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It’s Nashville Predators Day at PHT
By Ryan DadounAug 9, 2014, 8:00 AM EDT
Throughout the month of August, PHT will be dedicating a day to all 30 NHL clubs. Today’s team? The Nashville Predators.
The Nashville Predators built their team around goaltender Pekka Rinne and when he went down with a hip injury, they weren’t able to recover.
That’s the abridged version of what happened anyways. A big part of the problem was the team’s lack of offensive firepower. They entered the 2013-14 campaign with the hope that free agent signing Viktor Stalberg would be able to serve as a top-six forward after having a supporting role with the deep Chicago Blackhawks and 19-year-old Filip Forsberg would enjoy a solid rookie campaign.
Stalberg couldn’t get anything going though and Forsberg needed some time to develop in the minors, which left the Predators with largely the same cast of forwards that tied the Florida Panthers for the worst offensively in the shortened 2013 campaign. Compared to that anemic showing, Nashville’s actually took a step forward offensively in 2013-14, but for the second straight campaign it was defenseman Shea Weber that led the team’s scoring race.
After Nashville failed the make the playoffs, head coach Barry Trotz was fired and thus a new era in the history of the Nashville Predators will begin.
Peter Laviolette was brought on to be the second bench boss in the franchise’s history. The hope is that he can make the Predators an exciting, up-tempo team.
Of course, he needs the tools in place to pull off a more offensive style and to that end the Predators acquired James Neal from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling. The hope was that they could compliment him with a top-tier center, but when they were unable to pull off such a signing or trade, the Predators instead decided to gamble by inking Mike Ribeiro, Derek Roy, and Olli Jokinen.
Ribeiro in particular represents a significant risk given that the Arizona Coyotes bought him out over “behavioral issues,” but Predators GM David Poile insists he did his “due diligence.”
Adding to the Predators’ uncertainty up the middle is the fact that Mike Fisher ruptured his Achilles tendon last month. Even still, there’s at least a chance that Nashville’s bold moves over the summer will pay off.
The Predators still have a handful restricted free agents to deal with, including defenseman Ryan Ellis.
Follow @RyanDadoun
Tags: James Neal, Mike Fisher, Nashville Predators, Nick Spaling, Olli Jokinen, Patric Hornqvist, Pekka Rinne, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Ellis, Shea Weber, Viktor Stalberg
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Derek Hough: Live! The Tour
May 21, 2019 7:30 pm - 11:30 pm Cory 774 views
From the Emmy Award-winning mind of Derek Hough, the live dance show is the first-ever solo tour for the dynamo. The show features brand-new stage production, astounding versatility and, as always, his magnetic stage presence. Fans will journey through a true fusion of dance and music as he explores styles ranging from ballroom and tap to salsa and hip-hop and everything in between.
Creative team and two-time Emmy winners, Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo, also known as NappyTabs (Jennifer Lopez: All I Have Residency; Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour; Grammys® creative direction), will co-create, direct and supervise choreography for the tour.
The Orpheum Theater is located at 409 South 16th Street in downtown Omaha. The Orpheum hosts programs best served by a more theatrical...
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Ottawa Valley church-turned-concert hall draws performers from across North America
130-year-old Baptist church converted into Batstone’s Northern Ramble
Dean Batstone in front of the former Baptist church (Photo by Sherry Haaima)
Jun 14, 2018 1:45am EDT
The County of Renfrew
Batstone's Northern Ramble
Dean Batstone
The Ottawa Valley
After a 30-year career touring throughout Canada and the U.S., Dean Batstone felt it was time to settle down.
The career musician dreamed of establishing a new concert venue and set upon a search for a building with great acoustics, comfortable seating and an inviting ambience that he could repurpose.
After a dozen tours through basements and coffee shops, Batstone landed in the town of Renfrew, at the old Baptist church.
“I fell in love with the building,” says Batstone. “It was all built by local craftsmen.”
From the metal on the pews to the stonework in the church’s foundation, the 130-year-old building stands as a testament to the region’s history in the skilled trades.
For Batstone, it also stood as a great opportunity: An intimate venue, designed with acoustics in mind, in the heart of the music-loving Ottawa Valley.
In January of 2017, he opened Batstone’s Northern Ramble, a concert venue with a capacity for 85 people in the former church.
Renfrew is open for business
Prior to purchasing the building, Batstone’s connection to Renfrew County was limited to having played shows there over the course of his career.
“I ended up in Renfrew because of the building,” says Batstone. But the benefits of opening a business in the town quickly became apparent when he got to work converting the former church, as he found support from both municipal officials and the surrounding business community.
Batstone had to rezone the property for commercial and residential use, having built himself an apartment in the basement of the space. From the get-go, the municipality of Renfrew was supportive, helping the new business owner with the necessary applications and answering questions as they arose. Even the town’s mayor, Don Eady, stopped in and is now one of Batstone’s loyal patrons.
Support has also come from the wider business community.
“Businesses here in the Ottawa Valley – much more than you might see in the city – seem less competitive (with one another),” says Batstone. Fellow business owners are committed to cross-pollinating,” he explains, expanding services that complement other local businesses as a way to attract and retain new clients to the area.
Valdy performs at Batstone's Northern Ramble. (Photo by Bruce McIntyre)
Appetite for the arts
While there are plenty of opportunities to see live music in the region’s bars and restaurants, there are no other local businesses that brand themselves as concert halls first.
“I don’t really want to compete with other local businesses. I want to offer something a little bit different,” says Batstone.
The venue doesn’t serve alcohol or food, an intentional choice on Batstone’s part. Concertgoers enjoy the show uninterrupted, with no servers circulating to take or deliver orders.
And since opening last year, word has spread quickly in the music scene about the Ottawa Valley performance space.
“I’m getting musicians from the U.S., and from Vancouver to St. John’s who are coming through, know about the room and want to play there,” Batstone says.
The venue accepts acts of any genre, but most commonly sees bluegrass and folk performers roll through.
Bring your business to the Ottawa Valley. Head to countyofrenfrew.on.ca for more info.
Homegrown: Hemp seed producer reaches global markets from Ottawa Valley base
Boeing taps Ottawa Valley’s ETM Industries for aircraft components
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Berkeley City Council & Marine Recruit Center Square Off Tuesday Feb. 12th
by Staff on February 11, 2008 · 1 comment
in Civil Disobedience, Civil Rights, Organizing, War and Peace
Bay City News Service 02/11/2008
Large crowds on both sides of the issue are expected at the Berkeley City Council’s meeting Tuesday night, [Feb. 12,2008] when the council addresses a flap over a Marines recruiting center for the second time.
The City Council ignited a nationwide controversy two weeks ago when it voted 6-3 to send a letter to the U.S. Marines Corps telling it that it’s recruiting office at 64 Shattuck Avenue, which opened about 13 months ago, ‘is not welcome in our city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders.’
The Council also voted 7-2 to research whether Berkeley’s anti-discrimination laws apply to the recruiting center because of the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy concerning gay soldiers.
In addition, it voted 8-1 to give the anti-war group Code Pink a designated parking space in front of the recruiting office from 12 noon to 4 p.m. every Wednesday for six months and a free sound permit during those same hours so that it’s easier for the group to disrupt the recruiting center’s activities. Code Pink has been conducting regular protests at the center since last fall.
[For the remainder of this article, go here.]
Patty Jones February 12, 2008 at 4:48 pm
This in from a reader:
Protests in Berkley over Marine recruiters
Older Article: New Revelations About the Original OB Rag
Newer Article: Torture, Then Execution…
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The Observer News Enterprise
https://www.willyweather.com/nc/catawba-county/newton.html
Home » There’s a new barber in town
There’s a new barber in town
BRANDY TEMPLETON
onenews@observernewsonline.com
NEWTON, NC
Harvey Settlemyre knew at an early age that he wanted to be a barber. Born and raised in Newton, he admired the local barbers he knew.
“I have always admired people that were barbers,” he said. “My uncle George Settlemyre and my first cousin Billy Mack Settlemyre were both barbers.”
Settlemyre said he truly enjoyed watching them cut hair and knew that was the job for him.
He put his love for the profession into action in 1949 when he took a job with a man name Thortonbury in North Newton.
From there it was on to Ninth Avenue where he worked with Enslow Young in a basement. He stayed for two years and then went to Viewmont to work with Harley Ekard.
In the end, he opened up his own shop, Fairbrook Barbershop, on Startown Road.
After many years, he’s made a big change. The 86-year-old barber just joined Don Beal at The Hair Connection in Conover.
“My friend, Don Beal, has asked me for more than 25 years to join him,” Settlemyre said. “I decided just a couple of months ago that I would go with him and close my shop.”
Even though through the years he’s made several moves, this one will be his last.
Don Beal, owner of Hair Connections, is thrilled to have Settlemyre as his partner.
“He’s one of the most wonderful gentlemen I’ve known in 50 years,” he said. “He has integrity, he’s a community leader, and a devoted Christian. Beal said it’s a pleasure to have him in Conover.”
As for Settlemyre, he thinks only positive about the move.
“It would help me to do more for my fellow man and just meet the public,” he said. “You get to talk a lot with different people and they’ll talk to you if you’re interested in them.”
Settlemyre’s super excited.
“I have a real good feeling with talking to people and helping them,” he said. “I’m going to help them with their problems and trying to get on with the rest of their lives.”
Settlemyre plans to work four days a week, Tuesday- Friday from 8:00 a.m. Until 5:30 p.m.
For more information, call The Hair Connection at 828-465-3018 or visit him at 117 W 1st St. in Conover.
Newton Rec. All-Stars set to host Babe Ruth 16-18 year-old SE Regional baseball tourney on Wednesday
Changes mades to athletic schedules because of winter weather
PBS to feature Downtown Newton as “One Tank Trip” on Carolina Impact this Tuesday
“We Remember” to be theme of 2019 Soldiers Reunion
PREP NOTEBOOK: Wednesday's sports scoreboard
What is your favorite summer sport?
Copyright © 2019 The Observer News Enterprise | 309 North College Avenue | Newton, N.C. 28658 | (828) 464-0221
All property rights for the entire contents of this publication shall be the property of The Observer News Enterprise.
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2013: The Best of Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye fans have had plenty to rejoice about this year. There haven’t been this many opportunities to enjoy the performer’s work since before he passed away in 1987.
Here were my Top 10 Danny Kaye highlights of 2013:
(1) DVD Bonanza.
Aside from dozens of low-budget releases of the public domain The Inspector General, Kaye’s movies have never been that accessible on home video. That all changed over the last few months, with the release on DVD of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, the four-pack Danny Kaye: Goldwyn Years, a combo Court Jester/Five Pennies disc, and pristine Blu-Rays of Knock on Wood, On the Double, and On the Riviera.
That leaves just three Kaye features unavailable—the sadly neglected Me and the Colonel and the not-so-sadly-neglected Man from the Diners Club and Madwoman of Chaillot.
(2) Library of Congress Website.
Accessed at www.loc.gov/kayefine, the new Danny Kaye/Sylvia Fine collection website is a godsend for all Kaye fans and researchers. You’ll find recordings of songs, radio shows, short films, rare family photographs, Sylvia’s hand-drawn orchestral scores and typed lyric sheets, scripts, personal letters, and more—without having to make the trip to Washington, D.C.
(3) Dena Kaye’s Tireless Pounding of the Pavement.
Danny and Sylvia’s daughter Dena deserves much of the credit for not only funding the centennial celebration that inspired most of these products and tributes, but also for constantly making herself available for interviews and events. Her energy and her presence are what kept this event—and her dad—in the public eye for so long.
(4) TCM Moviethon.
Turner Classic Movies celebrated Kaye’s birthday with a day-long tribute that did as much as anything to shine a light on his finest work.
(5) The Danny Kaye Show on Sirius Radio.
The private-access radio network has been regularly airing dozens of episodes of Kaye’s old radio series. Many of the programs haven’t been heard since they first aired in the 1940s.
(6) The Traveling Library of Congress Display.
That a sampling of artifacts from the LoC collection was on display in their reading room’s foyer was neat, for the hundreds of visitors who came across it. Even better was when the collection was moved to Los Angeles, where it could be enjoyed by the thousands.
(7) Instant Downloads.
Kaye has definitely arrived in the here and right now. This year, several of his movies became available as instant downloads on iTunes.
(8) The New Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
In making his new film, Ben Stiller intentionally tried to steer clear of Danny’s version, but—considering the movie’s high profile—its mere existence should send thousands of fans clamoring to check out the original.
(9) Danny Kaye Film Festival.
Attendance may have been small, but the love for Danny in that conference center was palpable. And they booked a great speaker with a terrific slide show!
(10) The Clicks Keep Coming.
It’s been supremely gratifying to see readers continue to stream to this blog and continue to purchase copies of my book, Danny Kaye: King of Jesters. It shows me that indeed the world has not forgotten about—and still enjoys the work of—Danny Kaye.
Read the original full article at TheDannyKayeShow.blogspot.com
DVD Talk: Danny Kaye: Goldwyn Years
CBS News: Funnyman Danny Kaye’s favorite role of all
Danny Kaye sings “Ballin’ the Jack” London Palladium rehearsal
The Best Of The Danny Kaye Show Trailer
Danny Kaye Christmas Shopping Guide
Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
Copyright 2019 © Danny Kaye
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About Watch Shows Press Shop Mix
AboutWatchShowsPressShopMix
Photo by Shan Khan
Outrun the Sunlight is an instrumental metal band from Chicago, IL, who draws diverse influence from modern metal to post-rock, from groups such as The Contortionist, Cloudkicker, Caspian and Russian Circles. Formed as a studio project in 2011 by guitarists Austin Peters and Cody McCarty, the band released both “Architecture of the Cosmos EP” and “The Return of Inertia” in the same year. Signing with Rogue Records America in 2012, the duo re-released “The Return of Inertia (Vocalist Version)” which included vocalists from around the world, plus two bonus tracks. In 2014, the addition of drummer, Pedro Villegas, and bassist, Connor Grant, brought the band to the stage, and they released their second album “Terrapin," also on Rogue Records. Adrian Perez joined as keyboardist, who was in the band shortly, performing on “Live at Electrical Audio EP” and the “Stars in the Ocean” music video, both recorded in 2015. In August 2015, the group toured in the east coast United States with Native Construct (Metal Blade Records) and Wings Denied. In 2016, after the departure of Perez, the band parted ways with Rogue Records, and went on to perform on Chicago internet music series, Audiotree, releasing the live album “Outrun the Sunlight on Audiotree Live.” The band returned to that same studio to record their third release, “Red Bird,” which was the first instance that the group performed together on an album, released independently in 2017. In April 2018, the group performed their last show with Grant, and the position was filled by Phil Kalas. The group toured the southwest United States with Boston progressive metal band, Aviations, in June 2018, and is now currently at work on their fourth full-length album.
Stars in the Ocean (Reimagined)
Live at Electrical Audio
The Return of Inertia: Vocalist Reissue
The Return of Inertia
Architecture of the Cosmos
"Red Bird" (Music Video)
"Synergy" (Playthrough)
"Red Bird" (Playthrough)
"Stars in the Ocean" (Music Video)
"The Pace of Glaciers" (Music Video)
"Laughing With Such Abandon" - Playthrough
Chicago, IL,
outrunthesunlight@gmail.com
HomeAboutShowsWatchShopContactPress Kit
Outrun the Sunlight proudly plays
All content 2019 © Outrun the Sunlight. All rights reserved.
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Physics-Defying “EmDrive” Warp Engine To Be Tested
Brett Tingley September 7, 2016
One of the biggest hurdles to reaching deep space and colonizing other planets is the incredible distances between objects in space and the amount of fuel it would take to reach them. One new theoretical engine, the “EmDrive,” has the potential to change that and help humanity realize our future among the stars.
The EmDrive engine.
The controversial “EmDrive” engine has been making headlines since at least 2006. Recently, the engine made waves when a paper outlining its technology and test results was finally accepted by peer review into the prominent American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ Journal of Propulsion and Power. Now, a designer of one such engine has brought the radical space tech one step closer to reality by claiming he will send it into space for the first real test of the EmDrive.
Roger Shawyer, original inventor of the propulsion technology used in the EmDrive.
If successful, the trials of the EmDrive have the potential to be the first step in enabling human exploration into the vast reaches of deep space. According to some claims, the engine could enable spacecraft to make the journey from Earth to Mars in just seventy days.
One of the biggest hurdles to overcome to achieve deep space flight is finding sufficient fuel sources; the EmDrive could remedy that through eliminating the need for propellant altogether.
The EmDrive works through what is the scientific equivalent of magic, breaking one of the fundamental laws of physics in the process: the law of conservation of momentum. The EmDrive does not use a propellant or fuel, but instead contains an electric generator that sends electromagnetic waves towards the rear of the engine, where they collide with the engine itself, creating thrust. That should create heat and a slight amount of momentum in the opposite direction, according to the laws of physics, but due to the nature of the electromagnetic waves created by the EmDrive, the heat generated is so small as to be physically impossible. Thus, the engine can run “cool” and efficiently while creating massive amounts of thrust.
An American chemical engineer and inventor, Guido Fetta, plans to send his EmDrive into space aboard a tiny CubeSat satellite, where it is planned to orbit the Earth for over six months to demonstrate the feasibility of the drive technology. Keep your fingers crossed – this test could wind up being remembered much in the same way the Wright brother’s flights at Kitty Hawk or the trans-Atlantic voyages of Columbus are today.
Tags aerospace conservation of momentum electromagnetic anomaly EmDrive nasa physics Science space space exploration spaceflight technology warp drive
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Street Map Mysteriously Appears Over Finnish City
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EN - Footer - Legal notes - Header headquarters
EN - Footer - Legal notes - Text
prysmiangroup.com web site is an on-line information and communications service provided by Prysmian S.p.A. ("Prysmian Group", "Prysmian").
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Last update 02 Aug 2018
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Where does BEYRER rank in the most common names in the U.S.?
BEYRER is identified by the U.S. Bureau of the Census as a surname with more than 100 occurrences in the United States for the year-2000 U.S. Census. In "Demographic Aspects of Surnames from Census 2000", the Census Bureau tabulated the surnames of all people who had obtained Social Security Numbers by the year 2000.
BEYRER ranks # 118954 in terms of the most common surnames in America for 2000.
BEYRER had 135 occurrences in the 2000 Census, according the U.S. government records.
Out of a sample of 100,000 people in the United States, BEYRER would occur an average of 0.05 times.
For the last name of BEYRER the Census Bureau reports the following race / ethnic origin breakdown:
Search the web for more on the name BEYRER :
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Developer's mysterious dog-leash death ruled a homicide
Jonathan Drew
DURHAM, N.C. — A real-estate developer’s mysterious death has been ruled a homicide due to strangulation weeks after his son said he found his father with a dog leash wrapped around his neck and the dog nearby.
The North Carolina Office of Chief Medical Examiner issued a report Friday saying 59-year-old William Bishop died from oxygen deprivation to the brain due to strangulation. The report, which noted ligature marks on the neck, classified the death as a homicide.
According to the autopsy, one of Bishop’s teenage sons called authorities the afternoon of April 18 and said he found his father unresponsive with the leash around his neck. Bishop succumbed to his injuries in the hospital on April 21, according to the autopsy.
The boy told authorities the leash handle was in his father’s hand and the approximately 60-pound Labrador retriever was attached to the leash nearby, the report said. However, the leash was no longer around Bishop’s neck when officers arrived, and the boy told him that he had removed it, according to the report.
The report also said the boy didn’t perform CPR because he didn’t think he could do so and stay on the phone with authorities.
The Herald-Sun first reported the autopsy release. No charges were filed as of Monday.
Bishop was found in a chair less than two weeks after his divorce from the boy’s mother was finalized, according to court documents. The mother was living elsewhere and didn’t appear to be at the home when Bishop was found, as the son called her afterward.
The medical examiner noted that he had a history of depression and cancer, and that a 2012 accident had rendered his left arm “largely functionless.” A toxicology report found no sign of alcohol or drugs.
He was found in the basement of his home in a wealthy neighbourhood less than a mile from one of the area’s oldest country clubs. County records show the 4,000 square-foot house has an appraised value of around $800,000.
Bishop and his ex-wife, Sharon, had been separated since late 2016. They were married in 1998 in Florida, where Bishop had worked as a prominent developer. A phone listing for Sharon Bishop couldn’t be found through a public records search.
The couple has two boys, ages 17 and 16. William Bishop was granted permanent custody in 2017, according to court documents. The custody and divorce orders don’t elaborate on what caused the couple to split up, but show that the wife signed onto the custody agreement.
Bishop was a well-known developer in Florida’s Hillsborough County where he’s credited with creating several master-planned or gated communities, according to a Tampa Bay Times obituary. The newspaper said he moved to North Carolina in 2008 to pursue an advanced degree.
Follow Drew at https://twitter.com/JonathanLDrew
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Alleged Shooter In Fourth Of July Double Shooting Turns Himself InPolice have arrested an 18-year-old in connection with the Fourth of July double shooting.
Fans Come To Pittsburgh From Near & Far To See U2
By Dave Crawley June 7, 2017 at 9:32 pm
Filed Under:Dave Crawley, Heinz Field, John Shumway, U2
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Reserved seat tickets to the U2 concert at Heinz Field Wednesday night sold out early. That left standing room-only, down on the field, which was first come, first served.
The general admission line is where the diehard U2 supporters could be found earlier in the day. They are the ones who travel from concert to concert, and country to country.
Jeff Reinhhart was first in line for this one.
“Caught a couple naps in the car,” he says. “But if you travel around and do these things in [general admission] lines, that’s what you do. That’s what you do to see them. Take a couple naps in the car, take a nap in a chair. Catch a couple of Z’s. That’s what you do to be ready for the concert.”
KDKA’s John Shumway Reports —
Fans had been sitting or standing for two days for the privilege of standing in a concert for another four hours. And that doesn’t count the time many spent traveling to get here.
“I’m from Rio de Janeiro, and I came here because I follow U2 everywhere I can,” says Paulo Penido. “I love the band. It’s a message of love.”
The weariness on their faces would lift when the first familiar note is played. Estela Toledo, of Los Angeles, says she fled Nicaragua with her family, years ago.
“Bono and the ‘Joshua Tree’ album talk about really what I lived in Nicaragua during the civil war as a child. Two of the songs that he plays in the ‘Joshua Tree’ are basically what I lived through,” she says.
It’s a United Nations of fandom.
“I’m a big fan of U2,” says Brigitte Aiyo, who flew in from Paris. “And this year, I have decided to follow U2, to go to all their shows. All of them.”
Lead singer Bono recognized her in Paris, inviting her to become part of the show. Her cell phone is signed by Bono himself. It’s little wonder that she is a fan.
Dave Crawley
More from Dave Crawley
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James McGaha – Lights in the Sky
DJ Grothe
Topics: Science
James McGaha is a retired USAF pilot, astronomer and director of the Grasslands Observatory. He held a TOP SECRET compartmented security clearance and was involved in numerous classified operations including operations in the so-called “Area 51.” His current work includes astrometry and photometry of asteroids and supernovae. He has discovered 15 Asteroids and 52 Comets and has over 1700 M.P.E.C. publications on Near Earth Asteroids. He is the winner of the 2002 Shoemaker NEO Grant. He has appeared widely in the media, having actively promoted science and debunked pseudoscience for over 35 years, focusing on belief in UFOs and astrology. He is the founder and chairman of the Tucson Skeptics and a Scientific Consultant to the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry.
In this interview with D.J. Grothe, James McGaha talks about his astronomer- beginnings as a skeptic of UFOs, and the limitations of the term “UFO.” He answers how open-minded he is about the possibility that extraterrestrial beings are visiting the earth today. He talks about the origins of UFO belief with the science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, along with Fate, a magazine promoting paranormal belief. He talks about the history of Project Bluebook and the Condon Report. He details qualities of human perception that may explain UFO accounts, and explores some of the reasons people may adhere to UFO belief. He explains the famous Phoenix Lights sightings. He explores how to respond to those who have unshakable belief in unsupportable UFO claims. He compares qualities of contemporary UFO mythology with certain aspects of religious belief, including views of apocalypticism and salvation. And he talks about the dangers that belief in UFOs pose to a civil society.
D.J. Grothe is on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Science and Human Values, and is a speaker on various topics that touch on the intersection of education, science and belief. He was once the president of the James Randi Educational Foundation and was former Director of Outreach Programs for the Center for Inquiry and associate editor of Free Inquiry magazine. He previously hosted the weekly radio show and podcast Point of Inquiry, exploring the implications of the scientific outlook with leading thinkers.
Center for Inquiry – Headquarters
Center for Inquiry – Executive Office
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Third Circuit Rejects Claim For “Defamation By Relation”
gallagpj Civil Litigation, Litigation, Popular Culture November 8, 2016 October 16, 2018 4 Minutes
Is it defamatory for a book to report that you are the child of a suspected Nazi? This was the question recently addressed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Soobzokov v. Lichtblau, an unpublished decision.
In Soobzokov, plaintiff sued the author and publisher of a book entitled, "The Nazis Next Door: How America Became a Safe Haven for Hitler's Men." In the book, the author argued that plaintiff's father was one of several former Nazis brought to the United States after World War II for "strategic purposes." Among other things, the book described the challenges faced by the children of alleged Nazis, including plaintiff. When writing the book, the author spent nearly seven days with plaintiff and later communicated with him via email and telephone. According to the Third Circuit, plaintiff "makes a handful of appearances in the book — all of which emphasize his unwavering belief in his father's innocence."
After the book was published, plaintiff sued for defamation. His claim took two forms. First, he alleged that three references to him in the book were defamatory: a section that described his belief in his father's innocence as "an obsession;" a section that described his "determination to revive the investigation into his father's brutal murder — which had gone unsolved for nearly 25 years;" and a mention of him in the "Acknowledgements section, which plaintiff claimed could suggest that he assisted in the writing of the book, which could "lend[] [him] to be considered a traitor to his father before the entire world." Second, plaintiff alleged that these statements, even if they were not defamatory in their own right, were defamatory when combined with the negative comments about his father. The district court rejected both aspects of plaintiff's defamation claim and dismissed the complaint. Plaintiff appealed.
The Third Circuit affirmed the trial court's decision. First, it agreed with the district court that the statements were not defamatory on their own. For example, the court endorsed the district court's conclusion that the statement about plaintiff's belief in his father's innocence was accurate and "an understandable pattern of behavior seen in first-generation children of accused Nazis who believe in their fathers and their innocence." The same was true of the statement about plaintiff's efforts to press authorities to solve his father's murder, which the district court described as "evidenc[ing] a son's devotion to his father and desire to obtain answers about his murder." The Third Circuit ultimately concluded that none of the statements were false or injurious to plaintiff's reputation, nor would they expose him to contempt or ridicule, therefore they were not defamatory.
The court had a more difficult time with the second aspect of plaintiff's claim — that these statements, when combined with the description of plaintiff's father, were defamatory. The court observed that New Jersey law does not allow an estate to sue based on allegedly defamatory statements made about the deceased after his or her death. But, plaintiff's claim in Soobzokov was different, as the court described:
It's one thing to call a deceased person a Nazi; it's a very different thing to call a living person the child of a Nazi. Assuming arguendo the falsity of [the author's] book, we now consider whether falsely labeling someone the son of a Nazi states a claim under New Jersey law.
Complicating matters further was the fact that the New Jersey Supreme Court had never decided "whether an individual can be defamed by being linked to an infamous relative." Therefore, the Third Circuit had to predict how the New Jersey Supreme Court would decide that question. It concluded that New Jersey would not recognize a "defamation by relation" claim.
To arrive at this conclusion, the Third Circuit relied on a decision from the New Jersey Supreme Court, Romaine v. Kallinger, in which the court considered whether someone could be defamed by association. In that case, plaintiffs sued for defamation after a book "loosely linked [them] with 'a junkie they both knew who was doing time in prison.'" In that case, the New Jersey Supreme Court held that "absent exceptional circumstances, the mere allegation that plaintiff knows a criminal is not defamatory as a matter of law." In its decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court cited a New York case, involving a plaintiff who was alleged to be related to a Mafia leader, to help define the boundaries of its decision: "'mere imputation of a family relationship with a Mafia leader' was not defamatory, but the 'characterization of plaintiff as a political contributor with alleged mob ties' could be defamatory."
Based on Romaine, the Third Circuit predicted that the New Jersey Supreme Court would reject plaintiff's defamation by relation claim. It observed that New Jersey law appeared to require "that the offending statement do more than merely associate the plaintiff with a disreputable individual; it must indicate that the plaintiff participated in disreputable behavior." Because the book in Soobzokov did not allege that plaintiff was involved in Nazi activities, it did not meet this standard.
defame
kallinger
ridicule
soobzokov
Published November 8, 2016 October 16, 2018
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Royal Navy Vanguard Class "HMS Vigilant" Trident II D5 test launch, click picture and play
HMS "Vanguard", Trident II D5 thermonuclear deterrence, Faslane, Scotland.
THERE IS A HUGE HOLE IN NATO'S DEFENSE
THE "VECTOR" THREAT
By Harald Dahle
When analyzing American ballistic missile capabilities and anti-aircraft missiles with long range ballistic capabilities, Russian rocket experts have found that the problem is that American rockets cannot intercept any ballistic missile in the mesosphere, that is the alti- tude between 35000m and 80000m. Therefore, Russia has focused on developing means of hypersonic cruise-flights for long distances, at precisely these different heights. The prin- ciple used by the US antiballistic shield is to send a rocket into space, and near the point of impact, calculate the trajectory of the ballistic missile.
Click picture and play US "WaveRider Mach 6"
The Boeing X-51 WaveRider is an unmanned research scramjet aircraft for hypersonic flight at Mach 5 3,300 mph; 5,300 km/h, an altitude of 70,000 feet, 21,000 m.
American interceptor-missiles are operating as suborbital rockets with solid fuel. Once they are started, they cannot be stopped and the traction cannot be adjusted. More impor- tantly, the interceptor-missile will not comply with the ballistic missile target trajectory-calculations, avoid- ance maneuvers, and calculations regarding missile intercepting misses. There is a huge hole in NATO's defense! Today, NATO is at a crucial way-point, and the mem er countries must counter the vector-threat, if the alliance is not to become a paper tiger without claws! Stay focused and alert, folks! Fight terrorism in all its evil, and a very good day to you all.
The 5th Generation F35 Lightning II represents a new technology level, a completely new aggregation of weaponary, which mean a new engine, a new fuselage, a new cockpit, new weaponry and new software support. When all these elements are more or less disconnec- ted from each other, it’s called a 4th generation and in general this is the situation today. In a combat situation the 5th generation comprises the individual equipment of the F35 as part of a new type of air offensive, an overall information-tactical system, a single information battle space, communicating with satellites in real-time in synch with all other elements and devices developed some fifteen years ago and adopted in the F-22 “Raptor”.
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman sits in the cockpit of the F-35 stealth fighter jet, as Chief of Staff of the IAF Brig. Gen. Tal Kelman stands over him, during an unveiling ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 22, 2016
Due to high cost, the decisions taken by the President and the Congress to purchases the F-22 “Raptor” has now been terminated, and thus the amount of these advanced planes are now quite limited. Also some of the elements within the 5th Generation were not implemented in its entirety which was the real reason behind termination of this plane, I believe. And now it’s the F-35’s turn. It has been marred by high hardware and software overruns as well as high costs, which has delayed the production. All of the 100 F35’s which has been made till now have been recalled because they lack the upgrades. L-Band Radar from Chinese and Russian planes can pick up the F35’s stealth-like profile.
"The U.S. will counter any vector threat and respond accordingly"
USS GERALD R FORD: ANCHORS AWEIGH
Click picture play video: US "WaveRider" hypersonic cruice missille
Another means of hypersonic fighting, which is now in testing in Russia, is space glider Yu-71, Project 4202, which between 2013 and 2016 was launched four times from Dombar- ovsky Cosmodrome, using the first stage of intercontinental ballistic missile UR-100. At an altitude of 70 km, the rocket begins corrections for applying space gliding at a hori- zontal trajectory giving it a cruising speed of 6000-12.500 km/h, then separation takes place. Crui- cing altiude up to 80,000m, veapons nuclar or conventional.
YU-71 HYPERSONIC SPACE GLIDER WITH A NON CALCULABLE AND VARIABLE TRAJECTORY
Click picture and play video
The entire space glider flight distance of 5500 km was overcome in 16 minutes. Unlike war- heads of ballistic missiles, space gliding of the Yu-71 creates lift and can maneuver,
so that its flight is one of the variables that cannot be calculated by computers of ballistic shields centers of the U.S.
Starting from 2020, Russia will have 24 Yu-71’s at the Dombarovsky strategic nuclear base.
"3M22 ZIRKON" MACH 7.4
The 3M22 Zirkon has a similar path meant for striking aircraft carriers. Launching tests began on March 18th, 2016. The rocket Zirkon, which weights 5t, is launched from an aircraft and is equipped with a scramjet engine type, compressing air before it enters the combustion chamber. There is no stage compressor, using only dynamic compression, obtained via the intake device. The scramjet-engine gives the Zirkon rocket a speed of Mach 6.2, 6500 km/h, at a cruising altitude of 30,000m. The kinetic impact energy with the target is fifty times higher than available air-ship missiles today.
Click picture and play Zirkon Mach 7.4
WITHIN MINUTES NORWAY WILL BE CUT OFF FROM ALL ALLIED SUPPLY-LINES AND FIND ITSELF BEHIND ENEMY-CONTROLLED OPERATIONS
RAMSUND NORTHERN NORWAY BOMB EXPERTS WORK TOGETHER IN THE 2017 ANTI-DEMOLITION EXERCISE
The Norwegian Navy
KYSTJEGERKOMMANDOEN
RAMSUND NAVAL BASE NORWAY
THE BEST AND THE FINEST OF THE NORWEGIAN FORCES TODAY A remote controlled robot is used in this dangerous anti-demolition work
Highly skilled Norwegian frog-men during the 2017 winter exercise
Members of the Royal Norwegian Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Command demonstrate ice diving ordnance recovery tactics, techniques, and procedures to members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 8 during Exercise Arctic Specialist 2017. EODMU-8 is participating in Exercise Arctic Specialist 2017, a multi-national EOD exercise conducted in the austere environments of northern Norway.
Norwegian and U.S. soldiers exercising together
U.S. Navy Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8, exchange dive tactics, techniques, and procedures with a Norwegian Navy diving instructor during a cold water SCUBA dive. An adaptive force package commanded by Commander, Task Group 68.1, is participating in Exercise Arctic Specialist 2017, a multi-national EOD exercise conducted in the austere environments of northern Norway. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. Lt. Benjamin Fernandez, center, company commander of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 8 Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Company, conducts a cold water MCM neutralization dive. EODMU-8 is participating in Exercise Arctic Specialist 2017, a multi-national EOD exercise conducted in the austere environments of northern Norway.
Deep down, beneath the sea. . .from two to twenty meters. . .
A Search, Find and Destroy Mission
Sailors assigned to Platoon 802, the mine countermeasure platoon of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 8, conduct dismounted counter-improvised explosive device operations. EODMU-8 is participating in Exercise Arctic Specialist 2017, a multinational explosive ordnance disposal exercise conducted in the austere environments of northern Norway. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8
Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8 and the Norwegian Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team participate in a cold-weather endurance ruck march during Exercise Arctic Specialist 2017 in Ramsund, Norway. The exercise is commanded by the Commander of Task Group 68.1 and conducted in the austere environments of northern Norway.
"CONTRARY TO CONVENTIONAL THINKING, AN ATTACK ON NORWAY WILL NOT COME IN A NORTH-SOUTH DIRECTION, BUT IN AN EAST-WEST TRAJECTORY OVER THE BALTIC SEA AND SWEDEN"
The bulk of Norway's resistance is located in Mid-Norway, in the County of Trondelag. Why bother to traverse Norway's rugged mountains and fjords with troops, when there is a much easier and faster way, without hardly any resistance to talk about, over the Baltic Sea and Sweden.Bellow, South and West Norway, not a terrain one want to traverse on foot. ESA KALININGRAD OBLAST TO OSLO NORWAY WITH "3M22 ZIRCON": 8 MIN. 47 SEC.
USS Ross (DDG 71)
Sailors aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) monitor message traffic in the combat information center during the Maritime Theater Missile Defense (MTMD) Forum's at Sea Demonstration (ASD-15). Ships from Canada, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States tracked and destroyed target ballistic and anti-ship cruise missiles during the demonstration's six live-fire scenarios. Germany provided personnel to the multi-national Combined Task Group staff.
Capt. Jeffrey Wolstenholme, commodore of Task Force Sixty Four (CTF 64) and Cmdr. Michael Merrill, 6th Fleet deputy director for integrated missile defense, monitor Hebrides Range activity in the combat information center during the Maritime Theater Missile Defense (MTMD) Forum's at Sea Demonstration (ASD-15) aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71). Ships from Canada, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States tracked and destroyed target ballistic and anti-ship cruise missiles during the demonstration's six-live fire scenarios. Germany provided personnel to the multi-national Combined Task Group staff. Capt. Jeffrey Wolstenholme commodore of Task Force Sixty Four (CTF 64), monitors Hebrides Range communication in the combat information center during the Maritime Theater Missile Defense (MTMD) Forum's at Sea Demonstration (ASD-15) countdown aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71). Ships from Canada, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States tracked and destroyed target ballistic and anti-ship cruise missiles during the demonstration's six-live fire scenarios. Germany provided personnel to the multi-national Combined Task Group staff.
USS Carr (FFG 52)
Ship's Serviceman Seaman Apprentice Ulises Hernandez hands out command coins from the guided-missile frigate USS Carr (FFG 52) to members of the Norwegian army during a tour of the ship. Carr is homeported in Norfolk, and is on a three-month deployment supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility.
USS Nassau (LHA-4)
Chief Boatswain's Mate J.R. Des Champs, assigned as Master Craftsman for Landing Craft Unit 1657, guides his craft to the stern gate of the amphibious assault ship USS Nassau (LHA 4). Nassau is currently serving as Flagship for Commander, Task Force 952, during Operation Blinding Storm, a multi-nation amphibious exercise conducted off the Atlantic Coast. More than 30,000 members of the military and 60 ships from nine countries - including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Peru, Canada and Norway are participating in the largest joint exercise since 1996
USS WASP (LHD-1)
USS Wasp (LHD-1) is a U.S. Navy multipurpose Amphibious Assault Ship. She is the lead ship of her class, is the tenth USN vessel to bear the name, and was the flagship of the Secodn Fleet. She was built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding division of Litton inPascagoula Mississppi. USS Wasp and her sister ships are the first specifically designed to accommodate new Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) for fast troop movement over the beach, and Harrier II (AV-8B) Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing (V/STOL) jets which provide close air support for the assault force. The AV-8B Plus used by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) was last produced in 2003, and USMC expects to operate its Harriers until 2025.
Air-Traffic Controller 2nd Class Karina Reid operates the SPN-43 air search radar system while standing approach control aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1). Wasp is participating in the War of 1812 fleet exercise, a week-long multi-national exercise involving 19 ships from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Brazil, and Portugal, and is designed to incre- ase interoperability with allied nations, improve tactical prowess and certification of participating units.
U.S. PREPOSITIONING AT "VAERNES AIR BASE" IN TRONDELAG COUNTY NORWAY
Norway has no defense against Russian vectors, and the eight pre-positioned mountain caves in Trondelag County are easy targets and can be neutralized within minutes. Below, unloading pre-positioning war material near Vaernes Air Base, Mid-Norway.
Click picture and play
US Marines CH-53E Sea Stallion at Vaernes Air Base
Norwegians and US Marines train together in Cold Response
Admiral John Richardson
Chief of Naval Operations
John Michael Richardson is an admiral in the United States Navy who currently serves as the 31st Chief of Naval Operations. He previously served as the Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program from November 2, 2012 to August 14, 2015. While serving as Director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion (itself a joint Department of Energy and Department of Navy organization), Richardson was responsible for the command and safe, reliable operation of the United States Navy's nuclear propulsuin program and for all the current United States Naval reactors deployed for usage as well as all facilities needed to ensure safe operations.
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. Dec. 3, 2016, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson meets with Norway's Minister of Defense Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide at the 2016 Reagan National Defense Forum at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library. Richardson joined other public and private sector leaders to discuss the status of the Navy and Department of Defense.
SECRETARY OF THE NAVY RAY MABUS' VISIT TO NORWAY'S PREPOSITIONING CAVES
Secretary Ray Mabus
Trondelag county, Norway during "Operation Cold Respons 2016". In February Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus toured the reserve material storage site, one of eight prepositioning caves in the U.S. Marine Corps Prepositioning Program Norway.
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus greets Minister of Defense Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide in Oslo
Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, Adm. Michelle J. Howard, right front, Comman- der, Naval Forces Europe Political Advisor, Mrs. Elizabeth Hopkins, right center, and Director of Operations U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, Rear Adm. Daryl L. Caudle, right rear, are greeted by Norwegian Cmdr. Svein Christian Anderssen and other Norwegian leaders. U.S. Naval For- ces Europe-Africa, headquartered in Naples, Italy, oversees joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, to enable enduring relationships, and in- crease vigilance and resilience in Europe and Africa.
NORWAY'S CAVE STRATEGY
Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus walks with Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Weggar Strømmen in Oslo, Norway. Mabus is in Norway to reinforce the relationship between NATO Allies and thank the Norwegians for their continued friendship and support to the U.S
The Frigård cave, one of eight in the program, holds a variety of vehicles including armored amphibious vehicles, high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle variants, medium tactical vehicle replacements and logistics vehicle system replacements, snow-capable tracked vehi- cles, tank recovery vehicles, along with trailers and towed carriages. Secretary of the Navy toured the US Marine Corps Norwegian prepositioning caves.
Royal Marines Training in Norway
Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus tours a reserve material storage site, part of the U.S. Marine Corps Prepositioning Program-Norway, during a partnership-building visit. The program supports the reinforcement of Norway, crisis response, and U.S. Marine Corps expeditionary operations. Mabus is in the area as part of a multinational trip to European Command areas of responsibility to meet with Sailors, Marines, military and government leaders.
Arctic training for the Army Air Corps at 659 Squadron in Bardufoss
US Marines NATO Exercise in The Cold
The eight caves are placed in various locations in the region surrounding Trondheim. Three caves hold ground equipment, three are configured for munitions and two hold aviation support equipment. US Ambassador to Oslo on a vsisit to the Frigård prepositioning cave.
Mk48 LVS with fuel bladders and a pump system is loaded on the MV Villars, Valsneset, Nor- way, on its way to Estonia, for Baltic Challenge '97
BJUGN CAVE
TRONDHEIM NORWAY IS ONE OF EIGHT DEEP PREPOSITIONING CAVES
Deep cover for heavy duty war material prepositioned in mid Norway inside a mountain in the Trondheim region. Norway's order to the German Rhein-Metall-MAN will give the nor- thern most NATO member a much needed logistical boost. Picture below, courtesy of the United States Historic Archives.
CLICK PICTURE BELOW AND WATCH VIDEO
Norwegian Army Leopard 2A4 Winter Exercise
FRIGÅRD CAVE
Offloading of U.S. war material in the region of Trondheim, Norway.
Deep within a Norwegian hillside, thousands of U.S. Marine Corps combat veterans await their next assignment. They are lined up in rigid rows. They are clean, fresh and ready. They are prepared to be deployed worldwide. You can put a key in any of these vehicles and it'll turn on" declared Kevin Finch, a civilian working for the Corps.
ABRAHAMS MOUNTAIN CAVE
Other caves hold armored vehicles, including M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks and light arm- ored vehicles. Also stored are earth-moving equipment, generators, bulk fuel and bulk liquid systems, water production system, shelters, tents, netting and tool kits. Aircraft support equ ipment includes tow tractors, cranes, deicing equipment and arresting gear.
THE BALTIC STATES
The number of major exercises conducted by NATO fully encompassing the land, sea and air power of its Allies in the Baltic Sea region should be increased. With Russia conducting “snap” military exercises numbering 30,000-80,000 troops proximate to Baltic borders since the onset of the Ukraine crisis, the previous NATO exercises that have taken place in the region, such as the 6,000 strong Steadfast Jazz in November 2013 now seem rather modest.
Larger exercises would serve to demonstrate NATO’s credible commitment to deter one of the core aspects in Russia’s application of “hybrid” warfare, namely the use of the presence of large-scale conventional forces close to the border of the target state as coercion.
"ALLIED SHIELD"
BALTOP NOBLE JUMP SABER STRIKE TRIDENT JUST
"WE ARE WATCHING!"
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said Moscow was keeping an eye on the Sea Shield drills:
“At present, we are watching and monitoring everything that is happen- ing there. We hope that the exercise will be conducted in the safest poss- ible environment, without any challenges to Russia. In any case, we are ready to take on these challenges,”
he added. On January 31, US and Polish soldiers, alongside newly delivered American mili- tary hardware, also conducted joint drills in what has been described as the biggest US de- ployment in Europe since the end of the Cold War.
Moscow has repeatedly voiced concerns over NATO’s military activity by its border. Russian PresidentVladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this month:
“These actions threaten our interests, our security, especially as it concerns a third party building up its military presence near our borders.”
In response, Russia stationed its most modern weaponry and armaments in its western regions, including the exclave of Kaliningrad, which shares a border with Poland and Lithu- ania, and is carrying out large-scale military drills on its home soil.
THE BLACK SEA
BOEING RC-135 Rivet Joint Large Reconnaissance Aircraft
The RC-135 Rivet Joint is a large, all-weather electronic surveillance aircraft based on the C-135 airframe. The Royal Air Force has purchased three RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft, current- ly being converted from KC-135R Stratotanker airframes to RC-135W standard at the L3 Communications facility in Greenville, Texas. The first aircraft is due for delivery in late 2013, with the final delivery expected in 2017.
A programme of continual upgrades has kept the USAF RC-135 fleet at the cutting edge of technology and relevant capability. The three RAF aircraft will continue to benefit from the upgrade programme in turn with USAF aircraft. The RC-135 Rivet Joint is equipped with a variety of sensors, allowing its multi- disciplined crew to intercept and exploit emissions ac- ross the electromagnetic spectrum, providing both strategic and tactical level intelligence.
Click below and play RC-135 Rivet Joint
NUCLEAR SNIFFER
WC-135 "Constant Phoenix"
RADIOACTIVE IODINE-131 OVER FINMARK, NORWAY Meassured: 0.5+/-0.2 beteen 9-16.1. 2017
Particulate Iodine-131 in the Atmosphere
I-131 Radioactive decay
I-131 decays with a half-life of 8.02 days with beta-minus and Gamma emissions. This nuclide of iodine has 78 neutrons in its nucleus, while the only stable nuclide, 127I, has 74. On decay- ing, 131I most often (89% of the time) expends its 971 keV of decay energy by transforming into the stable 131Xe (Xenon) in two steps with gamma decay following rapidly after beta decay,
The primary emissions of 131I decay are thus electrons with a maximal energy of 606 keV (89% abundance, others 248–807 keV) and 364 keV gamma rays (81% abundance, others 723 keV).Beta decay also produces an antineutrino, which carries off variable amounts of the beta decay energy. The electrons, due to their high mean energy (190 keV, with typical beta-decay spectra present) have a tissue penetration of 0.6 to 2 mm.
"Constant Phoenix" flight path February 22nd 2017
"STANDARD MISSILE-3" THE WORLD'S FIRST ONLY LAND-SEA BALLISTIC MISSILE KILLER
Raytheon's missile-assembly facility,the missiles it produces, SM-3IIA and SM-6 near Huntswille, Ala.
The SM-3® interceptor is a defensive weapon used by the U.S. Navy to destroy short-to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats. This "hit-to-kill" interceptor uses a "kill vehicle" to collide with targets in space, a capability that's been likened to hitting a bullet with a bullet.The massive collision of the kill vehicle hitting its target obliterates the threat completely; explosives are not necessary. The resulting impact is the equivalent of a 10-ton truck traveling at 600 mph.
The Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency Test-Fired its New, Larger SM-3IIA Interceptor Missile in Space
THE "SR19" ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE
Two of the three types of anti-ballistic American missiles of SM-3 Block 1b are THAAD and SR19, which are based on the same engine with solid fuel derived from one of the two engines of the second stage, missile intercontinental MX Peacekeeper, decommissioned, and Minuteman II. Engine produced by Aerojet General The thrust is 27,226 kg. The SR19 is heavier, has slower speed and takes on more fuel than the THAAD.
The SR19 rocket has a mass of 15t, and are stationed at Fort Greely AFB, Alaska, at Ronald Reagan Missile Defense Site, Vandenberg AFB California, and on the island of Hawaii. It is designed to hit ballistic missiles in cruise flight between 150 km and 500 km altitude.
"THAAD"
THAAD arives at Osan Air Base, South Korea: China ready to neutralise THAAD, retired PLA general says.
The THAAD, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, missiles weigh 900 kg, and it also forms a ground-based shield against ballistic missiles, which is in the terminal phase of the flight and immediately before re-entering the atmosphere or during reentry, between altitude 80 km and 150 km.
The THAAD is a United States Army anti-ballistic missile system which is designed to shoot down short, medium, and intermediate range ballistic missile in their terminal phase using a hit-to-kill approach.THAAD was developed to counter Iraq's Scud missile attacks during the Gulf War in 1991. The missile carries no warhead, but relies on the kinetic energy of impact to destroy the incoming missile. A kinetic energy hit minimizes the risk of exploding con- ventional warhead ballistic missiles, and nuclear tippet ballistic missiles will not detonate upon a kinetic energy hit.
"TOMAHAWK" WINGED CRUISE MISSILE
The Tomahawk missile family consists of a number of subsonic, jet engine-powered missiles designed to attack a variety of surface targets. Although a number of launch platforms have been deployed or envisaged, only sea (both surface ship and submarine) launched variants are currently in service.
A Royal Navy Tomahawk cruice misile in flight.
The Tomahawk has a modular design, allowing a wide variety of warhead, guidance, and range capabilities. The Tomahawk project was originally awarded to Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland by the US Navy. James H. Walker (ME Kansas State 1942) led a team of scientists to design and build this new long range missile. The original design with advanced technology is still used today.
"AGM-88E HARM"
The AGM-88E HARM can detect, attack and destroy a radar antenna or transmitter with minimal aircrew input. The proportional guidance system that hones in on enemy radar emissions has a fixed antenna and seeker head in the missile's nose. A smokeless, solid-propellant, buster-sustainer rocket motor propels the missile at speeds over Mach 2.
"AEGIS" AT DEVESELU, ROMANIA
The third antiballistic interceptor, SM-3 Block 1b, is based on US AEGIS ships at Deveselu in Romania, is aimed at striking ballistic missiles in flight cruising at heights between 100 and 300 km. SM-3 Block 1b weighs 1.5t has three solid rocket stages, the first being Aerojet MK 72, which constitutes the third stage of US intercontinental ballistic missile Minuteman-II and develops only 15,600 kg. Besides the three types of ballistic missiles, anti-aircraft long-range Patriot missiles can hit ballistic descent path below the altitude of 35,000 m.
Opening of the AEGIS Missile Shield Station in Deveselu Romania. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg #2 from the right. Below left, NATO's B61-12 Thermonuclear Gravity Bomb, right, NATO's AEGIS Missile Shield Station in Deveselu, Romania. ARLEIGH BURKE CLASS DESTROYER WITH MARK 41 VERTICAL LAUNCHING SYSTEM
The Mark 41 Vertical Launching System, Mk 41 VLS, is a shipborne missile canister launching system which provides rapid-fire-launch capability against hostile threats. The Vertical Launch System concept, VLS, was derived from work on the AEGIS Combat System.
"LAJES" AIR FIELD
THE AZORES
The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center
The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC), established on March 31, 2006, is the nuclear-focused center within Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) synchronizing all aspects of nuclear materiel management on behalf of the AFMC commander in direct support of Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC).
Headquartered at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, the center has about 1,900 personnel assigned at 17 locations worldwide and consists of four major execution directorates: Air Delivered Capabilities; Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Systems; Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) Integration; and Nuclear Technology and Interagency. It also has several functional directorates and its commander is dual-hatted as the Air Force Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Strategic Systems AFNWC Mission
Deliver nuclear capabilities Warfighters use every day to deter and assure.
AFNWC Vision
Ensuring our Nation's most powerful weapon systems are never doubted, always feared.
"Never Doubted, Always Feared"
AFNWC Strategic Goals
- Resource, develop, and care for a diverse, mission-driven workforce
- Acquire and sustain effective nuclear weapon systems in a timely and cost effective manner
- Provide agile and effective Nuclear Materiel Management in support of AFGSC, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, and other stakeholders
Major Organizations
Air Delivered Capabilities Directorate
This directorate is principally located at Kirtland AFB, with operating locations at Eglin AFB, Florida; Joint Base San Antonio, Texas; Ramstein AFB, Germany; Robins AFB, Georgia; Tinker AFB, Oklahoma; and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The directorate is comprised of about 38 active-duty military and 183 federal civilians. It also has positions for deputy program managers and product support managers for nuclear matters embedded in program offices for the B-2/B-21, B-52, F-15, F-16, F-35, and authorized test systems and support equipment. The directorate is responsible for delivering, sustaining and supporting air-delivered nuclear weapon systems for our warfighters to secure the future of our nation and our allies every day. Programs managed by the directorate include: B61-12 Life Extension Program, Long Range Stand-Off Weapon, W80-4 Life Extension Program, overseas Weapon Storage and Security System, Secure Transportable Maintenance System, Protective Aircraft Shelter Interior Intrusion Detection System, and Air-Launched Cruise Missile (AGM-86B/C/D) sustainment.
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Systems Directorate
This directorate is principally located at Hill AFB, Utah, with operating locations at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming; Malmstrom AFB, Montana; Minot AFB, North Dakota; and Vandenberg AFB, California. It is comprised of about 70 active-duty military and 400 federal civilians. The directorate is responsible for inception-to-retirement, integrated weapons system management of the Minuteman III (LGM-30) and Ground Based Strategic Deterrent. The directorate develops, acquires and supports silo-based ICBMs and provides program direc- tion and logistics support as the single face to the customer. The directorate is also responsible for acquisition, systems engineering and depot repair. It manages equipment spares, provides storage and transportation, and accomplishes modifications and equipment replacement to sustain silo-based ICBM systems.
Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Integration Directorate
This directorate, which achieved initial operational capability in December 2016, is principally located at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts, and Kirtland AFB. It will eventually include personnel at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana; Fort Meade, Maryland; Los Angeles AFB, California; Hill AFB; Robins AFB; Tinker AFB; and Wright-Patterson AFB. Once fully manned, the directorate will be comprised of about six active-duty military and 57 federal civilians. It is responsible for integrating the NC3 Weapon System (AN/USQ.225) across the Air Force. The directorate advises AFGSC on the NC3 Weapon System's technical architecture and informs key decisions regarding investment and modernization. The directorate is also responsible for the weapon system’s configuration management, system test, system verification, and system certification. In addition, its director is dual-hatted as the Air Force PEO for NC3.
Nuclear Technology and Interagency Directorate
This directorate is located at Kirtland AFB and is comprised of about 25 active-duty military and 90 federal civilians. The directorate is responsible for providing intelligence support to AFNWC, analyzing the full spectrum of weapons effects to support acquisition programs and inform tactics and procedures, and assessing current and future nuclear systems to identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities. The directorate is also responsible for managing the Air Force's Nuclear Certification Program and leading the capability development initiatives for all pre-Milestone A/B activities within the center.
NATO NUCLEAR and Conventional Air Bases
SPANGDAHLEM C
THE UNITED KINDOM
HQ Ministry of Defense
RAF BASES - U.S. SUPPORT BASES
RAF MILDENHALL C (N)
RAF MILDENHALL hosts units from four different major USAF Commands - The Air Combat Command, the Air Force Special Operations Command, the Mobility Command and the United States Air Forces in Europe, USAFE, as well as units of the United States Navy.
RAF MIldenhall is the home of 352d Special Operations Wing (AFSOC) 95th Reconnaissance Squadron (ACC) part of 55th Wing, 55th Operations Group, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska 488th Intelligence Squadron (ACC) part of 55th Wing, 55th Operations Group Intelligence Wing, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska 727th Air Mobility Squadron (AMC) part of 721st Air Mobility Operations Group, Ramstein Air Base, Germany Fleet Industrial Supply Center Mildenhall (COMUSNAVEUR) RAF Mildenhall, together with its sister base RAF Lakenheath, have the largest United States Air Force presence in the United Kingdom.
KC-10 tanker from Mildenhall with F-16 Fighting Falcons from Spangdahlem
The 352d Special Operations Wing (352 SOW) is the Air Force component for Special Opera- tions Command Europe, a sub-unified command of the US European Command. It transferred to RAF Mildenhall on 17 February 1995, from RAF Alconbury. The 352 SOW has two flying squadrons, a maintenance squadron, an operations support squadron and a special tactics squadron.
The mission of the 352 SOW is to serve as the focal point for all US Air Force special operations activities throughout the European theatre, including Africa and the Middle East. The 352 SOW is tasked to conduct a variety of high priority, low-visibility missions supporting US and allied special operations forces throughout the European theatre during peacetime, joint ope- rations exercises and combat operations.
The 352d SOW develops and implements peacetime and wartime contingency plans. It eff- ectively uses fixed-wing and personnel assets in infiltration by, exfiltration by and resupplying of US and allied special operations forces.
SR-71 Reconnaissance Operations RAF Mildenhall from April 1976 to 1990
The RC-135W nuclear sniffer at RAF Mildenhall
Aircraft Boeing WC-135W 'Constant Phoenix' Serial - 61-2667 Operator the United States Air Force, Date and Location - 17/03 2016 RAF Mildenhall
RAF LAKENHEATH NUCLEAR AIR BASE
Royal Air Force Lakenheath or RAF Lakenheath (IATA: LKZ, ICAO: EGUL) is a Royal Air Force station near the town of Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, 4.7 miles (7.6 km) north-east of Mildenhall and 8.3 miles (13.4 km) west of Thetford. Although an RAF station, it hosts Unit- ed States Air Force units and personnel. The host wing is the 48th Fighter Wing (48 FW), also known as the Liberty Wing, assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe and the Air Forces Africa.
The 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath is the Statue of Liberty Wing, the only USAF wing with both a number and a name. Since activation at Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base, France, on 10 July 1952, Liberty Wing has been one of the premier fighter wings of the United Stat- es Air Forces in Europe, spending over 50 years as part of USAFE. The 48 FW has nearly 5,700 active-duty military members, 2,000 British and U.S. civilians, and includes a Geo- graphically Separate Unit (GSU) at nearby RAF Feltwell.
Cruice missiles on a B-52 pod at RAF N Lakenheath
VOLKEL N AIR BASE
KLEINE BROGEL N AIR BASE
BUCHEL N AIR BASE
Buchel Air Base mounting a B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb
NØRVENICH N AIR BASE
Nørvenich hardened air-craft shelters camuflaged with greenery
RAMSTEIN DRONE RELEYS RAMSTEIN N AIR BASE
AVIANO N AIR BASE
AVIANO AFB, WAITING TO BE AIRLIFTED OUT GHEDI TORRE N AIR BASE
Ghedi Torre AFB, US personnel B-61 training
Ghedi Torre AFB, Italian and US personnel training together
INCIRLIC N AIR BASE
ROCKET COMPARISON
"9K720 ISKANDER"
The first Russian weapon designed to penetrate US ballistic shields is the ground-to-ground missile system Iskander, which has a range of 500 km, a cruise ceiling of 50,000m, and a speed of 7600-9300 km/h.
"TU-22M3"
GASPROM
Standard Missile-3 Ramstein AFB Germany Bitburg AFB Germany
Spangdahlem AFB Germany Tornado of the German Air Force
Aviano AFB, Italy
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter B2 Tornado Kirtland AFB, USA Nellis AFB, USA Minot AFB, USA Vandenberg AFB, USA
Nellis AFB, USA Minot AFB, USA Vandenberg AFB, USA
Stuttgart, Germany
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The Influences of Institution Attended and Field of Study on Graduates' Starting Salaries
Australian Economic Review, Vol. 42, Issue 1, pp. 42-63, March 2009
See all articles by Elisa Rose Birch
Elisa Rose Birch
The University of Western Australia - Faculty of Economics & Commerce
Ian Li
Paul W. Miller
Curtin University of Technology - School of Economics and Finance; IZA Institute of Labor Economics; Curtin University - Centre for Research in Applied Economics
Date Written: 2008-07
This paper examines the determinants of Australian university graduates' starting salaries, with an emphasis on the institution attended and field of study. It is shown that there is little difference between the starting salaries of students who attended Group of Eight universities and those who attended other universities. There are modest differences in starting salaries across fields of study. However, these differences are considerably less than those associated with the type of employment obtained. These results suggest it is what you do in the labour market, rather than where or what you have studied, that is the main determinant of labour market outcomes.
Birch, Elisa-Rose and Li, Ian and Miller, Paul W., The Influences of Institution Attended and Field of Study on Graduates' Starting Salaries (2008-07). Australian Economic Review, Vol. 42, Issue 1, pp. 42-63, March 2009. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1375784 or http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8462.2009.00524.x
Elisa-Rose Birch (Contact Author)
The University of Western Australia - Faculty of Economics & Commerce ( email )
Nedlands, Western Australia 6907
Curtin University of Technology - School of Economics and Finance ( email )
GPO Box U1987
IZA Institute of Labor Economics
Curtin University - Centre for Research in Applied Economics ( email )
Perth, Western Australia 6845
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Life, Thoughts
that while my dad was in prison for 7 years, he made it work, somehow.
He managed to smuggle in some baby chicks and ducks in order to create a more exciting and happy prison life for himself. The guards saw him just harmlessly tending to chickens and ducks so they did not mind. He told me out of 200 inmates at his camp, he was the only one who was always followed around by 4 ducks and 6 chickens.
He told me they were fed rice and he riled up the other inmates to feed his pets because there was always an excess of rice. He raised one chicken for 2 years before it died. Needless to say, during 7 years of imprisonment and shuffled through 3 camps, he experienced several generations of chickens and ducks. Other inmates questioned why he would do such a thing and he told them.. “why not? it makes life a bit more exciting.”
He also sold alcohol and treats in prison because he befriended an inmate who had special privileges to roam outside its doors.
He knew how to fish and ate fish in abundance while he was in jail as well as crab and lobster but he would always share his bounty with his friends.
He once negotiated 4 days of freedom by riling up his fellow inmates to chop and sell sugar cane for 8 million dong to the public.
He told me that when he got out, he was still handsome and together (all in one piece) so that was why my mom accepted him or else I would have not existed.
He had an injured leg in prison where for a period he couldn’t walk and he befriended a kind soul who helped bring salt and ginger so he could cover his wound with salt and vinegar paste daily in order for his leg to heal.
He fought against the viet cong during the vietnam war and since the south fell, he was imprisoned afterwards as an ex-soldier. The point is… my dad told me no matter what situation I happen to be put in, no matter how bad things get, I can always find a way. I can always be creative with the little means I have. My dad came to the US with nothing. He was placed in jail with nothing. And here he is now living in california in a home he’s partially built with the help of my mom. In every sense of the word, he’s made it. He has crafted this life for himself where he doesn’t have to worry too much financially anymore (although he is not drowning in riches); he is doing okay. I do not ask much of him as I put myself through college and I am very much an independent person of my own right… but by being able to share this conversation with my dad, watching him recount his stories of undoubtedly emotionally scarring but bittersweet yonder years…
all I can think of is… (admist laughing so hard and crying simultaneously at his stories)…
This precious man.
This loving, crafty, intelligent man who has managed to unconditionally support me, my mom, and my brother all these years. How wonderful that he’s still alive and that I get to spend time with him. He is 74 years old now. I am hoping to keep having his company for as long as I can get it.
Then I helped him update his facebook profile picture.
Love my dad. With his asian eyes. Haha.
I felt like writing this post to document a moment I had today. That’s all.
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Gospel of Life
Richard A. Sokerka
Three people who consistently answered the call of the Gospel of Life were recently honored with the 2018 People of Life awards.
The awards were presented to Janice Benton, a proponent for disability rights; Msgr. Joseph Ranieri, an advocate for post-abortion healing; and the late James Hanson, who campaigned against medically assisted-suicide.
The awards were presented at the Diocesan Pro-Life Leadership Conference, sponsored by the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat on Pro-Life Activities.
Benton has served as the executive director of National Catholic Partnership on Disability for 15 years. Before that, she spent 25 years ministering to people with disabilities, working in areas such as a camp counselor for people with intellectual disabilities. She also worked for the American Coalition of Citizens in Washington D.C., beginning in 1979, where she advocated for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Education for All Handicapped Children Act.
Msgr. Ranieri has served as a parish priest in the Archdiocese of Washington for more than 60 years. There, he has involved himself with Project Rachel Ministry, a post-abortion resource group. He has also encouraged priests, who will hear about abortions in the confessional, “to listen, to be open and to be patient. These people need to talk about what happened, often more than once.”
Hanson was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and president of the Patients’ Rights Action Fund, a strategic and financial support group advocating against assisted suicide legislation. Hanson suffered from glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Before he died in 2017, he campaigned against legislation permitting assisted suicide.
Established in 2007, the People of Life award seeks to honor Catholics dedicated to the pro-life movement as described by St. Pope John Paul II in his 1995 encyclical on the value and inviolability of human life, Evangelium Vitae.
According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website, “Recipients are recognized because, through their personal or professional contributions, they have demonstrated their lifetime commitment to the pro-life movement, to promoting respect for the dignity of the human person, and to advocacy for an end to the culture of death in this nation.”
This recognition is well deserved, but beyond these honorees, we also wish to thank all the unsung heroes who are giving of their time, talents and treasure to the pro-life movement in our nation by living the Gospel of Life. Please join with them in this cause and pray that their efforts and unwavering support will one day lead to a culture of life across our nation.
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Superintendent Dr. Hanke Reflects on 10 Years in Dublin and the Challenges of Rapid Growth
DUBLIN, CA–OneDublin.org recently sat down with retiring Dublin Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hanke to reflect on his ten years as DUSD Superintendent, and share learnings from the challenges posed by rapid growth.
OneDublin.org: Let’s start ten years ago – what attracted you to join the Dublin Unified School District?
Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hanke: “Ten year ago I was an assistant superintendent in a district a bit larger than we are today, and much like Pleasanton. It was fast-paced, high performing and similar to what we’ve achieved now. I was looking for a superintendency and had thrown a wide net across the state to look for opportunities, and I felt Dublin was one of those great opportunities. Dublin was a growing school district that had a good reputation with lots of opportunity to make changes and bring improvements to the community, building on my background.
OneDublin.org: What are you most proud of, looking back over your time in Dublin?
Dr. Hanke: “The last ten years for me have been absolutely amazing. I’ve enjoyed many aspects of my career but nothing has been like Dublin. Looking back we’ve really made progress on raising the bar, putting more focus on academics and higher level of achievement for students, bringing in really good people to compete with surrounding school districts and working together to raise the profile of the district inside and outside of Dublin. I believe we’ve been on a steady path of improvement for a long time, and that will continue.
“The progress hasn’t just been in the new schools we’ve built, it’s been about improving the program for all students. I credit our focus on student learning as a key factor in the improvements we’ve seen. Not individual schools, but the entire system working together on a common objective, embracing and holding on to key initiatives including Professional Learning Communities.
“Dublin also provides a wonderful environment for learning. The support from the community has been phenomenal, from volunteers in our schools to support for bonds and parcel taxes. There is something that is very special about this community and the level of support for our schools. You can’t get to the level of success we’ve had without the combination of strong programs and support from the community. The leadership we have from the school board, to classrooms, to parent leaders and volunteers has been very positive.
“We are unique in some ways in that we have an excellent relationship with the city. We’re working very hard to partner with the city and promote the concept that solid communities have solid schools, and that it is to everyone’s advantage to have an excellent school system. We’ve worked with the city on ground lease agreements, joint use agreements and we’re about to enter into a Center for Performing Arts and Education agreement; all of these have produced a better system for kids.
“We are, obviously, not without challenges, but I cannot have been more fortunate to have the opportunity to work in Dublin.”
OneDublin.org: What has been the most unexpected learning from your ten years in Dublin?
Dr. Hanke: “My experience in Dublin demonstrated that if you put together a strategic plan, and you are true to that plan, using it like a GPS to measure, adjust and align in real-time that it works. I learned about the importance of having a consistent message shared by a strong leadership team, that establishes over time how things are done in this district. For example, we have become a Professional Learning Community and with that comes expectations for those that join the district. All successful organizations are built on core beliefs.”
OneDublin.org: The perception of Dublin schools, in particular Dublin High School, has changed dramatically over the past ten years. Compare what you heard from parents and your peers ten years ago vs. today.
Dr. Hanke: “When I first came here there was conversation that all the schools were great through 8th grade until you got to the high school level, and then it was best to transfer out. That was the hill we were climbing. We focused, brought in programs, better communicated the success of the school and over ten years have seen consistent growth in test scores and in the scope of programs offered. We put more focus on college readiness indicators like SAT and ACT scores, all of which have increased. A terrific example of expanding our program offerings was establishing the Dublin High School Engineering and Design Academy, which now has over 150 students. We also have a Biomedical Academy with over 200 kids, a Culinary Arts program, a Video Production program, and more. And, of course, the renewed and new buildings on the Dublin High campus including the Center for Performing Arts and Education.
“We went from people seeking inter-district transfers out of the district to people seeking inter-district transfers into the district. I compare Dublin High School programs to any high school in the Tri-Valley area – period – with an environment that is stronger. I was recently on the Dublin High campus for a basketball game and the campus was alive – there were One Acts in the Center for Performing Arts and a soccer game at Gael Stadium. The community was united supporting students. And in the Athletic Center students filled the stands with Gael Gauntlet t-shirts, standing and cheering, enjoying the once-in-a-lifetime experience of high school spirit. I also saw the richness and strength of the diversity in our community.”
OneDublin.org: What have you learned about the enrollment forecasting issues at Dublin High School that could help your peers in other districts avoid similar issues?
Dr. Hanke: “That’s an important question that I’ve thought about a lot. Looking back in time we probably weren’t looking far enough down the road. The needs years ago, for a community with so many young families, were focused at the elementary school level. That’s why we built Fallon as a K-8 first because we knew it would grow into a middle school. Then Green, Kolb and now Amador. And every one of those schools was built as quickly as we could to address the need.
“The high school issue has been a tough one. I don’t know what the conversation was in 1998 when it was decided a second high school site wasn’t needed, but what I can tell you is that when I came here ten years ago there was significant capacity at the high school, so the focus was on the elementary and then the middle school side. Were we a little slow on the high school side? Probably.
“I learned that dealing with developers is not easy and that getting an outside consultant early on is a good thing. I have a consultant right now and I probably should have brought him in a little bit sooner. I made assumptions about negotiating with developers and I probably could have done a better job with someone from the outside, who deals with these problems every day, advising me. I didn’t know that. My focus was on programming across the district and growth at the elementary and middle school levels. I learned from that experience.
“I did change the district’s demographer for the one error that he made which was the forecast about the high school. We did look at prior forecasts that were made year-over-year and they were accurate every year, and I made the assumption that given the accuracy of past forecasts, these forecasts must be right. We have a new demographer working hard on updating our forecasts, and reviewing five years of SFNAs [School Facilities Needs Analysis], and I believe that analysis will demonstrate we did do things correctly, that the funding we received based on SB50 was correct.
“I believe there is a systemic issue in school funding, especially in the Bay Area where construction costs and land are shockingly high. Imagine that you had 40% of your home budget taken away – what would you do? You’d have to make cuts somewhere, you wouldn’t be able to do what you would have done had the funding been there. We are a public school system and don’t have the choice to make cutbacks – the kids are coming and we need to support them.
“I believe that we’ll get through this if the community will help us get there. I look at the problems that we’ve solved together, such as raising the bar for student learning and instruction, and given the success we’ve had there I truly believe we can have similar success despite the growth challenges were are facing. We have to work together and solve the funding challenges, one way or another.
“We need the Jordan Ranch school, the Dublin Crossing school, we need a second high school and we need to hold on to Nielsen Elementary site just in case we need it ten years down the road.”
OneDublin.org: What advice do you have for whoever ends up being the next superintendent?
Dr. Hanke: “One – keep going. We’re on the right path. Two – make sure you are bringing people together. We have a changing community, a culturally diverse community that needs to be brought together. Three – continue to work towards the concept of a unified community. We are all in this together for our children and if we pool our resources and focus on problem solving we can work through the challenges that growth brings.”
from → Dublin California Schools Showcase
← Dublin School Board Seeks Community Support to Petition State for School Funding
Dublin High School Alum Ina Deljkic to Compete for Georgetown in the Copenhagen Business School Case Competition 2016 →
Kerrie Chabot permalink
There was another high schoo planned. It was named Eleanor Murray Fallon School on the original Eastern Dublin specific plan. In 2005 our school board opted not to puchase this designated school site, more than half the land back to housing developers who built homes on the zoned high school site. Then DUSD built current Fallon Middle on the other half of that zoned land. Why does Dr. Hanke say 1998 no high school planned? There was also another middle school planned over by Emerald Glen which was rezoned.
Jing Firmeza permalink
In order to get a true handle of our growth, we need an ordinance that will require new home owners moving in our city purchasing new homes or resale home to fill out a survey that will give true numbers of school kids coming in to the district. We also need an exit survey of leaving residents selling their home. New borns in our city can be accounted from registration of birth. Demographer figures are speculative. Speculative numbers are not the true numbers. We cannot rely on speculative numbers.
13th Annual Crystal Apple Awards Celebrates Local Teachers and Outgoing Dublin Administrators | OneDublin.org
Shelley Fischer on 30+ Years Serving the Dublin Unified School District and Retirement | OneDublin.org
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On Earth, Everyone Can Hear You Scream
“The Book of Alien,” published in 1979, had me scared out of my mind when I was a kid.
I think of all the movies I’m looking forward to this summer, Prometheus is at the top of the list. I know that being a huge comic book reader I would probably be more excited about The Avengers or The Dark Knight Rises, but when I heard that Ridley Scott was making a movie that had ties somehow to Alien, something in my nerd past reawakened and I remembered (suddenly? I mean it’s not like I ever really forgot) that when I was about 11 years old, the world he created in Alien was the center of my universe.
Okay, to be fair, the reason for that was more due to James Cameron’s sequel, Aliens, because up until the time I was in the fifth or sixth grade, I had only ever seen anything to do with Alien in the movie book–The Book of Alien–that someone on my bus had been passing around when I was in the second grade. Furthermore, what I had seen was a picture of the movie’s infamous “chestburster scene” (although at the time we called it “when that thing came out of the guy’s stomach”) and it scared the crap out of me.
I refused to watch Alien until I finally sat down and watched it during the summer before sixth grade–this was either the day before or the day of the incident where my father, who was wallpapering the living room–stepped on a razor blade and wound up with a few stitches in his foot. I don’t think I thought very much of the movie when I first saw it because it wasn’t as cool as Aliens, which I had already been watching on constant replay for the better part of a year.
Can you really blame me, after all? I was eleven or twelve and it was the middle of the “action Eighties” where I was into any movie that had large guns that shot lots of people, it quickly became my favorite movie. My friends and I would “play” Aliens (I was often Hudson to my friend Tom’s Hicks, although I think one time I actually played Ripley which I’m sure that some psychologist would have jumped on … but I have a feeling I just wanted to be one of the leads) when we wanted something slightly different than the “army” games we were used to playing after being kicked out of the house for watching Aliens way too many times.
But with anything from my childhood, my interest faded after a little while and I paid less attention to Ripley, Hicks, Hudson, Newt, and the other characters and more attention to things like baseball and the WWF. I would gravitate back toward Alien when I was in junior high after watching the original theatrical trailer while waiting on line to ride The Great Movie Ride at what was then called Disney’s MGM Studios in Disney World. I knew I had seen the movie before, but trailers were hard to come by in 1990–you either had to have it as part of a commercial break on something you taped off of television or on another video tape that came out at that time, and considering that Alien was released in 1979 and then released on VHS for the first time by CBS FOX video in the early 1980s, that wasn’t likely to happen in my house. The trailer blew me away and left so much of an impression that I remember trying to duplicate it as part of a computer animation project in my advanced computer graphics class in the ninth grade (I think it was a bunch of stills with quick cuts that wound up with no sound and a title in a really bad font … then again, it was 1991).
My first venture into “independent” comics, Aliens #5, published by Dark Horse in June 1989.
Anyway, at some point around June 13, 1989, I took a random trip to the comic store, which I hadn’t been to since I stopped buying G.I. Joe and The Transformers nearly a year earlier; however, this was the summer of Batman, so everyone was making at least one trip to the store. Sitting in the “Picks of the Week” part of the new releases were two comics that caught my eye–Batman #436, which was the first part of the “Year 3” storyline and Aliens #5. I had a couple of bucks in my pocket and while Batman was the cheaper comic–clocking in at 75 cents while Aliens was $1.95–something in me really wanted that Aliens comic. I gave Bob my money and then took it home and read it. After I got over the fact that the art was in black and white despite a really cool color cover), I thought the story was cool even though I personally didn’t get what was going on (obviously–this was issue #5 of 6 and I hadn’t any of the others), but I did think it was cool that: a) Aliens was in a comic book, and b) people were cursing in a comic book.
Yeah, that sounds silly, but when I was 12 years old, comics were still the random issues of G.I. Joe that I was still holding onto. I filed it away and didn’t think much of it until I got into seriously collecting comics in 1990 and picked up Aliens: Earth War, and found a copy of the first series’ trade paperback at Words Worth books in the Sun Vet Mall. With the exception of one random issue of the second Aliens series (“book two”), I wouldn’t have the whole story until recently, courtesy of eBay.
Dark Horse’s Aliens comics open with three words that set up what is ultimately a really solid follow-up to the Cameron film: Ten Years Later. When the first series, written by Mark Verheiden (in fact, he’d write all three of the initial series) and drawn by Mark A. Nelson, opens, Newt is now a teenager and an inmate at a mental hospital while Hicks, scarred from the acid blood attack at the end of the movie, is a more or less unemployable drunk. Their lives intersect again when the Wayland-Yutani Corporation (known at this point only as “The Company”) has been studying the alien any way it can, finally capturing a queen to raise and study, and also locating the homeworld. There is also an apocalyptic cult that worships the alien and is determined to commune with it somehow.
Since he has experience dealing with these creatures, Hicks is recruited to go on a mission to the homeworld and he gets Newt out of the hospital and stows her away on the ship. And of course, as with any mission in the world of Aliens, there are people involved with nefarious intentions and not is all as it seems. Newt falls for one of the Colonial Marines, only to find out that he’s actually an android–in fact, they all are–when the soldiers attack a hive on the planet and are ripped apart. To the company, the mission is a failure–they didn’t necessarily know that the marines were all synthetic and were secretly hoping to use them as hosts for more alien specimens–but for Newt and Hicks, it’s a Pyrrhic victory as they do manage to detonate a hive on the homeworld, but at a cost greater than they think.
You see, as they were off fighting on the aliens’ homeworld, the aforementioned apocalyptic cult breaks into the company’s research facility and carries out their plan to “become one” with their god by allowing themselves to be implanted with the queen’s offspring. This leads to the alien menace spreading all over the planet. Hicks and Newt see the communiques from their ship and head back toward Earth with another ship along for the ride–one piloted by a member of the elephantine “space jockey” race (another of whom was the pilot of the ship discovered on LV-426 in Alien and might have some sort of connection to Prometheus), whose intentions aren’t exactly clear.
The story picks up with a second miniseries–Dark Horse had intended to not publish and Aliens ongoing but make the story several miniseries, something they would also do with the Star Wars comics they began publishing a couple of years later–written by Verheiden but with painted art this time by Denis Beauvais. It’s a plot on a smaller scale but one that moves the overall story forward, as with Earth being quickly overrun by the aliens, the leftovers from the first series fight aliens on a ship and the gateway station above Earth, and a crazed general actually “raises” and “trains” a team of aliens he thinks will wind up being the perfect soldiers–that is, until he actually tries to order them around on Earth and gets killed pretty quickly. It’s a plotline that’s almost Dr. Strangelove-esque in its portrayal of the gung-ho solider, and it accompanies one of the subplots that will also run through the third Aliens series–Aliens: Earth War–very nicely. That subplot is a series of “I hope someone is watching these” transmissions sent from a group of survivors, including a young girl named Amy, whom Newt quickly identifies with. That particular plot is very zombie movie-esque, the type of story that adapts very well to a sci-fi piece/horror piece like Aliens.
“Book Two,” as the trade paperback calls the second series, ends with the reappearance of a character that readers had been clamoring for–Ripley–and we pick up immediately with her story in Aliens: Earth War #1, which was drawn by Sam Kieth. This is Verheiden’s final Aliens series and the overall end to the story that began with Newt, although there would be plenty more Aliens comics, including several series where the Aliens fought the beings from the movie Predator. Although she’s happy to see Ripley again, she’s also apparently pissed off because Ripley promised never to leave her and when Newt woke up from hypersleep after the events of Aliens, Ripley was gone and she was eventually committed. Ripley spends the first issue explaining that she was reawaked prematurely, sent back to LV-426 with another group of marines that were quickly taken out and when she did another thing that pissed off the company, she and her surviving marine comrades had to go into hiding.
Then comes the master plan: they head back to the homeworld to find the “queen mother” of all aliens, capture her, and bring her to Earth where they think she will call of “her children” to her and they can then nuke everything. The first part goes well enough, but the rest, not so much, especially when Newt–who is still obsessed with the transmissions received from Amy and the survivors–goes to the surface to rescue the little girl. They get them all out and … well, it doesn’t really work out exactly as they planned because they were being used by the “space jockey,” who has led them to make Earth into a wasteland and terraforms it to his liking. But the group itself is together and heads off into space, their futures uncertain but hopefully without the alien presence.
Personally, I really enjoy these three comics series, especially the characterization that Verheiden gave to both Newt and Hicks. The fact that both of them would be physically and mentally scarred by their ordeal was almost naturally given and without Ripley being the “glue” to hold them together, I can see how they would have both spiraled downward in the years between the movie and the first series. Newt is portrayed in a way that is sympathetic, yet she is no doormat and is as tough as she was in the movie. The corporation and its nefarious motivations–studying the alien in order to use it as a bioweapon against an “enemy” that is never clearly defined (which is a great touch because very often we do wonder why the military develops all of those weapons during times we’re not at war)–are also incredibly believable, as is the whole “apocalyptic cult” thing. It’s not too heavy handed, although there are times that the “We did this to ourselves” message gets a little played.
If there’s any beef I have with the stories, it’s with the third one, especially the characterization of Ripley. In the two movies, Sigourney Weaver portrayed Ripley as a tough woman but one who did have a heart and was definitely flawed. In Earth War, she’s written as someone who is more hardened–which is totally believable because it has been ten years since Aliens–but also seems to have the answers to everything. She’s like a superhero, albeit one who can’t save everyone at the end … which I guess is the point, but the plot of Earth War seems a little bit rushed, and Sam Kieth’s art, while good at portraying monsters, just doesn’t fit that well with what was established by the two earlier artists.
For its horror and action I felt that these three series were a great conclusion to the stories of the characters in Aliens. Unfortunately, Twentieth Century Fox didn’t seem to feel that way because … well, we got Alien 3.
Now, that’s a movie I was actually psyched to see when I first saw it advertised because I went to the movies and saw this trailer:
And I was like, “Alien 3 … ON EARTH?! AWESOME!”
Then … we got Alien 3.
I’m not going to go too much into how mediocre that film was–it’s a cluster of a movie whose finished product was mediocre at best compared to the first two films (and one that I’m sure first-time director David Fincher would like to forget), but I will say that it threw a huge monkey wrench into Dark Horse’s Aliens continuity. I’m not sure if this was something Dark Horse decided to do or Twentieth Century Fox made them do (after all, the Star Wars comics tie-in was heavily guarded by Lucasfilm during its time at Marvel), but in subsequent trade paperback reprints, the three series, now called Outbreak, Nightmare Asylum, and Female War feature characters named Billie and Wilks and the “Ripley” in the series is a replicant of sorts. This is why, when I decided I wanted to read the entire Aliens trilogy, I had to track down the original printings of the trades for Book Two and Earth War (I’d sold my Earth War copies on eBay years ago). Thankfully, they were relatively cheap to find and I can ignore the “official” version for a much better conclusion to the story of the movie I loved so much when I was eleven.
Posted in comics, movies and tagged 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, comics, movies on June 7, 2012 by Tom Panarese. 2 Comments
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Things We Can't Wait To Do In NHL 13 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
With EA's latest hockey sim due this week, we list things we simply need to do once it arrives.
Published Sept. 10, 2012, 12:56 p.m. about NHL 13
by Robert Workman
While the real sport of hockey hangs in the balance over several CBA talks between owners and players (c'mon, guys, last thing we need is another lockout), fans have another option to look forward to this week, as EA Sports will be releasing NHL 13 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this Tuesday. The long-awaited entry in the series is the latest – and most improved – to date, with a number of new features, combined with some of the stuff that made us fall so hard for it to begin with.
We have a primer on what you can do with the game once you pick it up. Actually, it's more of a "to do" list for us, as there are so many cool things that we'll need to dig into once it arrives in our offices. We're sure you probably have your own (like thrashing the Red Wings out of the playoffs or making the New York Islanders contenders again), but heed our advice in the meantime as you count down the hours to the game's release…
Work On Your Momentum
In NHL 13, EA Sports has introduced a new momentum feature that really makes the gameplay flow a lot smoother, on both offensive and defensive. No longer are defensive players automatically glued to you and able to miraculously catch up to you while going backwards, nor are you able to speed towards the goal and stop on a dime. It's much more realistic this time around, from what we've played in the demo, especially when you glide toward the goal and use your stick to deke and throw off players, then slam one into the net when the goalie isn't looking.
It will take a little getting used to as it is a slight change of pace from how previous games worked, but there's hardly any tedium when it comes to adjusting to this style of play, and you'll be working out steals and power play opportunities in no time.
Also, did we mention the checks are still awesome? Granted, you can't make Gretzky bleed (those days are long gone, sadly), but you can do the next best thing, slam a player into the wall or send them reeling across the ice as you pick up the puck and dash down the open ice. And not every hit has to be so physical either, as you can use a poke check to free up the puck a bit, then try to go for the quick steal. (But, yeah, regular checking is better, ain't it?)
Get Your Team the Cup – One Way Or Another
GM Connected is a revamped version of NHL's franchise mode, now with more options than ever before when it comes to managing your team and creating a contender for Lord Stanley's Cup. Sure, you'll still need to make prompt decisions when it comes to trades and resting certain players, and setting up strategies that opposing coaches won't be able to read so easily (the AI is at its best with the new EA Sports Hockey IQ), but you'll get the most out of the game by studying up and making the moves you wish to make, then moving into the playoffs.
Also, you don't have to do it alone. You're able to team up with 29 other players in your own league, competing against them, making trades and even throwing out a few offers here and there to keep things interesting. With the other online components thrown into NHL 13, there's a whole lot of potential to what you can do here.
If management isn't your thing, Be a Pro once again makes a return, allowing you to work your way into EASHL Club Captaincy or simply moving along another player through his (or her!) career, learning the ups and downs of being a team player and eventually earning your way into championship – and MVP – glory. No one said the road would be easy, but with this many features, you'll still have a great time getting there.
Relive the Moments, Or Take Them a New Way
With the NHL Moments Live, players can relive – or rewrite – historic moments out of today's National Hockey League. With 26 prime moments taken from the past season, including Gagner's historic eight point night and Sidney Crosby's return to the ice (as well as a few legendary plays thrown in on top), you're able to direct these moments however you choose.
And if you're sitting there thinking, "I would've done it a different way," this is the game to do it with, as you can try something different and perhaps even create your own moment – or crash and burn and restart, should it be the completely wrong thing to do. It's not often you get a second chance to do something right, so we recommend making the most of it.
Ultimate Team – Yeah, You Know It
Finally, if there's one mode that really makes NHL 13 all the worthwhile to dig into, it's the Hockey Ultimate Team. Here, you'll be able to manage, trade and collect hockey players through collectible cards to create your own Ultimate Team, then hit the ice with them to see how they perform under you. Featuring a rich new reward system (with even more cards!) and a playoff format where you can compete against other players' own Ultimate Teams, this is a feature that's sure to bring out some of your most competitive moves to date. What's more, if you snag the Stanley Cup Edition of the game (a mere $20 more), you not only get the collectible Steelbook case, but also a slew of bonus Ultimate Team reward cards to enrich your team with.
Honestly, if these aren't enough reasons to pick up NHL 13, we don't know what is. It's your hockey destiny to slap the puck around when the game drops this Tuesday. Besides, we might not have the real thing…sigh.
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Cumulative stats (All positions)
Years Coached
Playoff win %
25 213-104-9 66.72% 9-8 52.94%
Coaching Tree
Jock Sutherland, Chester Pittser
Blanton Collier, Weeb Ewbank, Abe Gibron, Otto Graham, Bud Grant, Bill Johnson, Mike McCormack, Lou Saban, Jim Shofner, Mac Speedie, Bill Walsh, Robert Shaw
Paul Brown was a football coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1946 until 1975, finishing his career with the Cincinnati Bengals as their head coach. Over his twenty-five years of coaching his teams compiled a cumulative record of 213-104-9. During his career he was a head coach for twenty-five seasons. His first head coaching opportunity came with the Cleveland Browns. He led the team for seventeen seasons, compiling a record of 158-48-8. During his time leading the Browns the team won the championship in 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1954, and 1955. His next head coaching stint came with the Cincinnati Bengals. He coached the Bengals from 1968 to 1975, leading the team to a 55-56-1 record during his eight seasons as head coach. Throughout Brown's coaching career his teams led the league in victories seven times, most recently in 1957. Brown won the NFL's Coach of the Year award in 1970 after guiding the Bengals to a 8-6-0 record and a berth in the playoffs. During the 1957 and 1958 seasons as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns he coached Jim Brown to the Most Valuable Player.
1975 Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach 11-3-0 0-1
1974 Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach 7-7-0 0-0
1971 Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach 4-10-0 0-0
1962 Cleveland Browns Head Coach 7-6-1 0-0
1953 Cleveland Browns Head Coach 11-1-0 0-1
Coach history guide
Seasons with a championship win Seasons with a conference championship
Paul Brown is the inventor of the modern playbook.
Paul Brown is credited with establishing two franchises (Browns/Bengals).
Paul Brown Has won the most championships of any NFL coach.
Years as head coach: 25
Championships won: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1954, and 1955
First in total wins for the Cleveland Browns.
Third in total wins for the Cincinnati Bengals.
First in winning percentage for the Cleveland Browns.
Fourth in winning percentage for the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Tag Archives: WTO Tool of lobbies?
Know : World Trade Organization (WTO)
Brief Overview:
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only international organization dealing with the global rules of trade between nations. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible.
The result is assurance. Consumers and producers know that they can enjoy secure supplies and greater choice of the finished products, components, raw materials and services that they use. Producers and exporters know that foreign markets will remain open to them.
The result is also a more prosperous, peaceful and accountable economic world. Virtually all decisions in the WTO are taken by consensus among all member countries and they are ratified by members’ parliaments. Trade friction is channelled into the WTO’s dispute settlement process where the focus is on interpreting agreements and commitments, and how to ensure that countries’ trade policies conform with them. That way, the risk of disputes spilling over into political or military conflict is reduced.
By lowering trade barriers, the WTO’s system also breaks down other barriers between peoples and nations.
At the heart of the system — known as the multilateral trading system — are the WTO’s agreements, negotiated and signed by a large majority of the world’s trading nations, and ratified in their parliaments. These agreements are the legal ground-rules for international commerce. Essentially, they are contracts, guaranteeing member countries important trade rights. They also bind governments to keep their trade policies within agreed limits to everybody’s benefit.
The agreements were negotiated and signed by governments. But their purpose is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.
The goal is to improve the welfare of the peoples of the 159 member states.
Members, dually represented by the European Union
The History :
The World Trade Organization came into being in 1995. One of the youngest of the international organizations, the WTO is the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) established in the wake of the Second World War. So while the WTO is still young, the multilateral trading system that was originally set up under GATT is well over 50 years old. (click here to read the complete history)
In 2000, new talks started on agriculture and services. These have now been incorporated into a broader agenda launched at the fourth WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, in November 2001.
The work programme, the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), adds negotiations and other work on non-agricultural tariffs, trade and environment, WTO rules such as anti-dumping and subsidies, investment, competition policy, trade facilitation, transparency in government procurement, intellectual property, and a range of issues raised by developing countries as difficulties they face in implementing the present WTO agreements.
It does this by:
Administering trade agreements
Acting as a forum for trade negotiations
Settling trade disputes
Reviewing national trade policies
Assisting developing countries in trade policy issues, through technical assistance and training programmes
Cooperating with other international organizations
The WTO has about 150 members, accounting for about 95% of world trade. Around 30 others are negotiating membership.
Decisions are made by the entire membership. This is typically by consensus. A majority vote is also possible but it has never been used in the WTO, and was extremely rare under the WTO’s predecessor, GATT. The WTO’s agreements have been ratified in all members’ parliaments.
The WTO’s top level decision-making body is the Ministerial Conference which meets at least once every two years.
Below this is the General Council (normally ambassadors and heads of delegation in Geneva, but sometimes officials sent from members’ capitals) which meets several times a year in the Geneva headquarters. The General Council also meets as the Trade Policy Review Body and the Dispute Settlement Body.
At the next level, the Goods Council, Services Council and Intellectual Property (TRIPS) Council report to the General Council.
Numerous specialized committees, working groups and working parties deal with the individual agreements and other areas such as the environment, development, membership applications and regional trade agreements.
The WTO Secretariat, based in Geneva, has around 600 staff and is headed by a director-general (Roberto Azevêdo). Its annual budget is roughly 160 million Swiss francs. It does not have branch offices outside Geneva. Since decisions are taken by the members themselves, the Secretariat does not have the decision-making role that other inter-Secretariat, Genevanational bureaucracies are given.
The WTO agreements
How can you ensure that trade is as fair as possible, and as free as is practical? By negotiating rules and abiding by them. (Click here to read more about the WTO agreements)
The WTO is ‘rules-based’; its rules are negotiated agreements.
> Overview: a navigational guide
> Tariffs: more bindings and closer to zero
> Agriculture: fairer markets for farmers
> Standards and safety
> Textiles: back in the mainstream
> Services: rules for growth and investment
> Intellectual property: protection and enforcement
> Anti-dumping, subsidies, safeguards: contingencies, etc
> Non-tariff barriers: red tape, etc
> Plurilaterals: of minority interest
> Trade policy reviews: ensuring transparency
10 benefits of the WTO trading system
From the money in our pockets and the goods and services that we use, to a more peaceful world — the WTO and the trading system offer a range of benefits, some well-known, others not so obvious.
1. The system helps promote peace
2. Disputes are handled constructively
3. Rules make life easier for all
4. Freer trade cuts the costs of living
5. It provides more choice of products and qualities
6. Trade raises incomes
7. Trade stimulates economic growth
8. The basic principles make life more efficient
9. Governments are shielded from lobbying
10. The system encourages good government
10 common misunderstandings about the WTO
Is it a dictatorial tool of the rich and powerful? Does it destroy jobs? Does it ignore the concerns of health, the environment and development? Emphatically no. Criticisms of the WTO are often based on fundamental misunderstandings of the way the WTO works.
1. WTO dictates?
2. Blindly for trade?
3. Ignores development?
4. Anti-green?
5. Anti-health?
6. Wrecks jobs?
7. Small left out?
8. Tool of lobbies?
9. Weak forced to join?
10. Undemocratic?
Courtesy and Source : www.wto.org, Wikipedia and Google
Standard | Posted in Blogosphere, Business, Career & Profession, Economics & Business, Education, Ethics and Morals, Facts & Stats, History, Students, Useful Information, Whatz Up - NEWS | Tagged 10 benefits of the WTO trading system, 10 common misunderstandings about the WTO, Afghanistan, Agriculture: fairer markets for farmers, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Anti-dumping, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain- Kingdom of Bangladesh, Bali, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivarian Republic of, Bolivia Plurinational State of, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dispute Settlement Body, Disputes are handled constructively, Djibouti, Doha Development Round, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Freer trade cuts the costs of living, Gabon, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, Geneva, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Governments are shielded from lobbying, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See (Vatican), Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Intellectual property: protection and enforcement, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, It provides more choice of products and qualities, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kingdom of, Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanese Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Ministerial Conference, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Non-tariff barriers: red tape, Norway, Oman, Organizational Structure of WTO, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Plurilaterals: of minority interest, Poland, Portugal, Propel Steps, Propelsteps, Qatar, Republic of, Romania, Rules make life easier for all, Russian Federation, Rwanda, safeguards: contingencies, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Services: rules for growth and investment, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Standards and safety, subsidies, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan March Tanzania, Tariffs: more bindings and closer to zero, Textiles: back in the mainstream, Thailand, The basic principles make life more efficient, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), The Gambia, The History of WTO, the State of, The system encourages good government, The system helps promote peace, The WTO agreements, Togo, Tonga, Trade, Trade policy reviews: ensuring transparency, Trade raises incomes, Trade stimulates economic growth, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine May United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Useful information, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, World Trade Organization, WTO, WTO Anti-green?, WTO Anti-health?, WTO Blindly for trade?, WTO dictates?, WTO Ignores development?, WTO Small left out?, WTO Tool of lobbies?, WTO Undemocratic?, WTO Weak forced to join?, WTO Wrecks jobs?, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe | 0 comments
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Clinton’s alt-Right Speech Moves Us Forward
Hillary Clinton’s speech in Reno, yesterday, marked a needed turning point in what has been a truly bizarre election. She not only brought Donald Trump’s campaign to task for the hate-filled division it inspires and espouses, but also pointed out just how out of place it is in the political arena. Finally, someone had the gumption to pull back and provide a little meta-analysis to the hot mess that has dominated this election cycle.
Despite Donald Trump’s complaints of media bias, members of the press and political commentators have actually gone quite easy on him. His offensive has provided so many gaffes and shocking moments, that reporters, commentators and fellow politicians have been locked in a continuous reactionary response–essentially allowing one man to turn our election process into a circus, and, in the process, nullify any real progress toward finding legitimate solutions to our economic and social problems.
Earlier this week on the Rachel Maddow show, Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, criticized the proposed content of Clinton’s Reno speech, complaining that she should be speaking on policy, not on Trump. Clinton has spoken on policy, and she will continue to do so, but this speech was absolutely necessary. It was long overdue to talk about the elephant (excuse the pun) in the room. Donald Trump may be the Republican standard-bearer, but that does not mean that we must collectively lower the bar for him. Political commentators spend so much time with Trump surrogates while they flailingly try to explain their candidate, when they should be taking a stand on the obvious throughlines of his campaign. He play-acted his way into the nomination with uninformed, yet authoritarian and divisive rhetoric. His ignorance is tangible everytime he opens his mouth. Most of all, whether it was with intent or stupidity, he has become the Pied Piper of an openly racist fringe element. It is a dangerous scenario, and it is what we need to be talking about before too much damage is done.
Author razzaraPosted on August 26, 2016 August 26, 2016 Categories PoliticsTags 2016 electon, alt-right, Clinton, TrumpLeave a comment on Clinton’s alt-Right Speech Moves Us Forward
Finding Our Silver Lining
2016 is proving to be a rough year for America. Social divisiveness is rampant fueled by a highly unusual election, episodes of police brutality, acts of violence, and political, racial and religious scapegoating. The Internet and social media have revealed a dark movement in America born out of economic struggle, frustration and social apathy. The Republican Party, after spending decades cultivating a culture of blame and general disregard for intellectualism, has given us a nominee who is acting as both champion and provocateur of this movement. Donald Trump’s poll numbers demonstrate that he is unlikely to win, but the specter he has raised is equally unlikely to go quietly and without incident. It is shocking and painful to bear witness to the sentiments many Trump supporters express at rallies and on social media. We must bear witness, however; because that is how we find our silver lining in all this mess.
As we get closer to the election, Hilary Clinton’s lead over Trump is growing. As of today’s Reuters/Ipsos poll, she has a lead of 12 points among likely voters. While I find this heartening, I am still troubled by the amount of people still loyally supporting Trump. In my home state of Missouri, Clinton has a lead of only 1 point. If this were a normal election, I wouldn’t be surprised by this, in fact, I would be shocked for national polling to show such a gap. But, this is not a normal election. It is the first time we have had a female nominee. It is the first time a nominee’s spouse has been a former President. It is the first time Democrats have selected a standard-bearer since America’s first and only African-American President. It is also the first time we have had a nominee like Donald Trump, a self-proclaimed billionaire and reality-t.v. celebrity, who is a patchwork quilt of undesirable and dangerous traits. He has no political training or experience, eschews reading, advice and facts (fact checkers have given him a truth telling percentage of 4%), and touts an authoritarian and incendiary message overflowing with racism, misogyny, Islamophobia and violence-all with a 5th grade vocabulary. He speaks and “tweets” without thought, churning up controversy and invoking outrage on a regular basis. He battles narcissistic wars on the media and whomever he perceives as criticizing him, whether it be Gold Star families or fellow Republicans. On top of it all, he demonstrates very little understanding of domestic and foreign policy, let alone the Constitution. Yet, he still has a loyal following. So, what’s really going on here?
We have known since the primaries that Donald Trump’s supporters are overwhelmingly white males without a college degree. Early theories of his popularity among this group centered around the idea that they are economically disenfranchised by technology and a global economy, and that Trump appeals to them with his nationalistic approach to trade and immigration. In August, however, Gallup released a large research study that pulled that theory into question. The findings of the study demonstrated that while Trump supporters are, in fact, mostly white, blue collar males, they are not economically distressed. They do, however, live in communities that have seen influxes of immigrants and express that they feel a loss in social status and a fear that their children will not enjoy the same upward mobility that they did. The latter fear, I would posit, is a common concern among many Americans and should definitely be at the center of the national conversation. It is a complex issue that encompasses many socioeconomic issues in addition to the affects of technology and a global workforce, such as social security, the aging of the Baby Boomers, and healthcare to name a few. The first two commonalities that Gallup reported are of more interest in understanding Trump’s following as they have to do with two issues: diversity and blame.
As I mentioned earlier, the Republican Party has purposely cultivated a culture of blame and suspicion–even worse, blame and suspicion that is not rooted in fact. They have allowed the alt-Right entertainment media to act as the voice of the party for many years. The prolific and popular Fox News openly blurs the lines between entertainment and journalism, and Republican politicians have exploited that market to manipulate their constituencies–a practice they are most likely regretting now that Trump has gone so far as to place the head of Breitbart, Stephen Bannon as his campaign leader. The Internet is littered with alt-Right media outlets that have the journalistic integrity of The National Inquirer, running articles filled with conspiracy theories and the barely veiled bigotry of white-identity politics. Since they have irresponsibly allowed–even supported–narratives outside of the pragmatic rules of logic and discourse, the Republican Party has created the nearly impenetrable “echo-chamber” of Trump supporters on social media. The many Republican politicians who fear Trump is an unqualified standard-bearer and would be a dangerous President are in a quandary as they have nurtured the ideal Republican voter to be non-thinking and reactionary.
As many Americans have made strides to embrace and celebrate diversity and multiculturalism, actively working on equal rights and opportunities for all, it must be understood that as human beings we have an innate distrust for the “other”–that is, anyone who has physical or sociocultural differences from us. It is up to us as a thinking and social people to overcome that tendency. If a community is experiencing worry, anxiety or fear, as many are now, due to economic difficulty and stagnation, terrorism and acts of violence, they will look for some “other” to blame. For the white male, there are plenty of “others” to blame. They see the differences in faces of their community–racial differences, religious differences, sexual-orientation differences, gender differences–and they blame those who are different for personal and social problems. Instead of working to solve the many problems we face in a progressive and thoughtful manner, some are choosing to slide down that slippery-slope of national recidivism–quite frankly, they would prefer not all people had equal rights and opportunities in America. Trump’s slogan, “Make America Great Again,” begs the question: When was America great? Remember, that every step backward is at the exclusion of the rights and opportunities of one or more of the many identities represented by the American people. To disregard the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of another group of Americans is an expression of social apathy, or, outright hate. Sadly, both sentiments are highly contagious and are spread rampantly through unintelligent and, often, vulgar social media posts.
If we look at the factors in the Trump movement as including the response to diversity, the propensity to blame, social apathy, and a disregard for factually-informed thinking, we must also include the obvious: misogyny. There are some that openly admit that they don’t think a woman should be President, but there are many that simply make their opinion known by consistently engaging in false equivalency. The definition of false equivalence is “a logical fallacy which describes a situation where there is a logical and apparent equivalence, but when in fact there is none. This fallacy is categorized as a fallacy of inconsistency.” The criticisms that the Trump campaign and Trump supporters offer about Hilary Clinton are positively embedded with double standards. Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon for women, but, much like systemic racism, one people are loathe to admit. An example is criticizing Clinton as a liar, when we all know Trump’s acquaintance with the truth is nominal. Other examples include describing her as unqualified, crooked, self-interested–the bar is set so low with Trump that criticisms like these seem bizarre.
It is my hope, that by the end of this election, more people will have snapped out of the trance that is drawing them to Trump, but the silver lining in all this divisiveness is that we know the steps that we need to work on as a country. The Republican Party will have to work hard to rectify the damage it has done to itself and its people. Critical thinking skills should be learned before college. Systemic racism and misogyny must be addressed. We must promote a culture of solutions, not blame. Most of all we need to look forward and resist the urge to believe that a better time existed before–because, it most certainly was not a better time for all Americans. That should always be our goal.
Author razzaraPosted on August 24, 2016 Categories 2016 Election, Politics, social media1 Comment on Finding Our Silver Lining
Trump vs. “The Media”
Republican nominee, Donald Trump, is blaming “The Media” for his falling poll numbers, and working his followers up into yet another poorly thought out lather. Though Trump’s battle cries are about media bias and dishonest reporting, I suspect he is truly upset because he thought he was in control of the press–using them to his own benefit. He thought he had a firm understanding of how to play a game. When he transitioned from the primaries to the general election, though, the game changed, because the players changed. Trump’s shenanigans were now being focused on by the rest of America–judged, as they should be, in the harsh light of a serious Presidential election.
“The Media” is not a thing, at least not in the collusive, conspiracy-cloaked way many Trump supporters are referencing it. It is a broad collection of persons in a related profession. Now, within the media, there are news outlets that are characterized as liberal media or conservative media. It is up to the consumer to make sure they vary their sources. This is of particular interest because Trump’s ire is directed at the media as a whole. He claims he is treated unfairly even by notoriously conservative news outlets like Fox News. What are they doing that is distressing him so? Well, they’re doing what they’ve done all along. They are reporting on and discussing the things he says in speeches, interviews and tweets. But, here’s the rub…when he says something outrageous, sensationalistic or outright false, it dominates the press. This is not a new phenomenon, and Donald Trump knows that. Consider the following:
“One thing I’ve learned about the press is that they’re always hungry for a good story, and the more sensational the better…The point is that if you are a little different, or a little outrageous, or if you do things that are bold or controversial, the press is going to write about you.” – Donald Trump, The Art of The Deal, 1987
“I use the media they way the media uses me — to attract attention. Once I have that attention, it’s up to me to use it to my advantage…I learned a long time ago that if you’re not afraid to be outspoken, the media will write about you. … So sometimes I make outrageous comments and give them what they want — viewers and readers — in order to make a point. I’m a businessman with a brand to sell.” – Donald Trump, Crippled America, 2015
So, if he’s just doing what he’s always done and they are doing what they’ve always done, then what’s the problem? The problem for Trump is how the audience is perceiving it. You see, Trump’s “any press is good press” brand marketing style did work to get him the GOP nomination. At that point, three things changed:
1). A general election is a lot more serious than a primary. Trump did not enter into the general election with his game-face on, or implement any changes to his approach. He continued to deliver the same demagoguery, supporting his claims with hearsay and falsehoods. He continued with his “tell-it-like-it is” approach, littering his campaign with racism, sexism, and antagonism, behaving in an absolutely un-Presidential manner.
2). His audience changed. He was no longer only targeting a section of the Republican voting base. The fact that he needed to alter his style to appeal to a much larger voting base seemed to allude him. This is not just a matter of modifying his approach to connect with moderates and progressives, but to win the respect of educated people. Once he was on stage as a Presidential candidate, the bombastic buffoonery needed to stop. Yet, his campaign has been fraught with overtly controversial statements and genuinely ignorant pratfalls. When the press covers these situations, the “any press is good press” theory no longer applies to his new audience of potential voters.
3). Remember that brand he was trying to sell? The one he estimates at $3.32 billion? It went downhill fast. In fact, his fellow Republicans have been so concerned about fallout from association with Trump’s brand that they have been refusing to endorse him and/or vote for him. This number started small, but has grown with each one of Trump’s sensational outbursts. In fact, today, a letter requesting that the Republican National Committee cut off funding to Trump has been signed by more than 120 Republican politicians and congressional aides. The letter states:
“We believe that Donald Trump’s divisiveness, recklessness, incompetence, and record-breaking unpopularity risk turning this election into a Democratic landslide, and only the immediate shift of all available RNC resources to vulnerable Senate and House races will prevent the GOP from drowning with a Trump-emblazoned anchor around its neck,” the letter says.
Donald Trump is not being treated unfairly by “The Media.” He’s been playing a game for attention, it’s just a game he’s now losing. And like a petulant child, he wants to accuse the other players of cheating. I, for one, am waiting to see if he chucks the game board and goes home.
Author razzaraPosted on August 16, 2016 August 17, 2016 Categories 2016 Election, PoliticsTags election, Trump5 Comments on Trump vs. “The Media”
How the Republican Party’s Strategy Backfired
The Republican party is melting down and I would caution Americans who identify as Republican to take the time and effort to understand why. This trainwreck didn’t just happen–it was the end result of actions put into place decades ago…
In its simplest form, modern Republican conservatism was traditionally about less federal involvement in the states and corporations, and minimizing government spending (small government vs big government). During the Reagan era, Republicans embraced the idea of trickle-down economics and solidified themselves into protectors of the extremely wealthy, simultaneously supporting decreases in government spending on government subsidized facilities such as mental health hospitals, orphanages, etc. to offset the tax cuts Reagan gave to stimulate the economy. Reagonomics was a rocky road–while many people improved financially, the rich got richer and many, many Americans became disenfranchised due to a loss of government facilities and support. Further, the federal deficit grew from the billions to the trillions. Republican politicians new they would need more than the wealthy vote to maintain power, so they bolstered efforts to cultivate a larger voting base. They did this in two ways: anti-intellectualism and embracing “conservative values”. This is where the slippery slope begins, folks. They linked intellectualism to liberalism. They charged the media with being inherently biased (as intellectual liberals). They used vitriol and vehemence to emotionally appeal to white, evangelical Christians, not caring that they had no plan or process to back up their positions. They preyed on the uneducated, knowing they wouldn’t ask the right questions. Out of this, they gave birth to the Religious Right–a mixed bag of wealth, fundamentalism, bigotry and, above all else, an abhorrence toward critical thinking. They have nurtured a culture of blame. Blame immigrants, foreign countries, gays, blacks, Muslims, liberals–anyone different from yourself. Blame the President, but don’t look behind the curtain at the Republican controlled Congress that grid-locked the entire system. Perhaps, worst of all, they have preyed on those who have suffered from the recessions and the shifting economic landscape. They stir them up promising them they will bring their jobs back without truly talking about the realities of globalization and technological advancement–that it is here to stay and that we, as a people, must adapt and retool to find our place in this new world. Instead they encourage outrage, entitlement, and the lamentation of change without looking to viable solutions. They have floated obviously unintelligent people to champion their message such as Dan Quayle, George W. Bush and Sarah Palin and, now, Donald Trump. Perhaps, they did not think he would win the primary. Perhaps they thought they would be able to control him. Most likely, they just underestimated the chaos they had nurtured in their Republican constituency. Through their efforts to lock in the adulation of the uneducated and moralistic right wingers, they had unwittingly set the stage for Trump and opened Pandora’s box, out of which is climbing the absolute worst representations of the American people, including white supremacists and neo-Nazis, who insist that Trump’s people are their people. They believe that Trump’s popularity is a signal that the American people are primed to embrace their hate-filled beliefs.
Trump is the poster boy for authoritative speech without knowledge. Trump engages in vitriolic stump speeches devoid of of truth, evidence or intelligence, and, his followers rabidly sing his praises. From his first day in the primary, he has fearmongered, stirring up the people into a frenzy of isolationism, bigotry, misogyny and divisiveness. As his speeches, interviews and tweets become increasingly absurd-even dangerous, Republican leaders scramble to distance themselves from him, terrified that they will be forever branded by his persona. Other Republicans are terrified not to support him because they fear losing their own down ticket races. The entire party is careening out of control because they essentially chummed the waters and then let loose a dangerously unqualified and irresponsible candidate. The strategy they used to secure a consistent voting base backfired “Big League” because anti-intellectualism is actually a tenant of facism. Further, fascist regimes rise to power through propaganda, emotional/moralistic appeal, and instilling in their followers that they must protect against progressive change at all costs. Facists wield and exploit paranoia as a tool against potential detractors such as the media and academia. The Republican leaders of the past few decades would have perhaps avoided this catastrophic situation if they had been better educated in political and social philosophy.
So, what can be done now? I am not a Republican, but I believe bi-partisanship is a necessary apparatus to our political system. I think they must fully denounce Donald Trump and make it clear to their constituents exactly why he is not their standard-bearer. They need to accept their losses, own their mistakes, and reform the party. They need to drastically pivot their path away from this trajectory that has set the stage for fascist ideologies to take hold. The Republican Party may have imploded, but it is their responsibility to make sure America is not destroyed along with it.
Author razzaraPosted on August 15, 2016 Categories 2016 Election, Politics10 Comments on How the Republican Party’s Strategy Backfired
Memes Away!! The Misinformation Campaign in Social Media
Technology has advanced at a rate faster than society can adapt. Though there have been outstanding benefits, we are struggling to compensate in terms of our domestic economy and labor force, security, and our role in the global arena. Technology also ushered us quickly into the Information Age, drastically changing the way we learn and communicate. The Internet has been a game-changer in many, many ways. Answers can be found in seconds, information can be immediately shared with millions of people, communities can be formed outside of the constraints of time and location. Likewise, opinion can be masqueraded as fact, false research can be presented as legitimate, and what you share publicly can potentially affect millions. While the Internet isn’t exactly new, online communication is becoming increasingly powerful due to constant access to the Internet via cell phone and the ever-growing popularity of social media.
With the rise of social media we also saw the rise of the meme. Dictionary.com defines a meme as “a cultural item in the form of an image, video, phrase, etc., that is spread via the Internet and often altered in a creative or humorous way.” It’s true that the vast number of memes we have seen in social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat) have been innocent enough representations of humor, inspiration, and, well, cuteness. As it is an election year, however, heated social issues have arisen in our public consciousness, and our collective social media presence reflects that. The formerly innocuous meme has been repurposed as propaganda in the sociopolitical landscape. When propaganda is shared and presented as fact it becomes a dangerous tool. There is only one defense against such an onslaught–critical thinking.
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. “- Aristotle
Critical thinking is defined as “disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence.” What does that mean, exactly? At it’s most basic, it means that you apply the same rules of logic to any concept or statement, without pre-judgement (emotional or otherwise), and you require high standards of evidence. Baby Boomers and Gen Xers are particularly vulnerable to propoganda on social media because critical thinking was not taught in the K-12 public school system, although it is generally a required class in college. Thankfully, the public school system is now working to incorporate critical thinking skills into the curriculum. Another disadvantage for those of us who grew up pre-Internet is that we received limited education on how to evaluate source material (we had no where near as many sources available) and no education on how to evaluate online source material. Despite this, we must adapt to the fact that the Information Age is also the Misinformation Age, and that the burden of proof will have to fall on the shoulders of the individual.
When it comes to learning and sharing information online, there are two issues that have to be resolved within each person. First, what is the validity of the sources one is using to inform their own positions, and, second, is it socially responsible to share unsubstantiated information or information from an invalid source as if it is true? The temptation for many people is to actively seek out websites, blogs and online communities that reaffirm their own beliefs, no matter if they are sources of legitimate information or not. When you then take that illegitamite information and share it publicly in the form of a meme or written post you are, in fact, spreading propaganda. Then other people become informed by the same illegitimate information–and so it goes on and on. People then take that information into their daily conversations and use it to shape their decisions.
Don’t we have freedom of speech? Of course we do…which is all the more reason to be discerning about your sources. I would also argue that we have a social responsibility not to engage in the spread of propaganda–especially on issues that affect our society at large. So what should you do? When you read something on the internet, consider the source. If it’s opinion, recognize it as such and subject it to the rigors of critical thought. If it is presented as factual, look at the source site. Is it a legitimate news site? Is the content extreme? Is it covered in advertising? Are there references? Take a minute to validate the information even if it is supportive of your beliefs. Likewise, when you see a political meme in your social media feed, do not just promptly hit the share button. Once again, consider the source it came from, do a quick Internet search to verify the content…and most of all, think critically about the content. Only share if it is valid. Remember, we will only solve our social problems if we can engage in meaningful discourse. Without critical thinking, that is not possible.
Author razzaraPosted on August 15, 2016 August 15, 2016 Categories 2016 Election, Politics, social mediaTags 2016 Election, critical thinking, social media3 Comments on Memes Away!! The Misinformation Campaign in Social Media
An Open Letter to my FB Friends
Dear FB friends..
It’s obvious that I find this election extremely important, and my political leanings are just as obvious. I would like to take a moment, however, to express just what is driving me to keep focused on the political conversation. As the mother of two children, 9 and 8, I have two responsibilities: 1) to teach them the best possible values and skills to be good human beings, and 2) to do everything I can to ensure that they have a good future. I want them to see that hard work, perseverance, and education are the way to make changes in this world–that critical thinking and compassion are absolutely necessary to any conversation–that sensationalism and ignorance may be entertaining, but is not effective–that to better your situation, you must be pro-active and courageous, not reactionary and fearful. I also want to teach them to love, not hate, and that indifference is just as dangerous as hate. People tend to only care about social issues when it directly affects them, but here’s the deal–we don’t know who are children and grandchildren will become and what their needs and issues will be. I have two smart, funny, compassionate, quirky kids. My son has autism and we are grateful for the assistance through the school system that he is provided, but what of the rest of their journey? They may or may not go to college. They may struggle with debt. They may choose a professional path, skilled or non-skilled trade or the arts. They may be police or join the military. They may identify as LGBTQ. They may change their faith, they may fall in love with someone of a different culture or ethnicity. They may have biracial children. They may struggle with mental illness or addiction. They may experience poverty, homelessness or prison. I cannot control their journey, but I can ensure that they experience that journey with the support, justice and liberty promised by our country. I cannot afford to be indifferent about politics and social issues. Can you?
Author razzaraPosted on August 11, 2016 August 11, 2016 Categories 2016 Election, PoliticsLeave a comment on An Open Letter to my FB Friends
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John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theory
JFK minutes before the Martians killed him.
Some dare call it
What THEY don't want
you to know!
Christopher Dorner
Free energy suppression
Hale crater
Nationalism in history textbooks
Scalar wave
Sheeple wakers
American Civil Rights Union
Bradlee Dean
Greg Abbott
Jose Escamilla
Louie Gohmert
Richard C. Hoagland
“”Oswald did it.
Please don't send me any screwball theories, opinions, or even questions.
I've heard them all and I'm tired of it.
—Alexander Jason, Crime Scene Analyst[1]
The assassination of John F. Kennedy is one of the most popular sources for conspiracy theories. The people who subscribe to these theories often focus on the idea that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone, that he was a "patsy," or that Oswald didn't commit the murder at all. They also often argue that shots were fired from the "grassy knoll" near Dealey Plaza in Dallas, and not only from the Texas School Book Depository from where Oswald shot Kennedy. Some conspiracy theorists also believe that the Warren Commission report was a coverup.
JFK conspiracy theorists are notoriously fractious and may hold to one of several competing theories:
Oswald made the shot; however he had some group providing logistics.
The mafia was behind it, as payback for JFK sleeping with their mistresses and his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, cracking down on organized crime after they allegedly helped them win Illinois in the 1960 election. Alternatively, they did it because JFK went too easy on Fidel Castro, which cost the mob revenues from Cuban casinos.
Right-wing anti-Castro groups were behind it, as payback for the botched 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion.
Fidel Castro himself was behind it, in retaliation for the Bay of Pigs invasion or numerous assassination attempts from the CIA.
The CIA, or a rogue faction of CIA agents and private wingnut activists was behind it.
The government of Israel and Mossad were behind it, because Kennedy opposed Israel's nuclear weapon development programs.
The Soviet Union brainwashed Oswald during his time in the USSR and programmed him to do it.[note 1] That or he was recruited by the KGB to do it. Or the KGB sent a double in his place. Or...
The Democrats assassinated Kennedy because he was a Conservative. People like Mary Lou Bruner believe this.
Woody Harrelson's estranged father, Charles Harrelson, was behind it.
Lyndon Johnson was behind the assassination. (Due to LBJ's personality and style, this is the one that manages to get the most fanfare.)
Kennedy was assassinated because he had attempted to restore the printing of paper money by the U.S. Treasury rather than the Federal Reserve bank (a favorite theory of Paulbots[2]).
Kennedy was assassinated by a cabal who wanted to expand the Vietnam War, because he was about to pull U.S. troops out.
Some focus more on the theory that there was a second gunman at the grassy knoll and, again, Oswald being a "patsy" rather than trying to ascribe any broader conspiratorial motive.
T. Casey Brennan did it, or so he says. This claim is just one ingredient of his mighty chick-magnetism.
Principia Discordia author Kerry Thornley was Lee Harvey Oswald's best friend in the Marines in 1959, so there is a Discordianism connection to the assassination.
Kennedy shot first.
The driver shot Kennedy. This one is thought to be a parody since there would be millions of people seeing JFK being shot. Unfortunately, it isn't.[note 2]
Oswald shot Kennedy through the neck and a Secret Service agent in the following car accidentally shot him in the head raising his rifle to return fire (the third casing by Oswald was used to keep the chamber of his rifle clean).
Oswald was a patsy and Joseph Milteer, a right-winger associated with extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and who was under surveillance for threatening to kill the president, had arranged or participated in the assassination.[3] Some believe Milteer was part of a conspiracy masterminded by the Papacy which involved the U.S. Intelligence communities and remnants of the Third Reich brought over during Operation Paperclip.[4]
Kennedy arranged it all as an elaborate suicide.
Kennedy was killed by a version of himself from the future, because otherwise it would cause WWIII. (Okay, that makes a lot less sense out of context. But that episode of Red Dwarf was badass.)
Kennedy survived and was replaced by a double "they" buried instead, alien abducted, still secretly running things from behind the scenes along with his family, the "curse" being a huge smokescreen, died in a mental institution as a vegetable from the brain damage... take your pick.
Kennedy was shot in the head in Dallas but survived thanks to the government putting a metal plate in his head, they then dyed his skin brown and put him in a nursing home to live out the rest of his days as the senile old man no one believes. After this he meets Elvis Presley (who everyone thinks is actually just an Elvis impersonator, mainly because this Elvis was bored of being Elvis so he went and swapped places with an Elvis impersonator)and they go on a quest to kill a resurrected mummy who is sometimes referred to as Bubba ho-tep.
Conspiracy theories about the assassination are still popular on both the left, right, and amongst the American public.[5]
1 Investigation
2 Popcorn, anyone?
3 Reality
Investigation[edit]
Lyndon Johnson takes the oath of office, with Jackie Kennedy next to him.
The first official investigation was undertaken by the Warren Commission, which concluded that the assassination was not a conspiracy, and all official investigations after it have more or less accepted its findings. The United States House Select Committee on Assassination, however, concluded that there is a high probability that the assassination was a conspiracy.[6] Two conflicting reports, and that's where it all began.
Two early books critiquing the Warren Commission report were Inquest by Edward Jay Epstein, and Rush to Judgment by Mark Lane. Both hinted at a conspiracy and were relatively tame by today's standards. Mark Lane later went off the deep end with conspiracy books on several other subjects (including the Jonestown mass suicide, and the assassination of Martin Luther King). The John Birch Society was an early proponent of an assassination conspiracy theory, with an article by Revilo P. Oliver claiming the KGB did it. Liberty Lobby later took up the assassination conspiracy theory and wooed Mark Lane into defending them in a libel lawsuit brought against them by "Plumber" E. Howard Hunt, in response to an article in Spotlight newspaper claiming Hunt was implicated in the assassination. Louisiana district attorney Jim Garrison prosecuted New Orleans businessman Clay Shaw in 1969 for conspiracy to murder in the Kennedy assassination, claiming that it was the job of a bunch of homosexual males, including Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby, the motive being it was a "thrill killing"; the jury took 54 minutes to find Shaw not guilty. Shaw even went a step further by disproving the theory himself.
Another more reliable book criticizing the investigation came from task force member Gerald Ford. In A Presidential Legacy and The Warren Commission, Ford stated that the CIA destroyed or kept from investigators key facts that would expose operations—which, he said, could easily be read the wrong way as collaborating with the assassination. [7] [8]
Popcorn, anyone?[edit]
Two popular films portraying the Kennedy assassination as a conspiracy were Oliver Stone's 1991 flick JFK,[9] based on Garrison's theory, and the 1973 movie Executive Action,[10] based on Lane's theory that a cabal of right-wing businessmen was behind the assassination. JFK assassination conspiracy books proliferated, in particular, after the popularity of the 1991 film, ranging from the meh to the completely ludicrous. Public reaction to the film caused Congress to enact the JFK Records Act and establishing the Assassination Records Review Board which will release (almost) all records of the investigations by October 2017.[11]
Reality[edit]
Oswald, moments before being killed by Jack Ruby.
Lee Harvey Oswald did it.
Why? It was due to a lack of bowling alleys and nightclubs. No, really.[12] More immediately, he hung out with Castro sympathizers in Mexico City during his unsuccessful attempt to get a Cuban visa, some of whom voiced the opinion that Kennedy should be killed in retaliation for his attempts to have Castro assassinated.[13] According to CIA files released in 2017, Oswald visited the Cuban and Soviet embassies in Mexico City, and on September 28, 1963 he met with "a Soviet consular official named Valery Kostikov, the reputed head of the KGB’s assassinations operations."[14][15] Oswald did live in the Soviet Union for about 3 years, after making several attempts to defect which were declined as the Soviets viewed him as mentally unstable. After an attempted suicide, the Soviets finally let him stay reasoning that a dead American on their watch would be far worse, and furnished him with a job and apartment in Minsk, Belarus. Oswald would later become bored and return to the US. He was viewed poorly for the most part by the Soviets, with an internal Soviet memo describing Oswald as “ a neurotic maniac who was disloyal to his own country and everything else." Oswald was never given Soviet citizenship.
Oh, and the KGB spread many of the other conspiracy theories, because they knew that given the climate of the time, the Soviet Union was likely to be blamed and they wanted to mitigate that to some extent — it appears to have worked more than they ever imagined. They knew fairly early on that American intelligence didn't believe they were involved, but if the American public was to hold a widespread belief that the Kremlin had Kennedy killed, not only would the door be open for retaliation (some nutjob shooting up Soviet embassies, for example) but it could cause the public to press for war. If declassified Soviet materials are to be believed, they were just as surprised as the Americans by the assassination.[16]
The "magic bullet" theory that so often pops up among the conspiracy theories is also based off the seating of the people in the car, Kennedy included. However, if one actually looks at the seating arrangements in the car, then the theory, and any that expand on the idea, are defunct instantly. The theories claim that Governor Connally was sitting in front of Kennedy, and that this proves that Kennedy couldn't have been shot by Oswald. In reality, Kennedy was in the back, and Connally in front of him but slightly to the left and sitting significantly lower than Kennedy on a jumper seat. Connally was in fact always in the path of Oswald's shot. Indeed, the entire thing can be disproved by the way everyone was sitting when Kennedy was shot. Additionally, a closer look at the Zapruder film shows Connally's lapel flip outwards at precisely the moment the first bullet strikes Kennedy.
The theory that there were multiple shooters is discredited by the fact that no bullet fragments or shells other than what came from Oswald's Mannlicher-Carcano rifle were discovered anywhere by anyone in Dealey Plaza, the limousine, Parkland Hospital, or in the bodies of Kennedy or Governor Connally.
There are still some unanswered questions concerning the event, like the infamous and unidentified Babushka lady who appears to have filmed it, as well as reports that someone, probably mentally ill, made calls in California saying that Kennedy was going to be killed in Dallas that day. The latter is most likely coincidence and could be a fabrication, and the former, even though the footage would offer another, more detailed perspective on Kennedy's death which could be much more valuable than the footage we have, is most likely unimportant to the bigger picture.
However, Oswald's death and the failure to prevent it is questionable, as it prevented his trial, obviously, and only fanned the flames of conspiracy. Had Oswald been properly protected, and not left wide open for Jack Ruby, which, admittedly, no one could have seen coming but in hindsight should have been accounted for, maybe a lot of this nonsense could have been put to rest before it spread.
Much like Abraham Lincoln, nobody knows what would have been different if Kennedy hadn't been shot.
Lincoln assassination conspiracy theories
The Umbrella Man, an Errol Morris mini-documentary on one aspect of the assassination.
Mortal Error, a book that analyzes the ballistics and concludes that Oswald acted alone, but the shot to Kennedy's head was an accidental shot by a Secret Service agent.
JFK Assassination Magic Bullet Computer Recreation - part of a larger documentary (shows how non-magical the magic bullet was).
Ballistics expert weighs in.
↑ Sound familiar, video gamers?
↑ Timestamp given in the video provided as the name is misleading and just a series of out-of-context Bullshit
↑ When even the pros are tired of it.
↑ Myth: The Federal Reserve had a role in the JFK murder, John McAdams
↑ Former FBI agent blames Milteer, Oswald a patsy
↑ Who Killed JFK? The Milteer-Nazi-CIA-Papacy theory
↑ 59% as of 2013
↑ Background of John F. Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories on Wikipedia
↑ http://books.google.com/?id=HOCdGQAACAAJ
↑ See the Wikipedia article on Gerald Ford.
↑ JFK (1991), IMDB
↑ Executive Action (1973), IMDB
↑ Trump releases some, but not all, JFK assassination records by Jeremy Diamond & Kevin Liptak (Updated 8:04 AM ET, Fri October 27, 2017) CNN.
↑ 5 Turncoats Who Changed the Tide of History, Cracked
↑ Why'd Oswald Do It?, Slate
↑ New batch of JFK assassination files: Oswald in Mexico City and the Watergate burglars by Ian Shapira & Michael E. Miller (November 4 at 10:50 AM) The Washington Post.
↑ JFK Assassination System Record Number 157-10004-10245 (09/01/94)
↑ K.G.B. Told Tall Tales About Dallas, Book Says, The New York Times (the Mitrokhin Archive, if you were wondering).
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Chuck Liddell Vs. Tito Ortiz 3 Final Press Conference Quotes, Photos and Vidoes
By RBR MMA
Tom Hogan-Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions
SATURDAY NOV. 25 AT THE THE ‘FABULOUS’ FORUM AND
TELEVISED LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW
LOS ANGELES (Nov. 20, 2018): Chuck Liddell (30-8) and Tito Ortiz (19-12-1) hosted their final press conference today at the “Fabulous” Forum ahead of their three-round main event, which will take place on Saturday, Nov. 24 at the aforementioned Forum in Inglewood, California. The fight will be presented live on Pay-Per-View beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET.
Light heavyweight contenders Deron Winn (4-0) of Liberty City, Mo. and Tom Lawlor (10-6) of River Falls, Mass. also participated in the press conference ahead of their three-round co-main attraction.
Below is what today’s participants had to say at the event:
Chuck Liddell, UFC Hall of Famer and Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion:
“You think I’m worried about you, Tito? You think that works when you play mind games with me? It’s going to be a lot of fun. Make sure you watch the fight. Don’t leave. It’s going to end quick. I’m putting him out. I’m putting this guy to sleep.”
Tito Ortiz, UFC Hall of Famer and Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
“I’m very thankful for Oscar for putting this fight together. Thanks to Chuck for accepting the fight. I’m really thankful for Dave Thomas. He’s been a friend of mine for twenty-five years. Thank you for putting this fight together with Chuck. I’ve known what he’s been doing for the last two and a half months. How he hasn’t been sparring. The guys he’s been wrestling with. Everything. So, jokes on you.”
Deron Winn, Light Heavyweight Contender:
“I’m excited. I’ve only had four pro fights. He [Lawlor] can convince himself that he is going to do something on Saturday night, but this is my time. His time has passed. This is my time. After Saturday, you’re going to be talking about me. I know a lot of you haven’t heard of me because I really haven’t had the exposure that a lot of these guys had, but I’m ready to shine. And in all reality, I respect Tom. I appreciate him for signing the bout agreement because it’s really hard for a guy like me to get opponents these days.”
“I trained with the best guys in the world. I have some of the best corner men in the world, the best coaches in the world. I’m prepared. This isn’t my first time under the spotlight so be prepared for it.”
Tom Lawlor, Light Heavyweight Contender
“I don’t have a prepared statement, but I’m prepared to make a statement this Saturday evening. I’m happy to be here representing not only myself but Golden Boy as they make this foray into the mixed martial arts world. I’ve been kind of out of work in the past few years. My job on Saturday is to put other people to work. I’m going to put Deron to work. I’m going to put the doctors to work. I’m going to make a statement, and at the end of the night you’ll be talking about me.”
Oscar De La Hoya, CEO & Chairman of Golden Boy Promotions
“I’m really looking forward to our Golden Boy MMA event. These guys have a history with each other, and it really is a pleasure to promote a trilogy. When you think about Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell, you think about pioneers. You think about legends.”
Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 is a three-round light heavyweight fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event is sponsored by Fred Loya Insurance, FITE.TV and Casa Mexico Tequila. The fights will take place on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018 at the ‘Fabulous’ Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The fight will be presented live on Pay-Per-View beginning at 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET.
Tickets for Liddell vs. Ortiz 3 are on sale. Tickets are priced at $30, $50, $100, $150, $300, $500 and Ringside VIP $1,000. (Limited Number Ringside VIP Available Access To The Forum Club Included) Prices do not include applicable facility fees and service charges, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and also at the Forum Box Office.
For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com.
Follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @TitoOrtiz, and @ChuckLiddell. Become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, https://www.facebook.com/titoortizhbbb and https://www.facebook.com/ChuckLiddell/
Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or by copying and pasting link: http://bit.ly/LiddellOrtizIII into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.
Related Items:Featured, gallery, News, Photo Gallery
Watch Chuck Liddell Workout Ahead of Tito Ortiz Showdown
Ranking Chuck Liddell’s 3 Greatest Knockouts
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ReBoot Wiki, Real-world articles, Episodes
ReBoot is a CGI-animated action-adventure television series that originally aired from 1994 to 2001. It was produced by Vancouver-based production company, Mainframe Entertainment, and created by Gavin Blair, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell and John Grace, with the visuals designed by Brendan McCarthy after an initial attempt by Ian Gibson.
The shows director was Richard Zondag, excutive producers are Stephane Reichel and Steve Barron.
It is credited with being the first full-length, completely computer-animated TV series.
ReBoot is a big worldwide success, and is the world's first long-form computer animated piece, predating both Pixar and Dreamworks' later movies. The highly inventive and quirky series really hit its strident stride in the second and third seasons, and is considered a classic example of early steam-driven computer animation. Episodes have been shown and stored at The Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC for posterity. Computer games, toys and motion rides were developed from the series
The setting is in the inner world of a computer system known by its inhabitants as Mainframe. The city is populated almost entirely by binomes, little creatures that represent either 1s or 0s, as well as a handful of Sprites, such as Bob and Dot, who are primarily humanoid creatures of more complex design and are the main characters of the series.
Most of their adventures focus on fighting computer Viruses, such as Megabyte and Hexadecimal, and defending the city from Game Cubes sent by the User.
ReBoot premiered on September 10, 1994 with the episode The Tearing.
The show ran for two years on the ABC Network. They largely restricted the content of ReBoot with over stated censoring of the show. ReBoot had a difficult time growing due to the odd restrictions placed on the networks shows. It was aired during a saturday morning line up. See: Broadcast Standards and Practices
The second season of ReBoot was when the show became famous. A ReBoot toy line was introduced and a video game named ReBoot: Countdown to Chaos was released near the end of the second season. This game was outside the network censors and not restricted in content. Dispite this fandom and success, ABC canceled ReBoot in 1996 when the network was purchased by Disney.
The third season aired in Canada on the YTV Network. The shows popularity continued to grow. It's target audience was changed to children ages 12 and above, reaching more households then ever before.
ReBoot also aired in the United Kingdom. See: ReBoot in the UK
In March 1999, years after Canadian audiences saw the third season, U.S. audiences saw the episodes on Cartoon Network. Cartoon Network aired season 3, and then looped to seasons 1 and 2. The show was canceled following the episode Firewall (episode).
The show was canceled in 1997 after three years of episodes. See: Episode List.
It was latter revived in 2001, with two made for tv movies, each shown in four parts. The first is named ReBoot: Daemon Rising, and the second is named ReBoot: My Two Bobs. They were aired on the Cartoon Network while the previous seasons were shown during a night time line-up.
A third movie and a music episode were slated to be created but the fourth season was canceled before they were made.
In 2008 ReBoot experienced a fan based revival in the form of a web based comic book. They have also talked about redesigning the show, this has produced mixed feelings amoung most fans. The comic book has completed it's first run and seems to have had some success. However, there is no talk of continued additions to the web comic.
The current owners of ReBoot, Rainmaker Entertainment, are now in production of a theatrical movie of ReBoot. The ReBoot Movie is scheduled for release in 2010. On October 5, 2009 Rainmaker released the first trailer for the movie on their website. ReBoot 2010 Trailer
The show was named after the computer Reboot. It is an action to reset a computer of software in it to a new or old format.
Retrieved from "https://reboot.fandom.com/wiki/ReBoot?oldid=11679"
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Facebook makes it clear: “one strike” and you’re banned
Facebook seems to have taken seriously the almost uninterrupted stream of warnings over the past months of government regulation, fines, and even jail-time for its executives.
At least that appears to be the case as the global social media giant is making its internal content policing rules more stringent. Thus came the announcement of a new “one strike” rule on its live video streaming service.
This means that users found in violation of the company's “most serious policies” would be banned immediately for a period of time, Facebook said.
The announcement was made a one day after the adoption of “the Christchurch Call to Action” – a French-New Zealand initiative gathering G7 countries and backed by a number of them – but not the United States.
However, the non-binding initiative, urging tech companies “to increase their efforts to combat toxic content,” has been signed on to by Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, Amazon, and Google.
But while the US government supported the overall sentiment of the agreement, it decided to stay out because of fears that it might limit freedom of expression and media.
The name of the initiative, of course, refers to the massacre in March in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand that was streamed live on Facebook. The company had already been under heavy scrutiny for things like “fake news” and security and privacy violations, but in the wake of the attacks, a case was made that it did not do enough fast enough to take down the footage.
Facebook did remove 1.5 million videos inside the first 24 hours and prevent another 1.2 million from being uploaded – but that's merely cherry-picked vanity stats, said TechCrunch, as it was able to find “several videos still on Facebook more than 12 hours after the attack.”
The newly announced policy of immediately banning users found in violation of Facebook's rules for a period of time will extend beyond terrorist content, to what is referred to as “dangerous individuals and organizations” – and that's what the social media giant has already used to oust several right-wing figures recently.
As ever, Facebook will be up against limitations of the technology it uses: AI-powered machine learning, and hurdles such as content in a large number of languages beyond English to be policed worldwide.
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Antitrust News
Google will let publishers that use Google AMP have a featured spot in search results
The criticism that Google uses the power and reach of its search engine to promote its own services and products over what would otherwise be organically ranked as top results has been persistent for years.
This manipulation of search results – making sure that Google's products show up at the top of the page – has in the past drawn the ire of competitors who believe their business is harmed in this way, attracting also the interest of antitrust regulators, notably in the EU.
In this context, the world's by far most dominant search and advertising company outside of China's and Russia's markets might be playing with fire by promoting those websites that have signed on to its Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) – by giving their pages a very favorable placement in search results.
Specifically, as announced at Google's I/O developer conference, these results will be placed underneath the search bar and will give advantage to publishers using AMP Stories. To start with, the new policy will cover select categories like travel, to be followed by entertainment, gaming, fashion, and other topics.
Furthermore, Google will continue to integrate its own services and products, such as Maps and YouTube content into AMP Stories. In another nod to trusty and influential AMP partners, Twitter posts will also be incorporated into the service.
In and of itself, AMP – which on the technical side improves page load times on mobile devices – is a controversial and contested project when it comes to its big picture purpose. It was designed to compete with Facebook's Instant Articles and Apple's News – with all three projects looking for ways of exerting power over the web and the way publishers make their money online, by locking them into a system these giants develop and control.
But even though it's criticized, the AMP deal has been too good to refuse by nearly a million domains and billions of their pages.
One way for Google to attract and keep partners in this project is to reward them – and being given preferential placement in search results is certainly a sweet treat.
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Home › Movies › Star Wars: The Last Jedi Behind the Scenes Video
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Behind the Scenes Video
By Reggie's Take on July 16, 2017
Saturday at Disney’s D23 convention, Disney released a behind the scenes look at Star Wars: The Last Jedi the follow up to The Force Awakens.
The bad thing about having a real job and not being able to do this sort of work for a living is I don’t always get to post on these kind of exciting events as there going on, but that doesn’t stop me.
While I’m sure some fans were hoping that Lucasfilm would reveal the first full length trailer for the movie, me being one of them, they instead released a behind the scenes video look at the upcoming sequel. The video itself does give you some quick tantalizing looks at many different scenes and much of the cast.
The were plenty of shots of Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and of course Mark Hamil as Luke Skywalker. We also got our first look at new characters played by Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro. The emotional elements in the video come when you see the late Carrie Fisher in several places with in the three minute video including the end where you here saying “It’s about family. And that’s what’s so powerful about it.”
Disney and Lucasfilm did not show or talk anything about the “Han Solo” movie and they weren’t really expected to either. Disaney and Lucasfilm have also chosen not to have any presences at next weeks Comic Con in San Diego when it comes to the Star Wars property.
Besides the video they also released six new character posters for “The Last JedI” that will have you seeing red, so seems to be the saying when it comes to these posters. You can see two of them at the bottom of this post. You can see the rest by clicking on the link. Star Wars The Last Jedi Poster.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi / Lucasfilm / 2017
‹ Darkest Hour Trailer
Avengers: Infinity War Teaser Trailer Description ›
Tags: Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Images, John Boyega, Mark Hamil, Movies, Posters, Star Wars, Star Wars: The Last Jedi
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Reincubate becomes Software Supplier for the Digital Marketplace
Published May 19th, 2017 — Updated July 2nd, 2019
Reincubate’s application to the Digital Marketplace of the Crown Commercial Service has been approved, as a Cloud Software Supplier, in the Lot 2 category, which refers to Financial services.
The Crown Commercial Service is an executive agency sponsored by the Cabinet Office. It facilitates access to commercial services and knowledge to the public sector, including schools, hospitals, and public bodies.
By having been approved as a Software Provider for the Crown Commercial Service, Lot 2, Reincubate can provide services to the public sector in the financial sector, ranging from analytics and business intelligence to application security services.
The framework includes a variety of other providers that have been successfully selected for the Digital Marketplace this year, starting with the 22nd of May. Each service provider can choose to extend access to the Marketplace for another year.
Why is the Digital Marketplace important to the UK?
The Digital Marketplace bridges the gap between commercial innovation and challenges in the public sector. It enables all participating public bodies to access best-in-market services faster and within an agreed work framework.
It also gives private companies the opportunity to make their services available to the public sector.
Operationally, this simplifies the procurement process. Economically, this means that the UK public sector will no longer be left behind in a highly competitive marketplace.
What can Reincubate do as a Software Supplier to the Crown Commercial Service?
Reincubate is a Software as a Service (SaaS) company that built the iCloud Data API, which provides access to Cloud data created by users. This API can be used for information intelligence, collection, storage and analytics purposes, either by private enterprises or by individual consumers, via its consumer product, the iPhone Backup Extractor.
Interested buyers and public bodies can benefit from the following types of services:
App data services including:
iCloud access and data recovery
Passcode, password and keybag analysis
Recovery of data deleted from SQLite databases
Custom iOS app data extraction
Bulk iOS data recovery
Forensic examination of iOS data
Limited Android data access and recovery
Limited Skype data access and recovery
These data services can be used to:
Recover deleted or lost data for public bodies
Uncover important evidence for law enforcement purposes. Reincubate's flagship product, iPhone Backup Extractor, which is primarily built using the Reincubate iCloud API, was used in the making of Hunted, a popular British reality TV series, featuring stories about how cyber-intelligence tools can be used to track down fugitives. The same type of application can be facilitated for public bodies and law enforcement organisations as well.
Other applications, including IoT and Big Data, are certainly within the scope of what Reincubate can do, as the API is built with the purpose of easy-to-use and scalable integrations.
In addition to all of the above, Reincubate’s expert support team is equipped with qualified knowledge and expertise to assist with any incoming issues or questions. Our experts can be reached at support(at)reincubate.com.
Supporting innovation in the public sector
Earlier this year, Reincubate won the Queen’s Award in the International Trade category, as a recognition of the company’s accomplishment in expanding its core services to overseas markets.
The company is honoured to have received this prestigious award, and to be a successful applicant to be a Software Supplier in Lot 2 of the Digital Marketplace. In return, the team aims to provide best in market service to the public sector, alongside with education on using Cloud technologies and expert support.
Catalina Butnaru is an Innovation & Entrepreneurship graduate of Stanford University Graduate School of Business. She sits on the IEEE Committee for Wellbeing and AI Ethics and serves as an ambassador for the City AI London programme.
Interview: Mashable's MashaBiz series launches with Reincubate, 16th October 2017
Interview: The growing importance of app data, 14th October 2016
Reincubate wins Smarta 100 best people business, 23rd October 2013
Reincubate wins second Queen’s Award, UK’s highest official award for business, 21st April 2018
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Keough School to host Washington, D.C., briefing on status of democracy around the globe
Author: Renée LaReau
The Keough School of Global Affairs will host a policy briefing “Democracy for All? A global status update” at 9 a.m. Thursday (June 28) at the Keough School’s new Washington, D.C., office, 1616 P St. NW, Suite 120.
The event will focus on the newly released Annual Democracy Report 2018, “Democracy for All?” issued by Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem), which produces the world’s largest and most comprehensive global data set on democracy.
The 2018 report finds that while global levels of democracy are close to an all-time high, freedom of expression, media, and civil society are under threat across different areas of the world. In several key countries — Brazil, India, Poland, Russia, Turkey, and the United States — autocratization is manifesting itself in disquieting ways. It affects one third of the world’s population — some 2.5 billion people.
A panel of experts will include Staffan Lindberg, director of the V-Dem Institute, housed at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden; Michael Coppedge, a V-Dem principal investigator and Notre Dame professor of political science; Thomas Carothers, senior vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; and Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, professor in the practice of international relations at Georgetown University. Carlos Lozada, the nonfiction book critic at the Washington Post and a 2018 Pulitzer Prize finalist, will moderate the discussion.
“There has been much public debate recently about the decline of democracy,” said Coppedge. “This report brings precision to this discussion, confirming an erosion to democracy in certain respects, in certain countries, even though democracy remains strong overall.”
The event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is available at keough.nd.edu/democracy-all.
Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies, part of the Keough School, was one of the two founding institutions for the V-Dem project, and continues to serve as a key partner for V-Dem under the leadership of Coppedge.
Led by a team of more than 50 social scientists working with 3,000 country experts, V-Dem measures hundreds of indicators of democracy, enabling new ways to study its nature, causes and consequences. The project is headquartered at the V-Dem Institute in the Department of Political Science at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
Contact: Amanda Skofstad, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-4313, skofstad@nd.edu
Originally published by Renée LaReau at news.nd.edu on June 26, 2018.
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Posts Tagged ‘consciousness’
“Control of consciousness determines the quality of life”*…
Peter Carruthers, Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy at the University of Maryland, College Park, is an expert on the philosophy of mind who draws heavily on empirical psychology and cognitive neuroscience. He outlined many of his ideas on conscious thinking in his 2015 book The Centered Mind: What the Science of Working Memory Shows Us about the Nature of Human Thought. More recently, in 2017, he published a paper with the astonishing title of “The Illusion of Conscious Thought.”…
Philosopher Peter Carruthers insists that conscious thought, judgment and volition are illusions. They arise from processes of which we are forever unaware. He explains to Steve Ayan the reasons for his provocative proposal: “There Is No Such Thing as Conscious Thought.”
See also: “An Anthropologist Investigates How We Think About How We Think.”
* Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
As we think about thought, we might spare one for Georg Ferdinand Ludwig Philipp Cantor; he died on this date in 1918. Cantor was the mathematician who created set theory, now fundamental to math, His proof that the real numbers are more numerous than the natural numbers implies the existence of an “infinity of infinities”… a result that generated a great deal of resistance, both mathematical (from the likes of Henri Poincaré) and philosophical (most notably from Wittgenstein). Some Christian theologians (particularly neo-Scholastics) saw Cantor’s work as a challenge to the uniqueness of the absolute infinity in the nature of God – on one occasion equating the theory of transfinite numbers with pantheism – a proposition that Cantor, a devout Lutheran, vigorously rejected.
These harsh criticisms fueled Cantor’s bouts of depression (retrospectively judged by some to have been bipolar disorder); he died in a mental institution.
Tagged with consciousness, Georg Cantor, history, history of mathematics, infinity, Mathematics, Peter Carruthers, philosophy, set theory
“What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe?”*…
Consciousness permeates reality. Rather than being just a unique feature of human subjective experience, it’s the foundation of the universe, present in every particle and all physical matter.
This sounds like easily-dismissible bunkum, but as traditional attempts to explain consciousness continue to fail, the “panpsychist” view is increasingly being taken seriously by credible philosophers, neuroscientists, and physicists, including figures such as neuroscientist Christof Koch and physicist Roger Penrose…
The materialist viewpoint states that consciousness is derived entirely from physical matter. It’s unclear, though, exactly how this could work. “It’s very hard to get consciousness out of non-consciousness,” says [David Chalmers, a philosophy of mind professor at New York University]. “Physics is just structure. It can explain biology, but there’s a gap: Consciousness.” Dualism holds that consciousness is separate and distinct from physical matter—but that then raises the question of how consciousness interacts and has an effect on the physical world.
Panpsychism offers an attractive alternative solution: Consciousness is a fundamental feature of physical matter; every single particle in existence has an “unimaginably simple” form of consciousness, says [Philip Goff, a philosophy professor at Central European University in Budapest]. These particles then come together to form more complex forms of consciousness, such as humans’ subjective experiences. This isn’t meant to imply that particles have a coherent worldview or actively think, merely that there’s some inherent subjective experience of consciousness in even the tiniest particle…
More at “The idea that everything from spoons to stones are conscious is gaining academic credibility.”
(For a speculative playing out of this notion (and a basketful of other mind-twisting conceits of consciousness) at a cosmic scale, enjoy Vernor Vinge’s exquisite A Fire Upon the Deep…)
* Stephen Hawking (Panpsychists argue that consciousness is the answer to his question.)
As we treat inanimate objects with more respect, we might send carefully-catalogued and phrased birthday greetings to Émile Maximilien Paul Littré; he was born on this date in 1801. A philosopher (friend and supporter of Auguste Comte, and contributor, with Comte, to the development of positivism), he is better remembered for his Dictionnaire de la langue française, commonly called “The Littré,” a project that ran from 1844-1872, and was originally issued in 30 parts– the largest lexicographical work on the French language at that time.
Tagged with Comte, consciousness, Dictionary, French, history, Littré, Panpsychism, philosophy, Positivism
“Artificial intelligence is growing up fast”*…
Every moment of your waking life and whenever you dream, you have the distinct inner feeling of being “you.” When you see the warm hues of a sunrise, smell the aroma of morning coffee or mull over a new idea, you are having conscious experience. But could an artificial intelligence (AI) ever have experience, like some of the androids depicted in Westworld or the synthetic beings in Blade Runner?
The question is not so far-fetched. Robots are currently being developed to work inside nuclear reactors, fight wars and care for the elderly. As AIs grow more sophisticated, they are projected to take over many human jobs within the next few decades. So we must ponder the question: Could AIs develop conscious experience?…
It’s not easy, but a newly proposed test might be able to detect consciousness in a machine: “Is anyone home? A way to find out if AI has become self-aware.”
* Diane Ackerman
As we ponder personhood, we might recall that it was on this date in 1967 that US Navy recalled Captain Grace Murray Hopper to active duty to help develop the programming language COBOL. With a team drawn from several computer manufacturers and the Pentagon, Hopper – who had worked on the Mark I and II computers at Harvard in the 1940s – created the specifications for COBOL (COmmon Business Oriented Language) with business uses in mind. These early COBOL efforts aimed at creating easily-readable computer programs with as much machine independence as possible.
A seminal computer scientist and ultimately Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy, “Amazing Grace” (as she was known to many in her field) had invented the first compiler for a computer programming language, and appears also to have also been the first to coin the word “bug” in the context of computer science, taping into her logbook a moth which had fallen into a relay of the Harvard Mark II computer.
She has both a ship (the guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper) and a super-computer (the Cray XE6 “Hopper” at NERSC) named in her honor.
source [and here]
Tagged with artificial intelligence, Bug, COBOL, computer science, computing, consciousness, Grace Hopper, history, test
“Consciousness was upon him before he could get out of the way”*…
The nature of consciousness seems to be unique among scientific puzzles. Not only do neuroscientists have no fundamental explanation for how it arises from physical states of the brain, we are not even sure whether we ever will. Astronomers wonder what dark matter is, geologists seek the origins of life, and biologists try to understand cancer—all difficult problems, of course, yet at least we have some idea of how to go about investigating them and rough conceptions of what their solutions could look like. Our first-person experience, on the other hand, lies beyond the traditional methods of science. Following the philosopher David Chalmers, we call it the hard problem of consciousness.
But perhaps consciousness is not uniquely troublesome. Going back to Gottfried Leibniz and Immanuel Kant, philosophers of science have struggled with a lesser known, but equally hard, problem of matter. What is physical matter in and of itself, behind the mathematical structure described by physics? This problem, too, seems to lie beyond the traditional methods of science, because all we can observe is what matter does, not what it is in itself—the “software” of the universe but not its ultimate “hardware.” On the surface, these problems seem entirely separate. But a closer look reveals that they might be deeply connected…
Find out how the central problem in neuroscience is mirrored in physics at “Is Matter Conscious?”
For more on the conscious controversy– what is it? who/what has it?– see also “Consciousness cannot be accounted for in physical terms. For consciousness is absolutely fundamental. It cannot be accounted for in terms of anything else.”
* Kingsley Amis
As we think, therefore are, we might send analytic birthday greetings to Sigismund Schlomo Freud; he was born on this date in 1856. The father of psychoanalysis, he revolutionized the field of psychotherapy– so much so that later practitioners have often failed to recognize Freud’s scientific predecessors. Throughout his work (in such books as Interpretation of Dreams and the New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis) he emphasized the role of unconscious and non-rational functioning, going against most contemporary thought by suggesting that dreams and “mistakes” may have affirmative meaning.
Tagged with consciousness, dreams, Freud, history, neuroscience, Physics, psychoanalysis, Science, unconscious
“He does nothing, but he does it very well”*…
It might look like a simple chess problem, but this puzzle could finally help scientists uncover what makes the human mind so unique, and why it may never be matched by a computer…
The chess problem – originally drawn by Sir Roger Penrose – has been devised to defeat an artificially intelligent (AI) computer but be solvable for humans. The Penrose Institute scientists are inviting readers to workout how white can win, or force a stalemate and then share their reasoning…
The backstory– and a chance to crack the puzzle– at “Can you solve the chess problem which holds key to human consciousness?”
* P.H. Clarke after his match with Tigran Petrosian
As we make our moves, we might note that today is International Tabletop Day, a day devoted to the celebration of tabletop gaming. Find a place to play here.
Tagged with artificial intelligence, chess, chess problems, consciousness, games, International Tabletop Day, Roger Penrose
“No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it”*…
Kick at the rock, Sam Johnson, break your bones:
But cloudy, cloudy is the stuff of stones.
– Richard Wilbur
Materialism holds the high ground these days in debates over that most ultimate of scientific questions: the nature of consciousness. When tackling the problem of mind and brain, many prominent researchers advocate for a universe fully reducible to matter. ‘Of course you are nothing but the activity of your neurons,’ they proclaim. That position seems reasonable and sober in light of neuroscience’s advances, with brilliant images of brains lighting up like Christmas trees while test subjects eat apples, watch movies or dream. And aren’t all the underlying physical laws already known?
From this seemly hard-nosed vantage, the problem of consciousness seems to be just one of wiring, as the American physicist Michio Kaku argued in The Future of the Mind (2014). In the very public version of the debate over consciousness, those who advocate that understanding the mind might require something other than a ‘nothing but matter’ position are often painted as victims of wishful thinking, imprecise reasoning or, worst of all, an adherence to a mystical ‘woo.’
It’s hard not to feel the intuitional weight of today’s metaphysical sobriety. Like Pickett’s Charge up the hill at Gettysburg, who wants to argue with the superior position of those armed with ever more precise fMRIs, EEGs and the other material artefacts of the materialist position? There is, however, a significant weakness hiding in the imposing-looking materialist redoubt. It is as simple as it is undeniable: after more than a century of profound explorations into the subatomic world, our best theory for how matter behaves still tells us very little about what matter is. Materialists appeal to physics to explain the mind, but in modern physics the particles that make up a brain remain, in many ways, as mysterious as consciousness itself…
The closer you look, the more the materialist explanation of consciousness (and physics) appears to rest on shaky metaphysical ground: “Minding matter.”
Pair with the two parts of Tim Park‘s conversation with Riccardo Manzotti: “Am I the Apple?” and “The Mind in the Whirlwind.”
For dessert, “Atom, Archetype, and the Invention of Synchronicity: How Iconic Psychiatrist Carl Jung and Nobel-Winning Physicist Wolfgang Pauli Bridged Mind and Matter.”
* Albert Einstein, riffing on his friend Kurt Gödel
As we think about thinking, we might spare a thought for Frederick Winslow Taylor; he died on this date in 1915. An engineer and inventor (42 patents), he’s best remembered as the father of “Scientific Management,” the discipline rooted in efficiency studies and standardization. Quoth Peter Drucker:
Frederick W. Taylor was the first man in recorded history who deemed work deserving of systematic observation and study. On Taylor’s ‘scientific management’ rests, above all, the tremendous surge of affluence in the last seventy-five years which has lifted the working masses in the developed countries well above any level recorded before, even for the well-to-do. Taylor, though the Isaac Newton (or perhaps the Archimedes) of the science of work, laid only first foundations, however. Not much has been added to them since – even though he has been dead all of sixty years.
Taylor’s work encouraged many followers (including Frank “Cheaper by the Dozen” Gilbreth) and effectively spawned the field of management consulting. But Taylor practiced what he preached, and found time to become a champion tennis player as well: he won the first doubles tournament (1881) in U.S. National Championships, the precursor of the U.S. Open (with partner Clarence Clark).
Tagged with consciousness, efficiency, Frederick W. Taylor, history, management, Materialism, philosophy, Physics, Science, Scientific Management, standardization
“Consciousness cannot be accounted for in physical terms. For consciousness is absolutely fundamental. It cannot be accounted for in terms of anything else.”*…
As a neuroscientist, I am frequently asked about consciousness. In academic discourse, the celebrated problem of consciousness is often divided into two parts: the “Easy Problem” involves identifying the processes in the brain that correlate with particular conscious experiences. The “Hard Problem” involves murkier questions: what are conscious experiences, and why do they exist at all? This neat separation into Easy and Hard problems, which comes courtesy the Australian philosopher David Chalmers, seems to indicate a division of labor. The neuroscientists, neurologists and psychologists can, at least in principle, systematically uncover the neural correlates of consciousness. Most of them agree that calling this the “Easy Problem” somewhat underestimates the theoretical and experimental challenges involved. It may not be the Hard Problem, but at the very least it’s A Rather Hard Problem. And many philosophers and scientists think that the Hard Problem may well be a non-problem, or, as Ludwig Wittgenstein might have said, the kind of problem that philosophers typically devise in order to maximize unsolvability.
One might assume that as a neuroscientist, I should be gung-ho to prove the imperious philosophers wrong, and to defend the belief that science can solve any sort of problem one might throw at it: hard, soft, or half-baked. But I have become increasingly convinced that science is severely limited in what it can say about consciousness. In a very important sense, consciousness is invisible to science…
Yohan John on “Why some neuroscientists call consciousness ‘the C-word’.” Via the always-illuminating 3 Quarks Daily.
* Erwin Schrödinger
As we muse on mind, we might spare a thought for Mary Whiton Calkins; she died on this date in 1930. A psychologist and philosopher, Calkins studied psychology at Harvard as a “guest” (since women could not officially register there in her day). Though she completed all requirements for a doctorate, and had the strong support of William James and her other professors, Harvard still refused to grant a degree to a woman. She went on to become the first prominent woman in her fields: After leaving Harvard, she established the first psychology laboratory at a women’s college (Wellesley), and later became the first female president of both the American Psychological Association and the American Philosophical Association.
Tagged with American Philosophical Association, American Psychological Association, consciousness, Mary Whiton Calkins, neuroscience, philosophy, Psychology, Science, William James
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MOVERS SERVING GREATER SEATTLE
The roots of the Royal Moving Co. began the simple dream of three best friends who worked together in the moving business for more than six years. While doing the heavy work on a daily basis, the founders of Royal sketched out their plans to create a moving company that did things the right ways every single time.
Their dream took hold in Los Angeles, where they built a successful brand through a passion for helping people, and the experience and professionalism to do every job at a level that no other moving company could beat. They set the standard for other companies to follow at a price that anyone could afford, becoming #1 in the market.
After rising to the top in Los Angeles, and doing the same in Portland, Royal created an office in Seattle in 2016 to serve the community with pride. At the Seattle location, Royal has built a team of moving professionals who have the same motivation, standards, and dedication to customer service as the three founders.
We are the coolest and we are the cleanest. We are uniformed and we are smart. We are fast and efficient. We are Royal.
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Home World U.S. orders suspension of flights between the U.S. and Venezuela
U.S. orders suspension of flights between the U.S. and Venezuela
WASHINGTON/CARACAS (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday ordered the suspension of all commercial passenger and cargo flights between the United States and Venezuela, citing reports of unrest and violence around airports in the South American country.
Many international airlines had stopped flying to Venezuela anyway because of security concerns and disputes over money they say the government owes them. But domestic airlines, including Laser Airlines and Avior Airlines, had been offering services to Miami.
Some Venezuelans also expressed concern about the impact of the ban on people receiving food and other provisions via cargo planes from relatives abroad to help them weather a humanitarian crisis.
In a letter to the Transportation Department requesting the halt, the Department of Homeland Security said “conditions in Venezuela threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew travelling to or from that country.”
Venezuela’s Information Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Laser Airlines said it would maintain service to the United States through a layover in the Dominican Republic.
In a tweet, Laser said it would continue offering two flights between Miami and Caracas each day with layovers in Santo Domingo.
An Avior representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Copa Airlines, which operates flights between Caracas and its international hub in Panama City that allow passengers to continue on to the United States, said in an email that its operations would not be affected by the measure.
But many of the millions of Venezuelans who have fled the crisis in recent years use U.S.-based companies to ship goods to relatives in the country via cargo planes, and the measure prohibiting direct flights could raise costs, said Marcos Gomez, Amnesty International’s Venezuela director.
“It was a small bit of hope,” Gomez said in a telephone interview, likening the U.S. measure to a form of “collective blockade.”
American Airlines Group Inc, previously the largest carrier providing service between the United States and Venezuela, in March said it was indefinitely suspending its flights to Venezuela.
In April, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration prohibited U.S. air operators from flying below 26,000 feet in Venezuela’s airspace.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump last week expanded its Venezuela sanctions to the defence and security services sectors to pressure President Nicolas Maduro.
The moves are part of a four-month-old campaign against Maduro as the United States ramps up its support for opposition leader Juan Guaido.
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Nadal topples Querrey to set up blockbuster Federer semi
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Home Scandal and Gossip Kim Jong Nam dead: Did Kim Jong Un murder his half brother...
Kim Jong Nam dead: Did Kim Jong Un murder his half brother and why?
Kim Jong Nam dead: Did Pyongyang, North Korea operatives order the assassination of Kim Jong Un’s elder half brother?
Kim Jong Nam dead: Did North Korea’s Kim Jong Un order the assassination of his half brother? How one man living in exile served to unease Pyongyang.
Kim Jong Nam the estranged half brother of North Korea president, Kim Jong Un, has died in a brazen episode which saw the man assassinated by two female assassins brandishing poison needles inside a Malaysian airport.
Media reports tell of the ‘casino loving half brother’ walking through the airport in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur Monday morning, when the two women plunged ‘poison needles’ into his body.
The 45-year-old playboy, who was the oldest son of former North Korean dictator Kim Jong il, died en-route to a local hospital, Reuters said.
The women, thought to be North Korean operatives, fled the scene with The Telegraph reporting that authorities have yet to make any arrests.
happy taco tuesday i mean valentines day i mean taco tuesday
???Kim Jong Nam Murder? ??https://t.co/ZuydylRryK
— Donald J.Trump (@realDonaIdrTump) February 14, 2017
At the time of his assassination, Kim Jong Nam had been waiting for a flight with a passport under the name of Kim Chol.
How assassins were able to intercede in the half brother’s travel arrangements is yet to be necessarily understood, with speculation that the brother most likely having been under constant surveillance.
South Korea’s national news agency Yonhap quoted a source as saying agents of the North’s spy agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, carried out the assassination by taking advantage of a security loophole between Jong-Nam’s bodyguards and Malaysian police at the airport. Others wonder if there had been a concerted effort between both parties?
Malaysia is one of a dwindling number of countries that has close relations with North Korea. Malaysians and North Koreans can visit each other’s country without visas.
Kim Jong Nam dead; 2001 Passport fiasco.
In the aftermath of the brazen open air murder, pundits say that the murder of Kim Jong Nam was long in the making at the hands of North Korea’s sitting despot president, Kim Jong Un.
Prior to the half brother’s murder, Jong-nam had been ordained to be his father’s successor, until his arrest in 2001, when authorities caught him using a fake Dominican Republic passport at Tokyo’s Narita Airport. At the time, the half brother told police that he and his family were on their way to Tokyo’s Disneyland.
The incident led to Jong-nam becoming a pariah in the eyes of his father, with the elder son living in exile in Macau – Asia’s center for Las Vegas-style casino gambling.
The wealthy jet-setter also spent much of his time in China, where he quickly and openly ingratiated himself with a hedonistic Western lifestyle, including staying in luxury hotels, eating at expensive restaurants along with making frequent luxury shopping jaunts.
In the interim, conditions for the ordinary North Korean citizen continued to remain abysmal, with most citizens struggling to exist on sub-standard living standards.
Kim Jong Nam dead
Following his father’s death of natural causes in 2011, with his younger half brother now assuming the role of leader, the elder half brother went deeper into hiding, fearing that Kim Jong-un would see him as a threat.
In the six years since his younger brother assumed power, Jong-nam had increasingly become a vocal opponent of the ‘hereditary transfer’ of power to Jong-un, while also calling out what he described as Stalinist type policies.
‘Personally I am against third-generation succession,’ Jong-nam told Japan’s Asahi TV in 2012. ‘I hope my younger brother will do his best for the sake of North Koreans’ prosperous lives.’
The brother went on to strenuously deny having any desire to return and assume power.
In the intervening years, rumors had swirled that Kim Jong Un sought his elder brother’s death, as the elder brother continued to criticize policy in North Korea, while also risking the notion of disobedience amongst locals.
There was also speculation that other states in the region may have been jockeying to use the half brother as a conduit for nullifying Kim Jong Un’s regime, and may have been protecting and facilitating the elder brother.
In 2011, North Korean spies tried to assassinate Kim Jong-nam in Macau, a source told the Daily Mail.
Which raises the question had there been other plans in the years since and what preempted the half brother’s murder on February 14th? Which is to wonder had there been something imminent in the pipeline that threatened to de-stabilize Kim Jong Un’s hold, or was the murder the action of a calculating power source which continues to defy Western alliances.
Text messages show Arizona sixth grade teacher luring 13 year old boy into midnight romps
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Home Browse About Contact Help
Nymphaea Lotus - Lotus Flower
Title: Nymphaea Lotus - Lotus Flower
Author: Unknown author
Summary: A lotus flower in bloom, with fruit.
URI: https://hdl.handle.net/1911/21144
Original Source Ebers, Georg. "Egypt: Descriptive, Historical, and Picturesque." Volume 1. Cassell & Company, Limited: New York, 1878. p 111.
Subject Flower; Lotus
About This Resource:
Nymphaea Lotus - Lotus Flower(1878).
From Travelers in the Middle East Archive (TIMEA). https://hdl.handle.net/1911/21144
For more on properly formatting citations, see Citing TIMEA Resources.
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Publicly available via the Travelers in the Middle East Archive (TIMEA) through the following Creative Commons attribution license: "You are free: to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work; to make derivative works; to make commercial use of the work. Under the following conditions: By Attribution. You must give the original author credit. For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. Any of these conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder. Your fair use and other rights are in no way affected by the above."
TIMEA is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, CITI, and Rice University.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License .
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This is FSU Beach Volleyball
Sand Volleyball Class
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) – Florida State University Director of Volleyball and indoor volleyball head coach Chris Poole has announced the introductory sand volleyball recruiting class that has signed its national letters of intent to play the inaugural sport beginning in 2012.
Florida natives Stephanie Pellitteri (Deerfield Beach) and former South Lake High School teammates Jeassica McGregor (Groveland) and Aurora Newgard (Groveland) make up FSU’s first-ever sand volleyball recruiting class. All three heralded recruits possess enormous accolades stemming from their amateur careers at the high school and club levels.
“I’m very excited about this first sand volleyball signing class,” Poole said. “Aurora, Jeassica and Stephanie are all three exceptional players, but more importantly, they are exceptional young ladies. They are among the very best in the nation as beach players and we are fortunate that they have made a commitment to Florida State University.
“They will be the pioneers for not only a new sport at FSU, but a new sport on the college level. Our USA Women’s Beach team has won the last two Olympics and the sport was among the most watched of each of those Olympic Games.”
Pellitteri is a standout performer at Pompano Beach High School, where she was the captain of her indoor volleyball squad and became a second-team all county player. She began playing sand volleyball for Club Beach Dig in the summer of 2007 and continues to excel with the same team.
While playing for Club Beach Dig, Pellitteri has boasted some enormous victories over the years. Her team finished in first place in Women’s AAA Florida Beach volleyball on April 2, and also won the 18-under Open Division East Coach Beach Nationals in Fort Lauderdale on Aug. 8, 2010. Other events where she has led her team to victory include the 18-under USAV Florida Regional Championship, 18-under USAV Southern Open and both the 18-under and Women’s AAA Miami Beach Championships.
Pellitteri also became a Junior 18-under Regional and National Dig the Beach champion. She has been invited to several camps at the sand volleyball Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., which are invitation only.
McGregor is a 2010 graduate of South Lake High School. She is also a junior college transfer from Lake Sumter Community College, where she was named an All Mid-Florida Conference First Team member for the indoor squad. She led her team with 416 assists, 33 aces and a near 25 percent hitting efficiency. In the National Junior College Athletic Association final rankings, McGregor was 27th in aces per set and 48th in assists.
On the sand, McGregor guided her teams to five first-place finishes in various Dig the Beach tournaments in the Co-Ed open division during the 2010 season. She helped her team to a first-place finish at another competitive event at the Orlando Sports Complex in Nov. 2009, and became an AVPNEXT Southeastern Zone champion only a month before.
McGregor has participated with USA Junior National Tour Beach Volleyball in the 20-under division, earning a silver medal at an event in Huntington Beach, Calif., in 2009. In that same year she was also a USAV East Coast national champion and a Florida Region state champion. McGregor also captained the varsity indoor volleyball team, starting at setter and outside hitter at South Lake High.
Newgard has also enjoyed plenty of success in both indoor and sand volleyball. She has spent the last two years at State College of Florida, being named a Suncoast Conference First Team member in 2009 and ranking No. 1 in the NJCAA in kills per set as an indoor student-athlete. She also was a co-captain in her first indoor season at SCF.
This past season, Newgard earned more indoor volleyball honors. She was an NJCAA All-America Honorable Mention performer, finished first in the Florida Community College Activities Association in aces, kills and digs and was named the Suncoast Conference Player of the Year.
Newgard is currently in her second season in the sand circuit at SCF. In the 2011 season thus far, she has led her team to a first-place finish and an undefeated mark at the St. Petersburg College Beach Tournament on April 8. Last year, she also helped upend the University of Miami, 15-11, in a Gold Medal match at Siesta Key Beach.
Newgard has also helped defeat other strong duos from larger, Division I universities, including Notre Dame, Florida Atlantic, North Florida and Central Florida.
“Aurora, Jeassica and Stephanie are three great athletes,” Poole added. “They are great all-around players and they will now become the future of Florida State Sand Volleyball.”
An announcement on the FSU sand volleyball coaching staff will be made within the next two weeks.
Poole also believes that the addition of sand volleyball will ultimately attract a new set of athletes, relying more on athleticism compared to the indoor sport that has seen a growth in physicality within the last decade.
“While there may be some `cross-over’ at first with indoor players, I think you will also see many of your 5’7″ to 5’10” players start to focus more on the sand game,” Poole said. “The players indoor have grown bigger and bigger over the last 10 years and it has become a very physical game. However, the speed and athleticism will be important criteria for players to move in the sand and it will give a new set of athletes and opportunity to emerge in this new sport.”
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« Reward and Punishment
The Supreme Institution »
Two commonwealths
Posted by Sen on December 10, 2008
In thinking about the future of the world, and of the Bahai community, and in speaking about them, we need to distinguish between the two uses of ‘commonwealth’ : the commonwealth of nations and the Bahai Commonwealth. If we do not, governments are likely to be misled and alarmed, thinking that there is something political or governmental about this ‘Bahai Commonwealth’
On the one hand, Baha’u’llah and Abdul-Baha and Shoghi Effendi have outlined a vision of a new world order, based on democratic and independent governments, united in a “Commonwealth of all the nations of the world,” also called a “world super-state.” (WOB 40), This will be the “climax” of the historical evolution of humanity through the unities of “the tribe, the city-state, and the nation.” (PDC 118). This commonwealth is to be based on an international pact, stipulating borders, armaments and international obligations, which is to be drawn up by the governments and sovereigns (WOB 192; TB 165; SDC 64), endorsed by “all the human race” and backed by military force (SDC 64; WOB 192). This commonwealth – a system of government – will permanently unite all nations and creeds (WOB 203): its members are states (WOB 203) who, after passing through the “chastening fires” of a “titanic struggle” (MA 27), out of “carnage, agony and havoc” (PDC 123; both references apparently to World War 2), following a “world catastrophe”, WOB 46) decide to weld humanity’s “antagonistic elements of race, class, religion and nation into one coherent system, one world commonwealth” (MA 27); a single, organically-united, unshatterable world commonwealth. (MA 80) and to cede to it their right to wage war (WOB 40), “certain rights to impose taxation, and all rights to maintain armaments, except for purposes of maintaining internal order within their respective dominions.” (WOB 40). The nerve centre of this commonwealth of nations is a “world metropolis” (WOB 203), its supreme organs are a “world legislature, whose members will … ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations,” (WOB 203) and are “elected by the people in their respective countries and whose election shall be confirmed by their respective governments” (WOB 40) … “a world executive, backed by an international Force,” which is able “to enforce supreme and unchallengeable authority on every recalcitrant member of the commonwealth,” and “a world tribunal” to be established by “the peoples and nations of the earth” (GPB 305) to adjudicate disputes between nations (WOB 203; GPB 281), whose members are legal experts, elected by a world convention, the delegates to which are elected by the members of national parliaments, in proportion to the population of each country (SWAB 306).
On the other hand, Shoghi Effendi refers to the Bahai Commonwealth – a Commonwealth whose present nucleus and “valiant forerunners” are the Bahai believers (MA 41, BA 131), whose “independent members” are the national Bahai communities (High Endeavours 37), whose fundamental constitutional basis is provided in the Aqdas and the Will of Abdu’l-Baha (WOB 19) and set out in detail in the ‘Declaration of Trust,’ drawn up by Horace Holley and approved by Shoghi Effendi (BA 134), whose local affairs are to be administered from the precincts of the Mashriqúl- Adhkar (BA 186), whose foundation, rudiments and sole framework is the “Administrative Order” (GPB 325, WOB 146, 152), whose structure is to be erected by the instruments of the Administrative Order (WOB 98), out of which it is “destined to evolve” (Summary Statement – 1947, Special UN Committee on Palestine), whose “Chief Stewards” are the Hands of the Cause (MBW 127), which operates “solely in direct conformity with the laws and principles of Baha’u’llah,” (ADJ 14), whose “World Administrative Center,” including both its spiritual and administrative seats, is in Haifa in Israel (GPB 277, 315, 348) and specifically on the Arc in the Bahai gardens in Haifa (MBW 79), and whose Supreme Organ and supreme legislative body is the Universal House of Justice (WOB 7; MBW 149), growing out the Bahai International Court which grows out of the International Bahai Council. This supreme legislative body of the Bahai Commonwealth is headed by the Guardian or his representative (Will and Testament 14), which is elected by the Bahai believers alone (Will and Testament 14), acting through the members of the world́s National Spiritual Assemblies (BA 84), and which exercises legislative, executive and judicial control of the Bahai community. Its growth will be marked by fierce challenges that “will be thrown at the verities it enshrines” (WOB 18), but the “final establishment” of the seat of this Commonwealth, on the arc “will signalize at once the proclamation of the sovereignty of the Founder of our Faith and the advent of the Kingdom of the Father repeatedly lauded and promised by Jesus Christ.” (MBW 74, 155).
This world Bahai Commonwealth is expected to emerge and reach the plenitude of its power and splendour in the Golden Age in which the banner of the Most Great Peace is unfurled. (CF 6 and 32; GPB 25); it is “at once the instrument and the guardian” of that Most Great Peace (WOB 196).
It’s not difficult to see that these are two different commonwealths : different in the process and agents of their creation, different in purpose, in membership, and in internal structure. The first is a political commonwealth of nations united in a superstate, the second is a Commonwealth of believers united in a religious community.
~~ Sen McGlinn ~~
[Revised 15 October 2009: additional material]
Short link to this page: http://tinyurl.com/2commonwealths
Even shorter: http://wp.me/pcgF5-79
Related content: World Order, Administrative Order
This entry was posted on December 10, 2008 at 12:00 and is filed under Church and State. Tagged: Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'u'llah, Bahai, Bahai Commonwealth, federalism, Organic unity, political theology, Shoghi Effendi, world government, World Order of Baha'u'llah, بهائی, شوقی افندی. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
7 Responses to “Two commonwealths”
Priscilla said
“If we do not, governments are likely to be misled and alarmed, thinking that there is something political or governmental about the Bahai Commonwealth”
Hi Sen,
I guess whether or not there is something “political or governmental about the Bahai Commonwealth” depends on interpretation of Baha’i writings and how they are implemented. I know that you do not think there is anything political or governmental there, but how common do you think that view is among Baha’is? Specifically how common do you think that view is among Baha’is serving in the higher bodies of the Administrative Order?
My impression is that your view is a minority view. If that is the case then there would not be anything misleading about governments “thinking that there is something political or governmental about the Bahai Commonwealth.” Regardless of the different cases that can be made from the writings, what really matters in the world is the intentions and actions of the Baha’i community/organization. Putting aside the writings, what do you think the intentions are of the community as it currently stands?
Sen McGlinn said
Hi Priscilla,
at a guess, I would say that a majority of the Western Bahais, and of those in the higher bodies of the Administrative Order, think that the NSA’s are intended to be governments and that the UHJ is intended to be either a world legislature, or a world tribunal, or a world executive, or to replace them all. I also think that a majority think that the Bahai faith is absolutely non-political, advocates democracy and constitutional monarchy, and that the new world order will be headed by a world legislature elected by all the people in proportion to national population, a world executive, a world tribunal elected by national parliaments, etc …
The real question is: what proportion have noticed that they are holding contradictory beliefs? Few, I would say. People generally do not worry about inconsistency in the abstract – it only becomes an issue when the two ideas require two incompatible actions.
I don’t think there is any reason for governments to worry. There is no group in the Bahai community coherent theocratic ideology that could “take over” either the Bahai community or anything else. In my reading of the Bahai secondary literature I have seen all sorts of ideas about how a Bahai theocratic system would work, and they are all different and sometimes contradict themselves.
George Latimer for example talks about the role of governments, in relation to making peace, but when describing the houses of justice he supposes that the House of Justice is the executive arm of government, “every community, village, town, city, and nation will be under the control of one of these bodies” which will have legislative and judicial functions but (contradicting his previous statement) no executive powers (‘The Social Teachings of the Baha’i Movement’ 1916). In a 1925 article he says that the House of Justice is both legislature, judiciary, and has the power to enforce its laws. In 1936 he has a world parliament as the legislature, although it seems to have no function since a supreme Tribunal/House of Justice enacts the laws, decides taxes, settles disputes and runs the economy. Ullrich Golmer, in ‘Making the crooked straight” (432-8) has a similar problem: a world parliament and a UHJ which is humanity’s supreme legislative organ: two supreme legislatures and not explanation of how this works.
Keith Ransom Kehler’s idea (1933) is a world monarchy ruled by the Guardian, and the UHJ limited to legislation, but then she also says it has the legislative, executive and judicial functions, and then that its discussions must be limited to spiritual matters. She presented these ideas in a talk given to a ‘group of free thinkers.’ Imagine what they thought of her. George Townsend has the same idea of a Guardian-Monarch in in Christ and Baha’u’llah (1957).
Huddlestone, in Search for a Just Society says that all the elected bodies in the federal administrative structure would be called “Houses of Justice,” but also that the legislative, executive and judicial branches would be separate. Are we to conclude that two of the three are not elected, or that distinct institutions would be called houses of justice but would have different functions? The latter apparently, because he says that all of them would apply the electoral principles of the Bahai administrative order — so they are all elected, thus all called House of Justice. But then refers to representation on them of various population groups in proportion to size, which is not an electoral principle in the Administrative Order.
You get the general idea: the theocratic thinkers have different ways of building a house of cards, but they are all houses of cards. None would stand up to being discussed. They are just loose ideas people have batting around their heads. An organisation consisting of 20 people with 20 different ideas of how to govern society is a talking shop, not a political reality. So governments need not be concerned, as long as they can be assured that there is no core of theocratic ideas in the Bahai Writings around which Bahais might eventually mobilise.
Dan Jensen said
The nakedness of Baha’i triumphalism will only become more and more, well–embarrassing–for Baha’is over time. Baha’is need to learn the arts of integration and cohabitation. Don’t we all?
Sen, I respect your efforts toward building a case for pluralism in the Baha’i Faith. Though I do not believe that the founders of the Baha’i Faith saw the future the way you do, maybe–just maybe–they might have seen the Baha’i Faith your way if they were alive today. I admire your efforts to open that door to the Baha’i imagination.
maybe–just maybe–they might have seen the Baha’i Faith your way if they were alive today
I try to see the Faith and the world the way they would see them, if they lived in today. There are always those two moments in theology: understanding who this person was, and how he thought, how he responded to people and events, and then imagining how that person would respond today. What did it mean, and, what does it mean for us today? The priority of the person of the Manifestation over the words of the text is important here: it means that Bahai hermeneutics is more like Catholic hermeneutics than the text-centred, even bibliolatrous, hermeneutics that one often finds in Protestant theology (and even more so in Jewish and Sunni theology). This is one of several respects in which Bahai theology is closest to the Catholic tradition, among Christian traditions.
I have read with much interest your articles and comments on your blog about World Order and the separation of church and state as related to the development of the Baha’i community and its institutions. Being a lay person, I recognize that I do not have any special qualifications that justify my adding some additional thoughts or comments to the very extensive research and the work you have already done. I do attempt to be investigative, maintain an open mind, and strive to apprehend Baha’u’llah’s writings both literally and metaphorically. Of course I approach the writings and talks of ‘Abdu’l-Baha differently and the writings of Shoghi Effendi more literally than Baha’u’llah’s. I have not developed an individual position on these “church-state” Baha’i matters, and as a guideline, I choose to consider the Universal House of Justice’s statement and reminder that, “Not ours, puny mortals that we are, to attempt, at so critical stage in the long and checkered history of mankind, to arrive at a precise and satisfactory understanding of the steps which must successively lead a bleeding humanity … to its ultimate resurrection…. Ours rather the duty, to lend our share of assistance, in which ever way circumstances may enable us, to the operation of forces which, as marshaled and directed by Baha’u’llah, are leading humanity out of the misery and shame to the loftiest summits of power and glory”(Ridvan 153).
In light/consideration of some of your Baha’i “church and state” perceptions, I have given attention and thought to the Universal House of Justice’s 1985 letter to the peoples of the world, titled “The Promise of World Peace”. In re-reading this document, I observe that the House’s message states that humanity should be considered as a whole, emphasizes the need for the reconstruction of the world, and suggests that “leaders of governments and all in authority” should give attention to (spiritual) principles and be guided by them. The House goes on to say that world order can only be founded on the acceptance of the principle of the oneness of mankind, “… the first fundamental prerequisite for the reorganization and administration of the world as one country …” It urges (following to the previous urgings of Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha) the leaders of all nations and/or the United Nations to hold a great world gathering to discuss the reorganization and administration of the world. The Universal House of Justice invites all the world’s peoples and their leaders to examine the experience and accomplishments of the Baha’i community and offers the Baha’i community as an “example” and a “model for study.” In this message, the House does not seem to suggest that the Baha’i community and its Administrative Order be a replacement for the world’s existing and failing governmental systems, but does offer it as a prototype for consideration of the world’s reorganization.
In the publication “Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha” (pages 249 and 306-307), Abdu’l-Baha refers to the Supreme Tribunal, and his descriptions of this body make it obvious that this Tribunal is not synonymous with the institution of the Universal House of Justice, or any other Baha’i institution. ‘Abdu’l-Baha states that the League of Nations is incapable of establishing world peace and explains that a Tribunal, composed of representatives of the world’s governmental leaders, must be formed and work to establish universal peace. It appears to me that this Tribunal may be unconscious of the Divine Will at work in the world, but their efforts will nevertheless result in the the establishment of a world (political) peace and perhaps the reorganization of the world’s governments.
In the compilation of ‘Abd’l-Baha’s American talks titled “The Promise of World Peace” (page 455), ‘Abdu’l-Baha is recorded as saying that the House(s) of Justice (all of them) are “…endowed with a political as well as a religious function, the consummate union and blending of church and state” and he comments “…that which the Universal House of Justice ordains shall be obeyed by all mankind…. and all the world shall come under its administration.” I understand that this is not “authoritative” text.
Thinking/imagining metaphorically, and considering the role that the institution of the House(s) of Justice (or institutions of the Administrative Order) are designed or destined and to play, I am reminded of the verse in the Qur’an (55:19-22) that ‘Abu’l-Baha has used in some different applications. “He hath let loose the two seas, that they meet each other: Between them is a barrier that they overpass not. Which then of the bounties of your Lord will ye deny? From each He bringeth up greater and lesser pearls.” A similar verse of the Qur’an (25:53) states: “It is He Who has let free the two bodies of flowing water: one palpable and sweet, and the other salt and bitter; yet has He made a barrier between them, a partition that is forbidden to be passed.” My limited understanding is that the Arabic word for this “barrier” or “partition” is “barzakh” (also meaning midpoint or confluence), “…a place where the two seas meet …” (Selections of the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, page 130). One might imagine that perhaps Baha’u’llah has created the institution of the House of Justice (or the Administrative Order) be the “barrier or partition”, the “place”, the “midpoint” or the “confluence” where the the “sea” of material civilization (the shadow/bitter) and the “sea” of spiritual civilization (the luminous/sweet) meet and blend. No one really knows for sure at this point in history.
Sen, your extensive work has motivated me to contemplate this subject. Thanks for that and for inviting others to provide their thoughts and comments.
Since writing my previous communication (above), I have read your comments titled “A Consummate Union” which address the reported utterances of ‘Abdu’l-Baha I cited from the “Promulgation of Universal Peace”, page 455. Thank you.
Hasan said
Sen, it makes sense, but the big question here is: Do Bahá’ís see it that way? My impression is don’t. It seems most Bahá’ís (including institutions) see it much more theocratic: National Assemblies evolving to National Houses of Justice (seems correct to me), but then National Houses of Justice evolving to National Governments which replaces a whole country’s government. That is surely against the writings. I, myself seen it more theocratic, but when you read Shoghi Effendi you realize he is not mixing things.
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Could Gov Jerry Brown really be tempted to commute all of California's death row on his way out of office?
The question in the title of this post is prompted by this recent Fox News article headlined with a similar question, "Will Jerry Brown commute sentences of every death row inmate in one of his last acts as California governor?". Here are excerpts:
[A]s Jerry Brown’s tenure as governor of California draws to a close in January, capital punishment supporters have raised the specter that he could commute many, if not all, of the sentences.
On March 28, California’s Supreme Court issued an administrative order making it possible for Brown to commute the sentences or grant clemency.
Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of Deputy District Attorneys in Los Angeles County, told the Orange County Register earlier this week that this removes any impediment Brown may have faced. Before that, a governor had to get the approval of the majority of the state Supreme Court in the case of an inmate with two or more felony convictions. “They basically have green-lighted the governor to grant clemency to anyone…and said they won’t interfere,” she said.
California has the largest death row population in the country, but only 13 have been executed since capital punishment was reintroduced to the state in 1978, with the last one occurring in 2006. Appeals that drag out for many years are common. Last year, there were 400 death penalty appeals pending.
Despite its liberal reputation, more than half of California’s residents have expressed support for the death penalty, striking down referenda calling for it to end.
Brown, a former Jesuit seminarian who as a young man demonstrated against capital punishment, made his opposition to it clear during his political campaigns, but also said he’d respect the law regarding it while serving as attorney general and governor.
Asked if the governor was considering commuting death sentences, a spokesperson for Brown told Fox News: “A request for commutation is a serious matter, and every applicant is carefully and diligently vetted. The Governor issued commutations earlier this month… California inmates can petition to have their sentence reduced or eliminated by applying for a commutation of sentence. To be clear, no individuals on death row have received commutations.”...
Kent Scheidegger, an attorney who argued for Proposition 66 – a measure to speed up executions – said that anything is possible as far as Brown and California politics, but he believed the governor would not commute death sentences. “Despite his personal opinion, he said he’d enforce the death penalty,” said Scheidegger, who is legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation in California. Scheidegger expressed concern about the state high court’s order appearing to give Brown more sway over commuting death sentences, telling Fox News: “That’s worrisome.”
Since executions rarely have been carried out in California and elsewhere, some have called the death penalty symbolic, and pointless. Scheidegger said he disagrees. “It’s important because there are some crimes for which anything less is simply not justice.”
September 1, 2018 in Clemency and Pardons, Death Penalty Reforms, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (3)
"State Legislatures and Solving the Eighth Amendment Ratchet Puzzle"
The title of this post is the title of this paper recently posts to SSRN and authored by Jeffrey Omar Usman. Here is its abstract:
The United States Supreme Court’s evolving standards of decency jurisprudence has come to be understood as having forged an irreversible one-way ratchet moving only toward greater leniency. The seemingly irreversible ratchet emerges both from practical challenges for state legislatures in pursuing stricter sanctions under the evolving standards of decency framework of analysis and an underlying assumption that moral evolution in criminal justice only moves towards lesser not greater sanctions.
This Article offers a challenge to the latter assumption, the view that moral evolution can only be towards lesser not greater sanctions being imposed. This Article also attempts to provide a solution to the practical problem of the Eight Amendment ratchet puzzle, rendering reversible the seemingly irreversible ratchet. In doing so, the Article sets forth two critical mechanisms — contingent legislation and the active use of resolutions — which if utilized by state legislatures will enable them to more effectively engage in a constitutional dialogue with the United States Supreme Court in defining societal evolving standards of decency.
September 1, 2018 in Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (3)
"Judging Risk"
The title of this post is the title of this article authored by Brandon Garrett and John Monahan now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract:
Risk assessment plays an increasingly pervasive role in criminal justice in the United States at all stages of the process — from policing, to pre-trial, sentencing, corrections, and parole. As efforts to reduce mass incarceration have led to adoption of risk-assessment tools, critics have begun to ask whether various instruments in use are valid and whether they might reinforce rather than reduce bias in the criminal justice system. Such work has largely neglected how decisionmakers use risk assessment in practice. In this Article, we explore the judging of risk assessment. We study why decisionmakers so often fail to consistently use quantitative risk assessment tools.
We present the results of a novel set of studies of both judicial decisionmaking and attitudes towards risk assessment. We studied Virginia because it was the first state to incorporate risk assessment in sentencing guidelines. Virginia has been hailed as a national model for doing so. In analyzing sentencing data in Virginia, we find that judicial use of risk assessment is highly variable. Second, in the first comprehensive survey of its kind, we find judicial attitudes towards risk assessment in sentencing practice quite divided. Even if, in theory, an instrument can better sort offenders in less need of jail or prison, in practice, decisionmakers may not use it as intended.
Still more fundamentally, in criminal justice, unlike in other areas of the law, one typically does not have detailed regulations concerning the use of risk assessment, specifying the content of assessment criteria, the peer review process, and standards for judicial review. We make recommendations for how to better convey risk assessment information to judges and other decisionmakers, but also how to structure that decisionmaking based on common assumptions and goals. We argue that judges and lawmakers must revisit the use of risk assessment in practice. We conclude by setting out a roadmap for use of risk information in criminal justice. Unless judges and lawmakers regulate the judging of risk assessment, the risk revolution in criminal justice will not succeed in addressing mass-incarceration.
August 31, 2018 in Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Race, Class, and Gender, Scope of Imprisonment, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (1)
Prison chief explains his "non-political approach" to sentencing and prison reforms
John Wetzel, who serves as chair of The Council of State Governments Justice Center, president of the Association of State Correctional Administrators and Secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Corrections, has this new Hill commentary under the headline "A non-political approach focused on what works is key to solving prison crisis." I recommend the piece in full, and here are excerpts:
[W]hile criminal justice reform currently occupies the rarified airspace of being mutually appealing to both sides of the political spectrum at the macro level, there remains a split on whether sentencing reform — the front end of the criminal justice system — should be included as a component of the First Step Act. As written, the legislation focuses solely on reforms to back end within the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
With the caveat that any improvements to the federal corrections system – even incremental improvements — should be welcomed with open arms, the factual answer is that to realize actual, quantifiable improvement, sentencing reform is essential. It’s easy and common to embrace the notion that recidivism reduction is a back end issue and one owned solely by corrections professionals like me. This notion is dead wrong.
As a Republican appointed as Secretary of Corrections by a Republican governor (Tom Corbett) and who was asked to continue in the role by a Democratic governor (Tom Wolf), I would argue that good sentencing, and by extension, prison policy, can rise above party politics.
I believe the formula for recidivism reduction is this: Incarcerate the right people for the right amount of time and provide them with the programming they need that specifically addresses the criminogenic factors that led to them committing a crime and, finally, provide the individualized reentry support to start them on a path to good citizenship....
Governor Tom Wolf, in kicking off Pennsylvania’s most recent criminal justice reform initiative, exemplifies the outcomes measure: less crime, fewer victims. Achieving that goal requires our system to make good decisions every step of the way — from who we incarcerate to how long, including what conditions we incarcerate them in through what supports we offer to restore them to society.
August 30, 2018 in Prisons and prisoners, Reentry and community supervision, Scope of Imprisonment | Permalink | Comments (2)
"Criminal Justice Reform Is on the Midterm Ballot"
The title of this post is the title of this notable new New Republic piece by Matt Ford with the subheadline "Andrew Gillum wants to fix his state's broken carceral system. He's not alone among Democratic nominees for governor." Here are excerpts:
In his victory speech, Gillum highlighted an issue that’s received short shrift from Florida policymakers in recent years. “Beneath my name is also a desire by the majority of people in this state to see real criminal-justice reform take hold,” he told a crowd of supporters at his Tuesday night victory rally. “The kind of criminal-justice reform which allows people who make a mistake to be able to redeem themselves from that mistake, return to society, have their right to vote, but also have their right to work.”
The message could apply anywhere in the United States. But it carries greater resonance in Florida, which ranks among the most carceral states in the union. While crime has plummeted nationwide since the early 1990s, Florida’s prison population hasn’t seen significant declines. Instead, the number of people serving more than ten years in prison tripled between 1996 and 2017. Lawmakers abolished parole for most crimes by 1993, which requires the state to keep many prisoners behind bars who don’t pose a danger to society. Even today, the state has shirked the broader reform-oriented trend on both the left and the right.
Gillum has campaigned on a platform that could change that. His campaign’s official site touts measures similar to those adopted in some Democratic-led states, like reducing the number of crimes that carry mandatory-minimum sentences and reforming the cash-bail system, which disproportionately harms lower-income Americans. Others are more bold: Gillum went further than his primary opponents and called for the full legalization, rather than just decriminalization, of marijuana. Though he told reporters he is not an opponent of the death penalty, Gillum said he would suspend executions to address concerns about racial disparities....
Other Democratic gubernatorial candidates have also called for sweeping criminal-justice in their states. Georgia’s Stacey Abrams, who would be the first black woman governor ever elected in America, grounds her approach in the experience of her brother Walter, who has bipolar disorder and developed a drug addiction. Instead of receiving treatment, he and tens of thousands of other Americans with major mental illnesses are regularly churned through the criminal justice system for committing crimes of survival like petty theft. Abrams’s platform focuses on improving alternatives to incarceration and bolstering reentry programs to improve the transition back into society.
Maryland’s Ben Jealous, a former president of the NAACP, would go even further. His platform calls for the full legalization of marijuana, the abolition of cash-bail programs, shifting the state’s parole powers away from the governor’s office and toward independent experts, and expunging criminal records for certain crimes to aid reentry and employment efforts. Among his more significant proposals is a state program to investigate prisoners’ claims of innocence. A commission dedicated to that task in North Carolina secured eight exonerations in its first nine years of existence.
A constant fear among reformers is that the political winds could turn back toward tough-on-crime policies after years of favorable weather. It’s unclear whether that will be a problem in Gillum’s contest against DeSantis. Many GOP elected officials have thrown their weight behind criminal-justice reform to varying degrees in recent years, though it’s unclear if DeSantis counts himself among them. His threadbare campaign issues page doesn’t discuss the issue and his campaign staff hasn’t provided details on the matter to local media outlets. Like Trump, though, he has run as a law-and-order candidate, and seems more likely to emulate the president’s attack on Gillum as a supposed enabler of crime.
In addition to being glad to see this emphasis on some candidates' emphasis on criminal justice reform, the headline of this piece could also be used to describe the significant array of criminal-justice-related ballot initiatives coming before voters this fall. The article does mention that Florida voters will consider a constitutional amendment to eliminate felon disenfranchisement for most former offenders. In addition, Michigan and North Dakota voters will consider full marijuana legalization and Missouri and Utah voters will be considering medical marijuana initiatives. And in my own Ohio, as noted in this prior post, an interesting and intricate drug sentencing and prison reform initiative is on the November 2018 ballot. (Plug: The Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, has this planned series of events to provide a venue for informed discussion of the 2018 Ohio Neighborhood Safety, Drug Treatment, and Rehabilitation Amendment.)
August 30, 2018 in Elections and sentencing issues in political debates, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (0)
Is Jeff Sessions' opposition to modest sentencing reforms going to cost him his job as Attorney General?
The question in the title of this post — which I would answer "I hope so" — is prompted by this Politico article fully headlined "Trump personally lobbying GOP senators to flip on Sessions: Opposition to the attorney general's firing, long seen as a red line by lawmakers, has softened in recent days." Here is an excerpt from the piece of note to sentencing fans:
The president, who has spent a year and a half fulminating against his attorney general in public, finally got traction on Capitol Hill thanks to the growing frustration of a handful of GOP senators with their former colleague – most importantly, Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley and South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham, who have been irritated by Sessions’ opposition to a criminal justice reform bill they support, according to interviews with more than a half-dozen congressional GOP aides, Trump advisers, and Republicans close to the White House....
Over the past week, Trump has belittled Sessions in conversations with several Republican senators, including Graham, and the idea of dismissing him no longer provokes the political anxiety it once did.
Along with Graham and Grassley, Sessions has also alienated presidential son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, the chief White House proponent of the Graham-Grassley approach on criminal justice reform, as well as his wife, Ivanka Trump.
After a meeting last week that included Trump, Sessions and Kushner, the White House and McConnell delayed action on the issue until after the midterms. Grassley and other backers of the effort left the meeting hopeful for progress at that point. But Sessions’ office put out a sharply negative statement that suggested the president had come out against any sentencing reform in the legislation.
Holly Harris, a longtime Kentucky GOP strategist pushing for a reform deal from the helm of the nonprofit Justice Action Network, blasted Sessions for an “absolute mischaracterization” of the White Houses stance on the issue. “DOJ is making so many enemies in so many places now that I actually think it’s going to help our legislation. I think they’ve gone way too far,” Harris said, describing Sessions’ actions on the issue as “off the rails.”
The criminal justice issue has been an ongoing sore point between Sessions and Grassley. The House passed a narrower bill in May that doesn’t include changes to sentencing requirements — something Sessions strongly opposes but that Grassley and others, including Graham, have insisted on adding.
When Sessions spoke out against a broader criminal justice bill that the Judiciary Committee passed in February, Grassley publicly dressed him down. “Look at how hard it was for me to get him through committee in the United States Senate,” the senator said then. “And look at, when the president was going to fire him, I went to his defense.”
No longer. Though Grassley had previously said he could not schedule hearing time to confirm a new attorney general, he changed his tune last week. “I do have time for hearings on nominees that the president might send up here that I didn’t have last year,” Grassley said last week.
Is it too early to start a new US Attorney General short list (or wish list)?
UPDATE: This new Bloomberg piece suggests AG Sessions will be in his job at least for the next few month: "Trump Says He’ll Keep Sessions Until November Despite ‘Illegal’ Probe"
August 30, 2018 in Criminal justice in the Trump Administration, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (2)
Texas jury hands down 15-year prison term after convicting police officer of murder for shooting unarmed teen
As reported by CNN here under the headline "Ex-officer sentenced to 15 years in Texas teen's shooting death," a Texas jury that handed down a notable murder conviction yesterday followed up today with a notable sentencing determination. Here are some details:
A former Texas police officer was sentenced to 15 years in prison Wednesday for the shooting death of an unarmed black teen last year in the Dallas suburbs.
A jury convicted former Balch Springs Officer Roy Oliver, 38, of murder on Tuesday for killing 15-year-old Jordan Edwards. Jurors returned to court Wednesday for his sentencing, where prosecutors sought at least 60 years, while the defense argued for 20 years or less.
Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson called Oliver a "killer in blue" who violated his oath to protect citizens. Her colleague, Michael Snipes, made the reference to Mr. Hyde, the violent side of Dr. Jekyll in Robert Louis Stevenson's novella. Defense attorney Bob Gill argued that his client, who fired into a vehicle carrying Edwards had to decide quickly how best to protect his partner.
The rare guilty verdict in the trial of a police officer stunned relatives, prompting gasps and sobs in the courtroom. Most police-involved shooting deaths, such as Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana, have ended in acquittals or no charges despite national protests condemning police brutality. "We don't want another parent to have to go through what this family has had to deal with," Jordan's family attorney, Daryl Washington, said on Tuesday. "This case is not just about Jordan. It's about Tamir Rice, it's about Walter Scott, it's about Alton Sterling, it's about every African-American... who have been killed and who have not gotten justice."...
Convictions such as Oliver's are still a rarity mostly because when an officer says the person flashed a gun or made a sudden move, jurors tend to side with them, said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. "At the end of day, officers in their badge and uniform enjoy the benefit of the doubt," Clarke said last year....
Few police officers face trial in shooting deaths, and even fewer are convicted. In December, former South Carolina officer Michael Slager was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in the 2015 shooting death of Walter Scott. Slager's 2016 state murder trial ended in a mistrial.
August 29, 2018 in Offender Characteristics, Offense Characteristics, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (2)
A thorough review of Judge Kavanaugh's criminal case work on the DC CIrcuit
Over at SCOTUSblog, Rory Little has this lengthy post providing a detailed review of Judge Brett Kavanuagh's work in criminal cases over a dozen years on the DC Circuit. The post should be read in full by all criminal justice fans, and here are some excerpts that highlight the post's themes, along with a few parts likely to be of particular interest to sentencing fans:
When one also considers that federal appellate judges must follow Supreme Court precedent rather than write or consider it anew, an analysis of Kavanaugh’s relatively sparse work in criminal cases over the past 12 years yields few definitive data points....
In criminal cases, Kavanaugh’s body of work is relatively straightforward and unexciting. He does not often disagree with, and never insults, his colleagues. His opinions are careful and seek to follow precedent; they take few if any legal or stylistic risks. Meanwhile, Kavanaugh sometimes rules for defendants, occasionally in surprising ways....
Kavanaugh has a particular interest in federal sentencing and the Sentencing Guidelines: It has been said that one’s first love may be the strongest. The first published writing on criminal law by Kavanaugh that I found was a January 2007 concurrence in U.S. v. Henry, in which Kavanaugh joined Garland and Judge Karen Henderson in the reversal of a defendant’s sentence in light of the Supreme Court’s United States v. Booker decision. (Booker was an unusual case in which a five-justice majority ruled that the mandatory federal Sentencing Guidelines structure, just like that of some states, violated the Constitution’s jury trial guarantee – but then a different five-to-four majority ruled that as a remedy, the federal guidelines statute should be construed as discretionary rather than mandatory.) Kavanaugh’s opinion is quite scholarly, noting the “tensions” in Booker’s constitutional analysis.
Kavanaugh went on to manifest concerns about the nuances of federal criminal sentencing in at least eight later writings. Of particular note, he expressed misgivings in Henry, and then again in 2008 (United States v. Settles), and then a third time recently in an en banc concurrence, “about the use of acquitted conduct at sentencing,” which he wrote “seems a dubious infringement of the rights to due process and to a jury trial.”...
Many of Kavanaugh’s rulings can be labeled “pro-defense”: Although some court-observers fear that Kavanaugh’s confirmation could drive the Supreme Court further to “the right,” I found at least eight D.C. Circuit decisions — in addition to the Nwoye “battered women syndrome” case mentioned above — in which Kavanaugh wrote to join a “pro-defendant” ruling....
Although Kavanaugh cannot overall be described as a criminal-law “liberal,” one might call him a “Kennedy-esque” moderate. In sum, Kavanaugh’s writings in traditional criminal-law cases seem unlikely to draw critical fire from any political direction.
Some prior related posts:
Justice Anthony Kennedy has announced his retirement ... which means a lot for the future of sentencing jurisprudence and so much more
With Justice Kennedy retiring, overturning Harmelin should become a focal point for criminal justice reformers
Might Justice Kennedy's retirement lead to defendants having stronger Sixth Amendment rights under Apprendi and Blakely?
Quick and helpful look at some of Judge Brett Kavanaugh's criminal justice work
Could Judge Brett Kavanaugh, as a SCOTUS Justice, encourage his colleagues to take up acquitted conduct sentencing?
An (overly) optimistic account of how new Justices could disrupt federal sentencing based on uncharged and acquitted conduct
With Justice Kennedy now retiring and precedents being reversed, is it time for marijuana advocates to urge SCOTUS to reconsider Raich?
A quick look at how Justice Kennedy's retirement might impact capital punishment jurisdrudence
A (partisan) look at some of Judge Brett Kavanaugh's record on criminal justice issues
Judge Kavanaugh in 2009: "I think acquitted conduct should be barred from the guidelines calculation."
August 29, 2018 in Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (1)
Maryland top court issues lengthy split opinions on application of Eighth Amendment limits on juve life sentences
The Maryland Court of Appeals handed down today a very lengthy opinion addressing the application of Eighth Amendment limits on lengthy juvenile sentences. The opinion in Carter v. Maryland, Nos. 54 (Md. Aug. 29, 2018) (available here), gets started this way:
It has been said that “mercy without justice is the mother of dissolution; justice without mercy is cruelty.” A sentence of life in prison without parole may be just for certain adult offenders, but the Eighth Amendment’s proscription against cruel and unusual punishments precludes that sentence for a juvenile offender unless the defendant is an incorrigible murderer. Although there need not be a guarantee of release on parole, a sentence imposed on a juvenile offender must provide “some meaningful opportunity to obtain release based on demonstrated maturity and rehabilitation.” In this opinion, we consider three cases involving crimes that were committed when each Petitioner was a juvenile.
None of the sentences imposed in these cases was explicitly “life without parole.” In two cases, the Petitioners were sentenced to life with the possibility of parole. In the third case, the Petitioner was sentenced to 100 years incarceration and will not be eligible for parole until he has served approximately 50 years in custody. Each Petitioner asserts that he is effectively serving a sentence of life without parole, because the laws governing parole in Maryland do not provide him with a “meaningful opportunity to obtain release based on demonstrated maturity and rehabilitation.” They have each filed a motion to correct an illegal sentence.
With respect to the two Petitioners serving life sentences, we hold that their sentences are legal as the laws governing parole of inmates serving life sentences in Maryland, including the parole statute, regulations, and a recent executive order adopted by the Governor, on their face allow a juvenile offender serving a life sentence a “meaningful opportunity to obtain release based on demonstrated maturity and rehabilitation.” We express no opinion as to whether those laws have been, or will be, carried out legally, as that issue is not before us and may be litigated in the future. With respect to the Petitioner who is serving a 100-year sentence, we hold that the sentence is effectively a sentence of life without parole violative of the Eighth Amendment and that the Petitioner is entitled to be re-sentenced to a legal sentence.
August 29, 2018 in Assessing Graham and its aftermath, Assessing Miller and its aftermath, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (1)
"More Cops, Fewer Prisoners?"
The title of this post is the title of this notable new paper authored by Jacob Kaplan and Aaron Chalfin now available via SSRN. Here is the abstract:
A large literature establishes that hiring police officers leads to reductions in crime and that investments in police are a relatively efficient means of crime control compared to investments in prisons. One concern, however, is that because police officers make arrests in the course of their duties, police hiring, while relatively efficient, is an inevitable driver of “mass incarceration." This research considers the dynamics through which police hiring affects downstream incarceration rates.
Using state-level panel data as well county-level data from California, we uncover novel evidence in favor of a potentially unexpected and yet entirely intuitive result — that investments in law enforcement are unlikely to markedly increase state prison populations and may even lead to a modest decrease in the number of state prisoners. As such, investments in police may, in fact, yield a “double dividend” to society, by reducing incarceration rates as well as crime rates.
August 29, 2018 in Data on sentencing, Scope of Imprisonment | Permalink | Comments (4)
California becomes first state to completely do away with money bail
Though bail is not technically a sentencing issue, the nationwide debate over bail practices has lots of echoes into sentencing and is certainly an important element of wider criminal justice reform movements. Consequently, it seems worth noting this news via the Los Angeles Times under the headline "California Gov. Jerry Brown signs overhaul of bail system, saying now 'rich and poor alike are treated fairly'." Here are some of the details:
California Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed a landmark bill to overhaul the state’s money-bail system, replacing it with one that grants judges greater power to decide who should remain incarcerated ahead of trial.
The two-year effort fulfills a pledge made by Brown last year when he stalled negotiations over the ambitious legislation, saying he would continue to work with lawmakers and the state’s top Supreme Court justice on the right approach to change the system. The new law puts California at the forefront of a national push to stop courts from imposing a heavy financial burden on defendants before they have faced a jury. “Today, California reforms its bail system so that rich and poor alike are treated fairly,” he said in a statement.
Senate Bill 10 would virtually eliminate the payment of money as a condition of release. Under last-minute changes, judges would have greater power to decide which people are a danger to the community and should be held without any possibility of release in a practice known as “preventive detention.”
Top state officials, judges, probation officers and other proponents of the efforts lauded the new law. Co-authors Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys) and Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Alameda) called it a transformative day for criminal justice, and a shift away from a pretrial system based on wealth to one focused on public safety.
Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who helped craft the legislation through the formation of a judicial task force that spent a year studying the issue, described a three-branch solution to address a money-bail system that “was outdated, unsafe and unfair.”...
But the historic passage of the bill has been bittersweet for lawmakers, as opponents — including some of the bill’s most ardent former supporters — argued the final version of the legislation would allow judges to incarcerate more people based on subjective criteria, and did not include enough oversight over risk-assessment tools found to be biased against communities of color.
“No one should be in jail because they are too poor to afford bail, but neither should they be torn apart from their family because of unjust preventative detention,” said a statement from American Civil Liberties Union directors Abdi Soltani in Northern California, Hector Villagra in Southern California and Norma Chávez Peterson, representing San Diego and Imperial counties....
Under SB 10, counties would have to establish their own pretrial services agencies, which would use “risk-assessment tools,” or analysis, to evaluate people arrested to determine whether, and under what conditions, they should be released. Only people charged with certain low-level, nonviolent misdemeanors — a list of charges that can be further narrowed by county — would be eligible for automatic release within 12 hours of being booked into jail.
All others arrested would have to undergo the risk analysis, a system that would sort defendants based on criminal history and other criteria into low-, medium- or high-risk categories. Courts would be required to release low-level defendants without assigning bail, pending a hearing. Pretrial services offices would decide whether to hold or release medium-risk offenders. Judges would have control over all prisoners in the system.
The new law, which will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2019, is expected to decimate the bail industry. Whether it will lead to higher incarceration rates is unknown because courts don’t track the data that would make such an analysis possible, lawmakers have said. But the law will require courts to collect and report incarceration rates and undergo in 2023 an independent review of the legislation’s impact on the criminal justice system.
Still, in the days before its passage, some criminal-justice-reform groups that once supported the bill worked to kill it, landing on the same side as a bail industry that has worked to sink the bill from the beginning. This week, a delegation of criminal-justice-reform advocates from across the state sent a veto letter to Brown.
The bill “sets up a system that allows judges nearly unlimited discretion to order people accused of crimes, but not convicted and presumptively innocent, to be held in jail with no recourse until their case is resolved,” the letter stated.
August 29, 2018 in Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (4)
Federal defendant unable to get jury to hear "Trump defense" relating to "flipping"
This New York Daily News piece reports on a notable echo from one of President Trump's many notable comments on the law. The piece is headlined "Attorney for crack dealer tries the President Trump defense: Don't trust snitches," and here are the details:
President Trump’s disgust with snitches is catching on in court. An attorney for a crack dealer began to argue in closing statements last week that a cooperating witness can’t be trusted — but a judge stopped him before he could cite a “presidential tweet.”
“You know what’s funny? Yesterday Manafort was convicted,” Nkrumah said, alluding to the trial of Trump’s campaign chairman Paul Manafort. The Manafort trial featured testimony from a cooperating witness. Nkrumah was immediately stopped due to an objection from the government.
Out of earshot of the jury, Nkrumah explained that he planned to cite Trump’s remark that “It’s called flipping and it almost ought to be illegal.”... “I believe that the president’s opinion of cooperators is just as pertinent as anyone else’s opinion about cooperators,” Nkrumah explained.
Judge Gregory Woods disagreed and prevented Nkrumah from pursuing the argument further to the jury. “I did not permit the defendant to comment on that presidential tweet,” Woods said, apparently referring to a tweet of Trump’s remarks. He said the Manafort trial had nothing to do with the drug case, and that Trump’s remarks would needlessly inject a “politically charged, polemic issue.”
“I should note the tweet is that it ‘almost ought to be illegal,’ but as we all know, and as I am going to instruct the jury, it is not illegal. And so I was also concerned about the confusion that may be wrought upon these jurors by presenting that as the view of the speaker,” Woods said.
The jury convicted Russell of a charge of conspiracy to deal crack, but acquitted him of the more serious charge of carrying a firearm in connection with dealing the drugs.
Prez Trump advocating for a whole new kind of sentencing reform: he says cooperation deals "almost ought to be outlawed. It’s not fair."
August 29, 2018 in Procedure and Proof at Sentencing | Permalink | Comments (0)
"Right at Home: Modeling Sub-Federal Resistance as Criminal Justice Reform"
The title of this post is the title of this notable new paper authored by Trevor George Gardner now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract:
Over the past two decades, state and local governments have crippled the federal war on marijuana as well as a series of federal initiatives designed to enforce federal immigration law through city and county police departments. This Article characterizes these and similar events as sub-federal government resistance in service of criminal justice reform. In keeping with recent sub-federal criminal reform movements, it prescribes a process model of reform consisting of four stages: enforcement abstinence, enforcement nullification, mimicry, and enforcement abolition.
The state and local governments that pass through each of these stages can frustrate the enforcement of federal criminal law while also challenging widely-held assumptions regarding the value of criminal surveillance and criminal sanction. In promoting sub-federal government empowerment within the framework of criminal federalism, this Article breaks from conventional theories in the criminal law literature regarding the legal and policy strategies most likely to deliver fundamental change in American criminal justice.
August 28, 2018 in Pot Prohibition Issues, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Purposes of Punishment and Sentencing, Recommended reading, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (0)
Deputy AG Rosenstein suggests more federal prosecutions are key to battling opioid crisis ... but that really hasn't been working
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein has this notable New York Times opinion piece under the headlined "Fight Drug Abuse, Don’t Subsidize It." Here are is how it starts and ends:
Almost 64,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2016, a shocking 54 percent increase since 2012. Dangerous opioids such as heroin and fentanyl contributed to two-thirds of the deaths. This killer knows no geographic, socioeconomic or age limits. It strikes city dwellers and Midwestern farmers, Hollywood celebrities and homeless veterans, grandparents and teenagers.
Remarkably, law enforcement efforts actually declined while deaths were on the rise. Federal drug prosecutions fell by 23 percent from 2011 to 2016, and the median drug sentence doled out to drug traffickers decreased by 20 percent from 2009 to 2016. The Trump administration is working to reverse those trends. Prosecutions of drug traffickers are on the rise, and the surge in overdose deaths is slowing.
Unfortunately, some cities and counties are considering sponsoring centers where drug users can abuse dangerous illegal drugs with government help. Advocates euphemistically call them “safe injection sites,” but they are very dangerous and would only make the opioid crisis worse.
These centers would be modeled on those operating in Canada and some European countries. They invite visitors to use heroin, fentanyl and other deadly drugs without fear of arrest. The policy is “B.Y.O.D.” — bring your own drugs — but staff members help people abuse drugs by providing needles and stand ready to resuscitate addicts who overdose....
That is not the way to end the opioid crisis. Americans struggling with addiction need treatment and reduced access to deadly drugs. They do not need a taxpayer-sponsored haven to shoot up.
To end the drug crisis, we should educate everyone about the dangers of opioid drugs, help drug users get treatment and aggressively prosecute criminals who supply the deadly poison. Under the leadership of President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Department of Justice is delivering results. Many federal, state and local agencies are working with us to combat opioid addiction. Cities and counties should join us and fight drug abuse, not subsidize it.
I am disinclined to take up here the debate over safe injection sites, which could merit a volume. I will be content here to point to this recent report from Europe indicating "evaluation studies have found an overall positive impact on the communities where these facilities are located," as well as this new meta-research indicating that "Medically Supervised Injection Centres ... had a significant favourable result in relation to drug-related crime and a significant unfavourable result in relation to problematic heroin use or injection." At Vox, German Lopez covers these research matters in this recent article headlined "Safe injection sites were thought to reduce drug overdoses. The research isn’t so clear."
I am inclined to take issue with how DAG Rosenstein seems to make a case for more federal prosecutions to address overdose deaths and the opioid crisis. Though he laments that "federal drug prosecutions fell by 23 percent from 2011 to 2016, and the median drug sentence doled out to drug traffickers decreased by 20 percent from 2009 to 2016," DAG Rosenstein leaves out the fact that declines in marijuana and crack prosecutions and the impact of fairer crack guidelines account for these realities (see USSC quick facts data on marijuana and crack). Meanwhile, as this USSC report explains, in "fiscal year 2016, there were 2,763 heroin trafficking offenders [sentenced in federal court, meaning the] number of heroin offenders has increased by 29.4% since fiscal year 2012." In other words, though overall federal drug prosecutions have gone down through 2016, federal prosecution of heroin has been going up significantly this period when overdose deaths from dangerous opioids were also surging.
In addition, there is a basis to question the statement that prosecutions of drug traffickers are now on the rise, as this data from TRAC suggests that FY 2017 and 2018 has seen record low numbers of federal drug trafficking prosecutions. And to assert that the "surge in overdose deaths is slowing" is not all that reassuring given the new preliminary report of 72,000 overdose deaths in 2017 compared to 64,000 in 2016 (though I suppose it is correct to say the "surge" is slowing given that this 8,000-person increase in deaths is less than the 11,000 increase from 2015 to 2016). Especially at a time of crisis, I sincerely want to believe that, as DAG Rosenstein asserts, the "Department of Justice is delivering results." But the data I can find does not seem to support this claim.
August 28, 2018 in Criminal justice in the Trump Administration, Drug Offense Sentencing, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (2)
"Incapacitating Motherhood"
The title of this post is the title of this new paper authored by Priscilla Ocen now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract:
Incapacitation, the removal of dangerous people from society, is one of the most significant penal rationales in the United States. Mass incarceration emerged as one of the most striking applications of this theory, as policymakers shifted from rehabilitative efforts toward incapacitation in jails and prisons across the country . Women have been uniquely devastated by this shift toward incapacitation. Indeed, the United States is home to the largest and fastest growing women’s prison population in the world.
Of the women incarcerated in jails and prisons, nearly seventy percent were the primary caretakers of small children at the time of their arrest and approximately eighty percent are of reproductive age. Notwithstanding these alarming trends, the gendered dimensions of incapacitation have largely been underexplored in the scholarly literature. Rather, women’s incarceration has been theorized as an unintended consequence of the punitiveness directed toward Black men.
This Article aims to bridge this discursive gap by highlighting the specific ways in which incapacitation has been used as a means to regulate the bodies and reproductive capacities of marginalized women. The Article advances this claim in three ways. First, by mapping the historical function of women’s prisons as a mechanism to restore and regulate “fallen women” who deviated from traditional norms associated with femininity and motherhood. Second, by examining the ways in which contemporary women’s prisons similarly regulate women’s identities as mothers. Instead of attempting to rehabilitate women, however, contemporary women’s prisons incapacitate women who engage in behavior or possess characteristics that diverge from traditional maternal norms. Indeed, through what the Article terms the “incapacitation of motherhood,” women prisoners are alienated from their children, denied reproductive care, humiliated during pregnancy and postpartum recovery, and in some cases, sterilized.
Lastly, contesting these practices and the incapacitation of motherhood, this Article calls for the use of a robust legal framework, informed by the principles of reproductive justice that are more protective of the reproductive capacities of incarcerated women.
August 28, 2018 in Offender Characteristics, Prisons and prisoners, Race, Class, and Gender, Scope of Imprisonment | Permalink | Comments (1)
"Capital and punishment: Resource scarcity increases endorsement of the death penalty"
The title of this post is the title of this new paper in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior authored by Keelah Williams, Ashley Votruba, Steven Neuberg, and Michael Saks. Here is its abstract:
Faced with punishing severe offenders, why do some prefer imprisonment whereas others impose death? Previous research exploring death penalty attitudes has primarily focused on individual and cultural factors. Adopting a functional perspective, we propose that environmental features may also shape our punishment strategies. Individuals are attuned to the availability of resources within their environments. Due to heightened concerns with the costliness of repeated offending, we hypothesize that individuals tend towards elimination-focused punishments during times of perceived scarcity.
Using global and United States data sets (studies 1 and 2), we find that indicators of resource scarcity predict the presence of capital punishment. In two experiments (studies 3 and 4), we find that activating concerns about scarcity causes people to increase their endorsement for capital punishment, and this effect is statistically mediated by a reduced willingness to risk repeated offenses. Perceived resource scarcity shapes our punishment preferences, with important policy implications.
August 27, 2018 in Death Penalty Reforms, Purposes of Punishment and Sentencing, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (0)
A notable (and curious?) call for criminal justice reform that serves as another sign of new political times
The passing of John McCain this weekend led me to review some of my long ago postings in the blog topic archive labelled Campaign 2008 and sentencing issues. The main theme I kept returning to is how little discussion there was of criminal justice issues during that election cycle. Here are links to a few of the 2008 posts on that theme:
Is ignorance bliss as Campaign 2008 ignores crime and punishment issues?
Will the 2008 Prez candidates ever seriously discuss modern incarceration realities?
Boston Globe noticing crime dogs not barking in 2008 campaign
Another reminder of the crime dog that did not bark in the 2008 election season
Other posts in that archive that might still be considered notable a decade later include Rudy Giuliani doing robocalls accusing Senator Obama of being soft on crime and Is Senator Clinton to the right of Justice Scalia on sentencing issues?. (This last post has me thinking again about the fact that Hillary Clinton's criminal justice history makes her seem much more like a member of the "tough and tougher" crowd than many (most?) members of the current GOP. Hillary Clinton in 2007 (in)famously opposed making retroactive the first small crack guideline amendments passed by the US Sentencing Commission, most of the GOP seemingly now supports making the 2010 Fair Sentencing Act fully retroactive.)
Of course, circa 2018, there is a heck of a lot more talk about criminal justice reform from an array of political candidates in all parties. And I noticed this morning this interesting (and somewhat curious) commentary by Beto O'Rourke, a Texas congressman taking on Ted Cruz for election to the US Senate, under the headline "O’Rourke: Texas should lead the way on true criminal justice reform." I recommend the piece in full, and here are excerpts:
On Wednesday, I toured the Harris County Jail with Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and met men from this community who have made a mistake from which they may or may not recover. Men who don’t have the resources to post bail. Some of whom got arrested on purpose to get the treatment and care they need, care they won’t be able to afford or access on the outside. In fact, the Harris County Jail is the largest provider of mental health services in our state, a state that is the least insured in the nation. Of the 10,000 inmates in the Harris County Jail, one quarter of them are being prescribed at least one psychotropic medication. The jail has more people receiving psychiatric treatment every day than the nine state mental hospitals in Texas combined.
But beyond those who need health care, there are many more languishing behind bars for nonviolent crimes — sixty percent yet to even be convicted. Unable to work, to pay taxes, to raise their kids, to contribute to our society, to realize their full potential. And it’s happening at the average cost of $87 per person, per day, and more than $400 per person, per day for prisoners requiring medication or medical treatment. That tab is ultimately picked up by the taxpayers of Harris County.
The jail I visited is not an outlier. Rather, it is part of the world’s largest prison population. One that is disproportionately comprised of people of color, though we know that people of all races use illegal drugs at roughly the same rate. Many have called this the New Jim Crow, and for good reason. One in four black children have had a parent in the criminal justice system, compared to just four percent of white children. That rate is nearly two times what it was in the 1980s. And it begins with a school-to-prison pipeline that starts as early as kindergarten, where a black child is four to five times as likely to be suspended or expelled as a white child.
Following my visit, I am more convinced than ever that Texas can and must take the lead in building a criminal justice system that is more fair and that urgently puts our country closer to the words written above the highest court in our land: equal justice under law. This is how I propose we do it.
First, we should eliminate private, for-profit prisons from our justice system. Locking someone up is a power that should be reserved for our government, not outsourced to corporations that have the perverse incentive of getting more people behind bars so that there are more profits for their shareholders.
Second, we need to end the failed war on drugs that has long been a war on people, waged on some people over other people. Who is going to be the last man — more likely than not a black man — to languish behind bars for possessing or using marijuana when it is legal in more than half of the states in this country? We should end the federal prohibition on marijuana and expunge the records of those who were locked away for possessing it, ensuring that they can get work, finish their education, contribute to their full potential and to the greatness of this country.
Third, we must stop using mandatory minimum sentencing for non-violent drug offenses — a practice that costs taxpayers dearly and destroys lives in the process by locking up people who could safely re-enter society. And we replace this practice with policies that begin treating addiction like the public health concern it is.
Fourth, we can end the current use of bail bonds that punish people for being poor. This is a tactic that wastes resources on incarcerating those who are not a threat to anyone, not a flight risk, not likely to be repeat offenders. In the Harris County Jail, it’s estimated that 500 to 600 of the inmates at any given time fit this description — in for misdemeanors but without the resources to post bail as I did more than twenty years ago.
Finally, we should provide meaningful reentry to help cut down on recidivism for those who committed non-violent crimes. That starts with strong rehabilitation services, counseling and access to preventative health care. It continues by banning the box on job applications so those formerly incarcerated can work and pay taxes, returning drivers licenses so they can get to that place of employment, allowing them to apply for loans that can unlock skills trainings, and ensuring their constitutional right to participate in civic life by voting is protected....
Giving low-level offenders a second chance no matter the color of their skin or the economic status they hold can create opportunity for all of us. It will help build a future that is more just, more fair, and more prosperous for every single person in this state and this country. It is time for Texas to lead the way.
I call this commentary "curious: because O'Rourke is talking about his experience touring a local jail while running for federal office, and he makes no mention of current federal proposals like the FIRST STEP Act. Senator Ted Cruz has been resistant to some federal sentencing reforms proposed even by the GOP, and I would think candidate O'Rourke could and should seek to clearly distinguish his position from that of his opponent. Moveover, as students of modern criminal justice know, it is a bit curious to call for "Texas to lead the way" in criminal justice reform because, to a large extent, Texas already has starting the the mid 2000s when the state turned away from building more prisons and invested in more alternatives to incarceration.
Curious particulars notwithstanding, it is still heartening that our modern political times have evolved to the point that prominent candidates in the Lone Star State are eager to talk at length about improving Texas justice (even when a candidate is seeking a federal office).
August 27, 2018 in Aspects and impact of Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act, Elections and sentencing issues in political debates, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (0)
Lots of notable pieces in August 2018 issue of Criminology & Public Policy
I just saw the contents of the August 2018 issue of the journal Criminology & Public Policy, and now I have at least half-dozen new pieces to add to my reading list. The issue has collections of pieces on timely topics such as "Risk Assessment And Juvenile Justice" and "Victim Compensation And White -Collar Crime" and "Downsizing Our Prisons And Jails" and "Prison Length Of Stay And Recidivism." Here are just a few of the article on these topics that seem worth checking out:
"Can We Downsize Our Prisons and Jails Without Compromising Public Safety?: Findings from California’s Prop 47" by Bradley Bartos and Charis Kubrin
"Relationship Between Prison Length of Stay and Recidivism: A Study Using Regression Discontinuity and Instrumental Variables With Multiple Break Points" by William Rhodes, Gerald Gaes, Ryan Kling, and Christopher Cutler
"Sentence Length and Recidivism: Evidence and the Challenges of Criminal Justice Reform in the Carceral State" by Sara Wakefield
August 27, 2018 in Prisons and prisoners, Recommended reading, Scope of Imprisonment, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (0)
"Trauma and Sentencing: The Case for Mitigating Penalty for Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse"
The title of this post is the title of this new paper available via SSRN authored by Mirko Bagaric, Gabrielle Wolf and Peter Isham. Here is its abstract:
People who lack guidance when they are young have an increased risk of committing crimes. The nurturing that many people receive during their formative years can play a key role in the development of appropriate values and behavior. Yet there is a reluctance to acknowledge the diminished culpability of offenders who have lacked appropriate guidance during their childhood because it is feared that doing so might be perceived as justifying criminal behavior and hence leading to more crime. The Federal Sentencing Guidelines expressly state that lack of guidance as a youth should not be a mitigating sentencing consideration. Despite this, approximately half of all federal judges believe that it should reduce the harshness of the penalty that is imposed on offenders.
In this Article, we examine whether lack of guidance as a youth should serve to reduce the severity of criminal sanctions. In doing so, we also discuss the position in Australia where an offender’s neglected upbringing can mitigate his or her penalty. We conclude that a neglected youth should not of itself mitigate penalty because this would make sentencing law too obscure and uncertain. There is not even an approximate line that can be drawn to demarcate the boundaries between appropriate and inadequate guidance as a youth.
However, experiences that are commonly associated with being neglected during childhood and often profoundly set back the mental and/or emotional state of children, namely being subjected to physical or sexual abuse, are more concrete in nature and should be a mitigating factor in sentencing. Empirical evidence demonstrates that people who are subjected to such trauma in their childhood years have an increased risk of subsequently engaging in harmful behavior, such as criminal activity. Further, relatively clear criteria can be established to demarcate the scope and application of these experiences during childhood for sentencing purposes. Reforming the law to make childhood sexual and physical abuse a mitigating consideration would improve the doctrinal coherency of the law and may have the incidental benefit of reducing sentences for female offenders generally and for offenders from socio-economically deprived backgrounds, including African Americans. This reform could be implemented in a manner that does not compromise community safety, provided that it is complemented by targeted, effective rehabilitative measures.
August 26, 2018 in Federal Sentencing Guidelines, Offender Characteristics, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Purposes of Punishment and Sentencing, Race, Class, and Gender | Permalink | Comments (4)
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Home / California / Del Norte County Jail
Del Norte County Jail, CA Inmate Search, Mugshots, Prison Roster
650 Fifth Street, Crescent City, CA, 95531
Del Norte County Jail inmate locator: Mugshots, Arrests, Inmate List, Booking Date, Bookings, Who's in jail, Cell Location, Bond, Case Description, Release Date, Institution, Detainer Information.
When someone is arrested in the Del Norte County, they will be taken to the Williams County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Justice Center and then booked and processed into the Williams County Jail.
The jail is licensed by the state of California. The facility is operated and managed by the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office.
They will also have a few single cells for inmates who need to stay overnight for further treatment. Inmates in the Del Norte County Jail will have access to medical care. All medical staff is licensed. Medical care is available for inmates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The facility will house those who have already been sentenced and those who are currently going through the judicial system. The Del Norte County Jail is operated and managed by the Williams County Sheriff’s Office. Inmates in the facility are not only inmates who currently reside in the Del Norte County area. The jail works closely with other law enforcement agencies and takes in inmates from surrounding counties and even will take in the occasional federal inmate as well.
The alcoholics and narcotics anonymous classes are lead by some of the locals in Del Norte County. All religious services are offered twice a week.
The commissary will deliver the inmates goods on Mondays and Fridays. The inmates will have the option to purchase items from the commissary.
Del Norte County Jail Sheriff's Office
Address: 650 5th StreetCrescent City, CA 95531
Website: http://www.co.del-norte.ca.us/departments/sheriff-department
Del Norte County Jail
Del Norte County Jail Prison Information
Jail Name Del Norte County Jail
Location 650 Fifth Street, Crescent City, CA, 95531
City Crescent City
County Del Norte County
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Wildfires hit Greece’s Mt Athos peninsula, scorch parts of Bulgaria and Italy
Written by The Sofia Globe staff on August 9, 2012 in Bulgaria, Europe, News - No comments
Scorching summer heat, high winds and alleged negligence have caused a number of wildfires in South Eastern Europe, leading to some guests quitting hotels in Ouranoupolis near Mount Athos in northern Greece, other blazes in parts of Greece and hundreds of bush fires in Bulgaria.
Water-dropping aircraft were being used against the blaze on the Mount Athos peninsula, local media said. About 25 firefighting units had been deployed against the wildfire in the area.
The fire on Mount Athos is said to have broken out near the Hilandar Monastery. Mount Athos is famed for its many Orthodox Christian monasteries, with admission to the large part of the peninsula held by the church restricted to men, and the area is also known for its rich biodiversity.
The mayor of Ouranoupolis, the town that also serves as the port for ferries to Mount Athos’s monasteries, ordered families with young children and elderly people to leave the city because of concerns that strong winds could spread the fire further.
Authorities in the Peloponnese said that they were getting a fire in the area of Megalopoli, which has been burning for three days, under control. They said the fire had burnt 1500 hectares of land, leading Greek daily Kathimerini said on August 9. A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing the fire by discarding a cigarette among dried scrubs.
Three hotels in Kardamena resort on the Greek islandof Kos in the Aegean Sea have been evacuated due to a wildfire, Russian news agency RIA Novosti said on August 9.
The visitors were evacuated after smoke from the nearby fires reached the hotels and started bothering holidaymakers.
In Bulgaria, the Interior Ministry said on August 9 that 287 fires had been extinguished across the country in the previous 24 hours.
The large fires in the municipalities of Belitsa, Radomir and Dupnitsa had been contained, according to the Interior Ministry.
Fighting of a fire in the Sokolna reserve in Bulgaria’s Pavel Banya was continuing.
Elsewhere, reports on August 7 said that about 900 holidaymakers from Italy and abroad were moved from hotels and camping areas as the fire hit the Zingaro National Park on the island’s northwest tip overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.
An aggravating factor in Italy has been reported to be the sub-tropical anti-cyclone called “Nero” which has been blowing hot air across Sardinia, Sicily, Rome and regions elsewhere in central and southern Italy. Drought has hit northern, central and southern regions of Italy for more than two months.
The Sofia Globe - the Sofia-based fully independent English-language news and features website, covering Bulgaria, the Balkans and the EU. Sign up to subscribe to sofiaglobe.com's daily bulletin through the form on our homepage. Please click to support our advertisers!
August 9, 2012, by The Sofia Globe staff
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A Flash of Scarlet Part XV
Posted on August 4, 2016 by Shamwest
With the removal of the Queen mother, many new honours were placed upon the Cardinal’s head. He had the title of Eminence bestowed by Urban VIII, coadjutor of the Abbot of Cluny which increased his holdings and the opportunity to further the cause of the counter Reformation, a personal dream of his. In September 1631, the King created him Duc de Richelieu and a peer of France which allowed him a seat in Parliament. From that point on he was known as “Cardinal-Duc”. He became Governor of Brittany while his friends took the fortified towns of the north. Letters of Venetian nobility were given which he might pass to any of his family members. He had become nearly as powerful as the King himself.
One of the scandals of Richelieu’s time in power surrounded his reaction to the Marillac brothers, whom Richelieu regarded as enemies of the State. They came from a distinguished and “devot” (ultra Catholic) family. Michel, the elder, was a man of many accomplishments and had sat on the King’s counsel. He was responsible for creating the “Code Michaud” which reformed legislation and was adopted by the Estates General in 1614 and the Assemblies of Notables in 1617-26. He was also Keeper of the Seals until he was implicated in Marie de Medici’s plots to overthrow the King. After the Day of the Dupes, he was arrested and died in prison shortly after the death of his brother, Louis.
Louis had been made Marshall of the army that fought in the War of the Mantuan Succession. Here we see Richelieu’s extreme in matters of state as he forced the trial of Louis Marillac under charges of “peculation and oppression” when governor of Verdun. Parliament refused to bring Marillac to trial for committing “sins that were common to his time and trade”. The trial dragged on. No one wanted to execute a good and loyal soldier. Eventually, Richelieu formed his own commission which, against public outcry, condemned the soldier to death. He was beheaded at the Place de Greves on May 2, 1632. His epitaph read “….this illustrious victim of a powerful and vindictive minister”. His wife, Catherine de Medici, died of grief a few months later. Twelve years later, the Parliament of Paris acquitted Louis Marillac of the crimes which he suffered for.
The other illustrious head that would become victim of “raison d’etat” was that of Henri de Montmorency. His story exemplifies the struggle between nobility and the state. Henri was born into a very old and very noble family, a family descended in an unbroken line from the time of the first King of the Franks, Clovis. As a child, he was the godson of Henri IV and the darling of the court. His was a bright and affable personality, certainly the opposite of Louis XIII and 6 years older. Never the less, at seventeen, he was made Grand Admiral of France.
His list of military services under the King was impressive. He was present at the sieges of Montauban and Montpellier, led the navy in relieving the King during the 1625 civil war, defeated the Protestants against Henri de Rohan in Languedoc, fought the Spanish in Piedmont, Italy and raised the siege of Casale. For this, he was given the title of Marshall of France.
He was also Governor of Languedoc, a province with the ancient right of autonomy over taxes and a Protestant stronghold. Richelieu had issued a central edict for taxation which the people felt was a violation of their rights and further stirred hatred towards him. As time passed with no resolution to the problem, the people began to realize that they were being stalled by Richelieu and that the matter would be ended with a swift and terrible reprisal on his part. At this, Montmorency read out a manifesto which Gaston had written, calling the people to rise, not against the King but against the tyrant who the cause of so much suffering.
The summer of 1632 saw Montmorency sign a declaration of support for the nobles of Languedoc but before he had time to prepare to meet the King’s army, Gaston rode in with an ill-disciplined and unpaid army. In the meanwhile, Richelieu had once again taken swift action and sent two armies to hem Languedoc in from the east and west. While the other nobles of that province refused to take orders from Montmorency, the Cardinal’s troops grew ever closer to Castlenaudry until in despair, Montmorency rode to go out to face them. Gaston’s troops fell apart hearing of the approach and were quickly routed.
While many of the mercenaries fled, the good soldiers threw themselves with Montmorency, into battle, some of them losing their lives. Among them, Antoine de Bourbon, a son of Henri IV, therefore half-brother of the King. The Duke had gone to Antoine’s support as the men took flight in front of the King’s troops. The way was commanded by the Royal Musketeers who shot his horse out from under him. He was wounded and captured.
Gaston was the King’s brother, therefore he could not be punished in the same way that an ordinary subject would have been. He was spoiled and petulant, demanding money, the return of the Queen and amnesty for Montmorency. The Cardinal knew better than to trust Gaston and sent him in exile to Touraine with his nobles. Montmorency however, did not fare as well. After two months being imprisoned at castle Lectoure, he was brought to Toulouse to be tried for treason. Richelieu’s policy was to make an example of the high for the good of the state which must be united under the King. While all the country and the nobility pleaded “miseracorde” for the great soldier, Richelieu though moved, was kept to his course by Pere Joseph, his trusted advisor. No one must again ever think of uniting under Gaston in rebellion again.
On October 30, 1632, the same day as his trial, Henri, Duc de Montmorency was beheaded, to the great sorrow and anguish of France. In his will, he left a beautiful St. Sebastian painting to the Cardinal. Hearing the news, Gaston once more took flight across France to Brussels. Would the swift and terrible justice of the Cardinal be enough to check him?
This entry was posted in Cardinal Richelieu, France, French History, Louis XIII and tagged Cardinal Richelieu, France, French History, Gaston d'Oreans, Louis XIII, musketeers by Shamwest. Bookmark the permalink.
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Home Environment Bolsonaro supporter works to imprison Dorothy Stang’s successor
Bolsonaro supporter works to imprison Dorothy Stang’s successor
Brazilian President-elect Jair Bolsonaro is reportedly considering logger and politician Silvério Fernandes to head the Xingu, Pará, branch of the Brazilian Institute for Settlement and Land Reform (INCRA). Fernandes and other ruralists have accused Father José Amaro Lopes de Souza of serious land reform-related crimes.
Father Amaro is the successor of U.S. missionary Dorothy Stang, murdered in 2005. Amaro says he committed no crime, though admits to supporting landless worker settlements in Anapu, Pará state. Father Amaro was charged and imprisoned earlier this year and held in proximity to the man convicted of organizing Stang’s murder.
Land conflicts in Anapu began in the 1970s when Brazil’s military government invited outsiders to occupy land there, with the provision that they could keep it when they produced crops or livestock. Few succeeded, and the land reverted to the state. Later, agrarian reform communities were established which Stang supported.
She was killed in 2005. Land conflicts simmered after that, with violence erupting after 2015 when the nearby Belo Monte dam was finished and unemployed workers, allegedly prompted by loggers, poured into Anapu to claim land. If Fernandes gets the INCRA title, he’ll hold sway over workers’ settlement policy in the Xingu region.
Father Amaro likes to display his “references” on his chest. On the day of his hearing, he wore this shirt, showing a photograph of missionary, Amazon land reform activist, and mentor Dorothy Stang. Image by Repórter Brasil.
This story appears here as part of a collaboration between Mongabay and Repórter Brasil, who originally published a version of this article in Portuguese.
ANAPU, Pará state, Brazil – “Dorothy lives!” shouts a student with his fist clenched. Another ten people repeat the gesture and shout: “Always!” The cries of protest close a prayer held round the grave of Dorothy Stang, the U.S. missionary murdered in 2005 in the struggle for Brazilian land reform here in the Brazilian Amazon.
The prayer precedes the second court hearing of Father José Amaro Lopes de Souza, known as Father Amaro. The priest says he relies on his faith to give him strength in the face of yet another round of court charges in a legal drama he’s been enduring since last March.
The priest is Stang’s successor and a member of the Land Pastoral Commission (CPT), an arm of the Catholic Church that works with Brazilian rural workers seeking agrarian land reform. He is charged with conspiracy, threat, extortion, property trespass and money laundering, all in connection with his allegedly being the leader of a criminal organization aimed at occupying land in Anapu in the Xingu basin of Pará state in the Amazon.
These serious charges were made by the president of the Rural Association of Anapu, Silvério Fernandes, a logger and former deputy mayor of the city of Altamira, who ran unsuccessfully for state deputy in the October elections. At that time, Fernandes was also a chief campaigner in the region for then presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who in turn, recorded a video supporting Fernandes’s candidacy.
After Bolsonaro’s win, Fernandes appeared on local Xingu billboards hugging the president elect, with a message thanking voters for their support. As a reward, it is rumored that Fernandes is in line to head the Xingu, Pará, branch of the Brazilian Institute for Settlement and Land Reform (INCRA), which oversees the workers settlements that Father Amaro has helped support in the region.
In addition to being investigated for his participation in a scheme to defraud the federal government known as the SUDAM Mafia in the late 1990s, Fernandes and two of his brothers received R$28.2 million (US$7.2 million) in fines for environmental crimes. “IBAMA [Brazil’s environmental agency] is an industry of fines,” the logger says in his own defense, echoing the rhetoric of the President-elect, who was also fined in the past by IBAMA for an environmental crime, illegal fishing.
Father Amaro’s primary accuser Silvério Fernandes seen here on a billboard with presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, who recorded a video in support of Fernandes’s candidacy in October’s national elections. Image by Repórter Brasil.
Charges and counter-charges
“He is the main organizer of land invasions in Anapu. Father Amaro was behind it all. He was Sister Dorothy’s right hand, and she always encouraged land invasions,” Fernandes says.
Father Amaro denies the allegations: If I did anything wrong it was to direct people to seek their rights at the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office and other agencies, because people were often threatened, they were killed and nothing happened.… If I’ve done anything wrong, it was to help put land in the hands of the workers.”
The charges made by Fernandes and other local loggers and landowners led to a police investigation and a dramatic arrest last March of the priest that involved six vehicles and 15 officers. The operation was even given a name: Eça de Queiroz, a reference to a Portuguese writer whose masterpiece The Crime of Father Amaro is about a clergyman’s illicit relationship with a woman. The Xingu Father Amaro was also accused of sexual harassment, a charge that has since been dismissed by prosecutors.
“Instead of murdering him, they [Fernandes and other residents] found a way to discredit him [Father Amaro] by attacking his image and criminalizing him to drive him from Anapu,” the CPT wrote in a statement, comparing the landowners’ current smear campaign strategy with the one conducted against Dorothy Stang in the early 2000s.
Father Amaro fights for the land rights of rural workers, including Averson and Ivonete Batista. They’ve been waiting four years for the regularization of the settlement where they live with their six children and 18 grandchildren in Anapu. The couple’s house and crops have been attacked by gunmen. “It was a torment,” Averson the farmer recalls. Image by Repórter Brasil.
An unfolding dispute
It is still early, but already very hot: a typical day in the Amazon biome. The red dust rising from the roads, and the white smoke from burning rainforest, obscure the blue of the sky above. The smoke causes an inevitable sensation of suffocation in outsiders. Near Dorothy’s grave – adorned with flowers and her photo – a red cross is thrust into the ground. It bears the names of 16 rural workers who have been murdered in the last three years in Anapu, a dark reflection on the region’s escalation of violence.
Stang was assassinated, shot six times, in 2005 while on the road to her major legacy, the PDS Esperança, a Portuguese acronym for the Sustainable Development Project Hope – an Amazon land reform effort that settled small-scale farmers onto plots, with 20 percent of the land intended for agricultural production while the remainder was conserved as forest under Brazil’s Forest Code. That system went – and continues to go – against the interests of Xingu-area loggers.
Supporters of Stang and Amaro say that 13 years ago loggers took aim at Sister Dorothy, and now they target her successor.
At the Anapu courthouse, 51-year-old Father Amaro reads a small book, The Liturgy of the Hours, while the prosecutor questions defense witnesses. Amaro wears a shirt emblazoned with Stang’s photo. The priest didn’t speak at this hearing because he wasn’t to be questioned until later. Amaro seemed calm in court but admitted afterward that he distanced himself emotionally from the proceeding, viewing it as he would a movie.
Amaro first dedicated himself to rural workers and their land rights at the age of 19, after hearing a radio report covering the murder of Father Josimo Tavares, then the CPT coordinator in neighboring Maranhão state. Amaro decided then and there to become a priest and work in the same organization as Tavares. “I didn’t even know what the CPT was,” he recalls.
Three years later, Amaro went on to study at the seminary in Belém. There he met Stang, who invited him to do an internship in Anapu. After being ordained priest in 1998, he went to the local parish and worked with Stang at the CPT until she was murdered.
Father Amaro himself was released from jail in late June. He has since left Anapu and now lives at the church’s headquarters in Altamira, surrounded by security guards. Feeling always threatened, he complains of not being able to walk by himself and shows distress at the uncertainty surrounding his future.
In an interview with Repórter Brasil, the first since his 2018 arrest, Amaro blames Fernandes for the ordeal of recent months. He adds that, after the wrongful lawsuit is concluded against him, that he plans to file a countersuit against his attackers, asking for compensation for the psychological pain and suffering that the false accusations have caused. “Did you see how people treat me in Anapu?” he asks, referring to the hugs he received from the local population when he walked out of the courthouse. The case’s conclusion isn’t expected until 2019, and not before Father Amaro and other witnesses have testified.
Father José Amaro Lopes de Souza, known as Father Amaro. Image by Repórter Brasil.
Land, the source of Amazon conflict
By the time he was released from jail in June, Father Amaro had served 92 days, all of them in the same prison where Regivaldo Pereira Galvão, aka Taradão (Portuguese for Big Pervert) was doing time; he is the rancher convicted of masterminding Stang’s assassination.
“I suspect they set it up [putting me in that particular prison] to kill me in jail,” says the priest.
Local authorities made no attempt to hold the two men separately. “When I got there Taradão was inside. He was the first to wish me a Happy Easter,” Father Amaro revealed. “I didn’t say anything and I didn’t even shake his hand. He [Taradão] said, ‘You’re innocent. I’m innocent. This was something they’ve set up for us.’”
Like so many other killings in the Brazilian Amazon, Dorothy Stang’s murder was motivated by land disputes. Pereira Galvão bought a plot from the Fernandes family. However, that property was already part of the land reform project advocated for by Stang. Then Pereira Galvão sold the plot to logger Vitalmiro Bastos de Moura, aka Bida. Later, according to authorities, Bida and Pereira Galvão teamed up to arrange Stang’s 2005 murder.
After the crime, Pereira Galvão hid on the farm belonging to Silvério Fernandes’s brother Délio. Although Délio was also investigated for allegedly masterminding the crime, he was never charged or tried for participating in Stang’s assassination, even though he had supposedly threatened the nun in 2002. Délio Fernandes once offered Stang a ride, and reportedly told her that no one should ever invade his lands or they “would have blood to their ankles.”
During a telephone interview with Repórter Brasil, which lasted more than half an hour, Silvério Fernandes spoke mostly in a polite tone, though raised his voice several times. At one point, he declared menacingly that he wanted to “look in the eye,” presumably of the inquiring journalist. When asked if Fernandes was making a threat, he replied: “What threat? F__k you, lad.” Fernandes also directed anger at Father Amaro, who he called “a pederast, a fagot and a bum.”
“The Fernandes family is part of the consortium that killed Dorothy,” Father Amaro told Repórter Brasil, noting that the family is responsible for the charges he now faces. “They claim to be the owners of these lands. What makes them angry? It’s that the PDS [settlement] was created within the area Délio Fernandes had sold to Taradão.”
U.S. missionary and Amazon land reform advocate Dorothy Stang. The Amazon land rights conflict that led to her murder in 2005 continues today. Tio Palhaço Ribeirinho on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA
Inside Anapu
Despite its small population of just 27,000 people, Anapu is larger than some countries, including Jamaica and Qatar. The population there has soared by 32 percent in the last eight years, a demographic boom caused by its proximity, just 80 kilometers (50 miles) away from the controversial Belo Monte mega-dam. With the conclusion of the dam’s construction in 2015, hundreds of families, without jobs or prospects, came to Anapu in search of homes, work and land.
“Many families arrive and are pressured by loggers to invade [established workers’] settlements,” explained Jorge Jatobá Correia, Brazil’s national agrarian ombudsman.
The influx of people hunting for land helped ignite already smoldering disputes between land reform settlers and illegal loggers. Those conflicts had their origins back in the 1970s when Brazil’s military government invited outsiders to settle along the new Trans-Amazon Highway. The government offered provisional land titles that depended on the properties’ production for the deeds to become permanent.
However, in most cases, the land neither became productive, nor were the provisional titles ever cancelled. Eventually the outsiders began selling the properties. The main buyers – including the Fernandes patriarch and his sons – turned to logging, cutting down the rainforest, extracting and selling timber.
It was in this context that Dorothy Stang arrived in Anapu in 1983 and began fighting for the possession of that same land as eventually justified by Brazilian agrarian reform policies. In 2003, during the administration of President Lula da Silva, the first agrarian reform settlements in the area became official. Stang was murdered less than three years later.
After her assassination, international pressure resulted in a stronger Brazilian government presence in Anapu, which provided some respite from the conflicts. But, the Belo Monte dam’s completion and the surge in unemployed construction workers seeking livelihoods and land caused violence to explode again in 2015.
The ongoing, often violent, dispute in Anapu is between loggers and formerly landless rural workers and their families. In the workers’ settlement known as Mata Preta, 350 families are waiting for promised land reform to be implemented. The settlement project includes two schools with 150 students. Image by Repórter Brasil.
The clash over Lot 44
The escalation of the clashes, which resulted in the arrest of Father Amaro last Spring, has centered around Lot 44, also known as the Santa Maria Farm, an agrarian reform settlement covering an area equivalent to 3,000 football fields whose possession is disputed by the Fernandes family.
Although the Fernandes family continues to claim Lot 44 ownership, the Brazilian Institute for Settlement and Agrarian Reform (INCRA), and the Federal Prosecutor’s Office both requested the property be slated for agrarian reform – a request accepted by a federal justice in Altamira last August. The Fernandes family has appealed that decision.
In October 2016, the encampment of rural workers living on the property was burned, and Public Prosecutors charged Silvério and Luciano Fernandes with the crime. Asked about it on the phone, Silvério said he “demolished” the houses. “Lot 44 is ours. It’s ours!” exclaimed Fernandes, president of the Rural Association of Anapu, and possibly the next head of the Xingu, Pará, branch of INCRA, with authority over the settlements.
Márcio Rodrigues dos Reis, the primary accuser against the Fernandes brothers in the encampment fire, was himself arrested in March 2017 while trying to rebuild the camp at Lot 44. Reis was accused of trespassing and illegal possession of a firearm. Silvério Fernandes accompanied the police when they came to arrest Reis.
Another accuser of the Fernandes family, Valdemir Resplandes dos Santos, was murdered in January 2018. Two of his relatives have also been killed, as has a witness to the crime. Of the 16 murders of rural workers since 2015, police investigations have led to the arrest of suspects in just one case. Another 15 remain unsolved.
The CPT calls the Civil Police “inoperative” in their failure to identify, arrest and charge perpetrators. “The police act in a partial way, without hiding their proximity to the landowners and land-grabbers who illegally occupy public lands. The impunity of these crimes is one of the causes of continuing violence,” the Catholic organization says.
The press office of the Civil Police was asked to comment for this story, but failed to reply.
Paulo Sérgio Pereira (lesft) arrived in Anapu in 2015, coming from Paragominas, Pará state. He now lives in the Mata Preta settlement, which he hopes to be regularized by the government soon. How the election of Jair Bolsonaro as president, and the possible appointment of Silvério Fernandes to a local INCRA land reform agency post, might impact those hopes is unknown. Image by Repórter Brasil.
Bolsonaro enters the fray
Tensions between landless rural workers and illegal loggers were further fuelled by the May 19 murder in Anapu of Silvério Fernandes’s brother Luciano.
After his brother’s death, Silvério recorded a video asking for assistance from then presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro. The shirt displayed in the film, stained with Luciano’s blood, was emblazoned with an image of retired army captain Bolsonaro, who has long expressed his opposition to the landless workers’ movement, and likened its participants to terrorists.
“We have to fight these land invaders, these criminals, these thugs. Anapu has become a place of thugs. You are our hope,” Silvério Fernandes said in the video, which went viral on social media among Bolsonaro supporters. Fernandes accuses Luciano’s murder on social movements, whose actions, he says, are locally led by Father Amaro.
This view, however, is not confirmed by the police investigation of the killing. According to the Chief of the Xingu Civil Police Superintendence Walison Damasceno, the motive behind Luciano Fernandes’ killing is allegedly a dispute between loggers. Damasceno, who is in charge of the nearly finished investigation, says the current crime suspects have no connection whatsoever with Brazil’s social movements.
A month after the murder, the police arrested a person alleged to have ordered the killing. Later, they also arrested Josiel Ferreira de Almeida, aka “The Booted Cat,” accused of acting as a middleman in the crime. In October, Almeida’s two sons were murdered in an Anapu bar.
When asked by Repórter Brasil if he had any involvement in the Almeida sons’ deaths, Silvério Fernandes denied it: “We don’t endorse this terrorism of taking anyone’s life. We are good people. We were defending our property. My brother was murdered and now I become a suspect?”
Instead of sacred images and a cross, the altar of the local church in Anapu displays a painting of a rural worker crucified on a cut tree. Sister Dorothy Stang and Father Josimo Tavares, both members of the CPT, both assassinated, stand on either side. The altar divides the town and even the church, since some parishioners want the painting replaced by a conventional altar.
Members of the Charismatic Renewal movement are leading the offensive to remove this church alter painting displaying Sister Dorothy Stang and Father Josimo (both assassinated), standing on either side of a representation of Jesus as a rural worker crucified on a logged Amazon tree. Image by Repórter Brasil.
The Amazon: a tinder box, ready to explode
The disputes in Anapu echo ideological struggles between the left and the right that in recent years have polarized Brazil as a whole, and which some say helped put leading presidential Workers Party presidential candidate Lula behind bars, while catapulting far right candidate Jair Bolsonaro to the presidency.
Now analysts fear that these tensions, especially between Amazon land-grabbers and agrarian reform settlements, could explode into violence in 2019.
In Anapu, most believe that Silvério Fernandes will become the next head of the INCRA Xingu regional branch sometime after Bolsonaro takes office on 1 January. Asked about this possibility, Fernandes says he isn’t aware of it, but he did reveal his intentions if appointed: “I want to solve the land problem in the region. We came here to guarantee the sovereignty of the Amazon.” In his view, the 1970s land contracts need to be honored, whether their requirements were fulfilled or not, with the land settlements claimed by landless workers handed over to the outsiders.
The dream of accomplishing land reform in Anapu will be more distant if Fernandes is appointed as head of INCRA, according to 78-year-old Sister Jane Dwyer. Born in the United States, she decided to become a missionary when she participated in the historic 1963 March on Washington led by Martin Luther King. Dwyer is still active in the struggle for land democratization, despite the prosecution of Father Amoro, escalating violence in Anapu, and Bolsonaro’s threats against rural activists.
Attending a baptism ceremony in Mata Preta – occupied land expected to become a land reform settlement – the nun, who belongs to the same order as Stang, expresses resistance: “We cannot panic. We have to be patient, keep a cool head and at least preserve what has already been achieved.” Dwyer sees no solution, however, if parishioners paint over the controversial altar in the church: “If they do that, I’ll never set foot in there again.”
As for Father Amaro, he remains outspoken and unbent: “It’s time for a united struggle; for believing in life even when everyone is losing faith; for resisting wherever we are; for believing in the small, because they have their strategies for struggle and resistance.” Amaro is also resolved to follow through to the end: “Suddenly these people [have] found a piece of land. If I have to die defending them, I guess I’m ready.
This story was written by Repórter Brasil with support from DGB Bildungswerk, and is co-published with Mongabay.
FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.
Missionaries Jane Dwyer (in a white shirt) and Katy say they are not intimidated by the persecution against José Amaro Lopes de Souza and the Land Pastoral Commission. They now focus on mobilization to regularize the Mata Preta settlement. Image by Repórter Brasil.
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Esther Dyson, Space Tourist in Training
The tech guru talks to IEEE Spectrum from Russia’s Star City, the “cosmonaut college” where would-be space tourists prepare for their journey
By Tekla S. Perry
This is part of IEEE Spectrum’s Special Report: Why Mars? Why Now?
Esther Dyson is an investor in, adviser to, and board member of about 20 companies, including consumer genome firm 23andMe, zeppelin operator Airship Ventures, and a variety of Internet-related businesses. Normally, she spends her time zipping around the world to meet with the management of those companies, as well as with aspiring entrepreneurs, policy makers, and venture capitalists.
When IEEE Spectrum caught up with Dyson a few months ago, however, she was wintering in Russia as she prepared for a possible visit to the International Space Station. Dyson was on deck as a backup in case Charles Simonyi, Microsoft’s former chief architect, was unable to make his second trip into space. The trip was being brokered by Space Adventures, a U.S. company that arranges flights for space tourists with Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. Clients like Simonyi pay upwards of US $20 million for a 13-day flight. Via e-mail, Dyson explained what led her to take five months out of her hectic schedule, why she’s not afraid to go into space, and how she’s discovering muscles she never knew she had.
IEEE Spectrum: Where are you right now?
Esther Dyson: I’m sitting in my dorm at Star City. We’re 32 kilometers northeast of Moscow, and it’s like being back in college, though I do have my own bathroom. Every weekday I go to classes from 9 to 6, and I eat in a cafeteria. Today is a holiday, in honor of the Defenders of the Fatherland, and I just got back from a trip to the other side of Moscow where I met a friend to go swimming in an outdoor pool. Eighty-five-degree [29 °C] water and 15-degree [–9 °C] air…it was great!
Spectrum: How did you come to be training to go into space?
ED: Well, I’m an investor in Space Adventures, the only company that organizes trips to space for individuals. [It also offers “weightless flights” through its Zero-G subsidiary.] When Space Adventures asked me if I wanted to do the training as a backup (because I can’t quite afford the actual trip), I said I would love to…someday. But they said, “No, we mean now.” I wanted to do it, but I have commitments going out a year or so. Then my sister had a double mastectomy; she’s fine now, or I wouldn’t tell this story. A few weeks later, as I was juggling my schedule, I found myself thinking, “Now if I just had a double mastectomy, I could get out of these commitments.” Oops! I realized I would always be way too busy, unless I just stopped. So I said yes to Space Adventures and canceled most of the commitments…though in fact I have two board calls scheduled for this evening Moscow time.
That’s pretty much how I live: Swim in the morning—there’s a great pool here—go to class by day, and get on the phone at night. I don’t think I would be doing this without the Internet and Skype.
Spectrum: Had you always wanted to go into space, even as a little girl?
ED: I wanted to, but it wasn’t a big deal. It was just one more thing I expected to do as a grown-up. Back then, I assumed everyone would be going to space by now—just as I knew my parents had grown up before widespread use of airplanes but that flying had since become commonplace.
Spectrum: What would be the circumstances under which Charles Simonyi wouldn’t fly and you would?
ED: Basically, anything that would prohibit Charles from being a healthy, active participant would prevent him from going, from a fracture to a bad cold; the Russian space agency and its medical commission would make that decision.
Spectrum: If you do go, how will your trip be funded?
ED: The terms of my contract prohibit me from discussing the terms of my contract.
Spectrum: What were the medical qualifications that you had to meet?
ED: Extensive! Along with Charles and Space Adventures’ other clients and of course all the astronauts and cosmonauts, I am probably one of the most-examined healthy people in the world. EKGs, blood samples all the time, stress tests, ultrasounds, X-rays, and some specialty tests involving a centrifuge, up to 8 g’s, and a rotating chair. The psychological tests, on the other hand, were pretty minimal: A few “Do you mostly feel happy or sad?”–type questions. But of course you are with people all day…if you were really weird, it would be noticed.
Spectrum: What kinds of advice have you gotten from experienced space travelers?
ED: All kinds of things, starting with making sure everything has Velcro on it—so you can stick it to a wall and it won’t fly off somewhere. But mostly, it’s not so much advice as information: How long it takes to adjust to zero g—variable! What the food is like—not so bad, but it gets a bit old after six months. (If I go, it would be for only about 10 days.) How noisy it is—bring earplugs! And the space tourist has to sleep in the docking module, whereas the regular astronauts get private cabins.
Spectrum: What kinds of skills are you developing in training to go into space?
ED: I’m learning four sets of things:
Specifics about space travel, human life support, emergency situations and the like, that will just make me a better-informed person and certainly a better-informed investor in new space.
Specifics about the Soyuz and the space station that probably don’t have much application elsewhere but will be really handy if I do go up, this March or any other time.
I’m finally getting good at Russian, which I first studied in high school. I’m also getting immersion into the Russian space program and some contact with the extensive NASA operations here. It’s another world here, and a fascinating one.
And I’m becoming a better person, learning to deal with authority and chill out when things don’t go as fast as or in the direction I’d like.
Oh, and yes, I’m developing some muscles in the gym. I have always had great aerobic conditioning from swimming an hour a day, but I was a pathetic weakling on the workout-machine side.
Spectrum: What’s the coolest thing you’ve done in the training program so far?
ED: Probably the overnight wilderness training, where three of us spent two days and two nights overnight in the woods, in subzero temperatures. That was to simulate “an unexpected landing in forested and marshy terrain in winter.” The simulated helicopter rescue was also a lot of fun, but fairly brief. We were picked up, one by one, by a crane, from the side of a water tank and from within it (in our waterproof suits). And experiencing 4 g’s in the centrifuge was a lot of fun; I’ve done it twice so far and would love to do it again. Eight g’s, however, was a bit unpleasant. And of course all the weightless flights, both here and, before I was training, with Zero-G in the United States.
Spectrum: Any personal experiments you’d like to conduct in space?
ED: Fortunately, the experiment-slash-research I do most want to do doesn’t actually require me to be in space. That would be to get all the cosmonauts and astronauts (with their governments’ support, of course) to donate their genetic information and their health records to a medical database. As I said, all of them, plus us “space tourists,” are probably the healthiest people on the planet to have such extensive medical records. Most people with good medical records are sick, one way or another (with the possible exception of some rich hypochondriacs and perhaps some sports figures). So we would make an excellent control group and could be quite useful to medical research. Also, I’d like to see if it’s possible to find genetic markers for adaptation to motion sickness, bone-density variations, and other kinds of space-related issues.
Spectrum: Why is space tourism a good thing?
ED: It builds a constituency for space exploration, brings money into the space program, helps publicize it, and excites kids about math and science. Already, it is one more sector of the modern economy. Also, it will lead to more productive things such as solar energy capture and asteroid mining, as well as more effective crystal and pharmaceutical production.
Spectrum: If you do go into space, are you worried about the bad stuff that might happen?
ED: To be honest, I’m more scared day to day of slipping on the ice here and breaking my leg. Statistically, that’s far more likely, though of course the consequences of something going wrong in space could be more serious! I have had a long, full life and hope to continue it, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life worrying about dying; I want to spend it doing interesting, useful things. There are unpleasant parts to it: the adjustment to 0 g, constipation, noise…but they’re trivial compared to the overall experience.
For more articles, go to Special Report: Why Mars? Why Now?
To Probe Further
For more on Esther Dyson, see “What I Did at Cosmonaut Training Camp.”
Early Soyuz Spacecraft Had a Peculiar User Interface, Says Charles Simonyi
NASA’s Lunar Space Station Is a Great/Terrible Idea
Blue Origin’s Next Rocket Engine Could Send the First Settlers to the Moon
Kim Stanley Robinson Built a Moon Base in His Mind
Engineers and Architects Are Already Designing Lunar Habitats
Moondust, Radiation, and Low Gravity: The Health Risks of Living on the Moon
aerospace astronaut training cosmonaut training esther dyson Geek Life Profile space adventure space adventures space flight space station space tourism space tourist space travel star city
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Rob Dahm Sneaks Rotary Corvette Into LS Fest.
by Randy Zebraman | May 9, 2019
chevroletcorvettels festRob Dahmrotary
Every year, and now twice a year, lots of folks invested in Chevrolet late model ...
Every year, and now twice a year, lots of folks invested in Chevrolet late model performance meet at the biggest show of them all. Holley’s LS Fest brings together those who own and love cars with LS or modern LT power. These days, this type of engine has been swapped into just about everything. It’s not even limited to the world of wheels, either. We have seen the LS in boats, airplanes, and even an RV! It seems as if it’s really the go-to option in the world of swaps. However, every once in a while, we find somebody going in the opposite direction.
Because LS power is so affordable, reliable, and powerful, it’s not too often that someone takes it out of a vehicle. However, when it comes to famed rotary head, Rob Dahm, we find that he was in the mood to stoke the fire. When he finally procured a Chevrolet Corvette, it wasn’t to make an LS-powered V8 machine. Instead, he wanted to put a rotary under the hood. Now, knowing Rob, we think this is something that he truly was interested in doing. However, the byproduct of such a build would end with lots of controversy.
In the name of really mixing things up, Rob decided to drop in on the biggest LS show in the country. He would make his way on the road to Las Vegas to see what was up at Holley’s LS Fest West. When he managed to get there, it seems as if he was able to go undetected for quite some time. However, before we know it, it seems as if the jig was up and he was en route to LS fest jail.
There are a lot of long videos out there that do nothing more than eat up our valuable time. This is one that’s worth watching from start to finish, though. It’s incredibly entertaining, to say the least.
2018 LS Fest West Overview
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Filed to: what nowFiled to: what now
what now
DeRay McKesson
Welcome to WHAT NOW, a morning round-up of the news/fresh horrors that await you today.
DeRay Mckesson and Johnetta Elzie are among the Black Lives Matter leaders named in a new federal lawsuit from a police officer who says their anti-police brutality rhetoric is to blame for a July 2016 ambush in Baton Rouge, LA, that left him and another officer wounded and three officers dead.
The complaint alleges that various arms of the Black Lives Matter movement and its most visible leaders should be held responsible for the shooting, saying that they “incited the violence against police in retaliation for the death (sic) of black men shot by police,” and “did nothing to dissuade the ongoing violence and injury to police.”
“They justified the violence as necessary to the movement and war,” the complaint, filed Friday in the US District Court for the Middle District and obtained by CNN on Sunday, says.
The officer who filed the suit is named only as Officer John Doe Smith. Smith is 42, a father of two, and is permanently disabled after he was shot through his abdomen, the left side of his head, and left shoulder in the ambush-style attack, where Gavin Long waited near a convenience store popular among police officers armed with a rifle on July 17, 2016.
It’s not clear why the officer is not identified by his real name, and the attorney for the officer who filed the suit told CNN that she’s not authorized to speak about the lawsuit.
Mckesson did not seem too concerned about the suit.
UPDATE, July 10, 2016 at 11:37 am: In a DM to Fusion, Mckesson reiterated that the lawsuit is the second from a Baton Route officer and said: “The protests began as a response to the violence of the police and that is the only violence I’ve seen at any protest.”
This case comes as another complaint was filed in the same court on Sunday by 13 protesters and journalists who were arrested in protests following the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, alleging that Baton Rouge police used excessive force and violated their civil rights.
Donald Trump Jr. met with a Kremlin-linked lawyer during the toughest days of the presidential race, according a report from The New York Times that is, depending on who you are, somewhere between a bombshell and a “big nothing.”
Meanwhile, his dad is tweeting again this morning after watching Fox and Friends:
Watch DeRay Mckesson give the perfect response to a CNN anchor's question about 'All Lives Matter'
Activist Deray Mckesson on the complexity of being black and gay
Black Lives Matter activist Deray Mckesson has raised money faster than any other Baltimore mayoral candidate
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Home / Shop / Coal / The BIG PICTURE Guidebook: A compilation of articles from 2017
The BIG PICTURE Guidebook: A compilation of articles from 2017
SKU: PW118 Categories: Coal, Gas, Nuclear, Renewables, International, Business, O&M
The BIG PICTURE, POWER magazine’s monthly infographic series, visualizes prominent power generation trends and issues from around the world. Now, find all of these 2017 articles in one compiled guidebook.
Delivered in a PDF format.
Presidents on Power
Over the last 50 years, each new administration has offered a new set of regulations and policies that affected the power sector. Especially since the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the Nixon administration, power plant rules have multiplied and evolved in scope and purpose.
The Nuclear Fuel Cycle
The world’s nuclear fuel cycle associated with the production of nuclear power is an intricate series of processes that starts with mining of uranium and ends with the disposal of nuclear waste. The “front end” of the nuclear cycle involves mining and milling, conversion, enrichment, and fuel fabrication. The “back end” typically involves temporary storage, reprocessing, and recycling before wastes are disposed. Here are key things to know about each stage today.
Shunning Coal
In the wake of the Paris agreement in December 2015, a number of governments are implementing (or considering) a phase-out or cutback of coal-fired power generation. Percentages show coal’s share of total generation in 2014.
Total global installed capacity of wind power surged to nearly 487 GW at the end of 2016. Over the past five years, China has taken an ever-larger share of the market, dominating onshore and offshore installations in 2016. Chinese wind turbine manufacturers have also made big gains in market share in a sector increasingly characterized by mergers. In 2016, a “strong breakaway group” of three companies emerged within the world’s wind turbine market, “with a fairly tight field following,” noted David Hostert, head of wind research for Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), in February. Siemens Wind and Gamesa, which are in the process of merging, will join the “big four” dominant group, he said.
Pumped Storage
While the first documented use of pumped storage for power generation was at the Ruppoldingen plant in Switzerland in 1904, the modern era of pumped storage did not begin until the 1960s, following several major technological milestones. They included: installation of the first true reversible pump in 1956; the advent of
static frequency converter motor starting equipment; improved generator insulator systems; mechanical bearings; high-speed automatic controls; and commercial operation of a adjustable speed machine in 1996. How pumped storage is primarily used has shifted too. From the 1960s to the 1980s, projects were intended to support time-shifting of power from large baseload nuclear or coal plants. Deregulation of power markets and creation of spot markets later expanded pumped storage use for ancillary benefits. Over the past decade, pumped storage received another tremendous boost as a crucial resource to help integrate large amounts of intermittent wind and solar generation. At the end of 2016, about 159 GW of pumped storage was operational around the world. Here’s how cumulative installations compare among the countries with the world’s top
pumped storage capacity.
Generation Transition
Compared to 2009, in 2016, coal power generation across the U.S. decreased by 510 TWh. During that same period, natural gas generation surged by 439 TWh and non-hydro renewables generation rose by 195 TWh. However, those changes weren’t uniform across the U.S.
SO2 Success
Emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from the U.S. electric power sector have fallen a dramatic 86% since the 1970s, owing to several factors such as the varying sulfur and heat content of coal, the heat rate of power generation, diminished generation from coal, and the growing share of coal plants that use flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems.
Notably, since the 1970s when SO2 emission controls first became available, FGD costs have declined by nearly a third, and as of 2015 had been installed on 60% of the nation’s coal units. By comparison, fluidized bed combustion was installed on just 8% of units, and only three plants in the U.S. employed integrated gasification combined cycle technology. Here’s a look at how the power sector’s laudable environmental achievement came to be.
Nuclear Financial Meltdown
Cheap natural gas, stagnant power demand, and power prices that have fallen significantly since 2008 have jeopardized the economics of about two-thirds of the nation’s 100-GW nuclear capacity, according to a working paper from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research. About
21 GW in merchant deregulated markets are retiring, or are at high risk of retiring the paper suggests. Here’s a profitability outlook for all 61 nuclear plants in the U.S. over the short term (between 2017 and 2019), according to the research entity.
Economic and Workforce Contributions
The Edison Electric Institute, an industry trade group that represents all U.S. investor-owned power companies, the American Public Power Association, an association for public power entities, and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which represents the bulk of U.S. not-for-profit consumer-owned electric cooperatives, this
August released a report highlighting the economic and workforce contributions of the U.S. power industry. Here are its most significant findings. Data used to conduct modeling came from U.S. government sources and the Center for Energy Workforce Development.
The History of Power
Power Expenses
The operating expenses at major U.S. investor-owned electric utilities have shifted over the last decade or so, owing primarily to changing fuel costs. The “Hydro” category consists of both conventional hydro and pumped storage, and the “Gas turbine and small-scale” category includes gas turbines, internal combustion, photovoltaic, and
wind plants. Expenses are calculated as averages weighted by net generation, and they are measured in mills/kWh (a mill is a monetary cost and billing unit equal to a tenth of a U.S. cent).
Global CCS
In a November report, The Global CCS Institute said carbon capture and storage (CCS) is the only technology able to decarbonize the industrial sector. To reach the Paris Agreement’s target to keep global atmospheric temperature increases to below 2 degrees Celsius, 2,500 CCS facilities will need to be operational by 2040, with 14% of
cumulative emissions reductions coming from CCS. Yet, to date only 17 large-scale CCS facilities are operational globally, capturing more than 30 million tonnes per annum. Only two are at power plants. No large-scale power plant projects are now under construction or even in advanced development, though a handful of projects are in early
development. While these projects may benefit from the declining costs of deployment and profitability of CCS, which has been demonstrated in the power sector, their success will rest on a number of factors, including government support.
Renewable Energy Guidebook
Nuclear Guidebook
Power Plant Guidebook: Focus on Nuclear
Nuclear (13)
Renewables (18)
O&M (30)
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Getz At The Gate (Live) (Remastered)
Getz At The Gate (Live) (Remastered) Stan Getz
Label: 2019 UMG Recordings Inc.
Subgenre: Hard Bop
1Announcement By Chip Monck (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)00:26
2It's All Right With Me (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)07:49
3Wildwood (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)09:20
4When The Sun Comes Out (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)06:28
5Impressions (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)12:01
6Airegin (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)08:35
7Like Someone In Love (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)09:45
8Woody 'N' You (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)08:29
9Blues (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)10:23
10Where Do You Go (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)05:02
11Yesterday's Gardenias (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)08:19
12Stella By Starlight (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)07:25
13It's You Or No One (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)09:01
14Spring Can Really HangYou Up The Most (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)06:58
1552nd Street Theme (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)14:18
16Jumpin' With Symphony Sid (Live At The Village Gate, 1961) (Remastered)14:58
Total Runtime02:19:17
Info zu Getz At The Gate (Live) (Remastered)
Tenor saxophone legend Stan Getz’s career spanned six decades in which he played with everyone from Antonio Carlos Jobim and Dizzy Gillespie to Barry Manilow and Huey Lewis. On June 14, Verve Records and UMe will take fans back to the evening of November 26, 1961, when Getz and his quartet comprising pianist Steve Kuhn, bassist John Neves, and drummer Roy Haynes took the stage at New York’s Village Gate. The show was professionally recorded, possibly for release, but for one reason or another, was never issued.
The show was professionally recorded with a view to possible commercial release but, after those plans were forgotten, the tape sat in the vaults for 58 years. The recording serves as a priceless document of a direction that Getz, ultimately, did not follow.
Returning from a period of living in Europe, he put together this new quartet to pursue a slightly more modern and aggressive sound which was gaining ground, notably via John Coltrane’s quartet, in which Kuhn had recently been playing. But in 1962, Getz’s Jazz Samba album with guitarist Charlie Byrd heralded the start of the bossa nova boom, and steered the course of Getz’s career for the following years.
1963’s Jazz Samba Encore! (1963) album, featuring Luiz Bonfá, continued that trend, before the saxophonist’s unforgettable liaison with Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto for 1964’s Getz/Gilberto. Also featuring pianist Antônio Carlos Jobim, it led to a Record of the Year Grammy Award in 1965 for ‘The Girl From Ipanema,’ one of two tracks featuring João’s wife, vocalist Astrud Gilberto.
Getz at The Gate contains performances of several tracks that he had recorded in the 1950s, including ‘When the Sun Comes Out,’ ‘Like Someone in Love’ and ‘Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most.’ It also hints at where he might have gone if the bossa nova sound had not dictated his next direction, with Getz’s only known recordings of ‘It’s All Right with Me’ and ‘Yesterday’s Gardenias.’ The album also showcases the uptempo choruses of ‘Airegin’ and an impassioned version of ‘Where Do You Go?’.
Stan Getz, tenor saxophone
Steve Kuhn, piano
John Neves, bass
Roy Haynes, drums
Label: High Fidelity Masters
Live in Cannes '80 (Remastered)
Label: Universal / Verve
Jazz Samba
Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd
Label: Verve Reissues
Big Band Bossa Nova
Getz/Gilberto #1
João Gilberto & Stan Getz
Stan Getz & João Gilberto
Stan Getz With Guest Artist Laurindo Almeida
Label: 2xHD - Naxos
Moments In Time (Remaster)
Keine Biografie vorhanden.
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Super Lawyers Magazine named Roxann Smithers a 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016 Georgia Rising Star.
Roxann has developed a nationwide practice that focuses on working with owners, suppliers, general contractors, and subcontractors of all sizes at different stages of the construction process. She regularly advises clients during contract reviews and negotiation (both private and public contracts), lien/bond claims and dispute resolution. As part of her practice, she served as regional outside counsel for a Fortune 100 construction company representing the company in various capacities as a general contractor, subcontractor, and supplier in more than 13 states.
Roxann has an expertise in litigating matters in multiple state and federal jurisdictions across the country, including breach of contract and collection actions.
Roxann also represents hospitality providers and other property owners in premise liability litigation within the state of Georgia. She has successfully represented clients before magistrate, state/superior and federal courts, including the Georgia Court of Appeals against slip/fall, malicious prosecution, food borne illness and personal injury claims.
Finally, Roxann routinely advises clients in various aspects of their businesses including contract negotiations, property acquisitions, diversity/harassment training, bylaws compliance, and customer complaint investigation. She serves as general counsel and second chair on court appointed receiverships.
A native of Akron, OH, Roxann earned a B.A. in African-American Studies and a J.D. from Columbia University.
She is admitted to practice in Georgia and is admitted to practice before all Georgia state courts, the U.S. District Court for the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
rss@stulawgroup.com
Roxann is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys.
She served as President of the Columbia Club of Atlanta for seven years. She remains on the board as the Georgia Regional Chair for the Alumni Representative Committee. Roxann served on the Board of Directors for the Columbia University Alumni Association and the Columbia College Alumni Association. Remains a member of the Associations and Clubs Committee.
Roxann served as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Children’s Burial Assistance, Inc.
Roxann was a Trustee of Providence Missionary Baptist Church. In her spare time, Roxann is an avid golfer, tennis player, and swimmer who enjoys travel, literature and retail therapy.
She is the proud parent of a lovable (to most people) dog, Owen.
http://stulawgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/henrysmithersinterview.mp3
StoryCorps Atlanta
A Vietnam Veteran Remembers Coming Home
With Memorial Day just behind us and Independence Day coming up, we bring you the story of 68-year-old Vietnam War veteran Henry Smithers. Although Smithers was drafted in the early years of the war, he ultimately volunteered to serve. In the StoryCorps Atlanta booth, he quietly reflects on his life and time in the military with his daughter, Roxann Smithers. This story was recorded in partnership with the Atlanta History Center, which hosts Atlanta’s StoryCorps Booth.
1. “A Primer for Contract Reviews”, Equal Construction Record, July 2007, 1B
2. “Protecting Your Right to Payment: Part One Liens”, Equal Construction Record, July 2007, 5B
3. “Protecting Your Right to Payment: Part Two Bonds”, Equal Construction Record, September 2007, 1B
4. “Securing Your Payment Rights: Part Three Georgia Prompt Pay Act”, Equal Construction Record, November 2007, 2B
6. “Why Lawyers Love Paper”, Equal Construction Record, November 2007, 5B
7. “Understanding Your Rights to Government Records”, Equal Construction Record, February 2008, 1B
8. “Understanding Pay If Paid Provisions” Equal Construction Record, March 2008, 1B
9. “The Case of the Missing Bond and Avoiding the Contractors Sandwich”, Equal Construction Record, July 2008, 1C
10. “A Day Late and a Dollar Short: A Guide to Liquidated Damages”, Equal Construction Record, November 2008, 1C
11. “Mitigation of Damages” Equal Construction Record, February 2009, 1C
13. “The Legal Affect of Lien Waivers”, Equal Construction Record, April 2009, 2C
14. “The Accidental Amendment”, Equal Construction Record, June 2009, 2C
15. “Be Careful Before You Terminate”, Equal Construction Record, July/August 2009, 1C
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How Sheep Teach Us To Hate Gun Violence : NPR
January 13, 2017 | Bob Boblien
The video for Watsky's "Stick To Your Guns" stands out from the opening shot, a storybook image of a young boy telling a story to his flock of sheep. As in many children's tales, a harsh truth is about to be told. George Watsky, who performs under the name Watsky, is a slam poet and hip-hop artist with five albums and a number of mixtapes to his name. And in spite of the sheep and the cartoony nature of the video, it aims to tackle the issue of violence and mass shootings.
Director Carlos Lopez Estrada writes via email that the challenge of making the video for "Stick To Your Guns" was in dealing with the incredibly specific lyrics of cocking a shotgun as people fall to the floor.
I was immediately drawn to the contrast between the stark nature of the lyrics and the very pleasant quality of the music, so I figured the video could similarly take an allegorical approach to some of the more serious themes that the song explores. It is a fable about a shepherd who raises his sheep with violence and accidentally starts a vicious cycle within the herd. It's a seemingly straightforward idea that we tried to present in a colorful and hopefully unexpected way.
Watsky writes that he wanted to tackle gun violence differently, by avoiding absolute statements that would shut down conversation altogether.
My aim was to present one archetypal shooting, each verse coming from the perspective of a different person involved in the event, and highlight the similar pageant we go through every time this happens in America. The first verse is from the perspective of the shooter — I'm trusting the audience to listen on, because until you get to the second verse, it's almost impossible to know the song is satire. I did worry that this could come off as callous to people who have lost loved ones in shootings, but ultimately decided that I would let the song stand on its own merits.
The second verse comes from the perspective of a newscaster barely suppressing their excitement about the bloodshed, and the third verse is a politician, posturing grief in a eulogy, eager to pin the blame on this single deranged individual and move on. I hoped that, by ending the song on the politician's point that the shooter was a lone-wolf weirdo, I could accomplish two things: one, force the audience to recognize how familiar this argument is, and also, since it is an argument we're hearing over and over, undermine the very idea of the lone wolf. How many lone wolves can we have before they're not lone anymore? That's the broader, uniquely American tragedy — that this song is reminiscent of so many past events, and if we continue to sit on our hands, more to come.
"Stick To Your Guns" features singer Julia Nunes and can be heard on Watsky's 2016 album X Infinity.
Source: http://www.npr.org/event/music/509656724/h...
Posted by Sue Marcus
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Passionate Patriarch Featured
Written by Stephen Armstrong Published in Issue 9 - Innovate Read 28954 times
Many Hollywood actors like to sound off about politics. But few have been on the sharp end of it quite like Donald Sutherland. ‘I was in Yugoslavia when I found out,’ he says, with a fond smile. He is telling me about the day in 1969 when he discovered that his then wife, Shirley Douglas, had been arrested for providing arms to the Black Panthers. ‘Clint Eastwood came walking out of the sun like it was a spaghetti western and said, “I have some bad news for you. Your wife’s been arrested. For buying hand grenades. From an undercover agent of the FBI. With a personal cheque.” And when he got to the personal cheque, he started laughing so hard he fell to the ground. I had to help him back up.’
At a stately, white-haired 72, Sutherland is every inch the patriarch. He is equally well known these days for his famous offspring (he is the father of Kiefer) and his own impressive back catalogue, which includes classics like Don’t Look Now, as well as more standard commercial fare (Backdraft, Pride and Prejudice). He is also part of the radical 1960s generation of actors for whom Hollywood was a vehicle for achieving social and political change.
In the 1960s and 1970s, while married to Douglas (a Canadian actress whose father, Tommy, led the first socialist government in north America), Sutherland specialised in anti-war films such as Kelly’s Heroes and M*A*S*H. During a later relationship with Jane Fonda, the pair collaborated to produce the anti-Vietnam war film FTA, a series of sketches and interviews with the US troops on active service. He still has something of the iconoclast about him, and seems to carry the 1960s torch with more wit and enthusiasm than pay-cheque protestors like Jack Nicholson. For instance, he’s backing Obama for president – the first time he’s been enthused by a candidate for years.
‘ I promised my publicist that I wouldn’t speak about this, but there hasn’t been one person since Robert Kennedy that I desperately wanted to be president,’ he shakes his head. ‘There have been lots of guys that I wanted not to be president, and therefore I wanted the other person to win. But I just read this letter from an African-American woman saying it was the first time she felt proud of her country just because of Obama’s speech on race.
‘ And if that dialogue can really open up – and it’s a hard dialogue, its not going to have any effect for donkeys’ years – but if it leads to recognition rather than suppression, then I think that’s wonderful.’But didn’t the radical 60s feel more pregnant with possibility than the potential of an Obama candidacy today? ‘No. I felt that there was potential for social change, and I felt that the Black Panther party was struggling to create local political change, but not nationally, and certainly not internationally. There were revolutionary cadres. There was even a cinema of change, and yet change didn’t happen. It was co-opted. Really extraordinarily well, in the course of two years, just as the Vietnam War was coming to an end it slithered away because there was no leadership. It was all coming from the bottom, and there was no one to understand and reflect it. We were in a pretty desperate situation in 1970. Not as desperate as we imagined it, but now we’re in a really terrible state.’
In the long term, however, he believes the future is safer if we wrench control from the coarse fists of men. ‘If I were to trust either my wife or myself as a reaction to whatever happens in reality, I would go 100 per cent with my wife because her natural instinctive reactions would just embarrass me with my inadequacy. I think it’s about motherhood or the capacity for motherhood, which is extraordinary. The three happiest days of my life were when we birthed our three children. We were there in the hospital for an hour and it was just beyond – beyond sex, beyond loving, beyond everything.
It was – I can taste it in my mouth still. It was – God, it was almost impossible. It was so sensuous during that moment of delivering the baby. And men have not done very well, so it’s time to give somebody else a chance.’
So how does such a sensualist describe the flavour of these times? ‘It’s very spicy,’ he chuckles, perhaps at the absurdity of the question, then flips it back to make a serious point. ‘Look, the people are waiting. The people have a lot of saliva in their mouths – they’re hungry. I believe that’s what we’re sitting with the potential for. And you see, individuals can affect history. The people I really admire are Bono, Angelina Jolie and Audrey Hepburn – they did good work taking their cultural position to a socio-diplomatic position.’
It seems strange that, given his passion, he hasn’t taken that route himself. ‘I’ve been financially strapped my whole life.’ He spreads out his hands as if to prove how empty they are. ‘If I had some money to give away I would be so happy.’ Which leaves him with his acting – to pay the rent and, in some films, to poke sly digs at the wealthy who bankroll and control. He brings such intensity to the performance, and to our discussion, that I wonder how he keeps the fire burning in his 72-year-old belly. Does he still get the same buzz he did when he was younger?
He laughs. ‘I don’t get the same buzz out of anything,’ he looks briefly away, out of the window, and then turns back. ‘Possibly the only thing that’s more pleasurable is farting. Brodsky talked to this graduating class in Dartmouth in 1988 – he’s a Russian poet who died ten years ago. Wonderful, brilliant, Nobel Prize-winning. Read him. Anyway, he looked at the class and he said, “You know, this is the best day of the rest of your life. Everything else is going to go downhill from now on. You’re going to get things. The more things you get, the more boring it’s going to be.” And in the middle of it, he said, “Try to stay passionate. Leave your cool to the constellation. Passion alone is a remedy against boredom.”’
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Tag: September
Arbor Day or National Tree Day
What is the difference between Arbor day, and National Tree Day?
Does Canada celebrate both?
Shepherdia argentea, commonly called silver buffaloberry bull berry, or thorny buffaloberry. CC-BY-SA-3.0 credit Julia Adamson
Arbor day originates in the etymology; Latin arbor, meaning tree. On April 10, 1872 the state of Nebraska became the first state in America to celebrate Arbor Day by planting one million trees! However, the Spanish village of Mondoñedo held the first abor plantation festival as early as 1594. The roots of our modern “Arbor Day” was launched in 1805 in Villanueva de la Sierra, Spain. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, countries around the world celebrate trees at various times during the year.
“By creating National Tree Day, the House has asked Canadians to spend just one day reflecting on the link between their lives and that of the tree,” said Royal Galipeau, Member of Parliament. “Canadians will dedicate trees, plant trees, learn about trees and appreciate the impact the tree has had on Canada’s economic success as a nation.”
Canada celebrates “Maple Leaf Day“ or “National Tree Day“ in the middle of National Forest Week, as Maple Leaf Day falls on the last Wednesday of September.
“The federal government is proud to help celebrate Canada’s first National Tree Day,” said the Honourable Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources. “Forests are not only an important part of our heritage, they are also essential to our future. Every tree planted today helps preserve our forests for future generations”
Maple Leaf Day has its origins with Sir George W. Ross, later the Premier of Ontario, when he was Minister of Education in Ontario (1883-1899). According to the Ontario Teachers’ Manuals “History of Education” (1915), Ross established both Arbour Day and Empire Day – “the former to give the school children an interest in making and keeping the school grounds attractive, and the latter to inspire the children with a spirit of patriotism” Arbor Day
“National Tree Day. Trees are essential to our lives. They provide us with oxygen, clean our water, purify our air, elevate our mood and so much more. A tree can sequester 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide by the time it is 40 years old, so trees are invaluable to our battle against climate change. Not only must we take care of our forests, but we must also expand the living infrastructure within our cities.
Successive Canadian governments of all stripes have supported healthy forests, and are bringing more trees into cities. That is why Tree Canada, Canada’s leading national tree organization, has recognized the people of Canada with its coveted Eterne Award.“ Joyce Murray. Open Parliament Government of Canada September 27, 2018
Whereas, the United States of America celebrates National Arbor Day on the last Friday of April, which will be April 26, 2019, though various states host their festivals according to the optimal planting time for their ecoregion. Several Canadian provinces also plant trees, and celebrate Arbor Day as well, with a spring planting event. Very interestingly, the United Kingdom also celebrates their National Tree Week in November, 24th November – 2nd December 2018. National Tree Week U.K. is followed by National Tree Dressing Day on the first weekend of December.
National Tree Dressing Day honours the life-giving blessings of trees and is based upon an ancient custom. “Trees have long been celebrated for their spiritual significance. The simplicity of tying strips of cloth or yarn to a tree is universal and timeless. The old Celtic custom of tying cloth dipped in water from a holy well to a ‘clootie tree’ echoes the practice in Japan of decorating trees with strips of white paper, or tanzaku, bearing wishes and poems. The twenty-first century trend of ‘yarn bombing’ in Europe and North America transforms the local landscape with bright fabrics and yarns, like the Buddhist tradition of tying ribbons around the trunk of the Bodhi tree in homage to Buddha, or the annual Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan when coloured strings are tied onto trees and plants to call upon the power of nature to protect loved ones.” Source It’s a way to say thank you to the trees in your community.
” While Napoleon was ravaging Europe with his ambition in this village in the Sierra de Gata lived a priest, don Juan Abern Samtrés, which, according to the chronicles, “convinced of the importance of trees for health, hygiene, decoration, nature, environment and customs, decides to plant trees and give a festive air. The festival began on Carnival Tuesday with the ringing of two bells of the church, and the Middle and the Big. After the Mass, and even coated with church ornaments, don Juan, accompanied by clergies, teachers and a large number of neighbours, planted the first tree, a poplar, in the place known as Valley of the Ejido. Tree plantations continued by Arroyada and Fuente de la Mora. Afterwards, there was a feast, and did not miss the dance. The party and plantations lasted three days. He drafted a manifesto in defence of the trees that was sent to surrounding towns to spread the love and respect for nature, and also he advised to make tree plantations in their localities.”
— Miguel Herrero Uceda, Arbor Day
This Arbour Day celebration is separate from the International Forests Day, March 21, was adopted by the United Nations to raise “awareness at all levels in order to strengthen the sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests and trees outside forests for the benefit of current and future generations…[regarding] Forests and Sustainable Cities…Forests and trees store carbon, which helps mitigate the impacts of climate change in and around urban areas.” Source
World Forestry Day, March 21, was inaugurated 1971 at the 23rd General Assembly of European Confederation of Agriculture, “to increase the public awareness among communities about the values, significance and contributions of the forests to balance the life cycle on the earth…. Loss of the forests enhances the loss of inhabitant animal species to the forest. Deforestation imbalances the balance of natural climate which lead to the global warming by increasing the CO2 and decreasing the O2 percentage all across the world.”
Since 1970, Earth Day supports environmental protection, and was supported by the 2016 acknowledging the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference historic draft climate protection treaty. Earth Day was first celebrated on the first day of spring (northern hemisphere) March 21, 1970, however, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson initiated Earth Day on April 22 in America. March for Science is also commemorated April 22, and the People’s Climate Mobilization follows on April 29.
Paul D. Tinari organized Canada’s Earth Day September 11, 1980 during Earth Day Week beginning Sept 6, 1980.
Trees have a way of bringing people together to celebrate a shared heritage. With over 80% of Canadians living in cities and towns, our urban forests are vital to our quality of life, and this recognition will go a long way toward ensuring that they continue to be planted and cared for in urban locations… For every person who stops and thinks about how they can help grow and maintain trees, Canada becomes a cleaner, better country.Cision Canada
The United Nations celebrates International Mother Earth Day on April 22 “to remind each of us that the Earth and its Ecosystems provide us with life and sustenance….The Earth and its ecosystems are our home. In order to achieve a just balance among the economic, social, and environmental needs of present and future generations, it is necessary to promote harmony with nature and the Earth.”
World Environment Day is celebrated June 5.
“World Environment Day reminds us that we have a global responsibility to safeguard our environment – and that each of us has a role to play to preserve and protect it.”
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister
in 1922, Richard St. Barbe Baker began the International Tree Foundation with Forest Guides, or Forest Scouts, called the Watu wa Miti, or Men of the Trees who… “promised before N’gai, the High God, that they would protect the native forest, plant ten native trees each year, and take care of trees everywhere.”
In regards to your financial donations to protect / enhance the afforestation areas, please contact the City of Saskatoon, Corporate Revenue Division, 222 3rd Ave N, Saskatoon, SK S7K 0J5 To support the afforestation area with your donation please state that your donation will support the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, or the George Genereux Urban Regional Park, or both afforestation areas. Please and thank you! Your donation, however large or small is greatly appreciated.
“To be in a better position to help them I studied their language [Kenya’s Kikuyu people], their folklore and tribal customs, and was initiated into their secret society, an ancient institution which safeguarded the history of the past which was handed down by word of mouth through its members.
Soon I came to understand and love these people and wanted to be of service to them. They called me “Bwana M‘Kubwa,” meaning “Big Master,” but I said, “I am your M‘tumwe” (slave).” Richard St. Barbe Baker
“I believe in the Oneness of Mankind and all living things and the interdependence of each and all.” Richard St. Barbe Baker
Author stbarbebakerPosted on October 7, 2018 January 31, 2019 Categories History, Special Days, treesTags afforestation, Afforestation ARea, April 26, ARBOR DAY, Canada, carbon sequestration, December, Earth day, Earth Day Week, festival, forest, Forest Week, George Genereux Urban REgional Park, International Forests Day, International Morther Earth Day, Joe Oliver, Justin Trudeau, Maple Leaf Day, Minister of Natural REsources, National Tree Day, Nature Conservancy Canada, Nebraska, People's Climate Mobilization, Prime Minister, Richard St. Barbe Baker AFforestation ARea, Royal Galipeau, September, Sir George W. Ross, Spain, spring, tree, Tree dressing day, tree planting, Trees Canada, World Environment Day, World Forestry Day2 Comments on Arbor Day or National Tree Day
Forests are our lungs
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, south west sector, in the City of Saskatoon, SK, CA
Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
This generation may either be the last to exist in any semblance of a civilised world or that it will be the first to have the vision, the bearing and the greatness to say, ‘I will have nothing to do with this destruction of life, I will play no part in this devastation of the land, I am determined to live and work for peaceful construction for I am morally responsible for the world of today and the generations of tomorrow. “Richard St. Barbe Baker
How are forests and trees fundamental to the City of Saskatoon? What is Saskatoon doing? Learn more about the City of Saskatoon’s urban forestry program and Canada’s National Forest Week.
A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.
What can you do on Canada’s National Forest Week September 24-30, 2017? Will you plant a free tree in the City of Saskatoon? Will you be as Richard St. Barbe Baker’s Watu wa Miti of Kenya Africa ~the founding members of the International Tree Foundation~the Men of the Trees who promised before N’gai, the High God, that they would protect the native forest, plant ten native trees each year, and take care of trees everywhere.
Learn about and the City of Saskatoon’s Urban Forestry Civic Service Review
Follow the City of Saskatoon’s Urban Forestry department for facts, opportunities and updates
Saskatoon’s Urban Forest
Protect Saskatoon’s Trees
Tree Request for New Neighbourhoods in Saskatoon
Tree Request for Established Residential & Industrial Neighbourhoods of Saskatoon
Bylaw No. 7767 The Recreation Facilities and Parks Usage Bylaw, 1998
Bylaw No. 8310 The Waste Bylaw, 2004
BYLAW NO. 5713 A bylaw of The City of Saskatoon to regulate and control the dumping of refuse and waste material on property under the ownership or control of The City of Saskatoon.
During this National Forest Week, take a walk in the South West Off Leash Dog Park, or in the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area, and tell your story on facebook; Facebook: StBarbeBaker
When you are out in the Richard St. Barbe Baker Afforestation Area snap a photo and tweet it using the hashtag #StBarbeBaker
Submit your story ~ your event~ to the Canadian Forestry calendar
During this 150th anniversary of Canada, wouldn’t it be fantastic to have Saskatoon’s population of 300,000 put in tree requests and fulfill and enhance the vision of a green city begun by Bert Wellman and Bill Graham in the 1960s!!!
“Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife, are in fact plans to protect man.”
― Stewart L. Udall
The “Saskatoon’s Forests. Our Stories, Our Future, Celebrating Saskatoon’s Forests!” project is now launched!!! Email your story
“Be like a tree in pursuit of your cause. Stand firm, grip hard, thrust upward. Bend to the winds of heaven. And learn tranquility.
” ~ Richard St. Barbe Baker
“Act. Don’t react. See a need, fix it first. Worry about the details later. If you wait until you are asked you have just missed a golden opportunity. They are fleeting and rare.” Philip Wollen founder of Winsome Kindness Trust
Author stbarbebakerPosted on September 28, 2017 February 1, 2019 Categories Special DaysTags Canada, environment, forests, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George Genereux Urban REgional Park, Meewasin, Meewasin Valley Authority, MVA, National Tree Week, Richard St. Barbe Baker, Richard St. Barbe Baker AFforestation ARea, Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, September, September 24, September 25, September 26, September 27, September 28, September 29, September 302 Comments on Forests are our lungs
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« SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: Daily Appointments Schedule for July 28, 2010
Secretary Clinton’s Remarks on the Plane Crash in Islamabad »
MOTB Hillary Clinton in New York
July 28, 2010 by still4hill
Well I just have to share these pictures from yesterday because she looks so happy! She was going into Vera Wang’s to meet Chelsea. I love the jacket, very playful.
Posted in Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State | Tagged Clinton Wedding, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, MOTB, Secretary of State | 75 Comments
on July 28, 2010 at 4:57 pm | Reply marco
…a wonderfull smile !!
on July 28, 2010 at 5:17 pm | Reply Lilly
Wow! Thank you, Still! It´s nice to see Hillary as she´s enjoying this time with her little girl 😉 Okay, Chelsea isn´t little anymore, but I think that she´ll always be the little princess for Hillary and Bill.
on July 28, 2010 at 6:23 pm | Reply still4hill
It’s true. Actually, Hillary is still Dorothy’s little girl!
on July 28, 2010 at 5:43 pm | Reply discourseincsharpminor
2nd, 3rd, & 4th from the bottom – LOL! That’s why we don’t wear shinny underclothes with light fabrics. On the positive end, maybe people will stop saying she’s flat-chested now.
on July 28, 2010 at 5:47 pm | Reply rachel
I didnt know people said that about her. It’s obvious she’s not.
I thought the sheen was coming off the fabric of the jacket. I don’t know why people say that about her. Oh, well, I’m always saying it. She has a pretty figure, and isn’t flat-chested at all.
on July 28, 2010 at 10:05 pm | Reply discourseincsharpminor
If that’s the case, shiny fabric is one spot is usually a sign of wear. The question then becomes how did she wear down the fabric there. I sense the involvement of a misbehaving squire!
on July 28, 2010 at 10:25 pm | Reply still4hill
Bad Bill!
Too much “resting”.
on July 28, 2010 at 5:54 pm | Reply pcfs
Well the gowns are carried out by Huma. Looks like two gowns. Mayb Huma is in the wedding. Gee they are all going to have a great time.
on July 28, 2010 at 6:04 pm | Reply jillforhill
Sally Quinn got owned when the interviewer asked if the Clintons invited her. Sally Quinn is such a sad person. As Hillary said “I will never allow that woman near my family”.
She also was going for her above-it-all, decreeeing-from-Above position in Society, being OH-so-understanding at why “some A-Listers” didn’t get invitiations: “500 guests is a *very* large number. Most weddings are THREE HUNDRED —-or less! You only invite those CLOSE to you, not campaign DONORS.”.
She was about to stay on in her UpThere role, but the interviewer made it personal and asked whether SHE was invited.
She appeared taken aback and said, after collecting herself, “Oh, NO. (pause) We’re not close to the Clintons.”
“Oh, NO. (pause) We’re not close to the Clintons.”
Is that the ‘royal we’ coming from Queen S*!t-For-Brains? She seems like such a miserable person.
She was so mad when she was asked if she was going to the wedding. It was funny. She is just mad that no one wanted to hear about her son’s wedding.
LOLOL!!! Thanks for sharing that, jillforhill. Guessing the interviewer had a hidden agenda in choosing her. 😀
who is sally quinn and who is her son and why would she think she would be invited I am lost on these things.
Married to Ben Bradlee (see Washington Post/All the President’s Men) Washington hostess – former/sometimes guest columnist who went to war with Hillary the day she set foot in DC. Don’t know much about the son except that I think he has a disorder of some kind.
Mymomsanut-itis?
LOL!!! That too!
Sally Quinn is a women who slept her way to where she is now. Called the Clintons trash and other not nice things about them. She lost her column because all she did was talk about her son’s wedding and the readers were complaining. She never liked hillary or bill because they would rather spend time with chelsea than washington insiders.
And we don’t like her.
Because she is a very arrogant, unpleasant individual based on what she feels comfortable saying about others.
on July 28, 2010 at 9:52 pm | Reply Linnette
great pictures, Hillary in a different role. And she said once she love going shopping, which she can’t do anymore.
Yes, she did say that. She was having fun, and it’s fun to watch!
on July 28, 2010 at 10:01 pm | Reply jillforhill
Here is what Hillary and Bill think of dowd,quinn and others in the great taylor branch book:
“On Monday, USA Today ran a front-page article on the soon-to-be-released book chronicling a series of secret interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning author Taylor Branch held with President Bill Clinton throughout the Clinton presidency. The piece focused on a bizarre episode in which Russian President Boris Yeltsin during a visit to Washington in 1995 ended up in his underwear and drunk on Pennsylvania Avenue, trying to hail a cab. As for the Lewinsky affair, Clinton told Branch, he “just cracked” under political and personal pressures. USA Today also noted that Clinton and Al Gore had an explosive conversation following the 2000 election. But the newspaper provided only a few details on this meeting.
I’ve obtained a copy of the book, and that encounter, as Clinton recalled it to Branch, was more than dramatic; it was also weird.
During the discussion, Clinton told his vice president that he was disappointed that Gore had not used him in the last ten days of the 2000 campaign in strategically significant state—Arkansas, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and Missouri. But Clinton said he could understand that. What was more upsetting for him, Clinton remarked to Gore, was that Gore had not crafted a more winning message during the campaign, that he had not campaigned on any grand themes. Clinton insisted to Gore that he hadn’t cared about how Gore had referred to Clinton—and his personal scandal—during the campaign. Paraphasing this portion of the conversation, Branch writes that Clinton told Gore, “To gain votes, he would let Gore cut off his ear and mail it to reporter Michael Isikoff of Newsweek, the Monica Lewinsky expert.”
At one point in the conversation, Gore told Clinton that he was still traumatized by having been caught up in the fundraising scandals of the 1996 Clinton reelection campaign, and he indicated that he blamed Clinton. Clinton could hardly believe this, and he told Branch that Gore was probably in shock from the election or unhinged, remarking, “I thought he was in Neverland.”
In this same conversation, Gore pressed Clinton for an explanation of his affair with Lewinsky, noting that Gore had stood by him throughout the ordeal without Clinton ever confiding in him. There was little to say, Clinton replied. But Clinton did say that he was sorry. Gore responded that that this was the first time Clinton had apologized to him personally. This angered Clinton, who countered that he was only repeating what he had already said publicly. Moreover, Clinton noted, Hillary had more to resent that Gore did, and she had just campaigned successfully for Senate by unabashedly citing the Clinton-Gore record—not running away from it. Gore responded with his own anger, insisting that Clinton’s character had been at the root of his failure to win the White House. Clinton acknowledged that he had not confessed to those closest to him, but that he was glad he had not talked more about the affair, for that would have made the controversy even worse.
The 707-page book, titled The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President, is a fascinating read, full of the most inside information on the policy fights, political tussles, and personal controversies of the Clinton years. I haven’t finished the book, but here are other intriguing portions that caught my attention:
* In an interview with Branch shortly after he left office, Clinton passionately defended his last-minute pardon of Marc Rich, the fugitive financier. Summing up Clinton’s outrage over the dust-up caused by the pardon, Branch describes the now ex-president’s rant: “They said Clinton had a conflict because Rich’s ex-wife was a donor to his library. Lord have mercy, he cried, Papa Bush pardoned Caspar Weinberger and others before the Iran-contra prosecutions may have targeted Bush himself. Nobody fussed.” Clinton showed no remorse to Branch about this pardon.
* In 1996, when Washington author Sally Quinn was telling people that Hillary had not written her book, It Takes a Village, Branch suggested to the First Lady that she invite Quinn and her husband Ben Bradlee to the White House. “You know,” Hillary shot back, “she has been hostile since the moment we got here. Why would we invite somebody like that into our home. How could she expect us to.” Branch writes, Hillary “said Quinn and her friends simply invented gossip for their dinner circuit. They had launched one juicy affair between Hillary and a female veterinarian attending Socks, the Clinton family cat, with tales about how somebody discovered them in flagrante on a bedroom floor in the White House.”
* After the 1998 congressional elections, Clinton bemoaned the fact that GOP Rep. Jim Bunning had narrowly won a Senate seat in Kentucky. Branch writes, “He said Bunning, a former baseball player, was so mean-spirited that he repulsed even his fellow know-nothings. ‘I tried to work with him a couple times,’ said Clinton, ‘and he just sent shivers up my spine….I know you’re a baseball fan and everything, and you don’t like to hear it, but this guy is beyond the pale.'”
* When Clinton prepared for military strikes against Iraq in 1998, he griped about former President Jimmy Carter. “[Republican Senator Bob] Dole will support me,” he told Branch. “Carter will probably criticize me. Carter always criticizes, but he doesn’t have much positive to say.”
* In 1997, when Senate Republicans were opposing Clinton’s pick for CIA chief, Anthony Lake, Clinton told Branch he considered Senator Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican (who had once been a Democrat) and a leading Lake detractor, to be a dogged and spiteful man. Clinton added that Shelby was supported by two GOP “know-nothings” on his Senate committee, Jon Kyl of Arizona and Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma.
* In 1996, Esquire magazine was looking for a writer to contribute a pro-Clinton article to its election issue. After Clinton hit snags with Texas columnist Molly Ivins, Harvard professor Thomas Patterson, and bestselling crime author John Grisham, Branch took on the assignment.
* In 1994, after Bob Woodward’s book on the budget battles of Clinton’s first year in office, The Agenda, came out, Clinton told Branch he suspected that the major sources for Woodward were George Stephanopoulos, Paul Begala, and Alan Greenspan.
* In 1994, Hillary Clinton told Branch that a year earlier she had been at a dinner party where Henry Kissinger had whispered to her that if her health care plan became law he would never be allowed to see his personal physician again. Hillary had tried to explain to Kissinger why this was not true. But, Branch writes, “she said Kissinger merely scowled and growled behind his ‘game face’ of impregnable secret knowledge.” Hillary also disclosed to Branch that she had dreamed of being at a banquet with Kissinger and telling him that her health care reform effort was not dead and “there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.”
* In 1995, Clinton predicted to his confidantes that Colin Powell would challenge him in 1996, while Hillary and Gore contended that the retired general would not. After Powell declared he would not run, Branch writes, the president did not call Powell, fearing this would “advertise his relief.” Clinton’s “mistaken prediction about Powell,” Branch adds, “seemed to gnaw at Clinton.”
* Toward the end of 1995, when Japan was in the midst of political and economic crises, Gore urged Clinton to visit Japan. Clinton, though, nixed the dates Gore suggested, saying, “Al, I am not going to Japan and leave Chelsea by herself to take” her junior-year midterm exams. This caused a big fight between the two.
* Following his 1996 reelection victory, Clinton was mad about revelations of Democratic Party campaign finance irregularities. He feared—after Whitewater—that this could be a legitimate scandal. He was annoyed that Democratic Party officials could not provide him answers about what had gone wrong. But, Branch writes, “he thought fund-raiser Terry McAuliffe vaguely knew.” Referring to antagonism toward him within the press at this time—especially at The Washington Post and The New York Times—Clinton declared, “I am bitter about it.”
* In 1997, after New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote an acerbic column about Clinton and golfer Tiger Woods—maintaining that the the two green-eyed hucksters deserved each other—Clinton told Branch, “She must live in mortal fear that there’s somebody in the world living a healthy and productive life.”
It’s a good book. I laughed at this bit.
Hillary walked in from the bedroom and froze. She was wearing her bathrobe, a head towel, and a layer of grayish face cream with a few white spots. Neither she nor the President spoke, but I said “Excuse me,” as she retreated.
I’m glad she had the robe on!
on July 29, 2010 at 6:40 am | Reply discourseincsharpminor
I’m sure she was too. 😉
on July 29, 2010 at 12:12 am | Reply discourseincsharpminor
LOL, Boris.
The most famous BilLOL.
BTW, sorry for posting a video instead of a link. Curse you, YouTube!
on July 29, 2010 at 12:37 am | Reply still4hill
NONONO!!!! I PREFER the video. I’d have gone back and made it visible. It’s easier this way.
LMAO! Awwww Boris! He loved Hillary. Kept a picture of her in his office.
Is it just me or is it just not possible to not end up laughing with them?
True! But only for people with a sense of humor. They are so funny, both of them. (I really need a funny POTUS.)
Me too, but not just any funny POTUS. I laughed at Dubya for eight years, but I wouldn’t want him back.
This the interview with taylor branch
It has been nearly forty years since three young Democratic activists named Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham, and Taylor Branch moved into a small apartment together in Austin, Texas, to wage a presidential campaign for George McGovern. In the decades since, the Clintons have taken that political fire to the center of American political life, while Branch has chosen a quieter course, writing three definitive volumes on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and winning both the Pulitzer Prize and a MacArthur “genius” grant. Yet at the height of Bill Clinton’s ascent—for the full eight years of the presidency—the historian and the politician reunited for a secret project, hidden from even Clinton’s closest aides. Meeting late at night and sometimes through the night, Clinton and Branch embarked on a series of seventy-nine conversations about politics, the presidents, the Whitewater investigation, and yes, even Monica—recording every word for posterity. Acutely aware that their tapes could be subpoenaed at any moment and desperate to avoid making them public, Clinton squirreled away the cassettes in his sock drawer and has never spoken of them nor made them public. But this month, Branch releases a 670-page mammoth tome, The Clinton Tapes, that mines those conversations and delves into Clinton’s presidency and state of mind through a tumultuous and historic eight years. Branch sat down on the sprawling porch of his Victorian home in Baltimore to discuss the project, the experience, and the book.—WIL S. HYLTON
Let’s start in the fall of 1992. Out of nowhere, the president-elect calls you up and invites you to a dinner party at Katherine Graham’s house. What happened?
It was bizarre. When we were kids, we were buddies down in Texas, trying to get McGovern elected. We lived together, but I hadn’t seen him in twenty years, and I had no idea why he asked me to dinner. I had kind of reprocessed him out of my friendship, into being a politician. This is a guy who’s run off to run for Congress in Arkansas, when all the rest of us were very alienated, and had this pile-driver political career, and so I had reprogrammed him away from somebody that you could know as a regular person. This is a president of the United States! He may just be all greed and selfishness. I was definitely tamping down my expectations.
Had you been a supporter in the campaign?
No! I thought his “forgotten middle class” sounded like Nixon’s “silent majority.” It was a formula—part of being a member of this species called “politician.” But within twenty seconds, I completely reconnected with him. He just knocked me over intellectually. He comes up and out of the blue asks me all these questions about historic preservation, saying, “I read your footnotes, and I want to make sure there are things like that for historians in fifty years.” Even if I hadn’t known him, even if it had been Richard Nixon or George W. Bush, I would have been floored that he was thinking about that already. This guy who hadn’t even taken office yet is thinking about raw material for historians fifty years later.
Within weeks, you were swept up in a whirlwind with him—staying up all night to write the inaugural address, being onstage during the ceremony, and then actually entering the White House for the first time with Bill and Hillary.
The day before, I thought I was going down to hear a final reading of the inaugural and wound up working all night, then being onstage with no seat or anything, just crouched down. And after the parade, he said, “Come on, let’s go to the White House!” So it was just the three of us walking in, he and Hillary and me! I mean, he literally didn’t know where the Lincoln Bedroom was. We were wandering around, poking in closets.
How did you decide to begin recording interviews for history?
He was angling to get me to move into the White House as house historian. But I responded more to the notion of preserving his thoughts. I only realized later on what a tremendous commitment that meant for him. Because the only time he could fit me in was when he was tired. There were stunning moments; I would be talking to him late at night and his eyes would go up, just roll back in his head. He would fall asleep in the middle of a sentence.
At the end of each session, sometimes late at night or even early the next morning, you would drive home to Baltimore and talk into a tape recorder the whole time. It must have been exhausting for you as well.
I would do those dictations until I dropped. I would sit here outside the house and dictate notes until I fell asleep in the truck. Because I felt that it was a significant experience that I should preserve. But on the tapes, there are a few times where it’s amazing: I would yawn involuntarily four times a minute! Because my workday on the King books always started at five in the morning, and sometimes I wouldn’t know I was going to go down to the White House until six at night. They would call up and say, “Can you come down at eight?” And I’d scramble and go down there, have this session with him, and it’d be two o’clock in the morning, and I’d be driving and dictating, then wake up the next morning again. But having that drive home to Baltimore for dictation was a forced habit that turned out to be very good.
The level of detail in your conversations is overwhelming. You discuss the most minute foreign-policy details, political calculations. Did you need to expand your reading habits to keep up with him?
Not really, because I actually didn’t know a lot of that stuff! I would just set a subject out there and say, “This seems to be a significant topic.” I didn’t know the background and the parameters; he would explain those. And sometimes I would set a subject out there and he would give me what was already in The New York Times. Sometimes he would say, “We’re going to appeal. End of story.” And we’d move on.
The Bill Clinton in this book is very different than the version we came to know in the press. You describe a guy who was steadfast and idealistic, very different from the wishy-washy, flip-flopping caricature who let Dick Morris tell him what to do.
It was almost like a credential for old liberals to look down on Clinton, because if you looked down on Clinton, you could say, “He’s betrayed liberalism,” but you didn’t have to uphold anything yourself. All you had to do was talk about what a shit he was or what a sellout he was and you could get this cheap credential.
Meanwhile, you’re seeing this guy whose face is red with allergies, he’s so tired that his eyes are rolling back in his head.… He’s the last fighting baby boomer.
Well, yeah. For example, I admire Obama greatly, but if you compare Clinton and Obama on the National Rifle Association, Obama said, “It’s not worth it.” Right from the get-go. “You can’t win.” And Clinton was going after the NRA and assault weapons and cop-killer bullets the whole time. And he paid for it, and maybe it was a mistake, because it certainly hurt him in the 1994 congressional elections. But he did stick to his guns, as it were. He took risks. On Haiti—restoring Aristide. I would hear him say it: “This is going to hurt my presidency.” Or, “I could go down the tubes for this.”
In all the Kennedy and Johnson tapes you’ve listened to, do you hear the same resolve?
In some ways, Kennedy was just the opposite. People would idealize him, but then on the tapes, you hear him trying to kill Castro and all this other stuff. It’s disillusioning. And Johnson does the Civil Rights bill, but then he does the Vietnam War—and you hear them saying essentially, “We know this is not going to work, but we’re going to do it anyway.” Then Nixon promises to end the war, and four years later the war is still going. Then you have Watergate. So it was kind of like we had this post–World War II optimism about politics that was yanked out of our generation by hard experience. In some ways, Hillary and I were more typical of our generation than Bill. We were bruised and disillusioned with politics. We had more in common with each other politically than either of us had with Bill. He seemed to be on automatic pilot: “I’m going to run for office!” At the time, I didn’t connect that to idealism. I connected it to ambition. The notion that it came from a sense of idealism didn’t rear up for me until I was able to watch him in the White House, seeing why he would do things.
How did you contain that for eight years, listening to people say the opposite about him?
I couldn’t communicate with people, because I felt like I was in a different galaxy. I just dropped out. I didn’t see a way of fighting it that didn’t endanger the project. I couldn’t challenge my friend [Washington Post critic] Jon Yardley, who would sit around and bitch and moan about Clinton: “He’s no good, he doesn’t care about anything, he doesn’t believe in anything.” I couldn’t say, “Jon, I know that’s not true.” I couldn’t start that conversation, because the only way I could combat it would be to say, “I’ve been around Clinton a lot, and my experience is totally different.” And then some story would come out that he had these tapes, and they would get subpoenaed. So I just basically had to be quiet and not talk to people.
There are several parallels between Clinton and Martin Luther King—both are southern, same generation, men of faith, orators. But then there’s adultery. How did you process that?
Very painfully. I can’t say I’ve got any great answers. I think King got something good out of it, in a perverse way. He was driven to seek penance by public sacrifice for private failings. He would preach about the mystery of evil: Why could we not cast out this demon? But you know, with Clinton, I just had this assumption that when you hear all this, some of it’s true. I assumed that he had resolved to make it true no longer. Which is pretty much what King did. He resolved openly to his aides, “There’s too much at stake here. I’ve got to stop this.” And some of the greatest regret in King’s life was that he couldn’t do it. With Clinton, what he said was that it was a real lapse of feeling sorry for himself. He said it had to do with politics. Now, most people think that these compulsions have to do with more fundamental human things. I don’t know whether that’s true. All I know is that he said it happened when he thought he was doing a good job and got sucker punched. I didn’t read the Lewinsky stuff until I was working on the book. It was so tawdry. It was depressing to me. It’s fervid and tormented and brief. There were two bookends to it: He had these trysts with her during the shutdown and then banished her to the Pentagon or wherever the hell she went, and then she came back in that period right after the ’96 election, when he thought [the Whitewater investigation] was going to go away and it didn’t. He says he was feeling sorry for himself because of what was going on in politics, and that he just lost it. That’s what he said.
Was he a Lothario in 1972?
No, and I was sharing an apartment with he and Hillary. I had just separated from my wife, had virtually no social life, and they were all over each other. The only story was that we were having a hard time getting this woman politician to endorse McGovern, and the McGovern campaign sent in a guy who had worked for Jack Kennedy. So he met her, and came back and said, “She just needs to get laid. I know just the guy.” We were stunned. And then we realized he was serious! He went to the phone to call this guy in Boston and bring him down to Texas! And Clinton took the phone from him and said, “We’re not gonna do that, and if you do that, we’re leaving.” I didn’t do anything. I was paralyzed. And in retrospect, if Clinton was cynical about women, I would think he would have been more like that guy. Now, maybe he developed it later. I really don’t know.
It was interesting to read your descriptions of Bill and Hillary. Halfway through the impeachment trial, the doorman at the White House refused to let you in because they were making out in a hallway.
Well, that only happened once. I don’t know if their relationship is romantic, but it’s not cold. Sometimes when I tell people that they finish each other’s sentences, people say, “That’s because it’s a power alliance.” Like a medieval marriage between the prince of Spain and the queen of Austria. But there’s warmth there. There’s communion. They would hold hands. How much eroticism is in there, I have no idea. But it was striking.
Have you shown them the book?
I just took two copies up to Chappaqua last week. Hillary has it in Africa now, and he’s been off on this North Korea thing. But he did call. He’s called a couple of times to fuss about things. But he has enormous tolerance for honest criticism. I think he can take it raw, as long as he doesn’t detect that it’s done for malice. I was trying to show him the way he really is, and I think he respects that.”
Thanks for those posts, jillforhill! I know I have read the second one and might have bookmarked it. The first I have not seen.
1. Gore is a jackass
2. Hillary is the best
3. Bill is a great dad
I love that they were making out in the hallway and that hillary knows who her friends are and does not kiss butt
Look what Gore did to Tipper! Making out in the hallway … so cute.
What did he do (aside from leave her after 40 years)?
That! Preceded by screwing around! Shame on him! (& I VOTED for him and for Edwards – Well. Kerry/Edwards).
on July 28, 2010 at 10:41 pm | Reply rachel
now I remember that chick. Who was it that wrote that Bill started balling after he found out Chelsea read the star report?
Exactly still4hill. Bill did not owe gore anything. It was between him,hillary, and chelsea. I also liked that helping chelsea studying was important to them.
Al Gore – the only man in the world that can believe Bill cheating on Hillary was really about him.
To clarify, the ‘him’ I was referring to is Al.
I think the old saying “those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones” to gore,the edwards,the kerrys and the republicans like newt,barr, and others.
The one I dislike more than gore is edwards,he went to the senate floor during impeachment and said bill was a bad dad and brought up chelsea’s name. That crossed the line with me because you do not bring up the children.
Yes – the worst ones are Edwards and Gingrich – impeaching Bill WHILE screwing around!
Weren’t several of them guilty of that?
Probably – he’s the one stuck in my mind.
on July 29, 2010 at 2:27 am | Reply rachel
add mark sanford to that list.
on July 29, 2010 at 12:58 am | Reply villager4ever
I’d like to chime in, jillforhill. Your ‘dissertation’ is simply amazing and quite enlightening. I’ve been an avid fan of the Clintons from the time I saw them on TV in 1992, a young couple with such high level of accomplishments bringing the most memorable times of economic prowess to our country.
Reading through, I became reflective of how I watched Starr on his daily briefings on the steps of the hill and it was mind-boggling how determined he was to destroy a human being, his eyes and body showing the determination. The only reasoning I can think of at the time and to the present is pure jealousy – jealous of seeing this accomplished person rise to power, with charisma and intelligence we haven’t seen for a long time. As I look back, spending millions of dollars to go after someone like he did was not the way to right a wrong. But then, who am I to judge?
Today, we celebrate the Clintons for their parenting skills in bringing their daughter Chelsea Victoria to the world for all of us to love and admire and be inspired. God bless them.
on July 29, 2010 at 1:03 am | Reply still4hill
Well said, villager4ever! I propose a toast: To the Clintons!
on July 29, 2010 at 1:30 am | Reply pcfs
Villager4ever, How gracious to see a lovely comment of the Clintons. Yes their parenting skills does show the world how very much we admire them. God Bless them always.
Thanks Jillforhill for all your insight on the Clintons. They are amazing. This is the happiest time of their life right now.
I pray that they enjoy and love every moment this weekend.
You are all so sweet. I have never in my life heard of an MOTB Party, but that is what you all made tonight. It’s a new tradition, begun around our fav MOTB, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
I wish she could have been here with us, but that would have subtracted from her time with her family. Luckily it is archived. Some day, maybe, she will see this party we threw for her. The first ever MOTB Party!
I have to credit all of you, because it was unplanned, spontaneous, and both nostalgic and fun.
Great job! Party on those who are still up. Me? I am closing for the night. great party!
on July 29, 2010 at 8:00 am | Reply jillforhill
Thanks for the kind comments. I want to say thanks to still4hill for starting this great blog.
Agreed. Thank you, Still4Hill.
on July 29, 2010 at 10:36 am | Reply Maria Dizon
Awww. I missed the party!! LOL
Love Hillary’s pic.. shes just sooo classy! Thanks Stillfor Hill
I love all of you, and thank you! Seems Hillary never had a bridal shower or bachelorette party, so thank you for the spectacular surprise MOTB party you all put together for her last night!
See this. Very sweet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/opinion/29collins.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss
I missed this. It’s been on Politico for an age. Thought you’d like it.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/laurarozen/0710/Clinton_heads_to_NY_ahead_of_wedding.html?showall
That’s where I got the picture on Tuesday! LOL!!! The circle closes!
Teeny tiny mention of the GMOTB, Mrs. Rodham.
But a BIG member of the wedding! Dorothy ROCKS! She gave us Hillary! I love her!
on July 29, 2010 at 6:54 pm | Reply footsoldier
GLAD SHE IS PICKING VERA – OSCAR OVERDRESS HER AND SHE NEED TO LOOK SLIMS. SEE HUMA DID NOT GO ON HER HONEYMOON YET.
Chels picked Vera. Hillary picked Oscar and I am VERY WORRIED about his penchant lately for lace overlay (Hillary’s 2009 Inaugural *ihateit* and Huma’s wedding gown). It MIGHT work on Huma because she’s so slender. It’s way too busy for Hillary, who IS the show. The dress should just be ON her. It should not distract from her pretty self. She’s petite. Monochromatic is best per Elizabeth Arden.
on July 29, 2010 at 7:09 pm | Reply birdie
i luvr Hillary so much! thank you for your pics still4hill and your wordpress blog here!
Oscar will do great,chelsea may have got final say. Chelsea asked hillary to let her hair grow long so she could wear it up. They will both look beautiful.
I hope you’re right about Chelsea. I saw the “hair requirement.” Fingers are x she will look SMASHING! I need her to, to help her become POTUS! 😉
… to help her become POTUS!
The race for the presidency has officially become a beauty contest. (Be honest, you know it was practically one already.)Considering what our politicians look like I’m afraid of the swimsuit competition – especially since Gingrich is thinking about running in 2012. Yuck!
It IS! It is lookism, but it is true. Right now, Hillary looks beautiful, brave, and powerful. So, GO HILLARY!
Huma looked amazing, IMO, but she’s already gorgeous, young, and very slender. If you can’t make someone like that look good, you need to find another profession. The MOTB is about double Huma’s age, a minimum of four inches shorter, and… well… not as slim and not lacking in the curve department, so dressing her well takes more effort. She’s also a very conservative dresser overall, so it’s hard to come up with something flattering that’s modest enough to meet her standards.
Madame Secretary is a very forgiving woman. I wouldn’t hire someone who said of my body “from the waist up she really looks great” and then proceeds to make me a dress that looked like it had been borrowed from the Queen of England.
Yes, that’s the thing. Huma CAN wear (and SHOULD) ovelays. She is so slender and the lace picked up her hair and enhanced her curves. On Hillary, overlays are a distraction. She is the show – her face, skin, neckline, and cleavage. The dress does not need to add anthing to Hillary. Just cover the necessary parts artfully.
I just hope he doesn’t make her look like she’s in her 90’s like her mother (who looks fabulous for what? 92?)
on August 9, 2014 at 10:58 pm | Reply Hillary Clinton’s ‘Hard Choices’ Retrospective Part Two: Across the Pacific Chapter 4 China: Uncharted Waters | Still4Hill
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You are here: Home / Australia / Dr Malcolm Swinbanks tells Senate: ‘NASA’s 1980s Research on Health Effects from Wind Farm Noise More Relevant Than Ever’
Dr Malcolm Swinbanks tells Senate: ‘NASA’s 1980s Research on Health Effects from Wind Farm Noise More Relevant Than Ever’
July 10, 2015 by stopthesethings 8 Comments
Senate Inquiry gets a ‘gift’ from Dr Malcolm Swinbanks.
The Senate Inquiry into the great wind power fraud has heard evidence and received submissions from some of the best in the acoustics and health business: Dr Malcolm Swinbanks, among them.
Here’s what he had to say.
Senate Select Committee on Wind Turbines – 23 June 2015
SWINBANKS, Dr Malcolm Alexander, Private capacity
CHAIR (Senator Madigan): I declare this meeting open and welcome Dr Malcolm Swinbanks. Information on parliamentary privilege and the protection of witnesses has been provided to you, has it?
Dr Swinbanks: Actually it has not. It was not in amongst the emails that I got. Perhaps you could quickly indicate.
CHAIR: The committee has your submission. I now invite you to make a short opening statement, and at the conclusion of your remarks I will invite members of the committee to put questions to you.
Dr Swinbanks: Just briefly, I will review the submission that I made. I addressed four separate issues: first of all, the physical mechanisms for generating low-frequency sound and infrasound; secondly, the mechanisms by which people can perceive such infrasound; thirdly, I commented on the health effects and, in particular, two reports relating to these supposed health effects or the absence of them; and, finally, I gave an account of my own personal experience of adverse effects I have encountered when taking measurements near to a wind turbine installation.
If I could start off with the generation of infrasound, it is not often realised that NASA, in the early 1980s, actually carried out research on upwind rotor turbines. That is the modern configuration where the rotor is upwind of the supporting the tower, rather than downwind. Wind developers have often dismissed NASA’s work, saying it was not relevant because it related only to downwind turbines, but this is completely inaccurate. NASA had in fact identified the benefits of going to the upwind configuration at a very early stage.
They also examined the effects of multiple turbines operating together and the effects of the separation between those turbines. They found that seven to 10 diameters separation was the ideal requirement for a turbine located downwind of its neighbours. But, in recent years, some wind developers have compromised on that spacing and have reduced it even to as little as three diameters in some cases, and that is asking for trouble, because the increased turbulence leads to increased low-frequency sound and infrasound.
The other effect that has to be considered is that as wind farm arrays are made larger and larger, the rate of attenuation as you move away from the wind farm is reduced. The result is that the setbacks from the boundaries have to be much greater to achieve the same reduction in sound. In recent years, people have stated that they have problems at distances of as much as three miles, and that is entirely consistent with the effects of increasing the size of the wind farms. Finally, I would point out that under conditions where the temperature profile is what is known as a temperature inversion, the low-frequency noise and what would I call the ‘silent thump’ of wind farms can carry over distances of three miles or more.
I would like to turn to how people perceive infrasound. The conventional method of hearing is through what are known as the inner hair cells of the cochlear. The effects of infrasound can be measured by a G-weighting scale, which is very similar to the A-weighting scale. It is effectively an extension of it, although the exact values do not correspond directly.
Many people have evaluated whether or not the effects of infrasound are perceptible by simply comparing spectra with the hearing threshold and stating that the spectra are well below the threshold values and therefore the sound cannot possibly be perceived. That is not correct. At very low frequencies, it is the combination of different frequency components adding together which defines the total level of the infrasound, and that can be significantly greater than is observed simply by looking at the par spectrum.
People have reported having significant problems believed to be due to infrasound at distances from wind turbines. In that context, there are three different mechanisms which may be contributing to enhanced sensitivity. I have analysed a specific effect relating to the interaction with the thresholds as a result of low and high frequencies being present simultaneously.
In America, Dr Alec Salt has identified that the outer hair cells of the cochlear are actually much more sensitive at very low frequencies. He believes that there is some input to the nervous system resulting from them. Most recently, Paul Schomer, also in America, has considered the possible effects of sound pressure on the vestibular organs, which are the balance organs, and those effects could give the person on the receiving end a sensation of apparent motion, even though they are actually stationary.
I would like to make a further addition, which is just related to my own experience. Lying in bed, at a distance of three miles from a wind farm, my wife and I have on occasions been disturbed by the wind turbine noise. The most marked feature is that when you have gusts of wind, the turbine noise is masked by the gust and you get a huge sense of relief, only to find that when the wind subsides, the turbine noise returns and you again find yourself subject to the relentless sound.
The point is that when the wind gusts rise it is very much like the effect of when you come out of a tunnel into the light—a huge sense of relief. The sound levels of the turbines under those circumstances are probably less than the average sound levels of the wind, but nevertheless they are far more disturbing. This is noted also at higher frequencies, where people have identified that the annoyance from turbines at 35 dB(a) can be comparable to the annoyance of other more conventional sources at 55 dB(a). One commonly sees statements made that wind turbine noise is no different from any other noise, but the fact is it is different. It is clearly more perceptible at lower levels, and criteria relating to more conventional noise do not necessarily apply.
Turning to the health effects of wind turbines, there was an early report in 2009, which was an American Wind Energy Association funded report. This was the first time that experts had been brought together from both the medical profession and the acoustics profession. That report has been regarded as a definitive baseline report, and subsequent reports have tended to draw on it because of the qualifications of its authors. I consider that report to have been extremely biased. It failed to mention at all two of the most important aspects of wind turbine perception.
Firstly, that in rural areas the hearing threshold is much reduced compared to the threshold when you are in urban areas and consequently you are much more sensitive to additional noise.
Secondly, there is increasing sensitivity with continuing exposure. Some authors have described this as learned aversion. I have also experienced that at firsthand myself 30 years ago when working on natural gas compressor installations, which are effectively jet engines driving a compressor into an exhaust. In those circumstances, I found that over time, ultimately a period of two years, I had become very sensitive indeed to the low frequency noise and I could detect it under circumstances where previously I could not detect it at all.
That same health report misrepresented guidance which had been given in America by the Environmental Protection Agency as long ago as 1974—that is 40 years ago—and they have failed to indicate that the presently permitted sound levels in the USA are too high and can lead to sleep disruption.
The most recent health report that has been produced, again, funded by CanWEA, the Canadian Wind Energy Association, finally acknowledges the excessive permitted levels in the United States and the resultant consequences for sleep disturbance, but it does not highlight this. The statement is effectively buried in 25 pages of closely-spaced text. Now I believe a lot of the problems have been created as a result of that report and some of its successors, because it has completely understated the nature of the problem and has led, undoubtedly, to people being exposed to higher levels than they should be exposed to.
At the same time, it is common practice to place the burden of the effects of wind turbines onto the homeowners by stating that it is annoyance on the part of the homeowners and nocebo effects.
By placing the burden on the homeowners, the apparent responsibility of the wind developer is reduced but, at the same time, this ignores completely the fact that the noise and, indeed, the infrasound can represent a significant intrusion into a rural home, particularly at night when people are trying to sleep. So I believe the correct terminology is to say that people suffer annoyance. It is something which is imposed on them.
I would also comment with respect to the nocebo effect that many communities welcomed wind turbines—this was particularly true of one island community in Vermont—but once the turbines started they discovered that there were some significant adverse effects. That is the very opposite of a nocebo effect.
A nocebo effect is when there is prior anticipation of a problem, not when the problem is noted after the event. In that sense, I would like to make a brief comment that NASA, as long ago as 1982, presented a curve which showed the levels of infrasound that could cause adverse reactions by occupants. This showed that the levels of infrasound could be very much lower than the nominal threshold of hearing. People debate whether or not this is due to effects of vibration on a house structure—this is for people inside a house—or whether it is a true perception of infrasound; but that does not really matter. The fact is that, at octave levels as low as 60 decibels, which is a very low level for infrasound, there can be adverse reactions from occupants. That data goes back almost 35 years. Finally, I would like to—
CHAIR: Excuse me, Dr Swinbanks—
Dr Swinbanks: comment briefly on my own personal experience of wind turbine health effects. I was asked by some friends of mine to help them measure the infrasound levels in the basement of their home at the wind farm at Ubly in Michigan.
It is noteworthy that this particular wind farm had been designed in 2005, at which time Dr Nina Pierpont, a doctor in New York state, had been opposing that wind developer because of concerns she had relating to the likely noise environment of a wind farm. She has been roundly criticised all around the world for supposedly promoting scare stories. But in fact the wind farm that was developed at Ubly by exactly the same developer has proven to demonstrate all of the adverse effects that Dr Nina Pierpont warned about. Indeed, 10 families ultimately took legal action against that wind farm. The matter was settled out of court. But the important point is that I myself experienced directly many of the effects that Dr Nina Pierpont warned about, and she certainly was not making it up. The fact is that these effects can occur.
In my particular case, I was working on a very calm evening when wind turbines were operating but there was very little wind at ground level and you could not hear the turbines at all inside the house. I actually had to keep going outside to check that they were still running. After three hours in the house I began to feel ill and I found that I was lethargic and losing concentration, but it was not until sometime afterwards that I began to realise that it was the wind turbines that were likely to be responsible.
The level of infrasound that I was measuring was a level that I considered to be very low and definitely not a problem. After five hours in the house I was only too glad to leave, and I thought, ‘At last I’m getting away from this,’ only to find that, when I started driving, my driving ability was completely compromised. The front of the car seemed to sway around as I consistently oversteered. I had lost coordination and I had difficulty judging speed and distance. When I arrived home, my wife observed immediately that I was ill; she could see that straight off. And it took me a further five hours to finally recover and for the effects to wear off.
The important point about that incident was that I had considered that the conditions—a nice calm evening at ground level, but with the turbines still running—were extremely benign, and I had wondered whether I would even get any results. So I certainly was not anxious about infrasound. Similarly, when I got—
Dr Swinbanks: Yes?
CHAIR: We have got very short time. Would you mind if we go to questions now?
Dr Swinbanks: Yes, that is fine. In fact, I had effectively completed, so that is fine.
CHAIR: We will start with Senator Urquhart.
Senator URQUHART: Thanks, Dr Swinbanks. I picked up, I think, from your opening statement that you live near an operating wind farm—is that right?
Dr Swinbanks: Yes. We have a farmhouse in Michigan, and the county, Huron County, in which we live decided that they were going to install very large numbers of wind turbines.
They installed a first set at two locations in the interior of the region where we are, and the significant problems developed at one of those wind farms, but since then they have been installing progressively more wind turbines. We have an installation three miles south of us, which affects us only when the wind blows from a southerly direction and then only under certain weather conditions. But the intention is to install many times more turbines, and, essentially, the whole county will be covered in turbines if this situation continues as it is.
Senator URQUHART: Have you published any articles on infrasound from wind turbines in any peer-reviewed journals?
Dr Swinbanks: Not in peer-reviewed journals. I have presented, at conferences, the work that I have done, and it has represented a sequence of work. But I believed that it was better simply to get the information out into the public domain.
Senator URQUHART: In your submission you mention Steven Cooper’s study from the Cape Bridgewater wind farm. Do you believe this was a scientifically valid study equipped to make conclusions about the link between participant sensations and infrasound?
Dr Swinbanks: I believe that in a situation where people are reporting the effects that they observe while at the same time the operating characteristics of the wind farm are being monitored remotely, if you find that there is then a close correlation between those two situations, when they are well separated and there is no communication between the relevant parties, that does imply that there is a significant link and that people are reacting to real events.
Senator URQUHART: We heard from the Association of Australian Acoustical Consultants. They had done a small statistical analysis of Mr Cooper’s work. In this they found that Mr Cooper did not meet his hypothesis 63 per cent of the time. Do you think it is reasonable to suggest causality when a hypothesis is not meeting close to two-thirds of the event occurrences?
Dr Swinbanks: I would point out that I am not a statistician. I do not approach my own work from a statistical point of view. What I prefer to do is go and find out for myself what it is all about, and from my own experience I believe that what Steven Cooper has observed is entirely credible.
Senator URQUHART: Here in Australia we have had a population level study done that found no difference in the prescriptions that Australians had been given regardless of the distance that they lived from wind farms. Are you aware of any population level studies internationally that have found otherwise?
Dr Swinbanks: I am not aware of such studies. But I do know a lot of families whose life has been made pretty miserable by the wind turbines, and I find that every bit as impressive as the statistics that people collect. It is a characteristic of the medical profession that they operate hands-off and perform their evaluations entirely on a statistical basis.
In the engineering profession, whenever possible we go and find out what it is like and subject ourselves to those conditions to gain an appreciation for ourselves. Sometimes I read documents from people who clearly have no direct experience. It is apparent from what they say. In this particular instance, occurrences are so comparatively rare amongst the general population that it is very easy to end up with a large number of negative responses and only a very small number of positive responses; yet the fact is that those positive responses can be directly associated with real problems.
Senator URQUHART: We are going to hear in a minute from Dr Leventhall. He has put forward in his submission that a much higher correlation in Mr Cooper’s work could be found between audible noise and sensations rather than infrasound and sensations. Do you agree with Dr Leventhall that the correlation that Mr Cooper found is statistically much higher with audible noise than infrasound?
Dr Swinbanks: There are both components of sound present. The definition of infrasound, according to Dr Leventhall himself, is that there is a very fuzzy boundary between infrasound and low-frequency noise. He has stated that that often causes confusion.
In reports that he has written his definition of infrasound versus low-frequency sound, which is generally considered to be audible sound: he has defined boundaries of 20 hertz on some occasions as being the boundary between the two effects—16 hertz. In a different report he talked of 10 hertz to 200 hertz. Finally he even proposed five hertz to 200 hertz in a 2006 paper. So the point is that this definition of where you are between infrasound and audible noise is a very flexible definition. I do not consider that it is particularly important whether the noise is truly audible or just perceived as a sensation. The important effect is that people do detect something; they detect a sensation and can tell that something is happening.
I learnt this 30 years ago when I was working on a gas turbine installation. Initially, I was very insensitive to the sound but, ultimately, I could drive up in my car and detect that the gas turbines were running even before the car engine had been turned off. There was a very marked increase in sensitivity. So I do not really think that it is important whether it is audible noise or inaudible noise that gives rise to the sensation. The fact is: people do experience real sensation, and these sensations can be very unpleasant.
Senator BACK: You mentioned size of wind farms. Were you referring to numbers of turbines or the actual physical size of the individual turbines, or both, when you made your comments in that regard?
Dr Swinbanks: I am referring primarily to the number of turbines. That is obviously related to the overall dimensions of the wind farm. But I have in mind, in particular, the Macarthur wind farm, which has very closely spaced turbines. It has a very large number—something in excess of 140.
People are, I understand, experiencing adverse effects at distances of three miles. I believe that is a consequence of a large, closely spaced wind farm. Whether the effects would be as severe if the spacing of the turbines is made greater, I believe that would relieve some of the effects. But I think the main issue is the sheer number of turbines.
Senator BACK: You mentioned about what the 2009 American Wind Energy Association report had failed to take account of. You made the reference to increased sensitivity over time—increased exposure—and you gave an example of your own situation with gas turbines. One of the witnesses who has appeared before us, Dr Tonin, from this Association of Australian Acoustical Consultants, put to the committee that you could undertake this testing for infrasound using a pneumatic signal attached to hearing protectors effectively in a quiet room for a limited period of time. I think he mentioned 15 or 20 minutes. Could you comment on how much value you regard such testing would be in trying to come to terms with our situation?
Dr Swinbanks: My attention was drawn to that paper, and I have read it. I have two immediate comments.
Firstly, he was attempting to distinguish whether symptoms were due to actual infrasound or due to nocebo effects. The important point is: there are two different outcomes which could distinguish between those effects, but, in fact, there are many more than two possible outcomes from the experiment. There are up to 16 outcomes of which only two are definitive outcomes relating to nocebo effects or infrasound effects. When I looked at the data, the most impressive correlation that I could see from the data was that the sheer action of putting on the headphones appeared to have increased the symptoms of the people being studied by at least 44 per cent. This was an experiment in which putting on the headphones had a measurable effect. I would argue that we do not yet know what exactly the mechanism causing people to suffer adverse effects.
As I indicated, NASA, 30-odd years ago, had shown that people could experience adverse reactions at what are nominally very low levels of infrasound, but that was in houses where there was possibly vibration from the structures—and we do not know whether people are sensing anything through their body rather than their ears, because people often report in low-frequency noise or infrasound environments that they can feel—
Senator BACK: Can I stop you there. We need to get the answers fairly quickly so that all of us can have a go. You made reference to the circumstances of your own experience, where the wind was gusting and then was not gusting and the sound of the turbines with each.
Some people have put to us the idea that an average sound or an average level is adequate. You in your paper have suggested that the use of an averaging technique may be missing cumulative pressure fluctuations and, in particular, peak pressure. Could you briefly explain that further and whether or not there is a value in averaged sound or averaged levels of infrasound decibels, please.
Dr Swinbanks: My immediate comment is that there is no value at all in an averaged level. In that example I gave, if you average it all, you find that the wind turbine level if anything would be less than the gusting level and you would then conclude that the wind turbines are not significant, whereas in fact it is very clear that they are significant.
But the other important point is that there is a very well acknowledged paper that was written in 2004 by two authors, Moller and Paterson, where they made it very clear that for the very low frequencies it is the actual shape and time history and peaks of the waveform that are important. In fact, Dr Leventhall, in an expert witness statement a couple of years ago, criticised me for supposedly not having read that report properly, but what I was doing was studying directly what the report recommended—namely, the time history and shape of the waveforms rather than long-term averaged versions of the waveforms.
Senator BACK: Thank you.
Senator LEYONHJELM: Dr Swinbanks, I have several questions. I hope we have time for them. Dr Leventhall was giving evidence in 2013 to a Vermont Senate hearing on the adverse health impacts of wind turbine operations in which he said they were ‘made-up, make-believe’, ‘hoo-hah’ and ‘a propaganda technique’. I understand he also dismissed some of your work on impulsive infrasound. Has he communicated those concerns to you?
Dr Swinbanks: He has not communicated the concerns directly.
I have known Dr Leventhall for 40 years, but until very recently I had not seen him for 20 years. I was quite surprised, when I met him, that he appeared to have a very different perspective on the noise conditions in America from the perspective he gave at that Vermont meeting.
When he was in the UK, he told me that he thought the sound levels in America were disgraceful.
At the Vermont conversation, he attributed problems to ‘hysterical reaction’. The point is that permitted noise levels in the United States are significantly higher than in other countries and certainly higher than in Australia, so it is hardly surprising that there is what he called ‘hysterical reaction’. You would certainly expect that, if people are subjected to more adverse conditions, they are going to react and respond more strongly.
But it most certainly is not hoo-ha. I can say that from my own experience. There is no question that there are some significant effects. We do not know precisely what the mechanisms are. But people did not know what the mechanisms for seasickness were for many hundreds of years, and they still recognised the existence of seasickness.
Senator LEYONHJELM: In the NASA work in the 1980s, Kelley describes in detail the physical sensations resulting from infrasound. Are his descriptions consistent with what residents are now describing as the physical impacts of wind turbine sound?
Dr Swinbanks: Yes, I believe they are consistent. These symptoms have been known for a long time. Dr Leventhall says they are entirely consistent with his knowledge of low-frequency noise. He does not find it surprising, but he argues that it is not due to infrasound.
As I have indicated, Dr Leventhall has even defined low-frequency noise as being from five hertz up to 200 hertz, which overlaps very substantially a region that most people tend to call infrasound. So we have a situation where, for frequencies around 12, 13 and 14 hertz, do you say, ‘That’s infrasound. That can’t be a problem,’ or do you say, ‘That’s low-frequency sound. The symptoms are perfectly understandable’?
The fact is it is a very fuzzy distinction and you can place yourself either side of that boundary dependent on precisely how you choose to define the boundary. I believe that the symptoms are consistent. They are certainly consistent with low-frequency noise. It is a moot point whether or not people are subconsciously hearing something. They are aware of something. I have no doubts about the nature of the symptoms.
Senator LEYONHJELM: I just want to ask you a few technical questions. Your submission had some graphs that showed the pressure fluctuations and frequency. Mr Cooper’s report points out the need for narrowband measurements and not one-third octave bands for DBA or DBG when looking at infrasound and low frequency. Do you agree with that?
Dr Swinbanks: Certainly. I would not even dream of using one-third octaves or even averaging, over extended periods of time, just the pure spectrum levels.
A proper analysis is both a narrowband frequency analysis coupled with a temporal analysis to look at the time history, as I commented earlier. If you go out to sea in a small boat, you do not worry about the spectrum of the waves; you worry about the shape of the next wave. This is what happens as you go down in lower and lower frequencies. For frequencies like 20 hertz and upwards, you tend to be more concerned with the blurring overall effect, but, as you get down to the very lowest frequencies, it is the shape of the individual waveforms that influences you. So one certainly should not be using these long-term averaging techniques.
Senator LEYONHJELM: Following up on from a question from Senator Back earlier in relation to peaks and averages, could you comment on whether or not it is possible to take a recording of infrasound or low-frequency sound—whatever you like—from a wind turbine and replicate it in a laboratory under controlled conditions in order to measure whether or not there is an adverse effect to it?
Dr Swinbanks: Yes, it is possible to do so, but the way in which people have been doing it so far, to me, seems a bit back to front.
What they should be doing is, first of all, testing people who are known to be sensitive to wind turbines to try to find out what conditions enable an accurate replication of the effects.
I do not see the point in just setting up an experiment in a laboratory and saying, ‘We didn’t observe anything’ if you have not first established, for a person who does suffer ill-effects, whether or not they actually respond to that test. There are real questions about what exactly are the important effects and what exactly should be reproduced in a laboratory. For example, I have quoted the NASA work of 30 years ago.
People consider that, possibly, it was the vibration of the structures that people were sensing rather than the physical pressure variations of the infrasound. We do not know exactly what gives rise to the adverse effects. One has to validate any laboratory testing by being satisfied that people who are sensitive and have reported adverse effects can indeed experience those effects under the test conditions.
Senator CAMERON: Thank you for being here, Dr Swinbanks. You are three miles from the wind farm—is that correct?
Dr Swinbanks: That is correct.
Senator CAMERON: Was your house there before the wind farm was built?
Dr Swinbanks: Yes. I must make it clear that I am not directly complaining about those noise levels because at the moment the effects occur only when the wind is blowing from the south, which is only five per cent of the time. They only occur under circumstances of very severe temperature inversion. So it is a very occasional event. The point is simply that it can occur, and people who are in a position where they are encountering those sorts of conditions more frequently could also be expected to encounter such effects at such distances.
The point that I am making is that such effects can be detected at these distances, not that those effects are a significant intrusion at the moment. But I would point out that in the future they are proposing to build turbines not just to the south of us, but to the west and the north-west, in which case those conditions may prevail for 35 or 40 per cent of the time. The fact is that modest numbers of turbines at sensible distances are not generally a consistent problem. Large wind farms operating under adverse circumstances can indeed be a significant problem at those sorts of distances.
Senator CAMERON: So when the turbines started to be built, was there an opposition group formed in your area?
Dr Swinbanks: There was never an opposition group as such, but there were a significant number of people who were making known their concerns. There was not a formal opposition group, but people were making known their concerns. The fact that there were two wind farms built at an early stage meant that people had some experience of what could be happening.
The interesting feature was that you might say that those two wind farms, if you looked at them initially, looked pretty similar and pretty comparable; but one of them gave rise to very severe problems, while the other one did not appear to give rise to anything like as many complaints. The skill of constructing a good quiet wind farm is still pretty well lacking. It is very much a trial and error process, unless people obey sensible guidelines like ensuring that the separation between the turbines is of a sensible size and they are not choosing to mount turbines in locations, for example, on ridges where there can be a significantly distorted wind pattern and shear flow effects. The point is that there is a difference between a well constructed wind farm with sensible spacings and numbers and a poorly constructed wind farm.
Senator CAMERON: You also indicated that an inversion caused problems, and you gave evidence in relation to one night when it was not windy, and you had to keep going outside to check if the turbines were operating, then you became lethargic, you were losing concentration, you lost coordination when you were driving. Were you the only one in your household who had these symptoms?
Dr Swinbanks: It was not my household, it was the house belonging to some people who lived at the wind farm, who had asked me to take the measurements for them.
Those people have experienced adverse effects to the extent that they actually had to rent alternative accommodation and go and sleep in the alternative accommodation at night. They initially tried to look at weather forecasts and decide if they could sleep in their own house or not, but they ultimately decided that the wind conditions could change during the night, and it could go from a benign night to a bad night. Therefore they began to sleep away from the property routinely and regularly.
The particular point that I should like to make is that I was extremely surprised to experience these symptoms. I thought it was a non-event. But one particular point was that I was using a computer very extensively, and if there is a relation to motion sickness, I would certainly comment that if I am in a motor car and I try to use the computer or read—assuming I am not driving—I can very quickly become ill. I wondered whether this was purely conjecture, whether the fact that I was concentrating on using a computer actually enhanced the severity of the effects.
Senator CAMERON: Are you aware of the study that was done by Fiona Crichton, George Dodd, Gian Schmid, Greg Gamble, and Keith J. Petrie, titled ‘Can expectations produce symptoms from infrasound associated with wind turbines?’ It was a peer reviewed analysis reported in Health Psychology. They indicated that if there were high expectancy that you would get sick from infrasound then you would become sick. They did work with infrasound and sham infrasound, and it really did support the analysis that the psychogenesis and nocebo effect were real. Have you had a look at that?
Dr Swinbanks: Yes, I am familiar with that and I wrote a criticism of that document at the time. The point was that the difference between their sham infrasound and their real infrasound was essentially negligible. The real infrasound was at a level of 40 decibels, which is very low, and not surprisingly there was no difference in the response of any of the people between the sham and the actual infrasound. The other point is that the duration was only 10 minutes. In the effects that I described it took five hours for the full effects to become apparent.
I have related that whole situation to sea sickness. It used to be the case, in the 1970s, when I did a lot of sailing, that one would frequently encounter people who considered that seasickness was just psychological. Very often, they learned the hard way that it is not. But the point is that, if you wanted to test two groups of people for seasickness, you would not put two separate groups into two separate boats and put them on a flat, calm lake for 10 minutes and then announce that any reactions prove that seasickness was caused by a nocebo effect. That would actually be regarded as a joke. So I am afraid that I consider that that particular experiment was more an experiment in a pretty obvious psychology than anything relating to the validity of whether infrasound represents a real problem or not.
Senator CAMERON: So many questions, so little time. Thank you.
CHAIR: Dr Swinbanks, is the sound pressure level important when considering biological effects of infrasound and low frequencies, or could it be the frequency via acoustic resonance?
Dr Swinbanks: I think I should make it clear that I am not a biology specialist, so anything I say is amateur in that context. But I believe that the long exposure times can be a factor in inducing effects in people. Again, drawing a parallel with seasickness, it was not uncommon to go to sea for eight, 12 or even 24 hours and think, well, you are not going to get seasick this time, only to discover suddenly at the end that you do in fact start to succumb. In that context you can find that the onset of the symptoms can seem to be very rapid, even although you have been exposed for a long duration. So I think there are important considerations relating to duration of exposure.
I point out briefly that Dr Alec Salt, who is an expert on the characteristics of the cochlea, has suggested there is a phenomenon known as temporary endolymphatic hydrops, which is a progressive swelling and blockage of the little pressure relief hole at the end of the cochlea. If that becomes blocked then you can become very much more sensitive to infrasound. So it is quite possible to hypothesise that long-duration exposure is causing a blockage to progressively develop, and when it becomes severe then the person will start to experience much more extreme effects from the sound pressure than they would if there were no blockage.
So you could imagine in those circumstances that there might be a protracted period where there was no effect and then a comparatively rapid onset of effects. It would then take time after the exposure for those effects to clear, so you would then have persistence for some time afterwards. This is a whole area that requires a great deal more study. One of the conclusions, though, of the original 2009 AWEA report was that there was no need for any further research. I would completely disagree with that. I think it is apparent that people are now taking the issue seriously and at last people are beginning to investigate more thoroughly exactly what may be happening.
CHAIR: From what you have told me, I take it that the level of sound pressure is less important?
Dr Swinbanks: There are several factors that are important and when they come together they can effectively reinforce one another. I am not certain that you can take out one specific component and reject the rest. It is a combination of different contributions that can ultimately lead to the end condition. But the obvious conditions are length of exposure, sound pressure levels but also the frequency and the nature and character of the time history of the wave forms.
CHAIR: Thank you. We are running over time. If there are no further questions—
Senator BACK: I have one, but it will have to go on notice.
CHAIR: Dr Swinbanks, there may be further questions placed on notice by senators. We would appreciate it if you accept those and respond.
Dr Swinbanks: Certainly.
CHAIR: Thank you for your appearance before the committee.
Dr Swinbanks: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak. I am very grateful for that.
CHAIR: Thank you.
Hansard 23, June 2015
Dr Swinbank’s evidence is available on the Parliament’s website here. And his submission to the Inquiry is available here (sub189_Swinbanks).
Dr Malcolm Swinbanks: delivers common sense with consummate ease.
Nice work, Malcolm! That couldn’t have been clearer or plainer. But that’s usually the case where a witness is dishing up good ol’ common sense.
In his evidence, Dr Swinbank’s talked about his own unnerving experience with turbine generated infrasound, for more detail on what happened see this post:
Top Acoustic Engineer – Malcolm Swinbanks – Experiences Wind Farm Infrasound Impacts, First Hand
And we’re very pleased to see Dr Swinbanks smashing the wind industry’s claim that the NASA research from the 1980s has no relevance to the present calamity, simply because the blades were shifted from behind the tower (‘downwind’) to in front of the tower (‘upwind’). For a detailed rundown on the NASA research and its relevance to what wind farm neighbours are forced to suffer, see this post:
After hearing and receiving a vast swathe of evidence of the kind given by Dr Swinbanks and a cast of others, our political betters in Australia’s Parliament won’t be able to run the Sergeant Schultz defence any longer ….
I hear nothing, I see nothing, I know nothing …
Filed Under: Australia, Big wind industry, Big wind politics, Health, Wind Farm Senate Inquiry Tagged With: Adverse Health Effects of wind turbines, Bob Day wind farms, David Leyonhjelm wind farms, low frequency wind turbine noise, Malcolm Swinbanks, NASA wind farm research, senate wind farm inquiry, wind farm infrasound, wind farm noise, wind farm noise regulation, wind farm noise sleep
« Dr Bruce Rapley tells Senate: Wind Farm Nocebo Story “Nefarious Pseudoscience” & an “Insult to Intelligence”
STT’s Take on the ‘Global Warming’ Story »
STT is being noticed : ) at the 8 minute mark
Recently new video from April 3,2017
Hi STT, I was looking for the post about the Aussie couple that told of their regret for signing a wind lease. I can’t seem to find it.
This recent Youtube video by Kevin Martis ( Michigans Hero in my eyes) two people in the thumb of Michigan willing to speak their minds about their experiences. November 19th 2015.
Hi Ella, the Gare story is the one we think you mean, here it is:
https://stopthesethings.com/2015/06/15/sa-farmers-paid-1-million-to-host-19-turbines-tell-senate-they-would-never-do-it-again-due-to-unbearable-sleep-destroying-noise/
Noel Dean. says:
Great presentation by Dr Swinbanks who has summed up the noise situation very well. The remark by Senator Urquhart about the number of prescriptions shows how out of touch she is with reality. On the four corners program on the ABC a Professor did a sit down investigation of the amount of prescriptions in relation to the people affected by the Windfarm operation at Waubra. A total of about 23,000 people were estimated to be within 10 kms of turbines, at the Waubra Windfarm (about 1 person in one thousand had scripts) to claim no difference in the use of prescriptions. We left the windfarm and lived outside of this area. I had only one prescription in that time. I had many injections for pain relief; used Panamax over the counter for the pain in the head that I still need because of permanent harm. I went to an ENT specialist; sleep specialist; heart specialist; a number of other specialists, because of ill health. Relying on the number of prescriptions is a nonsense. Together with the continuation of the manipulation of numbers to dismiss the harmful effects of sound that exists, and which is not being measured by authorities, who rely on predictions and assumptions based on very poor information in regards to received sound and its character.
Noel Dean.
One wonders what this senator Urquhart has got between her ears? As it is not brains, with the questions she asks during the Senate Inquiry on wind farms. It is plain as day that these things are having a very bad effect on the health of people that live with in five or six kms of them. Dr Swinbanks has even experienced the effects himself.
I bet Urquhart, Chapman and a few others of the wind weasel mob have never been with in cooee of these things. These weasel grubs are supposed to be in a position to make life better for Australians, not worse.
pmm232 says:
Nasa had provided this information in the 1980’s. Why has it taken so long for common sense to prevail? $ $ $ $ SIGNS
Choice of ignorance to gain wealth.
citizen of the world says:
The wind-industry is willingly blind to any science that exposes their mendacity. Its game plan is in lock-step with the pariah industries of tobacco, asbestos, thalidomide…
Leave a Reply to pmm232 Cancel reply
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Putin bestows Order of Alexander Nevsky to President Vucic of Serbia
The Order of Alexander Nevsky was granted to the Serbian leader for his profound personal contribution to the comprehensive cooperation with Russia
BELGRADE, January 17. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is currently on a visit to Serbia, on Thursday presented the Russian Order of Alexander Nevsky to Serbian President Aleksander Vucic.
The ceremony was held after two rounds of bilateral talks at the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade.
Putin signed a relevant decree to decorate the Serbian leader with the Order of Alexander Nevsky for his profound personal contribution to the comprehensive cooperation with Russia on January 7.
In an interview with TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman, Aleksandar Vucic said it was a special honor for him to receive the Order of Alexander Nevsky from the Russian president. He stressed that in his capacity of the Serbian president he had been doing his best to strengthen relations between Belgrade and Moscow.
"Awarding this order, President Putin not only demonstrated that he understands how much Serbia has done to keep good relations between our two countries and what my personal contribution to that is. He also demonstrated that he respects the fact that we have managed to preserve independence, our sovereignty in decision-making, to preserve our freedom being a small country, to preserve our neutrality and this our striving has never been called to question. I think President Putin has demonstrated that he understands the situation in this region better than many and that he can value the respect Serbia has been demonstrating to Russia," President Vucic said.
He also pledged that this order will have a special place among his other awards. "This order has a tremendous importance as it obliges me and Serbia not to against Russia, to be a friend to Russia, in both good and bad times," he stressed.
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Fintech company Deposit Solutions raises $20 million from existing investors
By Jonathan Keane , November 30th, 2017.
Deposit Solutions, a German fintech company, has raised $20 million in a round led by e.Ventures and Greycroft, both existing shareholders.
The new funds will be used to grow the Hamburg-based company’s Open Banking platform for savings deposits for both B2B and B2C services, and to expand internationally. Its APIs allow banks to connect to the platform to build and offer deposit services. It has partnered with more than 50 banks.
“This investment round is a strong vote of confidence from our shareholders and allows us to further focus on our core mission, establishing Open Banking as the new industry standard for the deposit market,” said Dr Tim Sievers, CEO of Deposit Solutions.
The company acquired Berlin startup Savedo earlier this year to improve on the B2C side of its business, which has reached 85,000 retail customers to date.
“Deposit Solutions started to build its open banking infrastructure long before fintech even became a household name and has consistently pursued its vision of transforming the €10 trillion deposit market ever since,” added Andreas Haug, managing partner of e.Ventures, which was an existing investor and backed the company in previous rounds.
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Wall Street Journal (03/31/08) P. A2; Jordan, Miriam
Applications for H-1B visas for fiscal year 2009 are expected to greatly outnumber supply. Last year, the U.S. government received 124,000 applications for H-1B visas, nearly double the cap of 65,000. For years, U.S. tech companies have urged Congress to increase the cap on visas for educated foreign workers, and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates recently warned lawmakers that the United States risks losing its competitive edge in technology if it is unable to secure qualified workers. "Other nations are benefiting from our misguided policies," Gates says. "They are revising their immigration policies to attract highly talented students and professionals who would otherwise study, live, and work in the United States for at least part of their careers." The immigration shortage has caused some companies to expand operations in other countries. Microsoft, for example, recently opened its first software development center in Canada. A study by the National Foundation for American Policy found that on average every foreign national on a H-1B visa generates another five to 7.5 jobs, depending on the size of the company. Critics of H-1B visa reform say the program takes jobs from U.S. citizens, lowers wages, and is exploited by foreign companies.
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Seattle Times (03/31/08) Heim, Kristi
Many experts believe that RFID tags will soon be ubiquitous, and will be used to monitor objects and people remotely. Leaders of the University of Washington's RFID Ecosystem project want to understand the implications of that shift before it takes place, and are conducting one of the largest experiments using wireless tags in a social setting. For more than a year, a dozen researchers have carried RFID tags around the computer science building, which is equipped with about 200 antennas that pick up any tag near them every second. The RFID tags are less intrusive than a camera, but more precise, and subjects frequently forget they are carrying them. The researchers have developed applications that allow people to use data from RFID tags to inform their social network where they are and what they are doing, and the project's Personal Digital Diary application detects and logs a person's activities each day and uploads them to a personal calendar so people can see what they did that day. "What we want to understand," says computer science professor Gaetano Borriello, "is what makes it useful, what makes it threatening, and how to balance the two." However, there are some disadvantages to being tracked. Borriello says some systems, including U.S. passports and driver's licenses, have been designed to divulge more information than necessary, which could lead to significant security and privacy issues.
Business Wire (03/27/08)
Entertainment and film industry pioneer Ed Catmull will be a featured speaker at ACM's SIGGRAPH 2008, the 35th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. Catmull, a co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios, helped build the RenderMan rendering software system, which has been used to create animated films such as "Toy Story" and "Finding Nemo," and has received 44 of the last 47 Visual Effects nominations to the Academy Awards. "A great deal of what is done today with animation and computer graphics in motion pictures would not be possible without his inventions and contributions," says Jacquelyn Martino, SIGGRAPH 2008 Conference Chair from the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center. "Given that SIGGRAPH is celebrating its 35th conference, we could think of no one individual that could represent the evolution of the industry better than Dr. Catmull." SIGGRAPH 2008 is scheduled for Aug. 11-15 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Washington Post (03/29/08) P. B1; Ruane, Michael E.
Virginia Tech master's students Vidhya Dass and Elizabeth Brennan are using artificial neural networks, evolutionary computations, the Arrhenius equation, linear regression, and fuzzy logic to predict when Washington, D.C.'s cherry trees will bloom. Dass and Brennan wanted to see if a computer model could do as well or better than the National Park Service's seasoned horticulturalist, who analyzes such factors as early flowering elms, maples, and cornelian cherry dogwoods, as well as the weather and other recurring clues. An accurate computer model could make it easier for officials to plan the National Cherry Blossom Festival and for tourists to plan visits. "We hoped to create a model that would allow the best prediction with the minimum amount of input," Brennan says. Dass and Brennan say they focused most of their efforts on computational intelligence and essentially tried to mimic a human brain. The students point out that computer modeling is widely used in to predict soybean flowering, corn yields, and aspects of tomato and lettuce farming. They used past peak dates and previously recorded data to see which computer models were the most accurate. The most accurate models matched past peak dates to within a few days, and some models were as much as three days closer to the peak bloom date than the park service's prediction for that year.
Technology Review (03/31/08) Naone, Erica
As a growing number of tools are developed to help people create their own online mashups, experts are examining how to eliminate mashup security risks. OpenAjax Alliance cofounder David Boloker says that as mashups become more complex they start incorporating computer code from multiple sources, which may include insecure code that could jeopardize a company's or user's systems. Web browsers were not designed with mashups in mind, Boloker says. Browsers contain a security feature called the same-origin policy that is intended to keep malicious code hosted on one site from obtaining information from another site. However, same-origin security forces Web applications to either sacrifice security or functionality, says Microsoft Research's Helen Wang. Wang says that when a Web site creator embeds code written by a third party the same-origin policy no longer offers any protection. She has been working on solutions that provide a way for browsers to recognize code that comes from a third party and to treat that code differently. One solution is to enclose third-party code in a "sandbox" tag, which would allow the Web site to use the code but treat it as unauthorized content, with no authority outside the sandbox. IBM recently released a security tool called SMash that allows content from multiple sources to be displayed on a single page, and allows them to communicate safely. A secure communication channel monitors information sent between tools while maintaining their separate identities and sets of permissions.
IDG News Service (03/28/08) Fontana, John
The European Union is funding PrimeLife, a three-year IBM research project to develop technology that will ensure users can protect their privacy online throughout their lifetimes. IBM's Zurich Research Lab is working with 14 other partners from various countries, including Brown University on PrimeLife, which is short for Privacy and Identity Management in Europe for Life. IBM says it wants to create a toolbox that will act as an electronic data manager that gives users an overview of what personal data is used, when, and for what purposes. Users would be able to create privacy settings and preferences for applications, and would receive prompts when an application tries to obtain or use data for other purposes. "PrimeLife will interact with the open-source community, standardization bodies, as well as other projects so that they can pick up our technology," says Jan Camenisch, PrimeLife project leader and research staff member for cryptography at IBM's Zurich Labs. Camenisch says that current standards and protocols have very limited or nonexistent privacy settings, and the goal of PrimeLife will be to integrate the project's privacy-enhancing technology with existing standards and protocols such as the Security Assertion Markup Language. The first goal of the project is to provide scalable and configurable privacy and identity management that integrates with emerging Internet services and applications.
Computerworld (03/26/08) Havenstein, Heather
The National Cancer Institute says the Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG), launched in 2003, is the largest IT project in the history of biomedical research. Essentially a World Wide Web for cancer research, caBIG is designed to help researchers, physicians, and patients across the country share detailed information on diseases, which will help accelerate the development of new drugs and treatments. So far, 42 of NCI's 63 national cancer centers are either linked to caBIG or are in the process of installing the necessary infrastructure to be linked. Many institutions are already developing applications that will be shared by members of the grid. Early in the project, researchers decided to focus on improving interoperability instead of forcing research organizations to standardize with new IT systems and software. To achieve interoperability, the developers used the Globus Toolkit, a set of open-source tools for building grid systems and applications that run on top of Web services. Developers also created a collection of tools that provide semantic descriptions of vocabulary and data, enabling both humans and machines to interpret data from different systems. National cancer centers in the U.K. are also building an infrastructure that will be "caBIG-enabled."
University of California, San Diego (03/26/08) Zverina, Jan
Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation Cyberinfrastructure Center (NEESit) researchers at the San Diego Supercomputer Center have developed dedicated open source software programs that combine the tri-axis accelerometer, or sudden motion sensor built into every recent Apple laptop, with the iSight video camera used in newer Intel-based laptops. The SDSC's iSeismograph project provides researchers with a cost-efficient and compact platform for data acquisition and acceleration measurement. "The combination of commercially available technology and open source software creates an ideal environment for worldwide collaboration and access at the university and post-graduate levels," says NEESit assistant director Lelli Van Den Einde. The SDSC researchers created a link between the existing accelerometer and video sensor found in all newer Macintosh laptops to the NEESit Real-time Data Viewer, which provides a graphical display of movement. The researchers also linked the project to the Open Source Data Turbine, a National Science Foundation-funded streaming middleware system used for sensor-based observations of environmental events. Once recorded data is sent to the Data Turbine server's archive, it is automatically transferred using the laptop's wireless network interface to the NEEScentral database repository, where students and researchers can collaborate on analyzing, processing, and sharing information.
Institute of Physics (03/28/08)
The Institute of Physics Condensed Matter and Materials Physics conference at the University of London's Royal Holloway College will highlight the need to one day replace the silicon chip with new technologies in order to support ever-faster and more powerful computing. Among potential replacement technologies to be discussed at the conference are carbon nanotubes, whose conductive properties have led to their proposal as molecular-scale circuitry wires. Leeds University researchers led by Bryan Hickey have developed a method to expose a nanotube's structure and electrical characteristics so that it can accurately be positioned on a surface. "With this technique we can make carbon nanotube devices of a complexity that is not achievable by most other means," says Leeds team member Chris Allen. Also speaking at the conference will be Delft University of Technology's Hans Mooij, who will talk about progress in the use of superconductors to greatly increase computer power by tapping the unique properties of quantum physics. He will detail work to make practical quantum computers using an approach to induce communication between three quantum bits (qubits), a milestone that would enormously help achieve scalability. Meanwhile, Raymond Simmons of the National Institute of Standards and Technology will present his own work with superconductor loops, which can function as qubits when placed in quantum superposition states. He will describe the first demonstration of data transmitted between two superconducting qubits, which proves that such elements can serve as a quantum-computing memory and a "bus" for qubits to communicate with one another.
Government Computer News (03/27/08) Jackson, Joab
NASA's Ames Research Center is expanding the first Hyperwall, the world's largest high-resolution display, to a display made of 128 LCD monitors arranged in an 8-by-16 matrix, which will be capable of generating 245 million pixels. Hyperwall-II will be the largest display for unclassified material. Ames will use Hyperwall-II to visualize enormous amounts of data generated from satellites and simulations from Columbia, its 10,240-processor supercomputer. "It can look at it while you are doing your calculations," says Rupak Biswas, chief of advanced supercomputing at Ames, speaking at the High Performance Computer and Communications Conference. One gigantic image can be displayed on Hyperwall-II, or more than one on multiple screens. The display will be powered by a 128-node computational cluster that is capable of 74 trillion floating-point operations per second. Hyperwall-II will also make use of 1,024 Opteron processors from Advanced Micro Devices, and have 128 graphical display units and 450 terabytes of storage.
University of Texas at Dallas (03/25/08) Moore, David
University of Texas at Dallas researchers are contributing to the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI), a $7.5 million, five-year project designed to improve communication between government agencies by enhancing information security. "Assured information sharing has been a problem for decades, but only after 9/11 has so much emphasis been placed on it," says professor Bhavani Thuraisingham, director of UT Dallas' Cyber Security Research Center. "We are developing improved approaches for managing, sharing, and analyzing data, including geospatial data such as maps and images." UT Dallas researchers will work with researchers from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Purdue University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Michigan, and UT San Antonio. Thuraisingham will focus on issues surrounding the enforcement of electronic communications policies and the expansion of the semantic Web, while a UT Dallas interdisciplinary team will explore the technical, economic, and behavioral aspects of incentive-based information sharing. Computer science professor Latifur Khan will work with Illinois researchers on developing methodologies for extracting useful knowledge from data.
Ithaca Journal (NY) (03/31/08) Ashmore, Tim
Cornell University engineers have developed Ranger, a four-legged robot that may have set a world record for the longest distance walked by a robot. Ranger, which uses about half the electricity of an average computer screen, was able to walk 1.2 kilometers on an indoor track before a loose inertia sensor stopped the test. Mechanical engineering graduate student Rohit Hippalgaonkar says the group believes energy efficiency is extremely important. "We use a good 1,000 times less energy than [Honda's] Asimo," Hippalgaonkar says. "We believe that our robot walks closer to a human walking than Honda's robot does. That's part of the reason why it takes so little energy." Cornell professor Andy Ruina, head of the bio-robotics and locomotion lab, says studying human movement is key to robotics research. He says because humans are designed to use less energy, a robot that uses less energy would walk more like a human. Ruina estimates that Ranger could walk up to five kilometers, or about 3.1 miles, on a single battery pack.
Tufts University (03/21/08)
Tufts University's Center for Scientific Visualization has developed technology that enables researchers to turn complex scientific concepts into 3D images that can be projected onto a 14-foot by 8-foot display. Tufts says the display, funded by a $350,000 National Science Foundation grant, will help advance research and educational programs in a variety of disciplines, including mathematics, physics, engineering, and even drama and dance. "Users will be able to manipulate, simulate, touch, and literally immerse themselves in data in a way they never have been able to before," says Amelia Tynan, co-principal investigator on the grant. Computer science professor Robert Jacob says the human brain absorbs much more information when it is presented visually rather than as stacks of data. The visualization technology features a high-resolution display system that uses rear projection to enhance the amount of detail. The display uses a single screen with close to 9-megapixel resolution and two projectors with overlapping fields of projection to create high-resolution images and animations. The system can create seamless 3D images, and haptic devices enable users to combine the sense of touch with sight when interacting with graphical objects on the display wall.
ScienceDaily (03/24/08)
A team of machine learning scientists and experts on bats have developed an algorithm that is capable of demonstrating how bats use echoes to classify food sources. Bats emit ultrasonic pulses and are able to determine different plants according to the various echoes they pick up in return. Matthias Franz from the Max Planck Institute of Biological Cybernetics, and Yossi Yovel, Peter Stilz, and Hans Ulrich-Schnitzler from the University of Tubingen in Germany were among the researchers who used a sonar system to emit bat-like, frequency-modulated ultrasonic pulses, and then recorded thousands of echoes from live plants. Their algorithm used the time-frequency information of these echoes to classify plants. The algorithm was very accurate, and suggested why bats may be able to understand certain echoes better than others.
eWeek (03/24/08) Vol. 25, No. 10, P. 16; Naraine, Ryan
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are constructing Opus Palladianum (OP), a new Web browser designed to prevent hacker attacks by partitioning the browser into smaller subsystems and using simple and explicit communication between subsystems. "[The Web] has become a platform for hosting all kinds of important data and businesses, but unfortunately, [existing] browsers haven't evolved to deal with this change and that's why we have a big malware problem," says University of Illinois professor Samuel King, who conceived of OP. King says three unique security features will be employed to demonstrate the browser architecture design's utility. Those components include flexible security policies that accommodate the use of external plug-ins without making third-party developers responsible for security; formal techniques to show that the address bar displayed within the browser user interface always displays the proper address for the current Web page; and a browser-level information-flow tracking system that allows browser-based attacks to be dissected postmortem. OP is currently comprised of five main subsystems--the Web page subsystem, a network component, a storage component, a user-interface component, and a browser kernel--which all run within separate OS-level processes, King says. Communication between each subsystem and between processes, and interactions with the underlying operating system, are handled by the browser kernel. "The browser kernel implements message passing using OS-level pipes, and it maintains a mapping between subsystems and pipes," King says. He says the long-term goal is to devise a cross-platform Webkit version that will be distributed to the open-source community.
Computerworld (03/24/08) Vol. 42, No. 13, P. 30; Anthes, Gary
Superior algorithms are distinguished by speed, reliability, easy understanding and modifiability, efficient resource usage, and above all, elegance. As computers penetrated the business sector in the 1960s, the computing world was hit by the double blow of bugs--computer errors stemming from programmer errors--and sorting, which was required of virtually every major application. These challenges brought new recognition to the importance of algorithms among IT people, who realized that simple algorithms could be easily coded, debugged, and modified. But in many cases simple algorithms did not boast the most efficiency, so programmers devised algorithmic methods for evaluating the efficiency and overall superiority of algorithms. Bubblesort was an easily understandable but inefficient algorithm that read through the file to be sorted and looked successively at pairs of adjacent records to see if they needed to be swapped to be put in correct order, the idea being that in-sequence records would "bubble up" to the top until eventually the entire file was in sequence. A much more elegant improvement over Bubblesort was the Quicksort algorithm, which can take far less time to sort a file by selecting any element or "pivot" from the list, comparing every other element to the pivot in order to put things in correct order, and then repeating this process on successfully smaller groups until the entire list is in sequence.
Economist Technology Quarterly (03/08) Vol. 386, No. 8570, P. 31
Palm Pilot creator and Numenta founder Jeff Hawkins aspires to make computers work in a manner that more closely resembles the human brain through his theory of hierarchical temporary memory, which posits that the brain processes information using hierarchically organized pattern-recognition "nodes." Frequently-observed patterns are identified and learned over time by nodes at each hierarchical level, and when an established pattern triggers a node, it sends a signal to the next level up in the hierarchy. As multiple signals ascend the hierarchy, nodes at higher levels learn to recognize and anticipate more sophisticated patterns, and predictions are passed down the hierarchy so that disparities between predicted and observed patterns can be identified. The Numenta Platform for Intelligent Computing is an expression of Hawkins' model in software, and Hawkins hopes the free toolkit will be applied toward the development of software that functions more like the human brain. Such software could find use in a diverse array of fields that includes robotics, video games, data analysis, and computer vision. New York University computer scientist Yann LeCun says enthusiasm for the creation of intelligent machines has waned among the machine-learning community over the past decade, and Hawkins' work is rekindling interest in the concept among younger researchers. Although he admires Hawkins' intuition, University of Toronto professor Geoffrey Hinton thinks Hawkins is underestimating the inherent difficulty of creating algorithms capable of mimicking intelligence.
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Welcome to the January 13, 2014 edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for IT professionals three times a week.
Updated versions of the ACM TechNews mobile apps are available for Android phones and tablets (click here) and for iPhones (click here) and iPads (click here).
Designing the Next Wave of Computer Chips
Gender Bias in Tech Professions Called a Reality
Reddit, Mozilla, EFF to Hold Day of Protest, Activism in Memory of Aaron Swartz
Eureka! New Tech Shrinks Cloud Computing's Carbon Footprint
The 'Personalized Advantage Index,' a New Decision-Making Tool Developed at Penn
Computer Science: The Learning Machines
Emory, Georgia Tech Team Up on High-Performance Computing Cluster
MIT Debuts Online Big Data Course for Tech Pros
Lawrence Livermore Explores the Shape of Data, Expanding Query-Free Analytics
Eye-Catching Electronics
NASA Robots Blaze the Trail for Humans on Mars
Using Psychology to Create a Better Malware Warning
The New York Times (01/09/14) John Markoff
Although experts warn that the ability to shrink semiconductors in accordance with Moore's Law is reaching its limit, a new class of nanomaterials that can self-assemble might enable the creation of nearly molecule-scale circuits. These new materials include metals, ceramics, polymeric, and composite materials with bottom-up organization, rather than top-down. Emerging chemical processes can cause these materials to self-assemble into circuits by forming patterns of ultrathin wires on a semiconductor wafer. Together with conventional chip-making techniques, semiconductor designers believe nanomaterials will enable a new class of computer chips that will maintain Moore’s Law and lower the cost of chip making. Silicon Valley researchers are leading the transition from silicon to computational materials, using supercomputers to simulate predictions. Economic factors are helping to drive this research, as Gartner predicts that next-generation semiconductor factories will cost $8 billion to $10 billion, which is more than double the current cost. This staggering expense creates a huge risk of failure for chip makers, encouraging them to turn to new self-assembling materials. For example, Sandia National Laboratories researchers in December released a paper on metal-organic frameworks, which are crystalline structures of metal ions and organic molecules that have been simulated with high-performance computers and verified experimentally.
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Investor's Business Daily (01/10/14) Sheila Riley
Although the technology industry is often a world leader and innovator, it is behind the times in terms of gender equality in the workplace, according to Stanford Law School fellow Vivek Wadhwa. "Things overall are moving in the right direction, except for pockets of resistance in the tech world," says Wadhwa, who plans to publish research about the experiences of 500 women in tech jobs. Women held 57.2 percent of U.S. professional occupations in 2012, according to Department of Labor statistics. However, women account for just 25.6 percent of workers in what the agency calls "computer and mathematical occupations," according to the report. Gender bias in tech is not an issue of overt discrimination, but more about underrepresentation and subtle biases, says the National Center for Women & Information Technology's Catherine Ashcraft. She notes that other reasons women are often left behind in tech include lack of mentors, lack of access to professional networks, and the stereotypical messages girls get from the media, teachers, parents, and peers. Ashcraft says employers also often treat women differently, such as in performance evaluations. "For women, they often tend to be shorter and attribute success to stereotypical feminine characteristics such as collaboration and teamwork," she says.
Network World (01/10/14) Jon Gold
Reddit, the Electronic Freedom Foundation, Free Press, Mozilla, and several other organizations are planning an online protest on Feb. 11 against wide-ranging government surveillance of Internet users in memory of activist Aaron Swartz. The organizations will urge people to contact lawmakers and pressure them to help end the U.S. National Security Agency's aggressive information-collection activities. "These programs attack our basic rights to connect and communicate in private, and strike at the foundations of democracy itself," says Free Press' Josh Levy. The announcement came just before the one-year anniversary of Swartz's suicide on Jan. 11, 2013. Swartz was under indictment for allegedly illegally downloading a large number of academic journal articles, and prosecutors had repeatedly stated their intention to jail him. "If Aaron were alive he'd be on the front lines, fighting back against these practices that undermine our ability to engage with each other as genuinely free human beings," says Demand Progress co-founder David Segal.
InfoWorld (01/10/14) David Linthicum
New algorithms designed to simulate a worldwide network of connected data centers can predict how to best limit carbon emissions from cloud computing. A team of computer scientists at Trinity College Dublin and IBM Research developed the algorithms, which also carry out the necessary computing and deliver the required data. The researchers used the algorithms, collectively called Stratus, to simulate a scenario inspired by the setup of Amazon's Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) data center, which has locations in Virginia, California, and Ireland. The experimental model placed data centers in these locations, and used queries from 34 sources in different parts of Europe, Canada, and the United States as tests. The team factored in carbon emissions, the cost of electricity, and the time needed for computation and data transfers to optimize the workings of the network. The Stratus algorithms, which reduced the EC2 cloud's emissions by 21 percent, routed more requests to the Irish data center, which had faster servers, and used less power and generated fewer emissions.
Penn News (01/08/14) Evan Lerner
Researchers at the universities of Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh have created a decision-making model called the "personalized advantage index" for scientific research that compares and weighs multiple variables to help optimize researchers' choices. The team tested the model on data from a study of patients seeking depression treatment, who received either cognitive behavioral therapy or medication. The model assigned scores to patients to suggest which treatment was likely to be more effective. The results provided an advantage equivalent to that of an effective treatment versus a placebo, indicating the technique has clinical value. The tool could have applications in any decision-making scenario with complex and sometimes contradictory variables. Whereas previous randomized control trials have addressed relevant single variables such as negative life events, the personalized advantage index gauges the degree to which each variable impacts the treatment outcome. The algorithm maximizes the predictive value of multiple variables by assigning weights to each one to offer a useful context. Machine learning and other artificial intelligence techniques could further refine the tool by comparing variables in complex, nonlinear ways. "This is a way to begin to close the chasm between the wealth of information on how to improve outcomes and how that information is actually applied," says University of Pennsylvania's Robert DeRubeis.
Nature (01/08/14) Nicola Jones
Deep-learning computers are advancing toward true artificial intelligence (AI) that will enable them to think as humans do. The approach relies on tremendous data sets and vast computing power to answer problems that humans can easily solve, such as identifying patterns in a large number of images to identify categories such as cats and people. Deep learning is based on the concept of neural networks, which are modeled loosely on the interconnected neurons of the human brain. Progress in deep learning is bringing consumers software that is better able to sort through photos, understand spoken commands, and translate text from foreign languages. Furthermore, scientists are using deep-learning computers to identify potential drug candidates, map neural networks in the brain, and predict the functions of proteins. Deep learning in neural networks appeared promising in the 1980s, but enthusiasm dwindled when the approach proved challenging. However, interest resumed in 2000 due to increases in computing power and a sudden abundance of digital data, with many researchers focusing on speech and image recognition. Now the emphasis in deep learning is shifting to natural language understanding to enable computers, for example, to comprehend human speech well enough to rephrase and answer questions, or to translate languages. Although the results show great potential, deep learning is still a nascent field.
Campus Technology (01/08/14) Dian Schaffhauser
Researchers at Emory University and Georgia Tech will share the computing power of TARDIS, a new high-performance computing cluster. TARDIS replaces Ellipse, a legacy cluster acquired by Emory in 2007. The new cluster will take up only a 20th of the space used by Ellipse, consume less energy, and generate less heat while delivering faster performance and providing more storage with backup. "The performance advantages will be significant, and the power savings are tremendous," says Emory professor Dieter Jaeger. The new server will enable the processing of 20 exomes per hour, which is a 60-fold increase in speed, according to Emory professor Michael Zwick. "This is a dramatic improvement and will allow members of the Emory community to perform larger experiments faster and for less money," Zwick says. "We will be a significant user of the new cluster and our computational services will be taking advantage of this exciting new capability." Georgia Tech's Rich Computer Center will host TARDIS in its Partnership for an Advanced Computing Environment and latency will be insignificant because the two sites share a 10 Gbps connection. "We are very excited to begin this next phase of collaborations between Georgia Tech and Emory, and look forward to strengthening this partnership for years to come," says Georgia Tech's Neil Bright.
Network World (01/09/14) Ann Bednarz
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will offer an online big data course for technology professionals as part of its new lineup of Online X professional programs. The course, "Tackling the Challenges of Big Data," will run from March 4 to April 1, and will cover data collection from smartphones, sensors, and the Web. The course also will address data storage and processing, including scalable relational databases, Hadoop, and Spark; analytics such as machine learning, data compression, and efficient algorithms; visualization, and a range of applications. MIT will use the Open edX platform to deliver the course, which will include learning assessments, case studies, discussion forums, and a community wiki as part of the experience. Faculty members from the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory will teach the course. Participants will receive an MIT Professional Education certificate for successfully completing the course, and will gain access to the group's professional alumni network.
Government Computer News (01/09/14) William Jackson
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is using topological data analysis research to explore new ways of obtaining useful information from extremely large, complex data sets. The lab is working with Stanford University spinoff Ayasdi, which is funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Science Foundation. Ayasdi’s Insight Discovery software handles big data problems by extracting information from very large data sets. The lab, which uses high-performance computing for modeling and simulation in energy, climate change, biological defense, and national security, has developed its own tools in the past but is now looking to commercial technologies, as big data gains momentum in the technology world. In particular, the lab believes its work could benefit from topological data analysis, which studies the shapes and meanings of vast, high-dimensional data sets. Topological methods focus geometrically on pattern and shape recognition within data, which enables scientists to make discoveries without specifically seeking them. The Insight Discovery software analyzes data to produce dimensional shapes and uses algorithms to extract relationships, without querying databases. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is using the software to study E. coli bacteria. One particular topological data analysis focus for the Lawrence Livermore lab will be bioinformatics.
ETH Zurich (01/07/14)
ETH Zurich researchers are developing electronic components that are thinner and more flexible than previous technologies, opening up new possibilities for ultra-thin, transparent sensors. "These new thin-film transistors adhere to a wide range of surfaces and adapt perfectly," says ETH Zurich's Niko Munzenrieder. The membrane consists of the polymer parylene, which the researchers evaporate layer by layer onto a conventional two-inch wafer. The researchers then release the parylene film with its attached electronic components from the wafer. They say an electronic component fabricated in this way is extremely flexible, adaptable, and transparent. The researchers say "smart" contact lenses are one potential use of the technology and, during testing, they attached the thin-film transistors to standard contact lenses. The lenses were placed on an artificial eye and tested to see whether the electronics could withstand the bending radius of the eye and continue to function. Although the tests were successful, the researchers say they must still overcome a few technical problems before a commercially viable solution can be considered. For example, the way in which the electronics are attached to surfaces such as a contact lens has to be optimized to account for the effects of the aqueous ocular environment.
Computerworld (01/07/14) Sharon Gaudin
The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity in the summer of 2003 with the goal of having the machines survive and transmit data from the Martian surface for three months. Spirit, which sent more than 128,000 images of Mars back to Earth, worked for about seven years before it became stuck in soft sand and was abandoned in 2010, but Opportunity is still operational more than 10 years after its launch. "The robots we put down on Mars are our avatars right now," says NASA scientist John Connolly. "They are our eyes, our feet, our hands on the ground that inform us before we get there. Without these robots doing this work, it would be a very risky endeavor getting to Mars." In addition, sending humans to Mars largely depends on the information the robotic rovers and the Mars orbiters send back about the planet's geology, mineral makeup, water reserves, and atmosphere. NASA wants to send humans to Mars in the 2030s, but first the space agency plans to send at least one more rover and more orbiters to make more discoveries.
Threatpost (01/07/14) Chris Brook
Cambridge University cryptography and computer science experts have released a report on the psychology of malware warnings, suggesting that using different language could make the messages more effective. Studies show that average users tend to ignore computer warnings due to daily overexposure and the difficulty of separating actual threats from inconveniences. "There is a need for fewer but more effective malware warnings...particularly in browsers," the report says. The researchers presented more than 500 men and women with variations of a Google Chrome warning. Concrete rather than general warnings were the most effective, and invoking authority also improved attentiveness. "Warning text should include a clear and nontechnical description of potential negative outcome or an informed direct warning given from a position of authority," the researchers say. Social influence also appears to impact users, with study participants often clicking through warnings when friends told them it was safe. In addition, nine out of 10 respondents left computer warnings turned on, while just one in 10 wanted to turn them off.
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#YouTubeHonestyHour Panel at Summer In The City
By Lydia Snapper
The #YouTubeHonestyHour Panel was held on the Sunday of Summer in the City in Panel Room A. The panel featured creators including Daniel J Layton, Hazel Hayes, and Emma Blackery. It was chaired by Teoh Lander-Boyce.
The panel, which was exceptionally packed and rowdy, was an extension of the #YouTuberHonestyHour hashtag which popped up on Twitter a couple of months ago. Teoh had made a slideshow collecting various tweets connected to some of the issues addressed during that late-night hashtag fiasco.
The first topic that was discussed was whether big-time YouTubers are still putting effort into their videos, and what they owe their audience. Emma was first to jump in, saying “I think there quite a few YouTubers that don’t really think about their videos anymore. They just think, ‘That’ll get a couple million views, I’ll bring my girlfriend into it’. But I do think there are a lot of YouTubers that still do put a lot of effort in – even people you may not have heard of.”
This topic led into whether YouTubers are sell-outs or not for taking sponsored deals. “You know what, we have to pay the rent,” Emma began. “We do have to earn money because we have been lucky enough to quit our full-time jobs and we do this for a living. Everyday is a fucking gamble in a way.” She went on to express her fear that if she were to get a ‘real job’, people would turn up at her place of work which would be an inconvenience and unfair to others who worked there as well.
Dan jumped in at this point: “I see what you’re saying, but I do have a full time job.” He then went on to refer to a tweet on the screen that said to just do YouTube because you love it. He said, “It’s very difficult to live – I’ve got to name drop – with Jack Howard and TomSka and see numbers and not feel inferior. But at the start of this year I just kind of said ‘Fuck it’ and started to make content just because I liked it, it’s started to go up. I think you can do a #spon and also love what you made. But with the real job thing, it’s difficult to combine working full-time in retail with doing YouTube, so you have to love it.”
From there, the YouTube algorithm was discussed, in connection to a tweet Hazel had made about video quality. She defended her tweet, which had gotten some backlash, by clarifying, saying “I think some of the bigger YouTubers took offense and thought I was having a go at them. I genuinely wasn’t, I was actually having a go at YouTube and the algorithm. The way it’s set up is that you get rewarded for views, you get rewarded for subscribers, and for uploading constantly which means that you can’t necessarily make what you want to make if that takes time. The only thing you can really do is make daily vlogs, but I don’t want to make daily vlogs.”
Similarly, the idea of YouTubers needing management and a team behind them seemed to raise a reaction from the audience. Hazel put it very eloquently when she said, “I think anyone who doesn’t look at YouTube like a business is very naive. Like any new startup, you’re going to eventually take on staff and expand. You need help with admin and emails and negotiating deals. You essentially need help with life so that you can spend more time creating content for your audience.”
Unsurprisingly, the Summer in the City/AmityFest debacle came to light during this panel, which got quite a reaction out of the audience and an interesting debate between the panellists. Emma began by saying, “Like when YouTubers say they are too busy planning other events but you follow their Twitter and they say they are seeing their grandmothers or something? I think, to be honest, it doesn’t need us to call them out on their shit, you can see how shitty those people can be. To be honest, if you’re going to have that attitude maybe you’re better off not being here.”
Hazel jumped in there, “Hold on, hold on…”
“This is not about a certain group, this is a general… There will be people who are now doing other things that coincide with these events and that doesn’t mean they don’t give a shit,” Emma continued. “There are some people who turn up because they feel like they have to. There are some people who won’t turn up unless they are paid and to be honest with you I have stopped caring about that side of it. I’ve stopped getting defensive over it. I just focus on the fact that you guys [the audience] are here, we’re here, and having a fun fucking time and that’s what matters.”
“Why is this like Voldemort? Why can’t we say AmityFest? What is wrong with us, this is insane!” Hazel exclaimed, to loud cheers. “I do think though, going back to the whole ‘This is a business’ that in some cases, some people do come to things like this and they can’t even walk around and they can’t enjoy the experience because they’ll get mobbed. So it’s come to the thing of instead of standing and greeting people in a line for three hours, I can do my own thing and give that person a better experience. Having gone to Louise Live, she put on such an amazing show and put so much effort into it. Props to Louise.” To which the crowd, again, erupted into screams.
Teoh then asked about YouTubers’ personalities online versus in real life. “Without naming any names,” he said. “Do you think it’s true that—”
“Yes, some of them are complete cunts,” Emma was quick to say. “I’m not naming names, but there are some absolute nasty people who won’t talk to you and make you feel fucking small.”
“I’m definitely not going to sit here and talk names,” Jack Dean said, “but there was one experience I had with a YouTuber who would, on Facebook, constantly ask me to collab and I always said no because that’s not really what I’m about. Then I came up with an idea for a series and so I said to this person, I’m cool to collab if you want. The reply I got was ridiculous. Just because his subscriber count had just surpassed mine he said ‘no, don’t want to do it’.”
Ben added that he felt it was patronising to the audience to say that they didn’t recognise that people would be different online. “Most of you know that when a camera is put on you, you behave differently. We’ve all had that experience and the same with a YouTuber. They are going to be different off-camera. They are going to have whole chunks of their lives they don’t want to share with you and audiences know that.”
The hour passed quickly and, following the panel, Twitter ignited with tweets praising the honesty and candid conversation between all of the panellists, with many not in attendance expressing their disappointment for missing it.
Photos: Michael Dean
Want More From Summer in the City 2015?
Check out our Summer in the City tag, where you’ll find all of our coverage. Also, why not take a look back at our Photo Recaps from Friday, Saturday and Sunday?
Creative Process Panel at Summer in the City 2015
New Creator Showcase Panel at Summer in the City 2015
Ethnicity & Diversity Online Panel at Summer in the City 2015
For updates follow @TenEightyUK on Twitter or like TenEighty UK on Facebook.
Benjamin Cook, Daniel J. Layton, Emma Blackery, Hazel Hayes, Jack Dean, Summer in the City
About Lydia Snapper
Lydia is a twenty two year old who likes sushi, boy bands, and her dogs. If you need to find her, she'll probably be under a tree somewhere with a good book and an iced coffee. | @bendandSNAPPER
Women on YouTube Panel at Summer in the City 2015
New Oscar’s Hotel Characters Announced at Summer In The City 2015
Infrequently Asked Questions with Roly West: “I’m very much like Po”
Infrequently Asked Questions with The Midnight Beast: “Mummy wants a cuddle”
Infrequently Asked Questions with Ricky Dillon: “Banish onions from everything”
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May 11, 2015 by Supreme People's Court Monitor
Medical malpractice law–a heads up from the Supreme People’s Court
Medical malpractice law is the elephant in the room for those considering investing in China’s healthcare sector. In March, the Chinese government issued a large scale plan for reforming medical institutions. Part of those reforms include attracting private and foreign capital to invest in hospitals, clinics, and other medical institutions (as the Communist Party Central Committee highlighted in the Third Plenum Decision), but a few other phrases highlight doing a better job of resolving medical disputes.
According to the head of the #1 Civil Division of the Supreme People’s Court (Court) in 2014, the Chinese courts heard almost 20,000 medical malpractice cases, and over the last seven years, there has been 81% increase. Chinese patients (and families) are increasingly aware that litigation may result in a more favorable outcome than other methods. In a recently issued document (still in draft, but already published on the Internet), the Supreme People’s Court has signalled that it is working on:
a body of medical malpractice law rules; and
better systems to resolve disputes involving the medical system.
In recent years, disputes between doctors, hospitals and patients in China have been in the news, in policy reports, and scholarly articles, with descriptions of beatings, brawls, and killings occurring in Chinese hospitals. The current problems have been highlighted (in English, at least) on this blog, in the press, in NGO reports, and analyzed in several law review articles, including a detailed study by Professor Benjamin Liebman, of Columbia Law School.
What issues is the Court looking at?
Chinese medical malpractice law (and related institutions) are inadequate for dealing with increasingly litigious Chinese patients (and their families) (as highlighted in this earlier blogpost). In the document, the Court announced:
it is working on new ways of trying medical malpractice cases;
high on its priority is more detailed rules on the burden of proof and the standard of proof in medical malpractice cases (the new interpretation of the civil procedure law does not add significant details on this, leaving earlier rules in place);
the concept is to strike a balance between protecting the interests of the patients and enabling normal operation of medical institutions.
The document sets out some rules that are likely to be incorporated into a judicial interpretation:
a plaintiff seeking to bring a medical malpractice cases must provide evidence of the doctor-patient relationship (evidence could include registration card, medical history, hospital discharge certificate), payment receipts;
a medical institution has the burden of proof when asserting that it should not be liable because medical personnel had taken all reasonable medical efforts, or the state of medical development, or other such issues;
in a medical dispute, if a party is found to have been tampering with the medical record, as a result of which it is not possible to determine causation or the extent of damages, the party who has tampered should bear the adverse legal consequences, and the party who cannot explain internal inconsistencies and errors in the medical record should also bear the advertise legal consequences.
Concluding comments
A press report in January, 2015 mentioned that the Court has started work on drafting a judicial interpretation on medical malpractice issues. If previous legislation is any guide, it is likely that the drafters will be looking to foreign jurisdictions with developed medical malpractice legislation when considering these issues. The Court will consult with the relevant regulatory institutions, such as the China Food and Drug Administration and the National Health and Family Planning Commission. Will the Court solicit public opinion?
Investors considering investing in Chinese medical institutions (or doctors practicing in China), should anticipate a more robust medical malpractice system, although not immediately.
This entry was posted in Medical malpractice and tagged medical malpractice, medical malpractice cases, medical malpractice law, medical violence.
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Easy to do business in ASEAN?
Sheith Khidhir
A view of the city’s skyscrapers from the observatory deck of the King Power Mahanakhon tower in Bangkok on 26 March, 2019. (Ye Aung Thu / AFP Photo)
TMF Group, a multinational professional services firm headquartered in Amsterdam, recently released its Global Business Complexity Index 2019 report.
While the report looks at how easy it is to do business in 76 different countries around the world, it also shows just how diverse ASEAN can be with two member states positioned on opposite ends of the business-friendly ladder.
Thailand on top
As for the top of the ladder, Thailand not only managed to grab fourth spot for easiest country in the world to do business in, it also sits in top spot for easiest country in Asia to do business in. Thailand beat the likes of the Netherlands, Japan and Singapore for this position.
While Thailand’s tax and accounting system is quite complex, it scored high for simplicity because its regulatory landscape and employment rules are business-friendly.
The report noted that despite frequent changes in government, the country’s leadership is consistently pro-business and keen to attract foreign investment. It was also acknowledged that the National Competitive Enhancement Act waives the need for work permits for highly skilled overseas workers and investors and incorporation is relatively simple.
According to the report, once all documentation has been prepared, establishing a company can take less than a day. A local company secretary or director is not required, so incorporation can be carried out from anywhere in the world.
The report also applauded the Land of Smiles for having a relatively straightforward process for hiring and maintaining a local workforce. Employee rights are enshrined in the law but few benefits are mandatory and are easier to administer.
The Thai Labour Department also sets the health and safety requirements for companies in each industry but the requirements are not complex or overly difficult.
“The government is committed to reducing complexity. Authorities are trying to make the business environment easier for both Thai and foreign investors," said Janist Aphornratana from TMF Group, Thailand.
Source: TMF Group
Indonesia at the bottom
Meanwhile, Indonesia not only landed in second last place, only managing to beat Greece, it also ranks the lowest as far as Asia is concerned.
Indonesia ranks second place in complexity because its legislation changes frequently and regulations can be at odds with each other. The report took the enforcement of value-added tax (VAT) on online sales as an example of this where a change was announced in 2018 and scrapped in 2019. The report notes that while Indonesia is gradually modernising, the existing legal infrastructure cannot always keep pace with the changes.
“Indonesia is one of the most complex jurisdictions in Asia Pacific for incorporation. The regulatory landscape is constantly shifting and is subject to some quite drastic changes." said Alvin Christian from TMF Group, Indonesia
But TMF Group is not the only one claiming that laws have made it difficult to do business in Indonesia. Indonesian consultancy firm Cekindo also notes that in order to successfully register a business in Indonesia, one must go through several government regulations and clearances. Additionally, one must also apply for a principal license from the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM).
“There are several documents required to apply for this license including a certificate of domicile, proof of taxpayer number, clearance from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, among others. Keep in mind that the government is likely to renew or modify the Indonesian regulations on the matter regularly,” Cekindo’s states on its official website.
Regardless, Indonesia is in a good position due to the strength of its market. To not take advantage of the ASEAN market would be foolish of any multinational business and out of all the individual markets in ASEAN, Indonesia’s continues to be strongest. This is perhaps Indonesia’s saving grace and why it was recently revealed that Japanese and Korean electronics companies Sharp Corp. and LG plan to relocate their factories from Thailand and Vietnam, respectively, to Indonesia as part of their investment consolidation plans in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia, however, must learn to find the right balance between ensuring laws that take care of its people are in place while making the country more inviting to investors and business people alike.
Of Singapore and Lao
Is Indonesia a slumbering giant?
TMF Group,
Cekindo,
ASEAN’s natural heritage under threat
“It’s your fault!” – Rape in Myanmar
7.3 quake hits Indonesia
Deadly monsoon destroys Rohingya camps
ASEAN’s contemporary art scene
Greenman Speaks
LeadWomen
Digital Media Nusantara @ 2017 All Rights Reserved
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Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! Complete Series 1 Collection
Animatsu Entertainment
DVD £29.99; Blu-ray £39.99
We all have embarrassing aspects of our past - and our childhood in particular - that we'd like to bury and remain hidden forevermore. It's a situation which is all the more problematic in our modern age of social media, where each and every one of our mistakes are shared to our friends in real-time, and stored irrevocably forever online.
For Yuta Togashi however, the problem is a more immediate one. For some years, Yuta was a "chunibyo" - a boy with delusions of grandeur, imagining himself as the "Dark Flame Master" at the centre of a world of magic, mystery and conspiracy which he embraced whole-heartedly by talking in indecipherable riddles to all and sundry, wearing black and lugging a huge sword around everywhere with him. Having awoken to the folly of his behaviour, Yuta wants to make a clean break from his shameful past and has thus chosen to attend a high school far away from his former classmates and any knowledge of his chunibyo days - however, the past has a funny way of coming back to haunt you regardless of how thoroughly you try to escape.
In this particular case, the spectre of chunibyo continues to loom large in the form of one of Yuta's new classmates - Rikka, a girl irredeemably mired in her own fantasy world as the holder of the "Wicked Lord Shingan", as demonstrated by her wearing bandages and an eye patch at all times. For some reason Rikka seems determined to hang out with Yuta, rather spoiling his hopes for an idyllic high school life, and before he knows it he's embroiled in a club with a growing number of oddballs to shatter any hopes of normality for our unfortunate protagonist. Heck, even the beautiful Shinka Nibutani is far from the perfect student council president she initially seems to be...
In many ways, Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions is a series of two halves. The show begins as a simple but effective comedy, packed with slapstick and witty one-liners as Yuta tries to avoid the fate of being branded a weirdo at high school, only to be stymied at every turn by Rikka dragging him into her melodramatic and frequently silly chunibyo world. As Rikka's friend Dekomori invites herself into a circle of uneasy friendships including the aforementioned Nibutani (who herself has a past she wishes to hide), so the opportunities for chaos and embarrassment grow exponentially.
However, as with most things there is a method to Rikka's madness - her delusions are not simply the product of an over-active mind but a genuine attempt to either run from or process some upsetting truths in her personal life. This is brought into focus in tremendous fashion, as a trip to Rikka's grandparents that sees her friends tag along gives Yuta - and us - a full view of why she is the way that she is, in turn giving him pause for thought as to whether her particular case of chunibyo is a detrimental force upon her life or a necessary coping mechanism for a traumatised young girl.
This shifts the show in a different direction - still packed with comedy and wit, to be clear, but also a dramatic and emotional piece which is part love story and part consideration of whether escaping from reality is always such a bad thing. The result of this second half of the series is impressively even-handed, suggesting that a world devoid of fantasy and play is an exhaustingly mundane one, while conceding that indulging in nothing but fantasy is damaging. It's an impressive turn of events that works tremendously well and kicks in at the exact point where the show's pure comedy is running out of road - at times it's endearingly sweet, and at other it brims painfully with emotion as friendships are tested almost to breaking point by events.
As someone who has previously been rather dismissive of the overall quality of this show narratively when it initially aired, I have to hold my hand up here and admit to being wrong in my initial evaluation of Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions. Yes, some of its slapstick comedy is laid on a little too thick which blunts its potency, but taken as a whole and watching en masse rather than week by week, the series holds up excellently both as it entertains in its first half and tugs at the heartstrings for the second. It's the kind of work production studio Kyoto Animation often prove so adept at handling, knowing just how to evoke tears or laughter in equal measure.
Given the studio at the helm, it's also no huge revelation to say that this is a gorgeous looking series - vibrant and colourful with lots of attractive character designs, and simply stunning when it drops into its action scenes which see the cast fighting through the lens of their fully-realised chunibyo delusions to provide easily the most visually striking (albeit often brief) elements of the show. Sadly, we only got to check out the series via its DVD release, which is competent but certainly not the best way to enjoy it given the quality of its animation, and indeed those action scenes are the one place where the DVD format struggles to keep up with the unfolding events on screen.
Speaking of such matters, we should also point out that the DVD release suffers slightly in terms of audio quality too - the NTSC to PAL conversion process has introduced some noticeable "warble" to the sound which is particularly pronounced during background music, although thankfully doesn't impinge upon dialogue too much that we noticed. It's another addition to the list of reasons why Blu-ray is the way to go here, although this is an issue which should have been avoided regardless via a more careful NTSC to PAL conversion, or indeed by leaving that process alone and releasing the series in NTSC regardless as per some other recent Animatsu Entertainment releases.
If you're intending on watching the series with its English dub, the good news is that it's pretty decent. There are some odd casting choices to be found - Rikka sounds like a thirty-something rather than a high school girl (which in its own way makes the show's comedy angle all the funnier) whereas Dekomori's voice seems better suited to Rikka's character and vice versa - and some lines could have done with a second bite at recording to give them a little more oomph, but as a whole the show is just as entertaining with the English cast in place. Meanwhile, the English language subtitle track is excellent - a couple of minor errors aside it does the job well whilst also providing a few translation notes (even if a couple of them are needless shoulder shrugs at lines of dialogue that weren't meant to refer to anything specific in the first place).
Having come to rewatch this series from a point of cynicism born out of previous experiences with the franchise, viewing Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions for a second time with fresh eyes was an eye-opening experience for me personally - watching the series in bulk smooths out a lot of its kinks and provides a fun, engaging and occasionally tear-jerking experience that juggles its comedy and drama well while also bringing some romance into the mix without turning the whole thing into a saccharine mess. Some of its comedy misses the mark and some of its drama is perhaps a little heavy-handed, but as a whole this is an able demonstration of the kind of work that KyoAni does at their best - taking some decent source material and mining it for every drop of compelling content that it can provide, all wrapped up in a visually beautiful package. Why did I previously think otherwise? Perhaps I was simply delusional...
English and Japanese stereo audio with English subtitles. Extras consist of a series of extra short episodes, clean opening and closing credits and the show's bonus OVA episode.
Good comedy leads into great drama from a gorgeous-looking series that makes full use of every aspect of its story.
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Parasyte -the maxim- Eps. 1-5
I am not lying that I gave a little jump of joy when I read that the anime adaptation of the Parasyte manga was coming to the small streaming screen. I was asked by a single person why I was so overjoyed, and the response was that it was partially due to the fact that the series offers the delicious blend of gruesome science fiction into the mundane background of a boy in high school, and also because it contains my favourite scene in both manga and anime format that I like to call “Edward Penishands”. (Do not Google this, but I have included a little titbit in the space below this review for your not-quite-safe-for-work enjoyment)
Parasyte is an aptly named series. From space came eggs floating through the sky. These eggs hatched, releasing sentient parasites who sought out the brains of creatures who would be able to serve as functional hosts for them. The creatures, upon finding a host, sought to digest and assimilate the head of their hosts, become semi-transformative and driven by an instinctual urge to survive. Hundreds, even thousands of these creatures descent on the Earth assimilating primarily humans, the dominant form of sentient life on the planet, but also animals. They receive a single order: “Kill and eat this species”. In the case of Izumi Shinichi, a high school student who just happened to sleep with his headphones on and avoid a parasite-in-the-ear situation, his head escapes this demise, and instead his right hand is assimilated by the parasite.
As a fan of my right hand in general, I am not entirely sure how I would react when the morning after the incident, later on referred to as the “nightmare”, my hand transformed into a being with tentacles, eyeballs, lips, teeth and large spikey claws. What has occurred is that Shinichi and his new friend Migi (the Japanese for "right"), are now forming a symbiotic relationship in a world rapidly descending into madness as these parasitic transforming creatures in human form indulge in devouring the populace to survive.
Parasyte, then, is the story of Izumi Shinichi and his ongoing survival in an increasingly hostile world where any animal, teacher, stranger on the street or even relative could be a parasitic creature waiting to end his “impure” symbiosis. It is the story of his friends and how they cope with the gruesome reality of multiple homicides, brutal decapitations and violence all around them by these hungry creatures, and it is the story of a boy losing his mother-dependency and cowardice and becoming a force to change the world, maybe for the worse.
This series is the adaptation of a classic manga by Hitoshi Iwaki and published in English with the final volume out a couple of years ago. The story was beautifully dark, focusing on the power struggles between the parasites as they fight for dominancy and survival and was hard hitting in both the art style, which was very graphic, and the discussions on what it means to be human, using the differences between the logical parasites and the contradictory behaviour of humans to good effect. The animation follows from this manga precisely, with minor variances in the scenes, dialogue, but largely following the sequence of events. As a 24-episode series and judging by its progress over the first five episodes, it will not be hard for the series to finish the story within this run.
One of the big draws of Parasyte is the semi-realistic art style of the characters and the monster design. The series sticks to natural human colours (no wacky blue hair styles here) with the monster design logical yet deadly. The parasites’ abilities are not limited by their human hosts, and due to their transformative abilities can morph into any number of biological and inorganic objects to use as weapons. In the first episode this art style is demonstrated through the transformation of a dog with a parasite for a head into a winged beast that attacks Izumi. Each parasite is a unique individual and is inherently selfish, although there are some who are superior to others and these individuals act as the major focus for Izumi’s ire during the series.
I will say this in no uncertain terms, in my opinion, this is the series to watch this season. With its high budget, animation quality, writing and its killer dubstep sound track, I have fallen in love again with Parasyte, although not enough for me to sacrifice my precious right hand for it.
You can currently watch Parasyte -the maxim- in streaming form on Crunchyroll.
This is just a comparison of scenes. On the left, the manga. Izumi has a forearm to be proud of when Migi senses heightened sexual urges towards his school crush. On the right, the censored version from the streaming broadcast, and rightfully so. I am such a child for enjoying this kind of comedy moment!
Japanese audio with English subtitles. Video is available in 360p, 480p, 720p and 1080p resolutions; HD formats and removal of advertisements available to paid subscribers.
A gruesome science fiction thriller to make your hand tingle.
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Yemen's President Hadi sacks premier over economic crisis
DUBAI (Reuters) - Yemen’s Western- and Gulf-backed president sacked his prime minister on Monday, blaming him for the economic crisis in a country devastated by war, according to a statement carried by the loyalist SABA state news agency.
FILE PHOTO: Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi is pictured ahead of the 29th Arab Summit in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia April 15, 2018. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi appointed Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed to replace Ahmed bin Dagher, who was to be investigated over the “negligence of his government”, the statement said.
Yemen is one of the poorest Arab nations and as a result of the war, three-quarters of its population, or 22 million people, require aid and 8.4 million are on the brink of starvation.
Its northern half including the capital Sanaa is largely controlled by the northern Shi’ite Houthi rebel movement, while Hadi, whom a Saudi-led Arab military coalition is trying to restore to power, contests much of the south with separatist groups.
“This (the dismissal) was a result of negligence by the government in the recent period with respect to the economy and to administrative services,” the statement said.
Saeed has been minister of public works in the cabinet, which operates from Saudi Arabia, since last year.
Bin Dagher has been at odds with the southern separatists and their main backer, the United Arab Emirates, a member of the Saudi-led coalition, which has been fighting the Houthis since 2015.
Bin Dagher tweeted his congratulations to Saeed.
Most Yemenis now live in Houthi-controlled territory, while Hadi government controls the south, backed by a Saudi-led coalition of Arab troops.
The Yemeni currency, the riyal, has lost more than half its value against the dollar since the start of the war. Authorities sought to boost liquidity last year by printing money when it stood at around 250 to the dollar, but it has now plunged in value to about 700 to the dollar.
U.N. special envoy Martin Griffiths said this month that the United Nations was discussing an emergency plan to stem the fall and restore economic confidence.
Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing by Kevin Liffey
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19.5: The Advent Issue Issue
The Rising: Springsteen, 9/11, and the Real Refrains of Patriotism
By Brian Bork
Editor’s Note: Over the next several weeks, we’ll be publishing a special collection of theological reflections in honor of the tenth anniversary of 9/11.
I remember joking with a friend, sometime in 2002, that I’d support the Patriot Act if it contained a provision stating that only Bruce Springsteen could write songs about 9/11. It was a comment made in the midst of a good deal of frustration over the coarsening sense of solidarity that swept the nation in the weeks and months after the tragedy. In the early days after the attack, while that gritty dust still shrouded lower Manhattan, Americans drew deeply from a wellspring of empathy. “We’re all New Yorkers” was one of the popular, if overstated, refrains of the times.
It wasn’t long after that dust cloud dissipated over the harbor that the discourse around the event turned ugly. “9/11” became shorthand for emotional manipulation and a particularly aggressive form of patriotism. These sentiments found a home in the response of some significant American musicians.
I don’t mean to pick on country music, but it does seem that the Nashville machine was ready and waiting (as ever) with some heavily affected boilerplate. First out of the gate was Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue,” an indignant reveille blast calling for Americans to rise up and fight back at our nebulous enemy. There was Alan Jackson, opining about how he couldn’t tell ya’ the difference between Iraq and Iran (not exactly a relevant confession, though a distinction that would be obvious to anyone who watched the nightly news in the ’80s). You might also remember Darryl Worley’s execrable “Have You Forgotten?,” surely the nadir of post-9/11 songcraft, with its pornographic suggestion that TV stations show the WTC collapse every day. There were other songs, too, but these three represent the definitive American pop music reactions insofar as they captured the nation’s growing anger, anxiety, and xenophobia in the time after 9/11.
Both Keith’s and Worley’s songs traded on the feeling of national solidarity; there’s a strong “we the people” camaraderie in each lyric sheet, and their popularity shows that folks resonated with them. The we that the songs profess is a very nationalistic one, and I suppose that’s to be expected, given that the USA was the express target of Bin Laden, et al. But it’s also a weaponized we, a militaristic solidarity that inextricably links Americanness with the desire to kick a little ass. “We’ll put a boot in your ass—it’s the American way,” sings Keith, and Worley links our very existence on this patch of ground with our willingness to kill for it: “What about our freedom, and this piece of ground? We didn’t get to keep ‘em by backin’ down.”
I don’t want to disqualify anger as a genuine reaction to a grievance as massive as the one felt on 9/11. In fact, it’d be hard to argue that there’s a “genuine” way to frame what happened on that September morning, especially when I only experienced it via the television. But I also can’t give anger-fueled nationalism and militarism a pass in the name of solidarity.
I’m enough of a student of history to know that a grievance felt nationalistically is usually the start of something awful. It’s there that solidarity goes off the rails and becomes the fount of the mob mentality, where collective identity isn’t formed around who we are, or what we have in common, but in opposition to who we hate. It’s a solidarity drawn with thick boundaries separating who’s in and who’s out, one that divides as much as it unites. It sets us on edge against those we name as our enemies, and it has the habit of creating enemies where there are none, not just in the ranks of a shadowy terrorist organization, but also in other nations, another religion, a foreign tongue, an entire region of the globe. And the lethal danger of this kind of solidarity is amplified when the nation with the grievance is sitting on history’s largest stockpile of munitions, overseen by Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and other assorted vipers in the grass. To say they were eager to start a fight after 9/11 would be an understatement (my cynical side would argue that they were eager before 9/11, too).
I’m Canadian, but I’ve spent nearly a third of my life in the United States. That means I’ve felt a deep connection to the land and its holidays, cultural events of note, and history. That connection can be uncomfortable, though, because jingoism abounds in such affairs. However, I’ve found in Bruce Springsteen’s music a means of connecting, of participating in this thing called “America,” in a way that seems true and whole-souled. His albums have been my sound track on election days, for the drive to the polling station. And I’ve searched his music for steadiness in times of national upheaval.
That’s why I really like that apocryphal story from those heady and world-altering post-9/11 days, recounting how an anonymous New Yorker stopped Springsteen on the street, exclaiming “We need you now!” If it’s true, I like to think she’d just endured another cable news–sponsored bout of sentimentality and xenophobia and that she was wondering where all our good poets, essayists, and musicians had gone, only to providentially run into the Boss himself.
The true origin of Springsteen’s 2002 album The Rising is perhaps a bit less serendipitous. Some of the songs were written prior to 9/11, their themes of life, loss and perseverance not inspired by the tragedy, but borne of the typical reflections of a fellow moving on into his fifties.
But art can take on all sorts of new and powerful meaning in the wake of world-changing events; just because some of the songs weren’t written about 9/11, they might as well have been.
There’s a lot on this album to please the ears. Springsteen’s voice has aged gorgeously into a warm, brandied preacher-shout, which, on the lower registers, sounds like it’s sung through Bob Dylan’s nose. And there’s the return of the E Street band, which is entirely welcome to those who missed the way Clarence Clemons’s saxophone threatened to blow your car doors off when you turned up your stereo on your morning commute. All of that anchors the real power of the record, which is found in how it engages and articulates the response of those most intimately acquainted with the catastrophe. Most of this album is written from the first-person perspective—a gutsy move for any writer to give voice to experiences as personal and harrowing as this and a welcome change from the violence and invective found in songs written by those who stood hundreds of miles from the tragedy and had no prospect of actually fighting in the war they so earnestly desired.
If Worley’s and Keith’s songs exemplified the ugliest of American reactions to 9/11, then I think Springsteen’s embody what’s best about our response. Or at least they illuminate the best that we can aspire to. And that’s not to say that Springsteen doesn’t play with the idea of vengeance, like his peers do. The album’s opener, “Lonesome Day,” is a reflection on a relationship ended unjustly; the narrator supposes “a little revenge, and this too shall pass,” but is well aware of the “bitter fruit” that such vengeance bears. “Empty Sky” recounts the desire to see “eye for eye” compensation for the cavernous gap left in the New York skyline.
But vengeance is a minor theme here; by “Into the Fire,” the anger at the loss in “Lonesome Day” has vanished. It’s replaced with profound, astonished gratitude for a life given in the rescue efforts at Ground Zero. In the chorus, this gratitude becomes a petition, a desire to live a life shaped by the one given by that dearly departed soul:
“May your faith give us faith / May your hope give us hope / May your love give us love.”
In this refrain one can hear the makings of a different kind of solidarity, one not set off against another group of people (be it al-Qaeda or the anti-war folks), but rooted in the desire to share a profoundly formative experience, one that can give rise to our better angels. In the inferno of the World Trade Center—the source of so much rage, hatred, and violence—it’s faith, hope, and love that remain and bind us together.
This desire for human touch, to be embraced and enfolded, spans the album, most acutely in the songs that deal with loss and separation. “Let’s Be Friends” tells of walls between people that need tearing down and of the promise of “skin on skin” intimacy in their rubble. “Mary’s Place” is the scene of a party, where “loving grace surrounds.” “Into the Fire” yearns for the kiss an absent lover, someone who’s followed an even higher calling, “somewhere upstairs, into the fire.”
It’s up there, in the fire, that is the setting for the album’s title song, and most stirring moment. “The Rising” tells of a firefighter lost in the confusion somewhere in the World Trade Center. The song’s bridge brings a moment of clarity, though, and a beatific “dream of life,” with Mary, in “the garden of a thousand sighs.” It’s a reverie of iconographic images, in which his children joyfully dance in a bright, clear sky. He yearns for an embrace, for the eucharistic intimacy of shared blood: “may I feel your arms around me / may I feel your blood mix with mine.” On a day of blackness and sorrow, longing, and emptiness, this man finds resolve to look at the smoke-filled sky and see not fear, enmity or hatred, but “fullness” and “blessed light.” And with that new resolve comes the chorus, which is an invitation for the rest of us to join hands, to “come on up for the rising” and transcend the awfulness of that day.
This is a stirring anthem even now, nearly ten years on. That quality didn’t escape Barack Obama, who convinced the typically nonpartisan Springsteen to perform acoustic renditions of The Rising on campaign stops through 2008. But to my ears, its enduring appeal is found in its articulation of the kind of people we ought to be when faced with great adversity. We ought to be the kind of folks who stick together, who rise together, without sowing further alienation and division. And it’s not so much a matter of rising to overcome in some triumphalistic sense. So much of this album is written about experiences in the very midst of struggle—its rising, then, is not the triumph after the battle. Instead, Springsteen’s The Rising is an invitation; one that echoes the words of Christ to his disciples in Gethsemane: “Rise, let us be on our way.” It’s a call for solidarity in the face of a time of trial, a summoning for us to learn that together we can find the strength to endure the very things that so easily tear us apart.
Brian Bork
Brian is a chaplain at the University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Ontario, and he’s trying his best to get all these mathematicians and engineers to think theologically. In his spare time he enjoys the rise in blood pressure he gets from hearing the Kop End sing “You'll Never Walk Alone.”
9/11American waybootBrian BorkBruce Springsteencountry musicFiremusiciansPatriot ActThe Rising towersToby Keith
Poser Christianity
James K. A. Smith
October 4, 2010 / Perspective
Brett McCracken. Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2010. 255 …
Nicolas Cage and the Problem of Evil: Why Do Good Movies Happen to Bad Actors?
John Totten
November 2, 2010 / Perspective
Today, as I write this, the world is learning about the death of Ronnie James …
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Five Questions with Greg Boyd →
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Hating ‘Mullets’ or ‘Hating’ Mullets?
By Tripp York
If you’ve been keeping up with the Mullets (and who hasn’t . . . ahh) then you’ll already know that these beard-trimming Christian anarchists refused a plea of leniency that would have landed most of these Amish folks on probation–as opposed to what they now face: a very long stint in prison.
[Favorite lines from linked story: ” . . . chopped off his beard in the moonlight” (sounds almost romantic); ” . . . being educated and reading newspapers” (yup, newspapers will make you so smart); ” . . . and was given a paper bag stuffed with the hair of one victim.” (Freakin’ Capone over here!)]
“Edward Scissorhands ain’t got $**t on me!”
Since a significant prison sentence would disrupt the very fabric of their community (being thoroughly familial as it is), and given that it may be difficult to turn this into a hate crime, the likelihood of such a sentencing seems remote. Nevertheless, it is a real possibility. The crux will hinge on whether or not, as just stated, it’s declared a hate crime. Most of us know that in-house Amish disciplining, practicing the ban (and shunning), has a longstanding tradition finding its roots in Matthew 18 (sans the shears). Therefore, as messed up and as violent of an act as was committed, in the minds of the perpetrators it seemed that they were attempting to enact a drastic (albeit, rather looney-tooney) form of discipline–as opposed to committing a hate crime. Of course, it goes without saying that the ban should never have anything to do with violence; this is completely at odds with our historic peace church tradition. To me, it just seems that this is a case of how a Jim Jones-type-character can pop out of any religious tradition. Whether or not that constitutes a hate crime is an altogether different issue.
Then again, maybe it’s not.
Tripp York
Tripp York teaches religious studies at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Virginia. He is the author of more than half a dozen books including, Third Way Allegiance, The Purple Crown, and Living on Hope While Living in Babylon. He is the co-editor of the forthcoming three-volume collection called the Peaceable Kingdom Series. An actor and a lighting designer, Tripp also surfs and spends his weekends shoveling elephant and giraffe poop.
The Amish Jihadist
Amish crimehate-crimeMulletsSamuel Mullet
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Hijack Nation: America’s Past-Postmodernism →
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'A Primal Bang & A Shout': An Interview With S.C.U.M
Nix Lowrey , December 29th, 2011 12:11
With London band S.C.U.M's new single 'Faith Unfolds' released on 2nd January, Nix Lowrey spoke to keyboard player Sam Kilcoyne about signing to Mute and the gradual process of refinement that led to their debut album Again Into Eyes
Angular, pretty and melancholic, London five-piece S.C.U.M released their debut Again Into Eyes earlier this year, with the scales of success weighted almost as much against them as for them. Calling a Shoreditch spade a bespoke implement, they were trumped to the biggest slice of darkwave hype pie by the release of The Horrors' Skying just weeks beforehand. The pre-album hype seemed to be veering towards an almost Taoist trajectory of swell, decay and finally opposition, but interest remained – after all, signing to Mute is almost akin to a Royal Seal. Compared to a flotilla of British indie forerunners including Echo & The Bunnymen and Suede, in the wake of the album's release S.C.U.M proceeded to silence any expectations of an entropic post-album fade out, putting in what were surprisingly vibrant shows on the NME Emerge tour.
Between shows, the Quietus managed to net keyboard player and sound specialist Sam Kilcoyne, son of Add N to X's Barry 7. He proved obligingly chatty where singer and lyricist Thomas Cohen is oblique, speaking about how they really got signed to Mute, growing up with Daniel Miller and what – or who - really influenced the band in making Again Into Eyes.
How did the NME shows go? It is an odd alchemy putting you next to Wolfgang – do you think it hung together? Were Wolfgang crowds gentle on you?
Sam Kilcoyne: I really enjoyed it, although it was strange. I'd like perhaps to have played with another band, I don't think we fit with Wolfgang to be honest, although I really enjoyed their sound, it's really fun. But it was a great experience for us because we've never really toured with other bands like that before – it made it of less of a burden on us.
Do you enjoy the exhibitionism of live performance or are you more of a keyboard nerd who prefers to programme his Casio CZ1000 all day?
SK: I like it when we toil away for months creating something in the studio. When we made the album, we were locked in together in the country with the producer. We spent long periods of time in the studio writing and then playing together, and always in each other's company. The best part about it is was that if we created something, you'd constantly have the ability to record it straight away.
I love touring, though. I think it's so necessary for a band to test their songs out after recording. It's easy to really underestimate how much you can feed off doing off what you do live, when you're improvising. It's exciting to see how, after ten shows, what was once a skeleton of a song is now in a place where it's ready to record.
Let's talk about ideas – starting with your songwriting process. Thomas is the lyricist, but who writes the music?
SK: I come up with a lot of the initial ideas, and I'm quite vocal in shaping the songs: I like fucking around with them, doing overdubs. I love to basically destroy songs, to wade into it and add sounds to what were initial ideas. Having said that, I think we're extremely democratic, and it's not a S.C.U.M song unless it was written by all of us. Bradley and me might spend 3 or 4 hours working on an idea to see where we can take it, as if we were making our own mix of each song. When we've got 5 people's versions, sometimes even 5 people's mixes, we come together, work out what is fantastic and pull it together into something final.
Does Thomas let anyone else have a say in the lyrics or is it very separate?
SK: The lyrics are a very separate thing - we write the music, he writes the words. We don't usually know what his lyrics are saying until we ask. And, I have to say, I've never really cared too much about it - I've always thought of the voice as an instrument. I read a great quote on the back of a Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra album once. There's a print of a question they got from a newspaper asking 'What does ‘Some Velvet Morning’ mean?' Lee says 'It doesn't mean anything, but in my head this phrase rhymes.' Words don't have to mean anything, you can decorate them with meaning yourself.
How do you feel about assertions that your music is heavily reminiscent of other people, including My Bloody Valentine and The Horrors - particularly given that each track goes through a heavily iterative development process?
SK: To be honest I think that's just some media people's interpretation of the album. In fact, a lot of the reviews I've read have damned that idea. I'd never listened to My Bloody Valentine until after the Horrors' second record [Primary Colours] came out, although Tom was a big fan. I'd never heard The Psychedelic Furs, Echo and the Bunnymen and the only Suede track I knew was that famous one 'The Beautiful Ones'. They're also more Tom's thing. I'm more interested in sounds than groups or where those sounds originated from. If people think we sound like bands like MBV, that's great. They're a fucking cool band.
Tom has said you constantly listened to music together while making the album.
SK: We were always into playing music together. I mean we were in the middle of nowhere in the country with fuck all else to do so it was all about the mix tapes. But in the studio I was more into playing with production techniques and ideas, making a song without a chorus, experimenting with just sound, and noise.
So when you hear your album you can't hear any influences from anyone else? Just your own ideas?
SK: When people say we sound like Suede I can kind of hear what they mean, although it is accidental. You know, there was one crucial thing that influenced us: the album gives a massive nod of the head to Brian Eno. When we were making the album we were listening to Here Come The Warm Jets on endless repeat. The album we made really evokes that spirit to me, and we were tapping heavily into that feeling and sound. Brian Eno was doing it – layering sound, creating soundscapes - way before MBV.
What's it like being on Mute – an amazing history, a great roster of artists, and for you probably more significant than for many because of your dad.
SK: You know one thing I find funny that people seem to choose to ignore is that my dad was on Mute for 10 years in Add N To X. Avant Hard is one of the best albums ever produced. When we were making Again Into Eyes I asked dad if he wanted to produce it, but he wanted me to do it by myself. He was there for a lot of it, and gave his advice when he thought something wasn't working, but essentially he wanted me to do this on my own. I think if you take away Tom's vocals and listen to the synths, we really do sound similar to my dad.
Did anyone else from Mute lend you a friendly ear, hand or effects unit?
SK: We were also lucky to have Jim Sclavunos from Grinderman working with us, he was a huge help. He worked with us in the pre-production.
What about Daniel Miller? Have you had many cups of tea or corridor chats at Mute House?
SK: I've known Daniel Miller since I was 2 years old, which is quite a funny thing to be able to say. Everyone there was such a massive help, and I absolutely love being surrounded by such good people.
Being honest, do you feel like your relationship with Daniel Miller got you signed to Mute?
SK: The massive difference between Daniel Miller and other people is that he only signs things he really believes in, things that works in his head. He'd never sign a band with the idea of doing a Fratellis for example, get a band to the top without them ever trying. Any assumption that this is what is happening to us is totally unfounded. Daniel has a lot more integrity than that, than a lot of other people.
So how did you get his attention, if it wasn't personal connections?
SK: Jim Sclavunos really gave us a kick when we were in pre-production, and took us to a point where we were ready to really work and work and work on the album. And then, Daniel finally said 'I am actually really interested in what you're doing, and I'm ready to sign this.' That was really exciting, given the amount of groups Daniel Miller passes on, and he is always right. He's got a great ear for music and a real love for sound. Mute have got the reputation they have because they know good music. I mean, they're the ones that kept Nick Cave working.
What advice did Jim from Grinderman give you that made all the difference?
SK: A long while ago we had that epiphany that we had no songs and we weren't getting anything from what we were writing. It was just building block noise, basic: we were just playing sounds, and it wasn't getting anywhere. Luckily, we also sat back from that horrible piece of shit known as the darkwave scene. I have no idea how we got involved with that, and we're lucky to have had that chance to move out of it, because other people believed in us despite the fact that we had a lot of work to do on our sound.
We had no idea about structure. We asked him how do we do this? Every song on this album was 6 minutes long, and too long and really not working. He said 'Cut the shit, make it explode and make it important. Scare them, make a racket, make it happen’. He told us to get our human instincts involved, a primal bang and a shout, and a line you can hang on to. Like Merzbow or Hateforest – they have something to hook you in, so you can intelligently build a track to be louder and louder, fuller and fuller, really building something and dropping it to nothing. He was such an inspiration, he made one of my favourite albums in Grinderman. It was great learning from someone like that.
Your main interest seems to be with working layers of sound. Do you care about the visual side? S.C.U.M's image seems very visually curated.
SK: I've never been overly vocal about our visual side. This is the first band I've ever belonged to which takes a big interest in the visual side of things and it's pretty strange. Having said that, I'm a massive film fan and some of our early projections are from a fantastic and bizarre DVD I used to have by Shuji Terayama.
So you're not so interested in developing the visual concepts, but you do like visuals?
SK: I do think lights are so important for creating an atmosphere for us onstage. I know I'm quite selfish, but I never think about the audience when I'm up there. I love the instrument I play and give that my full attention. I never think about what could possibly be going on for the audience and I don’t like to look at the crowd, to see them at all. I like to feel there's a barrier there. My favourite shows are the ones where you can't see the crowd, you're hidden on stage as an entity, as this thing.
Again Into Eyes is out now on Mute. New single 'Faith Unfolds' is released this Monday, 2nd January
EXCLUSIVE: S.C.U.M Remixing Spector »
Acid Shampoo & Flower Punk: The Hypnotic Eye Interviewed »
Daniel Miller Discusses Mute's Introduction Series »
Mute Talk Liberation Technologies Imprint »
How Soon Is Now? Extract: The Rise Of Blast First »
MORE FROM NIX LOWREY
Not So Polite: Wally Van Middendorp Of Minny Pops Interviewed »
SUPERSONIC: Bohren & Der Club Of Gore »
Shifting Perspectives: An Interview With Laura »
The Joy Of Synth: Nothing But Noise Interviewed »
'A Primal Bang & A Shout': An Interview With S.C.U.M »
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Pinch Punch The First Of The Month: December Interviewed »
The Fall And Rise: An Interview With Imperial Wax »
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Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Chapter One
So, with the Carrie Recaps over and done with, it’s time to take a look at another book. And I really wanted to go with something that was huge not just to my development as a reader and writer, but that had a cultural impact to match. Something that defined my early years of reading and did for so many other people too. Something so inescapably gigantic that it has cast a long shadow across more than two decades of popular culture, something that defined my generation’s relationship to books, storytelling, and character more than any other. And that means…
Yup, that’s right, esteemed blogarinos: it’s time to recap the first Harry Potter book.
To say that these books were a big part of my childhood would be an almost offensive understatement. When I was in single-digits, my very first crush and I would race through the first four books together over and over and over again, both trying to overtake each other to squeeze in the extra chapter just so we could be the ones to win it; for some reason, my ability to read quite fast didn’t win his heart, but the books won mine, and I became obsessed with them. I took the Stephen Fry audiobooks on long car journeys; I wanted to climb inside the films and live there. These were the first books I read that featured actual character arc, actual mysteries, actual lore. Harry Potter was for me, and so many other people, my introduction to the world of real literature. I have my first novel coming out this year, and when I trace back my urge to write, it started with this series.
But I’m going to be honest with you here and say that the last few years, I have really fallen out of love with the series. Not because I don’t like it anymore, but everything that surrounds it is just so fucking much. From JK Rowling trying to retcon her original novel series into modern progressivism to the die-hard side to the fanbase who introduce themselves through their Hogwarts house assignation, Harry Potter is fucking inescapable. To call it a cultural behemoth doesn’t come close to doing it justice: there’s no precedent for the punishing omnipresence that this series still has in popular culture. And I’m sorry, maybe I’m fucking misery-guts muggle, but anything that’s shoved so aggressively down my throat so constantly gets tiresome, no matter how much love I might have once had for it. When I think about Harry Potter now, I don’t look back with the keen nostalgia I had for the series: I look forward, to another six films and three social-justice-themed retcons and eight encounters with people very keen to explain their Deathly Hallows tattoos to me, and I’m just exhausted by the thought of it.
So I want to take this back to the start. Book one. Take a look at the series outside of the juggernaut that it’s become, to remind myself what drew me to these books in the first place. Without further ado: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Chapter One: The Boy Who Lived.
The book famously opens with an introduction to the Dursleys, Harry’s adoptive family, and this is just prime slightly surreal but bitingly sharp Roald Dahl stuff right here:
“He was a big beefy man with hardly any neck , although he did have a very large moustache. Mrs Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours.”
(also, this book came out at a time when fat people were pretty much just evil in children’s literature, though I have no doubt that JK will try and actually explain that by “big beefy man” she meant “thin skinny fellow” and that there isn’t a HINT of fatphobia in her book thank you SO much)
We open in a flashback here, as the Dursleys recieve Harry Potter after the death of his parents. And I do love the way Rowling introduces this world to us, but guiding us into it through the lens of the most pointedly boring family imaginable. As Mr Dursley drives to work, he spots a cat reading a map, and in my head, this is just Maggie Smith in a pair of cheap Halloween cat ears glancing up and deadpanning “miaow” in his direction. Anyway, over the course of the day, he continues to notice odd things going on: people in cloaks are congregating, and he believes he hears a mention of his nephew, Harry. He accidentally knocks over one of the cloaked people, and apologizes, but they seem unperturbed:
“Don’t be sorry, dear sir, for nothing could perturb me this day! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who is gone at last! Even muggles like yourself should be celebrating, for this is a happy, happy day!”
I like this, I do. Vernon Dursley is an audience surrogate here, which is exactly what this first chapter needs – someone to introduce us to the incongruency of this wizarding world with our own. And while we all know who You-Know-Who is now, I still remember reading this for the first time and being pretty fascinated by the notion of a villain people are too scared to even name. It brings to mind old spooky stories about summoning a monster by saying their name, underlining the deep supernatural evil of Voldemort (whose name literally translates as “Flight from Death”, which is actually pretty cool).
Vernon returns home and attempts to dismiss all the weirdness he’s encountered that day, and finds the cat from that morning still sitting on the street. He asks Petunia about her sister, and she dismisses him swiftly and angrily. They go to sleep and Vernon assures himself that nothing is going to come of the odd events of that day.
And then we’re back to the street outside, where we meet Professor Dumbledore for the first time. I’m going to be honest with you: when I first heard that Dumbledore was meant to be gay, I was pretty happy with it, and I thought it made sense for his character as a whole: the series reveals deep and ambiguous relationships with men, and there were certain elements of camp to his character, as well as hints at his outsider status even within the wizarding world. But at the same time, I do find myself more and more cynical about the decision to have be gay, given that the Fantastic Beasts movies don’t seem to have plans to address it and it feels more like a back-pat for progressivism without putting in the real effort to explore what a gay character would mean to this community and Dumbledore as a person. With all that said, I still really enjoy his character as he is in the books, and I’m going to be looking at him through the lens of his sexuality just to see how many, if any, hints there are at it.
Dumbledore puts the lights in the street around him out, and then goes to the cat, who is, of course, MVFUCKINGP Professor McGonagall; she shifts back into her human form, and I’m reminded once more that this book doesn’t have the fucking balls to have people be naked after they shift, which is really what makes more logical sense. Headcanon: in this scene, McGonagall is starkers and still has more presence and command than any other character in this book.
McGonagall, nude, confronts Dumbledore about the recklessness of the rest of the wizarding community in celebrating the apparent death of Voldemore. And, in fact, this is the first time we hear his name:
“As I say, even is You-Know-Who has gone-”
“My dear professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name?…for eleven years, I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort…I have never seen any reason to be afraid of saying You-Know-Who’s name.”
Again, this is just some neat introduction for both McGonagall and Dumbledore as well as Voldemort. McGonagall, despite her brusqueness, is still as scared as the rest of them – Dumbledore, while gentler and more eccentric in this scene, isn’t.
McGonagall tells Dumbledore that it’s easy for him because he’s the only one Voldemort was scared of, and implies that he is in posession of similair powers that he has chosen not to use. And then we get into the actual start of Harry’s arc, as Dumbledore confirms that Harry’s parents were killed by Voldemort but that he couldn’t kill the child:
“After all he’s done…all the people he’s killed…he couldn’t kill a little boy?”
This is such an intriguing set-up. It’s almost hard to remember a time when the story of Harry Potter wasn’t assimilated in it’s totality to our cultural consciousness, but this is such a neat mystery to play with. Why couldn’t Voldemort kill him? Why did it break him? I mean, we all know the answers, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t some juicy prologue shit right here.
Dumbledore explains his reasons for giving Harry to the Dursleys – that he would be too famous in the wizarding world after what happened and that after everything he’d already been through, he needed somewhere with more normalcy. Which is a pretty good reason, all things considered, but still doesn’t explain why nobody intervenes when he is consistently abused for the following decade.
Hagrid rocks up next, and I am so happy to have back my Biggest Childhood Crush – Rowling introduces him, flying in on his motorbike, as “too big to be allowed”, and frankly I’m already swooning. I’m a size queen, in that I only want men who’s feet can be described as “baby dolphins” and who are literally half-giant, so there. Hagrid is visibly devastated by the death of Lily and James (Harry’s parents) and I just love how emotional and sweet he’s allowed to be from the start. Hagrid is the animal rights activist woodsman of my fuckin’ dreams, and what I always loved about him was his deep emotional range and ability to express that. Harry has so many father figures over the course of this series, and Hagrid is by far my favorite. We also get our first little nod to another father figure, as Hagrid tells them that he needs to take Sirius his bike back. And I’m sorry, but it’s still utter bullshit to me that Harry isn’t with Sirius from the start, but we’ll get into family matters more once Harry is situated with his Aunt and Uncle.
And we close out the chapter with the infant Harry sleeping on the doorstep of his new home (which is more prime fucking bullshit to be honest – what the fuck, they couldn’t just knock on the door and then animagus into streetlamps or something? As established earlier, it’s the middle of winter and they just dumped a kid on a doorstep in the dark of night!). He doesn’t know he’s special, and doesn’t know who he’ll be to the wizarding world – but soon, he’ll find out, and we will, too.
And that’s us for the first week! If you enjoyed this recap and want to see more stuff like it, please consider supporting me on Patreon! You can also find more of my writing on my film site, No But Listen.
Filed Under: Harry Potter recaps
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No end in sight for rising tuition
Students face the ever-growing pricetag of education
By Steven Camit
Published: 3:00 pm, 6 September 2015
Modified: 1:52 pm, 11 September 2015
Vol CXXXVI, No. 1 under News
Lisa Wong Un/THE VARSITY
http://var.st/rf
Year after year, the story is the same: tuition fees are on the rise. These hikes affect both domestic and international students; however, international students pay higher tuition overall and often face higher tuition increases every year compared to their domestic peers. The figures shown below are only program fees, and do not include incidental or ancillary fees and residence fees.
These figures do not include deregulated fees charged in certain upper-year programs such as Bioinformatics, Computer Science, and Rotman Commerce.
RATES OF INCREASE
On top of having to pay much higher tuition, the rate at which international student fees rise is, on average, about three to four times more than that of domestic students. Let’s compare the rise in tuition fees of first-year students in Arts & Science with first-year students in Engineering.
International students will continue to be hit hardest; the Office of the vice-president and provost revealed that tuition fees for international students would continue to increase for the 2016–2017 school year.
As a result, newly admitted international students entering in the 2016–2017 academic year will pay over 47 per cent more than newly admitted international students who entered in September 2012.
* The Faculty of Arts and Sciences referenced is composed of the Faculties of Arts and Sciences at all three campuses. UTM charges on a per-course basis, UTSC charges on a per-course per-semester basis, and UTSG charges a flat full-time program fee. For UTM and UTSC, the figures shown are a student’s tuition if they are taking 5.0 full course equivalents.
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An Incident in Niger: Examining United States African Policy
Posted by on November 23, 2017 December 3, 2017
By: Alexandre El Ghaoui
The deaths of four United States Special Operations soldiers in rural Niger on October 4th has drawn Congressional and media attention to American military operations on the African continent. The four Green Berets, part of a 12-man Special Forces group tasked to train and equip the Niger army, were ambushed by approximately 50 Islamic extremists. Due to the little Congressional oversight in military affairs in Africa, the news of American missions in Niger came as a surprise for many, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). While Senators Graham and Schumer may have been caught off guard by the news from Niger, both have known for some time that the United States has had considerable military presence in Africa since the early 2000s. After 9/11, US forces entered the continent en masse to train, advise, and assist local African militaries. Under the Obama administration, the number of troops and military missions conducted grew substantially as part of the global counter-terrorism effort. Today, the United States has a permanent base in Djibouti, the site of armed drone excursions into Yemen and Somalia, as well as multiple forward operating bases in Somalia, Kenya, and Niger.
While American foreign policy in Africa is centered around military training, advising, and funding, China focuses on a combination of economic assistance and large-scale project development. Due to its rising middle class and rapid economic growth, China has looked to Africa for its long-term energy and trading needs. In the last decade, China has become Africa’s largest trading partner. Chinese state banks have loaned out approximately $86 billion to various African countries, financing large-scale economic development projects such a coastal highway in Nigeria and a railroad in Ethiopia. This strategy seems to be working for Beijing as it builds key alliances, increases trade, and gathers support for its “One China” policy. When China replaced Taiwan in the United Nations in 1971, Taiwan was widely recognized in Africa as an official and legitimate Chinese state. After being inundated with Chinese aid, most African countries today support Beijing’s “One China.” According to Aid Data, a research lab at the College of William & Mary, there is a positive correlation between Chinese economic assistance and the voting alignment of African recipient countries in the United Nations. In the last decade, Nigeria, an African regional superpower and consistent American ally, has started relying on Chinese economic and military aid due to decreasing American imports of Nigerian oil. Chinese foreign policy in Africa has become more effective, more beneficial, and more influential than the United States’ policy as African countries have started relying on and trusting Beijing. Washington needs to reexamine its policy in Africa or risk losing its influence on the continent.
The United States should base its African foreign policy off China’s. Current American military policy on the continent will have a destabilizing effect, especially in the Sahel region, where American forces are concentrating their military efforts. Local African terrorist groups, such as the one being pursued by the four Green Berets, pose minimal risk to the United States as they only aim to control small swathes of terrorist in their home states. By involving itself in local, ethnic, and territorial conflicts, the United States faces the possibility of not only losing its influence and respect in the region but endangering personnel and civilians on the ground. As we have seen in Afghanistan and in Iraq, ambiguous objectives can cost thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars. Washington risks tarnishing its reputation and alliances in the region. More importantly, by choosing sides in African conflicts, the United States’ military presence can lead to the creation of a power vacuum, furthering instability.
Unfortunately, the recent tragic events in Niger will not have an impact on US policy. In front of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis stated that the United States will be expanding its counter-terrorism efforts in Africa. These military efforts have never been authorized by Congress. Instead, the Pentagon and the Department of Defense rely on a broad and obscure number of legal authorities such as the Authorization of Use of Military Force. This American military expansion showcases the broad belief of the Pentagon in preventive wars, the process of conducting multiple small ones to prevent a larger one.
Mattis and the rest of the American foreign policy community should be focusing on economic aid and development rather than conducting clandestine military missions in Africa. While America’s transition to a more China-like foreign policy in Africa is far-fetched, one thing is certain: it would mean fewer Americans returning home in flag-draped caskets.
Foreign PolicyMilitaryNigerUnited States
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Tag Archives: South Korea
North Korea: Orwell Was Not Exaggerating
Just a quick thought. When I was doing research for my Advanced Higher English dissertation last year on dystopian literature, I came across a few critics who argued that Orwell intended Nineteen Eighty-Four to be an unrealistically extreme example of a totalitarian state to make his warning and message more effective. I strongly disagreed back then; recent events in North Korea, meanwhile, are serving to remind me so much of the novel that, frankly, it’s frightening.
Back in November the Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un’s uncle, Chang Song-thaek, was hauled out of a session of the ruling party by armed guards. Recent reports indicate he has now been machine-gunned to death. Formerly considered to be the most powerful man in the country during the leadership transition in 2011-2012, he has fallen victim to Kim Jong-un’s first serious purge. Just like in Orwell’s Oceania, leading figures in The Party and the lower classes alike can be disappeared upon the whims of the country’s leadership.
The propaganda screaming out of the North Korean state media is even more terrifying. Read it for yourself – it contains horrific excerpts like, “However, despicable human scum Jang, who was worse than a dog, perpetrated thrice-cursed acts of treachery in betrayal of such profound trust and warmest paternal love shown by the party and the leader for him.” From memory, this is just as extreme as any of the propaganda in Nineteen Eighty-four, perhaps even worse. I remember from various BBC documentaries, state imagery is prevalent across Pyongyang and much of the capital: great murals idealising the country’s leaders and quasi-Communist ideology; loudspeakers blare party doctrine and patriotic music across the city; the state controls both the television and the internet – North Koreans are only permitted to use a heavily censored country-wide intranet. Like Oceania, the totalitarian state’s propaganda pervades every aspect of life.
In the novel, Winston works at the ‘Ministry of Truth’. His job involves literally rewriting history: writing disgraced figures out of newspaper archives, editing history books and news broadcasts, and so on; doing whatever necessary to fit The Party’s current stance. The state not only kills dissenters – it removes them from existence. If you read that North Korean official announcement I linked to, it attempts to discredit Chang by suggesting he has planned to seize power ever since ‘long ago’ and destroy the revolution. But it’s far worse than that – a recent state-sponsored documentary has reportedly had all mention of Chang edited out, while images have literally been photoshopped in order to pretend Kim Jong-un never truly trusted him within his inner circle. While I couldn’t comment on whether the people of North Korea are so psychologically conditioned as the citizens of Oceania to just accept this change without thought, I certainly doubt it will be seriously questioned.
As the former North Korean ambassador for the UK has just told Newsnight, there is a real chance of North Korea starting up another crisis similar to the one we saw earlier this year, threatening to start World War Three and to turn South Korea into a ‘sea of fire’ alongside other such insane rhetoric. Absolutely baseless, of course, but it serves a logical purpose: the North Korean people’s confidence in their leadership will be shaken after this recent report, so what better way to unify them alongside the ruling party than to show the country facing a threat from evil imperialistic powers? By artificially creating a state of war and siege within the country, dissent can successfully be quelled through what may be only the beginning of a wider purge. This is a central theme of Nineteen Eighty-Four – Orwell dedicating an entire chapter to the political theory behind it, in fact – as Oceania is always at war with either Eastasia or Eurasia. The constant state of war rallies people behind The Party and create a deep sense of patriotism and loyalty.
Dissenting citizens of Oceania are taken to the Ministry of Love where, through a combination of torture and brainwashing, they are forced to love Big Brother. The aim is not to rehabilitate them into society; everyone entering the Ministry of Love has a death sentence above their heads. For the Party it is not enough to kill a dissenter – they must die fully under its control. North Korea, meanwhile, has its own form of repression. According to Amnesty International, hundreds of thousands of people, including children, are incarcerated in massive prison and labour camps. This counts for almost 1 in 100 people. Many of these are political prisoners of conscience, while others will be there through guilt by association to other dissenters alone – the family members of political enemies, for example. Mass executions are common: that report mentions prisoners are often made to dig their own graves before being killed by a hammer blow to the neck; others are publicly beaten before being shot to death. Women are frequently raped and then ‘disappeared’ to hide the evidence. This goes on every single moment of every single day while we carry on largely oblivious. Just like in Orwell’s vision, the North Korean state systematically tortures its own citizens.
These are only a few examples of how the North Korean state is in many ways identical to the nightmare world of Nineteen Eighty Four. Orwell’s masterpiece is not an exaggeration nor a satire; it exists today within North Korea. The North Korean state is living proof that such a world is possible – it’s only by luck that we’ve avoided the same fate. Stories coming out of North Korea might seem funny and weird but I hope I’ve convinced you that it really isn’t a laughing matter. It is shameful for our entire species that these atrocities are still allowed to occur. I have no solutions. I suspect, barring a spontaneous change within the North Korean political system – not impossible – the totalitarian state will only collapse once it loses the support of China. By that point, I’m convinced, it would be utterly unable to function. Until such a time, the anonymous millions within North Korea are destined to continue their suffering.
Image attribution: By stngiam (Mural outside Songdowon Hotel, Wonsan, North Korea) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons
Posted in International Politics, Literature | Tagged Amnesty International, Big Brother, Kim Jong-un, Ministry of Love, Ministry of Truth, Nineteen Eighty-Four, North Korea, propaganda, Pyongyang, South Korea, World War Three | 2 Replies
International News Round-Up
After a meeting of the ‘Friends of Syria’ group, the USA has decided to recognise Syria’s opposition as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. Most of the scores of countries present have at least recognised the opposition as a legitimate representative. Politically this will be another victory for the opposition, but it may also have an impact ‘on the ground’. William Hague has discussed the possibility of arming the opposition if President Assad does not strive further for national dialogue.
Syria has also been reported to have fired several ‘scud-type’, Soviet-made missiles into opposition-held areas in the north of the country. This appears to be the next stage of the government’s response. When repression failed they sent in the army; when they were losing to the opposition’s guerrilla warfare they began shelling cities; when this failed to defeat the rebels they began conducting air raids; and now the opposition are increasingly wielding anti-aircraft weapons it appears the regime has turned to missiles. They are becoming increasingly backed against the wall. The next logical stage in this escalation would be chemical weapons, which would essentially be suicide for the regime.
North Korea has launched a rocket, breaking several United Nations resolutions. Although North Korea insists that this is for peaceful means, but countries such as the USA, Japan and South Korea believe this is a test for ballistic missiles, which could eventually reach the West coast of the USA. Despite having the capabilities to bomb any country in the world, the thought of its own territory being under threat terrifies the American government. Though I don’t think anyone wants to see a nuclear-armed North Korea with the capabilities to launch inter-continental ballistic missiles.
Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela, has returned to Cuba for cancer treatment, despite claiming during his election campaign that his cancer had completely been cured. Cancer can make sudden reappearances so I wouldn’t like to make any assumptions one way or the other.
In other health-related news, Nelson Mandela, the first black African to be President (from 1994 – 1999) and leader of the anti-Apartheid movement, has been rushed into hospital with a lung infection. He is apparently doing well, but at the age of 94 his health is bound to be frail. I think the world is united in hoping he has a full recovery.
Posted in International Politics | Tagged Assad, Friends of Syria, Hugo Chavez, Japan, Nelson Mandela, North Korea, South Africa, South Korea, Syria, USA, Venezuela, William Hague | Leave a reply
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Archive for March 5th, 2009
NewsGush: Mighty Morphin’ Ramsay Ranger
Old news, in fact, but it was interesting to see that there’s some doubt over whether Gordon Ramsay ever played first team football for Rangers. Surely they could have checked a programme, couldn’t they?
How has it taken all this time to uncover his pointless bullshitting?
Ramsay, 42, has said on a number of occasions that he was a member of the first team squad at the Ibrox club playing three games, before injury cut short his career.
But his claims have been dismissed as “complete and utter nonsense” by Rangers historian Robert McElroy.
Ramsay, born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, first spoke about his football past when opening his first restaurant, Aubergine, in London.
Speaking on the radio show in 2002, he explained how his career was cut short, when Rangers manager Jock Wallace and first team coach Archie Knox released him after he tore his ligament.
However at the time, Knox, 61, was the manager of Dundee.
Knox told the News of the World: “The first time I ever saw Gordon Ramsay was in 1996 when he launched his first book. But he didn’t know me from Adam because we’ve never met.”
So is he really the hard-talking, enormously-testicled, rough Scotch diamond he makes himself out to be, or is he a posh toff playing at being the real deal?
Whatever he is, he’s a prune-faced, highlight-hair lump. And he swears like a public school drip.
Tags:Celebrity chef, Newsgush
Posted in Newsgush | 261 Comments »
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Головна » General information » Publishers
Institute for Economy and Forecasting of NAS of Ukraine
Ukrainian Institute for Social Research after Olexander Yaremenko
Institution-publisher of periodicals:
determines the quantitative and professional composition of the editorial staff, based on the volume, periodicity, thematic direction of the periodical;
provides material and technical support to the editorial staff of the periodicals and the execution of editorial and production processes, including those related to the presentation in the Internet;
organizes a subscription campaign, advertising and distribution of periodicals;
distribution of periodicals is carried out according with the current legislation (including mandatory distribution of periodicals according to the the annex of the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated May 10, 2002, No. 608 “On the procedure for delivery of mandatory copies of documents”).
The issuing authority of the periodical (in the person of the editor-in-chief, chairman of the board of the NGO “Ukrainian Institute for Social Research after Oleksandr Yaremenko”) contracts License Agreement with all the authors of the materials accepted for publishing for the use of the work and keeps these documents during the existence of the publication.
The publisher has exclusive proprietary intellectual property rights.
In order to finance the preparation, issue and distribution of periodicals, the publisher may, in the manner prescribed by law, attract funds from individuals, state, non-government, international and foreign organizations.
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Each story is unique, yet we found commonalities among the stories shared by our students and alumni. They value the career-focused content, support, and return on investment found at University College. Hear from our students in their own words as they describe their transformative and supportive experiences at University College.
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DR Congo: Finding a way to reach the most vulnerable
Written by Esther Mourick, Medair DR Congo - 17 December 2018
Hello, I’m Esther! I’m writing to you from the town of Beni in Nord Kivu, where I’m covering for the Base Manager while she is on leave. This is my third time working with Medair in DR Congo in the past eight years.
Each time I’ve worked here, security has been one of my responsibilities. Right now, our team is responding to an Ebola outbreak and to several ongoing emergencies, yet the security situation has been deteriorating due to the activities of armed groups, making humanitarian access difficult.
My security responsibility means that I monitor staff movements, knowing who is going where by liaising with the project teams to know their plans. In collaboration with other humanitarian partners, UN agencies, and their security departments, we conduct daily security checks on the main roads we use, and decide whether it’s safe to proceed or not.
When I started back in 2010, I attended security meetings, hearing updates in French (not my mother tongue) about how many people were kidnapped, raped, or killed over the weekend. That was very hard at the beginning, to collect all that bad news and then start your week with it. It was quite difficult at the beginning also to learn the geography, ethnic groups, and armed groups in the different areas. I feel that now it’s quite normal for me to get all of those messages, so I sometimes ask myself whether I’m getting a bit hard or too relaxed about it. That said, I don’t think that anyone in humanitarian aid could cope with receiving all those messages if they just accumulated in your head. It’s difficult, but on the other hand, it’s also a responsibility I embrace: to ensure that everyone is safe for the night, wherever they’re staying.
Esther oversees the movement of supplies, while working for Medair in Haiti.
I remember one event in August 2016, when I was Base Manager here in Beni. A security incident happened out the blue, very close to our base. All the medical team members were in the field, as we’d started a training week for health centre staff. Due to the incident, all the roads into Beni were completely blocked, while inside the town, tvres were set on fire, militias were moving, and a lot of civilians were killed. I had to inform the team that they could not come back to the town because their lives would be at risk. It was hard, because their families were here in Beni and asking them to return home. Every night, I had to inform them, “Sorry, you cannot come back yet.” It started on a Saturday and went until the following Wednesday evening. It was a hard decision to make, but when they came back, they said “We know that we’re working for an NGO, it’s different. We’re very grateful that you considered all sides for us.”
For me, I’m grateful that Medair has been here in DR Congo for more than 20 years. Seeing the development of the Medair country programme has been really astonishing. It’s amazing to see that we have expanded the bases and areas where we work, and it’s encouraging to see the development of our staff members. It’s a real blessing for me to come back for a third time. To be here, to find a way of reaching people despite the security situation, and to show people that someone cares—whether it’s Medair or me personally—I think it is really encouraging for people!
Your gifts bring life-saving aid to vulnerable people in DR Congo. Thank you for your support!
Keep up with our work by following us @Medair_DRC on Twitter & Instagram.
Medair’s work in DR Congo is made possible by through the support of Agence de l’eau Rhône Méditerranée Corse, EC Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, EO Metterdaad (NL), Medicor Foundation (LI),
Mercy Corps, GVC Winterthur (CH), Canton Zürich, Pfister, Red een Kind (NL), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, UN Development Programme, UN Childrens Fund, US Agency for International Development and generous private donors.
This content was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.
Home Stories DR Congo: Finding a way to reach the most vulnerable
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More than two dozen groups join call for fracking inquiry in B.C.
Updated: November 6, 2017
FILE PHOTO - Hydraulic fractuing (fracking) at Horn River Basic near Fort Nelson, B.C.in 2015. Submitted / PNG
A coalition of community, First Nation and environmental organizations wants the provincial government to expand a promised review of natural gas fracking operations into a full public inquiry.
“We believe that the NDP’s campaign promise to appoint a scientific panel to review fracking won’t be enough to fully address the true risks of deploying this brute-force technology throughout northeast B.C. Current realities dictate that we need a wide-ranging public inquiry,” Ben Parfitt, a resource policy analyst with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said in an emailed statement on Sunday.
Fracking — also known as hydraulic fracturing — involves pumping large volumes of water under intense pressure below ground to free gas trapped in tight rock formations.
Fracking leads to higher rates of earthquakes and the coalition says there are also concerns about how much water is being used in fracking operations, as expressing concerns for how truthfully the companies have engaged with local Indigenous peoples and they say there is “widespread industry non-compliance with relevant provincial water laws through the construction of dozens of unlicensed dams.”
A 4.6 magnitude earthquake in northeast B.C. in August 2015 was caused by 422 million gallons of water being pumped underground at one gas well, the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission confirmed at the time. According to the coalition, this is eight times greater than that used in the average fracking operation in the United States.
That earthquake was the largest in B.C. caused by fracking.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, said “First Nations were not fully consulted about the true size and extent of these dams and that our Indigenous Title, Rights and Treaty rights are still completely ignored or denied.”
“We are deeply troubled that this dam building free-for-all occurred on First Nation lands,” he added.
He also said have been “no substantive or meaningful opportunities to fully participate in decisions around how water resources are managed in our respective territories.”
The head of the B.C. chapter of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment raised concerns about the health risks posed by fracking.
“Recent studies have demonstrated an increased incidence of premature births, asthma and congenital heart disease in people who live close to U.S. fracking operations,” Larry Barzelai said. “Can we be assured that the same complications will not occur in B.C.? We think that a properly funded public inquiry, with a comprehensive and strong mandate, is needed to answer critical questions such as these.”
The coalition wants the inquiry, which they want to be properly funded and able to compel legal testimony, to look at whether there’s enough provincial oversight of fracking operations when it comes to compliance with regulations, in protecting public health and preserving the environment.
Fraser Health launches guide for broaching loved ones' drug use Comedian Ali Hassan headlines Metro Vancouver-based PCHC-MoM Society's fundraiser
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The Caucus | For Bristol Palin, a Romance Ended
For Bristol Palin, a Romance Ended
March 11, 2009 9:24 pm March 11, 2009 9:24 pm
Stephen Crowley/The New York Times Senator John McCain greeted the Palins upon his arrival in the Twin Cities for the Republican National Convention on Sept. 3, 2008. Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston, center, were there.
It was only half a year ago that news of Bristol Palin’s pregnancy rocked the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Now comes word that her engagement to Levi Johnston is over, with Mr. Johnston, 19, telling The Associated Press that he and 18-year-old Ms. Palin mutually decided “a while ago” to end their relationship.
In an interview on Fox News last month, Bristol Palin said described Mr. Johnston as a “hands-on” dad.
Katharine Q. Seelye has more on the “news at the intersection of politics, sociology and gossip.”
Chrisle March 11, 2009 · 9:29 pm
Perhaps contraception is not a bad idea after all!
James March 11, 2009 · 9:37 pm
As predicted, now that the election is over.
Don Duval March 11, 2009 · 9:46 pm
I feel sorry for Bristol.
And her ex-boyfriend.
Fed into the maw of her mother’s raw ambition–and then eaten alive by the hypocrisy of the GOP’s fealty to the demands of the “values” voters who make up a key part of their shrinking “base.”
The good news for the extreme right wing that still has woodrow for the Governor–is nothing seems to diminish their enthusiasm for Sarah–the press is reporting that a group met last night to organize a “Draft Sarah” movement for 2012.
At a Denny’s, no less.
Bill March 11, 2009 · 9:55 pm
Substitute “the day after the election” for “a while ago” and “when republic stategists stopped harassing us” for “mutually” and I think we get a little closer to the truth…
lois.liberal.jones March 11, 2009 · 10:02 pm
Thank God those poor kids manage to free themselves from the clutches of John McCain’s political operatives, and, alas, Bristol’s mother.
Jim Seybert March 11, 2009 · 10:05 pm
I would consider Mr Johnson one of the luckiest people on earth to be rid of that family. I hope they allow him access to his son, but my gut tells me that won’t happen.
aaron March 11, 2009 · 10:09 pm
The most disturbing part of that whole situation was the uneasy feeling that the children were being forced into the marriage for political reasons.
No way to know if that was the truth but I’m a little relieved at this news regardless.
I wonder if they would have broken it off if McCain won?
JP, milltown, nj March 11, 2009 · 10:12 pm
life is not perfect….that’s life…and life goes on.
the pity is the sleazy way bristol and her hapless boyfriend were publicly used by sarah and her republican overlords…[whose hypocrisy is stunning].
Donald Dal Maso March 11, 2009 · 10:13 pm
I wish the best to these two young people and their baby, and I hope the two parents will both have the sense and strength of character to withdraw with the baby from the public arena and its seductions, at least until their child is older and they are each better able to decide on what line of work they wish to pursue.
Michael March 11, 2009 · 10:14 pm
So you’re telling me abstinence only sex education doesn’t work, AND fairytale weddings don’t come true?
So much for the Palin legacy.
John March 11, 2009 · 10:23 pm
I wonder how much this Bristol Palin story would have received if Sarah of Wasilla didn’t insist on parading her daughter and Levi in the spotlight. When were they planning to get married? Hopefully he returned the wardrobe he was given for the GOP Convention.
ren March 11, 2009 · 10:24 pm
I feel sorry for this young woman. People make bad decisions all the time but I don’t think she sought out the national spotlight. Being a single mother will be hard enough.
Putting aside any ideologic differences I may have with Sarah Palin, I don’t think she showed good judgement in how she allowed her family’s personal life get ‘spun’ and manipulated by the campaign. Before she went charging through that door of opportunity, she should have considered the immediate needs of her family. If she is destined for the national political stage, there was no need to rush in at any cost.
I hope Bristol will step back and rely on her extended family to help raise her child so that she can continue her education. Good luck to her.
R. B. Bernstein March 11, 2009 · 10:26 pm
Just leave them all alone now, please.
g english March 11, 2009 · 10:27 pm
Hopefully this will serve as a wake-up call for the far right-wing extremists such as Bristol’s mother who want to keep young women like Bristol in the dark about contraceptives.
Unfortunately, Sarah Palin has never been one to let small inconveniences like reason get in the way of her crackpot extremism.
Augustine 25 March 11, 2009 · 10:34 pm
Reviewing the grim statistics for the children of unwed mothers, I think it is a real shame that they did not marry for the best interests of their child.
Maya Teague March 11, 2009 · 11:24 pm
While this is hardly shocking in light of their tender age and the fishbowl existence these two had to grapple with, it is probably roiling her famous mom, the abstinence advocate.
Having said that, it is good to know Bristol will pursue her nursing degree. A little sex-ed on the side won’t hurt, either.
Dave March 11, 2009 · 11:26 pm
Reviewing the grim statistics for children raised by immature parents who feel trapped and resentful and take out their ill will on the rest of the household, I think it showed good judgement on their part that they did not marry for what a bunch of busy-bodies insisted would be the best interests of their child.
I hope they stay friends and both stay involved in the development of their child. Especially if they eventually settle down with other people.
John Bailo March 11, 2009 · 11:39 pm
This all just sounds like real life to me.
Real, that is, west of the Hudson…
fahim March 12, 2009 · 12:05 am
yeah good point….marriage for political reasons. when was the last time we heard of that? Victorian era Europe?
Chris, NYC March 12, 2009 · 1:08 am
No shotgun wedding?!?! Did Sarah Palin run out of ammo?
Yappy March 12, 2009 · 1:29 am
The right wing nuts and the left wing fruitcakes should just leave these kids alone. Let them work out what is good for them and and their son. There are a lot of successful people who have gone through some similar disappointing things, but it was not put in the New York times, because their families were not in politics.
barbara miller March 12, 2009 · 1:31 am
Certainly not a story to be happy about. Ending any relationship is difficult. And while I’m an Obama backer, I don’t think that this young family should, once again, be in the limelight. They have enough to deal with right now.
HLC March 12, 2009 · 1:51 am
— Dave
You’ve got that right, Dave. John D, aka Augustine 25, is dead wrong as usual. People marrying or staying together just for the sake of the children is almost always a mistake and does much more harm to the children.
Opa2 March 12, 2009 · 1:58 am
Those two kids never had a chance. They became part of the Republican hype about “Love and Marriage” while the boy’s “Face book” and “My Space” biography’s stated ” I do NOT want to get married.” When all the hullaballou died down he told her that and took a hike. Remember, even the fact that he had quit high school to take a job in the oil fields became a political football. Than his mothers arrest became a big deal. What kind of a life is that? No wonder he ran while he still had a chance. As long as he pays child support and helps raise his child, the rest is between the two of them and I wish both of them well.
Olubola March 12, 2009 · 2:09 am
I seem to remember that the news of Bristol’s pregnancy was only released to the nation after Liberal bloggers speculated that she was the mother of Sarah’s last born child. I don’t think both Bristol and her mother thought that her pregnancy was a good thing at her age and the fact that she was single but these things happen and we have to deal with them as best as we can. I don’t see any one holding Levi Johnston responsible for his part. He could have used a condom and he could have done the right thing and married Bristol. Where is his responsibility? I don’t like this idea that it is all Bristol’s fault or her mother’s fault. I was raised Catholic and the church does not believe in contraceptives either. This can happen to any family, the important thing is to give your child support regardless of your beliefs. This is a human story and I do not like the way people are so gleeful because she is Sarah Palin’s daughter. We all know that contraceptives can fail and Bristol’s child will be raised in a loving extended family. Let’s have a little compassion here instead of hatred for Sarah. I thought Liberals were better people.
Obamas and Clinton Honor Women
The Buzz About a Second Stimulus Package
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Deconstructing the Story of Eleanor of Aquitaine
October 23, 2016 By Susan Abernethy in Burgundian and French History, French History, Medieval History, Women's History Tags: Eleanor of Aquitaine, French history, Inventing Eleanor, King Henry II of England, King John of England, King Louis VII of France, King Richard I of England, medieval history, Michael Evans, Second Crusade, The Medieval and Post Medieval Image of Eleanor of Aquitaine, women's history 21 Comments
Fourteenth century depiction of the marriage of King Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine. The image on the right shows Louis leaving for the Second Crusade.
Everything you know about Eleanor of Aquitaine is wrong! Or so says Michael R. Evans, lecturer in medieval history at Central Michigan University. In his book “Inventing Eleanor: The Medieval and Post-Medieval Image of Eleanor of Aquitaine”, he works to destroy the myths that surround the life of Eleanor.
He begins by defining the role of medieval queens and how Eleanor fits the image. During her reign as Queen of France, she does appear in charters governing France and her duchy of Aquitaine in tandem with her husband Louis VII. As Queen of England, she also appears in charters and in some chronicles. But she seems to work more alongside her husband Henry II as opposed to autonomously unless she was governing as regent in his absence. She definitely fulfills the customary medieval queen roles of mother, diplomat and intercessor during Henry’s reign and those of her sons Richard I and John.
Eleanor’s uncle Raymond Of Poitiers welcoming Louis VII in Antioch from a fifteenth century manuscript
Evans talks about Eleanor and the creation of what he calls the “Black Legend” which came about through the chronicler’s descriptions of her scandalous behavior usually written with their own political agenda. This includes her supposed incest with her uncle Raymond of Poitiers, Prince of Antioch during the Second Crusade. These rumors didn’t really start until later chroniclers such as William of Tyre wrote about them. Incest allegations were never brought up during the annulment of the marriage between Eleanor and Louis. Although we will never really know for sure, the likelihood of incest between Eleanor and Raymond is negligible and the rumor was only brought up to discredit Eleanor for political reasons. It was standard operating procedure for writers to discredit medieval queens with accusations of sexual misconduct.
Most interesting is the legend that Eleanor and her ladies dressed as Amazons on their way to the Second Crusade. Evans explains how this legend originated. A Byzantine courtier named Niketas Choniates described in his “Historia” a woman who appeared with the crusader army as it passed through Constantinople in 1147. He mentions a campaign of Germans which included women riding on horseback, not sidesaddle as was customary but scandalously astride. These women were dressed in the garb of men and carried lances and weapons. He says they had a martial appearance and were “more mannish than the Amazons”. Choniates says one woman stood out in the crowd, giving the appearance of Penthesilea with embroidered gold around the hems and fringes of her garment. This woman was called Goldfoot (Chrysópous). Penthesilea was an Amazon queen from Greek mythology.
Miniature of Niketas Choniates from a fourtheenth century manuscript “Historia”, Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. Hist. gr. 53*, fol. 1v
Nowhere in this passage is the name of Eleanor mentioned. These women are not even French here as Choniates calls them German. He doesn’t say they were dressed specifically as Amazons. Eleanor’s visit to Constantinople was made before Choniates was even born so he didn’t actually witness these women in person. He wrote this nearly fifty years after 1147. From this it was assumed the woman Goldfoot was Eleanor and the legend grew from there. This was even expanded upon by later writers to say that Eleanor and other women dressed as Amazons in France before leaving on the Crusade.
Another part of the “Black Legend” is the accusation that Eleanor had Henry’s mistress Rosamund Clifford murdered. Eleanor was imprisoned and under guard at the time of Rosamund’s death. A chronicle from the fourteenth century mentions that Henry held Rosamund in a bower at Woodstock to keep her away from Eleanor’s vengeance but doesn’t mention Eleanor as her killer. The first reference of Eleanor being a murderer doesn’t occur until the mid-fourteenth “French Chronicle of London” which claims Eleanor bled Rosamund to death. A chronicle from the sixteenth century has Eleanor finding Rosamund in the labyrinthine bower with the aid of a silken thread. A later sixteenth century chronicle expands on the story saying Eleanor had a loyal knight obtain the silken thread and that Eleanor poisoned Rosamund as she pleaded for her life. And so the legend grew.
Image of William of Tyre writing his history, from a 13th century Old French translation
Historical evidence that Eleanor followed her grandfather in the troubadour tradition and administered cases of courtly love along with her daughter Marie just doesn’t exist. Evans says this legend had for the most part had died out until Amy Kelly’s biography “Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings” was published in 1950. She reinvigorated this fable and gave it new life.
Evans addresses the notion that Eleanor was from the south of France, spoke the Occitan dialect of French and brought southern culture to her husband Louis’ backward court in Paris. He convincingly argues that Eleanor lived and identified with the culture of Poitiers which was on the dividing line between the areas of France that spoke ‘langue d’oc’ and ‘langue d’oïl’. Evans believes she did not speak langue d’oc and did not convey any special culture of the south to the north when she married Louis. Since we don’t have any historical evidence about her education as a young girl, we don’t really know if she was exceptionally educated. There is also no evidence she was any greater patroness of the arts than other medieval noblewomen of the era.
Another legend about Eleanor focuses on her purported beauty. There are no written descriptions of Eleanor so we have no idea of her height, hair or eye color or skin tone. There are also no surviving visual depictions of Eleanor. Evans notes that most chronicles describe medieval queens as beautiful so this is not out of the ordinary.
We don’t really know what Eleanor looked like
Evidence that she committed incest with her uncle Raymond of Poitiers is negligible
She never dressed as an Amazon
There is no evidence she killed Henry’s mistress Rosamund Clifford
She never presided over cases of courtly love
She did not speak langue d’oc
These are only a few of the myths that Evans addresses and he argues that Eleanor is not really exceptional as far as medieval queens go but I’m not sure I can embrace this argument wholeheartedly. She was the Queen of France and the Queen of England and the mother of three kings: Henry the Young King, Richard I and John. She also participated in the Second Crusade. She acted as diplomat and traveled Europe on missions for her sons and lived to an advanced age. But the fact that legends and myths about her life have erupted through the centuries and across different media speaks to the fact that people find her fascinating for many and varied reasons. Even without the mythology, I think what little we know of the story of her life is unique.
Further reading: “Inventing Eleanor: The Medieval and Post-Medieval Image of Eleanor of Aquitaine” by Michael R. Evans
« The History of the Château of Langeais
The ‘Affair of Poisons’ ~ A guest post by Michael Long »
denyse bertoni says:
Most interesting. May be she was not exceptional but she represents an educated woman of her times. And we have an idea of what she looked like from her tomb effigy in the Abbaye of Fontevraud in France where Elianor lies with her second husband, Henry II.
vesta445 says:
I like your observation that male medieval historians would discredit medieval queens with accusations of sexual misconduct. I think that idea can still be found in our times, and, it’s not limited to historians or queens.
My favorite woman in history an unbelievable life embellished or not.
MLS says:
Hi, just saw this article and I have never heard about what you or he called “Black Legend”, the problem with medieval times and even thereafter is that most of the writings concerning a prominent figure is historiography, which is not History… and most of the time historiography is propaganda for their patrons.What i can only assert is that she was married to king of France because she brought him the Great Duchy of Aquitaine which was by far bigger than the royal domain at that time and then he repudiated her on the ground they were related but the real fact is because she couldn’t bear him a son. Her daughter Mary of Champagne was the patron of Chrétien de Troyes who first wrote an elaborated story of king Arthur (gathering Wace and Monmouth) and coined the term romance which was to become roman (novel). It embedded courtly love as well as the myth of Arthur who would come back to save England and strangely enough the monks of Glastonbury found miraculously some remains that were supposed to be Arthur and Guinevere… this of course to install Henry Plantagenêt as a rightful king. Alienor was surely educated because she was a heiress contrary to women who were not as rich as her.
In this case, the author of the book is using the term “Black Legend” as an historical term referring to a deeply biased historigraphy which is written to distort the subject’s reputation, accentuating the negative in order to counteract their influence. Alienor was able to have sons with Henry II so there must have been another reason Louis repudiated her. And no one is disputing the fact that Alienor was educated.
Sophie Johnson says:
‘… she was married to king of France because she brought him the Great Duchy of Aquitaine.’
I doubt that this holds chronologically. Eleanor was married to Louis VII of France pretty much immediately upon the death of her father, the Duke of Aquitaine, whose vast estate, including the Duchy of Aquitaine, she inherited as sole heir. A woman of her independent fortune was very unusual, and made her a target for enterprising kidnappers. Hence her rapid first marriage, advised and arranged by her uncle, Raymond of Poitiers, Prince of Antioch.
At the time, the French monarch was a minor figure, the Île-de-France, his domain, being about the size of modern-day Paris. As Duchess of Aquitaine, Eleanor was of a higher standing than he. And she retained the Dutchy of Aquitaine, duly delivering it to her second husband, Henry II of England. So in no sense did she ‘deliver’ it to Loius VII.
Iain Spence says:
Unfortunately, women in medieval history, were at the mercy of male court historians and clerical scribes. I think that women, throughout history, have been treated appallingly. Eleanor of Aquitaine is just a glaring example of that injustice.
JennyOH says:
Very interesting! I hadn’t heard most of these myths – or rather, I’d heard of them but only as myths. The Amazons is a new one to me – one I almost wish were true! I wholeheartedly agree with you, that while Eleanor may not have been all that the myths claimed, it’s still not true to say she wasn’t an exceptional woman and queen of her time. We students of history today certainly want our imagination-catching historical figures to be larger than life, but they can definitely still be amazing and eye-opening without being tall tales.
I don’t know a great deal about Eleanor of Aquitaine, so most of that was new to me, but I agree, what I did know about her life was a lot more interesting than these other bits and pieces.
Thank you. Informative. Interesting. Some of this I knew. She is an ancestor by marriage.
Eleanor was actually a mother of three kings not two……
Henry the young king, Richard I and John
Of course you are right Michelle!
Cora Sutherland says:
Thank you for a most interesting article. I have read many books on Eleanor of the Aquitaine, including Eleanor of the Aquitaine and the Four Kings this article rather debunks some of what was written there. I will look for this book I would like to read it. It is always interesting to read what other writers when researching or fantasizing come up with. History buffs love it I think, keeps it so interesting. Thanks again, love your newsletter and the articles.
Liz Hibbard says:
Please change email to evercroft@gmail.com
I have just sent you an invitation to become a follower with the new e-mail address Liz. Please follow instructions and accept. Thanks for letting me know.
Helena P. Schrader says:
The myths mentioned have long been de-bunked, so this book hardly seems earth-shaking. Surely no one nowadays seriously thought Eleanor murdered Rosamund or had an affair with her uncle? As you say, the fascination with Eleanor is that she ruled the Aquitaine in her own right and ruled England in Richard’s absence, raised his ransom etc. What she really did is much more interesting than the legends listed.
I realize these myths have been debunked Helena but I’m finding many people still don’t know this. I’m using this as a teachable moment. The book was only published in 2014 and he goes over all the sources. And yes, her real life IS much more interesting than the myths.
karldevitre says:
Good job Mrs. Abernethy. As it says in my language, this is “poner los puntos sobre las ies”. Legends are good for the movies, but the story is written with facts not with legends.
Great article and of course I will have to read the book!!!
ascholarlyskater says:
Well that certainly is a lot to think about. I think that myths like these at some point reach a critical mass where they just start self-perpetuating. It would be interesting to trace how and when the fascination with Eleanor started and grew.
Evans does go over that in the book Alexandra. I agree with you about the self-perpetuation.
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TheGamesDB
Games Platforms Developers Publishers
Platform: Sony Playstation 3
Developer(s): Slightly Mad Studios
Publishers(s): Slightly Mad Studios
ReleaseDate: 2013-12-31
Co-op: No
Project CARS is a motorsport racing simulator video game developed by Slightly Mad Studios and published by Bandai Namco Games. It was released in May 2015 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Project CARS was originally also due for release on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U but it was later announced that these versions had been cancelled.
Genre(s): Racing |
Other Graphic(s)
© 2018 TheGamesDB
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A new dawn of White House ethics
By Lisa Gilbert and Jennifer Ahearn, opinion contributors — 10/12/18 04:00 PM EDT
View Latest Opinions >>
Donald Trump Donald John TrumpCNN's Camerota clashes with Trump's immigration head over president's tweet LA Times editorial board labels Trump 'Bigot-in-Chief' Trump complains of 'fake polls' after surveys show him trailing multiple Democratic candidates MORE took office promising to clean up the carnage that he said beset the American landscape. The next president is more likely to open up with pledge to restore government ethics customs ravaged by the Trump presidency.
But a mere call for a “return to normalcy,” no matter how heartfelt, will not be enough. To insulate against the ascendance of another president who couples a billion-dollar net worth with a blatant lack of regard for conflicts of interest, Congress and the next administration must take action to fill gaps in executive branch ethics laws and rules.
This month, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and Public Citizen issued a 13-point plan to “Trump Proof” the government against a sequel. Many of the items have garnered a great deal of attention for the duration of this administration. Others are more beneath the surface or have yet to manifest themselves. But all represent opportunities for abuse by administrations intent on exploiting porous ethics laws.
We recommend that presidents be required to divest themselves of all assets that could pose a conflict-of-interest risk within 30 days of taking office and that Congress deem disclosure of recent tax returns a condition of appearing on the presidential ballot.
In addition, gaps in financial disclosure requirements for federal candidates and officeholders must be closed. Most important here is instituting ranges on financial disclosure forms for debts above $50 million in place of the current regime, which simply requires filers to whom that category applies to check a “greater than $50 million” box. A similar shortcoming should be closed for disclosure of income, for which the current catch-all category starts at $5 million.
The Office of Government Ethics, which is in charge of monitoring compliance with disclosure and conflict of interest laws in the executive branch, should be strengthened. This could be accomplished by giving the office enforcement authority in addition to its current advisory role. Alternatively, an overarching inspector general’s office could be created to investigate potential ethics issues, if referred by OGE, throughout the executive branch, including the White House.
Numerous laws should be tweaked to prevent government officials from using the machinery of government to serve their own purposes. Among these, the anti-nepotism law should be clarified to stipulate beyond any doubt that presidents are prohibited from appointing their relatives to any position in the executive branch, and the size of federal contracts that a president’s family member may receive should be limited.
Further, the definitions of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from using their offices to influence elections, should be tightened, and authority should be given to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Special Counsel to investigate potential violations of it. Bright lines should be drawn to prevent the White House from unduly interfering in Justice Department affairs.
Additionally, rules should be updated to ensure that ethics laws apply to all outside advisers, to protect the integrity of government decision-making at all levels. Reasonable ethics and transparency rules should be applied to presidential transition teams, which, in turn should be funded by the public rather than private contributions. All White House visitor logs should be disclosed to the public.
Further, gifts to public officials and entities controlled by public officials should be regulated much more closely. This means that contributions to inaugural committees should be restricted to the size of campaign contributions and be permitted from U.S. citizens only. Gifts to sitting presidents for their libraries or other legacy-building endeavors also should be governed by the same rules that apply to campaign contributions, if they are permitted at all. Rules and transparency requirements for legal defense funds established by executive branch officials should be enhanced.
Some of the gaps in ethics laws noted above have been exploited by Trump’s predecessors. Meanwhile, neither Trump nor members of his administration have (yet) taken advantage of all of them. But Trump’s disregard for his predecessors’ custom of avoiding both the appearance and reality of conflicts of interest is in a league of its own. If he is to enjoy a favorable mention in the eyes of history, it might be for prompting the passage of a new dawn of ethics standards and inspiring a movement that truly seeks to “drain the swamp.”
Lisa Gilbert is a vice president of Public Citizen. Jennifer Ahearn is the policy director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
Tags Donald Trump White House Government Business Congress Ethics
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Aetna donates $200K to gun protest march
By Luis Sanchez - 03/06/18 02:00 PM EST
Aetna announced on Tuesday that it will donate $200,000 to the gun reform rally “March for Our Lives.”
The health insurer said it wants to support action to stop gun violence, but doesn’t oppose responsible gun owners.
“I want to emphasize that our actions are not an indictment of responsible, legal gun owners,” Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini said in a statement. “Instead, we are joining others who cannot sit by idly while mass shootings become a part of our everyday life.”
The rally was organized by survivors of the Florida high school shooting in February that left 17 people dead and many others wounded.
It is scheduled to be held in Washington, D.C., and a number of other cities on March 24.
Aetna joins a growing list of companies that are donating money to the event.
The dating app Bumble recently pledged $100,000 and Gucci has said it will give $500,000 to the rally. Lyft has offered free rides to people attending the rally.
A number of celebrities — including Oprah Winfrey, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, and George and Amal Clooney — have also donated money to the march.
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Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Mel Gibson, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich
Sylvester Stallone (Story), Richard Wenk (Writer), Dave Callaham (Characters), Creighton Rothenberger (Screenplay), Katrin Benedikt (Screenplay)
"The Expendables 3" Isn't Nearly as Much Fun As It Should Be
It occurred to me a few minutes into The Expendables 3 that maybe when you hit a certain age you're actually incapable of producing an actual R-rated action flick.
I chuckled. Briefly.
That sort of sums up my view of The Expendables 3, a money grab likely borne out of action star camaraderie and also borne out of the simple fact that when you're an aging action star you're options in Hollywood are, let's face it, more than a little bit limited.
On the positive side, at least Stallone hasn't served up another arm wrestling movie.
To be fair to Stallone, it's hard to blame the guy for milking a concept that has worked far better than anyone could have predicted mostly owing to the two words "guilty pleasure." The Expendables films have never been brilliant films, but they've offered enough nostalgia and action-lite that for the most part you don't leave the theater resenting the time and money spent.
There are going to be those who swear up and down that The Expendables 3 is the best of the bunch. They're wrong. Then again, those who consider the film to be the obvious death knell of the series could very well be wrong as well. It's hard to say for sure, of course, because rumor has it that this really is the last film in the series.
Yeah, we've heard that before. I'm looking at you, Michael Bay.
The Expendables 3 is neither as good as some of its fans are saying nor the travesty that others are proclaiming. It's a decent enough action flick with some genuinely comical moments that likely should have been served up more frequently and action sequences that are plentiful if not entirely imaginative.
The Expendables 3 kicks off with Ross (Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Gunner (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture), and Caesar (Terry Crews) on a mission to rescue the imprisoned Doc (Wesley Snipes). After the mission is accomplished, in dramatic fashion of course, they head off on their latest CIA-sponsored mission to eliminate an arms dealer, a mission that doesn't go particularly well considering said arms dealer is Stonebanks (Mel Gibson), who just so happens to be the co-founder of The Expendables until his path took a different direction. In the resulting confrontation, Caesar is nearly killed and Ross ends up disbanding The Expendables and recruiting a younger band of mercenaries to go after Stonebanks with direction from his new CIA contact (Harrison Ford) that Stonebanks is to be brought in alive. He then recruits an old rival, Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who decides to tag along. Eventually, of course, The Expendables will be back in the picture.
Then, there is action.
Then, there is a pause.
Then, there is more action.
Then, there is a longer pause.
Then. Well, you get the idea.
Director Patrick Hughes has crafted a film, actually crafted is too generous here, that is poorly paced and muddily choreographed. I'm not even sure that muddily is a word, but it's the only thing I can think of that describes fight scenes that carry out this recent trend towards chaos without purpose, shaky cam with no mission, and overall action sequences that seem devoid of thrills, chills, or suspense. At 126 minutes, The Expendables 3 could have easily dropped half an hour from its running time and been a leaner, meaner and more fun adventure.
On the plus side, supporting players like Wesley Snipes and Antonio Banderas are an absolute vibe and are clearly in sync with the vibe that Stallone has undoubtedly been going for with this series. Mel Gibson, who still seems to be in Hollywood's doghouse these days, reminds us all he can still act and adds a nice intensity as Stonebanks. On the other hand, Harrison Ford seems lost and uninterested while Jet Li's appearance is pretty much a waste of time. In case you're wondering, despite their appearance in the film's credits Willis bowed out of this production along with Chuck Norris.
The Expendables 3 may very well end up being the end of this guilty pleasure of a trilogy. While it's been for the most part pleasurable enough, it's hard to imagine who Stallone could recruit for ongoing adventures.
Maybe Orlando Bloom and Justin Bieber?
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Is P3 Funding Really The Way to Go?
It was with some amount of concern that I listened to Meaford CAO Frank Miele pitch the concept of P3 Funding to council on Monday night as a potential solution to some of the infrastructure needs within the municipality.
Specifically Miele talked about the possibility of utilizing this “Public, Private Partnership” model to realize the construction of a new library, and to finance upgrades to our waste water plant.
On the surface the plan sounds like a reasonable solution. Find a private partner willing to finance the design and construction of a new facility, the community gets a new library, and the municipality doesn't take on a debt load. Officially at least.
But such a partnership isn't restricted to financing design and construction. In his report Miele clearly states “a private proponent designs, builds, finances and operates/maintains (20-30 years) a given infrastructure asset”
Operates and maintains, sounds like privatization to me. And while I support the privatization of many things, libraries are not one of them.
The P3 funding model is not without it's critics and issues.
The most common concern with regard to P3 funding is cost. With a little poking around on the internet one can find a multitude of articles calling attention to the high cost of funding government projects in this way.
For example, in a 2008 report by Ontario Auditor General Jim McCarter he concedes that the first hospital in Ontario built under the P3 model, the Brampton Civic Hospital, ended up costing hundreds of millions of dollars more than if it had been constructed through a more traditional publicly funded approach.
The government officials responsible for administering the P3 program have said that the problems that have been identified in the past that have caused huge cost overruns have been addressed, but we've all heard statements like that before.
Another concern is control.
When a municipal or other government enters into a Public/Private partnership contract, they are committing to a 20 to 30 year relationship.
I would be leery of building a new library for our community knowing that a private partner would be calling the shots on the operation of the facility for the next 30 years.
If there is money to be made in the library business, then the private sector would already be building libraries all over the place. But they are not. Which in my opinion supports the cost overrun argument.
If the private sector isn't currently in the library business, why would they enter into a partnership with a municipal government to build and operate one? Obviously it would be because there would be money to be made.
But if the money wasn't there to be made beforehand by a private sector organization, then where does the money come from in a P3 arrangement?
I think you can figure that out yourself.
I'm not suggesting that the P3 concept be dismissed without discussion, but I would suggest that the CAO has given our councillors a 'heads up', and those councillors had better do their research and get to know what P3's are all about before they ever get to the point of casting a vote at the council table.
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FG set to increase recruitment quota of people living with disabilities to 10 percent
Unini Chioma
Dr Samuel Ankeli, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Disability Matters, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday at the official inauguration of the Baseline Survey of PWDs. The event was under the theme: “Empowering Persons with Disabilities and Ensuring their Inclusiveness and Equality”. Ankeli urged PWDs to come up with a memo, while assuring that relevant actions would be taken to improve the lives of the people. He said: “It has been observed that those who are educated enough for employment have not been given a fair share of the Federal Civil Service openings. “It is a normal government procedure to improve policies where need be. “It’s a policy decision and the Head of Service with her team will prepare a document for the attention of the President to see how we can do things as urgently as possible. “This will help us to improve the recruitment quota of PWDs from the negligible two per cent to 10 per cent and provide an allowance to cushion the expenses and extra stresses of PWDs. “I am sure that with the proper document, which is a memo to the President, the relevant actions will be taken on it to improve the lives of PWDs.’’ Also, Winifred Oyo-Ita, Head of Service of the Federation, said the theme was apt as it spelt out the objectives of the baseline survey of PWDs employed in the Federal Civil Service. Oyo-Ita noted that the survey would go a long way to reassure PWDs in the service that issues of their welfare are on the front burner. She said the survey was meant to position the officers to integrate PWDs for national development. The Head of Service added that the project, which is a pilot project, would be conducted in the office. According to her, the project will subsequently be extended to other Ministries, Departments and Agencies and the states. She said the time is ripe to begin effective planning for the future of PWDs in the service and the ultimate goal is the development of a comprehensive policy to address the challenges. She said: “The launch is expected to provide the aggregated data of PWDs in the civil service, in order to enable the service welfare to design a programme that tackles the challenges. “To create more opportunities for PWDs to get into job and full range effective service, sustainable change will be realised when all concerned are empowered. “The Federal Government is working to lessen inequality in the society; the office will also continue to provide PWDs with requirements to work effectively in a conducive environment.” Oyo-Ita promised to work with international partners to leverage and support the efforts of the Federal Government to meet the needs of the PWDs. In her remark, Didi Walsom-Jack, Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office, HOSF, stated that the office is set to promote a safe and convenient work environment and provide basic support for civil servants. She said the use of the survey would help to improve inclusiveness, thereby helping to impact PWDs in the public service. On his part, Jake Epelle, President, Albino Foundation, commended the HOSF for conducting the survey, as it had been recognised on the floor of the European Union to scale up methods to effectively impact on the lives of PWDs. Epelle said the survey, targeted at all employees with disabilities in the federal civil service, would deploy both quantitative and qualitative processes, which would also be driven by technology. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the United Nations General Assembly in 1992 proclaimed December 3 as the annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons. The aim is to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development. The Day seeks to also increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.]]>
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Read Next: 2019 Imagen Awards Nominations: Jennifer Lopez, Antonio Banderas and More
Chinese 3D Adventure ‘Monster Hunt’ Tops Foreign Box Office
By Brent Lang and Patrick Frater
CREDIT: Courtesy of Edko Films
Chinese 3D epic “Monster Hunt” dominated the foreign box office this weekend, picking up a leading $72 million.
The fantasy adventure is smashing records, setting a new benchmark for opening day and single day grosses ever for a local film. It also pulled in $8.7 million from Imax screenings, a new opening weekend record for a Chinese-produced film, topping 2014’s “The Monkey King.”
Producer and distributor, Edko Films confirmed that the film had scored a total of US$108 million (RMB669 million) in China since its Thursday (July 16) debut and including previews.
The film is drawing crowds for its special effects-driven battles between humans and monsters. It’s not the only Chinese release doing big business. “Pancake Man” (aka “Jianbing Man”), a comedy about a fading movie star who finds himself in danger, racked up $61 million, nabbing third place on overseas charts, while “Monkey King: Hero is Back,” roped in $21.5 million for a fifth place finish.
Second place went to Universal and Illumination Entertainment’s “Minions,” which added $66.2 million to its haul, bringing its global total to $625.8 million. The film is screening in 56 territories, with eight more territories slated for release over the next two months.
“Ant-Man,” Marvel and Disney’s latest superhero adventure, nabbed fourth place with $56.4 million. The comicbook movie opened in 37 markets, including such major territories as Russia, France, Australia, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Mexico. Globally, the film, which topped the domestic box office with $58 million, has earned $114.4 million.
Monster Hunt
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General Motors confirms acquisition of Sidecar’s technology and assets (updated)
Ken Yeung@thekenyeung January 18, 2016 10:21 PM
Above: Zafar Razzacki of General Motors, discusses GM's Let's Drive NYC car-sharing program and proprietary reservation app, rolled out October 1, 2015 in New York City. Let's Drive NYC is GM's latest move to deliver urban mobility options to customers around the globe.
Image Credit: General Motors
General Motors (GM) has reportedly acquired what remains of former ridesharing provider Sidecar. In addition to incorporating Sidecar’s technology, the car manufacturer will bring about 20 employees over to bolster its own efforts in the space.
According to Bloomberg, the exact figures of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it was likely less than the $39 million Sidecar raised when it was still in existence. What’s also noteworthy is that among the personnel being kept on is Sidecar cofounder and CEO Jahan Khanna. However, chief executive Sunil Paul has opted not to make the move to GM.
A pioneer in the ridesharing space, Sidecar last month announced that it was shuttering operations in order to pursue “other strategic opportunities.” It failed to offer a viable challenge to Uber and Lyft, two competitors that ran away with not only market share, but also the lion’s share of venture capital. Near the end, Sidecar pivoted away from ridesharing toward deliveries of various items, including marijuana.
GM will be using Sidecar’s technology to bolster its existing initiatives in the ridesharing space, such as the work it has with Lyft. Last week, the automotive manufacturer announced it was investing $500 million into the pink-mustached ridesharing company and said that it is also interested in building self-driving cars.
As the ridesharing industry becomes increasingly popular, it’s not surprising to see more and more car makers looking for ways to tap into the market. Already, GM has a car-sharing program called “Let’s Drive NYC,” which it debuted in October, and which represents a direct shot at Zipcar.
We’ve reached out to GM for comment and will update if we hear back.
Update as of 12:23 p.m. PST on Wednesday: Sidecar has confirmed the acquisition, saying in a post that the term sheet was signed in December. Paul described the “key component” of the transaction as a license to his company’s patents, specifically US Patent #6356838 for “System and method for determining an efficient transportation route” and others patent pending. The Sidecar CEO also confirmed that he will not be moving forward with the rest of the team, opting to “take a break before starting my next thing.” However, he did place his company’s demise on Uber, saying that it “is willing to win at any cost and they have practically limitless capital to do it.”
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Tag Archives: Can you be gay and a Christian?
Albert Mohlers Response to Matthew Vines: “God and The Gay Christian”
Evangelical Christians in the United States now face an inevitable moment of decision. While Christians in other movements and in other nations face similar questions, the question of homosexuality now presents evangelicals in the United States with a decision that cannot be avoided. Within a very short time, we will know where everyone stands on this question. There will be no place to hide, and there will be no way to remain silent. To be silent will answer the question.
The question is whether evangelicals will remain true to the teachings of Scripture and the unbroken teaching of the Christian church for over two thousand years on the morality of same-sex acts and the institution of marriage.
The world is pressing this question upon us, but so are a number of voices from within the larger evangelical circle — voices that are calling for a radical revision of the church’s understanding of the Bible, sexual morality, and the meaning of marriage. We are living in the midst of a massive revolution in morality, and sexual morality is at the center of this revolution. But the question of same-sex relationships and sexuality is at the very center of the debate over sexual morality, and our answer to this question will both determine or reveal what we understand about everything the Bible reveals and everything the church teaches — even the gospel itself.
Others are watching, and they see the moment of decision at hand. Anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann of Stanford University has remarked that “it is clear to an observer like me that evangelical Christianity is at a crossroad.” What is that crossroad? “The question of whether gay Christians should be married within the church.” Journalist Terry Mattingly sees the same issue looming on the evangelical horizon — “There is no way to avoid the showdown that is coming.”
Into this context now comes God and the Gay Christian, a book by Matthew Vines. Just a couple of years ago Vines made waves with the video of a lecture in which he attempted to argue that being a gay Christian in a committed same-sex relationship (and eventual marriage) is compatible with biblical Christianity. His video went viral. Even though Matthew Vines did not make new arguments, the young Harvard student synthesized arguments made by revisionist Bible scholars and presented a very winsome case for overthrowing the church’s moral teachings on same-sex relationships.
His new book flows from that startling ambition — to overthrow two millennia of Christian moral wisdom and biblical understanding.
Given the audacity of that ambition, why does this book deserve close attention? The most important reason lies outside the book itself. There are a great host of people, considered to be within the larger evangelical movement, who are desperately seeking a way to make peace with the moral revolution and endorse the acceptance of openly-gay individuals and couples within the life of the church. Given the excruciating pressures now exerted on evangelical Christianity, many people — including some high-profile leaders — are desperately seeking an argument they can claim as both persuasive and biblical. The seams in the evangelical fabric are beginning to break and Matthew Vines now comes along with a book that he claims will make the argument so many have been seeking.
In God and the Gay Christian Vines argues that “Christians who affirm the full authority of Scripture can also affirm committed, monogamous same-sex relationships.” He announces that, once his argument is accepted: “The fiercest objections to LGBT equality — those based on religious beliefs — can begin to fall away. The tremendous pain endured by LGBT youth in many Christian homes can become a relic of the past. Christianity’s reputation in much of the Western world can begin to rebound. Together we can reclaim our light” (3).
That promise drives Vines’s work from beginning to end. He identifies himself as both gay and Christian and claims to hold to a “high view” of the Bible. “That means,” he says, “I believe all of Scripture is inspired by God and authoritative for my life” (2).
Well, that is exactly what we would hope for a Christian believer to say about the Bible. And who could fault the ambition of any young and thoughtful Christian who seeks to recover the reputation of Christianity in the Western world. If Matthew Vines were to be truly successful in simultaneously making his case and remaining true to the Scriptures, we would indeed have to overturn two thousand years of the church’s teaching on sex and marriage and apologize for the horrible embarrassment of being wrong for so long.
Readers of his book who are looking for an off-ramp from the current cultural predicament will no doubt try to accept his argument. But the real question is whether what Vines claims is true and faithful to the Bible as the Word of God. But his argument is neither true nor faithful to Scripture. It is, nonetheless, a prototype of the kind of argument we can now expect.
What Does the Bible Really Say?
The most important sections of Vines’s book deal with the Bible itself and with what he identifies as the six passages in the Bible that “have stood in the way of countless gay people who long for acceptance from their Christian parents, friends, and churches” (11). Those six passages (Genesis 19:5; Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; and 1 Timothy 1:10) are indeed key and crucial passages for understanding God’s expressed and revealed message on the question of same-sex acts, desires, and relationships, but they are hardly the whole story.
The most radical proposal Vines actually makes is to sever each of these passages from the flow of the biblical narrative and the Bible’s most fundamental revelation about what it means to be human, both male and female. He does not do this merely by omission, but by the explicit argument that the church has misunderstood the doctrine of creation as much as the question of human sexuality. He specifically seeks to argue that the basic sexual complementarity of the human male and the female — each made in God’s image — is neither essential to Genesis chapters 1 and 2 or to any biblical text that follows.
In other words, he argues that same-sex sexuality can be part of the goodness of God’s original creation, and that when God declared that it is not good for man to be alone, the answer to man’s isolation could be a sexual relationship with someone of either sex. But that massive misrepresentation of Genesis 1 and 2 — a misinterpretation with virtually unlimited theological consequences — actually becomes Vines’s way of relativizing the meaning of the six passages he primarily considers.
His main argument is that the Bible simply has no category of sexual orientation. Thus, when the Bible condemns same-sex acts, it is actually condemning “sexual excess,” hierarchy, oppression, or abuse — not the possibility of permanent, monogamous, same-sex unions.
In addressing the passages in Genesis and Leviticus, Vines argues that the sin of Sodom was primarily inhospitality, not same-sex love or sexuality. The law of Moses condemns same-sex acts in so far as they violate social status or a holiness code, not in and of themselves, he asserts. His argument with regard to Leviticus is especially contorted, since he has to argue that the text’s explicit condemnation of male-male intercourse as an abomination is neither categorical or related to sinfulness. He allows that “abomination is a negative word,” but insists that “it doesn’t necessarily correspond to Christian views of sin” (85).
Finally, he argues that, even if the Levitical condemnations are categorical, this would not mean that the law remains binding on believers today.
In dealing with the most significant single passage in the Bible on same-sex acts and desire, Romans 1:26-27, Vines actually argues that the passage “is not of central importance to Paul’s message in Romans.” Instead, Vines argues that the passage is used by Paul only as “a brief example to drive home a point he was making about idolatry.” Nevertheless, Paul’s words on same-sex acts are, he admits, “starkly negative” (96).
“There is no question that Romans 1:26-27 is the most significant biblical passage in this debate,” Vines acknowledges (96). In order to relativize it, he makes this case: “Paul’s description of same-sex behavior in this passage is indisputably negative. But he also explicitly described the behavior he condemned as lustful. He made no mention of love, fidelity, monogamy, or commitment. So how should we understand Paul’s words? Do they apply to all same-sex relationships? Or only to lustful, fleeting ones?” (99).
In asking these questions, Vines makes his case that Paul is merely ignorant of the reality of sexual orientation. He had no idea that some people are naturally attracted to people of the same sex. Therefore, Paul misunderstands what today would be considered culturally normative in many highly-developed nations — that some persons are naturally attracted to others of the same sex and it would be therefore “unnatural” for them to be attracted sexually to anyone else.
Astonishingly, Vines then argues that the very notion of “against nature” as used by Paul in Romans 1 is tied to patriarchy, not sexual complementarity. Same-sex relationships, Vines argues, “disrupted a social order that required a strict hierarchy between the sexes” (109).
But to get anywhere near to Vines’s argument one has to sever Romans 1 from any natural reading of the text, from the flow of the Bible’s message from Genesis 1 forward, from the basic structure of sexual complementarity, and from the church’s faithful reading of the Bible for two millennia. Furthermore, his argument provides direct evidence of that Paul warns of in this very chapter, “suppressing the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).
Finally, the actual language of Romans 1, specifically dealing with male same-sex desire, speaks of “men consumed with passion for one another” (Romans 1:27). This directly contradicts Vines’s claim that only oppressive, pederastic, or socially mixed same-sex acts are condemned. Paul describes men consumed with passion for one another — not merely the abuse of the powerless by the powerful. In other words, in Romans 1:26-27 Paul condemns same-sex acts by both men and women, and he condemns the sexual desires described as unnatural passions as well.
In his attempt to relativize 1 Corinthians 6: 9, Vines actually undermines more of his argument. Paul’s careful use of language (perhaps even inventing a term by combining two words from Leviticus 18) is specifically intended to deny what Vines proposes — that the text really does not condemn consensual same-sex acts by individuals with a same-sex sexual orientation. Paul so carefully argues his case that he makes the point that both the active and the passive participants in male intercourse will not inherit the kingdom of God. Desperate to argue his case nonetheless, Vines asserts that, once again, it is exploitative sex that Paul condemns. But this requires that Paul be severed from his Jewish identify and from his own obedience to Scripture. Vines must attempt to marshal evidence that the primary background issue is the Greco-Roman cultural context rather than Paul’s Jewish context — but that would make Paul incomprehensible.
One other aspect of Vines’s consideration of the Bible should be noted. He acknowledges that he is “not a biblical scholar,” but he claims to “have relied on the work of scholars whose expertise is far greater than my own.” But the scholars upon whom he relies do not operate on the assumption that “all of Scripture is inspired by God and authoritative for my life.” To the contrary, most of his cited scholars are from the far left of modern biblical scholarship or on the fringes of the evangelical world. He does not reveal their deeper understandings of Scripture and its authority.
The Authority of Scripture and the Question of Sexual Orientation
Again and again, Vines comes back to sexual orientation as the key issue. ‘”The Bible doesn’t directly address the issue of same-sexorientation,” he insists. The concept of sexual orientation “didn’t exist in the ancient world.” Amazingly, he then concedes that the Bible’s “six references to same-sex behavior are negative,” but insists, again, that “the concept of same-sex behavior in the Bible is sexual excess, not sexual orientation.”
Here we face the most tragic aspect of Matthew Vines’s argument. If the modern concept of sexual orientation is to be taken as a brute fact, then the Bible simply cannot be trusted to understand what it means to be human, to reveal what God intends for us sexually, or to define sin in any coherent manner. The modern notion of sexual orientation is, as a matter of fact, exceedingly modern. it is also a concept without any definitive meaning. Effectively, it is used now both culturally and morally to argue about sexual attraction and desire. As a matter of fact, attraction and desire are the only indicators upon which the modern notion of sexual orientation are premised.
When he begins his book, Matthew Vines argues that experience should not drive our interpretation of the Bible. But it is his experience of what he calls a gay sexual orientation that drives every word of this book. It is this experiential issue that drives him to relativize text after text and to argue that the Bible really doesn’t speak directly to his sexual identity at all, since the inspired human authors of Scripture were ignorant of the modern gay experience.
Of what else were they ignorant? Vines claims to hold to a “high view” of the Bible and to believe that “all of Scripture is inspired by God and authoritative for my life,” but the modern concept of sexual orientation functions as a much higher authority in his thinking and in his argument.
This leads to a haunting question. What else does the Bible not know about what it means to be human? If the Bible cannot be trusted to reveal the truth about us in every respect, how can we trust it to reveal our salvation?
This points to the greater issue at stake here — the Gospel. Matthew Vines’s argument does not merely relativize the Bible’s authority, it leaves us without any authoritative revelation of what sin is. And without an authoritative (and clearly understandable) revelation of human sin, we cannot know why we need a Savior, or why Christ died. Furthermore, to tell someone that what the Bible reveals as sin is notsin, we tell them that they do not need Christ for that. Is that not exactly what Paul was determined not to do when he wrote to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11? Could the stakes be any higher than that? This controversy is not merely about sex, it is about salvation.
Matthew Vines’s Wedge Argument — Gender and the Bible
There is another really interesting and revealing aspect of Matthew Vine’s argument yet to come. In terms of how his argument is likely to be received within the evangelical world, Vines clearly has a strategy, and that strategy is to persuade those who have rejected gender complementarity to take the next logical step and deny sexual complementarity as well.
Gender complementarity is the belief that the Bible’s teachings on gender and gender roles is to be understood in terms of the fact that men and women are equally made in God’s image (status) but different in terms of assignment (roles). This has been the belief and conviction of virtually all Christians throughout the centuries, and it is the view held by the vast majority of those identified as Christians in the world even today. But a denial of this conviction, hand in hand with the argument that sameness of role is necessary to affirm equality of status, has led some to argue that difference in gender roles must be rejected. The first impediment to making this argument is the fact that the Bible insists on a difference in roles. In order to overcome this impediment, biblical scholars and theologians committed to egalitarianism have made arguments that are hauntingly similar to those now made by Matthew Vines in favor of relativizing the Bible’s texts on same-sex behaviors.
Matthew Vines knows this. He also knows that, at least until recently, most of those who have rejected gender complementarity have maintained an affirmation of sexual complementarity — the belief that sexual behavior is to be limited to marriage as the union of a man and a woman. He sees this as his opening. At several points in the book, he makes this argument straightforwardly, even as he calls both “gender complementarity” and denies that the Bible requires or reveals it.
But we have to give Matthew Vines credit for seeing this wedge issue better than most egalitarians have seen it. He knows that the denial of gender complementarity is a huge step toward denying sexual complementarity. The evangelicals who have committed themselves to an egalitarian understanding of gender roles as revealed in the Bible are those who are most vulnerable to his argument. In effect, they must resist his argument more by force of will than by force of logic.
Same-Sex Marriage, Celibacy, and the Gospel
Matthew Vines writes with personal passion and he tells us much of his own story. Raised in an evangelical Presbyterian church by Christian parents, he came relatively late to understand his own sexual desires and pattern of attraction. He wants to be acknowledged as a faithful Christian, and he wants to be married … to a man. He argues that the Bible simply has no concept of sexual orientation and that to deny him access to marriage is to deny him justice and happiness. He argues that celibacy cannot be mandated for same-sex individuals within the church, for this would be unjust and wrong. He argues that same-sex unions can fulfill the “one-flesh” promise of Genesis 2:24.
Thus, he argues that the Christian church should accept and celebrate same-sex marriage. He also argues, just like the Protestant liberals of the early twentieth century, that Christianity must revise its beliefs or face the massive loss of reputation before the watching world (meaning, we should note, the watching world of the secular West).
But the believing church is left with no option but to deny the revisionist and relativizing proposals Vines brings to the evangelical argument. The consequences of accepting his argument would include misleading people about their sin and about their need for Christ, about what obedience to Christ requires and what faithfulness to Christ demands.
Matthew Vines demands that we love him enough to give him what he desperately wants, and that would certainly be the path of least cultural resistance. If we accept his argument we can simply remove this controversy from our midst, apologize to the world, and move on. But we cannot do that without counting the cost, and that cost includes the loss of all confidence in the Bible, in the Church’s ability to understand and obey the Scriptures, and in the Gospel as good news to all sinners.
Biblical Christianity cannot endorse same-sex marriage nor accept the claim that a believer can be obedient to Christ and remain or persist in same-sex behaviors. The church is the assembly of the redeemed, saved from our sins and learning obedience in the School of Christ. Every single one of us is a sexual sinner in need of redemption, but we are called to holiness, to obedience, and to honoring marriage as one of God’s most precious gifts and as a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church.
God and the Gay Christian demands an answer, but Christ demands our obedience. We can only pray — with fervent urgency — that this moment of decision for evangelical Christianity will be answered with a firm assertion of biblical authority, respect for marriage as the union of a man and a woman, passion for the Gospel of Christ, and prayer for the faithfulness and health of Christ’s church.
I do not write this response as Matthew Vines’s moral superior, but as one who must be obedient to Scripture. And so, I must counter his argument with conviction and urgency. I am concerned for him, and for the thousands who struggle as he does. The church has often failed people with same-sex attractions, and failed them horribly. We must not fail them now by forfeiting the only message that leads to salvation, holiness, and faithfulness. That is the real question before us.
This morning we released God and the Gay Christian? A Response to Matthew Vines, a free e-book, and it is the first in the Conversant series I am editing. This free e-book, in which I am joined by colleagues James Hamilton, Denny Burk, Owen Strachan, and Heath Lambert, addresses the biblical, theological, historical, and pastoral issues raised by Vines’s new book. To download a copy, go to sbts.me/ebook The book will be available in formats for Kindle, Nook, and iBook within the week.
Matthew Vines, God and the Gay Christian (New York: Convergent Books, 2014).
Tanya Luhrmann, foreword to Ken Wilson, A Letter to My Congregation: An Evangelical Pastor’s Path to Embracing People Who Are Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender in the Company of Jesus ([Version 1.0)] (Amazon.com, 2014).
Terry Mattingly, “About Those Evangelical Whispers on Same-Sex Marriage,” Patheos.com, Thursday, April 17, 2014.
ARTICLE SOURCE: WWW.ALBERTMOHLER.COM
Posted by lifecoach4God on April 22, 2014 in Albert Mohler, Current Issues, Worldview
Tags: Al Mohler on homosexuality, Can I be a Christian and gay?, Can you be gay and a Christian?, celibacy and the gospel, Gender and the Bible, Gender issues, God and the Gay Christian, God and The Gay Christian Book Review, Matthew Vines, same-sex unions, Sexual orientation, What the Bible says about gays, What the Bible says about homosexuality
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CHP opposition: helped by Kurdish electoral tactics
Categories: Middle East
More by: Esen Uslu
A combination of working class discontent and Kurdish initiative produced a setback for Erdoğan, writes Esen Uslu. But that is not the end of the matter
Turkey is no longer a dark space, about which the British public occasionally gets scraps of information - it has become a centre of news fed by correspondents and journalists based there. The war in Syria and Iraq - especially the campaign against Islamic State and also the Kurdish freedom movement - has brought the spotlight onto Turkey.
Perhaps because of this new interest, the local election campaign was also followed closely by the British press. So what can I add to the better informed British left on Turkey’s local elections? Maybe a few insights obscured by the fast-flowing news, and a couple of thoughts about the struggle ahead.
But, first of all, a reminder about the overall political situation. The dictatorial ‘presidential’ regime around Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has during the last decade been built not only by his own party, but also by the real ‘owners’ of the state and ‘masters of the nation’ - the top military brass and the security apparatus. The current regime was the panacea solution to the never-ending desire to achieve ‘stability’: a strong executive bordering on one-man rule, without the hindrance of genuine parliamentary scrutiny or restrictions imposed on expenditure and taxation, with a semblance of ‘democracy’, based on two parties competing in sham elections.
That aim and broad plan have not changed since the time of Kemal Pasha in the early 20th century - maybe even earlier. But, of course, whenever circumstances have allowed a semblance of popular consent, that is seized upon through what passes for ‘democracy’. However, such disguises are frequently discarded, and the brazenness of military dictatorship reappears - as has happened at regular intervals of around 10 years since 1960, including the clearest example in 1980 with an outright coup.
Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) have managed to produce that semblance of popular consent for a regime of ever-growing despotism - especially after 2013, the time of the Gezi Park demonstrations. The AKP did well in elections after attempts to resolve the ‘Kurdish question’ through negotiations were replaced by a sustained expeditionary campaign.
The overall result of the local elections indicates to me that the capability of Erdoğan and the AKP coalition with the far-right MHP (National Movement Party) to obtain popular consent has reached its limits - or at least is coming very close to it in the urban centres. However, the overall result shows that the rural population of the provinces of central and eastern Anatolia, as well as the Black Sea coast, are still under the spell of the glory of Islam, combined with a nationalistic fervour.
But, when it comes to the main cities, Erdoğan has well and truly lost his appeal - especially in ‘unruly’ working class neighbourhoods, where Alevis and Kurds live together. Here Erdoğan’s Teflon has started to peel off, and he is no longer able to obtain the tacit consent of the population. He could be starting to lose his usability, as far as his masters are concerned.
This outcome was anticipated not only by the left and the Kurdish freedom movement, but also by the top military brass and security apparatus. The 2016 attempted coup was the herald of things to come. At the same time as helping Erdoğan to reshape his own party, the apparatus had been strengthening its hold on the armed forces and the police.
And now the AKP is held in an armlock by the nationalist-Islamist MHP - the remnants of the original ‘grey wolves’ - in the two-party coalition. As the AKP lost its ability to win any election alone, the coalition has been acting almost as a single political entity. Despite some difficulty in enmeshing their gears initially, things were running quite smoothly until the local elections.
Meanwhile, the loyal opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) was also brought under control through another forced marriage - with a different nationalist-Islamist, rightwing organisation called the İyi Party (Good Party). This was a spin-off from the MHP led by Meral Akşener - an ‘iron lady’ who used to be minister of the interior during the darkest days of the dirty war in Kurdistan in the early 90s.
Despite the enhanced appetite of the petty bourgeois left - for all its anti-imperialism marred with nationalism - to march together with the CHP against the regime, that party has proved to be a docile opposition to Erdoğan and his government, incapable of threatening the real basis of his power. Because the CHP never dared cooperate with the Kurdish freedom movement, it never had a chance of toppling the government. It remains a puppet opposition, playing to the anti-Sunni prejudices of the Alevis and the anti-clerical aspirations of the secular middle classes.
So, while the loyal opposition remained deaf and blind to the Kurdish freedom movement’s appeals, the latter decided to use its vote tactically by adopting a two-pronged policy. The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) nominated candidates to stand where the regime had summarily dismissed its elected local officials and appointed trustees to run municipalities. Most of the Kurdish towns and cities are under such rule, while many members of the HDP have been jailed - those remaining free to take part in the local elections have been regularly detained and otherwise harassed.
But the HDP decided not to run any candidates where the loyal opposition had a chance of winning, especially in the urban centres of western Turkey. It asked its supporters to vote for the CHP-İyi coalition despite the gut feeling of misgiving felt by its voter base - the hatred among Kurds for both İyi and the CHP is palpable, and adopting such a policy despite those feelings required a great trust between the freedom movement and its voters. However, the tactic was very successful and it was a major factor in the toppling of the AKP in a series of principal cities, which had been under Erdoğan’s control for such a long time.
This HDP tactic was adopted without asking any support from the CHP, but the İyi Party spitefully stood candidates in cities where both the HDP and MHP were contesting mayoral elections. In retaliation the HDP then stood candidates wherever İyi was standing alone in the mayoral elections. The outcome was not surprising: the HDP won every mayoralty contested against the MHP, and İyi failed to win a single mayoral election.
Expansionism
As the Turkish economy began to show some vibrancy over the last two decades, expansionist and revanchist urges started throbbing again. Turkey’s overt and covert involvement in the Syrian war provided ample opportunities - Turkey invaded two Syrian provinces and established several observation posts in a third.
While it was unable to stop the Kurdish freedom movement liberating Syrian Kurdistan, Turkey advertised its readiness to wage a proxy war on behalf of the USA against IS, provided it stopped supplying the Kurds. But the US and its allies quietly intimated that, while Turkey was unable to deal with its own domestic problems, having such ambitions overseas were beyond its capabilities. Following this, the regime launched a sustained, brutal campaign against the Kurdish population in south-eastern Turkey. City centres were razed to the ground and the population was forcibly moved.
The HDP was suppressed, and its organisation in the western urban centres was put under great pressure too. At the same time a campaign was undertaken by the regime to silence all opposition. Academics, journalists and authors were gagged, and every opposition organisation was suppressed.
Meanwhile, the Turkish grip on the newly acquired lands in Syria has been consolidated by installing a puppet administration, while maintaining a large military presence there. However, the consequences of such suppression and the massive expenditure undertaken to wage war against the Kurds in Turkey, Syria and Iraq has had its impact on the economy and consequently on local elections.
And, with Turkey embroiled in the labyrinth of the Middle East, waging such costly campaigns, friends and foes have started to reconsider their attitude. Turkey’s former regional rivals, Russia and Iran, started to play an important role in aiding Turkey’s moves in the region.
Its previous forays had brought it closer to Israel and Egypt, but under rapidly changing circumstances Netanyahu’s Israel and Sisi’s Egypt suddenly changed their attitude, trying to curb Turkey’s involvement in Syria. The recent discovery of natural gas fields south of Cyprus, close to those previously discovered within the Israeli zone of the Mediterranean and the fully operational gas field in the Egyptian zone, has helped create a new alignment. Under the auspices of the US, Cyprus and Greece formed a new grouping with Egypt and Israel in opposition to Turkish claims over the Mediterranean.
Turkey responded by sabre-rattling. It held its largest ever naval exercise, involving almost all of its available ships and aviation. However, while such a show of force may have been influential in terms of domestic popularity, it was no more effective than a damp cloth in the face of rival naval forces operating in the Mediterranean.
The deteriorating relations with the US and Nato became apparent after Turkey decided to purchase an air defence missile system from Russia. It was portrayed domestically as a great achievement for the nation, but the US retaliated by stopping the sale of F35 jets, despite the fact that Turkey had been geared up to supply components for the project from the start. Turkey’s military-industrial complex has flourished over recent decades, thanks to vast investments in the production of small arms and ammunition, rockets, armoured vehicles, warships, helicopters and even military planes, with associated radar, optical sensors, communications equipment and other electronics. However, compared to the competition, it is still a dwarf.
As many other powers have learned through bitter experience, the accelerated development of a military-industrial complex tends to ruin the state budget. In Turkey such development, combined with expansionist ambitions, brought things to the verge of insolvency once again.
And at the end of the day, as the old adage goes, nothing but the empty pot in the kitchen topples a government: the crippled economy was the main factor behind the dismal performance of Erdoğan’s coalition - and its shadowy masters. However, the regime will not meekly accept this setback. As always in Turkey, we should expect the unexpected (and suspect the unsuspected), because the regime has control over the judiciary as well as the media, and will attempt to thwart the outcome by all manner of means.
More on Middle East...
Major blow to Erdoğan
The repeat election for mayor of Istanbul was not just a case of déjà vu, writes Esen Uslu
Threats must be taken seriously
Yassamine Mather looks at the US-Iran conflict against the background of Donald Trump’s contradictory pronouncements
Zionism’s political crisis
Tony Greenstein looks beyond the possible voting figures, as Israel awaits a second election
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Ms Susan Alexander
MBBS MScPhDFRCS
Susan graduated from Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School in 1996. Following her basic surgical training in West London, Susan completed a PhD in Molecular Biology at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Imperial College London. Her thesis was based on the identification of novel proteins in articular cartilage and their response to mechanical injury. During this time she discovered an interest in teaching and also completed a Certificate in Adult Education.
Susan undertook her higher orthopaedic specialty training on the North West Thames programme in London, and during this period she also completed an MSc in Orthopaedic Biomechanics at the University of Strathclyde. In this thesis Susan investigated the biomechanical role of the long head of biceps tendon and the effect of superior labral tears on passive laxity of the glenohumeral joint.
Her main passion is in shoulder surgery and she has been trained by some of the most highly regarded shoulder surgeons in the UK. Since 2000 she has worked along side Andrew Wallace in developing novel arthroscopic techniques and has treated several high-profile professional athletes. To complement her sub-speciality training Susan undertook Fellowships in Shoulder Surgery at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh with Julie McBirnie and Mike Robinson (2010); and at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), Stanmore, with Simon Lambert and Ian Bayley (2011).
She was appointed as Consultant in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery at the RNOH, in January 2013, which specialises in tertiary referrals from across the UK in a wide range of complex and unusual pathology including revision arthroplasty and complex instability. This job is affiliated with University College London and she has been awarded grants to develop a research program in shoulder surgery.
Susan has published in both clinical and scientific peer-reviewed journals, and has presented at numerous international orthopaedic meetings and her work has won several prizes. Susan is actively involved in teaching from medical student to consultant level, and she runs the BSc and MSc clinical orthopaedics module at UCL. She has organised several medical conferences.
In her spare time she taught herself basic video editing and graphic design and founded ‘The Funky Professor.com’, an online anatomy video resource featuring Professor Vishy Mahadevan from the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
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2010.12.12: In which we attempt to revive the great jersey debate, albeit at a time when the team is playing so poorly that no one in their right mind would want to buy a Sens jersey
Posted on December 12, 2010 by Varada
You may already be familiar with the following fan-made concept jersey, which appeared back in 2008:
It’s proven, unsurprisingly, much more popular than the Sens’ current third jersey, the abominable SNES, which may go down as one of the ugliest, most gimmicky, simultaneously busy and boring hockey jerseys in the modern history of the NHL. (Draw strings! Piping! Diagonal, “dynamic” font! What’s going on in the armpits?!) Since the above concept jersey emerged, it’s also appeared, teasingly, in concept shots of the then-new Senators arena store (To read more about this concept jersey, check here, and here.)
It’s not just a good third jersey – it’s probably better than the Senators’ primary jerseys too, which, as we all know, are the only NHL jersey to prominently feature gold sparkles.
There are admittedly some concerns, most of which revolve around the fact that the O looks like a zero, but I’ll take something that’s true (last I checked the Sens actually haven’t won a cup in the modern era) over some concept sweater that’s not just horrible in its own right, but broadly indicative of horrible, high-concept trends in jersey design that somehow exist when about 99% of people will site any original six jersey as a thing of true beauty. This is where Steve, also a thing of true beauty, comes in.
Some of you may already be familiar with Steve’s work here at The CCFR, in which case, nothing more need be said. Anyone who created this and this and especially this is basically a genius. But he’s also, like us, passionate about jerseys. Here’s his variation on the ‘heritage’ concept:
How nice is that? Here’s my (short) conversation with the man himself:
Conrad:
That’s a nice compromise. I’m a big fan of the ‘O’ jersey, though I admit there’s the whole ‘zero’ aspect to it. I especially like the way you’ve gotten the white lines on the torso striping to merge with the outline of the senators logo. I also agree that the team should return to the old, vaguely-Chinese looking Senator rather than the three-dimensional, cartoon guy. Lastly, I like the lack of striping along the bottom. It’s only a matter of time before they adopt something very similar to this, I think. Then again, the black SNES jersey sort of came out of nowhere.
What do you think of the draw string? I’ve never been a fan, because I think it complicates the nice clean design, but people are nuts about it.
I don’t like the draw strings and I don’t think that the players do either. Most of them take them out to play. The only exception to the rule, in my mind, is original six teams. I feel like it’s a reasonable modification to a jersey that can’t be improved upon (The Canadians, Bruins, the Rangers and most of all The D-troit Redwings [conceptually, the best logo design ever]) Also historically accurate for teams that where around when jerseys were made of wool and good intentions. I personally think that less is more. The ‘O’ jersey is a perfect example. I’m crazy about that design and I’m even crazier about the fact that it’s a fan design. I think that Buffalo returning to the “literal” logo is a great sign that we’ve reached the tipping point for ludicrous team iconography (although the Atlanta Thrashers will always be the exception to the rule.) I could also do without the NHL logo on all the jersey throats. I couldn’t tell you why though.
By the way, have you ever had a chance to go to the Hockey Hall of Fame? It’s sort of boring, unless you’re a Habs fan, but one thing that it does do is make having a conversation about jerseys extremely easy. Every team’s jersey is there, alongside its AHL affiliate, and it offers an opportunity to really divide the logos into concepts. You basically have to choose from:
An angry animal, rendered pseudo-realistically; or
An animal playing hockey; or
A force of nature; or
Something violent, like a battleship shooting pucks or a growling army general; or
Some horrible high-concept thing, like the Minnesota Wild. Of course, the Detroit Red Wings logo is also pretty concept-driven, but that’s a thing of beauty – an anomaly, not the norm
An original six team design that sticks a letter on the front or a literal representation of the team name and tries to keep the design clean from there.
If those are our options, I’ll take the last one. An O and a clean design. Or a Senator. Done.
After all, things could be worse. WAY worse.
This entry was posted in Picture of the Dayish, Verbosity by Varada. Bookmark the permalink.
4 thoughts on “2010.12.12: In which we attempt to revive the great jersey debate, albeit at a time when the team is playing so poorly that no one in their right mind would want to buy a Sens jersey”
peetahw on December 12, 2010 at 10:55 pm said:
Viva Side Profile Sen!!!!! The first design kinda looks like the polish flag across the chest. Not sayin, just sayin. Steve’s is much better.
James on December 13, 2010 at 5:15 am said:
What… no love for the
peace tower?
Glenn on December 22, 2010 at 1:03 am said:
I was at the game when the current third jersey was unveiled, and I walked in during the national anthem. I was up in the 300s, so I couldn’t see the front of the jersey, but I loved the colour from the back. I remember saying to myself – if they turn around and there’s a big “O” on the front like the old days, I’m going straight to the store to buy it. Needless to say, they turned around and I saw the huge “SENS” and was horribly disappointed. It’s like the Habs having a third jersey that says “Habs” on it – real classy!
恋 on July 28, 2011 at 6:56 am said:
I admire you for your articles provide useful information. I will favorite your blog,
have my children tested here, usually. I am sure they will lea n many new things here
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Classical music: Today is the Fourth of July. Independence Day is the right time to celebrate American classical composers and patriotic concert music. Here are three ways to do that
Today is the Fourth of July – Independence Day.
That makes it exactly the right time to think about American composers and American patriotic music – both of which have been receiving well-deserved airplay all week on Wisconsin Public Radio.
Here are three items that seem appropriate because they pertain to American composers and American classical music.
Tonight at 7 p.m. on the King Street corner of the Capital Square in downtown Madison, guest conductor Huw Edwards (below) will lead the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra in its Concert on the Square for the Fourth of July.
The “American Salute” program includes: “American Salute” by Morton Gould; the Overture to “Candide” by Leonard Bernstein; “Wisconsin Forward Forever” by march king John Philip Sousa; and, of course, “The 1812 Overture” by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Blankets can go down on the ground starting at 3 p.m. For more general information about attending the concert including weather updates, rules and etiquette, and food caterers and vendors, go to:
https://wisconsinchamberorchestra.org/performances/concerts-on-the-square-2-2/
Can you name 30 American classical composers? The Ear tried and it’s not easy.
But thanks to Capital Public Radio in Sacramento, California – which will also play and stream (click on the Listen tab) such music today — it isn’t hard.
Here is a link:
http://www.capradio.org/music/classical/2018/07/02/the-30-american-composers-were-featuring-on-the-fourth-of-july/
You can click on the link “Playlist for Independence Day” and see the photo of the composers and the titles of compositions that will be played.
You can also click on the composer’s name in the alphabetized list and see a biography in Wikipedia.
Can you think of American composers who didn’t make the list? Leave the name or names – Henry Cowell and Virgil Thomson (below) come to mind — in the COMMENT section.
Finally, given the controversial political issues of the day surrounding immigration, The Ear offers this take on perhaps the most virtuosic piano transcription of patriotic music ever played.
It was done by someone who immigrated permanently to the U.S. in 1939 and then became a naturalized citizen in 1944. He also raised millions through war bonds during World War II.
He was the Russian-born pianist Vladimir Horowitz, here playing his own celebrated virtuoso arrangement – done in 1945 for a patriotic rally and war bonds concert in Central Park — of ”The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Philip Sousa.
Here is a link to his biography in Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Horowitz
And here is the YouTube audio of his own performance of the Sousa piece, with the score, including all the special technical demands, especially lots of Horowitz’s famous octaves, to follow along with. It’s a performance that has become justifiably legendary:
Tags: #AmericanCitizen, #Americancomposers, #AmericanMusic, #AmericanSalute, #CentralPark, #ConcertsontheSquare, #FoodCaterer, #FoodVendor, #FourthofJuly, #HenryCowell, #HuwEdwards, #IndependenceDay, #JohnPhilipSousa, #LeonardBernstein, #MortonGould, #NaturalizedCitizen, #OrchestraConductor, #PatrioticMusic, #PeterIlyichTchaikovsky, #PoliticalControversy, #PublicRadio, #StarandStripesForever, #StateCapitol, #VirgilThomson, #VladimirHorowitz, #Wikipediaentry, #WisconsinChamberOrchestra, #WisconsinPublicRadio, @1812Overture, American, Arts, biography, California, Candide, caterer, Cello, Chamber music, choral music, citizen, Classical music, composer, composers, conductor, controversy, demands, etiquette, food, Fourth of July, guest, Henry Cowell, Hew Edwards, Horowitz, immigration, Independence Day, Jacob Stockinger, John Philip Sousa, listen, Madison, march, Morton Gould, Music, New York City, octave, Overture to Candide, patriotic, patriotic music, patriotism, Pianist, Piano, playlist, Politics, program, public radio, rule, Sacramento, score, Sousa, Stars and Stripes Forever, symphony, Tchaikovsky, technical, technique, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, vendor, Viola, Violin, Virgil Thomson, vocal music, weather, Website, Wikipedia, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, wisconsin public radio, Wisconsin State Capitol, YouTube
Classical music: What is your favorite Sousa march for the Fourth of July? What other classical music celebrates the holiday?
Today is the Fourth of July, Independence Day, when we mark the day and the Declaration of Independence when the U.S officially separated from Great Britain to become not a colony but its own country.
Over the past decade The Ear has chosen music from many American composers to mark the event – music by Edward MacDowell, Charles Ives, William Grant Still, George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, William Schuman, Joan Tower, John Adams and so many others.
And of course also featured around the nation will be the “1812 Overture” by Peter Tchaikovsky.
You will probably hear a lot of that music today on Wisconsin Public Radio and other stations, including WFMT in Chicago and WQXR in New York City.
Here is a link to nine suggestions with audiovisual performances:
http://www.classical-music.com/article/nine-best-works-independence-day
But The Ear got to thinking.
It is certainly a major achievement when a composer’s name becomes synonymous with a genre of music. Like Strauss waltzes. Bach cantatas and Bach fugues. Chopin mazurkas and Chopin polonaises.
The Ear thinks that John Philip Sousa is to marches what Johann Strauss is to waltzes. Others have done them, but none as well.
So on Independence Day, he asks: Which of Sousa’s many marches is your favorite to mark the occasion?
The “Stars and Stripes Forever” — no officially our national march — seems the most appropriate one, judging by titles. “The Washington Post” March is not far behind.
But lately The Ear has taken to “The Liberty Bell” March.
Here it is a YouTube video with the same Marine Band that Sousa, The March King, once led and composed for:
And if you want music fireworks in the concert hall to match the real thing, you can’t beat the bravura pyrotechnical display concocted and executed by pianist Vladimir Horowitz, a Russian who became an American citizen and contributed mightily to the war effort during World War II.
Horowitz wowed the crowds – including fellow virtuoso pianists – with his transcription of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” in which it sounds like three or four hands are playing. Judge for yourself. Here it is:
Of course, you can also leave the names of other American composers and works to celebrate the Fourth. Just leave a word and a link in the COMMENT section.
The Ear wants to hear!
Tags: 1812 Overture, Aaron Copland, America, Arts, audiovisual, Bach, band, Baroque, brass, Cantata, Chamber music, Charles Ives, Classical music, colony, composer, concert hall, country, Edward MacDowell, England, Fireworks, Fourth of July, freedom, fugue, genre, George Gershwin, Great Britain, Holiday, Horowitz, independence, Independence Day, Jacob Stockinger, Joan Tower, John Adams, John Philip Sousa, July 4, Leonard Bernstein, Liberty Bell, Madison, march, Marine, mazurka, Music, National Public Radio, NPR, Orchestra, Piano, polonaise, pyrotechnics, Radio, Russia, Samuel Barber, Sousa, Stars and Stripes Forever, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, U.S., UK, United Kingdom, United States, United States Declaration of Independence, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Viola, Violin, virtuoso, Vladimir Horowitz, Waltz, Washington D.C., Washington Post, WFMT, William Schuman, Willian Grant Still, wisconsin public radio, World War II, WQXR, WW II, YouTube
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Contact Us Map & Directions Regular Schedule Calendar Donate
Trinity Reformed Baptist Church
About Trinity
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One in Christ Jesus
Randy McLendon
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6771 Stage Rd.
Bartlett, Tennessee 38134
9:45 A.M. Morning Fellowship
10:00 A.M. Bible Study and Sunday School
11:00 A.M. Morning Worship
Fellowship Meal after Morning Worship
1:30 P.M. Afternoon Worship (approx.)
7:00 P.M. Bible Study/Prayer Meeting
Randy McLendon is the third pastor of Trinity Reformed Baptist Church. He accepted the pastorate in September 2012 and his first Sunday was October 7, 2012.
Randy was raised in Picayune, MS and came to faith in Christ as a young boy. He began to sense a call to Christian ministry when he was a teenager. After graduating high school, he attended Pearl River Community College and served in the Mississippi National Guard. He later went on active duty and served in the Army in Germany and Missouri.
Randy made his call to ministry public at the age of 25, and he and his family settled in the Memphis area. He completed his Bachelors in History and English at the University of Memphis and later studied at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and Reformed Theological Seminary-Memphis. He has completed pastoral internships at South Woods Baptist Church and Trinity Reformed Church. After serving as an elder for two years at South Woods, TRBC called him to serve as pastor in 2012.
Randy has been married to Stacey for 29 years, and they have a son, Tyler, and a daughter, Madison. He loves to travel and has been on mission trips to Brazil and Kenya. He also enjoys reading, discussing theology, and playing golf.
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Regulation of Prison Phone Calls Sweeps the Nation
Brian Dolinar,
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Illinois State Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) — the politician who championed HB 6200, a bill that caps all calls from Illinois prisons to seven cents a minute — attended the signing of the bill into law with Wandjell Harvey-Robinson (right), whose parents were incarcerated when she was in the third grade. (Photo: Brian Dolinar)The Justice Department’s recent recommendation to end the use of private facilities for US citizens in federal prisons has been hailed as a victory by reformers, but the widespread privatization of everyday services in prison, like hygiene products, food, laundry and phone calls continues unchecked. Simple phone calls, something most of us take for granted — when made by an incarcerated person and often paid for by a family member — add up to a $1.2 billion dollar industry.
This summer, two states passed legislation that takes on the gross overcharging for prison phone calls. Illinois passed a bill that cuts in half the cost of phone calls from prison. In New Jersey, a bill caps rates and addresses international calls made by immigrant detainees. These states follow a decision last October by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate the entire prison phone industry.
Efforts to reform this industry have been met with much resistance. The FCC’s decision has been fought by the phone companies and law enforcement officials, who won a recent concession.
Never miss the news and analysis you care about.
However, a nationwide network of grassroots organizations, lobbying groups, and activist attorneys has been successful because it’s given voice to those who are incarcerated and their families, who can best speak to the exploitation and dehumanization that is endemic to mass incarceration in the United States.
Progress and Pushback
On October 22, 2015, the FCC voted to overhaul the prison phone industry, the result of a decade-long struggle waged by the Campaign for Prison Phone Justice. This effort began in 2000 with a lawsuit filed by Martha Wright, who was tired of paying the expensive bills to talk to her grandson in prison.
In a historic decision, the FCC adopted rates capped at 11 cents a minute for calls from state and federal prisons, and tiered rates for county jails between 14 and 22 cents, depending on the size. They severely limited the number of additional charges that are often added to calls.
Immediately after the ruling, the two leading prison phone companies — Securus and Global Tel Link (GTL) — led the pushback. They were aided by the National Sheriffs’ Association and attorneys general from a handful of states, including Oklahoma, Kansas and Wisconsin. Together, they filed a barrage of legal motions to stay the decision. A stay was granted by the courts.
On August 4, 2016, the FCC made a major concession by releasing revised rates of 13 cents a minute for calls from prison, and 19 to 31 cents from jails. As Carrie Wilkinson responded in Prison Legal News, “the FCC made a strategic but difficult decision to increase the caps to cover phone-related costs allegedly incurred by correctional agencies.”
Although the FCC has made a substantial concession, corporations are still pushing back against the FCC’s modified rates. They have become dependent on the never-ending supply of profits from these calls. It remains to be seen whether the Court of Appeals will grant their objections, or allow the slightly increased rates to go into effect.
Meanwhile, several states have taken action to reduce the costs of prison phone calls. One of the first was Alabama, where as early as 2014 the Public Service Commission intervened to scale down prices over a two-year period in all jails and prisons. In early 2015, anticipating the FCC’s decision, Ohio renegotiated its contract to cut phone rates in prisons by 75 percent.
Food or Phone
In Illinois, a bill was passed this summer with bipartisan support — HB 6200 — that will cap all calls from Illinois prisons at seven cents a minute. When it takes effect January, 2018, what is currently billed as a $4 phone call will cost about two dollars.
Illinois has the highest rate of what are called “site commissions,” with $12 million collected every year from prison phone calls. These commissions, or what some call kickbacks, are paid back to the state by the provider, Securus, for the right to an exclusive contract. These commissions are often said to go to “inmate benefits,” but in Illinois, they cover basic expenses like medication, transportation and guard salaries.
While imposing drastic cutbacks to social service agencies in the state, Gov. Bruce Rauner has portrayed himself as a compassionate conservative on criminal justice issues. Toward this end, he has formed the Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform, with the mission of reducing the prison population by 25 percent in 10 years.
HB 6200 was signed into law at a reentry center in North Lawndale, Chicago, as part of a package of five criminal justice reform bills signed that day by the governor. “We need to approach our criminal justice system with more compassion,” Rauner said in a press release. “I want those who did something wrong to face punishment, but we must make sure that the punishment fits the crime. We need to explore new avenues so that we’re balancing punishment with rehabilitation and not needlessly tearing families and lives apart.”
State Representative Carol Ammons (D-Urbana), the champion of HB 6200, attended the signing with 20-year-old Wandjell Harvey-Robinson, whose parents were incarcerated when she was in the third grade. When interviewed by NPR, Ammons told the story of Harvey-Robinson, whose family struggled to pay the phone bills to talk to her parents. “The choice was food or phone,” said Ammons.
Harvey-Robinson had travelled to Washington, D.C., last year to tell her story to the FCC. She testified in Springfield before two legislative committees to pass HB 6200. Back home, in Champaign, Illinois, she participates in Ripple Effect, a support group for families with a loved one who is incarcerated. “There are thousands of Illinois children whose lives will be dramatically improved by the actions today,” she said at the bill’s signing.
A Consistent Complaint
New Jersey was the second state in 2016 to pass legislation addressing the high cost of prison phone calls. The bill, S 1880, caps rates at 11 cents a minute for both prisons and jails in the state, and bans all commissions. Also among the reforms was capping the cost of international calls at 25 cents a minute. Truthout spoke with Karina Wilkinson of New Jersey Advocates for Immigrant Detainees (NJAID), which partnered with the New York University School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic and Latino Justice to pass the bill. The campaign, Wilkinson explained, grew out of speaking with immigrants held in county jails for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Exorbitant phone rates for international calls were a “consistent complaint.”
Even more expensive than regular collect calls, international calls can cost from $18 to $20 for a 15-minute conversation.
Immigrant detainees are “pretty vulnerable,” Wilkinson said, but a handful of those who had been released were willing to speak out. Among them was Pauline Ndzie, held for ICE at the Hudson County jail for five months, who stated in a press release, “My three children had to live without me while I was detained. I usually couldn’t afford to call them more than once a week. It isn’t fair to keep children from talking to their mother because of the high cost of phone calls.”
The coalition tried passing a bill last year that was pocket-vetoed by Governor Chris Christie, but with bipartisan support they passed it the second time around late this summer.
If these reform measures are an indication, larger efforts to end mass incarceration face great obstacles. Advocates say that lawsuits and policy research must be backed up by the stories of those incarcerated and their families.
Steven Renderos, organizing director at the Center for Media Justice, home of the Media Action Grassroots Network (MAG-Net), a member of the campaign, told Truthout, “It’s been the stories of impacted families like those of Martha Wright, Lillian Tillman, Bethany Fraser and others that have propelled change at the national and local level. Their stories of the sacrifices they have made to stay in touch with their loved ones on the inside have changed the hearts and minds of our public officials, and it is their right to connect that should matter more than the profit margins of greedy phone companies.”
Stories like this one depend on support from readers like you. If you like what you read at Truthout, please make a donation!
Brian Dolinar
Brian Dolinar is an independent writer in Urbana, Illinois. He works with the Illinois Campaign for Prison Phone Justice, a project of the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center. His articles have appeared in CounterPunch, Prison Legal News and Truthout. He is author of The Black Cultural Front: Black Writers and Artists of the Depression Generation (University Press of Mississippi, 2012) and editor of The Negro in Illinois: The WPA Papers (University of Illinois Press, 2013). For more see briandolinar.com. Email him: briandolinar@gmail.com.
“Reforms” to Immigrant Family Jails Aren’t Enough, Say Advocates
Despite changes to U.S. policy of detaining immigrant families, detainees are still offered bonds they can’t afford.
Candice Bernd,
Prisoners’ Families Organize to Resist Incarceration and Its Costs
Increasingly, women relatives of prisoners are organizing to challenge high costs and fight the laws that fuel mass incarceration.
Victoria Law,
Prison Phone Companies Seek New Revenue Source in Electronic Messaging
Prison phone companies are turning to a restricted form of email to turn a profit after the FCC capped exorbitant phone rates.
Mike Ludwig,
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Vaginal Mesh Implants May Be Banned in Scotland, Amid High Rate of Complications and Problems
Due to the continuing risk of complications from vaginal mesh implants, which have caused injuries for tens of thousands of women worldwide in recent years, a petition has been filed in Scotland, which calls for the country to ban the use of surgical mesh for repair of pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence.
The Holyrood Public Petition Committee has filed a request with the Scottish Parliament indicating that vaginal mesh implants should be barred from use in that country. The petition follows a review by a government committee which was criticized for downplaying the risks of vaginal mesh.
The petition also comes amid a moratorium on the use of vaginal mesh throughout the entire United Kingdom, of which Scotland is a part. The moratorium was announced in July after recommendations by the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review was accepted by the U.K. Department of Health and Social Care and National Health Service (NHS) England.
In the United States, manufacturers of transvaginal mesh have faced over 100,000 product liability lawsuits in recent years, each raising similar concerns that the devices were introduced without adequate research or warnings.
Design defects associated with surgical mesh sold by Ethicon, C.R. Bard, Boston Scientific and other manufacturers have been linked to reports of severe complications among women, including infections, erosion of the mesh into the vagina and organ perforation.
The litigation over vaginal mesh products has been one of the largest mass torts in recent years, with the number of cases beginning to increase rapidly after July 2011, when the FDA warned that it had received thousands of adverse event reports involving problems with vaginal mesh products between January 2008 and December 2010.
After a review of all available data, the FDA concluded that there was no evidence that transvaginal mesh provides any additional benefits when compared to more traditional surgery for treatment of pelvic organ prolapse.
In early 2012, the FDA sent a letter to several manufacturers of these products, ordering that they conduct additional studies and trials to evaluate the safety of transvaginal mesh products, and establish whether they pose an unreasonable risk of injury for women. Since then, a number of manufacturers have decided to stop making the devices to avoid the need to spend money studying the safety of products they have sold for years.
The government in Scotland launched its own review of vaginal mesh problems in 2014. However, the independent review recommendations sparked controversy when it recommended that doctors do not “routinely” recommend vaginal mesh surgery. Critics called the findings a “whitewash” that downplayed the severity of vaginal mesh risks.
Even without the petition, vaginal mesh face a potential ban in the U.K.
The U.K.’s temporary suspension will stay in place until March 2019, and it may become a permanent ban if specific circumstances are not identified that can show the benefits of using vaginal mesh to treat stress urinary incontinence exceed the potential health risks.
The conditions for lifting the moratorium include every procedure being reported to a national database, with complications also reported to a registry that tracks each procedure and patient. The review board will also require that all surgeons who undertake the implantation procedures be properly trained and only perform the procedure if they do so on a regular basis.
The review board will also require identification and accreditation of all specialist centers that conduct stress urinary incontinence mesh procedures, including implantation, removal, and treatment of complications.
In the U.S., following several years of litigation, various different manufacturers have reached vaginal mesh settlements to resolve groups of claims involving problems with products manufactured by Endo’s AMS, C.R. Bard, Boston Scientific, Ethicon and others.
Tags: Bladder Sling, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Stress Urinary Incontinence, Surgical Mesh, Transvaginal Mesh, Vaginal Mesh
Vaginal Mesh / Bladder Sling Lawsuits
Complications from transvaginal mesh may cause severe injuries.
Top Vaginal Mesh News:
Boston Scientific Mesh Lawsuit Filed After FDA Forces Recall for Remaining Products on Market (6/21/2019)
Transvaginal Mesh Removed From Market Following Years of Lawsuits, Thousands of Devastating Problems (4/17/2019)
Fate Of Transvaginal Mesh In The U.S. May Be Determined By Upcoming Hearing (12/14/2018)
Vaginal Mesh Surgery Halted in England Over Complication, Injury Concerns (7/11/2018)
“Pelvic Floor” Surgery Fails Within Five Years in Many Cases: Study (5/16/2018)
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How Has Japanese Anime Influenced the Development of the Online Gaming Industry?
Anime in 2017 has morphed from finding its home in the hearts of those who love everything to do with Japanese culture to worming its way into modern culture as a whole. It used to be the case that you’d need to walk into a niche comic book store in order to see anime on sale, but nowadays there is a lot more of it about in more mainstream bookstores, and a lot more of the titles are familiar amongst the general population. This is an important benchmark for how anime has become a part of the modern world in the west, but perhaps the single biggest clue that anime is truly a global phenomenon is its success in the gaming industry, with anime now a major influence on the current trends in the gaming world.
Is Anime Keeping Up with the Times?
In the world of gaming, there are lots of reasons why games evolve and how exactly they develop. One of the innovations that helped revolutionize the gaming world was broadband and high-speed internet connections, which utterly changed the way we now interact with other gamers online whilst playing games that work seamlessly across different platforms, with no interruption of service thanks to patchy dial-up.
Smartphone gaming was another huge leap forwards, and it is smartphone gaming that has taken advantage of the forward-thinking, technologically advanced themes of anime. You can see the influence on pick-up-and-play games, like bgo slots taking inspiration from anime for their Koi Princess game as players have reacted positively to the Japanese theme. The manga/anime artwork is very different to traditional western-style cartoon graphics, with the central female character of the slot drawing users in from a visual perspective.
This positive response by gamers as well as bgo picking up on anime is a sure sign that anime is at the very beating heart of pop culture since they are one of the leaders in the iGaming world, but other operators have followed their lead when it comes to offering engaging slot games focusing on visually arresting themes. 777 Casino and Heart Bingo are just two examples of online slot game providers that allow gamers to play on the go on their mobile phones whilst keeping engaging graphics at the very forefront of their gaming experience.
Go, Go, Go!
As we can see here, iGaming and anime have moved hand in hand with the times, staying relevant and at the forefront of gaming, but it’s impossible to mention anime and gaming without looking at the success and impact that Pokemon Go has enjoyed.
"pokemon go" by (CC BY 2.0)
Put simply, Pokemon Go has been a huge success since its launch. The game became a permanent fixture on news channels for a few weeks after it was released and helped Nintendo propel themselves back to the forefront of the gaming world. The game itself was also seen as a major point in the development of the gaming world, showing game developers the huge impact augmented reality can have.
"Gameboy Color" by Wen Zeng (CC BY 2.0)
In conclusion, it’s nice to look back at how Pokemon was already an early pusher of tech innovation, way ahead of its time. Remember when GameBoys were prevalent and you had to buy a blue or red version of the game before swapping Pokemon to evolve them or to catch different ones? The success of this game also brought in a wider impact in terms of the interest in anime; perhaps anime like Attack on Titan would never have been involved in the Maple Story MMORPG if it hadn't been for the initial success and development of Pokemon.
In part this is because in the Pokemon games the social side of gaming was massively ahead of the curve, and we didn’t even realise it at the time! One thing is for sure: anime, clearly, is no stranger to being at the forefront of the gaming revolution.
The above content came from Ryan Fry, and was edited by yours truly (contact me).
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The 2 Sides Project Profile: Kim Benner
Kim Carlson Benner’s father, Air Force Captain John W. Carlson, was shot down in Vietnam in December of 1966. His remains have never been found. Decades on, his legacy lives in Kim’s life and in the lives of the two boys she has raised with her husband, Rich. Their sons, John and James, are named in Kim’s father’s memory and in that of his cousin, James Donahue, who was also killed in Vietnam in 1970.
In this series of profiles introducing the “seven sisters” who are going on the next 2 Sides Project trip in November 2018, Kim talks about growing up without her dad, what changed her mind about meeting the other side and going to Vietnam, and how she’s preparing for this important trip.
Kim fishing off the coast of Massachusetts
What was it like growing up without your father?
It made me feel very vulnerable. I seem to remember being scared and afraid, always thinking that someone was going to physically hurt me. I am not sure how common it is for young girls to feel this way, but that's the way I felt all the time. I know I felt sad, like something was always missing.
Looking back, I think I really felt unmoored and adrift, floating alone in the world with no direction. Even though I was very young, I think in some way I knew I had to keep my sanity if I wanted to survive.
“Sam” Carlson as a teenager sailing in Lake Michigan
Did people talk to you about the war, given your family’s experience with it?
Not really. At times, I felt invisible, but when people did pay attention to me, it was because they felt pity for me ("that poor girl, her father died in the war") which made me embarrassed. I don't remember feeling particularly proud of my father and his service, or why anyone would even care. I don't even remember telling people about my father's death in Vietnam until much later. Friends of mine from high school recently found out about how my father died and said they had absolutely no idea of my circumstances.
What about in your family? Was it discussed?
I knew our grandparents loved us very much, but I also knew that Grandma would cry about our dad, and I didn't ask about him at all because I didn't want to make her sad. I wanted to make a connection to him so it would seem obvious that I was his daughter. That’s probably a big reason why I wanted to learn to sail. I knew it was such a passion of his, and was something we could share.
The two sides in Washington D.C., 2017
You had an opportunity to go on the 2015 trip, but didn’t. What changed
your mind?
I didn’t have any interest then in meeting the other side, and since we’ve never been sure where exactly my father’s site is, I didn’t want to go until I was certain I could stand in the right place. My feelings about the other side changed only recently. In 2017, I attended the film premiere in Washington, D.C., and several of the Vietnamese who participated in the first meetings in Vietnam came to see it. I remember Dang Thi Le Phi, a daughter from Danang, ran up to my son James. She’s tiny, and he is 6’4”. She stood next to him, marveling at his height. I thought she is a mother like me, in awe of my child. Why am I angry at her? It was a pivotal moment. We still don’t know our father’s precise location, but I feel like it’s time for me to go anyway, and I want to go as part of the 2 Sides Project. I don't want to take a tourist trip there, and I don't want to go with any other group.
Kim and her father at a family wedding in 1964
How are you feeling about it, now that it’s close?
I am honestly feeling so many emotions, ranging from curiosity to fear to anticipation. I am taking very small steps every day to prepare myself, which seem to be helping with the fear part. I am not sure what to expect and how to prepare, which feels kind of weird since I do like to be in control. I think if I overthink it though, that might not be good either. So I’m trying to keep my mind open and receptive and not judge my emotions. But I don’t know how I will respond when we get near the crash site. I know that my father died there, but I really do feel him with me a lot, and know that he loves and is really proud of the family that Rich and I have created, nurtured, and loved with our whole hearts.
The Hanoi marker on Church Street in Burlington, Vermont
What are you most looking forward to?
I am really looking forward to seeing the Vietnamese friends I met in D.C. I think I am just really starting to appreciate how brave they were to come and visit the Wall. I only hope I can be as gracious, open, friendly and forgiving when I am a visitor to their country.
Knowing that we will all be together again soon is very comforting, and I am looking forward to meeting other Vietnamese sons, daughters and veterans.
I am praying that we can all continue to find peace and forgiveness, both individually and collectively.
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The status of cinereous vultures in Armenia
Details about the distribution and population size of the cinereous vulture in Armenia have recently been published in the Atlas on Breeding Birds of Armenia, a project led by Armenian NGO Armenian Bird Census TSE.
In Armenia cinereous vultures breed only in Khosrov Forest Nature Reserve (see map and photo), occupying mainly juniper woodland (where they build their nests) from 1,000 to about 2,000 m a.s.l. They are a year-round resident in the country, with some local movements in winter - birds of Khosrov Reserve have been observed flying to Turkey, for example. This species nests in Armenia mainly on Juniper trees.
According to the last estimation, there are 11 to 13 breeding pairs in Armenia. The species decreased from about 50 pairs in the 1980s to 7-8 pairs in the early 2000s, but the trend during last ten years suggests a slight increase, which appears to be a result of supplementary feeding by several conservation organizations.
One of the most important threats in the past - stealing the nestlings for selling, has now decreased, but current threats include direct persecution for trophy and shortage of food - the supplementary food is still not enough, and although there is a positive dynamic in population of some wild ungulates (the Bezoar Goat), the food supply still appears to be insufficient. Other possible threats come from poisoning by (1) use of poison baits; (2) heavy metals at municipal dumps; (3) lead poisoning from hunting ammunition. Recently, a new threat emerged - forest fires. A large fire happened in 2017 in Khosrov Forest Nature Reserve and burnt over 3,000 hectares, including juniper woodland. Since the nestlings of the cinereous vulture fledge in August, the breeding success of entire population might be affected if the fire happens before.
At current the only breeding sites of the species in Armenia are protected in Khosrov Forest Nature Reserve, which also has a status of Emerald Site. The species is included in Red Book of Animals of Armenia (2010) as Endangered.
Proposed conservation measures include: (1) review of the penalties for poaching the species and strengthening enforcement; (2) raise awareness on poaching and poisoning; (3) study the potential poisoning of the species by heavy metals and lead; (4) development of sustainable supplementary feeding stations; (5) strengthening capacity of Khosrov Reserve to detect and fight forest fires; (6) continuous monitoring of the species.
Armenia was one of the countries present in the 12th Conference of Parties of the Convention for Migratory Species (CMS) in Manila, where the vulture Multi-species Action Plan – a strategic blueprint for the conservation of 15 species of wold worlds in Eurasia and Africa, co-coordinated by the VCF- was unanimously endorsed by all signatories.
The VCF is engaging withy the Armenian government and conservation NGOs in the country towards an adequate implementation of the Vulture conservation actions identified.
Photo: Bruno Berthémy/VCF & Armenian Bird Census TSE
tagPlaceholderTags: eurosap, cinereousvulture, 2017-12
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March Book One by John Lewis (Author), Andrew Aydin (Author) Nate Powell (Artist)
9781603093002, paperback. Congressman John Lewis (GA-5) is an American icon, one of the key figures of the civil rights movement. His commitment to justice and nonviolence has taken him from an Alabama sharecropper's farm to the halls of Congress, from a segregated schoolroom to the 1963 March on Washington, and from receiving beatings from state troopers to receiving the Medal of Freedom from the first African-American president.
Now, to share his remarkable story with new generations, Lewis presents March, a graphic novel trilogy, in collaboration with co-writer Andrew Aydin and New York Times best-selling artist Nate Powell (winner of the Eisner Award and LA Times Book Prize finalist for Swallow Me Whole).
March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis' lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis' personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement.
Book One spans John Lewis' youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., the birth of the Nashville Student Movement, and their battle to tear down segregation through nonviolent lunch counter sit-ins, building to a stunning climax on the steps of City Hall.
Many years ago, John Lewis and other student activists drew inspiration from the 1958 comic book "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story." Now, his own comics bring those days to life for a new audience, testifying to a movement whose echoes will be heard for generations.
Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books selection: recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults: "March: Book One," written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell, and published by Top Shelf Productions.
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Split-Interest Agreements and Endowments: Not-for-Profit Accounting & Financial Reporting
Karen Craig
Not-for-Profit Certificate I
Learn how not-for-profits utilize and manage planned gifts. Work through several scenarios to understand the financial accounting and reporting requirements.
Split-Interest Agreements and Endowments: Not-for-Profit Accounting & Financial Reporting Availability : Online Access Product #: 165131
Not-for-Profit Section Members Save an Additional 20%
When you log into this website with your AICPA member user account, the section/credential discount will be automatically applied during checkout. Should you have any questions or encounter any issues, please contact the AICPA Service Center at 888-777-7077 or service@aicpa.org.
Find out more information on the NFP Section.
CPAs who are new to NFPs, entry-level staff in public accounting firms, seasoned professionals with limited exposure to NFPs, and NFP board members
NFP reporting standards
Management of donor-restricted endowments under the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA)
Application of an endowment spending policy
Accounting for common split-interest agreements used by NFPs, such as charitable trusts, pooled (life) income funds, and gift annuities
Revenue recognition and subsequent valuation of split-interest agreements
Financial statement presentation and disclosures related to endowments and split-interest agreements
By the end of this course, you will:
Differentiate between the various types of endowments and split-interest agreements.
Determine the correct net asset classification for endowments and split-interest agreements.
Identify the accounting and reporting requirements, including financial statement presentation and footnote disclosures.
This CPE course is included in the comprehensive Not-for-Profit Certificate I Program. It can also be purchased individually or as a part of the Not-for-Profit Accounting and Financial Reporting track.
Endowments and split-interest agreements are significant sources of support for many not-for-profit organizations. In this CPE course, you will learn how not-for-profits use and manage planned gifts. You will work through several scenarios to understand the financial accounting and reporting requirements.
Note: As of August 1, 2018, course content has been updated to reflect implementation of FASB Accounting Standards Updates (ASUs) effective for most not-for-profit entities for their next financial reporting period, including those related to financial statement presentation (ASU 2016-14) and revenue recognition (ASU 2014-09 and ASU 2018-08).
Karen Craig, CPA, is a consultant providing technical accounting, reporting, finance, and analytical expertise to not-for-profits with a focus on higher education. She holds a degree in journalism and an MBA from California Polytechnic State University and is a licensed CPA in California. From 2002 to 2009, Karen was an Associate Controller at Stanford University where she was responsible for the overall operations of the university's investment accounting, financial reporting, capital accounting, payroll and disbursements departments. Prior to her work at Stanford, she was Controller for a software startup company and a Senior Audit Manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Karen hold memberships in the AICPA, in which she is an ex-officio member of the AICPA Not-for-Profit Industry Expert Panel, and the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) in which she is a technical advisor to its Accounting Principles Council.
CAE credits
Knowledge of the not-for-profit industry
Yellow Book Hours
Online - 2.0
NFP-AFR11
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