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SaveProuty
Zooming Out, Next Steps
Yesterday, the core members of the Friends of the Prouty Garden had a long conference call, the main questions of which were: where do we stand now, and where do we go from here?
We have been quiet for some time now. December was a hard month for us. As most of you probably know, the Hospital administration decided to cut down the Dawn Redwood tree in early December. This was a symbolic and unnecessary move, as the Hospital doesn't plan to break ground until the Spring. They were sending a message. More on that in a moment.
Also in December, we lost Caitlin. In fact, she went on life support on the day the tree came down. Caitlin O'Hara was a lifelong BCH patient and one of the founding members of the group. It is impossible to emphasize enough just how integral she was to our formation and our ongoing efforts. More than anything, she brought perseverance and a sense of clarity to our work.
Caitlin always zoomed out, saw the big picture. It was how she lived with such vibrancy, caring and beauty in her 33 years, despite the cruelty of cystic fibrosis, and it was part of why she believed so passionately that the Hospital administration could (and still can) save the Prouty Garden, as decades of administrations have managed to do in the face of expansion needs in the past.
A favorite Samuel Beckett quote of Caitlin's, as written by her in March 2016.
SO, WHERE DO WE STAND NOW?
The Prouty Garden itself is barren. A patch of bald earth. This is heartbreaking, yes. This is a patch of ground that has remained open space since the time of the glaciers. It was once a beautiful garden that was painstakingly designed - every aspect carefully chosen - by Olive Higgins Prouty, a woman who wanted to honor two daughters who had died. Mrs. Prouty was specifically concerned that her memorial garden would be one day destroyed and was specifically promised by Children's Hospital that it would not be.
However, our court case goes forward. This case is examining the process by which the hospital received its building approval. All of the legal wins and losses to date have been appetizers, if you will. When we get to the full court case - the main course - the court will look at all the evidence to determine whether the DoN process was carried out properly. The result of this case could be that the Hospital cannot build their building there, in which case, they would have to decide what to do with the land, whether to bring back the Prouty Garden to the resounding cheers of thousands of former and current patients, doctors, nurses, staff, local residents, historians, environmentalists, landscape architects, not to mention all the future souls who so desperately need that space.
We want to make clear that this is a long process. Our lawyers are right now combing through hundreds of documents and are working to obtain thousands more through the discovery process and public records request. In the meantime, we cannot give up. We cannot relent the pressure. We must press on as boldy as before.
Cutting the Dawn Redwood was a risk, as the Hospital cannot predict how the court will rule on this ongoing case, nor can they predict how the new President's healthcare and immigration policies will affect their ability to attract the patient volumes needed to justify a new building. Depending on all of these factors, all of their destruction so far could end up a sunk cost.
So, we ask ourselves, why the tree? Why now? The answer is simple. To quiet us. To make us back down.
The hospital wanted to make us feel like there was nothing left fighting for.
We know some of you do feel that way, and we do understand it. The original Prouty Garden is gone. But in our view, the land is worth protecting, the ground is still hallowed ground, and the potential for a new Prouty Garden that remains large and immersive and on the ground, a true healing garden, this possibility is still worth fighting for. Not to mention the moral reasons. Not to mention principle.
In the long months ahead we will continue to share original Prouty Garden stories and current patient stories. We will look at how the new administration, any potential changes or overturning of the ACA, and international relations policies, will impact the hospital. We will keep you updated on the case, both here and through REACH Boston. We will continue to talk about what makes a healing garden and why healing gardens - true healing gardens (not pathetic strips of "green space") - matter so much to patient healing. We will continue to talk to the media.
We hope you will hang in there with us.
— Nelson Mandela
Forever in our hearts.
Newer PostRisky Business
Older PostThe Many Health Benefits of Trees
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We often hear about the beautiful children we have who need sponsorship, but we wanted to share a few stories on the people who sponsor them. Hugo Corin is a pretty special 10-year-old boy from Tauranga, New Zealand who is sponsoring Jhon Loue, a 9-year-old boy from Romblon. Hugo supports Jhon Loue himself by doing extra chores around the house, washing people's cars and holding fundraising evenings to help aid operations as well. We had a chat with Hugo about what inspired him to come onboard and sponsor a child.
"At the end of last year, I was performing in a fundraising concert for Ruel Foundation Give a Smile, and I watched a video about what Ruel Give a Smile does. I saw a table with information about children to sponsor, and one of them was a boy my age, who liked playing outside just like me. I kept coming back to the table because something in my brain said that I had to do something. So I took his information home with me and talked to mum and Dad to see if I could sponsor him.
"I thought to myself 'I have so much in my life' and it doesn't take much to help someone else. Only forty dollars a month. I also found out about Ruel Foundation Give a Smile surgeries and found out how important it is for the kids to have the cleft palate surgery. Last month my school (Bethlehem College) held a mufti day to raise money for Ruel. I got to speak at the secondary school assembly about sponsorship. I hope some people want to sponsor some children now. I think I realise how much I have got in my life, and I sometimes forget that. Having a sponsor child makes me remember that I can help someone else. It also makes me feel sad sometimes that some children have very hard lives."
Inspired to raise money not just for his sponsor child but also so more children could have cleft lip and palate surgeries in the Philippines, Hugo held a fundraiser where he dressed up as a waiter and held a swishing party.
"I wanted to raise enough money for a cleft palate surgery, so Mum and I thought that we could have a fundraiser. I wanted people to know about Ruel Foundation Give a Smile, so we came up with the idea of inviting people to our house, telling them about Ruel and I would be the waiter! We had a 'Swishing Party' that means everyone who came brought some clothes that they don't wear anymore, but still look nice and people could try on the clothes and swap them if they wanted to. Everyone paid for a ticket for the night and we watched a video about Ruel. I handed around the food and drinks and told everyone about why I sponsor a child. I think people were inspired by the video because we raised enough for two palate surgeries! I want to do another one soon.
"I think most kids could sponsor a child. It is fourty dollars a month and you can do some extra jobs to get the money. It makes me remember that I have so many things and some people don't even have a mum or dad or are very sick. It doesn't take much to make a very big difference in someone's life. It is also good to learn about the different places the children come from. A cleft palate surgery can save a baby's life!"
If you are thinking of sponsoring a child, we would love you to get in touch. Email Eunice on eunice@ruelfoundation.com or visit: https://www.ruelfoundation.com/children-need-your-help
Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban
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RT @studiokoto: 10k. 3 studios. 1 cause. All three Koto studios around the world are running 10k in their respective cities to raise £10k f…
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Top spiel on East End Film Festival from Head of Programming, Andrew Simpson
Sami El-Hadi on 29/06/15 with comments
This week sees the start of the 14th annual East End Film Festival, screening a host of exciting and groundbreaking shorts and features from the UK and across the world, as well as various parties and events, over the course of twelve days, all in the heart of - you guessed it - London’s East end. It’s one of the country’s largest and most significant film festivals having gained a reputation for showcasing exciting independent cinema, both homegrown and international, since it was established in 2000. With a philosophy geared toward launching young and emerging filmmakers, with one programme specifically designed to help directors bridge the gap between first and second features, it is at once a vital and indispensable platform for young UK filmmakers, particularly those based in East London, and a great place to get a first look at fresh and exciting filmmaking talent. In anticipation of the event, we’ve caught up with EEFF’s Head of Programming Andrew Simpson to ask him what we can expect from this year’s festival.
RR: Your ethos as a festival centres on championing the work of first and second time directors - what do you think the main challenges are for young filmmakers trying to break into the industry now and how has the landscape changed over the 15 years that you’ve been established?
Andrew Simpson: I think the main challenge comes from the route to directing films being less obvious than it once was. As well as having unique artistic vision, filmmakers need to be business savvy, embrace international opportunities, work well with different platforms, and be prepared (often) to work in different mediums. There's an 85% drop-off in terms of the number of filmmakers who ever go on to make a second feature. That's partly a reflection of how tough it is to become one in the first place; but also how much more there is to think about than simply the film you want to make. Mind the Gap, our industry lab, is designed to help filmmakers escape that trap, and we're a festival that exists to champion new voices, and celebrate all the brilliant, crazy films that people are managing to make, even in a commercial world. That's what the East End Film Festival is here for.
RR: Which films on this year’s programme are you most excited about?
Andrew: An absolutely crackers Ethiopian sci-fi film called Crumbs, in which twentieth century ephemera (Michael Jackson records, Mattel toys) have become tradeable currency. The Better Angels is produced by Terrence Malick, and is an absolute must for anyone who loved The Tree of Life. Stand By For Tape Back-Up takes a successful stage show to the big screen, with Ross Sutherland mixing poetry, personal memories and beat rapping over old VHS recordings. Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgard star in 1970s-set Diary of Teenage Girl, and Spike Lee produces Manos Sucias, a nail biting thriller about life on the bottom rung of the Columbian drugs trade. It's a brilliant year, and there's so much more! [See the trailers below]
RR: EEFF started off as a platform for East London based filmmakers and over the years you’ve broadened your scope to national and international cinema. How integral is the area you describe as ‘London’s most dynamic quarter’ to the festival’s identity today?
Andrew: Absolutely central. The East End Film Festival started life as a platform for local filmmakers, and even though we've expanded to become a large international festival, that's still a vital part of what we do. Reflecting the communities, life and spirit of East London is key for us, and also informs the types of films we show, from all over the globe. The spirit of the area is reflected in the festival, which couldn't happen anywhere else.
RR: This year you’re screening various films with local resonance - films set in or somehow connected to the East End. Is this something you prioritise when viewing submissions?
Andrew: We're a festival that's utterly rooted in the area where we're based. Even though we have an international programme, the make up and spirit of the East End (its diversity, history, creativity and political edge) feeds into and informs the whole festival. A big part of that is celebrating filmmakers and stories with an East London connection, and we'll always show films that reflect that commitment. On that score, Dressed as a Girl is an absolutely rip-roaring tour through the legendary cabaret drag scene in East London, which we'll be screening on a Dalston rooftop with a live performance from Jonny Woo; Estate: A Reverie is a poignant, life-affirming portrait of the decline of the Haggerston estate in Hackney, filled with unforgettable characters; and The Anarchist Rabbi delves into the Whitechapel's radical immigrant history, and how that's being explored by modern development. Lots of our dramatic features are shot in and around East London as well. So yes, we're always looking for interesting portraits of the East End that we can bring to the world.
RR: Both your opening and closing night films involve EEFF alumni - how important do you think it is to establish and nurture ongoing relationships with filmmakers?
Andrew: I think this relates to the first question, and it's absolutely vital, both to festivals and filmmakers. Festivals are an important way for films that might get a much smaller platform otherwise, and we exist to support and nurture important filmmakers in any way we can. That's why we are opening this year's festival with One Crazy Thing, a really lovely, funny London-set romantic drama starring Ray Panthaki. Ray won our best Short Film Award in 2013 for his riveting, pertinent film Life Sentence, which was about knife crime. He produces and stars in One Crazy Thing, and it's one of the best, funniest films in recent years about life and love in London, as well as sex tape scandals and internet fame! On the flipside of that, closing with 3 1/2 Minutes is us showing a film by Marc Silver, another filmmaker with a long-standing relationship with the festival.
RR: On the topic of your closing night film - ‘31⁄2 Minutes, Ten Bullets’ is about the killing of an African American teen by police in California and is one of various documentaries focusing on racial tension in America, a theme which couldn’t be more politically pertinent. Was this a knowing decision on your part, to focus on this issue, or was it party coincidence that recent events should chime so emphatically with your programme?
Andrew: Well we're always led by what's out there to an extent, but yes, it's an issue that we've been looking to focus on. Obviously recent events in Charleston have brought the issue of race in America to public attention once again, but with that coming after relatively recent events in New York, Ferguson and Baltimore, it's been a huge hot button issue for some time. We're always looking to show films that relate to the really important issues, and I think it's that context that has led to films like Welcome to Leith, a documentary that works more like a thriller, as small town residents realise that white supremacists are invading their town. It's like some kind of horror movie.
3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets is just brilliant; a truly shocking exploration of the murder of an African American teenager at a gas station for playing loud music. As soon as we saw it, we knew we wanted to close the festival with it. It's a film for our times, and explores the issue of racial tension in America like few others ever have. Both of those films are unmissable.
RR: Another recurring motif is music with a slew of music related documentaries as well as your Sonic Cinema event which involves the release of a limited edition vinyl - could you tell us about the EEFF’s association with music and how you think the two mediums are connected?
Andrew: As a festival we're all about pushing the boundaries and embracing cross-platform work with film. They work incredibly well together, and we have a long history of commissioning new scores for films. This year we worked with Blanck Mass (also known as Ben Power from Fuck Buttons, whose music was used in the Olympic Opening Ceremony) to bring in 7 electronic artists to create a brand new score to the beautiful European thriller The Stange Colour of Your Body's Tears, with each artist composing their segment of the film blind from one another. The result is absolutely spectacular, and we unveil the film with the brand new score on 10 July with Blacnk Mass and friends DJ'ing afterwards. This also acts as the launch event for the record release of the soundtrack with Death Waltz records. It's an unbelievably exciting project, and hopefully we'll be releasing a record every year from now on. For a chance to pick up one of a limited edition, blood-spattered vinyl with custom artwork you'll need to come along for the screening!
Music films have always been a big part of the programme, and again fit the spirit of the festival. Salad Days explores the Washington DC hardcore scene that spawned Minor Threat, Derailed Sense - it's about one of the great British post-punk bands, Subway Sect, and Industrial Soundtrack chronicles the industrial scene, with the screening followed by a DJ set from Stephen Mallinder, from the legendary Cabaret Voltaire.
Salad Days Official Trailer from Scott Crawford on Vimeo.
RR: Probably the most notable music related film is Asif Kapadia’s Amy. Can you tell us what it means to you to be screening such a highly anticipated and culturally significant film?
Andrew: We opened the festival with another film about Amy Winehouse in 2012, so it's appropriate that we're screening this. We celebrate maverick figures here at the festival, and Asif Kapadia is a patron of the EEFF. So it's fantastic to be screening this film about a really significant, tragically departed artist. This screening is already sold out I'm delighted to say!
RR: The gender ratio on your short films programme is heavily weighted towards female directors which is, of course, unusual. As a prominent UK festival, what can you do to redress the gender inequality in the industry?
Andrew: We're committed to providing a platform for important filmmakers who might not get exposure elsewhere. That includes redressing imbalances in representation, and we're really committed to diversity and access here. That's why we host free community screenings, show films from developing countries, and try to address the gender gap. It's all part of the festival's mission to be totally inclusive.
RR: Finally, you’ve long been established as a platform for breakthrough British filmmaking and this year you have your largest ever line up of UK films. What can we expect to see in terms of emerging homegrown talent?
Andrew: Politics, snapshots of real life and tearing down the boundaries between film, video, theatre, music and activism. It's an incredibly exciting time for British film, which is more diverse and brave than it's been for a long time. The exciting line up of films from these shores showing at the EEFF shows that the future of British film, and the festival, is very bright.
More from Andrew Simpson: @Andrew_Simpson_
at various locations
eastendfilmfestival.com
@EastEndFilmFest
facebook.com/eastendfilmfestival
CRUMBS TRAILER from Lanzadera Films on Vimeo.
Workshop with Anton Mirto: 'I know, but when you ask me I don’t'
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Ukraine demanded non-recognition for Russian election in the illegally annexed Crimea
As Russia is gearing up for the presidential elections on March 18, Ukraine questions the legitimacy of the voting process and its outcome. Declaring the future elections procedure in the Crimean peninsula illegal and refusing to acknowledge its legitimacy, the Ukrainian leadership has called on its Western partners to do the same, in multiple statements and addresses. Thus, meeting with the ambassadors of G7 countries in Kyiv on Wednesday, president Poroshenko has prevented partner countries from sending observers on their behalf to monitor the election in Crimea, underlined the importance of one-voice policy on Crimea election.
High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in Kyiv Federica Mogherini had come to Ukraine for a working visit a few days before the fourth anniversary of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation. Mogherini said that the European Union’s position on Russia remained unchanged – noting the importance of fully implementing the Minsk agreements, and ending the illegal annexation of Crimea.
“We do not recognize annexation of Crimea, we will continue our work on non-recognition policy of the annexation and we will continue to condemn this violation of international law. We do not recognise the so-called elections there and we remain committed to full implementation of our non-recognition policy through sactions,” – said EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, communicating the firm stance of the EU on supporting Ukraine.
On Friday, on the anniversary of the imposed referendum, which led to the illegal annexation of the peninsula, First Deputy Minister of Information Policy Emmine Jeparova commented: “Russia’s occupation of Crimea meant its violation of 407 international and bilateral agreements with Ukraine, including the Budapest memorandum. The transition did not happen overnight, as even during 2014 through 2016 Russia adopted about 600 legislative and regulative acts in order to integrate Crimea into the Russian Federation’s legal field. Fortunately, the world is unanimous in the nonrecognition of the annexation, while the so-called referendum of March 16 did not change the status of the peninsula as Ukrainian territory for the international community. This has continuously and officially been voted for and reinstated by the majority of representatives of other countries.”
Meanwhile, representatives of the Crimean Tatar self-governing body Mejlis and Crimean Tatar activists have met with EU ambassadors in Kyiv on Tuesday, discussing the protection of human rights in the occupied Crimea, and the creation a full-fledged Crimean-Tatar autonomy. Commenting on the matter, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, MP Refat Chubarov said: “We’ve presented the principles that, being shaped into law, will determine the life in the occupied Crimea. Of course, these principles focus on the Crimean Tatars’ right to self-determination.” The creation of the Crimean Tartar autonomy would be impossible without amending the Ukrainian constitution, he added.
Earlier, the Mejlis leaders had informed that ahead of the presidential election in Russia, agitators for the regime were trying to provide higher presidential turnout in Crimea, while putting the local population under tremendous pressure.
According to Chubarov, even students and pupils were involved in this, being demanded to provide the turnout of their parents’ election. The Crimean Tatar community, for their part, have also been one of the target groups, as agitators, according to him, wanted to demonstrate that Crimean Tatars, having neglected the co-called “referendum” back in 2014, had changed their minds concerning Russia.
The situation in the Donbas conflict zone, weekly roundup
The situation in the war zone in Eastern Ukraine has relatively improved over the past week. Generally, recommitment to ceasing fire within the so-called "spring truce" established by the Trilateral Contact Group on conflict settlement at midnight on March 5 has been sporadically observed. The dynamics of enemy strikes in the affected areas, and the respective number of casualties among Ukrainian servicemen have been quite tangible in the beginning, and decreased by the end of the week. The enemy’s use of weapons that are proscribed by Minsk has also been recorded by the Ukrainian side. Remarkably, in the 1st part of the day on Thursday, the Defense Ministry’s press service recorded complete truce observance, yet in the afternoon it had been breached with a mortar shelling by Russia-backed militants in vicinity of Donetsk.
Alexander Hug, the OSCE SMM’s Principal Deputy Chief Monitor, explained the sharp edges of the current situation regardless of large-scale truce observance, namely the recent attacks upon the workers of Donetsk water filtration station from the separatists’ side which jeopardize people’s essential living conditions. “These attacks not only threaten the lives of brave men and women working at the Donetsk filtration station, they threaten the station itself upon which an estimated 400 000 people on both sides of the contact line depend for clean drinking water,” said Alexander Hug at his briefing in Kyiv on Friday, noting nevertheless a significant decrease of hostilities that the Donbas zone counteraction has lastly displayed. He also yet again remarked the negative effect of the proximity of the sides in the conflict in relation to human factors: “In Stanytsia Luhanska for example there is less than 300 m separating the sides, so they can literally see one other. They are within small arms weapons reach, the least provocation can escalate out of control; a gesture, a flag, or a shouted remark can lead to a round of fire in anger followed by retaliatory fire, leading possibly to the use of available heavy weapons.”
Following the TCG meeting in Minsk on Wednesday, OSCE Chairperson-in-office Martin Sajdik had also confirmed the reassuring dynamics in Ukraine’s East: «Recently it has become possible to significantly reduce the average number of ceasefire violations to one of the lowest levels over the past two years,» reads his press statement. The number of victims among civilians has also decreased substantially compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, according to him. «This clearly demonstrates that with the political will numerous achievements can be accomplished,» he said.
Ukraine’s envoy in the humanitarian subgroup of the TCG, First Deputy Speaker of the Parliament Iryna Herashchenko, for her part, stated after the meeting that the Ukrainian side was ready to exchange over 20 people, who’d been detained in Donbas for participating in the illegal armed groups, in order to release the Kremlin prisoners held in Russian prisons. Herashchenko told journalists about regrets concerning the poor progress in the efforts to speed up the issue of prisoner exchange.
Ukraine hopes Russia’s alleged use of banned chemical weapons in the UK would provoke reaction by the West
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has expressed hope that the shocking use of banned chemical weapons for the assassination in Salisbury serves as a “wake-up call” for the Western states. “This should lead to a response that would pile more pressure upon Russia over its disregard for international law and norms”, - reads the official response from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. Expressing full solidarity with the UK, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin wrote: “This is beginning to feel like a real wake-up call for the West — I really hope it is. But the West must now respond in a way that will make Russia feel the consequences of their actions.” Noting that Ukraine joins the UK and allies in “pressing for the strongest response from the ‘rules based’ community,” Mr Klimkin stressed that “The Kremlin does not respect international borders or rules and there are no ends to which they will not go to further their own interests if they think they can get away with it.” He added: “In Ukraine we understand this better than most. We have had the Crimean Peninsula illegally occupied by Russia for over four years now. And shortly after attempting to annex Crimea Russia also invaded Donbas in the East of Ukraine where Russia’s support for its proxies has cost the lives of over 10,000 Ukrainians, injured 25,000 and driven 1.8 million from their homes.” Boycotting this summer’s Fifa World Cup championship hosted by Russia is among the measures the international community could take, according to Mr Klimkin. "The free world must stand very strong and act in a very decisive way to make it clear to Russia that the type of terrorist criminality they practice will no longer be tolerated. This must be done before it is too late," Ukraine's top diplomat concluded. As we reported earlier, the United Nations Security Council had held an emergency meeting on Wednesday on the suspected poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Britain. Former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia remain in critical condition after being allegedly exposed to a nerve agent in Britain on March 4th. Britain holds Russia responsible, saying that the nerve agent ‘Novichok’ was developed by the Russian military. The British Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Julian Braithwaite, said Wednesday that Russia was involved with the poisoning of ex-colonel of GRU Sergei Skripal, thereby violating Article 2 of the UN Charter. He said this at the meeting of the UN Security Council on March 14: “The council and the United Nations General Assembly have decried Russia's violations of international law with alarming regularity. Its reckless behaviour is an affront to all this body stands for. In Syria the Council has repeatedly addressed violations carried out or facts by Russia, resulting in thousands of deaths and human suffering. (00:42) In Crimea Russia’s illegal annexation has given rise to capital violations including enforced disappearances. And Russian support for illegal armed groups in eastern Ukraine has been responsible for thousands of deaths. On March 4th, a military grave nerve agent tied to Russia was used on the streets of the UK seemingly in attempt to kill Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. My government has concluded that it is highly likely that Russia is responsible.”
Presenting the UK case to the UN security council on Wednesday, Britain’s deputy permanent representative, Jonathan Allen, said Russia was “in serious breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention through its failure to declare the Novichok programme”. Britain was braced for a showdown with Russia on Wednesday after a midnight deadline set by Prime Minister Theresa May expired without an explanation from Moscow about how a Soviet-era nerve toxin was used to strike down a former Russian double agent. Britain's deputy UN ambassador, Jonathan Allen, told the Security Council that there were "2 plausible explanations: either it was a direct attack on his country by Russia, or Russia had lost control of a military-grade nerve agent which they had developed." He also said Russia "either did not care that the weapon used would be traced back to them, or mistakenly believed they could cover their traces." The US and European nations are calling for help from the organization to investigate the incident.
Review of athletic victories at the PyeongChang Winter Paralympics
The team of Ukraine has been among the first rates in the medal standings at the XII Winter Paralympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. Let’s review some of the national team’s victories claimed in the past week.
On Tuesday, Taras Rad, resident of Western Ukrainian city of Ternopil and the youngest member of the national team, has claimed the fourth gold medal for Ukraine at the Paralympics, winning the men's 12.5 km biathlon race. After finishing ahead of two U.S. athletes, who subsequently took silver and bronze, here’s Taras sharing his impressions with the media: “While still on the race, I spotted the preliminary results on a video screen showing I was one minute ahead of my rivals. I went ahead overwhelmed with joy that turned to real euphoria at the finish line. I am very grateful to everyone who’ve supported me.”
On the same day, biathlete Oksana Shyshkova took victory in the 10 km race for visually impaired runners. Igor Reptukh, who’d won a bronze medal on the first day of the games, also took gold for cross-country skiing in the 20-kilometer free technique sprint among standing men. Lyudmila Lyashenko added a bronze medal to the team’s score for cross-country skiing in free technique 15-kilometer sprint among standing women.
As of Friday, the Ukrainian Paralympic team gained, all in all, 19 medals, including six in gold, six silver and seven bronze medals. The Winter Paralympics are being held until March 18. This year, 46 countries are competing for 80 medals in six key categories: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, ice sledge hockey, snowboarding and wheelchair curling. The Ukrainian national team consists of 20 athletes this year, who are competing in biathlon, cross-country skiing and snowboarding.
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Selfie Automaton
Romanian Pavilion
15th International Architecture Exhibition
Concept & Works
Texts & Publications
Attila Kim – Commissioner of the Romanian Pavilion
The title and hence the theme of this year’s Biennale – Reporting From the Front – defines an ongoing action and places the architect in focus, by entrusting one’s role as a messenger, therefore assuming, in addition to the objectivity and professionalism in addressing and solving local challenges, also the subjectivity of reporting in a global framework. Therefore, every story, every action and every chosen viewpoint implies the presence of the announcer-architect and inevitably turns our sight towards ourselves as active actors of these local scenes. The way of relating to ourselves defines our positioning and relationship with the global professional context and determines building bridges which can turn specific experiences into a universal know-how.
This year, the Romanian Pavilion, taking advantage of its specific position in the Giardini, located at the end of the visiting trajectory, proposes and provokes such an insight, preceded by the study and assimilation of all the knowledge one has already covered by this point. Selfie Automaton questions the position of the individual in his structured relation to and among others, in the context of his own desires, in order to return, indirectly, to problems specific to the profession. The “battle” in and for the built environment, reduced to a personal level, has a universal echo, exceeding the limits of local problematics and national specificities.
The Menagerie of Wishes, part of the same project, exhibited in the New Gallery of the Romanian Cultural Institute, is inspired by its location on one of the busiest streets visited by the general audience, mostly curious tourists in search of typical Venetian attractions. The exhibition comprises a series of installations with a consistent dose of humour, which set in motion known global symbols of characters with magical powers, offering potential solutions to problems and fulfill wishes. But these cliché creatures – the goldfish and the magic hen, in full-size shapes and dimensions and extracted from fairyland, placed in a space surrounded by mirrors, take us back to the palpable reality we belong to, where only our individual and collective actions can set something in motion in order to solve a problem or offer some support. The double role of the visitor, both as an observing participant and the subject of the proposed analysis, binds the elements of the exhibition together, and brings us back to the theme of the Biennale, inviting us to self-reflection and to focus on the importance of our individual contribution.
Thus, Romania’s participation at the Venice Architecture Biennale builds the frame of a possible (self)portrait of the architectural environment, visible beyond the physical front of the Biennale, reflecting all the way to the level of local architecture.
Copyright © 2016 Selfie Automaton
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Bill Converse
Fluidly hypnotic Bill Converse, a DJ and producer, was heavily influenced by the sounds of Detroit while growing up in Lansing, Mich. At 15 years old in 1998 he and his family moved to Austin, Texas where he currently resides and continues to develop an abrasive and immersive experience of industrial techno and acid.
QUASIMIDI RAVE-O-LUTION 309
Initial exposure to techno happened for Converse while in Michigan and he started mixing as a youthful teenager. Mechanical Pulse, a college radio station out of Michigan State University, is where he was familiarized with Detroit techno, industrial music, and Chicago selectors
He developed solid roots living in Texas and the friendships he made have kept him there. “Pretty much everyone I grew up with here has been involved with music in some capacity the entire time I’ve known them. I’ve always enjoyed that about this place – even though for a long time I didn’t know any other techno nerds, just other types of music nerds,” he says. “But rent was cheap, friends hooked up free food, coffee, groceries and drinks…now the day-to-day isn’t quite what it used to be but you can still have fun.”
The Rave-O-Lution 309 is the first piece of gear that sparked his entryway into the realm. “I’ve always liked making music,” he says. When Propellerhead’s ReBirth was released he spent his time programing drum tracks and “wanky 303 patterns.” From that point on his journey into production began.
“Finally, I began saving up and buying the machines I lusted after for so many years, got lucky and started buying them before they started wearing the price tags they do now.”
Under the moniker WWC, he originally released 100 copies of Meditations/Industry, a 90-minute cassette of atmospheric acid, in 2013 through Austin’s cassette label Obsolete Future. Three years later the album was edited down and an LP was reissued under the name Bill Converse through Dark Entries, a San Francisco-based label. Establishing a solid foundation for Converse, that record brings a framework to sound that is evocative and dreamy.
“There was nothing pre-meditated about those tracks, they were all sourced from the urge and satisfaction of turning knobs and pushing sliders. Very precious to me. Now the tracks are living on their own, they’ve all grown up and have left the nest – they do what they want to, they have lives and lovers of their own. I’ve had to learn how to let them go. And I still love them very much. They are unfolding into this world quite nicely and I am overjoyed for them.” – BILL CONVERSE
MEDITATIONS/INDUSTRY VIA OBSOLETE FUTURE
Continuing deeper, the label explored more of Converse’s catalog and released Warehouse Invocation in July 2016. The EP included three remastered tracks from his previous record and one unreleased track that truly encompasses his raw and enveloping production approach.
He draws a crowd in and weaves his signature sound on dance floors throughout the U.S. and on an international level. Through Intergalactic FM, Converse and his crew Timelife Methrave began “Tunnel Dive” – an online radio show with a mission to promote and support underground DJs and producers. Currently spearheaded by Sylvia Shale, the broadcast specializes in the darker side of electronic music.
Whether eyes closed with headphones on or upon a dark floor in front of a system, Converse knows how to take the listener on an introspective trip. His productions and his sets have a very beautiful and ethereal as well as a brash and haunting spectrum. Explore more and hear for yourself. Care to catch the live experience? Rochester, N.Y. party Signal > Noise will host Converse for the next installation on Oct. 8.
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for Sunday, September 16, 2007
From the time of early salvation history the human condition has experienced its sinfulness and its need to turn to the Lord for mercy and forgiveness. It might be said that people were stiff-necked and rebellious, as we see in our first reading from Exodus. The wrath of the Lord would have blazed up and consumed them, but at the plea of Moses for mercy the Lord relented in his intent to punish his people.
The Gospel reading that dominates the scene is the powerful story of the Prodigal Son. Some would say it ought to be called the story of the Prodigal Father, because of the Father�s overwhelming love and forgiveness. As the scene developed, the father ran out to meet his son as the boy returned to his father�s house, and his homecoming was celebrated with great festivity.
The father�s love for his son is the image of God�s love for his people, and it reminds us again that Christ came into the world to save sinners. The point of Jesus� parable was to show the difference between God�s loving forgiveness and the selfish complacency that denies love and, in fact, cannot even understand it. The elder son is a case in point. In his anger he remonstrated with his father about the love he showed to the younger son. Even to the elder son the father extended his love, bypassed the son�s anger, and drew him into the family circle. �Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.� Nevertheless, the father did not relent in his love for the younger son. �It is fitting to make merry and be glad for your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.�
Some see in this story an element of maturation in the younger son�s growth and development. He attempted to break out of the patriarchal pattern of the prevailing culture by making an adult decision to assume responsibility for himself. The fact that he failed showed his humanness. His decision to return to his father shows growth in the right direction. His inheritance was gone, but he faced the reality of working to rebuild his situation. "Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect," that is, love all unconditionally just as God loves me and be ready to forgive and be reconciled with everyone just as he does. It is not easy, but it is also by no means impossible or the one hating? Nearly always it is the hater. If we have any sense, we will follow Jesus, not just because he tells us in the name of God but also because it is the better way. The Prodigal Son learnt that lesson the hard way. We are meant to learn from him.
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Hire Stuart Hurry as Your Buyers Agent in Tampa Bay.
TOP TAMPA REAL ESTATE AGENT
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STUART HURRY
Stuart Hurry is the Most Recognized Name in Real Estate for Tampa Bay.
STUART J. HURRY
Stuart J. Hurry has become a household name in Florida and Canada since he first got started in the real estate business. Through hard work and the resolve to continuously evolve with the times he has proven himself to be a top producer in the industry. Over his 46 year career in Real Estate, Stuart has sold in excess of $1 Billion in properties, both residential and commercial.
Stuart strongly believes that a satisfied client’s testimony is the most powerful form of advertising there is, so Stuart is very proud of the fact that a great number of his clients are former buyers or their friends and family.
Stuart has contributed his boundless energy towards making a number of home builders successful, including Adams Homes, Southern Homes, Highland Homes, Tyler Homes, Hubbard Homes, Al Brock Construction, Signature Homes, Lennar, KB Homes, Regal Homes, North American Construction, DR Horton and others.
Stu has repeatedly had the honor of receiving the National Association of Builders’ Platinum Producer Award and has been inducted as a lifetime member into the National Association of Builders’ Round Table for Platinum Producers. In 2004 he was named the National Outside Sales Associate for Adams Homes, an honor only given to only one agent in the entire country.
Nu Home Finders, Inc. started in Lakeland, Florida and in 2003 he expanded his territory to include the Tampa Bay area as well as all of South Florida. In 2005 and 2006, He was tops in sales for Towers of Channelside, Westshore Yacht Club, Grand Key Condominiums, Casa Bella and the Brownstones of Soho which are all located in South Tampa.
Throughout his lifetime Stuart has shown a strong determination not only to succeed, but also to excel in every aspect of his life. As a young man, and strong athlete, Stuart was given a full ride soccer scholarship to the University of Ohio where he graduated in 1969. In 1967 he was voted the Outstanding College Athlete of America and is listed in the “Who’s Who in Sports” for that year along with O.J. Simpson.
Grateful for the doors that college sports opened for him, Stuart has been an active supporter of sports at the University of South Florida in Tampa. For his generous donations Stuart has had the honor of being one of only 30 elite Iron Bulls, a distinguished athletic booster club under the direction of the athletic department at USF.
Stuart’s lives with his wife, Connie, in Odessa, Florida, near their four children and 5 grandchildren, who are an important part of their everyday life.
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Experience Does Count When Purchasing a New Home in Tampa Bay. Call for Information.
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Construction Injury
Call for Free Consultation
(866)727-8177(866)727-8177
Replace the Veterans Health Administration with Veterans Insurance
News Joanne Suder, Legal News, Suder Law, VA, Veterans
By Joanne Suder
About a year ago, the scandal surrounding the deaths of veterans waiting for care from the Veterans Health Administration finally publicly exposed the VA‘s ineptitude. Since then, Congress conducted inquiries, the FBI commenced investigations, the secretary for Veterans Affairs resigned, and some regional directors were fired. Nearly anyone with any modicum of power in Washington, D.C., vowed to fix the VA, yet, as The Baltimore Sun reported Friday, thousands of former service members still face treatment delays.
The problem is this: The VA is simply too large and too bureaucratic for reforms to have any real effect. It’s time to abolish the VA.
When Congress established veterans hospitals in 1917, the scheme made sense. After World War I, a massive influx of soldiers returned to the United States, and many had suffered injuries necessitating continuing medical care. Furthermore, as health insurance was in its infancy, most people paid for care out of pocket. To compound matters, many people had difficulty accessing medical care, especially in rural areas, and specialized care for individuals with disabilities was virtually nonexistent. Thus, government-operated medical facilities and disability programs made perfect sense — in 1917.
This system kept expanding. World War II brought in another massive influx of new patients into the VA. Congress also gave the VA new responsibilities, including research and military cemetery administration. Each subsequent conflict added yet more veterans eligible for services. Moreover, although the VA was originally intended to treat veterans with service-related disabilities, the system began providing primary care to veterans with no service disability and family members. In short order, the VA became the country’s largest medical services provider.
Some government publications claim that the VA provides some of the most cost-effective, efficient care of any U.S. provider. Some of that cost effectiveness derives from statutory price controls on prescription drugs, damages caps on lawsuits against the federal government and Congress-dictated funding.
But that cost effectiveness has its own cost. Support staff for the VA earn from $20,000 to $165,000 a year less than their private-sector counterparts. A cardiac surgeon who earns $99,000 to $385,000 a year at the VA could earn $421,000 to $556,000 in the private sector. With such wage disparity, it’s not surprising the VA acknowledges its staffing deficits — it needs 10,000 more support staff and 1,500 more physicians. Moreover, the VA suffers from a shortage of facilities. In recognition of this, a 2014 overhaul of the VA called for opening 27 new clinics.
The most recent VA debacle underscores the system’s complicated, unmanageable structure — one that hinders efficient operation, as well as supervision and accountability. Thus, it’s not surprising that veterans have died due to the VA’s poor care quality.
Numerous attempts have been made to resolve the VA’s quality problems. The VA’s budget is probably not an issue, given that it’s grown threefold, from $49 billion in 2001 to $154 billion in 2014. In the late 1980s, the VA was restructured and elevated to a cabinet-level department to ensure visibility. Indeed, some reform is proposed every few years, but systemic problems persist.
Given decades of failure, it is time to abolish the VA and create a better solution. Fortunately, other solutions have existed and worked reasonably well. Medicare and Medicaid function as insurers, as opposed to direct providers, thus giving beneficiaries access to the same providers who serve many Americans.
The government should give eligible veterans insurance-like benefits, enabling veterans to choose their providers and have the government pay. Veterans would not face long appointment wait times or be relegated to substandard care. Further, veterans could seek convenient services rather than driving long distances. In many respects, this system would be familiar to many veterans — the GI Bill’s education benefits allow veterans to choose the school, and the government pays tuition.
Moreover, an insurance scheme recently was created to address the VA’s lack of facilities and distances veterans must travel. In 2014, the Choice Card program was launched, permitting veterans who live more than 40 miles from a VA clinic to use private medical care. It’s time for such a program to be the standard, not an exception.
Implementing such a model would be radical and enormously challenging. However, history has shown that VA reforms are ineffective. Replacing the VA with a single-payer model, proven effective with Medicare and Medicaid, is in our veterans’ best interest.
Joanne Suder is chief attorney at the Suder Law Firm, PA, which concentrates in medical malpractice, personal injury and plaintiff’s sexual abuse cases; her email is joanne@suderlaw.com.
Joanne Suder $800 Million Dollar Suit Grand Jury action needed in unsolved murders, sexual abuse of Keough students and its cover-up
Netflix is Now Helping Cops Solve Cold Cases
Grand Jury Action Needed in Unsolved Murders, Sexual Abuse of Keough Students and its Cover-up
Decades after a nun was slain, police exhume a priest’s body. This cold case is Netflix’s latest mystery.
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James Hadfield’s Pistol
Julian Woodford outlines the tale of James Hadfield, mysterious would-be assassin of George III, revealing how his pistol found its way into the hands of Joseph Merceron, East End gangster & corrupt magistrate, known as The Boss of Bethnal Green – and where it is today.
Next Wednesday 30th November at 7pm at The Society Club in Cheshire St, Julian will be telling the story of Joseph Merceron’s reign of crime, controlling Bethnal Green & Spitalfields for half a century from his base in Brick Lane. CLICK HERE TO BOOK A TICKET
Click to enlarge this print, reproduced courtesy of V&A Museum
When I talk about how Joseph Merceron ruled the East End for half a century, I am often asked ‘How did he get away with it?’ It is a question I could not answer until I discovered that he owned a gun which almost changed English history.
In 1795, Merceron used his position of influence in Bethnal Green to become a magistrate. Just weeks afterwards, King George III’s carriage windows were shattered by an angry mob as he travelled to open Parliament and Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger launched a ‘reign of terror’ with laws forbidding public assembly or publication of ‘seditious writings.’ Secretly, the Home Office also set up an extensive spy network in the East End administered by the local magistrates and their clerks.
During the early seventeen-nineties, in the wake of the French Revolution, radical societies sprang up across London – especially in the East End. Their members agitated for universal suffrage or, in more extreme, cases a revolution of their own. Over the next few years, Pitt’s ‘Gagging Acts’ were applied with increasing severity and the Home Office spies busied themselves in infiltrating radical societies. Democratic activists and mutineering sailors were rounded up and incarcerated without trial at Coldbath Fields Prison in Clerkenwell.
The ritual abuse they suffered at the hands of the Prison Governor, Thomas Aris, was ignored or even encouraged by Merceron and his fellow magistrates. But when the prisoners’ plight was raised in Parliament by the radical MP Sir Francis Burdett, it became the subject of a national scandal that rocked the Pitt government and damaged the credibility of the Middlesex magistrates.
Then, in the spring of 1800, came an act of terror that appeared to justify Pitt’s harsh conservatism. James Hadfield was a British soldier who had suffered horrendous head wounds in the Napoleonic Wars, and been captured and tortured by the French. Released in a prisoner exchange but traumatised to the point of insanity and unfit for further service, Hadfield was simply turned onto the London streets. Here he encountered an itinerant preacher named Bannister Truelock, who persuaded Hadfield he could trigger the Second Coming of Christ – he just needed to shoot the King and die in the attempt.
On 15th May 1800, Hadfield bought an old flintlock pistol from a pawnbroker and made his way to Drury Lane Theatre, where George III was due to attend a Royal Command Performance. As the King took a bow from the Royal Box, Hadfield pulled out his pistol and fired, narrowly missing his Majesty. Despite a lengthy investigation and an apparemt attempt by the government to rig the jury, Hadfield was acquitted of murder on the grounds of insanity, setting an important legal precedent. Instead of being executed, he was committed to the Bethlehem hospital in Moorfields where he spent the next forty-one years writing poems to his pet squirrels.
You might wonder what the connection is to The Boss of Bethnal Green? In 2006, when I started researching my book, I traced Joseph Merceron’s descendants and met his great-great-great grandson Daniel, who showed me an ancient tin box full of Merceron’s papers. This was enough to make my journey worthwhile, but I was dumbstruck when Daniel walked back into the room brandishing an old flintlock pistol and casually announced that – according to family lore – it had once belonged to The Boss and was used in an assassination attempt on George III at Drury Lane in 1800.
That was all Daniel knew and, although I remembered James Hadfield’s story, I could not think how Joseph Merceron could possibly have been involved. Just an hour’s research on the internet uncovered the answer. The transcript of Hadfield’s trial revealed the key prosecution witness was Major Wright, a solicitor of Wellclose Sq and clerk to the Tower Hamlets magistrates. He was a significant figure in Merceron’s circle and closely linked to the Home Office spy network. At Drury Lane, the Major had been sitting within arm’s reach of Hadfield and collared him with his weapon after the event. Among the trial papers are letters from Home Office spies claiming that Hadfield and Truelock were members of the London Corresponding Society which had infiltrated army regiments, including Hadfield’s 15th Light Dragoons.
Remarkably, Major Wright was allowed to keep the pistol as a souvenir. Yet his will lists a print of the assassination attempt among his effects not the gun, which had given to his master – Joseph Merceron. Based on the evidence, I believe Major Wright was secretly tailing James Hadfield on behalf of the Home Office, but it did not suit the government to blow his cover at Hadfield’s trial.
This anecdote offers the explanation for the astonishing longevity of Joseph Merceron’s career as the Godfather of Regency London. Despite being responsible for appalling corruption on a vast scale, he was the devil-the-government-knew, manning the front line in the East End for William Pitt’s ‘war on sedition.’ Merceron owned and licensed many of the pubs where the radical societies met. Merceron’s clerks were actively involved in running spies and, despite repeated attempts to prosecute him during his first three decades in power, the government repeatedly refused to do so and it was only in 1818 – well after the end of the Napoleonic Wars – that he was finally brought to trial and jailed briefly.
James Hadfield’s pistol – the gun that nearly changed history
Follow @JosephMerceron on twitter
You may also like to read about
The Boss of Bethnal Green
In Search of The Boss of Bethnal Green
from → Criminal Life, Past Life
5 Responses leave one →
John Barrett permalink
So much going on today nice, absolutely fascinating and the pistol has survived too, rating gold -plus. John
Herry Lawford permalink
Astonishing! But we fear for our free society today…
Shawdian permalink
Just finished watching the old TV series, Callan and wondering how much of this went on.
Thank you. Fascinating account and one that is all too real.
Ros permalink
Wow! Spectacular story, told with flair.
David permalink
“Instead of being executed, he was committed to the Bethlehem hospital in Moorfields where he spent the next forty-one years writing poems to his pet squirrels.”
Are those poems extant? I’m sure they would be interesting reading.
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Select type of content to display
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IGAC: Ready for the 2013 International Geomatic Week
On 30 September 2013, UN-SPIDER's Regional Support Office in Colombia, IGAC, will kick off the “Geomatic Week 2013” in Bogota, Colombia. The event aims at promoting academic and technological advances leading to the development of technologies, methodologies and applications in the field of Geomatics.
International Geomatic Week 2013 will particularly look at geospatial technologies and management of the territory, developed through Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and Digital Mapping - decisive frameworks for using satellite data for development planning... read more
Publishing Date: 20/06/2013
Regional Support Offices mentioned:
Colombia Regional Support Office
IGAC: Opening of GIS Specialization Programme
On 22 April 2013, the Agustin Codazzi Geographic Institute (IGAC), in agreement with the Distrital University (Francisco Jose de Caldas), welcomed new students specializing in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at the auditorium of the Research and Investigation Centre (CIAF).
The event was attended by the Director general of IGAC, Dr. Juan Antonio Nieto Escalante, the rector of the University District, Dr. Innocent Bahamon Calderon, the GIS Programme Coordinator, Germán Cifuentes, the Chief of the CIAF Office, Mr. William Martinez, and the CIAF teachers, Jaime Silva and Alberto Boada, among others.
IGAC's Director General stressed the importance of the agreement between the two entities under which about 448 national and foreign professionals have graduated between 1994 and 2012.
For the current year, another 30 students are expected to graduate from the GIS Specialization Programme,... read more
IGAC: Using Remote Sensing to map land degradation
UN-SPIDER's Regional Support Office in Colombia IGAC (Agustin Codazzi Geographic Institute) is currently working on elaborating approaches of using remote sensing and GIS for monitoring soil erosion. Reducing land degradation is a major issue for the environment and sustainable development in the XXI century. Erosion is the main cause for the degradation of soils and rock in Colombia. Experts estimate that approximately 60% of the country are affected by a meaningful degree of erosion. In consequence, the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia (MAVDT) created the “following and monitoring for the land degradation program”.
One of the main goals of the programme consists... read more
IGAC - Launch of new website of the National Bank of Images
In February 2013, the Agustín Codazzi Geographic Institute in Colombia, host of a UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office, launched a new web site allowing access to the National Bank of Images of Colombia (BNI): http://www.bni.gov.co/portal/public/classic/
The BNI is a union of organizations, policies, standards and technology which works together to produce, share and use geographic and satellite information to foster development in Colombia.Through the internet, the BNI aims to integrate and share data, metadata, web services, cartographic and satellite information around the country, also looking for the optimization of the... read more
IGAC: LiDAR processing and its use in modeling of flooding in urban zones
UN-SPIDER's Regional Support Office in Colombia, the Agustin Codazzi Geographic Institute (IGAC) is doing a research project about LiDAR (... read more
IGAC researches automatic Flood Area Extraction
UN-SPIDER's Regional Support Office in Colombia, the Agustin Codazzi Geographic Institute (IGAC), is currently researching automatic flooded area extraction. The experts are implementing the Adaboost algorithm, which is a change detection procedure. This algorithm consists in creating a strong classifier that is built from a small group of weak classifiers. IGAC's approach uses the medium, mean and variance filters, each of these calculated using three different windows sizes: 3x3, 5x5, and 7x7. Then the experts calculate the difference-image between the filtered after-flood image and the filtered before-flood image.
The algorithm consists of two parts: The training and the application. In the first part, the algorithm is trained to create a model using the two differences-images and a ground truth image. For the application part, the experts used the differences-images and the model... read more
IGAC researches application of satellite imagery for flooded areas
The Agustin Codazzi Geographic Institute (IGAC), host of UN-SPIDER's Regional Support Office in Colombia, conducted a case study to identify flooded areas in Colombia during the maximum rainfall period of the years 2010-2012. This activity was carried out in order to promote the importance of remote sensing techniques and the application of digital satellite imagery for the extraction of flooded areas. The researchers visualized and monitored the behavior of the phenomenon by visual interpretation of optical and radar sensor data... read more
Volcano Disaster Assistance Programme help diminishing the effects of Nevado del Ruiz eruption, Colombia
On June 30th, the volcano Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia erupted causing small volcano-related earthquakes and emitting a column of ash approximately eight kilometers high. But thanks to the Volcano Disaster Assistance Programme (VDAP), it was possible to prevent injuries and limit property damage. The VDAP was established following the disastrous eruption of Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia in 1985, since then it has been working to reduce fatalities and economic losses in countries experiencing a volcano emergency.... read more
Regional Support Offices: IGAC conducts desertification analyses
The Colombian Agustin Codazzi Geographic Institute - IGAC and their Center of Research and Development of Geographic Information – CIAF, recently did a series of projects based on risk management. One of those was focused on indentifying zones in the process of decertification using optical remote sensing in the Andean dry region of Villa de Leyva (Boyacá), Colombia. For this, the experts analyzed the values of the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) from 60 rasters per month (from January 2006 to December 2010) obtained from a MODIS sensor (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). Based on the... read more
Regional Support Offices: IGAC is new OGC member
On June 5th, 2012, the Geographic Institute “Agustin Codazzi” (IGAC) was officially registered as member of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). IGAC acts also as the Colombian Spatial Data Infrastructure (ICDE) coordinator, and is therefore well aware of the importance of participating in the construction of standards and technical guidelines to ensure geographic information interoperability. Becoming a member of the OGC is important both for the IGAC and the ICDE, because this supports participation in research processes, and the development of related geospatial technology topics, thus encouraging the advancement of new processes framed in the context of interoperability. This also backs the ICDE guidelines for using standards, the promotion of exchange, and access to geographic information,... read more
UN-SPIDER present in the II Hemispheric Encounter on National Mechanisms and Networks for Risk Reduction in Santa Marta, Colombia
UN-SPIDER present in the II Hemispheric Encounter on National Mechanisms and Networks for Risk Reduction. “Encounter of Santa Marta: From Theory to Practice”, 14 – 16 April 2010.
Special Session: Space-based Applications for Managing Risk Reduction and Emergency Response in Latin America and the Caribbean
Taking advantage of the 2nd Hemispheric Encounter of Santa Marta, the UN-SPIDER Programme organized and conducted... read more
University of the West Indies - Disaster Risk Reduction Centre
Colombia - Expert Mission
Colombia is exposed to a variety of hazards including earthquakes, landslides, debris flows, volcanic eruptions, floods and droughts. This Expert Mission was conducted with the aim of visiting several Government agencies, to hold discussions with the Colombian Space Commission on the establishment of a regional support office in Colombia and to establish better links with the Risk Management Secretariat.
Mission dates: 14/04/2010 to 17/04/2010
Colombia - Misión de Expertos
Colombia está expuesta a una variedad de amenazas que incluye terremotos, maremotos o tsunamis, erupciones volcánicas, deslizamientos, incendios forestales, inundaciones y sequías. La erupción del Nevado del Ruiz en 1985 derritió la nieve en la cima del cono,desencadenando un flujo de escombros que destruyó la ciudad de Armero,lo que causó la muerte de más de 20,000 de sus habitantes. En contraste,la inundación de Noviembre de 1970 afectó a más de cinco millones de sus habitantes,mientras que la de Abril del 2010 perjudicó a más de dos millones. Esta Misión de Expertos se realizó con el propósito de visitar varias instituciones del Estado,para charlar con la Comisión Colombiana del Espacio sobre el establecimiento de una Oficina Regional de Apoyo en Colombia y para reforzar las relaciones con la Secretaría de Gestión de Riesgos.
7th International Geomatic Week 2017 Geographic Institute Agustín Codazzi (IGAC) of Colombia
The Geographic Institute Agustín Codazzi (IGAC) of Colombia, is organizing the 7th International Geomatic Week from 14th to 18th of August, 2017 in the city of Bogotá, D.C., Colombia.
This year the International Geomatic Week is focused on "Information technologies for the environmental and productive consolidation of the territory", as the theme and purpose of the event. The event will consist of master lectures, oral presentations, panel discussions, poster exhibitions, theoretical-practical workshops, and an academic and technological exhibition. The general objective is to show the evolution of Geomatics and its applications in order to contribute to the transformation of society in the search of creating better conditions of well-being in the population, higher levels of governance, and social and productive land planning.
The main subjects for this version of the Geomatic Week are:
Innovative alternatives for detailed knowledge of the territory... read more
Remote sensing course on object-oriented image analysis
Since two years ago, the Research and Investigation Centre Remote Sensing Group and Geographic Applications (CIAF) of the Agustin Codazzi Geographic Institute (IGAC) has been conducting efforts in the area of remote sensing applications using unmanned platforms (UAV-DRONES) with the support of German Aerospace Agency "DLR". These efforts are conducted under the umbrella of a tripartite agreement among DLR, IGAC, and the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies of Colombia (IDEAM), which aims to support... read more
Adaptation in agriculture to climatic variability and change
The regional office UNSIPER support for Colombia RSO - IGAC in collaboration with the Colombian Corporation for Agricultural Research “CORPOICA” show the paper called: "Using satellite images to identify areas affected by drought" at the international seminar: ADAPTATION AGRICULTURAL SECTOR TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY, which includes the participation of international speakers from Germany, Austria, Chile and Panama; and the participation of national entities. The event is organized by the Research and the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Cundinamarca (Colombia) and will be held on 5 to 9 October.
The main goal is to expose the use of spectral indices such as EVI, NDVI, VCI and DNDVI obtained from satellite multispectral images in... read more
Colombia Regional Expert Meeting and Training 2015
In recent years, Central American countries have been facing more severe and frequent droughts. Every two years IGAC conducts an international conference entitled “Semana Geomatica Internacional.” This year, IGAC celebrated its 80th anniversary of its establishment and the SM was invited to attend the event and to give a presentation regarding the UN-SPIDER programme. The UN-SPIDER used this opportunity to co-organize with IGAC a Regional Expert Meeting bringing together experts from the Caribbean, Central America, Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia.
The expert meeting included presentations, discussion sessions and three training session on step-by-step procedures to process satellite imagery as a way to generate relevant maps applicable in case of droughts and floods. The UN-SPIDER has advanced in its efforts related to the provision of Technical Advisory Support (TAS) in... read more
Regional Support Office
The Agustin Codazzi Geographic Institute (IGAC) of Colombia and UNOOSA recently signed a cooperation agreement making IGAC the newest UN-SPIDER RSO. IGAC has been promoting the use of space-based information within Colombia for a variety of purposes and has also been supporting UN-SPIDER in activities conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean. As an RSO, IGAC will continue to provide support in terms of experts towards the provision of technical advisory support to countries within the region and will contribute to capacity building efforts in this region.
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Ratings Info
A G-rated motion picture contains nothing in theme, language, nudity, sex, violence or other matters that, in the view of the Rating Board, would offend parents whose younger children view the motion picture. The G rating is not a “certificate of approval,” nor does it signify a “children’s” motion picture. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated motion pictures. Depictions of violence are minimal. No nudity, sex scenes or drug use are present in the motion picture.
A PG-rated motion picture should be investigated by parents before they let their younger children attend. The PG rating indicates, in the view of the Rating Board, that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, and parents should make that decision.
The more mature themes in some PG-rated motion pictures may call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity and some depictions of violence or brief nudity. But these elements are not deemed so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated motion picture.
A PG-13 rating is a sterner warning by the Rating Board to parents to determine whether their children under age 13 should view the motion picture, as some material might not be suited for them. A PG-13 motion picture may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other elements, but does not reach the restricted R category. The theme of the motion picture by itself will not result in a rating greater than PG-13, although depictions of activities related to a mature theme may result in a restricted rating for the motion picture. Any drug use will initially require at least a PG-13 rating. More than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating, but such nudity in a PG-13 rated motion picture generally will not be sexually oriented. There may be depictions of violence in a PG-13 movie, but generally not both realistic and extreme or persistent violence. A motion picture’s single use of one of the harsher sexually-derived words, though only as an expletive, initially requires at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive requires an R rating, as must even one of those words used in a sexual context. The Rating Board nevertheless may rate such a motion picture PG-13 if, based on a special vote by a two-thirds majority, the Raters feel that most American parents would believe that a PG-13 rating is appropriate because of the context or manner in which the words are used or because the use of those words in the motion picture is inconspicuous.
An R-rated motion picture, in the view of the Rating Board, contains some adult material. An R-rated motion picture may include adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously. Children under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated motion pictures unaccompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about R-rated motion pictures in determining their suitability for their children. Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to R-rated motion pictures.
An NC-17 rated motion picture is one that, in the view of the Rating Board, most parents would consider patently too adult for their children 17 and under. No children will be admitted. NC-17 does not mean “obscene” or “pornographic” in the common or legal meaning of those words, and should not be construed as a negative judgment in any sense. The rating simply signals that the content is appropriate only for an adult audience. An NC-17 rating can be based on violence, sex, aberrational behavior, drug abuse or any other element that most parents would consider too strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children.
©2017 - UPs Cineplex BVI
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Life&Leisure
Debate: Building subways
(China Daily)
Large Medium Small
Environmentally friendly traffic solution or waste of public money?
Zhang Ming
Stop craze for underground lines
As a modern mode of transport, subways can solve many traffic problems in many Chinese cities. But that does not mean every Chinese city should start building one.
A city's administration has to undertake proper planning and weigh the pros and cons before deciding to build a subway or even introduce a new line to its existing metro network. Chinese cities, however, seem to be obsessed with the idea of constructing subways. They think subways are a panacea for all traffic ills. In fact, 33 cities have applied for the central government approval to build subways.
Many city administrations think a subway is a symbol of modernization. They are under the false belief that a metro adds to a city's image, a belief that reminds one of the 1990s when there was a crazy trend among cities to build plazas, which were more a waste of money than anything else.
The fact is that geographical conditions in many cities are not conducive to building and/or maintaining subways. The landscape and hydrological conditions of a city determine whether it can have a subway. It is difficult to build and operate a subway smoothly in mountainous areas like Chongqing municipality and some southern cities with high groundwater level. But surprisingly, several metro lines are already under construction in Chongqing.
If cities without suitable geographical conditions insist on building metros, they would be ignoring passenger safety. After all, subway lines are built several meters below the ground level, and even a minor glitch or accident could prove fatal for passengers.
Funds are another obstacle, especially if a medium-sized city is planning to build a metro. The average cost of building a subway is 300-700 million yuan ($45.6-106.3 million) per kilometer, which means a 10-km subway could cost up to 7 billion yuan ($1.06 billion). Even if the city manages to secure the funds to build one, it will be difficult for it to run and maintain it smoothly because of recurring costs. Take the Shenzhen subway for example. It has already suffered a loss of 1 billion yuan ($151.8 million), and will have a deficit of 22 billion yuan ($3.3 billion) from 2012 to 2016, according to reports.
Besides, medium-sized cities may not have enough commuters to sustain a metro. Even in many large cities, which have enough commuters, subways are running at a loss because of the very high cost of operation and maintenance, though a metro can bring some social benefits by easing traffic jams on roads. The deficit that metros in medium-sized cities run up can be reimbursed only by financial budgets, which means taxpayers will have to share the loss.
We have to remember that a subway is not necessarily a game of guaranteed benefits, either for passengers or city administrators, because metros in many cities have failed to solve traffic problems. Anyone who has visited Xizhimen interchange station of the Beijing subway network will tell you how long it takes to change trains because of the mad rush of commuters.
The main cause of the trend among cities to build subways seems to be the unreasonable decision-making process of local governments. In cities in China as well as abroad, municipal authorities play the leading role in subway construction, for only they have the funds to think about such projects. But in many countries, the public can have a say in such decisions, and a government can start such a project only after getting people's approval.
The situation in China is totally different; officials have the power to make unilateral decisions, without soliciting public opinion, which greatly increases the possibility of wrongdoing. Some local chiefs use a subway to enhance their performance, because such large-scale investment and construction means GDP growth.
Worse, some officials even abuse their power and get embroiled in corruption.
To end this crazy trend, city officials should be careful and transparent while planning subways. They should be made to seek public opinion before deciding to build a subway. They should also be made to solicit public opinion on how to spend their money and employ professionals for consultancy to at least avoid ridiculous decisions.
In cities that are not suitable for subways, local governments should concentrate on improving traffic management to better serve the people. After all, there is no universal solution, and that includes subways, to all traffic problems.
The author is a professor of political science at the Renmin University of China. This is an excerpt from his interview with China Daily's Zhang Zhouxiang.
Xue Yong
Chinese cities need more metros
"Traffic jam" is one of the key phrases to describing urban life in China. Browse any website and you will see numerous people complaining about being caught in traffic for hours. This makes me wonder why so many people are opposed to building subways, which are one of the most effective solutions to road traffic problems.
Reports say that in the Beijing subway network alone, passenger flow has exceeds 5 million a day, greatly easing the pressure on public transportation.
I agree with the view that many public construction projects are unnecessary. But I do not think subways should be counted among them.
As an underground mode of transport, the subway not only involves modern technology and precision in construction, but also involves the safety of thousands of passengers. So we should be extremely careful about building one. But that is only a reason for stricter supervision, not an excuse for abandoning this mode of transportation.
Most of the people who oppose subway construction do so because of its extremely high cost and the fear that it would run at a loss, which would increase the burden on taxpayers. Let's bear in mind, however, that a subway is not only a profit-making project; its most important function is public service.
Ever since the first metro line - Metropolitan Railway - was built in London in 1863, most of that city's lines have been running on deficit. But none of the great cities of the world can continue without a subway.
Of course, costs should be factored in, even in public services, but that does not make subways inferior. As is universally known, the most expensive resource in modern cities is land. Compared with land-consuming roads, subways can save a lot of costs by being underground.
Besides, costs should not be measured in terms of money alone. In many cities, vehicles running on roads guzzle gas and emit huge volumes of carbon dioxide and create noise pollution, causing great harm to residents. Shouldn't people's health be considered before rejecting the idea of building more subways?
Moreover, the high cost to build and maintain a subway yields enormous social benefits. Some senior experts have estimated that every 100 million yuan ($15.18 million) invested in subway construction generates GDP growth of 263 million yuan ($39.9 million) and creates up to 8,000 jobs.
Some other experts have classified cities into different categories, saying that only big cities with large populations need metros. The argument is apparently reasonable. But in reality, it is not. Take Boston where I live as an example. It is impossible to imagine life in the city without the subway even for a single day, and Boston has a population of only about 600,000, smaller than that of most medium-sized cities in China. Thus, if we consider a city's population as an important factor determining the need for a metro, it would be hard to find a single medium-sized city in China that does not deserve a subway.
Building a subway is also related to social justice. For the past several decades, urbanization in China has driven many low- and middle-income people to suburban areas and attracted nouveau riche to city centers because of high housing prices. That has caused great inconvenience to suburban residents. According to an official survey in 2010, people in 17 of the 50 main Chinese cities have to spend more than half an hour a day to reach their workplace. And they are not reimbursed even part of the money they spend to commute to and from work.
Local governments should provide inexpensive and convenient public transportation to people who have sacrificed so much for urbanization. The subway is that mode of transportation, and it will be the best and most eco-friendly for some decades to come.
An emerging concept in modern urban planning is "Copenhagenization", that is, encouraging more people to walk or use bicycles. Chinese cities should adopt this concept according to their ground conditions. Cities can also develop satellite townships, turning one city into small groups of cities. That will encourage more people to walk or take a bicycle to and from work, or use public transport. This can greatly ease traffic pressure on cities and at the same time maintain the advantages of large cities.
The only problem would be to link the townships to the center through railways, and that can be done through subways.
China lags behind developed countries when it comes to building subways. So the urgent mission is to invest more resources in subway projects and help the country catch up with the developed world in public transportation.
The author is a Chinese scholar based in the United States.
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(SAI Bureau) Washington DC - President Donald Trump pledged Monday night to begin deporting millions of undocumented immigrants who have entered the U.S. illegally and offered uncharacteristic praise for Mexico's efforts to stem the tide of Central American migrants surging across the southern border.
"Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States. They will be removed as fast as they come in," Trump wrote on Twitter.
"Mexico, using their strong immigration laws, is doing a very good job of stopping people … long before they get to our Southern Border. Guatemala is getting ready to sign a Safe-Third Agreement," the president continued. "The only ones who won't do anything are the Democrats in Congress. They must vote to get rid of the loopholes, and fix asylum! If so, Border Crisis will end quickly!" Trump's tweet, which came one day before a planned rally in Orlando, Fla., to kick off Trump's re-election
campaign, was a departure from ICE's normal practice of keeping enforcement operations closely held until they've been executed.
The president's ICE comment comes amid signs of rising concern within his administration about his ability to keep government secrets. One hour after the ICE tweet the president followed with another denying a June 15 New York Times report that Pentagon officials refrained from briefing him in detail on recent U.S. cyberattacks against Russia's power grid "for concern over his reaction - and the possibility that he might countermand it or discuss it with foreign officials, as he did in 2017 when he mentioned a sensitive operation in Syria to the Russian foreign minister."
Trump's ICE comments publicized a planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation targeting Central American families and unaccompanied minors who had turned 18, according to three people familiar with the plan. They appeared to elaborate on a comment earlier this month by newly-installed acting ICE Director Mark Morgan that ICE will intensify enforcement against migrants already living in the United States, including families.
"We don't exempt anybody," Morgan said. "I don't think you want the director of ICE exempting a demographic that is in violation of our immigration laws based on my own political, personal ideology or moral stance."
The idea of targeting Central American families first surfaced publicly a little more than a year ago when then-acting ICE Director Thomas Homan broached it during a May 2018 House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing.
"Of course, I expect a lot of letters saying, 'Why are we targeting families and not criminals?'" Homan said. "But if they're given their due process and a federal judge makes their decision, if we don't execute those decisions, there's no integrity in the system."
But Homan retired the following month, and the plan stalled under then-Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Homan's predecessor at ICE, Ronald Vitiello. White House senior adviser Stephen Miller agitated to move forward with the plan despite their reservations, according to a former DHS official familiar with the situation.
"Stephen wants to do things that are inconsistent with what's operationally feasible," the official said, and Nielsen was going to have to explain the policy to the public and to Congress. "She had reasonable questions about what it meant," the person said.
Both Nielsen and Vitiello were jettisoned in April as part of a broader shakeup at the Homeland Security Department. Trump vowed at the time to go in a "tougher direction" at ICE before appointing Morgan, a former Border Patrol chief and Fox News commentator who in January said on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" that "I've been to the detention facilities where I've walked up to these individuals that are so-called minors, 17 or under. And I've looked at them and I've looked at their eyes, Tucker - and I've said that is a soon-to-be MS-13 gang member. It's unequivocal."Trump also said last week that Homan would return to his administration a "border czar," although the former ICE official was surprised by Trump's announcement and hasn't said he'll take the job, according to a person familiar with the situation.
An ICE spokeswoman did not address Trump's tweet, but said in a written statement that the agency would continue to pursue immigration violators of all types.
"This is about addressing the border crisis by upholding the rule of law," the spokeswoman said.The White House did not respond to a request for comment.The administration of former President Barack Obama similarly targeted Central American families for deportation in January 2016, but the operation that kicked off the effort led to 121 arrests, not the "millions" promised by Trump on Monday night.Whether ICE could feasibly target millions remains unclear. The Trump administration has petitioned Congress in recent weeks for more than $300 million to expand ICE detention bed capacity as part of a broader $4.5 billion supplemental funding request to deal with the influx of migrants at the border.One former DHS official said the universe of families and unaccompanied minors eyed for removal would be closer to thousands than the millions cited by Trump.
Regardless of the scale, the optics of family arrests could be reminiscent of Trump's "zero tolerance" policy, which split apart thousands of parents and children from April until June 2018."If they're not careful how they do this, some of these images could be truly awful," said a current DHS official. "I'm talking about having social services involved, I'm talking about detaining parents."
Still, an operation that goes after recent Central American entrants who have exhausted their options to remain could send a message to prospective crossers, according to John Sandweg, a former acting ICE director during the Obama administration. If done right, it's probably not a bad idea to ensure that there's some integrity in the process," he said.
But the arrests should focus on people who already "had a shot at their claims," Sandweg said, and not migrants who were ordered deported because they didn't appear for an immigration court hearing.
ICE doesn't typically announce enforcement operations before they occur, and Trump has rebuked sharply those who give advance warning. In early 2018, the president criticized Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, a Democrat, for releasing information about a planned immigration raid in her area. Trump later suggestedthat the Justice Department consider pressing federal charges against Schaaf.
Sandweg said ICE operations are kept secret for the safety of officers tasked with arresting migrants.
"If you're doing an operation like this, the last thing you do is announce it," he said. "We wouldn't even tell Congress for fear that it would leak."
Trump's praise for Mexico and mention of a broad asylum deal comes after U.S. and Mexican officials struck a June 7 agreement to increase border enforcement in both countries. The president had threatened to impose a slate of escalating tariffs on America's southern neighbor if Mexico did not take more drastic measures to curb the flow of migrants traveling through Mexico and into the U.S. from countries including Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.
The Trump administration announced in March that it would eliminate hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid to the three Northern Triangle nations. But the State Department said Monday it would reduce those cuts and provide roughly $432 million in aid previously allocated in fiscal year 2017.
The remaining sum of the aid will be withheld until the U.S. determines whether the Central American countries have acted sufficiently to address the mass migration, according to the Trump administration.
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You are here!- Home > Latest News > Women can do night shifts in Goa units: Deputy CM
Women can do night shifts in Goa units: Deputy CM
Panaji, June 26: The Goa cabinet here on Wednesday cleared amendments to the Factories Act, which would allow women to work in factories during night hours, Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai said.
Addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting, Sardesai said the cabinet also cleared amendment to the Act, which would allow industrial units to extend working hours from 75 to 125 per quarter to boost production. The permission would be granted on case to case basis by the Directorate of Factories, he added.
"We have taken this decision in the interest of gender equality. Why should women not be allowed to work during night? To facilitate this, the cabinet has cleared amendment to Section 66 of the Factories Act, which would allow factories to employ women between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.," Sardesai said.
Both the amendments would be discussed during the monsoon session of the Assembly in July. The Bharatiya Janata Party is leading a coalition government in the state.
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Reports and Constitution
Volunteer Search
Update to be given on progress of South of Scotland Enterprise
Alan Hall News
Dumfries and Galloway Council is to be given an update on how work is progressing towards the new South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE).
The new agency will cover Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders but has the flexibility to allow operation out with these geographical boundaries.
The Economy, Environment and Infrastructure Committee (EEI) will hear on Tuesday the work done through the South of Scotland Enterprise Bill, which is currently with the Scottish parliament.
The committee will also hear of the work of the Interim South of Scotland Economic Partnership (SoSEP) supporting projects across the South of Scotland.
The SOSE Bill was introduced in the Scottish parliament in October last year and, subject to necessary parliamentary process, it is anticipated the new Agency will be operational from April 1 next year.
Stage one of the process, where the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee took evidence on the need for the new body, has now been completed.
The remaining time will be used to bring forward and test new ideas, programmes and projects which will feed into the establishment of SOSE. To ensure progress, £10million is available in 2019/19 from the Scottish Government, with a further £13.3million allocated for 2019/20.
The Council discussed and approved the SoSEP workplan in May this year. The partnership is structured around eight themes:
• Governance and data
• Communities
• Food Production, Forestry and Land Management
• Education and Skills
• Key Sectors
• Business Support
• Infrastructure
• Arts and Culture
Chairman of EEI Archie Dryburgh said: “It is good to hear that some of our local projects are already benefitting from this interim Agency already. Annan Regeneration Project received £250,000 to support the cost of a team to drive forward Annan Action Plan, developing projects to mitigate the impact of job losses in the town following Young’s closure of Pinneys.
“A further £300,000 has also been approved towards the cost of refurbishing Johnstone School Kirkcudbright to create dedicated spaces for businesses, groups, and a Dark Skies Visitor Centre and Planetarium. In addition, £6.6million funding for the two College’s South of Scotland Skills and Learning Network will have a positive impact in the work to develop the network of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Hubs across the South of Scotland, addressing skills gaps.”
Vice-chairman Andrew Wood added: “We are pleased that the RECC agreed with the evidence our Council supplied: that the area faced a significant number of economic, social and geographic challenges which were not being sufficiently addressed through the current economic support mechanisms. The new Agency must now be accountable for its performance and will engage with local communities and stakeholders, which will inform its action plan for future work and development.”
Meal Makers have got cooks looking for diners in your area People in poverty benefit from seized counterfeit clothing
Welcome to your Third Sector Interface for Dumfries and Galloway.
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Third Sector, Dumfries and Galloway is the operating name of Dumfries and Galloway Third Sector Interface, a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation SC043832, funded with support from the Scottish Government, Dumfries and Galloway Council, NHS Dumfries and Galloway and Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership.
© 2019 Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway
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Category Archives: Library
Where will our library go?
November 12, 2018 Eric Rayner Bedford Hall, Crime, Elections, Football, Library, News
Thorney looks likely to lose its current library in January when the building is put up for auction.
Thorney Parish Council heard on Monday evening that Peterborough City Council is hoping to sell the building, along with the former community centre in Church Street, for £300,000.
Both the old community centre and the library were the village’s infants’ and girls’ schools until 1940, when the Duke of Bedford School opened.
Parish councillor Russ Bevington, responding to a question from Doris Pacey, a member of the public, said the village would not lose its library, but he couldn’t say whether there would be a break in service or what the new provision would be.
He said there had been talk of a mobile library or putting up a temporary building next to the Bedford Hall.
The future of the library seems tied up with the future of the Bedford Hall, the village community centre. There is a proposal to house the library in space at the back of the hall, but cost was estimated at £110,000.
A suggestion to accommodate it at the school was rejected by school governors.
Mr Bevington said the city council had promised the money from the sale of the Church Street premises would stay in the village and that some of it would be used to help fund a new pavilion in the park.
Anti-social behaviour problems
Residents of Park Close attended the meeting to complain about anti-social behaviour that was making their lives a misery.
It was claimed there had been fights, threats against other residents, drinking and drug taking. There had been three police raids, including one by armed police.
City councillors agreed to take up the issues with Cross Keys Housing Association to see if something could be done.
Parish Council chairman, John Bartlett, said the problems stemmed from when Peterborough City Council changed its letting policy, which resulted in families being housed in properties that were intended as old people’s bungalows.
Council vacancy
There have been two applications for the vacancy on Thorney Parish Council. Councillors will interview candidates at next month’s meeting.
Heritage street signs
The “heritage” streets signs for Church Street and Abbey Place are due to be delivered this week and should be installed soon.
Installation of LED street lights in the village is almost complete. A number of old lights with concrete lamp-posts remain to be converted and the heritage street lights for Church Street and Abbey Place have not been installed.
The parish council had been concerned about the cost of these rising from £10,000 to £20,000 and had still not received an explanation from Peterborough City Council.
£300 for Tommies
The Parish Council is to pay £300 towards the cost of the Tommy silhouettes that were used for the commemoration of the centenary of the end of the First World War.
Village signs are rotten
It might cost up to £15,000 to replace Thorney’s four village signs, which are now rotten.
The quote was for replica signs in aluminium, which would have a lifespan of up to 25 years. The Parish Council thought this was too much and are seeking quotes from other companies.
Nathan Potts said he’d had quotes from a local craftsman who could carve the signs in oak at a cost of £11,000.
It was suggested the current signs would need to be changed as the abbey was much too short and squat. New signs should get the scale right. Another suggestion was for a silhouette design, which might be substantially cheaper.
A decision was deferred until December to get more quotes.
New group set up to decide what happens to village assets
August 3, 2018 Eric Rayner Bedford Hall, Library, News
What’s happening with our village amenities? In our last edition, we reported on three major issues facing the village:
Peterborough City Council wants to sell buildings it owns in Church Street. These are the old infants and girls’ schools built by the Duke of Bedford. One part housed the old village community centre and the other is still used as the library, which will have to be relocated.
The city council wants to hand the Bedford Hall to a village management committee so it doesn’t have the burden of repairing and maintaining the building.
The sports pavilion in Thorney Park, owned by the city council, can’t be used because it’s falling to bits. There’s a growing campaign for the council to replace it.
So what has happened since April? A steering group called Thorney Futures has been formed comprising city councillors, council officials, members of Thorney Parish Council, representatives from the Bedford Hall management committee, the Thorney Society and Thorney Football Club.
The Thorney Post has also been invited to attend meetings.
Nothing is agreed so far, but the first two meetings of the group considered the following plans:
Bedford Hall to be owned by a new management company and grants sought to develop the building into a commercially viable operation, possibly with office space and a flat or accommodation.
Church Street buildings to be sold (estimate £220-£250K) and money to be used to build a new sports pavilion and meeting room in the park.
Library to be moved to the Duke of Bedford School and incorporated into new building work required to cope with increased numbers of pupils.
Since then, a group of people interested in serving on the new management committee for the Bedford Hall have met with a representative from the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) to get specialist advice and find out what support would be available. Some start-up funding is available to support community-led groups. A number of reports have been provided on the condition of the building and several, more in-depth reports are awaited.
Michael Bowen, chairman of Thorney Football Club, has met with council officials in the park. The council has promised to provide the club with support and funding to manage a new pavilion. The council is preparing drawings and plans showing design and location of a new pavilion. Thorney Parish Council may take on ownership of the building and sub-lease to the football club or the club may own it themselves.
Plans to move the library to the school were considered by school governors, who have said they have concerns over parking and security and do not want the library there.
Statement from Thorney Futures:
This statement has been issued to residents of the village by the Thorney Futures group:
Many of the organisations representing the village have recently started to meet formally with senior officers from the city council, to draw together plans to secure the future of some of the important assets the village benefits from.
Discussions are progressing positively in relation to:
Bedford Hall and the Museum – unique, architecturally significant buildings that provide invaluable community space and facilities
Public Library – an important service for residents of all ages
Sports pavilion – a vital changing facility to enable sports activity to take place locally
Alongside city council officers, the working group that has been created includes representation from your city councillors, the parish council, the Bedford Hall Management Committee, the Thorney Society, the school, and Thorney Football Club.
At this early stage, discussions are focusing on ensuring these vital facilities are protected for the village’s benefit for the future. There are no plans whatsoever to close either Bedford Hall or the Library, but it is nevertheless important we ensure they and other facilities are able to be self-sustaining and fit for purpose for generations more to enjoy.
A range of options will be agreed through the working group, the members of which are keen to make sure we hear from villagers as soon as we have more details to share.
We will provide regular updates through this and other media so that you are kept informed, and meanwhile if you have any ideas you’d like to feed in please do contact any of the organisations described above.
Bedford Hall repairs must be done before ownership is transferred
April 5, 2017 Eric Rayner Library, News
The future of a Thorney landmark and key village amenity became a little clearer on Monday evening as Peterborough City Council pledged to use most of the money from the sale of the library and old community centre in Church Street to fund the Bedford Hall.
The city council currently owns the Bedford Hall complex, including museum, the tower and unused former workshops at the back of the building, but is keen for the village to take ownership. It also wants to move the library from Church Street to the Bedford Hall.
But the Parish Council and the Bedford Hall Management Committee are insisting that expensive repairs and renovation take place before any transfer.
On Monday evening (April 3), a special meeting was held between Peterborough City Council, Thorney Parish Council and members of the Bedford Hall Management Committee.
Caroline Rowan, Communities Estates Manager at the city council said they expected to get up to £250,000 from the sale of the library and former community centre in Church Street.
These are listed buildings and used to be the village’s girls’ school.
The council has offered to give this money to the village to help with the upkeep of the Bedford Hall, but want to use some of it to make repairs to the building and to move the library. They have also promised to use some of the cash to help Thorney Football Club build a new pavilion in the park.
It is estimated it will cost between £60,000 and £150,000 to move the library, depending upon the specification of its new location; there’s an estimated £101,000 which needs to be spent on repairs to Bedford Hall; and the council has promised the football club £20,000.
The council presented a document detailing estimated costs of repairs to the Bedford Hall and Bill van Driessche of the hall’s management committee felt some of the charges quoted were way too high.
Russ Bevington of Thorney Parish Council thought the survey undertaken by the city council was missing key elements. “It states that some areas could not be accessed and that other issues needed further investigation.
“We know the museum is subsiding at the rear and suffers from damp in places, but there is no mention of this in the report. The whole building needs to be fixed in full before the parish takes it on.”
Mr Bevington asked the council to provide a fully costed schedule of work, including repairs that would need to be undertaken immediately, those within the next two years and those that would require repair longer term.
Caroline Rowan said the cost of a new pavilion for Thorney FC was estimated at £250,000. She said grants were available from various bodies, including the Football Association, but some seed funding would be required in order to be eligible to apply for these. She estimated that £20,000 would get them on the ladder.
She has asked the Parish Council and Bedford Hall Management Committee to form a working party to take discussions forward. In the meantime, the council has promised to fit CCTV to deter vandalism. Youths have broken windows and climbed onto the roof at the rear of the building, damaging tiles and gutters.
Bill van Driessche asked if the parish could form its own building company to commission work. “We have lots of craftsmen in the village who would be able to undertake repair and maintenance work and we could do it much more efficiently ourselves.”
Steve Allen, one of three city councillors representing Eye, Thorney and Newborough, said that ongoing costs would have to be met by revenue generated by the Bedford Hall. He wondered if the library and post office could be combined.
John Bartlett, chairman of Thorney Parish Council, said that at the end of the day, the final decision would have to be put to the village in a referendum.
Leave a comment Bedford Hall
Village library gets free wi-fi
March 31, 2016 Eric Rayner Library, News
Free wi-fi is now available at Thorney library during opening times.
Peterborough City Council has rolled our free internet across all 11 city libraries.
Visitors will be able to connect to the internet via their own tablets, laptops and mobiles, making the libraries an ideal place for quiet work or study.
The technology was funded via an Arts Council grant of £25,000. It builds on the success of Open+, the library access scheme which enables people to enter the buildings during unstaffed hours, saving public money and protecting an important service for local people.
With Open+, which launched in May 2015, library card holders can sign up to use their cards to enter the building during specified hours. The number of people now signed up is 8,500, which equates to around half of the libraries’ members.
Lisa Roberts, Strategic Client Manager, Culture & Leisure at Peterborough City Council said: “The new Open+ technology has been really well received by our library users, and we’re looking to build on that with the wi-fi provision.
“While funding cuts have caused many other councils in the UK to close their libraries, we are finding ways to keep them open for longer and to attract more people to use them. Most people these days prefer to use their own laptops and tablets for their work, study and leisure, so by providing wi-fi, people will be even more keen to spend time at the library. It gives them the option to combine online research and learning with the in-depth insights from our books and other resources.”
Thorney library is staffed on Wednesdays 9am to noon, Fridays 1.30-5pm and Saturdays 2pm to 5.30pm. Open+ operates on Wednesdays noon to 6pm, Friday 9am to 1.30pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm.
Library self-service access still not working
August 3, 2015 Eric Rayner Library, News
The future of Thorney Library is being put in jeopardy by the failure of an automatic-access system.
Earlier this year, a review of library opening hours across the city saw a plan to reduce the hours libraries would be staffed to cut costs, but to introduce a new self-service system so people could use libraries at other times.
Until May this year, Thorney Library in Church Street was open for 21 hours per week and the new system should have seen it available for 25 hours – only 10 of which would be staffed. At other times, people should have been able to use a key card to open the door.
However, the city council hasn’t been able to make the out-of-hours entry system work properly so the village’s library service has been restricted to manned opening hours only.
The problem with the access system seems to be a simple door-closer to shut the inner lobby door. Because the door has an unusual shape (it’s pointed at the top, like a Gothic arch) a regular door-closer can’t be fitted.
Now, the Parish Council has asked for a full explanation why the library is not open as promised and what’s being done to sort things out.
“The building may have a few particular problems as it is an older and Listed building but Thorney Parish Council is now very concerned that this long delay is jeopardising the welfare of the Library,” a Parish Council spokesman said.
“At present it is only accessible for a total of 10 hours a week, which is less than half the hours it was open before the changes were implemented.”
Parish Councillors say there was a complete lack of foresight by the City Council, altering staffing hours before the automatic system was properly tried and tested.
“Although we feel angry and frustrated by this, we feel even more frustrated and angered by the apparent lack of expertise in getting the automatic system into working order. We are led to believe that what is needed is a door-closer system that will properly close the inner lobby door. We are aware that the door has an unusual shape that prevents the use of a conventional closer but surely it cannot beyond the expertise of a City Council and its contractors to find a workable alternative.”
Leave a comment Library, Thorney
Library opening times cut from May 1
April 10, 2015 Eric Rayner Library, News
Opening hours at Thorney library are being cut dramatically from the beginning of May.
The cut in manned hours was expected as part of a drive by Peterborough City Council to reduce costs, but villagers were promised that the library would be available as a self-service facility at other times.
Now it seems that this has been delayed and the library will be open for just 10 hours on three days each week.
The new opening hours – from May 1 – are:
Wednesday: 9am to 12 noon
Friday: 1.30pm to 5pm
Saturday: 2pm to 5.30pm
Librarian Jane Ward said that they were still working out when the various groups, such as Homework Club, Reading Group or the Wednesday Drop-in, would fit in with the new hours or if some may have to be dropped.
She has produced a number of bookmarks with the reduced opening hours printed on and these also have the opening hours of the library at Eye. People can borrow or return books at any library run by Vivacity (the city council) and Eye is open Mondays (9am to 12 noon), Wednesdays (1.30pm to 5pm) and Saturdays (9am to 12.30pm).
When the city council opened consultations about reducing the library’s manned hours, they promised it would be open on a self-service basis for a further 15 hours. However, it seems this idea, which is being tested in other parts of the city, has hit problems and so isn’t now being rolled out.
At present there isn’t a date for when the additional self-service hours will kick in.
Library to go self-service?
February 21, 2015 Eric Rayner Library, News
Thorney Library will become part self-service under plans by Peterborough City Council to reduce costs.
The library, in Church Street, is currently open 21 hours per week and is open each day except Sundays and Tuesdays.
Plans put forward by the council will mean the library is open for longer – 25 hours – but it would be staffed for only 10 hours per week. For the rest of the time it would be self-service, with users swiping in using a key card.
It’s not clear whether the current librarian – Jane Ward – will remain in her post.
The plans for Thorney Library are part of a wider plan by the city council to shave more than £350,000 off the costs of running Peterborough libraries.
A council spokesman said the way people were using libraries was changing. More than 90 per cent of book loans are now made using self-service kiosks.
“Library staff now spend much more time helping people to use computers, or supporting groups meeting in libraries, than they do dealing with ‘traditional’ library enquiries. The challenge we face is how to provide an excellent, modern library service, with less money.”
There’s currently a consultation exercise in progress (closing March 20). You can go online to register your views, although the options are to agree to city council proposals or not. There is no other plan apart from the one put forward.
You can read full details of the city council’s plans by clicking here. The link will also provide access to the online survey or you can access it directly by clicking here: survey.
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Headlines for July 7 - July 13
A Stand For Justice
Iran prepares for nuclear work in bunker: sources
diplomatic sources say
Russia lays out "step-by-step" approach on Iran
Russia on Wednesday laid out a "step–by–step" approach under which Iran could address questions about its nuclear program and be rewarded with a gradual easing of sanctions.
The proposal, described by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after talks with President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, seeks to revive negotiations to put to rest Western suspicions that Iran may be seeking nuclear arms.
Taming deficit means pain for middle class, poor
the spending cuts and tax hikes that are on the table would have a major impact on most Americans–especially members of the middle class and the poor.
House Threatens To Cut Off Palestinian Aid Over Statehood Move
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee was urging its activists as late as Wednesday to press Congress, mired in budget debates, to pass the resolution.
In the end, only six lawmakers – three Republicans and three Democrats –voted against.
All’s ‘Fare’ in War by Philip Giraldi
The other side of Lawfare, as the name indicates, is using the law itself as a weapon of war. The Israelis and American supporters of Israel have caught on to the potential of the legal weapon and are using lawsuits to tie up opponents.
....The lawsuit was filed with the assistance of the Shurat HaDin or Israel Law Center, which has been established as a Non-Government Organization intended to use the law against groups that are critical of Israel. The objective is to harass such groups with litigation so they become ineffective or, even better, bankrupted by legal costs.
....Any group deemed to be hostile to Israel will be attacked and litigated against. Many of the charges will be frivolous but those who are sued will have to waste time and resources defending themselves, which is precisely what is intended.
....Canadian legislators are already considering making any criticism of Israel a hate crime, and once the idea takes hold here in the United States something similar is sure to follow, creating yet another basis for litigation Wow. Is this America or the USSR?
Panetta Spins by Philip Giraldi
The issue of Iranian support for Shi’a militias is more serious in that it can be considered to be a casus belli, i.e. “they are killing our troops.” It also ties into a recent comment by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mullen and a reported statement by senior State Department official in Iraq Thomas Nides. Nides admitted that there was no actual proof that Iran was involved, only “classified intelligence.” In other words, “I can’t tell you but I think it’s true.”
I have been following this issue ever since it was first surfaced in 2005, when it was claimed that Iranian supplied improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were being used in Iraq, and, later, in Afghanistan. The evidence for the Iranian involvement has always been on the thin side, particularly as it was subsequently discovered that many of the weapons were being manufactured in a former bicycle factory in Iraq. They are definitely low tech and the need for Iranian involvement was always somewhat suspect.
US isn't world's moral arbiter: Iranian FM
The United States cannot be the world's moral arbiter, a top Iranian official said here Monday, dismissing charges that Tehran is involved in smuggling weapons to insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The United States "has been making such statements for 30 years. We don't consider the US to be able to rule on what is right and what is wrong," Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told a news conference in the Slovenian capital.
US Caught Off-guard by Iran Sanctions
The decision by Iran's Parliament (Majlis) to impose sanctions on and indict 26 US officials who have perpetrated war crimes and violated human rights has come as a great surprise to the US government that has always accused independent nations such as Iran of violating human rights and supporting terrorism.
Ron Paul announces retirement from Congress
Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul made a surprise announcement Tuesday that he will not seek re–election to Congress, spelling an end to a nearly 24–year House career amid his third run for president.
Iran denies US claims it armed Iraq rebels
U.S. may act unilaterally vs Iran-armed Iraq militias
U.S. officials blame Shi'ite militias armed by Iraq's Shi'ite neighbor Iran for most of the recent attacks and U.S. military explosives experts showed reporters traveling with Panetta pieces of rockets used for attacks in Iraq that they linked to Iran.
Oil rises to above $97 after US crude supply drop
Oil prices rose to above $97 a barrel Thursday in Asia as a report showed U.S. crude supplies fell more than expected for a second week, suggesting demand is improving.
House Passes $649B Defense Spending Bill
The House on Friday overwhelmingly passed a $649 billion defense spending bill that boosts the Pentagon budget by $17 billion and covers the costs of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
US Cancels Millions in Aid to Pakistan Military
Despite billions of dollars in American aid since the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the relationship has long been tense because of Pakistan's reluctance to target Taliban militants on its territory who stage cross-border attacks against NATO troops in Afghanistan.
US Official: No Tangible Evidence at Hand to Prove Iran's Aid to Iraqi Militants
Speaking to FNA in Iraq's Northern Kurdish city of Erbil on Monday, US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Thomas Nides repeated his country's earlier claims against Iran, but admitted that the US has no "strong and tangible evidence" to prove the claim.
The Establishment in Panic by Patrick J. Buchanan
The Republican Party has not said it will refuse to raise the debt ceiling. It has an obligation to do so, and will.
The House has simply said it will not accept new taxes on a nation whose fiscal crisis comes from overspending.
Israel recognizes South Sudan, offers economic aid
Israel recognized South Sudan Sunday, offering the new state economic help after it seceded from the mainly Arab Muslim north, which has no relations with the Jewish state. Israel, a prosperous country, recipient of the largest share of US taxpayer foreign aid is offering economic assistance to SOME OTHER COUNTRY? How about they GIVE US OUR MONEY BACK? We give them BILLIONS in taxpayer dollars each year. These are NOT LOANS. These are grants given at the beginning of the year so that Israel can further gain by the interest on the money. As US schools close, teachers are laid off, states, towns and villages are having to make severe cuts in order to balance their budgets, Israel sits high on the hog and is eager to dole out OUR MONEY.
Israel approves work on controversial museum
Israel has approved the start of work on a controversial Museum of Tolerance that will be built on the site of an old Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday. This would be headlines in the US and Congress would pass at least one resolution condemning the act if it were MUSLIMS that were building ANYTHING on a JEWISH cemetery.
Lebanon warns Israel against sea border move
"President Michel Sleiman warns against any unilateral decisions Israel may take on maritime borders which would be a breach of international law, as is Israel's habit," Sleiman's office said in a statement.
Lebanon lawmakers approve Hezbollah-backed government
Iran threatens to attack rebels across Iraq border
"The terrorists will not be allowed to take sanctuary in Iraq's territory and attack Iran with the support of America and the Zionist regime," the official said. "Action will be taken against these terrorists." The Israelis trained the Kurds, according to UK news sources.
Interpol issues warrants for Hariri killing suspects
For Israel, a Balkan bloom despite Palestine chill
The Israeli leader, a free–market champion who is quick to celebrate his country's hi–tech advances and endurance through global economic doldrums, made no secret of wanting to exploit recent off–shore natural gas discoveries as strategic exports.
"Because we need very little of this, we intend basically to lay a pipeline or create a shipping lane. We can be a big supplier in the natural gas field," he said. Israel is FAT from the US taxypayer welfare checks that we HAND them every year. Billions, kids. And there are tons more peripheral perks that they receive such as the US Security Council veto at the UN, defense agreements, numerous pieces of legislation, and the action taken in the Middle East by the US military.
Leon Panetta, a Defense Secretary With a Long History of Cooperation with Israel
During his recently completed stint as CIA director, Panetta worked closely with Israeli intelligence, which reportedly has shared information about Iran and about terror threats.
“It is important to understand that despite differences on Middle East policy, the military and intelligence relations between the U.S. and Israel were extremely strong,” said Jim Colbert, policy director of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. “Director Panetta was closely involved on these issues.”
This really means that America is in BIG trouble. We will be attacking Iran before long, no doubt.
U.N. council split likely on Syria atomic issue: U.S.
Notice how the issue is about what Syria MIGHT have been doing and NOT the fact that Israel violated international law by bombing Syria without any provocation.
Lawyer Who Promotes Anti-Sharia Laws Publishes New Study on Islamic Extremism
Four years in the making, and part of a project costing hundreds of thousands of dollars, Yerushalmi’s study is titled “Shari’a and Violence in American Mosques” and was co-written by Mordechai Kedar, a professor of Middle East studies at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University. It is published in the current issue of the Middle East Quarterly, the flagship publication of the conservative think tank, the Middle East Forum.
The study has been strongly criticized by liberal organizations but seized upon by conservative publications, such as FrontPage Magazine and National Review Online, as proof that Islam constitutes a grave threat to national security. Writing in National Review Online, Andrew McCarthy said the results proved that, “what we wishfully call ‘radicalism’ is in fact the Islamic mainstream.”
...Yerushalmi did say that one of the study’s funders was the Center for Security Policy, a neoconservative think tank devoted to opposing what it perceives to be the growing threat of radical Islam in the United States.
Put forth by Israelis and pushed forward by neocons, are you surprised?
Syria says Clinton's remarks on Assad "provocative"
Tug-of-war over Iraqi Jewish trove in US hands
There are claims of Jewish pressure to prevent the return of the collection, and questions about why the U.S. didn't prevent the looting of Arab and Islamic treasures during the invasion but was able to bring the Jewish collection to safety in America. That's a good point. Americans need to learn what the term 'philosemitism' means, and its implications. This country via our government seems to be suffering from it, and suffering for it.
U.S. slams Syria for 'outrageous' embassy attack
The United States on Monday condemned Syria for refusing to protect the U.S. embassy in Damascus from an "outrageous" attack by government loyalists it said were seeking to divert attention from Syria's internal political crisis.
US says Assad failed to prove himself legitimate
West piles pressure for UN action on Syria
Bolstered by support, Syrians pour into streets
Hundreds of thousands of Syrians poured into the streets of the opposition stronghold Hama on Friday, bolstered by a gesture of support from the American and French ambassadors who visited the city where a massacre nearly 30 years ago came to symbolize the ruthlessness of the Assad dynasty.
The visit by U.S. Ambassador Robert Ford drew swift condemnation from the Syrian government, which said the unauthorized trip was proof that Washington was inciting violence in the Arab nation.
Debating Taboos by Ralph Nader
The first nationally televised debate (C-SPAN) on the subject of mandatory voting, or voting duty, occurred in Washington D.C. on June 27, 2011 (watch it at: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/DebateonMa). Why did it take so long? Because discussing this topic has been a taboo in electoral, legislative and main media arenas. Hmm. That's an interesting concept.
Corporate Tax Escapees and You
France slams Russia, China block on UN Syria vote
Paul Caps his Congressional Career
Bachmann Looks for Social Conservative Support
As Michael Dougherty wrote in the cover story of TAC‘s June issue, “the Tea Party, confusedly hailed by the media as a grassroots libertarian spasm, turns out on inspection to be the religious right wearing a tricorn hat and talking about Obamacare.”
Dougherty continues: “Neoconservatives who call for confrontation with Iran, a closer relationship with Israel, and pressing the War on Terror are not echoed by religious conservatives—they’re drowned out by them.”
Turkish FM to visit Iran
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will visit Iran on Sunday to discuss a wave of unrest shaking Middle East countries, a senior Turkish diplomat said.
Lebanon's Hariri slams Hezbollah over UN court
Lebanon's opposition leader Saad Hariri on Tuesday defended a UN–backed court that has indicted Hezbollah members in the 2005 murder of his father against "misleading accusations" by the Shiite group
Posted by Pale Rider at 12:36 PM
Headlines for June 30 - July 6
Headlines for June 23 - June 29
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Home » Africa News » Deputy Chief of Staff » Featured » Flagstaff House » Ghana News » Kwesi Nyantakyi » Local News » News » President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo » Samuel Abu Jinapor » Nyantakyi ‘defrauded’ investors in Nana Addo’s name – Abu Jinapor
Nyantakyi ‘defrauded’ investors in Nana Addo’s name – Abu Jinapor
Wednesday, May 23, 2018 ACCRA24.COM 0 Africa News, Deputy Chief of Staff, Featured, Flagstaff House, Ghana News, Kwesi Nyantakyi, Local News, News, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Samuel Abu Jinapor
Samuel Abu Jinapor - Deputy Chief of Staff, Ghana.
President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kwesi Nyantakyi was caught on camera engaging in influence peddling in the name of the President and other key government officials, Deputy Chief of Staff, Abu Jinapor has said.
He made this known in an interview with some reporters at the Flagstaff House.
Mr. Jinapor’s revelation comes on the back of Nana Addo's order for the immediate arrest of the head of Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi for defrauding by false pretence.
According to Citi FM’s sources at the presidency, President Akufo-Addo issued the order after a security briefing on Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ latest investigative exposé on Ghana’s football scene.
The film is yet to be publicly screened, but Mr Nyantakyi who has been the president of the Ghana Football Association for 13 years may have been caught on camera in a compromised position.
Mr Jinapor revealed that other officials found culpable will be prosecuted.
“The President of the Republic has had the benefit of viewing aspects of the investigative piece and in this documentary, the President of the Ghana Football Association, Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi is supposedly seen attempting to use the President’s name and that of the Vice President and other senior officials of government to induce supposed potential investors into our country to part with various sums of monies."
Jinapor added that the President decided after full consultations revealed that a prima facie case could be established for criminal investigations to be launched into the conduct of the President of the Ghana Football Association.
He noted that “other accomplices that may exist and therefore the President has reported this matter to the legally sanctioned and mandated agencies of the state to commence investigations into this matter. We will entreat Ghanaians to be calm and allow the legally mandated security agencies to complete investigations. Anyone found culpable in this investigation will be made to face the full rigours of the law”.
Repeat offender?
This is not the first time the GFA President has been accused of being involved in some nefarious activities.
British newspaper The Telegraph and Channel, in June 2014, accused the GFA and Kwesi Nyantakyi of being involved in some shady deals to fix international friendly matches for the senior national football team, the Black Stars.
The newspaper claimed that “the President of Ghana’s Football Association agreed for the team to play in international matches that others were prepared to rig.”
World football governing body, FIFA, referred the matter back to the GFA’s Ethics Committee after its preliminary investigation but announced it would “continue to monitor the investigations and any future proceedings.”
The Ethics Committee eventually cleared Kwesi Nyantakyi, of any wrongdoing.
However, the Committee revealed that it was necessary to conduct further investigations into two others implicated in the scandal, Obed Nana Kwame Nketiah and Mr Christopher Forsythe.
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Information Theory vs. Information Science
Difference Between Information Theory And Information Science
Information Theory, a branch of the statistical theory of communications sciences. Originated in 1948 by Claude Shannon of the Bell Laboratories, information theory has introduced a new quantitative way of measuring the information content of messages and devising the most efficient codes for transmitting them. Although a part of applied communications sciences, it has acquired the unique distinction of opening a new path of research in pure mathematics.
Information theory has a wide range of applications, from pure and applied mathematics to communication theory, cybernetics, computer science, translating machines, genetics, psychology, and even medical diagnosis. In psychology, for example, many studies have been carried out concerning the maximum rate of information that a human being can absorb. The main applications have been in the communications sciences—in particular, in the intelligent design of communications systems, including the choice of such efficient codes as will give nearly errorless transmission of signals at a rate approaching the channel capacity. This work is vast in magnitude and importance and will continue over many decades.
Information science is the study of the ways in which organisms process information. The dominant emphasis of information science today, however, is the last of these. Information science integrates parts of other disciplines, such as biology, computer science, physics, librarianship, sociology and psychology..
Uses of Information Science
In the theoretical sense, information science tries to increase understanding of the ways in which information is generated, stored, made available, and used. In the practical sense it undertakes specific actions to try to improve these same functions of information science. The information scientist may compare alternative means of making information available, as by indexing (see index), or devise tools and methods for improving the transfer of information
Barbie Vs Bratz - Who Wins?
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Wyoming Tribune Eagle Community Spirit Awards
Download the nomination form
1. Fill the form out completely.
2. Mail or deliver it to us at:
Attn: Aubrie Eres
702 W. Lincolnway
Chyenne, WY 82001
- (o) 307.633.3192
- (c) 307.631.9054
email it to :
aeres@wyomingnews.com
2017 – Jim Hearne
2016 – Maurice “Maury” Brown
2015 – Mona Pearl
2014 – Greg Dyekman
2013 – Marietta Dinneen
2012 – Gus Fleischli
2011 – James L. Applegate
2010 – Francis M. Smyth
2009 – Michl T. McGee
2008 – Shirley Flynn
2007 – Greta Morrow
2006 – Dana Bates Mezke
2005 – Jerry Jessen
2004 – Carol Farthing
2003 – Roslyne W. Kaufman
2002 – John C. Cole
2001 – Fred T. Baggs
2000 – Paul Smith
1999 – William “Bill” Dubois
1998 – Nick Nickel
C. Past Winners
Longtime local businessman who spearheaded an effort to fly veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the World War II memorial honoring their service is this year’s recipient of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s Community Spirit Award.
For the past five years, Fleischli served as chairman of Honor Flight, which took more than 650 Wyoming veterans on a two-day trip to the nation’s capital. Every Wyoming veteran who was able to travel and wanted to go was sent on one of six chartered flights from Casper or Cheyenne. “It was the most rewarding endeavor that I ever took on,†Fleischli said.
Fleischli graduated from Cheyenne High School in 1943 and attended the University of Wyoming until World War II intervened. Fleischli joined the Army Air Corps at age 17 and flew 32 missions over Germany as a waist gunner in B-17 bombers until the war ended.
Returning to UW and later Cheyenne, he worked in his family’s Studebaker car business until 1955, when he formed a partnership that leased the land and building and operated a Husky Truck Stop in west Cheyenne. It grew to three truck stops along Interstate 80. He had also started Fleischli Oil Company.
Fleischli has a long history of involvement in other civic endeavors, especially Cheyenne Frontier Days. He worked odd jobs on the grounds and helped with security and in 1958 was elected to HEELS, the volunteer organization for CFD.
Fleischli also served as Grounds Committee chairman, and in 1966 and 1967, he was general chairman. He expanded the night show, where the main attraction was chuck wagon races, to include other entertainment.
For more than 20 years after his chairmanship, he rode in the arena picking up flank straps from the bucking horses. Fleischli now helps move the parade horses downtown from the Frontier Park and back.
Fleischli is a former board member for the CFD Old West Museum and served on its development committee.
He is a member and past president of the Cheyenne Quarterback Club and Cowboy Joe Club.
Fleischli was involved with the Cheyenne LEADS Progress and Prosperity effort to raise money to provide improvements to local business parkways. He has also been involved with the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce and raising money for the new Riske Field.
Fleischli has served on the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Foundation board for the past 10 years. Since 1978, he has served on the University of Wyoming Business School Advisory Board, which helps the school recruit students and find jobs for graduates.
He was appointed by Gov. Dave Freudenthal to the Wyoming Business Council, where he served from 2005 to 2011.
Fleischli also served on the Wyoming Highway Commission for six years, including chairman in 1970 and 1971. He was president of the U.S. Highway 30 Travel Association, which raised money to advertise in the Chicago and Kansas City markets to promote car travel through Cheyenne.
He served in the Wyoming House of Representatives, and in 1977, during his third term, resigned to run, unsuccessfully, for governor.
Besides Honor Flight, Fleischli said one of his most memorable experiences was receiving an honorary doctor of law diploma from UW in 2011.
Asked about his philosophy of community service, Fleischli said: “When you live in a community, you need to be a part of it by getting involved. The more things you can lend your efforts to, the more rewarding it will be for everybody.”
← 2011 – James L. Applegate 2013 – Marietta Dinneen →
What color is an apple? *
About The Community Spirit Awards
Created in 1998 to promote the connection between the Tribune Eagle, community involvement and Cheyenne's largest event, the award honors individuals who have volunteered their time and efforts to make Cheyenne a better place to live.
About the Award
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Documentary series to shed light on events of 1915
LIFE Anadolu Agency
A recently filmed documentary series reveals the false propaganda of the Armenian diaspora about the events of 1915 during the Ottoman era, a senior Turkish historian said Thursday.
We have prepared a fact-based documentary series which summarizes the subject very well," Refik Turan, head of Turkish Historical Society, said on the seven-part documentary titled "The Armenian Revolt".
Turan underlined that the series would shed light on the issue of 1915 and reveals that the Armenian diaspora's use of "fake and distorted documents" over the last century in its fallacious propaganda activities.
"The documentary series details the formation of separatist Armenian organizations and their transformation into internal security problems in the Ottoman [Empire] through the support of various international actors," he said.
Citing recent decisions by a number of countries including France, Italy and the Netherlands recognizing and commemorating the events in question as a so-called "genocide", Turan stressed that international attention was increasing on the issue which was of great pertinence to Turkey.
The series will be broadcast in English, German, French and Spanish.
Turkey's position on the events of 1915 is that the deaths of Armenians in eastern Anatolia took place when some sided with invading Russians and revolted against Ottoman forces. A subsequent relocation of Armenians resulted in numerous casualties.
Turkey objects to the presentation of the incidents as "genocide" but describes the 1915 events as a tragedy in which both sides suffered casualties.
Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia plus international experts to tackle the issue.
Europeans descended from Neolithic Turks in Çatalhöyük, genomic evidence suggests
German scientists led by Turkish doctor find way to make human organs transparent
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One of the distinct advantages of flying with the 281st was the diversity of missions. One month it was combat and the next “ash-and-trash”. When working out of Nha Trang you never knew what you would get.
One such mission was a day of flying in the Dalat area. I don't remember what we were doing that day but at the end of the day we were commandeered by the local high brass and ordered to fly a “Special” mission that was on the way back to Nha Trang.
It seems that a very large number of enemy troops were spotted between Dalat and where the plateau started down to the ocean. The ARVN had sent out recon teams but could not find them. Our mission was to take two ARVN Generals and insert them at a specific spot designated as such on their map. Both Generals seemed angry that they had to go but were determined that they could find the missing enemy troops.
I protested because we don't do single ship insertions without backup and guns. Besides, it would put us close to dark and that would mean flying back home at night. Didn't work and their U.S. counterpart ordered us out.
With the two Generals and their U.S. counterpart was a young reporter. He asked if he could catch a ride to Nha Trang and I said sure, hop on. The reporter was dressed in civies and carried a small machine gun along with his cameras. I figured he was a friend of the American.
I found the insertion spot they wanted and set the ship down next to the tree line. The Generals hopped out and ran into the woods and we were gone. No shots were fired and we were on our way home and about to get a little nighttime logged. I turned the ship over to the peter pilot when I got a tap on my shoulder. It was the reporter. He looked me square in the eyes and said, “Do you think those guys need this?” In his hand was the General's map.
We weren't very far from the insertion point so back we went and landed hoping the Generals were still nearby and hoping one would come back for the map. They didn't come out. Just then the reporter said he would go in and try to find them. I said OK but he only had a couple of minutes at best. Into the woods he went and about two minutes later he came back with a big smile. As soon as he got in we were out of there.
I asked him what he did with the map and he said the Generals were sitting under a tree just inside the tree line arguing over who forgot the map. He figured they were too embarrassed to come out and get the map themselves.
We joked about the mission the whole way back. I asked the crew chief and door gunner if they would have gone into that tree line with the map. They said no-way. I told the reporter he should have put in for combat pay on that one. We got back to Nha Trang with about 30 minutes nighttime and another story to tell our kids about. I wonder if that reporter ever wrote about that day?
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IFFY'S WELCOME
MINISTER'S WELCOME
ENTRIES LIST
STAGE ONE - EASTERN GARDENS
STAGE TWO - RICHIE BOULVEARD
STAGE THREE - WILLIAMSTOWN
2017 PHOTOS & VIDEOS
BAY BIBLE
Time for a well earned rest in 2018
The Bay Cycling Classic or the ‘Bay Crits’ as it is affectionately known, has been the event that kicks off the cycling year for more than 26 years. Unfortunately, due to the Australian Cycling Calendar of events, the Bay Crits will not be held in 2018.
Race Director and Event Founder, John Trevorrow said that he realises this will be a major disappointment for many cyclists and fans.
“I can assure you that the event will be back bigger and better than ever in 2019. With the Australian Road championships starting on January 3rd, it meant the Bay Crits either ran as a two-day series starting on Jan 1 or changed dates to late December or after the Jayco Herald Sun Tour in February. I don't believe these dates suit the event and I do not want to impact on the Christmas track carnivals any more than we have had to in the past.”
"Three-time Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy taking a new road to glory" - Herald Sun, 28 December 2016
THREE-time Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy is in Geelong hoping to start scratching an itch that has bugged him for some time.
Clancy is one of the all-time great track cyclists having won team pursuit gold at the Beijing, London and Rio Olympics.
But the English 31-year-old, who will seek a fourth gold at Tokyo 2020, revealed he had long regretted not achieving more success on the road.
So, beginning with the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic starting on Sunday, Clancy will dedicate much of the next two years to becoming a more accomplished road racer before turning his attention to his Olympic defence.
“I’m just absolutely bike mad,” Clancy said.
“If you have a look at my garage it’s full of motorbikes, trial bikes, motocross bikes, mountain bikes.
“I’ve always been better known as a track cyclist, but I enjoy road racing just as much, I’ve just had significantly less talent.
“With British cycling being so well funded and having such a strong team pursuit squad for the past decade it’s always made sense for me to put all my eggs in that basket."
“But post-Beijing and post-London I kind of regretted just ploughing on and trying to do the track world championships straight away."
“So this time, I’m not saying I’m going to win the Tour de France or anything because I can’t, physically I haven’t got it in me, but if I can drop a couple of kilos, spend a bit more time on the road, work on my engine a little bit more ... then who knows I might be able to stage race a little bit better, win a few sprints.”
The three-day Bay Crits series in Geelong, Portarlington and Williamstown will be Clancy’s first event on the road since Rio.
He’s here as part of a crack JLT-Condor team that also contains 2014 champion Brenton Jones.
The team will then head to Bendigo for a 10-day training camp before flying to an event in New Zealand.
Clancy said he is keen to see how the Bay Crits go.
“When you’re a guy like myself that spends a lot of his time team persuiting ... the crits do always come a bit more naturally to you than a stage race,” Clancy said.
“It’s a great series, it gets plenty of attention, there’s some great teams that attend, so it’s not going to be easy to get any wins.
“But we’ve got Brenton. And if we work together and we’re feeling all right, who knows, maybe we can take it up to the big boys."
Article by Matt Windley, Herald Sun
Sport.co.uk looking forward to Bay Crits 2017
UK website sport.co.uk providing coverage of the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic from across the globe.
"There will be British interest in the Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic which gets under way on New Year's Day in Australia.
The Classic this year sees three criterium races with the first starting and finishing on Ritchie Blvd, Geelong on January 1st and the field will include British riders Olympian Ed Clancy, Jon Mould, Ali Slater, Alex Frame and Ian Bibby in a six man Condor JLT team along with Australian Brenton Jones.
The second race will be held in Portarlington on January 2nd with the third and final race in Williamstown on January 3rd, a day before the Australian national championships start.
Caleb Ewan of Orica Scott, who has won the Elite Mens race for the last two times, is again the favourite.
Hayley Jones of Alé Cycling is the only British rider declared in the list of starters for the Women's race which will take place before the men's races each day."
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Another Asbestos laden ship heading for India ?
Another 'Blue Lady' heading for India?
24 Mar, 2008 IANS
NEW YORK: Is another "toxic time bomb" headed for a ship-breaking yard in India? The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has served notice on its owner for not obtaining the mandatory clearances. Rights groups say this is not enough.
Pulled by a tug, the SS Oceanic (formerly SS Independence), an aged 682-foot ocean liner, sailed from San Francisco Feb 8, passed Hawaii and Guam and is now believed to be near Saipan, capital of the North Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific.
According to the Basel Action Network (BAN) and Save the Classic Liners Campaign that tipped off the EPA, the ship's owner, Global Marketing Services (GMS), "routinely buys ships from all over the world and sends them to the notorious breaking beaches of Bangladesh, Pakistan and India".
BAN estimates the ship is loaded with 210 tons of toxic polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminated material and 250 tons of asbestos.
More than 1.5 billion pounds of PCBs were manufactured in the US before the EPA banned the production of this chemical class in 1978.
PCBs were commonly used in paints, industrial equipment, plastics and rubber products. EPA banned this class of chemicals after tests showed that PCBs cause cancer in animals and affect nervous, immune, and endocrine systems in humans.
The last owner of the classic 1950 liner Oceanic was Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) that "already has a reputation for negligence and evasion of international and national environmental and safety laws", a BAN statement said.
Another NCL liner, the former SS Norway - also known as the "Blue Lady" - is anchored off the Alang ship-breaking yard in Gujarat. It was the focus of a bitter legal battle last year with the Indian Supreme Court finally permitting its dismantling but laying down stringent guidelines on environmental safety.
The Blue Lady carries 10 tons of asbestos.
It was not immediately clear whether GMS has agreed to comply with the new guidelines.
On their part, the two activist groups have expressed shock that the EPA is only seeking to levy a fine and is not taking urgent action to stop the violation and bring the toxic ship back to the US.
"The government is letting the ship owners get away with what could be tantamount to murder," said Jim Puckett of the Seattle-based BAN.
"It is merely slapping these perpetrators on the wrist and allowing the offence to continue. Lives are at stake here so why on earth is the government not demanding that the ship be turned back to US territory at once?" he wondered.
"EPA filed suit because the export of PCBs is illegal under the Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA). But the government has not filed an injunction against the ongoing export but is merely seeking fines. Furthermore, by the time the lawsuit is decided, the damage will have been done," BAN maintained.
The EPA issued a federal complaint against GMS on March 18 for "distribution in commerce and export of PCB-containing materials on the MV Oceanic, formerly the SS Independence, a ship being sent to be scrapped overseas".
Fines against the company may be assessed up to $32,500 per violation per day, the EPA said.
GMS has 30 days to file an answer to the complaint to avoid a penalty assessment without a hearing.
According to BAN and the Save the Classic Liners Campaign, the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) was warned of the latest export well before the vessel left San Francisco "and that it was likely illegal and yet they did nothing to stop it".
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JOIN ASBMB
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From a Bavarian baccalaureate
to bacterial bleach
The new Journal of Biological Chemistry associate editor
investigates heat-shock proteins and their relation
to bacterial defense mechanisms against hypochlorous acid
Published March 01 2018
By John Arnst
In 2000, Jakob received the Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award in the Biomedical Sciences, which helped jumpstart her career as an assistant professor at the University of Michigan.COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Bleach, generally speaking, is bad news for anything it comes in contact with, whether it’s grime, blue jeans or bacteria waging war against your intestinal lining. At the University of Michigan, Ursula Jakob’s lab is investigating how to make the bacteria bent on colonizing your gut more sensitive to the bleach, or hypochlorous acid, that your white blood cells deploy against them. This form of bleach differs only slightly from the sodium hypochlorite in cleaning solutions that can strip dyes and burn clumsy hands.
Jakob, who was born in Germany, received her bachelor’s degree in 1991 and her Ph.D. in 1995, both from the University of Regensburg in Bavaria. Throughout her college career, the lab she was in studied the heat-shock protein Hsp90 and its effect on protein folding as a molecular chaperone. Her current lab’s work involves the heat-shock protein Hsp33, a molecular chaperone that helps protect bacteria against the dangerous effects of bleach.
With a fellowship from the German government, Jakob did her postdoctoral research under James Bardwell at the University of Michigan, where she is now a professor in the molecular, cellular and developmental biology department and the university’s medical school. In 2014, she was elected to membership in the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, one of the oldest learned societies in Germany. Since the academy’s inception in 1759, its members have included Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Max Planck, Werner Heisenberg and Albert Einstein.
Jakob joined the ranks of associate editors at the Journal of Biological Chemistry in September. She spoke with John Arnst, ASBMB Today’s science writer, about her lab’s work exploring molecular chaperones and mechanisms of bleach resistance in bacterial and human cells. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
What is your group focused on?
One of our most interesting projects involves bleach, which is not only a very effective antimicrobial in household settings but has long been known to be used in a physiological context — our white blood cells produce bleach, hypochlorous acid, to defend our bodies against infectious disease. We were wondering how bacteria defend themselves against bleach, and in 2008, we found that they produce a protein that gets specially activated in response to bleach and then protects the bacteria from it.
We use bleach in our host defense, and it works well most of the time to kill invading bacteria. However, some of the bacteria do survive and can cause persistent infections, and we still don’t know how they manage this feat. Moreover, under extreme conditions, like chronic inflammation in patients that suffer from cystic fibrosis or persistent infections, we see a lot of tissue damage. This is attributed to the excess bleach that’s being produced by our white blood cells.
And so the question then was, “What does bleach do, and how do organisms defend themselves against it?” The idea was that if we knew that, we could possibly make bacteria more sensitive to bleach. This might help with boosting the host defense and allowing the host to be more able to deal with bacterial infections while at the same time potentially mitigating the damage in the host. What we figured out is that bleach works as a really potent protein-denaturing agent, essentially boiling bacterial proteins at room temperature. In their defense, bacteria activate a chaperone, Hsp33, which protects the proteins against bleach-induced protein unfolding and aggregation and helps bacteria survive.
In the last few years, we took another approach and asked what other defense systems bacteria have to deal with bleach. We found that bacteria, in response to bleach treatment, convert a large amount of their ATP into a long chain of phosphates, polyphosphate. This molecule was the pet project of the late Arthur Kornberg in the last 15 years of his life; he was extremely fascinated by this prebiotic molecule and contributed a huge amount to the literature, including the fact that polyphosphate is present in every organism that had been studied so far.
In bacteria, polyphosphate plays a very important part in virulence. So this fits exactly with what we found: When we delete the gene that allows bacteria to make polyphosphate, they become super-sensitive to bleach. They’re no longer virulent, they no longer make biofilms as effectively as wild-type bacteria and they make many fewer antibiotic-resistant cells. So, we thought, this is really cool. If polyphosphate was indeed such an essential product in bacteria that they make it specifically under conditions of infections, then targeting that synthesis should make them much more sensitive to the host defense mechanisms.
We recently found a drug already on the market called mesalamine, which is widely used to treat colitis. We published a paper in Nature Microbiology a few months back, where we found that we can now target polyphosphate synthesis in bacteria in the intestines with mesalamine. It has basically the same effect as if you delete the enzyme from within the bacteria, making them sensitive to hypochlorous acid. Our hope now is that we can use this drug maybe alone or in combination with other antibiotics to treat particular persistent infections.
Did anything occur in a milestone sort of way that made you choose science as a career?
I was raised in a family that was very interested in biology and the environment. So it was not surprising to anybody when I decided to study biology. During my second year as a biology undergrad, I got hired in the lab where I ended up doing both my master’s thesis and Ph.D. thesis. We studied refolding of antibody fragments. Within about half a year or so after I started working there, my P.I. came to me and said, “I just saw this paper about this heat-shock protein, GroEL, being able to support refolding of a protein. Maybe we should put this into our antibody solution and see whether this helps in our refolding experiment.”
Jakob often rides Agave, a Spanish horse she leases at Rosehill Dressage in Northville, Michigan.COURTESY OF URSULA JAKOB
The paper that he found in our library was really the landmark paper that started the chaperone era. So I was there when the chaperone field was born, and that was absolutely fascinating to me, to be part of such a new discovery. We were really in this first wave of chaperone research, which involved Hsp90. My first paper, still as an undergraduate, was a last-author Nature paper.
Everything we did was new. We developed the assays … it was just wonderful; we were in this full discovery mode. From the very beginning of my scientific career, we always tried to be on the forefront. From the very beginning, I learned that science is discovering something new.
When did you first become involved with JBC?
I was trained in a biophysics and physical biochemistry department, and JBC was always our go-to journal. I had six JBC papers during my graduate career. I’ve been a reviewer for years, and then I was asked whether I would like to take on an associate editor position at JBC.
What do you do outside the lab? Do you have any advice for balancing life outside of the lab with life inside the lab?
I ride horses and I play tennis. I love riding horses because riding is a little bit like science — you never fully know where they will take you. And I love tennis because it’s competitive, and, you know, I’m slightly competitive, so I like that aspect. What I tell young assistant professors, in advisory roles, is that they absolutely need a balance. I had my first child three days after I started my lab, so when I see my daughter, who is now 16, I know exactly how long I’ve had my lab. And my son was born during my third-year review process.
I think women in general, and this is very generally speaking, have a harder time with this balance between career and family, because they have a tendency to constantly feel guilty. We feel guilty about not being in the lab enough, about not having enough time for our children and of course not spending enough time with our partners, and the easiest thing to let go of is yourself and your friends. So I encourage young assistant professors to get as much help around the house as needed so you don’t have to waste the little time that you have with duties that you do not enjoy.
John Arnst is ASBMB Today’s science writer. Follow him on Twitter.
More from the current issue
Advocating for more than money
STUDENT CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Biochem, with a side of advocacy
An ever-growing role for a tiny lipid
YEAR OF (BIO)CHEMICAL ELEMENTS
This month, it’s atomic Nos. 6 and 7
Studying science at a small college
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Traditional vs. Roth IRA
Tip: Not Quite Anything. IRAs are free to invest in just about anything, except collectibles such as artwork, rugs, antiques, gems, stamps, and coins, for example.
Traditional IRAs, which were created in 1974, are owned by roughly 35.1 million U.S. households. And Roth IRAs, created as part of the Taxpayer Relief Act in 1997, are owned by nearly 24.9 million households.1
Both are IRAs. And yet each is quite different.
Up to certain limits, traditional IRAs allow individuals to make tax-deductible contributions into the account. Distributions from traditional IRAs are taxed as ordinary income and, if taken before age 59½, may be subject to a 10% federal income tax penalty.2
For individuals covered by a retirement plan at work the deduction for a traditional IRA in 2018 is phased out for incomes between $101,000 and $121,000 for married couples filing jointly, and between $63,000 and $73,000 for single filers.
Also within certain limits, individuals can make contributions to a Roth IRA with after-tax dollars. To qualify for a tax-free and penalty-free withdrawal of earnings, Roth IRA distributions must meet a five-year holding requirement and occur after age 59½.3
Like a traditional IRA, contributions to a Roth IRA are limited based on income. For 2018, contributions to a Roth IRA are phased out between $189,000 and $199,000 for married couples filing jointly and between $120,000 and $135,000 for single filers.
In addition to contribution and distribution rules, there are limits on how much can be contributed to either IRA. In fact, these limits apply to any combination of IRAs; that is, workers cannot put more than $5,500 per year into their Roth and traditional IRAs combined. So, if a worker contributed $3,500 in a given year into a traditional IRA, contributions to a Roth IRA would be limited to $2,000 in that same year.4
Fast Fact: Wealthy Owners. The higher your income is, the more likely you are to have an IRA. Of households with incomes of $50,000 or more—39% own traditional IRAs and 30% own Roth IRAs. Of households with $50,000 or less in income, 13% own traditional IRAs and 6% own Roth IRAs.
Source: Investment Company Institute, 2018
Individuals who reach age 50 or older by the end of the tax year can qualify for “catch-up” contributions. The combined limit for these is $6,500.5
If you meet the income requirements, both traditional and Roth IRAs can play a part in your retirement plans. And once you’ve figured out which will work better for you, only one task remains: open an account.
Features of Traditional and Roth IRAs
Tax-deductible contributions *
Tax-deferred growth
Tax-free withdrawals **
Income limit for 2018 contributions Deduction phases out for adjusted gross incomes between $101,000 and $121,000 (married filing jointly) or between $63,000 and $73,000 (single filer) Eligibility phases out for adjusted gross incomes between $189,000 and $199,000 (married filing jointly) or between $120,000 and $135,000 (single filer)
Distributions required at age 70½
Source: IRS, 2018
* Up to certain limits
** To qualify, Roth IRA distributions must meet a five-year holding requirement and occur after age 59½.
1. Investment Company Institute, 2018
2. Generally, once you reach age 70½, you must begin taking required minimum distributions from a traditional IRA.
3,4,5. Internal Revenue Service, 2018. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 eliminated the ability to "undo" a Roth conversion.
Social Security: What’s Changing in 2016?
There have been a number of changes to Social Security that may affect you, especially if you are nearing retirement.
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Refugee Olympic Team at 2016 Olympic Games
Posted by anunez
Questions? Call: 202 644 8600
Faces of the Refugee Olympic Team
On August 5, the 2016 Olympic Games will open in Rio de Janeiro. I love the Olympics because it is a time when we all set aside our day-to-day worries and differences to come together to cheer on the world’s elite athletes as they represent their home countries. But I am particularly interested in watching this year’s Olympic Games because of one specific “country.” This year, 206 countries will participate. One of those countries is the Refugee Olympic Team. The Refugee Olympic Team is comprised of 10 elite athletes, each of whom is a refugee who was forced to leave his/her home country. They hail from Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This year’s Olympic Games is unique in that it is the first time a participating country does not have a flag or anthem of its own, and the participating country’s Olympians are nationless. The Refugee Olympic Team Olympians are nationless because they are refugees. Simply put, a refugee is a person who has been forced to flee his/her home country because of persecution, war, or other violence. A refugee is different from a migrant in that a migrant is someone who chooses to move to or resettle in another place.
The International Olympic Committee (“IOC”) created this “country” of refugees this year to give these talented athletes the opportunity to compete on the world stage despite the fact that they cannot return to their home country and cannot represent their home country. This comes at a time when millions of individuals are fleeing war torn countries and atrocious human rights violations in Syria, Central America, Myanmar, and many other countries. The Refugee Olympic Team comes at a time when messages of exclusion and hate pollute our media. This comes at a time when the world needs it most.
The IOC is welcoming these Olympians “to send a message of hope for all refugees in our world.” As IOC President Thomas Bach said, their participation “will be a symbol of hope for all the refugees in our world, and will make the world better aware of the magnitude of this crisis. It is also a signal to the international community that refugees are our fellow human beings and are an enrichment to society. These refugee athletes will show the world that despite the unimaginable tragedies that they have faced, anyone can contribute to society through their talent, skills and strength of the human spirit.”
Bach’s and the IOC’s message of love, support, and inclusion of these refugees is a message that we at Benach Collopy practice every day. While it is heartbreaking to know that our clients have been victims of horrendous targeted violence, it brings me joy every day to know that I am helping them gain peace of mind, feel safe, and obtain protection in this country. And it is amazing to know that talented refugees like Rami Anis of Syria, Yiech Pur Biel of South Sudan, James Nyang Chiengjiek of South Sudan, Yonas Kinde of Ethiopia, Anjaline Nada Lohalith of South Sudan, Rose Nathike Lokonyen of South Sudan, Paulo Amotun Lokoro of South Sudan, Yolande Bukasa Mabika of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yusra Mardini of Syria, and Popole Misenga of the Democratic Republic of the Congo will participate in this year’s Olympic games as part of the Refugee Olympic Team. I am excited to watch the Refugee Olympic Team carry the Olympic flag as their own and march to the Olympic anthem that will be played in their honor.
Posted in Asylum, Beacons of Hope, Benach Collopy, Contributions of Immigrants, Refugees, top featured photo
Tagged refugees, Rio Olympics, ROT, TeamRefugees
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Fight Daesh by Embracing the Refugee
Under Pressure over Family Detention, the Administration Finally Agrees to Exercise a Little Humanity
BR Attorneys Lobby the Administration and Congress to End Family Detention
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Sexual Harrassment: Do you say, "thanks, no thanks" or do you sue?
A friend likes to tease me that while working as a secretary in Hollywood, I looked at sexual harassment as a job perk. There was profanity, to be sure, and off-color jokes, but I was involved with comedy, where schmoozing and quipping are background noise. I was never called a “bitch” or “ho”, which would have, I’m sure, gotten my attention.
I’m not clear if I’d have made a distinction between whether it had been said by a black or white man, an issue raised in the $10 million sexual harassment suit filed by Anucha Browne Sanders, a Knicks’ vice president before being fired, against Isiah Thomas. Thomas admits he’d be more accepting of a black man calling a woman a “bitch” while a white man doing that, “would have violated my code of conduct”.
I, too, would respond differently to the same remark, depending on the source. It might be a function of race, religion or gender, or reflect what I know about the person’s value system. Context, intent and tone enter into if I'd be amused or offended. What overrides everything else is if a joke's not funny, in which case it's irritating across the board.
Each profession has its own moral code and traditions, more ambiguous to outsiders than if you’ve had personal experience in the field. Several years ago a female assistant on a sit-com series filed suit against the show, claiming that the atmosphere in the writers’ room was hostile to women.
I’ve been in many, many writers’ rooms, both as the assistant and later as the sole woman writer among a large group of men. Comedy writers don’t expect to be taken seriously, and the understanding in the room is everyone needs to feel free to spit out whatever comes to mind without editing or censoring. There may have been something extraordinary that supported this law suit, but my suspicion is the assistant reacted to things that might not have troubled someone else.
What does this all mean? That it’s cheaper to laugh than to sue. That it's hard to judge what's been said or done if you've not witnessed it. I was lucky in being quick enough on my feet to spritz back at a spritzer. A writer once hit on me by saying, "I'm horny, why don't you come over?"
My response was, "I'm hungry. Why don't you eat something?"
Not every ho has the capacity to come up with a quick retort, but every bitch can make an effort to speak up and try to create a comfortable work environment before things get out of hand.
Posted by Sybil Adelman Sage at 9:21 AM
"It's good for you, it's bad for you" is the new, ...
Will I Ever Ougrow Being a Chump?
get me out of here!
Oops, the president can't pronounce what???!
O'Reilly: Methinks da man doth protest too much
How Dare you Break Up After a $3.5 Million Wedding...
bill o'reilly needs to get out more
From Making the Big Bucks to Making Lattes by Mich...
why i never go to sleep in hospitals
"Is He Cheating On You? - 829 Telltale Signs"
kaye ballard - i still hate you!
You may not need anti-depressants; just get rid of...
i'm ready for my close-up
Sexual Harrassment: Do you say, "thanks, no thank...
Patients Without Patience: My Health Care Reform
Blogger's Block
Do the Math, Mr. Prez, you need more Qaeda for the...
Actors' names are the first to go. When does forg...
the day i thought would change our world forever
Do you want people who believe in an after-life se...
What Bush Will Say In Response to the Petraeus/Coc...
you're wearing what?
What I Didn't Know When I Was Younger
Analyzing the Osama bin-Laden tape: a bad hair da...
even gloria vanderbilt has needs
where have all the bad girls gone?
Advice to General Petraeus
Craigslist: internships, movers, no-fee apartment...
Katie Couric and George Bush: off the record
Anna Nicole Smith, Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkh...
uh oh, trouble's in trouble!
it's my hair and i'll dye if i want to
Coming Out: Confession of a Heterosexual
an open letter to hillary clinton
A Hand from the Neighboring Stall...A signal?!!!
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Escapes: Untouched world - Wilderness experiences in bespoke luxury
Traditional luxury has its appeal but a growing number of ultra-wealthy want their tourism experience to match their entrepreneurial zeal in some of the most beautiful and unspoilt corners of the world, as Margie Goldsmith reveals
Space - the final frontier. No longer just the science fiction voyages of the Starship Enterprise but a real adventure opening up for tourism.
Dennis Tito, a spritely 72-year-old American, wants to send people to the planet Mars. The multi-millionaire has set up the Inspiration Mars Foundation and plans to send a couple on a 501-day round trip to the red planet in 2018.
Space is something Tito knows well. He was the first space tourist, paying Russia a reported $20 million (€15.4 million) for a ticket to the International Space Station in 2001. He and others, including the entrepreneur Richard Branson, are leading efforts to commercialise space travel.
Outings in outerspace
The world is getting smaller – more and more people can afford to go to increasingly exotic destinations with relative ease. There is, as Nick Leader discovers, only one place left to travel to for those who are after the ultimate getaway: space
If things stay on course, we are less than two years away from the media event of the decade or, quite possibly, the century. In 2009 Virgin Galactic, the commercial space line founded by Sir Richard Branson, is scheduled to launch its inaugural spaceflight from Spaceport America in the Mojave desert, New Mexico.
Space: the future of travel
Virgin Galactic, the first private company to successfully send a human into space, is leading the field because it has re-written the rules of spaceship design.
The next destination for people who have exhausted earth's four corners is space (click here to read more). Virgin Galactic, the first private company to successfully send a human into space, is leading the field because it has re-written the rules of spaceship design. Designer Burt Rutan's craft has three main features that make it unique.
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Ancient Athletics
This operating unit is the fastest growing unit in the Society. Amazingly popular for being in a small, American Midwestern city, the Ancient Athletics unit has become world renowned for its competitions and events.
We currently host and participate in several events throughout the year in various locations. You can come and see us at any of our venues throughout the year, just check the calendar to see where we are going to be!
I welcome each and every one of you to come and play with us! We are always on the lookout for new athletes and there are plenty of volunteer jobs for people who just want to be close to the action. These can even qualify as community services hours for those students that are in need of them.
When the weather is decent we have a practice field that you will find many of us at as often as we can be.
Please feel free to e-mail us with any questions or comments that you might have and I welcome you all to come to any of our events…even if it’s just to say hello and share a pint! - Merl Lawless, Athletic Director, Ancient Athletics
For more info on the Ancient Athletes, visit their website: www.ancientathletics.com/
ABOUT THE HEAVY EVENTS
The competitors in highland games carry out traditions dating back to the eleventh century and perhaps even earlier. They were originally men who participated in acts showing off their manhood, using items that were found commonly in the Scottish Highlands, such as stones or logs. The Braemar Gathering claims to be the first recorded Highland Games. King Malcolm tested the athletes in a hill race in order to choose a messenger who was not only physically fit, but also quick. Thus the Highland Games were born, and other events were added throughout time as tests of the athletes’ strength and speed. The first formally organized and annual gathering dates back to around 1820. Many of the Heavy Events competitors in Scottish highland athletics are former high school and college track and field athletes who find the Scottish games are a good way to continue their competitive careers.
Increasingly here in the USA, the Heavy Events are attracting women and master class (40+ years old) athletes which has led to a proliferation of additional classes in Heavy Events competitions. Lighter implements are used in these classes. Though originally a sport exclusively for men, women have started playing a greater role in Highland Games competitions. In Scotland, the ratio is now closer to 60-40, more men than women, but women are quickly gaining ground.
ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL EVENTS:
Stone Put: This event is similar to the modern-day shot put as seen in the Olympic Games. Instead of a steel shot, a large stone of variable weight is often used. There are also some differences from the Olympic shot put in allowable techniques. There are two versions of the stone toss events, differing in allowable technique. The "Braemar Stone" uses a 20–26 lb stone for men (13–18 lb for women) and does not allow any approach to the toeboard or "trig" to deliver the stone, i.e., it is a standing put. In the "Open Stone" using a 16–22 lb stone for men (or 8–12 lb for women), the thrower is allowed to use any throwing style so long as the stone is put with one hand with the stone resting cradled in the neck until the moment of release. Most athletes in the open stone event use either the "glide" or the "spin" techniques.
Caber Toss: A long tapered pine pole or log is stood upright and hoisted by the competitor who balances it vertically holding the smaller end in his hands (see photo). Then the competitor runs forward attempting to toss it in such a way that it turns end over end with the upper (larger) end striking the ground first. The smaller end that was originally held by the athlete then hits the ground in the 12 o'clock position measured relative to the direction of the run. If successful, the athlete is said to have turned the caber. Cabers vary greatly in length, weight, taper, and balance, all of which affect the degree of difficulty in making a successful toss. Competitors are judged on how closely their throws approximate the ideal 12 o'clock toss on an imaginary clock.
Scottish Hammer Throw: This event is similar to the hammer throw as seen in modern-day track and field competitions, though with some differences. In the Scottish event, a round metal ball (weighing 16 or 22 lb for men or 12 or 16 lb for women) is attached to the end of a shaft about 4 feet in length and made out of wood, bamboo, rattan, or plastic. With the feet in a fixed position, the hammer is whirled about one's head and thrown for distance over the shoulder. Hammer throwers sometimes employ specially designed footwear with flat blades to dig into the turf to maintain their balance and resist the centrifugal forces of the implement as it is whirled about the head. This substantially increases the distance attainable in the throw.
Weight Over Bar: (also known as weight for height) The athletes attempt to toss a 56 pound weight (42 lb. for masters, 28 lb. for women) with an attached handle over a horizontal bar using only one hand. Each athlete is allowed three attempts at each height. Successful clearance of the height allows the athlete to advance into the next round at a greater height. The competition is determined by the highest successful toss with fewest misses being used to break tie scores.
Sheaf Toss: A bundle of straw (the sheaf) weighing 20 or 16 pounds for the men and 10 or 12 pounds for the women and wrapped in a burlap bag is tossed vertically with a pitchfork over a raised bar much like that used in pole vaulting. The progression and scoring of this event is the same as the Weight Over Bar. There is significant debate among athletes as to whether the sheaf toss is in fact an authentic Highland event. In fact, in Scotland it is known as a farming sport. Some will argue it is actually a country fair event, but all will agree that it is a great crowd pleaser.
Weight for Distance: (also known as the Weight throw) There are actually two separate events, one using a light weight (28 lb. for men and 14 lb. for women) and the other a heavy weight (56 lb. for men, 42 lb. for masters men, and 28 lb. for women). The weights are made of metal and have a handle attached either directly or by means of a chain. The implement is thrown using one hand only, but otherwise using any technique. Usually a spinning technique is employed, both one and two spins are allowed. The farthest throw wins.
Contact the Athletics Unit Manager
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Bottle bill
State budget raids threaten to undermine recycling program
In a nutshell, that’s why California’s beverage container recycling program has been a success. There’s a cash incentive to keep empty soda bottles out of gutters, streams, parks and landfills.
But the program is in jeopardy.
It’s not because people lost interest. Last year, consumers returned 74 percent of the 21.9 billion aluminum, glass and plastic beverage containers that were sold subject to a 5- or 10-cent deposit. That was the best rate of return since 1997.
What’s happened is that legislators and the governor, in their search for cash, have turned the recycling program into a piggy bank.
We’re not talking loose change here: Almost $452 million has been siphoned from the recycling fund since 2002, mostly to deal with the perennial state budget mess. This year, lawmakers took $99.4 million, leaving the fund essentially empty.
Of course, these diversions are described as “loans.” Just don’t hold your breath waiting for them to be repaid voluntarily.
The money came from unredeemed deposits, which make an inviting target as the state looks for new sources of revenue. But that money was key to one of the compromises that got the bottle bill passed in 1986. It is supposed to help pay for the redemption centers that opened in hundreds of shopping centers.
The centers were created because supermarkets objected to taking back empties — a system that has been extremely successful in Oregon, where recycling rates routinely top 85 percent. But the stand-alone centers need subsidies because recycling, despite its popularity, isn’t always a profitable venture.
With the money gone, dozens of recycling centers are closing, leaving people with fewer places to return empties and reclaim deposits. Many will toss empty cans and bottles in their blue barrels, but they will be abandoning their deposits with no guarantee the money will be spent to further recycling efforts.
An alliance of redemption center operators is suing the state to try to get the money back.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he will make a proposal to solve the problem in January. Unfortunately, he missed a chance to help the program earlier this year when he vetoed SB 402.
The bill would have doubled the deposit on 20-ounce containers to a dime, the rate now charged for containers holding at least 24 ounces. In his veto message, Schwarzenegger noted that wine and liquor containers were still exempt. That exemption has no defense and should be eliminated.
Inexplicably, he complained that the bill didn’t prohibit raids on the recycling fund — while proposing just such a raid for this year’s state budget. It will take a serious proposal, with real guarantees, to restore Schwarzenegger’s credibility on this issue.
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20091207/OPINION/912049896/1042?tc=autorefresh
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BBB Top Prospect Countdown #11: Slade Heathcott
By Chad Raines - February 21, 2016
Allow me to preface this by saying that out of all of the prospects in the Yankees organization, Slade Heathcott is my favorite. He may not have the most upside or be the most talented (although he’s close), but he has the most heart out of anybody in the farm system. Heathcott has been through a lot since being taken in the first round of the 2009 MLB draft (yes, the same draft the Yankees were hoping Mike Trout would somehow fall to the 29th pick, and almost did). Once the consensus top prospect in the organization, Heathcott was non-tendered from the Yankees 40-man roster following the 2014 season. It was an uphill battle for the youngster to make his name relevant again, but he accomplished that in 2015.
Photo Via NY Post
It took $2.2 million to keep Heathcott from attending LSU on a baseball scholarship. The Yankees had taken a risk with Heathcott as he faced and overcame self-inflicted obstacles with his high school baseball career. He also had conflicts with his parents, and struggles with alcohol. But these events do not define Heathcott as his career and personal life have taken a complete 180, which he credits to finding his relationship with God. And although the Yankees were disappointed Trout was nabbed with the 25th pick by the Angels, the organization was incredibly excited for Slade Heathcott and his 5-tool potential.
Following his first year as a professional in 2010, Heathcott went to the cutting board for his first shoulder surgery. He would come back strong in 2011 making the class-A South Atlantic League All-Star team after hitting .291 with 11 doubles, four triples and four homers in 47 games. He was then promoted to high-A Tampa, looking like he was on a fast track to the big leagues. But after playing just one game, Heathcott suffered a shoulder injury requiring season-ending surgery.
Heathcott would again return strong in 2012 hitting to a .302/.380/.461 slash line mostly with the Tampa Yankees. Heathcott then played in the Arizona Fall League that offseason where he hit .388 with a .494 on-base percentage and a .612 slugging percentage – good enough for a through the roof OPS of 1.106. The following year, 2013, was Heathcott’s healthiest as a pro. He appeared in 103 games but hit only .261 with eight home runs and 49 RBIs in Trenton. To protect him from the Rule 5 draft, the Yankees added Heathcott to the 40-man roster.
Heathcott went back to the doctors for another surgery in the offseason of 2013, this time for his knee. He would return in 2014 only to appear in 9 games before reinjuring the knee. Heathcott required another season ending surgery on that knee. With the injuries problems, the Yankees non-tendered Heathcott, essentially releasing him from the roster. This prompted 15 teams to reach out to Heathcott before he resigned with the Yankees on a minor league deal two days later.
Heathcott surprised a lot of people in 2015 coming into Spring Training in the cliche best shape of his life (but it was true) and he was rewarded for his efforts after being given the James P. Dawson Award, given each year to the best rookie in spring training. He got off to a hot start hitting .285 in 37 games in AAA and after Jacoby Ellsbury went down with an injury, Heathcott had finally gotten his call to the big leagues. Heathcott hit .353 with a home run in 17 at-bats for the big league club before enduring yet another injury – a strained quadriceps muscle.
Heathcott found himself back in triple-A after being activated from the DL, but being on the 40-man roster, he was called up in September. In his second stint with the big league club, Heathcott had one of the highlights of the Yankees season, hitting a huge game-winning 3-run homer off Rays All-Star Closer Brad Boxberger in the top of the 9th.
With Heathcott hitting .400/.429/.720 with two home runs, two doubles and eight RBIs in his small sample size of 17 big league games, Heathcott has proven that he can compete at the highest level. However, with a crowded outfield, Heathcott is blocked by the likes of Ellsbury, Brett Gardner and Carlos Beltran. Heathcott will also be competing for playing time in triple-A with Ben Gamel, Mason Williams, Tyler Austin, and more, but he should be starting in Scranton on Opening Day where he will be 25 years old, turning 26 by the end of the season in September.
Expect Heathcott to be first in line if one of the Yankee outfielders suffers an injury. And if Heathcott plays well enough in triple-A, he will force his way into the Bronx earlier than expected. In 2016, it’s not a matter of if we will see Heathcott in pinstripes once again, but a matter of how quickly he will make it back to the Bronx.
You can view his career stats in the minors and majors here.
Also, we once interviewed Slade, and you can read that at this LINK.
You can keep up with our full top 30 list with links to our breakdowns HERE.
Article by: Chad Raines
You can follow me on twitter @Chad_Rain
Follow the BBB on twitter @BronxBomberBlog
BBB Top Prospect Countdown Chad Raines Slade Heathcott Top Prospects
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JOHN CORABI Says Someone In MÖTLEY CRÜE Camp Is 'A Little Bit Pissy' About Him Working With MICK MARS
Former MÖTLEY CRÜE singer John Corabi says that someone in the band's camp is "a little bit pissy" about the fact that he recently spent time in the studio working with CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars.
Mars earlier in the year released snippets of two two new songs, apparently called "Gimme Blood" and "Shake The Cage", which were recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee with Corabi on vocals.
The singer, who was featured on CRÜE's 1994 self-titled album, talked about how his renewed collaboration with Mars came about during an appearance on the SiriusXM satellite radio show "Eddie Trunk Live". He said: "[Mick has] been really busy. I've been crazy busy. Mick went right up until New Year's Day [with MÖTLEY CRÜE]. I had a little break off for the holidays from our last tour, and then I got to work on… I recorded one of my shows with my solo band doing the MÖTLEY '94 material. We recorded it and did a DVD. So right after the holidays, I was mixing that and going through it with [producer] Michael Wagener, and then I went on the DEF LEPPARD cruise, and then we jumped right into [working on the new THE DEAD DAISIES album]. So I talked to Mick. I know he really wants to get going, and I just… I don't wanna hold him up. I would love to be involved and help him write some material or do whatever he needs me to do."
He continued: "I did two songs with Mick. I think he actually wrote 'em… I could be wrong, but I think he wrote 'em with Tommy Henriksen from Alice's [Cooper] band. And that's what happened.
"There was kind of a disconnect where Mick had talked to me about writing with him and all this other stuff. And I went on tour with my solo band, then I wound up hooking up with the DAISIES, Mick was out with MÖTLEY. And then I just kind of heard that he was working with Tommy and another guy. And I was, like, 'Oh, cool. Well, he's putting a band together.' I thought he was doing it with [Alice Cooper's bassist] Chuck Garric as well. And then I ran into Bobby, [Mick's] tech, when we were at Download festival [in June 2015]. And he's, like, 'Dude, Mick needs to talk to you.' And I said, 'Okay. Cool.' And it was literally, from that point, still a couple of months when I got home and we talked. And Mick asked me to go into the studio and just re-sing these two tracks that he did."
Corabi added that he didn't contribute to the writing process for "Gimme Blood" and "Shake The Cage" but that he is open to collaborating with Mars on some brand new material. "[Mick] said he wants to write," Corabi said. "I would love to write with him. We had a talk, and I said, 'Mick, if you can be patient with me, I would love to do something with you, but right now, I'm kind of doing this DAISIES record.' Then my record, the live one, comes out shortly after that. So I'm kind of busy. And I don't wanna do something… I'm kind of at a point now where I don't need to do it for the money. I wanna be able to focus and put a hundred percent into it."
John also revealed that there may be other issues at play that could be preventing the project from going forward.
"The last time I talked with [Mick], the other thing I'm kind of concerned with is… I don't wanna… I'm just guesstimating here, but there's still some things that they have to get situated in the MÖTLEY camp," Corabi said. "And I know that they all signed an agreement, and from what I've been led to believe is that part of that camp is a little bit pissy with me working with Mick. I don't know [why that is]. They had to sign some thing that none of the members would ever work together again. So somehow… I don't know. It's, like, whatever. I don't really care. If Mick needs help, I told him I'd help him. But I just said, 'I think you need to make sure and sort all that out, so that all your stuff is in order."
Corabi concluded by saying that he is still unsure what shape the project will take when it finally does come together.
"I think Mick's trying to figure out what exactly it is he's gonna do," he said. "And I can't tell him. Everybody's, like, 'Ah, you should do this,' or, 'You should do that.' And I'm, like, 'You're forgetting: it's not my record. It's Mick's record. I'm helping Mick with his record.' So whatever he wants to do, I'll help. But I can't go in there and tell him what to do. So he'll sort it out. He'll figure it out."
Mars said in a 2012 interview that MÖTLEY CRÜE's 1994 self-titled disc "was probably the best album we've done. Musical-wise, the songs, I felt, were strong. And just musically, to me, it was, I guess, my BEATLES 'White Album'; that's kind of how I feel about that one. I'm not saying that any of my other albums are crummy or anything like that — I love every album that we did — but that one just has a special thing for me."
MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee echoed Mick's sentiments, telling Australia's Beat about the CD: "It's huge. Honestly, dude, it's one of my favorite CRÜE records. Sonically, the songs and the playing on that record is gnarly. We worked our asses off on that record. We had so much to prove: Vince was gone, we had a new singer who also plays guitar and writes and he brought a whole new element to this. But once fans are used to a certain thing, they just didn't want to know about any other version of MÖTLEY CRÜE. That's understandable, but when you break it down, that record still sounds rad today."
MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx was less complimentary about the album, telling Sweden Rock Magazine last December: I think it was a very unfocused record. It was painful for me, because John Corabi can't write lyrics, and I had to do all that work. It was the first time I ever had to work with somebody that wanted to participate in the lyrics. And my standard is so high that it was just… It was so hard, it took months... Usually, I write a set of lyrics in an hour. And it's all about having pent-up information and aggression and just [letting it out]. And it was just hard, because he was… a nice enough guy, but he just didn't have that fire, and it was hard for me… In general, it felt like a great-sounding record, but a little bit unfocused. That's just me. Like, the choruses weren't big enough."
Tags: motley crue, mick mars, john corabi
Watch STATIC-X Perform In Hampton, New Hampshire
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BUTCHER BABIES Bassist Quits Band To Focus On Raising His Daughter
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OVERKILL Frontman Loves Politics But Won't Sing About It
OVERKILL frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth says that he won't cover political topics in his lyrics because he doesn't want to "invade" people's personal beliefs.
Asked by Canada's The Metal Voice if he ever injects any of his political views into the subject matters that he writes about in his lyrics, Ellsworth said (hear audio below): "I love politics. I mean, it's something I've followed since before college, when I was in high school; it's just something I've always liked. I think it's because I like history, and I think if you like history, you equate it to the politic of the time. So, for me, it's of great personal interest, but I don't think I'm qualified to tell people what my views are or what my stance is on something. And not that I have great influence."
He continued: "Listen, I'm the same asshole who wrote… was part of the writing of [OVERKILL's debut album] 'Feel The Fire'. So, the point being is that politics should be personal and not swayed by that of an entertainer.
"You know, I think that people, when they get a record deal and they write a record and it's relatively successful, and then three and four records [later], it gets more and more successful, that person thinks that they are suddenly smarter than they were on the first record. It's just not true. [Laughs] It's just not true; you're the same guy. I mean, sure, there's growth, but you're not instantaneously politically smarter, and to invade people's political beliefs, I think, is… I personally think it's a sin, because I think it's an individual right. So I won't put politics in any of my lyrics."
In regards to how he goes about writing his lyrics, Ellsworth said: "First and foremost, I like to speak about things I know, and probably the thing I know the most about is OVERKILL.
"I've been here [as the OVERKILL singer] for over three decades, and most of my principles and the good things I have in life have been given to me through OVERKILL, were earned through OVERKILL," he continued. "And I think there's a lot of principles [that are instilled] in anybody in a band for that amount of time, or even a business or a relationship for thirty-plus years. So it's what makes me me. So I speak about our principles, whether they be commitment, whether they be unity, whether they be friendship or even betrayal. I speak about blacks and whites with regard to, you know, friendship maybe the white and betrayal maybe the black. So I'm trying to use broad strokes with regard to how I live my life."
Ellsworth went on to say: "With regard to adding wit [to some of the songs], I just kind of speak in my own vernacular in lyrics. I mean, I would speak like I'm having a conversation and then apply that to lyrical content. So it's a phrase, or it's a word, or something common to our expressionism down here. So, again, it's a vernacular and things I know."
In a 2010 interview with Canada's "The Red Switch" show, Ellsworth revealed that he wasn't a fan of Barack Obama, calling the then-president a "liar." The singer explained at the time: "He [Obama] wasn't in office for more than two months 'till he raised taxes on the middle class, which is what got him elected. He is now in office for over a year and had every environmental group backing him because he would never do offshore drilling, and he's just planned a map as of last week. This health-care situation has put another nail in the coffin, so, as far as I'm concerned, to the middle class and to the guy who works for himself, he [Obama] could care less."
He continued: "In my opinion, Democrats are elitists — they're just out of touch with what the regular American guy who works for himself does and think that they know better because we're a little bit less educated than they are, so they align themselves with [actor] Leonardo DiCaprio, who's telling us to stop wiping our ass with so much toilet paper when he owns nine fucking houses. [cracks up laughing] And they align themselves with [former Vice President] Al Gore, who says, 'Everybody's gotta have to have a carbon footprint.' And when you look a little bit deeper, he owns the only company that does that. [cracks up laughing]"
Ellsworth added: "So, really, that whole Democratic party, as far as I'm concerned, really stabs the guy who works for himself. I mean, it's an awful thing.
"People can hate what happened prior with the Republicans. We didn't really have the biggest, let's say, profile with regards to the world and what they thought of us, but the reality is that if you work for yourself, under the Republicans, you get to keep more of it and not give it away. The Democrats make bigger government and they say, 'We have to guide you, sheep.' [cracks up laughing]
"So, I'm not a big fan. [cracks up laughing]"
OVERKILL's eighteenth album, "The Grinding Wheel", will be released on February 10 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was produced by OVERKILL and mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, ACCEPT). The artwork was created again by Travis Smith (NEVERMORE, OPETH, SOILWORK, DEATH).
Photo credit: Mark Weiss
Tags: overkill
IGGY POP To Release 'Free' Album In September
URIAH HEEP Keyboardist PHIL LANZON To Release '48 Seconds' Solo Album
DEATHWHITE Completes Recording Second Album, 'Grave Image'
SAINT ASONIA Teases 'The Hunted' Single Featuring GODSMACK's SULLY ERNA
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November 28, 2011 Coats Museum News
The date on the calendar was December 16, 1924 when the Coats Board of Commissioners met in a called meeting by Mayor W.E. Nichols. The full board was present and a resolution was offered by Commissioner Wheless to put the town meeting of the board on a weekly basis. The motion was seconded by Commissioner W.M. Keen and the vote on the resolution carried unanimously and Tuesday night at 7:30 was designated as the time for the meetings. Mr. C.N. Rackcliff of Carolina Power and Light Company was present and made application for the franchise to carry on the general business of generating and distributing electric current within and near the town of Coats. It was moved by Commissioner A.R. Byrd that this business be passed upon at the next regular meeting on December 23, 1924 (Coats Town Meeting Minutes December 16, 1924).
Did the town have no electricity? Did Dr. H.C. Roberts not rebuild his small power plant after it was completely destroyed when the Coats Hosiery Mill burned at 4:00AM on that cold Tuesday morning in 1920? He had no insurance. Did we not read about Cumberland Power Company officials coming to Coats and telling the ladies of the small town of a little more than 525 people to purchase the electric irons, churns and other electric devises because electricity was coming to town?
I do know that Christmas was only two days away when the Coats Town Commissioners met at 7:30 p.m. on December 23, 1924. Mayor W.E. Nichols, S.M. Wheless, Jr., W.M. Keen, A.R. Byrd, and Clerk J.C. Graham were present. Once again the discussion dealt with the CPL franchise to provide electric energy in and around Coats. After they read the franchise section by section and had a general discussion, the adoption of the franchise was unanimous (Coats Town Meeting Minutes December 23, 1924).
The date was December 30, 1924 when the Coats Town Board held its second meeting on the CPL franchise for electrical energy. Again the commissioners read the franchise section by section and had a general discussion of the same. All commissioners voted for the franchise. Correct documentation of minutes was certified and given to the Carolina Power and Light Company. The franchise to H.C. Roberts on January 18, 1917 was to be cancelled. Carolina Power was to provide twenty-five 100 CP streetlights (Coats Town Board Meeting Minutes December 30, 1924).
Questions-Do you wonder how Dr. Roberts reacted to the presence of CPL in Coats? How about the Coats Woman’s Club ladies who worked so hard to get lights in the 1921 brick school auditorium-did they approve of the arrival of CPL? How long would it take for the farmers to have electrical service from CPL?
This I do know. The year was 1925 and this was the year that Nellie Taylor Rice of Wyoming became the first woman to take office of governor. Paul Newman was born this year and wide-bottom trousers were the fad. “Silent Cal” spoke up and said that he would not be caught dead in them but as the President of the United States he did propose to phase out the inheritance tax. In Tennessee, teaching of evolution was banned in the public schools. Walter Chrysler formed the Chrysler Motor Company and the price of the car was not cheap--$1,500.00. James Buchanan Duke died and left money enough to make Duke University the wealthiest university. Was it called Duke in l924? When did it change from Trinity?
The Harnett County News January 15, 1925 issue reported that the Harnett County Board of Commissioners ordered the “Blue Laws” were to be enforced by Sheriff Fowler who was reminded that the custom of allowing garages, filling stations, drug stores and drinking stands could no longer open their doors on Sunday.
The county commissioners also turned over the 1920, 1921, 1922, and 1923 tax books to Henry A. Turlington for collection of drainage tax. Don’t ask me? The auditor was to make out an audit of taxes due and the collector had to give bond (Harnett County News January 8, 1925).
In that same edition of the paper, it was reported that the county board employed a firm of public accountants to audit the county books and to establish a modern and efficient bookkeeping system for the auditor of the county. Were they saying the county had an antiquated and inefficient bookkeeping system?
Did you know that Harnett County once had a poor farm and home? The January 8, 1925 Harnett County News wrote that J.P. Parker, manager of the poor farm and home, had put in a bill for 20 dollars for a cook hire. The county board stated emphatically that they would make so such allowance. They paid the bill that time, but sent word to Manager Parker that no cook could get on the county payroll. What do you think of these county commissioners?
Read next week to learn more about Henry Turlington before he became the tax collector. Death will take another prominent citizen in Coats and another fire will strike a major Coats industry?
Please be mindful that this article was published in the Daily Record in November 2011
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▶ PLAY TRAILER
Find similar movies...
With: Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Paul Gleason, John Kapelos
Written by: John Hughes
Directed by: John Hughes
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Who We Think We Are
In 1984, screenwriter John Hughes made his directorial debut with Sixteen Candles and became the voice of a generation of teens, myself included. His characters were more complex and confused, and subsequently funnier and more mature, than anything in an army of earlier teen films.
His first four movies as director, Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), Weird Science (1985), and Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) -- in addition to his screenplays for Pretty in Pink (1986) and Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) -- somehow coincided with my high school years. Many of us saw ourselves in some of the characters, and it helped us realize that we, perhaps, were not alone.
The Breakfast Club is the one for the ages, though. It's talky, and it contains a few scenes of filler (smoking pot, a makeover, etc.), but it's full of great, truthful dialogue and some hilariously unexpected moves. (Hughes reportedly wrote it in two days and also relied on improvisation by the actors.) The kids fit nicely into their pre-assigned "types," -- the Brain (Anthony Michael Hall), the Athlete (Emilio Estevez), the Princess (Molly Ringwald), the Criminal (Judd Nelson), and the Basket Case (Ally Sheedy) -- but they emerge as a whole by the end of the film. I never really identified with any one of them, but as a whole, I knew who they were.
Normally, Hughes allows adult characters to be objects of ridicule rather than three-dimensional characters, but in this one, the authority figure, Principal Vernon (Paul Gleason), is allowed some small moments to reveal who he truly is, as well.
The young actors became known as The Brat Pack and would go on to act with each other throughout the rest of the decade. The Breakfast Club soundtrack, with the great Simple Minds song, "(Don't You) Forget About Me," was a big deal for a while.
In 2017, the Criterion Collection released the movie on an excellent new Blu-ray edition, and for the first time, I realized how strong the movie's visuals are, especially the genius of the library set, the compositions, and the crisp cutting. (This was a movie I saw in the theater, in 1985, and then many times on muddy VHS tapes.) It includes a treasure trove of extras, starting with a 2008 commentary track by Anthony Michael Hall and Judd Nelson and tons of outtakes. There are interviews both new and vintage, a video essay, a behind-the-scenes documentary, audio interviews with Hughes, a This American Life episode with Molly Ringwald, and much more. David Kamp provides the liner notes essay.
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2 Excellent, Extremely Different Tracks from AWOLNATION's Upcoming New Album RUN
Like most people, until recently, I primarily associated AWOLNATION with 1 thing: The eventually, far too played out song Sail from their 1st studio album Megalithic Symphony (2011). I actually got to hear Sail performed live when AWOLNATION played the halftime show at the 49ers game on Thanksgiving night 2014 & was reminded of how much I still like that song! AWOLNATION's performance (many fireworks included) was the highlight of the football game considering how badly my beloved Niners were STOMPED that night by Seattle :'(
But I digress...AWOLNATION is releasing their 2nd studio album entitled Run next Tuesday on St. Patrick's Day & there are already 2 tracks I really like!
Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf) initially has a happier, more upbeat vibe only to then take a grittier turn toward the end:
Run (same title as the album), on the other hand, has a darker, more intense beat. I'm about to go on a beach run & plan to bump this song in my headphones to rile myself up a little bit!
If & when the above video stops working, you can check out Run on AWOLNATION's Soundcloud page here:
https://soundcloud.com/awolnation/01-run
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By Ellis Bacon July 05, 2018 8:30am
Updated: July 05, 2018 10:13am Race: Tour de France
Brittany: A brief Tour de France history
Home of five-time winner Hinault and three-time champion Bobet
Bernard Hinault, one of Brittany's best
(Immediate Media)
Even back in 1985, riders at least had the idea that aerodynamics mattered. Here, Bernard Hinault - wearing a pseudo-aero helmet - rides past Sean Kelly during an individual time trial.
(AFP Photo)
Frenchman Louison Bobet, cheered on by his wife, Christiane, climbs the Mont Ventoux in the 1955 Tour de France. Bobet went on to win his third consecutive Tour
Ferdi Kubler talks to champion Louison Bobet at the 1953 Tour de France
Phonak leads the chase through a Breton village
Alexis Vuillermoz (AG2R La Mondiale) wins on the Mûr de Bretagne
David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) on the attack
Romain Bardet has his best chance yet to win the Tour de France this July, and all French eyes will, quite rightly, be upon him in the hope that he can deliver the nation their first Tour victory since 1985.
From Hinault to Alaphilippe, Cyrille Guimard back in action
Groupama-FDJ to focus on Tour de France sprints with Démare
Tour de France 2018: The essential race preview
Tour de France: Vuillermoz rises to stardom after stage win on the Mûr-de-Bretagne
It's been 33 years of hurt since Brittany's Bernard Hinault stood atop the podium in Paris, and although Bardet hails from the Auvergne – and French fans won't really care where their next winner comes from – Brittany features heavily on this year's route, and could become one of the stars of this year's race itself as the place where the foundations of victory are built.
That 1985 Tour, won by Hinault – the 36th and last overall Tour victory by a Frenchman – in fact began in Brittany, with a six kilometre prologue time trial around Plumelec. Hinault won the stage in front of a feverish home crowd, and although he ceded the yellow jersey first to Eric Vanderaerden and subsequently Kim Andersen, Hinault was back at the head of affairs by the start of the second week, and held the lead all the way to Paris to record his fifth Tour de France win.
Chris Froome will be hoping that luck is on his side as the race makes its way through Brittany this year. Like Hinault, the Team Sky rider is looking to win his fifth Tour.
The 2018 Tour starts in the Vendée department, in the Pays de la Loire region, but it makes its way onto Breton soil during stage 4 for what is likely to be a sprint finish in Sarzeau, and then stays in Brittany for the next three days until stage 7 takes the race from Fougères out into the Centre-Val de Loire region for a stage finish in Chartres.
Stage 6, from Brest to the uphill finish on the Mûr-de-Bretagne, could see a serious shake-up in the overall standings as the sprinters make way for the GC contenders, possibly for the first time in the race. It will be a key stage during what will be a tough, and potentially dangerous, opening week to this year's Tour.
Rennes became the first town in modern-day Brittany to host a stage of the Tour de France when it was included on the 1905 route as the finish of stage 9's 263km jaunt from La Rochelle, and the start of stage 10 to Caen.
Nearby Nantes had already hosted stages at the first edition of the Tour in 1903, and again in 1904, and while once the capital city of Brittany, Nantes is now administratively part of the Pays de la Loire region, although it is still considered by many to be truly Breton.
It was, of course, rather good news that the 1905 Tour happened at all. After the treachery that had befallen the 1904 edition, when the top four finishers, including defending champion Maurice Garin, were accused, variously, of taking a train for part of the route and of using a cork tied to the back of a car to be held between their teeth and pulled along by, Tour founder Henri Desgrange stated that the "second edition will have been, I fear, its last – a victim of its own success".
Luckily, that wasn't the case, and the Tour was able to discover Brittany in all her glory in 1905, returning almost every year since and embracing what many perceive to be 'real' French culture, or at least the beloved stereotype of France, with its stripy Breton jumpers, crusty baguettes and, of course, bicycles.
Brest hosted the Grand Départ in 2008, and held the first non-time-trial opening stage since 1966, with Alejandro Valverde – who, 10 years later, starts this year's race as one of three leaders on the Movistar squad – winning the uphill finish in Plumelec to take that year's first yellow jersey.
Superstitious Australian fans who fancy Richie Porte's chances of overall victory this year might like to note that it was one of their own, Cadel Evans, who won the Tour in 2011, when it last started in the Brittany-neighbouring Vendée, and specifically in Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile, as it will this year. Evans set out his intentions on the Mûr-de-Bretagne finish on stage 4, where he got the better of Alberto Contador on what was the second of four stages held in Brittany that year.
The last time the climb featured on the Tour route, in 2015, it was Bardet's AG2R teammate, Alexis Vuillermoz, who won the stage, beating Ireland's Dan Martin and Valverde.
With the Mûr-de-Bretagne featuring once again this year, Porte could do a lot worse than attack there to try to steal the march on his main rivals. Quick-Step's Julian Alaphilippe, defending Tour champion Chris Froome and, indeed, Vuillermoz, Martin and Valverde might have something to say about that, though.
Hinault, Bobet and a bright future
Hinault is, arguably, Brittany's favourite son, and his Tour exploits thrilled the entire nation during the '70s and '80s. A close second-favourite son, however, has to be Louison Bobet: no slouch himself when it came to the Tour, with three Tour titles to his name, achieved in 1953, 1954 and 1955.
While Hinault – who won the Tour in '78, '79, '81, '82 and finally '85 – came from Yffiniac, on Brittany's northern coast, and was the scrappy son of a railwayman, Bobet was from Saint-Méen-le-Grand, west of Rennes – the son of a baker, and a little more Hollywoodien in his style. It's surely no coincidence, however, that two of the nation's finest cyclists hail from the region – two riders built tough as teak, having grown up battling Brittany's frequently inclement weather.
Today, one of the Groupama-FDJ team's most exciting up-and-coming young riders is Brittany's own David Gaudu. Born in Landivisiau, around 100km west of Hinault's hometown, Gaudu will, at just 21 years of age, make his Tour de France debut this July.
He'll be able to enjoy somewhat of a free role, too, to learn the Tour ropes due to the fact that the team's big GC hope, Thibaut Pinot, who finished third overall at the 2014 Tour, will be absent as he recovers from the pneumonia he suffered at the Giro d'Italia in May. The team is instead built principally around Arnaud Démare's sprint hopes.
Gaudu is a slightly built climber who has the potential to excel in the Tour's high mountains, and is one of France's hottest prospects since, well, Bardet.
If Bardet is unable to produce the Tour-winning goods this year, or in the years to come, France may turn to Gaudu to try to break the nation's unsuccessful run. Remember this year as the year he first rode the Tour. Brittany produced France's last Tour winner in Hinault, and, in Gaudu, may yet produce its next champion.
Vichot, Molard and Gaudu in final eight-rider selection
June 25, 2018 12:10pm
Frenchman dedicates victory to late father
David Gaudu
Groupama-FDJ
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Vigarano Mainarda
The territory covered by the Municipality of Vigarano Mainarda is made up of two main inhabited areas, Vigarano Mainarda and Vigarano Pieve, which have ancient origins, earlier even than the city of Ferrara. There is evidence for this place names of Roman origin, which indicate a demographic grouping formed within a large estate holding that took the name of the owner, probably called Varius. So the name would result from the association of Vicus Varianus and Manardo or Mainardo, names of a family which moved to the area in the 12th Century from Bertinoro of Forlì, and which was owner of the place for a long period of time. In that period, economical resources were mainly based on agriculture. However we have evidence of the presence of a trade along the River Po and Reno. During the centuries, in that area, agriculture has become the major resource determining the feel of the landscape as well.
Its Villas, towers farmhouses are well known and give honor to the agricultural past of Vigarano Mainarda. The ancient and well known Villa in the territory of Vigarano Mainarda is Villa Diamantina, built in the 16th Century at the time of the land reclamation carried out by the Este family, (end of 15th, beginning of 16th Century, it is a Delizia Estense. Villa Biagini, built in the 17th Century, has all the characteristics typical of Ferrarese houses: the rectangular hallway, red brick floors, ceilings with exposed wooden beams, internal stairways covered by barrel vaulting. Villa Roncati, was also built in the 17th Century, and shows a number of Venetian influences, especially in the fireplace and the small columns that support the balcony. Villa Bisi-Mayr, has the same structure as Villa Biagini, although restoration work in the 19th Century added two side wings, thus giving the whole an air of elegance and Villa Strozzi, that goes back to the 15th Century.
ART NOUVEAU IN VIGARANO
During the years following the Unification of Italy, the middle class of Ferrara tented to buy land and restore the old houses of the master land-owners, in the Vigarano Mainarda area. This was probably because of its favorable position, both for the road network and for the fertility of the surrounding land. The houses were embellished on the inside with decoration, often similar to that seen in buildings in the city. The style adopted in the decoration at the beginning of the 20th Century was, in most cases, Art Noveau. This style developed in Italy during the last years of 19th Century and continued into the next century up until the 20’s, when it merged with Art Deco.
Art Nouveau was developed extensively at Vigarano. The event that put this small town among the cornerstones of Art Nouveau and floral decoration in the Ferrara area, was the arrival of Ippolito Medini, who must be considered, without doubt, our greatest decorator in the Art Nouveau style. Ippolito Medini and his brother Giulio, tried to renew the Ferrarese taste in decoration. Over a period of twenty years they adorned the buildings, churches, and villas of Ferrara and the province, grafting the Ferrarese style onto the European context as a whole. Moving to Vigarano in 1913 Ippolito brought new life to a peasant environment. On his arrival he was called on to decorate the façade of Villa Lodi, an unusual request for our area, where, due to humidity, façades of villas were rarely frescoed.
A few traces of decoration survive at Villa Bonazzi, even though seriously damaged during the last war. The ceiling of one of the small salons opening on the left of the main hall survived, only to undergo retouching later. The best documented decoration carried out by Ippolito Medini from 1910 onwards, in collaboration with his assistant Bergamini, is found at Villa Roncati. Here, the small spiral columns of the façade have capitals in Art Nouveau style, while the design of the small balcony that they support is in the Neo-Gothic style. Of the many rooms decorated by Medini, only a space on the first floor, remarkable for its interesting style, has survived the war and post-war destruction.
The real masterpiece created by Ippolito at Vigarano, in collaboration with Bergamini, is, without doubt, the parish church of Vigarano Mainarda. Here one can see the beautiful “Concert of the Angels”, that still exist in the apse, and the two chapels which still have their original decoration.
Bergamini’s work can be seen in the Art Nouveau decoration at Villa Cariani – Biagini.
THE CHURCHES
The Saint Peter and Saint Paul Church in Vigarano Pieve is the unique expression of the rich decorations developed in the second half of the 18th Century which made it a highly characteristic example of Baroque. The parish church there, on the other hand, has very ancient origins, and was already listed as a parish church in a charter of 1143. It contains work of a certain importance, for example the altar piece depicting the “Virgin glory with Saint Peter and Saint Paul”, by Bastianino.
The 16th Century parish church at Vigarano Mainarda, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, has undergone numerous periods of restoration. Inside there are examples of decoration by Ippolito Medini and his collaborator Duillio Bergamini.
As for museum, an area dedicated to Museum “Carlo Rambaldi” will be built in the new school of Vigarano Mainarda. Honorary Citizen of Vigarano Mainarda since September 2010 as a sign of gratitude for his great work, Carlo Rambaldi is known as the Inventor of special effects in cinematography. Died in August 2012, he is well known internationally for his industrious career that let him to win three Oscars: one Special Achievement Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1977 for the 1976 version of King Kong and two Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects in 1980 and 1983 for, respectively, Alien (1979) and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). He is most famous for his work in those two last mentioned films, that is for the mechanical head-effects for the creature in Alien and the design of the title character of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. In January 2014, in his honor the Foundation “Carlo Rambaldi” was elected with the aim to organize international debates, conferences and Film Festivals to continue and remember his work.
Vigarano Mainarda offers typical Ferrarese cooking: caplit (cappelletti) similar to tortellini Bolognese but a little bigger, caplaz (cappellacci) - tortellini stuffed with pumpkin, coppietta or ciupeta – fragrant, light, puffy bread in special shape, and pinzin – a mixture of flour and water, fried and eaten immediately.
The area is known for two gastronomic specialities: Frogs and Salama da Sugo, or salamina di Madonna Boschi, to which the Festival of the Salama da Sugo is dedicated.
This is, without doubt, one of the best known Ferrarese dishes, already celebrated at the time of the Dukes of Este. “I thank your Excellency for the salama that you so graciously sent me, I found it delicious.” So wrote Lawrence the Magnificent in a letter in 1481 addressed to Ercole I of Este, to thank him for the gift received.
The salama, a sack containing minced pork, spices and red wine, is cooked by steaming, but only after it has matured over a long period of time. It should be eaten in small portions due to its strongly aromatic and spicy flavor, accompanied by mashed potato. Salama has been celebrated for more than five centuries, and the Festival of Madonna Boschi has been held annualy since 1985 to promote this important product.
The typical cakes, we mention the Torta Tenerina, made of chocolate and butter, the Pampepato or Pampapato a Christmas cake and Torta di Tagliatelle, Tagliatelle Pie, pie from the Renaissance dedicated to the curly and blonde hair of Lucrezia Borgia.
Starting from gastronomy, a lot of cultural manifestation take place in Vigarano Mainarda. As for the salama, we could mention the traditional Sagra della salama that take place every last September, beginning of October of each year, that attracts a lot of people from the nearby regions. The salama is well known in France, in the twinned town Caudebec lès Elbeuf, as well, due to the manifestation “Marché Couleurs du Monde”, a gastronomy event that shows typical food and where local producers from the twinned countries meet each other.
Pears and apples are typical products of our region as well. To valorise them, in Vigarano Mainarda two important events are organised. During “Sagra della Mela” and “Sagra della Pera” in autumn, visitors could walk along the stands and have information on the importance of their nutritive values in our diet and in our economy too.
As for bread, we could mention the “Gran Festa del pane”. This event takes place every year in the twinned city and member of Cittaslow, Altomonte (Cs). The event aims to revalue the culture of bread in our society. During this event bakers from the whole Italy come and show their products so visitors could taste breads from the various regions of Italy as: the bread from Cerchiara or the bread from Ferrara and discover, in this way our diet and our history.
The twinning of Vigarano Mainarda
The Council Administration of Vigarano Mainarda is twinned with the Council of Salgótarján (Hungary), a small city, situated 110 km from the capital, in the north of Hungary. Salgótarján is the centre of one of smallest counties, Country Nograd, one of the major political, economic, cultural and administrative centres of country.
Caudebec-lès- Elbeuf (France) is situated in the department of Seine-Maritime in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France. It is a residential and light industrial town situated by the banks of the river Seine, some 13 miles (21 km) south of Rouen, at the junction of the D919 and the D921 roads.
Finally, the Council Administration in 2010 twinned with the Italian city of Altomonte in the Calabria region of Southern Italy. Altomonte is 60 km far from Cosenza . It is small town of strong artistic and historical interest and it is associated to the “The Most beautiful Villages in Italy” (I Borghi più belli d’Italia). In 2010, we mention as well the signature of “friendship pacts” with the city of Bad Dürrenberg (D), Praha Libuš (Cz) and Chiakariga (Kenya).
Every year, the city of Vigarano Mainarda and the twinned cities organise a lot of cultural exchanges in particular for young people. Students from our local school take part in a exchanging programme. This programme, based on the mutual exchange, give the opportunity to our students and foreign students to spend a week in a twinned town and to live an international experience.
FESTA DELLO SPORT 2017
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Mission & Initiatives
Scientists - Video Storytelling Bootcamp
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Educators - Research Experience for Pre-Service Teachers (REPT)
Educators - Ocean Science Coursework for Pre-Service Educators
Ocean Science Courses
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COSEE Education Materials
Marine Science in the Morning Lecture Series 2017
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Smithsonian Hosts Morning Marine Science Lecture Series
Media contact, only:
Laura Diederick, Education Specialist
diederick@si.edu
December 17, 2014 – Adults and seniors are invited to enjoy a series of six lectures presented by local researchers and experts in marine science. This Wednesday morning lecture series is hosted at the St. Lucie County Aquarium, featuring the Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit on South Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce and is sponsored by the Florida Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE). The bi-weekly series will focus on current topics in marine science, including:
Understanding Marine Biodiversity from the Coral Triangle to the Indian River Lagoon with Dr. Seabird McKeon of Smithsonian Marine Station
Passing the "Acid Test" on Ocean Acidification with Dr. Marguerite Koch of Florida Atlantic University
Discovery and Protection of Deep-water Coral Reefs with Stephanie Farrington of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University
Vibrio in the Lagoon & Implications for Human Health with Gabby Barbarite of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University
Making Pollution Visible in the Indian River Lagoon with Dr. Beth Falls and Chloe Lloyd of Ocean Research & Conservation Association, Inc.
Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystems: A Look at the Smithsonian’s 40-year History in Belize with Scott Jones of Smithsonian Marine Station
Lectures begin at 9:00am at the Ecosystems Exhibit and will last until approximately 10:00am. Coffee and light refreshments will be provided starting at 8:30am. Advance registration is required as space is limited. Lectures are free with paid admission ($3 for seniors 55+, $4 for adults). One-year memberships, which include free admission, are available starting at just $15. Please contact the Education Office at (772) 465-3271 for further questions or to reserve your seat today!
COSEE Florida is a partnership between Indian River State College (IRSC), Ocean Research and Conservation Association (ORCA), the Smithsonian Marine Station, and Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne. COSEE Florida is based at the IRSC Science Center at the Main Campus in Fort Pierce, Florida and joins the national network of 12 centers and a Central Coordinating Office funded by the National Science Foundation’s Division of Ocean Sciences. For more information about COSEE Florida, visit www.coseeflorida.org.
The Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit is located in the St. Lucie County Aquarium at 420 Seaway Drive on South Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce. The Smithsonian Marine Station has teamed with St. Lucie County and other community partners to create this unique educational facility. The Ecosystems Exhibit is an outreach effort of the Smithsonian Marine Station, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. A fixture in the Fort Pierce community for over 40 years, the Marine Station is dedicated to understanding the character and diversity of the marine and estuarine habitats of Florida. For more information, visit www.sms.si.edu.
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Copyright © 2017. The Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE). All rights reserved. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant #1038998, 1039107, 1038990, and 1039014. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
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HomeSingle ReviewsTrisha Yearwood, “They Call it Falling For a Reason”
Trisha Yearwood, “They Call it Falling For a Reason”
July 2, 2008 Kevin John Coyne Single Reviews 25
My last Trisha Yearwood single review was exactly one word long, so I’ll try to embellish a bit more here. Let’s see. How’s this?
“A well-written, expertly performed and tastefully produced single that showcases Yearwood’s incomparable vocal talents without getting in the way of the song’s lyrics. ”
Okay, that describes nearly all of the dozens of singles that Trisha Yearwood has released, so I’ll have to be more specific:
“A well-written, expertly performed and tastefully produced single that showcases Yearwood’s incomparable vocal talents without getting in the way of the song’s lyrics. The lyrics mention trapeze acts.”
Written by Matraca Berg & Jim Collins
Listen: They Call it Falling For a Reason
Buy: They Call it Falling For a Reason
Little Big Town, “Fine Line”
Phil Vassar, “I Would”
Your choice of picture is eerily familiar. :) No worries, though.
Yikes! I just went to your site and I see what you mean! Methinks she needs to take some new publicity shots.
Tony C
This is my favorite single she’s released from the album yet. I dug the energy and her vocal performance on the title track, but the song was lacking in melody. It was all gusto without much to keep me coming back. This one is ace.
thechasethielbar
I love all the songs on her new album. I think this one is an amazing song, but I was really rooting for “Nothin’ About You Is Good For Me”, it just has that really cool vibe to it, and IMO would be a hit. This would should be a hit too. But I just really would love to here that one on radio all the time. Oh well maybe she’ll do that for the 4th single. I still can’t wait to start hearing about this one, and radio better make it Number 1 because Trisha deserves it not just because all of her songs are excellence but because of all hits radio should’ve embraced.
Erik North
As it happens, this is my favorite track on her album HEAVEN, HEARTACHE, AND THE POWER OF LOVE. She seems to be emulating middle/late 1970s-era Linda Ronstadt in some of her vocal intonations and wails, which may be precisely the point because her articulation of what Linda’s albums have meant to her is legendary.
I love starting out my runs with this song, It’s just puts me in a good mood and the tempo makes for a good pace to run with. Love TY!
RatedGProdigy
This song reminds me of her & country music from the 90s. I like it.
Well, I’m only 17 and brazilian, so I don’t understand so much about the country scene and all this stuff. I read a lot, download a lot, and really like country music. But some questions just come to my mind now and then, and one special is about Trisha. I know she’s great, I also have some of her albums and God, that’s amazing. But she’s just a singer, as Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood for example. So my question is: What made her different for most of the people? What does she got that puts her on the next level about the others who just sing?? I’ve noticed that sooo many people just adore her, and don’t like so much of Martina, Carrie, Jamie O’Neal, etc…
Thanks if someone could clean my mind and sorry for my poor english…
Felipe, I think it’s all about her voice and how she doesn’t oversing her material. She stayed in pitch all the time and chooses songs that fit her range (and ones that go beyond familiar territory and prove she can sing about anything). She’s a really kind and cool person and her music just sounds so good.
While I like the others (I love Martina – I actually rank her above Trisha, musically), they can tend to oversing their songs sometimes and while their voices are very good and unique, they’re just different than Trisha in lots of ways.
J.R. Journey
Why is Trisha better than Martina or Carrie? Now, that’s a good question? Here’s an answer …
1. The Song Remembers When
2. Walkaway Joe
3. Woman Walk The Line
4. Down On My Knees
5. Georgia Rain
… I could go on and on …
J.R.,
The Song Remembers When is one of the best country songs of all time in my book.
As for this song, I wrote about it too (and had to use a picture from “Jasper Country” for the site. I obviously love it and think it may just get her back in the Top 10.
And because she’s not just a singer, but an artist, and an amazing one at that. Don’t forget Hearts In Armor.
Hey, Matt, I just stubled onto your blog and am reading it now … great site. I’ll be back!
*stumbled – don’t you hate it that you can’t edit after you post?
What puts Trisha above the rest is her song choice she has NEVER put together a poor album. It is all immaculate material. Her voice too is just amazing. I would have picked “Nothin Bout Memphis” for the next single I think that song for Big Machine is money in the bank and could really take the album to Gold where it belongs. I think story songs sell for Trisha, I mean look at her history!
“This Is Me” was excellent but didnt chart that high but its been over 25 weeks I believe and its still in the top 30 so it did do well for her.
felipe,
trisha yearwood is to female country music what the “selecao” is to football. among all the great teams, be it italy, argentina, france, germany etc., the brasilian team still stands out. they may not always win the world cup but every soccer-fan all over the world loves to watch them performing their “art of football” because it’s full of special and memorable moments that the others just cannot create the way they can.
there are many great vocalists in country music but trisha yearwood is one of the few, whose music (albums) is full of such “special moments (songs)” and so far it looks as if this is going to continue with every release from her. by the way, in concert she sounds even better than on record but that’s only my personal view.
I agree with you 110%But I may think of her even higher lol
In concert noone is quite as amazing!
I know I’m not adding anything new to the conversation, but I think this is a great song from an excellent album.
Thanks guys for all the explanations!
Monticello Boy
Trisha’s ability to select music that is true to her artistic talent allows her to remain on a level above her peers. She does not choose her pieces based on popularity. She bases them on her love for the lyrics and music. She has repeatedly shared that her favorite thing to do is sing. She loves entertaining and telling a story through song. Very few artists today are in it for the love. That shines through and makes her what she is; the best singer of our generation.
Meh, I’m not a huge fan of the song.
TenPoundHammer
I agree with Stephen H. I’m just not getting into it at all. Yet.
By the way, I think the blandest Trisha songs are the totally uninspired “How Do I Live” and “I Would’ve Loved You Anyway”, and the overly-restrained “I Wanna Go Too Far”. The rest are A- or better. Except for a few that I don’t remember (Bus to St. Cloud, I Need You, Down on My Knees, Real Live Woman, I’ll Still Love You More, Inside Out, I Don’t Paint Myself…), that is.
I meant to expand on my earlier comment, by the way, but was just too tired.
Basically, the title and general idea seem to be very similar to Lee Ann Womack’s “Why They Call It Falling,” and the lyrics are pretty uninspired. Although her voice is usually very good, I have never had the love affair with her music that some people have had (i.e., “Perfect Love,” which I brought up in the bad lyrics thread). It is a shame, however, that her best chart days are behind her, while “Come On Over” races up the charts.
Oh, and by the way, hey, TenPoundHammer, it’s spell4yr from Wikipedia.
Hi there spell4yr. I agree with you on Perfect Love too.
Radio is not going to pick this song up. It’s a great song. The vocals are amazing. I hear the actual vocals on this song is actually the demo they recorded. But radio is not fair to Trisha Yearwood. She hasnt had a top 10 hit since ” I Would’ve Loved You Anyway ” in 2001 and a #1 hit since ” Perfect Love ” And between those songs and now theres been a lot of great singles. So I say Fu*k radio ! They suck !
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Cathy Jones
A native of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Cathy Jones is a Canadian actress, comedian and writer. Jones was 18 when she joined Tommy Sexton, Greg Malone, Mary Walsh, and Dyan Olsen in Toronto in 1973. Together they formed the comedy troupe CODCO. Andy Jones (Cathy Jones brother) and Robert Joy joined the company in early 1974.
In 1992, Jones, comic Rick Mercer and former CODCO co-stars Mary Walsh and Greg Thomey created a new television series, This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Jones has won 18 Gemini Awards and three Canadian comedy awards for Best Writing in a Comedy Series for her work on 22 Minutes and CODCO. She has also toured extensively with her one-woman shows Wedding in Texas and Me, Dad and The Hundred Boyfriends.
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DJ Shadow - The Organ Donor
Added 10 years ago by Erdem in Hip-Hop
Known as the godfather of instrumental hip-hop, DJ Shadow (real name Josh Davis) has proven himself with groundbreaking, genre-defining solo output on such respected labels as Solesides and Mo’ Wax.
Although Shadow’s earlier works, especially Endtroducing, are known for their innovation in genres such as hip-hop, ambient, and trip-hop, his latest album, The Outsider, had several tracks dedicated to Hyphy. This decision has been controversial, leaving many fans feeling alienated. DJ Shadow addressed this point in an August, 2006 interview, in which stated, “Repeat Endtroducing over and over again? That was never, ever in the game plan. Fuck that. So I think it’s time for certain fans to decide if they are fans of the album, or the artist.”
DJ Shadow spent his teenage years in Davis, California and was a dj at the community radio station KDVS. During his time as a radio disc jockey, DJ Shadow was significant in developing the experimental instrumental hip-hop style associated with the California-based solesides record label. His early singles for the label, including In/Flux and Lost and Found (S.F.L.), were genre-bending works of art merging elements of funk, rock, hip-hop, ambient, jazz, soul, and used-bin found records. DJ Shadow is often cited as a leading creator of trip-hop, though this is a label he strongly contests.
Although he previously released a couple of original works (during 1991-1992 for Hollywood Records) by the time Mo’ Wax’s James Lavelle contacted him about releasing In/Flux on the fledgling imprint, it wasn’t until his distribution association with mo’ wax that his sound began to mature and cohere.
Shadow’s first full-length work, Endtroducing…, was released in late 1996 to immense critical acclaim. Following the success of this album, he acted as a shadow producer for Rage Against the Machine for their album, Evil Empire. It is said he influenced the solo on their song “Bulls On Parade”. Endtroducing… made the Guinness World Records book for “First Completely Sampled Album” in 2001. Preemptive Strike, a compilation of early singles, followed in early 1998. Later that year, Shadow produced tracks for Psyence Fiction, the debut album by U.N.K.L.E., a long-time Mo’ Wax production team that gained superstar guests including Thom Yorke (of Radiohead), Richard Ashcroft (of The Verve), Mike D (of The Beastie Boys) and others. His next project came in 1999, with the transformation of Solesides into a new label, Quannum Projects. Nearly six years after his debut production album, his second album, The Private Press, was released in June 2002. In the same year, the movie “Scratch” (2001, Doug Pray) was released to DVD with DJ Shadow appearing several times throughout the movie.
The documentary films “Dark Days” and “Wisconsin Death Trip” feature music of DJ Shadow while “Scratch” features an interview and more music.
DJ Shadow has also collaborated with fellow artist Cut Chemist. Together they have made two CDs entitled Brainfreeze and Product Placement. These albums fuse jazz, funk, and soul in the framework of a cohesive concept. The second of these (Product Placement) followed a very similar pattern to the first, but using remixes/other versions of the songs in roughly the same order.
In the year 2004, Shadow released his feature length DVD, In Tune and On Time. The DVD features a live performance in London, emphasizing intricate visuals.
In 2005, Shadow released a Deluxe Edition of his first album, Endtroducing… and a new album, titled “The Outsider” in 2006.
Also in 2005, Brian Udelhofen began work on the Shadow Percussion Project, an attempt to adapt some of the tracks from Endtroducing… for a live performance group. The result was largely successful and well-received by DJ Shadow himself.
In 2007 DJ Shadow was contacted by the Hollywood Bowl to do a show featuring Freeze with Cut Chemist. However, not wanting to repeat old material DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist came up with a whole new routine entitled The Hard Sell. In 2007 and 2008 they went on The Hard Sell tour and were accompanied on stage by two large video screens with visuals created for the tour.
Solo Albums
* 1996 - Endtroducing…
* 1998 - Preemptive Strike
* 2000 - Dark Days
* 2002 - The Private Press
* 2003 - The Private Repress (Japanese Remix Album)
* 2004 - In Tune and On Time
* 2005 - Endtroducing… (2xCD Deluxe Edition)
* 2006 - The Outsider
* 2007 - The 4-Track Era Vol.1 Best of the KMEL Mixes
* 2007 - The 4-Track Era Vol.2 Best of the Remixes and Megamixes (1990-1992)
with Q Bert
* 1997 - Camel Bobsled Race (Q-Bert Mega Mix) CD-EP
with UNKLE
* 1998 - Psyence Fiction
with Cut Chemist
* 1999 - Brainfreeze
* 2001 - Product Placement
* 2004 - Product Placement on Tour
* 2005 - Freeze
* 2008 - The Hard Sell
with Dan The Automator
* 1998 - Bombay the Hard Way: Guns, Cars and Sitars
Tags: trip-hop, electronic, hip-hop, turntablism, electronica
Twin Shadow - Slow
Gonjasufi - Yogananda Swami
Dr. Dre - The Chronic - Nuthin' But A G Thang
Tubbs - New Way of Life
Edan - Fumbling Over Words That Rhyme
Madvillain - Accordion
Deltron 3030 - Things You Can Do
The Nextmen - Round Of Applause
Linn And Freddie - Blip Blop
Sagopa Kajmer - Baytar
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Vol 24 No 23
Long-grassers seen as blight on Darwin's iconic foreshore
Mike Bowden
I was sitting on the front verandah of our lovely small flat on Darwin’s Nightcliff foreshore, having invited my adult son and his family over for dinner. We were talking the local Vinnies’ decision to relocate its SOS Van from its highly visible city location on The Esplanade. This followed the airing of safety issues and complaints from members of the community.
As we looked out on the bike and walking path adjacent to the azure Arafura Sea across from our home, he raised the uncomfortable but pertinent question that emerges for all residents when faced with the possibility that the tranquillity and amenity of their beautiful environment is threatened by anti-social behaviour in close proximity.
Darwin has a small group of ‘long-grassers’ who live rough both in the vicinity of the CBD and the original dormitory suburbs to the north. The Vinnies SOS van has been servicing the needs of the Darwin City based group for many years, with a permit from the Darwin City Council. It offers a meal and hot drinks to homeless clients five nights a week in a spot close to where many of them spend the night.
It is a highly visible and iconic location, a short distance from the War Memorial that commemorates the bombing of Darwin during World War II. Permanent residents live in high rise apartments nearby and tourists stay in the five star hotels along The Esplanade. Like my own verandah, here are some of the best views in the Top End.
My son and I wondered how a community is to respond to the needs of its most marginalised citizens when their behaviour becomes an embarrassment, and possibly a danger, to other residents and visitors.
Should the interests of tourist entrepreneurs be put before those of the homeless and hungry? Should residents be able to enjoy the their picturesque location without the noise, fighting and litter of the riff raff?
The issue emerged on the day after Italian media reported that the Vatican had installed a shower block for the homeless on the edge of St Peter’s Square. If it is acceptable to cater for the marginalised in that highly visible tourist hot spot, surely there’s a moral imperative to acknowledge the rights and needs of the marginalised in Darwin.
Despite such conjectures, the St Vincent de Paul Society NT decided to relocate, so that it could continue to provide the service in a less visible location.
But where to? Initially Vinnies has decided upon Ozanam Centre, its major outreach centre 2.5 kilometres away in Stuart Park. Those who are hungry and homeless will somehow need to get themselves over to Stuart Park to get a feed.
Then how long will it be before the residents in the apartments and expensive homes, and business owners, in Stuart Park start to object? And if it is reasonable to require the hungry to travel so far for charity, the surely must be ready for further relocations of the facility.
What are the alternatives? One of the major Churches in the Darwin CBD was asked if they would ‘house’ the service. All that is required is an open space for a small van and room for about 40 people to congregate for an hour or so and access to toilets. The request was denied, presumably because a judgment based on a negative assessment of the questions posed above emerged. There are at least four other major Churches located in the CBD including St Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Cathedral.
Is it reasonable to expect one of these to offer a location (all have the space and toilet facilities)? Surely this is the ‘smelling like the sheep’ work that Pope Francis was talking about when addressing his priests in March this year.
If not the Churches, who else should step up to the plate? Surely it is not the responsibility of religious people and institutions only. Indeed local service groups in Darwin both sponsor the SOS Van and staff it regularly. Many of these people who give up their time are not church goers. Similarly the Darwin City Council has a responsibility to meet the needs of all residents of the City, not just ratepayers. It, too, must accept a responsibility to engage in a careful investigation to find an appropriate site.
There is a committee comprising relevant service providers, including Larrakia Nation, the Native title holder body in Darwin, who have been tackling this issue for many years. But a major concern is that widespread community ignorance and disinterest allows the strong voice of a small group to dominate the agenda and seems to have compelled the agencies to anticipate a community backlash, rather than feel that they are actually doing the community’s essential work on its behalf. The decision to stay on the Esplanade might be 'On the Nose' but it was the right decision, sadly forgone.
Mike Bowden has worked as a teacher and community worker in Alice Springs and Aboriginal communities in the Top End.
Recent articles by Mike Bowden.
Don Dale and the failure of arntarnte-areme
Alice Springs is still a contested space
Who to blame for Aboriginal homelessness
Catholics face Good Samaritan dilemma on Christmas Island
Emergency relief fall guys for a heartless government
Topic tags: Mike Bowden, Vinnies, homelessness, Indigenous welfare, Darwin, Pope Francis, St Vincent de Paul Society
Well written Mr Bowden. The St Vincent St Paul Society's founder, was inspired to start his work by the question, which I summarise as: What am I actually doing about the things I claim to believe? The Churches, the charities, the government departments, and all of us as individuals, need to ask ourselves that question.
Vin Victory | 27 November 2014
My reaction is "how terrible" and then I think "what am I actually doing about it". Mea culpa.
Jenni Gormley | 28 November 2014
Last night in Seaford, Melbourne the social justice group of our St Ann's parish with others held a meeting to support the retention of a cabin park that houses over 100 desperate people, many of whom attended the meeting. If the cabin is closed up to 60 people would be on the street. A Number of people , mostly men sleep on the beach in Seaford. It is not enough that we just write and talk about this situation, this is the reality for many people in all suburbs of Australia.
Kevin Vaughan | 28 November 2014
A few days ago I overheard a conversation on the bus. A local resident was congratulating himself on the fact that the local council had 'moved on' a group of jobless, homeless young people. His companion commented that they'd only moved a few streets away, so 'the problem still exists'. So - the solution....? When people are the problem, rather than having problems, it's frightening to think about how the problem could be solved.
Joan Seymour | 28 November 2014
maybe it's gentrification creeping up on what used to be thought of as a public commons - the beaches and bushes nearby. maybe next step will be to fence it off so property owners don't get offended.
walter p komarnicki | 29 November 2014
Very well said Mike. You continue to speak for the homeless and those on the edges as you've always done. It is sad to read that this has occurred. It's becoming more common unfortunately. I do volunteer work for Vinnies in Melb and the homeless situation is getting worse.
Nancy Freddi | 29 November 2014
Here’s a crazy idea: Why doesn’t the Labor Party recraft the Mining Tax with all the revenues from that being put into a special fund for the homeless (and also refuges for abused women and kids)? Labor might even call upon Twiggy Forrest to back them. Though he was a strong opponent of the Mining Tax, how could he, someone who seems to have a social conscience, oppose such a scheme? The miners would of course reject it but the public odium of doing so would make them a very isolated group, exposing them as heartless Bs. How could anyone oppose a scheme to house the homeless and provide shelter for battered women/children? However, Labor must make sure that any Mining Tax was properly drawn up this time, not the shambles that was hurriedly thrown together by Swan, Rudd and Gillard. Labor should be guided by the way the Resources Tax was crafted by Hawke and Keating in the early 1990s - in a competent manner after prolonged consultation with the mining sector. There are about 105,000 homeless in Australia of whom over 6000 sleep rough. Estimates suggest that it would cost about $600 million to accommodate them. Such a scheme could be part of Labor's platform (and perhaps the Green's) for the next election. .
Dennis | 30 November 2014
Ritual procrastination as part of the grieving process
Jim Pilmer
Personal grief, complicated by group dynamics, is a volatile mixture. Phillip Hughes' death reminds us that personal stories highlight the huge variety of needs and perceptions surrounding a death in the workplace. When do we tidy the desk of the colleague who won't be back? There is a time, but maybe it's not yet.
Is there a defence vote?
John Warhurst
The wider Defence community is now ascendant in the Australian community, yet the ADF has still suffered an effective cut in pay. Independent Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie is projecting herself as the defender of defence personnel and promising to vote against all government policy until the pay offer is upgraded. But there are strong reasons to suggest defence welfare may not have much of a political impact at the next election.
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Western District of Missouri
Reproductive Health Services v. Webster , 655 F. Supp. 1300 ( 1987 )
655 F. Supp. 1300 (1987)
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES, et al., Plaintiffs,
William L. WEBSTER, et al., Defendants.
No. 86-4478-CV-C-5.
United States District Court, W.D. Missouri, C.D.
March 17, 1987. As Amended April 30, 1987. Final Judgment on Consent June 23, 1987.
*1301 *1302 *1303 Frank Susman, Thomas M. Blumenthal, Susman, Schermer, Rimmel & Parker, St. Louis, Mo., Roger K. Evans, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York City, for plaintiffs.
Michael Boicourt, Jerry E. Short, William L. Webster, Office of Atty. Gen., Jefferson City, Mo., for defendants.
Andrew F. Puzder, St. Louis, Mo., for amicus curiae.
SCOTT O. WRIGHT, Chief Judge.
This is a class action for declaratory and injunctive relief in which plaintiffs challenge the constitutionality of several sections of the 1986 Missouri act relating to the regulation of abortions ("the Act").[1] This Court has jurisdiction under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and § 1343(3).
The named plaintiffs include Reproductive Health Services, a not-for-profit Missouri corporation operating an outpatient clinic in St. Louis, Missouri, which offers gynecological medical services to the public, including abortion services up to 22 weeks "gestational age."[2] Planned Parenthood of Kansas City is a not-for-profit Missouri corporation which provides pregnancy-related counseling and services, including abortions up to 14 weeks gestational age.
Plaintiff physicians are Howard I. Schwartz, M.D., Robert L. Blake, Jr., M.D., and Carl C. Pearman, M.D. These physicians are licensed to practice medicine in the State of Missouri and are associated with the University of Missouri Schools of Medicine, public facilities as defined in § 1(2) of the Act.[3] As such, they are "public employees" as defined in § 1(1), and are paid for the services they render by "public funds" as defined by § 1(3) of the Act. In the scope of that employment, these plaintiffs are consulted by pregnant female patients and, where medically indicated, have occasion to encourage or counsel such women to terminate their pregnancies. As part of their medical practice, Drs. Schwartz and Pearman also perform or assist with abortions, although not necessary to actually save their patients' lives.
Plaintiffs Carroll Metzger, R.N.C., C.M.A., and Mary L. Pemberton, B.S.W., are other health care providers, a registered nurse and social worker, respectively. Both are licensed in Missouri and employed at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, a "public facility." Both are "public employees" who, within the capacity of their employment, occasionally encourage or counsel certain patients to have abortions, even though the pregnancy is not life-threatening. Their services are paid for by "public funds."
These named plaintiffs bring this case on their own behalf and also as representatives of the entire class consisting of facilities, Missouri licensed physicians, or other health care professionals offering abortion counseling and services, and pregnant females.
Defendant William L. Webster is Attorney General of the State of Missouri. The State of Missouri has waived its 11th Amendment immunity from suit in federal court for this action only.
The Act was passed by the Missouri General Assembly on April 23, 1986, signed into law by Governor Ashcroft on June 26, 1986, and was to become effective on August 13, 1986. This action was filed on July 14, 1986. On July 31, 1986, this Court temporarily restrained enforcement of §§ 1.205.1(1), 188.025, 188.029, 188.039, 2, 3, and 4 of the Act. A full trial on the merits was heard on December 15-18, 1986.
I. Class Certification
Prior to trial, the Court certified the plaintiff class pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, after concluding *1304 that all prerequisites set forth in Rule 23(a) had been met.[4]
In evaluating whether the numerosity requirement is met, the Court considers the number of persons in a proposed class, the nature of the action and the inconvenience of trying individual suits. The Court finds that the number of health care providers, facilities and pregnant females in the State is sufficiently numerous. No arbitrary rules regarding the necessary size of classes have been established. Paxton v. Union Nat. Bank, 688 F.2d 552, 559 (8th Cir.1982).
The commonality requisite set forth in Rule 23(a) does not demand that every question of law or fact be common to every member of the class. Id. at 561. Rather, the issues are sufficiently common "where the question of law linking the class members is substantially related to the resolution of the litigation even though the individuals are not identically situated." Id.
Similarly, the claims of the representative parties are typical of those of the class if they emanate from the same legal theory, remedial theory or offense" as those they represent. U.S. Fidelity & Guaranty v. Lord, 585 F.2d 860, 870 (8th Cir.1978). Here, the necessary commonality and typicality exist where the statute would prohibit or mandate certain actions of all health professionals who are public employees dealing with pregnant women. Additionally, all women seeking abortions after a specified gestational period would be confronted with other provisions of the Act.
The fourth component of Rule 23(a) focuses on whether the class representatives have common interests with the class members and would vigorously prosecute the interests of the class through qualified counsel. Paxton, 688 F.2d at 562-63. Here, there are no apparent conflicts with the interests of the named plaintiffs and the rest of the class. Plaintiffs' counsel is well-established in this genre of litigation. However, in opposing class certification, the defendant contends that the failure to name as plaintiff a pregnant female seeking abortion services or counseling renders the proposed class description broader than the named plaintiffs' interest. This argument must fail. It is clear that a plaintiff physician has standing to assert the rights of his/her patients, including those seeking abortions. Singleton v. Wulff, 428 U.S. 106, 96 S. Ct. 2868, 2873-76, 49 L. Ed. 2d 826 (1976).
Further, this is the type of case appropriate for a 23(b)(2) class since the defendant has acted on grounds generally applicable to all members of the class and final injunctive and declaratory relief would be the appropriate remedy.[5] In cases which involve sensitive and highly personal matters, the reasons for certification become more substantial. A class action not only assures anonymity and prevents the chilling effect associated with public exposure concerning abortions, but also provides a fluid membership which guarantees a case or controversy. Singleton, 428 U.S. at 117, 96 S.Ct. at 2875.
The Court disagrees with the defendant's argument that class certification should be denied where the only relief sought is declaratory and injunctive in nature and would automatically inure to the benefit of those similarly situated with the plaintiff. There is no language in Rule 23(b)(2), as there is in Rule 23(b)(3), that requires the Court to consider the necessity for a class action. Rule 23(b)(2) was specifically designed to allow for the class action mechanism in civil rights cases. See Advisory Committee's Note to 1966 Amendment to Rule 23, 39 F.R.D. 98, 102 (1966). Accordingly, the requirements of the rule are given a liberal construction in civil rights suits. Coley v. Clinton, 635 F.2d 1364, 1378 (8th Cir.1980). If the requirements of Rule 23(a) are met, a district court's discretion to deny certification on the basis of Rule 23(b)(2) is limited.
*1305 While a district court generally should hold an evidentiary hearing before certifying a class, this is not mandatory where the Court has sufficient material before it to determine the nature of the allegations and whether the requirements of Rule 23(a) have been met. See Walker v. World Tire Corp., Inc., 563 F.2d 918, 921 (8th Cir.1977). Here, in the interest of judicial economy and considering the nature of the case, the Court determined that the class certification was proper on the basis of pleadings, affidavits and the law.
II. § 1.205 When Human Life Begins
Section 1.205.1 provides in part:
(1) The life of each human being begins at conception;
(2) Unborn children have protectable interests in life, health, and well-being.
Prior to trial, the Court granted plaintiff's motion in limine to exclude any evidence relating to this provision. In Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 162, 93 S. Ct. 705, 731, 35 L. Ed. 2d 147 (1973), the United States Supreme Court declared that a state may not adopt one theory of when life begins to justify abortion regulation. The general principles laid down in Roe, reaffirmed in City of Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Inc., 462 U.S. 416, 103 S. Ct. 2481, 76 L. Ed. 2d 687 (1983), and Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians, ___ U.S. ___, 106 S. Ct. 2169, 90 L. Ed. 2d 779 (1986), remain true today. It is inappropriate for this Court to conduct an inquiry into such a difficult and philosophical question:
"When those trained in the respective disciplines of medicine, philosophy and theology are unable to arrive at any consensus [when life begins] the judiciary, at this point in the development of man's knowledge, is not in a position to speculate as to the answer."
Roe, 410 U.S. at 158, 93 S.Ct. at 729.
Similarly, "the word `person', as used in the Fourteenth Amendment does not include the unborn." Id.
This legislative pronouncement by the Missouri General Assembly clearly conflicts with the essence of Roe v. Wade. Consequently, §§ 1.205.1(1) and (2) are invalid as a matter of law.
III. Summary Judgment
Prior to trial, the plaintiffs moved for summary judgment, urging that Mo.Rev. Stat. §§ 188.025, 188.029, 188.039, 2, 3, and 4 be declared unconstitutional as a matter of law. The standard for determining the propriety of summary judgment under Rule 56(a) is well-settled. Summary judgment should be entered only when it is clear that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. The Supreme Court has recently acknowledged the power of district courts to enter summary judgments sua sponte. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, ___ U.S. ___, 106 S. Ct. 2548, 2554, 91 L. Ed. 2d 265 (1986).
In making this determination, the evidence submitted to the Court "must be viewed in the light most favorable to the opposing party." Adickes v. S.H. Kress & Co., 398 U.S. 144, 157, 90 S. Ct. 1598, 1608, 26 L. Ed. 2d 142 (1970); Buford v. Tremayne, 747 F.2d 445, 447 (8th Cir.1984). Moreover, the moving party must demonstrate its right to a judgment with such clarity as to leave no room for controversy and that the other party is not entitled to recover under any discernible circumstances. Keys v. Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri, 668 F.2d 356 (8th Cir.1981). "[E]ven if the district court `is convinced that the moving party is entitled to [summary] judgment, the exercise of sound judicial discretion may dictate that the motion should be denied, and the case fully developed.'" Franklin v. Lockhart, 769 F.2d 509, 510 (8th Cir.1985), quoting McLain v. Meier, 612 F.2d 349, 356 (8th Cir.1979).
Employing the above standard, the Court indicated at the pretrial conference that Section 188.039.1 was facially unconstitutional as a matter of law, and that plaintiff's motion for summary judgment would be sustained on this section. However, the Court determined that a factual inquiry was necessary, thus precluding summary judgment on the constitutionality of §§ 188.025, 188.029, 2, 3, and 4.
IV. § 188.039"Informed Consent"
Mo.Rev.Stat. § 188.039[6] requires that "the attending physician" certify in writing *1306 that he or she has apprised the pregnant woman of certain facts before an abortion can be performed. The required information includes a statement "whether she is or is not pregnant" according to the best medical judgment of that physician.
The constitutionality of the requirement that "the attending physician" impart the information was settled in City of Akron, 462 U.S. 416, 103 S.Ct. at 2501-2502. In City of Akron, the Supreme Court invalidated a similar provision, holding that there was no state interest in requiring that "the physician performing the abortion, or for that matter any physician, personally counsel the patient in the absence of a request." Id., 462 U.S. at 448, 103 S.Ct. at 2502.
This Court is unaware of any limiting construction of this statute by Missouri courts. Hence, the Court cannot assume, as defendant suggests, that the Missouri General Assembly possesses a familiarity with hospital practices that renders the clear language of § 188.039 capable of a much broader interpretation.[7] The statute simply does not permit the attending physician to delegate to another qualified individual the responsibility to convey the information needed for informed consent. Thus, this provision is invalid as a matter of law.
Plaintiffs' remaining objection to Section 188.039 concerns the requirement that, prior to having an abortion performed, the woman must be informed "according to the best medical judgment of her attending physician whether she is or is not pregnant."
This regulation also must be considered in light of City of Akron, in which the Supreme Court stated that
"[T]he validity of an informed consent requirement rests on the State's interest in protecting the health of the pregnant woman.... (citation omitted)
[T]hus the state legitimately may seek to ensure that it has been made `in the light of all attendant circumstancespsychological and emotional as well as physical that might be relevant to the well-being of the patient.'" (quoting Colautti v. Franklin, 439 U.S. 379, 394, 99 S. Ct. 675, 685 [58 L. Ed. 2d 596] (1979).) This does not mean, however, that a State has unreviewable authority to decide what information a woman must be given before she chooses to have an abortion. It remains primarily the responsibility of the physician to ensure that appropriate information is conveyed to his patient, depending on her particular circumstances." (Emphasis added). City of Akron, 462 U.S. at 443, 103 S.Ct. at 2499.
In Planned Parenthood Association of Kansas City, Mo., Inc. v. Ashcroft, 655 F.2d 848 (8th Cir.1981), the Eighth Circuit held that the predecessor to § 188.039 was unconstitutional. This former provision required as part of informed consent that a pregnant woman be told "[t]hat according to the best medical judgment of her attending physician she is pregnant." The Ashcroft court found that the statutory language mandating an affirmation of pregnancy effectively proscribed menstrual extractions, an early and safe abortion procedure normally performed prior to a positive *1307 pregnancy test,[8] because it would be impossible to be certain that the woman is pregnant. Such prohibition was unconstitutional.
Defendants claim that the amended version cures the constitutional defect because it does not forbid menstrual extractions so long as the woman is informed of the physican's evaluation of whether she is or is not pregnant. In addition, the record reveals that pregnancy tests are now available which can accurately detect pregnancy as early as six days after implantation, or three days before the first missed menstrual period.[9] Hence, defendants also assert that advances in medical technology render the factual basis for the Ashcroft decision obsolete. The Court accepts this narrow interpretation of the Ashcroft holding and rejects plaintiff's counterargument that § 188.039 is essentially identical to the former statute and, thus, unconstitutional under principles of res judicata.
It is also clear that there are situations where the physician cannot, with certainty, determine whether or not a woman is pregnant.[10] The statute necessitates disclosure of the physicians "best medical judgment" of her pregnancy status. It is broad enough to encompass a diagnosis that the physician does not know whether a woman is pregnant.
However, this provision is constitutionally flawed in other respects. The statute mandates what the physician must present to each and every patient, regardless of the medical advisability of presenting such information in any particular case. While plaintiffs do not object as a general matter to telling a woman whether she is pregnant or not, it is clear that some physicians believe that it is in the best health interest of many patients seeking abortions not to be told definite results of pregnancy tests.[11] These are women who suspect they are pregnant and choose to abort, but cannot emotionally deal with the specific issue of being pregnant. Some physicians, in the exercise of their best medical judgment, would choose to respect the woman's evaluation of her emotional status and not foist on her specific information which she does not wish to hear.
Physicians disagree on how to approach patients seeking abortions. The physician's or other health professional's personal philosophy on abortions will certainly influence that approach.[12] It is not the province of this Court to approve one view or another. This Court must uphold the principles enunciated in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113, 93 S. Ct. 705, 35 L. Ed. 2d 147 (1973) and its progeny: that the right to privacy, the conception of personal liberty, encompasses a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy. From the testimony at trial, the Court concludes that the rule which, without exception, requires a physician to inform a patient of her pregnancy status constitutes an impermissible intrusion into the privacy of the doctor-patient relationship. The requirement deprives the woman seeking an abortion of the right to consult with her physician and rely on his discretion and professional judgment. See Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. at 165, 93 S.Ct. at 733.
The Court finds that the portions of § 188.039 so declared as unconstitutional are not severable from the remainder of *1308 the statute. Because the term "attending physician" is repeated in every subsection, the entire statute must fall as a unit. The provisions are inextricably woven together such that the valid provisions standing alone are incomplete and do not accurately reflect the legislative intent. See Mo.Rev. Stat. § 1.140 (1978). Hence, the requirement to impart specific information is invalid on this ground, as well.
V. § 188.025Post-Sixteen-Week Abortions to be Performed Only in a Hospital
Section 188.025 provides that every abortion performed at or subsequent to the first sixteen weeks gestational age shall be performed in a hospital.[13] The standard for evaluating the constitutionality of laws which regulate the performance of abortions after the first trimester is well-settled. In City of Akron, 462 U.S. at 430-31, 103 S.Ct. at 2493, the Supreme Court held that a state regulation which significantly impacts on a woman's access to abortion prior to viability of the fetus,[14] will be upheld only "to the extent that the regulation reasonably relates to the preservation and protection of maternal health." Id., quoting Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. at 163, 93 S.Ct. at 731.
Thus, this Court's first inquest focuses on whether or not § 188.025 "significantly impacts" on abortion rights. If so, then the "reasonableness" of the regulation must be resolved. However, the State may not "adopt abortion regulations that depart from accepted medical practice." Id. at 431, 103 S.Ct. at 2493. The health regulations imposed by the State must be "legitimately related to the objective the state seeks to accomplish." Id. Further, the State must make a reasonable effort to limit the regulation to that specific time during and after the second trimester when the health interest will be furthered. Id. at 434, 103 S.Ct. at 2495. The State has the burden of proving a health-justification. Id. at 430, 103 S.Ct. 2492-93; Planned Parenthood Ass'n of Kansas City v. Ashcroft, 664 F.2d 687, 689 (8th Cir.1981).
In City of Akron, 462 U.S. 416, 103 S. Ct. 2481, and Ashcroft, 462 U.S. 476, 103 S. Ct. 2517, the Supreme Court held that a hospitalization requirement for all second-trimester abortions was unconstitutional because such a requirement "unreasonably infringes upon a woman's constitutional right to obtain an abortion." City of Akron, 462 U.S. at 439, 103 S.Ct. at 2497; Ashcroft, 462 U.S. at 482, 103 S.Ct. at 2520. However, the Court did not draw a bright line to indicate at what point in the second trimester a state may require that abortions be performed in a hospital setting. This determination will depend on the impact of the regulation and its reasonableness, that is, whether it departs from accepted medical practice.
A hospitalization requirement clearly "places a significant obstacle in the path of women seeking an abortion." City of Akron, 462 U.S. at 434, 103 S.Ct. at 2495. The Akron court determined that the increased cost[15] of hospitalization and the fact that second-trimester abortions were rarely performed in area hospitals combined to significantly limit a woman's ability to obtain an abortion. If forced to travel to find available facilities, a woman incurs not only financial expense, but also additional health risks. Id.
It is evident that hospitalization significantly increases the cost of an abortion.[16]*1309 Moreover, the availability of hospital services for abortions is limited in Missouri. In 1985, only 22% of all abortions at 16 weeks or greater were performed in hospital facilities.[17] Of these relatively few hospital-performed abortions, 97% took place at Truman Medical Center, a public hospital in Kansas City.[18] Thus, the Court finds that, as in City of Akron, the scarcity of hospital-based abortion facilities restricts access to abortion services, and would necessitate travel by many across the state, which may result in delay and increased health risks to the patient seeking abortion services.[19] There is no evidence that hospitals in other parts of the state would offer abortion services if the hospitalization requirement were implemented.[20]
Accordingly, the Court concludes that the increased financial burden and restricted availability of hospital-based[21] abortion services creates a substantial interference with and imposes a direct burden on a woman's decision to have an abortion.
Having concluded that § 188.025 significantly impacts on abortion rights, the State must show that the sixteen-week hospitalization requirement reasonably relates to the State's interest in maternal health. In order to meet this burden, the State must show that non-hospitalized abortions of 16 weeks or greater gestational age can reasonably be considered more dangerous than hospitalized abortion procedures at an identical stage of pregnancy.
In City of Akron, the Supreme Court was impressed by current standards of the medical profession which indicated that abortions could be "performed safely `in a hospital-based or in a free-standing ambulatory surgical facility, or in an out-patient clinic meeting the criteria required for a free-standing surgical facility' until 18 weeks of pregnancy." Id. 462 U.S. at 437, 103 S.Ct. at 2496, citing American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Standards for Obstetric-Gynecologic Services 54 (5th ed. 1982). This data remains current.[22]
Plaintiff Reproductive Health Services (RHS), which currently provides abortion services up to 22 weeks gestational age, would rely on ACOG guidelines as a "free-standing ambulatory surgical facility." The Court rejects the State's contention that RHS must be classified as a doctor's office or outpatient clinic because it is not licensed under Missouri's "Ambulatory Surgical Center Licensing Law."[23] The *1310 ACOG standards are convincing evidence that as a general rule, D & E[24] abortions may be safely performed in free-standing surgical facilities, such as RHS, through 18 weeks of gestation.
Additional evidence further demonstrates that the performance of abortions at qualified free-standing outpatient facilities does not necessarily render the procedure more dangerous than if performed in the hospital setting. It is undisputed that the primary factor in determining the safety of a D & E procedure at 16 weeks or greater is the skill and experience of the physician-operator.[25] There was also testimony that the most experienced physicians are more likely to be found practicing in high volume abortion facilities than in hospitals.[26]
Defendants failed to establish that the potential for uterine bleeding necessitates that abortions be performed in a hospital. This complication evidently is best controlled by contraction of the uterine musculature with drugs and vigorous uterine massage.[27] The data presented at trial suggests that it rarely becomes necessary to transfer the patient to a hospital for treatment.[28]
Nor was there proof that the incidence of infection is diminished when post-sixteen-week abortions are performed in the hospital rather than in a free-standing clinic. Infection, if it occurs, does not usually manifest itself until at least a few days after the procedure, by which time the patient will have been discharged from either a hospital or an outpatient facility.[29] Moreover, there was evidence that nosocomial infections, those acquired in a hospital setting, tend to be more resistant to antibiotic therapy.[30]
Plaintiffs have also cited the lack of specialized equipment, administrative delays, unsympathetic attitudes or inexperience of hospital personnel and the loss of patient confidentiality as factors which disfavor abortions in hospitals.[31] Plaintiffs emphasize *1311 that non-hospital D & Es constitute the prevailing practice of post-sixteen-week abortions in Missouri and other states.[32] Yet, plaintiffs do concede that abortions on certain high-risk patients should be performed in the hospital setting. They insist, however, that the decision should be made at the physician's discretion, rather than by an arbitrary state law.
Defendants provided evidence that the mortality rate for D & E abortions increases significantly after 16 weeks gestation.[33] However, there is no indication that hospitalization would result in a lower morbidity or mortality rate. More specifically, the State has relied on cross-examination testimony of Judith Widdicombe, R.N., who cited a complication rate for post-16-week abortions, reflected in RHS' data, which appears to be twice as high at RHS than for such procedures performed elsewhere in the state. Ms. Widdicombe explained that the statistics are misleading because the state data, in contrast to the RHS data, reflects primarily only those complications which occur within the first three days.[34] Finally, defendants point to a lack of agreement within the medical community regarding hospitalization for abortions as evidence of the reasonableness of § 188.025.[35]
The Court has carefully considered the wealth of expert evidence presented by the parties in light of the appropriate standard of review, which places the burden of justifying the hospitalization requirement on the State. The Court concludes that the requirements of § 188.025 are overbroad. The State did not prove that a D & E abortion at 16-18 weeks gestation can reasonably be considered more dangerous when performed in a qualified free-standing outpatient facility rather than in a hospital. In fact, the evidence suggests that the prevailing medical practice is for such procedures to be performed outside the hospital setting. Because § 188.025 significantly impacts on a woman's access to abortion, and the State has failed to prove that the 16-week hospitalization requirement reasonably relates to the State's interest in maternal health, this provision is invalid.
*1312 VI. § 188.029Required Tests to Determine Gestational age and Viability
Section 188.029[36] prescribes that a physician must determine whether the fetus is viable before performing an abortion on a woman who the physician has reason to believe is twenty or more weeks pregnant. The statute further dictates that the physician accomplish "such medical examinations and tests as are necessary to make a finding of the gestational age, weight and lung maturity" of the fetus. The findings must be recorded in the woman's medical record.
Obviously, the purpose of this law is to protect the potential life of the fetus, rather than to safeguard maternal health. A state's interest in the potentiality of human life becomes compelling only at viability, the point at which the fetus "has the capability of meaningful life outside the mother's womb." City of Akron, 462 U.S. at 428, 103 S.Ct. at 2491, quoting Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. at 163, 93 S.Ct. at 731. At this point, the state may regulate or even proscribe abortions, except where necessary to preserve the life or health of the woman seeking the abortion. City of Akron, 462 U.S. at 428, 103 S.Ct. at 2491; Roe, 410 U.S. at 164, 93 S.Ct. at 732. However, the State may only regulate in such context if it narrowly tailors its regulations to the precise State interest at stake. Roe, 410 U.S. at 165, 93 S.Ct. at 732.
Plaintiffs assert that the section is unconstitutional because it burdens abortion in the interest of fetal life prior to viability, suffers from vague language which does not protect a physician's good faith medical judgment, requires unnecessary tests which may put the woman's health in jeopardy, and does not provide a medical-emergency exception where the woman's life or health is in danger.
The statute's requirement that the physician make a specific viability determination whenever "he has reason to believe" that a woman is carrying a fetus of 20 weeks or more gestational age is said to be constitutionally overbroad because the medical evidence is uncontradicted that a 20-week fetus is not viable. Testimony by medical experts for both plaintiffs and defendants, in addition to recent medical literature, provides clear evidence that 23½ to 24 weeks gestation is the earliest point in pregnancy where a reasonable possibility of viability exists.[37]
Defendants, in opposition, assert that the 20-week requirement is reasonable because it does not restrict abortions prior to viability, but merely states a point when the physician is required to determine viability. The State insists that if a physician initially has reason to believe a woman is 20 weeks pregnant, further examination may well reveal that she is actually 24 weeks pregnant, and thus carrying a potentially viable fetus. In support of this argument, defendants cite to the fact that a woman's related history of the time of her last menstrual period, which is often the first indicator to the physician of gestational age, is also the least reliable. The evidence revealed that inaccuracies of up to four weeks are not uncommon.[38]
*1313 The law is well-settled that a decision on fetal viability is properly within the discretion of a physician's professional judgment. Colautti, 439 U.S. at 388-89, 99 S.Ct. at 462; Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth, 428 U.S. 52, 64, 96 S. Ct. 2831, 2839, 49 L. Ed. 2d 788 (1976). The Court is satisfied that the legislature has not attempted to usurp this function by obligating a physician to exercise that judgment at a point in pregnancy when a reasonable possibility exists that the fetus may be viable. If the menstrual history or other signs and symptoms do not initially indicate a gestation of at least 20 weeks, then obviously the fetus is not viable. Further tests to determine viability are unnecessary and not required by law.
In assessing viability, Section 188.029 mandates that the physician "us[e] and exercis[e] that degree of care, skill and proficiency commonly exercised by the ordinarily skillful, careful, and prudent physician engaged in similar practice under the same or similar conditions." The Act's penalty section provides that
"[A]ny person who contrary to the provisions of sections 188.010 to 188.085 knowingly performs ... any abortion or knowingly fails to perform any action required [these] sections ... shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor." Mo. Rev.Stat. § 188.075 (1983)
Plaintiffs argue that the objective standard of care set forth in Section 188.029, in conjunction with the imposition of criminal liability, is unconstitutional because a physician's erroneous, but good faith assessment of viability is not a defense. Consequently, without a subjective culpability requirement incorporated in Section 188.029, it is claimed that the fear of criminal penalties would exert a chilling effect. Plaintiffs contend that physicians will be unwilling to perform abortions close but prior to that critical time of viability, even if the physician's medical judgment is that the fetus could not sustain life outside the womb. This result, plaintiffs insist, would constitute an impermissible obstacle to a woman's access to abortion services.
Furthermore, plaintiffs contend that the phrase "reason to believe" renders the statute unconstitutionally vague because it does not describe the standard to govern the physician's assessment whether the fetus is 20 weeks gestation age. The State counters that Section 188.075 sets forth a scienter requirement which must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt before criminal liability can be imposed.
The culpability provision in Section 188.075 was previously interpreted in Planned Parenthood Ass'n of Kansas City v. Ashcroft, 655 F.2d 848 (1981), aff'd in part and rev'd in part on other grounds 462 U.S. 476, 103 S. Ct. 2517, 76 L. Ed. 2d 733 (1983). In Ashcroft, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals held that Section 188.075 requires knowledge as a mental state in order to violate one of the sections to which that statute refers. "A good faith determination of nonviability would be a defense." Id., 103 S.Ct. at 862. The Appellate Court further elaborated on the definition of "knowledge" as contemplated by the legislature:
"In this case, Section 188.075 prescribes `knowingly' as the mental state; and Missouri statutes further define `knowingly':
A person `acts knowingly' or with knowledge,
(1) with respect to his conduct or to attendant circumstances when he is aware of the nature of his conduct or that those circumstances exist; or
(2) with respect to a result of his conduct when he is aware that his conduct is practically certain to cause that result."
Mo.Rev.Stat. § 562.016.3, quoted in Ashcroft, 655 F.2d at 862.
Accordingly, the Court concludes that the Missouri statutes would require the State to prove culpability for each element of Section 188.029. Hence, a physician's good faith assessment of viability or whether the woman is at least 20 weeks pregnant would be conclusive. The statute is neither vague nor otherwise unconstitutional in this respect.
Plaintiffs' next attack on Section 188.029 centers on the obligation that, in determining viability, "the physician shall perform or cause to be performed such medical examinations and tests as are necessary to make a finding of the gestational age, weight and lung maturity" of the fetus.
*1314 Dr. Robert Crist testified that tests to determine fetal weight are not only unreliable and inaccurate, but also add $125 to $250 to the cost of abortion. He stated that this type of test would be appropriate only at a point "much later" in pregnancy. No evidence is cited which rebuts this. It was also clearly established that the only method to evaluate lung maturity is by amniocentesis,[39] an expensive procedure which all witnesses agreed would be useless and contrary to accepted medical practice until at least twenty-eight to thirty weeks of gestation.[40]
The State has failed to demonstrate that either of these requisites are narrowly tailored to further the State's interest in either maternal health or the life of the fetus when imposed at a point when the woman is only 20-24 weeks pregnant. Moreover, amniocentesis imposes additional significant health risks for both the pregnant woman and the fetus.[41] Even where the state exercises its compelling interest in a viable fetus, it may not require action that imposes an increased risk to the woman's health. Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians, ___ U.S. ___, 106 S. Ct. 2169, 2184, 90 L. Ed. 2d 779 (1986).
Medical experts for both plaintiffs and defendants concurred that it is standard medical practice to determine "gestational age" by ultrasound examination[42] and fetal skull measurements whenever it appears that a woman is at least twenty weeks pregnant.[43] Defendants have further acknowledged that no tests other than the ultrasound measurements provide information necessary to determine viability prior to at least 30 weeks gestational age.[44] Despite such concessions, the State defends this statutory language and maintains that the section demands only those examinations which are "necessary" to make the required findings. Thus, defendants insist that there is no duty to perform an amniocentesis for lung maturity or even a fetal weight determination if these tests would be futile. However, the ultrasound exam would be mandatory.
This evidence must be evaluated in light of the Supreme Court's declaration that the point of viability, which may differ with each pregnancy, is a matter of medical judgment, and that "neither the legislature nor the courts may proclaim one of the elements entering into the ascertainment of viabilitybe it weeks of gestation or fetal weight or any other single factor." Colautti v. Franklin, 439 U.S. at 388, 99 S.Ct. at 682.
Given this deference to a physician's clinical judgment, first expressed in Roe, 410 U.S. at 163, 93 S.Ct. at 731, the Court concludes that the final sentence of Section 188.029 is an impermissible legislative intrusion upon a matter of medical skill and judgment. Even though the standard medical practice is to establish gestational age, a correspondent to viability,[45] whenever *1315 it appears that the last menstrual period was at least 20 weeks before,[46] the State may not dictate that a physician make a "finding" of gestational age in order to determine viability. Consequently, the Court also rejects defendants' interpretation that only those tests which are "necessary" to do so must be performed. The State may not dictate either the tests or the findings which enter into a decision whether or not a fetus is viable.
Finally, plaintiffs allege that Section 188.029 must be declared unconstitutional because it does not provide an exception for the situation where the health of the mother is endangered. In support, plaintiffs rely on Thornburgh v. American College of Obstetricians, 106 S.Ct. at 2184. In Thornburgh, the Supreme Court invalidated a Pennsylvania statute which set forth a second-physician requirement without a medical emergency clause, concluding that the omission was intentional.
However, this Court is convinced that the Missouri legislature did not intend to impose liability on the physician who fails to make a determination of viability prior to performing an emergency abortion where the woman's life or health is endangered. Such an interpretation would conflict with a previously enacted section which provides, in accordance with Supreme Court mandate, that a post-viability abortion is not proscribed where necessary to preserve the life or health of a woman. Mo.Rev. Stat. § 188.030 (Supp.1984); Planned Parenthood v. Ashcroft, 103 S.Ct. at 2521.
It is an established rule of statutory construction in Missouri that an interpreting court should seek to ascertain and give effect to the legislative intent if possible. State v. Kraus, 530 S.W.2d 684 (Mo.1975) (en banc). Statutes which relate to the same subject matter should be harmonized if possible so that all provisions are meaningful. State ex rel. Lebeau v. Kelly, 697 S.W.2d 312, 315 (Mo.Ct.App.1985). Accordingly, the initial sentence of § 188.029 which directs when a physician must make a judgment on viability must be harmonized with Section 188.030, which includes a medical emergency exception.
The Court finds that the final sentence of Section 188.029 is not "essentially and inseparably connected with, and ... dependent upon" the valid requirements initially set forth. See Mo.Rev.Stat. § 1.140. Thus, it is presumed that the legislature would have enacted the portion declared constitutional independently from the latter void provisions. Id. Accordingly, the last sentence of the section will be severed and stricken, allowing the remainder of the statute to stand. Brockett v. Spokane Arcades, Inc., 472 U.S. 491, 105 S. Ct. 2794, 2801, 86 L. Ed. 2d 394 (1985).
VII. § 188.205, 188.210, 188.215 (Sections 2, 3, 4 of "the Act"): Use of Public Funds, Public Employees and Public Facilities to Perform/Assist or Encourage/Counsel to have an Abortion
Plaintiffs' final challenges to the 1986 Missouri Act are directed at the provisions which prohibit the expenditure of public funds, actions of public employees and use of public facilities "for the purpose of `performing or assisting an abortion' and `encouraging or counseling a woman to have an abortion' if it is not necessary to save her life." Mo.Rev.Stat. §§ 188.205, 188.-210, 188.215.[47] Plaintiffs assert that all *1316 three of these sections are constitutionally flawed.
First, it is claimed that the phrase "encouraging or counseling" is impermissibly vague. Plaintiffs further contend that even if not vague, the restrictions on "encouraging and counseling" infringe on the woman's First and Fourteenth Amendment rights, and on the physician's freedom of speech. Next, plaintiffs claim that the limitations on the use of "public facilities" imposed by Section 188.215 unconstitutionally restrict access to abortions. Moreover, the proscriptions on the use of public funds and activities of public employees allegedly results in the denial of medical care to prisoners seeking abortions, an Eighth Amendment violation. Finally, the plaintiffs insist that the three sections together intrude on academic freedom by effectively removing clinical instruction of abortion procedures from the state medical school curriculum.
On cross-motions for summary judgment, both parties originally requested that the validity of these sections be determined as a matter of law. However, the Court determined in the interest of justice that both motions should be denied in order that the case and record be fully developed. See McLain v. Meier, 612 F.2d 349, 356 (8th Cir.1979).
A. Vagueness
Plaintiffs maintain that Sections 188.205, 188.210 and 188.215 are unconstitutional because the statutory language, "encouraging or counseling," only vaguely describes the proscribed conduct. Hence, it is argued that these laws impermissibly threaten to inhibit the exercise of free speech.
The Supreme Court enunciated the dangers of vague laws in Grayned v. City of Rockford, 408 U.S. 104, 108-09, 92 S. Ct. 2294, 2298-99, 33 L. Ed. 2d 222 (1972):
"Vague laws offend several important values. First, because we assume that man is free to steer between lawful and unlawful conduct, we insist that laws give the person of ordinary intelligence a reasonable opportunity to know what is prohibited, so that he may act accordingly. Vague laws may trap the innocent by not providing fair warning. Second, if arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement is to be prevented, laws must provide explicit standards for those who apply them. A vague law impermissibly delegates basic policy matters to policemen, judges and juries for resolution on an ad hoc and subjective basis, with the attendant dangers of arbitrary and discriminatory application. Third, but related, where a vague statute abuts upon sensitive areas of basic First Amendment freedoms, it operates to inhibit the exercise of [those] freedoms. Uncertain meanings inevitably lead citizens to steer far wider of the unlawful zone ... than if the boundaries of the forbidden areas were clearly marked." (footnotes omitted)
The standard for evaluating the degree of clarity that the Constitution demands depends on the type of legislative Act. Here, defendants focus on the civil nature of these sections,[48] noting that the Supreme *1317 Court has expressed greater tolerance of imprecision in such laws. Village of Hoffman Estates v. Flipside, Hoffman Est., 455 U.S. 489, 498-99, 102 S. Ct. 1186, 1193, 71 L. Ed. 2d 362 (1982). However, the Flipside court concluded that "perhaps the most important factor" in determining the required precision is whether the law "threatens to inhibit the exercise of constitutionally protected rights." Id. A more stringent vagueness test applies if the challenged law may exert a chilling effect on free speech. Id.
The right to disseminate even commercial abortion information was recognized in Bigelow v. Virginia, 421 U.S. 809, 95 S. Ct. 2222, 44 L. Ed. 2d 600 (1975). First Amendment freedoms of expression are clearly involved where the statute places restrictions on "encouraging or counseling" women to have abortions. See Young Women's Christian Ass'n of Princeton, New Jersey v. Kugler, 342 F. Supp. 1048, 1063 (D.N.J.1972). Consequently, strict judicial scrutiny is warranted in evaluating this vagueness challenge.
Noting the subjective nature of the words "encourage or counsel," plaintiffs insist that physicians and other health professionals will "steer far wider [than] the unlawful zone" and avoid any discussion of abortion with their patients in order to avoid violating the law. See Grayned, 408 U.S. at 109, 92 S.Ct. at 2299. There was evidence that all staff and resident physicians at Truman Medical Center were instructed by the Executive Director not to make "any ... comment relative to abortion" which is "not necessary to save the life of the mother."[49] A memorandum by Department of Health Director, R. Harmon, M.D., revealed his belief that "[p]ublic facilities and employees under this bill will probably cease to mention abortion out of fear of prosecution."[50] Dr. Debabrata Maulik also testified that the prohibition on "encouraging or counseling a woman to have an abortion" would leave a physician uncertain in distinguishing between lawful and unlawful discussions with patients.[51] The Court considers these interpretations only as evidence that health professionals may steer their conduct far wider than the lawful zone.
The State's counterargument is that the statutory language "encouraging or counseling" is designed to forbid only "affirmative advocacy" of abortions not necessary to save a woman's life. Defendants assert that the prohibition does not prevent a physician from informing a woman of "all options" or the "pros and cons" of an abortion. Further, defendants insist that even if Sections 188.210 and 188.215 must fail, Section 188.205 is not directed at any plaintiff, either as a physician or other health care provider, but only at "state and local officials or legislative bodies responsible for expending public funds."
Having applied the appropriate rigid standard here where the challenged statutes abut upon First Amendment freedoms, the Court concludes that Sections 188.205, 188.210 and 188.215 are sufficiently vague to render them unconstitutional. If men of common intelligence must speculate on a statute's meaning and differ as to its application, then a law is so vague that it violates due process. Baggett v. Bullitt, 377 U.S. 360, 367, 84 S. Ct. 1316, 1320, 12 L. Ed. 2d 377 (1964). Even though a penal statute is not involved here, it is *1318 clear that the phrase "encouraging or counseling" elicits vastly different interpretations of the scope of the forbidden activity. The Supreme Court disapproved of similar terms such as "counsel," "advocate" and "advise" in the loyalty oath cases of 1960s because the language was "not susceptible of objective measurement" and threatened to restrict free speech. Id; Cramp v. Board of Public Instruction, 368 U.S. 278, 286, 82 S. Ct. 275, 7 L. Ed. 2d 285 (1961).
Moreover, the Court is unpersuaded by the defendants' contention that Section 188.205, which relates to "public funds," could not apply to inhibit the free speech of any health care provider. The definition of "public funds" set forth in Section 188.200 certainly is broad enough to make "encouraging or counseling" unlawful for anyone who is paid from "funds derived from federal, state or local taxes, gifts or grants from any source, public or private, federal grants or payments, or intergovernmental transfers." § 188.200.
Having determined that these sections are void for vagueness, it is not essential to the outcome to address the additional grounds of unconstitutionality advanced by plaintiffs. However, the Court shall enter its findings and conclusions on each of plaintiffs' claims for purposes of appellate review.
B. "Encouraging or Counseling"First and Fourteenth Amendment Claims
Even if the phrase "encouraging or counseling" was deemed to be sufficiently precise, plaintiffs contend that these sections interfere with a physician's ability to competently and professionally counsel patients, and the patient's opportunity to receive such information. As the Court has noted above, this activity is certainly within the realm of First Amendment protection. See Kugler, 342 F.Supp. at 1063.
Further, the United States Supreme Court has recognized that the right of privacy, founded in the Fourteenth Amendment's concept of personal liberty, requires that a physician be given "the room he needs to make his best medical judgment." Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179, 192, 93 S. Ct. 739, 747, 35 L. Ed. 2d 201 (1973). Assisting a woman in deciding whether or not to have an abortion is included in the exercise of this medical judgment. Colautti v. Franklin, 439 U.S. 379, 387, 99 S. Ct. 675, 681, 58 L. Ed. 2d 596 (1979); City of Akron, 462 U.S. at 427-430, 103 S.Ct. at 2490-93. Until the State has a compelling interest in either maternal health (approximately at the end of the first trimester) or fetal life (at viability), "a pregnant woman must be permitted, in consultation with her physician to decide to have an abortion and to effectuate that decision "free of interference by the State." Akron, 462 U.S. at 429, 103 S.Ct. at 2492, quoting Roe, 410 U.S. at 163, 93 S.Ct. at 731. Even where the State has an interest in preserving the fetus, a state may "not impose an increased risk to the life or health of the woman." Thornburgh, 106 S.Ct. at 2184 (emphasis added).
Plaintiffs insist that by prohibiting certain physicians and health care professionals from advocating an abortion that is "not necessary to save the woman's life," the statute intrudes on the physician-client relationship when the mother's health may be adversely affected, even if it is not an immediately life-threatening condition.[52] There was unchallenged testimony presented at trial that in such situations a physician has a professional duty to at least suggest or even urge the pregnant woman to have an abortion.[53]
*1319 Defendants argue that the statutes prohibit only the "advoca[cy] of an unnecessary abortion [which] goes beyond the realm of the physician-client relationship discussed in Akron." The State also submits that
"these sections do not have any impact whatsoever upon a private physician's ability to recommend any course of action he desires to a patient. He simply cannot be compensated by public funds [§ 188.205] or perform the abortion or persuade the woman to obtain the abortion while working in a public facility. [§§ 188.210 and 188.215.]"[54]
Defendants rely on those Supreme Court cases which held that the government is not obligated to fund abortions, whether or not medically necessary, as authority for the constitutionality of these restrictions on public funds, public employees and public facilities. See Harris v. McRae, 448 U.S. 297, 100 S. Ct. 2671, 65 L. Ed. 2d 784 (1980); Maher v. Roe, 432 U.S. 464, 97 S. Ct. 2376, 53 L. Ed. 2d 484 (1977).
The Maher court held that a state may make a policy choice favoring childbirth over abortions, and thus need not remove obstacles such as indigency in the path of a woman's exercise of her freedom of choice. Maher, 432 U.S. at 480, 97 S.Ct. at 2386. However, the state may not place obstacles in the path of free choice. Harris, 448 U.S. at 316, 100 S.Ct. at 2688.
This Court concludes that the prohibitions on speech set forth in these sections impose a significant barrier to a woman's right to consult with her physician and exercise her freedom of choice. See Akron, 462 U.S. at 427, 103 S.Ct. at 2491. Patients who fully pay for their services would be denied access to medical information which may affect their decision whether to continue the pregnancy, perhaps enduring health risks. Here, the State is not asked to subsidize abortions or the exercise of First Amendment rights.[55] The Court further rejects defendants' narrow construction that the sections would only affect a woman "being affirmatively counseled to have an abortion and to obtain that abortion in a public facility."[56] (emphasis added.) The statutory language is obviously broader than this interpretation.
C. § 188.215Restrictions on Use of Public Facilities
Plaintiffs challenge the provisions in Section 188.215 which make it unlawful for any public facility to be used for "performing or assisting" or "encouraging or counseling" a woman to have an abortion if it is not necessary to save her life.
Defendants submit that such restrictions are justified by the Supreme Court's holding in Poelker v. Doe, 432 U.S. 519, 520, 97 S. Ct. 2391, 2392, 53 L. Ed. 2d 528 (1977), which denied an indigent woman the right to obtain a nontherapeutic abortion at a St. Louis public hospital where the City's policy was to deny funds for such abortions. The Court, however, finds Poelker uncontrolling here where there is no indication that "public funds" would be expended. Plaintiffs claim that these prohibitions are impermissible as applied to patients who seek to obtain and pay for such services at a public facility. The Eighth Circuit's holding in Nyberg v. City of Virginia (Nyberg II), 667 F.2d 754 (8th Cir.1982) supports this position.
*1320 In Nyberg II, the Court of Appeals noted the "fundamental difference between providing direct funding to effect the abortion decision and allowing staff physicians to perform abortions at an existing publicly owned hospital." The Eighth Circuit observed that Poelker did not hold that a state may prevent physicians from performing paid abortions in the hospital. Id. at 758 n. 1. While it is true, as defendants argue, that in Nyberg II, the public facility was the only hospital in the community,[57] the gravamen of the holding was that there was no direct public expenditure and that abortion services would be provided only to paying patients.[58] Accordingly, the Court is convinced that § 188.215 is also unconstitutional for the reasons set forth in Nyberg II.
D. "Assisting" an Abortion with Public Funds or by Public Employees Eighth Amendment Claim
Plaintiffs' fourth alternative challenge to the provisions which restrict public fund expenditures and assistance by public employees focuses on the Eighth Amendment rights of Missouri inmates to receive medical care. Although this argument was not raised previously and defendants have not responded, the Court considers this claim to be meritorious.
Plaintiffs contend that these provisions will effectively deny women inmates access to outside medical facilities for medically necessary, yet non-life-threatening abortions. Testimony at trial revealed that plaintiff RHS has performed abortions on prisoners from State institutions. The patients are transported in State vehicles and accompanied by two State employees. It is also evident that abortion facilities are not available at all the penal institutions in Missouri.[59]
The essence of plaintiffs' claim here is that the required escorted assistance and transportation by prison employees will be precluded by Sections 188.205 and 188.210. Consequently, women prisoners will be unable to terminate pregnancies which seriously threaten their health, even though their lives are not in immediate danger.[60]
In Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 104, 97 S. Ct. 285, 291, 50 L. Ed. 2d 251 (1976), the Supreme Court held that "deliberate indifference to serious medical needs of prisoners constitutes the `unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain' proscribed by the Eighth Amendment." (citing Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153, 182-83, 96 S. Ct. 2909, 2925, 49 L. Ed. 2d 859 (1976)). Although there is no controlling authority that the prisoners' lack of access to a non-life-threatening abortion falls within the Estelle rule, the facts and law certainly indicate that a "serious medical need" may exist and the absolute statutory roadblock may constitute "deliberate indifference" to such needs. A New Jersey district court recently addressed a similar claim against a county jail policy in Monmouth County Correctional Institution Inmates v. Lanzaro, 643 F. Supp. 1217 (D.N.J.1986), finding an Eighth Amendment violation. The Lanzaro court further held that the desired abortions were "serious medical needs" which must be provided at government expense because the prisoners' incarceration resulted in financial dependency.[61]
*1321 The Court does not determine here that public funds must actually be expended to pay for a prisoner's therapeutic abortion.[62] However, it is clear that an obstacle to the pregnant prisoner's serious medical needs exists even if she is capable of paying because Section 188.215 appears to make it unlawful for State employees to assist with arranging for the procedure. Moreover, "public funds" would necessarily be involved for salaries and transportation expenses. Hence, these sections violate the Eighth Amendment.
E. Academic Freedom
Finally, it is claimed that these sections interfere with academic freedom by removing clinical instruction in abortion procedures at state medical schools (public facilities) and by university faculty at any institution (public employees). In support of their legal argument, plaintiffs have relied on First Amendment cases which hold that a state may not forbid the teaching of a certain subject or theory simply because it offends the dominant belief of a community. See Keyishian v. Board of Regents, 385 U.S. 589, 87 S. Ct. 675, 17 L. Ed. 2d 629 (1966); Epperson v. Arkansas, 393 U.S. 97, 89 S. Ct. 266, 21 L. Ed. 2d 228 (1968); Board of Education v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853, 102 S. Ct. 2799, 73 L. Ed. 2d 435 (1982).
Although the defendants have offered no counterarguments, the Court is not persuaded that these sections rise (or fall) to the level of a state-imposed orthodoxy in the educational process. While not directly applicable here, there was conflicting evidence presented at trial as to the necessity of providing clinical instruction in abortion procedures in order for the medical curriculum to be complete.[63] However, the Court is unable to conclude that these sections unconstitutionally interfere with academic freedom.
Accordingly, for the reasons stated above, it is hereby
ORDERED that the following provisions of the 1986 Missouri Act relating to the regulation of abortions are declared to be unconstitutional:
1. § 1.205.1(1) and (2)
2. § 188.039
4. The following portion of § 188.029: The second and final sentence which states:
"In making this determination of viability the physician shall perform or cause to be performed such medical examinations as are necessary to make a finding of the gestational age, weight, and lung maturity of the unborn child and shall enter such findings and determination of viability in the medical record of the mother."
It is further
ORDERED that defendants shall be permanently enjoined from enforcing the provisions declared to be unconstitutional.
FINAL JUDGMENT ON CONSENT
WHEREAS, on or about December 21, 1984, plaintiffs (by their predecessors in interest) commenced this action, alleging, among other things, (a) that defendant John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company is a fiduciary, as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, 29 U.S.C. § 1001 et seq. ("ERISA"), with respect to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union No. 90 Pension Fund (the "Pension Fund") of which plaintiffs are Trustees, and (b) that defendant breached the duties imposed upon a fiduciary under ERISA by certain acts and omissions relating to contributions placed in defendant's general investment account, which were made to defendant pursuant to the group annuity contract between *1322 the Pension Fund and defendant known as "GAC 738"; and
WHEREAS, defendant answered the complaint on or about March 29, 1985, denying its material averments; and
WHEREAS, Plaintiffs moved this Court, on or about July 3, 1986, for partial summary judgment determining that defendant is a fiduciary, as defined by ERISA, with respect to the Pension Fund (the "Motion"); and
WHEREAS, this Court, by order entered on March 17, 1987, granted the Motion (the "Order"); and
WHEREAS, defendant moved this Court, on or about March 26, 1987, for reconsideration of the Order; and
WHEREAS, this Court, by endorsement order entered on May 1, 1987, granted defendant's motion for reconsideration and, upon reconsideration, adhered to its previous ruling; and
WHEREAS, on May 11, 1987, defendant moved, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b), for certification of the Order for an interlocutory appeal; and
WHEREAS, defendant filed its brief in support of its motion for certification on May 11, 1987; and
WHEREAS, by endorsement orders entered on May 20, 1987, the Court (a) extended plaintiffs' time within which to file their brief in opposition to defendant's certification motion to May 25, 1987, and (b) extended defendant's time to appeal as of right from the Order from May 31, 1987, to and including June 30, 1987; and
WHEREAS, the Court thereafter extended plaintiffs' time within which to file their brief in opposition to June 15, 1987; and
WHEREAS, defendant has advised plaintiffs of its intention to seek appellate review of the Order to the fullest extent permitted by law; and
WHEREAS, the Court, upon consideration of matters set forth in defendant's brief submitted in support of its motion for certification pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b), finds that there are genuine issues with respect to whether, in enacting ERISA, Congress intended that insurance companies be deemed to be fiduciaries, as defined by ERISA, with respect to assets contributed pursuant to group annuity contracts and held in their general investment accounts; and
WHEREAS, plaintiffs and defendant have entered into an agreement for the settlement of this action, a condition precedent to the effectiveness of which is the entry of a final judgment by the Court pursuant to which (a) the Order is withdrawn, set aside and vacated, and made of no further force or effect for use against defendant, its successors and assigns, by plaintiffs, by the Pension Fund or by third parties, for collateral estoppel or other preclusive purposes, and (b) all claims asserted herein are dismissed with prejudice, the parties to bear their own costs and attorneys' fees;
NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby
ORDERED, that the Order, together with the findings and conclusions embodied therein, is withdrawn, set aside and vacated, and shall be of no force or effect for use against defendant, its successors and assigns, by plaintiffs, by the Pension Fund or by third parties, for collateral estoppel or other preclusive purposes; and it is further
ORDERED, that this action and all claims asserted herein be, and the same hereby are, dismissed with prejudice, the parties to bear their own costs and attorneys' fees.
[1] Missouri Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill No. 1596, 83rd General assembly, 2nd Reg.Sess. (1986).
[2] The term "gestational age" as used in this opinion and defined by Mo.Rev.Stat. § 188.015(4) refers to the length of pregnancy as measured from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period (LMP). This is approximately 2 weeks greater than fetal age.
The L.M.P. concept results in a 40-week gestational period. The trimester system by L.M.P. would be divided as follows:
1st trimester0-13 1/3 weeks;
2nd trimester13 1/3 -26 2/3 weeks;
3rd trimester26 2/3 -40 weeks.
[3] § 1 of the Act is codified at Mo.Rev.Stat. § 188.200.
[4] Rule 23(a) sets out the prerequisites to a class action:
One or more members of a class may sue or be sued as representative parties on behalf of all only if (1) the class is so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable; (2) there are questions of law or fact common to the class; (3) the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class; and (4) the representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class.
[5] Rule 23(b)(2) provides:
An action may be maintained as a class action if the prerequisites of subdivision (a) are satisfied, and in addition:
(2) the party opposing the class has acted or refused to act on grounds generally applicable to the class, thereby making appropriate final injunctive relief or corresponding declaratory relief with respect to the class as a whole.
[6] Mo.Rev.Stat. § 188.039 provides:
188.039. Consent, form, contentcoercion prohibitedwoman to be informed of certain facts, when
1. No physician shall perform an abortion unless, prior to such abortion, the physician certifies in writing that the woman gave her informed consent, freely and without coercion, after the attending physician had informed her of the information contained in subsection 2 of this section and shall further certify in writing the pregnant woman's age based upon proof of age offered by her.
2. In order to insure that the consent for an abortion is truly informed consent, no abortion shall be performed or induced upon a pregnant woman unless she has signed a consent form that shall be supplied by the state department of health, acknowledging that she has been informed by the attending physician of the following facts:
(1) That according to the best medical judgment of her attending physician whether she is or is not pregnant;
(2) The particular risks associated with the abortion technique to be used;
(3) Alternatives to abortion shall be given by the attending physician.
3. The physician may inform the women of any other material facts or opinions, or provide any explanation of the above information which, in the exercise of his best medical judgment, is reasonably necessary to allow the woman to give her informed consent to the proposed abortion, with full knowledge of its nature and consequences.
[7] The Court also notes that there is no procedure to certify questions for prompt resolution to the Missouri Supreme Court. See MO. CONSTITUTION. art. v. (Missouri Supreme Court may exercise appellate jurisdiction only).
[8] The District Court in Ashcroft noted that there was no record of existing reliable tests at the very "early stage" of pregnancy. Planned Parenthood Ass'n of Kansas City v. Ashcroft, 483 F. Supp. 679, 698, n. 37 (W.D.Mo.1980). Although the exact parameters of the "early stage" are unclear, the court implied the time to be approximately up to ten days after the menstrual period was due. Id., at 697, n. 36.
[9] Testimony of Dr. Daniel J. Martin; Robert A. Hatcher, M.D., et al., CONTRACEPTIVE TECHNOLOGY 1986-1987 2547 (1986).
[10] A woman in the process of spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) may have a positive pregnancy test but the physician cannot determine whether or not the embryo has been expelled. Testimony of Dr. Robert Crist. Further, even the most current of the readily available pregnancy tests are not accurate until 6 days after implantation. Testimony of Dr. Daniel Martin; Hatcher, CONTRACEPTIVE TECHNOLOGY 1986-87 at 257.
[11] Testimony of Dr. Robert Crist. Dr. Daniel Martin testified to the contrary.
[12] Plaintiffs' witnesses, Dr. Crist, Dr. Warren Hern, and Ms. Judith Widdicombe, R.N., are members of the National Abortion Federation, which seeks to "improve access to safe abortion services for women." Testimony of Dr. Hern.
Defendants' witnesses, Dr. Daniel Martin and Dr. William Keenan, are members of Missouri Citizens for Life, an anti-abortion organization. Dr. Keenan also admitted that for the past two years he has been a signatory to an annual newspaper ad which laments the Roe v. Wade decision.
[13] See supra note 2. The 16-week L.M.P. stage would correspond with approximately 14 weeks fetal age. As previously noted, by the L.M.P. method, the 2nd trimester includes the time from 13 1/3 through 26 2/3 weeks after the last menstrual period.
[14] "Viability is reached when, in the judgment of the attending physician on the particular facts of the case before him, there is a reasonable likelihood of the fetus' sustained survival outside the womb, with or without artificial support." Colautti v. Franklin, 439 U.S. 379, 388, 99 S. Ct. 675, 682 (1979). Accord Mo.Rev. Stat. § 188.015(7) (Supp.1986).
[15] In City of Akron, in-hospital abortion cost was cited as $850-900, compared to $350-400 for a dilation and evacuation (D & E) abortion performed in a clinic. Id. 462 U.S. at 435, 103 S.Ct. at 2495.
[16] Dr. Crist testified that the cost of an abortion in a Missouri hospital, other than Truman Medical Center which maintains a specialized outpatient abortion service, is in excess of $2500 for a sixteen-week or greater abortion. This compares with $350-650 in an outpatient facility. The Court notes, however, that 97% of the hospital-based abortions were performed at Truman Medical Center in 1985.
On the national level, Dr. Stanley K. Henshaw provided statistics from 1981 and 1982 comparing the cost of a sixteen-week or greater D & E procedure. In 1981, the average clinic cost for a D & E was $358-364. In 1982, the average hospital charge for the same procedure was $740.00.
Dr. Warren Hern also related that hospitalization "invariably" costs more. He estimated that, in the Boulder, Colorado area, the cost is $1000 greater for an abortion in the hospital than in an outpatient facility.
[17] In 1984, 28% of such abortions were performed in the hospital setting.
[18] In 1984, 98% of the hospital-based 16-week abortions were performed at Truman Medical Center.
[19] Testimony of Dr. Crist; stipulation of facts.
[20] On the contrary, Dr. Stanley Henshaw testified that a 1982 survey (prior to the City of Akron ruling) showed that 27% of hospitals performed abortions in those states with a hospitalization requirement for second-trimester abortions. In the states without mandatory hospitalization rule, 39% of hospitals provided second-trimester services.
Similarly, in Missouri, the number of second-trimester abortions increased from 540 in 1979 to 700 in 1980 after the prohibition on non-hospital second-trimester abortions was lifted. Significant also is the increase in the total number of second-trimester abortions performed in Missouri in 1980. The number rose from 540 in 1979 to 1390 in 1980. This indicates that the hospitalization requirement resulted in the performance of fewer procedures than if the requirement was not in effect. See Planned Parenthood of Kansas City, Missouri, Inc. v. Ashcroft, slip op. on remand, No. 79-4142-CV-C-H, slip op. at 8-10 and n. 12 (W.D.Mo. October 2, 1981), 664 F.2d 687, 689 n. 5 (8th Cir.1981).
[21] Truman Medical Center, as a public facility, would be barred from providing any abortions not necessary to save the woman's life if Section 4 of the Act (§ 188.215) were to become effective. See supra note 18. If upheld, the effect of this hospitalization requirement in conjunction with the "public facility" rule would effectively eliminate access to abortions in Missouri past 16 weeks gestation.
[22] ACOG, Standards for Obstetric-Gynecologic Services (6th ed. 1985).
[23] Mo.Rev.Stat. § 197.200, et seq. the Missouri Ambulatory Surgical Center Licensing Law, was only recently amended to cover abortion facilities. Regulations to implement these amendments have not yet been promulgated. Up to this time, Missouri has never licensed an abortion facility.
[24] D & E is the only type of abortion sought to be performed at 16 weeks or greater in the non-hospital setting. The procedure involves dilatation of the cervix and then evacuation of the contents from the uterus. Dilatation may be achieved atraumatically by insertion of laminaria, synthetic water-absorbant dilators, placed in the cervix 1-2 days prior to the abortion procedure. Testimony of Dr. Warren Hern. The evidence of the safety of the D & E method over other procedures at this stage has been well-established. City of Akron, 462 U.S. at 435, 103 S.Ct. at 2495-96; Testimony of Drs. Robert Crist, Warren Hern, Carl Pearman, and Judith Widdicombe, R.N. Peterson, Berry, Grace and Gulbranson, "Second-Trimester Abortion by Dilatation and Evacuation: An Analysis of 11,747 Cases," 62 Obstetrics & Gynecology 185, 190 (1983).
[25] Testimony of Dr. Robert Crist; Testimony of Judith Widdicombe, R.N.; see also G. Schaefer, M.D. and E. Graber, M.D.; Complications in Obstetric and Gynecologic Surgery 86 (1981): R. Hatcher, M.D., Contraceptive Technology, supra note 7 at 274.
[26] Dr. Crist testified that most hospitals have very restrictive policies regarding abortions. Consequently, physicians functioning primarily through hospitals are relatively inexperienced in abortion procedures.
[27] Testimony of Dr. Crist; R. Hatcher, Contraceptive Technology 1986-1987, supra note 7 at 275.
[28] Testimony of Dr. Warren Hern. However, Dr. Hern recommends that outpatient D & Es in gestations of 17 weeks or greater L.M.P. should occur within 20 minutes of a full-service hospital. Hern, "Serial Multiple Laminaria and Adjunctive Urea in Late Outpatient Dilation and Evacuation Abortion," 63 Obstetrics and Gynecology 548 (1984).
In Dr. Hern's review of D & E abortions performed between 17 and 25 weeks gestation, only 3 patients out of 1000 were hospitalized for bleeding. Only two required transfusions. Also, one of these hemorrhages did not occur until 4 weeks after the procedure. Id.
[29] Testimony of Dr. Crist; Testimony of Dr. Hern.
[31] Testimony of Dr. Hern.
[32] Dr. Stanley Henshaw testified that data from 6 states including Missouri in 1983 revealed that 77.9% of D & Es at 16 weeks or later were non-hospital procedures. The parties stipulated as to the statistics in Missouri.
[33] Annual Summary for 1981, Centers for Disease Control, Abortion Surveillance 43, Dept. of Health & Human Services (issued 1985). The table upon which defendants rely refers to abortions for the years 1977-1981. The death rate for D & Es at 16-20 weeks gestation is 7.6 per 100,000 abortions. However, it is not clear whether the gestation time is L.M.P. or actual time since conception.
Defendants' witness, Dr. D. Martin, cited a study by Dr. William Peterson in August, 1983, as revealing a "total percent" complication rate of 5.5% ("one in twenty") for second trimester abortions. However, this testimony is grossly misleading and inaccurate because Dr. Martin added all complications together, apparently assuming that the individual complications or symptoms do not accompany each other. See Peterson, supra note 24, 62 Obstetrics & Gynecology, at 189-90.
[34] Defendants refute this and note that State law, § 188.052, requires only that abortion complications be reported within 45 days from the date of post-abortion care. Ms. Widdicombe's testimony also revealed that State prisoners have received abortions at more than 16 weeks gestation at RHS, having been transported and escorted by prison employees. The Court assumes that the State's interest in maternal health applies to these women as well.
[35] A 1983 article, cited by defendants, suggests that D & E is appropriate in free-standing clinics "through fifteen and perhaps seventeen weeks if strict standards are carefully established and monitored on an ongoing basis." Peterson, et al., "Second Trimester Abortion by Dilation and Evacuation: An Analysis of 11,747 Cases," 62 Obstetrics and Gynecology 189 (1983).
In 1981, Willard Cates, M.D., and David A. Grimes, M.D., published that 16 weeks gestation would be the outer limit for non-hospital abortions "at the present time." Cates and Grimes, "Deaths from Second Trimester Abortion by Dilation and Evacuation: Causes, Prevention, Facilities," 58 Obstetrics and Gynecology 401, 407 (1981). However, in response to a letter to the editor by Dr. Hern criticizing this 16-week threshold, the authors stated that they had not included all data and had intended only a general guideline in order to challenge regulations requiring hospitalization for all second trimester procedures. They concluded: "Proposed changes should be based on scientific evidence gathered through ongoing surveillance, ... rather than on unsubstantiated opinions. Dr. Hern's experience is testimony to this principle." 60 Obstetrics & Gynecology at 667-68 (1982). Accordingly, the Court cannot accept Cates' and Grimes' 1981 16-week criteria as convincing evidence to support this regulation.
[36] 188.029 reads:
Physician, determination of viability, duties
Before a physician performs an abortion on a woman he has reason to believe is carrying an unborn child of twenty or more weeks gestational age, the physician shall first determine if the unborn child is viable by using and exercising that degree of care, skill, and proficiency commonly exercised by the ordinarily skillful, careful, and prudent physician engaged in similar practice under the same or similar conditions. In making this determination of viability, the physician shall perform or cause to be performed such medical examinations as are necessary to make a finding of the gestational age, weight, and lung maturity of the unborn child and shall enter such findings and determination of viability in the medical record of the mother.
(L.1986, H.B. No. 1596, § A.)
[37] Testimony of Drs. Debabrata Maulik, William J. Keenan, and Carl C. Pearman; Gerdes, Abbasi, Bhutani and Bowen, Improved Survival and Short-term Outcome of Inborn "Micropremies", 25 Clinical Pediatrics 391, 393 (1986); Pleasure, Dhand and Kaur, What is the Lower Limit of Viability?, 138 American Journal of Diseases of Children 783 (1984); Buckwald, Zorn and Egan, Mortality and Follow-up Data for Neonates Weighing 500-800 g at Birth; 38 American Journal of Diseases of Children 779 (1984).
[38] Testimony of Drs. Debabrata Maulik, Robert Crist and William J. Keenan.
[39] The amniocentesis procedure involves the withdrawal of amniotic fluid from the uterus via needle puncture through the woman's abdomen. The fluid is then analyzed to measure the level of certain chemicals which indicate lung maturity. The procedure must be performed in conjunction with sonography. Testimony of Dr. Debabrata Maulik.
[40] Testimony of Drs. D. Maulik, Carl Pearman, Robert Crist, and William Keenan. Dr. Maulik also estimated that the cost of the procedure at Truman Medical Center was $200-$250.
[41] The risk of infection to the woman was specifically cited. There is also the possibility of "fetal-waste" or actual loss of the fetus from amniocentesis. Testimony of Drs. Debabrata Maulik, Robert Crist and Carl Pearman. Further, there is normally a delay of approximately two weeks in scheduling a nonemergency amniocentesis. Testimony of Dr. D. Maulik. The parties have stipulated that delay increases the risk of an abortion.
[42] The "ultrasound" or "sonogram" examination is a noninvasive procedure which utilizes high frequency sound waves to visualize the fetus. Measurements can then be taken of the fetal skull or biparietal diameter (BPD). The BPD measurement is considered the most accurate method of determining gestational age. Testimony of Dr. Debabrata Maulik.
[43] Testimony of Drs. Debabrata Maulik, Robert Crist, Carl Pearman, Warren Hern and William Keenan. Judith Widdicombe, R.N., further testified that this examination to determine gestational age is performed on every woman seeking a second trimester abortion at RHS.
[44] Defendants' post-trial brief citing the testimony of Drs. William Keenan, Debabrata Maulik and Robert Crist.
[45] Testimony of Dr. Debabrata Maulik.
[46] Testimony of Drs. Debabrata Maulik, Robert Crist, Warren Hern, Carl Pearman, William Keenan, and Judith Widdicombe, R.N.
[47] Sections 2, 3, and 4 of "the Act" have been codified at Mo.Rev.Stat. §§ 188.205, 188.210, and 188.215, respectively. Hereinafter, these sections will be identified by the statutory section number as codified. The text is as follows:
§ 188.205. Use of public funds prohibited, when
It shall be unlawful for any public funds to be expended for the purpose of performing or assisting an abortion, not necessary to save the life of the mother, or for the purpose of encouraging or counseling a woman to have an abortion not necessary to save her life.
(L.1986, H.B. 1596, § A (§ 2).)
188.210. Public employees, activities prohibited, when
It shall be unlawful for any public employee within the scope of his employment to perform or assist an abortion, not necessary to save the life of the mother. It shall be unlawful for a doctor, nurse or other health care personnel, a social worker, a counselor or persons of similar occupation who is a public employee within the scope of his public employment to encourage or counsel a woman to have an abortion not necessary to save her life.
(L.1986, H.B. No. 1596, § A (§ 3).)
188.215. Use of public facilities prohibited, when
It shall be unlawful for any public facility to be used for the purpose of performing or assisting an abortion not necessary to save the life of the mother or for the purpose of encouraging or counseling a woman to have an abortion not necessary to save her life.
(L.1986, H.B. No. 1596, § A (§ 4.))
Definitional language is set forth in Mo.Rev. Stat. § 188.200 (previously Section 1 of "the Act"), which provides:
§ 188.200. Definitions
As used in sections 188.200 to 188.220, the following terms mean:
(1) "Public employee," any person employed by this state or any agency or political subdivision thereof;
(2) "Public facility," any public institution, public facility, public equipment, or any physical asset owned, leased, or controlled by this state or any agency or political subdivision thereof;
(3) "Public funds," any funds received or controlled by this state or any agency or political subdivision thereof, including, but not limited to, funds derived from federal, state or local taxes, gifts or grants from any source, public or private, federal grants or payments, or intergovernmental transfers.
[48] Although it is clear that these sections do not impose criminal penalties, it is uncertain what punishment attaches to the "unlawful" acts. Section 188.220 sets forth taxpayer standing to bring suit:
"Any taxpayer of this state or its political subdivisions shall have standing to bring suit in a circuit court of proper venue to enforce the provisions of sections 188.200 to 188.215."
[49] Memo from James J. Mongan, M.D., Executive Director of Truman Medical Center, dated July 11, 1986. (Plaintiffs' Exhibit 12). The memo sets forth the provisions of § 188.215 and concludes that:
[A]ll personnel ... MUST [emphasis in original] discontinue all abortion related activity not necessary to save the life of the mother. Since this, of course, includes counseling about abortions and referring patients for abortions to other facilities, there is no alternative but to respond to inquiries about abortion to the effect that Missouri Law prohibits TMC from performing abortions and further prohibits counseling, referring or any other activity whatsoever relating to abortion not necessary to save the life of the mother. Any other comment relative to abortion is prohibited.
[50] Memo review of House Bill No. 1596 by R. Harmon, M.D., Director of Department of Health, Review dated April 28, 1986, at page 4. (Plaintiffs' Exhibit 13).
[51] Dr. Maulik stated that the resulting impact on the medical practice would be "devastating."
[52] Dr. Maulik testified that an abortion is medically preferable where there are gross fetal anomalies, such as Down's Syndrome, Trisomy 18, and renal agenesis (the two latter conditions being lethal to the infant shortly after birth), or where maternal health may be compromised by cardiac disease, recurrent cerebral vascular accidents (CVAs or strokes), diabetic retinopathy (which threatens blindness) and renal disorders.
As a referral center, Dr. Maulik testified that TMC routinely serves patients with these problems.
Dr. Carl Pearman testified that almost all second trimester abortions performed at the University of Missouri Medical Center in Columbia (UMMC) are performed for the mother's health, though not necessarily to preserve her life, as with breast cancer or early amniotic sac rupture. Accord, Testimony of Dr. Warren Hern. See also McRae v. Califano, 491 F. Supp. 630, 669-76 (E.D.N.Y.1980), rev'd on other grounds sub. nom Harris v. McRae, 448 U.S. 297, 100 S. Ct. 2671, 65 L. Ed. 2d 784 (1980).
[53] Dr. Maulik testified that the fear of civil liability and an ethical obligation would compel him to "strongly recommend," though never "force a decision" to have an abortion because of a woman's non-life-threatening health interests. A prohibition on this would be "devastating" to a medical practice. He further testified that it would be "dishonest" to merely discuss abortion as an option without a recommendation of "what in [his] judgment is the best possible course in terms of [the woman's] health and survival."
Dr. Carl Pearman also stated that he feels an ethical and professional obligation to give advice whether to choose abortion when requested by the patient to do so. If this were prohibited by law, Dr. Pearman stated that he would be forced to either violate the law or quit caring for patients who present with such health complications during pregnancy.
[54] Defendants' brief in opposition to plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment, at 29.
[55] Mr. Richard Chern, Associate Administrator of Finance at Truman Medical Center, testified that the full cost of abortions at TMC are recovered from the patient, without any sliding scale for indigency.
Similarly, Dr. Carl Pearman testified that his private practice patients who are occasionally seen at the University of Missouri Medical Center are charged a full fee.
[57] Moreover, TMC is a public facility which performed 97% of all hospital-based abortions at 16-week or greater gestation in 1985 (stipulation of facts). All patients must pay in full (Testimony of Mr. Richard Chern). The Court has declared § 188.025 to be unconstitutional. However, if all 16-week or greater abortions were required to be performed in a hospital, TMC essentially would be the only available facility.
[58] See supra note 55.
[59] Testimony of Judith Widdicombe, R.N. The inmate patients, usually shackled and/or handcuffed, have been accompanied by a matron and driver. Two trips are required if the gestation is 16 weeks or greater because laminaria must be inserted at least one day before the abortion procedure. See supra note 24.
[60] See supra note 52 for medical testimony of such conditions.
[61] In Lanzaro, the district court considered it "extremely significant" that federal prisons are obligated to provide abortion counseling and assistance. 28 C.F.R. § 551.23 (1986) provides:
(a) The inmate has the responsibility for deciding to have an abortion or bear the child.
(b) The Warden shall provide medical, religious and social counseling to aid the inmate in making the decision to have an abortion or bear the child.
(c) An inmate shall sign a statement of responsibility for the decision to have an abortion or bear the child.
(d) At the inmate's request, medical staff shall arrange for the abortion to take place at a hospital or clinic outside the institution.
[62] See Harris v. McRae, 448 U.S. 297, 100 S. Ct. 2671.
[63] Stipulated statement of Harry S. Jonas, M.D., Dean of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine (clinical teaching of abortions required for complete medical school curriculum); Accord, Testimony of Dr. Carl Pearman.
Contra, Testimony of Dr. Daniel Martin (medical schools such as St. Louis University Medical School can competently teach Obstetrics and Gynecology without performing non-life-threatening abortions as part of the curriculum.)
DocketNumber： 86-4478-CV-C-5
Citation Numbers： 655 F. Supp. 1300
Judges： Scott O. Wright
Cramp v. Board of Public Instruction of Orange Cty. , 368 U.S. 278 ( 1961 )
Baggett v. Bullitt , 377 U.S. 360 ( 1964 )
Keyishian v. Board of Regents of Univ. of State of NY , 385 U.S. 589 ( 1966 )
Adickes v. SH Kress & Co. , 398 U.S. 144 ( 1970 )
Epperson v. Arkansas , 393 U.S. 97 ( 1968 )
Grayned v. City of Rockford , 408 U.S. 104 ( 1972 )
Bigelow v. Virginia , 421 U.S. 809 ( 1975 )
Singleton v. Wulff , 428 U.S. 106 ( 1976 )
Estelle v. Gamble , 429 U.S. 97 ( 1976 )
Maher v. Roe , 432 U.S. 464 ( 1977 )
Doe v. Bolton , 410 U.S. 179 ( 1973 )
Roe v. Wade , 410 U.S. 113 ( 1973 )
Gregg v. Georgia , 428 U.S. 153 ( 1976 )
Planned Parenthood of Central Mo. v. Danforth , 428 U.S. 52 ( 1976 )
Colautti v. Franklin , 439 U.S. 379 ( 1979 )
Board of Ed., Island Trees Union Free School Dist. No. 26 v.... , 457 U.S. 853 ( 1982 )
Harris v. McRae , 448 U.S. 297 ( 1980 )
Akron v. Akron Center for Reproductive Health, Inc. , 462 U.S. 416 ( 1983 )
Hoffman Estates v. Flipside, Hoffman Estates, Inc. , 455 U.S. 489 ( 1982 )
Poelker v. Doe , 432 U.S. 519 ( 1977 )
Weaver v. Reagen , 701 F. Supp. 717 ( 1988 )
WOMEN'S HEALTH CTR. OF WEST CTY. v. Webster , 670 F. Supp. 845 ( 1987 )
Opinion No. ( 1987 )
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1987 )
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Home » Blogs » Coventry City fan "viciously assaulted" by police officer wins settlement
Posted by The FSF 11th April 2016
Coventry City fan "viciously assaulted" by police officer wins settlement
Nobody expects to attend a football match and still be dealing with the ramifications over four years later. But this is exactly what happened to Mark Wynn a 48-year-old, lifelong Coventry City fan.
Back in September 2011 Mark, together with his then 14-year-old son, attended a home game at the Ricoh Arena versus Derby County.
At that time, Coventry fans were deeply unhappy at what was happening at the club and during the game, fans were protesting against their owners. Mark (in a white t-shirt) was not involved in the protest but felt fellow supporters that were, were being dealt with in a heavy handed way.
Noticing that one of the officers, a PC Allsop, was not wearing his shoulder ID numbers, Mark asked him why. Events that followed were caught on film.
Mark was arrested and taken to holding cells beneath the stadium. Once there, events took a turn for the worse. Mark explains what happened in his own words.
Mark’s account
“This all started when PC Allsop first came over to me and I asked him why he wasn’t wearing his ID numbers and told him I was considering making a formal complaint since I knew he was in breach of guidelines.
“In response PC Allsop called me a ‘smart arse’ together with a torrent of abuse and then left me alone.
“I then called up another officer, assuming him to be a commanding officer but he could not provide me with an answer. He then turned against me and alleged I was drunk, which I wasn’t.
“My protestations were ignored and you can see what happened next in the footage.
“Once in the holding area, having already been put in an illegal choke hold, I was tripped, taken to the floor, secured in handcuffs and then dragged to a cell.
“I overheard PC Allsop asking the custody officer whether or not the video camera in the cell was working. The custody officer replied it was not.
“PC Allsop then entered my cell and threw me to the floor. He struck me three times in the face and head with his knee – I was still handcuffed with my hands beneath my back.
“PC X pulled PC Allsop away and tried to stop the attack. He placed me on a bench within the cell. PC Allsop made towards me again, told me I was resisting arrest and hit me twice on my head. The handcuffs were removed, PC Allsop left the cell locking the door behind him.” [Editor’s note – PC X’s name has been withheld to protect his identity – he was the officer who pursued this complaint against Allsop]
“In the meantime, my son had followed me own towards the holding area and tried to speak to me but the police just questioned him about his presence there. I attempted to interject saying his mother should be called or he should, given his age, be escorted home.
“I was ignored and my son thrown out of the stadium. However, he made his way back in at half time and again attempted to find out what was happening but to no avail. He then had to make his own way home.
“Sometime later I was taken to a police station. I complained about my treatment and a doctor was called and photographs of my injuries taken.
“I was charged with a public order offence (Section 5), given bail conditions preventing me from attending any football match and released at 2.00am.
Once the case came to court, I represented myself (I would advise that nobody should do this, rather call the FSF for advice and referral to Melanie Cooke). I was found guilty, fined £275 (including costs) and given a banning order.
“The banning order not only meant I couldn’t take my son to football or my brother for whom I acted as a carer. Due to the particularly draconian terms, this effectively meant I was a prisoner in my own home on a match day. I protested against the terms in court but unsuccessfully.
“After the hearing I tried to get the conditions overturned but was unable to. However, after going to the Coventry Telegraph and getting publicity, two police officers visited my home late one evening and told me a court hearing was arranged for the following day.
“It was only then I managed to get the terms of my ban amended meaning I could leave my home on a match day but the overall ban remained in place.”
Challenging the conviction
Realising he had to try and challenge both his conviction, and the football banning order in addition to the assault at the hands of the police, Mark contacted the FSF for help.
In turn, we referred him to specialist football solicitor, Melanie Cooke (who has since set up Football Law Associates).
Melanie agreed to represent Mark and lodged an appeal against his conviction. Part of preparing for an appeal hearing involves making requests for information about the case and the officers and the information was not forthcoming, causing a delay of the hearing date.
During this delay, and unknown to the legal team, other events were taking place which eventually resulted in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) quietly confirming they would not oppose the appeal (more on this below).
At the Crown Court, the prosecutor told the Judge that information had come to the Crown’s attention which had led to a review at a senior level but gave no information on what that was.
Judge Coates responded: “We don’t live in that sort of society now. He (Mark) needs to be told. I believe he should be told, or at least told ‘we’re not telling you’ and advised that the CPS should write to Mark.”
To this date, Mark has received no letter from the CPS with any explanation.
This led to the conviction being overturned in the Crown Court, and of course the football banning order was overturned with it.
Civil action
Now he’d successfully appealed, Mark could turn his attention to taking civil action against West Midlands Police for his treatment at the police station.
Melanie advised Mark to speak with Lochlinn Parker, then of Deighton Peirce Glynn, but now with ITN Solicitors. Lochlinn explains his role in securing justice for Mark and a substantial five figure financial award to compensate him for his experiences.
“Cases against the police are difficult because it is often the client’s word against the officer’s,” Lochlinn said.
“In this case we had the CCTV footage which showed the actions in the stands but it was what happened in the holding cell which was the most shocking and there was no footage from there.
“We had to find a way to prove what had happened to Mark and given that the CPS had thrown in the towel we had an inkling that there was some evidence to be found.
“It turned out that a fellow officer, PC X, so appalled with the conduct of PC Allsop, had written a long statement about what happened and submitted it to senior officers the day after the incident.
“It has been of concern throughout this case that the fact of this statement was not passed on to the CPS for the original criminal case, that Mark was prosecuted despite the fact the statement fatally undermined PC Allsop’s credibility, and that had Mark not made a complaint while in custody it is unlikely PC Allsop would ever have been brought to book for what he did.
“There has never been a satisfactory answer from West Midlands Police about why this, or many other concerning aspects of Mark’s case, happened.
“Due to failings in the way the police handled the complaint, including telling PC Allsop that proceedings against him for the assault would be ended, the officer was only put before a misconduct ‘meeting’.
“The most severe sanction from a ‘meeting’ is a final written warning.
“He could never have been sacked despite being found to have kneed Mark in the face three times while he was handcuffed face down on the ground and despite PC X clearly saying there was no justification whatsoever for the assault.
“The officer had been found to have viciously assaulted Mark but because the police did not investigate their officer for such a long time they could not consider whether criminal charges should have been brought.
“PC Allsop’s ‘final’ written warning lasted for 18 months. Unless he has been found to have committed further misconduct since then, this warning will have now expired.
“West Midlands Police has never publically admitted what happened and have failed (despite numerous requests) to update the record of officer misconduct on their website.
“Once PC Allsop was found to have assaulted Mark, the civil claim for compensation was always a foregone conclusion but yet West Midlands Police still fought a number of aspects of the case, refused to provide answers to serious concerns including why PC Allsop was not investigated earlier and only apologised to Mark after we insisted on it.
“Mark’s case finally settled in October 2015 – four years, two criminal cases, a lengthy complaint process and a civil claim, after the incident.
“Police forces always refer to the ‘one bad apple’ theory when referring to officer misconduct but in a case like this where Mark had to constantly pursue West Midlands Police to make sure they would effectively investigate their officer for such shocking and gratuitous violence, and to apologise for it, you have to wonder whether it is one bad apple or a rotten system that encourages officers to think they can get away with it.”
So, there you have it. The shocking story of how one day out at the football eventually concluded over four years later.
You will, no doubt, agree that Mark’s story makes for concerning and troubling reading. While he’s not the first supporter to successfully make a claim against the police for personal injury at their hands, he is one of a very few.
Nonetheless, Mark’s account should remind supporters that they don’t have to (indeed shouldn’t) ‘go it alone’ and represent themselves in court and that we are here to help, supported by the services of Melanie, Lochlinn and others in the legal profession.
The final word belongs to Mark who says that the experience has taught him that there are good and bad police officers and that without the integrity shown by PC X the outcome may well have been very different for him.
“It’s all about making the victim look bad,” Mark said. “The police will try and cover up their wrong doing and for them it’s about damage limitation.
“The police will never learn until they become open and transparent.
“I would like to place on record my thanks and gratitude to my fellow Coventry fans who came forward to give statements and for the help offered by Amanda Jacks but in particularly the superb representation given by both Melanie Cooke and Lochlinn Parker who both went well beyond the call of duty and my MP, Bob Ainsworth.”
We asked West Midlands Police to respond to many of the criticisms in this article, their response is below:
Chief Inspector Brian Carmichael from West Midlands Police’s Professional Standards Department, said: "An internal investigation was launched following the complaint and the officer in question appeared before a misconduct panel where he received a final written warning.
"An out-of-court financial settlement was later agreed with Mr Wynn."
Watching Football Is Not A Crime! is part of the FSF's ongoing drive to monitor the police in their dealings with football fans and work with them to ensure that all fans are treated fairly and within the law. You can contact FSF Caseworker Amanda Jacks via:
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Do university lecturers carry their academic research to classrooms?
We must accept that. Most academics –including myself– struggle when they have to write a short briefing of their teaching philosophy . The common answer relates the main two missions of the university: teaching and research. University lecturers are expected to carry the lab –understanding lab as individual academic research– to classrooms. But it rarely happens, especially in undergraduate courses. I recently came across to one interesting exception: The Phillips Curve.
The Phillips Curve describes a –short-run– negative relationship between inflation and unemployment and received the name from William Phillips who first identified this pattern with empirical-driven study collecting information of inflation and unemployment for the period 1861-1957 in the UK. He did not receive the Nobel Prize, but at least six of the authors building –part of their research– to the better understanding of the relation between unemployment and inflation achieved this award for their contributions. In chronological order: Paul Samuelson in 1970, Milton Friedman in 1976, Robert Solow in 1987, Robert Lucas in 1995, Edmund Phelps in 2006, and finally Thomas Sargent in 2011. All the insights and recommendations from this debate are still important for policy makers when defining their monetary –interestingly the independence of central banks is a consequence of this debate– and fiscal policies. And therefore are relevant for undergraduate and postgraduate students in economics and business.
Apart from the technical details, it is also a great opportunity for students to discover the processes and advances of the academic thinking. To understand how after the discovery of an empirical pattern other authors look whether it is generalizable or not, and some others construct robust theoretical models based on the previous empirical studies. This kind of build-in-academic-debate teaching content can be motivating and encouraging for those students showing a prospect interest in developing an academic career.
In sum, teaching the Phillips Curve is a good illustration of the generation of knowledge. And certainly, we need to see more academic developments like this in textbooks and teaching notes. What in my view it actually means bringing the lab to the classroom.
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Mental health support for G21 region students
G21 region schools will be part of the State Government's roll-out of mental health professionals to Victorian government schools in order to reduce the number of young Victorians tragically taking their own life.
Premier Daniel Andrews, Minister for Education James Merlino and Minister for Mental Health Martin Foley today (8 May 2019) announced the first schools that will receive support under the Mental Health Practitioners in Schools initiative.
The $51.2 million program will start in 33 secondary schools in term 3 of 2019 in Melbourne’s south east suburbs – from Albert Park College to Frankston High.
However, in term 4, the program will expand to 21 secondary school campuses in the state’s south west – from Geelong High School through to Colac Secondary College.
The program will employ more than 190 qualified mental health professionals across the state, including psychologists, social workers and mental health nurses.
The Mental Health Practitioners will offer counselling and early intervention services, as well as coordinating support for students with complex needs, linking in with broader allied community and health services.
Every government secondary school will receive between one and five-days-a-week of support from a mental health practitioner depending on its size, requirements and existing welfare programs.
The Government will also partner with the Orygen National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health to promote student wellbeing within secondary schools.
This program builds on the Government’s $65.5 million investment in student health and wellbeing initiatives in all schools, including the Victorian Anti-Bullying and Mental Health Initiative, the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support program, as well as increased investment in allied health and nursing services.
The Government established a Royal Commission into Mental Health and plans to implement every one of its recommendations – but in the meantime is moving ahead with critical, practical initiatives that support Victorians experiencing mental health problems.
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PSCU Expands Partnership with Velocity Credit Union
St. Petersburg, Fla. — (May 15, 2019) — PSCU, the nation’s premier payments credit union service organization, has announced it will begin providing debit and credit processing support to Velocity Credit Union (Austin, Texas) in 2020. Fittingly, the credit union made the decision to expand its relationship with PSCU during the CUSO’s annual Member Forum conference in Austin last month.
Velocity began its partnership with PSCU when it signed on for contact center support services as part of its online banking conversion in 2016, which grew to full-service contact center support in the fall of 2018. When it came time to identify a new card processing partner, Velocity conducted an extensive review process that included all of the major vendors that serve the credit union industry.
“Plastic card services are critically important to our overall strategy for serving our members around the clock no matter where they live, work or travel,” said Debbie Mitchell, President and CEO at Velocity. “We prioritized reliability and consistency of delivery above all other factors, followed closely by measuring the vendor’s track record in responding to service issues and problems and support of our staff. We judged PSCU to be superior in all of these aspects.”
Velocity was originally chartered in 1947 to serve City of Austin employees. More than 70 years later, the credit union is one of the largest and strongest credit unions in the state of Texas. It has more than $840 million in assets and serves more than 87,000 members. Membership is now open to anyone that lives or works in the five-county Austin area (Travis, Hays, Williamson, Bastrop and Caldwell counties).
“We are especially proud to continue to grow and expand our relationship with Velocity Credit Union,” said Scott Wagner, EVP and Chief Revenue Officer at PSCU. “From continuing to provide the responsiveness and support the credit union has come to expect from our contact centers, to helping guide its overall card programs to higher levels of success, we look forward to working with Velocity for many years to come.”
About PSCU
PSCU, the nation’s premier payments CUSO, supports the success of over 900 Owner credit unions representing more than 2 billion transactions annually. Committed to service excellence and focused on innovation, PSCU’s payment processing, risk management, data and analytics, loyalty programs, digital banking, marketing, strategic consulting and mobile platforms help deliver possibilities and seamless member experiences. Comprehensive, 24/7/365 member support is provided by contact centers located throughout the United States. The origin of PSCU’s model is collaboration and scale, and the company has leveraged its influence on behalf of credit unions and their members for more than 40 years. Today, PSCU provides an end-to-end, competitive advantage that enables credit unions to securely grow and meet evolving consumer demands. For more information, visit pscu.com .
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A criminal defense attorney on the importance of the Fifth Amendment
Nov 07, 2018 09:18AM ● By Kathleen Maris
By James W. “Jim” Bannister
In October 2017, George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign advisor, pled guilty to giving false information to federal investigators. Two months later, Michael Flynn, the former national security advisor, also pled guilty to the same charge. Both of the interviews that resulted in these false statements were given voluntarily by Papadopoulos and Flynn after each individual willingly waived his right to remain silent.
These are two of the many examples of high-profile pleas in the world of criminal defense work. For the person in question, it brings to mind the Arab proverb, “The tongue is the enemy of the neck.” Or, as I personally translate it, one’s tongue is figuratively the rope with which an individual hangs oneself. The Bible has a similar proverb: “Those who guard their tongues keep themselves from calamity.”
At this time in history, I would argue that the right to remain silent (also known as the Fifth Amendment) is one of the most well-known rights protected by the U.S. Constitution. After all, who has not heard law enforcement say to an arrestee on television, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you.”
However, in my experience, the right to remain silent is the right least likely to be exercised by an individual. As a criminal defense lawyer, it is rare for me to see a client who has been charged with a crime and has not already spoken with law enforcement.
Why is this? Let me take a crack at explaining.
To some extent, people being questioned likely do not understand the legal minefield through which they are walking. Only four years ago, federal law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, DEA, and ATF had policies that prohibited the taping of suspect and witness interviews. Up until then, at least two agents were required to take handwritten notes of the interview, and those notes would subsequently be summarized in typewritten format. The suspect or witness would not receive a copy or be given a chance to point out errors and omissions in these notes. This process poses problems for the unwary because the context of questions and answers is completely lost.
An example of the importance context plays: In the movie “My Cousin Vinny,” Bill Gambini and Stan Rothenstein are told that they are being investigated for the shooting of a convenience store clerk in rural Alabama. Immediately, after Sheriff Farley tells the young New Yorkers that they are being arrested because of the shooting, Rothenstein, in total confusion, utters: “I shot the clerk? I shot the clerk?” At the trial, Sheriff Farley truthfully testifies that he heard Rothenstein say, “I shot the clerk. I shot the clerk.” Sheriff Farley’s testimony of what he heard Rothenstein say was without any of the context of Rothenstein’s confused demeanor and inflection. Without having this important context, Rothenstein’s statement took on an altogether different, incorrect meaning; indeed, it conveyed the opposite interpretation of what Farley originally intended.
Additionally, federal agents are ordinary people subject to the same distractions and misperceptions as the rest of us. In my own work, I have seen instances where an agent’s summary of an interview included significant statements that were incorrect. In one particular case, according to the interview summary, my client allegedly said that he did not attend a particular conference. However, in reality, my client attended that particular conference every single year that it was offered. But for some quick action on our part to get this mistake corrected for our client, this one issue could have potentially become the subject of an allegation of his giving false information to a federal agent.
As mentioned, interview summaries are never provided to the subject to check for inaccuracies like this one. By way of contrast, in every civil lawsuit, witnesses are typically “interviewed” by way of a formal deposition that is transcribed word for word by a licensed court reporter. The deposition is also usually audiotaped by the court reporter to ensure the official transcription be as accurate as possible. Even then, the transcribed deposition is submitted to the witness to review for errors.
In May 2014, the Department of Justice realized that the credibility of its agents was suffering from this no-recording policy. Unfortunately, the new policy only “encourages” agents to electronically record interviews. Simply “encouraging” agents has not equated to changing old habits.
Furthermore, federal agents do not have any special rights or authority when approaching someone in his or her workplace. Yes, it can be intimidating and overwhelming when an agent shows up at a place of business, but the person in question has every right to turn agents away and ask to speak with them at another time when he or she can have a lawyer present.
The right to remain silent remains invaluable for each of us as Americans. There may be a moment when it is entirely appropriate to tell your side of the story, but it is never a good idea when facing two federal agents — or any law enforcement for that matter — who say they just want to speak with you. Too much is at stake. Especially when their mistake in hearing what you have to say could result in a false information charge.
James W. “Jim” Bannister is managing partner of Bannister, Wyatt & Stalvey. He is recognized by his peers as Lawyer of the Year in the practice area of Criminal Defense: White Collar Crime in Best Lawyers in America 2019 and is one of only three lawyers from South Carolina named as a fellow to the American Board of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
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Chancellor of the Exchequer /tʃˈænsələr əv ðə ˈɛkstʃˌɛkər/ Listen
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"Chancellor of the Exchequer" Quotes from Famous Books
... and prosperous merchant, then engaged in England in purchasing stock for his store in Philadelphia. Franklin was to be his managing and confidential clerk, with the prospect of rapid advancement. At the same time Sir William Wyndham, ex-chancellor of the exchequer, endeavored to persuade Franklin to open a swimming school in London. He promised very aristocratic patronage; and as an opening for money-getting this plan was perhaps the better. Franklin almost closed with the proposition. He seems, however, to have had a little ...
— Benjamin Franklin • John Torrey Morse, Jr.
... (C. H., iv.). I won't take it. I ask 2500 guineas for it, which you will either give or not, as you think proper." During the remaining years of his life he grew more and more exact, driving hard bargains for his houses, horses, and boats, and fitting himself, had he lived, to be Chancellor of the Exchequer in the newly-liberated State, from which he took a bond securing a fair interest for his loan. He made out an account in L. s. d. against the ungrateful Dallas, and when Leigh Hunt threatened to sponge upon him he got a harsh reception; but there is nothing to countenance the view ...
— Byron • John Nichol
... economic performance has complicated the BLAIR government's efforts to make a case for Britain to join the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The Prime Minister has pledged to hold a public referendum if membership meets Chancellor of the Exchequer BROWN's five economic "tests." Scheduled for assessment by mid-2003, the tests will determine whether joining EMU would have a positive effect on British investment, employment, and growth. Critics point out, however, that the economy is ...
— The 2002 CIA World Factbook • US Government
... be inserted in the 'Moniteur'. He directed M. Otto to remonstrate, in an official note, against a system of calumny which he believed to be authorised by the English Government. Besides this official proceeding he applied personally to Mr. Addington, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, requesting him to procure the adoption of legislative measures against the licentious writings complained of; and, to take the earliest opportunity of satisfying his hatred against the liberty of the press, the First ...
— The Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte • Bourrienne, Constant, and Stewarton
... hat against a leading pillar, after putting his mouth into it, as if for prayer, but scarcely long enough to say "Amen," behind other hats low whispers passed that here was the great financier of free trade, the Chancellor of the Exchequer of smuggling, the ...
— Mary Anerley • R. D. Blackmore
... part of the year in Florence, where we were building up a connection, but rode back for the summer months to Switzerland, as being a livelier place for the trade in bicycles. The net result was not only that we covered our expenses, but that, as chancellor of the exchequer, I found myself with a surplus in hand at the end ...
— Miss Cayley's Adventures • Grant Allen
... Charles Townshend, Chancellor of the Exchequer, one of the originators of the new colonial policy under the Bute Ministry, was so ill-advised as to renew the attempt to raise a colonial revenue by parliamentary taxation. His manner of proposing the measure gave the impression that it was ...
— The Wars Between England and America • T. C. Smith
... prominent member of the Long Parliament, he espoused the popular cause. The outbreak of the Civil War, however, threw his sympathies over to the other side, and in 1642 King Charles knighted him and appointed him Chancellor of the Exchequer. When Charles, Prince of Wales, afterwards King Charles II., fled to Jersey after the great defeat of his father at Naseby, he was accompanied by Hyde, who, in the island, commenced his great work, "The History of the Rebellion," and also issued a series of eloquently worded papers ...
— The World's Greatest Books, Vol XII. - Modern History • Arthur Mee
... of April, the Earl of St. Vincent, then First Lord of the Admiralty, made a motion in the House of Peers—and Mr. Addington, now Lord Sidmouth, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the House of Commons—of thanks to Sir Hyde Parker, Lord Nelson, Rear Admiral Graves, and the rest of the officers, seamen, and marines, for their very exemplary bravery displayed in the great and glorious victory atchieved at Copenhagen; which were carried, in both houses, ...
— The Life of the Right Honourable Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson, Vol. II (of 2) • James Harrison
... leaving these two gentlemen to alternate as criminal and accuser upon what principles they think expedient, it is for us to consider whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Treasurer of the Navy, acting as a Board of Control, are justified by law or policy in suspending the legal arrangements made by the Court of Directors, in order to transfer the public revenues to the ...
— The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. III. (of 12) • Edmund Burke
... are fit for naval service of every description; and they are generally fit for all transport service." The Report of Lord Canning, the British Post Master General, to which I have referred, was made in 1853, in obedience to a Treasury Minute issued by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who directed the Post Master General to form a committee, and report to both houses, on the propriety of continuing and extending the mail steam packet system; as there had been suggestions that the sum expended for the mail service was large. These gentlemen after a lengthy ...
— Ocean Steam Navigation and the Ocean Post • Thomas Rainey
... Dryden's Satire as Achitophel, was scarcely likely, with his spirit of restless intrigue and of daring cynicism, to prove a congenial colleague, even had he not been prominent as a member of the clique which lost no opportunity for undermining the influence of the older statesmen. He was now made Chancellor of the Exchequer, with some hope that "his slippery humour might be held in check by Southampton, whose ...
— The Life of Edward Earl of Clarendon V2 • Henry Craik
... the reins at the end of 1783, not only did he send for Pitt instead of for Shelburne, but Pitt himself neither invited Shelburne to join him, nor in any way ever consulted him then or afterwards, though he had been Chancellor of the Exchequer in Shelburne's ...
— Burke • John Morley
... advocate in the spiritual courts; Sheriff of a county, city, or town; Sub-Sheriff; Lord Lieutenant, Lord Deputy, or other governor of Ireland; Lord High Treasurer; Governor of a county; Privy Councillor; Postmaster General; Chancellor of the Exchequer or Secretary of State; Vice Treasurer, Cashier of the Exchequer; Keeper of the Privy Seal or Auditor General; Provost or Fellow of Dublin University; nor Lord Mayor or Alderman of a corporate city or town. ...
— The Complete Works of Whittier - The Standard Library Edition with a linked Index • John Greenleaf Whittier
... under such conditions. His politics were as much distrusted as his serious literary passages. But Disraeli was the single person equal to the task. For the next twenty-five years he led the Conservative opposition in the House of Commons, varied by short intervals of power. He was three times Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1853, 1858, and 1859; and on Lord Derby's retirement in 1868 ...
— Library Of The World's Best Literature, Ancient And Modern, Vol 4 • Charles Dudley Warner
... indeed, I assure you. Have you breakfasted? all well at home? your highly honoured father? late sitting at the House last night—close of the session most exhausting even to seasoned members, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer said to me last evening in the lobby;' and here followed an anecdote. But while he thus ran on most affably, the under-current of idea in his mind was somewhat as follows: 'What on earth does this ...
— Cedar Creek - From the Shanty to the Settlement • Elizabeth Hely Walshe
... forward by Disraeli was rudely handled by Gladstone. The debate was one of the fiercest ever heard in Parliament. The excitement on both sides was intense. Disraeli, animated by the power of desperation, was in a mood neither to give nor to take quarter. He assailed Sir Charles Wood, the late Chancellor of the Exchequer, with a vehemence which more than once went to the very limits of Parliamentary decorum. The House had not heard the concluding word of Disraeli's bitter and impassioned speech, when Gladstone leaped to his feet to answer ...
— A History of the Nineteenth Century, Year by Year - Volume Two (of Three) • Edwin Emerson
... generally prepared himself for it by taking the yolk of an egg beaten up in a glass of sherry, Mr Bright's priming was said to be a glass of a particular old port, and there was a malicious whisper to the effect that Mr Lowe, whilst Chancellor of the Exchequer made ready to enter the oratorical arena by taking a glass of iced water at the bar, being moved to his choice of a stimulant by considerations of economy. Mr Disraeli then was reported to the gallery as having taken his half-bottle, ...
— Recollections • David Christie Murray
... and Hall to swim, won him quite a reputation on this line, we may state here, that after Benjamin had decided to return to Philadelphia and arranged therefor, he received a note from Sir William Wyndham, a noted public man, who was Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Bolingbroke administration, inviting him to pay him a visit. Benjamin was again perplexed to know what this great man could want of him; but he went ...
— From Boyhood to Manhood • William M. Thayer
... having made two proposals, the House began to deliberate. Mr. Robert Walpole was the chief speaker in favour of the Bank, and Mr. Aislabie, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the principal advocate on behalf of the South Sea Company. It was resolved, on the 2nd of February, that the proposals of the latter were most advantageous to the country. They were accordingly received, and leave was given to bring in a ...
— Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions - Vol. I • Charles Mackay
... Gascoigne, but it's not our fault if we are obliged to take men by force; it's the fault of those who do not legislate so as to prevent the necessity. Mrs Oxbelly used to say that she would easily manage the matter if she were Chancellor of the Exchequer." ...
— Mr. Midshipman Easy • Frederick Marryat
... in Poland were even worse. At the end of March the great Polish pianist, Ignace Paderewski, paid a visit to London on behalf of the suffering Poles and his efforts resulted in the formation of an influential relief committee. Among the members were such men as Premier Asquith, ex-Premier Balfour, Chancellor of the Exchequer Lloyd-George, Cardinal Bourne, archbishop of Westminster; Admiral Lord Charles Beresford and the Russian and French ambassadors. An American woman, Lady Randolph Churchill, also took an active part in the work of the committee, which soon succeeded in raising a ...
— America's War for Humanity • Thomas Herbert Russell
... with the important present. He and she had both of them relied on their judgment of character as regarded each other's worthiness and trustworthiness. And he was the last man in the world to be a chancellor of the exchequer. To him, money was a quite uninteresting token that had to pass through your hands. He had always had enough of it. He had always had too much of it. Even at Putney he had had too much of it. The better part of Henry ...
— Buried Alive: A Tale of These Days • Arnold Bennett
... is the material with which one has to deal; that the earth rolled on pretty comfortably before one began to balance a budget of the hours, and that it will continue to roll on pretty comfortably whether or not one succeeds in one's new role of chancellor of the exchequer of time. It is as well not to chatter too much about what one is doing, and not to betray a too-pained sadness at the spectacle of a whole world deliberately wasting so many hours out of every day, and therefore never really living. It will be found, ultimately, that ...
— How to Live on 24 Hours a Day • Arnold Bennett
... VIII. this manor, having lapsed to the Crown, was granted to Edmund Harman, the royal surgeon. Then in later days Sir John Fortescue, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth, got hold of it, and eventually sold it to Sir Lawrence Tanfield, a great judge in those times. The latter was buried "at twelve o'clock in the Night" in the church of Burford; and there ...
— A Cotswold Village • J. Arthur Gibbs
... permanently to Ireland to watch over the growth of the Sinn Fein Republic. To-day was the day. Question 45, "Mr. Ginnell, to ask the Prime Minister, &c., &c.," was eagerly awaited. There was no saying that the hon. Member, if dissatisfied with the reply, would not hurl the Mace at the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, so as to ensure a properly dramatic exit. At last No. 45 was reached; but Mr. GINNELL was not there to put it. Once more the Saxon intellect had been too slow to keep up with the swift processes of the Celtic ...
— Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 153, July 25, 1917 • Various
... scoundrel. He has taken a noble and high-sounding Fijian name and dragged it in the dirt to suit his nefarious purposes. He has made Tui Tulifau drunk. He has made him very drunk. He has kept him very drunk all the time. In return, he has been made Chancellor of the Exchequer and other things. He has issued this false paper and compelled the people to receive it. He has levied a store tax, a copra tax, and a tobacco tax. There are harbour dues and regulations, and other taxes. But the people are not taxed—only the traders. When the copra tax was levied, I lowered ...
— A Son Of The Sun • Jack London
... no one knew or seemed to care. He was good-natured, and he was humored. Everybody bought his scrip in fifty cents denomination. I was his favored printer, and he assured me that when he came into his estate he would make me chancellor of the exchequer. He often attended the services of the Unitarian church, and expressed his feeling that there were too many churches and that when the empire was established he should request all to accept the Unitarian church. He once asked ...
— A Backward Glance at Eighty • Charles A. Murdock
... trysting place, and there they would have speech with him. They arranged to escape from Room 18 before three o'clock. The Commander-in-Chief feigned a nose-bleed, the Prime Minister developed an inward agony, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, after some moments of indecision, boldly plucked out a tottering tooth and followed—bloody but triumphant—in their wake. They found the enemy just as they had expected, and Morris, being again elected spokesman, stepped forward and took him by his dastard hand. The adversary ...
— Little Citizens • Myra Kelly
... The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER'S Budget statement was praised by his predecessor for its ability and lucidity. Personally, I thought rapidity was its most notable characteristic. Unhampered by manuscript (save a couple of sheets of notepaper containing a few of the ...
— Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 152, May 9, 1917 • Various
... The Chancellor of the Exchequer retired, charmed with the liberality of the minister, and went home to receive with great affability the dedication of Cinna, wherein the great Corneille compares his soul to that of Augustus, and thanks him for having given alms 'a ...
— Serge Panine • Georges Ohnet
... recommended the House of Commons to grant a further term of years to Sir Thomas Lombe. The advisers of the King, however, thought it better that the patent should not be renewed, but that the trade in silk should be thrown free to all. Accordingly the Chancellor of the Exchequer acquainted the House (14th March, 1731) that "His Majesty having been informed of the case of Sir Thomas Lombe, with respect to his engine for making organzine silk, had commanded him to acquaint this House, that His Majesty ...
— Men of Invention and Industry • Samuel Smiles
... amusing, but a quite excusable error, was made by Allibone in his Dictionary of English Literature, under the heading of Isaac D'Israeli. He notices new editions of that author's works revised by the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer, of course Isaac's son Benjamin, afterwards Prime Minister and Earl of Beaconsfield; but unfortunately there were two Chancellors in 1858, and Allibone chooses the wrong one, printing, as useful information to the reader, that the reviser was Sir George Cornewall ...
— Literary Blunders • Henry B. Wheatley
... more," groaned Jonah, "you'll spoil my appetite. When I reflect that in 1913 and a burst of piety I sent the Chancellor of the Exchequer a postal order for eight and sixpence by way of Conscience Money, I feel ...
— Berry And Co. • Dornford Yates
... in discussing tempting themes of Local Taxation in London, and Superannuation of School-teachers. On latter subject that preux Chevalier, TEMPLE, laying down the lute, and leaving Amaryllis in the shade, delivered luminous speech; convinced CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER; made him promise to ...
— Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 104, March 4, 1893 • Various
... patchwork—were levelled and removed so that the plough and all the modern machinery might range unobstructed over hill and vale. But assuredly it would not seem better to the philanthropist, the Christian, or the statesman. To the chancellor of the exchequer it would make the most serious difference; for a few herds and ploughmen would consume but a very small portion indeed of the excisable articles now used by the tenant farmers of this county. I have taken some notes on the diet of this ...
— The Land-War In Ireland (1870) - A History For The Times • James Godkin
... profession there is much that can be done by deputy, or that does itself, or is little more than routine and the mechanical. In letters alone, if the brain be not in working order, all is lost. In 1856 Sir Cornewall Lewis, who was then Chancellor of the Exchequer, offered Greg a place on the Board of Customs, and he accepted it. Yet, as he said, he did so 'with some loathing and great misgiving.' Five years earlier he would have entered upon it with eagerness, but in five years he was conscious of having made 'sad progress in that philosophy whose root is ...
— Critical Miscellanies (Vol. 3 of 3) - Essay 7: A Sketch • John Morley
... Manchester, as we learn from Nature, the general committee of the British Association unanimously adopted the following resolution, which has been forwarded to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Presidents of the Board of Education and of Agriculture and Fisheries: "That the British Association for the Advancement of Science, believing that the higher education of the nation is of supreme importance ...
— Popular Science Monthly Volume 86
... hon. friend says they are quite prepared to bear the expense. I commend that observation cheerfully to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. This question touches the consciences of the people of the country. My hon. friend sometimes goes a little far; still, he represents a considerable body of feeling. Last May, when the opium question was raised in this House, ...
— Indian speeches (1907-1909) • John Morley (AKA Viscount Morley)
... American Ambassador, arrived in England, he relates that he inquired of Mr. Coke of Holkham, what was the best work on Agriculture, and was referred to Sir John Sinclair's; and when he further asked of Mr. Vansittart, Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the best work on British Finance, he was again referred to a work by Sir John Sinclair, his 'History of the Public Revenue.' But the great monument of his indefatigable industry, a work that would have appalled other men, but only ...
— Self Help • Samuel Smiles
... had a good many, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer remarked in the House of Commons—was tied up in the ...
— Boy Woodburn - A Story of the Sussex Downs • Alfred Ollivant
... could trace nothing like reason; but, on the contrary, downright phrensy, raised perhaps by the most extraordinary eloquence. The abolition, as proposed, was impracticable. He denied the right of the legislature to pass a law for it. He warned the Chancellor of the Exchequer to beware of the day, on which the bill should pass, as the worst ...
— The History of the Rise, Progress and Accomplishment of the Abolition of the African Slave Trade by the British Parliament (1808) • Thomas Clarkson
... this financing means to a country may be judged by the statement of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who in October, 1916, replying to questions regarding the English loans in the House of Commons, declared that England was paying at that time about $10,000,000 a day in the United States, for every working day in ...
— Kelly Miller's History of the World War for Human Rights • Kelly Miller
... power to interfere in the matter, as in the historic instance when John Williams, a Cornish mine-manager, foresaw in the minutest detail, eight or nine days before it took place, the assassination of Mr. Spencer Perceval, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the lobby of the House of Commons. Even in this case, however, it is just possible that something might have been done, for we read that Mr. Williams was so much impressed that he consulted his friends as to whether he ought not to go up to ...
— Clairvoyance • Charles Webster Leadbeater
... in the Ursine encampment at Mr. LLOYD GEORGE'S somewhat disparaging reference to the bear's hug. (It will be remembered that he compared with it the attitude of the Tories in respect of the Finance Bill.) The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER evidently regarded it as an insincere caress, whereas it was a perfectly honest expression of hostility. This attack was all the more unjust and undeserved since the bear was a most hardworking and underpaid member of the community. ...
— Punch or the London Charivari, Vol. 147, July 8, 1914 • Various
... supported by the beer-drinkers in towns, a numerous and influential class of the community. The tea-dealers, encouraged by the success of agitation in other quarters, are already making a loud clamour for a reduction of the duty on tea, and prepared to prove, to the entire satisfaction of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that nothing is so likely to increase a branch of revenue now producing L4,800,000 a-year, as to lower the duty from half-a-crown to a shilling on the pound. The tobacco dealers will not be behind their ...
— Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCLXXVI. February, 1847. Vol. LXI. • Various
... GEORGE ROBEY invented for application to himself the descriptive phrase, "The Prime Minister of Mirth," it should be at once affixed to the Law Courts' fun-maker; but, since it is too late to use that, let us think of him as "The Chancellor of the Exchequer of Mirth." ...
— Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 152, May 23, 1917 • Various
... of the Liberal Unionists, the marquess of Hartington, Mr Goschen and Mr Chamberlain. He was now the recognized Conservative champion in the Lower Chamber, and when the second Salisbury administration was formed after the general election of 1886 he became chancellor of the exchequer and leader of the House of Commons. His management of the House was on the whole successful, and was marked by tact, discretion and temper. But he had never really reconciled himself with some of his colleagues, and there was a good deal of friction in his relations with them, which ended with his ...
— Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 3 - "Chitral" to "Cincinnati" • Various
... had been made earlier in the autumn that a Referendum, or "Poll of the People" might be taken on the question of Home Rule. The very idea filled the Liberals with dismay. Speaking at Edinburgh on the 2nd of December, Mr. Lloyd George, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, made the curiously naive admission, for a "democratic" politician, that the Referendum would amount to "a prohibitive tariff against Liberalism." A few days earlier at Reading (November 29th) his Chief ...
— Ulster's Stand For Union • Ronald McNeill
... at the third day of every Parliament. the king shall take in his hands the offices of all the ministers aforesaid," (that is, "the chancellor, treasurer, barons, and chancellor of the exchequer, the justices of the one bench and of the other, justices assigned in the country, steward and chamberlain of the king's house, keeper of the privy seal, treasurer of the wardrobe, controllers, and they that be chief deputed to abide nigh the king's son, Duke ...
— An Essay on the Trial By Jury • Lysander Spooner
... votes in Committee of Supply. Sir William followed Mr. Chamberlain, and was welcomed with a ringing cheer; members settling themselves down in anticipated enjoyment of a rattling speech. When the applause subsided the Chancellor of the Exchequer contented himself with the observation that there had been a useful debate, the Committee had heard some excellent speeches, "and now let ...
— The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 30, June 1893 - An Illustrated Monthly • Various
... to the India board. Lord Thurlow, indeed, some months before, had spoken with contempt of the scruples which prevented Pitt from calling Hastings to the House of Lords; and had even said, that if the Chancellor of the Exchequer was afraid of the Commons, there was nothing to prevent the Keeper of the Great Seal from taking the royal pleasure about a patent of peerage. The very title was chosen. Hastings was to be Lord Daylesford. For, through all changes of ...
— Critical and Historical Essays, Volume III (of 3) • Thomas Babington Macaulay
... our indignant horror,—and that, too, in a manner that would have satisfied the conscience of the most punctilious formalist whose contribution to the national fund for an omitted payment to the Income Tax the Chancellor of the Exchequer ever had the honor to acknowledge. Still, the sum was very large in proportion to my poor father's income; and what with Jack's debts, the claims of the Anti-Publisher Society's printer, including the very expensive plates that had been so lavishly ...
— The Caxtons, Complete • Edward Bulwer-Lytton
... Papal States there are no lay judges. There all are "anointed prelates." This applies to all the tribunals, from the highest to the lowest. In short, the whole machinery of the Government is priestly. Its head is a priest,—the Pope; its Prime Minister is a priest; its Chancellor of the Exchequer is a priest; its Secretary at War is a priest; all are priests. These functionaries cannot be impeached. However gross their blunders, or glaring their malversations, they are secure from censure; because to punish them would be to say that they had erred, and to say that they had ...
— Pilgrimage from the Alps to the Tiber - Or The Influence of Romanism on Trade, Justice, and Knowledge • James Aitken Wylie
... depositary; questor[obs3], receiver, steward, trustee, accountant, Accountant General, almoner, liquidator, paymaster, cashier, teller; cambist[obs3]; money changer &c. (merchant) 797. financier. Secretary of the Treasury; Chancellor of the Exchequer, minister of finance. ...
— Roget's Thesaurus
... the law claimed him, and then politics, and then came the Civil War. As Privy Councillor and Chancellor of the Exchequer he was in the thick of the conflict. The men whom he had now to study were men of affairs. He had the clear and unimpassioned vision which often goes with a warm temperament, and could scrutinize his friends without endangering his affection for them. However deeply his feelings might be ...
— Characters from 17th Century Histories and Chronicles • Various
... 1847 was William Empson, who had contributed to the Edinburgh since 1823 and who held the editorship until his demise in 1852. Next followed Sir George Cornewall Lewis, who, however, resigned in 1855 to become Chancellor of the Exchequer in Lord Palmerston's cabinet. During his regime he wrote less than a score of articles for the review. His immediate successor was the late Henry Reeve, whose forty years of faithful service until his death in 1895 brings the review practically to our own ...
— Early Reviews of English Poets • John Louis Haney
... corners, or their red caps, or whatever covering adorned their heads. She then made them a speech, which I have no doubt was much more original than the Queen's speech in England, but as I did not know a word of the Mandingo language, I was not much the wiser for it. When it was concluded, her Chancellor of the Exchequer made a report of the financial condition of her kingdom, while her Home Secretary described the good behaviour of her subjects, and her Minister for Foreign Affairs assured her that she was on good terms with all her neighbours. This part of the business being concluded, they squatted ...
— Manco, the Peruvian Chief - An Englishman's Adventures in the Country of the Incas • W.H.G. Kingston
... in earnest. That is, not in earnest about the blue books, as you would not have time; but about Mr Palliser. He will be the new Chancellor of the Exchequer without a doubt." ...
— Can You Forgive Her? • Anthony Trollope
... to the rhymer's craft. 'At thirty,' writes Lord Macaulay, 'he would gladly have given all his chances in life for a comfortable vicarage and a chaplain's scarf. At thirty-seven he was First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and a Regent of the Kingdom.' The literary history of the Queen Anne age has many associations with his name. He proved a liberal patron of the wits, and of Pope among them, by subscribing largely to his Homer; but the poet's memory was stronger for ...
— The Age of Pope - (1700-1744) • John Dennis
... ministry was headed by Henry Pelham, as first lord of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer, and by the Duke of Newcastle, as principal secretary of state. These two men formed, also, a coalition with the leading members of both houses of parliament, Tories as well as Whigs; and, for the first time ...
— A Modern History, From the Time of Luther to the Fall of Napoleon - For the Use of Schools and Colleges • John Lord
... Lord Godolphin, that easy-going and eminently successful politician of whom Charles the Second once shrewdly said that he was "never in the way and never out of it," was directed to Addison in this emergency; and the story goes that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, afterward Lord Carleton, who was sent to express to the needy scholar the wishes of the Government, found him lodged in a garret over a small shop. The result of this memorable embassy from politics to literature was 'The Campaign': an eminently successful poem of the formal, ...
— Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 1 • Charles Dudley Warner
... point emerges from a brief correspondence published in the English newspapers between the Chancellor of the British Exchequer, Mr. Goschen, and Lord Lewisham. Lord Lewisham, acting, it would appear, on behalf of a number of English Civil Servants, wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer concerning certain complaints of these servants, embodied in a memorial. In his reply, the Chancellor of the Exchequer alludes to an intimation which seems to have been made by the authors of this memorial of their intention to put a kind of pressure upon the Minister ...
— France and the Republic - A Record of Things Seen and Learned in the French Provinces - During the 'Centennial' Year 1889 • William Henry Hurlbert
... still harping on the Budget. Tim Healy enlivened proceedings by vigorous personal attack on "the most reckless and incapable Chancellor of the Exchequer that ever sat on the Treasury Bench." Lloyd George's retort courteous looked forward to ...
— Punch, or the London Charivari, July 1, 1914 • Various
... times as costly as they are, we should have many more good painters. If I were Chancellor of the Exchequer I would lay a tax of twenty shillings a cake on all colours except black, Prussian blue, Vandyke brown, and Chinese white, which I would leave for students. I don't say this jestingly; I believe such a tax would do more to advance real art than a ...
— The Crown of Wild Olive • John Ruskin
... for a couple of days. In order to protect its dwindling gold supply the Bank of England raised its discount rate to 8 per cent. Leading bankers of London requested Premier Asquith to suspend the bank act, and he promised to lay the matter before the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In all the capitals of Europe financial transactions virtually came to a standstill. The slump in the market value of securities within the first week of the war flurry was estimated at $2,000,000,000, and radical measures were necessary to prevent ...
— A History of The Nations and Empires Involved and a Study - of the Events Culminating in The Great Conflict • Logan Marshall
... my Lord Ashley, Chancellor of the Exchequer; where we met the auditors about settling the business of the accounts of persons to whom money is due before the King's time in the Navy, and the clearing of their imprests for what little of their debts they ...
— The Diary of Samuel Pepys • Samuel Pepys
... the cheering was prolonged. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, an old friend of his late father, spoke most glowingly to him and of him in his hearing. The junior Whip hinted at his contesting a heat at a coming bye-election in the North of Ireland. A man with his knowledge of Ireland—as he had shown that night—would ...
— Peg O' My Heart • J. Hartley Manners
... one of whom was Fitzgerald, even in Ireland the 'fire-eater,' par excellence. Patterson, also afterwards Chief Justice of the same court, fought three country gentlemen, one of them with guns, another with swords, and wounded them all! Corry, Chancellor of the Exchequer, fought Mr. Grattan. The Provost of Dublin University, a Privy Councillor, fought Mr. Doyle, a Master in Chancery, and several others. His brother, collector of Customs, fought Lord Mountmorris. Harry Deane Grady, counsel to the Revenue, ...
— The International Monthly, Volume 2, No. 4, March, 1851 • Various
... the many kinds described in this volume, is touched with a quality of active socialism. In this sense there can be more or less of active socialism in a community; a state may be more or less socialized in its economic aspects. An English Chancellor of the Exchequer declared in the last decade of the nineteenth century, "We are all socialists now." The ever-increasing sphere of the state[16] gives to that statement to-day a larger, fuller meaning than when it ...
— Modern Economic Problems - Economics Vol. II • Frank Albert Fetter
... out of the country and spent abroad.) Because, says Coleridge, if the taxes are exhaled from the country as vapors, back they come in drenching showers. Twenty pounds ascend in a Scotch mist to the Chancellor of the Exchequer from Leeds; but does it evaporate? Not at all: By return of post down comes an order for twenty pounds' worth of Leeds cloth, on account of Government, seeing that the poor men of the ——th regiment want new gaiters. True; but of this return twenty pounds, not more than four ...
— Narrative And Miscellaneous Papers • Thomas De Quincey
... indictment preferred against him, on which he might be expected to find it less easy to excite the sympathy of any party. Wilkes had not always confined his literary efforts to political pamphlets. There was a club named the Franciscans (in compliment to Sir Francis Dashwood, Lord Bute's Chancellor of the Exchequer, who, as well as Lord Sandwich, the First Lord of the Admiralty, was one of its members), which met at Medmenham Abbey, on the banks of the Thames, and there held revels whose license recalled the worst excesses of the preceding century. To this club Wilkes also belonged; ...
— The Constitutional History of England From 1760 to 1860 • Charles Duke Yonge
... Mr. SYDNEY ARNOLD to raise the limit of exemption from income-tax from L130 to L250 was strongly backed by the Labour Party. In resisting it the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER pointed out that the Labour Party had opposed indirect taxation and now they were opposing direct taxation. In what form did they consider that working-men should contribute to the expenses of their country? No answer to this blunt question ...
... personal result. It placed Mr. Asquith in a role which no one was ever better qualified to fill—that of a Liberal statesman defending principles of democratic control menaced after a long period of security. The Prime Minister, not the Chancellor of the Exchequer, now became the protagonist; and this was to Redmond's liking, for he felt that Mr. Asquith was more concerned with the problems which had occupied Gladstone's closing years and Mr. Lloyd George with those of ...
— John Redmond's Last Years • Stephen Gwynn
... the great trial befell. It was another of the opportunities which the Chancellor of the Exchequer neglects. So stirring a drama might have easily cleared its expenses—despite the length of the cast, the salaries of the stars, and the rent of the house—in mere advance booking. For it was a drama which (by the rights of Magna Charta) ...
— The Big Bow Mystery • I. Zangwill
... wealth these dormant funds constitute, amounting to many millions; indeed, the Royal Courts of Justice have been mainly built with the surplus interest of this money, and occasionally large sums from this fund have been borrowed to enable the Chancellor of the Exchequer to carry through his financial operations. By an Act passed in the year 1865, facilities are afforded to apply L1,000,000 from funds standing in the books of the Bank of England to an account thus designated: "Account of securities ...
— Strange Pages from Family Papers • T. F. Thiselton Dyer
... familiar to us than any sense which they really convey. Here the saint blesses the store of a "homo plebeius cum uxore et filiis"—a poor man with a wife and family—a term expressively known in this day among all who have to deal with the condition of their fellow-men, from the chancellor of the exchequer to the relieving-officer. In the same chapter we are told "de quodam viro divite tenacissimo"—of a very hard-fisted rich fellow—a term thoroughly significant in civilised times. He is doomed, by the way, ...
— The Book-Hunter - A New Edition, with a Memoir of the Author • John Hill Burton
... a satisfactory answer to these questions, for the very good reason that, short though they be, the answers to them would involve almost a volume, or a speech equal in length to that with which the Chancellor of the Exchequer introduces his annual budget. There would be various classes to describe, numerous wants to apprehend, peculiar circumstances and conditions of social life to explain; in short, the thing is a mystery to many, and we merely remark ...
— The Lifeboat • R.M. Ballantyne
... this moment informed, and I believe truly, that Mr. Fox—[Henry Fox, created Lord Holland, Baron of Foxley, in the year 1763]—is to succeed Mr. Pelham as First Commissioner of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer; and your friend, Mr. Yorke, of The Hague, to succeed Mr. Fox as Secretary at War. I am not sorry for this promotion of Mr. Fox, as I have always been upon civil terms with him, and found him ready to do me any little services. He is frank and gentleman-like in his manner: and, ...
— The PG Edition of Chesterfield's Letters to His Son • The Earl of Chesterfield
... Monday, February 19th.—The CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER announced that the "new money" subscribed for the War Loan amounted to at least seven hundred millions. Being a modest man he refrained from saying, "A loan, I did it," though it was largely due to his faith in the generosity and good sense of his fellow-citizens that the rate of ...
— Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 152, February 28, 1917 • Various
... question like the German reparation question will go on for a century. Undoubtedly in the year 2000 A.D., a British Chancellor of the Exchequer will still be explaining that the government is fully resolved that Germany shall pay to the last farthing (cheers): but that ministers have no intention of allowing the German payment to take a form that will undermine British industry (wild applause): that the German indemnity ...
— My Discovery of England • Stephen Leacock
... us to, which afflictions were neither few nor small, as you will find. This year the Prince had an established Council, which were the Earl of Berkshire, Earl of Bradford, Lord Capel, Lord Colepeper, Lord Hopton, and Sir Edward Hyde, Chancellor of the Exchequer. My husband was then, as I said, newly entered into his office of secretary of the Council of War, and the King would have had him then to have been sworn his Highness's Secretary, but the Queen, who was then no friend to my husband, because he had formerly made Secretary Windebank appear ...
— Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe • Lady Fanshawe
... apostle of Temperance, who was then doing such good work in Ireland, whilst a man is knocking the bung out of a whisky barrel. Beneath this group is O'Connell, who is roaring out "Hurrah for Repeal!" to the horror of the Duke of Wellington, who is behind him. On the left is Lord Monteagle, late Chancellor of the Exchequer, ill in bed; whilst his successor, Mr. Baring, reads to him the result of his policy: "Post Office deliveries in the quarter, 272,000 pounds! Total deficiency in the year, to be made up by ...
— Gossip in the First Decade of Victoria's Reign • John Ashton
... remarkable that on the Civil List Committee the other day, when Rice proposed that L75,000 should be granted for pensions, and Grote moved to suspend the grant till after the Pensions Committee had reported, Peel and his people (Goulburn, Harding, Fremantle, &c.) supported Grote, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer was in a minority of one. This too was an accident, for Francis Baring was absent from the division on account of the following circumstance. In a speech in the House of Lords the night before on the Post Office, Lord Lichfield[14] had attacked Mr. Wallace ...
— The Greville Memoirs (Second Part) - A Journal of the Reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1852 - (Volume 1 of 3) • Charles C. F. Greville
... late to say a word about the late member for Sussex, a type rapidly disappearing from the Parliamentary stage. He entered the House thirty-three years ago, when Lord Palmerston was Premier, Mr. Gladstone was Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir George Cornewall Lewis was at the Home Office, and Lord John Russell ...
— The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 28, April 1893 - An Illustrated Monthly • Various
... Letter, we had raised 2,380 millions sterling, for the purposes of the war; we had lent 500 millions to our Allies, and we were spending about 5 millions a day on the war. According to a statement recently made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (August 10), by March next our debt will have risen to 3,440 millions sterling, 1,060 millions more than it stood at in March last; our advances to our Allies will have increased to 800 millions, while our daily war expenditure remains ...
— The War on All Fronts: England's Effort - Letters to an American Friend • Mrs. Humphry Ward
... P. M. Vankoughnet. The delegates reached England in November and placed themselves in communication with the Duke of Newcastle, who was then colonial secretary, and they also had interviews with the prime minister, Lord Palmerston, the chancellor of the exchequer, the secretary of war, and the president of the board of trade. While in England, the seizure of the commissioners of the southern confederacy, Messrs. Mason and Slidell, by Commodore Wilkes, on board the British mail steamer Trent, produced a crisis in the relations between Great Britain and the ...
— Wilmot and Tilley • James Hannay
... time since 1914 private Members had an evening to themselves. They utilised it in endeavouring to obtain from the Government a direct statement of its future fiscal policy. On Imperial Preference Mr. BONAR LAW was quite explicit; the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER was already considering how to incorporate it in the next Budget. As to the Government's fiscal policy generally it had already been outlined in the PRIME MINISTER'S letter to himself, and would be definitely declared as soon as the time was ripe—a cautious statement ...
— Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 156, Apr 2, 1919 • Various
... there any curates sent out after him—nor has he been hid at St. Albans by the Dowager Lady Spencer—nor dined privately at Holland House—nor been seen near Dropmore. If these fears exist (which I do not believe), they exist only in the mind of the Chancellor of the Exchequer; they emanate from his zeal for the Protestant interest; and, though they reflect the highest honour upon the delicate irritability of his faith, must certainly be considered as more ambiguous proofs of the sanity and vigour of his understanding. By this time, however, ...
— Peter Plymley's Letters and Selected Essays • Sydney Smith
... they sometimes go, I know not. The College Green Parliament, manned by such members, would have a peculiar interest. The Speaker might be expected to complain that his umbrella (recently re-covered) had mysteriously disappeared. The Chancellor of the Exchequer might accuse the President of the Board of Trade of having appropriated the National stationery, and the Master of the Rolls might rise to declare that a sanguinary ruffian from Ulster had "pinched his wipe." The sane inhabitants of the Emerald Isle affirm that Home ...
— Ireland as It Is - And as It Would be Under Home Rule • Robert John Buckley (AKA R.J.B.)
... practice of doors opening inwards to be stopped? What think you if Insurance Companies would combine, and make people forfeit their insurance if they entered any public building whose doors were so fitted; or perhaps the Chancellor of the Exchequer might bring in a bill to levy a very heavy tax on all public buildings the doors of which opened in this dangerous manner, and containing a stringent clause compelling managers and all parties concerned to support the widows and orphans, and pay the doctors' fees, arising from accidents ...
— Lands of the Slave and the Free - Cuba, The United States, and Canada • Henry A. Murray
... The Chancellor of the Exchequer, however, declared that he did not dread "the flashing of that Highland claymore though evoked from its scabbard by the incantations of the mightiest magician of the age."—Speech of Rt. Hon. ...
— The Journal of Sir Walter Scott - From the Original Manuscript at Abbotsford • Walter Scott
... one on Treasury Bench exceeds Mr. G. in vivacity or overflowing energy. SQUIRE OF MALWOOD looks very fit, but there's a massivity about his mirthful mood that becomes a Chancellor of the Exchequer with a contingent surplus. Is much comforted by consciousness that, whilst SAGE OF QUEEN ANNE'S GATE views composition of Ministry with mixed feelings, and will not commit himself to promise of fealty till he is in possession of full details of their policy, he ...
— Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 104, February 4, 1893 • Various
... been made to the stock of nicknames drawn from the terrible melodrama of the last century. The Chancellor of the Exchequer at Dublin described the present very humble writer as "the Saint-Just of our Revolution." The description was received with lively applause. It would be indelicate to wonder how many in a hundred, ...
— Studies in Literature • John Morley
... which the above figures are taken stops with the year 1894; but a somewhat similar comparison was brought up to date in the last Budget speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The following table is taken from the "explanatory memorandum" that ...
— Are we Ruined by the Germans? • Harold Cox
... present seven ministers. They are the Secretary of State, who is supposed to have the direction of foreign affairs; the Secretary of the Treasury, who answers to our Chancellor of the Exchequer; the Secretaries of the Army and of the Navy; the Minister of the Interior; the Attorney-General; and the Postmaster-General. If these officers were allowed to hold seats in one House or the other—or rather if the President were enjoined to place in these offices men who were known as members of ...
— Volume 2 • Anthony Trollope
... this tax, and, were it of native origin, it could hardly be considered unjust. A chief must have some source of revenue; and, as many chiefs can raise none except from ivory or slaves, this tax is more free from objections than any other that a black Chancellor of the Exchequer could devise. It seems, however, to have originated with the Portuguese themselves, and then to have spread among the adjacent tribes. The Governors look sharply after any elephant that may be slain on the Crown lands, and demand one of the tusks from their vassals. We did not ...
— A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries • David Livingstone
... and his speeches in support of the Budget have made the name of the Chancellor of the Exchequer familiar to the people of Great Britain; and now, in the eager discussion on his Bill for National Insurance, that name is still more loudly spoken. Hated by opponents and praised by admirers, denounced and extolled, Mr. Lloyd George enjoys the tumult he arouses. His passionate speeches ...
— The Rise of the Democracy • Joseph Clayton
... Parliaments, on the question of privilege. For a time the "patriot" or Irish party prevailed; but eventually they yielded to the temptation of bribery and place. Henry Boyle, the Speaker, was silenced by being made Earl of Shannon; Anthony Malone was made Chancellor of the Exchequer; and the opposition party was quietly ...
— An Illustrated History of Ireland from AD 400 to 1800 • Mary Frances Cusack
... hobby as well as a pursuit—was the late Sir George Cornewall Lewis. He was an excellent man of business—diligent, exact, and painstaking. He filled by turns the offices of President of the Poor Law Board—the machinery of which he created,—Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary, and Secretary at War; and in each he achieved the reputation of a thoroughly successful administrator. In the intervals of his official labours, he occupied himself with inquiries ...
— Character • Samuel Smiles
... circulated by Spence that he taught the old man to sit late and drink hard seems ridiculous. Dryden introduced him to Congreve, and through Congreve he made the valuable acquaintance of Charles Montague, then leader of the Whigs in the House of Commons, and Chancellor of the Exchequer. ...
— The Poetical Works of Addison; Gay's Fables; and Somerville's Chase • Joseph Addison, John Gay, William Sommerville
... Court opened a negotiation with the leaders of the Opposition. The Earl of Bedford was invited to form an administration on popular principles. St. John was made solicitor-general. Hollis was to have been secretary of state, and Pym chancellor of the exchequer. The post of tutor to the Prince of Wales was designed for Hampden. The death of the Earl of Bedford prevented this arrangement from being carried into effect; and it may be doubted whether, even if that nobleman's life had been prolonged, Charles would ever have consented to surround himself ...
— Critical and Historical Essays Volume 1 • Thomas Babington Macaulay
... present the bill in the House of Commons when he was only Paymaster of the Forces, without a seat in the Cabinet. It will, of course, be recalled that Lord Grey, the Prime Minister, was in the House of Lords, and, not so readily I think, that Althorp was Chancellor of the Exchequer and the leader of the House of Commons. On Althorp, under ordinary circumstances, it would have been incumbent to take charge of this highly important measure, which had been agreed upon by the ...
— Historical Essays • James Ford Rhodes
... for. In which inquiry a man may be safely guided by his likings, if he be not also guided by his pride. People usually reason in some such fashion as this: "I don't seem quite fit for a head-manager in the firm of —— & Co., therefore, in all probability, I am fit to be Chancellor of the Exchequer." Whereas, they ought rather to reason thus: "I don't seem quite fit to be head-manager in the firm of —— & Co., but I dare say I might do something in a small green-grocery business; I used to be a good judge of pease;" ...
— On the Old Road Vol. 1 (of 2) - A Collection of Miscellaneous Essays and Articles on Art and Literature • John Ruskin
... Southern States would be recognised, and then putting forward the President of the Board of Trade (Milner-Gibson) to attack the Southern States and the pestilent institution of slavery. Mr. Gladstone's speech at Newcastle, coming as it did from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, after the close of a session during which everybody knew that the Emperor of the French had been urging upon England the recognition of the Confederate States, and that Mr. Mason had been in active correspondence on that subject with Lord Russell, ...
— Ireland Under Coercion (2nd ed.) (1 of 2) (1888) • William Henry Hurlbert
... majesty, and settled the quantum of that supply, usually resolve themselves into what is called a committee of ways and means, to consider of the ways and means of raising the supply so voted. And in this committee every member (though it is looked upon as the peculiar province of the chancellor of the exchequer) may propose such scheme of taxation as he thinks will be least detrimental to the public. The resolutions of this committee (when approved by a vote of the house) are in general esteemed to be (as it were) final and conclusive. For, through [Transcriber's Note: though] the supply cannot be actually ...
— Commentaries on the Laws of England - Book the First • William Blackstone
... relations with Ireland, yet his domestic policy in the main achieved a surprising success. Scarcely less eminent, though far less known, were his services in the sphere of diplomacy. In the year 1783, when he became First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer, nearly half of the British Empire was torn away, and the remainder seemed to be at the mercy of the allied Houses of Bourbon. France, enjoying the alliance of Spain and Austria and the diplomatic wooings of Catharine II and Frederick ...
— William Pitt and the Great War • John Holland Rose
... read Sir George Lewis's book, the points which I have criticized struck me as not to be wondered at, but I did not remember why at the time. A Chancellor of the Exchequer and a writer on ancient astronomy are birds of such different trees that the second did not recall the first. In 1855 I was one of a deputation of about twenty persons who waited on Sir G. Lewis, as Chancellor of the ...
— A Budget of Paradoxes, Volume II (of II) • Augustus de Morgan
... came, and took the humble post of chief cook, while Nan was first maid of honor; Emil was chancellor of the exchequer, and spent the public monies lavishly in getting up spectacles that cost whole ninepences. Franz was prime minister, and directed her affairs of state, planned royal progresses through the kingdom, and kept foreign powers in order. Demi was her ...
— Little Men - Life at Plumfield With Jo's Boys • Louisa May Alcott
... Pendennis could not speak better, or be more satisfied with himself, if he was First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer," Warrington said. ...
— The History of Pendennis, Vol. 2 - His Fortunes and Misfortunes, His Friends and His Greatest Enemy • William Makepeace Thackeray
... Tudor, as the Saeseneg misspell it), who set aside the Plantagenet succession, and was the grandsire of "the great Elizabeth," not to boast of Bloody Mary or Henry VIII. But if these are not enough, there is the present Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Lloyd-George, who is now the chief figure ...
— Seven English Cities • W. D. Howells
... "The Chancellor of the Exchequer," I read out, "acknowledges the receipt of two pounds and three shillings ...
— Punch or the London Charivari, Vol. 147, December 9, 1914 • Various
... methodic genius, which made him take the spirit of detail for ability.' Memoirs of the Reign of George III, i. 36. For the fine character that Burke drew of him see Payne's Burke, i. 122. There is, I think, a hit at Lord Bute's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir F. Dashwood (Lord Le Despencer), who was described as 'a man to whom a sum of five figures was an impenetrable secret.' Walpole's Memoirs of the Reign of George III, i. 172, note. He himself said, 'People will point at me, and cry, "there goes the worst Chancellor ...
— Life Of Johnson, Vol. 2 • Boswell
... ministers—either to make a complete capitulation to the demands of the Patriotes, or to deal with the situation in a high-handed way. They chose the latter course, though with some hesitation and perhaps with regret. On March 6, 1837, Lord John Russell, chancellor of the Exchequer in the Melbourne administration and one of the most liberal-minded statesmen in England, introduced into the House of Commons ten resolutions dealing with the affairs of Canada. These resolutions recited that since 1832 no provision had been made by the Assembly of Lower Canada for defraying ...
— The 'Patriotes' of '37 - A Chronicle of the Lower Canada Rebellion • Alfred D. Decelles
... of his better-informed companions had recognized with cheers certain gentlemen,—of whom Ginx's estimate was expressed by a reference to his test of superiority to himself in that which he felt to be greatest within him—"I could lick 'em with my little finger"—as the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Prime Minister. Little recked he of their uses or abuses. The functions of Government were to him Asian mysteries. He only felt that it ought to have a strong arm, like the brawny member wherewith he preserved order in his domestic kingdom, and ...
— Ginx's Baby • Edward Jenkins
... strange, slight talk which governs the British Empire, which governs it in secret, and yet would scarcely enlighten an ordinary Englishman even if he could overhear it. Cabinet ministers on both sides were alluded to by their Christian names with a sort of bored benignity. The Radical Chancellor of the Exchequer, whom the whole Tory party was supposed to be cursing for his extortions, was praised for his minor poetry, or his saddle in the hunting field. The Tory leader, whom all Liberals were supposed to hate as a tyrant, was discussed and, on the whole, praised—as a Liberal. ...
— The Innocence of Father Brown • G. K. Chesterton
Words linked to "Chancellor of the Exchequer" : cabinet minister, British Cabinet
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Where were the women when Pope Francis arrived in the United States?
President Barack Obama walks beside Pope Francis as he greets clerics upon his arrival Tuesday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland just outside of Washington. (CNS / Paul Haring)
by Thomas C. Fox
Sep. 23, 2015 in
Francis in the United States
Were you not, like me, proud the first five U.S. citizens Pope Francis greeted as he stepped off his Alitalia flight from Havana were African-American?
On U.S. soil for the first time, the pope met President Barack Obama; his wife, Michelle; their daughters, Malia and Sasha; and Michelle's mother, Marian Robinson.
How society has changed. The last recorded U.S. lynching of an African-American took place in 1968, a mere 47 years ago.
After the Obamas, Francis met his first U.S. Catholics on U.S. soil, Vice President Joseph Biden and his wife, Jill.
It was a good-feeling moment.
But then, my high spirits took a turn. I caught a glimpse of the official Catholic welcoming line. Thirty feet, at least, of clerics, bishops all, dressed in robes, sashes blowing in the wind.
Where were the women? The laypeople? Where were the Catholic sisters?
As symbols speak, they said U.S. society had changed, but our church had not.
What were our bishops thinking?
Hierarchy, of course. A church of and by the bishops. A sense of church protocol that allows no room for "outsiders" — meaning the Catholic laity, the 99.9 percent, the rest of us.
Going through my mind was the thought: They just don't get it. Shame on them.
Moments later, Francis lifted my sagging and disgruntled spirits as he stepped into a small, black car, a four-door Fiat 500. His messages: simplicity, humility, concern for resources and environment.
NBC newsman Brian Williams, newly returned to TV, remarked: "It's a Mr. Bean of a car."
How can you not just want to hug this man?
I wish I knew if the reception blunder was the work of the U.S., Vatican handlers, or possibly Francis himself. An answer to this question could offer a glimpse into the eventual success of the Francis papacy itself.
Perhaps the single most important question of the Francis pontificate is how receptive or deaf he will be to the cries of women around the world who daily feel the effects of discrimination based solely on having been born a woman. In many parts of the world, this translates into hunger and a denial of education for billions of women and children.
Admittedly, my thoughts were influenced by the three days I had just spent with some 500 women who had gathered in Philadelphia to draw attention to the plight of women everywhere.
They came together as Catholics, as believers who care deeply about bringing justice to communities wherever they can, not for the sake of some abstract principle, but rather to offer comfort and protection to powerless and voiceless billions. The Sept. 18-20 gathering was co-sponsored by Women's Ordination Worldwide (WOW) and Women's Ordination Conference (WOC), two organizations that attempt to shake their church and wider society out of complacency.
It is so important that the messages of these organizations are heard widely. Yet so threatening are these organizations to the clerics who greeted Pope Francis. How tragic.
The women who gathered in Philadelphia are among the best in our church — and they came from more than a dozen nations. They are capable, intelligent and caring women.
To the last, these women carry histories of generosity and concern for other, particularly the weak and excluded.
Some might falsely think their agenda was all about gaining power for its own sake, to somehow take control of this church of ours. These people are miles off the mark.
The women gathered, not accidentally, in Philadelphia just one week before Francis was set to step foot into the city. The message they hoped to deliver to Francis and beyond was this: Discrimination in every form is wrong. Discrimination against women within the Catholic church undercuts its very mission: the preaching of the inclusive word of God.
By almost every contemporary feminist measure, the WOW/WOC talks and workshops were mainstream. By Catholic institutional measures, what the women had to say sadly continues to be radical. Therein is the challenge to every Catholic parent trying to offer his or her son or daughter reasons to continue to call the church their home after they leave parental embraces. A recent Pew forum survey found that U.S. Catholicism loses more members than it gains at a higher rate than any other denomination, with nearly 13 percent of all Americans describing themselves as "former Catholics."
I could not help but think it is a shame that Francis will not have time to spend with some of the women who gathered in Philadelphia. They have so much to share with him.
The WOW/WOC organizations are led by competent women. They drew the women together under a conference banner of "Gender, Gospel and Global Justice." While the women's ordination movement today is led mostly by younger laywomen, it has been energized for decades by women religious. So it was not surprising that many women religious attended the gathering.
I enjoyed the time I spent with Catholic sisters I have known for many years, including Srs. Nancy Sylvester, Carol Coston, Jeannine Gramick, Maureen Fiedler, Christine Schenk and, of course, Theresa Kane. To trace the work of these women is to trace the best of post-Vatican II thought and mission. If Jesus were walking on U.S. soil today, as Francis is, he would quickly gather these six women as half of his apostles.
As Catholics, we are hopeful people. The women in Philadelphia were filled with both joy and hope. Nothing will deter them. No one will ever silence their voices as they demand inclusive church leadership. Of this, we can be assured.
Meanwhile, we know Francis to be a pope of surprises. I am ready to be surprised. He embodies the Gospels, and the Gospels don't distinguish by gender. They celebrate inclusivity, charity, justice and mercy.
I hope Francis while visiting the U.S. finds ways to break out of pomp and away from protocol to reach out and touch those on the margins, and among these, women, and among these, women religious. We know that's his inclination.
Let the Spirit guide him; let the Spirit guide us all.
[Thomas C. Fox is director of Global Sisters Report. His email address is tfox@ncronline.org and you can follow him on Twitter @NCRTomFox.]
Also in Francis in the United States:
'Noisy contemplation'
Nancy Sylvester (Oct 13, 2015)
Pope's prison visit should have broad impact, says sister who teaches there
Lindsay Hueston, Catholic News Service (Oct 12, 2015)
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Cerecor Announces Expansion of Leadership Team
July 16, 2018 06:00 ET | Source: Cerecor, Inc.
New Leadership Supports Company Evolution into Innovative Specialty Pharmaceutical Company
BALTIMORE, July 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cerecor Inc. (NASDAQ:CERC), today announced executive management changes that continue the Company’s strategic shift and further align its organizational structure to its long-term strategy. Specifically, effective today, the Company announced the appointment of Joe Miller as Chief Financial Officer, Dr. Pericles Calias as Chief Scientific Officer and Jamie Harrell as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Investor Relations. Mariam Morris will be stepping down immediately from her position as Chief Financial Officer and will remain on for a period of time as a consultant to aid the Company during the transition.
Peter Greenleaf, Chief Executive Officer of Cerecor, commented, "We are excited to have recruited such talent and experience to help drive growth, lead organizational transformation and accelerate our innovative pipeline. We have pivoted the organization from an early stage research and development shop to a fully integrated specialty pharmaceutical company. The addition of these experienced and tested biopharmaceutical leaders, positions Cerecor for continued execution on its mission to become an innovative pediatric specialty pharmaceutical company. I’d also like to extend my appreciation and gratitude to Ms. Mariam Morris for her service to the organization. Mariam was a key driver of the Cerecor IPO and helped close our last two business development and licensing deals.”
Mr. Joe Miller, CPA, brings over 20 years of experience and a wealth of financial knowledge as a senior executive with extensive hands-on experience in managing financial operations and supporting enterprise growth across the health sciences, bio-tech and pharmaceutical sectors. In his previous role at Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, he was responsible for building out of the finance organization to effectively support the company’s rapid growth, ultimately resulting in the $1.2B merger with Mallinckrodt in early 2018. Prior to Sucampo, he served in various progressive finance and management roles at Qiagen, Eppendorf and KPMG LLP. Mr. Miller’s strengths include leading and building out company finance infrastructure and creating scalable, world-class organizations, making him an excellent fit into the strategic imperatives of growth and innovation at the new Cerecor. Mr. Miller holds a B.S. degree in accounting from Villanova University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Dr. Perry Calias, Ph.D., brings over 25 years of biopharmaceutical experience in clinical development across the drug and device sectors of healthcare. His strengths include pre-clinical, clinical development and global regulatory submissions. Dr. Calias has extensive experience in CNS and Neurology as well as Rare Diseases. He has a strong track record in compound development and pipeline progression, as well as building research and development organizations. His previous experience includes serving as Vice President of Global CMC and Product Development at Sucampo. He has held a variety of research and development positions both in clinical and non-clinical roles of expanded leadership at Shire HGT and Genzyme. Dr. Calias’ strong background in early stage asset development, as well as his clinical trial experience, add to the Cerecor clinical organization as we enter into our Phase 1 trials of two of our Neurology assets. Dr. Calias obtained his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Tufts University and his B.S. in biology from Suffolk University.
Mr. James Harrell, with over 25 years of biopharmaceutical experience, brings a breadth of commercial and marketing success to the organization. Mr. Harrell has held the positions of Vice President and General Manager of Specialty Pharmaceuticals for Covidien, running a 350-person commercial operations group. Additionally, he has held various commercial and leadership positions throughout his career in executive management, marketing and sales with organizations such as Covidien, Medimmune, Centocor, Inc. and Rhone Poulenc Rorer. Throughout his career, he helped to commercialize and market over 25 products, including the three blockbuster drugs, Lovenox®, Remicade® and Synagis®, each achieving over $1 Billion in annual US sales. He holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration, with a double major in Marketing and Economics, from Samford University.
About Cerecor
Cerecor is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the goal of becoming the leading U.S. pediatric pharmaceutical company while developing innovative therapies that make a difference in the lives of patients. The Company’s pipeline is led by CERC-301, which Cerecor currently intends to explore as a novel treatment for orphan neurologic indications. Cerecor is also developing two pre-clinical stage compounds, CERC-611 and CERC-406. The Company’s R&D efforts are supported by profits from its franchise of commercial medications led by Poly-Vi-Flor® (multivitamin and fluoride supplement tablet, chewable) and Tri-Vi-Flor® (multivitamin and fluoride supplement suspension/drops). In February 2018, the Company added to its marketed product portfolio by acquiring Karbinal™ ER, AcipHex® Sprinkle™, Cefaclor for Oral Suspension, and Flexichamber™.
For more information about Cerecor, please visit www.cerecor.com.
This press release may include forward-looking statements made pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on various factors (many of which are beyond Cerecor’s control), which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. Such statements may include, without limitation, statements with respect to Cerecor’s plans, objectives, projections, expectations and intentions and other statements identified by words such as “projects,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “continue,” “seeks,” “aims,” “predicts,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “potential,” or similar expressions (including their use in the negative), or by discussions of future matters such as: the development of product candidates or products, potential attributes and benefits of product candidates, the expansion of Cerecor’s drug portfolio, Cerecor’s ability to identify new indications for its current portfolio, and new product candidates that could be in-licensed, and other statements that are not historical. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Cerecor’s management but are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including: reliance on key personnel, including Mr. Greenleaf; risks associated with acquisitions, including the need to quickly and successfully integrate acquired assets and personnel; drug development costs, timing and other risks; Cerecor’s cash position and the potential need for it to raise additional capital; and those other risks detailed in Cerecor’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, Cerecor expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Cerecor’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.
For media and investor inquiries
Maggie Beller
Russo Partners LLC
Maggie.Beller@RussoPartnersLLC.com
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GOCO awards more than $4 million for community parks, outdoor recreation projects across Colorado
Wednesday, March 6, 2019 -- GOCO
DENVER - Today the Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Board awarded $4,079,891 in funding for 22 outdoor recreation projects by local governments across the state. The grant round was highly competitive, with funding requested totaling more than triple what was available to award.
Grants were awarded from GOCO’s Local Parks and Outdoor Recreation (LPOR) grant program and the mini grant program for LPOR projects with total budgets of $60,000 or less.
Funded projects will construct new parks or update aging parks, giving families across the state better access to outdoor recreation. In addition, the projects connect Coloradans to the outdoors with new trails and provide more places for everyone to get outside, regardless of ability or experience.
This cycle of funding included three fairground projects, and seven projects that will improve access for water-related activities like fishing, swimming, and whitewater recreation.
In total, GOCO funding will:
Invest in 18 counties across the state
Leverage just over $8.3 million matching funding dollars
Acquire 2.2 acres of land for the public
Construct 9 new parks or outdoor recreation areas and update 12 others
Serve 5 rural communities
Serve 19 communities with a median income under the Colorado average
Grant details are as follows for LPOR projects:
Alma Riverwalk, $63,928 grant to Town of Alma
The Town of Alma will use its GOCO funding to help design and construct the Alma Riverwalk Trail and Park. The Alma Riverwalk will provide an easily accessible trail and park for residents and visitors of all ages. The town envisions an 1,800-foot linear trail that is ADA compliant running along the Middle Fork of the South Platte River. The trail will include dock viewing areas, boardwalk bridges, and a series of inclines and landings. ADA access to parking lots, fishing areas, interpretive signs, and other neighboring trailheads will facilitate outdoor recreation for individuals of all ages and abilities.
Art Dague Pool Aquatic Play Structure and Shade Structures, $217,500 grant to City of Rifle
The City of Rifle will use its LPOR funding to renovate Art Dague Pool and Waterslide (ADPW). The city will expand the existing bathhouse to add two new family changing rooms and an improved concession, admission, and staff/first aid area. New construction will also include a zero-depth-entry leisure pool with flow channel and aquatic play structure, a separate six-lane lap pool, a family whirlpool, and concrete and turf deck space with multiple shade structures. ADA upgrades, including lifts and recessed stairs, are integral elements of the new facility.
Baca County Fairgrounds, $350,000 grant to Baca County
Baca County will make needed improvements to its fairgrounds with the help of GOCO funding. Decades of exposure to the elements has rusted many of the fences and livestock pens, and drainage flows directly into the arena and grandstand. Wire shortages have caused blackouts in the arena. Baca County will address the critical drainage issues, replace arena materials, make improvements to fencing and lighting, and construct a new multi-use building to include participant dressing rooms, showers, and bathrooms. ADA accessibility will also be incorporated into the designs.
Breeze Park Development Phase II, $150,000 grant to City of Craig
The City of Craig has been making improvements to Breeze Park since 2015, and with the help of the GOCO LPOR grant, it will start a second phase to include upgrades to a 35-year-old irrigation system; construction of an 820-foot, ADA concrete trail; and the addition of three 144-square-foot picnic shelters, a 720-square-foot gazebo, two shade canopies, and a 3,400-square-foot safety surface. Updates to the park are expected to encourage the nearly 4,000 residents of Craig who live within a 10-minute walk of the park to engage in outdoor activities and participate in stewardship events organized by the parks and recreation department.
Buffalo Track and Field Project, $350,000 grant to Logan County
Logan County, in partnership with Buffalo School District, will make updates to Merino High School’s Buffalo Track and Field. To provide its students and residents with a safe, outdoor exercise venue, the county will use its GOCO funding to construct a new all-weather, eight-lane, 400-meter track. The track will include sand pits for long and triple jumps in addition to all-weather surface for high jump, pole vault, discus, and shot put. The project will also be designed to be ADA compliant and provide direct access to Merino’s one-mile Fit Trail, the town’s only other outdoor exercise venue. Construction of the track will save Merino students the travel costs of some of the away-from-home meets, as well as the 30-mile bus trip to use the town of Sterling’s outdoor facilities.
Cortez South Neighborhood Park Project, $350,000 grant to City of Cortez
With its new GOCO grant, the City of Cortez will develop an 11-acre portion of the 14-acre lot where the former Montezuma-Cortez High School once sat into a full-service park, one that includes a newly constructed parking lot, concrete walking trails, benches, picnic tables, grills, a water fountain, and bike racks. The park will feature a nature-themed playground equipped with a log crawl tunnel, balance beams, challenge ropes, and stepping form rocks. The project will also include a multi-purpose ball field, a street course skate park, two bike parks, lawn games, park shelters, and a community gathering space. Designs will also be ADA compliant, providing an inclusive and accessible outdoor recreation experience for all.
Del Norte Riverfront Project: Phase 2, $350,000 grant to Town of Del Norte
The GOCO grant will help the Town of Del Norte with its Del Norte Riverfront Project, a community-led effort to improve access, create recreation infrastructure, and enhance habitat along the Rio Grande. GOCO funds will be used to realize phase two of the project, which includes pedestrian river access and a whitewater play wave, allowing for rafting, paddleboarding, kayaking, and tubing. Additionally, improvements to the river habitat and streambanks will be made through the design and shaping of stable channel structures. Grant funds will also be utilized to build a new ADA-accessible picnic area complete with a covered shelter, tables, benches, and recycling facilities, as well as for the development of bilingual signage to be installed at key areas around the park.
Holly Park Renovation Project, $214,348 grant to Montrose Recreation District (MRD)
Holly Park is Montrose’s oldest park. In the 43 years since its construction, few updates have been made to the park, and now, due to the its current state and size, MRD is seeing a significant drop in park use. With its GOCO funding, MRD will make several improvements to Holly Park, including adding a multi-purpose field, playground, enhanced handball courts, and colorfully painted courts to inspire creative play. Additional improvements will include the removal of unsafe and unusable elements, particularly the outdated sand volleyball and tennis courts. Grant funds will also be used to expand infield, dugout, and shade structures; provide additional parking and lighting; and update the park’s irrigation system.
Las Colonias Park River Recreation, $350,000 grant to City of Grand Junction
Grand Junction’s LPOR grant will help the city further develop the 140-acre Las Colonias Park. The goal of the project is to design inlet channels to improve water flow in the Colorado River throughout the year and to revegetate the bank along the river to promote better access and safe, recreational use of the riverfront. The project’s revegetation effort will help control erosion, support the native wetland habitat, and ensure the sustainability of the riverbank. The site’s upgrades will also make it more suitable for outdoor education programming for local children and students of Colorado Mesa University.
Outdoor STEM Classroom & Playspace, $255,000 grant to Mesa County
With its GOCO LPOR grant, Mesa County, in partnership with EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum, will build an outdoor STEM classroom and play space. EUREKA! offers a variety of weeklong summer camps that consist of educational environmental science and recreation science programs for pre-K through eighth grade. The new area will include features tied to recreation interests on the Western Slope. It will incorporate climbing features and boulders that encourage adventure play and exploration, a pollinator garden with a native plant walk, and benches that are designed for recreational skateboard use. The play space will be open and free to the public and is designed to be multi-generational to accommodate seniors, college students, and families.
Panorama Park RISES with the Community, $350,000 grant to City of Colorado Springs
With the help of its GOCO funding, the City of Colorado Springs will enhance Panorama Park, marking the largest neighborhood park renovation project in the city’s history. In partnership with The Trust for Public Land and RISE Coalition, the city engaged in a yearlong park discovery process, designed to gather input from the public and then develop conceptual designs for a park that would inspire safe, outdoor recreation and play. So far, ideas have included the following additions to the park: fitness stations, walking loops and paths, active play equipment, sports fields, bilingual signage, native grass, trees and weather protection, and a community plaza space for events and activities. These features illustrate the desire for a park that offers spaces for families and neighbors to gather, recreate, and play.
Pitkin County Healthy Rivers Whitewater Park, $350,000 grant to Pitkin County
Pitkin County will use its GOCO funding to provide safe and improved access to its Healthy Rivers Whitewater Park. Currently, heavily vegetated areas along the riverbank and changing water levels make access to the park difficult. In an effort to engage multiple recreation users, Pitkin County, in partnership with the Town of Basalt, will use the GOCO grant to create emergency access routes, river-viewing platforms, an elevated boardwalk to encourage exploration and education, and a raised pedestrian table crossing. Additional improvements include restrooms and changing rooms to accommodate increased demand and park usage.
River Park Phase II, $350,00 grant to Town of Breckenridge
With its GOCO LPOR grant, the Town of Breckenridge will begin the second phase of its River Park project. The first phase, which was partially funded by GOCO, wrapped up in fall 2018. River Park is an inspired, artfully designed and constructed, nature-based environment for visitors to Breckenridge as well as residents of the neighborhoods along the Blue River. The park’s mountain, meadow, and river theme complements the surrounding landscape.
The second phase of construction will create an ADA-accessible fisherman’s landing next to a fishing hole on the Blue River for children of all ages, a beginner bike loop for toddler and preschool children, a log climber area and playground, and a custom fish-climbing structure. Other additions will include slackline posts, grassy spaces for additional areas of play, parking, signage, and trailhead access.
San Miguel County Fairgrounds & Regional Park Outdoor Arena Renovation & Upgrade Project, $157,103 grant to San Miguel County
San Miguel County will use its GOCO grant to help upgrade the existing Outdoor Arena at the San Miguel County Fairgrounds & Regional Park (SMCFRP) in Norwood. This unique rural facility has served the community for decades and requires repair in order to ensure a safe public venue for equestrian training, practices, and events. In order to meet demands placed on the outdoor arena, this project includes replacing fencing and footing and renovating the existing structure to improve drainage. Reliable footing, and its ability to drain quickly, are critical to equestrian events. The benefits of these improvements include increasing economic activity for the community, inviting locals to participate in major events, and supporting local clubs.
Soda Springs Park Phase I, $293,658 grant to City of Manitou Springs
The City of Manitou Springs will use its GOCO grant to redevelop Soda Springs Park, the city’s historic park dating back to the mid-1800’s. The park’s west side, which was used as a staging area for dirt and debris during the Waldo Canyon floods of 2012 and 2013, now sits barren and unused. Proposed improvements include adding natural boulders and a beach zone by Fountain Creek, as well as a small plaza, a climbing net, nature exploration area, and plants. The improvements will revitalize the west end of the park, encouraging families and residents to recreate there.
Yuma County Fairgrounds Project, $350,000 grant to Yuma County
GOCO funds will help Yuma County make improvements to its fairgrounds. The livestock building has not been updated in several years and is in need of repairs. The new construction will include a pre-engineered metal building to increase the current building envelope by 12,500 square feet. The livestock building will be open-air on one side and will include a relocated, larger animal wash area with proper drainage. Additional improvements include larger, ADA-compliant restrooms with showers. Renovations to the livestock building will better equip the facility to host various events throughout the year, including the Yuma County Fair, and will allow for a better user experience for 4-H, Future Farmers of America, and community members.
Land Acquisition to Complete Buchanan Park, $350,000 grant to Evergreen Park and Recreation District
The GOCO LPOR grant will help EPRD purchase 2.2 acres of private residential property in order to connect Buchanan and Bergen Parks and prevent future private development on the land. The property is in the northwest corner of Buchanan Park, with Denver’s 25-acre Bergen Park to its north and Jefferson County’s 1475-acre Elk Meadow Park to its south. It is the last piece of privately-owned residential property in 1,540 acres of contiguous parkland in North Evergreen. A future, updated master plan for Buchanan Park will help identify appropriate and feasible recreational uses for the land according to residents’ needs.
Grant details are as follows for LPOR mini projects:
Brenda Joy Bike Park, $45,000 grant to City of Fort Morgan
The City of Fort Morgan will use its GOCO funding for trail work and the purchase of BMX-style bike park equipment at Brenda Joy Park. The city will build a half-mile, multi-use nature trail, ranging from single-track to wider areas, to include ramps, landing zones, balancing obstacles, tunnels, and raised platforms. The range of difficulty will cater to both beginner and expert riders. The city hopes its younger group will have better opportunity to grow an appreciation for biking, while older kids will enjoy the additional features and added excitement they bring.
Centennial Park Enhancement, $45,000 grant to Town of Kersey
The Town of Kersey will use its GOCO funding for upgrades to improve residents’ experience at Centennial Park. The town plans to relocate and rebuild the horseshoe pits to bring them up to current safety standards, as well as install a play structure, sidewalks, and a grass seating area. Planting trees and extending the irrigated turf to cover the new area are also included in the plan.
Coal Miners' Bucket Park, $42,472 to Town of Oak Creek
The Town of Oak Creek will make improvements to Coal Miners’ Bucket Park. The park is an extension of the Tracks and Trails Museum, one of the town’s main attractions and a reflection of its industrial history. The primary goal of this project is to build a trailhead for the park’s Noon Whistle Trail, which is currently difficult to access. It is the only trail that connects to the town’s main street. The presence of a formal trail head will also significantly increase the number of users. Other planned enhancements include ADA-accessibility improvements, adding electricity, and an underground irrigation system‒ making room for a fresh open space with a picnic table and updated landscaping around the park.
Mancos New Playground, $45,000 grant to Town of Mancos
The Town of Mancos will invest its GOCO funds in a new park for residents on the town’s north side. Currently, the only two parks in town are on the south side. This new park will be located within walking distance of one-third of the town’s residents who currently have no nearby outdoor recreation sites. The park will be completely organically-managed and will include a playground, two picnic tables, a shade structure, and a grassy area. The playground equipment will be nature-themed and will incorporate educational elements for children.
The Farm Recreation Area, $44,540 grant to Town of Frederick
The Town of Frederick will invest its GOCO funds in an outdoor recreation area in the Johnson Farm neighborhood, nicknamed “The Farm.” The new space will be built on an existing four-acre lot located within walking distance of 1,700 town residents. Planned features include a basketball court, pickleball court, four-square space, gaga ball pit, and picnic area. The new park will provide safe access to unstructured recreation opportunities for both children and adults.
Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces. GOCO’s independent board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts, and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Created when voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1992, GOCO has since funded more than 5,200 projects in all 64 counties of Colorado without any tax dollar support. Visit GOCO.org for more information.
Find Projects by County
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“Can you hear them? They talk about us.”
The Go-Go’s Documentary to be released
Polygram Entertainment, the film and television production and development division of Universal Music Group, today announced four new feature documentary projects at Sir Lucian Grainge’s 2019 Artist Showcase, revealing the next wave of titles that...
NY Times: The Go-Go’s Gave Us the Beat and So Much More
When the Go-Go’s’ debut album came out in 1981, it provided sweet vindication for girls like me. I was a California-born punk-rock pirate marooned at a Midwestern public high school. No one invited smart-alecks to the prom, especially ones who op...
Then and Now: The Go-Go’s (People TV)
Thank you PeopleTV for this rad overview of our 40 year career and for showcasing our Broadway musical Head Over Heels – The New Musical 😍 People TV: The Go-Go’s ruled the pop charts in the early ‘80s, but by 1985 they were over. Now th...
Tribute to Koko
Tribute to Koko the longest living gorilla on the planet who could speak with humans....
Can you hear them?? They talk about us … 😍
Click link to read article: VOGUE – The Go-Go’s Reunite for a Concert Celebrating a New Broadway Musical, Head Over Heels VARIETY – Go-Go’s Musical ‘Head Over Heels’ Books Broadway’s Hudson Theater BILLBOARD – Go-Go’...
‘Head Over Heels’ Sets Sights on Broadway, After San Francisco
The Go-Go’s are going Broadway. A seemingly improbable musical mash-up of the group’s 20th-century pop songs with a 16th-century prose romance will have a pre-Broadway production in San Francisco next spring, and the producers said Tuesday that ...
Belinda Carlisle – Wilder Shores
Wilder Shores is a genre-busting album of eastern and western influences, fusing the worlds of energizing pop music and elevating Kundalini mantras. The powerhouse voice of pop superstar Belinda Carlisle soars over these chant tracks with precision a...
Jane Wiedlin & Pietro Straccia are Elettrodomestico
Elettrodomestico is a 2 piece band made up of songwriter/musicians Jane Wiedlin and Pietro Straccia. The band formed in 2016, and recently released their first album, IF YOU’RE A BOY OR A GIRL this summer. Jane Wiedlin is bes...
“Everybody get on your feet. We know you can dance to the beat.
The Go-Go’s music really makes us dance. “
GET ON ITUNES
“Surf! Spy!”
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Civil Rights Award
Joint Community Police Partnership (JCPP) Wins 2009 Civil Rights Award
The Joint Community Policing Project has been selected by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) as the winner of the 2009 Civil Rights Award. The award was given in the multi-agency category recognizing the work of all four cities in Hennepin County currently working with JCPP. The IACP committee noted the JCPP's work to "enhance civil and human rights in our communities through civic engagement."
Role of the JCPP
The JCPP, coordinated by Hennepin County, works to improve communication and understanding between police and multicultural residents in the four communities in which it works. Tsehai Wodajo has served as the community liaison for Hopkins for the last two years.
Civil Right Award Ceremony
Chief Craig Reid has been invited to the IACP conference in October to accept the award on behalf of the program. This is the first time the Hopkins Police Department has received recognition for programming from the International Association of Chiefs of Police. The IACP is made up of over 20,000 members of command level in law enforcement in over 89 countries. This is wonderful recognition for the work JCPP has done in Hopkins in the last two years. The following video shows Congressman Erik Paulsen congratulate the Hopkins Police Department.
Brent Johnson
Email Brent Johnson
Enrique S. Camarena Award
IACP-Cisco Systems Community Policing Award
Medal of Commendation
MetLife Foundation Award
National Organization Honor
Rosie Griep Legacy Award
Statewide Recognition
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JOJO CAPECE - Author & Artist
Portofino Souvenir
All Roads to Rome
Image: Courtesy of the Daily Mail, London
Jojo Capece, born in New York City, is a writer and artist. In her teens, she relinquished religious school for public education citing this as the beginning of free thinking delighting her unbiased Father. Her original wish to be an actress was forbidden by her Mother and she turned her attention to art at Parsons School of Design.
After a career in Manhattan that included Condé Nast's GLAMOUR Magazine, television, and PR Director of Fabergé, she married and moved to Istanbul, Turkey. There, she learned the Turkish language, worked with disadvantaged girls from Anatolia and appeared as an actress in the Mobile Oil Theater.
After three years, she returned to live in Washington, DC, where she gave birth to three children and began a PR company, Mary-Jo Campbell, Ltd. In the late 80s she divorced, moved to London with her children and then Rome. Europe gave her the opportunity to continue her PR business, develop her sculpture and begin writing her first book. After twenty-three international years, Capece returned to America, remarried and lives in San Francisco, California.
Capece has received the distinction of Honourable Seref Uyeligi from the Turkish-American University, served as a member of President Reagan's Task Force for the Initiative on Women's Business Ownership, and was the only American advisor to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's Committee - Women Into Business.
Jojo Capece. 2016 All Rights Reserved
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“It's not about being happy,” said Jessie. “It’s about being fair.”
Watch the Trailer →
Grade Level: 2 - 5
Series: The Lemonade War Series (Book 2)
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers (May 2, 2011)
On the fourth day of fourth grade, Scott Spencer walks into school and announces that he just bought the newest Xbox system. Jessie and Evan wonder where he got the money for that. Convinced that Scott stole the $208 that went missing from Evan's pocket at the end of the summer, Jessie decides to take Scott to court to prove his guilt. But things don't work out the way Jessie planned, and so it's up to Evan to find his own path to justice.
This long-awaited sequel to the best-selling The Lemonade War introduces young readers to our legal system as it offers a gripping courtroom drama that will keep them on the edge of their seats. In a story that questions the very meaning of truth, justice, and mercy, there are no easy answers. Instead, The Lemonade Crime will spark plenty of discussion as readers examine their own thoughts on innocence and guilt.
As she explores the difficulties of fairness, Jacqueline Davies once again reveals how good she is at understanding the complex emotions of children this age.
"The realistic depiction of the children’s emotions and ways of expressing them will resonate with readers. Great for discussion, this involving and, at times, riveting chapter book has something to say and a deceptively simple way of saying it."—Booklist, starred review
"The Lemonade Crime is certainly a first purchase for collections that have The Lemonade War. But it can stand alone and would make a lovely read-aloud, especially in tween classrooms, where it’s all about justice and fairness."—School Library Journal
Awards and Lists
Booklist—starred review
Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award, Nominee
Virginia Reader's Choice Award, Nominee
Booklist's Top 10 Crime Fiction Titles for Youth
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The Culture of Fundraising in Poland
October 11, 2010 Agnes Sekowski 0 Comments NGOs
Using mechanisms available in the American political and business climate, Mary Daley Yerrick co-founded and now directs the Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international women’s empowerment organisation. On 17 September at the American Embassy in Krakow she presented a talk on the subject of fundraising for non-profit organizations as it relates to corporate social responsibility and public-private partnerships. Attending Ms. Yerrick’s presentation were members of various Polish non-profit organizations with focuses ranging from the environment to the fine arts. The executive chairman of the Polish Fundraising Association (Polskie Stowarzyszenie Fundraisingu), Robert Kawałko, was also present during Ms. Yerrick’s speech, and later spoke with the Post about the future of fundraising in Poland, as he sees it.
After becoming familiar with the U.S. model for fundraising while abroad, Robert Kawałko approached the U.S. Embassy in Poland and told them his plans to promote the same mechanisms here, in the Polish market. When he was asked if he wanted help in bringing funding from America to the Polish non-profit sector, he said he was more interested in building a culture of philanthropy at home, within Polish society. At the end of this meeting, he was told by the Embassy staff that his idea would probably not be possible. Even so, he somehow managed to walk away with his first donation of 3,000 USD from the State Department and went directly to register his organization. Since that fateful day in 2003, he has expanded his donor base to over 200 members and relentlessly works to expand fundraising opportunities in Poland. His organization also works with other NGOs throughout Central Europe, in Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, to exchange best practices and find new ideas for funding non-profit endeavours with the help of EU funds. In November the European Fundraising Association will host a meeting of fundraising organizations from 15 European countries here in Krakow with similar aims.
When asked what the impediments were to fundraising in Poland, Mr. Kawałko pointed out several factors. While the trend of corporate social responsibility is slowly spreading to Polish businesses, the government cannot yet afford to offer tax incentives to corporations for donations. Unless approaching international companies, the corporate donor is a difficult one to pursue in the Polish market. On the other hand, the government does allow individuals to grant one percent of their personal taxes towards a charity or non-profit of their choice. This amounts to about 500 million złoty this year, but it is spread thin among thousands of vying organizations. While this is a valuable source of funding for some organizations, less than half the population actually uses this mechanism to redirect tax dollars. Other countries, such as Slovakia, have increased the amount of possible donations to two percent per person, which Mr. Kawałko claims is a step in the right direction. This economic setting makes private individual donations the most viable means of providing a steady stream of income to the non-profit sector.
There are various examples of success stories working off this model in Poland. They range from big budget organizations, like actress Anna Dymna’s Mimo Wszystko (Against the Odds) foundation, which brings in an operating budget of 30 million złoty per year in order to provide care for mentally disabled adults, to smaller success stories: a group of Franciscan missionaries working to build a school in Chad raised 130 thousand złoty in just two months through an online campaign (www.czadowatablica.pl) and over 300 thousand złoty from three promotional events conducted on the Main Market Squares of Krakow and Wrocław.
What advice would Mr. Kawałko give a fledgling non-profit when approaching the daunting but inescapable task of fundraising? First and foremost, an NGO has to create a strategic plan of development. In making this plan, its possibilities should cover not only immediate needs, but further goals, so no money is turned down once the basic goals have been met. Next, a database of potential private donors should be created, drawing on personal and business contacts, as well as other stakeholders and even relatives. At this stage, social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter may be invaluable.
“Everyone you know is a potential donor,” says Kawałko, and should therefore be put in this database. After compiling and ranking this list according to potential, the organisation’s website and professional image should be tailored to reveal its needs to the public. According to Mr. Kawałko, many organizations make the mistake of trying to pretend they are a perfectly operating entity on their webpage by hiding what they are lacking in order to accomplish their goals. While creating a dazzling image of success, this unfortunately gives potential donors no reason to continue investing in such a project.
Once an NGO has stabilised its social capital by doing all of the above, it can begin raising funds. He quickly adds, “The first donors should be members of the board of directors, because if they cannot lead by example and show they have a stake in the organisation, they probably cannot be trusted to run it. Only once you have given yourself, can you then ask.” This may be something to keep in mind when then searching for fundraising candidates to run the campaign. In choosing a fundraising workforce, a company should not limit itself to the most obvious choices (often young, cheap candidates, who can be unpredictable). Consider using someone big, a well recognized name, or someone over age 50 (more predictable). Kawałko quips, “the mothers of the most obvious candidates can often have more potential”. Lastly, he concludes, “Have patience! Do not give up early in attaining your goals.”
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20 More Differences and 3 Similarities Between Japan and the USA
December 05, 2010 by Jonathan Kramer in Japan, Lists, Living in Japan
It's becoming harder and harder to discover subtle differences between Japan and America, both because I've likely found almost all of them and I've been here long enough that everything Japan throws at me now seems normal. But this time I've found 20 more! So let's get to it:
There is zero tipping in Japan and it can even be considered rude to attempt to. I'm told that in certain circumstances you can tip taxi drivers, but I haven't paid tip since the moment I stepped foot here.
Soda just is not popular. Yes, there is Coca-Cola and some of the other big names, but it just isn't nearly as popular. In the States there are entire aisles devoted to all the different flavors, but here attention is shifted towards teas, coffees and juices.
Shoe sizes rarely go larger than 28cm, that's a size 10/10.5 in American at stores, they just don't carry things larger. Unfortunately for me, I'm a size 11, 29 cm. When I went looking for shoes, it took me a good month or two of looking before I found a single pair of red Converse Chuck Taylor's, the only pair of size 29cm shoes I found anywhere in Fuji City.
The drinking, smoking and voting age in Japan is 20. The driving age for a standard car is 18, but for a motorcycle, moped and "small special car" it's 16.
The U.S.A. is always called simply "America" (or "Amerika" in the proper Japanese spelling), not a translation of "The United States of America."
Gas stations are called gas stands.
Denny's is just not the same. The breakfast menu you may know and love is only a single page, with more Japanese style dishes involving rice are more prevalent.
In school, notebooks have two rings.
The major expressway in Japan, the Tomei, is damn expensive. To go from Tokyo to Nagoya (358km/223 miles), it costs ¥10,000, roughly $100. As where a similar journey on the Florida Turnpike would cost you less than $20. However, on weekends, if you have an ETC card, an electronic device installed in your car to automatically pay tolls, you can drive unlimited on the Tomei for only ¥1,000, about $10.
Facebook is not nearly as popular. Mixi is Japan's leading social networking service with 80% market share and over 17 million users.
Lost hasn't finished yet.
Students often go to school on Saturdays mornings.
Your familiar tally marks are not used in Japan.
The process goes like this:
The emergency telephone number is 1-1-o for the police and 1-1-9 medical or fire, rather than 9-1-1.
Comb-overs are referred to as barcodes
Snow-men are done with 2 snow balls instead of 3. This fact especially boggles my students.
I'm told most everyone peels their grapes before eating them.
As with a lot of other Asian countries, almost all cars are parked rear-end in first.
Baseball games and most concerts don't run too late so that the audience members are still able to catch their last trains home.
Maps typically show Japan as being in the center, instead of the Prime Meridian.
To mix things up I've also come up with some interesting similarities, unfortunately I could only think of:
Starbucks is exactly the same, from the music to the interior decoration.
Converse Chuck Taylor shoes are popular.
Teenage girls still love Justin Beiber and they often try to talk to me about him during lunch for whatever reason.
If you'd like to check out my prior lists of differences between the USA and Japan you can find them here and here.
December 05, 2010 /Jonathan Kramer
Japan, japanese food, USA
Japan, Lists, Living in Japan
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Bertazzoni’s first ever UK dishwasher enters market
Industry NewsKBB News October 26, 2018 - Comments Off on Bertazzoni’s first ever UK dishwasher enters market
Niche Italian appliance manufacturer Bertazzoni – which partnered with several UK distributors earlier this year – is to launch its first ever dishwasher models in the UK and Ireland.
The Bertazzoni dishwashers, which will be available to consumers from early 2019, are A+++ rated and available with or without a built-in sliding door.
Bertazzoni showcased the models for the first time at EuroCucina earlier this year.
“Since launching in the UK and Ireland last year, we’ve received positive feedback about the strength and quality of our product offering from consumers and suppliers alike, so it only made sense to extend our offering beyond cooking appliances,” said Bertazzoni UK and Ireland managing director Maurizio Severgnini.
“We’ve earned many loyal customers who understand that buying Bertazzoni means investing in Italian craftsmanship, beautiful engineering and high-end design. With the positive reaction we’ve had, we know that some will see this as an opportunity to fully equip their kitchen with Bertazzoni products, offering a complete design solution for the whole kitchen space.”
Severgnini added: “We’re expecting a strong response to the launch and can’t wait for these products to hit the market.”
Perhaps more well known for their range cookers, Italian appliance manufacturer Bertazzoni have made advances in recent years to widen its appeal in the UK and whilst there is no pricing information as of yet, in the US Bertazzoni dishwashers retail for about $900 to $1200.
It is believed the first product sold in the UK will be the 60cm integrated models which offer 14 place settings and eight wash programs, including a self-cleaning function which would be comparable to the XV model dishwasher available in the US from about $900.
Bertazzoni are a family business from Guastalla in Italy’s Reggio Emilia region. Their production has increased four fold since 1998 and the company now manufactures in excess of 200,000 units per year, largely for export markets, where the Bertazzoni brand has enjoyed positive press and consumer opinion.
Häcker Küchen starts new factory construction
Ikea to open more High Street kitchen and bathroom showrooms
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IAP at BioVision
Wed, April 25, 2018
The ninth BioVision Alexandria international life sciences forum has just concluded in Alexandria, Egypt, with significant input from IAP.
This year’s edition of the event that is held every two years was bigger than ever – featuring 109 speakers from 27 countries and some 2,762 participants, many of them young women scientists from Egypt.
The theme of the conference was ‘New Life Sciences: Towards the SDGs’ and the mixture of plenary and parallel sessions ensured that many of the 17 SDGs were discussed in some detail.
IAP was central to the session on ‘Science Academies: Supporting the SDGs’, with Peter McGrath, IAP coordinator, presenting on how IAP activities are addressing various of the SDGs. In particular, he focused on SDG #4 (Quality education) and how IAP’s Science Education Programme is answering the challenges therein. Other speakers in the session, which was chaired by former IAP president Mohamed Hassan, were Sameh Soror (former GYA co-chair), who spoke on the IAP projects directly aimed at building the capacity of academies to address the SDGs in their countries – Soror is a member of the working group of one of these projects – and Stanley Maphosa (ASSAf), who provided a perspective from a national academy’s point of view.
ASSAf executive officer Roseanne Diab presented in the session on ‘Sustainable Development: Saving our planet’, while ASSAf co-organized a session on ‘How open data can contribute to achieving the UN SDGs’.
Peter McGrath also acted as a rapporter for the ‘Food and Agriculture’ stream, which involved three sessions and a strong focus on the work and influence of M.S. Swaminathan in the Green Revolution. In his report in the closing plenary session, McGrath was also able to highlight IAP’s Food and Nutrition Security and Agriculture project.
Mahmoud Sakr, president of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT), IAP’s member in Egypt, closed the event providing information about ASRT and its main activities. “As an academy of science and also a science funding agency of the Egyptian government, ASRT plays a crucial role for science in the country,” explained Sakr. In particular, ASRT seeks to build links between the research sector and industry; supports scientific exchanges, including a new programme with the Bibliotheca Alexandrina for PhD students from other countries (at least 10 per year from Africa) to study in Egypt; and promoting responsible and ethical research practices.
All presentations will shortly be available on the BioVision Alexandria website.
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Weekly Security Update for 18th Nov 2010
By admin on 18th November 2010 in Weekly Security Update
Security measures are currently heightened in Iraq for ‘Eid ul-Adha, and this will likely remain the case until the weekend. Checkpoint searches will be tighter while many official offices will be closed. Public discussions on the government-formation process will also be interrupted until 21 November. Despite the increased security measures, however, militants will still be able to conduct attacks, even in what should be well patrolled central parts of Baghdad. Last week saw several notable attacks on the Christian community. Shi’ah religious sites were also targeted, with two notable mass casualty attacks in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. Overall, however, there was a fall in the number of violent incidents reported countrywide. The associated number of fatalities also fell, with at least 56 people reportedly killed and 221 injured. Of course this figure is unacceptably high, but it nonetheless constitutes a reduction from the previous week.
Kurdistan was quiet last week, with no major incidents reported. In contrast, the neighbouring provinces of Ninawa and Ta’mim saw several attacks, particularly in their respective provincial capitals of Mosul and Kirkuk. Indeed, Mosul remains one of the most hazardous parts of the country. Kirkuk sees far fewer incidents, but there was one kidnapping reported in the city centre, with some local news sources stating that two civilians were abducted from a restaurant in close proximity to a police unit. Kidnap for ransom is not nearly as widespread today than in the years prior to 2008 but it is an ongoing occurrence nonetheless.
Violence in the central provinces was concentrated in Baghdad. The city actually accounted for over 60 per cent of all incidents taking place around the country. The western district of Mansour saw a major concentration of violence. An affluent district prior to the invasion and hotbed of al-Qaeda activity after, the area saw a marked improvement in conditions over the past two years, with an increasing number of businesses – including restaurant facilities – opening to the public over recent months. The latest attacks, which took place at a time when security measures were supposed to be heightened, will likely cause many to question the abilities of the Iraqi security forces in the city centre. Having been targeted in several of the attacks last week the Christian community is also questioning whether or not to stay in the country and risk death, or leave and witness even more erosion of its cultural base in the country. Another key concern in Baghdad so far in November, particularly for investors and foreigners, has been the increased number of mortars fired against the city centre. The International/Green Zone has been the target of most of the attacks, although many of the rockets have gone astray, landing in nearby areas such as Qaddisiyah, Salhiyah and Karradah. While the chance of being harmed in such an attack remains statistically very low, a number of people have nonetheless been injured over the past two weeks.
As preparations are made for a major conference in Basrah, travelers are advised of two things. Firstly, the security environment in the province is far more positive than more central parts of the country. Secondly, however, is the fact that occasional security incidents do still occur. A car bomb in Basrah city on 8 November killed 10 people and injured over 40. A private security company employee was also reportedly killed and two more injured in a roadside blast in the West Qurnah area on 10 November. The outlook is certainly improving for the region, but companies still need to devote time and attention to their security provisions when operating in the area. Otherwise in the south, two car bomb attacks also targeted the predominantly Shi’ah holy cities of Najaf and Karbala last week, killing several people, including a number of Iranian nationals on pilgrimage. More attacks aimed at stirring up sectarian tensions should be anticipated during the Islamic month of Muharram, due to start around 7 December.
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2 Responses to Weekly Security Update for 18th Nov 2010
Optimism Despite Iraq’s New Government | Iraq Business News 18th November 2010 at 05:19 #
[…] the security side, we are joined by John Drake, of security consultants AKE. John will be giving us regular updates on the security situation in […]
Darrell Crawford-Smith 4th January 2011 at 04:23 #
A warm welcome to Mr.Drake and his company AKE from Raven Special Projects and thanking him for his intelligence reports on Security in Iraq.
We also wish to remind all at Iraqi Business News of our dedication to the security of the Iraqi people and continue to offer our services for the furthering of peace for the soverignty.
Darrell crawford-Smith CEO RSP
Optimism Despite Iraq’s New Government | Iraq Business News - 18th November 2010
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Stay At Home Mom's Aren't Unjustly "Unpaid" Laborers
Carrie L. Lukas
A thoughtful discussion of overhauling the welfare state would be a welcome break from the horse-race politics which inevitably dominates the news. After months of hearing pundits score the latest exchange of insults and ruminate on how current events might affect mercurial voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, it would be nice to dig down into the weeds of a meaningful economic-policy argument.
Judith Shulevitz almost offered such a respite in the New York Times on Sunday. The second half of her article does a reasonable job reviewing the merits of a “universal basic income,” which would have the government provide all citizens with a payment to cover basic living expenses. Such a sweeping universal entitlement program initially sounds like something only a true leftist could love, but versions of the concept have been advanced by notable conservatives and libertarians. Charles Murray and Milton Friedman, among others, have argued that a straightforward, guaranteed minimum income could replace the complicated, intrusive welfare state and distort economic incentives less.
It’s an interesting topic. Too bad Shulevitz wastes so much of the article, entitled “It’s Payback Time for Women,” rehashing the tired, feminist trope that it’s a capitalist conspiracy that women don’t receive a paid wage for caring for their own families. She writes:
The feminist argument for a U.B.I. is that it’s a way to reimburse mothers and other caregivers for the heavy lifting they now do free of charge. . . . Society [is] getting a free ride on women’s unrewarded contributions to the perpetuation of the human race. As Marx might have said had he deemed women’s work worth including in his labor theory of value (he didn’t), “reproductive labor” (as feminists call the creation and upkeep of families and homes) is the basis of the accumulation of human capital. I say it’s time for something like reparations.
Certainly society often fails to fully appreciate the value of work performed by women who dedicate themselves to caring for children and the elderly, and to building up our neighborhoods and civil society. Ironically, feminists are often among the biggest offenders in belittling women outside of the workforce, and insist that success is measured only in how much money and power one obtains.
Yet Shulevitz’s claim that women therefore need “reparations” for unpaid work overlooks how families are structured to compensate caregivers — and not just with intangible rewards of respect and love, which apparently don’t count for much. Families exist so that resources can be pooled and shared. Caregivers may not be earning a paycheck, but they should have equal access to the money and resources brought home by others in the family, who in turn benefit from the caregivers’ work at home. Feminists presume this is a raw deal for women, and that the stay-at-home parent is doing the less glamorous and less personally fulfilling job. But that isn’t always the case. Men aren’t all sitting in board rooms smoking cigars and being showered with fat paychecks; rather, men often work in unpleasant work conditions — on fishing boats, in mines, in prisons, on hot construction sites, or through the night driving trucks — in order to earn more money. Many do so, and then share their incomes with their wives who stay home with their children.
Shulevitz at least recognizes that stay-at-home moms aren’t the only ones doing unpaid work. She argues that a universal basic income — which by definition is available to everyone — is “a necessary condition for a just society,” because we all contribute to the social infrastructure in ways we aren’t necessarily compensated for. That may sound nice, but it whitewashes profound differences between levels of engagement and contributions to the greater good, as well as the rather significant detail of how this payment will materialize. Eventually, she mentions the costs of a universal basic income, explaining that it could be funded by new taxes and by savings gained from replacing other social programs; she admits that it amounts to massive income redistribution. Yet by focusing on the claim that this redistribution would be more just, she ignores that such a regime may very well exact more taxes from people who do plenty of unpaid work and give it to others who do far less.
In other words, if the goal is to create a system that compensates caregivers and those who contribute to our social infrastructure without payment, than this system may not improve on the status quo.
The idea of a universal basic income may be superior to a social safety net: It would allow us to replace overlapping social programs (such as food stamps, unemployment insurance, welfare, Medicaid, even Social Security and Medicare) which often lead to waste and fraud and create great economic distortion. It’s an interesting theory, and I’d really like to read more. But Shulevitz should abandon the argument that a universal basic income is necessary to pay stay-at-home moms and others contributing without pay to our families and neighborhoods — it simply doesn’t make much sense.
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The Leggett Legacy Forward Event
The event took place Sunday, September 23, 2018
The Music Center at Strathmore
In Honor of Isiah "Ike" and Catherine Leggett
Celebrating 28 Years of Service to Montgomery County
Click on the image above to see additional photos from the Leggett Legacy Forward event.
For their years of outstanding service to Montgomery County and higher education, Isiah “Ike” Leggett, Montgomery County Executive, and his wife Catherine Leggett were celebrated at this special event.
The event proceeds benefited The Ike and Catherine Leggett Scholarship which will benefit the county’s historically underrepresented students in higher education, through the Achieving Collegiate Excellence and Success (ACES) program. A partnership among Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, and the Universities at Shady Grove, the ACES program is free and provides access to individualized academic coaching, career readiness, and scholarship opportunities.
Show your support with a donation to The Ike and Catherine Leggett Scholarship through the Montgomery College Foundation and/or donate through the Universities of Shady Grove Foundation.
Distinguished Careers
Ike and Catherine Leggett, Montgomery County’s first couple, have proven their unyielding commitment to our community through their years of public service. Individually, each has demonstrated extraordinary leadership—in their respective careers, each has earned numerous recognitions and honors. Together, they have championed initiatives and supported charitable organizations that work to improve the quality of life in all regions of the county, especially focusing on students reaching for higher education.
Ike Leggett is the first African American elected to the Montgomery County Council and to hold the office of county executive. Prior to his three terms in the executive position, he served 16 years as a county council member at large. He served as professor of law at his alma mater, Howard University Law School from 1975 to 2006, and as assistant dean of the law school from 1979 to 1986. He is a decorated military veteran, having served as a captain in the US Army during the Vietnam conflict. After service, he became an administrative aide for Congressman Parren Mitchell (MD 7th congressional district), worked as a Social Security Administration claims examiner, and served as staff attorney for the Department of the Navy. In 1977, he was selected as a White House Fellow under President Jimmy Carter.
Leggett has also been an active member on boards of directors for numerous professional, civic, and community organizations. In January 2016, he was named a Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine. He has received more than 200 awards and honors from various organizations and institutions.
Catherine Leggett is senior vice president of human resources at the International City/County Management Association. ICMA-RC is a nonprofit company that assists retired public service employees with financial matters. She serves as the first chair of the Maryland Commission on Public Art. She is former Maryland State Arts Councilor and previous director of the Young Audiences Imagination Stage, and a Lifetime Board member of Montgomery Hospice. She also served as senior vice president, human resources at Vertis, Inc., PG&E Generating Company, Freddie Mac, and Hechinger Company.
She received a JD and BA in sociology and psychology from Howard University. She is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management and the Senior Human Resources Executive Forum. Her professional recognition includes the Human Resources Professional Excellence Award from the Washington Business Journal, and the Human Resources Achievement Award from the Black Human Resources Network.
Reserve Your Tickets Now
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The Mt. Hebron church of Christ, located near the small town of Eclectic, AL, is a group of believers in Christ whose hearts are set on worshiping and living in accordance with God's inspired Word and precepts. Because of this, we make it our aim to love our community and all those with whom we come in contact and especially our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Whether it is through our worship services or our actions towards our fellow man, we aim to glorify the Creator in all that we do, say and believe.
The church of Christ
Jesus established His church on the Day of Pentecost, approximately A.D. 33 (Acts 2) just as He had promised (Matthew 16:18) when 3,000 persons repented of sins and were baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. (Acts 2:41) This was just 49 days after Jesus' resurrection from the dead and 10 days after His ascension back to heaven. The number of disciples quickly grew to fill Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria and finally to the entire Roman Empire (Acts 1:8; Acts 4:4; 5:14; Colossians 1:23).
After the first century, the believers became divided as false doctrines began to overthrow the truth of the New Testament. Over time, those identifying themselves as Christians were divided into the world of denominationalism that we know today.
Throughout the centuries there were a number of movements to return to the pure teachings of the inspired writers of the New Testament, but most of these were snuffed out without leaving a lasting change. The Reformation Movement of the 1500s brought changes in the religious world, but failed to fully restore New Testament Christianity and eventually created the denominational system that dominates nominal Christianity today.
In the 1700s another movement began with the idea of going back beyond all the divisions and fully restoring the church as it was designed to be by Jesus and unveiled by His inspired Apostles; removing divisions and restoring the unity for which Jesus prayed (John 17). This movement reached America in the late 1700s and became the major religious movement of the 19th century. From this movement came the people known as the church of Christ ... those who belong to Christ!
The church of Christ is noted for its emphasis upon returning to New Testament Christianity and for its desire to unite all Christians into one body (1 Corinthians 1:10). We believe that the New Testament is the only rule for faith and practice in religious matters (2 Timothy 3:17; I Peter 4:11) and that it must authorize all that is done in Christian worship (Colossians 3:17; Revelation 22:18–19). Thus, we try to strictly follow the New Testament. For this reason, only A Cappella music is used in worship assemblies and the Lord’s supper is observed every Sunday. We believe the Bible teaches that sinners are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:1-10) when we trust that Jesus is the Son of God (John 8:24), repent of sins (Luke 13:3), confess our faith in Jesus (Matthew 10:32,33) and are baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15,16; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-13) and that a Christian must remain faithful to the Lord after conversion (Revelation 2:10). Each local congregation of the church of Christ is organized with elders, deacons, preachers, and members as in New Testament times (Philippians 1:1).
We believe that Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:30–31), that the Bible is inspired of God (2 Timothy 3:16–17), and that Jesus will return to take His kingdom (church) home to God (1 Corinthians 15:24). We emphasize sincere worship (John 4:24), every- member evangelism (Acts 8:4), godly living (Titus 2:11–12), love for each other (John 13:33–34), and helping those in need (James 1:27). We believe that it is possible to have religious unity in a day of division by simply following the New Testament pattern and putting aside human traditions.
To put it simply, the Mt. Hebron church of Christ is seeking to be the same church one reads about in the New Testament. We aim to restore its doctrine, its practices, its lifestyle, and its zeal. As individuals, we are not perfect, we are not superior, but we are seeking to be followers of Jesus Christ in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
The Mt Hebron congregation of the church of Christ began in 1951 with an initial membership of three; Walter Thompson, Exa Barker and Pearl Spivey. In those early days, the church met in the home of Oscar and Exa Barker.
Beryl and Pearl Bodenham, Exa Barker, and Nesbie Mask (a new member who often held Wednesday night services in her home) went from house to house encouraging people to worship with them. Lamar Thornton, a member of the Chisholm church of Christ in Montgomery, heartened by the number of people in this area who wanted to learn the truth, suggested that a tent be erected for future meetings. During the summer of 1953, continuous tent meetings were held with Brother Bodenham conducting the services and Brother Thornton leading the singing. Joe Greer, another member at Chisholm, and Brother Thornton were in charge of moving the tent from place to place. Ed Holt, the minister at Chisholm, was also very instrumental in the early work in the area.
Brother Bodenham transported people to services in his car. When there was additional need, the Chisholm congregation loaned a bus to Brother Bodenham. There were baptisms almost every week. When the Barkers' house overflowed, Brother Greer and others built the first structure (end of 1953) on land given by Carl and Margaret Barker. The Chisholm congregation helped finance the building.
An addition to the building was constructed in 1985, providing extra classrooms and a fellowship hall. After the success of Vacation Bible School in 1991 and 1992, more classrooms were added in 1992 to accommodate the young people who desired to attend church regularly. In 1998, a new auditorium, nursery, and other facilities were added to the existing structure.
Due to the generous contributions of our members and managerial abilities of our leaders, the mortgage for these additions was paid in full in May, 2007. The original auditorium now serves as a classroom and area for fellowship activities. The old nursery now serves as office/library with a large number of useful books, computer, copying machine, etc.
A large cemetery is located on the church property.
A German prisoner who worked on Joe Greer's farm during World War II painted the scenic oil picture that originally hung in the baptistery and for many years hung in the classroom/fellowship area.. The painting was seriously damaged by water and no longer is suitable to be displayed, but it still reminds us that some beauty can emerge from the ugliness of war.
Beryl Bodenham, Jim Sasser, Vance Crowe, George Manning, and Beau Greer served as ministers at Mt Hebron from 1952 to 1960. Reginald Anthony (now deceased) served as our minister from 1960 to 1998 and also as an elder from 1991 to 1998.
Students from Faulkner University often serve our congregation as assistant ministers in the areas of preaching, teaching, and singing. Scot Jones (now deceased) was an assistant from January-July 2001. Others who have served in this capacity while students at Faulkner University include David Nance, Mike Jones, David Barker, David Ogden, Luke Suggs, Jon Podein, Scott Schifferd, Letson McCoy, Aaron Pettus, Andrew (Gif) Gifford, Tim Mann. and Andrew Coker. Most of these, having completed their degrees, are now serving other congregations. Current student song leader is Ruben Seibert.
Carl Barker, one of the original elders, passed away in 2008. Brother Barker had also served as song leader for many years. Jim Schumacher, who was an elder for many years, passed away in July 2007. He was responsible for starting our Vacation Bible School and the Daily Bible Reader program.
Ed Walker, who arrived in 1992, presently serves as our preacher (since 1999).
Tim Mann joined us as an additional preacher January 1, 2019.
First Elders: Bill Allen and Carl Barker
Current Elders: none
In Old Auditorium:
First Baptism: Oscar M. Barker
First Funeral: Oscar M. Barker
First Wedding: Bess Thompson and Stonewall Horn
In New Auditorium:
First Baptisms: Joan Thompson and Jimmy Adams
First Funeral: John Hann
First Wedding: Christina Harris and Roy Lawrence, Jr.
Location: 4530 Mt Hebron Rd, Eclectic, AL 36024
Mail: PO Box 240159
Eclectic, AL 36024
9:00 am - Bible Classes
10:00 am - Fellowship time
10 am - Ladies Bible Class
(during school year only)
7 pm - Bible Classes
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Teddy Riley Talks Chemistry Behind New Blackstreet Combo
MTV News Staff mtvnews 03/18/1999
After teaming-up with Mase and Mya on a song for "The Rugrats" soundtrack, Teddy Riley and the rest of his Blackstreet crew are getting ready to return with the group's third album, entitled, appropriately enough, "Finally."
The new record marks Blackstreet's first studio release since 1996's multi-platinum effort, "Another Level," and prior to the "Finally" sessions, Riley was faced with tweaking the group's membership for the third time in the last five years -- eventually replacing departed singer Mark Middleton with Terrell Phillips.
In an interview with the MTV Radio Network, Teddy Riley talked about how the new Blackstreet line-up gelled while working on "Finally," and how this group differs from its past incarnations.
"This is the final four," Riley said of the band's current roster, "I think this is the best [line-up] we've had since the Blackstreet situation [came together], because
vocally and personality wise, the chemistry is strong. The vocal blend is nice, and no one is over singing. Everybody is really at one level, and that's the thing" [28.8 RealAudio].
Fans can judge for themselves whether Blackstreet has retained its smoothed-out, soulful harmonies when "Finally" arrives in stores on March 23.
Blackstreet
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2019 New York International Auto Show Highlights
The highlights from the 2019 NY Auto Show. Went on a Saturday, shooting free hand on a smartphone and the place being crowded was a bit of a challenge. Would need to invest in a gimbal and camera equipment for future videos.
Tetsuo speedpainting on the iPad
I have been wanting to get into digital art for a while as I have always been awed and inspired by the talented digital artists out there.
While painting on the latest Wacom cintiqs would have been ideal. The most accessible way to get into digital art in recent years have been with either two-in-ones like the Microsoft surface or tablets like the iPad or MediaPads. Companies like Apple, Huawei and Microsoft all have quality pressure sensitive styluses on the market. Even the base iPads which retail for around $300 can support the Apple pencils. And this is what I used here.
Akira is an iconic animation film and Tetsuo is one of my favorite characters, this is about 3 hours in and still a work in progress. Obviously, there is much to learn and practice before I can get anywhere near decent at digital art.
Bruce x Jet x Donnie Tribute
Tribute to three of the greatest martial arts movie stars. Bruce, Jet and Donnie. Had fun editing this one.
Alan Teo Highlight
Edited this Highlight video for Professor Alan Teo. He is an accomplished and talented Grappler and my BJJ instructor. He is a third degree black belt under Renzo Gracie and is the head instructor of Renzo Gracie Fort Lee/Teo BJJ in Fort Lee, NJ.
Chris Civello Highlight (Remix)
Made an update to the highlight video for my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor, professor Chris Civello. Check it out.
The Move Pens are coming back
Hope everyone is having a good start to the summer.
Well, you guys asked for it, so the move pens are now coming back in stock. They are being machined as we speak and will be ready to ship out next month (June, 2017). Thanks to everyone who emailed me letting me know that there is interest in the product. Every production run is for you guys.
Shinya Aoki [One Championship] Highlight
Made this video for ONE Championship Highlight editing competition.
A black belt in Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Shinya Aoki is a grappling wizard known for his creative and often brutal submission finishes in the MMA world. He was consistently ranked as one of the top Lightweight fighters in the world during his prime and one of the top MMA talents to have come out of Japan.
He is the former Shooto Welterweight champion, former WAMMA Lightweight champion, former DREAM Lightweight champion and the current ONE Lightweight champion. He has won several grappling tournaments including All Japan Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Budo Open and ADCC and is a veteran of PRIDE, DEEP, Strikeforce, Bellator and Rizin.
Top 10 Fourth-Generation Jet Fighters
Some beautiful war machines. 4th generation is what I consider to be the golden age of piloted jet fighter designs, before stealth and drones take over in the following generations.
Just finished editing the highlight video for this year's New York International Auto Show. I remember going to the show back in 2002 and was impressed then. The show seems to be more impressive and draws larger crowds every year.
Move Pen review by The-Gadgeteer
A review of the Move Pen by Julie Strietelmeier of the The-Gadgeteer. Thanks for the review. I try to read each and every review of the move pen out there and will keep improving it based on the feedback and comments.
The Move Pens are back
You guys have requested it, so here they are! Well, they are almost here. All variation of the move pens are available for ordering now in the shop, but they won't be available for shipping out until early to mid August.
So you can place an order now if you don't want to miss out again. We really appreciate your interests in the pen, guys.
WWII Military Models (Set 1)
T-34, Jagdtiger & StuG III
This is the first three in my WWII military models collection. Like most fans of military history, WWII remains one of my favorite eras in terms of design innovation. The only true global war in human history. The existential threat to the main countries involved meant that the best and brightest of each were given enormous amount of resources and freedom to engineer and produce these mechanical monsters.
StuG III Ausf. F/8 (Assualt Gun):
This is a model of the StuG (Sturmgeschütz) III Ausg. F/8 Assualt Gun. The StuG III served with the artillery arm of the Wehrmacht and the Panzer Corps of the Waffen SS in WWII. It was Germany's most produced armoured fighting vehicle during the war. It was highly successful in both its originally intended role as a mobile assault gun as well as the role of a Panzerjäger (Tank-Hunter).
Built on the chassis of the reliable Panzer III, it features a casemate design as opposed to the turret design on a panzer (tank). Originally designed as an assault gun for close infantry support, it was fitted with a low-velocity 75 mm StuK 37 L/24 gun to destroy soft-skin targets and fortifications and fired mostly high-explosive rounds at enemy infantry.
However, after the Wehrmacht encountered the previously unknown and surprisingly capable Soviet armours such as the T-34 and KV-1 during Operation Barbarossa, large numbers of StuGs were urgently modified for the tank-hunter role. Its casemate design meant it could carry more powerful guns than a turret design like the Panzer III. Together with its low profile, good armour, reliability and mobility enabled it to be on par and even outperform the later JadgPanzers in combat effectiveness.
The Ausf. F/8 variant of the StuG III was fitted with a 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/48 gun. With this gun, the StuG was able to confront the T-34 tanks and other Soviet armours as a tank-destroyer effectively. In fact, the StuGs achieved a claimed kill number of 20,000 tanks by 1944, more than any Panzers or JadgPanzers. Although it doesn’t have the same fearsome reputation as the later Panther and Tiger tanks, StuG III was without a doubt one of Germany’s best armoured fighting vehicle designs of the war.
Jagdtiger (Tank-Hunter):
This model shows a Jagdtiger of the Wehrmacht with a Henschel chassis. It is shown in three tone camouflage paint without Zimmerit coating. Unlike the StuG III, The Jadgtiger was designed as a true Panzerjäger (Tank-hunter). In fact, it was the ultimate tank-hunter of WWII in terms of specifications, better armoured and better armed than its little cousins the JagdPanther and JagdPanzer IV. It can easily outgun any tank fielded in WWII.
Its main armament is a modified version of the high velocity 128 mm PaK 44 L/55 heavy anti-tank gun. With it, the Jagdtiger could easily penetrate all enemy armours, including the formidable Soviet IS-series heavy tanks at a distance. It is equally well armoured, with 250 mm of frontal armor and 150 mm on the well-sloped glacis plate. It is a heavyweight that no tanks would want to trade shots with directly.
This is a true monster, at 72 tons, it was the heaviest armored vehicle of any type to go into production, heavier than even the Sturmtiger and Tiger II heavy tank (King Tiger), which it is based on. Like all Tiger variants, the Jagdtiger was excessively heavy and underpowered and was continuously plagued with mechanical problems.
Although it achieved an impressive kill ratio in combat. By the time of its arrival on the field, the overall dire situation of the German military meant that the Jagdtiger came too little too late for the Wehrmacht. It was nowhere near as effective as the smaller Jagdpanther, its heavy weight meant it could not travel easily on many bridges and roads in Europe. Only around 88 Jagdtigers were built, and more were lost to mechanical failures and lack of fuel than from enemy fire.
T-34/76 (Medium Tank):
The T-34 of the Soviet red army is widely regarded as the best tank of WWII. It was the most widely produced and most influential tank design of the war. When it arrived at the scene, it had an unmatched combination of firepower, mobility, protection, and ruggedness. German tank general von Kleist called it "the finest tank in the world" and Friedrich von Mellenthin admitted that there was nothing comparable in the German arsenal at the time. Hitler was furious that the T-34 and other soviet weapons such as the Katyusha Rocket Launchers were unknown to German intelligence prior to the invasion of the USSR.
Despite the overwhelming success of the early stages of Operation Barbarossa in which German Panzer groups easily steamrolled over older Soviet armour. When the Whermacht first encountered the T-34 tanks, there were little in their arsenal to deal with this new tank, a problem that became more and more apparent as the number of T-34s increased and Luftwaffe’s ability for close air support decreased.
The T-34 tank was not a refined tank, it was crude in many ways compared to its early German counterparts such as the Panzer III’s and IV’s. The crew of the T-34 suffered from poor ergonomic designs, poor visibility and a poor 2-man crew layout that overwhelmed the tank commander during combat, greatly reducing its advantages in the early days. Regardless, the combat effectiveness of the T-34 continued to increase throughout the war. Its wide tracks and powerful diesel engine gave it excellent cross-country performance when compared to the thin-tracked panzers. This version of the T-34 was fitted with a F-34 76.2 mm gun, hence the name T-34/76. With this firepower, it could easily penetrate early German armour at normal combat distances.
One of its best known features was its well-sloped armour that gave it exceptional protection. Enemy shells would often be unable to penetrate this relatively thick armour even at close distances, and some would even be deflected off due to the extreme angle of the armour plates. The sloped armour would later influence all modern tank designs. Together with its overall ruggedness, it would earn a legendary status among the history of tank designs and is a symbol of Soviet resilience and might.
Approved: Mini EDC Pens
Very cool to see the Move Pen featured on the Approved: Mini EDC pens list on coolmaterial, one of my favorite gadget sites.
http://coolmaterial.com/feature/approved-mini-pens/
Why You Should Carry a Pen
Check out this great article by fellow EDCer and pen enthusiast Ed Jelley on why you should carry an EDC pen, featuring the Move Pen alongside the heavyweights of the pen world, the Fisher Space Pen and Zebra F301.
http://everydaycarry.com/posts/4405/Why-You-Should-Carry-A-Pen
TED Talks - How martial arts can help you achieve greatness in life by Chatri Sityodtong
This is a great TED talk by Chatri Sityodtong, who is the founder of Evolve MMA in Singapore. He examined how training martial arts has been beneficial to his own life and why he believes martial arts is the greatest platform to unleash human potential. Even with the sport of mixed martial arts becoming mainstream in many parts of the world, fighters and combat sport athletes are still being stereotyped negatively and the life-changing benefits of learning martial arts remains out of reach for most people simply due to negative preconceived notions.
As Chatri mentioned in his presentation, the true essence of martial arts is not about fighting, it is about developing self-confidence and striving to be the best one can be. Check it out.
A picture of my BJJ match at the 2014 New York Summer Open. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has definitely changed my life positively.
Have a great holidays and let's look forward to 2015.
-Oliver Sha
There is nothing you can't achieve
This is the first motivational video that I have put together. It features Muhammed Ali, Bruce Lee, Steve Jobs, Jeremy Lin, Manny Pacquiao and several athletes and public figures whom I found inspiring throughout the years. Training Jiu-Jitsu has taught me that there is no secret to anything in life, we can become great at anything we want as long as we are willing to put in the time. With enough repetition, dedication and determination, we can become masters at anything we want. There is nothing we can't achieve, persistence trumps all.
As the late president Coolage once said "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
Tags Motivational
Move Pen reviews by Ed Jelley and MyPenNeedsInk
Check out these cool reviews on the Move Pen. Thanks to Ed of EdJelley.com and Bob of MyPenNeedsInk.com for the honest and detailed reviews.
Review by Ed Jelley
Review by Bob of MyPenNeedsInk
Tags Move, Pen, EDC
Trio Charging Station
Check out my design concept for the Trio charging station on Yanko Design. Yanko Design has been one of my favorite design blogs since its inception and has been one of the sources that got me into the field of industrial design.
http://www.yankodesign.com/2014/09/23/trio-power/
I designed the Trio as I was envisioning a charging station that would help clear up the mess of cables, lamp and charging cradles on my desk, and I just wanted to try and render up an image of the new Apple watch. :)
Tags Industrial Design, Trio, iWatch, Oliver Sha, Design, Charger, Charging Station
Training No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu (Summer 2014)
Some No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu training with my friends and teammates.
Tags Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Oliver Sha
Training Jiu-Jitsu (Summer 2014)
One of my many passions in life has been the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I try to train as consistently as I can, and dedicate quite a bit of my free time to it. As Bruce Lee once said "Long-term consistency trumps short term intensity". Jiu-Jitsu promotes a really positive and healthy lifestyle. It keeps my body in shape, my ego in check, my mind sharp and has brought me many great friendships.
Here is a video that I put together of me and my teammates training at our school, Sakura BJJ.
©2019 Oliver Sha. All rights reserved.
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80s, 90s, Amusement Parks, Attractions, Movies — January 6, 2015 3:23 pm
Remembering Back to the Future: The Ride
Posted by Lee Pop
It was like no other attraction that came before it. Back to the Future: The Ride opened in 1991 at Universal Studios Florida as the culmination of the latest technology in motion simulator entertainment.
A look at how the ride was developed.
When development began on the attraction, Universal Studios Florida didn’t yet exist. By some accounts, it was Steven Spielberg’s interest in adapting the film to a ride that got the park project itself off the ground. In this regard, Back to the Future: The Ride is a key turning point in the theme park’s history.
All across the surrounding tourist areas of Orlando, Florida, billboards teased the ride’s opening. Imagine a billboard with giant Doc Brown eyes peering at highway drivers, exciting movie fans and thrill seekers on vacation. With marketing strategy like that in place, the attraction opened to an eager audience.
A Universal Studios Florida commercial showcases Back to the Future: The Ride as its flagship attraction.
Immersion was the key to the ride’s success. Park guests were taken into Doc Brown’s world the moment they entered the ride building. Riders entered the attraction under the premise of becoming time travel volunteers for the new Institute of Future Technology.
The storyline that unraveled throughout the experience served as a pseudo-sequel to the movie trilogy. TV monitors throughout the line featured clips of Doc’s time traveling adventures, showcasing the moments where he met history greats such as The Beatles and Albert Einstein. The further along park goers got in line, the more the story of the ride developed. Time travel volunteers discovered Biff Tannen was on the loose and Doc was locked up, leaving them with one option in this sudden emergency situation: to get in an eight seater convertible DeLorean and save the day! Suddenly, riders became part of the story, not simply viewers from a distance.
Guests continued to walk through the institute’s labs, treated to props from the movies. Eventually, guests were grouped into parties of eight to enter a small room. In there, a final video monitor explained the rules and offered Doc’s vote of confidence. A door on the opposite end of the room shook, giving a sense of anticipation for what was in the next area of the building: the DeLorean itself! Riders were already thrilled by this point and they hadn’t even board the car, yet.
A promotional video for the ride accurately states “illusion has become reality!”
Once the entryway opened, passengers were crammed into the motor vehicle. There was an eerie silence as everyone boarded, a stark contrast to the thundering sound just a moment earlier. The time circuits in the car were on and the flux capacitor was… fluxing. Doc appeared on a monitor on the dashboard, assuring riders guaranteed success as he would be driving the car via remote control. At this point, the car lifted from the ground and accelerated to 88 miles per hour. In reality, the cars were lifting on a platform into a giant IMAX Dome theater, but the perfect combination of lights, sounds, fog, and vibrations made the effect seem real.
The theater was a dome shape and, unless you went out of your way to peek over the DeLorean doors, you couldn’t see the other cars in the room. The giant ride film followed a taunting Biff as he raced through time, from the future back to the dinosaur age.
Visuals in the film were stunning. Many motion simulators rely heavily on computer images, but Back to Future: The Ride kept the immersion intact by use of giant scale models. This allowed the camera to capture unprecedented detail and offer a realistic perspective to viewers.
Another behind the scenes look.
Adding to the sense of realism was the synced movement of the car with what was happening in the film. Along the way were a few moments of danger, though by the end, the time travel volunteers manage to get Biff back to the institute and save the day.
As the doors to the DeLorean swung open, Huey Lewis and the News music filled the room. The voice of Doc Brown ushered volunteers out of the room in a hurry so they didn’t accidentally encounter their past counterparts. Truth be told, I once stuck around long enough in the room to see myself enter the DeLorean.
Next to the time travel institute stood a Back to the Future store where movie fans could purchase anything from pencils to t-shirts and matches. That store gobbled allowance money as if it were a free holiday dinner buffet.
There was a long-standing rumor that a paper or Styrofoam cup could be seen on set during production of the 2015 sequence.
The 1997 IMAX documentary Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun explores several motion simulator rides throughout the amusement park industry. According to the film, Back to the Future: The Ride was still regarded as “one of the greatest ride films ever created” even several years later. Despite such high praise for the ground-breaking popular ride, both the Hollywood and Orlando locations closed in 2007. According to countless YouTube comments, time travel volunteers have been disappointed ever since.
Press event announcing the ride closure.
The ride film itself lives on, at least, in some form as a bonus feature on the Back to the Future Blu-ray set. Though watching it on a TV at home could never replicate the immersive experience of actually being in Doc Brown’s lab, it’s still fun. Back to the Future: The Ride is still operating at Universal Studios Japan, however, you may want to get your last ride in sooner than later since the future depicted on board is 2015. Though time travel seems infinite, irony can only go so far beyond the present.
Guess which ride was promoted as the headliner at Universal Studios Japan.
PopRewind.com: We’ll take you back (to the future)!
Author: Lee Pop Lee plays video games, writes articles, and won't stop talking about his favorite bands.
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2 hurt, 19 arrested in melee near Ford City Mall
Two people suffered minor injuries and police arrested 19 teenagers during a disturbance involving crowds of young people Saturday at Ford City Mall on the Southwest Side, authorities said.
About 4:45 p.m., a large group of disruptive teens ran yelling through the mall, which is located at 7601 S. Cicero Ave., according to a mall official.
Officials closed the mall minutes later, but the chaotic scene continued outside, where police found between 100 and 200 people damaging vehicles in the shopping center’s parking lot, according to a police report.
Two people were taken to hospitals, according to Chicago Fire Department Chief Joe Roccasalva, a department spokesman.
A CTA bus driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, said Roccasalva, who said he did not know what happened to him.
A “kid” was also hurt, and that person was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, also in good condition, Roccasalva said.
About 50 police squad cars assigned to multiple South Side districts, including Chicago Lawn, Englewood and Deering, and a helicopter responded to the scene, police said.
Traffic came to a standstill as teenagers jumped on cars, both parked and moving, according to a police report obtained by the Tribune. Many of those involved ignored orders to disperse, and police arrested 19 people between the ages of 13 and 18, according to police.
One teenager was charged with battery, and another was charged with criminal trespassing, Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Hector Alfaro said. The 17 remaining teens were charged with mob action. All the charges are misdemeanors, police said.
Officers did their best to control the disturbance, “trying to get everyone out of there safely,” News Affairs Officer Veejay Zala said.
During the disturbance, the CTA had to reroute the No. 79 buses, which travel on 79th Street, as well as other buses in the immediate area.
Earlier in the afternoon, members of the teen band Mindless Behavior had appeared at the mall food court from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to promote their new release, “All Around the World,” said John Sarama, the mall’s senior general manager.
The band’s autograph signing drew approximately 1,000 parents and children, primarily mothers and girls between the ages of 6 and 13, Sarama said.
About 45 minutes after the band left, the chaos began, Sarama said.
“A group of older youths came into the mall with the intent of causing havoc and chaos and were running through the mall, screaming, yelling and so forth,” he said.
Security staff contacted the police department, and mall officials closed the mall about 5 p.m., Sarama said.
The mall did not sustain any property damage apart from a single broken planter, and it will reopen at 11 a.m. Sunday as usual, Sarama said.
In the meantime, mall officials are at a loss as they try to understand what happened.
“Ford City is a family-oriented mall,” he said. “We have not had an incident like this [in the past], and I’m still in a little bit of a state of shock actually.
“What would make these youths come here to try and cause this kind of commotion and trouble?” he continued. “I don’t know. But they did have a plan in mind.”
Filed Under: Firearms
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Regulation of Political Parties
Political parties require financial resources to sustain and operate a basic party structure. Section 23 of the Act established the Political Parties Fund. This is administered by the Registrar with the reason to ensure that funds are used prudently. The sources of funds for a political party are:
The political parties fund (Fund);
Membership fees;
Voluntary contributions from a lawful source;
Donations, bequests and grants from any other lawful source, not being from a non-citizen, foreign government, inter-governmental or non-governmental organization; and
The proceeds of any investment, project or undertaking in which the political party has an interest.
The goal of the Fund is to assist political parties to fulfill their roles in a democratic society, especially in non-election periods. It equally promotes accountability, transparency and fair competition between parties. This in essence is aimed to curb corrupt practices while promoting several constitutional and enshrined rights.
It includes such funding purposes as:
Promoting the representation in Parliament and in the county assemblies of women, persons with disabilities, youth, ethnic and other minorities and marginalized communities;
Promoting active participation by individual citizens in political life;
Covering the election expenses of the political party and the broadcasting of the policies of the political party;
the organization by the political party of civic education in democracy and other electoral processes;
Bringing the political party's influence to bear on the shaping of public opinion; and administrative and staff expenses of the political party which shall not be more than thirty per cent of the moneys allocated to the political party.
The Act provides for distribution of the fund, restriction of sources, disclosure and audit of the Fund. The purposes for which the fund is to be utilized are set out in the Act and are identified simply as those compatible with democracy.
Party Management
A party must have an organizational structure at national and county level with all relevant and elected party bodies and organs. The governing body must reflect regional and ethnic diversity and representation of minorities and marginalized groups. Not more than two-third of the members of the governing body are of the same gender. The party must demonstrate that members of the governing body meet the requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution and the laws relating to ethics.
It is therefore a requirement that every political party in Kenya must have a:
National character.
Have democratically elected governing body.
Promote and uphold national unity.
Abide by the democratic principles of good governance, promote and practice democracy through regular, fair and free elections within the party.
Respect the rights of all persons to participate in the political process, including minorities and marginalized groups.
Respect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Respect and promote gender equality and equity.
The party must have a clear management structure including roles and responsibilities and the procedures to be followed. To address potential conflicts in the party, it must have permanent dispute and conflict resolution mechanism. Among the documents required for a political party are:
Party constitution.
Nomination rules and procedures.
Internal party election rules and procedures.
Party policy document(s).
Party policy reporting document.
Political party documents are fundamental for party institutionalizing, inclusive participation, education of party members and the public at large, accountability and transparency and responsible representation.
The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties may request copies of documents to be furnished upon request. Any person who interferes, damages or destroys any record or fails to furnish any document required commits an offence. A member of a political party may, during working hours and on payment of the prescribed fee, inspect and obtain copies of the records maintained at its head office or county office.
Therefore all political parties must have accurate and authentic records including:
Party constitution
Party nomination rules and internal election rules
Party manifesto and other policy documents including policy
Reporting document
Party strategic plan
Names and contact details of party officials and party elected representatives to public offices
Party budget, particulars of contributions including membership dues paid, latest audited accounts as well as particulars of properties.
County Office
For a party to be registered, it is required to open party county offices in at least half of the counties. More importantly, the office should be functional. Party county offices are there to provide the services of the party to its members and the public at large.
Among the many functions a party county office may provide are:
The members of the party and the public to have access to the party.
Party outreach activities and purposes.
For internal activities and the running of the party affairs.
For keeping of records in accordance with sec.17 of the Act.
For membership recruitment and membership list updating.
For keeping records of all party officials and all party elected representatives.
For keeping the particulars of the office including the person in Charge Being the prime point of contact with IEBC and the representatives of the Registrar at the county office, the county Political Party Liaison Committee (PPLC), Government agencies, IEBC Peace Committees and other relevant actors.
Liaise with the party members in the County Assembly.
Prepare regular reports to the party head office.
According to the Act, the minimum requirements are that the office is functioning, keeps the records and is available for party members and the public including providing copies of records upon request.
Political Parties Code of Conduct
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Rural areas of Colorado hit hard by opioid epidemic
Last Updated by Luke Runyon, Harvest Public Media on
Melissa Morris of Sterling, Colorado
Luke Runyon, Harvest Public Media
A doctor handed Melissa Morris her first opioid prescription when she was 20 years-old. She had a cesarean section to deliver her daughter, and to relieve post-surgical pain her doctor sent her home with Percocet. On an empty stomach, she took one pill and laid down on her bed.
“I remember thinking to myself, ‘Oh my god. Is this legal? How can this feel so good?’” Morris recalls.
She was hooked. From there she started taking the pills recreationally, shopping around for doctors who would write new prescriptions, frequenting urgent care clinics where doctors didn’t ask a lot of questions and were loose with their prescription pad.
Morris’s path started with Percocet and Vicodin, commonly prescribed pain medications for acute injuries and illnesses. When her tolerance rendered those practically inert, she switched to Oxycontin pills. Then she started injecting Oxycontin. After that, she got her hands on Fentanyl patches, a highly addictive and potent opioid. She’d chew on them instead of applying them to skin as the package directed.
But when doctors got wise to her shopping tactics, her supplies diminished.
“Then it’s heroin, and that’s the Holy Grail,” Morris says.
Morris started stealing to fund her addiction. She then got into the drug trade herself, dealing methamphetamine and other illicit substances, raising money to buy more heroin.
“You can buy a gram of heroin for 50 bucks and it’ll last you five days longer,” she says. “And that’s why so many people here have turned to heroin.”
Morris’ story is all too common. Prescription painkillers and heroin are fueling a rise in drug addiction and overdoses in communities across the country, killing tens of thousands of people each year. Research shows some of America’s most rural areas are particularly at-risk for opioid addiction and abuse, and many experts expect the problem to only get worse.
Morris lives in Sterling, Colorado, a city of 14,000, a two-hour drive northeast of Denver. The biggest employer is a state prison. Since 2002, the death rate from opioid overdoses in Logan County, which includes Sterling, has nearly doubled, according to data analyzed by the Colorado Health Institute. Morris says she has known at least ten people in her community who’ve overdosed on a mix of drugs in the last few years.
Sterling is far from unique. Rural areas and small cities across the country have seen an influx not only in the prevalence of prescription opioids, but illicit ones like heroin. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioids were involved in more than 33,000 deaths in 2015, four times the number of opioid-involved deaths than in 2000. A recent University of Michigan study found rates of babies born with opioid withdrawal symptoms rising much faster in rural areas than urban ones.
Like Morris, many new heroin users find themselves using the drug after getting addicted to prescription drugs first. The CDC reports three out of four new heroin users report abusing prescription opioids prior to trying heroin. In the U.S., heroin-related deaths more than tripled between 2010 and 2015, with 12,989 heroin deaths in 2015. Opioids, both heroin and prescription drugs, killed more people in 2015 than any year on record.
As the epidemic becomes more deadly and reaches into more communities across the country, researchers are scrambling to both diagnose what causes some places and people to be more susceptible to opioid abuse, and to devise solutions. Jack Westfall, a family physician and researcher at the University of Colorado and with the High Plains Research Network, works with a network of rural clinics and hospitals in the state and says doctors on the plains are feeling frantic.
“The number one issue we’re facing is opioids,” Westfall says.
For more than a decade, opioids have been a key part of a rural doctor’s pain management for patients, Westfall says. When there’s a lack of treatment options in a rural area, alternatives like physical therapy are out of the question and drugs are a prime option.
Medication-assisted treatment for drug addiction is also limited, leaving those addicted forced to drive hours to get prescriptions for Buprenorphine, an opioid used to wean people off heroin and other illicit forms of the drug. When a patient shows up addicted to prescription medication, many rural doctors feel helpless, Westfall says.
“We don’t know what to do with this wave of people who are using opioids,” he says. “They’re in the clinic, they’re in the ER, they’re in the hospital. They’re in the morgue, because they overdosed.”
Rural areas may be particularly fertile ground to the growing opioid problem. Some researchers think larger economic, environmental and social factors leave rural Americans at-risk. University of California-Davis epidemiologist Magdalena Cerda says the epidemic is a perfect storm. After the 2008 recession, rural areas consistently lagged behind urban areas in the recovery, losing jobs and population.
“You have a situation where people might be particularly vulnerable to perhaps using prescription opioids to self-medicate a lot of symptoms of distress related to sources of chronic stress, chronic economic stress,” Cerda says.
The specific types of jobs more prevalent in rural areas -- like manufacturing, farming and mining -- tend to have higher injury rates. That can lead to more pain, and possibly, to more painkillers.
Other research points to the unique social structures in rural America as a potential cause. In some ways, rural regions are built to spread illicit drugs. Kirk Dombrowski, a sociologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, says people who live in rural areas tend to have sprawling social networks.
“One of the things that is counterintuitive to most of what we think of as a small town is that rural people have much larger social networks than urban people,” Dombrowski says.
In some cases, Dombrowski says, rural residents know and interact with about double the number of people an average urban resident does, giving rural people more opportunities to know where to access drugs.
“So some of those social factors of being in a small town can definitely contribute,” he says.
The epidemic’s rural nature landed it on the desk of U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack who’s been leading the Obama Administration’s interagency push to curb opioid abuse. That included a $1 billion budget request recently funded by Congress in the form of the 21st Century Cures Act, structured to give grants to states hardest hit by the epidemic.
“It’s not a fundamentally rural problem,” Vilsack says. “But it’s a unique problem in rural America because of the lack of treatment capacity and facilities.”
That lack of treatment is felt back in Sterling, Colorado. Melissa Morris relies on Suboxone, the brand name of Buprenorphine, an opioid used to wean people off heroin. Morris doesn’t get high when taking it, but she does avoid the vomiting, diarrhea and sweating that comes with opioid withdrawal. She puts it under her tongue to let it dissolve and take effect.
Morris has been off heroin since 2012. She drives to a clinic two-hours away to pick it up. She says there’s a six-week waiting list for the only doctor in Sterling certified to prescribe Suboxone. Other areas of Colorado’s eastern plains have no doctors at all who are legally able to give out Suboxone.
A new effort from University of Colorado researchers could help there, with plans to train 40 primary care doctors, their clinical care teams, and nurses in Colorado’s plains and southern San Luis Valley. Morris is advising that team as they roll out their new effort.
Morris acknowledges that close social ties in her smaller city could’ve contributed to the drugs’ spread, saying opioid users tend to “stick up for each other.” Those bonds can lead to a proliferation of drugs, but they also cut other ways. Just recently she recruited two opioid-dependent friends to the clinic she goes to weekly for treatment.
“I used to sell them pills, and heroin,” she says. “And so I do have hope. I’ve seen those success stories.”
Colorado School District to Allow Teachers to Arm Themselves
Coal country anticipates 2017
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18/12/2018 S243 - - Works - Contract notice - Open procedure
United Kingdom-Derby: Construction work
Derby City Council
Council House, Corporation Street
DE1 2FS
Contact person: Miss Helen Baldwin
E-mail: procurement@derby.gov.uk
NUTS code: UKF11
Main address: http://www.derby.gov.uk/
Address of the buyer profile: http://www.derby.gov.uk/
The procurement documents are available for unrestricted and full direct access, free of charge, at: https://www.eastmidstenders.org
Tenders or requests to participate must be submitted electronically via: https://www.eastmidstenders.org
TD1395 — OCOR Flood Management Aida Bliss, Prime Site and Booker
Reference number: DN382049
Tenders are invited for design and construction services in respect of the provision of delivering flood management at Aida Bliss, Lower City Road and Breadsall (Booker Wholesale), Derby. The successful Contractor will be responsible for:
— Construction of Flood Defence at Aida Bliss
—— Duration: March 2019 – September 2019
— Construction of Flood Defence at Lower City Road
— Design and Construction of Flood Defence at Breadsall (Booker Wholesale)
Quality criterion - Name: Quality/Weighting: / Weighting: 50
Duration in months: 6
Options: yes
Description of options:
This contract has the option to extend for a further 3 months in 1 months increments.
Conditions relating to environmental and social requirements of the Contracting Authority may be included in this contract.
Selection criteria as stated in the procurement documents.
Conditions relating to environmental and social requirements of the Contracting Authority may be included in this contract. The details are to be provided in the invitation to tender.
This tender is being managed electronically. Please go to www.sourcederbyshire.co.uk and look for the contract advert under “live contracts” section, select the relevant contract notice. Select the “apply online” link in the bottom right hand corner of the contract notice. This will transfer you to the Council's e-tendering system at https://www.eastmidstenders.org where you can express interest and obtain the documents. To access the tender documentation and to be able to submit your response, you must first register your organisation on EastMids Tenders (unless you have done this previously).
Please note we will only accept expressions of interest/tender returns through the East Mids Tenders e-tendering system.
On the opportunities portal home page (https://www.eastmidstenders.org) there is an option to “Register” link in the top right hand corner of the screen, click this to begin the registration process, which is step by step where you need to enter your details and your own company's' details. Further information can be found in the user guide “how to do business on the portal” which can be found in the “Help” section at the top right of the homepage. Once you have received the 2 system generated emails confirming your user name and password you can search for new opportunities from the supplier home page.
To Search:
On the opportunities portal home page (https://www.eastmidstenders.org), Click on “view opportunities”. On the “Find Opportunities” page you can narrow your search. The "Organisation" field allows the organisation you are searching on to be chosen. Click the arrow to bring a drop down menu displaying the various organisations. Select “Derby City Council”, then click on the “Update” button to return the results. This will then return all the opportunities that are applicable to Derby City Council. You can narrow the search further using the “keyword” option. To view the further details of the opportunity, click the corresponding contract title and click on the login and register Interest button and login to the EastMids Tenders system to start the tender process. The EastMids Tenders system is a very secure site and is simple to use. However, if this is the first time you will be using the system for submitting documents you should read the comprehensive ProContract reference guides which will provide the guidance required by clicking the “Help” icon that is located on the home page on the top right of the East Mids Tenders System.
Once you have registered your interest, the tender information will be moved to, and can be found on, the “My Opportunities” page on the EastMidsTenders page once you are logged in. You will be able to view and download the documents for completion, along with instructions on how to make a submission.
The Council House, Corporation Street
The Council House, Corporation Street, DE1 2FS
The Contracting Authority will incorporate a minimum 10 calendar day standstill period following electronic notification (minimum of 15 calendar days for any other means of communication) to tenderers of the award decision. This period allows unsuccessful tenderers to seek further debriefing from the Contracting Authority before the contract is entered into. If an appeal regarding the award of a contract has not been successfully resolved the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (Si 2015 No. 102) provide for aggrieved parties who have been harmed or are at risk of harm by a breach of the rules to take action in the High Court (England, Wales and Northern Ireland). Any such action must be brought promptly (generally within 3 months). Where a contract has not been entered into the Court may order the setting aside of the award decision or order the authority to mend any document and may award damages. If the contract has been entered into the Court may only award damages. The purpose of the standstill period referred to above is to allow parties to apply to the Courts to set aside the award decision before the contract is entered into.
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Can father's obesity effect offspring's health?
Washington D.C. [USA], June 24 (ANI): It is widely believed that a mother's lifestyle impacts health of the offspring, however, one would be surprised to know that even the father's choices have an effect on it.
The study of DNA from umbilical cord blood leukocytes found that paternal obesity is linked to hypomethylation at offspring's insulin-like growth factor (IGF2) gene, reported Contemporary Pediatrics.
The research published in the 'BMC Medicine' in 2013 suggested that the father's lifestyle could be passed onto their kids by an epigenetic mechanism.
The study's author Susan K. Murphy, Duke University Medical Center, said, "I don't think that we previously considered that the father could biologically contribute more to his offspring than the DNA in his sperm. Most research has focused on how the in-utero environment and health of the mother would impact development."
"This research and other emerging data are showing that the preconceptional health of the father, including his body mass index (BMI), are able to impact the status of his child's DNA. This impact is not due to genetic changes, but rather to epigenetic shifts that determine how the child's DNA is regulated," Murphy added.
For the study, Murphy and her colleagues studied blood leukocytes from 79 newborns' umbilical cords. Also with the help of standardised questionnaire and medical record, the researchers obtained data about parental characteristics.
They analysed two differentially methylated regions (DMRs): the IGF2 DMR and the DMR upstream of the neighboring H19 gene (H19 DMR).
The study found that about one in five of the fathers had a BMI of 30 kg/m2. Hypomethylation at the IGF2 DMR was linked to paternal obesity, however, the researchers did not find a significant association between paternal obesity and methylation patterns of H19 DMR.
"As a result, exposures to adverse lifestyle factors or poor or overnutrition during spermatogenesis may affect the reprogramming of methylation profiles at imprinted genes. Further research is necessary to confirm this hypothesis," wrote the researchers.
The comment published in the same 'BMC Medicine issue' titled 'Fat dads must not be blamed for their children's health problems,' the authors noted the importance of taking an unbiased look at the big picture--considering the whole genome/epigenome/metabolome and involving all key genes and networks, reported Modern Medical Network.
"It is also important to critically assess environmental players," wrote the comment authors.
"It is tempting to overemphasise the role of a small number of parent-of-origin expressing genes and to speculate about the effects of modest variation in methylation, but we must not be too hasty to blame either parent for their offspring's health outcomes without being certain that these effects are consequentially robust," the author wrote further.
According to Murphy, pediatrics can use epigenetic data to disseminate information that fathers lifestyle and the decisions they make might impact the health of their unborn kids.
"As we learn more about the impact of the father's health status and environmental exposures on the offspring's epigenetic profile and how this might affect health outcomes, it is important for couples thinking about a future pregnancy to take into account that the health of the dad's sperm might not be optimal if he is not in good overall health or is exposed to environmental toxicants (pesticides, smoking tobacco, alcohol use, etc.). Optimising dad's health and minimizing his exposures will likely increase the chances of a healthy epigenetic outcome for his future children," said Murphy.
Also, Murphy was one of the authors of a study of men who use cannabis alongside a study in rats exposed to delta-9-tetrohydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive component in cannabis published in the journal 'Epigenetics'.
"We found that the sperm of the cannabis users and the THC-exposed male rats had epigenetic profiles that were substantially altered," Murphy says. "The particular genes that were affected were those involved in early growth and development, and also genes that become deregulated in cancers. However, we do not yet know if these epigenetic changes are able to be transmitted to the offspring, or if the changes are temporary or permanent in terms of sperm production. We are currently expanding this study and trying to answer these questions."
The study found that offsprings of the male THC-exposed rats show behavioural changes.
"Again, this speaks to the idea that to be abundantly cautious, it would be best for couples planning pregnancy to abstain from cannabis use," said Murphy. (ANI)
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Graham Allison Quotes
Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe.
Graham Allison
More Graham Allison Quotes
We are seeing the most intense bargaining among big states that we have seen since the end of the Cold War, with war in the offing and no certainty about the outcome.
There is going to be lots of twists and turns here, and I think both the U.S. and Iraq will end up making some compromises, accommodations, as we get towards endgame.
My bottom line is that if the U.S. government just stands on the autopilot, just on the current trim line ... I think that it is more likely than not that we will see a nuclear bomb exploding in one of our cities in less than a decade.
The danger is that a terrorist like Osama bin Laden who is very motivated ... gets a bomb out of a place like Russia. [Say] some crook steals it, he sells it to Osama bin Laden, Osama bin Laden brings it to Cleveland, or Boston, or L.A., and blows it up.
Explosive material plus radioactive material equals dirty bomb.
The North Koreans have every intention to lie, steal and cheat as much as they can get away with and as they have been doing for decades. But they would also say we've been cheating them through the whole process or acting in bad faith.
That means no new national production of highly enriched uranium from which a bomb could be made, and that's the issue over Iran.
I would say we are going through the Kabuki that one would anticipate and it will go one over the next several months which the objective is to get Iran to freeze its nuclear research and any future nuclear enrichment and to find some package of carrots and sticks that will be sufficient to lead them to accept that as the best outcome. I think that is unlikely to succeed but it is the best strategy to be following.
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News » THE OFFENSE THE DEFENSE SPECIAL TEAMS MEET THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS PITTSBURGH'S PROJECTED STARTERS FOR SUNDAY ??? BY DAVE GOLDBE
THE OFFENSE THE DEFENSE SPECIAL TEAMS MEET THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS PITTSBURGH'S PROJECTED STARTERS FOR SUNDAY ??? BY DAVE GOLDBE
The road to Tampa: The Steelers' path to Super Bowl XLIII
5-10, 209
6-5, 298
Louisiana-Lafayette
Mewelde
Running back/
Punt returner
Keisel
Nose tackle
Right tackle
3rd season
Deshea
LaMarr
linbacker
Kemoeatu
Polamalu
Southern Calif.
Santonio
Farrior
Darnell
Louisiana St.
Foote
Hartwig
Ben Roethlisberger * Quarterback * No. 7 * 6-5, 241 * 5th season * College: Miami (Ohio)
Seeking to win his second Super Bowl title in five seasons. ... Chosen 11th overall in the 2004 draft by the Steelers after Eli Manning (No. 1) and Philip Rivers (No. 4). He and Manning, who won last year with Giants, already have titles. ... Completed 281 of 469 passes this year with 17 TDs and 15 INTs for passer rating of 80.1, second worst of his career. ... First rookie to have 13-1 record as a starter after taking over for injured Tommy Maddox in second game of 2004 season. ... Youngest QB to win a Super Bowl when he led Steelers to win vs. Seattle in 2006.
James Harrison * Outside linebacker * No. 92 * 6-0, 242 * 5th season * College: Kent State
The NFL's Defensive Player of the Year after registering 16 sacks and keying run defense. ... A late bloomer who was thought to be too short and a step too slow, he was an undrafted free agent. He signed in 2002, played only one game that year, and was cut three times before being brought back at start of 2004 because of injury to Clark Haggans, now with Arizona. ... Remained a part-timer until replacing the departed Joey Porter at the start of 2007. ... Even before becoming a starter, signed a four-year deal.
Bothered by knee and shoulder injuries, rushed for just 791 yards and a 3.8 average after more than 1,200 yards in each of the past three seasons. ... Undrafted coming out of college, got into eight games and rushed for 132 yards as a rookie. ... Voted to Pro Bowl in 2006 and 2007.
Fourth-round pick of Minnesota in 2004, signed with the Steelers this year as return man and third-down back. ... Became primary running back with Parker's injury and finished with 588 yards rushing, five TDs and 4.2 average. ... Tied for fourth on team with 40 receptions.
Signed by the Steelers in 2006 after time with Indianapolis in 2004 and floating on and off rosters and practice squads in Atlanta, Miami and Tampa Bay. ... Primarily a blocker. ... Had a 20-yard third-down reception in AFC title game that helped set up field goal.
MVP of 2006 Super Bowl, when he had five catches for 123 yards and a touchdown. ... Steelers' career leader with 800 receptions, 9,780 yards, and 72 TD catches. ... Had 81 catches for 1,043 yards, his fifth 1,000-yard season. ... Third-round draft pick in 1998. ... Four-time Pro Bowler.
First-round pick in 2006, 25th overall, considered Steelers' most dangerous deep threat. ... Had 65-yard touchdown catch for first score in AFC championship game against Baltimore. ... Had career-high 55 catches for 821 yards and five TDs this season. ... Averaged 18.1 yards per catch in 2007.
Undrafted free agent, played in only one game as rookie in 2005. ... Made his first catch in AFC championship game against Denver that season. ... Has 104 receptions for 1,705 yards and 16.4 average in career. ... Had 40 catches for 635 yards and three TDs this season.
First-round pick in 2005, 30th overall. ... Had 48 catches, a career high, for 514 yards and three TDs, added six more for 99 yards and a TD in playoffs. ... Has 168 receptions for 1,932 yards and 21 TDs in four-year career. ... Has started all but one of 62 games he has played.
Started 11 games this season replacing injured Marvel Smith. ... Started 45 of 72 since being drafted in third round in 2004. ... Height makes him vulnerable against speed rushers. ... Six relatives have played in NFL, including his father, Ross Browner.
Fourth-round pick in 2006, became a starter for last two games of his rookie season. ... Has started all 32 games the past two seasons. ... Remarked during the playoffs that because of OL difficulties all season, he couldn't go grocery shopping without fans criticizing his play.
Replaced perennial Pro Bowler Alan Faneca, who left as a free agent after last season. ... Sixth-round draft choice in 2005, was inactive for 15 games. ... Started two games in 2006 and played in a third, but inactive for the rest. ... Brother Maake is a starting DT for Carolina.
Undrafted free agent in 2007. ... Dressed for just one game as rookie. ... Became starter at guard when Kendall Simmons was lost for the season. ... Had just one holding penalty and three false starts in 12 starts. ... Also plays center.
Signed as a free agent from Carolina in the offseason. ... Originally drafted by Tennessee in sixth round in 2002, has started 79 of 80 games since 2003 with the Titans, Panthers and Steelers. ... Won the starting job in training camp from Sean Mahan, last season's starter.
Has started 137 of 145 NFL games ... Considered one of the unsung stars in the NFL because he plays in a 3-4, where defensive linemen are used primarily to keep blockers off LBs. ... Has 42 career sacks, including eight in 2001 and 2004, high totals for a 3-4 DE. ... Fourth-round draft pick in 1999.
A starter for the past three seasons, although he missed six games this year with a knee injury. ... Primarily a run-stopper, has 11? sacks in his career. ... Seventh-round draft pick in 2002, missed all of 2003 with a shoulder injury.
First-round pick, 19th overall, in 2001. ... Generally weighs in at more than his listed 325 and was kept out of drills during training camp because he was overweight. ... Whatever he weighs, he is often impossible to move and a major reason Steelers were No. 1 in overall defense and against the run.
A second-round pick in 2007, he was a situational pass rusher as a rookie and became a starter this season. ... Registered 11? sacks as a bookend to Harrison. ... A hybrid defensive end/linebacker at Michigan, which dropped him from the first round but made him appealing to a 3-4 defense.
The veteran hand in the linebacking corps. ... A first-round pick of the Jets in 1997, joined Steelers as a free agent in 2002, and blossomed. ... Voted to the Pro Bowl this season for the second time. ... Led the Steelers in tackles with 133.
A fourth-round pick in 2002. ... Has started every game for the past five seasons and has 80 consecutive starts, unusual for as physical a position as linebacker. ... Led the team in tackles in 2005.
A starter for most of the past four seasons. ... Considered team's best man-to-man cover cornerback, although he had just one interception this season. ... May spend a lot of time on Larry Fitzgerald. ... Played only two years of college Football. ... A fourth-round draft pick in 2003.
A starter two years ago, he regained his job this season. ... Missed six games with a broken arm. Had two interceptions in eight starts. ... Had a 50-yard interception return for TD in 2007, when he was the nickel back. ... Second-round pick in 2005.
Spent his entire career with the Steelers. ... Now the nickel back, he was a starter from 2003-2007 and has 20 career regular-season interceptions. ... Had INT last week off Joe Flacco in AFC title game win against Baltimore.
An All-Pro and one of the best safeties in the game, Polamalu is a devastating tackler as well as a ballhawk with 17 career interceptions, seven this year. ... Had a 40-yard INT return for the clinching TD against Baltimore. ... The 16th overall pick in 2000 draft. ... Has 72 consecutive starts.
Began career as undrafted free agent with Giants in 2002 and moved on to Washington, where he started for two seasons. ... Allowed to move to Steelers because Redskins preferred bigger names. ... Solid and steady and allows Polamalu to gamble on making big plays.
Plays in dime situations. Started four games this season. ... Selected as the second of two fifth-round picks by the Steelers in 2007. ... Played in every game as a rookie, including AFC wild card game.
Has made more than 80 percent of his field-goal attempts, a very good number in Pittsburgh, where unpredictable field surface and swirling winds make kicking hard. ... Is 6 of 11 from more than 50 yards in his career although he rarely tries those kicks at home because of the conditions.
Native of Kamloops, B.C., has punted for Vikings, Saints and Cardinals before joining Steelers this season. Averaged 36.4 yards per punt this season. ... Berger was released on Nov. 5 because of hamstring problems then resigned two weeks later to replace Paul Ernster.
Averaged 23.2 yards as kickoff return man, with a long of 43. ... Also serves as third-string RB, notably in short-yardage situations. ... Originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent following the 2007 draft.
Kick returner
Jan. 18 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Ravens070714
Steelers673723
Troy Polamalu's 40-yard INT return for a TD with 4:24 remaining allowed the Steelers to beat the Ravens for the third time this season and ended an 0-2 jinx in conference championship games at Heinz Field.
AFC divisional playoff
Jan. 11 vs. San Diego Chargers
Chargers7301424
Steelers7771435
After falling in a 7-0 hole, the Steelers stormed back with the help of a 67-yard punt return for a TD by Santonio Holmes to advance to their fourth AFC title game since 2001. Willie Parker rushed for 146 yards and two scores.
after AFC title game
Author:Fox Sports
Author's Website:http://www.foxsports.com
» Steelers fans debut epic fight songs in contest
» Baltimore Ravens Inside Slant 2009-01-29
» Baltimore Ravens Notes, Quotes 2009-01-29
» ASIDES
» N N N N A BIGGER, BETTER BEN BEN ROETHLISBERGER IS LOOKING TO SHED THE MEMORY OF HIS NOT-SO-SUPER PERFORMANCE IN THE STEELERS' P
Name: Samari Rolle
Position: CB
College: Florida State
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Tootsie's Cabaret In Miami Teams Up With Vivid Entertainment To Throw The Ultimate Party Feb. 5th During Super Bowl Week
The Dream Party for Football and Vivid Girl Fans
MIAMI - (January 6, 2010) - Vivid Entertainment, the leading adult movie studio, has teamed up with Tootsie's Cabaret in Miami, believed to be the largest gentlemen's club in the United States, to throw an all-night party on Friday, February 5th at the peak of Super Bowl week. Tootsie's is part of the Rick's Cabaret International, Inc. [NASDAQ-GM:RICK] family of upscale gentlemen's clubs.
Hosting the party will be four of the world-famous Vivid Girls, the elite of adult film stars: Savanna Samson, AJ Bailey, Sunny Leone and Monique Alexander will greet guests, pose for snapshots, sign autographs as they join up to 300 entertainers from Tootsie’s Cabaret the weekend of the big game at nearby Land Shark Stadium.
The party starts at 10 p.m. at the club located at 150 NW 183rd St on the southeast corner of 441 and Miami Gardens Drive
"We wanted to do something special for fans who will be in Miami for Super Bowl week and our party should get everyone primed and in a great mood," said Steven Hirsch, founder/co-CEO of Vivid. "We’ve worked before with Rick's Cabaret on successful parties, but this is by far our most ambitious event and it will be spectacular."
"This is definitely shaping up as the ultimate Super Bowl party," said Ed Anakar, director of operations for Rick's Cabaret International. "Tootsie's Cabaret has been called the best strip club in Miami and it's famous for the beautiful entertainers who perform completely nude, as well as our warm hospitality, great bars and fabulous food service. Everyone will have a great time. We have valet parking for 1,500 cars so we make it very easy for people to get in and out."
Tickets to the Vivid/Tootsie’s Cabaret party cost $300 and are available for pre-sale at the Rick's website (www.ricks.com) and at the Tootsie's Cabaret reception desk. Guests will receive "SWAG" bags filled with Vivid DVDs and other gifts. Ticket holders will have access to both the party in the plush Tootsie's Cabaret VIP, as well as the rest of the 74,000 square foot, two-level club that features all nude dancing on multiple stages, in private dance areas, plus sky boxes for viewing dancers on the main stage with its 30-foot tall stripper poles.
About Vivid:
Founded in 1984, Vivid has always placed heavy emphasis on high quality erotic film entertainment and has created wide brand-name awareness through its films, innovative marketing and a licensing program that extends to advertising, apparel, book publishing and a range of other products. TV audiences have gotten to know the company's management and talent through two recent seven part series on Showtime, "Debbie Does Dallas…Again" and "Deeper Throat." The Vivid-Celeb imprint has become internationally famous for releasing sex tapes of famous mainstream celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Ray J, Shauna Sand-Lamas, former Miss USA Kelli McCarty and many others. The studio's website www.vivid.com has a large and loyal following of fans of the Vivid Girls.
for Vivid: Jackie Martin/800-762-4761 or jackie@vivid.com
for Rick’s Cabaret International, Inc./Tootsies Cabaret, Anna T, 305-653-5313, anna@ricks.com
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REBECCA R. LEVY
Expertise Dance Film JDT Contact
ExpertiseDance FilmJDTContact
Choreographer ∙ Dancer ∙ Educator
choreographer ∙ Dancer ∙ Dance Educator
I am a choreographer, performer and dance educator based in Jacksonville, FL. I am currently Professor of Dance and director of the dance repertory company at Florida State College at Jacksonville, where I earned the 2016 Outstanding Faculty Award and was chosen to give a TEDx talk. I also serve as as regional coordinator for the National Waterways Dance Project, a site-specific dance and movement project that was awarded an Art in Education Grant from the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.
In 2012, I co-founded Jacksonville Dance Theatre (JDT), a critically acclaimed modern dance repertory and performance art company. As artistic director of the company, I have been instrumental in producing JDT's three annual home season concerts and film festival, in addition to touring engagements.
My choreographic work has been featured in festivals and concerts internationally and throughout the country, including a recent commission for Mendocino College in California. A proponent of excellence in dance filmmaking, I was a contributing filmmaker for the seven-continent crowd-sourced Globe Trot, and in 2012 I produced an award-winning dance film while in attendance at the NES Artist Residency program in Skagaströnd, Iceland.
Previously, I was founder and co-artistic director of the Los Angeles-based B.E. Productions Dance Company for eight seasons. I hold a BFA in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts and an MFA in Choreography from California Institute of the Arts, and I am a registered Certified Yoga Instructor and certified Pilates instructor. Please click the photos below to explore my past and current works.
JACKSONVILLE DANCE THEATRE
Thrumming with energy and vibrancy, the entire experience was one that reinforced the extraordinary nature of dance.
— Folio Weekly Magazine
© 2018 Rebecca R. Levy
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You will have the the time of your life
Tonight (11/27), you will have the the time of your life. You've never felt like this before. Yes, I swear it's the truth. And you owe it all to Flying Carpet.
I'm talking about the stacked lineup at TONIGHT'S FREE FLYING CARPET SHOW AT RIFIFI AT 9:45PM (map). On the bill: From San Francisco, Mr. Will Franken. I'd describe his act but you just gotta see it. SF Weekly called him the best comedian in San Francisco and the SF Bay Guardian called him “the best alternative to psychedelic drugs.” So if you're trying to quit LSD, this is the perfect show for you. Also bringing the trippiness: Mr. Reggie Watts. Beatboxing soul confusionist extraordinaire. He will also blow your mind. And there's sketch group Jerk Practice. Saw these guys kill it at a Halloween show and I said come bring some of that to Flying Carpet and they said, "Right on!"
And that's not all...We also have Ms. Julie Klausner, star of Obsessed with Julie and Jackie, a righteous show at UCB (they make great videos too). She's also a writer for "The Big Gay Sketch Show" so if you're gay it will be right up your alley. And if you're not gay, she's a chick...so no worries. Also: Mr. Vince Averill, a super standup who's performed around the country and stars in his own weekly comedy show on Sundays at Beauty Bar. He will be kickin' it in a very Byron Allen-esque way.
And it will all be hosted by yours truly, the King of Siam, Mr. Matt Ruby. I will tell you all about Moby's #1 fan who has been threatening to kill me!
And you get all that for free. Damn. See you there at 9:45 pm. Cuz' you're the one thing I can't get enough of.
Labels: flying carpet, shows
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St. Francis Parish History
Corner Findley & Euclid
Toronto, Ohio 43964
Before 1881, when our area was know as Sloan’s Station, Saint Francis church was a mission of the Diocese of Columbus and was administered by priests in Steubenville. The occasional weekday Mass was celebrated in private homes. On Sundays the Catholic families crossed over to the West Virginia side of the River and attended Mass in New Cumberland.
In 1885 Father Thomas Delaney was appointed resident pastor. In 1886, a week before the blessing of the cornerstone by Bishop Father Alphonse Leyden became pastor of Saint Francis Church. In 1892 Father J.T. McNally found a new parish house and a debt-free church. During his pastorate the school was opened under the care of the Sisters of Loretta.
Father Charles Walsh came to Toronto in 1920. The present church building was constructed in 1923. In 1938 Father Leo O’Connor became pastor. The church debt was liquidated. The Diocese of Steubenville was formed in 1945 the same year that Father Raymond Harris became pastor.
In 1947 the pastor and parishioners spent their energies in building a new Saint Francis School. Bishop John King Mussio dedicated the building in January of 1948. The year following, the Ursuline Sisters came to replace the Sisters of Loretta.
Father Angelo Cappelli came to Saint Francis Church as pastor in 1953. A new convent was built in 1960 and an old home was purchased as a temporary rectory in 1962, while the old rectory and convent were razed. With growth in the school, an addition was added in 1963.
The church interior was redecorated twice during the time of Monsignor Cappelli was pastor. The second renovation reflected the changes in the Mass occasioned by the Second Vatican Council. Saint FrancisSchool was made a central school for all of Toronto when the sisters were withdrawn from Saint JosephSchool in 1970.
With the number of religious sister dwindling, the large convent at Saint Francis was closed in the early 1980’s and a smaller home was purchased for the sisters. The former convent was later sold to the Saint John Medical Center for a satellite medical center for Toronto.
Saint Francis Parish celebrated its first 100 years in 1985, with a year-long celebration which included all parishioners, concluding with a Mass and dinner at the American Legion Hall in Toronto.
In March of 1986 after 33 years of faithful service to the people of Saint Francis Parish, Monsignor Cappelli retired.
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Education for menstrual periods needed at primary school
Wednesday, 3 October 2018, 10:19 am
Press Release: University of Otago
Education and support for menstrual periods needed at primary school
Primary school is the correct place to educate girls about periods and provide sanitary bins and pads, say University of Otago researchers.
For the first time New Zealand has collected national level data on age of first menstruation, which has just been released from the 2014/5 NZ Health Survey (Ministry of Health).The survey included a specific question to female participants answering the Sexual and Reproductive Health Module about their age when they first started menstruating (having periods).
“Previously we have not had formal data about what age NZ girls get their periods, and have had to extrapolate from small local studies and/or international data, which show variation between countries and do not reflect the NZ ethnic and socioeconomic context,” says Dr Sarah Donovan from the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington.
“These new data will allow us to make comparisons with international data, which indicate that globally the age of first periods is decreasing. The reasons for this are unclear, however it is suggested that it may be due to the impact of environmental toxins, and/or increasing body mass index (BMI) in young girls.”
“Our analysis of the data shows that the average age of first period is roughly 13.2 years; this finding is in line with the findings of the Dunedin Multi-disciplinary Health and Development Study (drawing on a sample of 415 girls). However, while it is often assumed that girls usually get their periods at high school, the new findings confirm that this is not the case for nearly 50 per cent of New Zealand girls,” Dr Donovan says.
“Most significantly, these new data about age at first menstruation per school year indicate that we need to target health education, resources and support to an even younger age group in order for NZ girls to be prepared to manage their periods without disruption to their schooling and without embarrassment,” Dr Donovan says.
The analysis found:
• Nationwide, around 11,700 girls – 4,150 in Year 7 and 7,550 in Year 8 – start menstruating during the intermediate school year.
• The researchers estimate that about 1,900 girls nationwide (6.3 per cent or one in 16 girls) start menstruating while of primary school age
• Nearly half of all girls (48.7 per cent) have started menstruation before they start secondary school.
These data show that across the country, about 14,000 girls each year are starting menstruation before high school (with more than expected at primary/intermediate age), suggesting that primary school is the correct place for in-school education about managing periods (including managing period pain, a very common issue).
“Primary schools need to ensure that sanitary disposal units are provided in girls’ toilets,” Dr Donovan says.
Previously the Ministry of Education has stated that it does not have a role in ensuring that schools provide sanitary disposal units and has no plans to require this.
This issue was highlighted in the media in 2016 when an Auckland mother complained that her primary school aged daughter (then a 9-year-old) had been asked by the school principal to stay home from school during her periods because the school did not provide sanitary disposal units: https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201846444/primary-school-excludes-girl-with-period)
The story also highlighted the broader issue of NZ girls missing school through not being able to afford pads and tampons.
Dr Donovan is preparing an application to PHARMAC to fund free sanitary products for all school-aged girls in New Zealand.
Find more from University of Otago on InfoPages.
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Tag Archives: Riva Ridge
SECRETARIAT BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT THE MEADOW MARCH 29-30 KICKS OFF 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF SECRETARIAT’S 1973 TRIPLE CROWN
Come Join Us Where the Legend Began!
Forty years ago in 1973, the big red horse pounded the turf in the Belmont Stakes like a “tremendous machine” and clinched the first Triple Crown in a quarter-century.
Forty years and his fame is undiminished, his fans’ adoration unabated and his record unequalled. Of the 11 champions who have won the Triple Crown since 1919, only the mighty Secretariat broke all three track records. His Derby was 1:59 2/5; his Preakness 1:53 (finally corrected this year) and his phenomenal Belmont was 2:24.
On March 29-30, fans from all over the country are converging on Big Red’s birthplace at The Meadow in Doswell, VA to celebrate his birthday and kick off the 40th anniversary of his Triple Crown. It promises to be a historic gathering.
Penny Chenery, Kate Chenery Tweedy, Ron Turcotte and Charlie Davis are all scheduled to appear. They will be joined by some of the original grooms and riders who assisted with Secretariat when he was a colt at the Virginia farm. This will be the first time that all of them have been together at the farm. Also, for the first time ever, both of the very first training saddles worn by Secretariat and Riva Ridge will be on display by their owners.
Fans will have the unique opportunity on Friday March 29 to watch the Secretariat movie at The Meadow with the Secretariat team. There will be a panel discussion afterward as Penny, Kate, Ron and Charlie share their memories of Big Red.
The Saturday program will be chockfull of everything a fan could want:
autograph sessions with the Secretariat team;
extensive display of Secretariat merchandise and memorabilia;
local Secretariat descendants on hand;
tram tours of the historic farm, featuring Secretariat’s original foaling shed;
continuous showing of the Triple Crown races;
horse industry exhibits;
local vendors;
a “Kiddie Corral” for children;
and a special musical tribute to Secretariat.
The complete program schedule and ticket info is on our website at http://www.secretariatsmeadow.com/events/2013-events/. Come join us where the legend began!
The Secretariat Birthday Celebration at The Meadow is being co-hosted by Commonwealth Fairs and Events of Virginia and Secretariat.com of Louisville, Kentucky.
“Secretariat’s Meadow – The Land, The Family, The Legend” and “Riva Ridge – Penny’s First Champion”
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Charlie Davis, Kate Chenery Tweedy, Meadow Stable, Penny Chenery, Riva Ridge, Ron Turcotte, Secretariat, Secretariat Birthday celebration, Secretariat's Meadow, The Meadow, Triple Crown | Leave a reply
We want to be the first to send the “First Lady of Racing,” Penny Chenery, our warmest wishes for a Happy Birthday on January 27!
Last year was a milestone birthday at age 90, but this year will also be very special for Penny. It marks the 40th anniversary of Secretariat’s historic Triple Crown of 1973. His fame remains undiminished by time, largely due to Penny’s tireless efforts as his ambassador and her dedicated stewardship of his glorious legacy.
As legions of fans know and appreciate, Penny did not retire from the scene after Secretariat retired from racing. She continued to graciously greet her horse’s admirers at events all across the country, signing autographs for hours at a time. She served as president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association from 1976-1984. She was also president of the Grayson Foundation supporting equine research in 1985-86. In 1983, she was elected to membership in The Jockey Club, one of its first women members. A leading advocate for the health and welfare of retired Thoroughbreds, Penny was instrumental in creating the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. She established the Secretariat Foundation to help support worthy causes, such as laminitis research.
In 2005, Penny received the Eclipse Award of Merit for lifetime achievement in racing. In 2012, the Thoroughbred Club of America’s honored her at its 81st Testimonial Dinner.
At the TCA dinner, Julie Cauthen, club president said, “Through all of these years, Penny Chenery has remained the epitome of a grand lady of racing, always representing the highest ambitions and standards of those to whom the Thoroughbred is an important part of life. We can all be truly proud that she is a part of our sport.”
We in Virginia are proud of Penny’s ties to our state as the birthplace of Secretariat at The Meadow, the farm founded by her father, Christopher Chenery. Under her leadership, Meadow Stable produced not only Secretariat, but Riva Ridge, who won the 1972 Kentucky Derby and Belmont. Together they won five of six consecutive Triple Crown races in 1972-73, something no other stable has ever done.
Moreover, we are thrilled that Penny is scheduled to attend the SECRETARIAT BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT THE MEADOW on March 29-30. This event, the bulk of which takes place on Secretariat’s birthday of March 30, will kick off the official celebration of his Triple Crown anniversary. Ron Turcotte, Secretariat’s jockey, and Charlie Davis, exercise rider, are also slated to attend.
Penny said, “I am delighted to join Ronnie and Charlie on Secretariat’s birthday at The Meadow to kick off the celebration marking the 40th anniversary of his 1973 Triple Crown. Virginia holds such fond memories for me and I look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.”
To read more about the event, see www.secretariatsmeadow.com/events and also get updates on our Facebook page. For announcements of future 40th anniversary events and more info about Secretariat, see www.secretariat.com
In the meantime, Happy Birthday, Penny, with deep gratitude for your magnificent champions and your inspiring career! We will see you soon!
co-author “Secretariat’s Meadow – the Land, the Family, The Legend” and “Riva Ridge – Penny’s First Champion”
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Chris Chenery, horse racing, Meadow Stable, Penny Chenery, Riva Ridge, Secretariat, Secretariat Birthday Celebration at The Meadow, Secretariat movie, Secretariat's Meadow, The Meadow, Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Triple Crown | 12 Replies
We’re interrupting our “Ancestors of Secretariat” series to take a moment to remember the visionary founder of Meadow Stable, Christopher T. Chenery. He died 40 years ago on January 3, 1973 at the age of 86. The man who created “an empire built on broodmares” in Caroline County, Virginia, never lived to see his greatest horse win racing’s greatest prize – the Triple Crown – on June 9, 1973. And now, as we prepare to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Secretariat’s historic victory, it seems fitting to pay homage to the man who set it all in motion.
Chris Chenery evinced a passion for horses starting in early childhood. Perhaps it began in 1888 when his father Jimmy Chenery lifted him aboard a horse as a toddler at The Meadow, the family’s ancestral homeplace owned by their cousin, Mary Ann Morris. Chris spent many happy summers there, riding over the fields and by the brambly riverbanks on a borrowed horse.
Later, he would walk seven miles from his house in Ashland to exercise the Thoroughbreds owned by his cousin Bernard Doswell at his farm at Bullfield, once a legendary racing stable. There, young Chris soaked up the lore of Bullfield’s glory days and admired the gleaming trophies won at tracks from New York to New Orleans. It inflamed his imagination and quite likely set the stage for what was to come.
The horse-crazy boy grew up to become an accomplished horseman, teaching equitation for the U.S. Army during World War I. Rising from humble roots, he became a self-made millionaire in the utilities industry. Finally achieving financial security for his family, he could indulge his passion for horses further. Robust and vigorous, he played polo, foxhunted and even started his own riding club, Boulder Brook, in Westchester, New York.
But Chenery longed for more. In 1936, he made a decision that would forever change his life, his family’s life and the sport of horse racing. In the middle of the Great Depression, he went back to Virginia and bought back The Meadow, which had been sold out of the family in 1912. As a man accustomed to shaping his own destiny, Chenery was determined to restore and reshape the dilapidated property into his vision of a first-class Thoroughbred horse farm and racing stable.
Once he rebuilt the farm, he set about building up his foundation stock. Known to have “an eye for a mare,” Chenery purchased well-bred but affordable broodmares. Several of them, such as Hildene, Iberia, Imperatrice and her daughter, Somethingroyal, became some of the most influential broodmares of the 20th century.
By 1950, Chris Chenery and his upstart Meadow Stable produced Horse of the Year, Hill Prince. Hill Prince won the Preakness and several other notable races that year, but ran second in the Kentucky Derby. For the man who seemed to possess the golden touch in all his pursuits, Chenery would find winning the golden trophy of the Kentucky Derby his most elusive goal.
He sent two more Derby favorites to the post: First Landing in 1959 and Sir Gaylord in 1962. First Landing finished third and Sir Gaylord broke down before the race. Cicada, the favorite for the fillies’ race, the Kentucky Oaks, in 1962, could have run in the Derby after Sir Gaylord was injured. However, Chenery kept her in the Oaks, which she won handily.
Not until 1972 did Chris Chenery’s dream of breeding a Kentucky Derby winner finally come true. Riva Ridge, by First Landing, avenged his sire’s defeat and brought home the roses for Meadow Stable. But by this time, Chenery was not in his customary box seats at Churchill Downs. He lay mute and immobile, confined to a hospital bed in New Rochelle, felled like a giant timber by the ravages of Parkinson’s disease and what was then called hardening of the arteries. When the nurse pointed out his daughter Penny in the winner’s circle with Riva, a tear rolled down his withered cheek.
Penny had taken over management of Meadow Stable when her father fell ill in the late 1960s. Over the protests of her family, she vowed to keep racing the horses and to keep her father’s dream alive. “At least he knew,” she has said about Riva winning the Derby.
Of course, the next year in 1973, Secretariat, who was born and raised at The Meadow, took Chenery’s dream to heights no one imagined. Secretariat, the first Triple Crown winner since 1948, broke the track records for the Derby, Preakness and Belmont, the only champion to ever do so. Together he and Riva Ridge won five of six consecutive Triple Crown races in 1972 and 1973, something no other stable had done.
The bloodlines that Chris Chenery established for Meadow Stable produced 43 stakes winners. Most outstanding were:
Hill Prince: 1949 Champion two-year-old colt; winner of 1950 Preakness; 1950 Champion three- year-old colt; 1950 Horse of the Year; 1951 Champion handicap male; elected to Racing Hall of Fame
First Landing: 1958 Champion two-year-old colt
Cicada: 1961 Champion two-year-old filly; 1962 Champion three-year-old filly; 1963 Champion handicap female; elected to Racing Hall of Fame (additionally she ranked as the top money-winning female for nine years)
Riva Ridge: 1971 Champion two-year-old colt; winner of 1972 Derby and Belmont; 1973 Champion handicap male; elected to Racing Hall of Fame
Secretariat: 1972 Champion two-year-old colt; 1972 Horse of the Year; winner of 1973 Triple Crown; 1973 Champion three-year-old colt; 1973 Champion turf male; 1973 Horse of the Year; elected to Racing Hall of Fame
Additionally, the great mares Hildene, dam of Hill Prince; Iberia,dam of Riva Ridge; and Somethingroyal, dam of Sir Gaylord and Secretariat, were named Broodmares of the Year. Sir Gaylord, after his pre-Derby injury, distinguished himself as a sire of international importance through his best son, Sir Ivor.
Today, Chris Chenery’s legacy lives on. Many of racing’s brightest stars in the 21st century can trace their bloodlines back to Secretariat, who became a great broodmare sire. His daughters such as Weekend Surprise, Terlingua and Secrettame produced such outstanding sires as A.P. Indy, Storm Cat and Gone West. The progeny of those stallions – think Smarty Jones, Bernardini, the late Pulpit and his son, Tapit, for example – have further distinguished themselves in the sport.
And so we celebrate Chris Chenery, the “Virginia gentleman” as sportswriters called him, whose dream turned into an American legend!
NOTE: Look for our upcoming post on Penny Chenery, who celebrates her 91st birthday later this month and has kept the legacy of her father and Secretariat alive for over 40 years.
by Leeanne Ladin
co-author of “Secretariat’s Meadow – The Land, The Family, The Legend” and “Riva Ridge – Penny’s First Champion”
In our book “Secretariat’s Meadow,” Chris Chenery’s granddaughter, Kate Chenery Tweedy, chronicles how her grandfather’s driving ambition lifted him from humble beginnings to the heights of corporate America and into the top tiers of Thoroughbred racing. You can order the book at www.secretariatsmeadow.com
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged A. P. Indy, Ashland, Caroline County, Chris Chenery, Meadow Stable, Penny Chenery, Riva Ridge, Secretariat, Secretariat descendants, Secretariat's Meadow, Triple Crown | 1 Reply
ANCESTORS OF SECRETARIAT: NEARCO, the ITALIAN STALLION
While we have featured many of Secretariat’s descendants on our website and Secretariat’s Meadow Facebook page, we were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response to our recent Facebook posts about Secretariat’s ancestors. Therefore, we’re going to devote our blog to this topic for awhile.
We’ll start with Nearco, Secretariat’s paternal great grandsire, since this photo of him sparked a surge of interest when we posted it. It shows Nearco being led out of his specially built bomb shelter at Beech House Stud in Newmarket, England during World War II. The photo was taken in 1941 by the noted equine photographer R Anscomb.
That the stallion merited his own bomb shelter speaks to his enormous importance in the world of Thoroughbred breeding. Nearco (1935-1957) stamped his place in history as one of the most prepotent and influential sires of the 20th century. He was also one of the most successful racehorses of his era, undefeated in 14 races. His victory in the Grand Prix de Paris in 1938 was called his crowning glory.
Nearco was bred and raced by one of the most successful and influential horsemen of his time, the renowned Federico Tesio of Italy. Tesio, a breeder and geneticist, held views that were often contrary to the prevailing wisdom of the day. He would frequently purchase less “fashionable” mares and stallions because of something he discerned in their pedigrees. Many times over, his unorthodox formula produced international champions.
Mussolini and the looming threat of war curtailed Nearco’s time in Italy with Tesio. In 1938, Tesio sold Nearco to Martin Benson of Beech House Stud in England. The stallion went on to produce the winners of some 657 races.
Some of his most famous progeny include Nasrullah (sire of Bold Ruler and grandsire of Secretariat), Nearctic and Royal Charger. Reportedly over 100 of Nearco’s sons have stood at stud around the world. Blood-Horse Magazine’s list of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century includes several Nearco descendants: Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Bold Ruler, Nashua, Ruffian, Northern Dancer, Riva Ridge and Fort Marcy.
While Secretariat’s lineage traces back to Nasrullah, Riva’s traces to Royal Charger. Royal Charger sired Turn-To, who sired First Landing of Meadow Stable, a champion handicap horse, who then sired Riva Ridge out of the Meadow mare, Iberia.
Turn-To also sired Sir Gaylord of Meadow Stable, who was out of Somethingroyal. (She, of course. gave the world Secretariat when she was mated with Bold Ruler.) Sir Gaylord, a strong Kentucky Derby favorite in 1962, broke his sesamoid before the race and was retired. However his son, Sir Ivor, won the Epsom Derby and became British Horse of the Year and an important Thoroughbred sire.
Thus, the influence of Nearco was surely felt at Meadow Stable and far beyond. Secretariat, who sired 653 foals, and Riva Ridge, who sired 359 foals, continued to perpetuate his remarkable bloodline.
Next on the Ancestors Series: Nasrullah, the Irish Rogue.
and “Riva Ridge – Penny’s First Champion”
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Meadow Stable, Nasrullah, Nearco, Riva Ridge, Secretariat, Secretariat's Meadow | 1 Reply
Riva Ridge in Spotlight at Secretariat Festival
For once, Riva Ridge shared the spotlight with his stablemate, Big Red, and in Paris, of all places. Paris, Kentucky, that is, where the annual Secretariat Festival took place and where our new book “Riva Ridge – Penny’s First Champion” made its “world debut” on September 29.
What better kick-off than to have Penny Chenery, the First Lady of Racing, signing copies of the book about the horse she called her “Golden Boy.” She credits Riva with saving Meadow Stable when it was faltering after her father’s illness and her family wanted to sell it. Riva’s winnings of $500,000 in 1971 quelled that notion and earned him the title of Champion Two-Year- Old. Penny said in our book, “Riva kept everything – the morale, the plan, the program – going until Secretariat came along to do those remarkable things. Without Riva, I can’t guarantee we would have even had Secretariat.”
At the Secretariat Festival, Penny autographed copies of our Riva book and “Secretariat’s Meadow,” along with lots of memorabilia, for over two hours. Also signing autographs for hundreds of delighted fans were Ron Turcotte, jockey, and Charlie Davis, exercise rider.
You can read more about Riva and order copies of “Riva Ridge – Penny’s First Champion” through our website at www.secretariatsmeadow.com.
In the meantime, here is a great photo of Penny with Charlie Davis at the Secretariat Festival.
And here is a photo of Penny with Ron Turcotte at the Thoroughbred Club dinner held in her honor on Sept. 30 at Keeneland.
co-author of “Secretariat’s Meadow – The Land, The Family, The Legend” and “Riva Ridge – Penny’s First Champion” with Kate Chenery Tweedy
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Charlie Davis, Meadow Stable, Penny Chenery, Riva Ridge, Ron Turcotte, Secretariat, Secretariat Festival | Leave a reply
Before there was Big Red…there was “the Great Red Fox”
A century before Meadow Stable, home of Hall of Famers Secretariat, Riva Ridge, Hill Prince and Cicada, put Doswell, Virginia on the racing map, Bullfield Stable in nearby Hanover County dominated the American racing scene. Its most famous son was a long-striding chestnut stallion named Planet, also called “the great red fox.” He was considered, after Lexington, the greatest racehorse up to the time of the Civil War.
On August 10, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga will induct Planet into the Hall of Fame in the historical category. Not only did this great champion and Bullfield Stable symbolize an era known as “the golden age of Virginia horse racing,” but they were an early influence on a horse-crazy boy named Christopher T. Chenery and the future Meadow Stable.
Founded in 1824, Bullfield became known as “the Red Stable” because so many of its winners were sorrels and its jockeys wore flashy orange silks. Operated by Major Thomas Walker Doswell and his father, Bullfield gained renown as one of the most successful Thoroughbred farms of the East Coast. In fact, the locality of Doswell was named in their honor.
Planet was born in 1855, sired by Revenue, the leading sire in 1850. His dam was the great racer and broodmare Nina, said to be the best racing daughter of the top sire Boston. A prolific broodmare, she gave Bullfield Stable 15 outstanding foals, including Exchequer and Ecliptic, a son of the great Eclipse. Planet was said to be Nina’s best. She was one of the reasons that writers of the period referred to Bullfield as “a nursery of Virginia racehorses.”
Planet was a handsome horse, described by John Hervey in his book “Racing in America – 1665-1865” as follows: “In color a rich chestnut, 15.2 ½ hands tall, he was remarkable for his symmetry of mould and the excellence of his limbs…”
Those limbs exhibited whirlwind speed against the top horses of the day such as Daniel Boone, Congaree, Hennie Farrow, Socks and Arthur Macon. Planet won 27 of 31 races and became the top money winner with nearly $70,000 in purses, a record that stood for 20 years.
He possessed enormous stamina as well. Those were the days when horses raced in heats ranging from one to four miles, sometimes running as much as 12 miles in one afternoon. Such races would be unthinkable today, as would the practice of racing the horse again after only a three-day layoff, as Planet’s schedule occasionally dictated.
However, the versatile Planet could win at any distance, long or short, posting some of his best performances at four mile heats. He carried Bullfield’s orange silks on familiar Virginia tracks at Ashland, Petersburg and Broad Rock and further afield on the Southern circuit from New Orleans, Mobile, Savannah, Charleston and even north to New York.
Planet also displayed another form of versatility. He was an accomplished trotter who could do a mile in three minutes. According to John Hervey, this talent landed him in trouble at the New York track in 1860 where he was being worked at a flying trot before a meet. A race official ordered Planet and his rider off the track, declaring that trotters were not allowed. Other horsemen jumped to Planet’s defense, finally convincing the official to rescind his order against the champion Thoroughbred.
The Civil War and its aftermath curtailed racing in the South and interrupted what would have been Planet’s best years at stud (1861-1868). During that time, many of the Bullfield horses were hidden in the woods to protect them from marauding horse thieves. Nevertheless, an advertisement of the era proclaimed that “Planet – Virginia’s Unrivalled Race Horse will make his season of 1866 at Bullfield… commencing March 1st and ending July 15th, at $50 the season, with $2 to the groom.”
Despite the handicap of war, Planet managed to sire impressive offspring who made turf history of their own. His blood figures in the pedigrees of Kingman, winner of the 1891 Kentucky Derby; Bowling Brook, winner of the 1895 Belmont Stakes; the great filly Regret who won the Kentucky Derby in 1915; Exterminator, winner of the 1918 Kentucky Derby; and (on the female side) Fleet Nasrullah, successful son of the legendary Nasrullah, the grandsire of Secretariat.
Planet passed his trotting blood, which flowed from his sire Revenue, to his daughter Dame Winnie. She was bred to Electioneer, the great Standardbred, and produced the champion trotting stallion of his day, Palo Alto.
In the custom of the day, Planet’s portrait was painted by the famous equine artist Edward Troye, who at Major Doswell’s insistence, included Planet’s black jockey Jesse in the saddle. During a raid on Bullfield, the portrait was cut from its frame by Yankee soldiers. It was later found in a ditch and returned to the Doswells by someone who recognized the orange silks worn by Jesse.
Major Doswell sold Planet to Mr. Alexander of Woodburn Farm in Kentucky, where he lived until his death in 1875 at the age of 20.
Planet and Bullfield influenced not only Thoroughbred history but also the history of Meadow Stable in neighboring Caroline County. After Major Doswell died in 1890, his son Bernard inherited a portion of the farm called Hilldene and ran his own small stable there. Bernard’s younger cousin by marriage, Christopher T. Chenery, would walk seven miles from Ashland to Bernard’s farm and exercise his few remaining horses on the old Bullfield track. Here, Bernard regaled Chris with tales of Bullfield’s glory days, introducing him to a heady world of gleaming trophies and fine-blooded Thoroughbreds, a world far removed from the boy’s humble circumstances in Ashland. Perhaps it is no small coincidence that when Chenery purchased The Meadow in 1936 and began building his foundation bloodlines, he named one of his most prolific mares Hildene.
And, as everyone knows, The Meadow also produced a great red stallion, one who became Virginia’s and the nation’s “unrivalled racehorse.” Secretariat, “Big Red,” together with Planet, “the Great Red Fox” of Bullfield stand as pillars of equine perfection and performance, reminding the world that some of the most magnificent horses of the American turf sprang from Virginia soil.
We will have the honor of attending the Hall of Fame ceremony in Saratoga next Friday with Sarah Wright, the 93-year-old granddaughter of Bernard Doswell and her daughter Cecelia. Sarah’s meticulous documentation of her family history in her book “The Doswell Dynasty” helped the Secretariat’s Meadow book team offer the nomination of Planet for the Hall of Fame. You can read more about Planet, the Doswells and Bullfield in “Secretariat’s Meadow – The Land, The Family, The Legend.”
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ashland, Caroline County, Chris Chenery, Doswell, horse racing, Meadow Stable, National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame, Planet, Riva Ridge, Saratoga, Secretariat, Secretariat's Meadow, The Meadow | 4 Replies
Viva Riva! Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Riva Ridge’s Derby Victory
In 1969, a muddy-bay colt with floppy ears would be saved from the floodwaters of Hurricane Camille at his Virginia farm. Later, he would rescue the same farm as it was sinking into debt and preserve it as the launching pad of its greatest champion. Though he would be swept aside in the wake of the national adulation for his charismatic stablemate, he never gave up. Riva Ridge, the forgotten champion of Meadow Stable, most assuredly earned his place in racing history and in the hearts of his fans.
This is an excerpt from our upcoming book “Riva Ridge – Penny’s First Champion” (by Kate Chenery Tweedy and Leeanne Meadows Ladin) due out in September. This coming Saturday, May 5, 2012 marks not only the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby, but the 40th anniversary of Riva’s Derby victory of 1972.
And Riva is getting some long-overdue recognition! We are delighted that the Kentucky Derby Museum is hosting a party in Riva’s honor on Sunday, May 6. (see http://www.derbymuseum.org/event_calendar.html)
To fully appreciate the signifciance of Riva’s victory in the 98th “Run for the Roses,” here is another excerpt from our book.
(from Chapter 4 – The Thirty Year Road to the Derby)
“I knew he was the best horse in the race, he was feeling good and had worked good over the track which was very fast. Everything was to his liking and I could smell the roses,” said Ron Turcotte.
The “Golden Boy” of Meadow Stable did not disappoint. Riva broke well out of the gate, grabbing the lead right away. Bumped in the initial rush, he quickly recovered with no trace of his old timidity. Galloping easily, he held off a challenge by Hold Your Peace as the two drew away from the field.
Bill Nack, author of “Secretariat – The Making of a Champion,” described Riva’s Derby run. “Riva toyed with Hold Your Peace like a cat with a mouse. His attitude was ‘come and get me.’ I thought that day that Riva looked like a Triple Crown winner.”
No Le Hace also tried to make a run at Riva, but the bay colt sailed across the finish line under a hand ride by Ron. Winning by three lengths, Riva became only the thirteenth horse to win the Kentucky Derby wire to wire. He posted a time of 2:01 4/5, the seventh fastest on record.
Mom (Penny Chenery is Kate Tweedy’s mother) could not contain her elation. She was sitting with Bull Hancock’s family and literally beating on Clay Hancock as she shouted “We’re winning! We’re winning!”
The Kentucky sun shone brightly on Virginia’s Meadow Stable that day as Granddaddy’s Derby jinx finally lifted. The stars had indeed lined up in our favor. Lucien had trained Riva to peak at the perfect time. Ron had kept Riva off the rail where the deep soil of the “cuppy” track could have tired him. This allowed the colt to sprint to the front where the field of fifteen couldn’t block him. The chancy, last-minute tactic of widening the blinker slits had helped Riva keep his challengers in sight.
The saying goes that the Kentucky Derby is the “most exciting two minutes in sports.” Riva’s two-minute run symbolized the culmination of a dream that kindled in an old horseman’s heart more than thirty years prior to May 6, 1972. My grandfather Chris Chenery had defied all the skeptics when he founded Meadow Stable on the dilapidated land of his ancestral homeplace in Caroline County, Virginia in 1936. Breeding for both speed and stamina, he had sent three strong Derby contenders to the post (including Riva’s sire First Landing) as well as many notable stakes winners. Now my mother too had defied all the skeptics and fulfilled her father’s lifelong ambition. Her unshakable determination and perseverance, along with a solid belief in the homely bay horse who could run like a deer, had brought her far from those first tentative days of running a racing stable.
(end of excerpt)
Kate and I will be at Churchill Downs with Penny this Saturday watching the latest crop of Derby hopefuls vie for their place in racing history. And we will be remembering Penny’s first champion, Riva Ridge, his speed, his spirit and his all too brief moment in the spotlight.
Here’s a link to Riva’s Derby on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItlAMVUlo4M
Co-author “Secretariat’s Meadow – The Land, The Family, The Legend”
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Caroline County, Chris Chenery, Kate Chenery Tweedy, Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Derby Museum, Meadow Stable, Penny Chenery, Riva Ridge, Secretariat's Meadow, The Meadow | Leave a reply
The Secretariat Birthday Party Goes On!
Some of you may have heard the sad news that The Meadow, which was owned by the State Fair of Virginia, has been closed to the public. The Fair (a private, not for profit organization) was forced into Chapter 7 bankruptcy on March 8 when the bank did not accept its plan to reorganize.
This was heart-breaking news for Virginians who grew up going to the Fair and especially for those of us who had enjoyed a long association with its staff. That association had become even more enjoyable in recent years as we worked together on the annual Secretariat birthday party, which the Fair hosted at The Meadow, and the popular “Secretariat’s Meadow Tours” for public and private groups. We even announced our “Secretariat’s Meadow” book there in 2010. It was very sad to see our friends lose their jobs.
Our book team did not want these circumstances to force the cancellation of the annual Secretariat’s Birthday celebration, planned for Saturday March 31. So we took this on as a volunteer effort and are happy to say that Randolph-Macon College in nearby Ashland will host the event on March 31 in Andrews Hall from 1 – 5 pm. There are longstanding ties with the college as Christopher Chenery, who founded The Meadow in 1936 as a Thoroughbred farm, attended school there, along with two of his brothers. Last year, Randolph-Macon awarded Penny Chenery an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
Yes, the birthday program is scaled back but we still have fans coming from Texas, Minnesota, Michigan, North Carolina and Delaware! That speaks volumes about what this magnificent horse means to people across the country!
Here’s a brief outline of the program:
1:00 pm. – Welcome and Presentation on the history of The Meadow, Secretariat and Riva Ridge by Kate Chenery Tweedy and Leeanne Meadows Ladin, co-authors of “Secretariat’s Meadow, The Land, The Family, The Legend”
Meeting former Meadow grooms and jockeys and seeing Riva’s first training saddle
Discussion of possible historical designation options for important sites at The Meadow
Continuous showing of Secretariat’s and Riva’s most famous races
Book signings and sale of Secretariat items
Secretariat and Riva cake
3:00 p.m. – Repeat presentation by authors
5:00 p.m. – EVENT CONCLUDES
Tickets are $5 at the door and advance registration is required. Because seating is limited, we ask that you indicate whether you will attend the 1:00 pm or 3:00 pm presentation. Go to our website www.secretariatsmeadow.com for more info and to register.
As for The Meadow, we will keep our readers posted on future developments here, on our website and our Facebook page.
In any event, we sincerely hope that next year in 2013, we will be back at The Meadow to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown!
co-author of “Secretariat’s Meadow”
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Ashland, Chris Chenery, Kate Chenery Tweedy, Leeanne Ladin, Meadow Stable, randolph-macon college, Riva Ridge, Secretariat, Secretariat Birthday celebration, Secretariat's Meadow, The Meadow | 6 Replies
Next Stop on the “Secretariat’s Meadow Tour”…the Yearling Barn
On our virtual tram tour of The Meadow, you’ve seen The Cove where the broodmares and foals grazed, and the Stallion Barns. Now we’ll take a look at the Yearling Barn, where both Secretariat and Riva Ridge stayed as colts.
The Yearling Barn originally built by Chris Chenery still stands, and like the Stallion Barns, has been carefully restored by the SFVA, which owns The Meadow. It is believed that Mr. Chenery built the barns to closely resemble those at nearby Bullfield Farm in Hanover County, the celebrated racing farm of the Doswells. He had spent a lot of time there as a young, horse-crazy boy, exercising the few remaining racehorses owned by his cousin Bernard Doswell.
The biggest attraction at the Yearling Barn today is the stall where Riva stayed in 1970 and Secretariat in 1971. Their stall was the one assigned to the most promising colt. It was close to the storage and break room so there was a lot of traffic going back and forth. Its location allowed the Meadow grooms to keep a close eye on each special colt. The colt also became more acclimated to the bustle of a working barn, something that would be useful when he was later moved to Lucien Laurin’s stables.
As a yearling, Secretariat already stood out from the crowd. He was both striking in appearance and spirited in his behavior.
“He was frisky and already the boss of the herd,” according to Penny. Dr. Olive Britt, the Meadow veterinarian, said that Secretariat was “sharp to be around. Only the best grooms could handle him.”
The grooms surely knew that. One of them commented that to most effectively handle the sometimes mischievous red colt, “You had to cross your mind with his mind.”
When you visit The Meadow, you will get to hear some untold stories of Secretariat as a young horse, including one that involved him making an unplanned trip beyond the Yearling Barn.
The next tour for the general public will be Saturday September 10.
Visitors look inside Secretariat’s stall at the Yearling Barn.
The “Secretariat’s Meadow Tours” are sponsored by the SFVA. Private group tours are available for groups of 30 or more at $10 per person. Tours are also offered to the general public on certain dates. For more information about the tours, see www.secretariatsmeadow.com Tours are narrated by Leeanne Meadows Ladin, co-author of “Secretariat’s Meadow – The Land, The Family, The Legend.” Proceeds from the tours benefit the future Museum of the Virginia Horse to be built at The Meadow.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Chris Chenery, Doswell, Meadow Stable, Penny Chenery, Riva Ridge, Secretariat, Secretariat's Meadow, The Meadow | Leave a reply
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Meet the SEED20 Class of 2019: Queen City Unity
Representative: Jorge Millares
Queen City Unity is a nonprofit organization focused on driving equity and equality in Charlotte. Two studies ranked Charlotte 50th out of 50 major cities for upward mobility and as the most segregated school system in North Carolina. Queen City Unity’s community programs directly address these staggering statistics through cultural integration, and the creation of economic sustainability for families living in poverty.
What is the focus of your organization?
Queen City Unity’s mission is to drive equity and equality for people of all races, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic statuses in Charlotte, NC.
How did your organization start?
The story of Queen City Unity began on September 20th, 2016 after the officer involved shooting of Keith Lamont Scott, and the ensuing civil unrest in Charlotte. Our founder, Jorge Millares (me), called a meeting of the minds between friends and colleagues that same week. One of those individuals that he invited was our current Chairman of the Board, Jamal Harvey. Jamal’s brother was killed in an officer involved shooting when Jamal was 12 years old in Portland, Oregon. From that meeting it was decided that they would start a nonprofit organization focused on social justice and to collaborate with other organizations in order to make Charlotte an equal and equitable city for all. The launch team designed the 4 pillars of Unity which are the organization’s core initiatives. Within 4 months Queen City Unity was an incorporated nonprofit organization in Charlotte and became a 501(c)(3) by June of 2017. Since its inception Queen City Unity currently has over 150 volunteer Unity Ambassadors that help drive our mission forward. The 4 Pillars of Unity are 1. Serving the Community, 2. Community Engagement, 3. Raising Awareness, 4. Community Programs. We believe that through these initiatives we can create a Charlotte that is an equal and equitable city for all.
What is the issue you’re addressing?
Queen City Unity focuses on addressing segregation in our schools and upward economic mobility in Charlotte. For those that do not know, Charlotte area schools were ranked as the most segregated schools in the state of North Carolina. Additionally, Charlotte ranked 50 out of 50 and dead last when it comes to upward economic mobility. Our organization focuses on addressing segregation in our schools through the Equity Ambassador Program, a program that unifies the diverse youth of Charlotte for a 12 week after-school course. The students are selected from schools that are not demographically diverse (70%+ Caucasian or 70%+ students of color). Within the 12 weeks they learn equity and equality education, financial literacy, and participate in team building exercises. After the conclusion of the 12 weeks the students are encouraged to start their own Queen City Unity Ambassador clubs within their schools to continue to drive the message of inclusion and equality in their schools. The other program is the Charlotte Forward program that focuses on addressing our issues in Charlotte with upward economic mobility. The Charlotte Forward Program provides minority families with the resources and mentoring to escape generational poverty. Each family is given a Charlotte Forward mentor and provided with skills assessment, free education, career prep workshops, career guidance and assistance, free credit improvement program, placed on a path to home ownership, and the guidance on how to save for their retirement and their children’s college funds. These two pilot programs are set for a full scale launch in 2019 and we are very excited about the impact that they will have.
Where did your passion for this cause come from?
My passion for this cause came from my upbringing. I was raised in a very diverse but low-income neighborhood in Miami, Fl. I was raised to believe that regardless of the color of our skin or economic status we are all equal. As I grew into an adult I realized that this was not such a common way of thinking. Also, when I first moved to Charlotte it didn’t take long to realize that we are divided racially and economically by our neighborhoods. The more that I learned about the history of Charlotte, the more evident it became that there are lingering effects of segregation in our city that need to be addressed. When the civil unrest of 2016 occurred, I knew that it was time to take action. Charlotte is a great city with amazing potential and it is time that we begin to unite as a community racially and economically. My passion stems from my belief that all men and women are created equal and that Charlotte can be the epicenter of equity and equality in the nation.
Why is your work so important?
Our work is extremely important because it affects everyone in Charlotte. By creating an integrated community, providing the resources necessary to minority families to escape inter-generational poverty, and exposing our diverse youth to each other’s cultures we are certain that we are building a better Queen City for generations to come. Our work fulfills the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King.
What are you most excited for as it relates to the SEED20 process?
I am excited to build relationships with the other 19 participants. I believe that there is great power in the spirit of collaboration and I hope to partner with many of the organization’s of the Class of 2019. As a matter of fact, Digital Angels and I have already had preliminary discussions on collaborative efforts and I hope to do the same with the rest of the participants.
What have you already learned from this process?
I’ve learned that there are so many amazing people doing great work in Charlotte, and so many others that want to support their efforts. I have also learned that if everyone puts down their competitive walls we can create the Charlotte that we all crave.
What do you hope to get out of SEED20?
Besides the obvious answer of the funding opportunity, I hope that due to Seed20 more people are made aware of Queen City Unity’s mission. Many of the people that I come across that know us want to volunteer or contribute financially towards the cause. Seed20 provides the platform for more people to be made aware of our mission and help us drive it forward.
queencityunity.org
@queencityunity
@queen_city_unity
SEED20 Onstage is on March 25, 2019. Tickets available soon.
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Title: Quantum of Solace
Subject: Spectre (2015 film), 14th Empire Awards, Gemma Arterton, James Bond in film, Mathieu Amalric
Collection: 2000S Action Thriller Films, 2000S Spy Films, 2008 Films, 20Th Century Fox Films, Best Thriller Empire Award Winners, British Adventure Films, British Films, Central Intelligence Agency in Fiction, Columbia Pictures Films, Eco-Terrorism in Fiction, English-Language Films, Environmental Films, Film Scores by David Arnold, Films About Privatization, Films About Revenge, Films About Terrorism, Films Directed by Marc Forster, Films Produced by Barbara Broccoli, Films Produced by Michael G. Wilson, Films Set in Austria, Films Set in Bolivia, Films Set in Haiti, Films Set in Italy, Films Set in London, Films Set in Russia, Films Set in South America, Films Shot in Austria, Films Shot in Chile, Films Shot in England, Films Shot in Italy, Films Shot in Madrid, Films Shot in Mexico, Films Shot in Panama, Films Shot in Wales, James Bond Films, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Films, Pinewood Studios Films, Quantum of Solace, Screenplays by Paul Haggis, Sequel Films, Works About Coups D'État
British cinema poster for Quantum of Solace, designed by Empire Design
Barbara Broccoli
Neal Purvis
by Ian Fleming
Giancarlo Giannini
Roberto Schaefer
Matt Chesse
Rick Pearson
29 October 2008 (2008-10-29) (London, premiere)
31 October 2008 (2008-10-31) (United Kingdom)
$200 million[1]
Quantum of Solace (2008) is the 22nd coup d'état in Bolivia to seize control of that country's water supply.
Producer Michael G. Wilson developed the film's plot while Casino Royale was being shot. Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis contributed to the script. Daniel Craig and Marc Forster had to write some sections themselves due to the Writers' Strike,[3] though they were not given the screenwriter credit in the final cut. The title was chosen from a 1959 short story in Ian Fleming's For Your Eyes Only, though the film does not contain any elements of the original story. Location filming took place in Mexico, Panama, Chile, Italy, Austria and Wales while interior sets were built and filmed at Pinewood Studios. Forster aimed to make a modern film that also featured classic cinema motifs: a vintage Douglas DC-3 was used for a flight sequence, and Dennis Gassner's set designs are reminiscent of Ken Adam's work on several early Bond films. Taking a course away from the usual Bond villains, Forster rejected any grotesque appearance for the character Dominic Greene to emphasise the hidden and secret nature of the film's contemporary villains.
The film was also marked by its frequent depictions of violence, with a 2012 study by the University of Otago in New Zealand finding it to be the most violent film in the franchise. Whereas Dr. No featured 109 "trivial or severely violent" acts, Quantum of Solace had a count of 250 – the most depictions of violence in any Bond film.[4] Quantum of Solace premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square on 29 October 2008, gathering mixed reviews, which mainly praised Craig's gritty performance and the film's action sequences, but feeling that the film was not as impressive as its predecessor Casino Royale. As of November 2012, it is the third-highest-grossing James Bond film, without adjusting for inflation, earning $586 million worldwide.
Cast 2
Development 3.1
Filming 3.2
Design 3.3
Effects 3.4
Music 3.5
Merchandise 4.1.1
Home media 4.2
Reception 5
Box office 5.1
Critical response 5.2
Accolades 5.3
James Bond is driving from Quantum. M's bodyguard Craig Mitchell, a double agent, attacks M, enabling White to escape. Bond chases Mitchell and kills him. Bond and M return to London and search Mitchell's flat, discovering through tagged banknotes that Mitchell had a contact in Haiti. Bond tracks the contact, Edmund Slate, and learns that Slate is a hitman sent to kill Camille Montes at the behest of her lover, environmentalist Dominic Greene. While observing her subsequent meeting with Greene, Bond learns that Greene is helping an exiled Bolivian General, Medrano—who murdered Camille's family—to overthrow his government and become the new president in exchange for a seemingly barren piece of desert.
After rescuing Camille from Medrano, Bond follows Greene to a performance of Tosca in Bregenz, Austria. En route, the CIA head of the South American section, Gregg Beam, strikes a non-interference deal with Greene to maintain access to assumed stocks of Bolivian oil. Bond infiltrates Quantum's meeting at the opera, exposing the identities of Quantum's executive board to Tanner, and a gunfight ensues. Greene's men kill a Special Branch bodyguard working for Quantum member Guy Haines, an adviser to the British Prime Minister, after he fights with Bond. M assumes that Bond killed him, and has his passports and credit cards revoked when he refuses to return home and debrief.
Bond heads to Italy and convinces his old ally René Mathis to accompany him to Bolivia. At the La Paz airport, they are greeted by Strawberry Fields, an MI6 officer, who demands that Bond return to the UK immediately. Bond seduces her before they attend a fundraising party Greene holds that night. At the party, Bond again rescues Camille from Greene. Leaving, Bond and Camille are pulled over by Bolivian police working for Medrano. They had earlier attacked Mathis and put him in the boot of Bond's car to frame Bond; and, in the ensuing struggle, Mathis is killed.
The following day, Bond and Camille survey Quantum's intended land acquisition by air; their plane is shot down after a brief air battle and they skydive out of the burning plane into a sinkhole. In the cave, Bond and Camille discover Quantum is damming Bolivia's supply of fresh water to create a monopoly. Back in La Paz, Bond meets M and learns that Quantum murdered Fields by drowning her in crude oil. M orders Bond arrested for disobeying orders but he escapes. He risks capture by doubling back to tell M that Fields demonstrated bravery in the field, and this is enough to convince M that Bond can be trusted.
Bond meets CIA agent Felix Leiter, who discloses Greene and Medrano will meet in the Atacama Desert to finalize the coup. Warned by Leiter, he evades the CIA's Special Activities Division when they attempt to kill him. At an eco hotel in the desert, Greene reveals his true plans to Medrano: now that he controls the majority of Bolivia's water supply, Greene forces Medrano to accept a new contract that makes Greene Planet Bolivia's sole water utility company at significantly higher rates. Bond infiltrates the hotel, kills the Chief of Police for betraying Mathis, and confronts Greene. Meanwhile, Camille kills Medrano, avenging the murders of her parents and sister. The struggle leaves the hotel largely destroyed by fire. Bond then captures Greene and interrogates him about Quantum, before leaving him stranded in the desert with only a can of engine oil. Bond and Camille kiss before they part.
Bond travels to Kazan, Russia, where he finds Vesper Lynd's former lover, Yusef Kabira, a member of Quantum who seduces women with valuable connections. Bond tells Kabira's latest target, a Canadian Intelligence agent, of his true intentions, thus sparing her Vesper's fate. He spares Kabira's life and allows MI6 to arrest him. Outside, M tells Bond that Greene was found in the middle of the desert dead, shot twice and with engine oil in his stomach; Bond denies knowing anything. M also reveals that Leiter has been promoted and has taken Beam's place. She reinstates Bond as an agent; he tells M that he never left. As he leaves, he drops Vesper's necklace in the snow.
Daniel Craig as James Bond. Craig's physical training for his reprise of the role placed extra effort into running and boxing, to spare him the injuries he sustained on his stunts in the first film.[5] Craig felt he was fitter, being less bulky than in the first film.[6] He also practiced speedboating and stunt driving. Craig felt Casino Royale was [physically] "a walk in the park" compared to Quantum of Solace,[7] and required a different performance from him because Quantum of Solace is a revenge film, not a love story like Casino Royale.[6] While filming in Pinewood, he suffered a gash when kicked in his face,[8] which required eight stitches, and a fingertip was sliced off. He laughed these off, noting they did not delay filming, and joked his finger wound would enable him to have a criminal career (though it had grown back when he made this comment).[6] He also had minor plastic surgery on his face.[9] The actor advised Paul Haggis on the script and helped choose Marc Forster as the director.[10]
Olga Kurylenko as Camille Montes, a Bolivian agent with her own vendetta regarding Greene and Medrano. Forster chose her because out of the 400 women who auditioned, she seemed the least nervous.[11] When she read the script, she was glad she had no love scene with Craig; she felt it would have distracted viewers from her performance.[12] Kurylenko spent three weeks training to fight with weapons, and she learnt a form of indoor skydiving known as body flying.[13] Kurylenko said she had to do "training non-stop from the morning to the evening" for the action scenes, overcoming her fears with the help of Craig and the stunt team.[14][15][16] She was given a DVD box set of Bond films, since the franchise was not easily available to watch in her native Ukraine.[13] Kurylenko found Michelle Yeoh in Tomorrow Never Dies inspiring "because she did the fight scenes by herself."[11] The producers had intended to cast a South American actress in the role.[17] Kurylenko trained with a dialect coach to perform with a Spanish accent.[15] She said that the accent was easy for her because she has "a lot of hispanic friends, from Latin America and Spain, and it's an accent I've always heard".[18] When reflecting on her experience as a Bond girl, she stated she was proudest of overcoming her fears in performing stunts.[19]
Mathieu Amalric as Dominic Greene, the main villain. He is a leading member of Quantum posing as a businessman working in reforestation and charity funding for environmental science. Amalric acknowledged taking the role was an easy decision because, "It's impossible to say to your kids that 'I could have been in a Bond film but I refused.'"[13] Amalric wanted to wear make-up for the role, but Forster explained that he wanted Greene not to look grotesque, but to symbolise the hidden evils in society.[8] Amalric modelled his performance on "the smile of Tony Blair [and] the craziness of Sarkozy," the latter of whom he called "the worst villain we [the French] have ever had ... he walks around thinking he's in a Bond film."[20] He later claimed this was not criticism of either politician, but rather an example of how a politician relies on performance instead of a genuine policy to win power. "Sarkozy, is just a better actor than [his presidential opponent] Ségolène Royal—that's all," he explained.[21] Amalric and Forster reconceived the character, who was supposed to have a "special skill" in the script, to someone who uses pure animal instinct when fighting Bond in the climax.[22] Bruno Ganz was also considered for the part,[17] but Forster decided Amalric gave the character a "pitiful" quality.[22]
Gemma Arterton as MI6 Agent Strawberry Fields, who works at the British consulate in Bolivia. Fields, who is merely an office worker as described by M, takes herself seriously and tries to overpower Bond when the pair meet. She is later seduced by Bond, infiltrates Greene's fund raiser party with him and ends up paying the ultimate price. Forster found Arterton a witty actress and selected her from a reported 1,500 candidates. One of the casting directors asked her to audition for the role, having seen her portray Rosaline in Love's Labour's Lost at the Globe Theatre.[23] Arterton said Fields was "not so frolicsome" as other Bond girls, but is instead "fresh and young, not ... a femme fatale."[24] Arterton described Fields as a homage to the 1960s Bond girls, comparing her red wig to that of Diana Rigg, who played Tracy Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Rigg, alongside Honor Blackman, is one of her favourite Bond girls.[23] Arterton had to film her character's death scene first day on the set, where she was completely covered head to toe in non-toxic black paint. Although she found the experience unpleasant, she believes the scene will be an iconic part of the film.[25] The character's first name, which is a reference to the Beatles song "Strawberry Fields Forever", is never actually uttered on screen; when Bond asks her for her name, she replies, "Just Fields." Robert A. Caplen suggests that this is a conscious effort to portray a woman "whose character attributes are neither undermined nor compromised" by her name, even though her name may have sexual overtones reminiscent of earlier Bond girls.[26]
Giancarlo Giannini as René Mathis, Bond's ally who was mistakenly believed to be a traitor in Casino Royale. Having been acquitted, he chooses to aid Bond again in his quest to find out who betrayed him.
Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, Bond's ally at the CIA. This marked the first time the same actor played Leiter twice in a row. Only David Hedison had previously played the character twice, in Live and Let Die (1973) and Licence to Kill (1989), but these performances were not consecutive.[13] Early script drafts gave Leiter a larger role, but his screentime was restricted by on-set rewrites.[27]
Judi Dench as M. Forster felt Dench was underused in the previous films and wanted to make her part bigger, having her interact with Bond more because she is "the only woman Bond doesn't see in a sexual context," which Forster finds interesting.[28]
Anatole Taubman as Elvis, Greene's second-in-command. Taubman wanted to make Elvis "as colorful, as edgy and as interesting as possible", with one of his suggestions being the bowl cut.[29] Amalric and Taubman improvised a backstory for Elvis: he is Dominic's cousin and once lived on the streets before being inducted into Quantum. He called Elvis "a bit of a goofball. He thinks he's all that but he's not really. ... He's not a comic guy. He definitely takes himself very serious, but maybe by his taking himself too serious he may become friendly."[30]
David Harbour as Gregg Beam, the CIA Section Chief for South America and a contact of Felix Leiter.
Fernando Guillen Cuervo as Carlos, the Colonel of Bolivian Police, the chief of all police forces, and the contact of René Mathis in Bolivia.
Jesper Christensen as Mr. White, whom Bond captured after he stole the money won at Casino Royale in Montenegro.
Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner, M's aide.
Paul Ritter as Guy Haines
Tim Pigott-Smith as the British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Neil Jackson as Edmund Slate, a henchman who fights Bond in Haiti.
Simon Kassianides as Yusef, a member of Quantum who seduces female agents and manipulates them into giving away classified information. He is indirectly responsible for Vesper Lynd's death.
Stana Katic as Corrine Veneau, a Canadian agent and Yusef's latest target.
Glenn Foster as Craig Mitchell, M's bodyguard and a double agent.
Oona Chaplin as Perla de las Dunas' receptionist, a woman saved by Camille Montes in one of the last sequences.
Lucrezia Lante Della Rovere as Gemma, Mathis' girlfriend.
Elizabeth Arciniega as Mr. White's girlfriend.
Marc Forster asked his friends and fellow directors Guillermo del Toro and Alfonso Cuarón to appear in cameos. Cuarón appears as a Bolivian helicopter pilot, while del Toro provides several other voices.[31]
"If you remember in Chinatown, if you control the water you control the whole development of the country. I think it's true. Right now it appears to be oil, but there's a lot of other resources that we don't think about too much but are all essential, and they're very limited and every country needs it. Because every country knows that raising the standard of living (and populations are getting bigger) is the way we're all going."
— Michael G. Wilson on the plot.[27]
In July 2006, as Casino Royale entered post-production, Eon Productions announced that the next film would be based on an original idea by producer Michael G. Wilson.[32] It was decided beforehand the film would be a direct sequel, to exploit Bond's emotions following Vesper's death in the previous film.[33] Just as Casino Royale 's theme was terrorism, the sequel focuses on environmentalism.[21] The film was confirmed for a 2 May 2008 release date, with Craig reprising the lead role.[34] Roger Michell, who directed Craig in Enduring Love and The Mother, was in negotiations to direct, but opted out because there was no script.[35] Sony Entertainment vice-chairman Jeff Blake admitted a production schedule of 18 months was a very short window, and the release date was pushed back to late 2008.[36] Neal Purvis and Robert Wade completed their draft of the script by April 2007,[37] and Paul Haggis, who polished the Casino Royale script, began his rewrite the next month.[38]
In June 2007, Marc Forster was confirmed as director.[39] He was surprised that he was approached for the job, stating he was not a big Bond film fan through the years, and that he would not have accepted the project had he not seen Casino Royale prior to making his decision: he felt Bond had been humanised in that film, arguing since travelling the world had become less exotic since the series' advent, it made sense to focus more on Bond as a character. Born in Germany and raised in Switzerland, Forster was the first Bond director not to come from the British Commonwealth of Nations, although he noted Bond's mother is Swiss, making him somewhat appropriate to handle the British icon.[40] The director collaborated strongly with Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, noting they only blocked two very expensive ideas he had.[17] The director found Casino Royale 's 144-minute running time too long, and wanted his follow-up to be "tight and fast ... like a bullet."[41]
"Because Bond plays it real, I thought the political circumstances should be real too, even though Bond shouldn't be a political film. I thought the more political I make it, the more real it feels, not just with Bolivia and what's happening in Haiti, but with all these corporations like Shell and Chevron saying they're green because it's so fashionable to be green. During the Cold War, everything was very clear, the good guys and the bad guys. Today there's much overlapping of good and bad. It isn't as morally distinct, because we all have both elements in us."
— Marc Forster on the political landscape of the film.[42]
Haggis, Forster and Wilson rewrote the story from scratch.[43] Haggis said he completed his script two hours before the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike officially began.[40] Forster noted a running theme in his films were emotionally repressed protagonists, and the theme of the picture would be Bond learning to trust after feeling betrayed by Vesper.[44] Forster said he created the Camille character as a strong female counterpart to Bond rather than a casual love interest: she openly shows emotions similar to those which Bond experiences but is unable to express.[45] Haggis located his draft's climax in the Swiss Alps,[46] but Forster wanted the action sequences to be based around the four classical elements of earth, water, air and fire.[47] The decision to homage Goldfinger in Fields's death came about as Forster wanted to show oil had replaced gold as the most precious material.[42] The producers rejected Haggis's idea that Vesper Lynd had a child, because "Bond was an orphan ... Once he finds the kid, Bond can't just leave the kid."[48] The water supply issue in Bolivia was the main theme of the film, with a story based on the Cochabamba Water Revolt.[49]
Michael G. Wilson decided on the film's title Quantum of Solace only "a few days" before its announcement on 24 January 2008.[24] It was the name of a short story in
WorldHeritage pages with incorrect protection templates
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Articles containing potentially dated statements from November 2012
Official website not in Wikidata
2000s action thriller films
2000s spy films
20th Century Fox films
Best Thriller Empire Award winners
British adventure films
British films
Central Intelligence Agency in fiction
Columbia Pictures films
Eco-terrorism in fiction
Environmental films
Film scores by David Arnold
Films about privatization
Films about revenge
Films about terrorism
Films directed by Marc Forster
Films produced by Michael G. Wilson
Films produced by Barbara Broccoli
Films set in Austria
Films set in Bolivia
Films set in Haiti
Films set in Italy
Films set in London
Films set in Russia
Films set in South America
Films shot in Austria
Films shot in Chile
Films shot in England
Films shot in Italy
Films shot in Madrid
Films shot in Mexico
Films shot in Panama
Films shot in Wales
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
Pinewood Studios films
Screenplays by Paul Haggis
Sequel films
Works about coups d'état
Empire Award for Best Thriller
American Gangster (2008)
Sherlock Holmes (2010)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2012)
Headhunters (2013)
Everything Put Together (2000)
Monster's Ball (2001)
The Kite Runner (2007)
Machine Gun Preacher (2011)
World War Z (2013)
All I See Is You (2016)
"Another Way to Die"
Tie-ins
Casino Royale (2006 film)
"Quantum of Solace" (short story)
Recurring actors
Never Say Never Again (1983)
Quantum of Solace – official site
Quantum of Solace at the Internet Movie Database
Quantum of Solace at AllMovie
Quantum of Solace at Rotten Tomatoes
Quantum of Solace at Box Office Mojo
Bond on Set: Filming Quantum of Solace, Greg Williams, DK ADULT (20 October 2008), ISBN 0-7566-4120-9
^ a b c d Randee Dawn (11 November 2008). Quantum' is Marc Forster's 007 art film"'".
^ a b "Quantum of Solace (2008)".
^ a b c Goldberg, Matt (7 December 2011). "Daniel Craig Talks about the Script Problems on QUANTUM OF SOLACE; Says Why He's Encouraged for SKYFALL". Collider. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
^ "Sean Connery was the girliest Bond". Australia: Meeja. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
^ Martyn Palmer (24 November 2007). "The man with the golden touch".
^ a b c d e f John Naughton (November 2008). "Spy Harder".
^ "Newswrap" (Flash video). Official site. Retrieved 1 March 2008.
^ a b Benjamin Svetkey (30 October 2008). "Bond is back!".
^ "Bond actor admits plastic surgery".
^ Jennifer Vineyard (6 December 2007). "Daniel Craig Says He's Feeling The 'Pressure' Of James Bond Follow-Up". MTV. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
^ a b Matt Mueller. "On the Set of 'Quantum Of Solace': Olga Kurylenko: The Bond Girl".
^ Tim Masters (31 October 2008). "Talking Shop: Olga Kurylenko".
^ a b c d e f Mark Brown (24 January 2008). "Everything changes but Bond".
^ "Chile Soundbites videos". Sony
^ a b Chris Tilly (31 January 2008). "Olga Kurylenko Q&A".
^ Hollins, Grant (5 April 2008). "Street urchin to Bond girl".
^ a b c d "Bond 22 Pre-Production Diary (22)".
^ Rob Scheer (14 November 2008). """INTERVIEW: Olga Kurylenko on "Quantum of Solace.
^ David Giammarco. "From Ukraine, with love".
^ "Bond villain spills the beans".
^ a b c d Karl Rozemeyer (18 March 2008). "Mathieu Amalric on Being the 'Bond 22' Villain".
^ a b Williams, Murphy (2 October 2008). "Quantum of Solace: Mathieu Amalric on playing James Bond's nemesis".
^ a b Chris Tilly (30 January 2008). "Gemma Arteron Q&A".
^ a b c "New Bond film title is confirmed".
^ Harper, Tom (6 October 2008). "SPOILER ALERT - Oilfinger: Exclusive picture shows Gemma Arterton coming to a sticky end in new Bond film". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2 May 2009.
^ Caplen, Robert A. (2010). Shaken & Stirred: The Feminism of James Bond. p. 346.
^ a b "The Secrets of Quantum of Solace".
^ "Fostering change".
^ "Anatole Taubman On Elvis".
^ "Elvis Rocks Bond's World".
^ "Del Toro, Cuaron do voices in new Bond film". Associated Press. 23 October 2008. Retrieved 23 October 2008.
^ Tatiana Siegel and Borys Kit (17 July 2006). "Roger Michell in Talks for Bond 22".
^ Liane Bonin. "10 Questions With: Daniel Craig".
^ Hurst, Greg (4 July 2007). "They call him Director No".
^ "Bond 22 Targeting November 7, 2008".
^ Michael Fleming (11 April 2007). Barbarella' back in action"'".
^ "Paul Haggis on board to work on Bond 22 script, but turns down directing role".
^ "'"Forster back in action with 'Bond 22.
^ a b Terrence Rafferty (9 December 2007). "A License to Pursue the Inner Bond".
^ Alistair Harkness (30 October 2008). "A Quantum leap".
^ a b Carty, Ciaran (2 November 2008). "'I felt there was pain in Bond'".
^ a b c "A James Bond Set Visit and Seven Exclusive Quantum of Solace Images!".
^ a b c "Marc Forster on directing 007".
^ Jim Vejvoda (22 September 2008). "007 Responds to IGN Readers".
^ a b Ian Nathan (October 2008). "Quantum's Leap".
^ Logan Hill (3 November 2008). "How James Bond Nearly Became a Father".
^ Cinema for a Grand New Game, Film Quarterly
^ a b "Daniel: the title is meant to confuse".
^ a b "Seeking Solace on the Bond set".
^ a b Richard Owen (13 August 2007). "Bond has activists on his tail over new film's 'brutal' horse race finale".
^ "Filming locations for Quantum of Solace". imdb.com. 11 November 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2009.
^ "Bond 22 filming takes place in Madrid, Spain during last week of August".
^ a b "Newswrap No. 2 video".
^ David Allen (28 February 2008). "A bond with Chino".
^ a b "Production Diary (16)".
^ a b c d "Production Diary (19)".
^ a b Tim Marsters (25 January 2008). "Behind the scenes on the Bond set".
^ a b c "Quantum of Solace – Production Diary (7)".
^ Rebecca Connop Price (30 October 2008). "Barracks and airport provide location for Bond film". Get Hampshire. Archived from the original on 13 September 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
^ a b Edward Douglas (10 November 2008). "Marc Forster Finds His Quantum of Solace". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
^ "Production Diary (9)".
^ "Production Diary (17)".
^ a b Anthony Breznican (4 April 2008). "James Bond series takes a 'Quantum' leap". USA Today. Retrieved 4 April 2008.
^ Simon Gardner (2 April 2008). "James Bond has new nemesis: irate Chilean mayor". Reuters. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
^ Mayor' protests on Chile 007 set"'".
^ "¿Apoya Ud. las protestas del alcalde de Sierra Gorda por la filmación de James Bond en su comuna?".
^ Nick Pisa (22 April 2008). "Driver of James Bond's Aston Martin cheated death in dramatic crash".
^ Paul Bompard (24 April 2008). "James Bond production halted amid fears of a curse".
^ a b Quantum of Solace' set visit: filming in Austria; Craig's next Bond moves; 007's new foes; rumors laid to rest"'".
^ Quantum of Solace' wrap party held on Saturday night, David Arnold confirms"'".
^ "Peter Lamont bows out from Bond 22, Dennis Gassner to be Production Designer".
^ Olly Richards (24 January 2008). "Daniel Craig Talks Quantum of Solace".
^ a b "Capone talks with James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, and Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster in London!!!".
^ "James Bond: licence to redesign".
^ "Jasper Conran Spring Summer 2008 Collection". Jasperconran.com. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
^ Jessica Fellowes (22 October 2008). "James Bond week: 007 and his girls are back with a crisp new look".
^ Jessica Fellowes (22 October 2008). "Necklace with a starring role".
^ Mark Caro (9 November 2008). "15 James Bond facts you need to know".
^ Bill Desowitz (16 January 2009). "MK12 Has a Blast with Quantum Main Titles". VFXWorld. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
^ Yves Peters (19 December 2008). "MK12 Create Custom Type for Quantum of Solace Title Sequence".
^ "Aston Martin DBS to star in new James Bond film".
^ Borys Kit (4 September 2007). "Bradley tapped to aid Bond stunts".
^ "Dan Bradley interview". Bourne Stunt Simulator. Retrieved 16 January 2008.
^ Moore, Malcolm (28 April 2008). "James Bond filming suspended after third accident leaves stuntman in coma".
^ a b c d e f g Bill Desowitz (3 December 2008). "A Quantum of VFX for James Bond". VFX World. Retrieved 4 December 2008.
^ a b c d Bill Dawes (16 November 2008). "Back into Bondage".
^ Chris Reidy (12 May 2008). Snakehead" films James Bond dogfight footage""".
^ "For Your Eyes Only: RT in Austria with James Bond".
^ "Your Quantum of Solace Questions Answered!".
^ Tommy Pearson,
^ Mark Beaumont (18 October 2008). "The Midas touch of David Arnold and his influence on Bond".
^ Crawl, End Crawl' track from 'Quantum of Solace' now on iTunes"'".
^ "Alicia Keys, Jack White Team For Bond Theme".
^ "Quantum of Solace – News – Alicia Keys, Jack White Team For "Quantum of Solace" Theme Song (Press Release)" (PDF).
^ a b "Jack White Talks Bond".
^ a b Brian Hiatt (2 October 2008). "Jack White and Alicia Keys: Bond's New Duo".
^ "'"Winehouse working on 'Bond theme.
^ "Troubled Winehouse 'not ready' for Bond theme".
^ Quantum of Solace" World Premiere Announced""".
^ Olly Richards (19 March 2008). "Quantum of Solace Gets Earlier Release".
^ Columbia Pictures (21 August 2008). "Quantum of Solace Moved Back a Week". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved 21 August 2008.
^ Garry Maddox (6 September 2008). "Bond blinks first in battle of blockbusters".
^ Marc Graser (14 August 2008). "Brands line up for Bond sequel".
^ Steve McGinty (27 October 2008). "Does this mean Bond's past his sell-by date?".
^ "Bond girl Olga Kurylenko introduces Ford Ka at Paris Motor Show (video)," MI6-HQ.com (10 March 2008). Retrieved 8 November 2008.
^ "Avon to introduce Bond Girl 007 fragrance with Gemma Arterton".
^ Mark Sweney (11 September 2008). "Coca-Cola launches ad featuring Jack White's Quantum of Solace music".
^ "Mission for a Million".
^ "New 007 Toys & Gadgets 2008".
^ "New Corgi Cars 2008".
^ "New Corgi Action Figures".
^ "Scalextric 007 Racing Sets Unveiled".
^ "Swatch Launch 007 Villains Watches".
^ Amazon.co.uk listing. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
^ Amazon.com listing. Retrieved 24 May 2008
^ a b "Quantum of Solace – DVD Sales". The Numbers. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
^ "Quantum of Solace Hits DVD & Blu-ray in March". ComingSoon.net. 13 January 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
^ Archie Thomas (1 November 2008). Solace' makes quantum leap in U.K."'".
^ "Bond film smashes weekend records".
^ Dave McNary (2 November 2008). "'"James Bond finds overseas 'Solace.
^ Pamela McClintock (8 November 2008). Quantum' leap in overseas box office"'".
^ Dave McNary (9 November 2008). Quantum' rules foreign box office"'".
^ "Weekend Box Office Results from 11/14 – 11/16". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
^ "James Bond Movies". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 14 November 2008.
^ Joshua Rich (16 November 2008). Quantum of Solace' Stirs up a Win"'".
^ "'Quantum of Solace'".
^ "Quantum of Solace".
^ Tom Butler (31 October 2008). "UK Tomatometer Preview: Quantum Of Solace – Is the New Bond Shaken or Stirred?".
^ "'"Sir Roger Moore weighs in on 'Quantum of Solace.
^ "Quantum of Solace". Screen Daily. 20 October 2008. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
^ Review by Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times, 12 November 2008
^ Marni Weisz, "At least it's not Octopussy," Famous, October 2008, p. 6
^ Robey, Tim (30 December 2013). "James Bond: Quantum of Solace, Review". The Daily Telegraph (London).
^ "2008 13th Annual SATELLITE Awards".
^ Dade Hayes (9 December 2008). "'"Critics Choice favors 'Milk,' 'Button.
^ "Empire Awards nominate 'Quantum of Solace' five times, vote now online".
^ "Nominations for the 35th Annual Saturn Awards".
^ Michael Moran (20 November 2008). "The 20 greatest car chases in movie history".
Outline of James Bond
The film was nominated for Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Visual Effects, Film and Sound Editing at the 2008 Satellite Awards, winning Best Song.[145] It was nominated for Best Action Movie at the 2009 Critics' Choice Awards,[146] and at the Empire Awards, which is voted for by the public, it was shortlisted for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Newcomer, Best Thriller and Best Soundtrack.[147] It was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film, while Kurylenko and Dench were both nominated for the Best Supporting Actress award.[148] An editorial by The Times also listed the film's pre-titles sequence as the tenth-greatest car chase in film history.[149]
Not all the reviews were as critical. Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph, in a reflective review of the film in 2013, was positive. He praised the film's shorter runtime, claiming that many other Bond films run out of steam before the end, and included Casino Royale in this category. Describing the film as having a "rock-solid dramatic idea and the intelligence to run with it", he gave the film four stars out of five.[144]
Screen Daily says, "Notices will focus—rightly—on Craig's magnetism as the steely, sexy, murderous MI6 agent, but two other factors weigh in and freshen up proceedings: Forster's new technical team, led by cinematographer Roberto Schaefer and production designer Dennis Gassner. And the ongoing shift of M, as played by Judi Dench, to front and centre: the Bond girls fade into insignificance as she becomes his moral counterpoint and theirs is the only real relationship on screen." The review continues, "Bond is, as has been previously noted, practically the Martin Scorsese of the BAFTAs: 22 films later, with grosses probably close to the GDP of one of the small nations it depicts, it's still waiting for that Alexander Korda award. The best Casino Royale could achieve was a gong for sound. Will this be the year that changes its fortunes?"[140] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, who praised the previous film, disliked Quantum of Solace. He wrote that the plot was mediocre, characters weak and that Bond lacked his usual personality, despite his praise for Craig's interpretation of the role. Throughout his review, he emphasised that "James Bond is not an action hero."[141] Kate Muir wrote in The Times that "The Bond franchise is 50 years old this year, and the scriptless mess of Quantum of Solace may be considered its mid-life crisis", before she went on to praise the film's successor Skyfall as a "resurrection".[142] Some writers criticised the choice of Quantum of Solace as a title. "Yes, it's a bad title," wrote Marni Weisz, the editor of Famous, a Canadian film publication distributed in cinemas in that country, in an editorial entitled "At least it's not Octopussy."[143]
Roger Moore, the third actor to play Bond in the films, said that Craig was a "damn good Bond but the film as a whole, there was a bit too much flash cutting [and] it was just like a commercial of the action. There didn't seem to be any geography and you were wondering what the hell was going on."[136] Kim Newman of Empire gave it 4/5, remarking it was not "bigger and better than Casino Royale, [which is] perhaps a smart move in that there's still a sense at the finish that Bond's mission has barely begun." However, he expressed nostalgia for the more humorous Bond films.[137] The Sunday Times review noted that "following Casino Royale was never going to be easy, but the director Marc Forster has brought the brand's successful relaunch crashing back to earth – with a yawn"; the screenplay "is at times incomprehensible" and the casting "is a mess." The review concludes that "Bond has been stripped of his iconic status. He no longer represents anything particularly British, or even modern. In place of glamour, we get a spurious grit; instead of style, we get product placement; in place of fantasy, we get a redundant and silly realism."[138] The Guardian gave a more positive review, rating it as 3/5 stars, and was particularly fond of Craig's performance, saying he "made the part his own, every inch the coolly ruthless agent-killer, nursing a broken heart and coldly suppressed rage" and calling the film "a crash-bang Bond, high on action, low on quips, long on location glamour, short on product placement"; it concludes "Quantum of Solace isn't as good as Casino Royale: the smart elegance of Craig's Bond debut has been toned down in favour of conventional action. But the man himself powers this movie; he carries the film: it's an indefinably difficult task for an actor. Craig measures up."[139]
Reviews for Quantum of Solace have been mixed. Of the 244 reviews listed on Rotten Tomatoes, 65% are positive, with an average rating of 6.1/10.[133] Metacritic calculated a score of 58 out of 100 from 38 reviews, indicating a "mixed or average" response.[134] Critics generally preferred Casino Royale, but continued to praise Craig's depiction of Bond, and agree that the film is still an enjoyable addition to the series. The action sequences and pacing were praised, but criticism grew over the realism and serious but gritty feel that the film carried over.[135]
The film grossed $27 million on its opening day in 3,451 cinemas in Canada and the United States, where it was the number one film for the weekend, with $67.5 million and $19,568 average per cinema.[130] It was the highest-grossing opening weekend Bond film in the U.S.,[131] and tied with The Incredibles for the biggest November opening outside of the Harry Potter series. The film earned a B- from CinemaScore's audience surveys.[132] From the 31 October British opening through to the 14 November U.S. opening weekend, the film had grossed a total $319,128,882 worldwide. As of 10 February 2010, it had grossed the equivalent of $417,722,300 in countries other than Canada and the U.S., where it grossed $168,368,427, to give a total of $586,090,727.[2]
The following week, the film was playing in sixty countries. It grossed the equivalent of $39.3 million in the UK, $16.5 million in France and $7.7 million in Germany on 7 November 2008.[128] The film broke records in Switzerland, Finland, United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, Romania and Slovenia. Its Chinese and Indian openings were the second largest ever for foreign-language films.[129]
Upon its opening in the UK, the film grossed £4.9 million ($8 million), breaking the record for the largest Friday opening (31 October 2008) in the UK.[125] The film then broke the UK opening weekend record, taking £15.5 million ($25 million) in its first weekend, surpassing the previous record of £14.9 million held by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It earned a further £14 million in France and Sweden—where it opened on the same day. The weekend gross of the equivalent of $10.6 million in France was a record for the series, surpassing what Casino Royale made in five days by 16%. The $2.7 million gross in Sweden was the fourth-highest opening for a film there.[126][127]
Quantum of Solace was released on DVD and Blu-ray by MGM via 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment in Australia, the UK and North America from 18 to 24 March 2009. At the DVD sales chart the film opened at No. 3, grossing $21,894,957 from 1.21m DVD units sold.[123] As of 1 November 2009, 2,643,250 DVD units were sold, generating $44,110,750 in sales revenue.[123] These figures do not include Blu-ray sales or DVD rentals. The DVDs were released in both a standard one-disc set and a deluxe two-disc special edition. There are no audio commentaries or deleted scenes on these editions.[124]
Though the screenplay did not get made into a novel despite its original storyline, Penguin Books published a compilation of Fleming's short stories entitled Quantum of Solace: The Complete James Bond Short Stories, with a UK release date of 29 May 2008[121] and a North American release date of 26 August 2008.[122] The book combines the contents of Fleming's two short story collections, For Your Eyes Only—including the original "Quantum of Solace" short story—and Octopussy and The Living Daylights.
die-cast toy vehicles.[116][117] They also created 7-inch figures of characters from the previous films.[118] Scalextric released four racing sets to coincide with the film.[119] Activision released their first James Bond game, also titled Quantum of Solace, which is based on both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. It is the first Bond game to feature Craig's likeness and the first seventh generation console game in the series. Swatch designed a series of wrist watches, each of them inspired by a Bond villain.[120]
Returning product placement partners from Casino Royale included Ford, Heineken, Smirnoff, Omega SA, Virgin Atlantic and Sony Ericsson.[110] A reported £50 million was earned in product placement, which tops the Bond film's record of £44 million for Die Another Day.[111] The 2009 Ford Ka is driven by Camille in the film.[112] Avon created a fragrance called Bond Girl 007 with Gemma Arterton as the "face" of the product.[113] Coca-Cola became a promotional partner, rebranding Coke Zero as "Coke Zero Zero 7." A tie-in advert featured the orchestral element of "Another Way to Die."[114] In the film, Coca-Cola was briefly seen being served at Dominic Greene's party. Sony held a competition, "Mission for a Million," enabling registered players to use their products to complete certain tasks. Each completed "mission" gives consumers a chance to win $1 million and a trip to a top secret location.[115]
The film premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square on 29 October 2008. Princes William and Harry attended, and proceeds from the screening were donated to the charities Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion.[106] The film was originally scheduled to be released in the UK and North America on 7 November; however, Eon pushed forward the British date to 31 October during filming,[107] while the American date was pushed back in August to 14 November, after Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince had been moved to 2009, thereby allowing the distributors to market the film over the autumn blockbuster Thanksgiving holiday weekend.[108] In Australia, the film was moved a week to 19 November, after 20th Century Fox chose to release Australia on Quantum of Solace 's original date of 26 November.[109]
Jack White of The White Stripes and Alicia Keys collaborated on "Another Way to Die," the first Bond music duet.[100][101] They had wanted to work together for two years beforehand.[102] The song was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee; White played the drums while Keys performed on the piano.[103] The Memphis Horns also contributed to the track.[102] White's favourite Bond theme is John Barry's instrumental piece for On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and he watched various opening credit sequences from the series for inspiration while mixing the track.[103] Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse had recorded a demo track for the film,[104] but Ronson explained Winehouse's well-publicised legal issues in the preceding weeks made her "not ready to record any music" at that time.[105]
David Arnold, who composed the scores for the previous four Bond films, returned for Quantum of Solace. He said that Forster likes to work very closely with his composers and that, in comparison to the accelerated schedule he was tied to on Casino Royale, the intention was to spend a long time scoring the film to "really work it out." He also said he would be "taking a different approach" with the score.[97] Arnold composed the music based on impressions from reading the script, and Forster edited those into the film.[98] As with Casino Royale, Arnold kept use of the "James Bond Theme" to a minimum.[47] Arnold collaborated with Kieran Hebden for "Crawl, End Crawl," a remix of the score played during the end credits.[99]
The Moving Picture Company created the climactic hotel sequence. The fire effects were supervised by Chris Corbould, and post-production MPC had to enhance the sequence by making the smoke look closer to the actors, so it would look more dangerous.[92] A full-scale replica of the building's exterior was used for the exploding part Bond and Camille escape from. The boat chase was another scene that required very little CGI. Machine FX worked on replacing a few shots of visible stuntmen with a digital version of Craig's head,[93] and recreated the boats Bond jumps over on his motorcycle to make it look more dangerous.[92] Crowd creation was done for the Tosca scene by Machine FX, to make the performance look like it had sold out.[93] Forster edited the opera scene to resemble The Man Who Knew Too Much.[63] In total, there are 900+ visual effects shots in Quantum of Solace.[92]
The free-fall scene involved its own set of challenges, Craig disliked the idea of "being hung by wires and blown by a large fan in front of a green screen" but actual sky diving coverage has serious drawbacks. It's not only difficult, dangerous and time-consuming, but nearly always results in problematic head-replacements for close-ups. Stunt co-ordinator Gary Powell and VFX Designer Kevin Tod Haug, presented the idea of filming the scene in a large vertical wind tunnel in Bedford in order to do this sequence as practically as possible. While a great solution for the actors' performances the technique presented enormous VFX challenges: relighting shots captured in a tall white tube to match the sky over the Bolivian desert, and the impossibility of filming medium to wide shots of the actors. An array of eight Dalsa Origin cameras (supported by seven HD cameras and a 35mm hand-held camera, all running in sync) was used to create a virtual camera with which to shoot the actors floating in the simulator. Ged Wright and his team at Double Negative[93] developed a method to use the data from these cameras that allowed these real performances to be placed in a synthetic environment as seen by a synthetic camera. During the shooting in the wind tunnel Craig and Kurylenko wore wind-resistant contact lenses that enabled them to open their eyes as they fell. For safety and comfort, they only shot for thirty seconds at a time.[96] Forster wished he had more time to work on the free-fall scene.[92]
To film the aerial dogfight, a "Snakehead" camera was built and placed on the nose and tail of a Piper Aerostar 700. SolidWorks, who provided the software used to design the camera, stated "pilots for the first time can fly as aggressively as they dare without sacrificing the drama of the shot." The camera could turn 360 degrees and was shaped like a periscope.[94] The crew also mounted SpaceCams on helicopters, and placed cameras with 1600 mm lenses underground, to cover the action.[55] Forster wanted to film the plane fight as a homage to Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest, and chose planes like the Douglas DC-3 to suit that.[80][95]
Fourteen cameras were used to film the Palio di Siena, footage which was later edited into the main sequence. Aerial shots using helicopters were banned, and the crew were also forbidden from showing any violence "involving either people or animals."[52] To shoot the foot chase in Siena in April 2008 four camera cranes were built in the town, and a cable camera was also used.[57] Framestore worked on the Siena chase, duplicating the 1000 extras during principal photography to match shots of the 40,000 strong audience at the real Palio, removing wires that held Craig and the stuntmen in the rooftop segment of the chase, and digital expansion of the floor and skylight in the art gallery Bond and Mitchell fall into.[92] The art gallery fight was intended to be simple, but during filming Craig's stunt double accidentally fell from the construction scaffolding. Forster preferred the idea of Bond hanging from ropes reaching for his gun to kill Mitchell, rather than having both men run out of the building to continue their chase as specified in the script, and the number of effects shots increased.[92]
Quantum of Solace was the last in Ford Motor's three-film deal that began with 2002's Die Another Day. Although Ford sold over 90% of the Aston Martin company in 2007, the Aston Martin DBS V12 returned for the film's car chase around Lake Garda;[88] Dan Bradley was hired as second unit director because of his work on the second and third Bourne films, so the film would continue the gritty action style begun in Casino Royale.[89] He had intended to use Ford GTs for the opening chase,[90] but it was replaced by the Alfa Romeo 159.[91] After location filming in Italy, further close-ups of Craig, the cars and the truck were shot at Pinewood against a bluescreen.[92] Originally three Alfa Romeos were in the sequence: but Forster felt the scene was running too long and re-edited the scene so it only looked like two Romeos were chasing Bond.[93] Six Aston Martins were destroyed during filming, and one of them was purchased by a fan.[6]
Aston Martin DBS V12 on display at the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con International
The film returns to the traditional gun barrel opening shot, which was altered into part of the story for Casino Royale where it was moved to the beginning of the title sequence. In this film the gun barrel sequence was moved to the end of the movie, which Wilson explained was done for a surprise,[85] and to signify the conclusion of the story begun in the previous film. The opening credits sequence was created by MK12. Having worked on Forster's Stranger than Fiction and The Kite Runner, MK12 spontaneously began developing the sequence early on in production, and had a good idea of its appearance which meant it did not have to be redone when the title singer was changed. MK12 selected various twilight colours to represent Bond's mood and focused on a dot motif based on the gunbarrel shot. MK12 also worked on scenes with graphical user interface, including the electronic table MI6 use,[86] and the Port-au-Prince, Haiti title cards.[87]
Louise Frogley replaced Lindy Hemming as costume designer, though Hemming remained as supervisor. Hemming hired Brioni for Bond's suits since her tenure on the series began with 1995's GoldenEye, but Lindsay Pugh, another supervisor, explained their suits were "too relaxed." Tom Ford was hired to tailor "sharper" suits for Craig. Pugh said the costumes aimed towards the 1960s feel, especially for Bond and Fields. Prada provided the dresses for both Bond girls. Jasper Conran designed Camille's ginger bandeau, bronze skirt and gold fish necklace,[82] while Chrome Hearts designed gothic jewellery for Amalric's character, which the actor liked enough to keep after filming.[83] Sophie Harley, who created Vesper Lynd's earrings and Algerian loveknot necklace in Casino Royale, was called upon to create another version of the necklace.[84]
Production designer Peter Lamont, a crew member on eighteen previous Bond films, retired after Casino Royale.[78] Forster hired Dennis Gassner in his stead, having admired his work on The Truman Show and the films of the Coen brothers.[44] Craig said the film would have "a touch of Ken Adam,"[79] while Michael G. Wilson also called Gassner's designs "a postmodern look at modernism."[60] Forster said he felt the early Bond films' design "were ahead of their time,"[44] and enjoyed the clashing of an older style with his own because it created a unique look unto itself.[80] Gassner wanted his sets to emphasise Craig's "great angular, textured face and wonderful blue eyes," and totally redesigned the MI6 headquarters because he felt Judi Dench "was a bit tired in the last film, so I thought, let's bring her into a new world."[81]
Filming took place at the floating opera stage at Bregenz, Austria, from 28 April – 9 May 2008. The sequence, where Bond stalks the villains during a performance of Tosca, required 1500 extras.[73] The production used a large model of an eye, which Forster felt fitted in the Bond style, and the opera itself has parallels to the film.[74] A short driving sequence was filmed at the nearby Feldkirch, Vorarlberg.[75] The crew returned to Italy from 13–17 May to shoot a (planned) car crash at the marble quarry in Carrara,[76] and a recreation of the Palio di Siena at the Piazza del Campo in Siena. 1000 extras were hired for a scene where Bond emerges from the Fonte Gaia. Originally, he would have emerged from the city's cisterns at Siena Cathedral, but this was thought disrespectful.[58] By June the crew returned to Pinewood for four weeks,[74] where new sets (including the interior of the hotel in the climax) were built.[43][60] The wrap party was held on 21 June.[77]
From 4–12 April the main unit shot on Sienese rooftops.[58] Shooting on the real rooftops turned out to be less expensive than building them at Pinewood.[1] The next four weeks were scheduled for filming the car chase at Lake Garda and Carrara.[58] On 19 April, an Aston Martin employee driving a DBS to the set crashed into the lake. He survived, and was fined £400 for reckless driving.[71] Another accident occurred on 21 April, and two days later, two stuntmen were seriously injured, with one, Greek stuntman Aris Comninos, having to be put in intensive care. Filming of the scenes was temporarily halted so that Italian police could investigate the causes of the accidents.[72] Stunt co-ordinator Gary Powell said the accidents were a testament to the realism of the action.[46] Rumours of a "curse" spread among tabloid media, something which deeply offended Craig, who disliked that they compared Comninos' accident to something like his minor finger injury later on the shoot (also part of the "curse"). Comninos recovered safely from his injury.[6]
While filming in Sierra Gorda, Chile, the local mayor, Carlos Lopez, staged a protest because he was angry at the filmmakers' portrayal of the Antofagasta region as part of Bolivia. He was arrested, detained briefly, and put on trial two days later. Eon dismissed his claim that they needed his permission to film in the area.[67][68] Michael G. Wilson also explained Bolivia was appropriate to the plot, because of the country's history of water problems,[66] and was surprised the two countries disliked each other a century after the War of the Pacific.[69] In a poll by Chilean daily newspaper La Segunda, 75% of its readers disagreed with Lopez's actions, due to the negative image they felt it presented of Chile, and the controversy's potential to put off productions looking to film in the country in the future.[70]
Marc Forster chose the Atacama Desert to represent Bond's vengefulness in the climax.
Shooting in Panama City began on 7 February 2008 at Howard Air Force Base. The country doubled for Haiti and Bolivia, with the National Institute of Culture of Panama standing in for a hotel in the latter country. A sequence requiring several hundred extras was also shot at nearby Colón.[62] Shooting in Panama was also carried out at Fort Sherman, a former US military base on the Colón coast. Forster was disappointed he could only shoot the boat chase in that harbour, as he had a more spectacular vision for the scene.[63] Officials in the country worked with the locals to "minimise inconvenience" for the cast and crew, and in return hoped the city's exposure in the film would increase tourism.[64] The crew was going to move to Cusco, Peru for ten days of filming on 2 March,[62] but the location was cancelled for budget reasons.[1] Twelve days of filming in Chile began on 24 March at Antofagasta. There was shooting in Cobija, the Paranal Observatory, and other locations in the Atacama Desert.[65] Forster chose the desert and the observatory's ESO Hotel to represent Bond's rigid emotions, and being on the verge of committing a vengeful act as he confronts Greene in the film's climax.[51][66]
Quantum of Solace was shot in six countries.[1] Second unit filming began in Italy at the Palio di Siena horse race on 16 August 2007,[52] although at that point Forster was unsure how it would fit into the film.[47] Some scenes were filmed also in Maratea and Craco, two small distinctive towns in Basilicata in southern Italy.[53] Other places used for location shooting were Madrid in August 2007;[54] Baja California, Mexico in early 2008, for shots of the aerial battle;[55][56] Malcesine, Limone sul Garda and Tremosine in Italy during March,[57] and at Talamone during the end of April.[58] The main unit began on 3 January 2008[17] at Pinewood Studios. The 007 Stage was used for the fight in the art gallery,[13] and an MI6 safehouse hidden within the city's cisterns,[59] while other stages housed Bond's Bolivian hotel suite,[60] and the MI6 headquarters.[59] Interior and exterior airport scenes were filmed at Farnborough Airfield and the snowy closing scenes were filmed at the Bruneval Barracks in Aldershot.[61]
During filming, after the strike ended, Forster read a spec script by Joshua Zetumer, which he liked, and hired him to reshape scenes for the later parts of the shoot, which the director was still unsatisfied with.[43] Forster had the actors rehearse their scenes, as he liked to film scenes continually.[21] Zetumer rewrote dialogue depending on the actors' ideas each day.[21]
According to a December 2011 interview with Craig, "We had the bare bones of a script and then there was a writers' strike and there was nothing we could do. We couldn't employ a writer to finish it. I say to myself, 'Never again', but who knows? There was me trying to rewrite scenes—and a writer I am not."[3] He said that he and Forster "were the ones allowed to do it. The rules were that you couldn't employ anyone as a writer, but the actor and director could work on scenes together. We were stuffed. We got away with it, but only just. It was never meant to be as much of a sequel as it was, but it ended up being a sequel, starting where the last one finished."[3]
Near the end of the film, the Camille Montes character and Bond have a discussion about their individual quests to avenge the deaths of their loved ones. Montes asks Bond to "let me know what it feels like" when he succeeds, the implication of the title being that it will be a small amount of solace compared to his despair. Bond's lack of emotion when he does exact revenge shows this to be the case. [6] Craig noted the letter Q itself looks rather odd.[51]
Bbc, Eton College, Casino Royale (novel), Secret Intelligence Service, The Times
Licence to Kill
The Living Daylights, A View to a Kill, Ian Fleming, GoldenEye, Live and Let Die (film)
Spectre (2015 film)
Skyfall, Sam Mendes, Casino Royale (2006 film), Quantum of Solace, London
14th Empire Awards
YouTube, Quantum of Solace, Wall-e, The Dark Knight (film), Empire Awards
Quantum of Solace, Kent, Authority control, England, Clash of the Titans (2010 film)
Harry Saltzman, Albert R. Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson, Maurice Binder, NaN
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22/09/2018 - Over 14 million Britons live in poverty, report reveals
Over 14 million people in Britain live in persistent poverty, a new report by the Social Metrics Commission (SMC) has found.
Of these 8.4m were working-age adults, 4.5m children and 1.4m people were of pension age.
Additionally, 2.5m residents are at risk of falling into poverty, the report says.
Labour’s shadow minister for disabled people Marsha de Cordova said: “It is shocking that under this government, almost half of those living in poverty are disabled or live with someone who is.
“This report definitively shows the devastating impact of social security cuts on disabled people and their families.”
The SMC was formed to develop a new approach to poverty measurement, accounting for the impact of “inescapable” costs such as childcare on weekly income, and the impact that disability has on people’s needs.
It also aims to include groups of people previously left out of poverty statistics, such as those living on the streets or in overcrowded housing.
The Scottish National Party has called on the government to take “urgent action” at the Budget to tackle poverty following the report’s findings.
A government spokeswoman said: “Measuring poverty is complex, and this report offers further insight into that complexity and the additional measures that can be taken into consideration.
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Dr. Sheen S. Levine studies how people behave and how they impact others, organizations and markets. His research spans disciplines: How knowledge sharing affects performance, when open collaboration facilitates innovation, and how strategic intelligence brings success. He currently studies why diversity improves error detection, and when decision makers opt for the familiar versus the promising, and how Pay It Forward creates surprising acts of kindness.
He collaborates with economists, psychologists, sociologists and cognitive scientists; but also with entrepreneurs and members of companies such as Bain and Company, Blackrock, Deloitte, and KPMG. He led research teams to publications in journals such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Organization Science and the Strategic Management Journal. The findings were cited by scholars in business, economics, psychology, sociology, law, and computer science. They have a wide-reaching impact, reported by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The Financial Times, Reuters, Forbes, National Public Radio, Bloomberg, Bloomberg TV, BusinessWeek, New York Magazine, The Boston Globe, Huffington Post, Business Insider, The Globe and Mail (Canada), Paris Tech Review, Affärsvärlden (Sweden), South China Morning Post, China Radio International, The Straits Times (Singapore), The Hindu (India), Forbes India, The Australian Financial Review and others. In 2015, New York City changed how it selects managers for its $160 billion pension funds, citing research by Dr. Levine and associates.
As a professor, Dr. Levine has taught global strategic management, organizational theory, entrepreneurship and innovation to students and executives in the US, Europe and Asia. He is an op-ed contributor to the New York Times and engages tens of thousands on twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. He is a member of the Academy of Management, Strategic Management Society,American Sociological Association, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, American Economic Association, and Economic Science Association. His research was conducted at The University of Pennsylvania, where he was trained, MIT, Columbia, and the University of Texas at Dallas, among others.
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You are here: home » archives » August, 2007
Homework and Swimming
I’ve just heard a heart warming story. Lydia, mother of Amy and Liz, has called to say she has been talking to Amy’s math teacher about the amount of homework. Evidently eleven year old Amy is expected to plough through ninety minutes of school homework every night. Lydia explained how difficult it was to program all that homework and swimming and dinner and still make sure Amy got a good night’s sleep. The teacher appears to have understood and has undertaken to reduce Amy’s homework load.
What an enlightened attitude; unfortunately scarce but fortunately not unique. I’ve never understood some school’s fanatical desire to extend the school day well into the night. Teachers who can’t educate the nation’s children between the hours of 8.00am and 3.00pm are pretty bloody poor teachers.
And two Penn State researchers, David P. Baker, Professor of Education and Sociology and Gerald K. LeTendre, Associate Professor of Education agree with me. They have published an interesting book (National Differences, Global Similarities: World Culture and the Future of Schooling) on the subject.
From http://www.physorg.com/ -
Their findings indicate a lack of positive correlation between the amount of homework assigned in a nation and the corresponding level of academic achievement. For example, many countries with the highest scoring students, such as Japan, the Czech Republic and Denmark, have teachers who give little homework. “At the other end of the spectrum, countries with very low average scores – Thailand, Greece, Iran – have teachers who assign a great deal of homework.”
“The United States is among the most homework-intensive countries in the world. American students appear to do as much homework as their peers overseas – if not more – but still only score around the international average. Undue focus on homework as a national quick-fix, may lead a country into wasted expenditures of time and energy.”
Unfortunately, the message does not seem to be getting through. Since I’ve been in the United States, at least twenty parents have come to me and explained that their son or daughter would not be able to swim for a month because their math or English or science grades were not what they expected. I’ve always said, “Oh that’s fine,” knowing full well that in a month the academic problem would still exist and they would have added a swimming one as well. They just do not appreciate that more time is not the solution. Better use of time is where the answer lies. In case anyone feels I’m picking unfairly on the United States, I’ve heard the same “time off swimming to study” argument plenty of times in New Zealand.
The by-product of this academic enthusiasm is the same as the by-product of swimming enthusiasm: burn out. The art of peaking at the right time requires just as much skill in the class room as it does in the swimming pool. Swimming has more than its fair share of coaches who push for peak results at High School without a thought for the long term consequences. Teachers too demand peak High School grades even if it means their charges have little application or enthusiasm left for university.
I’ve coached several international athletes during their Elementary and High School years. In all cases I’ve promoted the idea of reducing their academic load and application as much as possible. For eight years Jane Copland and Nichola Chellingworth attended one of New Zealand’s best and most academic private schools. The principal was a fine and somewhat awe-inspiring woman called Jennifer Button. She ran a tight and disciplined ship. No compromise of academic standards was entertained in her school. But do you know what, Miss Button, whose knowledge of sport was and probably still is zero, never once objected to Jane and Nichola taking a week off school to go to the National Championships or three weeks off to tour the European World Cup Meets. She may have known little about sport but she knew full well the meaning of excellence.
Before she came to the United States, Jane completed her High School education at Hastings Girls’ High School. Geraldine Travers was the principal there and Jane was lucky again. She was allowed time off school to practice and sleep and to travel New Zealand and the world swimming; late or non-existent homework was ignored. Many would consider it all an educational travesty. But did it work?
I guess so: both girls were national champions, both swam in the Pan Pacific Games and the like. Both graduated from university with good grades.
So when it’s late and there’s still Elementary School homework to do, or you want two weeks off school to go swim in a championship meet, my advice is forget the homework, go to bed and swim the meet. Your university career will only improve.
The Allowable Limit of Speculation
There is a good item of gossip on the Race Club website. It’s called “What is an Allowable Limit” and is written by Gary Hall. In the article Hall makes the point that the testosterone level in the average male is 1:1. Until 2005 the IOC approved limit was anything under 6:1. Hall then asks several relevant questions, “Prior to 2005, what was there to stop a male athlete taking testosterone that kept his testosterone level up at a legal 5:1? And what would happen when in 2005 the legal limit was dropped to 4:1 and an athlete, who was previously a “legal” but artificial 5:1, got caught by the rule change? Could this very circumstance be what happened in the Ian Thorpe case?
Hall’s argument is certainly logical. All that he postulates could happen; probably has happened. Does it mean that Ian Thorpe did it? Certainly not: There are many logical events happening in this world that do not happen to everyone. Flying to the International Space Station is quite logical: that does not mean to say I’ve done it.
It would be equally logical for me to hypothesize that there are, in this world, men and women who are born with an advantage. They are bigger or stronger, have more testosterone, have less fat, are taller or shorter than the “normal” population. Thorpe, Armstrong, Ali and Spitz and maybe even Hall could all fall into one of those categories. They have a talent that could well be expressed as a raised and natural level of testosterone. My concern is that a talent that is as natural as the color of an athlete’s eyes becomes illegal. Especially when drug officials tighten and tighten the limits of what is legal. They have no right though, to legislate out the naturally talented.
Remember the disgusting case of Eva Klobukowska, the Polish track sprinter, who passed a qynaecological sex test inspection in 1965 but failed a sex chromosome test introduced the next year. Called the Buccal Smear test, it is based on a sample of cells from the inside of the cheek. Eva had one chromosome too many to be declared a woman for the purposes of competition and she was banned. A few years later, she gave birth. As a result of her case and others such as Maria Patino, the Spanish hurdles champion, ridiculous sex testing has been abolished.
Two of my athletes have been subjected to the Buccal Smear femininity test; Alison at the Edmonton Commonwealth Games and Toni at the Barcelona Olympic. In both cases they received their femininity certificates. In both cases, if there had been a problem, it would have been with the testing criteria, not the athletes. Fortunately, and not before time, Olympic authorities now take the same enlightened view.
In the case of men’s testosterone, my concern is that men do not become the new gender discriminated against, because of the natural level of their manliness. The authorities have tightened the limits from 6:1 to 4:1; a drop of 33%. A change of that amount means either the 6:1 was too high or the 4:1 is way too low.
Two other questions: where are over zealous drug officials going to go next, if normal is 1:1 why allow 4:1 and how prevalent are “natural” men with 4:1? And if you tell me no male has a natural 4:1, you are probably in the same group that believes women with an X and Y chromosome can’t have babies.
For about ten years I used to go to the annual New South Wales State and Australian National Championships. I watched the teenager Ian Thorpe win State Championships in spectacular times. His versatility and speed led me to tell one of Australia’s National Coaches, Peter Freney, that Thorpe was being so exploited; by 16 he’d be gone and forgotten. Not the world’s best prediction; by 16 Thorpe had won the 400m freestyle at the 1998 Perth World Championships in 3:46.29. As a completely irrelevant aside, Toni Jeffs from our Club swam the 50m and 100m freestyle in the same meet.
My point is that from 12 years of age Thorpe was a special case. If by some chance he has been tested over the new 4:1 testosterone limit, I would like to hear his submission before making the accusation of cheat. I would like to know what his normal testosterone levels were before rushing to judgment. I do not want to be included among the brain-dead who said Eva Klobukowska was a man.
Of all the people on this earth, I would have thought Gary Hall was one who would cut “Thorpie” some slack before penning his logical but precipitous hypothesis. Usually people like Hall who have been the subject of scurrilous rumors themselves are more discreet about pointing the finger at others. He may well be right about Thorpe, but he could just as well be as wrong as I was a decade or so ago. I hope Thorpe is as tough on Hall’s prediction as he was on mine.
High School Swimming Problems
Here, in Florida, we’re about to start the High School swimming season. One hesitates to be critical of any aspect of swimming in the United States. The country’s record of international success suggests that most of what they do works. But some aspects of High School swimming sure are an enigma.
I can understand the educational appeal of providing sedentary teens with constructive physical activity. I can also appreciate the competitive value of the end of season State Finals. High School swimming does both and does them well.
The confusion lies in the effort to unite these two incompatible goals; to mix oil and water. Parochial coaches and local media are obsessed with promoting (as they see it) the primary educational good of High School swimming and the ethereal competitive importance of local high school championships. Add to that muddle the separate and powerful program promoted by USA Swimming and it is little wonder outsiders finds it all a bit puzzling.
Let’s have a look at some of the confusions, contradictions and downright dishonesty, the conflict between High School swimming and USA Swimming’s urbane vision for the sport, have caused.
For example, in ten months time USA Swimming will hold its Olympic Trials. High School age swimmers, good enough to swim in the Trials, would be best to spend the next ten weeks preparing for that meet. It may be the most important swimming event of their lives. Instead a potent union of school, peers, media and other pressures will be brought to bear. Competition between local High Schools, in pools probably too shallow to permit dive starts, will compromise the young athletes’ Trial’s preparation.
Besides the disruption to their training, the demands on a swimmers’ racing budgets are selfish and stunning. Coach Gennadi Touretski had a good rule-of-thumb that a well conditioned athlete should swim 100 races per annum. Certainly that’s about what Alexander Popov managed. Few High School swimmers are Alexander Popov. Most are going to risk burn out well before 100 races per annum. One of the best swimmers on our team has swum 53 races so far in 2007 and was clearly tired by the time he got to the Junior Nationals.
I bet the average, stand-in PE teacher, High School swim coach has no idea that their season of 11 weeks, involving 10 dual meets and four “Championship” meets could entail 60 races; that’s 60% of a swimmer’s annual budget. That leaves 40 races to conduct the athlete’s entire USA Swimming program, and that’s not enough.
I guess the options are to restrict the number of High School races or crash on, racing under-prepared athletes through 140 races per annum, hoping they are going to be among the few that survive. But that “Charge of the Light Brigade” and to hell with the casualties strategy is not something to promote or be proud of.
It’s not only swimmers and coaches that have problems around High School swimming. When I was at the Nationals in Indianapolis I met a coach from the west coast who told me a most remarkable tale. See what you think.
His team’s Parent Board elected a new President. My coaching friend thought it would be an ideal opportunity to ask if she and the Board would object to him coaching a local High School team in addition to his USA team duties. It was a good fit; after all the High School and the USA team swam at the same pool. The President was emphatic. Under no circumstances was that possible. In fact if the Coach went ahead with his suggestion, she would remove her daughter from the team. My friend backed off and did not contact the High School about their coaching vacancy. About four months later the new President, probably predictably, just up and left anyway. Unbelievably she moved to a pool where there was not only both a USA team and a High School team, but where the joint Coach placed a passionate emphasis on his High School program. There’s none as bloody strange as folk, is there?
I guess all I can do now is compromise my way through the next ten weeks and hope that the damaged caused to the best and brightest will not be too severe. If any of you have a better plan please let me know. You will have an avid listener.
Notes on the Nationals
Well the Nationals are over. That means there are 321 days to the US Olympic Trials. We have two swimmers, Rhi and John, who have qualified to swim and I will be working as best I can to get a third on his way to Omaha, Nebraska.
So, what were the Nationals like? Bloody great, is the answer. The competition, the efficiency, the pool, everything was just as a Nationals should be. The meet was like an old overcoat, it felt warm, it felt comfortable, it was just right, a good fit. But it wasn’t only the swimming that stood out. In fact the swimming was pretty much as I expected. Of course Michael Phelps and company are fast. There is no surprise there. Sadly, those guys are so good, it’s only when they swim slowly that we are surprised and that’s not often.
Rather, I was surprised at the small, peripheral things. Take for example the “Athletes’ Lounge”. Here was an area set aside for athletes to sit, watch TV and relax. It was well stocked with food and drink. It was the equal, in every way, of the fine fare being enjoyed by coaches and officials at the other end of the pool. What a revolution, what progress, what a victory for swimming liberals; an “Athletes’ Lounge”. There is not another Championship in the World that athletes are afforded this hospitality. If there is, I’ve not been there. The message it sends, is that USA Swimming cares. Athletes are as important as coaches and officials. Compare that with the New Zealand custom of providing officials with boundless chardonnay hospitality while coaches and swimmers swelter on the pool deck. They say a nation gets the athletes it deserves. I guess that’s true in both countries.
The officials are very good. Being my first USA Nationals I had to ask some pretty basic questions. Where could I get the morning’s heat sheets; all that sort of thing. In every case, I was helped way beyond what was asked for or required. One well known official told me how good it was to see Rhi’s pink hair around the pool. Made him feel quite at home, he said. I know his comments made me feel quite at home too.
At other Nationals I’ve been spied on, abused and ignored. At one Mexico City Championship I tried to get my swimmer off a disqualification because the Disqualification Form had been filled out in Spanish and I couldn’t read it, and the date on the form was the previous year. The referee said I was a disgrace and was clearly the sort of person who would get rapists off on a technicality. He was a very angry official. In Indianapolis there was none of that. Incidentally, I have occasionally wondered what my Mexican official thought about the USA team getting Peirsol off a disqualification in the men’s 200 backstroke in Athens for very similar reasons. In Mexico that would have been enough to put Mark Schubert in my club of people well known for protecting rapists.
The other thing I liked about the officials in Indianapolis; they know how to run a swim meet. They start on time and keep the meet running on time. You can trust the time line, even the one prepared at 10.00 am for the 12.00 noon time trials. But probably the best example of what I’m trying to explain is illustrated by the Indianapolis referees and starters. In most meets these officials have a little space at the starting end of the pool that is defended jealously. Several German Shepard dogs would not be out of place in some meets I’ve attended. At Indianapolis the volume of traffic was such that, while each race was in the water, the referee’s and starter’s space was a pedestrian freeway. On a number of occasions I guiltily walked through it, trying desperately to avoid eye contact with anyone dressed in white. Several times I received a warm, “Good morning” from the officials whose space I was so brazenly invading. Whatever USA Swimming is doing to train their officials, don’t change. It’s not broke.
While it may not be about swimming, I was impressed with the town of Indianapolis. Downtown is historic, colorful and clean. There are horse and cart rides through the town center, massive monuments to the Civil War and a selection of pubs and restaurants to die for. Even the homeless seem to be doing all right. One guy sat on the same corner most days. On my first day I gave him some of my change. As I put the money in his tin I couldn’t help but notice that the cell phone he was talking into was one of those new $600 iphones and his very up-market music ipod probably cost about the same.
Being as Indiana was the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, Andrew and I decided to visit the Civil War museum. That Civil War was a pretty deadly period of American history. The tents soldiers lived in weren’t up to much either. If the medical kits on display were anything to go by it would have been best not to get wounded. One had an amputation saw that would never cut cleanly through anything. A museum like that makes you realize that in most cases there has to be a better solution to an argument than wars that kill thousands.
On our last night in Indianapolis Rhi’s Dad took Rhi, John, Haley McGregory and me to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. I had the most fantastic lamb chops ever eaten. I don’t know whether they were from New Zealand or Montana but wherever, they were bloody good and a reminder of home. I also had a touch too much white wine. I refuse to comment on the drinking or eating habits of my companions. It was fun; just the very best way to end a great meet.
The "Hard Training" Excuse
Swimwatch has just received the following email.
I just was made aware of your printing an e-mail, I sent to meet organizers, in Missouri, back in February. I am not sure where you got ahold of my e-mail, but you do not have all of the facts. Numerous coaches complained. I was the only one who hit the, “reply all”, button. In the Florida LSC, which I have coached in for 25 years, the deadline is the deadline!
I appreciate rules and deadlines. Unfortunately, coaches who make mistakes, do not. Jay Fitzgerald and I are friends, and he had no problem with my objection. It was another South Florida Coach, who could not enter his two swimmers correctly, by the deadline. The meet organizers did offer time trials, which I supported.
Also, concerning my teams performance, we were the only ones not wearing fastskin suits and before each prelim session, we came in early and worked out, 7,000-8,000 meters. Keep up the informative work, but please research the facts more carefully in the future.
Larry Shofe
Head Swim Coach
Sarasota YMCA Sharks
Most of the email is confusing and has little relevance to the original Swimwatch Missouri story. For example:
Shofe says he does not know how Swimwatch got hold of his email. In the next sentence he says he “hit the reply all button.” Well, puzzling as it may be, that’s how we got his email. He sent it to us.
Shofe says that coaches who make mistakes don’t appreciate rules and deadlines. That’s just rubbish. Most of us make plenty of mistakes, which never diminish or change our respect for rules and deadlines.
I appreciate Shofe’s advice that he and Jay Fitzgerald are friends. What has that got to do with the rest of the United States swimming in the Missouri Meet? I have no idea.
We appreciate hearing that Shofe has coached in Florida for 25 years. What has that got to do with the rest of the United States swimming in the Missouri Meet? Again I have no idea.
None of this is all that interesting. The paragraph about his team’s performance though is worth a second look. He says they were the only team not wearing Fastskin suits and prior to each preliminary session they worked out 7,000 – 8,000 meters.
That’s just not true. All but one of our team did not swim in Fastskin suits. At that stage, I think, only Rhi owned a Fastskin suit. More importantly, we spent the meet sitting next to Michael Phelps. He swam most of the meet in his Speedos; understandable given that he was clearly in the middle of his preparation for the Pan Pacific Games. I find it arrogant to suggest that others beat Shofe’s team only because his swimmers didn’t wear Fastskin racing suits; they weren’t really trying. Shofe’s perception of reality appears to be only in his own mind.
But the really interesting bit is the 7,000 – 8,000 workouts. I’ve heard hundreds of coaches make this sort of excuse. The implication is their team would have swum much faster but were in the middle of hard training. I can assure any coaches who’d like to make this excuse that they would not give a darn how far my team had swum prior to them beating us. A win’s a win, and so is a loss.
If it is good enough to turn up, then swim the race as a legitimate event and accept the result. Do not, by implication, diminish the performance of those who beat you by inferring you could have swum faster; that you may have even won the event.
Some time ago I received an email from a swimmer I coached prior to her going to college. He said his college coach always used the “we’re in hard training” excuse, especially when “we got our asses handed to us” by our rivals. It is an excuse borne out of weakness. It is self important and demeaning to others. At the Missouri Meet, Michael Phelps was also obviously in the middle of hard training and never felt the need to make the “7,000 meters” excuse. He also broke a world record, didn’t he?
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Lower Corporate Tax
Labels: EU, Scotland, Tax
Yesterday's Sunday Herald ran another scare story, this time about the EU not allowing an independent Scotland to set a low rate of corporation tax.
Salmond in 'fantasy land' over tax plans, says former adviser
Alex Salmond's vision of an independent Scotland attracting global investors with ultra-low corporation tax has been dismissed as "a fantasy" by one of his former economic advisers. Professor John Kay, who served on the First Minister's Council of Economic Advisers during the last Parliament, said the idea was a "non-starter" because the rest of the EU would block it.
He said it was inconceivable that other EU states, who want to end Ireland's 12.5% rate and who are now moving towards common tax rates, would allow Scotland to copy Ireland's example.
"No-one is going to allow Scotland to have a low corporation tax. That's just a fantasy," he said. "If Scotland's an independent country, the EU will not allow it. It's a non-starter. What has happened on corporation tax is Ireland has this low rate and everyone around the EU is determined that that should never happen again.
"So Scotland would have to negotiate EU membership – it wouldn't be difficult, everyone's going to have Scotland as a member – but you can be absolutely sure that one of the conditions is that you don't have a 12.5% corporation tax rate. Since a fuss has been made in Scotland about doing that, it would be inevitable that you would get the determination on the part of the Europeans that you do not have it."
Sunday Herald, 29 January 2012
It might well be true that certain countries in the EU don't like Ireland's rate of corporate tax, but the idea that they would be forced to change it is one of the myths about the EU that seems to have sprung up in recent years. Ireland's rate of 12.5% is by no means the lowest rate in the EU. No comparison is completely accurate because there is a whole range of other taxes on business (for example non-domestic rates and employers' NI contributions in the UK) but here are the lowest ... and highest:
Hungary ... 10.0%
Cyprus ... 10.0%
Bulgaria ... 10.0%
Ireland ... 12.5%
Italy ... 31.4%
Germany ... 15.8% federal + 14.4% - 17.5% regional = 30.2% - 33.3%
France ... 33.3%
Belgium ... 34.0%
Malta ... 35.0%
This table shows why the idea of "common tax rates" in the EU is highly unlikely. The average corporate tax rate in the EU is somewhere between 20 and 25%. So if the low tax countries are to be forced to increase their rates to get them closer to the average, then the high tax countries will similarly be required to lower them. But among the very highest taxing countries are France, Germany and Italy ... three of the EU giants. Does anyone think that they'll be persuaded to lower their rates just so that there can be an EU average?
A more likely scenario would be for EU member states to agree minimum rates of tax. The lowest standard rate of VAT that any EU member state can charge is 15%, although there can be lower rates (or a zero rate) applied to certain types of goods and services. So it might well be possible to in future set a minimum rate of corporate tax too. But if so, it would have to apply to every member, not just one particular member.
It's also interesting to note that there are two EU member states that have different rates of corporate taxation for different geographical regions. The German model has a roughly half-and-half split between a fixed rate of federal corporate tax and a variable component according to the region. And the four Basque provinces are free to set their own rate of corporate tax, which at 28% is currently 2% below that of Spain. So there is no reason for the UK as it currently exists not to allow Northern Ireland, Scotland and indeed Wales to be able to set our own rates of corporation tax in order to act as a counterbalance to the increasing inequality in wealth between the south east corner of England and everywhere else in the UK.
Well, no reason apart from the intransigence of successive governments at Westminster, that is, who obviously don't seem to regard this over-centralization as a problem.
Posted by MH at 11:57 9 comments Links to this post
A surge in support for independence
Labels: Catalunya, Independence
I've just seen a report that the percentage in favour of independence in Catalunya has surged by more than 8% to 53.6%. The official Baròmetre d’Opinió Política is published every quarter, and the figures for the previous quarter were 45.4% in favour of independence with 24.7% against. I'll link to the full figures when they're available.
There does seem to be a strange contrast between Catalunya and Scotland. The Scottish government is pressing ahead with a referendum on independence even though the opinion polls currently show that only a minority favour it. But the Catalan government is not pressing for any move towards independence from Spain, even though the polls are consistently showing a large margin in favour of it. Odd, isn't it?
When do we get our independence referendum?
Labels: Elin Jones, Independence
Elin Jones has just been reported by the BBC as saying:
"There is a debate happening now in Wales, England and Scotland now about the future of the UK constitution - I want to see Plaid Cymru engaged fully in the debate in order to lead us to becoming a successful independent nation.
"I'm clearly of the view that two consecutive victories for Plaid Cymru, just as with the SNP in Scotland, could trigger a referendum for independence in Wales."
It is the first time a leading Plaid figure has suggested a referendum could take place within the next decade.
BBC, 25 January 2011
Let's start with the positives. First, it's right to acknowledge that Elin has consistently taken a stand in favour of independence for Wales, that puts her head and shoulders above two of the other leadership candidates. Second, 2020 is certainly an improvement on her previous suggestion that we should aim to be independent before 2036. That is the sort of date that means nothing in practical terms because it is much too far away.
But I don't think she should have put it in the way she now has. It is definitely not necessary for Plaid Cymru to win two consecutive elections before we have the right to call an independence referendum. We just need to look to Scotland to see that. The SNP would have had a referendum on independence before 2011 if there had been a majority in the Scottish Parliament willing to pass a referendum bill in the 2007-2011 term. The only reason it didn't happen was because the SNP (together with the Greens and Margo MacDonald) didn't have a majority, and the three unionist parties would have voted it down.
The same is true in Wales. We will have a referendum on independence when a majority of AMs in the Senedd is prepared to vote for it. Nor will all those that vote for it have to be Plaid Cymru AMs, for there might well come a time when other parties are convinced that independence is in the best interests of Wales. But in practical terms, getting an independence referendum is more likely to happen when we elect a Plaid Cymru government.
I couldn't agree more with the idea of setting out a route map towards independence. We need to do this. Every country needs to have a framework of fundamental structures and institutions in place in order to safeguard the wellbeing, prosperity and security of its people. Wales does have some of these and with the progress of devolution is gaining more, but we are some way from having all of them. Every step we can take now will make the final step to independence that much smaller and therefore that much easier.
But we must also bear in mind that other events might bring us to the point where we are faced with making a decision much sooner. Events such as Scotland becoming independent, a wave of other countries in Europe becoming independent (Catalunya, Euskadi and Flanders, for example) or a reunited Ireland might mean that we have to make a choice between independence or being part of Greater England before we've built the framework of structures and institutions we need. That's not an insuperable problem ... we'll just have to build them after we've become independent instead.
So although we should work out a step-by-step route map and put dates against each step for planning purposes, we should not rule out becoming independent much sooner. The only criticism I have of what Elin has now said is that it seems to rule this out. I'm sure that is not what she intended, but those who are opposed to our independence are going to interpret it that way.
Posted by MH at 14:49 25 comments Links to this post
Missing the bigger picture
Labels: Devolution, Northern Ireland, Scotland
I must admit to being mystified by the way that the findings of the IPPR survey into English attitudes to devolution have been reported in Wales. The BBC Wales story has this headline:
IPPR report: More English think devolution and Welsh Assembly harmful
And then quoted these figures:
• 31% of people thought the Welsh Assembly had a negative impact on how Britain was governed, compared to 11% in 2007.
• Those who thought devolution to Wales had made no difference fell to 24% from a high of 66% in 2003.
• About a quarter (26%) thought Wales got more than its fair share of UK public spending, with slightly more (28%) saying it got "pretty much" its fair share.
• Only 7% thought England got its fair share, while 40% thought it got less than it deserved.
These figures are indeed taken from the report, which is fine. The problem is that the BBC's story only mentions Wales, saying nothing about Scotland and Northern Ireland.
If we look at the report itself, we can see that the first two figures sets of figures are almost exactly the same for Scotland's Parliament as for our National Assembly. Put in the same format, they are:
• 35% of people thought the Scottish Parliament had a negative impact on how Britain was governed, compared to 14% in 2007.
• Those who thought devolution to Scotland had made no difference fell to 20% from a high of 64% in 2003.
IPPR report, Table 2.1
The IPPR report doesn't give an equivalent comparison with the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont. But it does give a comparison with both Scotland and Northern Ireland for the third set of figures on the share of UK public expenditure:
• Nearly a half (46%) thought Scotland got more than its fair share of UK public spending, with slightly less than a quarter (24%) saying it got "pretty much" its fair share.
• More than a quarter (28%) thought Northern Ireland got more than its fair share of UK public spending, with slightly less (25%) saying it got "pretty much" its fair share.
IPPR report, Figure 2.1 and Table 2.2
So why did the BBC single out devolution to Wales in their story ... without even a mention of the greater discontent that the English feel over both the "harmfulness" of the Scottish Parliament and the perceived "unfairness" in the levels of public spending in Scotland and Northern Ireland? Is it just blinkered parochialism, or is there a more sinister agenda at play?
And Wales Online follows in the same vein with an even worse:
Welsh Assembly is damaging Britain, claims survey of English voters
However it does at least mention the figures for Scotland ... but that makes the headline even less excusable.
Independence? It's stupidity of the first degree
Labels: Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Plaid
Among the endorsements that Dafydd Elis-Thomas has chosen to put on his new website in his bid to become leader of Plaid Cymru is this statement from Gwilym Owen:
Yn ôl rhai mae o'n euog o fod yn anwadal ei genedlaetholdeb a hynny yn fwy na dim am ei fod o'n ymwrthod a'r gair hwnnw "annibynniaeth". Dyna'r gair bellach sydd ar wefusau'r rheiny sy'n credu ei bod hi'n bosib ail adrodd stori'r Alban yng Nghymru. Ond twpdra o'r radd flaenaf ydi hynny wrth gwrs – ac mae Dafydd El yn ddigon hirben ac yn ddigon onest i gyhoeddi hynny.
Mae gan Blaid Cymru swyddogaeth bwysicach a hynny ydi cydweithio gyda, a sbarduno'r Llywodraeth Lafur i gynnal economi Cymru drwy gyfnod o galedi mawr. Mae gweithredu felly yn anhepgor y dyddiau hyn – ac mae gan y Cenedlaetholwyr ddyletswydd i wynebu'r her honno.
According to some he's guilty of being fickle in his nationalism and, more than anything, this is because of his rejection of the word "independence". That's the word which is now on the lips of those who believe that it's possible to repeat what's happening in Scotland in Wales. But that of course is stupidity of the first degree – and Dafydd El is shrewd and honest enough to say that in public.
Plaid Cymru has a more important role, and that is to co-operate with and spur on the Labour Government to support the Welsh economy through a period of great hardship. Working in this way is indispensable in times like these – and Nationalists have a duty to face that challenge.
Gwilym Owen in Golwg, 5 January 2012
There are two things about this endorsement that I'd like to focus on: first independence and second leadership.
Fickle about independence
Let's look first at independence and the idea that the narrative in Scotland is different from that in Wales. I don't think it is, and neither does Dafydd Elis-Thomas.
Before his professed conversion to the cause of independence for Wales, Dafydd certainly didn't think there was that much difference between Scotland and Wales. Of course he never believed in independence for Wales, but perhaps some people reading this won't remember that only a few years ago he was equally against independence for Scotland too. This is what he said in September 2004:
This week the SNP gathers in Inverness. Last week, the former leader of the Welsh nationalists spoke up about the SNP's failure to adjust to devolution, commenting: "There is still a role for them but not as a nationalist party."
He added that the SNP’s only chance of government was to cease to pursue "Scottish independence as if this is the real issue" and transform itself into a "party of government within the devolved set-up."
Scotsman, 22 September 2004
This was at a time when the SNP were at a low point, rather similar to the position that Plaid Cymru is in now. They had done very badly in the elections to the Scottish Parliament in 2003, and people were saying that they needed a change of direction in order to become electable.
But thankfully Alex Salmond refused to take Dafydd's advice and in fact laughed off the idea that the SNP should backtrack on the idea of independence.
I was amused by the Scottish press who ran the piece just before our conference and they said, "Dafydd Elis-Thomas doesn't believe in independence anymore."
"Well he never believed in independence anyway."
When asked whether there was any merit in Lord Elis-Thomas's arguments, Mr Salmond said, "Most of the criticism of the SNP actually comes from those who say we have lost sight of the vision of an independent Scotland by getting involved in devolution and getting wrapped up in the day-to-day running of politics.
"We have to do both. Where I disagree with my distinguished colleague is that you have to have a successful national party. You have to have a vision of independence galvanising support and the promise of what independence can deliver linked to a social and economic vision that you want to deliver. The job of the SNP is not to substitute the constitutional debate with the social and economic debate or vice versa but to link the two."
Western Mail, 12 November 2004
And that of course is the whole point: it is wrong to think that the debate is either to talk about constitutional matters or to talk about social and economic matters. The point is that we can only deal with social and economic matters in Wales to the extent that we can make decisions about these things in Wales. It is a question of whether we are content to let a government in Westminster make these decisions for us or whether we are prepared to take on that responsibility for ourselves.
Alex Salmond realized that the SNP had failed to make an electoral breakthrough because they had lost focus on what they existed for as a political party. But by sticking to their core aims, and by not being afraid to even mention the word independence in the way that Plaid Cymru has avoided it over most of the past decade, the SNP were able to form a minority government in 2007, and then went on to win a spectacular overall victory in 2011.
The lesson is obvious. If a political party is ambivalent about what it is for, it will get nowhere. The public won't tolerate two-faced politicians. But they will listen and respond positively to a party that wants independence for their country if that party is honest and open about it.
After being proved to have been so humiliatingly wrong, it is little wonder that Dafydd has had to change his tune in recent months. If we believe what he said to Martin Shipton, he has now become an enthusiastic supporter of independence for Wales. I was prepared to give him the benefit of any doubt about whether he was telling the truth or whether he was lying through his teeth to try and prolong his political career by a few years.
But now? All I will say is that he has done himself no favours by putting this endorsement from Gwilym Owen on his website. He's simply reopened an issue which it would surely have been wiser for him to let rest. Put simply, he's still trying to have it both ways at the same time. Dafydd clearly wants one group of people to believe one thing about him on the matter of independence for Wales, but wants others to believe something else.
Put more bluntly, he's being two-faced. But what's new about that?
Clueless about leadership
The second thing I want to look at is what Dafydd would do if he were to become leader of Plaid Cymru. For the second part of the endorsement he has put on his website maintains that the "more important" role Plaid Cymru should fulfil is to co-operate with the Labour Government.
Is the main reason for Plaid Cymru's existence to lend a helping hand to the Labour Party? Is this the limit of Dafydd's ambition for the party? Labour are our political opponents. In order for Plaid Cymru to form the next Welsh Government in 2016 we will need to take seats from Labour in their own heartlands, and we won't do that by positioning ourselves as nothing more than Labour's little helpers. Besides that, Labour don't need our help ... they have enough seats to manage on their own.
So the whole premise of Dafydd's strategy is misplaced. All he appears to want is to put a few more years of life into a political career that's been dead on its feet for a long, long time. Other candidates (well two of them, anyway) have put forward a vision of where they want Plaid Cymru to go under their leadership, how to take Wales forward instead of continuing the slow downhill slide under Labour. The best I can find on Dafydd's new website is this page on what the job of leader is and what he will do. It's just a cut and paste from the Assembly's own rules but with nothing new, nothing special and nothing unique to offer.
Labels: Plaid, Simon Thomas
Simon Thomas said this in the Western Mail on Friday:
"If you want a leader who'll always talk about independence, then don't vote for me."
Western Mail, 20 January 2012
Don't worry, Simon. We won't.
Vote Britain
Labels: Scotland
Thanks to a comment on the previous post, I thought I'd show this video from Scottish author Alan Bissett.
I'd read the written version here, but the video is much better.
Simple referendum maths
Labels: Independence, Paul Murphy, Scotland
The ICM poll in today's Telegraph provides a timely illustration of the point I made in this post on Thursday: that not including the option of devo-max in the Scottish independence referendum will substantially increase the percentage that will vote for independence.
Three options
Independence ... 26%
Fiscal autonomy ... 26%
Status quo ... 37%
Don't know ... 10%
Two options
ICM, 15 January 2012
I think it's reasonable to assume that the 10% who are undecided when three options are presented to them will also be undecided when presented with two. So that means the vote of the 26% who would have wanted fiscal autonomy but not independence splits three ways:
14% ... would vote for independence instead
6% ... would vote for the status quo instead
6% ... would be undecided
In other words, substantially more than half of them would vote for independence.
It is also interesting to note that people in both England and Scotland are in favour of establishing an English Parliament with the same devolved powers as the Scottish Parliament, by a margin of more than three to one:
In favour of an English Parliament ... 49%
Against an English Parliament ... 16%
Yet Paul Murphy, bless him, is still thinking in terms of devolution to the regions of England rather than to England itself.
This shows that he really has no idea about what people in England think. The previous attempt to establish elected regional assemblies in England failed primarily because it ignored the idea of England as a political entity in its own right.
Alien body snatchers at large in Westminster
Labels: Independence, Michael Moore, Scotland
I have to admit I was fooled into thinking that Wednesday's statement in the House of Commons which claimed that the Scottish Parliament had no power to legislate for a referendum on Scottish independence was made by Michael Moore, the LibDem MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk and Secretary of State for Scotland.
However it has now become clear that this proclamation was not in fact made by him, but by an alien being that has taken control of his body.
How can I be so sure? Well, this is what the real Michael Moore said in an interview on the Politics Show in May last year:
UK "will not block" Scottish independence referendum
The UK government will not move to block a referendum on Scottish independence, the Secretary of State for Scotland has said.
Liberal Democrat MP Michael Moore said there would not be constitutional questions raised about the rights or wrongs of holding a vote.
The newly-elected majority SNP Scottish government intends to bring forward a referendum in its five-year term. The Conservatives, Labour and Lib Dems all oppose independence.
Mr Moore told BBC Scotland's Politics Show it was now up to the SNP to bring forward the referendum, which First Minister Alex Salmond said would come "well into the second half" of the new, five-year parliament.
"I firmly believe the Scottish Parliament, if it so decides, can proceed with a referendum," Mr Moore said, adding: "There will be the normal electoral rules that have to be followed and it will have to be discussed carefully with the relevant authorities."
The Scottish secretary added: "We could, I suppose, try to make a constitutional issue about where the powers lie or don't, but I don't think that would be a sensible use of anybody's time."
BBC, 8 May 2011
So we shouldn't be taken in by the new-found dogmatism coming from the unionist parties this week. What they are saying now is definitely not what they were saying only a few months ago.
You can't have devo-max
Labels: Independence, Scotland, SNP
After David Cameron's rather combative statements on the Andrew Marr programme on Sunday, I made sure that I was watching Michael Moore's statement in the Commons on how the UK Government saw the referendum on independence for Scotland. It was notably much more woolly and much less definitive than I was expecting.
In essence, all that's happened is that they are launching a public consultation asking people for their opinions on what they should do. That document is available here.
There are many detailed points in it that could and no doubt will be discussed. I disagree with the contention that the Scottish Government cannot legally call a referendum, but acknowledge—as do the SNP themselves—that any referendum it could call under the Scotland Act would have to be phrased very carefully. The proposed wording in their 2010 paper was to ask whether:
The [Scottish] Parliament's powers should be extended to enable independence to be achieved
So if the UK Government now wants to make it easier for the Scottish Parliament to ask a more straightforward question, I don't see why anyone should object to it. In purely pragmatic terms it lessens the chance of any legal dispute, and therefore means that the debate can concentrate on political arguments rather than procedural ones. But that said, there is every reason to object to the "strings" that the UK government seem to want to add to it.
In a sense, this is all a storm in a teacup. The Scottish government will continue to believe that they have the right to call a referendum, the Westminster government will continue to believe that only they can grant permission for it, and they can both go on believing what they do provided that the referendum goes ahead. Is Westminster going to quibble about the date? No. There'll be a few mutterings about them wanting it earlier but they'll let it stand at Autumn 2014. Is anyone going to worry about the wording of the question? No. It would have to be agreeable to both sides anyway, and those who are against independence in Holyrood aren't going to have a different opinion from those who are against independence in Westminster. The only real question is over who will be eligible to vote.
But the one thing that now appears not to be in doubt is that there won't be an option for devo-max on the ballot paper. I have made the point on several occasions that devo-max is not something that the SNP wants or is going to fight for. Their position has consistently been that they would consider including it as an option if there was broad public support for it, if it could be precisely defined and if it was deliverable. Whether Scotland becomes independent or not is a decision for Scotland alone irrespective of what the rest of the UK thinks; but if Scotland was going to have a new constitutional settlement while remaining a part of the UK, this would need to be agreed with the rest of the UK. In practical terms, this means that the UK Parliament had to decide what it was and agree to implement it if that is what the Scots voted for.
The answer to the first of those three ifs is clear. In round numbers, the opinion polls tend to show that 30% support independence, 35% support devo-max (or at least much more devolution than is currently included in the Scotland Bill) and maybe 25% don't want any more than is included in the current Scotland Bill. So there is clearly broad public support for devo-max or devo-plus. But the answer to the second if is that none of the three unionist parties is prepared to define it, let alone work together to deliver the third if, namely a firm proposal that would win majority support in Westminster.
It is for these reasons that a question on devo-max is not going to be included on the ballot paper. Not because Westminster refuses to allow Holyrood the right to ask the question in a referendum, but because the three unionist parties together are unwilling to let the people of Scotland have it.
It goes without saying that they have reached this position because of the political calculations that have been made behind the scenes. But I have to question how sensible those decisions are. If we take them at their word, the primary concern of the three unionist parties should surely be to keep the United Kingdom together. So why would they refuse to countenance giving people in Scotland the greater degree of devolution they clearly want if it would keep Scotland within the UK? I think there are probably two answers.
First, that they are more concerned about denying the SNP any sort of "victory". True, devo-max is not the sort of victory that the SNP want; but to use a sporting analogy it would be the equivalent of getting a draw and therefore keeps them in the contest in the hope of getting the victory they want in a later replay. It appears that scoring party political points over the SNP is more important than working out a sustainable model for the future of the UK.
But second, they probably wouldn't do this if they took the possibility of Scottish independence seriously. For if they saw the continued existence of the UK as being under threat they would surely take whatever steps are necessary to hold it together. This is the big "blind spot" for most unionists. They see the 30% / 35% / 25% split in public opinion in Scotland and read it as 30% wanting independence but 60% being happy to remain part of the UK. I, other nationalists, and maybe only a handful of unionists read it as 25% being happy with the UK as it stands but 65% who want something better.
If people are offered a three way choice between the status quo, taking one big step to independence or taking the intermediate step of full fiscal autonomy in a federal UK, there is bound to be a significant number who will take the first step and then decide if they want to take the second step later. But if that third option is taken off the table, the 35% or so who wanted to take it one step at a time will be faced with a stark choice: either to stay in a UK that refuses to allow them the degree of autonomy they want, or to take full responsibility for their own future by becoming an independent country.
I've no doubt that some of them will decide to put up with continuing to be part of a UK in which they are drip-fed more devolution in tiny doses as and when the UK thinks it appropriate. But I'm confident that more of them will decide that they've finally had enough of being told what they can and can't do.
That's the fundamental miscalculation that the three unionist parties have now made. In the couple of years between now and the referendum in 2014, I'm sure that most of the 35% or so who wanted devo-max but not independence will decide to join those who have already decided that they want Scotland to be independent.
As the polls begin to reflect this, the unionist parties will wish that they hadn't been so dogmatic. But it was their decision to insist on a single Yes/No question in the referendum, not the SNP's.
Wales should now get £1.9bn
Labels: Barnett, Rail, Transport
I'm very pleased that the UK Transport Secretary has today announced that the HS2 line between London and Birmingham is to go ahead.
This investment of £33bn is entirely within England. By all rights Wales should get a Barnett consequential of 5.83% in so far as it is funded from the Treasury or other public funds. On the full sum, this would equate to just over £1.9bn.
The priority now is to make sure we get it, rather than have to put up with the same sort of fudge that we had to endure over the expenditure on the Olympic Games. Having seen coverage of the statement in Westminster, I think our politicians would do far better to concentrate their efforts on securing this money for Wales rather than talking about about tunnels through the Chilterns.
Update - 18:45, 10 January 2012
For those who aren't aware of it, just before Christmas the current UK Government were obliged, under the inter-governmental disputes procedure, to make a U-turn over the Barnett consequential for the Olympic Games in London ... but only for that period in which they have been in power. Details here.
Sadly, the vast majority of the expense was incurred before that when Labour were in power in Westminster, so we're only getting a small fraction of what we should have got. But the point of principle has been established. Therefore the question is whether the Welsh Government will fight for a similar Barnett consequential in this case.
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
Labels: Blwyddyn Newydd Dda
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Squabbling over scraps
Labels: DUP, Independence, Ireland, Tories
So the Tories eventually managed to negotiate a confidence and supply deal with the DUP to keep Theresa May in power. The headline is that it will result in £1bn of additional spending over two years in the Six Counties. People in Wales have been kicking up a fuss about it.
It doesn't surprise me at all that Carwyn Jones should do so. As Welsh Labour see things, the whole point of being in this political union is that, through it, Wales can be subsidized by countries that are richer than we are. Therefore the size of the handout we get, and how it compares to the handouts that other parts of the UK get, is important ... in fact it's probably the most important thing on their agenda.
For what it's worth, I wouldn't worry too much about it. There is almost certain to be legal challenge from the Welsh and Scottish governments, which might well result in Wales, Scotland and perhaps even England getting more public spending. But even if some legal process eventually determines that a few billion pounds more has be made available to be spent elsewhere, it is only small change in comparison with total UK public expenditure of more than £750bn a year. From the Tories' point of view, it's a very cheap way of giving them a comfort zone in terms of votes in the House of Commons. And even if there is some legal challenge, it will take years, so the Tories will have bought themselves time ... which in itself is a very precious commodity.
What concerns me more is that many of those who want independence for Wales have been complaining in exactly the same way, and that some—for example in this post have said that if only we were a little more unruly, then we in Wales could get bigger handouts from Westminster. I find this disturbing, because the whole point of independence for us to stand on our own two feet as a nation, not relying on handouts from others at all, and certainly not arguing about whether we should now get £1.7bn more to spend in Wales just because the Six Counties are in line to get £1bn.
If we do this, we are missing the point entirely. Our mentality is completely wrong. I do not want a Wales on its knees squabbling over a few billion pounds, I want a Wales on its feet, producing that few billion—and much more—by our own efforts.
Let's look more closely at Ireland. Before independence Ireland was poor. Since independence (and particularly since joining the EU) the Republic has become much, much richer. This wealth might be concentrated in the south east (just as it is in both Wales and England) but even the poorer Border, Midlands and Western region of Ireland is considerably more wealthy than the Six Counties.
Southern and Eastern Ireland ... €39,900 (£28,950) per head
Border, Midlands and Western Ireland ... €23,700 (£17,200) per head
Six Counties ... €21,000 (£15,200) per head
Let's now put this additional £1bn into perspective. It equates to £500m per year, or £280 (€390) per head, since the Six Counties have a population of about 1.8m. At best, all this additional spending only scratches the surface of the underlying inequality of wealth between the Six and Twenty-six Counties. And in fact the current inequality is much bigger now than these figures show, because the pound has fallen so much in value since the Brexit vote.
Of course, nobody can say for certain that if the whole of Ireland had become independent, without partition, the Six Counties would now be as rich as the Twenty-Six. But I would be astounded if they weren't.
To slightly modify the proverb: is it better to give someone an extra £280 of fish a year, or allow them to catch fish for themselves and become a few thousand pounds richer each year as a result?
I have no doubt that the DUP will spin this deal as a victory, and will say at the next election, "Vote for us, because only we are able to deliver all this extra fish pork."
Fish-barrel politics is as grubby as pork-barrel politics, it's a reflection of our obsession with the small picture at the expense of the big picture. We need to be asking why Wales, Scotland or the Six Counties should live as beggars, squabbling with each other over how many billion pounds the UK government will give us on the rare occasions when one of our political parties is in a position to twist their arm. With independence, we can each arrange our economies to suit our own strengths and in time, like Ireland, become much richer than we will ever be as part of the UK.
Posted by Michael Haggett at 14:05 3 comments Links to this post
Bad reporting from the Guardian
Labels: Education, EU, Media
Yes, from the headline, I guess most of you will have thought that I was referring to this article yesterday on Ysgol Llangennech and Welsh-medium education generally.
However what I had in mind was this report on a poll commissioned by Chatham House on what position the EU should take in Brexit negotiations. The Guardian's headline reads:
Two-thirds of Europeans believe EU should take hard line on Brexit – poll
But look more closely at this graphic from the article:
Yes, it is technically true that two-thirds of those outside the UK said that the EU should not compromise its core principles ... but what about the additional 20% who said that the EU should not compromise at all?
Do the maths. The truth is that more than 80% of those questioned think that the EU should not compromise over its core principles. In fact, even a majority in the UK think that the EU should not compromise its core principles. If we needed proof that the UK government is not going to get the outcome it says it wants, this survey should add to it. Twenty-seven democratically elected governments are not going to ignore such overwhelming strength of opinion in their respective countries.
So what are we to make of such reporting? Is it sloppiness? Maybe. Or is it that the Guardian, like every other media outlet, is inclined to write stories that support its own agenda, or (being more charitable) has an inbuilt, unconscious bias that it simply isn't aware of?
I don't share the general anger that I can see in many of the pro-Welsh-language comments on the Guardian's Llangennech article. I think it would be better to accept that every news outlet operates this way, and to filter what any article says accordingly. I'm glad the Guardian wrote what it did, simply because exposing such bias (whether intended or unconscious) is the best way of dealing with it.
Eleven points
Labels: 2017 Westminster Election
As so much of what is currently happening to shape the new UK government is in flux, I thought I would make a list of the points I see as important.
1. The Tories will not call another election anytime soon
This is because they'd lose it. Their previous pitch was that Corbyn was unelectable, he clearly isn't. Labour have the momentum. They'll comfortably win any election held in the next couple of years.
2. The DUP don't want another election either
They will do everything they can to make the Tory/PUP agreement last as long as possible. All their wishes have come true. Every day is Christmas for them from now until the next election.
3. Theresa May will not lead the Tories into another election
She simply isn't cut out for elections, and every Tory now knows it.
4. But the Tories won't get rid of her yet
The very earliest she would go is at the party conference this autumn. But I doubt she will go that quickly for two reasons: First, the electorate won't tolerate a second unelected leader. Whoever becomes leader will have to face a general election within a year or so. Second, the Brexit negotiations are going to be a humiliation for the UK, so no ambitious Tory is going to want to be leader until the negotiations are over. The next Tory leader will let May take all the humiliation, then emerge as a fresh new face who has learnt from her mistakes.
5. Labour want an early election
They will do everything possible to destabilize the Tory/DUP agreement ... but that will just make them more determined to hold on. Labour will only get in by attrition, if the number of by-elections in the next few years is higher than usual.
6. The UK will end up with a soft Brexit
The UK will be part of the EU single market and customs union, and the will continue to pay a fair price for it. Maintaining an even playing field costs money. However the payments will be disguised in all sorts of ways to save Tory blushes.
7. Immigration will not be a big issue
It never was. Having "control" of immigration sounds fine, but was never going to equate to having less immigration. Despite promising they would, the Tories didn't do anything to curb immigration from outside the EU even though it alone accounted for more than the limit the Tories said they were aiming for. They realize that the UK economy relies on immigration. For example, it's cheaper to hire a doctor who has been trained at someone else's expense in another country than to train a doctor here.
The Tory media will not make an issue out of immigration, because criticizing the government for conceding on the principle of free movement to the point of destabilizing it will only bring about an election that will bring Labour into power ... something they're much more afraid of than immigration. Hardline Tory MPs will not make an issue of it for the same reason ... they cannot afford to cause trouble because their seats will be at stake. And any criticism from UKIP will be ineffective because this election killed them off as a political force.
8. The Tories are still a right wing party
Irrespective of what happens in negotiations with the EU, domestic economic policy is decided by each member state individually. A Tory government propped up by the DUP might be a little gentler than a Tory majority government (triple lock pensions, winter fuel allowance, etc) but the overall thrust of their economic policy will still be to give tax cuts to the rich and restrict spending on public services. Teresa May will try to implement as many parts of her manifesto as she can, regardless of having fewer Tory MPs. In fact she'll probably be more doggedly determined to do it because she won't be around as leader to answer for the consequences at the next election.
9. Scottish independence
The SNP won the general election in Scotland handsomely, winning 34 of the 58 seats. That's a much higher percentage of seats than the Tories gained in Britain. The SNP already had a mandate for a second independence referendum following the 2016 Scottish election and the SNP/Green vote in the Scottish Parliament. So they didn't need another mandate from this election, but they got it anyway.
However EU membership is not, in itself, going to hold all that much sway in deciding the outcome of the vote for independence. What will make a difference is that Scotland is a left-leaning country in which most of the economic levers of power are held by a right wing UK government. This has always been and will always be the main reason why the Scots will eventually vote for independence. Incidentally, this is true for Wales too.
The problem the SNP have is that they must hold this referendum while pro-independence parties command a majority at Holyrood. There's no guarantee that this will still be the case after 2021. But they need a to justify a second referendum, and the EU is a far more black-and-white reason (it was specifically mentioned in the 2016 manifesto) than the differing political make-up of Holyrood and Westminster, which is no different now from what it was in 2014. It's a tricky balancing act because if, as I now expect, the UK as a whole ends up with a soft Brexit, Nicola Sturgeon will have got what she said she wanted following the EU referendum.
10. Irish reunification
The only way that a soft border could be achieved in Ireland is if the Six and Twenty-six Counties were both in the EU single market and customs union. If the Tories still held majority at Westminster, they would have ensured Britain was out of both, but would probably have made an exception for the Six Counties, because it wouldn't matter very much to voters in Britain. This would effectively have moved the economic border between the UK and EU to the Irish Sea.
(Actually, that's not strictly true. The other alternative would have
been for the border to be at ports and airports in the Republic, and for
Ireland to operate the UK's border policies ... but this would effectively
put Ireland outside the EU in economic terms and make it part of the UK,
and there's no way the Irish would accept that. However that didn't stop
some Tories floating the idea, and I wouldn't be surprised if
they try it again.)
If the border had been at the Irish Sea, it would have been a huge step towards the economic integration of the Six and Twenty-six Counties, and brought formal reunification closer. But with the Tories now reliant on the DUP to stay in power in Westminster this won't happen.
Much has been made of the idea that the UK government cannot act as an "impartial intermediary" to implement the Good Friday Agreement if it depends on the support of the DUP. That's a fair comment, but the other side of the equation is that it's quite likely that Sinn Féin will be in government in the Republic some time soon - perhaps after the next Irish general election in coalition with Fianna Fáil. If that happened, then the Irish government wouldn't be an "impartial intermediary" either. In truth, the UK government has always favoured the Unionists and the only difference is that the pretence of impartiality can no longer be maintained.
As I see it, the most significant result of the agreement between the Tories and the DUP will be that the both parties will find out just how little they have in common ... which I think will come as a bigger shock to the DUP than to the Tories. Much has been made of how socially conservative the DUP are in terms of issues like abortion and equal marriage, and the DUP are painted as dinosaurs from a bygone age. While I don't support the DUP, I would say in their defence that they represent the views of a large part of the population of the Six Counties. It isn't so much that the DUP are out of step with mainstream social views—if they were, they wouldn't have won 10 out of 18 seats—it's that there's a significant gulf between Irish social attitudes and British social attitudes. To their horror, the DUP will realize that when the Tories talk of "the United Kingdom" what they mean by it is very different from what the DUP want it to be. It hardly needs to be said that religion plays a bigger part in society in the Six Counties than in Britain. Britain is a much more secular society. I think the Protestant community in the Six Counties will come to realize that they have more in common with the social and religious conservatism of the Twenty-six Counties than they do with the liberal secularism of Britain. A generation or two ago, when more people held Christian views than they do now, which version of Christianity you adhered to was important, so much so that Protestants like Ian Paisley—who founded the DUP—saw Catholics as their polar opposites. But in a Europe which has become much more secular than it was, Protestants and Catholics in Ireland are finding that they have much more in common with each other as Christians in the face of a growing secularization that threatens to make practising Christians of all denominations a minority. In short, I think Protestants in the Six Counties will gradually come to see the reunification of Ireland as a more attractive option for helping to maintain their way of life than remaining part of the UK.
Make no mistake, public opinion in Britain might have been tolerant of the socially conservative views of the DUP while it was safely kept on the other side of the Irish Sea, but it will not be tolerant of people holding those views having a direct influence over UK government policy. The Unionist community as a whole will be made to feel, both through mainstream and social media, even less part of Britain than they think they are now. It will be a rude awakening.
I'd also mention two other factors. The first is just how far the Unionist vote has fallen, as shown in this post. It is now less than 50% for the first time. The second is the ground-breaking statement from the EU that there will be no obstacle to the Six Counties becoming part of a united Ireland in the EU.
If anything, I am more confident of a united Ireland happening in the next decade than an independent Scotland. The event that will trigger it is the death of Elizabeth Windsor.
We in Wales will be bystanders in most of this. However I think we will gain a few crumbs from the deal to form a new UK government. Apart from the DUP's constitutional red lines, they will of course extract a hefty amount of extra "pork" for the Six Counties. But it will be difficult to give one devolved (even if suspended) administration more money without the other devolved administrations getting more too. The Six Counties have greater public spending per head, and getting significantly more again would have to be justified on the principle of need. So we might finally see the Barnett Formula (even with a floor) replaced by a needs-based formula. This would benefit Wales, as our needs are greater than the UK average too.
The DUP save our bacon
Labels: 2017 Westminster Election, Brexit, DUP, EU
The result of yesterday's election wasn't too far away from what I expected. I had put the Tories on 310 and Labour on 275. So I'm disappointed to some extent, but I can see a bright side.
In the Six Counties, two things coincided to produce a perfect storm. The first was that the DUP did well in the Unionist community, gaining two seats, but the second was that Sinn Féin did even better in the Republican community, gaining three seats and wiping out the SDLP. Because Sinn Féin do not take their seats in Westminster, the result is a solid block of MPs who are prepared to support the Tories, and who have just come to a deal to keep Theresa May in a weak and wobbly position of power. The SDLP would, of course, have opposed the Tories.
There is only one thing that the DUP really want from this deal, which is that the Six Counties are not treated in any way differently from the rest of the UK. If the DUP were not in such a pivotal position, I would have put money on the eventual solution to the problem of the border between the Six Counties and the Twenty-six being that the effective border between the EU and UK post-Brexit would be the Irish Sea, and that customs and immigration checks would have been carried out at the ports and airports rather than at the land border. Logistically, that is by far the best way of handling things because the tickets of any people or goods would have to be checked anyway when they boarded the ferries or planes to cross the Irish Sea, so discretely checking their customs/immigration documents at the same time as their tickets would result in no additional inconvenience.
However this arrangement is the one thing that the DUP will absolutely oppose, because in the event of a hard Brexit it will make the Six Counties—in practice if not in name—part of the EU single market and customs union and therefore economically, as opposed to politically, part of a united Ireland.
The only alternative to this is for the UK as a whole to remain part of the EU single market and customs union. And for me this now looks to be the most likely outcome. Essentially, the UK will have a similar relationship with the EU as Norway, and the border between the Six and Twenty-six counties will become as irrelevant for day-to-day purposes as the border between Norway and Sweden. Such an arrangement will also solve the problem of the border between Gibraltar and Spain, allowing Gibraltar to remain British without taking a massive financial hit from the loss of thousands of workers who make the daily commute from Spain.
Those who wanted a hard Brexit (UKIP and the Tory hardliners) were well and truly defeated in yesterday's election, so the UK having a Norway-style relationship with the EU can now be politically justified. And the Tories, if they have any sense, will grasp the fig leaf of spinning this compromise as the only practical way of ensuring that their precious UK stays together and that Gibraltar remains British.
The huge benefit for people in the UK is that we will remain part of the EU for economic purposes, and will only have opted out politically. It means that when Wales and Scotland become independent, we only need make the political decision whether we want to be part of the EU, because there will be hardly any economic consequences either way.
If I'm right in this analysis, the DUP have saved our bacon.
Now for those of you who will argue that this means that the UK will have to continue paying money to the EU, my answer is that we would always have had to do this if we wanted seamless access to the EU single market. We were fooling ourselves if we thought the EU27 would allow us any other deal.
Two upcoming independence referendums
Labels: Catalunya, Independence, Kurdistan
I want to briefly highlight two pieces of political news which will have a very significant influence on independence for Wales and Scotland, because they'll almost certainly be drowned-out by current political events on these islands.
The first is the announcement on Wednesday that there will be a referendum on independence in south Kurdistan on 25 September this year. By south, I mean that part of Kurdistan which is currently part of Iraq, to distinguish it from the western part of Kurdistan currently in Syria, north Kurdistan in Turkey and east Kurdistan in Iran. They will vote Yes.
The second is today's announcement that 1 October this year has been set as the date for the independence referendum in Catalunya. As a parallel, I suppose I could say that by Catalunya I mean the current Spanish Autonomous Community, sometimes called the Principality, as distinguished from the other Catalan countries of Valencia and the Balearic islands which are also in Spain and North Catalunya in France.
The Catalan election in particular will be enormously important as the EU's reaction to the inevitable Yes vote in Catalunya will set a precedent for how the EU will react to similar situations in Europe such as Scotland.
I'm voting Labour tomorrow
Labels: 2017 Westminster Election, Labour
It probably won't surprise anyone that I would never vote for the Tories or for UKIP, but I have seriously considered the others. Under a preferential voting system, my first preference would go to the Greens; Plaid and Labour would vie for second and third depending on the particular circumstances of the election and the quality of the local candidates; and the LibDems would come fourth, although at present their policy of holding a second referendum on Europe (even if for the wrong reason) makes them a rather more attractive proposition than they would usually be.
At present, Wales is part of the UK. At a UK level Plaid Cymru are all but irrelevant. Even if Wales elected 40 Plaid Cymru MPs it would probably not make any difference in a House of Commons that has 650 members.
Plaid Cymru have developed two particular conceits which annoy the hell out of me: that they are the only party that speaks for Wales and that they are the only party that represents Welsh interests. Plaid Cymru will only ever be able to claim that it "speaks for Wales" when more people in Wales vote for them than for any other party. If you want to use that sort of language, the party that "speaks for Wales" is, and has been for generations, Labour. Plaid needs to do the hard work of winning more votes before it can make that claim. Additionally, no party can claim that it uniquely represents Welsh interests. What is in our national interest is a matter of political opinion, and election campaigns are all about presenting different political positions and persuading voters about the merits of each. Even parties like UKIP and the Tories stand in Wales because they believe that their policies are in the best interests of Wales and, even though we might not like it, a good number of our fellow countrymen and women vote for them ... and are no less Welsh because of it. For me, Plaid Cymru's current leadership has given up on trying to persuade people about the merits of their policies, and instead started to go down the very dangerous road of suggesting that some parties (and by implication the people who vote for them) are anti-Welsh.
My advice to Plaid is to give up on this approach and concentrate instead on how and why their vision of what they want Wales to become, and their particular policies for getting there, are better for Wales than those of other parties in Wales.
Plaid's manifesto for this election was cringeworthy. Time and time again they promised to deliver on things which they couldn't possibly deliver .... even if Plaid were to win every single seat in Wales.
In contrast, Labour are a far more realistic choice at a UK level. For the first time in several decades, Labour have put forward a manifesto which will move the UK more to the left. Under Jeremy Corbyn, there is a glimmer of hope that the UK might become a significantly better place in which to live. That's good while we're part of the UK and good if the UK breaks up, because the people of England will always be our neighbours.
I want Wales to be independent for two reasons. The first is that Wales is a nation, and we deserve to stand on our own two feet as a nation, side by side with all the other nations of the world. However I realize that this is a sentimental view, perhaps more a matter of the heart than the head.
But the second reason I want Wales to be independent is that I do not like the political direction that the UK seems determined to travel in. The UK, and specifically the welfare state and public ownership of key sectors of the economy, that our parents and grandparents built after the second world war was something to be proud of. I benefited from it enormously. But over the past few decades it has been, and still is being, systematically dismantled. A Labour-led government under Corbyn, McDonnell and their colleagues offers the hope that this will be stopped, and perhaps even reversed. In my opinion that is worth voting for, although I half fear that it's already too late.
Will Labour deliver if elected? Who knows? I don't think any government achieves everything it sets out to achieve, but it might succeed in changing some things for the better and pointing the UK in a different direction of travel. Perhaps I'm being sentimental in this too.
Being more hard-headed, it is still unlikely that Labour will win tomorrow. To form a government they will probably need a supply and confidence arrangement with the SNP. Perhaps all that voting Labour will achieve is to give the Tories a couple of dozen fewer seats, which hopefully will force the Tories to take their foot off the accelerator so that the car crash which is Brexit will be a little softer.
However, I'm sure of this: if the Tories do form the next Westminster government, it will be a catalyst that helps bring about a united Ireland and an independent Scotland more quickly than would otherwise be the case. If I were more Machiavellian, I might encourage people to vote Tory for that very reason. But it would be like voting to leave the EU knowing that Brexit would make a united Ireland and an independent Scotland more likely. I can't in all conscience do something bad in order to bring about something good. No, I want to be able to argue for an independent Wales as the only way left for us to be part of a society which values public ownership and control of key sectors, rather than ever-increasing privatization and marketization of things that should be held by us all for the common good.
This election might well be the last chance the UK has to reverse its ever-rightward direction of travel and the inevitable self-destruction it will bring. For that reason I will be voting Labour tomorrow. I want to be able to say that I tried.
Posted by Michael Haggett at 15:18 10 comments Links to this post
Theresa May’s plans on terror: they are wrong
Labels: Tories
I largely agree with this editorial from the Guardian yesterday, so I thought I'd repost the first paragraph from it.
Mrs May wants us to believe that we face a threat from doctrines that do not espouse violence but somehow mutate into terror. Confusing extremism with terrorism risks dividing us as a people when we need to be united
Theresa May’s “enough is enough” speech is an attempt to reshape dramatically Britain’s policy to thwart terror after murderous attacks. Mrs May gave her most explicit pitch today to policing thoughts rather than acts. This is a bad idea. It rests on a strategy to counter ideology rather than one that counters terrorism. It penalises people for holding unspoken beliefs and promotes a form of thoughtcrime. Such a move would end up with Britain losing the fight against terrorism in a legal minefield of dogma and piety. Mrs May wants us to believe that we face a threat from doctrines that do not espouse violence but somehow mutate into terror by contingency. The conclusion of her speech is that a non-violent person who harbours anti-British, extremist thoughts – to be defined presumably by a future parliament – could be blacklisted, maybe even criminalised. This is a leap away from current policy, although Mrs May has been heading in this direction for years. It should worry us all. What of animal rights, ecological defence or anti-arms-trade activists who do not subscribe to violent belief systems when criminal acts – sometimes amounting to terror – have been carried out in their name? Will they be banned too?
Guardian, 4 June 2017
This woman is a danger to us all, and she will become even more dangerous if we don't get out and vote against her party on Thursday.
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Feb 5 Tastemaker Profile: Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson
Bad break-ups—ouch—we’ve all had them but Corinne Fisher took hers in an unconventional direction. She called her friend and fellow comedian Krystyna Hutchinson. “Hey, you wanna start a podcast together called Guys We Fucked?” The premise was simple enough: interview guys with whom one of them had done the deed. To the proposition Krystyna said— “yes!”— adding the second part to the title: The Anti-Slut Shaming Podcast.
In one of the earliest episodes of Guys We Fucked: The Anti-Slut Shaming Podcast, Corinne was speaking about a hook-up gone awry when the guy asked her mid-coital the last time she’d had sex—the night before. Although the guy was just as sexually active, he found this to be grounds for Corinne’s dismissal which points to an underlining and quite blatant discrepancy between what we are taught as boys and girls as appropriate sexual behavior. Men are expected to have sex, girls aren’t. As two sexually active women in their twenties—and proud of it—Krystyna and Corinne’s mission was to confront the stigma attached to being just that.
“The initial reasoning was to learn more about ourselves,” says Krystyna.
But in no way could they have predicted the impact they were about to have. Bold, sexy, outspoken, unafraid to be raunchy, this hilarious dynamic duo didn’t hold back, extinguishing the shame that inhibits our freedom of sexual expression by wielding the power of open communication, education, humor and self-love.
Four years later, Guys We Fucked: The Anti-Slut Shaming Podcast has over 1 million listeners around the world and has been consistently rated as one of the top five comedy podcasts on itunes. That growth necessitated expansion both in scope and material, a digging deeper into every subject in the sexual canon—rape, assault, gender, abortion, experimenting in the bedroom, fetishes—nothing was taboo to these ladies. And they’re funny, which is funny considering how female comedians are grossly viewed as being less funny than the dudes but as Corinne said, “that’s a different cat for a different day.”
People across age, culture, gender and sexual orientation flooded their inbox. After shows and tapings, strangers were constantly approaching them. A guy whispering into Krystyna’s ear, “does size really matter?” A concerned teenager trying to prevent her friend, too terrified to tell her parents, from using a hanger to administer an abortion. A father weeping that their show had helped to facilitate a conversation with his daughter about her assault. It became overwhelmingly clear to Corinne and Krystyna that they had opened a door that most of us, if not all of us, wished we had. Meaning, an open door policy when it comes to discussing sex.
Now Corinne and Krystyna have just released a book into the world: Fucked: Being Sexually Explorative and Self-Confident in a World That’s Screwed. Ain’t it the truth. The world is screwed when it comes to sex and the thing to conquer harder than Harvey is shame.
“By the time Harper One approached us, and we got this book deal, we really felt as though we had a lot to say, especially after reading the emails, and talking to fans after our shows, and really getting a sense of what the world holds on their shoulders in terms of their sexual shame. I feel like we kind of have a very unique window into people's minds in that respect. It’s been really cool to hear how people feel so much better about themselves merely because they hear other people being open as well, and they realize they have no reason to be ashamed,” Hutchinson says.
Equally educational and recreational, they tackle everything from the roots of shame, to sex education, to things we should stop doing; snooping, nitpicking our bodies and faking orgasms, to abortions, sexual exploration, and knowing yourself. As is their style, they weave their listeners and own personal experiences with research to present a fresh, fun and modern guide to sex. They never expected to be advisers, advocates, or spokeswomen but they’ve assumed the position. All the positions.
“There are some things that we’ve talked about so many times on the podcasts, and [the book] gave me several months to sit silently and stew in the thoughts, and watch other TV shows, and read other books, and get feedback on what other people were saying about certain things. Is sex work okay? Does it make you mentally unstable? Or do people who go into it have a higher rate of mental instability?" Fisher says. "There are things that the overall voice of feminism wants you to think, and I wanted to really look into statistically, is this true? I need numbers. I need facts. I need studies. I had this really wonderful opportunity to use an archival system. I would’ve loved to just write an entire research paper on sexuality.”
The debut of their book parallels a pivotal moment. In the past six months, the New York Times has published three major investigative reports that brought sexual harassment across the tech, media and entertainment industries under an unprecedented scrutiny. Our current president—The Donald—has a proven track record of degrading and harassing women and now threatens our reproductive rights. And when Instagram took down a photograph that activist and model Amber Rose published of her bush, it was an example of how women’s voices and bodies are censored while hateful speech is allowed to run amuck. Using some of these recent events as a springboard, Corinne and Krystyna discuss sexual assault, how they are addressing it personally, the biggest sexual predator of all—shame—and how they hope our approach to discussing sexual matters will evolve.
Slut-shaming is a tale as old as time but is, perhaps for the first time, now able to garner significant media coverage. Finally. For a white man in a position of power—one of the rulers of Hollywood, a figure like Harvey Weinstein—to be dismantled is significant. It would be nice (a dead word) if our president wasn’t a reflection of the problem, but it is no coincidence that these events coincide and everyone is right: we’re talking mostly about men, we’re talking about white men, and like Jane Fonda said, we’re also talking about white women. We’re zeroing into worlds and industries that generate a lot of money, where bullshit phrases like we are all equal reek like garbage.
“I know a lot of people in the industry already knew these things about Harvey. I actually didn't, but it didn't surprise me because of how often we would see emails from men and women about this. It's become very clear to me over the past three years that sexual assault is an epidemic,” says Hutchinson.
“I think the only thing that I found interesting was how long it had gone on, how many people in Hollywood knew, not just people who worked for the Weinstein company, but people like Meryl Streep," Fisher adds. "I felt very conflicted about how to respond, because we know how hard it is to make it in the entertainment business, and I certainly don't expect everyone to always choose the highest road, nor would I expect people to give up their entire careers because they heard a producer once grabbed a tit. You know? It just brought up a lot of conflicting feelings about these celebrities who I love and adore.”
“It was really interesting to talk to men about their reaction because they were shocked that I wasn't shocked," Hutchinson admits.
It was surprising, as a woman, to hear Hutchinson say that but it exemplifies how men and women are not on the same page about what really happens behind the scenes. Come to think of it, how often do we women talk about it with the men in our lives? How often do men ask?
“I think it is virtually impossible for a man to truly understand what it's like walking around in the world as a woman. How could they? That’s why I try to have a lot of compassion and understanding when I approach these topics with guys. I truly want them to understand that it's more difficult for us than they might think, and to just listen when we have something to say along those lines. I usually encourage them to ask women that they know well if they know somebody who has ever been sexually assaulted or sexually harassed," answers Hutchinson. Odds are they have, and if it's happened to them, then it also opens up the conversation to tell that person if they want to. That was the only thing I could think of that could possibly make guys understand how frequent this is.”
Corinne, on the other hand, “...has had it. I think I’m a little more sick of men that Krystyna.”
“It's hard because I don't want to be that person, and I shouldn't be. I am not one of those people who's a member of the war against, you know, this war against white men that's going on. I don't think it's helping. It's making a bad situation worse. I'm just more interested in talking to women, and empowering from within the female community.”
They are both correct. It is crucial to include men in this discussion without shaming them while also holding ourselves, as women, accountable for how downright mean we are to each other.
“Improving is such a hard word to get behind with the current state of America. To echo a sentiment that’s certainly been talked about time and time again in the past year, I feel like we’re still super divided, and I feel that divide in gender, too. I feel like this new wave of feminism has, in a lot of ways, made women feel better about themselves, but it still has created a deeper divide between men and a lot of women. I also feel like it’s created, in some ways, a deeper divide between women which is why I make it a priority to be kinder to women," Fisher says.
Any woman who has gone through grades K-life has experienced the cruelty with which women can treat each other. Jealousy, distrust, rejection is alive and well between us. The phrase “patriarchy has no gender” implies that all genders participate in this narrative and perpetuate the qualities encouraged under the patriarchal system. These ideas are ingrained and reinforced at every arena in our society: home, school, work, the media and the internet.
When it comes to our bodies, what we can or cannot do, show or cannot show, has been a long topic of debate but one riddled with hypocrisy in who has the power to dictate and enforce those rules. There have been countless images of bare vaginas taken by the paparazzi and circulated all over the internet but then Amber Rose took a picture of her bush, legs crossed, and it was swiftly removed. Furthermore, her very PG bush was encouraging women to not be ashamed of their bush; a promotion for her annual “slut walk” which aims to raise awareness about sexual injustice and gender inequality. So, to sum this up, posting pictures of famous naked vaginas going out on a Saturday night flies but a woman using hers as a symbol of empowerment doesn’t. What message are we communicating here in terms of appropriate behavior?
“I got a rape threat on Twitter, reported it and nothing happened. How come we can have people comment on our Instagram very vulgar, threatening, sexually violent things and we report them, but their account doesn't get shut down or put on hold? And women are censored with what they can post on their own social media? It’s so hypocritical and so unbelievably frustrating," Huthinson says.
The fact that a bush is rejected but a rape threat isn’t does not reflect a healthy collective psyche.
Hutchinson believes, “I think we're making progress, then a couple of little things will happen that are so disappointing and it's like, 'Oh. Are we? I can't tell.' I know we are. I do believe we are because of the feedback we hear from our listeners, especially. It’s the barometer that I personally use for the progress we're making because a lot of women are writing in saying that, after listening to the podcast, they feel so much better about themselves, their body, their looks, their sexual desires and that is beyond anything I could've ever hoped for.”
After years of absorbing the stories of their listeners and tackling their own experiences as women in the world, they’ve found that at the root of sexual violence, the removal of a bush, our relationship with our bodies and gender, is shame. According to these ladies, shame unites us all but one of the most refreshing angles of Krystyna and Corinne’s book is that they refuse to coddle our problems. “In a society where for some reason it has become chic to be the victim, we say this pity party ends now.” And finding the strength, as they say, to cry, to laugh through the pain is merely saying that we are not alone and that we have the power to transform our experience.
Shame. It’s as notorious as The Scarlet Letter, that Nathaniel Hawthorne book you probably read in high school. In the novel, Hester is publicly shamed to wear a letter A for adultery on her person because she had relations out of wedlock. That was her punishment—shame—and it still is for all of us. It is a common thread that runs through many of our ideas about sex, sexuality, our bodies, even our thoughts and desires. It’s so deep, so intricately tied to so much of our experience, that we don’t necessarily understand just how ingrained this idea is. We’ve been shamed at school, by our parents, siblings, for having sex, for not having sex, for being liberal, conservative, black, white, women and men—for being bad. Since we’ve been doing shame forever, maybe it’s time to reevaluate: is shaming an effective way to bring about real systemic change?
“That's clearly not going to solve the problem.”
In their book and on their podcast, they seek to overcome this system of shaming by talking freely and openly about everything, even the stuff that frightens or rattles us.
“There was an instance where I was so fucking tired of getting these emails all the time, and it just seems like no one is doing anything about it, and it made me feel a little crazy, so I’ve asked this twice now on the podcasts, and I’ve gotten responses both times. I’ve asked statistically because so many people have been assaulted, there has to be somebody listening who has sexually assaulted somebody. Could you please just write us? Make up an email. I don’t give a shit. I’m not trying to out you. I’m just like what is going on here? The guy said, ‘I feel pathetic, and I feel like a monster.’ I asked him, ‘Do you want help? Is that something that you would consider? Or does that not even cross your mind?’ He goes, ‘Of course I want help.’ I was like, Damn. You know, a lot of people would not go ‘let’s help the rapist out’ and I understand that completely," Fisher explains. "But maybe they need help and they’re too afraid to ask for it, so that’s why all of these things start happening. I’ve only heard from a few men, but that, to me, was fascinating, and very eye opening.”
“The latest guy that we've heard from, one of the things that I thought was so interesting, was he said to me his whole life he was a ‘nice guy,’ and he would see all these douche bag men around him lying to women, and getting them to sleep with them so they were all getting laid. He said by the time he turned 30 he just broke, and he started going on Craigslist and putting out ads, and that's when he would rape the woman. He said, ‘Why are these guys who are liars, who are assholes. The guys who treat the women like shit, they get laid, but I don't get laid? Fuck this.’ This is what he said, and that was very interesting to hear,” Hutchinson says.
“I don't necessarily want to have fireside chats with rapists. However, I think there are people who do have some weird thing going on. They don't know how to talk to women. They weren't raised right. They were abused, all those kinds of things," Fisher adds. "Of course, I feel compassion for those people, and I do want them to have the tools, especially when it results in something like pedophilia, where I think there's actually something wrong with their brain. I don't think a lot of rapists have something wrong with their brain other than they believe they own women and objectify them but that's a different cat for a different day. Harvey Weinstein though, I do not feel bad. I think the thought that he's going to sexual rehab is…”
“Bullshit.” Hutchinson chimes.
“…the biggest piece of crap of public Hollywood nonsense. This is a man who was powerful, knew he was powerful. The Harvey Weinstein thing is about money and power." Fisher continues. "Those are variables that are not present in a lot of rape situations. I think there needs to be a cleansing of our culture.”
A great teacher once defined history as “people doing the best they can with what they got.” If we were to shift the lens through which we see the world, even a tiny bit, what we would discover is that there are more things that unite us than we think. And much more positive ideas than shame.
“We’ve never gotten an email like ‘this is the worst I am and I have no interest in changing that.’ I think that’s very important in the current political climate. I think liberals have this idea that the conservatives wake up in the morning trying to take rights away from people, and that’s incorrect. As liberals, we think that we’re always right, that we’re the virtuous ones, but that’s not accurate. If I’ve learned anything from the podcasts, it’s that everyone wants to be a better person, a better husband, a better wife, a better girlfriend, a better boyfriend. Very few people are sitting at home and thinking, ‘I want to be a piece of shit.’ We’ve never got an email like that,” Fisher says.
Progress is not a straight line, unfortunately, it’s more of a curve. We can feel the tension between points of expansion and retraction. We take steps forward and back. It’s a dynamic system we live in, but we must continue pushing ourselves to imagine what this country, this world, could look like. With these moguls and giants throughout industries being called out, the fact that more and more women can step forward and begin to speak is a step in the right direction. This is how Krystyna Hutchinson and Corinne Fisher hope we will move forward from here.
“People have told us that they're talking to their partners, and they're telling them things that they never would've even imagined telling them, and that it's okay. That's so exciting to me that they can be as up front as they want to be. I hope those people will be more aware with their kids, be open and honest about sex in a way that works for them," Hutchinson reveals. "That's something that I didn't get as a child. I've talked with other people who did and I see how much better off they are in terms of their sexual and mental health, so I hope that people will not be afraid to have that conversation.”
“I hope the conversation continues more as a thought. Women, put up with less bullshit in general. Listen to the podcasts, to Krystyna, I and all of our guests talk openly and realize that the repercussions for being yourself aren't that bad. The repercussions for not being yourself are way more severe,” says Fisher.
“I hope that women can know that wanting to be treated with an equal amount of respect as men, as their peers, is not a radical act. That’s the way you fucking should be treated the whole time.”
A recent anti-marijuana advertising on a billboard in Los Angeles showed an image of young woman passed out on a couch, presumably stoned, and a young man leering towards her. It was a snapshot that summed up a larger cultural narrative. If you’re a woman, you are defenseless and weak. If you’re a man, you’re a predator. What are we teaching our children, if this is how we expect them to behave as boys and girls? We have to take a good look at how these ideas are reinforced all around us. No matter how hard it is to talk about the things that scare us the most, we must. If we do not deal with these problems directly, we will continue to perpetuate a cycle of shame.
Fucked: Being Sexually Explorative and Self-Confident in a World That’s Screwed had a front row seat at every Barnes and Noble store in the country, an idea that made the three of us laugh about over the telephone. Who would have thought that the word “fucked,” a guide through sex, written by two women, would greet you at your friendly Barnes and Noble bookstore? Fabulous.
Written by Maria Mocerino
Photography by Dee Guerreros
Feb 10 Nolan Gould
Feb 5 Thomas Middleditch
Sep 19 Tastemaker Profile: The Houston Bros
Apr 25 Tastemaker Profile: John Wyatt
Oct 27 Tastemaker Profile: Nate Koch
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Survivalist convicted of killing trooper in sniper ambush
MILFORD, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man who hid in the forest under cover of night and opened fire with a sniper’s rifle was convicted of capital murder Wednesday in the ambush slaying of a state police trooper he targeted at random in hopes of sparking a revolution.
A jury convicted Eric Frein, 33, in the Sept. 12, 2014, attack at the Blooming Grove state police barracks in northeastern Pennsylvania. Cpl. Bryon Dickson II, a married father of two, was killed, and a second trooper was shot through the hips and left debilitated.
Frein was “literally hunting humans” when he peered at his targets through a scope during a late-night shift change and squeezed the trigger four times, Pike County District Attorney Ray Tonkin told jurors in his closing argument. He called Frein a terrorist who sought to change the government through bullets and bombs.
The gunman led authorities on a 48-day manhunt through the rugged Pocono Mountains before U.S. marshals caught him at an abandoned airplane hangar more than 20 miles from the barracks.
After a two-week trial that presented uncontested evidence of Frein’s guilt, the jury convicted him on all 12 charges, including murder of a law enforcement officer, terrorism and two weapons of mass destruction counts related to small explosive devices he left in the woods while eluding capture.
Frein showed no emotion as the verdicts were read. The trial now moves into a penalty phase, with the same jury deciding whether he deserves the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
The verdict was expected after prosecutors presented more than 500 pieces of evidence tying Frein to the ambush. His DNA was found on the trigger of the murder weapon, and police recovered several handwritten notebook pages at Frein’s campsite in which he described the attack and his subsequent escape into the woods in chilling detail, writing how he shot Dickson twice and watched him fall “still and quiet.”
In his closing argument Wednesday, Tonkin called Frein “a terrorist with murder in his heart, a plan in his mind and a rifle in his hand.”
Frein shot Dickson in the chest and through the shoulders and spine from a distance of 87 yards, waited nearly 90 seconds until Trooper Alex Douglass came to Dickson’s aid and then shot him, too, Tonkin said.
The defense offered no evidence or testimony and conceded the government’s overwhelming case for conviction.
The defense will now shift its focus to trying to persuade the jury to spare his life. Prosecutors will argue that Frein deserves to be sent to death row.
A death penalty verdict would send Frein to death row, but the state has a moratorium on executions under Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf. Pennsylvania’s last execution was in 1999, and it has executed only three people since the U.S. Supreme Court restored the death penalty in 1976.
Police linked Frein to the ambush after a man walking his dog discovered his partly submerged SUV three days later in a swamp a few miles from the shooting scene. Inside, investigators found shell casings matching those found at the barracks as well as Frein’s driver’s license.
The discovery sparked an expansive manhunt that involved 1,000 law enforcement officials and spanned more than 300 square miles. The dragnet shut down schools and roads and hurt businesses in the mountainous region that leans heavily on tourism. At times, police ordered residents to stay inside or prevented them from returning home as they pursued tips and supposed sightings. Trick or treating was canceled.
Frein spent more than a month hiding out at the hangar, using a laptop and pilfered Wi-Fi to follow news of the search. He also worked on a letter to his parents, writing that “only passing through the crucible of another revolution can get us back the liberties we once had.”
Frein added: “Tension is high at the moment and the time seems right for a spark to ignite a fire in the hearts of men. What I have done has not been done before and it felt like it was worth a try.”
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The Queen's Hat Back Story and a Note from Ronald Searle
March 18, 2015 / Steve Antony
Outside Swindon Waterstones just after the release. Photo courtesy of Ben Fitch
It all started on the 1st of April, 2011, when I stumbled across THIS article.
It inspired me to draw a very rough story that night of 'The Queen's Hat' - a simple tale about HRH losing her hat to a gust of wind that takes her and her guards on an impromptu tour of London - to take in to uni the next day.
My tutors loved it. And I knew it had potential. I knew it could be a lot of fun to develop, too.
Little did I know that I'd end up channelling the home-sick child in me that lived in the New Mexican desert for eight years.
Signing paperbacks in Swindon Waterstones
I loved my childhood in the States - watching Saturday morning cartoons, eating Twinkies and digging forts in the desert with my brothers and our best friend, JR. But I occasionally yearned for home - walking down a cobbled street to buy a Flake bar from the corner shop, eating fish and chips with my dad on the weekend, feeding the ducks with my grandparents, searching for a new Mr Man in a bookshop while my brother fished out the latest Choose Your Own Adventure book.
I began creating a book that I would have loved as a kid, a reminder of home. I wanted to fill it with as many British icons as possible: umbrellas, Big Ben, double-decker buses, etc. Things that my friends in the States were fascinated by. Things that were/are British.
Being red-green colour-deficient actually helped me decide upon the book's colour palette. All of my books have few colours, but the colours are chosen carefully and with clear intentionality. The colours of the Union Jack were perfect for what I wanted to acheive!
I was so excited about the book. I entered contests and showed publishers (whenever the opportunity arose, which wasn't that often). People said it was 'too British' and that it wouldn't sell outside the UK.
Searle's handwriting.
Around that time I received a hand written postcard from Ronald Searle. Earlier that year I was commended for an alphabet book about endangered animals that I'd entered into the The Searle Award for Creativity. Here's what he said.
"I checked your alphabet. Liked it very much. But prefer your tumbling guardsmen. The freer, looser style is infinitely more interesting. Keep it up!"
A window display at Waterstones, Trafalgar
He'd obviously looked at my website. Because at that time I had an image from 'The Queen's Hat' on my homepage.
This complete surprise and absolute honour spurred me on to further develop 'The Queen's Hat'.
I went on to exhibit it at our class's final show at Foyles, London in February, 2013.
Not long after, I signed with Hodder Children's. While developing the book with Hodder, we decided to add the 'spot the butler' subtext, which goes down a storm at events!
Now, I look back and find it remarkable that a chance discovery of a newspaper article (as well as tenacity, patience, positive-thinking and lots of drawing) has led to the creation of a real-life published picture book that you can actually buy in bookshops and borrow from libraries.
A few months ago a parent approached me after an event. She said that part of her family moved from the UK to another country (Spain, I think) and that they love 'The Queen's Hat' because it reminds them of home.
Who would have guessed that 'The Queen's Hat' would publish in the States as well as other countries including Japan, Korea, Australia, Canada, Brazil, France and Spain?
From concept...
to creation...
to reviews...
to festivals (Hay Festival)...
to being in the paper (cringe)...
to a sequel (which is out now)...
to painting Shaun the Sheep (which fetched £15000.00 for charity)...
to a London Symphony Orchestra adaptation...
to co-editions (this is the Japanese edition, published by Hyoronsha)...
to meeting Gillian Anderson.
March 18, 2015 / Steve Antony/
The Queen's Hat, TQH backstory
13 things that aren't in The ...
Did you find the hidden Butler on ...
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Arabic Edition (العربية)
MIT Technology Review Pakistan
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Why Avengers: Infinity War was so successful—according to … ecology - July 17, 2019
Why drones often aren’t the solution to developing-world problems - July 16, 2019
How AlphaZero has rewritten the rules of game play on its own - July 15, 2019
South Pole sea ice is now vanishing at an alarming rate, too - July 3, 2019
How a town destroyed by fire is trying to make itself fireproof - July 2, 2019
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Remembering Salam – the Man and the Physicist
Photo Courtesy - Dawn
2Print
by TR Pakistan
, Published: February 3, 2017
Theoretical Physicist Michael Duff reminisces about his experience as a student of Pakistan’s first Nobel laureate Abdus Salam at Imperial College of London.
Professor Abdus Salam had been a firm believer in the notion that rather than relying on technology transfer from abroad, developing countries should cultivate their own scientific elite that could generate cutting-edge knowledge.
This was stated by Professor Michael Duff at the third Abdus Salam Memorial Lecture held at the School of Sciences and Engineering of the Lahore University of Management Sciences. The lecture has been an annual event for three years to mark the birth anniversary of Pakistan’s first Nobel laureate.
Professor Duff, who holds the Abdus Salam Chair at the Imperial College of London where he had finished his doctorate, said that Salam’s passion for seeing the developing countries become “arbiters of their own destiny” led him to found the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Italy. “He had wanted to set up the Centre in a developing country but eventually settled with Italy as its location because of the funding available there,” he said. Since its establishment in 1964, ‘the Centre has been working for promotion of scientific knowledge in developing countries’.
Another platform through which Salam had promoted scientific learning was the office of the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Pakistani government. He had held the post from 1961 to 1974.
Read more: National Centre for Physics at Quaid-I-Azam University Renamed “Professor Abdus Salam Center for Physics”
Salam’s prolific work ethic could be gauged from his ability to strike a perfect balance between his personal research interests and his desire to promote scientific knowledge in the developing world, Professor Duff noted. He had managed his responsibilities at the ICTP and in the advisory position with the Pakistani government while carrying forward his path-breaking research on theoretical physics’ age-old problem of the possibility of a unifying theory of all four fundamental forces of nature.
Professor Salam and his colleagues Sheldon Glashow and Steven Weinberg had been awarded a Nobel Prize for Physics in 1979 for their work on a unified theory of electromagnetic and weak forces of nature.
Responding to a question from the audience, Professor Duff said all experiments done by theoretical physicists ever since had been compatible with Salam and his colleague’s work. Their work had been a stepping stone in the right direction but the search for super unification of all of the four fundamental forces (weak and electromagnetic whose unity was worked upon by Salam and his colleagues as well as the strong and gravitational forces) still continued, he added. He said when he had been Professor Salam’s student at the Imperial College of London in 1969, the professor was just turning his attention to the study of the force of gravity.
Recalling his studies under Professor Salam’s supervision, he said the question assigned to him for his PhD thesis had emerged from a bet Professor Salam had made with King’s College Mathematician Hermann Bondi.
Professor Duff also highlighted some of Salam’s lesser known achievements in the world of natural sciences. A casual question about neutrinos posed to him during his PhD exam by Professor Rudolf Peierls had led to an exchange of divergent views between the arduous student and his teacher. Peierls and later Wolfgang Pauli, two greats of theoretical physics at that time, had not been completely satisfied with Salam’s response, deeming it in opposition to the accepted scientific views. However, Salam’s view had been proven correct in later studies.
Another one of his early achievement was the solution to the problem of overlapping divergences in the Quantum Field Theory.
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Tags: Abdus Salam, Engineering, force of gravity, Imperial College of London, Lahore, Management Sciences, Nobel, Pakistan, Physicist, Professor Abdus Salam, Quantum, Quantum Field Theory, Science, TR Pakistan
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« A Green IT Law for Brazil? | Home | Brazil Needs to Retool its Energy Efficiency Efforts in Industry »
Climate Change Adaptation Costs May Be Very Underestimated
By Keith R | August 28, 2009
Topics: Climate Change | No Comments »
From the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED):
Costs of adapting to climate change significantly under-estimated
UN climate negotiations should aim for substantially more funding
Scientists led by a former co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will warn today that the UN negotiations aimed at tackling climate change are based on substantial underestimates of what it will cost to adapt to its impacts.
The real costs of adaptation are likely to be 2-3 times greater than estimates made by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), say Professor Martin Parry and colleagues in a new report published by the International Institute for Environment and Development and the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London.
The report adds that costs will be even more when the full range of climate impacts on human activities is considered.
Parry and colleagues warn that this underestimate of the cost of adaptation threatens to weaken the outcome of UNFCCC negotiations, which are due to culminate in Copenhagen in December with a global deal aimed at tackling climate change.
“The amount of money on the table at Copenhagen is one of the key factors that will determine whether we achieve a climate change agreement,” says Professor Parry, visiting research fellow at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London. “But previous estimates of adaptation costs have substantially misjudged the scale of funds needed.”
The UNFCCC has estimated annual global costs of adapting to climate change to be US$40-170 billion, or the cost of about three Olympic Games per year.
But the report’s authors warn that these estimates were produced too quickly and did not include key sectors such as energy, manufacturing, retailing, mining, tourism and ecosystems. Other sectors that the UNFCCC did include were only partially covered.
“Just looking in depth at the sectors the UNFCCC did study, we estimate adaptation costs to be 2-3 higher, and when you include the sectors the UNFCCC left out the true cost is probably much greater,” warns Parry, who co-chaired the IPCC working group on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation between 2002 and 2008.
The new report’s key findings include:
Water: The UNFCCC estimate of US$11 billion excluded costs of adapting to floods and assumes no costs for transferring water within nations from areas of surplus to areas of deficit. The underestimate could be substantial, according to the new report.
Health: The UNFCCC estimate of US$5 billion excluded developed nations, and assessed only malaria, diarrhoea and malnutrition. This could cover only 30-50% of the global total disease burden, according to the new report.
Infrastructure: The UNFCCC estimate of US$8-130 billion assumed that low levels of investment in infrastructure will continue to characterise development in Africa and other relatively poor parts of the world. But the new report points out that such investment must increase in order to reduce poverty and thus avoid continuing high levels of vulnerability to climate change. It says the costs of adapting this upgraded infrastructure to climate change could be eight times more costly than the higher estimates predicted by the UNFCCC.
Coastal zones: The UNFCCC estimate of US$11 billion excluded increased storm intensity and used low IPCC predictions of sea level rise. Considering research on sea level rise published since the 2007 IPCC report, and including storms, the new report suggests costs could be about three times greater than predicted.
Ecosystems: The UNFCCC excluded from its estimates the costs of protecting ecosystems and the services they can provide for human society. The new report concludes that that this is an important source of under-estimation, which could cost over US$350 billion, including both protected and non-protected areas.
The report calls for detailed case studies of what adaptation costs will be, and points out that the few that already exist suggest that costs will be considerable.
It adds that the UNFCCC estimates do not include the cost of bearing ‘residual damage’ that will arise from situations where adaptation is not technically feasible or simply too expensive.
“Finance is the key that will unlock the negotiations in Copenhagen but if governments are working with the wrong numbers, we could end up with a false deal that fails to cover the costs of adaptation to climate change,“ says Camilla Toulmin, director of the International Institute for Environment and Development, which co-published the report.
Professor Sir Brian Hoskins, Director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London, which co-published the report, says: “The costs of adapting to live with a changing climate are very uncertain. However, this new report suggests that previous attempts to figure out the costs have drastically under-estimated how expensive this could be. With such large sums potentially involved, the pressure to act now to reduce the extent of climate change is greater than ever.”
The new report was reviewed by seven of the world’s foremost adaptation scientists, including the lead authors of the original UNFCCC study. Following this, close to 100 adaptation policy and research experts were invited to comment on the pre-publication draft.
The report’s authors are: Professor Martin Parry (Imperial College London), Professors Nigel Arnell (University of Reading), Richard Tiffin (University of Reading) and Tim Wheeler (University of Reading), Dr Pam Berry (University of Oxford), Drs David Dodman and David Satterthwaite (International Institute for Environment and Development), Dr Sam Fankhauser (London School of Economics), Dr Chris Hope (University of Cambridge), Dr Sari Kovats (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), Professor Robert Nicholls (University of Southampton).
Readers who viewed this page, also viewed:
Tags: adaptação às mudanças climáticas, adaptación al cambio climático, Africa, Climate Change, climate change adaptation, coastal zones, diarrhoea, disease burden, ecosystems, energy, environment, floods, Grantham Institute for Climate Change, health, IIED, Imperial College London, IPCC, London School of Economics, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, malaria, malnutrition, manufacturing, Martin Parry, mining, mudanças climáticas, Oxford University, retailing, sea level rise, tourism, UNFCCC, University of Cambridge, University of Reading, University of Southampton, water
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Mariya Koryttseva
Mondays With Bob Greene: I’m so happy, I wouldn’t trade this victory for a Grand Slam
Published July 20, 2009 | By Bob Greene
Robin Soderling beat Juan Monaco 6-3 7-6 (4) to win the Catella Swedish Open in Bastad, Sweden
Jeremy Chardy won his first career ATP title, beating Victor Hanescu 1-6 6-3 6-4 in the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany.
Flavia Pennetta beat Sara Errani 6-1 6-2 to win the Internazionali Femminili di Tennis di Palermo in Palermo, Italy
Sybille Bammer beat Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (4) 6-2 to win the ECM Prague Open in Prague, Czech Republic
Marcos Daniel won the Open Seguros Bolivar in Bogota, Colombia, defeating Horacic Zeballos 4-6 7-6 (5) 6-4
“I’m so happy, I wouldn’t trade this victory for a Grand Slam.” – Robin Soderling, the French Open finalist, after becoming the first Swede to win the Swedish Open since 2000.
“It is the first time I’ve won a title here in Italy. And it’s even more special with my family and friends here watching and supporting me.” – Flavia Pennetta, after winning the Internazionali Femminili di Tennis di Palermo.
“I felt the pressure because I knew this would be my first title.” – Jeremy Chardy, after beating Victor Hanescu to win his first ATP title, the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany.
“I like practicing, but I like playing matches better.” – Kim Clijsters, saying she’s rejoining the WTA Tour after a two-year retirement during which she got married and had a baby.
“I’m tired of the tour, tired of staying at hotels and tired of travelling…I’ve had enough now.” – Marat Safin, after his first-round loss at the Swedish Open.
“I still want to win. Especially that title. I like winning that one. I’m used to winning that one.” – Venus Williams, taking little consolation that the Wimbledon women’s singles title remained in the Williams family when she lost the final to sister Serena.
“I thought it would be pretty easy. You play five games, you get to sit down. But it’s highly competitive and a difficult way to tiptoe back into it.” – Andre Agassi, after returning to the sport by playing World TeamTennis.
“Basically, it was a great match, probably one of the greatest World TeamTennis matches ever played, maybe the greatest. All in all, I thought it was a great night.” – New York Sportimes owner Claude Okin, after his coach was suspended following a wild and crazy match that saw two players get hit by batted balls.
SWEDE VICTORY
It was Robin Soderling’s fourth ATP title and his first on clay. But what made his 6-3 7-6 (4) victory over Juan Monaco even sweeter was that Soderling became the first Swede to win the Swedish Open since his coach, Magnus Norman, won in 2000. Soderling, who upset defending champion Rafael Nadal en route to the final of the French Open, was playing in his third ATP final in Sweden. He lost both previous times on the indoor hard court of the Stockholm Open. He wasn’t to be denied this time as he didn’t drop a set on the clay courts of Bastad. Swedish players have won the singles 18 times in the 54-year history of the Swedish Open. Soderling also was in the doubles final, but he and partner Robert Lindstedt lost to Jaroslav Levinsky and Filip Polasek 1-6 6-3 10-7 (match tiebreak).
Frenchman Richard Gasquet escaped a two-year ban when an independent panel agreed with him that the reason he tested positive for cocaine was because he had kissed a woman in a Miami, Florida, nightclub who had been using the drug. The panel also ruled that while Gasquet’s test was officially in competition, this was a technicality as he had decided the day before his first match to pull out of the Sony Ericsson Championships. Cocaine is not banned out of competition. Fearing a dangerous precedent, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) sought a mandatory two-year band and may yet appeal the ruling, as may the World Anti-Doping Agency. Gasquet’s test showed traces of a tiny quantity of cocaine, about the size of a grain of salt. Gasquet missed the French Open and Wimbledon, but could return to the tour at the Montreal, Canada, Masters that starts on August 10.
SCHEDULING BLAME
The president of the Russian tennis federation blames his team’s upset Davis Cup loss to Israel on the scheduling of the men’s tour. “The main problem is this murderous calendar,” said Shamil Tarpishchev. “This is not only a big problem for us. Just look at the other top teams like U.S., Spain, Argentina or Germany. It seems like every top team was missing their best players.” Tarpishchev, who had led Russia to Davis Cup titles in 2002 and 2006, said the timing of the World Group quarterfinals coming immediately after the French Open and Wimbledon gave top players almost no time to recover. Russia played without its top two players, Nikolay Davydenko and Dmitry Tursunov. Others missing Davis Cup quarterfinals included American Andy Roddick, Spain’s Rafael Nadal, Argentina’s David Nalbandian, Germany’s Tommy Haas and Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic.
Before President Barack Obama headed to baseball’s All-Star game to throw out the first pitch, he welcomed Wimbledon champion Serena Williams to the White House. “I love President Obama; he has such an unbelievable presence, and he seems to be so normal – and he noticed my shoes,” Williams said. “I think that was the highlight of the whole day, was he liked my shoes.” Serena said she was wearing 5-inch heels and the President wondered if she should be wearing them. “I thought that was kind of funny because he may have been right,” Serena said. “Because it is a job hazard for me, but I insist on wearing them.”
SPANISH TOP
Spain is on top of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Davis Cup Nations Ranking. The Spaniards ended Russia’s 2 ½ -year reign as number one. The United States moved up to second place, followed by Russia. Israel, which upset Russia in the quarterfinals, advanced to a career-high sixth.
When Andre Agassi ended his nearly 3-year retirement, he did it all. The 39-year-old played mixed doubles, doubles and singles for the second straight week while competing for the Philadelphia Freedoms in World TeamTennis. Agassi also traded shots with youngsters and bantered with fans as the Freedoms played the Newport Beach Breakers. He teamed with Lisa Raymond to post a mixed doubles victory, but lost in singles to Ramon Delgado and to Delgado and Kaes Van’t Hof in the men’s doubles.
SISTERLY LOVE?
Venus and Serena Williams aren’t the only sisters meeting on the opposite ends of a tennis court. The difference, though, is what part of the week they face each other. In their latest pairing, Serena beat Venus in the Wimbledon final. In Prague, Czech Republic, fifth-seeded Alona Bondarenko was ousted by her unseeded sister Kateryna in the opening round of the Prague Open 6-1 6-3. That snapped a tie and the younger sister now leads in their head-to-head matchups 4-3. In their career head-to-head battles, Serena leads her older sister 11-10. The Bondarenko sisters did team up to win the doubles in Prague, their third doubles title together. They won the Australian Open and Paris indoors last year.
SET FOR THE CAPITAL
Washington, D.C., will be the site for this year’s World TeamTennis championship finals. The July 26 competition, being played in America’s capital for the first time, will pit the 10-team league’s Eastern Conference champions against the winners of the Western Conference.
SHANGHAI STOP
The Qi Zhong Tennis Center in Shanghai is adding new courts as it gets ready to stage an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in October. The Tennis Center was the site for the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup for five years, an event that this year will be held in London. For this year’s tournament, Qi Zhong’s main stadium roof will be opened, turning it into a 15,000-seat outdoor facility. The Grand Stand Court 2 will accommodate 5,000 spectators, while Court 3 will seat 2,000. Construction of the new facilities is expected to be completed by August. The tournament will be held October 10-18 and will conclude a four-week Asian tour, following stops in Bangkok, Tokyo and Beijing.
New York Sportimes coach Chuck Adams was suspended and fined by World TeamTennis after his team and the Washington Kastles got into heated arguments over players getting hit by shots. The league barred Adams for “violating the World TeamTennis Coaches’ Code of Conduct.” During the melee, Adams went onto Washington’s side of the court to confront a Kastles player. The league said this was “the first p[punishment” for what happened between the two teams. WTT said it “continues to investigate the incident to determine if there will be any additional punishments issued.” During the men’s doubles match, a shot by Washington’s Leader Paes hit New York’s Robert Kendrick, prompting Adams and Sportimes player John McEnroe to yell at Paes. The chair umpire issued a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct against the New York team. Four points later, Kendrick hit a serve that hit Paes as he stood near the net as his partner waited to return serve. Kastles players Olga Puchkova and Rennae Stubbs responded and both drew code violation warnings, Puchkova for yelling at Kendrick and Stubbs for abuse of officials.
SET TO RETURN
Having taken time to get married and have a baby, Kim Clijsters is ready to rejoin the WTA Tour. The 2005 US Open champion, Clijsters reached number one in the world in singles and doubles in August 2003. She also was runner-up at four major tournaments – losing to fellow Belgian Justine Henin at both Roland Garros and the US Open in 2003 and at the Australian Open in 2004 – as she won 34 career singles titles before beginning a two-year retirement. This will be her first US Open since she captured the title. She has been given wild cards to enter tournaments at Mason, Ohio, and Toronto, Canada, before the US Open, which begins its two-week run on August 31. The 26-year-old Clijsters married American Brian Lynch in 2007 and their daughter, Jada, was born in February 2008.
SET FOR MONTREAL
Rafael Nadal is shooting to return to the men’s tennis tour at the Montreal Masters next Month. The Spaniard has been slowing recovering from tendinitis in his knees and plans to resume training this week. He last played at Roland Garros, where he was upset in the fourth round by Sweden’s Robin Soderling. Nadal then was forced to skip the defense of his Wimbledon title. He is the defending champion in Montreal. While he was recuperating, he also lost his number one ranking to Roger Federer, who succeeded Nadal as champion at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
SUFFERIN’ SAFIN
Marat Safin is looking forward to life free of racquets and balls. The Russian is scheduled to play another eight tournaments before he retires at the end of the year. After losing his first-round Swedish Open match to Nicolas Almagro, Safin said, “I’ve had enough now.” Asked by the Swedish news agency TT if he would be interested in a coaching career, Safin replied: “I am tired of everything that has to do with rackets and balls. I want to do something completely different.”
STICH BACK
Yet another retiree is returning to the courts. However, when former Wimbledon champion Michael Stich snaps his 12-year stint on the sidelines, it will be only to play doubles at the tournament in Hamburg, Germany. Now 40 years old, Stich is the director of the event that is struggling to survive after losing its Masters Series status on the tour. Stich will team with 21-year-old Mischa Zverev, one of Germany’s top prospects. “I’ve been practicing with Mischa in Hamburg for about five years and we got the idea at some point to play doubles at a tournament,” Stich said. “The opportunity has now presented itself and as Hamburg boys we will play before the home fans next week.” Stich upset fellow German Boris Becker to win Wimbledon in 1991. The following year he teamed with John McEnroe to win the Wimbledon doubles.
Wimbledon runner-up Andy Roddick will skip this week’s Indianapolis Tennis Championships because of a right hip flexor injury. It’s the same injury that caused Roddick to pull out of the United States Davis Cup team’s quarterfinal at Croatia. Without Roddick, the Americans lost.
SKIPS SUSPENSION
Australia won’t be suspended from Davis Cup for refusing to play in India in May. But while the International Tennis Federation board declined to impose tougher sanctions on Australia, it did say the next Davis Cup tie between the two countries will be played in India. Australia forfeited May’s competition when it refused to send a team to India, claiming security fears. While the board also reversed the Davis Cup committee’s decision that Australia would lose its hosting rights for its next home match, the board upheld a USD $10,000 fine and additional legal costs imposed on the Australian federation.
Spurred by last year’s competition in Argentina, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has decided that Davis Cup finals must in the future be held in major cities. The ITF said Argentina’s use of Uslas Malvinas Stadium in Mar del Plata last November did not meet capacity requirements. Wary of the Spaniards’ dominance on clay, Argentina moved the Cup final to indoor carpet. Spain won the final anyway, 3-1.
Three countries – Albania, Kenya and Zambia – have been promoted from Class C membership to Class B while two others have been dropped as the ITF has reconfigured the Europe/Africa Zone. It now will be Europe Group II and Africa Group III. Mongolia and Antigua and Barbuda are the nations who were dropped.
SWISS AWARD
Roger Federer has been named “Ehrespalebaerglemer,” an award given to outstanding citizens of Basel, Switzerland, the tennis star’s home town. A plaque, unveiled in Federer’s honor, sits alongside those honoring other local heroes in the historic city center of Basel. “It’s a nice honor for me to receive the plaque and I will walk past it, I am sure, just a few more times,” said Federer. “It’s going to be a proud moment, maybe also to show my kids in the future.”
SCOTT TO STACEY
The new chairman and chief executive of the WTA Tour is Stacey Allaster. The native of Canada had served three years as president of the WTA Tour after previously serving as vice president and tournament director of Tennis Canada. Allaster replaces Larry Scott in the top job at the WTA Tour. Scott resigned in March after six years as chief executive to become commissioner of the Pacific-10 Conference of US colleges.
Jon Gibbs, a trailblazer in computerized tennis statistics, has died in Verona, New Jersey, USA. The cause of death was pancreatic cancer. A video tape editor for ABC Television before he retired, Gibbs created TenniSTAT, a computer program that enabled a complete printout of every point after a match. At one time TenniSTAT was the official statistics program for the US Open, the WCT Tournament of Champions, the Volvo Masters and the Virginia Slims Championships in New York City, and the US Pro Indoors in Philadelphia. He also provided statistics at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. Gibbs had just celebrated his 71st birthday. A memorial service will be held July 26 at Temple Beth Sholom in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. Among his survivors are his wife, Roz, and two sons, Noah and Josh.
SHARED PERFORMANCES
Bastad: Jaroslav Levinsky and Filip Polasek beat Robert Lindstedt and Robin Soderling 1-6 6-3 10-7 (match tiebreak)
Prague: Alona Bondarenko and Kateryna Bondarenko beat Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-1 6-2
Palermo: Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez beat Mariya Koryttseva and Darya Kustova 6-1 6-2
Stuttgart: Frantisek Cermak and Mischa Mertinak beat Victor Hanescu and Horia Tecau 7-5 6-4
Bogota: Sebastian Prieto and Horarcic Zeballos beat Marcos Daniel and Ricardo Mello 6-4 7-5
SITES TO SURF
Indianapolis: www.tennisindy.com/
Portoroz: www.sloveniaopen.si/
Bad Gastein: www.matchmaker.at/gastein/
Los Angeles: www.latennisopen.com/
Gstaad: www.allianzsuisseopengstaad.com/e/
Umag: www.croatiaopen.hr
Stanford: www.bankofthewestclassic.com/
Istanbul: www.istanbulcup.com/
TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK
(All money in USD)
$1,500,000 Bet-at-Home Open, Hamburg, Germany, clay
$600,000 Indianapolis Tennis Championships, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, hard
$220,000 Banka Koper Slovenia Open, Portoroz, Slovenia, hard
$220,000 Gastein Ladies, Bad Gastein, Austria, clay
TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK
$700,000 Countrywide Classic, Los Angeles, California, USA, hard
$500,000 Allianz Suisse Open, Gstaad, Switzerland, clay
Posted in Lead Story, Mondays with Bob Greene | Tagged Alona Bondarenko, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Argentina, ATP World Tour, Australian Open, Barack Obama, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Boris Becker, Brian Lynch, David Nalbandian, Davis Cup, Dmitry Tursunov, ECM Prague Open, Flavia Pennetta, Francesca Schiavone, French Open, Grand Slam, International Tennis Federation, Ivan Ljubicic, Iveta Benesova, Jeremy Chardy, John McEnroe, Juan Monaco, Justine Henin, Kateryna Bondarenko, Kim Clijsters, Larry Scott, Lisa Raymond, Magnus Norman, Marat Safin, Marcos Daniel, Mario Ancic, Mariya Koryttseva, Michael Stich, Mischa Zverev, Nicolas Almagro, Nikolay Davydenk, Nikolay Davydenko, Nuria Llagostera, Nuria Llagostera Vives, Olga Puchkova, Rafael Nadal, Rennae Stubbs, Richard Gasquet, Robert Kendrick, Robert Lindstedt, Robin Soderlin, Robin Soderling, Roger Federer, Roland Garros, Russia, Serena Williams, Shamil Tarpishchev, Shanghai, Sony Ericsson Championships, Stockholm Open, Sybille Bammer, Tennis, Tennis Masters Cup, the French Open, Tommy Haas, US Open, Venus and Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Victor Hanescu, Virginia Slims Championships, Wimbledon, WTA
Ana Ivanovic post match interview
Published March 29, 2009 | By Tennis Grandstand
A. IVANOVIC/M. Koryttseva
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. How does it feel to have your opener behind you?
ANA IVANOVIC: Oh, it feels really good, especially I had really good performance. I’m happy the way I played, especially from the beginning.
She can be — she had lots of matches behind her, so that was obviously confident — she was confident coming into tonight’s match. But I really stepped up, and really pleased with the way I played.
Q. Was the wind much of a factor there?
ANA IVANOVIC: After the final in Indian Wells, you really think I struggle with this kind of wind? No, it was a little bit gusty in there, but that’s Miami. It’s always windy here, so you just have to accept it.
It’s the same for both the players, so I really tried to take it out of play tonight.
Q. Does the ball bounce as well on the center court?
ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, the bounce is nice. I mean, I really enjoyed playing there. It was really the first time this year I stepped on center court.
It was really good. And also night session, you know, adrenaline, it’s a little bit higher. It kicks in, so it was really fun to play.
Q. Has your adrenaline dropped in the second set?
ANA IVANOVIC: No, she started playing much better. It was also a big stage for her, you know, a night session, so probably she was nervous. She started playing better in the second set.
I didn’t think I dropped too much. Maybe I was not as aggressive as I was from the beginning, but still stepped up in important moments and managed to get the break in the second.
Q. Did you have any chance to enjoy Miami before the tournament started in between Indian Wells?
ANA IVANOVIC: Well, to be honest, we had quite a few commitments for the tournament and for the sponsors, and didn’t have a chance to enjoy Miami too much. Hopefully after the tournament.
Q. You came obviously close to winning at Indian Wells last weekend. How much is that pushing you for this tournament? This surface, is it similar? The conditions are similar?
ANA IVANOVIC: This tournament, I see as a big challenge for me, myself, because in the past, I mean, that’s something that I learned from last year was that I wasn’t consistent enough. This is a big challenge now for me, because I did really well last couple of weeks. I played lots of matches in Indian Wells. I really want to keep up the good work and keep up with the victories this week, too.
There is no easy matches, but it’s something I really want to work hard on. Obviously conditions are a lot different. You know, everything is much different than Indian Wells, but it’s — I see it as a big challenge.
Q. Which do you prefer in the early games: to be really tested by someone and have a little bit of a scare that pushes you, or to have a more straightforward like tonight?
ANA IVANOVIC: I think, you know, from the first round, you sort of want victories like today. It’s important to win, you know, quite comfortably so you get confidence through the matches. And especially against these kind of opponents, you have to be, you know, there from the first moment and don’t give them any hope.
Because they have nothing to lose, so if they see you are struggling a little bit, they can try and use the opportunities. So you have to be there. So to win comfortably it’s really good.
Q. Do you have any planned commitments for the next round?
ANA IVANOVIC: I just want to, you know, enjoy, and I really been enjoying competing lately. I want to keep up with that. And like I said, there is no easy matches. I have tough opponents, but I just focus on match by match.
I just found out now who I play next round, so I want to keep it that way and have fun on the court.
End of FastScripts
Posted in Archives | Tagged Ana Ivanovic, Indian Wells, Mariya Koryttseva, Sony Ericsson Open
Ana Ivanovic relaxing on the golfcourse
Published March 28, 2009 | By Manfred Wenas
So if you have a big tournament coming up and you need to take your mind off, y’know just to relax. What do you do? Yes that’s right, you take one of your best friends, in this case Rafael Nadal, to the golf course for some fun and relaxation. That’s exactly what Ana Ivanovic did as part of her preparation for the Sony Ericsson Open. Sounds good huh? Well to you golfers and to those who actually get the game it sounds like a lot of fun. I am sticking to miniature golf for now.
The tournament has already started and Ana Ivanovic eased through the first round with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Ukranian qualifier Mariya Koryttseva.
Ana Ivanovic is the French Open 2008 winner and the Indian Wells 2009 runner up. After a slump she is currently back on her way to the top.
Enjoy the photos of her and Rafael Nadal playing minigolf.
Posted in Archives | Tagged Ana Ivanovic, French Open, Indian Wells, Mariya Koryttseva, Rafael Nadal, Sony Ericsson Open
Mondays With Bob Greene: Fabrice Santoro Wins Newport
Juan Martin del Potro won the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany, by defeating Richard Gasquet 6-4 7-5
Victor Hanescu beat Igor Andreev 6-3 6-4 to capture the Allianz Suisse Open in Gstaad, Switzerland
Tommy Robredo won his second Catella Swedish Open title by beating Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-1 in Bastad, Sweden
Fabrice Santoro won the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, Rhode Island, defeating Prakash Amritraj 6-3 7-5
Jesse Huta Galung beat Diego Hartfield 6-3 6-4 to win the Siemens Open in Scheveningen, Netherlands
Mariano Puerta defeated Ricardo Hocevar 7-6 (2) 7-5 to win the Seguros Bolivar Open in Bogota, Colombia
Alize Cornet won the Gaz de France Grand Prix in Budapest, Hungary, by beating Andreja Klepac 7-6 (5) 6-3
Sara Errani beat Mariya Koryttseva 6-2 6-3 to win the Internazionali Femminili di Tennis di Palermo in Palermo, Italy
“This win is more important than the first one. In 2006 I played the best tennis of my life. I was in better shape. This year I did not play very good in the beginning of the year. This gives me confidence again.” – Tommy Robredo, after winning the Swedish Open for the second time in three years.
“This is incredible. I’ve dreamed of winning a tournament since I’ve been a kid, and now I also get a car.” – Juan Martin del Potro, who received a check and a new white convertible Mercedes for winning the Mercedes Cup.
“I congratulate Juan Martin, but he’d better be careful. It’s a fast car.” – Richard Gasquet, who lost in the Mercedes Cup final.
“When you start a career at 16 years old, never, ever can you imagine you’ll win a tournament 20 years later.” – Fabrice Santoro, who at age 35 won the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.
“Yes, I won the Wimbledon title, but it’s not such a big success for me as it’s only a junior title after all. I’ll be really satisfied when I win a men’s tournament of such magnitude.” – Grigor Dimitrov, who became Bulgaria’s first Wimbledon champion when he won the boys’ singles.
“Obviously I was happy for her. I wouldn’t want her to lose any other time – unless she lost against me.” – Serena Williams, talking about her sister Venus, who won her fifth Wimbledon title by beating Serena in the final.
“It is with a lot of sadness that I take this decision because playing for my country (in) my last Olympic Games meant a lot to me.” – Amelie Mauresmo, who decided to skip the Beijing Olympics when she was selected to play doubles only.
“I’m so happy. This is like a dream come true.” – Victor Hanescu, after winning his first ATP title in Gstaad, Switzerland
“I am obviously very happy to have won the title here in Bastad once again. … I am not even going to say that I will be back next year because everyone knows that I will.” – Tommy Robredo, after winning the Catella Swedish Open for the second time in three years.
“The standing ovation after the match was fantastic. I had to swallow hard a few times. I’m usually a very emotional person and I was very moved. I even forgot to do my signature Brussels step.” – Jonas Bjorkman, who won the Swedish Open doubles in his final trip to Bastad before he retires.
“When you’re 17 years old and you’re playing Grand Slam tournaments, you’re not thinking, `If I win this, I’ll be the youngest Grand Slam champion ever.’ … I don’t think it really sunk in until probably a couple of months after it took place.” – Michael Chang, about his winning the French Open in 1989.
SUISSE SWEET
Victor Hanescu won his first career ATP title and became the first Romanian since Ilie Nastase in 1973 to capture the Allianz Suisse Open in Gstaad, Switzerland, when he beat seventh-seeded Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-4. In the second round, Hanescu saved three match points in the third-set tiebreak, edging Ivo Karlovic 6-7 (4) 7-6 (3) 7-6 (11), then upset world No. 10 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland in the semifinals. Prior to the Gstaad tournament, the 26-year-old Hanescu had not won consecutive ATP matches since he reached the final at Bucharest, Romania, last September. Hanescu is the first ATP tournament winner from Romania since Andrei Pavel won in Montreal, Canada, in 2001.
SERVE, SET AND MATCH
Sara Errani had to wait for the umpire before she won her first WTA Tour singles title. At match point, Errani’s serve was called long. But the umpire got out of the chair, checked the mark and ruled Errani had served an ace, giving her a 6-2 6-3 victory over Mariya Koryttseva at Palermo, Italy. Errani, who had never been to a tour final of any kind before this week, became the first Italian to win the singles crown in Palermo. She then won the doubles title, teaming with Nuria Llagostera Vives.
SPARKLING CAREERS
Michael Chang, one of only three American men to win the French Open singles in the Open Era, was one of the three latest inductees into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Chang became the youngest player to win a Grand Slam men’s title when he upset top-seeded Ivan Lendl in the fourth round, then eclipsed third-seeded Stefan Edberg in the final in 1989. His victory snapped a 34-year drought by American men on the Roland Garros clay. Also inducted into the Hall as contributors were Gene Scott, founder and publisher of Tennis Week magazine as well as a top player, promoter and tournament director, and Mark McCormick, a sports executive who was founder and CEO of International Management Group (IMG). Established in 1954, the International Tennis Hall of Fame now has 207 inductees.
SENIOR SANTORO
When Fabrice Santoro successfully defending his Hall of Fame Tennis Championships title, he moved into elite company, becoming only the second player since 1990 to win an ATP event after his 35th birthday. Santoro became the oldest player to win the grass court tournament in Newport, Rhode Island, and joined Andre Agassi as champions after reaching the age of 35. With his sixth career title, Santoro won his 451st match, fourth among active players behind Roger Federer, Carlos Moya and Lleyton Hewitt.
SWEDE AND STEADY
Making his final appearance at Bastad, Jonas Bjorkman teamed with Robin Soderling of Sweden to win his seventh Swedish Open doubles title. Bjorkman, who announced his intention to retire at the end of this year, previously won the doubles at Bastad in 1994, 1995, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006, teaming with Todd Woodbridge of Australia, Mahesh Bhupathi of India and fellow Swedes Jan Apell, Joachim Johansson and Thomas Johansson. Bjorkman has a remarkable 33-3 record at Bastad. It was the first doubles final for the 23-year-old Soderling.
STAR NADAL
OK, it’s not a star, but a recently discovered asteroid has been named after Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal, according to the EFE news agency. Previously known as 128036, the Rafael Nadal asteroid is four kilometers in diameter and is located between Mars and Jupiter. The Astronomical Observatory of Majorca discovered the planetoid in 2003. The decision to name the asteroid after Nadal, a native of the Majorcan town of Manacor, was taken by the International Astronomical Union in response to a request by the Spanish observatory, which said its goal is to pay tribute “to one of the greatest tennis players of all time.”
SEMIFINAL STEADY
By upsetting third-seeded Novak Djokovic and eventually reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon, Marat Safin became the 20th player in the Open Era to reach the semis or better at all four Grand Slam tournaments in his career. The other active men to achieve the feat are Djokovic, Roger Federer and David Nalbandian.
STEPPING GINGERLY
Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal pulled out OF the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany, and said he won’t play again until he no longer has pain above his right knee. “My doctor said I need a few days off. I will have a checkup and treatment and won’t return to the court until I am 100 percent,” Nadal said. “The calendar is hard on us players. I have played four, five months without a break. I have to recover.”
SITTING ON TOP
Canada’s Daniel Nestor is ranked number one in the world in doubles for the fifth time in his career. His latest move to the top of the rankings came after he teamed with Nenad Zimonjic to win the Wimbledon doubles, their third title of the year. Nestor surpassed American twins Bob and Mike Bryan, who had led the rankings since April 16, 2007.
SHANGHAI BOUND
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are the first three players to clinch spots in the year-ending Tennis Masters Cup, which will be played in Shanghai, China. The elite eight-player tournament will be held for the fourth year at Qi Zhong Stadium from November 9-16. The first two doubles places in Shanghai were seized by Wimbledon champions Daniel Nestor of Canada and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia, along with American twins Bob and Mike Bryan. Federer will be playing in his seventh consecutive Tennis Masters Cup. He has reached the final the past five years, winning consecutive titles in 2003-04 and again in 2006-07. This is the sixth straight year that Nestor has qualified for the season finale, winning it last year with long-time partner Mark Knowles.
SUPER PRIZE
The men’s and women’s champions at the U.S. Open this year will each take home USD $1.5 million as the year’s final Grand Slam tournament increases its total prize money to a record USD $20.6 million. The overall payout is USD $1 million more than in 2007, matching the largest single-year jump in the hard-court tournament’s history. Adding in the bonuses available to the leading finishers in the summer circuit U.S. Open Series, the overall prize money could eventually be more than USD $23 million. If a player wins both the summer series and the U.S. Open, as Roger Federer did last year, they would earn USD $2.5 million. A year ago Federer took home the largest paycheck in tennis history, USD $2.4 million.
Mardy Fish tried out another sport while playing at the Hall of Fame tournament in Newport, Rhode Island. A self-described big Minnesota Twins baseball fan, Fish threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Boston’s Fenway Park before the Red Sox played host to the Twins. The two sporting events were only about 90 miles apart.
SERENA’S BACK
Three days after she lost the Wimbledon singles final to her sister, Serena Williams was back on court, this time playing for the Washington Kastles of World Team Tennis. She won her singles, beating Marie-Eve Pelletier, and teamed with Mashona Washington to beat Pelletier and Raquel Kops-Jones in the women’s doubles. But she and Justin Gimelstob lost to Jan-Michael Gambill and Kops-Jones, and the Kastles lost their home opener to the Boston Lobsters 22-19. Venus also returned and played WTT for Philadelphia Freedoms.
STARTING OVER AGAIN
Australian Mark Philippoussis is making yet another comeback. This time, though, he’ll be competing on the Outback Champions Series, the international tennis circuit for men 30-and-over. Philippoussis, who lost to Roger Federer in the 2003 Wimbledon final, will join Jim Courier, Todd Martin and Wayne Ferreira at The Championships at The Palisades, to be played September 24-28 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Four other players will be announced later to complete the eight-player field.
SAN DIEGO HALL
Brian Teacher, who won the Australian Open singles title in 1980, is one of the newest members of the San Diego Tennis Hall of Fame. Teacher and four others will be inducted into the hall August 23 at the Balboa Tennis Club. The others are age-group champion Jim Perley and three administrators: Franklin Johnson, a former president of the U.S. Tennis Association; William J. Kellogg, president of the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club since 1989; and Jean Kremm, long active in the San Diego community junior tennis. The five were selected by a panel. Teacher was born in San Diego and was an All-American while helping UCLA win two NCAA championships. He beat Kim Warwick in straight sets in the 1980 Australian Open final.
Amelie Mauresmo is the latest star to skip the Beijing Olympics, saying she wants to prepare for the U.S. Open. Mauresmo said that her being passed over by the French Tennis Federation for the women’s singles competition was a major factor in her withdrawal from the Games. Mauresmo, who had been selected to compete only in doubles, lamented that she was missing a chance to join the 2008 Olympiad. She won a silver medal in the singles in Athens four years ago.
SINO OFFICE
Acknowledging the rapid rise of Asian tennis and the emergence importance of Asia, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour has opened its newest office in Beijing, China. The women’s tour has its main headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida, and its European office in London, England. David Shoemaker will head the Asia-Pacific and is charged with growing the WTA Tour’s presence in the region as well as assuming overall leadership of all Asia Pacific staff. He will maintain his role as General Counsel as well as other executive responsibilities for the Tour.
STATEHOOD DAY SNUB
Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas skipped the Statehood Day ceremonies in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, saying he had not prepared for it. However, Kirkilas found time to play in a tennis tournament the same day. The Lithuanian Tennis Federation confirmed Kirkilas was at the Dubingial Open tournament, where the prime minister and tennis player Danielius Lencina-Ribes lost to Sarunas Marciulionis and Gabriele Masillute-Lencina. Lithuania’s president spoke at the Statehood Day festivities, while Lithuania’s ambassador to Great Britain, Vygaudas Usackas, diplomats from Russia’s embassy in Lithuania, Defense Minister Juozas Olekas as well as members of the 1998 gold medal-winning USSR basketball team, including Arvydas Sabonis, were at the tennis tournament.
SLAVE TREATMENT?
A Pakistani student is in court alleging he was treated as a slave when he worked as a security guard at the Australian Open earlier this year. The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that Faisal Durrani filed a statement of claim at the Melbourne Magistrates Court, alleging he was paid 200 Australian dollars for the 150 hours he worked at the tennis facility. Durrani claimed that at least four other security guards from the sub-continent also received a small payment for their work. Durrani’s lawyer, Andrew Weinmann, called the action “slavery.” Durrani is seeking about USD $4,000 in wages, along with interest, court costs and penalties through the Workplace Relations Act that could run into millions of dollars.
Britain’s Chris Eaton, who got into Wimbledon qualifying on a wild card, worked his way into the main draw where he reached the second round before falling to 25th-seeded Dmitry Tursunov. And while he earned more than USD $43,000 for his fortnight, Eaton says he will continue to drive his modest Vauxhall Astra, complete with taped-up side mirror. “Maybe I’ll buy some better Duct tape,” Eaton said of his big payday.
SERVING STRONG
Now that he has won two Grand Slam junior boys doubles titles, Taiwan’s Yang Tsung-Hua is planning on turning pro next year. He is the world’s top-ranked junior, having also won the boys singles at the French Open. Yang and his partner, Hsieh Cheng-Peng, will compete in an upcoming tournament in India as well as the U.S. Open boy’s doubles. Hsieh, the younger bother of Hsieh Su-Wei, who competes on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, and Yang teamed up to win the boys doubles at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
SURPRISE – NOT
Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich won the Israel Open doubles title as expected, beating Sergei Bubka and Michail Elgin 6-3 7-6 (3) in the Saturday final. The Israeli duo was the only world-class team in the USD $50,000 challenger tournament play at Ramat Hasharon, Israel. They didn’t drop a set all week. The singles winner was Marsel Ilhan of Turkey, who beat Slovakia’s Ivo Klec 6-4 6-4.
SWITCHING SIDES
It turns out the newest British tennis star, Wimbledon girls champion Laura Robson, is really a new Brit. Newspapers in England report that the 14-year-old has had a British passport for just four months. Until February, she played all of her matches representing her native Australia, although she has lived in Britain since the age of six. Her father, Andrew Robson, obtained his British passport in February, which allowed Laura to apply for citizenship in the United Kingdom.
Stuttgart: Christopher Kas and Philippe Kohlschreiber beat Michael Berrer and Mischa Zverev 6-3 6-4
Gstaad: Jaroslav Levinsky and Filip Polasek beat Stanislas Wawrinka and Stephane Bohli 3-6 6-2 11-9 (match tiebreak)
Newport: Mardy Fish and John Isner beat Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 6-4 7-6 (1)
Bastad: Jonas Bjorkman and Robin Soderling beat Johan Brunstrom and Jean-Julien Rojer 6-2 6-2
Bogota: Xavier Malisse and Carlos Salamanca beat Juan Sebastian Cabal and Michael Quintero 6-1 6-4
Scheveningen: Rameez Junaid and Philipp Marx beat Matwe Middelkoop and Melle Van Gemerden 5-7 6-2 10-6 (match tiebreak)
Budapest: Alize Cornet and Janette Husarova beat Vanessa Henke and Ioana Raluca Olaru 6-7 (5) 6-1 10-6 (match tiebreak)
Palermo: Sara Errani and Nuria Llagostera Vives beat Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-6 7-6 (1) 10-4 (match tiebreak)
Istanbul: www.tedclub.org.tr
Stanford: www.bankofthewestclassic.com
Bad Gastein: www.generali-ladies.at
Scheveningen: www.siemens-open.nl
Toronto: www.rogerscupmen.com
Poznan: www.porscheopen.pl
San Marino: www.atpsanmarino.com
Los Angeles: www.eastwestbankclassic.com
Portoroz: www.sloveniaopen.sl
$890,000 Austrian Open, Kitzbuhel, Austria, clay
$525,000 Indianapolis Tennis Championships, Indianapolis, Indiana, hard
$525,000 Dutch Open Tennis, Amersfoort, The Netherlands, clay
$525,000 ATP Studena Croatia Open, Umag, Croatia, clay
$600,000 Bank of the West Classic, Stanford, California, hard
Turkcell Legends Cup, Istanbul, Turkey, hard
(July 18-20)
Americas Zone
Group III: Aruba, Barbados, Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Puerto Rico at Tegucigalpa, Honduras, hard
Group IV: Bermuda, Costa Rica, Haiti, US Virgin Island at Honduras
Europe/Africa Zone
Group II Playoffs: Luxembourg vs. Finland at Hanko, Finland, clay; Hungary vs. Greece at Thessaloniki, Greece, clay
Group II Second Round: Denmark vs. South Africa at Johannesburg, South Africa, hard; Algeria vs. Monaco at Monte Carlo, Monaco, clay
$2,615,000 Rogers Cup, Toronto, Canada, hard
$100,000 Porsche Open, Poznan, Poland, clay
$100,000 San Marino CEPU Open, San Marino, clay
$600,000 East West Bank Classic presented by Herbalife, Los Angeles, California, hard
Posted in Lead Story, Mondays with Bob Greene | Tagged Alize Cornet, Amelie Mauresmo, Andy Ram, Brian Teacher, Chris Eaton, Diego Hartfield, Fabrice Santoro, Hsieh Su-Wei, Igor Andreev, Jan-Michael Gambill, Jesse Huta Galung, Jim Courier, Juan Martin del Potro, Laura Robson, Marat Safin, Mardy Fish, Mariano Puerta, Marie-Eve Pelletier, Mariya Koryttseva, Mark Phillippoussis, Mashona Washington, Michael Chang, Michail Elgin, Novak Djokovic, Olympics, Outback Champions Series, Prakash Amritraj, Rafael Nadal, Raquel Kops-Jones, Ricardo Hocevar, Richard Gasquet, Roger Federer, Sara Errani, Serena Williams, Sergei Bubka, Todd Martin, Tomas Berdych, Tommy Robredo, Tsung-Hua, Venus Williams, Victor Hanescu, Wayne Ferreira, World Team Tennis, Yoni Erlich
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Forum: The Best TV Series of All Time
Sticky: The Best TV Series of All Time (BTVSAT)
These Best/Greatest tournaments have been a hit on our forum so I thought we would continue the festivities with a tournament to determine the best...
Started by mae, 11-01-2010 08:27 AM
RainInSpain
Poll: BTVSAT Final - Wave 4A
The Twilight Zone CBS (1959–1964) vs. Star Trek NBC (1966–1969)
DoctorDodge
Poll: BTVSAT Final - Wave 5C
The Sopranos HBO (1999–2007) vs. Battlestar Galactica SCI-FI (2004–2009)
Poll: BTVSAT Final - Wave 5B
Star Trek: The Next Generation FRS (1987–1994) vs. Star Trek NBC (1966–1969)
M*A*S*H CBS (1972–1983) vs. The Twilight Zone CBS (1959–1964)
The Twilight Zone CBS (1959–1964) vs. Star Trek: The Next Generation FRS (1987–1994)
BROWNINGS CHILDE
Star Trek: The Next Generation FRS (1987–1994) vs. The Sopranos HBO (1999–2007)
M*A*S*H CBS (1972–1983) vs. Battlestar Galactica SCI-FI (2004–2009)
The Sopranos HBO (1999–2007) vs. M*A*S*H CBS (1972–1983)
Battlestar Galactica SCI-FI (2004–2009) vs. Star Trek NBC (1966–1969)
Star Trek NBC (1966–1969) vs. M*A*S*H CBS (1972–1983)
Battlestar Galactica SCI-FI (2004–2009) vs. Star Trek: The Next Generation FRS (1987–1994)
The Sopranos HBO (1999–2007) vs. The Twilight Zone CBS (1959–1964)
M*A*S*H CBS (1972–1983) vs. Star Trek: The Next Generation FRS (1987–1994)
Star Trek NBC (1966–1969) vs. The Sopranos HBO (1999–2007)
The Twilight Zone CBS (1959–1964) vs. Battlestar Galactica SCI-FI (2004–2009)
Poll: BTVSAT - 2000s Final
Lost ABC (2004–2010) vs. Battlestar Galactica SCI-FI (2004–2009)
Cheers NBC (1982–1993) vs. Star Trek: The Next Generation FRS (1987–1994)
pathoftheturtle
The X-Files FOX (1993–2002) vs. The Sopranos HBO (1999–2007)
kluker
Star Trek NBC (1966–1969) vs. The Outer Limits ABC (1963–1965)
M*A*S*H CBS (1972–1983) vs. The Muppet Show FRS (1976–1981)
Quick Navigation The Best TV Series of All Time Top
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Blackhawk Modifications Teams with Sierra Nevada Corporation to Certify the XP67A for the King Air 350ER
Published in Businessman
LAS VEGAS, NV – October 9, 2017 – Through Blackhawk Modifications’ subsidiary government and military sales division, Vector-Hawk Aerospace (VHA), the companies have teamed with Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) to offer the Blackhawk XP67A Engine+ Upgrade STC Kit for the King Air 350ER at 16,500 and 17,500 pounds maximum allowable takeoff weight (MTOW). Specifically developed for military and government operations, the offering will include two factory-new Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PT6A-67A engines, new MT 5-bladed composite propeller assemblies and spinners, and a True Blue Power lithium-ion battery. Training, support, and a five year/2,500 hour enhanced new-engine warranty are also included.
“Blackhawk is proud to be teamed with a company like SNC on this program,” said Jim Allmon, Blackhawk’s President and CEO. “With Blackhawk’s engineering and branding expertise coupled with SNC’s military and government reach, this will prove to be a highly successful program. Our government and military division, Vector-Hawk, was instrumental in the facilitation of the program, and my congrats go to VHA President, Pete Franks, for his efforts to team us with SNC.”
The XP67A will provide a 25-30% increase in power, which translates into improved climb and cruise performance for King Air 350ERs especially on hot days at high altitudes. Although the PT6A-67A will produce a 400 thermodynamic SHP increase over the stock PT6A-60A, the Blackhawk engine will actually reduce the overall weight of the aircraft by about 18 pounds.
"Sierra Nevada Corporation is excited to work with Vector-Hawk and Blackhawk, world leaders in aircraft performance improvements, to offer this capability for greatly increased performance in high-density altitude areas of operation,” said Tim Owings, Corporate Vice President of SNC’s Integrated Mission Systems business area. “This will truly be a game changer, offering increased safety, performance, and mission capability."
Testing is underway at Blackhawk Headquarters in Waco, TX, and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018. Once approved, SNC will have exclusivity to provide the Blackhawk Engine+ Upgrade STC Kit to the Special Missions market for US and most foreign governments/military aircraft weighing 16,500 lbs. and above. SNC will complete the installations at their network of authorized install facilities. For more information, visit the Blackhawk Team October 10-12 in Booth C7330 during NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas, Nevada.
About Blackhawk Modifications
Blackhawk Modifications, Inc., founded in 1999 in Waco, Texas, is a recognized aviation leader in providing engine performance solutions to the turboprop fleet. The company has the largest installed fleet of STC twin and single-engine turboprop upgrades, making Blackhawk the largest non-OEM buyer of new Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines in the world. A worldwide network of approved dealers and service support centers complements Blackhawk’s U.S. facilities. For more information, visit www.blackhawk.aero.
About Sierra Nevada Corporation
Recognized as one of “The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Space,” Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) provides customer-focused advanced technology solutions in the areas of space, aviation, electronics and systems integration. SNC’s diverse technologies are used in applications including space exploration and satellites, aircraft integrations, navigation and guidance systems, threat detection and security, scientific research and infrastructure protection. Founded in 1963 and headquartered in Sparks, Nevada, SNC operates under the leadership of owners, CEO Fatih Ozmen and President Eren Ozmen, with a workforce of more than 3,000 personnel in 34 locations in 19 U.S. states, England, Germany and Turkey providing global support to customers. For more information on SNC visit www.sncorp.com.
Last modified onThursday, 12 October 2017 17:12
Sierra Nevada Corporation
NASA Awards $45.5 Million for Private Moon Lander Work on Project Artemis
Sierra Nevada Corporation Shows Off its Military Modified Aircraft that Are Ready for Missions
Sierra Nevada Corporation CEO Invited to Join National Space Council Users’ Advisory Group
Sierra Nevada Corporation Announces Successful Test of Dream Chaser Spacecraft
Draper and Sierra Nevada Corporation Announce New Agreement for Space Missions
More in this category: « Spat with US to be Resolved Soon: Turkey's Deputy PM Citigroup Inc. Acquires New Stake in Turkish Investment Fund »
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Investigative Report on Li Lanqing, the Former Lead of the “CCP Central Committee Leadership Team to Handle the Falun Gong Issue”
244-en_244_report.pdf774.3 KB
Li Lanqing was the Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China from March 1998 to March 2003 [1]. From June 1999 to 2003, he was also the lead of the “Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee Leadership Team to Handle Falun Gong Issue” (referred to as the “Leadership Team” in this report). As lead of the Leadership Team, Li Lanqing worked hard to propagate Jiang Zemin (former CCP chief)’s policy to persecute Falun Gong. Li was in charge of the persecution throughout China. This report provides evidence of Li Lanqing’s role in the persecution of Falun Gong.
Brief Introduction of the CCP Organization Dedicated to Persecute Falun Gong
The “CCP Central Committee Leadership Team to Handle the Falun Gong Issue” was established on June 10, 1999 by Jiang Zemin. Jiang established the Leadership Team, as a Party organ, bypassing the Constitution and other regulatory procedures. Along with the Leadership Team, an office working for the Leadership Team was also established. Within the CCP organization, it is called the “Office of CCP Central Committee Leadership Team to Handle the Falun Gong Issue.” Within the government hierarchy, it is called the “Office of the State Council to Prevent and Handle Cult Issues.” The two names refer to the same office, which is commonly known as the “610 Office” because it was setup on June 10, 1999.
Please refer to the WOIPFG report on the “610 Office” for details of its establishment, naming, structure, budget and main tasks [2].
Jiang Zemin Appointed Li Lanqing as the Lead of the Leadership Team
On June 7, 1999, Jiang Zemin gave a speech at the CCP Central Politburo meeting. The topic of Jiang’s speech was to “urgently handle and solve the Falun Gong issue.” In his speech, Jiang mentioned the establishment of a dedicated leadership team and named Li Lanqing, then Vice Premier, as the lead of this extralegal organization. Ding Guangen (member of the CCP Central Politburo, member of the Secretariat of the CCP Central Committee and the Minister of Propaganda) and Luo Gan (member of the CCP Central Politburo, member of the State Council, and Director of the Political & Legal Affairs Committee) were named the deputy leads [3]. In November 2002, Li Lanqing was replaced by Luo Gan. In 2007, Zhou Yongkang assumed the lead position replacing Luo Gan.
As the Leadership Team Lead, Li Lanqing was directly in charge of the persecution of Falun Gong on all fronts, including science, education, arts, senior, etc. He gave speeches in various meetings to incite hatred against and demonize Falun Gong. He traveled to various places to inspect and issue specific commands to persecute Falun Gong.
Using Meetings to Propagate the Persecution Policy
On Aug. 15, 1999, Li Lanqing met with representatives from the medical and family planning. Li gave a speech saying that medical workers must “actively participate in the exposure of Falun Gong. The struggle against Falun Gong is a serious political campaign [4].”
The Falun Gong followers in China come from all walks of life and all ages, including the retired population, which has long been ignored by the Chinese regime. However, in order to implement the persecution policy among elderly people, “China Aging Problem National Commission” was established in October 1999, and Li Lanqing was the director. On Oct. 22, 1999, Li Lanqing gave a speech on the first meeting of the Commission. Li said that as of Oct. 1, there were 126 million people over 60 years of age in China, which was 10 percent of the population. Li stressed the importance of the “struggle against Falun Gong among old people as a political campaign and urged the elderly people to “continuously upgrade their thoughts and political awareness [5].”
On Nov. 26, 1999, the meeting to “report situation of the struggle against Falun Gong” was held in Beijing’s People’s Hall. Over 3,000 people attended the meeting. Li Lanqing gave a speech titled “Several Issues in the Struggle against Falun Gong.” According to an attendee, Li Lanqing talked about the policy in persecuting Falun Gong, which was never recorded in written form. Instead, it has been transmitted throughout the nation only via oral communication [6].
On Dec. 15, 1999, the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Propaganda, and China Association of Sciences hosted the 2nd National Popular Science Working Meeting. Li Lanqing, Wen Jiabao and Ding Guangen gave speeches [7]. Li Lanqing’s speech was published on the official media People’s Daily. In his speech, Li Lanqing equated the persecution of Falun Gong to the proliferation of science. Li also defined the tasks “to spread science far and wide in society” as an “important political responsibility [8].”
From July 5 to July 7, 2000, the CCP Central Committee Departments of Organization, Propaganda and Education held the 9th Nationwide Working Meeting of CCP Development in Universities in Beijing. Li Lanqing, Ding Guangen and Zeng Qinghong attended the meeting. Li Lanqing gave a speech saying that “the education and transformation of Falun Gong practitioners in universities must continue [9].”
On Aug. 29, 2000, the Ministry of Justice held a meeting to “reward and share experience of those who did well in the education and transformation (of Falun Gong practitioners).” Li Lanqing sent a congratulatory letter to the meeting. Luo Gan and Wang Maolin gave speeches at the meeting. They praised Masanjia Labor Camp in its use of torture on Falun Gong practitioners and demanded the torture methods to become the nationwide method and standard in transforming Falun Gong practitioners [10]. (WOIPFG note: To transform a Falun Gong practitioner is to make him/her give up the belief in Falun Gong.) After the meeting, officials from all over China visited Masanjia Labor Camp to “learn from its experience [11].” (Note: Masanjia Labor Camp in the northeastern province of Liaoning is notorious for its brutal torture on Falun Gong practitioners. It has been dubbed as the “model” for transforming Falun Gong practitioners by the CCP Central. Please refer to the WOIPFG investigative report on Masanjia Labor Camp for details. (http://www.upholdjustice.org/node/237)
On Jan. 5, 2001, Li Lanqing called a meeting of the leaders of the National Federation of Trade Unions, the Communist Youth League and Women’s Federation. During the meeting, Li Lanqing gave orders to “thoroughly mobilize the general public to participate and intensify the anti-Falun Gong activities.” On Jan. 8, Zhou Qiang, Secretary of the Communist Youth League, held a meeting of all secretaries of the Youth Leagues to study Li Lanqing’s speech and the Central 610 Office announcement about “Falun Gong activities during the Chinese New Year in Beijing.” Specific tasks were delegated according to the announcement [12].
On Jan. 9, 2001, Li Lanqing attended the 11th Meeting of Universities Directly Affiliated with the Department of Education. Li ordered “the management team of all universities must be united and lead the students and faculties in the fierce struggle against Falun Gong.” Li also ordered “the ‘no cult on campus’ program to be held on all university campus and to make the universities an important battle ground against Falun Gong and other organizations [13]”
In order to intensify the persecution of Falun Gong by inciting hatred in the populace, the CCP staged the “Tiananmen Square Self-Immolation” hoax on Jan. 23, 2001. Two weeks after the staged incident, on Feb. 7, 2001, the State Council held a “Working Meeting to Struggle against Cult.” Li Lanqing gave a speech at the meeting reiterating Jiang Zemin’s order to “eradicate Falun Gong.” Li Lanqing defined a three-stage-plan in the eradication campaign. Li also heightened the persecution of Falun Gong to the struggle against “international hostile forces” and “anti-CCP, anti-China forces [14].” As a result, the persecution was intensified throughout the nation.
The State Bureau of Sports summoned all bureau chiefs for a meeting from Feb. 5 to Feb. 7, 2001. Li Lanqing said in his speech, “Sports has politics embedded in it. Sportsmen must have very strong sense of political responsibility in their work. In the organization of sports meets, one must raise it to a political level. The sportsmen must obey the orders from the CCP and the Central Government, and be active in the anti-Falun Gong activities [15].”
On Feb. 26, 2001, seven departments, namely the Department of Organization, Department of Propaganda, Political & Legal Affairs Committee, Ministry of Public Security, Department of Civil Affairs, Department of Personnel, and the State Council Office to Prevent and Handle Cult Issues, jointly held the “Reward Meeting for Accomplished Individuals and Organizations (in the Persecution of Falun Gong)” in Beijing. 110 organizations and 271 individuals were rewarded. Li Lanqing praised the police officers who participated in the brainwashing activities of Falun Gong practitioners, praised government employees who mobilized local CCP members and residents in the persecution of Falun Gong, praised the news media that defamed Falun Gong and “urged the general public to intensify the struggle against Falun Gong [16].” On the same day, the “Accomplishment Report Meeting” was held by the 7 departments. Over 3,000 people listened to the reports from the “accomplished individuals.” The individuals are Chen You (Beijing Public Security Bureau Tiananmen Station Chief), Wang Xian’an (Chief of SINOPEC Zhongyuan Petroleum Exploration Bureau CCP Committee), Su Jing (Liaoning Province Masanjia Labor Camp Director), Oyang Daixia (Hubei Province Shayang Labor Camp). Wang Maolin, director of the State Council Office to Prevent and Handle Cult Issues, attended [17].
On Feb. 28, 2001, China Aging Problem National Commission held a meeting in Beijing. Li Lanqing attended the meeting and called on the elderlies to “struggle against Falun Gong with determination [18].”
On April 13, 2001, while visiting Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia, Li Lanqing met with Georgia President, Eduard Shevardnadze, and used anti-Falun Gong rhetoric to defame Falun Gong [19].
On Feb. 7, 2002, the 4th China Aging Problem National Commission Meeting was held in Beijing. Li Lanqing gave a speech to urge elderly people to “voluntarily fight with Falun Gong [20].”
Xi Wuyi is one of the “researchers” utilized by the CCP to conduct anti-Falun Gong theory research. In 2002, she was transferred to China Academy of Social Sciences, Institute of World Religion. During June and October that year, Xi Wuyi attended the international conference on cult research and prevention in the U.S. She took the opportunity to spread anti-Falun Gong theory. She also published books on the so-called research. Li Lanqing recommended her book as a reference for government agencies in the persecution of Falun Gong. Her book also won awards issued by CASS [21].
Spreading Anti-Falun Gong Messages via “Popular Science” Exhibitions
After Li Lanqing’s speech at the 2nd Nationwide Popular Science Meeting in December 1999, the so-called “popular science” exhibitions to defame Falun Gong appeared inside and outside China. Li Lanqing and other members of the Leadership Team traveled to different regions ensuring the spreading of anti-Falun Gong messages through the exhibitions.
On April 2, 2001, Li Lanqing and Jiang Zemin visited an exhibit at the People’s Liberation Army Museum. The exhibition, titled “pro-science, anti-superstition,” consisted of a group of pictures fabricated to incite hatred against Falun Gong. Li Lanqing emphasized the “importance” of the exhibition [22].
On July 15, 2001, Li Lanqing, along with director of the 610 Office, Ding Guangen and deputy lead of the Leadership Team Luo Gan, attended the “anti-cult, pro-civilization” exhibition in Beijing. In his speech at the exhibition, Li Lanqing said that because of the crackdown on Falun Gong, China won the hosting right of the 2008 Olympics; Li also ordered the exhibition to be displayed inside and outside China [23]. Within a few months after Li Lanqing’s speech, similar exhibitions carrying demonizing information about Falun Gong were hosted by Chinese Embassies in various countries, including Thailand [24], Germany [25], Australia [26], Switzerland [27], Toronto Canada [28], Vienna Austria [29], The Hague, Holland [30], and Russia [31].
According to incomplete statistics gathered by minghui.org, there were 2,802 Falun Gong practitioners persecuted to death by the CCP from 1999 to 2003. Because of the heavy information blockade of the CCP, the actual number of death is much larger. In addition, countless Falun Gong practitioners were injured, crippled and missing as the result of brutal persecution policy proliferated by Li Lanqing. The persecution of Falun Gong constitutes crimes of anti-humanity, torture and genocide. Li Lanqing is directly accountable for these crimes.
WOIPFG calls on the international community to help stop this crime of anti-humanity.
World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong
Telephone: 1-347-448-5790; Fax: 1-347-402-1444
Mailing address: P.O. Box 84, New York, NY 10116
[1] “xinhua.net” Li Lanqing CV(Back)
[2] “WOIPFG website” Investigative Report on the “610 Office -- General”
http://www.upholdjustice.org/node/197
http://www.zhuichaguoji.org/node/12216 (Back)
[3] “WOIPFG website” Investigative Report on the “610 Office -- CCP Central”
http://www.zhuichaguoji.org/node/3443 (Back)
[4] “People’s Daily” Aug. 15, 1999 front page, “Li Lanqing met with medical workers in Beidaihe city”(Back)
[5] “People’s Daily” Oct. 23, 1999 front page, “Li Lanqing’s speech on the China Aging Problem National Commission meeting”(Back)
[6] “WOIPFG archive” witness affidavit(Back)
[7] “xinhua.net” Dec. 15, 1999, “Li Lanqing attended the National Popular Science Working Meeting”(Back)
[8] “People’s Daily” Dec. 16, 1999, “Li Lanqing’s speech at the National Popular Science Working Meeting”(Back)
[9] “Department of Education website”, Dec. 22, 2008 “The 9th Nationwide Working Meeting of CCP Development”(Back)
[10] “WOIPFG website” Investigative Report on Masanjia Labor Camp”(Back)
[11] “xinhuanet.com” Dec. 24, 2001 “How Shenyang City Masanjia Labor Camp is transforming Falun Gong practitioners” (Back)
[12] “xinhuanet.com” April 25, 2007 “Communist Youth League chronology 2001”(Back)
[13] “xinhuanet.com” Jan. 9, 2001 “Li Lanqing attended the 11th Meeting of Universities Directly Affiliated with the Department of Education” (Back)
[14] “bignews.org” Vol.1121, Feb. 24, 2001 “The CCP Central Committee plans to completely eradicate Falun Gong within the next 18 months”
http://www.bignews.org/20010224.txt (Back)
[15] “news.enorth.com.cn” Feb. 8, 2001 “Li Lanqing gave a speech at the Sports Bureau Chief meeting” (Back)
[16] “website of the Supreme Procuratorate” Feb. 27, 2001 “Li Lanqing’s Feb. 26 speech at the award meeting” (Back)
[17] “newspaper of the People’s Liberation Army” Feb. 27, 2001 page 4, “Anti-Falun Gong report meeting held in Beijing” (Back)
[18] “sina.com.cn” March 1, 2001 “Li Lanqing emphasized on work related to the elderly population”(Back)
[19] “people.com.cn” April 13, “Li Lanqing met with Georgia President”(Back)
[20] “gzdaily.dayoo.com” Feb. 8, 2002 “Li Lanqing attended the 4th meeting of aging problem commission”(Back)
[21] “bjpopss.gov.cn” Nov. 30, 2005 “Modern Beijing Cult study” by Xi Wuyi(Back)
[22] “People’s Daily” April 2, “Jiang Zemin attended an exhibition” (Back)
[23] “CNTV website”，July 17, 2001, “Li Lanqing attended an exhibition” (Back)
[24] “xinhua.net” June 20, 2002 “Anti-cult exhibition opened in Thailand”(Back)
[25] “xinhua.net” May 7, 2002, “Anti-cult exhibition held in the Chinese Embassy in Germany”(Back)
[26] “xinhua.net” March 29, 2002 “Anti-cult exhibition held in the Chinese Embassy in Australia”(Back)
[27] “xinhua.net” March 23, 2002, “Anti-cult exhibition held in Switzerland”(Back)
[28] “xinhua.net” March 7, 2002，“Anti-cult exhibition held in Toronto”(Back)
[29] “xinhua.net” Feb. 22, 2002 “Anti-cult exhibition held in Vienna”(Back)
[30] “xinhua.net” Jan. 1, 2002 “Anti-cult exhibition held in The Hague, Holland”(Back)
[31] “xinhua.net” Jan. 21, 2002, “Anti-cult exhibition held in Russia”(Back)
Chinese Link
http://www.zhuichaguoji.org/node/37094
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