages had struck the country due the dearth of water, which was needed to power hydroelectric plants. A global economic recession and declining oil prices compounded the crisis, driving public discontentment.
Stratfor and CANVAS – key advisors of Guaidó and his anti-government cadre – devised a shockingly cynical plan to drive a dagger through the heart of the Bolivarian revolution. The scheme hinged on a 70% collapse of the country’s electrical system by as early as April 2010.
“This could be the watershed event, as there is little that Chavez can do to protect the poor from the failure of that system,” the Stratfor internal memo declared. “This would likely have the impact of galvanizing public unrest in a way that no opposition group could ever hope to generate. At that point in time, an opposition group would be best served to take advantage of the situation and spin it against Chavez and towards their needs.”
By this point, the Venezuelan opposition was receiving a staggering $40-50 million a year from US government organizations like USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy, according to a report by the Spanish think tank, the FRIDE Institute. It also had massive wealth to draw on from its own accounts, which were mostly outside the country.
While the scenario envisioned by Statfor did not come to fruition, the Popular Will party activists and their allies cast aside any pretense of non-violence and joined a radical plan to destabilize the country.
Towards violent destabilization
In November, 2010, according to emails obtained by Venezuelan security services and presented by former Justice Minister Miguel Rodríguez Torres, Guaidó, Goicoechea, and several other student activists attended a secret five-day training at a hotel dubbed “Fiesta Mexicana” hotel in Mexico. The sessions were run by Otpor, the Belgrade-based regime change trainers backed by the US government. The meeting had reportedly received the blessing of Otto Reich, a fanatically anti-Castro Cuban exile working in George W. Bush’s Department of State, and the right-wing former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.
Inside the meetings, the emails stated, Guaidó and his fellow activists hatched a plan to overthrow President Hugo Chavez by generating chaos through protracted spasms of street violence.
Three petroleum industry figureheads – Gustavo Torrar, Eligio Cedeño and Pedro Burelli – allegedly covered the $52,000 tab to hold the meeting. Torrar is a self-described “human rights activist” and “intellectual” whose younger brother Reynaldo Tovar Arroyo is the representative in Venezuela of the private Mexican oil and gas company Petroquimica del Golfo, which holds a contract with the Venezuelan state.
Cedeño, for his part, is a fugitive Venezuelan businessman who claimed asylum in the United States, and Pedro Burelli a former JP Morgan executive and the former director of Venezuela’s national oil company, Petroleum of Venezuela (PDVSA). He left PDVSA in 1998 as Hugo Chavez took power and is on the advisory committee of Georgetown University’s Latin America Leadership Program.
Burelli insisted that the emails detailing his participation had been fabricatedand even hired a private investigator to prove it. The investigator declared that Google’s records showed the emails alleged to be his were never transmitted.
Yet today Burelli makes no secret of his desire to see Venezuela’s current president, Nicolás Maduro, deposed – and even dragged through the streets and sodomized with a bayonet, as Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi was by NATO-backed militiamen.
Update: Burelli contacted the Grayzone after the publication of this article to clarify his participation in the “Fiesta Mexicana” plot.
Burelli called the meeting “a legitimate activity that took place in a hotel by a different name” in Mexico.
Asked if OTPOR coordinated the meeting, he would only state that he “likes” the work of OTPOR/CANVAS and while not a funder of it, has “recommended activists from different countries to track them and participate in the activities they conduct in various countries.”
Burelli added: “The Einstein Institute trained thousands openly in Venezuela. Gene Sharpe’s philosophy was widely studied and embraced. And this has probably kept the struggle from turning into a civil war.”
The alleged Fiesta Mexicana plot flowed into another destabilization plan revealed in a series of documents produced by the Venezuelan government. In May 2014, Caracas released documents detailing an assassination plot against President Nicolás Maduro. The leaks identified the anti-Chavez hardliner Maria Corina Machado – today the main asset of Sen. Marco Rubio – as a leader of the scheme. The founder of the National Endowment for Democracy-funded group, Sumate, Machado has functioned as an international liaison for the opposition, visiting President George W. Bush in 2005.
Machado and George W. Bush, 2005
“I think it is time to gather efforts; make the necessary calls, and obtain financing to annihilate Maduro and the rest will fall apart,” Machado wrote in an email to former Venezuelan diplomat Diego Arria in 2014.
In another email, Machado claimed that the violent plot had the blessing of US Ambassador to Colombia, Kevin Whitaker. “I have already made up my mind and this fight will continue until this regime is overthrown and we deliver to our friends in the world. If I went to San Cristobal and exposed myself before the OAS, I fear nothing. Kevin Whitaker has already reconfirmed his support and he pointed out the new steps. We have a checkbook stronger than the regime’s to break the international security ring.”
Guaidó heads to the barricades
That February, student demonstrators acting as shock troops for the exiled oligarchy erected violent barricades across the country, turning opposition-controlled quarters into violent fortresses known as guarimbas. While international media portrayed the upheaval as a spontaneous protest against Maduro’s iron-fisted rule, there was ample evidence that Popular Will was orchestrating the show.
“None of the protesters at the universities wore their university t-shirts, they all wore Popular Will or Justice First t-shirts,” a guarimba participant said at the time. “They might have been student groups, but the student councils are affiliated to the political opposition parties and they are accountable to them.”
Asked who the ringleaders were, the guarimba participant said, “Well if I am totally honest, those guys are legislators now.”
Around 43 were killed during the 2014 guarimbas. Three years later, they erupted again, causing mass destruction of public infrastructure, the murder of government supporters, and the deaths of 126 people, many of whom were Chavistas. In several cases, supporters of the government were burned alive by armed gangs.
Guaidó was directly involved in the 2014 guarimbas. In fact, he tweeted video showing himself clad in a helmet and gas mask, surrounded by masked and armed elements that had shut down a highway that were engaging in a violent clash with the police. Alluding to his participation in Generation 2007, he proclaimed, “I remember in 2007, we proclaimed, ‘Students!’ Now, we shout, ‘Resistance! Resistance!’”
Guaidó has deleted the tweet, demonstrating apparent concern for his image as a champion of democracy.
<iframe width=”710″ height=”399″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/bh4DjOUsShQ” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen>
On February 12, 2014, during the height of that year’s guarimbas, Guaidó joined Lopez on stage at a rally of Popular Will and Justice First. During a lengthy diatribe against the government, Lopez urged the crowd to march to the office of Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz. Soon after, Diaz’s office came under attack by armed gangs who attempted to burn it to the ground. She denounced what she called “planned and premeditated violence.”
Guaido alongside Lopez at the fateful February 12, 2014 rally
In an televised appearance in 2016, Guaidó dismissed deaths resulting from guayas – a guarimba tactic involving stretching steel wire across a roadway in order to injure or kill motorcyclists – as a “myth.” His comments whitewashed a deadly tactic that had killed unarmed civilians like Santiago Pedroza and decapitated a man named Elvis Durán, among many others.
This callous disregard for human life would define his Popular Will party in the eyes of much of the public, including many opponents of Maduro.
Cracking down on Popular Will
As violence and political polarization escalated across the country, the government began to act against the Popular Will leaders who helped stoke it.
Freddy Guevara, the National Assembly Vice-President and second in command of Popular Will, was a principal leader in the 2017 street riots. Facing a trial for his role in the violence, Guevara took shelter in the Chilean embassy, where he remains.
Lester Toledo, a Popular Will legislator from the state of Zulia, was wanted by Venezuelan government in September 2016 on charges of financing terrorism and plotting assassinations. The plans were said to be made with former Colombian President Álavaro Uribe. Toledo escaped Venezuela and went on several speaking tours with Human Rights Watch, the US government-backed Freedom House, the Spanish Congress and European Parliament.
Carlos Graffe, another Otpor-trained Generation 2007 member who led Popular Will, was arrested in July 2017. According to police, he was in possession of a bag filled with nails, C4 explosives and a detonator. He was released on December 27, 2017.
Leopoldo Lopez, the longtime Popular Will leader, is today under house arrest, accused of a key role in deaths of 13 people during the guarimbas in 2014. Amnesty International lauded Lopez as a “prisoner of conscience” and slammed his transfer from prison to house as “not good enough.” Meanwhile, family members of guarimba victims introduced a petition for more charges against Lopez.
Yon Goicoechea, the Koch Brothers posterboy, was arrested in 2016 by security forces who claimed they found found a kilo of explosives in his vehicle. In a New York Times op-ed, Goicoechea protested the charges as “trumped-up” and claimed he had been imprisoned simply for his “dream of a democratic society, free of Communism.” He was freed in November 2017.
David Smolansky, also a member of the original Otpor-trained Generation 2007, became Venezuela’s youngest-ever mayor when he was elected in 2013 in the affluent suburb of El Hatillo. But he was stripped of his position and sentenced to 15 months in prison by the Supreme Court after it found him culpable of stirring the violent guarimbas.
Facing arrest, Smolansky shaved his beard, donned sunglasses and slipped into Brazil disguised as a priest with a bible in hand and rosary around his neck. He now lives in Washington, DC, where he was hand picked by Secretary of the Organization of American States Luis Almagro to lead the working group on the Venezuelan migrant and refugee crisis.
This July 26, Smolansky held what he called a “cordial reunion” with Elliot Abrams, the convicted Iran-Contra felon installed by Trump as special US envoy to Venezuela. Abrams is notorious for overseeing the US covert policy of arming right-wing death squads during the 1980’s in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala. His lead role in the Venezuelan coup has stoked fears that another blood-drenched proxy war might be on the way.
Four days earlier, Machado rumbled another violent threat against Maduro, declaring that if he “wants to save his life, he should understand that his time is up.”
A pawn in their game
The collapse of Popular Will under the weight of the violent campaign of destabilization it ran alienated large sectors of the public and wound much of its leadership up in exile or in custody. Guaidó had remained a relatively minor figure, having spent most of his nine-year career in the National Assembly as an alternate deputy. Hailing from one of Venezuela’s least populous states, Guaidó came in second place during the 2015 parliamentary elections, winning just 26% of votes cast in order to secure his place in the National Assembly.Indeed, his bottom may have been better known than his face.
Guaidó is known as the president of the opposition-dominated National Assembly, but he was never elected to the position. The four opposition parties that comprised the Assembly’s Democratic Unity Table had decided to establish a rotating presidency. Popular Will’s turn was on the way, but its founder, Lopez, was under house arrest. Meanwhile, his second-in-charge, Guevara, had taken refuge in the Chilean embassy. A figure named Juan Andrés Mejía would have been next in line but reasons that are only now clear, Juan Guaido was selected.
“There is a class reasoning that explains Guaidó’s rise,” Sequera, the Venezuelan analyst, observed. “Mejía is high class, studied at one of the most expensive private universities in Venezuela, and could not be easily marketed to the public the way Guaidó could. For one, Guaidó has common mestizofeatures like most Venezuelans do, and seems like more like a man of the people. Also, he had not been overexposed in the media, so he could be built up into pretty much anything.”
In December 2018, Guaidó sneaked across the border and junketed to Washington, Colombia and Brazil to coordinate the plan to hold mass demonstrations during the inauguration of President Maduro. The night before Maduro’s swearing-in ceremony, both Vice President Mike Pence and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland called Guaidó to affirm their support.
A week later, Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart – all lawmakers from the Florida base of the right-wing Cuban exile lobby – joined President Trump and Vice President Pence at the White House. At their request, Trump agreed that if Guaidó declared himself president, he would back him.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met personally withGuaidó on January 10, according to the Wall Street Journal. However, Pompeo could not pronounce Guaidó’s name when he mentioned him in a press briefing on January 25, referring to him as “Juan Guido.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo just called the figure Washington is attempting to install as Venezuelan President "Juan *Guido*" – as in the racist term for Italians. America's top diplomat didn't even bother to learn how to pronounce his puppet's name. pic.twitter.com/HsanZXuSPR
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) January 25, 2019
By January 11, Guaidó’s Wikipedia page had been edited 37 times, highlighting the struggle to shape the image of a previously anonymous figure who was now a tableau for Washington’s regime change ambitions. In the end, editorial oversight of his page was handed over to Wikipedia’s elite council of “librarians,” who pronounced him the “contested” president of Venezuela.
Guaidó might have been an obscure figure, but his combination of radicalism and opportunism satisfied Washington’s needs. “That internal piece was missing,” a Trump administration said of Guaidó. “He was the piece we needed for our strategy to be coherent and complete.”
“For the first time,” Brownfield, the former American ambassador to Venezuela, gushed to the New York Times, “you have an opposition leader who is clearly signaling to the armed forces and to law enforcement that he wants to keep them on the side of the angels and with the good guys.”
But Guaidó’s Popular Will party formed the shock troops of the guarimbas that caused the deaths of police officers and common citizens alike. He had even boasted of his own participation in street riots. And now, to win the hearts and minds of the military and police, Guaido had to erase this blood-soaked history.
On January 21, a day before the coup began in earnest, Guaidó’s wife delivered a video address calling on the military to rise up against Maduro. Her performance was wooden and uninspiring, underscoring her husband’s political limits.
While Guaidó waits on direct assistance, he remains what he has always been – a pet project of cynical outside forces. “It doesn’t matter if he crashes and burns after all these misadventures,” Sequera said of the coup figurehead. “To the Americans, he is expendable.”
Max Blumenthal is an award-winning journalist and the author of several books, including best-selling Republican Gomorrah, Goliath, The Fifty One Day War, and The Management of Savagery. He has produced print articles for an array of publications, many video reports, and several documentaries, including Killing Gaza. Blumenthal founded The Grayzone in 2015 to shine a journalistic light on America’s state of perpetual war and its dangerous domestic repercussions.
Dan Cohen
Dan Cohen is a journalist and filmmaker. He has produced widely distributed video reports and print dispatches from across Israel-Palestine. Dan is a correspondent at RT America and tweets at @DanCohen3000.
http://www.dancohenmedia.com/
https://grayzoneproject.com/2019/01/29/the-making-of-juan-guaido-how-the-us-regime-change-laboratory-created-venezuelas-coup-leader/amp/
Tagged coup d’état, Juan Guaidó, Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, Venezuela
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Landfill Disposals Tax
Registration for Landfill Disposals Tax: technical guidance
This guidance reflects provisions in Part 4 and Part 5 of the Landfill Disposals Tax (Wales) Act 2017 (LDTA).
Landfill Disposals Tax for landfill site operators and Landfill Disposals Tax
LDTA/3090 Registration
LDTA/3100 Duty to register for landfill disposals tax
LDTA/3110 Register of persons who carry out taxable operations
LDTA/3120 Changes and corrections of information
LDTA/3130 Cancellation of registration
LDTA/3140 Penalties relating to registration
LDTA/3150 Designation of corporate groups
LDTA/3160 Variation of cancellation of designation of corporate groups
LDTA/3170 Reviews and appeals relating to registration and designation of corporate groups
LDTA/3180 Registration of partnerships and unincorporated bodies and changes in membership
LDTA/3190 Duties and liabilities of partnerships and unincorporated bodies
LDTA/3200 Death, incapacity or insolvency of a landfill site operator
LDTA/3210 Adjustment of contracts
The approach to registration is broadly consistent with other parts of the UK. In drafting the legislation, the most appropriate elements have been updated, clarified or brought together.
Landfill site operators who are carrying out taxable disposals from 1 April 2018 must register with the WRA.
Landfill site operators must submit an application to the WRA to be registered at least 14 days before taxable operations begin.
The registered person can be:
an individual - the sole proprietor is liable for all their obligations and liabilities in relation to LDT;
a partnership or unincorporated body - each partner or member is liable for all the obligations of the partnership or unincorporated body in relation to LDT (see LDTA/3180); and
a body corporate - in certain circumstances outlined in (see LDTA/3160) below, associated companies can apply for group treatment.
The WRA will only register a person if it is satisfied that the application contains all of the information required. Once the application has been reviewed by the WRA, it will issue a notice to the person of its decision. If the WRA registers the person, the notice will also set out the person’s entry in the register (see LDTA/3110). As part of the registration, the WRA will issue a unique registration number and provide details to the online tax return form.
To enable the WRA to effectively collect and manage LDT, it is important that it knows who the taxpayers are. The WRA must keep a register of those persons who operate authorised landfill sites at which taxable disposals are made. A person’s entry in the register must, as a minimum, contain the information that is contained in Schedule 2 to LDTA. The WRA may request additional information.
Schedule 2 to LDTA is broken down into four sections. Section 1 outlines the general information required for all landfill sites registering for LDT and includes:
The person’s name;
Any trading name used by the person;
A statement of whether the registered person is: a body corporate, an individual, a partnership or an unincorporated body;
The person’s business address;
The address or description of each authorised landfill site of which the person is the operator;
The registration number assigned to the person by the WRA.
Section 2 outlines the additional information required if the person is registering as a corporate group (see LDTA/3160) and includes:
A statement by the person specifying that they are the representative member of a group;
The name and address of every other group member;
The address or description of each authorised landfill site of which any member of the group is an operator;
The name and business address of any body corporate or individual who is not a member of the group but who (either alone or in partnership) controls all of its members.
Section 3 outlines the additional information required for partnerships and unincorporated bodies and states:
The name and address of each of the members in the partnership or unincorporated body must be included in the register.
Section 4 further defines what is meant by the address in relation to partnerships and unincorporated bodies and states that the address should be the registered or principle office.
A register of authorised landfill site operators is published on the WRA website. The register contains the following information: WRA Registration number, organisation name and business address, landfill site address(es) and link to Companies House details.
It is important for the register to remain accurate and reflect the most up-to-date information available regarding landfill sites. A registered person or a person, who has applied for registration, must give notice to the WRA of any changes or inaccuracies in the information they have provided. The WRA must be notified within 30 days of the change taking place. The WRA also has the ability to correct any inaccuracies in the register, but must notify the person of the changes made.
A registered person who ceases to carry out taxable operations, must apply to the WRA for the cancellation of their registration no later than 30 days after taxable operations end. Registration will only be cancelled once all taxable operations have ended, including site restoration (see LDTA/4000) and all of the tax that the person is required to pay has been paid.
The WRA may also cancel a person`s registration if it is satisfied that the person has not carried out taxable operations and does not intend to do so. If the WRA cancels a person`s registration, it must issue a notice of the cancellation to the person.
The WRA may apply a penalty of up to £300 if a person carries out taxable operations without being registered.
Where a person continues to carry out taxable operations without being registered after the end of ten days beginning with the day on which the notice of the registration penalty is issued, that person will be liable to a further penalty or penalties not exceeding £60 for each day they continue to do so.
Should the person carry out taxable activities without registering with the WRA or filing LDT returns, they may also be liable to a penalty or penalties for failure to make a tax return or pay tax.
If the person who carries out taxable operations without being registered can provide a reasonable excuse for the breach and the WRA or (on appeal) the tribunal is satisfied with this, that person will not be liable to a penalty.
The WRA may also apply a penalty of up to £300 if a person fails to comply with any of the registration requirements. This includes failure to report any changes or inaccuracies and failure to cancel registration.
Where the WRA assesses a penalty in relation to registration, it must issue a notice to the landfill site operator of the penalty assessed.
As part of the registration process, companies (or bodies corporate) can apply to the WRA to register as a group. Group registration allows individual companies to account for LDT as part of a group, through one representative member.
The effect of a group membership is that the representative member of the group will be treated for the purposes of LDT, as the landfill site operator of each authorised landfill site operated by the members of the group.
If a landfill site operator wishes to apply for group treatment, they must nominate one of the members of the group to act as the “representative member”. The application must be made in writing to the WRA. All of the companies in the prospective group must be parties to the application but any one of those companies (or the person controlling them) can make the application.
If the application is accepted by the WRA, the companies are to be treated as a group from the beginning of an accounting period and the company named in the application as the representative member will thereafter be treated as the representative member, i.e. the landfill site operator.
Once the application is accepted:
Any liability of a member of the group to pay tax, interest or penalties is to be taken to be a liability of the representative member;
The representative member is to be taken to carry out any taxable activities which a member of the group would carry out. All taxable disposals made between members of the group must be accounted for and any tax paid; and
All members of the group will then be joint and severally liable for any tax, interest or penalties due from the representative member, but which remain unpaid after the relevant date.
The WRA has the right to refuse a group application, but must issue a notice of its decision to the body or bodies that made the application.
Once the group registration is in place changes can be made to either group membership (adding or removing a member) or changing the representative member. The WRA also has the power to cancel a group registration. The WRA can vary or cancel a group registration on its own initiative or following an application by the representative member. An application to vary a group registration may also be made by any member of the group where that application relates to that member wishing to be removed from the group registration.
The WRA must issue a notice of its decision to each member of the group (including those being added or removed from the group). Where it gives approval it must set out the details of the variation or cancellation and specify the date on which it will take effect.
The WRA must vary or cancel the group registration if it is satisfied that the conditions for registration are no longer met and it is satisfied that the application is made with the agreement of each and every member of the group.
All WRA decisions relating to the registration of a person can be reviewed or appealed.
As part of the registration process, two or more persons carrying on a landfill business in partnership or as an unincorporated body can apply to the WRA to register as a partnership. They may register in their own names or in the name of the partnership or body. If the registration is completed in the name of the partnership or body and its membership changes, in order for the registration to remain valid at least one of the members must have been a member of the partnership or body before the change.
The WRA must be informed of any changes to the membership of a partnership or unincorporated body and that person is treated as continuing to be a member of a partnership or body until the WRA is notified otherwise.
As a member of a partnership or unincorporated body, anything required or permitted to be done by or in relation to persons in a partnership or unincorporated body under LDTA or TCMA, must be done by or in relation to every person who is a partner in the partnership or managing member of the body at the time when it is done or required to be done. However, anything required or permitted to be done by every partner or managing member may instead be done by any one of them.
Any liability to pay tax, interest or penalties is the joint and several responsibility of every member of the partnership or unincorporated body at the time it is due. Where a person carrying on a landfill business in partnership or as an unincorporated body is only a member for part of an accounting period, that person’s personal liability for tax chargeable must be calculated on the basis of a just and reasonable apportionment.
If an unincorporated body (other than a partnership) is required to do anything in relation to LDT, it is the joint and several responsibility of any of the following persons to comply with the requirement:
every member holding office as president, chair, treasurer, secretary or any similar office;
if there is no such office, every member holding office as a member of a committee by which the affairs of the body are managed; or
if there is no such office or committee, every member.
Where a person (B) who carries on a landfill business dies, becomes incapacitated or becomes subject to insolvency procedures such as going into liquidation, bankruptcy or administration, a third party (A) may take over the running of that landfill site. A must notify the WRA of the date of this change of circumstances and the reasons for the change within 30 days of taking over the landfill business.
The WRA may treat A as if it were the registered landfill site operator. If the WRA does so, it must notify both A and (if appropriate) B of that position. Where the WRA treats A as if it were the registered landfill site operator, there is no need for A to register as landfill site owner with the WRA.
Where A ceases to carry on the landfill business, or where B ceases to be incapacitated or subject to insolvency procedures, A must notify the WRA of that change within 30 days.
Where there is a change in the tax rate applicable to a taxable disposal at an authorised landfill site, a contract relating to that disposal that refers to the previous tax rate, is automatically adjusted so as to be understood to refer to the new tax rate. This automatic adjustment can be avoided by an explicit agreement between the parties to that effect.
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As the power of Rome declined, that of Constantinople grew. In 535, the armies of Justinian I (482-565), Byzantine Emperor from 527 to 565, invaded Italy (mostly occupied by barbarians) and in 540 conquered Ravenna, which became the seat of Byzantine government in Italy. From 540 to 600, the Exarch of Ravenna instigated a major building program of churches in the city and its port township of Classe: they included the Basilica of San Vitale and the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe. The Basilica of San Vitale combines a Roman dome, doorways and stepped towers, with a Byzantine polygonal apse, as well as Byzantine capitals, and narrow bricks. It is world famous for its Byzantine mosaics, the most spectacular and best preserved mosaic art outside Constantinople. For details, see: Ravenna Mosaics (c.400-600).
Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.” Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord's contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; ...
As Jesus is speaking to a woman about the topic of worship, He reveals something profound to her – worship is not about a location or a style, worship is something that is both mysterious (spirit) and rational (truth). Some people emphasize one over the other, but Jesus tells us that God wants both. God is looking for hearts that are gripped with what we know in Scripture and what we long for in mystery. Scripture Art
Yes! We have a heart for busy teachers and those in poor regions of the world. All pictures are free for use in teaching. We provide the pictures and you tell the story, with the Bible as your reference source. Conditions about the reuse of the images in new projects vary with each contributor. Those who donate to this project help share these resources around the world as a gift. Christian Canvas Art
It was carved with cherubim and palm trees; and a palm tree was between cherub and cherub, and every cherub had two faces, a man's face toward the palm tree on one side and a young lion's face toward the palm tree on the other side; they were carved on all the house all around. From the ground to above the entrance cherubim and palm trees were carved, as well as on the wall of the nave. The doorposts of the nave were square; as for the front of the sanctuary, the appearance of one doorpost was like that of the other. The altar was of wood, three cubits high and its length two cubits; its corners, its base and its sides were of wood And he said to me, "This is the table that is before the LORD." The nave and the sanctuary each had a double door. Each of the doors had two leaves, two swinging leaves; two leaves for one door and two leaves for the other. Also there were carved on them, on the doors of the nave, cherubim and palm trees like those carved on the walls; and there was a threshold of wood on the front of the porch outside. There were latticed windows and palm trees on one side and on the other, on the sides of the porch; thus were the side chambers of the house and the thresholds. Share Your Faith Products
Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.” Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord's contribution: gold, silver, and bronze; ... Christian Canvas Art
Gothic art, too, was all about Christian architecture. It was indebted to a revival of science and mathematics, notably Euclidian geometry. While the Romanesque was noted for its massiveness of scale, thick walls, narrow windows and dim interiors, Gothic architecture dazzled with its soaring vaults, huge stained glass windows and spacious, well-lit interiors. Using pointed arches to spread the weight of the ceiling, and revolutionary flying buttresses to support the walls, it allowed architects to create a church which fully reflected the glory of God. The Gothic style first appeared in the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis, near Paris (begun 1140), and within less than a century had revolutionized cathedral design across Europe. For the ultimate expression of religious Gothic architecture, see: Sainte Chapelle (1241-48) in Paris. Scripture Art
Mosaic art was the most important feature of Byzantine art for almost a thousand years: comparable with sculpture in Ancient Greece, the painted panel of the Northern Renaissance, or the altarpiece in 16th century Venice. Shimmering in the candlelight and sometimes decorated in gold leaf, these exquisite glass jigsaws were governed by rigid rules as to colour, size and composition, mosaics had two key aims: to beautify the house of the Lord (and overawe the spectator), and to educate illiterate worshippers in the Gospel story. The individual mosaic pieces (tesserae) were often deliberately set unevenly, to create movement of light and colour. Christian Gifts
He made an altar of bronze, twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference. Under it were figures of gourds, for ten cubits, compassing the sea all around. The gourds were in two rows, cast with it when it was cast. It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The sea was set on them, and all their rear parts were inward. Its thickness was a handbreadth. And its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held 3,000 baths. ...
Please note: Although the exquisite framed and unframed Christian art prints, posters, and canvases displayed in our online Christian art gallery portray strong traditional family values, biblical themes, and God's wonderful creations; not all of the artwork is Christian. Since we have partnered with art.com and allposters.com who carry a vast inventory of secular artwork, please use discretion when searching for art.
As a secular, non-sectarian, universal notion of art arose in 19th-century Western Europe, ancient and Medieval Christian art began to be collected for art appreciation rather than worship, while contemporary Christian art was considered marginal. Occasionally, secular artists treated Christian themes (Bouguereau, Manet) — but only rarely was a Christian artist included in the historical canon (such as Rouault or Stanley Spencer). However many modern artists such as Eric Gill, Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Jacob Epstein, Elizabeth Frink and Graham Sutherland have produced well-known works of art for churches.[1] Salvador Dali is an artist who had also produced notable and popular artworks with Christian themes.[2] Contemporary artists such as Makoto Fujimura have had significant influence both in sacred and secular arts. Other notable artists include Larry D. Alexander and John August Swanson. Some writers, such as Gregory Wolfe, see this as part of a rebirth of Christian humanism.[3]
Then to Adam He said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. "Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return." Christian Gifts
Now there were four supports at the four corners of each stand; its supports were part of the stand itself. On the top of the stand there was a circular form half a cubit high, and on the top of the stand its stays and its borders were part of it. He engraved on the plates of its stays and on its borders, cherubim, lions and palm trees, according to the clear space on each, with wreaths all around.read more.
Even in Protestant Amsterdam, however, there remained a modest demand for religious paintings. One of the most important commissions received by the young Rembrandt, was five paintings for Prince Frederick Henry of Orange - the leading soldier in the Dutch wars against Catholic Spain - on the subject of Christ's Passion. In addition to his skill as a portraitist, Rembrandt went on to become the greatest religious painter of Dutch Protestantism, noted for works like: The Blinding of Samson (1636), The Sacrifice of Isaac (1636), Susanna and the Elders (1647), Bathsheba Holding King David's Letter (1654), Jacob Blessing the Children of Joseph (1656), and Return of the Prodigal Son (1666-69).
First built over the legendary burial site of St Peter, during the time of Emperor Constantine I, Saint Peter's Basilica is among the holiest of all Catholic sites. The current building was mostly designed by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Bernini, and embodies the artistic transition from Renaissance to Baroque. Crowned by a 433-foot high dome, it is packed with priceless works of art, including Michelangelo's marble sculpture Pieta (1500), carved by the artist from a single block of Carrara marble at the age of 25. St. Peter's is strongly associated with the Early Christian church, the papacy, the Counter-Reformation and is considered to be the finest building of its age. Christian Canvas Art
Flemish realism and precision is also evident in the work of German painters such as Stephan Lochner (The Last Judgement, 1440s), Lucas Cranach the Elder (Adam and Eve, 1528), Hans Baldung Grien (Altar of the Virgin Mary [The Freiburg Altarpiece], 1514), and Hans Holbein the Elder (Scenes from the Passion of Christ [The Kasheim Altarpiece], 1502). Other German masters include the expressionist Matthias Grunewald (Isenheim Altarpiece, 1510-15) and the versatile printmaker and painter Albrecht Durer (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, 1498, woodcut), and Martin Schongauer (Madonna in the Rose Garden, 1473).
"You shall make two cherubim of gold, make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. "Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends. "The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat.read more. Share Your Faith Products
Yes! We have a heart for busy teachers and those in poor regions of the world. All pictures are free for use in teaching. We provide the pictures and you tell the story, with the Bible as your reference source. Conditions about the reuse of the images in new projects vary with each contributor. Those who donate to this project help share these resources around the world as a gift. Share Your Faith Products
Probably the most spectacular form of Christian painting was the church ceiling mural painting (called quadratura), often executed with trompe l'oeil illusionist effects. This decoration of vaulted/domed ceilings of churches began during the Renaissance in Italy. Renaissance examples included: the Sala delle Prospettive fresco (c.1517, Villa Farnesina) by Baldessare Peruzzi; and the Assumption of the Virgin (1524-30) by Correggio, which decorated the domed ceiling of Parma Cathedral. Christian Canvas Art
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No DC Gridlock for Marijuana
Home » Marijuana News » Legalization
While many liberal policy goals have proved elusive during Barack Obama’s presidency, there have been dramatic advances for two causes that once seemed quixotic — the legalization of same-sex marriage and the decriminalization of marijuana.
Neither cause was embraced by Obama during his first term. Yet he is now a fervent supporter of marriage equality and has said it is “important” that Colorado and Washington state be allowed to proceed with their pioneering laws, approved by voters in 2012, that legalize marijuana.
For both issues, the pace of change has been striking.
There are now 19 states that allow gay marriage, compared to two in 2008. Bans in the remaining states are being struck down by federal judges at a rapid rate that could presage a Supreme Court ruling legalizing it nationwide.
As for marijuana, in November voters in Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia will weigh in on ballot measures that would emulate Colorado and Washington by legalizing recreational use of pot by adults. A ballot measure in Florida could add that state to the 23 others which have legalized medical use of marijuana, including 10 in the past four years.
What’s distinctive about the marriage and marijuana campaigns is that they’ve been able to proceed at the state level, unencumbered by the paralyzing gridlock in Congress. In contrast, efforts by Obama and his Democratic allies to overhaul the immigration system, tighten gun control laws, raise the federal minimum wage and combat climate change have run aground in the partisan divides on Capitol Hill.
The paramount Obama initiative that did clear Congress – his health care overhaul – remains entangled in various controversies and its long-term legacy is uncertain. On immigration and many of the other issues, he’s resorting to unilateral executive action, often angering his critics on the right while failing to fully satisfy activists on the left.
Given those realities, Richard Socarides, a former Clinton White House adviser on gay rights, makes a case that same-sex marriage and other gay-rights advances represent a singular achievement for progressives during the Obama presidency.
“Barack Obama has accomplished more progressive social change on gay rights than anything else,” Socarides said.
During his first term, Obama helped change military policy so gays could serve openly, but said his views on same-sex marriage were still “evolving.” Under constant pressure from gay-rights activists, he endorsed it in 2012, and since then his administration has moved aggressively to maximize federal recognition of married gay couples even in states that ban same-sex marriage.
“The reason why he has that record now is because, publicly and privately, we really held his feet to the fire,” said Socarides, referring to the activists’ pressure.
Obama’s stance on marijuana is far more nuanced. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, and the White House-run Office of National Drug Control Policy opposes its legalization whether for medicinal or recreational use.
Yet in August 2013, addressing the developments in Colorado and Washington, the Justice Department said it would allow legalization efforts to proceed as long as states followed strict guidelines, including keeping pot away from minors. Obama, an acknowledged pot smoker in his younger days, subsequently told The New Yorker magazine that he doesn’t view marijuana as any more dangerous than alcohol and explained his acceptance of the Colorado and Washington initiatives.
“It’s important for it to go forward because it’s important for society not to have a situation in which a large portion of people have at one time or another broken the law and only a select few get punished,” he told the magazine.
Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance and a leading critic of the so-called “war on drugs,” said such comments – coupled with the Justice Department’s 2013 memo – have put Obama out in front of most congressmen and governors.
“I wouldn’t call it bold, but it is significant,” Nadelmann said of Obama’s stance, which has paved the way for other states to consider joining the legalization movement.
Nadelmann drew a contrast between the marijuana movement – which he predicted would gain increasing bipartisan support – and issues such as immigration and gun control where partisan divides are pronounced.
“Marijuana lies at a unique intersection,” he said. “It’s a civil rights/civil liberties cause, and at the same time there’s the emergence of a legal market that could be worth tens of billions of dollars.”
Neera Tanden of the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, said the changes unfolding at the state level on marriage and marijuana reflect evolving public opinion and the growing influence of 18-to-29-year-olds. Among millennials, support for gay marriage and legalized pot is stronger than for other age groups.
“You have a country that is diversifying, and at same time you have a House of Representatives that is kind of a block against the wishes of the rising majority,” said Tanden, the CAP’s president. “Immigration reform passed the Senate, then hit a wall on the steps of the House.”
With conservative Republicans likely to maintain power in the House for at least two more years, Tanden said a state-by-state approach is being pursued on some other progressive-backed issues. For example, measures to raise the state minimum wage will be on the Nov. 4 ballot in Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska and South Dakota, while several cities and two states – California and Connecticut – have recently instituted policies to provide some workers with paid sick days.
“These are issues that eventually will pass nationally,” Tanden said.
Conservative commentator Jonah Goldberg contends that Obama could have pushed more of his agenda through Congress if he’d been more skillful politically and more willing to give Republicans a meaningful role.
“He doesn’t know how to play that game,” Goldberg said. “Now you’ve got gridlock, and the things he’s been able to do are things a president can do unilaterally.”
Others defend Obama’s efforts.
His stances on marriage and marijuana will guarantee him “a very strong progressive legacy,” said Ethan Geto, a gay-rights lobbyist and Democratic political consultant in New York.
“He wants to do the right thing on immigration, but it’s an incredible minefield. He pushed hard on gun control,” Geto said. “I don’t see any of these major issues where he hasn’t done as much as realistically expected.”
Related Topics:Legalization
Blazing Asians
Joe Biden Supports Marijuana Decriminalization, Not Legalization
New Marijuana Legalization Bill Introduced in New York
Cannabis Legalization Could Help Fund Education Needs In Maryland
High-Level Coalition Launches Campaign Supporting Legalization in Minnesota
Book Review: “Where There’s Smoke” Will Light a Fire in You
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About Gulf Aviation
Overview of Gulf Oil International
About Certas Energy
Aeroshell Lubricants
Vehicles and Equipment Provision
Gulf Aviation, United Kingdom Change
EMERGENCY SERVICES IN THE SKY – HOW GULF AVIATION SUPPORTS MAGPAS AIR AMBULANCE
Magpas Air Ambulance is an emergency medical charity that responds to life-threatening emergencies in the East of England and beyond.
The charity responded to more than 1,500 emergency callouts in 2018, providing lifesaving care to thousands of people by land and air.
As the oldest emergency medical charity in the UK, Magpas Air Ambulance has established a fantastic reputation for its pioneering training, providing support to the ambulance service and bringing additional skills and treatments to the scene of an incident.
With an average of four emergency callouts a day – often in hard to reach places – it’s imperative that Magpas Air Ambulance’s helicopter and rapid response vehicles are fully fuelled and ready to go at any time.
Its fleet plays an essential role in ensuring expert doctors and paramedics can respond to incidents and conduct life-saving missions whenever called upon.
For this reason, the charity needed a reliable and trusted fuel partner that could match up to the fast-paced nature of a 24-hours a day, seven days a week, emergency response team.
For the past seven years, Gulf Aviation has delivered fuel to the Magpas Air Ambulance operations base at 7am each morning. This means that all vehicle checks can be cleared and completed in advance of medics starting a new shift and helps to maintain high standards of response in a high-intensity environment.
With the goal of delivering efficient amenities for maximum success, Gulf Aviation also provides regular fuel quality training on the handling and storage of aviation fuel.
Regular reviews of operational processes also take place with the aim of ensuring that safety is maintained at all times, with practical knowledge of equipment being passed on to also ensure maximum aviation fuel cleanliness.
The long-standing partnership with Gulf Aviation is helping to ensure the Magpas Air Ambulance team is ready to respond whenever called upon – day or night, come rain or shine.
“Working in partnership with Gulf Aviation has been an extremely positive process for the team here at Magpas Air Ambulance. We have worked with them for a number of years now, and as a fuel provider, we’ve always found them to be incredibly responsive, diligent and approachable.
“As and when needed, the team at Gulf Aviation also provide us with new windsocks and are always on hand to help with any additional requirements we may have, helping us to run our 24/7 lifesaving service as smoothly as possible.” Natalie Church, Director of Operations at Magpas Air Ambulance.
GREAT WAR DISPLAY TEAM WOWS THE CROWDS AT CHELTENHAM
A ‘FUEL PROOF’ PARTNERSHIP FOR GULF AVIATION
FLYING HIGH WITH THE GREAT WAR DISPLAY TEAM
GULF AVIATION SECURES CONTRACT WITH BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT
Extranet Log-In
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3.7: Primary Sources
3: British North America
Olaudah Equiano Describes the Middle Passage, 1789
In this harrowing description of the Middle Passage, Olaudah Equiano described the terror of the transatlantic slave trade. Equiano eventually purchased his freedom and lived in London where he advocated for abolition.
Recruiting Settlers to Carolina, 1666
Robert Horne’s wanted to entice English settlers to join the new colony of Carolina. According to Horne, natural bounty, economic opportunity, and religious liberty awaited anyone willing to make the journey. Horne wanted to recruit settlers of every social class, from those “of Genteel blood” to those who would have to sign a contract of indentured servitude.
Letter from Carolina, 1682
Thomas Newe’s account of his experience in Carolina offers an interesting counter to Robert Horne’s prediction of what would await settlers. Newe describes deadly disease, war with Indians, and unprepared colonists. Newe longs for news from home but also appears committed to making a new life for himself in Carolina.
Francis Daniel Pastorius Describes His Ocean Voyage, 1684
The journey across the Atlantic was difficult at best and deadly at worst. Francis Pastorius left his home in Germany to create a new life in Pennsylvania. This account shows the discomforts and dangers of oceanic travel in the seventeenth century.
Song about Life in Virginia
Some English men and women understood the New World to be a place of opportunity, where they could create new lives. More common, however, was the belief that the New World was a place of great danger and suffering. This song was written from the perspective of a young girl who was sent to Virginia against her will, where she faced a life of hunger and never-ending work.
Print of the Slave Ship Brookes, 1789
Slave ships transported 11-12 million Africans to destinations in North and South America, but it was not until the end of the eighteenth century that any kind of regulation was introduced. The Brookes print dates to after the Regulated Slave Trade Act of 1788, but still shows enslaved Africans chained in rows using bilboes, which were iron leg shackles used to chain pairs of slaves together during the Middle Passage throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The slave ship Brookes was allowed to carry up to 454 slaves, allotting 6 feet (1.8 m) by 1 foot 4 inches (0.41 m) to each man; 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) by 1 foot 4 inches (0.41 m) to each women, and 5 feet (1.5 m) by 1 foot 2 inches (0.36 m) to each child, but one slave trader alleged that before 1788, the ship carried as many as 609 slaves.
Map of British North America, 1733
British colonists in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries occupied a constantly contested frontier. The British Empire competed with French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and even Scottish explorers to claim land in North America and the Caribbean – much of it already settled by Native Americans. This diverse territory would continue to be contested throughout the eighteenth century. Eventually, the British Empire included twenty-six colonies in North America, producing everything from grain and timber to luxury goods like tobacco and sugar.
3.6: Conclusion
3.8: Reference Material
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Germany arrests Tunisian man for producing biological weapon in his apartment
June 18, 2018 by Joseph Fitsanakis Leave a comment
German authorities have charged a Tunisian citizen with building a biological weapon, after finding significant quantities of the highly toxic substance ricin in his apartment. The 29-year-old man is referred to in public reports only as “Sief Allah H.”, in compliance with German law that forbids the naming of suspects until they are found guilty in court. German officials said last Thursday that the man remains in custody and has been charged with violating Germany’s War Weapons Control Act (known as Kriegswaffenkontrollgesetz) and “preparing a serious act of violence against the state”.
According to reports, German intelligence services received a tip-off last month that the man had made online purchases of a coffee grinder and 1,000 castor seeds. Processing castor seeds creates a ricin byproduct, which can then be weaponized in the form of a powder, a fine mist, or solid pellets of various sizes. The end product is more powerful than many other toxic substances, such as cyanide. Upon entering the human body, ricin can cause multiple organ failure in less than two days. It has no known antidote.
After receiving the tip-off, German authorities began monitoring the suspect’s movements in the western German city of Cologne, near the Belgian and Dutch borders. By June, German police discovered that he had produced enough ricin to dispense as many as 1,000 lethal doses.
German media reported that “Sief Allah H.” is a sympathizer of the Islamic State. However, investigators have found no direct link between him and any militant organizations in Germany or abroad. Additionally, no evidence has yet been presented that he had planned an actual attack —in Germany or elsewhere— at a specific time. However, officials from Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution said it was “very likely” that the arrest of “Sief Allah H.” had averted a terrorist attack. Late last week, German newsmagazine Der Spiegel said that the suspect had made ricin by following instructions posted online by the Islamic State.
Throughout the weekend, several other apartments in Cologne were searched by German authorities. Search parties consisted of members of the local police, intelligence officers and scientists from the Robert Koch Institute, the German government agency tasked with monitoring hazards to public health.
► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 18 June 2018 | Research Credit: S.F. | Permalink
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts Tagged with biological weapons, Cologne (Germany), counterterrorism, Germany, News, ricin, Sief Allah H.
Marcus Klingberg, highest-ranking Soviet spy ever caught in Israel, dies
December 3, 2015 by Joseph Fitsanakis 5 Comments
Marcus Klingberg, who is believed to be the highest-ranking Soviet spy ever caught in Israel, and whose arrest in 1983 prompted one of the largest espionage scandals in the Jewish state’s history, has died in Paris. Born Avraham Marek Klingberg in 1918, Klingberg left his native Poland following the joint German-Soviet invasion of 1939. Fearing persecution by the Germans due to his Jewish background, and being a committed communist, he joined the Soviet Red Army and served in the eastern front until 1941, when he was injured. He then received a degree in epidemiology from the Belarusian State University in Minsk, before returning to Poland at the end of World War II, where he met and married Adjia Eisman, a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Together they moved to Sweden, from where they emigrated to Israeli in 1948. It is believed that Klingberg was recruited by the Soviet KGB while in Sweden, and that he moved to Israel after being asked to do so by his Soviet handlers –though he himself always denied it.
Soon after arriving to Israel, Klingberg joined the Israel Defense Force, where he advanced to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In 1957, he joined the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR), a government outfit that conducted classified research for Israel’s biological and chemical weapons program. Klingberg worked at Ness Ziona, a top-secret government facility that conducted research on some of the most advanced chemical and biological weapons in the world. Eventually, he rose to the position deputy scientific director at IIBR, a post that he held until 1972. Additionally, Klingberg enhanced his international profile as a leading epidemiologist and conducted research in universities in Europe and the United States. Throughout that time, he was regularly passing classified information to the KGB at meetings with his handlers in Europe.
The Soviets had painstakingly trained Klingberg in espionage tradecraft, a set of skills that came in handy in the early 1960s, when the Shin Bet, Israel’s counterintelligence agency, began suspecting him of spying for a foreign intelligence service. The Shin Bet began systematically monitoring Klingberg. After failing to get results, the agency gave Klingberg a lie detector test, which he passed on the first try. Meanwhile, the Soviet government secretly awarded Klingberg the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, in recognition of the quality of the information he had passed on to the KGB. In 1982, a Soviet defector to Israel confirmed that Klingberg was indeed a KGB spy. Shortly afterwards, the Shin Bet approached Klingberg and asked him to accompany a top-secret team of Israeli technical experts to Malaysia, where a chemical plant had exploded. But instead of taking the scientist to the airport en route to Malaysia, the government car that picked him up from his house drove him to a Shin Bet safe house. After being interrogated there for nearly two weeks, Klingberg confessed to being a Soviet spy, saying he had decided to join the KGB for ideological reasons. However, in a 2014 interview with British newspaper The Observer, Klingberg claimed that he felt morally indebted to the USSR “for saving the world from the Nazis”.
Klingberg was tried in secret and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He then disappeared inside Israel’s prison system, having been given a false name and occupation by the Israeli authorities. He spent the first 10 years of his prison sentence in solitary confinement. In 1998, following pressure from human-rights groups, the Israeli government agreed to place Klingberg under house arrest, providing he was able to cover the financial cost of his detention. In 2003, having served his 20-year sentence, Klingberg was allowed to leave Israel and settle in France, where his daughter and son-in-law were living. He spent the last years of his life in Paris, where he died on November 30. He was 97.
► Author: Joseph Fitsanakis | Date: 3 October 2015 | Permalink
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts Tagged with biological weapons, chemical weapons, Cold War, counterintelligence, espionage, history, Israel, Israel Institute for Biological Research, KGB, Marcus Klingberg, News, obituaries, USSR
Are militant groups interested in weaponizing Ebola?
October 31, 2014 by Ian Allen 2 Comments
By IAN ALLEN | intelNews.org
Does the Ebola epidemic present militant groups, such as the Islamic State or al-Qaeda, with the opportunity to weaponize viruses and direct them against Western targets? Earlier this month, United States Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson dismissed in strong terms the possibility that Ebola would be used by Islamic State militants to attack American targets. Speaking to the Association of the United States Army, Johnson acknowledged that the Islamic State is a “very, very dangerous terrorist organization”, but added that his Department had seen “no specific credible evidence that [the Islamic State] is attempting to use any sort of disease or virus to attack” the US. A few days earlier, however, Forbes magazine had quoted Al Shimkus, Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College, as saying that the Ebola outbreak presented Islamist groups with the opportunity to use a low-tech bioterrorist weapon “to attempt to wreak strategic global infection”. Shimkus added that a group like the Islamic State wouldn’t even have to weaponize the virus’ it could “simply use human carriers to intentionally infect themselves in West Africa, then disseminate the deadly virus via the world’s air transportation system”, he said. On Wednesday, a senior Spanish official told a parliamentary committee in Madrid that the government of Spain was “taking seriously” discussions in Internet forums linked to the Islamic State about using biological weapons against the West. Francisco Martínez, who is Spain’s State Secretary for Security, told the Committee of the Interior in the Spanish Congress that online commentators connected to the Islamic State have been discussing the possibility of using Ebola as a weapon against America and its Western allies. He told Committee members that the discussions had been taking place on Internet forums as recently as mid-September. He also cited “a series of tweets” from last July, in which another Islamist group, Ansar al-Islam, with roots in Iraqi Kurdistan, proposed using “deadly chemical products from laboratories” as means of launching attacks against the West. Martínez did not provide further details on the allegations.
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts Tagged with Al Shimkus, biological weapons, Ebola, Francisco Martinez, Islamic State, Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, Jeh Johnson, News, Spain, US Department of Homeland Security
Israel special forces conducting cross-border operations in Syria
December 10, 2012 by Joseph Fitsanakis 1 Comment
By JOSEPH FITSANAKIS | intelNews.org |
Teams of Israeli special forces are currently operating inside Syria in an effort to detect and sabotage the Syrian military’s chemical and biological arsenal. Citing an unnamed “Israeli source”, the London-based Sunday Times newspaper said yesterday that the operation is part of a wider “secret war” to track Damascus’ non-conventional weapons stockpiles and “sabotage their development”. The Israeli government refused comment on the paper’s allegation. However, Israel’s covert activities against the Syrian government’s chemical and biological arsenal go back almost 30 years. Reputedly, some of the more recent such activities may have involved the targeting of Russian scientists. Although Russia routinely denies it, it is believed that Syria’s non-conventional arsenal was significantly augmented in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the help of Russian retired general Anatoliy Kuntsevich. Kuntsevich, one of the Soviet Red Army’s top scientists, is said to have helped Damascus build its XV nerve agent stockpiles, which are still believed to be in existence today. Interestingly, Kuntsevich died suddenly in 2003 onboard a flight from the Syrian capital to Moscow. It was widely speculated at the time that the Mossad, Israel’s covert-action agency, may have played a role in the Russian general’s sudden death. In 2010, another retired Russian general, Yuri Ivanov, who had served as Deputy Director of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency, died in unclear circumstances. The body of 52-year-old Ivanov was found in Turkey on August 16, 2010, several days after he had disappeared close to a Russian naval facility in Syria. Russian media did not report Ivanov’s death until several days later, when he was quietly buried in Moscow. According to reports in the Israeli press, the former GRU official was on his way to a meeting with Syrian intelligence officers when he went missing. Read more of this post
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts Tagged with Anatoly Kuntsevich, biological weapons, chemical weapons, covert action, GRU, Israel, News, Russia, suspicious deaths, Syria, Yuri Ivanov
February 17, 2012 by Ian Allen 1 Comment
►►Is there a Mossad base near Iran? The London-based Sunday Times has published an interview with a man claiming to be an Azerbaijan-based agent of Israeli intelligence agency, who confirmed the existence of such a base. The man, identified in the article as “Shimon,” told the paper that there were dozens of Israeli Mossad agents working out of the base. The meeting between the agent and the London Times‘ reporter took place in Baku, near the Israeli Embassy, the report said.
►►Analysis: CIA report on Soviet bioweapons still secret. It has been three decades since the Reagan administration accused the Soviet Union and Vietnam of using chemical weapons known as yellow rain. We still do not know how the US came to this conclusion, but have good reason to believe that it was based on flawed or distorted intelligence. A classified critique of the intelligence behind those charges, written several years ago for the Central Intelligence Agency, could shed light on what happened. Last year, Matthew Meselson, a Harvard expert on chemical and biological weapons, filed a Freedom of Information Act request to get the report released. He was turned down.
►►US official says Iran unlikely to strike first. Lieutenant General Ronald Burgess, director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, said the Iranian military is unlikely to intentionally provoke a conflict with the West. He said Iran probably has the ability to “temporarily close the Strait of Hormuz with its naval forces”, as some Iranian officials have threatened to do if attacked or in response to sanctions on its oil exports by the US and European Union. But, he added, “Iran is unlikely to initiate or intentionally provoke a conflict or launch a preemptive attack”.
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts Tagged with 0 CIA report on Soviet bioweapons still secret, 0 Is there a Mossad base near Iran?, 0 US official says Iran unlikely to strike first, Azerbaijan, Baku, biological weapons, CIA, Cold War, declassification, DIA, FOIA, government secrecy, history, Iran, Israel, Matthew Meselson, Mossad, News, news you may have missed, Ronald Burgess, United States, USSR, Vietnam
News you may have missed #422 (suspicious deaths edition)
August 31, 2010 by intelNews Leave a comment
Self-described CIA assassin dies in gun accident. Roland W. Haas, a senior intelligence officer in the US Army Reserve who claimed in a 2007 memoir that he was a CIA assassin, died over the weekend when he accidentally shot himself, police in the US state of Georgia said.
Russian military intel chief in mystery death. General Yuri Ivanov, 52, deputy head of Russia’s powerful military intelligence agency, the GRU, died mysteriously in a swimming accident “several days ago”, Russian media has reported. No further details have been released on the circumstances or the location of Ivanov’s death.
David Kelly inquest calls ‘outrageous’, says friend. Professor Christian Seelos, was a UN weapons inspector in Iraq alongside British biological weapons expert Dr. David Kelly, who was found dead four days after appearing before a UK Parliament committee investigating claims about Iraq’s purported ‘weapons of mass destruction’. Seelos now says that calls for a fresh examination into Dr. Kelly’s death are “totally politically motivated”.
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts Tagged with 0 Mysterious Russian numbers station changes frequency, 0 Russian military intel chief in mystery death, 0 Self-described CIA assassin dies in gun accident, biological weapons, Christian Seelos, CIA, David Kelly, GRU, iraq, News, news you may have missed, Roland W. Haas, Russia, suicides, suspicious deaths, UK, United States, US Army, Yuri Ivanov
Uproar as UK government classifies details of weapon expert’s death
January 26, 2010 by intelNews 2 Comments
Public speculation over the alleged suicide of UK biological weapons expert Dr. David Kelly is bound to increase, after a senior state official secretly ordered that details of his death be kept secret for 70 years. Dr. Kelly, a British Ministry of Defense scientist, who had been employed by the United Nations as a weapons inspector, caused a major stir by becoming one of the sources of a 2003 BBC report disputing the British government’s claim that Iraq could deploy chemical or biological weapons at 45 minutes’ notice. He was later called to appear before a Parliamentary committee investigating the government’s claims about Iraq’s purported ‘weapons of mass destruction’. But on July 18, 2003, four days after appearing before the committee, Dr. Kelly’s was found dead at a wooded area near his home. Read more of this post
Filed under A specialized intelligence website written by experts Tagged with BBC, biological weapons, British Houses of Parliament, David Kelly, government secrecy, intelligence classification, Iraq War, Iraq weapons of mass destruction, Lord Hutton, News, scientific intelligence, suicides, suspicious deaths, UK, UK Ministry of Defence
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Faculty of Clinical Sciences
Department of Community Health
Assessment of Nutritional Status, Intelligence Quotient and Academic Performance of Primary School Children in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State
Ijarotimi, Oluwole Steve (2015-04-23)
The study assessed the nutritional status, academic performance and intelligent quotient of primary school pupils in the Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State. It further investigated the relationship between nutritional status, intelligent quotient and academic performance of the primary school pupils with a view to determining factors that have implication for improving school performance of primary school pupils. A cross-sectional descriptive design was employed. Study sample consisted of 402 primary school pupils aged between 9 and 15 years and recruited from both private and public primary schools in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State between January and March 2006. One hundred and sixty-nine (42%) pupils were from the private schools, while 233 (58%) were from the public schools. Data were collected with the aid of an interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire and the measurement of anthropometric indices. Academic performance was assessed from the records of the grades of the pupils. Raven Standard Progressive Matrices was used to assess the intelligence quotient (IQ) of the pupils. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed. The result showed that the mean weight, height, intelligent quotient and academic performance of the pupils were 33.30+0.35 kg, 1.42+0.01 m, 34.8+0.56 and 63.5+0.66 % respectively. The nutritional status classification of the pupils showed that 50.4% were adequately nourished, 35.1% mildly stunted, 13.5% moderately stunted and 1.5% severely stunted based on height-for-age an index of past nutritional status. Using weigh-for-height (index of wasting), 49.8% of pupils were adequately nourished, 40% mildly wasted, 9.7% moderately wasted and 0.5% was severely wasted. Assessment of cognitive performance revealed that 5% of the pupils were of superior IQ, 11.2% were above average IQ, 11.4% were average, 8.2% were below average and 64.2% were intellectually deficient. However, the proportion of pupils from private primary schools that had better cognitive performances was significantly higher (x2 =45.45, p<0.05) than public primary school pupils. Assessment of academic performance of the pupils revealed that 60.5% of them were above average, 25.1% were average, 11.4% were below average and 3% were poor. Also, the proportion of pupils from private primary schools that had better academic performances was significantly higher (x2 = 60.58, p<0.05) than public primary school pupils. Based on the height-for-age indices, there was no significant relationship between nutritional status and intelligent quotient of the pupils (x2 = 9.99, p>0.05). Similarly, based on weight-for-height indices, nutritional status did not influence intelligence quotient (x2= 15.52, p>0.05). However, based on height-for-age indices, well nourished pupils had significantly better academic performance compared with the stunted pupils (x2= 40.84, p<0.05). The only demographic variable that was associated with nutritional status and academic performance was age. Pupils aged between 11 and 12 years had significantly higher odds ratios of better academic performance (odd ratio = 6.31, p<0.05) and of not being wasted (odd ratio = 9.73, p<0.05) compared with pupils of other age groups. The study concluded that while indices for the present and past nutritional status of the pupils did not influence their cognitive performance, the index of past nutritional status was a significant predictor of academic performance.
URI: http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/105
Assessment of Nutritional Status, Intelligence Quotient and Academic Performance of Primary School Children in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State by Ijarotimi.pdf (65.41Kb)
Theses and Dissertations11
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Prof Jem Hebden
Department of Medical Physics & Bioengineering
Malet Place Engineering Building
WC1E 6BT
j.hebden@ucl.ac.uk
Professor of Biomedical Optics
Dept of Med Phys & Biomedical Eng
Faculty of Engineering Science
Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory
Institute of Healthcare Engineering
Medical Engineering Centre
UCL Centre for Neuroimaging Techniques
I am currently head of the UCL Department of Medical Physics & Bioengineering, and director of the UCL Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory (BORL), which represents a federation of four research groups, each involved in internationally-leading research. These groups are: Near-infrared Spectroscopy (led by Dr. Clare Elwell), Photoacoustics and Optical Ultrasound Sensing (Dr. Paul Beard), Theory and Modelling (Prof. Simon Arridge), and my own Experimental Imaging group. The original biomedical optics group was founded by Prof. David Delpy in the 1980’s, and a few years ago I was responsible for creating BORL and the current federal structure. The new organisation has provided greater opportunities for individuals to raise their research profiles (as leaders of their own groups), while still retaining the benefits of membership of the largest team of biomedical optics researchers in Europe.
BORL continues to pioneer the development of new optical instruments and techniques for monitoring tissue oxygenation and metabolism. To date, BORL has attracted more than £6M of external funding (not including several major multi-centre grants) from EPSRC, Wellcome Trust, Action Research, and other funding sources including industry. We have been awarded 24 patents and have published well over 300 papers.
I joined the UCL Department of Medical Physics & Bioengineering in 1992 when I vacated a tenure-track position at the University of Utah to take up a 5-year Wellcome Trust Senior Fellowship (later renewed for a further 5 years). I immediately established my own group devoted to the development of clinical prototypes for optical imaging of human subjects, with particular emphasis on the study of the premature infant brain at risk of damage resulting from hypoxia-ischaemia. I have pioneered the technique of time-resolved diffuse optical imaging, and (with Wellcome Trust and industrial support) developed a prototype which is widely regarded as the most sophisticated clinical instrument in optical tomography, utilising unique, ground-breaking technology. My group has published the first (and so far the only) three-dimensional (3D) optical images of the entire infant brain, including 3D functional images. We have also developed a novel optical topography system for real-time display of functional activity in the cortex of adults and children. Under contracts negotiated by UCL Business, we have successfully supplied similar systems to collaborating groups at the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, and at L’Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris). We are currently exploring possibilities for commercialisation of this system.
The internationally-leading position of my research group has been acknowledged through invitations to chair the leading conferences in the field (e.g. appointed as General Chair of the largest and most prestigious conference in the field of Biomedical Optics, held in Miami Beach in April 2002, involving over 350 participants), requests for keynote conference presentations, and invitations for major review articles.
I currently teach about 50 hours of undergraduate lectures per year, and abour 16 hours of MSc lectures. In 2002 I identified the need for and designed a new mathematics course (MPHY3893) specifically for our cohort of intercalated students. This enables them to significantly enhance their mathematical skills, and thus to take year 3 and year 4 physics courses without disadvantage compared to physics students. I also teach introductory medical imaging to first-year students (MPHY1001) and diagnostic ultrasound to MSc students (MPHYGB10). I am also responsible for designing a novel set of first-year lectures (PHAS1423) which adopt a differential approach towards medical imaging, which places the students in the position of a team of radiologists requiring a diagnosis from patients exhibiting unusual symptoms and/or evidence of trauma. I run the final-year undergraduate project module (MPHY3000) and am a year tutor to a cohort of 14 undergraduate medical physics students.
2008 Head of Department Medical Physics & Bioengineering UCL, United Kingdom
2002 Professor of Biomedical Optics Medical Physics & Bioengineering UCL, United Kingdom
1992 – 2002 Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow Medical Physics & Bioengineering UCL, United Kingdom
1990 – 1992 Assistant Professor (tenure-track) Medical Imaging Research Laboratory University of Utah, United States
1987 – 1989 Research Fellow Medical Imaging Research Laboratory University of Utah, United States
1984 – 1986 Postdoctoral Research Associate Steward Observatory University of Arizona, United States
1984 PhD Doctor of Philosophy – Astronomy Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
1981 BSc Bachelor of Science – Physics Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
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CNN - Sports
Renowned sportscaster says NFL teams are racist when it comes to hiring coaches
A Dallas sportscaster is causing a stir for a blistering TV commentary in which he acknowledged his own “white privilege” and slammed the “covert racism” of NFL owners who won’t give talented coaches of color a chance.
Dale Hansen of WFAA made his comments in reaction to the Arizona Cardinals’ hiring of head coach Kliff Kingsbury, even though Kingsbury has no NFL experience and was just fired as coach at Texas Tech, where he had a losing record.
“Kingsbury fits all the criteria to be a head coach in the NFL. He’s an offensive genius, he’s young and he’s white — and not necessarily in that order,” Hansen said on air Wednesday night in his “Unplugged” segment.
“Young, talented coaches of color not getting the chance, that’s a huge problem. The covert racism of the NFL ownership group is so bad, the NFL had to make a rule so that minority coaches could at least get an interview.”
Eight NFL head coaches — five of them black — were fired at the end of the 2018 regular season which wrapped last month. The six coaches hired so far to replace them all are white.
In a league where about 70% of the players are black, only two of the 32 NFL teams currently have black head coaches.
In 2003, the NFL adopted a policy, called the Rooney Rule, requiring every team with a head coaching vacancy to interview at least one or more minority candidates.
Neither the NFL nor the Arizona Cardinals immediately responded Thursday to a request for comment.
‘I am the product of white privilege in America’
In his remarks, Hansen — who was twice named the AP’s Sportscaster of the Year — also acknowledged that his race has given him an advantage in his own career.
“I’ve had 11 jobs in my life, been fired from eight of them and moved up every time. And I am arrogant enough to tell you, I think Channel 8 was right to give me another chance,” he said. “But I am the product of white privilege in America and I’ve never denied that I wasn’t.”
Such candid statements are nothing new for Hansen, 70, who has been outspoken for years on issues of race and sexuality in sports.
He made waves in 2014 with a commentary supporting Michael Sam, who was trying to become the first openly gay player in the NFL. And last year, Hansen called Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones a hypocrite for saying that any Cowboy player who takes a knee during the national anthem will be kicked off the team.
“It’s incredible to me that a player can beat up a woman and play for the Dallas Cowboys. A player can use illegal drugs, time and time again, and still play,” Hansen said. “But you take a knee to protest the racial injustice in America, and now you’ve crossed a line that he will not allow.”
On Wednesday Hansen mentioned that Cowboys secondary coach Kris Richard, who is black, appears to be a top candidate for the Miami Dolphins’ coaching job.
“After what he’s done with this Cowboys’ defense, how could he not?” Hansen said. “Unless it is true what black parents have been telling their children for decades now: You have to be twice as good to go half as far. I dream of the day when those parents are wrong, because now they’re not.”
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Posts Tagged ‘The Devil’s Music’
The Devil’s Music – The Plan
Posted: April 5, 2016 in BBFC, DVD Releases, Festivals, Industry, Running a company, The Devil's Music
Tags: Facebook, The Devil's Music, VOD
Hi folks, Pat here.
You may have seen my entry a couple of weeks back about how the release of The Devil’s Music fell through. We’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the movie and the situation, and I want to share my plan with you.
Quick recap: The Devil’s Music is our rock and roll horror mockumentary which an awful lot of people think is very cool. It’s described as ‘magnificent’ in MJ Simpson’s Urban Terrors book, ‘swiftly paced and visually inventive’ in Stuart Willis’ The New Flesh and is even positively namechecked a couple of times in Kim Newman’s magnificent Nightmare Movies. AintItCoolNews called it ‘highly recommended’ and namechecked the director’s cut in their countdown of best horror movies of the year. It won Best Independent Feature at the Festival of Fantastic Films. And more. And more.
We had a short UK release of the original cut when it was streamed by IndieMoviesOnline, a really ahead-of-its-time streaming site which has now unfortunately gone under. IMO treated the film really well, taking out full page ads in the press and (gasp) actually paying us some money. The US release was handled by a company called Lono, who were lovely and wonderful and ceased trading almost as soon as the film came out, effectively deleting it before it had properly hit the shops. All of this meant that by the end of 2010, our film was effectively ‘lost’, (in that, there was no legitimate way for the public to buy the movie very easily) and all the rights came back to us because both IMO and Lono were lovely, honourable companies.
We started setting up a special edition UK DVD release in 2012, working with the wonderful Cine du Monde, which ended up getting delayed for reasons outside of our control until it ran straight into the ridiculous BBFC situation in 2014 that you probably already know about. That DVD special edition, therefore, also remains in limbo. It sits as a pre-order on Amazon but is unlikely to ever materialise in that form. So if you’ve ordered it, you might as well cancel it.
Since running the last piece about this situation, people have emailed me with a lot of suggestions. We’ve looked at everything people have suggested and examined every possibility.
The following is what we’ve come up with..
We’re going to launch the movie on October 21st 2016 on as many platforms as we can afford, in as many territories as we can. And rather than doing my usual magician’s trick of keeping all this under wraps, I’m going to be honest about it as it comes together. Ask me questions on Twitter, make suggestions via the comments here or wherever. I’m been looking at the usual platforms and making the usual kinds of decisions. I’ve been eyeing up aggregators, particularly Distribber, and would love to hear from other filmmakers’ experiences with them.
We don’t have much money in the bank, but we’ve got a cool movie and a handful of people who’ve really enjoyed it.
Let’s see whether that’s enough.
If you’re interested in helping, there are a bunch of things you can do. If you’re a producer who has worked with distribution platforms anywhere in the world that you’ve had a positive experience, it’d be great to hear about it. If you run a genre-based website, magazine or blog, it’d be brilliant if we could generate as much coverage for the movie as possible for the month of October; if you’d like to review a screener, or run an interview, or feature an exclusive image or whatever we’d love to arrange it. Just contact us via Twitter either on my account or the Jinx Media one.
Anything else? Well, we’ll be firing up the long-dormant Facebook page for the movie too, so if you feel like liking and sharing that page (and the Jinx Media one while you’re at it!), that would be awesome. The more visible support the film has, the more possibilities we have in terms of sorting international platforms.
I’m really sorry you guys have waited so long. I’ll be honest about the way this shakes down, so that people can either cheer at this success story or wince at how NOT to do it in future.
We love you guys. Now let’s finally get this goddam movie out there.
How the BBFC, DCMS and EU VAT Regulations Killed our Movie
Posted: March 14, 2016 in BBFC, DVD Releases, Industry, Running a company, The Devil's Music
Tags: BBFC, distribution, DVD, The Devil's Music
Between them, they killed the release of our film The Devil’s Music.
It’s a good film that people like, and they killed it.
I was worried this would happen when the BBFC introduced changes to their exemption criteria as a result of a DCMS consultation. I hoped that calmer heads would prevail, and the misguided legislation wouldn’t go through.
The way the BBFC implemented the DCMS changes within their fee structure took our movie from being ready for release in autumn 2014 to being financially non-viable on UK DVD. The additional charges levied against special features meant that the upfront fees to get it through the BBFC went from being a manageable risk to being potentially suicidal from an investment point of view. You can read all about this in an article I wrote for the Huffington Post back at the time. Back when I hoped it might not happen after all.
Back when the DVD was listed as a pre-order on Amazon.
Two years later it’s still listed as a pre-order, but it’s unlikely to ever be fulfilled. The disc had been put together already by the wonderful people at Cine du Monde, but the disc as created would now cost £2000 or more to put through the BBFC. Given that the DVD market is shrinking almost by the week, that kind of an upfront investment in addition to replication costs and so on rendered the disc non-viable. It’s a real shame. It’s a beautiful disc. I’ve got a test pressing of it.
So what? I hear you cry. The future isn’t DVD anyway. Damn the man, skip the BBFC and just go direct digital distribution!
That was my instinct, too, until I began to try and unpick the additional legislative nightmare that is VATmoss – forcing digital distributors to deal with absolutely impossible requirements for tiny companies. It was apparently created to stop massive companies using loopholes, which it doesn’t really do. What it DOES do quite spectacularly, though, is to close all of the options for direct digital distribution for the little guys by creating such an astonishing amount of legal difficulties and paperwork that nobody could ever properly unpick and administer it all without investing thousands.
So, between the BBFC and the insanity of VATmoss, The Devil’s Music was killed dead. The UK DVD release never happened and the intended direct digital release was binned. Here at Jinx, we’ve been concentrating on House on the Witchpit together with our various screenwriting classes and festival shows. Our most critically acclaimed movie has been hanging in limbo; an unfulfilled pre-order and an unreplicated master copy.
Back in 2014, AintItCoolNews reviewed the intended release, saying “The buildup of tension and horror that takes place in here is outstanding and Higgins makes the entire thing feel like the real thing“.
Just last month, WhatCulture listed it as one of the great modern horror films shot for next to nothing.
I hope we’ll find a new way forward. It strikes me as pretty heartbreaking that the release of a movie we worked so hard on, and that so many people seem to really connect with, got strangled by two pieces of ridiculous and ill thought-out legislation.
The Devil’s Music Director’s Cut DVD (update)
Posted: January 13, 2015 in The Devil's Music
Tags: DVD, release dates, The Devil's Music
I’m aware that many of you guys have been waiting patiently for the Director’s Cut DVD of The Devil’s Music, which has been listed on Amazon for several months but seems to have been subject to a bit of a floating release date.
All I can do is apologise for this one. There have been some issues outside of our control which have resulted in the release date getting bumped a couple of times. This isn’t our fault, or that of our brilliant distributors Cine du Monde, it’s an outside issue which has knocked the schedule over a bit.
I keep waiting for confirmation of a new date, which I very much hope will be sooner rather than later. As you’re hopefully aware, the flick enjoyed a real resurgence of interest last year when the Director’s Cut was reviewed extremely favourably on AintItCool News and was later listed as ‘Worth Noting’ in their countdown of the best horror movies of 2014. Alongside new interviews with Pat about the movie and some other great reviews, it was a good year for the movie.
As soon as we have a concrete new release date, we’ll let you know. Once again, sorry.
In the meantime, here’s the new introduction to the film from the DVD, just to whet your appetite.
The Pit, The ‘Saw and More…
Posted: November 2, 2012 in DVD Releases, Pre-production, Writing
Tags: Chainsaw Fairytale, hoodies, merchandise, Nazi Zombie Death Tales t-shirts, The Devil's Music
Latest newsflashes!
First up, we’re delighted to announce that the Director’s Cut of our award-winning movie The Devil’s Music has signed for distribution in the UK with the wonderful folks over at Cine Du Monde and will be hitting DVD early in 2013. This new cut features some never-before-seen footage (no, not even seen on the previous stuffed-to-the-gills US release) and the disc will be full of brand new exclusive extras.
In case you’ve forgotten how awesome the movie is, this is the one that won Best Independent Feature at the Festival of Fantastic Films and has been variously described as “Absolutely Terrific” , “Brilliant… A gem to be experienced” , “a wickedly thrilling treat” and “A master class in engrossing story-telling”.
More details on the new disc as we get them through.
Next up.. We’ve got the actual date for the first of the new live shows confirmed!
As we mentioned, the new show will be called “Werewolves, Cheerleaders & Chainsaws: Filming Horror with No Bloody Money” and the first date will be:
Saturday January 19th 2013: Horror-On-Sea Festival
We’re still planning the various bits and bobs, (which we’re keeping hush-hush for the moment) but it should be a really fun show. The festival itself is shaping up to be pretty goddamn awesome too, with Alex Chandon’s Inbred hitting the screen as well as our own mighty Nazi Zombie Death Tales and a whole host of other gruesome goodies. Make sure you make a note in your calendar for the festival, and show some support and love for the newest horror treat in the festival calendar.
What else? What else?
Well, how about some absolutely brilliant Death Tales merchandise? Check these suckers out!!
These wonderful garments are beautifully designed and look absolutely fantastic. Go and treat yourself (or stock up for your indie-horror loving friends for Christmas) and support independent filmmaking as well as looking cooler than everyone else you meet that day. I promise you, you won’t regret the purchase! CLICK HERE TO GO SHOPPING!
Well, we’re moving forwards as mentioned on our shoot for House on the Witchpit, which will be Jinx Media’s big project for 2013. Since the funding collapsed on this flick (through no fault of our own, I hasten to add, or indeed the lovely people we were dealing with; this industry is going through horribly difficult times at the moment and companies go bust left, right and centre) we’ve been a little bit in limbo with it, but it’s revving up and moving forwards for next year. We should be announcing some investment opportunities very shortly (we’re looking at various options at the moment) but if you’re interested in potentially getting involved in the project in some capacity a bit further down the line, don’t be afraid to visit the official Jinx Media Facebook page , ‘like’ us and post something on our wall.
Cast, crew, whatever. It’s always lovely to network with likeminded souls, and the project is shaping up to be awesome. It’s the first time that we’ve ever shot a movie where the main intention was to scare the living shit out of people (rather than broadly entertain/make ’em laugh/intrigue them) and we can’t wait to get started.
Well, I wrote the words ‘The End’ on the screenplay for Chainsaw Fairytale last night.
But maybe that’s a story for another time…
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Adjunct Clinical Supervisor
Commensurate with education and experience
Faculty - 7361
Adjunct Faculty--Clinical Supervisor
The George Mason University Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program is accredited with the American Psychological Association (APA) and is seeking Adjunct Clinical Supervisors at our Center for Psychological Services to provide psychotherapy supervision. This position is a fixed-term, per semester position and may be eligible for renewal. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason's academic and culturally inclusive environment.
Duties include individual and group supervision of clinical psychology doctoral students in cognitive-behavioral therapy and other evidence-based interventions for adults, couples, and groups. Supervisors need to be proficient in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy as these are key modalities taught at our program. Supervision will include review of client audio or video recordings, and review of client reports and documentation.
Requirements: Ph.D. or Psy.D. in clinical psychology from an APA-accredited program; completion of an APA-accredited predoctoral internship; licensed as a psychologist in Virginia; prior experience in clinical supervision; and prior experience with evidence-based interventions, specifically CBT and DBT.
The Clinical Psychology Program is committed to training students to meet the evolving roles of clinical psychologists by offering training in a wide-range of professional functions including research, teaching, supervision, consultation, program evaluation and direct clinical service. Detailed information about the program, including its mission statement, can be found at http://psychology.gmu.edu/clinical/clinical/.
The search committee will begin reviewing applications immediately, and continue until the position is filled. Because this position may involve working with minors, university policy requires a criminal background check prior to employment.
George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in a range of academic fields. Enrollment is over 32,000, with students studying in over 185 degree programs at campuses in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William.
George Mason University, Where Innovation Is Tradition! Equity Statement George Mason University is an equal opportunity employer encouraging diversity.
For full consideration, applicants must apply online at http://jobs.gmu.edu for position number PC020z; complete the faculty application; and upload a cover letter and a CV. In addition, three letters of reference should be submitted, either electronically to sridley@gmu.edu or via postal mail to Ms. Susan Ridley, Department of Psychology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MS 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444.
"Great Careers Begin at Mason!
George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in both academics and research. Mason holds a top U.S. News and World Report "Up and Coming" spot for national universities and is recognized for its global appeal and excellence in higher education.
Mason is currently the largest and most diverse university in Virginia with students and faculty from all 50 states and over 135 countries studying in over 200 degree programs at campuses in Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William, as well as at learning locations across the commonwealth. Rooted in Mason's diversity is a campus culture that is both rewarding and exciting, work that is meaningful, and opportunities to both collaborate and create.
If you are interested in joining the Mason family take a look at our current opportunities and catch some Mason spirit at jobs.gmu.edu/!
George Mason University, Where Innovation is Tradition."
Assistant Director for Contemporary Student Services
Associate Director of Decision Support
Commensurate with education and experience.
Director for Communication
Management Education jobs in Fairfax
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The Supremes Swing to the Right
We’re The Supremes!
The Supreme Court handed down their last decisions dealing crippling blows to the reproductive rights of women and labor unions. Liberals are taking some small comfort in a blistering 35-page dissent by Justice Ginsburg’s but the reasoning of the losing minority of a Supreme Court decision matters only for a day or so and then it belongs to the legal scholars and history books.
The Hobby Lobby case got all the ink and headlines because it’s a horrible slap at women and their reproductive rights, but the conservative majority stuck it to labor unions too. If these two traditionally Democratic voting blocs still want to sit on their hands (and wallets) after the gut punches Roberts and company handed them, they deserve whatever dark plans the Republicans have in store in for both of them should they retake the Senate and hold the House.
While today’s pair of horrible decisions might seem like distinct issues, in fact they are both part of a larger war on women and workers.
The absurdity of the Hobby Lobby decision (only contraceptives are exempted for religious beliefs because of sluts) is obviously part of the Republican war on women, but it is also very much a war on the poor. An IUD costs about a month’s worth of wages at the minimum wage. If an executive can’t get birth control because her employer gets too hot and bothered thinking of her having sexy time, she can afford it on her own. A Hobby Lobby floor worker? Probably not. For women workers at closely held corporations, this decision will be devastating.
The Harris case is specifically about home care workers in Illinois. Who are home care workers? Women. Poor women. Lots of African-Americans, lots of Latinos, lots of undocumented workers. Home care workers are a major emphasis for SEIU right now; a close friend of mine has spent over a decade on a campaign to organize them in one city alone. Harris threatens all of this. But moreover, it shows how little Alito and the boys care about rights for women wherever they are. It’s hardly coincidental that this case comes down the same day as the contraception mandate. The Court evidently believes that the home is not a workplace, but of course it is a workplace, especially if someone is getting paid to do work. That it is women working in the home, as it has always been, just makes it easier for conservatives to devalue that work.
Of course, it’s about more than just working women and it opens the door for Alito and Roberts’ continued desire to mandate the New Gilded Age, so no doubt we will see new challenges to public sector unionism that will probably reach the Court in 2016 or maybe 2017 at the latest. I am not a legal expert, but my guess as to why Abood wasn’t overturned entirely is that there wasn’t 5 votes for it yet.
Regardless, both of today’s decisions are very much about keeping working women without power both on the job and at home.
“What? Me Retire?” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Also, when we hear in 2016 that both parties are the same because of [insert pet issue here] and therefore vote for vanity third party candidate, let us remember this day and these decisions. If you think Strip Search Sammy Alito and Ruth Bader Ginsburg are the same, you might want to rethink your positions.
What matters most and in fact the only thing that matters to those disappointed, dismayed and disgusted with how the Court came down in these cases is Justice William Brennan‘s Rule of Five where Brennan would hold up five fingers to his clerks and say, ”Five votes can do anything around here.”
Brennan was a prophet and the Roberts Court is the proof of it.
From 1801 to 1940, less than 2 percent of the Supreme Court’s total rulings were resolved by 5-to-4 decisions. Since then, more than 16 percent of the Court’s rulings have been decided by “minimum-winning coalitions.” In the two most recent Courts, more than a fifth of all rulings were decided by 5-to-4 votes.
Scholars consider these narrow decisions the most political. Research indicates that 5-to-4 rulings are the most likely to be overturned by later Courts. They carry the same legal authority as more unanimous opinions — but not the same moral authority. In this vein, the one branch of government designed to be above partisanship echoes the rise in hyperpartisanship seen throughout Washington.
The Roberts Court has decided more cases by a 5-to-4 ruling (about 21.5 percent) than any Court before it, though only by a narrow margin. The previous Court, led by William Rehnquist, decided 20.5 percent of its cases by this minimum coalition. That rate, however, represents roughly twice the share of 5-to-4 rulings in the Stone Court, during World War II. And the Stone Court had more than three times the rate of 5-to-4 decisions of any Court prior.
Roberts noticed the trend early in his term. “I do think the rule of law is threatened by a steady term after term after term focus on 5-4 decisions,” Roberts told The New Republic’s Jeffrey Rosen in 2006. “I think the Court is ripe for a similar refocus on functioning as an institution, because if it doesn’t, it’s going to lose its credibility and legitimacy as an institution.”
Justice Ginsburg is 81. Stephen Breyer is 75. With the Court’s term over, the speculation will begin again will either one retire while President Obama and a Democratic majority are still in power? It’s doubtful for multiple reasons.
Neither Ginsburg or Breyer’s departure tips the Court’s ideological balance. But what if Antonin Scalia (78) or Clarence Thomas (66) were to get a sudden itch to go fishing’ or spend more time with their families? Or just leave the Supreme Court to try out for The View?
Okay. It’s not gonna happen. Scalia and Thomas will announce they’re secret lovers before ever they allow Obama to appoint their replacements.
But even if one of the Justices were to suffer an untimely demise, there’s no way a Republican-controlled Senate would allow Obama to tip the axis of power of the Court to the liberal minority.
This is the current membership of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Do you think there is anyone Obama could nominate Al Franken and Ted Cruz would both vote for?
As far as Brennan’s Rule of Five goes this is a battle the Left lost years ago and it may take many years before they begin to win any.
But the last people I want to hear from are the smug elitists and professional cynics who say “there’s no difference between the Democrats and Republicans.” Yeah, sure. Look at how the justices selected by Democratic and Republican presidents voted and tell me that one again.
Don’t tell me you’re appalled (or even surprised) by the Supreme Court’s conservative majority deciding corporations have more rights than women. Tell me what you’re going to DO about it. The first thing is to vote and keep the Senate in Democratic control. That is, unless you want Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell telling President Obama whom he will allow to sit on the Supreme Court when a vacancy opens up.
“Me? And justice? Now THAT’S funny!’
SCOTUS sides with Hobby Lobby on birth control
When Will Supreme Court’s Aging Liberal Justices Retire?
The Supreme Court is on the ballot this November – and every two years
Supreme Court justices: Can’t make employers cover contraception
The 8 Best Lines From Ginsburg’s Dissent on the Hobby Lobby Contraception Decision
Hobby Lobby, Mitch McConnell, Obama, Roberts Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Senate, Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court, Supreme Court of the United States, United States Supreme Court
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One thought on “The Supremes Swing to the Right”
Valentine Logar
You are so correct and we are so done by these decisions. This court is an absolute joke.
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The Last Ten Seconds Of Life retrospective release
Wednesday, July 02, 2014 7:01 PM PT
The Last Ten Seconds Of Life today announce the July 29, 2014 release of an 18-track retrospective disc on Density Records. The four-piece Pennsylvania metal band formed in 2010 while at university together and released two EP's along with their debut full-length before signing to Density and releasing their newest full-length, INVIVO[EXVIVO] last fall.
Entitled The Last Ten Seconds Of Life 2010-2012, the disc contains remixed and re-mastered versions of all the band's earlier work including their very first single ("Manifest Destiny Will Be The Death Of Me") followed chronologically by their Justice EP from October 2010, Know Your Exits full-length from October 2011 and lastly, the Warpath EP from March 2012. The band's two EP's have never been pressed on CD before and their first full-length has been out of print since soon after its release.
Fans can pre-order the album starting today via The Last Ten Seconds Of Life's web store, and the pre-order includes a bundle option with an exclusive t-shirt design.
The Last Ten Seconds Of Life 2010-2012 track listing:
01. Manifest Destiny Will Be The Death Of Me
- Justice EP released Oct 24 2010 -
02. Justice, Where Have You Been For So Many Years?
03. Benemortasia
04. Jealousy Is Hell
05. I Don't Think We're In Kansas Anymore
- Know Your Exits released Oct 25 2011 -
06. Mansfield
07. Cutthroat
08. You Can't Turn A Ho Into A Housewife
09. Keystone Beatdown
10. A Face Amongst The Flames (ft. Carson Slovak of Century)
11. The Rain Will Come
12. Pecan Pie
13. Yo Ladies (ft. Tyler Guida of Dr. Acula)
14. Afflictions
15. Resolve
16. Muck
- Warpath EP released March 21 2012 -
17. Punishment
18. Warpath
Related: The Last Ten Seconds of Life, Density Records
• The Last Ten Seconds Of Life detail LP, debut song
• The Last Ten Seconds of Life sign w/ Density Recs
• Kohlfest 2019 lineup announced
• The Black Dahlia Murder, The Last Ten Seconds Of Life shows
• Traitors, AngelMaker, The Last Ten Seconds Of Life tour
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Stories by Grey Papke:
Giannis Antetokounmpo asks Bucks fans to stop calling him MVP
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the reigning NBA MVP, but he’s already putting it firmly in the rearview mirror.
The city of Milwaukee celebrated Antetokounmpo’s MVP award on Sunday, with roughly 20,000 fans crowding around Fiserv Forum to hear the star forward speak. When he did, he made an unusual request of the Milwaukee crowd: he doesn’t want to hear himself called MVP until he wins it again next year.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is on stage addressing the crowd. “After this day, please don’t call me the MVP until I win it again next year,” he said.
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 14, 2019
Antetokounmpo has demonstrated a mentality that he wants to keep improving and looking forward, not back. Ultimately, the Bucks fell short of their ultimate goal of an NBA title, losing to the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals. That’s the big goal for Giannis, and he wants to do it with Milwaukee as well.
Ryan Leaf joins ESPN as college football commentator
Ryan Leaf will be making his way to a television near you this coming college football season.
Leaf has joined ESPN to provide color commentary for college football games, primarily on ESPN2 and ESPNU next season, according to Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press. Leaf’s role will include doing games all over the country as well as some studio work.
“Ryan has experienced the highs and lows in the game of football, putting him in a position to relate to a wide range of situations players can find themselves in,” said ESPN vice president of production Lee Fitting. “He will be able to rely on those experiences — including an unbelievable college career where he was an All-American and Heisman Trophy finalist — in his analysis, making him a tremendous asset for our team.”
Leaf led Washington State to the Rose Bowl before being selected No. 2 overall in the 1998 NFL Draft, behind only Peyton Manning. Leaf became one of the most infamous draft busts of all time with the San Diego Chargers, was out of the league after four years, and ultimately spent time in prison and battled drug addiction.
He has since turned his life around and began pursuing broadcasting opportunities, reaching out to and shadowing the likes of Brady Quinn, Joel Klatt, Kirk Herbstreit, and Greg McElroy. The latter led to an audition with ESPN in March, and Leaf said he was offered and accepted the job roughly a month ago.
“I had to pull off the side of the road. I was really emotional,” Leaf said.
Leaf has been open about his battles with addiction. To land at ESPN is quite the turnaround for him considering he was in prison five years ago.
Report: Bradley Beal may not commit long-term to Wizards
Bradley Beal has been the subject of trade rumors this summer, and while nothing is in the offing, it appears there may be some reason to question the guard’s future with the Washington Wizards.
Beal becomes eligible to sign a three-year, $111 million extension on July 26, three years since signing his max deal. The Wizards plan to offer it, but according to Candace Buckner of the Washington Post, the extension is not viewed as a sure thing around the league. In fact, there is a growing sense from some within the NBA that Beal may not remain a Wizard for life.
“He’s out of there,” one NBA source told Buckner.
The story adds that Beal may have questions about the team’s roster, as well as the front office situation. General manager Ernie Grunfeld was fired by the Wizards at the start of April, and the team has not formally filled the role of president since his dismissal.
There likely won’t be much further movement on this until Beal makes a decision on the contract offer, and he can’t do that until it’s on the table. It’s also worth noting that Beal could wait a year and put himself in line for a supermax deal if he can make an All-NBA team in 2019-20. That will also give him a chance to study the organization’s direction and determine whether he wants to stick around or perhaps seek opportunity elsewhere.
Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
Mickey Callaway, Amed Rosario at odds over reason for benching
New York Mets shortstop Amed Rosario did not start Sunday, but the player and his manager can’t seem to agree on the reasoning.
Rosario failed to run out a dropped pop up in Saturday’s game and was not in the lineup for Sunday’s game. Some speculated his absence was a punishment. Mets manager Mickey Callaway told the media before the game that Rosario was simply scheduled to have the day off. The team’s radio and TV broadcasts referred to it as disciplinary on the air.
SNY broadcast just said that Rosario has been benched today for not running out that ball last night.
1. Mickey did not say that to print media during his session ("Scheduled off day.")
2. This is different than how Mickey handled Cano.
— Matt Ehalt (@MattEhalt) July 14, 2019
Even after the team’s 6-2 win over the Miami Marlins, the discrepancy continued. Callaway said the Mets had spoken to Rosario about his lack of hustle, but refused to call the benching disciplinary. Rosario, on the other hand, said he’d been told that it was a result of not running out the fly ball.
Was Rosario's benching today a punishment for not running last night?
Callaway: "I wouldn’t call it disciplinary. It was a night game/day game. There’s opportunity there for another play to get in there."
Rosario: "It was the consequences of me not running out that fly ball."
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) July 14, 2019
It’s another chapter in Callaway’s baffling handling of in-house issues. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to tell Rosario one thing and the public another, and Mets fans probably would understand the reasoning behind the benching if it were disciplinary.
The wrinkle may be Callaway’s handling of veteran infielder Robinson Cano. Cano failed to run out ground balls twice in three games in May, and instead of pulling him, Callaway publicly defended the second baseman. Perhaps Callaway wanted to make a point to the younger Rosario while not having to publicly answer for a perceived double standard in his handling of hustle plays, but that strategy was never going to work.
Amed Rosario, Mickey Callaway, New York Mets
Mike Trout day-to-day with calf tightness after early exit
Mike Trout briefly caused Los Angeles Angels fans to panic Sunday when he left the team’s game against the Seattle Mariners.
Trout left the game at the start of the third inning, with the Angels ultimately announcing that he was suffering from right calf tightness and is considered day-to-day.
Mike Trout was removed with right calf tightness. He’s day to day, as we all are. Exhale.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 14, 2019
In other words, the Angels and their fans can breathe easy. It’s not ideal, but Trout’s injury does not appear serious.
Trout is hitting .306 with 30 home runs in what is, in many ways, the best offensive season of his career to date. The Angels, who are still on the fringes of the AL wild card race, could hardly afford to lose him for very long.
Lonzo Ball calls Zion Williamson a ‘freak’
Lonzo Ball seems pretty excited to play with Zion Williamson.
Ball was full of praise for his New Orleans Pelicans teammate on Saturday, describing him as a “freak” and raving about his mobility.
“Man, I’ve never seen somebody that size move like him,” Ball told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “… He’s only 19, right? He’s definitely a freak. I’ve never seen nothing like it.
“Honestly, you just got to run the lane, set screens and roll. With his game and with him getting a full head of steam, it’s going to be very tough to stop him. So I think we play fast and get out on the break as soon as possible.”
Ball has already thought about how to best bring out Williamson’s talents, which is a good sign. It seems he has a much higher opinion of his new teammate than his father does, which is really all that will matter to the Pelicans.
Lonzo Ball, Zion Williamson
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Princeton A Cappella Group Scraps Disney Classic Over Concerns About Consent, Misogyny
Princeton, N.J. (CBS Local) — An all-male a cappella group at Princeton University says it’s going to temporarily scrap a song from the 1989 Disney animated classic movie “The Little Mermaid” in what may have become the latest casualty of changing social standards in the #MeToo era.
Wesley Brown, a senior and president of the Tigertones, announced Friday the band will try to rework the performance for the song “Kiss The Girl.”
The group’s decision came four days after The Daily Princetonian published a column which read “Dear Tigertones, please stop singing ‘Kiss The Girl.'”
“Even when gently crooned by an animated crab,” the song “is more misogynistic and dismissive of consent than cute,” Noa Wollsteina, a sophomore from Plainview, New York wrote. “By performing the song multiple times each semester, the Tigertones elevate it to an offensive and violating ritual.”
Wollstein told The New York Times that while she’s never been called up for a Tigertones rendition of “Kiss The Girl,” she’s seen the performances and it made her and others feel uncomfortable.
“I would technically like to see it taken out period,” She told the newspaper. “But if they’re willing to work on it and get it to a place where it’s not offensive, then I’m all for it.”
Just last week, a Cleveland radio station said it had stopped playing the classic holiday song “Baby It’s Cold Outside” out of respect for the #MeToo movement.
“The world we live in is extra sensitive now, and people get easily offended, but in a world where #MeToo has finally given women the voice they deserve, the song has no place,” 102 Star host Glenn Anderson wrote.
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Lawrence, Kansas
Explore our speakers and programming schedule. (pdf)
Paraguay has been undergoing many tumultuous political, economic, and social changes, but its larger neighbors have attracted most of the attention. Some changes stem from long historical trajectories and others have been spurred by the recent intensification of globalization. In this intimate and influential conference, we invite scholars from all disciplines whose research and critical eye can put these changes in perspective and identify future trends. We anticipate participation from scholars, including some coming from Paraguay.
Paraguay and the State of Kansas have had an official partnership led by the Kansas Paraguay Partners and the Comité Paraguay-Kansas for forty-eight years. Both organizations are members of the Partners of the Americas (POA), the Western hemisphere’s largest private, apolitical volunteer organization. POA and the Kansas Paraguay Partners are both funding speakers. The partnership has included commercial, rural, governmental, and educational collaboration. Currently, nearly 200 Paraguayan students attend Kansas universities, while many Kansas faculty and students have researched and studied abroad in Paraguay.
Paraguay at the Crossroads is supported by many KU sponsors: the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Environmental Studies Program, Department of Film and Media Studies, Hall Center for the Humanities, Indigenous Studies, International Programs, and Department of Spanish and Portuguese
In addition, Paraguay at the Crossroads is supported by several outside sponsors: Kansas Paraguay Partners, Partners of the Americas, Title VI: U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Embassy, Asuncion, Paraguay, and three generous anonymous donors.
Finally, a very special thank you to the conference organizing committee: Melissa Birch, School of Business; Tamara Falicov, Film & Media Studies; and Brent Metz, Anthropology.
Asunción Hall Center
Humanities Partners
Americas Comité
Kansas Kansas
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Explore by Countries Search for innovations Explore data visually
Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile
Colombia Costa Rica Dominican Rep. Ecuador
El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Mexico
Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru
Uruguay Venezuela
of Innovations
The sum of different institutional designs for citizen participation in each country. Each institutional design is counted only once in each country, no matter how much replicated and spread it is. For example, each country has no more than one type of participatory budget (face-to-face, online and multi-channel) counted as a case, no matter how many times and in how many cities it took place over the years. However, if a given institutional design faces substantial variation as it has been replicated or if it has changed substantially over time it may be counted as a new innovation. The database comprises as many cases as our team has been able to find in each country until reaching a stage of data exhaustion.
Total number of Cases
The sum of all individual occurrences of each innovation in a given country, i.e. it indicates how many times each institutional design has been implemented or carried out.
Total volume
of Participation
The sum of all individual participants in all cases. In cases of collegiate bodies of permanent or sporadic character, where participants or representatives regularly intervene and/or are the same individual, they are counted only once.
In Peru, experimentation and innovation with democratic institutions that support or rely upon citizen participation can be traced back to the mid-1980s and early 1990s, as a consequence of decentralization processes and the re-structuring of the state. Decentralization prepared the ground for an extensive process of local organization and the development of new institutions, where communal administration had to be structured from draft. In this context, left-leaning candidates widely came into office during the elections of the 1990s, strengthening the local political scene and introducing the first experiments with citizen participation.
Its most recent history, though, is marked by crisis and conflict: the long armed conflict with the “Shining Path” guerrilla and its culmination with the resignation of President Fujimori in 2000 as a consequence of human rights violations and corruption scandals. In this context, a large number of deliberative and collaborative spaces within civil society emerged as an answer to the political crisis, contributing to the process of normalization of state administration through a newly elected government in 2001.
Consequently, two primary social-political issues shape the main tensions around which the public sphere - and therefore the state – are focused: corruption and terrorism. Many of the democratic innovations beginning after 1990 are implemented by center or right-leaning governments, and are thus strongly permeated by efforts in the fight against corruption and the fight for greater accountability and effectiveness of state institutions. International organizations and cooperation agencies (in particular the World Bank, but also USAID, GIZ, BID and PNUD) seem to have had an important influence during this period, introducing their concerns about transparency and monitoring within existing institutions and invoking participatory processes as (more) legitimate means of evaluation and public accounting.
In 2009 another political crisis precipitated with the Baguá conflict. As a result of the violent events, the state and a number of NGOs have made great efforts to generate new spaces for dialogue and for the elaboration, formulation and implementation of policies for historically marginalized regions, such as the Sierra (highlands) and the Selva (jungle), where most residents are poor and indigenous. This has led to ground-breaking legislation in terms of environmental protection in connection with the management and exploitation of natural resources, where the involvement of indigenous peoples in decision-making processes has been a central pillar. In this sense, social empowerment and political inclusion became significantly more important as ends of policies, and emerged as transversal perspectives along with the left-leaning government of Ollanta Humala that took office at the national level in 2010.
More recently - since around 2014 - a number of web-based platforms and mobile apps have also emerged that are primarily concerned with allowing citizens to file complaints and inform the administration with the goal of improving everyday issues and making communication between the administration and population much more fluid.
Citizen Representation 75%
Deliberation 72%
Direct Voting 3%
E-Participation 20%
This graph indicates the percentage of each means of innovation adopted by all cases in the country. Each case draws on one (primary) or two (secondary) means of innovation; this graph reflects both. See our concepts page for a description of all four means of innovation.
Political Inclusion
Social Equality
This graph indicates the percentage of each end of innovation adopted by all cases in the country. Each case draws on one or more ends of innovation (up to five); this graph reflects all of them. See our concepts page for a description of all five ends of innovation.
Featured cases
Committees of Agreement for the Fight against Poverty
The Committees of Agreement for the Fight against Poverty originated as forums for dialogue and negotiation between government, ministries, representatives of civil society and citizens to design social policies and ...
“Glass of Milk” Committees
The “Glass of Milk” Committees is a nutrition program started in 1985, aimed at mothers of infants up to 6 years of age, and pregnant and lactating women with few ...
T´ikapapa
“T´ikapapa” is a program for the planning, production and commercialization of native types of Andean potato through the Participatory Approach in Productive Chains (EPCP) mechanism. It is a process that ...
datea
“Datea” is a digital platform for the dissemination of useful information to and from the community on a wide variety of topics. It operates based on crowdsourcing comments, photos, links ...
Reach SOS (App)
“Reach SOS” is an app for smartphones designed by a group of young programmers collaborating for the purpose of preventing and combating crime and promoting citizen security at the individual ...
Prior Consultation with Indigenous or Native Peoples
The Prior Consultation with Indigenous or Native Peoples is a mandatory mechanism incorporated by law for prior consultation with indigenous peoples in cases of legislative or administrative measures that directly ...
How to quote
Do you want to use the data from this website? Here’s how to cite:
Pogrebinschi, Thamy. (2017). LATINNO Dataset. Berlin: WZB.
Would you like to contribute to our database?
Send us a case
LATINNO - Innovations for Democracy in Latin America by Thamy Pogrebinschi is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 License.
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Justia › US Law › Case Law › Federal Courts › Courts of Appeals › Fifth Circuit › 1984 › United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Howard Eugene Awalt, Defendant-appellant
United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. Howard Eugene Awalt, Defendant-appellant, 728 F.2d 704 (5th Cir. 1984)
Howard Eugene Awalt, pro se.
Michael P. Heiskell, Asst. U.S. Atty., Dallas, Tex., for plaintiff-appellee.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
ON PETITION FOR REHEARING
Before REAVLEY, GARWOOD and JOLLY, Circuit Judges.
Howard Eugene Awalt appeals from the denial of his Rule 35 motion to reduce and correct his sentence. A threshold issue which is presented is whether his appeal was filed in time. As recorded in the docket entry, the district court denied Awalt's motion on February 12, 1982. Pursuant to Rule 4(b), Awalt had ten days from that date within which to file his notice of appeal. Awalt filed his notice of appeal on April 9, 1982.
In a previous unpublished opinion dated May 26, 1983, 707 F.2d 514, we held that Awalt's appeal from the denial of his Rule 35 motion must be dismissed because it was untimely. Awalt has filed a petition for rehearing. In his petition he concedes that he filed his notice of appeal some fifty days after it was due. Awalt contends, however, that we should treat his late filing of his appeal as being made under circumstances which would justify a finding of "excusable neglect." Such a finding would permit a grant of relief from the untimely-filed notice of appeal. See F.R.A.P. 4(b).1
In support of his "excusable neglect" claim, Awalt asserts that he did not receive a copy of the February 12, 1982, order until April 4, 1982. He attributes the clerk's failure to give him notice to his having been transferred from one federal institution to another during this time period.
Rule 49(c) provides for mailing to each party a notice of the entry of an order on a post-arraignment written motion. The failure of the clerk to give such notice, however, will not permit relief from a party's failure to file an appeal within the time period specified by Rule 4(b). Lack of notice is not a basis for a plea of excusable neglect and does not excuse noncompliance with Rule 4(b). United States v. Schuchardt, 685 F.2d 901 (4th Cir. 1982); Buckley v. United States, 382 F.2d 611 (10th Cir. 1967). See also Wilson v. Atwood, supra; Nelson v. Foti, 707 F.2d 170 (5th Cir. 1983).
Relief cannot be granted to Awalt for an additional reason. Under Rule 4(b), a notice of appeal must be filed within ten days after entry of judgment or order appealed from. The rule authorizes a thirty-day extension upon a finding by the district court that the failure to file during the original ten-day period resulted from "excusable neglect." In criminal cases, this court has customarily treated a late notice filed after the expiration of the ten-day period and before the lapse of forty days (ten plus thirty), as a motion for a determination as to whether excusable neglect entitles a defendant to an extension of time to appeal. United States v. Shillingford, 568 F.2d 1106 (5th Cir. 1978); United States v. Guiterrez, 556 F.2d 1217, 1218 (5th Cir. 1977). Courts cannot extend the time period beyond the forty-day time period prescribed by Rule 4(b). To have the opportunity to seek relief by showing excusable neglect, the late notice or some other filing evidencing an intention to appeal must be filed within the forty-day period.
Here Awalt did not file his notice of appeal within the thirty-day permissible extension period. Therefore, he has no right to seek relief by showing excusable neglect.
Because Awalt's notice of appeal was not filed in time and because compliance with Rule 4(b) is mandatory and jurisdictional, his appeal must be dismissed. Accordingly, Awalt's petition for rehearing is
DENIED.
We postponed action on Awalt's petition pending this court's en banc decision in Wilson v. Atwood, 725 F.2d 255 (5th Cir. 1984). While that case was a civil matter, it was felt that the en banc decision would provide helpful guidance in delineating the circumstances which would justify a finding of excusable neglect. On February 21, 1984, the en banc decision in Wilson v. Atwood was released. See 725 F.2d 255 (5th Cir. 1984)
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Home > Faculty > full-time > Laura Hoffman
Laura Hoffman
Assistant Professor of Law & Researcher
S.J.D., LL.M., Loyola University Chicago School of Law | LL.M., American University Washington College of Law | J.D., Ave Maria School of Law | B.A., University of Notre Dame
Dr. Laura C. Hoffman is an Assistant Professor of Law/Faculty Researcher for the Center for Health & Pharmaceutical Law & Policy. Her work focuses on the research, development, and dissemination of legal and policy analyses that informs and shapes federal and state policy to impact vulnerable populations including children and those living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Prior to joining the Seton Hall Law faculty, Professor Hoffman worked for Data Federal Corporation as a contract Attorney-Advisor for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA) in Cleveland, Ohio where she drafted decisions for Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) on appeals involving disputes over Medicare payments.
Before working at OMHA, Professor Hoffman practiced law in the State of Ohio at both the municipal and county levels. She has also served as a Pro-Bono Magistrate for the City of Parma, Ohio Juvenile Diversion Program.
Professor Hoffman earned her B.A. in Political Science/Minor in Theology cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 2004 where she was recognized as one of its distinguished graduates of the Class of 2004. In 2007, she received her J.D. from Ave Maria School of Law and received a Commencement Award for her commitment to Catholic social justice in the law school community. She earned an LL.M. in Law and Government with a concentration in Civil and Constitutional Rights from American University Washington College of Law in 2009 where she worked as a Dean’s Fellow for Academic Support. In 2010, Professor Hoffman received a second LL.M. in Child and Family Law from Loyola University Chicago School of Law where she represented children as a student attorney with the Loyola Civitas ChildLaw Clinic.
Professor Hoffman’s education culminated in 2012 with a S.J.D. in Health Law and Policy from Loyola while receiving a Public Service Award. Published in its entirety, Professor Hoffman’s doctoral dissertation challenged the federal government to improve access to healthcare for children with autism. While earning her doctoral degree, Professor Hoffman served as a staff writer for the Loyola Public Interest Law Reporter, and assisted drafting portions of the student manual for the Health Justice Project.Additionally, she worked as a Research Assistant to former Seton Hall Law Associate Dean and Professor, Michael Zimmer, on anti-discrimination and international employment law issues.
In 2012, Professor Hoffman presented for the Young Scholars’ Workshop in Labor Relations Poster Session at the Marco Biagi Foundation, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Modena, Italy, on the issue of employment of people with disabilities in sheltered workshops. Her legal scholarship has focused on children’s rights, Disability Law, and Health Law policy. She has been published in numerous law reviews and journals including the Notre Dame Law School Journal on Legislation, the University of Pittsburgh School of Law Journal for Environmental and Public Health Law, and the University of Pennsylvania Law School Journal of Law and Social Change.
Telehealth, Children, and Pediatrics: Should the Doctor Make House Calls Again, Digitally?, Vol. 43, Issue 3, Nova L. Rev. 4 (2019)
Public Health Regulation and the Limits of Paternalism, Vol. 46, Issue 5, Connecticut Law Review (Commentary Issue) (2014) (Provided Comment to article by Professor David Friedman)
An Employment Opportunity or a Discrimination Dilemma? Sheltered Workshops and the Employment of the Disabled, Journal of Law and Social Change, 16 U. Pa. J. L. & Soc. Change 151 (2013)
Hospital Medical Futility Policy & the Severely Disabled Child: Is Disability a Death Sentence?, 36 Hamline L. Rev. 275, Hamline Law Review (2013)
Inequality, Individualized Risk, and Insecurity, Wisconsin Law Review (2013) (article by Michael J. Zimmer with citation to Laura Hoffman as Research Assistant)
Health Care for the Autistic Child: The Case for Federal Legislative Reform for ABA Therapy, 46 J. Marshall L. Rev. 169, John Marshall Law Review (2012)
Special Education for a Special Population: Why Federal Special Education Law Must be Reformed for Autistic Children, 39 Rutgers L. Rec. 128, Rutgers Law Record (2012)
The Difficulty of Ensuring Access to Health Care for the Autistic Child: Why More is Needed Than Federal Health Care Reform, Vol. 41, No. 3, Southwestern Law Review (2012)
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ‘Disability’ in Statutory Construction: The Debate Over the Interpretation of the Definition of ‘Disability’ Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) & the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, Vol. 14, No. 4, The Scholar: St. Mary’s Law Review on Minority Issues (Spring 2012)
A Federal Solution That Falls Short: Why the Keeping All Students Safe Act Fails Children with Disabilities, 37 J. Legis. 39, Notre Dame Law School Journal on Legislation (Fall 2011)
Sub-Minimum Wage or Sub-Human?: The U.S. Impact on the Civil Rights of People with Disabilities in Employment, Loyola Public Interest Law Reporter (Fall 2011)
The Fight over Fizz: Soda Taxes as a Means of Curbing Childhood Obesity?, 5 Pitt. J. Envtl Pub. Health L. 123, Pittsburgh Journal for Environmental and Public Health Law (2011)
A Matter of Harm: Why the U.S. Congress Must End Corporal Punishment Against Children in U.S. Schools, ChildLaw and Education Institute Forum (2010)
Full list of presentations available in Curriculum Vitae
Telehealth, Children, & Pediatrics: Should the Doctor Make House Calls Again, Digitally?, 42nd Annual Health Law Professors Conference, American Society of Law, Medicine, & Ethics (ASLME) & Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Chicago, IL (2019) (Panelist)
A Civil Right Protected or Discrimination Continued?: The Dilemma of the Employment of the Disabled in Sheltered Workshops, Young Scholars’ Workshop in Labor Relations—Poster Session (March 2012) (Marco Biagi Foundation, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy)
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David W. Noblit
Tallan Building, Suite 500, 200 West Martin Luther King Boulevard, Suite 500 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402-2566
david.noblit@leitnerfirm.com
Firm: Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan, PLLC
Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan, PLLC
Mr. Noblit has spent his entire professional career with the firm beginning in 1979; and becoming a member in 1985. He has concentrated his practice in assisting clients who are forced into litigation to resolve a wide spectrum of legal disputes. Clients have included many of the nations largest corporations both by direct assignment and through insurance defense referral. He has served as lead counsel in state and federal Courts in Tennessee and Georgia and over the course of the first thirty years of practice has tried approximately one hundred cases to verdict or judgment. His active trial practice caused him to embrace the alternative dispute resolution process early in the development of mediation as a more practical way of resolving disputes. After successful participation in mediation in a case in 1985, he actively served as a mediation advocate in well over one hundred cases and after adding a mediation practice to his areas of concentration he became listed by the Supreme Court of Tennessee as a Rule 31 Mediator in 2000. He has conducted well over 850 mediations in a wide variety of legal disputes.
His present practice includes defense of cases for his corporate clients in liability cases, workers' compensation cases and he also represents individuals in family law disputes.
Professionally, he is a member of the Chattanooga and Tennessee Bar Associations and the State Bar of Georgia. He was recently invited to membership in the Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators. Additionally, he was invited to become a member of the Brock Cooper American Inn of Court as a Master and was asked to serve on the Executive Committee in 2008-2009, and was President in 2011-12.
Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 1953, he is a product of the local schools, was a scholarship athlete and student leader at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he earned a B.S. degree in 1975. A member of the Law Review at Memphis State University while in Law School, he earned his J.D. degree after having been elected into Omicron Delta Kappa. He also served as Graduate Assistant to University Counsel in 1978-79.
Family Law Mediation
Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Mediation, Chattanooga (2017)
Tallan Building, Suite 500, 200 West Martin Luther King Boulevard, Suite 500
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402-2566
What is your relation to David W. Noblit? Consulted Attorney Current Client Former Client Other
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Two Juveniles Shot near Sentinel High School – Suspect at Large
Two juvenile males were shot and wounded by an unknown male suspect early Sunday evening outside the Sentinel High School gymnasium.
Assistant Police Chief Scott Hoffman was on the scene of the incident and spoke with KGVO News.
“At about 6:37 tonight, there was a report of shots fired behind Sentinel High School,” said Hoffman. When officers arrived they found two victims lying on the parking lot behind the school and they were rushed to the hospital.”
Hoffman said both the victims were undergoing surgery at the time of this interview at 7:30 p.m.
“One of the victims stated that there was a male suspect in this, and he was last seen running west from this area,” he said. “There were some students participating in open gym at Sentinel this evening, but those students have been removed and they have met with their families.”
MCPS Communications Director Hatton Littman confirmed that the Sentinel boys basketball team was practicing in the gym on Sunday evening.
Hoffman said all available law enforcement agencies are participating in the search for the armed assailant.
“The University Police are here helping us, the Missoula County Sheriff’s deputies are here helping us, and we’ve called in a dozen more officers and detectives, and we have a Crime Scene Investigation team here to collect all the evidence, and there are detectives standing by at the hospital to interview the victims when they come out of surgery. Officers have established a perimeter on Russell Street because the suspect was headed in that direction, so we’re canvassing between here (Sentinel High School) and Russell Street. We have not located any weapons between here and there, and we will continue our canvass to try to locate a weapon.”
Authorities are asking the public to stay away from the area of the Missoula County Fairgrounds and the area between Bancroft and Russell south to Playfair Park while the search for the suspect continues.
The suspect should be considered armed and dangerous.
Hoffman had no comment on the possible motive for the shooting.
Filed Under: Missoula, Sentinel High School, shooting
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Current: Code of Ethics
To learn more about Direct Selling, click here.
To watch video vignettes about the DSA Code of Ethics, click here.
We are proud members of the Direct Selling Association. See the Code of Ethics by which we abide below, or click here.
A. Code of Conduct
Deceptive or Unlawful Consumer or Recruiting Practices
a. No member company of the Association or independent salesperson for a member company shall engage in any deceptive, false, unethical or unlawful consumer or recruiting practice. Member companies shall ensure that no statements, promises or testimonials are made that are likely to mislead consumers or prospective salespeople.
b. Member companies and their independent salespeople must comply with all requirements of law. While this Code does not restate all legal obligations, compliance with all pertinent laws by member companies and their independent salespeople is a condition of acceptance by and continuing membership in DSA.
c. Member companies shall conduct their activities toward other members in compliance with this Code and all pertinent laws.
d. Information provided by member companies and their independent salespeople to prospective or current independent salespeople concerning the opportunity and related rights and obligations shall be accurate and complete. Member companies and their independent salespeople shall not make any factual representation to prospective independent salespeople that cannot be verified or make any promise that cannot be fulfilled. Member companies and their independent salespeople shall not present any selling opportunity to any prospective independent salesperson in a false, deceptive or misleading manner.
e. Member companies and their independent salespeople shall not induce a person to purchase products or services based upon the representation that a consumer can recover all or part of the purchase price by referring prospective consumers, if such reductions or recovery are violative of applicable referral sales laws.
f. Member companies shall provide to their independent salespeople either a written agreement to be signed by both the member company and the independent salesperson, or a written statement containing the essential details of the relationship between the independent salesperson and the member company. Member companies shall inform their independent salespeople of their legal obligations, including their responsibility to handle any applicable licenses, registrations and taxes.
g. Member companies shall provide their independent salespeople with periodic accounts including, as applicable, sales, purchases, details of earnings, commissions, bonuses, discounts, deliveries, cancellations and other relevant data, in accordance with the member company’s arrangement with the independent salesperson. All monies due shall be paid and any withholdings made in a commercially reasonable manner.
h. Independent salespeople shall respect any lack of commercial experience of consumers. Independent salespeople shall not abuse the trust of individual consumers, or exploit a consumer’s age, illness, handicap, lack of understanding or unfamiliarity with a language.
1a. This section does not bring "proselytizing" or "salesforce raiding" disputes under the Code's jurisdiction, unless such disputes involve allegations of deceptive, unethical or unlawful recruiting practices or behaviors aimed at potential salespeople. In those cases, the section applies. As used in this section, "unethical" means violative of the U.S. DSA Code of Ethics. The DSA Code Administrator has the authority to make a determination of what is a deceptive, unlawful or unethical consumer or recruiting practice under the Code using prevailing legal standards as a guide. Compliance with any particular law, regulation or DSA Code of Ethics provision is not a defense to such a determination by the DSA Code Administrator that a practice is deceptive, unlawful or unethical. For example, in a sale to a consumer, compliance with the Federal Trade Commission Cooling-Off Rule does not bar the DSA Code Administrator from making a determination that a particular sales practice is deceptive, unlawful or unethical and that a refund or compensation is required. 1. and 2. These sections cover communications about your own company or another company. For example, a distributor for company A makes misleading statements about company B and/or its products to consumers or prospective salespeople.
Products, Services and Promotional Materials
a. The offer of products or services for sale by member companies of the Association shall be accurate and truthful as to price, grade, quality, make, value, performance, quantity, currency of model and availability. A consumer's order for products and services shall be fulfilled in a timely manner.
b. Member companies shall not make misleading comparisons of another company’s direct selling opportunity, products or services. Any comparison must be based on facts that can be objectively substantiated. Member companies shall not denigrate any other member company, business, product or service – directly or by implication – in a false or misleading manner and shall not take unfair advantage of the goodwill attached to the trade name and symbol of any company, business, product or service.
c. Promotional literature, advertisements and mailings shall not contain product descriptions, claims, photos or illustrations that are false, deceptive or misleading. (Promotional literature shall contain the name and address or telephone number of the member company and may include the telephone number of the individual independent salesperson).
d. Independent salespeople shall offer consumers accurate information regarding: price, credit terms; terms of payment; a cooling-off period, including return policies; terms of guarantee; after-sales service; and delivery dates. Independent salespeople shall give understandable and accurate answers to questions from consumers. To the extent claims are made with respect to products, independent salespeople shall make only those product claims authorized by the member company.
a. A written order or receipt shall be delivered to the customer at or prior to the time of the initial sale. In the case of a sale made through the mail, telephone, Internet, or other non face-to-face means, a copy of the order form shall have been previously provided, be included in the initial order, or be provided in printable or downloadable form through the Internet. The order form must set forth clearly, legibly and unambiguously:
Terms and conditions of sale, including the total amount the consumer will be required to pay, including all interest, service charges and fees, and other costs and expenses as required by federal and state law;
Identity of the member company and the independent salesperson, and contain the full name, permanent address and telephone number of the member company or the independent salesperson, and all material terms of the sale; and
Terms of a guarantee or a warranty, details and any limitations of after-sales service, the name and address of the guarantor, the length of the guarantee, and the remedial action available to the consumer. Alternatively, this information may be provided with other accompanying literature provided with the product or service.
b. Member companies and their salespeople shall offer a written, clearly stated cooling off period permitting the consumer to withdraw from a purchase order within a minimum of three days from the date of the purchase transaction and receive a full refund of the purchase price.
c. Member companies and their independent salespeople offering a right of return, whether or not conditioned upon certain events, shall provide it in writing.
Warranties and Guarantees
The terms of any warranty or guarantee offered by the seller in connection with the sale shall be furnished to the buyer in a manner that fully conforms to federal and state warranty and guarantee laws and regulations. The manufacturer, distributor and/or seller shall fully and promptly perform in accordance with the terms of all warranties and guarantees offered to consumers.
Identification and Privacy
a. At the beginning of sales presentations independent salespeople shall truthfully and clearly identify themselves, their company, the nature of their company’s products or services, and the reason for the solicitation. Contact with the consumer shall be made in a polite manner and during reasonable hours. A demonstration or sales presentation shall stop upon the consumer’s request.
b. Member companies and independent salespeople shall take appropriate steps to safeguard the protection of all private information provided by a consumer, a prospective consumer, or other independent salespeople.
For the purpose of this Code, pyramid or endless chain schemes shall be considered consumer transactions actionable under this Code. The Code Administrator shall determine whether such pyramid or endless chain schemes constitute a violation of this Code in accordance with applicable federal, state and/or local law or regulation.
6. The definition of an "illegal pyramid" is based upon existing standards of law as reflected in In the matter of Amway, 93 FTC 618 (1979) and the anti-pyramid laws of Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Oklahoma, and Texas. In accordance with these laws, member companies shall remunerate direct sellers primarily on the basis of sales of products, including services, purchased by any person for actual use or consumption. Such remuneration may include compensation based on sales to individual direct sellers for their own actual use or consumption.
Inventory Purchases a.
Any member company with a marketing plan that involves selling products directly or indirectly to independent salespeople shall clearly state, in its recruiting literature, sales manual, or contract with the independent salespeople, that the company will repurchase on reasonable commercial terms currently marketable inventory, in the possession of that salesperson and purchased by that salesperson for resale prior to the date of termination of the salesperson's business relationship with the company or its independent salespeople. For purposes of this Code, "reasonable commercial terms" shall include the repurchase of marketable inventory within twelve (12) months from the salesperson's date of purchase at not less than 90 percent of the salesperson's original net cost less appropriate set offs and legal claims, if any. For purposes of this Code, products shall not be considered "currently marketable" if returned for repurchase after the products' commercially reasonable usable or shelf life period has passed; nor shall products be considered "currently marketable" if the company clearly discloses to salespeople prior to purchase that the products are seasonal, discontinued, or special promotion products and are not subject to the repurchase obligation.
7a. The purpose of the buyback is to eliminate the potential harm of "inventory loading;" i.e., the practice of loading up salespeople with inventory they are unable or unlikely to be able to sell or use within a reasonable time period. Inventory loading has historically been accomplished by giving sellers financial incentives for sales without regard to ultimate sales to or use by actual consumers. The repurchase provisions of the Code are meant to deter inventory loading and to protect distributors from financial harm which might result from inventory loading.
"Inventory" is considered to include both tangible and intangible product; i.e., both goods and services. "Current marketability" of inventory shall be determined on the basis of the specific condition of the product. Factors to be considered by the Code Administrator when determining "current marketability" are condition of the goods and whether or not the products have been used or opened.
Changes in marketplace demand, product formulation, or labeling are not sufficient grounds for a claim by the company that a product is no longer "marketable." Nor does the ingestible nature of certain products limit per se the current marketability of those products. Government regulation which may arguably restrict or limit the ultimate resalability of a product does not limit its "current marketability" for purposes of the Code.
State statutes mandate that certain buyback provisions required by law must be described in a direct seller's contract. While acknowledging that the contract is probably the most effective place for such information, the DSA Code allows for placement of the provision in either "recruiting literature or contract." The DSA Code is meant to emphasize that the disclosure must be in writing and be clearly stated. Wherever disclosed, the buyback requirement shall be construed as a contractual obligation of the company.
A company shall not place any unreasonable (e.g., procedural) impediments in the way of salespeople seeking to sell back products to the company.
The buyback process should be as efficient as possible and designed to facilitate buyback of products. The buyback provisions apply to all terminating distributors who otherwise qualify for such repurchase, including distributors who are not new to a particular company, or those who have left a company to sell for another company.
b. Any member company with a marketing plan which requires independent salespeople to purchase company-produced promotional materials, sales aids or kits shall clearly state, in its recruiting literature, sales manual or contract with the independent salespeople, that the company will repurchase these items on reasonable commercial terms.
Any member company with a marketing plan which provides its independent salespeople with any financial benefit related to the sales of company-produced promotional materials, sales aids or kits shall clearly state, in its recruiting literature, sales manual or contract with the independent salespeople, that the company will repurchase, on reasonable commercial terms, currently marketable company-produced promotional materials, sales aids or kits.
A member company shall clearly state in its recruiting literature, sales manual or contract with the independent salespeople if any items not otherwise covered by this Section are ineligible for repurchase by the company.
7b. 1998 amendments made it clear that sales aids, kits and promotional materials, while not inventory or necessarily intended for resale, are subject to the repurchase requirement if a company requires their purchase or if there is a financial incentive associated with their sale. It was recognized that "loading" of these items can cause the same harm to plan participants as loading of "inventory."
With respect to the final paragraph of Section 7b., disclosure of an item's eligibility or ineligibility for the buyback is key. Provided that repurchase is not required by this Code provision, for those items a company chooses not to repurchase, the company should clearly and conspicuously disclose to the buyer that the items are not subject to the repurchase requirement. Under such disclosure, a refusal to take an item back will not constitute a violation providing the member is acting in good faith and not attempting to evade the repurchase requirement.
Earnings Representations
No member company shall misrepresent the actual or potential sales or earnings of its independent salespeople. Any earnings or sales representations that are made by member companies shall be based on documented facts.
8. There is ample legal precedent in the form of FTC decisions to afford guidance on the subject of earnings representations. While not controlling, these precedents should be used by the Code Administrator in making determinations as to the substantiation of company earnings claims.
The Code's simple prohibition of misrepresentations was intended, in part, to avoid unduly encumbering start-up companies that have little or no actual earnings history with their compensation plan or established companies that are testing or launching new compensation plans. The prohibition approach is meant to require that companies in these circumstances need only ensure that their promotional literature and public statements clearly indicate that the compensation plan is new and that any charts, illustrations and stated examples of income under the plan are potential in nature and not based upon the actual performance of any individual(s).
Inventory Loading
A member company shall not require or encourage an independent salesperson to purchase inventory in an amount which unreasonably exceeds that which can be expected to be resold and/or consumed within a reasonable period of time. Member companies shall take reasonable steps to ensure that independent salespeople receiving compensation for downline sales volume are consuming, using or reselling the products and services they purchase in order to qualify to receive compensation.
9. See, Code Explanatory §7a. regarding inventory loading.
Payment of Fees
Neither member companies nor their independent salespeople shall ask individuals to assume unreasonably high entrance fees, training fees, franchise fees, fees for promotional materials or other fees related solely to the right to participate in the direct selling business. Any fees charged to become an independent salesperson shall relate directly to the value of materials, products or services provided in return.
10. High entrance fees can be an element of pyramid schemes, in which individuals are encouraged to expend large upfront costs, without receiving product of like value. These fees then become the mechanism driving the pyramid and placing participants at risk of financial harm. Some state laws have requirements that fees be returned similar to the repurchase provisions delineated in Code §7a. The Code eliminates the harm of large fees by prohibiting unreasonably high fees. The Code Administrator is empowered to determine when a fee is "unreasonably high." For example, if a refund is offered for only a portion of an entrance fee, to cover what could be described as inventory, and there is nothing else given or received for the balance of the entrance fee, such as a training program, that portion of the entrance fee may be deemed to be unreasonably high by the Code Administrator. This Code section reinforces the provision in Code Part B. Responsibilities and Duties requiring companies to address the Code violations of their independent contractor salesforce.
a. Member companies shall provide adequate training to enable independent salespeople to operate ethically.
b. Member companies shall prohibit their independent salespeople from marketing or requiring the purchase by others of any materials that are inconsistent with the member company’s policies and procedures.
c. Independent salespeople selling member company-approved promotional or training materials, whether in hard copy or electronic form, shall:
Use only materials that comply with the same standards used by the member company,
Not make the purchase of such materials a requirement of other independent salespeople,
Provide such materials at not more than the price at which similar material is available generally in the marketplace, and
Offer a written return policy that is the same as the return policy of the member company the independent salesperson represents.
d. Member companies shall take diligent, reasonable steps to ensure that promotional or training materials produced by their independent salespeople comply with the provisions of this Code and are not false, misleading or deceptive.
B. Responsibilities and Duties
Prompt Investigation and No Independent Contractor Defense
a. Member companies shall establish, publicize and implement complaint handling procedures to ensure prompt resolution of all complaints.
b. In the event any consumer shall complain that the salesperson or representative offering for sale the products or services of a member company has engaged in any improper course of conduct pertaining to the sales presentation of its goods or services, the member company shall promptly investigate the complaint and shall take such steps as it may find appropriate and necessary under the circumstances to cause the redress of any wrongs which its investigation discloses to have been committed.
c. Member companies will be considered responsible for Code violations by their solicitors and representatives where the Administrator finds, after considering all the facts, that a violation of the Code has occurred. For the purposes of this Code, in the interest of fostering consumer protection, companies shall voluntarily not raise the independent contractor status of salespersons distributing their products or services under its trademark or trade name as a defense against Code violation allegations and such action shall not be construed to be a waiver of the companies' right to raise such defense under any other circumstance.
d. The members subscribing to this Code recognize that its success will require diligence in creating an awareness among their employees and/or the independent wholesalers and retailers marketing the member's products or services of the member's obligations under the Code. No subscribing party shall in any way attempt to persuade, induce or coerce another party to breach this Code, and the subscribers hereto agree that the inducing of the breach of this Code is considered a violation of the Code.
e. Individual salespeople are not bound directly by this Code, but as a condition of participation in a member company’s distribution system, shall be required by the member company with whom they are affiliated to adhere to rules of conduct meeting the standards of this Code.
f. This Code is not law but its obligations require a level of ethical behavior from member companies and independent salespeople that is consistent with applicable legal requirements. Failure to comply with this Code does not create any civil law responsibility or liability. When a company leaves the DSA membership, a company is no longer bound by this Code. However, the provisions of this Code remain applicable to events or transactions that occurred during the time a company was a member of DSA.
Required Code Communication
a. All member companies are required to publicize DSA’s Code of Ethics to its sales people and consumers. At a minimum, member companies must have one of the following:
an inclusion on the company’s web site of DSA’s Code of Ethics with a step-by-step explanation as to how to file a complaint; or
a prominent link from the company’s web site to DSA’s Code of Ethics web page; or
an inclusion of the company’s Code of Ethics, or its complainant process, in its web site, or with an explanation of how a complainant may appeal to the DSA Code Administrator in the event the complainant is not satisfied with the resolution under the company code, or the company’s complaint process, with a reference to the web site of DSA’s Code of Ethics.
a. The link should be clear and conspicuous. The location of the link on the company’s website should be prominent so as to be accessible and visible to sales people and the consumer; companies should place the link on a web page which is commonly accessed by salespeople and consumers. Inclusion of a statement, such as, “We are proud members of the Direct Selling Association. To view the Code of Ethics by which we abide please click here,” is also ideal. Companies should specifically link to either www.dsa.org/ethics/ or www.dsa.org/ethics/code/.
b. All members, after submission of their program, are required to state annually, along with paying their dues, that the program remains effective or indicate any change.
Code Responsibility Officer
Each member company and pending member company is required to designate a DSA Code Responsibility Officer. The Code Responsibility Officer is responsible for facilitating compliance with the Code by their company and responding to inquiries by the DSA Code Administrator. He or she will also serve as the primary contact at the company for communicating the principles of the DSA Code of Ethics to their independent salespeople, company employees, customers and the general public.
Extraterritorial Effect
Each member company shall comply with the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations’ Code of Conduct with regard to direct selling activities outside of the United States to the extent that the WFDSA Code is not inconsistent with U.S. law, unless those activities fall under the jurisdiction of the code of conduct of another country’s DSA to which the member company also belongs.
C. Administration
Interpretation and Execution
The Board of Directors of the Direct Selling Association shall appoint a Code Administrator to serve for a fixed term to be set by the Board prior to appointment. The Board shall have the authority to discharge the Administrator for cause only. The Board shall provide sufficient authority to enable the Administrator to properly discharge the responsibilities entrusted to the Administrator under this Code. The Administrator will be responsible directly and solely to the Board. The Board of Directors will establish all regulations necessary to administer the provisions of this Code.
Code Administrator
a. The Administrator shall be a person of recognized integrity, knowledgeable in the industry, and of a stature that will command respect by the industry and from the public. He shall appoint a staff adequate and competent to assist him in the discharge of his duties. During his term of office, neither the Administrator nor any member of his staff shall be an officer, director, employee, or substantial stockholder in any member or affiliate of the DSA. The Administrator shall disclose all holdings of stock in any member company prior to appointment and shall also disclose any subsequent purchases of such stock to the Board of Directors. The Administrator shall also have the same rights of indemnification as the Directors and Officers have under the bylaws of the Direct Selling Association.
b. The Administrator shall establish, publish and implement transparent complaint handling procedures to ensure prompt resolution of all complaints.
c. The Administrator, in accordance with the regulations established by the Board of Directors as provided herein, shall hear and determine all charges against members subscribing hereto, affording such members or persons an opportunity to be heard fully. The Administrator shall have the power to originate any proceedings, and shall at all times have the full cooperation of all members.
a. The Administrator shall determine whether a violation of the Code has occurred in accordance with the regulations promulgated hereunder. The Administrator shall answer as promptly as possible all queries posed by members relating to the Code and its application, and, when appropriate, may suggest, for consideration by the Board of Directors, new regulations, definitions, or other implementations to make the Code more effective.
b. If, in the judgment of the Code Administrator, a complaint is beyond the Administrator's scope of expertise or resources, the Code Administrator may decline to exercise jurisdiction in the matter and may, in his or her discretion, recommend to the complainant another forum in which the complaint can be addressed.
c. The Administrator shall undertake through his office to maintain and improve all relations with better business bureaus and other organizations, both private and public, with a view toward improving the industry's relations with the public and receiving information from such organizations relating to the industry's sales activities.
D. Regulations for enforcement of DSA Code of Ethics
Receipt of Complaint
Upon receipt of a complaint from a bona fide consumer or where the Administrator has reason to believe that a member has violated the Code of Ethics, the Administrator shall forward a copy of the complaint, if any, to the accused member together with a letter notifying the member that a preliminary investigation of a specified possible violation pursuant to Section 3 is being conducted and requesting the member's cooperation in supplying necessary information, documentation and explanatory comment. If a written complaint is not the basis of the Administrator's investigation, then the Administrator shall provide written notice as to the basis of his reason to believe that a violation has occurred. Further, the Code Administrator shall honor any requests for confidential treatment of the identity of the complaining party made by that party.
Cooperation with the Code Administrator
In the event a member refuses to cooperate with the Administrator and refuses to supply necessary information, documentation and explanatory comment, the Administrator shall serve upon the member, by registered mail, a notice affording the member an opportunity to appear before the Appeals Review Panel on a certain date to show cause why its membership in the Direct Selling Association should not be terminated. In the event the member refuses to cooperate with the Administrator or to request a review by the Appeals Review Panel, the DSA Board of Directors, or a designated part thereof, may vote to terminate the membership of the member.
Informal Investigation and Disposition Procedure
a. The Administrator shall conduct a preliminary investigation, making such investigative contacts as are necessary to reach an informed decision as to the alleged Code violation. If the Administrator determines, after the informal investigation, that there is no need for further action or that the Code violation allegation lacks merit, further investigation and administrative action on the matter shall terminate and the complaining party shall be so notified.b. The Administrator may, at his discretion, remedy an alleged Code violation through informal, oral and written communication with the accused member company.
c. If the Administrator determines that the allegation has sufficient merit, in that the apparent violations are of such a nature, scope or frequency so as to require remedial action pursuant to Part E and that the best interests of consumers, the association and the direct selling industry require remedial action, he shall notify the member of his decision, the reasoning and facts which produced it, and the nature of the remedy he believes should be effected. The Administrator's notice shall offer the member an opportunity to voluntarily consent to accept the suggested remedies without the necessity of a Section 4 hearing. If the member desires to dispose of the matter in this informal manner it will, within 20 days, advise the Administrator, in writing, of its willingness to consent. The letter to the Administrator may state that the member's willingness to consent does not constitute an admission or belief that the Code has been violated.
Appeals Review Panel
An Appeals Review Panel consisting of five representatives from active member companies shall be selected by the Executive Committee of DSA's Board of Directors. Each member shall serve for a term of three years. The five members shall be selected in a manner that represents a cross-section of the industry. When an appeal is made by a member company, the Chairman of the DSA Board of Directors shall select three of the five members of the Appeals Review Panel to constitute a three-person panel to review the appeal, and shall name one of them Chairman of that panel. When possible, no company of the three shall sell a product that specifically competes with the Appellant, and every effort shall be made to avoid conflicts in selecting the panel. If for any reason, a member of the panel cannot fulfill his or her duties or fill out a term for any reason, the Chairman of the Board of DSA can replace that person with a new appointment for the remainder of the unfulfilled term with the concurrence of the Executive Committee.
Appeals Review Procedure
a. If a member company objects to the imposition of a remedial action by the Administrator, it shall have a right to request a review of the Administrator's decision by the Appeals Review Panel. A member company must make such a request in writing submitted to the Administrator within 14 days of being notified of the remedial action by the Administrator. Within 10 days of receiving such a request, the Administrator shall notify the Chairman of the Board of DSA who at that time shall select the three-person panel in accordance with Section 4 above. That selection shall take place within 30 days of the member's request for the review.
b. As soon as the panel has been selected, the Administrator shall inform the Appellant of the names of the panelists, including the name of the chairman of the panel. Within 14 days of that notification, the Administrator shall send a copy of the Complaint and all relevant documents, including an explanation of the basis of the decision to impose remedial action, to the panelists with copies to the Appellant. Upon receipt of such information, the Appellant shall have 14 days to file with the panel its reasons for arguing that remedial action should not be imposed along with any additional documents that are relevant. Copies of that information should also be sent to the Administrator.
c. Once the information has been received by the panelists from both the Administrator and the member company, the panel will complete its review within 30 days or as soon thereafter as practicable. The panel shall decide whether the Administrator's decision to impose remedial action was reasonable under all of the facts and circumstances involved and shall either confirm the Administrator's decision, overrule it, or impose a lesser sanction under Part E. The panel shall be free to contact the Administrator and the Appellant and any other persons who may be relevant witnesses to the Complaint, formally or informally as deemed appropriate. A decision by the panel shall be final and shall be promptly communicated both to the Administrator and the Appellant. The costs involved in the appeal such as costs of photocopying, telephone, fax, and mailing, shall be borne by the Appellant.
Codes of Ethics of Member Companies
a. Approval By Administrator
If a complaint is against a member company that has a code of ethics which has been registered with the DSA Code of Ethics Administrator, and the Administrator has issued an opinion that the company code is compatible with DSA's Code of Ethics, the Complainant must first exhaust all remedies under the company code of ethics before filing a complaint with DSA's Code Administrator. If the Complainant has exhausted those remedies and is of the opinion that the company's disposition of the Complaint was unsatisfactory, the Complainant can appeal the company's decision to the DSA Code Administrator. The Complainant must first notify the company of the intent to appeal to DSA. The Complainant must also forward all relevant documentation from the company code proceeding to DSA's Administrator.
After receiving such an appeal, the Administrator shall confer with the company to obtain any additional information concerning the matter as well as an explanation for the company's decision. The Administrator shall decide whether the company's resolution of the complaint was reasonable under all of the facts and circumstances involved. If the Administrator decides in the negative, the Administrator shall work with the company in an effort to resolve the matter satisfactorily to all parties. If the Administrator finds that the member company will not cooperate in that effort, the Administrator can impose remedial action in accordance with DSA's Code of Ethics. The Complainant shall bear all costs of an appeal from a decision under a company code, including such costs as photocopying, telephone, fax, and mailing charges.
b. Alternative Enforcement Process In certain instances, a member company may provide a process whereby complaints can be addressed and which provide an equally acceptable vehicle for complaint resolution. In such instances – provided the process has been formally reviewed and approved by the DSA Code Administrator – the member company’s process may be substituted for and the member company relieved of, adherence to the provision of Section D. Regulations for Enforcement of the DSA Code of Ethics.* In order for a member company’s enforcement process to be approved as an alternative to Section D, the process must contain all the following elements:
The company has adopted an investigation and review process that substantially mirrors that presented in Section D and contains at more than one level the formal review of complaints regarding its salespersons or representatives;
The company has adopted an appeal process to the steps outlined in Paragraph 1 above that includes review by a neutral and competent third party, as approved by the DSA Code of Ethics Administrator;
The company offers a satisfaction guarantee or the equivalent on product sales to consumers who are not salespersons or representatives of the member company; and
The company advises its salespersons or representatives of the dispute resolution process in a sufficiently transparent manner including notices on its web site and in appropriate literature.
c. If a member company meets the above requirements of paragraph b., DSA will indicate on its web site that the member company’s Code of Ethics is an approved Alternative taking precedence over the DSA’s Code of Ethics Section D-Regulations for Enforcement of DSA Code of Ethics.
d. Those companies that are on the Company Code Alternative list will be exempt from the required publication provisions of Section B.2 of the Code and will not have to show on their web sites or in separate literature that complaints against the company should be filed with the DSA Code of Ethics Administrator. The DSA Code of Ethics web site will indicate, however, that all member companies are subject to all other provisions of the DSA Code of Ethics. Further, if the DSA Code of Ethics Administrator finds that any company on the Alternative list has failed to comply with the requirements for such a listing the Administrator may remove that company from the list.
E. Powers of the Administrator
If, pursuant to the hearing provided for in Part D Section 3, the Administrator determines that the accused member has committed a Code of Ethics violation or violations, the Administrator is hereby empowered to impose the following remedies, either individually or concurrently, upon the accused member:
Require complete restitution to the complainant of monies paid for the accused member's products which were the subject of the Code complaint;
Require the replacement or repair of any accused member's product, the sale of which was the source of the Code complaint;
Require the payment of a voluntary contribution to a special assessment fund which shall be used for purposes of publicizing and disseminating the Code and related information. The contribution may range up to $1,000 per violation of the Code.
Require the accused member to submit to the Administrator a written commitment to abide by the DSA Code of Ethics in future transactions and to exercise due diligence to assure there will be no recurrence of the practice leading to the subject Code complaint.
Require the cancellation of orders, return of products purchased, cancellation or termination of the contractual relationship with the independent salesperson or other remedies.
If the Administrator determines that there has been compliance with all imposed remedies in a particular case, he shall close the matter.
Refusal to Comply
If a member refuses to voluntarily comply with any remedy imposed by the Administrator, and has not requested a review by the Appeals Review Panel, the DSA Board of Directors, or designated part thereof, may conclude that the member should be suspended or terminated from membership in the Association. In that event the Administrator shall notify the member of such a decision by registered mail and shall remind the member of its right to have the Administrator's original decision reviewed by the Appeals Review Panel in accordance with Part D Section 5 (Appeals Review Procedure) of this Code.
Appeal for Reinstatement After Suspension or Termination
If the suspension or termination is not appealed, or if it is confirmed by the Appeals Review Panel, a suspended member, after at least ninety days, and a terminated member, after at least one year, may request the opportunity to have its suspension or termination reviewed by the Appeals Review Panel which may in its discretion reinstate membership.
Referral to State or Federal Agency
In the event a member is suspended or terminated, and continues to refuse to comply with any remedy imposed by the Administrator within 30 days after suspension or termination, the Administrator may then consult with independent legal counsel to determine whether the facts that have been ascertained amount to a violation of state or federal law. If it is determined that such a violation may have occurred, the Administrator shall so notify the accused member by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, and if appropriate action has not been taken by the accused member, and communicated to the Administrator after 15 days following such notice, the Administrator may submit the relevant data concerning the complaint to the appropriate federal or local agency.
F. Restrictions
Conferring with Others
At no time during an investigation or the hearing of charges against a member shall the Administrator or member of the Appeals Review Panel confer with anyone at any time concerning any alleged violation of the Code, except as provided herein and as may be necessary to conduct the investigation and hold a hearing. Any information ascertained during an investigation or hearing shall be treated as confidential, except in cases where the accused member has been determined to have violated federal, state or local statutes. At no time during the investigation or the hearing of charges shall the Administrator or a member of the Appeals Review Panel confer with a competitor of the member alleged to be in violation of the Code, except when it may be necessary to call a competitor concerning the facts, in which case the competitor shall be used only for the purpose of discussing the facts. At no time shall a competitor participate in the Administrator's or in the Appeals Review Panel's disposition of a complaint.
Upon request by the Administrator to any member, all documents directly relating to an alleged violation shall be delivered to the Administrator. Any such information obtained by the Administrator shall be held in confidence in accord with the terms of these regulations and the Code. Whenever the Administrator, either by his own determination or pursuant to a decision by the Appeals Review Panel, terminates an action which was begun under the Code, a record of the member accused shall be wiped clean and all documents, memoranda or other written material shall either be destroyed or returned, as may be deemed appropriate by the Administrator, except to the extent necessary for defending a legal challenge to the Administrator's or Appeals Review Panel's handling of a matter, or for submitting relevant data concerning a complaint to a local, state or federal agency. At no time during proceedings under this Code regulation or under the Code shall the Administrator or member of the Appeals Review Panel either unilaterally or through the DSA issue a press release concerning allegations or findings of a violation of the Code unless specifically authorized to do so by the Executive Committee of DSA's Board of Directors.
Pending Members of DSA
Nothing in Part F shall prevent the Administrator from notifying, at his discretion, DSA staff members of any alleged violations of the Code that have come to his attention and which may have a bearing on a DSA pending member’s qualifications for active membership.
G. Resignation
Resignation from the Association by an accused company prior to completion of any proceedings constituted under this Code shall not be grounds for termination of said proceedings, and a determination as to the Code violation shall be rendered by the Administrator at his or her discretion, irrespective of the accused company's continued membership in the Association or participation in the complaint resolution proceedings.
H. Amendments
This Code may be amended by vote of two thirds of the Board of Directors.
As Adopted June 15, 1970
As Amended by Board of Directors through December 7, 2011
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In consideration of the personal safety and well-being of the UNC Charlotte campus community, and in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, this Policy establishes requirements for accessibility, behavior, and treatment of animals on campus.
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte recognizes that owners of Domestic Animals may desire to bring those animals to the campus; students may desire to bring emotional support animals into their on-campus housing; users of Service Animals or Service Animals in Training may find it necessary to bring those animals on campus; and Feral or Wild Animals may select the campus landscape as their habitat. In consideration of the personal safety and well-being of the UNC Charlotte campus community, and in accordance with applicable state and federal laws, this Policy establishes requirements for accessibility, behavior, and treatment of animals on campus.
II. Policy
No person may bring an animal onto the University campus, except for:
Service Animals and Service Animals in Training as defined in Section III.A and III.B below and as provided in Section IV.A below;
Approved Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in on-campus housing, as defined in Section III.C and pursuant to the procedures in Section IV.B below;
Domestic Animals, as defined in Section III.D below and as provided in Section IV.D below;
Animals used for academic research, but only as provided in University Policy 310, Laboratory Animals Used for Teaching and Research; or
Animals that are brought on campus for a purpose specifically approved and under conditions established by the Chancellor or a vice chancellor.
This Policy does not apply to animals on campus solely for the purpose of instructional use.
III. Definitions
A. Service Animals
Service Animals are dogs that are individually trained to respond to an individual’s needs and to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as Service Animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
In some cases, upon assessment and determination by the Animal Compliance Committee (see Section V below), a miniature horse may be permitted on campus as a Service Animal, if the miniature horse has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability.
In making such assessment and determination, the Animal Compliance Committee will consider the following factors:
The type, size, and weight of the miniature horse and whether the University can accommodate these features;
Whether the handler has sufficient control of the miniature horse;
Whether the miniature horse is housebroken; and
Whether the miniature horse's presence in specific campus facilities compromises legitimate safety requirements that are necessary for safe operation.
B. Service Animals in Training
A Service Animal in Training is an animal in training to become a Service Animal when the animal is accompanied by a person who is training the Service Animal and the animal is wearing a collar and leash, harness, or cape that identifies the animal as a Service Animal in Training.
C. Emotional Support Animals
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is an animal prescribed to a student with a disability by a healthcare or mental health professional to play a significant part in the student’s treatment process (e.g., in alleviating symptoms of that individual’s disability). An ESA does not assist a person with a disability with their activities of daily living and does not accompany a person with a disability at all times or to locations on campus other than in the student’s assigned on-campus housing unit. An approved ESA may live with a student in their on-campus housing only if approved in advance pursuant to the procedures provided in Section IV.B below.
D. Domestic Animals
Domestic Animals are those species of animals that normally and customarily share human habitat and are normally dependent on humans for food and shelter, including dogs, cats, and other common domestic animals, but not including Feral or Wild Animals as defined in Section III.E below. Service Animals and Service Animals in Training are not considered Domestic Animals for the purpose of this Policy.
E. Feral or Wild Animals
Feral or Wild Animals are animals that are not socialized or domesticated.
IV. Requirements
A. Service Animals and Service Animals in Training
In University facilities and on the University campus:
Service Animals and Service Animals in Training must be under control with devices as set forth in Section IV.D.1 below, unless these devices interfere with the animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls. A Service Animal in Training must be on a lead and under control at all times.
Use of a Service Animal or Service Animal in Training may be prohibited if the use of the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of other persons.
Use of a Service Animal in Training may be prohibited if the presence of the Service Animal in Training will result in a fundamental alteration of the educational program or activity involved. Questions about the impact of the Service Animal on an educational program or activity should be addressed with the Office of Disability Services in consultation with the sponsoring department.
When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, University officials may ask only two questions: (1) Is the animal a Service Animal required because of a disability? and (2) What work or task has the animal been trained to perform? University officials cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the animal, or ask that the animal demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.
University officials may ask an individual to remove a Service Animal or Service Animal in Training from University facilities or the University campus if:
The animal poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others;
The animal is out of control or disruptive and the animal’s handler does not take effective action to control it; or
The animal is not housebroken.
Service Animals in Training must meet the requirements set forth under Section IV.C below, except as otherwise provided.
B. Emotional Support Animals in On-Campus Housing
Students may bring an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) into their assigned on-campus housing only upon approval by the Office of Disability Services (ODS). Having an ESA in on-campus housing without approval is not permitted.
To initiate a request to bring an ESA into assigned on-campus housing, a student must timely submit a completed “Request Form for an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) in On-Campus Housing” to the ODS for review in accordance with the process set forth in the “Guidelines and Request Form for an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) in On-Campus Housing.” Both documents are available upon request from the ODS. Upon receipt of an ESA request form, ODS staff will:
review the submitted request;
meet with the student to discuss the ESA request;
notify the student about whether the ESA request is approved; and
if the ESA is approved, explain to the student the expectations and requirements for keeping an ESA in on-campus housing.
Subsequently, if ODS staff approves the ESA, ODS staff will notify Housing and Residence Life (HRL) of the ODS approval of a student request for an ESA in on-campus housing. HRL officials will process the request and counsel the student on HRL expectations and requirements of an owner/handler of an approved animal, and as appropriate, will assign the student on-campus housing.
C. Feral or Wild Animals
Feral or Wild Animals that are not a risk and do not represent a hazard, cause property damage, or create a public nuisance, and that do not require human intervention, may inhabit the campus grounds.
No person may do anything to attract Feral or Wild Animals to campus, nor may any person feed or set out food or water for Feral or Wild Animals on campus or engage in any other human intervention. Human intervention includes, but is not limited to, attracting animals, feeding, watering, building of shelters for animals, and providing medication.
Feral or Wild Animals that are a potential risk, represent a hazard, cause property damage, create a nuisance, or otherwise pose a potential threat to the health or safety of humans will be regulated, controlled, and humanely relocated in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.
D. Additional requirements
Except as otherwise set forth below, the following requirements apply to all Service Animals, Service Animals in Training, Emotional Support Animals in Campus Housing, and Domestic Animals on campus:
All animals must be under control while on campus grounds, and restrained by a leash or other appropriate device that does not exceed six feet in length. All animals must beand that is under the control of their handler or by another responsible person. At no time is an animal permitted to wander off leash or be let out of control by the handler.
All animals in dwelling units of campus residences, campus buildings, or on campus grounds must be fully inoculated in accordance with Mecklenburg County regulations, if such inoculation is required by Mecklenburg County, with the burden of proof on the owner or handler.
Fecal matter deposited by any animal brought onto campus must be removed immediately and disposed of properly by the owner or handler. The burden is on the animal handler to arrange for removal of fecal matter if he or she is personally unable to perform the task.
With the exception of animals permitted in residence halls under the Residence Coordinator and Graduate Assistant Pet Agreement, or pursuant to an Emotional Support Animal in Campus Housing Student Agreement, Domestic Animals may not enter any:
Campus building, including all residence and non-residence buildings;
Enclosed or delineated outdoor athletic or recreational facility; or
Officially reserved or scheduled outdoor event on campus.
Animals found tethered, unattended, or abandoned may be humanely impounded in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Animals may be confined in vehicles parked on campus for a reasonable period of time as long as the animal is not endangered and does not endanger others or create a public nuisance. In the event of endangerment to the animal or others, or public nuisance, the animal’s handler or owner is subject to citation and the animal may be humanely impounded.
Animals must have appropriate behavior while on campus. If there is anything about the condition, health, or behavior of any animal on campus that is deemed by University officials to be a direct threat to the health or safety of any member of the campus community or to any other animal, if the owner cannot control the animal, if the animal is disruptive, or if the animal is not housebroken, then that animal may be removed from campus in any manner deemed necessary by University officials. Such action may be taken regardless of whether the animal posing a threat would otherwise be permitted on campus under this Policy.
V. Responsibilities
The Associate Vice Chancellor Safety and Security, if necessary in consultation with Office of Disability Services, the ADA Compliance Officer, and/or Police and Public Safety, will be responsible for providing the final determination on the risk, potential hazard, potential for property damage, or potential for public nuisance of any animal on campus grounds. Nothing in this Policy is intended to limit the freedom of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Safety and Security or Police and Public Safety in the assessment or handling of any situation involving an animal in University facilities or on the University campus.
The Office of Disability Services is responsible for maintaining any documentation regarding Service Animals, Service Animals in Training, and Emotional Support Animals under an approved student housing agreement.
The Animal Compliance Committee is responsible for making assessments and determinations about requests for accommodation of miniature horses as Service Animals. The Animal Compliance Committee shall be comprised of the Associate Vice Chancellor Safety and Security, the Director of the Office of Disability Services, the ADA Compliance Officer, and the Chief of Police and Public Safety.
VI. Violations of this Policy
All members of the campus community share the responsibility of implementing all aspects of this Policy. To report the presence of an animal in violation of this Policy, call Police and Public Safety at 911 from a campus phone or at 704-687-2200. Failure to comply with implementation of this Policy will result in the following consequences:
Any person who brings an animal onto campus in violation of this Policy will be required to remove the animal from campus immediately.
Any person who feeds or attracts animals on campus in violation of this Policy may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the disciplinary Policy applicable to the person’s status as a student, or employee. Those who are not students or employees may be trespassed from the campus.
Any person who allows his or her animal to stray or be unattended may have such animal impounded by Police and Public Safety and turned over to the local Animal Control Shelter.
Initially approved by the Chancellor on July 25, 1977
Revised April 25, 1997
Revised April 7, 2003
Revised September 18, 2013
Responsible Office: Business Affairs
University Policy 310, Laboratory Animals Used for Teaching and Research
Residence Coordinator and Graduate Assistant Pet Agreement
ODS Guidelines and Request Form for an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) in On-Campus Housing
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'Where my husband was going when he said he was at work'
by As told to Carolyn Tate, Kidspot
15th Sep 2018 2:30 PM
CHRIS and I had been married for about three years when things started to go wobbly between us. I couldn't figure out what was going on but suddenly he became super weird about money.
He'd always managed our finances, which in hindsight was a massive mistake, but he said an increase in interest rates meant he had to do some shuffling with our bank accounts. I foolishly believed him.
But Chris said he'd handle it. He always did. That's what I loved about him - he was so dependable. I know that doesn't sound sexy but it's what I fell in love with when we first met. I grew up with a dad who had a gambling problem. We never had money when I was growing up, and my parents were always stressed. My dad eventually sought help and my parents managed to repair their broken marriage, but for me the damage had already been done and I absorbed that stress and vowed that when I grew up and got married, I'd marry someone responsible. Someone who could take care of me and my kids.
I thought I had.
Each morning, Chris kissed me goodbye and went to his public service job in the city. He was a project manager. I was a primary school teacher at the school around the corner, so I was always the last to leave and the first to arrive home in the afternoon. I packed both our lunches as we had breakfast together and chatted about our plans for the day. We were both morning people and we had a harmonious life together.
The one day I was buying groceries and my debit card was declined. That was weird because we always put our everyday spending budget in on the first of the month and it was only the second week. I put the groceries on my emergency credit card and went home.
I asked Chris over dinner if there was something wrong with our account. He said it must have been a mistake and that he'd check it out. I forgot to follow up with him because all seemed fine after that - well, for a few weeks anyway.
Then it happened again. This time when I went to use my emergency credit card that was declined too. Humiliated, I left a trolley full of groceries at the supermarket and went home.
This time I asked Chris to be straight with me.
"What's going on?" I demanded. "I know there's something you're not telling me."
That's when Chris admitted he'd lost his job. Not last week or even last month - he'd lost it a year ago. I was dumbfounded. All those lunches I'd packed. All those chats about our days. All those months, he'd been lying to my face.
Chris said at first he was confident he could find a job easily, so he dipped into our savings, which was supposed to be a deposit for our first home, to cover things in the short term. But as time went on and the account started to empty, his confidence that he'd find a job waned and he started to panic.
And then Chris did something that he and I both knew I'd find unforgivable. He decided to try to recoup the lost savings at the casino. It was only small amounts at first to dip his toe in the water, but as he became more desperate the amounts got bigger until we were absolutely skint and couldn't even afford to buy food.
Now we had nothing, couldn't pay our bills, and he didn't know what to do.
He sat there sobbing at our kitchen table, and all I could feel was fury and disgust.
"What have you been doing all this time when you've kissed me goodbye and told me you were going to work every day?" I asked.
"At first I was spending the day at the library, using the computers and looking for jobs," he said. "I met colleagues and friends who might know about work for coffees and lunches. I cold called. I did everything I could think of.
"Then I started walking around shopping centres and museums - anything to keep busy," he said. "And then when things got bad, I went to the casino."
Chris told me he felt awful but he was relieved that I finally knew the truth.
I told him to get out.
Chris went to stay with his parents, and six months later he's still living there. My parents lent me some money to get me out of the hole I found myself in.
Chris is still working hard to win me back but he's broken my trust in such a profound and calculated way, there's no way he's ever coming back. And it's absolutely the last time I'll ever allow someone else to be in charge of my finances. Now I'm saving from scratch for a house deposit and I'll be doing it on my own. Anything else is a gamble I'm not willing to take.
This originally appeared on Kidspot and has been republished with permission.
Man’s revenge on cheating bride
Fiance dumped over porn habit
’The worst thing I’ve ever done’
betrayal finances marriage real life
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