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European Space Agency Discovers Billion Year Old River on Mars
Mark Hoffman
First Posted: Jan 18, 2013 05:43 PM EST
Analysing high-resolution 3D images taken in 2012 by the Mars Express stereo camera, the European Space Agency astronomers verified that the region Reull Vallis contains a river-like structure. They believe it was formed when running water flowed in the distant martian past, cutting a steep-sided channel through the Promethei Terra Highlands before running on towards the floor of the vast Hellas basin, as seen in the Mars images below.
The river-bed is almost 1500 kilometer long, running across the martian landscape. The new Mars Express images show a region of Reull Vallis at a point where the channel is almost 7 kilometer wide and 300 meter deep.
In the wider context image, a tributary intersecting the main channel appears to be part of a forking of the main valley into two distinct branches further upstream before merging back into a single main valley.
The right (northern) part of the main image is dominated by the Promethei Terra Highlands with their high and soft-rounded mountains shown in these images, rising around 2500 m above the surrounding flat plains.
The sides of Reull Vallis are particularly sharp and steep in these images, with parallel longitudinal features covering the floor of the channel itself. These structures are believed to be caused by the passage of loose debris and ice during the 'Amazonian' period (which continues to this day) due to glacial flow along the channel.
The structures were formed long after it was originally carved by liquid water during the Hesperian period, which is believed to have ended between 3.5 billion and 1.8 billion years ago. Similar lineated structures, believed to be rich in ice, can also be found in many of the surrounding craters.
This region shows a striking resemblance to the morphology found in regions on Earth affected by glaciation. The morphology of Reull Vallis suggests it has experienced a diverse and complex history, with analogies seen in glacial activity on Earth. These analogies are giving planetary geologists tantalising glimpses of a past on the Red Planet not too dissimilar to events on our own world today.
TagsESA, Mars
Update: A Massive Antarctic Ice About The Size Of Delaware Is On The Verge Of ...
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Gaia Satellite Spots Six Stars Speeding Rapidly In The Milky Way
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Local filmmaker Scherer ready for his close up…
Local filmmaker Scherer ready for his close up in the thriller ‘House on Rodeo Gulch’
Megan Jay Simrell and Chanel Ryan star as a mother and daughter who run into trouble after moving to Santa Cruz in 'House on Rodeo Gulch.' Photo by William Scherer.
Santa Cruz filmmaker William Scherer, after spending five years making the low-budget thriller 'House on Rodeo Gulch': 'I have a master's degree in filmmaking now.' Contributed photo.
By Wallace Baine | Santa Cruz Sentinel
PUBLISHED: June 1, 2016 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: September 11, 2018 at 12:00 am
That phrase “independent filmmaker” has been thrown around a lot in recent years to the point where it’s lost much of its meaning. But that term was invented for people like William “Bill” Scherer.
His new film “House on Rodeo Gulch,” which will be shown Saturday at the Santa Cruz Film Festival, was conceived, written, shot and edited by Scherer who admits he knew little about the art and craft of filmmaking before he started the project. But after five years of wrapping his life into the film, he says “now I have a master’s degree in filmmaking.”
“Rodeo Gulch” is a tense psychological thriller that will be shown Saturday at the Tannery World Dance and Cultural Center, as part of the SCFF. It was shot entirely on location in Santa Cruz County, most of it at a beautiful mountain house (which is, for the record, not on Rodeo Gulch Road).
The film stars actress/model Chanel Ryan (“Dead Sea”) as Denise, a military wife who moves from Texas to a picturesque California home with her teenaged daughter Shani (Megan Jay Simrell). The dream home soon begins to reveal some disturbing quirks, which may have to do with the family’s eccentric new neighbors, a strange clergyman and his assistant.
The film is not a supernatural story, said Scherer. It’s designed to be an atmospheric thriller. “It’s like ‘Jaws,’” he said. “You know, you keep seeing what the shark does, but you never see the shark until the end.”
Before taking on the role of filmmaker, Scherer had been engaged in other activities, including commerical aerial photography and motorcycle racing (He set a new land speed record on a motorcycle in 2008 at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats).
He had had some experience in the film industry as a writer and an actor in his youth. But when he came up with the Hitchcockian plot for “Rodeo Gulch,” he said he looked at it as just another side project. Then, he pitched Ryan, a well-known face in B-movie circles in Hollywood. When she committed to star in the film, Scherer decided to kick up his game, investing in better equipment and setting about to make a feature film.
He was amazed at the level of talent he was able to attract. Actors Jaye Wolfe and Adrian Torres, who play the bad guys in the film, “will blow you away.” And he calls young Megan Jay Simrell, his avenging angel in the film, “the next Jennifer Lawrence.”
After long work for the script, a harrowing shoot that lasted much longer than anticipated and many months of post-production and promotion, Scherer is finally ready to launch “Rodeo Gulch” on the film festival circuit, with an eye to getting a distribution deal.
He’s also interested in getting back to his first love, writing, and he’s interested in selling some new scripts, a gritty, corrupt politician drama, and a comedy center on golf titled “Fore!”
Though he has said that he would never do an indie film again from scratch, “Rodeo Gulch” represents his approach to filmmaking. “The people at the film schools always tell you, ‘Start with a short (film).’ Well, I always think big. Why shoot a short? Shoot a movie.”
Wallace Baine
Wallace Baine covered the arts scene in Santa Cruz County for the Santa Cruz Sentinel until 2017.
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Keepsake Valentine's photos to be offered…
Get a Valentine’s Day photo in front of San Jose City Hall art
'Hugs and Kisses" sculpture from Burning Man provides an affectionate backdrop
Kristina Newton of Discovery Bay poses for a photograph with ‘XO,’ an art installation by Laura Kimpton and Jeff Schomberg, the latest arrivals in the ‘Playa to the Paseo’ partnership to bring art from Burning Man to San Jose. The city is hosting free Valentine’s Day photo shoots with the sculpture, in front of City Hall. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
By Sal Pizarro |
PUBLISHED: February 12, 2019 at 11:32 am | UPDATED: February 13, 2019 at 9:41 am
San Jose’s Office of Cultural Affairs is playing Cupid this Valentine’s Day by providing keepsake photos in front of the “XO” sculpture at San Jose City Hall.
The artwork, made by Laura Kimpton with Jeff Schomberg for Burning Man, has been the subject of countless selfies since it was installed in October, but you and your sweetie can pose for a professional photograph in front of the piece on Valentine’s Day. For those of you who may have forgotten, it is this Thursday. (And if you don’t care, just go about your business.)
Photographer Dave Lepori will be set up from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and again from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Kerry Adams-Hapner, the city’s director of cultural affairs, says its open to everyone — spouses, sweethearts, besties or families. You can probably even get a pic with your pooch. And each group gets one copy of the photo printed on the spot.
The entire piece is “XOXO,” the shorthand for “hugs and kisses” practiced by yearbook signers throughout history. However, San Jose only got its hands on one “XO,” because the other set was shipped off to be part of a Smithsonian exhibition. So even the artwork has its own long-distance relationship problem.
It would have been great to do the same thing on April Fool’s Day with “HaHa,” the companion piece to “XO,” which stands in front of the Hammer Theatre Center. But both pieces are set to depart Feb. 28, so gather ye selfies while ye may.
“Nufonia Must Fall” is a multi-disciplinary presentation at the Hammer Theatre Center on Feb. 13-14 that combines live music, puppetry, editing and video. (Photo by Pierre Borasci)
LOVE AND ROBOTS: If you’re looking for a very different type of performance piece, you just might fall in love with “Nufonia Must Fall,” showing Wednesday and Thursday at San Jose’s Hammer Theatre Center. The presentation brings to life DJ Kid Koala‘s graphic novel of the same name about a music-loving robot facing both obsolescence and heartache. And it does so by having a crew of puppeteers performing 10-inch figures for five cameras, with the images edited live and shown on a screen above the stage. The story is accompanied by live music by the Afiara Quartet, an ensemble of strings, piano and electronic instruments.
Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. performances are available for $29 to $46 at www.hammertheatre.com.
STIMULATING MENU: Arcadia, the Michael Mina restaurant at the downtown Marriott San Jose, is offering a Valentine’s Day menu that actually screams “Get a room!” Executive Chef Paul Rohadfox has put together a prix fixe dinner in which every menu item contains at least one ingredient believed to have aphrodisiac qualities. This includes caviar, oysters and other shellfish, chocolate, arugula (who knew?) and sauces made with wine (who didn’t know?). You can get three courses for $85 or four for $95. Reservations were going fast, but if you’re in the mood, you can call 408-278-4555 and maybe you’ll get lucky.
OPERA MAKES A SPLASH: There was a standing ovation from a packed California Theatre audience Saturday night as Opera San Jose opened “Moby-Dick,” the operatic adaptation of Herman Melville’s novel by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer. At a reception afterward, people raved about everything from the music to the rotating set and the lighting.
If you had to slog through the massive novel in a lit class, this is a much more digestible form. The show streamlines Melville’s tome — though an aria on the qualities of whale blubber would have been fantastic — and the songs and supertitles are both in English, making the story of obsession and revenge easy to follow.
The loudest cheers during the curtain call may have been when tenor Richard Cox, who played Ahab, showed off both his feet to the audience. To simulate the mad captain’s dismembered appearance, he had his own left leg bent at the knee and strapped into a “pegleg” for the whole show, with his foot hidden by Ahab’s long coat. You can check out this bit of stage magic though Feb. 24. Go to www.operasj.org for tickets.
Sal Pizarro
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Beverly Davidson, Ph.D., Director of the Raymond G Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics and Arthur V. Meigs Chair in Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Davidson’s research focuses on the pathogenesis and therapy of hereditary neurogenetic diseases and the role of noncoding RNAs in neural development. She is an internationally known expert in the study of inherited neurological diseases and the development of molecular therapies. Dr. Davidson has been named a fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, received the NIH Mathilde Solowey Award, was elected to the Advisory Council for the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy and NINDS council, and was past chair of the Medical Sciences Section for the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Kenneth Fischbeck, M.D., received A.B. and A.M. degrees from Harvard University and a M.D. degree from Johns Hopkins. After a medical internship at Case Western Reserve University and a neurology residency at the University of California in San Francisco, he did postdoctoral research on muscular dystrophy at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1982, he joined the faculty in the Neurology Department at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. In 1998, he joined the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) as Chief of the Neurogenetics Branch. He received the Cotzias Award from the American Academy of Neurology and the Jacoby Award from the American Neurological Association, and he was elected to the Institute of Medicine. His research group is identifying the causes and studying the mechanisms of hereditary neurological and neuromuscular diseases with the goal of developing effective treatment for these disorders.
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Akshay Kumar's Sooryavanshi welcomes Neena Gupta on-board
Monday 6th of May 2019 11:40:00 AM | in Entertainment
One more member added to the cast list of Rohit Shetty's Sooryavanshi- Neena Gupta. The film is the 4th part of Ajay Devgan's 'Singham'. The actress will be seen playing Akshay Kumar's mother's role in the film in which he is playing a cop. The film also features Katrina Kaif in the lead role opposite Akshay. "This is an interesting role as it isn't the stereotypical mother but has many dimensions," she said.
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Don't let your fire go out: Zaira Wasim shares post before making her account private
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The DSM and defining mental illness
in Geek stuff, Politics, Psychology, Science
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is published by the American Psychiatric Association and contains the most authoritative definitions of mental illnesses. The current version – the DSM-IV – was released in 1994. Now, work is ongoing on a fifth edition.
To me, it seems like ‘mental illness’ often describes a situation in which a person manifests a normal part of psychology to an excessive extent. For instance, it is perfectly normal and probably even essential for people to feel things like guilt, shame, and anxiety. Any of these felt to an extreme extent, whether that means extremely strongly or weakly, could form the basis for a mental illness.
There is a danger, perhaps, in being too quick to say that someone is ill, when they simply manifest a normal tendency to an unusual degree. Doing so might make them feel stigmatize and lead to unnecessary medical interventions. It also risks making people feel less responsible for their choices and actins, since they can be ascribed to a medical condition rather than to the free expression of their will. At the same time, increased awareness of mental illness is probably an important thing for society to develop. My sense is that most people do not have a great understanding of the character of mental illnesses, and that society is generally poorly set up to assist people suffering from them.
Matt August 4, 2010 at 7:13 pm
There is a danger, perhaps, in being too quick to say that someone is ill, when they simply manifest a normal tendency to an unusual degree.
I think you’ve discovered why behavioral drugs are generally over prescribed. I’m all for pharmaceutical intervention when there is a need, and I think anti-depressants, for instance, work well for some people for some things. But to get a prescription for one is pretty easy, and in many instances cognitive behavioral therapy is much more effective, long lasting, and without side effects.
alena August 4, 2010 at 11:39 pm
You are right when you say that we do not understand much about mental illness and we are even less good at treating it. I once heard a schizophrenic person describe his mental state as a roller-coaster that does not stop after a few minutes, but rather accelerates until he is overwhelmed by anxiety and loss of control. Many bi-polar patients enjoy the sense of loss of control and hate the drugs that take away their feelings and “self.” Mental illness has a chemical component too and the degree varies from person to person. Most “normal” individuals have moments and even periods during which they are not any different from a person who suffers from mental illness. When it comes to treatment, it appears that society has not assigned it a very high priority to fund enough research and more importantly, to find humane ways to stand by the people whose lives are shattered by mental illness.
. August 10, 2010 at 9:49 am
“I am not being sarcastic here—or at least not entirely. In fact, I’ve reread both Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn several times in recent years, precisely because Twain draws such fascinating portraits of children whose behavior is familiar, even if we now describe it differently. As a mother of boys, I find this weirdly reassuring: Although ADHD and ODD are often dismissed as recently “invented” disorders, they describe personality types and traits that have always existed. A certain kind of boy has always had trouble paying attention in school. A certain kind of boy has always picked fights with friends, gone smoking in the woods, and floated down the river on rafts.
In previous eras, such behavior was just as problematic for adults as it is today. Poor old Aunt Polly—how many times does she “fall to crying and wringing her hands”? In order to cope with Tom, she seeks names for his disorder—he is “full of the Old Scratch,” meaning the devil—and searches for ways to control him (“Spare the rod and spile the child,” she tells herself).
But if the children and the parents are familiar, the society surrounding them is not. In fact, Tom Sawyer turns out fine in the end. In 19th-century Missouri, there were still many opportunities for impulsive kids who were bored and fidgety in school. The very qualities that made him so tiresome—curiosity, hyperactivity, recklessness—are precisely the ones that get him the girl, win him the treasure, and make him a hero. Even Huck Finn is all right at the end of his story. Although he never learns to tolerate “sivilization,” he knows he can head out to “Indian territory,” to the empty West where even the loose rules of Missouri life won’t have to be followed.”
Antonia August 11, 2010 at 6:19 am
As I said elsewhere (and without reference to earlier comments):
I thought they were releasing a new edition 2005ish, or at least there were proposals for changes. I have (somewhere) articles from then as I was working for a counselling service – DSM is used extensively outside the USA but is not an internationally agreed standard, just a US one. It was interesting to see new illnesses surface and old ones get struck off. (Wish I could remember what I had my eye on but the changes from DSM-IV to -IVTR are listed at http://www.psych.org/MainMenu/Research/DSMIV/DSMIVTR/DSMIVvsDSMIVTR/SummaryofTextChangesInDSMIVTR.aspx though, on second thoughts the changes I was hearing about might have been due to the adoption of the DMS standard instead of the one company psychiatric staff had been using beforehand).
By defining illness the standard effectively rules on what a well mind is and the changing boundaries seem, in some areas, more down to sociological or cultural shifts than understanding of the mind. With the US curriculum debates in mind (e.g. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/education/13texas.html ) those involved in the updates could profoundly influence personal freedoms worldwide.
The Association is taking steps to maintain strong boundaries in other areas of medical ethics areas http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/jul/13/guantanamo-torture-medics-psychologists
Nevertheless there is widespread disagreement over whether US-centred mental health diagnostics are universally applicable, partly because much of current psychiatric and counselling practices have based on US research outcomes (as the greatest volume of studies have been US-based), but repeat or similar studies elsewhere in the world have had different outcomes, and partly because eccentricity of a behaviour can be culture-specific.
There are concerns that the forthcoming changes are insufficiently founded on research http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10787342 and concerns with the entire DSM system http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/29/mental-health-diagnostic-manual
Personality disorders are particularly prone to redescription when editions are revised http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/information/mental-health-a-z/personality-disorders/
‘Following changes to the previous version of the DSM, there was a rise in rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autistic disorder and childhood polar disorders. ‘ (see Guardian link below). Such changes affect statistics on mental health incidence and, as you say, the labels have all sorts of impacts on individuals.
As you say, many feelings which are normal can be abnormal when extreme and prolonged, but my understanding is mental health diagnostics is based on behaviours rather than feelings – while linked, the distinction is important.
@Matt The ‘prescribe first’ approach to mental health is highly problematic. Even where people in the UK get access to counselling therapies for depression (now more available than ever before but how much longer this will continue with the present cuts remains to be seen) they’ve often been prescribed anti-depressants before it starts. Critically, if the antidepressant prescribed to an individual doesn’t turn out to fit their personal neurochemistry, increased depression is nearly always among the most prevalent and significant side effects – basically the wrong one makes you worse. Not all cases are amenable to anti-depressant fixes but where a pharmaceutical can help and the right one is found, it is very rare for the personal fit to be the first one prescribed – no fault of the doctors as the right one depends on individual neuro-physiology and most treat more-or-less the same broad range of depressive symptoms. Trying out each failure usually takes months before its success is ruled out (unless if there’s a rare immediate and severe bad physical reaction).
As a result, when counselling becomes available, a significant cause of the patient’s degree of depression can be the effect of a pharmaceutical intervention which counselling won’t be able to remedy.
Psychiatric professionals I’ve worked with have questioned whether prescription early on after a depression diagnosis interferes with (or prevents) any natural self-adjustments in neurochemistry which might provide a basis for longer-term health. Obviously this isn’t an issue where the problem has already lingered and failed to respond to drug-free therapies for a significant period.
R.K. August 11, 2010 at 11:18 am
There is a danger, perhaps, in being too quick to say that someone is ill, when they simply manifest a normal tendency to an unusual degree. Doing so might make them feel stigmatize and lead to unnecessary medical interventions.
Flipped around, it can be argued that the recognition that everybody has mental failings could help to de-stigmatize mental illness. By showing that the line between health and sickness is blurred, it makes the distinction between those on one side and the other less harsh.
Milan August 16, 2010 at 5:35 pm
That is certainly a tricky problem you identify. When dealing with individuals, we cannot use the best tools of science (based on controlled, double blind experiments). As such, there will always be doubt about cause and effect.
Nearly One Million Children in U.S. Potentially Misdiagnosed With ADHD, Study Finds
ScienceDaily (Aug. 17, 2010) — Nearly 1 million children in the United States are potentially misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder simply because they are the youngest — and most immature — in their kindergarten class, according to new research by a Michigan State University economist.
These children are significantly more likely than their older classmates to be prescribed behavior-modifying stimulants such as Ritalin, said Todd Elder, whose study will appear in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Health Economics.
Such inappropriate treatment is particularly worrisome because of the unknown impacts of long-term stimulant use on children’s health, Elder said. It also wastes an estimated $320 million-$500 million a year on unnecessary medication — some $80 million-$90 million of it paid by Medicaid, he said.
Elder said the “smoking gun” of the study is that ADHD diagnoses depend on a child’s age relative to classmates and the teacher’s perceptions of whether the child has symptoms.
Robert August 18, 2010 at 9:35 pm
You are perceptive in pointing to some of the problems of medicalizing mental illness, and I agree with your other points at the top of this disucssion.
One problem with ADHD kids is that the parents of Tom Sawyer types are much less likely to be tolerant enough of that type of energy…not to blame them though. I wondered what specifically caught your eye about this study and where your interest is?
Here’s an interesting article that addresses social perceptions of mental illness and stigma, The Americanization of Mental Illness. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/magazine/10psyche-t.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=American%20mental%20illness&st=cse.
Milan August 19, 2010 at 9:12 am
I wondered what specifically caught your eye about this study and where your interest is?
The ADHD study seems like a perfect demonstration of normal mental variation being inappropriately categorized as mental illness. This is clearly illustrated by how teachers see the relative immaturity of younger children in their classes and conclude that they have ADHD:
For instance, in Michigan — where the kindergarten cutoff date is Dec. 1 — students born Dec. 1 had much higher rates of ADHD than children born Dec. 2. (The students born Dec. 1 were the youngest in their grade; the students born Dec. 2 enrolled a year later and were the oldest in their grade.)
Thus, even though the students were a single day apart in age, they were assessed differently simply because they were compared against classmates of a different age set, Elder said.
It would be good to see some empirical research on this: as the proportion of the population considered to have a mental illness increases, does the level of stigma surrounding mental illness increase or decrease?
Can Preschoolers Be Depressed?
Is it really possible to diagnose such a grown-up affliction in such a young child? And is diagnosing clinical depression in a preschooler a good idea, or are children that young too immature, too changeable, too temperamental to be laden with such a momentous label? Preschool depression may be a legitimate ailment, one that could gain traction with parents in the way that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (A.D.H.D.) and oppositional defiant disorder (O.D.D.) — afflictions few people heard of 30 years ago — have entered the what-to-worry-about lexicon. But when the rate of development among children varies so widely and burgeoning personalities are still in flux, how can we know at what point a child crosses the line from altogether unremarkable to somewhat different to clinically disordered? Just how early can depression begin?
The answer, according to recent research, seems to be earlier than expected. Today a number of child psychiatrists and developmental psychologists say depression can surface in children as young as 2 or 3. “The idea is very threatening,” says Joan Luby, a professor of child psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine, who gave Kiran his diagnosis and whose research on preschool depression has often met with resistance. “In my 20 years of research, it’s been slowly eroding,” Luby says of that resistance. “But some hard-core scientists still brush the idea off as mushy or psychobabble, and laypeople think the idea is ridiculous.”
For adults who have known depression, however, the prospect of early diagnosis makes sense. Kiran’s mother had what she now recognizes was childhood depression. “There were definite signs throughout my grade-school years,” she says. Had therapy been available to her then, she imagines that she would have leapt at the chance. “My parents knew my behavior wasn’t right, but they really didn’t know what to do.”
. November 2, 2010 at 10:11 am
The authors of DSM-V attempt to capture this less than black-and-white picture by dispensing with the approach taken in previous DSMs, which was based on cut-and-dried checklists of symptoms. Instead, they have adopted a “dimensional” approach, in which patients are assessed for symptoms besides those that match their principal diagnosis, as well as for the severity of their symptoms.
One of the goals is to help medics identify mild forms of severe illnesses such as schizophrenia before people have experienced their first serious psychotic episode, in the hope of stopping the disease progressing. But DSM-V will also propose new conditions, such as “complicated grief”, which describes bereaved people who may benefit from being treated as if for major depression.
The aim is to help doctors offer patients the most appropriate treatment. But an important by-product will be that researchers working on the psychiatric drugs of the future will be able to test them in genetically engineered animal models that more closely resemble human reality. The importance of this was underlined by Eric Nestler of the Mount Sinai Medical Centre, in New York, and Steven Hyman of Harvard University in this month’s Nature Neuroscience, when they wrote that drug development for schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder and autism “is at a near standstill”.
The proposed changes, however, worry some psychiatrists, who see in them a creeping medicalisation of normal behaviour. They point out that the DSM carries a lot of weight. Pharmaceutical companies devise new drugs for the conditions it defines, lawyers use it to sue doctors, ordinary people use it to diagnose themselves. They fear that by blurring the boundary between health and disease, DSM-V loses sight of a doctor’s first duty: to do no harm.
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The Sorrow at Bereavement – It Can Help Us Understand Our Life and the After-life
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By Gopalakrishnan T. Chandrasekaran
See all Articles by Gopalakrishnan Chandrasekaran See Gopalakrishnan Chandrasekaran 's Expert PageGet Updates on Consciousness and AwarenessGet Updates on Gopalakrishnan Chandrasekaran
Many issues of life can function as our teachers if we adopt an attitude of looking into them with the eagerness to understand what lies beyond the apparent. Reflection on the sorrow at losing a near and dear one can lead to a life of compassion.
As we all know, bereavement is indeed a hard thing to be met with equanimity. The general human psychology has not evolved to the point of facing this disturbance in a holistic way. People usually avoid discussions on the subject because those can be quite unpleasant. This avoidance only makes it worse and the fear gets pushed into the deeper layers of the mind. Thus people are unprepared when the thing does take place. Reflections on these matters can not only help us take the blow with some stability but understand what is wrong with the way we live. That understanding can enrich our relationships with people and make us lead a wholesome life. Only in that manner can we have lasting peace, not through religious beliefs or through depending on predetermined formulas.
What can help us uncover the basis for the sorrow in bereavement is the understanding of how our relationships are brought into being. Right from childhood our psychology is molded by the self-centered atmosphere in which human beings live. This engenders a situation where the “I” tries to use everything to its own end, including human beings. Thus its relationship to people is based on the image it has about them in terms of what it gets from them. This is the unfortunate utility-oriented approach which governs the general psychology. As a result, people become dependent on this kind of relationship for their emotional well-being. This dependence is one of the main causes for the feeling of being lost at the demise of a near and dear one.
The emotional attachment to a person is often mistaken for love. That kind of love is actually the love of the image that one builds of the other person. The presence of the other person merely serves to trigger the image that one has about that person; thereafter, we are with the image and not with the living entity that the other person truly is. To be alive to the other person is not possible if the image we have of the other person interferes. The alertness about how the image destroys the freshness of the contact can help us free ourselves from the image. Then, in spite of the mental habit, we can bring in sufficient awareness to meet the person directly and so, with an intensity. This intimate contact is true love. In that there will be no dependence and no ‘utility’ value. With such sacredness in relationship there will be no sadness at bereavement. This is so because when the person was alive there was a true contact with him or her. There will also be the feeling that we were not dealing merely with the image, the lifeless representative of the living person! Under that contact imbued with ‘aliveness’, compassion flows freely between the two. That is true love.
Being alive to a person makes us be alive also to everything else in life. The way we treat animals, the environment and even the so called inanimate things takes on freshness and our lives become enriched with deep feeling for everything. We would pay proper attention to our responsibilities. With that turn of mind, we would also bring our wonderment to the after-life. Learning something about what happens after we pass away from the Earth plane helps us a great deal in meeting the loss of a relative or a friend with equanimity. It also helps us have a feeling of sacredness for life per se and treat the present as more important than the past and future. In this connection, the messages from near death experiences give us abundant trust in life and in the after-life.
Many of you would have come across the article entitled Desiderata comprising a bunch of worldly advice by Max Ehrmann (Wikipedia). It is relevant here through the following lines from it:
“Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.”
The sudden misfortunes can be handled in a healthy way if we bring in self-awareness in our daily lives. The mental balance created by that contact with ourselves helps us deal with all aspects of life with a touch of sacredness. The website http://spirituality.yolasite.com deals with related matters.
Gopalakrishnan T. Chandrasekaran received his doctoral degree in Coastal Engineering from the North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA in 1978. He served on the research and teaching faculty of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India, the North Carolina State University and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait. Aside from his professional involvements, he was interested in the philosophic issues of life for the last forty years or so. This led him to the messages of Ramana Maharishi, Lao Tzu, J Krishnamurthy, UG Krishnamurthy, Nisargadatta Maharaj, Eckhart Tolle, Marcus Aurelius and similar Masters. His book "In Quest of the Deeper Self" is the outcome of his reflections on those and his wish to share the outcome with others. Gopalakrishnan is a member of the International Association for Near Death Studies, Durham, NC, USA. He lives with his family in Kodaikanal, a hill town in South India.
Blog: http://nde-thedeeperself.blogspot.com
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The Middle East: A Booming Market With a Bright Future
in International SEMA Middle East Business Development Conference United Arab Emirates (UAE) Featured
SEMA News—July 2017
By Linda Spencer
A Booming Market With a Bright Future
Opening the 2017 SEMA section at the Abu Dhabi-based Custom Show Emirates were (from left) Saeed Almarzooqi, owner of Top Speed Performance and CEO of Custom Show Emirates; the Honorable Barbara Leaf, U.S. ambassador to the UAE; Sheikh Marwan Bin Rashid Al Mualla; and SEMA Chairman-Elect and President and COO of Coker Group
Wade Kawasaki.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the venue for the sixth annual SEMA Middle East Business Development Program in March. The 2017 event brought together pre-vetted trade buyers from 11 nations to meet with a delegation of 40 U.S. SEMA-member companies. The delegation included those returning for an additional SEMA Middle East program, such as aFe Power, Borla Performance Industries, COMP Cams and Injen Technology, as well as more than 23 manufacturers traveling to the Middle East with SEMA for the first time.
The UAE program is one of three ongoing overseas business development venues, each selected based on a series of criteria that include a passion for customizing, disposable consumer income to purchase quality upgrading products, and a sizable pool of potential customers who enjoy upgrading and using their vehicles as
a pastime.
“The Middle East region is a very dynamic and lucrative market for American businesses,” said Saeed Almarzooqi, CEO for Custom Events in Abu Dhabi, UAE. “Opportunities here are abundant, as the market is younger and consumers have the funds and interest to buy cool products sold by U.S. manufacturers. The SEMA section at the Custom Show Emirates (CSE) is an economic corridor that not only connects businesses but people as well.”
The Honorable Barbara A. Leaf, U.S. Ambassador to the UAE, concurred. “The SEMA Middle East Business Development Expo has no better home than the UAE,” she said. “In addition to being the number-one U.S. export market in the Arab world, the UAE is positioned as a gateway to markets throughout the region and beyond. Our two countries share a passion for American custom cars, which makes this expo a success for U.S. and Emirati companies alike every year.”
The shared passion for vehicular hobbies includes off-roading, meticulous restoration of vintage U.S. musclecars, and producing winning vehicles for the many first-rate track venues, including the Yas Marina Circuit (home to an F1 track) and the Dubai Autodrome. In an exciting development after many years of work, the UAE government recently announced a path to formally allow customizing.
As an emerging market, the UAE previously hadn’t addressed a framework of regulations related to vehicle modifications. The regulations just announced are the result of many years of SEMA providing technical advice to UAE officials, who are striving to be the first in the region to grow their enormously popular customizing market and to reap the benefits of consumer choice, jobs and revenue.
“The SEMA Middle East Business Development Program is a great opportunity to forge new business partnerships with U.S. manufacturers and discuss ideas and products in person,” said SEMA Senior Vice President of Operations Bill Miller. “The program makes it possible to build new business channels in the region and for retailers to introduce new products into the thriving Middle East market.”
Companies Exhibiting at the Custom Show Emirates and the SEMA Middle East Business Development Program
aFe Power–advanced FLOW engineering
All-Fit Automotive LLC
American Force Wheels
The Armored Group LLC
Athena Manufacturing LP
Borla Performance Industries Inc.
DeeZee Inc.
Dynocom Industries Inc.
Edelbrock LLC
Flowmaster Inc.
Hellwig Products
JRi Shocks
Kleinn Air Horns
LPC Electronics
Magnuson Superchargers
McLeod Racing LLC
Mustang Dynamometer
PPE Inc.
Race Winning Brands
Roadwire
RPG Offroad Inc.
Sunoco Race Fuels-
Anglo American Oil Company
TB48PARTS.COM
Transamerican Wholesale
Transfer Flow Inc.
T-Rex Truck Products/T-Rex Grilles
Vehicle Development Corp.
Wilco Offroad
Wiring Specialties
Wolfpack Motorsports
XPEL Technologies Corp.
The two-day expo provided distributors and retailers from 11 countries with a chance to meet one-on-one with executives from leading U.S. automotive brands. The SEMA delegation exhibited in the SEMA section of the Custom Show Emirates at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on March 30 (trade only) and March 31 (trade and public) and at informal networking events throughout the week. In addition, SEMA hosted an international measuring session, bringing together vehicles popularly customized in the Middle East and around the world but not sold in the United States. so that members might access those hard-to-obtain vehicles as well as develop surface scans in order to produce export-ready products as demanded by their customers. The program continually draws repeat attendees.
“Every year, I tell myself that I have seen it all and don’t need to make a long flight to see the SEMA Middle East show,” said Nick Niakan, president and CEO of aFe Power. “But somehow, something inside me forces me to go on the trip again. And at the end of every trip, I am glad that I made the journey. For me, it has become a humbling experience, because my basic assumptions are challenged and questioned during each trip. By the middle of the journey, I notice that my thinking has changed and I have gained a new paradigm—a paradigm that is all about opportunities I didn’t know existed.”
“That is priceless,” he said, “because running a business from inside taints one’s thinking. You drink your own Kool-Aid and lose the critical and independent thinking that got you to where you are today,” Niakan continued. “On the return flight at the end of each trip, I make a list of 20 action items that I take back to our team. The financial results are amazing. I can directly tie in a gain of more than $500,000 in new business because of this trip. Where else can you find that type of opportunity? I challenge anyone to provide a growth venue like the SEMA export trip!”
Representatives from All-Fit Automotive, a new-to-market company traveling with SEMA for the first time, said that visiting the CSE proved to be a must-attend event.
“The Middle East market is rapidly expanding, and this show further proved the enthusiasm and growth of the UAE,” said All-Fit Automotive CEO AJ Dudon. “While placing All-Fit products in front of additional buyers expands our reach, seeing the demands from a unique market aids in future product development. This show isn’t just about selling but also about forming and improving relationships that lead to customers for many years to come. We are excited for the 2018 CSE.”
Establishing an effective international business strategy is a critical task for small- and medium-size businesses with limited resources, according to Josh Abbott, international sales manager for Borla Performance Industries. “This event should be looked at as an essential part of the plan,” he said. “The wealth of knowledge and resources available to SEMA members makes the venue a powerful tool available to our industry for developing international business. We are proud to be a part of the effort to bring companies and markets together for the greater good of the industry, and we will continue to be a part of this endeavor in the future.”
Liz Couch, lead economist of the automotive team for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration in Washington, D.C., said that the SEMA event is an efficient way to explore a company’s market potential in the
Gulf region.
“Taken together, the Gulf market is the United States’ sixth-largest export destination worldwide,” Couch said. “At SEMA’s event, U.S. participants are able to meet enthusiasts and buyers face to face—which is much-appreciated, since building relationships is important for doing business in the Middle East. They are also able to learn about the region’s markets from our commercial staff at the U.S. embassies in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and I encourage U.S. companies to use the combined resources of SEMA and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration [www.export.gov] to assist them in exporting to this region and throughout the world.”
SEMA appreciates the ongoing partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, which provides grants to help defray the cost of U.S. manufacturers exploring overseas markets.
Top distributors from Saudi Arabia and the UAE shared a laugh during an informal discussion with SEMA exhibitors at the opening-night seminar.
The SEMA delegation heard some best practices and top tips from U.S. government officials in the region, followed by a lively discussion with key buyers in the region. Mike Hallmark (center), Hellwig international sales manager, asked a question that was obviously enjoyed by Nestor Reyes (far right), export sales manager for Transamerican Wholesale.
Xavier Muthu (left), commercial specialist for the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City, briefed the delegation on the Kuwaiti specialty-equipment market with Gary Rand (right) commercial attaché, U.S. Embassy, UAE.
The SEMA delegation visited a brand-new off-roading shop during a day-long visit to distributors, retailers and installers. Trade buyers have been investing significant funds to grow their businesses in recent years, and a recent announcement about legalizing customization (which had previously operated in a gray area) is being well received. Trade partners and consumers alike are hopeful that complying with the new regulations will not be too cumbersome or expensive.
The SEMA Middle East delegation checked out several retailers during the shop tours.
SEMA Chairman-Elect Wade Kawasaki (left) presented an award to Saeed Almarzooqi, CEO of Top Speed and head of Custom Show Emirates, in recognition of his important contributions to growing the global vehicle customization market.
“I have been coming to the UAE and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries for several years now, and I have seen it change and evolve to be the car culture that it is,” said Kevin Floody (left), director of international sales for aFe Power, shown with Nick Niakan (center), aFe president and CEO, and Sheikh Marwan Bin Rashid Al Mualla. “aFe Power has been very keen on focusing on the region’s popular vehicles to develop the right products, and we are very fortunate to have great partners working with us. It is truly a collaborative effort to make this market one of the fastest-growing markets in the world.”
The delegation had fun participating in some of the more informal networking events. (From left) Iztok Franko of Ramy Trading, Yury Lyalko, president of Wiring Specialties LLC, and Lake Speed Jr., general manager of Driven Racing Oil, posed after placing in a friendly go-karting competition.
“This year’s SEMA Middle East event was a huge success for Injen Technology,” said Justin Oltz (center), Injen Technology executive vice president. “For several years, Injen has participated in this program and established meaningful relationships with GCC companies. In 2017, we were able to leverage our experience and knowledge to broaden our reach with distributors and dealers, and deepen our connection with enthusiasts. SEMA and CSE provided the ideal platform for us to achieve such goals, and the return on investment has already been clearly recognized—by both Injen and our partners.” Oltz is pictured with Jay Crouch (right), Injen Technology business development/senior design engineer.
AJ Dudon (left), owner of All-Fit Automotive, said that visiting the CSE for the first time proved it to be a must-attend event.
“Joining SEMA for the Middle Eastern Conference was a very beneficial resource and solution to learn the terrain and meet qualified buyers to hit the road running,” said Nick Chin (left), director of international business development for American Force Wheels. “I’m very excited to develop American Force Wheels for that market with the partners made from this trip. The SEMA team did an awesome job making it a success.”
“SEMA Middle East was the place to be this year, and I look forward to being there next year,” said Kris Breytenbach (center), new business development for The Armored Group LLC. “Great people, great vibe and great opportunities!”
“It’s been a few years since I was in the Middle East, and it’s amazing how the market has matured,” said Paul “Scooter” Brothers (third from right), vice president of research and development for COMP Cams. He attended the event with Trevor Wiggins, the company’s sales manager. “The show in general—and specifically SEMA’s area—was extremely well attended and offered us direct contact with many new and existing customers,” Brothers said. “This has become one of the more exciting events COMP Cams attends. The Middle East is really jumping right now. While there are a lot of cars that are not found in the United States, there are many American cars in the Middle East. This venue was the perfect way to match the performance enthusiast in that part of the world with the best U.S. companies, and SEMA did a great job putting the two together.”
“The SEMA Middle-East Business Development Program was once again a great experience,” said Joshua Abbott (left), international sales manager for Borla Performance Industries. “We have participated in this event for the past several years, and each time we have benefited greatly from the program. Although the Middle East is a mature market, it is still challenging, requiring a well-thought-out strategy, persistence, knowledge, great products and a lot of patience.”
Terry Peddicord (left), product line director of superchargers for Edelbrock LLC, and Cary Redman (center), the company’s national sales manager, were excited about the event. “The opportunities in the Middle East are huge,” Redman said. “We look forward to growing the performance automotive aftermarket in this region.”
“This was our third year in the UAE with SEMA at the Custom Show Emirates,” said Mike Hallmark (right), international sales manager for Hellwig Products. “These trips have proven to be invaluable in gaining knowledge of the market and how to make the best products to suit specific needs. We have partnered with several key shops and listened intently to ensure that we are providing exactly what our mutual customers need. By listening to our customers, we have been able to adapt or create new products for their driving use rather than asking them to simply buy what works for us in the States. We greatly value our partners and look forward to strengthening our relationships for years to come.”
Ben Winter (left), director of business development for Transfer Flow Inc., and Robert Green (second left), the company’s director of sales and marketing, provided information on Transfer Flow’s product line to buyers in the SEMA section of the Custom Show Emirates.
Mustang Dynamometer is another repeat exhibitor and was represented this year by Scott Sobie (left), sales manager. Each company received a turnkey booth, hotel accommodations, meals, briefings, attendance at an international measuring session and the opportunity to meet one-on-one with pre-vetted trade buyers from 11 countries.
Robert Scheid (right), director of business development for McLeod Racing LLC, displayed his company’s products and marketing materials for pre-vetted buyers. “For companies looking to build business in the Middle East market there is nothing like being there,” said Scheid. “The market has evolved with more applications being desired than ever before. If you have been to the region before but it has been a while, you need to return. The market continues to grow and without being there your company will never be able to take full advantage of the evolution this market is seeing.”
Allison Blackstein (center), COO of Dynocom Industries, met with buyers interested in performance tuning at the 2017 Custom Show Emirates.
VP Racing Fuels was one of 40 SEMA-member companies that exhibited at the Custom Show Emirates. Freddie Turza (second from the left), technical director, and Marc Wesler (third from right), international sales manager, had the chance to meet with buyers from 11 countries during the first day of the show. During that period, the SEMA section was open only to pre-vetted trade buyers. The second day of the show was open to both trade and consumers.
In partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, SEMA hosted its third international vehicle measuring session in the United Arab Emirates, bringing together four vehicles that are popularly customized in the Middle East but are not sold in the United States. Vehicle Product Data Specialist Matt Cordato of the SEMA Garage demonstrated the use of a FaroArm, a tool used to create high-quality surface scans in order for SEMA members to develop products for the export-only vehicles.
Christian Landel, design engineer from aFe Power, took some measurements on a Land Cruiser 70 pickup at the 2017 SEMA Middle East measuring session.
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Major 3PL Selects SNS
For Infor WMS Implementation in Singapore
Singapore, November, 2014 - SNS, a leader in the implementation of supply chain software, is proud to announce the signature of a large scale WMS implementation project in Asia.
Shortly after establishing their offices in Singapore, SNS has partnered with Nuvista to implement the Infor SCE software at a leading logistics provider in the country, offering a comprehensive range of integrated logistics services including international freight forwarding, chemical storage and logistics, warehousing and distribution.
The project will include the design of new Standard Operating Procedures for the warehouse, the configuration of the system, users training as well as the support on site for testing and go-live.
“Being selected by a leading 3PL in a logistics hub like Singapore proves that SNS has truly become a renowned international provider of supply chain execution software”, said Mario Ghosn, General Manager of SNS. “We look forward to expanding our clientele in Singapore and the surrounding countries”.
For more information about SNS, please visit http://www.sns-emea.com/news
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Some YG Actors Reportedly Considering Leaving Agency Following Controversies
by J. K
According to Segye Ilbo, some celebrities at YG Entertainment are considering leaving the agency after recent controversies.
A source from the industry reportedly told the outlet that after the drug controversies surrounding YG Entertainment artists, public opinion about the agency has plummeted to the point that it’s become referred to as “Pharmacy.” The Korean word for “pharmacy” consists of two syllables that spell YG when romanized.
“As actors who have to maintain their image, they need to seriously consider moving agencies,” stated the source. According to this source, actors at YG referred to as A, B, C, and D are reviewing ways to transfer agencies.
Another source told Segye Ilbo, “I’m aware that there are some actors at YG who are in contact with outside entertainment agencies.” They continued, “These outside entertainment agencies are suggesting concrete terms such as offering to appoint a lawyer in connection to the termination of their exclusive contract with YG if they decide to move agencies.”
A producer who works at a major network stated, “In the past they displayed great power to the point that people would be cast on a program through the name YG alone. However, because of the drug controversies day after day, people in the broadcast industry are reluctant about actors under YG.”
They added, “Although the various suspicions such as drug use are about the agency’s singers, actors have also become suspected of taking drugs just because of the same agency name.” They stated that this will have a particularly harmful effect on actors whose main source of income comes from commercials.
Segye Ilbo reports that in addition to broadcasting, there are cases where the makeup, clothing, and advertising industries are avoiding casting actors because they’re from YG. While there aren’t reported cases of contracts about to be terminated yet, it’s described that it may affect the re-signing of contracts or new contracts.
An account executive in the advertising industry said, “If someone were to be chosen as an ad model for their usually clean and friendly image and later discovered to have taken drugs, it would inflict great harm on the product.” They stated that it appears people are ruling out YG actors during casting because of the mindset that they want to avoid potential damage.
In addition, Segye Ilbo reports that the “boycott” that has spread online of YG artists affects not only the artists involved in the controversies but also others at the agency.
In the entertainment industry, there are divided opinions over the possibility of contract termination. Lawyer Kim Bo Ram stated, “An exclusive contract is based on mutual trust.” She continued, “If there is such a serious reason that it’s impossible for the relationship of trust to continue, termination can be requested.” She stated that the results of this request will depend on how the court judges whether or not there was a breakdown of this relationship of trust.
Meanwhile, others have stated that in reality it’s not easy to terminate a contract based on an agency’s wrongdoing. Lawyer Park Min Sung stated, “The issue is how one can make a connection with the harm to the agency’s celebrity.” He added, “It can be difficult to assess how much and what kind of harm they’ve suffered.”
A source from a large agency reportedly told Segye Ilbo, “Agencies with a system will early on let go of problematic celebrities, because no matter how much talent and star quality a person has, it can become an even bigger problem later on.” They added, “It’s a shame and I wonder if YG may have been focused on striving for short term benefits without a minimum of moral standards.”
Most recently, YG Entertainment has come under fire due to suspicions of covering up a drug case regarding B.I. and an individual referred to as “A” in 2016. “A,” who is reportedly Han Seo Hee, stated that YG founder Yang Hyun Suk influenced them to tell the police that contrary to their initial statement, B.I had not done drugs. “A” also accused YG of using ties with the police to cover up the incident. Following the controversy, Yang Hyun Suk stepped down from the agency.
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Salon workers involved in a payment dispute over low wages
On behalf of Law Offices of Louis Spitters posted in Wage & Hour Laws on Tuesday, May 26, 2015.
Many people enjoy going to nail salons to be pampered. Although it may be fun for the customers, behind the scenes, the workers claim that they are being overworked and underpaid. California workers who are not exempt and are paid hourly should at least receive minimum wage and be given overtime pay in accordance with state and federal labor laws. When this does not happen and issues remains unresolved, the workers may look to the court to resolve their payment dispute.
After a nationally recognized newspaper recently revealed an in-depth investigation into the conditions faced by salon workers, two manicurists have come forward about how they have been treated. The women want their claim to gain class action status to represent similarly situated workers in the same field. By becoming a class-action suit, all workers in the same field in the same state would be eligible to take part in the suit.
According to the complaint, the women typically worked over 10 hours per day. They allege that they were paid a flat rate. One plaintiff was paid $55 per day, and the other was paid $60, which resulted in them being paid less than minimum wage. The plaintiffs also claim that they were not provided their required 30-minute rest periods.
The plaintiffs further allege that they were not paid overtime when they worked more than 40 hours in a week. Although the plaintiffs did receive tips, they claim they were never told that the tip money would be counted toward the state minimum wage. In accordance with the law, when workers are paid tips, they should at least make minimum wage, and, when they do not, the employer is to make up the difference. In their payment dispute, they claim the salons violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the women are seeking the difference in pay and damages. California workers who believe that they have been denied proper payment can move forward with legal actions in pursuit of the compensation that they believe to be owed.
Source: Fortune, "NYC nail salon workers sue over minimum wage and overtime violations", Claire Zillman, May 15, 2015
Tags: compensation, employer
Related Posts: Payment dispute may occur if non-working employee receives no pay, Employment law addresses wages and benefits, Employees win in separate payment dispute cases, 24 Hour Fitness battling several employment related lawsuits
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Trump’s Mar-a-Lago wants to hire dozens of foreign workers
By Skyler Swisher
President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club is seeking to hire 61 foreign workers for the upcoming Palm Beach social season. (File photo)
President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago private club is seeking to hire 61 foreign workers for the upcoming Palm Beach social season, according to filings with the U.S. Department of Labor.
The club is hiring 40 waiters and waitresses and 21 cooks to work the busy season from Oct. 1 to May 31.
The server jobs will start at $12.68 per hour, while cooks will make a minimum of $13.31 per hour, according to the filings posted Thursday on the Labor Department’s website.
Donald Trump's South Florida properties generated $127 million in 2017, disclosure report shows
Despite touting a campaign slogan of “America First,” Trump has defended the hiring of foreign workers. In a GOP debate in March 2016, Trump said he has a hard time finding local employees to fill seasonal jobs, and other hotels in Palm Beach also use foreign workers during the busy social season.
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“People don’t want a short-term job,” Trump said. “We will bring people in and will send the people out. All done legally.”
Peter Petrina, the recruiter listed on the filings, could not be reached for comment Friday by the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Since 2010, Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club has pursued more than 500 visas for foreign workers from Romania and other countries, while hiring only a fraction of domestic workers who applied for seasonal work, according to reporting by The New York Times.
The newspaper reported nearly 300 U.S. workers had applied or been referred for jobs as waiters, waitresses, cooks and housekeepers but only 17 were hired.
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Home / Bible Commentaries / William Barclay's Daily Study Bible/ Hebrews
William Barclay's Daily Study Bible
Philemon 1
Hebrews Hebrews 2
Haydock's Catholic Commentary
Owen Exposition of Hebrews
Scofield's Notes
Zerr's N.T. Commentary
THE END OF FRAGMENTS (Hebrews 1:1-3)
1:1-3 It was in many parts and in many ways that God spoke to our fathers in the prophets in time gone past; but in the end of these days he has spoken to us in One who is a Son, a Son whom he destined to enter into possession of all things, a Son by whose agency he made the universe. He was the very effulgence of God's glory; he was the exact expression of God's very essence. He bore everything onwards by the word of his power; and after he had made purification for the sins of men, he took his royal seat at the right hand of the glory in the heights.
This is the most sonorous piece of Greek in the whole New Testament. It is a passage that any classical Greek orator would have been proud to write. The writer of Hebrews has brought to it every artifice of word and rhythm that the beautiful and flexible Greek language could provide. In Greek the two adverbs which we have translated in many parts and in many ways are single words, polumeros (Greek #4181) and polutropos (Greek #4187). Polu- (compare Greek #4183) in such a combination means "many" and it was a habit of the great Greek orators, like Demosthenes, the greatest of them all, to weave such sonorous words into the first paragraph of a speech. The writer to the Hebrews felt that, since he was going to speak of the supreme revelation of God to men, he must clothe his thought in the noblest language that it was possible to find.
There is something of interest even here. The man who wrote this letter must have been trained in Greek oratory. When he became a Christian he did not throw his training away. He used the talent he had in the service of Jesus Christ. Everyone knows the lovely legend of the acrobatic tumbler who became a monk. He felt that he had so little to offer. One day someone saw him go into the chapel and stand before the statue of the Virgin Mary. He hesitated for a moment and then began to go through his acrobatic routine. When he had completed his tumbling, he knelt in adoration; and then, says the legend, the statue of the Virgin Mary came to life, stepped down from her pedestal and gently wiped the sweat from the brow of the acrobat who had offered all he had to give. When a man becomes a Christian he is not asked to abandon all the talents he once had; he is asked to use them in the service of Jesus Christ and of his Church.
The basic idea of this letter is that Jesus Christ alone brings to men the full revelation of God and that he alone enables them to enter into his very presence. The writer begins by contrasting Jesus with the prophets who had gone before. He talks about him coming in the end of these days. The Jews divided all time into two ages--the present age and the age to come. In between they set The Day of the Lord. The present age was wholly bad; the age to come was to be the golden age of God. The Day of the Lord was to be like the birth-pangs of the new age. So the writer to the Hebrews says, "The old time is passing away; the age of incompleteness is gone; the time of human guessing and groping is at an end; the new age, the age of God, has dawned in Christ." He sees the world and the thought of men enter, as it were, into a new beginning with Christ. In Jesus God has entered humanity, eternity has invaded time, and things can never be the same again.
He contrasts Jesus with the prophets, for they were always believed to be in the secret counsels of God. Long ago Amos had said: "The Lord God does nothing without revealing his secrets to his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). Philo had said: "The prophet is the interpreter of the God who speaks within." He had said: "The prophets are interpreters of the God who uses them as instruments to reveal to men that which he wills." In later days this doctrine had been completely mechanized. Athenagoras spoke of God moving the mouths of the prophets as a man might play upon a musical instrument and of the Spirit breathing into them as a flute-player breathes into a flute. Justin Martyr spoke of the divine coming down from heaven and sweeping across the prophets as a plectrum sweeps across a harp or a lute. In the end men came to put it in such a way that the prophets had really no more to do with their message than a musical instrument had to do with the music it played or a pen with the message it wrote. That was over-mechanizing the matter; for even the finest musician is to some extent at the mercy of his instrument and can not produce great music out of a piano in which certain notes are missing or out of tune, and even the finest penman is to some extent at the mercy of his pen. God can not reveal more than men can understand. His revelation comes through the minds and the hearts of men. That is exactly what the writer to the Hebrews saw.
He says that the revelation of God which came through the prophets was in many parts (polumeros, Greek #4181) and in many ways (polutropos, Greek #4187). There are two ideas there.
(i) The revelation of the prophets had a variegated grandeur which made it a tremendous thing. From age to age they had spoken, always fitting their message to the age, never letting it be out of date. At the same time, that revelation was fragmentary and had to be presented in such a way that the limitations of the time would understand. One of the most interesting things is to see how time and again the prophets are characterized by one idea. For instance, Amos is "a cry for social justice." Isaiah had grasped the holiness of God. Hosea, because of his own bitter home experience, had realized the wonder of the forgiving love of God. Each prophet, out of his own experience of life and out of the experience of Israel, had grasped and expressed a fragment of the truth of God. None had grasped the whole round orb of truth; but with Jesus it was different. He was not a fragment of the truth; he was the whole truth. In him God displayed not some part of himself but all of himself.
(ii) The prophets used many methods. They used the method of speech. When speech failed they used the method of dramatic action (Compare 1 Kings 11:29-32; Jeremiah 13:1-9; Jeremiah 27:1-7; Ezekiel 4:1-3; Ezekiel 5:1-4). The prophet had to use human methods to transmit his part of the truth of God. Again, it was different with Jesus. He revealed God by being himself. It was not so much what he said and did that shows us what God is like; it is what he was.
The revelation of the prophets was great and manifold, but it was fragmentary and presented by such methods as they could find to make it effective. The revelation of God in Jesus was complete and was presented in Jesus himself. In a word, the prophets were the friends of God; but Jesus was the Son. The prophets grasped part of the mind of God; but Jesus was that mind. It is to be noted that it is no part of the purpose of the writer to the Hebrews to belittle the prophets; it is his aim to establish the supremacy of Jesus Christ. He is not saying that there is a break between the Old Testament revelation and that of the New Testament; he is stressing the fact that there is continuity, but continuity that ends in consummation.
The writer to the Hebrews uses two great pictures to describe what Jesus was. He says that he was the apaugasma (Greek #541) of God's glory. Apaugasma (Greek #541) can mean one of two things in Greek. It can mean effulgence, the light which shines forth, or it can mean reflection, the light which is reflected. Here it probably means effulgence. Jesus is the shining of God's glory among men.
He says that he was the charakter (Greek #5481) of God's very essence. In Greek, charakter (Greek #5481) means two things, first, a seal, and, second, the impression that the seal leaves on the wax. The impression has the exact form of the seal. So, when the writer to the Hebrews said that Jesus was the charakter (Greek #5481) of the being of God, he meant that he was the exact image of God. Just as when you look at the impression, you see exactly what the seal which made it is like, so when you look at Jesus you see exactly what God is like.
C. J. Vaughan has pointed out that this passage tells us six great things about Jesus:
(i) The original glory of God belongs to him. Here is a wonderful thought. Jesus is God's glory; therefore, we see with amazing clarity that the glory of God consists not in crushing men and reducing them to abject servitude, but in serving them and loving them and in the end dying for them. It is not the glory of shattering power but the glory of suffering love.
(ii) The destined empire belongs to Jesus. The New Testament writers never doubted his ultimate triumph. Think of it. They were thinking of a Galilaean carpenter who was crucified as a criminal on a cross on a hill outside the city of Jerusalem. They themselves faced savage persecution and were the humblest of people. As Sir William Watson said of them,
"So to the wild wolf Hate were sacrificed
The panting, huddled flock, whose crime was Christ."
And yet they never doubted the eventual victory. They were quite certain that God's love was backed by his power and that in the end the kingdoms of the world would be the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ.
(iii) The creative action belongs to Jesus. The early Church held that the Son had been God's agent in creation, that in some way God had originally created the world through him. They were filled with the thought that the One who had created the world would also be the One who redeemed it.
(iv) The sustaining power belongs to Jesus. These early Christians had a tremendous grip of the doctrine of providence. They did not think of God as creating the world and then leaving it to itself. Somehow and somewhere they saw a power that was carrying the world and each life on to a destined end. They believed,
"That nothing walks with aimless feet;
That not one life shall be destroy'd.
Or cast as rubbish to the void,
When God hath made the pile complete."
(v) To Jesus belongs the redemptive work. By his sacrifice he paid the price of sin; by his continual presence he liberates from sin.
(vi) To Jesus belongs the mediatorial exaltation. He has taken his place on the right hand of glory; but the tremendous thought of the writer to the Hebrews is that he is there, not as our judge but as one who makes intercession for us so that, when we enter into the presence of God, we go, not to hear his justice prosecute us but his love plead for us.
ABOVE THE ANGELS (Hebrews 1:4-14)
1:4-14 He was the superior to the angels, in proportion as he had received a more excellent rank than they. For to which of the angels did God ever say: "It is my Son that you are; it is I who this day have begotten you"? And again: "I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a Son." And again, when he brings his honoured one into the world of men, he says: "And let all the angels of God bow down before him." As for the angels, he says: "He who makes his angels winds and his servants a flame of fire." But, as for the Son, he says: "God is your throne for ever and for ever, and the sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of your kingdom. You have loved justice and hated lawlessness; therefore God has anointed you, even your God, with the oil of exultation above your fellows." And, "You in the beginning, O Lord, laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands. They shall perish but you remain unalterable. All of them will grow old like a garment, and like a mantle you will fold them up and they will be changed. But you are ever yourself, and your years will not fail." To which of the angels did he ever say: "Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool"? Are they not all ministering spirits, continually being despatched on service, for the sake of those who are destined to enter into possession of salvation?
In the previous passage the writer was concerned to prove the superiority of Jesus over all the prophets. Now he is concerned to prove his superiority over the angels. That he thinks it worth while to do this proves the place that belief in angels had in the thought of the Jews of his day. At this time it was on the increase. The reason was that men were more and more impressed with what is called the transcendence of God. They felt more and more the distance and the difference between God and man. The result was that they came to think of the angels as intermediaries between God and man. They came to believe that the angels bridged the gulf between God and man; that God spoke to man through the angels and the angels carried the prayers of man into the presence of God. We see this process particularly in one instance. In the Old Testament the law was given directly by God to Moses, without need of intermediary. But in New Testament times the Jews believed that God gave the law first to angels who then passed it on to Moses, direct communication between man and God being unthinkable (compare Acts 7:53; Galatians 3:19).
If we look at some of the basic Jewish beliefs about angels we will see them reappearing in this passage. God lived surrounded by his angelic hosts (Isaiah 6:1-13 ; 1 Kings 22:19). Sometimes the angels are thought of as God's army (Joshua 5:14 ff.). Greek for "angels" is aggeloi (Greek #32) and in Hebrew mal'akim (Hebrew #4397). In both languages the meaning is messenger as well as angel. In fact, messenger is the more common meaning. The angels were really the beings who were the instruments in the bringing of God's word and the working of God's will in the universe of men. They were said to be made of an ethereal fiery substance like blazing light. They were created either on the second or the fifth day of creation. They did not eat or drink and they did not beget children. Sometimes they were believed to be immortal, although they could be annihilated by God, but there was another belief about their existence as we shall see. Some of them, the seraphim (Hebrew #8314), the cherubim (see keruwb - Hebrew #3742) and the ofanim (Hebrew #212) (-im is the plural ending of Hebrew nouns) were always around the throne of God. They were thought of as having more knowledge than men, especially of the future, but they did not possess that knowledge by right but rather because of "what they had heard behind the curtain." They were thought of as the kind of entourage, the familia, of God. They were thought of as God's senate; God did nothing without consulting them. For instance, when God said: "Let us make man" (Genesis 1:26), it was to the angel senate that he was speaking. Often the angels remonstrated with God and laid objections to his purposes. In particular, they objected to the creation of man and at that time troops of them were annihilated; and they objected to the giving of the law and attacked Moses on his way up Mount Sinai. This was because they were jealous and did not wish to share any of their place or prerogatives with any other creature.
There were millions and millions of angels. It was not till quite late that the Jews assigned names to them. There were, in particular, the seven angels of the presence, who were the archangels. Of these the principal ones were Raphael, Uriel, Phanuel, Gabriel, the angel who brought God's messages to men, and Michael, the angel who presided over the destinies of Israel. The angels had many duties. They brought God's messages to men. In that case they delivered their message and vanished ( 13:20). They intervened for God in the events of history (2 Kings 19:35-36). There were two hundred angels who controlled the movements of the stars and kept them in their courses. There was an angel who controlled the never-ending succession of the years and months and days. There was an angel, a mighty prince, who was over the sea. There were angels of the frost, the dew, the rain, the snow, the hail, the thunder and the lightning. There were angels who were wardens of hell and torturers of the damned. There were recording angels who wrote down every single word which every man spoke. There were destroying angels and angels of punishment. There was Satan, the prosecuting angel, who on every day except the Day of Atonement continuously brought charges against men before God. There was the angel of death who went out only at God's bidding and who impartially delivered his summons to good and evil alike. Every nation had its guardian angel who had the prostasia, the presidency over it. Every individual had his guardian angel. Even little children had their angels (Matthew 18:10). So many were the angels that the Rabbis could even say: "Every blade of grass has its angel."
There was one special belief, held only by some, which is indirectly referred to in this passage which we are studying. The common belief was that the angels were immortal; but there were some who believed that they lived only one day. There was a belief in some rabbinic schools that "every day God creates a new company of angels who utter a song before him and are gone." "The angels are renewed every morning and after they have praised God they return to the stream of fire from whence they came." 4 Ezra 8:21 speaks of the God "before whom the heavenly host stand in terror and at thy word change to wind and fire." A rabbinic homily makes one of the angels say: "God changes us every hour . Sometimes he makes us fire, at other times wind." That is what the writer to the Hebrews means when he talks of God making his angels wind and fire.
With this vast angelology there was a very real danger that the angels would come, in men's belief, to intervene between God and them. It was necessary to show that the Son was greater far than they and that he who knew the Son needed no angel to be his intermediary with God. The writer to the Hebrews does it by choosing what are for him a series of proof texts in which the Son is given a higher place than was ever given to any angel. The texts he quotes are: Psalms 2:7; 2 Samuel 7:14; Psalms 97:7 or Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalms 104:4; Psalms 45:7-8; Psalms 102:26-27; Psalms 110:1. Some of these texts differ from the versions we know because the writer to the Hebrews was quoting from the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament, which is not always the same as the original Hebrew from which our versions are translated. Some of the proof texts he chooses seem very strange. For instance, 2 Samuel 7:14 is in the original a simple reference to Solomon and has nothing to do with the Son or the Messiah. Psalms 102:26-27 is a reference to God and not to the Son. But whenever the early Christians found a text with the word son or the word Lord they considered themselves quite entitled to take it out of its context and to apply it to Jesus.
There was one danger which the writer to the Hebrews wished at all costs to avoid. The doctrine of angels is a lovely thing; but it has one danger. It introduces a series of beings other than Jesus through whom man makes approach to God. In Christianity there is no need for anyone else in between. Because of Jesus and what he did we have direct access to God. As Tennyson had it:
"Speak to him thou for he hears, and Spirit with
spirit can meet--
Closer is he than breathing, and nearer than
hands and feet."
The writer to the Hebrews lays down the great truth that we need no man or supernatural being to bring us into the presence of God. Jesus Christ has broken every barrier down and opened a direct way for us to God.
-Barclay's Daily Study Bible (NT)
Barclay, William. "Commentary on Hebrews 1:4". "William Barclay's Daily Study Bible". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/dsb/hebrews-1.html. 1956-1959.
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Home » Sustainability » Environment
TAQA is committed to understanding our impact and developing creative, sustainable solutions.
The energy industry can have a profound impact on the environment. At TAQA, we see it as our responsibility to provide the energy that communities need to develop and grow. But we must balance this with managing our own environmental footprint.
Our approach and strategy
TAQA is destined to play a major role in how the world meets the predicted 55% jump in demand for electricity between 2010 and 2040. Burning fossil fuels will be part of how we do it. That is why we are committed to finding new ways to make fossil fuels cleaner, and why we are committed to investing in new technologies and becoming more efficient in the process.
At TAQA, we are aiming to improve our operations by reducing energy use and carefully managing our resources. This, we believe, is a key aspect of sustainable development. But while we are seeking to reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuels, we are also aiming to diversify our energy mix. We are doing this by investing in renewable energy technology and exploring other alternative solutions.
TAQA’s Global Environment team focuses on managing key risks including asset integrity and environmental protection. Particular attention is paid to incident prevention to ensure no harm to our own people, assets and reputation; the public and the environment.
Systems and processes
Taking into consideration stakeholders, compliance and stewardship, the global Environmental strategy involves developing TAQA’s global programmes and initiatives, procedures and management standards. Individual business units operations remain responsible for environmental management of their facilities in their own countries for purposes such as environmental permitting and local emissions monitoring.
However, to improve the management of our own environmental footprint TAQA has developed an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) standard to be applied throughout all business units. This is complemented by new global-level key performance indicators (KPIs) with the objective of performance initiatives for air emissions, waste management and reportable spills.
By year-end 2013, five of our six main operated facilities were certified to the international standard for Environmental Management Systems, ISO 14001. Furthermore, the ISO certification process has been completed for the headquarters in Abu Dhabi.
Across our global operations reportable spills were reduced for the second year in a row to 50, compared with 51 in 2013, and 74 the previous year. This is a more significant achievement given the inclusion of the new business in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and the addition of a new asset – the Harding platform – to our UK portfolio during the year. Additionally, low severity spills of less than 100 litres or 100-1000 litres categories make up the highest proportion of the releases.
In 2013, in the Oil & Gas business stream the North American operations made the most notable improvement recording a 43% reduction on the previous year. By focusing on collaboration with contractors and better identification of prevention measures TAQA is aiming to further improve on these positive trends.
Reportable spills* Global
*Includes three ongoing major construction projects and new operations in Iraq.
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Fake residency: the yawning loophole the OECD must close
July 8, 2015 by Nick Shaxson 4 Comments
Dubai: the race-to-the-bottom specialists
The OECD’s Common Reporting Standards (CRS) is the big game in town for curbing cross-border financial transparency. As we’ve often noted, it is a good project, with global reach, but with loopholes.
One of the biggest of these loopholes, perhaps — after Loophole USA — is the problem of ‘fake residency’, where countries allow wealthy people from elsewhere to “buy” their way into being residents of that jurisdiction, perhaps in exchange for their investing a certain amount there, or paying a flat fee.
How does this enable people to escape the CRS?
Very simply: the CRS collects information about the beneficial owners of assets, then transmits that information to the owner’s place of residence. If the residence is fake, then the CRS system will require relevant agencies to collect and transmit the relevant beneficial ownership information to Dominica, say, and Dominica will ignore it, and not tax it either. End of story. The information trail goes cold. Banks, which are a core part of the CRS project, willingly collude in this monkey business.
For most of these fake residency schemes, there is a requirement to hand over relatively serious cash. Dominica, with only 70,000 residents, charges $100,000 for individual fake residency, and they only need a relatively small number of applicants to receive revenues that are meaningful for its 70,000 odd residents, many of whom are quite poor fisherfolk and so on. (No matter that the scheme may be cheating the citizens of other developing countries out of tens of billions: that’s not their concern.)
All sorts of places are jumping on this bandwagon. Following the recent decision of St Lucia to dive in, there are now five such places in the Caribbean alone, including St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and Dominica.
Of course, this is a recipe for a race to the bottom. The next jurisdiction will offer residency for $75,000, and then it’ll be 50,000.
Well, in fact, the race already appears to be scraping the bottom. And it’s that fast-growing purveyor of offshore sleaze, Dubai. Take a look at this.
In short, you can obtain residence visas through three main avenues.
First, buy real estate in one of the United Arab Emirates, worth over a million Dirhams.
Second, get an employment contract there.
Third – and this is the super-sleazy one:
“Incorporation of your own company in the United Arab Emirates. This is the most convenient and efficient option for obtaining business visas in the UAE. It takes only a few weeks to obtain visa and the expenses incurred are relatively low. Moreover, it is not necessary for a company to perform real activity – its business may be purely formal.
within a few days you are issued a certificate of incorporation of onshore company. Thereupon you and your family members receive residence permit in the UAE.”
Easy as pie. For a couple of thousand dollars, and a couple of visits to Dubai each year, you’re off the hook. We hear that this is a very busy business for Dubai. If the OECD doesn’t tackle this one, quickly, then they will all start doing it.
How could this be closed down? Well, quite simply by putting together a blacklist of such jurisdictions: if a beneficial owner is resident in one of these places, then their previous (non-blacklist) place of residency must be registered.
Filed Under: Blog, Information Exchange, Secrecy, The Mechanics of Secrecy
It’s time for countries to start publishing the data they’re collecting under OECD’s Common Reporting Standard
Kenya tax haven approaching: secrecy to be enforced with prison terms
Switzerland is handing back looted money. How big a deal is this?
Patrick Conheady says
I am trying to understand how “fake residency” works under CRS. The way I read it, CRS operates as between each pair of participating jurisdictions and requires reporting of an account in jurisdiction ‘A’ to jurisdiction ‘B’ if the account holder is a resident of jurisdiction B under jurisdiction B’s tax laws, regardless of whether the account holder is also regarded as a resident by another jurisdiction.
That is, supposing that the account is in Switzerland and the account holder has “real” residency in Australia and “fake” residency in Dominica, and that Switzerland and Australia have agreed to exchange information pursuant to the CRS, then the account will be reported to Australia on the basis of Australia’s standards for residency, not Dominica’s. If the account holder is also a resident of Dominca under Dominica’s tax laws, then the account will be reported to both residence jurisdictions. I refer to the definition of “Reportable Jurisdiction Person” and the references to “residence(s)” (plural) throughout the CRS.
I have read that the OECD has issued guidance about partnerships which includes a “tie-breaker”, on the basis that partnerships are notorious for being characterised and treated differently in multiple jurisdictions, but I am not aware of any CRS-specific tie-breaker rule for individuals. The references to jurisdiction B’s tax laws incorporates jurisdiction B’s tax treaties — including tie-breaker rules — but I find it hard to imagine a tax treaty under which “fake” residency trumps “real” residency. For example, the tie-breaker in most of Australia’s tax treaties is to ask to which jurisdiction does the taxpayer have the closest ties; buying a business visa in and visiting one jurisdiction four times a year is unlikely to outweigh any “real” residency in the other jurisdiction. The OECD’s commentary on the CRS indicates that a tax treaty or domestic tax law is the only possible source of a tie-breaker; in the event of a tie, under CRS, everybody gets the information.
Is this not how it works?
Nick Shaxson says
I think that this is about the financial institutions that transmit information – they report to the relevant jurisdiction, and then the information exchange happens. And they will select the residency jurisdiction their clients tell them to. But I am not up to speed on this: I will ask TJN’s resident experts.
Vladimir says
Patrik, you are absolutely right. TJN just writes sheer nonsense. that’s it.
Any confirmation on what Nick has said? Do you get to pick the jurisdiction of your residency or would the information be shared to both without the clients choice?
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Before They Won The FIBA World Cup, The U.S. Women’s Basketball Players Amassed 17 NCAA National Titles
By Leah Jenk | Oct. 04, 2018, 5:31 p.m. (ET)
Earlier this week Team USA won the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and, in doing so, became the first country to qualify for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
All 12 of the Americans are former NCAA student-athletes who have won a combined 17 NCAA national championships. The women’s head coach, Dawn Staley, also serves as head coach of the University of Southern Carolina, and she will be closely watching the NCAA basketball scene on the road to announcing the team that will compete in Tokyo.
Take a look at the women’s collegiate successes before their latest victory with Team USA!
Sue Bird, University of Connecticut, 2002
During her four years at UConn, the Huskies posted a 136-9 record (.938) and won a pair of NCAA national championships (2000 and 2002). Bird also won the 2002 ESPY for Top Female College Athlete of the Year. She has won four Olympic gold medals with Team USA, tying her for the most by any U.S. basketball players.
Tina Charles, University of Connecticut, 2010
While Charles was at UConn, the Huskies complied 146-6 record (.961) and captured the 2009 and 2010 NCAA titles. Charles ranks first among all-time UConn career leaders for points (2,346) and rebounds (1,367). In 2009 she was named the USA Basketball Female athlete of the Year and has won two Olympic gold medals.
Layshia Clarendon, University of California, 2013
During her four years at Cal, Clarendon took the Bears from the 2010 Women’s National Invitational Tournament championship to the 2013 NCAA Women’s Final Four tournament. She finished as the fourth-leading scorer in Cal history with 1,820 points.
Elena Delle Donne, University of Delaware, 2013
As a junior, Delle Donna led the nation in scoring and finished the season averaging 28.1 points per game. She ranks eighth among all-time NCAA Division I scoring leaders with 3,039 points. Delle Done led Delaware to the 2012 and 2013 NCAA tournaments. She also has a gold medal from the Olympic Games 2016.
Brittney Griner, Baylor University, 2013
While representing Baylor, Griner compiled a 135-15 record (.900), including a perfect 40-0 season in 2012. Griner led the Bears to the 2012 NCAA title, where she was named Most Outstanding Player. The 2016 Olympic champion also owns the all-time NCAA Division I career records for blocked shots (748) and dunks (18).
Jewell Loyd, University of Notre Dame, 2015
During her three years, Loyd helped Notre Dame compile a 108-6 (.947) record while competing in three NCAA Women’s Final Fours. She scored 1,909 points in her college career, the fifth highest in Notre Dame history. In 2015, Loyd was the espnW National Player of the Year.
Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Stanford University, 2012
During her time as a Cardinal, Ogwunmike posted a 137-12 record (.919) and advanced to four NCAA Women’s Final Fours, including the 2010 national championship game. Ogwumike completed her career at Stanford as the second all-time leading scorer.
Kelsey Plum, University of Washington, 2017
As a student-athlete at Washington, Plum was the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer with 3,527 points. She owns the NCAA single-season scoring record with 1,109 in 2016-17 and led the Huskies to its first NCAA Women’s Final Four.
Breanna Stewart, University of Connecticut, 2016
While at Connecticut, Stewart and the Huskies compiled a 151-5 (.968) record and amassed four consecutive NCAA titles. Stewart became the first player to win the NCAA Women’s Final Four Most Outstanding Player four times and won the 2016 ESPY for Best Female Athlete. She also won Olympic gold in 2016.
Diana Taurasi, University of Connecticut, 2004
During her four years at UConn, Taurasi and the Huskies tallied a 139-8 (.946) record and won three NCAA titles. She also earned two NCAA Women’s Final Four Most Outstanding Player awards. Taurasi was a two-time Naismith College Player of the Year (2003 and 2004) and is also a four-time Olympic gold medalist.
Morgan Tuck, University of Connecticut, 2016
Alongside teammate Stewart, Tuck earned four NCAA titles. During her senior season, she averaged 19 points, 6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 56.8 percent from the field during the Huskies' 2016 NCAA tournament competition.
A’ja Wilson, University of South Carolina, 2018
Throughout her time in Columbia, South Carolina, Wilson helped the Gamecocks to a 129-16 (.890) record and won the 2017 NCAA national championship. Wilson was the consensus National Player of the Year in 2017. In 2015, she was named the USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year.
Vote On Team USA's Best Athletes From September Oct. 03, 2018
Fans, Athletes Respond On Social Media To Team USA Winning Its Third Straight FIBA World Cup Oct. 01, 2018
The Best Photos From USA Basketball's Gold Medal Win At The FIBA World Cup Oct. 01, 2018
Team USA Secures 10th Women’s Basketball World Cup Title And Qualifies For 2020 Olympics Sept. 30, 2018
U.S. Women’s Basketball Team One Win Away From Third Consecutive World Cup Title Sept. 29, 2018
Sue Bird
Tina Charles
Elena Delle Donne
Breanna Stewart
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Athletes' Advisory Council
Olympians and Paralympians Association
Paralympic Advisory Committee
Rio Edition: An A To Z List Of Reasons We’re All Thankful For Team USA
By Karen Rosen | Nov. 24, 2016, 11 a.m. (ET)
As another Olympic year draws to a close, we give thanks for the inspiring performances from A to Z at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Team USA brought home a heaping helping of medals (236!) while also demonstrating sportsmanship and friendship with athletes from other nations. So, dig in!
Download the Team USA app today for breaking news, Olympic and Paralympic team bios, videos and more.
A is for Ashton Eaton
A is for Ashton Eaton, still the World’s Greatest Athlete. He became the first U.S. decathlete to repeat as Olympic champion since Bob Mathias (1948 and 1952) and tied the Olympic record with 8,893 points. Eaton also holds the world record of 9,045 points.
B is for Basketball
B is for basketball, a Team USA specialty. The United States claimed gold medals in both women’s and men’s competition, with the women winning a record sixth in a row and the men their third straight for an overall record of 138-5 dating back to 1936.
C is for Claressa Shields
C is for Claressa Shields, the queen of the boxing ring. Shields won her second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the middleweight division by unanimous decision in Rio. She is the first American boxer, male or female, to win back-to-back Olympic golds. With a 77-1 amateur record and two world titles, Shields punched her ticket to the professional ranks, winning her pro debut last Saturday.
D is for Abbey D'Agostino
D is for Abbey D’Agostino, the U.S. distance runner who epitomized fair play and the Olympic spirit. In their 5,000-meter heat, Nikki Hamblin of New Zealand tripped and fell, taking D’Agostino down with her. Although the American got up quickly, she would not leave her fellow competitor behind. D’Agostino helped Hamblin to her feet, urging her to finish the race. When D’Agostino, who was hurt in the fall, crumpled to the track in pain, Hamblin stayed with her and helped her get up. D’Agostino ran more than a mile with a severe knee injury and Hamblin was waiting to embrace her at the finish line. Both runners received a Fair Play award from the IOC and the International Fair Play Committee.
E is for Anthony Ervin
E is for Anthony Ervin, the oldest swimmer to win an individual event at any Olympic Games. At age 35 years, two months and 17 days, Ervin won the 50-meter freestyle. Sixteen years earlier, he had tied Gary Hall Jr. for the gold in the same event at the Sydney 2000 Games.
F is for Fencing
F is for fencing, a sport in which Team USA won four medals and ended several droughts. Alexander Massialas won the first foil medal by a U.S. male fencer since 1960 when he took the silver. He also joined Miles Chamley-Watson, Race Imboden and Gerek Meinhardt on the podium for the bronze in men’s team foil, the first for the U.S. in that event in 84 years. Daryl Homer clinched the silver in men’s saber (Team USA’s first since 1984), proving the U.S. men were more than a one-weapon team. On the women’s side, Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first U.S. Olympian to compete wearing a hijab, won a bronze medal in women’s team saber with Monica Aksamit, Dagmara Wozniak and Mariel Zagunis. Zagunis, a two-time gold medalist in women’s saber, is the most decorated fencer in U.S. history.
G is for Galen Rupp
G is for Galen Rupp, who won the Olympic bronze medal in only his second marathon. Rupp was the Olympic silver medalist in the 10,000-meter at the London 2012 Games while also competing in the 5,000. He tripled his options in 2016. Rupp won the Olympic Trials marathon – his first attempt at the 26.2-mile distance – in February in Los Angeles. At the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Track and Field in Eugene, Oregon, in July, Rupp qualified for both the 5,000 and 10,000. He dropped the shorter event, placed fifth in the 10K in Rio and eight days later reached the podium in the marathon.
H is for Helen Maroulis
H is for Helen Maroulis, the first American woman to win a gold medal in Olympic wrestling. She was definitely the underdog. Maroulis had to take down most decorated freestyle wrestler of all time: Japan's Saori Yoshida, the three-time reigning Olympic gold medalist and 13-time world champion, who was inconsolable after the 53 kg. bout.
I is for Isaksen
I is for Isaksen, sisters Margaux and Isabella. Margaux became the first woman to represent Team USA in modern pentathlon in three Olympic Games. She was joined by younger sister Isabella in her first Olympic appearance, making the Games — like Thanksgiving — a family affair.
J is for Jorgensen
J is for Gwen Jorgensen, who won Team USA’s first Olympic triathlon gold medal. After a flat tire deflated her hopes four years earlier — en route to a 38th-place finish at the London 2012 Games — Jorgensen won 17 races in the ITU World Triathlon Series, including 12 straight. Primed for gold in Rio, she won with a 40-second margin.
K is for Kayla Harrison
K is for Kayla Harrison, the first U.S. judoka to win back-to-back Olympic medals of any kind. Four years ago in London, Harrison was the first Team USA athlete to win a gold medal in judo. In Rio, the top-ranked Harrison defeated No. 2 Audrey Tcheumeo of France by ippon in the women’s 78 kg. gold-medal bout and promptly retired. However, she’s still a fighter. Harrison will now try her hand at mixed martial arts.
L is for Katie Ledecky
L is for Katie Ledecky, the most dominant female swimmer at the Rio Games and already one of the greatest swimmers of all time. Ledecky won four gold medals and a silver in Rio to go along with the gold she captured in London at age 15. Ledecky won the 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyles — shattering world records in the longer two events — and contributed to two relays. Ledecky is now smashing collegiate records at Stanford University.
M is for Michelle Carter
M is for Michelle Carter, who added some Olympic hardware to the family trophy case. She won the women’s shot put gold medal 32 years after her father Michael took the silver in the same event at the Los Angeles 1984 Games. Michelle’s win was Team USA’s first Olympic gold in women’s shot put. The Carters are the only father-daughter combination from Team USA to win medals at the Games. Ryan Crouser, who won the men’s shot put, is also from a family of Olympic throwers. His uncle, Brian Crouser, made two Olympic teams in the javelin.
N is for Grace Norman
N is for Grace Norman, who did more in 36 hours than many people accomplish in 36 years. Norman, 18, won the first Team USA gold in paratriathlon. She said of standing on the podium, “raising that flag, especially on 9/11, remembering and being thankful for my freedom was just amazing.” The following night Norman took the bronze in a different sport — track and field — in the women’s 400-meter T-44.
O is for One Thousand U.S. Gold Medals Won
O is for one thousand U.S. gold medals won. The U.S. women’s 400-meter medley relay team of Kathleen Baker, Lilly King, Simone Manuel and Dana Vollmer swam into the history books by winning the 1,000th gold medal for Team USA at the Olympic Games in summer competition. Team USA came into the 2016 Games with 977 gold medals beginning with triple jumper James Connolly on April 6, 1896 and now has 1,023. Shooter Ginny Thrasher won the first gold medal of the Rio Games — in women’s 10-meter air rifle — and the U.S. men’s basketball team won the last gold of the Games, marking the first time in history Team USA took the first and last golds of the Games.
P is for Michael Phelps
P is for Michael Phelps, who, of course, is the greatest Olympian of all time. Phelps had a full plate once again at his fifth Olympic Games. He came out of retirement to add to his record haul with five gold medals and a silver. Phelps now has 28 medals, including 23 gold. For the first time, he was also a team captain and Team USA’s Opening Ceremony flag bearer. His son Boomer watched from the stands with Phelps’ wife, Nicole, whom he had secretly married in June.
Q is for Qualifiers
Q is for qualifiers, every member of Team USA who made it to the Games. A total of 558 athletes wore the red, white and blue at the Olympic Games, with 289 athletes comprising the largest U.S. Paralympic roster in history.
R is for Kim Rhode
R is for Kim Rhode, for whom winning Olympic medals is a 20-year tradition. Rhode is the first woman to win six medals in six straight Olympic Games. The shooter is also the first athlete — male or female — to hit that target in summer competition. Her bronze medal in women’s skeet in Rio also marked the fifth continent on which she has won a medal. Rhode, 37, was just 17 when she won a gold in Atlanta in double trap, becoming the youngest shooting champion in Olympic history. She won a bronze in 2000 and another gold in Athens. When double trap was dropped from the Olympic program, Rhode switched to skeet, winning the silver in 2008 and the gold in 2012. And she’s not done yet.
S is for Simone
S is for Simone, a name synonymous with success in Rio. Gymnast Simone Biles won four gold medals – including all-around and team titles – and a bronze while charming the crowd with her ease and effervescence. Meanwhile, swimmer Simone Manuel won two gold and two silver medals. Manuel tied for the gold in the 100-meter freestyle with Penny Oleksiak of Canada, becoming the first African-American woman to win an individual Olympic gold in swimming. She also set an American record in the race and she and Oleksiak jointly hold the Olympic record.
T is for Tatyana McFadden
T is for Tatyana McFadden, the wheelchair racer who won four gold and two silver medals at the Rio Paralympic Games. McFadden also led Team USA sweeps in the T54 1,500 and 5,000-meter finals with Chelsea McClammer and Amanda McGrory. Swimmer Jessica Long also won six medals (three silver medals, two bronze and a gold). McFadden has now won 16 summer Paralympic medals since 2004 and also won a silver medal in Paralympic cross-country skiing at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.
U is for Team USA
U is for Team USA, which topped the medal count in its sixth straight Olympic Games. Team USA led the medal chart in every category for only the seventh time in Olympic history and the first since 1948, leading all nations with 121 medals, including 46 golds, 37 silvers and 38 bronzes. Team USA’s 121 medals were the most ever for a U.S. team in a non-boycotted Games, topping the previous high of 110 from Beijing in 2008.
V is for Venus Williams
V is for Venus Williams, who won her fifth Olympic medal — the most by any U.S. tennis player. At age 36, she teamed with Rajeev Ram to win the silver medal in mixed doubles, losing to fellow Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jack Sock. Williams began her Olympic career with the gold in singles and doubles (with sister Serena) in 2000, and also teamed with Serena for gold in 2008 and 2012.
W is for Women's Water Polo
W is for women’s water polo. Led by tournament MVP Maggie Steffens, the U.S. women’s water polo team was the first to successfully defend its Olympic title and the only nation to medal at each of the five Olympic Games since the women’s competition joined the program in 2000.
X is for X-Factor
X is for “X factor,” which men’s volleyball team captain David Lee called Taylor Sanders en route to a hard-fought bronze medal. The U.S. men, who won the gold in 2008, tied for fifth in 2012 and worked hard to return to the podium.
Y is for you — yes, you, the reader and viewer who cheered Team USA in Rio and from home.
Z is for Matthew Centrowitz
Z is for Matthew Centrowitz, a fitting end to our list since it is the last letter of the alphabet and the last letter of his name. Centrowitz ended one of the longest droughts in U.S. Olympic history when he won the men’s 1,500-meter. He became the first American to take gold in the race, one of the signature distances in the Games (the metric mile), since Mel Sheppard in 1908. His coach, Alberto Salazar, also has a “Z” in his name for good measure.
2017 U.S. Alpine Ski Team Named, Including Potential Return Of Bode Miller Nov. 23, 2016
John Daly Returns To Skeleton With One Goal In Mind: An Olympic Medal Nov. 23, 2016
Paralympic Snowboarder Mike Shea Got A Crash Course In Summer Games In Rio Nov. 23, 2016
Resilient Mirai Nagasu Hopes To Rebound At Japan’s NHK Trophy Nov. 23, 2016
Ashton Eaton
Claressa Shields
Abbey D'Agostino
Anthony Ervin
Alexander Massialas
Miles Chamley-Watson
Race Imboden
Gerek Meinhardt
Daryl Homer
Ibtihaj Muhammad
Monica Aksamit
Dagmara Wozniak
Mariel Zagunis
Galen Rupp
Margaux Isaksen
Isabella Isaksen
Gwen Jorgensen
Katie Ledecky
Michelle Carter
Grace Norman
Kathleen Baker
Lilly King
Simone Manuel
Dana Vollmer
Kim Rhode
Tatyana McFadden
Para Track and Field
US Paralympics
Matthew Centrowitz
About U.S. Paralympics
How to become a classifier
Paralympic Sport Clubs
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Fake Advertisement Called Updated iPhone Waterproof
Apple Gadgets News Smartphones
Waqar Hassan Posted on September 28, 2013
The launch of the new iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C has been greeted with a lot of enthusiasm from the people. Individuals have been desperate to get their hands on the new iPhone 5S especially because this improvement of the iPhone 5 holds a lot more than simple enhancement. There are some really cool introductions that have been incorporated into the updated iPhone, which include the fingerprint scanner, the improved camera and most importantly, the updated iOS 7. These are probably the reason why the iPhones have managed to rack 9 million sales on just the weekend of their release. However, with the excitement, there are some problems as well.
A number of customers found themselves to be the brunt of the joke that was pulled by a fake advertisement of the iPhone 5S. This advertisement basically claimed that updating the iPhone to the iOS 7 would automatically make the device water resistant. At first glance, the particular advertisement seems to be completely genuine and the work of the company itself. This is due to the fact that it uses the familiar fonts and white space, consistent with what Apple Inc. does. It has been deduced that the fake advertisement probably originated from the 4Chan network, but was able to make its way into the mainstream media.
Twitter and Facebook played a significant role in the popularity of this fake advert and a large number of people failed to see the joke and accepted the claims at face value. The advertisement starts off with a description of iOS 7, but carries a headline dictating the waterproof feature associated with the update. As per the details provided, the power supply of the phone will be shut off by a smart-switch in case of an emergency along with corresponding components. The delicate circuitry of the device will be protected from damage in this way.
Various new features are associated with the upgrade of the iOS, but being waterproof is definitely not one of them and this can be testified by the outrage of iPhone owners on Twitter. Currently, Sony and Samsung are the only two companies that are offering water-resistant smartphones in the market. As for the origin of the fake advert, it is well-known that 4Chan has the habit of infiltrating social media and blue chip websites for the sole purpose of hoaxing its users. It has been a part of various high-profile stunts.
Some of them include the rigging of the Person of the Year Poll of Time Magazine in favor of Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader. Other pranks include targeting the fans of Justin Bieber where the official Entertainment Tonight’ Twitter account had been hacked and had been use to report some ‘breaking news’. This news had stated that the pop superstar had been diagnosed with cancer and fans that admired him and cared about his well-being should be mourning for him. The iPhone prank was simply the latest one and caused a number of people to ruin their new devices by putting them in water.
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Monarchs continue to rule over Worcester Sharks
By Bill Ballou TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
Jan 2, 2015 at 11:18 PM Jan 2, 2015 at 11:40 PM
WORCESTER — J. Lee Richmond arrived in town about 135 years too early to help the Sharks.
It was 1880 when Richmond, pitching for Worcester of the National League, hurled the first perfect game in baseball history over in the Sever Street neighborhood, not all that far from the DCU Center.
It was 1880 when Richmond, pitching for Worcester of the National League, hurled the first perfect game in baseball history over in the Sever Street neighborhood, not all that far from the DCU Center. Hockey may be nothing like baseball, and 1880 may be nothing like 2015, but a perfect game is just about what the Sharks have to play to beat the Manchester Monarchs.
That's something that hasn't happened yet in the 2014-15 season.
Worcester's latest loss happened on Friday night with Manchester prevailing, 2-1. The defeat snapped the Sharks' budding winning streak at two and ended their points streak at four games.
Zach O'Brien and Sean Backman had the Monarchs goals. Willie Coetzee scored for the Sharks, who were kept in the game by an excellent performance in net by Troy Grosenick.
"The bottom line is, when they get an opportunity they bury it," coach Roy Sommer said, "and when we get an opportunity, like that one by (Ryan) Carpenter near the end, we don't bury it."
Worcester might have been three plays away from winning the game and that was one of them. Carpenter had what looked like an open net, if only for an instant, at 15:18 of the third period but could not put the puck in it. That chance came just a couple of minutes after Coetzee had scored the Sharks' only goal, knocking in a rebound at 13:23.
Six minutes earlier, Manchester had taken a 2-0 lead on Backman's power-play goal. The goal game about 14 seconds after another of those game-altering moments, as captain Bryan Lerg failed to connect on a short-handed try.
He was all alone in the slot, between the circles, and could not get good enough wood on the puck to take advantage of Monarchs goaltender J.F. Berube.
Had Lerg scored, Backman would never have scored his goal down the other end.
The other critical play was on Manchester's first goal, scored at 12:00 of the second period by O'Brien.
As the Sharks tried to clear the puck from their own end, it wound up going high in the air and landing in the circle to Grosenick's left. Matt Taormina looked like he had things under control, but all of a sudden there was O'Neill heading towards the net by himself.
He put the puck on his backhand and it looked like Grosenick was able to get a piece of the puck on a pokecheck attempt but it wound up plopping into the back of the net.
Taormina had gone down almost like a goaltender to prevent the puck from getting past him but it did anyway.
"I thought I had the play made," he said, "but then the puck took a weird bounce and somehow sneaked through. The puck was bouncing a lot all night, and that's the way it was bouncing for me."
It is of little consolation emotionally for the Sharks that they are hardly alone in being beaten by Manchester on a regular basis.
The Monarchs have the best record in the entire league and are 7-1-0 in their last eight games and 11-2-0 in their last 13. Manchester started the season at 5-4-0 and is 18-3-2 in its last 23 games.
Six of those 23 have been against Worcester and the Monarchs have gotten 12 of a possible 12 points. The Sharks have one point via an overtime loss.
"That team, man, we've got to figure out a way," Sommer said. "They've got a good team. They are where they are for a reason."
The Sharks know the reason. Like most of the teams in the AHL, they just can't figure out what to do about it.
Contact Bill Ballou at wballou@telegram.com.
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‘Cruel Intentions’ TV Adaptation Ordered to Pilot at NBC
Roger Kumble returns to write, direct and produce follow up to 1999 film, which originally starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe
Joe Otterson | February 2, 2016 @ 3:30 PM Last Updated: February 2, 2016 @ 3:57 PM
NBC has officially ordered a pilot for a TV adaptation of “Cruel Intentions,” TheWrap has learned.
The pilot picks up over 15 years after the movie left off.
It follows Kathryn Merteuil (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar in the original) as she vies for control of Valmont International as well as the soul of Bash Casey, the son of her brother, the late Sebastian Valmont (Ryan Phillippe) and Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon). Upon discovering his late father’s legacy in a hidden journal, Bash is introduced to a world of sex, money, power and corruption he never could have imagined.
NBC bought the script in October with a commitment, plus a penalty from the film’s original director and writer Roger Kumble. He will also direct the pilot in addition to co-writing with Lindsey Rosin and Jordan Ross, best known for staging musical version of “Cruel Intentions” in Los Angeles last summer.
Also Read: 'Cougar Town' Creator Bill Lawrence Sitcom Among 3 NBC Comedy Pilot Orders
The trio will also executive produce the series. Neal Moritz and Original Film’s Pavun Shetty will also executive produce through their deal with Sony Pictures Television.
“Cruel Intentions” was a surprise hit when it debuted in 1999 after pulling in $75 million worldwide on a $10.5 million budget. It also helped launch the careers of Witherspoon and co-star Selma Blair.
Kumble previously tried to bring “Cruel Intentions” to TV with a series called “Manchester Prep.” It was scrapped by Fox prior to the airing of the first episode in 1999, due to scenes that included female masturbation amongst other things. It starred Robin Dunne, Amy Adams and Keri Lynn Pratt and was then adapted into a straight-to-DVD sequel “Cruel Intentions 2.”
Also Read: 'Training Day' TV Pilot Gets Order at CBS
This marks the latest attempt to adapt a film to the small screen. CBS found success in fall 2015 with their adaptation of “Limitless,” with Bradley Cooper serving as executive producer after starring in the 2011 film.
CBS will also debut a television adaptation of the “Rush Hour” film series on March 31 and recently ordered a “Training Day” series to pilot.
Other film-to-TV adaptations have not been so lucky. Fox struck out with “Minority Report,” based on the 2002 Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg film. The show averaged less than 2.1 million viewers per episode and was cancelled after one season.
contextual-link post_id=”842848” title=”Also Read” link_title=”NBC Renews ‘Chicago Med,’ ‘Law & Order: SVU'” target=”_blank”]
Kumble is represented by UTA. Rosin is represented by ICM, Foundry Literary + Media, Underground, and Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown. Ross is also represented by ICM.
55 First Looks at New and Returning 2016 TV Shows (Exclusive Photos)
"Galavant" (ABC): ABC's quirky musical comedy is back for even more absurdity, with a meta first episode titled "A New Season aka Suck It Cancellation Bear."
(Premieres Sunday, Jan. 3 at 8 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘Agent Carter,’ ‘Secrets and Lies’ and ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ Among ABC’s 22 Returning Series
"Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life" (Fox): The single-camera comedy from creator Jay Lacopo looks at the lives of young people straight out of college.
(Premieres Sunday, Jan. 3 at 9:30 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘American Idol’ Return Date, Winter Schedule Set by Fox
"Downton Abbey" (PBS): The sixth and final season of the smash U.K. hit makes its U.S. premiere.
(Premieres Sunday, Jan. 3 a 9 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘Downton Abbey’ Christmas Special Casts Bertie’s Mom, Brings Back Prior Stars
“Bordertown” (Fox): Two families become embroiled in romance, conflict and friendship in this new animated comedy from “Family Guy” writer Mark Hentemann and executive produced by Seth MacFarlane.
Also Read: Fox Orders 13 Episodes of Seth MacFarlane’s ‘Bordertown’
“The Bachelor” (ABC): The 20th season of the popular dating reality show sees Ben Higgins, who was rejected by the latest “Bachelorette” Kaitlyn, as the newest single catch fending off and deciding between twenty-one new contestants.
(Premieres Monday, Jan. 4 at 8 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘Bachelor Live’ Talk Show to Follow ‘The Bachelor’ Episodes Next Season
"The Biggest Loser" (NBC): The reality weight loss competition is back for more bootcamp style transformations, welcoming new host Bob Harper to the gym.
Also Read: Alison Sweeney Quits as Host of ‘The Biggest Loser’ After 13 Seasons
"New Girl" (Fox): Jess will have "jury duty" for about five episodes as Zooey Deschanel makes room for Megan Fox, but she'll stick around long enough to see Schmidt plan his wedding to Cece.
(Premieres Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘New Girl’ Actor Satya Bhabha Joins Lucy Hale’s Indie Comedy ‘Dude’ (Exclusive)
"Teen Wolf" (MTV): Scott and Stiles will have to put aside their differences when MTV's hit series returns for the second half of Season 5. Stiles' dad, the Sheriff, is still in grave danger, and there's tons of new mysteries to solve. BFF drama can wait.
Also Read: ‘Teen Wolf’ Goes ‘To Hell and Back’ in New Trailer (Video)
"The Shannara Chronicles" (MTV): The home of "Teen Wolf" dives deep into high fantasy with this adaptation of Terry Brooks' bestselling series of YA novels. Young heroes are tested as the dying Ellcrys tree inflects deadly demons upon the earth.
(Premieres Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 10 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ Title Sequence Teases Epic Battle Ahead (Video)
"Mike and Molly" (CBS): Melissa McCarthy returns for one final season of CBS' hit sitcom. The shortened 13-episode final season was announced by co-star Rondi Reeds, prompting McCarthy to share via Twitter that she too was "shocked and heartbroken" upon learning of the cancellation.
(Premieres Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET)
Also Read: Melissa McCarthy ‘Shocked and Heartbroken’ Over ‘Mike & Molly’ Cancellation
"American Crime" (ABC): John Ridley's anthology drama returns for a second season and a brand new story, this time involving an accusation of rape on a college campus.
(Premieres Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 10 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ABC Sets ‘American Crime’ Season 2 Premiere Date
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" (FXX): Mac, Dennis, Dee and Charlie are in for more shenanigans at Paddy's in the eleventh season of the hit comedy.
Also Read: ‘It’s Always Sunny’ Crew Weighs In on ‘Interview,’ Charlie Hebdo Attacks on Free Speech
“Shades of Blue” (NBC): Jennifer Lopez makes a rare return to scripted television in this event series, also starring Ray Liotta, about a group of tough Brooklyn cops who are not afraid to sometimes step outside the confines of the law in order to protect their city.
(Premieres Thursday, Jan. 7 at 9 p.m. ET)
Also Read: Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Shades of Blue’ to Replace ‘The Player’ on NBC
“Angel From Hell” (CBS): The network's newest sitcom follows Jane Lynch as Amy, a colorful, brassy woman who insinuates herself into Allison's (Maggie Lawson) organized and seemingly perfect life, claiming to be her "guardian angel."
(Premieres Thursday, Jan. 7 at 9:30 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘Criminal Minds’ Spinoff, ‘Angel From Hell’ Get CBS Premiere Dates
"Shameless" (Showtime): Frank discovers religion on Season 6 of Showtime's popular dark family dramedy following the Gallaghers. The new season finds the scrappy family struggling with change and the possibility of growing apart.
(Premieres Sunday, Jan. 10 at 9 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘Shameless’ Season 6 Trailer Promises Tears, New Faces and Lots of Fighting (Video)
"Pretty Little Liars" (ABC Family): The mystery of "A" has been solved and t's five years later for Aria, Hanna, Spencer, Emily and Alison, but danger is not far behind. Cheers to Season 6B!
(Premieres Tuesday, Jan. 12. at 8 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘Pretty Little Liars’ Creator Disputes Report Series ‘Will End After Season 7’
"Shadowhunters" (ABC Family): Cassandra Clare's bestselling YA novels get a makeover adaptation in this series about Clary Fray, who discovers she's destined to be a protector of the human race from demons that lurk around every corner.
(Premieres Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 9 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ABC Family Sets ‘Shadowhunters’ Premiere Date
"Second Chance" (Fox): Formerly known as "The Frankenstein Code," then "Lookinglass," Fox's newest science fiction drama is about a morally corrupt cop who's brought back to life decades later in a newer, younger, stronger body - and the consequences of that.
(Premieres Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 9 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘The Frankenstein Code’ Gets New Title From Fox
"Younger" (TV Land): Season 2 of TVLand's dramedy starring Sutton Foster sees Liza navigating choppier romantic waters with Josh and Charles, as well as the return of her daughter Caitlin.
(Special back to back 2-episode Season 2 premiere episode airs Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 10 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘Younger’ Exclusive Portraits by TheWrap: Sutton Foster, Nico Tortorella, Darren Star (Photos)
"Teachers" (TV Land): This teachers-behaving-badly comedy is based on the popular web series of the same name, also written by and starring six members of the improv group Katydids.
(Premieres Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 11 p.m. ET, regularly airs Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m.)
"Colony" (USA) A drama about life in Los Angeles during an occupation by aliens reunites star Josh Holloway and executive producer Carlton Cuse, who worked together on "Lost."
(Premieres Thursday, Jan. 14 at 10 p.m. Eastern)
Also Read: Josh Holloway on Reuniting with ‘Lost’s’ Carlton Cuse: ‘I Don’t Know Anything That’s Going On’
"Angie Tribeca" (TBS): Executive producers Steve and Nancy Carrell's comedy take on the cop-show genre stars Rashida Jones.
(Premieres Sunday, Jan. 17 at 9 p.m.)
Also Read: Steve Carell-Rashida Jones Cop Comedy Ordered to Series by TBS
"Billions" (Showtime): The network's newest drama stars Damian Lewis and Paul Giamatti as two powerful men who blur the lines between good and evil in their rivalry.
(Premieres Sunday, Jan. 17 at 10 p.m. ET)
Also Read: Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis Clash in Showtime’s ‘Billions’ Footage (Exclusive Video)
"Mercy Street" (PBS): The Civil War drama starring osh Radnor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Gary Cole and Cherry Jones follows two nurses on opposing sides of the battle lines.
Also Read: Josh Radnor, Mary Elizabeth Winstead Heal the Wounded in PBS Civil War Drama ‘Mercy Street’ Clip (Exclusive Video)
"Marvel's Agent Carter" (ABC): The mid-century Marvel period superhero series returns for a second season.
Also Read: 5 Things We Learned About ‘Doctor Strange’ From Benedict Cumberbatch Cover
"DC's Legends of Tomorrow" (The CW): Heroes and villains of "Arrow" and "The Flash" team up to travel through time and take down an immortal villain, Vandal Savage, who just may conquer the planet should they fail in their mission.
(Premieres Thursday, Jan. 21 at 8 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow’ Team Lines Up on New Poster (Photo)
"The 100" (The CW): The third season of the post-apocalyptic drama picks up three months after the catastrophic events of the Season 2 finale. Clarke is on the run and in danger, and Bellamy is trying to hold things together back at Camp Jaha. And a certain AI is still out there somewhere with a warhead that could destroy what's left of humanity.
Also Read: ‘The 100’ Extended Trailer Teases Everyone at War (Video)
“Baskets” (FX): Zach Galifianakis stars in this new comedy as Chip Baskets, who sets out to conquer his dream of becoming a professional clown. Flunking out of a prestigious Paris clown school, Chip finds himself working at a local rodeo in Bakersfield, CA instead.
(Premieres Thursday, Jan. 21 at 10 p.m. ET)
Also Read: Zach Galifianakis Comedy ‘Baskets’ Gets Series Order From FX
"Black Sails" (Starz): Toby Stephens is back as Captain Flint as Season 3 of Starz's pirate adventure drama takes on the battle for Nassau. This season will also introduce Ray Stevenson as Blackbeard.
(Premieres Saturday, Jan. 23 at 9 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘Black Sails’ Season 3 Trailer Teases the Battle for Nassau (Video)
"The X-Files" (Fox): Mulder and Scully are back to give it one last shot at solving the mystery of aliens and government cover-ups. But they'll have time for a side case or two, as most episodes of the revival event series will feature standalone stories.
(Premieres Sunday, Jan.24 at 10 p.m. ET)
Also Read: New ‘X-Files’ Trailer Promises Return to Original Series’ Mythology (Video)
"Lucifer" (Fox): The latest DC comic book adaptation sees the devil himself doing some good. Lucifer, bored with hell, moves to Los Angeles (where else) and teams up with an LAPD detective to solve crimes. "Gotham" crossover anyone?
(Premieres Monday, Jan. 25 at 9 p.m. ET)
Also Read: Fox’s ‘Lucifer’ Is ‘Hotter Than Hell’ in New Teaser (Video)
"The Fosters" (ABC Family): The third season of the acclaimed blended family series sees everyone settling into a new dynamic now that Callie is permanently adopted, while medical problems, secrets and relationship drama threaten everyone's happiness.
(Premieres Monday, Jan. 25 at 8 p.m ET)
Also Read: ‘The Fosters’ Renewed for Season 4 by ABC Family
"Recovery Road" (ABC Family): Teenage drinking has serious consequences on ABC Family's latest drama, which features a high school student who is forced into rehab or risk expulsion.
Also Read: ‘The Fosters,’ ‘Recovery Road’ Premieres Delayed by ABC Family
"Outsiders" (WGN): This Paul Giamatti-produced drama explores life inside a group of people living off the grid.
Also Read: New ‘Outsiders’ Trailer Sees Farrell Family Gearing Up to Kick Ass (Video)
“Suits” (USA): The second half of Season 5 returns to see the repurcussions of Mike behind bars, five seasons of lies and deception finally caught up to him. But don’t expect the mystery of who turned him in to be solved right away. The Patrick J. Adams-led drama has already been renewed for a sixth season.
(Premieres Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 10 p.m. ET)
Also Read: USA Renews ‘Suits’ for Sixth Season
"You, Me and the Apocalypse" (NBC): U.K. co-production and science fiction comedy stars Rob Lowe and Jenna Fischer.
(Premieres Thursday, Jan. 28 at 8 p.m.)
Also Read: Timothy Olyphant Stars in ‘The Grinder: New Orleans’ in Fox Comedy Sneak Preview (Exclusive Video)
"Grease Live" (Fox): The live musical event obsession continues, and now Fox is getting into the fun with a live production of "Grease," starring Aaron Tveit as Danny and Julianne Hough as Sandy.
Also Read: ‘Grease: Live’ First Teaser Sees Julianne Hough, Vanessa Hudgens Doing the Hand Jive (Video)
“The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX): Ryan Murphy takes his anthology series prowess to dramatically retell the Trial of the Century, following the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and subsequent trial of former NFL star O.J. Simpson. Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Simpson, with Sarah Paulson, John Travolta, David Schwimmer and more starring.
(Premieres Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 10 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘American Crime Story’ Trailer Reveals First Look at Selma Blair as Kris Jenner (Video)
"Vinyl" (HBO): Bobby Cannavale plays a record executive in the 1970s who's searching for the next life-changing sound and band. Terrence Winter, Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger are EPs.
(Premieres Sunday, Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. ET)
Also Read: Martin Scorsese-Mick Jagger Rock ‘n’ Roll Project Gets Series Order From HBO
"The Walking Dead" (AMC). Glenn lives. Negan is coming.
(Midseason premiere Sunday, Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. ET)
Also Read: How ‘Fear the Walking Dead,’ ‘Better Call Saul’ and ‘Into the Badlands’ Broke New Ground for AMC in 2015
"11/22/63" (Hulu): A schoolteacher, Jake Epping, discovers he can travel back in time - and decides to try to stop the JFK assassination. The 10-hour adaptation of Stephen King novel stars James Franco.
(Premieres at midnight on President's Day, Feb. 15)
Also Read: James Franco Goes Back in Time to Stop JFK Assassination in ’11/22/63’ Teaser (Video)
"Better Call Saul" (AMC): Jimmy McGill continues his journey to becoming Walter White's lawyer Saul Goodman in Season 2 of the hit "Breaking Bad' spinoff series.
(Premieres Monday, Feb. 15 at 10 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘Better Call Saul’ Gets Season 2 Premiere Date From AMC
"Vikings" (History): The cable network bolstered its hit action series, adding four episodes to the fourth season of the Travis Fimmel-led show. The first 10 episodes air in February, with another 10 set for later in 2016.
(Premieres Thursday, Feb. 18 at 10 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘Vikings’ Gets Additional 4-Episode Order, Season 4 Premiere Date
"Girls" (HBO): Hannah, Marnie, Jessa and Shoshanna are back for even more twentysomething angst in Season 5 of the Emmy-winning dramedy.
(Premieres Sunday, Feb. 21. at 10 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘Girls’ Season 5 Trailer Shows Lena Dunham Drifting Apart From Friends (Video)
“Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders” (CBS): The latest “Criminal Minds” series follows the International Repsonse Unit, the FBI division which is tasked with solving crimes and coming to the rescue of Americans who find themselves in danger while abroad.
(Premieres Wednesday, Mar. 2 at 10 p.m. ET)
“Of Kings and Prophets” (ABC): The Ray Winstone drama is described as an epic biblical saga of faith, ambition and betrayal as told through the eyes of the battle-weary King Saul, the resentful prophet Samuel and the resourceful young shepherd David — all on a collision course with destiny that will change the world.
(Premieres Tuesday, March 8 at 10 p.m. ET)
Also Read: ‘How to Get Away With Murder’ Finale, New Shondaland Drama ‘The Catch’ Premiere Dates Set at ABC
"Underground" (WGN America): The 10-part miniseries is described as a pulse-pounding journey with revolutionaries of the Underground Railroad and tells the unflinching story of a group of courageous men and women who band together for the fight of their lives – for their families, their future and their freedom.
(Premieres Wednesday, Mar. 9)
"The Catch" (ABC): ABC’s latest Shondaland drama stars Mireille Enos as a fraud expert who finds herself being conned, by her own fiance, who’s been working with his real lover in stealing all her money. This one underwent a bit of a makeover with the recasting of two of its leads. Peter Krause and Sonya Walger replaced Damon Dayoub and Bethany Joy Lenz, respectively.
(Premieres Thursday, Mar. 24 at 10 p.m. ET)
"The Path" (Hulu): Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan in a new series from "Friday Night Lights" executive producer Jason Katims.
(Premieres March 30)
"Hap and Leonard" (Sundance TV): Based on the series of stories by Joe Lansdale, this anthology series follows the adventures of best friends Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. The two are chronically single, perpetually broke and guided by an old fashioned sense of honor and morality – but the similarities end there.
(Premieres in March on Sundance TV)
"Jackie Robinson" (PBS): The two-part Ken Burns documentary explores the life of the Brooklyn Dodgers legend who broke baseball's color barrier.
(Premieres Monday, April 11)
Also Read: PBS’ ‘Finding Your Roots’ to Return After Ben Affleck Slavery Scandal
"Hunters" (Syfy): Based on Whitley Strieber’s best-selling novel "Alien Hunter," Syfy's latest comes from "Walking Dead's" Gale Ann Hurd and follows an FBI agent on the trail of a shadowy terrorist organization, who may or may not be from this world.
(Premieres in April on Syfy)
Also Read: Syfy Renews ‘Ghost Hunters,’ ‘Paranormal Witness’
"12 Monkeys" (Syfy): Cole and Cassie do more time traveling and end up in the 1940s for at least some amount of time in Season 2 of Syfy's adaptation of the film of the same name - though the series is decidedly its own thing at this point.
Also Read: Inside Syfy’s ‘Fewer, Bigger, Better’ Transformation
"Outlander" (Starz): Jamie and Claire travel to France in Season 2 of the popular Diana Gabaldon adaptation, where they will try to change history and maybe raise a baby at the same time.
(Premieres in April on Starz)
Also Read: ‘Outlander’ EP Ron Moore on Golden Globe Nominations, Sam Heughan Snub
"Containment" (The CW): "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals" showrunner Julie Plec adds another project to her plate with this drama set in the immediate aftermath of a catastrophic viral outbreak.
(Premieres in midseason on The CW)
Also Read: Watch Trailers for New CW Shows: ‘DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,’ ‘Containment,’ ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ (Videos)
Exclusive new images from “Pretty Little Liars,” “The X-Files,” “12 Monkeys” and more shows coming in midseason
Fox Orders Pilot for Chernin Brothers Comedy ‘The Mick’
By Tony Maglio | February 2, 2016 @ 9:00 AM
CBS Orders Parental Comedy Pilot From Dan Kopelman, Aaron Kaplan
By Joe Otterson | February 1, 2016 @ 2:30 PM
‘Training Day’ TV Pilot Gets Order at CBS
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EU court to rule on whether air passengers can claim compensation for delays caused by technical faults
By Money Mail Reporter For The Daily Mail
Published: 19:24 EDT, 15 September 2015 | Updated: 19:24 EDT, 15 September 2015
Under EU law, you are entitled to up to £441 if your flight lands more than three hours late
A European court is due to give a final ruling tomorrow on whether airline passengers can claim compensation for delays caused by technical faults.
Under EU law, you are entitled to up to £441 if your flight lands more than three hours late.
But airlines don’t have to pay if they can prove an ‘extraordinary’ circumstance, such as bad weather, caused the delay.
Technical faults are the most common reason for a hold-up, though, and airlines argue that these count as ‘extraordinary’ despite numerous court decisions to the contrary.
A Supreme Court ruling last year was supposed to allow passengers to claw back £3.89 billion in historic claims. But airlines keep trying to wriggle out of paying.
Tomorrow, the European Court of Justice will rule on a case between Dutch airline KLM and passenger Van der Lans.
If KLM wins, passengers in England and Wales may find their claims rejected. If not, they should all receive compensation.
New credit card with no fees and a long term low rate of... Has Santander just killed off Britain's best bank account?...
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Countries/Regions
Overview Products & service
Overview Newsroom
Daily press, 2018-10-18, 08:21 AM
thyssenkrupp Elevator rolls out HoloLinc - world’s first Industry 4.0 solution to transform measurement and delivery in the stairlift industry
Digitization becomes everyday business, tangible and productive: thyssenkrupp Elevator equips 120 sales executives in ten countries with a special toolkit including mixed-reality technology and Microsoft HoloLens
Revolutionary new HoloLinc technology developed by thyssenkrupp Elevator and Zühlke uses Microsoft HoloLens to directly interact with customers
Digitized engineering to make the process between measurement and delivery four times quicker
thyssenkrupp Elevator is responding to the challenges of delivering customized mobility solutions by launching HoloLinc, a first of its kind, fully digitalized sales process for the stairlift industry. Developed in partnership with Zühlke and Microsoft, HoloLinc will be used by 120 sales representatives to significantly speed up the process, from measurement to delivery. Sales executives will receive a HoloLinc toolkit, comprising of Microsoft HoloLens, a tablet, portable printer, as well as other technical accessories.
After a pilot in the Netherlands with more than 300 successful installations to date, the solution is being rolled out in October in the UK, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, and France, with Norway and Japan to follow next year. The global roll-out marks a significant milestone in mass industrial innovation and brings together the expertise of leading companies. thyssenkrupp Elevator, Zühlke and Microsoft have collaborated to make this technology the new industry standard. As the first real example of mixed-reality to be applied in large-scale field services, HoloLinc delivers a completely new experience in engineering-to-order.
Delivery times up to four times quicker
The combination of mixed-reality and a cloud-based configurator allows for significantly accelerated delivery times as well as for an unparalleled customer experience. With the help of digital twins, customers will be able to see exactly what the product will look like in their own home and customize it to their specific requirements. They will also enjoy a much smoother, hassle-free and shorter ordering process – what usually takes around 40 to 70 days will now be reduced to just 14 days: making it up to four times quicker.
In a market where clients have an urgent need for mobility solutions, the radically shortened process has a serious impact. “The need for a stairlift can arise very suddenly. The customer may be in distress – and if we can deliver a solution quickly, this can provide enormous relief and comfort to enhance a customer’s quality of life. From this point of view, it’s an emotional matter, too,” explains Andreas Schierenbeck, CEO thyssenkrupp Elevator.
HoloLinc transforms the way space is digitized
HoloLinc enables a true transformation in the way space is measured and digitized, that allows sales executives to immediately trigger production. The accurate measurement during the first visit allows thyssenkrupp Elevator to factor in individual user ergonomics, and obstacles unique to that user’s home. The data captured is sent to Microsoft’s cloud platform Azure and is then used to configure the most suitable stairlift for the customer. This can be visualized, configured to customized preferences, as well as priced and quoted, in near real time. This ensures that the complete ordering process is done in a matter of hours.
By leveraging the HoloLinc solution, the innovation service provider Zühlke opens up a new dimension: For the first time it is possible to use Microsoft HoloLens as a measuring instrument with maximum precision. The digital data processing eliminates the risk of human error when measuring and forwarding the determined values.
Great example of cross-industry innovation
Fabrizio Ferrandina, CEO of the Zühlke Group explains: “Thanks to the good cooperation with thyssenkrupp and our joint agile development, we could transform this vision into a solution within only nine months. With HoloLinc, we push mixed reality to the next level. However, this is just the beginning and we have a lot of ideas, how to go even further.”
”Choosing trusted and powerful partners is a critical success factor for companies aiming to digitally transform their businesses. With HoloLinc thyssenkrupp Elevator has truly created a best practice for an end-to-end digital transformation story empowered by Microsoft’s cloud platform: They have built a digital value chain optimizing production and service processes and providing customers in their homes with the best possible sales experience at the same time,” says Thorsten Herrmann, General Manager Microsoft Germany.
By harnessing the power of IoT with solutions like HoloLinc, thyssenkrupp Elevator is able to step further into the digital era and transform the way it delivers mobility solutions. The quicker communication between sales executives, backend, and manufacturing teams through the immediate ERP integration between configuration, customer purchase, and production is a big leap forward as is the usage of mixed reality technology at a time when Industry 4.0 and VR mostly are visions of the (near) future. This is digital transformation in the most tangible and productive fashion – and it happens right now.
Press images of our new application are available for download here, general images of our chairlifts can be found here. (credit: thyssenkrupp Elevator). If you are interested in how our sales executives did the measuring before they got equipped with HoloLens, you can get an impression here.
Video material for press use can be taken from these files (German and English). Please let us know the timestamps of the sequences needed, and we are happy to help.
http://www.urban-hub.com/technology/deane-simpson-planning-buildings-for-older-people/
thyssenkrupp Elevator
thyssenkrupp Elevator brings together the Group’s global activities in passenger transportation systems. With sales of €7.7 billion in fiscal 2016/2017 and customers in 150 countries, thyssenkrupp Elevator built its position as one of the world’s leading elevator companies from scratch in a mere 40 years’ time applying thyssenkrupp unique engineering capabilities. With more than 50,000 highly skilled employees, the company offers smart and innovative products and services designed to meet customers’ individual requirements. The portfolio includes passenger and freight elevators, escalators and moving walks, passenger boarding bridges, stair and platform lifts as well as tailored service solutions for all products. Over 1,000 locations around the world provide an extensive sales and service network to guarantee closeness to customers.
thyssenkrupp is a diversified industrial group with a growing share of capital goods and service businesses and traditional strengths in materials. Over 158,000 employees in 79 countries work with passion and technological know-how to develop high-quality products and intelligent industrial processes and services for sustainable progress. Their skills and commitment are the basis of our success. In fiscal year 2016/2017 thyssenkrupp generated sales of €41.5 billion.
Together with our customers we develop competitive solutions for current and future challenges in their respective industries. With our engineering expertise we enable our customers to gain an edge in the global market and manufacture innovative products in a cost- and resource-friendly way. Our technologies and innovations are the key to meeting diverse customer and market requirements around the world, growing on the markets of the future, and generating strong and stable earnings, cash flows and value growth.
Zühlke Group
Zühlke is a service provider for innovation projects. By combining both business and technology expertise, the company creates solutions that satisfy its’ customers. Zühlke develops financially successful products, services and business models for today’s digital world - from coming up with the initial idea through to the implementation and operation. This is achieved by drawing on the experience of over 1000 in-house experts and of more than 10,000 successful projects.
The Zühlke Group has local teams in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hongkong, Serbia, Switzerland, Singapore and the United Kingdom. In 2017, Zühlke generated EUR 138 million in revenue.
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Head of Media Relations
Jasmin Fischer
Head of Media Relations, thyssenkrupp Elevator AG
Telephone: +49 201 844 563 054
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Home Headlines Mizoram Today Mizoram has highest rate of HIV among pregnant women
Mizoram has highest rate of HIV among pregnant women
ToMZ 4/01/2018 08:04:00 pm Headlines Mizoram Today,
ZODIN SANGA
AIZAWL, April 1: With 1.19 per cent testing positive for HIV among pregnant women whose blood samples have been tested, Mizoram has recorded the highest rate of HIV among pregnant women, according to NACO’s latest findings. According to Mizoram State Aids Control Society (MSACS) officials, the percentage of HIV prevalence among pregnant women in Mizoram is the highest in India, higher than the national average of 0.28 per cent. They said no other State has crossed one per cent. Another Northeastern State – Nagaland follows Mizoram with 0.82 per cent.
A source in MSACS said Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh that used to have high prevalence of HIV have witnessed significant decline while the HIV rate is increasing in Mizoram. Five districts of Mizoram – Aizawl, Champhai, Kolasib, Lunglei and Mamit – also figure in the top 20 “key population districts” or the districts with highest population of high risk groups among the Northeastern States. Of these, Aizawl, Champhai and Kolasib are in the top three, the source added. The study was conducted during April 2015 to September 2017. During this period, 620 HIV cases were detected in Kolasib in Aizawl district, the highest among the eight districts in Mizoram. The study attributed this to the fact that Aizawl is a key population district which means that it has high number of injecting drug users and commercial sex workers.
The highest number of HIV positives found during this period are aged between 25-35, followed by 35- 49 age group and 15-24 age group. Unprotected sex is the commonest mode of HIV transmission in Mizoram with 64.1 per cent, followed by sharing of syringes with 33.4 per cent. What has worried HIV activists is that the rate of HIV among injecting drug users has increased during the last three years. The rate of transmission through sexual intercourse is said to be static during this period. Meanwhile, Mizoram Government has recorded 322 AIDS related deaths between April 1, 2017 and mid- March this year, Health Minister Lal Thanzara has recently informed the Assembly. In the year 2014-2015, a record number of 569 HIV related deaths was recorded.
Mizoram SACS has started testing blood randomly from 2013, and out of the 3,17,356 blood samples tested, 7,641 were found HIV positive. The first Mizoram case of HIV was discovered or diagnosed in 1990. Sources from Mizoram SACS said that the past two years have seen a mini explosion of the disease which had caused concerns among not only the government but also the NGOs and the churches.
Tags # Headlines Mizoram Today
Headlines Mizoram Today
Posted by: ToMZ at 4/01/2018 08:04:00 pm
Tags: Headlines Mizoram Today
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Gaana Rajas LIVE: One week to go!
POST IN :LIFESTYLE
London-based Gaana dance troupe “Gaana Rajas” will be performing live for the Sky 1 Got To Dance Semi-finals next Sunday, March 3rd! The group’s initial audition went down well with the judging panel, with judge Aston (member of boyband JLS) saying he “loved every single minute” of their energetic performance.
Made up of a group of British Asian 20-somethings, the dancers aim to bring the Gaana/dappankoothu style of dance to mainstream audiences. The Gaana Rajas are one of 30 semi-finalists to have been shortlisted from a group of 160 dancers/dance groups, and have been working hard since they found out that they qualified.
“We are practising really hard, and doing ridiculous hours too,” said choreographer Jeya. “Most of the dancers are working full-time, a couple are in their final year of university, and one member is commuting all the way from Oxford [to London]! But we all know what is at stake, and are doing our best to do everyone who is supporting us proud.“
The dance group unfortunately struggled to get the appropriate clearance for the music used in their initial audition, and a different piece of music had to be synced before their audition could be aired on television. They took to their Facebook page to share their views on this, saying: “Getting Tamil music from South India cleared and licensed to broadcast on national television has been near impossible.” To avoid this unnecessary hassle for their next routine, Gaana Rajas have had their semi-final performance music composed and produced by UK-based Tamil producer, Vernon G Segaram.
Jeya kept his lips sealed when asked about what we can expect from Sunday’s performance, saying “The live semis are going to be brilliant…but you have to watch to find out more! We’re also working on our finals piece, which is so exciting!“
Tune in to Sky 1 on Sunday, March 3rd at 6pm to watch the Gaana Rajas performing live! Once they have performed, be sure to vote for them either by clicking here, by phone (number will be revealed during the show), or via the mobile app Zeebox. Remember, the voting lines are only open for 8 minutes after all the acts of the night have performed!
Check out the Gaana Rajas vlog below, with footage from their first audition in front of the panel of judges:
One Billion Rising – Anoushka Shankar shares her story
Gaana Rajas on BBC Radio
Jaffna Food & Music Festival 2016 in London
Gaana Rajas perform in GTD Semi Finals
Gaana Rajas on SKY 1’s Got to Dance
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Strategy to ease the squeeze
By Clay Lucas, Jason Dowling and Ben Schneiders
September 15, 2008 — 12.00am
UP TO 20 new six-carriage trains will be ordered to ease overcrowding on Melbourne's rail system.
- Melbourne to get up to 20 new six-carriage trains
- Government to consider public-private rail partnerships
- $7 bn Footscray-Caulfield route could be abandoned
Waiting: The city seen from South Kensington station yesterday. Credit:Joe Armao
The $300-million-plus order will be a key plank of the State Government's coming transport statement.
As part of the statement, due by November, the Government is also set to order at least 60 new trams to replace the old Z-class fleet that was commissioned in 1975. Secrecy surrounds the transport statement, which the Government has been working on for several months, as commuter anger over the struggling system becomes a political liability.
But The Age believes the Victorian Transport Plan - the Government's fourth "long-term" transport statement since 2002 - is also set to:
- Implement public-private partnerships across the train network in which developers build new railway stations in return for the right to build above the stations.
- Consider abandoning the contentious $7 billion Footscray-to-Caulfield rail route proposed by infrastructure adviser Sir Rod Eddington, and instead make better use of an under-used 80-year-old train tunnel running beneath Footscray's Bunbury Street.
- Announce a construction timetable for the $500 million Frankston bypass, now the subject of an environmental study.
- Bring forward the Government's $660 million orbital SmartBus program, to be completed in 2010, an election year, rather than the planned 2012.
- Dramatically upgrade bus services to Doncaster on the Eastern Freeway.
The Government also is moving towards backing the first stage of Sir Rod's proposed $9 billion road tunnel, which would go from Melbourne's inner west to CityLink.
This road option would result in hundreds of homes in either Yarraville or Sunshine being compulsorily acquired.
But with many tollway companies spooked by gloomy financial conditions, it is unclear who would pay for the road project unless the Federal Government steps in.
The Government's new train order would be in addition to 18 new six-carriage X'Trapolis trains recently ordered by Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky from a French company, Alstom.
Unions are pressuring the Government for the 20 new trains to be built in Victoria, demanding tougher rules on procurement to help the state's flagging manufacturing sector.
New trains for Melbourne are much needed, with some trains in peak periods carrying hundreds more passengers than recommended.
The Government's train shortage intensified this month with the decision to withdraw seven old Hitachi trains because they were riddled with rust.
Connex has been told it must stop running the trains, which date from 1972, because of rusting around the doors and on the floors. All the new trams that run on Melbourne's network were ordered under the Kennett government. The exceptions are the new yellow "bumblebee" trams on the 96 route, rented from France at a cost of $9 million.
The Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it was crucial that the coming transport statement looked at the state's short and long-term needs.
Spokesman Chris James said the Government needed to tackle urgent transport pressure points now - including the Frankston bypass and the "missing link" on the Metropolitan Ring Road in north-eastern Melbourne. "Then there are the longer-term projects we will need to consider for when we have a million extra people living here," Mr James said, nominating the need for a north-south link to take pressure off Punt Road, a rail link to Melbourne Airport, light rail to Doncaster, and a container port at Hastings to support the Port of Melbourne.
The Government's Victorian Transport Plan is being put together by a team of 25 bureaucrats, from the departments of Transport, Planning, VicRoads, Treasury, Sustainability and Environment, and Premier and Cabinet.
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What Do Ukrainian-Americans Think About The Future of Their Homeland?
As the protests in Ukraine reached a dramatic climax this weekend, New York’s Ukrainian-American community came together for two large rallies in support of EuroMaidan.
Polly Mosendz
As the protests in Ukraine reached a dramatic climax this weekend, New York’s Ukrainian-American community came together for two large rallies in support of EuroMaidan. Taking place just hours after the sudden disappearance (or escape) of Ukraine's president Viktor Yanukovych, the marches became both a joyous celebration and a touching remembrance of those lost in the fighting.
On Saturday, hundreds gathered on the Brooklyn Bridge for a public memorial service as a priest read the names of those killed in Maidan over the last few weeks. Then on Sunday, more than a thousand people crowded the north side of 49th Street and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan, in front of the Ukrainian Consulate, following another service mourning the dead. The second rally became both a political gathering and a chance for the government's representatives in America to attempt to explain themselves in public.
While the gatherings were bittersweet, the rally on Sunday showed evidence of unity and legitimate change within the Ukrainian-American community; a community that, like the nation that it came from, can be divided by deep cultural differences.
Clergy members from both the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches, as well as Ukrainian rabbis, attended. Ukrainian flags were flown alongside American, Lithuanian, Georgian, Polish, and Karachay-Cherkess ones. Although many native Ukrainians are primarily Russian speakers, almost all of the speeches delivered were in Ukrainian—a deliberate slap in the face to Russification policies of their homeland.
Sunday’s gathering also featured an odd moment of statecraft, as Igor Sybiga, the Ukrainian Consulate General in New York, issued a formal apology for his office's previous anti-Maidan sentiments. Speaking in Ukrainian, the consulate general said, “We remember those who died, giving their lives, health and strength to give Ukraine a chance to be a true democratic nation.”
During the speech, the crowd was shouting questions, particularly in regards to the loyalty of the consulate, demanding an explanation for the previous support of Yanukovych during Maidan. The answer? The consulate's staffers were under direct orders to misinform the American public:
Three months ago, when the SWAT team drove crowds out of the square, we [the Consulate] honestly received instruction from Kiev, from Minister Kozhara. We were given extremely specific instructions, and he [Kozhara] expressed that he trusted us to do as instructed. The instructions were to disinform the local government [in New York], local organizations, and mass media. Diplomats, including myself, decided absolutely to sabotage the instructions and did not follow through on the instructions. Second of all, during meetings—people will confirm—I always said that what they were asking was illegal and they will be held responsible for this. Third of all, we organized meetings with people and funeral services, including meeting with Ukrainian diplomats, including Olexander Motsyk [Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States], other states' consulates, and other diplomats. The Ukrainian diplomats in America were the first to acknowledge the people and acknowledge the illegal actions.
Eventually, when I realized that the previous president had blood on his hands, I decided I could no longer participate in a resistant war and sabotage, we all together announced our honest opinions.
Sybiga then offered to organize relief efforts by promising that they alone could get medical supplies through red tape and into the country. He also addressed the coming elections to replace Yanukovych.
On 25th of May, there will be an election for the president of Ukraine. The voting will take place at the Ukrainian Consulate. I propose to make a committee of you, the people here, real people who want real change. We hope that this vote is clean, and that as many people as possible vote. The more people that vote, the more you can support Ukraine.”
At this time, many protestors began to scream “Go back to Ukraine!”, to which the consulate general replied, “But I am FOR Ukraine!” He then attempted to begin a “For Ukraine” chant. The rally attendees did not join in. (The Wire's calls to the consulate on Monday went unanswered.)
“We will not be taking any questions..." The microphone was then cut off, presumably by someone attending the rally.
The entire speech, delivered in an panicked tone, was peppered with shouted swearing from the rally attendees, as well as calls for resignations. The crowd, as a whole, did not seem to accept the public apology of the consulate general, nor did they believe that he is now genuinely supporting Maidan.
“Personally, I did not believe the apology,” said Jaroslaw Palylyk, president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of Westchester, “But as a group, we need to see where everyone stood before, and where they will stand later.” Another rally attendee, Alexandra Palylyk, agreed that while the apology may not have been legitimate, it was a sign of forward motion: “We need more unity instead of division, discussion will only fragment the country.”
Alexander Klyuy, who brought a painting he created entitled "Weeping Ukraine" as a response to the recent violence in country, also found the apology lacking. “I think Ukraine has a complicated and difficult road ahead. Regardless of what anyone says, it is not as simple as an apology,” he said.
After the formal apology, the crowd sang “Chevrona Calina,” a traditional Ukrainian song about resistance. Clergy members, local representatives, and Polish community leaders all gave speeches, each expressing their support for a new, democratized Ukraine.
While many thanked the current interim president Oleksander Tuchynov and other Maidan leaders for all they've done, but Yulia Tymnoshenko, who is often portrayed as triumphant returning hero, did not receive the same praise.
Her connections to the previous regime and very real accusations of corruption have left Ukrainian-Americans uneasy about her role in Maidan. Jaroslaw Palylyk believes that “With Yulia, it is hard to say. There needs to be a coalition that takes everything, her history, into account.”
Klyuy shrugged at the prospect of her taking the presidency. “She would at least be a better president than Yanukovych."
Beyond the uncomfortable apology, the rally was a celebration, with many hopeful chants, songs, and hymns.
Only one thing — or person, actually — managed to mar the event. On the south side of the street stood a lone anti-Maidan protester. He carried a sign that said “No Euro” on a Ukrainian flag, screaming that the press were “Fascists” and “anti-freedom." He refused to give a statement explaining his anti-Maidan position and nearly attacked an AP reporter who tried to interview him.
The man blew a whistle during the speeches and songs in Ukrainian, but was hardly heard over the applause and joyous singing of the pro-Maidan rally. Police, who cordoned the dissenter off into his own mini-protest zone, eventually took away the whistle.
Polly Mosendz is a former associate editor at The Atlantic.
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The Microbes Making Themselves at Home on the Space Station
The bacteria living with astronauts more closely resemble the kind living in homes on Earth, rather than on humans themselves.
While dozens of people have lived there over the years—including six right now—the International Space Station is unlike any other home. Its residents sleep zipped into bags tethered to the wall so they don’t float away. They pee into a plastic hose that suctions urine into a processor and then turns it into drinking water. Their showers require squeezing globs of water out of pouches.
But just like in homes found on Earth, the residents of the International Space Station share their space with thousands of invisible roommates: bacteria.
A team of microbiologists at the University of California recently sought to examine the population of microbes on the station. They wanted to see how the ecosystem orbiting 200 miles above Earth would resemble that of homes—and the people who inhabit them—below. They collected swab samples from more than a dozen surfaces on the station and compared them to microbes that were taken from surfaces in terrestrial households and different spots on the human body.
The researchers say the ISS turned out more species-rich than they expected. They identified 12,554 species of microbes, most of them harmless. They found that the composition of microbes of the space staton and a typical household was significantly different, but the microbes on the station more closely resembled home surfaces than human ones.
These results are both surprising and unsurprising. The researchers had expected to find differences in the microbial ecosystems between the space station and terrestrial homes. “Unlike the ISS, homes on Earth are exposed to a variety of sources of microbes, including the outdoor air, tracked-in soil, plants, pets, and human inhabitants,” the study authors write. On the ISS, you can’t exactly crack open a window to let some fresh air in.
These conditions would seem to suggest that the microbes living on the surfaces of the station would have more in common with the ones residing on the humans inside it. And yet, the researches found the microbes to be “more similar to the surfaces of human homes on Earth than it is to human bodies.” So the microbes on the ISS don’t match up with the ones found in houses or on bodies, but they’re still more like ones living on your kitchen counter than on your skin.
The findings were published Tuesday in the journal PeerJ. In May 2014, Koichi Wakata, an astronaut from Japan and the crew commander at the time, swabbed 15 surfaces around the station, including telephones, laptop keyboards, handrails, and air vents. In the station’s microgravity environment, microbe-carrying dust tends to accumulate in air filters rather than surfaces.
The samples were stored in a lab freezer, sent back to Earth on a SpaceX spacecraft, and then shipped to a lab, where the researchers extracted DNA to build a census of the microscopic inhabitants. The researchers compared them to three databases: the Human Microbiome Project, which characterizes human microbes; the Wildlife of Our Homes project, which tracks microbe samples taken from household surfaces like kitchen counters, toilet seats, pillowcases, and door handles; and Project MERCCURI, a microbial experiment on the ISS.
The researchers tried to target surfaces on the ISS that may be similar to those used in the Wildlife of our Homes project, but they hit a few snags. “The kitchen surfaces aboard the ISS are in the Russian module, which we did not have permission to access,” they write. And “swabbing the toilet seat was deemed inappropriate due to biosafety concerns.”
Studying the specific microbial environment on the ISS is crucial for future space missions beyond low-Earth orbit. When humans leave the comfort of Earth’s protective bubble for more dangerous, extreme worlds, they won’t be going alone—they’ll take with them thousands, perhaps millions, of these microorganisms, tiny beings just as unprepared as they are to face environments they didn’t evolve in.
The microbes of the ISS recently popped into headlines in November when the Russian news agency TASS reported that cosmonauts had scraped living bacteria off the outside of the station during a spacewalk. The article quoted a cosmonaut saying the bacteria “have come from outer space and settled along the external surface,” prompting some on the internet to think it was of extraterrestrial origin. He didn’t add much else, but as science journalists have since pointed out, it’s more probable that the bacteria was delivered there by terrestrial activities, like repairs and maintenance by astronauts and cosmonauts during spacewalks. The likeliest culprits behind mystery bacteria in low-Earth orbit are always going to be humans. Beyond that, however, who knows?
Marina Koren is a staff writer at The Atlantic.
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What Is the Soda Tax and Which Cities Have One?
Six cities collect soda tax but the list is growing
••• WIN-Initiative/ Riser/ Getty Images
Depending on what part of the country you hail from, you might call it pop, soda, or a soft drink. If you live one of a handful of American cities, you’ll pay more for the luxury of enjoying one. Several U.S. locations have jumped on the “soda tax” bandwagon and more intend to do so in the near future. So what is this tax and why would anyone want to impose it on a simple pleasure like soda?
The “Soda Tax”
First, the tax doesn't apply just to soda, at least not in all cities that collect it. Reaching for that juice drink instead may not spare you from paying the tax. This is technically a “sweetened drink” tax in many areas, and they have varying rules as to what exactly constitutes a sweetened drink.
Does it have to contain sugar? Not necessarily. Some cities — although not all — include drinks made with artificial sweeteners. And while that juice drink might seem nothing like a soft drink, it’s still taxable in some cities if it contains less than 50 percent real fruit or vegetables. Sports drinks can get nailed with the tax, too.
Baby formula is generally exempt, and don’t worry if you ask for sugar in your coffee-to-go. But a Starbucks’ Frappuccino will most likely get you because it’s actually created with sugar. And what about alcohol? Some cities spare this, too, because it’s already taxed.
The tax ranges from 1 to 2 cents per ounce. This may not sound like much, but it can increase the price of a “sugary” drink by more than 75 percent. The price of a 12-pack of Coca-Cola can cost as much as $2 more. Although you’re not actually responsible for paying the tax in most cities, it will probably hit you in the wallet all the same. It's typically collected it from distributors, who then pass the cost on to retailers who in turn hike the prices paid by consumers. There are other such taxes called sin tax.
Which Cities Collect This Tax?
So where do you have to worry about the sugar content of what you’re drinking? As of 2017, six cities collected this tax as of 2017:
Berkeley, California: Since March 1, 2015
Albany, California: Since April 1, 2017
Oakland, California: Since July 1, 2017
Chicago, Illinois: The tax actually extends to all of Cook County
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Since January 1, 2017
Boulder, Colorado: Since July 1, 2017
Boulder has the highest tax at 2 cents per ounce, followed by Philadelphia at 1.5 cents. The others levy 1 cent.
Two other cities are slated to implement the tax at year’s end. It will go into effect on January 1, 2018, in San Francisco and Seattle. San Francisco will collect only 1 cent, but Seattle wants 1.75 cents.
The District of Columbia and New York City are said to be contemplating a soda tax, as are various cities in Texas, New York, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Arkansas.
Why Tax This American Favorite?
The question remains: Why? Why tax such a seemingly innocuous beverage?
The answer behind most taxes is almost always revenue, but cities that impose the soda tax claim to have our wellbeing in mind, too. At least one organization, Bloomberg Philanthropies, says that the tax should "reduce consumer demand for unhealthy foods and beverages, improve the food environment, and make healthier choices easier for everyone.” Others have said that the tax “incentivizes” families to get healthier.
Drinks that include sugar contribute to heart disease, liver disease, and Type 2 diabetes, not to mention obesity and tooth decay. Proponents of the tax say that liquid sugar packs more of an unhealthy punch than sugars found in food, and drinking 20 ounces of a soft drink is the equivalent of swallowing 22 packets of sugar.
Of course, the resulting revenues are an important part of the equation as well. Philadelphia officials claim that the soda tax will fund more than 2,000 preschool classrooms for low-income families and that it brought an additional $12.3 million into the city’s coffers during the first two months it was in effect. The city's goal is to achieve $91 million by the close of 2017.
Berkeley has assigned a panel of nutritionists, educators and health care workers to decide where soda tax revenues will do the most good. Schools there have already been funded for gardening and healthy cooking classes. The city says has raised more than $2.5 million from the tax, considerably less than Philadelphia’s lofty numbers, but the tax is half a cent more per ounce in Philadelphia and the city is far larger.
The Cook County tax is also only 1 cent, but it covers the populous areas of Chicago and its suburbs. It raised $40 million in the first six months after it went into effect with a goal of $65 million by the end of 2017. But this Illinois location is laboring under a $174.3 budget deficit and officials have said they intend to use the money to plug that hole rather than put the money to health care or other family issues.
The Soda Tax Uprising
This being America, the opposition has not accepted the soda tax quietly in areas where it’s being imposed. Many affected consumers understandably take the position that the tax is Orwellian. They don’t want the government trying to control something as personal to them as their diets. Distributors argue that they’re being unfairly targeted.
In Philadelphia, the beverage industry filed a lawsuit against the city in 2017, hoping to derail the tax. Store owners and distributors claim that sales of soft drinks and related beverages have dropped anywhere from 15 to 45 percent since the soda tax was implemented and that this has prompted employee layoffs.
The tax is under attack in Cook County as well. As of September 17, 2017, a vote is pending with the Cook County Board as to whether it should be repealed. The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association has formed a political action committee to support repeal.
As for consumers in these cities, they’ve proved to be a wily bunch. Sure, Berkeley boasts that the consumption of soft drinks dropped by 21 percent after the soda tax was implemented, but does this really mean that residents are drinking less pop? Both Philadelphia and Cook County residents are reportedly crossing city and county lines to buy their sodas elsewhere. They report that they’re not drinking less soda. They’re just not buying it locally, and they’re willing to drive upward of 10 miles to purchase it elsewhere.
Local businesses claim that’s been quite a financial blow because, of course, consumers aren’t going all that way just to buy soda. They purchase other groceries while they're there, and many are gassing up their vehicles away from home as well.
Is the Tax Unfair to Some Residents?
What about those who can’t afford to travel to another city or town to shop? Although Berkeley claims that the consumption of water there has increased 63 percent in accordance with the 21 percent decline in soda consumption, the American Journal of Public Health indicates that this data is taken only from low-income neighborhoods. Is the tax an unfair burden to put upon those who can’t afford to thumb their collective noses at the government and work their way around the tax? Opponents argue that this has been the case.
This is a decidedly new form of taxation, so stay alert for changes in your neck of the woods even if you don't live in a location that's currently collecting the tax. The oldest soda tax — the one in Berkeley — has only been around for about two and a half years as of September 2017. More cities might jump on the bandwagon at any time, and the resistance in Cook County and Philadelphia might prevail. The tax isn’t a sure thing yet in San Francisco, either, where opponents are raising the argument that mom-and-pop grocery stores are going to take an unfair hit because they’ll have to pay employees extra to deal with new accounting and inventory issues caused by the tax.
Will the soda tax thrive and spread across the country or will it be systematically abolished? Only time will tell.
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in Government, Relief Work
How the Govt Could Track Stranded Fishermen to Avoid a Repeat of Cyclone Ockhi!
While the Cyclone named ‘Ockhi’ meaning ‘eye’ in Bengali may have brought out several brave rescue stories in the last few days, the fact that till date there is no set mechanism to track fishermen stranded in the sea is what needs to be addressed.
by Jovita Aranha December 6, 2017, 10:48 am
If you speak to the fishing communities in the coastal regions of Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu & Kerala who lost not only their homes, but also their breadwinners, they would tell you how they have never seen the sea seething with anger in a long time.
Declared one of the most intense cyclonic storms to traverse the Arabian Sea since Cyclone Megh in 2015, tropical cyclone Ockhi is the third and strongest storm of the 2017 North Indian Ocean cyclone season.
Representational Image only. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Originating from Sri Lanka on November 29, it gained momentum and strength by December 1 and brutally damaged property and threatened lives along the coasts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The intensity of the storm is apparent in the rising death tolls that have crossed over 25, with over 96 fishermen missing in Kerala alone.
Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that over 357 fishermen, including 71 from Tamil Nadu, stranded in the sea due to the cyclone were rescued by the Coast Guard. And yet the wait of some families to see their loved ones who left for the sea to not return back, hasn’t ended yet.
The lack of any precautionary or preventive measures fishermen at the sea could take to seek help or provide locational information to facilitate tracking during high alerts and emergencies like cyclone Ockhi need to be taken up on priority.
In an interview with Julie Mariappan for the Times of India, Taml Nadu fisheries minister D Jayakumar expressed that till date information about fishermen is manually collected from 44 fishing villages of Kanyakumari.
While the migration of fishermen to other states is being referred to as a major problem in recording data, the government is yet to work out a solid proof plan to protect fishermen at the sea with stricter rules.
Currently the only way of tracking the fishermen at least in Tamil Nadu are the tokens distributed for diesel and kerosene subsidy to boats registered with the state government under the Marine Fishing Regulation Act. This number is tracked by the 31 diesel outlets in fishing harbours and fish landing centres along the Tamil Nadu coast. This could be replaced with a census for fishing communities year on year or at least once in a few years to track the number of fishermen and boats venturing into the sea.
All fishermen therefore have to be educated about the importance of registering with the government. They has to be a mechanism in place whereby fishermen can intimate authorities before venturing into the sea.
While the state introduced a scheme of supplying distress alert transmitter, a satellite-based distress transmission device with 90% subsidy assistance for mechanised fishing boats and motorised country crafts, it is important to note that only 10% of vessels in Tamil Nadu are equipped with them.
These distress alert transmitters need to be made mandatory. One way to help fishermen across the states adopt it, is scaling down the costs further and educating them about its working while venturing into the sea.
The fisheries minister also expressed that while it is simpler to track fishermen on foreign shores through passport and visa, many of the fisherfolks who migrate to neighbouring states cannot be traced as they are not bound by any rules to register or intimate the government before making the switch.
Read more: India-Bangladesh Match Aside, Here’s How Indian Navy Has Been Helping Bangladesh Fight Cyclone Mora
More and more fishermen can be encouraged to adopt the ‘Fisher Friend’ mobile application which not only provides information about weather and ocean conditions, potential fishing zones (PFZs), disaster alerts and current market prices of fish to the fishermen but also warns them if they are crossing the international boundary line in the sea.
This location-specific app needs to be made accessible and user friendly by adopting it in all local languages of the respective states. for those venturing to deep-sea fishing.
This app developed by the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), in association with Qualcomm and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), in its pilot project in 2014 benefitted over 5,000 fishermen in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh reported The Hindu.
The app is also equipped with a feature that alerts the Coast Guard crew in case of emergencies,. Idf scaled up and replicated for different states, it could help subvert dangers.
All fishermen could be supplied wireless communication devices. The Tamil Nadu government is looking at setting up VHF and BSNL towers to facilitate this communication.
“Control rooms are also being constructed and for procurement of VHF sets, tenders have been finalised for 19,000 crafts and 5,000 large vessels, which come at subsidised rates,” D Jayakumar told TOI.
As India goes digital the mechanism of fishermen to register with the state government could also be online, to avoid the tedious and time consuming offline procedures.
If you have any suggestions that state governments could incorporate for better precautionary measures write to us.
Like this story? Or have something to share?
Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com
Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
Written by Jovita Aranha
A lover of people, cats, food, music, books & films. In that order. Binge-watcher of The Office & several other shows. A storyteller on her journey to document extraordinary stories of ordinary people.
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Dan Lloyd dominates practice at the Red Bull Ring
Nico Hülkenberg: “We have a spring in our step and a bit of momentum”
Nico Hülkenberg says his Renault F1 Team go to this weekend’s French Grand Prix with confidence after an excellent sixth and seventh place finish two weeks ago in the Canadian Grand Prix, and it proved that the hard work going on to improve the R.S.19 is beginning to pay off.
After a testing start to their season, Renault saw Daniel Ricciardo finish sixth in Canada with Hülkenberg just behind in seventh, with the team scoring points with both cars for the first time all season.
The points scored at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve moved the team up to fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, just two points away from the McLaren F1 Team in fourth, and with upgrades being brought to the car this weekend, Hülkenberg is confident the team can score good points again in France.
“We have a spring in our step and a bit of momentum heading into the team’s home Grand Prix,” said the German. “Everyone is carrying that extra level of motivation to do a good job, even more so after a successful race last time out.
“Hard work always pays off. It was good to see such a strong team effort and a solid result at the end. We’ve underachieved at previous races, sometimes through technical faults or human error, so I feel we’ve always had the potential for good results, but we haven’t scored points.
“Finally, we had a smooth and clean weekend to get points on the board. It’s hopefully a turning point in our season. We have some upgrades for this race, I’m excited for those, and hopefully they will add performance to the car to help us close the gap to the front teams.
“We have a good package; the car is performing consistently and I’m feeling optimistic for Paul Ricard. Hopefully this season we can do even better than last year.”
Hülkenberg likens the Circuit Paul Ricard to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with the two tracks sharing many characteristics, and he is ready to attack and fight for more points this weekend as Renault continue to aim for fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
“I’ve driven a lot of laps there in the past in different machinery, including last year for my first French Grand Prix,” said Hülkenberg. “The circuit has a nice flow to it and the characteristics are maybe quite similar to the last round in Montréal with long straights, high top speeds and big braking zones at the end of them.
“Sector one is quite tight and there was some excitement at Turn 1 on race day last year. Sector two brings a long straight into a sharp chicane and then sector three begins with the very fast run through Signes, which is a lot of fun, and a flowing complex of turns to the start-finish straight.”
Hülkenberg says this weekend’s French Grand Prix is a special one for Renault, with a lot of attention set to be put upon them in their home race around the Circuit Paul Ricard.
The German finished ninth in his first Grand Prix at the track twelve months ago, just behind his then team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr., and he expects another successful weekend for everyone involved in the track and the team in 2019.
“It’s obviously very special for Renault and the staff members,” said Hülkenberg. “Last year was the first French Grand Prix in 10 years and we had a lot of attention on us, but also a lot of support from the French people.
“I think it was a big success overall and the whole weekend went well. The atmosphere was great in and around the track, which is always cool to see and motivating.”
2019 FIA Formula 1 World Championship2019 Formula 1 French Grand Prix - Paul RicardNico HülkenbergRenault F1 Team
Haas Working to Understand Inconsistent and Complicated VF-19 – Grosjean
Kevin Magnussen: “It’s disappointing not to have scored more points than we have”
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Pagenaud powers to pole position in Toronto
Pierre Gasly: “I’m fully focused and dedicated to get the best result I can”
Pierre Gasly heads into his home Grand Prix this weekend with extra motivation as he seeks his maiden Formula 1 podium at the Circuit Paul Ricard.
The Red Bull Racing driver has endured a difficult beginning to 2019 with his new team following his switch from Scuderia Toro Rosso, with the Frenchman having had a best finish of fifth as he has struggled to get to grips with the RB15 as confidently and quickly as team-mate Max Verstappen.
Despite this, Gasly remains positive and he is excited to race in front of his home fans with a competitive car, with Paul Ricard a track where the twenty-three-year-old has enjoyed positive results at in junior formulae.
His first French Grand Prix last season with Toro Rosso ended on the opening lap after a first lap collision with countryman Esteban Ocon, but Gasly is fully focused and ready to impress this weekend.
“It’s a really special weekend coming for me, my home race, so I’m really excited to be on track there with all the fans and extra support,” said Gasly, who sits sixth in the Drivers’ Championship after the opening seven races of 2019. “I’m fully focused and dedicated to get the best result I can and it would be a special moment to do well in front of my home fans.
“Quite a lot of people are coming to support me which makes the weekend extra special. It brings good vibes and creates a special atmosphere. Paul Ricard is also a track I quite like because I had really strong results there in the past, I raced there for the first time in 2011 in F4 and won.
“To go back there this year with a Red Bull, in a competitive car, makes me excited and I’m ready to give it my all!”
2019 FIA Formula 1 World Championship2019 Formula 1 French Grand Prix - Paul RicardAston Martin Red Bull RacingPierre Gasly
Verstappen Aiming to Fight with the Frontrunners in France
Coates doubles up at Croft
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Discrimination in Disguise
A Victory for ‘Religious Freedom’ is a Loss for Religion
A version of the Golden Rule is at the heart of every religion. But now, in the name of religion, some people want to add an asterisk.
Updated 07.12.17 4:51PM ET / Published 06.08.14 6:45AM ET
In the next few weeks, the Supreme Court of the United States will rule on two cases taken up this term: Hobby Lobby vs. Sibelius and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. vs. Sibelius. Both claim to be about the freedom to practice one’s own religion without interference by the government, but both are actually about whether or not broad exemptions to disregard antidiscrimination laws should be granted to people—and corporations—who oppose them on religious grounds.
Most embarrassing of all is the specter of people asking in the name of religion for permission to discriminate. This flies in the face of what every world religion claims in their own version of the Golden Rule: “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Such a “golden rule” is the great common teaching among all religions, an understanding shared with non-religious people, atheists, humanists and most civilized societies. Why would some religious people want an exemption from following a core teaching of their religion?
Ostensibly, the devoutly religious owners of the Hobby Lobby chain of craft stores (no one is disputing the Greens’ sincerity or devotion) do not want to fund the contraception coverage offered in the Affordable Care Act because they consider certain types of birth control to be abortificients. This is in the face of the medical community’s clear determination that this is not the case. But when your mind is already made up, facts seem not to matter.
Add to that the Hobby Lobby case’s assertion that the freedom to practice one’s religion without interference by the government extends beyond individuals to corporations. Such an assertion trivializes religion itself. Corporations don’t gather in religious community, don’t worship anything (except perhaps the bottom line), don’t pray, and they don’t possess a soul in need of redemption.
Religion already reaps enormous benefits from American society and government. Because they are charitable organizations, ostensibly devoted to beneficial care of the poor and needy, they are already exempt from helping fund (through taxes) the very government that supports them. As long as they abide by their own internal rules of governance, the secular society imposes no meddling restrictions. hey can discriminate all they like on the selection of their clergy, lay leaders and membership. Until relatively recently, Mormons excluded African-Americans from the priesthood. Roman Catholics, Mormons, and many evangelical churches continue to exclude women from the highest levels of participation and leadership. Instead of being grateful for such accommodations and freedoms—unusual even in most Western, democratic countries—some religions want more.
Religious freedom and liberty is a precious right, guaranteed by our Constitution. But shouldn’t such freedom to practice one’s religion stop where another person’s freedom and liberty start? Under the Affordable Care Act, which is the law of the land whether or not one likes it, access to contraceptive care is a right extended to those covered by health insurance plans. Should the Hobby Lobby owners’ personal religion—and their denial of the scientific, factual evidence to the contrary—be allowed to trump the rights of their employees and their families to exercise their right of access to contraceptive care? Surely not.
No one is threatening the Greens’ right not to use certain forms of birth control, nor is anyone being forced to have an abortion. But the owners of a corporation should not be allowed to decide for their employees what is moral or immoral in their decision-making. The religious freedom promised in the Constitution was never meant to extend to big businesses (or small ones, for that matter). Asserting that such corporations are “practicing” religion is patently absurd. And if the Greens didn’t want to follow the laws applying to the public, then they should never have opened a corporation whose business is based on serving the public.
The slippery slope here is long and steep. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Hobby Lobby, the ramifications are enormous. Religion, after all, does not merely include mainstream Methodists, Roman Catholics and Presbyterians, but countless small and outlandish “religions” on the fringes of society. Some of these “religions” have beliefs and practices that border on the bizarre and disturbing. If Hobby Lobby is accorded these exemptions, there will be no end to the attempts to “protect” these more radical beliefs and practices, all in the name of religious freedom.
Most disturbing of all to those of us in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community is the threat of our hard-won civil rights being abridged and denied, all in the name of religious belief. Don’t get me wrong; while I don’t agree with religious condemnation of homosexuality, I would die in the ditch for protecting churches, synagogues, mosques and other truly religious entities from having to ordain or marry LGBT people, based on their religion. But how long will it take for religiously-sponsored homeless shelters to reject homosexual clients? Will doctors be free, based on their personal religious beliefs, to deny medical services to gay patients? Will hospitals run or owned by religious institutions be free to deny health services to those who are LGBT—or for that matter, to cohabiting-but-unmarried heterosexuals?
Religion—unfortunately often defined in America by the religious right—doesn’t need to tarnish its reputation further by such a public desire to discriminate. Many have left the religion of their childhoods because of such narrow and limiting attitudes. As far as I know, no religion places an asterisk after its recitation of the Golden Rule, indicating those who can (and should) be exempted from the command to love and treat others as they would themselves want to be treated. The Supreme Court shouldn’t help the ones who are trying.
The Right Rev. V. Gene Robinson is the recently retired IX Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire and a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, Washington, DC. Follow him on Twitter @BishopGRobinson
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Ep. 90: Visual Intelligence & The Art of Perception | with Amy Herman
by Richard Shuster | Feb 18, 2019 | Podcast | 0 comments
Today our expert guest is Amy Herman, a lawyer and art historian who uses works of art to symmetrically sharpen observation, analysis, and communication skills. By showing people how to look closely at painting, sculpture, and photography, she helps them hone their visual intelligence to help them recognize the most pertinent and useful information, as well as biases that impede decision making.
She originally developed her Art of Perception seminar in 2000 to improve medical student’s observation and communication skills with their patients, but she has since adapted the program to train a wide variety of individuals, including: the FBI, NYPD, Department of Homeland Security, Navy SEALs, Peace Corps, Georgetown University Hospital, MetLife, Johnson & Johnson, Planned Parenthood, Seventh Day Adventist Church, and New York City doormen.
How do we see what matters?
Amy’s catchphrase is, “How do we see what matters?”
In a world where we are barraged with information, where we have a non-stop, 24-hour stream of digital information available at your fingertips, how do we separate what’s important from what’s just noise? We see so much and our brain can’t take all of that in, so how do we distill the information that we need to live our lives with purpose and do our jobs as effectively as we can?
Amy suggests that it’s through the development of visual intelligence, which “means not only looking up from your screens and engaging the world around you, but filtering out a lot of that noise and a lot of that information to see what matters.”
Art just happens to be the vehicle that Amy chooses to teach this because it’s a novel set of data for the people that she works with. If you’re used to running a successful business, for example, looking at works of art gives your left brain a rest, engages your right brain, and forces you to think about communicating what you see. Then, when you go back to work, you have a different template or lens through which to see business operations and communicate what you see to others.
Communication is actually a significant part of this program. “Communication is a two-way street,” Amy says. “It’s not just how you say it. You have to be mindful of who’s listening to you and how your message is being heard. Because if it’s not being heard, your message doesn’t matter.”
“This a rule in my house and I share it with people because it’s a small thing and we can all do it: look up from your screens for 15 minutes a day. If my 16 year old can do it, I promise you can do it… Do anything. Go talk to a colleague. Go talk to your husband. Go talk to your wife. Have a glass of wine. Read a book. Make dinner. Take a walk.
“And it’s not a punishment… But I believe that when we look up from our screens for 15 minutes a day, we think differently, we communicate differently, and we prioritize our lives differently.”
Learn more at http://www.artfulperception.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amyhermanaop
Read: Visual Intelligence: Sharpen Your Perception, Change Your Life
Watch: “Amy Herman: A lesson on looking | TED Talk – TED.com”
Get your Personal Helping at thedailyhelping.com/personal-helping
The Daily Helping is produced by Podcast Masters
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Most Watched Guitar Lessons – August 2016
You are here: Home / Guitar Lesson Blog / TheGuitarLesson.com news / Most Watched Guitar Lessons – August 2016
TheGuitarLesson.com news
Hello everybody, welcome to this month's review of what my students at TheGuitarLesson.com have been up to. August is traditionally a slow month for guitar lessons, just like the other summer months. It's a seasonality thing.
Summer is officially over, which means a lot of people will start practicing the guitar more often, which is great. The more you practice, the better you'll become. I know summer tends to get in the way of this, but that's ok. I haven't been doing as much practicing in the last month either 😉
Now let's have a look at some statistics, shall we?
The 5 top guitar tutorials of August, 2016
5. Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel IZ Kamakawiwoʻole
It's great to see this wonderful song enter the top 5 list for the first time. I have to tell you, this is one of my favorite songs of all time. Not necessarily because of the guitar playing (ukulele to be exact). The song carries such a calm, gentle, feel good vibe, it's hard to beat.
4. Redemption Song - Bob Marley
Talk about surprises, here is another song that made it to the most watched list last month. Redemption song is one of the most famous songs by Bob Marley, and it should be one of the first songs beginners learn. It is really simple to play, sounds great, and will help you learn chords and chord changes.
3. Can't Help Falling in Love - Elvis Presley
This Elvis song has really been getting some love from everyone this summer. Maybe because summer is the season of love? Either way, if you haven't learned Can't Help Falling in Love yet, you really should, it's a great song. This cover is fairly easy to play, and uses just 1 barre chord.
2. You Never Can Tell - Chuck Berry
It is very interesting, how this song is always somewhere in the top 3, every month. Don't get me wrong, it's a great song, but there are other great songs on the site as well. I guess I might have underestimated the popularity of this Chuck Berry classic.
1. Wake Me Up - Avicii
This is a month full of surprises. This song has never been in the top 5 list either, and here it is, at first place. I'm pretty sure it's because Avicii has recently announced that he will stop giving live performances. Don't you wish you could retire at the age of 27? Anyhow, I'm glad the song is here, because it is a really good one. It's a great song of course, and it'll help you really advance your strumming technique.
There you have it folks, these were the most watched guitar lessons on the site in August. It's nice to see so many new songs make it to the top of the list, and I hope that seeing other students have been learning them will motivate you to grab your guitar, and learn a few of the them as well.
September 2, 2016 /0 Comments/by Tom - TheGuitarLesson.com
https://www.theguitarlesson.com/wp-content/uploads/the-guitar-lesson-logo.png 0 0 Tom - TheGuitarLesson.com https://www.theguitarlesson.com/wp-content/uploads/the-guitar-lesson-logo.png Tom - TheGuitarLesson.com2016-09-02 15:48:442018-05-16 07:44:21Most Watched Guitar Lessons - August 2016
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Home / Analysis / Exchange control a national cancer
Exchange control a national cancer
Posted on September 8, 2017 by The Independent in Analysis, Comment, Opinion
In all the years that I worked as an economist in what was then Southern Rhodesia and subsequently in the Republic of Zimbabwe, I argued in any circles that would hear me, that exchange control was a national cancer, eating away at the economy and destroying value. I had few disciples.
Eddie Cross
The decision about three weeks ago to take 80% of the foreign exchange earnings of the platinum mining industry into the Foreign Exchange Accounts of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and replace them in the accounts of the mines with Real Time Gross Setttlement (RTGS) dollars, at long last triggered a response.
The miners went to see RBZ governor John Mangudya (in his Holy Temple of the Reserve Bank building — logically one of the largest and most luxurious in the capital), and asked him to reconsider his position as they could not accept the directive.
If the governor does not do so, I suspect this matter will then go to the courts for a decision, but the mining companies are right to deny Mangudya the right to steal their output in broad daylight.
When many countries in Africa attained independence, they had little or no knowledge of how the banking system worked.
At Independence in Zimbabwe, some people walked into banks demanding money over the counter, only to be told that you had to have “money” in your account.
Did the bank really mean that that funny writing in the books was real money? Today it is even more mystifying because it is just a number on a screen. But the reaction of many leaders in Africa very soon after independence was to realise what a wonderful thing a Reserve Bank was.
In the former RBZ governor Gideon Gono era, the central bank not only committed the sin of printing money on a vast scale until finally the press could do no more and the whole edifice collapsed, like a baobab in the bush dying of thirst.
His second sin was to take a third of all foreign exchange earnings and convert them into local currency at an exchange rate set by the bank — which, of course, bore no relation to the real value of the stuff in local currency.
Effectively this was a tax on the country’s foreign earnings and the “money” that you received in return was only good for “burning” (an informal sector term) on the local market. At the height of this wholesale theft of private resources by the RBZ, a connected individual could get a small allocation of hard currency (say US$5), change it on the streets and get a whole pile of local cash, walk back into the RBZ and buy enough foreign currency to buy a house or a luxury car at the “official” or even worse, the so-called “legal” rate.
In effect, what this was doing was transferring real value and wealth, from those who earned it and made the economy work in the process, to people in the State or even simply holding a connection, political or otherwise, who could access these stolen resources and lodged in the RBZ.
The screen used to cover this nefarious activity was a thing called “exchange control” and the central bank had a staff of thousands dealing with the allocation of these scarce resources to people who wanted to travel abroad or import goods.
When a political leader left jail in the mid-1980s after spending three years on trumped up charges, he was met at the gates of the prison by a senior State official who took him to breakfast and offered him a bribe to stay quiet and resume work with the regime.
The “bribe” was not cash, it was a “foreign exchange allocation” from the RBZ, virtually a token to be exchanged at the bank for hard currency that could then be used to buy imports — all that the ex-convict had to do was to sell it on the market and become an instant millionaire, which is exactly what he did and promptly was appointed a minister in the very government that had locked him up in the first place.
With dollarisation in 2009, the regime has not been able to print money, until recently, but today, money is not just that paper stuff you use on the streets or in the shops but has a dozen other forms.
We now have “electronic money”, Debentures, Treasury Bills (TBs) and other instruments (bond notes), which hold value because the State (the RBZ) says so. The problem for the central bank and the regime in power is the dammed market which insists on quietly fixing a real value to whatever we are using as a means of exchange.
So today, as I write, the real United States dollar — printed in the US on cotton paper and sold to our banks with real money, is trading at a premium of 35%. This means that if you have “RTGS dollars” in your account — listed as US dollars, in fact, you do not have real currency in your account, but a phantom currency, which is only worth 65 cents in real money.
It is even worse if you have your money in TBs, then you must discount the TB into RTGS dollars at a 20 to 30% discount and take a form of currency that is only worth 65 cents — total discount is 52%.
If you have millions of RTGS dollars in your accounts and you want to get them out of the country, then one way to do that is to buy a share on the local bourse and take the share out to Johannesburg or London, where you can sell it for real money — but take a 60% discount in the process.
That is the problem faced by the mining companies. President Robert Mugabe’s regime that is once again in total control of the State after the rigged and manipulated election in 2013, has succeeded in destroying all the gains made during the short period (four years) when they were forced to share power with the MDC.
They have completely undermined the fiscal stability created by the MDC and, in the process, have caused a massive cash shortage on the market, they have taken so much real money out of the market using various means such as TBs, that nearly all banks are technically insolvent again.
They have reintroduced exchange controls and in the process forced everyone back into the shadowy grey markets of the informal sector and they now want to destroy our exporters by taking their earnings in hard currencies and replacing them with local currency, which although denominated in US dollar, bears no relation to the US dollar and is rapidly losing its value in the markets. It is now clear from official statistics that we are heading for a complete collapse similar in many ways to 2008.
Our budget deficit, which started in 2013 when it came in at US$500 million, has risen to US$1,6 billion in 2016 and it now looks as if it will exceed US$2 billion in the current year. By December I expect our RTGS “dollars” to be worth half of their real counterparts, inflation of a similar magnitude will follow and in 2018 Zimbabweans will again be dealing with hyperinflation and the collapse of their incomes and assets.
Worse of all, many leaders in Africa treat a country’s central bank as “their” bank and draw money at will. Last week, we learned that the First Lady Grace Mugabe bought two more houses in South Africa for nearly US$10 million — paid by the RBZ, whom we know also made the resources available for baubles like the famous diamond ring.
When Mugabe flies out of the country he takes millions of dollars (real dollars) out with him, all from the RBZ, he does not account for this money and the gravy train accompanies him.
If the courts do not put a halt to the lunacy in the RBZ and allow exporters and others who bring in foreign exchange, to retain their earnings and sell their hard currency at real market value on the local market, then the collapse will accelerate because no company, unless it is state-controlled Marange diamonds, can survive if the State takes 80% of their earnings and devalues them by half or more in the process.
Cross is an Economist and MP for Bulawayo South. The views expressed in this paper solely belong to the author. The aim is to provide independent professional advice as well as objective in-depth analysis of monetary and other economic policies in Zimbabwe. These New Perspectives articles are co-ordinated by Lovemore Kadenge, president of the Zimbabwe Economics Society (ZES) cell +263 772 382 852 and email kadenge.zes@gmail.com.
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One thought on “Exchange control a national cancer”
Charles Frizell says:
I am amazed that the “home made money” has not yet collapsed totally, as it did last time Gono stole all the “real” money for his masters.
But I think it is only a matter of time. I am always reminded of those cartoons of Bugs Bunny who runs over a cliff, suddenly pedals like mad when he realizes there is nothing underfoot before plummeting out of site at the bottom of the cartoon.
I think the economy is at the stage where they it has run over the edge of the cliff and is just about to plummet out of sight. Zanu can never resist “the urge to steal” especially where it concerns other people’s money
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Stuck in the 1930s
By Alexei Bayer
When I came to the United States from the Soviet Union in the mid-1970s, I was a little disappointed. Only when I got to Chicago a decade later did I see the America I had expected: smelters in Gary, Indiana, still majestic even if rusty and abandoned; old bridges, the marvels of industrial-era engineering; whimsical skyscrapers downtown; the art-deco splendor of the Lake Shore Drive; the jazz clubs; and the strict North-South segregation. For me, this was the “real” America.
Later, I figured out why. The Midwest was devastated by the Great Depression, and its capital, Chicago, never fully regained its spirit, in many ways remaining stuck in the early 1930s.
Growing up under communism, we were also living in the 1930s, when the Iron Curtain came down and isolated the Soviet Union from the rest of the world. Very little information reached us, contact with foreigners was tightly controlled and almost no one could travel abroad. Few contemporary books and even fewer Western films made it to the Soviet Union.
Instead, we learned about the United States from Jack London, Upton Sinclair, John Steinbeck and Theodor Dreiser. Ernest Hemingway, a writer of the World War I “lost generation,” became an ultramodern sensation in the Soviet Union in the early 1960s. Robert Penn Warren’s “All the King’s Men” was translated into Russian in the 1970s and was read as a portrait of the contemporary United States, even though it had been written in 1946 and described events of the 1930s.
Being isolated for 60 years, the Soviet Union missed post-World War II social, economic and political developments. We were excluded from the economic boom of the 1950s, which showed people in the West that prosperity is not a zero-sum game in which one person’s gain must come at the loss of another. We missed out on the liberal postwar era. European social democracy passed us by. We did not experience the counterculture of the 1960s, which undermined respect for government authority. Nor did we learn much about the civil rights struggle, except for the exaggerated official propaganda about how U.S. blacks were persecuted.
As a political culture, we were stuck in the 1930s, with all the mean-spirited, bloody-minded, violence-loving characteristics of that dreadful decade, which has been aptly named the Age of the Dictators. It was a profoundly anti-democratic era, in which murderous demagogues like Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin and Benito Mussolini attacked liberal democracy and stoked mass hatred for class, race and national enemies.
This may explain the astonishing fact that recent Russian emigres instinctively take the most illiberal, undemocratic and intransigent positions on the political spectrum of their new countries. In Israel, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his Russian-speaking party are irreconcilable enemies of peace with Palestinians, whereas in the United States ex-Soviet Jews tend to vote for extreme Republicans. This is true even of highly educated people, which distinguishes them from most of their Western colleagues.
But the greatest damage of the persistent 1930s political culture is seen in Russia, where Western-style liberal democracy is now widely despised. As a result, Russia has now fallen under the spell of another “strong leader” and has seen its nascent freedoms severely curtailed.
The only hope is that the new generation, growing up in much closer contact with the outside world, has caught up with their Western counterparts and will be able to create a different society in Russia once the Soviet generation has left the scene.
Alexei Bayer, a native Muscovite, is a New York-based economist.
The views expressed in opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the position of The Moscow Times.
Populist Voters Don’t Mind Putin’s Help
Matteo Salvini and other populist leaders are learning that Russian “interference” may not be a vote-killer.
The activist was was kidnapped in Chechnya and murdered on July 15, 2009.
Konstantin Kazenin
After Ingushetia, What Is Moscow's New Political Logic for the North Caucasus?
Ingushetia's head Yevkurov was replaced following months of protests in the region.
Michele A. Berdy
The Connotation Conundrum
The words are right but the connotation is totally wrong. A translator's lament.
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ODYSSEA Project to Hold Mediterranean Summer School on Oceanography and Fisheries in Alonissos
By Associated Press June 25, 2019
(Photo by Eurokinissi, file)
ALONISSOS, Greece, (PRNewswire) The EU-funded ODYSSEA Project will hold its second summer school, focusing on Oceanography and Fisheries in the Mediterranean, September 2–6, 2019, on the Greek island of Alonissos, located in the Aegean Sea’s Northern Sporades archipelago.
Building on the success of last year’s ground-breaking ODYSSEA summer school, the training course is an ideal opportunity for oceanographers and biologists, young researchers, PhD students or professionals at the early stages of their careers, who are interested in learning how to manage available marine environmental, oceanographic and fisheries data to provide targeted and understandable information to relevant end-users.
The summer school is being co-organised with the School of Biology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Department of Environmental Engineering at the Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH), and with the support of the Thalassa Foundation.
“The 2nd ODYSSEA Summer School introduces trainees to all stages of operational oceanography and fisheries, aiming towards the Blue Growth of the Mediterranean Sea,” DUTH’s Professor Georgios Sylaios, who coordinates ODYSSEA, explained.
He noted the importance of monitoring and forecasting phenomena related to the marine environment, as well as the challenges faced by oceanographers in doing so, specifically relating to climate change and the rising intensity of human coastal activities and their impacts––pollution, extensive fishing and aquaculture, coastal erosion, over-exploitation by tourism––over the past decades.
“The protection and sustainable economic exploitation of marine ecosystems requires real-time monitoring and operational prognostic modelling. In parallel, the volume of data concerning the marine environment collected both by satellites and onsite monitoring instruments is enormous and can be categorised as ‘Big Data,'” Sylaios said.
“All these data need to be retrieved, processed, interpreted and then fed into numerical models for reanalysis and forecasting.”
The modules to be included in the summer school are:
Introduction to operational oceanography
Modern marine instrumentation and sensors
Sampling and surveying
Fisheries stock assessment and management
Marine ecological modelling
Applications to attend the summer school can be submitted here until June 30.
About ODYSSEA
ODYSSEA is an EU-funded project targeting Mediterranean marine data, making it easily accessible and operational to multiple end-users.
The project, which received funding through the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, aims to develop, operate and demonstrate an interoperable and cost-effective platform which fully integrates networks of observing and forecasting systems across the Mediterranean basin.
The platform will collect data from the many databases maintained by agencies, public authorities and institutions of Mediterranean EU and non-EU countries, integrating existing earth observation facilities and networks in the Mediterranean Sea.
For further information, please visit at http://odysseaplatform.eu. For news updates follow our Facebook and Twitter.
Foods that Protect Us from the Sun; A Survival Guide for the Summer
Greek Island of Milos Voted “Best Island of Europe” for 2019
Surf Art Festival Vol. 6 Returning to Faliro on July 12-14
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Fairfield man among five people shot in Oakland
By Angela Woodall and Oakland Tribune |
A man clinging to life is one of at least five victims wounded by a rash of shootings that broke out Sunday evening across Oakland.
The man, a Fairfield resident whose name has not been released, was shot at 11:22 p.m. in the 1100 block of 32nd Street near Market Street and San Pablo Avenue, according to police. He is in grave condition and police have no suspects in the incident, Spokeswoman Holly Joshi said.
His is one of four shootings within the span of three hours that Oakland police are investigating.
The first shooting took place at about 8:15 p.m. near 64th and Avenal avenues. The victim is an 18-year-old listed in stable condition, Joshi said.
Less than an hour later, two Antioch residents, 16 and 18 years old, were shot near the Arroyo Viejo Recreational Center, police said. Authorities are seeking multiple suspects in that shooting, which happened at 8:50 p.m. Both victims are male and are in stable condition, police said. Their identities have not yet been released. Police do not have information indicating a motive for the violence.
The recreation center in the 7700 block of Krause Avenue closes at 4 p.m. on Sundays in the summer. Investigators did find multiple bullet casings from several different weapons at the scene in the sprawling community park.
Another shooting, at 10:15 p.m., stemmed from an attempted robbery in the 800 block of Aileen Street, not far from the Berkeley border. The victim, a 34-year-old Oakland resident, was transported to a hospital with multiple but non life-threatening gunshot wounds, Joshi said. Police are seeking one suspect in that incident.
Angela Woodall
Oakland Tribune
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Positive Media
Transforming the World One Listener at a Time.
»Networks Guests
»Guest Profile
www.MaryMorrissey.com
Mary Morrissey
Speaker, best-selling author, and consultant for over three decades,
Mary Morrisseys transformational talks and seminars have made her one of the elite teachers in the human potential movement. She is the president and founder of LifeSOULutions, an international company
providing programs and products that transform dreams into reality.
Her work takes her weekly to different parts of the globe.
Mary is the Co-Founder and the first President to the Association for
Global New Thought. Along with Dr. Michael Beckwith, she became the first New Thought minister to be appointed to the Executive Counsel of the Parliament of World Religions. She has spoken 3 times at the United Nations as the national Co-Chair for A Season of Non-Violence, and has received the honor of being inducted into the Martin Luther King Order of Preachers. Representing the Association for Global New Thought, she has co-convened and facilitated 3 different week long meetings with His Holiness The Dalai Lama in leading conversations with world leaders, and addressing the most significant issues our world is facing. In addition, as part of the Gandhi-King delegation, she met with Nelson Mandela in Cape Town, South Africa.
She is the author of two best-selling books, No Less Than Greatness and Building Your Field of Dreams, which became a PBS special. Featured in the movies The Moses Code and Beyond The Secret, Mary Morrissey has also authored numerous audio programs, including the popular co-produced audio, Working With the Law with Bob Proctor. As a highly sought after inspirational speaker, executive coach, & corporate consultant, Mary has 30 years experience of empowering individuals in achieving new heights of spiritual aliveness, wealth, & authentic success.
Mary has a Bachelors Degree in Education, a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology, and an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters. She has been an ordained minister for more than 30 years. While Mary holds some significant degrees and achievements in higher learning, she says her two most important degrees are the two black belts she has earned: one in success and the other in failure.
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Report: Myanmar Tourism May Be Threatened by Muslim-Buddhist Violence
According to Reuters.com, civil unrest remains a problem in Myanmar, with a recent onslaught of Muslim and Buddhist violence. Rival mobs torched houses in Sittwe, the worst act of communal violence since the reformist government replaced a junta last year. Eight people were killed and many were wounded on Friday, June 29, 2012, after fighting spread from the town of Maungdaw to Sittwe and nearby villages.
"We believe that the security forces are handling this difficult intercommunal violence in an appropriate way," said Maja Kocijanic, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. "We welcome the priority which the Myanmar Government is giving to dealing with all ethnic conflicts."
Curfews have been put into effect in three towns, including Thandwe, near Myanmar's tourist beaches, and Kyaukphyu. The United Nations has begun to evacuate staff from the area. The continuing violence could have harmful effects on Myanmar's opportunities for tourism and foreign investment.
Read Reuters's story at www.reuters.com
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AT&T UNTOLD STORIES
THROUGH HER LENS
FESTIVALARTICLE
Tribeca Film Festival Announces New Branded Storytelling Award
The first-ever Tribeca X Award, sponsored by GE, will celebrate the best collaborations between filmmakers and brands.
As companies and brands like Netflix, Amazon, and even Chipotle establish themselves as formidable destinations for storytellers, the lines between advertising and entertainment continue to blur. Now, it's all about the best stories and strongest films, no matter how they're conceived. With that in mind, the Tribeca Film Festival has announced an all-new platform for works that exemplify the best that branded storytelling has to offer. The Festival, whose 15th edition will take place April 13-24, and will be presented by AT&T, is set to launch the Tribeca X Award, sponsored by GE.
Submissions for the Tribeca X Award's competition will be open from February 8 through March 18, and will focus on the excellence, authenticity, originality, and creativity in sponsored or brand-underwritten stories. Tribeca X's submissions must be limited to films made between January 2015 and March 2016. The winner will be announced at a special ceremony on April 21.
Recent history shows how high the bar has already been set. In 2001, the automotive brand launched BMW Films, which produced eight short online films, collectively titled The Hire, that starred Clive Owen as an enigmatic on-call driver; throwing the gauntlet down for branded content, BMW hired a murderer's row of A-list directors to handle the segments, including David Fincher, Ang Lee, and Guy Ritchie. In the years since The Hire, advertising agencies' relationships with filmmakers have significantly increased. The pinnacle of all branded content is The LEGO Movie (2014), which Warner Bros. Pictures and The Lego Group pushed to a massive $258 million domestic. On the smaller scale, there's the 2012 anthology film The Fourth Dimension, co-directed by Harmony Korine (Spring Breakers) and produced by Grolsch Brewery's Grolsch Films division, and the Ford Mustang documentary A Faster Horse (2015), directed by David Gelb (Jiro Dreams of Sushi) and funded by Ford.
"For the past decade, a shift has taken place across traditional models of entertainment, art, and advertising, as brands step in to serve as financiers and studios, and become catalysts for high quality, provocative storytelling," said Jane Rosenthal, founder and executive chair, Tribeca Film Festival. "We are looking forward to shining a light on the contributions that brands are making to support filmmakers and celebrating the exciting work that has been produced."
“The best stories compel, engage and delight their audiences," said Linda Boff, CMO of GE. "And for brands to really break through, these stories need to be just as engaging as the best entertainment, films and documentaries. We’re incredibly proud that TFF has recognized this and GE is a proud to celebrate the best work conceived by/for a brand with the new 2016 Tribeca X Award."
Tribeca X is the latest addition to the Tribeca Film Festival’s 15th edition, which promises to be the biggest one to date. Click here to catch up on all of the already announced programming, which includes on-stage talks with Tom Hanks, Tina Fey, and Virgin Group's Richard Branson, as well as the fourth annual Storyscapes program and the next wave of can't-miss virtual reality projects.
CLICK HERE to submit your films for the Tribeca X Award!
FEBRUARY 2, 2016 |Tribeca Film Festival, News & Trends, and Film
Culture|ARTICLE
"We Could Be King" Wins Sports Emmy
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Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, and More Announced for TRIBECA 2016
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15 Tribeca Film Festival Movies You Can Watch on Netflix Right Now
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‘A true hustle:' The life of a young entrepreneur
UB alum juggles running a business, marketing a product and working a corporate job
BENJAMIN BLANCHET | The Spectrum
(Left to right) Adam Kellerman and Yusef Burgos are co-owners of The Cellar. Burgos is ‘17 UB alum and runs The Cellar, owns shoe cleaner brand Scuffed Up and works as a risk assurance associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, a multinational accounting firm.
JACKLYN WALTERS
Yusef Burgos — or Sef, as friends call him — sits in a low chair dressed in a hoodie and jeans that clearly cost over $400. He speaks in a relaxed voice that does little to convey his busy schedule.
He is surrounded by shoes that cost more than UB tuition, four guys hanging out around the counter and 2015 Drake playing in the background.
This is exactly the “calm, cool, chill environment” he wants his store to emanate.
Burgos, who got a BA from UB in 2017 and an MA in 2018, co-owns The Cellar with Adam Kellerman, and will be celebrating the store’s second anniversary next Monday. The Cellar, located at 569 Elmwood Ave., is a streetwear store and well-known spot for students looking to buy hypebeast essentials: Yeezys, Supreme and the like. Burgos and Kellerman also co-created the shoe cleaner Scuffed Up to help their customers keep their products always looking like new. But the 23-year-old entrepreneur also works full-time as a risk assurance associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, a multinational accounting firm.
Burgos said he couldn’t run The Cellar without a team he can “trust” to uphold the “vision and culture of the store.” He relies on a six-person team to run the store while he works 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“It’s not really all me, it’s my team,” Burgos said. “I couldn’t do it without these boys.”
Justin Alvear, a senior media studies major, saw Burgos’ passion for the culture as a customer.
“He is a really humble and good guy,” Alvear said. “He’s really passionate about the streetwear culture.”
Burgos opened The Cellar when he was a senior accounting major at UB and said his time at the university “opened a door” for him with the store. Burgos used his connections with students when he was opening The Cellar and spent his time on campus handing out flyers and promoting the shop.
Kellerman said Burgos’ education has greatly helped the business because it’s “like having a built-in accountant.”
In its two years of business, the store has gained a following among UB students and community members alike. The storefront is stacked with retro and modern sneakers and memorabilia. The walls are lined with skateboards and a claw machine offers thousand-dollar kicks to customers who try their luck.
Kellerman said The Cellar has grown through “trial and error” and opening the business has taught him a “ridiculous amount” of information.
“The last two years have just been the greatest learning experience ever,” Kellerman said. “And that’s something that you can’t buy or get somewhere else.”
Burgos said building The Cellar from the ground up was “one of the coolest things.” He said creating the store “didn’t happen overnight” but has left him “happy, humble and blessed.”
“I would say life is all about taking that calculated risk,” Burgos said. “You cannot be scared. If you have a passion, if this is something you want to do as far as having your own business, you gotta take that leap. The best experience comes from doing it.”
Burgos’ future plans include opening another Cellar storefront and giving back to the community. He said he doesn’t have any concrete plans for donations, but hopes to provide “guidance” to Buffalo youth.
“The youth are ultimately the future leaders of our world.” Burgos said. “So whatever I can do, gathering my experiences and the people I’ve met, [I want to] give them an outlet and shed light on my path [with] my knowledge as well.”
He said he wants The Cellar to be a place that people of all ages can hang out and know they “don’t necessarily have to come here just to buy things.”
Alvear believes the store gives off this exact “vibe.”
“They have a really dope store that epitomizes the positives of streetwear culture in my opinion,” Alvear said. “The general vibe was friendly and definitely seems like a place you could make good friends. You tend to see groups of teens go inside and kind of just hang out.”
Burgos recommended that students “leverage” the resources around them while they can, as the people he met at UB helped spread the word about his business.
“People don’t realize when you’re a college student, you have so many resources at your fingertips to really do almost whatever you want. There are so many people around you and in your network that just want to help you simply because you’re a college student,” Burgos said. “When you graduate, all of that goes away.”
Burgos attributed his success to his “constant grind” mentality and urged others to “delay gratification.”
“You can’t have that instant gratification. A lot of kids, a lot of my peers ‘want it now,’” Burgos said. “It’s all about just staying focused on delaying gratification. … It’ll ultimately pay off in the end, and that’s the mindset.”
Jacklyn Walters is a senior news editor and can be reached at Jacklyn.Walters@ubspectrum.com and @JacklynUBSpec.
Jacklyn Walters is a junior communication major. She enjoys bringing up politics at the dinner table and seeing dogs on campus.
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UNICEF Global
Unicef default logo Nigeria
EXPLORE UNICEF
SITUATION OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN
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Healthy children become healthy adults: people who create better lives for themselves and their communities. See how UNICEF is supporting the Government of Nigeria to improve immunization coverage and provide access to quality healthcare.
UNICEF/2018/Naftalin
Nigeria’s mortality rates for women and children are among the world’s highest. The ratio of 576 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births has not improved over the last decade. Most of these deaths occur in northern Nigeria where health indices are poorer.
Nigeria has the world’s second highest number of deaths in children under five, losing around 2,700 every day from a ratio of 120 per 1,000 in 2016, although it has declined since 2003 down from more than 200 per 1,000. Only one out of three babies is delivered in a health facility. The poorest among Nigeria’s population continue to be most in peril, whatever their age. While there have been drops of 31 per cent and 26 per cent in under-five and infant mortality rates, respectively, over the last 15 years, the decline in deaths of newborns over the same period is just 20 per cent highlighting an urgent need to scale up interventions targeting the youngest in the country.
The uptake of routine immunization remains poor and full immunization coverage has failed to gain traction as only one in four children are fully vaccinated. The situation for rural children causes greatest concern – only 16 per cent are fully immunized, compared to 40 per cent of children in urban areas. Measles vaccination coverage has now fallen below 50 per cent. Despite making significant progress in the eradication of polio, which led to Nigeria being declared polio-free in 2015, insurgency in the northeast and the resultant insecurity is beginning to reverse these gains: four new cases of wild poliovirus (WPV) re-emerged in Borno State in August 2016.
Nigeria has 190,950 HIV/AIDS infections per year, the second highest rate in the world.
Nigeria has the world’s second highest burden of HIV/AIDS, with an estimated three million people living with HIV (PLHIV) and 190,950 new infections recorded in 2015. Nigeria’s HIV epidemic is generalized, with extensive regional variations in prevalence. The opportunities for children to access diagnosis and care is limited. Approximately 260,000 children aged 0-14 years were living with HIV in Nigeria in 2015, with 41,000 new infections occurring among children, and only 17 per cent of children living with HIV having access to antiretroviral therapy (ART).
UNICEF’s programme supports the government’s vision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the revitalization of Primary Health Care (PHC). Our health programme focuses on supporting the federal and state governments to:
Roll out the ‘one Primary Health Care centre per ward’ strategy for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Focus on polio eradication and the polio end-game strategy.
Strengthen routine immunization across the country.
Educate and empower women to make more informed decisions about the health of their children.
Accelerated Action For Impact
Fast-tracking results for child health and survival in Nigeria
See the full report
UNICEF Nigeria equity reports
Fact sheets on UNICEF Nigeria's Education, Health, HIV/AIDS, Nutrition, Child protection and WASH programmes
Evaluation of the Maternal, newborn and child health week
National Nutrition and Health Survey2015
Report on the Nutrition and Health Situation of Nigeria
Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2013
Fourth survey of its kind to be implemented by the National Population Commission (NPC).
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Avian influenza media kit
Information about Avain flu in Nigeria
Health stories and news
New Year’s Babies: More than 25,000 babies will be born in Nigeria on New Year’s Day - UNICEF
UNICEF calls for leaders to re-commit to child survival and development on International World Children’s Day
Every child alive in Nigeria
A fair chance in life begins with a strong, healthy start. Unfortunately, many children in Nigeria are still deprived of this.
Kebbi state commits to improving newborn health
See how UNICEF is supporting the government of Nigeria to provide social protection in Nigeria.
See how UNICEF is supporting the Government of Nigeria to respond to emergencies especially in northeast Nigeria.
See how UNICEF is supporting the government of Nigeria to promote positive behaviour and social change integral to development programmes.
See how UNICEF is supporting the Government of Nigeria to provide access to clean water for children
See how UNICEF is supporting the Government of Nigeria to protect children.
See how UNICEF targets its actions to ensure good nutrition for every child in Nigeria
See how UNICEF in Nigeria supports children so they can attend school and learn.
Tiny stories
Related UNICEF Websites
UNICEF in West & Central Africa
U-Report Nigeria
UNICEF Connect
Generation Unlimited
Clean Nigeria
Every Child in School
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Fairfield breaks single-season wins record
by: Randall Parmley
Posted: Feb 14, 2019 / 02:33 AM UTC / Updated: Feb 14, 2019 / 02:33 AM UTC
The Fairfield Mules are having an incredible season.
The team owns a 28-2 record. Those 28 wins are the most in a single-season in school history.
Head coach Scott McElravy says, “It’s been a lot of fun. We knew going into this season, from the summer, workouts and what not, we would have a nice team. To envision we would be 28-2 is maybe a little different. We have won all three tournaments we are in. Currently in our league, we are 9-0. It’s been great this is a great group to work with.”
Fairfield closes out the regular season Friday at Carmi-White Co.
(This story was originally published on February 13, 2019)
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) - Evansville's city swim meet crowned Team Lorraine as the champions on Sunday.
Team Lorraine has now won their 4th consecutive swim title at Howell Park.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) - Highlights from the Otters 2-0 loss to the Lake Erie Crushers on Sunday Night.
In the contest, starting pitcher, Tyler Vail joins Andrew Simpson as one of only two players in franchise history with at least 300 strikeouts.
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) - North grad, Katelyn Skinner, won the 2019 women's city golf tournament on Sunday at the Evansville Country Club golf course.
Skinner was able to hold off her competition down the stretch. She saved par on 16 to put herself in a position to win. The North product shot 1-under on the tournament
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Two former Auburn football players killed in shooting
By Johnny Clark and Bob JohnsonThe Associated Press
Several people were shot at an apartment complex near Auburn University in Alabama when a fight broke out during a pool party, authorities and a witness said.
AUBURN | Investigators were searching Sunday for a gunman who killed three people — including two former Auburn University football players — and wounded three other people at a pool party near campus after several men got in a fight over a woman, authorities and witnesses said.
One of the wounded was shot in the head and critically hurt. Another was a current player, Eric Mack.
Desmonte Leonard opened fire at the Saturday night party at an apartment complex near the university, Auburn Police Chief Tommy Dawson said. Federal marshals and police were searching for Leonard, who faces three counts of capital murder.
Slain were Edward Christian, who had not been playing football because of a back injury, and Ladarious Phillips, who had previously quit playing football. The other person killed was 20-year-old Demario Pitts.
Officials also said Xavier Moss and John Robertson were wounded. Robertson had been shot in the head and was in critical condition; Moss was released from the hospital.
Police emphasized that the shootings didn't appear to have anything to do with some of the victims being former or current players on the university's powerhouse football team, which won the national championship in 2010.
“The only connection that the Auburn football team has to this is they are victims of a brutal shooting. Sometimes the young men get a bad rap, I feel like, but they are the victims today,” Dawson said.
Police urged the suspect to turn himself in. Authorities are also searching for two other persons of interest.
Dawson said he did not know why the party was being held or what sparked the fight.
“Them being football players really has nothing to do with this. They're victims of a shooting,” Dawson said.
Turquorius Vines, 23, said he was at the pool party Saturday evening at the University Heights apartments with one of his friend, Pitts. He said he and his friend were approached by two other men who started arguing with them over a woman.
Vines said he punched one of the men, and that Pitts hit both of the men over the head with a bottle. Either one or both of the two men then started shooting, he said. He said Pitts was shot and killed, while two others also were hit by gunfire. Vines said he had never met the men he was arguing with.
“It's like I lost a lung,” Vines said of losing his friend. “I don't know how I'm going to survive this.”
Several emergency vehicles converged overnight around the University Heights apartment complex, where many students live. The building was swathed in yellow police tape.
It appeared that the shooting happened in an archway near the apartment complex information center, near the edge of the parking lot. Five uniformed officers guarded the area, which was sealed off with crime scene tape, and a handful of crime scene investigators were at work.
Mack, the wounded player, is a junior offensive lineman from St. Matthews, S.C. He played in five games last season. Coach Gene Chizik said Mack was expected to make a full recovery.
Christian is an offensive lineman who was out last season while dealing with a back injury. Phillips was a backup fullback. Chizik said in April that Phillips had decided to give up football.
A person who answered the phone at the home of Phillips' mother declined comment and said his family was too distraught to comment.
“Nobody should ever have to endure such unimaginable grief, and we will love and support the victims' families during this terribly difficult time,” Chizik said. “We have a lot of people on our football team that are hurting right now, and we're going to do everything we can to help them get through this.”
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THE STRUCTURE OF THE STATE
17. January 2017 /in Uncategorized /by unsereverfassung
The Republic of Austria is a state – which means that it has a state territory and a state people which are both subject to a state power. The definition of what is a state is taken from international law. It also provides that, as a state, Austria has the capacity to negotiate and contract with other states at an international level. As part of the international community, Austria is obliged to comply with international law – such as the European Convention on Human Rights or the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Austria is not free to decide on its own in these matters.
This holds true in particular for the Republic of Austria as a member of the European Union (EU) (see the text on Austria in a Global Context). Jointly with other member states, Austria participates in EU decision-making and is responsible for ensuring compliance with European law.
Whereas, when dealing with „the outside world“, the state of Austria acts as a uniform entity, its internal structure is organized into different levels and components. This concerns the so-called state power, political decision-making processes and the administration.
Separation of powers – the branches of government
The German term „Staatsgewalt“ does not refer to „Gewalt“ in the usual sense of the word (i.e. „force“, or even „violence“). Rather, the term addresses the different branches of government, i.e. the spheres in which the state and its citizens may interact and in which the citizens are exposed to the influence of the state.
State theory, whose subject is the study of the functions and structures of states, distinguishes between three different branches of state power (branches of government): legislature, executive and judiciary. They are separated from one another, which is to ensure that none of these branches can accumulate too much power. A concentration of power is liable to lead to its abuse and may thus result in a restriction or even abolition of the freedom of the state’s citizens.
Depending on the matter to be regulated, legislation is enacted either on the federal (i.e. national) level or on the level of the Länder (i.e. of Austria’s nine federal states, each of which enacts legislation that is effective only for that particular federal state). Federal laws are adopted by the National Council (which is elected by the federal people in accordance with certain electoral principles). The Federal Council may raise an objection to an adopted bill, but it can only in very few cases actually prevent its final passage. The members of the Federal Council are delegated by the diets of the federal states. This is to ensure that the nine component states also have a say in federal law-making. The Federal Council has thus come to be referred to as the Länderkammer, i.e. the „chamber of the federal states“.
The legislation of the Länder is passed by the Länder diets (Landtage), i.e. the – unicameral – parliaments of the federal states.
The second branch of government is the executive power. Its function is to execute, or implement, the acts of Parliament, i.e. of the first branch. The executive branch may only act on the basis of legislation. As a rule, the functions of the executive branch are performed by organs who are „dependent“: Each of them acts only in fulfilment of the orders (directives, instructions) of the organ superordinate to him/her, and the top of the hierarchy is formed by a supreme organ, such as a federal minister or a Land government. The executive branch is organized into three levels: the federal level, the Länder and the local (municipalities) level.
The third branch, the judiciary, watches over compliance with the law on the part of the executive branch, but also on the part of individuals, e.g. in the fields of civil and criminal law. If someone commits an offence against another person, for instance by inflicting bodily injury on him or by acting towards him in a fraudulent manner, it is up to the courts to decide whether or not, and in which form, the offender is to be punished. The same holds true if somebody causes damage to somebody else: It is for the courts to decide whether or not any compensation will have to be paid. The sources of jurisdiction are the federation and the Länder.
The System of Checks and Balances
The three branches of government do, however, not stand side by side in an isolated manner, but are called upon to watch over each other. The nature of their interrelationship is that of a system of checks and balances. The judiciary reviews the acts of the legislative and executive branches. The executive branch, for its part, may only act on the basis of legislation, i.e. of acts passed by Parliament. Both the executive and the judicial branches are bound by the rules created by the legislative branch. The executive branch is separated from the judiciary in such a way as to exclude the existence of any institutions that have a dual character (executive authority and court of law). It is also not permitted for courts of law to give directions to executive authorities.
What makes the judicial branch so special is its independence, which is explicitly guaranteed by the constitution. It becomes manifest in the status of the judges, who are independent from directives of superiors and must not be removed from their positions. When judges decide, they do so on their own responsibility. Their decisions can only be changed or overturned by higher-level courts („instances“).
The system of checks and balances also provides for participation of the executive branch in matters pertaining to the judiciary. For instance when the Federal President, the head of state directly elected by the people, appoints the judges of the supreme courts. At the same time, the supreme organs of the executive branch, e.g. the federal ministers, are politically and legally accountable to the National Council and to the Federal Council. They are subject to removal from office through a vote of no confidence of the National Council. They can also be impeached before the Constitutional Court for breach of their official duties. Conviction may entail the loss of their office and even of their right to vote.
Austria as a federally organized state
Given Austria’s federal structure, state power is not only distributed between the three branches of government as described above (legislature, executive and judiciary), but also between the federal, Länder and local (municipal) levels.
The greater share of state power rests with the federal level. It is assigned the bulk of legislative competences, which means that the majority of the laws (and the most important ones) are passed by the federal Parliament. Criminal law, school, transport, police and numerous economic matters are regulated by uniform national legislation. The ordinary courts of law (which deal with disputes between individuals and with criminal matters) and to a large extent also the country’s administration are likewise organised in a nationwide uniform manner.
The Länder also have certain legislative competences, but their main function is administrative. Each federal state also has an administrative court which adjudicates on disputes over administrative matters.
The federal constitution lays down in detail which matters are to be settled on the federal level and which come under the authority of the Länder. This distribution of powers is binding on both levels; legislation passed in contravention of it is unconstitutional. Unconstitutional laws are liable to be annulled by the Constitutional Court – a supreme court with specific functions that has nationwide jurisdiction.
The municipalities – the third level of the federal structure – are merely administrative bodies. They have no legislative competences. Municipalities are so-called self-governing bodies, which means that they act independently – i.e. are not bound by directives from the federal and Länder levels – in several important fields. To ensure compliance with the legislative provisions in force, their acts are, however, subject to review by supervisory authorities.
As described above, all three branches of government are bound by specific interdependencies and constraints. Compliance with them is open to review by the respective supervisory bodies.
https://www.unsereverfassung.at/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Unsere-Verfassung_©anna-konrath_18.jpg 653 2000 unsereverfassung http://www.unsereverfassung.at/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/logouV-Kopie2-480x98.png unsereverfassung2017-01-17 20:33:012017-01-17 20:36:19THE STRUCTURE OF THE STATE
REPUBLIC EQUALITY OF RIGHTS
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Home Systems and Styles Judo
Articles on USAdojo.com about the Japanese martial arts style of Judo which focuses on grappling, joint locks and throws.
The Budokwai Centennial
January 26, 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Budokwai, also known as GK House, by Gunji Koizumi in 1918. The...
History of Judo in America
Emil Farkas
The first known meeting of Kodokan judo and any American occurred in 1879, when President U.S. Grant was in Japan on a state visit...
How Western Wrestlers Changed Judo
Antonio Graceffo
“Judo is a source of national pride in Japan, where the martial art originated.” (Cheng, 2012) But as larger, stronger foreigners, often with a...
The Origins of Martial Arts in the UK
Henry Ellis
Jujutsu Arrives On the 26th of September 1899 a British engineer, called Barton-Wright, returned to England after an extended period of living and working in...
The Foundation of Kodokan Judo and It’s Development
What is widely prevailed all over the world now under the general name of judo means the Kodokan Judo which Prof Jigoro Kano founded...
Jigoro Kano And The Not So Brief History of Judo
Indeed, Jigoro Kano was many things to many people. Like Sir Thomas More, he was a man for all seasons. His many worlds encompassed...
"The aim of Judo is to utilize physical and mental strength most effectively. Its training is to understand the true meaning of life through...
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Dreadlocks, cornrows and other natural hairstyles protected under California law
A new law signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom is the first in the nation to make it illegal to discriminate against hairstyles.
Dreadlocks, cornrows and other natural hairstyles protected under California law A new law signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom is the first in the nation to make it illegal to discriminate against hairstyles. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/07/03/california-first-state-ban-hair-discrimination-crown-act/1643833001/
Marco della Cava, USA TODAY Published 5:42 p.m. ET July 3, 2019 | Updated 2:47 p.m. ET July 4, 2019
SportsPulse: In 2018, is it fair for athletes to have to choose competition over lifestyle? Trysta Krick gets reaction from Alabama and Oklahoma players on the viral video of the New Jersey wrestler who had to cut his dreadlocks to compete in a match. USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO – California on Wednesday became the first state to protect citizens from discrimination based on hairstyle, a law greeted with both enthusiasm and a touch of dismay by people of color.
“I’m not going to say we shouldn’t have a law that allows us to wear our hair the way it naturally is, but it’s also sad that in 2019, we have to have one in the first place,” said Tiffany Dena Loftin, youth and college director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” she said, noting that the NAACP has monitored cases in which there was discrimination based on a natural hairstyle. “But a piece of paper doesn’t change things overnight. There’s a stigma often associated with the natural hair of black and brown people that needs to change.”
Buena Regional High School wrestler Andrew Johnson had his dreadlocks cut minutes before his match in 2018. (Photo: Michael Frankel/SNJTODAY.COM via AP)
In signing Senate Bill 188 before the Fourth of July, California Gov. Gavin Newsom created the nation’s first law to make it more difficult for employers and schools to penalize individuals for wearing their hair in a non-European style, which includes cornrows, Afros or dreadlocks.
SB188, also known as The Crown Act: Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair, becomes law in the wake of a variety of incidents nationwide that put a spotlight on the issue.
Last summer, a 6-year-old boy in Florida was denied entry to his school because of his dreadlocks, and in December, New Jersey high school wrestler Andrew Johnson had to cut his dreadlocks ringside before being allowed to compete.
Actress Lupita Nyong'o is one of many celebrities of color that has chosen to wear their hair in a more natural style, which can range from an Afro to cornrows. (Photo: Abderrahmane Mokhtari, AFP/Getty Images)
An Alabama woman asked the Supreme Court to weigh in on a long-running case resulting from her being fired from a call center job in 2010 because she refused to cut her dreadlocks.
“When is enough going to be enough,” Clinton Stanley Sr., the father of the Florida 6-year-old, wrote in an email to USA TODAY. “What all do we have to go through for people to know that we have a right to human rights? It’s crazy that in 2019 that children cannot get an education because of their hair.”
California law could set national precedent
Patricia Okonta, a lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, has been working on Stanley’s case. She said the school, A Book’s Christian Academy in Apopka, Florida, has yet to change its policies. Stanley’s son changed schools.
“Bills like the one in California send an important message that hair policing shouldn’t be tolerated and can be a model for other states,” Okonta said. “There’s a long history here, one that associates our natural style with being unkempt or unclean or unprofessional, and that needs to be tackled. Allowing someone to grow their hair out of their head the way they want to should be fine.”
Clinton Stanley Jr., 6, was turned away for his first day of school at A Book's Christian Academy. (Photo: Clinton Stanley Sr.)
California State Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, the author of SB 188, said she was cleaning her house when she stumbled across photos of herself during her high school graduation in the early 1980s.
“I had my hair in natural braids, and it dawned on me that that’s the way I had my hair all throughout high school, without any issues,” Mitchell said. “Now, had I been made to feel badly about the way I had my hair, that could have easily impacted my school experience in a negative way.”
Mitchell, who continues to wear her hair in braids, said the law is simply meant to prevent people of color from being “victims of a Eurocentric view of beauty and professionalism.”
Celebrities from the worlds of sports and entertainment opt for such styles.
These include actress Lupita Nyong’o, who wears her hair in a short afro; NFL free agent Chris Ivory, whose dreadlocks are often a tempting way for opponents to tackle him; and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., who wears her locks in twists.
Straightening poses health risks
“We shouldn’t have to sacrifice our hair, or our health, to conform to non-natural hair, because standards have been changing,” says Ama Karikari-Yawson, founder of MilesTales, a consultancy that works on diversity training in schools and business settings.
Karikari-Yawson, who prefers to call natural hair by the term afro-textured hair, said the issue of hair discrimination goes beyond style and to health concerns. Between the use of irons and chemical relaxers, “many people I know, and myself included, have suffered burns on the scalp and hair that fell out and wouldn’t grow back.”
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., talks to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Pressley wears her hair naturally in twists. (Photo: Deborah Barfield Berry, USA TODAY)
For decades, Rosario Schuler has touted the beauty and advantages of nonstraight hairstyles for people of color. The founder of Oh! My Nappy Hair, which has salons in Atlanta and Los Angeles and Oakland in California, said SB 188 represents a big victory on her long road.
“We have all heard the stories about brothers and sisters who have been stigmatized because of their hair,” she said. “Years ago, I said to myself, one day I’ll be able to take a shower and get dressed and get out of the house with my hair the way it is naturally. And that day seems to have come.”
Follow USA TODAY national correspondent @marcodellacava
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/07/03/california-first-state-ban-hair-discrimination-crown-act/1643833001/
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Husky Stadium to debut after $280M renovation
The finest piece of real estate in college football now has a facility worthy of its waterfront location.
Husky Stadium to debut after $280M renovation The finest piece of real estate in college football now has a facility worthy of its waterfront location. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/12NFqFu
The Associated Press Published 1:21 a.m. ET Aug. 29, 2013 | Updated 1:46 a.m. ET Aug. 29, 2013
A husky statue guards the student entrance at the newly renovated Husky Stadium. The $280 million renovation for the home of Washington football, which opens play there Saturday against Boise State, modernized the aging facility.(Photo: Elaine Thompson, AP)
Huskies face No. 19 Boise State on Saturday night
Construction lasted 21 months
Stadium capacity will remain about 70,000
SEATTLE (AP) — The finest piece of real estate in college football now has a facility worthy of its waterfront location.
Husky Stadium is no longer crumbling and dilapidated. Rebar is no longer exposed, concrete is no longer cracked and seats don't feel miles away from the field.
In the span of 21 months, Washington went from having an outdated football stadium to a palatial estate on the shores of Lake Washington.
ONE-STOP SHOP: All you need to know for season
"We can compete with anyone now as far as facilities. I'm very comfortable saying that with this new happening in football and this new facility," Washington athletic director Scott Woodward said on Wednesday. "This is as good as it gets. It's efficient, it's done well, it's done classy. It's done in a way that fits who we are as far as the University of Washington and the northwest with our sensibilities, but it's also really top notch and that is what's really impressive about this. I'm happy to put it up against anyone's as far as doing it the right way in my opinion."
Washington will christen its $280 million renovation on Saturday night when the Huskies face No. 19 Boise State. The Huskies have been using the facility for most of their fall camp and moved into their new locker rooms, weight rooms, training center and offices a couple of weeks ago.
COUNTDOWN: Dissecting teams 125-1
But the public has been kept behind chain-link fences with security guards standing watch to turn away anyone trying to slip inside for a sneak peak.
The grand unveiling comes on Saturday.
"The stadium is awesome. The stadium is great. The new Jumbotron and the lights and the wrapping and everything that is going to be with it," Washington coach Steve Sarkisian said this week. "What is going to make the place specials is the way we play and the product that we put on the field and our guys understand that."
MUST-SEE GAMES: From each Saturday in 2013 season
No one argued against the stadium needing a face-lift. The original lower seating bowl dated to 1920 and despite numerous cosmetic makeovers, was badly in need of repair when the project started in November 2011. Woodward and his staff went through many different scopes and funding mechanisms before deciding they could do the renovation themselves with the debt on the project paid back through stadium revenues.
Considering the scope of the project, Washington got a significant bang for its buck with a huge break on timing of taking bids on the project when the economy was down and construction prices low.
"I feel incredible about it," Woodward said, noting original estimates had the project in the $350 million range. "I wouldn't want to go back on the street and price this thing today."
The list of what's brand new is massive. The entire lower bowl and the upper deck on the south side of the stadium was demolished and replaced. The track that surrounded the stadium and kept fans pushed back from the sideline was removed, the field was lowered by four feet and moved north seven feet.
The entire west end — the closed end of the horseshoe shape — was brought closer to the field and that's where Washington's entire football operations are now housed. From coaches offices at the top, to new locker rooms, weight and therapy rooms and locker rooms underneath, the Huskies are now all encompassed in one location after being spread out across a number of buildings in the past. The school's sports medicine clinic also relocated within the stadium and that addition will keep from having to send players across the street to the school's medical center for evaluation of non-trauma injuries.
There is also suites and club seating for the first time at Husky Stadium — 27 suites, 65 patio suites and 2,507 club seats. The stadium added permanent seats in the east end zone as well — which sit atop a bank of field level suites that was an added cost to the original project.
And stadium capacity will remain above 70,000 — although barely. It was a requirement of the project and came in at 70,138.
"We all had a target on 70. We didn't want to go below that for image, reputation and revenue," said Chip Lydum, Washington's associated athletic director. "It was a challenge put the architects and we met it."
Washington officials visited schools throughout the Pac-12, along with TCF Bank Stadium at Minnesota and Camp Randall Stadium at Wisconsin to glean ideas. They also visited University of Phoenix Stadium and MetLife Stadium at the professional level.
Woodward feels like they found the right mix of modernization and keeping up with the rest of college football, while respecting the history of the school, program and stadium. The ultimate answer will come through the feedback of fans, recruits and future players.
"What I hope is that we hit the mark," Woodward said. "That we kept it a traditional college football stadium on Montlake overlooking Lake Washington with the two cantilevered overhangs feeling good, but it's a brand new modern facility that we can be proud of."
PHOTOS: WASHINGTON'S RENOVATED HUSKY STADIUM
Washington's renovated Husky Stadium
A husky statue guards the student entrance at the newly renovated Husky Stadium. The $280 million renovation for the home of Washington football, which opens play there Saturday against Boise State, modernized the aging facility. Elaine Thompson, AP
Bleachers and seats surround the newly renovated Husky Stadium looking east. Elaine Thompson, AP
Two stories of glass windows in the recruiting lounge overlook the field. Elaine Thompson, AP
A man walks into the tunnel connecting the football field with the home team locker room. Elaine Thompson, AP
Padded chairs line luxury suites. Elaine Thompson, AP
New padded seats stand at the ready in the Don James Center at the newly renovated Husky Stadium. Elaine Thompson, AP
Video monitors are mounted in view of hydrotherapy pools in the training area. Elaine Thompson, AP
Players work out in the new weight room. Elaine Thompson, AP
Mannequins display team uniforms in the football operations lobby. Elaine Thompson, AP
Players lounge in the locker room. Elaine Thompson, AP
The training room. Elaine Thompson. AP
Uniforms, helmets, gloves and shoes are displayed in a "fitting room" in the football operations center. Elaine Thompson, AP
Padded chairs line a meeting room for offensive players in the football operations center. Elaine Thompson, AP
The two-level "Club Husky," featuring two sports bars and entertainment spaces, stretches the length of the south sidelines. Elaine Thompson, AP
A look at the field in the renovated Husky Stadium. Elaine Thompson, AP
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Home|Say It With Statues: Disinformation and Authoritarianism
The CPD Blog is intended to stimulate dialog among scholars and practitioners from around the world in the public diplomacy sphere. The opinions represented here are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect CPD's views. For blogger guidelines, click here.
Say It With Statues: Disinformation and Authoritarianism
Vivian S. Walker
This two-part article explores the relationship between authoritarianism and disinformation in Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Hungary.
Effective disinformation campaigns often exploit latent fears and prejudices using violent or terrifying imagery to influence audience perceptions. Hungary's House of Terror Museum is no exception. The power of the largely text-free exhibit rests almost entirely on its use of image and sound to evoke instinctual responses of fear and horror. Visitors are led down to an underground labyrinth of interrogation cells with implements of torture. They move through dimly lit audiovisual installations that bombard them with scenes of concentration camps, gulags, show trials and executions. Instead of being informed in a rational, straightforward way about Hungary’s complicity in both regimes, visitors are left with a triumphant affirmation of the country’s political evolution: “the fight against the two cruelest systems of the 20th century ended with the victory of the forces of freedom and independence.”
These instances of brick-and-mortar historical revisionism are textbook examples of disinformation techniques. First, the employment of concealment and denial: The disappearance of the Nagy statue and the appearance of the memorial to the victims of German occupation both take place under cover of darkness so that the structure (or its absence) appears suddenly, irrefutably, and without authorship. Second, the use of distortion and reductive symbolism: The new figures tell an unambiguous story of unprovoked violence against innocent victims. Those deemed responsible for the victims’ suffering are embodied explicitly as mythical monsters e.g. Nazis, portrayed implicitly as weak, unreliable actors, e.g. left-wing glorifiers of communism, or, as in the House of Terror museum, collapsed into an undifferentiated evil. Finally, the creation of uncertainty and distraction: These disinformation narratives obscure ruling party responsibility for national suffering or dishonor. Blame shifts instead to a marginalized, often discredited opposition or an alien and seemingly malign outside force.
In speeches and interviews, Orban has consistently justified the rise of illiberal, authoritarian rule, citing, for example, China, Russia and Turkey as “stars” of governance. The monument to the victims of the German invasion evokes Orban’s harsh, often alarmist rhetoric about the risks to national sovereignty posed by outside “threats,” such as immigrants, multiculturalism and the European Union. With the House of Terror Museum, Orban and his allies have orchestrated a thorough, public revision of the Hungarian government’s role in two catastrophic events in order to establish the legitimacy—indeed the historic inevitability—of the current regime.
There are two important caveats to Orban’s elaborate disinformation campaign. First, despite Orban’s apparent ownership of his narrative, it is not unique to him. It originates with Putin’s Russia. As a recent report suggests, Russia is currently projecting its power in Central Europe “with the overall aim of restoring its influence in the region and weakening the EU and NATO.” This study indicates that among the so-called Visegrad Four countries (Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia), Hungary has the “highest vulnerability to subversive Russian influence” thanks to its repudiation of liberal democratic values and “the attraction of Hungarian political elites towards the Russian geopolitical orbit.” In other words, Orban is more willing acolyte than independent actor.
With the House of Terror Museum, Orban and his allies have orchestrated a thorough, public revision of the Hungarian government’s role in two catastrophic events in order to establish the legitimacy—indeed the historic inevitability—of the current regime.
Second, Orban’s disinformation narrative remains, for now, a relatively closed loop. His government’s embrace of anti-Western sentiment is significantly at odds with Hungarian public opinion. According to a recent poll, Hungarians clearly still prefer a pro-Western geopolitical orientation and demonstrate relatively stable support for the European Union, NATO and the West. For example, 58 percent of respondents supported E.U. membership, and 75 percent would vote to stay in the European Union. Similarly, 54 percent of Hungarians agree that NATO membership is a good thing, and 76 percent would elect to remain in NATO. Finally, 57 percent of Hungarians in the 18–24 year old range, the generation that Orban needs to co-opt in order to sustain his long-term political survival, believe that Hungary belongs fully in the West.
However, while these indicators are encouraging, they are not as strong as they were just one year ago. The historical revisionism at work in Hungary may already be eroding public commitment to the principles of freedom, tolerance, and justice upheld by Hungary’s NATO and E.U. partners. And given that Orban’s allies have near-total control of Hungary’s independent media outlets, there are few opportunities to contest this narrative.
Moreover, as the 2019 U.S. National Intelligence Strategy Report warns, Orban’s revisionism could well represent a growing risk to American national security. The report argues that “traditional adversaries” like the Russians and their cut-outs “will continue attempts to gain and assert influence” by taking advantage of “the weakening of the post-WWII international order and dominance of Western democratic ideals.” This poses a serious threat to “U.S. goals and priorities in multiple regions.” Should Putin, Orban and those of their ilk start to win the narrative of unrepentant illiberalism, what happens to NATO solidarity and influence? This is not a hypothetical question. Recently, in response to calls for a tougher stance on Russian and Chinese influence in Europe, Orban told U.S. diplomats that he wants his country to be “neutral, like Austria.”
As statues come and go, and as Hungary’s history devolves into anti-Western political allegory, the U.S. government should stand by the Hungarians who still believe in liberal democratic values and Euro-Atlantic integration. Support for independent investigative media outlets as well as local organizations devoted to fact-checking and debunking can help. So can targeted training sessions that sensitize ordinary citizens to the siren call of fake news. Ukraine and Moldova, for example, have made some progress in countering Russian disinformation thanks to such initiatives. Without help in pushing back against Orban’s disinformation efforts, the people of Hungary may not be able to sustain liberal democratic ideals when they matter most—for themselves and for their allies.
Note from the CPD Blog Manager: Part 1 of this series examines the Orban government's effort to reconstruct memorials to Hungary's recent history in the service of its increasingly authoritarian rule. This article was originally published in full by War on the Rocks.
Photo by Guillaume Baviere via Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0
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Say It With Statues: Reconstructing Hungary's Political History
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Intolerance in Hungary: Closing Media, Closing Minds
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Berlin: The Beating Heart of European Civil Society
Yoga and Healing Diplomacy: An Inward Journey
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American Soft Power in the Age of Trump
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Tesla VP, former Apple developer, is USI’s 2016 Executive in Residence
1/28/2016 | University Communications
J. Douglas “Doug” Field, vice president, engineering, Tesla Motors, Inc., will serve as the 2016 Executive in Residence for the University of Southern Indiana’s Romain College of Business. He will give two presentations at 10 a.m. and noon on Monday, February 8, in Carter Hall in University Center West. Both presentations are free and open to the campus and public.
Field joined Tesla in 2013, after working at Apple from 2008-2011, where he was responsible for the development of all Mac hardware, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, AppleTV, and AirPort products. “Moving to Tesla was the hardest career decision I’ve made,” Field says. “I had never really thought beyond Apple. But it came down to the mission. It felt like a convergence of everything I had done in my career.”
Field has worked in a wide range of other industry sectors, demonstrating an extraordinary combination of creativity and leadership, rising to premier positions, and providing inspiration to a generation of engineers. He was development engineer at Ford Motor Company. As manager of process development at Johnson & Johnson, he was inspired when he met inventor Dean Kamen, who heworked with on the IBOT, a balancing and stair-climbing wheelchair, and was the first employee when Kamen started Segway, working as vice president of design and engineering.
“Fundamentals and principles are universal,” said Field. “What I learned – and the way I learned it – allowed me to work on many, many problems, including ones that my professors could never have anticipated.”
Field has a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and a master’s degree in business administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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Blockchain: A Lesson in Obfuscation
By Jim Waldo, Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science
One can hardly throw a brick in Silicon Valley these days without hitting the CEO of a new blockchain startup. Whether it be cyber security, supply chain management, voting, or most anything else, it doesn’t matter what the question is. The answer is blockchain.
As the characters in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy discovered, knowing the ultimate answer isn’t much good without knowing the question. But there is no question associated with blockchain. Instead, the enthusiasm and hype around a hopelessly flawed technology leads us to another Theranos moment, when hope, enthusiasm, and vision bring us to the point of committing fraud on the non-technical public. We should know better.
Let me be clear that I’m not talking about some of the individual ideas behind blockchain. Having a public ledger that can’t be changed by using cryptographic hashing functions may be useful; it has been well known (under the name of a Merkel chain) for a considerable period of time.
Having a new consensus algorithm based on hashing to a value with a certain number of leading zeros is an interesting way of introducing randomness into the consensus, even if it makes the algorithm exceptionally inefficient and unnecessarily complex. Incentivizing people with a form of digital currency is something that has been around for decades. But putting these together with obfuscating labels like mining and odd claims like a system in which no one is trusted only adds mystery and hype. The result is a system that doesn’t scale, isn’t needed, and has as its main use cases activities that are illegal. All the excitement doesn’t make sense.
For those who want to dig in; I’ve made my technical objections in A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Blockchain Universe, https://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=3305265. In summary: the essence of the Blockchain mystique is one of least sensible consensus algorithms of the distributed computing world. It is inherently non-scalable (that’s what makes it random, which gives it its’ “trust-less” nature). It is wasteful. And it poses as the only alternative to a centralized system, which is simply wrong— there is a long history of distributed consensus algorithms that are widely used and form the basis for building de-centralized systems.
Proponents claim that you don’t need to trust anyone with blockchain. But using simple Merkel chains (where someone hashes the ledger and publishes that hash, which becomes the first entry in the next ledger) gives a result that can be easily verified by anyone who depends on the ledger. You may have to trust, but you can also verify.
In addition, proponents will also insist that you don’t need to trust those who are writing the code around blockchain; a community whose coding fiascos have been well publicized. As Tony Hoare, Turing award winner and inventor of quicksort, famously stated, “There are two ways of constructing a software design: one way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies”. Blockchain is a case of the latter; we have better alternatives that are the first.
It is time to admit that blockchain is a passing fad. Let’s have our private blockchains, but let’s call them what they are— Merkel chains. Let’s have unchangeable public ledgers, but let’s not waste the energy it takes to power a small country to have them, especially when they are available cheaply. And let’s stop this foolish talk of trust-free computing; Ken Thompson, co-inventor of Unix and the C programming language, showed us long ago that there is always trust somewhere.
There are plenty of real problems that need to be solved. Let’s not, as a technical community, score an own-goal. Let’s stop the madness and get back to doing something that is useful. Especially in the area of voting, there are lots of problems that we could help to solve that would actually help preserve our democracy and safeguard it from all kinds of interference, both foreign and domestic. Blockchain only adds a buzzword and contributes nothing to the solution. Let’s do real work that will give real help.
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Stormy Daniels' lawyer says he is serious about a 2020 campaign
Victor J. Blue / Bloomberg
Adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, left, speaks to the media while attorney Michael Avenatti listens outside federal court in New York on April 16, 2018.
(Victor J. Blue / Bloomberg)
Jennifer Epstein and John McCormickBloomberg
The lawyer representing the porn star suing President Donald Trump is considering his own White House run in 2020. Unlike most other Democratic presidential wannabes, he wants the world to know it.
Last week alone, Michael Avenatti hobnobbed with Democratic National Committee leaders in Chicago, started a political action committee to raise money for Democratic congressional candidates, and met with David Axelrod, former President Barack Obama's strategist.
All that follows Avenatti appearances at the Iowa State Fair and a Democratic Party picnic in New Hampshire, traditional stomping grounds for presidential aspirants. The buzz behind the lawyer is real, said Jeff Link, an Iowa-based strategist who recently spent part of a day with Avenatti as he traveled the state.
"He was mobbed by people wanting to meet him and ask for selfies," Link said. Democrats are "desperate for someone to stand up to the president," he added.
Avenatti, who is representing Stephanie Clifford, the porn star better known as Stormy Daniels, in her cases against the president, understands that the American public might be skeptical.
But Trump's election, he says, opened the door to unconventional candidates -- like, say, Avenatti. He says that if Trump and Vice President Mike Pence were to publicly commit not to run in 2020, he'd drop out too, and he complains that other Democrats thinking about a presidential campaign should make their intentions known.
"It's not about my ego and wanting to be president of the United States," Avenatti said in an interview in the back of a Lincoln sedan on his way to Chicago's Midway airport on Friday. "It's about whether I have the ability to potentially help solve this nightmare, this dumpster fire of an administration, and help us push the reset button and instill some respect and dignity back to the Oval Office and America's standing, both domestically and abroad."
The field of Democratic hopefuls for 2020 is slowly taking shape. Those believed to be considering a challenge to Trump include Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, California Sen. Kamala Harris, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, former vice president Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
None of them have publicly announced they're exploring a run. The field of declared potential candidates is small: pretty much Avenatti and a Maryland congressman, Rep. John Delaney. Billionaire Tom Steyer, who is financing a campaign to promote Trump's impeachment, hasn't ruled it out.
Avenatti, who is 47, figures his name recognition puts him in at least the top half of the likely Democratic field. But the lawyer insists that doesn't make him a celebrity candidate.
"I'm not a celebrity," he said. "Maybe I've become notorious or infamous or famous or something of that nature because I've been on television so much but I'm a substantive individual. I'm a student of the law. I've had a long career of nearly two decades fighting on behalf of Davids versus Goliaths."
He is only part of the national consciousness because of his client claims to have had an affair with Trump in 2006. She's suing the president both to get out of a nondisclosure agreement and for defamation. Her lawyer has become a near-constant on cable television, at first on behalf of Daniels but now increasingly for himself.
In addition to representing Daniels, Avenatti has taken on the cause of migrant children separated from parents caught illegally crossing the Mexican border under Trump's now-abandoned "zero tolerance" policy. He says he's representing about 80 of the parents and 100 kids, pro bono.
Christine Pelosi, a member of the DNC executive committee and an activist who first met Avenatti in an MSNBC makeup room in April, said he "certainly has the raw talent." She said she hopes he'll help Democrats win in the midterm elections and that Democratic activists will expect more than TV appearances.
"This is great that you're on television but are you at the local fish fry? Are you meeting people where you need them to rev up the local phone bankers?" Pelosi, who is the daughter of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, said in an interview.
Avenatti said he plans to travel to "state after state." His reception so far, he says, has been encouraging.
"I've got a lot of people within the party that are encouraging me to do it. And that's been a welcome surprise," he said, declining to name any supporters. "I thought that to a certain degree I was going to be ostracized by the party. That hasn't come to fruition at all."
Hillary Clinton's former Iowa state director Matt Paul and New Hampshire Democratic Party chairman Ray Buckley have introduced him to Democrats in their states. Adam Parkhomenko, a former DNC staffer who was the co-founder of Ready for Hillary, which encouraged Clinton to run before 2016, helped connect him with reporters at the party's meeting. Alexandra Chalupa, a Democratic consultant, introduced him to meeting attendees.
At the DNC meeting, Avenatti couldn't get far without being stopped for photos and brief conversations. Leaving the women's caucus meeting Friday afternoon, Pelosi thanked him for committing not to accept donations from corporate PACs.
Jeff Berman, a delegate and strategist for Obama in 2008 and for Clinton in 2016, and his college-age daughter asked for a photo. Avenatti apologized to Chicago-area Congresswoman Robin Kelly for cutting their conversation short to catch a flight and encouraged her to "keep up the good fight."
His campaign platform is a work in progress. He says he'd create jobs with a "real infrastructure program;" expand Medicare, the health program for the elderly and disabled, to cover all Americans; and "figure out college affordability." None of those issues would distinguish him from most of the rest of the Democratic field, and he waved off questions about how he'd pay for the proposals.
"Once I do deep dives on those issues, I'm going to propose how we're going to pay for them," he said.
He sounds less antagonistic toward Wall Street than Democrats like Warren, who has made her career advocating for greater bank regulation. "Certain aspects of Wall Street need more regulation, but I've also found that I think the judicial system does a pretty good job from time to time," he said, declining to elaborate.
His political resume is similarly thin. He worked for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's opposition research firm as a student in college and law school. He has never held elected office.
Avenatti, though, says politics is about timing -- and Daniels and Trump may have provided it to him.
"I believe that in life -- and I certainly believe that in politics -- it's all about windows opening and closing, and match-ups, to a certain degree," he said.
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Blaise McDonald’s winding path to MAC Renovations
Moving from marine electrician to construction management
– Story by Tess van Straaten Photography by Don Denton
Story courtesy of Boulevard Magazine, a Black Press Media publication
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Blaise McDonald grew up with MAC Renovations. He started helping his dad out on job sites around Victoria when he was just 12 years old, but never thought he’d actually go into the family business.
“As a teenager, almost all my friends had dug a ditch for MAC Renovations,” says Blaise, who is now co-owner and operations manager. “But when I graduated high school, I wanted to do a business degree.”
Blaise soon found that wasn’t his calling, either, and he went to work for his uncle who runs an electrical company. He did an apprenticeship and was then hired at the Dockyard, working as an electrician on industrial marine and navy ships.
“I ended up working on the submarine project for five years, and I worked on a super yacht build in Hong Kong,” the 38-year-old says.
It was work he loved, but a serious wakeboarding accident on Shawnigan Lake a decade ago brought it to a crushing end — literally.
“I snapped my leg and was off work about six months because I couldn’t climb down into the engine room,” Blaise explains. “I dislocated my knee, tore all ligaments and was on crutches.”
His dad, MAC Reno founder Ed McDonald — better known as “Big Mac” to friends — asked Blaise to come into the office and watch the phones for a week. And it was a game-changer.
“I realized it was an interesting business,” says Blaise. “I’d only ever worked on the tool end of it so I learned a lot.”
After returning to the Dockyard, but to an office this time since he still couldn’t climb into the ships, Blaise soon realized he needed to do something else. He tried sales and then decided to do a Bachelor degree in construction management at the B.C. Institute of Technology.
“I fast-tracked the program, right through summer and on breaks, and I’d come to the (MAC) office and work on stuff,” Blaise recalls. “Then in 2011, I came back on as operations manager.”
Blaise hasn’t looked back, helping to drive the company to new levels of success. The size of the business has tripled in just the last eight years, which is no easy feat.
“It was a ‘BHAG’— a big, hairy, audacious goal,” laughs Blaise. “It seems so lofty but when you sit down every three months and look at it, re-focus and ask yourself what you need to get there, you can do it.”
He admits it was a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but by regularly re-focussing and re-evaluating, they were able to achieve their goal about two years ahead of schedule. Blaise says a big part of that was being in the right place at the right time with the right tools.
“We had two places, a warehouse and an office, and it was really hard to manage both,” he explains. “In our office, we had almost 40 people working and being dispatched out of 1,000 square feet. It was crowded and people got grumpy. It was terrible”
But finding the right space in Greater Victoria, with parking, and close to major roads to easily reach all 13 municipalities, was no easy task. In the end, it took about three years to find the right location and it involved a major renovation.
“There were a few more problems with the building when we opened it up and we had to take it right to the ground,” says Blaise. “Once you get into it, you just don’t know. It’s hard to see what someone’s done in the ground.”
It’s a renovation lesson Blaise knows all too well. You always have to have a contingency and, he says, the biggest mistake people make is not taking the adequate time to plan.
“You need to take the time at the front to go through the design and know what the specifications are,” Blaise advises. “A lot of reno problems come from not planning properly and it also affects pricing. People always say ‘get three prices,’ but unless you have very detailed specifications, someone is just giving you a best guess and you’re not comparing apples to apples. A better approach is to interview three companies, do your research, and work with who you are most comfortable with.”
Blaise says the most rewarding part of his work is the people. He gets a lot of personal satisfaction from the impact they make on their clients’ homes and lives. But he says the most challenging part of the job is also the people.
“Our business isn’t a factory in a field — it’s customer service,” explains Blaise. “You go from building things to managing things to building people and it took a long time to figure that out.”
That also includes building the right team and recruiting and retaining the right people. In such a tight labour market, Blaise says the biggest challenge facing the industry is manpower.
“A few years ago, I’d post an ad on Craigslist for a carpenter and I’d get 70 applications,” he says. “Now we’ll run ads on several different platforms and maybe get a couple of responses a month.”
Over the years, Blaise says he’s learned a lot — and he admits he’s made a lot of mistakes. But he says the biggest lesson has been communication, and the need for face-to-face conversations to avoid misunderstandings.
“With email, when there’s emotion in it, it may not be what the person is trying to say and you might be reading into something that isn’t there,” Blaise explains. “If I’m having difficulty writing it, that’s usually a sign. There are some things that should just be discussed, not even over the phone, but face-to-face.”
Blaise says the best advice he’s received is to treat every interaction like you can learn something — from conversations with employees to calls from customers who might not be the right fit.
“If you’re not approaching every situation with an open mind, you’re selling yourself short,” Blaise says. “You’re not giving yourself the chance to learn something or gather information.”
As MAC Renovations gets ready to celebrate 40 years in business next year, Blaise says they’re focussed on oiling the machine and finding efficiencies.
And if it hadn’t have been for that wakeboarding accident?
“Life deals you a hand and it changes the course,” he says. “Sometimes what feels like a bad thing can actually turn into something better — it just comes down to how you approach it. It opened a door I didn’t even consider.”
Spring blooms fashion
Lia Crowe’s Inspired Style with Jessica O’Brien Cameron
CO’s halt attempts to trap bear who attacked North Island man
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Biodiversity Hotspots Get Hotter (and That’s Not Good)
Biodiversity hotspots are golden places on earth where the number and diversity of animals and plants is exceptional. Environmentalists say that hotspots are the most critical of all places to protect against the ill effects of human development and climate change. The term does not mean that hotter temperatures are helpful, however. And it turns out that the biggest rises in temperature will occur where hotspots are most concentrated.
Last year a team of scientists led by Camilo Mora at the University of Hawaii published a map showing in incredible detail the year in which mean annual air temperature will rise completely out of the normal range established from 1860 to 2005. Even a cool year, then, will be hotter than a hot year from the past. That extreme will be reached by 2047 in many regions if nations continue to emit carbon dioxide at current rates. But the “new abnormal” will arise even sooner in the tropics. Unfortunately, that’s where many hotspots exist. And that’s where animals are least able to adapt to a change in temperature, because they have existed for so long in a climate that has been extremely stable.
The group created eight maps that show the global hotpots for mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fishes, on land and at sea—and laid those maps on top of the map that shows future temperature change. The darker reds in the map show the regions where temperatures will reach abnormal levels earliest, and the red outlines show the hotspots for terrestrial mammals. The overlap is alarming.
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Serial Entrepreneur Launches Voyando, Aims To Reimagine The Way We Approach Travel
admin·May 5, 2014
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Smart meters protested by “small and vocal” community: B.C. Hydro
“First and foremost, there is no opt-out,” said Gary Murphy, chief project officer for the smart meter program. “Every customer will get a smart meter.”
Sep. 21, 2011 2:00 p.m.
Smart Meters are on the way and everyone in the province will have one by the end of 2012, regardless of whether or not they post signs of protest, according to a B.C. Hydro representative.
A customer does, however, have the option of contacting B.C. Hydro and relocating the meter elsewhere on their property at their own expense, he said.
“We’re saying opt out. They’re saying delay installation,” said Sharon Noble, chairperson of Citizens Against Unsafe Emissions and co-ordinator of the national Wireless Radiation Safety Council.
Noble organized a rally at the Legislature Sept. 18 that drew more than 200 people asking the B.C. government to impose a moratorium on the meters.
“I do not have a Smart Meter and I will not have a Smart Meter,” Noble said. “As many people at the rally said, I will call the police first.”
Armed with a petition of 4,000 signatures from B.C. residents opposed to the meters, Noble said the group is ready to fight the program any way they can.
“They can take me to court. They can fine me. I am not going to have a wireless meter,” she said.
B.C. Hydro has not yielded to any yard signs requesting to stop the replacement of analog meters, Murphy said. The Crown corporation has no way of identifying if such signs have been posted by residents, or by the less than 0.1 per cent of customers who have contacted B.C. Hydro with concerns, he added.
Yet signs affixed directly to meters have resulted in B.C. Hydro contacting individual homeowners prior to the installation of Smart Meters.
“There’s a very small and vocal activist community out there that has been responsible for publishing a great deal of this information,” Murphy said, estimating the actual complaints lodged at B.C. Hydro to be around 100. “They’re getting their neighbours and other folks spun up about it and folks have tried to take steps to opt out of the program.”
Customers with concerns over smart meters can contact B.C. Hydro by emailing SmartMeters@bchydro.com.
Byzantine expansion approved for Greek Community Centre
UPDATE: Missing woman found
Deep Cove Chalet set to re-open following fire
North Saanich eatery says July 24 will be ‘business as normal’ following rebuild
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Clark's Staff Picks
Clark spends most of his work hours dealing with insurance, accounting, banking and computer stuff
so you won’t see him on the sales floor that often.
He first started at Vroman’s as a bookseller in the Arcadia store in the Santa Anita mall over 20 years ago.
He likes most anything on Star Wars and enjoys books related to history. He also loves playing games, including many that we have at Vroman’s.
Master & Apprentice (Star Wars) (Hardcover)
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Del Rey - April 16th, 2019
What pivotal things happened between Qui-Gon & Obi-Wan in the years preceding The Phantom Menace? Claudia Gray's story helps answer that question and so much more. Qui-Gon and his padawan are sent to a remote planet to help another Jedi solve a mystery. In the process Qui-Gon must face his past obsession with the Jedi prophesies and lingering issues with his own master, Count Dooku. The book gives Star Wars fans a new base for Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's relationship. I love it.
The Nest (Paperback)
By Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
Published: Ecco - April 4th, 2017
I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. The story is set around the four siblings of the Plumb family and their connection to a trust fund dubbed the Nest. The author weaves a compelling tale of the lives of the Plumbs and everyone around them as they deal with the aftermath of the trust fund’s depletion because of the folly of the eldest sibling. Sibling bonds, lifestyle choices, destructive behaviors, dysfunction and codependency are scattered throughout the book and paint vivid characters that are believable and slowly grow on you. I highly recommend this intense story.
Vaders Little Princess: (Star Wars Kids Book, Star Wars Childrens Book, Geek Dad Books) (Hardcover)
By Jeffrey Brown
Published: Chronicle Books - April 23rd, 2013
Jeffrey Brown’s second Star Wars themed book is an amazing little book full of great illustrations depicting Darth Vader parenting a young Princess Leia. Every page brought a smile to my face. From illustrations of Leia critiquing the Death Star trash compactor to Leia introducing Vader to Han for the first time. This would be a great gift for any Star Wars fan and particularly good for dads of all ages. I was overjoyed to get my copy and tell as many people as possible about the book.
Beautiful Assassin: A Novel (Paperback)
By Michael C. White
Published: Harper Perennial - March 22nd, 2011
Tat’yana Levchenko is not just any sniper in the Soviet army during World War II she is the best sniper. Her story is one of a mother’s love and the struggle to find someone to love. She champions women’s equality and shows the world the strength of Russian women. Tat’yana befriends Eleanor Roosevelt, but becomes embroiled in a Soviet plot to blackmail the first lady. Michael White paints a picture of a woman recovering from loss, finding love and escaping the forces around her that are out of control; her story is heart wrenching at times, but inspiring for what one woman can do.
The Night Circus (Paperback)
By Erin Morgenstern
Published: Anchor - July 3rd, 2012
One word—Magical. I really enjoyed this first novel. The time period, characters, and setting enveloped me. This is a story of two young illusionists who are pitted against one another by their respective teachers. The venue for this contest of endurance and skill is a circus, which is both unusual and amazing as the two illusionists make it something remarkable. Falling in love was not part of the contest, but they do fall in love while being mesmerized by each other’s creations. I enjoyed every moment of it.
Also available on audio
Star Wars®: The Jedi Path (Hardcover)
By Daniel Wallace
Published: Chronicle Books - September 7th, 2011
This is an amazing book. Actually it’s more than a book, it is an heirloom that has been passed down over the years from one Jedi to another. It is a manual for students of the Force. Every Star Wars fan from young to old should have this. It is a nicely bound book with great illustrations and contains notations from Yoda, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Luke, just to name a few. This makes the perfect gift for the Jedi in your life. I absolutely love it.
Big Red Barn Board Book (Board book)
By Margaret Wise Brown, Felicia Bond (Illustrator)
Published: Balzer + Bray - January 6th, 1995
My family was given this classic board book as a gift from a friend who reminisced about reading the book to her young children. We fell in love with it immediately and it continues to be a favorite at bedtime, well beyond the board book years. The singsong of the words is like a lullaby. I personally liked how the illustrator created the marvelous image of a sailboat next to the reflection of the moon which pairs so well with the author’s words. It is so subtle, but yet fits perfectly with the story.
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris (CD-Audio)
By David McCullough, Edward Herrmann (Read by)
Published: Simon & Schuster Audio - May 24th, 2011
McCullough’s 17-hour audio book took me on a journey to Paris. I love American history, but this was something a bit different covering Americans in Paris from 1830 to 1900. It transformed my thinking about what it must have been like to travel or live in France as an American in this volatile period in French history. I learned so much about a broad cross section of artists, doctors, writers, politicians and architects and their profound impact on America from their experiences. I really enjoyed this book.
Hug (Board book)
By Jez Alborough, Jez Alborough (Illustrator)
Published: Candlewick - November 12th, 2001
What a wonderful little book. With few words other than “hug” in the book, the illustrations tell the story. When reading this to my son, I find myself using different inflections that correspond to how Bobo, the star of the book, appears to feel. My son seems to enjoy it and responds to each inflection with a sigh. Bobo’s emotional cries for a hug remind me how important it is to give that little hug even when you are not even being asked for one. This is a great little book for a two to four year old.
The War Lovers: Roosevelt, Lodge, Hearst, and the Rush to Empire, 1898 (Paperback)
By Evan Thomas
Published: Back Bay Books - May 16th, 2011
This is an insightful account of the people and conditions that lead to the Spanish American War of 1898. Thomas does an amazing job of connecting the five protagonists in his story. Although much of the book centers around Teddy Roosevelt and his eventual ascension to the Presidency, the other four main historical figures are prominently portrayed for their stance on imperialism in the 1890’s. I really enjoyed Evan’s account of this critical time in American history.
Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown (Hardcover)
By Charles M. Schulz
Please call for price (626)449-5320.
Availability: Out of Print
Published: Running Press Kids - March 8th, 2011
My family loves the Peanuts, but my most favorite character in the series is Linus and his blanket. This fun colorful storybook was a welcome addition to our family library. Linus fends off his sister, Snoopy and his grandmother to save his blue blanket. What could be better? Have you even envisioned Linus’ blanket as a kite, well you’ll find that in this adorable book and be rewarded with a happy smile after reading it.
The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn (Paperback)
By Nathaniel Philbrick
Published: Penguin Books - April 26th, 2011
Philbrick’s faithfully researched book on The Battle of the Little Bighorn, George Custer and Sitting Bull was a rewarding read for the history buff in me. I enjoyed it immensely and highly recommend this to those interested in history especially those who don’t know much about the period of the late 1800’s in the American old west. The author’s account is through a very wide lens, but that made it a wonderful account of the battle at what lead to it.
Also available as an audio book.
Dogfish (Hardcover)
By Gillian Shields, Dan Taylor (Illustrator)
Published: Atheneum Books for Young Readers - November 2008
I highly recommend this beautifully illustrated and fun to read picture book, which was published in November 2008. I love reading this story to my almost three-year old son. The illustrations of the boy remind me of him and they are fun for both of us. The story is about a boy who wants a dog, but can’t have one and learns to love what he has, a fish. The illustrator is Dan Taylor and this is his first book.
Outcast: Star Wars Legends (Fate of the Jedi) (Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi - Legends #1) (Mass Market)
By Aaron Allston
This brilliant nine book series is set two years after the events of the Legacy of the Force series (which is set 40+ years after Star Wars A New Hope). The books are wonderfully true to the Star Wars universe and although there are lots of new characters, Luke, Leia and Han are still dramatically present. The series follows multiple plot lines that intertwine but all revolve around the Jedi Order struggling against the government, the fallout from Jedi Jacen Solo's fall to the dark side, and a new Sith order that has come to light. This series is a must read for Star Wars fans.
The series in order:
#1 Outcast by Aaron Allston
#2 Omen by Christie Golden
#3 Abyss by Troy Denning
#4 Backlash by Aaron Allston
#5 Allies by Christie Golden
#6 Vortex by Troy Denning
#7 Conviction by Aaron Allston
#8 Ascension by Christine Golden
#9 Apocalypse by Troy Denning
The Guy's Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the First Year of Fatherhood (Paperback)
By Michael Crider
Published: Da Capo Lifelong Books - May 11th, 2005
This is a very funny book, giving fatherhood advice without actually giving a lot of advice. The author writes about his experience as a first time father. Although I read it after my second son was born, instead of while my wife was pregnant or after my first son was born, I still found it fun to read and it made me laugh throughout. Although I didn’t agree with everything Crider said about fatherhood, I thought it was a great way to bond with another recent father over the tough things about becoming a parent.
Clara and Mr. Tiffany: A Novel (Paperback)
By Susan Vreeland
Published: Random House Trade Paperbacks - March 20th, 2012
Clara Driscoll comes to life in this historical novel set in New York City between the 1890’s and 1908. The story, which is based on letters written by the real Clara to her family in Ohio, wrapped me in the world of leaded glass during the heyday of Tiffany lamp creation. Clara is a woman of creativity who plants herself in the realm of working men, when women were not seen as equals. I found the author’s work a rare glimpse into the striking contrast of life at the turn of the last century.
Invincible: Star Wars Legends (Legacy of the Force) (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force - Legends #9) (Mass Market)
By Troy Denning
Published: Del Rey - December 30th, 2008
This series of 9 books has re-energized my love of George Lucas’ world. The series starts about 40 “standard” years after Star Wars: A New Hope. Although some wonderful characters from Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi have passed on during the 40 years, the main focus of the series is Luke, Leia, Han and their families. I listened to the audio books and I loved every moment that I spent with the series. The books are not as light as the first three movies were. They are darker and similar to the prequel movies (Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith), but it is a wonderful series and can’t be missed by any Star Wars enthusiast. You definitely need to have read or watched the six movies to have a good base for this series, but who hasn’t seen the six Star Wars movies? Anyway, I strongly recommend these books on either audio or in print; they are listed below in order:
#1 Betrayal
#2 Bloodlines
#3 Tempest
#4 Exile
#5 Sacrifice
#6 Inferno
#7 Fury
#8 Revelation
#9 Invincible
Invincible is also available as an audio book.
The Force Unleashed: Star Wars Legends (Star Wars - Legends) (Mass Market)
By Sean Williams
Published: Del Rey - August 25th, 2009
Set two years before Star Wars: A New Hope, this book should be read by every Star Wars fan. The book tells a brilliant tale of one of Darth Vader's apprentices and how the Rebel Alliance was started.
This is a wonderful railway themed board game, which won the prestigious Spiel des Jahres (German for Game of the Year) award in 2004 for excellence in game design. The game is beautifully designed and easy to play. It plays 2-5 players in about 45-60 minutes, for ages 8 and up. Ticket to Ride is a personal favorite of mine for friends and family on game night and I highly recommend getting a copy. I love the added bonus of helping players remember geography.
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War (Paperback)
This book is the fascinating story of the Mayflower voyage and the first 50 years of Plymouth Colony. The history of the Mayflower and Plymouth are often idealized, but Philbrick’s account based on extensive research, paints the early settlers and their descendents in more realistic light. Everything you ever needed to know about the Pilgrims and more.
Bunny's Noisy Book (Board book)
By Margaret Wise Brown, Lisa McCue (Illustrator)
Published: Hyperion Books for Children - February 2002
I have been reading this wonderful board book to my son since he was one year old. The illustrations are fabulous with brilliant colors of spring including lilac, columbine and ladybugs. The story is fun because it can be interactive. For example, when the bunny yawns, my son and I yawn. When the bunny stretches, we stretch. Although the publisher recommends it for ages 4-8 years old, I found it to be great starting at 1 year old.
Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe (Paperback)
By Laurence Bergreen
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - November 2nd, 2004
This is a wonderful account of the 16th century journey around the world led by Magellan. This is really worth reading for those interested in basic world history or specifically the Age of Discovery.
Girl in Hyacinth Blue (Paperback)
Published: Penguin Books - October 2000
This is a captivating novel. It tells the tale of eight individuals touched by a lost and unknown Vermeer painting. The story moves backward in time from present day to the 17th century, and each character has a remarkable tale. The author did a wonderful job detailing each part of the story from a different point of view. Vreeland’s book is absolutely captivating and wonderfully told.
Last Night in Twisted River: A Novel (Paperback)
By John Irving
Published: Ballantine Books - June 15th, 2010
At many times the story brought me to tears. John Irving’s storytelling is complex and many of his characters are richly developed, I now know some of them better than some of my friends. Like many Irving books, the story takes some wild turns and I am in awe at how he can create such a remarkable story. I was captivated through most of the book as he told the tale of three people who cope through the overwhelming accidents of life. A must for Irving fans.
Soul Catcher: A Novel (Paperback)
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - September 2nd, 2008
This pre-Civil War novel about the life of a slave catcher was riveting and thought-provoking. Although the subject is not for the faint of heart, the story left me with a profound feeling that some of the best stories are the ones that are hard to hear. I was touched by the emotion of the two main characters & how life would have been during a very dark time.
I love this game and have for years. It was the winner of multiple awards including the 2001 Game of the Year in Germany. It is great for 2-5 players and for ages 8 and up. I especially like playing it as a 2-player game with my wife. It is a tile placement game where each player draws a tile and decides where to place it to build roads, cities or farmland. Then by using your own supplies of meeples you claim roads, cities or farmland to score points. I have personally played this game dozens of times and every time you play it is different and enjoyable.
Darth Vader and Son (Star Wars Comics for Father and Son, Darth Vader Comic for Star Wars Kids) (Hardcover)
Published: Chronicle Books - April 18th, 2012
This is best humor book I have seen in a really long time. Have you ever imagined how good of a father Darth Vader would have been to Luke? Jeffrey Brown has the answers all wrapped up in this little book. From Luke splashing in puddles on Dagobah to Darth Vader reading a Darth Maul storybook to Luke. I am a big Star Wars fan and the illustrations and humor won me over in a moment. This would make a great Father’s Day gift or a gift for any Star Wars fan of any age. I loved it.
Star Wars: Jedi Academy (Hardcover)
Published: Scholastic Inc. - August 27th, 2013
My son and I had a blast with this book. Jeffrey Brown introduces us to Roan, a middle grade student who wanted to go to pilot academy, but instead is “stuck” with the Jedi academy instead. The book feels like a mix between Dairy of a Wimpy Kid and Harry Potter, set in the Star Wars universe. The story is part comic book and part journal and tells of Roan’s 1st year at the academy with all the ups and downs of a new kid at a new school. It is a very cool combination with fun illustrations and would be excellent for any 8-12 year old, especially any Star Wars fan.
Lisette's List: A Novel (Paperback)
Published: Random House Trade Paperbacks - June 23rd, 2015
I loved this book! Susan Vreeland’s ability to mix art with incredibly vibrant characters tugged at my emotions. Set in rural France between 1937 and 1948, the book captures Litsette’s struggle to leave Paris, the city she loves, and move to rural Provence to take care of her husband’s dying grandfather, Pascal, on the verge of World War II. The story takes incredible turns as Lisette adapts to life in a small village and everything that comes along with it during a period of war and occupation. Like all Vreeland novels, art plays a powerful role and in this one lose plays a central character. Lisette learns the stories behind Pascal’s art collection, only to lose the collection during the war. The story follows her longing to find the painting and discovering herself and her love of art along the way.
Bloodline (Star Wars) (CD-Audio)
By Claudia Gray, January LaVoy (Read by)
Published: Random House Audio - May 3rd, 2016
This book is amazing. What happened between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens? Well this book helps fill in some of the timeline. Bloodline is the compelling story of the events leading up to Princess Leia founding the Resistance. It includes familiar characters from the past (Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi) as well as characters from The Force Awakens. The story is packed with Princess Leia in action. I highly recommend this to any Star Wars fan.
Vernon Downs (Paperback)
By Jaime Clarke
Published: Bloomsbury Reader - August 27th, 2015
This is a deep and haunting look at a young man trying to find himself among the chaos of a life damaged by the lack of family and permanence. The story opens with Charlie trying to find a way to impress his college girlfriend by attempting to take her to lunch with her favorite author. Down the rabbit hole he goes on a wild obsessive adventure into the author’s life along the path Charlie tries to examine his own patch worked life without any permanence. I struggled to like Charlie throughout the novel while he meandered through his crazy exploits to impersonate the author, but around every twist of the wild ride, Charlie continues to try and find himself and figure out how to adapt to the lack of permanence in his life.
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Home News Ambode wife calls for removal of barriers impeding women’s progress
Ambode wife calls for removal of barriers impeding women’s progress
As Lagos joined the rest of world to mark this year’s International Women’s Day celebration, wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode has called for the removal of barriers impeding the progress of women in the country.
Speaking at the Women’s Day celebration held at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday, Mrs Ambode said women must be ready to challenge stereotypes and should rise up to question old established practices that were not women-friendly.
March 8 every year is observed worldwide as International Women’s Day, to celebrate the achievements of women, beam the searchlight on challenges facing them and to push global activism for total women’s emancipation.
Mrs. Ambode said: “We must remove barriers that stand in the way of the progress of women. When we stand together, we can achieve anything and any obstacle can be pulled down.
“We must nominate and support women for emerging opportunities, whenever they arise. Supporting one another is a duty we owe and must carry out every time for women to move on, “she said.
The First Lady said though grounds remained to be covered, women must not lose sight of where they were coming from, hence the need to celebrate their achievements always.
She said that the theme of this year’s celebration, “Press for Progress” was suitable as it gave assurance of greater successes as women pressed further.
She identified literacy, health, economic empowerment, politics and governance, as areas of noticeable success for women, stressing that they served as impetus of courage for women to press further for progress.
The Governor’s wife submitted that while gender parity would not be achieved overnight, it certainly would not take eternity.
Also speaking, Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode reiterated his administration’s commitment to protect and uphold the dignity of women in the State.
“We will continue to give maximum support to all agencies and institutions established to promote the welfare and economic empowerment of women. In line with our administration’s inclusive policy, we shall continue to provide equal opportunities for all citizens without prejudice to gender and socio-economic background.
Ambode, who was represented by the former Secretary to the State Government, Princess Aderenle Adeniran-Ogunsanya said the theme of the celebration was apt as it reminded women of the need to be steadfast and not relent in advocating for positive change and moving forward in all areas of human endeavour.
“Beyond the traditional role of home keeping as mothers and wives, there is a lot women can contribute to national development. It is an indispensable fact that some progress have been made over the years as a result of sustained advocacy by government institutions, and most especially, non-governmental organisations.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, WAPA, Dr. Lola Akande charged men to make commitment to wage war against domestic violence and all forms of discrimination against women.
She also implored them to be ambassadors in the campaign to restore fully, the dignity and rights of women, seeing them as partners in the task of raising successful children from peaceful and progressive homes.
In attendance were Chief (Mrs.) Kemi Nelson, APC Southwest Women Leader; State Exco members, body of permanent secretaries, chairmen of Local governments, COWLSO members, Artisans, market women, different political groups, etc.
Akinwunmi
Ambode
Lagos State
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Fox News addresses allegedly falling morale of U.S. armed forces
By Erik Wemple
Media critic with a focus on the ups and downs and downs of the cable-news industry.
Fellow reporters apparently didn’t care too much for the question asked by Fox News correspondent James Rosen in a recent Pentagon press briefing. “Would you say that Barack Obama, as commander in chief, has had a positive impact on the morale of the men and women of the United States armed forces?” Rosen asked Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, on Feb. 13.
Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle went a rumble in the briefing room.
For the record, Kirby waved off the very topic: “I have to really take issue with the question” and dismissed it as “political” in nature (see transcript below).
On Tuesday night’s edition of “The O’Reilly Factor,” Rosen acknowledged his poor reception among the Pentagon beat reporters. “You heard in the briefing room at the Pentagon, where I am not a regular, the sort of titters from the Pentagon Press Corps at my even asking the question. The admiral, whom I respect deeply for his 28 years of service in the Navy, said that I had asked a political question. And I told him to no, I hadn’t. I had asked a question about the relationship between the commander-in-chief and the morale of the rank and file.”
Individuals may argue whether Rosen had asked a political or an apolitical question. What’s beyond dispute is that it’s a dumb and asinine question. As defined here, “morale” is “confidence, enthusiasm, and discipline of a person or group at a particular time.” Gauging the morale of a group may be possible if that group has a handful of members — say, a string quartet or a book club. In such a case, Rosen could call a few members and capture a pretty good sense of how the organization is faring.
There are nearly 1.4 million people on active duty in the U.S. armed services, however. So on what basis did Rosen gather his impression that morale was a big enough matter to place before the Pentagon’s press secretary? Did his company commission a random-sample poll? Did he find a low-morale petition on the Internet? Neither: “I have to stress that this is not a systematic survey I have ever taken. It’s just my own informal soundings of people at various levels in the military as I go about my travels here in official Washington over many years time,” Rosen told O’Reilly in an admirable disclosure. “And the sense I pick up is that the rank and file and some measure of the officer corps don’t regard Barack Obama as the kind of commander-in-chief they would like to see. They would like to see somebody who perhaps is more aggressive in combating Islamic extremism around the world. And that includes ISIS.”
Any reporter who covers large organizations gets e-mails from sources pleading for morale coverage. The Erik Wemple Blog, for instance, has gotten morale-related tips several times in the past few months. Cops reporters, too, get this garbage all the time. In 2003, then-Washington City Paper reporter Jason Cherkis (a colleague at the time) wrote a history of complaining from D.C. police union officials over the department’s alleged morale problems. It was extensive.
Not only is morale quite often immeasurable; it’s also mostly irrelevant. Even if Rosen could somehow document a drop in morale in the U.S. military, could he ever establish a causal connection with a drop in performance? In readiness? That’s where actual journalism enters the picture, though Rosen displayed none of it.
Q: Just one last question, off-topic and — and not asked in any — in a kind of a snarky way, but simply for the purposes of the record of history, would you say that Barack Obama, as commander in chief, has had a positive impact on the morale of the men and women of the United States armed forces?
REAR ADM. KIRBY: I think — look, I — I have to really take issue with the question. I — look, the commander in chief is the commander in chief, and it doesn’t matter who he is. He has by dint of his office, and by being elected by the American people, he deserves and he has the respect of every man and woman in the United States military. And that’s just the way it is.
We — we swear an oath to the Constitution, to the American people. We don’t swear an oath to a party. We don’t swear an oath to a person. We don’t swear an oath to an office. We swear an oath to the American people. That’s what we are all about. And it doesn’t matter to us who is in the White House or who sits on Capitol Hill. What matters is that we do the job we’re told to do.
Q: So, you discount the proposition that the top officer in the United States armed forces can have some impact on the morale of the rank and file.
REAR ADM. KIRBY: No, leadership always has an impact on — on people. That’s what leadership is. I didn’t say that leadership is devoid from morale. What I said is that we don’t — we don’t make those kinds of judgment calls when you — when you wear this uniform. You serve whoever the commander in chief is, and you serve them nobly, and you serve them with honor, and you serve them with 100 percent of your energy.
I am not going to get drawn into a political debate here. I just — you’re asking the wrong guy. I’ve been in the Navy 28 years and I’ve served under many presidents, and I can tell you that speaking for myself, it doesn’t matter to me who sits in that office. That doesn’t change the way I do my job.
Q: Just let the record reflect I didn’t ask you a political question —
REAR ADM. KIRBY: Yes you did.
Erik Wemple Erik Wemple, The Washington Post's media critic, focuses on the cable-news industry. Before joining The Post, he ran a short-lived and much publicized local online news operation, and for eight years served as editor of Washington City Paper. Follow
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Islamic extremists invade U.S., join sleeper cells
By - The Washington Times - Monday, February 9, 2004
Islamic radicals are being trained at terrorist camps in Pakistan and Kashmir as part of a conspiracy to send hundreds of operatives to “sleeper cells” in the United States, according to U.S. and foreign officials.
The intelligence and law-enforcement officials say dozens of Islamic extremists have already been routed through Europe to Muslim communities in the United States, based on secret intelligence data and information from terrorists and others detained by U.S. authorities.
A high-ranking foreign intelligence chief told The Washington Times in an interview last week that this clandestine but aggressive network of training camps “represents a serious threat to the United States, one that cannot be ignored.” The official said as many as 400 terrorists have been and are being trained at camps in Pakistan and Kashmir.
U.S. intelligence officials said the camps, located in the remote regions of western Pakistan and in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, are financed in part by various terrorist networks, including al Qaeda, and by sources in Saudi Arabia.
Pakistani Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi denied in an interview that terrorist camps are operating in his country, including the remote regions of western Pakistan or in Kashmir.
“We have never accepted the allegation that there were training camps here, not now, not ever,” Mr. Qazi told The Times. “These allegations have persisted despite our repeated denials. I assure you there is absolutely no reason to believe that any terrorist camps exist in Pakistan or Kashmir.”
Al Qaeda sleeper cells are believed to be operating in 40 states, according to the FBI and other federal authorities, awaiting orders and funding for new attacks in the United States. Financed in part by millions of dollars solicited by an extensive network of bogus charities and foundations, the cells use Muslim communities as cover and places to raise cash and recruit sympathizers.
Last month, Pakistan and India announced a new round of peace talks on Kashmir, in which Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, the target of two recent assassination attempts, said Pakistan had agreed “not to allow the use of Pakistan’s territory anywhere in the world” for terrorism.
In announcing the talks, Gen. Musharraf said his military-led government would act to “eradicate” religious extremists in Pakistan. “We will get to them, I am sure,” he said.
But U.S. and foreign intelligence authorities said terrorist training camps have been documented in some of western Pakistan’s remote areas and in the disputed regions of Kashmir, and that military officials and others in the Musharraf government have not fully disassociated themselves from al Qaeda or the former Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
Some U.S. officials have privately expressed concern that members of Pakistan’s intelligence community have assisted in the concealment of al Qaeda members and associates.
In December, the government of India said terrorist training camps in Pakistan and Kashmir that had been closed after the September 11 attacks on the United States had been reactivated, mostly along the disputed border area near the so-called Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian government said its army had photographs and other evidence of ongoing terrorist training, much of which was turned over to U.S. officials. That information included satellite photos and communication intercepts, U.S. law- enforcement authorities said, that documented 60 to 70 camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as well as in Pakistan.
Officials at the Indian Embassy in Washington declined comment.
Since September 11, Pakistan has publicly ordered a clampdown on terrorism and arrested hundreds of suspected al Qaeda members and associates, transferring many of them to the United States. The captured include Abu Zubaydah, the organization’s top recruiter; Ramzi Binalshibh, paymaster for the September 11 hijackers; and Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, chief of operations for Osama bin Laden and mastermind of September 11.
One veteran U.S. law-enforcement official with an extensive history in counterterrorism said many of the training camps in the Pakistan-controlled regions of Kashmir are operated by the Harakat ul-Ansar, an Islamic militant group tied to bin Laden.
The group’s leaders joined with bin Laden in signing a February 1998 “fatwa” calling for attacks on U.S. and Western interests. Also known as the “Movement of Holy Warriors,” Harakat ul-Ansar has been tied by U.S. and foreign intelligence officials to the January 2002 abduction and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.
Several other camps are being operated by an anti-U.S. Muslim group known as Lashkar-e-Taiba, according to U.S. and foreign intelligence officials. Listed by the State Department in 2001 as a terrorist organization, Lashkar-e-Taiba is the armed wing of the Pakistan-based religious organization Markaz-ud-Dawa-wal-Irshad.
Eleven men, including nine U.S. citizens, were arrested last year in Virginia in what authorities called the “Virginia jihad.” The men were accused in a 41-count grand jury indictment of engaging in “holy jihad” to drive India out of the disputed Kashmir territory. Six have since pleaded guilty.
The indictment said some of the men traveled to Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist camps in Pakistan, where they were trained in the use of various weapons, including small arms, machine guns and grenade launchers. The indictment also said the trips occurred both before and after the September 11 attacks.
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Dan Daly: In this mess, everyone gets some blame
By Dan Daly - The Washington Times - Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The scapegoating season has officially begun in Redskinsland. According to our outdoors writer, by the way, it runs until the start of the free agent signing period in February, so get your shots in while you can. The limit is four scapegoats (unless you want to risk having your license pulled).
Monday at his news conference, Jim Zorn was taking all the blame - for his team’s second-half flameout, for its horrid loss to a one-win Bengals club, for the offense’s continuing travails, for just about everything but the mortgage crisis.
“I just feel like the worst coach in America,” he said at one point.
“It really just starts with me,” he said at another.
“Me being a major part of this decline …,” he began yet another foray into self-flagellation.
We appreciate the gesture, Jim, but no one person - not even the head coach - caused this disaster, this cliff dive from 6-2 to 7-7. This was a group effort if there ever was one. Blame? Everybody’s to blame for the Redskins‘ all-but-mathematical elimination from the playoff chase. And by everybody, I mean Dan Snyder, Vinny Cerrato, the scouting staff, the coaches, the players. Heck, you could even point a finger at the fans, at the thousands who sold their tickets to the Pittsburgh game to Steelers diehards so the visiting team could feel more at home.
A collapse of this magnitude requires contributions across the board - except maybe from the secretarial staff, which has done its usual bang-up job. On second thought, I’m not sure the practice squadders have had much to do with it, either.
But beyond these exemptions, who hasn’t had a hand in this catastrophe - or at least a couple of fingers? I mean, take Chris Cooley - not to single him out or anything. Cooley, of course, is having another Pro Bowl-type year; he’s on pace for 83 catches and 873 yards, both of which would be career highs. But Chris has also lost two fumbles this season - after losing just one in his first four years - and both figured prominently in the embarrassing losses to the Rams and Bengals.
My point is simply this: Nobody at Redskin Park should be walking around saying to himself, “It’s not my fault.” They all played a part in the team’s, uh, decline (to borrow the coach’s word).
Danny and Vinny come in for criticism because they’re the ones who hired this obscure coach, this quarterback tutor from Seattle, and made him the head man. And honestly, if someone had told you before the season that the Redskins would be 7-7 after 14 games, wouldn’t you have been fairly satisfied with that, given the team’s talent level and Zorn’s rookie status?
If it’s not so much that the club is 7-7, then it’s the way the club got to be 7-7 - first raising hopes with wins at Dallas and Philadelphia, then squashing them with losses to some of the worst teams in the NFL. This is where Zorn’s inexperience has probably hurt him most. Never having been a head coach before, he just didn’t know how to right the ship, how to keep it from sinking when the seas got rough. And it doesn’t help any that his predecessor, the sainted Joe Gibbs, was a master at holding things together in times of crisis.
But then, part of the reason Gibbs was able to salvage playoff berths out of 5-6 and 5-7 starts in ‘05 and ‘07 is that he was Joe Gibbs, which bought him plenty of “street cred” with the players. When Coach Joe told them in the middle of a skid, “Don’t panic, fellas; we’ll get through this,” they believed him because, well, the man has won three Super Bowls and is in the Hall of Fame.
Zorn, however, hasn’t won three Super Bowls and isn’t in the Hall of Fame, so his words - and actions - in the midst of a squall are apt to be received a little differently, questioned a bit more. Thus does a second-place club disintegrate into a last-place club … and a coach begin calling himself “the worst coach in America.” He’s hardly that - and the Redskins are hardly a terrible team, even if they have been playing like it lately. (They might continue playing like it, too, unless Jim and his staff can figure something out in these final two games. I, personally, would recommend throwing to Pete Kendall more.)
Let’s not forget, though, these aren’t Zorn’s handpicked players. For the most part, they’re Gibbs’ players, Snyder’s and Cerrato’s players. Worse, the club is still thin in the offensive line - as Jason Campbell has been painfully reminded - and the ‘08 draft class, with its three second-round pass catchers, hasn’t offered much immediate assistance. As a result, Zorn’s West Coast attack has yet to function the way it’s supposed to. It’s first and foremost a passing offense, but the Redskins’ wideouts, outside of Santana Moss, haven’t done much damage.
Dan the Man is keeping quiet for now, and I, for one, wouldn’t presume to suggest I know what he’s thinking. But if he ends up firing Zorn after one season, if he decides to make the coach the scapegoat in all this, he’ll be kidding himself … again. Everybody in the organization needs to look in the mirror, from the owner on down.
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Migrants complain of poor conditions at US holding centers
by: CEDAR ATTANASIO, Associated Press
Posted: Jun 14, 2019 / 04:13 PM EDT / Updated: Jun 15, 2019 / 10:48 AM EDT
In this June 7, 2019, photo, migrants adjust a shade canopy over an outdoor encampment where they’re waiting to be processed by immigration in El Paso, Texas. The Trump administration is facing growing complaints from migrants about severe overcrowding, meager food and other hardships at border holding centers like this one. (AP Photo/Cedar Attanasio)
EL PASO, Texas (AP) — The Trump administration is facing growing complaints from migrants about severe overcrowding, meager food and other hardships at border holding centers, with some people at an encampment in El Paso being forced to sleep on the bare ground during dust storms.
The Border Network for Human Rights issued a report Friday based on dozens of testimonials of immigrants over the past month and a half, providing a snapshot of cramped conditions and prolonged stays in detention amid a record surge of migrant families coming into the U.S. from Central America.
The report comes a day after an advocate described finding a teenage mother cradling a premature baby inside a Border Patrol processing center in Texas. The advocate said the baby should have been in a hospital, not a facility where adults are kept in large fenced-in sections that critics describe as cages.
“The state of human rights in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands is grave and is only getting worse,” the immigrant rights group said in its report. “People are dying because of what is happening.”
Five immigrant children have died since late last year after being detained by the Border Patrol, including a flu-stricken teenager who was found dead in a facility migrants refer to as the “icebox” because of the temperatures inside.
Customs and Border Protection responded to the complaints by saying: “Allegations are not facts. If there is an issue it is best to contact CBP directly. In many cases the matter can be resolved immediately.”
The agency also cited its response to a critical inspector general’s report last month, in which it said the government is devoted to treating migrants in its custody “with the utmost dignity and respect.”
The Trump administration has blamed the worsening crisis on inaction by Congress.
Many of the complaints center on El Paso, where the inspector general found severe overcrowding inside a processing center. A cell designed for a dozen people was crammed with 76, and migrants had to stand on the toilets.
With indoor facilities overcrowded, the Border Patrol has kept some immigrants outside and in tents near a bridge in El Paso with nothing but a Mylar foil blanket. Others have been kept in an empty parking lot, where migrants huddled underneath tarps and foil blankets repurposed as shade covers against the sweltering heat.
A professor who visited two weeks ago said it resembled a “human dog pound.” The Border Patrol responded by adding additional shade structures, but migrants are still kept outside in temperatures approaching 100 degrees.
Migrants in El Paso and elsewhere also complained of inadequate food such as a single burrito and a cup of water per day. Women said they were denied feminine hygiene products.
Another complaint is that migrants are kept in detention beyond the 72-hour limit set by Customs and Border Protection. Some reported being held for 30 days or more, and one told The Associated Press she had been in detention for around 45 days.
The teenage mother with the premature baby, for example, spent nine days in Border Patrol custody after crossing the Rio Grande with her newborn, according to a legal advocate who visited the girl in a McAllen, Texas, processing center.
An exodus of people fleeing poverty, drought and violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador has led to a record number of migrant families being apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months. Agents made 132,887 apprehensions in May, including a record 84,542 adults and children traveling together. Those apprehended also included 11,507 children traveling alone.
President Donald Trump’s $4.5 billion border request for things such as an expansion of detention, medical care, food and shelter has languished on Capitol Hill since he sent it over six weeks ago, with House Democrats at odds with the White House. Congress is set to go on a break in two weeks.
Lawmakers are becoming increasingly agitated.
“In the first five months of this year, the number of apprehensions at the border has already exceeded the population of Atlanta, Georgia,” said Republican Rep. Kay Granger of Texas.
Associated Press Writer Astrid Galvan in Phoenix and Andrew Taylor in Washington contributed to this report.
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Wimbledon Glance: Federer, Serena to play on No. 1 Court
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — A quick look at Wimbledon:
LOOKAHEAD TO THURSDAY
Roger Federer will be up against a player who wasn’t even 1 year old when the eight-time champion made his debut at Wimbledon in 1999. The 37-year-old Federer faces Jay Clarke, a 20-year-old Briton who is playing in his first Grand Slam tournament after being given a wild-card entry. The biggest challenge for Federer may be that the second-round match will be played on No. 1 Court, which hasn’t been as friendly to him as Centre Court. Federer lost his only match on that court last year, falling in a five-setter to Kevin Anderson in the quarterfinals, and has said the windier conditions there don’t suit his game. He won’t be the only star attraction on No. 1 Court, though, as Serena Williams then plays Kaja Juvan there. Rafael Nadal faces Nick Kyrgios in the marquee matchup on Centre Court. Andy Murray also makes his debut at this year’s tournament when he and doubles partner Pierre-Hugues Herbert take on Marius Copil and Ugo Humbert.
THURSDAY’S FORECAST
Partly cloudy. High of 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius).
WEDNESDAY’S WEATHER
WEDNESDAY’S KEY RESULTS
Men’s first round: No. 1 Novak Djokovic beat Denis Kudla 6-3, 6-2, 6-2; No. 4 Kevin Anderson beat Janko Tipsarevic 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4; No. 19 Felix Auger-Aliassime beat Corentin Moutet 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Reilly Opelka beat No. 22 Stan Wawrinka 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 8-6.
Women’s first round: No. 3 Karolina Pliskova beat Monica Puig 6-0, 6-4; No. 7 Simona Halep beat Mihaela Buzarnescu 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; Danielle Collins beat No. 12 Anastasija Sevastova 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Cori Gauff beat Magdalena Rybarikova 6-3, 6-3.
12 – The number of minutes it took Novak Djokovic to take a 4-0 lead in the first set against Denis Kudla.
“Are you kidding? My whole childhood.” – Victoria Azarenka on whether she had to sacrifice anything to become a top tennis player.
More AP tennis coverage: https://www.apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Victims identified in Bancroft multiple death investigation
Thieves break into car at Ames park
Former state official wins $1.5 million in discrimination case
Local News / 4 mins ago
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Honoring a Veteran
The basic Military Funeral Honors (MFH) ceremony consists of the folding and presentation of the United States flag to the veterans' family and the playing of Taps. The ceremony is performed by a funeral honors detail consisting of at least two members of the Armed Forces.
The Funeral Honors rendered to you or your veteran will be determined by the status of the veteran. The type of Funeral Honors may be Full Military Honors, 7 Person Detail or a Standard Honors Team Detail.
At least one of the funeral honors detail will be from the Armed Force in which the deceased veteran served. Taps may be played by a bugler or, if a bugler is not available, by using a quality recorded version. Military Funeral Honor Teams may act as Pall Bearers if requested by the veteran/family.
Who is eligible for Military Funeral Honors?
Military members on active duty or in the Selected Reserve.
Former military members who served on active duty and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
Former military members who completed at least one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service in the Selected Reserve and departed under conditions other than dishonorable.
Former military members discharged from the Selected Reserve due to a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
Who is not eligible for Military Funeral Honors?
Any person separated from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions or whose character of service results in a bar to veteran's benefits.
Any person who was ordered to report to an induction station, but was not actually inducted into military service.
Any person discharged from the Selected Reserve prior to completing one term of enlistment or period of initial obligated service for reasons other than a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.
Any person convicted of a Federal or State capital crime sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
How do I establish veteran eligibility?
The preferred method is the DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. If the DD Form 214 is not available, any discharge document showing other than dishonorable service can be used. The DD Form 214 may be obtained by filling out a Standard Form 180 and sending it to:
National Personnel Records Center(NPRC)
9700 Page Blvd.
The Standard Form 180 may be obtained from the National Records Center or via the following web site: http://www.archives.gov/research/order/standard-form-180.pdf
Is anyone else eligible to receive funeral honors?
Yes. Members of the Commissioned Officer Corps of the Public Health Service (PHS) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as members of a Uniformed Service, are also eligible to receive funeral honors.
For NOAA personnel, eligibility is established using NOAA Form 56-16, Report of Transfer or Discharge. If the family does not have a copy of the NOAA Form 56-16, it may by obtained by contacting the Chief, Officer Services Division, NOAA Commissioned Personnel Center at (301) 713-7715. or by writing:
Commissioned Personnel Center
Chief, Officer Services Division (CPC1)
1315 East-West Highway, Room 12100
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
For PHS personnel, funeral honors eligibility is established using PHS Form 1867, Statement of Service (equivalent to the DD Form 214). If the family does not have a copy of the Statement of Service, it may be obtained by contacting the Privacy Coordinator for the Commissioned Corps at (240) 453-6041 or writing:
Division of Commissioned Personnel/HRS/PSC
Attention: Privacy Act Coordinator
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Posted: Apr 10, 2019 / 10:55 AM EDT / Updated: Apr 11, 2019 / 05:56 PM EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists on Wednesday revealed the first image ever made of a black hole, depicting a fiery orange and black ring of gravity-twisted light swirling around the edge of the abyss.
Assembling data gathered by eight radio telescopes around the world, astronomers captured a picture of the hot, shadowy lip of a supermassive black hole, the light-sucking monsters of the universe theorized by Einstein more than a century ago and confirmed by observations for decades. It is along this edge that light bends around itself in a cosmic funhouse effect.
RELATED: Meet the woman behind 1st ever black hole image
“We have seen what we thought was unseeable. We have seen and taken a picture of a black hole. Here it is,” said Sheperd Doeleman of Harvard.
Unlike smaller black holes that come from collapsed stars, supermassive black holes are mysterious in origin. Situated at the center of most galaxies, including ours, they are so dense that nothing, not even light, can escape their gravitational pull. This one’s “event horizon” — the precipice, or point of no return, where light and matter begin to fall inexorably into the hole — is as big as our entire solar system.
While much of the matter around a black hole falls into a death spiral, never to be seen again, the new image captures gas and dust that is lucky to be circling just far enough to be safe and to be seen millions of years later on Earth.
Taken over four days when astronomers had “to have the perfect weather all across the world and literally all the stars had to align,” the image helps confirm Einstein’s general relativity theory, Dempsey said. Einstein a century ago even predicted the symmetrical shape that scientists just found, she said.
The measurements were taken at a wavelength the human eye cannot see, so the astronomers added color to the image, choosing gold and orange because the light is so hot.
What the image shows is gas heated to millions of degrees by the friction of ever-stronger gravity. That gravity creates a funhouse effect where you see light from both behind the black hole and behind you as the light curves and circles around the black hole itself.
The project cost $50 million to $60 million, with $26 million of that coming from the National Science Foundation.
Johns Hopkins astrophysicist Ethan Vishniac, who was not part of the discovery team but edits the journal where the research was published, pronounced the image “an amazing technical achievement” that “gives us a glimpse of gravity in its most extreme manifestation.”
He added: “Pictures from computer simulations can be very pretty, but there’s literally nothing like a picture of the real universe, however fuzzy and monochromatic.”
“It’s just seriously cool,” said John Kormendy, a University of Texas astronomer who wasn’t part of the discovery team. “To see the stuff going down the tubes, so to speak, to see it firsthand. The mystique of black holes in the community is very substantial. That mystique is going to be made more real.”
Myth says a black hole would rip you apart, but scientists said this one is so big, and thus rotates so slowly, that someone could fall into it and not be torn to pieces. But the person would never be heard from again.
The black hole depicted in the image is about 6 billion times the mass of our sun and is in a galaxy called M87 that is about 53 million light years from Earth. One light year is 5.9 trillion miles, or 9.5 trillion kilometers.
The telescope data was gathered by the Event Horizon Telescope two years ago. Completing the image was an enormous undertaking, involving about 200 scientists, supercomputers and hundreds of terabytes of data delivered worldwide by plane.
LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) - Chick-fil-A wants you to “eat mor chikin” while they help change your tire!
Christopher Sebastiano captured a photo of Chick-fil-A manager Dequan Green helping a man who suffered a flat tire while using the restaurant's drive-thru.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Unfazed by widespread criticism, President Donald Trump on Monday intensified his incendiary comments about four Democratic congresswomen of color, urging them to get out if they don’t like things going on in America. They fired back at what they called his “xenophobic bigoted remarks” and said it was time for impeachment.
Late Monday, after Trump defended his calling for the lawmakers to go back to their “broken and crime infested” countries, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said Trump “does not know how to defend his policies and so what he does is attack us personally.”
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Debra Chanda
May 20, 2015 by Jackie Willmot
Ms. Debra Chanda served in various senior Vice-President of Sales and Marketing positions. She has worked with North American start-ups, SMEs (private), multinational (public) and private equity companies primarily representing enterprise SaaS software technologies (B2B), medical devices regulatory class 1 through 3 in spine, cardiovascular therapeutic spaces.
Ms. Chanda leadership positions at leading medical technology companies include Medtronic, Adagen Medical International, Inc and private equity firm, Fountainhead Ventures, LLC. She is current Steering Committee member for the ReMap Network, former Board of Directors, South Eastern Regional Internet Society (SERIS) and Southeastern Medical Device Association (SEMDA).
Ms. Chanda is a degree candidate, Harvard University, Master of Liberal Arts, Finance, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from the Western Ontario University and a Post-Degree Diploma in Business from George Brown College. She is former adjunct professor at Georgia Institute of Technology and communications manager at the House of Commons, Parliament of Canada for the Standing Committee of Agriculture and Agri-food. She grew up on a diversified farming operation in southwestern Ontario.
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China Will Open the World's Longest Sea Bridge This Week. A Lot of People Are Unhappy About It
Hallie Detrick
Fortune• October 22, 2018
Later this week, the long-awaited 34-mile sea bridge connecting mainland China to Hong Kong and Macau will finally open.
In a ceremony on Tuesday that Chinese president Xi Jinping will reportedly attend, the bridge will officially open. Its accolades include the designation of “world’s longest sea bridge,” a $20 billion price tag, nine years of construction, and a whole lot of controversy. Supporters say the bridge will massively reduce the time it takes to travel between the three places, reducing journey times from three hours to 30 minutes. But opponents have concerns about the impact of the bridge.
Some critics see the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge as an attempt by mainland China to tighten its grip on Hong Kong, which is an autonomous region. A Hong-Kong based writer for CityLab described the bridge as “a piece of infrastructural propaganda to announce the unity of China and her former colonies.” The bridge opens amid increasing fears that China is tightening its control over the region. Claudia Mo, a lawmaker who supports greater democracy in Hong Kong, told CNN earlier this year that the bridge was like an umbilical cord: “You see it, and you know you’re linked up to the motherland.”
Who gets to use it
Although the bridge is opening to traffic this week, making practical use of it may prove to be another challenge for citizens. Private cars will need a special permit to be allowed to drive on the bridge, and public transportation will not cross it. Shuttle busses crossing the bridge will cost between $8 and $10 for a one-way trip. Permits may not be easy to come by either. Hong Kong residence will have to vie for 300 permanent permits to drive to Macau, though a certain number of non-permit holders will be allowed to cross each day as well. Permits to drive to mainland China are only available under certain conditions, such as having paid a certain amount of tax on the mainland, having donated to mainland charities, or working for a “recognized high tech enterprise.”
Endangering species
The waters under the bridge are home to the Chinese white dolphin, a species whose population is seriously declining, with only 47 of them seen in the year from April 2017 to March 2018. Experts fear the bridge construction, in addition to expansion of the local airport, have sounded the death knell for the species, and governmental conservation efforts will prove to be too little too late.
The human cost
Nine workers have died in the construction of the bridge and 200 have been injured. Subcontractors carrying out works have been found to be endangering their workers, and questions have been raised as to the safety of the bridge itself, after photos that emerged earlier this year appeared to show concrete blocks from the construction “floating away.” Though officials said the placement of the blocks was intentional, it’s not a good time to have the safety of you bridge called into question.
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Posted on February 20, 2019 by GARY HUFFENBERGER
Thoughts on Wilmington’s Paul Hunter and more
Columns, Op-Ed
By Gary Huffenberger - Staff Writer
This is a “this-n-that” commentary instead of a column with one topic. The hope here is what it lacks in in-depth treatment of its subjects, it perhaps will make up for in variety. And actually, on second thought, there may turn out to be common threads after all.
Citizen Paul Hunter
Paul Hunter passed away in January at the age of 85. He is an example of a person who practiced participatory democracy. His role as a citizen was not limited to voting once or twice a year. A smart fellow, he would research issues facing the city or county and then often share his take on them in writing or at a local government meeting.
His obituary noted his public participation was a conscious decision: “After retirement, Hunter volunteered his time to improving life in his adopted hometown of Wilmington.”
Paul’s interest in local public affairs reached beyond what affected his own neighborhood.
He was concerned about tax breaks for businesses and the effect on local schools’ tax revenue. And he advocated for a summer lunch program in which the Wilmington school district now offers lunch free of charge on summer weekdays to all children, 18 and younger.
He also championed cardboard recycling.
By any measure, Paul was quite the citizen.
Young inventors here
Did you see the Feb. 13 News Journal photograph of Clinton-Massie fifth-grade student Danny Mefford with his invention the “Baby Saver” child car seat? The invention alerts adults to dangerous changes in car air temperature. Danny is part of the Invention Convention and will represent Clinton-Massie this coming summer at a national event.
The best thing about the invention is its purpose to save the lives of young children — children not that many years removed from Danny’s young age.
And then there’s the Rube Goldberg Club that started in January at the Wilmington Middle School. Almost 30 middle schoolers signed up, a number surpassing expectations.
Rube Goldberg Machines, by the way, perform a simple task “in the most over-complicated, inefficient, and hilarious way possible,” states the official Rube Goldberg website.
Stay tuned, the News Journal plans to be there when the three WMS teams unveil their projects where the task is to get a coin inside a piggy bank via a Rube Goldberg contraption that includes at least 10 steps in a process full of twists and turns.
Schools, intelligent design
We live in the Bible Belt, and for some folks the evolution vs. Genesis debate is not over. Science courses in public schools teach evolution of course, and some defenders of a creation account of the Earth think creationism or intelligent design could also be presented in the classroom as an alternative explanation.
However, biologists don’t think creationism belongs in science classes because they say it isn’t science in the first place.
Often overlooked with the issue is that there is a perfectly legitimate way to introduce and discuss intelligent design in the public schools, but candidly, it involves something a creationist may be hesitant about.
In the academic subject of philosophy there has been for centuries an argument for the existence of a Creator called the “Argument for Design”. The contemporary “Argument for Intelligent Design” is basically a form of the “Argument for Design”, as their very similar names suggest. Not many public high schools, though, offer philosophy as a course.
While philosophy is a wide-ranging subject, it is very legitimate for an Introduction to Philosophy course to bring up the several philosophical arguments for a deity that thinkers have proposed. Moreover, I think the question would hold interest for many high school age students.
But here’s the thing with philosophy. If the course did cover the “Argument for Intelligent Design”, then the evidence and reasons contained in the argument would be subjected to probing questions and critical thinking. Because that’s what doing philosophy involves.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768 or at ghuffenberger@wnewsj.com .
https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/02/web1_gh_by_sasha.jpg
By Gary Huffenberger
Hi! A visitor to our site felt the following article might be of interest to you: Thoughts on Wilmington’s Paul Hunter and more. Here is a link to that story: https://www.wnewsj.com/opinion/columns/97409/thoughts-on-wilmingtons-paul-hunter-and-more
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THE CFO OF THE FUTURE
CFO's Road Ahead—Get Ready to Drive Growth
Disruption Deluge: How Tomorrow’s Leaders Will Survive the Storm
Gartner Magic Quadrant for Cloud Core Financial Management Suites
It has been said that success is where preparation and opportunity meet. Never has there been a more opportune time for CFOs to have an impact, with CEOs increasingly looking to them to help shape business direction and strategy. Once considered a numbers-only role, the CFO is now balancing traditional responsibilities with growing demand for data-driven analysis and insights that support growth and strategy.
Driving this change is an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing business environment, where most industries are being disrupted by new technologies and business models impacting how business is done and how customers are served. Also shaping the landscape are globalization, an intense regulatory environment, and the rise of fast-growing emerging markets, creating greater complexity for the CFO as well as a new set of business priorities.
All of these forces are redefining the role of the CFO. Louis Salamone, CFO at CityMD, a rapidly growing provider of urgent-care health clinics headquartered in New York, describes how the CFO role is shifting to “being more of a strategic partner, whether that’s finding new ways to raise capital, playing a leading role in mergers and acquisitions, or helping plan company expansions.”
Looking ahead, finance and business professionals pursuing the CFO career track—and current CFOs looking to grow in their careers—will need to closely examine and improve, if needed, their skill sets, knowledge, areas of focus, and business relationships to become successful CFOs of the future.
Dr. Ilya Strebulaev, professor of finance at Stanford University, saw how much the CFO role was changing eight years ago and started The Emerging CFO: Strategic Financial Leadership Program that teaches current and future CFOs skills needed to be successful today and in the future, some of which weren’t traditionally deemed important.
“It used to be that the CFO function was a very technical function and separate than the rest of the enterprise,” says Strebulaev. “CFOs were either accountants or grew up through the finance office and there really wasn’t a need to have strategic or business vision. This worked well for a long time, but has now disintegrated in the current business environment. CFOs need to be able to understand business strategy and have the skills to communicate it with other people.”
Pulling from multiple studies and interviews with finance experts and practitioners, here is a look at the most important skills and capabilities required of the CFO of the future.
“Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.”
—Physicist William G. Pollard
Broader Experience Beyond Finance
While a foundation in finance is important, CFOs will need broader business knowledge and operational experience as they take on a more strategic role. Kevin Loegering, vice president and CFO at Johnson Brothers Liquor Company, describes a distinct shift beyond pure finance and accounting. “There’s much more operational knowledge, influence, and acumen needed for this role,” he says.
According to the report “Future pathways to finance leadership 2013” from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), current CFOs identified strategy formulation and execution as the most important experience for future CFOs. This will require that CFOs “develop much broader leadership capabilities beyond traditional finance strength, with deep business and sector-specific experience and knowledge.”
Those on the CFO career track who’ve held roles (or at the very least have worked closely with others) in critical business functions outside the finance organization—such as operations, marketing, and sales—will have stronger insights into the business and customers, an advantage when it comes to driving strategy and growth decisions.
In a study titled Developing the CFO of the Future by the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and Odgers Berndtson, future CFOs were advised to diversify their experience. According to the report, “Given the breadth and complexity of the CFO portfolio, finance executives must be exposed to as many parts of the business as possible. Companies need CFOs who have taken a ‘corkscrew’ approach to their careers rather than follow a straight line.” Broader experience also provides an opportunity for CFOs to build closer relationships with leaders across their organizations and increase their influence with peers.
Having this comprehensive experience can also better position CFOs who would like to become CEOs. According to KPMG’s “The View from the Top” report, nearly half of CEOs (47 percent) surveyed believe their CFO would like to become CEO in another company or industry. However, “CFOs will have to strengthen their leadership skills, broaden their focus, and—most importantly—overcome their lack of experience outside of finance if they want to become a CEO.”
By developing stronger communication skills, CFOs of the future can provide meaningful context around financial and business performance to internal and external stakeholder groups.
Focus on Data and Actionable Insights
Data is becoming increasingly important to business success and helping companies identify new market opportunities, improve customer experiences, drive business planning, and support change and innovation. CEOs are looking to CFOs and finance teams to deliver analytics and insights that support strategy and decision-making. In fact, according to a report titled “The Changing Role of the CFO” from the ACCA and IMA, the finance function and the CFO are expected to be at the heart of this data revolution.
CFOs and finance teams will need to understand how to harness data—beyond just the financial numbers—to tell a business story that explains context and reasons why, and answers “what if” questions.
Strebulaev agrees that this expertise will be critical. “We now live in a sea of data and have the technology to evaluate that data and make decisions about consumers, competitors, markets, and much more,” he says. “CFOs must understand how to use all of this data—not just financial data—to understand the business and drive decisions. The companies that don’t won’t survive.”
Salamone echoed the importance of being able to deliver meaningful insight to the business, and advises those on the CFO track to understand the significance of financial metrics, and know how to interpret them for the people who manage business operations. For example, what information can a manager use to better run his or her division?
“Don’t just say, ‘This is how much revenue your site or division has earned,’” Salamone says. “That business operation manager needs information that will help him or her run the site better, and more quickly detect areas that need attention.”
Technology will play an important role in the ability to make data timely, accessible, and relevant. New financial management systems leveraging the cloud, in-memory databases, visualization, and mobile are enabling the CFO and finance organizations to move beyond just analyzing historical financial data to accessing real-time insights about business performance. Even better, it’s making it easier to deliver these insights to other business leaders, further strengthening those partnerships.
Looking ahead, the CFO and finance teams will increasingly use advanced analytics to run predictive models and develop better forecasts. Understanding technology and systems—and whether they are capable of enabling greater efficiencies, agility, and insights—will be critical. According to “The Changing Role of the CFO” report, “Tomorrow’s CFOs and their finance functions will need to be very adept in leveraging this technology. In theory, this means less time on recording and verifying the numbers, and more time making the data connections and explaining the number implications to the business—applying the finance lens on decision-making.”
“Companies need CFOs who have taken a ‘corkscrew’ approach to their careers rather than follow a straight line.”
—From “Developing the CFO of the Future: The Changing Role of Finance Executives in Leading Canadian Companies,” by the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and Odgers Berndtson
Close Partnership with the CIO
Building a strong relationship with the CIO will also be critical for the future CFO. Strebulaev emphasizes the importance of the CFO-CIO partnership in creating a more data-driven organization, but says it will require learning how to better understand each other.
Working more closely together, they can also evaluate what technologies and financial systems are required to support CFOs and their teams’ expanded responsibilities.
“CFOs need to partner closely with CIOs on this data-driven revolution and help them understand what kind of data they need,” Strebulaev says. “The challenge in the past has been they often speak different languages, so improving that communication channel will be important.”
Loegering agrees. “Part of the role is technology and information—it’s becoming increasingly important to understand systems and data, and understand and use that information.” Loegering says this focus has forged a closer relationship with Johnson Brothers’ CIO. “Together we’ve driven a lot of where things are going, in terms of systems and projects,” he says.
Navigating the Regulatory Environment
The regulatory environment will continue to be a critical issue for CFOs across all sectors. Future finance leaders should be adept in navigating an increasingly complex regulatory environment, whether it’s setting up new financial processes or fulfilling new reporting requirements.
A big part of the future CFO role will be not only delivering data, but communicating what that data means to multiple stakeholders, many of whom don’t have finance backgrounds. Future finance leaders should seek out opportunities in their organizations to work with different stakeholders, and improve their communication skills.
This point is underscored in the “Future pathways to finance leadership” report, which notes that future finance leaders will need to “talk the same language” across a wide range of traditional finance and nontraditional finance relationships.
This is new territory for many CFOs, who have typically worked behind the scenes in the past. “One of the biggest challenges I’ve seen CFOs deal with is communication skills. CFOs increasingly have to present data to people with non-financial backgrounds, and many weren’t trained on how to do this,” says Strebulaev.
Yet by developing stronger communication skills, CFOs of the future can provide meaningful context around financial and business performance to internal and external stakeholder groups. These skills will also be important for building strong relationships in the organization as the CFO takes on more leadership responsibility.
”CFOs must understand how to use all of this data—not just financial data—to understand the business and drive decisions. The companies that don’t won’t survive.”
—Dr. Ilya Strebulaev
Adaptable to Change and Driver of Innovation
CFOs are working in a time of unparalleled business change and disruption. The CFO of the future and finance teams will need to adapt quickly to change, whether it’s supporting their company’s ability to move into a new market, adapt to new regulations, or create a new business model.
CEOs are also looking to CFOs to help drive innovation and transformation within their organizations. According to KPMG’s “The View from the Top” report, one out of three CEOs say experience with transformation is one of the most important attributes for a CFO.
Strebulaev also views innovation as one of the most pressing issues for CFOs in the future. “We are living in an era of disruption and CFOs need to be thinking of two things: How do I make sure that my company is innovating and staying on top of their industry and what is happening when the company is disrupted—how is this impacting the business and culture?”
As one of the leading supporters of innovation in their organizations, CFOs need to understand how disruption can impact business models, and be able to assess risk and financial results to determine where to put investment dollars in innovation. Providing data and insights that can help identify opportunities for innovation and inform strategies is also important.
For many CFOs, this may be a very different way of thinking. “Innovation means you have to take some well-calculated risks and that is challenging for CFOs who are typically more risk averse,” says Strebulaev.
Risk Management Experience
As the business environment continues to become more complex, the CFO of the future will balance many risk implications—from traditional finance risks to emerging risks such as cybersecurity and identity threats.
The CFO of the future faces an increasingly complex global economy, with high-growth emerging markets, developed markets, and continued volatility in the financial markets all impacting business priorities and strategies. Having global experience will be a necessity. In fact, global experience is now regarded as the most important attribute a CFO can possess, according to KPMG’s “The View from the Top” report.
Understanding the business through a global lens will be critical to developing the right growth strategies, especially when it comes to expanding into new markets. According to “The Changing Role of the CFO” report, “Basic building blocks [of the role] will be awareness and understanding of how different business models play out in particular regions or countries together with the different strategic challenges and opportunities faced.”
Future CFOs will also need a vision for how to create a global finance team that is comfortable working across borders and cultures. “With finance responsibilities increasingly crossing borders, the CFO needs to navigate through, and embrace a vision for, the finance function that cuts across different cultures, working practices, beliefs, languages, and time zones. Global leadership will be the cornerstone of the future CFO’s role,” the report states.
To prepare, future finance leaders should look for opportunities to work in both developed and emerging markets, and build relationships with peers across borders.
”Global leadership will be the cornerstone of the future CFO’s role.”
—From “The Changing Role of the CFO,” by the ACCA and IMA
The importance and breadth of the CFO's role continues to grow, shaping a future CFO that looks very different from that of the past. CFOs will need a wide range of skills and capabilities to prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead. Whether you are a current CFO or a future finance leader, continuing your personal and professional development will be critical for success.
Consider programs that have been created to further educate CFOs on this evolving role, such as Stanford’s Emerging CFO: Strategic Financial Leadership Program. Most importantly, take the initiative within your company to gain broader experience, understand the value of data insights and the technologies required for it, develop closer relationships with technology and business stakeholders, hone communication skills, and be prepared to help the organization drive innovation and adapt to constant change. As William G. Pollard said, “Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.”
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Tori's Story
My thoughts, gaming, writing and my blackness.
Category Archives: Gaming
Video Games & Safe Spaces: Ugandan Knuckles
01/22/2018 blackness, Gaming, ThoughtsRacism, uganda knuckles, ugandan knuckles, video games, who killed captain alexTori's Story
When it comes to the term “safe spaces,” it’s not something that has a positive meaning in gaming culture. Safe spaces have come to mean something that pose a threat. To who? That still remains to be answered. I have that same question every time gaming edgelords scream “TRIGGERED” at anybody that displays basic humanity.
That’s only one example of the gaming community showing why safe spaces within that community are necessary. I can name plenty, but we’ll stick with the most recent one: the new viral meme, Ugandan Knuckles. This has gotten so big that even the creator of The Fairly Odd Parents show has posted a drawing of it and has turned the VRchat into a complete cesspool of trolls.
Now, there’s been plenty of defense for this new beloved meme. Ugandan Knuckles is derived from an Ugandan comedy called “Who Killed Captain Alex?” The movie creator has shown plenty of love to this new meme, even retweeting various defenses of the meme totally not being racist. The latter even went as far as to claim that you’d only find it racist if you already thought less of Ugandans, which is quite the reach. So, let’s start from the top.
First, take into account that some don’t find it amusing when people try to mock foreign accents. It’s degrading at the most and immature humor at the very least. Let’s also take into account that mocking the way someone speaks can have racial undertones. Anybody that is not white in America and doesn’t speak perfect English knows the humiliation all too well. Having attention brought to your accent (or if you don’t speak English at all) can be nerve-wracking depending on the environment.
Second, let’s also consider the strong possibility that most people that hopped on this bandwagon were completely unaware of the meme’s origin. Even if they were aware, that doesn’t mean that people couldn’t have possibly used this meme for racist motives. The tweet that is linked shows a screenshot of one Uganda Knuckles with pitch black skin, huge red lips and a watermelon across the front of its chest. I hope I don’t need to explain why that is extremely racist. And according to Denny, the original poster, this wasn’t the only Uganda Knuckles with this skin.
So, let’s combine the shitty, minstrel-level, Jim Crow-era humor with the Ebola jokes that are also being throw around carelessly. Yes, there are entire YouTube videos of people using the Uganda Knuckles meme while making Ebola jokes. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t understand how jokes about life-threatening diseases can be funny. In any context.
Last, and the most important part of my argument, people have the right to be offended by certain things. A person is well within their rights to state, “Hey I don’t like this thing and I find it offensive for various reasons.” The absolute wrong thing to do is respond by saying, “Well, you’re probably just too sensitive,” “Don’t take it personal, it’s not meant to be offensive,” or “You shouldn’t be offended because [insert empty justifications].” I’ve had to learn this lesson myself. When someone brings to your attention that you’ve offended them, it’s okay to apologize and admit you’re wrong. It can be embarrassing sometimes, but it shows good character to apologize publicly.
I don’t expect this blog post to put a stop to the meme usage. However, this can hopefully clarify why the meme has been deemed racist and banned from a certain forum. Yes, you’re free to use Ugandan Knuckles if you so greatly desire. Just keep in mind that this does not mean everyone else has to put up with it if they feel the meme is racist.
My Most Anticipated Video Games
11/02/2016 Gaming, Thoughtslegend of zelda, nintendo, representation, video games, watch dogs 2Tori's Story
Video games have been a part of my life since I was old enough to hold a controller.
(Shout out to my uncle for introducing me to them!)
As a woman, the gaming community isn’t exactly ideal and I’m being generous with that description. Despite that, it’s something that I strongly enjoy and the chance to dive into another reality is always welcome. It’s a break from the real world and a chance to immerse myself into something that’s not as stressful. Everyone has welcomed that in some form or another.
And what I love even more than video games, are video games with creativity and representation. So without anymore delay, let’s jump right into it.
Unpopular opinion: I actually enjoyed the first Watch Dogs. It still stands that Aiden Pearce is one of the most boring protagonists ever, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the game overall. The supporting characters were what carried the whole damn plot. Essentially, Aiden Pearce was a poor man’s Batman: pretty dull as a stand-alone role, but everyone else around him is what keeps you coming back. This brings me to why I’m so excited for Watch Dogs 2.
Marcus Holloway is the complete opposite. He’s energetic, optimistic, and his motive isn’t driven by a cliché revenge story. He just wants to do the right thing by taking down a corrupt establishment. Let’s not forget the obvious: he’s a Black hacker and his most admirable traits are his intelligence and hacking skills. His hacking skills far surpass that of Aiden’s and this lessens the chances of repetition. In Watch Dogs, you could only hack a limited amount of objects. Ubisoft definitely listened to the criticism and upped the ante in the sequel with a dash representation for their Black gamers.
Black characters are rarely portrayed as highly skilled, tech-savvy hackers. This is some positive representation that many Black nerds and gamers will definitely embrace. Let’s hope this lives up to the hype!
I had played other games before the Legend of Zelda franchise, but Ocarina of Time was the first game that really got me addicted. The atmosphere, the music and the sense of adventure LOZ gives you is what makes the franchise stand out so well. I remember being so immersed in OOC, that I’d spend hours of my Saturdays trying to get past that migraine-inducing water level. Once the trailer for Breath of the Wild dropped, my love for LOZ was instantly resurrected.
If you haven’t watched the trailer, I highly encourage you to go check it out. This game is absolutely gorgeous. I’m not one to focus on graphics too much, as graphics don’t necessarily make a game enjoyable. However, the beautiful music and environment definitely pulls you in only in the way a LOZ game can successfully do. It can be pretty risky to have super high expectations. Nobody wants to be disappointed by something they spent months looking forward to, but I highly doubt this is going to happen. I’m probably putting all my eggs in one basket, but the story and open world is going to be just as captivating!
My love-hate relationship with this series is just as alive when it scared the shit out of me with Resident Evil 2. I remember being to scared to play RE2 on Nintendo 64, so I always begged my uncle to play so that I could watch him play. It was like watching a horror movie that he controlled. Then, there was the time he made me play it in the dark. Yep, that happened. So ever since then, I’ve loved/hated this series.
There’s been a lot of criticism towards the RE franchise for straying from horror and leaning more towards action. Being an action game isn’t a bad thing, but if you built your game on horror, it’s probably best to stick with what attracted your audience. And RE 7 is doing just that, stripping itself down to what made the series so special.
This game features an entirely new protagonist with no combat or self-defense skills. This means you’ll be playing entirely survival horror with little chance of defending yourself. There may be little to no presence of guns or blunt objects. I don’t know about the rest of you, but the scariest gameplay is when you can only run from it. And it looks like this is it.
Yes, I know it’s a console and not a game, but how the hell else am I going to play Breath of the Wild? I haven’t been this excited for a Nintendo console since Gamecube! And that was in 2001. 15 years ago. It’s finally time for me to go back to being a Nintendo fangirl and appreciating my favorite thing about them: the innovation.
Nintendo is always trying something different with their consoles. It’s pretty obvious by looking at the changes just in the controllers alone. This company is always looking for newest thing and the Nintendo Switch is just that. It’s like there was an argument in the conference room between making Nintendo Switch a regular console or a handheld console. Then, one genius in the room went:
And that was how the Nintendo Switch was born.
Dishonorable mention:
Call of Duty… Yikes, how far this series has fallen. I remember the first time I fell in love with Modern Warfare 3 and it trickled over to Black Ops. Playing COD was how I bonded with my husband when I first met him. Video games were the first thing we had in common and while we were initially friends, we spent half our time playing COD. However, it’s been declining in quality with every release. I think we all saw it coming, but we weren’t ready to believe it. The games simply aren’t revolutionary anymore. It’s nothing that hasn’t been done already and people are starting to catch on. Not to mention the prices:
The average new and unused video game will cost you about $59.99 plus tax.
Just looking at the trailer, it doesn’t resemble the past games at all and it doesn’t remind the audience why we fell in love with the franchise. But it also isn’t doing anything captivating as a new release. There’s nothing that evokes the old love for the COD franchise, but there’s also nothing new to capture attention. It seems to have finally reached its peak. The like/dislike ratio on the YouTube trailer shows a mob of dissatisfied customers. The worst part? A remastered Modern Warfare is offered, but it comes bundled with Infinite Warfare. There is no separate sale. Therefore, if you enjoyed Modern Warfare, you would have to order Infinite Warfare if you want that remastered version. Good luck.
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Pygmy Hippopotamus
Choeropsis liberiensis
About the Pygmy Hippopotamus
Order: Cetartiodactyla
Family: Hippopotamidae
Genus: Choeropsis
Species: liberiensis
The pygmy hippo is a stout animal with a relatively small and rounded head and thick blackish skin. Like the larger Nile hippo, it excretes reddish droplets that soften and protect its skin. This creature is solitary and secretive in the wild. It's not vicious, but can be dangerous when disturbed. The pygmy hippo will attempt to intimidate potential enemies by opening its jaws and baring its canine teeth.
Pygmy Hippo Facts
Compared to the Nile hippopotamus, the pygmy hippo is somewhat more than half its size, and its limbs are proportionally longer. Its head is relatively small and rounded; the eyes are not prominent and are set to the side. The thick, naked skin is uniformly blackish and somewhat lighter below. Like the Nile hippo, pygmy hippos exude reddish-colored droplets which soften and protect the skin.
Height: about 2.5 feet
Length: about 5 feet from head to tail
Weight: 400 to 500 pounds
In the wild they eat a diet of tender shoots, leaves, fallen fruit, grasses and vegetation.
Pygmy hippos haven't shown a set breeding season in captivity, and their behavior in the wild is difficult to determine. A single offspring is born after a 190 to 210 day gestation period. Calves are weaned after six to eight months and are sexually mature at 4 to 5 years of age.
Pygmy hippos are solitary and have home ranges although they aren't territorial. A male wanders over a home range that overlaps with several female ranges and possibly other male ranges. They're not aggressive but can be dangerous when surprised or disturbed. Their foraging on land and in the water creates pathways and canals that other animals use to get through dense underbrush. These pathways are marked with dung that helps fertilize plants.
Pygmy hippos are found on swamp edges and bordering dense thickets and by the water in rain forest regions of West Africa, including the countries of Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Scientists believe them to be in Nigeria.
Median Life Expectancy:
Threats:
The main threats to pygmy hippos are habitat loss and hunting. Their habitat is becoming fragmented and developed. Although they're not major targets of the bushmeat trade, opportunistic hunters that stumble upon them will kill them for their meat.
You Can Find This Animal in the Tropical Forest
Zoo New England participates in the pygmy hippopotamus Species Survival Plan. By sharing research and knowledge, participating institutions work together to establish guidelines that best ensure the health of captive populations, and with success, the survival of otherwise extinct species.
Learn more about our hippos in the Kids' Corner!
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Canberra PR9 Final Deployment Feature Report
Friday 23rd June
June 23rd saw the end of the RAF's Photo Reconnaissance Unit's last overseas operational deployment. This occasion marked not just another "End of an era", but the upcoming retirement of the most successful and long lived British military jet. Two Canberras from 39 Squadron returned to RAF Marham, flying in formation with a pair of based Tornado GR4s. As they taxied to the hardstand the popular aircrew were applauded by welcoming staff and families.
Michael Hall was there to witness this historical event. All photography by the author unless otherwise stated.
The two aircraft were crewed by Flt Lt Ronnie Fairbrother and Navigator Sqn. Ldr. Winny Winwright in XH135, and Flt Lt Mike Leckey and Navigator Flt Lt Colin "Deep Fat" Fryer in XH131. They had just flown the last leg of the journey back from the Middle East, a three hour flight from Italy. The two aircraft looked as if they had been busy during the four-month long detachment. The temporary grey ARTF camouflage starting to show wear and tear, compared with the immaculately finished XH134, the specially marked display aircraft they flanked as they were lined up together on the apron.
Exactly what the aircraft had been up to is of course classified, but in the age of satellite imagery and sensing, the capabilities of the Canberra have been continuously updated and having the flexibility of a manned aircraft obviously has its benefits. Some reconnaissance capabilities can be performed by aircraft such as the Tornado, but the PR9 Canberra remains the only aircraft in the inventory capable of the high altitudes required for its unique role. The main reason for the retirement is the number of pressurisation cycles available on the remaining three airframes. Every time the aircraft climbs to altitude the fatigue life is reduced due to stresses on the fuselage due to the internal pressure necessary to keep the crew alive at high altitude.
The aircraft were built around 45 years ago by Shorts of Belfast, who were also responsible for the re-design and flight testing programme. 23 aircraft were eventually built, although only 21 of these entered RAF service, the first of these in April 1960. The improvements over the "basic" B2 were increased wingspan, a revised nose to house the Navigator and larger engine nacelles to suit the Avon RA.24. These modifications were to result in the PR9 being a very stable platform at the altitudes it was intended to operate at, usually in the region of 50,000 feet although the maximum operating ceiling is given as c70,000 ft. This was one reason for the Canberra’s longevity as it performed better than the Lockheed U2 family with similar equipment, but without needing the complex computerised stabilising kit.
Photo reconnaissance was the task when the PR9 entered service, but as technology developed various imaging sensors and navigation equipment were added to its repertoire. These include Infra red linescan (IRLS) Global Positioning System (GPS) Decca Tactical Air Navigation System (TANS) and the Goodrich Corporation Rapid Deployment Electro-Optical System (RADEOS) developed from the Senior Year Electro-Optical Relay System (SYERS) carried by the U-2S. Recently de-classified images shown in the press hint at the capabilities, with images of the Houses of Parliament taken from 47,000ft over the Isle of Wight, the time on Big-Ben can be clearly seen.
The retirement of the PR9 will see an end to the high altitude photo reconnaissance capability of the RAF. How this gap will eventually be filled, either by purchasing information from the USA, or reliance on UAV or satellite imagery remains to be seen.
The retirement will also see the end of various trades in the RAF, most notably carpenters, as part of the Canberra’s tail is made from fabric covered wood.
The last three were put up for sale by auction, the displays at RAF Waddington and RAF Fairford (RIAT) being official viewing for prospective buyers. A wonderful if short display was performed on each day at both these shows by Sqn. Ldr. Terry Cairns. On the 18th July XH134 made an extensive tour of the country, over flying RAF stations and establishments associated with the Canberra. There remains one airframe at RAF Marham, the engineless XH169, destined to become a gate guardian, if the outgoing Station Commander’s wishes are met. The final RAF Canberra display was performed at the 39Squadron disbandment, where to most observers’ astonishment the display included two rolls.
All three eventually found their way to the former RAF station at Kemble airfield in Gloucestershire on July 31st.
The Canberra whose service life spans more than half the life of the RAF has served the force well, from the Cuba missile crisis to Afghanistan. It has won the respect and affection of more than one generation and will be sadly missed by most service personnel involved with it. Hopefully the new owners will keep at least one PR9 in airworthy condition, to be enjoyed by future air show visitors.
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R.I.P. Actor-Comedian and Cleveland Area Native Tim Conway Has Passed Away at Age 85
Source: WENN.com / WENN
(Gray News) – Actor Tim Conway, known for his comedic roles on “The Carol Burnett Show” and “McHale’s Navy,” has died at the age of 85.
His representative confirmed his death to People, saying Conway died from complications with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.
Conway played Ensign Charles Parker in the 1960s sitcom “McHale’s Navy” and was one of the featured performers on “Carol Burnett.” He enjoyed a prolific career in film and television that spanned across five decades.
In August 2018, multiple outlets began reporting that 84-year-old Conway suffered from dementia and was living in a nursing home. A court battle between his wife, Charlene Conway, and his daughter, Kelly Conway, over his guardianship was settled in April.
Born Thomas Daniel Conway on Dec. 15, 1933, in Willoughby, OH, Conway attended Bowling Green State University, where he studied television and radio.
He would spend two years in the U.S. Army after graduating college in 1956.
After his discharge from the military, Conway started his show business career by writing promotional spots for local television and radio in Cleveland, OH.
In 1961, comedian Rose Marie discovered Conway at a Cleveland TV station and arranged for him to audition for “The Steve Allen Show.” He soon became a regular.
After Conway got his big break, he decided to change his first name to “Tim,” so he wouldn’t be confused with British actor Tom Conway.
The newly self-christened Tim Conway soon got an even bigger break in 1962 with the role of the bumbling ensign on “McHale’s.” The show ran until 1966.
He also broke into film before the show’s cancellation, starring in two movies based on the show while it was still on the air.
But after the cancellation came Conway’s celebrated run on “Carol Burnett.” He became a regular cast member in 1975 after years of guest-starring on the sketch comedy series.
His many memorable characters on the show included “Mr. Tudball” and “The Oldest Man,” which he played off other talented comedic actors like Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, and, of course, Carol Burnett.
Conway performed on the show for over a decade.
Conway took a few stabs at being a TV headliner. Unfortunately, “The Tim Conway Show” and “The Tim Conway Comedy Hour” were both canceled after airing half a season each on CBS.
First Picture Courtesy of Joel Ginsburg and WENN
Second Picture Courtesy of WENN
#TBT PHOTOS: The Best moments from the Cleveland Cavaliers Championship parade
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Britain says Tax Information Exchange Agreement with St. Kitts and Nevis in force
FILE PHOTO of St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas (left) and Australia’s Non-Resident High Commissioner to St. Kitts and Nevis, His Excellency Phillip Kentwell, exchange copies of the Tax Information Exchange Agreement. (Photo by Erasmus Williams)
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, MAY 30TH 2011 (CUOPM) – The United Kingdom says its Tax Information Exchange Agreements with St. Kitts and Nevis and three other Caribbean countries have entered into force, each of which complies with the standards laid down by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
After a short legislative passage through the United Kingdom Parliament, initiated by the issue of International Tax Enforcement Orders on May 13, the agreements all came into force on May 19.
Signed with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States countries Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines on January 18, 2010, the texts are all largely identical in wording and scope.
They apply to taxes of all kinds, and to all substantially similar or identical taxes brought in following the date of signature.
The TIEAs also allow for the request of information held by banks and other financial institutions, and information on the ownership of companies, trusts, partnerships and foundations.
The provisions of the arrangements take effect in respect to criminal matters from May 19, 2011, and for all other matters for taxable periods commencing, or charges to tax arising, on or after the same date.
The UK is currently in the process of legislating for the ratification of four other Caribbean TIEAs, with Montserrat, Belize, Dominica and Grenada.
St. Kitts and Nevis has signed Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEA’s) with several other countries including India, Australia, Monaco, The Netherlands, The Netherlands Antilles, Aruba, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, Farore Islands, Iceland, Finland and Canada.
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Posts Tagged: We Have Always Fought
Kameron Hurley and Tor reveal The Geek Feminist Revolution
By Aidan Moher May 12th, 2015
Kameron Hurley, author of The Mirror Empire and The Stars Are Legion
Yesterday, via Tor.com, Tor Books announced the acquisition of The Geek Feminist Revolution by Kameron Hurley, a collection of essays from the Hugo Award-winning blogger and author of The Mirror Empire. In addition to Hurley’s previously published essays, The Geek Feminist Revolution also contains several new essays written specifically for the collection.
“This was an exciting book to pitch and is proving to be a lot of fun to put together,” Hurley told Tor.com. “Fans have been asking for a traditional compilation of my online essays, and I think this selection of greatest hits and original work is going to make a lot of folks very happy.”
Marco Palmieri, Senior Editor at Tor Books, was similarly excited. “I’ve been doing a Kermit Flail ever since learning I’d get to work with Kameron,” he said. “Kameron’s is an important voice in the ongoing conversation about fandom, inclusion, and the evolution of genre, and I’m proud to amplify that voice as editor of this book.”
I’m very proud to have been involved in Hurley’s well-deserved success, having first worked with her to publish “We Have Always Fought: Challenging the ‘Women, Cattle, and Slaves’ Narrative”, which went on to win the Hugo Award for “Best Related Work” in 2014. I’ll be first in line to pick up this new collection, and can’t wait to get my hands on the exclusive essays. Like a lot of readers, Hurley has taught me a lot over the years, and to have all that knowledge in a bound volume, that I can share among friends, family, and other readers, is an exciting opportunity.
Hurley has previously self-published her essays in We Have Always Fought: Essays on Writing, Craft and Fandom—which has since been delisted from online eBook retailers in preparation for the release of The Geek Feminist Revolution.
The collection will be released in 2016.
Essays, Fantasy, Kameron Hurley, Non-fiction, Science Fiction, The Geek Feminist Revolution, Tor Books, We Have Always Fought
via Tor.com
“Storytelling for Losers: How We Write the Stories of Ourselves” by Kameron Hurley
By Kameron Hurley June 2nd, 2014
Storytelling for Losers:
How We Write the
Stories of Ourselves
By Kameron Hurley on June 2nd, 2014
@kameronhurley
Life is a game of chance, a series of lucky breaks and coincidences, cause and effect.
But fuck if we want to talk about it that way.
No, we’re humans. We like patterns. We like stories.
I careened into adulthood while bumbling around at a night club in South Africa, drinking whiskey and puffing endlessly at Peter Stuyvesant cigarettes. I sat at a table of people far more witty and interesting and worldly than I, and I tried and failed, in my young, drunken stupor, to understand how some rural hick fleeing a narrow little town and a failed abusive relationship had somehow ended up here on the other side of the world. I felt like a fake. A poser. A white American girl running around the world for the opposite reason most folks did.
See, I wasn’t running away to find myself. No. Indeed. I knew exactly who I was.
I was trying to run as far and as fast from myself as possible. Read More »
Fantasy, Kameron Hurley, Science Fiction, The Mirror Empire, We Have Always Fought, Writing
Official Announcement: A Dribble of Ink nominated for two 2014 Hugo Awards
By Aidan Moher April 21st, 2014
On Saturday, April 19th, the 2014 Hugo Award nominations were announced, and I’m proud to announce that A Dribble of Ink is represented in two categories: Best Fanzine and Best Related Work.
Best Fanzine
Alongside The Book Smugglers*, Elitist Book Review, Journey Planet and Pornokitsch*, A Dribble of Ink is in the running for Best Fanzine of 2013. If you’ve followed my writing for any time, you’ll know that I’ve long been critical of this category for dipping its pen into the same inkwell too often, so I’m thrilled to be included on a ballot that is guaranteed to see a new winner.
On that note, I expect to get crushed by Pornokitsch and/or The Book Smugglers, but it’ll be fun competition between these friends of mine regardless. Read More »
2013 Hugo Awards, A Dribble of Ink, Fantasy, Foz Meadows, Hugo Award, Justin Landon, Kameron Hurley, Science Fiction, We Have Always Fought
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Browsing occupation: federationist
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[ July 15, 2019 ] BDSers who leave others holding the bag (Divest This!) General News
[ July 15, 2019 ] Hamas backtracks on "kill Jews worldwide" – but not on foreign sleeper cells, bomb belt factories or calling to stab Jewish civilians in Israel General News
[ July 15, 2019 ] 07/15 Links Pt1: Kontorovich: The Many Incoherences and Hypocrisies of International Law on Jerusalem; Netanyahu: The Palestinians Refuse to Recognize the Jewish State in Any Borders General News
[ July 15, 2019 ] Meanwhile, Israel keeps trying to make life easier for Palestinians General News
[ July 15, 2019 ] Cal State professor modified a quote by a terrorist to whitewash Palestinian antisemitism General News
[ July 15, 2019 ] IfNotNow’s harassment of presidential candidates reveals how hateful @ifnotnoworg is General News
[ July 15, 2019 ] Iranian Jews, struggling to prove they are patriots General News
[ July 14, 2019 ] Human Rights Watch REWARDS Hamas’ genocidal threats against Jews worldwide by calling it a "freedom movement" General News
HomeGeneral News06/10 Links Pt2: Who Is Threatening Israeli Journalists and Why?; When a truth-teller confronts Diaspora Jews
06/10 Links Pt2: Who Is Threatening Israeli Journalists and Why?; When a truth-teller confronts Diaspora Jews
June 10, 2016 Ian General News
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2016/06/0610-links-pt2-who-is-threatening.html
From Ian:
Caroline Glick: Israel rises in the East
Unlike Britain, which was seamlessly replaced by the US as the leader of the free world in the aftermath of World War II, the US has no clear successor. Moreover, despite its self-destructive tendencies, the US remains the world’s biggest economy and most powerful nation. The significance of America’s loss of the will to lead the world is not that the US will disappear. Rather, it will share the stage with other, rising, powers.
For Israel, this means that while maintaining the US as its primary strategic partner, Israel cannot continue to place all of its eggs in America’s basket. As Netanyahu is doing with Putin as well as with China and India, recognizing America’s new limitations, Israel must diminish its dependence on Washington, while developing noncompeting alliances with other powers, based on shared interests.
What Israel’s attractiveness to other world powers makes clear is that as America’s power wanes, Israel needn’t and oughtn’t seek to replace it with another superpower patron. Israel today is fully capable of fending for itself.
Putin courts Netanyahu because Israel is strong. And the stronger it is, the more leaders will beat a path to our door.
The failure of France’s “peace” conference, on the one hand, and the success of Netanyahu’s fourth visit to Moscow on the other hand, were poetic bookends of the week because they were a vivid exposition of Israel’s true diplomatic and strategic position today. Israel is neither weak nor isolated.
It is embraced by the rising powers. And the waning ones that scapegoat the Jewish state are leading their countries into economic and cultural decline and security chaos.
Khaled Abu Toameh: Who Is Threatening Israeli Journalists and Why?
Palestinian journalists are spearheading a campaign against Israeli reporters. They have been taught that any journalist daring to criticize the Palestinian Authority (PA) or Hamas is a “traitor.” They expect Israeli and Western journalists to report bad things only about Israel.
“It is very sad when you see that your colleagues on the other side are inciting against you and doing their best to prevent you from carrying out your work. This is harmful to the Palestinians themselves because they will no longer be able to relay their opinions to the Israeli public.” — Israeli reporter who has been covering Palestinian affairs for nearly a decade.
For Palestinian journalists, to be seen in public with an Israeli colleague is treasonous.
Many Western journalists turn a blind eye to assaults on freedom of the media under the PA and Hamas. They know they will be unwelcome in these places if they write any story that reflects negatively on Palestinians. Besides, the campaign against Israeli journalists is being waged by Palestinians, and not Israelis. To them, this fact alone makes it a story not worth reporting.
VIDEO: The Death of Free Speech in Europe
Across Europe, cartoonists, artists and writers are forced to live under police protection, and also often face criminal prosecution — all for the “crime” of offending Islam. “‘Respect’ means, for them, submission.” It starts with censoring cartoons… Here is Gatestone Institute’s Giulio Meotti in our latest video:
Melanie Phillips: When a truth-teller confronts Diaspora Jews
Tuvia Tenenbom has a problem. His books sell so well he can’t find a publisher in the English-speaking world.
His last book, Catch the Jew!, was a spectacular international success. Published in Germany and, in English, in Israel, it shot to the top of numerous best-seller lists. His previous book, I Sleep in Hitler’s Room, was also a German best-seller.
Tenenbom writes for Die Zeit. Although he was born in Bnei Brak, his fair hair nevertheless leads people to assume he is a German gentile and as such, that he harbors anti-Jewish views. Declining to disabuse people of this mistake, he goes round asking pointed questions on issues people try to avoid. The result is as devastating as it is funny.
In I Sleep in Hitler’s Room, he revealed persistent German Jew-hatred. In Catch the Jew!, he discovered that the German and other European governments were outsourcing the incitement of Jew-hatred to NGOs, many of which were run by Jews.
He has attracted rave reviews and an international fan base. He’s been called “Michael Moore and Borat in one” (Die Welt), “A force of nature” (La Repubblica) and “a free artist who fights for truth and tolerance” (Le Vif/L’Express).
His new book, Don’t Quote Me, is to be published in Germany at the beginning of September. It is about America. He has repeated there his tactic of traveling around and writing down what people say to him.
He asks people what they think of Obama and they talk about their support for the Palestinians.
Imam Leading Ali Funeral Has Record Of Anti-Americanism And Anti-Semitism
The imam leading the two-day funeral service for famed boxer Muhammad Ali, Imam Zaid Shakir, said that Ali wanted his funeral to be used as a “teaching moment.” Dawud Walid from the Council on American-Islamic Relations echoed, “In a political climate in which Islamophobia is front and center, his funeral will counterpunch the ridiculous notion that being a good Muslim and a good American are at odds.”
But if Shakir were to be consistent with what he’s been preaching for the two decades or so, viewers would get a dose of anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism that has nothing to do with coexistence and everything to do with reasons for Islamophobia.
Referring to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, in which six people were murdered by Muslims, Shakir said:
Considering the available information, it is the view of some observers, that the WTC bombing was undertaken by Zionist forces to give proof to their allegations concerning the magnitude of ‘Islamic fundamentalist’ terrorism, and as a pretext to intensify their anti-Islamic propaganda campaign in the US media … The recent bombing of the World Trade Center (WTC), has produced anti-Islamic elements in this country and an opportunity to launch a vicious propaganda campaign against Islam and Muslims. This campaign has been so calculating that one immediately suspects it could not have arisen accidentally.
Anti-Israel Michael Lerner Chosen to ‘Represent the Jewish People’ at Muhammad Ali Funeral
On Tuesday, the family of Muhammad Ali invited leftist Michael Lerner to speak at the funeral/memorial service for Ali, supposedly — as Lerner writes — “to represent the Jewish people.”
Nothing could be a greater travesty. In an old column, I wrote that Lerner is a man who “lives in his own starry-eyed radical world.” If you think this is not true, simply go to the many links Lerner provides and read what he has written over the years.
In my 2002 column, I called out Lerner for his views on how American Jews should relate to Israel. The column is still relevant because, if anything, Lerner’s views have gotten much worse. In discussing how Israel should respond to terrorist attacks against it by Palestinians, he falsely presents himself as a moderate — not as part of the emerging pro-Palestinian, left-wing protest movement. He is, he assures us, “outraged” by the “immoral acts of Palestinian terrorists.”
What does he suggest Israel do about it? Should they fight back? Lerner just gives a new dose of moral equivalence by using the same language he has scolded the Palestinian terrorists with and applying it to Israel.
Julia Mearsheimer, Daughter of John, Leads BDS Group at U. of Chicago
The daughter of John Mearsheimer, a University of Chicago professor and coauthor of The Israel Lobby, has become an activist in the BDS movement and the Hamas-linked group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).
Julia Mearsheimer, an undergraduate at the University of Chicago, is a leader of her campus’ SJP chapter and interns at the American Friends Service Committee, a far-left activist group.
As disclosed by Canary Mission, a human rights watchdog that tracks anti-Israel activists, Mearsheimer has become a regular at campus and local Chicago anti-Israel events and regularly expresses admiration for terrorists.
She posted a picture of herself in April 2015 with her arm around Rasmea Odeh and wrote in the caption, “No words can describe the honor of meeting Rasmea Odeh. … She was love and light and wonder and everything amazing. Ahhh!!”
Odeh is a notorious Palestinian terrorist who was convicted of the 1969 bombing of a Jerusalem supermarket that killed two Israelis. She was also convicted of attempting to bomb the British consulate. Years after being freed from jail in a 1979 prisoner swap, Odeh came to the United States and lied on both her visa and citizenship applications, claiming she had never violated any laws. Last year, she was convicted in federal court of lying to obtain citizenship and was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by deportation. Since then, she has since become a hero of the BDS movement.
Mearsheimer ended her Facebook post about the unrepentant murderer: “Thank you, Rasmea.”
Rising Anti-Semitism, Rising Waters; God’s Going Old School on Europe (satire)
It’s no secret that anti-Semitism has risen to an all time high over the past few years in Europe with France, Britain, and Germany again becoming the least liveable countries for the visibly or openly Jewish population – and God has had enough.
“Can anyone say, ‘deluge’?”
Once targeted with “Go Back to Palestine” graffiti in the 1930’s, the same narrative applies today, yet in reverse. “Leave Palestine” is the new trend, as a number of Europeans continue in their quest to wipe Jews off the world map as they disguise their new Nazism as anti-Zionist sentiment.
“What are they threatened by? My chosen people – albeit against their will – make up less than 0.2% of the world’s population, or for the mathematically challenged, that’s around 14 million out of 7.4 billion of my anxiety-laden, inherently complaining children who can’t digest lactose. And you still think there’s some kind of conspiracy? That’s it – time for hipster ‘Noa’ to build that sustainable eco-friendly 100% compostable made from recycled materials bamboo ark.”
With severe flooding, and flash floods now plaguing Paris, London, and Dresden, priceless pieces of artwork, radical Islamists, regressive liberals, and right-wing extremists were the first to be evacuated.
UN chief faced ‘blackmail’ after blacklisting Saudi-led coalition for killing children in Yemen
Saudi Arabia reportedly threatened to cut aid to Palestinian refugees and to issue a fatwa against the United Nations if it was not removed from a UN blacklist of groups that kill children.
A campaign of threats and protests by the Saudis and a host of Muslim nations succeeded in pressuring Ban ki-Moon, the UN secretary general, to give into their demands.
A UN report released last week found that the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen was responsible for killing more than 500 children in its year-long campaign of airstrikes.
But within four days of the report’s release, Mr Ban had backtracked and agreed to remove the Saudi-led coalition from the list while a review was carried out.
Death tolls keep rising in Yemen conflict Play! 01:38
Details of the Saudi lobbying campaign were revealed by Reuters and diplomats said the UN chief was subjected to “bullying, threats, and pressure” and “real blackmail”.
Saudi Arabia threatened to cut its funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which supports around 5 million Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank and neighbouring countries.
Saudi Arabia is the fourth largest donor to UNRWA and provided around $100 million (£69 million) towards education, healthcare and other services for refugees.
Other members of the Saudi-led coalition, such as Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, are also major UNRWA donors.
UN Child Sex Abuse Whistleblower Resigns
Anders Kompass, who worked as director of field operations at the UN human rights office, has resigned after the organization did not hold senior officials accountable for human rights abuses.
The UN suspended Kompass after he leaked a report that said French troops sexually abused children in the Central African Republic.
However, the UN never took action and Kompass decided “he could no longer work for an organisation with no accountability.” From The Guardian:
“The complete impunity for those who have been found to have, in various degrees, abused their authority, together with the unwillingness of the hierarchy to express any regrets for the way they acted towards me sadly confirms that lack of accountability is entrenched in the United Nations. This makes it impossible for me to continue working there.”
Last year, Kompass gave the French government the confidential UN report after officials did nothing to punish those involved, which took place in 2014.
An Antisemitic Hoax: Lenni Brenner on Zionist ‘Collaboration’ With the Nazis
In April 2016, Britain was rocked by scandals involving antisemitism in the opposition Labour Party. There were complaints that student members had been dismissing Jewish colleagues as ‘Zios’. Numerous party activists were suspended or expelled for offences such as stating that Jews had ‘big noses’, that Hitler was the ‘Zionist god’, that socialists had to address ‘the Jewish Question’, or that Jews were behind the slave trade and ISIS. A Member of Parliament was obliged to issue an apology after proposing the ‘transportation’ of millions of Israeli Jews to America.
Into this maelstrom stepped former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who denied the existence of any antisemitism in the party, and volunteered that Hitler ‘was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews.’ For this, and for related comments, he too was suspended from the Labour Party.
To justify his claims, Livingstone invoked Zionism in the Age of the Dictators, a book published by Lenni Brenner in 1983. Livingstone had written in his memoirs that Brenner’s work ‘helped form my view of Zionism and its history’ (Livingstone 2011: 223). The book is a fixture of antizionist and antisemitic propaganda about the Holocaust on both the far left and on the far right, and Brenner has a cult following among those convinced that ‘Zionists’ are to blame for all evil in the world.
Lenni Brenner’s Background and Importance
Momentum activist suspended by Labour over ‘Zionist criminals’ blog supporting Ken Livingstone
Momentum activist Marlene Ellis has been suspended from the Labour Party over a blog which accused Jeremy Corbyn of playing “right into the hands of Zionist criminals” by suspending Ken Livingstone.
The blog, which described Mr Livingstone’s suspension as “unjustifiable” and called on Mr Corbyn to reverse it, was posted by Ms Ellison on the Momentum Black ConneXions group (MBC) website.
The piece described the action taken against the former mayor of London as a “ knee-jerk reaction to pro-Zionist and other right-wing pressures from within and outside the current Labour Party leadership”.
It added: “We of Momentum Black ConneXions (MBC) never imagined a Labour Party led by you, Jeremy Corbyn, would ever immediately react in such frightful haste by clamping down on the freedom of critical radical expression.”
Mr Livingstone was suspended after he claimed that Hitler had supported Zionism. The blog described his remarks on antisemitism and anti-racism as “quite interesting”, and claimed that Zionism had been disorted by racism.
It also called for the suspension of Labour MP John Mann who confronted Mr Livingstone over his comments.
MBC claimed that Mr Mann, the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism, had “brought the party into disrepute”.
Momentum Row Over Hitler Placard Promoting Anti-Zionism Event
Momentum members are arguing about an event on “anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism” which is being promoted with a photo comparing Israel to Hitler. Good to see them handling the issue with their textbook sensitivity…
The event’s cover photo is a placard with the words “Well done Israel – Hitler would be proud”. It has an Israeli flag with a with a Swastika instead of the Star of David. Speakers include Momentum chief Jon Lansman and Marlene Ellis, a activist suspended over allegations of anti-Semitism. The picture choice is being criticised by Momentum supporters, one asks: “Can someone change the cover photo…. it’s not very edifying to have a picture on it that compares Israel to Hitler”. A second says: “I am a bit worried that the cover photo is setting a certain tone for the meeting”. Race row Labour member Jackie Walker warns it is “objectionable, provocative and distasteful”.
Greens support “Palestinian” advocacy but boycott Zionism
GREENS candidates will attend an election forum hosted by the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN), but not Zionism Victoria.
Stephanie Hodgins-May has pulled out of The AJN’s election forum for Melbourne Ports because … Zionism Victoria is co-hosting the event.
“I don’t believe it is appropriate and right to speak at an event co-organised by a politically active organisation,” she said referring to Zionism Victoria.
Hodgins-May agreed to attend the debate in mid-May.
On May 30 AJN editor Zeddy Lawrence told Hodgins-May during an email exchange that it would be co-hosted by Zionism Victoria… That prompted her withdrawal from the debate.
…Hodgins-May’s comments and withdrawal came as a shock to The AJN and the community because Greens MP Adam Bandt is attending a forum hosted by APAN next week titled, Melbourne candidate forum: Palestine and Israel: adopting a just position.
Michael Danby MP calls for bigotted Greens candidate Stephanie Hodgins-May to be sacked
Local Greens candidate Stephanie Hodgins-May has announced she will pull out of the only Melbourne Ports candidates’ debate, after having agreed to participate “because one of the co-hosts” was the Jewish community roof body, Zionism Victoria.
Michael Danby, Member for Melbourne Ports, said:
“This is shameful. The Greens Party mask is finally off. The Greens boycott of the Jewish community shows their deep and intractable antagonism towards the Australian Jewish community.
Zionism Victoria is a roof body organisation of cross-spectrum groups which support Israel, including pluralistic Australian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS), which operates across Australian universities, the international affiliate of the Israeli Labour Party, Ameinu Australia, and includes socialist Zionist youth movements like Hashomer Hatzair and Habonim Dror.
“The Greens Party candidate from Daylesford, an advisor to Greens Leader Di Natale, is unfit to represent Melbourne Ports. Nearly a third of the electorate is of Jewish heritage. Refusing to address this public forum on the bigoted grounds that she has is an insult to the local community.”
“Approximately 71% of Australian Jewish residents of Melbourne Ports have family in Israel”, Danby recounted. “If she doesn’t want to represent our local Jewish community, or even speak to them, she cannot be their local Member. Greens leader Richard Di Natale must sack her.”
Alan Dershowitz: Advice to Clinton: Don’t try to placate Sanders’s hard-left voters
The second gift to Trump would be in the area of foreign policy, particularly with regard to the Middle East. Were Clinton to move away from support for Israel, it could hurt her electoral chances in several swing states.
Americans in general admire and support Israel.
The don’t want a president who would parrot the views of radical Israel-haters such as Cornel West and James Zogby who falsely accuse Israel of being an apartheid state that sets up concentration camps and aims to annihilate Palestinians. Even many of Sanders’s young supporters, some of whom are critical of certain Israeli policies, especially with regard to the settlements, do not want the US to adopt the West-Zogby anti-Israel approach.
Sanders received his support from young people for his domestic policy, not his foreign policy (about which he knows little). He wandered into the morass of Mideast politics only to satisfy his hard-left supporters who think in absurd packages: If you support the environment and higher minimum wages, then you must oppose Israel. That’s not the way centrist and independent voters think, and Clinton must reject that kind of radical “intersectional” thinking if she is to beat Trump in the fall.
So let Hillary be Hillary and not become Bernie.
Let her look for guidance to the successful centrist politics of Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, rather than the failed revolutionary screeds of Bernie Sanders, Cornel West and Susan Sarandon. We are a centrist nation that has thrived without the turmoil that extremes – both left and right – bring to politics and governance. We don’t want to emulate Europe and South America, which often alternate between socialist and nationalist regimes – between the Red and the Brown. If she gets too close to the hard-left politics of Sanders’s most extreme “Bernie or bust” zealots, she may get burned in the general election – and so will our nation.
How did SNL star become a staunch Israel supporter?
Actor and comedian Joe Piscopo earned nationwide fame with his celebrity impersonations, Saturday Night Live skits, and roles in Hollywood films like the remake of King Kong and Wise Guys.
Less well-known, however, is Piscopo’s ardent support for the State of Israel.
Now hosting his own daily radio show, Piscopo airs his views on a social and political issues – including what he sees as the trend within the Democratic Party towards abandoning Israel.
Earlier this week, Piscopo sat down with Arutz Sheva to discuss the roots of his own pro-Israel views, his frustrations with the Democratic Party, and who he supports in the upcoming presidential election.
“I’m a lifelong Democrat,” says Piscopo, “[but] I left the Democratic Party because I’m a little disillusioned politically with what’s happening, including the lack of support for Israel.”
“I’m not feeling the support from Washington [for Israel],” Piscopo later added. “Am I missing something here?”
Despite his ties with the Democratic Party, Piscopo says he plans to register as a Republican for the first time ever.
No Matter Who Wins in November, the Jews Have Already Lost
You can see this ideological scuffle, strangely, in the brewing fight over Israel in the upcoming Democratic National Convention. By appointing pollster James Zogby and Professor Cornel West to the party’s platform-drafting committee, Sanders—who earlier this week said he saw no real difference between Clinton’s foreign policy and Trump’s—is not signaling a commitment to a concrete agenda but an allegiance to a political mood, one that singles Israel out for calumny because of how maddeningly ill-suited it is to the progressive gospel. Consider, for example, West’s 2014 Facebook rant, in which he called Israeli strikes on Gaza a “massacre of innocent Palestinians” and “a crime against humanity” while condemning Hamas’ rocket attacks as merely “politically ineffective.” You could, of course, chalk the professor’s comments up to anti-Semitism, but progressivism offers a more compelling explanation: Follow contemporary progressivism to its rational conclusion, as West often does in his writing, and there’s no reason why you wouldn’t come to see the cohesive nation-state exercising its right for self-defense as inherently evil and the terrorist group as a band of righteous if misinformed disenfranchised brothers. Even if Clinton is triumphant, Jews should expect this convoluted and toxic logic to grow ever more prominent among Democrats, as it has among the Labourites in Britain. The Democratic Party, too, can no longer be our home.
Which, really, is good news.
Clowns to the left of us, and racists to the right, we American Jews may finally awaken from our 30-year nap and learn again how to be a community that grapples fiercely with big ideas. We can build new institutions that do more than fret about continuity without questioning what, exactly, it is that we should wish to continue. We can set aside the increasingly inane quibbling over minor differences and instead focus on imagining a shared future animated by more audacious common goals. We can, in short, regain the spirit that has propelled us through history—and then grew dormant as we became comfortable in the American mainstream. Let’s face it: We Jews are outsiders. Herein our sorrow, herein our greatness. Imagine what we can do if moved not by the soft tremors of party politics but by the big jolt of feeling, after all these years, politically homeless.
There’s no point in waiting until November. No matter who wins, the Jews have already lost. It’s time now to do what we do best: Shake off the ashes, say a prayer, and rebuild.
George Galloway favors Trump over Clinton
Controversial anti-Israel British politician George Galloway, who in the past declared his hometown an “Israeli-free zone”, bashed likely Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, saying that presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump was the lesser of two evils.
Galloway, who in the past has praised the Hamas terror group and accused Israel of arming Al Qaeda, called former Secretary of State Clinton a “monster”, saying he favored Republican candidate. Galloway’s comments came in the wake of similar statements by actress Susan Sarandon denouncing Clinton as an “interventionist”.
“I believe in a way she’s more dangerous,” Sarandon told The Young Turks. “Her record – I mean she did not learn a thing from Iraq. She is an interventionist. She’s done horrible things, horrible things, and very callously.”
Galloway concurred with Sarandon’s comments, writing on Twitter that “@SusanSarandon is right. Hillary Clinton is even more dangerous for America and the world than is Donald Trump.”
Later Galloway added that while “Trump is a monster”, “Clinton [is] a bigger monster.”
Jimmy Carter Accuses Trump and GOP of Racism, Ignores His Own Bigotry
According to many observers Carters anti-Jewish bigotry stems from his feeling that he lost reelection campaign because he became the first Democrat since 1920 not to receive a majority of the Jewish vote. Carter got 45%, Reagan received 39%, and 3rd party candidate John Anderson got 14%. It is also that perceived abandonment behind Carter’s disdain of Israel.
Ambassador Marc Ginsburg was Jimmy Carter’s deputy senior adviser on the Middle East, and from 1977 through 1980 was White House liaison to the State Department. He has a unique perspective of Jimmy Carter’s Middle East dealings. According to the Ambassador, the reason Carter goes out of his way to bash Israel is that he feels American Jews did not fawn over him enough for all that he did for Israel.
…When former President Jimmy Carter revealed that Israel has more than 150 nuclear weapons, he clearly had a motive, according to his administration’s deputy senior adviser, Marc Ginsberg: “I think there’s no doubt — particularly given the vantage point I had in the White House at the end of his administration — that he resents the way in which Israel and the American-Jewish community have failed to express sufficient gratitude for his efforts on behalf of peace in the Middle East.
“In my judgment, there’s no other explanation,” Ginsberg says.
(…) “There’s no doubt he knows exactly what he is doing when he’s making these statements, or making misrepresentations that Hamas has agreed to recognize Israel if certain conditions occur, or to the book he wrote [‘Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid’] referring to Israel.”
Believe it or not, when he was in the Oval Office, President Carter rejected someone for a position on the board of the Holocaust Memorial Council because the guy’s name was too Jewish. That’s right the Holocaust Memorial Council. Monroe Freedman, who was executive director of the council during Carter’s presidency, told a reporter that Aaron Klein, that a noted Holocaust scholar who was a Presbyterian Christian, was rejected from the council’s board by Carter’s office because the scholar’s name “sounded too Jewish.”
MEMRI: Germany-Based ISIS Supporter And Academic Malik Fndy, Arrested Following Release Of MEMRI TV Clip, Resumes Pro-ISIS Facebook Activity
In February 2016, German police arrested Malik Fndy, a Syrian-born Ph.D. student at the Technical University of Darmstadt, who had posted several videos on his private YouTube account proclaiming his support of ISIS. Fndy had also made numerous pro-ISIS posts on his Facebook account. The arrest followed a MEMRI TV clip[1] in which Fndy explained why he supported ISIS and justified the terrorist organization’s burning of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh, as well as its practice of stoning women accused of adultery.
Following the initial investigation, Fndy posted another YouTube video in which he complained about “a distortion campaign by some German and American journalists” and thanked the German police for its “just treatment” of him. At that point, Fndy halted his Facebook activity.
On May 19, Fndy resumed his activity on Facebook. “This is my new account,” he wrote, “after my old account was disabled by Facebook… The Islamic Caliphate State is here to stay and to expand, whether the infidels, the [Shi’ite] Rafidites, the apostates, the hypocrites, and the traitors like it or not. I hope that this account will be a platform for stating Truth and vanquishing Falsehood… Your brother, Malik Fndy.” Since then, he has made numerous posts praising ISIS and attacking its enemies. He also posted a description of an exchange he had with one of his German interrogators.
NETHERLANDS: Islamic Sharia Police patrol stores looking for Israeli products and demanding their removal
Their stated purpose was to track down Israeli products or products promoting Israeli interests in stores, and to demand their removal from the shelves. This operation was conducted jointly with the Nida , a Muslim communalist party founded in late 2013, and supported by the SP, the Socialist Party of the Netherlands.
Only Geert Wilders and some journalists like Cornelis IJzerdraat to Nieuwspraak , were moved to condemn this Islamic police operation, the latter drawing a parallel … with Kristallnacht (the destruction of Jewish shops, homes, synagogues by the Nazis in Germany):
“At the end of the thirties of last century, our eastern neighbors also had patrols to label products” non-compliant “and Jewish people” as degenerate.” They also wore uniforms and were to mark everything “Jewish”. And now, in 2016, others want to exterminate all Jewish-produced products … A Kristallnacht 2.0
Israel’s embassy in Berlin slams visit by hate preacher who called for death to all Jews
Israel’s deputy chief envoy to Germany condemned on Monday the appearance of a Pakistani religious leader who has called for the elimination of all Jews.
The Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspaper published an article Monday about Muhammad Raza Saqib Mustafai’s European tour.
On Friday, the Islamic hate preacher addressed some 300 men and teenage boys Friday at Al-Madina mosque in Bad Cannstatt, a historic district in Stuttgart, the state capital of Baden-Württemberg.
Mustafai has said in a video posted on YouTube: “When the Jews are annihilated, the world will be cleansed.”
Mustafai has previously said: “When the Jews are wiped out… the sun of peace [will] begin to rise on the entire world.”
IsraellyCool: South African Rap-Rave Group Die Antwoord To BDS-Holes: “F*** You!”
South African rap-rave group Die Antwoord played in Rishon Le Zion, Israel Wednesday night, around the same time palestinian terrorists were shooting up civilians in Tel Aviv. And they made sure to address the BDS-holes who were trying to pressure them to boycott Israel.
I’m from a little asshole at the bottom of the world called South Africa. I failed at school, I’m not that clever but I like rap music. I don’t watch the news, I don’t know what the f##k’s going on with a lot of shit except this shit right f##king here. So they told us “Are you playing in Israel?” Dope, Israel! I know a lot of mother f##kers on Instagram from Israel, they’re like “Yo Ninja, come to Israel!” I’m cool, I’m coming… then everyone be getting their f##king panties in a knot, because like “Why you going to Israel? Don’t go to Israel! We like… F##k you! We make music for you mother f##kers, I don’t give a f##k about anything else outside this whole shit, this is us and you, f##k the world, f##k everything, there’s just this shit. So thank you very much for having us!
Israel-Obsessed Salon’s Boring Refrains and Inevitable Hypocrisy
In their song “Heaven,” the Talking Heads sardonically describe a tedious heaven in which a band “plays my favorite song; they play it once again; they play it all night long.”
If that’s the case, Salon.com must be heaven for anti-Israel activists. Type “Israel” into the site’s search bar, and the monochrome results are enough to bore even the most excitable of Israel’s opponents and defenders. The abridged headlines include:
• NY Gov. Cuomo signs ‘unconstitutional, McCarthyite’ pro-Israel …
• ‘Israel is occupation-addicted’: Israeli journalist Gideon Levy blasts …
• The new McCarthyism is pro-Israel: Legal groups slam NY Gov …
•‘We must counter Israel’s McCarthyism’: Meet the Palestinian …
• Israel is ‘infected by the seeds of fascism’ and has been taken over …
• IDF general compares Israel to Nazi Germany, then walks back …
• ‘Ethnic cleansing’ is shockingly popular in Israel: Almost half of …
• Why Rolling Stones shouldn’t play in Israel
• Free speech for all on campus! Unless you’re criticizing Israel, that is …
• I won’t vote for Bernie Sanders: His feeble position on Israel is a …
• Hillary leads to more war: Her latest speech on Israel is just the …
And so on. And so on. And so on. And so on.
VICE News Parrots BDS Talking Points
VICE News has earned itself a reputation for leaving out important context in reporting on diverse issues. The issue of Israel is no exception. Recently, CAMERA researchers analyzed two VICE articles about Israel that were found to be riddled with distortions and omissions of critical facts.
On June 2nd, VICE News again failed to provide substantive information, this time on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. VICE reporter Justin Ling published a piece investigating recent cyber-attacks on websites that support BDS. In the article, Ling describes BDS as a movement that:
…seeks to encourage individuals and businesses to end their financial relationship with Israel and any organizations based there, in order to apply pressure on the government to end the occupation of Palestine and improve human rights conditions for those living in the occupied territories.
That is a wholesale distortion of what the movement actually believes and what actions they take to achieve their goals. Reading Ling’s description would cause one to regard BDS as nothing more than a group of peace-loving world citizens who display benign signs at protests and congregate at community centers to brainstorm non-violent ideas on how to make the world a better place.
New anti-Semitism definition replaces abandoned EU version
The new international definition of anti-Semitism that mentions Israel hatred was adopted in part to replace a similar one scrapped by the European Union, an initiator of the new text said.
Robert Williams, a delegate of the United States at the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, or IHRA, told JTA on Tuesday that his intergovernmental agency of 31 Western nations adopted its new definition of anti-Semitism last month partly as a response to the 2013 removal from the website of the EU’s anti-racism agency of a definition that also mentioned demonizing Israel as an example of anti-Semitism.
“After that happened, we decided at IHRA to have discussions about adopting a definition, and the result was the adoption of a text very similar to the definition abandoned by the European Union,” Williams said.
Manifestations of anti-Semitism, the new definition reads, “might include the targeting of the State of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collective,” though “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as anti-Semitic.”
Like the abandoned EU definition, the IHRA text also lists comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany as anti-Semitic.
Synagogue, rabbi’s home vandalized in France
A synagogue in the town of Verdun near France’s eastern border was vandalized over the weekend, the European Jewish Press reports.
Worshippers discovered swastikas and white supremacist slogans scrawled on the house of prayer, including the phrase “white power”. Similar graffiti was also found on the house of a local rabbi.
This is the second such incident in as many months.
Francis Kalifat, the President of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (Crif), condemned the vandalism on Twitter.
“The vandalism of a place of worship is unacceptable. I strongly condemn the anti-Semitic tags on the Verdun synagogue.”
Unlike much of the anti-Semitism plaguing Parisian Jews, this incident appears to be the work of the far-right, rather than Islamic radicals.
Canada’s post office halts delivery of anti-Semitic Toronto paper
Canada’s post office says it will no longer deliver a Toronto-area newspaper described as openly anti-Semitic.
Judy Foote, the federal minister responsible for Canada Post, issued an order on June 6 against the future delivery of Your Ward News, a free, low-budget newspaper sent to homes in the east end of Toronto.
The publication has been the subject of complaints for years, the Canadian Jewish News reported. It has railed against “cultural Marxism” and lashed out at Zionists, Jewish communal leaders, feminism and welfare recipients, and has mocked the Holocaust. The newspaper has defended itself as satire protected by free speech.
B’nai Brith Canada said it has received “literally hundreds of phone calls and emails from people who have felt victimized by the content in this publication.”
Italy’s parliament approves bill criminalizing Holocaust denial
Italy’s Parliament approved a bill making spreading Holocaust denial illegal.
The bill, which adds to an existing anti-racism bill, was approved Wednesday evening by the lower assembly of the Parliament, the Chamber of Deputies, by a vote of 237-5, with 102 abstentions.
The new law would go after those who deny genocide or crimes against humanity, using the definition by the International Court of Justice, the German news agency DPA reported. Those convicted could face prison terms of two to six years.
Pope Francis to visit Auschwitz in July
Pope Francis will visit Auschwitz during a trip to Poland, the Vatican announced.
The pope is scheduled to visit the Nazi death camp on July 29 as part of a five-day trip. He will deliver an address at the site.
His immediate two predecessors — Benedict and John Paul II — also visited Auschwitz during their tenures.
On July 31, the last day of his visit to Poland, the pope will celebrate the closing Mass of World Youth Day at the Campus Misericordiae. Later that afternoon he will deliver an address to World Youth Day volunteers.
One million European Jews and more than 100,000 others died at Auschwitz between 1940 and 1945.
New dental implant tech speeds and improves bone growth
In ancient Egypt, missing teeth were sometimes replaced with carved seashells or pebbles anchored in the jawbone. Modern implant dentistry is a lot more sophisticated, but the basic idea is the same: placing an artificial root into the jawbone to hold a replacement tooth (crown).
The two-part procedure begins with screwing a titanium “root” into the jawbone and waiting three to six months until the bone grows firmly around it – called “osseointegration.” A healing abutment, or cap, is placed on top of the implant to help the gum heal, and then it’s replaced with a regular cap in which the crown is connected to the implant.
The Israeli company Magdent says its revolutionary MED (miniaturized electronic device) built into the healing abutment makes the bone grow three times faster by transmitting an electromagnetic field into the implant and the surrounding bone graft.
Electromagnetic fields have long been used by orthopedists to heal complicated bone fractures because they encourage the creation of bone-building cells.
Australia’s richest man funds educational projects for Negev Beduin
Jewish billionaire businessman Harry Oscar Triguboff, the richest person in Australia, established an institute in Israel in 2011. It is now investing in projects to improve the quality of life of the Negev’s Beduin.
The Jerusalem-based Triguboff Institute is partnering in various projects, including the establishment of an elite Negev Beduin co-ed high school that is set to open in September.
“The aim is to help integrate the Beduin into mainstream Israeli society,” Shalom Norman, CEO of the Triguboff Institute, told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.
The organization is also looking into other initiatives to raise the living standards of Beduin in the South.
He said that the fact that the school principal is a woman means that parents of girls may be more comfortable sending their daughters. Also, it will include youth from different tribes and families, a new concept in the Arab sector.
IsraellyCool: Brian Wilson: “I’ve Always Wanted To Go (To Israel)”
And come here he did, performing the very same night of the Tel Aviv terror attacks (and Die Antwoord show) – bringing some joy to fans.
Something he knew from reading a report of it – and which he proudly posted on his Facebook page.
He also proudly posted a photo of receiving the keys to Tel Aviv.
We have lots of ideas, but we need more resources to be even more effective. Please donate today to help get the message out and to help defend Israel.
News In the Spotlight
Legal experts show Amnesty doesn’t know what it is talking about on Laws of Armed Conflict
by Eldad Tzioni in news
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2016/07/legal-experts-show-amnesty-doesnt-know.htmlLaw professor Peter Margulies has written a detailed explanation, based on his own interviews with relevant Israeli officials, on the quality of IDF investigations of incidents that occur during war. He concludes that the IDF [...]
Popular In Humor
Half-Baked Humble Pie?
http://daphneanson.blogspot.com/2016/07/half-baked-humble-pie.htmlBy Daphne Anson On 3 June this year the Australian Jewish News (AJN) carried an article by long-standing staff member Peter Kohn concerning cancellation of Its 3 June 2016 issue reported that one of […]
Proven liar Gary Spedding resurfaces – and Haaretz publishes him
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2016/07/proven-liar-gary-spedding-resurfaces.html A couple of years ago I blogged a long Twitter conversation between myself and a “peace activist” named Gary Spedding, as well as exchanges between him and Gilead Ini of CAMERA. The text proves […]
Israeli Entrepreneurs Increase Export Sales Of Blinders To EU, US (PreOccupied Territory)
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2016/07/israeli-entrepreneurs-increase-export.html Our weekly column from the humor site PreOccupied Territory. Check out their Facebook page. Hertzliya, July 26 – Israeli manufacturers of devices meant to restrict the vision of the wearer have noticed a marked uptick in […]
News & Views from ‘Arlene in Israel’ – “Bye Bye Negotiations”
https://jewsdownunder.wordpress.com/2014/05/03/news-views-from-arlene-in-israel-bye-bye-negotiations/Written and submitted by Arlene Kushner. Shabbat starts late at this season, which allows me the time to do a post – but even so, Shabbat is Shabbat and this will be brief. The nine-month […]
Jews Down Under is migrating to a web site.
https://jewsdownunder.wordpress.com/2014/05/04/jews-down-under-is-migrating-to-a-web-site/Jews Down Under is migrating to a web site in the next day or two. Tuesday by the look of things. http://jewsdownunder.com/ This has been an amazing journey in the past 7/8 months and I […]
A Melbourne ‘terrorist themed’ play praised by Fairfax Media.
https://jewsdownunder.wordpress.com/2014/05/04/a-melbourne-terrorist-themed-play-praised-by-fairfax-media/A play, Wael Zuaiter: Unknown, currently showing in Melbourne, which romanticises a terrorist, was reviewed in the Fairfax media. … this innovative and brilliantly constructed piece of documentary theatre achieves a haunting power through […]
Opinions In the Spotlight
The Islamist Enemy Within, & Christians Without
by Ian in Opinion
http://daphneanson.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-islamist-enemy-within-christians.htmlBy Daphne Anson On learning that 86-year-old Father Jacques Hamel had murdered in his own church in a village near Rouen by Islamist demons who stormed in during Mass and slit his throat, the [...]
Linkdumps
07/28 Links Pt2: The ‘Termite’ Infamy and the Jews; Carlos Santana To BDS-Holes: Stop Whining, Complaining and Bitching!
07/28 Links Pt1: Chief PA Peace Negotiator Condemns ‘Criminal’ Killing of Hamas Terrorist; Summer of terror
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A Plague of Frogs
Veni, Vidi, Ranae Cecinere
Latin Intervention (Variant)
Arab Israeli Wars
Original rules by Alex Kremer, Variant by A Plague of Frogs
Latin Intervention is a game about Cold War influence in Central America
Setup:
Place the Panama Canal marker in Panama. This cannot be moved.
Victory:
Any player who controls 5 countries at the end of a turn wins the game. Control of a country is determined by the presence of an “Influenced” marker in that country. Players can also lose by pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war. This is tracked by the Threat Level. When the Threat Level reaches the “Warning!” mark, the player that triggered the warning loses the game.
Turn Sequence:
The Soviet player initially goes first. On subsequent turns, the player with the most countries Influenced (containing the “Influenced” marker) makes the first move of the turn. In the case of a tie, the Soviet player makes the first move.
Place markers.
Resolve conflicts
Adjust Threat Level for Military markers
Assess score.
Marker Placement
On each turn, the player may place or move one marker.
If a player chooses to neither move nor place a marker, the threat level is reduced by one.
If a marker is newly placed on the board, the Threat Level is increased by the amount shown on the marker. Exception: Any marker with a single green circle can be placed in a friendly-controlled (Influenced) country without moving the threat level.
A marker cannot be placed on the board if it increases the Threat Level to the highest level (the 9th or red circle). Doing so results in an instantaneous loss for the player who placed the marker.
There are two Military markers in the game having a +5 modifier, the Aircraft Carrier (for the U.S) and the Missile Base (for the Soviet Union). These markers can only be placed in a country that is already Influenced. There is one exception. If the U.S.S.R. has moved their Missile Base into a contested country and the U.S. has no countries under their control, the Aircraft Carrier may be deployed directly to any country on the map, without regard to Influenced markers.
A player may choose to remove a marker from the board. Removing a marker reduces the Threat Level by the amount shown on that marker. Removing a marker from the board counts as a marker placement – no additional play is allowed. Removing a marker from a country that is already controlled (Influenced) does not reduce the Threat Level.
Pieces already on the board may be moved without altering the Threat Level. Movement has the following restrictions:
Aid markers may be moved from any country to any other country, without restriction.
The Aircraft Carrier marker must be placed on a coastline. Movement from one coastline to another is unrestricted, as long as the Panama Canal counter remains on the board. If the Panama Canal marker has been removed, the Aircraft Carrier can only move along the coast on which it is already placed. (It can, of course, be removed from the board and placed again freely on a subsequent turn).
The remaining markers can only be moved into territories that are adjacent to the country from which the marker is being moved.
Additionally, the “Agent” markers (CIA and KGB) can move between already-controlled countries before moving into a contested country. This combination movement counts a single move.
Movement Example
The Soviets are close to victory
In the example, the Revolutionaries piece in Belize (1) can only be moved to Guatemala. It would take two turns before it could be used to challenge for control of a country. The CIA and KGB agents (2), in El Salvador and Costa Rica respectively, can move across friendly countries before moving into a contested one. Thus, the CIA agent could move either to Guatemala (adjacent) or through Honduras to Nicaragua. Likewise the KGB agent could move either to Panama or Honduras. The Aid markers (3) in El Salvador could be relocated to any country on the board.
Resolve Conflict
After all markers are placed, a contest of political wills occurs for every nation which has had a marker placed in it on that turn.
Conflicts are resolved in the same order as the markers themselves were placed.
Each side that has influence in that nation rolls a six sided die. If one side rolls a 6 or higher, that side places an “Influenced” marker. If neither side rolls a 6 or higher, or both sides roll higher than 6, than no changes are made to the board. The die roll is modified by the sum total of the modifier shown in the “star” region of each marker.
If a player has no markers of any kind in a country, that player does not roll for that country on that turn.
When one player places an “Influenced” marker, all markers of the opposing superpower are removed from the nation. Removing markers in this manner does not reduce the Threat Level.
Military Threats
After all conflicts are resolved, each Military Marker (Aircraft Carrier or Missile Base) remaining on the board increases the Threat Level by one. This is also done in turn order, so that if both players have military markers on the board, the Soviets will be the first to move increase the Threat Level followed by the U.S. player. If either player causes the Threat Level to increase to the highest level, that player loses the game.
Assess Score
After all dice are rolled and assuming that the Threat Level has not been maxed out, the country control is tallied to see if there is a winner. If either player controls five countries, that ends the game, with that player being declared the winner.
Artificial, but Intelligent? Part 2
The Pride and Disgrace
Artificial, Yes, but Intelligent?
ABC Easy as 42
The Nature of my Game
Helena on Ain’t she a beautiful sight?
Ain’t she a beautiful sight? | A Plague of Frogs on They Give Me Five Years. Five Years
Mr WordPress on Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!
AI Theory
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Tom Hooper
FOR Tom Hooper YOU CAN
Also Known As: Thomas George Hooper Died:
Born: October 1, 1972 Cause of Death:
Birth Place: London, England, GB Profession:
Very few directors made historical films quite like Tom Hooper did. He had the gift of seemingly getting inside the minds of some of the most powerful figures in history and exploring onscreen their struggles, vanities, failures and successes. The British director first gained international acclaim with the biopic, "Elizabeth I" (Channel 4, 2005), a moving portrayal of the later years of the nearly 45-year-long reign of Elizabeth I of England. He also earned critical accolades for directing the award-winning epic miniseries "John Adams" (HBO, 2008), which explored the role of President John Adams in the founding of the United States. His career rose to new heights after he helmed "The King's Speech" (2010), a film that captured the riveting bond between an insecure monarch and the therapist who helped him overcome a debilitating speech impediment. The picture, which received several Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture, helped establish Hooper as an authoritative cinematic voice. By the time he directed the highly anticipated adaptation of "Les Misérables" (2012), Hooper was one of Hollywood's most sought-after directors.Born in 1972 in London, England, Tom Hooper started making short...
Very few directors made historical films quite like Tom Hooper did. He had the gift of seemingly getting inside the minds of some of the most powerful figures in history and exploring onscreen their struggles, vanities, failures and successes. The British director first gained international acclaim with the biopic, "Elizabeth I" (Channel 4, 2005), a moving portrayal of the later years of the nearly 45-year-long reign of Elizabeth I of England. He also earned critical accolades for directing the award-winning epic miniseries "John Adams" (HBO, 2008), which explored the role of President John Adams in the founding of the United States. His career rose to new heights after he helmed "The King's Speech" (2010), a film that captured the riveting bond between an insecure monarch and the therapist who helped him overcome a debilitating speech impediment. The picture, which received several Oscars including Best Director and Best Picture, helped establish Hooper as an authoritative cinematic voice. By the time he directed the highly anticipated adaptation of "Les Misérables" (2012), Hooper was one of Hollywood's most sought-after directors.
Born in 1972 in London, England, Tom Hooper started making short films around age 12, featuring his mother and the family pet. He studied English at Oxford University, where he also directed plays and television commercials. Hooper's directorial debut, the short film "Painted Faces" (Channel 4, 1992), was about an artist who was terrorized by one of his paintings that came to life. Only a few short years later, Hooper directed the family drama "Byker Grove" (BBC, 1989-2006), which followed the lives and loves of a youth club. He went on to direct the romantic-comedy series "Cold Feet" (iTV, 1997-2003), which many critics described as the British version of the widely popular sitcom, "Friends" (NBC, 1994-2004). After directing a string of sitcoms, Hooper appeared to have found his niche in making epic miniseries, such as "Masterpiece Theatre: Love in a Cold Climate" (BBC, 2001), based on the Nancy Mitford novels The Pursuit of Love (1945) and Love in a Cold Climate (1949), and the widely acclaimed biopic "Elizabeth I," featuring Helen Mirren in the title role. For making the 2005 biopic, Hooper won a slew of major awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special in 2006.
In 2008, Hooper helmed the award-winning HBO miniseries "John Adams," a biopic of the reforming American president (Paul Giamatti) and recounted the first 50 years of the United States of America. By this time, Hooper's reputation as a compelling historical filmmaker was growing at an exponential rate, which helped boost the release of the 2009 fact-based drama "The Damned United," about the controversial British football manager, Brian Clough (Michael Sheen). Aided by an excellent script and great performances, Hooper successfully drew out the darkness and dangerous intentions of a very powerful and ambitious man who rose to fame in England, but failed to capture the same kind of attention across the pond.
Hooper's follow-up, "The King's Speech," was one of that year's most buzzed about films and one of the strongest contenders for the following year's major acting awards. Essentially a buddy story about two opposites, the film was a riveting portrayal of King George VI's (Colin Firth) relationship with his defiant yet charming speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) who helps him defeat a lifelong stutter. Determined to paint a kinder view of the future monarch who appeared destined to live life in a fishbowl, Hooper made excessive use of a fisheye lens. He also worked very closely with his lead actors to bring out their character's magnanimity as well as their closely guarded insecurities. Thanks to Hooper's direction, both Firth and Rush received major critical acclaim for their performances, and the movie received a nomination for Best Foreign Film from the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards. He also earned himself a Golden Globe nomination and won the Academy Award for Best Director. Following up that particular triumph, Hooper turned down an opportunity to helm "Iron Man 3," opting instead to direct the adaptation of the popular Broadway musical, "Les Misérables" (2012), starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried. Despite a cast of big names, all his actors were required to audition since they had to sing and dance on camera. The film received positive critical reviews and was in the running for award attention at the end of the year.
VIEW THE FULL BIOGRAPHY
The King¿s Speech (2010)
Damned United, The (2009)
Red Dust (2004)
Longford (2007)
John Adams (2008)
Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness (2003)
Nominated for the 2011 Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture ("The King's Speech")
While still in school, directed Kate Beckinsale in "A View From the Bridge" and Emily Mortimer in "The Trial" at the Oxford Playhouse
After graduating from Oxford, directed television commercials
Introduced by his father to television producer Matthew Robinson
For Robinson, directed episodes of the short-lived Tyne Tees Television soap opera "Quayside" and four episodes of the Children's BBC television series "Byker Grove"
Directed several episodes of the BBC One soap opera "EastEnders"
Directed BBC costume drama "Love in a Cold Climate," which was based on Nancy Mitford's novels <i>The Pursuit of Love</i> and <i>Love in a Cold Climate</i>
Directed Helen Mirren in revival of "Prime Suspect" titled "The Last Witness"; the two-part serial was broadcast on the ITV network; earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing
Made feature debut with the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission drama "Red Dust"
Directed the British television miniseries "Elizabeth I," starring Mirren in title role; aired on HBO in U.S.
Directed the Granada/HBO television film "Longford," starring Jim Broadbent and Samantha Morton; first collaboration with writer Peter Morgan
Directed epic miniseries "John Adams" for Playtone and HBO; film starred Paul Giamatti as John Adams; earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing and a nomination from the Directors Guild of America
Re-teamed with writer Peter Morgan for "The Damned United"
Directed Colin Firth as King George in "The King's Speech"
Nominated for the 2011 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film ("The King's Speech")
Nominated for the 2011 Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture
Nominated for the 2011 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film
Nominated for the 2011 Academy Award for Best Achievement in Directing
Directed all-star cast for feature adaptation of popular musical drama "Les Misérables"
VIEW ALL MILESTONES
University of Oxford: Oxford, England -
Highgate School: London, England -
Westminster School: London, England -
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Remembering Peter Rogers
The Carry On films have their own distinct style that is totally unique, beloved by many, and an important part of Britain’s comedy, film, and cultural heritage, and that’s mainly due to the work of a small group of filmmakers.
Peter Rogers became synonymous with the classic British comedies along with Director Gerald Thomas and together they created the longest-running British film series to date. With 30 original productions, including the Rank releases, plus a compilation film, even superspy James Bond (who the Carry On team parodied in Carry On Spying) will need to produce another six films to catch-up.
Ten years ago, on this day, the legendary producer of all the Carry On films died at the age of 95.
The films have maintained their cultural prominence thanks to regular airings on TV, providing a rite of passage for British children discovering the films for the first time. Carry On films are a comedic education that all of us go through, learning to laugh at the slapstick as children, and appreciate the cheeky innuendo when we get older. Repeated viewings at various stages of our lives reveal more humour we may have missed when watching the films originally.
Following on from a long British comedy tradition that dates back to bawdy music halls and end-of-the-pier saucy postcards, it’s the brazen cheek of the Carry Ons that makes them so irresistible and their cultural significance should not be underestimated. Whilst the humour of the Carry Ons may be derided by some as corny or dated, it’s only because the films have endured and established themselves in the British psyche that the jokes now seem so familiar.
Filmed over eight years at Pinewood Studios, Anglo Amalgamated distributed the first 12 classic comedies which made household names of the cast and created enduring films that are distinctly British. There’s nothing better than discovering a Carry on film on a wet Saturday afternoon and appreciating the saucy yet, by today’s standards, innocent and charming humour, and that’s all thanks to the hard work of the Carry On team, including Peter Rogers.
Art & Hue had the pleasure of delving into the archives of Studiocanal at Pinewood Studios to uncover the original posters and photographs of the Carry On series, which have been given the stylish pop art treatment featuring Art & Hue’s signature halftone style (halftone is an age-old technique that uses dots to make up the printed image, similar to newspapers or comic books).
Printed on 310gsm fine art matte card, made from 100% cotton, Art & Hue’s reworking of the Carry On filmes are available in 3 sizes and 16 colours. Discover the full collection at artandhue.com/carryon
In the meantime, here’s the last TV interview with Peter Rogers where he remembers the Carry On films and team:
Click on the image below to open the video in YouTube:
Carry On, Cult Film & TV, On This Day
← The Daily Telegraph
Remembering Thorold Dickinson →
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Matt Okine talks about his upcoming National Comedy Festival Tour and that ARIA Speech.
February 1, 2016 / Kara Bertoncini
For all you avid triple j Breakfast listeners you’re already very familiar with Matt Okine and the antics he brings. Well, now is your chance to not only hear him but to see him as well, as he embarks on a national comedy festival tour. The music-loving comedian talked about some very serious topics and it felt like we could have chatted all day. The guy has some pretty powerful stuff to say.
At the ARIAs you won Best Comedy Album, and the speech you made was quite prolific and powerful about sexism in the industry. How did you feel about all the media spin and it not being broadcast on TV?
It’s an interesting one. I was basically just stating facts, and that’s all it came down to. A lot of the media spin then came from people’s various opinions on those facts and it’s interesting how you can just simply state the obvious and then all of a sudden you’re caught in the middle of this tornado of opinions. I was terrified about it afterwards because all these people were wanting to talk to me and be the voice of this cause and that cause, and I was lying in bed the next day, and I was hungover as shit cause I’d just won, but I had to put my phone on silent cause it freaked me out. I was just sitting there trying to drink a Berocca.
Even though you were scared the next day after the ARIAs incident, do you think you would do something – like Jada, Will and Spike Lee have done by boycotting the Oscars – like that to prove a point and make a stand for your industry?
Yes. And I really do think I’d do that because there are things I’m doing behind the scenes now to make sure that I am following through and trying to do my best to make a difference. I want to lead as an example but I don’t want to try and pretend that I’m this perfect person.I just know that if I do the right thing, then I can be comfortable in my knowledge that I’ve done my bit. I had a meeting with my manager about all this yesterday, about what we can do, and it’s just about taking small steps.
Music and comedy are a match made in heaven and you have made such an impact in both industries. To what do you attest your success?
Working at a call centre ,basically. It’s amazing how much working in the world’s worst job will inspire you to do whatever the fuck it takes to never ever end up back there. I remember working there and being miserable and getting in trouble for playing online cricket and not selling anything cause I wasn’t in the mood to try and force sell a bottle of Moscato. I was deeply unhappy in that job and I remember thinking ‘whatever I have to do I gotta get out of this situation.’
I love your outlook on life and you’re a high-energy person. Is this positive energy something you try and radiate and share with your audiences, whether they’re radio listeners or show-goers?
It’s funny you say that cause I’m currently lying in my bed right now because it’s always around this time of the day [1:30pm] that I end up dying. I think I always like to remember what I’m doing just before the microphones turn on at 6am and the same thing before I go on stage. I always think about how excited I used to get when I was 18 and doing my first show.
I’d take a few friends to the Comedy Club in Brisbane and be doing a five minute show before one of the headliners on a Friday and Saturday night, and that was one of the biggest gigs you could get when you were 18. It was a real night out for me. I always like to think about that – how much fun it is. Where else would you wanna be other than at a comedy club? There are friends, drinks, heaps of people around and I get really excited about doing any sort of performing.
If you’re having a bad show, how do you try and find the humour to push through and get to the end? Cause that can be real tough.
Yeah that can be real tough. It’s funny how much you know you’re gonna have a shit show cause the five per cent of shit shows are where you say something just stupid or offend someone in the crowd and they turn on you, and the 95 per cent of shit shows you know the moment you walk out there by the first sentence and first joke and the response from the audience you think: ‘oh good it’s gonna be one of those nights’. And then you just have to push forward and push through it.
Bad shows are like anything; bad days at work just happen and when you’re working at an office job and you have a bad day, it’s fine cause tomorrow will be a good day so you gotta take it with a grain of salt. For the most part I’m at a stage now where I can safely say that I believe I’m good at what I do, so if I have a bad show it’s just gonna be a once-a-month thing and the nature of life. The ups and downs. If you start having 10 bad shows the problem is: ‘alright I really need to look at how bad these jokes are.’ That’s really the difference. And then it’s a simple fix – you just make better jokes.
You’ve been performing comedy since you were 18 years old. Do you feel like you’ve found yourself and that’s what resonates and transcends through your comedy because you know who you are so you don’t give a shit and your jokes are an extension of who you are?
Yeah definitely. I make an effort to be as honest as possible with who I am cause I know that all the fuck ups that I’ve made are things that so many people have done before. Surely I’m not the only one who’s ruined a sexy moment in bed by making a Ja Rule impression, you now what I mean? So now, if I talk about it on stage people can know they’ve been there, and no one is as sexy as the movies are and that dumb things happen sometimes.
So once you realise that everyone can relate to your errors I almost treat it now as a public service announcement more than anything. I treat my comedy sometimes as under the headline: Things I Wish I Taught My 18-Year-Old Self or ‘Things I wish I’d Heard as a Teenager– so I’d know that these mistakes aren’t the end of the world.
The show you’re taking on tour to all the comedy festivals and Adelaide Fringe, is self-titled: Matt Okine.
Yeah. I was actually gonna name it Do Not Broadcast This Message because I got this text message when I was on air one day mid-show and it said: “Dear Matt, that symptom you just talked about on the radio has nothing to do with your sciatic nerve, it’s actually a very serious symptom and you should see your neurologist about it immediately. Please give me a call.” Then it said with an asterisk “Please do not broadcast this message.” So this is on air when me and Alex are cracking jokes about being funny and I get this serious health message from a doctor and I’m like fuck. This seemed legit.
So I called the doctor back and they said, “I don’t want you to freak out but what you’ve described is a very common symptom in multiple sclerosis and you should really get it checked out.” So I went on this little journey learning about MS and that’s something I look at in the show. I also talk about the existential crisis you have when it comes to eating, Ja Rule impressions and all that sort of stuff. It’s gonna be a really fun exploration of the last year of my life.
Okine’s string of comedy festival appearances begin March 3 in Brisbane, but to find a show in a city near you head to http://www.mattokine.com/tour-dates/
Comedy, Interviews Matt Okine, triple j
Arts Review: The Barber of Seville – Opera Australia, Sydney (Performances to 22nd March)
Winners of the 2015 Glugs Annual Theatre Awards Announced
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Telling the stories of Boston College | The Heights
2018-19 Hockey Preview
2017-18 Athletes of the Year
2018 Spring Sports Preview
2017 Hockey Preview
2017 Football Preview
2017 Seniors to Watch
2017 Food Guide
2017 Momentum Awards
2016 Boston Food Guide
Return to bcheights.com
Taking the Temperature of Diversity and Inclusion at BC in 2018
A Campus Divided: Black Arts Groups at Boston College
Boston’s Bookstores
The Heights on Twitter
The Man of the Moment
First-Year Veteran
Redefining Not Rebuilding
Following a Different Script Brian Dempsey has played three positions in three years, moved from ninth to third in the batting lineup, and proved that it doesn't matter if you have one college offer: you can become the heart of a baseball team.
he recruiting process treats prospective college athletes in different ways. For highly-rated prospects, offers tend to pile up very quickly. The decision for these athletes—who are only 17 or 18 years old—becomes a lot like that of a professional free agent, with coaches from multiple prestigious programs pitching their universities, the expensive facilities, and any other bells-and-whistles they have to offer, hoping that the young man or woman at hand will choose their respective school.
Boston College baseball junior infielder Brian Dempsey followed a different script.
“I don’t have the best arm strength out there. That’s no secret,” Dempsey said jokingly.
Dempsey received an offer to play baseball from just one Power Five institution: BC. Outside of Chestnut Hill, the Potomac, Md., native was getting looks from a few Ivy League schools and other strong academic programs, along with a chance to walk-on at the University of Miami, but BC remained his sole formal offer.
“When he got off the bus, it wasn’t like, ‘Wow, look at that kid,’” Dempsey’s father, Dennis Dempsey, added. “He’s a good player, but you have to watch him a few times before you can appreciate him.”
Despite not knowing how he would fit in on an Eagles team with plenty of established infield talent, Dempsey wanted the challenge of playing the highest level of baseball that he could. So, he signed on the dotted line and committed to BC.
Eagles head coach Mike Gambino applauded Dempsey’s quick hands, baseball IQ, and premium defense as reasons why he took the chance in bringing him into the program.
“The best way to describe him is that he’s just a baseball player,” Gambino said. “You just sort of knew that you were going to get a kid that was going to continue to grow and get better throughout his career.”
Overlooked by bigger programs, Dempsey was okay with the fact that others might be naturally bigger, faster, and stronger than him. What wasn’t okay was letting somebody else outwork him.
When he got off the bus, it wasn’t like, ‘Wow, look at that kid.’ He’s a good player, but you have to watch him a few times before you can appreciate him. Brian's father, Dennis Dempsey
ports were ingrained in Dempsey’s life since birth. His father had played college basketball at Mount St. Mary’s University, and Dempsey grew up with many of the same interests. He started playing organized baseball at the age of 5, but began playing wiffle ball in the backyard with his dad as early as 3 years old.
Watching the sport on TV also attracted Dempsey to baseball. He would watch games with his dad, and pointed to MLB-icon Mark McGwire as a player that influenced him from a young age. He often found himself watching McGwire’s games, and his exciting, power-hitting style of play drew Dempsey to the sport himself.
Dempsey is marked with an intense competitive spirit, and part of this can be attributed to his relationship with his brother, John. John is two years younger than Dempsey and has followed in his older brother’s footsteps in playing college baseball—John has just begun his first season at Wofford College.
The brothers grew up facing off in every sport, particularly wiffle ball, basketball, and golf. The rivalry that was fostered between the two drove each of them to improve and helped develop Dempsey’s strong work ethic.
“It was the best thing ever,” Dempsey said about the sibling dynamic he had with John. “I think it helped both of us become really competitive and always want to beat each other.”
The brothers grew even closer in high school, where a two-year overlap at Georgetown Prep saw them on the same side of the field. In fact, they were right next to each other in the lineup and on the left side of the diamond as well. Dempsey hit first and played shortstop, while John hit second and played third.
Dempsey participated in both baseball and basketball in high school and excelled in both sports throughout his four years at Georgetown Prep. Despite his father’s path to college basketball, he had fallen in love with baseball, and also believed that the diamond held the best future for him. He continued to work hard and play all of the baseball that he could, suiting up for his high school and a number of different travel and showcase teams on his journey to BC, including Headfirst Gamers, a Washington D.C. based program that he was involved with for several years.
He was used to playing with older kids, and he continued to do this in high school, spending time on showcase teams with a number of players who had already committed to college while Dempsey was still very early in the recruiting process. He played showcase ball with a number of guys who have gone on to sign with top programs, like Will Matthiesson at Stanford and Nico Tellache at Oregon. Dempsey has always strived to challenge himself however he can, and choosing to come to BC was another challenge that he was excited about.
Throughout the recruiting process, Dempsey was guided by the help of present and former coaches. He pointed to Justin Cronk and Brendan Sullivan, who had both coached him through Headfirst Gamers. These two coaches in particular helped Brian both growing up and into college as he adjusted to a new environment.
Cronk, who coached Dempsey for four years beginning at age 11 at Headfirst, had high praise for his work ethic as well. Cronk saw Dempsey’s steadfast desire to get better, even when Dempsey was just a young ballplayer.
“Some players would just go through the motions and do only what they needed to,” Cronk said. “But Brian would go above and beyond to take his game to the next level. He never rested on his natural ability to get him to BC and has continually worked to make himself better.”
After making the fateful decision to enroll at BC, Dempsey found the transition to the college game to be a difficult one.
“Everyone throws harder.” Dempsey said. “The speed of the game is just so much more emphasized than it was in high school.”
Despite the learning curve of college baseball, as well as the fact that Brian was not heavily recruited, he worked and fought his way into the lineup. He started 42 of BC’s 53 games, most of which at third base, with Johnny Adams occupying Dempsey’s natural position at shortstop. However, Dempsey took the opportunity and ran with it. He tallied 37 hits with a respectable .261 average, and added 19 runs scored. In addition, in his first season at the hot corner, where quick reflexes and longer throws are necessary, Dempsey shined, committing just five errors.
Dempsey’s freshman season was capped off with a three-game set that he described as his favorite of his career so far. In the last regular season series of the year, BC needed a strong showing against Holy War rival Notre Dame to clinch a berth in the ACC Tournament. It did just that, sweeping the Fighting Irish. Dempsey contributed three hits, three runs, and three walks throughout the series, and started all three contests in the pivotal stretch.
he high that became of his freshman year quickly turned into another hardship, though. Shortly after the conclusion of his freshman season with the Eagles, Dempsey tore the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left thumb. The injury left him in a cast for over a month and sidelined him for the entire summer, preventing him from playing summer ball. Without the opportunity to stay in baseball shape over the summer, Dempsey went back to work in the fall. Because he felt like he was behind in his training, he grinded even harder to not just get back to where he was before the injury, but to take a step forward.
“I really stayed afterwards, hit off the tee a lot,” Dempsey said of the extra work he put in after practices. “A lot of my confidence last year came from knowing that I worked really hard and that I kind of deserved to have a good year.”
And what a year it was for the sophomore infielder. Dempsey appeared in all 49 games, starting 48 of them at a new position: second base. With Jake Palomaki moving from second to short upon Adams’ departure, Dempsey and his quick hands fit right in at second. After developing his arm strength the season prior at third, he was better equipped to turn the double play from a stationary position at second. That skillset helped significantly, as Dempsey did not have the luxury of momentum that he could carry while coming across the bag from shortstop. He sported a .991 fielding percentage, making just two errors on the season, and he constantly improved his footwork and understanding of the position as the season went along.
“The thing with Brian, if you watch him last year, was he went from having a pretty good double play turn to by the end of the year he could turn the double play as well as anybody in the country,” Gambino said.
Then came his improvement at the plate. The tee work led to a spike in nearly every statistical category. His batting average jumped almost 60 points to a team-leading .319, while his increased plate discipline significantly increased his walk total to 23. Throughout the season, he was constantly putting the ball in play, striking out in just 25 at-bats.
After seeing his name mostly slotted ninth on the lineup card for the beginning part of the season, Dempsey continued to build confidence at the plate, and consistently found himself hitting fourth in the order as the season concluded. After being graced will a full, injury-free, off-season after his sophomore year, Dempsey was ready to take his game to the next level yet again.
aving hit his stride in 2018, it was time for Dempsey to come home to shortstop this season. With Palomaki having graduated, Dempsey’s experience at two infield positions made him the perfect candidate to fill the big shoes that were left at short. Flexibility on the diamond is often taken for granted, but it has been one of Dempsey’s biggest assets, and being able to return to his natural position has continued to increase his confidence and comfortability with the Eagles.
Dempsey is embracing a leadership role in his first season as an upperclassman. Drawing from his own experience, Dempsey knows that the jump from high school to college baseball is a difficult transition to navigate, especially considering how much the game speeds up. So, he has sought to help others ease that shift.
Having his brother John entering his first season of college baseball has made it more natural for Dempsey to serve as a mentor to the talented freshman here on the Heights, using a lot of the same advice in both cases. He appreciates the role that Adams and Palomaki played as mentors in his first two collegiate seasons and wants to carry that forward, understanding the importance of grooming young position players like Cody Morissette, Lucas Stalman, and Sal Frelick.
Like the path of Adams and Palomaki, Dempsey’s two-way consistency and versatility have the possibility of attracting the eyes of Major League scouts. Yet, in the days of launch angle and broken home run records, Dempsey is quite the opposite type of player people salivate over: 84 of his 89 combined hits in his first two seasons have been singles.
“I have felt a little bit of pressure, especially in the summer, to change my game a little bit,” Dempsey spoke of his style of play compared to the tendencies of the modern MLB. “But I kind of realized that I am who I am. I’m just going to try to hit for a high average, I got faster over the summer, so I’m going to try to steal more bases, and play good defense, and hopefully someone will pick me up because of that.”
The increased strength has already been apparent this season, with Dempsey notching his first collegiate home run during the second weekend of the new season against Bethune-Cookman, and he has shown off a stronger arm from the other side of second base.
"I kind of realized that I am who I am. I’m just going to try to hit for a high average, I got faster over the summer, so I’m going to try to steal more bases, and play good defense, and hopefully someone will pick me up because of that.” Brian Dempsey
hange has been a constant in Dempsey’s time at BC. He’s played three positions in three years, moved from ninth to third in the lineup, and dealt with a pair of outgoing graduating classes that included mentors Adams and Palomaki, along with another pair entering the Birdball environment. The Eagles also took steps back in the win column in Dempsey’s first two seasons, finishing below .500 in each and failing to make the ACC Tournament last season, a contrast from the 2016 run to the Super Regionals before Dempsey arrived on the Heights.
What has not wavered has been Dempsey’s work ethic. Instead of statistical goals like batting average and fielding percentage, Dempsey’s goals for the season ahead include hitting seven days a week after practice and getting in the weight room three times a week.
“We’ve always tried to instill in him the fact that hard work does get you ahead,” Dennis Dempsey said of his son’s work ethic. “He enjoys playing baseball, so I think it’s easy for him to work hard.”
Dempsey still might not intimidate opponents when he steps off the bus. His throw from the deep hole might not have scouts reaching for their radar guns. His singles approach might not be on par with the modern MLB or his childhood idol, Mark McGwire.
But that’s okay with him—he’ll just put his head down and get to work.
Featured Image by Jonathan Ye / Heights Editor
Graphic by Bradley Smart / Heights Editor
Images by Jess Rivilis / Heights Staff and Delaney Vorwick / For The Heights
About Marc Occhipinti
Silence Speaks Volumes
Try and Keep Up
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The Solution for Aetna
The Dallas Morning News reports: “Aetna is the latest health insurance provider to say it will stop offering plans on the Affordable Care Act’s health exchange marketplace next year.
“But even as federal officials maintain that there will be many affordable coverage options for most consumers, some rural Texas counties are more likely to feel the impact of dwindling options. …
“When for-profit insurers compete, there’s no way to guarantee everyone will get services, added Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, cofounder of Physicians for a National Health Program.
“‘It doesn’t work financially,’ said Woolhandler, whose group has long supported a single-payer system. ‘What you need is a situation like “Medicare for all” where there is no cherry-picking,’ she said.
“In the meantime, competitors can pull out of markets they deem unprofitable, leaving only one company standing.
“‘That’s not an option… it’s take it or leave it,’ says Woolhandler.”
Available for interviews:
STEFFIE WOOLHANDLER, M.D., himmelhandler[at]comcast.net,@pnhp
Dr. Woolhandler is the co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program, She is a professor at City University of New York at Hunter College who sees patients in the South Bronx.
She said today: “Aetna and other insurance giants will only sell coverage to patients on whom they can make a profit. This is why we need to evict the insurance companies, and a enact non-profit, single-payer, Medicare-for-all program.”
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The Poisonwood Bible
The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it -- from garden seeds to Scripture -- is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa. The novel is set against one of the most dramatic political chronicles of the twentieth century: the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy. Taking its place alongside the classic works of postcolonial literature, this ambitious novel establishes King-solver as one of the most thoughtful and daring of modern writers.
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Retired scientist recounts her journey in new memoir
Mary B. Banks | 7/1/2016, 7 a.m.
Dr. Margaret Ellen Mayo Tolbert is the first African-American to serve as director of the New Brunswick Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy.
Hailing from Suffolk, Virginia, Dr. Margaret Ellen Mayo Tolbert’s story is one of triumph and defying the odds. In her memoir entitled “Resilience in the Face of Adversity: A Suffolkian’s Life Story” (Balboa Press, 2015) she chronicles her road to success—from handling the sudden death of her mother when she was only seven to becoming an accomplished career woman.
When Tolbert retired from the National Science Foundation five years ago, she found that she had a lot of time on her hands. She began to skim through documents that she accumulated throughout the decades and decided to pen her autobiography.
It took Tolbert approximately a year to complete her manuscript. Tolbert’s main inspiration for writing the book was for her son and grandchildren to have her life story in writing.
In her memoir, Tolbert recounts her childhood growing up in Saratoga, a segregated area of Suffolk, during the 1940s.
Racial segregation was the norm. She vividly describes the discrimination she witnessed as a child: the “Colored” signs, separate entrances for Whites and Blacks, and store policies that prohibited African-Americans from trying on clothes. This was the world that Tolbert grew up in.
Not only did she have to overcome racial hostility, but there was chaos in her household. Tolbert’s father, Jessie “Clifton” Mayo, a World War II veteran, was an alcoholic.
In spite of her father’s violent temper and alcoholism, Tolbert’s mother, Martha, created a warm hospitable atmosphere for her children. She worked as a domestic worker cleaning houses.
Sadly, Tolbert’s mother passed away from untreated military tuberculous. She was only 30 when she died.
After her mother’s untimely death, Tolbert and her five siblings lived with their paternal grandmother, Fannie Mae.
As the sole provider, Tolbert’s grandmother found thrifty ways to keep the family afloat.
“We would have all our birthdays on November 6th,” recounts Tolbert with a chuckle. She still remembers the delicious cake her grandmother made, which had jelly in the middle and chocolate on top.
There was also the Cook family who supported and nurtured Tolbert throughout her life by exposing her to a stable, loving home environment.
“They were God-sent,” says Tolbert, whom she affectionately called Mama and Daddy Cook.
It was the Cook clan who encouraged Tolbert to pursue her Ph.D. at Brown University—even though she was a single mother who had recently divorced.
Mama and Daddy Cook took care of Tolbert’s son as she pursued her studies. As a result, Tolbert became the first African-American woman to earn a doctorate in biochemistry at Brown.
Although Tolbert achieved academic and professional success, there were obstacles that she had to overcome. She escaped poverty, survived two divorces, and coped with the tragic murder of Daddy Cook.
In spite of the hardships that Tolbert endured throughout her lifetime, she continues to have an upbeat outlook.
Tolbert stresses the importance of receiving an education and surrounding oneself with positive people.
“Think about what you want to do in life,” she advises.
Ultimately, she tells her story to encourage others to strive toward greatness regardless of circumstances.
“My hope is that readers of this book will benefit from learning about the way I lived from birth to the time of the writing of the manuscript for the book. Hopefully, they will learn from my actions and decisions, my failures and successes. I do hope that each reader will be inspired to persevere through his or her own trials until success is achieved,” says Tolbert.
‘Our Auntie Rosa’ memoir offers personal side of Parks’ life
‘Fresh Prince’ Star Puts Grace, Soul And ‘Mother Wit’ Into New Cookbook
Kristin L. Mitchell addresses mental health awareness
Life in Baltimore: Grandmothers and great-grandmothers, a special bond
Hattie Washington offers inspiring story during National Foster Care Month
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Often it is the unsung heroes behind the scenes, that make adventures like mine a real success. Many people have contributed in a variety of ways, but without these guys help I would still be sitting in my lounge in London. They have volunteered their time, and asked for nothing in return, to help make my trip a success. And they have done this because of their own interest in the expedition, and a shared love of adventure.
Thanks guys!!
With that in mind I’d like to introduce the key members of the team.
Expedition Logistics Technical Adviser – Nathan Beard
Fascinated by exploration and adventure from an early age, Nathan has always felt at home outdoors and has worked and travelled in many countries. Strong curiosity about how things work, and an aptitude for putting them back together, has been instrumental in developing his practical knowledge of the systems and equipment required to live and work in remote places.
Following a Geography degree at Lancaster University Nathan has held diverse roles; from voluntary work in S America, via Countryside Management in the UK, Equipment Loans with British Red Cross, and naturally a spot of Rhino herding in Somerset! As Technical Officer for Tearfund UK (NGO) in recent years he managed global technical support for relief operations to keep essential vehicle fleets, communications equipment and electrical supply running. Nathan enjoys getting stuck in to the practicalities of helping people and equipment work well together in challenging and hostile environments. Fieldwork in Darfur, S. Sudan, Liberia, Haiti, N. Kenya, Afghanistan and DRC has developed his ingenuity, diplomacy and respect for humanity.
Last summer Nathan became a freelance provider of technical logistics training and support through Nathan Beard Ventures. Becoming a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society earlier this year provided the link to the Great Game Expedition. A rendezvous beneath the Waterloo concourse clock in January marked the start of his support and friendship.
Expedition Filming and Editor – Joby Newson
I’m Joby, a filmmaker, photographer, graphic designer and adventurer from Cardiff. I’ve been interested in taking pictures and making films for around ten years now and I’ve always had a passion for adventure, be it on a snowboard, down a cave or up a mountain. My goal is to one day make a living combining my creative and adventurous passions, and make films in the mountains full-time.
I’m currently working for Boulders, Cardiff’s indoor climbing centre, developing the retail side of the business online. It’s a great industry to work in, giving me the opportunity to meet exciting and adventurous people all the time.
It was through my job at Boulders that I got involved with Jon and The Great Game Expedition, in a roundabout way! I met Huw James, a professional science communicator, when he was doing some work as a climbing instructor, who also knew Jon through the RGS. I then made a film for Huw about winter mountaineering and ice climbing in the Brecon Beacons. It was when I was editing this film that Jon put a call out for an editor to help with the project, so Huw pointed him my way on Twitter and here I am! I’m really excited to be part of the project, and I’m looking forward to making something amazing out of the footage Jon brings back.”
Expedition Researcher – Tom Wilkinson
Tom graduated from Anglia Ruskin University in 2009 with a 2:2 BSc hons in Natural History and Wildlife Biology. During my time at university I learned to scuba dive as a part of my course and subsequently spent 4 weeks in Egypt over the next two years this included conducting underwater transect surveys. As part of my course I also travelled to Poland, the Isle of Rum and the Millport Biological Research Station on the isle of Cumbrae all in order to take part in wildlife research projects.
I was a member of the Cambridge University Officer Training Corp whilst at University. With the CUOTC I took part in military training such as infantry tactics and leadership, expedition planning and leadership and adventurous training such as parachuting canoeing and sailing. Upon leaving university I worked a few short-term jobs until I started working as an engineer for my father’s business where I continue to work to this day.
In October 2012 I spent a month in Malaysia which included two weeks trekking in the Borneo Rainforest on a Bush craft and survival course.
I volunteered to help Jon with the planning of his expedition in order to gain more experience in expedition planning and to learn from all the difficulties and challenges that he faced. I have benefited no end from both mine and Jon’s experiences during his overland journey and am now looking forward to my next adventure!
Expedition GIS / GPS Mapping – Peter Kohler
At 29 Years, Pete was born and grew up in the mountain Kingdom of Nepal. Inspired by the rich sights and sounds of the countries natural and human beauty and childhood adventures through endless rice paddies fields at an early age he developed a love and desire to understand cultures and nature.
Coming to the UK he read Geographical Information Systems & Science at Kingston University and now works for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and a Geographic Analyst. Pete has nurtured his passion further a Navigation and Mechanical officer on two expeditions for the Scientific Exploration Society to the Bolivian rainforest and with a Trustee of the Society to the southern Iraqi marshlands looking at preserving Mudhif and improving Marsh Arab’s standard of living in the footsteps of the great Wilfred Thesiger.
He has navigated 2,000 nautical miles in the south Pacific in a Gaff Rig Schooner and will soon be granted a PPL pilot’s licence. He is also a (MRIN) member of Royal Navigation Society and will soon be a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS). Peter has also taken a lead navigation role for an amphibious expedition from London to Sydney.
Expedition GIS / GPS Mapping – Mark Nortje
To be considered part of the ‘team’ is quite a privilege as I’ve hardly contribute to the smooth running of the expedition. I look on from an interested explores perspective but I’m willing to help when/if necessary. I have advised Jon on some elements concerning photography and assisted in planning how the route will be mapped while Jon is on the road – I have a geographic background specialising in GIS. Communication, pictures and a map pinpointing location/progress have been important elements of Jon’s expedition. After helping with some research and giving my opinion on various GPS/Sat phone devices Jon made the final decision which evidently was the right decision as the DeLorme 2 has done a great job so far.
I hope to do a similar expedition with starting point being London and hopefully ending in South Africa, or back in London via South Africa. I know there is much to be learned along the way and awesome experiences to be had. I am quite envious of Jon’s expedition and get a great sense of adventure through the photos that are posted by Jon via social media sites. A journey of a lifetime.
Expedition Mascot – Kiwi Ted
As a member of the ‘on the road’ expedition team its been my role to act as sounding board and general support for Boris and Jon’s grand adventure. Being the calm and reflective member of the team, I have sort to bring a peacefulness to the often crazy and hectic days on the road.
Coming originally from New Zealand, I now live in Glasgow with my adventurous 6-year-old brother in arms, Matthew (who happens to be Jon’s godson). Knowing that Boris and Jon’s chances of success were slim without help, Matthew has sent me on a mission to bring them back in one piece. This will be my greatest challenge yet!!
No Responses to “Expedition Team”
The Interactive Route Map is now live!! | Big O's Adventures - […] Expedition Team […]
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"You know, I look like a woman but I think like a man. And in this world of business, that has helped me a lot. Because by the time they think that I don’t know what’s goin’ on, I then got the money, and gone."
― Dolly Parton
Topic(s): Business
More From Dolly Parton
"I just kind of wake up with a new idea and new dreams every day, and I follow that dream, as they say."
"I feel that sin and evil are the negative part of you, and I think it’s like a battery: you’ve got to have the negative and the positive in order to be a complete person."
"I don’t have anything to say about other people’s art and their work."
"What men have called friendship is only a social arrangement, a mutual adjustment of interests, an interchange of services given and received; it is, in sum, simply a business from which those involved propose to derive a steady profit for their own self-love."― Francois de La Rochefoucauld
"Feminism was established to allow unattractive women easier access to the mainstream."― Rush Limbaugh
"In this business, by the time you realize you’re in trouble, it’s too late to save yourself. Unless you’re running scared all the time, you’re gone."― Bill Gates
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Emergent Health Corp. (EMGE: OTC Markets)-Further Progress Report
KING OF PRUSSIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2019 / Emergent Health Corp. (the “Company”) (OTC PINK: EMGE) purpose of this Press Release is to bring shareholders to date:
The Company is pleased to announce continued growth of its JDI Life Division www.jdi.jdilife.com . Based upon a past and possible continued growth of 10 to 20% per month, this Division could grow up to $160,000 per month by June, 2021 if at 10% per month and up to $160,000 per month by August 2020 if at 20% per month. Should this growth continue, the Company intends to convert this Division into a subsidiary and to eventually have it become a public company.
Emergent Medical Foods, Inc., a WY corporation (the “Medical Food Sub”), is a subsidiary of the Company. The Medical Food Sub is in process of raising private equity from collaborative investors to move this endeavor forward. To explain how much of a Disruptor this product can be, this video was produced: Emergent Medical food Video.mp4 The Medical Food Sub is licensed to market a patented NutraCan™ product as a medical food for Nutritional Support for Cancer patients. Preliminary work to further test this product is in development. The Medical Food Sub intends to become a publicly traded company at some future time, if and when successful. The Company intends to release more information about the Medical Food Sub in the future. Nothing stated about the Medical Food Sub is intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease.
The Company Founder has invented certain new and useful improvements in Relieving Stress, for which was filed on June 18, 2019 a provisional patent application in the United States under application no. 62/862730. The intention is to license the Company to market the innovations of this patent which could be beneficial to those with unresolved stress. The product is intended to be called Anxium™ Stress Reliever. The global anxiety disorder market is in excess of $6 billion. Nothing stated about the Anxium™ product is intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease
The Company continues to move ahead in the process of developing a reverse Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK-A) business model as explained previously. This proven “start-up” model was developed by Thermo Electron, which is now Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO). As with Thermo Electron, each subsidiary is expected to raise its own capital and have an independent valuation. It thus acts as a “pure play” and contributes book value and a revenue base to the Company.
The Company has at this time purchased 73,100 free trading shares of its current free trading shares of 2,120,594 shares in CEDE (Street Name). The remaining 52,809,406 shares and future shares which are not in Street Name are not eligible for conversion to Street Name until the Company has Current Information posted at OTC Markets. At such time the Company is considering working with its shareholders to establish some kind of registered liquidity event if and when the market becomes more liquid, and if feasible.
The Company continues to work diligently towards current status on OTC Markets. New Advisory Board Members will also be introduced over the next 90 days.
The Company hopes shareholders will find this Press Release informative as to its intentions.
About Emergent Health Corp.
Emergent Health Corp., a diversified biotechnology firm, is focused on the health and wellness industry. With patented, patent pending and proprietary nutritionally designed products, Emergent believes it is positioning itself as a leader in the fields of Regenerative Medicine and/or Health as defined by the National Institute of Health.
This press release contains certain “forward-looking” statements, defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Statements, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements. The company, through its management, makes forward-looking public statements concerning its expected future operations, performance and other developments. Such forward-looking statements are estimates reflecting the company’s best judgment based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that other factors will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking statements. It is impossible to identify all such factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated by the company.
This press release is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities.
Emergent Health Corp.
SOURCE: Emergent Health Corp.
https://www.accesswire.com/549500/Emergent-Health-Corp-EMGE-OTC-Markets-Further-Progress-Report
Previous A First for Canada! Node Co-Living Concept
Next Water Pilot Awarded New Test Phase Contract with a Top 10 US Retailer
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BW&BK Interview: LEAVES’ EYES – From None To Ten
Ten years ago, soprano vocalist Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull quite unexpectedly found herself out of a job. Theatre Of Tragedy, the band that made her famous (and vice versa) gave her the boot citing musical differences, cutting Liv loose and leaving her to her own devices. It was a blessing in disguise once the initial shock wore off, leading to the launch of a grand experiment in collaboration with the members of Atrocity dubbed Leaves’ Eyes. The goth-flavoured debut album, Lovelorn, was viewed as Liv’s comeback following two albums’ worth of head-scratching electronica with Theatre Of Tragedy. It set the stage for an ongoing project that would ultimately surpass her accomplishments with the Theatre, as Leaves’ Eyes evolved into something well beyond Liv’s doom goth roots. Their new album, Symphonies Of The Night, is the bold next step in what has been a constant evolution.
“We’ve been around for 10 years, so when Thorsten (Bauer/guitars) started composing the music for this album a year-and-a-half ago we decided to keep an open mind about everything,” Liv begins. “We had enough time to let the songs develop and see where they went. We didn’t want to plan anything, we wanted to be taken places by the things that influenced the music. There were some musical ideas around that we didn’t use for the last album (Meredead), like ‘Saint Cecilia’, because there was no space for it. Thorsten spent hours and hours working in the studio, so it was always interesting to go in on Monday morning and check out what he’d done (laughs). I continued from there, Alex (Krull/Atrocity) supervised everything and added some spice to it. It was a very creative period for us because we just let everything in. It’s great working with Alex and Tosso. The three of us are the perfect team. We compliment each other in such a great way, I couldn’t imagine a better working relationship. It’s amazing.”
And even though they have a decade under their collective belt, Leaves’ Eyes show no signs of getting bored with their own art. If there’s any sort of re-invention going on with regards to their musical direction it’s not on a level where the fans are left wondering what the hell happened on the way to the studio since the last album.
“We don’t have to re-invent ourselves just because we’ve been around for 10 years. We have so much experience that we can rely on, and we’re three different musicians that also happen to be perfectionists. If I said we needed to have dulcimer on a song, we’d go out and try to find somebody that plays dulcimer. That’s how we work.”
Judging by the overall fan reaction, Symphonies Of The Night ranks as one of the strongest Leaves’ Eyes albums to date of the five on offer. Strictly from a long time fan’s point of view, the best moments on the record go so far as to give the last two Nightwish albums (Dark Passion Play, Imaginaerum) a serious stomping. ‘Fading Earth’, for example, dominates through its simplicity, ‘Galswintha’ offers up folk music with balls instead of genre-typical featherlight fluff, and ‘Hymn To The Lone Sands’ rages as the heaviest Leaves’ Eyes song ever recorded. Never thought we’d hear the word ‘annihilated’ cross Liv’s lips…
“(Laughs) I’m going to sleep well tonight; thanks for the compliment. And you actually mentioned the key to that, ‘Fading Earth’. That song came into existence quite early in the composing period, and it was actually Alex’ idea. It was very raw and it stayed raw until the end of the production, and that was the first song Alex picked for the new album. We thought it sounded great and that it was good as it was, so that was the initial step in the mix and a very important part in the composing.”
Call it a case of getting the ball rolling and letting it pull the band along instead of pushing it.
“Yeah, I guess there was a question of whether we felt comfortable with the direction, and the answer was yes. On the other hand you have songs like ‘Saint Cecilia’ and one that I wrote, ‘Nightshade’, where we added a lot of spices to both pieces of music.”
Go to this location for the complete interview.
For information and updates on Leaves’ Eyes go to this location.
Posted on November 24, 2013 Author carlCategories The InterviewsTags Alex Krull, Atrocity, BW&BK, Leaves' Eyes, Liv Kristine Espenæs Krull, Theatre Of Tragedy, Thorsten Bauer
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Population growth drives PCA's long-term construction outlook report
Published: Thursday, 23 August 2012 16:15
Population growth during the next 25 years will likely account for most of the gains in construction, according to Portland Cement Association's Long-Term Cement Outlook. By 2035, the population of the United States will add 78 million people compared to 2010 levels. For construction, population growth means increased demand for homes and apartments, schools, commercial buildings, health care facilities, and infrastructure. Here's how PCA expects demographics to impact construction sectors:
· Residential: Household formation and lifestyle characteristics both factor into the long-term outlook for housing. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the total stock of homes in 2009 at 129 million units. PCA expects housing stock to reach 163 million units by 2035, which translates into 1.7 million annual housing starts and allows for 500,000 demolitions each year.
· Nonresidential: Office employment reached a peak in 2007 of 29 million people. With vacancy rates at 12%, current office space has the capacity for 33 million people. PCA estimates that office employment will reach 37 million jobs by 2035. Assuming a 10% vacancy rate and factoring in the rise of work-at-home employment, office space needs to increase by 24% to meet new demand.
· Public Works: From 1980 to 2010, the number of licensed drivers increased by 56 million or 36%, the number of vehicles on the road increased by 89 million or 55%, and total miles travelled increased by 95%. Yet during this same period, highway lane miles increased by just 8%. By 2035, population growth will add another 62 million drivers, an increase of 28%. That means that nearly 2.3 million miles of lane capacity must be added just to maintain current congestion levels.
Information on purchasing this new report can be found at the PCA's online Bookstore at http://members.cement.org/EBiz50/ProductCatalog/Product.aspx?ID=2022.
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Tag: food banks
More people than ever use food banks in Britain today – and I’m one of them
Posted on April 20, 2016 By Chris
As the Trussell Trust reveals that food bank usage is at record levels one user writes a first hand account of her experiences using one:
My designated food bank operates out of a nearby church and I feel a deep sense of shame and anxiety on the way there. I worry that someone I know locally will stop to chat and I will be exposed as broke and dependent on charity.
The food bank volunteers, however, are kind and solicitous. They introduce themselves, shake my hand, and invite me to sit in chairs thoughtfully grouped at conversational angles. I am not interrogated and nobody towers over me; I am grateful for the eye contact and empathy I receive in response to my tale of benefit delays, impoverishment and worries about the rent. I am offered tea, cake and cheerful conversation in the most welcoming tradition of the church. It feels as though the whole process has been carefully worked out in order to preserve my dignity and I am moved by this tenderness.
As I unpack my groceries, I am deeply grateful that there are good citizens out there who have a bit to spare. I am also deeply angry that it is up to the churches and charities to plug the gaps left by a welfare state that seems to be creaking under sustained ideological pressure in one of the world’s richest countries. I feel guilty that my poverty is nothing compared to the suffering of those in developing nations or walking the roads of hostile Europe seeking refuge from war. And I am thankful that I have enough to eat for a while longer and that I will live to fight another day.
Posted in Church, Social action, UncategorizedTagged church, food banks, Trussell TrustLeave a comment
Supermarkets donate food to charities
Posted on February 27, 2016 By Chris
Supermarkets in France have been banned from throwing away or spoiling unsold food by law. The stores are now required to donate unwanted food to charities and food banks.
To stop foragers, some supermarkets have poured bleach over the discarded food or storing binned food in locked warehouses.
Courbevoie councillor Arash Derambarsh had started a petition to the French senate that the supermarkets should support their local food banks. This law was voted unanimously by the French senate and will apply to any supermarket with a footprint of 400 square metres or larger.
I wish that this campaign would spread further afield. If you’re in the UK, check out the brand new scheme FareShare FoodCloud to be piloted in Tesco stores to send unsold food that can be used to charities rather than be wasted. We’ve been part of the pilot in the New Forest and it’s been great to be able to use some of the food that previously would have been thrown away with children and young people in our local community.
Posted in News & Politics, Social actionTagged Arash Derambarsh, food banks, FoodCloud, FoodShare, France, TescoLeave a comment
Research into local foodbanks (Hampshire, Portsmouth & Southampton)
There are now at least 20 food banks in the Hampshire area, including some of the wealthiest parts of the county. They cover rural and urban locations, with approximately 50% affiliated to the Trussel Trust.
The research commissioned by the Bill Sargent Trust reinforced the findings of national research. Users generally go to food banks only when other options have been exhausted, and often feel shame and embarrassment about having to ask for help. They are living ‘on the edge’ and many have multiple problems including physical disabilities, illnesses, and mental health problems.
What food banks consistently offer, as well as emergency help, is a listening ear and a generous and compassionate response. This is sometimes in stark contrast to users’ experiences of statutory services. Food bank users are often surprised and pleased to be treated with respect and sensitivity.
The report raises important questions for the future that our local food bank organisers and volunteers will need to consider. You can download the full Report here, and the Executive Summary here.
Posted in Church, Social actionTagged food banks, Hampshire, The Bill Sargent TrustLeave a comment
Archbishop John Sentamu criticises UK food poverty
Archbishop John Sentamu in a speech at General Synod has called for “more equitable, more caring world” and questioned the effects of government’s welfare reforms:
In a long and often angry address to the Church of England general synod on Tuesday, John Sentamu said static salaries and rising prices had left nine million people living below the breadline at a time when the chief executives of the UK’s 100 biggest companies were earning on average £4.3m – 160 times the average national wage.
Sentamu, who chairs the Living Wage Commission, said politicians needed to stop referring to “hard-working” families and recognise that they were instead “hard-pressed” families struggling to survive despite their best efforts.
“Once upon a time you couldn’t really be living in poverty if you had a regular income,” he said. “You could find yourself on a low income, yes. But that is not longer so. You can be in work and still live in poverty.”
Reports of malnutrition and food poverty in Yorkshire “disgrace us all, leaving a dark stain on our consciences”, he said. “How can it be that last year more than 27,000 people were diagnosed as suffering from malnutrition in Leeds – not Lesotho, not Liberia, not Lusaka but Leeds?”
The effects of the government’s welfare reforms, Sentamu said, were “beginning to bite – with reductions in housing benefit for so-called under-occupation of social housing, the cap on benefits for workless householders and single parents, and the gradual replacement of the disability living allowance with a personal independence payment”.
“This is the new reality,” he said, “Food banks aren’t going to go away any time soon. Prices are rising more than three times faster than wages. This has been going on for 10 years now. And for people slipping into poverty, the reality is much harsher.”
If governments were powerless to do much more than “tinker” with the current economic trends, he added, the church would find itself doing even more.
Reflecting on Christianity’s long commitment to fighting poverty – from Saint Francis of Assisi to John Wesley, and from Gustavo Gutiérrez, the Peruvian priest and father of liberation theology, to the current pope – Sentamu said the Church of England had once again found itself compelled to speak up for the poor, and urged Anglicans to follow the example of the architects of the welfare state.
“They had a clear vision as to how things could be different,” he said. “In part, they were also tapping into the spirit of the immediate postwar years in which there was a great hunger to rebuild a more equitable, more caring world. It is that vision which we need to recapture today, but remoulded in a way which is realistic for the circumstances we face now.”
Poverty, the archbishop concluded, was “costly, wasteful and indeed very risky”. He said: “We in the church must make the argument that losing human potential at a time when we need all the capacity we can gather is hugely wasteful; that paying people below the level required for subsistence fractures the social contract and insurance, and that this is risky.”
Posted in Church, News, Politics, Social actionTagged Archbishop John Sentamu, food banks, General Synod, living wage, povertyLeave a comment
Councillor in attack on food bank
Posted on January 5, 2013 By Chris
A senior York politician has sparked a furious row by saying there is no real poverty in Britain and people should not donate to food banks.
Chris Steward, a Conservative councillor, said living standards had surged, that there was no need for food banks, that they were an insult to starving people around the world, and that donating to them allowed recipients to spend more money on alcohol and cigarettes.
But his comments have been condemned by political opponents and The Trussell Trust, which runs 275 banks nationwide. Chris Mould, the charity’s executive chairman, said more than 10,000 professionals nationwide were referring people to food banks and said: “He is making totally inappropriate assertions which I challenge him to back up with proper evidence.”
Coun Steward said on twitter that it insulted those in poverty to claim it existed in the UK. Asked to elaborate, he said Britain had relative poverty, like every country, but not absolute poverty.
“We have lots of poor people, but living standards have surged over the years. There is certainly no need for food banks; no-one in the UK is starving and I think food banks insult the one billion in the world that go to bed hungry every day and ignore the fact a child dies of hunger every three seconds.”
“The fact some give food to food banks, merely enables people who can’t budget (an issue where schools should do much more and I have said the council should) or don’t want to, to have more money to spend on alcohol, cigarettes etc.”
Mr Mould said Coun Steward was “poorly informed” and said living standards for people on low incomes had declined in recent years, with heating costs rising by 65 per cent in five years and the cost of basic food rising by’ 35 per cent. He said it was stereotyping to say those on low incomes were using money unwisely, saying there were many reasons why people found themselves in crisis.
Chris Mould said:
“He says there is no need for food banks; I am astonished by his assertion. What does he know? Where is his evidence? More than 10,000 front-line professionals, week in week out, are referring people they are trying to help to food banks. They are seeing people from Cornwall to Inverness, York to Liverpool, and in increasing numbers they are referring people to food banks. I am talking from an evidence-base of 10,000 care professionals who would argue with him. It is astonishing he would make an assertion like that.”
Mr Mould said nobody suggested people should not be distressed or outraged by unnecessary hunger elsewhere in the world, but said:
“It is clear that people in the UK who we meet have been going without meals when they arrive at food banks. They are going to bed hungry too. We are one of the richest countries in the world, but one of the most unequal in terms of income distribution in Europe.”
I found it amazing in this period of recession where most weeks there are major news articles on increases in poverty in the UK that a local politician would go as far to state there is no need for food banks. As someone who has worked with young people and families for nearly a decade, I’ve helped them access food banks many times – they are incredibly valuable local tools.
What do you think? Was Councillor Steward right to say we don’t need food banks?
The York Press are now reporting that:
The York councillor who sparked an angry backlash by saying food banks were not needed has said he will visit one to see how they work.
Chris Steward, chairman of York Conservatives and councillor for Rural West York, made the offer after he came under fire for comments revealed in The Press on Thursday. Coun Steward claimed there was no real poverty in the UK.
He has since said on twitter that he would be happy to visit a food bank to work a shift.
York Labour councillor Dafydd Williams also yesterday invited Coun Steward to visit the York food bank at Gateway Church in Acomb, and called the councillor’s comments “ill-informed”. Coun Steward declined to add to his comments on twitter when contacted by The Press.
Posted in Children's and Youth Work, News, Politics, Social action, SocietyTagged Africa, alcohol, Chris Mould, Chris Steward, Convservative, councillor, food banks, living standards, poverty, smoking, social action, starving, The Trussell Trust, UK, York2 Comments
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posted Aug 27, 2014, 1:56 PM by Megan Chadwick Gernert - OIT [ updated Aug 27, 2014, 1:56 PM ]
In an effort to identify the state owned and managed assets that could potentially help expand broadband access and capacity in Colorado, OIT has been working to create a GIS based statewide broadband asset inventory. While we are still in the middle of this process we are excited to communicate the progress that has been made.
Our initial focus has been to identify and inventory tower assets managed by OIT and fiber assets managed by CDOT. Within OIT, we have been working with our statewide Digital Trunked Radio System (DTRS) team that managed the public safety network to identify the state owned tower assets. At the same time, we have been working with the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) group within CDOT to integrate their existing data as well as partnering to identify additional assets.
While we are making progress towards creating a usable database, we have not yet formed the necessary use policy that will accompany the inventory. Many of the assets that are managed by the state are used for public safety and other critical infrastructure purposes, and we must ensure these functions are protected in any type of policy that is developed. We have started to review other state policies related to these issues and will begin working towards a formal policy soon.
It is also important to note that in regards to towers, the state does not necessarily own all towers that are currently used for state purposes. Many are owned by counties, municipalities or the federal government. While OIT cannot influence the potential use of these assets we can help facilitate discussions with the entities who do own then. For example, OIT has been working to coordinate efforts in Lake County with the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), who owns some of the towers used by the state in that area.
We often are asked “What about private assets?”. We have had conversations with the private carriers on this topic and the response is varied. We have some carriers who are willing to contribute their data to this effort while others believe such information is proprietary and critical to their competitive advantage. We intend to respect all perspectives regarding these assets and will be working with those carriers who wish to participate.
Though we have made progress towards our ultimate goal, we realized there is still a lot of work to be done. We understand the significance of this effort and are committed to developing the best possible end-product that will help reach our broadband goals. Our next major goals are:
Complete review of state tower assets and include ancillary data for the assets
Finish integration of currently identified CDOT fiber assets
Work with individual CDOT regions to identify additional fiber assets in specific regions
Begin to develop the draft use policy for state owned assets
Develop the technical system that will be used to show the assets and allow for commercial and public use
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Daily Content Archive as of Saturday, April 13, 2019
(as of Saturday, April 13, 2019)
Definition: (noun) An ardent follower and admirer.
Synonyms: buff, lover, fan
Usage: He became a devotee of the moving-picture shows, spending as much as twenty and thirty cents a day and resolutely sitting out every repetition of program.
Intensifiers
Intensifiers are adverbs or adverbials that modify adjectives and other adverbs to increase their strength, power, or intensity. What are some examples of intensifiers? More...
Marvin Heemeyer's "Killdozer"
In 2004, Heemeyer, a muffler repair shop owner, went on a rampage following a feud with city officials in Granby, Colorado. His vendetta stemmed from a zoning dispute involving a concrete factory constructed near his shop that he believed caused his business to fail. Heemeyer, who was a welder, armored a bulldozer—later dubbed the "Killdozer"—with layers of steel and concrete and used it to demolish the town hall, a former judge's home, and other buildings in Granby. How did his rampage end? More...
George Frideric Handel's Oratorio Messiah Debuts (1742)
Composed by Handel, the great master of baroque music, Messiah is one of the most popular choral works in the Western world. Its immense popularity has resulted in the erroneous conception of Handel as primarily a church composer. In truth, the contemplative, English-language oratorio stands apart from the rest of his 32 oratorios, which are dramatically conceived. How did it become tradition for audiences to stand during the performance of Messiah's "Hallelujah" chorus? More...
Alfred Mosher Butts (1899)
In the 1930s, Butts, an unemployed architect, invented a game called Lexiko, in which players drew lettered tiles from a pool and then attempted to form words. After unsuccessful attempts to sell the game to board-game makers, Butts sold the rights to entrepreneur James Brunot, who made a few minor adjustments and renamed the game Scrabble. More than 150 million sets have been sold in multiple languages since. How did Butts determine how many tiles of each letter should be included in the game? More...
There is in every true woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which kindles up, and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.
Washington Irving (1783-1859)
catch heat
— To be the target of someone's anger. More...
Lazarovden (St. Lazarus's Day) (2019)
In Bulgaria, St. Lazarus's Day (Lazarouvane or Lazarovden) is the great Slavic festival of youth and fertility. The day takes its name from a series of ritual games and songs studied in advance by young girls during Lent. Although there are many versions of the ritual, they all have a common focus, which is the "coming out" of girls who are ready to be married. Particular attention is paid to dress, which usually involves colorful traditional costumes and heavy jewelry. In former times, people believed that the more elaborate the rituals devoted to marriage, the better the chances for happiness. More...
Today's topic: implied
subaudition - The act of understanding something that is implied but not overtly expressed; the act of reading between the lines or otherwise understanding a message that is implicit. More...
tacenda, tacit - Tacenda are things not to be mentioned or made public—things better left unsaid; tacit means "unspoken, silent" or "implied, inferred." More...
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The Community Preservation Corporation Announces Changes to its Executive Team
New York—The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC), a non-profit lender for affordable housing throughout New York State, announced the following changes to its executive staff:
Miriam Kulnis has joined CPC as Chief Risk Officer. She will be responsible for the overall management of the Special Assets Group and will oversee the growth and development of the risk management function for the firm. Miriam is an accomplished credit executive with over 25 years experience in real estate loan restructurings and workouts. She was previously with JPMorgan Chase Bank where her most recent position was Executive Director in the Special Credits Group. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education of the Handicapped and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Kean College.
Sadie McKeown has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer, where she will oversee all lending activities, including closings, business operations, and investor relations; CPC’s regional field offices; and CPC’s innovative green financing initiative. Prior to this role, she served as Senior Vice President and Regional Director in CPC’s Hudson Valley region, where she oversaw the entire lending process from origination through underwriting, construction supervision, and conversion to permanent financing. Sadie started her career at CPC as a Mortgage Originator. She is a graduate from Fordham University with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications, and earned her Master’s Degree in Human Services Administration with a concentration in Housing from Cornell University.
Kevin Moran will continue in his current role as Chief Financial Officer, with the additional responsibility of managing CPC’s IT department and its Loan Servicing Department. Kevin joined CPC in February 2011 as Controller and was promoted to the position of Chief Financial Officer in July 2011. Prior to joining CPC, Kevin spent five years at TD Bank, most recently as Vice President and Divisional Controller of regional commercial lending. Kevin is a Certified Public Accountant, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from George Mason University and a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance and Accounting from New York University.
Jaime Sharrock has joined as Chief of Staff to the President and CEO, where she will work on operational matters, organizational priorities, and oversee the Facilities and Communications departments. Most recently, Jaime was the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Commissioner at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development. Prior to that, she served as a Senior Meeting and Event Planner at Enterprise Community Partners and was a Development Analyst at the Jersey City Housing Authority. Jaime holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from New York University as well as a Bachelor’s Degree from Providence College
Richard Conley will continue to serve as Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer, Richard Kumro as Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Alice Dunn as Senior Vice President and Director of Human Resources, Tom McGrath as Senior Vice President of Investor Relations, Michael Walsh as Senior Vice President for the Special Asset Group, Kathleen Dunn as Executive Vice President for Development with CPC Resources, Inc. (CPCR), and Susan Pollock as Senior Vice President of CPC and CPCR.
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Registration at dating.kiev.ua
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http://crystalball.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/snc2004102201/
North Carolina Senate 2004
With the upcoming Nov. 2 elections, Tar Heels have more on their minds than the presidential race. John Kerry's running mate, Senator John Edwards, who upon accepting his vice-presidential bid vacated his seat in the Senate, leaves North Carolina voters with a choice between two replacements: Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Richard Burr. Three key issues dominate the race: jobs, education, and healthcare. Given North Carolina's voting history, this year's race promises to be tight. An early October poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research Inc., indicates a narrowing gap between the two candidates, with Bowles capturing 45 percent, Burr securing 44 percent, and undecided voters comprising 11 percent of the sample. Across the state, Bowles, who lost the last Senate race to Elizabeth Dole by a wide margin, now has a strong lead in the Triangle, his home region of Charlotte, and southeastern North Carolina. His opponent Burr, on the other hand, is favored in his home region of the Triad, as well as the Northeast and the mountains.
Over the last four years, approximately 80,000 people have lost jobs in North Carolina's manufacturing, textile and furniture industries, and thus it is no surprise that the most critical issue facing the candidates is the economy. Burr suggests stimulating economic growth by increasing funding of the state's community colleges for retraining and making tax cuts permanent to benefit the middle class, while Bowles argues the focus should be on trade and stopping the loss of jobs to overseas markets.
Both men agree that education is also of special importance and, accordingly, they both support the funding of higher education Pell Grants. However, while Burr praises President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, Bowles criticizes the administration for proposing the bill and then failing to provide the money to make it work. Instead, he proposes to increase funding for early childhood education programs and after-school programs, which could help prevent teen pregnancy and juvenile crime.
Much like the current presidential race, both candidates are taking advantage of their opponent's records. While Bowles, at times, has alluded to his role in balancing the federal budget as former President Clinton's chief of staff, he has spent the majority of the campaign avoiding any further association with Clinton, who is a polarizing figure in North Carolina. Consequently, Burr has used Bowles's record to his advantage. In recent weeks, he has run two ads tying Bowles to former President Clinton and to tax increases and trade deals he supported as a member of the Clinton administration.
Whether these ads were effective remains to be seen; however, the percentage of voters who view Bowles favorably dropped from 41 percent in July to 37 percent in recent weeks, and the percentage that view him unfavorably climbed from 19 percent to 28 percent.
The issue of healthcare also connects the Senate race with the presidential race, in that it evokes the "flip flop" criticisms typical of the Iraq War debates. Bowles consistently alludes to Burr's flip-flopping in his support of the Medicare bill and failing to vote for policies such as the re-importation of drugs that, he says, could help make health care more affordable. Burr counters such claims by noting that he supported President Bush's proposed expansion of community health centers and the passage of medical liability reform.
A final issue at stake in this election is the current 3.8 billion dollar tobacco buyout in North Carolina. Burr helped negotiate the legislation that recently cleared Congress, while Bowles lobbied Democratic senators to let the bill come to a vote, an alternative that he argues could have put 790 million more dollars in the hands of North Carolina farmers. Regardless, both candidates are sharing credit for the buyout. Some have suggested that the tobacco buyout passing on Burr's watch will increase his chances for this seat, while others argue that the buyout is only a marginal issue, and voter turnout and President Bush's coattails will likely play bigger roles in the outcome.
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Whether in industry, the military, or academia, sexual harassment is widespread in U. S. society. Sexual harassment is more than just a demand for sexual favors. Sexual harassment can also occur when people’s actions create a hostile or offensive working environment. One woman offered her experience:
I was the first woman they hired at that level. I was proud of what I had accomplished and looked forward to the challenges, but it has been much harder than I expected. I have been amazed and disgusted by the jokes and the unbelievable crude remarks that some men have made. people have sent me the most disgusting e-mails, and every day I get obscene messages on my voice mail. I spoke to my boss about this and told him how upsetting it was to me, but he told me that I needed to be a "team player" and that this was just the guys’ way of welcoming me to the group. Maybe it shouldn’t bother me as much as it does, but it is hurting my work. I’m having trouble concentrating, and I cringe every time I listen to my messages. (Authors’ files)
Sexual harassment in the workplace is prohibited by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In 1980 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidelines on sexual harassment. These guidelines make it clear that both verbal and physical harassment are illegal:
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment, (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1980, pp. 74676-74677)
The EEOC guidelines describe two kinds of sexual harassment. One form, commonly labeled quid pro quo, is reflected in the first two situations described in the guidelines. Here, compliance with unwanted sexual advances is made a condition for securing a job or education benefits or for favorable treatment in employment or academic settings (such as receiving a promotion or high grades). Harassment is often evident in reprisals that follow refusals to comply.
A second form of sexual harassment, often referred to as a "hostile or offensive environment," is described in the third situation in the EEOC guidelines. This kind of sexual harassment is less clear but probably more common than the quid pro quo variety. Here, one or more supervisors, coworkers, teachers, or students engage in persistent, inappropriate behaviors that make the workplace or academic environment hostile, abusive, and generally unbearable. Unlike quid pro quo harassment, this second form does not necessarily involve power or authority differences. It may, however, involve attempts to defend status and position, because men often view the entrance of women into formerly male bastions of power and privilege as threatening (Dall’Ara & Maass, 1999).
Cases involving hostile or offensive environments have been the subject of considerable debate over what constitutes such an environment. Essentially, a hostile environment is seen as one in which a reasonable person in the same or similar circumstances would find the conduct of the harasser(s) to be intimidating, hostile, or abusive.
The reasonable-person interpretation is illustrated by a decision in which the U. S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a Tennessee woman was subjected to sexual harassment in the form of a hostile environment "that would seriously affect a reasonable person’s psychological well-being" (Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, writing for the Court in Harris v. Forklift Systems, 92 U. S. 1168 [1993]). In this case the victim’s male boss (the company president) (1) urged her to retrieve coins from his front pants pocket, (2) ridiculed the size of her buttocks, (3) described her as a "dumb-ass woman" in the presence of others, and (4) insinuated that she had won a large sales contract by providing sexual favors. The defendant’s attorney unsuccessfully tried to pass off these behaviors as merely joking without any hostile intent. This case is noteworthy because it involved neither sexual blackmail nor unwanted touching. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court ruled that a reasonable person would find the offensive sexual speech intimidating and abusive.
Новости Перми криминал
Новости ЕКБ
Новости Великого Новгорода
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Mexico Central Time
MARKETS AND DATA: US Dollar: $12.65 Euro: $16.78 Gold: US$1,327 Silver: US$20.39 Mex Crude: US$102.50 Cetes 28: 3.85%
Electronic Industry
PEMEX/Energy reform in a nutshell
3 billion USD refinery expansion
PEMEX announced yesterday a planned investment of 3 billion U.S. Dollars for the expansion of the oil refinery located in Salamanca, Guanajuato in the central of Mexico. The new refurnished facility intended to start operations in the year 2014 is presented as supplementary to the new refinery to be built in Tula.
PEMEX has announced that the 10 billion U.S. Dollars refinery will be constructed in the town of Tula in the central state of Hidalgo. It is estimated that its full construction will take from 6 to 7 years.
PEMEX board of directors enlarged
The Mexican Senate confirmed the designation of four new members (independent professional commissioners) of PEMEX board of directors. The state owned company Committee of Transparency and Accountability will be lead by one of the four commissioners posted.
Chicontepec 4 times bigger than Cantarell
PEMEX officials recognize the existence of a huge oil reserve in Chicontepec; a petroleum system located between the states of Puebla, Hidalgo and Veracruz. Still, they argue that the characteristics of the area make massive production unviable at this time.
PEMEX Investments and Perspectives
May 13, 2009. 08:44
For the year 2009 the Mexican Congress has an approved investment plan of $19.4 billion U.S. Dollars for PEMEX. Since these funds come from the Government budget, and PEMEX is a state owned company, the crude oil international price does not have an effect on the company´s investment decisions in 2009. However, the estimations made for the rest of the years will be affected by the future prices and the fiscal capacity of the Mexican Government.
To give some context, a PEMEX study reported that investment spending per year rose from an average of over $10 billion U.S. Dollars in the period 2001-2006 to $18 billion U.S. Dollars in the year 2008, and the average investment per year estimated for the period 2009-2012 will be over $19 billion U.S. Dollars. The investment estimates are summarized in the first figure posted alongside this article.
PEMEX Investment Objectives
-Keep a production capacity in the range of 2.7 to 2.8 million barrels per day, while taking exploration opportunities for increasing to the level of 3 million barrels.
-Increase the current proven crude reserve restitution rate of 72% to a rate above the 100%
-Rebuild the reserves/production rate in 10 years.
-Heavily invest in the refinery capacity to reduce the gasoline importation dependence.
-Improve the maintenance performance and reduce the facilities risk exposure.
-Progress in the compliance with the environmental regulations.
-Speed up the infrastructure investment projects execution.
The intention is to reach an average crude oil production of 2,918 barrels per day during the period 2009-2017. Cantarell output decline will be offset by Chicontepec´s production growth, and with the sustainable production from Ku-Maloob-Zaap; which is expected to reach its peak in 2011. The new production that will outcome from exploration will come from Golfo de Mexico B, Reforma, Cuichapa, Crudo Ligero Marino, Comalcalco, and Campeche Poniente projects.
Deep water production is anticipated to begin in the year 2015.
The crude that is first produced from any field is light and easy to refine. Projects like Cantarell are facing the reality of dealing with heavier crude that demands the reconfiguration of the refineries.
The estimates will focus on investments in the following areas:
-Exploration & Production
-Refinery Capacity
-Gas & Basic Petrochemical Products
-Petrochemical & Chemical
-Corporate Administration
DoingBusinessInMexico Staff
Published: May 13, 2009. 08:44 | Last updated: June 20, 2009. 18:23
DoingBusinessInMexico is a think tank that provides informational knowledge to support business decision making in Mexico.
editor@doingbusinessinmexico.com
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The Secret Document That Proves China Considers The United States To Be A Mortal Enemy
August 20, 2013 by Michael Snyder
If you believe that China is our “friend”, then you have been deceived. While U.S. politicians, the mainstream media and the U.S. military may consider China to be a “friend” and a “partner”, the Chinese see things very, very differently. As you will see below, documents produced at the highest levels of the Chinese government make it abundantly clear that China considers the United States to be a mortal enemy. Unfortunately, in the west we have naively assumed that if we opened up trade with China that they would want to be more like us. Instead, opening up trade with China has allowed them to severely damage us economically while continuing to loudly denounce “western constitutional democracy” at the same time.
The truth is that China is not like us and they never intend to be. The Chinese people do not get to choose their leaders in free elections, and the Communist Party in China never intends to allow that to happen.
The Chinese people do not have freedom of speech or freedom of religion, and the Communist Party in China never intends to give the general population those freedoms.
In most cases, Chinese families do not even have the freedom to have more than one child, and if a Chinese family tries to buck the system a mobile abortion van may show up at their front door.
The Chinese system is horribly repressive, and in many ways it continues to get even worse.
And officials in China definitely do not consider the United States to be a “partner”. Rather, they consider the United States to be a rival that needs to be vanquished.
This attitude comes through very clearly in a Chinese government memo known as “Document No. 9” that the New York Times was recently able to get a copy of…
Communist Party cadres have filled meeting halls around China to hear a somber, secretive warning issued by senior leaders. Power could escape their grip, they have been told, unless the party eradicates seven subversive currents coursing through Chinese society.
These seven perils were enumerated in a memo, referred to as Document No. 9, that bears the unmistakable imprimatur of Xi Jinping, China’s new top leader. The first was “Western constitutional democracy”; others included promoting “universal values” of human rights, Western-inspired notions of media independence and civic participation, ardently pro-market “neo-liberalism,” and “nihilist” criticisms of the party’s traumatic past.
“Document No. 9” sounds very similar to another “anti-western Communist Party document” that was reported on earlier this year in the Sunday Times by Michael Sheridan…
A hostile anti-western Communist Party document circulating among hundreds of Chinese officials has given the first proof that Xi’s leadership is set on a hard line against liberal foreign influences.
It tells officials they must “completely understand the harm of viewpoints and theories propagated by the West” and emphasises the need for China to “stand up against the West” by becoming rich and strong.
The communist faithful are exhorted to strengthen their leadership, to be “relentless” in political guidance and to “use battlefield tactics” to defeat liberals and dissidents.
Are you starting to get the picture?
China has no intention of becoming more like us. In fact, Chinese officials hate our liberties and our freedoms.
And the Chinese military actually considers the United States to be their “enemy-in-chief”. That is exactly how the U.S. is described in a recent paper which was drafted by the PLA’s deputy chief of staff…
China’s military considers the United States “enemy-in-chief” and, as it has done for decades, maintains a shroud of secrecy around the PLA’s size, capabilities, and intentions. That much is clear from a recent paper written by the PLA’s deputy chief of the general staff, the number two military man in China, for the Study Times, the official newspaper of the Communist Party School.
In addition, some top military officials in China have even advocated using nuclear weapons against the United States first in the event of a military conflict between our two countries…
Gen. Zhu Chenghu expressed willingness to abandon China’s “no first use” nuclear weapons policy, to defend its claim over Taiwan and argued that China should use nuclear weapons against the United States should its military interfere. A 2011 editorial in the Global Times (an English edition of the Communist Party of China’s official newspaper) warned that countries involved in sea disputes with China “need to prepare for the sounds of cannons.”
For now, China is content to trade with us because it benefits them. Chinese officials consider every interaction with the west to be part of a grand game of chess which is marching toward an inevitable conclusion, and they very much plan on being the victors.
And without a doubt, China is defeating the United States on a whole host of fronts right now. The following examples are from one of my previous articles entitled “40 Ways That China Is Beating America“…
#1 When you total up all imports and exports of goods, China is now the number one trading nation on the entire planet.
#2 During 2012, we sold about 110 billion dollars worth of stuff to the Chinese, but they sold about 425 billion dollars worth of stuff to us. That was the largest trade deficit that one nation has had with another nation in the history of the world.
#3 Overall, the U.S. has run a trade deficit with China over the past decade that comes to more than 2.3 trillion dollars.
#4 China now has the largest new car market in the entire world.
#5 China has more foreign currency reserves than anyone else on the planet.
#6 China is the number one gold producer in the world.
#7 China is also the number one gold importer in the world.
#8 The uniforms for the U.S. Olympic team were made in China.
#9 85 percent of all artificial Christmas trees are made in China.
#10 The new World Trade Center tower is going to include glass that has been imported from China.
#11 The new Martin Luther King memorial on the National Mall was made in China.
#12 One of the reasons it is so hard to export stuff to China is because of their tariffs. According to the New York Times, a Jeep Grand Cherokee that costs $27,490 in the United States costs about $85,000 in China thanks to all the tariffs.
#13 The Chinese economy has grown 7 times faster than the U.S. economy has over the past decade.
#14 The United States has lost a staggering 32 percent of its manufacturing jobs since the year 2000.
#15 The United States has lost an average of 50,000 manufacturing jobs per month since China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.
#16 Overall, the United States has lost a total of more than 56,000 manufacturing facilities since 2001.
#17 According to the Economic Policy Institute, America is losing half a million jobs to China every single year.
#18 China now produces more than twice as many automobiles as the United States does.
#19 Since the auto industry bailout, approximately 70 percent of all GM vehicles have been built outside the United States.
#20 After being bailed out by U.S. taxpayers, General Motors is currently involved in 11 joint ventures with companies owned by the Chinese government. The price for entering into many of these “joint ventures” was a transfer of “state of the art technology” from General Motors to the communist Chinese.
#21 Back in 1998, the United States had 25 percent of the world’s high-tech export market and China had just 10 percent. Ten years later, the United States had less than 15 percent and China’s share had soared to 20 percent.
#22 The United States has lost more than a quarter of all of its high-tech manufacturing jobs over the past ten years.
#23 China’s number one export to the U.S. is computer equipment, but the number one U.S. export to China is “scrap and trash”.
#24 The U.S. trade deficit with China is now more than 30 times larger than it was back in 1990.
#25 China now consumes more energy than the United States does.
#26 China is now the leading manufacturer of goods in the entire world.
#27 China uses more cement than the rest of the world combined.
#28 China is now the number one producer of wind and solar power on the entire globe.
#29 There are more pigs in China than in the next 43 pork producing nations combined.
#30 Today, China produces nearly twice as much beer as the United States does.
#31 Right now, China is producing more than three times as much coal as the United States does.
#33 China now produces 11 times as much steel as the United States does.
#34 China produces more than 90 percent of the global supply of rare earth elements.
#35 China is now the number one supplier of components that are critical to the operation of U.S. defense systems.
#36 A recent investigation by the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services found more than one million counterfeit Chinese parts in the Department of Defense supply chain.
#37 15 years ago, China was 14th in the world in published scientific research articles. But now, China is expected to pass the United States and become number one very shortly.
#38 China now awards more doctoral degrees in engineering each year than the United States does.
#39 The average household debt load in the United States is 136% of average household income. In China, the average household debt load is 17% of average household income.
#40 The Chinese have begun to buy up huge amounts of U.S. real estate. In fact, Chinese citizens purchased one out of every ten homes that were sold in the state of California in 2011.
Sadly, most of the people that will end up reading this article will not take it seriously.
In fact, there will inevitably be quite a few comments left after this article mocking the idea that China considers us to be “the enemy”.
A lot of Americans have been deluded into thinking that China “needs us” and that they always will. But that is not how the Chinese think. Once they have extracted as much wealth and technology from us as they want, they will have no problem turning on us.
The Chinese truly believe that their system is superior to ours and that they will win in the end. Most Americans will never understand this until it is far too late.
Categories War, WorldTags China, Chinese, Michael T. Snyder, Military, News, Secret Document, The Chinese Government, Trade With China Post navigation
Obama Administration Makes Secret Deal With Mexico To Help Illegal Immigrants In The Workplace
Public School Is One Of The Most Dangerous Places You Could Possibly Put Your Children
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Stuart W. Stedman 40 Acres Scholarship for Plan II
Feb 25, 2011 | Scholarships
The Stuart W. Stedman 40 Acres Scholarship for Plan II was established by the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System on February 25, 2011, to benefit The University of Texas College of Liberal Arts. Gift funds were provided by Mr. Stuart W. Stedman.
Stuart W. Stedman remembers that his grades weren’t all that great when he transferred from Claremont Men’s College in California into The University of Texas at Austin 25 years ago.
But Donette Moss, the administrator of the Plan II Honors program, saw something special in him, he says, and admitted him into the highly selective program.
“I realized I was going to have to start focusing here and really working,” says Stedman, now a businessman and philanthropist in Houston. “I might have had an active mind when I entered Plan II, but it was soft and undisciplined. Plan II taught me how to think. Plan II was also the most amazing experience, intellectually and academically. It made you an educated person in the most well-rounded sense.
Stedman, who also concentrated in history, is now repaying what he describes as his “big debt” to the Plan II program with a $1 million gift to Plan II and the History Department from the Stedman West Foundation. “Plan II’s core curriculum made me a liberally educated man, but it allowed me to concentrate on my true academic love — history,” Stedman says.
“Doing something significant for the program that changed my life has always been on my list of things I wanted to accomplish,” he says.
Half of Stedman’s gift will be used to create the Stuart W. Stedman Forty Acres Scholarship for Plan II. Established by the Texas Exes, the Forty Acres Scholars program is the largest and most comprehensive scholarship program at the university. It includes full four-year scholarships, including tuition, fees, books and living expenses; priority housing in honors residence halls; and funding for summer programs such as study abroad, public service and internships. The Stedman scholarship will be reserved for students from Texas.
Stuart W. Stedman
Founded in 1935, Plan II is one of the premier honors programs in the College of Liberal Arts and at the university. It enrolls about 200 students in each class and offers a core curriculum in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics and other disciplines.
“To see a graduate who values his Plan II education in this way and wants to provide a similar experience for another student demonstrates the validity and power of our Plan II community,” says Plan II director Michael Stoff, the Fellow of Hayden W. Head Regents Chair in the Plan II Honors Program in History. “For Stuart Stedman to pay back the program in this way is heartwarming.”
The other half of the gift will be used to establish the Stuart W. Stedman Excellence Fund in History, a fund that will be used at the discretion of the department chair to enhance the stature of the department. This fund will provide faculty and graduate students the opportunity to attend conferences and travel for research. In addition, the Stedman Excellence fund will support faculty in the creation of new courses or hiring graduate assistants. This fund for excellence is unique in its scope and size among College of Liberal Arts departments, significantly expanding the chair’s ability to support and encourage stellar teaching and research.
“We’re extremely pleased when a graduate makes a decision like this that reflects on the value of a history education,” says Department Chair Alan Tully, the Eugene C. Barker Centennial Professor in American History and Fellow of Walter Prescott Webb Chair in History.
“The range of activities, including student support and scholarly engagement, that this gift will endow lies at the heart of the practice and study of history,” says Tully. “And the fostering of a historical perspective enhances, so much, our ability to understand and make contributions to the various worlds we experience.”
Stedman is president of the Houston-based Stedman West Interests, Inc., a family investment company that manages securities, oil and gas properties, coal properties, ranches and real estate. He says his experiences in Plan II — most notably a two-semester philosophy course with Bob Kane, now a professor emeritus — have remained with him throughout his life.
“Once you go through it, its part of you,” Stedman says. “It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.”
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