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A Clear (Deniable) Message
I was struck by parts of an article in Sunday’s New York Times about the firing of David C. Iglesias, the U.S. Attorney in New Mexico. Iglesias is among several U.S. Attorneys the Department of Justice has fired in recent months and the story has been widely reported. This article had to do with the pressures that were brought to bear on Iglesias by some of his former political patrons including New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici. An excerpt follows:
By Ruth Sherman 3 minute Read
“Are these going to be filed before November?” the senator asked, referring to charges in the courthouse case, Mr. Iglesias said. “And I said I didn’t think so. And to which he replied, ‘I’m very sorry to hear that.’ And then the line went dead.”
Mr. Iglesias said the message was clear. “I felt leaned on,” he testified to the Senate this month. “I felt pressured to get these matters moving.”
Mr. Domenici has apologized for making the call. “However, at no time in that conversation or any other conversation with Mr. Iglesias did I ever tell him what course of action I thought he should take on any legal matter,” he said in a statement. “I have never pressured him nor threatened him in any way.”
Yeah, right.
The fact is that nonverbal communication—how we say what we say—is extraordinarily rich in meaning. It is what makes spoken language differ so profoundly from written language. In writing, the meaning is in the words on the page. We might underline or italicize or use punctuation to emphasize certain words to steer readers toward a particular meaning. When we write, we are (or should be) mindful that others may also read it so other opinions as to the meaning can be garnered.
When we speak, however, we shape our words by assuming a particular tone and style of delivery. We intend to influence perception by using these strategies; sometimes we are successful and sometimes we are not. Furthermore, once the words have left our lips, there is no retrieving them. There is also no record of them (most often) so there is no way to review. And, if they are spoken in private, as in the case of the conversation between Senator Domenici and Mr. Iglesias, no opportunity to get a second opinion. There is no evidence.
Which brings us to the issue of deniability. We have all had the experience of being spoken to in a way that sends a clear message that is not contained in the words alone. Then, when we become confused about or question the meaning of the words, the speaker, who has had time to reconsider, backtracks or flat-out denies that what you heard was what he or she said. Interestingly, deniability does have its place in the communication landscape functioning as a kind of escape hatch. We all say things from time to time we wish we hadn’t and being able to deny meaning can serve to prevent many unimportant or passing conflicts from escalating (children are masters of this skill). But it can also function in the other direction and this poses a real danger. For example, if a person consistently makes nonverbal threats but then is able to deny them, trust is eroded and the working relationship (or any relationship) is doomed.
David C. Iglesias said he felt leaned on. Senator Domenici said he never pressured him. Iglesias did not do what he felt Senator Domenici and others wanted him to do on a particular case. Iglesias, who, like all other U.S. Attorneys, serves at the pleasure of the President, was fired.
So who got it right? Iglesias, who said the (nonverbal) message was clear or Domenici, who denied there was any such message. I know whom I believe.
Ruth Sherman • Ruth Sherman Associates, LLC • Greenwich, CT • ruth (at) ruthsherman (dot) com • www.ruthsherman.com
Ruth Sherman, M.A., is a strategic communications consultant focusing on preparing business leaders, politicians, celebrities, and small business entrepreneurs to leverage critical public communications including keynote speeches, webcasts, investor presentations, road shows, awards presentations, political campaigns and media contact. Her clients hail from the A-list of international business including General Electric, JP Morgan (NY, London, Frankfurt), Timex Group, Deloitte and Dubai World
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Most Creative People 2018
Gordon Sanghera
Cofounder and CEO, Oxford Nanopore Technologies | Oxford, U.K.
For placing DNA sequencing in the palm of your hand
An electrical engineer who previously designed blood-glucose monitoring systems for Abbott, Gordon Sanghera has helped put Oxford Nanopore at the forefront of a revolution in DNA sequencing.
Starting with the 2014 rollout of the company's handheld MinION device, which allows users to sequence DNA and RNA in real time, he has overseen the launch of a portfolio of game-changing tools that are currently used by thousands of researchers in medicine, epidemiology, environmental science, forensics, and genomics. In 2017, Sanghera introduced the benchtop GridION, with five times the capacity of the MinION. Also in 2017, it launched the powerful PromethION, capable of sequencing a whole human genome for less than $1,000. All three devices leverage Oxford's proprietary nanopore technology, drawing long strands of DNA through hundreds of nanoscale holes in a special membrane and reading the sequence in real time by detecting the unique electrical signature of each DNA letter (A, T, C, G).
Later this year, Oxford, which in 2018 raised $140 million from investors, plans to release the low-cost SmidgeION, which will plug into a smartphone and let an average user at home diagnose a flu, measure telomere length as an indicator of aging, and more.
Gordon Sanghera On The Web
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6 success factors for HIE participation by a health system
The participation of health system leadership and timely and accurate communication are among the biggest factors contributing to the success of hospital participation in a health information exchange, according to research published this month in the Journal of Medical Internet Research – Medical Informatics.
Through a combination of interviews, data analysis and direct observation, the researchers--from the University of South Carolina and Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California--pinpoint six factors for success in examining the implementation of Falls Church, Virginia-based Inova Health System into the ConnectVirginia EXCHANGE, the state's HIE. They include:
A willingness to develop workarounds for unforeseen challenges, such as incompatible electronic health record systems
A prioritization of HIE implementation by the implementation site
Executive buy-in and participation
Communication, especially by and between the HIE and the health system
Allocation of appropriate human resources from Day 1
A project champion who can both make tough decisions and delegate authority
"This case study demonstrates that interorganizational governance of HIE implementation is replete with interrelated and overlapping technical, organizational and governance issues," the study's authors write. "The complexities of collaboration appear to assist, as well as detract from, realizing a set of common goals."
Brookings Institution Fellow Niam Yaraghi recently likened HIEs to Facebook for doctors, saying that providers are concerned about who else has joined them and what they're sharing through the network.
According to recently published research in Health Affairs, however, HIE adoption among physicians is relatively low. Four in 10 hospitals reported they can electronically share data with other providers and only 14 percent share data with ambulatory care providers or hospitals outside their organizations.
Julia Adler-Milstein, assistant professor at the School of Information at the University of Michigan and an author of the study, believes that there is a lot of work needed to improve.
"It's clear that even though the data is sitting in electronic health records, it's not being widely shared yet," she said.
- here's the study in JMIR - Medical Informatics
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Home People William M. Lopez
See People
William M. Lopez
Deputy General Counsel
wlopez@foley.com
William M. Lopez is deputy general counsel with Foley & Lardner LLP. In his role as deputy general counsel, Mr. Lopez advises Foley and its lawyers with respect to a wide variety of professional responsibility, ethics, regulatory, and compliance issues. He also works with the firm’s staff, processes, and technology associated with new business intake, conflicts of interest, and client engagement.
Prior to joining Foley, Mr. Lopez was an associate at a large law firm, where he worked with the Lawyers for the Profession practice group and advised clients with respect to legal ethics, professional responsibility, and law firm risk management.
During law school, Mr. Lopez served as a judicial extern to The Honorable Ann Claire Williams for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and was a legal intern with Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund in Chicago.
Mr. Lopez was recognized as a “Rising Star” by Illinois Super Lawyers in 2014 and 2015. He also received the “40 Under 40” award from the Windy City Times in 2011.
Mr. Lopez is a graduate of Chicago-Kent College of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2011), where he was note & comments editor of the Chicago-Kent Law Review. He was inducted into the Order of the Coif and Bar & Gavel Society, received CALI awards in Constitutional Law, European Union, and Constitutional History, and was the recipient of the PILI Scholarship and LAGBAC Foundation Award. Mr. Lopez studied English literature at the University of Miami (B.A., cum laude, 2008).
Admissions and Professional Memberships
Mr. Lopez currently serves as a member of the Professional Responsibility Committee for the New York City Bar Association. He is also the chair of the Diversity Committee for the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York.
Mr. Lopez is admitted to practice in Illinois, New Jersey, and New York.
wlopez@foley.com 212.338.3426
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Forces Network
Radio The British Forces News team operate 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week from our studios in Buckinghamshire. Our News Producers and presenters there work with our journalists throughout Germany, in Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, and across mainland Britain.
Follow BFBS Radio
The British Forces News team operate 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week from our studios in Buckinghamshire. Our News Producers and presenters there work with our journalists throughout Germany, in Afghanistan, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, and across mainland Britain.
We've BFBS news contributors in the Falkland Islands too, as well as Canada, Gibraltar, Belize and Brunei.
Our radio news on BFBS is a mix of national and international news and sport plus all the Forces news worldwide that matters to you.
Click here for our latest radio news bulletin. We broadcast news updates on the hour, every hour around the clock. During breakfast (UK time) we've bulletins on the half hour too - at 04:30, 05:30, 06:30 and 07:30.
If you've got a story for the British Forces News team, or just want to comment on our service you can email us: forcesnews@bfbs.com - or you can call us: +44 (0)1494 878616.
As well as the news and information you'll find here on our website, you can follow British Forces News online too, on Facebook and Twitter.
If you want to know more about the team that brings you British Forces News bulletins across the day, then visit our Who's Who section here on the site.
Services Sound & Vision Corporation Services Sound & Vision Corporation, Chalfont Grove, Narcot Lane, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, SL9 8TN
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Iraqi Police Attacked, 25 Dead
BAGHDAD, Iraq – In one of the bloodiest days in recent months, insurgents killed at least 25 people, mostly Iraqi police, in multiple attacks across the volatile Sunni Triangle (search) on Tuesday and a militant group claimed it executed eight Iraqi employees of an American security company, saying they had collaborated with U.S. occupational forces.
With the insurgency that is targeting mainly U.S. troops, Iraqi officials and security forces escalating ahead of Jan. 30 parliamentary elections, Iraqi lawmakers appealed for national unity, fearing the militants could trigger civil war.
"The terrorists intend to destroy Iraq's national unity," said a statement issued by the Interim National Assembly (search). "Their intentions are to harm this country which faces crucial challenges amid a very difficult period."
"The response to these acts needs national awareness and strong unity between all Iraqis," said the temporary legislature, which is to be replaced by an elected assembly after the first free elections in Iraq since 1958. The new parliament's main task will be to write the country's new constitution.
Brig. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, assistant brigade commander in the 1st Cavalry Division (search) that controls Baghdad, said attacks by insurgents are expected to escalate further in the run-up to the ballot.
"We anticipate that the enemy will [continue with] attacks, intimidation, assassinations and other messages designed to destroy life in Baghdad," Hammond said, adding that Iraqi security forces will bear the brunt of providing security for the elections and that U.S. troops will back them up only if needed.
Shiite Muslims, who make up around 60 percent of Iraq's people, have been strong supporters of the elections, which they expect to reverse the longtime domination of Iraq's Sunni minority. The insurgency is believed to draw most of its support from Sunnis, who provided much of Saddam Hussein's former Baath Party membership.
The local Al-Iraqiya television network reported that a total of 34 people died on Tuesday, including 26 policemen and national guards, but that figure could not be independently confirmed.
In an apparent attempt to improve the efficiency of security forces, an Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman said Tuesday that the paramilitary Iraqi National Guards will be merged with the armed forces.
The ING, which is also part of the Defense Ministry, has born the brunt of insurgent attacks in the past months.
Near Saddam's hometown of Tikrit, gunmen attacked a police station, overwhelmed 12 Iraqi policemen there, slit their throats and then blew up the building, said Lt. Col. Saad Hmoud, a local police official.
The deputy governor of the restive Anbar province, Moayyad Hardan al-Issawi, was assassinated near Ramadi, east of Baghdad, police official Abdel Qader al-Kubeisy said. Gunmen who shot him left a statement next to his body: "This is the fate of everyone who deals with the American troops." The statement was signed by radical Mujahedeen al-Anbar group, or the "Fighters of Anbar."
Such flagrant attacks appear designed to cause panic and desertion among Iraqi officials and security forces — considered by militants to be American collaborators — and provoke a sectarian conflict between Shiites and Sunnis.
Militants released a videotape Tuesday, saying they have executed eight and released two Iraqis who were employed by Sandi Group, an American security company, and had been held hostage since Dec. 13.
The insurgents claiming to represent three Iraqi militant groups — the Mujahedeen Army, the Black Banner Brigade and the Mutassim Bellah Brigade — said in the tape obtained by APTN that "the eight have been executed because it was proven that they were supporting the occupational army." The other two will be released for the lack of evidence, a statement read by one of the militants.
In other strikes Tuesday, a car bomb killed five Iraqi National Guardsmen and injured 26 near Baqouba, a town 57 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, after the paramilitary troops had cordoned off an area in order to disarm a roadside bomb, said U.S. Maj. Neal O'Brien.
In Baqouba itself, unidentified gunmen assassinated Capt. Na'em Muhanad Abdullah, a local police commander, and wounded three other men, a spokesman said.
Elsewhere Tuesday, a car bomb exploded in the village of Muradiya, 30 kilometers (18 miles) northeast of Baghdad, killing five civilians and wounding dozens, said Ahmed Fouad, a doctor in the Baqouba General Hospital.
In Mosul, 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, a gunman attacked a police station in the northeastern Hadbaa district, said police Capt. Ahmed Khalil. One policeman died in the attack.
In the central city of Samarra an attacker detonated his car in the city center wounding 10 people, including three children, police Maj. Saadoun Ahmed Matroud.
Shortly after the explosion, people were told through mosques loud speakers to stay indoor because of a curfew, and U.S. and Iraq troops set up roadblocks, witnesses said.
In Babil province south of Baghdad, police said they arrested 10 armed men in a raid in the area of Jbila after intelligence indicated the suspects were allegedly plotting to attack a police station there, Capt. Hady Hatif said.
At Samarra, U.S. troops killed three rebels when they attacked an American post with small-arms and rocket propelled grenades, the U.S. military said. There were no injuries to U.S. soldiers or damage to equipment.
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Manhunt After Philadelphia Police Officer Shot in Head at Dunkin' Donuts
PHILADELPHIA – A police officer was shot in the head at a doughnut shop on Wednesday morning, setting off a manhunt by officers on foot, on motorcycles and in the air. He was the third officer shot in the city in four days.
The officer was shot around 10:30 a.m. at a Dunkin' Donuts, according to Officer Raul Malveiro, a police spokesman. The injured officer was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center, but his condition was not immediately known.
Police did not know whether the suspect fled in a vehicle or on foot. They were searching for a heavyset black man, about 5-11, wearing a black hoodie, tan khaki pants and tan boots, Malviero said. Police said the gunman also had a spider web tattoo on his left hand and was carrying another black hoodie with gray stripes.
The shooter also took the officer's gun, Malviero said.
Police swarmed the North Philadelphia neighborhood, combing the area on foot and in squad cars. A police helicopter scoured the ground for any trace of the gunman.
Wednesday's shooting came about 12 hours after a masked gunman shot a police officer in the shoulder during a chase downtown. That gunmen apparently jumped into the Schuylkill River, where searchers later recovered a body. Police said Wednesday morning that they had not determined if it was the suspect's body.
Traffic Officer Mario Santiago responded to a report of shots fired shortly after 10 p.m. Tuesday. The gunman was in a sport utility vehicle when he fired at another vehicle, injuring two men and a woman, police said.
Responding to a radio call, Santiago started chasing the SUV. The gunman eventually got out of his vehicle and approached the squad car, firing twice through the window and hitting Santiago once in the right shoulder, police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said. Santiago was listed in fair condition at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital on Wednesday, Malviero said.
Early Sunday, an officer responding to a melee at a West Philadelphia nightclub was shot in the ankle. More than two dozen bullets were fired, police said. One suspect was fatally shot and another was arrested.
On Sept. 24, a suspect jumped out of a car during a traffic stop and shot a rookie officer in the face at close range with a sawed-off shotgun. The officer needed reconstructive surgery, but was released from the hospital about a week later.
Also Tuesday, a man who fatally shot a police officer during a robbery attempt at a bar last year pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison. In May 2006, Solomon Montgomery fired a shotgun out the back door of the bar, hitting Officer Gary Skerski in the neck.
Skerski's death marked the first killing of an on-duty officer in Philadelphia in more than a decade.
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Published June 12
Germany arrests Kosovo man accused of supporting IS group
BERLIN – German authorities have arrested a Kosovo national accused of supporting the Islamic State group by transferring thousands of euros to a fighter and a would-be recruit.
The federal prosecutor's office said the 31-year-old man, identified only as Hassan Rejan B. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested Wednesday in the Pinneberg area, near Hamburg.
He is suspected of 15 counts of supporting IS and 11 of violating German export laws.
Prosecutors allege that the man made 11 transfers in 2016 and 2017 to an IS fighter in Syria. They say that, in 2015, he also transferred money to a man from North Macedonia who wanted to join IS in Syria. In all, they say he transferred about 15,000 euros ($17,000), in most cases as a go-between.
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Franchises for Sale in Arcata, CA
Discover business opportunities, in or around Arcata, with well-established brands, who are looking for people like you to help them grow.
As of the 2010 United States Census, Arcata, located in the Golden State, had a total population of 17,044 people. This makes Arcata the three hundred first-most populated city in the state of CA.
City Statistics and Other Information About Arcata
From a total population of 17,044, Arcata has a median age of 25.2. The average age of males, in Arcata, is 27.3 while the average age of females is 23.7. When you compare this to median age of California, Arcata is 10.4 years younger.
The median income of individuals, in Arcata, is $18,681 while the average household income is $30,244. When comparing the median income of people living in Arcata to the rest of California, the average income in Arcata is $11,225 less.
ZIP code 95518-95521
County Name Humboldt County
City Homepage Visit this City's Official Site
Explore Franchises For Sale in California Now
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Franchises for Sale in Albert City, IA
Discover business opportunities, in or around Albert City, with well-established brands, who are looking for people like you to help them grow.
As of the 2010 United States Census, Albert City, located in the Hawkeye State, had a total population of 20,460 people. This makes Albert City the ninety-first-most populated city in the state of IA.
City Statistics and Other Information About Albert City
From a total population of 20,460, Albert City has a median age of 36.8. The average age of males, in Albert City, is 35.7 while the average age of females is 38. When you compare this to median age of Iowa, Albert City is 1.2 years younger.
The median income of individuals, in Albert City, is $23,707 while the average household income is $48,010. When comparing the median income of people living in Albert City to the rest of Iowa, the average income in Albert City is $3,914 less.
County Name Buena Vista County
Explore Franchises For Sale in Iowa Now
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Gary has always had a passion for innovation and creativity. His career has spanned the retail, music and radio industries. Gary’s drive comes from having people and organisations think differently to generate new ways of doing things.
As a thought leader in innovation and creativity, Gary has helped companies of all sizes, in all industries and categories, to look at how they currently do things and address what needs to change in order for them to think differently and maximise the ideas that currently exist within the business, with the view to making the company more successful. He is often called when companies or individuals lose their mojo.
Through easy to understand, fun, interactive speeches and sessions, he presents to a wide variety of clients in the areas of creative thinking, mojo, marketing, strategic facilitation, and innovation to improve performance and help us be at our best.
Gary has written 6 books, a number of which have become best sellers:
The Keys to Creativity (2006)
Who Stole My Mojo? (2008)
What Made You Think of That? (2009)
The Vibe (2010)
My Dad’s Got Mojo (2010)
What I Wish I Knew About Cancer (2011)
Gary won the Speaker of The Year Award for TEC (The Executive Connection) in both 2007, 2008 and again in 2012.
In addition to his speaking commitments he also established Australia’s first ever creative thinking venue The Ideas Vault at The Entertainment Quarter in Sydney, co-founded Australia’s leading cycling foundation the Tour de Cure in 2007, writes a blog called The Espresso, in which he scours the world to find interesting tips, tools and news to give you a new or different perspective on the world in which we live, and hosts a popular new podcast series on iTunes called The Mojo Radio Show.
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Tony Pulis & Garry Monk unite in their praise for 'fantastic' Lewis Wing
'Lewis is flourishing & you can see the potential that he has got,' says ex-Boro boss Monk
Philip Tallentire
Garry Monk and Tony Pulis both praised Lewis Wing following his man of the match display at Birmingham.
The former non-league midfielder scored his first league goal for Boro at St Andrew’s and provided the assist for Britt Assombalonga’s winner.
Wing was recruited by Middlesbrough just a few weeks before Monk was appointed manager in June 2017.
He was quick to involve him with the first team squad and gave him his senior debut in a League Cup tie against Scunthorpe in August 2017.
Britt's stats, winning the battle at the back & Wing's rise and rise: What we learned
Wing was an 80th minute replacement for Grant Leadbitter in a 3-0 win at the Riverside.
He made another appearance in the League Cup at Aston Villa before joining Yeovil Town on loan.
Lewis Wing celebrates after scoring at Birmingham
This season he’s pushed had for a place in Tony Pulis’s starting line-up and has scored a couple of memorable goals from long-range.
But his close-range finish at St Andrew’s was his first in the Championship and should guarantee him a place in the starting XI for Saturday’s home fixture with Millwall.
Monk was quizzed about Wing following City’s 2-1 loss to Boro and he said: “I gave him his debut. He is a fantastic young talent, it’s great to see him doing so well.
“I gave him his debut at Boro and obviously he is flourishing and you can see the potential that he has got.”
Pulis, meanwhile, has been careful not to over-hype 23-year-old Wing, who joined Boro from Northern League club Shildon Town.
Catalyst Lewis Wing is Middlesbrough's best on day of several impressive individual displays
The manager is well aware, though, that he has a potentially exciting young player on his hands.
“He’s been a breath of fresh air,” he said. “He’s going to become a good player he’s going to be better than what he is.
Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis and Birmingham City boss Garry Monk (Image: © Focus Images Limited)
“He’s got to learn, he’s got to understand the game, at times he goes AWOL (absent without leave) in the team shape that you are working on but he brings so much to the party, he’s very good but we have to be careful with him.”
Football League Cup
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SAP buying Concur for $8.3 billion
by John Cook on September 18, 2014 at 2:24 pm September 19, 2014 at 8:41 am
Concur execs Steve Singh, Rajeev Singh and Mike Hilton at the opening of the company’s new headquarters.
SAP is buying Bellevue-based Concur Technologies in deal valued at $8.3 billion, a 20 percent premium over the Sept. 17th closing price.
Founded in 1993, Concur successfully transformed itself into a software-as-a-service company, building a powerhouse in the travel and entertainment expense management category. The company’s online tools are now used by 23,000 customers worldwide, with 4,200 employees globally. Its revenue run rate now stands at $700 million.
Shares of Concur have been relatively flat over the past year, but the company’s stock is up more than 175 percent in the past five years. Bloomberg News reported earlier this month that Concur was for sale, pointing specifically to SAP as a possible suitor.
Concur’s Steve Singh, left, celebrates with SAP CEO Bill McDermott
Together, SAP and Concur will have more than 50 million users in the cloud, and it will be the second largest cloud company by measure of revenue, the companies said. In a call with analysts today, SAP CEO Bill McDermott said that after the transaction closes, SAP’s business network will transact more than $600 billion annually, which is 50 percent more than Amazon, eBay and Alibaba combined.
He said that the deal — which he dubbed the largest in the history of software-as-a-service — makes SAP the “undisputed” business network and cloud leader.
“We have always been focused on making solutions for real customer problems, and with SAP we have a great opportunity to advance that mission,” said Concur CEO Steve Singh in a press release. “We are constantly seeking innovative ways to deliver the best customer experience and we’re excited about leveraging SAP technology, including HANA as we scale globally.”
Follow-up: SAP CEO gushes over $8.3 billion Concur acquisition: ‘I think we have something big here’… Concur must pay $265M break-up fee if blockbuster SAP deal falls apart
McDermott offered kudos to the Concur management team, calling them “as good as it gets.” He said he fully expects the management team and employee base at Concur to join SAP.
In the conference call, Singh said that Concur was “not up for sale.”
“Great companies are acquired, they’re not sold,” said Singh, adding that the synergies between SAP and Concur are “substantive.” With more than 250,000 businesses operating on the SAP platform, Singh said that there was a tremendous opportunity to push the Concur service to new customers. Concur’s technology already ties into SAP, he said.
“There is a tremendous opportunity to drive scale,” said Singh, adding that “you win with scale.”
The deal marks one of the largest acquisitions of a Seattle area technology company in recent years, surpassing the $6 billion that Microsoft paid for aQuantive in 2007 and the $2.25 billion that EMC paid for Isilon in 2010. Interestingly, GigaOm reports that Concur talked to both Microsoft and Oracle about a deal as well.
Concur has been somewhat acquisitive itself in recent years, gobbling up technology companies such as GDSX, TRX, ConTgo, as well as the $120 million purchase of Tripit in 2011.
It also established a $150 million venture fund in 2012 to bankroll emerging startups in the online travel arena, including Seattle area startups such as Buuteeq (recently sold to Priceline) and Yapta.
A press conference has been slated for 3 p.m. today, and we’ll have more on this breaking story as it develops. Here’s the full press release from SAP.
WALLDORF, Germany and BELLEVUE, Washington – SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) and Concur Technologies, Inc. (NSDQ: CNQR) today announced that SAP’s subsidiary, SAP America, Inc., has entered into an agreement to acquire Concur. With more than 23,000 customers, 4,200 employees and 25 million active users in over 150 countries, Concur is the leader in the multi-billion market for travel and expense (T&E) management software. With Concur, SAP’s business network – the world’s largest – will transact more than US$600 billion annually, deliver frictionless commerce across more than 25 different industries and address annual corporate travel spend of US$1.2 trillion worldwide.
The Concur board of directors has unanimously approved the transaction, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter 2014 or the first quarter 2015, subject to Concur stockholder approval, clearances by the relevant regulatory authorities and other customary closing conditions. The per-share purchase price of US$129 represents a 20% premium over the September 17 closing price, a 21% premium over the one month volume weighted average price per share and an enterprise value of approximately US$8.3 billion. The transaction will be funded from a credit facility agreement of up to €7 billion to cover the purchase price, target debt refinancing and acquisition-related costs. The company has undergone an external credit rating process with two agencies. The results of this process will be published shortly.
“The acquisition of Concur is consistent with our relentless focus on the business network,” said Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP. “We are making a bold move to innovate the future of business within and between companies. With Ariba, Fieldglass and Concur, SAP is the undisputed business network company. We are redefining how businesses conduct commerce across goods and services, contingent workforces, travel and entertainment. With the SAP HANA platform, the possibilities to innovate new business models around Concur and the network are limitless.”
“Concur shares SAP’s vision to help our customers ‘Run simple’,” added McDermott. “Concur cloud solutions are network-based and enable context-aware applications for travelers to use on any mobile device. With Concur, people are given the professional courtesy and ultimate flexibility to make the choices that are right for them. No longer does cost control for companies have to come at the expense of people.”
“We have always been focused on making solutions for real customer problems, and with SAP we have a great opportunity to advance that mission,” said Steve Singh, CEO of Concur. “We are constantly seeking innovative ways to deliver the best customer experience and we’re excited about leveraging SAP technology, including HANA as we scale globally.”
Scaling the Business Network
Concur will expand SAP’s business network to reach into the US$1.2 trillion corporate travel spectrum.
Concur has developed an open platform to connect the corporate travel ecosystem, such as airlines, hotels and car rental companies in new and innovative ways.
With the addition of the corporate travel ecosystem to the Ariba and Fieldglass networks, SAP’s business network will have an opportunity to power transactions that drive more than US$10 trillion of global spend annually.
With SAP HANA®, Concur anticipates real-time network collaboration that will reshape the travel value chain, create new business models and eliminate needless complexity confronting millions of business travelers worldwide.
SAP applications touch two-thirds of global commerce; combined with the power of SAP HANA, SAP is uniquely positioned to make the “real-time networked economy” a reality.
Achieving Significant Business Synergies
Together the two companies will have more than 50 million users in the cloud — more than any enterprise cloud company — and will be the second largest cloud company by measure of revenue.
Concur has a revenue run rate of more than US$700 million. With its global reach in every country around the world, SAP will provide a global platform to scale.
The majority of SAP customers do not run Concur, presenting a clear opportunity to scale as part of the SAP franchise.
Only 30% of Concur customers currently run SAP, presenting a dynamic opportunity to introduce SAP innovations to the Concur install base.
With one of the richest T&E datasets in the industry and the potential of the SAP HANA platform, Concur will deliver unique insight and analytics to business expense wherever it occurs.
With the dominance of the mobile device in travel and entertainment, Concur will collaborate with SAP’s innovation leadership to build network-based, context-aware mobile applications.
SAP will migrate all its corporate travel and expense management to Concur’s integrated solutions.
Investing for Business Growth
The Concur platform has a broad, horizontal impact with the customer base of more than 23,000 enterprises covering every one of SAP’s 25 industries and all company sizes.
In June 2012, Concur was awarded a 15-year contract to supply T&E software to multiple federal agencies. SAP, with government customers numbering in the tens-of-thousands, intends to expand this relationship across the globe with other governments and agencies.
In the small and medium business space, Concur solutions will complement the new SAP Business One® Cloud solution powered by SAP HANA to offer a compelling suite of solutions for businesses of all sizes.
Financial Analyst and Media Conference Call
SAP and Concur will host a conference call for financial analysts and media to discuss the transaction on Thursday, September 18, 2014 at 3:00 PM (PDT) / 6:00 PM (EDT) / 11:00 PM (London) / 12:00 AM (Sept 19) (CET). The call will be webcast at www.sap.com/investor.
And here’s a message that Steve Singh of Concur posted on the company blog today:
I’m excited to share that earlier today, we entered into an agreement to be acquired by SAP. The combination of Concur and SAP will bring together the leading cloud-based Travel and Expense platform with the market leading enterprise application software company, and we expect this union to drive significant value for our customers.
SAP delivers software and services to more than 261,000 companies around the world, and this relationship will bring new resources and expertise to Concur customers. This also expands the opportunity to attract developers and partners to the Concur platform, enabling us to continue to extend the capabilities available to you and your business. We expect our focus on innovation and on the success of our customers to be even stronger in the years ahead.
SAP’s “Run Simple” philosophy aligns well with our desire to deliver effortless solutions that help you to focus on what matters, the success of your business.
We expect to receive regulatory approval on the transaction late in 2014 or early in 2015. We will provide you with more details in the coming months. Post the close of the transaction, Concur is currently planned to operate as part of the SAP organization, initially reporting to the Office of the CEO at SAP.
We value your feedback, and our whole leadership team, along with our account managers, is available to answer any questions you may have. We remain 100% committed to your success and thank you for your business.
John Cook is GeekWire's co-founder and publisher, a veteran reporter and the longest-serving journalist on the Pacific Northwest tech beat. Follow him @johnhcook and email john@geekwire.com.
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These are the Golden Globe 2016 nominees from Netflix, Hulu and Amazon
Streaming services have proven they can stand up strong against traditional broadcasters when it comes to original programming, with Netflix taking the top spot for the most nominations for the 2016 Golden Globes, which were announced this morning.
Netflix, which has announced it will have 31 original shows in 2016, dominated with 8 nominations, beating out past top dog HBO, which last year had 15 nominations for the Golden Globes, and this year has 7 nods.
Amazon and Hulu have also proven they have the chops to compete with traditional broadcasters.
Amazon Originals garnered 5 nominations, and though Hulu just got just the one nomination, it still beat out NBC, which got no nominations at all this year and is the network on which the Golden Globes 2016 awards ceremony is broadcast.
Internet TV shows that could win
Netflix’s Narcos and Orange is the New Black got two nominations each, while House of Cards, Frank and Gracie and Master of None each received a nod, as did it’s first feature film, Beasts of No Nation.
Hulu received it’s single nomination for Casual, while Amazon got two nominations for Mozart in the Jungle and three for Transparent.
We’re going to also include HBO in this list, as the cable network falls into an interesting category this year, having launching it’s own standalone, cable-cutter’s option, HBO Now.
HBO’s TV series nominees include Silicon Valley and Game of Thrones received only one nomination each, while Veep got two, while itsTV movies or “limited series” Bessie, Show Me a Hero and Nightingale each received a nod as well.
Interestingly, the “Best TV series, comedy” category has basically been taken over by streaming services this year, with the nominees made up of Orange is the New Black, Silicon Valley, Transparent, Veep, Casual and Mozart in the Jungle.
Still, while it’s great to see non-tradtional broadcasters receive attention, we’ll have to wait and see how well they actually do during the awards ceremony on January 10.
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ISLAM/TOLERANCE
HOW RICH IS TRUMP? HOW SUCCESSFUL?
Is he telling the truth?
By Michael David
It’s always been difficult to see into Trump’s secret finances. Indeed, this is one of the main reasons that when he first decided to enter the race for the presidency, people didn’t believe it.
Given that the Federal Election Commission requires all presidential candidates disclose their net financial worth within 30 days of nominating, many thought that perhaps the Donald would want to guard this secret, more than he would want to have a run at the presidency.
They were proven wrong.
What they weren’t wrong about however, was that it’s still pretty unclear how much Trump is worth, or how much he should be worth.
Releasing a declaration of his assets in his bid for the Republican nomination, Trump declared his net worth to be approximately $9 billion USD. While this valuation is roughly double some of the lower estimates of his worth, Trump has frequently ascribed this to a desire to humiliate the famous billionaire.
Speaking to Forbes, one of the magazines that valued him at less than half of what he himself estimated, he argued that they treated him differently to other millionaires “Because I’m famous, and they (other billionaires) are not”.
So what exactly are his assets and what are they worth?
If we take a look at the Forbes analysis, we see a slew of hotels and properties in Trump’s NYC portfolio, ranging from the iconic Trump Towers, to his Wall Street and Park Avenue properties. These come in at a grand total of over $2.1 billion USD.
After this, comes a string of golf courses that criss-cross the country (as well as Scotland and Ireland), a range of different toys including helicopters, a Boeing 757, his own perfume line and even an energy drink brand. Looking at these assets, what we see is that Trump certainly has a diverse portfolio. But it’s one that no one can quite seem to value.
And so, as with many things Trump, to find the truth we need to look beyond his words. And looking beyond his words, what we find is that a great deal of his wealth may have in fact been the product of downright good luck.
Given that the Donald inherited what some have estimated to have been upwards of $40 million from his father in the mid 1970s, were he to simply have invested this significant sum in the S&P500, it’s estimated that he would have generated a fortune similar to that which he currently holds (anywhere between $2.3 and more than $3 billion USD).
In fact, how significant his fortune would have been, depends on exactly how much he received and when. It also of course, depends on the timing and manner in which he might have invested his finances.
Now there are a couple of important remarks to make on behalf of this recidivist bankruptcy claimant. For example, most of the calculations of his expected investment fortune assume that he invests his entire inheritance and doesn’t spend any of it.
Considering he’s always led a rather lavish lifestyle, and that he is for example, currently financing his own bid for the Presidency, this assumption is unrealistic. Moreover, the market itself is not something that many have blindly invested and reinvested in over a 40-year time horizon. The main point being that the S&P as we know it only opened a year after his inheritance was given to him.
So what was he supposed to do for the first year of his inheritance?
Moreover, many valuations of his fortune are a fair amount higher than the $2.9 billion estimated by Bloomberg, or the larger sum given by Forbes. These estimates try to account for intangible assets. With a chain of hotels licensed throughout the world, and branding across products as diverse as mattresses and cofee, it’s clear that the Trump name trades at a premium. And with a presidential bid currently in the pipeline, it’s almost impossible to know how this brand will develop over time.
Yet despite these important caveats, one thing seems clear. Given any estimate of the fortune Trump inherited, it seems fairly obvious that he had a nice head start in life. Not only this, but it’s also highly likely that this head start got him the vast majority of the way towards where he is today.
Indeed, Trump may have outperformed the S&P. And that’s no mean feat.
But for a man touting his business credentials as reason enough to vote for him, the fact that compound interest could have generated the vast majority of his fortune today seems to indicate that he alone, played a very small role in creating the wealth that he now proudly boasts of.
This isn’t reason enough to cast your vote for someone else. His innumerable racist, horrific, slanderous and sexist statements should provide enough motivation for this. Yet if you were thinking about voting for Trump on the grounds that “at least he’s got the kind of business mind that America can benefit from”, I’d have to say don’t.
He probably doesn’t.
billionaire, President, Presidential, Republican, Trump
Michael David
Michael is a policy analyst that has worked across the public and private sectors on issues ranging from climate change policy, to transport and communications. He is currently studying Public Policy at the Hertie School of Governance and has an interest in renewable energy and climate activism.
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London mayoral elections: Ken Livingstone answers your questions
April 27, 2012 By Greenwich.co.uk
Ken Livingstone answers the questions that were submitted to him by readers of Greenwich.co.uk
If you're elected, what will happen to the New Bus for London? Have you been on one and what do you think of it?
The new bus is not for London, but only operates on the number 38 route. It is the most costly bus scheme ever at the a cost of nearly £1.6 million per bus – eight times the cost of a conventional £190,000 double-decker. So I will not be continuing with this gigantic waste of money. I will be investing in much cheap, more fuel efficient buses and will eventually replace the entire fleet with electric buses, which will see a significant improvement in the air quality in London. Currently, poor air quality is killing more than 4,000 Londoners a year prematurely, and the Tory mayor's response, incredibly, is to spray a sticky substance near the air quality monitoring stations to try to get the reading down.
What will you do to support river bus services to and from Greenwich, and can you help make using them cheaper with your fare deal policy?
My Fare Deal fares cut will save average fare payers £1,000 over 4 years, so I am very keen for the residents of Greenwich to benefit from that on public transport. But the river bus services are privately operated. They are very expensive and not very reliable. I will look at the licensing arrangements of the river bus operators and see if it's possible to get a better deal for fare payers who use them.
It has been reported recently that over 200 Metropolitan Police detectives will be investigating phone hacking next year, the equivalent of eight murder squads. Do you think this is a sensible use of police resources?
All crimes should be investigated. In this case it seems as if one global news organisation had ministers at their beck and call and anxious to help them commercially, with Tory ministers helping News Corporation when they should have been regulating them. Boris Johnson found time to attend a News International board meeting - but then, he meets bankers and media moguls more than he meets the police. Rather than telling to ease off on investigation of his friends the Murdochs and his Tory cabinet chums, Boris should have been meeting the Met to talk about rising crime. Knife crime has been rising across London over the last 3 years. he has also admitted cutting the police numbers. I have pledged to restore them.
Last year Green Party Mayoral candidate Jenny Jones was reported as saying that it was “ludicrous” for the Metropolitan Police to assist the parents of Madeleine McCann in the search for their daughter. Would the candidates agree with me that this was a crass and insensitive remark and that it is perfectly proper for the British Police to be involved in this case?
As I said previously, all crimes should be investigated. I don't like to criticise other candidates for one-off remarks they might later regret- I've made a few of those myself in my time! But politicians should be really held to account when they persist with words can affect the situation in a way that risks danger or violence. After the 7/7 bombing Boris Johnson said it was all the fault of Islam. These were crass, insensitive and potentially dangerous words- which he did not later retract. Thankfully, most people in London don't share those views and we avoided the type of inter-communal violence that other cities have seen.
Will you bring back The Londoner newspaper?
No. The paper was good at promoting events and providing information, which brought visitors to London, increased jobs and kept Londoners informed. Now all that can be done online. The total cut in government funding of the London Development Agency was £300 million per year. Boris Johnson has welcomed this cut, calling it 'waste'. This was money that promoted investment and tourism in London, which the Greenwich economy needs, and it also supported funding for childcare which helped families into work. I will argue for London's fair share of funding. After all, it's the powerhouse of the national economy and if it doesn't receive proper funding, everyone will suffer.
Will you keep the alcohol ban on London transport?
Yes. I will also ensure that is properly enforced. It's no good introducing a policy that is right for London, but then cutting funding the the police to implement it, as Boris Johnson has done. According to the MOPC website there are just 620 officers in Greenwich by January of this year- that's down from 705 in 2010 http://www.london.gov.uk/moderngov/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=8751
If the cable car is completed, do you think it has a long term future or do you expect it be financially unsustainable?
The Tory mayor promised that the cable car would be financed without a penny of taxpayers money. Now we find that it almost exclusively public money- a massive vanity project for the mayor when he could have invested much more productively in the transport network. It is very unlikely ever to be financially viable, and a permanent drain on resources.
Please can you put your sums for all election pledges online before election day so all residents can review them?
I have a whole series of pledges which will make Londoners better off. You can find out how they benefit you at http://www.betteroffcalculator.com/
And finally, Why do you think the people of Greenwich should support you in these elections?
This is a serious election, at a time when people are really struggling. The real issue is who will make you better off? Boris Johnson has shown he is a true blue Tory, with inflation-busting fares increases that are completely unnecessary. Labour values are to support people when times are hard, and my pledge to cut fares will make London's fare payers £1,000 better off.
Filed Under: News Tagged With: London Mayoral Election
London mayoral elections: Boris Johnson answers your questions
Boris Johnson, candidate for the London mayoralty, has answered the questions submitted to him by Greenwich.co.uk readers...
What are you going to do with the fleet of the New Bus for London? Do you have plans to expand their use to the other routes?
I am proud and delighted that we have elegantly restored a hop-on hop-off platform bus, a masterpiece of 21st Century British design that is delivering British manufacturing jobs. As I pledged in 2008, I got rid of the German made bendy buses, as promised, and we are running the New Bus for London – which costs no more than a hybrid bus - on the number 38 route. This is helping us to deliver on air quality standards with fuel consumption 50 per cent lower than a conventional diesel bus. I will expand the New Bus across London with 600 new buses by the end of my second term. I will do this in a cost effective way, by replacing existing buses as they are decommissioned with the New Bus. Ken Livingstone has now said he wants to cancel this bus, putting British jobs at risk.
I am proud of the work of the Met in the last four years. In the teeth of a grim recession they have continued to bring crime down almost 11 per cent overall; with the Tube 20 per cent safer, the buses 30 per cent safer, robberies on buses down by almost a half; and the murder rate down by a quarter to the lowest rate since the 1960s.
It is important to put ensure the Met has the right resources to fight crime and that’s why in have invested an extra £42million in the service meaning we have been able to put 1,000 more fully warranted police officers on London’s streets at the end of this term than I inherited. I will also boost Safer Neighbourhood Teams, with an additional 2,000 police, and establish Safer Neighbourhood Boards in every borough giving local Londoners and victims a greater voice. I believe that the police should target the crimes that most concern Londoners. I will use my new powers in the Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime to ensure they are doing that as well.
As Mayor I have of course followed this awful case, and feel intense sympathy for the McCann parents. The Prime Minister announced last year that the Met Police were to investigate the case, and they have my full support in doing so.
Could Boris please tell me if crime is down in London why my insurance premiums have more than doubled in 2 years? All insurance companies have told me the reason it’s more expensive is because of crime.
Comparing my term against the second term of my predecessor, total crime has been cut by 10.8 per cent. Murders have decreased by 25.9 per cent, the lowest rate since 1960s. Robberies are down by 16.3 per cent. But I recognise more needs to be done, in particular in crime ‘hotspots’ as identified by insurance companies. This is why my manifesto Fighting Crime in London sets out two approaches to lower local crime: a renewed focus on neighbourhood policing by boosting Safer Neighbourhood Teams in Greenwich, adding up to three Police Officers and three Specials to every Team; and a push on tackling on business crime by requiring an Assistant Commissioner at the Met to have this specific responsibility.
Why is my train service noticeably poorer; but fares have shot up?
Unlike my predecessor, Ken Livingstone, who made record-breaking fare increases and broken promises on fares twice during his eight years, I have undertaken a major overhaul of TfL to deliver greater efficiencies and drive out waste, delivering £4.6 billion in savings by 2015. Tube delays have been cut by 40 per cent since I was elected and stations are being transformed. The problem we have is that our current system has the creaking Victorian infrastructure. With the population set to grow by another million to 2025 and with rail ridership alone expected to rise by 30 per cent in the next 8 years, we face increasing pressures. So it is time to build on the success of Oyster, which I rolled out to suburban rail, and push for a more fully integrated underground and overground system. In the next few months I will be campaigning for train and platform lengthening on all overground services, taking our overground up to five cars, which will improve journeys from Greenwich. And I want work with the Train Operating Companies to improve suburban rail, then we will also be able to hold fares down below the levels at which they have been increasing.
I have already launched five chapters of my manifesto, which detail my pledges for Londoners. They can be read online at www.backboris2012.com/manifesto. In 2008 I pledged to run the most transparent administration in Britain, publishing all expenditure over £500 and I have delivered on that pledge. I am determined to be honest and transparent with Londoners about what we can achieve, and so all my pledges are funded and feasible, not based on unfunded pledges as some of my opponents’ seem to be. In particular, we can’t afford for Ken Livingstone, who has made at least £2.7billion worth of unfunded promises while campaigning to be Mayor of London.
Why are supposedly high taxes a disincentive to employment, but high public transport costs are not?
I have stood up relentlessly for the interests of the London economy, cutting pointless red tape and crippling taxes, whether they come from Whitehall or Brussels. We need to build the platform here in London for businesses of all kind to invest in. My approach to grow Greater London’s economy is more practical – to protect existing jobs, create new ones, and boost skills and training. Here in Greenwich I have unlocked the Greenwich Peninsula scheme that was left to waste under Ken Livingstone during the boom years. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) estimates 4,000 jobs will be created from new development there, which will see 10,000 new homes, 3.5 million square feet of office space and 150 shops and restaurants created. Across the capital, I will directly create more than 200,000 jobs and on average 1,000 new apprenticeships every week over the next four years.
Jobs can be created through sound investments in public infrastructure, which will also enable us to hold fares down below the levels at which they have been increasing.
Why are you encouraging more car use, and more pollution for people in the poorer part of the borough of Greenwich, with another tunnel (Blackwall tunnel relief / Silvertown link)?
London’s transport is not just about rail, tube and buses, but about our roads too. People in Greenwich need better road networks. Less congestion also means lower pollution, improving the environment for local residents. So I will seek powers to construct a new Blackwall relief crossing, a road tunnel that will cross from Greenwich Peninsula to Silvertown, near the Royal Docks, and which will be completed within ten years. In addition, I will commit £50 million to enable immediate action to relieve the worst congestion blackspots in London, with priority being given to those roads which cause the worst delays and blight the communities who live around them.
I have introduced New Bus for London which is around 50 per cent more fuel efficient than a conventional diesel bus and I will roll out with 600 vehicles on London’s streets by the end of my term in 2016. Through my strong relations with Government, I have secured £5 million to create a Clean Air Fund for London to improve air quality in hotspots. I will also continue a 100 per cent congestion charge discount for low emission vehicles so that there is a real financial incentive for Londoners to drive the cleanest vehicles available.
Do you support extending the DLR to Eltham?
The last four years have witnessed significant improvements to the bus network, operating over 18 million more kilometres since I was elected, including the number 132 route extension from Eltham to North Greenwich. There is a case for additional public transport capacity in the area, and planning of future DLR services – including extensions – is part of a London-wide strategy to manage growth in London. I’m committed to more a fully integrated underground and overground system, and in the next few months I will be campaigning for train and platform lengthening on all overground stations, which should help Greenwich commuters.
Can you ask Boris what plans he has to make cycling in Greenwich safer? No sign of super highways or Boris Bikes here yet?
My favourite journeys are through the sun-dappled streets of London by bicycle, so I understand the desire of Greenwich residents to have improved cycling networks. I have launched the Cycle Safety Action Plan which sets out how cycling in London can be made safer. I have instructed TfL to review 500 junctions on its road network to prioritise the roads in most need of change to improve cycle safety and outline what changes are needed. Some improvements and redesign has already been undertaken.
In 2008 I promised the world’s best Cycle Hire scheme, and have delivered it. London has over 8,000 hire bikes, and 15,000 docking points. I will explore expanding the scheme further into outer London town centres, and would be delighted to bring them to Greenwich. I will also triple the number of Cycle Superhighways to twelve by the end of 2015 including Cycle Superhighway 4 which will run through Greenwich.
I hope the people of Greenwich, like all Londoners, will see that the choice at this election is between taking London backwards with Ken Livingstone’s dangerous and unfunded pledges and wasteful schemes or taking London forward with a fully costed nine point plan to secure greater London’s future. In the last four years, I have made 15 visits to Greenwich compared to just 3 during Ken Livingstone’s second term. I am proud of the practical achievements we’ve made here in Greenwich, after listening to residents and businesses, including 1,074 more police patrols a month, cutting total crime by 17 per cent and robberies by 31 per cent since May 2008 and unlocking the stalled Greenwich Peninsula scheme that was left to waste under Ken Livingstone during the boom years. But there is more to do. In Greenwich the nine point plan means putting an extra £445 back into people’s pockets, securing a £100 million investment to create over 4,000 jobs in the Greenwich Peninsula and investing in local transport with Crossrail access at Woolwich and Abbey Wood stations. I will go further and cut my share of council tax by at least 10 per cent during the next four years through a new efficiencies programme across the GLA Group.
Information on the elections, which take place on May 3rd, can be found at London Elects.
Photo: Boris Johnson at Emirates Air Line sponsor unveiling (credit: Darryl Chamberlain)
Filed Under: News Tagged With: Boris Johnson
“Encouraging” increase in local flu vaccinations
March 27, 2012 By Greenwich.co.uk
A PUBLIC health campaign by NHS Greenwich has seen an increase in the number of people taking the winter flu jab.
Figures just published for winter 2011/12 show vaccinations were up for all the "at risk" groups across the borough, with the number of pregnant women having the jab up by 9% on the previous year.
Dr Nike Arowobusoye, public health consultant at NHS Greenwich, who oversaw the co-ordination of the campaign, said:
“For most of us, flu is a highly contagious infection that makes us feel very unwell. But for some groups, such as older people, pregnant women and people who already have an underlying health condition, the flu can cause serious illness and even hospitalisation.
“That’s why it’s very encouraging to see that more people at risk from flu had the vaccination this year, especially as it was a relatively mild winter.”
NHS Greenwich's 'flu safe' campaign saw posters and leaflets placed in GP Surgeries, pharmacies and supermarkets.
The number of over-65s having the jab was over 75 per cent, reaching the target set by the Chief Medical Officer.
New General Manager at The O2
THE WORLD'S number one music venue has appointed a new General Manager.
Rebecca Kane has taken up the position at the North Greenwich venue with immediate effect. Ms Kane, who was previously the Managing Director at Alexandra Palace, said:
“I am thrilled to be taking the helm of The O2 in 2012 when the eyes of the world will be on London and we can demonstrate once again why this is the world’s favourite arena. Beyond that, I am passionate about enhancing The O2’s reputation as THE destination venue of choice for a great day out. And I can’t wait to work with the team here to take The O2 to the next level.”
The new boss at the O2 also had previous stints with English Heritage and Visit London.
Work is currently under way on the Skywalk at the O2 which will allow people to walk across the former Millennium Dome.
Filed Under: News Tagged With: The O2
Daily Photo: 20/03/2012 – Greenwich Daffodils
Thanks very much to Warren King for this photo of daffodils in front of the National Maritime Museum. Coincidentally I too went looking for daffodils around Greenwich yesterday...
In Greenwich Park
In St Alfege Park
In Stockwell Street
In other news, the leader of the ruling group on Greenwich Council was re-elected by his colleagues on Monday night.
Filed Under: Daily Photo Tagged With: Greenwich Park, National Maritime Museum, St Alfege Park
Platform: How will disabled spectators reach Greenwich Park from Maze Hill station?
December 1, 2011 By Greenwich.co.uk
Local resident and member of the Westcombe Society, Lawrence Smith, is concerned about provision for disabled Olympic spectators arriving via Maze Hill railway station. He has contributed this article to Greenwich.co.uk:
When the Planning Board considered the application to use Greenwich Park for the Equestrian events, the Planning Board report (p.94) records that the Westcombe Society urged that “Special attention should be given to the inadequate provision for disabled travellers at Blackheath and Maze Hill stations, including the installation of a disabled access on the down platform at Maze Hill”.
The Council responded (p.143) that it “is committed to ensuring convenient and safe access for disabled spectators and it is considered that this matter can be resolved as part of a planning condition.”
It added:
“Network Rail and South Eastern Trains, who operate Blackheath and Maze Hill stations, have plans to improve these stations. As an interested party/stakeholder London 2012 will be working with these bodies to explore opportunities to deliver the needed improvements. It is important to note that the Council are confident that effective transport operations for the Events at Greenwich can be delivered by the existing and additional rail infrastructure (being provided by the ODA)”
Unfortunately the Council’s confidence seems to have been misplaced. No planning condition seems to have required the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to deliver the promised additional rail infrastructure to provide disabled access at Maze Hill Station for departing disabled spectators. The plans for ‘the last mile’ to be considered by the Council in January require passengers to reach the departure platform by means of a footbridge that is inaccessible to wheelchair users. There is no proposal for a ramp to the platform from an existing gap on the bridge.
Maze Hill (with Blackheath and Greenwich) is one of three Rail stations designated as a destination for spectators for the Olympic Equestrian Events in Greenwich Park. Unlike the non-Olympic stations on the line, it will have a full, six trains an hour service for arriving spectators from North Kent and London City Airport. But although it is the closest station to Greenwich Park, Maze Hill will have no disabled access to the down platform.
The Westcombe Society had also sought assurances on the availability of a ‘walking’ route for the disabled from Maze Hill station to the venue. In its response (p.136) , the Council stated “Given the plans for spectator marshalling and signage discussed within the TA and that there are still some two and a half years before the start of the Games, it is considered that clearly defined spectator walking routes (including for those who are less able) will be established well in advance.”
However, no such safe and convenient route for the disabled has been established, less than nine months before the start of the games. The plans propose that the footbridge is reached using a very narrow pavement across the rail bridge and require possibly unsighted and slow moving disabled persons to cross Maze Hill close a blind bend, with no marked pedestrian crossing.
No attempt is made to use the existing gap in the bridge wall (at a point where the pavement is much wider and road crossing much safer) to provide a step-free pedestrian ramp to the departure platform for the disabled. Unlike the footbridges over the A2 and Romney Road, there would be no expense involved in removing such a ramp after the games.
Filed Under: Magazine Tagged With: London 2012 Olympics, Maze Hill, Platform
Greenwich Conservatives fail to stop Time
August 31, 2011 By Greenwich.co.uk
Greenwich Council's weekly newspaper, Greenwich Time, will continue after moves by local Conservatives to have its future reconsidered were rejected.
The Tories used their powers to 'call-in' the council's decision to carry on publishing the newspaper but the three-member Overview & Scrutiny Call-In Sub-Committee voted last night not to refer the decision back to cabinet.
The decision to press on with Greenwich Time comes despite doubt being cast on the council’s claim that it saves up to £2 million each year by printing the paper each week.
Conservative opposition leader Spencer Drury told the committee meeting at the town hall in Woolwich that neighbouring Bexley only spent £15,000 annually on placing public notices in a local newspaper.
He was challenging a decision by the council’s cabinet to continue publishing GT weekly, defying a government code designed to restrict local authority publications.
It was also revealed at the meeting that a community publisher is threatening to bring a case against the council for alleged damage to its business.
Greenwich Council has long said that it saves money by using Greenwich Time to publish the notices - which detail planning applications and other formal matters - instead of paying a local newspaper to run them.
A report presented to the council cabinet in July said the council was saving £2.3 million a year by publishing the notices in Greenwich Time - but Cllr Drury said Bexley’s deal with the News Shopper proved the council’s cabinet had “given little consideration to doing anything different”.
“If Greenwich could get a similar deal with News Shopper and let us assume the Mercury, the same could be done for £30,000 for two years. This seems very different to the one to two million pounds randomly inserted in the report,” he said.
But council chief executive Mary Ney said the council’s estimates had been checked, and a comparison with Bexley was invalid because that borough issued far fewer public notices.
“Our volume of council advertising is quite considerable, and doesn’t bear any relation to Bexley, which hasn’t got a regeneration agenda, and doesn’t produce the same volume of housing applications, or licensing applications because of the different entertainment and tourism offers of the boroughs,” she said. “They’re at a very different level of activity.”
Council leader Chris Roberts was on leave and did not attend the meeting, and nor did any members of the cabinet who took the decision, despite being invited, leaving council officers to explain the authority’s position.
The publisher and editor of of Eltham-based community magazine SE Nine said they would be making a detailed complaint to the district auditor about Greenwich Time, “seeking financial redress for the damage to our business” since the code was introduced on 31 March.
In a statement handed to the panel, Mark Wall and John Webb accused the council of unfairly competing against their monthly, and of having an “in-house bunker mentality sponsored by the existence of Greenwich Time”.
Assistant chief executive Katrina Delaney, whose communications portfolio includes GT, admitted to there being “one or two issues” with SE Nine but said she was satisfied GT’s sales team had not set out to poach the monthly’s advertisers.
Ms Delaney said when the council had discussed working with existing newspaper operators, they freely admitted to not delivering to parts of the borough that did not fit in with their desired target audience.
“One of them told me that essentially, they were looking for people who don’t live in the inner cities and who were Land of Leather buyers,” she said.
“The Mercury sold ads for GT for six or seven months, but pulled out of the deal because it was too labour-intensive to chase advertising in Greenwich,” she said, claiming newspaper groups were less interested in the kinds of small businesses who promote themselves in GT.
“The News Shopper in Bexley carries the same car ads as in Greenwich,” she added.
“I’m not convinced the ads in Greenwich Time would appear anywhere else.”
Locally-based journalist and 853 blogger Darryl Chamberlain also addressed the meeting, claiming that recent coverage in Greenwich Time of the aftermath of Woolwich’s riot was not “objective and even-handed”, as demanded by the government in its code.
He cited an opinion column from leader Chris Roberts criticising media coverage of the riots. “If he wants to rant about the media, he could always start a blog,” he said, adding that it appeared checks and balances designed to ensure Greenwich Time was unbiased were failing.
But Ms Delaney said readers knew what to expect from a council publication.
“The paper covers the council’s view,” she continued.
“If you get a Marks & Spencer card, you’ll get Marks & Spencer’s magazine and it’ll cover Marks & Spencer’s view. The same with the gas board or BT or whoever. I think people understand it represents the views of the organisation.
“Greenwich Time represents the views that come from the decision makers at Greenwich Council.”
The three-member panel split on party lines over the issue, with Conservative Eileen Glover (Eltham South) backing the call for the cabinet to reconsider the decision.
“When other people question our decisions, there should be evidence that we’ve gone out and based the decisions we do make on firm evidence,” she said.
“We should contact other councils who have changed their distribution - ask them how they’re doing, and if they’ve got a better idea that’s more cost-effective, then we should be doing that.”
But Allan MacCarthy (Labour, Charlton) said the cabinet “must be at liberty to do what it considers to be appropriate”, and said there was no evidence that GT had affected the local advertising market.
Chairman Mick Hayes (Labour, Eltham West) said that it seemed to him that most people had already made their minds up about GT and “I’m not sure any evidence would sway people one way or the other”.
He said GT should be judged on its “effectiveness”, and no other paper could reach the number of households it did.
“Is it effective in doing what we as a local council should be doing, and telling people what’s going on in planning, licensing, and lettings? My understanding is that it has been proven to be effective. Have other means been proven to be effective? I’m not so sure they have.”
The panel decided by two votes to one to let the cabinet’s decision stand.
A Greenwich Council spokesperson said "The Council's Overview and Scrutiny Panel voted to note the decision of the Cabinet taken on 19 July 2011, with regard to the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity and take no further action.
"Greenwich Council will continue to publish GT on a weekly basis in order to keep residents informed about local services, to advertise statutory notices such as planning applications and to promote social housing available through our Choise Based Lettings scheme."
Filed Under: News Tagged With: Allan MacCarthy, Cllr Eileen Glover, Greenwich Council, Greenwich Time, Mary Ney, Spencer Drury
Platform: Council wrong to evict tenants involved in riots
Tom Gann and Andrea Marie explain why they think the council is wrong to seek to evict tenants involved in last week's disturbances...
As Labour activists in Greenwich, we are ashamed that our Labour council has said that it will seek the eviction of council tenants involved in last week’s disturbances.
Currently, Greenwich has the power to evict council tenants who commit offences within the neighbourhood or locality of their house. The reason for this power is to remedy a situation where a tenant’s repeated pattern of antisocial behaviour makes their neighbours’ lives miserable, for example, where there has been an “ongoing campaign of harassment” against neighbours. Greenwich, alongside other councils, proposes to widen substantially the notion of “locality” underpinning this power to evict tenants involved in the disturbances. Where offences committed in the rioting differ from those that have usually resulted in eviction is that they are not linked strongly to the home, nor are they likely to be repeated, continuing to make neighbour’s lives miserable. Consequently, eviction is merely an extra punishment to those in this particular type of accommodation.
Unlike the millionaire’s daughter accused of looting shops in Charlton after travelling up from Orpington, Greenwich residents who live in council housing will be punished twice. Given, as the council’s own Equality Impact Assessment for its Housing Strategy makes clear, Black and Minority Ethnic residents are more likely to live in council accommodation, evictions also risk discriminating on the grounds of race.
Evictions will also target family members who live in the same house who have not committed a crime and are likely to be women and children. These families will be caused considerable disruption to their family life while being rehoused. Children living in temporary accommodation are some of the most deprived, missing out on schooling, on play, and opportunities to develop.
If, like Wandsworth Council, the council deems the family to then have made themselves deliberately homeless and sees no responsibility to rehouse them, the council will not only be undermining their right to a family life but also making destitution a punishment. Both of these things should never be used as a punishment for people, whether innocent or guilty of a crime.
A Labour council advocating this “double punishment” of council tenants and their families can only be made sense of within a wider context. The coalition government’s social housing white paper undermines the principles sustaining council housing and was initially, at least, enthusiastically welcomed by Greenwich Council. Councillor Offord, the cabinet member for housing, “welcome[d] the opportunities set out in the White Paper” and stated we “welcome...the capability to vary rents and lengths of tenure independently...we do not think that landlords should be required to offer a lifetime tenancy.”
The ideology behind this and the proposed evictions is one that characterises council housing as an emergency and charitable measure for people who have failed and need help to get back on their feet, at which point tenants are expected to progress to renting in the private sector or buying their own house. Without security of tenure living in a council house ceases to be treated as being worthy of respect. The right to a home ceases to be unconditional and becomes conditional in a way that would be experienced by any owner-occupier as profoundly oppressive.
Suggesting, at least for council tenants, that the right to decent housing is not unconditional is an attack on the rights of all council tenants, including the law-abiding. We are embarrassed to see our, Labour, council alongside Tory Wandsworth, and against Ed Miliband, who has warned against “kneejerk” responses like evictions, at the forefront of this tawdry and destructive populism.
It seems that there will be campaigns including direct action against evictions. We hope we will not have to take action against decisions taken by councillors who we usually respect.
Tom and Andrea are Labour activists in Greenwich. They blog on politics at http://labourpartisan.blogspot.com/
Filed Under: Magazine Tagged With: Greenwich Council, Platform
Statement from Greenwich Borough Commander
August 9, 2011 By Greenwich.co.uk
Greenwich Borough Commander Richard Wood of the Metropolitan Police has issued the following statement;
"The sheer criminal behaviour we witnessed last night in Woolwich and other areas across the borough is utterly unacceptable and I will do everything in my power to ensure that those involved are caught.
Brave police officers from the borough of Greenwich and from other units within the Metropolitan Police have been facing challenging circumstances in one of the worst nights this borough has witnessed in a long time.
I urge everyone in the borough of Greenwich to clear the way for police at night so that we can deal with those criminals who intend to bring disruption to our area. Also, people must not to take matters in their own hands and have to let the police deal with incidents in a law abiding manner.
I ask parents, schools, local leaders and others to stand together and convey the message that the crime and disorder we have witnessed will not be tolerated. I have spoken to many people across the borough today and without exception, they are appalled by the outrageous criminal acts of thuggery that took place.
Many arrests have already been made, but I would ask everyone to work with police and help us to identify those involved so that we can arrest them at the first opportunity.
We continue to work with the Council and other emergency services to ensure that we keep everyone in Greenwich safe. I have toured parts of the borough today with a number of senior partner and we are determined to work together to stop any ongoing criminal activity.
Above all, we remain unfaltering and united in tackling criminals on our streets and look for support from you, the community we serve".
Anyone with information can ring Police intelligence on 0203 276 0805, or if you have any images or video please email rgviido@gmail.com
University’s Stockwell Street redevelopment passed by councillors
Greenwich Council's Planning Board gave the the go-ahead to the University of Greenwich's Stockwell Street redevelopment last night - despite a withering assessment of the project by council leader, Chris Roberts.
The £76 million project will see the construction of a new dedicated School of Architecture and Construction in Greenwich town centre at the site of the old Village Market. A new university library will be also be included, as well as public areas such as a gallery and coffee shop.
Professor Neil Garrod, Deputy Vice-Chancellor from the University of Greenwich, told councillors that this was a "once in a generation opportunity."
He described how the building has been designed to be as "porous as possible," with the "whole ground floor open to the public." A new public walkway will be created adjacent to the railway cutting, connecting Stockwell Street and King William Walk, subject to an agreement with Network Rail.
27 objections were raised with the council and residents from King William Walk attended the meeting to voice their concerns that servicing for the building would take place in areas bordering residential properties.
Before the project can begin, the 1960s office building, John Humphreys House, will be demolished. Local industrial historian, and councillor, Mary Mills told the Planning Board that she wanted to see more recognition of the building's role as a pioneering council computer centre and that "we should be a bit more proud" of it.
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) described the the Heneghan Peng-designed proposal as "exciting", adding that it was "well designed with an intelligent internal organisation."
Cllr Steve Offord said it would be a "tremendous asset" to Greenwich. Cllr Denise Hyland, said she was "impressed" by the scheme.
Following the expressions of support from his colleagues, Leader of the Council, Cllr Chris Roberts spoke strongly against the proposals.
"I can't like this building," he told them, adding that they would "repent at leisure" if the scheme was passed. If he walked past it, he said, he would look over the road and "prefer the architecture of the Ibis [hotel]," prompting laughter in the public gallery.
The project received the backing of the Board with a 6-2 vote. The decision is subject to approval by the Mayor of London.
Commenting afterwards, Professor Neil Garrod said: "We are very pleased to have won the support of the local authority and we will continue to work closely with all our neighbours in Greenwich as the project takes shape."
Filed Under: News Tagged With: Stockwell Street, University of Greenwich
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By Steve Baltin
Photo: Wes + Alex
Design: Annette Morgan
Cassadee Pope is in Napa, California when we jump on the phone for a Sunday afternoon conversation. "We’re about to go on a wine tour. It’s a little bit of work, a little bit of pleasure." Pope says happily.
Pope has just played an acoustic set at a winery after flying in that morning from L.A. The day before she had done a Greyland photo shoot in Temecula, California. And earlier that week she had come in from Paris.
We joke there is a constant thread running through her travels that week, namely wine. "I didn’t really mean to just continually drink wine," she says. "I’m not fighting it, I’m letting it happen, and it’s great, it’s very nice."
The wine conversation does lead to her other passions, namely that she wants to one day work in fashion. Musicians in 2018 aren't just musical artists. Whether it's Rihanna with her Fenty fashion line and perfume, Brandon Boyd who paints, ASAP Rocky, who became the creative director at MTV and his fashion line, or Steve Aoki, who is launching his pizza delivery line, every artist has an outside passion or business or both.
Greyland is the place where those come together, as you'll read here with Pope, who shares her love for wine, fashion and most importantly, music.
Greyland: You just did a photo shoot with us at Greyland, yesterday, correct?
Pope: I got up this morning and flew from San Diego to Sacramento. So I landed and came straight to the vineyard, about 30 minutes later. It was a quick turnaround.
Greyland: So it’s been a busy 24 hours for you, involving a lot of wineries. You’ll have to do a taste test comparison. Did you taste the wines in Temecula too, or was that just a photo shoot?
Pope: No, I wish, I actually flew in from Paris. We flew in from Paris the night before yesterday, flew in to LA, stayed with some friends and we drove from LA to Temecula, so we didn’t really have much time to do the wine tour thing, but I did do a wine tour there a few years ago and it was fantastic, I got to at least experience it once before.
Greyland: Songs change when you play them live, they change for you and the audience. So when you do a set, talk about how much fun it is to do these songs and talk about how they’ve changed for you.
Pope: Yeah it is fun! It’s basically playing the songs the way they were written so a lot of the time when I write it starts acoustic or on piano and its bare bones and it is really fun to see it all come to life. There’ve been a few instances where I’ve played a song before it was released and people can hear the beginning stages of the song but for the most part I usually wait until the song has been released until I play it. I do get kind of “I don’t want them to be disappointed when they hear the final product” because they were expecting one thing and I gave them something else. It’s been cool to play some acoustic sets and get in front of country radio and get in front of songwriters. Sometimes I don’t play singles, I play songs that I just love to perform and songs that I know will never be released but I just like the story and the song itself. The acoustic sets are a fun change of pace.
Greyland: Is there a timeline for new music coming out?
Pope: There’s definitely an album coming out, we’re looking at probably the beginning of next year. I’m about to do the photo shoot for it, it’s almost finished. I’m really excited.
Sometimes I don’t play singles, I play songs that I just love to perform and songs that I know will never be released but I just like the story and the song itself.
Greyland: It’s always interesting to do this when you’re still finishing an album because live and the studio are such different mindsets. Is it hard to alternate between those two mindsets or do you jump back and forth pretty easily?
Pope: In the moment it’s a little difficult for me. I’m not one of those artists that goes on the road and writes at the same time. I definitely do have to get into a mindset that I’m about to cut a record now, this is the frame of mind I’m in right now. Then when I’m on the road, I love traveling, I love exploring the places I’m in so I don’t love the thought of being on my bus and writing a song all day when I could be exploring awesome, random places I’m traveling to. So it is a little funny right now to be going between, but for the most part I’m done writing it.
Greyland: As a fan, what would be the ideal wine drinking song for you?
Pope: I think any John Mayer song is a great wine drinking song. I think he’s just got that sexy, laid back vibe, so I would drink some wine to him. There's this band the Paper Kites, that has this album that’s laid back. Billy Joel. That’s a good wine drinking artist.
Greyland: It is really funny because, In all seriousness, it’s a fascinating time, and this is where Greyland stuff comes in as well. I was joking about all the wine stuff, but it is interesting. Are there any other passions of yours that you would like to explore? What I find from talking to artists is that they all influence each other, so if you’re a musical artist and you paint or design clothes that inspires you in your music as well.
Pope: Totally. If I had to pick any other avenue it would definitely be fashion. Eventually down the road, when I’ve got more time to spare, I’d love to start a fashion line with my mom. She went to fashion school. She’s great at sewing and creating and she’s got a very great eye. We’ve talked about opening a little boutique and creating things we’ve envisioned for stage. I do love wine so having my own wine brand would be cool. I love music so it’s my first and foremost passion, but creating a brand and giving it longevity and someday when I’m 80 and not able to tour the world anymore, I can at least have these other avenues and pass them down to my kids and have a bigger legacy.
Greyland: Who are the artists you really admire for the way they mix music with their other passions?
Greyland: I think Madonna does it really well with her clothing line Material Girl. Avril Lavigne has done that really well. I know Jessica Simpson created a huge brand that's great and I love a lot of her stuff. You mentioned Jimmy Buffet. Kenny Chesney, those are great examples of people that kind of expand, and anybody that's a fan of their music is more inclined to check out something else they put out. I think they’re really smart with that.
Greyland: We’ll wrap up on the new music. For you, as you start to play this material is there one song you’re really most excited to play live? One or two songs from this new album?
Pope: All of them are who I am, it’s all me. I’m making every decision, I’m making decisions on the image, the pictures, the video, the content. I have my hand in all of it. As far as songs I’m excited about, there's one that I’ve been actually playing live. We’ve done it the same as the record so it’s a really good representation of what's to come. It’s called “If My Heart Had a Heart." It’s a song I heard last year that my friends wrote and pitched to me and it reminded me of a very difficult time I went through last year, it has a very personal lyric so I’m really, really excited for people to hear that one.
Greyland: What do you want people to take from this new record?
Pope: The new project is probably the most authentic version fans are going to get of me. It’s been such a crazy winding road the last year and a half that led me to this very awakened and transformed place. I’m really excited to tell the story of what's going on and how I’ve changed and all the different experiences that led me here. It’s been really fun to go out and play some of these songs that have been released and “If My Heart Had a Heart,” which hasn’t been released and just start telling the story. I’m very excited to release the record next year!
© 2018 Greyland
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Facebook Banned Infowars. Now What?
Posted By rajtechnews on 12th September 2018
Late on Sunday, after returning to his hotel room on a trip away from home, Mark Zuckerberg made a decision he had hoped to avoid.
For weeks, the Facebook chief executive and his colleagues had debated what to do about Infowars, the notorious far-right news site, and Alex Jones, Infowars’ choleric founder, who became famous for his spittle-flecked rants and far-fetched conspiracies, including the idea that the Sandy Hook massacre was an elaborate hoax promoted by gun-control supporters.
Mr. Jones is just one Facebook user out of 2.2 billion, but he had become symbolic of tech platforms’ inconsistency and reluctance to engage in a misinformation war.
The pressure on Facebook to do something about him had intensified after executives gave a series of vague and confusing answers to lawmakers and reporters about the company’s policies. Misinformation was allowed to stay on the platform, they said, but hate speech wasn’t. So users dug up and reported old Infowars posts, asking for their removal on the grounds that they glorified violence and contained dehumanizing language against Muslims, immigrants, and transgender people.
These posts clearly violated Facebook’s hate speech rules. And in a normal situation, a low-level content moderator might have reviewed them, found that they qualified, and taken them down.
But Mr. Jones was no typical internet crank. He has millions of followers, a popular video show, and the ear of President Trump — who once told the provocateur that his reputation was “amazing.” Banning such a prominent activist would lead to political blowback, no matter how justified the action was.
The situation was volatile enough that Mr. Zuckerberg got personally engaged, according to two people involved in Facebook’s handling of the accounts. He discussed Infowars at length with other executives, and mused privately about whether Mr. Jones — who once called Mr. Zuckerberg a “genetic-engineered psychopath” in a video — was purposefully trying to get kicked off the platform to gain attention, they said.
Mr. Zuckerberg, an engineer by training and temperament, has always preferred narrow process decisions to broad, subjective judgments. His evaluation of Infowars took the form of a series of technical policy questions. They included whether the mass-reporting of Infowars posts constituted coordinated “brigading,” a tactic common in online harassment campaigns. Executives also debated whether Mr. Jones should receive a “strike” for each post containing hate speech (which would lead to removing his pages as well as the individual posts) or a single, collective strike (which would remove the posts, but leave his pages up).
Late Sunday, Apple — which has often tried to stake out moral high ground on contentious debates — removed Infowars podcasts from iTunes. After seeing the news, Mr. Zuckerberg sent a note to his team confirming his own decision: the strikes against Infowars and Mr. Jones would count individually, and the pages would come down. The announcement arrived at 3 a.m. Pacific time.
In the days that followed, other platforms — YouTube, Pinterest, MailChimp, and more — said they, too, were banning Infowars. The notable exception was Twitter, which decided not to ban the site or Mr. Jones. The company’s chief executive, Jack Dorsey, tweeted a veiled shot at the way his rivals handled the situation.
“We’re going to hold Jones to the same standard we hold to every account, not taking one-off actions to make us feel good in the short term, and adding fuel to new conspiracy theories,” he said.
Now, cut off from most of his audience, Mr. Jones will have to chart a new course. He has already stepped enthusiastically into a role as a free-speech martyr. (After the ban took effect, Infowars slapped a “censored” label on its videos and launched a “forbidden information” marketing campaign.) And conservatives — and even some free-speech advocates on the left — worried that social media companies may be entering a new, censorious era. Senator Ted Cruz, the Republican from Texas, paraphrased the famous Martin Niemöller poem about German accommodation of Nazism: “First, they came for Alex Jones.”
Social media executives have a history of going to great lengths to assuage fears of anti-conservative bias, and this week was no exception. On Thursday, Richard Allan, a Facebook vice president of policy, published a blog post about the company’s commitment to free speech. With the exception of violent threats and hate speech, he wrote, “we lean toward free expression. It’s core to both who we are and why we exist.” Mr. Dorsey also appeared on Sean Hannity’s radio show, where he gave reassurances that Twitter does not discriminate against conservatives.
Mr. Jones has millions of followers, a popular video show, and the ear of President TrumpCreditIlana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times
Slippery-slope fears about mass censorship by social media platforms are probably overblown. For starters, Infowars presented an unusual case because of its size, the extreme nature of its content and the ferocity of Mr. Jones’s critics. Mr. Zuckerberg does not have time to adjudicate every dispute over hate speech on Facebook, nor does he want to.
In fact, taking action against Infowars could allow social media giants to avoid future conflicts over extreme content by setting a new, hard-to-beat standard for unacceptable toxicity. (“Yes, Jewhater McRacist is bad,” they may say, “but he’s no Alex Jones.”) Many other internet conspiracists have learned how to tiptoe to the edge of platforms’ rules without breaking them — speaking in code about Pizzagate, for example, or saying things like “I’m not saying he’s a crisis actor, but if he were …”
One lesson Mr. Zuckerberg has taken from the Infowars saga, said the people involved in the handling of Mr. Jones’s Facebook accounts, is that the social network’s policies are overly complex and need to be simplified. Privately, company officials have also downplayed the Infowars bans, saying they don’t represent a watershed moment in the online free speech debate, but are rather a matter of how to enforce Facebook’s existing policies.
This is a convenient narrative, of course, from a company that would rather haggle over terms of service than discuss the power and governance of its platform.
There are legitimate questions, still unanswered, about what to do about the huge, unaccountable corporations that control large pieces of our modern communications infrastructure. Both fans and critics of Infowars can probably agree that a system in which one executive can decide to shut off a news organization’s access to a large portion of its audience is hardly ideal.
There are also valid questions about why Infowars got so popular in the first place, and whether attention-maximizing platforms like Facebook and YouTube are designed in ways so that people like Mr. Jones are incentivized to push the boundaries of acceptable speech.
After all, these platforms didn’t just host Infowars content for those who were seeking it — they actively promoted it to millions of people for years, through algorithmic feeds and recommendation engines that decide which videos to show you next. Could these platforms be redesigned so that the next Alex Jones never gets that kind of boost, and remains on the ideological fringes?
These questions will have to wait. For now, tech leaders seem satisfied to have dealt with their Infowars problems, at least temporarily. They will return to their defensive crouch, hiding their power behind policies, making small changes under pressure, and hoping that nobody notices the size of their footprints.
Source:- nytimes
← Facebook has ‘no plans’ to listen in on your conversations (for now), but the creepy stories mount
AT&T reveals what cities will get 5G wireless in 2018 and 2019 →
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De Blasio's Homelessness Reset: Advantage Lessons Learned
April 04, 2014 | by John Surico
Gilbert Taylor (fourth from left) is the new Commissioner of Homeless Services (nyc.gov)
On June 23rd, 2004, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg outlined his five-year strategy to attack homelessness in New York City. It was an agenda his administration vowed would cut the rate by 66 percent by the time the mayor left office at the end of 2009, before he convinced the City Council to extend his and its term limits. And, better yet, he said, it wouldn't cost that much at all. "This new plan aims to replace the City's over-reliance on shelter with innovative, cost-effective interventions that solve homelessness," the mayor declared.
At the heart of this was Advantage. A rental assistance program started in 2007, Advantage would transition thousands of homeless families from the New York City shelter system into affordable housing through one- to two-year subsidies. Both city and state funds would cover 40 percent of rent the first year, and 30 percent the second year.
It was a testament to the Bloombergian mentality of centralized power, replacing the use of Section 8 and Human Resource Administration (HRA) vouchers with a mixture of reimbursement funds - homelessness was now in the hands of Albany and City Hall, not Washington. Families just had to show proof of income to the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) in order to qualify and remain housed.
Fast forward to last week: nearly ten years after that speech, the City Council convened to discuss what went terribly wrong.
Advantage's demise came from a lack of funding, as Governor Andrew Cuomo, and later the program's champion, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, targeted it to be cut in the face of an impending deficit. The collapse of the Advantage program is one of the clearest examples we can see of how the Great Recession barreled into state budgets nationwide, placing the weight of austerity on to the lowest rungs of the socioeconomic ladder.
Throughout my reporting on the homeless, the subjects I've interviewed have pointed to Advantage's end as the beginning of a skyrocketing number, with 53,615 homeless people sleeping in municipal shelters this past January - a figure now past Great Depression levels. As of last August, half of all Advantage families have already returned to the shelter system, a Coalition for the Homeless report states, costing the city $287 million in avoidable expenses. This amounts to 8,500 families, 200 more joining every month - all unable to sustain rent without the aid of subsidies. Dasani, the subject of the famous New York Times profile in December, is one of the 18,000 children who were in subsidized rentals, but are now homeless again.
Advantage's collapse writes a significant chapter of a crisis's narrative, one that is now the stark reality of Mayor de Blasio's "tale of two cities" mantra, while fixing it will be one of his greatest challenges. And, like Bloomberg in 2004, the new mayor stands at the drawing board.
In his initial budget for next year, de Blasio restored $8.3 million in homeless services cut by the Bloomberg administration, and allocated millions more to various other homelessness-related services.
To boot, de Blasio and the City Council recently succeeded in having restrictive language stripped from next year's state budget, allowing the birth of a new rental subsidy program. Or, in essence, what could be the second coming of Advantage.
This time around, the de Blasio administration will need to figure out how to make the program last, preventing the "cost-effective intervention" from transforming into a $287 million failure that leaves thousands of families back on the streets.
Maria Walles has some advice.
Walles and her husband lived on Advantage subsidies "for two long years." While living in the shelter system from August 2009 to July of 2010, the couple slowly moved up the Advantage waiting list, eventually landing their first place in Bed-Stuy. For income, she worked as a maintenance assistant, making just above minimum wage. The apartment building they lived in housed four Advantage units: two single mothers, Walles and her husband, and a couple next door.
In March of 2011, Walles began to receive letters in the mail from the Department of Homeless Services, repeatedly informing them of what was to come. "We had to sit down and talk about it each week -- what we'd have to do [once] Advantage was gone," she told me. The last Advantage lease signed in the city was on March 14th, 2011.
Walles asked the Department of Homeless Services for a fair hearing before the subsidies were taken away from her and her husband. When they were denied legal action, she unsuccessfully tried to appeal, and then contacted her local elected representatives to inform them of her situation to no avail.
Their case is a microcosm of what occurred between larger forces, as the Coalition for the Homeless and Legal Aid sued the Bloomberg administration for abruptly shutting off the subsidies for thousands of homeless families and refusing to reinstate them or hear appeals. The non-profit organizations won nine months in rental reprieve, and the city appealed the decision. Luckily for Walles, this court battle bought her and thousands of other families a few months rent, and time. But that didn't last for long: an appellate court eventually struck the decision, and Advantage legally ceased to exist.
"If you were a decent resident, you had to say please, please, please to your landlord, but then you realized you simply couldn't afford the apartment," Walles somberly said. "It took me a minute to realize that I'd have to go through this again."
A few months later, she and her husband ended back in the shelter system in Manhattan. She assumes the same fate for the two single mothers and couple living in the building. The Walleses remain there today.
"My husband and I are tired of doing this. 'Oh, you're back here, Maria?'," she said, impersonating the staff of the shelter. "I don't want to hear that. It's not fair... it's not right."
One of the qualms Walles had with Advantage was its longevity: a concern many homeless advocates say was the inherent flaw of the program. The maximum amount of time one could receive Advantage subsidies was 2 years. To the Bloomberg administration, this was more than enough time for the recipients to move into permanent housing with their accrued savings--the idealistic end goal of the program. "Of course, that's subjective. The last administration did not see that as a flaw," a DHS spokesperson said.
But, for Walles, who now volunteers at Picture for the Homeless as its housing campaign leader, this time frame is not realistic for families like her own.
"The only thing that puzzled me is that it was only for 2 years. I was happy to get it, but it should have been more than 2 years," she said. "Not short-term, long-term. Permanent housing programs, two years or better, so you don't have to see us again. Programs like Advantage take people out of the shelter and put them right back in. I don't want to be a revolving door back into the shelter system."
"Advantage was a completely unrealistic one-size-fits-all solution," Patrick Markee of Coalition for the Homeless told me. "Studies have shown that people who have long-term subsidies for their apartments stay in them, which is good for taxpayers because it saves money on the shelter system."
"It's fiscally prudent to have long-term assistance," Markee explained. "Shelters are expensive, costing the city $3,000 a month for a family." Walles believes the price tag to the taxpayer is even higher, ranging anywhere between $3,000 and $6,000 for a family.
"When Bloomberg announced it, it became a revolving door to shelters and costly to taxpayers," he continued, echoing Walles. "It would have been improved if there were longer-term subsidies, and it used federal housing subsidies available."
Sources said this is another way to supplement a new rental subsidy program: to reinstate the Section 8 and HRA vouchers that were dismissed when Advantage was implemented. By doing so, the mayor could use federal housing subsidies available to him to cut costs. A DHS spokesperson said that newly appointed Commissioner Gilbert Taylor has made this a priority of his department, along with prevention measures and collaboration with other city agencies.
"It's a crisis we will confront with every tool at our disposal," Commissioner Taylor said at his appointment in December. "I share Mayor-Elect de Blasio's fundamental commitment to more aggressive homelessness prevention policies and housing support to transition people from shelters to stable living."
With the legislative pathway to a new rental subsidy program now clear, DHS can begin to rebuild the Advantage model from the ground up. However, according to the agency, winning a removal of the restrictive state budget language was just the first step of a long process, with no approximate start date for a new program.
"We're hopeful that we can get a similar program to Advantage," the spokesperson told me. "We haven't talked about what it'll look like yet. It's so far been an internal effort, dealing with a new concept and new language."
Maria Walles just hopes City Hall remembers what happened last time: to her, the 8,500 families, including her own, now back in the shelter system as a result of Advantage's collapse should serve as a shocking reminder of what's at stake here for over 53,000 New Yorkers.
"Hopefully, we can--no, we need to find a way to change it. I don't want to be a revolving door into the shelter system again, and neither should anyone else," she said, pausing for a second to collect her thoughts. "I don't know... I'm scared. That's all I can say."
John Surico is a freelance journalist. His reporting can be seen in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New York Daily News, The Village Voice, and elsewhere. He lives in Brooklyn.
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© Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo
Steven Soderbergh is back again, but for how long?
By Stuart McGurk 30 September 2017
After threatening to retire - twice - then swapping cinema for the small screen, visionary director Steven Soderbergh is back again, but for how long?
We've all been there. You hate your job. You're gonna quit! Anything but this Satan's conference room hellhole! You'll do something completely different! You'll invent an app that... can Shazam... emotions. Oh, forget it, you'll go back to work.
This, essentially, has been Oscar-winning director (Ocean's Eleven, Traffic) Steven Soderbergh's career for the last few years. His I-quit-I'm-back-I-quit pronouncements pretty much sum up the unease of talented directors everywhere now that most cinema for adults is actually on TV.
Soderbergh first decided to quit making films after directing Contagion in 2011, saying he was going to concentrate on painting instead. Then, in a slight about turn, he made Magic Mike, about strippers (and not the paint kind, either). The comeback lasted two films before he became dismayed with cinema again, this time after every major studio passed on Behind The Candelabra (too risky, too smart, too gay), and it eventually landed on TV at HBO.
Three-and-a-half million people watching a show on cable is a success. That many people seeing a movie is not
He railed against how directors were treated, the new money coming in and the migration of his types of work to TV. "The format really allows for the narrow and deep approach that I like," he said. "Three-and-a-half million people watching a show on cable is a success. That many people seeing a movie is not a success."
It's clearly true. But here's the rub for directors today: TV is not a director's medium, it's a writer's. David Chase oversaw The Sopranos' scripts, but the episodes were directed by hired hands (Chase directed just two: the first and the last). The directors are just there to do the showrunner's bidding; on films, they're God.
Soderbergh went on to direct The Knick, a high-end drama series about New York's Knickerbocker Hospital in the early 20th century, starring Clive Owen. Yet he didn't create it, and while he directed every episode, he didn't write a single one. There's no time to do both. And so, Soderbergh, caught between a studio and a Netflix place, announced his retirement once again.
That is, until now, because last month he returned again, making the kind of film the studios love him for (ie, the kind that makes them money): a heist flick with an all-star cast (Daniel Craig, Channing Tatum, Adam Driver and Katherine Waterston) called Logan Lucky. Granted, it's set in the world of Nascar, but Oceans ensured the cheque would be written.
Expect another retirement and a move back to TV any day now.
Like this? Now read:
The 5 worst moments from Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Alicia Vikander is our perfect Lara Croft
Watch Colin Firth and Jeff Bridges discuss Channing Tatum's sex doll prank on the set of Kingsman: The Golden Circle
FilmCulture
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Scrutiny of IRS
May 14, 2013 at 12:01 AM May 14, 2013 at 5:00 AM
The White House dislikes tea party groups so much it directed the Internal Revenue Service to harass them. That isn't true, but the rhetoric already being spun could lead one to believe as much.
"The admission by the Obama administration that the Internal Revenue Service targeted political opponents echoes some of the most shameful abuses of government power in 20th century American history," said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
It doesn't seem to matter that the White House doesn't run the IRS, or that it was an appointee of President George W. Bush in charge of the organization during the time period in question, or even that President Barack Obama found out about the situation when the IRS was apologizing for it last Friday. At a press conference Monday, the president was deploring the practice as well.
"If, in fact, IRS personnel engaged in the kind of practices that had been reported on and were intentionally targeting conservative groups, then that's outrageous and there's no place for it," Obama said.
So it would appear there will be bipartisan condemnation of any action taken by the IRS that unfairly singled out tea party groups. As there should be, since bureaucratic decisions are supposed to be free of political influence. Government services, even those provided by an agency most people dislike such as the IRS, are supposed to be fairly applied.
Indeed, if tea party groups were singled out for treatment nobody else received, then heads need to roll. Attempts to silence political points of view has no place in America -- and should not be tolerated.
And yet, it's too early to tell precisely what took place.
What we do know is that the U.S. Supreme Court opened the floodgates for politically active groups and their corresponding spending with its decision in Citizens United. The number of groups classifying themselves as "social welfare" groups under section 501(c)4 of the federal tax code ballooned. The classification is critical, as it allows tax-exempt status.
And that's where the IRS entered the picture. Officials there have to ensure the social groups do not have political activity as their primary activity. If that line is crossed, the tax-exempt status disappears.
The IRS singled out about 300 groups that had applied for the status. Roughly 75 of them were tea party groups. That doesn't strike us as out of line, given the relatively recent emergence of the movement. The brouhaha has been created by the way those groups were identified. Workers in a Cincinnati office searched for names that had "tea party" or "patriot" in them. Once higher-ups learned of the practice, it was quickly stopped. None of the groups were denied their tax-exempt status, although not all of them have received a ruling yet and some have withdrawn their application.
On its face, it appears the shortcut taken to identify some of the groups was inappropriate but didn't rise to the level of harassment. We'll see if that changes as more testimony is offered at the plethora of hearings Congress is sure to hold. But before lawmakers and the public leap to conclusions, all the facts need to come forth. Assumptions made based on what we know so far might end up making us look ridiculous -- regardless of political stripe.
Editorial by Patrick Lowry
plowry@dailynews.net
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DESTINATION: Melbourne, Victoria Australia
Home / DESTINATION: Melbourne, Victoria Australia
DESTINATION MELBOURNE, Victoria
Melbourne, Victoria’s capital, is both an exciting and graceful city and awarded as ‘the World’s Most Liveable City’. With its wide-open parklands and historical buildings, it is often referred to as the arts and culture capital of Australia. Sports, major events, shopping, dining and the arts are some of the unique attractions that keep Melbourne’s 3.2 million strong population entertained. Melbourne’s history is divided into two main categories. Aboriginal history dates back 40,000 years, with the aboriginal culture being passed down through Dreamtime stories that still exist today and whose remnants can be viewed throughout the city. European settlement of Victoria began in 1834 by the pioneering spirit of the first settlers. They built a rectangular street pattern, one mile long and half a mile wide that created a foundation for the City centre, called ‘Melbourne’s Golden Mile’. Melbourne is sports-mad; football in winter, cricket in summer. It is also a food and wine city where diners can enjoy a simple pub meal to a gourmet feast with Asian, Mediterranean, Latin, and Arab influences and a definitive Australian flavour.
Melbourne Observation Deck
This is a fantastic place to view Melbourne from above. It is located in the tallest office building in the Southern Hemisphere, the Rialto Towers. The deck offers 360 degrees views and a 20 minute ‘sight and sound spectacular’ of the city and our major attractions.
Open daily from 10 am – 10 pm 7 days a week
Level 55, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000
Phone 03 9629 8222 Website: www.melbournedeck.com.au
Flinders Street Station
This is the oldest metropolitan station in Australia and a Melbourne landmark. It is also a fantastic place to ‘people watch’ as more than 260,000 people pass through every day.
Southgate and Southbank
This is an arts, leisure and shopping area with an emphasis on casual dining along the Yarra River bank. You can catch great views of the city skyline, while being entertained by street performers and watching boats cruising the Yarra River.
Federation Square
The size of an entire city block, Federation Square is a living, breathing focus for Melbourne and Victorian community life positioned in the very centre of the city. It brings together a creative mix of attractions, including galleries, cinemas, restaurants, cafes, bars, two dedicated function centres, festivals, events and public open spaces embraced by some of the most stunning architecture in the world. Federation Square- located on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets, Melbourne
Melbourne Aquarium
This is an amazing way to catch a glimpse of what the Southern Ocean has to offer. The aquarium offers an interactive and involving discovery tour and is located along the Yarra River.
Open daily from 9.30 am – 6 pm, (9 am – 9 pm in January)
Corner Queenswharf Road and King Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000
Phone: 03 9620 0999 Website: www.melbourneaquarium.com.au
Melbourne Cricket Ground
This is Melbourne’s most popular sporting ground. Tours are offered where you can discover the sporting history of Melbourne’s “G”.
Open daily from 10 am – 3 pm Tours depart on the hour
Victoria Market
This is Melbourne’s largest and most historic market offering more than 1000 stalls of produce and merchandise, including souvenirs. Victoria Market offers a fantastic opportunity to shop with ‘Melbournians’.
Open Tues & Thurs 6 am – 2 pm; Friday 6 am – 6 pm; Saturday 6 am – 3 pm; Sunday 9am – 4 pm
Corner Elizabeth Street and Victoria Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000
Crown Entertainment Complex
This is a 24-hour complex that features 14 cinemas, 35 restaurants, 17 bars, nightclubs, disco, theatre, exclusive shopping, and the Casino with machines and gaming tables. Crown Casino is located along the Yarra River and offers something for every mood.
Phone: 1800 818 088 Website: www.crowncasino.com.au
Victorian Arts Centre
The Arts Centre is located underneath Melbourne’s most familiar landmark, the Arts Centre spire, and is home to Australia’s best performing arts companies. Guided tours are available where you can discover the history of the centre.
Tours depart Mon – Sat at 12 noon and 2.30 pm; Sun 12.15 pm
100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004
Phone: 03 9281 8000 Website: www.vicartscentre.com.au
This is an award-winning zoo where you can view more than 350 species of animals. The animals are displayed in naturalistic settings and highlights include the African rainforest area, underwater aeal viewing, butterfly house, and Australian bush area. Open daily from 9 am – 5 pm
Elliott Avenue, Parkville, VIC, 3052
Phone: 03 9285 9300 Website: www.zoo.org.au
These are world-renowned gardens and are Melbourne’s pride and joy. The Royal Botanic Gardens offer gorgeous landscapes of plants from around the world including Australian natives. Guided walks can be arranged.
Birdwood Avenue, Sth Yarra, VIC
Phone: 03 9252 2300.
Lygon Street
This is Melbourne’s Little Italy. It is a colourful area offering shopping and dining with an Italian flavour. Take Tram no 1 or 22 heading north from Swanston Street. Bus no 200, 201, 203 or 207 from Melbourne Central. Travelling time is about 15 minutes from Melbourne CBD.
This is Melbourne’s playground. St Kilda is famous for its magnificent bay views, The Esplanade, and the Sunday Craft Market. You can visit Acland Street, which is famous for its cakes, or Fitzroy Street, which is well known for its cafes, restaurants and bustling activity. You can also walk, roller blade, or bike ride along The Lower Esplanade. To get there, take any Tram with St Kilda Beach displayed or no 96 from Bourke Street, Melbourne. Travelling time is about 25 minutes from Melbourne CBD.
South Yarra and Prahran
Chapel Street and Toorak Road make up the South Yarra shopping strip, offering some of Melbourne’s most upmarket designer boutiques. Greville Street and Commercial Road make up the Prahran shopping area that offers retro, funky fashions. To get there, take Tram no 72, 8 or 6 from Swanston Street or board a train on the Sandringham line to South Yarra or Prahran Station from Flinders Street, Melbourne. Travelling time is about 20 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD.
Melbourne is always buzzing with activities and events. In January, you can check out the Melbourne Music Festival and in February the Melbourne Food Festival. In March, Melbourne holds the Moomba festivities along the Yarra River. In April, Melbourne is host to the month-long International Comedy Festival held in venues in and around the city. In June and July, you can stay indoors to participate in the Melbourne Film Festival, and avoid the winter chill. In September, the Aussie Rules Football Grand Final is held at the MCG. In October, the Melbourne Writer’s Festival is held offering book readings by some of the world’s most renowned authors. The Melbourne Fringe Arts Festival is also held in October, kicked off by the wild street party and parade along Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.
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Credits for using the Hebrides People database searches. There are substantial discounts for buying 50 or 100 credits (100 credits for £75).
North Uist Families and How to Trace Them
In this book, the fifth of a series on different parishes in the Western Isles, Bill Lawson is making much of this information available for the first time to the general public, both those with a specific interest in genealogy, and also those with a more general interest in the history of these interesting and beautiful islands off the Atlantic coast of Scotland.
Shipping:£1.50
10 credits for using Hebrides People Online Search Tools.
George Murray – A Schoolteacher for St Kilda, 1886-87
George Murray was the school teacher on St Kilda from 1886 – 87 and throughout that time he kept a diary, which has, since then, been quoted in many publications. However, until now, we have not had any insight into the man himself. Now the St Kilda diary is reproduced in full from the original, just as it was written, and is a fascinating account of life in that unique and isolated archipelago. Here we have the full story of a courageous and honourable man. It includes an account taken from another diary he kept during the summer the year before going out to St Kilda, when he was a missionary and school teacher on North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. ISBN: 978-1-907443-55-8 Paperback.
100 credits for using Hebrides People Online Search Tools.
Eilean Scalpaigh na Hearadh ( The Isle of Scalpay)
Bill Lawson’s latest book in the Historic Sites series deals with the Isle of
Scalpay and it charts the history of the island from early times to the present.
Illustrated with photographs taken by Bill Lawson over many years.
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Frontiers in Microbiology
Terrestrial Microbiology
This article is part of the Research Topic
Next generation sequencing targeting ‘functional marker genes’ View all 9 Articles
Methylotrophs Impact on Global One-Carbon Compound Cycling
Facultatively Aerobic Methanol Utilizers
Marker Genes of Bacterial Methanol Utilizers
Routes Toward Environmental Detection of Methylotrophic Yeasts, Molds, and Ascomycota
Potential Gene Markers of Strict Anaerobic Methanol Utilizers
Assessment of Methanol Utilizers by Amplicon Pyrosequencing
mxaF and Homologs for Environmental Detection of Methylotrophs
Future Perspectives
Front. Microbiol., 05 September 2013 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2013.00268
Prerequisites for amplicon pyrosequencing of microbial methanol utilizers in the environment
Steffen Kolb* and Astrid Stacheter
Department of Ecological Microbiology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
The commercial availability of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies facilitated the assessment of functional groups of microorganisms in the environment with high coverage, resolution, and reproducibility. Soil methylotrophs were among the first microorganisms in the environment that were assessed with molecular tools, and nowadays, as well with NGS technologies. Studies in the past years re-attracted notice to the pivotal role of methylotrophs in global conversions of methanol, which mainly originates from plants, and is involved in oxidative reactions and ozone formation in the atmosphere. Aerobic methanol utilizers belong to Bacteria, yeasts, Ascomycota, and molds. Numerous bacterial methylotrophs are facultatively aerobic, and also contribute to anaerobic methanol oxidation in the environment, whereas strict anaerobic methanol utilizers belong to methanogens and acetogens. The diversity of enzymes catalyzing the initial oxidation of methanol is considerable, and comprises at least five different enzyme types in aerobes, and one in strict anaerobes. Only the gene of the large subunit of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-dependent methanol dehydrogenase (MDH; mxaF) has been analyzed by environmental pyrosequencing. To enable a comprehensive assessment of methanol utilizers in the environment, new primers targeting genes of the PQQ MDH in Methylibium (mdh2), of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent MDH (mdh), of the methanol oxidoreductase of Actinobacteria (mdo), of the fungal flavin adenine nucleotide-dependent alcohol oxidase (mod1, mod2, and homologs), and of the gene of the large subunit of the methanol:corrinoid methyltransferases (mtaC) in methanogens and acetogens need to be developed. Combined stable isotope probing of nucleic acids or proteins with amplicon-based NGS are straightforward approaches to reveal insights into functions of certain methylotrophic taxa in the global methanol cycle.
The commercial launch of pyrosequencing and later on, further next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies for direct sequencing of complex PCR amplicons facilitated the assessment of microbial communities by geno- and ribotype composition with high coverage and resolution, and with a high number of samples (e.g., Pilloni et al., 2012). Methylotrophic bacteria were among the first group of microorganisms that were analyzed by molecular tools in the environment (Holmes et al., 1995). Based on such studies substantially more is known on the pivotal role of microorganisms for global cycles of one-carbon (C1) compounds, such as the greenhouse gas methane. Another quantitatively important atmospheric volatile organic compound (VOC) is methanol. Nonetheless, in situ activities, environmental drivers, and distribution of methanol utilizers in the environment has scarcely been addressed (e.g., McDonald and Murrell, 1997), and just few years ago, studies re-attracted notice to activities of methanol utilizers in the environment (Delmotte et al., 2009; Dixon et al., 2011).
Aerobic methylotrophs occur in terrestrial and aquatic environments on the whole planet, and have been detected in aerated and flooded soils of wetlands, grasslands, tundra, and deserts, and occur in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere of plants, in open ocean waters and other marine habitats (Giovannoni et al., 2008; Angel and Conrad, 2009; Kolb, 2009a; Wieczorek et al., 2011; Bissett et al., 2012; Gupta et al., 2012; He et al., 2012; Knief et al., 2012a; Vorholt, 2012) suggesting that their unique physiology that allows them to utilize reduced C1 compounds as carbon and energy source is of global relevance in ecosystems. Methylotrophs ubiquitously occur in terrestrial ecosystems, i.e., likely, since plants produce C1 compounds. Growing plants emit methanol (up to 0.1% of the photosynthetic carbon) and traces of chloromethane and methane (Keppler et al., 2005; Keppler et al., 2006), during decay of lignocellulosic plant material methanol is released (Galbally and Kirstine, 2002), and plant compounds are eventually converted to methane under anoxic conditions (Drake et al., 2009). C1 compounds are highly volatile and thus, are emitted into the atmosphere. Consequently, the two most abundant organic compounds in the atmosphere are methane and methanol (Forster et al., 2007). The steady-state concentration of methanol in the atmosphere (1–10 ppb) is about 1,000-fold lower than that of atmospheric methane (1,800 ppb; Galbally and Kirstine, 2002; Heikes et al., 2002; Jacob et al., 2005). Whereas, the estimated global emission rate of methane (~10 Tmol per year) from terrestrial ecosystems is only twice as high as the global terrestrial emission rate of methanol (~5 Tmol per year) indicating that methanol is substantially more susceptible to atmospheric chemical reactions (Galbally and Kirstine, 2002; Jacob et al., 2005; Kolb, 2009a). Methanol triggers the formation of tropospheric ozone, and has indirectly a threefold higher global warming potential on a one-hundred-year basis than carbon dioxide (Forster et al., 2007).
Release of methane from terrestrial ecosystems into the atmosphere is reduced by aerobic methylotrophs (Conrad, 1995). Many aerated soils in natural ecosystems are even net sinks for atmospheric methane, which is often correlated with the predominance of certain genotypes, such as USCα (Dunfield, 2007; Kolb, 2009b). Methanotrophic methylotrophs have been addressed in numerous environmental studies by using gene markers and other biomarkers, and are one of the most studied functional groups of microorganisms in the environment (e.g., Dedysh, 2009; Kolb, 2009b; Dörr et al., 2010; Lüke et al., 2010; Lüke and Frenzel, 2011). There are more than 400 publications on methanotrophs in ecosystems over the past 25 years based on keyword searches in literature databases (Web of Knowledge, 04.07.2013, http://apps.webofknowledge.com) highlighting the interest in understanding the role of methanotrophs in the global carbon cycle.
Non-methanotrophic methylotrophs likely have a similar importance for the global methanol cycle, a fact that has recently been more thoroughly addressed in the phyllosphere, soil, and ocean waters (Delmotte et al., 2009; Kolb, 2009a; Knief et al., 2010a, b; Dixon et al., 2011, 2013; Vorholt, 2012; Stacheter et al., 2013). The assessment of methanol-utilizing methylotrophs in the environment is less straightforward than the detection of methanotrophs, since methanol utilizers have a substantially larger diversity than methanotrophs, and the enzymes that catalyze the diagnostic reaction, i.e., the oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde, are more diverse than methane monooxygenases making the detection of non-methanotrophic methanol utilizers more challenging (Chistoserdova et al., 2009; Kolb, 2009a; Stacheter et al., 2013).
The role of methanol utilizers in global methanol cycling is still scarcely investigated and warrants studies that address the response, activity, and distribution of methanol utilizers in terrestrial and other environments. Hence, suitable gene targets are mandatory to analyze methanol-utilizing microorganisms with amplicon pyrosequencing or to detect them in metagenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic datasets based on sequence homology. The review will describe the latest knowledge on microbial taxa that are capable of methanol oxidation including those organisms that putatively utilize methanol under anoxic conditions, and will identify gene markers that have been and can be employed for analysis of PCR amplicons by high-throughput NGS techniques.
Microorganisms that have the capability to utilize methanol with molecular oxygen as an electron acceptor belong to various phyla of Bacteria, and have been found within yeast, mold fungi, and Ascomycota (Table 1; Bystrykh et al., 1988; Trotsenko and Bystrykh, 1990; Nakagawa et al., 1996; Nozaki et al., 1996; Silva et al., 2009; Sipiczki, 2012). Bacterial methanol utilizers belong to Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Flavobacteriia, Bacilli, and Actinobacteria. Yet, methanol utilization (MUT) among Archaea only occurs in strict anaerobic methanogens. Generally, it is known that several bacterial methylotrophs utilize methanol or other C1 compounds for dissimilation, but cannot assimilate carbon from C1 compounds. Strain HTCC2181 is a recent example, which demonstrates this strategy of C1 compound utilization (Giovannoni et al., 2008; Halsey et al., 2012). Over 200 aerobic species of methylotrophic Bacteria have been described (Tables 1 and 2; Kolb, 2009a). Most of the known isolates are Gram-negative. Thus, it is remarkable that a second isolate of the genus Bacillus has recently been described, which was not enriched on conventional methylotroph media suggesting a largely uncovered diversity of Gram-positive methanol utilizers in the environment (Table 2; Ling et al., 2011).
TABLE 1. Classes and phyla of Bacteria and fungi that contain methanol-utilizing methylotrophs based on previous reviews (Kolb, 2009a; Gvozdev et al., 2012).
TABLE 2. List of methanol-utilizing methylotophs that are not included in a previous survey (Kolb, 2009a).
It is well established that some facultatively aerobic methanol utilizers are capable of growth on C1 compounds with nitrate as an electron acceptor (Kolb, 2009a). In addition, many more methylotrophs that have the ability to use nitrate as an alternative electron acceptor have not yet been tested for anaerobic methanol oxidation (Bamforth and Quayle, 1978; Kolb, 2009a); recent examples, in which the physiology has been thoroughly assessed, are Methyloversatilis universalis FAM5, and Methylotenera versatilis (Kalyuzhnaya et al., 2012; Lu et al., 2012; Mustakhimov et al., 2013). In environments with a high nitrogen input (for example by fertilization) and turnover, facultative aerobic and nitrate-dependent degradation of methanol likely occurs in oxygen-limited zones (Lu et al., 2012). Based on the current knowledge, these organisms are accessible by the same gene markers as described in the following section (Figure 1).
FIGURE 1. Model of the C1 metabolism of aerobic and facultatively aerobic methanol utilizers (A), and of methanol-utilizing methanogens and acetogens (B). Various Bacteria that employ PQQ MDH and PQQ MDH2 utilize nitrate besides molecular oxygen, and are, thus, facultative aerobes. Red, enzymatic reactions indicative for methanol utilization. Gray, metabolic crossing points to anabolic pathways. Structural genes are targets for the molecular assessment of methanol-utilizing microorganisms in the environment. PQQ MDH, PQQ-dependent methanol dehydrogenase; PQQ MDH2, alternative PQQ-dependent methanol dehydrogenase in Methylibium andBurkholderia strains; FAD AO, FAD-dependent alcohol oxidoreductase; MDO, methanol oxidoreductase; NAD MDH, NAD-dependent methanol dehydrogenase; FAE1, tetrahydromethanopterin-dependent formaldehyde activating enzyme; MCH, tetrahydromethanopterin-dependent methenyl-methylene cyclohydrolase; FaDH, formaldehyde dehydrogenase; GSH, glutathione-dependent formaldehyde oxidation; MySH, mycothiol-dependent oxidation of formaldehyde in yeast; CH2 = HF4, methylene tetrahydrofolate; CH3-THF, methyl-tetrahydrofolate; CH3-CoM, methyl-coenzyme M; CH3OH, methanol; CH2O, formaldehyde; COOH formate; CO2, carbon dioxide; CO, carbon monoxide; CH3CO–S–CoA, acetyl coenzyme A; CH3COOH, acetic acid. Biomass, assimilation of carbon occurs at the level of formaldehyde and/or on carbon dioxide in aerobic methylotrophs; pathways involved are the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle, ribulose-monophosphate pathway, and the serine cycle. Assimilation of carbon in methanogens is mediated by a unique reductive acetyl-CoA-pathway, whereas acetogens form acetyl-CoA as an intermediate that can be used for biosnthesis. This figure is based on previous articles (Thauer, 1998; Ding et al., 2002; Hagemeier et al., 2006; Das et al., 2007; Drake et al., 2008; Chistoserdova et al., 2009; Chistoserdova, 2011; Gvozdev et al., 2012).
Amplicon-based analysis of the diversity of methanol utilizers can be achieved by deep sequencing of genes that are diagnostic for methanol oxidation (Figure 1; Stacheter et al., 2013). The C1 metabolism of bacterial methanol utilizers comprises a series of enzymatic reactions, which partially cannot be found in other heterotrophs and are thus, diagnostic for methylotrophs. The most characteristic enzymatic step is the initial oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde (Figure 1). The oxidation of methanol can be catalyzed by at least three different enzymes in Bacteria. There is a pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ)-dependent and a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent methanol dehydrogenase (MDH; Devries et al., 1992; Chistoserdova et al., 2009; Krog et al., 2013). PQQ MDH occurs in Gram-negative Bacteria, whereas the NAD MDH is typical of Gram-positive Bacillus strains and is encoded by the gene mdh (Chistoserdova et al., 2009). Furthermore, in Gram-positive Actinobacteria (Amycolatopsis methanolica, Mycobacterium gastri MB19) a methanol:NDMA (N, N′-dimethyl-4-nitrosoaniline) oxidoreductase (MDO) has been reported (Bystrykh et al., 1993; Vanophem et al., 1993; Park et al., 2010).
The gene mxaF encodes the catalytic subunit of PQQ MDH, which is composed of two different subunits (i.e., MxaFI). However, there is a distantly related homolog in some methylotrophic Burkholderiales (Methylibium; i.e., the gene was named mdh2), which encodes an alternative PQQ-dependent MDH (Kalyuzhnaya et al., 2008). Beyond mdh2, a further homolog of mxaF is known, i.e., xoxF, for which a functional role in methanol-metabolism is under debate. xoxF-like genes (synonymous to mxaF′) occur in Bradyrhizobiaceae and other rhizobia, and may encode functional MDHs (Fitriyanto et al., 2011). Similar genes can be frequently detected in soil microbial communities using mxaF-specific primers (Table 1; Stacheter et al., 2013). If rhizobia that do not possess the classical PQQ MDH (i.e., MxaFI; Moosvi et al., 2005), also utilize and grow on methanol has not systematically been analyzed yet. Nonetheless, Bradyrhizobium sp. MAFF211645 contains a Ce3+-inducible XoxF-like MDH (Fitriyanto et al., 2011). The first functional proof of XoxF as a MDH was demonstrated in the phototroph Rhodobacter sphaeroides (Wilson et al., 2008). Studies on Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 suggest that XoxF1 and XoxF2 are involved in the regulation of mxaF (Schmidt et al., 2010; Skovran et al., 2011). Purified XoxF1 of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 has highest methanol oxidation activities when cells were grown with methanol and 30 μM La3+. These activities were comparable to the canonical PQQ MDH MxaFI. The purified XoxF enzyme contained La3+ suggesting that XoxF is important as a calcium-independent MDH that uses rare earth elements as cofactors (Nakagawa et al., 2012). In recently discovered methanotrophs of the phylum Verrucomicrobia, xoxF is the only detectable gene that may code for MDH (Op den Camp et al., 2009). xoxF also occurs in non-methylotrophic bacteria, in which its metabolic function is unresolved (Chistoserdova, 2011). Thus, the detection of xoxF by NGS in environmental gene surveys or their occurrence in metagenomes, transcriptomes, and proteomes may be a hint to environmental methanol oxidation but need to be carefully evaluated based on recent and upcoming results from pure cultures of various organisms.
A comprehensive assessment of the genotypic diversity of aerobic methanol utilizers in the environment seems possible when mxaF, xoxF-like, mdh2, mdh, and genes of MDO of Actinobacteria are simultaneously analyzed. However, only mxaF has been successfully detected to date and PCR primers suitable for environmental surveys of the other genes have not yet been developed (McDonald and Murrell, 1997; Neufeld et al., 2007; Stacheter et al., 2013). More studies on the function of xoxF in further methylotrophs and addressing the physiological role of xoxF in organisms that are currently not known as methylotrophs are warranted to improve the ability to interprete methylotrophy gene-targeting surveys in the environment. The employment of genes of MDHs of Gram-positive methylotrophs will enhance the environmental detectability of methanol utilizers and will aid to understand the role of these largely overlooked methylotrophs for methanol conversion in ecosystems.
In addition to gene markers that are diagnostic for methanol oxidation, the genes mch (methenyl:methylene tetrahydromethanopterin cyclohydrolase) and fae1 (formaldehyde-activating enzyme) that are indicative for dissimilatory oxidation of formaldehyde by tetrahydromethanopterin-dependent reactions have been used to detect methylotrophs in the environment (Kalyuzhnaya et al., 2004; Kalyuzhnaya and Chistoserdova, 2005; Stacheter et al., 2013; Table 3). However, their detection alone does not allow for the conclusion that the detected organisms are methanol utilizers since fae1 and mch also occur in non-methylotrophic heterotrophs (Chistoserdova, 2011; Stacheter et al., 2013).
TABLE 3. Gene markers of methanol-utilizing microorganisms for amplicon-based pyrosequencing or as targets for homology screens in metagenome, -trancriptome, or -proteome datasets.
Fungi employ a unique pathway for methanol oxidation, in which methanol is oxidized via formaldehyde and formate to carbon dioxide, i.e., the MUT pathway (Hartner and Glieder, 2006; Figure 1). The initial oxidation of methanol is mediated by a flavin adenine nucleotide (FAD) dependent alcohol oxidase (FAD AO) that produces formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide (Hartner and Glieder, 2006). FAD AO occurs in various genera of yeasts, such as Candida and Pichia, in molds, and Ascomycota (Table 1; Vandenbosch et al., 1992; Gvozdev et al., 2012). Known genes encoding for FAD AOs are mod1 and mod2, however homologs exist of which the function is unresolved (Nakagawa et al., 2006; Gvozdev et al., 2012). The use of genes of FAD AO for the environmental detection of methylotrophic fungi will be still challenging since numerous isoenzymes with likely different kinetic properties exist (Table 1; Ito et al., 2007). The role of the diversity and activity of fungal microorganisms for environmental conversion of methanol has scarcely been studied (Table 1), and warrants, especially in terrestrial environments, future research.
The quantitative contribution of anaerobic methanol conversion in soils has scarcely been analyzed (Conrad and Claus, 2005). Beyond facultative aerobic methylotrophs, some strict anaerobes utilize methanol, i.e., methylotrophic methanogens and acetogens. A methanol-utilizing acetogen is Moorella thermoacetica, and examples for methanol-utilizing methanogens are Methanosarcina acetivorans, Methanolobus sp., and Methanosarcina barkeri (Das et al., 2007; Antony et al., 2012a; Penger et al., 2012). Recently, the methanol-oxidizing enzyme methanol:corrinoid methyltransferase (MtaC), encoded by mtaC, has been structurally characterized in these organisms (Ding et al., 2002; Hagemeier et al., 2006). An enzyme with homology to MtaC is upregulated during growth on methanol in methylotrophic acetogens (Zhou et al., 2005; Das et al., 2007). Hence, the gene mtaC and its homolog in acetogens are promising targets to develop gene-based detection of strict anaerobic methanol utilizers in the environment.
The advent of NGS technologies allow for a dramatic increase of sequence information compared with similar efforts when using classic Sanger sequencing (Christen, 2008; Liu et al., 2012). Amplicon pyrosequencing (i.e., a synonymous term is pyrotag sequencing) is one of the best evaluated and oldest NGS technologies (Liu et al., 2012). Long reads of about 700–1000 bp are possible, and technically unavoidable sequence errors can be removed with established software, such as AmpliconNoise (Quince et al., 2011; Rosen et al., 2012). Thus, large datasets with over 100,000 reads can be quality filtered, trimmed, sorted, and clustered into sequence similarity-defined operational taxonomic units (Caporaso et al., 2010; Nebel et al., 2011). Amplicon pyrosequencing comes along with higher costs per read compared to cheaper technologies, such as HiSeq, MiSeq, or Ion Torrent (Liu et al., 2012). However, the long-read length of pyrosequencing is especially advantageous when analyzing amplicons. Beyond that, amplicon-based pyrosequencing generates highly reproducible and similar community structures when compared to standard community fingerprinting techniques, such as terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) analysis and thus, can be used for reliable genotype composition analyses (Pilloni et al., 2012).
Amplicons can be obtained with primers that contain adapter sequences that are needed for emulsion PCR-based amplification to generate nanobead-bound sequence libraries (Ronaghi et al., 1998). Usually such primers include a several nucleotide-long sequence for the identification of the source of sequence (i.e., a barcode), such as an individual sample within the study (Pilloni et al., 2012). A consequence is long primers with unspecific extensions at 5′ end. This may lead to reduced sensitivity of amplification and to unspecific binding (Berry et al., 2011). One strategy to overcome this bias is applying two subsequent PCRs. The first PCR is conducted with untagged primers followed by a second PCR with tagged primers (Berry et al., 2011). An alternative strategy to minimize these shortcomings is to use primers with barcodes, but without adapter sequences. Adapters need to be added by ligation after the PCR (Stacheter et al., 2013). A complication of such an approach is the retrieval of two datasets one with sequences starting with forward and one starting with the reverse primer, but minimizes bias during amplicon amplification (Stacheter et al., 2013). Environmental detection of mxaF-like genotypes of methylotrophs by primers 1003f and 1555r include the detection of xoxF-like genes (Table 3; Stacheter et al., 2013). When mxaF-targeting primers were used, also xoxF-like genes were detected in various grassland and forest soils by amplicon pyrosequencing (Stacheter et al., 2013) making the interpretation of data in regard to the capability of detected microorganisms of methanol oxidation more difficult, since the function of xoxF is still in part under debate.
Analysis of non-methanotrophic methylotrophs by mxaF genotyping has been employed in several studies. Nonetheless, only one study exist that employed amplicon pyrosequencing (Table 4). All other amplicon-based NGS studies addressed methanotrophs and mostly analyzed pmoA (i.e., encodes a gene of a subunit of the particulate methane monooxygenase). The use of amplicon pyrosequencing is a great step forward toward complete coverage of the real diversity that exists in a given habitat. In this review, the authors argue in favor to target structural genes of methanol utilizers. One advantage of the use of structural genes is the increased sensitivity since rare groups, such as methylotrophs in soil communities, can be more reliably detected than by a 16S rRNA gene-based survey. Several methylotrophs occur in taxa of which only some members are capable of methylotrophy (e.g., Bacillaceae; Tables 1 and 2). The detection of such methylotrophs by 16S rRNA genes can be misleading, and thus, another advantage of the use of genes encoding a methanol-oxidizing enzyme is that the detection of the gene marker is linked with the potential phenotype of MUT. Nonetheless, gene marker-based phylogenies are not always congruent with organismal phylogenies (i.e., due to horizontal gene exchange between distantly related bacteria or evolution of functionally slightly different enzymes in the same organism; Friedrich, 2002). In general, mxaF-based phylogenies correlate with organismal phylogenies on the level of families of methylotrophs (Kist and Tate, 2013a, b; Lau et al., 2013). However, for other genes (mdh2, mdo, mdh, mod1, mod2, mtaC) of methanol-oxidizing enzymes, congruence with organismal phylogenies needs to be evaluated.
TABLE 4. Use of amplicon pyrosequencing to analyze methylotrophic communities.
Recent evaluation of phylogenetic resolution of mxaF compared to organismal phylogenies revealed contradicting results (Kist and Tate, 2013a, b; Lau et al., 2013). The congruency with the 16S rRNA gene phylogeny and the resolution of mxaF is sufficient (except for some “anomalies”) in the non-methanotrophic genus Methylobacterium (affiliates with Alphaproteobacteria), i.e., the so-called pink-pigmented, facultatively methylotrophic (PPFM) bacteria (Kist and Tate, 2013a, b), and mxaF-based taxonomic resolution might be even higher than that of 16S rRNA genes (Kist and Tate, 2013b). Nonetheless, strain-level identification is not possible and requires the analysis of more variable genomic regions (Knief et al., 2008, 2010b). Some alphaproteobacterial genera harbor mxaF-like genes that are similar to those of Methylobacterium suggesting the occurrence horizontal gene transfer events in evolution of methylotrophs; Methylobacterium nodulans ORS 2060A carries a plasmid with methylotrophy genes including mxaF, suggesting that this species has acquired this gene from another PPFM bacterium (Kist and Tate, 2013a). Using mxaF as a phylogenetic marker of methanotrophic Proteobacteria revealed that the three major families Methylococcaceae, Methylocystaceae, and Beijerinckiaceae can be unambiguously reconstructed (Lau et al., 2013). Nonetheless, mxaF and 16S rRNA gene phylogenies differ on genus and species level (Lau et al., 2013). The loose coupling of mxaF phylogenies with 16S rRNA gene phylogenies is reflected by a low DNA-level similarity (about 77%) that relates to a 97% similarity cut-off on 16S rRNA gene sequence level, which is indicative for species. This low mxaF cut-off level even decreases when more species are considered (Stacheter et al., 2013) supporting the conclusion that horizontal gene transfer occurred between methylotrophs and non-methylotrophs. A frequently detected mxaF genotype in temperate aerated soils is closely related to the methanotroph Methyloferula stellata AR4. Nonetheless, due to lack of congruencies between mxaF and 16S rRNA gene phylogenies in Beijerinckiaceae, it cannot be judged if this mxaF genotype was derived from a methanotroph or a non-methanotrophic methylotroph (Lau et al., 2013; Stacheter et al., 2013). Thus, a more in-depth analysis of bacteria that harbor MxaFI-, XoxF-, and Mdh2-like MDHs on the level of genomes is warranted to improve the understanding of the role of horizontal gene transfer and convergences in these organisms aiming at a more correct interpretation of mxaF, xoxF-like, and mdh2 datasets retrieved from amplicon-based NGS.
In the era of metagenomics, -transcriptomics, and -proteomics, it is noteworthy to state that the knowledge on diversities of methanol-oxidizing enzymes will also facilitate the detection of such organisms and their metabolic pathways in “omic” datasets. An example is the detection of an actinobacterial MDO-like protein in a metaproteome of rice plants (Knief et al., 2012a). Since the Mdh2 or fungal MDOs have a broad substrate spectrum and may utilize alternative substrates (Nakagawa et al., 2006; Kalyuzhnaya et al., 2008; Gvozdev et al., 2012), their role in in situ methanol-oxidation based solely on the detection of their genes is ambiguous when their activity dependent on methanol in situ cannot be demonstrated. Moreover, many methylotrophs are capable of utilization of multicarbon compounds. Thus, the detection of a genotype does not necessarily mean that the respective microorganism was involved in methanol oxidation in situ. Hence, approaches combining gene marker-based nucleic acid stable isotope probing (SIP; Antony et al., 2010) or even together with protein SIP (Jehmlich et al., 2010) are promising to detect active methanol utilizers in terrestrial and other environments, and may allow for detection of novel oxidoreductases and microorganisms that utilize methanol in the environment. Still not resolved issues for a comprehensive detection of methanol utilizers are (a) the unresolved quantitative impact of organisms that employ other methanol-oxidizing enzymes than methanol-specific oxidoreductases, and (b) the detection of methanol utilizers that dissimilate but do not assimilate methanol-derived carbon. Such organisms might be detectable by SIP when using their actual carbon substrate as a source of isotope label combined with unlabeled methanol and a control, in which the labeled substrate is not supplemented.
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Wilson, S. M., Gleisten, M. P., and Donohue, T. J. (2008). Identification of proteins involved in formaldehyde metabolism by Rhodobacter sphaeroides. Microbiology 154, 296–305. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.2007/011346-0
Xin, Y. H., Zhou, Y. G., and Chen, W. X. (2006). Ancylobacter polymorphus sp. nov. and Ancylobacter vacuolatus sp. nov. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 56, 1185–1188. doi: 10.1099/ijs.0.64118-0
Xin, Y. H., Zhou, Y. G., Zhou, H. L., and Chen, W. X. (2004). Ancylobacter rudongensis sp nov., isolated from roots of Spartina anglica. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol.54, 385–388. doi: 10.1099/ijs.0.02466-0
Zhou, W. H., Das, A., Habel, J. E., Liu, Z. J., Chang, J., Chen, L. R., et al. (2005). Isolation, crystallization and preliminary X-ray analysis of a methanol-induced corrinoid protein from Moorella thermoacetica. Acta Crystallogr. Sect. F Struct. Biol. Cryst. Commun. 61, 537–540. doi: 10.1107/S1744309105010511
Keywords: methylotroph, PQQ MDH, PQQ MDH2, NAD MDH, FAD AO, mtaC, xoxF, mxaF′
Citation: Kolb S and Stacheter A (2013) Prerequisites for amplicon pyrosequencing of microbial methanol utilizers in the environment. Front. Microbiol. 4:268. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2013.00268
Received: 19 July 2013; Accepted: 19 August 2013;
Published online: 05 September 2013.
Marc Gregory Dumont, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Germany
Marina Kalyuzhnaya, University of Washington, USA
Svetlana N. Dedysh, Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
Copyright © 2013 Kolb and Stacheter. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Steffen Kolb, Department of Ecological Microbiology, University of Bayreuth, Dr.-Hans-Frisch-Str. 1-3, 95448 Bayreuth, Germany e-mail: steffen.kolb@uni-bayreuth.de
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The Political Debate We Need to Have
by Bruce Thornton
The media and pundits treat politics like a sport. The significance of the recent agreement to postpone the debt crisis until January, for instance, is really about which party won and which lost, which party’s tactics are liable to be more successful in the next election, and which politician is a winner and which a loser. But politics rightly understood is not about the contest of policies or politicians. It’s about the philosophical principles and ideas that create one policy rather than another—that’s what it should be about, at least.
From that point of view, the conflict between Democrats and Republicans concerns the size and role of the federal government, which is no surprise to anyone who even casually follows politics. But more important are the ideas that ground arguments for or against limited government. These ideas include our notions of human nature, and what motivates citizens when they make political decisions. Our political conflicts today reflect the two major ways Americans have answered these questions.
Illustration by Barbara Kelley
The framing of the Constitution itself was predicated on one answer, best expressed by Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli: “It is necessary to whoever arranges to found a Republic and establish laws in it, to presuppose that all men are bad and that they will use their malignity of mind every time they have the opportunity.” Throughout the debates during the Constitutional convention, the state ratifying conventions, and the essays in the Federalist, the basis of the Constitution was the view that human nature is flawed.
As Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist 6,men are “ambitious, vindictive and rapacious,” and are motivated by what James Madison called “passions and interests.” These destructive passions and selfish interests were particularly predominant among the masses, whose ignorance of political theory and history left them vulnerable to demagogues. Hence the people “are daily misled into the most baneful measures and opinions by the false reports circulated by designing men,” as Elbridge Gerry said during the Constitutional convention debates.
This low estimation of the people partly explains the “democracy deficit” in the original Constitution, which allowed the people to elect directly only the House of Representatives. But unlike Plato, who proposed an elite with superior wisdom to run the state justly and efficiently, early Americans believed the flaws of human nature were universal, and all men, no matter their wealth or intelligence, were corruptible. More important, they were firm believers in the tendency of concentrated power to corrupt, for power is “of an encroaching nature,” as George Washington and James Madison said, and is ever striving to increase its scope. Vanity, greed, pride, and selfishness, John Adams wrote, “are the same in all men, under all forms of simple government, and when unchecked, produce the same effects of fraud, violence, and cruelty.”
Universal human depravity thus precluded any simple form of government whether democratic, monarchical, or aristocratic. The solution of the framers was the mixed government in which the democratic House of Representatives, the aristocratic Senate, (chosen by the state legislatures), and the monarchical president (chosen by the Electoral College) would along with the judiciary divide the powers and functions of government and thus check and balance the tendency of each branch to maximize its power at the expense of the people’s freedom. As James Madison explained in Federalist 51, the “separate and distinct exercise of the different powers of government” would allow each branch “to resist the encroachment of the others,” for “ambition must be made to counteract ambition.”
Equally important was the principle of federalism, the protection of the power of the states evident in giving state legislatures the responsibility for selecting Senators and the presidential electors. Given the variety of conflicting interests among the states, Madison wrote in Federalist 10, there will be a “greater security afforded by a greater variety of parties, against the event of any one party being able to outnumber and oppress the rest,” and “greater obstacles opposed to the concert and accomplishment of the secret wishes of an unjust and interested majority.” Any selfish interest or violent passion “will be unable to spread a general conflagration through the other states,” and “the variety of sects dispersed over the entire face of it [the nation] must secure the national Councils against any danger from that source.” Just as the variety of interests and passions among the people will check and balance each other, so too will the variety of state interests check and balance the power of the federal government.
Starting in the late nineteenth century, a different view of human nature and its motivations developed. The Progressive movement rejected the Founders’ assumption of the universal depravity of human nature. Progressives believed human nature could be improved under the environmental pressures of technological, scientific, and economic changes. New “sciences” like sociology and psychology had developed that were discovering the material causes of human behavior whether social, economic, or political. From this knowledge came the technical means of alleviating the social and economic disruptions attending these changes. Masters of this new knowledge and the techniques for applying them, if given power, could apply these insights into governing and managing the state, and solving the new problems that had arisen from industrialization and technological change.
From the Progressive perspective, the Constitution and its structure of checks and balances were outmoded. Industrialization and technological development had created new problems that required a different form of federal government. According to Progressive president Theodore Roosevelt in his 1901 State of the Union speech, “The old laws, and the old customs which had almost the binding force of law, were once quite sufficient to regulate the accumulation and distribution of wealth. Since the industrial changes which have so enormously increased the productive power of mankind, they are no longer sufficient.”
Woodrow Wilson made the same argument. Politics must now be understood as a Darwinian process, and the Constitution must evolve to meet new circumstances. “All that progressives ask or desire,” Wilson wrote in 1913 in The New Freedom, “is permission—in an era when ‘development,’ ‘evolution,’ is the scientific word—to interpret the Constitution according to the Darwinian principle.”
The limited government of the Founders, then, was incapable of effective government given the developments in economic and social life that were changing human nature. The national interest could no longer be served by the state governments, the free market, or civil society A bigger and more powerful national government was necessary to control big business and corporations, and to more equitably distribute wealth and improve the general welfare. The clash of the various interests and passions of individuals and factions must be neutralized, and national unity must be created through a national government and its technocratic administration. The individual rights enshrined in the Constitution had to be redefined in terms of the larger society and its welfare.
The right to property, for example, so crucial for the framers, now must be “subject to the general right of the community to regulate its use to whatever degree the public welfare may require it,” as Theodore Roosevelt said in his famous “New Nationalism” speech delivered during the 1912 presidential campaign. Enforcing this concern for the “general right of the community” required a “policy of a far more active government interference with social and economic conditions.”
In his last State of the Union speech Roosevelt said, “The danger to American democracy lies not in the least in the concentration of administrative power in responsible and accountable hands. It lies in having the power insufficiently concentrated” to serve the unified interests of the collective people. Woodrow Wilson concurred. Imagining in The New Freedom the progressive utopia that would come into being once the existing politico-social order had been rebuilt by what Wilson calls political “architects” and “engineers,” he describes it as a structure “where men can live as a single community, co-operative as in a perfected, coordinated beehive.”
To achieve these aims, the federal government had to grow, with agencies and bureaus created to administer the laws and regulations presumably made necessary by new economic and social conditions. “There is scarcely a single duty of government which was once simple which is not now complex,” Woodrow Wilson wrote in his essay “The Study of Administration.” He went on to write: “The functions of government are every day becoming more complex and difficult, they are also vastly multiplying in number. Administration is everywhere putting its hands to new undertakings . . . Whatever holds of authority state or federal governments are to take upon corporations, there must follow cares and responsibilities which will require not a little wisdom, knowledge, and experience.”
This wisdom, knowledge, and experience will be the purview of those schooled in the new sciences, not the traditional wisdom and practical experience of the people pursuing their various and conflicting interests. As Progressive journalist Walter Lippmann wrote in 1914, “We can no longer treat life as something that has trickled down to us. We have to deal with it deliberately, devise its social organization, alter its tools, formulate its method, educate and control it. In endless ways we put intention where custom has reigned. We break up routines, make decisions, choose our ends, select means,” which we can do because “the great triumph of modern psychology is its growing capacity for penetrating to the desires that govern our thought.” The instrument of this process necessarily must be the federal government, now enriched by the Sixteenth Amendment, which in 1913 instituted a national income tax.
The Progressives, then, discarded the Founders’ vision of an eternally flawed human nature, and the Constitutional architecture that balanced and checked the tendency for people and factions to pursue their interests and maximize their power at the expense of others. Now a more powerful federal government––currently comprising over 500 agencies and offices, with 2.3 million employees costing $200 billion annually–– armed with new knowledge and backed by coercive federal power, will organize, regulate, and manage social and economic conditions to improve life and create a more just and equitable society.
But the Founders’ main motive in crafting the government they did was not to create utopia, but to protect the freedom of all from the dangers of concentrated power, whether this power was embodied in the majority or in a minority. As Alexander Hamilton said in Federalist 85, “I never expect to see a perfect work from imperfect man. The result of the deliberations of all collective bodies must necessarily be a compound, as well of the errors and prejudices, as of the good sense and wisdom, of the individuals of whom they are composed.” A powerful minority of federal technocrats unaccountable to the people is no exception to the maxim that “power is of an encroaching nature,” its growth always coming at the expense of freedom.
These are the two visions behind the politics of debt and government spending that are necessary for financing a technocratic big government. The outcome of the budget negotiations next January and February will reflect which idea triumphs: that of government limited to protect the autonomy and freedom of flawed humans, or that of big government creating a better world for perfectible humans through entitlement spending financed by taxes and debt. That is the debate we need to be having.
Bruce Thornton
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Heritage Hotels located in the Hill Stations of India
May 30, 2018 March 1, 2019 Debasree Chakraborty
History lies in every nook and corner of India, so how can the scenic hills of India remain untouched? Trace the roots of heritage and charm of olden days with heritage hotels of India. Located in the beautiful hill stations of India, these heritage hotels help you bask in the days of the yore. From ancient times to the days of the British Raj, the hill towns have witnessed quite a vast and interesting history. Take a peek into the past with palatial mansions equipped with royal facilities. Get away with your family, partner or friends and walk through history at these breathtaking locales.
Here is our list of the best heritage hotels in India located in the scenic hill stations of the country.
Ananda in Himalayas, Narender Nagar, Uttarakhand
Named among the best spa resorts in India, Ananda in the Himalayas is also a witness to ancient Indian legacy. The resort occupies the grounds former royal palace of Narendra Nagar, of the Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal, in Uttarakhand. The princely summer home the Shah family, the residence has witnessed history in the making.
In the days of the British Raj, the luxury property had welcomed Viceroys and people of eminence including Mahatma Gandhi and Mira Ben. Post-independence, and the removal of princely titles, the royal family opened their home to a spiritual retreat for guests. The thought of transforming into one of the premier relaxing spa resorts in the country, came from Ma Anandmayi -the well-known spiritual guide who often visited the palace and is marked by her holy presence. The blessed environs helps rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit.
Highlights: The heritage hotel cum luxury spa resort is one of the best options to bask in the bliss of mountains. Ayurveda therapies, yoga and various wellness programs enhance the delight.
Kasmanda Palace, Mussoorie
Kasmanda Palace easily makes it name of the list of heritage hotels at the hill stations of India. Originally a part of the Christ Church complex built in 1836, it is one of the oldest buildings in Mussoorie. The historic landmark of charming hill town of Uttarakhand, was designed by Captain Rennie Tailour of the Bengal Engineers.
From being a retreat for the British forces to one of the first schools to be set up at Mussoorie, Kasmanda has witnessed history in the making. In 1915, the royal mansion became the summer retreat of the royal family of Kasmanda, one of the premier Taluqdaris of Awadh. Finally in 1992, the 6-generation residence was transformed into a Heritage Boutique Hotel under the name of the Kasmanda Palace. The lavish retreat in the mountains calls for a break from schedules and for a rendezvous with the hills.
Highlights: Experience elegance of another time. Whispers of forest-clad hills, 150-year old architecture, old-world charm, and host of luxury amenities take you on a relaxed holiday.
Fortune the Savoy Hotel, Mussoorie
Built on the turn of the 20th century, The Savoy Hotel of Mussoorie is epitome of old-world charm. Since it has opened its guests in 1902, high-ranking officers of the British Raj, many renowned Raja-Maharajas to politicians, writers, famous persons and even India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru have been guests of the heritage hotel.
Envisioned by Irish Barrister, Cecil D. Lincoln, The Savoy Hotel was built to be a retreat for pleasure at Mussoorie, the upcoming hub of the British Raj. The fine specimen of Gothic architecture was equipped with Edwardian furnishings, Steinway pianos, billiard tables, champagne crates, cider barrels and oak floor furnishings. Bullock carts traveled through the winding mountain roads from Dehradun to make the hotel a vision. If the idea of your holiday is a mix of the bliss of the hills and the charming heritage, then this is harmonious setting is truly unrivalled.
Highlights: The very setting of Savoy is enamoring. Having inspired writers, painters and so many more, the luxury hotel takes you back to the days of the yore.
Naini Retreat, Nainital
Naini Retreat, nestled in the beautiful hill town of Nainital is one of the charming heritage hotels. The strikingly beautiful palatial building was once the residence of the Maharaja of Pilibhit. Built on the picturesque Ayarpatta Slopes at 1,995 meters, the palace enjoys a breathtaking view of the Naini Lake. If the charm of the hills excites you and the olden times appeal to you, then Naini Retreat combines them both creating a holiday at a historic luxury hotel.
Intended to merge natural beauty with grandeur, the palace has been lovingly maintained and enhanced with contemporary facilities. A tryst with history with new-age pleasures, get away for a memorable holiday in the charming hill town of Uttarakhand.
Highlights: Relax in the lap of nature with royal hospitality. Comfy lodging, lavish dining, pampering wellness programs and excursion provide cherished experiences.
Amber Vermont Estate, Mussoorie
Moving on, Amber Vermont Estate in Mussoorie is one of the charming options of stay in the hills. The beautiful retreat in Himalayas, Vermont is one of the oldest estates built by a Britisher.
In the early 1800’s, Vermont was part of a grand estate called Logie Estate, which was owned by the famous Dr. Hugh Falconer known to discover the remains of fossil mammals in the Siwalik Hills of India. In the latter half of the 19th century, Vermont was built- a charming traditional English cottage in the lap of scenic Himalayas. Read More…
Highlights: Breathe in the beauty of the lush hills, marvel at the charming English-style architecture, enjoy the lavish hospitality and experience bliss like never before.
The Claridges Nabha Residence, Mussoorie
Another beautiful memory of the olden times in the heart of the mountains, next on our list, we have The Claridges Nabha Residence in Mussoorie. Once upon a time, the residence of the Maharaja of Nabha, it has hosted and entertained British officials, Nawabs, Rajahs and Maharajahs. Though time has changed this heritage resort still pampers its guest’s similarly.
Lost in the passage of time, the property was neglected for long. Fully restored by Claridges, the Nabha Residence has been transformed into a relaxing getaway in the hills. It is named among the top heritage hotels in India.
Highlights: Experience unmatched stay in the beautiful town of Mussoorie. Overlooking the pictorial beauty, the historic property has been equipped a range of modern comforts. Cozy rooms, lavish dining, soothing spa treatments that range from ancient India therapies to practices from around the world. Recuperate in natural harmony in the palatial residence.
Ferrnhills Royale Palace, Ooty
Settled in the beautiful environs of Nilgiris in Ooty, Ferrnhills Royale Palace is a luxury heritage hotel with ancient legacy. Reverberating with the charm of the bygone days, the royal resort has the roots of the British Raj and the extravagant glory of the Wadiyar dynasty.
Built during the British Raj in 1844 by Capt. F. Cotton, the Fernhills has witnessed history in the making. Till the mid-1860s, the estate has changed several hands. Temporarily named Moonesami, it was one of the earliest club hotels in Ooty. Another fascinating story of the heritage hotel is, the twelve-year old Prince, His Highness Chamarajendra Wadiyar X had bought the 40 acres of Ferrnhills property for Rs. 10,000 in 1873. Now, the property is successfully run by Her Highness Promoda Devi.
Highlights: Spread over 50 acres, the luxury WelcomHeritage property enjoys views of sprawling forests, tea gardens, lawns, valleys and misty hills. Finished with Burmese teak, the resort features a magnificent ballroom, ornate ceiling, royal suites, lavish dining and cherished experiences.
Taj Savoy Hotel, Ooty
A beautiful retreat in the Nilgiris, the Savoy Hotel Ooty is a memory of the British Raj. Now a luxury property of the Taj Group of Hotels, the property is counted among the luxury properties in the hill station in India with historic roots.
Built during 1834 – 1865, the cottages of Savoy Hotel exudes an old-world charm. Refurbished with modern facilities, the old English allure is not amiss. The pleasant Victorian cottages done in rich wood-work are surrounded by huge manicured lawns and colorful flower beds. Cozy furniture, plethora of old artefacts like wooden spears, glass chandeliers, closets and a well-maintained heritage car parked under the shade of a well-manicured tree add to the colonial bliss.
Highlights: The Savoy Hotel enjoys the breathtaking view of Ooty-its lush tea gardens, misty hill tops, lush valleys and natural splendor. The charming setup is the ideal retreat for families, couples on honeymoon, nature lovers and people who would want to experience history.
Lymond House, Ooty
Nestled in the ‘Queen of Hills’ Ooty, Lymond House is a property where time has stopped. Standing as the testimony of the British era, the property spells of old world charm. The addition of modern conveniences, the breathtaking location and experiences simply makes Lymond House one of the best options to enjoy a holiday in Ooty.
Dating back to 1855, the mansion was owned by a British gentleman who was enamored by Ooty. Even 150 years later, when guests from all over the world pay a visit here, they can experience the love for the pictorial hill town with the elegance of the bygone days at the heritage hotel. Opulent décor, fireplaces, graceful furnishings, sprawling lawns, antique beds, dressers, floorboards and more take you back to the days of the yore.
Highlights: Soak in the 150-year old charm. The rooms are named after beautiful cities of Ireland, England and other fascinating names. The slow pace of Ooty combined with a stay at the mansion will be therapy from grueling daily schedules.
Kluney Manor, Ooty
Taking forward with our list of charming heritage hotels in the hill stations of India, we have Kluney Manor. Nestled in the lap of scenic Ooty, surrounded by panoramic views, the Victorian Suite Hotel lovingly retains the olden days, making for a cherished stay for all.
Starting with the history of Kulney Manor, it was built way back in 1800s. A Captain Macpherson of the British Army and team were entrusted the job of building a road to Ooty, then Ootacamund ‘Queen of Hill Stations’. After years of toil, pleased with their work, the British Queen rewarded them with vast tracts of land in the area. Many sold their lands and returned to England but Captain had fallen in love with Ooty and built Kluney Manor. Later the manor became the Maharaja of Patna’s summer hideaway. Now it stands as one of the charming luxury resorts of Ooty.
Highlights: An ode to Ooty, the loving way the manor was built steals your heart. The Manor provides a break from hustle bustle of life with comfy furnishings, lavish dining, pampering spa treatments and other experiences.
Stok Palace Heritage Hotel, Ladakh
Historic and extremely beautiful, Ladakh ‘the Land of High Passes’ has one of the best heritage hotels in India, the Stok Palace. Built in 1822 by the royal family of Namgyal as a smaller retreat across the Indus River. A decade later, the old and proud kingdom had ceased to exist but the Palace stands in their marvelous glory.
Settled atop a small hill overlooking the Stok Valley and Indus Valley, Stok is very much a living palace. It is still home to the 50-year-old Raja Jigmed Wangchuk Namgyal. A decade ago, the royal palace was restored from ruin and refurbished with modern amenities yet retaining its grandeur. The doors were opened as it became one of the unique heritage hotels in India.
Highlights: Stay at Stok Place is nothing less than a dream come true. When the location is Ladakh and the lodgings are an almost 200-years old palace then the feeling is unmatched. Learn about Buddhist traditions, the hard way of life of Ladakhi and embark on adventures.
Hotel Tripura Castle, Shillong
Next on our list of heritage hotels we have a hotel in North East India that combines scenic beauty of hills with history. The royal Tripura Castle was built in the early 1920’s, as a summer retreat for the royal family of the Manikya dynasty. The Maharaja of Tripura had fallen in love with Shillong and wanted to enjoy the bliss. His home is the epitome of romance of the royal king with the beauty. It is said that Rabindranath Tagore, the Noble Laureate had often stayed in the castle and enjoyed the hospitality of the Manikyas.
Nestled atop a hill, spread over 9 acres of green, the luxury resort is a charming reminder of the olden days. The royal traditions and setting have been preserved carefully with the addition of modern conveniences and truly delightful experience.
Highlights: Enjoy the charming beauty of Shillong along with stay at comfy lodgings. Food is a pleasure here as the unique gastronomy of the North East India, the delightful taste of tea and
The Palace Hotel, Chail
Nestled in the breathtaking beauty of a serene town of Himachal Pradesh, The Palace Hotel Chail is named among the best heritage hotels in India. Built in 1891, by Maharaja of Patiala Bhupinder Singh, the palace enjoys lavish comforts, regal setting and delightful experiences.
As the story goes, Lord Kitchener of the British colonial army, enraged by Maharaja of Patiala had expelled him from Shimla. The king then shifted his summer capital to the beautiful town of Chail and built the magnificent palace that stands till date. Spread over 75 acres, the palace has a wide variety of opulent cottages, suites and rooms. The ornate furniture, the old-world setting and pictorial environs make it the ideal getaway in the hills.
Highlights: The gracious mansion of the Maharaja of Patiala Bhupinder Singh, was built in defiance of the British Raj. Built in grandeur that is unrivalled treats all guests as royalty. Not only enjoy the charm of the bygone days, go exploring the nature trails, embark on thrilling expeditions and more.
Clarkes Hotel, Shimla
One of the oldest hotels in Shimla, the Clarkes has been the hub of tourists since the British Raj. Built in 1898, the Grand Heritage Hotel is a testament of the British era. Embodying the elegance and charm of yesteryears, the magnificent colonial bungalow, gently takes you back to the days of the yore. The addition of modern conveniences and the world class hospitality, simple enhance the bliss.
Since the hotel opened its doors for guests it has been treating them to unmatched experiences. Settled in the very centre of the town, it enjoys proximity to the charming heritage sites of Shimla. Along with a lavish stay at the hotel, the Shimla Railway Station, Gaiety Theatre, Gorton Castle, Rothney Castle, many churches and other colonial era buildings keep you fascinated with the grandeur of the times gone by. Read More…
Highlights: An oasis of the olden days in the rapidly developing town of Shimla, the heritage hotel offers the perfect option to enjoy holidays with families, partner or friends. Bask in the bliss of Shimla, especially the colonial era.
Taragarh Palace, Kangra
Enveloped in the beauty and bliss of Himalayas, The Taragarh Palace of Kangra is next on our list of heritage hotels in India located in the hill stations. Settled majestically at a height of 1,000 meters, spread over 15 acres of lush forests and tea gardens, the palace is a majestic creation. Built in 1951 as a summer resort for the Royal Family of Jammu & Kashmir, the Taragarh Palace later became a Heritage Hotel in 1971.
Enjoy splendid views of the snow-clad ranges of the Dhauladhar Mountains in addition to royal décor, lavish pleasures and amazing experiences.
Highlights: Taragarh Palace is more of an experience than a hotel. Indulge in exploring the traditional Buddhist connections. Embark on the mountain trails. Get pampered with curated spa experiences. Fall in love with mountains. Indian traditions will simply make your stay memorable.
Woodville Palace, Shimla
In the heart of Shimla, lies is a royal residence which became one of the charming heritage hotels in the picturesque hill station of India. The Woodville Palace was the former summer residence of the Raja Rana of Jubbal, a pre-independence kingdom of the Shimla Hill States. Now it is a delightful option for guest to indulge in the days of the yore in addition to indulge in luxuries.
Step into the Woodville Palace and feel transported to the past when Shimla was the summer capital of the Raj. You could relive the gala dinners and tea parties when British Socialites mingled with Indian Aristocracy. Currently owned and maintained by the descendants of the Jubbal Royal family, the hotel is not run like a typical chain hotel but experiential travel experience.
Highlights: Away from the city limits of Shimla, nestled in 4 acres of greenery, the Woodville Place is majestic building. Inspired from the 1930’s art deco era, the palace has a unique. Ornate furnishings, artefacts of the royal family including a large number of photographs and other memorabilia make it a unique getaway.
Oberoi Wildflower Hall, Shimla
The Wildflower Hall of Shimla is wrapped in history. Dating back to the days of the British Raj, when Shimla was the frequent getaway of the official and dignitaries, the hill town reverberated with grandeur and elegance. Lord Kitchener, the then Commander in Chief of the British Army in India kept a summer home in the town to be in the centre of the activity. His charming home was later converted into a hotel and has since than passed many hands, before being razed in a fire. Oberoi Group built the Wildflower Hall property in 1995, recreating the century old charm and designs.
Experience the rekindled charm of the olden days. The rooms, furnishings, setting and everything hint at the former days of Shimla when the colonials made the foreign land their own home. The heritage hotel located in the favorite hill station of India is a worthy experience.
Highlights: Owned by the Oberoi group, Wildflower Hall combines the charm of the past with the luxuries of today. From pampering wellness programs, royal stay, dining, to expeditions in the mountains, this is the pleasure retreat of Shimla.
Oberoi Cecil, Shimla
The list of the best heritage hotels in India is incomplete without a mention of Oberoi Cecil. The beautiful hotel in Shimla has been witness to a vast history. From quite modest beginnings in 1883 as a one storied house, with its famous inhabitant- Rudyard Kipling, the hotel became the address no one would like to miss when thinking of a holiday in Shimla. In the days of British Raj, it acquired the reputation of famous Balls, dance shows, gala dinners and so much more. Equally fascinating is the tale of Mohan Singh Oberoi, a diligent worker at Cecil, who rose ranks and ultimate went on to own the hotel.
After extensive renovation from 1984 to 1997, Cecil was restored to its past glory. Oberoi Group of Hotels simply made it unmissable with their signature, adding their luxury experiences. Till date it Oberoi Cecil is the most sought for memorable holidays in Shimla.
Highlights: Lavish rooms, opulent decor, royal dining, wellness experiences, expeditions in the hills and many more cherished experiences await at Oberoi Cecil. The 130-yaer old heritage takes you back to the olden days.
Judge Court, Pragpur
The pictorial town of Pragpur in the Kangra Valley has a beautiful secret, the medieval property named Judge Court. Built in 1918 by Bhandhari Ram for his son, Justice Sir Jai Lal, the property has a hint of Indo-European touch to it. The 300-year old ancestral cottage at an elevation of 2000 ft. in the Kangra Valley is untouched by the passage of time. Modern development has not disturbed the charm and is wrapped in the charm of the olden days.
The country manor overlooking the mighty Himalayas, located in the heritage town is a delightful place for vacations. Experience the slow pace of life.
Highlights: If time has stopped anywhere, then it is the medieval property of Judge Court. Even the addition of modern conveniences do not hurry up the pace. Rejuvenate in the bliss of the medieval way of life, carefully preserved in the heritage property.
Urvashi’s Retreat, Manali
Snuggled in the picturesque environs of Manali, Urvashi’s Retreat is a delightful option for vacation. The 100-year old summer home of Urvashi Singh’ family has been transformed into a boutique resort.
Built in traditional Himalayan architecture, combining the old with the new, the cottage is decorated with classic Victorian furniture, luxurious fittings and rich traditional textures. When the destination is the hill stations of India and the stay at this charming cottage, you will have an experience of a lifetime. The family introduces you to the age-old life of mountains. Bask in the bliss at the family home.
Highlights: Charming in every way, the cottage is the perfect getaway form cities into the very harmonious bliss of the mountains.
Netuk House, Gangtok
An ode to the bygone days in the lap of north East in Gangtok, next we come to Netuk House. Built by Gellong Netuk Lama, counselor to the then Chogyal (Monarch) of Sikkim in in the late 1950’s, the house is been a hub of activity. The home-stay has for long served guests. Though decades have gone by, the house is still sought for its traditional hospitality, opulent accommodation, and its hospitality.
Highlights: If your holiday is all about Sikkimese beauty, traditions and having a good time, the Netuk House fulfils all categories. Settled in the very heart of Gangtok, overlooking the mighty Mt. Kanchenjunga, the hotel captures in essence everything you seek in Sikkim.
The Elgin Nor-Khill, Gangtok
Last but not the least on our list of heritage hotels in hill stations of India we have, The Elgin Nor-Khill in the beautiful hill town of Gangtok. The splendid building has quite an interesting tale to it. Nor-Khill” translates to the “house of jewels”, which here refers to the natural wealth of mountains, valleys, flowers and fruits. The Chogyal (King of Sikkim) favored the beauty of Nor-Khill. He would set his easel here, and spend hours recreating the scenery with paints.
In 1932, the King of Sikkim, ordered the building of Nor-Khill around a beautiful garden, to serve as royal guesthouse for heads of states and dignitaries. With the passage of time, the charming property opened its doors for guests. The beauty that had captured the interest of the King very much exits till date, enamoring guests of the hotel.
Highlights: Marvel at the typical Sikkimese architecture, enjoy the serenity of the blissful ambiance of the mountains while indulging in modern luxuries. The view of Mt. Kanchenjunga only adds to the pleasures of staying here.
Debasree Chakraborty
A travel writer by profession and self-professed addict to literature, momos, dancing, music and travelling, Debasree Chakraborty has all interesting things to share. Go through her penned down travel experiences and collected intelligence in her write ups. Read on!
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Ty Pfeifer
Bird River Resources Announces AGM Results
Winnipeg, MB: Bird River Resources Inc. (BDR:CSE) (“BDR” or the “Corporation”) reports that, at the 2017 Annual and Special Meeting of shareholders held in Winnipeg on April 19, 2018, all matters set forth in the management information circular were approved by the shareholders. Jon Bridgman (CEO), Ed Thompson (Secretary Treasurer), Donal Carroll, Ty Pfeifer and David Walters were elected to the board of directors for the 2018 fiscal year. Also, the shareholders approved the re-appointment of Magnus LLP Chartered Professional Accountants as the Company’s auditors.
During the AGM Mr. Bridgman discussed the Company’s previous news release dated April 11, 2018 that announced the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSE”) advised the Company that trading of the Company’s shares on the CSE has been temporarily halted pending the Company providing the CSE with additional disclosure with respect to its previously announced acquisition of High Point Oil Inc. Management is preparing a response to meet all compliance requirements, ensuring trading will resume as quickly as possible. Management would like to continue to stress that the cease trade does not impact day to day operations. Drilling locations have been selected and are being licenced. Drilling will commence as soon as the ground dries up after an extended and harsh Alberta winter. The capital required for this drilling program has been set aside by the company.
About Bird River Resources Inc.
Established in 1958, Bird River Resources Inc. is a Canadian natural resources company focused on three verticals within the energy sector; Oil & Gas, Cogeneration and Technology. The Oil & Gas vertical was recently expanded through the acquisition of High Point Oil Inc. and focuses on the acquisition, exploration and development of petroleum and natural gas in the Western Canadian Basin. The cogeneration vertical is a joint venture with Divestco focused on the conversion of natural gas to electricity at exceptionally low rates. The Technology vertical focuses on the application of technologies such as blockchain to identified opportunities within the energy and technology sectors, including the establishment of a leading, ultra low-cost cryptocurrency mining centre through a partnership with Divestco.
Additional information on the Company is available on its websites at birdriverresources.com and highpointoil.net, and on SEDAR at sedar.com.
Bird River Resources Inc. (birdriverresources.com)
Jon Bridgman, CEO
Bird River Resources Inc.
jonbirdriver@gmail.com
This news release is for information purposes only and no statement herein should be considered an offer or a solicitation of an offer for the purchase or sale of any securities and may contain forward looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs as well as a number of assumptions about future events and words such as may, should, could, will, expect, anticipate, estimate, believe, intend, project should not be taken out of context.
NEITHER THE CSE NOR ITS MARKET REGULATOR (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE CSE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PRESS RELEASE.
Scott Pfeifer
Bird River Resources Reports Halt on Trading
Winnipeg, MB: Bird River Resources Inc. (CSE:BDR) (the “Company”) announces that the Canadian Securities Exchange (the “CSE”) advised the Company that trading of the Company’s shares on the CSE has been temporarily halted pending the Company providing the CSE with additional disclosure with respect to its previously announced acquisition of High Point Oil Inc. (“High Point”) by way of a share exchange (the “Transaction”). The CSE has advised the Company that the Transaction, together with certain changes in the composition of the Company’s management and the Company’s previously announced joint ventures with Divestco Inc. (“Divestco”), may collectively constitute a “fundamental change” pursuant to the policies of the CSE.
The Company intends to work diligently to address the CSE’s concerns, including, if required by the CSE, by preparing and filing a CSE Form 2A Listing Statement with the CSE. The Company will issue a further news release when the trading halt is lifted.
Established in 1958, Bird River Resources Inc. is a Canadian natural resources company focused on three verticals within the energy sector – Oil & Gas, Cogeneration and Technology. The Oil & Gas vertical was recently expanded through the acquisition of High Point Oil Inc. and focuses on the acquisition, exploration and development of petroleum and natural gas in the Western Canadian Basin. The cogeneration vertical is a joint venture with Divestco focused on the conversion of natural gas to electricity at exceptionally low rates. The Technology vertical focuses on the application of technologies such as blockchain to identified opportunities within the energy and technology sectors, including the establishment of a leading, ultra low-cost cryptocurrency mining centre through a partnership with Divestco.
Email: jonbirdriver@gmail.com
Bird River Resources & Divestco Partner to Create Low-Cost Cryptocurrency Mining Centre
Turnkey data infrastructure, in-house technical expertise and low-cost electricity at
1.4 cents per kilowatt hour drive competitive advantage
Calgary, AB: Bird River Resources Inc. (CSE: BDR) (“Bird River”) and Divestco Inc. (TSXV: DVT) (“Divestco”) today announced a joint venture to create a high volume, cost-effective commercial cryptocurrency mining operation based in Calgary, Alberta using existing infrastructure.
This follows a previously announced joint cogeneration agreement under which the two companies have joined forces to produce low-cost electricity by converting natural gas to electricity. The cryptocurrency mining operation will benefit with an estimated cost of electricity at approximately 1.4 cents per kilowatt hour compared to the Canadian industry average cost of electricity at approximately 6 cents per kilowatt hour. “Electricity is one of the largest expenses in running a commercial cryptocurrency mining operation. Securing low-cost electricity through our joint cogeneration facility provides us with an impressive competitive advantage,” said Ty Pfeifer, Director of Bird River Resources. “Furthermore, we are able to utilize Divestco’s existing data centre infrastructure, providing an even further substantial cost advantage in bringing our venture to the forefront of Canada’s cryptocurrency mining industry. Building a similar data centre would cost in excess of $5 million.”
Under the agreement, Bird River will pay for 100% of the capital cost of acquiring mining rigs for cryptocurrency mining operations. Divestco will provide the infrastructure for the cryptocurrency mining activity including climate-controlled space, racking equipment for up to 3,000 mining rigs, and personnel with specific expertise in crypto mining. Divestco will operate the data centre and all the crypto data mining rigs. Revenue, net of operating expenses, will be split with 80% of revenue to Bird River Resources and 20% of revenue to Divestco until such time that the original capital cost has been fully recouped, and will thereafter be split 50/50 between the two companies.
“We are pleased that the substantial investment we’ve made in our state-of-the-art data
centre will be utilized for this joint venture, and that existing IT resources can easily be augmented with expertise to run the cryptocurrency mining operations,” said Stephen
Popadynetz, President and CEO of Divestco. “We see great promise in this joint enterprise becoming Canada’s leader in cryptocurrency mining with the infrastructure, expertise and
low cost electricity that set us above the rest.”
Established in 1958, Bird River Resources (CSE: BDR) is a Canadian natural resources
company focused on three verticals within the energy sector – Oil & Gas, Cogeneration and Technology. The Oil & Gas vertical was recently expanded through the acquisition of High Point Oil and focuses on the acquisition, exploration and development of petroleum and natural gas in the Western Canadian Basin. The cogeneration vertical is a joint venture with Divestco Inc. focused on the conversion of natural gas to electricity at exceptionally low rates. The Technology vertical focuses on the application of technologies such as blockchain to identified opportunities within the energy and technology sectors, including the establishment of a leading, ultra low-cost cryptocurrency mining centre through a partnership with Divestco. For more information, visit birdriverresources.com and divestco.com.
About Divestco Inc.
Divestco is an exploration services company that provides a comprehensive and
integrated portfolio of data, software, and services to the oil and gas industry. Through
continued commitment to align and bundle products and services to generate value for
customers, Divestco is creating an unparalleled set of integrated solutions and unique
benefits for the marketplace. Divestco’s breadth of data, software and services offers
customers the ability to access and analyze the information required to make business
decisions and to optimize their success in the upstream oil and gas industry. Divestco is
headquartered in Calgary and trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol
“DVT”. Additional information on Divestco is available on its website at divestco.com and
on SEDAR at sedar.com.
Bird River Resources Oil & Gas Operational Update
Calgary, AB: Bird River Resources Inc. (CSE: BDR) (“Bird River” or the “Company”) today announces an operational update on its Oil & Gas business vertical.
Bird River is pleased to announce that the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has granted
High Point Oil Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bird River, eligibility to hold licenses for all types of wells, facilities and pipelines. The Company has now achieved a significant step towards its inaugural drilling program, which will commence immediately following the
Spring breakup.
“Our 3D seismic has identified 20 drilling locations to date and we now have the AER eligibility status to continue down our path of growth for our Oil & Gas business,” said Ty Pfeifer, Director of Bird River.
Applications for well licenses are underway. Drilling is planned after the Spring breakup to
avoid the increased risk and cost of running a drill program during the problematic thaw
cycle.
The Company has also expanded its drilling inventory with the acquisition of several new petroleum leases. In addition to the 20 drilling locations already established, more drilling locations are expected to be identified as the Company expands its 3D seismic database. It is anticipated that some of these incremental locations will also be added to the Company’s 2018 drilling program.
Established in 1958, Bird River Resources is a Canadian natural resources company focused on three verticals within the energy sector – Oil & Gas, Cogeneration and Technology. The Oil & Gas vertical was recently expanded through the acquisition of High Point Oil and focuses on the acquisition, exploration and development of petroleum and natural gas in the Western Canadian Basin. The cogeneration vertical is a joint venture with Divestco Inc. focused on the conversion of natural gas to electricity at exceptionally low rates. The Technology vertical focuses on the application of technologies such as blockchain to identified opportunities within the energy and technology sectors.
Additional information on Bird River is available on its websites at birdriverreources.com
and highpointoil.net, and on SEDAR at sedar.com.
This news release is for information purposes only and no statement herein should be considered an offer or a solicitation of an offer for the purchase or sale of any securities and may contain forward looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs as well as a number of assumptions about future events and words such as may, should, could, will, expect, anticipate, estimate, believe, intend, project should not be taken out of context. No stock exchange or securities commission has reviewed the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
440 2 Avenue SW, Suite 430
Calgary, AB T2P 5E9
1 Adelaide Street E., Suite 801
Toronto, ON M5C 2V9
High Point Oil is a subsidiary of
ir@birdriverresources.com
Suite 430 - 440 2 Avenue SW
Toll-Free Emergency Response
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AHA Teaching & Learning Teaching Resources for Historians Sixteen Months to Sumter Newspaper Index St. Louis Daily Missouri Republican Mr. Lincoln's Speeches
Mr. Lincoln's Speeches
St. Louis Daily Missouri Republican, February 15, 1861
The speeches of Mr. LINCOLN, since the commencement of his progress to Washington, have been looked for with great interest, in the hope that they might give some inkling of his Administrative policy, and present, also, some insight into the character of the man. So far as his policy is concerned, it may be said that he did not use too strong terms to his Kentucky visitor, when, after being told that the Kentucky Legislature had, by nearly an unanimous vote, passed resolutions against Coercion of the Seceding States, he told Kentucky to "prepare for war." His speech at Indianapolis is in perfect consonance with this idea. The forts, arsenals, mint and custom-houses, in possession of the Seceding States must be retaken, according to the President, and to do this the army must be called into requisition, as well as the navy, and so civil war begins—the North against the South, and the latter to be subjugated at all hazards.
Mr. LINCOLN may begin this war if he likes it, but the end of his term will see him further than ever from the object in view, nor can he ever bring back the slave States into the Union by the employment of a military force; and if coercion be attempted—if war be made in the territory of the Border States, he will meet an army at the threshold quite powerful enough to destroy him.
At Columbus, Ohio, the President improvised a little—and certainly it is the most remarkable speech on record. The burden of it is that "nobody is hurt"—"nobody is suffering" from the present condition of affairs, pecuniary and political. Was the like of that ever heard? What could he have meant? With a perfect knowledge that the Union has been virtually dissolved—that six of the States have renounced this confederacy and formed a new government; with official information that the government was bankrupt, and that on the 4th of March not a dollar will be found in the Treasury, but pressing demands for at least eight millions, acknowledged to be due, but without the means of payment; with a knowledge that the Secretary of the Treasury had asked for means of any kind to meet the necessities of the office, and that even the indorsement of States had been solicited to give character to the national credit; with a congressional appropriation of the credit of the United States for from fifty to sixty-five millions of dollars, authorized for the ordinary wants of the Government; with communications before him, stating that not a dollar of money could be obtained by him for carrying on his government until all difficulties between the States are settled—he proceeds to tell us, that "nobody is hurt," and "nobody is suffering," from the present condition of the country.
"Nobody hurt—nobody suffering"—what does this mean? We ask the people of St. Louis to respond to this inquiry? How has it happened that commerce is checked in every department; that our merchants are forced to curtail, and even to close their business; that hundreds and thousands of worthy men are thrown out of employment, and left with their families to starve—how is this the case if, according to Mr. LINCOLN, there is "no suffering?" What say you, men of the foundries, and of the machine shops, and of the factories, and the carpenter shops, and of all the other industrial classes, is there no suffering among you, and in your families? What say the masons, and the bricklayers, and the men who aid in building houses, is there "no suffering" among you since Mr. LINCOLN's election? Have you full employment and good wages, and are you happy in your present condition of want, if not poverty? What say the draymen, the laborers, the men who strive for honest employment, and yet cannot get it, are you not "suffering," and are you not "hurt" by the present condition of affairs, growing out of the election of Mr. LINCOLN? Politically and socially, did the United States ever present such an aspect of complete wreck and abandonment, and yet Mr. LINCOLN tells us "nobody is hurt" and "nobody is suffering!"
So, too, we have no doubt that the Black Republicans of this city will tell us, that all is prosperous; that, though we have reached the starvation-point, it is incumbent on us that we should vote their ticket for the Convention; that it may become necessary, but it is for our wholesome, that they should shoot down some portion of the people on Monday next; that they have organized for this purpose, and it would be wrong for us to deprive the "Black Guard" of this pastime. Mr. LINCOLN's Columbus speech and the entertainments provided for the people in the lower wards of the city bear no little similarity to each other, in the indifference which they manifest for the welfare and the peace of society.
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Death Place Matching "Pebble Beach, California, USA" (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)
1. Jane Bryan
Actress | Each Dawn I Die
Warner was grooming Bryan for stardom in the late 1930s when she met and married the love of her life, Justin Dart, head of the Rexall Drug empire. An ardent Republican, he became one of Ronald Reagan's most trusted advisors.
2. Peter Baldwin
Director | The Wonder Years
Peter Baldwin was born on January 11, 1931 in Winnetka, Illinois, USA as Peter DuBois Baldwin. He was a director and actor, known for The Wonder Years (1988), The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) and Stalag 17 (1953). He was married to Terry Lee Finkel and Emi De Sica. He died on November 19, 2017 in ...
3. Allen Funt
Producer | Money Talks
Allen Funt was born on September 16, 1914 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for Money Talks (1972), The New Candid Camera (1974) and Candid Candid Camera Volume 5 (1986). He was married to Marilyn Funt and Evelyn Michael. He died on September 5, 1999 in Pebble ...
4. True Boardman
Writer | Pardon My Sarong
True Boardman was born on October 25, 1909 in Seattle, Washington, USA as William True Boardman Jr. He was a writer and actor, known for Pardon My Sarong (1942), Arabian Nights (1942) and Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942). He was married to Kathleen Gilmour and Thelma Boardman. He died on July 28, 2003 in ...
5. Hank Ketcham
Writer | Dennis the Menace
Hank Ketcham was born on March 14, 1920, in Seattle; he wanted to be a cartoonist since age 6. In 1938, Hank left college after his freshman year. He went to California to work as an animator, first for Walter Lantz, creator of Woody Woodpecker. Later Hank worked for Walt Disney, where he helped ...
6. Robert L. Lippert Jr.
Editorial Department | The Steel Helmet
Born in 1926, the son of a movie producer and theatre owner. Prior to entering his father's business Lippert Jr. was a college football star and a member of Tex Rankin's Flying Circus. He worked as an associate producer, producer, and in some casses a director on several of his fathers films. His ...
7. James Doolittle
Self | This Is Your Life
James Doolittle was born on December 14, 1896 in Alameda, California, USA as James Harold Doolittle. He was married to Josephine E. Daniels. He died on September 27, 1993 in Pebble Beach, California.
8. Orien Heyward
Actress | She Asked for It
Ravishing blonde Orien Heyward was born Alma Katherine Haywood in Kentucky, one of seven siblings. At the age of 14, she was named "the South's most patrician beauty", though she did not come from a well-to-do family. Under the name 'Kitty Barnett', she enjoyed a successful career as a high fashion...
9. Harry Marks
Producer | Joe Cocker: Mad Dogs & Englishmen
Harry Marks was born on March 11, 1931 in England. He is known for his work on Joe Cocker: Mad Dogs & Englishmen (1971), Elvis on Tour (1972) and Happy Days (1974). He died on April 21, 2019 in Pebble Beach, California, USA.
10. Donald McNeely
The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg
He memorialized his beloved Uncle Lee and Aunt Rose Warner at the Lee and Rose Warner Coliseum at the Minnesota State Fair and at the Palestra Sports Center at St. John' University in Collegeville, Minnesota.
11. Carley Harriman
12. Lee Backman
Writer | Big Town
Served as a sergeant in the Army Air Corps during World War II.
13. Walter Bunker
Walter Bunker was born on July 16, 1900 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for Rhythm on the Roof (1934). He died on January 6, 2002 in Pebble Beach, California, USA.
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Rob Kardashian Shows His Support For Rita Ora’s New Song, ‘Girls’
Ethan Miller/Stuart C. WilsonGetty Images
Rachel Dillin
In a somewhat surprising move, Rob Kardashian showed support for his ex-girlfriend Rita Ora and her new song “Girls,” which features themes of bisexuality along with self-love.
OK Magazine reported that the sometimes-left-out Kardashian brother retweeted Ora’s tweet explaining how the controversial song explained her personal truth complete with six “praise hand” emojis.
Many people in the LGBTQ community criticized Ora’s song as tone deaf when it comes to the issues that people in the community face. Ora took to Twitter to explain the song, which she collaborated on with Cardi B, Bebe Rexha, and Charli XCX. Some people even believe that the song does more harm than good.
In her tweet, the singer explained how she had experienced romantic relationships with both men and women throughout her life, and that the song represented her journey. Ultimately, she apologized that her choice of how to express herself caused hurt for some people who experience struggles.
In 2012, Rob Kardashian and Rita Ora briefly dated for about two months and then broke up after a possible cheating scandal that was never proven. Now, more than five years later, fans wonder if Rob’s support of his ex means there’s something brewing for these two.
Fans almost instantly started discussing the possibility that Kardashian and Ora might start dating again according to an E! News report. Neither Rob nor Rita addressed those questions, though. The tweet could merely mean that he supports her in this song and in her life experiences at this point with so much water under the bridge after so many years have passed.
They’ve both clearly moved on in their lives, with Rob becoming a dad to his daughter Dream Kardashian with his ex Blac Chyna. Fans may remember that Ora tweeted a big congratulations to Rob on the birth of his baby girl. Plus, Rita sold out her new Girls tour, so she’s pretty busy too. In fact, Tuesday evening, the 27-year-old “How We Do” singer appeared on stage in Manchester for one of her tour date concerts.
Perhaps this is part of a new leaf for the entire Kardashian family. After years of animosity, in March, Ora and Rob’s mom Kris Jenner and his sister Kim Kardashian put the past behind them.
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Home died Kofi Annan kofi died lifestyle news sad news UN chief Un chief diead at the age of 80 Former UN Chief 'Kofi Annan' Dies At 80
Former UN Chief 'Kofi Annan' Dies At 80
Qanit Riaz Bhalli August 18, 2018 died, Kofi Annan, kofi died, lifestyle, news, sad news, UN chief, Un chief diead at the age of 80,
Kofi Annan, the only black African to become UN secretary-general, has died.
The 80-year-old "passed away peacefully on Saturday after a short illness", the foundation named after him said.
His home country, Ghana, has declared a week of national mourning. Mr Annan served two terms as UN chief from 1997 to 2006, and was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work.
He later served as the UN special envoy for Syria, leading efforts to find a solution to the conflict.
In a statement announcing his death, the Kofi Annan Foundation described him as a "global statesman and deeply committed internationalist who fought throughout his life for a fairer and more peaceful world".
"Wherever there was suffering or need, he reached out and touched many people with his deep compassion and empathy."
The career diplomat died in hospital in the Swiss city of Bern. He had been living near Geneva for several years.
He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 for helping to revitalise the international body, during a period that coincided with the Iraq War and the HIV/Aids pandemic.
Kofi Annan described his greatest achievement as the Millennium Development Goals which - for the first time - set global targets on issues such as poverty and child mortality.
However, Mr Annan was not immune from criticism. His critics blamed him for the UN's failure to halt the genocide in Rwanda in the 1990s when he was head of the organisation's peacekeeping operations.
Later, after the US-led invasion of Iraq, he and his son were accused of being involved in the "oil for food corruption scandal" that led some to call for his resignation, though he was later exonerated.
In an interview with the BBC's HardTalk to mark his 80th birthday in April, Mr Annan acknowledged the UN's shortcomings, saying it "can be improved, it is not perfect but if it didn't exist you would have to create it".
"I am a stubborn optimist, I was born an optimist and will remain an optimist," he added.
Current UN chief Antonio Guterres has been leading the tributes to his predecessor, describing Mr Annan as "a guiding force for good".
"In many ways, Kofi Annan was the United Nations. He rose through the ranks to lead the organisation into the new millennium with matchless dignity and determination," he said in a statement.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said "the world has lost not only a great African diplomat and humanitarian but also a conscience keeper of international peace and security".
Tags # died # Kofi Annan # kofi died # lifestyle # news # sad news # UN chief # Un chief diead at the age of 80
About Qanit Riaz Bhalli
Un chief diead at the age of 80
By Qanit Riaz Bhalli at August 18, 2018
Labels: died, Kofi Annan, kofi died, lifestyle, news, sad news, UN chief, Un chief diead at the age of 80
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Home Horror movies The Frighteners (1996) – The Young Psychic
The Frighteners (1996) – The Young Psychic
The Frighteners (1996)
Genre: Comedy, Ghost & Spirit
Director: Peter Jackson
Screenwriter: Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Cast & Crew: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Jeffrey Combs, Dee Wallace, Jake Busey, Chi McBride, Jim Fyfe, Troy Evans, Julianna McCarthy, R. Lee Ermey, Elizabeth Hawthorne, Angela Bloomfield, Desmond Kelly
The Frighteners (1996)Rating:
The Frighteners is one of the popular horror movie of 1996 which has got a good response from the audience and also, we can see the mixed reaction of people through this horror movie
Check Details:
Dylan is one of the famous critics after watching this movie Dylan has given a rating of 7.5 / 10;
Eloise is another popular critics which have given a rating of 8 / 10;
Raoul has liked this movie and given The Frighteners a rating of 8 / 10;
The Frighteners (1996) Synopsis:
Frank is a young psychic who can see the dead and uses his talent to make an unethical business. As mysterious deaths plague the city, he and his team of ghosts will try to save the beautiful Lucy.
The Frighteners (1996) Review:
After Bad Taste, Meet The Feebles and Braindead, The Frighteners came as the fourth horror comedy by Peter Jackson and its last film of the genre. It seems that during these years Jackson has been diluting his horror style to orientate it towards a larger audience. Bad Taste and Meet The Feebles were true “genre film”, the first one being highly absurd and the second one a UFO of perversity and sadistic humor. Braindead, despite its high amount of gore, already appeared as a more cheesy comedy. With The Frighteners, Peter Jackson gives us a film which, apart from a couple of dirty jokes, could be easily classified as a “family” movie.
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Paige Martin, One Of Keller Williams’ Top 10 Producing Agents Internationally
HoustonProperties > Paige Martin Named "Top Realtor" > Paige Martin: Top Ten Producing Agents, Keller Williams International
Keller Williams: Paige Martin One Of The Top Ten Producing Agents In The World
Keller Williams just ranked Paige Martin as one of its Top Ten Producing Agents internationally. Paige grabbed a spot in the Top Ten Realtors in the World for Keller Williams (made up of over 120,000 professionals), based on the most recent KW Outfront Magazine.
Ranked as Keller Williams’ Top Producing Realtor in Texas in the 3rd Quarter of 2015, Paige is the only Houston realtor that made it to the Top 50.
Keller Williams Realty is an international real estate franchise with headquarters in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1983 by Gary Keller and Joe Williams, it grew from a single office in Austin to approximately 700 offices and 125,000 associates worldwide. It is the largest real estate franchise by agent count in North America and the one of the largest privately held global residential real estate brokerage.
Paige Martin was also recently named a “Five Star Real Estate Agent” for the third straight year and “One Of The Top 25 Residential Realtors In Houston” by The Houston Business Journal. Click here to check the rest of Paige’s recent awards, client testimonials, and HAR client reviews.
Paige Martin – Top Ranked Houston Realtor
Paige was named the #1 Ranked Individual Agent in the Keller Williams Memorial Office for 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010. She has been a consistent top producing agent, with an ongoing seven-year roll for receiving awards due to her production levels.
She was recently named as a 2015 Five Star Real Estate Agent – a level of excellence achieved by less than 7 percent of the real estate agents in Houston. Other awards include Houston Realtor of Excellence Award, Houston Realtor Par Excellence Award, Top Google Houston Real Estate Award, and Talk of the Town Award for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction.
Paige Martin was also awarded “One Of The Top 25 Residential Realtors In Houston” by The Houston Business Journal. Click here to check the rest of Paige’s recent awards and HAR client reviews. Read more about what previous clients say about her, including praises like “Paige Martin is the best Houston realtor I know.”
Paige Martin is ranked as one of the top residential real estate agents in the world.
Recent awards include:
2016: One of the Top 25 Residential Realtors in Houston, Houston Business Journal
2016: Five Star Realtor, Featured in Texas Monthly
2016: One of America’s Best Real Estate Agents, RealTrends.com
2015 Q3: #9 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Worldwide (of 125,000 agents)
2015: #2 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Texas
2015: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Southwest Texas (Houston, Woodlands, Katy, San Antonio)
2015: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams, Houston
2015: #1 Individual Agent, Keller Williams Memorial
2015: Five Star Realtor, Featured in Texas Monthly Magazine
2014: One of the Top 40 Real Estate Agents in Houston, Houston Chronicle
2014: #1 Ranked Individual Agent, Keller Williams Memorial
2013: Top 50 Houston Realtors by the Houston Chronicle
2012: Top 5 Ranked Individual Agent in the Houston Area with Keller Williams
2011: Top 10 Ranked Individual Agent in the Houston Area with Keller Williams
2010: #1 Ranked Individual Agent in the Keller Williams Memorial Office
…in addition to over 198 additional awards since 2003.
Paige also serves a variety of non-profits, civic and community boards and has been recognized for fundraising by the Houston Police Foundation.
Over 75 of her prior clients have publicly endorsed and recommended her via LinkedIn, YouTube Videos and HAR.
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Eric J. Topol, M.D.
Eric Topol is a Professor of Genomics at the Scripps Research Institute, the Chief Academic Officer for Scripps Health, and the Director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI). Voted as the #1 Most Influential Physician Executive in the United States in a national poll conducted by Modern Healthcare, Dr. Topol works on genomic and wireless digital innovative technologies to reshape the future of medicine. He is a practicing cardiologist at Scripps in La Jolla, California and widely credited for leading the Cleveland Clinic to become the #1 center for heart care. While there he also started a new medical school, led many worldwide clinical trials to advance care for patients with heart disease, and spearheaded the discovery of multiple genes that increase susceptibility for heart attacks. Since 2006, in La Jolla, he leads the flagship NIH grant supported STSI. He has published 1100 peer-reviewed articles, over 160,000 citations, elected to the National Academy of Medicine, named in GQ Magazine as one of the Rock Stars of Science, and is one of the top 10 most cited researchers in medicine (Thomson Reuters, “Doctor of the Decade”). He is also Editor-in-Chief of Medscape. His bestseller book The Creative Destruction of Medicine (Basic Books) in 2012 and The Patient Will See You Now was published this year.
The Separate Orbits Of Medicare And Moore's Law
How Your Smartphone Will Radically Change Your Health Care
Medicine Unplugged: A Double Entendre
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DJ Wilson, Contributor
Published Author, Blogger, Writer of Stories from the Heart
Why Vote? What Difference Does It Make?
09/02/2015 06:20 pm ET Updated Sep 02, 2016
Why Vote? What Difference Does It Make? It's Hard To Argue With A Woman
My significant other and I launched into a spirited debate, early this morning about the privilege of voting, with me arguing my position that it does make a difference, while she countered that it does not, noting, nothing changes of late, regardless of the multitudes of promises made. Although, she has one specific candidate in mind she'll support, if they don't make it as the party's candidate, she has no interest to vote further in this election. Sadly, as I reflect on the state of our nation at this moment in time, she may well have a point.
Hope and change was the motto that carried President Obama to office in 2008. Repeal and reform are the two words that come to mind when the Republican party won both house and senate in the last two elections. To my chagrin, neither hope nor change became reality, along with nary a semblance of repeal and reform. The same, is the same, is the same. Except, we're far deeper in debt and almost irreparably broken.
America, we're dying here. Our constitutional right to vote, as citizens of this great nation, are failing to make a difference as we encounter the almighty winds of super-pacs and the 'good ole boy network' in congress. "We give to get," says the multitudes of wealthy donors who line the coffers of those running for office. While on the other hand, "Good Ole Boy" congress is entrenched with multitudes of career politicians whose mantra is "you have to go along to get along."
Our individual voices remain, but are but a mere distant distraction to the peril America faces today. Speaking from first hand experience, (READ MY NEXT TO LAST BLOG) the Affordable Care Act is broken. Though noble in nature, in order to be affordable, the deductions are so high, most are scared to use it. For those of us brave enough to venture into the "covered" preventive procedures, we find a deluge of extra charges that were never disclosed at the onset. Kinda makes you want to submit to another one, huh? That being said, the ACA is a great start, but we're, by no means, there yet. We have enough great minds in this country who, given the chance, can make it not only affordable, but usable. FYI, they're not politicians.
Wouldn't you agree, immigration is broken? It's absurd to hear a few of those running for the highest office promise to deport 11 million or more people. Of course, when you realize that 71% of those receive some form of federal assistance, you might well rethink that position. Me, I've thought it through all by myself, with neither a Super-Pac or a vested politician telling me what to do. People from all across the world come to America hoping to live the dream. Isn't it time we help them do it?
I've learned throughout my life how much something is worth when you have to work for it, rather than when it's given to you. I don't believe anyone would begrudge any individual coming to America if they committed to work to get here. Therefore, I purpose issuing everyone, currently here illegally an ability to work card. Next, fifty percent of all taxes they pay into the system for the first five years goes to reduce our federal debt. I'd also issue a congressional mandate that says, as a nation we match it and reduce spending each year, at least by that much. After five years of toil and sweat, all workers will be granted citizenship. Next, I'd build a southern wall, especially since we have a significant new labor force to do it. There is an orderly way for immigration to work. With all this new influx of people to assimilate, its time it works again. Our future depends on it.
But, that's just me, a nobody in the grand scheme of things Thankfully, I do have one vote, one voice. Still, I know firsthand the toil and treasure our forefathers, along with our families have paid to insure our right to freedom by voting with conviction our concerns. Oh, and I'm sure they assumed good ole common sense was a given. Today, I bet they'd rethink that one.
So let's get back to why we should continue to vote even though nothing ever changes. It's because many of us still believe in democracy. We believe in making a difference one vote at a time. As this presidential election fills the airways, I encourage you to let our voices be heard. It doesn't matter who you vote for, as long as you vote, using your common sense, your personal conviction.
Today, we are sadly reaping what we've sown. I stand before you, oh so guilty. Join me this election cycle in proving my significant other wrong, along with the countless millions more just like her who believe, in the end, their vote doesn't matter. Men and women for hundreds of years have given their lives to insure us, it does. Now is not the time to let them down, but to stand tall, vote your conscious and strive to make a lasting difference.
Politics News Voting Rights Affordable Care Act United States Immigration
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Summer is Approaching: Missouri Child Labor Law Reminders
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With the school year winding down, countless teenagers will begin seeking summer work. As job applications from young workers come pouring in, employers need to be aware of Missouri’s youth employment laws.
Missouri’s Child Labor Law applies to children under the age of 16. Generally, children under the age of 14 are not permitted to work, but there are some exceptions. For instance, children of all ages may work in the entertainment industry (with a work permit), and children over 12 years of age may engage in “casual” work including babysitting, delivering newspapers, occasional yard work performed with parental consent, coaching or refereeing.
For 14- and 15-year-olds, acceptable work includes: office/clerical work; retail work (e.g., cashier, price marking, bagging, selling, packing, shelving); maintenance/janitorial services for private residences; food services (e.g., preparing and serving); and vehicle cleaning services (e.g., polishing and washing). However, there are a number of restrictions on the different categories of work in which teens may engage. Unacceptable types of work and workplaces for youth under age 16 include door-to-door sales, the operation of hazardous equipment (including motor vehicles), the use of radioactive substances, jobs in hotels, motels or resorts, and jobs in liquor stores, among others. There are also special rules for hours and wages.
Depending on the circumstances, a youth worker may need to obtain a work permit or certificate. A 14- or 15-year-old must acquire a “work certificate” prior to starting any job (other than the aforementioned “casual” work or work in the entertainment industry) during the school year. Similarly, these workers must also obtain a work certificate if they choose to continue a summer job into the school year. For youth under age 16 working in the entertainment industry, a “work permit” must be obtained regardless of the time of year. Detailed requirements relating to the acquisition of these work permits or certificates can be found on the Department of Labor & Industrial Relations website.
For more information on how to comply with Missouri Child Labor Laws and how they may impact you, contact Labor & Employment team members, Brian Stair at 314.345.6277 or Julianne Story at 816.983.8230
Julianne P. Story
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Cup of Cooperation
by Melissa Sue Sorrells Galley '05
JULIA RUSSELL EELLS '81
"February was my month of coffee," laughs Julia Russell Eells '81, head of Lincoln School in Providence, R.I.
On many of the 28-days throughout the shortest month of the year, Eells sat down with leaders from Rhode Island-area non-profit foundations and private institutions to talk about sharing resources and advertising. "Providence is incredibly non-profit rich," she says. "We tend to engage the same kind of investors, so there's huge opportunity for overlap. I thought, why not work together?"
In an economy where not much money is changing hands, Eells believes that non-profits should support each other by developing mutually-beneficial programs and resource-sharing initiatives. "It's all about co-branding and co-programming," says Eells. "If we work together we will all be the beneficiaries of the rising tide for great arts, education, culture and environmental organizations."
CURT SPALDING '81
"Whether you're the leader of an independent school or the leader of a non-profit, right now, your job is very challenging," agrees H. Curt Spalding '81. Spalding is a member of Lincoln's Board of Trustees. He's also the current U.S. EPA Region I Administrator and the former director of Save the Bay, which promotes environmental stewardship of the Narragansett Bay region. "With declining support from federal sources of funding, non-governmental organizations need all of the help they can get."
With support from Spalding and the rest of her Board, Eells started small, reaching out, sharing coffee and starting to build relationships. And then she met Jill Pfitzenmayer '79, director of the Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence at Rhode Island Foundation. "Jill is the mastermind," says Eells. "She has inspired so many of us to work together in a mindful way."
JILL PFITZENMAYER '79
The Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence is dedicated to strengthening Rhode Island's more than 3,000 non-profit organizations through leadership training and development. As part of that mission, Pfitzenmayer and her team are currently focused on how non-profits cope with shrinking resources and growing need.
"Recently, we've been looking at collaboration," says Pfitzenmayer. "There are financial benefits to sharing resources, of course, but it's also good synergy when you get like-minded people together to think about problems. Many non-profits are trying to tackle big, complicated social issues, and the solutions are often big and complicated. It helps to have lots of different approaches and energies."
To support and encourage partnerships between non-profits, the Initiative organized the 2011 Nonprofit Collaboration and Shared Services Forum. "It was a way for leaders to meet, talk and find ways to connect," says Pfitzenmayer. "Collaboration is all about caring for and nurturing connections, so it doesn't happen quickly, but we are in a unique position to facilitate those kinds of meetings and help get the ball rolling."
Pfitzenmayer would like to continue to develop programs designed to help NPOs work together over time to deepen their skills and broaden their engagement. "Julia's interest and enthusiasm have spurred my work in a way," she says. "It got us thinking about different ways we can get leaders together more informally to meet and talk."
Which brings us back to all of those lattes Eells drank in February. As a result of those meetings and the relationships she developed at the Nonprofit Collaboration and Shared Services Forum, Eells is in the early stages of partnerships with several non-profits that will provide enhanced programming for Lincoln School students.
"One potential partnership is with Save the Bay," Eells says. "We're talking about our students going out to the Save the Bay Center once a week for hands-on lessons, and in return, we share their mission and message with our families, tapping them into a new pool of members and donors."
As part of another still-developing partnership with Providence Athenaeum, the library may become a "literary partner" during Lincoln's annual Rhode Island Festival of Children's Books and Authors. By displaying antique and classic children's books during the Festival, Lincoln students will be exposed to new ideas while the Athenaeum is introduced to potential members.
"Lincoln School offers a strong, traditional approach to education, so these partnerships will provide real-world context," says Spalding. "Our students will have access to learning experiences and perspectives that they can't get any other way."
"Right now, things are germinating. We're building relationships that will help support our communities," Eells says. "I believe that these kinds of partnerships are the wave of the future. We're not going to get any better or stronger unless we get smarter."
Classes of 2011
Extraordinary Philanthropy
Partners Against Crime
Rock Solid in the Rockies
Howdy, Partner!
Plugging the Brain Drain
Different but Complementary
The Thin Blue Line
Lab Partners In Love
Perkins and Craig Form Research Partnership
Crisis in Japan
Inspired Adventures
Three's (Not) A Crowd
Successful Bloodlines
Mission: Restore
Partnership at the Center Line
A Partnership with Geneva
Partners through Honors
Reunion 2011: A Wonderful Success
To Peru and Back
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Cohousing and the Return to Communal Living - Karin Hoskin
Photo of Wild Sage Cohousing: Adam Johnson
The intentional part of intentional communities is that we choose to know our neighbors.
— Karin Hoskin
I know many of you, like me, dream of decamping the modern existence to live in the solace of the woods or on a bucolic homestead—just as many of our Uncivilize guests have done. But many of you also may not yet be able to fully commit to that dream (like me) or perhaps don’t even want to commit to that dream; that what, in fact, you are searching for is a more connected human existence in the 21st-century city or town in which you already live. To you, I introduce cohousing, an intentional community-on-the-rise best described as a modern and sustainable take on the village (or commune) of yesteryear.
And to give you the rundown, I introduce Karin Hoskin, executive director of The Cohousing Association of the United States, who lives with her husband, two teenage kids, mother-in-law, two cats and two dogs in Wild Sage Cohousing in Boulder, Colo. Wild Sage is a community of 91 people living in 34 homes on an acre-and-a-half of land surrounded by nature and open space; but as Karin explains here, the possibilities for cohousing are as diverse as their settings and the folks who choose to live there. (There’s a mixed-income bike-sharing condo community in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood and a rural cabin community eight miles west of Fairbanks, Alaska!)
Here’s the episode breakdown:
How Karin came to live in cohousing and with her mother-in-law
When did it become so uncommon to live with extended family?
“There were always people in, people out”: Karin’s upbringing with dozens of cousins in the farming Midwest
Cohousing, explained, and the difference between cohousing and other intentional communities
What it’s like to raise kids in cohousing, from babyhood to the teenage years
Why you don’t have to be an extrovert to live in cohousing
Karin’s thoughts on the future of urbanization and the rise in communal living
Want to explore cohousing communities or learn how to start your own? Check out the wealth of resources on the Coho/US website or attend the upcoming 2019 National Cohousing Conference, May 30-June 2, in Portland, Ore. (At last check, tickets are still available. The conference also includes tours of seven Portland cohousing communities.) You can also connect with Karin and Coho/US via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Editorial note (5/6/19): A small portion of this episode has been edited since the original episode that aired on 4/25/19. The change was made due to privacy concerns, and in no way alters the meaning or context of the original interview.
Tagged: cohousing, Cohousing Association of the United States, Coho/US, Karin Hoskin, communal living, intentional communities, tribe, village, Wild Sage Cohousing, Boulder, Colorado, community, eco village
Older PostOn the Hadza and Human Metabolism - Herman Pontzer
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BlogHome » Blog » Silicon Valley Spotlight 2018
Silicon Valley Spotlight 2018
bsullivan
Around the world, Silicon Valley is known as the engine of innovation and growth in the tech industry. What happens in Vegas may very well stay in Vegas, but that certainly isn’t the case here: innovations that start in the Bay Area lead to social change, business disruption, new economic opportunities and, of course, endless headlines in the media.
And with a 2016 GDP of $781 billion (that’s larger than the economy of the Netherlands) and more than 14% of the nation’s total venture capital, the Bay Area is unquestionably the country’s primary tech hub.
But nothing stands still in this world, and least of all in Silicon Valley. In 2017 we saw some of the area’s leading tech disruptors being disrupted, with Uber naming a new CEO and the industry’s diversity problems coming to a head.
Meanwhile, the cost of living is so high that one Houston firm found it more cost-effective to regularly fly employees out to the area on a private jet rather than hire Silicon Valley based professionals.
With all these variables in play, 2018 should be an even more interesting year to watch. What’s in store? We examined Indeed’s data to identify the noteworthy jobs, trends and innovations for the year ahead. Here’s what we found.
Job growth is slowing down
So what about job growth? It turns out that job postings in Silicon Valley are down. In fact, between September of 2015 and September of 2017, there was an 18.14% decrease in the share of tech job postings on Indeed.
That said, this downward trend was much less dramatic in 2017 than in the previous year. Almost 16 percentage points of the decline occurred between September 2015 and September 2016, with the remaining 3 percentage points occurring between September 2016 and September 2017.
Recent research from Indeed shines some light on what could be fueling this. According to our data, Seattle is the big winner when it comes to tech job growth, with close to a 11% change in its share of the nation’s tech job postings between 2016 and 2017. The D.C. and Baltimore areas also had impressive rates of growth, with increases of about 3-5% each.
By contrast, San Jose’s share of tech job postings dropped by about 6%, while San Francisco’s fell by nearly 8%. But even with these decreases, the two areas still collectively account for about 30% of the nation’s tech job postings, and Silicon Valley remains an ideal location in the eyes of techs’ big players. Firms such as Apple, Google, Salesforce and Facebook have recently built new campuses or signed new leases.
With these industry leaders continuing to expand and invest in the area, tech professionals can feel confident that Silicon Valley will remain the top location for their skill sets for the foreseeable future—although job growth is something we’ll certainly be keeping a close eye on in 2018.
Show us the money
The most frequently cited culprit for the slowdown in job growth in Silicon Valley is the high cost of living. Some of the most colorful media reports feature tales of tech workers living in closets, garages or even a truck parked…
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MainAll NewsInside IsraelRabbi Metzger: Appoint Solberg to Supreme Court
Rabbi Metzger: Appoint Solberg to Supreme Court
Israel’s Chief Rabbi: Gush Etzion resident Judge Noam Solberg should be appointed to the Supreme Court. Diiversity needed in the courts.
Rabbi Yona Metzger at Deputy Mayors' Conferen
Israel news photo: Limor Karadi
Israel’s Chief Rabbi, Rav Yona Metzger, said on Sunday that Justice Noam Solberg, the hotly debated candidate, is more than worthy of being appointed to serve on Israel’s Supreme Court.
Rav Metzger made the comments at the opening ceremony of a conference of deputy mayors held in Eilat.
“The Committee for Appointment of Judges is currently discussing the appointment of a judge whom I know personally and whose only ‘disadvantage’ is that he wears a kippah and living in Judea and Samaria,” he said. “The Supreme Court will not lose anything by appointing a religious judge. The Supreme Court does not always understand the religious issues with which it deals, including issues of kashrut, marriage and other religious matters. It is important that we have judges with an extensive judicial horizon and with knowledge of Torah, so they can understand our problems.”
It should be noted that Israel's Supreme Court once saw to it that an expert in Mishpat Ivri (Jewish Civil Law), such as former Chief Justice Menachem Elon, was a member of the high court.
Rav Metzger made the comments as the Committee for Appointment of Judges convened in Jerusalem in a stormy showdown between leftist forces led by Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch and centrist-nationalists.
The committee of nine, which must choose Supreme Court Judges by a 7 person majority, includes three current Supreme Court Judges who decide on a unified position beforehand, two ministers (one of whom is the Justice Minister), two MK's - 1 opposition and 1 coalition, and today by a fluke both are rightists - and two bar association representatives, who would naturally not want to antagonize the judges before whom they appear. Due to this configuration, decisions are made by reaching agreements, more accurately known as barter.
It should also be noted that the Israeli Bar Association representatives have generally been left oriented. There was an unwritten understanding that one of the two was the elected head of the association, the other chosen by a vote, until the last elections when religious and rightist lawyer members decided to come out and vote. Their growing numbers put a rightist at the head of the association. In the resulting power play, an attempt was made to bypass the head by staging elections in the association to choose both of its Appointment Committee representatives. The recent attempt to pass a Knesset law mandating the choice of the elected official bar association head as representative to the Committee for Appointment of Judges was in response to this.
Three vacant Supreme Court positions wait to be manned but Beinisch, who is due to retire in February, is fighting with all her might to prevent the court from changing its leftist and activist hue. Through leaks to the press provided by “sources close to Beinisch,” she has come out publicly against Solberg’s appointment, although he is a respected and highly regarded, justice, apparently because he lives in Gush Etzion and does not have a leftist orientation.
Beinisch reportedly said in Sunday’s discussion that she has “no problem” with Solberg’s appointment but that in the present atmosphere it is impossible to select judges. The selection process has become too political and charged and decisions cannot be reached, she said.
The meeting ended at around 8:00 p.m. with no agreement having been reached. The next sessions will be held in January and February.
In his remarks, Rav Metzger also called on the government to solve the social crisis and the interns’ strike soon.
“The current situation cannot continue,” he said.
The Forum of Deputy Mayors holds an annual conference to discuss issues related to local government. The theme of this year’s conference is social justice in local government. Rav Metzger was honored at the opening of the conference for his work in favor of local government in Israel.
Tags:Rabbi Yona Metzger, Dorit Beinisch, solberg
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Correspondence. The History of the Theory of Structures
SIR,-In reference to Dr. Fordham’s most interesting paper, published in The Structural Engineer for May, 1938, may I be permitted to add a few supplementary notes ?
Repair and Strengthening of Wrought Iron and steel Bridges by Means of Electric Welding
My late chief, Mr. John Miller, Engineer, North Eastern Area of the L.N.E.R., decided in 1927 to enquire into the possibilities of making use of electric welding in connection with structural and permanent way work, and a considerable amount of welded work of various kinds was carried out by him, all of it based on independent research work and experiments, the results and conclusions arrived at being taken advantage of in the design of welded work of very diverse nature, mainly, however, in connection with bridges, steel structures and rail welding. H.J.L. Bruff
Author – Bruff, H J L
Steel Sheet Piles and Steel Bearing Piles. Discussion on Dr. A. Agatz' s Paper.
THE PRESIDENT (Professor J. Husband, F.R,.C.Sc.T., M.Inst.C.E.), in calling upon Dr. Agatz to present his paper, said it was a very happy coincidence that the Institution was able to welcome a great engineering authority from Berlin so soon after British engineers had visited Germany in order to see the wonderful German autobahnen.
The New President
The newly-elected President of the Institution, Lt.-Colonel H. S. Rogers, C.M.G., D.S.O, Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, France, is a Canadian and was born at Peterborough, Ontario, in 1869. Educated at the Royal Military College, Kingston, Canada, he graduated in 1889 winning, amongst other prizes, that for Civil Engineering, the Stanley Sword for the highest aggregate in Military Subjects and the Governor-General’s Gold Medal for general proficiency, the latter gaining him the only commission in the Royal Engineers granted to Canada that year.
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Why The Contradictions Of XXXTentacion Are 'Difficult To Square'
By Michel Martin • Jun 24, 2018
XXXTentacion performs during Rolling Loud Festival in Miami in 2017. The rapper was shot and killed on June 18, 2018.
Miami Herald via Getty Images
Originally published on June 25, 2018 6:50 pm
On Monday, June 18, rapper XXXTentacion was shot and killed in Florida. The fallout from his death has been complicated given the rapper's dark past. In 2016, he was charged with aggravated assault and battery and false imprisonment of a pregnant victim. But in the span of time from then until the present, he had amassed a fan base of millions online with his music. With the release of two albums, XXXTentacion became known as one of the most prominent rappers of the Internet age, and his 2018 song "SAD!" broke the single-day streaming record on Spotify a day after his death.
Music critics often mark the death of major artists by evaluating their public and private selves, but this artist has sparked some unusually conflicted reflections.
Lindsay Zoladz, music critic for The Ringer, explains that it was this union of artistic vulnerability and infectious melody and production that resonated with so many young fans. "There's a real pop sensibility," Zoladz says. "He had a sense of melody that was a way to package these darker themes he was exploring in a way that would stick in your head."
But what's dividing many people in the wake of the rapper's violent death is how his personal life contradicts his message to his fans.
"There's a message of positivity and a message of talking about feelings and depression and anxiety that almost feels like a harbinger of new type of masculinity in hip-hop," Zoladz says. "But then, at the same time, I think that's what made the violent behavior in his personal life that much more disappointing and that much more striking because for someone to be so in touch with talking through emotions on the one side but acting out a classically violent, patriarchal, misogynistic worldview, I think that's the part that's difficult to square."
Zoladz notes that XXXTentacion was an artist of his moment in every way, but, like many others, she has not yet found a way to reconcile his legacy in hip-hop given the accusations against him.
"We're reckoning with the connection between art and artist in a way that we have not done as thoroughly before and I think, obviously, the #MeToo movement and the social moment that we're living through has a lot to do with that," she says. "So at this moment in time, it feels really difficult to separate the behavior from the art, especially when they do feel in conversation with each other in his lyrics."
You might have heard about the death of rapper XXXTentacion earlier this week. The 20-year-old, whose given name was Jahseh Onfroy, was shot and killed in Florida outside a motorcycle dealership on Monday. On Wednesday, a 22-year-old man was charged with the killing, which authorities are suggesting was an attempted robbery.
Now, if you only know about this artist from news reports about his death, then you might have heard about his disturbing history. In 2016, he was charged with a violent assault on his pregnant ex-girlfriend. That's just one issue. But you might have also heard about the huge outpouring on social media and from major artists acknowledging the work - work that entered into unfamiliar territory for rap - depression and anxiety and suicide but also personal growth, self-love and acceptance.
Now, music writers often mark the death of artists by evaluating their public and private selves. But this artist seems to have sparked some unusually conflicted reflections. We wanted to talk about that, so we've called Lindsay Zoladz. She's a staff writer at The Ringer. It covers pop culture. She wrote one of the pieces that got our attention.
Lindsay, welcome. Thanks so much for joining us.
LINDSAY ZOLADZ: Thank you for having me.
MARTIN: Let me play a bit of his song "SAD!" which set a streaming record the day after his death. Let me just play a little bit.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SAD!")
XXXTENTACION: (Singing) Who am I? Someone that's afraid to let go. You decide if you're ever gonna let me know. Yeah, suicide if you ever try to let go - I'm sad, I know, yeah. I'm sad, I know, yeah. Who am I?
MARTIN: Lindsay, what do you think it is that struck such a chord with people? In fact, you wrote - in the piece that you wrote about, you said, it sits uncomfortably with me, too, but it's true. Something about what he was doing was really getting through to people and very young people in particular.
ZOLADZ: Well, I think you can hear in that song there's a real pop sensibility. And he had a sense of melody that was kind of a way to package these darker themes that he was exploring in a way that would really stick in your head and would be sticky in that way.
MARTIN: And he also had a real connection with his fans who streamed and shared these videos that he would put up - say, on Instagram. And I just want to play one of them. This is where he's addressing his fans. Here it is.
XXXTENTACION: If I'm going to die or ever be a sacrifice, I want to make sure that my life made at least 5 million kids happy. Or they found some sort of answers or resolve in my life - regardless of the negative around my name, regardless of the bad things people say to me. I don't give a [expletive] because I know my goal in the end, and I know what I want for everyone, and I know what my message is. So I just wanted to say I appreciate and love all of you, and I believe in you all. Do not let your depression make you.
MARTIN: You know, he's got a very - you can see there's sort of a lot of vulnerability there. And he seems to be, you know, speaking to kind of the inner thoughts of a lot of young people. On the other hand, we have to address the reason why he was such a controversial figure. I mean, one of the other writers called some of the behavior stomach-turning. He bragged about, you know, a vicious assault on a gay fellow prisoner at a time when he was locked up. Now, I don't know whether that actually happened or not. But the reality of it is, he discussed it in this very graphic, you know, fashion - kind of bragging about it.
So let me ask you about this. Do you think his fans know about this side of him? Is that part of his appeal? Or is it sort of a contradiction there?
ZOLADZ: It's definitely a contradiction. And I think it's something that makes it really difficult to square these two sides of him. Because in that clip you just played, you know, there's a message of positivity and a message of talking about feelings and depression and anxiety that almost feels like it was a harbinger of a kind of new type of masculinity in hip hop. But then, at the same time, I think that's what made the violent behavior in his personal life that much more disappointing and that much more striking. Because for someone to be so in touch with talking through emotions on the one side but then really acting out a very classically violent, patriarchal, misogynistic worldview - really, I think that's the part that is difficult to square.
And, you know, you - there are strains of that in his music, too. There's a lot of - you know, the song you played, "SAD!" - there's an abuser logic to the lyrics to that song, which are basically threatening suicide if his partner leaves him. So it's all wrapped up there.
MARTIN: But on this whole question of - again, going back to your piece - you wrote, I believe the survivor's horrific accounts of his abuse. I believe that they will be forever tied to X's legacy. But if we act as if he never existed or as if he was not as popular as he was or as if his fans didn't see some articulation of their own hurt and hopelessness in his music, we're lying to ourselves. You know, what's the way forward here? I mean, do you have any conclusion about this? I mean, what should we think about this?
ZOLADZ: I think, like I wrote in that piece, you just have to look at the fact that he was getting through to a lot of young people who I think are really hurt and confused about what's going on in the world right now. He had a song on his final record that he dedicated to the victims of the Parkland shooting.
So I think there's something there, too, of just the teens that were gravitating towards his music. It was a very young fanbase, and I think that we have to look at why they're gravitating towards such expression of hurt and confusion and depression and anxiety. Which is a sad thing to realize, but I think that's a takeaway of really looking at what his fans were feeling when they were seeking out his music and how we can maybe find music like that with people who were being a little more responsible with their status as a role model.
MARTIN: That was Lindsay Zoladz. She's a writer at The Ringer talking to us about the recent death of XXXTentacion. She wrote about it in a piece called "The Unsolvable Difficulty Of XXXTentacion's Death." She spoke to us from New York.
Lindsay Zoladz, thanks so much for speaking with us.
ZOLADZ: Thank you for inviting me. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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No bioenergy scheme grant recipients in Waterford in four years
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of County Waterford recipients there have been under the bioenergy scheme in each of the past four years; and the average grant payment per successful application from the county over that period.
REPLY (Dec 16, 2014)
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney):
In the past four years, there have been no BES recipients situated in Waterford.
Disadvantaged Areas Scheme take-up in County Waterford, 2012-2014
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of successful applicants under the disadvantaged areas scheme who have been from County Waterford in the past three years; and the average payment to these recipients.
The number of farmers paid under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme in County Waterford and the average amount paid under the 2012 to 2014 scheme-years is as follows;
Waterford farmers who've got grants under the Dairy Equipment Scheme
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of County Waterford recipients of the dairy equipment scheme over the past four years who have been from County Waterford; and the cumulative amount of grant aid received by farmers from the county under this scheme during that period.
The information requested in respect of grant recipients of the dairy equipment scheme from County Waterford is set out in the table. The scheme was introduced on 4 March 2011.
Beef Data Scheme applicants in Waterford, and average payment
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applicants from County Waterford who received payments under the 2014 beef data programme; and the average amount paid per recipient from the county.
Payments under 2014 Beef Data Programme will not commence until June 2015 as all participants in the Scheme will not be able to provide all of the required data before that date. Payments amounting to €175,330 were made to 350 Waterford applicants respect of 2013 Beef Data Programme , with an average payment of €350 per participant.
Waterford tree growers grant-aided under Woodland Improvement Scheme
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney the number of grant recipients under the woodland improvement scheme who were from County Waterford in the past three years of its operation; and the average grant aid they received.
The details requested in respect of recipients of grants under the Woodland Improvement (Thinning and Tending) Scheme payable in respect of lands in Waterford are as follows:
Forest Roads Scheme recipients from County Waterford, and average grant
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of grant recipients under the forest roads scheme who have been from County Waterford in the past three years; and the average grant to these applicants.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney): The details requested in respect of recipients of grants under the Forest Roads Scheme payable in respect of lands in Waterford are as follows:
Forestry environment protection scheme payments in Waterford
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of recipients of grants and payments under the forestry environment protection scheme who have been from County Waterford in the past three years; and the average annual payment to these recipients.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney): The details requested in respect of recipients of grants and premiums under the Forest Environment Protection Scheme (FEPS) payable in respect of lands planted in Waterford are as follows:
As eligibility for payment of FEPS payments was linked to participation in REPS, the fall-off in numbers in the Scheme was attributable to the ending of REPS in 2009.
Enterprise Ireland engagement with potential start-ups, and successes
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of initial meetings Enterprise Ireland has held with potential start-ups in Waterford city and county in each of the past five years; and the number of successful launches resulting from these contacts.
REPLY (Minister Richard Bruton):
There are almost 4,600 people employed in Enterprise Ireland (EI) client companies based in Waterford City and County according to the Forfas Employment Survey 2013 (an increase of 3.1% over 2012).
Between 2009 and 2014 (to date) EI approved around €24 million to support projects in Waterford based client companies. Over the same period, EI approved over €3.6 million to start-up companies including Innovative High Potential Start Up (HPSU) packages to 8 companies totalling €3.38 million.
EI engages with potential start-ups in a myriad of ways but always in conjunction with the following three key local stakeholders who are involved in the start-up space:
Waterford LEO: EI is a member of the Waterford Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Evaluation Committee. EI has visibility on all projects including those with the capability to scale and internationalise and which can be progressed quickly to Enterprise Ireland.
South East BIC: EI funds the four Business Innovation Centres (BICs) around the country including the South East Business Innovation Centre (SEBIC). EI is represented on the board of SEBIC. A core activity of the BICs is working one to one with start-ups seeking equity funding from the private sector. EI also funds Business Angel investor activity in all regions through the BICs.
Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur (IBYE) is an initiative of my Department and a component of the Action Plan for Jobs. The competition was conducted by all 31 LEO’s around the country and attracted over 1,100 entries between the ages of 18-30 in 3 different categories – Best New Idea, Best Start-Up and Best Established Business. IBYE has a €2million prize fund - €25,000 investment for 31 county level winners.
This was reduced to 24 national level finalists competing for an extra €50,000 investment for 1 national winner who was crowned “Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur” on 7th December 2014. The IBYE competition within Waterford received a very healthy 47 entries, which reflects a significant entrepreneurial base within the County.
Following an initial assessment, most of the applicants were invited to take part in a County Bootcamp, where they received advice and mentoring on all aspects of starting and growing a business, as well as the opportunity to share ideas and experience with their peers.
The winners in the three categories received further Bootcamp training and guidance as they went forward to compete in the Regional Final of the competition against entrants from the LEOs in County Cork. The winner of the County Waterford Best Start-up category also won the Regional Final and competed against 7 other finalists in that category at the National Finals.
WIT New Frontiers Programme: EI runs the national New Frontiers Programme throughout the country in conjunction with the 14 Institutes of Technology. This is undertaken locally by Waterford Institute of Technology on EI’s behalf. As an EI Programme, EI liaises very closely with the local Programme Manager.
The programme is run in two phases. Phase 1 is the initial Programme and is run over a number of weeks. The second Phase runs for six months to allow entrepreneurs to work full time on their project to develop it to investor ready stage. Participants are chosen following detailed “pitch”/interview sessions which are always chaired by Enterprise Ireland.
Once selected, the entrepreneurs are incubated in ArcLabs over the six month period and provided with a stipend of €15,000. Between 2012 and 2014, 80 entrepreneurs participated in Phase 1 and EI presented to each on supports available. Almost 50 were called to the detailed pitch session over the same period. 27 participated on the six month programme and were provided with €15,000 each.
Enterprise Ireland launched a €200,000 South East Competitive Feasibility Fund on December 16th 2014 aimed at finding the next generation of innovation led start-ups. This is exclusively aimed at Start-ups in the South East.
The call will close on January 20th 2015. A competitive process will ensue. Companies approved will also be supported by assigned Mentors and a ‘Raising Investment Capital’ seminar. Entrepreneurs not supported under the call will be referred to the most relevant local support available whether LEO, SEBIC or WIT once the financial and capability supports required to progress the project are assessed.
No Waterford wave power proposals
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department has received proposals from the private or public sector to generate energy from wave power in the County Waterford offshore area.
REPLY (Minister Alex White):
Wave and tidal energy is still at the research, development and demonstration stage globally. While promising experimental devices have been developed, much research, development and demonstration is required to bring wave energy technology to commercial viability.
Policy action to develop the wave energy sector in Ireland, and realise the potential of this abundant indigenous resource, is being led by my Department through the implementation of the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan.
Any proposals for the development of wave energy require consent under the Foreshore Acts. This is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government. Financial support for the development of wave energy devices is available from the Prototype Fund administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
While the technical appraisal of individual project proposals is a matter for these bodies, my Department engages with interested parties in the context of its ongoing implementation of wave energy policy and its remit to facilitate the development of the sector.
No proposals in relation to wave power generation in County Waterford have been received in my Department, nor as I understand matters, have any been received in the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government or the SEAI.
Living City Initiative update
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Finance the current status of the Living City Initiative announced in the last Budget; and the number of times the interdepartmental group dealing with the matter has met.
My officials met formally with representatives from the local authorities and other Government agencies on 31 January last. Since then we have had numerous fruitful contacts with the local authorities and their cooperation in this matter is much appreciated.
My officials have also been in contact with the EU Commission on the application for State Aid approval for the Initiative and this process is expected to be concluded shortly.
I would expect that I will be in a position to make an announcement in the near future.
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Home › ABOUT JOHNNY ORLANDO
ABOUT JOHNNY ORLANDO
Johnny first expressed his passion for music at the tender age of eight, after posting his first YouTube cover with the help of his older sister. They created the music video as a fun Christmas break activity, and posted it online to share with their friends and family. After a few weeks the video racked up a few thousand views from strangers, so the two decided to continue to post. Over the next few years Johnny’s fan base grew, and exploded into massive growth near the end of 2015. His dedication and connection to his fans landed him the 18th spot on Zefr Inc’s “Top 100 Influencers” alongside the likes of Justin Bieber (16th) and Casey Neistat (19th). Johnny received his first Teen Choice Nomination in 2016, and grew his fan base to over 10 million across all of his social platforms.
Johnny experienced his first domestic tour in 2016 with MAGCON, performing for thousands of fans across the country and kicked off his first headlining tour in 2017 with Mackenzie Ziegler throughout North America and Europe.
Since the successful release of his single “Let Go” in June of 2016, Johnny has released two other original singles. In December of 2016 he released “Day and Night” with Dance Moms star Mackenzie Ziegler, and later “Missing You” in January of 2017, all three singles charting on the iTunes top 100 pop charts. Johnny plans to continue developing his passion for music and exploring the possibilities as a social media and pop culture influencer.
Copyright © 2019, Johnny Orlando US VIP Tickets. Powered by Shopify
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Passover – The night of redemption and hope
On one day in history – or more accurately, one night – God appeared in the world and wiped man’s tears away.
By Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz
4 minute read.
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man stands on the rooftop during a special priestly blessing for Passover at the Western Wall. (photo credit: REUTERS)
The first night of Passover – Leil Haseder (the Seder night) – which is on Friday night this year, is the most festive evening of the year. According to ancient tradition, for the past 3,000 years, Jewish families have been gathering on the first (and outside of Israel, also the second) night of Passover to fulfill the commandments unique to the Seder: eating matza, eating maror (bitter herbs), drinking four cups of wine, and telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt.
These four mitzvot symbolize this evening’s content: The maror symbolizes the period of slavery in Egypt; the matza symbolizes the moment of sudden liberation during which our forefathers’ dough did not have time to rise and they ate matzot; four cups of wine symbolize the redemption and freedom that followed the Exodus; and telling the story of the Exodus through reading the Pessah Haggada provides the basis of the entire evening.
One of the central sentences in the Haggada is this one: “Even if all of us were wise, all of us understanding, all elders and versed in the knowledge of the Torah, we would still be obliged to discuss the Exodus from Egypt.”
After reciting this sentence, we read the story of the five wise men of the first century CE who sat and told the story of the Exodus the entire night until dawn.
From this sentence and the story that comes with it, we understand that telling the story of the Exodus is not meant only for those who are not aware of it, those whose knowledge of Jewish history is lacking, but also for those who already know. Even those whose lives are guided by this story must sit on this night and repeat the story, learn it, develop it and profoundly internalize it.
Why? What is so important about the story of the Exodus from Egypt? What is the fundamental message it conveys? Why is knowing the story insufficient so that it has to be repeated year after year? Humanity is in a constant struggle between good and evil. These are not two external forces, but two sides of a choice that humanity must make. A person can climb to the peak of goodness and then slide down into the abyss of evil. The big questions are: What causes a person to choose good or evil? Why and how does this happen? The root of evil is fear and lack of faith. A person who lives with the sense that all of reality is stacked against him, and that others are a threat, will choose to distance the “other,” harm him, or even remove him. “Man is a wolf to his fellow man” goes the famous saying. But absurdly, this saying is not the result of evil but the cause of it. Suspicion is what leads to evil. If we remove suspicion and fear, there is no person whose essence is evil. Man is created in God’s image in the most positive sense. Only fear manages to lead him to evil.
It was many years ago, when an enslaved nation was liberated and its oppressors were severely punished. It happened once and history has changed since then.
On this night, the greatest secret of reality was revealed: There is no reason to fear. The Leader of the Universe has the power to make radical changes and turn curses into blessings.
That nation was us. “It was not only our forefathers that the Blessed Be He redeemed,” we say in the Passover Haggada. This is not distant history, but a different existential struggle, in a different human reality, which we are commanded to always internalize.
If psychology teaches us that the way parents treat a baby determines his relationship with his surrounding reality for the rest of his life, so Am Yisrael (the People of Israel), at the beginning of its existence, just as it was born, had a special relationship with God. The way God treated us determined our nation’s strong sense of confidence, unbridled optimism and eternal hope. From this stemmed the battle with evil and the moral values we proudly uphold.
We were not always able to see things in this positive light. The Jewish nation knew unbearably difficult times, periods of terrible darkness, hardship and loss.
But the fact is that Am Yisrael knew how to get back up and rebuild itself. Where did that strength come from? From that same wondrous night we talk about every year; from that same Divine appearance upon which we base our existence.
Leil Haseder is a night of storytelling, a night when we experience being liberated from slavery to freedom, a night when we speak of redemption – and pass on the message to the following generations who will be here after we are gone. On this night we give them a task: to remember, to tell our story, and to hope.
The writer is rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites.
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Donald Trump speaks at the 2016 Values Voter Summit. Andy Parrish / LifeSiteNews
Calvin Freiburger Follow Calvin
NewsFreedom, Politics - U.S.Mon Aug 20, 2018 - 1:21 pm EST
Trump condemns social media censorship: ‘too many voices are being destroyed’
censorship, donald trump, facebook, free speech, google, president trump, social media, social media censorship, twitter
August 20, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – President Donald Trump joined the discussion about political censorship by social media giants such as Facebook and Google over the weekend, calling for unfettered debate and hinting at some sort of government action on the issue.
“Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices,” Trump tweeted Saturday. “Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump Administration, we won’t let that happen. They are closing down the opinions of many people on the RIGHT, while at the same time doing nothing to others.”
Calling censorship “very dangerous” and “absolutely impossible to police,” the president used his own high-profile battles with the mainstream media as an example. “There is nothing so Fake as CNN & MSNBC, & yet I do not ask that their sick behavior be removed,” he said.
“Too many voices are being destroyed, some good & some bad, and that cannot be allowed to happen,” Trump declared. “Who is making the choices, because I can already tell you that too many mistakes are being made. Let everybody participate, good & bad, and we will all just have to figure it out!”
Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices. Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump Administration, we won’t let that happen. They are closing down the opinions of many people on the RIGHT, while at the same time doing nothing to others.......
.....Censorship is a very dangerous thing & absolutely impossible to police. If you are weeding out Fake News, there is nothing so Fake as CNN & MSNBC, & yet I do not ask that their sick behavior be removed. I get used to it and watch with a grain of salt, or don’t watch at all..
....Too many voices are being destroyed, some good & some bad, and that cannot be allowed to happen. Who is making the choices, because I can already tell you that too many mistakes are being made. Let everybody participate, good & bad, and we will all just have to figure it out!
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and others have restricted a wide range of right-of-center figures and groups in various ways since the 2016 election, such as Prager University, the “Activist Mommy” Elizabeth Johnston, theologian Dr. Robert A.J. Gagnon, prominent Republican officials, various ads from GOP candidates, conservative video bloggers Diamond and Silk, and numerous pro-life videos and advertisements.
The companies tend to reverse the most highly-publicized incidents after a few days of public outcry, blaming them either on isolated human errors or unintentional side effects of their content prioritization algorithms. Conservatives remain skeptical, however, citing their continuing frequency and the lack of comparable examples on the left.
Critics also cite insiders at Facebook and Twitter who have admitted to intentionally targeting conservative accounts and topics, analyses that have found that Facebook’s algorithm changes have disproportionately impacted publishers with an express viewpoint while benefiting left-leaning media outlets that present themselves as impartial, and social media companies’ partnerships with left-wing organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
In perhaps the most high-profile recent incident, several companies banned conspiracy theorist Alex Jones from their platforms, in a move that mainstream conservatives (and some liberals) have condemned as starting a slippery slope for open debate. Critics have also noted that Facebook has not banned fringe figures on the left, such Nation of Islam leader and avowed anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan.
It’s unclear what actions Trump has in mind to not “let [discrimination] happen,” if any, but conservatives are currently divided on whether government intervention is appropriate.
Conservative Review’s Allie Beth Stuckey, the host of one of the Prager University videos temporarily deleted by Facebook on Friday, said Sunday that she doesn’t want “government intervention and regulation here,” because it “would probably end up worse for conservatives in the long run.”
Writing Saturday in the Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, University of Tennessee law professor and Instapundit blogger Glenn Reynolds suggested that social media companies discriminating against conservatives may be incompatible with the 1996 Communications Decency Act, in which Congress exempted internet platforms from publishers’ normal liability for things like libel and copyright infringement on the grounds that the platforms are truly neutral forums that don’t exercise their own editorial judgment.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, has suggested that Congress should revoke that immunity, while Rep. Matt Gaetz R-FL, has filed a Federal Elections Commission complaint against Twitter for temporarily shadow-banning him on the grounds that restricting himself but not his Democrat opponent was the functional equivalent of an illegal corporate donation. Rep. Devin Nunes, R-CA, who was also shadow-banned, said last month he was “looking at any legal remedies we can go through” to address the problem.
Trump condemns social media censorship: ‘too many voices are being… Trump condemns social media censorship: ‘too many voices are being destroyed’ News By Calvin Freiburger
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Editorial: Leadership needed on sentencing reform
For many people -- too many people -- prison is a place where you lock up the bad guys and forget about them. That attitude gained political currency in the 1990s and persists even in politicians who should know better. Those who know best what happens in our prisons tell a different story.
For many people -- too many people -- prison is a place where you lock up the bad guys and forget about them. That attitude gained political currency in the 1990s, and persists even in politicians who should know better.
Those who know best what happens in our prisons tell a different story. They see overcrowded prisons with revolving doors. Thanks to mandatory minimum sentences, misguided "truth in sentencing" laws and feel-good "tough on crime" policies, recidivism has soared, treatment and rehabilitation have been cut, post-release supervision has all but disappeared, and justice has suffered.
Massachusetts now spends nearly $1 billion on corrections, which doesn't include the cost to victims or the cost of running the courts. The prison population has quadrupled since 1999, to 11,000, and we are no safer as a result. More than half all prisoners are arrested again within three years of their release.
It's time we stopped "warehousing offenders so they come out more dangerous than they were when they went in," Gov. Deval Patrick said this week. A panel of experts invited to the State House for a symposium put together by the Mass. Bar Association agreed.
Some of the resistance to meaningful reform comes from district attorneys, who think filling the prisons is a way of keeping score. But the biggest problem is in the Legislature, where entrenched incumbents cower in fear that someone will call them soft on crime.
For years, that fear has paralyzed the committee chairs who could make sentencing reform happen, Sen. Robert Creeden and Rep. Eugene O'Flaherty.
"When the senator and I move on these issues, there's no one behind us," O'Flaherty told the Bar Association symposium. "They're gone."
O'Flaherty should look again. House Speaker Sal DiMasi and Senate President Therese Murray have endorsed reform of mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenses and elimination of tougher sentences for crimes committed within 1,000 yards of a school -- a gimmick that unfairly punishes offenders in urban areas.
Attorney General Martha Coakley, who no one considers soft on crime, argues that "truth in sentencing" laws make it harder for prosecutors to control dangerous offenders.
Lawyers, judges, sheriffs, academics and advocates agree that giving prisoners education and mental health and drug treatment are far more effective than long sentences at keeping criminals from offending again. Supervised parole reduces recidivism and saves taxpayer money. It costs $45,000 a year to house someone in a Massachusetts prison, money that could be far better spent turning today's criminal into tomorrow's productive citizen.
Leadership is about changing public attitudes, especially when they run counter to the public interest. It's time for Beacon Hill leaders to turn the growing consensus on sentencing reform into legislation that will make our criminal justice system more effective and our communities safer.
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More Obituaries for Robert A.Goodell
Dr. Robert A.Goodell Jr.
Dr. Robert Alvan Goodell, Jr., 89, of Kendal at Granville died on June 11, 2019. Born in Wethersfield, Connecticut, he graduated from Brown University in 1954 and from Harvard Medical School in 1958. He completed year-long residencies in pediatrics at St. Marys Hospital in London, England, Sydney Childrens Hospital in Sydney, Australia, and Boston Childrens Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Robert worked in pediatrics and adolescent medicine in Williamstown, Massachusetts for 20 years and served as the Director of Health Services at Williams College. Robert ended his career as a family physician with Downtown Medical Associates in Boston, Massachusetts. Robert was an Eagle Scout and a longtime amateur ornithologist. He traveled to Africa, Central America, Europe, and the arctic for birdwatching and devoted time in his retirement to the Massachusetts Audubon Society. He was an active participant and volunteer at the Council on Agings Senior Center in Marshfield Massachusetts, for which he led regular bird walks. He and his wife took great pride in their vegetable, berry, and flower gardens and enjoyed sharing their skills and produce with others. He loved music, art, and spending time with his family, which included four children, seven grandchildren, one brother, two sisters, and many nieces and neph- ews. His friends and family will remember him for his kindness, generosity, keen interest in people, enthusiasm for food and wine, and love of life. Robert is survived by his wife of 60 years, Irmadel Flanders Goodell, his son Jeffery P. Goodell, daughter-in-law Susan O. Goodell, grandchildren Carter and Elizabeth of Newbury, Vermont; his daughter Karen Goodell, son-in-law John P. Hunter, granddaughters Penelope and Winona, of Granville, Ohio; and his daughter Jane Goodell Bartholomew, son-in-law Gregory P. Bartholomew, and grandchildren Christopher, William, and Allison of Santa Barbara, California. He was preceded in death by his son Robert A. Goodell III of North Pownal, Vermont. Donations in his memory can be made to the Wildlands Trust of Southeastern Massachusetts (https://wildlandstrust.networkforgood.com/projects/36192-general-donation) or to the Massachusetts Audubon Societys Daniel Webster or North River Wildlife Sanctuaries (https://secure2.convio.net/mas/site/Donation2?idb=910413930&df_id=3069&mfc_pref=T&3069.donation=form1&autologin=true&idb=1512585541.
Published in The Marshfield Mariner from June 18 to July 3, 2019
"As you remember your love one, as God heals your broken..."
"Rest in peace Uncle Bob. You are missed by all. Everytime I..."
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Enter the Fray
The Witch Hunt
Rich Dudes
Do Democrats think Trump’s wall is immoral or just ineffective?
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) last week called a border wall an "immorality." (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)
President Trump’s relatively subdued Oval Office speech on border security included one combative note: a challenge to the suggestion by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi that Trump’s proposed wall on the border with Mexico was immoral.
“Some have suggested a barrier is immoral,” the president said. “Then why do wealthy politicians build walls, fences and gates around their homes? They don’t build walls because they hate the people on the outside, but because they love the people on the inside. The only thing that is immoral is the politicians to do nothing and continue to allow more innocent people to be so horribly victimized.”
Even though Trump didn’t mention Pelosi by name, it seemed obvious that he was referring to her. Last week she said that “a wall is an immorality between countries,” adding: “It’s an old way of thinking. It isn’t cost-effective.” This isn’t a new position for her. In a “Meet the Press” interview in April 2017, she said: “The wall is, in my view, immoral, expensive, unwise.”
By Kerry Cavanaugh
'Forrest' Trump promises to strip away California's FEMA wildfire recovery funds
President Trump visits a neighborhood destroyed by the Camp fire with Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom and Gov. Jerry Brown in November. (Associated Press)
It sure didn’t take long for Gov. Gavin Newsom to get under President Trump’s skin.
On Tuesday — his second day in office — California’s new governor traveled to Placer County to propose spending an additional $105 million on wildfire safety, including more money to thin dry forests and improve emergency alert systems. That would be on top of the $200 million that lawmakers approved last year.
Newsom also called on President Trump to boost federal funding for forest management, which is vital, given that about 60% of California’s forests are on federal land. Newsom co-signed a letter to Trump, along with fellow Democratic Govs. Jay Inslee of Washington and Kate Brown of Oregon, calling for the Trump administration to “double the investment” in managing federal forests in the West to help supplement state efforts.
By Scott Martelle
The U.S. doesn't have a border crisis. It has a Trump-sized crisis of democracy
President Trump addressing the nation Tuesday night from the White House. (Kevin Dietsch/ EPA/Shutterstock)
President Trump’s speech Tuesday night, and the congressional Democratic leaders’ response, offered nothing to the nation that it didn’t already know – that our government is broken, and there’s not much reason to have faith that it’s going to get any better.
The current manifestation is that the nation elected as president someone who has no idea how to do the job, and who is not predisposed to grow into it. Any stray thought that comes to mind gets trotted out as fact or edict, forcing the few people on Trump’s skeleton staff who have an inkling of how governing works to scramble to corral him, persuade him that he can’t do what he wants to do, or find some loophole through which they can drive whatever bugbear Trump is obsessed with at the moment.
We do not, as the president would have us believe, face a national security crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. But we do face a crisis in competence. This administration – as did the Obama administration before it – has been unable to come up with a solution for the number of people arriving at the border to seek asylum.
Jan. 8, 2019, 4:33 p.m.
By Carla Hall
It's been a good week for poultry at the Supreme Court
Cage-free chickens roam a fenced pasture on the Francis Blake organic farm in 2015, near Waukon, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall)
Not just ducks and geese prevailed when the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the California law banning the sale of foie gras and force-feeding birds to get it.
On Monday, the high court also rebuffed a group of state attorneys general who brought suit against the California law requiring that all eggs sold in the state come from hens kept in cages big enough for them to turn around and spread their wings. And the court said no to a similar group of states, led by the Indiana attorney general, challenging a new Massachusetts law that will prohibit the confinement of pigs, calves and hens in cramped quarters and ban the sale of meat and eggs from animals kept under those conditions.
Interestingly, Justice Clarence Thomas voted to hear those two cases, according to the court’s announcement of its decision. No further explanation was given.
Jan. 8, 2019, 10:13 a.m.
Jan 08, 2019 | 10:13 AM
Carbon emissions are up. Don't blame Trump, this is on all of us
Americans understand global warming, yet we continue practices that increase carbon emissions. (Ben Margot / Associated Press)
Americans seem to be stuck in one of those “do as we say, not as we do” conundrums when it comes to recognizing the connection between climate-altering carbon emissions and how we conduct our lives.
New findings published Tuesday estimate that U.S. carbon emissions increased 3.4% last year, driven primarily by a booming economy, which consumed more electricity, and people buying less-efficient vehicles and driving more miles, including shippers. Despite recent gains in adding renewable resources, coal and natural gas still account for 62% of domestic electricity production, which means increased demand causes increased emissions.
The findings track with preliminary estimates released last month and with reports at the international climate forum in Katowice, Poland, that humankind is failing to take sufficient steps to avoid the worst effects of global warming.
By Jon Healey
For a self-described 'deal maker,' Trump appears to have no idea how negotiation works
People gather near the U.S.-Mexico border fence in the Las Playas Area on Sunday in Tijuana. (Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images)
“We will have so much winning if I get elected that you may get bored with the winning,” then-candidate Donald Trump declared at a campaign event in September 2015.
It was a line that Trump would repeat many times in one form or another, and since the election it has encapsulated the uniquely binary approach he’s taken to the presidency. He appears to view much of governing as a contest in which one side, and only one side, emerges victorious.
Which is odd, given that someone who claims to be a master deal maker would understand how important it is to avoid zero-sum situations. That’s where we appear to be today, with no end in sight to a partial government shutdown that’s beginning its third unhappy week.
How's this for bad optics: Trump's top lieutenants getting big raises during the shutdown
As 800,000 federal workers remain furloughed or work without pay, top Trump appointees to get raises. (LM Otero / Associated Press)
How’s this for bad optics: As the partial government shutdown enters its third week and some 800,000 federal employees remain off the job (or are working without pay), top political appointees and Vice President Mike Pence are about to get huge raises.
According to the Washington Post, pay levels that had been frozen since 2013 will increase Saturday unless Congress votes yet again to freeze them. That’s not likely to happen.
The bumps could amount to $10,000 a year or more, depending on the position, with cabinet secretaries going from $199,700 a year to $210,700 a year. The increases are so high because they encompass several years’ worth of delayed raises that now will go into effect all at once.
If Trump thinks migrants in the U.S. illegally are dangerous, why has he hired so many of them?
As much as he has railed against migrants who have entered the U.S. illegally, President Trump's businesses seem to like hiring them. (Nati Harnik / Associated Press)
By now much of the nation recognizes President Trump as the embodiment of hypocrisy, but still, sometimes his blatant duplicity needs to be pointed out.
For instance, Trump railed as a candidate and as president about people living in the country without permission, calling them rapists and violent gang members.
Last year, in a White House meeting discussing so-called sanctuary cities and states with sheriffs and other local California officials, the president said:
Jan. 3, 2019, 12:33 p.m.
After China's moon landing, let's take a minute to give space exploration the awe it deserves
Five months before I was born, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth. In 1969, as an 11-year-old, I watched the black-and-white images of American astronaut Neil Armstrong stepping onto the surface of the moon. That was a huge advancement in a remarkably short time.
Space exploration has continued to evolve with missions to Mars and Venus, placing space stations and telescopes in orbit, and dispatching probes to the far reaches of the solar system. There have been so many advances, in fact, that we sometimes take them for granted. We have lost our sense of awe. Which is too bad, because there have been a number of recent developments that deserve some appreciation.
For instance, China just became the first country to conquer the technical difficulties of landing a spacecraft on the far side of the moon — not the dark side, as Pink Floyd described it. The far side of the moon gets sunlight on a regular basis as it orbits the Earth while the Earth itself orbits the sun. So when the moon is full to our eyes, the far side is dark; when it’s a new moon — shadowed to our eyes — sunlight is striking the far side.
Trump says Mexico will pay for his border wall thanks to the new NAFTA deal. It won't
President Trump claimed again Wednesday that Mexico is paying for his wall through the renegotiated NAFTA agreement. It isn't. (Paul Ratje/AFP/Getty)
President Trump claimed yet again Wednesday morning that Mexico is paying for a wall along the shared border through his renegotiated NAFTA trade deal (which he re-branded as USMCA) with Canada and Mexico.
No, it’s not.
Mexico is paying for the Wall through the new USMCA Trade Deal. Much of the Wall has already been fully renovated or built. We have done a lot of work. $5.6 Billion Dollars that House has approved is very little in comparison to the benefits of National Security. Quick payback!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2019
Oh, and about that “much of the Wall has already been fully renovated or built” claim? Um, no. The relatively small amount of wall-and-fence work done since Trump took office has been primarily repairing or renovating existing structures.
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In major setback for British government, Theresa May delays Brexit vote
Suicide bomber assassinates Kandahar mayor
Laura KingLos Angeles Times
A suicide bomber with explosives packed into his turban killed the mayor of Kandahar on Wednesday -- the latest in a wave of assassinations that claimed the life of President Hamid Karzai's half-brother earlier this month.
The assailant apparently mingled with a crowd of constituents meeting Mayor Ghulam Hamidi, who had lived in the United States for years before returning to Afghanistan and taking up his dangerous post. The blast killed at least one other person, a provincial spokesman said.
Assassinations of senior public servants have become endemic across Afghanistan, but nowhere more so than Kandahar, where a suicide bomber killed the provincial police chief in April. One of the city's deputy mayors was shot dead by assailants in 2010 as he knelt in prayer in a local mosque.
Kandahar, the Taliban movement's birthplace and spiritual home, is considered pivotal to Western efforts to quell the insurgency in Afghanistan's south.
The Afghan president's half-brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, perhaps the most powerful figure in southern Afghanistan, was killed July 12 at his heavily fortified Kandahar compound by a trusted family associate. His death has set off an ongoing power struggle, and officials were studying whether the assassination of the mayor -- considered an ally of Ahmed Wali Karzai -- was linked somehow to violent rivalries now in play.
American officials, including newly arrived U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, sought to portray the killing as a sign of desperation on the part of Taliban fighters. But other observers said the insurgents' tactic of murdering government officials was proving lethally effective, sapping confidence in the Karzai administration and frightening qualified people away from public service.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the killing, but the movement nearly always asserts it had a hand in any high-profile attack.
laura.king@latimes.com
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Louisiana Appellate Court Upholds Damages Award When Altercation Only Partially Contributed to Plaintiff’s Need for Surgery
Posted by charles on Tuesday, July 12th, 2016 in Personal Injury
Recently, the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal addressed a damages award in a personal injury lawsuit following a fight outside a restaurant. The plaintiff, who underwent surgery following the incident, argued that the jury did not award him enough damages for his medical costs and lost wages from work. On appeal, the court noted that the jury had to assess whether a preexisting condition contributed to the plaintiff’s need for surgery, and whether the jury’s award was clearly wrong.
Benjamin Baw, a Monroe, Louisiana Police Officer, and Norman Paulson began to fight in the parking lot of Trio’s Restaurant in Monroe, Louisiana. Mr. Baw was dating Mr. Paulson’s ex-girlfriend, and Mr. Paulson had called her a name and then hit her and knocked her into a vehicle in the parking lot. As Mr. Baw attempted to restrain Mr. Paulson, he was punched in the right eye. The Trio’s bartender broke up the fight, and Mr. Baw was treated for injuries sustained during the fight. Mr. Baw underwent surgery for his lumbar disc. Mr. Baw then brought a personal injury lawsuit against Mr. Paulson.
During a four-day trial, the jury heard medical testimony regarding Mr. Baw’s previous back injuries. They eventually returned a verdict assigning 90% comparative fault to Mr. Paulson for the injuries Mr. Baw suffered during the altercation. Mr. Baw was awarded $2,500.00 in past lost wages, $25,000.00 in general damages, and $7,500.00 in medical expenses. Mr. Baw was awarded a judgment of 90% of $35,000.00, which is $31,400.00. Mr. Baw moved for JNOV or a new trial on damages. After the trial court denied Mr. Baw’s motion and request for a new trial, he appealed.
On appeal, Mr. Baw argued that the jury’s award of damages was low, and significantly more damages were proved. The appellate court stated the standard of review is that of manifest error. To apply this two-step process, there cannot be a factual basis for the trial court’s conclusion, and the finding must be clearly wrong.
Regarding general damages, Mr. Baw contended that an award of only $25,000.00 was a clear abuse of the jury’s discretion. He asserted that $125,000.00 was the minimal amount the jury could have reasonably awarded.
The appellate court stated that when assessing general damages, the trial judge or jury has much discretion. General damages include those that involve physical pain or suffering, inconvenience, loss of intellectual gratification, or loss of physical enjoyment. The court also stated that as an appellate court, they rarely disturb an award of general damages. If the trier of fact abused their discretion, the appellate court can turn to prior awards and determine the highest or lowest point within that discretion.
In this case, the jury was asked to determine the extent of Mr. Baw’s injuries and whether Mr. Paulson caused Mr. Baw to require surgery, or whether he only aggravated a preexisting condition. The jury concluded that Mr. Paulson was 90% at fault for the altercation. The appellate court stated the issue was whether the jury came to an unreasonable decision regarding Mr. Baw’s need for surgery, which then influenced the award of damages.
The appellate court reviewed the medical testimony and stated that as a whole, the evidence showed Mr. Baw had a degenerative condition that would have progressed over time without the intervention of a traumatic event. Here, the court stated that the jury was not unreasonable in their conclusion. General damages include those that cannot be fixed, and here, the award of $25,000.00 reflected the jury’s findings that the altercation with Mr. Paulson only partially caused Mr. Baw’s need for surgery.
In this case, the appeals court stated that the jury was in the best position to evaluate the medical professional witnesses. The jury found Mr. Paulson 90% at fault for the altercation in their comparative fault analysis, and they awarded Mr. Baw damages for his injuries and inconvenience. Since the record did not show a clear abuse of discretion, the appellate court held they would not disturb the amount of general damages awarded.
Concerning the award of special damages, Mr. Baw argued he proved more than $2,500.00 in past lost wages. The court stated the rule that special damages are those that can be determined with a degree of certainty, and they include past and future medical costs. The court rejected Mr. Baw’s contention that the jury abused its discretion in awarding past lost wages because the jury was in the best position to determine if Mr. Baw actually lost wages. They also stated that Mr. Baw failed to prove the value of his loss clearly. Finally, regarding the award of medical bills for $7,500.00, the court stated that it was reasonable for the jury to find that the fight with Mr. Paulson contributed only in part to Mr. Baw’s need for surgery.
In conclusion, the appellate court upheld the jury’s award for special damages in past lost wages and medical expenses. They also found the general damages award to be reasonable.
At Lavis Law, our skilled personal injury attorneys provide guidance and representation to injured Louisiana residents seeking compensation. Our office provides a free, confidential consultation and can be reached by calling 866.558.9151.
Louisiana Court Holds Plaintiff’s Conduct and Resulting Extent of Risk are Irrelevant When Considering Defect Presenting Unreasonable Risk of Harm, Louisiana Injury Lawyer Blog
Louisiana Appellate Court Reverses Summary Judgment in Favor of Defendant When Genuine Issue of Material Fact Remained on One of Plaintiff’s Negligence Claims, Louisiana Injury Lawyer Blog
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BOURJOIS, INC., v. CHAPMAN et al.
301 U.S. 183 (57 S.Ct. 691, 81 L.Ed. 1027)
Argued: March 5, 1937.
Decided: April 26, 1937.
opinion, BRANDEIS [HTML]
Appeal from the District Court of the United States for the District of maine.
Messrs. Asher Blum, of New York City, and Robert Hale, of Portland, Me., for appellant.
Mr. Ralph W. Farris, of Augusta, Me., for appellees.
Bourjois, Inc., a New York corporation, brought, in the federal court for Maine, this suit seeking to enjoin, both temporarily and permanently, the enforcement of chapter 109 of the Public Laws of Maine, 1935, entitled 'An Act for the Regulation of Cosmetics.' The bill was filed before January 1, 1936, the effective date of the Act. The Attorney General of Maine, the Commissioner of Health and Welfare, and the Director of Public Health were made defendants. The answers denied the material allegations of the bill. The case was heard before three judges; the application for a temporary injunction was denied, on the ground that plaintiff's objections were prematurely raised; and leave was granted to renew its motion if in enforcing the Act interstate commerce should be interfered with or due process denied. Thereafter, a supplemental bill and answer were filed; the case was again heard; the court concluded that there was both federal and equitable jurisdiction; denied a motion for a temporary injunction; and entered a final decree dismissing the bill. The case is here on appeal.
Section 1 of the Act provides: 'Registration of cosmetics. On and after January 1, 1936 no person, firm, corporation or copartnership shall hold for sale, sell, offer for sale, in intrastate commerce, give away, deal in, within this state, supply or apply in the conduct of a beauty shop, barber shop, hairdressing establishment or similar establishment, any cosmetic preparation unless the said preparation has been registered with and a certificate of registration secured from the department of health and welfare.'
Section 2 declares that the purpose of the Act is to safeguard the public health; and provides for the issue of certificates of registration by the department of health and welfare 'to the manufacturer, proprietor, or producer of any cosmetic preparation.' Other sections of the Act contain elaborate provisions for the seizure and forfeiture of 'cosmetic preparations kept or deposited within the state intended for unlawful sale or use'; and for imposition of fines upon violators of the statute.
The plaintiff manufactures cosmetics in New York; has no place of business in Maine; and does not hold, use, apply, or sell cosmetics within that State. Among its many customers are some whose places of business are in Maine; and their purchases are made in part on orders given in Maine to travelling salesman of the plaintiff. But no order so given is binding until approved by the plaintiff in New York. All shipments to Maine customers are made from New York; and the sales of the cosmetics in Maine are not made in the original packages, the large containers in which the cosmetics are shipped from New York. Compare Purity Extract & Tonic Co. v. Lynch, 226 U.S. 192, 201, 33 S.Ct. 44, 57 L.Ed. 184; Hebe Co. v. Shaw, 248 U.S. 297, 304, 39 S.Ct. 125, 63 L.Ed. 255.
The plaintiff has not applied for a certificate of registration of any of its preparations; and it announces that it will refuse to do so, because the statute is void under the Federal and State Constitutions. Sixteen distinct grounds of invalidity are urged with great earnestness. None is well founded. Only a few need to be discussed.
First. Most prominent is the claim that the legislation violates the commerce clause. By its terms, the statute is limited in operation to intrastate commerce. It does not attempt to prohibit or regulate the introduction of cosmetics into the State. It is not directed to manufacturers. It applies only to persons who deal in cosmetics, or apply them, within the State; and the plaintiff does not do so. No doubt the plaintiff will lose its Maine customers unless its preparations may be sold there; and their sale will be prohibited within the State unless the preparations are registered. But the State does not demand that the application for registration be made by the manufacturer or proprietor of the preparation. The defendants who administer the statute have construed it as permitting any one interested to make the application. As some cosmetics may be of a character to injure the health of the users, the State may prohibit the sale in intrastate commerce of a preparation unless it has been found, upon on due enquiry, to be harmless. The fact that plaintiff's products are made in New York does not confer immunity from such regulation in Maine. Compare Mutual Film Corporation v. Hodges, 236 U.S. 248, 258, 35 S.Ct. 393, 59 L.Ed. 561; Armour & co. v. North Dakota, 240 U.S. 510, 517, 36 S.Ct. 440, 60 L.Ed. 771, Ann.Cas.1916D, 548; Pacific States Box & Basket Co. v. White, 296 U.S. 176, 184, 56 S.Ct. 159, 162, 80 L.Ed. 138, 101 A.L.R. 853. There is no discrimination against interstate commerce, since the regulation applies equally to all preparations, whether manufactured within or without the State of Maine.
Second. The plaintiff contends that its interstate commerce is directly burdened, because registration, which is indispensable to the maintenance of its trade in Maine, involves payment of a fee; that only an inspection fee can be justified; and that the State has failed to show that the fee charged is not in excess of the cost of inspection. Section 2 of the statute fixes the initial fee at 50 cents per preparation, with a similar annual renewal fee; and stipulates that: 'Fees received under the provisions of this act shall be used by said department for carrying out the purposes of this act.'
Even if it had been necessary, under the rules applied in Foote & Co., Inc., v. Stanley, 232 U.S. 494, 34 S.Ct. 377, 58 L.Ed. 698, and Great Northern Ry. Co. v. State of Washington, 300 U.S. 154, 57 S.Ct. 397, 81 L.Ed. 573, for the State to establish that the fees here charged are not excessive, the State must be deemed to have sustained that burden. The fact that the fee for registration is only 50 cents suggests that it may prove inadequate rather than excessive. The case was heard shortly after the statute became operative. It was obviously impossible then to determine whether the fees would prove to be in excess of the administrative requirement, and in this situation it is sufficient if it is shown that the charges are not unreasonable on their face. As was said in Patapsco Guano Co. v. North Carolina Board of Agriculture, 171 U.S. 345, 354, 18 S.Ct. 862, 865, 43 L.Ed. 191, 'If the receipts are found to average largely more than enough to pay the expenses, the presumption would be that the legislature would moderate the charge.' See Red 'C' Oil Manufacturing Co. v. Board of Agriculture of North Carolina, 222 U.S. 380, 393, 32 S.Ct. 152, 56 L.Ed. 240. Here, the statute operates directly only upon intrastate commerce. Where interstate commerce is only indirectly affected, it rests upon one challenging the legislation to show actual undue burden upon such commerce. See Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. v. Tax Commission of Washington, 297 U.S. 403, 56 S.Ct. 522, 80 L.Ed. 760, 105 A.L.R. 1. The mere fact that the fees imposed might exceed the cost of inspection is immaterial. See General Oil Co. v. Crain, 209 U.S. 211, 231, 28 S.Ct. 475, 52 L.Ed. 754; Texas Co. v. Brown, 258 U.S. 466, 475, 476, 42 S.Ct. 375, 378, 66 L.Ed. 721.
The Maine statute presents no question under the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment such as was dealt with in Great Northern Ry. Co. v. State of Washington, 300 U.S. 154, 57 S.Ct. 397, 81 L.Ed. 573. The statute provides that the fees collected shall be devoted solely to the enforcement of this Act; and the Act directly regulates but one class of activity. The record shows that the State Treasurer has set up a separate account to which all cosmetic fees are credited, and against which are to be charged only the expense of enforcement. Compare Gundling v. Chicago, 177 U.S. 183, 189, 20 S.Ct. 633, 44 L.Ed. 725; Mountain Timber Co. v. Washington, 243 U.S. 219, 237, 37 S.Ct. 260, 61 L.Ed. 685, Ann.Cas.1917D, 642; Texas Co. v. Brown, 258 U.S. 466, 479, 42 S.Ct. 375, 379, 66 L.Ed. 721.
Third. The plaintiff contends that in other respects the statute violates rights protected by the Fourteenth Amendment and the Constitution of the State. It objects that the power conferred upon the board to grant or deny a certificate is unlimited; that the board has issued no regulations; and that neither the statute nor the board has provided for hearing an applicant. The plaintiff has not applied for a certificate; and it is not to be assumed that, if he concludes to do so, his application will be refused, or that the board will deny any right to which he is entitled. See Gundling v. Chicago, 177 U.S. 183, 186, 20 S.Ct. 633, 44 L.Ed. 725; Lehon v. City of Atlanta, 242 U.S. 53, 56, 37 S.Ct. 70, 61 L.Ed. 145; Smith v. Cahoon, 283 U.S. 553, 562, 51 S.Ct. 582, 585, 75 L.Ed. 1264; Highland Farms Dairy, Inc., v. Agnew, 300 U.S. 608, 57 S.Ct. 549, 81 L.Ed. 835, decided March 29, 1937. 1 There are also other answers to this contention. Section 2 defines the department's control of registration: 'The said department is authorized to regulate or to refuse the issuance of certificates of registration or to prohibit the sale of cosmetic preparations which in its judgment contain injurious substances in such amounts as to be poisonous, injurious or detrimental to the person.' Delegation of the power to exercise that judgment is not obnoxious to the Constitution of Maine. Compare Bangor Railway & Electric Co. v. Orono, 109 Me. 292, 296, 84 A. 385; In re Knox County Electric Co., 119 Me. 179, 182, 109 A. 898; McKenney v. Farnsworth, 121 Me. 450, 452-454, 118 A. 237. And obviously, it contravenes no provision of the Federal Constitution. Compare United States v. Grimaud, 220 U.S. 506, 517, 31 S.Ct. 480, 55 L.Ed. 563; Mutual Film Corporation v. Industrial Commission of Ohio, 236 U.S. 230, 246, 35 S.Ct. 387, 59 L.Ed. 552, Ann.Cas.1916C, 296; Hall v. Geiger-Jones Co., 242 U.S. 539, 554, 37 S.Ct. 217, 61 L.Ed. 480, L.R.A.1917F, 514, Ann.Cas.1917C, 643; Highland Farms Dairy, Inc., v. Agnew, 300 U.S. 608, 57 S.Ct. 549, 81 L.Ed. 835, decided March 29, 1937. Neither constitution requires that exercise of such a power be preceded by the adoption of regulations. And neither constitution requires that there must be a hearing of the applicant before the board may exercise a judgment under the circumstances and of the character here involved. The requirement of due process of law is amply safeguarded by Section 2 of the statute, which provides: 'From the refusal of said department to issue a certificate of registration for any cosmetic preparation appeal shall lie to the superior court in the county of Kennebec or any other county in the state from which the same was offered for registration.' Compare Hagar v. Reclamation District No. 108, 111 U.S. 701, 711, 712, 4 S.Ct. 663, 28 L.Ed. 569; Hall v. Geiger-Jones Co., 242 U.S. 539, 554, 37 S.Ct. 217, 61 L.Ed. 480, L.R.A.1917F, 514, Ann.Cas.1917C, 643; Bragg v. Weaver, 251 U.S. 57, 59, 40 S.Ct. 62, 63, 64 L.Ed. 135; Phillips v. Commissioner, 283 U.S. 589, 597, 51 S.Ct. 608, 611, 75 L.Ed. 1289; State v. McCann, 59 Me. 383, 385; Bennett v. Davis, 90 Me. 102, 106, 37 A. 864; McInnes v. McKay, 127 Me. 110, 116, 141 A. 699; McKay v. McInnes, 279 U.S. 820, 49 S.Ct. 344, 73 L.Ed. 975.
Fourth. Plaintiff urges that relief should be granted because the provisions of the statute concerning seizure and forfeiture of unregistered cosmetics violate the Constitution of Maine. To that claim it is a sufficient answer that if there is a wrongful seizure, it will be of goods belonging to others. For, as the bill and findings reveal, no goods of the plaintiff will ever be liable to seizure, since the plaintiff will have none in Maine. If under this statute the constitutional rights of others are violated by an unlawful seizure and forfeiture, they, and not the plaintiff, must seek the redress. Compare Tyler v. Judges, 179 U.S. 405, 409, 410, 21 S.Ct. 206, 45 L.Ed. 252; Standard Stock Food Co. v. Wright, 225 U.S. 540, 550, 32 S.Ct. 784, 56 L.Ed. 1197; Dier v. Banton, 262 U.S. 147, 149, 150, 43 S.Ct. 533, 534, 67 L.Ed. 915. Hence, we intimate no opinion on the merits of the point raised by plaintiff.
Affirmed.
CC∅ | Transformed by Public.Resource.Org
Compare Dalton Adding Machine Co. v. State Corporation Commission, 236 U.S. 699, 35 S.Ct. 480, 59 L.Ed. 797; Lehman v. State Board of Public Accountancy, 263 U.S. 394, 398, 44 S.Ct. 128, 129, 68 L.Ed. 354; Continental Baking Co. v. Woodring, 286 U.S. 352, 368, 369, 52 S.Ct. 595, 600, 76 L.Ed. 1155, 81 A.L.R. 1402.
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INDEPENDENT WAREHOUSES, Inc., et al. v. SCHEELE, Recorder of Township of Saddle River, et al.
McCARROLL, Com'r of Revenues of Arkansas, v. DIXIE GREYHOUND LINES, Inc.
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https://www.lmtonline.com/news/world/article/Sudan-state-TV-Ruling-council-foils-attempted-14089146.php
Sudan military council says it foils attempted military coup
Fay Abuelgasim and Samy Magdy, Associated Press
Updated 5:11 pm CDT, Thursday, July 11, 2019
FILE - In this Friday, July 5, 2019, file photo, Sudanese people celebrate in the streets of Khartoum after ruling generals and protest leaders announced they have reached an agreement on the disputed issue of a new governing body. The power-sharing agreement reached between Sudan’s military and pro-democracy protesters last week came after the United States and its Arab allies applied intense pressure on both sides amid fears a prolonged crisis could tip the country into civil war, activists and officials said. less
FILE - In this Friday, July 5, 2019, file photo, Sudanese people celebrate in the streets of Khartoum after ruling generals and protest leaders announced they have reached an agreement on the disputed issue of ... more
Photo: File, AP
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Sudan's ruling military council said it foiled an attempted military coup Thursday, just days after the military and a pro-democracy coalition agreed on a joint sovereign council to rule the country during a transition period until elections are held.
Lt. Gen. Gamal Omar, a member of the military council, said in a statement that at least 16 active and retired military officers were arrested. Security forces were pursuing the group's leader and additional officers who took part in plotting the coup attempt, he said.
The council did not reveal the name of the attempted leader, his rank or other details. The statement also said five of the arrested officers were retired.
The military and a pro-democracy coalition agreed last Friday on a joint sovereign council that will rule for a little over three years while elections are organized. Both sides say a diplomatic push by the U.S. and its Arab allies was key to ending a weekslong standoff that raised fears of all-out civil war.
"The attempted coup came in a critical time, ahead of the deal with the Forces for Declaration of Freedom and Change," Omar said, referring to the group that speaks for the pro-democracy demonstrators.
Sudan has been in political deadlock since the overthrow of autocratic President Omar al-Bashir in April.
On Sunday, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, Sudan's top general, said the military council that assumed power after al-Bashir's overthrow would be dissolved with the implementation of the power-sharing deal.
The deal was meant to end the impasse between the military council and the protest movement since security forces razed a massive pro-democracy sit-in in Khartoum early last month, killing more than 100 people, according to protest organizers.
In the ensuing weeks, protesters stayed in the streets, demanding that the generals hand power to civilian leadership.
The deal was reached after tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of Sudan's main cities on June 30 in the biggest demonstrations since the sit-in camp was razed. At least 11 people were killed in clashes with security forces, according to protest organizers.
The power-sharing arrangement is to include a joint sovereign council of five civilians representing the protest movement and five military members. An 11th seat is to go to a civilian chosen by both sides. The protesters will select a Cabinet of technocrats, and a legislative council is to be formed after three months.
The two sides also agreed on an independent Sudanese investigation into the deadly crackdown, but the details have yet to be worked out.
Magdy reported from Cairo.
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Kamala Harris Announces Bid to Unseat Trump
WASHINGTON — California senator and former Montreal high−schooler Kamala Harris is using the platform of Martin Luther King Jr. Day to declare she wants to be the first black woman to be elected president of the United States.
Harris, a high−profile Democrat who lived in Quebec in the 1970s and 1980s while her mother taught at McGill University, announced her presidential bid this morning on ABC’s "Good Morning America."
In her new autobiography, "The Truths we Hold," the 54−year−old lawyer and former prosecutor touches only briefly on her time growing up in Canada’s snowy climes — she writes that being away from home reinforced her love for the country she now aspires to lead.
She’ll make her official announcement later this week in her hometown of Oakland, Calif., and plans to have her campaign headquarters in Baltimore, an hour’s drive north of the national capital.
Harris is just one of several Democratic presidential hopefuls, declared and otherwise, who are using the national holiday to talk up the importance of King’s civil−rights battle and the issue of America’s racial divides — sure to feature prominently in the fight against President Donald Trump.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have public events scheduled, as do a number of other possible contenders, including former vice−president Joe Biden, former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and senators Cory Booker and Bernie Sanders.
TOPICS: World News
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Map Arnsberg Download
Arnsberg-Facts
Walking time
Arnsberg has 1,621 km of streets and paths. If you wanted to walk them all, assuming you walked four kilometers an hour, eight hours a day, it would take you 51 days. And, when you need to get home there are 248 bus and tram stops, and subway and railway stations in Arnsberg.
Assuming that every kilometer of street in Arnsberg has an average of 33 street lamps with 50W of power, then Arnsberg has more than 53,490 street lamps, which use 2.7 megawatts of electricity per hour. Over a number of years, that adds up to the amount of energy produced by a volcanic eruption.
Local recreation
With a total area of 0.3 square kilometers, public green spaces and parks make up 0.2% of Arnsberg’s total area, 194 square kilometers. That means each of Arnsberg’s 73,501 residents has an average of 4.4 square meters – less than most large Zoo animals!
When people in Arnsberg want to go out, they are spoilt for choice; the city has more than 146 cafés, restaurants, bars, ice-cream parlors, beer gardens, cinemas, nightclubs and theatres. If they were all lined up along a single street, it would need to be at least 1 km long.
More than 127 sights and monuments, and far more than 376 retailers, mean there is plenty of sightseeing to do in Arnsberg. Feeling tired? After a hard day visiting all the cultural attractions in the city, shopping or a night at the theatre, Arnsberg offers more than 22 hotels, youth hostels and camp sites.
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By Andy Barrons June 26, 2013
Terminal Operating Systems: Driving the Future of Optimization with TOS
Terminal operations is a business that faces its fair share of challenges. Economic uncertainty, coupled with the demand to accommodate mega container ships, achieve faster turnaround times and accomplish far more with smaller budgets is weighing on the industry as a whole. Many terminals are also forced to rely on aging or rapidly declining equipment that requires frequent maintenance, as well as more energy expenditures to move cargo on to the next destination. Infrastructure-wise, some terminal operators today are also using outdated reporting measures, such as homegrown spreadsheets, wall charts, or in some cases, clipboards, pens and paper to record data that must be collected and processed at critical points in the gate, yard and quay.
To help alleviate much of this burden, terminals around the world have turned to advanced information technology systems for reprieve. Whether long-time users, or first-time adopters, terminal operating systems (TOS) in particular offer a variety of benefits to help global facilities achieve levels of optimization like never before.
The Evolution of TOS
To be clear, the TOS is not a new concept. In fact, the marine terminal industry has been using various forms of these expert information systems to coordinate the movement of containers at the terminal for more than 20 years. Some of the earliest TOS technologies were used solely for ship and yard planning, with the first systems designed in the late 1980s by Navis for APL.
However, as container throughput, yard and vessel sizes as well as the number of shipping routes increased, such technology systems were expanded to help terminal operators optimize other critical components of their businesses, including gate planning, equipment control and ground stowage strategies. The ability to automate processes and/or equipment operations that proved time and time again to be people- and time-intensive as well as ineffective for the business quickly grew in demand.
While TOS technology has been used in the market for some time now, the reality is that the marine terminal industry as a whole has been slow to adopt the latest innovations, and in some cases, have been even slower to use them to their full advantage. For some, newer innovations hold the key to increases in productivity, efficiency and optimization overall.
Present State of TOS Optimization
Because of the inevitable future that faces the marine shipping industry, terminals that are best positioned for success are those that have made the decision to optimize using a combination of equipment and process automation solutions with the TOS. With these technologies in place, there are clear, tangible results for the business. In some instances, terminals are able to achieve productivity improvements in upwards of 20%.
Additionally, terminal operators are able to make better and faster business decisions using data collected from carriers, shippers and even the equipment itself. If that wasn’t enough, TOS technologies are helping terminals capitalize on growing influences in the industry, such as environmental sustainability, mobile and security.
Environmental sustainability is one area that is seeing marked improvements with the optimization of terminals. According to the Center for Climate and energy Solutions, the global marine shipping industry is responsible for 1.5 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. And while the number seems small, it is predicted that emissions from shipping fleets alone will double by 2050 under current operating conditions. Certainly, global regulations vary greatly; however, it remains only a matter of time before greater enforcement and penalties for non-compliance create new problems for terminal owners.
In response, some forward-thinking terminals, such as the Port of Long Beach in California, have embraced environmental sustainability as a smart business investment. For example, remote monitoring technologies can be used in concert with TOS to improve the environmental and energy performance of terminal equipment, requiring less energy and fewer moves for cranes to transport and store containers. Real-time tracking also enables operators to get a better handle on fuel consumption, oil usage and running temperature. Marked improvements in truck idle times have also been achieved through terminal optimization, helping to significantly reduce harmful air emissions and even noise in and around port communities.
Moving from clipboards to tablet computers is a fundamental shift for terminals, but one that offers a variety of benefits that can optimize operations. In fact, we are seeing more and more terminal operators rely on mobile devices in their daily operations for real-time data entry, collection and analysis. Additionally, mobile devices have made it easier for operators to manage various pieces of the business from nearly anywhere, greatly reducing the need to physically work on information systems stationed at specific locations in the terminal.
Port of Virginia’s Richmond Marine Terminal, for example, recently announced that it had replaced a legacy home grown system with an advanced TOS solution, Navis SPARCS N4. As part of the transition, the terminal sought to optimize operations, and at the same time, use mobile devices as a way to drive efficiency for its business. Today, Richmond Marine Terminal operators are performing real-time data entry using Apple iPads linked to SPARCS N4 TOS at both the barge and gates, driving significant improvements in productivity, cost-savings and improved customer service. This is a significant achievement, particularly when we think about the timeline of mobile devices (such as the iPad) in the enterprise. Just a few short years ago, this would’ve never been possible.
With port security being a growing concern for the U.S., as well as other nations globally, the marine shipping industry continues to face its challenges—chief among them, the sheer inability to inspect cargo with 100% certainty and the significant investments in time and money that accompany it. A security incident at an even moderately trafficked port could cause devastating, widespread disruptions in the global supply chain. As those risks continue to increase and evolve, it is critical that the marine shipping industry put in place measures to help protect against such an event. And while the security gap will not be closed overnight, improving intelligence and optimization at ports and terminals through the use of technology can help reduce vulnerabilities overall.
The good news is that terminals here in the U.S. have made strides in the right direction. Some have adopted security screening devices to help inspect cargo. Others will require all trucks to use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to enable security officials to spot potential security risks. Additionally, TOS and process automation technologies combined help terminal operators reduce errors that result from manually entered data as well as identify critical data trends in the cargo for red flags, such as points of origin.
Future TOS Optimization Usage
While the true future of terminal operations remains to be seen, many experts and practitioners alike have offered opinions about what the port of the future could look like.
Olli Isotalo, Cargotec’s President of Kalmar, recently gave his view of how the industry might look by 2060. In his presentation, Isatolo described a future where terminals may be fully automated with only a small crew, containers lighter and collapsible and cargo is transported by small aircraft versus the traditional means we use today. And while conference attendees voiced different opinions about what they believed is possible, the consensus agreed that the future of terminal operations will be one focused on optimization and increased automation through the use of technology.
In the near-term, the most likely technology shift involves optimizing the entire terminal, versus a siloed focus on yard or gate operations. The industry will start seeing more and more instances of automation spread well beyond container management to areas like equipment management and maintenance, energy management, labor scheduling and even security.
Additionally, more terminals will choose to optimize their businesses using a single, standardized platform like Navis SPARCS N4 to give customers, shipping lines and other important stakeholders transparency into their operations, no matter where in the world they are. Given the complex network that comprises the global shipping community, the ability for terminals to interact with key players in real-time using advanced TOS solutions will deliver better quality, reliability and scalability for their operations.
As the future of terminal success relies on the ability to streamline and optimize operations and manage logistics information, TOS technology will be an essential component in helping terminals gain a competitive advantage as well as overcome and thrive in the face of challenges ahead.
(As published in the 2Q edition of Maritime Professional - www.maritimeprofessional.com)
• energy • mobile devices • operating systems
Maritime Cyber Alert
Port of New Orleans Gets Hybrid Trucks
Connecticut Port Authority: the future is now
India's INS Satavahana Concludes Basic Submarine Course
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How much will Microsoft pay its next CEO?
Sally Herships Aug 28, 2013
Microsoft is in the market for a new CEO. But at the same time, another report highlights the growing dissatisfaction with high levels of CEO pay. “Bailed out, Booted and Busted,” the report issue today by the Institute for Policy Studies, says nearly 40 percent of the highest paid CEOs either led firms that received bail-out money, lost their jobs, or had to pay fraud- related fines after the financial crisis hit. But the show must go on.
When companies are hunting for a new CEO, first they make a budget, right? Well, no says Carol Bowie, head of research for the Americas with Institutional Shareholders Services. “Most boards, I would say, are willing to pay almost anything, if they think they’ve got the right person.”
Instead says Bowie, companies first decide who they want, and then go after them waving blank checks in the air like so much executive catnip.
Last year, says Bowie, the median level of CEO pay at large corporations like Apple, Exxon Mobil, and Hewlett Packard, was just over $22 million. And, it’s those big numbers for top executives which are increasingly evoking dissatisfaction among the rank and file. But Kevin Hallock, chair of the economics department at Cornell, notes the risk can be worth it.
“Well, it must be,” he says, “because they keep doing it.”
For huge corporations with revenues in the billions, spending millions can make sense.
“Having the very, very best person, versus the person just below that person, might be worth two or five or eight million dollars more,” he says.
But we should focus, says Hallock, not just on amounts but how pay is given out. Like tying salary, and bonuses, to the success of the company. “For a non-profit, it’s saving the world,” says Hallock. “Whatever success means.
Or however many dollar signs it takes.
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NASA hoping hybrid tech will take to the skies
Brian Bull Mar 4, 2016
NASA engineers are designing hybrid jet technology.
Courtesy: NASA Glenn Research Center
With the price of gas as low as it is these days, it’s may be easy to forget about fuel-efficient technologies, like hybrids. But there remain federal researchers committed to not only getting more fuel-efficient vehicles off the ground, but literally — getting more fuel-efficient vehicles off the ground.
Miles up, actually.
At the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, roughly 150 flights take off every day. These are often loud, gas-guzzling passenger jets that leave exhaust trails in their wake.
But right next door at the NASA Glenn facility, there’s research underway that could change a lot of this.
“We’re trying to get a 737 to fly using electric motors,” said Ralph Jansen, an engineer at NASA Glenn.
Jansen and his colleague, Cheryl Bowman, sit in a lab filled with monitors, gadgets, and wires. Bowman said in 10 years, they hope to have a hybrid aircraft that carries ten passengers…but it makes sense to aim high for a 737, that’ll carry at least ten dozen.
“Because right now those are the ones that have the highest usage, the highest fuel burn, so the highest economic impact on the country as a whole,” he said.
Picture a 737 with electric engines under each wing that also generate power for a fan built into the tail, and you’ve got the conceptual gist. Jansen said it would cut fuel consumption in passenger jets by 12 percent. “Which is particularly difficult because you need to make electric parts very light and very efficient.”
While there’s still more work ahead, Bowman said there’s a bit of a “space race” feel to it, given the global interest in hybrid tech. “Places like the European Union invest a lot of money in making Rolls-Royce aircraft engines made out of Great Britain, and AirBus based out of France, into major competitors,” Bowman said.
You might think that better fuel efficiency will save airlines money, and therefore lower ticket prices. But airline industry analyst Robert W. Mann Jr., based in New York state, said those savings aren’t necessarily passed on to the customer. “It’s really the marketplace that really drives fares, not so much the production costs,” explained Mann.
“What we see today for example, is despite much lower jet-fuel costs, the marketplace is still commanding higher fares in some cases,” he said.
Still, jets that are quieter, more fuel-efficient, and have fewer emissions than today’s aircraft pack appeal.
But to put an air-brake to your enthusiasm, NASA estimates the earliest rollout for a hybrid passenger jet will be 20 to 30 years. So expect a significant delay before takeoff.
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Poetry – a Love that Brings Deeper Understanding of Objects and Ideas
by Jacquelyn Malone
Alison Frydman Whitebone
A colleague at Brookline High School told Alison Frydman Whitebone about an interesting professional development program offered by Mass Poetry. She was intrigued and this past summer had what she called a “fantastic time” as a student in the classroom of the poet Jill McDonough, who also teaches creative writing at UMass-Boston and directs 24PearlStreet, the online writing program at the Fine Arts Work Center, and Maggie Dietz, who teaches at UMass-Lowell.
The program was exciting because it matched what Alison realized her classroom could offer. Part of the program’s emphasis was on writing poems about objects or scientific articles or whatever students are reading. Her students are currently reading Death of a Salesman and The Odyssey. What more integrated project than to have them write a poem in the voice of the characters from the Greek epic?
Alison finds that her students are not always interested in writing poems about themselves. But they find it stimulating to write from the prospective of a character or an object. The creative exercise asks them to enter more deeply into what they are reading and to creatively pull from their own minds more profound dimensions of the character or the situation. Alison explained that the exercise could work just as well if students were studying a work of non-fiction or even the constitution, for example. Writing a poem about an element of the Bill of Rights could draw students into a deeper understanding of our legal framework.
In addition, the assignment of writing a poem becomes a vehicle for learning about poetic techniques, such as meter. Meter is one of the subjects Alison found exciting as part of Jill McDonough’s summer classroom. Usually a discussion of a poem is a discussion of what it means, not how it means, and Alison really liked digging into the levels of language and technique to understand why a poem had an effect on her. The program also gave each teacher the time to write a few poems and to have the experience of using a technique such as meter. A group reading and discussion pushed the idea of a technique like meter from an abstraction to the understanding you get when you use an idea as a tool. Understanding of the term then invites further skill development. Her students seem to have the same thirst for understanding and being able to apply techniques.
Alison finds that what she learned fits easily into the MCAS and Common Core framework, the guidelines against which schools, teachers, and students are measured. She says. “Our job as English teachers is not only to teach students to read, write, think, and communicate but to love those skills enough to pursue them for a lifetime. We have to give them tools to be lifelong learners.” Alison feels that reading is not just taking in the facts but thinking about them, evaluating them, mulling them over – tasks every educated adult should be able to do. “That kind of judicious thinking requires that you enjoy or feel satisfied with your skill in thinking. As teachers we get to ignite a love of learning, and poetry becomes a tool for experiencing enjoyment and deeper understanding.”
The professional development sessions offered by Mass Poetry are taught by both poets who are teachers and teachers who love poetry. This fall Alison will be teaching a December 13th session titled “Teaching Poetry Writing While Navigating Standardized Tests.” Her energy and enthusiasm, which are readily apparent when you talk to her, have inspired her students, whether at-risk learners or honors pupils. They have won prestigious awards, including the Oprah Winfrey National High School Essay Writing Contest. She is also a co-founder and producer of Brookline High School's Annual Poetry Festival. She says, “I believe strongly that not only can we keep creativity alive in a standardized world but that the study of poetry enhances our quantitative goals.” She’ll be asking questions, probing teachers to share, and building on the concepts of using poetry to enrich and develop the learning experience in a quantitative and qualitative way.
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San Francisco New-Housing Construction Trends
Many of the charts included in this report are based on or excerpted from the San Francisco Planning Department’s 82-page 2014 Housing Inventory report, released in April 2015, which can be accessed using the link at the bottom of this article. Much of the text below detailing housing-inventory statistics is excerpted from this report as well.
The process of application and review, public hearings (and sometimes ballot proposals), revisions, entitlement, permitting, construction, inspection and completion is complex and lengthy. Housing units are being planned and built, and existing units are being altered and removed. And there are many housing types: rental or sale units, market rate or affordable, social-project housing or luxury condominiums.
The new-housing landscape in San Francisco is in constant flux: new projects, developer plan changes, city plan changes, and shifts in economic and political realities. The basic reality is that the city, after its recent 2008-2012 new-construction slump, is now experiencing a huge building boom. So far, however, it has not been able to keep up with accelerating population growth, soaring employment and concomitant surging buyer/renter demand.
“The production of new housing in 2014 totaled 3,654 units, a 50% increase from 2013. This includes 3,454 units in new construction and 200 new units added through conversion of non-residential uses, alterations to existing units or buildings, or expansion of existing structures. Some 140 units were lost through demolition (95), unit mergers (20) and removal of illegal units (24).
“Some of the larger projects completed in 2014 include: 1411 Market Street/NEMA Phase II (437 market-rate units and 52 affordable inclusionary units), 185 Channel Street (315 market rate units), Rincon Hill Phase II (312 market rate units).The 1190 4th Street (100% affordable 150 units) and St. Anthony Foundation’s 121 Golden Gate Avenue (100% affordable 90 senior housing units) are two major affordable housing projects completed in 2014.”
“The Planning Department approved and fully entitled 57 projects in 2014. These projects propose a total of 3,756 units. In 2014, 3,834 units were authorized for construction. This represents a 21% increase from 2013. New housing authorized for construction over the past five years continues to be overwhelmingly (90%) in buildings with 20 or more units. In 2014 the average project size was 16 units.”
“Some of the major projects authorized for construction during the reporting year include: 2801 Brannan Street (434 units); 3350 8th Street (408 units); 250 4th Street (208 units); and 588 Mission Bay Boulevard (200 units).”
“In 2014, 269 projects with about 8,030 units were filed with the Planning Department. This number is higher than the count in 2013 by 66% and is a little over double that of the five year average of almost 3,690 units.
Residential Development by City District
New construction has been concentrated in a few specific districts of the city, mostly where there are commercial lots able to be converted to residential use and where higher density housing projects are most viable. The ability to take under-utilized commercial property sites and turn them into multi-unit or even high-rise residential projects is particularly prized. Generally speaking this describes the quadrant of San Francisco around and to the southeast of the Market Street corridor.
New Development Pipeline
We also have an overview of the quarterly San Francisco Planning Department’s Pipeline Report, which complements the annual Housing Inventory reports with a longer term perspective: The San Francisco Residential & Commercial Development Pipeline Report. Below is one chart from this report.
There are over 50,000 housing units of all kinds currently in the pipeline – and the pipeline is growing and changing quickly now – but some of the bigger projects (such as Treasure Island and Hunter’s Point/Shipyard) may take decades to complete.
Construction vs. Conversion
“Thirty-three single-family units were added in 2014: Single-family building construction made up a very small proportion of new construction in 2014 (1%).” Very few new houses are built in San Francisco, as developers prefer to build higher density housing projects on our limited supply of land. The houses that are built are typically big and expensive.
“New condominium construction in 2014 dropped to 1,977 units from 2,586 units in 2013. Condominium conversions were up by 98% in 2014 (730 from 369 conversions in 2013). This number is 20% higher than the 10-year average of 606 units.” The rules governing condo conversion in San Francisco are byzantine, politically-wrought and, seemingly, ever-changing, and the changes affect the ability to convert existing multi-unit properties and TICs into condominiums. .
Affordable Housing Construction
Very generally speaking, the city requires that new home developers either dedicate 15% of their units to affordable housing, which could be built on-site or on another city site, or contribute to the city’s affordable housing fund “in lieu” of building the units themselves.(The rules are more complicated than that, but that’s the general idea.) There are few subjects more politically charged in San Francisco than affordable housing: how much should be built where and who should be responsible for the costs.
“In 2014, 757 new affordable housing units were built. These new affordable units made up 21% of new units added to the City’s housing stock. This count includes 267 inclusionary units and 59 units added to existing structures. About 83% of the new affordable units are rentals affordable to very-low and low-income households.” These units are allocated, rented and sold under rules and formulas pertaining to social and economic circumstances and housing cost. Large projects are also built on an ongoing basis by private-public social organizations for dedicated purposes such as senior housing.
“In 2014, a total of about $30 million was collected from developers as partial payments of in-lieu fees for projects.”
Major affordable housing projects completed in 2014 include: 1190 4th Street (150 units); 121 Golden Gate Avenue (90 units); 378 5th Street (44 units); 833-871 Jamestown Avenue (96 units); 1600 Market Street (23 units); and 63 West Point Road (15 units).
Housing Units Demolished, Merged and Abated
“Dwelling units are gained by additions to existing housing structures, conversions to residential use, and legalization of illegal units. Dwelling units are lost by merging separate units into larger units, by conversion to commercial use, or by the removal of illegal units. The net gain of 155 units from alterations in 2014 is comprised of 200 units added and 45 units eliminated.”
The Context behind San Francisco New-Housing Development
Population, Employment, New Supply vs. Demand
What ultimately underpins new housing construction is demand. San Francisco is seeing surging population and employment that has been far outpacing new supply. Below are 3 charts we made up plus one from the CA Legislative Analyst’s Office.
Insufficient Housing = Increasing Prices & Rents
Below are two of our charts illustrating the white hot rental and sale markets in San Francisco, which are motivating investors and developers to build new homes, and motivating the city and non-profits to try and accelerate the construction of affordable housing units as well.
New Housing Construction by Bay Area County
As can be seen below, Santa Clara has taken the lead in new home construction in the Bay Area. “In 2014, Bay Area counties authorized 21,090 units for construction, 8% more than the 2013 authorizations of 19,551 units. In San Francisco, 98% of new housing is in multi-family buildings.”
SF Housing Stock by Building Size
Condo Values by Era of Construction
The first golden age of SF apartment buildings, many of which were later turned into condos, was in the period of 1920 – 1940: The units in these buildings are large, light, gracious and filled with elegant detail. Pacific Heights and Marina are filled with these buildings. Though there are beautiful condos built in other eras (Edwardian flats, Art Deco apartments), the second golden age really arrived with the latest burst of new-condo construction, built for an increasingly affluent population: These units are ultra-modern, high-tech and feature highest quality finishes and amenities. They are exemplified by the new, luxury high-rises of the greater South Beach-Yerba Buena area, though variations on this theme, in non-high-rise form, have been springing up all over the city.
The units in these newer buildings command a premium both when rented or, as seen in the chart above, when sold – now surpassing an average dollar per square foot value of $1000. This is the major motivator for developers today.
Housing Unit Construction by Bedroom Count
We haven’t found an easy place for construction data by unit size, so this first chart above is extrapolated from SF MLS sales of condos built 2001 -2015. It may not apply perfectly to units built as apartment rentals or affordable housing.
Typically, the smaller the unit, the higher the dollar per square foot value on sale or rental, however in San Francisco, 3+ bedroom condos are often high-floor units with spectacular views that sell for extraordinary sums – but these would be outliers to the general rule. The city plan appears to have a bias for 2-bedroom units, which it designates as “family units” – this may be an anachronism considering that 38% of city residents live alone and that SF has the lowest percentage of children of any major U.S. city.Lately there has been a push by developers (and some housing advocates) toward smaller or even “micro” units, but other segments in the decision-making chain in the city, such as supervisors and neighborhood community groups, often push back against allowing this trend to gain traction in the city.
The politics of new home development in San Francisco is not for the weak of heart. There are very, very strong opinions and pressures regarding how it should best proceed.
San Francisco Planning Department
Pipeline & Housing Inventory Reports
Below are links to the SF Planning Department Pipeline and Housing Inventory report webpages. They contain huge amount of data, which we have attempted to represent accurately.As noted by their authors, who did an incredible job, the original reports themselves are “compiled and consolidated from different data sources and subject to errors due to varying accuracy and currency of original sources.”
2014 SF Planning Department Housing Inventory Report, Issued April 2015
San Francisco Planning Department Pipeline Report
SF Development Pipeline Map
And this image-link goes to a flowchart of the Planning Department’s
review and approvals process:
This report was created in good faith and is based on data from sources deemed reliable,
but may contain inadvertent errors and misrepresentations, and is subject to revision.
© April 2015 Paragon Real Estate Group
April 21, 2015 MRNTadmn Blog, Market News Blog, Market News
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U.S.–Russia Forum in Health Sciences
The Foundation for NIH and Eli Lilly Launch $1.265M US-Russia Science Partnership
Bethesda, MD (September 23, 2010) — The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and Eli Lilly and Company today announced the launch of the U.S.–Russia Forum in Health Sciences to encourage collaboration on shared priorities in health related research. The joint venture was unveiled during a visit to the NIH by Russia’s deputy health minister, Dr. Veronika Skvortsova.
The U.S.–Russia Forum is being established through the Foundation for NIH, with $1,265.000 million from Eli Lilly as the founding private partner, and the Fogarty International Center and Clinical Center as the lead NIH participants. The objective of this public-private partnership is to facilitate collaboration that will improve public health by strengthening activities related to disease control and prevention, clinical and translational research, manufacturing practices and regulatory science, and emerging technologies in the field of health care.
The partnership will sponsor a clinical and translational research-training program in Russia. There will also be additional resources for Russian scientists who are accepted into the NIH Visiting Fellows Program.
As part of this joint U.S.-Russia program, a scientific forum will be created to establish a network to exchange information among U.S. and Russian government agencies, research organizations, and other partners involved in biomedical and behavioral research. Forum activities will include an annual symposium to identify strategies to facilitate the conduct of joint research, enhance interdisciplinary work, bridge the gap between research and practice, and maximize the public benefit of basic and clinical discoveries. It will also enhance scientific collaborations through joint-research proposal development, scientific exchanges and research conferences, and explore the development of bilateral biomedical and behavioral research programs.
The U.S.-Russia Forum in Health Sciences is intended to include participants from both public and private sector organizations engaged in biomedical and behavioral research and development.
“We are delighted to facilitate this significant collaboration between the U.S. and Russian biomedical and behavioral health research communities,” commented Dr. Scott E. Campbell, executive director and CEO of the Foundation for NIH. “Communication and information sharing among scientific health entities are central to overcoming complexities and transforming medicine in new and creative ways by leveraging joint research, technology, data and experiences.”
“We are faced with many challenges today on the path toward advancing biomedical research in order to save lives. It is imperative that the most outstanding scientists and physicians from the public and private sectors be engaged in finding solutions to these challenges. While the U.S. and Russian National Academies of Science have a rich history of collaboration over the past half century--this has not necessarily been the case in terms of biomedical research that engages scientists from both the public and private sectors,” according to Dr. Gail Cassell, vice president of scientific affairs and distinguished research scholar at Eli Lilly.
“The establishment of this collaborative initiative is founded on the belief that people from different corners of the pharmaceutical and healthcare world will overcome their differences and come together when confronted with a global threat. We are encouraged by the response and inspired by the commitment of our colleagues.” Cassell added.
About The Russia/US Cooperative Medical Sciences Program
The U.S.-Russia Forum in Health Sciences was formed under the framework of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, and guided by several agreements between U.S. and Russian scientific and health agencies to collaborate on topics involving disease control and prevention, development of new therapies, and other emerging technologies in the field of health care. The Forum’s activities will address those goals.
About the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health
The Foundation for NIH was established by the United States Congress to support the mission of the National Institutes of Health and its 27 institutes – improving health through scientific discovery in the search for cures and extending healthy life. The foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation that raises private-sector funds for a broad portfolio of unique programs that complement and enhances NIH priorities and activities.
Labels: clinical research, Eli Lilly, NIH, research
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The Harassment Problem at Salons Your Hairstylist Wants You to Know About
By Sophie Saint Thomas
Hayleigh Hatcher has been wanting to work in beauty since she was a little girl playing dress-up.
"I was raised in the South by a mother with impeccable taste and a keen eye for beautiful things. She curled my hair and painted my nails from a very young age, and I loved it. By age nine I was giving makeovers," Hatcher told Mic. "Appearance enhancement gave me such joy, going to cosmetology school was a logical choice for me."
But after years of working in New York City salons and eventually starting her own practice out of her home, Hatcher can attest to a less pleasant side of the business: unwanted sexual advances, and even harassment, from clients.
"I have experienced a lot of sexual harassment over the years — it really comes with the territory in this profession," Hatcher told Mic. "The most common is men blatantly staring long and hard at my body. I have also had clients ask me inappropriate questions regarding sex and love, as well as over share about their sex lives. The worst is I've had a few men loiter after the appointment and aggressively follow me around my space like they are expecting something else, which truly frightened me."
There have been a few high-profile instances of sexual harassment in salons, in New York and other U.S. cities. But the cases that make headlines are typically lawsuits in which salon employees sue their bosses. In 2011, a female New York salon employee sued the Soho salon Devachan for $16 million for alleged sexual harassment by her male coworkers and bosses. In 2007, multiple sexual harassment lawsuits were filed against the upscale Andre Chreky's salon in Washington D.C. by former employees.
But the women who talked to Mic spoke mostly of problems with clients, rather than bosses or coworkers — a problem that makes headlines only occasionally.
Source: Mic/Getty Images
An intimate environment: "I've had people take off their shirts in my home, men and women," said Veronica*, a New York-based hair stylist who has been working in the city for the past six years, sometimes out of her own home. "You are their therapist as well, so they feel they can cross boundaries," she told Mic.
It's that intimate connection, both emotional and physical, that seems to encourage certain behavior between the person in the chair and the one tousling their hair. The fact that salons are often casual environments — workplaces where metal music blares and employees flaunt tattoos — can add to the intimacy.
"[It's an] environment where part of the business is for people to look really good and be touching their clients, and there's a certain amount of personal relationship that develops between customers and hairstylists," Gillian Thomas, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU's Women's Rights Project, as well as a specialist in employment law and author of the upcoming book Because of Sex: One Law, Ten Cases, and Fifty Years That Changed American Women's Lives at Work, told Mic.
"We are one of the few non-sexual professions that have to touch their clients," Veronica said, adding that hairstylists are also misjudged. "Hairstylists have the stereotype of being flighty, party girls. ... Guys aren't threatened by this job as, say, a doctor might intimidate them [into respecting them]."
That can lead to real line-crossing, often in the form of flirting.
"They totally think its OK to ask you out," Hatcher told Mic, adding she's had clients book appointments with the sole purpose of trying to win a date. "I can tell instantly if someone is using the haircut as an attempt to get closer to me. If there was a genuine connection and a client asked me out in a direct and respectful manner, I would be OK with it, but that usually isn't the case. Most commonly, it's them flirting and behaving as if the haircut is actually a date. It's inappropriate."
Veronica's experience has been similar.
"I watched my heavily pregnant coworker get hit on by her client who said that the sex with his wife was the best during the last trimester," she said.
Knowing what's against the law: According to a study conducted last year by Cosmopolitan, one in three women have been sexually harassed at work. When asked rates for the salon industry, Thomas, the attorney with the ACLU's Women's Rights Project, told Mic, "There aren't a lot of hard and fast statistics breaking down industries, but what you've heard [from the stylists interviewed] rings very true from my own experience."
Anne Brown, author of Backbone Power: The Science of Saying No, attested to hearing these intentions from men first-hand. She told Mic that she's "coached men who say, 'I want to ask my hairdresser out. She seems to be flirting with me.' I teach them to be very respectful just like anywhere else – when it's no, it's no."
But the line between attempted flirting and sexual harassment is not always clearly defined. According to NYC Commission on Human Rights, behavior qualifies as unlawful sexual harassment when "such conduct unreasonably interferes with job performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment."
But that can be hard to define, and laws vary at the federal, state and city levels, Thomas explained to Mic:
A 1993 [Supreme Court] case clarified that what's abusive is what a reasonable person would consider abusive ... [which] excludes the outlier cases that people like to hypothesize about: 'Oh, he can't compliment her because that will be sexual harassment.' No, that's not severe or pervasive. If you compliment her every single day, and it's clearer that that's unwelcome, then maybe that starts to get to a level of pervasive. Similarly, a single incident of extremely severe harassment, like a physical assault, would also rise to the level of being illegal.
"The law does protect employees from customer harassment — it doesn't have to be someone employed by the employer," she added, stating that the type of harassment the stylists described to Mic could indeed be categorized as sexual harassment if severe or pervasive.
It's an issue that salon workers and owners do discuss, as evidenced by blog posts and online conversations on the topic. But both Veronica and Hatcher told Mic that the issue wasn't addressed at the institutes they attended, including Aveda Institute New York, where Veronica went.
"I can't recall this being addressed in cosmetology school or on any job sites, but it certainly should!" said Hatcher. "Boundaries are essential in this profession for serenity and success. There is a fine line between taking care of the client and taking care of yourself. Being equipped with the knowledge and tools to handle these situations is imperative."
When Aveda Institute New York was contacted for comment, Mic was told via email that the institute has "two publicly available briefing documents for our students who attend our corporately owned institutes in Minneapolis and New York (they are adapted to ensure all state requirements are met). ... The students are also required to watch a video on the subject."
But it still largely falls on employees themselves to know what to do in the moment. ReeRee Rockette, owner of Rockalily Cuts in London, told Mic that while she's not sure they've had many inappropriate clients, her "boss' advice to staff is that they can use me as a scapegoat to politely turn dates down (I'll get in trouble with my boss, etc)."
"Salons can be boundary-less environments riddled with dysfunction," Hatcher said. "Over the years my reactions have changed. Earlier in my career I would laugh nervously and stumble upon my words, but continue to engage them. I lacked the confidence to hold my own behind the chair. These days, I just don't engage it. If I catch someone drooling over me, I just ignore it and keep working. If an inappropriate topic arises, I shut it down."
* Last name has been withheld to allow subject to speak freely on private matters.
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These 10 Cities Have the Most Fast Food Restaurants in the US
By Alex Orlov
Want a side of fries with that sunshine?
Florida is home to seven of the top 10 fast food cities in the U.S., according to a recent analysis of data from the 2015 census and from AggData.com. These cities have the most fast food joints per 100,000 residents, according to Careers in Public Health.
The top cities include the Florida cities of Pensacola, Ocala, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Orlando, Kissimmee and Bradenton.
Cities with the most fast food options. Source: Careers in Public Health
Somewhat shockingly, Florida has the eighth lowest obesity rate in the U.S. Roughly 26% of adults there are obese. Meanwhile, Arkansas, the most obese state in America, has an obesity rate of 36%.
Roughly one out of three children will eat fast food on a given day, according to the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But it's still not clear how fast food plays into the complex issue of obesity. The Atlantic noted that fast food consumption is fairly consistent among children of all income levels — which negates the commonly held assumption that fast food is linked to obesity in lower-income families.
How are low-income communities vulnerable to obesity? Supermarkets offering sugary goods could play a role, The Atlantic suggested. Cheap, tempting junk foods on supermarket shelves might be more destructive than Big Macs when it comes to American health.
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Nebraska Senate advances bill for state-issued "Choose Life" license plates
By Marie Solis
Nebraska state legislators are trying to put their anti-abortion message on wheels.
According to the Associated Press, senators have advanced a bill that would require Nebraska's Department of Motor Vehicles to design and issue license plates that say "Choose Life."
The new plates would cost $5 more than the state's standard license plates, with proceeds going to supplement funding for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a federal program that provides financial assistance for food, shelter, utilities and other necessities.
Nebraska wouldn't be the first state to pass a bill allowing for the politically charged license plates.
According to a map on Choose Life's official site, the plate tag is currently available in 28 states as well as Washington, D.C.
In March 2016, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the state could issue its own "Choose Life" plates, but reserved the right for the state to reject any messages with which the state disagrees, Fox News reported.
In 2011, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation that allowed the expression of anti-abortion sentiments on state license plates, but rejected requests to feature tags like "Respect Choice."
There's been some dispute over whether the messages should be seen as a government endorsement. While Chief Judge William Traxler ruled that "speciality license plates" issued by North Carolina "amount to government speech," some argue customized license plates shouldn't be associated with the state.
"A person who sees a North Carolina 'I'd Rather Be Shaggin'' specialty plate during Monday morning rush hour surely does not routinely and reasonably believe that such a plate embodies the State of North Carolina's credo," appeals court Judge James Wynn wrote in his dissenting opinion to Traxler's decision.
Sure — retweets aren't always endorsements. But in Nebraska, a state with a 20-week ban on abortion, it's clear state legislators may, in fact, actually just be urging residents to "choose life."
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"The Pre-Arrangement Funeral Home"
Michels & Lundquist Funeral Home
Death Away From Home
For more than 30 years, this family-owned funeral home has helped the people of New Port Richey when they needed it most. Having skillfully served over 9,000 families, the name Michels & Lundquist has become synonymous with quality.
Michels & Lundquist met each other in 1964 when Michels moved up from Duval Funeral Home in Tampa to take over as General Manager of the company’s branch in New Port Richey where Lundquist had been working since 1959.
Michels began his funeral service career at the age of 15 when he took a part-time job shoveling snow, setting up chairs, and washing cars at a funeral home in Michigan. By 22, he had moved to Florida with his family, completed college and was a Licensed Funeral Director.
Lundquist always admired his uncle who was a Funeral Director and knew from an early age helping people deal with loss was his life’s calling.
The Altmeyer family purchased Michels & Lundquist Funeral Home & Cremation Services in November of 2013, adding to their string of 24 funeral homes located in West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, and North Carolina, the first of which dates back to 1917.
Michels & Lundquist are both happy about the merger as the Altmeyer family has the ability to improve and enhance Michels & Lundquist’s facilities and services. We share a similar moral compass and dedication to quality, personalized care.
The motto of Michels & Lundquist is “Where Service is a Tradition” reflecting our dedication to providing premium care to the families we assist. This ethos will never waver.
“During this stressful time the man that took care of my father’s death had a beautiful tone that radiated love and compassion.”
What our families say...
“Can’t thank Mike enough for making this as easy as possible.”
5228 Trouble Creek Road
Click here to order Thumbies Keepsake jewelry
© 2019 MKJ Marketing
A Session ID is required to purchase jewelry with your loved one's fingerprint, click here to continue. If you do not have an ID, click here to contact us to get your Session ID.
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Floating Music and The Man from the East close
Read what our customers are saying about us
Floating Music and The Man from the East
Stomu Yamashta
For the first time ever on CD, Raven presents (on Double Disc format) two landmark albums by virtuoso Japanese instrumentalist / composer STOMU YAMASHTA. When Yamashta – best known for his blending of the avant-garde and rock music – moved to the UK in the early 1970s he signed to the prestigious Island label, recording a series of legendary (and out-of-print) albums that remain highly regarded among aficionados of progressive jazz fusion / space rock. Floating Music (recorded in 1972 with jazz ensemble Come to the Edge) and The Man from the East (1973, with Red Buddha Theatre) established his reputation as a performer and composer of impeccable technique and musical intelligence.
The Man from the East was the soundtrack to a fascinating theatre-piece he presented in Paris and London in 1972. Several of these songs (‘Poker Dice’, ‘One Way’, ‘Memory of Hiroshima’) appeared on the film soundtrack of The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) and have since attained mythical status among fans
Keep In Lane
Ana Orori
What A Way To Live In Modern Times
My Little Partner
Memory Of Hiroshima
Freedom Is Frightening
Rolling Nuns
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Music, Film & Performing Arts Documentaries:
Music, Film, TV & Arts
Music Documentaries
Pet Shop Boys - Life In Pop
Parental guidance is recommended for younger viewers.
From their trailblazing first single, 'West End Girls' to their current position as Britain's foremost pop duo, 'A Life In Pop' traces every ground-breaking step in their 20 yearcareer of the Pet Shop Boys. Starting in their respective home towns in the North of England, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe retrace their remarkable journey in their own words. The film features some previously unseen live performances, rare television appearances (including their first ever from Belgium in 1984), and interviews with famous fans, collaborators and colleagues including Robbie Williams, Brandon Flowers (The Killers), Tim Rice-Oxley (Keane), Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters) and Bruce Weber.
A Life in Pop is a fascinating in-depth documentary film chronicling the Pet Shop Boys' enduring success.
DVD Region
Length (Minutes)
English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Portuguese
Supported Audio
Dolby Digital Surround 2.0
Movies & TV >
Music, Film, TV & Arts >
Music Films & Concerts >
Dance & Electronica
Special Interest >
Music & Concerts on DVD & Blu-ray >
DVD >
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Senate OKs bill allowing tinted windows for some
May 23, 2007 at 12:01 AM May 23, 2007 at 10:00 PM
May 22 legislative briefs
SPRINGFIELD -- People with any type of sun-sensitive medical condition would be allowed to drive or ride in vehicles with tinted windshields under legislation that is on its way to Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
With no debate, the Senate Tuesday voted 57-0 for House Bill 536, which expands on a 2005 law granting the same permission to people with lupus or albinism. Tinted windshields and front windows on autos generally are illegal in Illinois.
The House approved HB536 in March.
A message left with Blagojevich’s press office was not returned Tuesday, but his spokespeople typically say he must review a bill before deciding whether to sign it.
Rep. David Leitch, R-Peoria, introduced the legislation after he heard from Wendy Marquis, a Dunlap resident who has a skin condition called disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis. Reddish spots appear on her arms, legs and face when they are exposed to the sun.
Marquis told Leitch that a police officer had ticketed her for driving a vehicle with tinted windows, even though she showed the officer a doctor’s letter explaining her medical situation.
Leitch, who sponsored the 2005 measure, said that until he spoke with Marquis, he hadn’t realized there were other conditions — besides lupus and albinism — aggravated by exposure to sunlight.
HB536 expands the 2005 law to cover anyone with a medical illness, ailment or disease that “would require that person to be shielded from the direct rays of the sun.”
Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, sponsored the legislation in the Senate, and Sen. Dale Risinger, R-Peoria, was a co-sponsor.
Motorists would have to keep at least 3 feet away from a bicyclist sharing the same roadway under legislation approved in the House.
Senate Bill 80 already cleared the Senate and will go to Blagojevich for consideration.
Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, sponsored the legislation, saying it would improve bicycle safety.
Another part of the bill would change the hand signal that cyclists use to indicate they are making a right-hand turn. At present, the hand signal involves holding up the left arm in an “L” shape. The new hand signal would be to hold the right arm straight out, pointing toward the right.
One opponent of the bill, Rep. Shane Cultra, R-Onarga, said the new hand signal could confuse motorists.
The House voted 115-0 for legislation intended to help people with autism.
Senate Bill 51, sponsored by Republican Rep. Aaron Schock of Peoria, earlier won Senate approval and now will go to the governor’s desk.
The measure will guarantee “more extensive services” for people with autism through the Illinois Department of Human Services, Schock said.
Peoria airport
On a 73-42 vote, the House approved a measure that would expand the Greater Peoria Regional Airport’s taxing district to include all of Peoria County.
The taxing district’s boundaries have not changed since 1950, and the district presently includes Bartonville, Peoria Heights, West Peoria and parts of the city of Peoria. Supporters of the legislation say it unfairly taxes only a small portion of the county and that the expansion would generate extra money that could be used for capital improvements and to leverage more federal dollars.
There was no House floor debate Tuesday on Senate Bill 263, sponsored by Schock.
Even though the Senate already approved a previous version of the legislation, the measure has to go to the Senate a second time because of a revision made in the House.
The revision, sought by Rep. Roger Eddy, R-Hutsonville, would grant the Crawford County Airport Authority in southeastern the same ability to expand its boundaries.
If the Senate goes along with that change, the bill would head to Blagojevich.
Tele-counseling
Legislation that passed the House would require state government to pay psychiatrists who counsel Medicaid patients over the telephone or use other electronic means.
Senate Bill 6 is aimed at helping rural or other residents who do not have access to nearby psychiatrists, said its House sponsor, Rep. Patti Bellock, R-Hinsdale.
It was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Deanna Demuzio, D-Carlinville, who testified during a committee hearing that a patient in her district had to wait three to four hours before being admitted into a mental facility because no psychiatrist was available to review the case.
The bill passed unanimously in both legislative chambers and now goes to the governor.
The Senate voted to classify an over-the-counter hallucinogen among the most dangerous drugs and sent legislation to do that to the governor for his signature.
House Bill 457 would make Salvia divinorum a Schedule 1 controlled substance — the same legal category as heroin or cocaine. It also would ban possession of the plant or its seeds or extract.
A member of the mint family, Salvia divinorum grows naturally in a small region of Mexico, although it can be cultivated elsewhere. It is said to cause hallucinations and is marketed over the Internet and in some retail outlets.
Sen. John Millner, R-Carol Stream, and Rep. Dennis Reboletti, R-Addison, said they were asked to sponsor the legislation after a child of a DuPage County sheriff’s employee suffered severe depression after using the substance.
The legislation passed unanimously in the House and Senate.
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Car Reviews / Honda / Honda Legend (2006 - 2010)
Review and road test of the Honda Legend (2006 - 2010)
BUILDING THE LEGEND
BY VAUGHAN FREEMAN
Honda didn't make life easy for themselves when they turned their fire on some of the biggest names in the prestige car market and pulled the trigger with the four-door Legend saloon. When launched, the near £40,000 price tag and hoped-for customer profile put the car up against well established and favoured names like the BMW 5-Series, the Lexus GS300, the Audi A6 and the Mercedes E-Class. In the eyes of some, Honda also tied one arm behind their back by only offering one engine, albeit a highly accomplished 3471cc 24-valve V6. The Japanese brand added to the car's armoury however with a vast array of technology making it as simple and easy to drive as possible. Headlines were a five speed sequential shift gearbox operated by steering wheel mounted paddles and a highly sophisticated SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system. While it was a package that, brand new, suffered in the shadow of the German and Lexus marques, for used car buyers it all translates into an awful lot of car for the money, underwritten by Honda's exemplary record for reliability and build quality.
Models Covered: 4dr Saloon: (3.5 petrol V6)
Despite their great success at producing and selling excellent smaller cars, Honda is not alone among the Japanese manufacturers in having struggled to make any significant impact in the higher-end luxury car market. Not that they haven't tried. In fact, the Legend executive saloon has been around for a while in various guises. The original version was launched in the mid 1980s as part of a joint project with Austin Rover that also gave birth to the Legend's sister car the Rover 800. Honda's thinking was that their partners Rover, with a history of luxury mid size cars like the P6 and SD1, could help them break into the UK and America with a bigger, upmarket model. It didn't really work, even though a coupe version was also offered. So Honda tried again in 1991 with MK2 saloon and Coupe Legend models, now with even smoother 3.2-litre V6s. They even carried an early form of sat-nav (admittedly only in Japan) called the Electro Gyrocator. These enjoyed moderate success, certainly more than the saloon-only MK3 model which arrived in 1996 and eventually petered out in 2004. Hence the low expectations which greeted the launch of this MK4 model in 2006.
The Legend is not the easiest car to spot in the supermarket car park. The styling is pleasant enough, the front end dominated by the H badge and the three horizontal bars of the grille, along with large headlights that look almost retro compared to some of the jewelled creations that adorn more recent vehicles. The flanks lack any creases or detailing and the rear end features large, effective, but again unremarkable light clusters. When new, the Legend probably didn't have the charisma or badge-appeal of similarly priced offerings from Jaguar, Audi or BMW. Second-hand, the story is entirely different and the value-for-money argument is a lot stronger when you can overlook bland styling for the attractions of superb build quality, advanced technology and affordable pricing. The Legend makes choosing easy as there's only one engine, the 3.5 litre V6, and only the one transmission set-up, the five speed sequential auto. Seek out the SH-AWD models and you'll also get the Collision Mitigation Braking System (which slows the car should it detect an accident about to happen) and Advanced Driver Assist (with adaptive cruise control which keeps a constant gap between you and the vehicle ahead). Inside, the cabin isn't as big as the outside dimensions suggest. Nor is the available boot space, which at 452-litres is smaller than its Accord sister. Build quality though, is of the highest and the equipment levels are downright indulgent with adaptive headlights, a reversing camera, adjustable heated front seats and a BOSE sound system as well as sat-nav and Bluetooth compatibility. Safety equipment includes front, side and curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes with Brake Assist and vehicle stability control. The Legend comes with a V6 3.5-litre petrol V6 with automatic transmission, all of which, along with the weight penalty of the 4WD system, means this is not a light car at around 1900kilos. As a result, expect fuel figures of around 24mpg (combined) and carbon dioxide emissions of 280g/km. It falls into the Group 17 or 18 insurance bracket and the three year/90,000 mile warranty offered when new gives some idea of Honda's confidence in the car to do big mileages without major worries.
When new, the SH-AWD all-wheel drive system was an expensive option but one which now commands a minimum premium and this is the model to seek out. The V6 motor, SH-AWD all wheel drive system with twin electromagnetic computer controlled clutches, plus the paddle-shift sequential gearbox, means that this is a complicated car. So seek out models with a full Honda service history for your own peace of mind. Such a history will also mean you can check annual mileages, as only the earliest Legends for sale second hand will have MOTs allowing you to cross-check mileages. Despite having been in the market for a number of years, there have really been no major complaints or glitches with the Legend.
(based on a 2007 Legend 3.5 V6 - approx ex-Vat) A catalytic converter is around £300, front brake discs and pads £105, a pair of rear brake pads £35. An air filter is around £25, a set of six spark plugs £60, and a starter motor £175.
Under the bonnet sits Honda's 3.5 litre V6 with 295hp at 6200rpm and 259lb ft of torque available up to 5000rpm. The clever bit is how that power is delivered to all four wheels using a system of twin, electro-magnetic clutches, all automatically controlled by an array of computers. The result is that whether in rainy, slippery or icy conditions, the system deploys power to the wheels, front or rear, nearside or offside, as and where needed for optimum traction. The downside is paid for in terms of the car's bulk, which you might think would translate into slothful performance, since the Legend weighs around 1900kilos. Actually, it's not too bad, with a 0-60mph time of around seven seconds. Use the engine hard flicking quickly through the gears and (should you be on a German Autobahn) three figures will come up in well under 20 seconds. Sheer performance aside (and after all, this is a car with nigh-on 300bhp available), the 4WD Legend delivers a very sure-footed feel that inspires confidence whatever the corner or conditions. Honda have moved the car on a long way from previous generation models. The chassis is tailored specifically for the car and for the all wheel drive system, helped out by front end suspension that uses a double wishbone set-up, and, at the back end, a multi-link arrangement. If there is a complaint, it centres not so much on the suspension, drive or engine, but on the gearbox which sometimes seems to struggle to find the right gear for a hill or corner and is liable to make unexpected changes as a result. This is easily remedied by opting out of full automatic and using the paddles, which is more fun anyway.
In the world of car badge envy, the Honda Legend lost out when new as a car priced to go up against the Mercedes four-pointed star, the blue and white spinning propeller of BMW and Audi's four rings. In this Executive sector company, a big H on the grille just didn't cut it. Even when it was launched, Honda only expected to sell a few hundred of the cars a year in the UK. As a second-hand buy though, its buying proposition is transformed, assuming you're prepared to look beyond badge equity and anonymous looks. In return, you get a genuinely compliant ride, a smooth V6, great road holding through all wheel drive and great build quality at an affordable price - a compelling argument. The V6 isn't the most economical engine out there and there are questions over rear passenger space and boot space. But for the money, clever executive sector buyers will find this Honda hard to ignore.
Honda Legend (2006 - 2010) review by VAUGHAN FREEMAN
Manufacturer:Honda
Model:Honda Legend (2006 - 2010)
Category:Full-Sized Executive Cars
Review by:VAUGHAN FREEMAN
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Creative Writing, MFA
Women's Leadership, MA
Languages, Literature, & Philosophy
Equality through Understanding
Women's Studies Program
The W offers both a major and a minor in Women's Studies which are housed in The Department of Languages, Literature and Philosophy. The major and minor in women's studies are grounded in MUW's history as America's first public college for women and its ongoing commitment to academic and leadership development for women.
Using an interdisciplinary approach, students in the minor critically examine the social construction of gender and the status of women in diverse cultural contexts and time periods. The women's studies program emphasizes both scholarly exploration and the application of knowledge to practical women's issues.
The minor requires 18 hours of coursework, including WS 200: Introduction to Women's Studies. Women's Studies students enjoy learning both in and out of the traditional classroom while independently researching women's issues, planning programming, preserving women's history and attending professional conferences. A women's studies minor enhances any major and offers opportunities for creative projects and collaborative research with faculty mentors from a variety of disciplines.
The major in Women's Studies was approved by the IHL board in 2012. Like the women's studies minor, it is interdisciplinary, but is housed in the Department of Langauges, Literature and Philosophy. The major requires 33 hours of coursework. WS 200: Introduction to Women's studies is required as a pre-requisite to the other courses in the major, and the program also requires either a senior level independent research Capstone project (WS 499) or a senior level internship.
This major fits naturally into the overall academic life of the campus, because an important part of The W's mission is academic and leadership development for women. In addition, since the Director of Women's Studies is also the Director of The W's Center for Women's Research and Public Policy, this major is strongly connected with the CWRPP's mission, which is "dedicated to advancing research, providing information, and analyzing policies important to women and girls."
Women's Studies majors, which include men as well as women, will learn more about women's roles in all aspects of society, and by understanding old biases and barriers, will be better prepared to enter the workforce. Current women's studies students have completed internships which collected women's oral histories focused on women's educational history, military service, and the civil rights movement. They have worked as interns at the Southern Women in Public Service Conference and with the Mississippi Commission on the Status of Women.
For advising in Women's Studies, contact Dr. Bridget Smith Pieschel:
Email Address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
MA Women's Leadership
Women's Studies Major
Women's Studies Minor
Center for Women's Research & Public Policy
Request information about programs at The W..
Department of Languages, Literature, & Philosophy
Dr. Kendall Dunkelberg, Chair
Painter Hall 104
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The Battle of New Madrid
March 3-14, 1862 in New Madrid, Missouri
Union Forces Commanded by
Brig. Gen. John Pope and
Flag-Officer Andrew H. Foote
Strength Killed Wounded Missing/Captured
12,000 8 21 3
Confederate Forces Commanded by
Brig. Gen. John P. McCown and Brig. Gen. William W. Mackall
7,000 ? ? 3,500
Conclusion: Union Victory
With the surrender of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, Tennessee, and the evacuation of Columbus, Kentucky, Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard, commander of the Army of the Mississippi, chose Island No. 10, about 60 river miles below Columbus, to be the strongpoint for defending the Mississippi River. On a peninsula 10 miles long by 3 miles wide, the defenses consisted of a 2-regiment redoubt at New Madrid, and land batteries on a floating battery at Island No. 10. The latter was covered by land batteries on the Tennessee Shore.
Meanwhile, the Union forces in Missouri, previously occupied in the North-central and western parts of the state chasing Gen. Sterling Price, were now under the command of Maj. Gen. Henry Halleck. Halleck put together a plan for collapsing the Confederate western flank, which included the Mississippi River defenses at Island No. 10 and New Madrid. Halleck ordered Brig. Gen. John Pope to move on the Confederate forces at New Madrid. Pope arrived at Commerce, Missouri on February 25 with an escort of 140 men, and by March 1st, Halleck had assembled an army of 12,000 for him to complete the assignment. By March 2nd, his advance pickets arrived at New Madrid and the following day the remainder of the Army of the Mississippi arrived on the edge of town, having marched the 50 miles of Missouri springtime mud in 3 days. The force marched overland through swamps, lugging supplies and artillery.
On March 3, the Federals reached the New Madrid outskirts, and laid siege to the city. Brig. Gen. John P. McCown, the garrison commander, defended both New Madrid and Island No. 10 from the fortifications. He launched a sortie, under Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson, Missouri State Guard, against the Union besiegers and brought up heavy artillery to bombard them.
Upon his arrival, Pope discovered that five Confederate gunboats, under the command of Commodore George N. Hollins, had further reinforced New Madrid. The river, typical of springtime stages was nearly out of its banks, allowing the heavy guns on board the boats to sweep the countryside for several thousand yards ahead of Pope's army. Additionally, his intelligence on the size of the New Madrid garrison was sketchy at best, so a general assault was not ordered.
On March 4, and March 6, Pope ordered a reconnaissance in force on the Confederate positions near town, and pushed the pickets in, but still had very little idea of the size of the garrison. Finally on the 7th, a general demonstration against the Confederate works was ordered. Gen. David S. Stanley's Division was ordered to move on Fort Thompson while Col. W. H. Worthington's Brigade was to move on Fort Bankhead and occupy the trenches. John M. Palmer's 1st Brigade was to support Worthington. The Confederate's discovered the feint and the gunboats opened up on Worthington's men. Now, caught in crossfire between the Confederate gunboats and heavy guns in the forts, the force of approximately 7,000 withdrew from the town without engaging the Confederates. Pope, his Division commanders agreeing, concluded that an all out frontal assault would be suicide and decided to put the garrison to siege. He then telegraphed Halleck for siege guns and kept his command well distanced from the Confederates to await the big guns arrival.
Pope continued with other strategies too.
On March 6, Brig. Gen. J.B Plummer 's Division was ordered 5 miles down river to Point Pleasant, Missouri. Plummer's mission was to set up batteries on the river in order to cut off Confederate supply boats from New Madrid and No. 10. Plummer's men dug in along the riverbank; although the Confederate gunboats attempted to dislodge the Federals with their wooden fleet of gunboats, they failed. Plummer's men riddled the boats with small arms fire and scored several direct hits from their field pieces. The Confederate fleet proved it had little offensive value. The Union siege guns, three 24-pounders and one 8-inch Howitzer, arrived on March 12 and were planted in front of Fort Thompson that night.
On March 13, in the morning, the Federals began returning the Confederate artillery fire in earnest. A daylong artillery battle ensued, and although not terribly bloody, there were total losses on both sides in excess of 100 killed and wounded. The Yanks showed themselves to be good marksmen, dismounting 2 heavy guns in Fort Thompson and scoring several direct hits on the gunboats. The Confederates, not to be outdone, placed an 8-inch ball directly into the muzzle of one of the 24 pounders. Pope ordered an infantry assault on Fort Bankhead by Palmer's Division, however the Confederates discovered the plan and trained the big guns on the hapless Federals. Palmer, an Illinois politician, approached the fort to within about of a mile, and then refused to order the assault. Pope acquiesced to Palmer's decision.
That evening, Stewart, McCown and Commodore Hollins met aboard the Flagship McRae and concluded that the situation at New Madrid was hopeless. Within hours of the meeting, under the cover of a terrific spring thunderstorm, the Confederate forces evacuated New Madrid and crossed over to the opposite bank of the River. The evacuation was botched from the beginning, there were too few transports, the big guns were left unspiked, the caissons and limbers from the field pieces had to be thrown overboard from the transports, pickets were left in the trenches, and bodies left unburied. Overall, it had the appearance of a route rather than an evacuation.
On March 14, Pope's army discovered that New Madrid was deserted and moved in to occupy it. A Union naval flotilla, under the command of Flag-Officer Andrew H. Foote, arrived on March 15, coming upstream from Island No. 10. The ironclad USS Carondelet, on the night of April 4, passed the Island No. 10 batteries and anchored off New Madrid. The USS Pittsburgh followed on the night of April 6.
The ironclads helped to overawe the Confederate batteries and guns, enabling Pope's men to cross the river and block the Confederate escape route. Amazingly, the Federals watched the Confederate transports all night long, but they could not determine if it was an evacuation or reinforcement. The following morning, the Union troops were marched on to the field and Pope prepared for the assault that he had been avoiding. A flag of truce appeared in Fort Thompson from the Confederate pickets who had been left behind. Soon, all of Gen. Pope's army learned that the Confederates had made their escape. Cheers swelled in the ranks, and Pope quickly received his kudos from Halleck for the nearly bloodless capture of the garrison.
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Alabama notebook: Harris considered ‘day-to-day’
Alabama starting running back Damien Harris suffered an ankle sprain against Kent State.
Alabama notebook: Harris considered ‘day-to-day’ Alabama starting running back Damien Harris suffered an ankle sprain against Kent State. Check out this story on montgomeryadvertiser.com: http://on.mgmadv.com/2dta7MR
Tony Tsoukalas Published 2:23 a.m. CT Sept. 25, 2016
Alabama running back Damien Harris is carted to the locker room during the game against Kent State.(Photo: Marvin Gentry/USA TODAY SPORTS)
TUSCALOOSA — Alabama won the battle, but the Crimson Tide is just hoping Saturday’s 48-0 win against Kent State won’t cost it the war.
Despite rolling over the Golden Flashes, Alabama didn’t leave Saturday’s game unscathed. The Tide saw several key players receive knocks, none more crucial than sophomore running back Damien Harris, who left the game in the first quarter after he was hit in the right knee, causing his leg to buckle. Harris was helped to the sidelines before being carted off the field and didn’t return to the game.
“Damien Harris has an ankle sprain, and he’ll be day-to-day,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said after the game. “I don’t know what his status will be.”
Harris had established himself as the Tide’s No. 1 back this season. The sophomore set a career high with 144 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries last week against Ole Miss. Before leaving on Saturday, Harris had 18 yards on four carries.
Fellow sophomore running back Bo Scarbrough also left the field temporarily after taking a shot to the leg. He then spent some time in the medical tent before returning to the field. Scarbrough was then held out for most of the second half with the score out of reach. He ended the game with 19 yards on three carries.
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey pulled up with a hamstring in the first half before later returning. Receiver Calvin Ridley was helped to the bench after taking a shot to the head in the end zone during the first half. He later returned to the game and appeared to be fine.
Saban said Harris was the only serious injury on the day.
Wide receivers ArDarius Stewart (knee) and Robert Foster (knee) missed the game after being limited in practice last week.
“ArDarius Stewart will probably start doing some work this week,” Saban said. “He’s still questionable as of whether he’ll be ready for this game this week. Robert Foster probably will be questionable this as well. That’s basically the injury report.”
Video board verification?: The video board revealed what Alabama coaches have yet to confirm, as true freshman Jalen Hurts was the lone quarterback announced during the Tide’s starting lineups. Typically Hurts and redshirt freshman Blake Barnett have both been announced.
To no surprise, Hurts started his third game for the Tide. The freshman completed 16 of 24 passes for 164 yards and a touchdown while adding 54 yards and a score on seven carries.
Barnett came into the game in the second quarter and was equally sharp, going 4 of 7 for 55 yards, including a 34-yard pass to tight end O.J. Howard.
“It was the plan to play Blake some in the second quarter, regardless of how it was going in the game,” Saban said. “For his development as a quarterback that may have to play at some point down the road.
“He did some good things when he was in there. I thought Jalen played well.”
Shifting the line: Alabama saw another change in its offensive line, as Lester Cotton came in for Alphonse Taylor at right guard. After Taylor was flagged for a false start in the first quarter, Alabama made the switch to Cotton.
Alabama has seen several changes in the offensive line early this season. Cotton started the year at left guard before being bumped by Ross Pierschbacher when Taylor came in at right guard, sending Pierschbacher to left guard. Taylor started all 15 games at right guard for last season.
“You have to play with who its next to you, no matter what’s thrown at you,” said Alabama center Bradley Bozeman. “You go on to the next play. I think (Cotton) did very well. I think all of our offensive line, every combination we had did very well.”
Taylor’s false start was the only penalty called on Alabama’s offensive line in the game. After struggling with false starts and holding penalties this season, Bozeman said it was a relief to get through a game with minimal mistakes.
“We came out and we started fast,” Bozeman said. “We didn’t stall really, so I think we did well.”
Career firsts: Stepping in for an injured Harris, true freshman running back Joshua Jacobs recorded his first two touchdowns of his Alabama career, scoring on runs of 1 and 24 yards. Jacobs rushed for a career-best 97 yards on 11 carries.
Freshman linebacker Lyndell “Mack” Wilson, a G.W. Carver graduate, recorded his first touchdown of his career, as well. It came on a 1-yard pass from Hurts, as Wilson was lining up as the fullback in the Tide’s goal-line formation.
On special teams, sophomore Xavian Marks had his first punt return for a touchdown, running back a 75-yard return for a score. Junior kicker Andy Pappanastos added his first two extra points in an Alabama uniform later in the game.
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Home India 35,000 girls ...
35,000 girls from Karnataka to take an oath against child-marriage
Koppal District, Karnataka: Around 35000 girls from Koppal district will take an oath in writing that they will not undergo child marriage, and that they will marry only after attaining the legal age of 18-years.
credits: easytoursofindia.com
The girls will submit these written oaths to the district unit of the United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), according to a report published in Vijaya Karnataka newspaper, a Kannada daily.
According to a report published in 2010, even though the percentage of child marriage had come down from 50% in 1998-99 to 44.5% in 2006, the percentage in certain states like Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh etc. were still high. It also says that according to 2001 census, around 300,000 married girls became mothers before the age of 15.
A 2008 study states that two out of five girls in Karnataka were married off before the age of 18 and around 51.4% of the marriages in Koppal district were child marriages. Between 2010 and 2015, a total of 804 incidents of child marriages have been prevented by various officials and voluntary groups.
The UNICEF has formed around 900 groups in various parts of the district and has inducted girls between 13-18-years of age as its members. These girls have been taught about the dangers of child marriage.
In order to strengthen the resolve of these girls to not succumb to the pressure and marry early, the district unit of the UNICEF has started this written oath campaign. The campaign is scheduled to begin towards the end of August and will run till December end.
The district officials in Koppal have also taken various measures to curb child marriage. The previous deputy commissioner of Koppal had written letters to students in various high schools and pre-university colleges. The present deputy commissioner R.R.Jannu has made it compulsory for the marriage card printers to verify the age of couple before printing the cards, according to the Vijaya Karnataka report.
The UNICEF initiative will serve as an example which can be implemented throughout the country.
The practice of marrying children early has serious consequences on children, especially on the girls. It infringes the rights of girl children to have a free and open childhood without any burden or responsibility. It may also lead to girls dropping out of school and making them deprived of education. Such girls will be exposed to sexual activities quite early and hence will be exposed to various health risks. Early pregnancies will further increase their responsibility. Such girls are denied a future where they can make their own life decisions.
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COMMEMORATION: Too soon for Emily event
Friday, March 8 is International Women’s Day (IWD).
Thursday, 28 February, 2019, 05:30
Northumberland County Council and Emily Inspires! – formerly the Emily Wilding Davison working group – have marked this day with a service held in St Mary’s Church, Morpeth, for the last 20 years.
This both celebrated the day and highlighted the memory of Emily Wilding Davison, the suffragette buried in St Mary’s Churchyard.
The year 2018 was the centenary of the first women in the UK getting the vote.
Locally, this saw the culmination of many years of campaigning with the unveiling, on September 11, of a statue in Carlisle Park in Morpeth.
Funded by Northumberland County Council, this widely acclaimed statue represents Emily and the suffragette movement.
There was yet another event marking the (partial) suffrage centenary and the extensive role of women in World War I.
Organised by Northumberland County Council, and actively supported by Emily Inspires!, this was held in St Mary’s Church on December 14, the actual date the first women voted.
The year 2018 therefore saw three celebrations of the suffragette movement in Morpeth.
Emily Inspires!, which is the organisation now responsible for organising events around Emily and the suffragette movement in Morpeth, is represented by us. We feel it is too soon to hold yet another event in Morpeth so there will not be a service in St Mary’s this year.
We are giving thoughts to an alternative activity later in the year, either in June around the anniversary of her death, or in October, around the anniversary of her birth, and focusing this on the statue.
We recognise that some people will be disappointed in our decision.
However, these events take an enormous amount of planning and there are significant costs involved so we think it is the right thing to do.
Emily Inspires! has no regular financial backing and relies totally on donations made from time to time.
Whilst Morpeth Town Council is very supportive and contributes towards costs, we cannot rely on its generosity all of the time so making sensible decisions about the future is very important.
We know that there are often a number of other events organised around International Women’s Day, both in Morpeth and elsewhere in Northumberland and Newcastle, so the opportunity for people who want to attend an event on that day should be relatively easy.
But we do apologise to those who were expecting to be at the church on that day.
Emily Inspires! is a key partner in the Abbott Dance Theatre (https://www.facebook.com/pg/abbottdancetheatre) Deeds Not Words Dance Theatre and Community Programme, which is currently on tour in the north east and beyond.
To mark International Women’s Day there will be a performance at Newbiggin Maritime Centre involving Horton Grange Primary School, community dancers, singers and professional dancers.
Tickets are available from the centre on 01670 811951.
We will, of course, publicise future plans as soon as they are confirmed.
Andrew Tebbutt
Chairman, Emily Inspires!
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https://www.newstimes.com/local/article/St-Mary-School-gets-statue-of-honor-for-becoming-151557.php
St. Mary School gets statue of honor for becoming a Blue Ribbon school.
By Sandra Diamond Fox, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Published 12:08 am EDT, Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Saint Mary School principal Sister Anne McCarthy, center left, supervises students: Judy Apotheker, first grade, left, Molly Gallagher, eighth grade, center right, and Anthony Manca, jr., kindergarten, right, caring for plants on Wenesday, Sept. 9, 2009, around a statue built in front of the Bethel school in honor of being named by the U.S. Dept. of Education as a Blue Ribbon School. less
Saint Mary School principal Sister Anne McCarthy, center left, supervises students: Judy Apotheker, first grade, left, Molly Gallagher, eighth grade, center right, and Anthony Manca, jr., kindergarten, right, ... more
Photo: Michael Duffy
BETHEL -- When walking into St. Mary School on Dodgingtown Road in Bethel, it's impossible not to notice the 7-foot statue sitting right out front.
The 30-inch, white fiberglass likeness of Jesus was erected to commemorate the school receiving the 2008
U.S. Department of Education's No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Award.
The award honors public and private schools whose students have very high levels of achievement.
The statue is displayed on a granite podium that was built by a parent of a student at the school, which has 225 students in pre-K through eighth grade. Mums of many different colors, are planted around the podium.
According to Aba Kumi, director of the Blue Ribbon Schools Program at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, out of 120,000 public and private elementary, middle, and high schools in the U.S., St. Mary School was one of 329 to receive the award last year, and the only one in the Danbury area.
The other Connecticut schools that received the award for 2008 are Henry James Memorial School in Simsbury, High Horizons Magnet School in Bridgeport, and Middlesex Middle School in Darien.
The Rev. Corey Piccinino, pastor of the Church of St. Mary in Bethel, presented the school with the statue in honor of the Blue Ribbon Award and recognition of the school's 45th anniversary.
While the Blue Ribbon Schools Program has been in existence since 1982, it was revised in 2002 to bring it in line with the No Child Left Behind Act initiated by former president George W. Bush. The goal of this act is to have all U.S. schools performing on grade level by 2014.
To become a Blue Ribbon recipient, schools must score in the top 10 percent in nationally standardized tests, and demonstrate a strong commitment to learning.
According to principal Sister Anne McCarthy, over the past 10 years, St. Mary students have won over 600 awards, including Johns Hopkins gifted and talented state awards and the National Catholic War Veterans Spelling Bee, as well as placing in the top 10 in regional MATHCOUNTS competitions.
Students are also involved in multiple community service projects, including making monthly lunches for the Dorothy Day Hospitality House in Danbury and collecting canned goods for needy families through Brotherhood in Action in Bethel.
Sister McCarthy, a Bethel resident who has been principal since 1987, said strong parental support has contributed to students' performance.
"Our parents give 200 percent," she said. "They are very present in the school and are deeply committed to providing their children with a quality education."
Some ways parents get involved are helping with lunch duty, participating in fundraisers, helping with cultural art programs, assisting with special school day celebrations, supervising students on class trips, and serving on the school's advisory board, Sister McCarthy said.
"Winning the Blue Ribbon Award was validation for what we as parents already knew, that we are sending our children to an exceptional place -- both educationally and spiritually," said Newtown resident Kathleen Banks, a parent of two children who attend the school.
The U.S. Department of Education encourages all Blue Ribbon schools to become role models, Kumi said.
"They can do this by coordinating professional development activities such as holding school improvement programs with other school principals in their district," she said.
Sister McCarthy said Saint Mary School will continue to strive for academic excellence.
"We are here to educate the whole child, to instruct our students in the Catholic faith, to help strengthen their character, and to provide a very strong academic curriculum for them in a safe environment and caring atmosphere."
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karnataka election results 2018 News
Siddaramaiah and Azad lead protest in Vidhana Soudha after BJP’s Yeddyurappa takes oath as new Karnataka Chief Minister
Siddaramaiah and Azad lead protest…
Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan,…
Karnataka Congress working President SR…
Karnataka floor test highlights: HD…
As per reports, soon after Yeddyurappa was sworn-in as the CM, Congress and JD(S) MLAs together staged a protest outside the Karnataka Assembly over the order passed by the Governor. The congress also termed it as ‘murder of democracy’. The protest will be headed by Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and Ghulam Nabi Azad.
17 May 2018,
Congress and JD(S) MLAs together staged a protest outside the Karnataka Assembly over the swear-in of Yeddyurappa
The race for being the next Karnataka Chief Minister has finally ended with the Supreme Court refusing to stay BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa swearing-in ceremony. BJP took the majority of votes and got another state to its hat with Yeddyurappa taking the chair of Chief Minister of the state. The state of Karnataka witnessed a mid-night drama after Congress, with senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, knocked the doors of the Supreme Court demanding that the Governor Vajubhai Vala decision of inviting Yeddyurappa to form the government must be declared unconstitutional. As per current reports, Congress and JD(S) MLAs together staged a protest outside the Karnataka Assembly over the swear-in of Yeddyurappa as the new Chief Minister of the state. The protest is being headed by Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and Ghulam Nabi Azad.
In the plea filed with the court, the JD(S) and Congress said, “Court may pass an order declaring order of Governor inviting BS Yeddyurappa to form government as unconstitutional and quash the same or pass direction to Governor to invite alliance of INC-JD(S) which has support of more than 112 MLAs to form government.” The hearing at the Supreme Court started at 2:11 am and ended at 5:28 am with Congress and JD(S) returning empty handed. Staying the swear-in ceremony of Yeddyurappa, the Supreme Court has said that the hearing in the matter will next be done on Friday from 10:30 am. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Congress-JD (S) combine, persisted with his arguments that the swearing-in ceremony should be stayed or deferred, the bench said that they will not be staying the oath-taking ceremony.”
The Court also sought replies from the government and the CM Yeddyurappa over the plea filed by Congress-JD(S). Refusing to stay the swearing-in, the Court said, “This Court is not passing any order staying the oath-taking ceremony of BS Yeddyurappa. In case, he is given an oath in the meantime, that shall be subject to further orders of this court and final outcome of the writ petition.” The matter was being heard by a special bench comprising Justices AK Sikri, SA Bobde and Ashok Bhushan. Currently, the governor has given the BJP government to prove majority in the floor test which will be taking 15 days from now. BJP currently holds 104 seats and need 8 more seats to prove majority.
For all the latest karnataka election results 2018 News, download NewsX App
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Falling home prices perpetuate gloom amongst homeowners
Wednesday, Oct 19, 2011 nhcorg
by Sarah Jawaid and Blake Warenik, National Housing Conference
Today, the New York Times published an article about struggling homeowners who see no end to the economic crisis, largely due to falling home prices. While economists have said the downturn is due to dropping wages and lack of jobs, it seems the largest burden some families face, often underappreciated by economists, is equity lost on homes. “People don’t expect their home to regain value, and that’s really led to a change in consumer attitudes about the economy that we’ve just never seen before,” said Richard Curtin, a professor of economics at the University of Michigan who directs its Survey of Consumers.
While home prices may continue to fall, that doesn’t mean that young adults in America are necessarily willing or able to take advantage of the housing market. The Center for Housing Policy’s Jeff Lubell was interviewed in U.S. News and World Report in an article released today highlighting how the recession may have altered the meaning of the American dream for young people. Employment and income instability, the foreclosure crisis and other concerns have come to the forefront for young adults in deciding whether to buy a home or even have children.
Citing Freddie Mac data, the story said that in the last year homeownership rates have fallen by 4.4 percent (to 21.9 percent) for people under 25 and 7 percent (to 34.7 percent) for people 25 to 29 years old.
“I think if I were a youth in that age group, I’d be focused more on maintaining my ability to move and be mobile,” Jeffrey Lubell said in the interview.
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Category: Health and Human Sciences
Retirement party planned for Mary Pritchard
April 10, 2013 Mark McGowan Events, Faculty & Staff, Health and Human Sciences, On Campus, What's Going On
A retirement party is planned from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, for Mary Pritchard. Pritchard, associate dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences since 2003, joined the NIU faculty in 1984. She became chair of the School of
Medical Laboratory Professionals Week begins April 22, bone marrow registry planned April 17
April 4, 2013 Mark McGowan Communiversity, Events, Faculty & Staff, Health and Human Sciences, On Campus, Students, What's Going On
“Laboratory Professionals Get Results” is the theme of Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, which is celebrated from Monday, April 22, through Friday, April 26, this year. The Medical Laboratory Sciences Club of Northern Illinois University is inviting the campus community to find out
New Hall students sample exotic fruits, veggies
April 3, 2013 Mark McGowan Alumni, Campus Highlights, Health and Human Sciences, On Campus, Students
It was not a normal dining experience March 20 for students eating at New Hall: A table filled with fruits and vegetables caught students’ eyes and curiosities. Among the 40 unusual choices, “we had jack fruit, persimmon, Japanese pear, ugly fruit from
Retail Leadership Expo planned March 28
March 20, 2013 Mark McGowan Business, Centerpiece, Communiversity, Events, Faculty & Staff, Health and Human Sciences, On Campus, Students
Attractive career options in the retail sector are causing college students to engage in a robust career and hiring environment. Meanwhile, according to a recent study published by the National Retail Federation, one in four Americans has a rewarding career within retail
Health Information Professionals Week to tout accurate data, excellent care during 24th year
March 15, 2013 Mark McGowan Campus Highlights, Communiversity, Events, Health and Human Sciences, On Campus, Students
NIU Health Services is celebrating the 24th annual Health Information Professionals Week from Sunday, March 17, through Saturday, March 23, along with the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). This year’s theme is “Accurate Data, Excellent Care.” In accordance with this theme,
For Your Eyes Only!
March 11, 2013 Gillian King-Cargile Community, Communiversity, Engagement, Events, Health and Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences
Eyes get old, just like other parts of the body, but people can take steps to preserve vision. “Eventually, we all develop cataracts,” says James Dillon, an NIU expert on eyes. At the next STEM Café, Dillon will speak on how the
Building castles in the sand this spring break? Wash thoroughly afterward, researchers say
March 7, 2013 Thomas Parisi Faculty & Staff, Health and Human Sciences, Latest News, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Research, Science and Technology
Spring-breakers headed for the beachfront be forewarned: It’s not just polluted water that can harbor illness-causing microbes; digging around in the sand can pose risks, too, especially for children. “Beach sand is definitely a major source of pathogen exposures,” says Northern Illinois
Empty Bowls project will support Hope Haven
March 6, 2013 Mark McGowan Centerpiece, Community, Communiversity, Events, Health and Human Sciences, Latest News, On Campus, Students, Visual and Performing Arts
The 15th annual “Empty Bowls” project is scheduled for Thursday, March 28. Reservations are recommended for either of the two seatings at 4:30 and 6 p.m. in the Chandelier Room, 143 Adams Hall. The menu includes chicken noodle soup, broccoli-cheddar soup, vegan
NIU Libraries launches Open Access Fund
March 4, 2013 Thomas Parisi Business, Education, Engineering, Engineering and Engineering Technology, Faculty & Staff, Graduate School, Grant Getters, Health and Human Sciences, Humanities, Latest News, Law, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Research, Science and Technology, Students, Visual and Performing Arts
NIU Libraries has launched a pilot Open Access Fund that will provide small grants to faculty and graduate students to help defray the upfront costs associated with open access publishing. Grappling with the costs for expensive journal subscriptions, a number of universities
Softball’s Barnett earns national recognition
February 21, 2013 Mark McGowan Faculty & Staff, Health and Human Sciences, Latest News, On Campus, Students
Northern Illinois University softball player Jennifer Barnett is one of 30 NCAA softball student-athletes named a candidate for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS award focuses on the total
Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon invites sophomore nursing student Noemi Rodriguez to breakfast
February 14, 2013 Mark McGowan Faculty & Staff, Health and Human Sciences, Latest News, Students
Before Noemi Rodriguez began classes at NIU, she interned at Children’s Memorial Hospital. “I fell in love with the nurses at Children’s Memorial. I admired their work,” says Rodriguez, a sophomore nursing major from Chicago. “There are some respectable nurses, and there
National Eating Disorder Week begins Feb. 24
February 11, 2013 Mark McGowan Communiversity, Events, Faculty & Staff, Health and Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, On Campus, Students
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week begins Sunday, Feb. 24, and continues through Saturday, March 2. NIU will recognize the week through a series of events sponsored by the Counseling & Student Development Center, Health Enhancement, the Women’s Resource Center, Campus Recreation and
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13 Yankees things to know before AL Wild Card with A's
Brendan Kuty | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
13 Yankees things you need to know before they face the A's in the 2018 American League Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.
Topics include Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, rosters and more.
The Yankees are facing the A's in the American League Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium. It's win or go home. The victor moves on to the AL Division Series, heading to Boston to face the AL East-champ Red Sox. The loser starts making vacation plans.
What time and channel?
It's at 8 p.m. and it'll be on TBS, *not* the YES Network. Tell your friends.
What #Athletics are up against: They've lost 7 consecutive winner-take-all postseason games. The last time they won a do-or-die game? Game 7 of the 1973 World Series, behind HRs by Reggie Jackson and Campy Campaneris
— Daniel Brown (@BrownieAthletic) October 2, 2018
History isn't on the A's side
NJ Advance Media
What are the Yankees' chances to win the World Series?
From Bovada:
Boston Red Sox 3/1
Houston Astros 13/4
Los Angeles Dodgers 6/1
Cleveland Indians 9/1
Milwaukee Brewers 9/1
Atlanta Braves 11/1
New York Yankees 11/1
Chicago Cubs 14/1
Oakland Athletics 14/1
Colorado Rockies 18/1
Why Severino
After weeks of mystery, the Yankees finally unveiled who will start the Wild Card for them. They picked right-hander Luis Severino. Severino went 19-8 with a 3.39 ERA in 32 starts. His first half (14-2, 2.31 ERA) was way better than his second half (5-6, 5.57 ERA). But the Yankees feel they have seen enough progress over his last three starts (2-1, 2.04 ERA) to warrant handing him the ball.
What Severino says
“It means a lot,” he said. “It means that they trust me. They know that I can be good, that I can be better. I mean, you guys know me; I can have trouble, and the next start I can be good. If something bad happens, it happens at that time, I just get over it and keep working and get better.”
The weird thing the A's are doing
Oakland is taking an unorthodox approach. Rather than using a traditional starting pitcher who could battle with the Yankees multiple times through their batting order, they’re going to unload their bullpen, likely inning after inning. Right-handed reliever Liam Hendriks will start and likely will pitch just one inning. It could work. The A’s have one of the best bullpens in the league.
Thing is, so do the Yankees. While the A’s have the third best relief unit ERA in baseball at 3.37, the Yankees are right behind them at 3.38.
Why the Yankees are ready for it
Multiple times, teams have tried to bullpen the Yankees to death this year. In some cases, it’s worked. In others, it hasn’t. The A’s tried it against the Yankees in Oakland a few weeks ago and the Yankees won. But Tampa Bay has had success against manager Aaron Boone’s club doing it.
“When you’re facing a different guy every at-bat, he’s coming out there with his best stuff,” Aaron Judge said. “There’s no warmup. You can’t see a pitch. You’ve got to be locked in from the very first pitch. That’s a difference.”
See the Yankees' whole Wild Card roster
An A's scouting report
From left fielder and one of the de-facto team captains Brett Gardner:
“They’ve got a good team, obviously. They’ve got some guys who have done a really good job filling in for a bunch of injured starters that they’ve had. They’re in the rotation and obviously everybody talks about how good their bullpen is. They have a lot of depth there. They play good defense. They run the bases well. They swing the bats well. I think it’ll be a good matchup for us and unfortunately this time of year, a lot of good teams go home.”
Why the odd roster construction
Most teams keep two catchers on their roster — it’s what the A’s are doing. A starter and a backup. The Yankees are keeping three — starter Gary Sanchez, backup Austin Romine and third-stringer Kyle Higashioka. Why?
Boone said it’s because the Yankees plan to be aggressive with their pinch running, which means Tyler Wade could be subbed in to run for Gary Sanchez at some point in the game, and the Yankees want to be protected should something happen to Sanchez or Romine.
John Munson | NJ Advance Media f
How's Aaron Judge's wrist
Judge fractured his wrist in late July, spent more than a month on the DL, and came back in mid-September. He hit his first home run since July 21 on Friday.
"I wouldn’t be playing the past couple of weeks if I wasn’t healthy," he said.
What's the key to playing in the Wild Card?
“Just treat it like any other game,” Gardner said. “Obviously, it’s a very important game, but whether it be the Wild Card Game or it be a playoff game in a series, all these games are must-win games, very important games to me.“
Watch our thoughts on Severino getting the start
Randy Miller doesn't like the call. Brendan Kuty approves.
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OZZY AND SHARON RENEW WEDDING VOWS
NME Jan 2, 2003 1:51 pm GMT
And Kelly is a bridesmaid...
Ozzy Osbourne and SHARON OSBOURNE have renewed their wedding vows during a New Year’s Eve party.
The ceremony took place at the Beverly Hills Hotel and was attended by hundreds of guests.
The couple were married in 1982, but delayed their 20th anniversary celebration because of Sharon’s battle with colon cancer.
Sharon wore a cream wedding gown and diamond tiara as she was escorted down the aisle by her father, according to Entertainment Tonight says. The couple’s youngest daughter Kelly was a flower girl.
Music was provided by The Village People.
Guests included singer Justin Timberlake and comedian Chris Rock.
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Award-Winning Film Editor Killed in Car Accident
Karen Schmeer worked with Errol Morris and Sydney Pollack
By Lauren Bertolini
Published Jan 30, 2010 at 10:20 PM | Updated at 9:48 AM PST on Jan 31, 2010
Garret Savage
Karen Schmeer worked closely with Errol Morris on the Academy Award winning documentary, "The Fog of War."
Award-winning film editor Karen Schmeer was struck and killed by a car on the city's Upper West Side on Friday afternoon.
Schmeer was crossing Broadway at West 90th Street when she was hit by two suspects attempting to make a getaway after stealing over-the-counter medication from a CVS drugstore a few blocks away, police and her mother told The Associated Press.
The 39-year-old editor won the award for best editing at last year's Sundance Film Festival for "Sergio," and is also known for her work on many Errol Morris documentaries, including "The Fog of War." She also worked with director Sydney Pollack on "Sketches of Frank Gehry."
"She was just extremely loved by many, many friends," Schmeer's mother told The AP.
Documentarian Morris mourned the editor's death through Twitter.
"An extraordinary editor makes possible something that would not have been possible without them. Karen Schmeer was an extraordinary editor," he tweeted.
And later, "The only thing more appalling than life is death."
Schmeer's colleagues paid their respects at the Sundance Film Festival Awards on Saturday evening.
The driver of the car was arrested on a murder charge shortly after the accident, but police are still looking for two other suspects, police told The AP.
Schmeer was pronounced dead at St. Luke's Hospital.
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FBS FCS DII DIII
Bentley Athletics | December 21, 2013
Kavanaugh returns to Bentley as head coach
WALTHAM, Mass. -- Bill Kavanaugh, a 2004 graduate of Bentley and currently the director of player personnel for Penn State, has been named the head coach at his alma mater, athletics director Bob DeFelice announced on Friday morning.
“I am excited for the opportunity to lead the football program at my alma mater, a place I have held in high regard since stepping on campus as a freshman,” said Kavanaugh, a native of Dartmouth. “The opportunity to return home to Boston and lead a program with such a great tradition is a dream come true.”
Kavanaugh, a co-captain of Bentley’s 2003 team that earned the program’s first NCAA Division II tournament berth, returns to Bentley with nine years of coaching and administrative experience under his belt, the last six as part of the staff at Penn State, where he worked under Bill O’Brien and Joe Paterno.
“I’m thrilled that Bill has accepted our offer to become our head football coach,” DeFelice said. “He displayed his leadership ability as a team captain 10 years ago and has since grown into an outstanding young man who will be a tremendous leader for our football program and Bentley University.”
Bentley vice president for student affairs Andrew Shepardson said, “It’s already a thrill to welcome back to campus a graduate who has gone out into the world and done great things, and is now returning to contribute to his alma mater.”
“I hope to build on the tradition of playing tough, winning football with focused student-athletes and high character people,” Kavanaugh said. “The standard at Bentley has been set high by coach Yetten, coach Boerman and their staffs.”
Kavanaugh, 31, has been the director of player personnel for the Nittany Lions since April 2012, with his duties including directing all aspects of recruiting, managing a staff that included 14 coaches, a three-person personnel office and 30 interns, and responsibility for the oversight of a 115-player roster.
Before being elevated to that position, Kavanaugh was Penn State’s recruiting coordinator from January 2011-March '12, the team’s wide receivers coach from November '11-January '12 and a graduate assistant coach, working with the running backs, from July '08-January '11.
“Bill Kavanaugh was a tremendous asset to us here at Penn State University,” said O’Brien, who recently completed his second year as head coach at Penn State following five years with the New England Patriots. “He was involved in all facets of our program and I credit him with much of our success in recruiting and all of the things that went on behind the scenes here at Penn State.
“Bill will be a fantastic head coach at Bentley University. Bentley is very lucky to have a guy like Bill Kavanaugh.”
Kavanaugh began his coaching career serving under his father, Bill Kavanaugh, Sr., at Massachusetts-Dartmouth during the 2004 and '06 seasons. He worked with the Corsairs linebackers and special teams during his tenure.
Kavanaugh was a four-year starter on the defensive line for Bentley from 2000-03, helping the Falcons to a 29-5 record during his final three seasons. He finished his career with 149 tackles, including 47.5 for losses and 24.5 sacks. The majority of those sacks came as a junior in 2002 when he shared the NCAA Division II lead with 13.5 and was tied for second in sacks per game.
Let's take a region-by-region look at the DII women's basketball bracket
The NCAA DII women's tournament field is set. Let's break down the bracket.
A STEP UP Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame announces 12 inaugural inductees
The 2019 Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame honorees will consist of twelve (12) inductees: four (4) from DI Men’s Basketball; four (4) from DI Women’s Basketball; two (2) each from Divisions II and III – one men’s basketball and one women’s basketball.
Men's hockey candidates announced for the 2018-19 Senior CLASS Award
Fifteen of the top NCAA men’s ice hockey student-athletes who excel both on and off the ice were selected as candidates today for the 2018-19 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate hockey.
DII Football News
11 memorable NCAA DII championships from the 2018-19 season
How the DII football championship works: History and FAQs
Targeting protocols approved for football
The GLVC and G-MAC partner to create the fifth DII football bowl game for 2019
The 2019-21 DII football championship is returning to McKinney
Football Rules Committee proposes modifying targeting protocols
DII football players on Alliance of American Football rosters
Super Bowl rosters: Colleges for Patriots and Rams players
11 records Packers new head coach Matt LaFleur set in DII football
Watch these former DII football players in the 2019 NFL playoffs
DII football
DII football programs with the most NCAA DII national championships
FINAL 2018-19 DII STATS
DII FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY
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This beautiful hand turned crochet hook is made from Bird's Eye Maple with Bocote. This hook is shaped with a larger handle to relieve stress on the hand and wrist when crocheting. The hook has an Ergonomic shape that fits nicely in the hand.
Mark Size (letter only) on hook, enter Yes or No *
Bird's Eye Maple is a domestic hardwood. The Bird's Eye figure is found in heartwood and sapwood. Both can be breathtaking. The boards are from Maple logs with irregular growth. The figure resembles the figure in a burl. It contains a small "eye" like in a burl, but it is more distinct. Each eye stands out separately. Small circular or elliptical areas resembling bird’s eyes on the tangential surface of the wood, formed by indented fibers. Bird's Eye figure is caused by a stunted growth, developed during the years the tree lacked space and sunshine.
Bocote (Cordia alliodora) is a hard, dense, and fairly oily tropical wood that is highly prized for its dramatic, wild striping. These dark brown or black streaks, which sometimes form in concentric circles, give Bocote its defining look and lend finished products a truly distinctive appearance. The heartwood of Bocote ranges in color from brown to golden brown — with, of course, those telltale dark streaks weaving throughout — and its sapwood is yellowish. Bocote's grain can vary widely, from straight to interlocked. Bocote is a heavy wood, with a specific gravity ranging between 0.63 to 0.84, as well as dense (about 48 to 65 lbs. per cubic foot). It can be somewhat difficult to dry, tending to develop surface checking and end splitting, but it's also quite resistant to decay. Bocote is fairly easy to work with (due to its natural oils, though, it is sometimes difficult to glue), and polishes to a smooth finish. Also known as "Mexican Rosewood," Bocote is indigenous to Central America, South America, and, of course, Mexico. The trees, known scientifically as Cordia elaeagnoides, are typically medium sized, but can reach heights of about 100 feet.
Western Meadowlark are the size of a robin but chunkier and shorter-tailed. With a flat head, long, slender bill, and a round-shouldered posture that nearly conceals its neck. The wings are rounded and short for the bird’s size and the tail is short, stiff, and spiky.
Western Meadowlarks have yellow underparts with intricately patterned brown, black and buff upper parts. A black “V” crosses the bright yellow breast; it is gray in winter. Contrasting stripes of dark brown and light buff mark the head. The outer tail feathers flash white in flight.
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Trump's Top Economic Adviser Accuses China's President of Delaying Trade Deal
(VOA): U.S. President Donald Trump's top economic adviser accused Chinese President Xi Jinping Thursday of stalling efforts to resolve a growing trade dispute with the U.S. White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said he believed lower-level Chinese officials want to end tariffs the world two largest economic powers have imposed on each other, but that Xi has refused to amend China's technology transfer and other trade policies. "So far as we know, President Xi, at the moment, does not want to make a deal," Kudlow said in an interview on CNBC. "I think Xi is holding the game up," Kudlow said, and added, "The ball is in his court." Kudlow said China could end U.S. tariffs "this afternoon" if it took measures that include cutting tariff and non-tariff barriers to imports. The U.S. has also called on Beijing to end the "theft" of intellectual property and allow full foreign ownership of companies operating in China. Kudlow also said he expects European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to make a trade offer when he meets with Trump at the White House next week. Trump has demanded that the EU cut its 10 percent tariffs in auto imports at a time when his administration is conducting a national security study that could result in a 25 percent U.S. tariff on imported vehicles. A 25 percent tariff would have a significant financial impact on European and Japanese automakers, and while Juncker has said he would make an trade offer to Trump next week, he did not offer details. Earlier this month, Trump imposed 25 percent tariffs on Chinese goods valued at $34 billion, with another $16 billion set to take effect in the near future. Trump has also announced 10 percent tariffs on an additional $200 billion of Chinese products that could be imposed as early as next month. Beijing retaliated to the first tariffs by placing duties on the same dollar amount of American imports, and has vowed to counter any further U.S. actions. Trump imposed the tariffs after an Office of the U.S. Trade Representative investigation concluded China was violating intellectual property rules and forcing U.S. companies operating in China to hand over technology secrets in exchange for access to the Chinese market.
(This story has not been edited by N24 staff and is Voice Of America auto-generated from a RSS feed)
Published Date: Thursday, July 19th, 2018 | 09:45 AM
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Woman accused of killing suspected Silvertown paedophile claims she 'didn't stab him'
PUBLISHED: 17:28 29 June 2015 | UPDATED: 10:25 30 June 2015
Seema Hakim
A woman is on trial accused of killing a suspected peadophile
PA Wire/Press Association Images
A mother accused of killing a suspected paedophile has denied stabbing him but admitted to "poking" him with a knife following a confrontation, a court heard today.
Mike Pleasted, 77, was found dead at his home in Drew Road, Silvertown, in November last year – two weeks after he had appeared at Thames Magistrates Court charged with sexually assaulting two boys under the age of 18.
Mr Pleasted, who had been stabbed eight times altogether, was also accused of sexually assaulting another boy under the age of 18.
Sarah Sands, 32, is on trial at the Old Bailey, charged with Mr Pleasted’s murder.
During the trial, jurors heard the suspect claim that she “did not stab” Mr Pleasted and did not realise she was “poking” him with a knife when she went to confront him over the alleged sex offences at his flat at about 8pm on November 28.
The court heard how Sands went to confront Mr Pleasted after drinking two bottles of wine and a bottle of brandy and was armed with a knife - but she insists that she did not intend on harming him.
The mother-of-five was also armed with a hammer and a wrench which she claims to have taken for her own safety.
The court heard how Sands had taken the knife out during the heated confrontation during which she tried to convince the salesman to plead guilty to the sex offences.
Sands told jurors that Mr Pleasted had “smirked” at her before accusing his alleged victims of being liars and complaining that his life had been ruined.
She said: “He was not how I thought he was going to be. He was so cold.”
Sands added: “I realised I did not want to be there. I stood up and I was staring at him and he looked like he was going to face the window, but he turned back to face me and he came towards me.
“I was frightened. It was not how it was meant to go. He was meant to listen to me.”
At this point, Sands told jurors, she had taken the knife out of her bag and was holding it in her left hand.
She said: “We were staring at each other, I was poking him. He was looking dead in my face and he was just standing there and I don’t think either of us realised what had happened.”
She added that she had poked him on the back of his right shoulder, followed by his stomach, but after realising what she had done and seeing spots of blood on her jumper, she panicked and made off.
The court heard how the mother handed herself into police after telling a relative about the incident, but during a police interview, she claimed that she didn’t know he had died.
The trial, which is due to last two weeks, continues.
The suspect remains in custody.
Silvertown
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Baby's birth breaks rule on remote Brazilian island
Baby born four years after parents' death in car crash
It's a boy! Mall security guards help deliver baby
Rio de Janeiro - She's a born rebel: a remote Brazilian island welcomed its first baby in 12 years after a local woman broke the rule against giving birth there.
The baby girl born on the Atlantic outpost of Fernando de Noronha on Saturday came as a surprise to everyone - including the parents.
"The mother, who does not want to be identified, went into labor at home," the island's administration said in a statement carried by O Globo newspaper. "The family says it wasn't aware of the pregnancy."
Tiny Fernando de Noronha - an archipelago famous for its wildlife preserve and with a population of just over 3 000 - doesn't authorise births because there's no maternity ward, O Globo reported.
Expectant mothers are told to travel to the mainland, where the nearest big city is Natal, 365km across the ocean.
The unidentified mother in Saturday's birth has another child who was born on the mainland, but told O Globo that this time she "didn't feel anything" during her pregnancy.
"On Friday night I had pains and when I went to the bathroom I saw something coming down between my legs. That's when the child's father came and picked it up. It was a baby, a girl. I was dumbstruck."
Read more on: brazil
Bloemfontein Jobs
KwaZulu Natal Jobs
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1250 Broadway, 27th Floor New York, NY 10001 Home Contact Us
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Medical Marijuana Compliance
TURKISH BANKER BUSTED
Turkish Banker Convicted of Conspiring to Evade U.S. Sanctions Against Iran and Other Offenses
Mehmet Hakan Atilla was recently found guilty of conspiring with others, including Reza Zarrab, aka Riza Sarraf, who previously pleaded guilty to evading U.S. sanctions among other offenses, to use the U.S. financial system to conduct transactions on behalf of the Government of Iran and other Iranian entities, which were barred by U.S. sanctions, and to defraud U.S. financial institutions by concealing these transactions’ true nature.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana J. Boente and Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim for the Southern District of New York made the announcement. The jury convicted Atilla of five charges in the controlling indictment following a four-week trial before U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman.
“For years, Mehmet Hakan Atilla conspired to use the American financial system to conduct millions of dollars’ worth of illegal transactions on behalf of the Government of Iran,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente. “He used his high rank at a Turkish bank to disguise the transactions as humanitarian food payments and deceive American officials, but now, after receiving due process of law, he has been held accountable in court, by an impartial jury. This successful prosecution is another example of our resolve to pursue and bring to justice those who violate our sanctions and other laws that protect our national security.”
“Today, after a full, fair, and open trial, a unanimous jury convicted Hakan Atilla, a senior banker at Halk Bank,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kim. “Along with the prior guilty plea of Reza Zarrab, two men at the heart of this massive and brazen scheme that blew a billion-dollar hole in the Iran sanctions regime now stand convicted of serious federal crimes. Foreign banks and bankers have a choice: You can choose willfully to help Iran and other sanctioned nations evade U.S. law, or you can choose to be part of the international banking community transacting in U.S. dollars. But you can’t do both. If you lie repeatedly to U.S. Treasury officials and fabricate documents – all as part of a secret scheme to smuggle billions of dollars in Iranian oil money past the U.S. sanctions net – as Atilla did, then you should be prepared for the consequences. The consequence of Atilla’s choice is now a felony conviction in an American court of law.”
According to the evidence introduced at trial, other proceedings in this case, and documents previously filed in Manhattan federal court:
Beginning in or about 1979, the President, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), has repeatedly found that the actions and policies of the government of Iran constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and declared a national emergency to deal with the threat. In accordance with these presidential declarations, the United States has instituted a host of economic sanctions against Iran and Iranian entities. This sanctions regime prohibits, among other things, financial transactions involving the United States or United States persons that were intended for the Government of Iran or Iranian entities.
Atilla, Zarrab and others used deceptive measures to provide access to international financial networks, including U.S. financial institutions, to the Government of Iran, Iranian entities and entities identified by the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control as Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs). They did so by, among other things, using the Turkish bank at which Atilla acted as Deputy General Manager of International Banking (Turkish Bank-1) to engage in transactions that violated U.S. sanctions against Iran. In particular, they took steps to protect and hide Zarrab’s supply of currency and gold to the Government of Iran, Iranian entities, and SDNs using Turkish Bank-1, and in doing so, shielded Turkish Bank-1 from U.S. sanctions. Atilla, Zarrab, and others conspired to create and use false and fraudulent documents to disguise prohibited transactions for Iran and make those transactions falsely appear as transactions involving food, thus falling within humanitarian exceptions to the sanctions regime. As a result of this scheme, the co-conspirators induced U.S. banks to unknowingly process international financial transactions in violation of the IEEPA.
Mehmet Hakan Atilla, 47, is a resident and citizen of Turkey. Atilla was convicted of conspiracies to defraud the United States, to violate the IEEPA, to commit bank fraud and to commit money laundering, as well as a substantive count of bank fraud. The conspiracy to defraud the United States count carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. The conspiracy to violate the IEEPA and money laundering conspiracy counts each carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The bank fraud counts each carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. The maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Atilla is scheduled to be sentenced on April 11, before Judge Berman.
Zarrab, 34, also a resident and citizen of Turkey, pleaded guilty Oct. 26, 2017, to one count of conspiring to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiracy to violate the IEEPA, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; one count of conspiring to commit bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison; one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of conspiring to bribe a U.S. public official and possessing contraband in a federal detention center, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Zarrab’s sentencing date has not been scheduled.
Mr. Boente and Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Lockard, Sidhardha Kamaraju and David W. Denton, Jr., and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dean Sovolos of the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Deputy Chief Elizabeth Cannon and Trial Attorney David Recker of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Fraud, generally
Penal Law, generally
Juries, generally
Conversion, generally
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Peter Cox
When Peter Cox dreamed up The Insiders Guide to Happiness for his Master's scriptwriting thesis, he never thought it would be made into a TV series. But he was proved wrong when it became an award-winning drama, even spawning a prequel. Cox found further screen success by co-creating TV thriller The Cult and comedy The Pretender, as well as writing for series This Is Not My Life.
I thought, I've got a year, I can write anything I want. It'll probably never get made, so why not experiment? Peter Cox, on coming up with the idea for The Insiders Guide to Happiness at university, The Sunday Star-Times, 9 May 2004
Insiders Guide to Happiness interview, The NZ Herald, May 2004
Profile page at Victoria University's International Institute of Modern Letters
Australian agent
Recently added Name A-Z Name Z-A Newest first Oldest first
Agent Anna
2013, Story - Television
When this popular TV One comedy-drama about misbehaving real estate agents debuted in 2013, it copped flak from real estate bosses for perpetuating negative stereotypes about the industry. Agent Anna follows Anna Kingston (played by Robyn Malcolm, who also came up with the series idea), whose husband has left her and their two teenage daughters. Needing work, Kingston turns to selling houses in Auckland's cutthroat market. The programme ran for two seasons. Theresa Healey (Shortland Street), Adam Gardiner (movie Hopeless) and Roy Billing (Old Scores) co-star.
2010, Writer, Creator, Storyliner - Television
The Cult - First Episode
2009, Creator, Writer - Television
In the first episode of The Cult, headstrong lawyer Michael Lewis (Shortland Street's Renato Bartolomei) joins a volatile group in a Northland house. Each of them has lost a family member or friend to commune Two Gardens, and wants to get them out. Meanwhile, inside Two Gardens, Michael's son is asked to "renounce" his own brother. Created by Kathryn Burnett and Peter Cox, The Cult won Qantas awards for acting, design, music, cinematography, and editing — and was nominated for another four acting awards. Peter Burger (Until Proven Innocent) directs this first episode.
The Cult follows two groups: the members of a commune, who have renounced all contact with the outside world, and a loose-knit team of 'liberators', keen to reestablish contact with commune members they care about. The first prime time drama from Great Southern Film and Television won six of its 11 nominations at the 2010 Qantas Film and Television Awards — including for the acting of Lisa Chappell and Danielle Cormack (as a devious doctor). It was nominated for Best Drama. The moody 13-part thriller was created by Kathryn Burnett and Peter Cox.
The Pretender - Series Two, Episode One
2008, Writer, Creator - Television
In the 2000s mockumentary realism (led by The Office) was making its mark in television comedy. Series The Pretender gave Kiwi politics the embedded camera treatment, with expat comedian Bob Maclaren playing overconfident property developer-turned-MP Dennis Plant. The first episode of the second series sees Plant cause political chaos, with the launch of his Future New Zealand party. This season was nominated for three Qantas TV awards in 2009, including best comedy. The show was created by Peter Cox (Insider’s Guide to Happiness) and Great Southern TV’s Philip Smith.
2005, Writer, Director - Television
The Insiders Guide to Love
2005, Writer - Television
The second, but prequel, series to The Insiders Guide to Happiness is chaos theory in action: seven young strangers whose lives intersect are linked together by a bizarre incident. Produced by the Gibson Group, The Insiders Guide mix of meta-tangle story-telling with fresh shooting and faces, saw Love become a hit with the same youth demographic as Happiness. The show went on to win a clutch of Screen Director's Guild Awards and most of the major drama gongs at the 2006 Qantas Film and TV Awards, including Best Drama, Director, Script, Actor and Actress.
The Insiders Guide to Love - Who Taught You Love (Episode Six)
2005, Original Series Idea - Television
The second, but prequel, series to The Insiders Guide to Happiness is chaos theory in action: seven young strangers are linked together by a bizarre incident. In this excerpt from Episode Six, Marty's (Louis Sutherland's) travel writing isn't going anywhere, Nicole (Kate Elliott) gets "wild and crazy and bad" for Halloween, and there's baking romance, sun bed sex, and scratchy shoplifting. The series won several Screen Director's Guild Awards and a clutch of gongs at the 2006 Qantas Film and TV Awards, including Best Drama, Director, Script, Actor and Actress.
2005 - 2008, Creator, Writer - Television
In this mockumentary series, hapless property developer turned politican Dennis Plant (played by Bob Maclaren) campaigns to win a fictional Queenstown seat, then later launches party Future New Zealand. Made by Great Southern, the first season screened on TV3. A second season on TV One coincided with the 2008 election; it was thrice nominated at the 2009 Qantas NZ Film and TV Awards (Best Comedy, plus Actor and Supporting Actor, for Maclaren and Andrew King respectively). Reality met fiction when Plant's 2008 election blog appeared on the NZ Herald website.
The Insiders Guide to Happiness
2004, Writer, Series Creator, Storyliner - Television
The Insiders Guide to Happiness follows the interconnecting lives of eight 20-something characters — one of them dead — as they search for happiness. Dramatic, comic, sexy, surreal, the drama won critical acclaim and was a ratings success. An ambitious chaos theory-derived 'meta' concept is underpinned by strong performances from the ensemble of burgeoning acting talent, and stylishly-shot Wellington city locations. The Gibson Group production won seven awards at the 2005 NZ Screen Awards, including Best Drama and Best Director (Mark Beesley)
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Midday Stock Roundup
The S&P 500 was down 0.5% in midday trading to 2,099.05.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.4% to 17,852.71.
The Nasdaq was down 0.3% to 5,130.09.
The yield on a 10-year Treasury bond was up 0.9% to 2.24%.
The price of gold was down 0.6% to $1,107.
Mission Viejo-based Ensign Group Inc. was up 13.4% to $59 and a $1.3 billion market cap. The healthcare facilities owner yesterday after markets closed reported quarterly adjusted earnings of 60 cents per share, up 57% year-over-year, and increased its 2015 full-year guidance. Ensign also approved a $15 million stock repurchase program, set to take place over the next 12 months.
Irvine-based Newport Corp. was up 3.4% to $15.91 and a $630 million market cap. The laser maker said this morning it earned $7 million on revenue of $148 million in its most recent quarter, results that beat forecasts.
Irvine-based Habit Restaurants Inc. was down 2.8% to $23.95 and a $626 million market cap. The fast-casual burger chain is scheduled to report quarterly results today after markets close.
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WHAT’S BAMBI WORTH???-NOTHING!!!
The Lacey Act prohibits the interstate transport of any wildlife taken in violation of state regulations. In Coldwater, Kansas, James and Marlin Butler operated a hunting camp which promoted the illegal taking of deer. For at least three years, hunters trekked to Camp Lone Star and paid thousands to hunt Bambi. Sounds sporting doesn’t it—hunters were unlicensed; hunters used firearms during archery season, and hunters “spot lighted” deer during evening hunts.
The Butlers admitted their violations of the Lacey Act and James also pleaded guilty to obstructing justice for ordering an employee to get rid of several white-tailed deer mounts after wildlife officers began conducting interviews in Texas regarding the federal investigation.
When the Butlers were first sentenced, their guidelines were tethered to the cost of the guided hunt rather than the actual retail value of the deer that were harvested. James was ordered to serve 41 months in prison and pay a $25,000 fine and $25,000 in restitution. Marlin was sentenced to serve 27 months in prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and $10,000 in restitution
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed these sentences and concluded the district court erred when it based these sentences on the cost of the hunt as opposed to the retail value of the deer. On remand, James’ sentence was reduced to 10 months whereas his brother’s sentence was reduced to 8. District Court Judge Belot was not satisfied with the evidence adduced by the government to establish the value of the deer so he gave it no value, thereby resulting in the precipitous fall of the Butlers’ guideline sentencing range.
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Operation Mobilization traces its roots to the prayers of an American housewife. In the 1950s, Dorothea Clapp began to pray faithfully for the students in her local High School. She asked God to touch the world through the lives of those young people. And God answered her prayers!
Mrs. Clapp gave a copy of the Gospel of John to one of those students, who later gave his life to the Lord at a Billy Graham meeting. That young man was George Verwer, the founder of Operation Mobilization.
At college, George and two friends met regularly to pray. They became burdened by the spiritual needs of Mexico. In 1957 the three friends sold some of their own possessions to raise money and gave up their summer vacation to distribute Gospels and other Christian literature in Mexico.
The friends returned to Mexico the following summer, and the next... The response in Mexico was so encouraging that they opened a Christian bookshop and launched evangelistic radio broadcasts there.
When they graduated in 1960, George and his friends traveled to Europe. They began work in Spain, sharing the Gospel and distributing literature. But the task of reaching the whole of Europe seemed overwhelming.
George and his small team realized that God’s plan was to mobilize His church to reach the nations. As they began to share their vision, hundreds of Christians responded. So Operation Mobilization was born.
By 1963, 2,000 Christians had joined summer outreach teams in Europe. At the same time, the first year-long teams moved into the Indian sub-continent and the Muslim world. They had committed themselves to reaching those who had never heard the Gospel.
In 1970 the OM Ships ministry began, expanding OM's reach around the globe, with the ability to visit thousands of the world's port cities.
Today, 5,000+ workers, representing more than 100 nationalities, serve in the OM family of ministries, bringing God's unchanging truth to literally millions every year.
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Model Account Cart
Make... Buick Cadillac Chevrolet Oldsmobile Pontiac Model... 60 Special ATS CTS DeVille Eldorado Escalade Escalade EXT Fleetwood Series 60/61/63 Series 62/65/Calais Series 67/70/72/75 Seville STS XLR Year... 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
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Home / 60 Special / 1970 / Fittings Hoses / Fittings / AN Fitting Wrench - Eight-Piece (#3, #4, #6, #8, #10, #12, #16, #20)
Part fits the following years19381939194019411942194319441945194619471948194919501951195219531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993
AN Fitting Wrench - Eight-Piece (#3, #4, #6, #8, #10, #12, #16, #20) Fits 1938-93 60 Special
Part# CH2212
Select Year 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
Earn 149 points
Precision-machined aluminum.
Having the right tool for the job makes a world of difference, and these specialty wrenches are the perfect solution for your expensive AN fittings. Each wrench is precisely-machined from 6061-T6 aluminum to eliminate marring and ensure a perfect fit every time. Wrenches are stamped and color coded with the fitting size for easy identification.
Part #: CH2212
Brand: Comp Cams
Mfg #: POW302030
Part Type: Aftermarket product, usually an enhancement product
Find in OPGI's 2018 60 Special Catalog page 155.
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FAAE Committee Meeting
Notices of Meeting include information about the subject matter to be examined by the committee and date, time and place of the meeting, as well as a list of any witnesses scheduled to appear. The Evidence is the edited and revised transcript of what is said before a committee. The Minutes of Proceedings are the official record of the business conducted by the committee at a sitting.
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39th Parliament, 1st Session (April 3, 2006 - September 14, 2007)
35-1 .
35th Parliament, 1st Session
Right Hon. Jean Chrétien
ACCESS 35-1
35th Parliament, 2nd Session
January 29, 2001 - September 16, 2002
37th Parliament, 3rd Session
Right Hon. Paul Martin
October 4, 2004 - November 29, 2005
April 3, 2006 - September 14, 2007
Right Hon. Stephen Harper
November 18, 2008 - December 4, 2008
January 26, 2009 - December 30, 2009
41st Parliament, 1st Session
41st Parliament, 2nd Session
October 16, 2013 - August 2, 2015
December 3, 2015 - Present
Right Hon. Justin Trudeau
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Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development
[Recorded by Electronic Apparatus]
The Chair (Mr. Kevin Sorenson (Crowfoot, CPC)):
This is meeting number 55. We are going to move into committee business.
At the end of the last day we were discussing a motion that was brought forward by Mr. Patry. Has this been amended?
Mr. Bernard Patry (Pierrefonds—Dollard, Lib.):
The Chair:
The motion reads:
That pursuant to Standing Order 108(2), the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development asks that the Department of National Defence provide a fulsome monthly table of the number of prisoners captured during our mission to date, how many have been handed over to Afghan authorities, and any records, if available, of their present status. This reporting is to coincide with the appearance of the Canadian officials and diplomats who wrote the report entitled Afghanistan 2006: Good Governance, Democratic Development and Human Rights before the Standing Committee.
When we left off the last day, does our clerk know who was speaking?
The Clerk of the Committee (Mrs. Angela Crandall):
I think you were at Mr. Wilfert. No? Mr. Dosanjh.
Hon. Ujjal Dosanjh (Vancouver South, Lib.):
Do you mean that this reporting “commences” with the appearance of the Canadian officials?
Mr. Bernard Patry:
Yes, to coincide with....
Hon. Ujjal Dosanjh:
No, “commences”, because if it coincides, that means whenever they appear next, and the following time, only then the report is made.... Are you asking for a monthly report?
A monthly report till now.... It's very diplomatic. We're just asking for a number; we're not asking for the name. We just want to see what the people are doing and that's it.
Yes, “coincide”.
Mr. Obhrai.
Mr. Deepak Obhrai (Calgary East, CPC):
I just want to ask the committee how our position was stated last time. Has the government's position been recorded?
The Clerk:
Nothing is recorded until the motion is voted on, actually. It's moved, debated, and--
Mr. Deepak Obhrai:
As part of the debate, I had stated for--
Yes, it's in the transcript.
So I'm going to just repeat very quickly that due to the operational requirements, taking into account the Access to Information Act, which states that information may be exempted from release, as it could prove injurious to the conduct of Canada's international affairs.... The release of this information would be very beneficial to the enemy for information, for operations, and for this reason we cannot support this motion. That's the government's position, and it won't change, so I suggest we ask the question and vote on it.
Some hon. members: Agreed.
Mr. Deepak Obhrai: Ask the question and vote on it.
All right. We've had a call for the question on this motion.
(Motion agreed to)
Can we have a break now and have coffee?
No, listen, we're in committee business here, and I want to deal with one of those things that the chair never wants to deal with.
It's the draft report of the subcommittee.
Yes, that's exactly what I want to deal with, and I want to deal with it in public.
Is this the China...?
No, this is the report from the subcommittee on what we suggested...the steering committee report.
Okay, so we'll go back to something else, then.
Perhaps you have your steering committee report there. Your steering committee met on Tuesday afternoon and we came forward with these recommendations and this report:
That the Committee refer the Third Report to the Subcommittee on International Human Rights concerning the issue of “comfort women” back to the Subcommittee for further study.
Are we in favour of this? The reason for this is they just did not have the witnesses, so we aren't about to deal with it. We'll send it back to the committee. Is there consensus on that?
The second one is that the committee invite the Auditor General to appear before the committee.... This is in regard to her report. It probably will not be until the fall, but we'll leave that to the clerk. And this is with the DFAIT officials. Are you agreed?
Mr. Chair, if I understand correctly, what we had asked was the other way around. We had asked for the DFAIT officials to come and tell us what steps they had taken to meet the Auditor General's report. That was the--
That's what is written: “to apprise the Committee of any action that has been taken...”.
So why are you calling the Auditor General?
In regard to the Auditor General's new report.
That's fine. I agree.
All right. So do we have consensus on that?
(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]
The third one is that the committee invite Carlos Zorrilla to appear before the committee at an informal meeting on May 15, 2007, from 11:00 to 11:30. This is an informal meeting. He is a.... I don't want to tell you what he is.
A voice: Environment, from Ecuador.
The fourth one:
That the committee refer a request for a meeting from Rights and Democracy with Ms. Suciwati and Mr. Hamid, Indonesian human rights defenders, on May 29, 2007, to the Subcommittee on International Human Rights.
We're recommending that they go to the subcommittee. It's human rights, so they can deal with it.
Fifth:
That the committee invite Ernie Regehr and the Honourable Doug Roche to appear before the committee on the issue of disarmament on the same date as the appearance of Paul Meyer, Canada's Ambassador for Disarmament.
Now, we have a little bit more information on that today to share with the committee—don't we, Angela?
Yes. The ambassador has said that he is able to come before the committee on May 31.
That timing works out perfectly.
So are we clear there?
Then the sixth one:
That the committee postpone its study of the report by the Subcommittee on International Human Rights on human rights in China until May 31, 2007.
Ms. Francine Lalonde (La Pointe-de-l'Île, BQ):
Do we have time for both?
Mrs. Vivian Barbot (Papineau, BQ):
Do we have a report on that; on human rights in China?
Mrs. Vivian Barbot:
I've never seen it.
Now we can have coffee.
No, we can't have coffee.
This is the part of committee business, unfortunately, that a chair does not like doing, but again, here is the problem: We have postponed a committee report on China to the 31st, and now it has been leaked, or parts of it have been leaked. It's quoted in The Globe and Mail today. They quote one member from the subcommittee.
Again, as I look around this table, most of you have a great deal of parliamentary experience, and you know that when reporters phone you on a report that has not been tabled we have no comment. We don't talk about the recommendations. We don't talk about the direction in which this report is going. We don't talk about what the government's response may be to this report. We don't talk about anything, because it's still not public.
Perhaps I'm not speaking to the group that I should be. Maybe I should be speaking to the subcommittee. But it is not right; it is not ethically right to start leaking these reports. I know people love to talk to reporters and they like to see their name in the paper, but in all fairness, until every individual of the committee has the opportunity to respond to this report, I would ask that you not speak to reporters. All right? So that's on the record.
Mr. Wilfert, then Mr. Goldring.
Hon. Bryon Wilfert (Richmond Hill, Lib.):
I would concur, Mr. Chairman, that it's an embargoed report, it's confidential, and there should be no discussion whatsoever. Beyond that, I think we need to be very clear that, at any time, this obviously causes problems for all of us. It has already caused problems, because certain people now want to know more since it's out there.
Mr. Goldring, and then we will go to our second hour.
Mr. Peter Goldring (Edmonton East, CPC):
If it can be determined who.... The report really isn't that clear. It mentions one person, and if that one person wants to acknowledge it, that's fine, but the report also says “MPs”, plural. If it was plural, then it was more than one.
At what point do you carry this forward? You have rules. You have breach of parliamentary privilege. You have things set in place. There's a reason to have the confidentiality, and this goes to the heart of the other reports we might be asking for, and information on prisoners and other things. If we intend to try to keep confidence in a committee and we don't have the rules and we don't reinforce the rules, then we have nothing.
Is this something that should be brought up as a point of parliamentary privilege to determine?
I guess why I'm trying to chastise each one of us is so that, hopefully, each party will take the message back to their people.
We had a case in subcommittee of an in camera meeting where there was a press release given on the in camera meeting.
Mr. Peter Goldring:
Well, clearly, this one person mentioned should be questioned very directly--clearly. But the intimation of plural being more means that there should be more.
Mr. Patry, a final word.
I just want to go back to Mr. Goldring.
Mr. Goldring, when you talk about MPs, with an “s”, it's the title, and a title is not the text from the person. This is what that person could have said: MPs. That's why they say MPs with an “s”.
Now, I've been on this committee for the past 14 years, and it has never occurred. All the members of this committee, the main committee of foreign affairs, are great about this. There was no leaking. I trust all my members. Nobody from our committee has done these things.
And that's why I said that hopefully we can take it back to other people.
That report has been around for some time. It's been with our staffers. It's been with the subcommittee. Each one of us makes sure that we keep the integrity of this thing going.
We will suspend for one minute, and then we will come back in camera.
[Proceedings continue in camera]
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Weeping Radish Brewery Butchery and Pub
Grandy
356E-2HKT-RQ6R
Uli Bennewitz came to North Carolina in the early-1980s and decided to open a microbrewery similar to the ones he’d left behind in Bavaria. The only problem was that it was illegal in North Carolina for a brewery to sell beer directly to the consumer. Working with State politicians Uli changed the law in North Carolina allowing microbreweries to sell their beer on site. A movement was created. North Carolina is now one of the leading microbrewery States with over 120 open and many more under construction. In 1986 The Weeping Radish Restaurant and Brewery opened its doors. At that time there were less than 100 breweries remaining in the United States, now there are thousands again. Since the beginning the Weeping Radish has brewed beer according to the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot Purity Law of 1516 which states that beer must be brewed using only four ingredients: Hops, Malt, Yeast and Water. No additives, chemicals or preservatives may be used.
As demand for micro-brewed beer steadily grew over the decades, Uli knew it was time to build a bigger brewery. The much loved Manteo location was just too small. In 2001 groundbreaking began on The Weeping Radish Farm Brewery in Grandy, NC. This new project, 35 miles north of the original location, would include a restaurant, butcher’s facility, and farm as well as a larger brewery. Despite the best efforts of over a dozen regulatory agencies, the business opened its doors and brewed its first batch of beer in 2005!
After brewing Reinheitsgebot beers for nearly twenty years, Uli was ready to expand that principle to the food chain. The average processed food travels around 2000 miles; the goal of our complex in Currituck County is to reduce the food chain to less than 200 miles and to create “Reinheitsgebot Food”, again no additives and chemicals and minimal processing. Gunther Kühle, a German Master Butcher, came over and helped to establish our new butcher’s facility, picking out the right equipment and developing recipes. Our goal is to work with local farms to source free-range pork and beef for all the sausages and charcuterie.
For two years we grew organic and biodynamic vegetables on our 14 acre farm. Currently we are exploring different farm share programs involving local restaurants and producers. Our restaurant pays tribute to our German roots, but focuses on hearty pub fare with freshly ground hamburgers and fresh cut fries listed alongside homemade brats and sauerkraut. Our retail counter offers a variety of sausages, pastrami, bacon and of course beer to go.
Weeping Radish Brewery, Butchery and Pub and Restaurant
Monday–Wednesday: 11am-4pm
Thursday–Saturday: 11am–8pm
6810 Caratoke Highway, Grandy, NC 27939
Buy Weeping Radish Beer Online—Shop Now!
Book a Brewery Tour.
View our menu.
Instagram: @weepingradish
MondayCLOSED-
TuesdayCLOSED-
Wednesday11:00AM-04:00PM
Thursday11:00AM-08:00PM
Friday11:00AM-08:00PM
Saturday11:00AM-08:00PM
Sunday11:00AM-05:00PM
Wine and Beer Tours
Alcohol Stores
Gifts and Specialty Items
Outer Banks Camping
Vacationers with a love of the great outdoors and a sense of adventure will truly appreciate Outer Banks camping. From expansive camping complexes with community pools and tennis courts to rustic oceanfront campsites with sea oats and sand, campers can choose how much "roughing it" their Outer Banks camping experience entails.
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Biographical Article (23)
[[missing key: search-facet.tree.open-section]] Royalty, rulers, and aristocracy (36)
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1-20 of 36 results for:
Royalty, rulers, and aristocracy x
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royalty in continental Europe x
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Adeliza [Adeliza of Louvain] (c. 1103–1151), queen of England, second consort of Henry I
Lois L. Huneycutt
Adeliza [Adeliza of Louvain] (c. 1103–1151), queen of England, second consort of Henry I, was a daughter of Godfrey, count of Lower Lorraine and duke of Brabant (d. 1139), and his first wife, Ide, daughter of Henri (III), count of Namur. Adeliza's...
Anne [Anne of Cleves] (1515–1557), queen of England, fourth consort of Henry VIII
Retha M. Warnicke
Anne [Anne of Cleves] (1515–1557), queen of England, fourth consort of Henry VIII, was the daughter of Johann (III), duke of Juliers-Cleves (1490–1539), and Maria (1491–1543), heir of Juliers (or Jülich). From 1511 Johann ruled Juliers in his wife's right and in 1521 inherited ...
Anne [Anna, Anne of Denmark] (1574–1619), queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, consort of James VI and I
Maureen M. Meikle and Helen Payne
Anne [Anna, Anne of Denmark] (1574–1619), queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, consort of James VI and I, was born on 12 December 1574 at Skanderborg Castle in Jutland, Denmark. She was the second daughter of Frederick II (1534–1588), king of Denmark and Norway...
Anne [Anne of Bohemia] (1366–1394), queen of England, first consort of Richard II
Nigel Saul
Anne [Anne of Bohemia] (1366–1394), queen of England, first consort of Richard II, was the eldest daughter of the Emperor Charles IV and his fourth wife, Elizabeth of Pomerania. She was born at Prague on 11 May 1366. Little is known of her early life, but it is likely that she received an informal education at court. Her marriage to the ...
Anne [of Bohemia] (1366–1394)
Anne (1366–1394) tomb effigy © Dean and Chapter of Westminster
Anne [Anne of Cleves] (1515–1557)
Maker: Hans Holbein the younger
Anne (1515–1557) by Hans Holbein the younger, 1539 © Photo RMN – Hervé Lewandowski
Berengaria [Berengaria of Navarre] (c. 1165–1230), queen of England, consort of Richard I
Elizabeth Hallam
Berengaria [Berengaria of Navarre] (c. 1165–1230), queen of England, consort of Richard I, was the eldest daughter of Sancho VI, king of Navarre (1150–1194), and Sancha, daughter of Alfonso VII of Castile. She was born in Navarre, probably during the 1160s, her eldest brother being the future ...
Catherine (1638–1705)
Maker: Jacob Huysmans
Catherine [Catherine of Braganza, Catarina Henriqueta de Bragança] (1638–1705), queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, consort of Charles II
Catherine (1638–1705) by Jacob Huysmans, c. 1664 [as a shepherdess] The Royal Collection © 2004 HM Queen Elizabeth II
Catherine [of Valois] (1401–1437)
Catherine [Catherine of Valois] (1401–1437), queen of England, consort of Henry V
Catherine (1401–1437) wooden funeral effigy © Dean and Chapter of Westminster
Catherine [Catherine of Valois] (1401–1437), queen of England, consort of Henry V, was the youngest daughter of Charles VI of France (r. 1380–1422) and Isabella of Bavaria. She was born at the Hôtel St Pol in Paris on 27 October 1401. Her childhood was clouded by the impoverishment of the royal family and political divisions between the Armagnac and Burgundian factions in ...
S. M. Wynne
Catherine [Catherine of Braganza, Catarina Henriqueta de Bragança] (1638–1705), queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, consort of Charles II, was born on 25 November 1638 ns at the Vila Viçosa in Alentejo, Portugal, the third but only surviving daughter of the five children of ...
Eleanor [Eleanor of Aquitaine], suo jure duchess of Aquitaine (c. 1122–1204), queen of France, consort of Louis VII, and queen of England, consort of Henry II
Jane Martindale
Eleanor [Eleanor of Aquitaine], suo jure duchess of Aquitaine (c. 1122–1204), queen of France, consort of Louis VII, and queen of England, consort of Henry II, was the elder daughter of Guillaume, eighth count of Poitou, and tenth duke of Aquitaine (1099–1137), and of his wife, ...
Eleanor [Eleanor of Castile] (1241–1290), queen of England, consort of Edward I
John Carmi Parsons
Eleanor [Eleanor of Castile] (1241–1290), queen of England, consort of Edward I, was the daughter of Ferdinand III of Castile (1201–1252) and his second wife, Jeanne de Dammartin (d. 1279), heir to the French county of Ponthieu. Ancient claims to Gascony in ...
Eleanor [Eleanor of Provence] (c. 1223–1291), queen of England, consort of Henry III
Eleanor [Eleanor of Provence] (c. 1223–1291), queen of England, consort of Henry III, was born in Provence, the second of four daughters of the count, Raymond-Berengar (V) (1209–1245), and his wife, Béatrice (d. 1265), the daughter of Thomas, count of Savoy. The births of two sons—probably twins—preceded the births of the four daughters, but the boys died very young. The beauty of the daughters, who all became queens, was legendary. ...
Eleanor [of Aquitaine], suo jure duchess of Aquitaine (c. 1122–1204)
Eleanor, suo jure duchess of Aquitaine (c. 1122–1204) tomb effigy, early 13th cent. photograph: AKG London
Eleanor [of Provence] (c. 1223–1291)
Eleanor (c. 1223–1291) drawing [in the stern of a ship] The British Library
Emma [Ælfgifu] (d. 1052), queen of England, second consort of Æthelred II, and second consort of King Cnut
Simon Keynes
Emma [Ælfgifu] (d. 1052), queen of England, second consort of Æthelred II, and second consort of King Cnut, was the daughter of Richard (I), count of Rouen (d. 996), and of Richard's second wife, Gunnor (d. 1031), herself of Norman stock and Danish origin; she was thus the sister of ...
Emma (d. 1052)
Emma (d. 1052) drawing [[Left to right] , Edward [Edward the Confessor] (1003x5–1066), and Harthacnut (c.1018–1042) ] The British Library
Henrietta Maria [Princess Henrietta Maria of France] (1609–1669), queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, consort of Charles I
Caroline M. Hibbard
Henrietta Maria [Princess Henrietta Maria of France] (1609–1669), queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, consort of Charles I, was born at the Louvre Palace in Paris on 16/26 November 1609, the fifth surviving child and youngest daughter of Henri IV, king of France and Navarre...
Henrietta Maria (1609–1669)
Maker: Sir Anthony Van Dyck
Henrietta Maria (1609–1669) by Sir Anthony Van Dyck, 1632 The Royal Collection © 2004 HM Queen Elizabeth II
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Announcement, Bishopton, Blog, bridge of weir, Business, Elderslie, Erskine, Glasgow, Glasgow Airport, Houston, Inchinnan, Johnstone, kilbarchan, Linwood, Lochwinnoch, Newsletter, Paisley, Press Release, Renfrew, Renfrewshire
AGS Airports statement on Air Departure Tax announcement
Derek Provan, chief executive of AGS Airports which owns and manages Aberdeen International and Glasgow airports, said: “The Scottish Government’s decision to abandon its manifesto pledge to cut aviation tax is a huge blow for our airports and for Scotland’s connectivity. Over the course of the past year alone, we have seen the withdrawal by airlines of almost 30 routes from Aberdeen and Glasgow airports because of Air Passenger Duty (APD).
“We need only look to Inverness, which is currently exempt from APD, to see how airlines can and do respond. British Airways withdrew capacity at Aberdeen whilst adding services in Inverness which benefits from the lack of APD. By dropping plans to cut this tax on passengers we are missing a very real opportunity to secure new routes and, more worryingly, maintain existing services which play a vital role in supporting our economy.
“Together with the wider industry we have always said growth in aviation can and must go hand in hand with action on the environment but scrapping this policy will do nothing to reduce global CO2 emissions. As a global sector by nature the only way to achieve this is through international action, and that’s why over 190 countries have signed up to a carbon offsetting scheme that will address increases in total emissions from international aviation above 2020 levels.”
About AGS Airports Limited
AGS Airports is a partnership between Ferrovial and Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) established in 2014 to invest in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports.
As the second largest airport group in the UK, AGS carried almost 15 million passengers in 2018. With 70 airlines serving more than 200 destinations, the Group serves three distinct catchment areas and includes Europe’s busiest commercial heliport at Aberdeen. Approximately 1,000 people are employed across the Group which supports a further 12,000 indirect employees. AGS invested over £30 million in major infrastructure projects across its airports in 2018 to further enhance the passenger experience and support the continued growth of the Group.
07/05/2019 /by Brian McGuire
https://i2.wp.com/www.paisley.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ags.jpg?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1 512 512 Brian McGuire https://www.paisley.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/paisley-logo-trans.png Brian McGuire2019-05-07 18:26:082019-05-07 18:26:08AGS Airports statement on Air Departure Tax announcement
Paisley perfect for larger business requirements14/07/2019 - 1:56 pm
Pitch up for St. Vincent’s Hospice Golf Day10/07/2019 - 11:02 am
Improvement works set to begin at Hawkhead Cemetery10/07/2019 - 10:21 am
Get Moving into Work10/07/2019 - 9:57 am
Youngsters can enjoy a fun-packed Summer Family Day09/07/2019 - 8:06 pm
Summer – Continued – Taking Care of Yourself09/07/2019 - 3:12 pm
Paisley’s Youth Are Excelling: Good Times Are Ahead NikMakeupArtist Finalist for Scottish Beauty Industry Awards
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The Sydney Roosters have signed a 25-year agreement to play out of the new $730 million Allianz Staidum after the project's future was assured following Saturday's NSW election. The Roosters on Monday signed a long-term deal to make the new 40,000-seat stadium home when it opens in 2022. The facility is in the process of being knocked down and rebuilt however Labor had threatened to scrap the project if they were elected in NSW. However it will proceed after the Gladys Berejiklian government were returned, ensuring it will go ahead as part of Coalition's $1.6 billion stadia program. The Roosters will play out of the SCG next door for the next three seasons while Allianz Stadium is rebuilt and have ensured they will be at Moore Park until 2046. "These grounds have always been our spiritual home and the binding agreement we've signed with the SCG (Trust) means this will always be our home," Roosters chairman Nick Politis said. "We played our first matches here at the old Show Ground, moved to the Sports Ground and then Allianz Stadium. "We've had some of our most famous moments on the SCG, including the 1974-75 premierships that marked the start of my involvement with the Roosters. "Our whole club is excited about what the new stadium will deliver for our members, supporters and players and for rugby league across the board. "It cannot happen soon enough." Australian Associated Press
March 25 2019 - 7:21PM
Roosters sign 25-year Allianz Stadium deal
The Sydney Roosters have signed a 25-year agreement to play out of the new $730 million Allianz Staidum after the project's future was assured following Saturday's NSW election.
The Roosters on Monday signed a long-term deal to make the new 40,000-seat stadium home when it opens in 2022.
The facility is in the process of being knocked down and rebuilt however Labor had threatened to scrap the project if they were elected in NSW.
However it will proceed after the Gladys Berejiklian government were returned, ensuring it will go ahead as part of Coalition's $1.6 billion stadia program.
The Roosters will play out of the SCG next door for the next three seasons while Allianz Stadium is rebuilt and have ensured they will be at Moore Park until 2046.
"These grounds have always been our spiritual home and the binding agreement we've signed with the SCG (Trust) means this will always be our home," Roosters chairman Nick Politis said.
"We played our first matches here at the old Show Ground, moved to the Sports Ground and then Allianz Stadium.
"We've had some of our most famous moments on the SCG, including the 1974-75 premierships that marked the start of my involvement with the Roosters.
"Our whole club is excited about what the new stadium will deliver for our members, supporters and players and for rugby league across the board.
"It cannot happen soon enough."
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Matt Loffman Matt Loffman
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/the-bipartisan-movement-to-bring-back-earmarks-in-congress
The bipartisan movement to bring back earmarks in Congress
Politics Mar 2, 2018 5:31 PM EDT
As Congress gears up for its third spending battle in as many months, a growing number of lawmakers from both parties are calling for a repeal of the earmark ban, arguing that an updated version of the old-school spending system could foster bipartisanship in budget debates and help avert future government shutdowns.
Support for bringing back so-called earmarks — line-item appropriations for specific projects, typically requested by lawmakers for their home state — is at its highest since the earmark ban was enacted in 2011 after Republicans took control of the House, according to the budget watchdog groups Taxpayers for Common Sense and Citizens Against Government Waste.
Earlier this year, the House Rules Committee held a series of hearings about reinstating the system, which critics often refer to as pork-barrel spending. President Donald Trump offered praise for the old earmark system at a televised White House meeting earlier this year.
And in interviews, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle said they supported the change, saying it would make it easier to reach bipartisan deals in Congress. By including funding for members’ own pet projects, previous congressional leaders were able to twist arms and secure votes for otherwise unpopular legislation.
“I’ve always been supportive of making sure members of Congress have an opportunity to put funding into appropriations bills that work for their state,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. “That’s part of our job — to fight for our state.”
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said the restoration of earmarks would “help rectify what has been an enormous shift in power from Congress to the executive branch over the past 10 years.”
Others pointed to Congress’ long history of using earmarks to help pass spending bills and fastrack individual projects. At the House Rules Committee hearing in January, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., noted that “the first earmark was in the first Congress of the United States.”
By including funding for members’ own pet projects, previous congressional leaders were able to twist arms and secure votes for otherwise unpopular legislation.
Indeed, the Senate Historical Office counted the Lighthouse Act of 1789, the ninth bill ever passed by Congress, as the first earmark legislation, according to a Politifact report. The bill used federal money to build lighthouses, but also included funding for a pier in Philadelphia that was backed by congressional members from Pennsylvania.
For the next 200 years, earmarks were included in spending bills only sparingly, including in an 1817 public works earmark, later vetoed by President James Madison, that was described in a Senate debate as “magnificent schemes” and money spent on “objects worse than useless.” Earmark usage ballooned in the late 1990s and early 2000s, peaking at nearly 14,000 items in 2005 and reaching a record $29 billion in 2006, according to the budget watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. In a brief interview Murray said she supports restoring the earmarks system, but “it has to be done in the right way.” Photo by REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
But ahead of the 2010 midterm elections, House Democrats led by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced an effort to overhaul the system. The House Appropriations Committee banned earmarks directed to for-profit organizations, eliminating about 10 percent of earmarks.
House Republicans led by then-Minority Leader John Boehner responded by saying that they wouldn’t request any earmarks at all, and when Boehner took over as speaker in January of 2011, earmarks were effectively dead. (In his State of the Union speech that year, President Barack Obama said he would veto any bill that included earmarks because “the American people deserve to know that special interests aren’t larding up legislation with pet projects.”)
Since then, House Republicans have renewed the moratorium on earmarks in each legislative session. House Speaker Paul Ryan dismissed an effort by some Republicans to modify the ban after the 2016 election.
But this year could be different. Congressional leaders haven’t taken formal steps yet to overturn the ban. But unlike many recent battles in Congress, the issue doesn’t fall along the usual partisan lines. Republicans and Democrats on both sides of the Capitol are backing the earmark comeback, which could put more pressure on Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to act.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said specific funding allocations made by Congress are a critical part of maintaining the balance of power between Capitol Hill and the White House.
“We’re the ones that have to raise the money under the Constitution,” Leahy said in a brief interview. “We ought to be able to have some say in how it’s spent.”
Trump appeared to give earmarks supporters a boost when he waded into the debate during a bipartisan meeting with members of Congress at the White House in January. Trump told the group they should consider “going back to a form of earmarks.”
“Our system lends itself to not getting things done, and I hear so much about earmarks — the old earmark system — how there was a great friendliness when you had earmarks,” Trump said at the meeting.
The newfound momentum has raised alarm among some government watchdogs groups who have long argued that earmarks are not needed to make government function effectively. Earmarks are “corrupt, inequitable and wasteful,” said Thomas Schatz, the president of Citizens Against Government Waste. He added that trading votes for personal spending priorities is “legalized bribery.”
“The exchange of a few million dollars in earmarks to vote for a bloated spending bill is simply not acceptable to taxpayers,” Schatz said. “It’s just not the way things should work.”
Schatz’s group has published an annual report, called the Pig Book, since 1992 that highlights wasteful earmark spending. Examples include $50 million for an indoor rainforest in Iowa, $500,000 for a teapot museum in North Carolina and $223 million for the now infamous “bridge to nowhere” in Alaska.
Thomas Schatz, the president of Citizens Against Government Waste, pictured at a news conference last year where his group released its 2017 Congressional Pig Book of pork-barrel spending. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
The push also faces opposition from some conservative Republicans in the House and Senate.
“I don’t know that bringing back earmarks is something that most conservatives would support,” said Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. “It would be a tough sell, even though I think there is a great frustration over a lack of the power of the purse.”
Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, agreed. “I don’t like earmarks,” Risch said. “I think the American people don’t like earmarks, and I think they express that loudly. And I think people up here listen to that.”
A bipartisan group of senators led by Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., recently introduced a bill to make the ban on earmarks permanent. “It’s time to stick a fork in congressional pork with a permanent ban on earmarking,” Flake said in a statement introducing the bill last month.
Other critics said Trump’s tacit support for the system runs counter to the “drain the swamp” message that helped fuel his 2016 campaign.
“The legal pay-to-play creates a culture that invites corruption,” said Ryan Alexander, the president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, another federal budget watchdog group.
Alexander said the anti-earmark message helped Republicans in 2011 win 63 House seats and gain control of the lower chamber. “One of the reasons they ran against earmarks is they ran against deal-making,” Alexander said. “They wanted to take away a deal-making tool.”
The lawmakers who benefited the most from earmark spending in the past typically served on the House and Senate appropriations committees.
Many long-serving lawmakers said deal-making was the very thing missing in Congress in an era of intense partisan gridlock. They also argued that earmarks are effective because lawmakers know their individual districts’ needs best.
But Schatz, of Citizens Against Government Waste, said the old system didn’t allocate funds evenly. The lawmakers who benefited the most from earmark spending in the past typically served on the House and Senate appropriations committees. In the last legislative session before the 2011 ban was enacted, the group found that the members of the House and Senate appropriations committees made up about 15 percent of all members of Congress, but received 51 percent of the earmarks and 61 percent of all earmarked money.
“It has nothing to do with merit,” Schatz said. “It has everything to do with political power.”
That’s one reason even earmark supporters say there need to be reforms to the process before any money is allocated.
“It has to be done in the right way,” Murray said. Congress would need to “make sure we don’t have any problems with it as there has been in the past.”
“I wouldn’t want to go back to earmarks that no one would claim [credit for], that benefited special interests,” Collins said. Collins called for a system where earmarks are “not secret. They’re posted on the internet. The sponsor is made clear. They are for a public purpose. They go to a public entity.” She added: “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
PBS NewsHour correspondent Lisa Desjardins and producer Julie Percha contributed reporting.
Left: The U.S. Capitol building is seen in Washington, D.C. Photo by Leah Millis/Reuters
congressional earmarks
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Archbishop Welby is struggling to support equality
18 April 2013 20 May 2016 Peter Tatchell Foundation
He supports opposite-sex civil partnerships
Call for an apology for centuries of church homophobia
Dialogue urged with other LGBT campaigners in the UK & Africa
London – 18 April 2013
“Archbishop Welby is clearly struggling to reconcile his support for loving, stable same-sex relationships with his opposition to same-sex marriage. I got the impression that he wants to support gay equality but feels bound by church tradition. He accepts that discrimination is not a Christian value but can’t bring himself to state publicly that banning gay couples from getting married is discrimination and wrong.
“The Archbishop told me ‘gay people are not intrinsically different from straight people’ but there is an ‘intrinsic difference in the nature of same-sex relationships’ and this is a sufficient reason to deny gay couples the right to marry, even in civil ceremonies in register offices. When pressed to say why this ‘intrinsic difference’ justified banning same-sex marriage he merely replied: ‘They are just different.’
“I am hopeful that in time the Archbishop will resolve his moral dilemmas and encourage the church to move closer to gay equality. He struck me as a genuine, sincere, open-minded person, willing to listen and rethink his position,” said Peter Tatchell, Director of the human rights organisation, the Peter Tatchell Foundation.
Mr Tatchell was commenting in his meeting today at Lambeth Palace with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, leader of the world’s 78 million-strong Anglican Communion.
At the meeting, Mr Tatchell urged the Archbishop to “embrace a new historic compromise and rapprochement with the gay community:” that the church can continue to believe that homosexuality is wrong but that it will agree that homophobic discrimination is also wrong – and actively oppose it.
“The Archbishop did not accept that the ban on same-sex civil marriage amounted to discrimination. He told me: ‘I don’t accept the word discrimination,’” said Mr Tatchell.
Welby said he was “apprehensive” and “cautious” about the “consequences of redefining marriage,” adding that he was unconvinced that it would be to “the advantage of society.”
However he added that in future “marriage may evolve.”
Justin Welby said he mostly opposes the government’s same-sex marriage bill because it is a “bad bill”. He supports a proposed amendment to open up civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples, which is something Peter Tatchell has campaigned for ever since the Civil Partnership Act was legislated in 2004.
“Parliament has a right to legislate same-sex marriage”… (and) the church has a right to oppose it… I am in favour of the state recognising same-sex relationships but not in favour of redefining marriage,” said Welby.
Mr Tatchell urged Justin Welby to “apologise on behalf of the Church of England for the centuries of homophobic persecution it inflicted on gay people. If not an apology, then some expression of remorse and regret.”
The Archbishop replied: “I hear what you say. I will need to think about that.”
Mr Tatchell also urged the Archbishop to meet other LGBT organisations and campaigners, from within the UK and in Africa.
“I don’t represent all LGBT people. It is important that a wide range of LGBT voices are heard; especially in countries like Nigeria and Uganda where the Anglican church is actively stirring anti-gay hatred and supporting repressive homophobic legislation.”
The meeting between Welby and Tatchell was the first ever meeting between an international religious leader and a leading international gay rights campaigner.
The meeting was offered by the Archbishop in response to the Open Letter that Mr Tatchell wrote to him on 20 March. See the letter here:
https://petertatchellfoundation.org/religion/open-letter-justin-welby
Archbishop Welby replied:
“Dear Mr Tatchell, Thank you for your very thoughtful letter. It requires much thought and the points it makes are powerful. I would like to explain what I think to you without the mediation of the press, and listen to you in return.”
Mr Tatchell’s Open Letter criticised Justin Welby as “homophobic” for supporting a legal ban on same-sex civil marriage. He also criticised the Anglican Communion for colluding with local dioceses in Africa that endorse the persecution of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in countries like Uganda and Nigeria.
Commenting further on the Archbishop’s stance on LGBT issies, Mr Tatchell said:
“Discrimination is not a Christian value. The Archbishop should therefore oppose all discrimination against gay people, including the ban on same-sex civil marriage.
“While the church can maintain its refusal to conduct same-sex religious marriages, it should cease opposing the marriage of gay couples by civil authorities in register offices.
“The church is currently in the forefront of attempts to force the government to abandon its plans to legalise same-sex civil marriage. It is actively supporting the current ban. This is homophobic discrimination.
“I am asking Archbishop Welby to make a clear distinction between what he and the church believe is morally wrong and the law of the land.
“While the Archbishop is entitled to reject homosexuality as unacceptable, in a liberal democracy he is not entitled to insist that his religious beliefs are legislated into law by banning same-sex civil marriage ceremonies.
“The Church of England’s opposition to same-sex civil marriage is a direct and un-Christian attack on the human rights of gay people.
“While Anglicans have a right to refuse to conduct religious gay marriages, they should halt their campaign against gay marriages hosted by civil authorities. The church should have no jurisdiction or veto over marriages in register offices.
“This is the first time any Archbishop has formally met me. Even a liberal like Rowan Williams never welcomed me to Lambeth Palace. Justin’s invitation is progress.
“In 1997, ten of us from the gay rights group OutRage! scaled the walls of Lambeth Palace, hid among the roses and jumped out to confront the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, as he entertained 16 Anglican primates in the garden. We were protesting over his refusal to dialogue with the gay community and his opposition to an equal age of consent, fostering by gay couples and the legal recognition of same-sex relationships. This time I’m going to Lambeth Palace through the front door at the Archbishop’s invitation. It makes a nice change,” said Mr Tatchell.
Religion, UK
Anglican Church, Archbishop of Canterbury, Christian, Church of England, civil ceremonies, civil partnerships, discrimination, gay equality, Justin Welby, Lambeth Palace, LGBT, Outrage, Peter Tatchell, Peter Tatchell Foundation, Rowan Williams, same sex marriage.
Archbishop Welby to meet Tatchell
Lobby the Lords for marriage equality
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Fourth of July 2007 in eastern Massachusetts
A listing of events
DANVERS FAMILY FESTIVAL: For the 28th year, enjoy activities and shows over 18 days, from June 22 through July 4, from a dog show, road race, concerts and a parade to a fireworks display on July 3. For information, visit www.danversfamilyfestival.com.
BOSTON HARBORFEST: The annual summertime celebration in Boston will take place from June 28-July 4. Events at City Hall Plaza will include noontime concerts on June 29 and 30 and July 4, Party on the Plaza June 30, the annual Chowderfest on July 1 and the annual Children’s Day on July 2. For information on these and other events, visit www.bostonharborfest.com or call 617-227-1528.
BROCKTON FAIR: The Brockton Fair, off Route 123, returns for its 133rd year from June 28-July 8. Please join us for another year of lively and exciting entertainment for all ages! In addition to our midway full of rides, other featured entertainment includes a surprise filled magic show, exciting demolition derby, and fireworks displays. For information, visit www.brocktonfair.com.
FUN ON THE FOURTH IN WILMINGTON: The Wilmington Fourth of July Committee will sponsor the 27th annual celebration at the Common. From June 28 through July 4, enjoy activities from dinners and a carnival to a hospital bed race and fireworks on June 30 and July 2. For information, call 978-657-8081 or visit www.funonthefourth.com.
CELEBRATION IN FRANKLIN: The town’s 25th annual celebration and parade will be held from June 29 through July 4 at the common, including booths, rides, concerts, exhibits, the parade on July 1 and fireworks on July 3. For information, visit the July 4th page at www.franklin.ma.us.
LEXINGTON LIONS CLUB CARNIVAL: The annual event at Center Playground will be held July 4 from 1-11 p.m., July 5 and 6 from 6-11 p.m., July 7 from 1-11 p.m., and July 8 from 1-7 p.m. Youth Games will take place on July 4 at 10 a.m. Ride discounts will be available, as well as food and entertainment. There will be no fireworks this year. For information, visit www.lexingtonlions.clubwizard.com.
FAMILY NIGHT IN NATICK: The annual Family Night celebration will take place from 4-8 p.m. on the Common, corner of routes 27 and 135. Children’s Parade at 6 p.m. (bring your bike to Family Night - there will be a special supervised area to leave your bike until the children’s parade); three moonwalks; dunk tank; the Summer Street Band; bookmobile; JoAnimal; Davey the Clown; food; raffles; and more. Rain date Tuesday, July 3, from 4-8 p.m.
SUMMERTIME IN SOMERVILLE: The city will hold a fireworks display and patriotic performances from the Sunsetters and the USO Metropolitan New York Performers. The celebrations are set to begin at 6:30 p.m. with musical entertainment. As a grand finale to the evening’s performances, fireworks are scheduled to begin at approximately 9:15 p.m. A rain date has been scheduled for Saturday, July 7.
FREE COOKOUT IN NATICK: Middlesex Savings Bank will sponsor its annual free cookout from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at the bank’s parking lot, 6 Main St. Hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream, drinks and more.
CELEBRATION IN DEVENS: Music, food and fireworks will be part of Devens’ annual Independence Day celebration. Rain date will be June 30. For information, contact Jane Witherow at Devens Recreation Department, 978-772-8875 or e-mail jwitherow@massdevelopment.com, or visit the Web site at www.devenscommunity.com.
FULL MOON TOUR IN WALTHAM: At Gore Place, the historic Governor Gore estate in Waltham, a special evening tour will be presented. During this event, visitors join a guide, dressed in period costume, for a tour of the 1806 mansion. The tour tells stories of the Gores’ gracious lifestyle, the work of the many servants, the politics of the time and the advanced technologies introduced by the Gores. The theme for the tour is “Independence Day.” The doors open at 6:30 p.m. The tour begins at 7 p.m. Admission is $12, $8 children. WGBH and AAA discounts available. Gore Place is at 52 Gore St., just off Route 20 (Main Street) near the Waltham/Watertown line. By public transportation: Take the Red Line to Central Square. Take the 70 or 70A bus toward Waltham. Gore Street is 1-1/4 miles west of Watertown Square. For more information about Full Moon Tours, or to reserve tickets, contact program director Thom Roach at 781-894-2798, ext. 12, or visit the museum’s Web site at: http:// www.goreplace.org/full-moon-tours.htm.
CELEBRATION IN BRAINTREE: From noon-4 p.m. at the high school field, there will be an all-day flea market, a Touch-a-Truck event, amusement rides, entertainment and more; fireworks will be set off at dusk.
FIREWORKS IN WEYMOUTH: The annual celebration and fireworks will be held at the George Lane Beach. The fireworks will be set off around dusk.
FAMILY FUN DAY IN SOMERVILLE: Trum Field will be covered with rides and events just for kids. Scheduled to run from noon-5 p.m., the day’s family-oriented activities include face painting, softball games, barbecue, a DJ to provide music, and for younger patrons, a moonwalk, obstacle course and giant slide. A rain date for Family Fun Day has been scheduled for July 8.
FIREWORKS IN HINGHAM: The fireworks sponsored by the Hingham Lions Club will take place at the Hingham Bathing Beach around 9 p.m. Rain date is July 2.
EVENTS IN NATICK: The Natick Recreation and Parks Department will sponsor its annual mini-triathlon at Memorial Beach, off West Street, beginning at 9:30 a.m. For information, call 508-647-6530 or visit www.natickma.gov. At 2 p.m., head over to the Morse Institute Library for a Patriotic Hootenanny. Join Harriet Buckingham, pianist, and other members of the Natick community for an old-fashioned sing-along of patriotic songs. Wear your red, white and blue. The program is free and open to the public. For information, call 508-647-6520.
FIREWORKS IN ORLEANS: Fireworks will be set off at dusk over Rock Harbor. Rain date July 2. Call 508-240-2484 for information.
STRAWBERRIES IN SWAMPSCOTT: There will be a Strawberry Festival on the lawn of Town Hall, 22 Monument Ave., at 4 p.m.
CONCERT IN NATICK: The Concert on the Common, featuring the Gary Bernath Band, will be performed at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. Sponsored by the Natick Recreation and Parks Department.
CARNIVAL IN CANTON: The annual July 4 celebration will take place at Canton High School, featuring a giant midway with concessions, band concerts, a petting zoo and fireworks on July 4. Sponsored by the Canton Recreation Department. Call 781-821-5030 for information.
EVENTS IN GLOUCESTER: The annual Horribles Parade will step off at 6 p.m., with a grand fireworks display over Gloucester Harbor slated for 10 p.m.
FIREWORKS IN LYNN: The city’s annual fireworks display will take place at 9 p.m. at Red Rock.
FIREWORKS IN NEEDHAM: Arrive early to get a good spot at Memorial Park and enjoy picnic fair at our BBQ cookout while listening to the Maple Street Project, a hometown folk and blues band starting at 5p.m. The Reminisants, “Boston’s Best Oldies Band,” will entertain you from 7 p.m. up until the fireworks. Pony rides, facepainting and other activities are provided free of charge to children. Sponsored by the Needham Exchange Club.
EVENTS IN SHARON: The Sharon Independence Day Celebration Committee will sponsor the following events: Family fun beach events, 2 p.m., Memorial Park Beach, Lake Massapoag; events will include potato sack races, tug-o-war and other wacky relays; bicycle and doll carriage parade, line up at Beech Tree Park at 3:45 p.m., parade begins at 4 p.m. from Beach Street to the bandstand; lakeside celebration, Memorial Park Beach, 4-9:30 p.m. Music, food concession tables and more. Bandstand concert from 7-9 p.m., followed by fireworks over Lake Massapoag at 9:30 p.m.
FIREWORKS ON SWAMPSCOTT: The display will be set off at King’s Beach at dusk.
PARADE, FIREWORKS IN WALPOLE: The Fire Truck parade begins at 6 p.m., and starts on Washington Street by the old clock tower, and winds its way all the way to Walpole Center, onto Common Street and ending on School Street. Fireworks will go off at 9 p.m. at the field behind the police station.
CELEBRATION IN WORCESTER: From 6-10 p.m. at East Park, Shrewsbury Street. Free and open to the public. The city’s annual Independence Day celebration will be held at Christoforo Columbo Park on Shrewsbury Street. From 6-8 p.m., enjoy face painting for the kids, and a variety of other hands-on children’s activities and games in the tennis court area. To be followed by Bank of America’s Summer Concert Series featuring the Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, leading up to a spectacular fireworks display presented by Fallon Community Health Plan at 9:30 p.m. Food and beverages will be available for purchase in the park. (Rain date July 5). For information, e-mail culture@ci.worcester.ma.us.
EVENTS IN ACTON: The town will present its annual celebration at NARA Park, featuring the Help Wanted Band at 7 p.m., followed by fireworks at about 9:30 p.m. This is free and open to the public; donations will be gratefully accepted. Rain date will be July 7.
EVENTS IN AMESBURY: Start off your Amesbury Days with a pancake breakfast at 7 a.m. at Town Park on Friend Street. From noon-5 p.m., there will be an auction and a Picnic in the Pines, also at Town Park. At 5:30 p.m. at Woodsom Farm, there will be a 1950s-60s reunion concert, followed by fireworks at 9:15 p.m., also at the farm.
MUSIC, FIREWORKS IN BELLINGHAM: The town will be hosting its 10th Fourth of July Celebration at the High School football field. A concert with the “A List,” featuring former Tavares drummer Jackie Santos, will start at 7 p.m., with a spectacular fireworks show to follow at 9:30. There is plenty of parking at the school, and guests are encouraged to arrive prior to 8 p.m., as streets will be closing once all available parking is filled. There is no on-street parking allowed. Outback Steakhouse will be cooking the burgers and chicken, with all proceeds going to the high school band.
EVENTS IN BEVERLY FARMS: The annual celebration for Beverly Farms/Prides Crossing will take place today: 8 a.m., Horribles Parade; 10:30 a.m., Old Timers Softball Game, Dix Park; 2 p.m., races and games, West Beach; 5 p.m., music entertainment, West Beach; 8:45 p.m., shoreline illumination, West Beach; 9 p.m., aerial fireworks, West Beach. Raindate for parade and fireworks, July 5.
COMMEMORATION IN BOSTON: Begins at City Hall Plaza. 9 a.m., flag raising; 9:15 a.m. parade begins; 9:30 a.m., Halt for Honor, Old Granary Burial Ground; 9:45 a.m., reading of the Declaration of Independence, Old State House; 10 a.m., parade resumes, Congress Street; 10:30 a.m., Independence Day Oration, Faneuil Hall. Sponsored by the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism & Special Events; call 617-635-3911 for information.
PARADE IN BOURNE: The Professional Firefighters of Bourne will sponsor the annual Independence Day parade at 10 a.m. Call 508-564-6345 for more information.
FAMILY FUN IN CAMBRIDGE: Come celebrate the Fourth of July with races, bike and doll carriage parade, ribbons, prizes and T-shirts at the following sites. Donnelly Field and Glacken Field. Events begin at 9:45 a.m. Please call the Willis Moore Youth Center for a Fourth of July Special Event at Hoyt Field at 617-349-6273.
PARADE IN CHATHAM: The annual parade will start at 9:30 a.m. from Shore Road, to Main Street to the Rotary. For information, call 508-945-5199.
PICNIC IN CONCORD: The town’s annual Picnic in the Park will be held from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at Emerson Playground. Field games, face painting, bicycle and doll parades, foods and more will be offered, as well as the annual Minuteman Classic 5-Mile Run, which begins at 9 a.m. at Emerson Playground. The 1-Mile Youth Fun Run will begin at 8:30 a.m. Contact the Concord Recreation Department at 978-318-3035 for details.
COSTUME PARADE IN FAIRHAVEN: Beginning at 9:30 a.m., Green Street from Cushman Park to Fort Phoenix. Costume parade, which also includes vintage vehicles, military groups and more. At Fort Phoenix, there is a brief ceremony followed by a gun salute by costumed historical re-enactors and the firing of the fort’s five Civil War-era cannon. Free. Sponsored by the Fairhaven Office of Tourism.
EVENTS IN FALMOUTH: The annual parade begins at 11 a.m., and will leave from Village Green and continue along Main Street to the library/Peg Noonan Park. Adults and dogs are welcome, too. At dusk, the fireworks will be set off from Falmouth Heights Beach. For information, call 508-548-8500.
ROAD RACE IN HARVARD: The Great Harvard Fourth of July Race” will begin at 8:45 a.m. with the 5-mile race; the fun run for kids will begin at 9:45 a.m. Registration for the 5-miler is $15 and $5 for the fun run. Free T-shirts for the 5-miler; $8 T-shirts for the fun run. The race will start at Bromfield High School in Harvard. Registrations can be made at www.harvardraces.org or from 7:30-8:30 a.m. the day of the race.
EVENTS IN HINGHAM: 7 a.m. - Hingham Recreation Commission Road Race; 7-9:45 a.m. or until the pancakes run out - Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast at Hingham Common, Middle and Main streets; 9 a.m. - Open House at the Old Ship Meeting House, 90 Main St; 10 a.m. - parade with the theme “Preserve the Tradition.” Starts at Hingham High School on Pleasant Street and ends at Station Street.
PARADE IN HULL: The 17th annual Neighborhood Fourth of July parade begins at 10 a.m. at the Hampton Circle playground. Larry Robicheau of Moreland Avenue is this year’s parade marshal. Participants are requested to wear red, white and blue, if possible, and bring flags. For more details, call 781 925-5142.
EVENTS IN HYANNIS: The annual parade will begin at 4 p.m. at Ocean Street and will head to Main Street and Sea Street. The fireworks will be on July 6 (rain date July 7) at dusk over the harbor area.
MUSIC, FIREWORKS IN IPSWICH: At Castle Hill, the Crane Estate, Argilla Road, from 4-10 p.m., celebrate with music, fun, and fireworks for all ages. Children’s activities include Kid’s Fest, the Boston Children’s Theatre and Benjamin the Juggler. The Riverboat Stompers and Merrimack Valley Philharmonic Orchestra will perform, leading up to spectacular fireworks over the ocean! Fees - Members of Trustees of Reservations, Adult $15, Child $10. Nonmembers: Adult $25, Child $15. For tickets/information, visit www.craneestate.org or call 978-921-1944, ext. 4028. Rain date: Thursday, July 5.
CELEBRATION IN LINCOLN: The Lincoln Celebrations Committee stages the town’s annual 4th of July events. The schedule (all events will take place at the Town Office Building unless otherwise noted) - 8-8:30 a.m., registration for the Firecracker Run (2.5 miles or 4 miles); 10 a.m., Children’s Bicycle Parade; 10:30 a.m., Town Parade; 9 p.m., fireworks at Lincoln Public Schools.
PICNIC IN LITTLETON: The Littleton Cultural Council, in conjunction with the Littleton Rotary, will hold the annual Town Picnic from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at Fay Park beside the fire station on Foster Street. There will be ceremonies, games and a jazz concert featuring the Paul Combs and the Pocket Big Band.
PARADE IN MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA: The annual parade will step off at 9:30 a.m., and will feature floats, antique cars and bands.
FIREWORKS IN MARBLEHEAD: The Fireworks are scheduled for July 4, approximately 9 p.m. The Harbor Illumination will begin at 8:45 p.m. For information, visit www.marbleheadfireworks.org.
CELEBRATION IN MILFORD: The town’s annual celebration will be held from 5-10 p.m. at Plains Park. A concert by the Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra will be followed by fireworks at 10 p.m.
EVENTS IN NANTUCKET: Independence Day on Main Street, 10 a.m. Street fair festivities with a dunk tank, watermelon and pie eating contest, face painting and puppets, then a water fight along Main Street starting at high noon. Sponsored by Parks and Rec. Joe Zito and Friends Puppet Show, 10:30 a.m., United Methodist Church, 2 Centre St. From 5-6:30 p.m., kids’ games, including three-legged race, foot races, wheelbarrow races and sack races, at Children’s Beach. At 9 p.m., fireworks at Jetties Beach.
EVENTS IN NATICK: 7-noon: Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, Sherrill Hall, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. 9 a.m.: 52nd annual Parade starts from 9/27 Plaza and travels down Route 27 to Route 135. 8 a.m.-4 p.m.: Flea Market on the Common. For information, visit www.natick4th.org.
PARADE IN NEEDHAM: The 4th of July parade starts at 9 a.m. and features marching bands, floats, fire and police vehicles, antique cars, clowns and other entertainment. Immediately following the parade, there is food, children’s activities (egg toss, 3-legged race, etc.), a marketplace, music by the Center Streeters, the Little League All-Star game and other fun activities. Sponsored by the Needham Exchange Club.
EVENTS IN NEWTON: At Newton Centre Playground from 10 a.m.-noon, Kids’ Morning, including a grand pet parade, teddy bear parade, decorated doll carriage promenade, foot races, free candy, drinks and ice cream. At Albemarle Field off Watertown Street (Route 16), open air market and amusement rides from 10 a.m.-dusk, with handmade and international crafts, professional dealers and food vendors. At 6 p.m., bring blankets and lawn chairs for a picnic and the big band sounds of the Zaitchick Bros. Food vendors, crafters and novelties will be available. Fantastic Fireworks by Newton’s own Tony Gentile will be set off at 9 p.m. Sponsored by Mayor’s Office for Cultural Affairs, Arts in the Parks and the Newton Parks and Recreation Department.
CELEBRATION IN NORWOOD: The children’s parade steps off at 1 p.m. from the First Congregational Church on the corner of Walpole and Winter streets. There will be a concert at 3 p.m. and a carillon concert and tour of the 50-bell instrument atop Town Hall at 4:30, followed by the annual Firecracker 5K Road Race at 5 and the parade at 5:30.
CELEBRATION AT OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE: America’s freedoms are celebrated with a rousing reading of the Declaration of Independence and a day filled with music, marching, mustering, and old-fashioned fun and games. Visitors are invited to leave their “John Hancock” on a giant Declaration of Independence and enjoy a picnic on the Common. Cost: $20 adults, $18 seniors 65 and up, $6 youths ages 3-17. Under age 3 free. (Second daytime visit is free within 10 days with ticket validation.) For information, call 800-733-1830 or visit www.osv.org.
PARADE IN ORLEANS: The annual parade will step off at 10 a.m. For information, call 508-240-2484.
EVENTS IN PLYMOUTH: This year’s theme is the celebration of Mayflower II’s 50 years in America. 10 a.m. parade along Route 3A and Water Street culminates at Plymouth Rock. Band concerts all afternoon and the Plymouth Philharmonic in the early evening at Pilgrim Memorial State Park. Fireworks follow over Plymouth Harbor at 9 p.m.
PARADE AND FIREWORKS IN PROVINCETOWN: Parade on Commercial Street begins at 11:30 a.m.; fireworks at the harbor area at dusk. For further information, call 508-487-7000, ext. 536.
PROGRAMS IN QUINCY: At the Old House, 135 Adams St., at noon and 3 p.m., re-enact the passage of the Declaration of Independence at the Second Continental Congress. You will assume the role of a delegate and participate in a debate led by John Adams. On the grounds of the Beale Estate, 181 Adams St., at 7 p.m., there will be a program on “Jefferson and Adams: A Revolutionary Dialogue,” a dramatization of the remarkable friendship between two presidents of the United States. Street parking is available for both events, which are free and open to the public.
EVENTS IN ROCKPORT: The fireman’s parade will begin at 6 p.m. The Rockport Legion Band Concert on Back Beach will take place at 8:30 p.m., followed by the bonfire at 9 p.m.
CELEBRATION, FIREWORKS IN SALEM: At the Salem Maritime National Historic Site at Derby Wharf. Music, children’s activities, and entertainment. 4 p.m., Kids’ Space with arts and crafts, games and face painting and Food Area open. 5 p.m., live music starts with Jim Kilroy’s Jambalaya Jazz Band, a seven-piece Dixieland band. 7:15 p.m., United States Air Force military flyover; the Hillyer Festival Orchestra begins a two-hour Pops concert. 9:15 p.m., fireworks display over the water.
EVENTS IN SHERBORN: The Sherborn Fire & Rescue Association’s annual 4th of July Celebration will kick off with field events for all ages at Laurel Field. Registration is at 8:30 a.m., and the events begin at 9 a.m. Come and participate in a 3-legged race, wheelbarrow race, softball throw, soccer ball kick, running races and lots more. At 2 p.m., there will be a parade. Decorate your wagon, trailer, go-cart, bicycle, baby carriages, etc. The theme of this year’s parade is “Old Fashioned Memories.” Lineup is at 1:30 p.m. Floats will line up on Lamplighter Lane, and bicycles and baby carriages will line up at the Sherborn Community Center on Sanger Street. Prizes will be awarded in various categories. There will be fire engine rides at 5 p.m. at Station 1, North Main Street. Contact Jeff Hancock at 508 653-3270 with questions.
PARADE IN SUDBURY: “Celebrate the Olde Town Spirit” with Sudbury’s annual parade. The event will begin at 1 p.m.; all roads close at 12:30 p.m. Floats, bands, decorated bicycles, color guards, Sudbury Fyfe and Drum and more will be featured. Parade units will march down Union Avenue to Station Road, to Concord Road and across Route 27 to Town Hall.
RACES IN SWAMPSCOTT: Town races, sponsored by the Recreation Department for all ages, will be held at 10 a.m. at Upper Jackson Park.
EVENTS IN WALTHAM: The city’s annual Fourth of July celebration will begin with family fun from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Prospect Hill Park. There will be music, food, free children’s rides and more (children’s rides will be at Prospect Hill only). From 7-9 p.m., head to Leary Field for music, and at 9 p.m., fireworks.
PARADE IN WELLFLEET: Antique cars at 9 a.m. town parade at 10 a.m. from the harbor to the town center. For information, call 508-349-2510.
Somerville: Thursday, June 28, dusk, Trum Field (rain date July 7)
Brockton: June 29, July 3, 4 and 7, 10:30 p.m. (Brockton Fair, off Route 123)
Devens: Friday, June 29, dusk, Rogers Field (rain date June 30)
Braintree: Saturday, June 30, dusk, high school field
Weymouth: Saturday, June 30, dusk, George Lane Beach
Wilmington: Saturday, June 30, 9 p.m., common (part of Family Day)
Hingham: Sunday, July 1, approximately 9 p.m., bathing beach (rain date July 2)
Orleans: Sunday, July 1, dusk, Rock Harbor (rain date July 2)
Wilmington: Monday, July 2, 9:30 p.m., common (rain date July 3)
Danvers: Tuesday, July 3, 9 p.m., Plains Park (rain date July 5)
Franklin: Tuesday, July 3, 10 p.m., high school field
Gloucester: Tuesday, July 3, 10 p.m., over Gloucester Harbor
Lynn: Tuesday, July 3, 9 p.m., Red Rock
Needham: Tuesday, July 3, dusk, Memorial Park
Sharon: Tuesday, July 3, 9:30 p.m., Memorial Park Beach
Swampscott: Tuesday, July 3, dusk, King’s Beach
Walpole: Tuesday, July 3, 9 p.m., field behind Town Hall
Wareham: Tuesday, July 3, 9 p.m., Onset Harbor
Worcester: Tuesday, July 3, 9:30 p.m., East Park (rain date July 5)
Acton: Wednesday, July 4, approx. 9:30 p.m. (rain date July 7)
Amesbury: Wednesday, July 4, 9:15 p.m., Woodsom Farm
Bellingham: Wednesday, July 4, 9:30 p.m., high school football field
Beverly Farms: Wednesday, July 4, 8:45 p.m., West Beach
Boston: Wednesday, July 4, after Pops concert, over Esplanade
Canton: Wednesday, July 4, 10 p.m., Canton High School
Falmouth: Wednesday, July 4, dusk, Falmouth Heights Beach
Ipswich: Wednesday, July 4, 10 p.m., Castle Hill (Crane Estate) (rain date July 7)
Lincoln: Wednesday, July 4, 9 p.m. Lincoln Public Schools
Marblehead: Wednesday, July 4, 9 p.m., harbor
Milford: Wednesday, July 4, 10 p.m., Plains Park
Nantucket: Wednesday, July 4, 9 p.m., Jetties Beach
Newton: Wednesday, July 4, 9 p.m., Albemarle Park
Plymouth: Wednesday, July 4, 9 p.m., over harbor
Provincetown: Wednesday, July 4, dusk, harbor area
Salem: Wednesday, July 4, 9:15 p.m., over harbor
Waltham: Wednesday, July 4, 9 p.m., Leary Field
Mashpee: Thursday, July 5, dusk, high school
Hyannis: Friday, July 6, dusk, harbor area (rain date July 7)
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