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Tristan tegroen
A family law and mediation practice. located in thousand oaks, california. telephone (805)499-1900
Industry Recognition and Bragging Rights
CRPC 7
Abuse and Animals
Marriage Defined
Parentage of Children
QDROs and DROs
Spousal and Child Support
Surrogacy in California
Limited Scope
Which Courthouse
A SITE ABOUT our family law mediation practice APPLICABLE TO THE STATE OF california
Tristan teGroen as Mediator of Your Family Law Disputes
Tristan has twenty-three years of experience in family law as an licensed attorney in California and makes himself available as a mediator for family law matters. Tristan makes every effort to comply with the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators (2005) approved by the ABA House of Delegates.
What Does Mediation Entail?
Mediation is a confidential process where the parties, ideally, are self-determined. The mediator should, by definition, be neutral, not interested in the outcome of the dispute, and should be competent to address the disputes between the parties. When mediating, a mediator, unlike a lawyer, does not advocate for the parties. A good mediator should encourage the parties to evaluate their risks, options and interests and position.
'Mediation' Means Exploring Resolution Through a Mediation Process
Family law mediation is when both parties meet with a mediator in an effort to resolve all issues that might be litigated in a family law case. The mediator, in this case a family lawyer, does not represent either party. The resolution of the issues will be on the form of written agreement or stipulation which will finally become the Judgment of the court between the two parties. As part of the process, mediation sessions are normal when both parties (more are possible if the case involves a joinder) either meet or engage in a conference call to discuss each and every issue. In a divorce or parentage case, the parties will address issues of support, custody, and property division.
Why Use Mediation and Not Just Litigate?
Litigation is much like a sports game. Two teams compete. There is usually a winner and loser; sometimes it is a draw. The process is tiring, takes resources and typically destroys any underlying relationship between the parties. In reality many issues in family law matters are negotiated in the hallways of the courthouse. Mediation formalizes this process by creating a forum with a neutral mediator, who has expertise, in an office. The change in forum reduces stress. Mediation creates swift results - and both parties are in control of the outcome too. A court may create novel outcomes which no parties are in favor of; mediation focuses on a number of acceptable outcomes and variations of these outcomes. Parties to a family law dispute have generally always been close and intimate at a time. Relationships sometimes do end and ending the relationship with dignity and respect is a valuable asset to preservation of that relationship in to the future - a valuable asset where parties might still have common friends and goals such as raising children. An experienced family lawyer as a mediator is also able to give parties to a dispute a very good idea of how a court might approach a particular dispute without the costs of preparing extensive pleadings and multiple visits to the courtroom. Family disputes cost anything from one-hundred thousand dollars upward; it is seldom that mediation costs anything near that sum of money. Mediators typically charge hourly for their services.
Communication is a Positive Result of the Mediation Process
Communication is a basic skill. If a couple has not communicated well during a relationship when it was at its best, they are less likely to communicate well about issues when terminating a relationship. The fact is when parties divorce, the relationship changes but does not end and many aspects of the relationship will continue. Writing and exchanging court papers is not communication; the mediation process is designed to give all parties a forum to discuss an issue and review viable solutions.
Mediating Couples May Use Lawyers and Experts
The mediator does not represent parties to the mediation. An attorney on the other hand has several legal duties to a client, including those of competence and conflict of interest duties. A party to mediation is entitled to the same access to independent counsel. Parties to a mediation can also use experts to provide values or resolve accounting issues.
Which Cases are Best Mediated?
It is impossible to predict when mediation will work best. Cases which generally offer up good prospects are those where the parties treat each other respectfully and are prepared to devote time to discussion. A case where there has been a history of significant violence or abuse, for example, might not be the correct case for mediation. A philosopher called Edward de Bono offered a principal of solving issues called 'lateral thinking.' De Bono writes '"You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging the same hole deeper." This means that trying harder in the same direction may not be as useful as changing direction. Effort in the same direction (approach) will not necessarily succeed.' Mediation works best with parties that are willing to change direction and look at other options.
What if Mediation Fails Miserably?
Let's say that mediation is not yielding results - what then? Nothing prevents the parties from resorting to the standard procedural devices to secure a decision from the courts. The courts are there to resolve disputes and have been in place for thousands of years. The court system remains available. However, if the process is 'collaborative, it is possible that new attorneys may need to be hired; a key component of this process is to prevent attorneys from having an agenda to sabotage settlement and litigate. By definition, if the collaborative process fails, the attorneys have typically contracted not to take the case further to litigation and new attorneys should be secured.
Benefits of Mediated Outcomes
The parties to mediation are able to focus on desired outcomes. The outcome is known, discussed and controlled. A neutral fact-finder (judge or court) may create an unknown outcome. Mediation also preserves relationships and maintains dignity. Much of the mud-slinging that takes place during litigation creates pain. Blame, criticism and anger are all on the fore-front in legal pleadings. In reality the parties should take responsibility for their own fault in a failed relationship and attempt to find solutions to outstanding issues with dignity that allows future contact to be positive. Future contact is desirable and unavoidable if the parties have children or common friends and business associates. Mediation is a process which allows for soul-searching and forgiveness. Court hearings and exchanging legal documents are by nature confrontational. Mediation avoids this ugliness. Mediation also allows for openness and honesty. In efforts at zealous advocacy, both qualities are often overlooked in litigation. Litigation is often the final nailin the coffin of a relationship.
Choosing Tristan teGroen for Mediation Services
Tristan teGroen Law provides family law mediation services to parties in all courts in the State of California. Mediation sessions are also available via telephone conferencing and video conferencing at hours that are convenient for all. Sessions are billed hourly and advance payments are typically required when the task is to start and finish a case.
Get my answers to legal questions at Avvo.com
Questions or comments? Get in touch:
From Thousand Oaks or Newbury Park: take the 101 Freeway, and exit on Ventu Park. Turn towards the Santa Monica Mountains on Ventu Park (south), and turn left at the first light, which is Newbury Road.
1000 Newbury Road, # 295
leagle@tristant.net
© Tristan teGroen - Family Lawyer. All rights reserved.
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A Proactive Approach to Conflict
One Day Course
Where we started...
Space Training was founded in 1993 by Steve Jones . Steve had a vision of creating a company which worked in an ethical, collaborative way with its clients in order to develop programmes that truly reflected their needs and needs of their staff.
Now, over 25 years later, Space Training consists of a team of experienced trainers and consultants with a wide range of expertise in diverse industries and fields. We draw together this experience to deliver programmes with impact and real-world tested solutions.
We are most known for our work with health, social care and social housing organisations, but have also worked extensively with companies in the manufacturing, hospitality, education, engineering, finance and retail sectors.
CPD Accredited A Proactive Approach to Conflict One and Two Day Programmes
CPD Accredited & GDC Compliant Safeguarding for Dental Practices Levels 1, 2 & 3
E-mail: info@spacetraining.co.uk
Space Training Consultants Ltd.
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10 Rumford Place
Liverpool L3 9DG
All website content © 2016-2019 Space Training Consultants Ltd
Registered in England and Wales Number 9938252
Registered Office: 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ
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Unsettling the Minivan Ethos: Edbert Wijaya’s VIP Honda Odyssey
Americans have been bitter for decades - we've been hosed time and time again when it comes to foreign automobiles. The strict laws our senators have deemed necessary have prevented us from purchasing seemingly everything desirable. Any Japanese car fan is likely to express their desire for a Skyline of any sort. The BMW fans will rave day-in and day-out for the better-bumpered German counterparts. Emissions restrictions have led to lower-output versions of our favorite cars we're lucky enough to get. It's unlikely in any case, though, that Americans would ever want something as simple as a minivan.
The minivan is the butt of many car-guy jokes, along side Chrysler's PT Cruiser, the Dodge Neon, and the Geo Metro. I remember passing a blue Dodge Caravan on my way to school in the mornings, back before I could drive. It was equipped with white racing stripes, and we always referred to it as the "Dodge Viper his wife made him settle for." The mini-van is any grown man's way of signing off of his automotive enthusiasm forever. It's a sign of more than just growing up - it's a sign of giving in to a wife and several children, and letting the final drop of oil in one's blood run dry.
That is, of course, until Honda built the third-generation Honda Odyssey. The American market got exactly what American mothers and fathers wanted: an Alabama-built minivan that blended into suburban neighborhood driveways - it didn't stand out, and it incites bout the same amount of excitement as a DMV waiting line. The rest of the world, however, received the Japanese-built RB1 chassis Odyssey: a sleeker, stylistic van that, somehow, took the minivan away from the self-deprecating mindset and stuck it in the spotlight.
Ever since, the Odyssey's aggressive front end has been finding its way onto Nissans and others, and the RB1 itself has been modified in a number of ways. From show cars to the oddball track-prepped minivan no one ever expected, the RB1 Odyssey has seen it all. However, as with any chassis, there's always a group of people who push a car to it's limits, and for the RB1, Edbert Wijaya is the man responsible.
For Edbert's story, we must travel 8,953 miles away to Bogor, Indonesia. The breadth of the StanceWorks community is ever-surprising, and as an active StanceWorks forum member, we hopped at the chance to share Edbert's creation. Not only is his Odyssey impressive, it's of a caliber that rivals any other. From top to bottom, Edbert has crafted a truly unique VIP build that transcends "minivandom" into a truly spectacular vehicle.
The build began before Edbert even had the Odyssey. His interest in cars began when he was young, but his love for them flourished when he moved stateside for school. "Over there it wasn't just cars, it was the community and the builds." Edbert found himself tinkering with a 2003 C-class Mercedes, and before long, a W140 S-class. The VIP bug had bit, but before he knew it, school was over, and it was time to return home.
At home in Indonesia, however, the available car options were quite different. "Proper" VIP chassis are very expensive or simply too hard to find, which left Edbert with the decision between the Nissan Teana, or Maxima for us Westerners, and the Honda Odyssey. With some money saved up, Edbert chose the van, and got to work rather quickly.
Simply bolting on parts wasn't enough for Edbert's vision. He took a leap many only dream of by taking pen to paper and drawing out his own one-off body kit. While he lacked the ability to fabricate and form it, his detailed drawings and plans were transformed to reality thanks to a few talented craftsmen and shops along the way. After the kit was complete and fitted, a deep, thick coat of candy red paint was selected to highlight the bodylines while keeping an upper-class and executive tone to the build; a theme no one expects when they hear "bodykitted minivan." Puddle lights stretch between the front and rear wheels, providing one of the staple VIP touches. Out back, a custom exhaust fits perfectly within the custom-designed kit, and offers up a bit of tone for the otherwise tame nature of the "ship."
Under the car is a set of 20" Modulare Forged M15s, wrapped in Accelera 245/35s on all four corners. Behind the wheels are large rotors and a KSport big brake kit, all of which is tucked deep into the fender wells. Edbert achieved his ride height not by air, but instead through the use of hydraulics, with a kit built by Hydrohaulics. The exposed setup sits atop a full stereo installation, bringing back one of the best parts of the last decade's automotive trends. Two Rockford Fosgate 10" subwooders, 2 Pioneer mono amps, a single Pioneer 5-channel amp, and hertz 3-way speakers provide plenty of sound for the van's VIP occupants.
Inside the car, Edbert went all-out, transforming the interior into a display that rivals top luxury brands. The gray leather found in seemingly every minivan that is reminiscent of the quintessential rental car is nowhere to be found. Instead, a fully re-trimmed interior featuring wood, leather, and diamond-stitched suede is found throughout. Junction Produce accessories bring the VIP theme inside full-circle, creating a minivan that has abandoned its native kid transporting duties, in favor of lavish standards, embodying the VIP aesthetic and purpose to a T.
Not only has Edbert done a great job in building a car, he's one of the few who have been able to turn the minivan ethos on its head. His Odyssey is no longer the soccer mom's troop transport; instead, it epitomizes the VIP style and concept while bending the rules that define VIP itself.
Comments on Unsettling the Minivan Ethos: Edbert Wijaya’s VIP Honda Odyssey
klasky
Only touch I would have added was a wood grain steering wheel. Incredible build, always loved VIP cars, and always enjoyed the VIP Minivans as well. Good stuff!
DioseptaFirdanCahya
good, rb1 from indonesia
CarsReports2014
The next generation of the Nissan Maxima will probably be presented at 2014 Detroit Auto Show. http://carsreports2014.com/2015-nissan-maxima-concept-gt-r-styled/ What are you think about that?
Hi id like to know if you can import a japanese honda odyssey rb1 to america
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PR Visas
Canada PR
Australia PR
Canada Business Visa
Bulgaria Business Visa
USA Business visa
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Australia b, Australia Citizenship, Australia Immigration, Australian Permanent Residency, Australian visa, Australian Work visa
Australian Work Visa Compulsory Overseas Offshore Workers
Australian Work Visa Compulsory for Overseas Offshore Workers – In what could be a rather upsetting blow to the incumbent Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, the country’s High Court has reportedly ruled that the overseas employees–on the ships running in the money-making offshore resources business–must possess an Australian Work Visa, like the 457 Visa, and get bare minimum wages & conditions.
The ruling–given on August 31, this year–knocked over the administration reorganizations that permitted the workers from abroad, on some specific ships, to be on the pay roll and in a job minus having an Australian Work Visa. As per the High Court, Peter Dutton–the then Australian Immigration Minister–went beyond his authority, via approving exemptions from the nation’s migration zone.
Court Victory Will Care For Local Jobs, Claim Unions
Welcoming the High Court’s ruling, the Maritime manpower in the country have reportedly stated that it will be decisive, and assist to protect local jobs, while simultaneously preventing the abuse of the low-priced overseas labor force, which had become widespread across the 200 billion dollar offshore oil and gas business.
Allegedly, the chief outcome is that it puts a stop to the administration’s efforts to chip away at the jobs of the Australian seafarers in the offshore oil and gas business, which is what they did by throwing the doors of the business wide open to the overseas workers.
Australian Immigration Case to make it simpler for Offshore Manpower
In 2015, the Australian federal administration reportedly decided to exempt the dedicated foreign employees, on specific some offshore oil and gas rigs, from necessitating an Australian Work Visa in general. The decision nullified the improvements earlier made by the Gillard Labor administration, which expanded the Australian Work Visa conditions to such rigs, making them component of the migration zone.
In the wake of the High Court’s ruling, Dutton reportedly stated that the immunities s had been given to defend jobs and solidify the future of the country’s offshore resources business even as he termed the decision as highly unsatisfactory.
He added that the decision to turn over the recent government reorganizations will generate more bureaucracy, boost costs for the industry, while cutting down the general competitiveness of one of the nation’s leading export earners.
Unions Claim Inducement to Appoint Cheap Overseas Workers
But, the union officials, representing workers across the trade, claim that the decision of the Turnbull regime, to exempt the overseas staff from needing an Australian Work Visa, served as an inducement for the firms to enlist foreign manpower on the cheap, while completely abandoning safety standards and working situations.
Union envoys reportedly proclaimed that the protracted legal challenge against the Turnbull regime’s reforms was a matter of if the nationals possess the authority to do a job in their own offshore business.
As per the union, the Abbott and Turnbull administrations made shoddy and repeated efforts to exclude any requirements for the foreign employees on some offshore missions to hold Work Visas, despite the fact that they were proffering their professional services inside the limits of the Australian waters.
Hailing the ruling, the union added that it was a BIG win for the labor force even as the result denotes that to work in the Australian waters one must either be a national or possess the nation’s work rights.
Expertise & Experience among Australian Employees
It is claimed that the officers’ union had over 170 jobless members, each and every one of them with the essential skills and preferred experience to do the work on offshore vessels. In the meantime, the Maritime Union of Australia disclosed that 1,000-plus employees were presently without a job.
In the meantime, Dutton reportedly condemned Labor for falling apart under the weight of the demands made by its ‘union masters’, at the cost of safeguarding the national economic interests when expanding the nation’s migration region, to take in the outsiders in the offshore resources trade back in 2013.
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合乐网页版登录入口
乐众棋牌手机版app下载
首页 >东森平台平台彩票专用论坛 > 七码滚雪球500本金选择 » 正文
波音体育官方注册
基金机蔓Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most common cancer in HIV-infected untreated individuals永柏延私Some of China's practices are also worth learning, such as how it trains its officials系兑She is now helping the development area build a China-South Korea Industry Park, and she has already brought in three South Korean companies to invest in the city's high-tech zone波音体育官方注册付危What is your impression of President Xi Jinping? I think he is a determined man募股After finishing middle school and high school studies in the city, Cho's elder son was admitted to Peking University for undergraduate studies, and then returned to Hefei later for his MBA at the University of Science and Technology of China权拼The Obama administration had done everything it could to internationalize the South China Sea issue and had used the Philippines, a US ally, to advance the American strategy单卖However, the Pew survey finds that Duterte and his policies are widely popular at home despite concerns expressed by some governments, in particular the US, over Duterte's clashes with drug cartels and alleged human rights violations波音体育官方注册基金机蔓A quarter now name China as the world's leading economy, up from 14 percent the last time the Philippines was surveyed
永柏延私At the same time, 78 percent believe the current economic situation is good, and 57 percent are satisfied with the direction of the country, a 21 percentage-point increase from 2014, the last time this question was asked in the Philippines系兑And despite the Philippines being the most pro-Trump nation in Pew's spring 37-country survey, confidence in Trump now is lower than it was in then-President Barack Obama in 2015波音体育官方注册付危They kept practicing from morning until night, trying to master the basic skills of lion dance, routines and instrumental music within a short period
募股The cultural center of the Jinpu New Area also arranged some courses for them to know about other traditional Chinese culture such as Chinese calligraphy, seal cutting, folk dance, paper-cutting, and pottery权拼The cultural center of the Jinpu New Area has undertaken the course for three consecutive years since 2015ag平台平台真人游戏单卖During the 35-day training course, they learned from Li Mingxu, the fifth generation successor of the Jinzhou Lion Dance, a provincial intangible cultural heritage that has been passed from generation to generation for more than a century基金机蔓Ten students from Nigeria and Zambia learned how to perform Chinese lion dance at the Jinpu New Area in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning province
波音体育官方注册These changes may look pleasant, but not quite so to Derek Hyra, an associate professor at the American University School of Public Affairs and an expert on neighborhood changeChen Weihua/China DailyHaving lived in Washington DC for almost five years, I have seen the city growing, with new construction and renovation projects happening in many streets and neighborhoods
Hyra described how the "dark ghetto" has been turned into a "gilded ghetto"To Hyra, it has caused not just residential displacement for African Americans but also political and cultural displacementHis book this year, Race, Class, and Politics in the Cappuccino City, is the result of his many years of field research on the issuesWhites are the majority now, accounting for 55 percent of the community
The 14th Street near U Street, a traditional African American neighborhood, is now lined up with hip restaurants and bars in this photo taken on SundayThe area, a 90 percent black neighborhood just a few decades ago, was only 30 percent African American by 2010Hyra described the massive transformation in the U Street/Shaw area, where the city's once most infamous open-air drug market has become a farmers' market now selling grass-fed beef and homemade duck egg ravioliThe Wharf residential and business project I visited recently is probably one of the biggest
The same urban renewal is happening in other parts of WashingtonThe U Street/Shaw and 14th Street area has fast been turned into an upscale neighborhood in recent years, with many new restaurants and shops opening and new apartment construction
波音体育官方注册Only a short walk from the National Mall, it looks like a good place to live, work and hang outThe area has seen a sharp increase in the white population and skyrocketing property prices, a sign of gentrification in the Washington DC
He saw major issues of gentrification and segregation in Washington beneath the surface of rapid urban renewalLocated in southwest Washington along the waterfront next to the famed Maine Avenue Fish Market, its first phase will open on Oct 12"An effort to reduce sugary drink intake of teenagers is urgently needed," Liang Xiaofeng, deputy director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, saidAccording to the US Department of Agriculture, global production of sugar is up 9 million tons to a record of 180 million metrics tons a year and consumption hovers at the 172 million metric ton level, also a record high levelThe American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that people should drink no more than three cans of soda (about 450 calories) a week, but men drink 175 and women 94 calories a dayOne sign says you're looking at 45,485 pounds of added sugar - the amount that Kind says children in the United States consume every five minutes
As early as 2006 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified sugar drinks as one of the main culprits in rising obesity ratesThe numbers are spun out by Kind from there: children consume 13
"In addition, I have found that sugar imports are increasingUntil the 18th century, when the technology for extracting sugar from cane was developed, and 19th century, when we learned how to get it from beets, sugar was only available when the fruit ripened or the bees got busy
About 12 percent of children aged 7 to 18 in the survey were overweightJudy Zhu / China DailyA 24-foot-tall pyramid of boxes marked "sugar" in the middle of Times Square makes a point that's kind of hard to ignore
The world does consume too much "added sugar" - a term the USDA began using in 2000 to help people spot processed foods that have added energy with no added nutrition"Every country that has adopted the Western diet, one dominated by low-cost, highly processed food, has witnessed rising rates of obesity and related diseases," the journal Nature commented recentlyHigh fructose corn syrup, raw, brown and white sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses make up about 16 percent of the calories Americans consume and have zero nutritional valueAs the researchers in Nature put it: "In recent years, sugar has been added to virtually every processed food, limiting consumer choice
5 million children in the US are obese, the CDC says, blaming snacks and foods high in sugar and saltFor children aged four to eight, the AHA suggests no more than three teaspoons of sugar a day, about 130 calories of a 1,600-calorie diet
1 million pounds of added sugar a day - enough to fill 273 yellow school busesA can of soda has the equivalent of seven to 12 teaspoons of sugar
"A report from a survey of 14 provinces in China found that the daily intake of sugars for Chinese people was lower than the level recommended by the World Health Organization, but for children between the ages of 3 and 17 it was much higher because of the growing popularity of sugary drinks, China Daily reported in MayA display in Times Square includes a sugar tower that is 15 feet wide by 24 feet high
It is made of cartons depicting more than 45,000 pounds of sugar, surrounded by life-size models of "crystallized" childrenThe top domestic consumers, in descending order, are India, the EU, China, the US and BrazilStanding sentinel around the mound are ghostly sculptures of small children, apparently made out of sugar-like granular material, wearing tags that read: "I am 9 years old and weigh 64 poundsAccording to the National Soft Drink Association, the industry produces 600 12-ounce cans of sugary drinks per person per year, most of it what they call the full-sugar variety, and supplies more than a quarter of what Americans drink
The publicity stunt, created by Magnetic Collaborative agency to promote power bar-maker Kind's new line of fruit snacks, which have no added sugar, is meant to sound an alarmIn descending order, Brazil, India, the EU, Thailand, China and the US are the top producers
The survey, conducted in 2014 by China's health, education and sports authorities, found that the sugar intake of males 13 to 17 surpassed 8"There are now 30 percent more people who are obese than who are undernourished
波音体育官方注册The average child takes in 21 teaspoons a day, the AHA saysThe white paper went to great lengths to define China as one of the "destabilizing factors" along with Democratic People's Republic of Korea
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Don't waste your vote by choosing a party whose policies don't match your opinion.
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uxbridge and south ruislip
uxbridge and south ruislip Constituency Details
Please note this website was created for the 2015 General Election. Due to the lack of preparation time, we have not updated this website for the 2017 Election. Why?
CONSTITUENCY MP
Please note that we are currently updating our website to represent the results of the 2015 General Election, the newly elected MPs and their respective constituencies.
CONSTITUENCY OVERVIEW
CONTROLLING PARTYConservative
ELECTORATE81,882 voters
AREA11 sq. miles
Uxbridge and South Ruislip is a UK parliament constituency that is represented in the House of Commons by Boris Johnson of the Conservative party.
The Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency has a total population of 104,114, of which 81,882 are eligible (18+) to vote (78.6%).
Uxbridge and South Ruislip ranks 490th in a list of the largest constituencies in the UK (geographical size), and 169th in a list of the largest constituencies by population size.
Sorry, a bio for Boris Johnson has not yet been produced.
MP DETAILS
Address Boris Johnson MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Phone Number 020 7219 4272
Political Party Conservative
Email Address admin@hillingdonconservatives.org
Constituency Uxbridge and South Ruislip
Date of Birth 19/06/1964
Twitter Twitter Profile
Party Page Website
Wikipedia Page Visit Wiki
SHARE OF VOTES
ELECTION TURNOUT
Election turnout for the Uxbridge And South Ruislip constituency in 2015 was 63.40%, lower than the average UK turnout at 66.1%.
Boris Johnson Conservative Male 19 June 1964 (56) - http://www.boris4uxbridge.com/
Chris Summers Labour Male - - https://chrissummersforuxbridge.wordpress.com/
Gary Harbord Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Male 09 January 1963 (57) - -
Graham Lee Green Male 03 May 1905 (115) - http://hillingdon.greenparty.org.uk/
Howling Laud Hope Official Monster Raving Loony Party Male 19 June 1942 (78) - -
Jack Duffin UK Independence Party Male 07 January 1992 (28) https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jackduffin http://jackduffin.com/
James Jackson Independent Male - - -
Jane Lawrence The Realists' Party Female - - -
Jenny Thompson Independent Female 29 April 1905 (115) - http://www.independentjenny.org/
Lord Toby Jug The Eccentric Party of Great Britain Male 18 December 1965 (55) - http://www.eccentricparty.com/
Michael Doherty Independent Male 30 September 1971 (49) - http://www.justicenow.co.uk/
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natural growth (chronology)
cross pollination (categories)
wild growth (highlighted)
In summer 2016 Huize Frankendael and artist Edward Clydesdale Thomson started the two-year collaborative project wild care, tame neglect. For two years Thomson will embed his artistic practice in the last remaining 17th-century country house in Amsterdam researching the paradoxes of nature that abound in this cultural heritage. Within the context of the Frankendael, Thomson will cultivate his daily working environment starting with a temporary studio in the garden from where he will realise artistic interventions, new artworks addressing the surroundings, a public program of workshops and lectures, an exhibition and a performance. Within this fluid programme there is the possibility for everything to bloom and decay with the seasons. Every aspect of Thomson’s activities can be followed closely within the public sphere of this historical venue that has been both lake, mansion and city nursery.
The core of wild care, tame neglect is the long-term relationship that Frankendael and Thomson cultivate. Rarely will or can a cultural institution and artist develop an intensive, two-year cooperation. This cooperation is an experimental model for artistic production. What are the mutual expectations and possibilities? What are the practical and substantive requirements, goals and aspirations in which an artwork can come about? How is a work of art shaped by the conditions of its production? The cross-pollination between Frankendael and Thomson could be so different at the heights of summer or the depths of winter. With wild care, tame neglect, Frankendael offers an artist the unique opportunity to use this historic location both as a laboratory and exhibition space and Thomson offers the institution the possibility to explore the identity of its surroundings. Historical and contemporary notions of nature and culture, work and leisure collide in Frankendael. The house was built as a country house for the 17th-century bourgeoisie, a sign of entrepreneurship, wealth and privileges and all that entails. On the other hand Frankendael is now used as a restaurant, venue for ceremonies, meetings, recreation and contemporary art.
– Edward Clydesdale Thomson
As an artist my practice is often concerned with the places and objects on the margins of outside and inside, of wild and tamed landscapes. Be that a patterned fabric, a window blind, a gate, or a washing line: objects that form a transition from the realm of domestic and personal, to the symbolic and collective.
In October 2015, at the invitation of the board of the Frankendael Foundation, I began thinking about how my artistic practice could be of relevance within the context of Huize Frankendael. The evolving artwork, wild care, tame neglect, is the manifestation of this thinking as it develops. On this website you can find an archive of that process.
The best way of experiencing the project though is to come and see. If you would like a personal tour I’d be more than happy to show you round and you can contact info@wildcaretameneglect.nl to make an appointment.
Edward Clydesdale Thomson (b. 1982) is a Scottish/Danish artist based in the Netherlands. He is a graduate of the MFA program at the Piet Zwart Institute, Rotterdam and the BArch program at the Glasgow school of Art. He was resident at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam (2011–12). In 2011 he was awarded the Lecturis Award and nominated for the Prix de Rome. Notable recent shows include "causa finalis" (2012), Galerie Fons Welters, Amsterdam, "Prix de Rome 2011", SMART Project Space, Amsterdam, and "Secret Gardens" (2012), TENT, Rotterdam. www.edwardthomson.net
– Huize Frankendael
Huize Frankendael is the last remaining country estate within the city Amsterdam. Build in the 18th century, the house was used by people of to enjoy friendship and nature. While the city has enclosed the country estate, the joy of pleasure still remains. House, kitchen and garden are open throughout the year for the combination of nature, gastronomy and art&culture.
Frankendael Foundation welcomes the public to the 18th-century manorial estate Huize Frankendael in Amsterdam. We disclose the house as an exhibition space for contemporary art. Inspired by the Salon-d’art, the Foundation makes art resonate throughout society by means of exhibitions, lively debates, networking and recreation both inside and outside of the estate. Frankendael Foundation merges public and private domains during various events, where artists, visitors, collectors and critics meet.
Each year several exhibitions are held in the house.
Subscribe to our Facebookpage and we’ll keep you posted!
info@wildcaretameneglect.nl
wild care, tame neglect
Middenweg 72,
Huis Frankendael
http://www.huizefrankendael.nl
pack-up
missing bag
Public art Amsterdam
Sacha Zwiers
exhibition architecture
Het Parool - Maarten Moll
Ine Lamers
light ball
table position
herman verkerk
outside or in
how to kill a tree
clear-out
light night
bit and bobs
Bart de Beats
Sandra Kassenaar
poster workshop
Laura van Grinsven
groundscrew
top of the house
weathervane
sunbathers
Rijks
behind the hedge
Joke de Wolf
Toine Hoervers
birds-eye view
postbox - birdhouse
Edo Dijksterhuis
Nikola Lamburov
stacking wood
Jason Coburn
visitiors
frans-willem korsten
verdant sculpture
stop digging
Jay Tan
staff summer party
almost summer
Joram
Tijl Vanneste
Jan Gildemeester
almost spring
wild care
beyond the bridge
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Posts Tagged ‘poultry workers’
Murray, DeLauro Call on USDA to Reject Chicken Council’s Petition to Increase Line Speeds
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Ranking Member of the House Labor Appropriations Committee, today sent a sharply worded letter to Carmen Rottenberg, acting head of USDA’s Food Safety Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) calling on the agency to reject a petition from the National Chicken Council to increase the line speed for poultry workers.
The legislators argue that
granting the petition would further endanger an already vulnerable workforce. Poultry workers face harsh and dangerous working conditions. Industry-reported statistics show that poultry workers are injured at rates almost twice the national average and suffer occupational illnesses at a rate that is over six times as high. Still worse, according to FSIS itself, these shocking figures significantly understate the actual rate of injury and illness among these workers.
Poultry workers currently work at breakneck line speeds, and further increasing the speeds will inevitably result in even more worker injuries and illnesses. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) research shows staggeringly high rates of injuries directly related to the rapid, repetitive movements these workers must perform. In one study, 34 percent of such workers had carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and 76 percent had evidence of nerve damage in their hands and wrists. In another study, 42 percent had CTS. Further, workers in the poultry industry suffer finger amputations at the single highest rate of any U.S. industry.”
They argue that FSIS does not have the authority to grant the petition because the agency only has temporary waiver authority and “only 1) in the event of a public health emergency or 2) “to permit experimentation so that new procedures, equipment and processing techniques may be tested to facilitate definite improvements.”
There is no public health emergency according to Murray and DeLauro, and “there is nothing ‘new’ or ‘experiment[al]’ about fast line speeds.” Not only has the department already issued a waiver to some plants, but “FSIS issued a final rule in 2014 declining to allow any increase in the line speed limit beyond 140 bpm.”
Additionally, FSIS assured the public that it would make no changes to any provisions in the rule until it could assess the impact of changes under the NPIS after it has been “fully implemented on a wide scale” for at least one year. The system has not been “fully implemented on a wide scale;” only a few dozen plants out of the 187 expected to convert to NPIS have operated for a year or more under it.
The Chicken Council has been waging a long campaign speed up production. Chicken Council spokesperson Tom Super says we’re in a race to the bottom that they don’t want to lose: “The motivation behind the higher line speeds is to keep up with international competitors.”
But as a recent NPR story describes, worker groups are fighting back, warning that “higher line speeds increase the risks for foodborne illness and worker injuries in an industry that has an already spotty safety record.”
Workers are hurting. “Federal statistics show that animal slaughtering and processing facilities are the 6th most dangerous workplaces for severe injuries. According to a Government Accountability Office report, most musculoskeletal injuries caused by repetitive movement, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, are not reported by workers.”
And it’s not good for people who eat chicken either. Under a pilot project, according to a former USDA inspector, only one federal inspector is responsible for viewing birds that come through the chicken evisceration line. “‘You had less than 30 seconds to inspect the chicken. How can you look at the front, back, up and down and inside a chicken in 30 seconds? [retired USDA inspector Phyllis] McKelvey asks before answering her own question: ‘There’s no way.’”
Thirteen non-profit organizations and unions, including worker rights, civil rights, consumer safety, public health, and animal welfare groups—met with top officials last month to “to urge them to reject a poultry industry petition to allow faster and unrestricted line speeds in poultry plants.” And last August, the groups sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sunny Purdue calling on him to ”oppose any proposed rule that would increase line speeds in poultry plants within the United States above the current 140 birds per minute (bpm).”
This blog was originally published at Confined Space on November 17, 2017. Reprinted with permission.
About the Author: Jordan Barab served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor at OSHA from 2009 to 2017. Before that he worked for the House Education and Labor Committee, the Chemical Safety Board, the AFL-CIO, OSHA and AFSCME. He currently produces Confined Space, a newsletter of workplace safety and labor issues.
Tags: animal slaughtering and processing, Carmen Rottenberg, carpal tunnel, foodborne illness, FSIS, line speed, musculoskeletal, National Chicken Council, Patty Murray, poultry workers, Rosa DeLauro, USDA, worker injuries
Posted in workplace safety | No Comments »
Poultry lobbyists hope Trump will okay dangerous chicken processing speed-up Obama rejected
The poultry industry really, really wants to process the chickens you eat at rates of more than 140 per minute. Under former President Obama, the USDA considered and then backed off of an increase to 175 chickens per minute going down the line being eviscerated and inspected. Under Donald Trump, the National Chicken Council hopes that the sky’s the limit, asking for plants to be allowed to operate “at any line speed” if they adopt a new inspection system.
The Obama-era cap is an “arbitrary” limit that is holding back the industry’s ability to compete in the global marketplace, the National Chicken Council stated in its petition.
Granting waivers would help the Trump administration achieve its goals of “reducing regulatory burdens on the industry,” the council said, adding that it would help poultry plants cut costs and expand production to meet rising demand.
Because what you really want to hear about the meat you’re eating is that cutting costs was the producer’s primary goal, and that the government went right along with that.
Do chicken eaters trust the safety of that new inspection system? The jury is out on that and under Trump we can be sure of never getting trustworthy data. But one thing is for damn sure: if line speeds increase, the workers who process chickens will lose limbs.
Poultry workers are almost twice as likely to suffer from serious injuries as workers in private industry, and more than six times as likely to have a work-related illness. Two poultry and meat processing plants, Tyson Foods and JBS/Pilgrim’s Pride, are among the 10 companies with the highest number of work-related amputations and hospitalizations, out of more than 14,000 companies reporting to the federal government, Berkowitz, a former Obama Labor Department official, discovered.
But what are the hands and arms of a heavily immigrant workforce when a bunch of big companies could profit? Nothing, in Trumpworld.
This blog was originally published at DailyKos on October 16, 2017. Reprinted with permission.
About the Author: Laura Clawson is labor editor at DailyKos.
Tags: amputations, Department of Labor, hospitalizations, line, line speed, National Chicken Council, OSHA, poultry industry, poultry workers, serious injuries, USDA
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MP3 Amazing Grace Praise Band - Let The Praise Begin
Komplettes MP3 Album von Amazing Grace Praise Band
Angegebene Spieldauer: 67:02
Kurz-Beschreibung von CDbaby: This is Sacred Steel Guitar Music. It’s a combination of soulful, spirit raising, sanctified sounds guaranteed to inspire any listener.
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The Amazing Grace Praise Band is a New Independent String Instrument Band with its musical roots in the Jewell Dominion Church of the Living God. In this church the Steel Guitar reigns and dominates as the lead instrument of praise and worship not the Hammond Organ or keyboard. The Steel Guitar is considered to be a divine instrument of praise used exclusively for temple worship. Sacred Steel Guitar Music is a combination of soulful, spirit rising, sanctified sounds guaranteed to inspire any listener.
The Amazing Grace Praise Band was born out of the desire to preserve our unique sound and style of sacred steel guitar music played within the walls of the Jewell Dominion church. We are one of the few organized praise bands to venture outside of the church using this sacred music as a vehicle to spread the Gospel message. Until now this music has been like a hidden treasure in the earth and to the gospel music industry for over sixty years. This new species of sacred steel guitar music is referred to as a rare find in the American music culture.
Many styles of music were brought over from Africa and established in America, but much like Jazz and Blues, Sacred Steel music was born on American soil, it’s unique style was developed and played by African Americans and is part of our little known history in this country. The Amazing Grace “Sacred Strings� Praise Band has its origin in the Jewell Dominion Church of the Living God which was founded in 1903.
Our deep seated love and respect for the music and those who blazed this sacred trail before us, is what motivates us to pursue this endeavor as we pick up where our mentors left off. Our goal is to make a difference in the lives of people as we use the power of music to minister to the masses. Unlike many of our mentors we refuse to allow another generation to take this sacred steel guitar music to the grave without attempting to inspire and impact the world. Our assignment is to expose this music as we shine a positive light on the origin of this fast growing musical phenomenon known today as “Sacred Steel� Music.
Del Ray Grace, Sr.
Del Grace the Visionary and Producer of the Amazing Grace Praise Band is the fourth of eight children born to Curtis and Loretta Grace (O’Bryant). He is a multi-talented musician playing both the bass and steel guitar. However, on this CD project he masterfully plays the Steel Guitar on all 14 tracks. Del began playing at age 14 at the Stateline CLG where Bishop Ella Mae Dupree was his Pastor. Del attributes his style of playing to Bishop H. Wayne White of Detroit, MI, the late James "Tubby" Golden of Cleveland, OH and the late great Bishop https://www.tradebit.comrison of Indianapolis, IN. Del’s favorite Bible verse is James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Kelli Lynn Grace
Was born in Detroit, Michigan to Johnell and Sharon Caver (May). Kelli attended the Joy Road Church of the Living God where Elder K. Burns was the Pastor. In 1984 she moved her membership to Gospel Truth Tabernacle, where her grandfather, Bishop Clinton W. Kirkwood was Pastor. She later married her husband, Del Ray Grace Sr. and moved to Toledo, Ohio. Kelli is a very gifted public speaker and she uses that gift to articulate the spoken word in several songs on this CD project. Kelli’s favorite verse of scripture is Psalms 37:4, Delight thyself in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Johnell "Jay" Caver,
Jay is a very exceptional lead guitarist born in Detroit, Michigan to Johnell and Sharon Caver (May). Jay travels extensively between the Jewell and Keith Dominion Churches playing for the Lord. Jay began playing at age 16 and was inspired by many Jewell Dominion guitarist but Ronnie Mozee of Indianapolis, Indiana made the greatest impact on his style of play. To his credit Jay has recorded with Calvin Cooke, Robert Randolph, Derrick Campbell, Aubrey Ghent, Inspired of OH, Sonny Day of Detroit and other Arhoolie Sacred Steel Artist.
Tressa S. Boles
Tressa is the youngest child born to Walter Boles Jr. and Loretta Boles (O’Bryant). She began singing at a very young age in her local church, Stateline CLG. Her indelible mark on the music landscape has taken her to the Bobby Jones Gospel Explosion, the Thomas Dorsey Convention and the Gospel Music Workshop of America. She led a song on the Edwin Hawkins Music and Arts Seminar Recording. Tressa has also recorded with Chris Byrd and True Victory, Nikki "D" and the Browns and the renowned Rev Rance Allen (who was also her former pastor of New Bethel COGIC). Tressa also has to her credit two national tours with playwright Michael Matthews and Prince of Peace Productions entitled "Come Out of the Rain" and "Moma I’m Sorry". Tressa states her purpose for singing is to compel everyone to live for Jesus Christ. Tressa currently worships at The Potter’s House in Jacksonville, FL where her pastor is Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin.
Del Ray Grace Jr.,
A 20-year-old, multi-talented musician who plays the drums and bass guitar on this CD project. He began playing music in the church at the age of 2. He is currently the main drummer at the Mt Pilgrim Baptist Church where Rev. Raymond Bishop is Pastor. Del is also the percussion section leader in his High School Marching Band. His inspiration comes primarily from his father Del Ray Grace Sr. and Uncle Kevin Staples who encouraged him to use his talent for the Lord.
Angela "Grace" Russell,
She is a multi-talented female musician who plays the Guitar and Keyboard. Born to Curtis Grace and Loretta (Grace) O’Bryant. Angela began playing the guitar at the State-Line Church of the Living God where Bishop Ella Mae Dupree was her Pastor. She is well versed in the Jewell Dominion style of praise music. Angela attends the Universal New Beginnings C.O.G.I.C. where Pastor R. Witty presides. She also serves as the minister of music. She was inspired to play by another Jewell Dominion female guitarist, Kim Love of Philadelphia, Pa. Angela’s favorite bible verse is Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.
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How Barry Switzer Is Changing The Way We Watch Football
By: Scott Bedgood
Barry Switzer wants to watch college football with you. Yes, you. He wants you to be sitting right next to him, in his house, munching on his snacks, with drinks from his fridge, talking Sooners football while the game is on TV.
And yes, I'm talking about that Barry Switzer, the 79-year-old College Football Hall of Famer and Oklahoma legend who won three national championships in the 70s and 80s.
Oh, you can't just up and go to Norman, Oklahoma every Saturday in the fall? That's fine. That's where Switzer's brainchild, the Coaches' Cabana comes in.
The Cabana
"Mark Rodgers! Boy, I was scared to death y'all wouldn't show," bellows Switzer, his commanding voice echoing throughout his backyard cabana.
Switzer leaps up from his chair to shake hands with radio host Mark Rodgers and former Sooners QB Thomas Lott. Rodgers walks in toting a laptop, while Lott carries a folder full of research.
"I didn't find out until five minutes ago who we were playing. I said, who in the hell are we playing today?" says Switzer. He's joking, sort of. Almost everything the College Football Hall of Fame coach says comes out in the same jocular, folksy tone that it can become difficult to separate fact from fiction.
Lott and Rodgers, along with a host of other people, are here for the Coaches' Cabana, Switzer and his business partner Mike Henry's show, entering its fourth season. The show is unlike any other sports talk show. Besides taking place at the legendary coach's house just south of the University of Oklahoma campus, the show is pioneering a new way to experience college football, and sports in general.
"We know more about OU than anybody from ESPN or Fox or whatever network is broadcasting the game. We give our fans the option of a second screen," says Switzer. "And we are all over the world. We get tweets from soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan telling us they are watching us live."
Switzer says the trick is to pull up your phone, laptop or tablet and stream Coaches' Cabana on CoachesCabana.com while you have the game up on your TV, or watch the Coaches' Cabana show on the local Cox Cable channel. If you're doing that, Switzer suggests doing a picture-in-picture of the Cabana and the game. Either way, turn the volume down on the networks and up on Switzer and co., he says.
"People are just watching me talk about the game. If I invite them over to the house, they come to talk about the game, so it's the same thing," says Switzer. "But this way you don't have to come to my house. You can stay home and turn on the damn cable to watch me talk about the game."
The "second screen" experience that Switzer and Henry discuss is something they started experimenting with during the first iteration of the Cabana back in 2012 -- though it's far from Switzer's first business venture outside of football.
A sampling of his other businesses include Switzer Locker Rooms, Switzer Family Vineyards, Switzer Wine & Spirits, and his wife Becky's talent agency, Switzer Talent. It's apparent that Switzer isn't just lending his name to business ideas either, he's got a sharp mind and has been investing in and starting businesses since his coaching days.
The son of a bootlegger from rural Arkansas, Switzer made himself a wealthy man through football and smart investing. He coached before college coaches made the astronomical salaries they make today, but almost 20 years since he was on the sidelines for the Dallas Cowboys, he's doing just fine financially.
The Cabana isn't Switzer's first foray into media either.
"Back in 1978, Mike and I started a magazine called Sooners Illustrated. A magazine called Sports Illustrated challenged us and they lost. Then we did a Huskers Illustrated, Longhorns Illustrated and a Trojans Illustrated," says Switzer. "We did 13 schools. I used it as a recruiting tool. We were successful with it and we ended up selling it several years ago, but it's still in print today."
So when Henry approached him four years ago with the idea for the Coaches' Cabana, Switzer liked the idea and knew there was a market for it. They brought in Neal Pilson, former president of CBS Sports to perform due diligence to make sure they had the rights to do it. Switzer did the first show by himself and quickly realized he needed to bring in some help.
"I did the first show by myself. After the first show I said I'll never do that sumb**ch again," says Switzer. "Three and half hours of me non-stop. Wore my ass slick out."
Making The Magic Happen
Rodgers wasn't even aware that Switzer did this first show by himself. He says he's been doing it all four years, so he must have been the first call Switzer made after he recovered from his first show.
Pilson also watches from his home in Massachusetts and critiques the show for them. Switzer, a man beholden to almost no one, keeps Pilson in mind while broadcasting -- not that it changes the way he acts, but at least he keeps him in mind.
"I'm not supposed to do this, but I want to eat this cookie. I'm not supposed to eat on camera. Neal's gonna call me and chew me out," says Switzer, live on camera during the second half of the game.
He breaks off a piece of cookie and puts it in his mouth while chuckling. He's almost childish in his defiance of TV decorum, but, like everything Switzer does, it's met with laughs. After all, it's his show, his cabana, and his cookie.
"Pan the camera to these sponsor posters," Switzer says between mouthfuls.
Oh, yeah, the Coaches' Cabana is sponsored to the hilt by national beer companies, cable companies, casinos and soft drink brands. Switzer doesn't broadcast from his backyard as an act of charity.
The men he's telling to pan the camera are Craig Huddleston and Jacob Wright of Titan Standard, the production company in charge of keeping Switzer, Lott, Rodgers, and whoever else stops by, on the air. It's a surprisingly small crew of people that keep the Cabana operational. Huddleston and Wright handle the entire technical side, making sure that the stream still works online and on Cox Cable, keeping Switzer's monitors working, and desperately trying to silently signal to Switzer that they are back on camera.
The other members of the Cabana team are OU seniors Mesa Sharp and Carolene Stephan, whose technical job titles are ... "Well, Barry just calls us Twitter Girls."
"I got two good looking gals that sit right over there, they're Tri Delts. They handle all of our tweets," says Switzer. "They read them, make sure they are good, and show them to me on the monitor there during the show, and I answer the questions live on the air."
Sharp was quick to correct one part of that statement.
"We're Pi Phis! We've been telling him that for three years," says Sharp with a laugh.
Despite Switzer's uncanny grasp of new technologies for someone who is almost 80, Sharp and Stephan do have some trouble getting him to adapt to new social media accounts. Switzer, though, will do what it takes to reach the audience he wants. He's unsatisfied with Twitter and wants to be able to interact with fans in different ways. He talks with Sharp and Stephan about Instagram for a full commercial break, a conversation that continues even when the show comes back from break.
This, too, is a common theme of the Coaches' Cabana. Switzer really gives the viewer the feeling that they are peering into his world and not a normal TV show. Often the return from commercial follows this pattern:
Rodgers welcomes the viewer back to the show – Switzer is either talking to one of his houseguests, playing with a puppy, trying to set up Sharp with a young man that’s just joined the gathering, eating a cookie, telling a story, or asking someone if they want to be on TV – Lott may offer some game commentary – Switzer finally picks up his headset – Switzer either joins the conversation in progress or remembers a story about Billy Sims and starts telling it for the next three plays.
It's a highly entertaining act, especially for the "affinity fan" that Switzer is going for. If you love Barry Switzer and have been watching the Sooners your whole life, you are going to love watching the game with Coach. If you have no interest in Switzer or OU, then you’d probably rather watch the network guys.
"The most boring thing is doing a game when you're hanging half a hundred on somebody. We're not one of those people that gives the play-by-play," says Switzer. "People see that. You don't need to tell them all that bulls**t. We also get to second guess what's going on."
Switzer seems to relish not being a coach anymore. Instead of answering to the media, with whom he often had a complicated relationship, he gets to be the media.
"I told Bob Stoops that I can say things that he can't. For example, Bob can't say that his defensive tackle isn't worth a s**t. Stoops has to coach his guys all year long. I don't have to, so I can say if someone is a problem," says Switzer. "Most of the time I get to talk about how good the team is playing and how well they are coached. I get to tell the truth. Football coaches can't tell the truth sometimes."
Copying The Cabana
The revolutionary concept of the second-screen experience isn't just a closely held Switzer secret. As he tells it, ESPN copied the Cabana for its national championship coverage. He's likely talking about ESPN's "Homer Telecast" where former players from Clemson and Alabama provided decidedly biased coverage of the game in a second-screen style experience.
The reason he says he was copied (he doesn't seem to mean this in a legally binding way) is that he knows ESPN knows about his show. One week Coaches' Cabana got more Twitter impressions than College Gameday and Switzer says Gameday host Chris Fowler noticed. He had to call in a few favors to get it done, but it does show Switzer's promotional eye that's made him a successful recruiter and businessman.
"I called all my celebrity buddies: Toby Keith, Deion Sanders, all my pro guys and I said I want every one of you sumb**ches to tweet about the Coaches' Cabana," says Switzer, laughing, as always.
Switzer's former players are fiercely loyal to him, and often stop by to say hello. Some have unwittingly dropped by during a broadcast and found themselves with a headset on before even knowing what the Coaches’ Cabana was. That’s how Lott got the job in the first place.
"I walked in here on Coach's birthday. I was dropping by to give him a bottle of wine, and he calls me over and has me sit down," says Lott. "We got to talk football, and the next thing you know he told me to come back the next week and then the next week and I've been doing it for three or four years now."
There's a rhythm to all sports commentary, finding that rhythm is what separates good commentators from bad ones. But with the Cabana, Switzer can create his own rhythm. The "affinity fan" watching the game with the Cabana on another screen doesn't need or doesn't care about the play-by-play or the stats. They want the funny stories, the nostalgia, the second guessing. In truth, they want Switzer. And they get it for four straight quarters.
"Hey, you guys would be proud of me," Switzer says at one point, to Rodgers and Lott and the streaming audience, but also to no one in particular. "Last night I went to bed at 10 and only had two glasses of wine."
Rodgers and Lott just chuckle and nod, not entirely sure how to congratulate a 79-year-old on his early bedtime and relative teetotaling.
There were long discussions about the earthquake that had occurred that morning, German Shepherds that Switzer and his wife have rescued, discussions about the many German Shepherds that the Switzers currently have in their backyard that would occasionally bark very loudly, and of course, they did talk about the game.
But this particular game was not going the Sooners' way. Despite Switzer's best efforts, the mood in the Cabana turned sour toward the end of the third quarter. Switzer, perhaps seizing an opportunity to lighten the mood, or, conversely, just speaking out his actual feelings, broke the silence.
"Think I'm going to start drinking again tonight."
Laughter once again rolled throughout the cabana.
Watching With The King
The Coaches' Cabana idea has spread to other schools in past seasons, but Switzer says it was too difficult to scale it nationally, for now. There are still several schools, including Oklahoma State, that do their own versions, albeit, not hosted from Barry Switzer's backyard.
Henry says what Switzer won't about Coaches' Cabana's national appeal.
"In hundreds of thousands of people's minds, Barry Switzer is Oklahoma football. So that's why people tune in to see what he has to say," says Henry. "So if we try to scale this thing to, say, the top 50 programs in the country, if there were 49 other Barry Switzers, our job would be a lot easier. But there's not. We try to capitalize on coach because he's the backbone of this whole thing."
Many famous people use their wealth to hide from their fame. They buy houses in exclusive neighborhoods behind gates with security guards. They play golf at exclusive courses and hang with their close circle of trusted friends.
Barry Switzer lives in a house less than two miles from the stadium where he became a legend. It's just across the street from campus. He walks his giant German Shepherds on and around campus. If a stranger knocks on his door he's likely to invite them in for a peak at his trophy collection and a chat. He’s been described as the "Coach Emeritus" of campus.
He could have disappeared in his retirement years, living off of his success in anonymity. But that's not Barry Switzer. His mind is too sharp, his personality too large, and the adoration too intense in Oklahoma for him to just fade into memory.
Every Sooner fan would relish the chance to watch a game with Switzer, and he would love to watch the game with every fan. That's the heart of the Cabana. It's why, during home games, he hosts the show from Campus Corner, the restaurant and commercial hub just north of campus where many people hang out during games. Instead of being surrounded by 20-30 houseguests, he's surrounded by tens of thousands of fans.
Wherever Barry Switzer goes, whether it's in the halls of Congress, or the streets of Campus Corner, or the Cabana in his own backyard, Switzer is always the most revered figure in the room.
It's a testament to the importance people place on football and the respect people have for Switzer's accomplishments.
When you're around Switzer you realize one thing: It's good to be with the King.
Scott Bedgood is a senior editor at Football Matters. Follow him on Twitter @scottbedgood.
More Football Matters:
-- Cal DE Wilson Leans On The Support Of His Wife And Daughter
-- 5 Questions With Florida State Icon Charlie Ward
-- Former Marine Keeps His Football Dreams Alive As DE At Middle Tennessee
-- Ty Detmer Returns To BYU For His First Collegiate Coaching Job
'Hard To Beat The Cheaters': Harbaugh, Michigan At College Football Crossroads
Herman Edwards Has Stories Of Soup And Brooms To Show How To Be A Better Dad
The Race To Create The Safest Football Helmet
Allen Robinson: Learning Details Of The Game From Bill O'Brien At Penn State
Barry Switzer, Coaches Cabana, College Football, Football, NCAAF, Oklahoma Sooner
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娱乐地图,爱上海,上海419论坛 – Powered by Jacob Reid!
Introducing Stringbike the bike with no chain w Video
Explore further The new system is more complex than a chain and gears and consists of a rope and pulley on each side of the bike. The rotation of the pedals forces arms at each side to swing forward and backward on its shaft. When moving forward, the arm pulls the driving wire that is wound around a drum on the rear wheel, forcing the wheel to rotate. The arms at each side alternate so that when one is moving forward the other is moving backward. The new system has 19 “gear” positions and the transmission ratio can be changed at any time by turning a shifting knob on the right handle grip. This moves the pulley shafts up and down along a traction path on an eccentric disc, which has 19 notches to adjust the height of the pulleys and distance between the center of rotation and the shaft. The gears can be changed even if the bicycle is stationary, but gear change speed increases with the speed of the bicycle. This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. The traditional bicycle has a chain and gears on one side, which the designers from bicycle manufacturer Schwinn Csepel Zrt say has led to a lot of problems, although they do not say exactly what those problems are. They say most are unnoticeable problems until you’ve actually ridden a symmetrical system. One problem that the new design does remove is soiling clothes with the grease or oil on the chain, since the pulley system is dry. Citation: Introducing Stringbike: the bike with no chain (w/ Video) (2010, September 22) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2010-09-stringbike-bike-chain-video.html Another advantage of the system is that the ropes can be attached in different positions on the two sides of the bicycle, which means it can compensate if one of the rider’s legs is weaker than the other. The designers also say the lifetime of components will be longer than for conventional bicycles because chains are more susceptible to wear and abrasion, and the number of components is reduced. (PhysOrg.com) — Hungarian bicycle designers have unveiled their new Stringbike in Padova, Italy. The design replaces the traditional chain with a symmetrical rope and pulley system, which they say is more efficient, makes for a more comfortable ride, and provides improved maneuverability around winding streets. The drive system will be able to be replaced with different size parts and different shaped eccentric discs for specialized purposes such as racing or touring. The rear wheel can be removed in only a few seconds without affecting the drive system. The driving rope is a special high density polyethylene (HDPE) product with high stability over extended periods, and which is resistant to mud, water, dirt, sand, and humidity. © 2010 PhysOrg.com More information: www.stringbike.com/ Gyrowheel to keep new bike riders upright (w/ Video) read more
Newly identified selfcloning lizard found in Vietnam
Citation: Newly identified self-cloning lizard found in Vietnam (2010, November 11) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2010-11-newly-self-cloning-lizard-vietnam.html (PhysOrg.com) — Scientists have just discovered that a small lizard, long known as a restaurant food item in southeastern Vietnam, is an all-female species that reproduces through “cloning” itself. © 2010 PhysOrg.com Image credit: L. Lee Grismer. Scientists discover four new gecko species This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. The lizard, Leiolepis ngovantrii, was found by Ngo Van Tri from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology and classified by L. Lee Grismer, a herpetologist from La Sierra University in Riverside, California. The species was previously unknown to science, even though it has been eaten in the Mekong Delta region as long as anyone can remember.Ngo first found the lizard at a restaurant in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, where live specimens were being kept in a tank. Ngo noticed all the individuals looked identical, and sent photographs to his colleague Grismer and his PhD student son Jesse. The Grismers identified the lizard as probably belonging to the Leiolepis genus, but in this genus males and females have different coloration, and the photographs showed only males. This made them suspect the new species consisted only of females.The Grismers flew to Ho Chi Minh City and telephoned the restaurant to ask them to keep the lizards alive until they could get there eight hours later. By the time they arrived the “crazy guy” restaurant owner had got drunk and sold them all, but the scientists found more specimens at other restaurants, and were aided by local school children to find more in the wild. They found nearly 70 of the lizards altogether, and all were females.The findings, published in the journal ZOOTAXA, also identified unique rows of enlarged scales on its forelimbs and bone layers (lamellae) under their toes. Grismer said the species, which lives in a transition zone between coastal sand dunes and scrub, may be a hybrid of two related species of maternal and paternal lizards that thrive in the separate habitats.Genetic testing of mitochondrial DNA has identified the maternal species as L. guttata, but the paternal species is not yet known. (Mitochondrial DNA is passed down only through females.)The newly described species is not the only one that reproduces through cloning, since around one percent of lizard species reproduce with no contribution from males, by a process known as parthenogenesis (from the Greek for virgin birth). In this process the ovum contains a full complement of chromosomes and develops into an embryo without being fertilized. Parthenogenesis also occurs, but rarely, in fish and invertebrates, especially insects such as aphids, and has been artificially induced in mice and other species.The Leiolepis ngovantrii species is not rare in the area in which it was found, but some herpetologists such as Charles Cole of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, think as a hybrid species it may be more prone to extinction because of the reduced genetic variation from one generation to the next. Cole said unisexual species do not generally survive as long as other species of lizards, but they can be healthier in the short term. More information: ZOOTAXA paper (PDF): www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2010/f/z02433p061f.pdf Explore further read more
Solar panels released in an array of colors
Explore further © 2010 PhysOrg.com Citation: Solar panels released in an array of colors (2011, June 7) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2011-06-solar-panels-array.html One Canadian-based solar technology company is looking to change that view. Qsolar has announced the creation of the Kristal and Kristal Rainbow range of semi-transparent and colored semi-transparent solar panels. These lines come in a variety of colors, including red, green, brown and blue as well as in a few different patterns. The panels do not have frames attached to them, because the panels are rigid.At first, this may seem like it is simply a vanity, putting a new skin on a green technology, but these semi-transparent have a chance to go places that standard solar panels are simply not used, making them an option for buildings that do not have the space to support a standard solar panel set up. Some potential places these new panels could be installed include windows and the glass spaces of atrium roofs. This makes them optimal for building with limited roof space, due to either building design issues or the fact that other equipment has previously been placed on the roof. The panels are already available for purchase by the public. Information on pricing is on a case-by-case basis, and interested consumers should contact the company to find out what the system would cost to be installed in their building. Willis Tower goes solar (PhysOrg.com) — Solar panels are, for the most part, large black panels, made of squares, but what if it does not have to be that way. What if users could get all of the benefits of solar panels without making their roofs look like the side of a Manhattan skyscraper? This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. read more
Study reveals shockabsorbing ability of woodpecker beaks
More information: Hierarchical multiscale structure– property relationships of the Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) beak. N. Lee et al. Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 2014. rsif.royalsocietypublishing.or … .1098/rsif.2014.0274 (Phys.org) —A team of researchers at Mississippi State University has found that the beaks of woodpeckers are constructed in such a way as to help dissipate energy. In their paper published in Journal of the Royal Society Interface, the team describes their work in analyzing the beaks of several red-bellied woodpeckers and how they found that it has three layers that all help to absorb shocks as the bird pecks away at trees looking for insects inside. Most everyone knows that woodpeckers bang away at trees (or sometimes other structures) with their beaks to create holes that allow them access to insects hidden inside. Prior research has shown that woodpeckers have a variety of features throughout their heads that help absorb shock, preventing the birds from suffering brain or other damage as they hunt for their prey. In this new effort, the researchers sought to learn if there was anything special about their beaks that might also help soften the internal blow as the birds hammer away at a tree, between one and three hundred times a minute.Close inspection revealed that the beak’s outer or rhamphotheca layer was made of a keratin sheath, which was, like most birds, arranged in a scale pattern, with defined edges between each scale. There was one major difference however, the scale edges, which are not straight but follow a zig-zag course (and have been nick-named sutures because they resemble those used in surgery), were much more wiggly than other pecking birds, such as chickens. This, the researchers noted, would help deflect compressing forces as the beak hit the wood. They found that the scales were also thinner and more elongated than other pecking birds as well, which appears to allow for more sliding of scales over one another during pecking, serving as a shock-absorber.The researchers also found that the middle “foam” layer of the bird’s beak, was more porous than other pecking birds, which would of course allow for directing the energy from impacts into other parts of the birds head that are better able to handle the abuse.Taken as a whole, it appears a woodpecker’s beak offers a first line of defense against head damage when pecking, dissipating energy where possible and directing the rest to where it will do the least damage. © 2014 Phys.org Journal information: Journal of the Royal Society Interface A male Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus). Credit: Ken Thomas/public domain Explore further Mechanical properties and microstructure of cranial and beak bones of the woodpecker and the lark Citation: Study reveals shock-absorbing ability of woodpecker beaks (2014, May 7) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2014-05-reveals-shock-absorbing-ability-woodpecker-beaks.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. read more
Best of Last Week – quantum information accurately transfered better wind turbines
It’s been a pretty busy week for technology development also: A Dutch company launched new-generation urban wind turbines—they’re a lot quieter than conventional turbines and take up much less space. And, a team at MIT has announced a new breed of solar cells: Quantum-dot photovoltaics set a new record for efficiency in such devices—another step toward a new generation of cells that last a lot longer and can be manufactured under ordinary temperatures.In the biological sciences, a study shows environmental influences may cause autism in some cases—a finding that could help explain why it is that babies born to older mothers have an increased risk of developing the disorder. Another team is reporting a breakthrough that shows how DNA is ‘edited’ to correct genetic diseases. It’s a step forward in understanding how enzymes impact genes to prevent genetic diseases, and maybe leading to a way to improve the process.In otherworldly news, a pair of researchers suggest black holes at center of galaxies might instead be wormholes. It may sound a bit far-fetched, but a new addition to a telescope in Chili could prove them right or wrong, in just a couple of years. Also, researchers working with NASA’s Swift satellite report a cosmic explosion spotted in neighboring galaxy. They’re not sure what happened, but suspect it was two neutrons stars colliding.And finally, food for thought: Does porn affect the brain? Scientists urge more study. Preliminary research indicates heavy users have less grey matter. But was porn the cause, or was it a condition that led to the behavior? More research will have to be done to find out. In the meantime, the team at Max Planck Institute isn’t making any recommendations. Artistic impression of quantum teleportation of a spin state between two distant diamonds. Research team claims to have accurately ‘teleported’ quantum information ten feet Explore further © 2014 Phys.org This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. (Phys.org) —It’s been a remarkable week for physics work—first a research team claims to have accurately ‘teleported’ quantum information ten feet, and report that they did so with 100 percent accuracy. If the claims turn out to be true, this could mark the beginning of real-world quantum computers or networks. Equally exciting, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s have found that combining lasers could shrink particle accelerators from kilometers to meters. Imagine the cost savings—such a development would allow more scientists access to such research, perhaps opening the door to a flood of new discoveries. And imagine also, a space-based experiment that could test gravity’s effects on quantum entanglement—and in so doing, make inroads toward creating a unifying theory between the theory of relativity and quantum theory. Citation: Best of Last Week – quantum information accurately transfered, better wind turbines and study of porn’s impact on brain (2014, June 2) retrieved 18 August 2019 from https://phys.org/news/2014-06-week-quantum-accurately-turbines-porn.html read more
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Tit-for-tat politics is making us insane
Soft skills should be integrated into TVET programs
Would reasons have to be provided by OL too?
1 injured as car slams into minibus in city
One month later, M&CC still awaiting “green light” from MPI
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Aika game evaluation and the Raiders game evaluation page
cheap aika goldBefore the start nagging .Why give such a high rating – to overturn the traditional Korean tour, simply because their backward knowledge of the game is also a misconception that the Tower of xx, resulting in 20 + 10 + done back when the renwu. Some may say it wants to do renwu do so metaphor about: renwu association with the reward system of the extent and wowrenwu neck and neck, and Fu-Nancy (daughter) the early appearance of things (clothes, toys, eyes, etc.) are relying on renwu obtained. Close contact with its own copy of grades, although there is still the same renwu introduced the first no tail, but a copy of renwu, main renwu, general renwu perfect combination, can be said that the Korean version of wow, but points. Highlights strongest Fu Nancy (daughter), do not be naive to think that a pet is nothing more than make loli form, Fu Nancy (daughter) is also of great help to combat and combat refueling voice, very Meng dead. And from the screen, gameplay, playability comparison, I totally can not believe the installer is only 373MB (installed as 836MB). Disadvantages: Missing is the perfect pvp, fluency, professional balance (the Knights Templar pvp is weak.)renwu items and common items are in the same backpack, backpack space is always early enough. Wonderful large country immediately began to fight and raising adorable elf partner, “Fran,” said a “AIKA OL” today (2009/4/29) and Gala-Net announced the signing will be officially released to North America, and plans to started operating services in the first half. Gala-Net representative said, by “AIKA” officially confirmed the signing of export contracts with the Gala-Net has Hanbisoft partnership, while also looking forward to Gala-Net can “AIKA” This war has a colorful content and a variety of “Fran” system recommended to the North American players, they will be properly presented to the front of the players. Hanbisoft pointed out that in the first half of “AIKA” will be order in Taiwan, North America, Japan, and mainland services, also an overseas distributor in Russia in the negotiations, the positive advance towards the overseas market. At the same time Hanbisoft also pointed out that most of the major MMORPG has a heavy and hardware needs, “AIKA” games complete the picture quality, with only 300 MB of download size, whether in Asia, North America or Europe are very competitive, conducive to extended to the global market. “AIKA” since last year (2008) formal operations in Korea in December, is still affirmed by many South Korean players, the red banana by the Taiwan agency, will launch a VIP is expected to test the near future. “AIKA” emphasis on the war setting is a type of work. As observed for many years down the market did not fully meet the players a type of war game, the player many products even have to know what to fight for, so the idea started “AIKA” production. The most simple way as a starting point, begin to explore the reasons for the game players need, and a large number of players to interact and to get the reference, and finally completed the main countries fighting this battle system works with the city. Because “AIKA” The original intention is to make war, so also in the pursuit of such vocational setting the idea of planning, the role of the set is divided into soldiers, three gunmen and Master class, and gender roles were given different feature set . In addition to meeting the unique role of the player for the requirements, on the battlefield were also given their important position. For example, has a strong sword fighter in close combat attack, the main features of the Knights Templar is to have a variety of high defensive skills; magic series is divided into persons and saints are Dark, Dark with disabilities to use the magic attack, which is the so-called black magic, saints who make up the team is qualified auxiliary roleaika online gold.
“Aika” novice Raiders, new must-see
Skip the background story of the game, aika gold,the operating role and wore the green exclamation point next to the NPC “Claire” dialogue to receive the first task, “the first time to see the world.” Katrina NPC dialogue with the opposite task. Then get the next task “use of equipment”, the task will be presented a weapon.
After receiving the next task “items deal”, went to the grocery store commercial weapons will be sold before the gift, then buy “Herb” to complete. Received after the submission of the next task of the task, “the initial adventure.” Fox went out of the city farm would be submitted to the Di Yeke tasks, after receiving from him the first major task “rearing wild boar,” and then you can find next to the young group began to practice your skill of the wild boar.
By killing juvenile wild boar, the role can rise to level 2. Complete the “Breeding Boar”, the time can receive three tasks. Are “missing comrades,” “leather recycling”, “delivery deadlines.” We can eliminate breeding wild boar to finish next to “leather recycling” and “delivery deadlines.” “Missing comrades,” are looking for a sweet potato to the guard fell to the soldiers of the body. Obtained when the wild boar to kill the “crystallization of fire” is to receive the necessary materials when Fran, so do not be selling and destruction. To retain at least a dozen. After completing the “missing comrades in arms” after the availability of a novice helmet. At this time, soldiers in the guard in front of George Leikenshaen can get a job at the “rush order”, through the skills of the task to Leikenshaen study area, where the sea would be to force the player special colonel a task, “Colonel’s gift” to complete the task receive a backpack, aika money,which is very helpful early game, and must be completed. Complete the “leather recycling” and “delivery period”, the role of a smooth rise to the level 3. And receive to the “blue light of the gold” and “mannerisms.”
As the “blue light of the gold” by the award of items to follow up a great need for the “Blue Crystal”, which we repeated the task through to get at least four “blue crystal.” 5, came to the barn, you can destroy the evil hamster receiving a series of tasks. Evil hamster mushroom farm in the east of the barn area 1, where the eradication of evil hamster can also get “Crystal Wind” Fran is also receiving the necessary materials can not be destroyed.
Complete eradication of the evil hamster in a series of tasks, and then receive family Ku Bali attack the task of Montana, Montana Family Ku Bali available through the elimination of “water of crystallization.” Reached 7 to Holmes in the barn at the first step in receiving the mandate to receive Fran “Fran gave birth to the room.” Fran and Irene gave birth to chat rooms to receive “recognized master status” of the task, the task is to eliminate breeding wild boar we were wandering evil hamster and Montana and need to get from them the task of props, to complete the task and returned to Fran birth room, and then Fran will be able to choose what you want. Fran different attributes needed to crystallization is different.
If you have not reserved enough crystals, you can then get out of the city by eliminating blame. Elimination of all kinds of wild boar get “Crystal Fire”, the eradication of all evil hamster get “Crystal Wind”, the eradication of various Ku Bali get the “water of crystallization.” After submitting the required crystallization, the time belongs to you Fran Fran has been a breeding room, you will also need to remove her. aika online gold,Conversation with Eileen, select “Fran gave birth room”, after which the pop-up interface, click the “Enter name” will be able to play a nice name Fran (Note: If duplicate names will not be prompted, more attention. named after the completion of Fran, “Please enter the name” button will disappear.)
Portrait of the following and then Fran “Fran calls Stone” into the bag, and finally the role of information and equipment in Fran Fran interface empty column, Fran will be able to carry around (remember to equip, and Fran characters through the sharing of experience to upgrade Daguai). Eliminated in the barn also received a number of tasks Ku Bali Montana family allows us to enhance the level of success. Raiders in the barn during the task, it is worth mentioning that the “courage of the incantation book” and “Fugitive Kerekou” task because the task 2 the mission objectives are the same, so it can be done together. Kerekou look at his wife on a wheat field east of the bridge. cheap aika gold,Complete the “fugitive Kerekou” Leikenshaen the blacksmith Ting will guide us to limit the level of decline in function of the operation, complete the “Ting’s Gift” series of tasks available to an 8-level weapons.
After level 10 character can go Leikenshaen the SAR, to receive the task to talk with Mark Nuss “has become a national approach”, a people is to create or join the clan of the first conditions. The task is needed in addition to feathers Khalili went destroy the evil hamster tribes east Khalili, other materials (fire crystals and blue crystals) are already prepared previously. Task can become citizens, a people will be able to join the clan, after more countries to serve their country and enjoy the blessings of sacred objects and tax preferential treatment. At this time other players can group together to go on the first copy – Orlais Temple (general) in the adventure.
The upper left corner by Leikenshaen dimensional portal to reach. 10 after the guide went through the task Kay Bant windmill, where you can go to receive a series of “evil hamster tribe” destroy the evil and the evil hamster hamster collector task. Evil hamster tribes in the vicinity of the brave there is a wounded, “Tani Er,” from his side also received the task of eradication of the evil hamster. Complete all the tasks here, the role can be raised to 13, then you can go to the next base, “Joe off the farm sub.” Complete the “wave of bamboo interest in” series of tasks you can get a chest armor. Joe off the farm as a sub-9 Squadron combat positions, aika online gold,often family Kuba Li and Cui Iraq to fight. 9 Squadron in accordance with the instructions of Captain Holmes, struggling to fight against those annoying when not hungry birds of prey, finally completed all the tasks. Joe off the farm to complete the task of sub-quality access to a green breastplate.
Sterling Brindisi is a very special farm farm, there is the evil hamster labor “Anu Pa” and the submission of the Ku Bali “Mutombo.” From here they can receive a series of elimination of predatory birds, hamsters and fighting against evil, sub-family of Ku Bali afternoon task. Because the initiative is to destroy the monster attack, believe it will have been groups in Europe, so the best is the group fighting a few teammates.
After such a long adventure, Fran has almost reached the level of 5, and then she will ask you dialogue that will be mentioned in some of her body felt strange, you need to take her to see Leikenshaen Moya, after the completion of the dialogue can get to this task. Back Leikenshaen, the southeast corner of the map to find Carlos Moya, the dialogue and complete the follow-up to its mission. Fran will be evolved from the spirit of childhood. Early childhood Fran not only of many more than the Wizard to help combat the skills, aika money,but also can be equipped with Fran props. Sterling farms completed all tasks at Brindisi, you can go to Area 4 of the mushroom farm, where the squadron leader met 1 “Face” with his Fran “Ise Germany”, from which they received a lot of difficulties here, the difficulty of The temple Orlais task, it is recommended to set the challenge of difficult Orlais teammates Temple copy.
Complete copy of all the difficult task of the Temple Orlais almost able to put on a green post-equipped. 1st Squadron 4th District in the mushroom farms and wetlands, lizards, wild boar and North afternoon cannibal tribe Kuba Li fight. These monsters are very powerful enemies, but players in front of the heroic are vulnerable. Ise de conversation with, we can get to the “very troublesome job,” before this task will enable us to several locations in between running around is really a hassle, but the final completion of the task will reward a backpack So this is not the task of non-doing. Mushroom farm located south of Barton Area 4 is the next warehouse locations. Here are the captain of the 5th Squadron Zhen De Ma.
Originally planned to attack together with the 1st Squadron sub-family of Ku Bali afternoon, aika online gold, but the half-way to be lizard interdiction operations to form their own situation. As the warehouse has 2 Button repetitive tasks to do, and that two repetitive tasks when the character level over 19 can no longer receive the recommended repeat here the role by completing the first level raised to 19 after the completion of other important and general task.
So you can make your rating more quickly upgraded. After completion of the task here, will be able to map the north to the new map “A Muluo cut special” for a new adventure.aika gold.
“Aika” will determine the agent in the current year
Monday, November 1st, 2010
May 14, 2008, Shanghai, the first and fun online games upstart South Korea’s largest mobile company,(4story gold) SK Telecom (SK Telecom) in the Marriott Hotel Hongqiao jointly held a “strategy of South Korea SK Telecom signing ceremony of the first injection of fun” conference. In addition to the scene outside the high-level cooperation, the signing ceremony, the industry’s leading companies are also invited to EA China, Epic China, Nvidia China and 2K Games China’s senior representatives, and the financing of the exclusive financial advisor – to witness the fun Renaissance The first successful strategic investment, SK Telecom, South Korea to strengthen the network of cultural exchange important moment.
At the meeting, will be interesting this year, the first announced plans to launch four online games, including a more mysterious, known as “AAA-class MMO international work.” It is reported that “It will be interesting to re-interpretation and the interpretation of the first” localized “the concept of representative works. In developing and operating side of the efforts,(cheap 4story luna) the Department works to literally release players for the changes in China, from translation to screen, to the operation, to the specific rules of the game, all will be demand for the domestic players to modify and adjust the first element, which is the first truly customized for the Chinese game market, the first line of the foreign re-masterpiece. “industry have speculated because of the scene, the scene of high-level EA China, and was a grand introduction, the game will probably be the most recent players to EA’s attention to the “Warhammer OL”.
I also had the honor to watch the conference site, but for this section will launch online games mystery whether the “Warhammer OL”, fine, after pondering it and have another point of view. Although the agent first taste of the product is likely to be EA’s, but most likely it is another to be regarded as a domestic player classic “UO Ultima Online.” “UO Ultima Online” (UO, Ultima Online) is the Origin game company famous for its Genesis (Ultima) series of products for the background created by the world’s first graphic massive multiplayer online role playing games (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, called MMORPG), launched in 1997 in the last century. The game by the Electronic Arts (EA) is responsible for operations, game production company Origin is now one of EA’s studios. Genesis in the network (hereinafter referred to as: UO) in the world, while thousands of people can interact online. A majority of the game world for players to explore, including the major cities and towns, forests, dungeons and other areas. At present there is no clear goal in the game, the most important is to see what players they want to do anything.
In the game also offers a wealth of career allows players to choose from, including carpenters, blacksmiths, tailors, swordsmen, archers, magicians, shamans,(buy 4story gold) doctors and so on. Unlike many other online games war theme, UO world inside, the designer of a carefully planned and based on the Christian meaning of the eight virtues of chivalry, to promote a peaceful life and mutual assistance between the players. Unfortunately, for various reasons, EA has not officially operating in mainland China, UO. Built from the start of domestic non-government third-party servers mostly by enthusiasts simulation program developed by UO server set up. UO server is now the popular simulation software are SPHERE, UOX, POL and so on. EA has announced th
e official start of the new UO expansion pack, “Kingdom of born again” Beta testing recruitment. This development work is not just a piece of information, developers use a new graphics engine, full of “UO” conducted a comprehensive transformation. UO can be said to be the biggest since the release of an upgrade, the UO expansion pack currently consists of the original development team and the joint development of EA Mythic. The final version is expected to be completed will be released in the year. According to this description, we can see “UO Ultima Online” is with this mysterious masterpiece of the AAA International quality. Age century: There is no doubt “UO Ultima Online” in the online gaming world, gamers have fond memories of him. In the field of online games, the game is the most senior and classic old products, UO appearance, just as his name, a “century”, is representative of a new century, the birth of online games and create. Mutual Assistance, care. This entry is one of UO in the spirit of advocacy “to promote a peaceful life and mutual assistance between the players.”
It is also the spirit of the UO in the best interpretation of the game. Adore Worship. Three profound meaning of the word implies,(4story luna) the first game in UO worship of Christianity based on the spirit of interpretation, the second for the current players of the game’s attitude to this classic. The third also show the current number of game makers are on the UO Gaoshanyangzhi.
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"When corruption hurts health care for the poor"
February 6, 2015 2035 views Africa, corruption, health care, malaria, Nigeria
Corrpution is interfering with efforts to end mosquito-related deaths, writes Dennis Ekwere, 34, of Kaduna, Nigeria, a ‘Youth Practitioner’ who is making a difference by role modelling and teaching social change aimed at peace.
Sometimes it is unthinkable but real what the poor face. When aid programs break down the poor – especially children – bear the brunt. Why?
The mosquito, for instance, is a leading killer of infants, children and pregnant women. The numbers become more threatening if you keep watching without doing anything about the problem. It is still shocking that mosquito bites kill over 300,000 children every year in Nigeria alone.
The reason behind the problem is simple: Mosquitoes breed in stagnant dirty waters, waste dumping sites, and blocked drains which depict the exact description of any environment the poor live in – the slums and ghettos as you may call them.
The mosquito kills the poor more than the rich because the rich have access to preventive measures, information and protection including treatment. I thought of what happens when monies meant for drainage are embezzled by the elite, the elected privileged public officers, and political cronies. And we did nothing about it, thinking that our voice will not count or matter. Just imagine how many children die out of such embezzlement and greed, including our lukewarm attitude to governance and accountability.
If you look around, it is clear how contracts for drainage are bloated, or contract monies are shared as corrupt settlement between cronies at government agencies. The remaining fraction of the contract monies cannot do the job, or if they can, will poorly execute the job. So, why wouldn’t the mosquito kill poor children in the ghetto?
I read about a standard chartered bank in partnership with NetForLife, an NGO that donated 63 billion nets for free distribution to poor communities across Africa. But have the nets been delivered to the people they were meant for? One can only but infer. But I tell you something, the rich will get those nets rather than the poor and I wonder why we are like this? Some will hoard and sell nets to the poor at cut throat prices, while many will keep to themselves more than enough in boxes without using them until the nets expire.
Inasmuch as the Society for Family Health in collaboration with Federal Government of Nigeria is trying to combat malaria, it is not yet utopia. According to the World Health Organization, malaria is still the leading cause of death among children under five years of age in sub-Sahara Africa. The disease in economic respects costs Africa more than $12 billion dollars in lost productivity. Nigeria along loses 132 billion Naira worth of productivity annually. Nigeria and Ghana are signaled as malaria in transit countries as UK travelers continue to contact this disease on visit to these two countries. It is on record that in 2010 almost 40 per cent of UK residents who contacted the disease had at one time or the other visited Nigeria or Ghana. The UK’s Health Protection Agency has since warned travelers to heed advice on how to prevent malaria, which is still the world’s biggest killer.
photo: DodgertonSkillhause
About me: I am the founder of Children and Young People Living for Peace aka CYPLP; a youth-led voluntary, not for profit, non-partisan organisation in Nigeria. My passion is to create new engaging platforms of young people, by young people, and for young people. My aspiration is that in the next 20 years, CYPLP would have been established in many parts of the world as chapters fronting youth developmental programs.
To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/
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Congratulations to 2019 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi for being named one…
Change starts with us
November 17, 2019 1098
YOUTH WORK WEEK SPECIAL: A sanitary pad distribution initiative to keep girls in school, and a…
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Reviews for Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
by Kate DiCamillo
When a cynical comic-book fanatic discovers her own superhero, life becomes wonderfully supercharged. Despite the contract her mother made her sign to "turn her face away from the idiotic high jinks of comics," 10-year-old Flora avidly follows her favorite superhero's adventures. Flora's mother writes romance novels and seems more in love with her books than with her lonely ex-husband or equally lonely daughter. When a neighbor accidentally vacuums a squirrel into a Ulysses 2000X vacuum cleaner, Flora resuscitates him into a "changed squirrel," able to lift the 2000X with a single paw. Immediately assuming he's a superhero, Flora names the squirrel "Ulysses" and believes together they will "[shed] light into the darkest corners of the universe." Able to understand Flora, type, compose poetry and fly, the transformed Ulysses indeed exhibits superpowers, but he confronts his "arch-nemesis" when Flora's mother tries to terminate him, triggering a chain of events where Ulysses becomes a real superhero. The very witty text and droll, comic-bookstyle black-and-white illustrations perfectly relay the all-too-hilarious adventures of Flora, Ulysses and a cast of eccentric characters who learn to believe in the impossible and have "capacious" hearts. Original, touching and oh-so-funny tale starring an endearingly implausible superhero and a not-so-cynical girl. (Fantasy. 8-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Ten-year-old Flora Belle Buckman's life changes when she befriends a squirrel with superpowers. There's only one problem: Flora's self-absorbed, romance novelwriting, squirrel-hating mother. DiCamillo imbues her novel with warmth, humor, and emotion, focusing on large life issues such as loss and abandonment, acceptance of differences, and the complexity of relationships. Full-page and spot pencil illustrations accentuate the mood. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Mobile developers, integration, and discovery are what count now
The iPhone 5 may or may not be the most beautiful handheld device, but it barely matters anymore. Competitors have rendered its beauty and craftsmanship irrelevant. Amazon has received the message and responded with its latest set of tablets, and Google has responded with the Motorola Droids and the Nexus 7. These devices now have sufficient quality in their materials, specs, and base operating systems so that they can make any consumer happy. So if hardware is a toss up, where will the next battles be fought?
The answer: developers, integration, and discovery.
First, the very best developers will build apps that tap key trends: improved camera quality is making real-world text and face recognition more possible, geofencing data stores are making proximity–based apps more possible, and despite Steve Jobs’ assertion that God gave us 10 styli, there’s clearly a host of applications that are benefiting from pressure-sensitivity and pens. The level to which Apple and Google embrace these new technologies and extend the current state of the art in voice and gesture recognition will factor heavily into the quality and emergence of new applications. In addition, the extent to which Apple and Google can expose these new technologies — like NFC or always-on Glass cameras in Google’s case — will provide an advantage to developers.
Second, since many new applications will undoubtedly emerge for both Android and iOS at the same time, the way that the device and its applications fit into the users’ life will matter most. And it’s in this arena that Google is starting to respond with some of Apple’s own medicine. According to stats shared during Apple’s iPhone 5 announcement, the company has 435 million iTunes accounts and those users have downloaded 20 billion songs. Tim Cook acknowledged how powerful this integration is, saying “what sets us so far ahead of the competition … is how [apps, iCloud, and devices] work together.”
The alternatives Google has for managing a rich, high-quality media collection are lousy. But on the flip side, the number of people I know who are leaving their iPads at home in favor of their Nexus 7 tablets is remarkable. They’re switching because they use Gmail, Google Calendar, Maps and other Google services. The integration of these applications is deep and seamless in Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) — just like media is seamlessly integrated on Apple. Google’s offering isn’t directly better than Apple’s. Rather, it’s a step beyond because the Google services started in the cloud, not on the desktop, and the services are critical to your daily life.
Developers, therefore, can profit from this integration by deeply integrating with native services from Google and Apple. And while the XCode/iOS development environment is easier and more accessible to developers than the current Android environment, the services available to developers are far more limited. Google has an edge here, and developers are smart enough that they’ll push through the limitations of the Android SDK.
Third, it’s downright impossible to discover great new apps. Amazon realized long ago that if they were going to have a massive bookstore, they needed to make discovery work, so they built the personalization and community teams, delivering innovative recommendations and a great reviews system. Neither Google nor Apple has these tools yet. In fact, one VC commented to me that until you are featured on the App Store, your downloads will be very few. And even Amazon hasn’t solved the casual browsing problem particularly well. While “Listmania!” lists were an attempt to create a curated list of things you might like, they can’t begin to approach the experience of going to an independent, well-curated bookstore.
The third battle, therefore, is for discovery. It’s not about the devices, the OS, or even the apps themselves. And I would argue that it’s not about search, either, though a great search experience is part of the solution. A great discovery experience will require great curators, high-quality inventory, and painless trial. Apple leads in this space today, if only because of its higher quality inventory that is at least partially a result of a more homogenous platform. But there’s tremendous room for growth, as startups like Xyologic and others take on the challenge.
It’s a great time to be mobile. We have access to beautiful devices with near “classic Leica” quality, and we have increasingly integrated experiences across our maps, email, calendar, and contacts. But the next major changes won’t come in our devices: they’ll come from developers building apps that make your device even more useful, and you’ll discover these apps in new ways.
Tags: Uncategorized @home app store apps development discover integration mobile mobile hardware app-store mobile-2 mobile-hardware
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Cheap flights from Fresno to Nassau, and what to do once you're there
By Hoodline
According to Conde Nast, the Bahamas was among 2018's must-visit destinations. If you're considering a tropical vacation, why not Nassau, the Bahamian capital? It lies on the island of New Providence, with neighboring Paradise Island, which is accessible via Nassau Harbor bridges. A popular cruise ship stop, the city has a hilly landscape and is known for beaches as well as its offshore coral reefs, popular for diving and snorkeling. It retains many of its typical pastel-colored British colonial buildings, like the pink-hued Government House.
Fortunately, there are plenty of relatively inexpensive flights between Fresno and Nassau on travel site Skyscanner.
Here's a list of flights, hotels, restaurants and local attractions in Nassau to get you started.
(Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in the articles may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. Prices and availability are subject to change.)
Cheapest Nassau flights
Currently, the cheapest flights between Fresno and Nassau are if you leave on April 24 and return from the Bahamas on May 1. Allegiant Air currently has tickets for $654, roundtrip.
There are also deals to be had earlier in April. If you fly out of Fresno on April 22 and return from Nassau on April 26, American Airlines can get you there and back for $1,309 roundtrip.
Top Nassau hotels
To plan your accommodations, here are some of Nassau's top-rated hotels, that we selected from Skyscanner's listings based on price and customer satisfaction.
The Melia Nassau Beach Resort (West Bay Street)
Photo: Trip by Skyscanner
If you're looking for an inexpensive place to stay, consider The Melia Nassau Beach Resort. The hotel has a four-star rating on Skyscanner, and rooms are currently available for $189.
This beachfront resort features a golf course, outdoor pool, a children's pool, a fitness facility and a hair salon.
The Reef Atlantis (1 Casino Drive)
There's also the 4.4-star rated The Reef Atlantis, which has rooms for $179/night.
"The food was excellent, the grounds amazing and the experience as a whole was really fun. The water slide through the shark tank was a highlight," wrote visitor Ryan.
Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island (West Bay Street)
A third option is Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island. With a 4.8-star rating on Skyscanner, the all-inclusive, adults-only hotel is one of the most luxurious in the city.
Local restaurant picks
If you're looking for a popular spot to grab a bite, Nassau has plenty of excellent eateries to choose from. Here are a few from Skyscanner's listings to help you get started.
Twin Brothers (Nassau)
One of Nassau's most popular restaurants is Twin Brothers, which has an average of 4.7 stars out of 34 reviews on Skyscanner.
"This is a great place for real Bahamian food. Don't settle for a burger. Definitely try the conch fish. It's a Bahamian favorite," wrote visitor Daniel.
The Poopdeck at Sandyport (Sandyport Marina Village)
Another popular dining destination is The Poopdeck at Sandyport, with 4.6 stars from 18 reviews.
Expect local seafood with a gourmet twist accompanied by ocean views.
Cafe Matisse (Bank Lane)
Finally, there's Cafe Matisse, with 4.7 stars out of six reviews.
"Expect gourmet dishes like lobster ravioli and hearty rosemary steaks that are guaranteed to impress," wrote Ramona.
What to see and do in Nassau
Not sure what to do in Nassau, besides eat and drink? Here are two recommendations, provided by Skyscanner.
National Art Gallery of the Bahamas (Villa Doyle)
The top-rated visitor attraction in Nassau, according to Skyscanner, is the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas. It has five stars out of 10 reviews.
"The building is beautiful and its exhibits are true Bahamian art," wrote visitor Donna.
Love Beach (Northwest point of New Providence)
Love Beach is another popular destination. The local favorite has five stars from six reviews.
A popular snorkeling destination, Love Beach sits on 40 protected acres of coral.
"The name says it all. This beach is romantic and evocative," wrote visitor John.
This story was created automatically using flight, hotel, and local attractions data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
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Recommendations made to improve Oakland schools
By ABC7
On Wednesday the teacher's union called the study flawed, speculative, slanted, and fundamentally anti-union. That reaction does not bode well for the coalition of community groups who hoped that educators and policy makers would get behind it.
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) study made 25 recommendations to the Oakland Unified School District and seven to the state.
"Great teaching doesn't happen by accident," said Kate Walsh with NCTQ. "It happens when there are good policies and excellent practices that are in place."
A coalition of Oakland community groups paid for the study.
"We know from just our experience and the research there's more we could be doing for setting our teachers up for success and to support our teachers," said Jonathon Klein with Great Oakland Public Schools.
NCTQ says Oakland needs to do a better job of hiring and assigning teachers. The district now hires teachers late in the summer when many candidates have already found other jobs.
The council also says principals should have final say over teacher hiring, the district should clarify teacher evaluation standards that are now confusing, pay top teachers more with performance incentives, and move toward an eight hour official workday. The council says at 6.75 to 7 hours, Oakland has one of the shortest official workdays in the state.
Council President Kate Walsh says the study is not a report card on whether Oakland's teachers are good or bad, but how to get and keep better teachers overall.
"There are still great teachers here, very committed, very hard working," Walsh said. "But, you don't want it to be by accident," Walsh said.
The district, however, says the study does not fully understand Oakland's situation.
"We're looking at this as a foundation, we can take some good from it, put aside some bad," said Oakland Unified School District spokesperson Troy Flint.
The teacher's union says the Washington-based council suggests reforms that would weaken their rights, but that the study accurately points out that Oakland teachers are among the lowest paid in the East Bay.
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Millions worth of fur coats stolen from Dennis Basso store on Upper East Side of Manhattan
By Sandra Bookman
UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- It was like a plot out of a Hollywood movie. A bold break in at one of the biggest name expensive furrier shops in the country.
But this was no movie. It was real life, on Madison Avenue on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
The crooks got away with quite a haul, more than a million dollars worth of top of the line designer furs.
Video captured the brazen heist at the Dennis Basso boutique, as the suspects threw a huge rock through the glass front door.
Watch it here:
Surveillance video shows fur store break-in on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
One of them was nailed on the head by the heavy steel bar at the top of the door frame, but came in anyway.
The first two men hauled out their furs in 35 seconds. The last man, 12 seconds later.
"We already identified about 20 major pieces that were missing. These guys knew what they were doing because they targeted the very expensive sable coats and chinchillas," said the store manager.
Owner Dennis Basso says the thieves made off with several Russian sable coats, some of which were valued as high as $200,000.
While store management tallies its losses, police are trying to figure out who pulled this off.
Achilleas Georgiades, a store executive, says he can't believe something like this happened on the "civilized" Madison Avenue.
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Publishers Weekly Includes Two Vanity Publishers in its List of Fast-Growing Independent Presses
Once again, Publishers Weekly's annual overview of fast-growing independent publishers features not only innovative indies, but publishers whose business model is largely built on author fees: Morgan James Publishing and Austin Macauley. Seriously, PW? Why do you keep doing this?
Billing itself as "The Entrepreneurial Publisher", Morgan James Publishing requires its authors "to commit to purchasing, during the life of the agreement, up to 2,500 copies [of their book] at print cost plus $2." (Reports Writer Beware has received indicate that writers are asked for a "deposit" of up to $5,000 on contract signing; we've also had reports that additional fees may be due for editing and PR.)
To make this sizeable outlay of cash seem more palatable, MJP falsely claims on its "compare" page that "Many major houses require authors to purchase 5,000 copies, or more, of the book upon its release", and that even with self-publishing, "[the a]uthor is expected to purchase however many copies required to sell to the general public." (It also--again falsely--suggests that "old school traditional publishers" take possession of authors' copyrights.)
Despite all of the above, MJP declares that "No Publishing Fee [is] charged, hidden or otherwise."
MJP has made PW's fast-growing indie publisher list several times in addition to this year, including 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2008 (when another pay-to-play publisher, Greenleaf Book Group, was also featured). Of all those articles, only the 2016 one mentions MJP's book huge purchase requirement.
I've written before about Austin Macauley--and I'm not the only one: others have called AM out on its business model as well.
AM bills itself as a "hybrid" publisher*, and does reveal on its website that it offers "contributory" contracts. However, it presents itself as an "innovative independent trade publisher" and states that "we look at every new manuscript with a view to offering a traditional mainstream publishing deal." This certainly encourages authors to believe that they have a good chance of a traditional offer. But Writer Beware has heard from just four authors who were offered contracts they didn't have to pay for, while we've gotten 60+ reports from authors who received fee-based offers. Obviously this represents just a fraction of those who've submitted to AM; still, the proportion of non-fee to fee-based offers certainly suggests that the bulk of AM's business is fee-based.
Fees in AM contracts Writer Beware has seen range from £1,275 to £7,700 (the heading of fee disclosure section is "Advances," except that this is an "advance" the author has to pay the publisher). In my (non-legal; I'm not a lawyer) opinion, the AM contracts I've reviewed are substandard; there's no stated term for the grant of rights, and discontinuance of publication is "entirely at the discretion of the publisher." In effect, this is a life-of-copyright grant, with completely inadequate provisions for rights reversion. (I've written before about the vital importance of having a good rights reversion clause in a life-of-copyright contract.)
I've also viewed a number of AM's acceptance letters. There are differences, depending on the rationale for offering "contributory" contracts (new author, can't take the risk; previously published author, not successful enough) but other than that it's clearly cut-and-paste, with whole passages used verbatim in multiple letters.
You can see many, many, many, many many, many, author reports of Austin Macauley's fees online. AM is on Writer Beware's Thumbs Down Publishers List, and the Alliance of Independent Authors gives AM a red-flag advisory. Glassdoor.com features multiple one-star reviews from current and former AM staff with headlines like "Exploitative and Irrational" and "Not a Real Publisher." Also check out AM's extremely professional response (snark) to my blog post about it, in which it claims that I should be disbelieved because I'm a liar and a bully, and also because "Writer Beware are [sic] part of an organisation littered with racism, sexism and child molestation."
Recognition by PW will give AM a serious PR boost, doubtless drawing in many more unsuspecting authors. Predictably, AM is already making hay with it. But given the very large amount of online information to counter Austin Macauley's sunny claims about itself, PW clearly didn't do its due diligence in including AM on its annual list.
* In part to counter the wide abuse of the term "hybrid publisher" (which is extensively employed by vanity publishers in an attempt to sanitize their business practices), The Independent Book Publishers Association recently issued a set of professional standards for hybrid publishers. While these standards are urgently needed in the Wild West world of independent presses, they also illustrate how easily a dishonest vanity publisher can present itself as a legitimate hybrid just by making public claims about its business model.
Desertphile said...
Shame on Publishers Weekly.
Vyrdolak said...
Publishers Weekly has been doing this for a while; Author Solutions advertises with them prominently, and a recent news email from them (PW Daily) included a prominent ad for L. Ron Hubbard's "Writers of the Future" contest. PW has been on this track ever since they jumped on the "author services" bandwagon and started up PW Select, the pay-to-play listing service for "indie" authors. It's all about the money.
But a much more salient question for me is, why are vanity press outfits like this among the fastest growing "publishers"? Who are all these writers being suckered in by them, and why, after so many years of warnings by you and many writers' groups and associations, are there so many writers dumb enough to pay thousands of dollars to scammers? It makes me feel like I'm in the wrong line of work. :(
"... included a prominent ad for L. Ron Hubbard's 'Writers of the Future' contest."
The $cientology crime syndicate's "contest" was created by the mob's Sea Org, under the Guardian's Office (now called "The Office of Special Affairs") to "safe point" the mob with unwary writers. "Author Services Inc." and "Bridge Publications" are the crime syndicate's in-house vanity presses with which Hubbard printed and bought his own books by the tens of thousands. Hubbard fled the USA before the FBI raided his offices, and Hubbard let his prostitute wife Mary Sue (whom he met during a Thelemite ritual with rocket scientist Jack Parsons) and his staff go to prison for him.
The most recent "winners" of the "contest" include Sea Org members who work for the mob all day every day for about $12 a week if they are "in good standing."
Lisa McPherson was one of the people who laundered funds via "Bridge Publications" up until the day she was locked in the basement and starved / thirst to death by her "friends."
I am saddened that Writers Digest promotes the crime syndicate and its "contest."
Every Season is Championship Season said...
I feel like too many willies want to see work out without any awareness of quality of research. And, I feel the terrible habit of the meat on the grill without knowing what it is like I am 6 has me grizzled.
We can't pretend where influence and charisma has gone hand in hand like we delinneated actual crisis management and problem solving, but, surely it is a terrible habit we can't seem to shake and we have so many self publishers who don't know the difference between 6 Time Customers and throwing copies in the machine.
The answer to why they keep doing it is in their name: 'Publishers' Weekly
What better way to show their hatred of indie/self publishing than trying to trick as many of them as possible into paying for vanity press?
Victoria Strauss said...
I think it's more a matter of sloppy research than a grand conspiracy.
I'd be really curious to see what kind of documentation Austin Macauley provided to support its claim of 330% sales growth. My hunch is that it has a lot more to do with author recruitment than with per-book sales.
I keep getting review requests from Austin Macauley. I may have said no the first time, then I just started to delete them. The web site was unclear to me, but I have made it clear on my guidelines that I don’t review books published by vanity presses and I’m not interested in hearing from marketing companies. Now I know for sure!
I'm probably really old fashioned and greedy, but when I sell my writing, I think I should be getting paid, not paying out.
Inkling said...
Quote from Vyrodolak: "But a much more salient question for me is, why are vanity press outfits like this among the fastest growing "publishers"?"
I suspect it is for much the same reason that sleazy, for-profit "college" are able to attract students who then discover, after going deeply into debt, that their degrees are almost worthless at getting a job. Like for-profit colleges, these vanity publishers aggressively seek out authors. That makes them those approached feel "wanted," when they are simply wanted for exploitation. Also, many of those students or authors come from backgrounds where there's no one knowledgable to tell them, "Stay away. It's a scam."
One result is that the weakest and most vulnerable are also the most likely to be exploited and then left burned out and angry.
I've posted my comments to the PW webpage. You might want to do the same.
--Michael W. Perry, Inkling Books
"One result is that the weakest and most vulnerable are also the most likely to be exploited and then left burned out and angry."
One of the major problems I have seen at writer's meetings is that writers are likely to be impatient with the publishing process. A fine manuscript still takes more than one year to be published, and that is after a year or more of finding a literary agent, and after the time span of the agent finding a publisher. A good manuscript can take years to become a book, and writers want to skip those necessary steps--- so they fall prey to vanity presses and scams. Even excellent manuscripts may never find a publisher, and writers need to understand that fact and accept it.
If writers' expectations were reasonable, and matched the real world, they would be far less likely to fall victim to scams and vanity (I call them "ego stroking") services.
I am sorry to say that I found your website a little too late.I only put down a portion of the amount requested by Book Arts Press and was promise a refund if dissatisfied.
I called the office one day and was told by the person that answered the phone th account person handling my book was no longer with the company.
Five minutes later the new person handling my account called and she told me that the previous person had been transferred.I asked that since she had been transferred please have her call me. That was a month ago and I have asked many times.Someone is not telling the truth and do not why they would lie about a firing.If they cannot tell the truth about such a simple matter what else is not true.
Also requested they have an author who was satisfied with their service call me at the same time and never heard from anyone.
I am sure that I have lost initial payment but it could have been worse if I had not found you when I did.
Thomas Barrett,
You aren't alone. I've written a post about Book-Art Press and its identical twin, Window Press Club, and their unscrupulous business practices: https://accrispin.blogspot.com/2018/01/solicitation-alert-book-art-press.html.
My advice, if you paid by credit card or PayPal, would be to dispute the charges. These companies take disputes seriously, and will investigate.
"I am sure that I have lost initial payment but it could have been worse if I had not found you when I did."
You can help out other writers by sharing your experience. If you can find forums where reviews of businesses are welcome, perhaps you can write a review for "Book Arts Press."
Brenda Hiatt said...
I contacted Brown Books Press based on this article and contacted them via their website. Last night I received their "proposal" for the first book in my YA series (which has done nicely in ebook, but I'd like to get more print distribution) and it reads like a typical vanity press "deal." Very disappointed that PW didn't do more due diligence...or was seduced by dollar signs from doing so.
"... Brown Books Press...."
https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2012/january/milli-brown-will-publish-your-book-if-you-can-afford-it/
Ignorance is the default, so one cannot fault people for being scammed (based only on that article, I use the word "scam" with no qualifiers). However, the abusers know damn well they will never see any time in jail, let alone prison, for defrauding their victims: their terms of service are so wildly broad and open to vastly different interpretations that writers end up agreeing to utterly insane contracts that fall just short of telling writers that signing up means they will be robbed.
When I was a wee tot of about 11 years old I wanted to be a professional writer and earn my living writing. I read a fun book by Robert Fontaine titled THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. In this book he emphasized the fact that writers are paid to write: they do not pay to write.
It utterly baffles me when I see writers being defrauded and/or otherwise taken advantage of because of their ignorance. Being ignorant is one thing, and not something to be ashamed of; yet there comes a point when ignorance does not explain the odd behavior of some writers when they assume forking over many tens of thousands of dollars to buy their own books is somehow how the business works.
Average fiction manuscripts are worth about $6,300 these days (i.e., advance has been earned at around US$6,300). Yet some fiction writers pay many tens of thousands of dollars for useless "services" and some never see even one copy of their manuscript turned into a book.
A friend of mine paid $3,000 for professional editing of his latest non-fiction book. His "big five" publisher's advance was likely in the US$100,000 range, and his book stayed on the New York _Times_ best-selling list for a few weeks, and also on the Wall Street Journal's best-selling list. That's the only reason I can think of for a writer to send a few thousand dollars on her or his manuscript: after a publishing deal has been agreed to, worked out by an agent. My friend knew it was a fantastic manuscript, so he paid the $3,000 editing fee and had the manuscript professionally edited before his agent sent it to the publisher. He has had more than a dozen NYT best-sellers.
If you are paying someone else for your own work, you're doing it wrong. I have no idea why this is not obvious to everyone.
I'm aware that Brown Books charges fees. I didn't highlight it in my post because I've never gotten any complaints about it (unlike Morgan James and Austin Macauley).
Victoria, I didn't find the printing and warehousing fees too out of line at Brown Books, or even the promotion fees, since they apparently do have access to actual distribution channels and have their people pitch to distributors to carry the books. But their "creative services" fees were hugely inflated and, in my case, mostly unnecessary. Some other fees were also clearly inflated. I'll keep looking for a viable avenue to give my YA books wider print distribution.
"... since they apparently do have access to actual distribution channels and have their people pitch to distributors to carry the books...."
Smashwords does that for writers for free, though they get a tiny percentage of sales.
https://www.smashwords.com/distribution
David Gaughran said...
From a quick check, Austin Macauley didn't have a book in the top 1,000,000 on Amazon just now. How low were sales in 2015 exactly?
As for the IBPA, that whole exercise was a sham, one heavily trumpeted by Publishers Weekly, of course.
I had a client use MJP when they hired me to do the book cover design. The client later called and complained about the quality of the hardcover book, saying the paperback looked wonderful. I never created a hardcover for this client. Upon further investigation, it appears as if MJP took the smaller paperback file and simply cut and past it and enlarged the whole thing (lowering the resolution).
What was more interesting was that MJP spoke with me and could only work with Photoshop files. While Photoshop is the industry standard for dealing with images, those images should then be imported into InDesign for layout of the spine and back cover. It might be fine for DIYers to use Photoshop, but the text handling and file bloat are significant, and not opitmal. No professional designer would do the wrap in Photoshop. For what MJP charges, you would think they could afford a professional.
We had an experience with MJP that I would never want anyone to ever experience again. We have previously published with a traditional publisher and after discussions with MJP, we were convinced they were the same as a traditional publisher. While the contract read as if it was the same, after we signed... what a wake up call.
Email after email required more and more and more money ( I am sure if you have dealt with them, you get the picture).
Whilst I am sure they think they have a great business model, they lack integrity on a grand scale and do not deserve the right to publish anyones' book as they are self serving and very arrogant.
All I can recommend is stay clear, there are plenty of ethical hybrid publishers that will support you to achieve your goals.
I would like to share my experience with Austin Macauley and the bad rap I believe they are getting.
Austin Macauley were a traditional publisher initially and then they transitioned into the hybrid publishing model to support indie publishers and I truly believe their intentions are good.
We were offered an opportunity to publish with them, but unfortunately we accepted an offer from Morgan James Publishing (what a bad experience) before receiving the offer from Austin Macauley.
The reason I believe they are genuine is because their model for the indie publisher is very low cost and they genuinely want you to succeed, unlike Morgan James Publishing who want you to pay for everything at your cost and profit it from it in the process.
Whilst I appreciate we all have opinions, I truly believe that Austin Macauley are genuine and simply getting a bad wrap.
And no I am not associated with the company, nor do I get any benefit from posting this comment.
But I am tired of seeing good genuine companies get a bad wrap when their only goal is to support others, like yourselves, to achieve their goals.
I am also happy for the forum administrator to confirm that the IP address that posted this response does not come from the UK.
Should the responses to this post be positive that supports all of us to achieve our goals, I will share the publisher in the US that will not only change your opinion about hybrid publishing but genuinely deliver on what they say.
And once again I am not associated with the publisher, I am author whose book is being published by a genuine hybrid publisher that I would like to share.
I wish you all the best with your publishing endeavours.
Anonymous 6/03,
As far as I know, Austin Macauley has always charged fees. According to Companies House, they incorporated in May 2007 (as Austin & Macauley), and I started getting reports of their fees that same year. You can find similar reports online, for instance here or here.
AM used the exact same marketing pitch in 2007 as they do now: claiming that they only ask for fees sometimes, and first consider submissions for a traditional contract. As I mention in my post, however, judging by the volume of fee reports I've received, as well as the many reports online, fee-based publishing is most--if not quite all--of what they do. AM is not a hybrid publisher: it's a vanity publisher, just as Morgan James is.
I've never seen a fee offer from AM that was less than four figures, and the highest fee I've seen was over £4,000. I wouldn't call that "very low cost."
Author Complaints Mount at Curiosity Quills Press
Publishers Weekly Includes Two Vanity Publishers i...
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AcroTrekker
Vegan health/fitness sites
Scam-busting
How I did at the Yonkers Marathon
Posted on September 30, 2013 | 20 comments
A few minutes after crossing the finish line
First of all, congratulations to all finishers of the challenging Yonkers Marathon! And a big thanks to everyone supporting and cheering us as we raced!
Yesterday, I completed the hilly Yonkers Marathon while juggling, my first ever marathon. It felt spectacular! It took me 3:51:43, to complete the 26.2 mile(42.1 km) course. I wasn’t expecting completing in under 4 hours, not just because this was my first marathon but also because of all the hills. And some old injuries which occasionally give me problems. Most of the hills aren’t very challenging, the inclines are mostly gentle, except at the point where Main Street in Hastings-On-Hudson meets route 9 when the route loops back into Yonkers, between miles 4 and 5(17 and 18 during second loop of full Marathon).
The race was a combined full and half-marathon, so at the 8 AM start there were around 1,200 runners total, with only 196 doing the full marathon. Half-marathoners did one loop, full-marathoners 2 loops. My overall place was 86. It was really crowded at the start, in front of the Yonkers library in downtown Yonkers. Because I’m a joggler, I wanted to be toward the back and by the side, in case I dropped the balls. I dropped them 4 times.
The first few miles north on Warburton Ave were a breeze(it was 55 F or 12.7 C at the start) and is mostly a gentle incline. I decided to start slow, and it would have been difficult to pass many runners due to how crowded it was. At first the route is very urban, and kind of slummy, but it became increasingly suburban the further north we went. Between mile 2 and 3, there were some decent views of the Hudson(trees tend to block much of the view in the warmer months). Just after mile 3 it starts feeling rural, with lots of wooded park areas. Some of the houses in this area have great views of the Hudson. It was around this time that I had my first drop, all because I wanted to drink some Gatorade.
The Newington Cropsey Foundation art museum. It was one of the most interesting places along the marathon route. It is located near the middle of Hastings.
A little after mile 4 and we’re in Hastings-On-Hudson. This is a picturesque small town just north of Yonkers with a Bohemian feel to it and some historical sites. By this time the crowd of runners started to thin out and I was passing a lot of runners. Some were impressed while others felt bad about having someone run faster than them who is also juggling. There weren’t a lot of crowds along the path, mostly just water and Gatorade stations where everyone cheered loudy for the passing runners and usually louder for me(this made me feel a little uncomfortable at times since I don’t normally enjoy being the center of attention). The staff from NYCrunners, and the Boy Scouts handing out water were very helpful and supportive. The police were also great at keeping traffic from interfering with the race(the route isn’t completely closed to traffic). I always thanked them as I passed.
A little after mile 6 and I was back in Yonkers. I was still passing runners but not as much as before. Between miles 8 and 9 I mostly stopped passing runners, and the route went from pleasant suburban to ugly industrial. I tended to grab water or Gatorade every 2 to 4 miles, running while drinking(though not juggling, these breaks were always very brief).
From miles 9 to 10, some runners would pass me and I would occasionally pass some runners who decided to walk. It also became increasingly urban as the route approached downtown Yonkers. I started to feel a little tired by mile 10. The temperature was rising, and there was nothing blocking the sun’s increasingly stronger rays.
Miles 11 to 12 were very urban, and there were a lot of people out in the streets watching the runners and cheering us on. My right hip started to bother me around here though strangely started feeling better a few miles later. The route comes within a quarter mile from the Bronx(northernmost borough of New York City) which is to the south, and even feels like the Bronx at this point. The route then goes west on Valentine Street, and then turns north and away from the Bronx on Riverdale Avenue toward the area where the Marathon started at mile 13.1. The crowd support at the starting/finish line area was great, so many were amazed by the joggling.
The strange turn-around to do the second loop for the full marathon was a bit confusing when the head of the marathon explained it at the beginning, but luckily helpful staffers were able to show me and other runners the right direction to go in. I probably would have ended up in the Hudson river if not for their guidance.
The crowd support at the center of town, and the knowledge that I was 50% through the race was very invigorating. The crowd of runners had thinned out, since it was now only us full marathoners. It almost felt like I was doing a training run because of the few runners I saw ahead of me on the road, mostly in the distance. My speed improved and I passed several more runners between miles 14 to 18, but I would occasionally slow down to quickly recharge my batteries. By mile 18 I felt I had hit the wall, in part due to that steep hill on the edge of Hastings village I mentioned earlier. I dropped the balls a couple of times between miles 18 and 20, and was passed by some faster runners. Besides this, the temperature had risen to the upper 60s(20 C) and I felt it and started to sweat a lot.
It was pretty lonely after mile 20, with a lot of space between me and most other runners. I could barely keep pace with the runners 50 to 200 feet ahead of me, when I could see them, and walked for 1 to 2 seconds a couple of times in hilly areas. By mile 24.5, after one last incline, there were no more hills. It was all downhill toward the finish line!
I had my last sip of Gatorade and felt reinvigorated at around mile 25 when told there was just 1 more mile to go. My speed picked up. As I approached the finish line area there were a lot of people cheering me on. As I crossed the finish line I did one of my tricks, throwing a ball above the finish line banner and catching it on the other side as a coup de grace. The crowd loved it. Although I didn’t do it perfectly, I was surprised I could do it at all due to my tiredness. I don’t think I’ve ever been cheered for that loudly before. Of course, I am not the first person to joggle an entire marathon, this has been done countless times before.
As I approached the baggage area I felt like I was going to faint and a few staffers were concerned. I quickly recovered though felt very sore. I drank a lot of Gatorade and water and had a Cliff Bar.
I felt very sore after the marathon, and feel a little sore now. However, I managed to walk for a few miles after the marathon to get some exercise. I’ve been drinking a lot of tart cherry juice and blueberry juice to help me recover. I also drink some blueberry kefir juice, and I think drinking this the day before and the morning of the race may be why I had no digestive complaints whatsoever during the marathon. Ordinarily I would at least feel some stomach pain if running over 15 miles.
All in all, a great experience. Some people might like to believe vegans can’t run marathons. I had certain people laugh at me when I told them I would complete one – while juggling the whole time. Now, I am laughing at them. Of course, a lot of people laughed at me during the marathon due to my juggling, but it was more of a complimentary laugh. They were also laughing at the male runner dressed in a tutu, though it’s not a real marathon if there isn’t a man in a tutu running it. I laughed too, though laughed less and less when I realized how fast he was.
Alas, I couldn’t keep up with the runner in the tutu, but there is always a next time. I hope everyone does great at their races!
If anyone reading this has any good photos from the marathon, please email me.
Great Spirits of the Loch Ness Marathon 2013
Posted in fitness, joggling, New York, running, vegan
Tagged Christopher Pert joggler, Christopher Pert Yonkers Marathon, Greek jogglers, Greek marathoners, Greek runners, Greek vegan athletes, Greek vegan runners, Greek vegans, Hastings New York, Hastings-On-Hudson, Hudson river views, joggler Yonkers Marathon, man juggling Yonkers Marathon, Newington Cropsey Foundation, vegan juggling Yonkers Marathon
MLM and crank magnetism
Eye color and athletic ability
The runner's personality
Veganism and multi-level marketing
The incredible diversity of the Caucasus
Can exercise help overcome drug addiction?
Xiong Yiliao - ancient Chinese warrior juggler
Review of "The Age of Genius: The 17th Century and the Birth of the Modern Mind"
Vegan Pastitsio
Joggling is a winter sport
Getting even better at juggling while unicycling
My review of “Marauders of Hope” by Aruna Ravikumar
Improving at club juggling while idling
Interleaving versus spaced practice
animals biology equipment exercise famous jugglers and jogglers fashion fitness general health history humor joggling Juggling New York nutrition running scams science trails/outdoors Uncategorized unicycle vegan
Jay's Brainstorms
The Reasoned Vegan
nattfashion.wordpress.com/
Beautifully Eurasian
All you need to change the world is oxygen and time
All kinds of ideas and thoughts
Providing Good Reasons to Go Vegan and Stay That Way
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Climb Information
Why We Climb
2020 Fight For Air Climb
only 15 days to the climb!
February 1, 20208:00 a.m. ET
Bank of America Tower Jacksonville, FL (view on map)36 Floors and 713 Stairs
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Together We've Raised…
We've Raised:
Our Goal: $140,000.00
Every Step Counts
Step up and make a positive impact for lung health by participating in a Fight For Air Climb event. Raise funds and challenge yourself to support the American Lung Association's mission while climbing the 36 Floors and 713 Stairs of the Bank of America Tower . You can do it and we'll help you every step of the way!
Whether you're climbing alone or with friends and family, for a healthier lifestyle or in honor of all those who are affected by lung disease, you'll feel victorious when you reach the top. Defeating the physical challenge and reaching the height of your fundraising potential will be a gratifying experience, and one that provides hope for millions of people. Every Step Counts as we unite in the fight for healthy lungs and clean air!
Register today and we'll help you reach your goals – from the first step in your Climb experience all the way to the finish line. Along the way, think about all the people you're helping, and remember: we're climbing for hope because they're fighting for breath.
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What is a Fight For Air Climb?
One of the American Lung Association's signature fundraising events, Fight For Air Climbs are stair climbs held in prominent skyscrapers around the country. Climbers join friends, family, co-workers or even fly solo, climbing the stairs of the building to the top! Over the last several years, our Fight For Air Climbs have raised more than $53 million to support the mission of the American Lung Association.
More than 27,000 participants from 42 Climb events across the country came together last year to raise more than $8 million. This year, you can join the challenge and raise money to help provide life-saving lung health research, patient education and public policy efforts.
The Fight For Air Climbs vary in the number of stairs to climb, but each event offers an opportunity for teams and individuals to challenge themselves. And every step you take moves us forward in our fight for healthy lungs and clean air.
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Small Agency Awards
Small Agency, Big Idea: Ueno rallies creatives to call attention to the 100 lives lost daily to gun violence
Shop calls on industry to create art highlighting the cause
By I-Hsien Sherwood. Published on July 22, 2019.
Credit: Richard Smith
Ahead of Ad Age's 10th Annual Small Agency Conference in New Orleans July 30-31, we are highlighting standout work from the industry's tiny but mighty creative players. Here we dig into the latest from Ueno, a 65-person creative shop with offices in California, New York and Iceland, which teamed with Good Measure, a self-described “pop-up agency” that works on social good projects and one-man shop Van Holtz Co.
Each day in America, 100 people are killed with firearms. What should be a disturbing statistic has become the banal reality, the accepted price we all pay for living in this country, like filing taxes or sitting in traffic. But a group of small agencies is hoping to shake people out of their reverie with thought-provoking, sometimes unsettling art that drives home the magnitude of the problem, and they’re enlisting other shops to help.
The “100 Every Day” campaign begins rolling out today with a collection of intense and sobering posters chosen from submissions by people working in the industry. On the campaign website and across dedicated social channels, the messages are both subtle and conspicuous.
A stop sign riddled with bullet holes stands as lonely testament to the ubiquity of guns. An abstract series of dots fills in for a timeline of corpses. Though the campaign itself claims nonpartisanship, not all the artists adhere to it—in one execution, President Donald Trump is literally unable to see a schoolchild cowering behind a backpack.
The art series is a collaboration by Ueno, Good Measure and Van Holtz Co, a Portland-based one-man shop that partners with agencies and brands.
The project is ongoing, and will be looking for new posters over the next month, says Liz Donovan, marketing director at Ueno.
“We’re looking for original submissions that present a unique or stimulating perspective on the issue of gun violence,” she says. “While gun violence issues are inherently political, we’re hoping that each submission is less of an attack on specific politicians and focused more on the tragedy at hand.”
The idea for the campaign came out of one of Good Measure's "create-a-thons," for which it brings together more than 100 creative professionals for three days to brainstorm projects. In March, the teams gathered in New York City, which led to the "100 Every Day."
“We considered a few different topics for campaign development, including accessibility in design and the diversification of the creative class,” says Good Measure Founder Alex Anderson. “We decided on gun violence because of the passion that emerged around the topic from Ueno’s leadership team and our friend Kiu Yi, a freelance designer,” who contributed a piece of art titled “Loaded System," which turns the American flag into a handgun.
Loaded System, 2019
Kiu Yi
Other agencies and organizations are sourcing artists for submissions and sharing and supporting the work on their own channels. They include Funsize, McGarrah Jessee, Hyperakt, Upstatement, Alright Studio, The Black Sheep Agency, NUU Group, Janitor Creative Studio, Craft CMS and Awwwards. Those involved are also looking for other ways to spread the message, as well as beginning to plot out what a second phase of the campaign might look like.
Viewers who want to share the campaign can use #100EveryDay or recruit agencies or artists to submit additional art. The campaign is also encouraging donations to gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety.
“This isn’t the solution. It’s a means to inform, to encourage, to denounce, to scream and cry and create together. It’s a way for us to visualize the data that should horrify us,” says Anderson. “We’re not the ones doing the important work. Hopefully this project points others to organizations like Everytown. And definitely, by all means, call your lawmakers. Your voice means something, and it should be heard.”
Every single day, 100 people die from gun violence. Can we just say it outright? This reality within a modern, civilized society is ridiculous. The best we can do is argue for a few weeks on Twitter while it’s fresh in our minds and we feel like born-again activists. In the meantime, people are still dying. What will it take for us to care about the numbers again? Make something to do something — by joining our design project to visualize the horror that exists in America. 100everyday.org
A post shared by 100 Every Day (@hundredeveryday) on Jun 17, 2019 at 6:20pm PDT
Special Report: Small Agency Conference and Awards
I-Hsien Sherwood
I-Hsien Sherwood is the associate creativity editor at Ad Age.
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The “False Flag” is a Jewish political manoeuvre used to distract and conceal for the purposes of furthering Jewish interests. Though there have been many the most infamous ‘False Flag’ of recent years was 9/11. Jewish Israel’s Mossad targeted the Twin Towers in New York but this notorious event has been blamed on ‘Islamic terrorism’ distracting the mass from the real Jewish enemy who immediately launched a ‘war on terror’ and use this as an excuse to steal White America’s guns. Meanwhile, the ethnic European is duped into killing the Jews enemy in the Middle East. Similarly post WWII once the Swastika had been suitably demonised the Jewish Bolshevised Stasi manufactured Jewish hatred in the form of “Neo-Nazi” groups with the purpose of discrediting the West. It also ordered campaigns in which cemeteries and other Jewish sites in West Germany were smeared with swastikas. In a much more limited sense this reflects the Jew daubing the Swastika on his own property for the public outcry. Whether this was the case with Jewish MP Luciana Berger the psychology remains the same-the Jewish character gets to play the ‘eternal victim’ yet again.
Berger is now 1 of the 3 leading Jewish influences in the northwest others being Beatrice Fraenkel currently an NHS board member and the Jewish Zionist MP Louise Ellman a leading figure in the Northwest since early 2000. A member of the NHS Confederation Berger was parachuted into the 2010 elections to sure up the Liverpool Care Pathway program. It is highly significant that Luciana Berger a prominent Jewess and senior member within Liverpool NHS is associated with the Liverpool Care Pathway program along with her Jewish colleague Beatrice Fraenkel. This site asserts that the pathways program was a determined effort by their ethnic group to exterminate the elder members of our ethnic British population. As stated in a previous article “It is highly profitable for a hospital to place patients on the Pathway. Hospitals are paid millions to hit targets for the number of patients who die on the LCP. At least £30m in extra money is handed to hospitals to achieve these goals. Quite literally hospitals are encouraged to slaughter their patients because they get paid for it. ” This carefully planned extermination protocol mirrors the corrosive paedophilic programme set in place by sexual Bolsheviks to corrupt our children. Subtly penetrating the school system with ‘sex education’ children as young as 5 are now subjected to perversity passed off as ‘tolerance’. Meanwhile, the generation that understand the values being debased are marked for death.
Naturally the above manifesto has not been issues to the mass in its entirety. It has been broken down and its delivery concealed as distinct and separate policy. Each time a piece of the manifesto is delivered the public is handed a beautifully gift wrapped lie. Behind the propaganda of Jewish politicians and their media is the reality that introducing sex and homosexuality into the classroom increased promiscuity, teen pregnancy and is attempting to ‘normalise’ sexual perversions. Consequently our children are being delivered, even groomed for sexually debased purposes, and there can be no denying the heavy political and media involvement within the current paedophile scandal that has already exposed Jimmy Saville’s BBC as a focus of child corruption and mutilation.
Categories: Fabians, Labour Party, Liverpool, NHS, Pathways, Zionism . Tags: 9/11, BBC, Beatrice Fraenkel, False Flag, Islamic terrorism, Jewish, LCP, Liverpool Care Pathway program, Louise Ellman, Luciana Berger, Mossad, NHS, Sexual Bolsheviks, Stasi, Swastika . Author: AntiZionistLeague . Comments: Leave a comment
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Randall: Baby Name of the Day
August 11, 2015 By appellationmountain 2 Comments
It’s a celebrity – and starbaby – middle name that’s been overlooked in recent years.
Thanks to Silent One for suggesting Randall as our Baby Name of the Day.
Randall: Surname Name
No surprise here – Randall started out as yet another surname name migrated to the first spot.
Randall evolved from a diminutive form of Randolf, or maybe other Ran- names. The first element means rim, as in the rim of a shield. The -olf is usually said to come from wolf.
The name came to England with the Normans, where it met up with an Old Norse version of the name already in use. Randolf and Ranulf would have been common at the time.
There’s also Raghnall, another Scandinavian import, except that Raghnall usually became Ronald.
Randolph – with the ‘ph’ spelling – didn’t come into vogue until later, when parents revived medieval names. Winston Churchill’s dad was born Randolph in 1849.
Randall: 1980s Name
Here’s the reason for my surprise: Randall ranked #129 in 1983. In fact, it was a Top 100 name from 1948 through 1970.
I would’ve guessed Randall’s heyday was far earlier, peaking sometime in the 1930s. But it isn’t so. Randall is more likely to be a dad name than a great-grandpa name.
Randall: Famous
There’s no shortage of famous men by the name – athletes and politicians and all sorts of successful types. The twentieth century was good to Randall.
Back in 1903, Randall Davidson was Archbishop of Canterbury.
On a literary note, Ken Kesey gave the name Randle Patrick McMurphy to the main character in his 1962 novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Jack Nicholson won an Oscar for his portrayal of the character in the 1975 film adaptation.
One that always comes to mind for me? Actor Randall Batinkoff, who starred opposite Molly Ringwald in 1988 movie For Keeps.
And, of course, there’s Justin Randall Timberlake. Singer-actor Timberlake and wife Jessica Biel recently welcomed their first child, son Silas – and passed down dad’s middle name.
But some of the better known bearers of the name in recent decades have been villains – or slackers.
It’s the name of the reptilian bad guy in 2001’s Disney-Pixar flick Monsters, Inc.
Stephen King’s Randfall Flagg has caused trouble since his 1978 novel The Stand.
In 1994’s cult classic Clerks, the slacker friend is Randal.
Randall: Randy
Whether this name conjures up a fictional baddie or a leading man, I think Randall’s biggest challenge might be his default nickname.
Randall feels like a name in style limbo, but one that would wear well. Like Malcolm or Lawrence, it’s a name that isn’t exactly fashionable, but retains a certain handsome, traditional appeal.
Randy feels rather dated – despite being more popular. Randy ranked #510 in 2014 – compared to Randall’s frosty, just-hanging-on rank of #906.
But Randy feels like a faded trend. The name was virtually unused prior to the 1930s, then saw a sharp spike in popularity, reaching the Top 100 from 1948 through 1984. Randy peaked at #28 in 1956. It’s the classic pattern of a fleeting name – a fast rise, an early peak, and then a long, slow decline.
Randall: Stand-Up Guy
Overall, Randall seems like an under-the-radar name possibility. It’s not so out-there that you’d be accused of choosing hipster names (think Rufus), nor is a traditional name that’s rising fast (think Everett.)
If your goal is to find a familiar, traditional name that your child won’t share with anyone his age, Randall is one to consider.
What do you think of Randall? Is this name a neglected gem, or still caught in style limbo?
Baby Name of the Day: Wallace
Sunday Summary: 6/14/2009
Hal: Baby Name of the Day
Baby Name of the Day: Winston
Hammond: Baby Name of the Day
The Mrs. says
I know two Randall’s. One is in his fifties; the other is a preteen. The name has a preppy, grown-up-only sort of feel. I expect him to play lacrosse or be able to carry a conversation about quality cheeses.
I agree that Randy is an embarrassing nickname (especially if you meet someone from the UK!). Very awkward.
Rands or Daley seem like better nickname options. Even Andy works! But Rad is the coolest nickname of all.
I can’t get past randy being another word for horny.
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Home National '100 percent of the people around him': Even Jared and Ivanka question...
'100 percent of the people around him': Even Jared and Ivanka question Trump's fitness
Jess McIntosh
The author of the explosive book Trump failed to shut down is telling it all on national television.
Author Michael Wolff is rapidly becoming one of Americas favorite people for his explosive expose of the Trump White House.
Trump's legal team sent a cease-and-desist letter to halt the production of Wolffs book, "Fire and Fury. Wolff's publisher responded to the threat by moving up the release date by four days, and it was released at midnight on Thursday to massive crowds lining up at bookstores.
One of the most amazing things is how brutally, bluntly honest Trumps closest aides and family members were with Wolff, a fact brought home by Wolffs appearance on the "TODAY" show with Savannah Guthrie.
Pressed by Guthrie, Wolff made an extraordinary claim:
https://shareblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/A5CF88CC-FFFC-4B10-9642-AC2B612C5D68.mp4
GUTHRIE: Let's talk about the book itself. One of the overarching themes is that, according to your reporting, everyone around the president senior advisers, family members, every single one of them questions his intelligence and fitness for office.
WOLFF: Let me put a marker in the sand here. 100 percent of the people around him.
GUTHRIE: Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, Ivanka Trump, question his fitness for office?
WOLFF: Every time I want to be careful about who I spoke to because the nature of this kind of book is you grant everyone a veil. But having said that, certainly Jared and Ivanka, in their current situation, which is in a deep legal quagmire, are putting everything on the president. Not us, it's him.
GUTHRIE: What are some of the ways the president was described to you by those closest to him?
WOLFF: I will tell you the one description that everyone gave. Everyone has in common. They all say, he is like a child.
It is clear why Trump and his team are afraid of the revelations in Wolff's book. They apparently gave him unprecedented access to major figures in the administration.
In a normal White House, this would not be a problem. But in a White House where even the presidents own family members in nepotistic advisory roles are raising doubts about his mental fitness for office, and compare him to a child, it is devastating.
The American people now have an answer to why the Trump administration has been so fanatically devoted to secrecy and obsessed with catching leakers within their ranks. The simple facts of Trumps day-to-day existence delegitimize his leadership and prove he never should have been elected.
(Matthew Chapman contributed to this article)
Previous articleWatergate prosecutor says there's enough evidence to charge Trump with obstruction
Next articleThe bombshell book Trump tried to ban sells out within minutes
Democratic strategist, feminist activist, and former communications advisor for Hillary Clinton, EMILY's List, & Sen. Al Franken. Follow her on Twitter @jess_mc.
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Highlights from this issue
Nick Brown, Editor in Chief1,2,3
1 Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, International Maternal and Child Health (IMCH), Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
2 Department of Paediatrics, Länssjukhuset Gävle-Sandviken, Gävle, Sweden
3 Department of Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
Correspondence to Dr Nick Brown, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, International Maternal and Child Health (IMCH), Uppsala University, Gävle 801 87, Sweden; nickjwbrown{at}gmail.com
Like many words with an implicit sense of drama, ‘milestones’ has become something of an overused term, a ‘millstone’, if you will. There are occasions, though, where it is fully justified and, by chance, this month’s issue describes events and studies to which the epithet can rightly be applied. I therefore make no apology in risking cliché on this occasion
The end of formula milk advertising in Archives
In 1981, the WHO and Unicef launched the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, guidance aimed to ban advertising of these products to the public. It stipulated that all milks that may replace breastmilk in the first 3 years of life, including infant formula, follow-on formula, specialist products and milks marketed for toddlers, as well as foods marketed for children under 6 months old, be known as ‘substitutes’. It was hoped that the ban would be upheld by law globally, but, the anticipated changes failed to materialise. Though the UK restricts marketing of infant formula to the general public, it allows advertising of specialist products to be marketed to health professionals providing the information is scientific and factual in the view of the advertiser.
After lengthy (and courageous) discussions between the BMJ journals and RCPCH, the conclusion was reached that this arrangement was in conflict with breastfeeding promotion. As a result, the BMJ, Archives and related journals and the RCPCH will no longer carry advertisements or accept payment from the companies. This will be expensive as losses of funding are inevitable. Though existing contracts will be honoured, the final adverts will appear later this year while the RCPCH examines ways of supporting paediatricians with regards to information regarding specialist milks for children with intestinal dysfunction and allergy.
Read the BMJ editorial on: https://www.bmj.com/content/364/bmj.l1200… AND the RCPCH statement on: https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/news-events/news/rcpch-statement-relationship-formula-milk-companies
Fluids in septic shock
In 2011, the New England Journal of Medicine published the landmark ‘FEAST’ study. This trial challenged existing dogma in terms of fluid bolus volumes in febrile children in Sub Saharan Africa with incipient shock. Children were randomised to an initial, ‘traditional’ bolus of 20 mL/ kg of either 0.9% saline or albumin or to a no bolus control limb. To generalised surprise and consternation, the results robustly demonstrated excess mortality in the higher volume group. Later secondary analyses showed that the excess deaths were largely due to cardiogenic shock, across all categories, though the pathological pathways were unclear. Unsurprisingly, there was a period of resistance in non Low and Middle Income emergency care settings partly on the basis of potential non-generalisability and for some years the question remained tantalisingly unanswered.
Eventually, to the immense credit of the UK NIHR, a pilot, phase two study, fluids in septic shock (FISH) was launched. This multicentre pilot, tested the feasibility of a potential future full scale trial on randomising children to the low or standard volume bolus after an initial 20 mL/kg load. The findings were salutary on two levels. First, adherence was variable suggesting inherent belief in individual previous practice. Second, the number of children eligible was much lower than expected, a reflection of the success of vaccination programme particularly with respect to the conjugate pneumonoccal, meningococcal B and (though not new) haemophilus B programme. Where does this now leave us? Inwald’s paper and the editorial by Kath Maitland, principal investigator of the FEAST study provide detail. See pages 427 and 409.
Achieving consensus: RCPCH guidance
No one could be unaware or immune to the tensions generated by any of the recent high profile media cases in which paediatricians and parents fundamentally disagreed and, in of which, recourse to the courts was required. Mike Linney’s piece for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Heath and Paediatric Intensive Care Society was catalysed by these cases and suggests means of reaching a consensus in decision making in life limiting illness. The guidance is underpinned by the need for communication and includes the following tenets: avoidance of giving (to parents) inappropriate expectations, early use of palliative care teams, the recognition of parental and practitioner stress, the assignation of a lead consultant and use of ethical, legal services and mediation services. See page 414.
Global health: climate change
To do justice to the effects (direct and indirect) of climate change to children from physical harm to infectious disease to nutritional risk to economic underproductivity, would take several volumes. Despite the magnitude of the task, there are simple practical and philosophical measures that we can incorporate into our daily lives which at scale will (not might) make a difference. Zulfi Bhutta’s editorial (explains how you might adopt these. See page 418.
From the outset, I was determined that children’s views and thoughts, literal and metaphorical, would be afforded a place in the journal. This was one of the principles on which Robert Scott-Jupp’s Voices section was based. Other than ‘Voices from children’, there are three spokes, ‘history’, ‘controversies’ and ‘literature’ all of which are now running.
This month sees the first of the children’s and young person’s Voices: these are written by the young person or parent, are peer-reviewed, but, in the spirit of maintaining the authenticity of the original experience. All are anonymous to maintain confidentiality unless a child has died, or is aged over 18 years at the time of submission and have given autonomous consent. The first (and eponymous) piece, ‘all about George’ appears on page 489.
Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.
Patient consent for publication Not required.
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
Restricted fluid bolus volume in early septic shock: results of the Fluids in Shock pilot trial
David Philip Inwald Ruth Canter Kerry Woolfall Paul Mouncey Zohra Zenasni Caitlin O’Hara Anjali Carter Nicola Jones Mark D Lyttle Simon Nadel Mark J Peters David A Harrison Kathryn M Rowan
Archives of Disease in Childhood 2018; 104 426-431 Published Online First: 07 Aug 2018. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2018-314924
All about George
BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Archives of Disease in Childhood 2018; 104 489-489 Published Online First: 26 Oct 2018. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2018-315882
Achieving consensus advice for paediatricians and other health professionals: on prevention, recognition and management of conflict in paediatric practice
Mike Linney Richard D W Hain Dominic Wilkinson Peter-Marc Fortune Sarah Barclay Vic Larcher Jacqueline Fitzgerald Emily Arkell
Archives of Disease in Childhood 2019; 104 413-416 Published Online First: 18 Apr 2019. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2018-316485
Climate change and global child health: what can paediatricians do?
Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta Ashley Aimone Saeed Akhtar
Archives of Disease in Childhood 2019; 104 417-418 Published Online First: 16 Mar 2019. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2018-316694
Emergency fluid bolus therapy studies: first do no harm
Kathryn Maitland
Archives of Disease in Childhood 2018; 104 409-410 Published Online First: 28 Sep 2018. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2018-315885
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Anne-O-tations
Tomorrow, I will have been home for a week. It has pretty much taken until today to get everything at work ship-shape again. On Monday I looked at the piles of paper I had to deal with and felt that my head might explode. Somehow I had to sort it all out and teach at the same time. If it hadn’t been for wonderful colleagues stepping in in my absence, I wouldn’t have things sorted by now.
As I was setting work for my five classes before I left, I became acutely aware of how complicated the job is. On my return, I was made aware of how things have changed in the job in just a few years. My replacement was not accustomed to using digital technology or to new methods of assessment. So there’s a benefit to taking leave: you value what you do more.
On the other hand, as she swanned into school today with a pile of library books to return under her arm and a nonchalant air, I did envy her freedom.
I’m still not quite used to being at home. Routines have been forgotten, such as how many spoonfuls of rolled oats I put in my plate. This used to be a part of my morning routine which I didn’t have to think about. An advantage of being away for nearly eight weeks: you forget how you did things and can re-think and change. It’s refreshing. Except that I forgot to take morning tea to the beach on Sunday. Morning tea is important on the beach, when you choose a good log and sit down to chat and share treats. My understanding companion still shared carrot cake with me.
There are sobering things, such as listening to the news and little of it is encouraging. I have to switch to the concert programme. Or suddenly coming to on the way home from work to find I’d fallen asleep and crossed the centre line. Getting up in the dark to get ready for work. Steeling yourself for the day ahead. Cleaning up after an elderly dog. But isn’t he lovely:
There are wonderful things: the sparkly sea on a sunny Sunday, the warm sun on a winter’s day, bird song, fantails flitting about on air waves, the nip of frost in the morning, the stars so clear and so close, winter sweet’s fragrance, the red rhododendron beginning to flower. Mum’s lasagne! I’m not finding it cold; I’ve been told the worst of winter is probably over. Perhaps I’ve soaked up heat from Europe and still have stores of warmth.
My lovely and loving family make coming home warming.
anneinabsentia Uncategorized 1 Comment July 27, 2018 2 Minutes
Goodbye, Paris
My last day was busy, revisiting favourite places and getting lost and finding new things, as usual.
St Chapelle was unscheduled, but was lovely to revisit.
The Pompidou Centre has changed, but was great. In 1981 I photographed the buildings opposite because they reminded me of a print I had at home. The roofs are still interesting, such as the double former windows on a high grey roof, and the nets slung between dormers in the foreground.
I approached Ile St Louis from the Rive Droit, and discovered Les Plages which I had heard about. The riverside has been set up like a beach resort for the summer. Children are playing football inside that structure.
Ile St Louis has charming streets and shops and cafes, such as this tea shop where I had apricot juice and homemade orange cake.
This archway holds three floors above it.
There was a mechanic’s garage in Art Deco style, but full of modern cars. I saw a garage earlier which was just for repairing motorcycles. There are a lot of motorcycles about and I like to look for the ones with two wheels at the front.
St Louis Church is on Ile St Louis, as you might expect. It has a grand array of organ pipes and a modern statue of Pope John Paul in the Chapel of Compassion – but just a photo of Mother Teresa.
Then more shops, such as one with popular French characters:
The dog reminds me of Pommes Frites, the police bloodhound in Michael Bond’s Monsieur Pamplemousse series.
I walked across the bridge to the garden behind Notre Dame where there was a statue of the same pope as before, but also these gentlemen, one recumbent in the vege patch. I’m tempted to say, “recumbent in the cucumbers”.
And here’s the building itself:
Then it was a last look at the pétanque players in the Jardin du Luxembourg.
And a last meal at Bistro des Campagnes – with a glass of Muscadet.
Au Revoir, Paris!
Fittingly, predictive text wanted me to say, “Au Renoir”!
anneinabsentia Uncategorized Leave a comment July 19, 2018 1 Minute
Art at the Pompidou Centre
As the Pompidou didn’t open until 11am I had time to revisit St Chapelle on the way. Astonishing stained glass and detailed craftsmanship impressed as before.
There is a carving of a woman with distaff and spindle in almost the same pose as the woman spinning in the tapestry in the Cluny.
The Pompidou has extensive art collections. Here are some which caught my eye.
A Matisse.
A woman in a Swanndri!
A Picasso sculpture: Young Girl on a Swing. I liked the weighting of this, particularly the clumpy feet.
This is called “Table” but there is more to it than furniture.
This is 3D: a deconstructed piano.
The exhibitions are organised by time periods. You drift from room to room with glimpses into other spaces or to courtyards with sculptures and water and over the rooftops of Paris.
The contemporary art was extensive and challenging. I was pleased I hung in for the top gallery of furniture, art and objects from art nouveau to about the 60s.
This was made for a house in 1911.
A blue car with a crank handle, and leather straps securing the bonnet.
Book covers – Art Deco, perhaps.
A wooden carving, distinctly phallic, and very French in the eccentric, cartoon-like figures and expressions.
Furniture with a view.
And posters.
I walked 17kms today and I imagine much of that was inside this massive complex.
It doesn’t have the colourful exterior with colour-coded pipes that I remember when I visited in 1981. It’s been toned down. Not in content and scope, however.
anneinabsentia Uncategorized 3 Comments July 19, 2018 1 Minute
A plan to visit the Musee Carnavalet was cancelled when I visited the website and found the museum is closed for renovations. However, you can do a virtual visit, which I will save until I’m home and able to use a screen larger than that of my phone.
Instead, it was a quiet day. An exhibition of photographs in the Jardin du Luxembourg impressed me.
As with the tapestries, I looked at the each photo as the photographer might have done. What was he seeing? What did it say? What does it say to me? With these two photos my experience of Paris helped me to consider what it is like to live here surrounded by massive walls of stone and history. How does that affect our relationship to the environment and how is our identity changed by what has gone before?
The first photo is composed of a wall with a slice of sky visible. The second, dominated by massive columns, shows a metal chair diminished by distance and a partly obscured person. A window is shadowed on a wall.
The young photographer spoke enthusiastically to me about photographing in Africa and South Korea and how those places have altered his perceptions of the world and his/our place in it. Spiritual insights were part of these transforming experiences. He liked how spiritual life was linked to the natural environment and open and visible in these countries, not shut in by stone walls as it is here as if to exclude.
Back to the mundane: I sat in the garden reading and eating a cinnamon cream filled eclair – beautifully wrapped – from my favourite artisan boulangerie, from which I have bought only savoury breads and quiches, until now. I wondered what the joggers made of my choice as they wobbled past.
A flat white – the first I’ve had while away – was available at a little Salon de Cafe nearby.
Then I retreated to read in the comfort of my first floor room where, with the window open, I could hear chatter from the street below and see people going by, parents with children, a few cars and scooters; everyday life for the people who live here.
These living streets are what our city council would like, to bring the inner city of Christchurch to life. Businesses on the ground floor and living above. These apartments are on five floors with dormers making an additional sixth floor. And there’s that slice of sky.
I was disconcerted by news of a 4.1 tremor at home. What would that sort of event do to this street?
How will I adjust to going home?
Increasingly, my lack of conversational French is frustrating and it will be a relief to talk freely again as I was able to do with the photographer this morning who, thankfully, spoke English. A conversation on that level is not possible otherwise.
I’ve printed my boarding passes.
One day left in Paris.
anneinabsentia Uncategorized 3 Comments July 18, 2018 2 Minutes
St Martin Canal
A boat trip from Quai d’Orsay to La Villette was the schedule for today – nearly scuppered by taking a gauche instead of a droit, but I made it with five minutes to spare.
We travelled along the Seine with the usual sights. That green mass on top of a building in the centre is someone’s very ambitious roof garden, Italian cypresses and all.
The first lock took us up to the level of the St Martin Canal. At the marina at this point a number of smart motor boats had people on the deck working on laptops. Are they on holiday, or working from home? There was a houseboat with a turf roof, which brought back memories of Scandinavia.
There were nine locks so the trip was leisurely and picturesque. Am I becoming so acclimatised that I find even the graffiti interesting?
We went through a very long tunnel with holes in the roof letting in light and trailing plants and letting out the boat’s exhaust fumes.
Then we were back into the light, with more locks and folding bridges for vehicles, and overhead pedestrian bridges. Here you can see the vehicle bridge moving back into place after we had passed through.
You may recognise this Canal from the delightful French movie “Amelie”.
This lock house features graffiti congratulating “Les Bleus” on their World Cup final win.
Here, a colourful blanket shelters some homeless people:
At La Villette the canal widens into a basin with marinas, swimming pools, the entrance to the St Denis Canal, restaurants, cultural complexes, a theatre on a barge and a bookshop barge.
I walked through the old and ethnically diverse area nearby to Parc des Buttes Chaumont. Inside the entrance, I identified silver beet looking delectable and glamorous in a flower bed.
I sat in the shade and ate a smoked salmon wrap I’d bought in a Monoprix on the way. I shared a bit (big mistake) with a very cute sandy version of Hairy Maclary. Its owner had to carry it away. This was my view:
The park reflects the character of the time it was established, La Belle Epoque (late 19th to early 20th centuries) with a folly, rustic bridges, stone arches, grottoes, a lake and waterfalls. The trees are old and huge. Here is a painting group:
There was a grey heron on the lake, and ducklings. A turtle on a rock didn’t move so I suspect it was either pining for the tropics or glued there.
The streets nearby are stacked with Belle Époque apartment buildings with grand views of the park. Higher up the hill, I could look out over a vineyard to Montmartre.
A community garden is next door to the vineyard.
Happy sounds of a busy household drifted from the open windows of the ivy-covered house opposite.
I headed downhill via a little side street of steps, named for a violinist, back to St Martin Canal for a refreshing limoncello in a cafe with books:
and a bookshop with a captivating collection of pop-up books (and air conditioning).
There was a boat on the canal doing the return trip, and I retraced the tunnel part – over ground this time – through the park running the length of it to the Place de la Bastille. It features play and fitness equipment, table tennis tables, a band rotunda and pétanque among the gardens, fountains (enjoyed by pigeons and dogs, and a man washing a bike) and park benches – and the homeless. This is the top side of one of the holes we passed under on the canal.
Along the park were metro stations with the art nouveau signs:
From the end of this long park, I looked for the Viaduct des Artes which, like the High Line in New York, is a garden on a disused viaduct.
It goes for miles. You can walk all the way to the Bois des Vincennes. There are lovely gardens with roses, arches and art.
How do they grow such big trees up here?
This sign helps to explain how the gardens are cared for:
Great views down to the streets and apartments.
If you look closely, you might see a cat painted on the wall:
The heat was intense, so I resorted to the metro before I melted.
At the lovely Jardin du Luxembourg on my way home, there was another surprise in a flower bed. Red chard this time:
I had walked 15km according to my health app. It was into the shower for me and all the clothes I had been wearing went into the sink!
anneinabsentia Uncategorized 1 Comment July 17, 2018 July 18, 2018 3 Minutes
Contemplative Sunday
Saint Sulpice’s organist, Daniel Roth, popped his head over the edge of the organ loft to take three bows for his appreciative audience. I didn’t recognise the pieces he played but the sound filling this cavernous space was magnificent and meditative at once.
This frame of mind was perfect for contemplating the tapestries at the Cluny Museum. I was grateful for the thoughtful guide we’d had at Angers when we considered the messages in the revelation tapestries there.
At the Cluny, this tapestry is in the Treasures section. I photographed part of it because of the dog on the woman’s lap and the kitten playing with the spindle of wool.
What could the weaving represent? Is a letter being read? What is the symbolism behind the particular animals, birds, plants and fruit? It’s a puzzle.
The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries in six panels, five representing the five senses, are the most intriguing. The woman in each one is the same. Was she real or is she allegorical? A lion and a unicorn appear as prominently in each, as does a lady in waiting.
As with the Monet panels in L’Orangerie, these six huge tapestries are hung in a large space with benches in the centre so you can sit and look closely. The room was dimly lit and no flash photography allowed, so I didn’t risk a photo.
An ante room displayed illuminated books about unicorns, so you could consider their meanings.
There was also a room with modern representations, including a black and white unicorn floor rug with massive hooves attached – and head and horn.
I bought a book about the tapestries to discover more about them. They were rescued just in time, and more may have been lost, even cut up and used for cart blankets and floor rugs.
Out into the sunshine again, and Gibert Joseph bookshop on Boulevard St Michel was giving away Panama hats with its summer reading.
It was time for refreshments in the Jardin du Luxembourg.
Ulverstone Victoria High School (Cumbria) Swing Band entertained nearby.
It was a beautiful day to be in my favourite place in Paris.
Meanwhile, at the end of my street, crowds were gathering at bars to watch the World Cup final.
It’s all happening this weekend with 14 Juillet today and the Football World Cup final tomorrow.
First was the military parade this morning which featured everyone in France who wears a uniform it seemed, from regions all around the republic. All very proud and looking great.
By now, you’ll have worked out that I watched the parade on live television. Really! Travel is wasted on some people.
But look at the views I had!
There were even cameras on the under carriage of aircraft in the fly-past. And there were dignitaries looking dignified, despite the wallpaper – it’s not that bad in reality; much paler.
The sub titles were useful too. These mountain soldiers are wearing camouflage. Like the Norwegian ski patrols all dressed in white, who swept down on invaders and took them by surprise.
The next group were the ones I was waiting for, but I didn’t know they carried axes, or wore leather aprons, for that matter. It seems that there is more than one foreign legion. These ones aren’t the desert legionnaires, obviously. More like forest ones, bearded woodcutters, rescuing Little Red Riding Hood and Grandmother from the wolf.
Here comes the cavalry, playing musical instruments as they ride, which can’t be easy.
In the evening, there was Le Concert de Paris, followed by fireworks, at the Eiffel Tower.
Pictures failing to upload here.
You guessed it: live television again. I’ve watched previous Concerts de Paris on the Arts channel at home!
Excuses: there were thousands of people, the performers would be little dots in the distance despite the big screens, it was 28 degrees, many metro stations were closed, it was going to be late and dark.
The fireworks were combined with elements of son et lumiere and aerialist acrobatics.
fluffygeorge.co.nz
Fluffy George
Eva Newermann
The Pleasant Land of Counterpane
Poems in the wild—Rachel McAlpine
Ruth's Reflections
Follow Anne-O-tations on WordPress.com
The view from the bed
see the dappled digital poem in its natural habitat
Contemplations from quakey quirky Christchurch
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Study and Research Opportunities for South Korea (Page 2 of 1082)
Students and researchers from South Korea can apply to thousands of academic opportunities worldwide to enhance their academic abilities in vast number of scientific disciplines. Scholarships for the citizens of South Korea are announced by universities, foundations, state and private international agencies. Summer schools to which citizens of South Korea are eligible to apply are organized around the world in all disciplines. Conferences and workshops that students, scientists, scholars and researchers from South Korea can attend are available on armacad.info and are updated every day. All students from South Korea can always find the best international scholarships to continue their education abroad in BA, MA or PhD levels.
Doctoral Fellowship at the Max Planck Sciences Po Center on Coping with Instability in Market Societies 2020, France
Ghent University Top-up Grants 2020-2021 for International Students, Belgium
The Finnish Government Scholarship Pool 2020
1st UZH-TUMS International USERN Summer School for Primary Immunodeficiencies, 8-12 June 2020, Switzerland
Summer School -The Politics of Nationalist Mobilization, 22-26 June 2020, CEU, Hungary
Summer School -The History and Philosophy of the Concepts of Scientific Law and Probability, 7-17 July 2020, CEU, Hungary
Summer School - The Quality of University Education: Harmonizing Purposes, Processes and Outcomes, 29 June - 3 July 2020, CEU, Hungary
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records are made to be broken —
Land-speed car begins testing, beats 500mph with just one engine
It's a few years behind schedule, but the 1,000mph car is now testing in Africa.
Jonathan M. Gitlin - Nov 7, 2019 11:45 am UTC
71 with 45 posters participating, including story author
It's a little late, but Bloodhound LSR has finally begun testing in earnest at the Hakskeen Pan in South Africa's Northern Cape Province.
Charlie Sperring for Bloodhound LSR
Bloodhound is lowered onto the sand.
An aerial view of the Bloodhound camp. Not much to do for fun, and they even get the occasional sandstorm.
Despite the remote location and harsh conditions, the team got the car up and running and is working through a test program of increasing speed.
Mile markers.
Wing Commander Green rests on Bloodhound.
Airbrakes deploy after a run. Bloodhound also has a parachute to slow down.
On Wednesday, the team exceeded 501mph.
Early Wednesday morning, on a specially prepared course laid out across miles of desert in a remote corner of South Africa, a car that looks more like a wingless jet fighter broke the 500mph (805km) barrier for the first time. The Bloodhound LSR, the car in question, has actually been designed to go more than twice that speed, but not until next year.
You don't just build a car, prep a course, and try for 1,000mph on your first go; it requires a methodical test program to work up to speed. That test program is now properly underway, and we spoke with Bloodhound's driver, RAF Wing Commander Andy Green, to find out how it's going now that he's finally able to start giving the car a proper workout.
Bloodhound SSC: How do you build a car capable of 1,000mph?
Even getting out to the Hakskeen Pan in South Africa has been a challenge; originally, the plan had been to start testing the car in 2015. But design changes and funding constraints meant that the Bloodhound didn't run under its own power until 2017, and then only at speeds up to 210mph on a runway in Newquay, England. Less than 12 months ago, it looked like the decade-long project was completely done. Then in March Bloodhound was bought by Ian Warhurst, and in July we learned that the sleek machine, now painted white, was finally headed to the Southern Hemisphere.
Finding a suitable location is one of the big challenges of setting a land-speed record, alongside the engineering challenge of building such a vehicle and the fundraising challenge of paying for it all. The salt at Bonneville is in bad shape, and Black Rock is now too popular with campers and burners. But a remote spot near South Africa's border with Namibia proved suitable. The local government got on board and provided support for hundreds of locals to clear more than 37 million pounds (16,500 tonnes) of rock from the lakebed.
Testing is go
The team has been on site since late October and has marked out 12 tracks, each 10 miles long and 1,640 feet wide (16km×500m). Over the past couple of weeks, the team has been running the car at increasing speeds, reaching 501mph today. For context, the record—which was set in 1997, also with Wing Commander Green behind the wheel—stands at 762.15mph (1,231.40km/h or Mach 1.005).
I asked him how it felt to finally be at this stage. Green said:
It's what we all imagined it would be... We've got the car tearing down the desert, generating an awful lot of knowledge about how to do this faster and safer better next year, which ultimately is why we're here this year. It's also showing that the decade of work that Northern Cape [the province in South Africa where the attempt is taking place] has put into this amazing desert has produced an extraordinary surface for straight line racing.
Breaking the sound barrier by air, by land, and in free fall
Despite the fighter-jet looks, Bloodhound handles like a car, Green told me. "It's got very stiff suspension; it's a very firm ride, but it's also a very smooth surface," he told me. There's only two inches (50mm) of suspension travel, and the center of gravity is higher than might be ideal, because of the jet engine at the back. (When Bloodhound runs next summer, it will carry a Nammo hybrid rocket underneath the EJ200, but this year's test program is just jet-powered.)
Often, the faster a race car is, the worse it is to drive at low speed. Low speed just has a new meaning in this case. "The faster you go, the more it moves around," said Green. "At slow speed—anything below 200mph—the grip on the surface is about the same as driving a normal rubber-tire car on snow. Above 200mph, it's like you've driven off the snow and onto an ice rink. It's a real significant change."
He went on:
But it does give some body roll, either in a crosswind or maneuvering. And the thing you least want to feel in a land-speed record car is body roll. It's only one or two degrees, but I'm acutely sensitive to it. Every time I feed the steering in, if I'm going to put any significant yaw I feed in gradually to minimize the roll.
A dab of oppo at 400mph?
Not all steering inputs can be as measured. If you've been watching the in-car footage, you'll notice that sometimes Green's hands are working much faster at the wheel; in those instances he's reacting to Bloodhound attempting to step out of line.
Green said:
I'll put in a very rapid steering input to stop it moving if it's yawing off-line. If it has come off the line, then I'll put in a much more gradual input—not now to stop the motion, but actually to correct the displacement, basically displacing the car back onto the line. That's a much more gradual process than actually just damping down the [yaw] motion.
Green added that "the car has been designed to make sure that if we do finish up with a significant level of crosswind or a significant yaw angle, the car will slide rather than grip right 'cause of the higher center of gravity."
Listing image by Charlie Sperring for Bloodhound LSR
Jonathan M. Gitlin Jonathan is the automotive editor at Ars Technica, covering all things car-related. Jonathan lives and works in Washington, D.C.
Email jonathan.gitlin@arstechnica.com // Twitter @drgitlin
Silverback Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius
reply Thu Nov 07, 2019 6:59 am
"one just engine" ? I guess land speed records need the help of the righteous!
6498 posts | registered Jan 27, 2004
Thr2hrmrf Ars Centurion
Anyone know what kind of tires they use on this?
Is it a tire in the common traditional vehicle sense?
3489 posts | registered Jul 19, 2018
dwrd Ars Praetorian et Subscriptor
Thr2hrmrf wrote:
Solid metal disks are the only material capable of supporting the required centripetal acceleration of spinning that fast without failing catastrophically.
Its wheels are solid disks of aluminum, each weighing more than 200lbs. At record-breaking speed, each wheel will become a centrifuge, subjecting the rim to the same G forces scientists use to separate DNA out of cells. Maybe a tire could be made to cope. After all, Goodyear built tires for Blue Flame that did, but allegedly didn't want them taken above 700mph. Possible or not, the issue was rendered moot by a design decision made by Bloodhound SSC's grandfather. In 1979, John Ackroyd was hard at work on the Isle of Wight designing Thrust 2 when he realized that solid metal wheels had a number of advantages. They would be lighter and stronger than conventional wheels, with no possibility of a puncture, a point proved by Thrust 2 and Thrust SSC to good effect. At 1,000mph the radial load on each of Bloodhound SSC's wheels will be ~50,000G, which is why they are forged, rather than cast, the better to withstand those forces.
From the previous article.
arikol Wise, Aged Ars Veteran et Subscriptor
So happy to see this project going forward, I had almost lost hope!
Someone in this thread will inevitably ask "what is the point" and first and foremost it is the human drive to explore the boundaries of the possible. Nobody has ever gone that fast on land, so then people want to test whether it is possible...
It is likely that there could be interesting data gathered about interaction effects of mach waves between ground and car (as far as I know that info just exists as model, wind tunnel tests, calculations, and hypotheticals at these Reynold's numbers. This might possibly give interesting insights into movement within other atmospheres), as well as any transonic transition areas. Possibly other stuff.
But mostly it's just the old "because it is there" answer. Which really should be good enough. Many of our steps forward have come from seemingly pointless activities.
192 posts | registered Oct 21, 2009
Magic Man Ars Praefectus
Where is the cut off between land-speed and air-speed - literally because it is in contact with the ground?
Are the wheels powered at all or does it simply free wheel? I.e. is it a powered land vehicle or, effectively, a wingless aircraft travelling over the ground?
Does it have any 'fly-by-wire' equivalent or must it remain totally human controlled to be within the rules of the record?
3554 posts | registered Sep 30, 1999
redtomato Ars Tribunus Militum
50,000 G of force on the wheel rims? Wow.
I'm not going to get into the 'cars must be driven through the wheels' debate, that's been extensively covered in previous articles. Bloodhound is a huge technological achievement in its own right.
However, could Ars do an article on the car that holds the land-speed record for wheel-driven cars? I'm sure there's lots of interesting tech there too, and slightly more relatable for us 20mph drivers.
1891 posts | registered Nov 5, 2009
Magic Man wrote:
AndrewZ Ars Legatus Legionis
This is an exciting endeavor but rather dangerous. What is a the record of deaths while chasing the land speed record?
10531 posts | registered Aug 10, 1999
phuzz Smack-Fu Master, in training et Subscriptor
It's worth remembering that while your average fighter jet (such as the Eurofighter Typhoon Andy Green flies in his day job) can reach these kinds of speeds relatively easily, they don't do it anywhere near this close to the ground. Even reaching Mach 1 below 200ft would be very unusual, and pretty damn dangerous, ie combat situations only.
A vehicle going supersonic within a few meters of the ground has to cope with the 'echo' of it's shockwave reflecting off the ground and hitting the back of the vehicle. To actually roll along the ground it has to be able to deal with hitting things like small rocks at hundreds of miles an hour etc. There's probably hundreds of separate challenges to overcome.
It might sound like you could just buy an old fighter jet, pull the wings off and go for a joyride, but in reality you need a purpose built vehicle (although the engines from fighter jets are often used).
99 posts | registered Oct 27, 2006
ZebulonPi Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
I'll be fascinated to see what happens when it breaks the sound barrier... do the physics of driving at that speed change significantly? I know its variable at different elevations and temperatures, but it looks like the record is JUST under that.
158 posts | registered Nov 11, 2008
Ixion_pete Smack-Fu Master, in training
The current record is already supersonic, I think the speed of sound at the previous test site was something like 719mph and they went 762, for it to be a record they also have to do it as the average of two timed miles in opposite directions whereas for now this was a one way run!
Lagrange Ars Praefectus
The engineering achievement is impressive enough, but reading the bits about what it's like to drive Bloodhound really brings home the fact that Wing Commander Andy Green has some serious balls to even consider it.
Being in a jet car and feeling it starting to step out of line when it's doing 400+mph would be the point at which I'm pretty sure I would need a change of underwear and would never want to get behind the wheel again!
ZebulonPi wrote:
As I understand it, the challenge isn't so much when the car breaks the sound barrier, but rather the hugely complex aerodynamic effects and shock wave interactions that occur in the transonic region as the car approaches and then starts to exceed the speed of sound. The vehicle itself can still be subsonic, but some parts of the air flow around it will be accelerated to supersonic velocities, generating shockwaves and radically changing lift and drag characteristics. Similarly, once the car has passed the sound barrier, there will still be localised subsonic flows, so there is a wide speed range over which the behaviour and handling of the vehicle could change significantly.
Dr Gitlin Ars Legatus Legionis et Subscriptor
redtomato wrote:
There's no official "wheel-driven" record kept by the FIA, but in 2011 Speed Demon reached 462mph:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Le6aCV_CRvQ
The current record, set in 1997, is Mach 1.005 (and yes, it has to be a two-way average, completed within an hour): https://arstechnica.com/cars/2015/10/br ... free-fall/
17714 posts | registered Nov 25, 2000
Voyna i Mor Ars Scholae Palatinae et Subscriptor
50 000g is a force of 500kN/kg. A more interesting metric is the linear speed of the rim, which is the governing parameter in flywheel design. At 1000mph, that is 447m/s.
To put that into perspective, the strongest wooden wheels can manage about 70m/s, mild steel can manage about 120m/s, and the force goes up as the square of the linear velocity. That is taking into account safety factors.
So for anyone wondering how strong the aluminium alloy is the answer is
(a) very strong indeed and
(b) there isn't much of a safety factor in there.
By contrast, the alloy wheels of a hypercar have a rim speed of around 75-80m/s, which for the materials involved is a roll in the park.
Also, a minor point, it takes British engineers to try to beat 1000mph in a vehicle which owes its wheel layout and general shape to the Reliant Robin.
Oh dear, feeble joke, properly taken to task by Dr. Gitlin.
Last edited by Voyna i Mor on Thu Nov 07, 2019 2:12 pm
VRJames Smack-Fu Master, in training et Subscriptor
It can't be that fast, in the first photo it's getting smoked by an SUV.
30 posts | registered Sep 26, 2019
Neill78 Ars Centurion et Subscriptor
When Starbuck sees what they've done to her viper she's gonna be PISSED.
298 posts | registered Aug 5, 2011
Lagrange wrote:
About the same as the original Apollo astronauts, one would think. I do wonder what their real chance of survival was.
JohnCarter17 Ars Praetorian et Subscriptor
Hah. You want a change of underwear moment? Here's one at 248mph. Veyron test controlled crash:
The year was 2002 or 2003 on a Sunday morning and Bugatti was putting a pre-production version of its W16 monster through its paces at the Nardo high-speed test track owned by Porsche. Behind the wheel of the car was the company’s test driver Loris Bicocchi, an ex-Lamborghini technician and test driver. As a side note, he was also involved in the development of the Veyron’s predecessor, the EB110.
During one of the first tests conducted with the Veyron, back when the hypercar was only a “support for the engine and gearbox,” something went terribly wrong. Bicocchi was tasked to do two laps of the circuit in Italy at full throttle when the front-right tire blew up towards the end of the run. At that time, the test vehicle was traveling at speeds of close to 400 kph (248 mph). It took the fender with it and then the front hood smashed the windshield, shattering it into pieces.
As “luck” would have it, the Veyron’s right-rear tire exploded too after the car collided with the nearby guardrail, which also heavily damaged the rear suspension. Because of the powerful contact, Bicocchi hit the side window, but obviously he had his helmet on, which may have smashed the glass.
The ordeal was far from being over as because of the increased pressure inside the cabin, Bugatti’s test driver suffered a trauma and temporarily wasn’t able to see anything. As if this wasn’t bad enough, smoke then started to enter the cabin from a hole in the back, which had been made to connect the engine to the computers inside through a plethora of wires. In addition, the engine’s oil as well as the gearbox’s caught fire, so it’s safe to say it was a total nightmare.
He applied the brakes of the loose Veyron, but the car just wouldn’t stop because something went wrong with the braking system following the crash. With no brakes and zero visibility, Bicocchi decided to steer the car in order to touch the guardrail to try and slow it down. Thankfully, his split-second decision proved to be a stroke of genius as the Veyron eventually came to a full stop. Aftermath? 1.8 kilometers (5,905 feet) worth of damaged guardrail. The folks running the Nardo Technical Center sent him an invoice to pay for the damages, but in the end, Bugatti took care of the bill.
Getting out of the obliterated Veyron – which had an aluminum body at that time - wasn’t easy as the door got stuck, but Bicocchi kicked it a few times and eventually escaped from the wreckage. Despite crashing at roughly 248 mph, the car’s frame proved its sturdiness as it managed to withstand multiple shocks.
Even though the incident was utterly horrifying, Bicocchi got back in the game and went on to serve as a test driver for the Veyron’s successor, the Chiron.
https://www.motor1.com/news/227609/buga ... mph-crash/
1430 posts | registered Aug 16, 2017
ArcadeEngineer Ars Centurion
AndrewZ wrote:
At least in recent years it's been quite safe, though there was a fatal crash last year. The water speed record has historically been a lot more dangerous.
322 posts | registered Oct 3, 2016
beserkr Smack-Fu Master, in training
Despite how much of an honour it would be, I'd have to give rather a firm nooo if the world turned upside down, and someone offered me a drive in this thing.
Of course, they do have an exceptional team of engineers and a very skilled pilot working to minimise risk. Reminds me of a comment Jim Lovell made in regard to the risk of spaceflight vs. combat in Vietnam; engineers working to make things safer versus the enemy working hard to make things a great deal less safe. He preferred option one unsurprisingly...
But jeez, if something goes wrong at 1000mph poor Andy Green is toast. Hats off to the guy.
This had me think about the option of engineering an ejection seat. However, I'm sure that development of one which could provide a reasonable chance of safe escape at ground level/1000mph would probably be just as great a feat as the engineering behind the entire vehicle.
Perhaps it would be just as effective to put a red handle between his legs which when pulled reads 'Sorry!' ?
Anyway, congratulations to the Bloodhound team and wishing them a very safe and triumphant success!
onychomys Wise, Aged Ars Veteran et Subscriptor
ArcadeEngineer wrote:
Jessi Combs died at 550mph about two months ago. Looks like she struck a rock and the front wheel assembly collapsed from the damage:
https://www.autoblog.com/2019/11/04/jes ... l-failure/
coolblue2000 Ars Tribunus Militum
There are different land speed records for cars. There is one for driven wheels and one for just outright speed. This is sort of the F1 of Land speed records as it is the fastest. The car has to be a car and it has to be in contact with the ground, that is pretty much it. But then if it is no longer in contact with the ground there are serious issues with life expectancy...
Voyna i Mor wrote:
Bloodhound has 4 wheels. the Robin has 3...
nmcalba Smack-Fu Master, in training
reply Thu Nov 07, 2019 10:05 am
I'm intrigued by the 70m/s for a wooden wheel - do you have any examples of where wooden wheels are used at this sort of speed?
Since wheel rim speed is going to be less than road speed if you fit a tyre to it, by my calculations with 20" low profile tyres that allows for a road speed of approx 298km/h - which means you could fit wooden wheels to a 911 and still max it - anyone fancy trying it?
8 posts | registered May 30, 2019
stine Ars Scholae Palatinae
Its more like a wheel you'd find on a train car, but I believe its forged aluminum with a steel band like a wagon wheel.
pitmonster Ars Scholae Palatinae
A dab of oppo
Troy Queef at the helm?
governer Smack-Fu Master, in training
Supersonic shock wave from the current record holder, ThrustSSC
https://s3-eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/c ... ckwave.png
Attached to a pretty interesting article.
https://www.theengineer.co.uk/land-spee ... itisation/
I visited ThrustSSC being built in Farnborough when I was a kid, loved that car. The testing programme for Bloodhound seems to have gone remarkably well so far, congratulations to them
54 posts | registered Apr 27, 2014
Embattle Ars Centurion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrerP1ae6A4
jm_leviathan Ars Centurion
I wonder what the top speed is with the EJ200 engine alone.
Also wonder if they are using dummy mass to compensate for the absent rocket engine.
390 posts | registered Jul 6, 2017
nmcalba wrote:
I think the original reference was for wood in a flywheel, not as a transport wheel. But by all means, I'll pay $10 to see you do it in your own 911.
A Reliant Robin has three wheels. This has four wheels. The rear track is wider than the front, but this is not a three-wheeler.
Zak Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius et Subscriptor
stine wrote:
I don't remember the details and can't seem to find anything right now. There was a train crash somewhere in Europe involving a TGV or some other super fast train. A wheel like this was the culprit. The band detached and the force sent it through the floor. The train eventually crashed killing tens of people.
Albino_Boo Ars Centurion
Zak wrote:
It was the German ICE train and 101 people died. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eschede_derailment
3308 posts | registered May 21, 2018
Albino_Boo wrote:
Yes, thank you, this is it.
Speakertoanimals Ars Centurion
phuzz wrote:
See North American Eagle (F104 flown by Yeager and others), killed Jessi Combs.
1194 posts | registered Feb 2, 2018
Don't think there's a steel band, they're forged aluminium that contact the track directly
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQD6qedj5Q4
https://youtu.be/K_ImAm1WhcY?t=201
EDIT - posted the wrong video
Sulla Ars Tribunus Militum
Speakertoanimals wrote:
a.k.a. "Widowmaker."
2963 posts | registered Apr 13, 2004
Beddict Wise, Aged Ars Veteran et Subscriptor
reply Thu Nov 07, 2019 12:05 pm
Fun fact; Peter Madsen (Yes, that guy) went to visit Bloodhound in 2014 and struck a deal to develop and produce the rocket, conditioned on a successful test in DK. You can say a lot about “Rocket Madsen”, but he was a great blogger, and google translate does a reasonable job of translating his blog from the visit if any are interested in reading it:
https://translate.google.com/translate? ... tiv-173160
Some of the passages reads quite different in hindsight:
There are also regular inquiries from people who want to buy Nautilus, and do not care that it is not built to the rules of the classification societies, only I want to state the loading capacity and submerged range.
Maybe I could have a glorious career as a submarine builder for Columbian drug barons, or help equip any war-mad disrupted types with a modern version of the V2 rocket?
In most cases, it's just noise. Either there are no realities behind it, or the circumstances are so inflamed that you can't use it for anything. I'm not in contact with any rogue states, and I don't bother smuggling boats. It's not my high morals that push me. But I simply do not feel the fate that it could lead to, is competitive skill with the life I have.
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Home » World News » Africa » Africa: Child Soldiers Released by Armed Groups Learn To Play Again
Africa: Child Soldiers Released by Armed Groups Learn To Play Again
By Donaig Le Du, July 13, 2015. The Huffington Post.
Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya. Visit to Kakuma refugee camp during the filming trip of film-maker Gerry Straub. Shows new arrivals section at Kakuma with UNHCR emergency tents. January 2012.
Children Learn to Be Children Again.
After Release by Armed Groups. In the transit center for children formerly associated with armed groups, in Bambari, Central African Republic, Jonathan* a 16-year-old boy, is sitting on the floor and going through a big bag full of ‘jujus’ – necklaces, armbands and little pouches.”This amulet used to protect me against Kalashnikov bullets. This other one made me invisible to the enemy,” he says. Other children circle around him, amazed to see that he is sharing these secrets with foreigners. Then Jonathan grabs a knife and rips open one of the amulets. A murmur erupts from the crowd. He looks up, smiles, and says: “we are safe now. We do not need these anymore.”
The bags of amulets that children released from the Anti-Balaka group brought to the transit centre. (Photo: Unicef CAR/ 2015/ Le Du)
I was present when these children were released some two months ago by one of the armed groups involved in a conflict that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people in the Central African Republic. They had been with the Anti-Balaka armed group, which was created as a “self-defense” militia against the mostly Muslim Ex-Seleka group that briefly seized power in 2013 in CAR.
Back in May, children associated with the Anti-Balaka group, stand in a clearing, minutes before their release. (Photo: Unicef CAR / 2015 / Le Du)
On May 14, in Bambari, a town located in the center of CAR, the two groups released a total of 357 children who had been serving in their ranks. The children from the Anti-Balaka and Ex-Seleka were released the same day but sent to different transit centers. Although at peace now, Bambari is still very much a frontline town, with a river dividing the city. Communities are just beginning to cross the bridge during daytime to go to the markets, but at dusk everyone goes back to their side of the river.
On the day of the release, we went down into the forest, as close as we could get to their base, in order to escort the children symbolically, up the hill, to freedom. It was a hot and humid afternoon. The commander, dressed in a ripped Bob Marley t-shirt, was waiting for us in the clearing. Around him stood 181 children in rags, some of them as young as six- or seven-years-old, in traditional camouflage made of leaves, their faces covered in black mud. They were silent.
To read the rest of this article By Donaig Le Du click on the link below.
Huffington Post: After Release by Armed Groups, Children Learn to Be Children
-8.783195 34.508523
Central African Republic CAR
Ex-Seleka
ISIS DAESH Recruiting
nti-Balaka
Rescued Children
Shiittes Sunnis Muslim
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Beyond the Levant: First Evidence of a Pre-Pottery Neolithic Incursion into the Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia
Rémy Crassard, Michael D. Petraglia, Adrian G. Parker, Ash Parton, et al
http://www.mendeley.com/research/beyond-levant-first-evidence-prepottery-neolithic-incursion-nefud-desert-saudi-arabia
Is reviewed by
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Reddit22 Apr 20:21 UTC
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{"id"=>"359708129950318592", "text"=>"Exciting PPN news from Arabia: http://t.co/usp1ftOFuZ", "created_at"=>"2013-07-23T16:14:35Z", "user"=>"rhinglis", "user_name"=>"Robyn Inglis", "user_profile_image"=>"http://a0.twimg.com/profile_images/3782525492/08e535f072a3b5c3c1c220abd598d3be_normal.jpeg"}
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{"title"=>"Epipalaeolithic Near East", "url"=>"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epipalaeolithic_Near_East", "timestamp"=>"2019-02-02T11:00:58Z"}
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Figshare 123107 May 14:07 UTC
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{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123679"], "description"=>"<p>Total number of lithics from the general surface collection and from the six trenches (systematic collection).</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "lithics", "trenches"], "article_id"=>749187, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.t003", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>1, "page_views"=>8, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Total_number_of_lithics_from_the_general_surface_collection_and_from_the_six_trenches_systematic_collection_/749187", "title"=>"Total number of lithics from the general surface collection and from the six trenches (systematic collection).", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>3, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123680"], "description"=>"a<p>Radiocarbon years before present (BP).</p>b<p>Calendar years BC and BP, calibrated using the IntCal09 data set <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Reimer1\" target=\"_blank\">[127]</a>. Age ranges are listed at both the 68% and 95% confidence interval (CI).</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "calibrated", "radiocarbon", "ages"], "article_id"=>749188, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.t002", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>6, "page_views"=>14, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Conventional_and_calibrated_radiocarbon_ages_for_site_JQ_200_/749188", "title"=>"Conventional and calibrated radiocarbon ages for site JQ-200.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>3, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123681"], "description"=>"a<p>Mean ± total (1σ) uncertainty, calculated as the quadratic sum of the random and systematic errors.</p>b<p>Sum of dose rate contributions from beta particles (0.113±0.006 Gy/ka), gamma rays (0.170±0.009 Gy/ka), cosmic radiation (estimated as 0.20±0.02 Gy/ka) and alpha emitters inside the quartz grains (assumed as 0.03±0.01 Gy/ka). Calculated for a water content of 5±2%, which is higher than the measured (field) water content (0.92%) to allow for the subsequent lake and swamp conditions. For each 1% increase in water content, the total dose rate decreases (and the OSL age increases) by ∼1%. The beta and gamma dose rates were measured by low-level beta counting and field gamma spectrometry, respectively, using the same equipment and procedures as described by Petraglia et al. <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Petraglia1\" target=\"_blank\">[56]</a>, <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Petraglia2\" target=\"_blank\">[58]</a>. The cosmic-ray dose rate was calculated following Prescott and Hutton <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Prescott1\" target=\"_blank\">[125]</a>, taking into consideration the time and rate of deposition of the overlying lacustrine and aeolian units.</p>c<p>3000 grains were measured and analysed as follows: preheat of 260°C for 10 s (natural and regenerative doses) or 220°C for 5 s (test doses); green laser stimulation at 90% power for 2 s at 125°C; OSL signal from initial 0.2 s and background from final 0.3 s of stimulation; use of saturating exponential function to fit dose-response curves and estimate the equivalent dose (D<sub>e</sub>). The D<sub>e</sub> measurement uncertainty includes variation in background-corrected OSL counts, laser repositioning error (2% per measurement) and curve-fitting errors estimated by Monte Carlo simulation. Forty-nine grains (1.6%) satisfied all of the criteria used to identify grains with suitable OSL properties for reliable D<sub>e</sub> determination <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Jacobs1\" target=\"_blank\">[68]</a>. Of the 2951 grains rejected, 2640 were discarded because the OSL signals were too dim to discern above background, and 311 were rejected on the basis of feldspar contamination, high ‘recuperation’ or a poor ‘recycling ratio’. The weighted mean D<sub>e</sub> was calculated for the remaining grains using the Central Age Model <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Galbraith1\" target=\"_blank\">[70]</a>, after discarding three values (<a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone-0068061-g005\" target=\"_blank\">Figure 5</a>) that differ from the weighted mean by >2σ and have normalised median absolute deviations of >1.5 <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Powell1\" target=\"_blank\">[126]</a>. Including these outliers increases the weighted mean by 0.38 Gy, which is within statistical error of the tabulated D<sub>e</sub> value. The total uncertainty on the weighted mean includes the additional spread (‘overdispersion’) of 23±4% in D<sub>e</sub> values beyond that associated with measurement uncertainties for individual grains <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Galbraith2\" target=\"_blank\">[71]</a> and a relative error of 2% for possible bias in the calibration of the laboratory beta source.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "stimulated", "luminescence", "supporting"], "article_id"=>749189, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.t001", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>10, "page_views"=>14, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Optically_Stimulated_Luminescence_OSL_age_and_supporting_data_for_sample_JQ200_OSL1_/749189", "title"=>"Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) age and supporting data for sample JQ200-OSL1.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>3, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123682"], "description"=>"<p>Raw material types (counts) from the six trenches (systematic collection).</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "types", "trenches"], "article_id"=>749190, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.t005", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>6, "page_views"=>9, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Raw_material_types_counts_from_the_six_trenches_systematic_collection_/749190", "title"=>"Raw material types (counts) from the six trenches (systematic collection).", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>3, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123683"], "description"=>"<p>Artefact types (tools, cores and technical pieces).</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "types", "cores"], "article_id"=>749191, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.t004", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>4, "page_views"=>17, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Artefact_types_tools_cores_and_technical_pieces_/749191", "title"=>"Artefact types (tools, cores and technical pieces).", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>3, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123623"], "description"=>"<p>The JQ-101 site is located in the southern part of the Nefud Desert in Saudi Arabia.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "neolithic", "geo-cultural", "zones", "fertile", "aurenche", "kozlowski"], "article_id"=>749132, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.g001", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>3, "page_views"=>24, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Map_of_the_Neolithic_Near_East_with_the_different_geo_cultural_zones_of_the_core_area_or_Fertile_Crescent_in_green_after_Aurenche_and_Kozlowski_82_/749132", "title"=>"Map of the Neolithic Near East with the different geo-cultural zones of the core area (or Fertile Crescent), in green; after Aurenche and Kozlowski [82].", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123632"], "description"=>"<p>Potential Holocene drainage is displayed in blue, with currently severed drainage connections that may have been active during Holocene humid periods interpreted and displayed in grey. Numbered Wadis: (1) Wadi as Sirhan, (2) Wadi al Hamd, (3) Euphrates, (4) Wadi al Batin, (5) Wadi Sabha. Potential palaeolake or swamp deposits detected through remote sensing which may relate to Holocene humidity are displayed for the region surrounding Jubbah. All data is overlain upon SRTMv4 elevation data <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Jarvis1\" target=\"_blank\">[124]</a> and Natural Earth 2 offshore data. Archaeological site locations calculated from survey data of the ‘Comprehensive Archaeological Survey Programme’, more information is provided in Groucutt and Petraglia <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Groucutt1\" target=\"_blank\">[111]</a>.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "sites", "arabia"], "article_id"=>749141, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.g002", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>12, "page_views"=>41, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Neolithic_sites_of_northern_Arabia_and_palaeohydrology_/749141", "title"=>"Neolithic sites of northern Arabia and palaeohydrology.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123644"], "description"=>"<p>A: 3D view of the sites, from the northern slope of Jebel Qattar; B:\ntopographic map of Jebel Qattar area with mentioned sites, framed zone is expanded in <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone-0068061-g007\" target=\"_blank\">Figure 7</a>.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "jq-101", "jq-200", "jebel"], "article_id"=>749153, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.g003", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>2, "page_views"=>20, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_General_setting_of_JQ_101_and_JQ_200_at_Jebel_Qattar_/749153", "title"=>"General setting of JQ-101 and JQ-200 at Jebel Qattar.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123646"], "description"=>"<p>Showing mean particle size, magnetic susceptibility, LOI 550°C (organics) and LOI 950°C (carbonates). Radiocarbon ages are shown in cal. BC.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "palaeolake"], "article_id"=>749155, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.g004", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>1, "page_views"=>16, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Sedimentological_analyses_from_the_palaeolake_sequence_at_JQ_201_/749155", "title"=>"Sedimentological analyses from the palaeolake sequence at JQ-201.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123647"], "description"=>"<p>Radial plot of the equivalent dose (D<sub>e</sub>) values obtained from 49 individual grains of quartz from sample JQ200-OSL1. Filled circles denote the 46 values used to calculate the weighted mean D<sub>e</sub> for OSL age determination, and open triangles are the three values identified as outliers (<a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone-0068061-t001\" target=\"_blank\">Table 1</a>). Each point represents the D<sub>e</sub> value for a single grain. It can be read off the radial axis by extending a line from zero on the ‘standardised estimate’ axis through the point of interest, and the ‘relative error’ on this D<sub>e</sub> can be read by projecting a vertical line to intersect the horizontal axis. The ‘precision’ is the reciprocal of the relative error, so the most precise D<sub>e</sub> estimates lie furthest to the right. The grey band is centred on the weighted mean D<sub>e</sub> estimated using the Central Age Model. Individual D<sub>e</sub> values that are consistent at 2σ with this weighted mean fall within the grey band. This D<sub>e</sub> distribution is overdispersed by 23±4%, which is typical for well-bleached samples of quartz that have not been disturbed since burial. See Galbraith and Roberts <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Galbraith2\" target=\"_blank\">[71]</a> for further explanation of statistical aspects of D<sub>e</sub> estimation and display in OSL dating.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "stimulated", "luminescence"], "article_id"=>749156, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.g005", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>1, "page_views"=>13, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Optically_Stimulated_Luminescence_OSL_dating_/749156", "title"=>"Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123655"], "description"=>"<p>General views of JQ-101 site while excavated and surveyed.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "views", "jq-101", "excavated"], "article_id"=>749164, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.g006", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>5, "page_views"=>12, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_General_views_of_JQ_101_site_while_excavated_and_surveyed_/749164", "title"=>"General views of JQ-101 site while excavated and surveyed.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123658"], "description"=>"<p>Map of artefacts distribution on surface at JQ-101, with trenches localisation.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "artefacts", "trenches"], "article_id"=>749166, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.g007", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>11, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Map_of_artefacts_distribution_on_surface_at_JQ_101_with_trenches_localisation_/749166", "title"=>"Map of artefacts distribution on surface at JQ-101, with trenches localisation.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123659"], "description"=>"<p>It is based on maps in Kozlowski and Aurenche <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Kozlowski1\" target=\"_blank\">[73]</a>. JQ-101 lays more than 500 km from the “core area”.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "levantine", "sites", "el", "khiam"], "article_id"=>749167, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.g008", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>7, "page_views"=>386, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Map_of_the_Levantine_sites_with_El_Khiam_points_/749167", "title"=>"Map of the Levantine sites with El Khiam points.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123660"], "description"=>"<p>The enlarged views represent the basal ventrally retouched parts (x3). Top one (broken) is in crystal quartz.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "el-khiam", "points"], "article_id"=>749168, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.g009", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>7, "page_views"=>440, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Three_El_Khiam_points_from_JQ_101_/749168", "title"=>"Three El-Khiam points from JQ-101.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123663"], "description"=>"<p>It shows the Abu Salem points sub-type, based on maps in Kozlowski and Aurenche <a href=\"http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Kozlowski1\" target=\"_blank\">[73]</a>. JQ-101 lays more than 500 km from the “core area”.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "levantine", "sites", "helwan"], "article_id"=>749171, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.g010", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>11, "page_views"=>63, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Map_of_the_Levantine_sites_with_Helwan_points_/749171", "title"=>"Map of the Levantine sites with Helwan points.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123665"], "description"=>"<p>1,2 are complete; 3 is fragmentary; and a possible Gilgal truncation (4).</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "helwan", "points", "salem"], "article_id"=>749173, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.g011", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>1, "page_views"=>23, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_JQ_101_Helwan_points_Abu_Salem_points_sub_type_/749173", "title"=>"JQ-101 Helwan points (Abu Salem points sub-type).", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123669"], "description"=>"<p>Examples of different types of tanged with no barbs or barbed and tanged arrowheads.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating", "types", "projectile", "points"], "article_id"=>749177, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.g012", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>1, "page_views"=>25, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Others_types_of_projectile_points_from_JQ_101_/749177", "title"=>"Others types of projectile points from JQ-101.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
{"files"=>["https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/1123671"], "description"=>"<p>One long burin spall is shown bottom right.</p>", "links"=>[], "tags"=>["Evolutionary biology", "Paleontology", "Paleoclimatology", "geography", "Geomorphology", "anthropology", "archaeology", "Radioactive carbon dating"], "article_id"=>749179, "categories"=>["Biological Sciences", "Sociology", "Earth and Environmental Sciences"], "users"=>["Rémy Crassard", "Michael D. Petraglia", "Adrian G. Parker", "Ash Parton", "Richard G. Roberts", "Zenobia Jacobs", "Abdullah Alsharekh", "Abdulaziz al-Omari", "Paul Breeze", "Nick A. Drake", "Huw S. Groucutt", "Richard Jennings", "Emmanuelle Régagnon", "Ceri Shipton"], "doi"=>"https://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061.g013", "stats"=>{"downloads"=>0, "page_views"=>7, "likes"=>0}, "figshare_url"=>"https://figshare.com/articles/_Burins_from_JQ_101_/749179", "title"=>"Burins from JQ-101.", "pos_in_sequence"=>0, "defined_type"=>1, "published_date"=>"2013-07-19 02:06:33"}
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Relative Metric 11027710 May 16:54 UTC
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People and Interest
Consumer Sentiment Reviews
Charlyboy returns to music, patners Falz
admin administrators
Foremost Nigerian showbiz maestro and activist, Charles Oputa, a.k.a Charlyboy, is set to release a hit single featuring ace singer and rapper Folarin Falana, popularly known as Falz.
The 68-year-old grand-father, who released his debut high-life album over three decades ago, hinted on the ‘collabo’ in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
The “Nwata Miss” crooner said he has decided to work with Falz because of his philosophical style of music that addresses leadership issues and societal ills.
He added that the project was an advocacy song targeted at driving positive narratives in the society.
“Falz is a young man that I so much believe in his music and passion towards positive change in all aspects of our society, and we share similar thoughts.
“We are working on something together and it will sure stir positive change in our lives as Nigerians.”
The former president of Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) said that he decided to use music as a tool to inspire ordinary Nigerians, especially youths, towards holding leaders accountable.
He explained that he was leading an advocacy and enlightenment campaign ‘Na we be Government” and decided to go back to music, his age-long passion, to call citizens to participate in nation building.
“All over the word, the Arts, especially music, have been used to inspire people and change narratives towards a better society.
“I did not go into music for money, but for the passion for it, and this time I am using it to awake the consciousness of all Nigerians towards building the country they desire.
“A lot of Nigerians have given up on their country because of bad leadership over the years, and do not believe they have a say in the affairs of their country
“It is time they are reminded that power truly belongs to them and there is a social contract between them and elected political leaders.
“Citizens will do their part and political leaders should also fulfill their obligations as promised in their manifesto, and as required by the constitution,” he said.
The ‘Areafada’ however urged Nigerian singers to look beyond money-making and come up with projects that would propel value reorientation(NAN)
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119 Non Profit 501(c)3 Organizations
16-1390601 A TASTE OF BUFFALO INC
16-1084390 AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS 3775 LANCASTER ASSN OF SVC PERSNL — CHARLENE NAWROCKI TREASURER
16-1031806 AMERICAN POSTAL WORKERS UNION 183 WESTERN NEW YORK AREA LOCAL
81-0968627 AMVETS 7275 NY — JOSEPH BRUNET
47-1797986 ANGEL GOWNS OF WNY INC
74-2653835 ASSOCIATION OF OPERATING ROOM NURSES INC 3307 WESTERN NEW YORK STATE — IRENE STRANZ RN CNOR ONC
16-0348428 BENEVOLENT & PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS OF THE USA 1478 LANCASTER
16-1591074 BOWMANSVILLE GARDEN CLUB — JUDY CAVAGNARO
61-1675617 BRANCHES CHRISTIAN REST AND RENEWAL CENTERS INC — DONNA WIEAND
20-0475048 BROADWAY HOPE INC — SCOTT STEGER
16-6002747 BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS AND TRAINMEN 421 BLET — C R ELECZKO
16-6002581 BUFFALO AND ERIE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY CO LANCASTER PUBLIC LIBRARY
Subordinate 34
1930's 1
1940's 14
Contributions are deductible 93
Contributions are not deductible 26
Corporation 81
Association 38
All organizations except 501(c)(3) 38
Church 170(b)(1)(A)(i) 11
School 170(b)(1)(A)(ii) 1
Hospital or medical research organization 170(b)(1)(A)(iii) 2
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) 34
Organization that normally receives no more than one third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt purposes. 509(a)(2) 31
Organizations operated solely for the benefit of and in conjunction with organizations described in 10 through 16 above. 509(a)(3) 2
Arts, Culture and Humanities 11
Educational Institutions and Related Activities 8
Environmental Quality, Protection and Beautification 3
Health - General and Rehabilitative 3
Diseases, Disorders, Medical Disciplines 2
Crime, Legal-Related 1
Employment, Job-Related 2
Housing, Shelter 2
Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness and Relief 2
Recreation, Sports, Leisure, Athletics 13
Youth Development 3
Human Services - Multipurpose and Other 5
Community Improvement, Capacity Building 4
Philanthropy, Voluntarism and Grantmaking Foundations 1
Social Science Research Institutes, Services 1
Public, Society Benefit - Multipurpose and Other 1
Religion-Related, Spiritual Development 6
Mutual/Membership Benefit Organizations, Other 2
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$500,000 to $999,999 5
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$5,000,000 to $9,999,999 1
$10,000,000 to $49,999,999 1
$1 to $9,999 10
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‘It’s a scary thought’ — Draymond says Cousins has only reached 40% of his basketball potential w/ Warriors
Cousins has integrated seamlessly in early days of Golden State tenure
Karl Buscheck
In the wake of Warriors president of basketball ops/GM Bob Myers telling 95.7 The Game that DeMarcus Cousins has exceeded all expectations to this point, Draymond Green, one of the team’s shrewdest evaluators of talent shared his thoughts on Boogie.
In an appearance with team voice Tim Roye on “Beyond the Arc,” Draymond explained that there is much, much more to come.
“He’s just added a completely different dimension to our team that we haven’t had,” Green said.
“And, I mean, the interesting part about it is, it’s going well — exciting, I should say, part about it — is it’s going well,” Green continued. “And he’s probably — and when I say this I mean it in a basketball perspective, not health perspective — he’s probably at 40 percent, maybe.
"Boogie's been fantastic."
"I know that there were people that were speculating how good or bad it would be. But to be totally honest with you guys...he’s probably exceeded what we thought (he’d do).”
Bob Myers via Papa & @BontaHillhttps://t.co/ZnXkHiOGLs
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) January 31, 2019
“When you’re talking 30, 40 percent basketball wise. And, so, when you look at that, you know that he’s going to continue to get better, which will, in turn, help us continue to get better.”
“It’s a scary thought.”
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Lady Gaga Announces ‘Dream’ Apollo Theater Show, First NYC Concert in Two Years
Neilson Barnard, Getty Images
Lady Gaga will perform at the famous Apollo Theater for the first time ever next month.
The "Shallow" singer confirmed the big news in a press release on Wednesday (May 22), calling the opportunity a real dream come true for her. "Performing at The Apollo has always been a dream of mine," she said. "Thank you to SiriusXM and Pandora for inviting me. I'm excited for my fans to see a special show at this iconic venue."
The concert takes place on Monday, June 24 in Harlem.
The special invite-only show, which is hosted by SiriusXM and Pandora, will give some lucky subscribers the chance to win tickets. But, for those who aren’t invited, fans can stream Mother Monster's performance on SiriusXM channel Hits 1, Howard Stern’s Howard 101 channel and the Pandora NOW channel.
The performance will mark Gaga's first NYC show in two years since the pop star has been quite busy in the last few years. Aside from starring in the Oscar-winning movie A Star Is Born with Bradley Cooper, she's also been working on her sixth studio album, which she'll likely release really soon.
30 Things You Didn't Know About Lady Gaga
Source: Lady Gaga Announces ‘Dream’ Apollo Theater Show, First NYC Concert in Two Years
Filed Under: Lady Gaga
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AAS Journals
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Unified Astronomy Thesaurus
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Focus on SOFIA: HAWC+
By Susanna Kohler on 17 May 2019 Features
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This composite, false-color image shows the starburst galaxy Messier 82 as seen by Kitt Peak Observatory, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and SOFIA. The magnetic field detected by SOFIA, shown as streamlines, appears to be dragged along by the winds flowing from the poles of this galaxy. [NASA/SOFIA/E. Lopez-Rodriguez/Spitzer/J. Moustakas et al.]
In December, AAS Nova Editor Susanna Kohler had the opportunity to fly aboard the NASA/DLR Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). This week we’re taking a look at that flight, as well as some of the recent science the observatory produced and published in an ApJ Letters Focus Issue.
One of SOFIA’s great strengths is that the instruments mounted on this flying telescope can be easily swapped out, allowing for a broad range of infrared observations. Three of SOFIA’s instruments are featured in science recently published in the ApJ Letters Focus Issue: the Far Infrared Field-Imaging Line Spectrometer (FIFI-LS), the High-Resolution Airborne Wideband Camera Plus (HAWC+), and the Echelon-Cross-Echelle Spectrograph (EXES).
The HAWC+ instrument mounted on the SOFIA telescope. [NASA]
Meet HAWC+
HAWC+ is a one-of-a-kind instrument: it’s the only currently operating astronomical camera that takes images in far-infrared light. HAWC+ observes in the 50-μm to 240-μm range at high angular resolution, affording us a detailed look at low-temperature phenomena, like the early stages of star and planet formation.
In addition to the camera, HAWC+ also includes a polarimeter, which allows the instrument to measure the alignment of incoming light waves produced by dust emission. By observing this far-infrared polarization, HAWC+ can produce detailed maps of otherwise invisible celestial magnetic fields. The insight gained with HAWC+ spans an incredible range of astronomical sources, from nearby star-forming regions to the large-scale environments surrounding other galaxies.
Some Recent HAWC+ Science
Artist’s conception of Cygnus A, surrounded by the torus of dust and debris with jets launching from its center. Magnetic fields are illustrated trapping dust near the supermassive black hole at the galaxy’s core. [NASA/SOFIA/Lynette Cook]
Cygnus A is the closest and most powerful radio-loud active galactic nucleus. At its heart, a supermassive black hole is actively accreting material, producing enormous jets — but this core is difficult to learn about, because it is heavily shrouded by dust.
In a recent study led by Enrique Lopez-Rodriguez (SOFIA Science Center; National Astronomical Observatory of Japan), a team of scientists has used HAWC+ to observe the polarized infrared emission from aligned dust grains in the dusty torus surrounding Cygnus A’s core. Lopez-Rodriguez and collaborators find that a coherent dusty and magnetic field structure dominates the infrared emission around the nucleus, suggesting that magnetic fields confine the torus and funnel the dust in to accrete onto the supermassive black hole.
Messier 82 and NGC 253 are two nearby starburst galaxies — galaxies with a high rate of star formation. Such galaxies often have strong outflowing galactic winds, which are thought to contribute to the enrichment of the intergalactic medium with both heavy elements and magnetic fields.
A study led by Terry Jay Jones (University of Minnesota) uses HAWC+ to map out the magnetic field geometry in the disk and central regions of these two galaxies. M82 shows the most spectacular results, revealing clear evidence for a massive polar outflow that drags the magnetic field vertically away from the disk along with entrained gas and dust.
SOFIA/HAWC+ 89 μm detection of the gravitationally lensed starburst galaxy J1429-0028. Right: false-color composite image of J1429-0028 from Hubble and Keck. [Ma et al. 2018]
A study led by Jingzhe Ma (University of California, Irvine) presents the HAWC+ detection of the distant, gravitationally lensed starburst galaxy HATLAS J1429-0028. This beautiful system consists of an edge-on foreground disk galaxy and a nearly complete Einstein ring of an ultraluminous infrared background galaxy. What causes this background galaxy to shine so brightly in infrared wavelengths? The HAWC+ observations suggest it’s not due to emission from an active galactic nucleus; instead, this galaxy is likely powered purely by star formation.
The G 9 region, as represented by the Digital Palomar Observatory Sky Survey. The cyan polygon represents the SOFIA HAWC+ coverage of the filamentary dark cloud GF 9. The yellow diamond marks the YSO GF 9-2. [Clemens et al. 2018]
In a recent study examining the geometry of magnetic fields surrounding sites of massive star formation, Dan Clemens (Boston University) and collaborators obtained HAWC+ observations of a young stellar object (YSO) embedded in a molecular cloud. The polarimetric measurements of HAWC+ revealed the magnetic field configuration around the YSO, the dense core that hosts it, and the clumpy filamentary dark cloud that surrounds it, GF 9.
Surprisingly, the observations show a remarkably uniform magnetic field threading the entire region, from the outer, diffuse cloud edge all the way down to the smallest scales of the YSO surroundings. These results contradict some models of how cores and YSOs form, providing important information that will help us better understand this process.
ApJL Focus issue:
Focus on New Results from SOFIA
HAWC+ articles:
“The Highly Polarized Dusty Emission Core of Cygnus A,” Enrique Lopez-Rodriguez et al. 2018 ApJL 861 L23. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aacff5
“SOFIA Far-infrared Imaging Polarimetry of M82 and NGC 253: Exploring the Supergalactic Wind,” Terry Jay Jones et al. 2019 ApJL 870 L9. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aaf8b9
“SOFIA/HAWC+ Detection of a Gravitationally Lensed Starburst Galaxy at z = 1.03,” Jingzhe Ma et al. 2018 ApJ 864 60. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aad4a0
“Magnetic Field Uniformity Across the GF 9-2 YSO, L1082C Dense Core, and GF 9 Filamentary Dark Cloud,” Dan P. Clemens et al. 2018 ApJ 867 79. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aae2af
infrared astronomy instrumentation magnetic fields star formation starburst galaxy
Pingback: Featured Image: SOFIA Traces a Galaxy’s Magnetic Field
13 January 2020 Features 0 Featured Image: SOFIA Traces a Galaxy’s Magnetic Field
20 November 2019 Features 0 Where’s the (Magnetic) Flux?
11 November 2019 Features 0 A New Measurement of Turbulence
5 November 2019 Astrobites 1 Ancient Aurorae: Assyrian and Babylonian Astrologers Recorded the Oldest-Known Solar Storms
30 October 2019 Astrobites 0 Plenty of Gas Left in Giant Dead Disk Galaxies
AASTex 6.2
The latest version of the AAS journals class file for LaTeX manuscripts, AASTex 6.2, has been released. Follow this link to read more about its new features — which includes support for producing Research Notes — and to download the file.
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Need a place to publish works in progress, comments and clarifications, null results, or timely reports of observations in astronomy and astrophysics? RNAAS is now open for submissions.
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« The perpetual foreigner stereotype
Cherrelle & Alexander O’Neal: Saturday Love »
Sat Oct 3rd 2009 by abagond
The Arab trader argument is my name for an argument white Americans often use to defend the evil they do in the world. It goes like this: if white Americans do something evil and terrible it is all right – or at least not all that bad – so long as they can find at least one example from world history of someone else doing the same thing. Thus the Atlantic slave trade was not so bad because Arabs traders sold slaves too!
See how it works? Pretty cool trick.
The thing is utterly morally bankrupt. It is the everyone-does-it argument that we tried when we were eight . Our mothers did not buy it then and it does not work now – except maybe for the morally blind.
But that is just what many white Americans seem to be: morally blind. They know the evil that is done in their name, not just in the past but even now, but they do not want to see it. And when they are faced with it, they try to excuse it with stuff like this.
Maybe moral blindness leads to morally broken thinking – or is it the other way round?
It would be like if I robbed a bank and then said, “People rob banks all the time, what is the big deal?” Or if I slept with someone’s wife and I said, “Your wife had an affair two years ago. See! I am not that bad. Why are you angry at me?”
Do you see how shameless this kind of argument is?
It amazes me that anyone even tries it, for two reasons:
That anyone would waste more than two seconds trying to excuse something so clearly evil, like the slave trade, the Japanese American prison camps, racism, etc.
That they would try to use such a bad argument with a straight face and not see just how bad it is.
But they do it.
It seems to bring comfort to them, but that comfort is completely one-sided. It brings no comfort to those who have to suffer their evil. Like when the Jews were being sent to the death camps, did it bring any comfort to them to know that the Turks killed over a million Armenians?
Forms of this argument:
This is the way we have always done it
Blacks do it too
Blacks are racist too
There will always be racists
Right and wrong are not determined or proved by what everyone does, much less by what some people do, like Arab traders. That would just excuse everyone to sink to the lowest, meanest, most evil levels of behaviour.
A simple and far better way to determine right and wrong, without getting deep into religion or philosophy, is the Golden Rule, which is not “Do unto others as some others have done”, as the Arab trader argument would have it, but “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” Acts of racism fail this test by their very nature.
How to tell if a commenter is white
blame-shifting
white innocence
Apple-pie America – more on American moral blindness
The slave trade was immoral – also brings up the Arab trader argument
Pam Peters: The Cambridge Guide to English Usage – come to think of it, this everyone-does-it approach is applied even to English usage. Maybe it is not just a disingenous argument but a way of thinking!
Posted in 2000s, America, arguments, moral fallacies, racism, racist arguments, stuff white people say | 176 Comments
on Mon Oct 5th 2009 at 01:36:05 macon d
This is a great post, very clarifying. I hear this kind of thing all. the. time.
on Mon Oct 5th 2009 at 01:59:10 Herneith
This is a good catchall phrase for for these ‘arguements’!
on Mon Oct 5th 2009 at 10:35:34 Aiyo
Good post on a statement that has been heard too much
on Mon Oct 5th 2009 at 10:47:08 Vindicator
Good post! Abagond!
Why people use this argument is beyond me.
on Mon Oct 5th 2009 at 11:40:18 Black&German
The adultery example is excellent for proving your point. A lot of people do think that it’s “alright” because “other people are doing it”.
on Tue Oct 6th 2009 at 02:35:04 temple
This is my favorite (this tactic was very often used by a white woman who had a feminist blog where she consistently silenced black women while trumpeting her personal sacrifice of giving birth to biracial kids): “Slavery happened centuries ago. It’s time to get over it. On the other hand, white women have been oppressed going back thousands of years. We must never forget this.”
Privileged much.
on Tue Oct 6th 2009 at 11:55:12 Black&German
Slavery happened centuries ago. It’s time to get over it. On the other hand, white women have been oppressed going back thousands of years. We must never forget this.
Nearly spit out my coffee reading that. Good grief.
I do have to admit I’m a sucker for diversionary statements and ridiculous questions. I’m easy to distract that way because I enjoy going off on a tangent. So if you ever catch me feeding the trolls, as I am wont to do, please redirect me to the topic at hand. Trust that I won’t be offended. 🙂
on Tue Oct 6th 2009 at 21:16:54 Rose
“It brings no comfort to those who have to suffer their evil.” That’s hilarious. If whites didn’t exist stopped their “evil” as you put it, your standards of living would fall right back to where they were 200-300 years ago.
Personally, I would not be opposed to this. If blacks want their independence, that’s fine, just don’t expect whites to continue feeding your populations. Abagond, look at yourself. You’re a racist. Let me know when you, as a black man, are ready to apologize and pay reparations to the Khoisan for your ancestors having nearly exterminated them. If you take a long, objective look at history, you’ll realize that history is all about superior groups conquering (and sometimes, exterminating) inferior ones. This tendency is common to all of humanity (and indeed, to all living things) and is not exclusive to the white race. If you’re still alive today, you can be sure it’s because your ancestors at some point mercilessly crushed a competing group (either that, or they got lucky).
on Tue Oct 6th 2009 at 22:53:20 abagond
This is just the kind of thinking my post is talking about – excusing the evil that whites do by pointing out the evil done by others. Like that makes it right or something. It is morally bankrupt thinking.
Your comment shows a comfort with evil that is sickening.
on Wed Oct 7th 2009 at 01:12:33 La Reyna
May I ask which feminist website because there are several feminist who think like her just because she gives birth to Black children, she thinks that absolves her of being racist. That’s the type of thinking I get from White feminists who dismiss the unique histories of Women of Color in order to point their brand of being oppressed by their White men for centuries.
La Reyna
on Wed Oct 7th 2009 at 10:29:24 Vindicator
temple Says:
This is why you should never buy into feminist propoganda.
Not once do feminists ever explain how women have been oppressed.
on Wed Oct 7th 2009 at 16:15:14 dani
@ La Rena
co-sign 😉
on Thu Oct 8th 2009 at 01:18:10 temple
La Reyna,
This blogger recently went private & I prefer not to give the blog name. Being silenced is a very common experience among black women & other women of color in feminism. It’s happened to me IRL & in the blog world quite often–often enough that I’ve faced the reality that not all women are my allies.
on Thu Oct 8th 2009 at 18:53:32 Herneith
Of course having black children has made her an authority on black issues. As for the white women being oppressed for thousands of years, what about racialized women? Did she address this?
@abagond:
‘That they would try to use such a bad argument with a straight face and not see just how bad it is.’
Why would they? When maintaining their power,it is not in their best interest to do so. They may be oblivious to these facts.
* This is the way we have always done it
* Blacks do it too
* Blacks are racist too
* There will always be racists
Many whites possess a different moral compass than do racialized people. Many do-not have an inkling as to this lack either consciously or sub-consciously. The ones who do and are aware will try to debunk your arguments through condescending diversionary tactics which only serves to berate and humiliate the racialized person. This is particularly effective as it lets the racialized person know just exactly what you think of them and their group without resorting to racist name calling or your inherent superiority. Best of all, It makes them feel better as they have(in their mind) reinforced their self-perception that they are not racist. They are Just resorting to a logical explanations of how things really are. In effect, they are infantalizing the racialized person.
It works. I know this. Why? If one responds to their arguement and gets progressively angry, it reinforces the stereotypes they may already have of your racialized group, puffing them up further. This is why they throw in facts unrelated to the topic at hand. This throws you off kilter. Unless you have a photographic memory and can pull facts out the air at random, you may be at a loss as to how to respond effectively. This enforces their notion of your group as having sub-intelligence. If you try to deflect the impact of the arguement via comic relief, then you are a buffoon who doesn’t understand anyway. This is also a reflection of your groups mindset. If you respond with dumbness, then you are too stupid to in the first place, also reflective of your groups’ intelligence and inability to debate such things; at this point they may become paternalistic as if teaching a child. This has happened to me throughout the years. If you learn to argue and counteract these arguments you’re dismissed as an exception or as uppity. You can’t win for loosing! My reaction now is to tell them that I have no wish to engage them. This angers them as they can not dazzle you with their brilliance and emphasize your, and by extension your groups, lack thereof. You know what? I don’t care anymore, go dazzle someone else with your b********! The ones who are open to changing their white supremset mindset are relatively rarer.
on Fri Oct 16th 2009 at 04:10:57 Rycher
Yes but your ideological kin do the same thing all the time Abagond. For example, the Crusades are quite often used in EXACTLY the same manner to justify Islamic violence that occurs quite plentifully today.
(This despite the fact the the Crusades were largely a response to Islamic aggression and militancy in the first place).
Ultimately, your article here is null and void because your comrades do it all the time; they are guilty of the very thing you so righteously mock.
on Fri Oct 16th 2009 at 04:16:14 Herneith
@Rycher:
You’ve just proved his arguement which is other people do it!
Sorry, I meant; You’ve have just proved his argument whereby white Americans will say, “Everyone else does it to!”,when excusing any culpability in evil acts or criticism levelled at them for such.
on Fri Oct 23rd 2009 at 19:42:05 Rycher
First off: I abhor slavery and I view it as a point of shame for whites. With this in mind:
The arab slave trade is highly relevant when it comes to grievances concerning the white slave trade.
It is incredibly important to point out that the arab slave trade lasted well over ONE THOUSAND years, and that the white slave trade is given a maximum timeline of 2 to 3 centuries.
It is also important to note that the arabs were far more inhuman, cruel and brutal to their slaves than were the whites.
Moreover, despite the immorality and atrocities of the slave trades, the whites at least left a few benefits where they practiced colonialism: roads, electricity, water treatment, literacy, etc etc were often left behind in many communities that were under white colonial rule.
So why I am saying this? Again, I do not point to the arabs to try and EXCUSE white slavery. Slavery is inexcusable. I point to the arab slave trade because so much focus and attention is given to the white slave trade which was far shorter, far less brutal and at least had some benefits.
Since the arab slave trade was far worse by ALL MEASURES, why aren’t people getting after the arabs about it? This is what I find so absurd about this entire article- you point out all the terrible things about slavery but you are ready to dismiss a brutal slave trade that lasted over a MILLENIUM in order to attack whites.
Given that slavery is such an important part of your history and a continued point of contention between blacks and other races, why aren’t you pursuing the arabs who’ve committed this crime on a much much much greater scale? Why do you readily dismiss their crimes?
I’m quite sure I know why: you will find no sympathy from the arabs. But you will from whites.
Some important reading:
http://www.geocities.com/CollegePark/Classroom/9912/easterntrade.html
http://www.youtube.com/user/AhmadsQuran3#p/u/213/AHSP9TGLs4E
on Fri Oct 23rd 2009 at 20:17:51 sanabituranima
I’m no expert on the subject, but I know enough to know that that’s an over-simplification.
Since the arab slave trade was far worse by ALL MEASURES, why aren’t people getting after the arabs about it?
1. People do often mention the Arab slave trade. That’s what the post is about.
2. Consequences.
People are still suffering from the after-effects of Arab clonialism (Darfur is a tragic, potent example.) HOWEVER, I would argue that mre peole are suffering because of the after-effects of white colonialism. This makes discussion of white colonialism and slave-ownership more pertinent.
Some of my ancestors were probably enslaved by ancient Romans. And that was an immoral thing. HOWEVER, it does not directly affect my life now. I will not be treated any worse because some of my ancestors were slaves. I will not be denied a job or a promotion because of it. I am not ging to be shot by the police because of it. I am needn’t worry that in in emergency, paramedics will try less hard to save my life beause of it. The Roman idea of Britain being full of barbarian hordes has stopped being believed.
However, many people still believe that PoC, especially blacks, aren’t completely human. The transatlantic slave-trade was abolished, but the idea of black sub-humanity is still left over and still having negative consequences. That is why the transatlantic slave-trade is directly relevant to modern-day politics.
Also, abagond is an America, writing in the English language. The majority of his readers are Amercan. White slave-ownership has more immediate personal relevance to an American readership than other examples of slave-owning societies.
3. He is not saying that the Arab slave trade was remotely ok. He is just saying that 2 wrongs cannot ever make a right.
on Fri Oct 23rd 2009 at 21:28:05 abagond
Rycher:
Your moral reasoning is broken.
If you disagree, then when your wife catches you with another woman all you have to do is say this: “I know what I did was wrong, but my friend Joe has been cheating on his wife WAY LONGER than me. And he beats her too. Please keep that in mind!”
And if she continues to be angry at you, say this: “Why are you so angry at me but not at my friend? I mean, he is way worse than me! You are being unfair.”
And then do not forget to pat yourself on the back and say: “The only reason you are angry at me is because you will find no sympathy from him but you will from me.”
To pick up on what Sanabitur Anima said, I know no one who has been affected by the Arab slave trade nor do I live in a country that has been shaped and continues to be shaped by that trade. That is quite untrue about the Atlantic slave trade.
The degree of dehumanization of blacks and moral blindness of whites required by that trade still live on. That is why I had to write this post in the first place.
Her example about the Roman slave trade is a good one.
on Fri Oct 23rd 2009 at 23:22:23 nicia
There was also a difference in the Arab/African slave trade vs the European one. They had a unique brand of cruelty which dictated that even a drop of Black blood made one a slave. So European slavery led slaves and their descendants into neverending perpetual slavery.
In contrast, the descendants of Arab and African slaves were born free,were given same rights and were free to intermarry.
If you ask any African living in Africa if they descended from a conquered slave class, they prob wouldn’t know. They’ve prob been treated as an equal their whole life. They can go out and get a job,not get followed in stores or stopped by police.
Ask a Black living in a White country where slavery was practiced hundreds of years ago what their life is like…..jobs,respect, etc,,, and you’ll see that European slavery mentality still exists…It hasn’t ended…on paper only
on Sat Oct 24th 2009 at 01:15:27 Rycher
Abagond I can see how you’d interpret my reasoning the way you did, but I can assure you that’s not at all what I meant. (I’d be embarrassed to ever resort to that cheap kind of pseudo-reasoning.)
In short,this is what I meant to convey:
Whenever I see people talking about the slave trade and its horrors, it boggles my mind how the best example of slavery that human history has to offer, the ARAB SLAVE TRADE, is never mentioned and is seldom taught in school. You’d be surprised how few people actually know about the arab slave trade, despite its sheer length and magnitude.
(I realize that this article has the arab slave trade as its headline but the topic was just used to segue into the white slave trade) But I understand that you blog about the atlantic slave trade since you live in the USA. I understand that.
However I’m curious, what do people here think about pursuing reparations from arabs and their slave trade?
Would it be worth pursuing?
What kind of response would you expect?
on Sat Oct 24th 2009 at 15:00:13 abagond
It seems pretty clear that I will have to do a post on the Arab slave trade itself since it keeps coming up and some commenters act as if I am not seeing the light that they see. But that is not the subject of this particular post.
I did not bring up the Arab slave trade to segue into the Atlantic one. I brought it up because it is used to make a bad moral argument to defend white racism, an argument that comes up in different forms. A form of pseudo-reasoning, as you put it.
on Tue Dec 29th 2009 at 18:16:20 Big Rome
This is a great article that does a great job of throwing light upon this argument which is used in many forms and many places (not least the emphasis by those in NeoConfederate movements to highlight Lincoln’s racism and thereby absolve the sins of the South)- I’m glad you’ve started a great discussion here.
Being a student and scholar of Race in the US, I would also point out that while Slavery has (and unfortunately still does) exist(ed) across the world and across the centuries, racialized slavery was novel to the New World in general and the US in particular. In no other place and at no other time had an institution of heritable and permanent chattel slavery existed, nor has it existed since, on the scale and to the degree practiced by peoples of European descent on peoples of African descent. That set of facts is undeniable.
on Tue Dec 29th 2009 at 18:26:45 Mira
Hmmm… I think that Arab trader argument actually means: “people of all races did horrible things; whites are not evil by nature!”
Nobody’s evil by nature. That’s not the point. The point is: just because another group of people did some horrible things, it doesn’t mean crimes made by your own gorup any less horrible.
I never said it that’s the way I see it. In fact, I don’t see it that way. I see it as a very, very poor excuse for doing horrible things.
But I think white people see it like I described. I might be wrong, though.
on Fri Mar 5th 2010 at 19:33:24 Honky
But how can whites constantly be singled out and berated and be condescended to if everyone did it? It’s like if 100 people robbed 100 banks but we’re only going to punish the one who made the most money off of it.
on Sun May 30th 2010 at 17:56:09 Robin
While I do agree that whites do use this and I’m not trying to excuse their actions. I think that it’s a human reaction not to wanting your group or culture being look at as horrible amd unhuman. Everybody wants to believe that their group that they represent is good. While whites have the arab trade agruement, Blacks have the well, at least, they didn’t go through slavery agruement towards gays and other non-black ethnic groups. They’ll use the same book to dehumanize gays that was used to take away their idenity and justify slavery. Maybe I feel this way because I’m experience racism both sides.
on Sun May 30th 2010 at 19:37:49 abagond
You are using the Arab Trader argument to defend the Arab Trader argument.
The Arab Trader argument says that it is not so bad to do x because other people do it too. But that is a very poor way to determine whether something is moral or not. Whatever x is, you will almost always find other people doing it.
My own rule of thumb: an argument that could defend cannibalism probably has something wrong with it.
on Tue Dec 14th 2010 at 11:04:10 chroniclinghate
If someone attempts to justify the transatlantic slave trade by mentioning the Arab slave trade then yes that is a reprehensible argument. However bringing up the Arab slave trade is a legitimate response to racist nonsense attempting to paint slavery as being something unique to “White people” or something that “White people” should guilty about, just as it’s legitimate to mention non-Islamic terrorism in order to counter bigoted filth attempting to portray terrorism as something unique to Muslims. If it’s wrong to respond to racist arguments that portray slavery strictly as a white evil then Tim Wise is also just as wrong for citing statistics about White crime in order to demolish White supremaicst propaganda that claims that African-Americans are a uniquely criminal racial group. There is a clear difference between a rational discussion of the transatlantic slave trade and a racist screed portraying Whites as collectively guilt of slavery while ignoring non-Western forms of slavery or White victims of slavery (over three million Eastern Europeans were enslaved by the Crimean Khanate).
http://historyanarchy.blogspot.com/2010/03/white-people-know-their-slavery.html
“he story of 50,000 Irish who were transported as slaves to Barbados and Virginia in the 17th century is chronicled for the first time.”
http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Barbados-Ethnic-Cleansing-Ireland/dp/0863222870
on Sat Feb 5th 2011 at 23:39:24 Dawn
Unfortunately as much as you have a point? Some people especially PoC try to derail any discussion of the multifacted nature of racism and history by using this argument as if the mere discussion of historical issues and how it has affected the world today is somehow making excuses for another dark and inhuman part of history.
So even if you’re just talking about the Trans-sahara slave trade, you’re likely to get someone breaking in to the conversation to harass you about how you’re supposedly using it to negate the evil that the western world has done. Even if the trans-atlantic slave trade hasn’t been mentioned.
At the end of the day, what Hitler did to the Jews does not eclipse, remove or erase any other genocide that has happened in history. It is wrong to point at another genocide and use that to try and say that Hitler wasn’t such a bad guy, it is not wrong to simply talk about historical genocides including the holocaust in general and what was behind them.
Besides most people do not deny that the trans-atlantic slave trade was inhuman, cruel and downright evil, but some of us do get tired of it being treated as the only slave trade in the history of the world evah cos PoC just “don’t do that sort of thing” in some people’s minds backed up by people attempting to shut down any discussion that might dispell the illusion that white people are the only people capable of true evil.
on Sun Feb 6th 2011 at 00:50:18 Kwamla
The difficulty with using this Arab Trader argument to account for something like the African Transatlantic slave trade is one of degree and magnitude. It also shows a lack of awareness of the scope and dimensions involved.
One way to recognize or begin to appreciate this is to use another analogy:
Imagine a small grocery store. Like Groceries ‘R’ Us. They rapidly expand to include other items like clothing, then maybe electrical goods. Other groups watch this and begin to get in on the act. Soon there are lots of small and large Groceries, Clothes and Electrical goods ‘ R ‘ Us all over the country.
Suddenly, there emerges a big, gigantic Groceries ‘R’ Us. Its bigger than anything that has gone before its called Walmart it expands all over the country but then it gets even bigger. It expands to other countries as well. It takes over and swallows up existing Groceries ‘R’ Us. stores all over the planet. It becomes a monster. But because its grown so big and has a branch in every country on the planet it starts to be the main grocery store most people recognize and go to.
Its now hard to remember a time when going to a grocery store didn’t mean going to a Walmart.
The African Transatlantic slave trade became that Walmart Before this there only used to be Groceries ‘R’ Us and every country had their own one. In fact some still do.
on Sun Feb 6th 2011 at 01:09:54 King
“Some people especially PoC try to derail any discussion of the multifacted nature of racism and history by using this argument as if the mere discussion of historical issues and how it has affected the world today is somehow making excuses for another dark and inhuman part of history.”
@ Dawn
Hey Dawn, it’s difficult to say whether you are making a valid point or not. So let me ask you this.
Please simply link to 2 or more examples of what you’re talking about. I think that’s fair. You have an entire internet to draw from. I’m not even saying that what you describe doesn’t exist… after all, everything happens, at least once or twice, somewhere on the internet. Just post a few examples of it.
on Sun Feb 6th 2011 at 13:52:41 Herneith
@Dawn:
Tell us culluds what it is we need to know!
on Fri Feb 18th 2011 at 09:19:58 chroniclinghate
Islamic slavery was just as vast and it lasted much longer than Western slavery; the Saudis ‘abolished’ in the late 20th century and there has never been an Islamic abolition movement. The trade has deeply scarred Africa as evidenced by the massacres of Arabs by Blacks during the Zanzibar revolution. The idea that the transatlantic slave trade was the first major form of slavery is absurd; the Mongols for example practiced mass murder and slavery on an industrial scale.
However anyone brining up non-Western forms of slavery to counter legitimate discussion of American slavery is defending slavery. However if someone was to bring up slavery in order to demonize ‘Whites’ then yes I would bring up such things as Islamic slavery or the type of slavery practiced by the Imperial Japanese army that would be a legitimate argument much like an African-American citing ‘White’ crime groups and gangs to respond to racists attempting to demonize Blacks as a uniquely criminal people
on Fri Feb 18th 2011 at 18:36:38 Kwamla
@chroniclinghate.
You do seem to have problems when it comes to trying to make connections or comparisons. Particularly when scales of degree, magnitude and depth are involved.
Surprisingly enough though you don’t seem to have this as a problem when it comes to making comparisons between the plight of the Palestinians and Jews. And in particular the roles of Nazi Germeny and Israel.
I extracted these comments from your own blog:
“Does a Holocaust survivor have the right to speak his mind and say ‘what happened to me during the Holocaust, I see it happening again to Palestinians, Never Again for Anyone.’ Should he be labeled an anti-Semite for such statements?”
This is nothing more than a crude attempt to equate Israel with nazi Germany and the Palestinians with the Jews; a hateful and ignorant comparison. Does anyone recall Jewish suicide bombings? Has Israel killed over four million people? Any honest individual with a fifth grader’s command of history can see that Emperor’s garbage is a thinly veiled anti-Semitic attack.
What is it that you see that is so unique to Jewish, genocidal, holocaust experience that you are unable to see in the African, genocidal, holocaust experience?
Which incidentally lasted over 500 years as an institution but left a legacy that Africa and its diasporic peoples are still left traumatically dealing with. On top of which is a continent that has and continues to be plundered and exploitered for its natural resources to the obvious detriment of its own people?
And you believe Islamic slavery had a greater impact? Or are you just unable to equate the sufferings of anyone non-Jewish with horrors of the Jewish holocaust?
Incidentally. If you really wish to understand why anyone would even attempt to equate what Israel is doing to the Palestinians with Nazi Germany – they may not be quite there yet. But they are heading down that direction – you should have a look at this documentary. Its very graphic in detail:
And then listen to Auschwitz Survivor on Palestine here:
on Sat Jul 30th 2011 at 20:43:32 mindweapon
OK, ok, you don’t like the Arab trader theory that contemporary whites owe less than zero to blacks.
How about this one:
“I don’t care, and I refuse to be held liable, and I will fight to the death against any black-slavery-reparations-debt-collectors.
Come on and try to take my house and my family. Come get your repamarations. In the end, I don’t give a fig about your arguments, I think they are bullshit, I am not swayed in the least by any theory of “white guilt” or, to use the modern Tim Wise euphemism, “white responsibiltity.” I repudiate it all.
I think you owe us, and you can make the debt good by returning to Africa.
on Sat Jul 30th 2011 at 21:53:20 Herneith
That’s not what the argument entails. The argument has nothing to do with ‘reparmations’, it is a evasive tactic to draw attention from themselves. However, if you wish to ‘contribute to my own ‘repamarations, my email address is: herneith@blowitoutyourhole.com. I take banker’s cheques, money orders, wire transfers if you are sending money internationally, crdit cards and PayPal.
Hey now! Think of the tax write-off!
Come on and try to take my house and my family. Come get your repamarations.
I’m not interested in trailor homes. Do you live in a mansion? I’ll take that! Your family? Sorry, I am not interested in inbred people, too many potential problems.
In the end, I don’t give a fig about your arguments,
How about a figleaf?:
I am not swayed in the least by any theory of “white guilt” or, to use the modern Tim Wise euphemism, “white responsibiltity.” I repudiate it all.
“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.” Mark Twain.
on Sat Jul 30th 2011 at 21:58:06 King
If your mind is a weapon, then the trigger is jammed and the barrel is rusted.
You’re asking what we collectively think about an argument that is basically, “I don’t care if your arguments are valid or not! Just you try and make me pay?”
The main argument here is for acknowledgement of privilege, not “reparation.” BTW, what do you owe the Native Americans and when are you planning to pay therm back by returning to Ireland?
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/ireland/090113/irish-economy-nears-collapse
on Sun Jul 31st 2011 at 04:43:52 Herneith
@King;
He suffers from chronic brain flatulence!
on Sun Jul 31st 2011 at 06:37:29 Columnist
True, but why punish only whites, and not other slave traders?
By the way, instead of petty squabbling, both whites and Black people should learn Hebrew, Arabic and Chinese.
on Sun Jul 31st 2011 at 07:40:35 King
Lol! And how!
When whites enslaved Black people, white people were Christians. Now, most Black people are Christians. Oh the irony!
I think if you check the worldwide numbers, most Blacks are probably Muslim. Most American Blacks are Christian.
on Mon Oct 17th 2011 at 16:27:19 Teddy
Well, Kenya is 80% christian,…
on Sat Mar 17th 2012 at 06:16:53 Deb
@King…“Most American Blacks are Christian”Yep, and irony had nothing to do with it!
on Fri Jun 15th 2012 at 08:08:42 Unbeweavable | Slouching Towards Kingston
[…] argument is like when white people say that they shouldn’t be held accountable for slavery, because “Arabs sold slaves too!” That type of derailment fails specifically […]
on Fri Oct 26th 2012 at 01:21:47 Jack
I think you will find that most people bring up the Arab slave trade, not to make the European slave trade look better by comparison, but more to try and dispell the popular notion that only white people were responsible for the slave trade. What both the whites and the Arabs did was terrible, though to be fair i don’t think people should blame the slave trade on entire races of people. I was carried out solely by and for a small minority of rich elites. The average European or Arab peasant would not have had any involvement, most were probably weren’t even aware of the atrocities that were being commited in Africa and the other parts of the world, heck they were probably treated like slaves themselves, by the rich lords and land owners. They were bad times to be poor anywhere in the world.
on Fri Oct 26th 2012 at 11:35:22 abagond
on Sun Oct 28th 2012 at 07:58:15 oogenhand
Although you have objective morality on your side, is it prudent to attack the only ones that set their own slaves free?
on Thu Nov 1st 2012 at 09:15:45 oogenhand
@Deb
Some strictly monotheistic religions would consider forced conversion to Christianity from “idolatry” a step up. BTW, Christianisation of Europe was largely non-consensual, too.
on Wed Nov 7th 2012 at 10:54:32 barchan
The transatlantic slave trade was a disgusting and horrible crime against humanity with repercussions even today. Now that I have said this so no one think im some kind of apologist or something I will get to my point. Because to be honest the main diffrence between the Arab slave trade and the Transatlantic slave trade of black Africans, is that the arab slave trade has actually NEVER stopped. Still happening in Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen Mauretania… it has kept happening (on a smaller scale today of course) and this has been going on for AT LEAST a millenia. (Though most likely around 1400 years) but when you discuss this with an average muslim(black or arab)they completly shut down, you can show them pictures from the FIFTIES with Saudiarabian families with their black slaves and they still go “Allah! everyone is equal in Islam Muhammed is great!!!!!! What about the crusades 800 years ago!!! Christians are just as bad” just the typical deflections And this just shows that in this sad part of history the slavery apologists have succesfully shaped our view of slavery as an only white on black occurance. And even bringing the up the arab slavery in a discussion about slavery can seen as derailong and racist (??) (English is not my native language so my text is perhaps a little badly written but I hope you get my argument)
on Wed Nov 7th 2012 at 15:41:49 oogenhand
On a practical level, Saudi-Arabia is a very tempting target for reparations. It has a lot of stuff, and a Iranian knife to its throat. Hell is eternal.
on Mon Dec 3rd 2012 at 14:42:41 Winslie Gomez
Reblogged this on HAPLOGROUP – bit that makes us human. and commented:
on Mon Dec 3rd 2012 at 15:28:44 The Mind of RD Revilo
Reblogged this on RD Revilo.
on Mon Dec 3rd 2012 at 23:48:57 And now some non-writing stuff | Fraser Sherman's Blog
[…] may sound weird now, but it was commonly expressed back in the day. On a related topic, one blogger rips into the “Well, X may have been bad but he wasn’t as bad as an Arab slave […]
on Thu Dec 6th 2012 at 21:53:30 Ghost
So a white guy, a black guy, and an arab guy assault a black guy. What guys like Macon don’t understand is that if we’re going to be shoveling cultural guilt onto people for crimes like slavery, we have to punish all the involved guilty parties, not just the white ones. Which is why the “arab slave trade” arguement exists: It’s a justified desire to see all parties involved in the crime punished, instead of singling out one group of people because of skin-color.
on Sat Dec 8th 2012 at 09:49:42 oogenhand
Reblogged this on oogenhand and commented:
Abagond correctly applies Judeo-Christian morality. But Dutch tort law would allow whites to demand reparations from arabs for the reparations paid to blacks (“onrechtmatige daad”, “hoofdelijke aansprakelijkheid”).
on Sat Dec 8th 2012 at 18:16:16 GB
Sorry you white-hating racist, but the issue is how the non-white/leftist coalition applies the standards only to whites. The argument isn’t “others do it to” the proper and true argument is “others do it to but only whites get the blame and holding whites to a standard you don’t hold anybody else to is pure hate, pure racism.” You see? Anti-racism is a racist code word for anti-white.
P.S – If we’re so racist just get the hell away from us. You keep whining about how bad you’re treated but you never leave. You’re a parasite who lives off his betters, your income is at least 5 times what it would be if you lived on your own. If you were really our equals in ability you wouldn’t hesitate to go, to set up your own society, even within the U.S., where “white racism” wouldn’t hold you down. I mean, if the things you say are true why would anyone in their right mind would stay and pay to suffer them. They’re not true, they’re the opposite of truth, and that’s why you cling to our legs like a two year old child. “Civil Rights” and “White privilege” and all that other BS are just the plausibly deniable excuses to keep your fingers in white wallets because you know you couldn’t do nearly as well on your own.
on Sat Dec 8th 2012 at 19:17:23 Herneith
@GB:
Hardy har hoo, schnooka schnaw. Put it to music and compose yourself a concerto.
on Sun Dec 30th 2012 at 22:00:35 Barchan
Man your stupid. I never tried to condone or sugarcoat the Transatlantic slave trade. I only said that the Arab slavetrade of Black Africans is still happening extensivly to this date in Saudi arabia, Yemen Sudan Mauretania and no one really cares…. it seems partly because it doesnt really fit the whole ” only the evil white man can be racist” thingy you guys jerk of to…. You have no idea how many times you get the ” its white propaganda” answer when you call someone out people denying arab racism/slavery black Africans….
on Mon Dec 31st 2012 at 19:43:33 Herneith
@Barchan:
It’s ‘off’ not of. Carry on.
on Mon Dec 31st 2012 at 20:32:03 King
@ Ghost
What guys like Macon don’t understand is that if we’re going to be shoveling cultural guilt onto people for crimes like slavery, we have to punish all the involved guilty parties, not just the white ones.
I think that you misunderstand the objections to the use of the Arab Slave trader Argument.
Let’s take you example: So a white guy, a black guy, and an arab guy assault a black guy. OK So let’s say that the Black assaulter runs really fast and evades arrest. And let’s also say that the Arab assaulter is well connected and manages to get released with just a warning. Does the fact that the other two guys beat the rap make the white guy any less guilty of assault?
The problem is that sometimes, when Black people are talking to White people about their own part in the assault, instead of admitting to the injustice of it, will often instead point out that the real injustice is that the other two guys got away and that’s what we should really be talking about!!!!
That is what Abagond is saying here.
^^ Amen
on Tue Jan 1st 2013 at 13:06:21 Barchan
Thank you for your constructive criticism! I guess that was the only argument you could find against my text 😛 english is not my native language so unfortunatly I will make some spelling errors now and then, try not to get an ulcer 😛 Yup but the point is that the transatlantic at worst sugarcoated while the transsaharan one is denied sickenly to the point that so few even know that it is still happening and has kept on happening 1600 years at least.
on Tue Jan 1st 2013 at 17:52:15 Linda
“Barchan
Yup but the point is that the transatlantic at worst sugarcoated while the transsaharan one is denied sickenly to the point that so few even know that it is still happening and has kept on happening 1600 years at least.”
I don’t think anyone is denying that a slavery is currently happening in different countries in Africa and Middle East.
What the main point of the post is: the denial and how white society downplays (marginalizes) the transatlantic slave trade and the prosperity and benefits they gained from it and the lengths and evil done in order to maintain it.
There is a VAST difference in the effects and outcome of “intra-slavery” in Africa/middle east from the “trans-Atlantic” slavery and to compare the 2 does an injustice to both!
This is not a case of “everyone did it, still does it” — this is a case of how a dominant white society marginalizes/ likes to diminish their ancestors Part in the tragedy and attempts to not want to take ownership of this lovely part of history — but they (like the rest of us in the so-called 1st world countries) are enjoying the rewards created by the trans-atlantic slave trade.
The world was forever Changed due to the trans-atlantic slave trade and the biggest beneficiaries and Rewards went to white Europeans — not the Arabs and the Africans.
By the time they (arabs/africans) realized their mistake, their partners in crime (the Europeans) double-crossed them and was able to outgun them and started invading / occupying their lands (and Africa is still dealing today with the effects of this “partnership gone wrong”)
Slave labour built US of America into the rich country that is/was — it “shaped” the views of the country and it’s society –just like every other country that had African slave labour….this is the legacy that we all have to deal with until today (unfortunately)
The America’s (north and south) were not the only beneficiaries.
the trans-atlantic slave trade actually changed the world. Colonialism and Imperialism were born and maintained due to the financial prosperity gained from trans-atlantic slavery … without it, Britian would not have gotten rich and would not have been able to dominate the rest of the world for as long as it did.
The trans-atlantic slave trade should Always stand by itself because of the Vastness and abject Evil that surrounded and maintained it — It changed Human history (not just the lives of the enslaved Africans)
Reply to Linda. The arab enslavement of black africans was “Intra slavery” ??? You cannot be serious? All the fucking slave-grabbing JIHAD INCURSIONS into Africa were just some nice calm cultural exchange between so called “People of color” then ??? The fact that slavery started again in Sudan after the brits left(in 1980) because no one was there to hold back the islamist arabs that continued doing what they always did with the “kaffirs/Abds”?…Slaves died at the same extent when being forced to march across the whole fucking Sahara desert towards the slave markets in North Africa or the middle eas, as when they faced horrible conditions abord the european slave ships… “By the time the Arabs realized their mistake” it is hard to take you seriously when you have an idelized view of the arab slavery like that. Yemen made slavery illigal in 1963 for christ sake!! You want to see some nice Saudi Arabian family pictures fro FIFTIES with their Black slaves in the cornors??Mauretania made it formally illegal in 1973. The genocide of black Sudan by arabs?. The list goes on and on. There is nearly zero regrets in the arab world for their enslavement of Black Africans, zero regrets partly because it is never talked about and the few research on the economic effects it has had on North Africa and the middle east. The word Abd(slave) is commonly used for Black Africans and people just look completly indiffrent when you object to them using that term. Slave labour builds Saudi Arabia, Dubai Lebanon Syria to this today but it really isnt that bad when the slaveowners are “people of color” right? And no the world did not “change” when the transatlantic slavetrade began, it was “just” a second horrible step in the exploitation of Africa by non africans, made particulary easy thanks to the extreamly destabilizing effects the countless Jihad incursions against the ” dirty kaffir kingdoms” the arabs were doing in Africa.
I am not in anyway trying to sugarcoat the long lasting effects the transatlantic slave trade has had! I just want to make people realize that just because the Middle East arent as rich in this time from their exploitation of Africa didnt make it any less worse which you seem to think.
Ok im sorry for being a bit fiery with this topic but this denial/sugarcoating of how arabs view black africans is something I have grown up near and how it is all perfect harmony in the “people of color world” crap, and I have several bad expiriences with this here in Sweden from arabs and their views on literally anyone non arab.. And I meant to write that there is “idyllic”family pictures with arabs families in mostly saudiarabian households from s late as the fifties/sixties with their black slaves suffering in the background.
Reply to Linda. The arab enslavement of black africans was “Intra slavery” ??? You cannot be serious? All the fucking slave-grabbing JIHAD INCURSIONS into Africa were just some nice calm cultural exchange between so called “People of color” then ???”
Yes –the word is “Intra” because it’s happening on the African continent by African people. The Arabs in Sudan are still African but since Saudi Arabia is technically not connected to Africa — we can call it international or regional if it makes you feel better.
Like I said to you and I repeat — each deserves to be spoken about and remembered on it’s own merit without being intertwined.
You shouldn’t have to speak about African slavery without diminishing the TransAtltantic slave trade — both Evils stand by themselves and it’s neither should be compared.
on Wed Jan 2nd 2013 at 02:37:05 Linda
By the time the Arabs realized their mistake” it is hard to take you seriously when you have an idelized view of the arab slavery like that. Yemen made slavery illigal in 1963 for christ sake!! ”
Do me a favor and don’t interpret for me — my English is pretty clear and no where in my post do I “Idolize” the Arabs….history is what it is and yeah, I’m sure the Africans/Arabs realized they made a bad “business” deal with the Europeans…they did indeed suffer for it.
It’s nice that you feel “fired” up but let’s not get things twisted — most of us black/brown people of the diaspora on this blog aren’t excusing the Africans or Arabs …what we are discussing is how “white” society likes to excuse their European ancestors and try to play the blame game and downplay the effects and implications of the TransAtlantic slave trade
Slavery is not new — the Europeans enslaved other Europeans, just like how slavery was not new to Africa—but the transAtlantic slave trade took on a significance and life all on its own because of the International Impact it had.
You talking about and trying to compare the the African slave trade to the TransAtlantic slave trade is like apples to oranges, even though the TransAtlantic slave trade originated because of slavery in Africa.
you seem to have a good handle on the modern day African slavery that most of us of the diaspora don’t get a chance to hear about or see…
I would be most interested in hearing more about it, would you consider doing a guest post about it if Abagond is interested?
on Wed Jan 2nd 2013 at 08:21:15 Barchan
“The word intra, because it was happening on the African continent by african peoples” No this is not correct. This is what i meant about Jihad Incursions into Africa FROM the middle east. Simply put, an invading force from another continent (The middle east which is counted into Asia). The first and second Jihads were concentraded from the middle east and was aimed at Africa and Europe. In Europe it managed to concquer the Balkans and large parts of Spain. In Africa it spread across North Africa and later on the western and northern coasts. The things thats similar with the transatlantic slavery is that it was on a whole very race based with an similar hazardous transportation(cramped inhumane cargospaces on the slave ships from western Africa towards America- long hazardus march in chains over the Sahara desert towards the huge slavemarkets in Kairo or even further into the middle east).and yeah, to this date theese brutal pieces of history have shaped white westernes and arabs view of Black Africans. Huh black/brown people? Weird term I say. What i have learned is that there seems to be so few who is aware of the racism in the arab world. The main reason for this is when the north african arab majority countries has now later on tried to build relations with the southern Black African majority countries, they have managed to point exclusivly towards europe and its 400 years of african exploitation and slyly hidden their even longer history of exploitation of Africa (not at all saying what is worse or so but simply that theyve managed to hide such a long history of racism) huh write here :)? Dont think my english is good enough for them to bear with me x) I notice all my errors later on now when I read my old comments . Well Since I know a bit arabic it has been a shocking realization of what a lot of arabs people say. For instance you can check ANY syrian pro Assad page and find Extreamly racist comments about Obama. When they want to a.ttack the “whore americans” they have the wordgame joke “Al abed al-aswad fi al-beit al-abiyad” which I can roughly translate to “The black slave in the white house”. Racist rhymes and jokes like that is common among palistinians(and most arabsk) aswell when they get into their hate america rants like how pathetic they are (white americans) “they now let their slaves rule them” shittalk that really makes me sick. Or that they(white americans) tries to trick them(arabs) by letting “slaves” (black americans) unto high positions of power in USA ( Obama, Colin Powell Condolezza Rice) to make them underestimate them (I really wish I was making this shit up).
I forgot the whole deal with Kofi Annan and his UN pleads that people needs to strife towardss peace in syria. The rebels and military needs to stop killing and so on and he was dismissed in extreamly racist ways on arabic news channels and on facebook groups. … Im really tired of the way to mny black americans have the whole people of color-white people view on arab racism(not accusing anyone on abagond anymore now though!). There was for instance a youtube video on an Ethiopian maid being abused and beaten and driven to suiccide by arab men in lebanon and so many tumblr black american blogs were like ” oh how pity we people of color do that to each other” ” oh white people have damaged us we are fighting each oher now” very annying world view to me…..and btw Linda I dont think we really disagree on much at all, we both just despise racism in any form and im sorry for my angrier tone before! 🙂
on Wed Jan 2nd 2013 at 09:29:41 abagond
@ Barchan
This thread is not about Arab racism or the Arab slave trade. It is about how the Arab slave trade is used to play down or excuse the Western slave trade. White Americans use the Arab slave trade as squid ink to cover their own evil with an “Everyone does it” argument.
To separate the two issues I will do a post on the Arab slave trade, just as I did one on the Transatlantic trade. If you want to point me to any good books or online sources that would be appreciated.
Yup I got that! , Murray Gordon written a really good book called “Slavery in the Arab world” that covers the whole slavery era to date and todays view. Wiji Bohme Shomary has a lot of great texts about her life growing up as dark-skinned in the middle east and she has researched the arab slavery aswell but her articles are mostly in arabic or swedish though…
Thank you! Do you have any thoughts about this book:
Bernard Lewis: “Race and Slavery in the Middle East: An Historical Enquiry” (1990)
http://www.amazon.com/Race-Slavery-Middle-East-Historical/dp/0195053265
I havent read it but reading the description does make me want to order it xD. It seems the whole complexity with islams relation with slavery is discussed in it. Which I find very interresting, the whole “no muslim can enslave another muslim”ideas and the very good and humanistic message Islam has and that “everyone is worth as much before God”. …. AS LONG as your a muslim and not a unfaithful”kaffir” of any other religion, then its not that bad to enslave someone right?… Sigh
Well considering the fact that around 200 000 black sudanese has gotten enslaved by their arab countrymen in the the last 30 years I would understand some resentment between north and south Sudan.
Thanks for the recommendations!
btw Linda I dont think we really disagree on much at all, we both just despise racism in any form and im sorry for my angrier tone before!”
No problem, Barchan, I like your passion…
you have brought some interesting information to the table and I look forward to reading Abagonds post about this topic.
I don’t know much about the subject but I’ve also lived in Europe. I went to university in Germany and I got to meet many different kinds of people.
I can honestly tell you I came away with a love/hate relationship with Spaniards and Italiens, and I did get a small glimpse into the muslim world via my Turkish friends.
As for how Arabs feel about Africans/black people — I can honestly say, I walked away not knowing how to feel. I had different experiences that I would say gave me a small insight but not enough to say “I understand these people”
Because there were so few of us coloured/non-white students living in the town I was in, we all sort of stuck together, so Syrians, Saudi’s, hung with Egyptian, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Togo, Sudan, etc. even Eritrea hung with Ethiopians (this was the 80’s mind you) — what I learned:
–some of northern Africans called themselves ‘white” even though they were darker than me,
–the Africans did not consider black Americans or any other black from the diaspora to be “Africans”,
–I was called a “unpure” by a few of the central & Southwest Africans because I am mixed-race and they questioned my right to call myself “black”
–Most of the Arabs/Africans spoke at least 3-4 languages minimum (their own, Arabic, and English), majority spoke French and was learning German like I was.
–even if there were disagreements along nationality/ethnic lines–everyone came together if one person was being insulted or threatened by the Europeans (we had a few frisky Italien, Danish and Finnish students who liked to start trouble when drunk)
–as a woman, I would never voluntarily marry or live in an Arabic/muslim country — I like my freedom. ( I had heard stories of Jamaican women who went to work in Saudi Arabia, had their passports taken, and were treated like slaves and beaten. They had to escape to Jamaican embassy and beg for safety)
from this group was the first time I did see the Arab arrogance towards darker-skinned people and I realized there was dislike for some of the Arabs from the African students but I’ll be honest, I never associated it with any historical past or Arab slavery….so you bringing this subject up actually shines a light on this topic.
on Thu Jan 3rd 2013 at 09:15:12 oogenhand
What to think of Salafi plans to blow up Kemetic pyramids? Slavery cannot explain the Arab dislike of dark skin, as they had pale-skinned slaves as well.
on Fri Jan 4th 2013 at 01:08:06 Barchan
Well to be honest when are arabs ever seen as whites (by white people) in any other way than the racial classification in the US? Still otherd into the non-european category by most I would believe. Whites and Arabs have had historical similarities in race relations with other people (mainly Black Africans) though
Yep. Very good examples and as ive said before the most powerful man in the world Barack Obama has been called “Al abed al-aswad fi al-beit al-abiyad”. Or in english “The black slave in the white house” by Syrians and Lebanese (but this racist joke is common throughout the middle east. similar to the contempt racists can have of him in the US. The arab nationalism you write about is very interesting. One similarity ive noticed is the growing fear of each other between white europeans and arabs. The white europeans is starting to fear the growing Islamic faith in Europe and that it brings older gender roles (separate swimming hours in water parks , that has started in immigrant heavy areas is one example, growing numbers of mosques) and the whole war on terror thing Bush stirred up which points suspision towards arabs( in racist ways). While many Arabs feel that European influence is undermining their traditional values (no matter how oppressive they can be towards women and non heteros people) and that they are the victims of aggressive cultural imperialism from the West. Both sides has points but we are heading in a dangerous direction that can escalate REALLY badly if things get out of hand
on Sat Jan 5th 2013 at 02:53:52 Linda
Bulanik@ Linda
I shared a few of your experiences in Germany.
Omg, just harsh and straight out like that. I didn’t like it. It was a learning curve. You know, there was no ‘explaining’ that they’d accept. Just rigid.
Learning curve is the word! Reality check in an inverse way and a little shocking to hear certain things because I was hearing it for the 1st time.
I was also called a “mutt” and so were the few black American students who were there. They were more perplexed than I was because to them, I “was” a mutt for true but they (black Americans) represented what “real” black people looked like –
well, not according to our fellow African students, who also placed them in the same category as me and told us blacks of the diaspora were a “lost” people who were not African.
Mind you, these things were not said in order to hurt us or put us down – these statements came about in discussions that we would have about religion, race, and other current events of the time in Africa and the Middle east….as you said, Rigid –their ethnicity and ancestral name meant a lot to them and was not a fluid thing — it defined who they were.
Seeing the world through their eyes was an eye-opener. The whole “one drop” rule and “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud” did not resonate with them – they thought it was a joke
As much as I think Kola Boof is “touched”, many of the African students I met thought along the same lines as she does. Her view on Soledad O’Brien and her “who is Black in America” show:
“A White Woman (Soledad O’Brien) is given the power to DICTATE to Blacks what “blackness” is….she of an Irish name, white skin & everything but the burden.
She is to define an entire race of people from AFRICA based on the 1 drop rule invented by the KKK and we’re supposed to listen to her and not our own continent. It’s so typically arrogant and AMERICAN RACIST.
I have a few drops of TURKISH blood–why can’t I do a “White In America’ tv. special. Explain that
____________________ ______________
Barack Obama just as his Kenyan family taught him is “Half-Caste African Luo” …..he is African, but he is not Black. The other Africans on this thread have told you the same thing. Black is a Color that symbolizes African people—it’s not off white or cream yellow. We don’t accept “kinda black” or “black at certain times of the year” as Black.”
I will post her entire Rant in on the open thread, it’s long and I don’t want to derail this post too much.
Bulanik, I am going to post Kola’s rant on Abagonds “Kola Boof” post instead…better fit rather than clogging up the open thread — it’s long and has profanity — she was very passionate :-), so it will go into moderation
I’ve always thought of the northern Africans, like the Egyptians, as a confused set of people– to me, they represent colourism at it’s finest — they despise dark skin and praise light skin. I am not saying they are black — they are not, they fall into that “brown/other” category just like Hispanics/Latinos in America.
They (Egyptians) are a mixed-race people (and just like most Hispanics/Latinos)refuse to acknowledge their African ancestry even though a good portion of the population have black African mDNA — the Egyptians I knew were the main ones calling themselves “white” —
(is this African denial taught in their schools?) Is it really the Arab influence that made them this way or was it the European/British influence or the many invasions by their southern black African neighbors that made the Egyptians feel this way?
I stumbled across an Egyptian-American writer who touched on this subject concerning how the Egyptians treat the Sudanese refugees (one commenter mentioned how Indonesion and Asian “guest” workers are treated):
The Arab World’s Dirty Secret: Racism
http://www.monaeltahawy.com/blog/?p=93
Living in America or Europe must be a rude awakening for most of them (Arabs/Muslims) — they are in the same boat as “black” people and other minorities and the “white” colour designation they enjoy at home has no real currency outside of African/Middle East.
Their treatment in Europe is not new — it’s just seems like it’s getting worse because the Europeans are being more loud and vocal than ever before.
on Sat Jan 5th 2013 at 07:55:02 oogenhand
“black African mtDNA”
There should be marriage rules (reversed kafa’a) that allow black African men to have Arab wives, but not the other way around.
on Mon Jan 7th 2013 at 21:07:44 sam
When thinking about USA and arabs and how they are seen or were seen before, he is a tip: Paul Anka. Yeap. Lebanese roots. The guy who sang Diana, Put your head on my shoulder, My Hometown, Crazy Love and You are my destiny. So at least in the 50’s being an arab was no obstacle.
on Tue Jan 8th 2013 at 08:04:07 sam
I think we have to remember that muslim arabs propably are seen more alien in USA than christian arabs. When ever we talk about arabs, usually we assume they are muslims, but that is not the case, not even when discussing about the palestinians. There is a quite significant christian minority of palestinians too. And in USA, being a christian (what ever that might be) is traditionally seen as a positive sign.
So if you are an arab, whos complexion is light, and you are an christian, I would imagine that people around you do not recognize your ethnicity, specially if you have changed your name, like it was a custom in the early part of 1900’s up untill 1960’s. So, if you are Jack Arafat instead of Jasser Arafat and go to church every sunday and live a life just like everyone elese around you, most people would not even notice your ancestory.
As for the arab racism, I can not guess what are its origins. I do know that many of them are pretty racist towards blacks, unless in the context of Umma, supposed islamic unity etc. I have no idea how sincere the non-racism is even in islam. If we look at the conflict in Sudan, it was supposedly about the religion and resources, islamic north vs animistic and christian south, but for some reason the north was represented by arab volunteer shock troops etc. and the southern rebels were almost to a man black. So the supposedly religious lines in that conflict followed pretty much the racial and ethnical division too. Yes, there are and were very dark sudanese muslims, but their idea of the southern sudanese people (who were even darker) was pretty much that those were un educated african savages etc.
on Tue Jan 8th 2013 at 08:29:35 oogenhand
But why internalize ideas from the West? They see the West as their cultural opposite.
I do relate to that. Without beard, I am seen as white Dutch. But if I wear a beard, people start talking Arabic to me.
on Wed Jan 9th 2013 at 01:03:47 B. R.
“The American is primitive in his artistic taste, both in what he enjoys as art and in his own artistic works. “Jazz” music is his music of choice. This is that music that the Negroes invented to satisfy their primitive inclinations, as well as their desire to be noisy on the one hand and to excite bestial tendencies on the other. The American’s intoxication in “jazz” music does not reach its full completion until the music is accompanied by singing that is just as coarse and obnoxious as the music itself. Meanwhile, the noise of the instruments and the voices mounts, and it rings in the ears to an unbearable degree… The agitation of the multitude[2] increases, and the voices of approval mount, and their palms ring out in vehement, continuous applause that all but deafens the ears” Sayyid Qutb
No, its near perverse to try to tie in some ideological link with Sayyid “In the Shadow of the Koran” Qutb and the fight against white racism.
“It was as if his own experience of racism as a black man (which was what he appeared to be to ‘proper’, non-Arab whites under the One Drop Rule of that era) was the spark and the explanation behind anti-American elements in parts of the Middle East”
What a pseudo intellectual manipulation of what this guy, and his followers really are about. And a total misrepresentation of their real fundamentalist positions. The visceral truth about what he has said and is , is directly in the racist statement I brought in , taylor made for exactly all I need to know about this sob to know why I despise him and his followers…who really are much more interested in if you are “faithful” or an “infidel” than if you are a white racist.
It also really hits home with a huge authority, exactly the principle Ive been talking about , how, this persons ideology in his fundamental religion, as well as fundamental Christianity or Orthadox Judeism does not accept the real genius and contribution of the Afro Diasporic expresion and its great value.He might as well be Henry Ford, with his referances to bestial tendancies and primitive inclinations . Ha, personaly I dont care if someone on here intellectualy wants to identify with this person’s views and find some kind of connection for themselves with this person and his followers , but, for me, his total disrespect for one of black America’s greatest contributions to the world, and his uptightness with “lavicious behaviour” of women and dancing and music, is all I need to know that these people are my ideological enemies. I love Wesern decadance, my organisation is mixing a monster CD now with plenty of bestial tendancies and primitive inclinations and everyday its got warmth and sun where I live, and I can see women in the most naturaly provocative nudity, or dancing incredible Afro Diasporic dances, with aggresive pelvic thrusts , I am a tremendously greatful individual , for the profound insight and well being it brings to my life.
“The Arab Trader” argument? Yes, as a person here, who has made it clear that I think the slave trade in the Americas was worse than the Arab slave trade,I totaly also feel I can talk with quite frankness about how I feel about the Arab slave trade and how it affected the black Africans who suffered from it…
Yes, I have been a strong supporter of how the legacy of slavery to the Americas affects us all into theh present, and, yes, I have tried with all my might to bring attention on how Brazil is even affected as much as anywhere because of the legacy of the slave trade to the Americas…
so, Im amazed that now , I have been carded on this blog with the Arab Slave trade argument, as well as , no matter if its a discusion about Fake Indians and my son’s right to express himself, or, about Africa 13,000 years, or pointing out Arab racism on an Arab thread, I get pointed out as the “white” “racist” “American” “male” “oppresor”?
Does this mean that in the Arab Trader argument, if I am white, American, male, then that automticly disqualifies me?
on Wed Jan 9th 2013 at 17:04:11 oogenhand
Sound logic. In the end, morality is supranatural in origin.
on Wed Jan 9th 2013 at 17:44:51 Linda
“B. R.
BR, everyone here has butted heads on one subject or another, that’s what makes these discussions lively because there is always a “ying” to someone elses “yang” …try not to take it personally…just shake it off.
The information you brought in on Sayyid Qutb brings balance — which is necessary in these discussions because humans are not one-dimensional creatures —
you just showed that it’s possible to be prejudiced/racist against one group of people while at the same time experiencing prejudiced/racist yourself at the same time from another group (there is always a hierarchy).
You’ve brought into focus another aspect of this topic — which is religion. Was Sayyid Qutb dislike of black Americans religious driven or was it culturally driven because he was Egyptian and they were/are prejudiced against black Africans?
Regardless, he still felt the sting of being marginalized by white Americans for not being what they call “white”…it would be nice to think that he would have learned from this experience and felt compelled to empathize with black Americans
but as you just pointed out, he just internalized his feelings and expressed it as “hatred” of the westerners/infidels while keeping his cultural/racial prejudices intact.
I believe it’s good to show inverse relationships/patterns of behavior in these types of discussions because it shows how the world doesn’t roll on just one set of rules and that people do grow–whether in a good way or bad way — look at Malcolm X – he wasn’t the same man in the end — but what he achieved was profound — it would have been interesting to see where his new found enlightenment would have taken him.
on Thu Jan 10th 2013 at 05:30:02 B. R.
So sorry the truth hurts, Bulanik. Its you who try to casualy bring in Qubt and imply his experiances with racism in America could be some link with some philisophical context in the groups that followed him…bs…you can casualy try to slip his name past readers here who dont know what he stands for , but I do, and people deserve to know that aspect…not your hidden agenda…who do you think you are fooling? The people inspired by his beleifs assasinated one of Egypts great polititions, Anwar Sadat..did you hear what i said? “followed his beleifs”…its his fundamentalist crud that inspires these scum bags to interpret Islam in their way and they kill more people of Islam than the West ever could.
Oh yeah, try your psyche and “its not about you, how did this get to frivilous drumming…” keep showing you dont get it, Bulanik, you never did, Im not surprised you cant tie in how Qubt’s racist remarks about jazz also reflect the more insidious aspects of his fundamentalism. You dont really perceive what jazz is in relationship to its value and its Afro diasporic roots, and how those roots are dismissed, buried, and destroyed BY ALL FUNDIMENTAL RELIGIONS LIKE iSLAM CHRISTIANITY AND JUDISM…
Interesting how you really try to put on me like I am racist against Arabs or Islam when I specificly state its the fundamentalism in all these religions…I SPECIFICLY STATED THAT , LADY…so dont run bs. And hades yes , Im going to point out how you have tried to put me in a trick bag because you cant handle being challenged.About me? Ive been pulling back commentary, based on your bs…yet you think you can slip by some manipulative statement about Qubt , someone I do know about, and Im not going to bring in the truth about his sob fundalmentalism?
Its exactly because I do say the Atlantic slave trade is worse than the Arab slave trade and because I have supported and added to the discusion of how the legacy of slavery still affects society today, that I know I can come in and point out the racism of Qubt , in the face of your diceptive statement about him…and as usual, you try to make me out to be racist or anti Arab.
Linda, just look at Qubt’s remark. Its not even that he doesnt like jazz. “Bestial”? “primitive inclinations”? You may have to think in your head if it is religious or what, I dont, its plain as day exactly where he is coming from…its the same as Henry Ford, and all the other fundamentalist racists that when it gets down to the truth, its that they dont want to recognise some incredible gifts and contributions and what is really the humanity of the exact people who were ripped out of their lives in Africa for slavery in both the Atlantic and Arab slave trade
All I did was bring in some truth…the readers on here can make up their own minds
on Fri Jan 11th 2013 at 11:44:27 B. R.
Bulanik, you have to be kidding me , right? You cant be serious, like I have to step into some kind of grilling by you, on your terms..a person who has slandered me, painting me as a stalker, said I have belittled her as a black woman, called me racist white american oppressor in arguments that have nothing to do with that.
I tell you what, you tell me where i have belittled you as a black woman and Ill answer every point up there…I mean you have incredible recall on posts on this blog, you must have this incident deeply entrenched in your mind exactly where it is , since you claim it traumatised you so much…
As it is, Ill certainly point out some of the most ridiculous questions. Nazi Germany and how they treated jazz? I mean you cant be for real about this, are you? The anwer is so obvious and I included it all ready as I have answered all ready all your questions. I implicated everyone who is fundamentalist and who would make racist statements that would relagate high leval Afro diasporic culture to “bestial sexual promisuous inclinations”….EVERYONE… I said that, do you get it now!! I included Islam, Chritianity, Judism, you think I would give the Nazi’s a pass? You are weird…are all Arabs fundimentalist? Do these fundamentalists represent all Islam? Ask all the people who practice Islam who are slaughtered by these fundamentalists, inspired by Qutb and his ramblings…do you care about them? A bunch were slaughtered this week in Pakistan…by the Taliban, followers of Sayyid’s fundamental philosophies
Al Queeda out to kill black musicians? Really , these questions are extremly foolish. You are the one who actualy begged the question if these groups who were inspired by Sayyid could have some philosophical hook up with anti racism in the USA that Quibt spoke about…in certainly much less detail than American mores…do I think you are a beleiver in Al Queeda’s principles? No, I think you will hide the truth of the whole story for your own agenda that you are on, seething in your own resentments
Do you actualy think his racist remarks against black American culture, only aply to American culture? Do you think his fundamentalist beleifs would give Brazil, and all its unbeleivable sensual culture and Afro Brazilian dances and bestial beats a pass? or the Mambo in Cuba? Or is his fundalmentalism cutting much deeper and seriusly implicating all Afro diasporic cultures that have these beats and dances as the foundation of their cultures…and , do you think Al Queada, or the Taliban, with their restrictions on music , are , in their fundamentalist translation of Islam, giving these cultures a pass? Actualy, you dont have to answer, the answer is already obvious…
I mean seriously, all you have to do is look at the truth in his statements I brought in…I dont have to say anything, its all there. And that is the basis of a strict fundamentalist Islamic aproach to black Afro ( emphasize black African) diasporic culture that relates to beats with dances that are a part of that culture….if you are classifying him “black” and Arabs as “black”, then this group of people who took slaves and the religion that came with the Arabs ( yes, Islam is not representative of all Arabs, but it is the religion that came with the Arabs), then its just an example that a group of “black people” who arent Afro diasporic with Afro diasporic culture, can also enslave and bury other “black peoples ” culture….
Who gets lost in this whole debate, agian, and Ive said it over and over, is the cultural humanity , expresion and the value of the gifts and concepts of the ancient Africans, before Arab or Western enslavement and religious domination
I can only let my black American colleagues read his words and make up their own minds….I never have had an atitude on this blog that “black Americans ought to blah blah…” I can only tell you this, as a jazz musican and a person who works intimitly with Afro diasporic dances and beats, I know only too well what he means, and I have heard it before in great amounts by white racists, white fundamentalists Christians, Nazi’s, bans on sax playing inituaily by Fidel, who gave it up realising how stupid it was, racist Brazilians about Afro Brazilian culture,and all these people are my ideological enemies, and I fight them everyday just living my lifestyle to the fullest
oh just to be more correct , when I say Afro diasporic, Im talking about pre ismlamic or christian sub Sahara black Afro diasporic…Qutb is African
on Sat Jan 12th 2013 at 09:03:01 B. R.
This is absolutly hilarious !!!!!
You think because I used “my black American colleagues”, that it is some kind of “you arnt with them , I am”…blahhhhhhaaaaa
I say black American colleagues in the sence that since we are American citizens , that makes us colleagues…colleagues means I can site this that we have in common and not make Truthbetold obligated to think she has to speak with me….its exactly saying the opisite of what you are implying…Im not asking to be accepted because “I am down”.
And you think because I mention jazz, that is going to be some kind of badge of acceptance in the black American community?
hahahahahahahahahahah this is killing me!!!!!!!!!
Black Americans dont automaticly love and accept and know about jazz…..you think black Americans are saying “he digs jazz , he must be cool…” Jazz is black American culture, it doesnt represent black Americans, it doesnt oblligate black Americans to embrace and play jazz on their sound systems…in fact most dont….but it is one of the highest expresions of black American culture and is part of black American history and Afro diasporic culture…its is there for any black American to discover if they want to and receive the treasures it represents , and the enormous pride they deserve to feel as it is one of black Americas highest expresions and gifts to the world
Oh, because I dated many many black woman and married two, Im thinking I get a pass on here? I thought you were reading this blog?
Havent you seen how integrated couples have been raked over the coals here? Havent you been paying attention? There is no badge of acceptance to come in here and say “im a white guy dating and married to black women….arnt I cool and accepted?”
The truth is , I am who I am, with my experiances, that nobody can take away from me, and, I am proud to stand up for my experiances and be exactly who I am…If I anounce on here I am from an integrated mairadge raising a bi racial son, its to stand up to anyone who would say that there is something funny about it.If I stand up for Afro diasporic culture and can bring insights to the table, especialy to show its great value and genius, its because it is a fact I have been a involved with these cultures ( I always was into jazz, African, Brazilian and Cuban drum/dance cultures) since before 8 years old, and, my passion , that is and always was my life and porfesion , has given me incredible insights into the value of the Afro diasporic culture..
Fankly, I find your acuasations extremly weak…even the semantical mixup of “islamist” . my gosh,you are using that as your basis to incriminate me?
Im calling you out for dropping a turd on this thread , by bringing in Sayyid and implying that his followers were somehow tied into a philisophical bond against white racism in America, Im telling you that , in light of his blatent racist statement, your assumtion stinks
on Sat Jan 12th 2013 at 21:46:01 Linda
“BR@
Linda, just look at Qubt’s remark. Its not even that he doesnt like jazz. “Bestial”? “primitive inclinations”? You may have to think in your head if it is religious or what, I dont, its plain as day exactly where he is coming from”
BR, in my own way, I was attempting to forestall the upcoming falling out between you and Bulanik…but Oh well, I knew it wouldn’t really work 🙂
So, I will carry on.
I already stated that I believe the north Africans are prejudiced/racist against the black Africans or darker skin. They seem to share the same colourism (reverse “US one drop rule”) as/was in the Caribbean/ Mexico/ Central/ South America. Living in Brazil, you know the score:
There seems to be this common thread where light-skin is preferred, where “white daddy” was beloved and “black mama” was kept in the closet and the “brown” children were tolerated by white society– educated to be “psuedo white people” loving everything European, given certain privileges and power, and taught to hate/despise/forget/deny their black African heritage. (whereas, in the US, these brown children were completely locked out of white society by the “one drop rule”)
But in the Caribbean / Latin America — these prejudices/racism was introduced courtesy of the Europeans; whereas, the North Africans seemed to already marginalize their black/ dark skin neighbors.
— my question is — was this racial attitude introduced by the first Islamic Arab Jihad wave into Africa as Barchan mentioned or was it introduced by the Europeans during occupation/ colonization?
Because no doubt, in western countries, Arabs and North Africans (like the Egyptians) are not considered “black” nor or they considered “white” — they are “other” and face similar racial marginalization just like black people do in Europe and America.
That being said, the existing racial prejudice the north Africans have, coupled with extreme Islamic beliefs, does seem to be a combination that belittles and seeks to destroy/dismantle whatever black African country/ culture they occupy…look at what’s happening in Mali –it breaks my heart.
The Tuaregs (north African berbers) sought to take back their ancestral lands from the “black African” oppressors and thanks to US interference in Libya, the Tuaregs got the opportunity and the firepower.
Quaddafi was a bad man indeed but he managed to stand between old adversaries, keep a certain order and sought alliances with his black African neighbors. The Tuaregs brought in their Arab / Islamic jihadist partners to enter into a fight they had no business being a part of and as usual — the Tuaregs got double-crossed because the Islamists promptly turned around and stabbed them in the back and kicked out the Tuaregs.
The Islamic jihadist took over Timbuktu and proceeded to destroy ancient African temples and artifacts out of contempt and intolerance (and big time Ignorance).
I understand the racial undertone that possibly drove the Tuaregs but the new Islamic jihadi fighters are Arabs from Middle East and Muslims from Pakistan/Afganistan so, would you say their contempt for African tombs/ history/ culture is racial or religious? because they seem to have no tolerance for any culture/ country they are in — look at what is happening in Nigeria and Pakistan.
Here’s a link if you are not familiar with what is happening in Mali?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/24/mali-africa
on Sun Jan 13th 2013 at 01:02:16 sam
Seems to me that everybody takes their shot at the tuaregs, from colonial times up today, from the french foreign legion to the foreign legion of islamists.
on Sun Jan 13th 2013 at 05:25:28 Linda
The Tuareg seem to have been marginalized by different groups over the years. Do you think they could be construed as oppressed as a result of this?
What do you think their entitlement should be in West African countries? I wonder whether we should even call it an entitlement since they are neither Arab or “black Africans”
As far as entitlements go, the Tuaregs are indigineous (originate) from west/ north Africa, so I feel they are entitled to fight and try to win back their ancestral lands and form a bordered country (something their forefathers fighting the French didn’t want to do)
Other ethnic groups in Africa have been fighting to re-establish their ancestral borders since the Europeans screwed them up — so the Tuaregs should try as well. My understanding is that they got screwed over by their Arab and black African neighbors during the fight for Independence from European colonialism
The Tuaregs are definitely marginalized as a group…it was done deliberately to weaken them — first by the French, then by the North and West Africa post-colonial countries (ex. Algeria, Niger).
I don’t really know the history very well but from what I’ve read, the Tuaregs seem to have the same problem as the indigineous natives of North/South America and Australia — they are treated as second-class citizens in their own ancestral lands ….as a people, they were not taken into consideration when these new “republics” were being formed.
Now, on the flipside, should I, feel sorry for them? (u know I like to play devils advocate 🙂
From what I’ve read, the Tuaregs controlled the Saharan Trade Routes pre-European invasion (colonialism) – they were responsible for bringing black African slaves north — so they had a huge hand in controlling the flow of slaves in Africa.
In a way, it could be said that “payback is a b’tch” because they’ve been fighting to regain their indepenance since 1962 in Mali and Niger.
Do the Tuaregs have a rightful claim?
My understanding is that the Tuaregs claim to be the descendents of the Songhay and have ancestral rights to re-establish the borders of the Songhai empire (I believe this is the “Azawad” they keep referring to) which the Songhai ruled after the Mali empire declined.
but PLEASE, Bulanik — anyone familiar with the history — correct my information or fill in the holes because I don’t know enough about this history — I shouldn’t even be commenting on it but I find this part of African history to be interesting — and to me, the Tuaregs are an interesting, complex people
But isn’t the vandalism targeting Muslim saints’ tombs? Aren’t they pulverizing valuable parts of the history of Islam in Africa?
(Also, if Islam was brought to Mali through aggression, then why would such mausoleums, etc., even exist?)”
I guess my point was that the Islamic jihadist have no respect for any culture – muslim or non-muslim…
As far as Timbuktu goes, from what I’ve read, it was the Tuaregs around 1000 AD (Tin Abutut, Maghsharan Tuaregs) who established it — pre-Arab invasion (please correct me if I’m wrong) — so this city is firmly African. I was incorrect by saying the Tuaregs are descendents of the Songhai — the Songhai are a seperate group that ruled Timbuktu after the Tuaregs.
It seems it was the Tuaregs, then Mali empire, then Songhai empire, then Dende empire, various groups, then the French, to present day Mali, with the Mande being the majority population.
But as for Timubktu being ransacked, they are destroying both black African and Arab/muslim history.
In the 11th century:
“The first constructions in Timbuktu were designed by African architects from Djenne (Soninké) and later on by Muslim architects from North Africa. Trade and knowledge were at their height. It was at this time that the King of Sosso invaded the empire of Ghana, thus causing the exodus of the scholars of Walata to Timbuktu.”
http://www.timbuktufoundation.org/history.html
So, if I understand, the Temples/ artifacts are a mixture of black African and Arab/Muslim architecture. I don’t think all the credit should go to the Arab muslims — I would be very interested to know who taught/copied who —
what I find to also be a travesty is that many old manuscipts are still being held in French museums.
on Sun Jan 13th 2013 at 07:11:24 Ghost
@ King.
“Does the fact that the other two guys beat the rap make the white guy any less guilty of assault?”
Course not. But that also means that the other 2 shouldn’t be let off, we shouldn’t call off the hunt, or we shouldn’t be pissed that the arab used his connections to get away with a crime.
But, Linda, since you mention it, and you also mention Mali, I would appreciate if you’d outline the origins of Islam in west Africa and please specify the methods used.”
Now you know this is your specialty here…I’ve already exhausted myself just learning about the Tuaregs 🙂
but based on my readings, I believed it spread further west during the Mali empire (founded by ruling families of the declined Ghanian empire) and also during Songhai dynasty.
The Soninke (black Africans), the founders of the ancient Ghanian Empire (750-1240 CE) embraced Islam in the 1000’s after coming into contact with the Almoravids (Moroccan Berbers). The Moroccan Berbers converted to Islam in the 9th century (after contact with the Arabs) and became known as the Almoravids who invaded/converted the Sudanese in 10th century and also invaded Spain — known as the Moors.
After the decline of the Ghanian empire, some of it’s former rulers (keep in mind they were mostly black Africans) formed the Mali empire (most famous ruler was Mansa Musa, who built the University of Sankore in Timbuktu and famous temples). I believe the religion was spread even more west & east during the rule of the Songhai empire (by Askya Muhhamd I aka “Askia the Great” (from Solinke/Songhai ruling families)
http://www.whenweruled.com/articles.php?lng=en&pg=22
Side note: There was alot of intermixing during this time – many of the Almoravids married into prominent Ghanian ruling families — this is primarily how the religion was spread during the Ghanian empires occupation by the Almoravids, as well as people converting becausing they were being over-taxed because they were non-muslims.
and vice-a-versa–many of the Ghanian people assimilated into the Almoravids – so “slavery” is not the only reason why north Africans carry black African genes.
Here is an interesting map I found that compares empires
http://empires.findthedata.org/compare/140-147-165-188/Ghana-Empire-vs-Kingdom-of-Kush-Mero-vs-Mali-Empire-vs-Songhai-Empire
I find this stuff so fascinatings — Africans have all the rights in the world to hold their heads up high and give the middle finger to the white Europeans whose ancestors were still primitive barbarians when these black African people were building empires.
you mentioned “methods” of contact – I forgot to really address this…
The Almoravids got into Ghana by mostly invasion/ war but they also married into the ruling classes — my readings indicates that this is how the religion was primarily spread. The Almoravids invaded the Ghana Empire because it was one the richest empires at the time and the wanted a piece.
You mention above that in Ghana the religion was spread by war and invasion mainly.”
No, that’s not what I meant. From my readings, in Ghana Empire, the religion was spread mainly through Marriage.
“Linda@ The Almoravids got into Ghana by mostly invasion/ war but they also married into the ruling classes — my readings indicates that this is how the religion was primarily spread.”
The Almoravids spent almost 10 years fighting to get in/take over Ghana empire through invasions because it was one of the richest regions at the time. If anything, they were more successful destabilizing Ghana from the inside — marrying into the rulng families, converting the ruling families to Islam, gaining power, having new laws enacted in accordance with Islam.
Once they were able to get in successfully with their army, their main goal was to rule the Empire — this goal was financially motivated. Spreading their religion was secondary.
I also read that many of the regular people –trademen, merchants, etc.. converted to Islam because the were being over-taxed because they were not muslims. The Soninke ruling class had already converted to Islam (and so did their servents) but the religion didn’t “spread” because of this…it seemed when they moved on to form Mali dynasty that the religion took on more traction.
on Thu Jan 31st 2013 at 22:23:36 sam
I think just like in christianity there has been several different stages in islam. In its heyday during the islamic renessance muslim world was the most advanced. They had 1000 doctors working in a hospital in Bagdad which was free for all. They had post offices as far as in China, knew the basics of photography, were top class in mathematics, biology, geography etc. BUT the religion moved in to the center and that was that.
Same happened in the Ottoman empire. As soon as the religion began to difine and direct the development of society, unavoidable stagnation arrived. Same happened in the west with christianity, first during late 300’s and then during the middle ages etc.
If anyone has any illusions or missguided ideas about the nature of islam, just read the Koran. It is very clear on certain issues, such as how women are always under the will of men, without any exception, and how the infidel must be eliminated one way or the other. Just like christianity islam is a religion which has a basic consept of submission, surrender of ones own will to the God will, which is naturally explained by those who “know better”. Both are very political and also systems of power and control. That is the key for islam and christianity.
Islam was very militant and was spread into Africa by missionaires and military, just like christianity was spread into Europe before. The conversion was sometimes peaceful but usually forced. This meant destruction of local belief systems, killing off the local holy men and women as witches, destroying the native temples or holy places, images etc. Just like in the case of christianity. Similar tales of massacres, conquest etc.
I know it is fashionable today to see islam in a politically correct light and explain its history in a cleaned up way but the conquest of north Africa was just that: a conquest. It was not a huge wave of spontanic conversion or native movement, it was a conquest of the eastern arabic origin and the guide line was the command of Koran: the holy war to make the world muslim. The same kind of idea and ethos was behind the european crusades bit later: holy war and conquest, “saving” the world.
I think this is a neat package of the arab conquest and it has source references too.
http://patachu.com/maghrib-arab-conquest-of-650-715/
Naturally I assumed that people know how the christianity was brought to Europe, by conquest and holy war. Charlemagne for example killed tens of thousands of western slavs and germans with his crusades and those wars continued all to way up to the surrender of Lithuania in late 1300’s to the church. So it took some 400 years and hundreds of thousands of dead europeans before Europe was even nominally christian.
So perhaps I should clarify my stand on these religions. I see them pretty much the same. From my perspective there is no difference between them and also, they have the same God, so…
What I meant with the political correctness is that when we now live the time when islamophobia is running rampant in the west, and is used by many opportunistic politicians and extremist right wing nutters, there is a tendency on the other end of the spectrum try to see islam in more postive light than what it is. This is what I meant. And like this conversation here shows, it is very hard to discuss about islam without misunderstandings.
As for the conquest of Spain by the moors, it would be good to remember that the situation was never as clear cut as we today often think it was. El Cid, that great spanish national hero, for example, was on the pay roll of some muslim lords at one time or another, and he fought against the muslims and sometimes against the christians. So muslim conquest and the reconquista later were not black and white events, they were very confused, mixed, and very complex series of events spanning for centuries.
on Sat Feb 2nd 2013 at 04:28:37 oogenhand
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2271921/Victorias-Secret-worker-scarred-life-niqab-wearing-attacker-threw-acid-face-walked-home-shop.html
on Sat Feb 2nd 2013 at 09:43:55 Linda
Bulanik, I will try to clarify my points (I don’t have much time now but I want to continue this discussion)
I have nothing against Islam in itself– only how it is practiced or rather manipulated in certain countries or groups with Agendas — this could be said of almost any religion. I also have a beef with different Christian groups and their version and interpretation of the “word”…but I digress
It’s not yet clear to me what your PoV is on the subject under discussion.
The impression I have so far is that you believe Islam, over the centuries, was enforced and imposed by violence on unwilling Africans by paler invaders.
If I have got you wrong, excuse me in advance, and put me right”
Your impression is Not at all my POV– to be clear:
the Africans themselves helped to spread Islam and the spreading and teaching of the religion was done non-violently. it was the Berbers that kicked it off and spread it south and groups like the Sudanese helped to spread Islam west and South.
The religion first hit African shores in the northeast, brought by the Arabs/Eurasians, who initially came peacefully and established relationships with the local people — but then, as you know, a military invasion came after the death of the prophet Mohammed — this is the violence that most people speak of when talking about Arab invasion into north Africa (I’ve never heard of armies taking territory without bloodshed.)
I was trying to say that in the north West, the conversion to Islam on a larger scale began with the Almoravids, and gained more traction by spreading into the Ghanian empire.
This conversion was done peacefully because the majority of Ghanians themselves learned about Islam, accepted and converted willing — and when the Ghanian empire declined, the Ghanian people themselves spread Islam even further west, south, and east (Malian Empire, Songhay Empire)
But the conquest of the Ghanian region (geography-wise) was done through force- the Almoravids took control using violence — The Ghanian rulers were not willing partners in giving up their trade-routes and wealth.
Keep in mind that the Almoravids were Berbers, who were called “Warrior Monks” — they were well known and respected as tough military fighters and for being very religious, very pious and devout — their primary goal was to spread the teaching of Islam and they ruled/ took control of different regions/ countries by any means necessary– this is what they were known for — their military and fighting skills. (That’s why the Arabs in Spain reached out to them for help against the Christians)
Also, the Almoravid army (and Empire) had to maintain itelf, so their secondary objectives was financial — they had to have funding.
“Before the advent of the Almoravids in the first half of the eleventh century, the Sanhaja (Almoravids) had only played an ancillary role in the trade links between southern Morocco and Ghana and the western Sudan. They had been passive witnesses of the intense commercial exchanges taking place through their territory without gaining any profit from them. Control of the trade routes was in the hands of the Soninke state in Ghana, in the south, and of Zanata Berbers—a rival tribal group—in the north. The first Almoravid campaigns were aimed, therefore, at occupying the main commercial centers.”
http://patachu.com/abd-allah-ibn-yasin-almoravid-sahara/
So yes, the Almoravids wanted to rule the commercial routes that the Ghanians controlled — that’s why they invaded the Ghanian Empire–dinars were made from Gold that was brought from the south by the Ghanian traders.
Even though the Almoravids were considered to be “religious zealots” — they were also known for being tolerant of other religions (unlike the Almohads) and for not forcing the local populations to convert to Islam but the local populations had to follow their rules, which were based on islamic doctrine.
on Sun Mar 24th 2013 at 21:12:59 Neeva
This blog is nonsense.There are no arab trader arguments or white invention arguments.This is pure fabrication by abagond.But,i suppose it serves the interests of anti-racists(the most intolerant and biggoted people alive)Regarding this thread.It certainly is important to mention the arabs,and more importantly,the jews involvement in the african slave trade.This does not mean whites are refusing to take responsibility,they are just pointing out that other ethnic groups share the responsibility.Everyone also seems to forget that blacks themselves enslaved their own people and sold them to traders.This is not shifting blame,it is a fact! Another fact which is also conveniently omitted is that whites worked to end the slave trade,despite jewish opposition.Again,this is not,as this blog would have us believe,because whites were trying to redeem themselves by doing something “good”,they did it because they truly believed it was wrong.In other words,whites are the not singular cause of all the “evil”(an exaggeration)or “oppression” of the world,although there are obviously many who want to believe this for whatever reason.
on Mon Mar 25th 2013 at 00:55:42 Sharina
@ neeva
But it also seems to serve the interest of you because you post here alot.
on Mon Mar 25th 2013 at 01:16:27 jefe
Everyone also seems to forget that blacks themselves enslaved their own people and sold them to traders.This is not shifting blame,it is a fact!
Abagond had a term for the practice of how a counter-argument actually validates the original premise. What was it called? The Roisey effect (or something like that)?
on Mon Mar 25th 2013 at 15:54:06 oogenhand
Again, we should pressurize Arabs and Jews to pay their share of reparations. Next to morality, there is common sense. It would be very stupid to only attack the people who more or less voluntariliy gave up slavery. Nobody would be so stupid to ever free his own slaves, if no good deed goes unpunished.
Also, Sandew Hira has interesting comparisons with the Jewish Holocaust.
on Mon Mar 25th 2013 at 21:48:26 Herneith
This blog is nonsense.
Why are you here? to provide some comic relief?
on Mon Mar 25th 2013 at 22:06:36 brothawolf
Neeva is just filled with broken record arguments, among other things.
on Tue Mar 26th 2013 at 04:44:41 oogenhand
I WILL make sure Arabs will pay Allen West, I WILL make sure Jews will pay Tony Martin. Arabs and Jews are threatened by Iranians in the Middle-East, and they are busy destroying each other.
As well, both cultures are more tolerant of abortion than of euthanasia, which will make their demography lopsided towards old. Israel has the additional problem of Ultra-Orthodox people who only study Talmud, and have large families.
on Wed Apr 3rd 2013 at 16:29:41 waltika
Reblogged this on waltika.
on Wed Jul 10th 2013 at 11:00:02 EuroGAL
According to the race research done in the early 1900s, Arabs are Caucasian. Doesn’t that make them white in a sense?
on Thu Aug 1st 2013 at 12:05:10 White Supremacist
I’ve been reading your posts and have come to the conclusion that you’re probably in the 60-75 IQ range (not uncommon among your kind).
You do understand that you can’t condemn Europeans as uniquely evil if they did what anyone else did/would do in that age? Lunatic.
[…] The Arab trader Argument […]
on Fri Oct 4th 2013 at 06:38:22 The Arab trader argument | White's Only | Scoop.it
[…] The Arab trader argument is my name for an argument white Americans often use to defend the evil they do in the world. It goes like this: if white Americans do something evil and terrible it is all… […]
on Tue Oct 8th 2013 at 13:58:46 Samantha Tesner
Reblogged this on Setting the Record STR8.
on Tue Oct 22nd 2013 at 07:31:56 The Arab trader argument | Culturally Teaching ...
on Tue Oct 22nd 2013 at 10:58:30 The Arab trader argument | THE REUNION OF BLACK...
on Wed Apr 23rd 2014 at 14:17:47 Herneith
When fools try that argument on me, I just tell them I am not from the country they are alluding to so why bring that up? I also tell them to stay on topic. The anger and frustration they exhibit is hilarious.
on Wed Apr 23rd 2014 at 19:13:17 Sharina
I gather that seems to be more your iq level if not lower. Seeing as your ability to comprehend seems to be shot all to hell.
on Fri Apr 25th 2014 at 18:45:06 KungPao
Mentioning Arab slave traders is not meant to excuse morally wrong actions, it’s meant to keep people intellectually honest who focus exclusively on white sins and act as if non-whites have a moral high ground, completely peaceful peoples who just happened to have their happy times interrupted by evil white racists.
If equality is your bag, then dole out the judgements equally.
on Fri Apr 25th 2014 at 19:34:09 Herneith
@Kung Pao:
Hilarious, another colour-blind racist!
on Fri Apr 25th 2014 at 19:36:45 Sharina
KungPao
If you call intellectual honesty deflecting from the subject at hand. If a person wants to truly show some level of intellectual honesty then they will simply acknowledge the wrongs of said individuals and move on. Not try to push the focus elsewhere. It is simply an argument among 2 year olds. “But he did it first…blah…”
on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 03:15:31 KungPao
Intellectual dishonesty is when you keep on harping on slavery when any reasonable white person will say “Yes it’s bad and was horrible, what more do you want?” And then keep on harping them and NEVER confront other peoples with legacies of slavery nor mind the modern slavery that happens today in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The reason the Arab slave trade is even brought up is because this happens so often in debate. Those who bring it up are not looking to excuse white slavery of blacks, they’re seeing if you’re just as principled against other slave trades as you are against white slavery.
And you never are.
You need a bib or something?
on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 03:26:36 King
,blockquote>Intellectual dishonesty is when you keep on harping on slavery when any reasonable white person will say “Yes it’s bad and was horrible, what more do you want?” And then keep on harping them and NEVER confront other peoples with legacies of slavery nor mind the modern slavery that happens today in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
Or in other words, you haven’t ever taken the time to look at all the past posts on this blog that address just that.
on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 05:30:14 Sharina
“Intellectual dishonesty is when you keep on harping on slavery when any reasonable white person will say “Yes it’s bad and was horrible, what more do you want?”—On the contrary, intellectual dishonest is the advocacy of a position known to be false, but that is not the case here (though other definitions may apply). The whole point of the post is for people who do not say “Yes it’s bad and was horrible, what more do you want?” but choose to use this to deflect from the point at hand. They never make it to “Yes it’s bad and was horrible, what more do you want?”
“And then keep on harping them and NEVER confront other peoples with legacies of slavery nor mind the modern slavery that happens today in Sub-Saharan Africa.”—Who says they don’t?
“The reason the Arab slave trade is even brought up is because this happens so often in debate. Those who bring it up are not looking to excuse white slavery of blacks, they’re seeing if you’re just as principled against other slave trades as you are against white slavery.”—And what proof do you have that this is the reason? You are now taking on the position of assuming you know what every person that uses that argument means. Reasonably you don’t, but for argument sake lets say you do. So they use this argument, but it is still deflection. They still are trying to point fingers at another instead of owning up to said wrong.
This does not mean that the others involved should be overlooked, but it does mean that it is a weak argument to try and make it acceptable by saying such and such did it first. Like I said…it is a child’s argument regardless of what party uses it.
“And you never are”—I never am what? If you are assuming something about me then you are aware that you have thus far engaged in intellectual dishonesty? I am confused on how you hope to lecture people on something you can not manage to not engage in yourself?
on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 06:43:43 jefe
Seems like we have another white male Asiaphile loose in the house. Soon we will be hearing the Asia atrocity arguments again to be “balanced”. That is the corollary to the Arab Trader argument.
Don’t tell me it is a reincarnation of DJ or Asplund or XPrae.
“I never am what?”- People like you are never as sanctimonious with other forms of slavery as you are with white slavery. I don’t know that for a fact with you, but I’d wager from the general tenor here that is the case given all the ‘white male this’ and ‘racism that’ going on.
“Who says they don’t?”- I say they don’t. Most slavery discussions are centered around white-black slavery, other forms are derided as ‘making excuses’.
“And what proof do you have that this is the reason?”- Some I’m sure really are making excuses for slavery, but for the people who make it past that, who say “Black slavery is bad and gone.”, the Arab Trader has its appeal to make those observing the debate aware that slavery has gone on long before and after the white man elected to stop it in his own countries, as these debates are often framed in terms of “LOOK WHAT WHITES DID!”.
After one debater has ceded that black slavery is bad, there’s no point in beating the horse further unless there’s some other motive at play other than the spirit of debate.
on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 11:22:43 B. R.
For me, the “Arab trader “argument has lost its value on here…
The cut and dried truth is, it is suposed to be used on whites who will try to diminish the Atlantic slave trade by stating that it happened from the Arabs
To be sure, in the light of this dim wit cowboy and Fox news ridiculous followers, it is a valid point
but, i went out of my way to say the Atlantic slave trade was worse for the slave taken to the Americas, and more brutal for the individual…but, what happened to black non Christian and non Islamic Africa , was equaly as brutal…the amount of slaves dying on the jornies to the slave ships was equaly brutal, the ripping apart of families was equaly as brutal, those slaves didnt go home for family visits
Huge amount of comments on here refer to the absolute humiliation and cruelty of white rapes of black slaves in America, it is one of the leading themes, yet , black African women in the Arab slave trade , in many cases, or the majority of cases , were actualy brought over to be exactly sex slaves…and in some cases, the mens genitals cut off to guard these women
People talk about the Arab slave could be freed in twenty years…what was the life span of people back then? How many people could survive twenty years of slavery? Were those words just wishful thinkingn from the Koran, but not played out on the ground like the Declaration of Independance?
I totaly get the point white people should be shut down if they try to diminish the Atlantic slave trade, but, it is really wrong to try to not address the reality of the Arab slave trade in black Africa, that lasted a thousand years and had its peak in the late 17 hundreds and mid 18 hundreds
and how both the Arab slave trade and Atlantic slave trade have been equaly guilty of destroying Afro diasporic culture…
bottom line, if people can say the Atlantic slave trade was worse, the true ramifications and huge scope of the Arab slave trade and what it did to black non Islamic Africa should be fully on the table
if people can say the Atlantic slave trade was worse,
on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 15:05:34 Herneith
Hi Asplund, or is it Da Jokah? Another racist moniker I see. Kung Pao, is there some underlying meaning to this or do you just like the chicken. Carry on Aspy!
Why do people always confuse the Arab Slave Trading Argument:
“You cannot reduce culpability by pointing at another group of people who have things that are just as bad as you have.”
with the ‘Black Slavery Was Worse’ argument?
Do they need a bib?
on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 15:57:55 abagond
@ KungPao
1. In my experience the Arab Trader argument is brought up as a deflection, not as a serious point in the spirit of debate. MOST people who bring it up are not serious students of history. Nor are they the sort who can admit that whites are a mix of good and evil like everyone else.
2. This blog mainly concerns racism in the US. That is where I and most commenters live. It is not a world history of Man’s Inhumanity to Man. So the slavery practised by White Americans is what matters most.
on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 16:10:09 Matari
Abagond – or anyone else,
Please share your awareness with us, if you know…
Are you aware of any slaves that were involuntarily brought to the American mainland, yet were freed, or manage to escape and return to the EXACT same people, group, village or place that they were taken from on the African continent??
I will respond to you thoroughly, but first I wanted to ask; why harp about intellectual dishonesty and then turn around and engage in it? If you are unaware of what it means and signs of it then I ask you to research it but I think it was just a waste of time to lecture someone on it and then use it. In the mean time I will point out where you have engaged in it and perhaps in your response to me you can answer with intellectual honesty.
“People like you are never as sanctimonious with other forms of slavery as you are with white slavery.”—And who or what are people like me? I never divulged any information about who I am so it really is odd that any reasonable individual of adult stature would rely on assumptions in an argument/debate. You lose credibility here, but you also engage in that intellectual dishonesty you kept talking about as you are relying on an assumption to make your case.
“I don’t know that for a fact with you, but I’d wager from the general tenor here that is the case given all the ‘white male this’ and ‘racism that’ going on.”—You don’t know that at all wager or no. You can not pin point what a person thinks or believe based on what others in here say. This is another form of intellectual dishonesty. You are basically attempting to dismiss my credibility based on what you have determined I might believe based on others.
“I say they don’t. Most slavery discussions are centered around white-black slavery, other forms are derided as ‘making excuses’.”—-And what authority do you have? Do you read minds or are you some psychic in your spare time? I say most don’t, so why is it that you view me as less credible when you endorse a “say so” as credibility? This is also a form of intellectual dishonesty in that you are making yourself the authority of something. Most discussions on slavery would be about white-black if that was the topic to begin with (transatlantic). Bringing in what other people did is deflection and it does not address the issues being made. If a person lived in another country then of course the issue would not be white-black as they were likely not affected by transatlantic in the sense of white-black. For example if the actual topic was arab slavery, then it would be ridiculous for my only retort to be whites in the Americas did it or everyone does it.
“Some I’m sure really are making excuses for slavery, but for the people who make it past that, who say “Black slavery is bad and gone.”—I would say very few make it to “Black slavery is bad and gone.” So few that this is the reason this post was created.
“the Arab Trader has its appeal to make those observing the debate aware that slavery has gone on long before and after the white man elected to stop it in his own countries, as these debates are often framed in terms of “LOOK WHAT WHITES DID!”.”— I am confused because you have listed a few different reasons why it is used so which one is it? Everyone knows that the transatlantic was not the beginning, so it would not make sense to use the Arab trader argument in a debate for that reason.
Man 1: Slavery in the Americas was terrible etc.
Man 2: Quit complaining because Arabs sold slaves too and it was worse.
If said individual was tracing back the history to show where it began then by all means I would accept that as valid when discussion the issues of slavery in the Americas, but just to bring it up because they don’t like people talking about white-black slavery is a bit ridiculous and is nothing more than deflection.
No one is claiming that Arab slavery was somehow better or a day in the park. This blog does not hide the fact that Arabs had black female sex slaves or that they castrated black boys or that slavery by Arabs probably still goes on:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/arab-slavery/
“it is really wrong to try to not address the reality of the Arab slave trade in black Africa, that lasted a thousand years and had its peak in the late 17 hundreds and mid 18 hundreds”—I have absolutely no problem with addressing any type of slavery a person wishes, but I do have a problem about when people choose to bring it up and on Q it is always when American slavery or transatlantic slavery is mentioned.
Those same people do not care to or wish to discuss or address it any other time, so that leads me to believe that they are looking to deflect. Truth of the matter is that they each need to be discussed on their own merit because there is so much information to both, IMO.
“After one debater has ceded that black slavery is bad, there’s no point in beating the horse further unless there’s some other motive at play other than the spirit of debate”—Just because one person/debater admits to it being wrong does not mean every person agrees or believes that. What kind of faulty logic is this? Actually that is the debate stopper unless said individuals goes on to try to minimize or deflect. At which point he is opening the door for the debate to continue.
If I said drugs in the US are bad and should be made illegal, but Europe does drugs too and they are worse.
That statement then opens the door for someone to debate me on the matter of who has a worse drug problem. It is still the spirit of the debate, but one I opened to be further examined.
Yes, Abagond, and Sharina , what you are saying is what I had in mind…I would never diminish the Atlantic slave trade using the Arab slave trade , or want to change the subject to the Arab slave trade , when talking of the horrors of the Atlantic slave trade
But, I did get carded about that by you, Abagond…when I thought I mentioned up front I thought the Atlantic slave trade was worse (meaning you seemed to agree with someone about it used on me)
I could be wrong in my judgement, but I sure dont have a problem directly facing the history of slavery in the USA and also saying I know the legacy of slavery exists into today…like a festering wound
I would think white people would want to address that just to make society a better place without those kinds of festering wounds…we all would be better off if we did…but, you got so many examples of Fox nuts and guys like that cowboy..when i see that, I surly understand the need to shut that down
Fair enough. Thanks for the civil response.
“Why harp about intellectual dishonesty and then turn around and engage in it?”- When I first jumped in, I was talking about the dishonest people who are most vociferous in their condemnation of white slave trade and give at most a slap on the wrist for everyone else. Kind of like how many atheists lump in Taoism and Wicca into their anti-religion rants even though they don’t give a shit about them, they just don’t want to be seen as partial and biased when they kick in Christianity’s teeth.
“And who or what are people like me?”- Don’t play coy. Birds of feather flock together. The people who go HYUCK HYUCK WHITE COWBOY! FAUX NEWS! Will be the same ones who overlook non-white atrocities in favor of emotionally appealing white ones.
“You can not pin point what a person thinks or believe based on what others in here say.”- It’s generally a good bet, see above response with people of generally the same mindsets congregating.
“And what authority do you have? Do you read minds or are you some psychic in your spare time?”- No but I do have eyes and I’ve observed most slavery talk centers around one kind that happened in the past. Your experiences may be different.
“I am confused because you have listed a few different reasons why it is used so which one is it?”- Why not both? The purpose of bringing it up in one context (online thread) is to see if one’s opponent is true to the principles of their anti-slavery rhetoric or will rationalize other trades away due to their white biases, the purpose of bringing it up in another context (real life) is for the benefit of any observers present.
“Everyone knows that the transatlantic was not the beginning, so it would not make sense to use the Arab trader argument in a debate for that reason.” – Not everyone knows that. I’d be surprised if the American school system even mentioned slavery in Egypt. For those that don’t know, the Arab Trader is useful for dispelling the mythical quality of the white tyrant, and while not excusing his crimes, it shows others not like him were just as fallible and prone to cruelty
“Just because one person/debater admits to it being wrong does not mean every person agrees or believes that.” – I never said as much, only that once that one person says “I agree, black slavery was bad.” then there’s no point in going “Well! Don’t you feel baaad about it!? Guilty?” to that one person. This holier-than-thou moral posturing is disingenuous when other legacies of cruelty are passed over. White people do this the most and it becomes a competition on who can feel the most bad about something, who has experienced the most privilege, like a post-modern confession, such as the We Are Not Trayvon Martin tumblr where a bunch of narcissists ego stroke each other over how not racist they are.
“Actually that is the debate stopper unless said individuals goes on to try to minimize or deflect.”- If the debate was “Was black slavery bad?” then yes it would. Most debates tend to have broader topics however.
Agreed @ B.R.
on Sat Apr 26th 2014 at 21:06:55 Bic Bickel
How long? How long are we going to keep the slavery guilt thing going? Who does it help? Was my father a slave holder? ( N0 ) Was my grandfather a slave holder? ( No ) Were my great grand fathers slave holders? ( No ). Did I personally benefit from slavery ( No ) Have I been punished because of slavery? ( Yes ) Is that justice? ( No ) Does every person of color have the same opportunity or more that I, a white man? ( Yes ) Do Black’s disproportionately choose to have children out of wedlock, use drugs, drink alcohol in excess, commit violent crimes, engage in risky sexual behavior, and drop out of school? What causes their behavior? ( You tell me, but its a choice I choose not to make ) Blacks who don’t make those choices do quite well, and are often hated on by their own people. Are you going to call me a racist for my honest observations and opinions? ( Yes ). That is your problem not mine. Michael Jackson wrote a song about the Man in Mirror, and I’m not standing behind him when he wrote it. He in fact was a victim of his own sad choices.
I thought that Joseph Cinqué and his fellow Amistad mutineers were returned to their native Sierra Leone.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Cinqué
@ Bic Bickel
How long did American Slavery last? And when slavery was finally outlawed, was there justice and equality for Black Americans following slaver… or was there something else?
Please be brave enough answer honesty.
“When I first jumped in, I was talking about the dishonest people who are most vociferous in their condemnation of white slave trade and give at most a slap on the wrist for everyone else……”—I get that, but does it really change anything I said? You called it intellectual dishonesty and that really is more what you are engaging in.
“Don’t play coy. Birds of feather flock together. The people who go HYUCK HYUCK WHITE COWBOY! FAUX NEWS! Will be the same ones who overlook non-white atrocities in favor of emotionally appealing white ones.”—I am not being coy and those are your words not mine. Unless I decided to tell you what I think or believe it is just noice and foolishness on your part to continue to assume.
“It’s generally a good bet, see above response with people of generally the same mindsets congregating.”— A bet is nothing more than a good bit of guess work, but based on your logic then you being here means you believe the same thing as those above…right?
“No but I do have eyes and I’ve observed most slavery talk centers around one kind that happened in the past. Your experiences may be different.”— Of course we have different experiences but because you say so does not make your experience any more credible than the homeless man on the street. It also does not change that you engaged in intellectual dishonesty no matter how you explain it.
“Why not both? The purpose of bringing it up in one context (online thread) is to see if one’s opponent is true to the principles of their anti-slavery rhetoric or will rationalize other trades away due to their white biases, the purpose of bringing it up in another context (real life) is for the benefit of any observers present.”—I have no problem with it being both but I have a problem when people fail to be consistent. If it is for both reasons then simply state that. As to the reasons both can be a reason for online and offline settings, but none of which you would know if it is or is not the reason unless you can read the minds of the individuals that chose to use it in an argument. This may simply be your reasoning alone.
“the Arab Trader is useful for dispelling the mythical quality of the white tyrant, and while not excusing his crimes, it shows others not like him were just as fallible and prone to cruelty”—I disagree because this solely depends on if you are talking to someone who already knows about slavery vs someone who has no clue. In most cases that I have witnessed the person brings this up even when they are talking to people who clearly know about other forms of slavery thus your reasoning is lost when dealing with those type of people. In this blog most if not all people in here know about other forms of slavery, so when the arab slave trader argument is brought up it simply becomes a deflection and not a means to let other know that others did it too. Even if it was a matter of the individual not knowing about it then it still becomes others did it too as the individual is seeking to place blame rather than acknowledge a wrong (this excludes those that actual do acknowledge).
“I never said as much, only that once that one person says “I agree, black slavery was bad.” then there’s no point in going “Well! Don’t you feel baaad about it!? Guilty?” to that one person.” — Then based on what you said is a bit confusing. What one person are you referring to? One out of the two people debating or one person in a group full of people discussing the issue? Based on your example the debate is then over and the other half is a last minute retort, but we are not talking about someone who simply makes the statement “I agree, black slavery was bad” and is then done. We are talking about someone who uses a deflection tactic such as the arab slave trader argument to point the finger elsewhere.
correction noise
“while not excusing his crimes, it shows others not like him were just as fallible and prone to cruelty”—based on the definition of excusing then I would have to say you are incorrect. If said wrong was done and a person says “but such and such did it” then that is excusing on the bases that others did it. Sure it points out others who did it, but it is still a good old pass the blame game and nothing more.
Kungpow and Bic Bickel, see, its interesting that guys like you can be in denial of just how things have gone down in America…how at every step, obstacles and opresions are thrown into black Americans path…if slavery wasnt enough, after slaves were freed, they didnt get any benifits or help to really get going..carpet baggers came in and raked over everything and just when black Americans actualy got positions in the South after the war, Jim Crow came along, enforced by the absolutly violent racism of the Klan,and huge amounts of lynching. In the north, the draft riots demonstrated the northern kind of hate and racism towards black Americans…
As each decade went down, the face of white racism , with the legacy of slavery, kept rising its ugly head, from white flight and realaters in colusion with government created ghettos…the heavy huge southern migration in the fifities absolutly exasperated already strained forced black neighborhoods
i mean when i was born, maybe a year before, they just integrated baseball…i mean really , its just not that long ago that the most incredible , low leval, unbeleivable opressive racist discriminations went down ..and still raises its ugly head with the question we all should ask, how is racism going down today that we just dont perceive…like back in Jim Crow days where everyone takes it for granted its suposed to be that way
yes, the legacy of slavery still exists in Ameria, it exists in all the Americas that brought slaves from Africa to the Americas, Brazil has the same problems because of these festering wounds..
and Kungpao, (is that you duck?) ,Fox news and their followers are in denial about this legacy of slavery and how it is like a festering wound…when as Americans are we really going to take responsibility for this? Its just the right thing to do…take responsibility for these wounds we have left in various groups of people…but, black African slavery brought to America is absolutly a very deep wound that requires a special attention to the size it took on and the depth of what the reality is , and for the absolutly enormous contributions to our cultures made by desendants of slaves from Africa …ripping huge amounts of people from their homes and bringing them a long way and destroying their identity and culture is something that really is in denial by a lot of white people in America
this is a festering wound…you can see it in Brazil too…it could be dealt with if we all just took responsibility for what went down…whether we had slaves or not, or are racist or are not..its our society…do we want to just let a festering wound just keep going and get infected…its just plain as the nose on our faces that these are the reasons and origins for the problems we see plauging our societies that had large slave populations brought over from Africa in the Americas
I just looked at Bic’s comment as an example of deflection on a post that is not even about slavery but a weak argument used against it. I have found that white people end up bringing up slavery just as much if not more so than blacks in an effort to try to defend against just about any argument or accusation.
Cinque:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Cinqu%C3%A9
Are you going to call me a racist for my honest observations and opinions? ( Yes ).
Yes. Observations are like anuses everyone has one, yours happen to be racist that’s all.
Thank you much, Herneith, That wiki account was certainly an interesting (??) read.
I’m somewhat wary of the agenda of those who formed the references that wiki cited, especially the suggestion/suspicion that Cinque and others in his captured parties actually becoming slave traders themselves after returning to Africa.
“The latter charge derived from oral accounts from Africa cited by the twentieth-century author William A. Owens, who claimed that he had seen letters from AMA missionaries suggesting Cinqué was a slave trader. Although some of the Africans associated with the Amistad *probably* did engage in the slave trade upon their return, most historians agree that the allegations of Cinqué’s involvement are not substantiated.”
“probably…” ??????????
If this allegation were factually true, one stills wonders why what would’ve caused those who were captured and targeted for slavery desiring to send others that looked like them into that external hell.
{{Does anyone have a Time Travel apparatus I could borrow?}}
Thanks again, Herneith!
“How long? How long are we going to keep the slavery guilt thing going?”
You are looking at slavery in an extremely self-centred way – making it about your feelings. It seems you would have me shut up about an important part of the country’s history just to spare your feelings. Is that what you are saying?
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/the-feelings-of-white-people/
Thank you, King.
I agree that Bic Bickel made it about his feelings. I don’t see anyone advocating that we should feel *GUILTY* about slavery and slavery’s aftermaths.
Facing up to the effect that slavery and genocide had on today’s society is simply looking at it squarely in the face, not sweeping it under the carpet and trying to delete it from our history books. And it is not about feeling guilty.
I beseech all Americans who are inclined to feel guilty about the slavery and genocide that white people perpetrated on its fellow residents to STOP FEELING GUILTY and start acknowledging the effect it has on its current day residents. Do not erase or whitewash the history. Acknowledge what needs to be done besides affirmative action and reparations to survivors.
on Sun Apr 27th 2014 at 16:16:53 Mary Burrell
@jefe: Well said.
I agree with Jefe. White guilt probably does more harm than good. It leads to whitewashed history, to deflections like the Arab Trader argument, to the vicious circle of racist thought and action.
on Sat Aug 30th 2014 at 19:37:52 Broken Records: Arguments About Race | Marmalade
[…] Africans sold their own into slavery. The Arabs traded slaves too! […]
on Wed Sep 23rd 2015 at 21:16:38 Victor Lee
Hello! I’m Victor, and this blog is awesome. I think you debunked that argument 100%. It’s basically a straw man in my view.
on Wed Jun 22nd 2016 at 03:10:57 mike4ty4
Another thing that racists don’t get about the Arab Trader argument:
It proves that Whites are no better than anyone else.
on Tue Jul 5th 2016 at 16:00:53 kungfurandablog
new commentator here and I agree completely with the previous posters above me. Moral deflection is something that I see white Americans engaging in a lot when they’re caught with their pants down (figuratively speaking of course). It’s like saying that since everyone else is lying then it’s okay to lie too.
And Kiwi, you’re totally right about that tactic that whites use to shut Asian-Americans up when they point out racism. Just recently, I was on a website and someone in a thread that I started about digital yellowface also used that same tactic to try to get me to shut up. I rightly called him out on it. I think it was a he. Both white American men and women that I encountered online use this tactic so I don’t know but often it’s the white American men (or should I say boys since men know how to take responsibility for their words) that resort to this kind of thing when they can’t handle the truth from a POC.
on Wed Oct 5th 2016 at 03:22:02 Benjamin
I would never mention the Arab Slave Trade to justify any White evils. However, I would mention it to counter somebody if they stated that Whites were the only ones to have committed slavery. And yes, while they might not be on this blog, there are people who do believe that only Whites have committed things like slavery and ethnic cleansing. And if confronted by such people, I see nothing wrong with providing examples proving such a belief is incorrect.
on Thu Oct 6th 2016 at 20:12:08 taotesan
I would be interested in you mentioning the Arab Slave Trade.
Before you do, could you please clarify what you mean or understand by the ‘whites’ who have committed slavery and what does ‘Arab’ mean in the ‘ Arab Slave Trade’?
on Sun Feb 11th 2018 at 22:24:05 Yes, Africans DID Own White Slaves, BUT… | BROTHA WOLF
[…] of one of humanity’s odious practices whenever white racism is discussed. Fellow blogger Abagond coined it the ‘Arab Trader Argument’, a tactic that (mostly) white people use to deviate from the sins of Caucasians by bringing up the […]
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It's Ferret Friday! Bring your ferret in today and receive 10% off of your pet's wellness exam!
10 Everyday Items That Are Toxic to Birds
Birds can be like toddlers: They are both very oral and like to check things out by putting them in their mouths. Just like children, when pet birds are out unsupervised, this habit of tasting things can get them into trouble. As an avian veterinarian, I treat birds every week for getting into toxic substances. Though some foods and objects are clearly potentially toxic to birds, there are others that might not be so obvious. Also, what may be toxic to one bird species may not be to another. Despite some variability in species susceptibility to certain toxins, as well as a lack of scientific studies proving the toxicity of certain substances in birds that are definitely toxic to mammals, there are some items to which birds should never have access. Here are perhaps the top 10 toxins for which I treat bird patients in my veterinary practice.
1. Heavy Metals, Especially Lead, Zinc and Copper
Metals are everywhere in our environments and are an often overlooked source of toxicity in pet birds. Metals can be found in paint, linoleum, soldering, wire, zippers, twist ties and many other objects on which birds love to chew. Even some older bird toys, especially the clappers on metal bells, have been found to contain lead. Birds who may chip away over time at a lead-painted windowsill, lick a metal bell toy, nibble on the soldering of a stained glass Tiffany lamp or chew on a metal zipper are constantly ingesting heavy metals and can potentially become intoxicated. When ingested in large enough quantities, these metals can damage nerves and cause vomiting, maldigestion, neurologic signs, such as imbalance and clenched toes and even seizures. Most cases of heavy metal toxicity in birds are treatable if they are diagnosed early enough before permanent nerve damage has occurred. However, these metals are not routinely tested for in birds unless the owner indicates that his or her bird has been exposed. So, if you think your bird may have ingested any of these substances, speak up to your veterinarian immediately, as it could be the difference between life and death.
2. Avocado
Several parts of the avocado plant, but especially the leaves, contain a fatty acid derivative called persin, which has been reported to cause heart failure, respiratory distress and sudden death in a variety of bird species. It is possible that some varieties of avocado are safe for some bird species, such as Lories, who have been fed avocado without problems. However, no one is sure what types of avocado are okay for which species, so it’s better to be safe and not offer your bird the guacamole.
3. Caffeine
Caffeine may be a pick-me-up for you but a definite downer for your bird. Caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea and soda are tempting to share with your bird, but even a few sips of these beverages can be extremely hazardous to your feathered pal. Caffeine may cause increased heart rate, arrhythmias, hyperactivity and even cardiac arrest in birds. So stick to water and occasional sips of safe fruit drinks, such as apple or cranberry juice, and keep him heart healthy.
Like us, many birds love chocolate. But chocolate can cause vomiting and diarrhea in birds. Even worse, chocolate contains both caffeine and theobromine, which can increase heart rate, cause hyperactivity, induce tremors and seizures, and potentially lead to death in birds. In general, the darker the chocolate, the higher the percentage of cacao (which are the seeds that contain theobromine and caffeine) and the more toxic it is to your pet. Do your birds a favor — give them a sugary fruit treat, like a slice of ripe banana or some juicy grapes, and save the chocolate for yourself.
5. Onions and Garlic
These yummy spices, believed to be heart healthy for people, are well-known toxins to dogs and cats and have caused fatalities in geese and other pet birds. Onions — cooked, raw or dehydrated — contain sulfur compounds that, when chewed, can cause rupture of red blood cells, leading to anemia (inadequate numbers of red blood cells). Onions also can irritate a bird’s mouth, esophagus and crop, and may lead to ulcers. Garlic contains a chemical called allicin, which in rare cases also can cause anemia in birds. Bland is best in birds — keep the spices out of your birdie’s body.
6. Salt and Fat
Salt: Many of us overindulge in this favorite condiment, and birds love it, too. Let’s face it — what bird doesn’t love to munch on a bunch of salty chips, popcorn, crackers or pretzels? But for a small bird, a few chips or pretzels can contain potentially toxic amounts of salt that can upset his electrolyte balance, leading to excessive thirst, dehydration, kidney dysfunction and even death. Similarly, fatty foods, such as large amounts of butter, nuts and fatty meat, can lead to the buildup of fat deposits within arteries (known as atherosclerosis) that can make some birds, like people, prone to heart disease and stroke. Some bird species, such as Amazon parrots and Quakers, seem to be predisposed to high cholesterol and triglyceride levels and to coronary artery disease, just like humans. Also, in general, the smaller the bird, the higher the risk with even a few bites of high fat or high salt foods, so to be safe, simply avoid these foods in birds’ diets.
7. Fruit Pits and Apple Seeds
Most birds love fruit, and most fruit is safe for birds. But when offered certain fruits with seeds (like apples and pears) and pits (like cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines and plums), birds should never be allowed to eat the seeds and pits, as they contain small amounts of cardio-toxic cyanide. The seeds found in other fruits, such as grapes, citrus fruits, squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, melons, mangoes, pomegranates and berries, all are safe for bird consumption. Just core out the seeds and pits of cyanide-containing fruits and let your birds enjoy the rest.
8. Xylitol
Though this artificial sweetener, found in sugarless gum and many diet foods, hasn’t been studied extensively in birds, it causes severe hypoglycemia, liver damage and potential death in dogs. Consequently, it’s best not to take chances in birds who have a higher metabolism than most mammals and who could potentially be affected by very small amounts of this chemical. Birds don’t need to chew gum or eat artificially flavored low-cal foods. Overweight birds can munch on low-starch veggies to keep calories down. Keep the sugar-free stuff away.
9. Smoke and Other Aerosols
Along with the edibles, there are some other things that can be highly toxic to birds. For example, smoking is unhealthy enough for people, but it’s even worse for birds, whose airways actually inhale and exhale simultaneously with every breath and who are extremely sensitive to smoke and other aerosols. Spray cleaners, hair spray, perfumes, incense and even candle fumes can irritate birds’ lungs and air sacs (little clear membranes birds have throughout their bodies under their skin to help them breathe). These products should never be used around birds, and if birds are accidentally exposed to them, they should be moved to well-ventilated areas immediately. Exposed birds who do not start to breathe at a normal rate and with normal effort simply with better ventilation should be brought to a veterinarian as soon as possible for supportive therapy, such as fluids and oxygen. The moral is: If you’re going to spray, keep the birds away.
10. Teflon
Most bird owners know, but a few still do not, the dangers of nonstick cookware around birds. When Teflon and other nonstick surfaces are heated to very high temperatures, they emit microscopic vapors that when inhaled by birds’ exquisitely sensitive respiratory tracts can cause instant death. Numerous birds within a single household have been reported to die simultaneously when Teflon pans are burned near them. In general, all nonstick cookware and other nonstick coated appliances, including some stoves (in particular, the self-cleaning oven feature) and toasters, should be avoided in homes with birds. If birds are exposed accidentally to fumes from these pans or appliances, they should be brought to a well-ventilated area, such as the outdoors, immediately to help clear their airways. Unfortunately, even with immediate relocation to a better ventilated area, most birds exposed to these fumes die quickly without any signs before they can be brought to an animal hospital for oxygen therapy and other treatment. The manufacturer of any questionable appliance should be contacted before these appliances are used around birds. In general though, the rule is for bird owners is: Just say no to nonstick.
Of course, there are many other toxic items potentially toxic to birds, such as certain plants, lurking in our homes. If we just use common sense, supervise our beloved birds when they’re out of their cages, and offer them only nontoxic foods and toys to chew on, they are more likely to remain safe and happy. As always, if you have any questions about whether something could be potentially toxic to your pet, consult a bird-savvy veterinarian.
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William Carr fonds, 7 results 7
William Carr, 8 results 8
Ronnie Tessler, 1 results 1
North Vancouver, 96 results 96
Klemtu, 1 results 1
Potlatch, 20 results 20
Bodies of water, 14 results 14
Skwxwú7mesh, 13 results 13
Rivers, 12 results 12
Chief Dan George & band
File consists of images of Chief Dan George with a band, as well as an image of him by himself with a drum and a few images of the North Vancouver area.
Xwemelch'stn (Coast Salish) ceremony
File consists of photographs from a celebration in North Vancouver in 1956.
Miscellaneous North Coast images
File consists of images form the north coast and fjords of British Columbia, as well as the North Vancouver area. Subjects include fishing boats, canoe carving, canoe paddlers and races, and rock paintings.
Mission Church at North Vancouver Reserve
File consists of images of the exterior of St. Paul's Catholic church in North Vancouver, BC.
Potlatches
File consists of images from a potlatch (or potlatches) in North Vancouver, BC.
William Carr fonds
The fonds consists of black and white photographs and negatives. Subjects depicted include villages, boats and ferries, landscapes, bridges, logging clearcuts, and totem poles. Some of the photos appear to be of the Lions Gate Bridge, Stanley Park, and the Capilano Suspension Bridge.
Pow Wow, Capilano Reserve, North Vancouver
Image from a Pow Wow at the Capilano Reserve in North Vancouver, BC.
Dancers, Capilano Reserve, North Vancouver
Tsleil-Waututh, canoe paddlers
Image of a canoe full of people paddling down a channel or bay. The canoe is seen from a distance, with a rocky shore visible in the foreground, and a hillside covered in buildings and forest visible in the background.
Image of a canoe full of people paddling down a channel or bay.
Image of a canoe full of people paddling down a channel or bay. Industrial structures are visible on the land across the water.
Image of a canoe full of people paddling down a channel or bay. A hillside covered in buildings is viable in the background.
Image of two people standing next to a canoe that is propped up in a yard. The canoe, which is upside down, ha s a white strip painted along the top edge, and is labelled `St. John.
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Robert Davidson, 75 results 75
Haida Gwaii, 75 results 75
Masset, 2 results 2
Pole raising, 75 results 75
Robert Davidson Pole raising With digital objects
[Unidentified man, pole raising, Haida Gwaii]
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image is a portrait of a man wearing what appears to be a ceremonial headdress. The man is not identified, but it is likely Chief Weah (Willie Mathews).
R. Davidson [Jr.] pole raising, Masset Q.C.I.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image is an aerial view of the pole raising area and crowd. The pole is still on the ground, with ropes attached to it and people lined up holding onto the ropes to pull it up.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image shows a section of the crowd gathered for the ceremony, many of whom are in what appears to be ceremonial dress.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image is an aerial view of the pole raising area and crowd. The pole is still on the ground, with a number of people next to the pull. They appear to be pushing the pole toward the hole in the ground in which it will stand.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image shows the pole after it has been raised, with a number of individuals below it shovelling dirt into the hole to secure the pole. The crowd, street, and a few structures are visible in the background.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image shows a section of the pole while it is still lying on the ground, propped up on logs.
R. Davidson [Jr.] pole raising, Masset Q.C.I., stone carvings
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image shows a crowd gathered for the event, including a group of three older men seated in the foreground, in what appears to be ceremonial dress.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image shows Davidson speaking into a microphone, wearing what appears to be ceremonial clothing and a headdress. A crowd is gathered around him.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image shows a the pole already raised, with the crowd still gathered around it.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image shows people seated inside at a banquet.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image shows two men (one is Davidson) and a woman standing at a microphone. They are inside at a banquet.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image was shot inside, at a banquet. There appears to be a few people exiting a stage, and others seated in the foreground.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image shows the pole lying on the ground, with a crowd gathered around it.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image shows part of the crowd gathered for the ceremony, and is looking down the street with a number of house/structures visible.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image is an aerial shot showing the totem pole lying on the ground near the hole in the ground into which it will be propped. Ropes are attached to the pole to raise it, and people have begun to line up to help pull the ropes.
Image taken at a pole raising ceremony in Masset. The pole was carved by Robert Davidson, Jr. This image shows part of the crowd, including a number of individuals wearing ceremonial dress.
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Home / Fiction in Translation / A Rare Blue Bird Flies with Me
Look Inside A Rare Blue Bird Flies with Me
A Rare Blue Bird Flies with Me
Youssef Fadel
Translated byJonathan Smolin
Spring, 1990. After years of searching in vain, a stranger passes a scrap of paper to Zina. It’s from Aziz: the man who vanished the day after their
Spring, 1990. After years of searching in vain, a stranger passes a scrap of paper to Zina. It’s from Aziz: the man who vanished the day after their wedding almost two decades ago. It propels Zina on a final quest for a secret desert jail in southern Morocco, where her husband crouches in despair, dreaming of his former life. Youssef Fadel pays powerful testament to a terrible period in Morocco’s history, known as ‘the Years of Cinders and Lead,’ and masterfully evokes the suffering inflicted on those who supported the failed coup against King Hassan II in 1972.
Award-winning Moroccan novelist and screenwriter Youssef Fadel was born in Casablanca in 1949. During Morocco’s ‘Years of Lead’ he was imprisoned in the notorious Moulay Cherif prison (1974–75). A Rare Blue Bird Flies with Me is his ninth novel. He lives in Casablanca, Morocco. Translator Jonathan Smolin is the author of the critically acclaimed Moroccan Noir: Police, Crime, and Politics in Popular Culture (2013). He lives in Hanover, NH.
A Rare Blue Bird Flies with Me Reviews
“[Fadel is] a valued asset of modern Moroccan literature.”—Aujourd’hui le Maroc
"A masterful history of modern Morocco."—BookShy Blog
"Fadel's daring account of modern Morocco widens the periphery of the English reader on a subject that is better known in Arabic and French."—Sherif Dhaimish, Qantara.de
"'A Rare Blue Bird Flies With Me' is also notable for its innovative style. Fadel's extensive use of the present tense give the book a compelling immediacy, while the bizarre occurrences and details he includes are well-suited to portray a situation that can only be described as such."—Sally Bland, The Jordan Times
"Events progress rapidly and with the acute tension of a detective novel"—Leah Caldwell, The National
"So the book will end, redeemed and well worth the read."—AA Bastian, Washington Independent Review of Books.
A Dog with No Tail
Hamdi Abu Golayyel
Translated by Robin Moger
Translated byRobin Moger
Betool Khedairi
Translated by Muhayman Jamil
Translated byMuhayman Jamil
Hamdy el-Gazzar
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Home»Reviews»THE PRETTIEST GIRL ON STAGE IS A MAN
THE PRETTIEST GIRL ON STAGE IS A MAN Race and Gender Benders in American Vaudeville
by Kathleen B. Casey | Read by Lee Ann Howlett
Contemporary Culture • 7.5 hrs. • Unabridged • © 2015
Narrator Lee Ann Howlett brings to life an array of American vaudeville stars from the 1890s-1920s whose acts reflect the cultural changes caused by immigration, racial discord, and changing gender roles at that time. With a conversational delivery style, Howlett creates a tough persona for singer Eva Tanguay, emphasizing her strength while performing racy songs of the period. Also portrayed is Julian Eltinge, a top female impersonator whose extreme masculine facade in real life countered speculation that he was gay. Howlett is most enjoyable as Lillyn Brown, a biracial woman who played a black dandy with a top hat, which she removed to display long hair as she sang suggestive songs as a woman. The great Sophie Tucker herself played in blackface, impersonated men and people of other races, and emphasized her Jewishness. Listeners will be intrigued to hear that Lady Gaga is considered a modern gender bender. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2016]
Digital Download • University Press Audiobooks • 2016
DD ISBN $19.95
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Home»Reviews»TALKING AS FAST AS I CAN
TALKING AS FAST AS I CAN From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)
by Lauren Graham | Read by Lauren Graham
Biography & Memoir • 4.5 hrs. • Unabridged • © 2016
Narrating her own memoir, Lauren Graham sounds warm and dishy and genuine--she's funny, smart, likable, and yes, she talks fast. It makes for a light and diverting audiobook that's geared, at least in part, to fans of the "Gilmore Girls" TV show, in which Graham starred as single mom Lorelai Gilmore. Graham does indeed share some stories about the show and her fellow actors. But anyone aspiring to a life in the creative arts could appreciate Graham's hard-won wisdom after years of pursuing her acting dreams and facing the particular challenges of being a woman in Hollywood. An accompanying PDF with photos is referred to throughout the audio program, so be sure to have it handy while you're listening. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2016]
Trade Ed. • Random House Audio • 2016
CD ISBN 9781524708931 $30.00 • Five CDs
Library Ed. • Books on Tape • 2016
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We team with fast growing, exceptional Fintech businesses across Europe, and push them to achieve their full potential.
What makes us tick • Founder Perspectives • We’ve gone public • Office Hours
Fintechs that stand out from the crowd
Unique or disruptive business models, first mover advantages and best of breed businesses get us excited. We invest in teams that have the talent, passion, and grit to transform sectors, and entrepreneurs that have the potential to become industry leaders. See our current Portfolio here.
Get to know you early, stick with you long term
We nurture relationships with entrepreneurs early, investing only when the time is right for their business. When we invest, we invest for the long term. We are patient. We seek to maximise the potential of businesses rather than limit upside in pursuit of short term gains.
Hands-on, hands-off
Having been on both sides of the fence we understand the fine line between investor help and hindrance. We love working with our companies, but focus on the most important issues without getting in the way of day-to-day management. Our network is at our entrepreneurs’ disposal, to help refine products, develop strategic partnerships, enter new markets and add potential investors, customers and advisors.
FOUNDER PERSPECTIVES
See what our portfolio say
Our portfolio Founders/CEOs share their experiences of working with Augmentum.
Founder Perspectives: Why did you choose to take investment from Augmentum?
Founder Perspectives: How has your experience been working with Augmentum?
Founder Perspectives: Would you recommend Augmentum as investors?
As ex-entrepreneurs ourselves, we are well aware of the value of an outside, fresh perspective, and regularly host Office Hours to support the ever-growing fintech industry. We’re happy to act as a sounding board and give advice on some of the key challenges you may be facing, including access to capital.
If you are truly trying to disrupt the financial services space then we’d love to meet with you. Although we invest in series A and beyond, Office Hours is a great opportunity to get to know companies that are at the early stages of their journey and share our experiences of how to avoid some of the potential pitfalls ahead and help accelerate growth.
We are currently registering interest for our next Office Hours session, happening in January 2020.
Interested? Register your interest for a 30 minute meeting about your fintech business with one of team using the link below.
We’ve gone public!
On March 13th 2018 we became the first publicly traded Fintech focused VC in the UK. Listing on the main market of the London Stock Exchange puts us in a unique proposition:
We play for keeps
We expose you to the world
We let everyone take part
We want to back our companies for as long as it takes. Now we can
World beating Fintech companies aren’t built overnight.
Success takes time; we want to be able to keep working with you until you reach your peak. Our structure frees us from conventional VC restrictions. While other VCs drop their companies after 5 years, we provide funding for as long as it takes.
We want to give you exposure to the public markets. Now you’ve got it
Exciting Fintech businesses, meet World; World, meet exciting Fintech businesses!
As a public fund anyone can invest in our companies, from large institutions to your latest app downloader. That means more public exposure, more engagement, and, if the opportunity is right, an advantaged route to IPO.
We want to democratise investment in Fintech businesses. Now we have
For too long access to flourishing Fintech companies has been privatised. We’ve opened the door of opportunity to everyone!
© 2019 Augmentum Fintech Management Ltd. All rights reserved.
Registered in England and Wales, company no. 11194408
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Tim Levene
Tim graduated in Russian Studies from The University of Manchester and joined Bain & Company in Moscow, Boston, Sydney and London. Tim embarked on an entrepreneurial path and left Bain in early 1998 and created a new retail concept when he opened his first Juice bar (Fresh n Smooth) in 1999 in Canary Wharf. The business has since evolved into a 31-store business across London called Crussh.
In the summer of 1999, Tim joined 3 former colleagues from Bain & Company and launched Flutter.com. Flutter became one of the highest profile internet businesses in the UK after it merged with Betfair.com in 2001. Tim became the Commercial Director of the newly merged business and launched Betfair globally.
In 2010, Tim returned to London to start his next venture. He founded Augmentum Capital with the backing of RIT Capital and Lord Rothschild. The team focused on finding talented entrepreneurial teams in the Fintech industry that were bringing fundamentally disruptive products or platforms to the European market.
In 2018, Tim and Richard successfully launched Augmentum Fintech on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, in the process becoming the first publicly listed Fintech fund in the UK.
Tim was made a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2012 and for several years advised The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry on digital strategy and innovation. Tim was elected in March 2017 to The Court of Common Council in the City of London to represent the Ward of Bridge (as an Independent). Tim is also a Governor of The City of London School.
Outside of the office, Tim has a young family and has been a Chelsea FC season ticket holder since 1979. He remains a keen footballer, golfer and skier although operating at a more sedate pace than in recent years.
Richard Matthews
Richard has 17 years venture capital and private equity experience in the technology, retail and leisure sectors on both sides of the fence. Having studied economics at the University of Manchester, Richard started his career as a Chartered Accountant at Coopers & Lybrand before leaving in 1999 to join Tim at Flutter.com (now Betfair) as CFO.
In 2002 following the merger with Betfair he left to join Benchmark Capital Europe (now Balderton Capital), one of the early investors in Betfair. At Benchmark he worked on early stage technology investments both in the investment phase and assisting the investee companies post funding. He then joined Manzanita Capital in 2005, where he spent 5 years investing in the retail and leisure sectors globally before leaving to form Augmentum Capital. In 2018 Richard and Tim successfully launched Augmentum Fintech on the main market of the London Stock Exchange, in the process becoming the first Fintech focused public VC in Europe.
Away from the office Richard enjoys spending time with his family, watching Arsenal and playing golf, though in the case of the latter 2 the word “enjoys” is used in its loosest sense.
Perry Blacher
Perry is a fintech specialist with 25 years’ experience in building and operating online businesses, and has spent the last decade as an investor in, and advisor to, numerous fintech businesses.
Perry graduated from both Cambridge and Harvard before starting his career at McKinsey & Company. In 1998 he left to join Microsoft, before later moving to become a founding Principal of Chase Episode 1 Partners.
Perry later followed the route of the entrepreneur when he went on to become founder and CEO of two businesses, both of which sold to public companies (Serum in 2002, and Covestor in 2007). More recently, Perry is an Venture Partner at Amadeus Capital, and holds advisory or non-executive roles with Barclays UK, Google, Onfido, Transfergo, Clearscore, CDC and other fintech businesses.
Rahil Patel
Rahil is an Analyst at Augmentum. He joined the fund full-time following a Summer internship in 2018.
Prior to Augmentum, Rahil studied Geography at Durham University and has previously worked with Mayfair Insurance Company and Sipsmith Gin.
When he is not curating the office Alexa playlist, Rahil tries to keep up with his passion for DJing that began at university.
Learn more about Rahil in this blog post.
Georgie Hazell
Georgie heads up engagement at Augmentum, which involves supporting portfolio companies, engaging with investors and the wider fintech ecosystem (including marketing and events), and supporting the team internally.
Georgie has worked in a number of startups across people, strategy and growth leadership positions. Following her MBA and a consultancy project with Crowdcube, Georgie moved into venture capital.
Passionate about diversity and inclusion, particularly in VC and entrepreneurship, Georgie founded women in tech network Elevate, led on UK expansion for Her Campus Media, volunteers with Diversity VC and mentored with The Girls Network.
Ellen Logan
Ellen is an Investment Associate at Augmentum. She previously worked at OC&C Strategy Consultants and at HR analytics startup Bunch. Ellen studied Economics at the University of Edinburgh.
Outside of the office she spends her time practicing yoga, experimenting in the kitchen and exploring the art galleries of London.
Learn more about Ellen in her ‘Meet the Team’ blog here
Stay up to date by registering for Augmentum’s quarterly email newsletter.
Sofia Wiecko
Sofia oversees the financial and administrative operations at Augmentum and has over 15 years’ experience in financial accounting.
Believing in giving back to the community, Sofia is active in a number of local charities.
Hayley Manning
Hayley is Augmentum’s Office Manager and PA. Prior to working at Augmentum, Hayley worked at law firm Stephenson Harwood.
Nigel Szembel
Nigel leads Public Relations and Investor Relations at Augmentum. Nigel has had an international career in corporate affairs, communications and investor relations which, over 30 years, has included responsibility for UK, regional (EMEA and Latin America) and global functions; covering high-profile public companies, private companies, prominent individuals and public bodies, primarily in the financial services sector but also taking in consumer/fashion, planning policy, arts and the environment.
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<a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/20672429"><strong>black and blue</strong></a> (4276 words) by <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/users/seaunicorn"><strong>seaunicorn</strong></a><br />Chapters: 1/?<br />Fandom: <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/tags/The%20Prom%20-%20Sklar*s*Beguelin*s*Martin">The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin</a><br />Rating: Teen And Up Audiences<br />Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply<br />Relationships: Emma/Alyssa Greene<br />Characters: Emma (The Prom), Alyssa Greene, Mrs. Greene, Kaylee (The Prom), Shelby (The Prom), Barry Glickman, Trent Oliver, Angie (The Prom), Dee Dee Allen<br />Additional Tags: Roller Derby, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Roller Derby, Background Relationship - Kaylee/Shelby<br />Summary: <p>At the mention of the mysterious woman she had met earlier, Alyssa’s eyes were drawn to her figure. She flew across the track at lightning speed, looping around ahead of everyone else until she caught up with the group again. Alyssa had no idea what was happening, but she was at the edge of her seat, watching in anticipation.</p><p> </p><p>Roller Derby AU</p>
The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Emma/Alyssa Greene
Emma (The Prom)
Alyssa Greene
Mrs. Greene
Kaylee (The Prom)
Shelby (The Prom)
Barry Glickman
Trent Oliver
Angie (The Prom)
Dee Dee Allen
Alternate Universe - Roller Derby
Background Relationship - Kaylee/Shelby
seaunicorn
At the mention of the mysterious woman she had met earlier, Alyssa’s eyes were drawn to her figure. She flew across the track at lightning speed, looping around ahead of everyone else until she caught up with the group again. Alyssa had no idea what was happening, but she was at the edge of her seat, watching in anticipation.
Roller Derby AU
It was a slow day at the office.
Alyssa tapped her foot impatiently as she stared at the time in the corner of her computer screen. It was almost time for her to get out of there.
Working for her mother wasn’t exactly where Alyssa Greene saw herself at twenty five years old. In fact, ten years ago, she wanted nothing more than to get out from under her mother’s strangling grasp. And yet she found herself sitting at her desk in her mother’s real estate office, wishing she had figured out what the hell she wanted to do with her life in college so she wouldn’t be stuck here.
At least the pay was pretty good.
Just before the clock turned to four in the afternoon, Alyssa heard the click of heels approaching her desk, the familiar sound of her mother’s gait. She quickly sat upright, straightening her shoulders and opened an email draft to make herself look busy.
“Alyssa, don’t slouch,” was the first thing her mother said when she walked up. Alyssa fought the urge to roll her eyes. “I need you to send the Mason’s photos of the house on Olive Street as soon as possible.”
Alyssa frowned. “There are pictures in the listing on the website.”
“Yes, they saw those, but they didn’t like the angle of the shots in the bedroom and the kitchen,” she explained. “I need you to go to the house to take new pictures and send it to them as soon as possible.”
“Mom, I’m leaving early today.”
“When were you leaving again?”
“Uh, now?”
“And where were you going?”
“Shelby needs help finding a Christmas gift for Kaylee,” Alyssa lied. She glanced up at her mom to gage her mother’s reaction, but she kept the same blase, disinterested expression, so Alyssa continued, “She asked me to go shopping with her.”
“Right, of course.” The chirp of a ringing phone drew her mother’s attention. She frowned and ignored the call before she continued. “It shouldn’t take more than half an hour, I’m sure Shelby won’t mind waiting. I’ll even let you use the car so you don’t have to take the bus into the city.”
“Alyssa, this is very important. I think we can get an offer out of them today, they just need these pictures.”
“Okay, okay.” Alyssa opened her desk drawer and grabbed the Canon T6 she used for all their website photos. “I’ll be quick.”
Before stood from her desk, she shot off a quick email from her personal account that she was running late.
“Thank you, Alyssa,” her mother said, and offered her the car keys. “And please don’t try to rush through taking these photos, they need to look good.”
“I know,” Alyssa grumbled as she brushed past her mother. She wrapped a scarf around her neck and braced herself for the cold.
Alyssa sped to the house and let herself inside, making quick work of taking the requested photos. Under her breath she cursed the Mason’s for being so particular about the photos they wanted. They didn’t like the angle the pictures were taken? She had half a mind to take her time and capture a photo from every single possible angle in the rooms and send the Mason’s a ZIP file with dozens of photos that were nearly identical, but she didn’t have the time to be petty today.
She rushed back to the office to do a quick touch up of the photos she took before sending the files off to the Mason’s and praying that her mother didn’t call her for anymore tasks before she darted out the door.
Alyssa plugged the address into her phone’s GPS and groaned when she saw that afternoon traffic had picked up. She was going to be very late.
Forty minutes later, Alyssa pulled into visitor parking at South Garden Apartments and rushed to the front desk inside.
“Hi,” she said to the woman sitting there. “I’m here to look at apartment 4B.”
“4B?” the woman asked. Alyssa nodded. She hummed to herself as she typed something in on her computer. “I’m so sorry, it looks like that unit is no longer available.”
“What?” Alyssa gasped. “It was just free this morning, that’s why I’m here!”
“Yeah, it looks like the paperwork is still processing, so it must have happened in the last hour or so.”
“Do you have any other units available that I can look at?” Alyssa asked.
“No, sorry,” the woman said with a frown. “I can let you know when we have openings, but I can’t guarantee that there will be availability anytime soon.”
“It’s fine,” Alyssa sighed. “Thanks for your help.”
Alyssa walked back out to the car and rested her forehead on the steering wheel. “Shit,” she muttered.
Her phone rang, and Alyssa saw a photo of Shelby grinning at her. She rolled her eyes and answered.
“What’s up, Shelby?”
“Your mom called,” Shelby said. “She wanted me to remind you to bring the car back in one piece.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Alyssa groaned.
“Why am I your excuse this time?”
“I wanted to look at an apartment.”
“No dice,” Alyssa groaned. “I’m never going to get out of my mother’s house at this rate.”
“Well, since you’re free now and you’re already in the city,” Shelby started. “Do you want to grab dinner with me and Kaylee?”
“And third wheel while you guys are all over each other?” Alyssa scoffed. “No thanks.”
“Oh, come on, we’re way past the honeymoon phase,” Kaylee sighed.
“Yeah, tell that to my retinas that found you two making out in the bathroom last week when I just wanted to pee.”
“ Please , Lys?” Shelby pouted. “My treat.”
Alyssa sighed and glanced at the clock. It was only five-thirty and she definitely didn’t want to go home to her mother just yet. “I guess I’ve got nothing better to do tonight.”
She could practically hear Shelby’s excited grin through the phone. “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear! I’ll text you the address.”
“Love you! See you soon.” And she hung up before Alyssa could even say goodbye.
A moment later, her phone buzzed with a new text message. The address was only five minutes away, so Alyssa started the car and pulled away from the apartment building. She looked back with a heavy sigh. Hopefully Alyssa would find a decent apartment sooner rather than later. Living and working and basically spending every waking hour with her mother was going to drive her crazy eventually, if it hadn’t already.
When Alyssa pulled into the parking lot, she was very confused. It was pretty crowded, but the building was old and there wasn’t any sort of business name visible anywhere. Was this even a restaurant?
Alyssa got out her phone and texted Shelby. Did you send me the right address?
A moment later, a figure exited the building and Alyssa immediately recognized her as Shelby. Shelby waved and walked in her direction. Alyssa got out of the car and headed toward Shelby, hoping to meet her halfway, but as Shelby got closer, she realized she wasn’t walking at all, in fact. She was roller skating.
Oh, no, Alyssa thought. Was it too late to get back in the car?
“Shelby,” Alyssa called out once she was within earshot. “Where am I?”
“Don’t be mad,” Shelby said immediately. “I knew you weren’t going to come otherwise.”
“Shelby.”
“Oh, come on! I’ve been trying to get you to come to one of my derby games for ages! Today’s just a scrimmage but I promise it will be fun.”
“My mom will murder me if she finds out I went to something like this.”
“She’s going to murder you anyway when she finds out you’re trying to move out,” Shelby countered.
Alyssa couldn’t think of a decent retort in time. She frowned. “Point taken.”
“Alyssa, I get that you’re trying to save up for an apartment, but you work way too much. Have some fun for once!”
Alyssa wanted to keep up her resolve, but Shelby had a hopeful grin on her face, and it had been a while since she had done something fun with her friends. “Okay, I’ll stay,” Alyssa sighed. “You still owe me dinner, though.”
“Yes!” Shelby whooped. “I’ll buy you a hot dog inside. Come on, Kaylee will be so excited to see you!” She grabbed Alyssa’s wrist and dragged her back toward the building. Alyssa had to awkwardly jog to keep up with Shelby as she skated with ease.
The building, as it turned out, was an old skating rink. Alyssa followed Shelby inside as Shelby paid for her ticket, and looked around at the crowd. People were everywhere, and the room was humming with excited chatter from both spectators and players. Alyssa found herself stopping midstep so she wouldn’t run into skaters who crossed in front of her. There was a bar selling beer and wine, various food and snack stands set up, and information tables for all the teams in the league.
Alyssa looked at the signs and her lips quirked up into an amused smile as she read the team names. Space Jammers, Chicks Ahoy, Sax and Violins, and even more that she missed in the crowd. She chuckled to herself.
“Here we are,” Shelby said, rolling up to the last table in the row.
“Alyssa!” Kaylee squealed. She skated up to Alyssa and threw her arms around her in a hug. Alyssa almost lost her balance as her friend ran into her with more force than she expected.
“Good to see you, Kaylee,” Alyssa laughed as she hugged her.
“I can’t believe you convinced her to come,” Kaylee said. She returned to Shelby’s side and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Shelby threw an arm over Kaylee’s shoulder and leaned against the table. “It didn’t take much convincing.”
“Yeah, she just tricked me,” Alyssa said with a pointed glare.
Shelby shrugged, feigning innocence. “It’s not my fault you’re gullible.”
Alyssa scanned the table, looking around at all the skaters there, and taking in the team name. “Queer Chaos?” she asked. “Isn’t that word sort of controversial?”
“Not necessarily,” said a voice from behind her.
Alyssa spun around and saw another woman in skates, sporting the Queer Chaos team shirts that matched Kaylee and Shelby’s. She held a helmet under her arm, wore glasses, and had messy, short blonde curls that fell and framed her face. She looked like she had been doing this for a while; as she glided past with ease, Alyssa took a moment to appreciate her toned legs, slightly obscured by the knee pads she wore, and the small bruises and scars that littered her pale skin, and—was that a tattoo?
Alyssa cleared her throat and her eyes shot up to meet the woman’s. Her awkward, lopsided smile turned into an amused smirk, and Alyssa knew she had been caught checking her out. She hoped it was dark enough in here that no one would notice her blush. The woman then turned and gave Kaylee and Shelby a familiar nod.
“The team has been around since 1981, and it was actually part of the movement to reclaim the word,” she explained, skating past Alyssa and looping around to the other side of the table. “We don’t like, force anybody to identify a certain way, but it’s part of our history. A lot of people really like it. And, well, this team does attract the most LGBTQ people in the league for a reason.”
Alyssa was stunned for a moment, searching for words to respond. “Um,” she muttered. “I didn’t realize there was a gay rights movement in Indiana.”
“Gay people don’t only exist in New York or San Francisco, as much as the movies want you to think.” She grabbed a backpack from under the table and took off her glasses. She put them in a case and began digging through her backpack.
“Oh, no I know!” Alyssa said. “Trust me, I know. You just never hear about the smaller things that happen everywhere. It’s always the big cities that steal the spotlight.”
The woman smiled. “Yeah, it’s more local color than something you’d read about in a history textbook.” She retrieved a pair of goggles from her backpack and pulled them on over her head. She squinted and Alyssa stifled a smile; she looked a little dorky, but it was endearing. Then, the woman put on her helmet and clipped it into place. “Game’s about to start. Princess, Luchadora, you coming?”
“Yeah, we’ll be there in a minute,” Shelby said. Alyssa watched as the woman skated off toward the track, trailed by other team members.
“Who was that?” Alyssa asked, breathless.
“Whoa, keep your pants on,” Shelby teased. Alyssa just rolled her eyes. “That’s Babe Ruthless.”
“No, I mean, her real name,” Alyssa said.
Shelby shrugged. “No one knows.”
“She’s been on the team for as long as anyone can remember. She only goes by her derby name and doesn’t go out for drinks with us very often. She’s kind of a mystery. Seems pretty close with Coach Barry, though.”
“I heard she’s been on the team for ten years,” Kaylee interjected. “It’s crazy, right? She looks like she’s our age!”
“LADIES!” a voice called out from the direction of the track, his face lost in the crowd. “Are you here to catch up with friends or are you here to play some roller derby?”
Shelby rolled her eyes, but shoved a twenty dollar bill into Alyssa’s hands. “Here. Get some food, find a seat. I’ll see you after.” She grabbed Kaylee’s hand and the pair skated off.
Alyssa grabbed a hot dog and a bottle of water, then made her way to find a seat.
There wasn’t a lot of audience space, but there were metal bleachers set up all around the track on all sides. The track in the middle looked like it was literally just a large, oval shaped ring made out of tape on the floor. Alyssa walked over to the side that faced the Queer Chaos team bench and squeezed in at the corner of one of the bleachers. She felt a little awkward by herself, but it was too late to back out now. She took a bite of her food and waited in anticipation for the game to start. Her eyes fell on the woman in goggles again, who was laughing with a tall leggy blonde woman on the side of the track.
When the lights in the crowd dimmed and the music blared, the audience began to cheer in excitement.
“Welcome to the first preseason scrimmage of the South Bend Derby League!” A male voice boomed on the speakers over the crowd. “I’m your host and colorful commentator, Trent Oliver! And this is my partner, Dee Dee Allen!”
“Partner my ass,” another voice chimed in, female this time. “We all know I’m the one who draws a crowd.”
“Well not all of us were four time league champions in our hay day, Ms. Allen. Some of us went to Juilliard.”
“So, we’ve got a great lineup of teams today, Chicks Ahoy versus my alma mater, Queer Chaos!” The crowd went wild at the mention of the team names. Alyssa could swear she heard a dog bark from somewhere, but she couldn’t see it anywhere. She cheered with everyone and watched as the teams waved to the crowd.
“There’s a couple players to look out for in this game,” Trent continued. “Chick’s Ahoy number sixty nine, Captain Pain is their top point scorer.”
“Her match is definitely Queer Chaos number seventy five, Smashley Simpson. She’s their most veteran player and their top point scorer. I know she’s hoping for a championship win this season after Rebel Nights snatched it from them a few months ago.”
“Babe Ruthless, Queer Chaos number four is another force to be reckoned with. I’ve heard that she can’t be knocked down, is that true?”
“I guess we’re about to find out. Are you ready for some roller derby?”
Again, the crowd went wild. A handful of players skated out to the track while the rest sat out on the sidelines. Kaylee and Shelby were starting on the track and two other players she didn’t recognize, as well as Babe Ruthless and the woman she had been talking to before the game.
It was then that Alyssa realized, maybe she should have asked her friends to explain to her the basics of the sport before watching a game. Well, hopefully she’d figure it out eventually. The whistle blew, and all Alyssa could see was a mass of bodies ramming into each other.
Maybe she wouldn’t be able to figure out what was happening.
Instead of trying to follow the action, Alyssa decided to focus on her friends. It looked like they were hooked in some sort of triangle and pressed up against a skater on the opposing team who tried to push past them. Then, the triangle broke apart, and the other skater weaved past number thirty three, past Shelby, and as she was about to pass Kaylee as well, Kaylee bumped her hip against her and the woman tumbled over backwards.
“And it’s the first fall of the game!” Trent called out. “Courtesy of number nineteen, no wonder she’s called the Princess of Pain!”
Alyssa laughed. Princess of Pain? That name was fitting for Kaylee.
“And Babe Ruthless takes the window and breaks out of the pack. We’ve got a lead jammer!”
At the mention of the mysterious woman she had met earlier, Alyssa’s eyes were drawn to her figure. She flew across the track at lightning speed, looping around ahead of everyone else until she caught up with the group again.
Alyssa had no idea what was happening, but she was at the edge of her seat, watching in anticipation as Babe Ruthless approached the opposing team’s skaters. Babe Ruthless was, well, ruthless, weaving between players with ease, taking hits like a champ. Trent was right, Alyssa didn’t think she could be knocked down.
As Babe Ruthless lapped everyone, the crowd cheered. She looped the track again and got stuck behind a wall of opposing players blocking her path.
“Captain Pain has cleared the pack and is coming up for her first scoring pass…” The whistle blew sharply, and the players on the track slowed down. “And Babe Ruthless calls the jam before Chicks Ahoy can even score! Starting off strong with a five point lead for Queer Chaos.”
Alyssa was more confused than ever, but she was also kind of in awe as she watched Babe Ruthless spin around and skate backwards toward the bench on the sidelines. And then, Babe Ruthless looked into the crowd. Their eyes met, and Alyssa felt a thrill of excitement. Still clapping, Alyssa let out a loud cheer, and a moment later there was a grin on Babe Ruthless’s face before she looked away.
Alyssa could see herself starting to really like roller derby.
Queer Chaos won the scrimmage that day, 86 to 72. Alyssa still couldn’t tell how exactly the game was played, but it sure was an action-packed and entertaining way to spend an hour, watching women slam into each other on roller skates. Alyssa tried to imagine her mother in the audience, and the thought almost made her laugh. She was sure her mother would call it needlessly violent or downright barbaric and that made it even better.
Alyssa also enjoyed watching Babe Ruthless whenever she was on the track, but that was beside the point.
After the game, Alyssa made her way back to the table to meet up with Shelby and Kaylee again. The team hadn’t arrived yet, but a short man stood behind the table and smiled at Alyssa as she approached.
“Are you interested in tryouts?” he asked.
“Oh, no, I’m just meeting my friends,” Alyssa quickly explained. “They’re on the team.”
“Oh I see,” he said knowingly. “So who are your friends.”
“Princess of Pain and Luchadora, I think,” Alyssa said with a chuckle. “Fun names.”
“Picking a name is half the fun of roller derby. Almost makes me wish I was a woman,” he sighed dramatically. “Sheldon Saperstein, team manager. And you are?”
“Alyssa,” she introduced herself.
“Well, Alyssa, can I interest you in a t-shirt or player cards?”
“Sheldon, stop harassing our friend!” Shelby skated up next to Alyssa and threw an arm over her shoulder. “Unless you’re harassing her into coming to tryouts, otherwise please continue.”
“What?” Alyssa scoffed. “You want me to do that ?” She gestured to the track the players were spilling out of.
“You might surprise yourself, Lys!” Kaylee said, rolling up on her other side. “I never thought I’d be good at it either and here we are.”
“You’re still not good!” another player heckled, the leggy blonde woman she had seen earlier; Alyssa learned that this was Smashley Simpson. Kaylee flipped her off.
“Come on, we used to go skating all the time as kids.” Shelby nudged Alyssa with her hip.
“Yeah, that was like ten years ago.”
“And you’d be surprised how easy it is to pick up again.”
Alyssa laughed and shoved her friend away. “I think I’ll pass. But I will admit, I had fun. I might come to another game once I figure out what the fuck I just watched.”
“You know what the best way to learn is?” Kaylee asked.
“If you tell me to try out, Kaylee, I will slap you.”
“Is someone interested in trying out for the team?” The same voice that had called Kaylee and Shelby down to the track before the game had returned, and Alyssa saw a man wearing a Queer Chaos polo shirt and khaki pants stroll up.
“Barry, we’re just trying to convince our good friend Alyssa to come to tryouts,” Shelby explained. “Can you help us change her mind?”
“Well, I can say we would love to have you. If you know nothing, that gives us the opportunity for a fun training montage!”
Alyssa chuckled. “Even if I want to, I just don’t have the time. I’m sorry.”
“So you’re saying you want to?” Kaylee said.
“I’m not saying anything.”
“Well if you change your mind,” Barry continued, “tryouts are at the end of January. I’m sure your friends will happily give you the details.”
Alyssa felt her phone vibrating in her pocket and pulled it out to find a few text messages from her mother, wondering where she was. “Shit,” she muttered.
“What is it?” Shelby frowned.
“My mom,” Alyssa groaned. “I gotta go.”
“We have got to get you out of her house.”
“Yeah, I’m working on it.” She gave Shelby a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, then turned to hug Kaylee as well. “I’ll see you guys. And thanks for dragging me here, Shelbs, I did have fun.”
“I told you so.” Alyssa rolled her eyes and ignored her as she weaved through the crowd and made her way out of the building.
As she pushed her way through the crowd in the parking lot, Alyssa wasn’t looking in front of her for a moment and ran smack into someone. There was a clatter as a phone fell to the floor.
“Shit,” a familiar voice said.
“I’m so sorry.” Alyssa looked up and was face to face with Babe Ruthless, who was in the middle of inspecting her phone screen. “Um, hi.”
“Hey,” she said, looking up at Alyssa with a grin. “Sorry, I’m way more clumsy out of my skates. You’re Kaylee and Shelby’s friend, right?”
“Yeah, Alyssa,” Alyssa muttered. “Is my name.”
“Babe Ruthless,” she said, and held out her hand to shake Alyssa’s.
“I heard. You were pretty good out there.” She lingered in the handshake for a moment too long, not wanting to let go. Then, Alyssa frowned. “I think. I’m still not entirely sure what I just watched.”
Babe Ruthless laughed. “Yeah, I think most people here don’t even know how the game works. They mostly just like watching girls beat the shit out of each other.”
“Oh god, does that happen a lot?”
“Well, today was pretty low key because it was just a scrimmage, but it can get intense. Sometimes fights break out.” She frowned. “I hope that doesn’t discourage you from trying out, I swear it’s not as often as you’d think.”
“Oh, I’m not trying out.” Alyssa shook her head.
“Sorry, I just assumed— people usually come to the scrimmages to scope out teams before tryouts.”
“Not me, I’m just here to support my friends.”
Alyssa wanted to say she looked disappointed, but maybe that was just wishful thinking on her part. But then, Babe Ruthless spoke up again. “That’s too bad,” she said with a bashful smile.
Alyssa blushed. “I um… I have to get going, but it was nice meeting you.”
“Hopefully I’ll see you around, Alyssa.”
“We’ll see, Babe Ruthless.”
After only a few steps, the other woman disappeared into the crowd. Alyssa shook her head, fighting off a giddy smile, and made her way back to the car. It was cold outside, but as she sat down and closed the door behind her she didn’t feel the need to turn on the heat. There was a thrilling warmth in her chest that was partially due to finally understanding why her friends loved this crazy sport so much, and partially from this mysterious Babe Ruthless that she couldn’t stop thinking about her entire drive home.
WickedDisney55, WickedDisney55, Soatb23, Bonnefeta, gay_relations, asoupcrisis, The_Music_Gay, GarbanzosBeans, OneAgentofChaos (BeringsBulldog), EloquentSpitfire, LookGoodPlayGood, Splashy, simplyobsessed, abucketofwigs, Adohug, Band_stand, AstraNova93, munchiezxx, recblue8, firesideteller, wildnoutinwildemount, Thatonegayone, and regrettes as well as 12 guests left kudos on this work! (collapse)
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Records that document the history of the University at Albany, SUNY and its predecessor schools.
The University Archives documents the history of the University at Albany, SUNY from its origin in 1844 as the New York State Normal School to train teachers for New York State to its present status as a comprehensive research university. The department collects, manages, and provides access to permanent university records for research use. This includes the administrative records of the university, student groups, faculty, alumni, and affiliated organizations. Collecting and preserving university records documents our history and promotes transparency and accountability.
Start Over You searched for: Subject Administrative records ✖Remove constraint Subject: Administrative records Collection Office of University Advancement Records, 1973-2000 ✖Remove constraint Collection: Office of University Advancement Records, 1973-2000
Office of University Advancement Records, 1973-2000✖[remove]1
State University of New York at Albany. Division of University Advancement1
Administrative records✖[remove]1
Education, Higher--Administration.1
UAlbany University Development1
University Archives: ua780
Office of University Advancement Records, 1973-2000
State University of New York at Albany. Division of University Advancement
23 cubic ft.
This collection contains records from the Office of University Advancement which oversaw development and public events programs. Also includes records from subordinate offices, including the Community Events Office. Materials include financial records, commencement and inauguration planning documentation, and task force records.
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Best Musician to Listen to When You're Missing Summer
Day Wave, Marin native Jackson Phillips' lo-fi, indie-pop band, sounds like a red popsicle that melts between your fingers as you lick it while sitting Indian-style on a patch of grass.
Best Neighborhood Dive
Flanahan's
A dive, friends, is not measured by the number of out-of-order taps, shady characters slumped at the bar, or questionable stains.
By Channing Joseph
With Is the Is Are, DIIV Frontman Zachary Cole Smith Finally Sees The Light at the End of the Tunnel
Kamasi Washington: How Collaboration With Other Genres is Changing Jazz For the Better
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Miike Snow's Swedish Pop Has a Cerebral Side
December 15, 1999 News » Postscript
Ride of Passage
By Matt Smith Wednesday, Dec 15 1999
Pedal to the Mettle
Will Europhiles wring the barf out of Bay Area cyclocross racing?
By Matt Smith
Road to Redemption
After suffering bad luck, a head injury, and poverty, Bay Area bicycling legend Mike Neel is staging another comeback by coaching pro women's racing
Art on Two Wheels
A look at what lies behind the obsession of building and owning extremely expensive one-of-a-kind bicycles By Matt Smith
There are few things more agonizing than patiently awaiting a rite of passage. Who can forget the nagging itch of the gas-pedal foot during the months approaching age 16; that brief moment just prior to voting age when the Chronicle editorial page seems interesting; or the romantic resonance that watery liquor, flattened barstools, and butt-stuffed ashtrays take on as age 21 approaches?
Me, I've long felt this way about turning 35. It's the cusp of middle age, that halcyon time when males are allowed to engage in a pathetic pursuit of vainglory, before delusion, dissipation, and delirium assume their rightful thrones. So my nostrils have, for a while now, ached for the smell of Ferrari leather. I understand the spiritual side of keeping 19-year-old girlfriends. Bottles of Grecian Formula wink at me as I buy shampoo.
Alas, rites of passage aren't always all they're cracked up to be: I just turned 35, yet work at SF Weekly and can't afford a leather-interior Ferrari, much less a 19-year-old girlfriend. And my quarter-dozen gray hairs aren't yet deserving of that hallowed Grecian Formula.
Thankfully, for me, there is bicycle racing in Central America.
If there were ever a bastion for the American vainglorious, it's Central America, a bunch of Sacramento-sized countries where small things appear large.
This is where Tennessean William Walker rousted a band of freebooters and made himself president of Nicaragua 145 years ago. It's where basketball players not good enough to make it in the Continental Basketball League find legions of adoring fans. And it's where, for decades now, not-fit-for-prime-time bicycle racers have gone to compete in one of that region's top spectator sports.
Take the case of Myron Watts -- known as 'El Foco,' or 'The Light Bulb,' among Mexican journalists for his name, closely shorn head, and low-luminescence intellect. In the sporting world, Mexico is part of Central America, and is typically the most fearsome competitor in the Central American Games. A foreman on a Southern California assembly line, Watts decided to enter Mexico's huge national stage race in 1985, but dropped out from exhaustion on the second day of the two-week contest. Emboldened, he returned the following year and finished the Ruta Mexico's dozen 140-mile stages. He returned the next year and the next and the next, and became a Mexican sports-press legend, giving dozens of interviews and signing hundreds of autographs -- a sort of Eddie the Eagle on wheels.
For Myron Watts and scores like him, Mexico and Central America remain the frontier, where Destiny is still Manifest; a place for American castoffs, crooks, losers, and grasping males to hunt glory denied them in their homeland.
I rode that first Ruta with Watts, having already become accustomed to vainglory, that unwarranted pride of accomplishment that is (or at least should be) part of every American male's coming of age. After five years of racing as an amateur, I had signed up with a U.S.-based professional team in 1985. The team was sponsored by the vainglorious Fred Mengoni, an elderly New York real estate magnate who was best known for successfully pushing his way in front of television cameras to appear beside Greg LeMond, the legendary, three-time winner of the Tour de France. The team was called, not surprisingly, Gruppo Sportivo Mengoni. With the support of a dozen other backers, Mengoni paid for a team house, a manager (who drove behind us while we trained), plane tickets, French sunglasses, skilled mechanics, and expert masseurs. We arrived at races resplendent in a fleet of brand-new Chrysler minivans emblazoned with the "G.S. Mengoni" logo, stepped out wearing matching Italian warm-up suits, stripped to matching Lycra uniforms, and mounted matching, $2,500 Italian-Japanese hybrid bicycles -- all courtesy of the team's sponsors. Our race results that year may have been lamentable. But we looked stunning.
The next year, after the Ruta, I quit and went back to college, but clung to the Mengoni way. I wore my wool-and-nylon G.S. Mengoni team jacket to classes, for instance, thinking it might earn the same cachet on campus it had on the race course. (I later learned classmates assumed it was a bowling jacket.)
So when my time finally arrived this year, upon turning 35, to seek middle-age vainglory, I naturally thought of bike racing, and of the Central American Isthmus.
Lacking money for a new Italian sports car, I bought a new Italian racing bike. Unable to recruit a 19-year-old girlfriend, I shaved my own legs (as is customary among bicycle racers). Having no use for Grecian Formula, I sprayed WD-40 on my new bicycle chain. I enlisted Charlie, an ex-racer pal also in his 30s, to fly down to Costa Rica and compete in the four-day, 220-mile Clasico Master Veterano. Which translates as "Master's Classic," or "30- to 40-year-old nearly geezers race."
So we trained for a couple of months, bought plane tickets, and headed south, hoping to revisit our bike-racing youth.
Costa Rica is the perfect place. In Costa Rica, bicycle racing sits right up there with soccer and basketball among national pastimes. As such, Costa Rican racing enjoys the accouterments that add romance to all highly commercial professional sports: widespread illegal performance-enhancing drug use, corrupt sports federations, and buy-your-soul-for-a-dollar professional teams.
We got our first inkling of the prestigious nature of the Clasico Master after waiting two hours in the airport for Mario Barrantes, a smarmy lawyer and Costa Rican sports federation official who had told us we would be greeted by name-card-toting pursers. We became even more convinced of our honored stature in the Costa Rican sport upon entering our race hotel, a low-rent, prostitution-oriented fleabag situated in San Jose's seamy auto-repair and bus-smoke district. The fact that David, the hotel's proprietor, was a congenial man who drank rotgut from a milk carton and spent his evening counting passing taxis certainly added to the hotel's charm. But the dozens of yards of exposed, live, copper wiring in the shower and omnipresent pesticide smell in the rooms didn't.
After we had time to get comfortable, Barrantes called us for an unannounced "interview." It turned out we were the scheduled live guests of that evening's edition of the country's top radio sports talk show. We had come to the Clasico Master to race against Costa Ricans, cyclists feared throughout the continent, I said diplomatically. We would try our best, I said. We're happy to be guests of the wonderful Costa Rican people, I said.
"This is more like it," I thought.
On the first day of the four-day race Charlie and I had a bit of a time acclimating to the old racing circuit, and found our break-away attempts consistently foiled by a wily, light-skinned Costa Rican named Mario, who was sponsored by a big soybean exporting concern. By the beginning of day three, as Charlie and I were just getting our sea legs, Mario and his $3,500 bike already enjoyed a 25-second lead over both of us.
Worse, 30 minutes into the third day of the race, Charlie got a flat tire. I gave him my rear wheel, and waited two minutes for a support car, got a new wheel, then asked the race official if I could take a shortcut across the race circuit to catch back up to the pack -- a maneuver allowed under international rules.
With about seven miles to go, on a three-mile downhill stretch, my luck began to change. As is customary in situations such as these, I tucked my body into a ski-racer aerodynamic position, chest draped across the bike's top tube, chin hidden behind the handlebars. The pace car clocked me at 66 miles per hour, and by the bottom of the hill, with four miles to go, I had a 30-second advantage over the field -- enough to work with, I thought, and began to hammer. With a mile to go, with the field more than a minute behind, I began squealing like a stuck pig: "I'm gonna win." At the finish line, the race commissar ruled that I had acted correctly in taking the shortcut, and I went to the hotel leading the four-day race overall with just one stage to go.
But the next morning, nothing was as it had seemed. It turned out that Mario had called his sponsor, who had put pressure on the Costa Rican Cycling Federation, which had twisted the arm of the race directors. The commissar reversed his decision, docking me the 1-minute-10-second lead I had gained the day before and relegating me to fifth place. Mario remained in the lead.
But then, on the 18 1/2-mile climb that began the next day's stage, a funny thing happened. Mario hammered off the front of the group with a cyclist we hadn't seen before -- a cyclist who wasn't part of the race. This was clearly illegal -- having a friend who was not in the competition ride along to help set the pace.
At race's end I raised holy hell. How can someone so concerned with the rules one day defy them the next? I hollered with my best version of utmost sincerity. The commissars had no choice. Mario was relegated to fourth place overall. Charlie ended up second overall, I was five seconds behind in third, a feat for which I received a gold- colored plastic trophy mounted on tropical hardwood.
Not a Ferrari, to be sure.
But at a mere 35 years of age, it's enough vainglory for me.
Tags: Postscript, Postscript, Mexico, Myron Watts, Central America, Fred Mengoni
What's Matt Smokin'?
Municipalizing Bruce
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Benecio Del Toro Better Play A Klingon In STAR TREK 2
JJ Abrams wants Benny as the villain in the new TREK... but who is the villain?
By Devin Faraci Nov. 05, 2011
Variety is reporting that JJ Abrams wants Benecio Del Toro to play the villain in Star Trek 2 (which won't be called Star Trek 2 but rather Star Trek: Some Sort of Subtitle), but the role is so secretive even Del Toro, who has met with the director, doesn't know what it is. Oh that Mystery Box!
When you hear a Hispanic man is being courted for a role in a Star Trek movie, you immediately begin thinking that maybe it's Khan. Christ, I hope not. That would be a big mistake. But what if the part were a Klingon? In the original series Klingons basically were Space Puerto Ricans, and they're the most famous Trek alien race. They didn't show up in the first film, so it could be high time to bring them in now.
There were a couple of Klingons in the original series who would be fodder for new villainry, including Koloth, who was supposed to be the recurring foil for Kirk. He appeared in the episode The Trouble With Tribbles and has popped up in other Trek series and spin-offs. Or it could be a whole new Klingon commander, which is probably preferable.
I just really, really hope it isn't Khan.
JACKASS Will Return In 2021
STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Review: The Force Needs A Rest
Time To Stop Holding Your Breath For Quentin Tarantino’s STAR TREK
benecio del toro
Cool If True
By Scott Wampler, Dec 19, 2019
OK but who's actually gonna be in this thing?
By Evan Saathoff, Dec 17, 2019
The trilogy goes out with a bang. A lot of bangs. Maybe too many bangs.
Set phasers to "Well, this was probably inevitable."
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Best Events Near You in Baldwin, Iowa
Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts
Codfish Hollow Barnstormers
Susto and Molly Parden
Polica and Wilsen
Thursday, Apr 2, 2020
Featured Yelp Deals for Baldwin!
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Friday, Apr 24, 2020 at 7:30pm
Wednesday, Jun 3, 2020 at 8:00pm
Anamosa State Penitentiary Museum
406 North High Street
The Anamosa State Penitentiary Museum showcases the 132-year history of Iowa's largest prison, the Anamosa State Penitentiary. The museum offers di...
Bailey's Ford Park Nature Center
2379 Jefferson Road
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A 170 acre park located three miles southeast of Manchester. This address is also where the office and nature center for the Delaware County Conser...
Barnyard Batting Cages
1139 Moscow Rd
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One 70 cage with baseball pitching machine   One 55 cage with softball pitching machine   Pitching area with mound   Batting tees
Bettendorf Family Museum
2900 Learning Campus Drive
The Museum's MissionInspire, connect, and strengthen our community by enriching the lives of our children today and expanding their capacity to sha...
Bickelhaupt Arboretum
Mission Statement: The mission of The Bickelhaupt Arboretum is to serve as a connection between people and plants through a better understanding o...
Buffalo Bill Museum
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The Buffalo Bill Museum of LeClaire is organized and operated exclusively for educational purposes and to such ends is given the power to establish...
Clinton Area Showboat Theatre
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History : The fall of 1988 saw the incorporation of a new nonprofit group - Clinton Area Showboat Theatre. They went to the city council and reque...
Crow Creek Dog Park
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Mission: To provide recreational opportunities that enrich the quality of life for all. With the addition of The Spott for old, timid and tiny dogs...
Crystal Lake Cave
6684 Crystal Lake Cave Road
In 1868 lead miners drilled 40 feet into the ground to find traces of a rich lead vein. In this process they found very little lead, but instead di...
DavenPort Skate Park
700 West River Drive
Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
3800 Arboretum Drive
The Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens have been a part of the Dubuque community since 1980. Quietly nestled on the city's northwest side an...
Dubuque Museum of Art
Mission Statement The Dubuque Museum of Art seeks to excite, engage, and educate constituents through the presentation of collections, exhibition...
Eden Valley Nature Center
From the earliest blooming hepatica to the brilliant fall colors and snow-covered trails, Eden Valley Refuge offers a refreshing and natural experi...
Eldridge Skatepark
400 South 16th Avenue
The Eldridge Community Center is an Indoor roller skating rink and Community Center. We host many types of Events, from Birthday Parties to Trivia ...
Field of Dreams Movie Site
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Is this Heaven? No, it’s Iowa. A place of fertile soil, traditional values and simple pleasure. And in Dyersville, Iowa, at the century-old L...
Mission Statement: The Figge Art Museum, formerly the Davenport Museum of Art, actively serves the public by collecting, conserving and exhibit...
Frozen Fat Fondo Fest
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Continue to make history and be a part of FORC's third Fatbike challenge, the Frozen Fat Fondo Festival! The Festival will be held - rain, shine, s...
German American Heritage Center
Our goal is to create a library archives, museum and cultural center for service throughout the Midwest by restoring a site with historical links t...
Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark
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Located in the Port of Dubuque, Iowa, Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark is the perfect spot for enjoying this beautiful and exciting destination ar...
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A 230-pound Female Amur Tiger ...
Tiger sanctuary denied
A 230-pound Female Amur Tiger Will Make Her Public Debut at Potter Park Zoo Today
By Billie Harris – 6/17/2009
Lansing, MI – Once again, the Potter Park Zoo is celebrating a wave of new additions. Over the past several months Potter Park Zoo has welcomed an array of new arrivals, including a 230-pound female Amur tiger that will make her public debut at the zoo Wednesday, June 17, 2009.
The four-year-old tiger named Nikka arrived on April 7 from the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Though she arrived several weeks ago, larger animals routinely spend time in quarantine and/or acclimation in the zoo before they are ready for an exhibit. However, Nikka may still require a period of time to adjust to her larger outdoor surroundings and will be intermittently on exhibit, explains Dr. Tara Harrison, the zoo’s veterinarian and animal curator.
With the arrival of Nikka and the departure of the zoo’s two other females, Zeya and Talalia, to Sedgwick County Zoo, Potter Park Zoo will now have a total population of two tigers.
“We are delighted to welcome Nikka to Potter Park Zoo,” said Dr.
Harrison. “We are deeply committed to the care and management of endangered species such as Amur tigers, and are very excited to introduce her into our Feline/Primate Building.”
Nikka’s transfer to Potter Park Zoo was recommended by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Amur Tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative-management program in which the zoo participates.
SSP coordinators are hoping to pair this new female Amur tiger with Potter Park Zoo’s male tiger, Sivaki, for breeding.
“The Amur tiger is a critically endangered species,” explains zoo Director, Gerry Brady. “Nikka’s transfer and breeding recommendation is another great example of AZA Accredited Zoos working together to help save a species from extinction.”
There are fewer than 850 Amur tigers surviving in their native forest habitats along the Eastern costal regions of Russia. Loss of habitat due to logging activities, human encroachment, and poaching are the main threats to their survival in the wild.
In addition to Nikka’s debut, guests to Potter Park Zoo will also have a chance to meet several other new members to the zoo’s family.
During the last several months the zoo has seen the arrival of over fifteen new animals including, two Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, two ostriches, a female wolf, a female bongo, two species of turtles, and several new birds.
Potter Park Zoo is located at 1301 S. Pennsylvania Ave. within Potter Park along the Red Cedar River in Lansing, Michigan. The zoo is open daily year-round, summer hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (517) 483-4222 or visit http://www.potterparkzoo.org/.
To view Potter Park Zoo’s web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-588-Potter_Park_Zoo
http://www.zandavisitor.com/newsarticle-1658-A_230-pound_Female_Amur_Tiger_Will_Make_Her_Public_Debut_at_Potter_Park_Zoo_Today
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Epstein’s Jail Guards to Face Criminal Charges
The guards allegedly falsified jail records.
Richard Moorhead
Two New York jail guards connected to billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s death in a Manhattan Jail are expected to be criminally charged for their forgery of prison records, according to reporting that surfaced Monday.
Prosecutors will allege that the guards falsified prison records hoping to avoid responsibility for Epstein’s unexpected death. When the politically connected financier in jail for sex trafficking died, two cameras were supposedly malfunctioning, and standard procedures for securing inmates weren’t followed.
The correctional officers haven’t yet been named. It’s very possible that New York prosecutors will seek to use them as patsies to deflect skepticism from the official narrative surrounding Epstein’s death.
The guards have apparently been offered a plea deal that they declined, setting the stage for legal proceedings that could shine light on Epstein’s death.
The authorities’ official story maintains the billionaire pedophile committed suicide in his own jail cell, hanging himself with bed sheets when jail guards weren’t looking. Epstein’s close personal connections to neoliberal political elites such as Bill Clinton and the UK’s Prince Andrew have lead to an abundance of alternative explanations, with a plurality of Americans doubting the jail’s version of events.
The guards’ version of events could prove to be the most insightful explanation of events the public has seen thus far in the matter. If they’re being fingered as patsies to provide the system two fall guys, they have no reason to be complicit in covering up any corrupt or malevolent events that might have surrounded Epstein’s death.
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City Council and PBOT will seek $300,000 for outer Division safety ’emergency’ – UPDATED
Posted by Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor) on December 16th, 2016 at 1:18 pm
They heard you.
The City of Portland is on the verge of releasing $300,000 from the city’s general fund for “emergency Vision Zero improvements” on outer Southeast Division Street.
The move comes after a spate of deaths and injuries on Division east of 82nd Avenue — including two fatal collisions within hours of each other nine days ago.
Division is home to seven of the city’s top 30 high crash intersections. This year alone five people have died and three people have sustained serious injuries while using the street. Seven of those collisions happened on outer Division between 124th and 156th.
Pressure has been building on PBOT for the past week to do something.
Last week nine bereaved family members (including two women who lost their sons at the same intersections on Division where people were killed on December 7th) signed a letter demanding immediate action.
And this past Saturday, dozens of volunteer activists used hay bales and their own bodies to slow down traffic on the notoriously dangerous thoroughfare. “PBOT won’t fix it, so we will,” proclaimed event organizers from Bike Loud PDX.
The $300,000 investment was confirmed today via a City Council agenda item that will be heard at their meeting on December 21st. We have also confirmed the action with a staffer in Transportation Commissioner Steve Novick’s office.
The ordinance is being presented by Novick, Mayor Charlie Hales and Commissioner Nick Fish — which means it already has the three votes it needs to pass.
The money will come from contingency funding in the City’s general fund. These are funds held aside by the city in case projects cost more than expected. Specifically the agenda item calls for “emergency Vision Zero improvements and community engagement efforts on Outer Division.” We don’t have all the details about what the $300,000 will do, but we’ll update this post when we know more.
Asked about the ordinance today, Novick’s office said the idea for emergency funding came from PBOT Director Leah Treat and it was Mayor Hales’ idea to use contingency funding.
Interestingly this is a very similar approach to dealing with a traffic safety crisis that former Mayor Sam Adams took in October 2007. After two people died while biking in the central city less than two weeks apart, Adams called an emergency meeting and held a press conference at City Hall. At that meeting PBOT staff unveiled plans for installing the city’s first bike boxes at 14 high-risk locations. About five weeks later Adams got $200,000 in emergency funding (through the same contingency fund method being used by Hales and Novick).
In a story published yesterday in the Portland Mercury, PBOT dismissed the major lane reconfiguration (a.k.a. “road diet”) that Bike Loud PDX is calling for. Instead, PBOT called for much less controversial measures like medians, refuge islands and crosswalk beacons. (They were already planning to install speed radar cameras at 156th.)
There are a lot of things PBOT can do to tame outer Division. The question is, what measures will they take? And will it be enough to mitigate the clear and present danger posed by this deadly street?
The ordinance will be at City Council on Wednesday (12/21) at 10:15 am.
UPDATE, 1:45pm: We’ve learned more context about next week’s ordinance. Commissioner Novick’s transportation policy advisor Timur Ender said it came about after a conference call convened by Mayor Hales on December 7th, the day after the two fatalities. Hales wanted to know what PBOT was doing and he wanted to move up the timeframe. “After looking at all of our efforts (engineering, enforcement, etc.),” Ender shared with us via email, “we realized we had room to improve our education and outreach efforts.”
Next week’s budget item, he added, is specifically related to funding for, “culturally-specific engagement and outreach about safety in the Jade District, and multi-language, multi-modal signs on Outer Division.” The money will also be used for traffic safety classes in languages spoken in the adjacent community.
At the council hearing next week PBOT will outline its future plans for outer Division which will include speeding up speed camera implementation and other safety-related projects. PBOT plans to dip into its General Transportation Revenue (gas tax) to supplement the emergency funding request.
More details coming next week.
UPDATE, 2:35 pm: We have learned more about the $300,000 educational effort. PBOT Traffic Safety and Active Transportation Division Manager Margi Bradway says the request (which includes more safety education, information, signs and more lighting) came specifically from APANO (the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon). Both of the people killed last week — 51-year-old Myit Oo and 65-year-old Rohgzhao Zhang — were elders in the community and their families have been in touch with APANO. We’ll share another update after speaking with APANO’s leader.
UPDATE, 3:30 pm: The full text of the ordinance (PDF) has been released:
… This stretch of street east of SE 82nd is also located near Portland’s Communities of Concern. In addition to Outer Division, Outer Halsey and Outer Glisan have very high rates of traffic crashes. The traffic deaths and injuries on these three corridors greatly impact the community in the Jade District and East Portland.
It is urgent that the City take steps now to respond to the community’s request for increased funding for education and outreach programs on Outer Division, and for two other high crash corridors, Outer Halsey and Outer Glisan. This community-based education will be complimented with traffic signs and traffic safety information in different languages. Although this budget request will focus primarily on education and signs, PBOT will use this money to leverage engineering improvements on Outer Division, Outer Halsey and Outer Glisan.
And here’s the breakdown and timeline of the actions PBOT will take in partnership with APANO…
Front Page, Infrastructure
fatal collisions, se division
New Belgium Brewing now offers a 3-day, $300 "Oregon Ramble" ride April 26, 2017
After year of tragedies, City returns to outer Division with an apology and a plan February 24, 2017
Oregon's new bike tax: $77,000 in receipts and $47,000 to collect them May 21, 2018
TriMet is firming up its designs for outer Division bus stations October 5, 2017
Adam H. December 16, 2016 at 1:25 pm
$300K isn’t even remotely enough. PBOT will just add a few rapid-flash beacons and call it a day while people will continue to die.
Try harder.
Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor) December 16, 2016 at 1:29 pm
i think we should wait and see what they have planned to do.
And obviously $300K isn’t enough… But I think it’s a pretty solid number given that this is something that was unplanned.
I also think it might not have happened if we didn’t have both Hales and Novick looking to leave as much of a popular legacy as possible.
I don’t feel like we need to “wait and see” because we have plenty of examples of what happens in this situation. Under Hales and Novick, whenever “emergency” funds are dedicated, one of two things happens.
1: The city spends a year planning, talking to neighborhood associations, and holding open houses. By the end of the planning phase, most of the funds are gone – spent on all those meetings – and the initial project is watered down.
2: PBOT builds immediately, but doesn’t dedicate nearly enough funding to actually fix anything, so we end up with a cheap band-aid (a handful of painted crosswalks and a couple rapid-flash beacons, or worse: a victim-shaming hi-vis campaign). Whatever solution is chosen, rest assured that drivers of motor vehicles won’t be inconvenienced in the slightest.
In both cases, PBOT does the absolutely bare minimum to silence the complainers, but not nearly enough to fix any real problem. On a street as wide and long as Division, cheap band-aid solutions aren’t even remotely enough. I’d love to give PBOT the benefit of the doubt, but past history doesn’t give me much hope. At any rate, I think showing PBOT with praise for responding quickly to last week’s protest is counter-intuative. They have our ear, now is the time to push hard to get what we need, rather than sitting back quietly to “wait and see what they have planned”.
peejay December 16, 2016 at 2:02 pm
Exactly what I wanted to say.
preaching to the choir here adam. and do you really think I’m “sitting back quietly”? come on man. by “wait and see” I mean waiting for more conversations I’m having with them right now and especially waiting until next week. we have different styles of activism. and that’s ok!
Pete December 17, 2016 at 3:38 pm
Our city (of ~120K) budgets $200K/yr to spend on bike & ped infrastructure. We can (and do) bank it every other year, and then have to decide how it gets spent by March or we lose all $400K. Granted PDX is 5x our population (though we likely have more tax revenue per person), but I can’t imagine us coming up with that budget on short notice.
Adam is indeed dead on with his points, but I hope it’s spent efficiently and wisely, with a measurable reduction in incidents. I can only contrast with our situation; we recently restriped a critical connecting street to its original 4-lane configuration, despite the police department in favor of extending the trial road diet citing significant reduction in crashes and citations. City Council got scared by the public’s outrage at how ‘horribly’ traffic was now backed up and their commute times were prolonged.
Our measure of “successful investment” is seriously f***ed.
(flawed ;).
wsbob December 18, 2016 at 12:01 am
“…we recently restriped a critical connecting street to its original 4-lane configuration, despite the police department in favor of extending the trial road diet citing significant reduction in crashes and citations. City Council got scared by the public’s outrage at how ‘horribly’ traffic was now backed up and their commute times were prolonged. …” pete
Your understanding, is that your city council believed the reaction of some part of that city’s public to the road diet, was so strongly opposed, that the council felt it had to return the street to its former four lane configuration? Question: what percent of the city’s public, do you roughly guess, seemed to be in favor of the road diet, despite objections expressed by those opposed to the road diet?
I ask, because I think it sometimes can be very hard to know what percent of a city’s population, is and isn’t in favor of what to them may seem to be rather dramatic modifications to the streets and roads they daily travel.
What happened was they implemented a road diet (during a routine maintenance restriping) on a particularly troublesome stretch of Pruneridge, from Lawrence Expressway to Pomeroy (where there’s a popular park nearby). People became furious, writing letters to council as well as San Jose Mercury News’ “Roadshow” column, pressuring the council to revert it because of all the traffic it now created (which of course has nothing to do with how many more motorists now use this road). The police had noted that speeding tickets and “incidents” went down dramatically with the road diet, and are in favor of keeping it. Specifically, they noted that the four-lane configuration resulted not only in higher speeds but frequent rear-end crashes, as people stopped to turn into their driveways and side streets. Now, the reality of this section, as you can see in the satellite view, is that you’ve got a 35-MPH residential street (with many pedestrians and people street-parking at the park) being fed by a slip lane off a 50-MPH expressway, not to mention that it parallels Homestead which has become choked with traffic from new stoplights and Apple campus construction. (Coming out of Harvard is nearly impossible due to the speed of drivers exiting or entering Lawrence, as well as backups at the light).
https://goo.gl/maps/5vbRT1x8b8p
Anyway, our 2009 bicycle master plan called for adding bike lanes to the whole length, eventually connecting with San Jose’s strategic Hedding Street bike lanes, but the city went ahead and restriped the rest of it to the existing configuration, and when I brought it up at our BPAC meeting was told by two city councilors that it was discussed, but the majority feared an even bigger backlash than the one this little section brought upon them. So they directed the engineering department to keep the current configuration and make no changes, despite our BPAC being told two months previous that the bike lanes were about to go in.
Vision? Zero.
Mind you this is the same city council that asked me personally to lead the effort in moving us from a bronze Bicycle-Friendly City to silver level. I have resigned from the BPAC now, though will continue to be involved on a tactical level, as I have a series of proposals for improvements that I’m hoping to get time to publish on Richard Masoner’s site (cyclelicio.us) to gather momentum with. (And I’ll continue to fight for uninterrupted access to our trail that the 49’ers took over when they sold our city a bill of goods now known as Levi’s Stadium).
So yeah, this is the kind of stuff that goes on outside of Portland. Keep fighting the good fight up there; it’s inspirational!
Is the google view showing the road diet? Because rather than four lanes, it looked to me like essentially a two lane road with a middle turn lane…and bike lanes. Studied Pruneridge, from Lawrence Expressway to Pomeroy. Looks like a really nice street.
The term ‘slip lane’ isn’t one I’m really familiar with, but from the overhead view, I think I can see that the idea behind its configuration is to enable fast, what I’ll call sweeping turns to keep people from having to slow down like they would have to with more of a right angled turn. If it hasn’t already, maybe the city could take steps such as very explicit speed reduction signage for people leaving the expressway to Pruneridge, and speed limit cameras on Pruneridge managing whatever slower speed is posted there.
Didn’t look for posted speed limit on the street. Would 25mph tops be feasible for this street; allowing for reasonably efficient travel times for the majority of destinations people tend to use this street for? Streets posted for that speed, in my personal experience, isn’t too bad for walking and biking alongside. From Lawrence to the park doesn’t look like much more than a mile.
There’s only so much I can gather from looking at those pics, which is not like being there first hand to see it, or actually use it. Tends to remind me of Cornelius Pass Rd or Bethany Blvd out here in Hillsboro and Beaverton…streets which provide for biking and walking, but aren’t what I would consider inviting for that mode of travel to other than very determined or desperate people. Not great to live next to either, because of the roar of traffic, even with the sound walls built between houses and street.
Pete December 28, 2016 at 9:38 am
Yes, that’s the road diet section. If you pan right (east), you’ll see that it becomes a four-lane road with on-street parking, no marked bike lanes, and no middle turn lane. What you see in my link is what was supposed to be done the entire length of the street, eventually all the way to San Jose (where it turns into Hedding Street).
The posted speed limit is 35 MPH. On adjacent Homestead Road the posted speed limit is 40 MPH. On both of these streets drivers are regularly hitting 40-45 MPH. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve nearly been rear-ended by driving the speed limit on either of these roads, especially there’s a part where Homestead reduces to 25 MPH because of a school, and I’ve watched people absolutely flip out at how ‘slow’ I was driving, waving their arms and honking like I’m the idiot.
Slip lane is a term I learned here years ago (maybe from Paikiala?). Our city engineer has been trying to get rid of these, but the county has jurisdiction over Lawrence Expressway and fears that doing so would cause backups on their road. The city doesn’t have the budget to implement the tools you mention, unfortunately. (Not that they don’t have the money, but budget is different).
Yes, similar feel to Cornelius Pass, Bethany, Murray, Scholl’s Ferry, etc, (but with fewer trees).
“Yes, that’s the road diet section. If you pan right (east), you’ll see that it becomes a four-lane road with on-street parking, no marked bike lanes, and no middle turn lane. …” pete
I thought further east may have been where the four lane section of the road was. The display I was using wasn’t quite good enough to take all of this in well enough. I suppose many of us reading, are familiar enough though, with the two lane, and the four lane road situations, to have some idea of what the problems are.
If there were video, for example, overhead, as well as street view at points along the street, of traffic on the road, that may give some idea of issues road users have with the section of the street you describe as having been configured for road diet…issues that might be reasonably addressed without dispensing with it entirely.
To be specific…were the bulk of people’s objections to the road diet, concerning congestion the reduction of four lanes of main travel…to two lanes of main travel…may have caused during peak road use hours? Or were the objections expressed, mainly having to do with a lower top mph speed that may have resulted due to a variety of factors, from the lane reduction.
On a big thoroughfare, some people for whatever reasons, may want to cruise at max posted speed, plus a bit…so 45-50 in a 40. Other people let’s say…for where they’re going, don’t really care or need to travel that speed…for them, 20 or 25 might be just fine, as long as the traffic keeps flowing along, and doesn’t involve a lot of stop and go bumper to bumper traffic congestion.
Just a layman’s viewpoint, but my impression is that local area government leaders, and road and traffic engineers are under huge pressure to redesign roads able to accommodate anticipated increases in motor vehicle road use…according to long standing road use capacity philosophy arising in part as a consequence of community planning…where people live in relation to where they work. Nothing really new in what I’ve just written there, but I think it kind of helps to periodically consider and try figure out just what the motivation is for these big, fast roads communities seem to get out of what originally were simple two lane roads.
Personally, with the population growing as it is in many areas, though I don’t really like them, I can see some justification for the multi lanes in each direction roads…four lanes, etc. It’s the top posted speeds over 25 on such roads that to me seems to be a major problem for reasons that are too numerous to list simply.
wsbob December 17, 2016 at 1:49 am
For outer Division to become a safer thoroughfare for people on foot to use, the city and PBOT have at least come up with some ideas of how to go about that, and have proposed to budget money to carry those ideas out.
Installation of pedestrian activated yellow flashing beacons would be a great improvement to Division being safer to use by people walking…but even those relatively simple signal systems cost a lot of money…like 90K a piece, if I recall.
Nevertheless, if there are points along the street where their installation can provide people on foot, safer use of the street, the signals should be installed. Education of the public, as to function and obligation associated with the signals to all road users, is essential for the signals to do what they’re designed to do.
The two collisions on the 7th of this month, resulting in deaths of people on foot, happened in the evening, after rush hour. Take a look at times other collisions involving injury or deaths to vulnerable road users have occurred on this street to be sure, but the suggestion from those two collisions, is that the reasons they occurred have mainly to do with lapses in judgment and understanding, of the occasional person driving, rather than most everyone else driving.
If at all possible, the city should look very closely at the numbers, confining top mph motor vehicle speed on this street, to a mph speed that can help provide safe use of the street by people on foot and bike, and still allow reasonable trip times for travel and transport by motor vehicle. If the street is posted for 30 or 35 mph, that probably means bringing the speed limit down to 25 mph, or even 20.
Sounds like a lot, but in the long run, the greater expense of longer trip times to individuals and businesses, may be offset by infrastructure that’s less expensive to build to provide safe use of the street by people on foot: no expensive overhead pedestrian bridges, elevators, tunnels…fewer, full red-yellow-green crosswalk signals…MUP’s completely separate from the street.
X December 18, 2016 at 11:45 am
Well that was long so I read it really fast. Are you saying that it’s worth a little bit of everyone’s time to have fewer bodies in the trauma ward? Like, spend an hour bashing ice off the sidewalk so your neighbor will, hopefully, not break their hip?
“Well that was long so I read it really fast. Are you saying …” x
Take your time, read slower, think through carefully what you’re reading, and the answer to your question may come to you more easily on your own.
In a lot of comments posted to this story, is what to me seems to be way too much energy spent on sarcasm, and not nearly enough on serious thought about what changes should and could be implemented on big busy thoroughfares, to have them be able to better manage the percentage…small it would seem…of people driving that are major contributors to collisions with vulnerable road users.
All this infrastructure…the signals, varying in cost according to type…the engineering and construction for reconfiguration of lane provision…costs a lot of money. That’s part of the reason, I think, that cities don’t just abruptly install a bunch more expensive signals whenever a group of citizens raise concerns about a street that indications are, is in need of some improvements for its safe use by people walking and biking.
The city could probably make the case for some pedestrian activated flashing yellow beacons, on Division…partly, because they cost less money than the other types of pedestrian signals. And, because they minimize reductions in the flow of traffic, compared to full red-yellow-green signals with pedestrian crossing. The city should introduce more safety measures for vulnerable road users, of course.
My guess, is that the public isn’t going to support needs city leaders express, for improvements that blow transportation budgets sky high, or that dramatically reduces motor vehicle flow on thoroughfares through the city that are crucial to people meeting their day to day travel needs.
Well said. Another part of the reason is that signs in general are invisible; they get filtered out as visual noise as drivers pay attention to other cars, pedestrians, cyclists, etc (and yeah, smartphones). To make them noticeable they make them flash, and we’ve seen recently this isn’t foolproof either. If everything becomes visually important, nothing is.
I remember sitting at a (long) light last summer and moving left so a driver could get by to make a right turn on red. He stayed put. I politely said, “it’s all clear” to him though his open window, and he pointed up to a sign and said “there’s no right turn on red allowed here.” I’d ridden this route almost daily since 2009 and watched so many drivers turn right on red next to me at this light that I’d never even noticed the sign myself.
soren December 28, 2016 at 4:54 pm
longer trip times (e.g. slower speeds) by out-of-neighborhood drivers are a feature, not a bug. division could be road dieted for mere hundreds of thousands per mile and this would almost certainly reduce dangerous driving behavior and serious injury collisions:
http://bikeportland.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/holgatecrashes1.jpg
http://bikeportland.org/2011/05/12/pbot-data-buffered-bike-lanes-lead-to-big-safety-benefits-on-holgate-52885
full PBOT presentation:
http://media.oregonlive.com/portland_impact/other/Holgate_Open_House_Presentation.pdf
(apologies for the oregonian link — i could not find this on pbot’s web site.)
wsbob December 17, 2016 at 11:50 pm
“…but not nearly enough to fix any real problem. …” adam h
You live in Portland, it’s your city and other Portland residents’ money, part of which goes to diagnose and resolve problems affecting the safety of the city’s streets for use by people on foot and bike:
In more specific detail than just saying the streets ‘aren’t safe’ for use by people on foot, what do you believe are the problems to which you generally refer, and what viable solution do you propose to use to fix them?
Do you believe, as a taxpayer, that you and all of Portland’s other residents, are paying enough money to fix the street safety problems you have in mind?
Spiffy December 16, 2016 at 1:47 pm
they already did that at 156th and people are still dying there…
their plans amount to nothing…
Dan G December 16, 2016 at 2:43 pm
300k isn’t enough for a permanent fix, but it could be enough for a temporary one if they’re creative enough.
Dave December 16, 2016 at 1:35 pm
Speed traps. Enforcement. Give the police a monetary goal specifically to cow drivers into driving at or below posted speed limits on Division. Make drivers fear the consequences. Yes, there are racist cops, yes people of color may be stopped disproportionally. Maybe this is a time NOT to care about that situation. Is it true that motorists are less likely to stop for black pedestrians to cross the road? In any case, pedestrians, cyclists and law abiding drivers of all skin colors are risking their lives until speeding is controlled. This is triage–stop the bleeding first. Stop. The. Bleeding. First.
Yes, there are racist cops, yes people of color may be stopped disproportionally. Maybe this is a time NOT to care about that situation.
We can’t just care about racial justice only when it is convenient to do so.
Dick Button December 16, 2016 at 2:14 pm
Saying someone doesn’t care about racial justice, because they are not troubled by the skin color of individuals being held accountable for their actions, if they have broken the law, isn’t very honest.
So we only target white rule breakers? That sounds like soft-bigotry springing out of low expectations.
OP literally said “this is a time NOT to care about [racist cops, people of color being stopped disproportionally]”. Saying that “everyone should be held accountable equally regardless of skin color” ignores the fact that this is simply NOT true and the reality is that people of color face bigger barriers that white people simply do not have to worry about. Top to bottom, from excessive use of force against POC’s, to bigger fines, longer jail time, institutionalized incarceration, etc. the system is simply stacked against minorities. We can’t just simply ignore this fact when it’s convenient for us.
Of course I want safer streets, but not at the expense of vulnerable communities. That’s not how a civilized society should behave.
pdxdave December 16, 2016 at 2:49 pm
Without enforcement people will continue to die on Portland roads due to negligent drivers.
There are plenty of safe streets in Portland that have the same lack of enforcement as the rest of the city. Road design plays a much bigger part in safety than police presence.
Todd Hudson December 17, 2016 at 7:38 am
You are engaged in what is known as “magical thinking”.
Hello, Kitty December 16, 2016 at 3:23 pm
Safer streets PROTECT vulnerable populations.
Enforce traffic laws fairly, and do it vigorously.
This is true. However, more police do not make a street safer. Safe design does.
More enforcement DOES make streets safer; if you’ve ever driven through communities known to have strict enforcement, you’ll see people do drive more slowly.
That said, street design is a more permanent fix.
David Hampsten December 16, 2016 at 4:26 pm
Portland is not a city particularly well-known for police enforcement of any kind, ever, anywhere, but especially of car drivers. There are apparently 948 officers in Portland, a city of 623,000 – a pretty low ratio compared to other similarly-sized cities.
Gwenevere December 16, 2016 at 5:48 pm
Here’s what gets me about this: Yes, people drive slower in areas with strict enforcement, but that’s because they know that area is a trap. I have driven (or at least been in the vehicle) between Portland and Milwaukie (via MgLoughlin and Grand/MLK) since I was in the 6th grade, and if you don’t know, there is a major, and very well known, speed trap in Downtown Milwaukie. There are regularly motorcycle cops, regular patrols, and speed camera vans and they have had a presence for at least a decade. People that drive through this regularly know and do not speed. Through that area, that is. As soon as the 30mph zone is over and it goes up to 40mph (southbound… Goes to 45mph in northbound), everyone jumps up to 50-55mph+ and the civilness goes away.
Street design is not only a permanent fix, but it is actually a behavior changing fix. And it has the extra plus of providing benefits to ALL users. When done right, there are significant safety changes that can have extremely limited impacts on traffic.
X December 18, 2016 at 8:59 am
Well it’s crazy that police should not routinely stop motorists who are observed driving unsafely. I know about driving while (other), it’s a real thing. Until we solve the training problem (how does a largely white suburban police force trained with military tactics confront a more diverse population with mutual issues of distrust?) we still need a way to enforce traffic laws for public safety.
I propose catch-and-release. When a driver is observed to commit a clear ORS violation (5 miles over speed limit, following too closely, failure to yield, etc) it should be the policy of the city to have an officer who is on a specific traffic enforcement mission pull the offender over and sweat them for 5 minutes by the clock while they run the plates and do other important cop stuff. If there are no outstanding warrants or other aggravating circumstances, lights out, you’re free to go. No face-to-face interaction, by policy.
This may seem like a crazy idea, but when I was driving a car for work one strong reason for me to avoid a traffic stop was I just didn’t have time for it. I had no prior tickets, and being generally law-abiding any ticket I got wasn’t going to break me, but the lost time would kill my schedule. Sitting by the road is kind of humiliating (instant punishment) and a significant deterrent to people whose ostensible reason for speeding or pushing other boundaries is they must arrive somewhere by a specific time. It means that officers spend less time in court, often on overtime, and probably would not result in fewer stops. Also: there is no better single point traffic control device than a stopped police car, lights on, like as not blocking a lane.
BB December 16, 2016 at 2:15 pm
But we do have to address issues with responses proportionate to the effects of those problems – People being killed and the social tolerance of people being killed is worse than people being discriminated against or arrested, and as such should be given the most immediate attention.
So are you saying that as a society we should not enforce any laws due to possible police discrimination?
No, I am saying we need to enforce in a way that does not discriminate while simultaneously working to fix our broken policing and justice system. Though, based on our incoming administration, the latter is going to get far worse before it gets better. So yeah, maybe a little less police presence would be a good thing. Fix the road design and add cameras instead. Cameras are still not a perfect solution, as they would still involve the justice system, but they at least take one problem (the officer) out of the equation.
Random December 17, 2016 at 9:20 am
“Speed traps. Enforcement. Give the police a monetary goal specifically to cow drivers into driving at or below posted speed limits on Division.”
Sorry. As the Executive Director of Oregon Walks explained on these very pages, Vision Zero in Portland does not include increased traffic enforcement because police profile, harass minorities, and are generally icky.
She’s right, too – if you step up traffic enforcement in low-income, minority communities, guess who is going to be getting most of the traffic tickets.
JeffS December 18, 2016 at 10:59 am
Heaven forbid we actually ticket someone breaking the law.
Just added this to the story… UPDATE, 1:45pm: We’ve learned more context about next week’s ordinance. Commissioner Novick’s transportation policy advisor Timur Ender said it came about after a conference call convened by Mayor Hales on December 7th, the day after the two fatalities. Hales wanted to know what PBOT was doing and he wanted to move up the timeframe. “After looking at all of our efforts (engineering, enforcement, etc.),” Ender shared with us via email, “we realized we had room to improve our education and outreach efforts.”
$300,000 for more talk.
Will the “traffic safety classes” be for motorists or just glorified victim-shaming campaigns? After all, we have a city councilperson who thinks everyone needs to carry pocket flashlights to be safe.
JeffS December 16, 2016 at 2:30 pm
All legal motorists passed a driving test, so it [emphasis]should[/emphasis] be safe to assume they know the rules and signs of the road.
Kevin December 16, 2016 at 2:58 pm
The driving test is a pretty low bar.
B. Carfree December 16, 2016 at 3:17 pm
Yeah, that bar seems to be buried underground for all the knowledge required to get over it.
mh December 17, 2016 at 9:31 am
They might vaguely recall the rules of the road from 15 or however many years ago they took the test. Re-test at every license renewal.
Travis December 16, 2016 at 2:39 pm
This makes more sense regarding how $300k could be spent. I used to think $300k was a lot of money. Then I learned how far $4mil moved on only 3/4 miles of road. Drivin’ ain’t cheap.
Signage yes. But would love for the city to spend dollars leveling car industry propaganda on public airways. Not the cheesy don’t-drink-and-drive campaigns. But honest acknowledgment that we’re not going to eliminate congestion, what driving (infrastructure) really cost, and that driving is inherently dangerous — overall work toward creating buy-in for public mass transit and active transit.
K'Tesh December 17, 2016 at 9:31 am
For $300,000.00 in education, we are clearly going to have the smartest, best educated corpses lying on the ground.
FIX THE DAMNED ROAD!!!
We have to forget we ever learned about the “Three E’s”. If a street is broken, it’s broken. No amount of outreach, ticket blitzes, PR campaigns will fix a broken street. It must be completely rethought, WITHOUT the normal first assumption that we have to preserve the same throughput we have now.
Division St is deadly, and an education-based solution is only appropriate for educating our city leaders that we need more than education-based solutions.
Exactly. IMO in a situation such as this the street should be closed to motor vehicle traffic and any future studies should consider whether there should be motor vehicle traffic there again, and if so how it can be incorporated in such a way that doesn’t create a similar situation to this in the future.
X December 18, 2016 at 12:06 pm
If there was still irony, it would be ironic that we can’t decide what to do about a street where we’ve just decided not to have a fully realized bus rapid transit line because a radical step like that would make it harder to drive at the speed we are accustomed and get past the people who insist on living and dying there.
All roads are deadly to one extent or another. Only a fool or a liar promotes something like vision zero with a straight face.
Your comment is a little too narrow and way too black and white. Everything in life carries risk, true, and it’s the risk response that dictates the residual. In other words, it’s priorities. Vision Zero is a laudable objective, but it doesn’t sound like one your support.
J_R December 16, 2016 at 3:08 pm
The Portland version of Zero Vision consists of a task force, a logo, and an opportunity for people to get together to wring their hands and claim they are doing something about it. That will be followed by an annual report.
What I don’t support is establishing a goal that cannot be reached. Dishonest would be the kindest word I might use to describe it.
No, I’m not opposed to efforts to reduce traffic deaths. I can, however, offer no support nor excuse for a government that requires two years to write an action plan.
Kevin December 19, 2016 at 10:25 pm
Is it that the goal cannot be reached, or that you see insufficient political will to achieve the objective?
The two are not the same.
vision zero denial.
The number of cars on the road and the distance driven have doubled since the 70s, yet just 264 people died in road crashes in Sweden last year, a record low. That represents just three deaths per 100,000 people, and compares to 5.5 in the European Union and 11.4 in the US.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/02/economist-explains-16
And Sweden, a county of ten million people, pulls over 2.5 million drivers a year and checks them for DUI. Being seriously drunk in Sweden carries a multi-year prison term.
Are you willing to support that level of intrusive law enforcement here? It is a key part of Vision Zero in Sweden. It’s not just traffic engineering.
i note that you provide no citation or source. i also note that you fail to address what your comment has to do with unambiguously effective vision zero reforms.
Random December 19, 2016 at 4:43 pm
“I note that you provide no citation or source”
Because using Google yourself is too hard, apparently.
I think that wikipedia had the 2.5 million/drivers year checked number, but the NHTSA seems to be more definite.
RBT used frequently
Any police officer can stop any driver at any time and any place and request a screening breath sample. A positive sample = suspicion which leads to evidentiary testing which can be either blood or breath.
Enforcement has high priority. About 1.2 million random breath tests per year in a population of approximately 4.5 million drivers.”
So your chances of being checked in Sweden as a driver for DUI is better than 1 in 4 per year. (The equivalent in Portland would be more than 100,000 DUI checks a year, assuming that 3/4 of the population of Portland drives.)
But yeah, enforcement plays no part in Sweden’s Vision Zero program.
https://one.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/research/pub/DWIothercountries/dwiothercountries.html
once again, you fail to address what your comment has to do with vision zero reforms and are, also, arguing against your own position:
the more severe drunk driving policy dates to 1994 and did not have an obvious effect on road deaths (see below).
http://www.dss3a.com/btg/pdf/Parallels/Fri_aft/ake_lindgren_fri_aft_strand2_drinking_and_driving.pdf
https://mixedsignal.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/fatalities.png
vision zero reforms were first proposed in 1997 and began to have a very significant effect on serious injury collisions ins subsequent years.
another graph that shows fatalities during this period even more clearly:
http://www.salimandsalimah.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/solutions2.jpg
1994: Penalties and enforcement of drunk driving was increased but fatalities increased slightly.
1997: Vision zero was passed, engineering/infrastructure programs were funded, and in a few years fatalities began to plummet.
Chris I December 16, 2016 at 2:25 pm
Speed cameras and traffic circles at all major intersections.
This is what so-called equity staff gets you Portland.
$300k down the drain.
People are dying because they cannot read the street signs? What a load. Presumably, all the motorists passed a driving test, so they can read the signs. So, not only is it fake equity, it’s racial pandering, AND it’s victim-blaming because they appear poised to teach pedestrians not to jump out in front of cars, in multiple languages.
PBOT going to walk into minority communities and telling them they’re walking wrong. Racial pandering is spot on.
Kate December 16, 2016 at 4:47 pm
Wait, is it racial pandering if the request came directly from the community? Am I missing something? It sounds like this request came from APANO, so ostensibly they think the lack of training and signs in multiple languages is a danger to their community.
That comment was posted before Jonathan’s update that the request came from APANO. If that’s what they are asking for, then that’s fine. I still disagree with the effectiveness of education campaigns, but who am I to tell this community what’s good for them? But PBOT shouldn’t either. Facilitate but don’t dictate. It’s the difference between saying “this is what you need” vs “how can I help you achieve what you want?”.
JeffS,
What if you didn’t speak English, grew up in a country with much different traffic culture, were very old and unable to communicate with others and were not aware of local traffic customs or best practices or where to cross the street safely, or….?
I think it’s pretty mean to say this money is going “down the drain” just because you have different needs/wants than others.
Let the neighborhood educate themselves. Rather than PBOT coming in and telling people what to do, they should give the money to APANO and let them do the work from the bottom up. PBOT’s top-down approach comes off as patronizing.
I think the neighbors already know that Division is a super dangerous street, including non-English speaking folks. People are crossing because they have to. They are crossing at unsafe crossings because safe crossings do not exist, not because they can’t read signs, most of which are in symbol form and have colors that transcend languages and most cultures.
“Let the neighborhood educate themselves. Rather than PBOT coming in and telling people what to do, they should give the money to APANO ”
Really? APANO represents the substantial Slavic community in east Portland?
You seem to think that APANO is a proxy for east Portland residents – it’s not.
Adam H. December 19, 2016 at 9:18 am
Exactly the problem. PBOT thinks that by talking to one organization, that they have fulfilled the equity requirement, when in fact, it’s simply tokenizing.
Hello, Kitty December 19, 2016 at 10:52 am
The Slavic community is white, and is therefore privileged, an therefore already gets too much help from the city. Am I on the right track?
No. Because they are white, the census doesn’t track them, unlike they do for “visible minorities” like Asians, Hispanics, African-Americans, and Pacific Islanders, so the city has no idea where they are or how well they are doing. According to other government sources, such as Homeland Security and Immigration, they are numerous and diverse in the Portland area, and like all other recent immigrants, have issues with understanding the local culture, language, dealing with laws, and driving rules. Most are Russian, but they also include substantial numbers of Ukrainians, Poles, and Romanians (who are technically Romance-speakers but are classed as “Slavic” by immigration.) Most of the recent Slavic immigrants in Portland live in East Portland, along with the Iraqis, the Karan & Somi (from Burma), and Somalis.
SD December 17, 2016 at 10:21 pm
I’ve lived in countries where I didn’t speak the language well enough to read street signs, and the traffic culture was vastly different from what I was accustomed to, and I figured out how to cross the street very quickly. It is demeaning to assume that people who move here from a different culture aren’t capable of crossing the street safely. Besides, how many people who have died on Portland streets weren’t able to read street signs or recently moved to the U.S.?
Adam H. December 18, 2016 at 10:40 am
I agree and this is why this effort comes off as culturally insensitive. Telling a minority their culture is wrong and this is how we do things here. I’ve certainly experienced enough of that and I doesn’t feel good.
Who is telling people that their culture is “wrong”? Where do you come up with this stuff?
You don’t find it culturally-insensitive that the city thinks the problem with Division is people who can’t read English?
No; I don’t think it’s culturally insensitive to help educate newcomers to the customs and rules of the road that may differ from the places where they came, especially when those people are navigating a complex and dangerous and perhaps unfamiliar environment.
Of course it would be ideal to make that environment less dangerous, but this is irrelevant to the question of telling people their culture is “wrong,” as you have charged. Falsely.
Hello, Kitty December 17, 2016 at 12:38 pm
How dare PBOT say some people in our community might have immigrated from places with different traffic customs, and might not be familiar with how things work here. How dare they?!?
Education and Outreach are absolutely wasteful and unnecessary. Do we really need to spend money to put ads on TV or put up billboards that say “thirty mph means 30 mph?” Maybe a bit of remedial character recognition so people see “30” on the Speed sign and match it with “30” on the speedometer in their cars?
E N F O R C E M E N T.
We’ve tried the other stuff that can be implemented in less than a few years and, guess what, it doesn’t work.
Without ENFORCEMENT lives will continue to be taken by negligent drivers on Portland roads. Roadway redesign and education will only go so far to reduce the deadly consequences of unsafe driving. The idea that enforcement should not be at the top of the list of tools used to change driver behavior due to possible police discrimination is shortsighted. I would go as for to say this is an example of liberalism going off the rails. If Portland Police run enforcement operations that target drivers who drive 10 or more miles an hour over the speed limit how can this be called discriminatory policing?
enforcement has been a pillar of largely ineffectual north american transportation safety planning while successful vision zero reforms de-emphasize enforcement and emphasize redesign.
enforcement is a red herring.
No it’s not, we need both.
If you want to convince me of that, back it up with proof.
If you really need “proof” that getting people in trouble for breaking the rules deters other people from breaking the rules, no amount of “proof” from me is going to convince you of anything. Please.
the opinion of an anonymous online persona versus many years of empirical evidence in sweden.
gee…which do i trust more?
That’s because we’ve never actually tried enforcement – at least in Portland.
According to PPB’s annual report the Traffic Division had about 40 officers and had about 50,000 citizen contacts for the year. That’s 3 contacts per day per officer. And not all of the interactions resulted in a citation.
Meanwhile, there are about 15 million miles driven in Portland every day. That means there is less than one citation written for every 50,000 miles of driving. There is essentially NO chance of getting citation in Portland.
rachel b December 18, 2016 at 9:58 pm
…and Portland drivers are very aware of that. It’s crazy here as a result–more and more dangerous and stressful every day. The threat of a hefty fine goes a long way toward deterring bad behavior and curbing that all-pervasive sense of entitlement and impunity.
Where oh where have you seen actual traffic law enforcement in N. America? As someone who has actually lived in one an American city that actually did do zero-tolerance traffic law enforcement, I can tell you that it flat out works.
Davis became the bike capital of the world with bike modal share at levels not yet recreated elsewhere almost solely on the shoulders of that zero-tolerance traffic law enforcement it conducted in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Not coincidentally after adding scores of miles of bike paths, buffered bike lanes and all sorts of segregation creations in the late 1990’s and 2000’s but removing the traffic law enforcement, bike use plummeted.
Build all the segregated facilities you can afford, you’ll still have people being killed in horrid numbers at intersections and still won’t have a substantial bike modal share without the cultural infrastructure that comes with enforcement.
the idea that enforcement contributed to davis’ bike boom is absurd.
Says someone who wasn’t there. Enforcement was not just a contributor. Outside of the other cultural fact of Davis having been a highly educated city in which the community was actively looking for the right response to the oil embargo it was the most important thing that caused the boom.
Sure, Chancellor Mrak played a large role by actively encouraging a culture of bike use by the campus employees, himself included, during the ’60s and this had a large impact on the city at large. However, I can tell you as someone who was there that what got people on their bikes and kept them on their bikes was the extremely active zero tolerance traffic law enforcement that took place from the mid-1970’s to just about the mid-1980’s. No motorists dared to go even 2 mph over the speed limit and stop limit lines were strictly obeyed, among other niceties.
Not surprisingly, when that enforcement ended, so did the boom. It got so bad in the ’90s that my family got to be known as the “bike family” because we were among the few still riding. (This nickname doubtlessly arose due to the fact that my sister-in-law looks like my spouse and also rode with her kids and that there was a dopelganger for myself out there riding with his kids as well.)
Of course those traffic law cops gave cyclists citations too. We would all laugh at the streams of cyclists dutifully stopping at stop signs if we could see them today. In fact, it took me over a decade of living in Oregon to kick the habit of stopping at stop signs.
Paikiala December 20, 2016 at 8:15 am
Soren,
Enforcement is regularly used in European Vision Zero efforts.
targeted enforcement, such as, speed cameras but the kind of expensive heavy-handed enforcement people are calling for here is explicitly de-emphasized in swedish policy.
Tom Hardy December 16, 2016 at 6:29 pm
pdxdave
Without ENFORCEMENT lives will continue to be taken by negligent drivers on Portland roads. Roadway redesign and education will …
With PPB, Enforcement will in all likelyhood be bands of police cars ticketing pedestrians on Division for crossing the street.
David Hampsten December 16, 2016 at 10:21 pm
Another way of looking at this $300,000 allocation is that PBOT is essentially trying to force the community to have a conversation about enforcement – via the city budget. PBOT cannot enforce driver behavior, but the Police can. However, given limited personnel, the Police budget is primarily allocated towards solving violent and property crimes, and not so much traffic enforcement. PBOT cannot afford to do traffic enforcement itself, let alone build the infrastructure necessary for Vision Zero, so it must try to influence budget decisions for other bureaus. Council tends to be very conservative on budgets and what each bureau does or doesn’t do. By starting a $300,000 conversation now, PBOT can influence the budget process when it goes public in April at the various public hearings. If that is PBOT’s strategy, I think it’s pretty clever.
rachel b December 18, 2016 at 10:01 pm
I remember last year when they threatened to cut the Traffic Division entirely. That was fun.
Kristi Finney December 16, 2016 at 3:09 pm
So they are limiting their actions to education and outreach?! Even though it was stressed during the Vision Zero Task Force meetings that street design had to be at the top of the list of the four focuses? They’re not even considering the “much less controversial measures like medians, refuge islands and crosswalk beacons”? I cannot express how much more than disappointed I am (even though I want education and outreach, this is not the kind I had in mind).
Yep. The Vision Zero plan was passed not even a month ago and the city is already ignoring it.
I hear and feel your disappointment Kristi. On Wednesday we’ll have a better sense from PBOT about what sort of additional measures they will take beyond this initial $300K of educational work.
I talked to APANO Executive Director today… he supports this step. From his perspective, there are many people who walk (and who get hit while doing so) in this area who are not from the U.S. and who can’t speak any english. They can’t read signs and they were taught totally different traffic culture than you and I. As such, he feels that it’s a reasonable first step to talk with them and see what they need immediately in terms of education and signage and maps and stuff — while working simultaneously on the larger infrastructure fixes.
Then the city should just give the money directly to APANO and let them spend the money as they see fit.
If you look carefully at the budget, that kinda is what they are already doing. Only about $55,000 is being spent by PBOT for signage, albeit in other languages and scripts, some of which will need translation (words) and transliteration (context). The rest is for meetings and workshops that APANO will help set up with other groups, probably including EPAP, SEUL, and EPNO and the many neighborhood associations, then invite PBOT and Police staff to talk with a variety of interpreters on hand.
That’s great. PBOT should act only as facilitator here and let the community decide for itself what is good for them.
I agree, except I think APANO ought to be the facilitator. PBOT is just another stakeholder.
SE Rider December 18, 2016 at 8:44 am
And if they decide that they want to keep five car lanes are you okay with that?
David Hampsten December 18, 2016 at 9:29 am
Technically there is enough space on outer Division to fit eight 9-foot travel lanes, 4 in each direction. It’d be a tight fit, but it could be done. So, yeah, I’m fine with keeping the current 5-lane configuration, as long as they add chicanes and/or roundabouts every few blocks, as someone else suggested, to slow car traffic speeds.
MaxD December 16, 2016 at 4:18 pm
That is undoubtedly true, but if people were driving slower and there were less lanes of travel and more frequent signalization, fewer people would be dying.
SD December 16, 2016 at 6:03 pm
Is the executive director of APANO averse to speed limit reductions, traffic calming road design, potential loss of parking, building infrastructure that supports non-motorized transportation? Who is the executive director of APANO?
Beeblebrox December 17, 2016 at 1:16 pm
I really doubt they would be opposed to any of those things…they’re just saying that the most immediate action should be to do education and outreach. Don’t jump to conclusions.
Those were questions not conclusions. Do you have anything to base your doubt on? Prior PBOT projects have found surprising resistance from “community leaders.”
APANO may not be opposed, but they also might not want to take the heat for slowing down traffic.
Sorry, but “non-english speaking people don’t know how to cross the street” sounds more like intra-community classism than a starting point for a solution. Why not make the streets safe enough to accommodate people who may be confused about the best place to cross the street.
Alan Kessler December 20, 2016 at 10:39 am
I think this approach is lousy. For any perception that would help a pedestrian protect him/herself from traffic violence (sight, hearing, language literacy, understanding of traffic culture, etc.) we will always have some citizens who lack some or all of those perceptions. The roads should be engineered to be safe for everyone. Anything else is not Vision Zero.
I’m not disagreeing, but I think it would be an interesting experiment to game out what would happen if, for example, outer Division had the speed limits reduced to the 20 or 25 some have called for. What would that do to travel times, congestion, pollution, safety, transit, etc.
Maybe the net effects would be positive, maybe not.
This also raises the question about what is the role of high(er) speed arterials in our transportation system.
the unambiguously successful original vision zero plan has only one major focus – designing a safe road system. moreover, the focus on individual responsibility in portland’s plan (enforcement and education/outreach) is explicitly contrary to these original vision zero reforms.
Vision Zero alters the view on responsibility. Those who design the road transport system bear the ultimate responsibility for safety…
THE SYSTEM DESIGNERS HAVE THE MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY
https://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/sites/roadsafety/files/pdf/20151210_1_sweden.pdf
What new rights are you willing to grant the designer? You cannot expect responsibility for your safety to be transferred to another individual, or the state, without also giving them new authority to control your behavior.
You continue to compare the US to socialist societies, but I don’t see any great push to change the current US political system.
It’s just this $300k that is going to education and outreach. There is Fixing Our Streets money for enhancing bike lanes on Division and it sounds like there will be extra gas tax allocated to more roadway redesign. Hopefully all this together will make a real difference.
Another update just posted:
UPDATE, 3:30 pm: The text of the ordinance has been released:
On December 7th, two pedestrians were killed within hours of each other on Outer Division due to traffic crashes. The first crash happened just before 7:00 pm at 156th Avenue. The second one happened around 9:00 pm near 87th Avenue. These were the 39th and 40th traffic fatalities so far this year – the most fatalities the city has experienced since 2003. In 2016 alone five people have died in traffic crashes while traveling on SE Outer Division. In addition to those fatalities there have been at least three serious injury crashes on Division. Seven ofthese collisions happened on a two-mile stretch between 124th and 156th.
Outer SE Division is on the High Crash Network due to the high rate of crashes on this street. This stretch of street east of SE 82nd is also located near Portland’s Communities of Concern. In addition to Outer Division, Outer Halsey and Outer Glisan have very high rates oftraffic crashes. The traffic deaths and injuries on these three corridors greatly impact the community in the Jade District and East Portland.
This is nothing more than pandering and self-congragulatory feel-good back-patting. None of the actions listed will actually improve safety enough and we’ll just end up with more victim-shaming campaigns, lawn signs that don’t do anything, and $300,000 lost. Guaranteed this will go over budget and take longer than expected, too. We need a full rebuild of Division, and there is nothing in this plan that is working toward that goal. But at least Novick and Hales get to leave office pretending they helped minorities!
That is $300,000 wasted. Frankly, City Council should be ashamed of themselves. That is the opposite of Vision Zero.
That is really startling to read. $300k gets spent really fast, and most of the money strikes me as victim-blaming.
Actually, it could work both ways. At such meetings, the non-English speakers will probably be “educating” PBOT and Police staff as much or more than the staff will be trying to educate the immigrants. As you say in most of the posts, it’s about enforcement, but really it’s about taking police away from dealing with drugs, break-ins, and shootings, and re-assigning them to traffic enforcement, as their priorities. Neither the staff nor Council hear that from you and me, but they might listen to the immigrants, especially if they are paying $300,000 to do so. It’s up to Council to re-assign police, so I’d argue that this is one way to do it.
People using the street on foot do have some responsibility to be certain their personal actions contribute to their safe use of the street. Not every person driving a motor vehicle on the road, can be relied upon to look out for the safety of people on foot. There’s a good chance I think, that a lack of education of all road users, including people using the street on foot, on how to do so safely, is a contributing factor to at least some of the collisions that are occurring.
To a comment to a different story, a couple weeks ago I think it was…I posted a link to an Oregonian story about a collision in Portland involving someone driving, and someone in the process of crossing the street using one of the pedestrian activated flashing beacons.
Story covered some of the exchange in court between parties involved there; attorneys prosecuting and defense, judge, and the defendant…the person driving. With this person driving, indications were that there were other contributing problems on their part as well, but a couple of the other points that came out of just that story alone, was that…one…the person driving may not have understood what particular instructions these signals oblige people driving to observe.
… :the person walking had activated the signal, but the person driving did not stop and yield for the pedestrian…he drove right on through and into the person that had started walking across the street.
…two…though they had activated the pedestrian activated flashing yellow beacon, alerting people driving to the presence of someone in need of crossing the street on foot…the person walking, proceeded to walk out in front of a car that did not yield to them, and may not even have shown any indication to be slowing down in preparation to stop and yield to them.
… :the person driving is reported to have been driving at what may have been the posted speed limit of 35. Not an excessive speed for the road, if I recall, though I should review the story to be more certain. He was found guilty, but that’s not much consolation now, to the person that was trying to walk across the street.
Some education of the public on what this type of street signal infrastructure means, and how to use it and the street to be safe, may have been all that was needed to have avoided this collision.
That being said, I think the multi-language signs are a good idea, as is PBOT’s model of working with the local community. We don’t need another Williams debacle on our hands. However, it is insulting that this the entirety of the project. Those “engineering improvements” PBOT wants to use this project to leverage will likely just be rapid-flash beacons, when what we need is a full streetscape redesign.
It appears that the city only cares enough about equity to provide basic assistance to vulnerable communities, but not enough to actually fix something that is killing people. I am so sick of the city using equity as an excuse to serve their own needs while ignoring it when it doesn’t. Case in point: Fritz’ rant about how parking fees are inequitable, but doesn’t mention the far more equitable buses or bikes. If City Council truly cared about equity, they wouldn’t have forcibly removed from City Hall people who peacefully protesting an inequitable police contract. If we care about equity, then we must care about it all the time.
If this $300K was a part of a larger project to fix Division, then fine. But what will happen is that we will spend a year planning for the new signs, PBOT will put them up, along with a proverbial “Mission Accomplished” banner, City Hall will get to say they addressed equity concerns, and photo ops will ensure. Meanwhile, people will continue to die on Division and the city will continue to not find the funds to fix it.
Addressing your first paragraph: Williams had some serious teething troubles and the community didn’t totally support it. Some bike riders still won’t go there. I find it works OK though. If I take Rodney now it’s for variety and not out of desperation. PBOT stuck with the Williams project and fixed some stuff. I say go ride it, as opposed to using it for a handy stick to beat the city with.
I’ve sat and watched the traffic on Williams, and at peak times the bikes per light cycle can be greater than the car count. That’s OK with me.
A complete waste of $300K!!!
If PBOT staffers can come up with the reasons to answer point 1 in one hour they should be fired for being totally incompetent.
Here are some better uses for $300K:
Give it to the PPB for overtime to enforce the traffic laws.
Give the cops a stack of $100 gift cards to hand out to people driving considerately.
Let PBOT staffers hand out gift cards to pedestrians walking along Division Street or to people waiting at bus stops along Division Street.
Portland’s Motto: “The City that will try any feel-good solution before trying something that has been proven to work.”
That’s supposed to be if PBOT staffers cannot come up with ….
In other Oregon cities, it costs about $100k/yr to pay for a full time cop. Imagine the difference on Division if there were three full-time cops assigned, on an emergency basis, to patrol it full-time for traffic law enforcement. That’s nearly round-the-clock enforcement. I daresay that motorist behavior would change even with that small investment.
Speed reader boards less than $50K? Those work pretty well, from what I’ve seen. I recently watched one that flashes at 5 MPH, then flashes red/blue lights like a cop car at 10 MPH over. Saw lots of hard braking when those went off.
Previously on this forum someone posted a treatment they used elsewhere; I think UK. Exceeding a certain threshold would activate a red light (with camera), forcing the motorist to have to stop and wait when they were detected speeding. I wonder how much that costs?
Still boggles my mind that the US can automate precise assassinations from across the globe, but we can’t deploy basic technology to prevent pervasive traffic deaths due primarily to speeding and distracted driving.
“Speed reader boards less than $50K? Those work pretty well, from what I’ve seen. I recently watched one that flashes at 5 MPH, then flashes red/blue lights like a cop car at 10 MPH over. Saw lots of hard braking when those went off. …” pete
I think the item text in the chart maus posted to his comment, isn’t referring to just a single speed reader board, but is the budget for all of the measures that might be provided for in that item. I don’t know what the digital speed reader boards, or signpost style digital speed readouts cost, but they may not be a big sum of money. Hard to know without hard figures at hand. I’d like to think 5K or less. There’s different types, some on wheels, tow-able, some would cost more. Probably not tough to try out on Division, if they haven’t been already. But…they’re likely only good for one lane.
The one you refer to that, I think you’re saying, flashes at 5mph over posted, is an interesting idea, though it seems like the digital readout would be generally more effective in communicating to people driving. The flashing red/blue lights at even higher excessive speeds, is also interesting, especially if the lights were backed up with either photo radar cameras, or actual persons with police depts, authorized to stop and cite violators.
Use of some of the really big digital message boards is an idea I think of from time to time, as a possibly effective means to use on thoroughfares, to have people driving adjust their speed or other use of the road to something specific than the standard use of a particular road.
If you’ve driven Hwy 26 east from Sylvan to Downtown, you’ll have seen one of the signs to which I’m referring: Big…looks to be maybe 18′ by 9′ dimensions. Used for traffic congestion notifications, but can be programmed to provide probably any message. Likely expensive.
Yup, that board went in about the time I was working in Beaverton. They’re popular on Bay Area highways here as well. I notice people basically slow way down to read them, and they usually tell you travel times that you’ll inevitably get stuck in because where you’re going tends to be straight down that particular highway anyway.
The speed-sign placements I’m referring to (that I’ve witnessed here) tend to be midway on longer, straight stretches of road, typically with 25, 30, or 35 MPH limits. I can’t remember where I recently saw that one that flashes red and blue; I was riding somewhere I don’t normally go and noticed a Ford Expedition was particularly fast, so I can’t confirm but it seemed to flash a speed (with no red/blue) when people were doing over 25, and this person was easily over 35, but they broke pretty hard and didn’t speed up for the duration I could see them. The red/blue lights caught me off guard too; I’d never seen that technique before.
On one of these roads I ride regularly, they put bumpouts and a hashed crosswalk with button-activated flashing yellows, and that seems to slow traffic some (from what I saw before), and I think, again, because it’s mid-span… about where people tend to have gathered speed, I imagine many times simply by not paying attention to their own speed compliance.
Dan A December 18, 2016 at 9:10 am
Freedumb.
Bart December 16, 2016 at 4:59 pm
What I see missing from this commentary is the necessity to engage the community east of East Portland.
Coming from inner Portland, East Portland is a bridge community where the speed limits often increase, the small blocks of the inner grid disappear, and the raceway begins. Approached from the other side via Fairview/Wood Village/Troutdale/Gresham, it is merely a destination or a passing point on that same raceway heading westbound.
To fully address this problem we need to engage the mindset of not only east Portland proper, but “East County” itself, the one that transcends Portland’s lines. These streets are a problem that all of the people in the region are a part of and as such, could really benefit from some inter-city cooperation.
fourknees December 16, 2016 at 5:19 pm
You could buy a lot of hay bales and cones for $300k and see temporary safety improvements and traffic calming it would accomplish.
X December 19, 2016 at 6:38 pm
It’s my understanding the city already has a supply of cones and straw bales 😉
UPDATE, 3:31 pm: I see dead people.
rick December 16, 2016 at 8:18 pm
Another person was killed today on outer SE Division?
SE December 16, 2016 at 7:14 pm
Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)
Next week’s budget item, he added, is specifically related to funding for, “culturally-specific engagement and outreach about safety in the Jade District, and multi-language, multi-modal signs on Outer Division.” The money will also be used for traffic safety classes in languages spoken in the adjacent community. 1
I’ve been back to SE Asia 4x in the last 12 years. Traffic there is a much different situation.
1. cities are so congested that traffic rarely gets above 20 mph
2. very FEW stop lights , lots of “traffic circles”
3. most traffic is motorcycles
4. peds do NOT wait for a break in traffic , they look straight ahead and step out into it. Drivers know this and dodge around them. usually.
5. TPHCMC has 16 (sixteen) ped fatalities PER DAY. (and YES, it has 9 million pop)
I am NOT blaming the Division victims. They may have been born here, I don’t know. I do know that the above 5 points are fairly standard in 3rd world countries.
Also I drive Division, Stark & 122nd often. Am astounded at the number of peds that will dart across traffic when they are within 50 feet of a signalized crosswalk. It’s like the signals aren’t even there. And it’s ALL races/nationalities that do it. The thing that bugs me too is the squandering of resources .
Just south of Holgate on 122nd there are two signal crosswalks within 60 yards of each other and have NEVER seen either of them used.
Do they do studies or just plop those signal crosswalks where they feel like it ??? There is another at 141st on Powell that I’ve NEVER seen used, but yet that long stretch from 122nd to 136th has nothing ???
WAKE UP PBOT !!!
I agree with you about the ped signals in East Portland. Great as they are, and useful too, I have also seen many potential users not use them, but instead cross about 50 feet away from them, often with children in hand. No idea why.
PBOT does do studies about where to put them and uses those studies, but the studies assume that humans are rational and predictable. Most pedestrians and most drivers are safe and predictable. And some are not.
Powell is an ODOT facility – PBOT has very little power over it. Part of the reason that ODOT hasn’t yet put crossings between 122nd & 136th is that they actually have at least $22 million to rebuild it, plus some Portland SDC funds too. PBOT and ODOT are currently wrangling over what type of bike facility to build. PBOT wants a protected facility, ODOT wants buffered bike lanes. The arguments are pretty nasty and BP has already covered it in previous posts.
pdxhobbitmom December 16, 2016 at 8:27 pm
I think meeting with and listening to the residents of the neighborhood is important. So the first two steps of that timeline ($20,000) are great. But then they’ve already decided what they’re going to spend the money on after those meetings. Apparently we know already that the community residents want hundreds of thousands of dollars wasted on useless propaganda. What’s the point of the neighborhood meetings then? This is so depressing.
Rob December 16, 2016 at 9:37 pm
Put Jersey barriers on those blocks separating the bike lane. Only break them at signalized crossings. Peds will unlikely climb over a barrier if there is a signaled crossing nearby.
Peds and bikes win!
Plan a program:
Full Signal – $200 to 300K (includes soft costs)
Half Signal/Ped Hybrid Beacon – $150 to $250K
Rapid Flash Beacons – $40 to $100K
http://www.psrc.org/assets/9421/2_Pedestrian_Treatments.pdf
With half signals you can control the speed.
Jersey barriers are about $250 for a 10 foot barrier through commercial suppliers. Since we are talking 4.5 miles from 82nd to 175th (the Portland Gresham line), this works out to ((4.5 x 5280 feet x 2 sides) / 10 feet) * $250 = $1,188,000. With new signals every 200-400 feet, we are looking at a multi-million dollar project just on Division. Then there are the other super-wide high-death expressways of Foster, Halsey, Glisan, Stark, and 122nd.
Kevin December 17, 2016 at 12:56 am
Maybe pick them up at Costco for a bulk discount?
David Hampsten December 17, 2016 at 10:46 am
Actually I was thinking at the Lents Walmart, on the same aisle as you find marbles, in a variety of colors, made cheaply in China by panda prison slave labor. Of course, you might find a somewhat more expensive organic Jersey barrier at Nature’s, made with recycled concrete reinforced with fair-trade steel from Indonesia, but with fewer choices of colors.
I would rather see Jersey barriers or preferably a planted median in the center of the roadway. That would help slow down traffic, plus traffic would slow down because the lanes would end up weaving whenever turn pockets or pedestrian refuge islands are added. A lot of people seem to complain about NE MLK, which is like that, but the median treatment has definitely reduced the severity of crashes.
rick December 16, 2016 at 10:06 pm
Will an 30 mph speed limit be installed by next Monday?
Nice to see the city is still engaged in this magical thinking you can stop dangerous driving without enforcement.
Oh wait, it’s not nice to see, because then dangerous driving won’t stop.
Often see it on SW Canyon Road. Not much enforcement.
#FIXTHEDAMNEDROAD!!!
Teddy December 17, 2016 at 10:32 am
Why not install traffic lights instead of flashing beacons? The pedestrian hits a button and the light at the intersection goes red. Or why not install crossing arms that lower and block the road like a railroad crossing so pedestrians can cross safely.
The Division BRT project is looking at putting in Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (aka HAWKs) at the transit stops. Those work like signals, stopping traffic completely. They’re a lot more expensive than rapid flashing beacons, which is why they aren’t used as often.
Why expect change when people often vote for the same kind of city council?
K'Tesh December 17, 2016 at 1:52 pm
Now that I think about it… $300,000 could go a long way in education. Use it to pay some of PSU’s traffic engineering student’s tuition, then hire them to FIXTHEDAMNEDROAD!!!
Jim Lee December 17, 2016 at 6:44 pm
JM should run against Saltzman in 2018.
I Chloe can beat Novick, JM could beat Saltzman
Scott Kocher December 17, 2016 at 11:25 pm
The Jade District has been asking for safe streets for years. How is going with “outreach” and classes on how to cross the street not an insult?
Why don’t you let them decide if they have been insulted or not.
rachel b December 21, 2016 at 12:53 am
I still think “The what?” every time I hear “Jade District”…
Gwenevere said there’s a
“. . . speed trap in Downtown Milwaukie. . . As soon as the 30mph zone is over and it goes up to 40mph (southbound… Goes to 45mph in northbound), everyone jumps up to 50-55mph+ and the civilness goes away.”
Yep, the effective speed control in Milwaukee is actually kind of an argument _for_ traffic law enforcement. And yes people do speed up further south on 99E / McLoughlin but let’s be fair: Clackamas County deputies are not idle on that stretch. You can definitely get a ticket out there. The apparent free-range road design and the longer stretches between lights seems to lead to more rampant behavior on the part of some. It kind of seems that the light timing rewards a lead foot.
I think that’s an important piece of the puzzle–how fast do the lights roll through? What’s the light timing on Division, does anybody drive out there enough to know?
GlowBoy December 18, 2016 at 7:47 pm
In general, you can’t really make coordinated light timing (to allow progression at a particular speed) work on two-way streets. You can have shorter or longer cycle times, but that doesn’t really impact progression speed.
“In general, you can’t really make coordinated light timing (to allow progression at a particular speed) work on two-way streets. You can have shorter or longer cycle times, but that doesn’t really impact progression speed.” glowboy
Why don’t you think so?
Beaverton actually has coordinated signal light timing on both of the main east-west highway-thoroughfares running through town. Together with the often heavy volume of traffic on those roads, the signal lighting does a fairly good job of regulating the speed of traffic to within the posted speed limit, which I believe is 35mph.
The terrain is flat, allowing a view ahead to perhaps 750′ or more, which allows people driving with a green light immediately before them, to see the point in the distance where the lights are turning yellow and red. The effect seems to work as an incentive to most people driving, to regulate their vehicle’s speed to one which will allow them to reach the signals in the yellow and red light cycle, at the approximate time they change to green, so as to avoid having to completely stop their vehicle.
The posted speed limit at 35mph, is too high I think: too much noise. Creates a hostile environment for walking and biking, though I don’t think there are a lot of injuries and deaths to people walking and biking, because of this. The roads are county or state jurisdiction, so the city couldn’t adjust to a lower posted speed even if it wanted to.
People run stop lights. Less so than in past, due to help from red light cameras.
Maybe it’s just the long blocks on McLoughlin that get people excited then. They see a green light out in the distance and accelerate. If there was a way to have the main commute direction traffic lights progress at 25 mph that would be great. Of course some folks would still go for 4th gear in between.
wsbob December 28, 2016 at 6:23 pm
“Maybe it’s just the long blocks on McLoughlin that get people excited then. …” x
McLoughlin does have some very long blocks. As I recall, that road is kind of extraordinary with parts of it being located on the bluff close to the river, and further south, running past the big Moreland parks. More closely spaced intersections with coordinated signal light timing, that people driving could see the progression of some distance down the road, could work to have people moderate their speed of travel.
I don’t know how it compares to outer Division, but to me, McLoughlin seems more like an expressway than it does a thoroughfare. Some of Portland’s other thoroughfares than outer Division…like Sandy Blvd, Burnside, or Foster, may be better examples of where coordinated signal light timing could work to help moderate vehicle speed.
When people driving on a green, see down the road two or three intersections away, a signal, and those after it going from green to yellow…to keep moving rather than having to stop and get started again, there’s some incentive given by those changing signals, to slow down, proceeding through the intersections at a pace that will bring the vehicle to the intersections as the signals again change to green.
I know, by direct observation, that some of the major two-way streets in Portland roll green in the principal commute direction, and switch sometime mid-day. North of Sacramento, MLK flows S. in the morning. You can watch people hustling and making lane changes to catch lights because they know it too. I’d like to know what the programmed speed of that succession is. It may aid traffic flow, but it also creates an expectation of catching all the lights and leads to a certain amount of aggressive driving.
Yes ok, you can choose to have progression in one direction, though as you said, long distances between lights pretty much wipe out the benefit. If people are jockeying around to make the light timing, the usual solution is to reduce the progression speed. Even 20mph would amount to faster progression than random, unsynchronized light timing and people going 40mph between the lights.
Division should have a road diet with protected bike lanes. Period.
paikiala December 20, 2016 at 10:06 am
1367 Adopt the Locally Preferred Alternative for the Powell-Division Transit and Development Project and Conditions for Approval
CBO Analysis: In order to qualify for the FTA’s Small Starts program and an FTA grant of up to $100 million, the overall project cost must be less than $175 million. TriMet is preparing formal cost estimates based on a refined design and preliminary engineering. Currently, the project is in the development phase, which is estimated to cost $7.15 million, funded by the City with $2.0 million of Transportation System Development Charges (TSDCs) in FY 2015-16 and FY 2016-17, with the rest funded by the City’s partners, including Metro and TriMet. Up to $8.4 million of the City’s TSDC funds are available for the project, with $2.0 million of that dedicated to the development phase, and are included in PBOT’s 5-year CIP. The TSDC funds require a 25% match over the life of the project. Additional funds from the City are anticipated in order to meet the project’s local match, and the Resolution directs PBOT to work with the other partners to develop a finance plan and a financial strategy for the City’s contribution. Metro and TriMet may each have up to $25 million for their share of the total project costs.
http://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/67013
Eric Leifsdad December 18, 2016 at 10:22 pm
I want to know more about this $15k listening session. Is that 100 listeners at $50/hr, or one really amazing $5k/hr listener? Will this include 3hrs of attentive nodding?
Of course this budget includes the 1.5hrs staff will sit in traffic to get to and from the 5:30pm listening session in city SOVs.
Evan December 20, 2016 at 9:35 am
If the outreach and engagement is honest, humble, and productive, and followed up by real action that makes a difference, then I’m very excited to see this happening. But if there’s victim-blaming, I hope we can call that out.
SE December 21, 2016 at 11:30 am
The postcard came yesterday from PBOT:
Safety Cameras on High Crash corridors
coming soon on SE Division and SE 122nd.
http://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/70763
SE Division Street (between 148th and 162nd) Coming spring 2017
SE 122nd Avenue (between Foster and Holgate) Coming spring 2017
After watching today’s City Council meeting, I withdraw my initial skepticism. While I still don’t believe education nor enforcement to be an effective fix, it appears that the city has dedicated real funds to be allocated for a lane reallocation. PBOT specifically mentioned removing parking to install protected bike lanes (!), and nearly everyone from the local community that testified – including a rep from APANO – mentioned slowing down the cars on Division and reworking the street to be safer – i.e. infrastructure. I think the multi-language signs are only a good idea if coupled with infrastructure changes, and it sounds like that is the overall plan. Fritz even said something I agreed with! That Portland streets are too dark and we need better street lighting city-wide.
The city can still back down on things discussed today, and AFAICT there was no mention of removing two of the travel lanes, so we need to keep up the pressure to ensure that the city adheres to its goals.
The car parking needs to be removed. ODOT has pledged this for Barbur Blvd.
“…lane reallocation. PBOT specifically mentioned removing parking to install protected bike lanes (!), and nearly everyone from the local community that testified – including a rep from APANO – mentioned slowing down the cars on Division and reworking the street to be safer – i.e. infrastructure. …” adam h
‘lane reallocation’…is an interesting phrase. For a street like this section of Division, removing parking to create bike lanes sounds like a good idea. If the city were to decide to reduce two main lanes in each direction to just one, a la ‘road diet’, as the means by which to bring speeds of motor vehicles down, I’d be surprised…but if the city specifically set itself to reduce the posted speed limit, and create more effective means of reducing excessive speeds…that would be a great.
It looks like the city is going to install both speed reader boards and speed radar cameras. Those devices likely will help some to manage excessive speeds. If after that infrastructure is given a chance to work on this street, and it happens to turn out the result aren’t encouraging…then consider some stronger method of reducing excessive speed.
“…we need better street lighting city-wide.”
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-worlds-first-solar-panel-road-has-opened-in-france-2016-12
Mark smith December 24, 2016 at 10:07 pm
I have driven in dark and stormy weather in Portland. Drizzle is also troublesome. I have literally passed a cyclist in a bike lane inches off my fender and had no idea they were there until
…They were there.
Speed and lack of visibility will routinely kill innocents. The solution is to slow the street and light it up like a runway. That costs more than a cool 300k.
Dan A December 26, 2016 at 3:43 pm
Or you could follow Oregon’s basic speed law.
the holgate re-striping road diet was remarkably effective and quite cheap:
…They were there. …” mark smith
Offer additional thoughts if you will, about why it was in the circumstances you described, that you weren’t aware of the person riding a bike in the bike lane until they were very near your vehicle’s fender. Extra bright street lighting as a means to counter poor visibility of the street and everyone using it, is something that simply is not likely to happen on a wide basis, because of the expense and complexity involved. Many streets will continue to remain dark, and people need to learn to safely compensate for this road use condition through better road use techniques, whatever their mode of travel may be.
« Oregon Senate prez wants distracted driving penalties on par with drunk driving
Job: Bike tour guide/ shop staff – Cycle Portland »
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Baltimore Building of the Week: Baltimore Trust Company
This week’s Baltimore Building of the Week could go by many different names. It began as the Baltimore Trust Company but was later known as the Maryland National Bank, Nations Bank and at the present the Bank of America Building–
Image courtesy Jack Breihan
Besides college campuses, the Beaux-Arts combination of the historical Gothic style and modern technology was very popular for skyscrapers. Some, like the Woolworth Building in New York or the Chicago Tribune tower, were directly modeled on medieval precedent – just enormously taller. Other early 20th-century skyscrapers combined Gothic verticality with streamlined decorations derived from the new airplane and automobile industries. New York’s Chrysler Building is a prime example. Its contemporary in Baltimore, originally the Baltimore Trust Co., leans more to Gothic than to Art Deco, especially in its cavernous banking floor. At 34 stories and 509 feet, it was Baltimore’s tallest building for a generation before being edged out by I.M. Pei’s USF&G tower, 529 feet. Baltimore Trust went bankrupt in the Great Depression, but a succession of banks have maintained this crowning spire of the Baltimore skyline.
by Eli
Eli Pousson started as a Field Officer at Baltimore Heritage in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation in October 2009. Prior to moving to Baltimore, Eli worked for the DC Office of Historic Preservation and completed graduate work in anthropology and historic preservation at the University of Maryland College Park. Eli continues to work with the Lakeland Community Heritage Project and other heritage organizations in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Baltimore Building of the Week
Central Baltimore
Behind the Scenes Holiday Tours of Homewood & Evergreen
Win a week at a private Nicaraguan villa!
This building will need a lot of attention in the coming years. Unfortunately, the vacancy rate is increasing, and it will need a large investment to repurpose it.
Wayne Schaumburg says:
Hi Jack, Just a minor correction: Pei’s firm designed the World Trade Center. USF&G was designed byCzech architect Vlastimil Koubek
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Follow on Twiter @cyberlawblog
The Very Wicked Problem of Search and Seizure in Cyberspace
The Facts In April, the Advisory Committee on Criminal Rules proposed amendments to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure that would give authorities “more leeway to secretly hack into the suspected criminal’s computer,” so The Hacker News in a recent report. According to the draft minutes of the Criminal Rules Meeting, the subcommittee on Rule […]
May 20th, 2014 Benni Constitution, international law, Law, law enforcement, Legislation, privacy
Hayden Versus Greenwald: High-Profile Debate On State Surveillance Coming Up
Here’s a heads-up to those who are interested in watching the straight-forward debate on what the Toronto Star labeled in today’s print edition “Big Brother – bad or good?” Scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT, Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable initiative, will set the stage for former director of the NSA, CIA, and Principal Deputy Director of […]
May 2nd, 2014 Benni Current Affairs, Michael Hayden, NSA, privacy, surveillance
Professor William Snyder
is a member of the faculty of the Institute for National Security and Counter-terrorism at Syracuse University after fifteen years with the United States Department of Justice.
Ryan D. White
Ryan is currently a third year law student at Syracuse University College of Law, and is also pursuing a Master of Public Administration degree from Syracuse’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Ryan spent time with Homeland Security Investigations while pursuing his undergraduate degree at Wesleyan University, and spent his first summer of law school as clerk for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of New York. He is a member of Syracuse Law Review, the Journal on Terrorism and Security Analysis, and participates in the Veteran’s Legal Clinic.
Shelby E. Mann
Shelby is a second year law student at the Syracuse University College of Law. She is the 2018-9 Editor in Chief of the Syracuse Law Review, as well as a member of the Journal on Terrorism and Security Analysis, and the senior editor for the Syrian Accountability Project. During her final year at the University of Missouri, she served as a full-time news producer for ABC 17 News. Shelby spent her first summer of law school at the Shelby County District Attorney General's Office in Memphis, Tenn., in the Public Corruption and Economic Crimes Unit.
Christopher W. Folk
is a 2017 graduate of SU College of Law. A non-traditional student, Christopher returned to academia after spending nearly twenty years in the high tech industry. Christopher served in the Marine Corps, graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. In Applied Economics and Business Management, attended Northeastern University’s High-Tech MBA Program and received a M.S. In Computer Information Systems. Christopher previously worked in Software Engineering. Christopher is currently serving his second term as Town Justice for the Town of Waterloo. Christopher externed with a Cybersecurity firm in the Washington, D.C. area between his first and second year at SU College of Law.
Anna Maria Castillo
is 2016 graduate of Syracuse College of Law. She also holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She has interned at a London-based think-tank that specializes in transnational terrorism and global security and at the legal department of a defense contractor. She served as an executive editor in the Syracuse Law Review.
Jennifer A. Camillo
is a 2015 graduate of Syracuse College of Law and is a prosecutor. She has served as a law clerk in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and the Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office and as an extern in the Oneida County District Attorney’s Office. She was a member of the Syracuse National Trial Team and was awarded the Tiffany Cup by the New York Bar Association for her trial advocacy achievements.
Tara J. Pistorese
holds Juris Doctor and Masters of Public Administration degrees from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and its College of Law. She wrote for this blog when a student. She is now a member of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps.
Benjamin Zaiser
is both a scholar and a Federal Agent of the Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany. (Opinions expressed here are his own and not any part of official duty.)
THE NATURE OF THE REVOLUTION: RETHINKING RENO TO REFLECT THE REALITY THAT THE INTERNET IS PART OF THE PHYSICAL WORLD
Actual Assange Indictment
Actual Indictment of Russian GRU Agents for cyber operations to interfere with the 2016 US. presidential election
Professor comments on Carpenter decision – proceeding one step at a time
Congressional Research Service: Law Enforcement Access to Overseas Data under the CLOUD Act
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Do We Need a National Policy on Cybersecurity? - Working Capital Review on Cyber Command Strategy Document: Achieve and Maintain Cyberspace Superiority
The United States needs a Department of Cybersecurity - Techheadlines on Cyber Command Strategy Document: Achieve and Maintain Cyberspace Superiority
The United States needs a Department of Cybersecurity | News World on Cyber Command Strategy Document: Achieve and Maintain Cyberspace Superiority
The United States needs a Department of Cybersecurity – TCNN: The Constitutional News Network on Cyber Command Strategy Document: Achieve and Maintain Cyberspace Superiority
The United States needs a Department of Cybersecurity - RocketNews | Top News Stories From Around the Globe on Cyber Command Strategy Document: Achieve and Maintain Cyberspace Superiority
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Photons entangled without coexisting
AAAS Science magazine reports:
Physicists have long known that quantum mechanics allows for a subtle connection between quantum particles called entanglement, in which measuring one particle can instantly set the otherwise uncertain condition, or "state," of another particle — even if it's light years away. Now, experimenters in Israel have shown that they can entangle two photons that don't even exist at the same time. ...
The experiment shows that it's not strictly logical to think of entanglement as a tangible physical property, Eisenberg says. "There is no moment in time in which the two photons coexist," he says, "so you cannot say that the system is entangled at this or that moment." Yet, the phenomenon definitely exists. Anton Zeilinger, a physicist at the University of Vienna, agrees that the experiment demonstrates just how slippery the concepts of quantum mechanics are. "It's really neat because it shows more or less that quantum events are outside our everyday notions of space and time."
So what's the advance good for? Physicists hope to create quantum networks in which protocols like entanglement swapping are used to create quantum links among distant users and transmit uncrackable (but slower than light) secret communications. The new result suggests that when sharing entangled pairs of photons on such a network, a user wouldn't have to wait to see what happens to the photons sent down the line before manipulating the ones kept behind, Eisenberg says. Zeilinger says the result might have other unexpected uses: "This sort of thing opens up people's minds and suddenly somebody has an idea to use it in quantum computing or something."
I don't doubt this experiment, but the explanation is really misleading. Quantum mechanics teaches that photons never exist as particles. They have some particle properties and some wave properties.
A lot of these quantum paradoxes depend on you thinking of photons as particles, analogous to macroscopic particles with which we have personal experiment, like marbles or ping pong balls. Think of photons as particles, and almost everything about light is very mysterious. Stop thinking about them as particles, accept quantum mechanics, and light is not so strange.
There are no applications to uncrackable secret communications or to quantum computing. This is just quantum mechanics, not some great new physics.
Radical re-examination of the invisible frameworks...
Unnatural constants make life possible
Physics PhD in wrong theory
Hawking on God's dice
Quantum computer with no quantum speedup
Atheists trashing other religious influence
New book defends string theory
Discovery of the electromagnetic Lagrangian
Why we have free will
Modern physics is not crummy
Impossibility of time travel
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Australia's hottest year was no freak event: humans caused it
By Sophie Lewis, University of Melbourne and David Karoly, University of Melbourne
The Bureau of Meteorology has confirmed that 2013 was the hottest year in Australia since records began in 1910.
Unusual heat was a persistent feature throughout the year. For the continent as a whole, we experienced our hottest day on record on January 7. Then January was the hottest month on record, and the 2012-13 summer was the hottest recorded for the nation.
The nation-wide temperature record set for the month of September exceeded the previous record by more than a degree. This was the largest temperature anomaly for any month yet recorded.
Averaged across all of Australia, the temperature for 2013 was 1.2C above the 1961-1990 average, and well above the previous record hot year of 2005 of 1.03C above average.
What caused these extreme temperatures? Climate scientists have a problem: because climate deals with averages and trends, we can’t attribute specific records to a particular cause.
But our research has made significant headway in identifying the causes of climate events, by calculating how much various factors increase the risk of extreme climate events occurring. And we have found sobering results.
We previously analysed the role human-caused climate change played in recent extremes across Australia.
For various record-breaking 2013 Australian temperatures, we investigated the contributing factors to temperature extremes using a suite of state-of-the-art global climate models. The models simulated well the natural variability of Australian temperatures.
Using this approach, we calculated the probability of hot Australian temperatures in model experiments. These incorporated human (changes in greenhouse gases, aerosols and ozone) and natural (solar radiation changes and volcanic) factors. We compared these probabilities to those calculated for a parallel set of experiments that include only natural factors. In this way, natural and human climate influences can be separated.
In our previous studies, we then applied an approach (known as Fraction of Attributable Risk) widely used in health and population studies to quantify the contribution of a risk factor to the occurrence of a disease. Health studies, for example, can quantify how much smoking increases the risk of lung cancer.
Using the climate models, the Fraction of Attributable Risk (FAR) shows how much the risk of extreme temperatures increases thanks to human influences.
In our earlier study of our record hot Australian summer of 2012-13, we found that it was very likely (with 90% confidence) that human influences increased the odds of extreme summers such as 2012-13 by at least five times.
In August 2013, Australia broke the record for the hottest 12-month period. The odds of this occurring increased again from the hottest summer. We found that human influence increased the odds of setting this new record by at least 100 times.
Recent extreme temperatures are exceeding previous records by increasingly large margins. The chance of reaching these extreme temperatures from natural climate variations alone is becoming increasingly unlikely. When we considered the 12-month record at the end of August, it was nearly impossible for this temperature extreme to occur from natural climate variations alone in these model experiments.
We have just completed a preliminary investigation of contributing factors for the record Australian temperature in the 2013 calendar year.
In the model experiments, it is impossible to reach such a temperature record due to natural climate variations alone. In climate model simulations with only natural factors, none of the nearly 13,000 model years analysed exceed the previous hottest year recorded back in 2005.
Australian annual temperature changes (relative to 1911-1940 average) for observations (dashed black) and model simulations with natural influences only (green) and with both human and natural influences (red). The grey plumes indicate the range of values simulated across nine global climate models used. Average Australian temperature anomalies are indicated for 2013 and the previous hottest year on record in 2005. David Karoly & Sophie Lewis.
In contrast, in model simulations including both natural and human factors, such as increasing greenhouse gases, record temperatures occur approximately once in every ten years during the period 2006 to 2020. (On a mathematical note, as there is no instance in which the record hot yearly temperature occurred without human contributions, the FAR value is one.)
Probabilities of annual average temperatures for Australia from climate model simulations including natural influences only (green) and both natural and human climate influences (red) for model years 2006-2020. The vertical lines show the temperature anomalies observed in 2013 and in 2005 (the previous hottest year observed). David Karoly & Sophie Lewis
Clearly both natural climate variability and global warming from humans contribute to recent temperature records. Natural variability always plays a major role in the occurrence of weather and climate extremes. But in the case of our recent hottest year on record, human-caused global warming made a crucial contribution to our extreme temperatures.
Our extensive catalogue of 2013 record-breaking events in Australia occurred in a global context of increasing temperatures that must be considered. Globally, 2013 will likely rank as the 6th hottest year recorded.
So to return to our question, what caused the 2013 record hot year across Australia? Simply put, our climate has changed due to human activities. Recent extremes, such as this hot year, are occurring well outside the bounds of natural climate variations alone.
Sophie Lewis is a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science.
David Karoly receives funding from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science and the Australian Antarctic Division. He is a member of the Climate Change Authority and the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists.
This article was originally published at The Conversation. Read the original article.
Labels: Australia, David Karoly, extreme heat, Sophie Lewis
I'm sure that most of my scientific colleagues who work with systems that exhibit central tendency will look at that shift in the bell curve in the second graphic and feel a clenching in their bellies.
It bodes grimly indeed.
Bernard J.
It is odd that the temperature was so high yet all the coral reefs recovered?
So check out Europe.
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.de%2Fdominik-jung%2Fdie-alpen-trotzen-der-kli_b_4300905.html%3Futm_hp_ref%3Dtw
"All the coral reefs recovered"?!
References to evidence, please.
cRR Kampen January 9, 2014 at 1:26 AM
Will Abbott cheer the biblical bat scenes?
Will the world evaluate how terribly easily CAGW can wipe out entire species, entire ecosystems in a matter of a day from that clear warning? Nope. 'That's just Australia, it always gets hot there' is the Dutch sound :)
Marco January 9, 2014 at 1:59 AM
Anonymous points us to "Europe", using a piece by Dominik Jung, who actually only looks at a few high-altitude stations mainly in the middle Alps Northern face in Winter. I checked the trend for two of the stations in GISTEMP, and in Winter it is indeed negative for 1991-2012. But guess what the trend is for the annual temperatures in the same period? If you guessed "negative", you're wrong.
I thus ventured a little bit further and checked for some other lower-lying stations nearby:
1. Klagenfurt: Winter and annual trend = up
2. Zurich: slightly negative in Winter, much more up annually
3. Geneva, same story as Zurich
4. Innsbruck: same as Zurich and Geneva
I guess we now know how to rate the abilities of Dominik Jung to mislead...
cRR Kampen February 5, 2014 at 8:32 PM
That Dominik Jung is a climate revisionist. One of the younger 'usual suspects', another waste suiciding his career.
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Customer Spotlight: Julianna at Contexture International
12/15/14 5:16 PM in: Customer Spotlight Share:
Welcome to Customer Spotlight, a new blog series where we’re introducing you to real Mavenlink users and getting a glimpse into who they are, what they do, and how they got there. Our first spotlight is Julianna Ulrich, Project Coordinator at Contexture International, a creative agency that juggles a diverse team of account managers, designers, animators, video editors, and more to create engaging work for their portfolio of clients.
"We take our client’s idea and help them communicate it to their audience in a creative and unique way."
Mavenlink: Hi Julianna! Can you tell me a little about yourself and what you do?
Julianna: I work at Contexture as the Project Coordinator part-time and the other half I’m a science teacher. I come from a science background and I used to work for NASA over several summers as an Operations Engineer. At NASA, I got an overview of everything that was going on within my team, which is similar to what I do now in my role as a Project Coordinator. But now, I also know the ins and outs of all the projects going on and who’s doing what.
Mavenlink: Can you describe what Contexture does?
Julianna: Contexture International is an all-in-one agency specializing in graphic design, web design, and broadcast and video production.
Mavenlink: With those services, what types of customers does Contexture International attract?
Julianna: Currently, churches, universities, local city municipalities, and local financial institutions. But we have a few other ideas in development to expand our client base.
Mavenlink: What would you say makes Contexture unique?
Julianna: It has a lot to do with the people who work here. We don’t have “by the book” procedures; all our people are very creative and flexible. Our motto is “Communicating in Context,” because if you can’t communicate something in context, it can’t be communicated well.
For example, when our editors work on a documentary, they don’t follow basic rules, they follow a vision. They look to capture the authentic story and draw the audience in.
"If you can’t communicate something in context, it can’t be communicated well."
The same goes for promotional or company-centric videos which are vibrant and engaging. We are also unique in that we have hired people from the film industry and most Contexture employees studied film in college.
Mavenlink: With all that daily creativity, how does the Contexture team use Mavenlink Premier?
Julianna: Previously, Contexture used Mavenlink just to track time and log it to a particular project and bill it appropriately. No one posted anything in the Activity Feed, it didn’t matter who the Project Lead was, and there were no tasks or status updates. But now the team is using Mavenlink for our project collaboration, including posting updates on projects, tracking time, and updating project statuses.
Mavenlink: What are the benefits you’ve personally experienced as a Project Coordinator?
Julianna: If anyone wanted to figure out what was going on in a project, such as status updates, where we are with the budget, or time or expenses, it’s so easy!
"Mavenlink has helped me to achieve total project oversight — I can have my eyes on everything project related."
That’s beautiful for me. Now that we’ve started to track invoices and payments, its going to help us out a lot more. Overall, it’s been a really excellent tool for me to track what everyone is doing on their projects.
Thank you so much Julianna — we loved hearing from you and the team at Contexture International about what you do and how Mavenlink has helped! If you’re a current Mavenlink customer and would like to participate in the next customer spotlight, please send an email to us at support@mavenlink.com.
Filed Under Customer Spotlight
Author Mavenlink 12/15/14 5:16 PM
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Effect of exercising at minimum recommendations of the multiple sclerosis exercise guideline combined with structured education or attention control education – secondary results of the step it up randomised controlled trial
Susan Coote ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7077-01641,2,
Marcin Uszynski1,3,
Matthew P. Herring2,4,
Sara Hayes1,2,
Carl Scarrott5,6,
John Newell5,7,
Stephen Gallagher2,8,
Aidan Larkin3 &
Robert W Motl9
Recent exercise guidelines for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) recommend a minimum of 30 min moderate intensity aerobic exercise and resistance exercise twice per week. This trial compared the secondary outcomes of a combined 10-week guideline based intervention and a Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) education programme with the same exercise intervention involving an attention control education.
Physically inactive people with MS, scoring 0–3 on Patient Determined Disease Steps Scale, with no MS relapse or change in MS medication, were randomised to 10-week exercise plus SCT education or exercise plus attention control education conditions. Outcomes included fatigue, depression, anxiety, strength, physical activity, SCT constructs and impact of MS and were measured by a blinded assessor pre and post-intervention and 3 and 6 month follow up.
One hundred and seventy-four expressed interest, 92 were eligible and 65 enrolled. Using linear mixed effects models, the differences between groups on all secondary measures post-intervention and at follow-up were not significant. Post-hoc, exploratory, within group analysis identified improvements in both groups post intervention in fatigue (mean ∆(95% CI) SCT -4.99(−9.87, −0.21), p = 0.04, Control −7.68(−12.13, −3.23), p = 0.00), strength (SCT -1.51(−2.41, −0.60), p < 0.01, Control −1.55(−2.30, −0.79), p < 0.01), physical activity (SCT 9.85(5.45, 14.23), p < 0.01, Control 12.92(4.69, 20.89), goal setting (SCT 7.30(4.19, 10.4), p < 0.01, Control 5.96(2.92, 9.01), p < 0.01) and exercise planning (SCT 5.88(3.37, 8.39), p < 0.01, Control 3.76(1.27, 6.25), p < 0.01) that were maintained above baseline at 3 and 6 month follow up (all p < 0.05). Only the SCT group improved at 3 and 6 month follow up in physical impact of MS(−4.45(−8.68, −0.22), −4.12(−8.25, 0.01), anxiety(−1.76(−3.20, −0.31), −1.99(−3.28, −0.71), depression(−1.51(−2.89, −0.13), −1.02(−2.05, 0.01)) and cognition(5.04(2.51, 7.57), 3.05(0.81, 5.28), with a medium effect for cognition and fitness (Hedges’ g 0.75(0.24, 1.25), 0.51(0.01, 1.00) at 3 month follow up.
There were no statistically significant differences between groups for the secondary outcomes once age, gender, time since diagnosis and type of MS were accounted for. However, within the SCT group only there were improvements in anxiety, depression, cognition and physical impact of MS. Exercising at the minimum guideline amount has a positive effect on fatigue, strength and PA that is sustained at 3 and 6 months following the cessation of the program.
ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02301442, retrospectively registered on November 13th 2014.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and often progressive condition affecting the central nervous system. MS has many consequences, including impaired strength, fitness, mood, fatigue and cognition, along with limitations of activities such as walking that impact on quality of life. Available evidence supports the beneficial effects of exercise on fatigue [1, 2], depression [3] fitness [4], walking mobility [5, 6], in addition to quality of life [7]. Indeed, this evidence has led to the development of the MS Exercise guideline [8, 9] which recommends moderate intensity aerobic exercise for 30 min and resistance training involving major muscle groups twice weekly.
We are not aware of a single trial that has actually documented the benefits of the exercise guidelines in MS. Of further concern, there are few studies in the MS exercise literature that have evaluated the long-term benefits of exercise interventions, and the results are mixed. For example, we reported positive improvements from a combined aerobic and resistance exercise programme in the community [10]; however, the improvements generally were not maintained 12 weeks post-intervention [11], suggesting that additional measures are required to enable sustained increases in physical activity behaviour among PwMS. This need to foster long-term exercise participation is not unique to PwMS and authors have highlighted the need to include theory-based behaviour change interventions [12]. Social cognitive theory has been extensively investigated among PwMS, and exercise self-efficacy and goal setting are consistently associated with [13] and predictive of [14] physical activity behaviour. Indeed a recent meta-analysis demonstrated significant associations of these constructs and outcome expectancies with physical activity [15].
We have conducted a series of clinical trials (i.e., Phase I and II) with relatively small samples for examining the efficacy of an Internet-delivered behavioural intervention based on social cognitive theory (SCT) for increasing physical activity among ambulatory persons with MS [16,17,18,19]. Our most recent trial included the website and one-one-one video coaching and demonstrated moderate to large improvements in minutes/day of moderate/vigorous physical activity, endurance walking performance, information processing speed, symptoms of fatigue, depression, anxiety, and pain, and quality of life (QOL) over a six-month period [20]. Collectively, such data support the efficacy of the behavioural intervention for increasing and sustaining physical activity in PwMS and possibly improving walking, cognition, symptoms, and QOL outcomes.
The Step it Up study [21] combined the collective knowledge and expertise gained from the Irish community exercise programme with the U.S. online intervention. The 10-week programme firstly aimed to enable inactive PwMS to reach the recently published aerobic and resistance exercise guidelines. We further investigated how embedding this exercise programme in a structured SCT-based education intervention compared to an attention-control education intervention. The current paper reports the results for the secondary outcomes of MS symptoms, physical activity, and SCT constructs. The primary outcome and feasibility metrics, presented elsewhere (Hayes et al. in press) demonstrated that both groups improved significantly in the primary outcome, the six minute walk test (6MWT), and this improvement was maintained at 6 month follow-up. An exploratory analysis of those with three of four assessments demonstrated that the SCT group had a ~ 40 m greater improvement in 6MWT than the control group post-intervention and at 6-month follow up (p = 0.04 for both).
This was a multicentre, double blind, randomised controlled trial (RCT).
Setting and participants
Participants were recruited through the MS Society of Ireland, and via neurology clinics in three urban locations in the Republic of Ireland. Details of the recruitment process are further detailed in the protocol paper [21]. Inclusion criteria were: (1) physician-confirmed formal diagnosis of MS, (2) aged 18 years or more, (3) Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) scale score of 0–3, (4) a sedentary lifestyle (<30 min of moderate to strenuous exercise one day or more per week over the last six months) and (5) willing to give written informed consent. Exclusion criteria were: (1) pregnancy, (2) MS relapse in the previous 12 weeks and (3) changes to MS medication or steroid treatment in the previous 12 weeks. Participants were sent the consent form in advance of the baseline assessment, and written consent was obtained in person by a blinded assessor.
Randomisation and blinding
Participants were randomly allocated into the exercise plus SCT-based intervention or the exercise plus attention control education intervention. Random allocation procedures have been previously outlined [21] and were adhered to. JN generated the random allocation sequence, SH enrolled participants, and SC assigned participants to interventions. The outcome assessor (SH) was blind to allocation throughout the study as were the statisticians (CS, JN). All participants were informed that the study aimed to examine the effect of combining exercise and education, and therefore were blinded regarding group allocation.
Screening questionnaire
Potential participants were screened for eligibility for this study using a questionnaire that included the Patient Determined Disease Steps (PDDS) scale [22], confirmation from participant of MS diagnosis and questions regarding PA levels that have been detailed elsewhere [21].
Outcome measures were conducted pre-intervention post-intervention and at 3 and 6 month follow-up.
At baseline, participants provided demographic details and a researcher formally trained in the use of the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS [23]) (SH) administered the EDSS to all participants at baseline. MS diagnosis according to the McDonald or Poser criteria was confirmed in writing from the participant’s consultant neurologist.
The SenseWear Arm band (SWA) provided an objective estimate of PA [24] using both mean daily step count and mean daily energy expenditure estimates over a 7-day period. The 5 times sit to stand test (5xSTS) [25], the Modified Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test (mCAFT) [26] and the Godin Health Index of the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ) [27] measured lower extremity muscle strength, aerobic capacity and PA behaviour, respectively. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) [28], Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) [29], Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale 29 (MSIS-29) [30], and Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) [31] measured depression, anxiety, cognitive processing speed, impact of MS and fatigue, respectively. Five questionnaires were implemented to measure SCT domains. These included the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale (EXSE) [32], Exercise Goal Setting (EGS) scale [33], Multidimensional Outcomes Expectations for Exercise Scale (MOEES) [34], Social Provisions Scale (SPS) [35], and Exercise Benefits and Barriers questionnaire [36]. These measures and associated psychometric properties have been described in the trial protocol [21].
The exercise intervention was common to both groups and was delivered by physiotherapists. The aim of the exercise component was to progressively increase the intensity of both aerobic and strengthening exercise to enable the participants to reach the published exercise guidelines for people with mild-to-moderate MS [37], and has been previously described in detail [21]. Over the 10-week programme participants attended the group exercise class on six occasions, supplemented with a telephone coaching call in the weeks without classes (intervention weeks 4, 6, 7 and 9). After each of the group exercise classes the attention control group received an education session about topics unrelated to PA behaviour, e.g. diet, vitamin D, sleep, temperature and hydration, and immunisations and vaccinations. The exercise plus SCT-based intervention group received a similar duration of education based on the principles of SCT for health behaviour change, namely: self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goal-setting, barriers and benefits and has been previously described [21].
The study was powered for the primary outcome, 6MWT and consistent with data from a large international study [38], it was assumed that the effect of the intervention would yield an average improvement in 6MWT distance of 36 m with an estimated standard deviation of 48.2 m. In order to have 80% power (at the 5% significance level) to detect such a difference in mean improvement in 6MWT over the study period between groups, a sample of size 62 randomised equally to two arms (i.e. 31 per arm) was needed.
Suitable numerical statistics and graphical summaries were used to describe characteristics of the sample at baseline and to assess the validity of any distributional assumptions needed for the formal analysis. All tests of significance were two-sided and conducted at an alpha = 0.05 level of statistical significance.
The statistical modelling compared differences in the longitudinal response variables between the two intervention arms at each of the three post-intervention follow-ups while correcting for the baseline measurements for each participant. A linear mixed model for a continuous response over time due to the two interventions, whilst adjusting for participant-specific covariates and factors; namely the response of interest at baseline, age, gender, time since diagnosis and MS type (i.e. benign, primary progressive and relapsing-remitting) was developed. Treatment and time (and their interaction) were specified as fixed effects, centre (three levels) and participant (nested in centre) as random effects in order to account for homogeneity within centre and within participant correlation over time. Initially a model containing the main effects of the treatment, time and a treatment-by-time interaction was specified in order to test whether there is evidence that the treatment effects varies over time. If the interaction was deemed unnecessary (using a likelihood ratio test) the model was refitted excluding the interaction term, so the treatment effect was then constant over time. All analyses were carried out using all available measurements. All models were fitted in R 3.2.0 using the lme4 and lmerTest packages. Model diagnostics involved suitable plots of the residuals.
Given increased calls across the literature to move beyond null-hypothesis significance testing in favour of effect sizes and confidence intervals [39] we also quantified and compared the magnitude of change in secondary outcomes using Hedges’ g effect sizes and associated 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) using Cohen’s conventions for effect sizes (0.2 small, 0.5 moderate, 0.8 large). For each outcome measure, the mean baseline to post intervention and 3 and 6 month change for the control condition was subtracted from the mean baseline to post intervention and 3 and 6 month change for the intervention condition and divided by the pooled baseline standard deviation [40]. Effect sizes were calculated such that greater improvements in outcomes in the intervention group compared to the control group resulted in positive effect sizes.
An exploratory paired t-test between baseline post intervention and 3- and 6- month follow-ups was also conducted. This provides a summary of the effects of the estimated treatment and control from the raw data. These “unadjusted” results do not account for the patient covariates and repeated measurements.
One hundred and seventy-four PwMS contacted the trial centre and were screened for inclusion over the phone between September 2013 and May 2014. Figure 1 illustrates the flow through the trial, including reasons for loss to follow-up and discontinuation of intervention. We randomised 92 individual participants and waited for 6 participants in a region to run a group before baseline assessment. While waiting for others to be randomised, 27 people became ineligible or declined to participate. One participant was not treated as randomised (two acquaintances had been randomised to the other group and the participant wanted to exercise with them). Sixty-five participants were assessed at baseline and commenced the intervention (intervention group n = 33, control group n = 32). Baseline demographics are presented in Table 1; the groups were similar at baseline. Feasibility, fidelity and adherence metrics are published elsewhere (Hayes et al. in press).
CONSORT Flow Diagram, DNA: did not attend
Table 1 Clinical baseline characteristics of those receiving exercise plus SCT (SCT) and exercise plus control education (CON)
The raw data at each time point is presented in Table 2. Linear mixed effects models showed no statistically significant differences between the SCT and control groups for any secondary outcome at post intervention and at 3 and 6 month follow up assessment points (Table 2). Hedges’ g effect sizes and associated 95% CIs are also presented for each group in Table 3. At three month follow up, compared to the control group, the exercise and SCT education resulted in statistically significant moderate-to-large improvements in cognitive processing speed (SDMT: g = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.24, 1.25) and aerobic capacity (mCAFT: g = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.01, 1.00). Though not statistically significant, compared to control post intervention, the SCT group had small-to-moderate improvements in the perceived psychological impact of MS (g = 0.25), anxiety symptoms (g = 0.34), estimated energy expenditure (g = 0.39), exercise planning (g = 0.34), and social support (g = 0.40). Compared to control at three month follow-up, the SCT group had nonsignificant, small-to-moderate improvements in the perceived psychological impact of MS (g = 0.34), anxiety (g = 0.37) and depressive (g = 0.20) symptoms, lower extremity muscle strength (g = 0.41), estimated energy expenditure (g = 0.40), exercise planning (g = 0.31), exercise self-efficacy (g = 0.33), and social support (g = 0.49). At six month follow-up, compared to control the intervention showed nonsignificant small-to-moderate improvements in anxiety (g = 0.17) and depressive (g = 0.23) symptoms, cognitive processing speed (g = 0.15), lower extremity muscle strength (g = 0.49), aerobic capacity (g = 0.34), exercise planning (g = 0.17), exercise self-efficacy (g = 0.28), and social support (g = 0.45).
Table 2 Mean (SD) for secondary outcome measures at each time point
Table 3 Estimated treatment effects for secondary outcomes at each time point from linear mixed effects model and effect sizes
Within-group outcome changes, including the unadjusted, unstandardized mean changes from baseline, associated 95%CIs, and paired t-test results for both groups, are presented in Table 4. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements from baseline following the 10-week intervention in the perceived impact of fatigue (MFIS), lower extremity muscle strength (5xSTS), self-reported PA (Godin Health Index), exercise goal setting, and exercise planning that are maintained above baseline at three and six month follow-up. Only the SCT group had significant improvements in perceived physical impact of MS (MSIS-29 physical), anxiety (HADS-A) and depressive (HADS-D) symptoms, and cognitive processing speed (SDMT) at three and six month follow-up. There was no significant change in objectively-measured PA using the outputs of steps and energy expenditure, and no significant change in exercise self-efficacy in either group across time points.
Table 4 Unadjusted comparisons of change in secondary outcome measures in each group at each time point
This paper presents the secondary outcome results from an intervention designed to enable inactive people with MS to reach the minimum recommendation of the MS Exercise Guidelines and further compared the effect of a structured SCT-based education to an attention-control education intervention. Null hypothesis testing demonstrated no statistically significant between-group differences for any secondary outcome over time. However, examination of the magnitude of change quantified by Hedges’ g effect sizes illustrated potentially important differences between exercise plus SCT compared to the attention control condition, including significant moderate-to-large improvements in cognitive processing speed and aerobic capacity at three month follow-up. Additionally, though not statistically significant, compared to the attention-control condition, exercise plus SCT resulted in small-to-moderate improvements of ¼ to ½ standard deviation in anxiety and depressive symptoms, the perceived psychological impact of MS, cognitive processing speed, aerobic capacity, estimated energy expenditure, exercise planning, and social support, and the magnitude of many of these improvements persisted at 24- and 36-week follow-up. The magnitude of improvements in these outcomes is consistent with previous reports of the positive effects of exercise training on symptoms among PwMS, including fatigue [1], anxiety [41], depression [42, 43], quality of life [7, 44], and mobility [5], and highlights the potential additive benefit of combined SCT-based education and exercise training.
The finding that both groups improved in strength and physical activity is not surprising given the content of the intervention. Participants completed twice weekly resistance exercise and moderate intensity walking exercise. The changes in lower extremity muscle strength 6 months post intervention, measured with the 5xSTS test, are in line broadly with previously reported changes using that measure [45], providing support for the fidelity of the current intervention to enhance strength. The Health Index score of the GLTEQ also increased in both groups, confirming the exercise log data which indicated that SCT and the CON group groups completed an average of 33.2 of 44 available sessions (75.5%) and 32.0 sessions (72.6%), respectively (Hayes et al. in press). Of note, the objective measure of PA, mean steps/day and mean energy expenditure/day did not change in line with the positive effects on walking mobility and the increase in PA reported in the exercise logs and the GLTEQ Health Index. This may be due to reduced non-exercise physical activity, such that participants reduced leisure, transport and occupational PA in order to engage in exercise training, thereby maintaining, or even decreasing, their overall PA levels. There has been some support in the literature for initial decreases in non-exercise physical activity when beginning an exercise training intervention, though the available evidence suggests that decreased activity dissipates with continued training [46]. It is also possible that the arm worn accelerometer did not capture the changes in PA or that an alternative output, such as increased mild/moderate PA specifically or a reduction in sedentary behaviour, may capture the changes due to the intervention.
Importantly, the results of within-group changes confirmed the positive effect of exercise on fatigue for people with MS [1, 2]. The included sample of PwMS started with scores on the MFIS greater than 38 [47], indicative of clinically meaningful fatigue, and both groups improved, reporting scores below 38 at three and 6 month follow up. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to confirm that exercising at the minimum recommendations of the Canadian MS Exercise guideline [9] has a positive effect on fatigue for inactive people with MS with mild-moderate disability.
Both groups also improved in exercise goal setting and planning and these improvements were maintained at both follow-up assessments. This was expected in the SCT group because the structured education intervention specifically addressed these and other SCT domains. The improvement in the control group was unexpected as they engaged in didactic education on topics unrelated to exercise. On reflection, in our efforts to document adherence and fidelity to the intervention, we inadvertently provided the control group with several physical activity behaviour change techniques (BCT’s) [12]. This involved exercising in a group setting, advice on the guideline amount and its benefits, recording exercise in a log, seeing personal improvements and monitoring step count on a pedometer. Participants further reported in our qualitative data that knowing they were going to be assessed at 3- and 6-months further served as a motivator to keep exercising. These, somewhat “simple”, BCT’s warrant consideration for inclusion in interventions that aim to enable long term exercise behaviour and its benefits though we note that there was a greater improvement in the SCT group for the primary outcome of walking endurance seen in a per protocol analysis (Hayes et al. in press). Adding a booster session with both assessment and intervention in the follow up periods may further maintain exercise behaviour and its associated outcomes and is in line with a recent systematic review [48] and reports from participants in this study.
Interestingly exercise self efficacy did not change neither did outcome expectancies or exercise benefits. Notably, compared to the control condition, exercise plus SCT resulted in small, nonsignificant improvements in self-efficacy and exercise plus SCT also resulted in near half-standard deviation improvements in social support, measured with the Social Provisions Scale, at all time points. Though the objective of the current study was not to examine plausible mediators of the effects of exercise plus SCT on outcomes, given previous evidence of the potential intermediary role of social support in the effects of physical activity and exercise among PwMS [49], the ability of exercise to concurrently improve social support and symptoms may be particularly important.
Interestingly only the SCT group demonstrated improvements in physical impact of MS, anxiety, depression and cognition. Compared to the attention-control condition, the exercise plus SCT group showed small-to-moderate improvements in anxiety and depressive symptoms, the perceived psychological impact of MS, and cognitive processing speed. These findings warrant further focused examination but may be due in part to the greater change in walking mobility seen in the exercise plus SCT group (Hayes et al. in press). Both groups improved significantly in six minute walk test (6MWT) distance after treatment and at 3- and 6-month follow-up, and using intention-to-treat analysis the SCT group demonstrated 22.70 m, 11.80 m and 27.42 m greater improvements in this measure. Data suggest that a 21 m change is clinically meaningful to participants, supporting the hypothesis that the SCT group had more meaningful changes in 6MWT distance at 3- and 6-month follow-up that may have resulted in reduced physical impact of MS. More of the SCT group reached the guideline and they reported completing more sessions. This increased “total exercise dose” and the resulting change in depression is supported by our recent systematic review and meta-regression analysis [42], which found increased frequency of exercise was associated with greater reductions of depression. There is limited specific information on the dose/response relationship of exercise for MS and this warrants consideration in trials designed specifically to address this question.
The main strength of this study is that we purposely recruited inactive people with MS and engaged them in a 10-week exercise and education programme with the aim of enabling long-term physical activity engagement and its associated benefits. A weakness is that we did not power the study for these secondary outcomes; nonetheless, the preliminary findings presented in the current paper, particularly the magnitude of improvements in fatigue, anxiety and depressive symptoms, the perceived impact of MS, strength and aerobic capacity, and cognitive processing speed, will inform future trials and targeted analyses of these important factors. A further strength is that we measured a broad range of MS symptoms, and reported the effect of the resistance and aerobic exercise programme on strength, fitness, and subjectively and objectively measured PA. A limitation is that the measures of objective PA and fitness did not change and a more direct measure of fitness, such as cycle ergometry to determine VO2 max, is recommended [50]. Participants reported some dissatisfaction with the SWA arm band; therefore, alternative tools for objectively measuring PA among PwMS are warranted. A further strength is that we used exercise logs to capture intensity of aerobic exercise using steps from a pedometer, but a limitation is that we did not record heart rate and this is recommended in future trials.
This paper presents data to suggest that enabling inactive people with mild-moderate disability due to MS to exercise at the minimum suggested by the exercise guideline results in a range of benefits. Improvements in fatigue, strength, goal setting and planning were seen in both the structured SCT and attention control groups and were maintained at 3 and 6 month follow up. The similar responses in both groups for these secondary outcomes can be explained as they both had the same exercise intervention and by the inadvertent inclusion of several behaviour change techniques for the control group through our adherence logging and trial structure.
The results of this pilot trial for the secondary outcome measures suggest that the SCT group had greater improvements in cognitive processing and aerobic capacity at 3 month follow up. This paper further presents preliminary evidence for improvements in physical impact of MS, anxiety, depression and cognition in the exercise plus SCT group alone. This may in part be due to the greater improvements in walking mobility reported elsewhere or due to the content of the education element and therefore further testing of the intervention model is warranted. These findings, in combination with the effects for the primary outcome measure, warrant progression to a definitive RCT and suggest the importance of studies directly investigating the dose-response relationship with focal outcomes.
5xSTS:
5 times sit to stand test
6MWT:
Six minute walk test
BCT:
Behaviour change technique
EDSS:
Expanded disability status scale
EXSE:
Exercise self-efficacy scale
GLTEQ:
Godin leisure-time exercise questionnaire
HADS:
Hospital anxiety and depression scale
mCAFT:
Modified Canadian aerobic fitness test
MFIS:
Modified fatigue impact scale
MOEES:
Multidimensional outcomes expectations for exercise scale
MSIS-29:
Multiple sclerosis impact scale 29
PDDS:
Patient determined disease steps
PwMS:
People with multiple sclerosis
QOL:
RCT:
SCT:
Social cognitive theory
SDMT:
Symbol digit modalities test
SPS:
Social provisions scale
SWA:
SenseWear Armband
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We would like to thank MS Ireland Southern, Mid-Western and Western regional offices for their assistance in recruiting participants for this trial.
This work is supported by the Irish Health Research Board Health Research Award, grant number: HRA_PHR/2013–264. The funding body had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and in writing the manuscript.
SC was the principal investigator for the study, co-initiated the project, contributed to the design of the trial, drafted the paper and approved the final version. MU was a post-doctoral researcher on the trial, commented on drafts of the paper and approved the final version. MH contributed to the conceptualization of the paper, analysis of data, including Hedge’s g effect size calculation, provided critical revisions to the paper, and approved the final version. SH was a post-doctoral researcher on the trial, contributed to the design of the study, collected data, commented on drafts of the paper, and approved the final version. SG contributed to the design and evaluation of the trial, commented on drafts of the paper, and approved the final version. AL contributed to the recruitment strategy employed, commented on drafts of the paper, and approved the final version. JN and CS were the statisticians on the trial, cleaned and analysed the data, provided most of the statistics presented, commented on drafts of the paper, and approved the final version. RM co-initiated the project and contributed to the design of the trial, drafted the paper, and approved the final version.
Ethics approval was given by the Faculty of Education and Health Science Research Ethics Committee, University of Limerick (2014_02_20_EHS), in addition to the Research Ethics Committees at the University College Hospital Galway, University Hospital Limerick and Cork University Hospital. All participants gave written informed consent.
Department of Clinical Therapies, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Susan Coote
, Marcin Uszynski
& Sara Hayes
Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
, Matthew P. Herring
, Sara Hayes
& Stephen Gallagher
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland, Western office, Galway, Ireland
Marcin Uszynski
& Aidan Larkin
Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Matthew P. Herring
HRB Clinical Research Facility, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Carl Scarrott
& John Newell
School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
School of Mathematics, Statistics and Applied Mathematics, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
John Newell
Department of Psychology, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
Robert W Motl
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Correspondence to Susan Coote.
Coote, S., Uszynski, M., Herring, M.P. et al. Effect of exercising at minimum recommendations of the multiple sclerosis exercise guideline combined with structured education or attention control education – secondary results of the step it up randomised controlled trial. BMC Neurol 17, 119 (2017) doi:10.1186/s12883-017-0898-y
Behaviour change techniques
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Baltic News Network - News from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia > Social > Turkey deported Syrian refugees with threats, deceit, Amnesty International finds
Turkey deported Syrian refugees with threats, deceit, Amnesty International finds
The human rights organisation Amnesty International has found in months of interviews with Syrian refugees that Turkey has returned dozens of them with force or deceit to the so-called safe zone. Turkey argues that refugees have been returned voluntarily.
The German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle reports citing findings by Amnesty International that in the months leading up to its military operation in northeastern Syria, Turkey illegally forced Syrian refugees to return to the war zone, putting their lives in grave danger.
«Turkey’s claim that refugees from Syria are choosing to walk straight back into the conflict is dangerous and dishonest,» commented Anna Shea, Researcher on Refugee and Migrant Rights at Amnesty International. «Rather, our research shows that people are being tricked or forced into returning.»
Dozens of refugees told the organization that the Turkish police beat and threatened them into signing documents saying they were willingly returning to Syria. Based on interviews conducted between July and October this year, researchers estimate that hundreds of people have been sent back unlawfully and against their will.
Read more: Turkish offensive: Erdogan, Putin agree on withdrawal of Syria Kurdish forces
Records from the Turkish authorities argue that 315,000 people have returned to Syria voluntarily.
Warnings and deceit
It is currently illegal to deport people to Syria due to the physical danger it presents as well as the exposure to human rights violations, DW wrote.
While some were beaten or threatened with violence or prison, the police also deceived people to get them to sign «voluntary return» statements. Refugees were told the documents they were signing were registrations, receipts, or even forms that said they wished to stay in Turkey. Others were told, falsely, that they were not properly registered in that province of Turkey and must therefore return to Syria, DW reports.
Turkey could close army bases to U.S., if Washington imposes sanctions
Turkey upholds veto against NATO Baltic defence plans; Lithuania hopes for compromise
Israel and Gaza start truce after two days of deadly violence
Video: Venice affected by highest flood waters since 1966
Ankara begins sending Islamist extremists back to West
U.S. announces suicide of «Islamic state» leader in Syria
Turkey agrees to pause its intervention in Syria for five days
U.S. imposes sanctions on Turkey over incursion in Syria
Syria Kurds give towns to al-Assad’s forces facing Turkey’s incursion
Keywords: Kurds refugees Syria Turkey
Latvian Finance and Capital Market Commission has listed cases in which Latvia’s finance market participants will be allowed to service Aivars Lembergs, who is subjected to US OFAC sanctions and accused of serious crimes, and three organizations associated with him – Ventspils Development Agency, Business Development Association and Latvian Transit Business Association.
Money ,
Social ,
Latvian State Employment Agency promises to find appropriate jobs for laid-off Latvian Railway workers. If need be, those people will be provided the opportunity for re-qualification, raise their qualification or train for a new profession, as confirmed by the agency’s representative Signe Bierande.
I can see people who could take the reins over the Office of the Prosecutor General and the Supreme Court and change their work standards, Latvian Justice Minister Jānis Bordāns told TV3 programme 900 seconds when asked about any potential candidates to lead those institutions.
Ukrainian head of government Oleksiy Honcharuk has offered to resign following the circulation of an audio recording, where criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his knowledge in economy is voiced.
In December 2019 inflation in Latvia was higher than the average in the European Union and Eurozone, according to information published by Eurostat on Friday, 17 January.
Estonia has registered in 2019 population growth for the fifth consecutive year and it can be explained with immigration not with natural growth, according to preliminary data released by Statistics Estonia.
There are suspicions that Aivars Lembergs, subjected to international sanctions, has sold real estate located on Raunas Street 27 in Riga to his sister «on paper only». This may have been done to avoid confiscation of properties in the event of a guilty verdict or a possible arrest over the real estate property. However, it is possible Lembergs maintains full control over this real estate property and, most likely, the property is used to fatten his wallet on a regular basis.
Since the denationalization effective access to housing security in Latvia does not exist and most of the housing stock has degraded up to a state of a slum, as concluded by the Latvian State Audit.
During his meeting with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko on Thursday, 16 January, Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš affirmed that oil supplies for Belarus may be possible using Latvia’s ports.
World ,
Rain in Australia provides relief to continuing fight against bushfires
In eastern Australia, which has been suffering in prolonged and disastrous bushfires, heavy rain has been falling for the past 24 hours.
Weather to remain warm in Latvia at week’s end
At the end of the week the sky in Latvia will become clear and the sun will shine. No precipitation is expected. However, a low atmospheric pressure area will approach the country from the west during weekends, as reported by Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre.
GKR helps overthrow Riga’s vice-mayors and put an end to ruling coalition
Riga City Council vice-chairperson Anna Vladova and deputy Druvis Kleins lost their respective posts at an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, 16 January. This happened because multiple deputies from Honour to Serve Riga voted together with the opposition in favour of dismissing them.
Latvian Railway plans to lay off 1 500 employees
Latvian Railway plans to terminate labour relations with approximately 1 500 employees before the end of 2020, as reported by the company’s representative Ella Pētermane.
The Russian State Duma has approved on Thursday, January 16, the candidacy of the country’s next Prime Minister appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ventspils opposition invites Pūce to act to prevent US sanctions from spreading to city council
Environment Protection and Regional Development Ministry and especially Juris Pūce have to act to resolve the current state of Ventsils City Council. It should be dismissed, as the municipal government does not have moral, ethical or legal foundation to continue managing and implementing the criminal management’s policy, according to Ventspils City Council opposition deputies.
Trade unions urge Latvian government to resolve transit businesses’ blocked bank accounts problem
Multiple trade unions associated with the transit industry have turned to Latvia’s highest ranking officials with a request to resolve the situation with bank accounts of multiple transit companies having been blocked because of US sanctions against Aivars Lembergs. If the government does not act, trade unions promise to organize massive protests.
Anris Leimanis picked as RB Rail council chairman
Anris Leimanis, independent council member from Latvian shareholder, has been picked as Rail Baltica joint Baltic company AS RB Rail council chairman. Ahti Kuningas and Karolis Sankovskis will serve as vice-chairmen, as confirmed by the company.
CSP: number of residents at risk of poverty declines in Latvia
In 2018 a total of 434 thousand persons or 22.9 % of the population of Latvia were at risk of poverty – 0.4 percentage points less than in 2017.
On Thursday, 16 January, Latvian Saeima made the decision to protect the rights of Latvian citizen Kristīnes Misāne, asking the Danish parliament and Danish law enforcers to support their Latvian colleagues and find a solution to avoid extraditing her to the South African Republic, as reported by Saeima’s press-service.
Smiltēns: Riga City Council’s situation can be described – divide, redistribute and plunder
«The situation in at Riga City Council can be described with three words – divide, redistribute, plunder,» said leader of Latvian Association of Regions Edvards Smiltēns in an interview to LTV programme Rīta panorama on Thursday, 16 January.
The understanding that Lithuania’s election system needs changes is nearly overwhelming, but the ruling Farmers and Greens’ attempt to lower the Parliament election threshold in parties’ multi-member constituency from current 5 per cent to 3 per cent suffered a setback this week.
Estonian power grid executive detained over bribery suspicion
The Estonian Internal Security Service has detained a board member of the Elektrilevi power grid operator over suspicion of taking a bribe.
Demographer: Latvia has the lowest birth rate level observed the past decade
Birth rates continued to decline in Latvia in 2019. The lowest level of the past decade was reached in the country last year, says demographer Ilmārs Mežs.
Healthcare Ministry proposes single social fees rate for specialized tax regimes
One percentage point social fee rate for healthcare will be applied not only to general tax regime participants but also those working in special tax regime, such as microenterprises, patent payers and royalty recipients, according to a proposal for Latvian Healthcare Ministry.
U.S. and China reach preliminary trade agreement
Easing the U.S.-China trade conflict the governments of the two countries have agreed on the first step of mutual trade reconciliation. Their disagreements have affected the world economy for the past few years.
Drunk driver in Estonia causes crash with three fatalities
Honour to Serve Riga will not support Mayor Oļegs Burovs’ dismissal
KNAB decides to give ZZS state funding in spite of US sanctions against Lembergs
UK’s last state allows same-sex marriage
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Rahul Dholakia’s Lamhaa Blog
Movies, News | July 14, 2010 | | by Ingrid Zellner
“Writing a blog for lamhaa- this week”, Rahul Dholakia promised on Twitter a few days ago. And indeed the director of Parzania fame whose Kashmir film Lamhaa will be released on Friday has a lot to tell – about the two and a half years of preparation and research, about the people in Kashmir he met and talked to (hundred and fifty recorded interviews) and about the production of this film where the crew more than once was in danger to be shot.
The first blog entry Lamhaa: The Beautiful Prison was online on Sunday. Here Rahul gives us parts of an interview he made with a separatist leader in Kashmir, and tells how the Lamhaa crew shot a scene in the Jama Masjid, and that too on ‘Aakhri Jumma’: “We had to position our cameras eight hours prior to the speech and stay put. No food, no water, no ciggies as well- for a constant 12 hours for a possible 12 second shot in the film. At the Masjid, there is only one entrance and exit, and people are sitting so close to each other that it’s tough for a fly to go past. Imagine a stampede in this situation! What was even crazier was, that I had to explain to the crew, that some militants may be present and they may shoot some rounds of AK47 in the air, and you must not panic! I was in two minds to take my unit through this shoot. Though we had the support, there was no guarantee that there would not be any trouble- after all it is Kashmir, and we were in a mosque and were Hindus. This sequence was important to the film and we had to get it- when we did finally shoot it, the entire unit (5 man crew) was really relieved, and I was certain, Lamhaa may face difficulties, but we will pull it through!”
Read more: http://passionforcinema.com/lamhaa-the-beautiful-prison/
On Monday followed the blog entry Lamhaa : AK47. Rahul talks about his script writers and about the Kashmiri Pandits and Jawans and the plights and problems they are facing every day. “Kashmir is full of uncertain Lamhaa’s. We were visiting Lolab Valley, one of the most dangerous places in Kashmir. The valley is surrounded by 4 huge mountains, each giving shelter to one terrorist group- the strongest being Lashkar. My interaction here with the brigadier and majors was eye opening. Shocking stories of the forces- from corruption in the RAW and Army to the day-to-day battle for survival of the jawans, were narrated over the days that I stayed there. When it was time to leave, they suggested I take another route, one that was a bit longer but less dangerous. My car had been marked by the locals and the information they got, was that there were land mines placed along the way, so that our car would blow up!”
Read more: http://passionforcinema.com/lamhaa-ak47/
Lamhaa starring Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu, Kunal Kapoor and Anupam Kher will be releasing worldwide on Friday, July 16.
Ingrid Zellner
View all posts by Ingrid Zellner →
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By Mark Gaughan
Published Sun, Jun 24, 1990
Long wait nearly breaks Irwin's chances. Golf roundup / C9
Amy Alcott 69-65-68--202
Kathy Postlewait 68-68-68--204
Patty Sheehan 72-64-68--204
Nancy Lopez 68-70-70--208
Alice Ritzman 73-68-67--208
Missie McGeorge 73-66-71--210
Jane Geddes 72-72-67--211
Tammie Green 76-67-68--211
Elaine Crosby 73-71-69--213
Deb Richard 71-70-72--213
Caroline Keggi 70-71-72--213
PITTSFORD -- Considering what a difficult season it has been for Amy Alcott, it's no surprise the LPGA great is enjoying every minute of this week's $400,000 Rochester International.
Alcott is in position to win for the first time this season after shooting 68 Saturday to maintain a two-stroke lead entering today's final round.
Her 14-under-par 202 total over the Locust Hill Country Club course leads defending champion Patty Sheehan and veteran Kathy Postlewait, both at 12-under 204.
After making seven birdies for a second straight day, the 34-year-old Alcott displayed the confidence that comes with having 28 career victories, 12th best in LPGA history.
"This is a helluva a lot of fun," said Alcott. "This is why I play golf. When I'm in control of my game, I can do anything. I'm hitting the ball the way I want. Nothing surprises me. I can birdie 18 holes in a row."
Alcott was in such a good mood, she entertained reporters with a five-minute impersonation of the former Saturday Night Live character Roseanne-Roseannadanna.
Alcott, who needs two more wins to meet the requirement for entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame, stands 64th on this year's money list with just one top-10 finish.
She said her mind has not been fully on her game due to the fact her mother learned she has lung cancer earlier this year.
"My mother has been very ill, and I haven't really talked about it in the press," she said. "I've been very tired emotionally and kind of wrung out. When somebody very close to you is ill it's like you want to deny it. . . . I think I have a little bit better grip on it now. The past three or four weeks I've played very well."
Alcott would have been in more comfortable shape if it weren't for a double-bogey on the par-4 14th hole. Her second shot, a 3-iron, hit a tree and landed on rocks along a creek in front of the green. "I might have hit it, but there were rocks down there and I didn't want to break my wrist," said Alcott, who took a drop and a penalty stroke.
She rebounded by making birdie on the par-4 16th and par-5 17th.
Both Sheehan and Postlewait shot 68.
Sheehan, who has 22 career wins, stands second on the money list this year.
"I played very well the front nine and snap hooked it all around the back," she said. "I don't know what it was but I'll go home and have a drink and forget about it."
Postlewait, 40, has been on tour 17 years but has enjoyed her best success of late, with finishes of 13th, 11th and 17th on the money list the past three years. She has four career victories, three the past three years.
"I'm playing the best golf of my life the past three or four years," said Postlewait, who has lost some distance but relies on a strong short game.
The only others within sight of the lead are Nancy Lopez and Alice Ritzman, tied at 8-under, six behind.
Alcott, Sheehan and Postlewait were the final threesome Saturday and will play together again today, teeing off at 12:30 p.m.
"We threw birdies at each other all day today," Sheehan said. "I think you'll see a real shootout tomorrow."
Mark Gaughan– Mark Gaughan has been a sports writer at The Buffalo News for 35 years. He covers the Bills and the NFL and is a past president of the Pro Football Writers of America, as well as a past selector for Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Lower St. Regis Lake Survey: A Comparative Study of Fish Population Structure and Function over Time
Abstract: Lake surveys are performed on bodies of water to provide a health analysis of fish populations over time. Lake surveys can be conducted in a variety of ways to attain specific data. Lower St. Regis Lake was surveyed to determine the fish community composition and to understand fish population traits. Using fyke nets placed at six predetermined locations for 24 hours, as well as fishing, we collected data for age, length (mm), weight (g), and parasites present. Data was analyzed in the lab using Excel to form graphs and tables to demonstrate our findings. Catch rates were lower compared to years before and comparing our data to New York State Department of Conservation data found that our length-at-age data was lower for the six-species sampled. Pumpkinseed and yellow perch were the only two species to have over twenty fish sampled. Decreased air temperatures brought in by a cold front during the week of our sampling may have been a reason for our lower number of fish caught. Mesh size is also a bias while using these nets as smaller fish can escape, and predatory fish can prey on smaller fish while in the net. Some species of fish such as black crappie may be more susceptible to capture due to its habit of associating with structure.
Major: Biology, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, Natural Resources Conservation and Management
File Attachments: Capstone_Final.docx
Authors: Deacon Chapin, Jared Chlus, Louis Daversa, Jon Herrman, Robert Visicaro
Engaging Visitors Of Glenview Preserve With Interpretive Signage
Abstract: Glenview Preserve is a Lowland forest and Field property that boarders the Bloomingdale Bog. Implementing an educational system at the preserve would lead to more public interaction that would guarantee support for the Adirondack Land Trust’s mission objectives. This approach would involve the development of an interpretive day-use site, interpretive programs and signs, and an outdoor education space. For my portion I will be investigating how the Adirondack Land Trust can construct interpretive signage that is weather resistant and provides valuable content. The quality of the content will be evaluated using the National Association of Interpretation principles of POETRY. These signs will promote ALT’s mission objectives by encouraging people to make a difference after their visit through well-constructed and entertaining information. Visitors will donate money to ensure that having an educational system at the preserve is a leading concern of the Adirondack Land Trust’s management plan for Glenview Preserve.
Major: Integrative Studies, Natural Resources Conservation and Management, Recreation, Adventure Education and Leisure Management, Parks and Conservation Management
File Attachments: How Can the Adirondack land trust use interpretive signs to conserve the treasures of Glenview Preserve
Authors: Tiffany Elizabeth Marie Clark
Student of Natural Resources and Conservation Management
Fall 2018 graduate of Paul Smith's College
Glenview Preserve: Sustainable Farming Methods
Abstract: In 2016, the Glenview Preserve was purchased by the Adirondack Land Trust, with a goal to maintain and preserve the two agricultural fields on the property. The farmer that leases the two fields from the Adirondack Land Trust will have to use sustainable farming methods to farm the fields, so that the biodiversity of the fields and also the Bloomingdale Bog are protected. There are three different farming intensities, which are low intensity, medium intensity and high intensity. The farmer should use low intensity farming because if the farmer used high intensity the ecosystems that are present on the Glenview Preserve property would be severely impacted. The farmer will most likely maintain the current fields by mowing the fields with a mowing machine, which has negative impacts on the land such as soil compaction. With the types of soil that the agriculture fields have, it is advised that the current fields remain hay fields and that different grasses and legumes that benefit the farmer’s livestock are grown. The farmer that leases the property from Adirondack Land Trust will have to decide if they will use draft horses, modern haying equipment or a mix of both to harvest the hay fields. No matter which way they choose to harvest the hay fields they will have to be sustainable, be able to develop ways to preserve the grassland bird species and maintain the Adirondack hayscape.
Major: Natural Resources Conservation and Management
Authors: Dustin Clark
A Comparison of Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities among Impacted, Minimally Impacted, and Reference Sites: Implications for Shoreline Vegetation Restoration
Abstract: The problem that this study attempts to address is the possibility of terrestrial invertebrate communities being negatively impacted by man-made disturbances along shorelines. This is a relevant issue because terrestrial invertebrates play multiple key roles in an ecosystem such as pollinating and serve as a food source for both aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The objective of this study is to provide a preliminary observation of terrestrial invertebrate communities between impacted, minimally impacted, and reference conditions sites so that further research can be conducted and add another aspect to shoreline management and restoration decisions. The impacted and minimally impacted sites that were sampled were located along the shore of Lower Saint Regis Lake on Paul Smith’s College property. The reference condition site sampled in this study was located along the shore of Black Pond on Paul Smith’s College VIC property. Invertebrates were sampled using pitfall traps and sweep nets. The invertebrates were then identified by taxonomic family and preserved in vials of alcohol. The findings of this study may imply that there may be inverse relationship between insect populations and arachnid populations based on impact level. Due to seasonal conditions of the Adirondacks, the results of this study could have been influenced by weather conditions, so a similar study conducted during a different season may produce vastly different results. The information collected in this study can be used to determine shoreline restoration and management decisions in the future.
File Attachments: Final Capstone Report.docx
Authors: Ken Toepper, Isaac Stouffer, Quincie Grube
The Glenview Preserve Management Plan
Abstract: Abstract: The 238- acre Glenview Preserve consists of forests and fields located within Harrietstown, NY. The Adirondack Land Trust has purchased this land in order to restore, protect, and improve the land while utilizing it to its maximum potential. Our study investigates the best possible ways to make their goals reality. We will be looking into detail on how we can encourage human activity while still protecting the beautiful land from poor human practices. We will also be discussing the best possible ways to improve the land for wildlife. Here we will go into detail on how to make improvements for both the forest and the bog, these modifications will help make the land more suitable for wildlife. Our final goal will transform this land into a wonderful creation where wildlife can congregate together by using the land in the best way possible.
File Attachments: Capstone .docx
Authors: Brandon Dummitt
Robert Lutz
Abstract: The privatization of land through conservation easements serve an important role of protecting biodiversity and ecosystem services across various landscapes. This research investigated the purposes of conservation easements, how they are acquired, and the importance of strong landowner relationships and yearly monitoring. Numerous peer-reviewed articles and websites were analyzed for this research in addition to interviews with three participants, each at different land trusts (Harris Center for Conservation Education, The Nature Conservancy, and the Adirondack Land Trust). However, despite the interviewees working at different organizations, the process of easement acquisition and overall thoughts on conservation easements were very similar. My own experience as a Conservation Easement Monitor was also applied to this research, and two examples of completed monitoring reports from my time at the Harris Center accompany this document. Furthermore, this study suggests the need of individuals becoming involved with conservation easements either through volunteering, interning, or having their property become an easement at participating organizations.
File Attachments: Capstone Paper.docx , Capstone_Poster.pptx , coughlin.pdf , Hancock_easement_monitoring_form.pdf , dubois.pdf
Authors: Nicole DeCarolis
Promoting ALT Awareness & Mission Objectives Through Interpretation on the Glenview Property
Abstract: The Adirondack Land Trust (ALT) purchased the Glenview property in October of 2016 for a discounted price of $98,000 in conjunction with the promise to preserve the scenic vista for which this property is well known. The 238-acre property located on NY State Route 86 is a popular roadside vista near Donnelly’s Ice Cream Stand that draws many visitors. The ALT not only wishes to preserve the scenic vista but several important features of the property. These include pollinator habitat, wetland ecosystems, and maple syrup production. It is believed that awareness of these important characteristics and the ALT can be increased through meaningful and relevant public engagement on the Glenview property. What follows is part of a larger plan for an interpretive nature center located on the site. This paper outlines what interpretation is, why interpretation is important, and how interpretation on the Glenview property can be used to promote the ALT mission objectives.
Major: Recreation, Adventure Education and Leisure Management
Authors: Josh Beuschlein
Lyme Disease in the Adirondacks: Using Domestic Canines as Sentinels for Human Risk
Abstract: Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) is the most prevalent zoonotic disease in the United States. With an increase of cases every year in new areas, it is crucial that researchers and veterinarians use sentinels, such as canines, to determine the prevalence of Lyme disease in emerging areas where tick density may be low. The main objective of this study was to determine the annual infection rate of Lyme disease in canines in Franklin and Essex County. An immunologic assay was performed to determine percent of canines exposed to Lyme bacteria as well as timing of exposure. Thirty-four random blood samples were collected from a local veterinary office during routine health screenings, and analyzed for Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies. Out of the thirty-four samples, two canines were positive for OspC antibodies (indicator of early infection) and three were positive for OspF (indicator of chronic infection). The annual infection rate for the 2017 year was 5.9%.
File Attachments: Lyme Disease in the Adirondacks_Final.pdf
Authors: Ashley G. Hodge
Riparian log gardens: examination of vascular plant communities and moss on logs in waterbodies
Abstract: Microsites can play a major part in facilitating plant diversity. Specific physical characteristics of microsites can create favorable conditions for certain species by isolating them from competition or protecting them from herbivory. Plant communities and woody debris can also facilitate the growth of other plants. I examined relationships between moss and vascular plants on log gardens in waterbodies to determine correlations between these organisms. I hypothesized that riparian log gardens, large woody debris in lakes and ponds supporting mats of terrestrial vegetation, serve as sites that may harbor rare species or have high plant species diversity. I also examined the relationship between bryophytes and plant communities based on the idea that bryophytes influence microsite characteristics. Knowing where rare species are harbored and what microsites encourage high diversity are important for preserving species. I surveyed plants on large woody debris in lakes and ponds in the northern Adirondacks and calculated the richness and diversity of the communities in relation to the presence of mosses. I found that logs that supported moss mats had more plants. The mean species richness of the riparian log gardens was 8.6 for all plants and 6.3 for herbaceous species. Some significant positive correlations were found for log area, log hardness, mat area, mat depth, and vascular plant diversity.
File Attachments: F17.SOC462.Lampman.RLG_.docx
Authors: David R. Lampman
The Effects on Soil Caused by Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in a Northern Hardwood Forest in the Northern Adirondack Mountains
Abstract: Plant invasions are thought to be among the worst causes of biological extinction and biodiversity loss in the modern world. With the United States spending upward of thirty four million dollars a year in attempts to control and repair the damages caused by invasive plants, not only are we feeling the biological effects, but we financially cannot afford to keep combating these invasive species (Barto and Cipollini, 2009). Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) can invade multiple types of sites whether the soil is sandy or if a site has been disturbed. This invasive species will take over the understory and alter soil chemistry (Morris, McClain, Anderson and McConnaughay, 2012). This study aimed to look at how garlic mustard is affecting soils in the northern Adirondack Mountains in New York State. Although currently scattered and not very prevalent, there have already been changes to the soil chemistry. This study was conducted by setting up multiple plots within areas where garlic mustard was present and gathering soil to be used to test for nutrient values. It was found in this study that calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, sodium, aluminum and soil pH values changed due to the presence of garlic mustard.
Major: Biology, Forestry
File Attachments: Capstone Final.docx
Authors: Kyle Dash
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(-) Recreation, Adventure Education and Leisure Management (2)
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Brian Wilson > Categories > Battle of the Bands > Updated Challenger Song List A - L
This is an updated list of artists that have appeared in the Battle as challengers. It's based on the list Kevin Witts has been maintaining, but now includes seasons VI and VII (through week 17).
Despite the title, this list only goes to K (hit a system limit). If anyone has corrections, please let me know.
? (Question Mark) and the Mysterians
Adam Brand
Allison Durbin
Aloitta Haynes Jeremiah
Andrea Carroll
Angus & Julia Stone
Barry Ryan
Basil Swift and the Seegrams
Bellowhead
Bertie Higgins
Big Match TV theme ( )
Bill Pursell
Blood, Sweat and Tears
Blue Rodeo
Blue Swede
Bobbie Gentry
Bobby Hebb
Bobby Vee
Bobby Vinton
Bocky and the Visions
Boo Radleys
Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Bruce and Terry
Buck Owens & the Buckaroos
Caitlin Stubbs and Sarah Lee Guthrie
Chambers Brothers
Chantays
Coal Porters
Collin Raye
Count Five
Cowsills
Crabby Appleton
Crazy World of Arthur Brown
Crosby and Nash
Cryan' Shames
Dale and Grace
Danleers
Dave Clark 5
Dave Loggins
Derek and Dominos
Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
Diane Renay
Doug Parkinson In Focus
Duncan Maitland
Easybeats
Edie Brickell
Emilia de Poret
Eric Burdon and War
Ersel Hickey
Fantastic Baggies
Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
George Gershwin (1924 performance)
George Thorogood and the Destroyers
Gidget TV Theme (Johnny Tillotson)
Goldenhorse
Go-Betweens
Go-Go's
Good Rats
Imagined Village
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Ivory Joe Hunter
James Brown & the Famous Flames
Jeff Foskett
Jesse and the Rippers
Jimmy Clanton
Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs
Jo Dee Messina
Joe Pasquale
Joey and the Continentals
Johnny Johnson and His Bandwagon
Jungle Book 1967 soundtrack (Phil Harris)
Katherine McPhee
Kayla Williams
Kenny Loggins
Kings of Convenience
Kurt Boettcher
The rest of the list is here:
t bedford
I believe the "Gidget Theme" that appeared in the BotB was TV's "(Wait 'Til You See) My Gidget" by Johnny Tillotson, and not, the movie theme "Gidget" by James Darren.
I'm not a real billionaire, but I play one on TV!
Got it. "Gidget Theme" is no more and Johnny Tillotson is now present.
I would've definitely left in Gidget Theme.
It was a TV theme, the same as Lost in Space and Skippy, The Bush Kangaroo, both of which are still listed (and both of which were also movies).
Gidget went for about 45 seconds. It wasn't a release for Johnny Tillotson, and I don't believe he should be listed in preference to it.
It would be like omitting the two aforementioned TV themes and listing Johnny Williams and Eric Jupp instead.
They were presented in the Battle as TV themes; not credited to those performing it.
Given that this is a list of performers and not the songs they performed, I thought it was strange to see TV theme songs and movie soundtracks included instead of who performed them.
But to be consistent and remove duplication, I've put the Gidget theme back, while indicating who performed it to remove any confusion, and deleted the separate entry for Johnny Tillotson:
Also, I've changed the other TV theme and soundtrack entries, using the same format and including individuals associated with those pieces of music (when known):
Maude TV theme (Donny Hathaway)
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo TV theme (Eric Jupp and His Music)
Valerie TV theme (Roberta Flack)
I also deleted that pushy George Gershwin, even though he used to play the piano.
Someone please remind me: Is this a paying or non-paying internship?
Larry, The Big Match theme was either 'La Soiree' by David Ordini (sometimes credited as just 'Ordini') or Burt Rhodes and the London Festival Orchestra.
Both are listed on the internet, with no means of hearing the second.
I would definitely have included George Gershwin on the list. He was credited as the artist on Tom's entry of 'Rhapsody in Blue', from Season I.
Assuming that was indeed the Gershwin recording from 1924, you're correct. I knew he played the piano, but not lately. So George is back in the list. Thank you, Darren.
Thanks, Larry, That's why I'm here.
It wasn't a release for Johnny Tillotson,...
As the 'B-Side' to "Our World", it was an official release:
Here's the full version:
It's a Tillotson record, plain and simple.
t -- Thanks for pointing out that Johnny Tillotson did indeed release "(Wait Til You See) My Gidget", which was the song in the video snoops71 posted three years ago.
I hope you and Darren can both accept my decision to include the singer's name in the entry, like I'm doing for the other movie and TV themes, i.e.
Jungle Book 1967 soundtrack (Phil Harris) and so on.
Here's the video that competed in Season 4, Week 13, for anyone who wants to hear Gidget introduce herself before more of Johnny Tillotson's song:
My two cents: Sally Field will be 70 this year and is still adorable.
That is an acceptable way to list it, Larry.
To clarify, the full version was released as a Johnny Tillotson record.
It runs for 2:01.
As I said, the 45 second TV theme was the song showcased in snoops' battle, as a TV theme; not credited as a Tillotson record.
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> MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly > Wheelhouse Weekly – August 14, 2012
Wheelhouse Weekly – August 07, 2012Wheelhouse Weekly – August 21, 2012
Wheelhouse Weekly – August 14, 2012
August 14th 2012 MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly IOMMP
– Bridging the Information Gap With E-News You Can Use –
Volume 16 . . . Number 33. . . Aug. 14, 2012
STORIES COVERED
MM&P Voices Support for Union Organizing Drive at Mystic Seaport Museum
New Photos of MM&P Members and Contracted Vessels Posted on www.bridgedeck.org
“Workers Stand for America” Rally in Philadelphia Draws 30,000
Blue & Gold Captain Laura Smith Profiled in Bay Crossings Magazine
News for MM&P Members:
Remembering Eugene Nicky Reyes of Central Gulf Lines
New Hours for MM&P Norfolk Hall
Piracy Update
Two Pre-Teens Accused of Piracy Sent Back to Somalia
MERPAC Public Meeting Sept. 11-12 in Washington, D.C.
Maritime Day Appreciation Game Aug. 15 in Norfolk
Schedule for 2012 Offshore Familiarization Courses
AFL-CIO Calls for Nationwide Boycott of Palermo’s Pizza
Panama-Flagged Tanker Collides With Navy Destroyer in Strait of Hormuz
MITAGS Academic Notes
PMI Academic Notes
MM&P Market Watch
Did you miss a week? Back editions of the Wheelhouse Weekly are available in the section.
Workers at Connecticut’s Mystic Seaport maritime museum have the right to join a labor union and should not be unfairly targeted by management for their attempt to organize, according to the MM&P International President.
In a letter to Steve White, president of the museum, the MM&P International President took issue with a message that museum management sent on July 26 to Mystic Seaport members, some of whom are also members of MM&P.
“As President of the Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P), a labor union that has represented Licensed Deck Officers aboard U.S.-flag ships since 1887, it was with consternation that I read the letter you sent your members regarding the attempt by Mystic Seaport staff to organize a union,” the MM&P International President wrote. “It is hard for me to believe that a museum that purports to ‘tell the story of all things maritime’ could adopt a stance that displays either callous indifference to—or complete ignorance of–the essential role played by labor unions in improving the living and working conditions of the world’s seafarers.”
In the July 26 e-mail to museum members, Mystic Seaport Membership Director Alexandra Alpert described how Mystic Seaport President White had refused to recognize the staff union. She also wrote that a staff union would be “detrimental” to the museum.
“I find it unconscionable that rather than adopting a neutral stance, you would broadcast to your members a virulent anti-worker message, including the completely unsubstantiated claim that a staff union would be ‘detrimental’ to Mystic Seaport,” the MM&P International President wrote. “We will make sure our members, many of whom contribute generously to efforts to preserve our maritime heritage, are made aware of your callous attitude towards the employees that keep Mystic Seaport in operation.”
The MM&P Information Technology Department has added new photos to the “flash” photo sequence on www.bridgedeck.org. The new photos were provided by: members of the MM&P Pilot Membership Group, including the Alaska Marine Pilots, the Association of Maryland Pilots and the Columbia River Bar Pilots; Offshore members who sail aboard APL, Maersk and Waterman ships; members of the Federal Employees Membership Group who sail aboard U.S. Army Corps dredges MCFARLAND and ESSAYONS; and members of the MM&P United Inland Group who sail for Crowley Maritime, Grand River Navigation, San Francisco Bay Area ferries and the King County Water Taxi.
Remember: we are always looking for photos of our members at work! Please send your photos and story ideas today to communications@bridgedeck.org!
Tens of thousands of union workers rallied in downtown Philadelphia last Saturday to demand that politicians embrace economic and social policies to shore up America’s shrinking middle class. The crowd, which was estimated by local police to number 30,000 to 40,000, included trade union members from at least 10 states. “Work defines us,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told the crowd. “Work is who we are. But hard work alone never led to decent wages and retirement. It takes hard work… and activism.”
The rally included 3,500 members of the Communications Workers of America and thousands of members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), as well as public employees, teachers and other union members from as far away as Kentucky and Ohio.
Speakers at the rally called for an end to stagnant wages, job outsourcing and income inequality. A central theme was “the Second Bill of Rights,” an action plan put forth by, among others, IBEW President Edwin D. Hill, a speaker at the event. Based on an idea conceived by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 to promote greater prosperity, the Second Bill of Rights asserts that every American is entitled to: full employment and a living wage; full participation in the electoral process; a voice in the workplace; a high-quality education; and a secure, healthy future. Politicians of both parties are being asked to sign on to the Second Bill of Rights. The names of those who sign on—and those who don’t—will be made public.
Capt. Laura Smith of San Francisco’s Blue & Gold Fleet has been profiled in “Bay Crossings,” the magazine for Bay Area commuters. Members of MM&P’s United Inland Group crew and maintain the ferries under a five-year contract with WETA, the regional public agency charged by the State of California with operating the Vallejo Baylink ferry, the Alameda-Oakland ferries and the Harbor Bay Island (Alameda) route.
Smith was interviewed in the wheelhouse of the ferry TAURUS by journalist Matt Larson, who writes the magazine’s regular feature, “Who’s at the Helm.” Five nights a week she works as captain on the evening Harbor Bay commute to and from San Francisco. When she’s not captaining her vessel, Smith is an abstract painter who also likes to camp, hike and bike.
Smith says she loves her job. “Being out there on the water, in the open air–it’s freedom,” she says. “My favorite moment is docking, because that’s a challenge and every time it’s different. I’m constantly learning, constantly evolving. I always want to perfect it. It’s never good enough.”
Eugene “Nicky” Reyes, former director of marine personnel with Central Gulf Lines, died Aug. 8. “Nicky was not only a gentleman, but a man of his word,” said the MM&P Atlantic Ports Vice President. Nicky was a mentor and an advocate, who had many friends in the MM&P fleet. He will be remembered by all for his kindness, his intelligence and his generous spirit.
The MM&P Norfolk Hall has a new schedule. Effective immediately, the hall will be open 0900-0300 Monday through Friday.
Two boys who had been traveling with pirate gangs are being sent back to their families in Somalia. The boys, ages 12 and 11, were captured in January by the Seychelles police along with 12 other Somalis. The entire group was put on trial for piracy. Authorities in the Seychelles said the 11-year-old was acquitted because of his age and the 12-year-old will be released to the custody of his family.
MERPAC PUBLIC MEETING SEPT. 11-12 IN WASHINGTON
The Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee (MERPAC) will meet in Washington, D.C., Sept. 11-12. The meeting will be open to the public. MERPAC working groups will meet on Sept. 11 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. The full committee will meet briefly on the morning of Sept. 11 and again on Sept. 12 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Written comments to be distributed to committee members and placed on the MERPAC website are due by Aug. 31. The committee will meet in Room 2501 of Coast Guard Headquarters, 2100 Second Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20593. Attendees will be required to provide a photo identification card. Visitors should arrive at least 30 minutes in advance of the meeting.
Written comments must be identified by Docket No. USCG–2012-0763 and submitted by one of the following methods: 1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov; Fax: 202-372-1918; Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, D.C. 20590-0001; Hand delivery: Same as mail address above. The telephone number is 202-366-9329. All submissions must include the words “Department of Homeland Security” and the docket number.
Requests to make oral presentations should be made in advance using one of the methods listed above. For more information contact Rogers Henderson,
202-372-1408. for questions on viewing or submitting material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, 202-366-9826. To see the agenda for the meeting, go to: http://homeport.uscg.mil/merpac.
MARITIME APPRECIATION GAME AUG. 15 IN NORFOLK
The Norfolk Tides will honor merchant mariners and support staff on Wednesday, Aug. 15, at 7:15 p.m., when they host the Gwinnett Braves. Military Sealift Command has arranged with the team to provide tickets in an area that will be reserved for mariners, support staffs, their family and friends. Tickets cost $11. Contact Lieut. Frank Lemene at 757-443-2743 or by e-mail franklin.lemene@navy.mil.
SCHEDULE FOR 2012 OFFSHORE FAMILIARIZATION COURSE
The Offshore Familiarization Course, formerly called the D-Book Membership Course, will be held at regular intervals throughout 2012.
The schedule is as follows (but please note that course dates may change depending on the number of participants who sign up): Sept. 7-8 at MM&P Headquarters; Oct. 9-10 in New Jersey; Oct. 17-18 in Los Angeles; Nov. 7-8 in Houston.
There is no sea-time requirement to take the course. All Offshore applicants, potential transferees from other membership groups and other interested Offshore members are urged to attend.
If you want to attend the course, please RSVP to the local hiring hall where the class is offered or, in the case of a course planned for headquarters, to MM&P Membership Secretary Mary Seidman: mseidman@bridgedeck.org.
The AFL-CIO last week called for a nationwide boycott of Palermo’s Pizza, including Costco’s Kirkland frozen pizza and Palermo “Classics” frozen pizza. Workers at the Palermo Pizza plant have been on strike since June 1. At issue are workplace safety, pay levels and lack of sick leave. The striking workers have filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that Palermo fired 75 employees for trying to join a union. Many workers at Palermo’s have no sick days and make little more than the minimum wage. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in an official statement that he hopes the boycott “will encourage Palermo to finally respect its workers.”
A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer collided with an oil tanker early Sunday morning just outside the Strait of Hormuz. The collision left a large hole in the starboard side of the destroyer USS PORTER. There were no injuries on either vessel, according to an official statement released by the Navy over the weekend. The cause of the collision with the Panamanian-flagged Japanese-owned oil tanker MV OTOWASAN is under investigation. There were no reports of spills or leaks from either vessel. USS PORTER, which is homeported in Norfolk, is on a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain.
/ MITAGS ACADEMIC NOTES /
Try our on-line calendar to register for class: http://mitags-pmi.org/courses/calendar/
For class availability or information on courses and programs, contact MITAGS Admissions Coordinator Kelly Michielli toll free at 866-656-5568 or e-mail her at admissions@mitags.org.
Between now and the end of September, the following courses are scheduled at MITAGS.
AB – Able Bodied Seaman: 8/20, 10/15
AIS-1 – Automatic Identification Systems (one day): 10/10
ARPA – Automated Radar Plotting Aids: 9/25, 10/23, 12/3
AZIPOD (2-DAY) for Pilots: 10/11, 11/12
BRM – Bridge Resource Management: 8/27, 10/19
BRMP – Bridge Resource Management for Pilots: 8/23, 11/29
BST – Basic Safety Training: 10/8
[CMM – Chief Mate and Master Courses]
CMM-ADVWX – Advanced Meteorology: 9/10, 11/12
CMM-ADVNAV – Advanced Navigation (=ECDIS & VPEN): 10/22
CMM-ADVSTB – Advanced Stability: 10/1, 12/17
CMM-CHS – Advanced Cargo Operations (2 weeks): 10/8
CMM-ECDIS – Electronic Chart Display Information Systems: 11/12
CMM-MPP – Marine Propulsion Plants: 8/20, 11/26
CMM-SHMGT – Ship Management (2 weeks): 9/17, 12/3
CMM-SHS-ADV-I – Advanced Shiphandling (week 1): 9/10, 9/4, 10/22, 11/5, 11/26, 12/10
CMM-SHS-ADV-II – Advanced Shiphandling (week 2): 9/17, 10/1, 10/29, 11/12, 12/3, 12/17
CMM-WKP – Advanced Watchkeeping: 8/27, 11/5
CHS-BAS – Basic Cargo Handling & Stowage: 10/22
CNAV – Celestial Navigation: 11/5
CONSTAB – Ship Construction and Basic Stability: 12/15
CONT PLNG – Contingency Planning: 11/10
ECDIS-ENAV (2 DAY) for Pilots: 10/11
ENVIRO-Regs Permit – Environmental Regulations Permit: 8/28, 11/8
EP – Emergency Procedures: 10/17
FF-BADV – Combined Basic and Advanced Fire Fighting: 10/8
GMDSS – Global Maritime Distress Safety Signal: 8/20
HAZ – Hazardous Materials (5 day): 8/20, 11/26
LAP – License Advancement Program for Chief Mate & Master: 9/17
LEG – Legal Aspects of Pilotage: 8/16, 10/10, 11/29
MEDIA RSP – Media Response Workshop: 11/6
MED-PIC – Medical Person in Charge: 9/17, 10/15, 12/3
MED-PIC -R– Medical Person in Charge Refresher: 11/12
MED-PRO – Medical Care Provider: 9/17, 10/15, 10/29, 12/3
MED-DOT-DA – Dept. of Transportation Drug & Alcohol Testing: 9/22, 10/20, 12/8
MSC -SMA – Military Sealift Command Small Arms Qualification: 10/1, 11/12
MSC-DC – Military Sealift Command Damage Control (4 Evenings): 10/1
MSC-CBRD-1 – Military Sealift Command Chemical, Biological, Radiological Defense Orientation (Basic): 10/5
RFPNW – Rating Forming Part of a Navigational Watch: 10/1
ROR-1 – Radar Observer Renewal Evening Classes: 8/15, 8/29, 9/14, 10/3, 10/17, 10/31, 11/14, 12/5, 12/12
ROR-1 – Radar Observer Renewal: 9/24, 10/11
ROP-5 – Radar Observer Original and Renewal: 10/7, 11/26
SAR – Search & Rescue: 10/15
SEC-VCF – Security Officer, Vessel, Company & Facility: 11/7
SHS-BAS – Basic Shiphandling: 10/8, 11/16
SHS-ESH-BRMP3 – Emergency Shiphandling and Bridge Resource Management for Pilots: 8/15, 10/8
SHS-EMR5 – Emergency Shiphandling: 8/20, 10/15
WX-BAS – Basic Meteorology: 9/17
WKP-BAS – Watchkeeping Basic (2 weeks): 10/1
… Remember: If you can’t make the class, make the call. Be courteous, don’t be a “no show.”
Check the MITAGS website at http://mitags-pmi.org/courses/calendar/ for course descriptions associated with the course title abbreviations, and schedule revisions.
Schedule of Courses – Please also see our schedule online at http://mitags-pmi.org/courses/calendar/. For registration, call our registrar, Jennifer Pitzen, at (206) 838-1126.
20-24 Radar Observer Unlimited
20-24 Medical Care Provider
20-31 Medical Person-in-Charge
27th Radar Renewal
27th Flashing Light
28-31 ARPA
4-7 Basic Cargo Handling and Stowage
5-6 Vessel Security Officer
10-14 Bridge Resource Management w/ Simulation
10-21 Celestial Navigation
17-21 Basic Construction and Stability
17-28 GMDSS
24-28 Able Bodied Seaman
MM&P MARKET WATCH AS OF 8-14-2012 at 10:30 a.m.
D O W N A S D A Q S & P 500
13,198.85 3,027.95 1,407.13
Mutual Funds (Live)
Click a mutual fund for more information.
Click the right or left arrow on the right side of the ticker to browse the mutual funds.
The MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly is the official electronic newsletter of the International Organization of Masters, Mates, and Pilots, ILA, AFL-CIO, 700 Maritime Blvd. Suite B, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090-1953. Phone: 410-850-8700; Fax: 410-850-0973; Email: iommp@bridgedeck.org. For further info or to subscribe contact Lisa Rosenthal at lrosenthal@bridgedeck.org. The Wheelhouse Weekly is sent via Email to MM&P-contracted vessels at sea and is posted on our web page.
© 2012, International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots. All the material contained in this publication is protected by copyright. For permission to reprint text from the Weekly, contact the MM&P Communications Department: lrosenthal@bridgedeck.org. For changes of address, contact Lisa Rosenthal at lrosenthal@bridgedeck.org.
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BrightnESS (2015-2018)
Register now for February's LENS Colloquium & BrightnESS² General Assembly
How neutrons contribute to mission-based research.
Registration is now open for the February 11 LENS Colloquium: How neutrons contribute to mission-based research. The event will feature neutron scientists, LENS facility directors and EC decision-makers in an intimate forum intended to facilitate the exchange of up-to-date knowledge and activities.
With close of research reactors, landscape is shifting for Europe’s world-leading neutron science community
Press release.
Three neutron science research reactors in Europe have ceased operations in 2019. The League of advanced European Neutron Sources, LENS, and the European Neutron Scattering Association, ENSA, warn of a “neutron gap” that could impact scientific research across multiple fields in physics, materials science, chemistry, biology, medical science and engineering. Together, LENS and ENSA are working on a new vision to maintain Europe’s leading position in neutron science.
NEW DATES: The First Israeli Meeting on The Science of Neutrons
International Outreach.
The main goal of this seminar is to increase the knowledge, visibility and opportunities of neutrons to the Israeli academic community, and promote innovative multidisciplinary research with neutrons.
ESS in South Africa: Highlighting the importance of neutron scattering to cutting-edge catalysis research
Towards a global research infrastructure.
European Spallation Source instrument scientist Monika Hartl gave a keynote presentation at CATSA 2019 outlining the advantages of using neutron scattering in catalysis research for science and industry.
ESS In-Kind Group Leverages the Lessons of XFEL
Work Package 3.
The ESS in-kind management team travelled to European XFEL last week to exchange knowledge and experiences with XFEL management.
European neutron facilities come together for LENS General Assembly
Delegates to the LENS General Assembly gathered at Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France, October 22-23. Photo: ILL
ESS and Elettra meet to review In-Kind technical documentation
ESS in-kind management and Quality met with members of the Elettra accelerator team in Trieste October 14-15 to review compliance of technical documentation for in-kind contributions to ESS.
LENS Horizon Europe position paper handed over to European Commission at Brussels event
Horizon Europe.
LENS Chair Helmut Schober (r) handed over the LENS Horizon Europe position paper to Adam Tyson, head of research and industrial infrastructures at the EC’s DG Research and Innovation, at Research & Innovation Days in Brussels. PHOTO: ILL
LENS Executive Board & General Assembly to meet in Grenoble 22-23 October
League of advanced European Neutron Sources.
LENS will gather its Executive Board members on Tuesday, 22 October, while its General Assembly will take place on Wednesday, 23 October, at the Institut Laue Langevin in Grenoble, France.
In-Kind Field Coordinators meet in Lund
All of the BrightnESS² In-Kind Field Coordinators met on 12 September at the ESS construction site in Lund.
BrightnESS² is funded by the European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020, under grant agreement 823867.
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Home The Blog Five things that don't belong in the "modern wedding"
Five things that don’t belong in the “modern wedding”
Benjamin Mon, 24 Oct 2011 Church meets World, Free Range, Human Relationships
Once upon a time, in a land far away, the fairy tales ended with a wedding. Why a wedding? Marriage was something definitive, conclusive, like death, except that it was happy. Marriage was permanent, and so it was hard to imagine anything better than being bound for your whole life to a wonderful and loving person. There was also the fear that the right person might marry someone else and be gone forever, so marriage and everything surrounding it could be very dramatic. A certain type of intimacy was reserved for marriage, and marriage meant settling down and raising a family, so the wedding was a doorway into a bright and challenging way of life. Once you entered that doorway, there was no going back.
The “modern marriage” has cast off these romantic shackles. Marriage, like gender, seemed to be an invention of society which were were free to change, and should change, to match the real world. First, we made divorce much easier so no one had to be trapped in a loveless marriage. Then we lowered the barriers to intimacy and encouraged couples to “try things out” before marriage, even living together. Finally we separated marriage and starting a family. Couples can feel free to have children together while dating and, unless you are the crown prince of England, getting married is no longer equal to committing to producing a child.
We have accepted this “modern marriage” in practice, but people’s hearts are still firmly set on the older romantic ideas. Nowhere is this clearer than in the rituals that surround marriage, which come from the old till-death-do-us-part world. Here is the truth we are trying very hard not to face: you have to choose one or the other. You cannot have the beauty of one and the freedom of the other. If the marriage ceremony really matched our “modern” ideas, a lot of things would need to change. Here are five things that don’t belong in a modern wedding:
5. Bachelor parties (and bachelorette parties)
The idea that marriage was a self-sacrifice, and demanded that the man submit his life to the needs of his wife, gave rise to the celebration of the last night of being your own man (or woman as the case may be). But the party no longer means anything, because marriage is not seen as an act of self-sacrifice but as an act of self-fulfillment, in other words, it really won’t force you to live differently after the wedding.
4. The father walking his daughter down the aisle
Marriage, in traditional cultures, was seen as involving everyone from both families. Christian culture changed that a little bit by emphasizing the freedom of the bride and groom, but left intact the idea that the little girl was precious to her father, and it was important for family harmony that he bless this new union. However, the freedom of the father to tell his daughter what he thinks about her choice has been silenced in the name of her freedom. Of course the bride wants her father to be there, but the modern bride does not accept the idea that her father could withhold his blessing: she expects that he will give his approval to whatever she has chosen. Since the father cannot refuse to agree, his agreement does not mean very much.
3. The white dress
The dress was a symbol of virginal purity, something society diligently demanded of women (and less diligently of men). REAL progress would have been applying the standard for women to men as well, but we went the opposite direction. We did not take seriously the fact that you cannot have your cake and eat it too: you cannot enjoy the wild life and bring a pure heart to married life, it has to be one or the other. The more you give yourself away, the less you have to give on your wedding day. Women and men are bringing less of themselves and more baggage into marriage, because they have been borrowing from their future happiness to spend on the present.
2. The priest and the church
Similar to number 4, the idea of needing to ask God’s blessing through the priest is a foreign concept. If we think about God at all, we fully expect that He will smile happily on whatever we have chosen. At the same time, going to the church means little because the “modern” couple is really not able to open up their life to the view of God and to the myriads of saints who inhabit the Church. They are aware, on a subconscious level, that their personal choices clash with what God has said and with how the saints lived. If we want the Church to be more than just a pretty backdrop, but to truly be a doorway into Heaven, we need to live in a way that allows us to open that door without fear of offending those who will look out at us.
1. The vows
The vows are what make the marriage different from signing a contract – contracts can be broken, vows cannot. Vows are unbreakable because they are made before God, who is eternal. The promises of a modern marriage are little more than “I take you to be my spouse, for as long as we are happy together, and when the happiness is gone so am I.” This is not love but selfishness. Of course, it would kill the magic of the moment to express that out loud, which is precisely the point of this post. If the ceremony really expressed what marriage has become in our modern understanding, we would be very disappointed by it, because it would look like signing a mortgage.
There is a good reason we don’t reinvent the ceremony: we all deeply desire the romance and adventure of speaking a word of love that cannot be taken back, that has real and permanent consequences. There was a dark side to fairy tales, the tales Disney has ignored, in which someone had spoken the wrong word and ruined the possibility of happiness for the rest of their life. We were afraid to live with that possibility, and so we invented the modern world, where every word can be taken back. In this world, “I love you” does not mean forever. The problem our modern world needs to face is that when “I love you” does not mean forever, it does not mean “I love you.” We tried to create a world without sadness, and instead we have invented a world without love.
(Thanks to Jennifer Fulwiler for the inspiration).
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Behind the Brain
Crysis 2: Review
So I played Crysis 2 the last two days and I just got through it. According to the stats screen it took me six and a half hours which is very sad. Remember those days when you needed at least 20 hours to play a game through? Well ok I'm not going to talk about the good old days.
So what is Crysis 2 like? Well it's like every other shooter out there. Nothing special. The graphics are worse than Crysis 1, there is no story at all. And the worst thing: It's just a console port. The gameplay isn't smooth and you have one button for thousand of actions. I died several times because I wanted to grab an enemy to throw him away but I was standing on some C4 or a weapon or something else. And since picking up a weapon and grabbing an enemy has the same button (F) I took the weapon instead of the enemy and he killed me...
Did I mention that there is no story? You start in the middle of the action and you don't know what you're doing or even why. After some time you get an idea of what you are doing but still you don't know why. And this question remains unanswered throughout the whole game. There are one or two references to part one but they don't answer many questions. Actually they just tell us why Prophet returned to the Island. Funniest thing though: The aliens in part two look completely different from the ones in part one and they have gotten a name. Are these even still the same aliens?
To keep fair there are some improvements over part one. The nano suit got improved. You don't need to use the suit menu anymore but instead you can toggle cloak and armor mode with a key (or to be precise: with TWO keys) and the strength mode is activated when you hold the jump, sprint, or attack button. So switching from mode into another has become less messy. Any more good things? Oh yeah the AI. It's pretty good (played on normal difficulty only though) I even got attacked from behind one or two times because the AI was clever enough to split up and attack me from multiple sides.
All in all Crysis 2 would get three out of five points from me. It's not completely crap but it's nothing special either. If you haven't bought it yet and want to play it my advise for you would be to wait until the game gets cheaper.
Mar 26th 2011, 22:50 by Sylence.
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CHELSEA/esque
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Tag Archives: Joe Buchmann RIP
Tales From The King’s Road Club
Posted on March 11, 2018 by Chris Axon
Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace : 10 March 2018.
After two tiring – in more ways than one – journeys to Manchester in the previous two games, the home match against Crystal Palace provided a chance for a more relaxing day at football. With our trip to Catalonia now getting very close, here was a nice little pre-cursor. The reason for this upbeat mood? Parky had booked us day return rail tickets which meant that there were no driving duties for me, and there was an added bonus of an elongated pub crawl down the King’s Road before the game.
Bloody perfect.
We caught the 7.56am train from Westbury, and the memories of previous Chelsea trips flooded back. Not much has changed at Westbury over the years. It could easily have been a scene from 1982, 1985, 1988 or 1991. There was plenty of chit-chat between the four of us – PD, Glenn, Parky and little old me – and the familiar stations of Pewsey, Newbury and Reading were reached in what seemed like no time at all. We were joined by another Chelsea supporter on the journey to London, a chap around the same age as us – maybe a little older – who must have spotted PD’s little Chelsea badges, or overheard our Chelsea-related chatter. He sat next to us and we soon got chatting.
“Are you going to the football?” he asked.
“Yeah. Chelsea Palace” I replied.
“Are you Chelsea or Palace?” enquired Glenn.
I smiled and said “he’s too well dressed to be a Palace supporter.”
“Oh, I’m a season ticket holder in the East Stand.”
I had spotted him on the platform at Westbury; waxed Barbour jacket, mustard cords, brogues. I had – erroneously – presumed that he was a rugby fan from his attire. How wrong I was.
“I’m part of a syndicate; three of us share a season ticket” Shane replied.
It transpired that he lives just outside Frome, in a little village called Chapmanslade. I was thrilled that there was another Chelsea season ticket holder from our neck of the woods. I was even more pleased that one of the syndicate lives in Great Elm, a village only one and a half miles away from my house. We chatted away and he told us a little about his past; like Parky he had been in the Army. Parky was in the Grenadier Guards. Shane was in the Coldstream Guards. But whereas Parky went to a local comprehensive, Shane was an Old Etonian. But he was Chelsea and that was good enough for me. And he went up in my estimations when he showed disdain for “egg- chasing.”
“Never judge a book by its cover” I thought to myself.
We chatted about our recent experiences of following our team in the recent weeks and months. There was indeed much to talk about. I am not sure why, but the talk turned to Mo Salah, and Shane asked us the name of “that other Egyptian, who played for Spurs, the one with the big nose.” We struggled to name him.
From the passenger sitting across from Shane – tapping away silently on his laptop – came the word “Mido.”
And I had a little smirk to myself.
I wondered if the chap was a Spurs fan. I wondered if he had been biting his lip during the previous thirty minutes, wanting to interrupt our Chelsea-centric chat, but fearful that he would be shot down in flames as a fan of the team from North London that we always seem to get the better of.
We pulled into Paddington at about 9.30am. The buzz of a day in London was apparent as we walked beneath the arched roofs of the fine old station. After a breakfast of champions, we caught the Bakerloo to Embankment and the District to Sloane Square. The military theme of the day continued as we walked past the former site of Chelsea Barracks, which Parky was familiar with, although during his stay in the army in the early ‘seventies he was based in nearby Pimlico.
I had planned a six-pub crawl, but we exceeded expectations. From just after 11am to around 4.30pm, we visited a total of ten hostelries either along – or just off – the famous King’s Road.
The King’s Road was always linked to the swinging ‘sixties and the swinging football team that went with it, but in all my years of going to Stamford Bridge, I have never walked its length before a game sampling its pubs and boozers. Most Chelsea match day pubs along the King’s Road have historically been located “over the railway bridge” in Fulham and I have very occasionally visited a few of those Chelsea staples, though – again – on very few occasions. Most of my – our – drinking has been in Fulham proper, the North End Road, Fulham Broadway and those pubs near the stadium.
We had spoken about a pub crawl down the most famous street in Chelsea for years. At last we were going to do it justice.
“The Fox & Hounds.”
Much to my annoyance, the first one that I had planned was closed. So although, we visited ten, it was something of a false ten. Or a false nine, maybe? Where have we heard that before?
“The Rose & Crown.”
This pub is described as “unpretentious” and I could not have summed it up better. When I walked into the pub, I was met by a pungent aroma of disinfectant, which is surely not the best of starts. Still, they sold “Peroni” and so I was happy. The boozer had a distinct ‘seventies feel to it. No frills, no thrills, but plenty of spills. I wondered, in all honesty, now such a downmarket boozer could exist in such a high rent location. The toilet door was reassuringly etched with many football scribbles :
MFC.
Up The Boro.
CHELSEA.
MCFC.
WHUFC.
We moved on, and our route took us close to the Royal Hospital, the home of those famous scarlet tunics.
“The Phoenix.”
This was an unplanned stop, just off the King’s Road on Smith Street, but much-needed after the austerity of the first one. Another “Peroni” and – with Parky and PD sampling an “Estrella” apiece – there were a few a few thoughts about Barcelona. To our left were three Chelsea supporters from Norway, who mentioned they were looking forward to seeing a Norwegian called Alexander Sorloth play for Palace. I had not heard of him.
“The Chelsea Potter.”
Here was a famous Chelsea pub, one that I have often heard mentioned in despatches. The single saloon was packed, and I would soon learn that it was packed with both Manchester United and Liverpool supporters, awaiting the start of the game from Old Trafford. As luck would have it, my stool at a high table was turned away from the TV screen. I did not bother to watch; I shunned it completely. Another “Peroni” helped numb the pain of United racing to a 2-0 lead. We had hoped for a draw.
“The Trafalgar.”
There are a quirky mix of building styles along this stretch of the King’s Road, and a mix of shops too. Parky was pleased to see that the Curzon cinema was still in business, although the art deco frontage suggested that it is now houses a Habitat department store too. Next door was a large blue-bricked boozer, and we dived into its dark and quiet interior. Yet another “Peroni” and it was only one o’clock or so.
“The Builders Arms.”
We walked north a few hundred yards and plotted up inside the elegant and classy interior of “The Builders Arms.” No “Peroni” so I chanced a pint of “Birra Moretti” which is not as crisp as my favourite. Here we went through the events at Manchester City the previous Sunday. For once, we were talking football. Glenn had watched Antonio’s press conference the previous day and I was pleased to hear that he had seemed, apparently, more relaxed and at ease.
“The Sydney Arms.”
On the short walk to the next pub, we were stunned to see the gorgeous warm stone of the surprisingly huge St. Luke’s Church, a hidden jewel. I had not seen it before. It was a lovely treat. The next pub was packed, and many eyes were watching the Ireland vs. Scotland rugby game from Dublin. Here, it was a pint of “Sagres”. There was a small amount of banter with a couple of Chelsea supporters. But this still didn’t seem like the world outside was aware that Chelsea were playing a mile or so down the road.
Out onto the King’s Road, we caught a cab to the next destination. To our right I spotted the benches on Dovehouse Green which I always remember being the meeting – and posing – place of the punks of my adolescence and beyond. In around 1984, I noted it was Carnaby Street for mods and the King’s Road for punks, though time was moving on for both of those cults.
“The World’s End.”
Any pub crawl down the King’s Road, surely has to encompass this pub. We all remember the iconic black and white photograph of Ron Harris and Peter Bonetti, high on a London double-decker bus, holding aloft the newly-acquired FA Cup with the Worlds End pub behind. Here was a pub that I had visited just once before – the opener against home in 1991 – but is now much changed, and effectively a restaurant and a pub no longer. But the hosts made us feel welcome. During his days in the army, Parky would often walk the length of the King’s Road and would end up in this pub. It was just excellent to be back. I was evidently starting to falter; just a bottle of “Peroni” this time. Just before we crossed the bridge into Fulham, we walked past Slaidburn Street, another location of a famous photograph or two from 1970. Decidedly working class in those days – how times change – this terraced street was festooned with the blue and white banners wishing Chelsea well in the FA Cup Final and a few iconic photographs were taken. I wondered how many residents were Chelsea fans today.
“The Jam Tree.”
Pub number eight was not particularly busy, but it is a boozer that I am sure a few of us visited on an end of season mini pub crawl in 2000. Another pint of “Peroni” please Parky. The game was still over ninety minutes away. I suspect a few of our more local fans – do we have many? – were setting foot outside to make their way to the game. There was talk of this pub featuring in the hideous “Made In Chelsea” TV show.
“The Imperial.”
Another classic Chelsea pub, and visited on a few occasions previously, though each time I visit the bar seems to be in a different place. I was reaching my limit, so went for a bottle of “Corona.” We sat in a quiet corner, but I soon spotted an old workmate from over twenty years ago. Roger now lives in Devon, and I saw him last at that crazy 5-4 League Cup win against Manchester United in the autumn of 2012 when we travelled up together. It was lovely to see him again. He was with his mate Andy, who I last saw in 1997 when he refereed a game at Warminster which involved a Peter Osgood select team including such players as Tommy Langley, Graham Wilkins and Jimmy Case. Where does the time go?
So, nine pubs. Phew. Of course, if I had any sense I would have made sure that we popped into “The Butcher’s Hook” on the club’s one-hundred and thirteenth birthday, to pay homage to where the club was formed.
Maybe next year.
Inside the stadium, I soon spotted Alan and Gary Buchmann who have seats in the same section as us. Sadly, their dear father Joe passed away last Sunday, aged ninety. Joe had been a season-ticket holder for simply decades, and I liked him a lot. I remember he used to give me a Christmas card every year, and on the very first one that he gave me – in December 2004 – he addressed it :
“To Chris and the Chelsea Boys. Chelsea will win the league this season.”
Prophetic words, indeed.
For the best part of twenty seasons we sat with him. We sadly lost our pal Tom in 2015. In 2018, we lost Joe. He was a lovely man, and although he did not attend a game over the past two seasons, he was always in our thoughts. One memory from three years ago is strong. It came after Willian’s last minute winner against Everton in February 2015 :
“I looked over at Joe, a few seats away, past Alan. Joe is around eighty-five and his face was a picture. He too was stood, arms out-stretched, looking straight towards me. We just looked at each other, our faces and our bodies were mirror-images of each other. Wide smiles but arms wider. It was a fantastic and magical moment. Chelsea smiles everywhere.”
I gave Alan and Gary a hug – “your father was a lovely man” – and took my seat.
The early-evening air was mild. There had been no gulps when we learned about Antonio Conte’s team selection, though there was a place for Gary Cahill.
Courtois.
Azpilicueta – Christensen – Cahill
Zappacosta – Kante – Fabregas – Alonso
Willian – Giroud – Hazard
I was aware that there were a few trans-Atlantic friends visiting and there were mainly watching from The Shed Lower. I hoped that the Ohio Blues, the Atlanta Blues and the New York Blues enjoyed the next ninety minutes.
The crowd assembled, though our dear pal Alan was not with us. He had fallen on his way to work during the week and was housebound. Gut-wrenchingly, he will miss the soiree to Barcelona.
GET WELL SOON T.
Before the match began, there was a minute of applause for a former champion, a star from 1955, the ginger-haired Derek Saunders, who – like Joe – had reached the grand age of ninety.
RIP Derek.
RIP Joe.
After the defensive shackles against Manchester City last Sunday, there was much more – obviously – attacking intent against Crystal Palace. A shot from Kante was almost flicked into the Palace goal by Giroud. A Zappacosta effort caused Wayne Hennessey to drop to his knees to gather. There were two or three “sighters” from Willian. From a Crystal Palace corner, Christian Benteke was left alone behind a gaggle of players in the middle of the box, but he headed tamely over. Palace, of course, had won 2-1 against us in 2015/2016 and in 2016/2017. It was so good to see our man N’Golo back in our starting eleven once more. Maybe if he had played at City, our game plan might have been slightly different. Andros Townsend fired over.
But it was mainly Chelsea.
On twenty-five minutes, Willian collected the ball and moved effortlessly inside. His low shot took a slight nick off the defender Martin Kelly, and we were ahead. I hope that the transatlantic visitors in Parkyville enjoyed Willian’s celebrations.
From Alan : “THTCAUN.”
I replied : “COMLD.”
Not long after, a nice move increased our lead. The ball was swept into the box by Marcos Alonso. Willian hopped over the ball, after presumably receiving a shout from Eden Hazard, who set up Zappacosta to his right. It was hardly Pele to Carlos Alberto, and the shot took a deflection or two off the hapless Kelly, but it was a deserved second-goal. The celebrations from the players seemed a little sheepish, but that did not matter. The crowd roared its approval.
The Matthew Harding started singing :
“One Martin Kelly. There’s only one Martin Kelly.”
There was certainly not the nimble footwork of Gene Kelly from the Palace defender.
Giroud had been involved throughout the first-half and it felt so much better to have a focal point for our play. There had been some fine movement from all of our attacking players. Only a crazy touchline clearance from James Tomkins stopped our new striker from opening his account. Another Zappacosta effort was saved well by the Palace ‘keeper. A Hazard goal was ruled offside. But all was well at the end of the first-half.
We hoped for further goals to build confidence ahead of the game of the season against Barcelona, but the second-half was more arid despite a fair few Chelsea efforts.
In the first noticeable moment of the second-half, the Nowegian Sorlath crashed a shot against the post after a defensive lapse by Andreas Christensen. Willian went close after switching passes with Giroud. A Hazard effort was saved by Hennessey. Willian caused the Palace ‘keeper to scramble to his left to save from a central free-kick. Willian – the main threat – then created for Zappocosta and Giroud.
We were once again treated to some lovely up close and personal trickery from Eden Hazard. One sequence shows his control over ball and defenders alike.
As space opened up, a run down the left flank by Alonso found Giroud, who steadied himself, but his side-footed shot came back off the far post. It seemed his luck was certainly against him. He was replaced by Alvaro Morata with twenty minutes to go. Palace had a goal disallowed via Sorleth, but that was our signal to leave.
We needed to leave the boys to it in order to make sure our train connections worked. We gathered together and headed down to Fulham Broadway. A quick tube up to West Brompton allowed us to connect at Clapham Junction for our train home, which was taking the southern route via Salisbury. While we waited at West Brompton, we heard that Patrick van Aanholt had scored a late Palace goal. We had, apparently, squeaked it 2-1. At Clapham Junction, the narrow passages echoing to “Chelsea”, we raided the Cornish Pasty concession stand. A Palace fan chatted to us and wished us well on Wednesday. Rival football fan in fair-minded and generous comment shock. Whatever next?
Our train connections went well and we reached Westbury at 10.30pm. We soon caught a cab back to Frome.
It had been a fine day.
On Wednesday, Barcelona await.
I will see many of you out there.
Posted in Season 2017-2018 | Tagged 1969-1970, 2017-2018, Atlanta Blues, Barcelona, Crystal Palace, Derek Saunders RIP, Eden Hazard, Joe Buchmann RIP, London, New York Blues, Ohio Blues, Peter Bonetti, Pubs, Ron Harris, The King's Road, Willian | 5 Replies
Tales From A Sunday In Manchester : Part Two – Blue
Posted on March 6, 2018 by Chris Axon
Manchester City vs. Chelsea : 4 March 2018.
Part One finished with these words :
“Bollocks. Fifth place now. Bollocks!”
For a while, it honestly looked like there would be no Part Two. With most parts of the country being attacked by a winter chill during the early part of a week which was to see us play two matches in Manchester, I waited for the snow to hit the West of England. My home area was clear until Thursday, but then I was sent home from work in light of the impending snowfall. Indeed, my county of Somerset was on “red alert” as I worked at home on Friday. On Saturday, with the country still gripped by a Baltic freeze, I sounded out the others. There were concerns about roads out of my village being impenetrable with more Arctic weather to follow. I was especially concerned about getting stuck up north in the middle of a fresh fall of snow and thus not being able to get to work on Monday. We took the decision not to travel to Manchester. It was a wise decision, we all thought. There was no need for us to make heroes of ourselves in support of our team. We had nothing to prove.
But the guilt – yes, guilt – kept nibbling away at me. Should I make an attempt to go if the roads had cleared by Sunday? I had a troubled mind – or rather an unsettled mind – for quite a while. I was not in a comfortable place. And then I dismissed these silly feelings, and made tentative plans to watch the City game in the pub with PD and Glenn in Frome.
That was the plan.
I woke on Sunday at about 9.30am after a nice lie-in. I peered outside. There had evidently been a sizeable thaw overnight and the main road outside my house was almost clear of ice and snow, with just a slushy residue left at the roadsides.
What to do? What to do?
I contacted PD and Glenn.
“Get your boots on.”
The kick-off was at 4pm, so if we left at 10.30am we could make kick-off. Sadly, Oscar Parksorius was unable to join us, but we set off from Frome – kinda bright-eyed and kinda bushy-tailed – at 10.45am.
The Chuckle Brothers were on the road.
“Of course, you know we’re going to get mullered, don’t you?”
There were grimaces from my travelling companions.
I ate up the miles as the morning became afternoon. Not too many others had decided to travel and the roads were relatively clear of traffic. At times, the sun attempted to break through the cloud. There was snow on roadside fields, but the motorways were fine. We stopped for snacks en route; there had not been time to even grab a coffee before I had raced out of the house.
We thought about the team that Antonio Conte might play. Glenn wondered if we would pack the midfield in a 3/5/2, and asked if I preferred Olivier Giroud or Alvaro Morata to lead the line. I think that my response would have mirrored that of many Chelsea fans that early afternoon:
“Giroud.”
Although, if I was honest, I had a feeling that the manager might settle with the three amigos of Willian, Hazard and Pedro.
With both arch-rivals Liverpool and Tottenham winning on Saturday, there was an unease in my mind as my thoughts drifted sporadically back to our game at The Etihad. I wasn’t kidding myself, City were a fine team, and even the thought of grabbing a point later that afternoon seemed fanciful and unlikely.
We listened to the radio as Brighton stormed to a 2-0 lead at home to Arsenal – that cheered us up, bloody hell Dunk scored and in the right goal this time – and we were soon on the familiar approach into Manchester, though this time turning east towards Stockport rather than west towards Carrington. As the M60 heads through – or rather over – Stockport, I always and without fail think back to our club’s first-ever competitive game at Edgeley Park in 1905. The ground – a non-league ground now – sits right by the main London to Manchester railway line and I always used to peer at it with a certain feeling of nostalgia each time I passed it. In fact, with the grand railway viaduct and a couple of huge red-brick mill buildings dominating the valley that the town sits in, my once-a-season hurtle through Stockport is one of my favourite pieces of urban driving in the UK.
At Ashton Under Lyne, I turned off the M60 and I knew that the San Siro style towers of The Etihad would soon be in view.
Although the drive to Manchester had been full of laughs, and we were just so happy to be able to be attending the game – number forty-five of the season for me – the mood in the car as the stadium drew closer and closer became a little sombre.
As I waited for a red light to change at a junction, I blurted out –
“Fucking hell, I’ll be happy with 3-0 lads.”
And I think I was serious. City had just beaten Arsenal twice by that score in the space of five days, and we had the impression that they had played within themselves during the second-half of Thursday’s game in order to save themselves for this one.
“They’re a great team. We could get found out here.”
I silently gulped.
At last the stadium was in view. The days of calling it simply Eastlands seemed from a different era, and rather old hat, like a bobble hat maybe. I slowly drove along Ashton New Road, which was flanked by red-bricked terraced houses, and with tramlines now running its course. We were parked up outside a home fans only pub at 3pm. The weather wasn’t too hurtful.
I paid some locals £7 to keep our car safe.
This was a mighty three quid cheaper than United.
I could hear the nasal whine of some United fans baying “always in our shadow.”
The familiar walk to the stadium, criss-crossing the road, and the tram line. To my left, a graffiti-lined wall overlooked a lock on the Ashton Canal.
This was “up north” alright.
Bloody fantastic. I never tire of travelling to these football-mad cities on our historic little island.
You may have noticed.
I spotted many City fans “of a certain age” – my age – wearing sky blue and white bar scarves edged with the purple of earlier kits. I wondered if it was how some fans denoted that they were “old school” in the same way that some Chelsea fans sometimes wear red, white and green bar scarves.
There was a swift security check. No bags, no cameras allowed, the same as last week, so my phone became all important. After the atrocity at the Manchester Arena last year, I understood why there was tightened security.
Inside I met with a few fellow foot soldiers.
“Did Arsenal lose?”
“Yeah, 2-1.”
“Love it. I love it that they had a little glimmer of hope but still lost.”
Alan passed on the team news.
“No Kante.”
“And no Morata or Giroud.”
Things were sadly slipping in to place. It looked like it would be an afternoon of attempted containment and I sensed that the mood among the little band of Chelsea fans was far from buoyant. My seat was at the front – row C, but rows A and B were unused – of the little middle tier, with Chelsea fans below and above. I was positioned just eight feet from the home support.
“Oh lovely.”
I soon spotted PD and Glenn down below in the front row of the lower tier. The fans above were out of view, but it certainly looked that our away section was pretty full. It was a great effort from everyone. We waited for a while and the pre-match wind-up then started, with a Mancunian voice taking over the tannoy, as in other years, jabbering on about “We Are City” and other “stirring” soundbites. Alan joined me and we remembered last season’s game. He had re-watched the full game on Chelsea TV during the week.
“I’d forgotten how dominant they really were before we scored.”
I agreed. That miss from Kevin De Bruyne spurred us on to a classic display of counter-attacking excellence. I had watched the highlights during the week too. The strength with which Diego Costa beat off the defenders and steadied himself to slot home was just sublime, and it was a goal which I sadly realised Alvaro Morata could not be relied upon to repeat on current form. I had to admit it; he was a bit of a prick at times, but bloody hell we have missed Diego Costa.
The teams entered the pitch and I ran through the starting eleven.
Azpilicueta – Christensen – Rudiger
Moses – Fabregas – Drinkwater – Alonso
Willian – Hazard – Pedro
“Big game for Danny Drinkwater” I thought to myself.
There was a banner depicting De Bruyne down below and to my left; I wondered how he would perform. I have obviously watched from afar this season, but some of his passing has been simply magnificent. He can certainly thread a ball through a tight area. He is some footballer. And there was David Silva. And Leroy Sane. And Sergio Aguero too.
The City lot roared a healthy “Hey Jude” and the game kicked-off.
There was one inflatable banana being waved around in the lower tier. Maybe it was his version of the sky blue, white and purple bar scarf.
I could not help but watch the clock as the minutes ticked past. I kept thinking to myself “10 minutes – safe so far” and “15 minutes – one sixth of the game gone” and “20 minutes – almost a quarter of the game.” Of course it was all City. They pushed the ball around with ease, but their advances were kept at bay. Our defensive unit looked in good condition. Two City fans to my left were keeping me occupied. After Leroy Sane skied an effort over the bar, I turned to my left and pulled a face of relief to a City gent in his ‘seventies. He gestured that the ball had just cleared the bar by inches. I stretched my arms up to signify “and the rest.” He laughed and I laughed. The City fan just in front of him – scruffy beard, scruffy scarf and scruffy shoes – was a different matter altogether. He loved the sound of his own voice and would not bloody shut up.
“Champions? You’re shit. You’re in fifth place.”
I glowered and glowered some more.
A very reckless challenge by their young defender Zinchenko on Victor Moses brought howls from us. The move was allowed to continue but the referee only showed the player a yellow card once the attack inevitably petered out. A City fan to my left scowled and shouted across to me “he got the ball.”
“Ah bollocks, did he.”
As the game continued, I realised that Chelsea were allowing City the ball, allowing possession, conceding possession even. I had not seen the like of it – on such a scale – ever before. And I suppose from that moment, the game took on a different dimension. Not only did I watch as a supporter of the team – trying to will the team on with song – and as a spectator of a game in which the players were cast as often spectators too, but I watched as a fan of Antonio Conte as I tried to get inside his head and to attempt to evaluate his methodology.
I turned to Alan :
“It’s as if the manager has told the players not to expend any extra energy in charging around and making reckless challenges. He has told them to soak, soak, soak. To sit back and cover space rather than man mark.”
This approach is not new to football, but it certainly felt that this was anathema to us. It seemed so alien. Yet Conte is an Italian. This is a common approach – or it used to be in the suffocating systems of the ‘sixties and ‘seventies – and he obviously felt that the threat of an on-fire City was worthy of this very cautious method of football. The supporters around me were caught in two minds; some were voicing annoyance among themselves, but there were still shouts in praise of the manager.
Us British love to see a player charge around, closing space but also making tackle after tackle. Or maybe we used to when the midfield was the most important part of the game plan in my youth. What were we told?
“Whoever wins the midfield, wins the game.”
These days, with many teams happy to sit off and let other teams hold the ball – “there you go, see what you can do” – it is often the transition from defence to attack that wins games. The days of enthusiastic tackles in the midst of a midfield battle seem long gone. You see blocks these days, but not so many great tackles.
The match continued and I tried my best to get behind the team. Our attacks were very rare. We were able to reach the wide players on occasion but were unable to create much at all. It was, of course, very frustrating.
I got rather bored with our constant “Champions of Europe, you’ll never sing that” goading of City.
But then scruffy City Fan irritated me further.
“Ha, you won it on penalties! Penalties!”
I thought to myself “I bet you would not be fackin’ complaining if City won it on spot-kicks in Kiev this season.”
Our same modus operandi continued. I still thought hard about the tactics that the manager had asked of his players. It was evident that he was of the opinion that a gung-ho approach – “taking it to them” in popular parlance – was not a gamble that he was willing to take. I had to admit to myself that if we were to allow them any space, by stretching the game, by over-indulging, a City team twenty-two points clear of us in the table would probably score at will. If anybody thinks otherwise, they have not been paying attention.
What were our pre-match thoughts? I would have murdered for a 0-0. Damage limitation, I am sure, was on many peoples’ minds. Although there had been a red alert during the week, here was a blue alert which had evidently troubled the manager and many more besides.
But bloody hell it was hard to watch. City peppered our area with crosses and there were strong blocks from Rudiger and others. We held on.
The City fans in the East Stand – the modern equivalent of The Kippax I guess – were adamant that we were “fookin’ shit.”
Scruffy boy was still ranting away.
“We’re twenty-two points clear. We’re mint.”
At one stage, the elderly City fan bent forward and told him to be quiet.
Bernardo Silva went close with a curler which again flew over the bar and the elderly City fan looked across at me and smiled, his hands coming together as if to say “that was closer, lad.”
The first-half continued on – “30 minutes, a third of the way there” and our defence limited City to few chances. There was, if I remembered correctly, just one Kevin De Bruyne cross into the box but it was quite poor and evaded everybody. City’s finishing was quite poor to be honest.
Dave had starred during a first-half of constant pressure. Nobody had hounded and blocked and harried better than him throughout the first-period.
The first-half came to an end. Apart from a couple of rousing “Blue Moons” the City fans had not been too noisy at all. At Old Trafford – in Part One – hardly a seat was not used, whereas at City there were hundreds of seats dotted around the stadium not filled. I looked back on the half. For all of our defending, we had kept City at bay for long periods. Our attacks were very rare. It annoyed me that when we attempted long balls out of defence, unless they were to the wings, they were often over hit which just meant that Ederson raced off his line to claim. I remembered a couple of fine through balls by Cesc Fabregas, but I had to admit that there was very little attacking verve from us.
As I made my way out to the concourse at halftime, I spotted Pete – now living in Manchester – and I smiled as I said “halfway to paradise.”
The second-half began. During most games – though not all – I write a few bullet points on my phone as the day and the game develops. After thirty seconds, I debated writing “can we hold on?” but decided against it. A move by City was not cleared by the otherwise fine Andreas Christensen and the ball broke to Aguero, who helped move it on to David Silva. His low cross into the six-yard box was prodded home by Bernardo Silva, with Marcos Alonso sadly adrift of play. And yet it would be churlish to be too scathing of Alonso, who must have been crushed by the news of the death of his former Fiorentina team mate Davide Astori as he awoke before the game.
But we were a goal down with barely a minute of the second-half had gone.
The City support roared.
A song that I have not heard at City before got an airing :
“City – tearing Cockneys apart again.”
And yet this re-working of the Joy Division number was originally a United song, and one which exalted the gifts of the presumably hated Ryan Giggs. Alan and I were mystified and we both shouted over the great divide at the home fans and asked why on earth they were singing that?
“That’s a United song.”
“Ryan Giggs.”
They just smiled benignly and were having none of it.
The scruffy lad suddenly started rabbiting about our support, chastising it, and wondering if we were United fans a few years back. He then referenced, for reasons unbeknown to me, a game from almost thirty years ago.
“Were you here in ’89 when you were shit?”
I was having some of that.
“Yes! Yes I was. And we fucking beat you 3-2.”
Ah, yes. Tony Dorigo running for ever and ever and turning it in at the Platt Lane in front of a cool ten thousand Chelsea supporters. Bliss. I have detailed that iconic away match in these reports before, but here are a few photographs of another era, another time, another club. Another two clubs.
This seemed to impress Scruffy Boy.
He nodded…and was rather subdued now.
”Yeah, so was I.”
He motioned towards me to shake my hand. You know what went through my mind? The prick is going to pull his hand away – “Soccer AM schoolboy error” style – and leave me stranded. But no. He held his hand out. Rather than shake it, I slapped it derisively.
Then, presumably in a show of some sort of Mancunian wit, the whole ground sang as one :
“Sing when we’re winning. We only sing when we’re winning.”
I guess they have been singing rather a lot this season.
To add to the gloom, the rain fell heavier and I saw that PD and Glenn were getting soaked.
Bizarrely, City struggled to capitalise further in the next fifteen minutes, and it was Chelsea who came closest to scoring. After a ball was played into space, Victor Moses raced in to the penalty area, with the entire away end praying for a goal. He hesitated just slightly, and rather than wrap his boot around the ball, and force Ederson to save, he sliced the ball high and wide of the near post. I daren’t look at the elderly City fan who probably had his hands poised to signify “high.”
Then City came into it again, and Courtois was able to save well from David Silva at the near post. A few of our clearances from defence were shocking; hoofed up high in to the air. Reckless, rushed, ruthless.
Bloody hell.
We seemed to have a few more breaks as City pushed for a second goal – I guess this was the plan – but our final ball and our movement was off-kilter. But each time either Pedro or Hazard or Willian broke, the away support roared the team on. The support inside the stadium, though difficult to sustain over three disjointed tiers, did not relent. I was proud of that. We were all baying for a change from the hour mark, so it was surprising – to say the least – that Conte took until the seventy-seventh minute to replace the tiring Willian with Olivier Giroud. He had kept it tight for so long, I guess his Italian past did not allow him the freedom to gamble. Just after, Pedro was replaced by new boy Emerson. Although it had not been pretty to watch, there is no doubt that the players had carried out their manager’s wishes to the letter. They at least worked with him. But I am sure it could not have been easy. As the game continued, I did not give up hope. As bizarre a result as it would have been, I sensed that we might just grab a late equaliser. As we attempted sporadic attacks, there was definitely a nervousness among the City support. I could sense it. They were not happy. The game had a couple of bizarre final twists.
Conte brought on Alvaro Morata for Eden Hazard with just two minutes remaining. Hazard had relentlessly shuffled around closing space all afternoon long. I watched Eden as he exited the pitch and hoped that he did not head off down the tunnel in a huff; he did not, he donned a jacket and took his seat on the bench.
And then, ridiculously, right at the final whistle, Marcos Alonso slashed at a ball on the edge of the box but we watched – such pain – as the ball spun away from the goal rather than towards it.
At the final whistle, I stood and let the immediate rush of people leave. I watched as a few players – maybe five or so, Giroud, Fabregas I think, Azpilicueta, Courtois, maybe Alonso – walked over to acknowledge a damp and dejected support. We clapped them too.
I turned to Al and Gal :
“See you next Saturday, boys.”
As I walked away, I looked back at the City Gent and Scruffy Boy. I gave them a small clap and they responded similarly.
I thought to myself : “Yep. Good team City. Anyone but United. Anyone but Tottenham. Anyone but Liverpool.”
I soon caught up with a drenched PD and Glenn and we began a silent march back to the car. Last season, that walk was triumphant. This season, we just got wet.
There was the inevitable post-mortem in the car as I headed away from Manchester. Many words were exchanged. I still liked Antonio Conte. He had not suddenly become a horrible manager overnight. Three Juventus titles after a few seasons of draught. Then a World Cup with Italy had everyone using the phrase “a tactical masterclass” – to the point of cliché – as we described him and relished him joining us. A league title with Chelsea followed. I have a feeling, as I have said before, that this feels like a first season; transition, change, conflicts. He has not managed the pressure particularly well, but the hatred aimed at him from some sections of our support openly shocked me. As I drove home, Glenn kept me updated with some highlights from the wonderful world of social media. From the comments of some, it honestly felt like we had lost 7-0 rather than 1-0. And from the way some people were allegedly talking, some fans would rather that we lost by such a score rather than a 1-0 defeat using the tactics employed.
Be careful what we wish for.
I am not so sure a possible 4-0 or 5-0 shellacking against – possibly – the second best team in the game right now would have been the best preparation for the next few games, one of which is against the best team in the world. I again thought about the manager’s thought processes; he knows his players, their mentalities. Again, his view was to keep it tight.
I drove on.
Glenn read out quotes from the manager :
”We wanted to close space, stop them playing between the lines, limit them.”
It was as I expected. A critique of the manager can’t ignore his background, his Italian history. His decisions were a reflex response to danger to defend first. It obviously upset some people.
Who ever said supporting Chelsea was easy?
Remembering the horrific traffic after the United game, it was a joy to be heading home on the Manchester orbital and then the M6 at normal speed. The rain had stopped. The roads were clear. We eventually reached home at about 11pm. It had been a tough game – but I can honestly say that I would not have wanted to have been anywhere else in the world than in deepest Manchester with many good friends.
I skimmed through many comments on social media, and the majority were scathing of the manager’s tactics. That’s fine, we are all entitled to an opinion. It had been an odd day for sure.
And this has been an odd match report to write; a difficult one, but one which has summed up my feelings as honestly as I can.
I’ve tried to get inside the manager’s head. I’ve tried to be objective as possible.
As the night wore on, and I continued reviewing some comments on “Facebook”, I took a great deal of solace in a couple of comments from one Chelsea pal, whose pragmatic views about the game were level-headed and mirrored a few of my own. The bonus was that he was a former Chelsea player – 1985 to 1987 – and it was nice to read his thoughts.
Robert – I owe you a drink next time I see you.
In memory of Joe Buchmann.
Posted in Season 2017-2018 | Tagged 1988-1989, 2017-2018, Antonio Conte, Davide Astori RIP, Joe Buchmann RIP, Joy Division, Manchester City, Songs, Stockport County, Tactics, Tony Dorigo | 3 Replies
Goal.
Bobby Tambling
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Chelsea In America
FA Cup Final
Frome Town
Hooliganism
Jon Obi Mikel
Kerry Dixon
London Football
N'Golo Kante
New York Blues
Pat Nevin
Paul Canoville
Peter Osgood
Ron Harris
The Bing
Chris Axon
Chelsea supporter, diarist, photographer, traveller, but not necessarily in that order.
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By Lizbeth Diaz
Reuters January 12, 2020
Soldiers check a vehicle at a check point in Janos, Chihuahua
LA MORA, Mexico (Reuters) - Two months after tragedy struck, beefed-up security has helped calm the holdout residents of a tight-knit community of U.S.-Mexican families of Mormon origin. But with only a few families staying put, at least one village is being hollowed out.
The gangland ambush by cartel gunmen in November on a dusty road in northern Mexico left three mothers and six children dead, their charred vehicles riddled with bullets, and a once-strong faith deeply shaken in the picturesque hamlets the families have called home for generations.
"La Mora will never be the same," said 27-year-old holdout Kendra Miller, whose brother Howard lost his wife Rhonita and their four children in the attack.
"There are families that will come back to visit, but they're not going to live here again because they don't feel safe," she said.
Today, roads in and around La Mora are patrolled by hundreds of heavily-armed soldiers, helicopters buzzing overhead.
The showy security presence, set against a backdrop of many already-vacated homes, comes as President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is set to make his first visit to the grieving community on Sunday.
The leftist president who has pursued a less confrontational security policy is nonetheless set to speak at a fortified event center, erected in the past few days for his visit.
Dozens of armed patrols could be seen on Saturday as nearby homes were searched.
Some locals complain that the police presence before November's attack was almost non-existent, but since then army soldiers and National Guard troops have flooded in, along with FBI and Mexican investigators.
Beyond the sympathetic hand extended to the victims' families, Lopez Obrador's one-year-old government has struggled to tame rampant drug violence nationwide as homicides are at a record high and several spectacular security setbacks have played out on his watch.
Nearly all of the family members are both U.S. and Mexican citizens, meaning they can easily travel, or relocate, between both countries.
The large families that have populated this part of northern Mexico, nestled among rolling hills and gurgling rivers, stem from breakaway Mormon communities that began fleeing the United States more than a century ago in search of safe havens for their polygamist beliefs.
They built ranch-style homes with orchards where the young children of growing families could ride their bikes and play all day outside.
Like Miller, many wax nostalgic about care-free childhoods, even if their own kids might be raised elsewhere.
"I was set to get married one week after the massacre," she said, "and now my fiance wants us to live in the United States."
On an impromptu tour of the area, Miller points out the many homes that sit eerily empty, once tidy gardens overrun with weeds.
Other family members describe how kids suffer from recurring nightmares, and those relatives who have left fear coming back.
'BAD THINGS HAPPEN'
The Mexican government has arrested seven suspects to date as part of the investigation into the massacre, but the reasons behind the killings remain shrouded in mystery.
Officials have suggested the attack may have been linked to a turf battle between two rival cartels known to fight over lucrative smuggling routes between Sonora and Chihuahua states, which both border the United States.
Despite the heightened security presence on the ground, some family members returning to the area ahead of Lopez Obrador's visit opted to travel in small planes instead.
Others have been provided with armed escorts from Mexican security forces.
While they are a distinct minority, there are those among the families who argue against leaving.
"I'm not going anywhere," said Mateo Langford, whose sister was killed in the attack.
"Bad things happen in every corner of the world, including in the United States. We just can't run away," he said.
As he sorted pecans from last year's harvest, Mateo's brother Steve Langford, whose sister Christine was killed, said he will stay put as well.
He said his immediate plans are to help his cousin David with the harvest, and try to convince him to stay too.
David lost his wife Dawna and two of their children in the attack. Another remains hospitalized with a gun shot wound to the jaw.
"I'll never leave here," said Langford.
(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz; Editing by David Alire Garcia and Daniel Wallis)
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Canada's Baytex to buy oil producer Raging River for C$2.8 billion
John Benny
(Reuters) - Baytex Energy Corp will buy rival Raging River Exploration Inc for C$2.8 billion ($2.13 billion), the Canadian oil and gas producer said on Monday, becoming the latest company to bet big on Canada’s vast shale reserves.
Oil producers have made a beeline for the Duvernay and Montney formations, known for their light oil which is easier to refine and cheaper to produce than northern Alberta’s oil sands crude.
Seven Generations and Encana Corp are already among the leading Canadian producers operating in the two regions, while Chevron Corp announced its first Canadian shale development in the Duvernay in November.
The oil sands boom dates back two decades, when improved technology, rising crude prices and fears of global oil shortages sparked a rush to develop the world’s third-largest reserves.
However, in the last five years, much of that investment has migrated south as U.S. shale firms pioneered new drilling techniques and flooded global oil markets with cheaper-to-produce crude.
Earlier this year, the Canadian heavy oil discount widened significantly against the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) as growing oil stockpiles couldn’t be moved out of the resource-rich province of Alberta due to transport bottlenecks.
After the announcement of Monday’s deal, shares of both companies fell and analysts pointed to investor skepticism about the all-stock deal and a low premium for Raging River shareholders.
The Baytex deal, the second all-stock acquisition in the Canadian oil industry this year after Vermilion Energy’s buyout of Spartan Energy, sends investors the message that capital is not available for large-scale cash transactions, said Lyndon Dunkley, an analyst at Beacon Securities.
Baytex’s offer — 1.36 Baytex shares for each Raging River share — represents a 10 percent premium to Raging River’s Friday closing price, according to Reuters calculations.
The premium was much lower than investors’ expectations, Dunkley said. “It’s just not what we believe the market was expecting as an outcome for the strategic repositioning process (Raging River) announced in March,” Dunkley added.
Raging River has since March explored strategic options for its business, including selling certain assets.
The combination of Baytex and Raging River will be led by Baytex Chief Executive Officer Edward LaFehr once the deal closes in August, Baytex said.
The companies expect to produce a combined 100,000 to 105,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2019 and expect capital expenditure of between C$750 million and C$850 million.
Reporting by Parikshit Mishra and John Benny in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Shounak Dasgupta
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Reids of Caithness Bakers In Line For Another Award
Reids of Caithness of Thurso is in the running for a top prize at the Scottish Baker of the Year Awards 2018.
The votes have been cast and Scottish Bakers, the association that represents bakers across Scotland, has announced who is on the shortlist and still in the running for a prize in the Scottish Bakers of the Year Awards 2018.
"We are delighted to have made it to the shortlist of the Scottish Baker of the Year competition this year" said Gary Reid of Reids of Caithness. "It's great to know that the professional judges liked our products as much as the customers who voted for us do. We can't wait to hear the final results in May."
On 28th March in Dunfermline, Scottish Bakers took delivery of some 850 of the nation's best morning rolls, scones, individual cakes, savouries, biscuits, breads and new category, celebration cakes, for a judging day like no other.
The tasty treats were scored on appearance, freshness and taste by a panel of some 50 industry experts lead by Head Judge Robert Ross. The judges whittled the entries down into the "best of the best" and the results will be announced on 5th May in Glasgow.
Awards on the night will include the naming of the best morning roll, scone, individual cake, savoury, biscuit, bread and celebration cake in Scotland Scottish Bakers will also announce who takes the best Bakery Cafe, Craft Baker, Retail Craft Baker, Wholesale Baker and ultimately, the overall Scottish Baker of Year 2018 will be crowed.
The Scottish Baker of the Year Awards is the brainchild of Scottish Bakers, the Trade Association for bakers in Scotland who decided to search for the best baker in the land in 2012. The competition celebrates our love of a tasty treat from our local baker and aims to crown just one hard working bakery Scottish Baker of the Year.
The winner will be announced at a glittering Gala dinner at the Crowne Plaza in Glasgow on Saturday 5th May 2018.
Reids Bakery Thurso Ltd
[Bakers]
Reids Bakery tastes success in Scottish Baker of the Year 2019/20 Competition
Reids Bakery of Thurso did their customers proud at the weekend by taking home a top prize in the Scottish Baker of the Year 2019/20 competition. The bakery was awarded: Strawberry Tart - Regional Silver Brown Bread - Regional Gold Buttery - Special Silver.
Reids Bakery Shortlisted in Scottish Baker of the Year 2019/20 Competition
Thanks to the votes of their customers and following a rigorous day of judging by some 50 of the industry's top professionals, Reids Bakery of Thurso, Caithness has been shortlisted for a prize in the Scottish Baker of the Year 2019/20 competition. "With over 8000 customer votes and in excess of 30,000 individual products votes, for goods baked by the best bakers in the country, Reids Bakery can be very proud of having made it this far" said Head Judge Robert Ross.
Reids Of Caithness Of Thurso Takes A Top Prize In Scottish Baker Of The Year 2018 Competition
Reids of Caithness of Thurso has taken a top prize in the 2018 Scottish Baker of the Year Awards. Their prize was presented by Mich Turner MBE at a glittering ceremony hosted by Scottish Bakers, the association that supports and promotes the interests of Scottish bakers across the country.
Reids Of Caithness Crowned Scottish Baker Of The Year 2017
Reids of Caithness has been named Scottish Baker of the Year 2017 at a glittering ceremony hosted by Scottish Bakers, the association that supports and promotes the interests of Scottish bakers across the country. The baker won the following awards: Morning Roll - National Bronze and Regional Gold Corn Bread - Regional Gold Buttery - National Bronze "We are extremely pleased to be recognised as Scotland's best baker" said Gary Reid "We take our business very seriously and use traditional methods and craftsmen's skills to deliver quality every time.
[Advisory / Counseling Services]
Global buyers to sample Highlands and Islands food and drink
Twenty-one food and drink businesses from the Highlands and Islands will attend an unprecedented ‘meet the buyer' event ahead of the Commonwealth Games. The Showcasing Scotland event is the first large scale event of its type to be run for the Scottish food and drink industry.
Reids Of Caithness Makes The Shortlist For Scottish Baker Of The Year
Thanks to the residents of Thurso, Reids of Caithness has been recognised by a panel of expert judges as producing one of the best individual cakes in the land - a Crofters Cake. Customers from across Scotland voted for their best bakery products during March and the top 30 products in each of the 5 categories were baked and delivered to Fife for judging by a panel of independent experts led by artisan Robert Ross including retired master bakers with extensive experience of the bakery sector in Scotland.
Highlands and Islands Producers give London a Taste of Scotland
Seven food and drink producers from across the Highlands and Islands are preparing to take their places at one of the biggest exhibitions of the year this weekend Scotland Food and Drink are running the Scottish Pavilion at the Speciality and Fine Food Fair at London's Olympia Exhibition Centre from 4-6 September. The North's businesses will be amongst those displaying their products within the themed 'Scotland Land of Food and Drink' area, showcasing some of the country's wonderful natural larder products and fantastic producers.
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The intersection of Technology and Humanity
Fuqua School of Business Geneen Auditorium
John Doerr, Chairman Kleiner Perkins and Jini Kim, Cofounder and CEO of Nuna.com -- Healthcare Data and Analytics Solutions
Point of Care Speaker Series
Sponsor(s): Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy
Duke University and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina® (Blue Cross NC) have a nearly century-old relationship, beginning with the first dean of Duke's School of Medicine, W.C. Davison, MD. Dr. Davison, spearheaded the creation of Durham's "Hospital Care Association" - which became Blue Cross NC in 1933.
Today, the Duke-Margolis Center and Blue Cross NC are working together to reform health care delivery and payment. Blue Cross NC's vision is to be a national model for transforming our health system. The Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy's mission is to improve health and the value of health care through practical, innovative, and evidence-based policy solutions.
"The Point of Care" is a new monthly speaker series, sponsored by Duke-Margolis and Blue Cross NC, that provides a national stage for thought leaders in health care delivery, payment, and reform to share their ideas, discuss new approaches, and comment on emerging health reforms.
Register at the more info link below
Join us each month for these stimulating discussions-either on campus at Duke or online via web stream.
Type: MEDICINE, LECTURE/TALK, and WEBCAST
Contact: Sarah Supsiri
Location Search Filter Fuqua School of Business Geneen Auditorium (1)
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CAMHPRO
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MHSOAC Honors Mental Health Icons
December 4, 2018 December 4, 2018 CAMHPRO
If California had to pick superstars in mental health advocacy, Sally Zinman and Rusty Selix would top the list.
That was the overwhelming consensus at the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission meeting after the Commission named its two new fellowships in honor of Zinman and Selix. The Commission named the Mental Health Policy Consumer Fellowship in Zinman’s honor and the Mental Health Policy Practitioner Fellowship in Selix’s honor.
“We want to recognize both Sally Zinman and Rusty Selix and thank them both for the work that they’ve done and for their lifetime of advocacy and dedication to mental health,” said acting Commission Chair Khatera Aslami-Tamplen.
The announcement at the Commission meeting October 25 in Alameda County was met with resounding applause and with heartfelt tributes for them both.
“Sally Zinman has been a lifelong advocate for those of us living with mental health challenges and has been a leader in the consumer and peer movement across the country,” Aslami-Tamplen said. “She’s been a strong voice for self-empowerment, self-determination, consumer rights and for people living with mental health unmet needs, working to eliminate stigma and discrimination and uphold the civil rights of individuals with mental health challenges. We are honored to name the MHSOAC Mental Health Consumer Fellowship after Sally Zinman.”
State Senator and Commissioner Jim Beall presented Zinman with a framed resolution from the California State Senate.
“I’m really honored, Sally, to present you with this resolution from our California State Senate on their behalf,” Beall said. “Congratulations and maybe you can be a mentor for all these interns. We want them to be the future leaders in mental health in California and that’s what we are creating, the future leaders so congratulations and thank you for doing this work.”
Zinman called the honor, an honor for consumers.
“I see this as honoring all the consumers I have met and talked to, whose voices are in my ears and whose ideas I’ve listened to because I’m really them,” she said. “What I know and what I pass on and the work that I do is a collection of all of them. I feel like I’m just a vehicle for all those people, the 41 years of their ideas and visions. That’s all in my mind so when you are naming a fellowship after me, you are naming it after consumers, after our consumer movement and after the values that we try to infuse into the system.”
Zinman said that she hoped that the future fellows would instill the values of the collective consumers into the Commission’s work.
“I know that the fellowship will help their careers and teach them a lot in terms of policy and I see them as teaching you all,” she said. “It’s really a vehicle for bringing those values and our principles to the Commission and to the larger mental health system. I thank you for honoring the consumer values and principles and movement by naming this fellowship after myself because that’s who I am. Thank you for the opportunity to continue that by having a person every day at your offices infusing the values of the consumer movement into this Commission.”
Aaron Ortiz, of La Familia Counseling Services in the Bay Area, praised Zinman for her tireless work on behalf of consumers. “I want to say thank you to Sally for really empowering the consumer and I’d like to announce that La Familia will be opening a peer respite facility in January and we’re going to name it after Sally for all of her work and it’s going to be called Sally’s Place.”
Several speakers called both Zinman and Selix mentors who inspired their work and commitment to mental health and said the Commission chose the right people as the Fellowships’ namesakes.
Rusty Salix could not attend the meeting. Selix co-authored the Mental Health Services Act, along with then-State Senator and now Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg.
“Rusty Selix has contributed to our mental health movement tremendously and we wouldn’t be here today without the contributions of Rusty Selix,” Aslami-Tamplen said. “He has been a strong and stabilizing voice for destigmatizing mental health challenges and building a continuum of care. We are honored to name the MHSOAC Policy Practitioner Fellowship after Rusty Selix and present him with a resolution for his lifetime of dedication to mental health.”
Executive Director Toby Ewing said Selix was instrumental in pushing many of California’s groundbreaking mental health system changes. “Rusty shared this much grander vision around opportunities for education, around ways to engage our public safety partners, around ways to engage the medical community and primary care and he’s continued to push this vision and as it is represented now in the Act and how we in California are really trying to transform that system from the fail-first system to one that is recovery oriented that really is about prevention and early intervention and is about innovation.”
He added that globally, others are starting to recognize the value of California’s mental health system.
“Rusty laid the foundation for not only for what we’re seeing today as far as fundamental improvements in our mental health system, but also the expanded global attention that you see,” Ewing said. “People do now recognize that mental health is foundational to quality of life. And we’re beginning to see how other states and other countries begin to look at what California is doing as a strategy for improving the mental health systems in their own communities.”
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2019 was 'historic' but 2020 could be the 'greatest' for Apple, says analyst - Times of India - Canada News Media
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Canada News Media
2019 was 'historic' but 2020 could be the 'greatest' for Apple, says analyst – Times of India
Last year this time, it was supposed to be all doom and gloom for Apple. There were reports about the iPhones XS, XS Max and XR not doing well and the Cupertino-based tech giant was ‘struggling’, according to most analysts. Now, an analyst says that the turnaround of Apple has been CEO Tim Cook’s “finest hour.” A report by CultofMac quotes Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush, who says that Apple had a “historic year” in 2019 and is set to have a great 2020 as well.
The CultofMac report cites an investor note by Ives, where he wrote, “A year ago Cupertino was facing major Herculean-like challenges around lagging China demand, tariff escalation on the horizon, increasing competition on smartphones, and trailing Samsung and others in the key 5G race,” Ives writes. He further said that investors thought that Apple’s growth story was over.
Ives says that Cook turned it around with critical decisions like settling long-standing dispute with Qualcomm, acquiring Intel’s modem business for a billion dollars, carefully managing to ‘sort’ the China problem, and of course, the launch of iPhone 11.
For 2020, Ives is overtly optimistic for Apple as he says that, “To this point, we believe 200 million units could be the starting point for 5G Apple smartphone demand as roughly 350 million iPhones within the 900 million installed base of Cupertino are currently in the window of an upgrade opportunity.”
Clearly, Ives believes that a 5G iPhone could be a definite game changer for Apple. He also says that Apple will continue to see more growth in China particularly with Huawei still struggling with its various issues in the smartphone industry.
Apple, as per several rumours and leaks, is set to launch as many as five iPhones in 2020. Reports have indicated that the first iPhone of the year will be a really affordable variant, which is being touted as the successor to the iPhone SE.
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2020 is the year we'll see a 5G iPhone, according to analysts – TechRadar
Apple Will Release Up To Four 5G iPhones Next Year – Gizchina.com
Flames, Maple Leafs favourites on Saturday NHL betting lines – Sportsnet.ca
The Ottawa Senators will try to snap a nine-game losing streak when they host the Calgary Flames on Saturday as +135 underdogs on the NHL betting lines at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Ottawa’s recent woes continued with Thursday’s 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, which marked the club’s sixth straight loss on home ice going into Saturday afternoon’s matchup at the Canadian Tire Centre.
The Senators’ offence has been silent during the team’s longest slide since an 0-9-2 run nine years ago, scoring just eight total goals over their past five contests. However, the Senators defence has tightened up of late, allowing just three goals per game over their past four losses, with just one of those defeats coming in regulation. That has resulted in a steady 3-0-1 run for the under on the totals at betting sites, after the over prevailed in 15 of the Senators’ previous 17 contests.
While the Senators have struggled, the Flames arrive in Ottawa on a high after escaping with a 2-1 shootout victory in Toronto as +125 underdogs on Thursday night. Now sporting wins in six of their past seven contests, Calgary takes on the Senators as -155 betting favourites.
The Flames have been far from dominant during their current surge, scoring two or fewer goals in four of their past five outings, and claiming victory by just a single goal in each of their six recent wins. However, the team has been dominant in recent dates with the Senators, posting wins in four straight meetings while holding Ottawa to a single goal each time.
Elsewhere on the Saturday NHL odds, the Maple Leafs look to rebound from Thursday’s loss to Calgary as they host the Chicago Blackhawks asheavy -210 favourites. Hobbled by injury, Toronto has earned just one win in five contests overall, and has lost three of four at Scotiabank Arena to fall 11 points back of Boston in the hunt for top spot in the Atlantic Division.
The Blackhawks ride a three-game win streak into Saturday’s contest as +175 underdogs. Chicago posted a decisive 4-1 win in Montreal as a +150 wager on Wednesday to improve to 6-1-0 over its past seven road dates, and has taken two straight from the Maple Leafs.
The Canadiens, meanwhile, vie for their fourth win in five games as they host Vegas as +110 underdogs, the Edmonton Oilers welcome the Arizona Coyotes to town as -130 chalk in a crucial Pacific Division matchup, while the Vancouver Canucks put an NHL-best seven-game home win streak on the line as they battle the San Jose Sharks as a -160 wager.
Sonos, PopSockets speak out against Big Tech's dominance – CNET
At an Amazon booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center during CES 2020 this month.
Ben Fox Rubin/CNET
As David Barnett tells it, Amazon is an abusive, unfair and uncaring partner to smaller businesses using its platform.
Barnett, founder and CEO of PopSockets, which makes adhesive grips for the backs of phones, on Friday lambasted the e-commerce giant for ignoring issues about counterfeit that he’d raised for months and bullying him to lower his prices. His comments were part of his sworn testimony before the House Judiciary’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law, which has been holding hearings to investigate the potentially excessive power of the biggest tech companies in the US.
“This is tiring, this is tiring week after week,” Barnett told lawmakers at the University of Colorado’s Wittemyer Courtroom, describing Amazon’s threats to extract better prices — a practice that ultimately caused him to end his partnership selling products directly to Amazon.
He says his company is now banned from selling on Amazon’s website on its own and he’s lost countless sales after cutting off the lucrative direct-sales relationship. Other companies, he suggested, would rather put up with Amazon pushing them around to keep getting paid.
Amazon, along with fellow tech giants Facebook, Google and Apple, have all faced tough scrutiny over the past year from lawmakers and regulators, who not that long ago looked at Silicon Valley in a far more positive way. Now officials are raising concerns about these companies’ growing dominance in the market, which could be squashing competition.
This work could bring about big changes in the tech industry, perhaps forcing big players to break up, cutting off future mergers, or creating new regulatory restrictions. Officials say they’re pursuing this work to make sure innovative new startups can thrive and customers can benefit from strong competition.
Watch this:
Google under investigation over its digital ad business
These tech giants have defended themselves by saying they’re small players in their broader fields, like Amazon being a tiny part of global retail. Facebook has pointed to emerging competition like TikTok threatening its lead in social media.
Regarding its PopSockets relationship, an Amazon spokesperson on Friday said it’s continued to work with PopSockets on counterfeits even after the direct partnership ended, calling the company “a valued retail vendor.” The person said Amazon does require some popular brands to sell directly to Amazon, so the company can ensure the best prices are available for customers.
Amazon also pointed to an IDC study, which Amazon funded and which was released Thursday, that discusses the sales growth of small- and medium-sized businesses on Amazon’s platform.
This theme of imbalanced, dominating business relationships kept resurfacing during the hearing. As part of their relationship, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence told lawmakers, Google tried to restrict his company’s innovations and wanted insights into Sonos’ future product plans. Sonos this month sued Google, claiming the company stole its wireless speaker technology.
“There’s such a dominant power that exists with these companies that really even as a company of our size you feel like you have no choice,” Spence said.
A Google spokesperson responded: “Sonos has made misleading statements about our history of working together. Our technology and devices were designed independently. We deny their claims vigorously, and will be defending against them.”
Kirsten Daru, general counsel at Tile, and David Heinemeier Hansson, chief technology officer of Basecamp, offered similar complaints that tech giants Apple and Google so thoroughly dominated their markets that it was virtually impossible not to work with them. Those companies then use that power to make unexpected and unfair changes that can harm smaller businesses, they said.
For instance, Hansson complained that Apple has been able to charge developers a 30% fee for paid apps for years because it faces little competition. Barnett, of PopSockets, said other online marketplaces that rival Amazon certainly exist, “but most of them are really tiny.”
Fred Sainz, an Apple spokesman, said Friday that the company built its App Store as a safe, trusted place for customers, and a great business opportunity for developers.
Rep. David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island, who’s chairman of the subcommittee, has already raised serious concerns about these companies’ power, using terms like “economic nightmare” and “one algorithm tweak away from ruin” when talking about them on Friday.
Rep. Ken Buck, a Republican from Colorado, shared these concerns, showing there’s bipartisan cooperation on this issue, but he warned against unnecessary government interventions.
For now the chance that any of these tech giants could get broken up is remote, and Wall Street has pushed all these companies’ stocks higher despite this negative attention. Still, when Microsoft went through similar antitrust reviews 30 years ago, the process lasted for a decade, so it’s anyone’s guess what the outcome will be over such a long timeline.
Over a thousand 'likely' infected by Wuhan virus in China: study – Al Jazeera English
The number of people infected by a mystery SARS-like virus that has killed two people in China is likely hundreds more than officially reported, researchers have said on Friday.
The news comes as Chinese health authorities said on Saturday that they have discovered four more cases of pneumonia following an outbreak of what is believed to be a new coronavirus strain.
The four individuals were diagnosed with pneumonia on Thursday and are in stable condition, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said in a statement published shortly after midnight. Saturday’s statement marked the first confirmation.
Chinese authorities previously said that the virus has hit at least 41 people in the country, with the outbreak centred around a seafood market in the central city of Wuhan.
But a paper published on Friday by scientists with the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College in London said the number of those affected in the city was likely to be well over a thousand.
The scientists at the Centre – which advises bodies including the World Health Organization – said they estimated a “total of 1,723 cases” in Wuhan would have been infected as of January 12.
The researchers took the number of cases reported outside China so far – two in Thailand and one in Japan – to infer how many were likely infected in the city, based on international flight traffic data from Wuhan’s airport.
SARS virus taught scientists new lessons
“For Wuhan to have exported three cases to other countries would imply there would have to be many more cases than have been reported,” Professor Neil Ferguson, one of the authors of the report, told the BBC.
“I am substantially more concerned than I was a week ago,” adding, however, that it was “too early to be alarmist”.
“People should be considering the possibility of substantial human-to-human transmission more seriously than they have so far,” he added, saying it was “unlikely” that animal exposure was the main source of infection.
Airport screening
Two people are known to have been killed by the virus, a pathogen from the same family as the deadly SARS virus – even as health authorities around the world sought to assure the public that the overall risk of infection remained low.
Authorities in Hong Kong have stepped up detection measures, including rigorous temperature checkpoints for inbound travellers from the Chinese mainland.
The US said from Friday it would begin screening flights arriving from Wuhan at San Francisco airport and New York’s JFK – which both receive direct flights – as well as Los Angeles, where many flights connect.
The latest outbreak comes ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, when many of China’s 1.4 billion people will be travelling to their home towns or abroad.[File: Andy Wong/AP]
So far, health officials do not consider the new virus from China to be as lethal as SARS, but the investigation is evolving and much is still not known about whether the virus can spread easily from person to person.
“This is the stage of the investigation where we need to proceed cautiously and be prepared for any eventuality,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, an expert in respiratory diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US.
SARS originated in southern China in 2002 and infected more than 8,000 people in 37 countries before it was brought under control.
Nearly 800 people died worldwide. China was accused of covering up the case.
The latest outbreak comes ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays, when many of China’s 1.4 billion people will be travelling to their home towns or abroad.
The Chinese government expects passengers to make 440 million trips via rail and another 79 million trips via aeroplanes.
Al Jazeera and news agencies
Check out this pop-up art exhibition in Metro Vancouver in January – Vancouver Is Awesome
Oil Dips as 2019 Ends; Big Gains on Year
Iran anticipates renewed protests amid social media shutdown – NBCNews.com
China's 2019 birthrate lowest in 70 years of communist rule – Al Jazeera English
China's 2019 property investment up 9.9% year-on-year, sales fall – TheChronicleHerald.ca
KEW MEDIA GROUP Announces Temporary Cease Trade Order – Financial Post
In the Habs' Room: Jesperi Kotkaniemi's fight lifts his team's spirits – Montreal Gazette
How Gay Art Survives in Beijing, as Censors Tighten Grip – The New York Times
Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer won't arrive until after 2021 – Engadget
Apple may have to abandon Lightning connector cable – BBC News
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What you want to say – 5 December 2018 December 5, 2018
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.
As always, following on Dr. X’s suggestion, it’s all yours, “announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose”, feel free.
1. Starkadder - December 5, 2018
I don’t want to turn into one of those “Kids today!” guys, but this
Tweet from PETA is incredibly annoying:
Words matter, and as our understanding of social justice evolves, our language evolves along with it. Here’s how to remove speciesism from your daily conversations. pic.twitter.com/o67EbBA7H4
— PETA (@peta) December 4, 2018
I’m reminded of a quote from Winifred Holtby:
Whenever two- legged animals meet to discuss the welfare of their four-legged brethren drama descends, like a proprietary goddess, upon the scene. The affection ungrudgingly bestowed on cats, dogs, and horses, by the people of these islands, diverted to human channels, could bring about the reign of brotherly love and goodwill towards men within a fortnight.
WorldbyStorm - December 5, 2018
Agreed. It’s well meaning if a bit simplistic but literal to the point of being counterproductive – it seems unlikely that anyone would feel this language was meant literally and there’s the whole issue of metaphor and how one polices that. A more cynical take us that some folk have to justify their existence by doing something anything during the working day to prove they’re earning their wage – particularly in PR and campaigns.
yourcousin - December 5, 2018
Yeah if PETA wants to help animals they can just stop killing them.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.dailycaller.com/2018/02/08/peta-killed-more-than-1800-cats-and-dogs-in-2017-only-got-44-adopted
soubresauts - December 5, 2018
Peta has no capacity for embarrassment. Another recent example:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/nov/23/how-hapless-wool-got-blanketed-by-petas-shock-publicity
Bartholomew - December 7, 2018
Anyway, if the horse is already dead, where’s the cruelty in flogging it?
2. Joe - December 5, 2018
Odds on May still being PM this day week? Slim enough I’d say.
makedoanmend - December 5, 2018
As stated previously on this site and others, who replaces her that is acceptable to the various factions in the toryific party? (Leaving aside the sheer incompetence of most leading tories). And she really didn’t loose the 3 votes by huge margins yesterday. It’s widely accepted she really never thought she’d get the treaty through on the first vote. I heard it suggested that if she loses the treaty vote by less than a hundred votes, she’s remains. If she can keep the margin even closer, she definitely remains.
I’m thinking she’ll be around well beyond Christmas – but I want 3:1 odds and five points!
[And we have to leave out that there really isn’t any way at this date that a new set of negotiations between the UK and the EU are going to occur, or that any significant changes to the current proposed treaty are going to occur either. The EU has always had the upper hand in this negotiation, vis-a-vis the power/economic positions, so that any suggestion that a new government is going to change the circumstances are pure ‘cakeism’. Brexit, as pursued by the UK, has been pure cakeism since day 1. Any new government and leader should know this – except cakeism rules. It’s cakeism all the way down.]
Joe - December 5, 2018
Yep. It’s mad isn’t it? Humiliation after humiliation for her but no viable alternative Tory leader out there with a viable plan b. She must be tempted though – to tell them all to go f themselves and let them sort it out since they’re not happy with the effort she came up with.
CL - December 5, 2018
‘Legal advice on the Brexit deal, published reluctantly after MPs found the government in contempt of parliament, warns the terms of the Irish backstop could trap the UK in “protracted and repeated rounds of negotiations” in the years ahead.
The legal status of the arrangements for preventing a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland – and in particular, the UK’s ability to extricate itself – are at the heart of the political row about whether MPs should accept the prime minister’s deal.’ The Irish Question,-again.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/dec/05/brexit-legal-advice-warns-of-uk-trapped-in-talks-by-irish-backstop
GW - December 6, 2018
DUP has said it will support May in a no confidence vote.
She could (health permitting – not that I can summon up much personal sympathy for the refugee persecutor) still be in post in two years – no one else seems willing to sup on the poisoned chalice. The chances of a general election seem to have been played down, even by the BLP.
And on Monday the ECJ will issue its ruling on whether the UK can unilaterally cancel its withdrawal from the EU. Would having such a right have any significance? Is May correct when she says the choice is her deal, no deal or no Brexit?
If the BLP in alliance with the DUP and ERG vote down May’s deal is the choice then no deal or no Brexit? Or are there other alternatives?
3. GW - December 6, 2018
Good Another Europe is Possible podcast about fighting fascism in the British context in the internet age from veteran anti-racist activist Asad Rehman.
Big picture: when the left and centre gives and inch on immigration to the racist right, they just strengthen the latter. The left needs to make the case for immigration and open borders.
I find the argument from the likes of McCluskey that ‘we must have Brexit because fascism’ both despicable and strategically utterly wrong-headed.
“The left needs to make the case for immigration and open borders”
Could you please? Because just saying we need mass immigration doesn’t seem like a great way to win friends and influence people.
“some on the left see a progressive case for reducing immigration…
In their view, the resurgence of a nativist far-right across Europe — and the election of a certain far-right nativist in the United States — have demonstrated the impossibility of reconciling progressive politics with mass immigration….
the liberal political analyst John Judis argues that “without control of borders and immigration, it is very hard to imagine the United States becoming a more egalitarian society” ..
Angela Nagle writes that a mindless “moral absolutism” about immigrants’ rights has led progressives to blind themselves to what libertarian champions of “mass immigration” see all too clearly: that the so-called free movement of labor actually “benefits the elites within the most powerful countries in the world, further disempowers organized labor, robs the developing world of desperately needed professionals, and turns workers against workers.”…
in countries with declining birth rates like the United States, regular infusions of working-age laborers from abroad render social welfare programs more sustainable, in fiscal terms…
Liberal restrictionists may see mass immigration as a political boon for the American right — but the American right sure doesn’t….
as the foreign-born share of the U.S. population has surged over the past three decades — and the Democratic coalition has grown markedly less white — Team Blue has grown markedly more progressive….
The GOP’s declining popular support — and the Democrats’ burgeoning progressivism — are shaped by countless factors besides America’s shifting demographics. But it seems telling that both developments are especially pronounced in states and cities with large immigrant populations….
If mass immigration undermines the left by eroding social solidarity, then how did supporters of single payer health-care just oust the GOP from Orange County?…
The rapid diversification of the U.S. has undermined white supremacy more than it has dulled class consciousness….
America’s native-born white supremacy remains the fundamental challenge to progressivism in the U.S. And this reality helps explain why mass immigration has had ambiguous — if not positive — political implications for the American left:..
The “ceaseless importation” of workers whose worldviews weren’t shaped by the legacy of chattel slavery, and who have little (or no) investment in the maintenance of white supremacy, has diluted the electoral clout of white revanchism in the United States.”
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/11/immigration-open-borders-hillary-clinton-angela-nagle-the-left.html
Good question – it’s hard to present positively – but the consequences of a ‘left’ anti-immigration policy are well presented here at Red Pepper.
And Luke de Noronha goes on to advocate a ‘no borders’ position as the only one that doesn’t imply massive state violence and policing:
If advocates of the no borders position (like me) are accused of being unrealistic, blind to the apocalyptic prospect of uncontrolled movement, then please do tell me how your bordered world might take form, and how the walled workers will unite?
Nagle and her kin endorse a radical politics in which the fight for better working conditions concerns only natives. Their ‘leftism’ justifies immobilising people on a global scale, despite the inevitable expansion of violent technologies of state coercion and surveillance on which such a programme relies.
Nagle argues that when we make arguments for open borders, we end up in chorus with free market capitalists – and much of the organised left seems to agree. But a politics of no borders – not open borders – is precisely one which refuses all forms of border violence. This refusal is based on the recognition that there is no way to restrict people’s mobility in a world this unequal except through extreme forms of state coercion. This refusal provides the starting point for our solidarity with migrants, not because we romanticise all forms of migration but because we abhor all forms of bordering.
I’m sick right now (like puke for ten minutes by the side of the truck before work sick). So not a whole lot of strength to respond to you both. I did read both articles, and I must say that they don’t so much make a case for open borders as they do attack the leftist case for controlled immigration.
I’m not so much concerned about convincing leftists. How do we not make enemies of John Q. Public? Because saying to Joe the Plumber or to bread roll man that we’re bringing the global south to him and he must give up his privilege, seems like a pretty quick way to get supporters of the wall.
We talk shit about Merkel, Macron, Blair, etc. but we spend very little actually dealing with the likes of Orban, and Erdogan etc. We have an easy reply for Neoliberals but how do we address the Illiberals? Moral purity is fine for rhetoric but unless the left can be relevant then our piousness is just that. Making ourselves feel better about our impotence to actually affect change.
4. CL - December 6, 2018
Uber Is Headed for a Crash…
“Comparisons of Uber to other storied tech wunderkinder show Uber is not on the same trajectory. No ultimately successful major technology company has been as deeply unprofitable for anywhere remotely as long as Uber has been….
Unlike Facebook or eBay, having more Uber users does not improve the service….Uber has no competitive advantage compared to traditional taxi operators….
UberX drivers, which represent the bulk of its workforce, earn less than $10 an hour. They would do better at McDonald’s….
Uber has succeeded in getting the business press to treat its popularity as the same as commercial success”-Yves Smith
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/12/will-uber-survive-the-next-decade.html
5. Michael Carley - December 7, 2018
Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks has died.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/dec/06/pete-shelley-lead-singer-of-buzzcocks-dies-at-63
Chomsky at 90.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/11/23/noam-chomsky-turns-90-how-a-u-s-anarchist-has-more-than-survived/
Sorry Brexshit news…
But I’ve always been astounded how certain commentators (including climate-change deniers) have assumed that Norway would be happy with the UK getting similar or even better EEA/EFTA access.
They aren’t, and they’ve now made it explicit. And I’d don’t blame them – who would want the UK dominating Norway’s currently rather consensual position among a few other smaller fish, given the UK’s previous?
Also there’s not a chance that the UK could enter EEA/EFTA on a temporary basis with the goal later being further separation from the EU – as certain persons have theorised. EEA is designed as the opposite – the eventual agreed end-point of the members is full membership of the EU.
So can we please assign EEA/EFTA to the same fairy dust strewn place as the better deal that Corbyn and the head-banger Brexiteers claim that they would have gotten?
Alibaba - December 7, 2018
+ 1 to those thoughts. But no need for apologies GW: keep carrying on.
I’d tend to agree that at this stage, despite there being a logic to it EEA/EFTA is not going to happen (agreed, who can blame the EFTA members?). I think that with a more congenial UK government something short of that and better than Switzerland would have been an option, but I also think that for that they’d have had to be willing to accept freedom of movement. And Matthew d’Ancona in the Guardian made the point this last week that that was the one red line May has had throughout, no freedom of movement for EU citizens and that’s why she’s got the deal she has. What the hell happens next?
One of the real disappointments is hearing Corbyn say stuff about a customs union etc which he must know isn’t possible. I wonder is his shadow Chancellors rhetoric on a second referendum tic tacking or sincere. He’s an interesting character.
Brexshit Friday:
Can anyone make head or tail of this?
I conclude that should May go for a ‘my deal or no deal’ referendum ‘my deal’ would win (with every remainer abstaining or spoiling their ballot.)
And ‘the deal or remain’, as John MacDonnel claims to favour would be a toss-up. With hard Brexiteers abstaining or spoiling their ballot sheets.
As for a three-way referendum with possible transferable votes…?!
Too complicated a political landscape for me to call.
Everyone is more than ready for a denouement to the Brexit drama; alas, there may be none.
Britain over the next several years will have to (re)negotiate its relationship with the EU.
The tug-of-war over the backstop reflects that Ireland is partitioned, with one part now firmly within the EU orbit, and the other part constitutionally bound to a Britain that is trying to reverse almost half a century of integrating with Europe.
Maybe there are some problems to which there are no solutions, just adroit political management. But such political acumen is absent in the Tory party, and also it seems in Labour.
And from the ‘you-can’t-make-it-up’ dept:
” MPs rubbed their eyes as they watched Labour’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who once praised “the bombs and bullets and sacrifice” of the IRA, denounce the backstop as a threat to the union. Almost as improbably, Ian Paisley quoted C Desmond Greaves, the Marxist historian who acted as a muse to IRA chief of staff Cathal Goulding in the 1960s.
“All fundamental battles in British politics take place in the Conservative Party, with everyone else having bit parts,” Greaves said.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/brexit-mps-hear-of-laughter-in-tipperary-and-galway-1.3723048
9. Paddy Healy - December 7, 2018
Funeral arrangements for Alan MacSimóin
https://www.rip.ie/death-notice/alan-mac-sim%C3%B3in-stoneybatter-dublin/372782
Reposing at Massey Bros, 88A New Cabra Road, on Wednesday, 12th December, from 4.30pm-5.30pm, followed by wake at The Teacher’s Club from 6pm. A celebration of Alan’s life will take place at Glasnevin Crematorium, on Thursday 13th December at 2.30pm. Donations, if desired, in lieu of flowers, to Brother Kevin, Cappuchin Centre for the homeless. All enquiries to Massey Bros Cabra 01-8389774.
10. Michael Carley - December 7, 2018
Britain should use the threat of food shortages in Ireland to secure a better Brexit deal from the EU, a former cabinet minister has said.
Priti Patel, the former international development secretary, said the threat to the Irish economy should have been exploited by the UK government during negotiations with Brussels.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-ireland-food-shortages-threat-risk-priti-patel-negotiate-better-deal-a8672326.html
Nice, really nice.
Especially from a Briton whose family presumably originates in Britain’s former colonies, which within living memory was a victim of a famine facilitated by the colonial occupiers.
And that during the war which is the centrepoint of Brexiteer nostalgia.
Let’s hope they don’t cut off the supply of spuds.
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/agribusiness-and-food/why-does-ireland-import-44-000-tonnes-of-british-potatoes-each-year-1.3721341
That is mad – less beefs more spuds!
Thought it was telling she’d say that. Glad to hear a bit of pushback.
11. alanmyler - December 7, 2018
GW, any thoughts on Merkel’s replacement as CDU leader?
Well off the cuff she’s another relatively conservative (devout Catholic) politician of the crumbling centre.
More of the unsustainable same, but at least she’s:
a) unlikely to go into coalition with the AfD any time soon and
b) not going to twist the austerian screw another notch as her challenger Merz was going to do.
The eco-conservatives (sorry the Greens) would I think easily form a government coalition under her leadership if they get the numbers.
She’s also instinctively in favour of good Franco-German relations, but unlikely to approve the changes needed to put the Eurozone on a more stable footing.
So the lesser of several weevils for now.
What did strike me was that yet again the male anglophone journosphere was wrong. They have been predicting the imminent demise of Merkel and those around her for years.
Bild and Spiegel must be spitting bricks, having aggressively promoted Merz ever since Merkel announced that she was stepping down.
Now I guess they’ll start on AKK.
Thx for the info GW.
12. Paddy Healy - December 8, 2018
Leo Varadkar, in Government for 7 Years, says housing crisis keeps him awake at night on Late Late Show!!!!
Varadkar:“Particularly when it comes to kids, people find it [homelessness] offensive, and I find it offensive too that children are in emergency accommodation. That impacts on their education and lots of other things,” he said during an interview on RTÉ’s Late Late Show on Friday, Dec 7. Irish Times https://wp.me/pKzXa-wc
But his government has just sold 1.3 billion in PTSB mortgages to Secret US Vulture Capitalist so that FG/IND. Alliance can’t be blamed for evicting or financially harassing them
13. Phil - December 8, 2018
As we approach Xmas, let’s give a particular thought to political pirsoners around the world, including those in Ireland: https://theirishrevolution.wordpress.com/2018/10/11/republican-pows-and-the-struggle-in-maghaberry-today/
14. kestrel - December 8, 2018
vaguely heard the last part of a radio discussion about local government elections in 2019. But mostly it seemed to be about the remuneration paid to these councillors. Not sure how much they are paid, probably about 16k per annum maybe. the population of this town is c.50k; and the councillors receive good votes, some of 1300, 780, 700, 696, etc.
yet, they do not respond to phone calls if there are any contentious problems.
Is it not time that the ordinary public were allowed to attend those monthly Council meetings. At present a person may attend though only if a/one Councillor has agreed that they may attend. This may give the wrong impression that a person actually agrees with that councillor’s politics. Beyond me why the public cannot just attend at the council meetings.
Odd given that people can attend the Dáil isn’t it?
15. Starkadder - December 10, 2018
David Duke, Geert Wilders, and Marine Le Pen have all congratulated Spanish far-right party Vox after its performance in the Andalusian elections :
https://elpais.com/elpais/2018/12/04/inenglish/1543938879_761523.html
One thought: there hasn’t been a far-right movement in this country
with a serious chance of getting power so far, but it would be naive in the extreme to assume that this situation will always remain so.
Preparations for responding to such a movement should be considered by the Irish Left.
GW - December 10, 2018
Check – we’re living on borrowed time in this respect.
Joe - December 10, 2018
This lack of a far-right movement here has been noted before. Odd alright that it hasn’t happened here. Or is it?
I could see an anti-establishment populist movement getting traction here – but not a far-right group as in a group openly spouting neo-fascist stuff.
Joe – they don’t openly spout neo-fascist stuff anymore.
They are ‘concerned citizens’ worrying about their culture be swamped by ‘Muslims’ (code of people of colour) and putting the blame for the injuries of neoliberalism on the foreigners and a globalist elite. They imply that they speak for the will of the people, excluded from the MSM. etc. etc.
At the same time behind closed doors they take far-right money and espouse the same fascist goals as before.
Ok. Gotcha GW. Could happen here any time.
EWI - December 10, 2018
Preparations for responding to such a movement should be considered by the Irish Left
I would be quite concerned at the notion of providing the casus belli for an alliance between conservatism and the ‘security state’.
16. GW - December 10, 2018
Sigh – yet more bollixing around with fantasy deals before B*shit reaches a People’s Vote.
17. Michael Carley - December 11, 2018
Conservative party Grandee tells @BBCNewsnight's @nicholaswatt
"This simply cannot stand….The Irish really should know their place."#Brexit
— Darran Marshall (@DarranMarshall) December 11, 2018
18. CL - December 11, 2018
“Madhu and Manohar Varadkar were among the many Indians who stood up to the British Empire during the country’s long-fought struggle for freedom.
The two men, who are uncles of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, both spent up to a year each in prison for their trouble after they were arrested for protesting against the crown….
In the first biography of the Taoiseach, it is revealed how proud the Varadkar family is of the role the two brothers played in India’s fight for freedom. After independence, both men were decorated for their efforts during the uprising. Their sister, Prabha, also played a role in the independence movement and marched in demonstrations against Portuguese colonialism in Goa….
In commentary on the protracted exit talks, Varadkar has evoked Ireland’s own fight for freedom from British rule. He talked about how we were “forced to accept partition” 100 years ago and warned we cannot go back to the hard borders of the Troubles….
Varadkar’s uncles would presumably be supportive of his stance on the much depleted modern day British Empire.
He is facing down the crown like they did all those decades ago.”
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/varadkar-family-has-a-history-of-facing-down-british-empire-37185347.html
“Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, took issue with comments by Mr Varadkar that “no Irish Government will ever again leave Northern nationalists and Northern Ireland behind.”..
But… Gerry Adams, welcomed the Taoiseach’s comments saying they acknowledged the reality of partition for most nationalists in the North….
Mr Varadkar said he was pointing up a historical fact that Ireland was forced to accept partition in the 1920s.”
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/taoiseach-insists-brexit-comments-on-the-north-were-not-meant-to-insult-fianna-fil-36402899.html
That rustling sound in the background…barely heard above the Brexit cacophony…birds flying home..
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(→Mutations of the Wnt signalling pathway and associated cancers)
! scope="col" width="100" | Gene
! scope="col" width="150" | Normal function
! scope="col" width="150" | Mutation
! scope="col" width="290" | Effects of mutation
! scope="col" width="150" | Associated cancers <ref name="PMID12781368"/>
2012 Projects: Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 | Group 6 | Group 7 | Group 8 | Group 9
Figure 1. 30 Years of Wnt Signalling Conference
1 Wnt/β-catenin Signalling Pathway
1.3 Key players in Wnt/β-catenin signalling
1.4 Normal function: Mechanism of action
1.4.1 In the absence of Wnt (“off state”)
1.4.2 In the presence of Wnt (“on state”)
1.4.3 Tumour Cells
1.4.4 Role of Wnt/β-catenin signalling in embryonic development
1.5 Abnormal Function: Diseases associated with Wnt/β-catenin signalling
1.5.1 Wnt/β-catenin Pathway and the Onset of Cancer
1.5.1.1 Mutations of the Wnt signalling pathway and associated cancers
1.6 Treatment:
1.7 Current research
1.8 Future directions
1.9.1 List of Abbreviations Used
1.9.2 List of Terminology
1.11 Reference List
Wnt/β-catenin Signalling Pathway
2012 marks the 30th anniversary of the identification of Wnt-1, the first component of the Wnt signaling pathway to be discovered. Since this breakthrough, researchers from around the globe have extensively studied and pieced together the multiple components that form the Wnt signaling pathway as it is known and accepted today.
The classical pathway of Wnt signalling that is best understood in current research is the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway which features heavily in development, regeneration, stem cell regulation and cellular processes such as proliferation and migration[1].
Wnt proteins encompass a network of secreted glycolipoproteins[1], forming the basis of this highly conserved pathway. The various elements, agonists and antagonists of this pathway will be discussed, with key emphasis on the structure and function.
Furthermore, mutations in components of this pathway have been associated with cancers, developmental defects and other diseases which will be discussed in further detail.
It is important to note that the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway is becoming increasingly complex with the addition of new molecules being discovered in recent years. Areas of current research and future directions will also be outlined.
Figure 2. Overall structure of the β-catenin/XAxin-CBD complex
1973: A mutant of Drosophila melanogaster which had no wings was characterised as Wingless (Wg) [2]
1982: Roel Nusse and Harold Varmus found that mouse mammary tumour virus (MMTV) stimulated tumour formation when the Int1 (integration 1) gene was activated.[3]
1987: Rijsewijk et al identifies the mammalian homolog of the Drosophila Wingless gene as Int1.[4]
1989: Screening of zygotic lethal mutations in Drosophila identified new Wnt signalling molecules e.g. Dishevelled and Shaggy.[5]
1990: Riggleman et al reports on how the accumulation of Armadillo (mammalian homolog is beta-catenin) in Drosophila is posttranscriptionally controlled by the Wingless gene.[6]
1991: The nomenclature of Wingless and Int-1 was combined to form the mnemonic, Wnt.[7]
1991: Molecular cloning of β-catenin[8], LEF (lymphoid enhancer factor)[6] and TCF (T-cell factor)[9] transcription factors was conducted.
1992: Wingless signaling was discovered to be regulated by zeste-white 3 (also called Shaggy), which is the Drosophila homolog of mammalian Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 (GSK-3).[10]
1993: Through nucleotide sequence analysis and peptide mapping, APC was found to associated with β-catenin[11][12]
1994: Mutations in Dishevelled affected phenotype and gene expression, indicating its crucial role in the Wnt signalling pathway[13]
1995: APC is involved in the degradation of β-catenin and hence regulates its cytoplasmic levels[14]
1996: The interaction of β-catenin with the transcription factors LEF and TCF was discovered[15]
1996: Bhanot et al identifies Frizzled as a receptor for Wnt ligands[16]
1996: A transmembrane protein identified as Porcupine was found to be involved in the processing of Wnt ligands[17]
1996: β-catenin levels were reported to be three times higher in tumour tissues than in normal specimens, indicating the link between β-catenin accumulation and colorectal cancers[18]
1997: Huber et al investigates the three dimensional structure of β-catenin[19]
1997: Phosphorylation of β-catenin by GSK3β (in the absence of Wnt) signals degradation via ubiquitin/proteasome[20]
1997: Identification of the homeotic gene Ubx as the first Wnt target gene [21]
1998: Axin 1 and axin 2 were found to interact with β-catenin, GSK3β and APC and to promote GSK3β - dependent phosphorylation and degradation of β-catenin [22] [23]
1999: Casein kinase 1 (CK1) was found to regulate β-catenin function [24]
1999: Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) interacts with the β-catenin destruction complex and modulates GSK3β (Glycogen synthase kinase 3β) function [25][26]
2000: The three-dimensional structure of the β-catenin–TCF complex was determined [27]
2000: Arrow, LRP-5 and LRP-6 were identified as coreceptors of Frizzled [28]
2001: LRP-5 was found to transduce Wnt signals by recruitment of axin to the plasma membrane [29]
2003: The tyrosine kinase receptor Derailed in Drosophila (RYK in mammals) was identified as an alternative Wnt receptor [30]
2006: LEF mutations were associated with sebaceous gland tumours in humans, showing that Wnt–β-catenin signalling is inhibited in these tumours [31]
2007: Dishevelled was found to polymerize at the plasma membrane and to recruit axin upon Wnt stimulation [32]
Key players in Wnt/β-catenin signalling
Protein (Gene)
Wnt (WNT) 250px Evolutionarily conserved protein across species.[33] Most Wnt proteins figure in the region of 40 kDa, each possessing a characteristic 23 or 24 cysteine residues highly conserved in their spacing. This suggests that the formation of disulfide bonds plays a significant role in determining tertiary protein structure[34] Initiates Wnt signalling when it binds as a ligand to the Fz receptor with LRP[35] and destabilises the β-catenin degradation complex, dephosphorylating β-catenin and subsequently enabling its migration and accumulation in the cell nucleus for gene transcription [36]
The FRP family resembles the Wnt-interacting domain of Fz receptors, thus competitively sequesters Wnt from the Fz receptor[37].
WIF-1 has been shown to competitively antagonise Wnt binding to the Fz receptor [38]
Cerberus is a secreted protein that directly binds to the Wnt protein and inhibits signal transduction [39]
Dkk indirectly inhibits Wnt protein signalling by binding to the co-receptor LRP-6, thus making it unable to bind to Wnt for Fz signal transduction [40]
The extracellular sFRP family of proteins possess a consensus CRD sequence on their N-terminus, with which they directly bind to Wnt, and prevent its association with Fz receptors, thus antagonising the signal conduction [41]
Experiments suggest that axin indirectly blocks Wnt signalling, in a manner that renders further increases in Wnt levels ineffective [42]
Fz(FZD) 150px Fz houses a CRD on the N-terminus, seven transmembrane domains, and a PDZ domain on the C-terminus[34] Binds the Wnt ligand at the extracellular N-terminus for the initiation of the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway[34]
LRP-5/6 (LRP) 250px A protein that spans multiple domains. The extracellular component is comprised of four EGF-like repeats on the N-terminus[40] Co-receptor to the Wnt ligand in its interaction with the Fz receptor in signal transduction[43]. Causes translocation and association of axin to its intracellular tail, thus destabilising the β-catenin binding activity of axin[29]
Dkk antagonises LRP-5/6 binding to Wnt through competitive binding[40] and complexes with the transmembrane protein Kremen2 for intracellular removal cell through endocytosis[44]
Dsh (DVL) 250px Prevents phosphorylatory activity of GSK-3β upon hyperphosphorylation by the Wnt/LRP-5/6 complex binding to the Fz receptor[45], thus preventing β-catenin ubiquitination and degradation, to promote translocation into the nucleus.
Nkd blocks feedback signalling, thus inhibiting Dsh[46]
Stbm binds to and jointly immunoprecipitates Dsh[47]
Dapper antagonises Dsh in complex with Axin, GSK-3β, CK-I and β-catenin, leading to degradation of β-catenin and subsequent reduced signalling[48]
PKC, a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase product of the non-canonical Wnt/Ca2+ pathway, inhibits Dsh through phosphorylation, preventing β-catenin nuclear translocation[49]
Experiments suggest that axin indirectly blocks Dsh function, in a manner that renders further increases in Dsh levels ineffective [42]
Axin (AXIN) 250px In the absence of Wnt signalling, it constitutes the β-catenin ubiquitination complex along with APC and GSK-3β[35] and its role as a scaffolding protein enhances GSK-3β phosphorylation of β-catenin[50]
Wnt downregulates axin through increased Dsh expression, hindering axin phosphorylation by GSK-3β, leading to decreased stability and ultimately a shorter half-life[51]
GSK-3β(GSK3β) 250px Constitutes the β-catenin ubiquitination complex along with axin and APC[35]; its primary role in the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway is inhibition of β-catenin nuclear translocation through phosphorylation of three amino acids at the N-terminus[52] after priming by CK-I[53], for subsequent ubiquitination and degradation by the proteasome. This activity is enhanced by GSK-3β phosphorylation of axin[50] and APC[54] which appears to promote phosphorylation of β-catenin by GSK-3β in the complex.
Frat1, which appears to be recruited by Dsh in complex, tightly binds GSK-3b even after complex dissociation and b-catenin degradation[55]
PKC inhibits GSK-3β phosphorylatory activity[56]
Diversin Primes b-catenin for degradation by recruiting CK-I to phosphorylate serine 45 on the N-terminus before subsequent phosphorylation of threonine 41, serine 37 and serine 33 by GSK-3β and degradation by E3 ubiquitin ligase β-TrCP[53]
APC (APC) 150px A large 312 kDa protein Possesses a numerous and varied set of roles ranging from cell migration and adhesion, cell cycle regulation and chromosome stability[57]. In the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway, APC constitutes the β-catenin ubiquitination complex along with axin and GSK-3β[35]. It binds to axin via SAMP elements[22], and to β-catenin via three 15-amino acid repeats and seven 20-amino acid repeats[58]
β-catenin (CTNNB1) The N-terminus accommodates a critical sequence of thirteen armadillo repeats that competitively bind E-cadherin, LEF-1 and APC[59]. The C-terminus houses a glycine-rich transactivation domain[60] Involved in mediating both morphogenesis and maintenance of tissue integrity in the endothelium, bound to a-catenin that subsequently binds to the actin cytoskeleton. Gene expression is mediated in conjunction with TCF /LEF, upon translocation from the cytosol into the nucleus[59]
The axin/APC/GSK-β complex phosphorylates b-catenin and marks it for ubiquitination and degradation by the proteasome[36]
TCF /LEF (TCF7/LEF) The N-terminus constitutes the β-catenin interaction domain; TCF /LEF also possesses a HMG box DNA-binding domain[60] Mediates DNA binding when in complex with β-catenin; the N-terminus of TCF /LEF associates with the β-catenin C-terminus[60]
CAMKII, a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase product of the non-canonical Wnt/Ca2+ pathway, inhibits LEF downstream of β-catenin, acting at the transcription factor complex level[49]
Normal function: Mechanism of action
β-catenin commonly exists as a subunit making up the cadherin protein complex, where it links E-cadherin to α-catenin [61]
Cadherin proteins play an integral role in the formation of adhesion junctions between cells [61]
β-catenin also acts to help anchor the actin cytoskeleton within the cell [61]
The β-catenin gene can be said to function as an oncogene given that the promotion of transcription of Wnt target genes by β-catenin has been shown to be involved in the development of an array of cancers including basal cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer and breast cancer.[62][63][64]
In the absence of Wnt (“off state”)
Figure 3. "Off" and "On" States of the Wnt/Beta-catenin Signalling Pathway
No extracellular "Wnt signal"
β-catenin targeted for proteosomal degradation by its incorporation into a “destruction complex” comprising:
Intracellular Axin, GSK-3β (glycogen synthase kinase β) and APC (Adenomatous polyposis coli – coded for by the APC tumour suppressor gene)[65]
APC and axin assemble into a structural scaffold, allowing the phosphorylation of the N-terminal of β-catenin by the coordinated action of CK1 and GSK-3β[66]
β-catenin is recognised by E3 ligase β-Trcp, ubiquinated and subsequently degraded by the 26S proteosome [67][35]
Level of β-catenin in the cytosol is low, and therefore does not reach the nucleus at a level sufficient enough to affect transcription
No transcription of Wnt target genes
TCF/LEF proteins act as transcriptional repressors, binding to proteins of the TLE /Groucho family [68]
HDAC represses transcription via chromatin remodelling in the form of histone deacetylation[69]
In the presence of Wnt (“on state”)
Extracellular “Wnt signal” binds to a cell surface G-protein coupled receptor of the “Frizzled” (FRZ) family
Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) family functions as a transmembrane co-receptor for FRZ
Recruitment of axin to the membrane where it is degraded upon initiation of the Wnt signalling cascade
Dissociation of β-catenin into the cytoplasm without degradation by the “destruction complex" [70][35]
Activation (phosphorylation and poly-ubiquination) of proteins of the “Dishevelled” (Dsh) family
Implicated in the inactivation of the “destruction complex” by the recruitment of axin and GSK-3β away from the complex [32]
With the complex now interrupted, β-catenin resists ubiquination and reaches the nucleus in increased levels where it functions as a transcriptional enhancer alongside TCF[65]
β-catenin directly competes with Groucho/TLEs for TCF binding [71]
TCF promotes binding of RNA polymerase to DNA template strand
Induction of the downstream transcription of Wnt target genes, for example:
oncogenes such as c-Myc and cyclin D1 involved in cell cycle control [72]
MMP-7 and uPA, associated with metastasis and the invasion of cancer cells [63]
Tumour Cells
In a tumour cell, the Wnt siganalling pathway is activated abberantly either:
Innappropriately by an extracellular Wnt signal
In the absence of an extracellular Wnt signal
Usually results from a mutation in one of the subunits that comprise the “destruction complex”, resulting in an inability to degrade cytosolic β-catenin [72]
Mutant APC proteins characteristic of those associated with cancer, have been shown to upregulate transcription of Wnt target genes due to an inability to regulate levels of cytosolic and nuclear β-catenin [14]
MOVIE: A detailed explanation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling
Role of Wnt/β-catenin signalling in embryonic development
Figure 5. Neural crest stem cells that were cultured with bone morphogenic protein (BMP) and Wnt were shown to maintain stem cell markers (indicated in red and green)
The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has been implicated as an important pathway in human fetal development. Through immunohistochemical staining, Eberhart and Argani (2001) localised nuclear beta catenin in fetal lung, placenta, kidney, cartilage, capillaries, adrenal glands and skin. This indicates that Wnt signaling regulates the development of specific set of organs and tissues.[73] For example, Wnt genes such as Wnt4 regulate the conversion of mesenchyme to epithelial cells in kidney morphogenesis.
In addition, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is also involved in maintaining the pluripotency of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Wnt3a promotes the reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotency in conjunction with the classical transcription factors, Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog.[74] For example, Oct4 has the effect of repressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling in self renewing hESCs and is depressed during hESC differentiation[75]. Hence, this suggests that Wnt/β-catenin signaling is involved in differentiation rather than self renewal.
Abnormal Function: Diseases associated with Wnt/β-catenin signalling
As described above, the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway plays a critical role in development, stem cell regulation and cellular processes such as proliferation and migration. Thus mutations in components of this pathway have been associated with cancers, hereditary disorders, developmental defects and other diseases.
Wnt/β-catenin Pathway and the Onset of Cancer
The high number of repressor genes involved in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway indicates that it is imperative for this pathway to be tightly regulated. [76] These repressor genes include APC, Axin 1 and Axin 2. Given the pathways involvements in the regulation of stem cell choice to proliferate or self renew, there is a strong correlation between mutations in these genes and the onset of cancer. The table below describes in further detail some mutations of the Wnt signalling pathway and associated cancers.
Mutations of the Wnt signalling pathway and associated cancers
Figure 4. The colon of a patient with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP)
Normal function
Effects of mutation
Associated cancers [36]
β-catenin Primary Wnt effector. In the nucleus, β-catenin functions as a cofactor for TCF transcription factors which specify a subset of genes, which are responsible for determining cell fate and regulation of proliferation. [36] GOF mutation Any mutations that inhibit its destruction motif would cause constitutively active β-catenin signalling, leading to excessive stem cell renewal and proliferation thus predisposing the cells to the formation of tumours. [76]
Uterine endometrial cancer
Hepatoblastoma (liver cancer)
Medulloblastoma (brain cancer)
Pancreatoblastoma (pancreatic cancer)
Ovarian carcinoma
Thyroid carcinoma
Pancreatic carcinoma
Lung adenocarcinomas
Esophageal adenocarcinomas
APC Facilitates β-catenin degradation; acts as a tumour suppressor LOF mutation Mutational inactivation of APC inhibits the degradation of β-catenin, leading to the over-stabilisation and accumulation of β-catenin in the nucleus of the cell. [77] (See β-catenin above).
Colorectal Cancer (CRC)
LOF APC mutations in intestinal epithelial cells lead to constitutive β-catenin/Tcf4 complex activation, causing unrestrained production of crypt stem cells, resulting in cancer. [78] Once the cancer has spread widely through the body, it is often incurable and management focuses on chemotherapy and improving quality of life.
Activating mutations in the canonical Wnt pathway is responsible for approximately 90% of all colorectal cancer cases. [65] Of these, 85% are caused by loss of function mutations in APC. [36]
Colorectal cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world.
Pancreatic non-ductal acinar cell carcinomas
Synovial carcinoma
Gastric adenoma
Breast fibromatoses
Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) [Figure 4]
Axin 1 & Axin 2 Serve as scaffolding components for the β-catenin degradation complex. Acts as a tumour suppressor. LOF mutation Mutational inactivation of Axin 1 or Axin 2 inhibits the degradation of β-catenin, leading to the over-stabilisation and accumulation of β-catenin in the nucleus of the cell. (See β-catenin above).
Predisposition to colon cancer [79]
For a comprehensive list of human diseases associated with mutations of the Wnt signalling components, please refer to Table 1 in the following article: Wnt/β-catenin signaling: components, mechanisms, and diseases[65]
There is a large focus on finding more effective means of treating and preventing cancer. Current researchers are looking at inhibiting various components of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway to prevent the proliferation of cancer. Such treatments include:
Small molecule inhibitors can be used to block the interaction between β-catenin and TCF, thus preventing constitutive transcriptional activities that lead to the proliferation of cancer. [65]
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) function by interfering with β-catenin/TFC-dependent transcription, and have proven promising for the treatment and prevention of colorectal cancers. [65] Examples of NSAIDs include exisulind, sulindac and aspirin.[77] The success of NSAIDs was measured, indicating a "40-50% reduction in mortality due to CRC in indicidulas taking NSAIDs".[65] Furthermore, studies are being conducted into the use of NSAIDs to inhibit coclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) as an effective method of treatment and prevention of cancers. [65]
Frizzled-related proteins can be used as natural antagonists to manage the Wnt pathway.
A “recombinant adenovirus (Ad-CBR) that constitutively expresses the β-catenin binding domain of APC” [80] was developed, enabling APC to maintain its function of β-catenin degradation.
Monoclonal antibodies are being used against Wnt proteins by inducing apoptosis in cancer cells [80].
Lgr5 homologues associate with Wnt receptors and mediate R-spondin signalling[81]
De Lau et al (2011) demonstrated that the stem cell markers Lgr5 and Lgr4 are often co-expressed in Wnt-driven cellular proliferation, where they associate with the FRZ/LRP Wnt receptor complex. This is of particular importance as the deletion of both the Lgr5 and Lgr4 genes results in decreased proliferation of cells in Wnt-driven compartments (e.g. intestinal crypts in a mouse model), a result similar to the mechanism of the Wnt signalling pathway in its “OFF” state.
Dissecting Molecular Differences between Wnt Coreceptors LRP5 and LRP6[82]
The current understanding of the Wnt signalling pathway is that the LRP5/6 co-receptor plays a critical role in the transduction of signals concerning processes such as skeletal remodelling, osteoporosis pathogenesis and cancer formation. MacDonald et al (2011), expand on the canonical understanding of the pathway by differentiating between the LRP 5 and LRP6 co-receptors and the individual processes they are responsible for. By investigating the molecular basis for these differences, it has been demonstrated that the LRP6 coreceptor plays a predominant role in embryogenesis and also exhibits a stronger signalling activity in vivo than the LRP5 isotype.
Identification of a novel inhibitor of the canonical Wnt pathway[83]
Because of the vital role Wnt signalling plays in processes such as inflammation, angiogenesis and inflammation; the identification of a novel inhibitor of the pathway could provide a viable therapeutic intervention for diseases characterised by excessive activation of these processes. One such inhibitor showing promise is pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), which has been demonstrated to attenuate Wnt signalling induced by conditions such as retinal ischaemia. This is believed to be a result of a physical interaction between PEDF and the LRP6 co-receptor, which blocks initiation of the pathway by the Wnt ligand by preventing activation of the FRZ receptor.
Inhibition of GSK3 by Wnt signalling - two contrasting models[84]
We have discussed the role of GSK-3β in the phosphorylation of β-catenin and subsequent ubiquitylation and proteosomal degradation of the protein (“off” state), although the mechanism by which Wnt activation inhibits these events (“on state”) is unclear. This is an important step because by blocking the phosphorylation of β-catenin, the protein is able to accumulate in the cytoplasm and carry out its biological function by promoting the transcription of Wnt target genes. Metcalfe and Bienz (2011) investigated two models proposing contrasting mechanisms by which GSK-3β is inhibited by Wnt activation. The first model proposed that Wnt induces the phosphorylation of LRP6, which consequently inhibits the catalytic activity of GSK-3β, thereby preventing phosphorylation of β-catenin. The second model suggested that Wnt signalling induces the uptake of GSK-3β in vesicles called multivesicular bodies (MVBs), and therefore prevents any interaction between the enzyme and its substrate, β-catenin. The study also tested whether either of the models have any inclination to predominate in an acute vs. chronic setting of Wnt signalling.
Article links: Lgr5 homologues associate with Wnt receptors and mediate R-spondin signalling | Dissecting Molecular Differences between Wnt Coreceptors LRP5 and LRP6 | Identification of a Novel Inhibitor of the Canonical Wnt Pathway | Inhibition of GSK3 by Wnt signalling – two contrasting models
What is the mode of translocation of β-catenin into the nucleus upon dissociating with axin?[29]
Elucidate the mechanism for the hyperphosphorylation of ‘‘‘Dsh’’’ by Wnt/’‘‘Fz /LRP-5/6 binding concurrent to, but mutually exclusive from, axin destabilisation[45]
The biochemical events connecting the components of the canonical Wnt pathway
Production of purified Wnt proteins to assist with research
Production of effective Wnt antibodies
Structure of the Wnt1 protein
Complete understanding of the routing and the coincident posttranslational modifications of Wnt proteins in the secreting cell
The rules that dictate the movement of Wnt proteins between cells
The biochemistry of the activities of the destruction complex
Taken from Wnt signaling: a common theme in animal development[33] - the research outlined will be explored in the current literature
How do the ‘‘‘Fz’’’ receptors work?
What is ‘‘‘Dsh’’’ doing to transduce the signal?
What is the relationship between ‘‘‘APC’’’ and Wnt signaling?
How does Arm/β-catenin get into the nucleus?
List of Abbreviations Used
APC: adenomatous polyposis coli
CAMKII: Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II
CK-I: casein kinase I
CRD: cysteine rich domain
Dsh: Dishevelled
Fz: Frizzled
GSK-3β: glycogen synthase kinase-3β
HMG: high mobility group
LEF: lymphoid enhancer-binding factor
LRP: lipoprotein receptor–related protein
Nkd: naked cuticle
PKC: protein kinase C
SAMP: Ser-Ala-Met-Pro repeated amino acid segment
Stbm: strabismus
TCF: T cell factor
List of Terminology
Agenesis: the inability to form an organ during embryogenesis due to the lack of primordial tissues
Agonist: a molecule which binds to a receptor to produce a physiological response
Antagonist: a molecule which inhibits the physiological function of another substance
Apoptosis: programmed cell death
C-terminus: the end of the polypeptide chain which features a free carboxyl group (-COOH)
Canonical: standard and well accepted
Destruction motif: short sequences which provide stability of other proteins when deleted or mutated
Differentiation: the process by which cells become mature and specialised in structure and function
Disulfide bonds: a covalent bond between sulfur atoms
Gain of function mutation: mutation produces a protein which has an enhanced or abnormal function
Glycolipoprotein: a protein with attached lipid and carbohydrate groups
Homeotic gene: genes involved in embryonic development, specifically controlled the anterior-posterior axis
Histone deacetylation: the process by which histone deacetylase removes acetyl groups on the histones to increase affinity and condense DNA, thus preventing transcription
Homolog: gene which is related to another gene by common descent
Immunohistochemistry: detecting antigens on a tissue using labelled antibodies
Immunoprecipitation: the process of isolating a protein antigen using an antibody that binds to it to form an insoluble complex
Lethal mutation: a mutation which can result in the death of the organism
Ligand: a molecule which binds to another entity
Loss of function mutation: mutation produces a protein which has decreased or no function
Mnemonic: a tool which assists memory
Monoclonal antibody: an antibody engineered from a single clone of cells
Morphogenesis: the differentiation and growth of tissues and organs during embryo development
N-terminus: the start of the polypeptide chain which features a free amine group (-NH2)
Oncogene: genes which transform normal cells into cancerous cells
Pluripotency: the ability of stem cells to differentiate into ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm
PDZ domain: a common structural domain of 80-90 amino acids of signalling proteins, whose name is derived from the first three letters of the first three proteins to be discovered to share the domain: post synaptic density protein, Drosophila disc large tumor suppressor, zonula occludens-1 protein
Proteasome: a large intracellular particle which degrades proteins
Repressor: a protein which binds to the operator and prevents transcription
Self renewal: the capability to undergo numerous cell divisions and maintain undifferentiation
Sequester: to isolate or separate
Scaffolding protein: proteins which regulate signal transduction by organising and assembling signalling complexes
Tumour suppressor gene: produces proteins which control cell growth to prevent uncontrolled cell proliferation
Ubiquitylation: the process of adding ubiquitin
Hubrecht Institute: Wnt signaling and cancer
Children's Hospital Boston: Wnt signaling in development
University of Pennsylvania: Wnt in developmental biology
Stanford School of Medicine: Stem Cells, Wnt signaling and Tissue Repair
University of Nebraska: Convergence of Wnt and PKA signaling
Centre for Cancer Research: The Role of Wnts in Vertebrate Development and Cancer
↑ 1.0 1.1 <pubmed>17081971</pubmed>
↑ Sharma RP Wingless, a new mutant in D.melanogaster. Drosoph. Inf. Serv: 1973, 50;134
↑ 6.0 6.1 <pubmed>2225066</pubmed>
↑ 14.0 14.1 <pubmed>7708772</pubmed>
↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 <pubmed>11336703</pubmed>
↑ 32.0 32.1 <pubmed>17529994</pubmed>
↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 35.5 <pubmed>9312064</pubmed>
↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 36.4 <pubmed>12781368</pubmed>
↑ 60.0 60.1 60.2 <pubmed>9118222</pubmed>
↑ 65.0 65.1 65.2 65.3 65.4 65.5 65.6 65.7 <pubmed>19619488</pubmed>
Retrieved from "https://cellbiology.med.unsw.edu.au/cellbiology/index.php?title=2012_Group_5_Project&oldid=38201"
2012 Project 5
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In the June issue of Circuit Cellar, George Adamidis, a physicist and electronics engineer from Greece, shares his design for a 1.5-GHz frequency counter.
His design is based on an 8-bit microcontroller, but his modifications enable using the device as a 28-bit counter.
Here is a picture of the complete project.
“This design began as a Microchip Technology 8-bit PIC learning project. But it became more than that,” Adamidis says in his article. “Although I used an 8-bit PIC, I actually created a 28-bit counter.”
“The device measures signal frequencies from 0.1 Hz to 1.5 GHz and displays them on a 2 × 16 character LCD,” Adamidis continues. “It offers a frequency resolution up to 0.1 Hz for frequencies in the 0.1-Hz-to-100-MHz range and up to 4 Hz for 100-MHz-to-1.5-GHz frequencies. (The display resolution generally differs from the measurement accuracy.) Minimum and maximum hold functions, selection of frequency units, and gate time adjustment are also supported. “
Adamidis says it is “remarkable” that his frequency counter is actually a 28-bit counter.
“It uses a Microchip Technology PIC18F2620 microcontroller, which has only 16-bit internal counters. I used the PIC18F2620’s internal 16-bit Timer0 module (configured as a 16-bit counter), an additional 4-bit NXP Semiconductors 74F161 binary counter, and the PIC18F2620’s internal prescaler (in 1:256 prescale mode) in series to achieve a total of 28 bits.”
This is the 1.5-GHz frequency counter’s block diagram.
To read more about the theory of operation, hardware, and software behind Adamidis’s design, check out this month’s issue of Circuit Cellar.
Circuit Cellar frequency counter George Adamidis PIC microcontroller
The Future of IoT Benchmarks
CC Blog • Projects • Research & Design Hub
Variable Frequency Drive (Part 2)
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Parameterized Complexity
by Rod G. Downey, Michael R. Fellows, Rolf Niedermeier, Peter Rossmanith, Rod G. Downey (wellington, New Zeal, Michael R. Fellows (newcastle, Rolf Niedermeier (tubingen, Peter Rossmanith (tu Munchen , 1998
"... the rapidly developing systematic connections between FPT and useful heuristic algorithms | a new and exciting bridge between the theory of computing and computing in practice. The organizers of the seminar strongly believe that knowledge of parameterized complexity techniques and results belongs ..."
the rapidly developing systematic connections between FPT and useful heuristic algorithms | a new and exciting bridge between the theory of computing and computing in practice. The organizers of the seminar strongly believe that knowledge of parameterized complexity techniques and results belongs
KLEE: Unassisted and Automatic Generation of High-Coverage Tests for Complex Systems Programs
by Cristian Cadar, Daniel Dunbar, Dawson Engler
"... We present a new symbolic execution tool, KLEE, capable of automatically generating tests that achieve high coverage on a diverse set of complex and environmentally-intensive programs. We used KLEE to thoroughly check all 89 stand-alone programs in the GNU COREUTILS utility suite, which form the cor ..."
We present a new symbolic execution tool, KLEE, capable of automatically generating tests that achieve high coverage on a diverse set of complex and environmentally-intensive programs. We used KLEE to thoroughly check all 89 stand-alone programs in the GNU COREUTILS utility suite, which form
Statistical mechanics of complex networks
by Réka Albert, Albert-lászló Barabási - Rev. Mod. Phys
"... Complex networks describe a wide range of systems in nature and society, much quoted examples including the cell, a network of chemicals linked by chemical reactions, or the Internet, a network of routers and computers connected by physical links. While traditionally these systems were modeled as ra ..."
Complex networks describe a wide range of systems in nature and society, much quoted examples including the cell, a network of chemicals linked by chemical reactions, or the Internet, a network of routers and computers connected by physical links. While traditionally these systems were modeled
Error and attack tolerance of complex networks
by Réka Albert, Hawoong Jeong, Albert-László Barabási , 2000
"... Many complex systems display a surprising degree of tolerance against errors. For example, relatively simple organisms grow, persist and reproduce despite drastic pharmaceutical or environmental interventions, an error tolerance attributed to the robustness of the underlying metabolic network [1]. C ..."
Many complex systems display a surprising degree of tolerance against errors. For example, relatively simple organisms grow, persist and reproduce despite drastic pharmaceutical or environmental interventions, an error tolerance attributed to the robustness of the underlying metabolic network [1
The space complexity of approximating the frequency moments
by Noga Alon, Yossi Matias, Mario Szegedy - JOURNAL OF COMPUTER AND SYSTEM SCIENCES , 1996
"... The frequency moments of a sequence containing mi elements of type i, for 1 ≤ i ≤ n, are the numbers Fk = �n i=1 mki. We consider the space complexity of randomized algorithms that approximate the numbers Fk, when the elements of the sequence are given one by one and cannot be stored. Surprisingly, ..."
The frequency moments of a sequence containing mi elements of type i, for 1 ≤ i ≤ n, are the numbers Fk = �n i=1 mki. We consider the space complexity of randomized algorithms that approximate the numbers Fk, when the elements of the sequence are given one by one and cannot be stored. Surprisingly
Statecharts: A Visual Formalism For Complex Systems
by David Harel , 1987
"... We present a broad extension of the conventional formalism of state machines and state diagrams, that is relevant to the specification and design of complex discrete-event systems, such as multi-computer real-time systems, communication protocols and digital control units. Our diagrams, which we cal ..."
We present a broad extension of the conventional formalism of state machines and state diagrams, that is relevant to the specification and design of complex discrete-event systems, such as multi-computer real-time systems, communication protocols and digital control units. Our diagrams, which we
Reality Mining: Sensing Complex Social Systems
by Nathan Eagle, Alex Pentland - J. OF PERSONAL AND UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING , 2005
"... We introduce a system for sensing complex social systems with data collected from one hundred mobile phones over the course of six months. We demonstrate the ability to use standard Bluetooth-enabled mobile telephones to measure information access and use in different contexts, recognize social patt ..."
We introduce a system for sensing complex social systems with data collected from one hundred mobile phones over the course of six months. We demonstrate the ability to use standard Bluetooth-enabled mobile telephones to measure information access and use in different contexts, recognize social
Coupled hidden Markov models for complex action recognition
by Matthew Brand, Nuria Oliver, Alex Pentland , 1996
"... We present algorithms for coupling and training hidden Markov models (HMMs) to model interacting processes, and demonstrate their superiority to conventional HMMs in a vision task classifying two-handed actions. HMMs are perhaps the most successful framework in perceptual computing for modeling and ..."
We present algorithms for coupling and training hidden Markov models (HMMs) to model interacting processes, and demonstrate their superiority to conventional HMMs in a vision task classifying two-handed actions. HMMs are perhaps the most successful framework in perceptual computing for modeling and classifying dynamic behaviors, popular because they offer dynamic time warping, a training algorithm, and a clear Bayesian semantics. However, the Markovian framework makes strong restrictive assumptions about the system generating the signal---that it is a single process having a small number of states and an extremely limited state memory. The single-process model is often inappropriate for vision (and speech) applications, resulting in low ceilings on model performance. Coupled HMMs provide an efficient way to resolve many of these problems, and offer superior training speeds, model likelihoods, and robustness to initial conditions. 1. Introduction Computer vision is turning to problems...
High performance scalable image compression with EBCOT
by David Taubman - IEEE Trans. Image Processing , 2000
"... A new image compression algorithm is proposed, based on independent Embedded Block Coding with Optimized Truncation of the embedded bit-streams (EBCOT). The algorithm exhibits state-of-the-art compression performance while producing a bit-stream with a rich feature set, including resolution and SNR ..."
scalability together with a random access property. The algorithm has modest complexity and is extremely well suited to applications involving remote browsing of large compressed images. The algorithm lends itself to explicit optimization with respect to MSE as well as more realistic psychovisua1 metrics
This paper proposes a new theory of the relationship between the sentence processing mechanism and the available computational resources. This theory -- the Syntactic Prediction Locality Theory (SPLT) -- has two components: an integration cost component and a component for the memory cost associated with keeping track of obligatory syntactic requirements. Memory cost is
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Playwright Festival
Contact Us & Hours
Become a Director
Become a Crew Member
CTI Charter
CTI By-Laws
CTI Policies and Procedures
Playwriting Workshop
City Theatre of Independence will host this event which is open to all.
Truman Memorial Building
416 W. Maple Ave, Independence MO
Exit Laughing author Paul Elliott will lead a writing workshop in conjunction with CTI’s performance of his show
The 2-hour workshop will be on Saturday, January 11
Price per participant is $35
There will be two segments to the workshop:
Beginning a Script. What does it take to be a good writer? How do you know if you have a good script? Who are you writing for? (who is your audience?)
Two or three pages of a script from workshop attendees (limited number of participants) will have a staged reading followed by critical conversation.
PAUL ELLIOTT (workshop leader/playwright) is an actor, director, and respected television and screenwriter who has written, produced, and/or directed over sixty television shows. In addition, he has written, produced, and/or directed more than fifty theatrical plays, including live entertainment spectaculars for theme parks around the world. Paul has gained a reputation as the “Go-To” man for extravagant multi-million dollar press launches and corporate productions for such industry leaders as Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, MCA/Universal, Disney, United Airlines, and many others. But writing for the stage has always been his first love, and his plays are produced all around the world. These include: “Legacy and Perspective” (published by Samuel French); “Ledge, Ledger and the Legend;” “Mind Games;” and “The Door” (published by Dramatic Publishing). Paul has won the AACTFEST National Play competition twice, and City Theatre of Independence is producing one of his winning scripts, “Exit Laughing” concurrently with the workshop. His first novel, THE RIVERTON PROJECT, is slated to become a major television series.
Saturday, January 11, 2020 @ 3:00 pm
3:00 pm — 5:00 pm (2h)
© Copyright 2020 City Theatre of Independence. All Rights Reserved.
Site Managed by Matchstick Websites
information@citytheatreofindependence.org
201 N. Dodgion, Independence, MO 64050
(inside the Roger T. Sermon Center)
Ticket Reservation Line
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Cats, Elderly People Reign Over Ex-Cult’s ‘Nightmare Zone’
Courtesy of Panache Booking
For those of you foolish enough to doubt the badassery inherent in the domestic shorthair or the elderly human, Ex-Cult are here to set you straight. The band's new lo-fi video for "Nightmare Zone," off this year's album Negative Growth, stars those two species, captured in their natural environment — peering in creepily through glass windows and chilling out at the neighborhood bar, respectively. But seriously, those cats are C-U-T-E! Watch below.
Frontman Chris Shaw chimed in on the new video as such:
“Nightmare Zone” contemplates a fictional encounter with a barfly after a night out at my favorite bar in Memphis. While the rest of our hometown crumbles, Tina thrives in the glow of the Golden Tee golf game. The Miata might be totaled, but the white rabbit rides at dawn.
Back in September, the band released a new song, "Let You In."
Ex-Cult's Negative Growth LP is out now via In the Red.
Filed Under: Ex Cult
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myBRIDGE
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Festive Wreath Making: Holiday Edition
This event date has passed.
Tue. Dec 10th, 2019
1800 Rossville Avenue, Suite 108
Chattanooga, TN (Map)
Website • Get Tickets
In this class, you will learn how to create an all-natural, whimsical wreath through a demonstration followed by hands-on instruction.
Each student will be give a wreath base made by Southerly Flower Farm with vines from the farm, as well as a selection of dried materials and everlasting flowers foraged and grown locally. Students will be able to take home what they have created to display for the holidays.
Supplies: All supplies included to make a one-of-a-kind wreath. Extra flowers and additions will be available for purchase for those who want to go above and beyond.
About the teachers:
Southerly Flower Farm is owned and operated by husband and wife team, Matthew and Sarah Ervin. They are committed to growing flowers in a sustainable way, while being stewards of the land they operate. Southerly provides flowers for local markets, a CSA each year, and florists in the Chattanooga area. They also do floral design for weddings and events with the goal to utilize their own flowers and remain seasonal. It is their mission to inspire and create through community, passion, and craft.
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Home CP News CP Culture & Entertainment The Teenage Psychic is back with Yao Yao’s psychic eyes
CP Culture & Entertainment
CP News
The Teenage Psychic is back with Yao Yao’s psychic eyes
TAIPEI (The China Post) — The second season of the hit Taiwanese show The Teenage Psychic is back with Wen Chen-ling as Zhan Xiao-Tong, a newcomer who has attracted her classmates’ attention after magically guessing all the right answers for a mock test. In a sneak peek of the trailer, Xiao Zhen reacts to Xiao Tong, shouting “Who told you to mess things up?! Don’t you know this can get others killed?!”.
Season 2 of The Teenage Psychic will air in October.
More burdens fall on 17-year-old Xiao Zhen in this next season. Despite her growing psychic abilities, and forever leaving behind what occurred in the first season, this teenage girl still has a lot to deal with, asking herself, “If I could start over, would I make the same choices?”, “If I didn’t have these powers, none of this would be happening.”
Xiao Zhen’s responsibilities grow heavier in season 2.
As Xiao Zhen continues to walk between the world of the dead and the living, lead actress Yao Yao explains how she approached her role in when filming season 2: “Normally, I would look at the script and try to imagine how the character would speak through my own voice, but in this next season, the director coached me how to play a ghost. He then gave me voice recordings of himself playing as a ghost, and it really sank in! His recordings were so real that I finally understood what ‘ghost-talk’ actually sounds like.”
Xiao Zhen still walks between two worlds of both the living and the dead.
The Teenage Psychic tells the story of a high school girl (played by Yao Yao) with psychic powers who balances her life between student by day, and temple medium by night. Having dealt with the faithfuls’ many issues both big and small, her young eyes have already seen so much of the human condition, when all she wants is a normal teenage life. Starting right where season one left off, Xiao Zhen deals with the sudden departure of her best friend, while also balancing her new responsibilities as captain of the theater club and coping with the “needs” at the temple.
The obstacles faced by 17-year-old Xiao Zhen are still more difficult than before.
The second season contains eight episodes, with the first two being released on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 9 p.m. Afterwards, one new episode will show at the same time once a week. In Taiwan, the show can be watched on HBO and HBO HD channels, as well as on the PTS channel.
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楊 子萱
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The Best Albums of 2015 (So Far!)
Bradley Stern
Interscope / Atlantic / Island
So, it's June now. (In a few more days, anyway.) That's insane, right? We were only just watching deliriously happy strangers exchange messy, frigid kisses in the middle of Times Square mere weeks ago, weren't we? Time: It goes by!
The year-end retrospective list has become music journalism tradition come every December (or late November for some of the increasingly trigger-happy publications out there), but we thought we'd take a midyear breather to take a look back and appreciate all of the goods we've been given this year so far, from January to June.
From Madonna to Snoop Dogg to Marina And The Diamonds to Fall Out Boy, these are the albums that got us through the (seemingly endless) final throes of winter, cured our springtime blues and began heating up our summer playlists for the year.
Didn't see an album you loved on our list? Let us know in the comments!
Fifth Harmony, 'Reflection'
Following a glorious heyday of girl group mania throughout the early '00s, from Girls Aloud to the Sugababes to The Pussycat Dolls and Danity Kane, a severe drought has formed in the world of sweet harmonies and synchronized hair flips — especially within American pop. Until now, anyway.
Fifth Harmony is the next great girl group hope, built for the #selfie generation. Not only are they capable vocalists, but they're in tune with what's #trending — an essential to survive as a Top 40 pop act today: Hook-filled bops like "Reflection" and "Them Girls Be Like" are full of #NoFilter Instagram and Twitter references to please the teens. And with each single from their long-delayed debut LP, they continue to move up the ranks, from their finger-wagging, sass-filled Michelle Obama ode "Bo$$," which plays like an unreleased Burlesque jam (a compliment in my book) to the pristine power pop of "Sledgehammer" to the horn-heavy "Worth It (which has since become their first Top 20 hit!), the capable troupe continues to prove why they're leading the American girl group revival...and they've only just begun. — Bradley Stern
Kelly Clarkson, 'Piece By Piece'
If Kelly Clarkson is pop music’s vocal superhero, she’s decided to spend the year as Clark Kent and, at least for now, plainclothes suit her just fine.
The Grammy Award winner’s seventh studio album, which was released in February in the wake of the Greg Kurstin-produced “Heartbeat Song,” considers a world in which the opera-trained powerhouse doesn’t have to shout from the rooftop just because she can. Sure, Piece By Piece’s “Run Run Run,” which features John Legend, and “I Had a Dream,” a 2015 take-back-your-power-ladies manifesto, find Clarkson flirting with her preferred upper-register, but the album’s real magic is (surprisingly) rooted in what’s most subdued: “Piece By Piece,” “Someone” and bonus track “Into the Blue,” all manage to cut through steel without sending the neighborhood’s dogs into a tailspin.
Piece By Piece, the bulk of which the Grammy Award-winner recorded while pregnant, is precisely what new mom Clarkson hoped it would be: a largely midtempo soundtrack to a film that’s nearing its happy ending. No, it’s not as radio-ready as Breakaway and doesn’t pack Stronger’s walloping punch, but it wasn’t designed to. The album amounts to a vocal titan decidedly showing some restraint; instead of defaulting to her trademark howling at the moon, she’s proven how pleasing it can be when she curls up and purrs, instead. — Matthew Donnelly
Big Data, '2.0'
Big Data is actually one normal-sized man — producer Alan Wilkis — but he performs with a larger band live, and his debut full-length is packed with guests. A feature-heavy album can often be a gimmicky attention grab, or a way to distract from otherwise thin material. Yet 2.0 enlists each artist as a veritable band member, maximizing the assets they bring to the table.
Album standout “Dangerous” hit No. 1 on the Billboard US Alternative chart as a digital single last year, and its sexy-meets-scary feel is largely responsible for its success. 2.0’s songs share a cohesive, twitchy electro sound that reflects Wilkis’ evident preoccupation with the technology-ridden Patriot Act world we’re living in.
That fixation presents itself in everything from the broken HTML code-inspired cover art to lyrics such as those in “The Glow” featuring Kimbra: “Ain't nobody gotta know / Everybody's in the glow.” But 2.0’s vocals save it from being as cold as a pile of USB cables: Jamie Lidell warms “Clean” up with his blue-eyed soul wails, and Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner infuses “Automatic” with romance. This is an “album” in the pre-streaming era sense, worthy of repeat listens. — Samantha Vincenty
Fall Out Boy, 'American Beauty/American Psycho'
Before there was Sam Smith, there was Patrick Stump: white boy soul operating within a different genre...or maybe just a different subset of sad.
Fall Out Boy have never been considered much of a respectable band, and it’s a title they’ve embraced over the years, often pandering to the misfits of suburbia in a way that their pop-punk counterparts did not. But while bands like Taking Back Sunday have long since faded from the general public’s memory, preferring to settle somewhere comfortably in the niche of those remaining uber-fans unwilling to let the past stay dead, Fall Out Boy have embraced change, challenged themselves and evolved. They’re intent on making guitar music cool again...despite being patently uncool themselves.
And sure, they’re decidedly more pop than punk at this point, but they know what works for them. Their sixth studio album, the genre-spanning American Beauty/American Psycho demonstrates perfectly that which they do best: turn a Motley Crue sample into an unabashed pop song, draw guitar riffs from '70s glam rock, while keeping things totally ‘80s pop, reference Uma Thurman a la Pulp Fiction in a way that only just works. (No Fall Out Boy album would be complete without an over-saturation of pop culture references, after all.)
There’s a newfound confidence in Stump’s singing, not to mention some solid enunciation on his end. Not only can he manipulate his vocals to suit the different genres the band sets out to conquer here — raging from heavy rock to electro-pop to R&B — but he takes on Wentz’s signature melodramatic lyrics (“And I love the way you hurt me”) with a fervor we haven’t quite heard before. These songs are stadium-rock anthems, no doubt, but they’re nuanced and layered enough to warrant a closer listen. We kind of believe Stump when sings “We’ll go down in history / Remember me for centuries"...no matter how self-aware and ironic he means it to come across. — Ali Szubiak
Snoop Dogg, 'Bush'
Calvin Broadus, Jr. is nothing if not prolific, and he released two albums just two years ago: The largely unnecessary Reincarnated under his reggae moniker Snoop Lion, and the strong, George Clinton-inspired 7 Days of Funk collaboration with Dâm-Funk. How a man who rivals Willie Nelson for the honor of “world’s most famous stoner” gets so much done is a puzzle, yet Snoop's returned with his 13th studio album just in time for summer — and it's terrific.
Produced by Pharrell, with help from his Neptunes counterpart Chad Hugo, Bush is as smooth as a vintage Pontiac drop-top on a freshly paved piece of Pacific Coast Highway.
Album opener “California Roll” begins with a stuttering clap that’s part Chicago juke and part blatantly ripped from Big Sean’s “Dance (A$$)”, before melting into a sunny ode to Los Angeles featuring Pharrell and the one and only Stevie Wonder. “R U A Freak” and “So Many Pros” harken back to his 7 Days album and the synths of 2008’s “Sensual Seduction,” and Kendrick Lamar and Rick Ross add hip-hop bona fides to “I’m Ya Dogg.” Sure, the overly sexual lyrics get unapologetically goofy and there’s nothing revolutionary here, but when it works it works. Bush will take you from the party to the roller rink, and then to the dispensary where you buy all your weed lollipops — and if you don’t have any, you’re gonna want one by the end of track 10. — Samantha Vincenty
Brandon Flowers, 'The Desired Effect'
Fans of The Killers who’ve grown accustomed to the arena rock band’s big, billowy hooks and stadium-ready stylings: the dressed-down Brandon Flowers has kindly invited you to take a sharp left turn.
The 33-year-old vocalist, who first went solo in 2010 with Flamingo, has taken the best of ‘80s nightclubs, added a touch of and funk and, with the help of producer Ariel Rechtshaid, whipped up what he’s deservedly deemed The Desired Effect. And as soon as the album’s third track, “I Can Change,” Flowers speaks directly to the art of shifting gears.
“I can bend, I can break / I can shift, I can shape / Blaze a trail through the driving rain / Girl, I can change,” he urgently pleads across a piano-and-synth dreamscape that could find its way into the best of The Eurythmics. And joined with “Still Want You,” a single that boasts a bit of retro-soul and the thrilling “Can’t Deny My Love,” which includes production worthy of any Rocky Balboa training montage, The Desired Effect will transport you to a crowded line outside The Roxy, where you’ll be happy to spend the night.
Mr. Brightside may have moved across town, but the neighborhood’s replacement tenant will throw parties the cul-de-sac has yet to see. Get to know him. — Matthew Donnelly
Madonna, 'Rebel Heart'
Perhaps you saw her tonguing Drake down on stage at Coachella. Or, maybe you saw her straddle a table at the TIDAL livestream announcement. You might have even caught her take the lyrics of "Living For Love" to a horrifying literal sense as she flung backwards atop a staircase at the 2015 BRIT Awards. In any case, Madonna has made this year her bitch — in tumble and triumph.
Rebel Heart is Madonna's 13th studio album, which is appropriate, as it is undoubtedly her most unlucky record to date: The album hit the Internet months ahead of schedule in unfinished form. But Israeli leakers and controversial Instagram #RebelHeart promo be damned: Rebel Heart remains her best record in over a decade.
The album is an eclectic and euphoric mixture of earnest dance floor anthems ("Living For Love"), refreshing vulnerability ("Joan Of Arc") and noisy #UnapologeticBitch Diplo bangers best suited for the hashtag-happy Queen Of Pop who refuses to sit down. And for every potential grimace-inducing moment (watch out for that golden shower reference in "S.E.X."!), there's a pure and earnest melody ("Rebel Heart") that reminds us of her ability to deliver true pop greatness.
Amid sexist and agist backlash aplenty in the media, Madge continues to challenge the notion of "acting her age" and push the boundaries of what a woman, a mother and — not least of all! — the Queen Of Pop could and should be. We're lucky to have her...no matter how messy her Instagram account may be. — Bradley Stern
Marina And The Diamonds, 'FROOT'
Anyone who truly believes pop music can’t be elevated past the point of dense, bubblegum garbage fitting only as background noise in between swipes of mascara has never heard a record by Marina And The Diamonds.
With her bizarre, operatic vocals and quirky lyrics, Marina emerged in 2010 as an indie-pop artist with her slightly disjointed-but-respectable first album, The Family Jewels. She went weirder with Electra Heart, establishing a darker sound, a solid fanbase and a gimmicky persona. But it’s her latest album, Froot, that sees her at her most sonically consistent. And it makes sense: she ditched the Electra Heart veil and went more — and more vulnerable. She’s finally found herself, certainly as an artist, and maybe even as a person navigating the world through all its intricacies...and all its bullshit.
The songs certainly showcase her evolution: Her decision to ditch the glossy pop that made her slightly more marketable with Electra Heart was a bold one. There is, truthfully, no radio-friendly mega-hit on Froot. It’s a move that reeks of the kind of self-assuredness that was missing from her earlier works. (And, to be fair, she deserves it.) Perhaps the most impressive thing about Froot is just how far removed it is from the current pop landscape. It has elements of synth-pop without being overtly '80s, but that’s a lazy comparison, as Froot manages to remain firmly rooted in the present. Dreamy, morbid and celebratory, the album is the kind of oxymoron that wouldn’t really work for any other artist: It is decidedly Marina. — Ali Szubiak
Source: The Best Albums of 2015 (So Far!)
Filed Under: Fall Out Boy, Kelly Clarkson, Madonna, Snoop Dogg
Categories: Lists, Music News
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Nags Head, NC (27959)
A few passing clouds. Low 37F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..
A few passing clouds. Low 37F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
In this Aug. 22, 2017, file photo, police surround the "Silent Sam" Confederate monument during a protest to remove the statue at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Gerry Broome
UNC student newspaper files lawsuit over deal to remove Confederate statue
Jan 9, 2020 Updated 1 min ago
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors violated the state’s open meetings laws by secretly negotiating and approving a deal to dispose of a Confederate monument from the campus of the system’s flagship school, according to a lawsuit filed by a student newspaper.
DTH Media Corp., which publishes The Daily Tar Heel student newspaper on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus, wants a court to void two agreements between the Board of Governors and the state chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, news outlets reported on Wednesday.
"The manner in which the meeting was noticed and conducted effectively prevented any member of the public, including those who may have attended the meeting, from understanding its purpose or outcome, much less raising questions or objections," the DTH lawsuit said.
The deal has been denounced by students and faculty members as paying money to support white nationalism. UNC-Chapel Hill lost a $1.5 million research grant because of it.
"The University will review the claims and respond in court," UNC System spokesman Josh Ellis said when asked for comment, according to The News & Observer. "The University is committed to the spirit and purpose of the Open Meetings Act and UNC Board of Governors meetings are conducted in full accordance with all state laws."
Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour said last month that he is reconsidering his approval of the deal. Baddour approved an agreement on Nov. 27 in which the SCV agreed to take ownership of the "Silent Sam" statue and build a center to preserve it. The statue stood for more than a century on the Chapel Hill campus before protesters took it down in August 2018. The university agreed to put $2.5 million into a trust to help defray the costs of the new center.
In addition, UNC-Chapel Hill paid the SCV about $75,000 not to display Confederate flags or similar banners on any UNC system campus during any meetings or demonstrations for five years.
The deal was approved behind closed doors by the Board of Governors' Committee on University Governance, which met via conference call the day before Thanksgiving without any notice. Twenty-two of the 24 board members were on the conference call, and at least one person on the eight-member committee opposed the deal.
When the committee returned to open session, it adjourned without public acknowledgment of the settlement, saying only that there would be a news release later in the day.
About 45 minutes after the board adjourned, the SCV filed a lawsuit against UNC over "Silent Sam," and Baddour approved a consent agreement between the two sides within five minutes.
"The contents of the (SCV lawsuit and consent agreement) and the timing of their respective filings indicate that they were negotiated and drafted well in advance of their approval," the DTH lawsuit says.
The lawsuit notes that no records of any meeting by the Board of Governors members who negotiated the deal have been produced, even though meeting notices and minutes are required of the group as a public body under state law.
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Malik Henry Jay Norvell Rocky Long Kyahva Tezino Carson Strong Ryan Agnew Juwan Washington Cristian Solano Sports College sports College football Football
San Diego State Mountain West UNLV Nevada
No. 24 San Diego St. puts winning streak on line vs Nevada
By The Associated Press - Nov. 07, 2019 04:16 PM EST
Nevada quarterback Carson Strong (12 ) rolls out against New Mexico second half of an NCAA college football game in Reno, Nev., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019. (AP Photo/Tom R. Smedes)
Nevada (5-4, 2-3 MWC) at No. 24 San Diego State (7-1, 4-1), Saturday at 10:30 p.m. EST (ESPN2).
Line: San Diego State by 17.
Series record: SDSU leads 7-4.
Playing for the first time since jumping into the AP Top 25 two weeks ago, SDSU has won four straight and is in the driver's seat for the MWC West Division title and a berth in the conference championship game. It is also in the middle of a four-game stretch against conference teams it lost to last year. Nevada has lost three of five games as it struggles to find consistency at quarterback.
SDSU's offense has struggled to score this year but it gets a break by facing Nevada's defense, which has allowed 34.6 points and 413.3 yards per game. QB Ryan Agnew improved to 13-2 as the starter and has thrown for 10 touchdowns this year, including one in a 20-17 win at UNLV two weeks ago. RB Juwan Washington rushed for a season-high 89 yards against UNLV and had an off week to rest his injured right ankle.
Nevada: Freshman QB Carson Strong is expected to make his third straight start and seventh overall at a position where there's been upheaval. He started the first three games before coach Jay Norvell tried Malik Henry and Cristian Solano before going back to Strong, who has thrown for 1,281 yards and five touchdowns, with six interceptions, including 305 yards and two TDs in a 21-10 win against New Mexico last Saturday.
San Diego State: Senior LB Kyahva Tezino has been a force on SDSU's stingy defense during the four-game winning streak, with 39 tackles, three tackles for losses and seven quarterback hurries.
SDSU is bowl eligible for the ninth straight season under coach Rocky Long and the 10th straight season overall. ... This is the second time in 42 seasons that SDSU opened 7-1. ... SDSU has won five straight at home against Nevada. ... The Wolf Pack upset SDSU 28-24 last year. ... Nevada has lost three of four on the road this year.
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Tag Archives: Astartes
Wake Up Dead
Here we go with Part 3 of this little foray into the archives of my Space Marine collection. Something new next time I promise!
Anyway, (somewhat inspired by all the undead activity going on at the moment thanks to the return of Nagash to Warhammer) this time it’s the turn of the Legion of the Damned. I’m something of a fan of 40K’s most mysterious Space Marines (that’s right, even more than the Dark Angels). Who doesn’t love ghostly warriors returning to fight alongside their brothers once more, then vanishing like smoke when the battle is done? Of course the true nature of the Legion of the Damned is anyone’s guess (my suggestion is the ghosts of warriors from the Great Crusade/Heresy era – after all they’re not called the Chapter of the Damned now are they? Maybe even the spirits of those warriors betrayed to their deaths in the Isstvan system). Wherever they come from it got me thinking about how my Hawkmoths chapter, desperately short of allies, might find their numbers bolstered by the spirits of the battle brothers Kell and his traitors slaughtered, returning in search of vengeance.
Here’s the sergeant in charge of the squad.
To many it seems that these ghostly warriors share a connection to Librarian Numitor, often manifesting in battles where he is present and lingering around him as they are drawn back into the shadows. Some suggest that the enigmatic librarian has found some way to tap into the psychic need of his chapter to enact revenge, and by this means has allowed his dead brothers to resume their physical form, albeit only temporarily. Yet if this is true then the tainted dead crave vengeance even more so than their living comrades and hunger restlessly in the Immaterium, begging, commanding and cajoling by turns, scratching constantly at the psychic barriers the Librarian has erected between his mind and the Warp.
Here’s a ‘rear view’ of the models showing the spinal forms growing through their powerarmour.
Long term I have a pipe dream of making a whole army of undead Space Marines, complete with some kind of Vampire Lord as a Chaptermaster, ghostly Librarians projecting their spirits from the Warp, and only the Dreadnaughts “alive”, still guiding their chapter from beyond the grave (although this ambition may have to wait until I’m old, decadent and rich). Additionally, although regular readers of the blog will know I rather enjoy painting Plague Marines it was a nice change of pace to try some zombie Space Marines without the influence of Papa Nurgle.
Another idea, linked to the above, came to me when I read the piece in the Legion of the Damned Codex describing the belief held by Inquisitor Quixos that the Legion were the Emperor’s will taking form on the physical plane, in exactly the same way as the daemons of chaos are the manifest will of their patron god. The piece suggested that just as, for example, Khorne’s servants range from bloodletters through to mighty bloodthristers, so there might be larger and more powerful entities in the Emperor’s pantheon of servants waiting to be discovered. I don’t know if I’ll try it but I thought this could be a rather fun project to pursue, perhaps creating a small strike force of Grey Knights to represent these Engels Mortis.
So what do you think? Are they the Emperor’s will made manifest or should I be burned for allowing noble warriors to consort with these dark spirits? Make your feelings known in the comments box below!
3 Comments | tags: 40k, Astartes, backstory, Conversions, Converting, Game, Games Workshop, Hobby, Imperium, Legion of the Damned, Miniatures, Painting, Space marine, Undead, Warhammer 40 000, Warhammer 40000, Warhammer 40k | posted in Space Marines
War is My Shepherd
Following the Librarian in the last post here’s another Space Marine ‘from the archives’; Chaplain Germanus. This project came at roughly the peak of my sculpting endeavours. After this, perhaps emboldened by these successes, I tried increasingly adventurous projects, over-reached myself, and retreated. For a while I instead chose the somewhat cowardly get-out that I was good at kitbashing but couldn’t sculpt. Obviously this is grossly unfair – my first efforts at painting were sloppy and my early kitbashes were regularly awkward and odd looking so it was hardly surprising that my initial attempts at working with greenstuff often turned out a little rough around the edges. Anyway, I’m trying to get back into using greenstuff a little more now so this seemed like a good moment to show this model, especially as it remains one that I’m rather proud of.
Rather than re-invent the wheel I’ll not try to explain how I made the skull helm, instead I’ll point you at the tutorial I followed over at the much missed From the Warp. For those of you not familiar with From the Warp (where have you been?!) it was an extremely useful and inspiring blog, full to bursting with helpful tutorials. Personally I most enjoyed the way in which complicated tutorials like the skull helm were presented as straightforward and achievable so that even a beginner like myself could look at them and think “I could do that”. Sadly From the Warp hasn’t been updated in some time but it’s still well worth a trawl through the archives.
I made the long oath scrolls from paper (thick paper or card works best for this, nothing too glossy or thin). Add a dab of superglue and let the paper wick it up, once it dries the paper will become stiff. Then just glue it in place and add a blob of greenstuff to make the wax seal.
Here’s a couple of work-in-progress images showing how the model developed. I don’t often show these, not because I don’t like them – I think they’re great and often really useful – but because I tend to get wired straight into painting and then realise part way through (usually before the highlights and details start to go on when the model looks unsavably awful) that I forgot to take any pictures.
Finally here’s a few other things I’ve worked on recently for the Hawkmoths. The Watcher in the Dark may be a real Dark Angel’s staple (and given their background it’s hard to say why one would be associated with the Hawkmoths) but they’re just too cool not to paint one. Perhaps it’s something to do with Cypher…
2 Comments | tags: 40k, Astartes, Chaplain, Conversions, Converting, Game, Games Workshop, Hobby, Imperium, Miniatures, Painting, Space marine, Warhammer 40 000, Warhammer 40000, Warhammer 40k | posted in Space Marines
Tyrant of Nightmares
A storm comes, like the keening of the wind in the Immaterium, rattling the windows of the Imperium, prying fingers testing around every loose door or latch. The Warp is full of ghosts, the lonely cries of the dying, helpless, unanswered calls for aid. Vox channels once deemed secure are suddenly invaded, secrets spilling like blood. Ships fall burning in the void. From sump to spire, workers in every hive riot in terror, fouling the engines of their masters with their own bodies. Contagious madness spreads like fire. None are immune. Planetary governors fire upon their own men. Servitors, suddenly cognisant, turn their once vacant minds to treachery. Primitives on feral worlds acquire devastating knowledge, arcane secrets hidden since Old Night divined by haruspices from the guts of their goats. Cogitators stutter with gusty laughter, the machine spirits within them howling like beasts. Across the sector all astropaths together begin the chant the same refrain. “Kell, Kell, Kell is upon us. The Lord of the Coming Night is here”.
Brutal tyrant. Peerless general. Visionary. Madman. Traitor. Following on from my last post which mostly focussed on Chapter Master Calgacus here’s the other side of the coin, Kallamoon Kell – Lord of Chaos and Master of the Beasts of Ruin. Unlike Calgacus, where the design of the model fed directly into his background and inspired many of my ideas about his chapter, Kell was already well established in my imagination long before I began gathering together the components needed to build him. By that time I had already built a sizeable collection of Chaos Space Marines, and their Daemonic allies, so with Kell the challenge was creating a model that suitably lived up to the legend and would stand out as the leader without looking impractically over the top.
In building Kell I used, by my count, pieces from at least fifteen different kits. The majority of these were from the Chaos range (both 40k and Warhammer) but various loyalist and xenos bits have snuck in there as well.
Unlike many other chaos lords he has not dedicated himself to any one god, nor does he flit anxiously from one to another. Rather he courts the favour of all four, building his empire and burning world after world in their names. He knows that to attempt to play the Chaos Gods against one another is to take a terrible risk for they are unlikely to be amused by what they must perceive as a pawn trying his hand at the Great Game. For now however he remains too valuable and too successful to idly quash. So long as he continues to wreak significant havoc in their names he retains their grudging favour but should he slip they will turn on him, united in their rage.
I don’t for a moment believe that Kell trusts the chaos powers or sees them as anything other than a way of increasing his personal empire. Part of that distrust, I suspect, comes from the degeneration of his left arm into a trashing tentacle. Originally I used the part purely because I thought it looked good. As I worked on Kell however I started to think about why the most obvious physical manifestation of the warp’s influence on him was this vestigial limb, especially when so many of his followers are wildly mutated. The tentacle, then, became part of Kell’s story; the first gift he received from the dark gods. Given his monumental ego and the scale of the destruction he has perpetrated in their name it’s safe to say Kell would regard this “gift” as something of a disappointment. Rather than chop it off however he has kept it as a permanent reminder of the danger of relying on any higher power – be it the Imperium or the Gods themselves. To him the tentacle is a way of keeping his bitterness and hate for the Gods fresh, a token by which he ensures he never falls for the whispers of temptation that each offers him.
I also can’t help but imagine the tentacle limb as possessing a sentience of its own, rebellious to the body it adjoins and jealous of the bio-mechanical talon arm Kell has had grown to replace it. Thus Kell plots against the Dark Gods, constantly playing them against each other and subverting their attempts to control him whilst his own arm remains a devoted agent of the Gods, secretly working against him. I would say that someday it will strangle him in his sleep but between the Gods he spurns, the monsters he rules, the brothers he betrayed and his own relentless desire for power I can’t imagine he ever sleeps anyway.
In terms of the concept behind the model I drew pretty heavily on Abaddon the Despoiler for inspiration. He is, after all, in many ways the arch-adversary of the 40k universe. Amongst the big players only Ghazghkull Thraka, the Tyranid Hive-Mind and Imotekh the Stormlord really come close in terms of destructive, empire-burning power and ambition, and none of them combine that with the human element, the way in which Abaddon remains, at core, just a man. It’s this that, to me, makes him most interesting as he remains something of a self-made Lucifer, every victory and scrap of power won by his own efforts. This makes him rather different to his genetic father, Horus, or the surviving deamon-primarchs, all of whom were gifted their enormous powers by the Emperor and who achieved dominion over worlds and solar systems simply through the fact that they were almost unimaginably stronger, tougher and quicker to learn than any other candidate.
In spite of having based the model on Abaddon, the background I wrote for Kell falls closer to that for Lugft Huron, the deposed Tyrant of Badab (and originator of some of the finest and most quotable lines in 40k). Particularly it was this line in the Chaos Space Marines codex that grabbed my attention, when Huron declares “The Imperium is a weak old man, ready and waiting to be broken apart by his vengeful sons”. Kell does not have his eye on the throne of the Imperium, he knows it would be an albatross around his neck, a grim anchor to drag him down. No man can command the Imperium, it is too vast, too complex, to choked with internal strife and external assault. Even the Emperor, easily the most powerful and wise individual (human is too small a word) to have ever lived, could not hold it together for long before his bickering sons turned upon him. Abaddon will discover, almost as soon as his power-armoured bum is settled upon the throne of Terra, that an empire is a very different thing to command than an army. There are worlds to be governed, taxes to be collected, laws to be enacted. Hold too much power to himself and it will be overwhelming, give too much away and those he promotes will soon begin to imagine themselves taking his place. His allies too make for powerful warlords but less than useful administrators (unless you can imagine Kharn or Tyrphus governing a sector with any degree of aptitude). The Warpsmiths may be rather sharp at making warmachines but what about the hum-drum tools of everyday living that the servants of the Imperium require to do their duties? Amongst the stinking mutants he has gathered from the death worlds of the Eye of Terror he is unlikely to find suitable replacements for the Inquisition, the Arbites, the Astra Telepathica or the Ministorum and yet if he allows those organisations to stand they will plot against him, a ruthless, restless resistance that will take generations to crush. All the while the Great Waaargh will gather pace, the Tyranids will swarm through the galactic east, the Necrons will rise from their ghastly tomb worlds and his new Imperium will burn.
Better by far to carve out an empire on the fringes, to lay claim to a few systems and plunder from the rest as it falls.
With both Kell and his adversary Calgacus poses were deliberately chosen to reflect their personalities. The line between good and evil is pretty hazy in 40k, with even the supposed heroes coming out a rather dirty shade of grey. A good summation can be found in Forge World’s Badab War series, describing the Space Marines.
“Beyond their martial trappings and the endless roll of glorious victories, doomed last stands and courage in the face of a hostile universe a Space Marine fundamentally is a superhuman engine built, bred and trained for war… a monster by any other name”
Imperial Armour Volume 10 – The Badab War Part Two (Alan Bligh)
Thus rather than a glorious champion I wanted Calgacus to appear bullish and relentless, revealing his aggressive, at times even bloodthirsty, nature as he parries and slashes with his lightning claws. Kell, on the other hand, is a leader of men, a general who takes the long view in his campaigns, whilst Calgacus is solely a warrior, albeit a valiant and inspiring one to those under his command. Kell is a tactician, a cunning and charismatic orator who has united both daemons and mortals in his cause. Doing this has required his wits and strength of character as much as raw brawn so I posed him shouting an order and urging his men forward towards an unseen target.
2 Comments | tags: 40k, Astartes, backstory, Chaos, Chaos Lord, Chaos Space Marine, Chaos Space Marines, Conversions, Converting, Game, Games Workshop, Hobby, Imperium, Khorne, Miniatures, Painting, Science Fiction, Space marine, Terminator, Warhammer 40 000, Warhammer 40000, Warhammer 40k | posted in Chaos Space Marines
“Robbers of the world, having by their universal plunder exhausted the land, they rifle the deep. If the enemy be rich, they are rapacious; if he be poor, they lust for dominion… Alone among men they covet with equal eagerness poverty and riches. To robbery, slaughter, plunder, they give the lying name of empire; they make a solitude and call it peace”
Calgacus “the Swordsman”, describing the Roman Empire, as quoted by Tacitus in the Agricola.
So, at last – after rattling on about it for ages now – Kallamoon Kell is finished. Needless to say I’m rather excited. Not only is Kell the warlord of my chaos army but the completion of the model brings to a close a project I started long ago, and which has seen plenty of ups and downs to get this far. I’ll start by talking a bit about his rival, Chapter Master Calgacus of the Hawkmoths, and hopefully upload a post on Kell later in the week.
As I’ve mentioned before one of the key narrative elements that fuels my interest in my Space Marine and Chaos Space Marine collections is the idea of a brotherhood torn apart. It’s the cornerstone of some of the finest storytelling to emerge from the Warhammer 40k background – particularly the Horus Heresy and the Badab War. More than simply the metaphorical or spiritual brotherhood that unites all Space Marines in the Emperor’s service I went for a far more personal conflict, a single chapter divided into bitter enmity. I especially wanted to capture this in the leaders of the two factions, creating two individuals who would be the focus of this background – a pair of characters once united by common cause but now sworn to the destruction of the other. On the one hand we would have Kallamoon Kell, a rising lord of chaos who led his brother space marines into rebellion and torn his chapter apart, and on the other we have Calgacus, the Chapter Master of the surviving loyalists, dedicated to hunting him down and seeing vengeance enacted.
Starting this project approximately three years ago I built and painted the first incarnations of my two central characters. Here’s Chapter Master Calgacus (version 1).
And here’s the first incarnation of Kell.
Of course it’s easy, retrospectively, to pick holes in both of these models. Calgacus V.1 especially was a project which I struggled with, losing faith in it part way through. To my eye it shows in the finished miniature. Attaching the shield was a real nightmare and the tarnished gold of the armour proved to be a series of headaches that left me relieved rather than proud when I finally stuck him on the shelf.
There are some elements I’m rather proud of, for one the skeletal servitor mounted on the top of his armour which always strikes me as the epitome of decaying Imperial arrogance (and is something I’d like to replicate elsewhere – possible as a gun servitor on a tank).
Kell V.1 meanwhile is workmanlike, fit for purpose in my eyes but hardly the tyrant of nightmares I had envisioned. Also, there’s something distinctly Khornate about him (just look at his helmet) which didn’t fit with the vibe I was looking for; a lord grudgingly respected by all four gods. Thus Kell V.1 was demoted, becoming Avar the Twisted, champion of my Terminator squad The Blessed Slaughter. Meanwhile Calgacus V.1 was retired to the shelf and I started work on new versions of both.
In both cases I now had a much clearer image in mind of what I was looking for, a model in keeping with the background I imagined. In the case of Calgacus I wanted a real “working man’s” Chapter Master, not the enthroned master of worlds but a space marine first and foremost, someone unafraid to get stuck in at the speartip of the most gruelling and brutal assaults. I also decided that the Hawkmoth’s Chapter Master had been killed during Kell’s betrayal, thus leaving the field open for a new man to lead a transformed chapter. From being relatively static guardians of territory the Hawkmoths have reinvented themselves as a fast moving, fleet-based strike force, with tactics reminiscent of the Minotaurs, Carcharodons or even pre-Heresy Night Lords. The first step in that rebuilding process must have been the selection of a new Chapter Master. The field however would have been limited, with most of the prime candidates either turned traitor or slain. Thus they would have been forced to select a candidate who, although in keeping with the ruthless, vengeance hungry mood of the time might in another era have been considered less than stable. Enter the pugnacious Calgacus, a fearsome yet loyal wardog of the Imperium.
To reinforce the idea that this is a man who’s fought at the forefront of numerous battles (and has the scars and cybernetic reconstruction to prove it) I gave him what must be my favourite Space Marine head of all time. With half his skull (and doubtless some of his brain) replaced by a bionic substitute he’s hardly likely to be the most calm and easy-going individual but I’d say it’s a safe bet that he’s handy in a fight. Suffice to say I’m much happier with this version.
In my efforts to imagine his background he has come to be representative of his chapter as a whole. His ruthless brutality in battle and black, blood-thirsty rages at other times have led many to believe he is unhinged, and as dangerous to the Imperium he is sworn to protect as Kell himself. As a result his is a fairly dark reputation, though whether the butchery he is responsible for is a result of calculated brutality or berserk rage remains a contested issue. Nevertheless his merciless wrath may be just what the Hawkmoth’s chapter requires for many have slipped into bleak fury since their betrayal and each time Calgacus has dispatched his Death’s Heads to hunt them down and bring back their bones. For those few amongst the Holy Ordos who have tracked the near renegade Hawkmoths into the deep void his methods may be distasteful but, with the Imperium crumbling, they accept that – for now – this baleful and secretive chapter and its rapacious master may be an ally they cannot do without.
3 Comments | tags: 40k, Astartes, backstory, Chaos, Chaos Lord, Chaos Space Marine, Chaos Space Marines, Chapter Master, Conversions, Converting, Game, Games, Games Workshop, Hobby, Imperium, Miniatures, Painting, Science Fiction, Space marine, Terminator, Warhammer 40 000, Warhammer 40000, Warhammer 40k | posted in Chaos Space Marines, Space Marines
Into the Breach Part 2
For anyone out there who thinks I’ve lost my way and forgotten about my Chaos warband in all the recent Ork excitement never fear, progress is still being made. As proof here’s the first of my Chaos Breacher squad (which I showed as a work in progress back here), now fully painted and ready to storm through any trench-lines or boarding actions into the teeth of the guns.
As ever, any feedback is welcome.
3 Comments | tags: 40k, Astartes, Breacher, Chaos, Chaos Space Marine, Chaos Space Marines, Conversions, Converting, Games Workshop, Hobby, Miniatures, Painting, Space marine, Wargaming, Warhammer 40 000, Warhammer 40k | posted in Chaos Space Marines
In Defence Of Our Good Name
Continuing the theme from last week I decided to give the loyalists a little more screen time, starting with my Dreadnaught; Honoured Grendel.
He’s as old as the hills (or as old as the Assault on Black Reach boxset anyway*) and there’s a lot I would do differently if I painted him (that banner could be better for one thing) but I’m fond of him and in many ways it’s fitting that a venerable war-machine should be represented by an equally venerable model.
*I know that’s only one edition ago, and probably wasn’t really as long ago as it seems – nonetheless there’s been a lot of paint under the bridge since then.
I imagine the servo-skulls hovering around the Dreadnaught as fulfilling a similar function to remora – the fish which associate with large marine predators, like sharks, cleaning away old food, dead scales and parasites. In the same way the servo skulls care for the Dreadnaught, doing all the small tasks, oiling gears and clearing ammo feeds, that the bulky walker cannot.
Coincidently I just took a look at the new Chaos Helbrute that went up for pre-order on Saturday (obviously as a fan of both chaos and dreadnaughts I’m rather excited). However it also inspired me to look back at my other Dreadnaught (like Grendel he’s also from the Assault on Black Reach boxset – but in this case converted into a Helbrute). Its showing its age a little now too as my skills have (hopefully) continued to improve, so I’m feeling inspired to return to it and touch it up a little.
Anyway, whilst we’re looking at the Hawkmoths here’s my Devastator squad. Most of them I painted up in the early days when I first started work on the Hawkmoths. Owing to a degree of procrastination the Sergeant came much later (finished just a few months ago).
Leave a comment | tags: Astartes, Conversions, Converting, Devastator, Dreadnaught, Games Workshop, Helbrute, Hobby, Imperium, Space marine, Warhammer 40 000, Warhammer 40000, Warhammer 40k | posted in Space Marines
Be Without Fear
I’ll warn you here and now that this is an unashamedly pretentious and self-indulgent post, so read on at your peril or skip to the end and look at the pictures!
It took me a long time to recognise that Space Marines, far from the tediously unbeatable interplanetary do-gooders I had initially believed, are actually more like monastic space-knights who control their psychopathic battle-lust through dedication and meditation; monsters built to kill and held in check only by tremendous will-power. A worthy adversary that my barbaric servants of chaos could really get their teeth into then, as I felt they lacked something without agents of good and order to stand against them.
Many of humanity’s oldest stories share the same theme; the battle between the order of civilised lands and the chaotic-dangers of the wilderness beyond. In the story of Warhammer 40k the Imperium of Man is besieged by monsters from the darkness of space as fearsome as any from the ancient wildwood and just as a dragon stalking the land needs a knight to slay it so the Space Marines must hold back the assorted daemons, traitors and xenos that rage around their gates.
So I devised a little background to my army, creating a theme around which the collection would be based (see below). In doing this I deliberately linked my Space Marines (the Hawkmoths) to my Chaos Space Marines (the Beasts of Ruin), allowing each to inspire the other. Until now I hadn’t written any of it down as I’ve regarded that kind of thing as fan-fiction, something I’ve tended to view with the same flirtatious distrust as a radical inquisitor finding a grimoire that twitches. However I was pleasantly surprised by how much its inspired many of the units and conversions you’ll see here, so expect to see more snippets as the blog progresses!
The Origins of the Hawkmoths
No records of the Hawkmoths exist in Imperial Archives prior to the Age of Apostasy and so it is to be assumed that whatever accounts of their origins might once have existed are now long lost. Given this dearth of information it is perhaps unsurprising that rumour and speculation have become so rife; that they were part of the cursed 21st founding, that they were born of heretical experiments by radicals from the Blood Angels chapter seeking a cure to their curse, that theirs is a Chimeric gene-seed or that its source was somehow prohibited, that darkness and heresy dogged their earliest days. These uncertain origins, combined with their terrible ferocity in battle and feral world traditions, have led the Hawkmoths to stand apart from the rest of the Imperium, shunned and distrusted by Imperial Commanders and fellow Astartes alike. Only two now remain who might know the truth; First Chapter Master Titus who has long slept as a dreadnaught and his former brother Byatis, who turned to the worship of the Chaos Gods and was damned.
Now, with the age of the Imperium waning, those secrets are returning to haunt them. Kalamoon Kell, Captain of the Hawkmoth’s Sixth Company and Master of Rites, located the prison moon upon which the Daemon Byatis was caged. Rather than order the beast banished into the warp he sought to bind him and force him to reveal his secrets. Whatever he learned on that dark, airless world was enough to convince him to abandon his former allegiances, gathering over a third of the Hawkmoths to him and leading them in a brutal campaign of extermination against their former brothers. Prohibited weapons were turned on their own homeworld, Sarnas Prime, whilst a surprise assault saw the chapter’s fortress monastery aboard the relic ship Heart of Carnelian boarded and almost scuttled. In the aftermath the Hawkmoths were reduced to a mere token of their former strength whilst Kell and his followers, now calling themselves The Beasts of Ruin, went on to rampage through the Kadatheron and Hathan systems.
The Hawkmoths however are not a chapter to accept defeat. They may have suffered the loss of much of their traditional might and resources, and the scouring of their homeworld into irradiated ruin, but they remain Astartes and will not fade into the coming night. Gathering their remaining strength they have set out into the desolate void in search of vengeance.
Captain Ankrion, Master of the Fleet.
Tactical Squad Maalin, including the first Space Marines I ever painted.
Many of the First Company sided with the rebels and slew their own Chapter Master. The surviving loyalist terminators reserve for these heretics a particular loathing and consider themselves bound by a debt of failure that will not be paid until the last of their former brothers is slain.
The background story has influenced the choice of colours for both armies. I chose red as the primary colour of the loyalist Hawkmoths, who have repainted their armour following their betrayal in a colour that signifies their quest for blood and vengeance. Similarly the colour has been washed out of the armour of the Beasts of Ruin by their submersion in the warp, leaving only pale, bone-coloured plates.
Tactical Squad Hadriana; named in honour of the Thunderhawk Hadriana lost with all hands in the skies over Sarnas Prime.
Many of the Hawkmoths bear sigils and primitive gang-markings, symbols of the feral worlds from which they draw their recruits.
1 Comment | tags: Astartes, backstory, Chaos, Chaos Space Marine, Game, Games Workshop, Hobby, Imperium, Miniatures, Painting, Science Fiction, Space marine, Terminator, Warhammer 40 000, Warhammer 40k | posted in Space Marines
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Corporate GovernanceSecurities
That was quick — proxy access test drive hits a wall
Cydney Posner on November 28, 2016
by Cydney Posner
You probably recall that, on November 9, 2016, GAMCO Asset Management Inc. (entity affiliated with activist investor Mario Gabelli) and certain affiliates used the proxy access bylaws recently adopted at National Fuel Gas Company, an NYSE-listed diversified natural gas company, to nominate a candidate for election to the company’s board at its 2017 annual meeting. It was the first known use of proxy access bylaws to make a nomination. (See this PubCo post.) Well, that drama is now over — and without so much as a skirmish. In this Schedule 13D/A, filed this morning, GAMCO reported that its nominee had “informed GAMCO this morning that he has decided to withdraw [his] name as a candidate for Director of National Fuel Gas Company. GAMCO will not pursue Proxy Access.” So much for that foray.
What happened? As we previously discussed, Gabelli’s GAMCO Investors has in the past pressured “the company to spin off its gas utility segment from its natural gas exploration and midstream assets.” GAMCO even submitted a shareholder proposal for the company’s 2015 annual meeting, requesting the board to engage an investment banking firm to effect a spin-off of the company’s utility segment, contending that it would help to enhance the company’s underlying value. Not only was the proposal rejected by shareholders by a ratio of more than four to one, it turns out that it was also a factor in cratering GAMCO’s proxy access attempt. As NFG reported on Friday in this Form 8-K (noted in thecorporatecounsel.net blog), on November 23, NFG delivered a letter to GAMCO rejecting its proxy access nominee for inclusion in NFG’s proxy statement on the basis that GAMCO “has not complied, and is not able to comply, with the terms and conditions set forth in the By-Laws to submit a Stockholder Nominee.” [emphasis added] More specifically, NFG reminded GAMCO that a shareholder seeking to use proxy access must, under the terms of NFG’s proxy access bylaw, make certain representations and warranties, including a representation that the shareholder acquired the shares used to satisfy the proxy access eligibility threshold “in the ordinary course of business and not with the intent to change or influence control of the Corporation, and does not presently have such intent.” If the representation were not correct, NFG indicated, the shareholder would not be eligible to use proxy access.
NFG further explained that that particular representation was “derived from the standard under which an investor is required to file a Schedule 13D versus a Schedule 13G….The SEC deems a shareholder to have ‘acquired or [be] holding equity securities with the purpose or effect of changing or influencing control of the issuer’ if, based on relevant facts and circumstances, a shareholder ‘engages with the issuer’s management on matters that specifically call for the sale of the issuer to another company, the sale of a significant amount of the issuer’s assets, the restructuring of the issuer, or a contested election of directors.’” In addition, NFG observed, a shareholder with control intent must file a Schedule 13D, describing any plans or proposals for “control” events such as:
“(b) An extraordinary corporate transaction, such as a merger, reorganization or liquidation, involving the issuer or any of its subsidiaries;
(c) A sale or transfer of a material amount of assets of the issuer or any of its subsidiaries;….
(e) Any material change in the present capitalization or dividend policy of the issuer;
(f) Any other material change in the issuer’s business or corporate structure….;…. or
(j) Any action similar to any of those enumerated above. “
Accordingly, based on GAMCO’s past conduct and current actions, NFG’s board concluded that GAMCO possessed an intent to change or influence control when acquiring some of the required shares and that it continues to have that intent. In support, NFG pointed to numerous filings by GAMCO throughout its investment that advocated a spin-off or expressed “disappointment” in NFG’s failure to pursue that strategy “despite GAMCO’s urgings,” including its filings and analyst, press and other communications related to its spin-off shareholder proposal and spin-off strategy, as well as press statements indicating that Gabelli viewed proxy access to be, in effect, an alternative to a “friendlier” approach than — an election contest.
Because these statements were all indicia of control intent, NFG maintained, GAMCO was ineligible to use NFG’s proxy access bylaw. By withdrawing its nominee, GAMCO appears to be unwilling to mount a challenge to that conclusion.
As I noted in this PubCo post, it was especially ironic that the first use of proxy access would be by a hedge fund activist, given that the conventional wisdom has been that these activists were unlikely to use proxy access and would opt instead for more traditional election contests. And this PubCo post discusses the views of several commentators that GAMCO’s tactics and low-cost approach were unusual and that activists were still most likely to engage in more traditional proxy contests. The GAMCO fender bender provides yet another reason that hedge fund activists are unlikely to rely on proxy access: requiring a representation regarding the absence of any control intent is a common provision in proxy access bylaws — indeed, the absence of control intent was a requirement for eligibility under the SEC’s now defunct proxy access rule — and, unless the hedge fund activist has been unusually limited in its demands or unusually circumspect in its communications regarding the target company, it could well run into the same brick wall as did GAMCO.
Posted in: Corporate Governance, Securities
Tagged in: contested election of directors, control intent, director conflict of interest golden leash arrangements, NASDAQ, proxy access proposals, third-party compensation of directors, hedge fund activism, proxy contest, Schedule 13D, shareholder activism
Corp Fin OKs technical modification of process for offers and sales in IPOs
SEC posts report to Congress on Modernization and Simplification of Regulation S-K
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Borondo, The many dreamy faces of a street art artist.
Posted by Javier on September 19, 2019 | Featured | No Comments
A new chapter begins and today we will talk to you about a Spanish artist called Borondo. Ever heard his name?
Who is Borondo?
Gonzalo Borondo is one of the most promising Spanish artists at the moment. He was born in Castille and Leon, an Autonomous Community north of Madrid.
Some may say art runs through his veins, his father is a restorer of religious art and he, himself started drawing and creating art with very little age.
Where can we see Borondo’s street art in Madrid?
Even though Borondo is now a renowned international artist, we are lucky we can still appreciate his work in the following locations in Madrid:
Plaza Mostenses, 13, 28015 Madrid
Calle del Marqués de Viana, 61, 28039 Madrid
Calle de Antonio Grilo, 8, 28015 Madrid
(please take in consideration that all pieces of Street Art can be subject to change or disappearance)
Where does he work at the moment?
This small town boy has become a big world man.
At age 13-14 he moved to Madrid and started experimenting with graffiti, but nowadays you can see his work not only in many galleries of the world but also in the streets of Honolulu, Kiev, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, among others.
Artwork created at the interior of a former tobacco factory from the XIX century.
What style does he have?
Borondo has had a very rich and mixed ride throughout his career.
As we mentioned before, he started doing graffiti tags, but the breaking point for him was when he met his mentor and teacher, Jose Garcia Herranz.
Mr. Herranz taught him a whole world of new techniques that he has incorporated into his work and even exported them to the streets in giant murals.
In the first months after his arrival in Madrid, he started experimenting with engraving figures through paint on glass surfaces.
Ever since he has been able to express with an amazing realism different faces of people using only a handful of materials.
The first faces he painted and put hop on the walls of the Spanish capital had something in common: they were all asleep and this was because put on the felt that the city does not have public spaces for relaxation or rest.
This beautiful decoration might be found right across Mercado de los Mostenses.
What topics does Borondo talk about on his work?
In Borondo’s artwork you will always find a constant interaction between psyche (faces), but mostly you will find an open interpretation of the relationship between the environment of the location of the piece and context of it and the piece itself.
Since his early work there was a lot of presence of the topic of sleeping, as being in a constant state of passivity to losing the cities in a special sense of the word.
Gonzalo wanted people to interact with his art through the cities, and more specifically, he wanted the people who really inhabit the cities in a tragicomic way to appreciate his art: the homeless people.
What’s Borondo’s take on art?
The cities have become 21st century museums and Gonzalo Borondo is actually one of the best samples of how you can start as a graffiti tagger or a graffiti artist and actually get a career in the Art world.
But don’t let this fool you!
This Spanish street art artist doesn’t want to become a product or anything that doesn’t reflect his art and overall he does not want to turn his art -making into a boring job.
Art in the streets vs. art galleries
As many other successful artists, Borondo reconciles his work in galleries and his work on the streets.
The galleries panorama allows him to experiment with different media that wouldn’t be able to experiment within street art but his constant research and evolution shows an incorporation of constant research in either side.
How does Borondo and other street art artists make money?
Street art artists can make a living off their art: they can get commissioned for specific pieces, sell paintings, prints, merchandising, either on their own or through art dealers.
Also most Street Art festivals pay their selection of artists for their work.
Our opinion about Borondo
The presence of Borondo and other artists who began as Graffiti artists in the art World is extremely important in a lot of ways.
Let’s be honest, historically the Art world seems to be a world hard to get in, and once you are in there is not right or wrong (remember Banksy’s prank in that auction).
For normal individuals like you and me, to be able to climb up the ladder and open the doors for new generations of people like them is very promising.
After all, we all have to pay our bills, and how better than doing what you love.
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Store About Me Login
I am a wife, mother, grandmama, twenty-five year homeschool veteran, mentor, speaker, and ardent pursuer of God. Married in 1977 to Jerry, we have six children and five grandchildren.
Since graduating from John Brown University with a bachelor’s degree, I have nearly forty years of experience working and researching in the realm of education.
I mentor home educating parents to lead their families away from conflict and confusion and direct them instead to transformed behavior through deeper, more meaningful relationships. I guide families to understand and address the issues of child behavior—development, habits, and the will. Learn more at www.susanchrisman.com.
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Best method requirement continues to wreak havoc
21st December 2017 Written by Michael Caine
In Sandvik Intellectual Property AB v Quarry Mining & Construction Equipment Pty Ltd [2017] FCAFC 138 (“Sandvik”) the Full Federal Court recently revisited the requirement for patent applicants to disclose in their specifications the best method known to them at the filing date for performing the claimed invention. Additionally, the Australian Patent Office has considered the application of the ‘best method’ requirement in a number of recent decisions, including Smith Light Pty Ltd v Golight Pty Limited [2016] APO 37 (“Smith”); Merial New Zealand Limited v Jurox Pty Ltd [2017] APO 5 (“Merial”); and Kineta, Inc. [2017] APO 45 (“Kineta”).
Australia’s best method requirement had received little judicial consideration prior to the Full Federal Court’s 2016 decision in Les Laboratoires Servier v Apotex Pty Ltd [2016] FCAFC 27. In that case, the Full Court held the patent to be invalid for failing to meet the best method requirement, and subsequent attempts to amend the specification to remedy the deficiency were declined. While the application of Australia’s ‘best method’ requirement ultimately turns on the facts of a given case, the Full Court’s decision in Servier highlighted the fatal consequences of failing to include a description of the best method in patent specifications filed in Australia – a clear distinction from other jurisdictions. Application of the best method requirement in Australia also now seems to differ from the way the best method (or best mode) requirement has been applied in the United States. In particular, even when the claimed invention is a product, it may be necessary in particular circumstances to disclose the best way of making that product known to the applicant at the filing date.
A full discussion of Les Laboratoires Servier v Apotex Pty Ltd [2016] FCAFC 27 is available here.
Case 1 – Sandvik Intellectual Property AB v Quarry Mining & Construction Equipment Pty Ltd (‘Sandvik’)
The patent at issue in Sandvik was directed to an extension drilling system for use in drilling bores. Evidence was presented at first instance that one of the “real issues” to be addressed during development was the design of an effective water seal. However, the technical drawings, which pre-dated the filing of the complete application and which described an improved sealing arrangement for use with the drilling system, were not disclosed in the specification at filing. As a consequence, the judge at first instance found that the omitted sealing arrangement was not merely a minor feature, but was instead the superior design.
On appeal, Sandvik highlighted that the way in which the invention as claimed solved the problem was not directed to any particular form of water seal. However, the Full Federal Court rejected this argument, upholding the decision of the primary judge that the best method involved the use of a specific type of water seal which was not disclosed in the specification at filing. With regard to the omitted seal, the Full Court restated the primary judge’s findings that:
We are not here dealing with some minor or incidental dimension of what was perceived by the inventors as the best method of performing the invention: as Mr Weaver said, this sealing aspect was ‘a real issue which needed to be overcome’.
In considering the ‘best method’ requirement, the Full Court clarified that the correct approach is to:
Identify the invention described (not claimed) in the specification as a whole;
Determine whether the allegedly omitted part is necessary and important to perform the invention (or carry it into effect); and
Where the specification purports to address the best method requirement, determine whether the Applicant described the best embodiment known to it.
The decision in Sandvik again highlights that patent applicants in Australia must ensure that the description of embodiments in a patent specification is updated prior to filing. Sandvik’s omission of the superior water seal rendered the patent invalid, even though the sealing member did not form part of the invention as claimed.
Case 2 – Smith Light Pty Ltd v Golight Pty Limited [2016] APO 37 (‘Smith’)
The patent application at issue in Smith was directed to a portable light assembly. Acceptance of the application was opposed before the Australian Patent Office on a number of grounds, including failure to disclose the best method. In the proceedings, the opponent argued that “optimised design arrangements relating to for example, the specific locking and release means, and the electronic and material specifications represent the best method of performing the invention”, and the applicant had withheld these design arrangements at the time of filing. Drawing on the Full Court’s findings in Servier, the opponent suggested that the vague disclosure of a ‘locking means’ were no more specific and akin to the omitted salification methods utilised and known to the patentee at the filing date in the Servier case.
However, the Delegate found that the invention as described in the whole of the specification resided in the interrelationship between the claimed components rather than the individual elements themselves. As such, the Delegate held that any lack of description of the specific features identified by the Opponent did not result in the application falling foul of the best method requirement, as those individual features were not of themselves the described invention.
Case 3 – Merial New Zealand Limited v Jurox Pty Ltd [2017] APO 5 (‘Merial’)
At issue in Merial were three related applications claiming anthelmintic compositions. During opposition proceedings before the Patent Office, the opponent argued (and Jurox did not counter) that the best method of performing the invention involved the use of a product called “Q-drench”, the method of preparation of which was known to the applicant before the filing date.
While the specification included various examples of the preparation of anthelmintic compositions, in evidence presented to the Delegate it was demonstrated that the preparation of Q-Drench specifically required that the pH be adjusted to 5.3 to 5.5 on the day of preparation. None of examples however described such a pH adjustment step.
In light of this evidence, the Hearing Officer concluded that all three applications “lack[ed] the critical steps (pH adjustment) which [were] part of the best method of performing the invention which was known to the applicant at the filing date.” But in this case, and in view of the fact the applications were all subject to the more lenient amendment provisions prior to the Raising the Bar Act (that came into effect in April 2013), the Officer indicated that the three applications could be amended to include the missing information about pH adjustment.
While the decision was initially appealed to the Federal Court, the matter was settled prior to being heard. The amendments were subsequently allowed and the patents proceeded to grant.
Case 4 – Kineta, Inc. [2017] APO 45 (‘Kineta’)
The patent application at issue in Kineta was directed to chemical compounds and their use for treating viral infections, such as RNA viral infections. During the course of examination, the Examiner formed the view that the specification failed to disclose the best method of performing the invention. The applicant requested a hearing before the Patent Office to resolve the matter.
Kineta’s application was subject to the more stringent provisions of the Raising the Bar Act. Prior to the introduction of the Raising the Bar Act, the ‘best method’ requirement was not a ground of examination. However, with the new legislation, Australian Examiners may now consider whether the best method known to the applicant of performing the invention is disclosed in the complete specification.
The single outstanding ground of objection considered by the Hearing Officer was whether the best method of performing the invention had been disclosed. The complete specification detailed a number of compounds which were simply described as “available”, together with data relating to their associated antiviral activities.
In considering the invention disclosed in the specification, the Hearing Officer suggested the invention lay both in the identification of new compounds and their use in the treatment of viral infections. However, the examples recited in the complete specification did not provide any information about how the compounds might be prepared.
Kineta advanced two alternate arguments with respect to best method. The first argument was that a best method is implicitly disclosed as a person skilled in the art would have understood how to prepare the compounds. Alternatively, Kineta argued it had not withheld any information about the preparation of the compounds, since they were purchased from a third party contractor and not prepared by the applicant.
Despite expert evidence presented by Kineta, the Hearing Officer concluded with regard to the first argument that a person skilled in the art would not have appreciated how to prepare any of the compounds from a reading of the specification in the light of the common general knowledge. With regard to the second argument, the Hearing Officer acknowledged that Kineta was not informed as to how the compounds they had obtained were prepared. He did find, however, that the applicant was aware that the compounds could be purchased from a contractor, but that this information was not included in the specification. As such, the Hearing Officer maintained that the applicant failed to disclose the only method (and thus the best method) that the compounds could be purchased from the third party contractor.
Under the Raising the Bar Act, it is not possible to add matter to a specification and as such, Kineta had little recourse to address the deficiencies in their application. However, it is noted that two new pending divisional applications were subsequently filed, the specifications of which have been updated to include both a general description of the synthesis of the compounds as well as details of the third party contractor who originally prepared the compounds. The new divisional applications are yet to be examined by the Patent Office.
Key lesson
These cases serve as another reminder of the fatal consequences for patentees who fail to satisfy the best method requirement under Australian patent law. In view of the more stringent standards for amendment under the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Raising the Bar) Act 2012, as highlighted by the Kineta case, it is paramount that patent applicants in Australia ensure the best method known to them of performing the invention is included in the specification at the time of filing to avoid the ticking time bomb that is the ‘best method’ requirement under Australian law.
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Q&A with Michelle Markel
Michelle Markel is the author of the new kids' picture book biography Out of This World: The Surreal Art of Leonora Carrington. Her other books include The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau and Hillary Rodham Clinton: Some Girls Are Born to Lead. She lives in West Hills, California.
Q: Why did you decide to write a children's picture book about the artist Leonora Carrington?
A: I’d already written picture books about two male artists--Marc Chagall and Henri Rousseau. Women artists have long been overlooked (in 1989, addressing this issue, a group called the Guerilla Girls came out with a poster “Do Women Have to Be Naked to Get Into the Met. Museum?” Less than 5 percent of the artists in the Modern Art Sections are women, but 85 percent of the nudes are female).
I felt it was time to spread the word about an amazing female artist: Leonora Carrington.
Many of Leonora's paintings--for instance “The Giantess”--show magical women, and have a fairy tale atmosphere. They’re surreal--playful, absurd and rule breaking--which makes them appealing to kids.
(One could argue that Lewis Carroll, one of the most popular writers for children of all time, was an early surrealist, the way he mixed fantasy, reality and humor.)
Leonora’s story teaches kids about art history--and it happens to be dramatic. She was born in England to an upper-class family who aspired to be like the folks on Downton Abbey. Her parents sent her to convent and finishing schools, hoping to groom her to become a rich man’s wife.
But Leonora wasn’t having it. Her disobedience got her expelled. She shocked her parents by running off to Paris to be an artist among the surrealists (Max Ernst in particular), fled Europe during World War II and ended up in Mexico, where she lived for the remainder of her life.
Q: How did you research her life, and did you learn anything especially surprising?
A: I read biographies, books about the surrealists, went to art exhibits. I read the surrealist books and stories that Leonora wrote--which gave me a sense of her passion and humor.
She had quite the imagination. In one of her stories, a debutante tells a hyena at the zoo how she dreads going to her ball. The hyena ends up going in her stead. She puts on the girl's dress, high heels, and gloves to hide her hairy hands… I won’t give away the ending.
I was surprised and delighted to read about the friendship of Leonora and artist Remedios Varo (a Spanish expat) in Mexico. They spend hours together at the home of Remedios, which was full of crystals and cats.
They dressed in costumes, wrote plays together, made strange concoctions from plants they bought in the marketplace, invented recipes like the one for “dreaming you’re the king of England.” They were creative and uninhibited--like creative young girls I’ve known.
Q: What do you think Amanda Hall's illustrations add to the book?
A: I think Amanda's illustrations for Out of This World are luminous and stunning. I love her spectral creatures, her mythical beasts--the woman branching into a tree...They convey a sense of the marvelous, which I was trying to evoke with words. I knew Amanda would do a beautiful job, after seeing her illustrations for The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau.
Most publishers, as you know, reserve the right to select the picture book illustrator--for both artistic and marketing reasons. But Amanda and I submitted this as a joint project. We had faith that we’d find an editor who’d approve.
Q: What do you hope kids take away from Out of This World?
A: I hope it empowers children to reject societal expectations that crush their goals and creativity. I hope it persuades them to believe in their gifts, to take risks and persevere despite all odds. I hope to convey that making art can be a spiritual experience.
A: I’m not allowed to reveal the details yet, but I can tell you I’m working on a story about a key event in labor history, involving women.
A: I’d like to suggest some surrealist activities for the classroom, to be used after reading this book.
Surrealism was an art and literary movement that explored the realm of the subconscious (think of the sometimes strange, impossible imagery of dreams). The surrealists invented games to encourage randomness, and chance. So in a classroom, teachers could write words on strips of paper, put them in a hat, and have kids pull out three or four to include in their poem.
There are many surrealist collaborative activities as well, like the famous Exquisite Corpse (Fold a paper in thirds, then one player draws a head on the top section, the next player draws a body, and the last one adds the legs--keeping the others' sketches hidden). Make art and have fun!
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Greek parliament approves union that is civil same-sex partners
Posted by sabino vilella on 31st December 2019 | Featured
Updated 23, 2015 20:27:08 december
Greece’s parliament has authorized a bill giving same-sex partners the best to a civil union, becoming one of many final countries in europe to provide them appropriate recognition after many years of opposition through the influential church that is orthodox.
lots of EU nations including Britain, France and Spain have actually legalised marriage that is gay however some southern and eastern European states are making slow progress.
Greek parliament votes to permit unions that are civil same-sex partners
Law relates to property and inheritance, although not use
Greek Orthodox Church frowns upon same-sex relations and opposes bill
Thirteen countries in europe have legalised marriage that is same-sex
The new Greek legislation resolves property and inheritance problems, but makes no supply for the use of kiddies.
“this will be a day that is important peoples liberties,” Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told the chamber.
Mr Tsipras stated the balance provides same-sex partners “equal liberties hot ukrainian brides in life and death”, terminating a training of “backwardness and pity” for Greece.
Greece was indeed condemned for anti-gay discrimination because of the Court that is european of Rights in 2013, after homosexual couples had been clearly excluded from a prior civil unions legislation in 2008.
“as opposed to celebrating this, we must apologise to 1000s of our citizens that are fellow” Mr Tsipras stated.
In place of celebrating this, we have to apologise to 1000s of our other citizens.
What the law states had been supported by 193 lawmakers away from 249 current, with 56 voting against it.
Amnesty Overseas hailed the move as being a “historic action” but noted that lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people nevertheless encountered hostility in Greece.
“not surprisingly step that is first LGBTI individuals in Greece nevertheless inhabit an environment of hostility from where the authorities are failing woefully to protect them acceptably,” stated Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty Global’s Deputy Director for European countries and Central Asia.
“Physical attacks are in the increase, hate message is typical and goes unchecked by the authorities. Also shows of love between same-sex couples are censored on television.”
Amnesty further noticed that the legislation provides no sex recognition to transgender individuals.
The bill was supported by another four parties in addition to Mr Tsipras’ left-wing Syriza party.
But, the nationalist Independent Greeks (ANEL), who will be an element of the coalition that is governing voted contrary to the motion.
“The Greek constitution protects motherhood. Will there be motherhood in males?” asked ANEL lawmaker Vassilis Kokkalis.
Greek Orthodox Church opposes move
People of the Greek homosexual, lesbian and transsexual community had earlier staged protests outside parliament plus the Athens cathedral.
“Love just isn’t a sin,” read a sign held by protesters as two teenage boys dressed like priests kissed at the cathedral.
The nation’s first couple of same-sex civil marriages held in 2008 had been annulled with a court per year later on under great pressure through the Greek Orthodox Church, which formally frowns upon same-sex relations.
Lobbying by the church ended up being additionally instrumental in excluding same-sex couples from benefitting through the 2008 civil union bill which modernised household legislation and aligned national legislation with EU guidelines.
A prominent Greek bishop this week described homosexuality being a “crime” and stated “accursed” gays must certanly be “spat upon”.
Same-sex wedding was already legalised in 18 nations, including 13 in European countries.
Ireland final might became the first to ever accept homosexual marriage through a referendum.
Significantly more than 60 % of Slovenian voters compared legalising marriage that is gay a referendum on Sunday, where activists had hoped to see the largely Catholic nation become Europe’s very very first ex-communist nation to provide same-sex partners the ability to marry and follow.
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Facebook’s (Twitter & Youtube 2) Stream Of Terror Exposes Leftist Double Standard & Censorship
Adina Kutnicki
ASK yourselves: why is it that western leaders, so-called mainstream media, and self-appointed leftist elites devolve into full-on panic mode and frenzied action when Muslims are the target of an attack by non-Muslims (as opposed to when they slaughter one another for hegemony), even though the number is minuscule in comparison to their attacks on non-believers, infidels? Similarly, why are umpteen excuses proffered for Jihadi terrorists, often ascribing “mental illness“or economic deprivation as trigger points, in contravention of the true lightening rod, the bloody Koran, Islam’s holy book?
BUT never mind….
IN reality, aside from the well-known privilege of über rich Osama Bin Laden, the most infamous Islamic Jihadi (for the record, countless barbaric Mohammedans are richly endowed), the fact is that the recent slaughterers in Sri Lanka are members of the Y.M. Ibrahim family; Jihadi spawn of a local millionaire and a spice-trading tycoon! Say it ain’t so….
……Reports connecting affluent jihadis to the barbaric acts in Sri Lanka contradict the assertion by former U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration that a lack of jobs and other economic opportunities is fueling Islamic terrorism.
Under the previous administration, the U.S. launched a global counter-terror fund to provide what then-Secretary of State John Kerry described as “more economic opportunities for marginalized youth at risk of [jihadi] recruitment” using public and private funds.
Research has reportedly debunked the claim that poverty yields Islamic terror.
SO, in light of what is true and what isn’t, it is beyond urgent to expose the absolute linkage between the actions of those who shield Islamic terrorists and the attendant knock-on effects – as both dovetail with “selective” outrage, vis-à-vis victimology. In other words, the question becomes: why do western poohbahs get their shorts/panties into knots when Muslims are killed, suddenly, “laying down the law”, yet, when Christians and Jews (and other minorities) are bloodied they stand mute as to the streaming of this and that carnage by Allah’s Muslim Terrorists? Why is this?
SOCIAL media giant executives could be jailed and their companies fined billions of pounds if they fail to quickly take down violent and terror-related content.
Australia could become the first country to introduce prison terms and fines if firms fail to speedily remove terror videos like the Christchurch massacre live-stream.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is set to introduce the new bill to Parliament next week after the slaughter of 50 people at two mosques was broadcast live on Facebook.
The proposed new laws would cover “abhorrent violent material”, such as videos that showed terrorist attacks, murders or rapes.
The Australian government will seek to put two new sets of offences in the criminal code.
It will be a criminal offence for social media platforms, which as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, not to remove abhorrent violent material quickly.
The speed of the removal would be determined by a jury.
POSSIBLE THREE YEAR JAIL-TERM
This would be punishable by three years in jail for Australian or overseas executives or fines that can reach up to 10 per cent of the platform’s global annual turnover.
Google’s parent company enjoyed revenue of $US136.8 billion (£104.88) during 2018, meaning technology companies could be liable for billions of pounds if successfully prosecuted.
Platforms anywhere in the world must notify the Australian Federal Police if they become aware their service is streaming abhorrent violent conduct that is happening in Australia.
The laws will also give the eSafety Commissioner the power to issue notices that bring this type of material to the attention of the social media companies.
As soon as they receive that type of notice, the companies will be deemed to be aware of the material and the clock starts ticking for the hosting platform to remove the material or face penalties.
The laws will still ensure that news media can report appropriately on events which are in the public interest, without showing the violent material itself.
TACKLE HATE ONLINE
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Attorney-General Christian Porter were left unimpressed after a meeting with social media companies earlier this week, called in response to the live-streaming of the killing of 50 people in two New Zealand mosques.
“There are many actions we need to take to keep Australians safe in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attacks, and our government has been getting on with that job,” Mr Morrison said.
“Foremost among these is to recognise how social media platforms are being weaponised by terrorists.
“Big social media companies have a responsibility to take every possible action to ensure their technology products are not exploited by murderous terrorists.”
After the Christchurch attack, Facebook revealed it had removed 1.5 million copies of the video of the terrorist atrocity in the first 24 hours after the shootings.
INCONTESTABLY, New Zealand’s Christ Church is western leadership’s collective rallying cry, their line in the stand, if you will – not the continuous streaming of Jihadi incitement and its aftermath, that is, the slaughtered bodies of Christians and Jews (and other minorities) for years on end! To wit, it is more than fair and reasonable to ask: are some lives “worth” more than others? If so, why?
YES, as per the leveled charges, it is this very danger to western civilization which brings the discussion straight back to a mandatory “proof in the pudding” calculus – as such, much heavy-lifting had to be done to finally expose Facebook’s enabling of Islamic Jihad!
IN this regard, until the publication of BANNED: How Facebook Enables Militant Islamic Jihad (September 2016), the social media giant and kingpin had never been subjected to a full-on spotlight – in contrast to hagiographies written about its wunderkind CEO; the t-shirt wearing, PC addicted billionaire, an alleged tax-dodger to boot, namely, Mark Zuckerberg. As such, its deeply disturbing underbelly warranted an airing, so to speak – that which had yet to factor in its dead to rights privacy violations, on a scale heretofore unseen in the corporate arena! Yes, a mega-bucks federal probe, a reckoning, is coming.
INDEED, according to Pamela Geller (one of the book’s endorsers):
“In this age of social media, Facebook has become an extraordinarily powerful gatekeeper of information and a severely irresponsible one, relentlessly censoring conservatives and voices of freedom, and running interference for the left and Islamic supremacists, most notoriously in blocking criticism of Europe’s suicidal immigration and refugee policies. As Joe Newby and Adina Kutnicki show in this unique and essential book, we can’t get word out about any serious initiative these days without Facebook, but Facebook is wholly in thrall to the left. In BANNED: How Facebook Enables Militant Islamic Jihad, Newby and Kutnicki reveal the shocking truth of just how deep the corruption goes and details a cohesive and workable plan for how defenders of freedom can gain and preserve a voice on this essential media platform.”
THAT being established and recorded for all time, it should go without saying that Facebook (in tandem with twitter/youtube/google) is on board with the streaming of terror related videos. Similarly, as already proven, western leadership only took notice of the effects of mass murder after Christ Church was streamed. Again, why is this? Rhetorical.
AND regardless of all the protestations to the contrary, Facebook (in tandem with twitter, et al.), via its calculated streaming, is part and parcel of the very same censorship ascribed to by leftist power-brokers. The proofs are beyond manifest….just connect the dots.
BESIDES, admitted or not, it is within the underbelly of the very same (selective streaming) social media behemoths that the piggybacked danger of censorship has its home.
ALAS, this is precisely where leftist politicians and the lock-step media serve as the PC police and lend cover for assorted self-appointed elites – be they in academia, legal circles, cultural centers or like-minded echo chambers. No doubt, punishing conservatives who refuse to toe the line is swift and hammer-like – akin to living in a gulag and in need of “re-education.” No kidding.
RESULTANT, consider the hell on earth meted out to conservative students all across today’s “enlightened” college campuses – for daring to think for themselves and for speaking their minds – as one and the same. Know that there are so many exhibits to illustrate, it would take more than one book to catalog them. Indubitably.
BY extrapolation, with all the powerful entities invested in shielding Mohammedans, is it any wonder that Facebook feels emboldened enough to unveil new weapons in jihad to silence conservatives and further infringe upon free speech? Asked and answered.
IS it any wonder why Zuckerberg is so smug about the upcoming U.K. online speech rules?
AND is anyone still shocked that Facebook – during Israel’s recent election, and with bold-faced arrogance and infringement – interfered with a Zionist, right-wing candidate by shutting down his page, “while they do nothing about terrorists“, as attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir rightfully and forcefully protested the censorship against his views?
MORE revealingly, why exactly would Facebook and related platforms reallywant centralized censorship, as evidenced within – notwithstanding their gobbledygook about safety concerns and beefed up online security? Hogwash.
BUT there is an upside, that is, if Senator Ted Cruz garners enough support from the shameless, ideologically-bent, pay-for-play, “do nothing” Congress for his recent proposal to rein in the censors of our time. Its basis is targeted and remedial. Intrinsically, it will finally squash “Silicon Valley’s censorship practices: regulation, antitrust, and the policing of big tech’s fraud.” He dutifully exposed the aforementioned during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, as did a few other stalwarts.
MOST significantly, the Conclusion of BANNED (as excerpted and written in 2016, page 149) is inordinately clear: “The alternative is far too horrible to imagine, as Facebook now seeks to essentially control the Internet. If you think things are bad now, just wait five or ten years. Shiver the west’s timbers.”
WELL, it looks like the time-frame allotted by yours truly (and co-author Joe Newby) was far too generous!!
{MEMO: FB’s censors are limiting the sharing of Adina Kutnicki: A Zionist & Conservative Blog! Indeed, the following message from FB’s censors is crystal clear:
MESSAGE FAILED:
This message contains content that has been blocked by our security systems.
If you think you’re seeing this by mistake, please let us know. Yes, additional “proof-in-the pudding” as to why “BANNED: How Facebook Enables Militant Islamic Jihad” had to be written!}
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NYT columnist to IRS: Break the law, leak Trump’s tax info
On Sunday, the New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof responded to a tweet by Matthew Yglesias, and encouraged IRS employees to commit a felony by leaking Pres. Donald Trump’s tax returns, Breitbart.com reported Tuesday morning.
“But if you’re in IRS and have a certain president’s tax return that you’d like to leak, my address is: NYT, 620 Eighth Ave, NY NY 10018,” Kristof wrote.
But if you're in IRS and have a certain president's tax return that you'd like to leak, my address is: NYT, 620 Eighth Ave, NY NY 10018. https://t.co/ujYe100Tn9
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) March 6, 2017
According to Katherine Rodriguez:
Kristof, who writes about global affairs for the Times, responded to a Twitter post from Vox.com executive editor Matthew Yglesias, who said that “it’s impressive that the IRS never leaks”:
https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/838554230529089536
According to the IRS Internal Revenue Manual, the “unauthorized release” of a tax return is a felony punishable by a $5,000 fine and up to five years in prison.
Leakers would also face professional sanctions, including termination of employment.
Trump has not released his tax returns, claiming they are under audit.
Naturally, Kristof got hammered on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/PruneHamp/status/838563170448994307
https://twitter.com/SSNjl/status/838557569673146369
https://twitter.com/CaptMarne/status/838561784973897728
The Hill added:
Releasing an individual’s unauthorized tax returns is a felony. While reporters who publish illegally obtained information that they did not solicit are traditionally not prosecuted, the legal picture becomes less clear if the reporters are involved in the leaking of the information.
“It shall be unlawful for any person to whom any return or return information (as defined in section 6103(b)) is disclosed in a manner unauthorized by this title thereafter willfully to print or publish in any manner not provided by law any such return or return information,” according to the U.S. code on unauthorized disclosure of information.
“Any violation of this paragraph shall be a felony punishable by a fine in any amount not exceeding $5,000, or imprisonment of not more than 5 years, or both, together with the costs of prosecution,” the law reads.
The Harvard-educated Kristof has covered global affairs for the paper since 2001.
You’d think that after more than 15 years, Kristof would know better… Or maybe he just doesn’t care…
NY Times headline from Inauguration Day cites Obama Administration’s wiretapping of Trump
NYT, CBS incites violence against Trump official, shows Stephen Miller’s head on pike
Do liberals really want a second bloody civil war over Donald Trump?
BLM activist in Seattle: ‘We need to start killing people, start killing the White House’
CNN: Assassinating Trump could keep Obama regime in power
If you haven’t checked out and liked our Facebook page, please go here and do so.
And if you’re as concerned about Facebook censorship as we are, go here and order this new book:
Banned: How Facebook enables militant Islamic jihad – Source: Author (used with permission)
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Six candidates will contest the Belfast West by-election on June 9th
By Jonathan Isaby
Following the resignation of Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams from the Belfast West seat (which he did of course never take up in the House of Commons), a by-election will take place in the constituency on June 9th.
Six candidates are standing:
Alex Attwood - SDLP
Gerry Carroll - People Before Profit
Brian Kingston - DUP
Bill Manwaring - UUP
Paul Maskey - Sinn Fein
Aaron McIntyre - Alliance
Adams, who was elected to the Irish Parliament at its recent general election, held the seat at the 2010 general election with a majority of 17,579 after attracting more than 70% of the vote, making it Sinn Fein's safest seat.
May 26, 2011 at 07:00 in Belfast West | Permalink | Comments (7)
Gerry Adams is formally appointed to an office of profit under the Crown, disqualifying him from the Commons
26th January 3.30pm update:
It's official; David Cameron told the Commons at PMQs and here is the formal notice from the Treasury:
Gerry Adams has been appointed to an office of profit under the Crown* in order that he could vacate the seat he won but never took in the Commons.
Sinn Fein had attempted to avoid this. UTV quoted their spokesman as saying earlier in the week:
"We couldn't give a toss [about these rules]. He's not going to apply for these offices. He has sent in a resignation letter like any ordinary person. We want a byelection in West Belfast. There's no written constitution; they just make it up anyway. It's strange men who parade around in tights. Republicans are not losing any sleep over this."
But as John Bercow told the Commons yesterday:
"There are procedures to be observed, and observed they must be."
The questions now is: who by tradition, moves the writ for a by-election, and when, if there is no sitting MP in the Commons from the party of the outgoing MP? The precedent is the second by-election in Fermanagh and South Tyrone of 1981, following the death of Bobby Sands, but I cannot pinpoint the Hansard reference...
* Nick Watt of the Guardian has a statement from Adams claiming he never applied for the office of profit under the Crown.
In what was a busy day politically, it may have ecaped your notice that Gerry Adams - who did of course never take his seat at Westminster - yesterday resigned as MP for Belfast West. This he has done in order to contest a seat at the Irish general election on March 11th, the BBC reported.
Although I'm not sure who will move the writ (given that there is no member of Sinn Fein in the Commons to do so, and usually - though not always - it is someone from the sitting MP's party who does so), it will prompt a by-election in what is one of the safest seats in the United Kingdom.
At the general election, Adam held it with a majority of 17,579 over the SDLP candidate. The DUP trailed in third with 7.6% of the vote, with the UCUNF candidate losing his deposit with 3.1% of the vote.
January 21, 2011 at 06:59 in Belfast West | Permalink | Comments (28)
First nine candidates standing under the joint UUP/Conservative banner selected
Things are fast moving in the selection of candidates to stand under the joint Conservative/UUP banner at the general election. Further to yesterday's story about candidates in Northern Ireland, the BBC is reporting that the Joint Committee of both parties has already agreed on which candidates will stand in nine of the province's eighteen constituencies.
Belfast East - Trevor Ringland
Belfast West - Bill Manwaring
Down South - John McCallister MLA
Lagan Valley - Daphne Trimble
Newry and Armagh - Danny Kennedy MLA
Strangford - Mike Nesbitt
Tyrone West - Ross Hussey
Ulster Mid - Sandra Overend
Upper Bann - Harry Hamilton
February 25, 2010 at 06:30 in Belfast East, Belfast West, Down South, Lagan Valley, Newry and Armagh, Northern Ireland, Strangford, Tyrone West, Ulster Mid, Upper Bann | Permalink | Comments (14)
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Posts Tagged stupidity
How We Re-Create Human Prenatal Irritation and Burning in a Polluted Planet: Diagnosis, Prognosis, and What to Do About Toxic Womb ~ Toxic Earth
Posted by sillymickel in activism, authenticity, being yourself, Class, economics, Generations, globalrevolution, History, individualism, life, meaning, nonconform, occupywallstreet, Politics, psychology, spirituality on February 17, 2013
Roots of Apocalypse — We Stood Up — and Why Humans Defecate Where They Sleep: We Need to Face the Monsters of Our Creation … Earth to Humans – Wake the F#$% Up!
Wounded Deer and Centaurs, Chapter Eleven: Toxic Womb ~ Toxic World … Gaia Is Calling
Toxic Womb ~ Toxic Earth: How We Manifest Prenatal Irritation and Burning in Environmental Destruction and Why Humans Are Compelled to Poop Where They Sleep.
Toxic Womb ~ Toxic Earth … How We Re-Create Human Prenatal Irritation/Burning in a Polluted Planet … Diagnosis and Prognosis
Environmentally We Act Out
The second aspect of prenatal irritation/revulsion is, We can’t get rid of poisons that build up in the environment around us…like a prenatal environmental pollution. We can’t eliminate wastes as efficiently.
Toxic Womb ~ Toxic World
I’ve written a lot about this in other places of this blog/book. I’ve talked at length about how we act out the deprivation part of late gestation experience in global suffocation, greenhouse effect by focusing on the reductions of oxygen. But remember that there are slight increases of carbon dioxide with the reduced blood flow for the prenate: These are a big part of the increase in waste matter, consequent upon a reduced efficiency of eliminating toxins. So, obviously this is analogous to the way we have created such an increase in carbon dioxide in our atmosphere called the greenhouse effect. We’ve done a good job of manifesting this…not easy to do. And we should be congratulated if it were actually a good thing and not another way we have become good at self-destruction.
We re-create the bad blood aspects of fetal malnutrition in air pollution. I can tell you from much personal experience in Southern California that indeed it re-creates the sensations of sickness at times. And this is when it is obvious to me; here I’m asserting that it is stimulating unconscious memories of discomfort even when we are not aware of being sickened, consciously.
So that’s deprivation and bad blood…of course the other aspect of late gestation is crowdedness, which I’ve also dealt with earlier at length.
Prenatal Burning
So now, here let us just look at some of the ways we re-create, specifically, those irritating, burning sensations in our environment—the fourth aspect of late gestation comfort and the third of fetal malnutrition. I mentioned in a previous post how we sit out in the sun and endure discomfort—sun bathing—in some odd re-creation of fetal irritation. The most obvious environmental correspondence with that is the way we have thinned out our protection from the sun, so now we can better be harmed by UV rays. With the huge reductions in our ozone layer, we are insuring an increased burning of our skin and epidemics of skin cancer—not very comfortable I would imagine.
We have managed to surround ourselves with the prospect of burning up in a fiery inferno at any moment because of nuclear weapons we have created out of the suicidal deliriums of some of us. That would be prenatal burning acted out to the infinite power.
Prenatal Irritation
Some of this is the most obvious of all: Toxic Womb Environment leads to Toxic Environment. Again, good job, humans! If it were some kind of achievement. We have created a worldwide toxic womb, with a fractal equivalent of the situation in the womb—a buildup of poisons that cannot be eliminated anywhere: There is no longer any “away” to remove it to.
We have air pollution, water pollution, food pollution, radiation pollution…. We are polluting the genetic codes of biological organisms on Earth…. We are polluting our land by fracking, so water sent through it will poison us and catch fire…. If there’s anything else, well, I’m sure we’re polluting it somehow or other.
Just How Long Can You Not “Step In It” – 250,000 Years?
We have become the filthiest of species, essentially pooping in our own nests. We have landfills that overflow and encroach on residences, ticking time bombs of nuclear waste matter that have to be guarded for 250,000 years. That’s a long time to have to avoid “stepping in it,” wouldn’t you say? And we are polluting and killing our oceans, creating the closest thing of all to a toxic, poisonous placenta, as from it, ultimately, we suck our necessary O2 and H20.
Compartmentalizing Our Doom
I could go on but you get the point. We’ve done a great job of re-creating the discomfort of the toxic womb. And, as I said, yes we are sickened, whether we acknowledge it or not. And what I’ve observed is that even the most intelligent of us is trying like crazy to NOT acknowledge it, using all manner of denials and defensive maneuvers of consciousness. If nothing else, about our discomfort and its causes, we are “compartmentalizing” so we can go on with our lives.
Nature Balances HerSelf
We have done such a good job of creating the “toxic womb” in our planetary environment you have to marvel at the perfection of its replication. And with such perfection, there are reasons. As I’ve been saying, we re-create that which we need to experience. So, as we do this, we are creating the exact situation that we need to face in our earliest lives in order to heal them…and in this lies the hope. In fact, looking ahead, I will be telling you that this is the key to a solution for us. As I say, Nature Balances HerSelf, and we are part of her. We may or may not make it as a species, but certainly it looks like we are in the process of something that is perfectly set up to wake us into consciousness of what we need to heal, if we heed it.
Toxic Earth – Prognosis: We’ve Created Our Own “Monsters” and Roots of Apocalypse – We Stood Up!
We’ve Created Our Own “Monsters”; How We View Them Is Up to Us … Toxic Earth – Prognosis
Roots of Apocalypse—We Stood Up
Basically, it warmed up pretty good in the interior of Africa millions of years ago, so our forebears headed “to the beach”—to the ocean shores, swamps, and lakes—where it was more bearable. We foraged for food in the shallow waters and found it beneficial to stand upright, for it allowed us to go into deeper waters and gather more, and for longer periods. Naturally over time bipedalism traits were the ones that won out through natural selection.
But when we became a standing species, it added birth trauma and premature birth to our “species set.” For with this rearrangement of our posture, we created a narrower pelvic opening and our prenates no longer hung loosely below us but pressed down upon the arteries below to create the fetal malnutrition, which I’ve been discussing in the previous 22 sections. The prematurity of birth was caused by the narrower pelvic opening, as the baby needed to leave the womb earlier than other species in order to make it out. This meant that we would do a great deal of our early life’s learning and development—much more than any other species—outside of the womb and in the context of society, not Nature; this is called secondary altriciality, which is something unique about humans.
With all of these developments — prenatal fetal malnutrition, premature birth, and secondary altriciality—we had greater pain and trauma at the beginning of our lives than any other species. We needed to grow a bigger brain—with an additional brain structure, vastly multiplied neural pathways, and a split brain—to deal with this pain in order to survive. The larger skull added further to birth trauma; it was even more difficult to get through the pelvic opening, and so it required even more prematurity of birth.
All this development outside the womb and increased brain size resulted in language and culture, with all its complexities. Split off from horrible early pains and discomforts, our minds created substitute reflections of our early memories in our cultural products. We created an artificial consciousness construct—an Ego—as an intermediary between the impulses from our insides, emanating from early discomforts, and the stimulus and information coming to us from our current reality.
Its egoic product — that is, what we end up thinking is real — would be the distorted amalgamation of the past — early pain and the learning built on early discomforts — and the present—our present-time situational reality, including the twisted cultural products within and without. So what the Ego came up with would not be true, for its purpose would be to allow us to survive, regardless of bothersome early imprints.
We called the accumulation of cultural product the “advance of man,” and patted ourselves on the back for our Promethean achievements, deeming ourselves superior to Nature. To congratulate ourselves, we needed to ignore all the evidence of savagery on a scale not seen in the rest of our world, which we perpetrated on each other and on the world of Nature.
In all this abominable acting out, we were manifesting aspects of our early pain that we were clueless about, and so created a mirror image of our early experience and its horrific pain and trauma in Reality itself. So it is that, all our early trauma has led us to unthinkingly plod to the edge of oblivion, as we re-create war, fascism, class war, racism and bigotry, environmental pollution, nuclear radiation, loss of ozone layer, threat of nuclear war, and all the rest of the dire threats I’ve been discussing as being act outs of our early prenatal discomforts—crowdedness, deprivation, disgust, and irritation/burning.
So, we stood upright; and now, unless something radical happens, it will lead to the end of life for ourselves and possibly everything else on this planet in short order.
What can we do about it? Strangely, many of us are determined to just die. But if you are one of those who would prefer not to, well, going up against all the others, don’t think it will be easy. But if you wish to fight to live, here is the starting point for effective change, which would actually save our lives and those of future generations and which comes out of this understanding of the early psychological roots of our otherwise apocalyptic propulsion:
We Always Create Our Own “Monsters”—How We View Them Is Up to Us
As mentioned in the last section, we always create around us a reflection of the kinds of issues we need to deal with “on our insides.” We have always done this, as a species.
They Can Be the Like the Wake-Up Knock from a Master
But we have added stimulus for these feelings today; we have greater prods to our waking up than ever before in our history. These will either be knocks on the head to get us to “pay attention”—as a Zen master might give to one of his students—or they will be the blow that will end our existence… It’s up to us.
For as always, we both re-create and resist that which we have unresolved. In terms of oxygen “starvation” prior to birth, we both create and are made uncomfortable by air pollution…toxic air. Much like creating crushing populations, as discussed in a previous post , we create suffocating global air pollution for us to continually be triggered into uncomfortable unresolved feelings from our early lives. So, it is not like we are not being reminded of what we need to do—on both our “insides” as well as our “outsides.” We will never need a to-do list for this.
How Can You “Let It Go” If You Won’t “Pick It Up”? Toxic Womb/ Toxic Earth … Prospects.
We Need to Face the Monsters of Our Creation … What to Do About Toxic Womb ~ Toxic Earth
Gaia Calling
Earth to Humans – Wake the F#$% Up!
Many ignore the warning blows, however, no matter how severely they are felt. There is huge denial about climate change, the invisible death upon us from Fukushima, and just about all the things I’ve been bringing up as important to look at, regardless how many deaths from tornadoes, tsunamis, and the rest. And from some quarters this refusal to see is deep, batshit crazy, and thoroughly intractable.
But now it’s at least understandable. And as with everything else, knowing the nature of something gives us an edge.
The Tea Party and Anti-Abortion Type Response
But at this point can you see why the “worst” of us—the sickest in terms of being pushed around by such early pain—would not want to do anything about these environmental problems? Can you see why the most afflicted of us are fixated on the abortion issue…here pointing exactly to the source of their discomfort…that is, in their lives as fetuses? We would think theirs to be an honest concern for prenates driven purely by compassion were it not for the fact that these same people have little sympathy—in fact, the opposite!—for the folks already born, around them, who are suffering.
How Can You “Let It Go” If You Won’t Pick It Up?
One must have less of this fetal pain originally or have resolved more of it by facing, feeling, standing and dealing with it…not running away from it…and working through these uncomfortable unresolved feelings which arise inside oneself for one to have any kind of distance from their pushes and pulls, their sway, to tackle these problems and not wish to keep bringing them about and keep making oneself suffer. That is, one needs to deal with something before one can stop oneself from reminding oneself that one needs to deal with that something. Why would one think one can “go beyond” something by simply ignoring it, “letting it go,” or imagining, “meditating,” or even praying it away? It just doesn’t work like that.
The other night I woke in the middle of the night, feeling annoyed that I had not gotten a good night’s sleep. I felt irritated, and my mind went on about how this lack of sleep was going to affect my work, was going to stress my heart and contribute to other health complications, and would generally be a drag on my well-being and happiness, as I needed to catch up on some sleep I hadn’t gotten lately. Eventually, my mind came around to how I felt. I noticed I was perspiring a little: I was warm. That had made me feel uncomfortable. I also realized I was uncomfortable on the bed as I had allowed the bedclothes to get all bunched up beneath me in a way that didn’t feel good. I had unwittingly created some “prenatal discomfort” for myself. While I didn’t feel like I could do anything to get back to sleep, I did attend to removing some layers, so as to be cooler, and straightening out my bed so it would be flatter and more comfortable. And you know what? I feel asleep for an additional five hours and caught up on my sleep.
I know, this sounds like a silly example. But if you understand like I do the roots of our apocalypse and the utter self-destructive stupidity of humans’ behavior and the mind-blowing absurdity of the reality we have constructed in order to keep from seeing our problems, you can’t help but be struck with how simple and obvious and everywhere about is both evidence of the dire state we are in but also the obvious solutions. So, I’ve allowed myself to be facetious, to make this point:
In order to solve a problem, you need to face it.
We will continue making air pollution and suffering from it until we face our unresolved inner problems, just as we will have air pollution (and any other problem) until we face it and deal with it. The idea that we can make problems go away by ignoring them and acting as if they don’t exist is nonsensical and an insanity in us. It is an irrationality borne of desperation, which we act upon but mostly deny that we do. It is that part of ourselves that continues to bring suffering upon ourselves and others.
This part, this thing about what can be done about our situation, is the part I elaborate on at the end of this book. All of it is based upon the simple idea that we need to look at problems we want to solve and the most dire problems are the most important to look at.
That is the most important reason we would want to know all this—that is, so we have some power or say in it … so we can do something about it.
So in the final chapters of this work, I deal with this in great detail, and I show where there is hope and where there are positive developments. I also indicate what we are doing wrong so as to continue manifesting that which we don’t want…that is, where we are self-destructive, basically where we are shooting ourselves in the foot without knowing it … as well as what we can do differently.
So let us leave it at this for now and continue the diagnosis of our condition. For if we do not understand it, how can we do anything about it? I will be pointing out at the end that the biggest part of our continued self-destruction is our brain-dead refusal to understand our actions and face their consequences.
Continue with Perinatal Printouts Of Sixties, X, and Millennial Generations: No-Exit Wombs, Vampire Apocalypse, Drug Use, and Being Gratefully Dead
Return to Prenatal Revulsion and Loss of the “Golden Age”: Creeped Out in the Womb, The Itches We Cannot Scratch, and the Deepest Roots of OCD, Bigotry, and Holocaust
absurdity, act out, advance, air pollution, Anthropology, anti-abortion, apocalypse, atmosphere, baby, bad blood, behavior, bigotry, bipedalism, Birth, birth trauma, blood, brain, burning, burning sensations, cancer, carbon dioxide, class war, climate, climate change, compartmentalize, Consciousness, consequences, crowdedness, culture, death, denial, deprivation, destruction, diagnosis, die, DISCOMFORT, doom, dusgust, early humans, Earth, earthquake, Ego, Environment, environmental, environmental destruction, environmental pollution, Evolution, existence, experience, extinction, fascism, fear, fetal malnutrition, fetus, flood, fracking, fractal, fukushima, gaia, generation, genetic code, gestation, greenhouse effect, healing, health, History, hope, humanicide, humans, humanticide, imprint, insanity, irritation, learning, letting go, life, meditate, memory, mental-health, monster, monsters, natural selection, Nature, neural pathways, nuclear, nuclear waste, oblivion, occupy wall street, ocean, ows, oxygen, ozone layer, pain, pelvis, perinatal, placenta, planet, poison, poisons, Politics, pollute, polluted planet, pollution, population, positive, pray, pregnancy, premature birth, prenatal, prenate, problem, prognosis, Prometheus, Psychology, racism, radiation, re-create, real, reality, revulsion, sarah palin, savagery, science, secondary altriciality, self-destruction, society, solution, species, spirituality, stand, stupidity, suffer, suffocation, sun bathe, Tea Party, tornado, toxic, toxic world, trauma, truth, tsunami, unconscious, unconscious memories, understanding, upright, wake up, war, waste matter, womb, world
Wonderful Can Happen: With Dumbness at the Top and Media as the New Opiate of the Masses, Still, “Yes, We Can” Proved We Could.
Posted by sillymickel in activism, allegory, authenticity, being yourself, Class, Culture, economics, Generations, globalrevolution, History, individualism, nonconform, occupywallstreet, philosophy, Politics, psychology, spirituality, US on November 6, 2012
To Our Amazement, Charlie Brown Connected, Lucy Apologized, a Man Who Said “Yes We Can,” Would: Anything Is Possible … Means Everything Is Possible
Culture War, Class War, Chapter 23: Something Wonderful Can Happen
There Are Good Reasons Why Our Financial and Environmental Fortunes Careen Wildly About: Dumbness Rises to the Top
Blinded by Their Greed, They Overlook the Obvious: Why Our National Misfortunes Are Greeted with Such Surprise by Authorities and Pundits
Voices Never Heard
What I’ve been trying to say here is, there are perspectives that are relevant and are never heard. And I’m talking about perspectives that are right outside the doors of power ready to talk and be heard; often having been perspectives that had been embraced not long ago, but suddenly, not having any credibility at all…so that our democracy of many voices—now with the filthy rich and their Republican lackeys and their paid-for media in collusion to mine only one avenue of discourse—begins to echo the Soviet Union of old with its one voice, Pravda.
Horrors Far Worse
Back in 2000, I also had written,
“I believe we are in grave danger of losing things far worse than those horrors. I believe we are in danger of losing all hope of maintaining, let alone progressing, in the freedoms and privileges that we take for granted.”
I believe our friend speaks eloquently about some of those far greater horrors, and indicates they are there right now on our doorstep. We had a surplus and a will to tackle them a decade ago. Sadly we have wasted the last ten years reversing those environmental policies whose intent it was to help. And we have reversed our financial situation, which could have helped. In addition, we have reversed the restrictions on corporations and other policies that would have helped and at least slowed down this ominous impending doom.
So we are a decade further along in environmental collapse, and it is has increased its acceleration toward us. Meanwhile we have slashed away at our financial and other resources for dealing with it and chopped back the time in which to work. The way I phrased it a decade ago.
So is this election important? I believe it is. For me it is especially important, for I feel that if the Republicans take over, they will do so much to damage to the dreams of my generation that even if the Democrats were to be reelected to all branches of government in 4 or 8 years, they will do so much damage (the example of Reagan-Bush nearly QUADRUPLING the National Debt in their mere 12 years being the perfect example) that My Generation will have to clean up their mess afterwards, taking more years. And only then will we be in a position to progress in this country and world and bring it more in line with the ideals of peace, love, community, and harmony we envisioned in the Sixties.
So what I mean is that if we fail in the next 80 days, I can envision no more time of real hope again, for this country or the world, until I am in my Sixties, Seventies, or older. And then, even then, there will be no real hope. For as it is said of the poor, these forces of regression, Cowboy shoot-ourselves-in-the-foot, cynicism, and – let us call it what it really is: evil – will always be with us.
Dumbness Rises to the Top
And sure enough, as we all know…and what these people could not even imagine, as that trader put it, well, it is happening. One wonders what these buffoons who could not foresee such things will do in terms of fixing them; having acknowledged their extreme lack of foresight (and we’ve added, their extreme inability to look anywhere farther than their tight knit group of true believers for answers.) This should be something to see.
As for Wall Street and the economy, let’s take another look at how the media has dealt with other perspectives to flesh out my claims above of these perspectives not being far off.
On CNBC, a couple of years before the economic downturn, they used to have as a commentator, Robert Reich, who was President Clinton’s Secretary of the Treasury and the mastermind of the great economic turnaround of the Nineties.
But he was talked over, laughed at, and was routinely talked to as if he was a child or suffered sadly from some kind of bleeding heart brain cloud. Well, as his words began to be the ones that should have been listened to, he was no longer to be seen on CNBC. And then afterward we have such a comment like, “Well, nobody could have seen it coming.”
Well how could they, if they were no longer put on the show?
No, apparently there was such an insular crowd on Wall Street, the White House, and, most unfortunate, among the very media whose job it was neither to make news as prognosticators or economic experts, nor was it to be part of a partisan “anti-plunge patrol.” Their lack of even-handedness and their alliance with particular theories created just the kind of apparent reality that the trader bemoaned. No, it wasn’t that nobody was seeing it coming–as you see below, I was seeing it as inevitable from the shared experience of a mere decade or so ago. And I mention one figure who was silenced. So to the mystified trader who knew no one who saw anything but, as one particularly wrong-headed man phrased it, “a goldilocks economy.”
So, blinded by their greed, they missed what the people I knew were all seeing—danger ahead, and the unsustainability of a rally that had risen on so much manipulation, misinformation, and constant drum blows of obviously wrong economic talking points hammered over and over across our airwaves and drowning out every sound of warning or opposition, so that surprise and misinformation informed the trading decisions of the great bull traders.
So many people were hurt by this partisan power play. But that was the way of just about everything during those 8 years of, as one recent writer dubbed it, dictatorship.
If you’re still reading, you will see I have reasons for pointing these things out, providing this background, for it is this context of a kind of dumbness rising to the top which, even now, makes for the strangest of comments on TV talk shows, and the most asinine and foot-shooting policies and stances of the remaining Republicans.
Media Feel-Good Talk Does Not Equal Reality … and Why We’re Helpless to Prevent the Future Fukushimas and Killer Hurricanes.
Media Is the New “Opiate of the Masses,” with Pundits a New Priestly Caste Between Modern Pharoahs and the New Enslaved.
Media Mollifies Masses
All this being said, now, perhaps for you the Message in a Bottle provides, as it did to me, a provocative window into the workings of cause and effect. More than that I hope it sheds light on the huge efforts of deception that are ever needed to advance false partisan ideas which, though proven wrong, will by greed be raised anew and banner-like be carried forth to beat back the voices of common sense in favor of a reality that must be forced to be made to be true only because its rich adherents would wish it to be so.
Media Feel-Good Talk Does Not Equal Reality
Another advantage of having the time capsule is what we can learn about such warnings. Will the media tell you of impending doom, so that we might avert it?
No, they will, for the sake of ratings (profits), be a “feel good” media. They will spin out “comfort truth” — junk food for the mind — insubstantial and inconsequential and hardly soul-satisfying. But it will soothe the stresses brought to listeners through their otherwise participation in the capitalist matrix. As empty of truth as junk food is empty of nutrition it will act as medicine for the troubles of the postmodern soul—enslaved and unfree—but unaware even of that…and unable to even know that. So this media will serve the functions that religion once did for the elite, becoming another opiate of the masses. And the pundits will play the role of the priestly intermediaries between our modern pharoahs—the banksters and the filthy rich—and the masses upon which they feed.
So no, it is not the media’s role to warn us of disaster. Hardly. Indeed, when that disaster is one of the many forthcoming from the actions of those elite they serve, it will be the media’s job to set up the screens of smoke and trivia to distract and entertain away from real concerns. Then they will, as we’ve seen, report afterward on it and bring out the “No one could have foreseen this happening.” Well that is a self-serving lie. I hope that is gleaned from all this if nothing else.
I’ve been detailing on the media complicity, indeed, facility in the Great Recession caused by the tax cutting policies of George W Bush. But since then we have seen Fukushima, the BP oil spill, and Sandy. Could Fukushima have been prevented? Yes. For I can personally tell you, as an anti-nuke activist in the Eighties, how we were warning back then of the immense dangers of nuclear power plants and especially those on earthquake fault lines. Has the media advanced that story line? You know the answer to that.
Has the media since Fukushima kept us informed on developments there so we might prepare for the consequences coming to us from that? I’ll put it this way, I’ve had otherwise knowledgeable people tell me that “It is a good thing Fukushima turned out how it did … it could have been worse.” Worse? Something far worse than Chernobyl—which itself resulted in one million deaths (where’s the media on that fact?)—turned out ok? For this we can thank a media that stopped reporting on developments there when it turned out they could not spin it in any feel-good way. Things got worse, are still getting worse, and they stopped covering it.
Then there’s Sandy. It is being said this has brought climate change and global warming back into the dialogue. But why was it not in already? We have an entire political party in America hell bent on ignoring global warming in their insane pursuit of profits at any and all costs. Has the media been on top of this? Those self-interested climate-denying Republicans—has the media been holding their feet to the fire? Have they even lit a match near their feet? You know the answer again. For prior to Sandy and in four presidential and vice presidential debates there was not even ONE question … from the media, mind you … on the environment … let alone, climate change or Fukushima. Yet there was plenty of interest in setting up the candidates to see who could be the most manly on drilling and fracking our way to ecological hell.
Feel good media? I think so! At odds with reality? You tell me.
In the Past It Has Had Horrific Consequences.
Feel-good talk does not equal reality. If it did there would not have been the Nazis, the Holocaust, a Stalin—five million dead; a Cambodia—millions dead; a Rwanda—dead dead dead; or an AIDS epidemic—uncountable dead and growing.
Yet what I wrote over a decade ago, at the time if it had been shared in any place of power, would no doubt have been challenged by this word: “Paranoid.” This is the common way the public uses denial to avoid harsh realities. Blame the messengers, the dangers go away. I’m sure my planetmate friend’s piece earlier has already been labeled that way: “Paranoid.” “It’s all paranoia on the part of some crazies” is the common attitude.
That is the way we keep out the truth. It is like using a drug to ease the pain of your cancer, but it doesn’t do anything to keep you from dying.
Indeed, the planetmates’ lament, though it be labeled paranoid, is based on the findings of the best scientific minds of our times about the environmental collapses—the outright ecocide that is upon us from so many causes and in ways that are now uncountable in number. Their message is so much more important in that we will likely reach the point of no return long before the masses of humanity are severely suffering from the continued environmental assault. I don’t like to say it, but it needs to be said that some are convinced that it is already too late, that we had a window of opportunity and blew it. I know of groups in the know who are absolutely convinced there is no saving us now and that it is naïve to expect anything but doom.
Troubling it is that, on top all that’s been said about this message and what it has told us about what we lost and how far we are now from where we need to go, not to mention knowing we were betrayed by our government obviously, we now realize without a doubt our media too helped when they could have stopped it all.
Wonderful Can Happen, Part Three — Amazingly, Charlie Brown Connects: Remember … “Yes, We Can” Proved We Could
Shaken Out of Our Mental Maze, We Would Be A-Mazed: Lucy Apologizes, Sisyphus Rests, A Man Who Said “Yes We Can,” Would
Why Know This? Amazingly, Charlie Brown Connects
So, these things we know. They are sobering rationalizations and ones we should not run from.
But lastly and most importantly, these prescient thoughts of long ago help me. I find that these time-capsule writings from my former mind are able to inform me and sharpen my vision of the Now, as the events continue unfolding and rolling relentlessly over and through us and are reflected in high-pixel, high-def, infinite colors clarity on the flat screens all about. This time is felt and witnessed, the story being revealed cinema-like, but with pundits galore expounding 24/7, like loud-mouthed fellow movie-goers.
But then also they become the movie and are interwoven into the times themselves. And their words, with this time capsule before me, are sounding childish, repetitive, forgetful, amnesiacal. Especially this is true as many of the ones speaking now are remembered as being the exact persons commenting then. And their words, little changed, bespeak a zen-like ability to be newly alarmed, being reborn in every minute, but yet totally unchanged and untaught by all the years of witnessing and commentary. So they also have forgotten the way they once saw the world and their life … just as I once did.
If We Knew, Would We Act?
It seems a defense mechanism to forget that we saw all this coming. For to know that is to despair in realizing the impotence, even, of awareness. Who wants to realize that in these matters even a knowledge of the story line, as if having seen the movie once before, is totally useless? Who wants to think that there is a helplessness in affecting the events of our lives and times, that there is a total futility in changing or steering away or around even the tragedies clearly seen beforehand?
For knowing this we feel as detached as actual cinema-goers from the unfolding of the plotline. We feel ourselves to be not actors and hardly even the scriptwriters of our lives, instead merely the witnesses of intensely shocking and stunning events, which we actually expected but hoped we would be wrong about. So wouldn’t we want to block out that awareness of the futility of our actions? Wouldn’t we have to in order to have the heart to keep going at it? To get up and keep trying every day?
Sisyphus Remembering, Would He Continue Pushing?
If we remembered, like Charlie Brown approaching the football, or like Sisyphus rolling the boulder up the hill… if we remembered, would we continue to act?
No, we have to believe that we will be surprised this time, that indeed Lucy will hold the football and we will complete the kick. It is said that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. As true as that is, how ironic then that we realize that those who remember history too clearly are doomed to helplessness in the midst of its unfolding. So it seems we are ineffectual either way.
But There’s More To It
Yet this is not the whole truth. If it were, then the cynicism we felt about “The Audacity of Hope”…remember that book?…well, that cynicism would have proven a correct perception. We would have been bored, again, watching a naïve young idealistic black man—like the many before, differing only in skin color—seeing his efforts, visions, hopes, and heartfelt desires to be helpful and to love away some of the darkness in the world around him vanish like the memory of yesterday’s storm-driven winds. But we, I, was one time wrong in that cynicism.
Lucy Apologizes, Sisyphus Rests.
To the astonishment, truly, of an entire world, Charlie Brown connected with the football, Lucy apologized for her past actions, and one heavy boulder remained steady on the top of a hill and gave a man a much needed rest from his endless labors.
For one incredible and glorious time, the movie we’d seen had a different ending—amazing enough in itself. But also the tragedy in the original did not occur. And as if God had for a time touched this planet, this Reality we call our World, our Life…as if God had just for one time touched, tipped, and turned our events, the awesomely unexpected happened.
A man so unbelievably naïve and unaware as to declare the “audacity of hope” and to call out and stir up the masses, deluding them as we’ve seen so many times before, that “yes, we can,” would.
Shaken Out of Our Mental Maze, We Would Be A-Mazed.
And we’d have to pinch ourselves to believe it to actually be happening even as we witnessed it. That he would actually succeed in doing exactly what he said he would do would not only show us that a man could actually affect the course of events, would show us that a person could not only change things from the way they’d always been (what kind of man can this be?). But that he would do it in a grand and sweeping way would be all the more astonishing. We would be all the more unbelieving that a man who said “yes we can” not only could but he could do it in a way that achieved beyond merely succeeding; never mind that merely succeeding would be doing the impossible.
The Only Thing We Can Be Truly Sure Of … Is We Can Never Be Sure… Which Means That Anything Is Possible… Which Means That Everything Is Possible.
Our Inability to Know Is the Source of a Hope That IS Real: Wonderful Can Happen, Part Four: It’s Just as Likely the Miraculous Will Happen.
Just When We Thought We Knew…
So I am saddened having been awakened from my forgetfulness by this catscan of a mind perfectly preserved in an electronically sealed time capsule… oh, what could have been…. But then I remember, happily, that we are, I am, imperfect prophets and seers. That just when it seems we know, for sure now, how things are, the way the world is, and how the movie will end; that just then when we know, totally convinced we are, that truly things will be as they will be and that it is futile to rail against the inevitable, to hope, even to try; that just then when we have finally accepted “reality for what it is,” accepted “life on its own terms” not ours; that when we’d given up the things of youth, accepted the limitations of life, addressed ourselves, resignedly, to carrying forward on the mundane things of life, to the ordinary activities of everyperson, to the simple responsibilities and expectations of every man, every person, from every time that’s ever been and accepted the unrelenting lack of specialness in either our times or ourselves…that just at that time we would be touched and wakened to see that the most unchanging thing of life is not its utter resistance to change, its utter forgetfulness and repetition, but is the mysterious darkness surrounding the utter clarity of everyday knowingness, is in fact the imperfection of ourselves even as we observe so clearly the assured imperfection of the world.
Anything Is Possible… Which Means That Everything Is Possible
Sounds complicated. What I’m saying I think is important enough to repeat. I’ll say it more simply.
The most unchanging thing of life is not the things we see that never change. They are not the most unchanging thing of life. The most unchanging thing of life is something surrounding the absolute clarity we have about these things, these harsh realities even. When you’ve finally come to accept life, you’ve accepted these unpleasant things, these hard truths, and you think that for sure now you’ve got it, that it was all about learning to accept that…and thereby become the “adult,” the seasoned, assured cynic.
Accepting Life’s Pain. But Because We Are Imperfect…
But rather, the most unchanging and most true thing about life is that no matter how much we think we know how exactly life is, there’s a darkness surrounding that utter everyday clarity that we carry around and share with our neighbors, reinforcing it’s trueness. There’s a darkness surrounding it. And that darkness is in fact the imperfection of our selves. We’re not perfect; we’re not all-knowing. It is in fact the imperfection of ourselves even as we observe so clearly the assured imperfection of the world, you see. I’m being sarcastic there.
What I’m saying is: Knowing that, we know that it is exactly the imperfection that is the most solid thing in life. You see? It’s not the things that they try to make solid. This is the thing that is solid, is gonna be there, always. Nobody has to try to make that happen, there’s always going to be an unknown.
Therefore, since there’s always going to be an unknown there’s always going to be human imperfection. For we may think we know everything, sometimes. But only a fool goes through life very long thinking that. And so, in knowing that, knowing that that’s the most unchanging thing of life, the thing you can really count on, that’s never going to go away…well, we know that it is exactly the imperfection, that lack that’s in a person, that evil, that unmoving wrongness of the world that we have tried so futilely to change, that being in us, is the source of the blessedness of life, which is the fact that our ultimate unknowingness is the only true source of a hope that IS real,
It’s Possible “Something Wonderful Is Going to Happen.”
It is only because we know that we cannot really know, for sure, that then we can know for sure that there’s always got to be hope because we could never know for sure that there wasn’t. So, what a blessing that is. That being wrong, being imperfect means something unbelievable when you think of it: Which is that against all odds, “something wonderful is going to happen.”
Ultimate unknowingness is the only true source of a hope that is real. And you say, how can you say that? You say, that’s not true. Then I ask you, are you perfect? You say, no. Then I say, the only true thing is that you’re not perfect, so that anything you are absolutely sure is wrong has a possibility of being right.
And Anything Is Possible … Means Everything Is Possible.
So, who knows? You might say that we don’t know what’s real. That’s true, of course, so why would we necessarily think things are dire right now? Why, it’s just as possible that something wonderful is going to happen. It’s just as likely that, in spite of ourselves, the miraculous can happen; that magic is real; and that hope, and happiness, and blessedness, and forgiveness, and glorious divine wonders beyond even the envisioning of our ideals are possible.
And all because the only thing that we can be truly sure of—even when we are finally convinced that we should not expect anything special—is that we can never be sure… which means that anything is possible… which means that everything is possible.
Continue with Culture War, Class War, Chapter Twenty-Four: Naked Republicans
Return to Culture War, Class War, Chapter 22: Horrors Worse Than That
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Posted by sillymickel in activism, authenticity, Class, Culture, economics, Generations, globalrevolution, History, individualism, life, nonconform, occupywallstreet, Politics, psychology, spirituality, US on October 28, 2012
On CNBC/, a couple of years before the economic downturn, they used to have as a commentator, Robert Reich, who was President Clinton’s Secretary of the Treasury and the mastermind of the great economic turnaround of the Nineties.
Continue with Media Feel-Good Talk Does Not Equal Reality … and Why We’re Helpless to Prevent the Future Fukushimas and Killer Hurricanes.
Return to Culture War, Class War, Chapter 22:
Horrors Worse Than That
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Money Madness and the Rise of “Obvious Truths” … Around Taxes, the Wealthy, Job Creation, Democrats, Republicans, Generations, Your Life, and You: When ALL You Hear Are Lies, You Think It HAS to Be Truth
Foolin’ the People … About Money, About “Us” (The 1%), About Taxes, About Job Creation, About Democrats, About Republicans, About Generations, About Your Life, About You: Choose the Red Pill
Culture War, Class War, Chapter Fifteen: Money Madness
Tax the Wealthy, You’re Taxing Me … Foolin’ the People About Money
Obvious “Truths”—Fiscally Responsible Republicans and Tax and Spend Democrats
Obvious “Truths”:
Tax the wealthy, you’re taxing me.
Democrats tax and spend, they bust the budget, balloon the National Debt.
Republicans are fiscally responsible, fiscally conservative; they balance budgets and are careful about the National Debt.
Rich people create the jobs.
The wealthy are society’s creative sector.
That “class warfare” stuff “just doesn’t work.”
Obvious “Truth” – Tax the Wealthy, You’re Taxing Me
But when you hear the same things again and again, even black-and-white facts can be put up for dispute. For example, during the 2008 presidential race and prior to Obama’s first budget the Democrats’ tax proposal was explained as a tax cut for the middle class and no increase on any Americans making less than two hundred thousand a year. This was a black-and-white fact, part of the public record, not in dispute. But how did the Republicans explain it?
That’s a Small Business?
I certainly heard it, over and over again; I bet you did too. Republicans were saying the tax proposal was going to affect small businesses. So we have small businesses that are making over two hundred thousand a year in pure profit? And that’s a small business? That’s a smallbusiness? I think if you’re making, after all your deductions and everything and you’re still making two hundred grand, I think that you’re not a small business, I think you can afford extra taxes, but that’s what we are told.
We’re All Rich. Somehow I Missed That Memo.
So apparently we got a group of people who think that people are really rich. The assumption is that most Americans are rolling in dough so that any tax increase on the wealthy is an attack on all Americans.
So, you can’t tax that sliver of the very, very wealthy a little bit more so that the majority of Americans might benefit. Benefiting the majority of Americans used to be how you got to “home base.” But now, it’s like, “No, you can’t tax Americans; we are Taxed Enough Already!”
Obvious “Truth”: The Democrats’ Want to Take Your Money.
The way this “obvious truth” is phrased now…no way to get around it, it’s a flat out lie…goes, “You can’t tax the very rich, cause that’s…” and they’ll just say it right out, “that’s gonna affect all Americans, that’s taxing everybody.”
Well how did it get to that conclusion when actually it’s going to lower taxes. And they were saying it over and over again, “No, we don’t even need to know what the plan is; we just know he’s a Democrat and that he’s going to raise taxes,” they would say of Obama…or for that matter of any Democrat at any time in recent history.
Now, how did that become true? Well because…he’s a Democrat and well haven’t you ever heard the term tax and spend Democrats? And there we go again.
Obvious “Truth” – Fiscally Responsible Republicans
Pointing Some Fingers Already
Alright, let’s go back. Pre-Roosevelt turn of the century initiatives so common and familiar now, such as the Food and Drug Administration, are the kinds of things Democrats brought in that added to government. Yet, Republicans spout misinformation; they get people angry about “evils” of such “big government.”
Misplaced Credit
The Democrats are the ones who brought in the FDA, worker’s rights, workman’s compensation. They’re the ones who put in Medicare. They’re the ones who put in Social Security.
Misplaced Blame
And we remember the Republicans are the ones who created the Great Depression, created poverty for everybody at that time. They’re the ones who did it again with Bush, who tripled and nearly quadrupled the National Debt under the twelve years of Reagan-Bush, then more than doubled it under George W. That’s a lot of goddamn money.
That’s a Lot of Money.
And then the Republicans were giving away seven hundred billion dollars to rich people who afterward were giddy in their ingratitude. This giveaway, keep in mind, came at the end of Bush’s terms. And you would hear CEOs bragging how they’re not going to spend any of that on people; they’re not going to use any of that money to loaning any of it out, which was supposed to be the purpose.
And even afterward, all Congressmen were agreeing that’s a huge amount of money, which at the time was the biggest amount of money being spent at one time, in such a short period of time on anything. And how could we forget that they just took the money and did whatever they wanted with it? They paid off debts to other rich friends; they went overseas and invested in other countries.
Chase Didn’t Use the Money for What It Was Intended.
Goldman Sachs used sixteen billion of what it received to pay off an outstanding debt to a German bank. The head of Chase bank is known to have said he wasn’t going to use the money to increase credit. In fact, he said he was going to keep that money and he was basically going to feather his nest with it and keep Chase solvent so that when other banks went under he could buy them up with it. That’s the money of the taxpayers he’s playing “Monopoly” with, mind you.
Obvious “Truths” – Tax and Spend Democrats
But stacked up against the facts we have this idea of tax and spend Democrats. It’s been repeated, going back many decades. It basically goes back to Roosevelt who ended the Depression and benefited virtually all Americans. And now that’s somehow a bad thing, brought up to get you mad about the tax and spend Democrat. And they’ve got all Americans convinced that if you vote for a Democrat, they’re going to take your money, they’re going to tax it, and they’re going to spend it on somebody else. Well, that has nothing to do with the truth.
Social Security, Medicare, and Surpluses, Oh My!
It has nothing to do with the truth. Certainly Roosevelt benefited all Americans with Social Security and so on; certainly Medicare, brought in under Lyndon Johnson benefited the vast majority of Americans. All these things the Democrats did. And Clinton raised taxes on the very rich a few percentage points and balanced the budget. Clinton created jobs and prosperity, balanced the budget, reduced the National Debt, and created a surplus that could have gone into creating a better America for all Americans. But, no, that was considered bad, because they said it hurt all Americans when the extremely wealthy had to give a little more in taxes.
The Fun Times Anticipating the Surplus
Never mind the facts, never mind that fact that we had a surplus that we were talking gleefully about how we were going to spend it. If you can remember, we were discussing investing in better roads and infrastructure that would have benefited even the businesses.
Stealing Home
But no, it wasn’t about the truth anymore, it was about how you made it to home base, how you got money for yourself. And it didn’t matter anymore if you just skipped all the bases, and you started at home and went to home…if you just took the money. I mean, after a while the Republicans could just do that; tax breaks for the wealthy just because they were wealthy. Because, after a while, after all those years of repeating it: They could get away with, If you tax the wealthy you’re taxing all Americans. Wow.
The Wealthy Are the Creative Sector All Right … Creative in Stealing Our Money
Obvious “Truth”—The Wealthy Are the Job Creators
Poor folks don’t create jobs, don’t invest their money.
Obvious “Truth” – Rich People Create the Jobs
Obvious “Truth”—The Wealthy Are Society’s Creative Sector.
Yes, I have actually heard it said this way; a good chance you have too. Here’s how it works: Raising taxes on the wealthiest is gonna hurt all Americans because by taxing that sliver of the upper two percent of Americans, you are inhibiting the creative sector’s ability to create jobs. Rich folks are society’s wealth creators. The wealthy are the creative people in our country.
They’re Creative All Right.
They’re the creative people, huh? Yea, they’re creative in stealing from us. They’re creative in fattening their wallets at our expense. They’re creative in getting people elected who are liars and things like that.
That’s not the kind of creativity I’d like to have. As far as creating jobs. Who creates jobs?
Excess Wealth Given to the Rich Created High Art Prices, Not High Employment.
Here’s the facts. You know all that money that was given to the rich people? All those tax incentives given to the rich people by Reagan? Well, It didn’t create jobs so much as it created a lot of excess wealth that went into, well, people were buying yachts, and they were investing in art objects that were being bid through the roof.
The wealthy were scrambling; they had so much money they were fighting over art objects. And the art objects — paintings and so on, famous paintings – were making headlines in being sold for so much. During the Eighties under Reagan it was common to hear of 39 million dollars for such and such…58 million, 82 million. Of the 25 most expensive paintings ever sold, only two did not come at a time when tax cuts of either Reagan or one of the Bushes were in effect. And because what? Because the rich had so much extra freakin money. Now you tell me how many jobs money tied up in art objects created?
Real Truth—The Rich Will Squander or Sit on Extra Money.
I mean it isn’t rocket science. It’s very simple … simple psychology. This has to do with facts: You give money to rich people who don’t need it, they’re the ones who are going to squander it; they’re the ones who are going to spend it frivolously, or not going to spend it just let it sit. They’re not going to benefit society with it; they’re not going to multiply it; they’re not going to invest.
In economics this is called diminishing marginal returns. Simply put, it means that food eaten by a hungry person will reap greater reward than the food consumed later when the person is satiated. The same amount of money funneled into projects, or people, will have a greater percentage return when sorely needed than when not; a dollar will go far toward feeding a hungry African child and will be as nothing for a rich American. You simply cannot throw money at folks or ventures and expect to get as much, let alone more, return or reward later when the person is less “hungry” or the project less “starved” for funds..
Obvious “Truth”: Non-Wealthy Folks Don’t Create Jobs, Don’t Invest Their Money
Real Truth: People With Less Money Will Sweat Over and Multiply Money, What They Can.
Whereas, you give a fraction of that money to a poor person, a tiny amount of that to a poor or moderate income person and what will they do? You have any idea how somebody who is poor will make a little bit of money go a long long way?
I saw my father do it. He is the same person making the meager fifty dollars a week at one point. And he wasn’t making much more, but he eventually got a truck driving contract with the U.S. postal service. He was able to own several trucks and to hire several workers.
So, why did he do that? Because he didn’t have a lot of money. And by taking those chances and becoming a businessperson, taking that little bit of money he had, he created jobs for a few other people. Because he was motivated, he was desperate. And for him it was all about a chance to raise himself out of being poor. He spent his life scanning for such opportunities till he finally came across one.
Billionaires Are Not Highly Motivated to Become Millionaires.
So you have people who would take any money coming their way to better their situation in life, the real American way. They would really love to be millionaires; they would risk their very lives for that. They would work their asses off. But those folks aren’t the people who are already billionaires.
But Nobody Will Point This Out!
So you’ve got these inanities thrown out there. They’re being said over and over again…” Rich people create the jobs; they’re society’s creative sector.” These obvious untruths are not being countered by journalists and pundits. There is really no one pointing out that anything is a lie, there’s nobody saying out loud that these self-serving pronouncements are untrue, or that what is being said is vastly different from the facts.
Makin’ People Foolish – Foolin’ the People About “Us” (The Rich)
Makin’ Foolish People – Foolin’ the People About “Us” (The Rich)
Things you hear a lot are true.
Simple “truths” are real truths.
Democrats think they’re better than everybody; they’re snobs, elitists….
Unlike Republicans who are regular people just like me, folks I could sit and have a beer with…who’d understand me.
Confused People Take Comfort in Stupidity
When ALL You Hear Are Lies, You Begin to Think It Has to Be the Truth.
So, what happens? What is the result of these things being heard long enough, with nobody countering them or anything. It’s natural, if you hear something said enough, you don’t question it.
I myself am that way. I was told that we should go into Iraq because there was weapons of mass destruction. I didn’t hear anybody saying anything differently. So I believed it. Well, that turned out to be a lie.
It’s just natural that if you don’t hear anything to counter something, you’re going to believe that the only thing being said is the truth. And that certainly has increased over time…through the years.
Democrats Feel Like They’re Talking to a Wall; They’re Talking to the Weary.
It is not that these lies weren’t countered; they were…by progressives and Democrats…and the few, the brave of commentators. In later years, MSNBC emerged and could be counted on for straight talk. Comedy Central became the “real news” for the young educated for being willing to throw light, albeit hiding behind the built-in denial mechanism of a comic façade, on the inanities of the Wingnuts and Well-Funded.
But that has not been the reality touching the lives of ordinary Americans. What I observed is that the great majority of pundits weren’t any help in clarifying things for people. Journalists would say, “Ok, Mr. Democrat, what do you have to say about that?” And The Democrat would respond with a reasoned argument, laying out all these things that made perfect sense if you’re familiar with the issue.
And pundits wouldn’t delve into their argument, tease out its elements so as to enlighten.
And keep in mind that now more than ever people need that. We have people listening to this who are working two jobs, tired, overworked, worried about their health care, stressed. They’re not going to be able to follow an argument very well. In fact they’re going to forget what all those words meant and how they all fit together.
So after a while a lot of these folks are going to say…I’m sure you’ve heard them, they’re Republicans and the ones who vote for Republicans…they would say, “Aw geez , that’s just a bunch of words, it don’t mean anything.”
But what the hell does that mean?
Confused People Retreat Into the Stupid.
Well, it means that all these words can’t be remembered, they can’t take root in their mind after the lies they’re always hearing from the other side. They are surrounded by the organized disciplined ongoing assault against them by the Republicans. They are filled up with talking points benefiting the wealthy comprised of simplistic simple-minded irrational mantra…irrational, repetitive, simple slogans.
So, the result is that Democrats don’t end up having a lot of power; they don’t get elected. I saw it happen in presidential election after presidential election. I saw Reagan saying simplistic things, getting all the people pissed off about poor people and about the Soviets.
From the other side, I heard his appealing to the worst in people countered by reason, by sensible explanations and realistic proposals of a Dukakis, a Carter, and a Mondale. And then at the end it was…. it didn’t mean a damn thing. Because people just felt more comfortable around somebody who kept things simple, who said simple words, and seemed angry like they were.
Not that Reagan said anything indicating any of his policies were going to benefit average folks. No, actually he screwed them, but they still liked him! Because Reagan, like other Republicans, are able to confuse people into thinking that any screwing up, of any time, must have been done by Democrats. They will tell you your poverty now is caused by Democratic policies of the past which actually got us out of depressions, recessions, and created surpluses. They will tell you your lousy health care now is caused by money going to the Medicare that you like. They will tell you that the financial squeeze you feel is because of the “penny” going to a poor person not the bundles of loot they are taking.
And Burdened People Become Confused People—That’s Their Plan
So, the electorate is swimming in these simple irrational things that have been made to sound reasonable. And they are unable to see through them because they have been kept in this situation of increasing pressure to produce, produce, produce; of less leisure time and no time to think; of worries, medical care, all kinds of things you have to put out money for. They can hardly see through the swindle since they are distracted by the threat to their lives from insurance companies–those folks who may or may not pay you if you need it though you have faithfully paid them.
We’ll Insure You, Up to the Time You Need It
It’s gotten to the point where you have insurance but you dare not ever make a claim. You live with the risk of unexpected loss to your home at any time that you can not cover, because if you make a claim you may not get it next time. You risk losing home insurance and threatening your home. What the hell kind of insurance is that? You are insured but they can deny you? They can deny your claim, or as it happens all the time, you have one or two claims, and you no longer have an insurance company.
So if your payments are not making them a profit, if you are one of those few who are costing them more to be a member or to be covered by that insurance company, if you’re costing them more, they’re not going to take it out of the profits of all those who are costing them less, so, you’re eliminated. So why do we even have insurance companies? Most people have insurance just in the hope that they’ll be covered.
Rational Thought Replaced With Slogans … How Can Anyone Know the Truth?
How Can Folks Unite Against Injustices Hidden From Them
Who has the time to think clearly or reason confronted by all this other uncertainty, this other insanity? So we have all these pressures and then there’s these slogans put out and people are not able to follow rational arguments.
How this expresses itself came out in a discussion yesterday on Facebook. One rational type was trying to reason with a supporter of Mitt Romney, who was convinced everyone knew all the “true facts,” EVERYONE knew about all the “failed” and horrible things Obama had done…as she’d learned from Glenn Beck among others. My earnest and reasonable friend finally threw in the towel saying, “It’s like talking to a random thought generator. What do you think about foreign policy? Cheese.”
That is the result of factoids, “obvious truths,” replacing reason in burdened and confused minds. So how could these people possibly, without being able to see clearly, how could folks like this ever be united against the REAL injustices against them…which they don’t even realize are happening…their minds filled with the fake stuff?
How Can Folks Protect Themselves From “Wizards” Hiding “Behind the Curtain”?
People do not even know who the perpetrators are, for the pundits won’t tell them. Folks cannot figure it out for themselves; and the pundits absolutely refuse to point out who’s responsible for the things that add misery to their lives.
Media types say they cannot do that because they say it has to do with, something about equal time. But that was supposed to be for elections. And, as I pointed out earlier, equal time turned into something where, no matter what lie is put out there or would be put out, no matter what truth is put out there, the media will find somebody, they could find anybody, who would be willing to say a lie and sound reasonable for the purpose of confusing things.
With all this, how can anybody know what the truth is?
A Rising Tide Lifts All Yachts … The Rich Are Getting Richer and the Workers Are Getting Humiliated
Increasing Humiliation of Working People, the Rich Get Richer at Our Expense
Obvious “Truth”:
A rising (economic) tide lifts all boats .
Real Truth – The Rich Get Richer at Our Expense.
Life Has Gotten Harder – Real Truth
So we have this increasing deterioration of our prosperity, of our standard of living, of our joy of life. Life becomes more and more of a struggle, and who benefits? Well we see who benefits. We now have a new super rich class which is above even the very rich. It’s called the filthy rich, as I’ve pointed out.
Real Truth – Our Suffering Has Paid for Even Greater Obscenities by the Wealthy.
And to create this super-rich class where did that money come from? Well, it’s come at the cost of average people like us. And I can tell you this because I lived through it all. I’m old enough to have seen the changes. I was born in 1950. I’ve been there to know, things are much harder than they used to be.
And our rights and our freedoms have changed. Because of their successes in the Culture War/Class War, because of Reagan and Bush, the Patriot Act, the neo-con takeover, and everything, our rights to speak out and to live without harassment have been diluted. Out of all the civilized countries in the world we have the greatest percentage of our people in jails. So what does that say?
Humiliation…Increasing Humiliation of Working People
We have these huge corporations taking over and it’s humiliating to people. I mean in times past we had the small retailer, perhaps this person had a small coin shop, bakery, drugstore and pharmacy, shoe shop, maybe a corner grocery store. Now, there aren’t any small stores like that. And where does that person end up making a living?
Well, he worked in retail so maybe he even ends up working for the same department store hat pushed him out of business. So what does that do to your self-esteem?
There’s example after example of people like that in recent years; it’s something that went into high gear under Bush. There are ever more people who are losing their jobs, well paying jobs, because they’re being sent overseas; and they are sometimes actually forced to train the people who are taking their jobs.
I can say I feel fortunate to have lived many years in an America quite different from what most people in America being younger than me have been growing up with.
Hippies, Yippies, Yuppies … How the 1% Diluted the Progressive Movement by Slandering Boomers to Foster Culture War Between Them and Gen Xers and to Distract from Their Own Looting
The Yuppies Were Hardly Boomers … But This Idea Supports a Right-Wing Agenda by Pitting Progressives Against Each Other … Try the Red Pill Instead
Yuppies are former hippies.
“Flower children” abandoned their idealism and became greedy careerists focused on money.
Former young radicals saw the error of their ways and became more conservative politically as they got older.
The “Me” Generation is the Sixties Generation
Sixties youth turned from free love and a sexual revolution to conservative sexual values and evangelical religion.
“My Generation” gave up their idealism as everyone does with greater age and maturity.
The Woodstock generation turned from pot and visionary thinking to booze, cocaine, and disco dancing a decade later
The “free love” generation settled down and focused on family and jobs, centered around monogamy.
“My Generation” is currently filling up the suburbs and feverishly maximizing their portfolios, at any and all cost.
Real Truth – All the Above Are Lies … Propaganda to Further the Motives of the 1%, the Filthy Rich
I watched in the early Eighties the lies about a “Me Generation” coming out. Republicans brought that out to beat people down with. The idea was planted that people who wanted anything for themselves were selfish, for after all only the wealthy should ever benefit.
And it’s funny too, how they were able to use their own spawn to make this case. You could look around and see a new cadre of young folks—Gen X Yuppies—who had bought into the WWII values, who had been deluded by the untruths the 1% of that WWII generation had been using against the masses. The rich elite had succeeded in convincing those younger of mind that the wealthy folks interests where actually their own.
The 1% of the WWII Generation’s response to Sixties activism on campus, as I showed earlier, led to their taking over the universities in the early Seventies and turning them away from the humanities and social sciences and into career mills; I was there and observed it first hand. The success of this is what created the Yuppies in the Eighties–young upwardly mobile professionals–who were the first batch of Generation X—who are those born 1961 to 1981, who therefore left high school beginning in 1978. [Footnote 1]
So these Gen X Yuppies were coming onto the scene in the early Eighties, when the first of them were leaving the universities. The turnaround in education, away from free thinking and towards conservative careerist values, was in full swing by the time they reached college in 1978 on. And its effect on them was patent when they began coming of age. They were what the WWII Generation wanted: money-oriented and compliant…greed had been made “good” again. Standouts of this generation today are Sarah Palin (born 1964), Eric Cantor (born 1963), Rand Paul (born 1963), and Paul Ryan (born 1970).
So then the WWII Generation, fully in charge of society, could point to these yuppie spawn as examples of the obscenity of greed, thus deflecting attention away from their own, WWII Generation, me-spiritedness. To further their ends, they also claimed the origins of this unseemly greed lie in the failed, unrealistic values of the Sixties generation and their idealism.
This was one of their most amazing feats. They were able to take their values of greed and conformity, sow them in another generation, point to those values and criticize them, blame them on the hippies, all the while hiding their own espousal of those values. They perpetrated, denied, criticized, scapegoated, distracted, and obfuscated all together! They thoroughly convinced Americans that the Me Generation and Yuppies were those who formerly were flower children.
Whereas this actual Me Generation, these Yuppies, were predominantly a bunch of reactionary young people who said to hell with this idealistic stuff, and of helping out, and kumbaya, and all that stuff. They said, we’re for money, to hell with any one else. And somehow the WWII-Generation-owned media, assisted by a Fifties Generation now in their prime, convinced folks that these careerists out only for themselves were the one-time visionaries. Of course they only pulled this off because they owned or controlled all the major organs of expression in America—the newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, education, book publishing. I’ve delineated how they did this in one of the earliest all-out assaults, after their initial setbacks in the Sixties, of the Culture War/Class War they have been waging on the 99% since that time.
The media flooded American minds with the idea that the Me Generation was My Generation (I’m “talkin’ bout my generation” here) in the Eighties. They had prepared the ground for that lie, as there had been constant slander of my generation in the press since the beginnings of our activism in the Sixties, exactly like they are now putting out against the Millennials and those in the Occupy movement today. Beginning in the Seventies, owning the publishing and media industries, they concocted the lie that there was a conservative backlash going on. (See Chapter Two: Matrix Aroused, the Sixties and The Big Lie About Yuppies Being Hippies.)
This supposed conservative backlash was merely a continuation of Nixon’s laughable claim that he was supported by a “Silent Majority,” which he had used since the beginnings of his term in 1969 and which was obviously false, as demonstrations grew in size and support swung away from him throughout this period; and eventually he was forced to resign. But Republicans always claim there are a majority of real folks out there—“real Americans” as Palin and her kind say today—who support them but are doing it secretly. (btw, lol!)
Anyway, by the Eighties the powers-that-be were able to place this idea of a selfish “Me Generation” of Sixties youth, which they had been saying for a while, as being the ones on the campus at the time or recently out, the Yuppies. It fit their narrative. But it was a lie, and virtually all my generation knew it and thought it laughable. We stopped laughing after a while as over the years, it became clearer they had done such a good job of preparing the ground and repeating the lie that it stuck in the minds of those other than my generation—the Fifties Generation ahead of us and Gen X behind us—and the right wing, who of course saw this as red meat to further their causes. The media controlled by the 1% said the Sixties generation had gone from idealism to just wanting money, thereby discrediting their opponents, us who were consistently representing the 99%. At the same time they gave credibility to their claim of the superior veracity of their own values of greed, materialism, ruthless pragmatism, ego above all, and even me-spiritedness. Also, it validated, even glorified their personal traits of conformity, hard-headedness, cynicism, compliance, and even mean-spiritedness .
The Lies About Jerry Rubin
They could only give one example, Jerry Rubin; and even about him they lied and slandered. First off, neither Jerry Rubin, or Abbie Hoffman for that matter, were Boomers or Sixties Generation members. They were Fifties Generation, born in 1938 and 1936 respectively. Boomers were born in the post-WWII baby boom from 1946 through 1960. So that is enough to discredit what they said about “my generation.” But taking it as an attack aimed at the counterculture, let’s examine it:
They said Jerry Rubin was engaged in trying to make money. And they never mentioned what he was trying to make money on… but God forbid anyone but them should try to make money anyway. You see, what the 1% do is drive people into lowered standards of living and poverty where they experience desperation for money at times. Then they can point to that grasping to survive as proof that their values of money above all else are legitimate and that it is not possible for humans to have any other values higher than that. They create the conditions that they can use to support and validate themselves…how convenient.
But telling the whole truth would never allow them to do that. They didn’t mention about Jerry Rubin that he was engaged in selling health supplements; he was trying to help people out with their health. He was involved in multilevel marketing. He was an early investor in Apple Corporation, helping to foster the cybernetic revolution that progressives depend on today and which has strengthened our movement incredibly with Facebook and Twitter aiding us in overthrowing dictators in the Mideast and joining us in support of the Occupy and Wisconsin union movements.
He traveled with Abbie Hoffman in doing “Yippie versus Yuppie” debates, that is true. Since it did not fit the narrative of their discrediting their opponents in the Sixties generation, they never understood or at least never mentioned that in using those terms for their “debates” they were continuing their tradition of fucking with their opponents’ minds by flaunting the terms that had been used against them. Critics don’t get and opponents conveniently overlook the heavily ironic and playful way my generation, and Yippies in particular, present themselves. “Yippie versus Yuppie” is supposed to make you think; it is a hook; and it is funny to those of us in the know. Believe me, I have the same problem with people sometimes misunderstanding my intent for the opposite of what I believe because of the amusingly ironic titles I sometimes give my writings.
But Rubin’s position in this “debate”—which was actually a discussion of different ways the Sixties values might succeed, not be overturned—was that the POOR COULD BE HELPED by promoting programs to create wealth in their communities. I quote:
Rubin’s argument in the debates was that activism was hard work and that the abuse of drugs, sex, and private property had made the counter-culture “a scary society in itself.” He maintained that “wealth creation is the real American revolution. What we need is an infusion of capital into the depressed areas of our country.”
Someone who knew him well, Stew Albert, said this of Jerry in eulogizing him.
Jerry was always a rebel, but then he was always a rebel within the rebellion. He was always sort of rebelling against the norms of the rebellion.
Jerry changed costumes, and he changed rhetoric, but he never changed his heart.
Does that sound like someone promoting the interests of the 1%? Or like someone just out for himself, as Yuppies really are? Remember that at the time, militant, even violent revolution had been in the air for a while—with the Weather Underground, the Black Panthers, and the Symbionese Liberation Army and such. So “Yippie vs. Yuppie” was a leftist debate about tactics. Today it would be considered a discussion of liberal vs. progressive views…hardly conservative, Yuppie, or Republican views. And Jerry Rubin’s putting on a suit made him about as conservative as it made Bob Dylan a conservative when he picked up an electric guitar at the Newport Festival of 1965. Dylan got booed for what was only considered unusual alongside some very high, and strict, expectations about purism in music having nothing to do with political ideology or musical quality but simply technology. Rubin’s wearing a suit was the same kind of thing at the time he did it…and it had nothing to do with ideology but simply tactics—i.e., revolutionary technology.
Also, at the same time as Rubin was doing all this and supposedly a Yuppie, he was running a legal and civil rights office in an artsy/alternative part of L.A., Echo Park, where he also lived. When he died he was on his way to dinner in the company of Fred Branfman of the Making a Difference project, whose purpose was to bring money into poor communities by helping inner-city youth learn how to start their own businesses. Does that sound like a Wall Street careerist? Does that sound like he turned over his ideals and bowed to the god of money? So, lies, lies, lies. And these lies become instituted and they’re not challenged after a while, after you hear them for decade after decade after decade….
You have to be older to know that it wasn’t always the way they tell you it is. It helps to have lived in different times and places and to have seen things with your own eyes to be able to see through these inane “obvious truths” that people take as absolute truths. It helps to have had experience with the things they are talking about to know what are actual facts and what are complete fabrications.
Setting the Record Straight on Boomers
Boomer-Generation X Culture War
A friend who supports the Occupy movement, and who happens to be a Gen Xer, recently shared this with me,
As a Gen Xer, I have to say we were outnumbered as a Generation with half the numbers of the boomers and the previous traditional generations.
…the boomers cut taxes on the wealthy and wages for the middle class to create the world’s largest debt, our dependence on dirty foreign oil grew as our manufacturing base got shipped over seas.
You Boomers call Gen X a slacker generation while doing all that?
It is the boomers who are the dead beat generation now.
If this person were correct, then why have the Boomers voted consistently Democratic? [Footnote 2]
The Gen X/Yuppie—Fifties Generation alliance was responsible for getting Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II elected. Boomers voted against Republicans, especially these; it’s all in the public record. Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II are the ones who did the tax cuts. Whereas Clinton—a Boomer and a Democrat—raised taxes on the 1% and balanced a budget for the first time.
Indeed, all Democratic candidates and Presidents going back to Roosevelt at least, with the one small exception of Kennedy favored and fought for raising taxes on the 1%, not cutting them, so as to relieve the burden on the 99%. The right likes to use Kennedy as an example of a Democrat seeing the wisdom of cutting taxes to improve the economy, but Kennedy’s proposed tax cut for the 1% was when the marginal rate was 91% range, not at 35% as today, and the country was prosperous. (See The Myth of JFK as a Supply Side Tax Cutter.) Also it was not instituted until Johnson began his term … which was incidentally when the huge deficits began. So Kennedy’s tax cut had nothing at all to do with the prosperity we enjoyed during his term, indeed its institution marked the beginning of increasing deficits.
Even today, it is Democrats—supported heavily by Boomers—who are opposed to tax cuts and favor reining in the greed of the 1%. This includes Obama, who incidentally is a Gen X-Boomer cusper, born 1961. Note that he has surrounded himself with Boomers—Biden, Clinton, et al. And they are engaged in that same Democratic struggle of decades past of trying to get the 1% to pay their fair share in taxes. Meanwhile Republicans supported by that Fifties Generation (the Koch Brothers, John McCain, Dick Cheney, Mitch McConnell, et al) – Gen X/Yuppie (Palin, Cantor, Ryan, Rand Paul) alliance oppose Boomer-Democratic tax and other progressive initiatives at every turn.
So to accuse Boomers, who voted predominantly for these Democrats and their policies, of cutting taxes is grossly misinformed or a lie. And for a Gen Xer to do this blaming is either ignorant, a denial, or delusional…but is in any case a product of that misinformation I’ve been talking about.
For to address that Gen Xer’s charges of Boomer’s causing the dependence on dirty foreign oil, the Sixties Generation started the environmental movement. I know a little about this; as I explained previously, I was one of those who helped bring nuclear plant construction to a halt in America, which we did in Springfield, Oregon, in the early Eighties. We, Boomers…I was born in 1950…supported Democrats who fought for environmental legislation, alternative energies, and reduced dependence on dirty energies against Republicans, supported by the Fifties-Gen X alliance, who watered down those policies and legislated a rape of our natural resources and our environment to benefit big business, Big Oil, Big Nuke, Big Coal, and the 1%.
As for the accusation that Boomers sent our manufacturing base overseas and caused a lowering of middle class wages, how can that possibly be true alongside the more than obvious knowledge that Democrats are the ones who consistently push for and favor raising the minimum wage and are the union supporters? Can this OWS person not be aware of the parallel Wisconsin union movement which has Democrats and union folks up against Republicans and Gen X/Fifties Gen Koch-supporters? Or is he somehow unaware of the fact that Boomers have consistently voted in greater numbers for Democrats than Republicans over all these decades? [Footnote 2]
Well, this shows the amount of success the WWII Generation and Fifties Generation enjoyed in shifting the blame for their policies and their theft of the national wealth. And, by the way, it was the WWII Generation that had the greatest retirement wealth per person and who instituted Social Security and other benefit programs for themselves … making themselves the wealthiest as well as the “Greatest Generation.” Probably with the tax cuts, the current Fifties Generation who in their retirement years are raping the wealth of the country to fatten themselves, are bettering them. Whereas the Sixties Generation, scapegoated again, is facing cuts in Social Security, Medicare, and other benefits at the exact time as they need it and are facing or entering retirement—being beaten down, harassed, and scapegoated by the Gen X-Fifties Generation alliance again.
You think this is ancient information and is irrelevant to what is happening today? Remember that the comment I quoted above from my Gen X friend and fellow Occupier was from only last week. He has his sights set on my generation as the perpetrators of the problems; these ideas have caused a split between Gen X and Boomer Progressives. I can tell you that his comment is not atypical from others I hear from Gen X in their attitudes toward Boomers.
Similarly, to some extent the Millennials believe Boomers are at fault also—this is what they have been taught. They are simply misinformed and so are not so committed to the lies as the Gen Xers. The Millennials are open to the fact they have been deceived. After all their Boomer parents are models of the fact that these “facts” are actually lies. The Millennials have been made to believe, simply, that their own parents and those of their friends are somehow just different from those “bad Boomers” out there who are really the selfish and tax-cutter ones.
Lies and toxic misinformation are not healthy, at all, for a movement that is predominantly an alliance of Millennials and Boomers, with some Gen Xers (notably, few Fifties Generation folks). After all, how do you think a progressive Boomer feels, after fighting his entire life with his generational cohort for the changes that we are still fighting for with the OWS and Wisconsin union movements, and after hearing his entire life the made up lies, the slander, the scapegoating about himself, his generation, and his beliefs? How do you think she feels seeing those same lies being pulled out again and thrown against OWS supporters, for example, continuing therefore to throw salt into old wounds? And finally how do you think she feels to hear from her friends and allies in the movement that she has been the problem all this time, not the solution? It is disheartening, to say the least.
In this antagonism against Boomers, the other side—the WWII-Fifties Gen alliance, supportive of the 1% and their Tea Party sycophants—have won again. [Footnote 3]
For these WWII-Fifties Gen lies have thrown discord into progressive ranks. And they have thrown off the aim of our movements as to who the perpetrators are, giving the 1% a convenient fog of confusion behind which they can continue unfettered their actions against us.
Finally a most visible example of the right-wing/Republican Fifties Generation – Gen X alliance was shown in the last presidential election with a Fifties Gen, McCain, matched with a Gen X – Palin, born in 1964, coming smack in the middle of the Yuppies (1961 through 1970). This is the generational alliance and the generational values we should be targeting, not Boomers, and Progressives would do better to know that.
The “Truth Dividend” of Having Been Around
So, in understanding what might be the truth and what are obviously lies, it helps to be older, for you can know that it wasn’t always the way they tell you it is or has to be. It helps to have lived in different times and places and to have seen things with your own eyes to be able to see through these inane “obvious truths” that people take as absolute truths. It helps to have had experience with the things they are talking about to know what are actual facts and what are complete fabrications.
And with that seeing comes the knowledge that over the course of the last fifty years America descended into a deep slumber of untruth from which it could not awaken…regardless of all the righteous efforts of many true-seeing progressive activists who did their best to sound alarms.
Continue With Culture War, Class War, Chapter Sixteen: The Fall of “Obvious Truths”
Return to Culture War, Class War, Chapter Fourteen: Better Off Than Fifty Years Ago?
The Rise and Fall of “Obvious Truths,” Part Three – an Audio Reading by SillyMickel Adzema
Here is an audio of the author’s impassioned reading of this part. Though it is of the first, unedited and unpolished version, and it does not contain all the detail of its current form, it does capture the flavor of it all. I offer it here for your listening pleasure. For the reading of this part, “The Rise and Fall of ‘Obvious Truths,’ Part Three,” click on the link to the audio site above or click the link to the audio player below.
1. A lot of confusion about Boomers, Yuppies, And Generation X has been generated by the Census Bureau and main stream media. A generation, see below, is defined as a cohort of people occurring roughly every twenty years who share some common viewpoint and experiences.
This is what a generation actually is:
Defining a generation
Strauss and Howe define a social generation as the aggregate of all people born over a span of roughly twenty years, or about the length of one phase of life: childhood, young adulthood, midlife, and old age. Particular generations are identified (from first birthyear to last) by looking for cohort groups of this length that share three criteria. First, members of a generation share what the authors call an age location in history: they encounter key historical events and social trends while occupying the same phase of life. Because members of a generation are shaped in lasting ways by the eras they encounter as children and young adults, they also tend to share certain common beliefs and behaviors. Aware of the experiences and traits that they share with their peers, members of a generation also tend to share a sense of common perceived membership in that generation.[16] For example, in a 2007 Harvard Institute of Politics survey, Americans born 1982 to 1989 (whom Strauss and Howe define as the first-wave cohorts of the Millennial Generation) identified themselves as belonging to a “unique and distinct” generation, with an outlook different from people in their 30s or older.[17] Surveys show that Boomers also strongly identify with their own age cohort.[18]
Strauss and Howe base their definition of a generation on the work of diverse writers and social thinkers, from ancient writers such as Polybius and Ibn Khaldun to modern social theorists like José Ortega y Gasset, Karl Mannheim, John Stuart Mill, Émile Littré, Auguste Comte, and François Mentré.[19]
From Strauss-Howe generational theory
Meanwhile, the U.S. Census Bureau definition of Boomers is different. See Baby boomer.
Why would it be different? That is the crucial question. The Census Bureau’s definitions of Boomers and Generation X is as follows:
The Baby Boom Generation is the generation that was born following World War II, from 1946 up to 1964, a time that was marked by an increase in birth rates.[10] The baby boom has been described variously as a “shockwave”[11] and as “the pig in the python.”[12] By the sheer force of its numbers, the boomers were a demographic bulge which remodeled society as it passed through it. In general, baby boomers are associated with a rejection or redefinition of traditional values; however, many commentators have disputed the extent of that rejection, noting the widespread continuity of values with older and younger generations. In Europe and North America boomers are widely associated with privilege, as many grew up in a time of affluence.[11] One of the features of Boomers was that they tended to think of themselves as a special generation, very different from those that had come before them. In the 1960s, as the relatively large numbers of young people became teenagers and young adults, they, and those around them, created a very specific rhetoric around their cohort, and the change they were bringing about.[13]
Generation X (also known as the 13th Generation and the Baby Busters)[14] is the generation generally defined as those born after the baby boom ended from 1965 to 1981. [15] The term generally includes people born during all or part of the 1960s: According to Strauss-Howe generational theory, 1961 is the starting point, though other sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, consider it to have started in the mid-1960s.[16][17] It ends in late 1970s to early 1980s, usually not later than 1981[18][19][20][21] or 1982.[22][23][15][24] The term has also been used in different times and places for a number of different subcultures or countercultures since the 1950s.[25]
From Generation in Wikipedia.
So why are those born 1961 through 1964 considered part of the Boomer Generation by the Census Bureau, which has informed much of the discussion on this? Why is the Census Bureau attributing only 17 years to Generation X but 19 years to Boomers, when in fact the Boomers were born in a World War II “baby boom” that had them being born in a distinctly shorter period. Whereas Generation X was born of the Fifties Generation during a more languorous, hence longer period? Why is the Census Bureaus including as Boomers those born at those end years of 1961 through 1964 when the number of births was decreasing, not “booming”?
I don’t know the answer, but I do know this decision by the Census Bureau has served pundits and right wing commentators in giving more weight to their positions by diluting the distinctly liberal voting record of actual Boomers. As I have been stating above, there was a concerted effort to scapegoat Boomers and to confuse them with Yuppie-Gen Xers. This confused definition by the Census Bureau is part of that. It has allowed pundits to slander the Sixties Generation, as I said, by attributing qualities to them that were actually a part of the WWII Generation’s Culture War Attack of creating a generation different from and more compliant than the Sixties Generation/ Boomers.
At any rate, that is why we have the discrepancy shown in this description of the Pew Report findings on “Boomer” voting patterns. Let’s look at a few relevant findings:
Of greatest interest to BTS are the Pew Research Center survey findings about Boomers.
In recent years Boomers increasingly call themselves conservatives. They voted for Republican candidates in 2010, but are still on the fence for the 2012 Presidential Election.
Older Boomers tilt Democratic while younger Boomers tilt Republican. When asked to name the best President during their lifetime, Boomers were evenly divided between Clinton and Reagan.
Younger Boomers and Generation Xers have been one of the most reliable Republican voting groups.
From The Baby Boomer Voting Bloc
This supports what I’m saying about generational voting patterns. The difference lies in that this author has to differentiate between late Boomers and early Boomers. They are opposite in their voting patterns. This person wouldn’t be so confused if he placed the generational divide where it belongs, at 1961, not 1965. Boomers were born between 1946 and 1960, as shown in the chart below, which also shows Generation X beginning in 1961.
The Boom Generation defined by Howe and Strauss, as shown in the chart above, born 1946 thru 1960 are the ones who vote consistently Democratic. They are the ones who shared common events and experiences growing up and were shaped by them, notably the Vietnam War; the JFK, RFK, and MLK assasinations in 1968; the sexual revolution; the explosion of the use of LSD and pot as drugs, and the counterculture. These events were not on the cultural map that faced the ones born 1961 through 1964, for they were too young. Yet how can one define a Boomer-Sixties Generation that does not include these as formative experiences?
So this discrepancy is an example of what I’m talking about in this article. For it continues the confusion about Boomers and contributes to the scapegoating and the denigration of Boomers as being a Me Generation and Yuppies being former hippies by simply getting confusing results by including some from Gen X—some actual Yuppies. To include those born between the four years, 1961 through 1964, you end up getting the confused results this author gets. You are including the likes of Sarah Palin and Eric Cantor, fer Chrissakes! I’ve never heard anyone mistake them for my generation. It would have Barack Obama, born 1961, categorized as a Boomer, as if there is not an obvious generational difference between him and some the notable Boomers in his administration, like Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. But by seeing that Obama is a Yuppie-Gen Xer, it helps explain the differences between him and the actual Boomer president, Bill Clinton.
For more on this, see Generation Jones, which is the term given for those born 1954 through 1964. They are seen to be very different from the Boomers. They did not confront the same social realities as did Boomers. They even came of age after the Vietnam War. They missed the counterculture movement. It is ludicrous for generationalists to include these with Baby Boomers as especially the second half of these have an entirely opposite world view from Boomers. Their stalwarts include Rick Santorum (born 1958), Sarah Palin (born 1964) and Eric Cantor (born 1963)…hardly Boomers. Notice that it also includes Rand Paul (born 1963), who as expected is the son of a Fifties Generation parent with whom he is allied, Ron Paul (born 1935).
See also the write up on Generation X in Wikipedia, which addresses this confusion as to where the dividing line between Boomers and Gen X is as well.
Finally, see Baby boomer, which discusses this confusion and adds two important considerations: The person who coined the term “baby boomer” described them as those born between 1943 and 1960. So why did the Census Bureau change it? The second point discussed is that many theorists have two distinct generations during this supposed period of Census Bureau Boomers—Boomers and Generation Jones, which are said to be those born 1956 through 1964. So this latter group is not included with Boomers.
Is all this not confusing enough? Does it not play into the right wing agenda to dilute their opponents power by confusing their opponents profile, so they can lob any charge against them? Or attribute any self-congratulatory trait to them, as they wish?
Most of all, this strikes me as devious in that it allows right wingers to blame Boomers for the cadre of youth, the Yuppies, who were actually their creation—that of the 1% and those reactionary culture war forces—and were in no way influenced by, so should hardly be included in, “my generation” of Boomers, the Sixties Generation.
2. BLAM!! From the site, Gallup Politics, of May 8, 2009. Even though continuing the misinformation that Boomers were born up till 1964, going with the Census Bureau definition, Gallup Poll data still solidly support the premise that Boomers are predominantly Democrats, as well as the fact that Millennials are as well.
Democrats Do Best Among Generation Y and Baby Boomers
Republicans do better among Generation X
by Frank Newport
PRINCETON, NJ — Although Democrats currently enjoy a party identification advantage over Republicans among Americans at every age between 18 to 85, the Democrats’ greatest advantages come among those in their 20s and baby boomers in their late 40s and 50s. Republicans, on the other hand, come closest to parity with Democrats among Generation Xers in their late 30s and early 40s and among seniors in their late 60s….
Demographers and social observers have made attempts over the years to classify Americans into generational groups based on the social, political, economic, and cultural environment of the years in which they grew up and “came of age.” The most clearly delineated such group is the baby boomers, generally agreed to be those born between 1946 and 1964 — or roughly ages 45 to 63 today. Generation X follows the baby boom and is generally considered to be those born between 1965 and 1979 — or roughly between ages 30 and 44. Those younger than Generation X have been labeled Generation Y or the “Millennials,” who are 18 to 29 today. There are various ways of grouping those who preceded the baby boom generation, including the famous sobriquet “The Greatest Generation” used by Tom Brokaw in his book of the same name, but it is convenient to label those who today are 64 and older as seniors (even though some in this group would no doubt resist that label).
From Democrats Do Best Among Generation Y and Baby Boomers.
Notice here that not only are arbitrary birth figures used to stipulate Boomers and Generation Xers, but everyone older than a Boomer is classified as part of the World War Two Generation—”The Greatest Generation.” So they would have everyone born in the forty-five year period from 1901 through 1945 to be WWII Gen even though some were born during the war and had their coming of age after the war and in the decade of the Fifties—those born 1925 through 1945. Elsewhere this generation has been termed the Silent Generation or the Eisenhower-Presley-McCarthy Generation…I’m calling them the Fifties Generation for convenience sake. Still, the study does find Democratic tendencies among Boomers, however wrongly defined, and Millennials. And it finds Republican leanings among Generation Xers, however wrongly defined, and the Fifties Generation, however wrongly defined again, as shown by the graph below:
The current data suggest that political party identification in the United States today follows these generational patterns to a perhaps surprising degree.
· Generation Y (18 to 29) clearly is skewed fairly strongly in the direction of being either independent or Democratic in political orientation. This group constitutes a significant weakness for the Republican Party.
· Generation X (30 to 44) includes some of the strongest support for Republicans. For whatever reasons, the Democratic over Republican gap among Generation Xers, particularly those ages 37 to 43 at the heart of this generation, is on a relative basis much closer to parity than for any other age group with the exception of those in their late 60s.
· Baby Boomers (45 to 63) skew Democratic in their political orientation, with the Democratic advantage reaching a peak at ages 58 and 59.
· Seniors have a more mixed pattern of party identification, with Republicans gaining on a relative basis among those in their late 60s, but with Democrats doing better as Americans age into their 70s and early 80s.
Democrats have a significant advantage over Republicans today in terms of overall party identification, and the data reviewed here show that this advantage holds at every age between 18 and 85.
At the same time, there are clear ebbs and flows in the degree of this Democratic advantage across the age spectrum. Democrats have the greatest advantage vis a vis Republicans among Americans at the very youngest voting age and also among members of the fabled baby boom, particularly those in their late 50s. Republicans do relatively better among those who are in Generation X, including in particular those in their late 30s and early 40s. Republicans also show greater support among older Americans in their late 60s….
There is…the hypothesis that the differences are explained by the unique circumstances that surrounded the coming of age of the generations. Baby boomers, as is well known, grew up in the tumultuous age of civil rights, Vietnam, Woodstock, and Watergate. It is certainly possible that these events have marked this generation in a more Democratic or liberal direction for life. Many Generation Xers came of age during the Reagan-Bush years (1980 to 1992) or the “Republican Revolution” marked by the 1994 midterm elections. Today’s Generation Y has reached maturity in a time period largely marked by the administration of George W. Bush, and certainly for many the nascent Obama administration is a major formative factor in their political orientation….
Now contrast what above is said in the Gallup Poll about Boomers with what is said here about “late Boomers,” or who Howe and Strauss and other social scientists would call Generation X, and I would call Gen X-Yuppies:
the 1980-1988 run where young Late Boomers broke heavily for Republicans in the three Presidential landslides of that decade. When that generation grew to political maturity, it resulted in by far the most Republican-identifying generation in over half a century, the 1994 Republican landslide, and the general sense of creeping conservatism the country experienced through the 1990’s and first half of our current decade
From The Importance of Generation Y.
The article above also describes the Democratic voting patterns of the Millennials, or what they call Generation Y.
On the idea that the Millennials being the sons and daughters of the Sixties Generation/Boomers, as I continually point out, I offer the following definition of Millennials from WhatIs.com
Millennials, an abbreviation for millennial generation, is a term used by demographers to describe a segment of the population born between 1980 and 2000 (approximately). Sometimes referred to in the media as “Generation Y,” millennials are the children of the post-WWII baby boomer generation.
A few things about millennials:
According the U.S. census bureau, around forty percent of the millennial generation is African American, Latino, Asian or of a racially-mixed background.
There are about 76 million millennials in the United States (based on research using the years 1978-2000).
Millennials are the last generation born in the 20th century.
Twenty percent have at least one immigrant parent.
A number of studies, including one by the Center for American Progress, anticipate that millennials will be the first American generation to do less well economically than their parents.
Millennials are also sometimes called the Net generation because (at least according to some people) they don’t remember a time when there was no Internet.
As a result of growing up with the Internet and associated devices, millennials are often said to be the most technologically savvy generation to date.
3. There is some scapegoating done by Millennials out of this misinformation. The following was published a few days ago, on June 17, 2012. It is further validation of the antagonism against Boomers regarding the issues of the movement—OWS and Wisconsin union:
The War on Boomers
9/11 and the “war on terror” became part of common jargon. Recently, the “war on women” and the “war on religion” are hot political topics. Now, I’m thinking there is a “war on boomers”….
I was sitting at a reception party table politely nibbling on a too-sweet slice of wedding cake chased with lukewarm burnt coffee when a recent graduate seated at the table started whining about how unfairly life was treating him. First, he believed that four years of (sheltered) college life entitled him to a first-class ticket to affluence with a side-trip on a guaranteed career path. And, now there were no job tickets to be had and (worse) he was expected to pay back all the money he borrowed to get in on this total sham. Life was so unfair! His debt should be forgiven – because it was only fair to be compensated for this bait-and-switch.
He continued his tirade. Boomers should be retiring to make room for all the recent grads that deserve jobs now. It’s only right. On top of this, these boomers with all of their massive wealth were actually going to bankrupt Social Security – a heartless action since they don’t actually need it. The injustices just keep piling for the new graduates with their superior skills and up-to-date knowledge. Down the road he had nothing to look forward to — once he finally got that plum job that he had a right to based on his attendance at an institution of higher learning – except huge national debt and no Social Security or Medicare, an unwanted and unwarranted gift from self-centered boomers.
And, now I’m starting to pay attention to what seemed idle conversation. I glance at the Count who gives me a look that says, “Don’t go there –– please!” I concentrate on my cake that is now too dry to choke down without more lukewarm burnt coffee; and wonder if Clueless thinks those seated at the table are in our 30s (or perhaps our 80s!) and am amazed at how he can find it acceptable to disparage all boomers while sitting among them. Generously, I wonder if maybe he just has a sarcastic sense of humor. However, Clueless continues. I smolder some and then catch the Count’s glance again. He slyly places his thumb and first finger on either side of his mouth pulling a smile into place – and I reluctantly accept his wisdom. But, the Count did get an earful on the way home.
I think about Julie, a single mother, who helped two kids through college while working 40 hours per work as an administrative assistant, selling Avon after work hours, and running a food concession stand at weekend events during the summer. Julie has little in her nest-egg, but her children do have a chance at the American dream – although it will always require some effort.
I suspect that John, another co-worker, was on track to fund his retirement. Unfortunately, at about the same time the 2008 financial crisis cratered his retirement savings his father was diagnosed with Alzheimers. John knew he should avoid using his tax-deferred savings at the bottom of the financial market, but his father’s healthcare bills had to be paid. John’s plan to retire at 62 is a dream lost to reality.
I bumped into Mary Beth at the greenhouse when we were buying our bedding plants. She pointed us to the “spikes” that the Count insists on adding to the geranium-filled pots on the patio. As we caught up on gossip about former neighbors, she confided that plants have always been her hobby and that this “green” job was perfect. This temporary part-time job was crucial to replacing the family income lost when Jerry was laid off from his welding job – months ago. And, she laughed when she acknowledged that, in fact, “work” was a respite from a house now over-crowded since her daughter and family are living in the basement. I’m pretty certain that Jerry and Mary Beth — both boomers, planners, and savers – no longer have the luxury of maximizing their tax-deferred retirement savings accounts (or even the ability to set aside savings) as they approach the age they used to believe would be the end of their full-time working careers.
With investment portfolios and home values shrinking, medical expenses and LTC costs rising, financial worries for some boomers are dire.
A May 2010 Pew Research survey found that 60% of Americans age 50 to 61 believe they may need to delay retirement because of the recession. Plus, the highest percentage of any generation, 57% of boomers, said that their household finances have deteriorated in the past few years.
In 2010 the ERBI reported that only 13% of workers age 55 or older are “very confident” that have enough money to live comfortably in retirement.
Some have labeled the boomer generation the “sandwich generation”, a group dealing with healthcare issues of their elderly parents at the same time they are backstopping the impact of the stagnant economy on their boomerang grown children.
Aiming fingers and lobbing blame doesn’t solve anything. We are all in this together since our generations are linked in complex ways. We are all fighting the same war of financial and economic uncertainty, just not at on the same battlefield – as determined by our stage of life. A war on anyone does nothing but divide us – when the ultimate victory is prosperity for everyone.
From The War on Boomers
1%, 60s, 70s, 99%, Abbie Hoffman, activism, Al Gore, Alan Grayson, America, american, American way, Americans, art, Baby Boomer, Bachmann, backlash, balance, balance budgets, Bernie Sanders, Biden, big government, Bill Clinton, billionaire, Black Panther, Bob Dylan, boomer, budget, bush, business, campus, Carter, Chase, class, class war, class warfare, clinton, comfort, commentator, compliance, conformity, confused, conservative, corner grocery store, corporation, counterculture, creative sector, culture, Culture War, current-events, democrat, Democratic, democrats, Dick Cheney, diminishing marginal returns, disco, Dukakis, economic, economic tide, Economics, economy, Eighties, election, employment, Environment, Environmentalism, equal time, Eric Cantor, evangelical religion, expense, FDA, Fifties, filthy rich, fiscally responsible, flower children, foolish, Fred Branfman, free love, Gen X, generation, generation x, Glenn Beck, globalrevolution, Goldman Sachs, gop, government, Great Depression, greed, health care, health insurance, hippie, idealism, incarceration, invest, Iraq, ironic, irrational, jails, Jerry Rubin, job creation, job creators, jobs, John McCain, Johnson, Jon Stewart, journalist, Kennedy, Koch, kumbaya, liars, liberal, lie, liep, lies, life, living, mad, madness, matrix, me generation, me-spiritedness, mean-spiritedness, Medi99care, media, medicare, middle class, Millennials, millionaire, mind, misinformation, Mondale, money, money madness, movement, MSNBC, my generation, National Debt, neo-con, nonconform, nuclear, Obama, obvious truth, obvious truths, occupy, occupy wall street, outsource, overseas, overworked, ows, paintings, Patriot Act, Paul Ryan, people, plutocracy, Politics, poor, poverty, presidential race, progressive, progressives, propaganda, prosperity, Psychology, pundit, Rachel Maddow, Rand Paul, reactionary, reagan, real, real American, real truths, rebel, rebellion, red pill, Republicans, revolution, rich, rich elite, richer, right wing, rising tide, Roosevelt, sanity, sarah palin, scapegoat, selfish, Seventies, sexual revolution, silent majority, sixties, slander, slogans, small business, smallbusiness, social security, society, spend, squander, standard of living, starve the beast, struggle, stupid, stupidity, surplus, talking points, tax, tax and spend, tax cut, tax cuts, tax proposal, Taxed Enough Already, taxes, Tea Party, toxic, truth, union, uniqueness, university, untruths, W, Walmart, wealth creators, wealthy, Weather Underground, wisconsin, wizard of oz, worker, World War II Generation, WWII, yacht, yachts, Yippie, young radical, young radicals, Yuppie
How Can You “Let It Go” If You Won’t “Pick It Up”? Toxic Womb/ Toxic Earth … Prospects. 21st Century and Its Discontents, Part 27
Posted by sillymickel in activism, Culture, globalrevolution, History, life, occupywallstreet, Politics, psychology, spirituality on June 27, 2012
Kaleidoscope of Postmodern Life, Part Twenty-Seven: We Need to Face the Monsters of Our Creation … What to Do About Toxic Womb ~ Toxic Earth
Continue with Raging to Reenter, Vampire Apocalypse, Drug Use, and Being Gratefully Dead—Perinatal Printouts Of Sixties, X, and Millennial Generations. 21st Century and Its Discontents, Part 28
Return to Toxic Earth – Prognosis: We’ve Created Our Own “Monsters” and Roots of Apocalypse—We Stood Up! 21st Century and Its Discontents, Part 26
abortion issue, absurdity, air pollution, anti-abortion, apocalypse, behavior, Birth, climate, climate change, Consciousness, consequences, culture, death, denial, diagnosis, die, DISCOMFORT, Earth, Environment, environmental, extinction, fear, fetus, fukushima, gaia, health, hope, humans, insanity, invisible death, letting go, life, meditate, mental-health, monsters, Nature, nuclear, occupy wall street, ows, oxygen, pain, perinatal, planet, Politics, positive, pray, prenatal, prenate, problem, Psychology, reality, sarah palin, science, self-destruction, society, solution, spirituality, stupidity, suffer, Tea Party, tornado, toxic, trauma, truth, tsunami, unconscious, unresolved feelings, wake up, womb
Makin’ People Foolish – Foolin’ the People About “Us” (The Rich): Money Madness … Foolin’ the People About Money, Part 3
Posted by sillymickel in activism, authenticity, Class, Culture, economics, globalrevolution, History, life, nonconform, Politics, psychology, US on May 14, 2012
Money Madness … Foolin’ the People About Money, Part Three: Makin’ Foolish People – Foolin’ the People About “Us” (The Rich)
Continue with A Rising Tide Lifts All Yachts…The Rich Are Getting Richer and the Workers Are Getting Humiliated: Money Madness … Foolin’ the People About Money, Part 4
Return to The Wealthy Are the Creative Sector All Right … Creative in Stealing Our Money: Money Madness … Foolin’ the People About Money, Part 2
Here is an audio of the author’s impassioned reading of this part. Though it is of the first, unedited and unpolished version, and it does not contain all the detail of its current form below, it does capture the flavor of it all. I offer it here for your listening pleasure. For the reading of this part, “The Rise and Fall of ‘Obvious Truths,’ Part Three,” click on the link to the audio site above or click the link to the audio player below.
1%, Al Gore, Alan Grayson, american, Bachmann, Bernie Sanders, Carter, comfort, commentator, confused, democrats, Dukakis, election, equal time, filthy rich, foolish, Glenn Beck, gop, health care, health insurance, Iraq, irrational, Jon Stewart, lie, liep, lies, mad, madness, medicare, mind, Mondale, money, MSNBC, Obama, obvious truths, occupy wall street, overworked, progressives, pundit, Rachel Maddow, reagan, real truths, Republicans, rich, sanity, slogans, stupid, stupidity, talking points, truth, wizard of oz
RT @NoKoolAidNow: @MSNBC I 2nd this motion 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 twitter.com/Defeat_Trump2/…@sillymickel 1 week ago
RT @VABVOX: "Warren is the most progressive candidate running, but progressives, like centrists, can't see women as president, so they are…@sillymickel 1 week ago
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RT @oprman: To stack tools at Home Depot you have to pass a drug test. To become the man who carries nuclear codes that could destroy the w…@sillymickel 1 week ago
RT @JohnBrennan: Gang of 8 in Congress is entitled to ALL intelligence on Soleimani killing. @realDonaldTrump’s lies, reckless jingoism, an…@sillymickel 1 week ago
RT @CheriJacobus: Trump ended press briefings, refuses to release his taxes, forbids staff from testifying to Congress, refused to be inter…@sillymickel 1 week ago
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RT @SethAbramson: There's an easy way to understand any standoff involving McConnell: many of us work in fields where one's good name and r…@sillymickel 1 week ago
RT @johnpavlovitz: It's still hard to fathom that a human adult could be stupid enough to vote for Donald Trump.@sillymickel 1 week ago
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RT @SethAbramson: RETWEET if you're *fine* with Dems holding onto the articles and doing what the GOP is demanding anyway: continuing to in…@sillymickel 1 week ago
RT @WendyMeer11: This could be my daughter. This could be your daughter. This young Veteran lost her freedom Alerting all of us. She is now…@sillymickel 1 week ago
RT @sillymickel: We have sons being sent off to war, enlisted in all kinds of programs & schooling & military academies, not for them, not…@sillymickel 2 weeks ago
RT @sillymickel: AN 12/41 *A Spiritual Interface*…An interesting aspect that indicates the transpersonal, or spiritual, interface with the…@sillymickel 2 weeks ago
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Wounded Healers, Heroes, and the Group Mind: The Universe Bears Up and Rewards with Renewed Life Those who Voluntarily Sacrifice Themselves for All
Your “Wordism” Is a Cave Prison: Planetmates Tell Us, Your Language Is an Aberration Causing You to Never Really Hear or Understand Each Other.
In Spite of Ourselves, Ultimate Trust, and the Absolute Earliest Preschool: Experience Is Divinity, Part Two — Pain Is Wisdom Gift-Wrapped
Pot, LSD, the Illuminati, and the Real Revolution
The Second Retreat from the Natural Self — Patriarchal Culture: One Gains the World in Exact Proportion to Which One Has Relinquished One's Soul
Eden Arise and a Message to All Wounded Deer and Centaurs: It’s a Consciousness Revolution, Aided by Gaia We Are Rediscovering Our Natural Self
Aren't America's "Extermination Policies" Just More Undetectable Than Nazi Germany's? Starving the "Beast"—That Means You: Your Money or Your Life
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Dinosaur Coloring Pages
Dinosaur Pictures
Sweet Tooth Rush - Play Sweet Tooth Rush on Dinosaur Games
Sweet Tooth Rush
How To Play Flash Games
Tags: Dino Games Dino Run Dino run games Dinosaur run games
1. About Sweet Tooth Rush
2. How to play Sweet Tooth Rush
3. Tips and Tricks Sweet Tooth Rush
We are not stopping from bringing you the most interesting and the most exciting games that you can play with all your friends. Today, we continue to bring you an exciting new game. It called Sweet Tooth Rush game. This game is developed by Playcombogames. With very simple graphics and gameplay, this game is suitable for all ages, especially children. You can play this game on your browser for free.
In the game, you will control a cute dinosaur that called sweet tooth. She wants to go to the snow mountain to find the hidden jewelry. But on the way, she will encounter many obstacles. Now you need to help her avoid those roadblocks and collect candy and other items to get a higher score. To achieve the purpose of the game, you have to be very fast, because this is the only way that you will be able to help the dinosaur that you will control to win. It's not going to be easy at all, you will have to be sure that you will control dinosaur to move on the way to avoid all obstacles such as wood, snowmen, and other things. While avoiding all those roadblocks, don't forget the task of collecting all the sweet candies in all colors such as yellow, purple, red...and other items. The main goal of the game is the more distance you run, the more points you will have.
At first, your dinosaur will walk, but later, dinosaurs will run faster. Your dinosaur will run nonstop and you can jump, run fast, run slowly...Above the screen of the game will show the score and distance you achieved during the game. Have fun!
If you are interested in this game, you can also play similar games as Dinosaur Runner, DinoRun.io, Dinosaur Train River Run…
Use the cursor keys on your keyboard or tap the top of the screen to jump, right or left of the screen to move to the sides.
- You can pause/resume/restart on the game screen.
- Let run as far as you can.
* Sweet Tooth Rush on Dinosaursgames.net
Let’s get to Dinosaursgames.net to play Sweet Tooth Rush for free. Here, there are many other dinosaur games online to play. You can enjoy your favorite game along with a stable connection. You can enjoy your free time comfortably. Have fun!
Trap Master
Dinosaur Young Stegosaurus Coloring Page
Primitive Parking
Running Man Psy Gangnam Style
Dinosaurs are a special theme that appeals to most children across the planet. There is something about these extinct creatures that attracts and holds the attention of kids. You will surprise to see that they can recite all Dinosaur Names and facts about each one through Dinosaur Pictures. And they always learn and finding everything about These prehistoric creatures. So what are dinosaurs? "And why are they so much concerned? What are the precise definitions of dinosaurs that make dinosaur lovers always want to learn about them?
1. What are Dinosaurs
2. When and Where did dinosaurs live?
2.1 The first Triassic period (252 to 201 million years ago)
2.2 Jurassic Period (201 to 145 million years ago)
2.3 Cretaceous Period (145 to 66 million years ago)
2.3.1 Velociraptor
2.3.2 Triceratops
2.3.3 Stegosaurus
2.3.4 Tyrannosaurus rex (T-rex)
3. Physical Features, classification of Dinosaurs
3.1 Physical Features
3.2 Classification of Dinosaurs
3.2.1 Ornithischian Dinosaurs
3.2.2 Saurischian Dinosaurs
3.2.2.1 Theropods
3.2.2.2 Sauropods
4. Why dinosaurs extinction?
5. Dinosaursgames.net, the best place to bring awesome dinosaur games for kids!
What are dinosaurs?
Dinosaurs are living creatures on our planet more than 150 million years ago. The name Dinosaurs means "terrible lizard" and has many meanings because they were big creature and scariest. They have a variety different of sizes from a chicken to others over weighing nearly 100 tons. Their diets are also very different, one of them being herbivores while others carnivorous and others an omnivore eats both plants and meat.
Scientists have not yet discovered how dinosaurs are extinct. Their fossils were first discovered in 1800. By studying these fossils, researchers know that dinosaurs are ancient cousins of some species like crocodiles, snakes, bird, and lizards today.
When and Where did dinosaurs live?
Scientists have studied that dinosaurs lived from about 245 to 65.5 million years ago during the Mesozoic Era. And they divide the Mesozoic into three periods: the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.
The first Triassic period (252 to 201 million years ago)
This is a time when the climate is relatively dry and hot and especially without polar ice as it is today. This is also the environment where dinosaurs first evolved. With this dry climate, some reptiles have heat-resistant skin, such as the skin of some mammals "Therapsids", some flying lizards like Pterodactyl, Pteranodon...others Coelophysis that have "hollow form", Plateosaurus.
Jurassic Period (201 to 145 million years ago)
The Triassic period is a mass extinction of terrestrial animals. However, some dinosaurs still survive. The more they grow and increase in quantity. During this period, the temperature was cooler due to more rainfall. These changes lead to a number of large grow plant species such as ferns, and ponytail. This vegetation is the main food for some herbivorous dinosaurs such as Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, and Brachiosaurus.
Cretaceous Period (145 to 66 million years ago)
The dinosaurs at this stage grow very diverse and are present almost everywhere in the world. Besides, a number of other groups of organisms also develop diverse. However all dinosaurs do not have to live at the same time, they can live together and not extinct together. They live in all different environments, from tropical forests to arid deserts.
In this period dinosaur development was very diverse. For examples some dinosaurs that live during this period include
Velociraptor (aka Raptor): This dinosaur is about 3.3 meters tall, weighs 60kg and it has a smart brain to plan and attack prey. Its bite force reaches 8000 newtons equivalent to today's spotted hyenas. It is a formidable predator in the wild world.
Velociraptor is not only the obsession of small dinosaurs like Zephyrosaurus but also brings fear to even larger dinosaurs like Tenontosaurus. Therefore, the Raptor is also known by the scientific world as speed bird of prey, to describe their ability to destroy prey quickly. And it is considered one of the key factors contributing to the brand's success of Jurassic Dinosaur Games. Especially is the Jurassic Park Games game.
Triceratops is a herbivorous dinosaur. It is 3 meters tall, 9 meters long and weighs about 10 tons. Triceratops is one of the familiar dinosaurs in a series of Dinosaur Coloring Games. Despite its scary shape, it's a dinosaur gentle and herbivorous species. It only uses horns to fight predators like T-Rex. And it's also one of the most commonly found fossils.
Stegosaurus belongs to the family of dinosaurs eating benign plants. Like the bison, it prefers to be fed with ferns or sesame trees rather than fighting. Stegosaurus's name means a roof lizard. Stegosaurus children who love dinosaurs can easily recognize Stegosaurus thanks to the thorny horns growing on its back in Dinosaur Coloring Pages. Besides, It appeared in some famous games like Dino Run 2, Dino Run 3 ...
This herbivorous dinosaur possesses a height of up to 10.1m and weighs 3,500kg, equivalent to the size of a large bus. They appeared at the end of the Jurassic period, about 150 - 148 million years ago.
Despite its size, Stegosaurus is the lowest IQ dinosaur. According to scientists' research, the Stegosaurus dinosaur's brain is very small, just as big as a walnut, equivalent to a dog's brain. So Stegosaurus dinosaurs are classified as the species with the proportion of brain correlated with the lowest body rate.
Tyrannosaurus rex (T-rex)
Tyrannosaurus rex appeared from about 68 to 66 million years ago. It weighs 7 tons, has small characteristic hands and is a violent predator and predator with their powerful bite. T.Rex's biting force is equivalent to a pressure of 8,000 pounds, 10 times the bite of an adult crocodile.
Based on the bone structure, scientists estimate they can run at 25 miles per hour, but some other scientists think this number is up to 32 miles per hour. Fossil samples show that the average life expectancy of Rex is 30 years
Tyrannosaurus rex is probably the most popular dinosaur in all species. It appears in most dinosaur-related games, including "Jurassic Park Games", "Dinosaur Robots Games", iconic games that cause destruction and death like "Miami Rex", "NY Rex" ...
Physical Features, classification of Dinosaurs
Scientists have classified dinosaurs based on many different factors, but mostly their fossils. Everything involves dinosaurs like fossil dinosaur bones, dinosaur eggs, and other trace fossils like footprints and muzzle rocks.
Dinosaurs come in many different sizes and body shapes. Some are giant creatures, weighing more than 100 tons. Others are as small as the bird.
Most skin of dinosaurs has scales. We still don't know what color the skin of dinosaurs is. However, some scientists believe that dinosaurs are usually gray and green. Others think dinosaurs have vivid colors. With these colors, they can hide predators, and maybe males want to catch the attention of females.
Some large dinosaurs, they move slowly on four legs to support their huge weight. Others can move with their hind legs and stand upright. Because they have lightweight, hollow skeletons and allow them to move quickly.
Some types of carnivorous dinosaurs have sharp teeth. They use this set of teeth to tear flesh and prey. Others have long necks and eat vegetation and leaves.
You may know that dinosaurs are egg-laying creatures. Currently, scientists have not yet studied how long dinosaurs live, but based on their fossils, scientists show that some may have survived for a hundred years. And they can live in herds. They were able to protect themselves in many ways such as using their horns to protect them, others using their sharp teeth.
Classification of Dinosaurs
Scientists have classified dinosaurs into two groups. A group is based on the structure of the hip bones of the dinosaurs - Ornithischia dinosaurs. The other group is lizard - Saurischia dinosaur.
Ornithischian Dinosaurs
This is a dinosaur that looks like the birds today. Ornithischians are people who eat plants. They can move on their two or four feet. They have flat teeth to crush hard vegetation. Stegosaurus is an example. It's a plant-eating dinosaur with a small head's. It has large, triangular bones protruding from its back. Or another dinosaur is Triceratops, with horns like a modern rhino.
Saurischian Dinosaurs
This species of dinosaur is very similar to that of reptiles today. They are one of the largest creatures that have existed on our earth. Some species have some common characteristics with today's birds. The first bird discovered by scientists is Archaeopteryx - a Saurischian species. And then they divided them into two species: the carnivorous theropod and the plant-eating sauropods.
Theropods
These species of Theropods are comprised of all carnivorous dinosaurs. Theropods go on their hind legs and they use sharp claws and teeth to catch and tear prey flesh. They can hunt alone to catch and eat smaller plant-eating dinosaurs. Occasionally, they hunt in groups and attack larger dinosaurs. Theropods include some species such as Giganotosaurus, Spinosaurus, and especially Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaur.
Sauropods
Sauropods are the largest terrestrial herbivores ever living. They move on their four legs and are considered the largest of all species. An interesting thing about this dinosaur is that they have very small heads and brains compared to their giant bodies. Sauropods all have long necks, which allows them to take food on the tallest plants. Some species can also stand up with their hind legs to rise higher into the tree. In addition, they use long and muscular tails to hold equal when standing. Examples for some Sauropods are Brachiosaurus, Wikimedia Focus, and Apatosaurus.
Why dinosaurs extinction?
There are many reasons to think that dinosaurs are extinct. Extinction dinosaur is still a mystery and controversial for many scientists. They came up with different theories.
Some scientists believe that dinosaurs died because temperatures on Earth were too hot or too cold for them.
Others believe that an asteroid has fallen to earth. The falling meteorites can create dust and block sunlight. Plants will stop growing and lead to food-eating dinosaurs that will die from lack of food. And they become prey to other dinosaur meat eaters.
Other scientists maintain that dinosaurs can turn into modern birds like ostriches today.
Dinosaursgames.net, The Best Place To Bring Awesome Dinosaur Games For Kids!
We know you always love dinosaurs and you are looking for everything related to dinosaurs such as Dinosaur Games online, dinosaur coloring games, dinosaur pictures, etc? So why not go to our Dinosaursgames.net to start learning and playing with these wonderful creatures? Our Dinosaursgames.net is proud to be the only place that is full of free online dinosaur games to satisfy your dinosaur love! Surely we will not miss any dinosaur game, because new games are added every day!
Dinosaur games on our website are diverse and free. With a full range of genres from dinosaur fighting games to dinosaur coloring games. You will always find the best games to play alone or with your friends. You can control terrifying dinosaurs and fight other species in the "Dinosaur War" game. There are also games where you need to use the best modern breasts to hunt them in "Dino Island Rampage". You can also keep it cute in "Sweet Tooth Rush". And there are also interesting dinosaur platform games like "Dinosaur Meat Hunt Dry Land" or "Dinosaur Runner", where you have to solve interesting puzzles to overcome fun platforms. Some boys will love creative games like robot dinosaur assembly games while the girls love coloring dinosaur games. And there are many and many other games waiting for you to discover.
Even if you play any kind of dinosaur game, there are many interesting benefits, skills, and experiences. You will practice patience through coloring games. Some science games like "Dino Digger" or "Jurassic Dino Bone Digging" will show you that dinosaur games are not boring! And these games will benefit you with the skill to identify an image. How to match the correct dinosaur shapes. In particular, you will have the opportunity to learn and discuss more the dinosaurs. So get ready to take part in an exciting prehistoric adventure with scary dinosaurs. Playing games allows you to explore a whole new world.
Games on our website include browser games for both your computer and your mobile device. Games cannot be downloaded, so you do not need to worry about the risk of infection with malicious viruses. Information and instructions of the games are provided fully based on the experience of members of Dinosaursgames.net. We are always interested in your feedback. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Youtuber to up to date with the latest information and games. Now let's come and have fun!
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Revolt (sic) a la YouTube, Toast Masters, and Really-Really Smart, Educated Ivy League Grads (Not)
by Paul Haeder / November 19th, 2013
Just what are we teaching young people, society at large, in and out of school? Just what is it to be an American today, awash in consumer madness? The Last One with the Most Toys Wins bumper sticker, or is it this little chant: You’ll have to peel this i-thing Apple appendage from my cold dead mind, err, hand?
Forget 24-hour news cycles. We have daily dumping of history, facts, human narratives, and ecological realities. Sort of the Googlization of Everything. Aggregate it, baby. Screen it all out to the common marketable thing. Information is about selling, and too many unkempt narratives, away from that big slipstream in the middle of marketing sweet spots – the droll death of a Pokémon-lust — well, those are goners. Writing, well, that’s a goner too. Think about Google and the gushers of aggregating money balloons going to those Zionists, Techies, Teutonic Titans.
Think hard about what Harper’s Magazine publisher has to say about that Google clicking sickness like meningitis running rampant through Princeton:
As it happens, recent technology has brutally pressed my question about the appropriate connection between reader, writer, and advertiser on every publisher in our increasingly wired-up world. I was immediately suspicious of the Internet being touted, in the late 1990s, as a miraculously efficient publishing platform because of the Web’s capacity for massive copyright violation. But what disturbed me more as a publisher and a writer was the ugly commodification of writing itself — the renaming of prose and poetry as something called “content.” Suddenly, my colleagues and competitors were reducing well-wrought sentences and stories to the level of screws and bolts. Not only was “content” an empty and offensive word, but my fellow publishers also proposed to give it away free in the quest for more advertising. Instead of honoring the reader, writer, and editor, this new approach to the publishing business insulted them, both by devaluing their work and by feeding it — with little or no remuneration — to search engines, which in turn feed information to advertising agencies (and, as it turns out, the government).
The result, as anyone with even a passing interest can observe, has been catastrophic: massive layoffs of editorial employees; the collapse of major publications; the impoverishment of writers; the alarming decline of editorial standards for accuracy, grammar, and coherent thought; and the dumbing down of journalism across the board. Great American publishing institutions such as the Washington Post and the Boston Globe have been placed on the auction block for a fraction of their former value. Meanwhile, the advertisers themselves have fled traditional publications for the allegedly greener pastures of social media and Google. Paradoxically, the more advertisers demanded eyeballs and clicks, the more writing the publishers gave away, and the less advertisers advertised. We know what happens to lemmings — thanks to YouTube you can watch it in graphic detail any time of the day or night — so I decided early on I wouldn’t join in the frenzy of free content. From the launching of our website in 2003, we at Harper’s insisted that subscribers continue to pay to read our well-written, fact-checked, scrupulously edited, and extremely entertaining paragraphs. When the magazine became fully accessible online, our paywall remained firm. We are pleased to be able to offer the magazine in a digital format, but what we won’t do is give in to the free-content “logic” of so many publications. Tellingly, very few subscribers have complained, and we are still in business, having conceded nothing in the quality of our character or, dare I say, our content.
About to be scrubbed from existence … if you are a student, consumer party backer, someone just looking for a crumb of the pie, anything, just to keep that job going and the junk and junkets and vacations and dreams of owning Belgian horses on some property somewhere or some varietal wine grape spread, 20 acres will do. Anything, baby, to make what Hollywood and Hucksterism and Hegemony will dictate as the great patriotic thing to do. {Note that the lemming urban legend is what we call, agnotology! It never happened — made up history, fact, or scrubbed, erased, as you can see happening in Egypt around the massacre of soccer fans in a mosque — read Zirin. }
Can anyone believe the true philosophical underpinning of what Harper’s Magazine publisher says about the parasite Google?
Why doesn’t Harper’s give away a particularly good investigative piece (such as Ted Conover’s powerful undercover report in May on an industrial slaughterhouse) so that more people will read it?
Because good publishing, good editing, and good writing cost money, and publishers, editors, and writers have to earn a living. We are proud that we can send a photographer to Iran for a couple of weeks and then deliver the resulting images to readers in our September issue through the mail on good paper and over the Internet in high resolution for computer screens and tablets. This photographer, who requested anonymity, risked arrest and prison to take excellent pictures — as do other photographers such as Samuel James — for the benefit of Harper’s and you. The censors in Tehran are surely upset. Shouldn’t Anonymous be paid for this courage and skill? Shouldn’t Harper’s be compensated for sending Anonymous into the field? All told, the photo essay cost us about $25,000, including printing, paper, and mailing. It is unreasonable to expect that an advertiser would directly sponsor such daring photography. It is wishful thinking to believe that parasitic Google, now bloated with billions of dollars’ worth of what I consider pirated property, will ever willingly pay Harper’s, or Anonymous, anything at all for the right to distribute Anonymous’s pictures (although it’s worth noting that the German government is fighting Google on behalf of German publishers and writers over this very point). We cannot even count on America’s enlightened public libraries to help foot the bill for Anonymous. I recently found myself in the Lenox, Massachusetts, public library, where Harper’s Magazine is currently unavailable. When our circulation director complained that the magazine that published Edith Wharton’s short stories, many written just down the road at the Mount, deserved pride of place in the library’s periodicals section, she was told that budget cuts had made it impossible for the library to pay for a subscription.
Today’s HR-IT-Admin Class collusion is about getting rid of pay for people, the rank and file, the writers, the workers, the teachers, the para-educators. It’s about padding their butt pads for their golden parachute years. They are busy-bodies, and rotten to the core, because they slip a check once and a while to Planed Parenthood or the Humane Society. Hell, they even help with scholarship funds and Thanksgiving turkey giveaways, yet … YET they proceed with this uber sickness of “anything new, anything coded, anything digital and hyper efficient must do.” They sit in office and attend meetings and get that smile after software hucksters drop more and more time-consuming crap onto the colleges and corporations laps.
This Google-Gigabyte generation is not about principles, not about who is the smartest, most empathetic, most steeped in ethical IQs and social IQs and emotional IQs out the window. This is about a job, paying above that 70 percent mark, to gain status in the 20 percent ranks. It’s about that smirk, that “now let’s giggle at how dead end these Luddites and humanities types are, how little they get paid … cutting hair would get these smart-ass PhDs more. It’s a Spencerian Darwinism, a Zionist and Power to the Powerful narrative, that Timothy Geithner smile, from cheek to cheek,. Look at these pigs in faux journalism, financial news (sic) –
He was one of the least wealthy Treasury chiefs in recent history — and he suffered at least a 50% pay cut when taking that job.
But with a new appointment at the private equity firm Warburg Pincus, plus income from a book deal and paid speeches, Geithner is poised to make many times his salary in the public sector, where he worked for 25 years.
Geithner was a pauper next to his predecessor Hank Paulson, the former Goldman Sachs Goldman CEO who was possibly worth upwards of $500 million. Although Paulson was one of the richest Treasury secretaries, many who take the job do so after a lucrative career on Wall Street.
Not Geithner. He started at the Treasury Department in 1988 after a short time at the consulting firm Kissinger Associates. Geithner specialized in international economics and rose through the Treasury ranks, then took a leadership role at the International Monetary Fund. In 2003, he was picked to head the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Geithner earned $411,200, plus benefits and an even larger severance payout, in his final year at the Fed, according to financial disclosures.
As Treasury secretary, he earned a salary of $199,700. His net worth has been estimated at between $239,000 and $6 million.
So this Obama appendage received $400,000 last year for three speeches, on with that new parasitic organization, Warburg, Pincus.
The smile is big, TIM. So much bigger than, say, coming from some adjunct Full-time history teacher, English teacher, any teacher USA (save for the superstars – hell, there are superstars in every field, but compared to the rank and file, for teachers, well, there are plenty of tenure-living, adjunct faculty scoffing folks who are part of THE system). You know, my work is as valuable as anything to this crumbling, goofball society – critical thinking, writing, research, looking beyond the slick web site, brochure, snippet journalism, snippet thinking that is the new New Epoch.
You think I am kidding when I say I know folk who are web workers – effing around with a company department web site, bells and whistles, working on maintenance, for say, General Dynamics, guys who play around with a lot of code and IntraNet shit, who make, with no college education, on the order of $70,000 a year. Really. That is the military industrial project. Working for Boeing, GE, Raytheon, et al. Something about CORPORATE welfare, yet these guys scoff at the dude or dudette with the facial piercings on the corner with the raddest sign asking for a donation to the “funding the end of the world as we know it” or some snappy thing. These guys and gals scoff and denigrate not just the panhandler. They see pukes like me as panhandlers. Grow up and get a real job. Really, 2103, and educated pukes say these things about Adjuncts:
New York Times and Keith Hoeller – read the reactions!
Mr. Hoeller makes several fair points that are largely undisputed by tenured faculty: that non-tenure-track faculty teach for crummy wages, enjoy neither the job security nor health benefits of tenured faculty and are often of as high quality as those who have secured tenure-track employment.
The prevailing view of those outside academia seems to be that tenured research faculty are pampered, underworked and lazy with respect to their teaching duties. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
In public universities, passing a tenure review requires assiduous attention to the caliber of teaching. Most crucially, Mr. Hoeller does not acknowledge the intense mentoring workload that tenured research faculty carry and “contingent faculty” do not.
Directing theses and dissertations, writing hundreds of letters of recommendation for students each year, reading thousands of pages of dissertation or thesis chapters, committee work for curriculum and university oversight — are all duties of the tenured research academic, who must also continue to publish in order to see even the most negligible of salary increases.
We all want to see “contingent faculty” be less exploited. But it doesn’t help to make a false argument that their work is better than their “luckier” colleagues.
LINDA CHARNES, Bloomington, Ind., Nov. 13, 2013. The writer is a professor of English at Indiana University.
The Writer Responds
I certainly can agree with Mr. Figlio, co-author of the recent Northwestern study, that “all faculty members deserve our respect — and the opportunity to advance in their careers.” But this is precisely what the two-track system in academe fails to provide to three out of every four college professors who teach off the tenure track.
Mr. Figlio explains his research findings — that off-track faculty are more effective teachers than tenure-track faculty — by suggesting that Northwestern’s contingent faculty are treated better than those elsewhere. But the Cross and Goldenberg 10-campus study had similar findings, so Northwestern cannot be that unique. And contrary to Mr. Sovern’s point, their study concluded that student evaluations were the best available measure of teaching effectiveness.
The non-teaching duties of tenure-track faculty can in no way justify the vastly inferior pay and lack of job security for contingent faculty. Ms. Charnes and Mr. Brunson don’t mention that adjuncts also engage in non-teaching duties, for which they are neither paid nor rewarded.
Mr. Perona cites what has been called “professors of practice,” who are rare and generally not treated equally.
It is not surprising to see the two-track system defended by those who profit from it the most. But as the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education, even a “separate but equal” system is inherently unequal. It cannot be reformed; it must be abolished.
KEITH HOELLER Seattle, Nov. 15, 2013
You can find the dialogue online at: New York Times.
You think because you live in a suburb, have season tickets to the college of your choice, maybe even a professional team or two; you think because you have “friends of color,” and you think because you have 2.3 kids, 2.9 dogs, and a Sunday regular pew-sit at Our Lady of Consumption, well, you think because you tear up when Obama speaks or when the Star Splayed Spangled Banner is sung, well all of that Target and Trader’s Joes and little petition-signing life in front of Safeway, you think just because you dial in codes for the company payroll, or you design little newsletters, or just shuffling paper, that, you, all Christian-Judeo, you think YOU DON’T WORK FOR THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX?????
You are the criminal, continuing in your small inane way, maybe, but still one of the cogs in the Criminal Enterprise of sequesters, privatizing and putrefying education, gutting health, safety, retirement, postal, everything that is for society, not FOR corporations’ gains. Really.
Right! This is how it shakes out in America – corporations infecting every branch of every community tree that the common folk – most of them – live, breathe, thrive in this bullshit lie. That lie is Democrat and Republican. A big lie, really. Blight, and we see it. We see it daily, second-by-second. Hell, the Warsaw Coal is King Climate talks (sic), well, they just oust a 23-year-old for showing solidarity, peaceful, and for unfurling a respectful banner.
We are the age of thugs, UN, US, UK, NZ, AU, you name the rotten white Judeo-Christian muck fest. Thugs run by bigger thugs in the corporate thuggery world.
CLÉMENCE HUTIN: For me, climate is the biggest issue, the biggest challenge that humanity has ever faced. And we are at a tipping point, the crossroads. The time is now. We cannot delay this any further. People have been negotiating my whole life, and I feel like they need to stop speaking, stop talking, stop negotiating, and just act. We need to reduce emissions now. We need to leave fossil fuels in the ground now. And I’m feeling quite frustrated at the moment because that’s not the message that we’ve been getting this year.
I’m 23 years old. When we were in the plenary on Monday, we were listening to Yeb Saño’s speech. We gave him a standing ovation, because it was very heartbreaking. The whole room was very moved. Many negotiators were crying. So, we just felt the need to express basic solidarity at this time. So we clapped, and we escorted him to the exit. We actually warned the chief of security that we were going to do this. And when we met him at the entrance, it was very emotional. He hugged us. He greeted us. He thanked us for the solidarity. And we decided to get our banners out that we were preparing for the action, a sanctioned action, taking place the next day. And the banner was reading: “2012, 1,000 dead; 2013, 10,000-plus dead? How many more?” Just that, and the names of the places that had been hit by the typhoon. And the security just ripped the banners from our hands. They escorted us to the exit immediately, and we were de-badged within 10 minutes.
AMY GOODMAN: So, are you allowed back into the summit?
CLÉMENCE HUTIN: No. We’ve heard—the next day, the chief of security had told us that we could come back in; however, we were notified that Christiana Figueres had made the personal decision to ban us from the U.N. climate talks. We heard that we had been banned for five years. We heard about a lifetime ban, as well. Yesterday, thankfully, she sent us a letter to tell us that we could come in, back in, next year. But we are still banned this week for having expressed solidarity.
This is a society of fearful felons, the ones working the tools and ticker tapes of the Military-Energy-Financial-Retail-Chemical-Big Pharma-Med!
What did I just read? That the big Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council is just all huffy about anyone daring to question Intel’s release of fluoride in Hillsboro. It’s about, well, jobs, and negatively affecting architects, engineers, safety personnel and material suppliers, if anyone dares ask about the efficacy of fluoride in our water systems. Naw, whatever the Intel Campus (they have the hubris to call it that, but, hey, so does McDonald’s – they have their campus, too, and so does Walmart, all of them. Monsanto has campuses worldwide at state universities. The crème de le crème.
That’s the capstone, really, to the union movement, in many ways – jobs, jobs, jobs over health-health-health. They will always win, now won’t they. They fight for jobs with Boeing in Seattle, that CEO who makes how much on his pension, compared to what a rank and file worker is to make? The Boeing military complex just got how many orders for how much for their new earth-eating jet? The company sold 260 777 aircraft. Boeing says it’s the largest combined order for a new aircraft in the company’s history — agreements worth $95 billion. Or more!
The trend has been noticed at the bargaining table. Ray Goforth leads the engineers union. “The Boeing company wants to be able to do what it wants to do without question or explanation,” he said. “Being a part of the Puget Sound, being part of Washington state is not important to the corporation.”
Boeing does not talk about hiring plans. It declined KUOW’s requests for an interview.
However the company is taking action. In summer 2009, Boeing acquired a supplier in South Carolina. This happened while people in Washington were still anticipating completion of the 787 Dreamliner and troubleshooting its many issues. The Dreamliner is Boeing’s bid to win the market through fuel efficiency and a radically new design.
That autumn, Boeing bypassed Washington and chose South Carolina for its second 787 production line. Now 6,500 Boeing jobs are there, and not here.
They’re buying hundreds of acres of land down there and it’s not to preserve the trees or wetlands.
Boeing also has an option to purchase up to 1,100 acres to add to their South Carolina plant. If the land purchases go ahead, the company will own slightly more land there than Boeing owns in Everett.
Aerospace consultant Scott Hamilton of Leeham Co. said the company is clearly expanding. “They’re buying hundreds of acres of land down there and it’s not to preserve the trees or the wetlands,” he said. “Those are going to be converted to factory.”
South Carolina, like most of the southern states, has two major advantages over Washington. It has fewer union constraints, thus fewer potential strikes, and more tax breaks for businesses. South Carolina uses many kinds of tax breaks to entice companies to set up in the state. Washington state’s constitution puts limits on the kinds of incentives it can offer.
Boeing is not the only aerospace company setting up in the South. Airbus SAS of France has set up in Alabama. Embraer SA, the Brazilian plane maker, set up in Florida after deciding against Washington state.
Oh, I also heard this one recently, on National Puerile Radio: “Hell, if the company has to cut its wages and benefits 50 percent, it’s still much better to make half of something, over half of nothing.”
Well isn’t that quaint, USA worker, quoted on National Pediatric Radio!
Get that Asbergers syndrome – AS, AD for disorder, ASD for spectrum disorder, baby – monolith Jeff Bezos to hire on more austismy folk with IT degrees and engineering proclivities, more hard-line ex-military, and, here we are – the United States Postal Service working in cahoots with Bezos to deliver packages. That’s the new buzz around Amazon dot kill you, kill competition, kill real choice COM. Oh, yeah, some asinine movie Amazon has with John Goodman as star. What tripe.
Amazon is offering the beleaguered U.S. Postal Service a lifeline, the Washington Post reported. On Monday, the online retailer announced plans to use the postal service to deliver packages to U.S. customers seven days a week.
This is the point in America where everything is in this continuous fire-sale, to the lowest persons on earth – millionaires, politicians, and, well, the average Joe Blow and Jane Butterworth. Can you imagine, this innocuous statement above applying to ALL public goods, public commons, public safety nets. It does, and they are predators of the lowest kind, those Boeing execs, the Bill Gates, the former feds, the former lobbyists who were once former workers for politicians and who were once politicians. That revolving door is like a carousel.
And, well, that is not predatory, violent, an assault on individuals? This vulture-venture-shock-to-the-system Inside Trading-Inside-Back-of-the-Pockets-of-Politicians advance on all human life, all communities, well, that is not VIOLENCE?
Stay with me a bit, and let me parlay this into a linkage to Jeremy Hammond being sent to the Big House for 10 years, for, well, using codes, computers and some algorithmic jujitsu to look at the collusion between big secrecy and big government and big spooks. Now how many Americans do not want to know what’s cooking, what’s up, with their governments and corporations’ Machiavellian systematic carpet bombing of the US population’s.
To resist the powers that be, the status quo, the corporate ringmasters is to throw gasoline on their bonfire. To resist, protest, demure, denigrate, challenge, debate, argue against, rail against, serve papers on, take them to court, whistle-blow, or out is not an act of civil heroism, not an act of revolutionary zeal that should have been the understudy of this country’s “revolution,” err, Indian Removal Slavery Enhanced Gunboat Diplomacy Project of the heart of darkness.
To write this blog, I fear, is an act of assault and battery. The reason for quiet firings, backdoor derailments of careers, entire lives, and, of course, the more overt, the more Aaron Swartz-like, well, it’s adios, amigo. Even in self-induced retreat through suicide.
Throw gasoline on an SUV, or pick-up truck at the local Toyota or Chevy dealership, well, you get federal time for that crime. Years. Eco-terrorism. If you kill people with Pharma charm, with oil rigger nastiness, with toxin after toxin, you know, the Love Canal thing – the price of doing business is, well, profit, cover-ups, hiring thugs, character assassination, and the big lie and, well, owning the media, owning the university. So all of those crimes by fat faced men and women, who get that air time, get in the news, well, darn, they might get a tenured professorship and book contract for that Inside Job.
You bettcha.
So, while I appreciate Chris Hedges, for sure, and have taught him and Henry Giroux and a container ship’s worth of others in the Chomsky sort of line up, I can’t understand the caveats here, how, poor Jeremy Hammond must have lost his way, advocating fighting back, not getting arrested, not letting the enemy know the plan.
It’s the stuff that the CELDF teaches, the rights of nature, the community bill of rights sort of thing – you can do that big community or neighborhood fight against the box store or pig slaughtering plant, you know, get all the regulatory stuff going, hire your rotten lawyers, get the extra time spent late into the night as citizens to do your traffic studies, all the impact studies, and to try and cajole the corporate media and bubble brain locals to cover something about the fight to keep Walmart out of the neighborhood, or the Nestle bottling company, or the fracking outfit, or, well, fill in your blank________. All that work, and, well, you have gotten done the work of Walmart. They will come back with a few bike lanes, some shrubs, maybe even a few less parking spaces, little tweaks here and there, and, darn, if the city is hobbled by the county who gives tax abatements, tax giveaways, and, darn, Walmart puts in a few green bio-swales, and, there you have it – the regulations have been followed, and you have that new ammonia processing plant next to ya.
Here, from Hedges, the comments by Hedges and Hammond. Guess which is which:
“I did not hope for justice from the court.”
“People have a right to know what governments and corporations are doing behind closed doors.”
“This draconian sentence, like the draconian sentences of other whistle-blowers, will fan revolt.”
“It will solidify the growing understanding that we must resort, if we want to effect real change, to unconventional tactics to thwart the mounting abuses by the corporate state.”
(BLANK) has abandoned faith not only in traditional institutions, such as the courts, but nonviolent mass protest and civil disobedience, a point on which he and I diverge.
His revolutionary vision is “leaderless collectives based on free association, consensus, mutual aid, self-sufficiency and harmony with the environment.”
“He embraces the classic tools of revolt, including mass protests, general strikes and boycotts. And he sees hacking and leaking as part of this resistance, tools not only to reveal the truths about these systems of corporate power but to ‘disrupt/destroy these systems entirely.’”
“The point,” he said, “is to carry out acts of resistance and not get caught.”
“I do not believe that the ruling powers listen to the people’s peaceful protests. Black Bloc is an effective, fluid and dynamic form of protest.
“It causes disruption outside of predictable/controllable mass demonstrations through ‘unarrests,’ holding streets, barricades and property destruction. “
“Smashing corporate windows is not violence, especially when compared to the everyday economic violence of sweatshops and ‘free trade.’”
“Black Bloc seeks to hit them where it hurts, through economic damage. But more than smashing windows they seek to break the spell of ‘law and order’ and the artificial limitations we impose on ourselves.”
“Could I have achieved the same goals through legal means?” he said. “I have tried everything from voting petitions to peaceful protest and have found that those in power do not want the truth to be exposed. When we speak truth to power we are ignored at best and brutally suppressed at worst. We are confronting a power structure that does not respect its own system of checks and balances, never mind the rights of its own citizens or the international community.”
“The hypocrisy of ‘law and order’ and the injustices caused by capitalism cannot be cured by institutional reform but through civil disobedience and direct action,” (BLANK) told the court. “Yes, I broke the law, but I believe that sometimes laws must be broken in order to make room for change.”
Well, it’s easy to see the similarities of Hedges’ call for action and Hammond’s, and then the divergence. This odd feeling that you effect change on Facebook, in a peaceful protest (it is NEVER peaceful because the law changes the playing field, is the violent actor in American protest).
So, some of us have to gut it out and go against the corporate mindset 24/7 in almost every single avocation and career track and job. It’s a disease that is probably DNA entwined, like Chromosome 21 damage is to the Down Syndrome fellow.
Here, take a look at what they learn, what we teach. This Slate writer is young, yet, her story on the adjunct that died doing her job, mistreated and miss-paid, well, I want you all to read the response first, and then go to the URL with the story.
Adjuncts Can’t Even Rest in Peace
When I woke up this morning, I found that a friend of the blog tweeted me a link to a new article discussing recently deceased Duquesne adjunct instructor Margaret Mary Vojtko. When I saw it was from Slate, I was excited to read it, for a good friend of mine had been interviewed for this article. The person who sent the link did so with no initial commentary, so as soon as I had a chance, I read. Actually, I was a little bit behind my travel schedule because I read the whole thing. I wish I had waited until after work to read it, for I’ve been raging about this read the entire day.
L. V. Anderson’s “Death of a Professor” is a sad, sorry excuse to drag down a rally point for adjuncts nationwide. Blunt enough? Let me continue. This is not simply a rant by someone too close to the issue. I know what a rant is, by the way, I taught about them in one class this morning and was only prevented from making one about this very subject by the fact that I was getting observed. While the last paragraphs lament the plight of adjuncts and their treatment by universities even calling for change, I cannot forgive all that comes before those lines. First of all, Anderson misspells Mary Margaret’s last name several times: it’s Vojtko, not Vojkto. Basic reporting: get the names correct. Especially if one is attempting to tear down the martyr of the contingent working poor who also write.
The article begins with a recap of the main points regarding her death and the subsequent publication of Daniel Kovalik’s article that brought intense scrutiny to not only this case, but the wider treatment of adjunct faculty nationwide, perhaps worldwide. Kovalik’s position as senior associate general counsel of the United Steelworkers is mentioned, as it almost always is. I should have known which direction this was going from that moment on, but I kept reading.
Next, the viral history of Kovalik’s article, the Twitter hashtag it inspired (#IAmMaryMargaret), and several related blogs and articles that took up the cause are mentioned. The article even tips its hat to the unfairness of the conditions under which she lived and died: the conditions of the working poor in America. Oh, but then Anderson writes “But was that true?’ This seems to imply that we have all been–gasp–lied to about Mary Margaret VOJTKO. Still I read. What were these new truths?
It seems that the TRUTH about Margaret Mary Vojtko is that she grew up in the Pittsburgh area in a staunchly union family. She considered becoming a nun but after taking a job at her father’s suggestion so that she could make a more informed decision, she did not join a convent. Cousin Gerald Chinchar is quoted as saying she “had too much of an independent streak.” Now, here’s where my alarm bells started to ring, not because of her cousin’s words, but the way in which they were likely to be used. An independent woman?! In the 1940s?! This is followed by her romantic history that includes at least two men who she fell for but never married. Then we learn that after her father’s death she pursued more degrees: French, Latin, medieval studies and even an RN were all areas of expertise. Ah, I see it now: independent, educated, unmarried woman who also decided against taking religious vows that could have provided for her. Well, well.
Finally, Vojtko arrives at Duquesne, fluent in five languages and able to play violin, among other things. She teaches “French for Research” and language classes for undergrads. Though Anderson admits Vojtko took her teaching seriously and that some students doted on her, keeping in touch after leaving her courses, it must be pointed out that she does not use the computer well and eschews technological course instructional programs. How dare she reject corporate course management systems universities have plunked down big bucks for?! What kind of Luddite are we dealing with here? How in the world did any of us ever get by without them? (I must admit I only learned to use BlackBoard this year because my new school relies on it. Many of my students express frustration levels with it as well, and they’re not a quarter her age.) The digs keep piling up.
Then we learn that Margaret Mary Vojtko even had a passion for history, particularly union history relating to her background and volunteered with the Homestead Historical Society. Yet this, too, is not left unproblematized: we are told she was a hoarder and obsessive over artifacts. Yes, her house and the one next door that her deceased brother purchased are full of items. Has this author met any academics? I don’t know any without some oddities, myself included. Personally, I find hoarding to be one of those things I can easily forgive, unless it involves animals. I come from a family who couldn’t throw out something unless it was absolutely broken or completely wrecked without a struggle or at least a long conversation. We’re from the country. We have sheds and barns full of stuff because… Well, because someone might need it and then we wouldn’t have to buy it, just dig it out. We weren’t raised to be throwaway people, as I’m sure the Vojtko children weren’t. Can this be taken too far? Yes. Is it a mental condition? I think so, but it doesn’t make her less human or less deserving of her place in this story of the adjunct uprising. However, Anderson still isn’t finished airing 83 years of dirty laundry.
Apparently, another great secret that we have all been snowed about is that Margaret Mary Vojtko never ever finished her dissertation! What?! Maybe she had more sense than some of us, would be my initial response to that. Is this lack of a terminal degree supposed to make her LESS in my eyes, or make her unfit to serve as a rallying cry for the cause of contingent faculty? Maybe to people who think that a PhD makes them better than everyone else. I have one and I’m still an adjunct. Lots of people are. Lots of people have MAs or MFAs. So what? The adjunct life is rarely any kinder to the doctoral degree holder than those without. In fact, at a beginning of the year meeting at one of my schools, a colleague joked with me that he never had managed to get his PhD, so he couldn’t really expect more than bouncing between schools. I told him the degree was no guarantee anyway, since I had one. He was surprised. Do I feel less inclined to care about Margaret Mary’s life and death because of any of this? No, because none of it matters one damn bit in the end.
At the end of her life, as family members died and others disappointed her, she because more reclusive. Then Anderson claims that the Duquesne community did not abandon her. What they did do was offer her charity. Charity in a country that despises the poor. Charity to a woman from a strong union background who had worked all her adult life, who was intelligent, and independent. I know these women. I come from a family like that. Having to sign my children up for state medical insurance is humiliating to me. I’m not a freeloader. Mary Margaret Vojtko was NOT a freeloader. If this article’s purpose was to tear a woman down from a pedestal, it has not fulfilled its purpose. For me it has placed her further ahead of us. Mary Margaret is up there in the distance beckoning. She waves a union sign. She carries a beloved book. She demands that we keep fighting for the living wage that ALL workers deserve, inside higher education and out. The truth of her life is no less than, no greater than, no more valuable than any of our own. Anyone who thinks that casting aspersions on the character of a deceased woman expiates even some of the guilt of the contemporary corporate university does not truly understand what we are fighting against because they are only standing in our way providing excuses for those in positions of power. This is what we are up against.
For those whose lives challenge the status quo there is no resting in peace.
Read the Slate.com piece here: This is what we are teaching? Journalism? Thinking? Shifting baseline disease?
Oh, who owns Slate.com and Slate magazine? Is it Amazon Bezos, now that he bought the Washington Post?
Slate magazine was started in 1996 by the former editor of New Republic, Michael Kinsley. In 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post and today is run by an online group called Slate Group a subsidiary of the Washington Post.
Paul Kirk Haeder has been a journalist since 1977. He's covered police, environment, planning and zoning, county and city politics, as well as working in true small town/community journalism situations in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Mexico and beyond. He's been a part-time faculty since 1983, and as such has worked in prisons, gang-influenced programs, universities, colleges, alternative high schools, language schools, as a private contractor-writing instructor for US military in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Washington. He organized Part-time faulty in Washington State. His book, Reimagining Sanity: Voices Beyond the Echo Chamber (2016), looks at 10 years of his writing at Dissident Voice. Read his autobiography, weekly or bi-weekly musings and hard hitting work in chapter installments, at LA Progressive. He blogs from Waldport, Oregon. Read his short story collection, Wide Open Eyes: Surfacing from Vietnam, coming out Jan. 2020 from Cirque Journal. Read other articles by Paul, or visit Paul's website.
This article was posted on Tuesday, November 19th, 2013 at 2:49pm and is filed under Academic Freedom, Activism, Assassinations, Blowback, Boycott, Capitalism, Civil Disobedience, Corporate Globalization, Corruption, Crime, Crimes against Humanity, Crimes against Peace, Culture, Democracy, Democrats, Empire, Environment, Fascism, Fiction, Heroes, History, Human Rights, Imperialism, Justice, Labor, Literature, Media, Militarism, Neoliberalism, NGOs, Occupy movement, Patriotism, Philosophy, Police, Politics, Poverty, Prejudice, Privacy, Psychology/Psychiatry, Racism, Resistance, Revolution, Right Wing Jerks, School Yard Fights, Science/Technology, Security, Socialism, Solidarity, Statism, Students, Tea Party movement, Terrorism (state and retail), The Lobby, War Crimes, Whistleblowing, WikiLeaks, Zionism.
One comment on this article so far ...
Paul Haeder said on November 20th, 2013 at 7:41am #
Well, a certain “Tom” has reposted one of my posts, at a Blog called, quote:
NW Adjuncts Unite posts as an info clearinghouse that articulate the distilled problems of contingent faculty…and the collective solutions that our colleagues are using to fight this exploitative marginalization.
http://tmccarthy253.wordpress.com/
A big thanks!
My comments posted there —
Hey, thanks for posting. Let’s rock the house, rattle the cage and humiliate the ADMIN class.
I think it’s great that you frame what I write as a rant, as a ramble, but with bite, too. Look, I have been teaching writing, journalism, business/tech writing, poetry, the novel and literature, as well as remedial courses, for decades. I also write for small-town and mainstream news organs. I know the kettling of society, the snippet journalism that is all the rage, and the limp false balancing and contrived objectivity-neutrality-good-all-American-tone. I see that tone filtering every single day in the various part-time jobs I work at. I saw it as a disease with SEIU. With many in Seattle, and with the many that I worked with at Green River Community College. I’ve seen Deanlets scurrying like cockroaches at the thought of really revolutionary, good, and provocative and controversial faculty or ideas. That’s how they pad their stinking beds with investment, $90K a year salaries and junkets to the data collecting world of changing education daily because THEY CAN.
The point of the blog, Dissident Voice, is to have revolutionary voices come on board and provoke. The “ramble” that you are couching my piece around as a critique, well, ramble in my mind is sorely needed in this effete world of ameliorating, incremental change (not) professing and adjunct faculty( as the majority) sitting like deer caught in the 18-wheeler’s headlights when Deanlets, Department Heads, IT and other ADMIN class hit them with really bad change and ideas.
Oh, I am also teaching, at a community college. I am an adjunct — one of only seven — on the college’s strategic planning initiative. That’s over 250 FTTT, staff and ADMIN on one end, and 7 adjunct faculty on the other, for a campus that, alas, has 65 percent NT/adjunct. Great input, uh? Our goal is to work on learning environment delineation and vision and the school’s student outcomes and strategies going forth into 2020. I guarantee, the emphasis is on DL — distance learning — AND on more on-line courses, and, well, you can imagine what all of that does to solidarity, relationship building, human engagement, and growing the academic sphere of multidisciplinary and community building for both the adjunct — majority — and the student. Right — it destroys all of that, and even more human agency and collective will.
It’s the third rail of higher education, MOOC and on-line lust, and if anyone has facts, background, data or intuitive reasoning around how on-line teaching IS not the way to go, as a way to replace, largely F2F courses, well, we are vilified, lambasted and put down as proto-Luddites. That includes largely the adjuncts, who want less and less connection to driving to campus and spending time in those commutes and going to a class that they have to meet F2F. So much for the neighborhood. We already live in silos, with learning communities rare as a fair insurance plan done on Obama-Uncare. The idea is to have MORE faculty, staff and students in all disciplines come together. It is really a schizophrenia, because the hundreds of business leaders, business owners, non-profit heads, and government middlings I talk with all want employees who are critical thinkers, systems thinkers, deep in their understanding of all aspects of the world, and ones that have huge experience dealing with multiple thinkers, stakeholders, people from all classes and walks of life, in the round, face to face. I am not kidding about that, but at these On-Ward-On-Line Storm trooper meetings, it’s as if we are on another planet advocating for relationship building and hard and challenging worlds of engagement in a room, in a field, in a lab, in an auditorium, in a full-equipped classroom.
So, “rant” is in, data-analysis paralysis is OUT. “Ramble” is one person’s plea and creative pot of ideas, another person’s disjointedness. The blog, School Yard Fights, gets reposts and garners respect from people from around the world, daily, thanking me for these “rambles. ”
Just check it out —
I am an English Teacher:
https://dissidentvoice.org/2013/01/i-am-an-english-teacher/
Newest one —
https://dissidentvoice.org/2013/11/revolt-a-la-youtube-toast-masters-and-really-really-smart-educated-ivy-league-grads/
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The Time Traveller’s Verbs, Part 2: How We Changed the Past
August 26, 2014 December 7, 2014 Sue Archer
In Part 1 of The Time Traveller’s Verbs, we met time travellers Captain and Sergeant Joe around a summer campfire. They explained present tense verbs to Kevin, Mia, and little Charlie, and then left abruptly on a new mission to the past.
There was a flash of blue light. A few seconds later, the Captain and Sergeant Joe walked up to the campfire. The Captain looked triumphant. Joe looked like he had been dragged backward through a hedge. His pants were ripped at the knees and his face was smudged with dirt.
“Now,” said the Captain cheerfully, “where were we?”
Mia looked at Joe, and then back at the Captain. “Well,” she said hesitantly, “I think we were just talking about verbs, but I’m not sure I remember everything…”
“What happened to you, Joe?” asked Kevin. “I don’t think you had all that dirt on your face when we were talking…or did you?” He shook his head as if to clear it.
Joe raised his eyebrows at the Captain. She shrugged. “We just returned from a mission to the past. Would you like to hear about it?”
“Yes, please!” said little Zifnat.
The Captain and Joe examined the anti-grav hover platform that now circled the fire, and carefully seated themselves on it.
“It’s good to hear such enthusiasm from you, Charlie,” said the Captain to little Zifnat.
“You mean Zifnat,” said Joe to the Captain. “You remember Zifnat, don’t you?”
“Of course,” said the Captain briskly. “A good strong Zardonian name. I remember your parents naming you after our Zardonian friends. I must have been thinking of someone else.”
“So,” said Joe, “we went back in time to visit Leonardo da Vinci…”
“Oh, no, Joe,” said the Captain, “I think we should start with Isaac Newton. That’s the most exciting part of the story. And it will give us a great opportunity to teach our recruits here all about past tense verbs.”
“I knew you were going to say that,” muttered Joe.
“Did you really meet Isaac Newton?” asked Kevin skeptically.
“Oh yes,” said the Captain. “Well, sort of. We observed him for a while before we had our discussion with you on present tense verbs. Do all of you remember the four types of verbs we’ve learned so far—simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous?”
“I think so,” said Mia valiantly. It was clear she didn’t quite remember, but didn’t want to admit it.
“Well, the past tense has the same four types, along with a special one called the habitual past. We’ll try to use all of them in our story.
“Let’s begin with the simple past, which uses the past form of an action verb. Joe, why don’t you start us off?”
Joe adopted his best classroom voice. “As you may know, Sir Isaac Newton developed his theory of gravity after he saw an apple fall from a tree. This happened on a specific day in the year 1666. We travelled to that day to observe how this event came about.”
“You can see why the simple past is used a lot for telling stories. Although they’re usually not as boring as that, Joe!”
“Hey, I tried to use the drama of the simple present tense the last time I told a story, but you said not to,” protested Joe.
Habitual Past
“Anyway,” said the Captain, “the habitual past is also used a lot when telling stories. You use the habitual past to talk about something that occurred regularly in the past. This tense uses the word would along with the base form of the action verb. Like this: ‘Newton would often stroll through his mother’s garden in Lincolnshire, which is where this momentous event occurred.'”
“I think your story is boring, too,” said Kevin. Joe high-fived him.
“There’s just no respect from the young anymore,” mock-frowned the Captain.
“I respect you, Captain!” enthused Mia.
Kevin rolled his eyes.
“Thank you, Recruit Mia,” said the Captain. “Well, the story’s about to get more exciting. Because Joe was hungry. So he ate an apple from the tree in Lincolnshire. Which was a big mistake.”
Joe blushed.
“What happened?” asked little Zifnat.
“I’ll tell you what happened if you give me an example of the past continuous tense. This tense is used to describe an ongoing event in the past. Sometimes this ongoing event is combined with another event in the sentence—to show how something was in progress when something else happened. You use the past form of the verb to be, such as I was, along with an -ing word, like waiting. Can you think of an example, Zifnat?”
Zifnat stuck his tongue out in thought. “I was…waiting…to find out what happened next…when…a spaceship flew by!” He said this as the purple lights of a Zardonian spaceship blinked by overhead.
“Great job, Zifnat!” said Joe, and low-fived him so that Zifnat could reach him. Zifnat bounced up and down and almost fell off the platform.
“Careful there, youngster,” said the Captain, steadying him. “These things are dangerous. Sometimes I miss the old timeline, even if it had its problems.”
“What do you mean, the old timeline?” asked Kevin.
“Oh, that’s a story for later. So, where were we? Ah, Joe’s mistake. How could I forget?”
Joe glared at her.
“Joe was still eating the apple when Newton came outside to walk through the garden. While Newton was walking through the garden, we were both hiding, waiting for an apple to fall from the tree.”
“And then what happened?” asked Kevin, drawn in to the story in spite of himself.
“Nothing,” said the Captain. “Because Joe had eaten the gravity apple!”
Mia gasped. “No gravity apple?”
“And it gets worse,” said the Captain with relish, while Joe looked away. “Because Joe had eaten the special gravity apple, our time machine disappeared.”
“No way!” said Kevin, while Zifnat shrieked in excitement.
“Yes. Had eaten, by the way, is an example of the past perfect tense. You use the verb had with the past participle of another verb. In this case, I was describing an event that was completed before another event happened.”
“The apple was eaten, and then the time machine disappeared,” said Mia in understanding.
“Exactly. Now, with linking verbs, you can use the past perfect tense to describe a mental or emotional state that was happening when another event occurred. Like, ‘I had known the apple was important, but I was still taken by surprise when our way home went up in smoke.”
“Enough already,” said Joe. “I fixed the situation, didn’t I?” He gestured at his ripped pants.
“Yes. After Newton went back inside, Joe climbed up the tree and started throwing apples until Newton noticed one falling when he looked out the window. It didn’t fall straight down, though, so it did affect his theory of gravity slightly. But we got our time machine back, even if it did have a different design.”
“We’d expected there would be other changes in the present,” said Joe. “And there were. We saw that when we were talking to you about present tense verbs.”
“There were too many changes, unfortunately,” said the Captain. “So we went back in time to fly by Leonardo da Vinci’s house.”
“What do you mean, too many changes?” asked Kevin.
“We’ll get to those when we talk about the future, I promise. For now, I have one more past verb tense for all of you. Mia, do you know what it might be?”
“The past perfect continuous?” asked Mia.
“Yes, Mia. You will make an excellent time traveller,” said the Captain.
“For the past perfect continuous tense,” said Joe, “you use the verb had with been and the -ing form of an action verb. This tense shows how an event in the past was still ongoing when another event occurred. Like this: ‘We had been flying our time machine back and forth a few times when da Vinci finally came out and saw us.'”
“Isn’t it a bad idea to have people in the past see you?” asked Kevin.
“Normally, yes,” said the Captain. “Nice verb explanation, Joe. You do listen to me after all.”
Joe half-smiled and saluted her.
“I don’t get it,” said Mia. “I thought hiding from people was an unbreakable rule for a time traveller.”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” said the Captain. “We needed da Vinci to change his drawings of mechanical flying machines based on what he saw. Because we needed to change our future.”
“Whoa,” said Kevin. Zifnat yawned and rubbed his eyes.
“Mia, Kevin, why don’t you tuck Zifnat into his portable sleeping cubicle,” said Joe. “Then we can tell the two of you about the future.”
“Wanna hear…’bout…futr…” sighed Zifnat sleepily, as Kevin picked him up and carried him to bed. Mia hurried after him, not wanting to miss the story.
“Thanks for catching that Charlie was Zifnat, Joe,” said the Captain quietly. “It’s taking me longer these days to sync up the timelines in my head. It’s so frustrating.”
“Of course, Captain,” said Joe, eyeing her with concern. “Do you think Kevin and Mia are ready to hear about the future?”
“Yes,” said the Captain. “After all, it will be their future. And they’ll be taking over from us soon.”
“At least now they’ll have hope,” said Joe.
They stared into the flames, waiting.
Tune in next week for the final installment of The Time Traveller’s Verbs, when we will save the future of humanity!
This series of posts is dedicated to Shelley Sackier, blogger extraordinaire, who asked me to write about perfect and continuous verbs.
My son graciously agreed to contribute another picture to today’s story. 🙂
Categories: Grammar Stories Tags: grammar, habitual past, past continuous, past perfect, past perfect continuous, past progressive, past tense, simple past, stories, time travel, verb tense, verbs, writing
← The Time Traveller’s Verbs, Part 1: Telling Campfire Tales
The Time Traveller’s Verbs, Part 3: To Save Our Future →
13 thoughts on “The Time Traveller’s Verbs, Part 2: How We Changed the Past”
Well, this is just the best thing.
Thanks, Pat! I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun to write. 🙂
And the partially consumed gravity apple illustration was great!
It is great, isn’t it? My son studied a real apple to draw that, and I think he did a fantastic job coming up with his own take on a gravity apple. I’ll be sure to let him know you liked it!
I enjoyed every word (should I say every verb too!). Looking forward your next installment! And an illustration from your son!
Thanks, Nicole! The next installment will be on the way soon. 🙂
Very cute, both the story and the photo! I never knew the different names for those verb types. I like it when I learn new things.
I never learned the names for these when I was going through school. It’s something I picked up as an adult. We use verbs all the time, but we don’t tend to think about how they are constructed. When I first learned about the tense types, I thought, “So THAT’s how they work!” There’s just so much to learn. And I think that’s fantastic. 🙂
This has got to be one of the most enjoyable ways to learn grammar, Sue. I can’t thank you enough. These posts will be referred back to more often than I’ve had hot dinners. I am incredibly grateful, and so look forward to the next installment!
And congrats to your pint sized artist in residence. Those are some post worthy pics, indeed! 😀
I will be sure to pass on your praise to the artist. 🙂 Thanks, Shelley!
An entertaining read!
Top marks to both blogger & artist!
Hope u find this entertaining:
http://bradscribe.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/moonage-daydream/
Thanks, ML! I’m glad you liked it. I appreciate you commenting on my post. Just so you know for next time (as I hope to see you here again), I don’t normally accept links in comments unless they are directly related to the post (like your Rocket Raccoon post from earlier). I’ve been enjoying your posts, so don’t worry – I will be checking them out, you don’t need to include a link. 🙂 Thanks again for coming by!
I noticed you’ve got Part 3 up already, so I will coming by again v soon!
Thank you for visiting – u are always welcome!
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